On Sunday, Sept. 14^th, we set out in rainy weather and found an almost hidden Canadian gem!  Just off the highway, with the smallest sign possible, was the World’s Largest Canoe Paddle! (Certified by the Guinness Book of World Records.)

The paddle is made from one Western Red Cedar log, over 60 feet long, plus one 4 X 40 foot slab of laminated veneer lumber totaling 840 layers.  The paddle weighs 5,300 pounds and took 200 hours of labor, 4 gallons of varathane finish – and the owner’s love of place and great sense of humor!

This unique paddle is set in a lovely meadow with a pond, benches and pots of petunias.

Back on the road, we headed up the Canadian Rockies and crossed Rogers Pass.  There are two monuments here.  The first is a commemoration of the official opening of the Trans-Canada Highway (aka the Al-Can Hwy, as it continues into Alaska) on September 3, 1962.

The mosaic map below the beams shows the map of Canada and the highway’s route.

The second monument is a 105‑mm howitzer field gun!

Why? This area is home to some of the most treacherous avalanche country in Canada, containing over 134 known avalanche pathways. To counter this winter threat, Parks Canada Agency (PCA) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) run the avalanche control program, Operation Palaci. During the season, gun crews fire from 17 positions along the Trans‑Canada Highway. They use 105‑mm howitzer field guns like this one that are modified for precision firing from roadside platforms. This prevents snow build-up that would produce dangerous, uncontrolled avalanches.

The final stop of the day before reaching our hotel in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, was a bar-b-que at Three Valley Gap.  We had pre-ordered our choice of steak or salmon and had ample time after eating to visit the museum and walk through the ghost town.

Here are some of Ryck Johnson’s photos of the ghost town:

Unfortunately, our little group spent extra time in Three Valley Gap trying to fix Terri’s water pump.  The guys tried shooting it with grease, but that didn’t work.  They had a spare water pump, so they removed the broken one and tried installing the new one.  It didn’t fit!  The owner of Three Valley Gap graciously led two or three of our mechanics down to his workshop and they ground the blades to size.  

It worked and Radio Flyer is running well again.  Today’s mileage was ONLY 221, but we arrived at the hotel late again. These late arrivals and late dinners are getting old, but maybe our luck will change soon.  Come back for the coming blog posts as we will be visiting some beautiful areas of Canada!