Businesses Dying in the Gulf Islands?

[druid]

I found out last trip that Silva Bay no longer has a grocery store (used to have 2!). There's still a few items available at Paine's Marina, but nothing like what it used to be. Then a few days ago I found out Telegraph Harbour Marina Store was WAY stripped down: they had no vegetables, only a few frozen meats. I don't know if Secret Cove store is still as good as it used to be because for the second time they had no slip for us (first time the marina was actually CLOSED).
And when we got back to Pender Hbr, the Ultimate Disappointment: Grasshopper Pub no longer has pizza!!!
Thoughts...?

 

[Johnb]

We drove the Alcan highway 3 years ago and the number of places that were boarded up was just appalling. Ditto we made a trip on the Hudson and Erie canal 4 years back and were amazed at how few boats were using it. The sub prime mortgage depression hit hard and my guess is this is the face of it.

 

[Terry Cox]

Same sense here. Ganges on the decline, but still a very nice grocery and general store; the sea water in the harbor is a sewer. It needs some serious cleanup. Last year the Secret Cove Marina store was well stocked and quite active in mid to late June, the last time we were there. No perspective on Silva Bay, as last year was the first and only time there. Nanaimo appears to have a very robust business climate, receiving much economic support from tourism and the mill operation.

Of course as you head further north many of the places struggle to keep afloat; Echo Bay, Blind Channel, Minstrel Island (closed), Lagoon Cove (for sale-needs lots of work), Port Neville (closed), Big Bay (struggling), etc. Most of the millennials move where they can find jobs, and unless the area has commerce, well, the community just fades away.

Same experience around these parts. The lumber industry built many towns along the left coast, but that industry has mostly been shuttered due to the cost impact resulting from more stringent EPA regulations.

 

[Mark Maulden]

Agree with Terry as of a month ago. If you go to Ganges, go the the Maritime Society dock. Shorter walk to town and some interesting displays. Echo Bay/Sullivan Bay/Blind Channel have pretty decent stores wih veggies (June). Lagoon Cove was sold unless something happened last minute.. Druid, when were you up "there" last? Not much has changed in last few yrs for Gulf Is....

 

[druid]

Haven't been North of Desolation Sound for some time - I was talking mainly about the Gulf Islands. In the case of Silva Bay, it used to be a local community as well as a boating destination. That has changed in recent years, and the commerce has moved to the "center" on the other side of the island. I guess the residents around Silva Bay would rather drive 10 km than have a local economy.

The "sub prime mortgage depression" was in the US. Although we did feel it here in Canada, there wasn't nearly the impact, and I don't see it affecting the stores and marinas on the BC Coast.

druid

 

[Terry Cox]

Almost in the Gulf Islands, Semi-ah-moo has changed dramatically. When we purchased our boat in 2002 it was a full service marina with haul out, mechanics and electricians on staff. Marina store was well stocked with foods and a very nice gift shop and lots of boat parts.

Today, not much there. Nice marina, but gift shop, full service haul out, groceries, all gone. They do have some boat parts, but mostly merchandise that moves fast; oil, beer, wine, etc. It must make it very hard to earn enough profit during the short summer season to survive the long off season periods. That becomes more pronounced as you head further north.

A puzzle to me is how the Poet Cove resort keeps its doors open. All the times I have cleared through for our boarder crossings very few people around. Somehow they make a go of it. We much preferred the quaintness of the place before the resort; pub, restaurant, etc.

 

[druid]

I had a Bad Experience at Poet's Cove and don't plan on going back. We were in Green Lady, a little old Crown 28, but we paid our moorage just like the Big Boys. First we were told the "10 gallons per day" of fresh water was NOT cumulative: we stayed for 3 days but were not entitled to 30 gallons. Then, on the day we were leaving, we were told we had to get out at about 9:00am "because another boat was coming in". We had paid til 11:00, that's how long we stayed.
I'm told (by my wife) that the sauna was awesome though...
druid

 

[Kings Gambit]

I had a Bad Experience at Poet's Cove and don't plan on going back. We were in Green Lady, a little old Crown 28, but we paid our moorage just like the Big Boys. First we were told the "10 gallons per day" of fresh water was NOT cumulative: we stayed for 3 days but were not entitled to 30 gallons. druid

That's a BAD Experience? Geeze. Who even uses 10 gal/day of fresh water on a 28 ft sailboat? On my first charter to the Gulf Islands we put in at one harbor there and could not get ANY water due to an on-going drought. I've been kicked early off moorings at Avalon and Two Harbors (Santa Catalina Island) because of boats "coming in"; it's just SOP in some circumstances. No es problema; I just find a place to drop a hook if I wish to stick around. Can one really inconvenience a boater out for a 3 to 4 day "cruise" with a 2-hr time change?

 

[druid]

The water was minor - it was the "you guys have to leave because someone More Important is coming in" that really insulted us.

 

[Kings Gambit]

The water was minor - it was the "you guys have to leave because someone More Important is coming in" that really insulted us.

I hope he/she wasn't from the States!

 

[Mark Maulden]

If you walk to the head of Telegraph, there is usually a veggie/fruit stand.

 

[Terry Cox]

Speaking of water, our cruise north last year was an interesting one. Several forest fires dumped heavy smoke and soot in the air north of Vancouver making a mess of the boat. It finally cleared by the time we reached Lund. Many of the small communities draw water from wells or small reservoirs, so no boat washing allowed. The long dry season put lots of pressure on their water consumption and boaters who want to fill their tanks. Shearwater, Bella Bella, Klemtu were places that placed limits on how much water you could take on to ten or twenty gallons as long as you purchased fuel. Nothing hard nosed, but please just be conservative. Blind Channel Resort has the best natural water source. Others, no so much.

 

[greenispeace]

We cruised from Gig Harbor, WA to the Broughtons this June. Gorge Harbor on Cortese continues to have a well stocked store with fresh produce, meat and seafood as well as an outstanding restaurant. Blind Channel also had a fairly well stocked store and again the restaurant was amazing with a salad of wild greens and blossoms picked by the Richter's children that morning. Hans is there to great you on the dock, critique your line handling and expertly piloted the marina's landing craft when we needed fast transport for an unexpected business need. George in Port Harvey was rebuilding his sunken restaurant when we were there in June, yet still made pizza, cinnamon buns and breakfast sandwiches from an oven on the docks. We're told he has the restaurant finished now. Lagoon Cove was sold to a timber company and that would of been a great shame, but the timber co. kept trying to change the deal. Jean had sailors Jam and David helping out this summer and they found a new buyer, Jim, who was passing through on a cruise and was convinced to buy it. His kids will run it and he intends to keep it as a marina. He has done the Broughton cruising community a great favor keeping Lagoon Cove a marina.

 

[Mark Maulden]

We probably had a happy hr together!!! Somewhere up there