Victoria developers have acquired some of Port Renfrew’s major landmarks with hopes to transform the tiny town on the west coast of Vancouver Island into a major tourism destination similar to Tofino.
Jack Julseth’s Three Point Properties and Ian Laing Properties are equal partners in a large property transaction signed Wednesday that includes the Port Renfrew Hotel building, 11 waterfront cabins, the Lighthouse Pub building, and the West Coast Trail Lodge.
Financial details were not disclosed. Laing and Julseth bought the properties from Alberta resident Richard Bonnycastle.
The new owners said upgrading the properties will start Monday and is expected to wrap up in about three months.
Port Renfrew is packed with potential, Laing said. “We really do believe that Port Renfrew is Tofino 40 years ago,” with proximity to Victoria (a two-hour drive) making it a more accessible location, Laing said.
“It is an absolute undiscovered Mecca. Our plan is to truly put it on the map.”
Port Renfrew is next to Botanical Beach Provincial Park and is the southern entrance to the world renowned West Coast Trail. Fishermen know nearby Swiftsure Bank is the place to pull in big halibut and salmon.
The Pacific Marine Circle Tour through Lake Cowichan is drawing increasing numbers of tourists. The Tall Tree music festival has been a draw and more visitors are being attracted to Avatar Grove to walk among old growth cedar and Douglas fir trees.
The deal is the latest step in the growth of Port Renfrew. Julseth, who began investing there a decade ago, and other developers have been clearing lots and building new housing. So far, Three Point has sold close to 60 units in its West Coast Cottage development and is a partner in a subdivision, Laing said.
The cedar-clad Port Renfrew Hotel is popular today as a pub and restaurant with about 300 indoor and outdoor seats. The 2006 building replaced the original hotel which burned down in 2003.
The 11 cabins located near the public wharf will be upgraded to luxury status, Laing said, with major interior and exterior work. With its views and tide pools, “it’s a really pretty little spot,” he said.
A small commercial building at the public wharf will be the front desk for the cabins. It will have a coffee shop serving Discovery Coffee, Laing said.
The Lighthouse Pub building is being brought back to life, with a liquor store, real estate sales office and seasonal pub. The building has not been used for six years.
The West Coast Trail Lodge will also be renovated, Laing said.
Mike Hicks, Capital Regional District representative for the area, praised Julseth, Laing and other developers who are investing in the area. Port Renfrew’s permanent population numbers about 150 and many residents commute to Alberta’s oil patch, he said. It is adjacent to the Pacheedaht First Nation.
One developer, who built a 50-boat marina, has submitted a proposal for a new 150-slip, year-round facility, Hicks said. This is in addition to the Port Renfrew Community Dock Society’s marina, which has room for 25 boats.
Hicks, who lives in a Sooke and owns a fishing lodge in Port Renfrew, said the community is “on a roll.”
During the summer months, thousands of tourists roll through the area, he said, many of them hiking the West Coast Trail and Botanical Beach or fishing.
Port Renfrew had 80 taxable parcels six years ago, said Hicks. Today, there are 140 parcels.
