Perspectives

Big Mike

Hi!

My name is Big Mike. I weigh in at 260 pounds and stand atop a 50 foot cedar pole in downtown Campbell River so you can see from almost anywhere in town. I was crafted by Dean Lemke, a Campbell River carver who spent over 400 hours creating me as a tribute to the local loggers and the forest industry. I was completed and perched atop the pole in 1984.

Manitoba has its “Golden Boy” perched high above the Legislative Building and Campbell River has me!

In Old England, the Village Green was on the High Street, right in the middle of town. A green, grassy surface sprinkled with trees, shrubs and benches. And all round the edges, facing the park, were the local shops and businesses.

Like the Village Green of old, ours is surrounded on all sides by downtown business places, all facing the square. There is a major supermarket, a large full-facility hotel, several banks, service stations, and dozens of small stores, boutiques and eateries with a profusion of professional services on their upper floors. Behind me is the Regional Library and the Tidemark Theatre and beside me is the Visitor Information Centre and the Art Gallery.

My view is great!

Above the stores to the east, I can see the mile-wide Strait of Georgia, with glimpses of killer whales and slow-moving cruise ships. Beyond are the gulf islands and the snow-capped mountains.

To the west is the escarpment rising above downtown that has been claimed by beautiful homes and apartments whose occupants can capture the spectacular view of the Strait. It’s a glorious sight every evening, with all the lights glowing on the hillside.

Below me is the tiny cenotaph park with its benches, and the city’s bus terminus. Happy people scurry around like ants, concentrating on their business or shopping. Every half-hour, a gaggle of red city busses wander in from the various parts of town. The busses huddle around the waiting room for a few moments to swap passengers. Then, as if responding to a starter’s pistol, they scatter again in all directions.

Ah, I must warn you that you might not recognize me come Christmas. Every December, the City firemen dress me up as Santa Claus and my double-sided axe is replaced by a huge bag of toys.

Our downtown is a clean, beautiful and fun place to be.

Submitted by Ted Dillistone
Newcomer 1978, Brandon, Manitoba