Our day trip over to Sointula was a bit delayed as the Tuesday morning ferry is reserved for "dangerous cargo" and no passengers are allowed. Apparently that is when gasoline, diesel and other toxic materials are transported. So, with a few hours to kill until our 1:00pm sailing, we had a hardy breakfast while watching the rain, then visited a few shops and drove by the "World's Largest Burl". "What the hell's a burl?" you might ask... well, apparently it is a strange oversized knot in a tree trunk typically caused by some sort of fungus. These are commonly cut off, polished and sold as art or furniture (think coffee table or wall clock) and is not an uncommon site in the Pacific Northwest. Well, this one was a bit too big for any indoor uses so now is proudly displayed alongside the parking lot of the municipal baseball diamond. After a short 30 minute ferry ride, we arrived on Malcolm Island. The small fishing village of Sointula has a unique history. Founded by 12 Finnish families at the turn of the 20th century (including Aili's great, great grandfather), the community was intended to be a socialist utopian society. The dream was never fully realized but the spirit remains today. Canada's oldest co-op market is here and still open for business today. Everyone waves as you drive through the small village which takes you by surprise. We visited the Sointula Museum and saw old pictures of Aili's great, great grandparents, her great granddad, and her grandpa as well as a picture of her father in a more recent book on the local fishing industry. We passed by the plot of land where she grew up but the house had burned down years ago - however, the old sauna (a must for any real Finnish family) was still visible in the trees out back. In the front, wild salmonberry bushes still grew and they were perfectly ripe for the picking so Aili jumped out and grabbed a couple handfuls. We drove by her grandpa's house on the seafront, the local harbor, Aili's elementary school, and the town cemetery to see the gravestones of her grandparents. We talked to a shop owner who remembered her family and found a great Native thunderbird mask carved in Alert Bay, a Native community on the next island over. We returned on the evening ferry and drove up to Port Hardy for the 15-hour ferry ride north through the Inside Passage to Price Rupert to hook up with Aili's dad and brother when they come in to deliver their catch.