Photo: Kitimat's Alcan Aluminum Plant in the early morning.

Most of you probably have no idea where Kitimat is and those of you who do know are probably wondering, why go there? For those of you who don't know, Kitimat is at the upper end of Douglas Channel on BC's north coast. It's best known as the home of a giant Alcan aluminum plant and more recently as the proposed site of the Pacific terminus of a pipeline proposed to bring oil from Canada's tar sand projects. (pause for a minute to think about oil tankers threading their way through the islands and channels of this beautiful country).

Why would boaters go there? It has the only real supermarket on BC's north coast south of Prince Rupert.

We had hoped by leaving the last few miles of Kitimat Arm for the early morning, we would arrive at Kitimat in relative calm. No such luck. The minute we poke Osprey's bow out of the bay, a fierce inflow wind meets us. At the MK marina boats buck and bounce at the transient dock, protected only by a thin log breakwater.

We tie Osprey up at the transient dock, add lots of fenders, grab our shopping bags and head out to the street to catch a bus. The bus takes us south through the Kitimat Indian Reserve, then north along the banks of a river , over broad green marshes and into town on a wide boulevard, finally dropping us at one of the ugliest malls I've ever seen: acres of concrete without a leaf of green and metal buildings without a hint of architectural merit..

But in a small green oasis off to the side of the mall we find the Kitimat Museum. With four hours to kill before the bus back to the marina, we decide to check it out.

Kitimat (I learn at the museum) was settled by speculators hoping to make a killing off property sales if the town was selected as the terminus of a cross country railroad. When Prince Rupert was selected instead, the town languished for almost 50 years until it was chosen as the site of the Alcan aluminum plant and the hydroelectric dam to support it. The construction project to build hydroelectric plant, aluminum plant and surrounding town took over ten years to complete.

Kitimat is what urban planners might call a planned development. It was designed and built by the Alcan aluminum company. The only thing that prevents it from being a company town is that the company sold the houses and stores to residents and other investors. The town also is home to methane and ammonia plants.

We tour the small museum, then eat lunch at a nearby restaurant. We're reading a newspaper that Steve bought at the mall when we discover it's not just a day old as we thought when we bought it but a week and a day. From the news we never would have guessed as we're so isolated up here.

We do our grocery shopping at the mall and take the bus back to the marina. There I call my publisher and learn the first proofs of my book will be ready on Monday August 2. This is Thursday July 29. Our original plan had been to stay in the Kitimat area until we could download them there. But one day of bouncing at the dock is enough. We decide to sail to either Klemtu or Shearwater and download them there.