BLAST FROM THE PAST

JOËLLE SÉVIGNY

Old railbed perfect for new romances

Love is in the air this month and everyone knows that it is customary for young couples to seek privacy from the watchful eyes of others. Many moons ago, Powell River once had a perfect escape for young couples known as Lovers’ Lane.

One of the most well-known and documented Lovers’ Lanes was located at the site of The Michigan & Puget Sound Railway. This railroad went through the Townsite and down to Michigan Landing (now called Willingdon Beach).

When the rails were removed in the late 1920s, the Powell River Company graded the roadbed. This resulted in a narrow two-mile stretch, with lovely trees meeting overhead, providing coolness and “retreats where new loves may be born, and old loves renewed.” (1929 Digester). It is said that hundreds of romances have bloomed and flourished over the years on Lovers’ Lane, under the wild cherry blossoms.

It was especially a favorite for outings at dusk. Pairs strolled along the trail, past the Chinese Laundry and past the stables. Some of these early structures vanished over time but the trail remained.

Because of the popularity of the trail, in 1950, the Lions Club repaired and renewed the romantic ‘old rustic bridge’ across the stream, just before the entrance to the beach. In the 1960’s, the campsite was built on part of the trail and now what remains of Lovers’ Lane, which was widened over time, is the Willingdon Beach Trail.

However, the Powell River region has been home to more than one Lovers’ Lane. Another was located at Myrtle Point close to the old log dump, and similarly to the one in Townsite, it was created after the railroad was removed. There was also a Lovers’ Lane at Stillwater, Haslam Lake and Lang Creek by what is now the salmon hatchery.

“Hundreds of romances have bloomed and flourished over the years on Lovers’ Lane... Pairs strolled along the trail, past the Chinese Laundry and past the stables.”

LOVE AMONGST THE PRICKLES: The two-mile trail from Townsite to Willingdon Beach has been an escape for lovers - young and elder - for decades. Top: 1929 Digester cover. Left: 1907 railway to Michigan Landing, AKA Willingdon Beach. Photo courtesy of the Townsite Heritage Society. Blast from the Past is a monthly historical column written by the Townsite Heritage Society’s coordinator Joëlle Sévigny. The THS tells the history of Townsite from 1907 onward. | thetownsite@shaw.ca