The Victoria writer, producer and director put forth a small library’s worth of Vancouver Island-related ideas last year — 100, all told. Novak and the network eventually settled on 10 documentary shorts, which premiere today for free on all Knowledge Network platforms as Coastal Dwellers.
“I had no shortage of stories,” Novak said. “What we landed on for Vancouver Island runs the gamut.”
Indeed it does. The mini documentaries explore topics ranging from the origins of the Cowichan sweater to the story of the community of Sointula, the formation of the West Coast Trail and profiles of Port Renfrew surfer Leah Oke, architect Francis Rattenbury and wildlife artist Robert Bateman.