NEW INDIGENOUS RESORT OFFERS UP-CLOSE VIEW OF B.C. WILDERNESS
Klahoose Wilderness Resort, an Indigenous-owned enterprise, expects to open in May and will operate according to the travel guidelines of the Canadian and B.C. governments. Private accommodations are available and most activities take place outdoors.
Klahoose Wilderness Resort is nestled in a spectacular waterfront location on the central west coast of British Columbia at the foot of the Coast Mountains, 160 kilometres north of Vancouver. Formerly the Homfray Lodge, it recently came under the ownership of the Klahoose people of the Pacific Northwest Coast.
When the resort reopens in spring, it will offer light adventure with Indigenous experiences and wildlife tours through the rainforest and the Pacific Ocean inlet of Desolation Sound.
Klahoose is remote but comfortable, and is being renovated with updated bedding and furniture. Guests will have attractive cedar-panelled lodgings, an all-inclusive plan with meals and activities, Wi-fi and the use of a satellite phone, but no cell service or TVS.
“Our new resort will herald Klahoose traditions, language and identity,” said Chief Kevin Peacey of Klahoose First Nation. “Many of the staff members are young and we are delighted to see their eagerness to connect with nature and link the threads of the past to modern life.”
Life can be as simple as walking through the woods, a morning stretch on the dock or a relaxing evening around a campfire. Indigenous experiences include sessions on weaving and storytelling. On the water — which is usually calm and temperate — kayaking and paddleboarding will be big attractions, as well as boat tours where you might spot seals, orcas, humpbacks dolphins or eagles.
Starting in late summer, Klahoose will run exciting guided excursions to view grizzly bears as they emerge from the rainforest to fish for salmon in Toba Inlet, along the Klite River. It might sound scary, but you'll have a vantage point high up on a wooden platform.
Lodging: “This exceptional property will promote Klahoose culture and elevate its tourism reach,” said Bruno Pereira, general manager of the Klahoose First Nation's Economic Development Corporation. “The community is expanding from offering wilderness tours to operating a distinctive resort in a competitive field.”
The impressive Great Room, framed with massive cedar beams and warmed by a fireplace, is the heart of Klahoose Wilderness Resort's main lodge. It houses the dining room and is also used for meetings, reading, yoga or workshops in Indigenous culture.
Klahoose can accommodate a total of 14 to 24 guests; there are four double-occupancy rooms in the main lodge, plus three private cabins. All rooms have simple, rustic furniture — most of it new this season — plus private bathrooms and serene water views overlooking Homfray Channel. Dining: A visit to Klahoose Wilderness Resort is all inclusive. Breakfast is a continental spread of juice and smoothies; granola with berries, nuts and yogurt; boiled eggs; breads and muffins. Lunch, at the lodge or picnic-style on an excursion, features chicken, salads, halibut tacos, and fruit with cheese.
Guests are treated to pre-dinner amuse-bouches of charcuterie, roasted seaweed chips or local seafood such as fresh prawns, clams, oysters, smoked salmon or mussels. Dinner might start with white bean soup or a vegetable bisque with crème fraîche, followed by an appetizer of seared tuna or grilled sockeye salmon.
The main course could be miso-glazed sablefish (a.k.a. Alaska black cod), local halibut in a parchment papillote, venison or rack of lamb, plus vegetarian options such as a mushroom ragout tart or a vegetable soufflé.
It's contemporary cuisine with sides like jasmine rice, kale chips and mushroom risotto, plus Indigenous accents such as spruce tip pesto, locally foraged chanterelle or morel mushrooms, sautéed stinging nettles and rosehip chutney.