The Red Dress Project, Saskatoon, October 2, 2014

Photos and text (c) Robert Barry Francos
Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them

The Red Dress Project is to acknowledge the number of Aboriginal woman who have either disappeared or were murdered across Canada, yet ignored by the Federal Government. This vigil was held at Station 20 West in Saskatoon, as part of a nationwide program. There were a number of panelists who spoke, and then members of the audience shared their experiences of both being harassed and knowing others who have vanished, or were killed.

The red dresses were placed throughout the University of Saskatchewan for a number of days, and were also hung around Station 20 West for this gathering. This was just one of three such protests I attended within the last week, one being a march to also protest missing and murdered Aboriginal Women, and the other a march for Take Back the Night.

Surrounded by ghosts?

 

Bowen Island, BC, February 2014

Photos and Text by Robert Barry Francos, 2014



Bowen Island is a twenty-minute ferry ride from the Horseshoe Pier of Vancouver. It's a relatively small island that is both quaint and modern, with some feel of the past and new crashing together. Lots of trees and new developments, lakes and two mountains, tall though dwarfed by those snow-capped Rockies-types across the bay. Here is a brief selection of some photos I took during February 2014. Some captions will give brief descriptions. Enjoy the pix.



The Voyage:



The Ferry docked in Vancouver. The tip of Bowen Island can be seen sticking out in the distance on the left.

The Ferry taking off.

The clouded mountains on the Vancouver side as the Ferry begins its passage (also below).

A walk around the lake:

Vibrant and fuzzy moss that covered much of the wood in the forest.



Trees grow from the stumps of much larger trees; we were told that there is ten years of nutrients in the dead trees.



There ferns were omnipresent

Only small parts of the swampy areas of the walk were covered by boardwalk. 



I kept thinking of Swamp Thing.



Only the edges of the lake were frozen, in this spot deep enough to support this limb

The danger sign was reflected in the south part of the lake.



We were fascinated by the twisted tree limbs, silhouetted in part by the overcast sun.


Rainy drive around the island:

The wind-driven tide crashed against the rocky shore.

A drenched view of the east shore.

Shrubbery and trees were used as barriers, some 15-20 feet tall.

Pearl drops of water hang from the bare tree at the Artisan Village.

The right side view from our cabin.

The left side view from our cabin.

The morning fog.

Our rented cabin for four days.

The path to the labyrinth. No, David Bowie was not there.

Moisture drops on the tree, with the labyrinth in the background. No, Jennifer Connelly was not there either.



Fog would show up in various places at various times.

The mountains across the bay, hidden by clouds the day before.

A bleached tree limb looking like the skeleton of a creature from a fantasy novel.

The dip between the mountains in the foreground reflected in the dip between the mountains in the background.

The same, in a zoomed shot.

The same peak above zoomed in below.

Canada's shire?

The clouds move in to cover the mountain top.

The road leads to the cave, which connects to the house partial seen on the top, center.

Odd tree limbs in the pictures above and below.

I kept expecting to see King Kong fighting some dinosaur in this primordial forest.

This tree grew on a giant trunk that eventually rotted away, leaving it's roots looking like legs.

Tree-rotica?

This tree is rotting away, but is held up by smaller tree "crutches."

A "living wall"

I like the shadows...

The downtown area of Bowen Island, near the Ferry. The Vancouver-side mountains are in the background.

The view across the bay.

Either old harbor buildings or ones made to look that way.

The marina at Horseshoe Bay, next to where the Ferry docks.

A lone tree and rock sit on the Horseshoe Bay beach.

The upward trail to Dorman Point:

Dorman Bay (south view)

View towards Cypress Mountain

Noisy helicopter interrupting our nature view.

Triangle of mountain reflected in the cut in the trees.

Strange plant that lined the Bowen Point trail. It had serious thorns.

The Ferry docking into Horseshoe Bay, taken from the beach.

We would be on the 6:30 AM Ferry the next morning, heading home.