A Sporting Character



Mountain Backdrop, Comox

Nautical Theme at Comox

Continuing south, we motored along the eastern shore of Vancouver Island, the Strait of Georgia was flat, calm for the entire four and half-hour cruise to Comox.  Good weather meant an easy crossing over the Comox Bar and made locating the buoys that mark the shoals an easy task.  We made our way through the shallow entrance with only 10 feet of water under the keel and found Comox Harbour filled with day sailors practicing their skills and runabouts heading out to fish.   

Cute Condos and Shops in Comox

The Beaufort Mountains and Comox Glacier could clearly be seen, providing a beautiful backdrop to the harbour.  The summer scene certainly is differernt from the stormy off season when the bar is often closed and the local Coast Guard is practicing helicopter rescue maneuvers.  Once tied up at the docks, we took our bikes into town.   


Hover-round Traffic

We always enjoy this small community with its nautical theme, cute cafes, and the adventure of dodging hover-rounds racing along the sidewalks.  Comox is a retirement community with medical services and other conveniences but put more bluntly, it seems to be home to a club of bold seniors who speed along the sidewalks expecting you to get out of their way.  

Daring Hover-round Driver

One lady looked like a deer in headlights as if to say, I don’t know how to stop this thing!  One cute guy, looking like a race car driver, was climbing one of the steeper hills in town quite proud of his accomplishment.  Perhaps it’s the senior version of “heading out on the highway, looking for adventure.”  

The Filberg Lodge

After dodging all the hover-rounds, we made our way (on two wheels) to the Filberg Heritage Lodge & Park located on the southeast end of town.  The lodge was built on a 9-acre estate in the 1930’s by logging Baron R.J. Filberg.  

The Grape Arbor, Filberg Park

The grounds contain lovely gardens and other buildings, including a root cellar, dairy barn, and chicken coop.  Robert Filberg came to the Comox Valley from Denver, Colorado at the age of 17 and began his career in the Comox Logging & Railway Company.  

Filberg Lodge, Comox

In 1916 he married Florence McCormick, daughter of Sir James McCormick president of Canadian Western Lumber and Comox Logging, which no doubt was beneficial.  

Dairy Building, Filberg Park

Nevertheless, he earned his way over the years and eventually became president.  He and Florence established the R. Filberg General Fund with over $10 million which provided grants for many worthy causes.  Today, the property is owned and managed by the town of Comox which designated the Filbert Lodge in 1979 as a heritage site.

Lovely Grounds, Filberg Park