Telegraph Cove: A Story of Resilience and Hope



Telegraph cove in fog and mist, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Early in the morning of December 31, 2024, Mary Borrowman looked out of her window and saw a huge orange glow in the sky.

Telegraph Cove, the heartbeat of North Vancouver Island, was on fire.

“The restaurant was fully engulfed, and the fire was jumping across the boardwalk to the Whale Interpretive Centre building.”

By the time the sun lit the sky, Area D Director for the Mount Waddington regional district David Summers called Gordie Graham, owner of the Telegraph Cove Resort, and learned that “it was all totally lost.”

The accommodations built on pilings surrounding historic Telegraph Cove on northern Vancouver Island. A popular tourist destination. BC.

What started as a few flames licking the end of the dock—due to what the fire marshal investigation determined was a chewed wire—reduced the historical boardwalk, Killer Whale Café, Old Saltery Pub, the Whale Interpretive Centre, and the bear and whale watching offices into a smouldering mess.

The loss reverberated around the Island. “Telegraph Cove is so important to the North Island,” says Summers. It “was the place you went to celebrate a birthday,” he says, recalling the dock weddings he’s attended in the past and receptions that followed in the Whale Interpretive Centre.

Fondly known as the WIC, the centre housed the largest marine mammal skeleton collection in British Columbia.

WIC

Borrowman, the WIC’s manager and director, says there were “25 hanging skeletons—the result of over 40 years of collecting—[plus] many in totes waiting articulation, dozens of skulls and spare bones, all of the signage and displays, all of the tools that were in the workshop… we remember a few more things each day.”

According to Borrowman, the centre was “so much more than skeletons: it was education, and it had soul.”

Over the years, the WIC and Telegraph Cove became famous. “Fishing, whales, bears, and the historic ambiance of the cove” intertwined to create an irresistible outdoor adventure destination.

WIC

Telegraph Cove is “the focus of so many people coming [to North Vancouver Island]. We’ve got lots of other wonderful things, but from an international point of view, there was nothing like Telegraph Cove anywhere,” says Summers.

“We still have lots of clients that came every year that we’ve stayed in touch with over the last 40 years,” says Borrowman.

Which is why the local and international response has been, in Summers’ words, “absolutely incredible.”

First, “the fire departments came from everywhere on the North Island—Port McNeill, Hyde Creek, Port Hardy, Sointula, Alert Bay—it was amazing,” says Summers.

WIC

Since then, there has been incredible “support from every aspect of the North Island: every town, individuals and beyond… from people from all over the world.”

GoFundMe and CanadaHelps campaigns set up to help rebuild the Grahams’ resort and the Whale Interpretive Centre have been flooded with generous donations.

Borrowman says the outpouring of love “gives us hope and encouragement to just keep moving forward. We’re in limbo right now waiting for insurance companies and all of the permits so that we can move forward and start with cleanup.”

Once the cleanup is finished, rebuilding can begin.

WIC

“[The Grahams] built that place with their own hands, right from scratch,” says Summers, with Gordie milling the yellow cedar logs donated by the local logging company on site. Summers estimates the Grahams are nearing their 80s now, but he says they are hoping to do the same thing again.

“They’re a special breed of pioneer, those two,” says Summers.

The dedication of the core folk of Telegraph Cove—“all seniors,” according to Borrowman— is a testament to how beloved and special Telegraph Cove was and is. Fueled by everyone’s encouragement and driven by the number of calls Borrowman has had from people worldwide who are “very upset” at the news, resurrecting it is key.

“It will be a challenge to replace what was lost but we are hopeful that over time we will be able to,” says Borrowman. “The funding campaign [for the WIC] . . . has a goal of one million dollars which we know is not enough, but it is a start.”

WIC

Now, over a month since the disaster, “it’s really hard to keep the momentum going,” says Borrowman.

Luckily, the community is extremely supportive. At his last board meeting, Summers says it was heard—loud and clear—that “the whole North Island, all the communities and the people, are all 100 per cent behind us doing whatever we can to help them get it done.” This includes permits, expediting the process and applying for provincial government grants.

As for reopening, the plan is to have the boardwalk and some wildlife watching offices done by May 1st. “They’re also going to come up with a plan where [there will be] food trucks or some kind of thing set up where people can still get food until they can rebuild the pub and restaurant,” says Summers.

The view of Telegraph Cove from Johnstone Strait on northern Vancouver Island. A popular tourist destination. British Columbia, Canada.

Borrowman says the WIC will also have a presence of some sort this summer, although the exact details still need to be ironed out.

“Keep us in your thoughts, keep checking in,” she requests. Visitors will be welcomed with open arms.

It’s clear that Telegraph Cove will charm the tourist and locals alike once again.

If you’d like to be part of the hope and rebuilding, show your support by donating to the WIC and resort’s funding pages, and start planning your visit to Telegraph Cove.

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One thought on “Telegraph Cove: A Story of Resilience and Hope

  1. This is a very touching story. The rebuilding will create a place even more magical than it was!

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