"Where’s the salmon?" I thought as I kept my eyes trained on the greenish waters of the Fraser River.
I was on a heritage tugboat called the Gikumi. It was an unusually cool day in August, and not a single building was in sight as strong winds sliced through the deck.
If it weren’t for my pinging phone, I would’ve forgotten I was still in Richmond.
The Gikumi, named after the Namgis First Nation word for “chief,” was taking us on a two-hour guided tour of Richmond's many islands along the Fraser River Estuary.
The tour, returning this year from June 30 to Aug. 26, is offered annually for a limited time when captain and owner John Turpin isn't taking the boat on chartered expeditions around the province.
"My favourite (thing about the tour) probably would be you never know what you'll see," said deckhand Duy Le.
"Sometimes it might be like car shipping container boats, sometimes it's fishing boats. Sometimes it's fish jumping out of the water. You can't really know what you'll find until you're there out at sea."
One time, Le said, he saw a salmon jump ten times continuously like it was "putting on a show."
Isaac Hoyland, who also works on the tour, said he also enjoys the rare view of the Fraser River on the boat.
Hoyland is an interpreter at the Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site and was one of the first to work on the Gikumi tours when they began in 2021.
"I just really loved it. I think it's really fun being out here on the water," he said.
A Richmond resident, Hoyland said he has yet to be able to visit the islands within Richmond's municipal boundaries.
"That's one of the reasons why I like doing this (tour), it's because this is the only way that I can see them," he explained, adding that some islands can be accessed via canoe and kayak.
Most islands, though, are inaccessible marshlands and protected nature areas.
Of the dozens of islands, Hoyland's favourite is Gunn Island.
"It's pretty similar to a lot of the other ones, but I just find it looks really nice. It's got a nice mix of trees and marshes on it. If I was like some sort of duck, I'd love to live on the island," he said.
Wooden boats have a soul
The steam-powered tug was once the first whale-watching boat in B.C., and its love affair with whales has continued throughout the years from taking part in the 1993 film Free Willy to tracking and studying orcas in the present day.
One of about a dozen wooden passenger boats still running in B.C., the Gikumi's size, condition and history were some of the reasons that drew captain and owner John Turpin to it about five years ago.
"Wooden boats are very unique. You don't actually own the wooden boat. ... You're the one who looks after it and then someone else will take over," said Turpin.
Wooden boats have a soul, he added. "They're alive. They're organic."
Le appeared to agree with Turpin.
"I've always told (the captain) if he ever sold the boat, I want it," said Le.
Le, who worked on the Gikumi for other expeditions, is also a filmmaker. He loved water growing up, and he has enjoyed working on boats ever since he moved to Vancouver from Ontario five years ago.
"When I'm not doing projects and videos, I'm on boats," he said.
"I close my eyes and smell salt water. And I feel like I find a lot of peace."
Seeing another side of the community
I had set off to learn more about the parts of Richmond unknown to me, but instead, I found myself intrigued by the community members aboard the boat.
Prior to the trip, I had expected most of the passengers to be tourists. But to my surprise, many, like me, were Richmond residents who wanted to learn more about the city we live in.
Among the small group of passengers were Victor and Esther Jacinto, who had done a similar tour along the Fraser River when they first moved to Richmond 20 years ago.
"We wanted to revisit it. It'll have more meaning now than before," Esther explained, adding that the couple often does their daily walks along the Steveston boardwalk.
Also on the tour was Susan Hayhoe, who, as it turns out, makes many of the jams sold at the London Heritage Farm.
Although the tour was initially geared toward tourists, Hoyland said it has also found its popularity among locals.
"I think that's because you so rarely get to be on the Fraser. And it's nice to learn more about the place you live in and learn about the surrounding landscape," he said.
The first Voyage of the Gikumi tour of the year will take place on Sunday, June 30 at 1:30 p.m. For more information, click here.
Got an opinion on this story or any others in Richmond? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected]. To stay updated on Richmond news, sign up for our daily headline newsletter.
