- 2005 Handliner Migration Project -
Sponsored by the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives,
Box 766, 716 Winn Road, Gibsons, BC, Canada, V0N1V0
www.sunshinecoastmuseum.ca

Three boats rowed by Larry Westlake, Burtt Fidler, and Charles Moore successfully completed the Museum's week-long Handliner Migration Pilot Project. They started July 30 in Gibsons and finished August 7th in Lund, stopping along the way at Sechelt, Pender Harbour, Powell River, and Texada Island to celebrate the Handliner heritage these communities share. Larry later rowed the Museum's new Handliner Replica solo from Gibsons to the Vancouver Wooden Boat Festival on Granville Island. Event coordinator Maggie Guzzi contacted community heritage groups who arranged local events and publicized the Migration Project. Safety, escort, and tow support was arranged through the volunteer assistance of many members of the Power Squadrons and Coast Guard Auxillaries all along the coast. The owners of all escort vessels offered their support entirely at their own expense.

The Boats:

Top: "Saint Ola", built 1964-65 by Will Thomson
- Charles Moore at the oars.

Middle: replica "Anna", built summer 2005 by
Larry Westlake and volunteers - Larry at the oars.

Bottom; "Blueback", built summer 2005 by Burtt Fidler
- Burtt at the oars.

The Migration phase of the Handliner Project was the second of three phases. Phase One was construction of an accurate replica of Hubert Evans's classic Handliner preserved in the Sunshine Coast Museum. The Replica was built in June and July by Larry Westlake with the capable help of volunteers Matt Kirk, Gordie Harris, Gary Foxall, Ken Griffith, Bill McGivern, Don Morison, Bob Nygren, Phil Jones, Nicol Warn, Mike Clement, and Chris Williamson.

In Phase Three of this project, the Sunshine Coast Museum published complete detailed plans of the Hubert Evans Handliner, drawn by Larry Westlake. These plans will enable other individuals and organisations to build authentic Handliners. They can be purchased only from the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives - follow the link to their website above.

This project was only possible because of the hundreds of hours of volunteer time freely given, and the generous financial support of the BC Provincial Government's "Spirit of BC Opportunities Program", Howe Sound Pulp and Paper, the Sunshine Coast Community Foundation, the Sunshine Coast Credit Union, the Bank of Montreal, Prudential Sussex Realty, the Traditional Small Craft Association Gardner Grant, and the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives. Donations of materials were provided by Trail Bay Sports, Home Hardware, Sunshine Coast Building Supplies, and Sunshine Coast Forest Products, as well as by several private donors.

Larry Westlake can be reached by Email at: info@westlakeboats.com

His "WESTLAKE BOATS" website is at www.westlakeboats.com