Aurora’s Coast Chronicle S ~ In This Issue ~• Meet the Crew Captain Philippe Menetrier• Coastal Partner Sonora Resort• Friend of the Coast Billy Proctor• Aurora’s Precious Cargo Jack & Faye Hobson• Community Leader Tapestry Foundation for Health Care

Issue #1 December 2011

Floyd is the lucky winner of “Aurora’s Coast Cruise for Two” contest, which was drawn November 10, 2011. Floyd and his guest will enjoy all the wonders of traveling aboard the MV Aurora Explore for 3 days & 3 nights acquainting themselves with beautiful coastal British Columbia in the spring of 2012! Bon voyage Floyd!

Welcome to the inaugural launch of Marine Link Tour’sMV Aurora Explorer Newsletter!

Celebrating our upcoming 18th passenger season we are most fortunate in our niche here in coastal British Columbia and happy to share a glimpse into the places and people who makeuptheebbandflowof“TheWorkingCoast”

Meet the Crew - Captain Philippe MenetrierAs Marine Link’s longest term employee Philippe began working for Marine Link Transportation Ltd., navigating the waters that separate the east coast of Vancouver Island and B.C.’s mainland coast, for 23 years. Born south of Paris, France, Philippe immigratedtoCanada,specificallytheComoxValleyin1982.

PhilippejoinedthecrewatMarineLinkTransportationLtd.in1988.Philippe’sextensiveexperience and knowledge of “Aurora’s Coast” is well appreciated by the MV Aurora Explorer’s passengers. Visiting the wheelhouse is encouraged and there passengers have the opportunity to gain further insight into the operation and navigation of this working vessel. As one passenger put it when describing Philippe, “…friendly, professional and made us feel welcome & comfortable. He is very generous with his time and knowledge.”

Congratulations and thank you Philippe for your years of professional dedication to Marine Link Transportation.

Congratulations Floyd Gibbons of Branchton, Ontario!

Coastal Partner - Sonora ResortLocated on Sonora Island, nestled within the Discovery Islands in B.C.’s central coast region,hometosomeofthemostbeautifulsurroundingsimaginable,youfindSonoraResort. Incredible luxury in a wilderness setting. This B.C. resort is an absolute jewel amid one of Canada’s most alluring pristine environments. Sonora Resort is where uncompromising outdoor adventures meet luxurious accommodations, unparalleled serviceandfivestarfacilities.

Marine Link ToursBox 451

Campbell River B.C. V9W5C1Canada

Tel. (250) 286-3347Fax.(250)286-1149

www.marinelinktours.com

Aurora’s Coast Chronicles is a seasonal newsletter distributed

by email, print, and web by Marine Link Tours, a subsidiary of Marine Link Transportation

Ltd. a British Columbia Corporation.

Sonora Resort - continued...

Friend of the Coast- Billy Proctor

Aurora’s Precious Cargo- Jack & Faye Hobson

Community Leader- Tapestry Foundation for Health Care

Sonora resort ardently contributes to two charities also enthusiastically supported by Marine Link. Both the Tapestry FoundationandtheGillardPassSalmonEnhancementAssociationannuallybenefitfromSonoraResort’sgenerousparticipation.

Between2003and2009MarineLinkTransportationLtd.wasfortunatetohavebeeninvolvedwiththeconstructionofthisamazing, ocean front, exclusive resort. Imagine 312 freight trips on the vessel log, equaling 80,000 metric tons of building materials and equipment on the move from Menzies Bay to Sonora Island, by barge over that period.

Today, Marine Link continues with deliveries of a variety of general freight to the resort and needless to say, operations such as this help form the nature of what we call “The Working Coast”.

BillyProctorbornin1934isalifetimearearesident,museumcurator,fisherman,mechanic, and logger just to mention a few of the many hats Billy wears or has worn over the years in the Echo Bay area. In 2007 the CBC included Billy in the list of “Seven wonders of Canada” The Billy Proctor Museum houses multitudes of articles Billy has collected beachcombing over years, from glass bottles to handmadewoodenfishingluresorhowabouthisfirstaboriginalartifactfindatsixyears of age, a small jade knife.

Billy is a spellbinding storyteller of the bygone days, describing the pioneers and how they eked out a life in this rugged beautiful area and nowanardentconservationist,seeingfirsthandtheeffectsoflogging,miningandoverfishing,onthearea.Therearetwobooks“HeartoftheRaincoast: A Life Story by Alexandra Morton and Billy Proctor and Full Moon, Flood Tide: Billy Proctor’s Raincoast by Billy Proctor and Yvonne Maximchuk, both excellent reads which will endear the reader to both Billy Proctor and the nature of the wilderness that is the Raincoast of the Echo Bay region.

As 16 time repeat passengers Jack and Faye Hobson are considered integral members of the Marine Link Tours family. That’s right, 16 voyages aboard the Aurora Explorer! Operators of their own vessel and active members of the Richmond Yacht club the couple have a long standing admiration of B.C.’s glorious coast. As a retired BC Hydro foreman, Jack enjoys potato farming with family and while aboard the Aurora, can most often be found in the wheelhouse “supervising” the business end of the operation, watching out for the crew, offering advice and making suggestions. Meantime, Faye enjoys the relaxing scenery, sharing recipes, successfully capturing the essence of the experience on camera and working on her latest knitting project for the hospital’s auxiliary. While on Vancouver Island visits to family, including grandchildren and great grandchildren and embarking upon yet another voyage aboard the Aurora make up their annual plans. Always welcome and thoroughly enjoyed, Jack and Faye are often introduced to fellow passengers by Guy Adams, as “Aurora’s most often repeat passengers”, earning them honorary ownership delegation! Thank you Jack and Faye for your devotion, you are treasured members of the Marine Link family!

Sadly prior to publication, on September 27, 2011 succumbing to her long battle with cancer, Faye passed away.

The Tapestry Foundation raises funds for seven hospitals and residences operated by Providence Health Care, and works with donors to meet the ongoing demands for equipment, and quality-of-life programs and services at these facilities. Through education and geriatric research, the Foundation also builds awareness of seniors’ health care needs. The annual Geriatrics Services Conference Dialogue on Aging links world renowned experts and geriatricians

tohealthprofessionalsthroughouttheProvince.TheDialogueonAgingPublicPresentationSeries,supportedsince1999by London Drugs, offers a range of free education seminars to BC audiences. Through funding for innovative geriatric research projects, the Foundation also ensures ongoing improvements in seniors care – now and in the future. Marine Link is proud to support a community leader with a genuine commitment to seniors care. In 2008, we supported the launch of the Foundation’sfirstannualScotiabankFeastofFortuneevent–asignaturegalathathasconsistentlyexceededitsfundraisinggoals. Close to $1 million in event proceeds have supported equipment needs at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital, and helped to establishnewservicessuchasBC’sfirstRapidAccessBreastClinicandtheHeartandElderCareAmbulatoryClinics.Youcanhelp support campaign efforts through an online donation at www.tapestryfoundation.ca or by calling 604.877.8335.

We hope you have enjoyed our inaugural newsletter and everyone at Marine Link Tours wishes you and yoursaveryhappyholidayseasonandaNewYearfilledwithmuchjoy,healthandhappiness.We look forward to helping you plan your next voyage aboard the M.V. Aurora Explorer.Happy Holidays!

MarineLinkToursBox451CampbellRiverB.C.V9W5C1CanadaTel.(250)286-3347Fax.(250)286-1149