It’s Way Back Wednesday, an opportunity to dig through the
files and pull out an old blog post to
shed some new light on it. Over the years, I’ve written several posts about
anchorages we’ve stayed in, including first-hand anchoring information (i.e.
holding, protection, GPS coordinates), historical information and things to do.
To date, I’ve done 26 of these (they can all be found on our Destinations
page) and they’re some of my favourite posts. For the next six months, I’ll be
highlighting one every Wednesday (from south to north) and adding a few new
ones in where I can. This week, it’s a return to Ocean Falls in British
Columbia’s Central Coast.
The Pacific Northwest is a vast cruising ground with hundreds
of destinations to chose from, each one a little different than the last. And situated at the head of Cousins Inlet, tucked
away along the Central Coast of British Columbia, lies one of the most unique
destinations we’ve experienced – Ocean Falls, a modern day ghost town.
Ocean Falls was first considered a possible
industrial site in 1903 by three men, J.F. Keefe, John Hewitt and Mark Smaby,
who saw Link
Lake Falls and the surrounding timber and realized
the potential of the area. Three years
later, twenty-five men disembarked the steamer Venture with one purpose
– clearing the land to make way for the construction of the largest pulp mill
in British
Columbia. A saw mill, power station and
dam followed years later and Ocean Falls grew into a thriving community of
approximately 5,000 people with a hotel, hospital, firehouse, department store,
apartment buildings, schools and more.
Over the years, ownership of the town changed hands
several times before finally falling under control of Crown Zellerbach in 1954
– the principle and final corporate owner of the town. By the late 1960s, they wanted out. Because of the remote location and outdated
facilities, the company wasn’t making enough return on its investment. But they
didn’t want to lose the valuable timber lease allocated to the Ocean Falls mill so they looked to the government
for help . . . and found it. The
government agreed to extend the lease to their mill in Campbell River, making it jointly held. Without the timber rights to the area,
whoever took over the mill in Ocean Falls would be forced to purchase timber on
the expensive open market and would fail.
As it turned out, the new owner would be the government.
Crown Zellerbach was set to leave in March of 1973
and the province, in effort to save the existing jobs, stepped in to purchase
the town, the mill, and remaining company assets for one million dollars. But without the timber rights, the additional
costs associated with such a remote location rendered the mill unprofitable,
and the government closed the doors for good in May of 1980. Five years later, they began demolishing the
town; and some of the remaining residents stood in front of the bulldozers,
refusing to move. In the end, they were
able to convince the government to recognize the heritage status of Ocean Falls and turn it over to the hastily formed
Ocean Falls Improvement District. The
majority of the homes had already been destroyed but the town centre, for the
most part, survived.
Thirty years later, most of the remaining downtown area
is in a state of disrepair: The Martin
Inn, once the largest along the entire coast, is now empty. The windows have been broken, exposing the
interior to the harsh elements, and everything inside is rotting away. It’s the same story with the high school. The co-op.
The apartment dorms. And may of
the homes. But some of the building have
been saved and are in use today: The
manager’s house proudly overlooks the town and has been restored to its former
glory
. The church was recently
purchased and there are plans to turn it into a private residence. The marine ways houses a museum and gift
shop. The hospital is now Darke WatersInn & Adventure Lodge. And more.
Over the years, Ocean Falls has tried to attract new industry but none
of its efforts were successful. Most
recently, a multi-million dollar fish hatchery was built near the old mill site
and is still in operation, but it didn’t bring many jobs. As a result, Ocean Falls and the neighbouring community of Martin Valley, where most of the residents live, now only
have a population of approximately 30 in the winter and 100 in the summer.
Those who continue to live here year-round are
hardy souls and have earned their nickname – The Rain People. The entire area, from the tip of Vancouver Island to Southeast Alaska, makes up the Great Bear Rainforest,
one of the largest remaining tracts of unspoiled temperate rainforest in the
world. And within this region, Ocean Falls is known for its abundance of rain – approximately
4,390 mm (172 inches) each year.
Ocean Falls is a “must-see” for any boat cruising
the Central Coast, not only for the unique experience of
exploring a ghost town, but for its natural beauty and charm. While there, take the time to walk through
downtown and enter some of the decaying buildings (many of which are privately
owned, so please respect “No Trespassing” signs). And no visit would be complete without walking
up the road to the dam and along Link Lake.
For a glimpse into the town’s past, visit the
marine ways where Nearly Normal Norman Brown, one of the local residents in Martin Valley, has created a museum from items he
found in the town over the years – everything from children’s toys to an
industrial egg boiler that still works.
Some of the more interesting pieces include registers from the Martin Inn reporting on daily activity and the
company housing logs. But what’s
striking about these items, from somebody’s spoon collection to their personal
furniture, is how they were considered valuable enough at one time to possess
but left behind without a care, as if the owners were escaping a natural
disaster . . . maybe they were.
Another “must-do” is eating at Darke Waters Inn & Adventure Lodge. Owners Rob and Corrina Darke cater
daily to loggers, so the food is good and you won’t leave hungry. Walk-ins are welcome for breakfast (8:30 am –
10:00 am) and
lunch (1:00 pm – 2:00 pm), but dinner guests need to make a reservation by 8:00 pm the night before. The lodge also has laundry facilities (CA$1.50),
showers (CA$5.00), along with bicycle and kayak rentals. Full disclosure: since first coming to Ocean Falls in 2012, we’ve become friends with Rob
and Corrina. But ask anyone who’s eaten
there, and they’ll tell you the same – it’s the best food in the Central Coast!
Saggo’s Saloon, located in Martin Valley, is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays and is a good way to meet local residents . . . and stretch your legs (Martin Valley is 1.5 miles from the dock). Sadly, the Rain Country Store is no longer
open. To reach Saggo’s, turn left from
the dock on the one, and only, road. But
be aware. Black bears come down from the
mountains to feed on the salmon berry bushes alongside the road.
Services Located in Ocean Falls and Martin Valley:
Ocean Falls Small Craft
Habour:
- Ample dock space at CA$0.50 a foot. 20 and 30 amp power is available for an additional CA$4 or CA$8 a night (Visa and Mastercard are accepted).
- The docks are in excellent condition and available on a first come, first served basis (rafting may be necessary).
- Access to the Shack (a float house with tables, chairs, computers, games, books and magazines).
- Recycling station for cans, glass containers, plastic and burnables (all items must be separated before deposited).
- Free wifi.
- Excellent water.
- Restrooms.
- Fish cleaning station.
- Ice.
- Tuna’s Café serves breakfast, lunch and dinner (by reservation).
- Laundry
- Hot showers
- Bicycle and kayak rentals
Marine Ways:
- C’Shores Gift Shop
- The Ocean Falls Museum
Martin Valley:
- Saggo’s Saloon
5 comments
This looks like a winner in terms of cruising destination. Plenty of places to walk ashore and beautiful scenery, too.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm really going to miss making our annual trip up there this summer. It's always so much fun to spend time there.
DeleteI remember this post, or another one about Ocean Falls. Didn't you describe a walk there as well not too long ago? Such a diverse area "up there"! :-)
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's right. I did a Monday Walk With Jo through the downtown area. It's a great place to mooch around and look at all of the things people left behind.
DeleteI love modern day ghost towns. There are places like that in north Idaho which are fascinating. Amazing how places go from boom to bust.
ReplyDelete