Our Rooms
Our Restaurant
Our Location
Our Surroundings
What's New
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What's New at the Lodge
Improvements for 2009
- Over the fall of 2008, we managed to get the driveway paved, replace
our aging roof, and
install new low-E windows in all of the upstairs rooms. This allowed us
to let more light into the dining room and breakfast room, with better
views of the waterfall.
- Although most of our guests appreciate our casual "home away from
home" atmosphere, there are those who would prefer a more traditional
hotel setting with ensuite bathrooms. We are gradually upgrading the upstairs
bedrooms into rooms with ensuite bathrooms,
while leaving the downstairs as our hostelling area. Of course, hotel
guests are still free to use the public lounges and games area.
The big event of 2008 - a Restaurant!
- Since September, 2007, Jill has been doing chef training at North
Island College in Campbell River. This lets us plan even better menus and
meals for our work crews, but it was mainly preparing us for opening our
new restaurant.
- In July of 2008 we opened The Lodge
Restaurant, for guests and
the general public, featuring fresh
ingredients and local produce (whenever possible). Our goal is to provide a relaxed atmosphere where you can enjoy a
delicious leisurely multi-course meal with your friends. By early
September, we finally obtained our liquor license, and offer a selection
of Vancouver Island and BC wines and beers.
Having the restaurant upstairs, we expanded the upstairs dining
area so that we can accommodate both more formal and more casual dining.
We now have a comfortable main dining room with a lounge and fireplace, as
well as a "breakfast room" with a huge oak table and a small seating area
for reading or TV viewing. The breakfast room is also a perfect conference
or meeting room.
We also built a self-catering kitchen downstairs so that hostellers or
work groups can prepare their own food without the confusion of being
in the restaurant area.
2007 Improvements
In 2007 we focused on beautifying the grounds and the building
exterior. We feel that we made some huge improvements, but it's always an
ongoing project, and we sometimes seem to take a step backwards as we move
forwards. For example,
- In the late fall, we removed the old garage doors downstairs,
replacing them with a large picture window, double French doors, and
outside access to the drying room. This adds lots more light to the games
area and downstairs lounge, but we haven't yet replaced all the siding on
the outside of the building.
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- Over the winter, we upgraded the electrical service to the building.
This required us to build a new electrical cabin near the driveway, and
dig up the lawn to lay the new cable to the main building. Once the
weather improves, we'll have to finish the cabin and repair the damage to
the lawn.
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- Downstairs, we updated the plumbing to make room for an extra
laundry area for guests. We lost one bedroom, but changed the five
remaining hostel rooms so they all have bunk beds to restore the lost capacity.
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- Upstairs, we upgraded the bathroom area to improve the
facilities and layout, and to add more storage areas for the lodge.
(We've taken out the huge old men's washroom and replaced it with a
full bathroom plus a staff washroom. Another inconvenient bathroom was converted to kitchen storage.)
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