It’s almost 20 years since we created this monument meant to reflect the importance of our maritime history. For those of you who haven’t seen it, this figure cast in concrete stands at the corner of Murray and Horne Roads, and the telescope is aimed across the harbour, watching for traffic around Whiffin Spit.
In the telescope’s line of vision is the building site on the East Sooke side of the harbour, where the 80-ton schooner Favorite was built by Captain William Spring in 1868. The Favorite was engaged at first in fishing for cod, and then sailed in the lumber trade, hauling to Honolulu.
In 1874, Captain Spring put the schooner in the sealing industry, which he continued for about three decades. It was reported that he was the first to take local First Nations hunters to the Bering Sea in 1885.
Following the sealing industry, the large commercial salmon traps built initially by J H Todd dominated the local marine industry for the next half-century, with the last of the salmon fish traps installed in 1958.
In this view at the corner of Horne Road, we see a red-stained frame holding a bronze ship’s bell installed in the yard of Danny Heggelund, whose family has been among the foremost in the fishing industry for three generations.
After the Second World War, independent fish boats proliferated along this coast, followed in recent years by a robust sports fishing industry.
Viewers might wonder how we modelled the cast figure mounted in this scene. We actually used two models. To shape the face, we managed to coerce Peter Wilford to sit in a chair long enough for us to cover his face with modelling clay to shape the features. For the body of the figure, Theo Hateley was used as our model.
Nowadays many hikers pass by this scene as they approach the Marine Boardwalk, which gives them an opportunity to enjoy some of the natural history of our waterfront. A bit further west of this scene, government wharf facilities are headquartered at the foot of Maple Avenue.
Elida Peers, historian
Sooke Region Museum
