You'd think escaping to a little out-of-the-way island would mean finding a refuge from the larger world and all of its problems - that what could be created would be a live-and-let-live paradise. But I think wherever there are humans, disagreements and problems are bound to crop up, or be created.
The tiny island (3 miles long and a 1/4 mile wide) where we have a cottage and spend a lot of our time, is highly divided along many lines.
There are "South Islanders" and "North Islanders". Most of the South Islanders consider themselves the original islanders, with the North Islanders being seen more as newcomers. South Islanders generally consider themselves to have better weather than the North Island (and even some North Islanders would agree; the south ecosystem is different - it's drier).
There are "Marina Members" (who pay for the privilege to tie their boats up at some docks they banded together to purchase and run as a small private marina) and "Gum Booters" (those who get out of their small boats and pull their crafts up onto rocky beaches). Gum Booters generally consider themselves to be the more authentic islanders, and look askance at what gets categorized as the richer (i.e., bigger boats), elitist city-types who enjoy the convenience of the marina and docks they jointly own. Marina Members generally think Gum Booters suffer from "dock envy", especially during bad weather and low tides that make coming and going from the island's beaches difficult, or downright unpleasant.
Even Marina Members are divided - between those with big boats (25 ft and over) and those with boats smaller than 25 ft). More big boats means less marina dock space. It is turning out to be difficult to manage the issue, with some people's big boats being "grandfathered" and an expectation that any new boat purchases must be less than 25 ft.
There are "El Verano Commuters" and "Green Wharf Commuters" - which are references to the two distinct geographic points on a nearby larger island (accessible by commercial ferry) from which many people on our little island come and go. The El Verano users are mostly Gum Booters who jealously guard and police their limited parking at El Verano. They show little interest in preserving the Green Wharf, which is constantly under threat of dismantlement by the federal government which owns it. For the most part, Green Wharf users are Marina Members and North Islanders, which contributes to the El Verano/Green Wharf divide. Green Wharf parking is also limited and the cause of much dissension among users. I have never understood why El Verano users don't see it's in their best interests to support the continuation of the Green Wharf; if the feds ever succeed in removing the Green Wharf, all those users and their cars are headed over to an already crowded El Verano. It wouldn't be pretty.
There are the supporters of the island's craft fair society which holds a popular, long-running annual fundraising event - much of the proceeds previously went to increasing firefighting capacity on the island.
Then there are the supporters of the sort-of-but-not-really "volunteer" wildfire firefighting society on the island and all the fundraising they now try to do to buy and maintain firetrucks and firefighting equipment.
The annual summer craft fair weekend is now crowded and competed with by the fire festival fundraiser which, for 2 years running, has been scheduled for the same weekend. There are pros and cons to all of this, but when you get right down to it, there is only one set of community pockets to be picked. It's the same pool of residents and cottage owners that the two groups are looking to for both volunteers and financial support for both these worthy causes.
Gossip is now swirling around about the worthiness of the wildfire firefighting capacity and associated fundraising. In some views, that society is increasingly being seen as a non-transparent, closed group only concerned with accumulating as many "big boys toys" as possible.
Then there are people who want a community hall and central gathering place location (with an actual firehall/garage for the trucks and equipment), and people who would fight that to the end of time.
The island is a no-hunting zone. There are deer lovers and deer haters. The deer lovers feed the deer in the winter, which contributes to a population explosion that the island's natural habitat cannot support. Deer haters dislike how the hungry deer ravage their gardens.
All of these things, and more, contribute to a island social climate that discriminates as to who can be friends with whom, depending on who and what you do or don't support. So much for a laidback, easy going, relaxed atmosphere. At times, this place can actually quite emotionally charged, especially as we head into the craft fair/fire festival weekend that is rapidly approaching. We're thinking very carefully about how we'll participate. It's not exactly the carefree island lifestyle we originally envisioned.
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