"Granite and Fossils" is a compilation of informatioin about Cortes Island fossils created by Christian Gronau for the Cortes Island Museum in 2002 and updated in 2016 and 2023. It has been digitized as Volume 1 and Volume 2.
Christian Gronau studied palaeontology and geology in Germany. He came to Canada in 1972 and
worked in the mining sector in the N.W.T. (among other places), where he met Aileen.
Christian and Aileen (C&A) moved together to Cortes Island in 1978, where they lived for 34 years on a
water-access-only property, without hydro or telephone (Swamp’s Edge), supporting themselves as beach-
only shellfish farmers (Last Farm Oysters). Throughout, C&A have been avid naturalists, continuing this
tradition from their present home at the south-end of Cortes Island (Tanglebank).
Scope and Content
"Granite and Fossils" is a compilation of informatioin about Cortes Island fossils created by Christian Gronau for the Cortes Island Museum in 2002 and updated in 2016 and 2023. It has been digitized as Volume 1 and Volume 2.
“Large numbers of sea birds overwinter in Carrington Lagoon & Bay. Nudibranchs spawn in lagoon as well as chum & coho (Spruce Creek). Herring run into the bay.”
“Large numbers of sea birds overwinter in Carrington Lagoon & Bay. Nudibranchs spawn in lagoon as well as chum & coho (Spruce Creek). Herring run into the bay.”
Looking north from Green Mountain over Carrington Lagoon and Carrington Bay (tidal falls in between) across 5 miles of water to Read Island, with a slew of islands to the north.
Photograph of the original store at Refuge Cove, taken from the head of the ramp by Norman and Doris Hope's house. To the right of the store is a fuel tank and a shed used for storing the tools needed for the tanks, drums of oil, etc. The store burned down in 1968.
Photograph of the original store at Refuge Cove, taken from the head of the ramp by Norman and Doris Hope's house. To the right of the store is a fuel tank and a shed used for storing the tools needed for the tanks, drums of oil, etc. The store burned down in 1968.
Photograph of Doris Hope's house at left, and the new store that MacMillan Bloedel barged in to replace the old one that had burned down. The tug that towed it in is beside it.
Photograph of Doris Hope's house at left, and the new store that MacMillan Bloedel barged in to replace the old one that had burned down. The tug that towed it in is beside it.
View of the new store, still sitting on its barge but the barge is no longer floating; it is now inter-tidal. Skip Frucktinick's (sp?) ferro-cement sailboat is leaning against it.
View of the new store, still sitting on its barge but the barge is no longer floating; it is now inter-tidal. Skip Frucktinick's (sp?) ferro-cement sailboat is leaning against it.