TELEGRAPH COVE – The Telegraph Cove Lodge hosted its first guests official this month.
The new 24-unit addition to the Telegraph Cove Resort was recently completed to meet the demand of the region’s growing tourism industry.
“The response has been tremendous!” says owner Gordie Graham. “Our tourism industry has so much potential. We have the scenery that the world wants to see, and projects like this help build our reputation as a tourist destination.”
Expansion was built by Nigel Parr of Parr’s Construction Ltd., in just over 200 days and involved the construction of a massive 300 foot retaining wall to ensure the longevity of the structure.
“Nigel also built our pub, restaurant and general store, so we had a lot of experience working with him,” says Gordie. “He did a great job, and the project seemed to finish in a snap.”
While the rest of the Telegraph Cove Resort is comprised of cabins and rental spaces, the Lodge includes 24 beautiful rooms, furnished with rattan furniture.
It is located on a hill that overlooks Telegraph Cove, with each unit sporting stunning views where tourists can see killer whales, bears, deer, and other wildlife from their own windows.
“We’ve been sitting on that land for a while now,” says Gordie. “It was covered with trees and brush, but knew it had a phenomenal view. We’ve had tour bus operators at us for years to provide accomodation for them when they come up Island, so the timing was just right.”
This addition marks the latest chapter in the resort’s almost 40-year-old history.
The resort was created by Gordie and his wife, Marilyn, who were long-time North Island residents. In order to take advantage of the area’s recreational ocean fishing, they opened a marina and a campground, which was a first for the region.
“We were falling buck timber at Port Alice for a number of years, but in ‘78, when they finished the highway from Sayward north, we knew there was a big opportunity,” Gordie says.
The highway expansion, coupled with a new ferry terminal connecting Port Hardy to Prince Rupert, marked the beginning of an influx of tourists to the area.
“My wife suggested that we create a fishing resort here and we followed that plan,” he says. “We started with three people, and now have over 70 employees.”
Established in 1912, Telegraph Cove was once a bustling sawmill town, but had since deteriorated, leaving the Grahams to build the community from the ground up.
With their help, the area grew to become the most dominant tourism destination on the North Island.
In 1980, the first whale-watching company, Stubbs Island, was established, launching the area into a world-renowned whale-watching destination. In ‘82, the Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve, was formed, protecting the famous rubbing beach in order to maintain the sensitive habitat for generations to come.
Through the decades, Graham’s company has continued to restore buildings and structures, turning the abandoned sawmill town into a bustling tourism hub, which is now surrounded by an 800 foot boardwalk.
Telegraph Cove Resorts expanded in 1998, when they added a restaurant and pub, general store, small hotel, and large sewage treatment plant. This renovation paved the way for the eco-tourism industry boom that Telegraph Cove has seen in recent years.
“There are a lot of things to see and do here, like grizzly or whale watching, hiking, kayaking, and much much more,” says Graham. “The recreational fishing side of things isn’t as big anymore, but the community has grown in so many other ways.”
One of the main attractions in the area is Whale Interpretive Centre, which Telegraph Cove Resort built after tearing down part of an old warehouse. Each year, over 25,000 people come through the facility, seeing skeletons of the area’s marine animals, and the stunning 20 meter long fin whale, which was donated by Jim Borrowman.
Last year, the WIC received a 1,200 square foot addition to the centre, funded entirely by the Grahams’ company.
Two years ago, the Grahams purchased Tide Rip Grizzly Tours, a company that been running grizzly sighting tours to the North Island since 2000.
“The company was formed by Howard Pattinson, who had been a commercial fisherman for years,” says Gordie. “He wanted to semi-retire, so we bought the company from him. Now we run three boats up to Knight Inlet every day to see the grizzlies at Glendale Cove, with permission from the Nanwakolas First Nation.”
The Glendale Cove grizzlies are a world-class eco-tourism attraction, and were recently featured in the Disney film Bears.
Tide Rip runs their expeditions from mid-May to September. Late May to mid-June is typically the best month for seeing the bears, as they are in the middle of mating season, while the year’s cubs emerge for the first time in July.
In August, grizzlies can be seen chasing fish during the salmon run as they prepare for hibernation.
The tours have a 95 per cent sighting rate, and offer a ‘rain check’ guarantee if customers don’t see a grizzly. Additionally, the company has a top ranking on TripAdvisor with overwhelmingly positive reviews.
“This is what people come to Vancouver Island to see,” says Gordie. “We have so much natural beauty, and the region’s tourism industry could be so much more than it is today.
“I’m interested in promoting the whole North Island, not just Telegraph Cove. There’s so much to see and do here, and more people should know about it.”
Telegraph Cove Resort has been recognized with various awards and coverage over the years, recently winning the 2017 Vancouver Island Business Excellence Award in the Hospitality & Tourism Industry category.
Upon receiving this award, Gordie commented, “I am extremely proud to receive this prestigious award, and my congratulations go out to our entire team. This reflects our leading role in the tourism development of the Island and rewards our ongoing efforts to move the resort and the North Island Tourism in general into the future.”
www.telegraphcoveresort.com