Anyone who has driven through Tlell knows the sight. The Green Man sits in a small pond on the south side of the Seas the day family cafe and Country Store, facing the ocean with a confidence that suggests he owns the place. He has lived there for more than a decade and has become a landmark in the community.
This week he almost added a new milestone to his legend. A driver pulled over to admire him, misjudged the embankment and slid into the ditch. Several people stopped and tried to muscle the vehicle out but the effort stalled. The rescue wrapped up without injuries or damage after one of the Green Man’s co owners arrived to help.
Alexandra Rinfret, one of the creators of the Green Man and owner of the pond he calls home, said the whole scene unfolded fast.
“A bunch of people stopped to help and at first there were about six guys trying to flip it back just by sheer manpower,” she said.
When asked about the Green Man’s more memorable moments, she did not hesitate.
“Well the funniest time was when Don dressed up like the Green Man. I think it was the fall fair day in 2018 and he danced out there all day. There were people slowing down for sure.”
“It’s the first time he’s caused an accident that we know of.”
Rinfret said she was amazed when she learned he had become a TripAdvisor attraction.
“I was so surprised a couple of years ago when someone told me the Green Man is an attraction on TripAdvisor. At one point he was like the number two attraction in Tlell.”
He still holds that rank, only outdone by the Pesuta shipwreck trail, and the reviews tell the story.
One reviewer from Victoria called him “one of Haida Gwaii’s most perplexing attractions” and described the moment of driving past and suddenly seeing “a naked green man sitting on a floating raft.” Others marvel at his changing outfits and seasonal flair. One visitor wrote that the Green Man is “strange but interesting” and worth slowing down for. Another kept it short. “Absolutely phenomenal. A must see if you are near Tlell.”
Some reviews go further. One labelled him a “sex symbol” with “moves like Jagger.” Another insisted that “the Green Man does move sometimes,” while a reviewer said locals claim he “comes to life.”
Love him or not, the pond guardian keeps his post. Silent. Stoic. Watching drivers. Occasionally distracting one.
For Tlell, that makes him a true celebrity.
