We always have options; it could be Nashville, Tennessee, to immerse yourself in country folk music, it could be New Orleans, Louisiana, to explore the bayous and food culture. Well, those were the ideas my mother and I came up with when we decided we were going to go on a trip together this past summer. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it—but those options just didn’t sit right.We ended up choosing a holiday on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada, that had fewer things to do, far fewer restaurants to choose from and a whole lot of wide openness.
I didn’t know exactly why we went this direction in the beginning, but it became very clear by the end of our trip that the West Coast Wilderness Lodge on the Sunshine Coast was the right choice and had some things to teach me about what it means to be a paddler and what we owe this amazing community.
The West Coast Wilderness Lodge
My jaw dropped… it was stunning. Just reminiscing about walking up to the lodge on our very first day has all my senses putting me in a trance. I was immediately captivated by the dining patio, but it was the smell of the lilies that had me walking in the opposite direction of the check-in counter. I walked through the doorway under the sheltered patio and noticed the ceiling was laced with wisteria vines. I was told they were planted by the owner 30 years ago and are in full bloom in May and people travel from far and wide just to see them.
I kept walking because I could still feel the pull, and that’s when I saw the Pacific Ocean in all its glory. I could feel the salty ocean air on my skin. I knew we were in the right place at the right time.
Paul, Patti and their son Lucas Hansen own this lodge. It was Lucas who had helped me put this trip together and recommended the daily activities over our stay since they also own and operate the Egmont Adventure Centre. My mom and I wanted to go sea kayaking and fish for salmon, and we also wanted Lucas to recommend his favorite adventure. He said the Princess Louisa Inlet Boat Tour was a guest favorite and we had to do it.
The experiences
The first day we went deep sea fishing in an attempt to catch some Pacific salmon. It felt like a true local experience since most people in the area eat a healthy dose of seafood. Our guide Ryder from Off the Hook was both relieved and disappointed to hear neither of us really wanted to catch anything because we weren’t sure what to do with the fish afterward since mailing it across the country didn’t seem logical to us. It also took the pressure of a guaranteed catch off of him. Luckily we only caught a couple fish and both were an inch too small to keep, so we were happy to send them back to sea. What we loved most about this tour was how much Ryder taught us about marine life behavior and how he kept in close contact with his friends who operated the other charter fishing boats to share the hot spots of the day. We were part of the inner circle on this boat.
The Princess Louisa Inlet Tour was also quite spectacular. We boarded a boat with Captain Emily who, it turns out, had attended the same college in Ontario, Canada, as me to become an outdoor adventure guide. She was perfectly timed with her occasional stops to point out formations made by glaciers, mountains and pictographs. The final destination, Princess Louisa Inlet, was jaw dropping. It was like we had teleported to a secluded cove surrounded by waterfalls and giant cedar trees. My mind went into trip planning mode, wondering if I could uncover other beautiful inlets—after all, there was a whole coastline I had not yet seen.
By far, my favorite adventure was the sea kayaking trip. It may seem odd that an experienced paddler like myself still signs up for guided paddling tours, but I don’t have much of an ego. And I get real value from learning from the local guides about the environment and points of interest. It gives me a platform to push off from when I venture out on my own later. Mom and I expected something simple, maybe a leisurely three- to four-hour paddle to some rocky islands we could see from our cabin, but we were wrong.
When we arrived at the Egmont Adventure Centre, our guide, Matt, from Chicoutimi, Quebec, greeted us with a big smile. It didn’t take long before Matt and I shared some names of people we knew through one degree of separation. I had spent some time paddling the Saguenay Fjord and many of the whitewater rivers that flow into it. Once everyone was geared up and ready, Matt told us to follow him down to the boat for our shuttle. Shuttle? We weren’t paddling from the lodge? My curiosity was piqued.
We got down to the dock where Captain Kane and his dog Thor asked us to board his landing craft. Matt and Kane loaded our double sea kayaks up front, and then we were off.
We drove about 20 kilometers to Hotham Sound Inlet as Kane told us stories about all of the errands people employ him and his boat for. The most interesting tale was the time he had to transport a tranquilized bear 100 kilometers out of town, only to find that the bear walked himself back to town three days later. He stopped his boat in the middle of a calm bay, dropped the front ramp and he and Matt slipped our kayaks in the water and helped us into them as if we were simply getting in from a dock. It was impressively smooth and made me think of heli drops for skiers and how much more terrain it opens up when you don’t have to ski in.
After we were all in the water, we started making our way up the inlet. Matt briefed us on how to respect wildlife in their natural habitats. Almost like clockwork, Mom and I rounded an outcrop of shoreline to find a seal and her pup resting on a shallow, shaded rock. At that moment, I felt connected to my world again. Paddling has a way of doing that.The reason Mom and I settled on this trip was starting to become clearer. We were connected to these people. We are water people: paddlers. We all care deeply about the natural world and helping people experience it—especially on the water.
Learning the history
The night before our check-out day we were invited to have snacks and drinks with Paul and Lucas. We even got to say a quick hello to Patti who was not able to visit, but wanted to thank us for coming. It was quite precious because I felt the thank you should be going in the other direction.
As we sat with Paul and Lucas under the gorgeous wisteria-tangled ceiling, my mom and I were told stories of how this magical place all came to be. Paul had a passion for outdoor recreation and wilderness education. He developed programs for school kids and corporate groups to learn life skills through outdoor adventures. I mentioned noticing a frayed climbing rope still hanging from a crag on their property that I assumed was a remnant of an old climbing area. Precisely, he said.
In the 60s and 70s, the Canadian government was putting grant money toward outdoor education initiatives, which worked in his favor to acquire the property. However, things shifted after they bought the West Coast Wilderness Lodge property in 1997. There was not as much funding available for outdoor education programs, nor were there many people willing to pay out of pocket for them. The Hansens shifted their focus to quality accommodation and fine dining to ensure they were profitable and it allowed them to keep the unique and memorable Egmont Adventure Centre that they knew they had a duty to share with those who visited.
The outdoor adventures, after all, are what people will continue to talk about when their holiday comes to an end.
Paul told me he and his wife bought their property with a very large loan as he chuckled wondering who agreed to give it to them. He told me about the eras of building and economic challenges, which came to pass all while raising their family. Every time they feel they’re getting ahead, there is another thing to fix or project to invest in to make sure the lodge, the experiences and the staff who make it so special are taken care of. But Paul and Lucas remain determined to ensure their lodge is a place that gives as many people the opportunity to experience the natural beauty around Egmont as possible.
I was very pleased this is where we landed for our mother-daughter trip. The connections I found with our guides reminded me how small and special the paddling community is. The experiences themselves reminded me how connected we are to this world and that it owes us nothing—so to be grateful. And the Hansens reminded me how important it is to support businesses that provide these incredible paddling experiences.
Lessons we can all learn
Since my trip, I’ve noticed as paddlers we often don’t think about investing in the community that got us where we are. But it doesn’t have to be a grand lodge trip; there are many simple ways to give back.
Here are a few ideas:
- Buy a membership to your local paddle club
- Write a five-star review for a paddling tour you’ve been on
- Take a friend on a paddling trip with an operator
- Rent kayaks from an outfitter when you are anywhere on holiday
- Lend your gear to friends and family; they may end up buying their own
- Connect friends with jobs in paddlesports
- If you have qualifications, take school kids on the water with your local club
- Buy T-shirts from your local paddling events
- Buy camping and paddling supplies at your local paddling retail store
- Volunteer your time
All of these things count. Paddlers are special people. Let’s make sure we keep growing in numbers.
