- Author: Lanie Keystone
If you've ever been to British Columbia, you know why they call it, “Beautiful British Columbia”. Crossing the US/Canada border, you are immediately embraced by the most breathtaking scenery that envelops you wherever you go in this lovely province. Recently, my husband and I had the good fortune to spend over a month in BC, living in Surrey, a border town—about 30 minutes from Vancouver, BC--right on the Pacific coast.
One is struck by the tall trees, many rivers, streams, mountains and native plants which are very similar to ours here in California. One is also impressed by the number of parks each town, village and city provides—the Canadians definitely know how to do parks! In Surrey alone, there are over 800 parks, (about 6000 dedicated acres). Most of these parks are not just your swing, slide and soccer field variety, but lush spaces of hiking trails, wide variety of vegetation and the greatest variety of bird species in Canada. (It's part of the Pacific Fly Zone—and the birds take full advantage of it!)
One park that struck us as especially handsome and unique is Redwood Park. It has an amazing history and locals and visitors alike can be found, rain, shine or snow, walking the numerous trails checking out the stunning views. People refer to it as an enchanted fairy kingdom because of the hundreds of tiny fairy houses that hang from branches, perch on logs and hide among the foliage of the forest floor hidden in a section of the park. But, before all of the fairy houses came to perch on those magnificent trees—there had to be trees! And that's where the real magic begins.
One of the original pioneers of Surrey, BC was a man named David Brown, Sr. He and his wife had twin sons, David and Peter who were both deaf. In 1881, on their 21st birthday, their father bequeathed them each 40 acres of land which someone had cleared of all trees and readied for farming. But, the twins had other plans for that barren land. Like their father, they shared a love of trees, and so, they began to replant the once timbered land. They started with Redwood seeds that they acquired in California. Once that huge grove was established they continued to plant some thirty-two species of trees from seeds that they acquired from all over the world--including Europe, Asia and North America. The Redwood stand alone is the largest stand of Redwood trees north of the 49th parallel!
They didn't just plant a forest. These solitary brothers also constructed a two-story tree house that sat on stilts. (Having burned many years ago, a replica has been built on the original spot.) There they lived together until they past away in 1948 and 1959. It reminds one of a reverse Henry David Thoreau experience! Unlike Thoreau, who came to the woods to live deliberately and in solitude, they created their own woods and then proceeded to live in it for a lifetime.
While the fairy houses are wonderfully magical, the true magic are the forests that were created by two extraordinary visionaries. British Columbia is a vast expanse of natural beauty, and the Redwood Forest of Surrey is one small, but inspiring part of that beauty—a gift to all who walk its trails and experience the majesty of the forest.
