Bringing Dad Home

Dad, Harry 'Basso' Menzies was born and raised on BC's north coast. He spent his life on the water. Half his life he lived in Prince Rupert. The second half he lived in the lowermainland, primarily on Bowen Island. Even as he lived on Bowen he continued to return home as a commercial fisherman fishing salmon, herring, and halibut all along the north coast. He kept coming home even when he had stopped fishing. When he became too infirm to travel himself he kept tabs on things through a network of family and friends.

Basso talks with skipper Justin Dickens

Dad kept his wits about him to the end. But there were moments when his sense of the present dissolved. In those moments he would often be on the boat focussed on solving a problem. 

One time he needed me to find the flashlights to check something out in the engine room. Another time I was sent down to the engine room to pump the boat out. Dragging anchor was a major item -both in life and in memory. Several times I had calls from Dad asking me to help him keep the boat on anchor.

Dad liked to talk current issues - the price of halibut in 'Rupert, what boats were landing what kinds of fish in 'Rupert. He did pay attention to other news as he had become a regular CBC listener this past decade. But it was 'Rupert news that kept his attention.

Dad belongs to the north coast and over the long weekend at the end of September I brought him home. 

A memorial reception was held in the First United Church Hall, Saturday September 28, 2024. The attendees included retired commercial fishermen who had known him, family and friends from Gitxaala, Prince Rupert, and the Interior. It was a warm audience who stayed after the short program and talked about Dad and their memories of him.

Dad was born a member of the Eagle clan. His own mother Elizabeth Menzies, nee Gamble, was herself born in Laxh Klan (Kitkatla). Her  mother, first wife of Edward Gamble, was Ellen Denis descendent of a Tlingit Eagle Clan house. Family member Craig Bolton (Eagle Clan) mc'ed the program. Reverend Derry Bott gave the opening and closing prayers. My cousin Anne Barrett (the daughter of my father's sister) shared reflections.  I also shared my memories of Dad. Family member Merle Bolton (Eagle Clan) coordinated and organized the refreshments for the attendees.

The support and assistance of my north coast family was critical in making the reception such a success.

On Sunday, September 29, 2024, Justin Dickens met us at the Cow Bay floats to take us across the Harbour to McNichol Creek, a place that was important to Dad as a young man and child. His family spent a lot of time there during the depression years. They caught fish and crabs, hunted, picked berries, and lived their lives. 

Later as an adolescent and young man he played and partied there with friends and family. 

I was joined by by cousin Eddie Davies (son of my father's sister) and his son Alan. As we pulled into the mouth of McNichol Creek Eddie regaled us with stories of life and times in the cabins. He talked 

about how he spent the first six months of his life living with his family in a cabin at McNichol Creek. His Dad and another man would row to work every morning.

My own father often spoke about rowing across the harbour as a child. He would tell how his sister Babe would swim across the harbour. No small feat.

Eddie, Alan and I stepped out onto the bow of Justin's boat, checked the  

direction of the wind, then slowly let Dad return to the waters of the north coast. We paused in the silence of the moment. I took one final photo of the eagle crested bentwood box that had held Dad on his final voyage.  

Justin turned the boat around and took us back to the dock.