It has been two years since we have been to the Broughton’s, our favorite boating area in Northern Canada, and so much has changed.
Lagoon Cove is now operated by a Minnesotan, Dan, and he’s doing a great job. But anybody that knew the previous owner Bill, his bear stories and freshly cooked daily spot prawns at happy hour, knows that Dan has big shoes to fill. We were fortunate enough to have met Bill before he passed. Each season when we hailed on the radio, Bill would respond, welcome back Tom and Tessa. We are glad to see you. After only one season of visiting Lagoon Cove, he knew our names and our boat name. Bill was that good.
While at Lagoon Cove, we heard of George’s (unexpected to us) passing at Port Harvey. He and his wife, with help from the community, had just rebuilt the Red Shoe Restaurant which had burnt down a season (or two) ago. When we stopped in three seasons ago, he and his wife were welcoming, their store was surprisingly well stocked if you are looking for that bolt or cleaner, and we had a great experience in the restaurant. George will be missed.
Sullivan Bay no longer has Chris as a caretaker, it is now just Debbie. Chris was a big piece of the Broughton’s for us, as he taught Tessa where to fish and what lures work. It wasn’t quite the same pulling up this year, as Chris would also welcome boats back by name. But the apple turnovers are still delicious in the morning, you can still take a swing at a hole in one at happy hour for free moorage, and the rib dinner had a waiting list.
We were happy to run into a fellow SYC boater at Blind Channel on his way South. He comes up to the Broughton’s every year, and we have gotten to know him over the years at Sullivan’s fishing and dining together. He is still operating his own boat, and fishing, at the young age of 93.5 years. We hope he has many more years of boating to come.
While Max and Anca’s kids are now grown, Kwatsi Bay is up for sale. Rustic, but idyllic, Max will tell you endless stories about his time here in the wilderness.
Pierre’s at Echo Bay is also up for sale. Infamous for their pig roasts on Saturdays, and their prime rib on Thursdays, Tove has put her foot down and it is time for them to retire. Don’t worry- you will still be able to visit them as Pierre will be building a cabin nearby. The wilderness and the sea is in his blood after forty years; with them, he is now one.
Bill Proctor is in his early 80s, and just got back from commercial fishing sockeye with Nikki. If you haven’t, do take your time to visit the legend of the Broughton’s. He is a wealth of knowledge and local lore. Maybe even buy a book, or two, of his.
North Island Marina, formerly Port McNeill Fuel Dock, is no longer run by Steve and Jessica – they now are a family of three living in Squamish. Steve’s younger brother Allan now operates the family business. We communicated with him via email, but we have yet to see him in person outside the boat show. Will, Liam and Sean did a great job running North Island Marina. We had a great experience even without Steve’s big energy and Allan being MIA.
The two marinas from the Broughton’s we have not visited this season are Telegraph Cove and Jennis Bay. We try to balance an even ratio of dock time and anchoring, however this season we were heavier on the dock time. We brought two boats that had not been North of Desolation with us through the rapids (nor had we even met them before) and we never could have imagined the amount of fun we had over the course of ten days showing them around. The three couples instantly connected, and we have a group of six who now will make an effort to reconnect at minimum annually.
The Broughton’s are in a period of flux. The resorts/marinas will not continue to exist if we do not reach out to fellow boaters, to buddy boat them through their fears of the rapids and transiting Johnstone, to educate them on what a great area of the Inside Passage it is, on how much better it gets once you are past Desolation. It is a whole different energy and the wilderness is stunning. Let’s not keep it a secret. Otherwise, the Broughton’s we know and love today, may not exist in the next decade.