BLAST FROM THE PAST Overgrown golf green still resplendent

BY JOËLLE SÉVIGNY

We are graced with many green spaces in and around Powell River which has made it easy to enjoy the early tastes of the sunshine this past month.

Walks along Willingdon Beach and the Sea Walk are some of the local favorites since these locations not only allow us to feel the sun on our skin but also offer breathtaking ocean views.

Once upon a time, one of the most common trails for a casual stroll was called the Beach Trail; it went from the Townsite, beginning at the mill site by the steam plant, through the old golf course, and down to the beach (the one at the mid-point to Willingdon Beach).

The Beach Trail followed the Michigan & Puget Sound Railway bed after the tracks were removed in 1929. Since it also followed the golf course, the clear landscape offered spectacular views of the Malaspina Strait; it is no wonder that it was enjoyed by many on sunny Sunday afternoons. Folks from Westview would also walk in from the south end to enjoy it!

This was before the days of the rampant use of motorized vehicles, when people walked about everywhere. Even so, there are more trail systems today than there were back then. Apart from walking down to the Shinglemill or along the Beach Trail, casual walking trails were not trending yet.

SWING INTO SPRING: The Beach Trail along the old golf course with the maple tree and the Sallie Scanlon Lodge in the background. This Townsite course is long overgrown, but Myrtle Point Golf Club and Putter’s Mini Golf remain open this month (with extra precautions). Photo courtesy of the Townsite Historical Society.

The beautiful large bigleaf maple tree that was present on the golf course (which you can see in the photograph) is still present today. If you want to see it, you can park on the pull-out at the intersection of Fir Street and Marine Avenue, then go down the old set of stairs that lead to what was the site of the Sallie Scanlon Lodge and walk down the path for a couple minutes until the magnificent tree comes into sight!

Blast from the Past is a monthly historical column written by the Townsite Heritage Society’s board member Joëlle Sévigny.