This is the beach in front of Capernwray prior to “the great storm” in the early 1970’s. The storm removed almost all of the fence, reshaped the waterfront, and washed away the bottom of the old access road to the beach, which is in the foreground of the photo. The remains of the road form the footpath by the BC Ferries crew parking. For many years, the Department of Highways (as it was then called) used this road to haul gravel and shell from the midden to surface the roads on Thetis. Prior to paving in the 1960’s, the roads were a pale off-white because of all the shells.
This old house was on the north side of Clam Bay Road, in the early 1960’s, now Swain’s property. This was a house that was converted to be the main lodge for Hutch's Cove Resort that included the present Swain, McDaniel, Lamb, Rees, and Smirl properties. The resort had this lodge and two duplex cabins, plus a wagon shed, on the north side of the road, and an owner’s home, a British American Oil fuel dealership, and a general store on the south side of the road on the McDaniel property. There was a large dock in front of the store.
This was the view from what is now Gerry Taft’s Lot 48 on Harbour Road, looking toward the present site of Telegraph Harbour Marina. The photo was taken between when Al Higgins’ sawmill left the site, and when the Hunter family built the marina in the 50's. The large power boat looks to be the Lazy Gal, which belonged to the Dueck family of Vancouver. Two things to note are that this was taken mid-summer and there are no boats that belong to Thetis, and only two pleasure boats in the harbour. Also how clear some of the Penelakut shore is, as there was a house and yard there not many years before the photo was taken.
A postcard from the 60's ~ oriented a little farther north ~ a big change in not many years.
"Wonderful pictures! Would love to see more." ~ Pat English
"I agree with Pat English, would love to see more. How about a book, Ann??" ~ Gloria Taylor