Built by Bruno Atkey in Tofino, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, in the ’70s, and towed 26 miles to Hot Springs Cove, where Norma Bailey ran a “…great floating store selling emergency supplies, esoteric items, and Wild Coast history books,” according to Godfrey Stephens, who just sent this photo.
About Lloyd Kahn
Lloyd Kahn started building his own home in the early '60s and went on to publish books showing homeowners how they could build their own homes with their own hands. He got his start in publishing by working as the shelter editor of the
Whole Earth Catalog with Stewart Brand in the late '60s. He has since authored six highly-graphic books on homemade building, all of which are interrelated. The books, "The Shelter Library Of Building Books," include
Shelter,
Shelter II (1978),
Home Work (2004),
Builders of the Pacific Coast (2008),
Tiny Homes (2012), and
Tiny Homes on the Move (2014). Lloyd operates from Northern California studio built of recycled lumber, set in the midst of a vegetable garden, and hooked into the world via five Mac computers. You can check out videos (one with over 450,000 views) on Lloyd by doing a search on YouTube:
Built by Bruno Atkey in Tofino, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, in the ’70s, and towed 26 miles to Hot Springs Cove, where Norma Bailey ran a “…great floating store selling emergency supplies, esoteric items, and Wild Coast history books,” according to Godfrey Stephens, who just sent this photo.
sweet…
still in operation? any chance of pics of inside?
No longer in operation unfortunately.
Same Norma as the one who had the wreckage?
see later history at
https://books.google.ca/books?id=sUIJooEpTWAC&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=%22Hot+Springs+Cove%22+store&source=bl&ots=eLxQMb9QTC&sig=ePnBB-DL0YsE2EuI8wOJdVaysdo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjfh_GP9vfKAhUT7WMKHZUPBuo4KBDoAQg6MAY#v=onepage&q=%22Hot%20Springs%20Cove%22%20store&f=false
Float cabins were a huge part of BC history in logging and fish camps. They were mobile to follow the work. We have thoroughly enjoyed living in our little piece of history on Powell Lake. – Margy
Yes, same Norma that had the Wreckage shop later in Ucluelet. Bruno towed the shop to Ucluelet and it was parked in Norma's back yard.
Is this going to be in a book? Or is it already printed? Is Norma still alive and is her family involved in the story of her life?
Unfortunately Norma has passed on and so have the days of the Wreckage. The days of spinning wool and sitting around the wonderful cast iron coffeepot airtight, sipping tea or red wine and the stories that flowed are all memories now. She was a dear friend and to all the hippies and the fishermen/women, the carvers, the crafters, the musicians and the artists, and the wood butchers all. We all have wonderful stories of our Ma Bailey.
Bless her lovin' heart! She taught me to dye & spin wool!! A most generous kind elder she was !!!
Danielle Power
Correction: It may have been Al Taron who towed Norma to Ucluelet.
We are very sad to hear that Norma has passed away. We have very fond forever lasting wonderful memories of Norma. We first met Norma when she was in Hotsprings Cove while we were commercial fishing. We used to bring in salmon, cod and halibut for her and she would have a huge pan of “healtier” version of brownies for my husband John and a tiny loaf of fresh homemade wholesome bread for me. You are missed Norma, and thank-you for always being a little motherly love to us fisherman/woman. Blyth you are in our thoughts. Kim and John Reay fv Bamse
Norma was an amazing pioneer. We have many great memories of spending time with her. I first visited as a small child with my Dad. He loved Norma’s wool. After my Dad passed away and we were going through his treasures we found bags and bags of amazing wool he had bought from Norma over the years. Just because he loved it.
Remember Norma and the Wreckage from my teaching days in Ucluelet/Tofino, 1972/76. She would have a half price book sale each year, early January?, and the line up would stretch down Peninsula Rd.
I have many fond memories of Mrs Bailey while waiting on my dad Dave Isenor to finish cutting up fire wood or visiting Norma by the wood stove perhaps having a beer or two
Wow, thanks for beginning back those awesome memories. I fondly remember her and the float cabin at Hot Springs Cove in the 1970’s and later in Ucluelet at the Olde Wreckage, when we live in Tofino. Seem like only yesterday.
Was so very fortunate to have met Norma in the early 90;s while horse trading logging jewelry with her son Bruce. Went back to Uke many years later with my partner and was very surprised to find that the wreckage had become a sex toy shop, the coffee pot woodstove was still there and for $5 we got a tour of the house and backyard. there sat the wreckage, and a dugout boat about 23 ft long, and Norma;s homebuilt camper on a 1960;s vintage chev pickup…the rolling wreckage.
They sure don;t; make em like Norma anymore,,,it;s characters like her that made the coast so special.