WELLNESS ARTIST

DON BASTIAN

KEALY DONALDSON

It feels like a warm blanket is being wrapped

around you when you walk into Don and Denise’s Boom Boat Gallery in Telegraph Cove. The cove is 2 hours north of Campbell River along a beautiful stretch of highway and passes many historic and natural icons of Vancouver Island North. Don Bastian has been working with wood since he was a dirt-poor farm boy out of Pincher Creek, Alberta, many moons ago. Bastian is a Wood Artist and Carver and his passion for his artistry shows with great depth. His work is not to be missed! The Boom Boat Gallery was created to ensure everyone could enjoy his artistic visions and there is something for everyone – whether you need to put it in your suitcase or your budget is small! “Everything in the gallery is made right here in Telegraph Cove,” adds Denise, Don’s lovely wife. “We wanted to ensure that from small to big, that there were handmade souvenirs and art pieces of all types”. Denise hosts her own line of ceramic works for the gallery using her on-site studio and kiln. “I learned to work with what I had” Bastian advises, using his childhood as a reference “I love working with wood and its limitations”. The gallery is iconically marked with an old boom boat sitting on the edge of the building and you have the opportunity to climb on it and it’s an awesome west coast photo op not to miss. The boom boat was found in the junkyard, located slightly north, in the Quatse River area, originally Bastian had a sailboat in his mind for this focal point. He quickly changed directions and noted it cost

pennies to buy it and thousands to move it into place – definitely ask for the story when you visit the gallery. You can’t miss it … it is distinctly unique for the gallery. This landmark is tied to a piling which is an original telephone pole from the historic telegraph days. Their gallery and home has unique structural supports using chains to hold or suspend the roof line – truly beautiful to walk around the building to see all the nuances of Bastian’s building design. Through the course of time, Bastian came out to Mudge Island every summer to visit his cousin’s summer home. He knew he would return to this coast. He didn’t expect it would be 50 years in the making but was smiling ear to ear when he arrived in Sydney, near Victoria, 18 years ago. One day he and Denise were walking in Downtown Sydney window shopping and Denise was looking into a vacant window and said the magic words “I wonder how much they want for rent?” From that moment, they started West Coast Wood Designs. Sydney proved to be an excellent venue; 85 Vancouver Island Artists were featured in their gallery but local municipal construction killed their gallery business and they shut their doors. This didn’t stop Bastian; he retreated to his private studio – at the end of the day, their bottom line didn’t change, without the overhead of the gallery, so he kept working away. Bastian was the lead carpenter for Hudson’s Bay Window Displays and Merchandising in Western Canada. He has an incredible comprehension for merchandising retail spaces and a creative crafted-professional approach – which is seen throughout his body of work. Feeling like it was time to slow down and gently move into retirement, the couple decided to look for the perfect spot to set up shop. Three years ago, the couple drove down the winding logging road to explore Telegraph Cove. As soon as they came over the hill crest, Bastian knew they had found their next gallery site and retirement home. Originally a ‘summer only’ operation, they work year round to fill the gallery shelves for the high season. The couple notes they work very hard to ensure an amazing guest experience at the Boom Boat Gallery and everyone loves the romance of the cove. The most rewarding piece at the moment is that past clients are finding Bastian in Telegraph Cove. “Oh, this is where you are now!” Bastian is told regularly from ⊲