Hello and welcome to the first edition of Tyson’s Thoughts that was actually written in 2025.
I have to say, it was definitely a tough New Year’s Eve this year with the fire in Telegraph Cove and the numerous businesses burning down.
I was in shock when I woke up early in the morning and saw all the heartbreaking posts on Facebook. It was hard to even wrap my head around the fact it was actually happening, but then reality kicked in that it was indeed true and I was going to have to cover it because I’m first and foremost a journalist.
Now, while I am a journalist, I’m also a born and raised North Islander, which means Telegraph Cove holds a special place in my heart like it does for everyone else who lives here.
My parents used to take my siblings and I to visit the boardwalk in the summers when we were little, and my grad class even held our evening party out there way back in 2002, which was one of the best events I can remember attending during my high school years spent at Port Hardy Secondary School.
While it hurts to think about all the collateral damage that’s happened due to the fire, I still want to give a quick shoutout to all the first responders here in the North Island.
Between the house in Port Hardy catching fire a few days before Christmas and then Telegraph Cove going up in flames on New Year’s Eve, the end of 2024 hasn’t been easy for our communities.
I've always had a lot of respect for anyone who works as a first responder and has to attend a scene. I think it’s one of the absolute toughest things a person can do either as a job or as a volunteer, and they deserve all the credit in the world for going and helping those in need who are going through a bad time.
I really didn’t want to go out after covering the fire at Telegraph Cove, but I’d told my buddy Gord a week or so ago I was gonna come to the Gate House to see the New Year’s Eve Rock Show they had planned, and if you know me, I always keep my promises as much as I possibly can, so I made the trip into Port McNeill and still tried my best to enjoy the show despite my mind being completely elsewhere.
Vintage Hearts opened the show up with some classic old school country music covers, and then the Whiskey Jacks were up next after that.
As per usual, the Whiskey Jacks had the floor packed as they performed some great dance party tunes. I’ve seen them play many times now over the years, so I know their set list quite well and I still enjoy it every time.
Classic rock/metal band Sidewinder headlined the show, and I think this was the third or fourth time I’ve seen them play. While I was still kind of out of it, I thought they put on another excellent show and I even managed to go down to "the pit" during their encore, ending my night in Port McNeill in a satisfactory manner.
Oh, before I forget, I should point out my favourite moment of the night.
Sidewinder actually played a little bit too long and we ended up missing the New Year’s countdown, which meant we celebrated the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 a minute after it actually happened.
To me, there really was no better way to officially kick 2024 to the curb and ring in 2025 than by doing it a minute later than everyone else because you're busy enjoying some live music.
And while the Telegraph Cove fire was definitely tough to see, at least I wasn't on my deathbed like last year when I had the death flu and spent the evening on my couch binge watching The Wonder Years.
Tyson Whitney is an award-winning journalist who was born and raised in Port Hardy. His family has lived in Port Hardy for more than 40 years. He graduated with a degree in writing from Vancouver Island University in 2008. Email: editor@northislandgazette.com
