The West Coast of Canada regional meeting of the Captain Cook Society on November 12, 2023, was again held using Zoom. We experienced record attendance with 29 members from all over the world joining. The meeting was hosted by Randy and Maggie Komar.
We usually have quite a few attendees from the UK, Australia, NZ and the whole west coast of North America from Kodiak, Alaska, to Stockton, California, and a good representation from our own neck of the woods, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Members from all around North America were also present. This time, there was also a member from Belgium, as well as one from New York, NY. It was fascinating to hear all participants introduce themselves, and give brief accounts of how they came to be CCS members.
Our guest speaker was Catherine Gilbert, local historian, author and educator at the college level. The topic of her presentation was Naming the Named: The Exploration and Mapping of British Columbia's Coast, AND The Nootka Crisis or “Why We Don't Speak Spanish in British Columbia”.
In her introductory comments, Catherine noted how most history books, including text books at the college level, make little mention of Captain Cook and his achievements. Her students have expressed their appreciation to her for enlightening them in this area. Accompanying Catherine’s talk were visuals of many paintings, drawings and maps that further illustrated the historical events surrounding the explorations by the Spanish, British and even the Portuguese. She spoke extensively about the Mowachaht First Nations people who occupied Yuquot (Friendly Cove) at Nootka Sound, and their interactions with Captain Cook, Captain Vancouver and other explorers. For those who missed this meeting, or just want to explore a bit further, check out Catherine’s blog post.1
After Catherine’s talk, there was a time for questions and comments that also resulted in more animated discussion.
Randy announced that there are some serious plans afoot for an organized excursion to Nootka Sound in 2028, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Cook’s arrival there. Hold onto your tricorn hats!!!
Maggie and Randy Komar
References
- https://catherinegilbert.ca/index.php/2017/05/15/latest-news/
Originally published in Cook's Log, page 40, volume 47, number 1 (2024).