He found his happy place

Gone are the days of a simple existence, neighbourhoods filled with like-minded individuals all striving for the same common goals, including peace, serenity, community and above all else freedom.

As someone who grew up in rural B.C., that was reality. In fact, no other way of life crossed my mind. It's fair to say that is how most of us felt as we grew from adolescence to adulthood.

What changed? Well, history tells us people change, cultures change, society changes. We live in a forever rotating loop of the unknown. Don't get too comfortable, humans are many things but stagnant we are not.

Some people flourish in this new reality we have built for ourselves. For others, like me, who choose to hang on to “the good old days” some hidden communities do still exist.

Somehow they fought the bounds of time and came out on top, resisting the very fabric of our existence to remind us of a quieter, more connected way of life. Pinantan Lake is that sanctuary for me.

Just a stone's throw away from Kamloops, tucked away in the mountains. You will find yourself at a quaint little settlement that few have heard of and even fewer have seen.

Although most of the residents here find their employment in the nearby city of Kamloops, a simple drive in the woods, welcomes them home in the evenings with open arms.

This community and others like it scattered throughout B.C’s forests are a valuable tool. They are a reminder to us all, life can be quiet, community is important, and nature brings us peace. That last one is key. We often forget our lives before the smartphone.

A summer evening from your deck offers all the wonders of nature we were meant to observe. Bellowing loons from the lake calm your nerves from the day. A doe will wander through the yard looking for scraps of seed before dusk. The frogs will pipe in once the evening mountain chill has begun to settle.

Finally, before retiring to bed for the night, when it seems all else has gone to sleep, one glance up will show the night sky dancing with stars, there to remind us all that life is finite, but beautiful all in the same stroke.

Pinantan Lake is my reset, my balance, my connection to nature. Like a friendly neighbour of old, I wanted to remind my fellow citizens—find your peace, find your calm, find your balance from our busy world.

Henry Knight