In this episode of our BC Was Awesome show I travel to Victoria and Tofino to dig up the story of Fred Tibbs, one of Vancouver Island's "most unique B.C. eccentrics".
As Lorne Hammond from the Royal B.C. Museum tells me, "In a world where all citizens worry about becoming the same, Fred was completely different than everyone else."
In 1886 he settled in Tofino and bought a small island, which you can see right from town present-day. He clearcut all of the timber off of it except for one spruce tree (the trees have since grown back).
On the very tall, lonely spruce tree he put in a ladder and scaffolding, and a platform on top where he he would read books and poetry, and play music on his cornet to the people across the water.
He also built a wooden castle on this island.
I met up with Roland Arnet who lives across from the island and conducted an experiment with him.
We also visited Tofino's oldest cemetery and got the story of how Tibbs met his fate.
Watch the episode above to learn all about Tibbs.
BC Was Awesome is a British Columbia history TV show co-produced by Vancouver Is Awesome and Artaban Productions. A book of the same name is set to be published in time for the province's centennial celebrations in 2021. Watch all of the episodes for free on OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
Fred Tibbs was one of Tofino’s most eccentric characters. Screengrab
