Sometimes the rain never seems to end on B.C.’s coast — and that’s a good thing for some

Rain is a fact of life on the B.C. coast — and when it never seems to stop pouring, it can get some people down.

But others celebrate the rain, from kids who love to splash in puddles to adults, businesses and communities who rely on it.

“We live in a place that calls itself the Salmon Capital of the World, and salmon need water, right?” said Shane Pollard, guardian manager with the We Wai Kai First Nation based in Campbell River, B.C.

“Our economy is very reliant on [the] logging industry. Trees need water. The world’s got to revolve around it.”

Pollard oversees a group of marine guardians monitoring resources on the First Nation’s territory, which includes parts of Quadra Island.

He said precipitation extremes can influence their work, citing one case when there wasn’t enough rain on the island.

“Because the island doesn’t have a whole lot of lakes, it’s very reliant on groundwater. So now we’re at a point where we’ve pretty much hit the peak of population that can live over there,” he told Kathryn Marlow, host of the CBC podcast This is Vancouver Island.

“We’re at the point where we have to start trucking in water over there. … We always used to have rain, so that’s something we never prepared for before.”

Pollard says his team is working to better understand precipitation patterns in the area, and is monitoring groundwater wells and setting up meteorological stations to monitor weather conditions and rainfall levels.

“After growing up here, [the rain is] something you get used to. So when you don’t see it, that’s when it gets weird,” he said.

Making a rainy day great

Rain is also a big part of life for Coco Lien and Chris Worgan, who run the clothing line San Poncho from their home in Parksville, B.C.

“Certainly, one way to make a rainy day pretty great is having a rainwear business,” said Worgan.

Their idea to start a company that makes breathable, poncho-like rain jackets came after the couple attended a rainy musical festival where people wore free, plastic ponchos — most of which ended up in the garbage.

Lien and Worgan liked the idea of a roomy poncho, so they went looking for a long-lasting version that would work on a hike. When they couldn’t find one, they decided to make their own. 

Many key moments of the couple’s relationship and life on the West Coast have involved rain, Lien said — including their wedding day, when it poured in the morning but stopped in time for the ceremony.

Even still, as the rain beat down that morning they adopted a “we don’t care” mentality, she recalls.

“We were just happy to be getting married and going through such a big moment in our life … rain or shine,” Lien said.

They say they their business is thriving, but it definitely relies on rain. During a dry summer a few years ago they said they had to run a sale just to generate some revenue. When the wet weather returned in the fall, so did buyers. 

“You could probably put a graph of our sales over a historical graph of the weather and there would be obvious patterns there,” said Worgan, who added that they’re cautious not to be “disaster capitalists” by pushing sales when heavy rains cause destruction. 

And beyond the income a rainy day generates, they both still love the coziness and the adventure it can bring.

Listen to the latest episode of This is Vancouver Island to hear more about loving the rain: 

Islanders, this is a podcast for you. Life on Vancouver Island isn’t all sunset strolls and forest bathing — it can be frustrating, isolating and expensive. We’re going to talk about the good, the bad and everything in between. Hosted by Kathryn Marlow, every Tuesday.

Tune into This is Vancouver Island every Tuesday on CBC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts, and make sure to subscribe to catch every episode. 

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