Editor's Note: The following letter from former Clearwater residents Lloyd and Doreen Romeo is in regards to a small wooden boat that was found on the beach near Oak Bay earlier this year. An article about it from the Oak Bay News appeared in the April 21 issue of the Times.
Editor, The Times:
The little blue boat with the inscription "Iris McKinley, 1927-2013, and Gerald McKinley, 1926-2015, Together Again" was discovered on March 13 by a regular walker, Alan Gregory. He told us that he was walking on Willows beach, where he discovered this blue bottom boat lodged in the sand up against the breakwater on the beach.
Alan said he knew that he must find the McKinley clan or a portion thereof that would know of its port of departure.
Doreen is the daughter of Iris and Gerald. Lloyd’s son, James Romeo, received an email from the Oak Bay News to the Clearwater Times,
Then he contacted us. That was the first that we had heard about the boat and had no idea who had the boat made or where it was put in the water. We knew it was impossible for it to be launched in the North Thompson River where the parents were, as it would have to travel to Kamloops, then in the Thompson to Lytton, then in the Fraser River to the coast and Oak Bay.
We contacted some friends who we thought would have done this, but no luck. However, Doreen’s daughter Sherry lives in Victoria, and it turns out she was the one who put it in the water at the pier in Victoria. She had posted the gesture on Facebook, but as we very seldom see Facebook, we had no idea of where or who.
We are very pleased with Sherry for what she has done in honour of her grandparents and also for the family.
We are grateful and want to thank Alan Gregory for all of his efforts and time used in locating us. Thanks again – now the mystery of the little blue boat is solved.
Lloyd and Doreen Romeo
Penticton, B.C.