Ocean Falls, May, 12th, A Ghost Town

The trip to Ocean Falls

 After reluctantly departing Pruth Bay we decide on a side trip to Ocean Falls, off the beaten track, leading nowhere else and a deliberate destination choice. 


The approach is impressive with a high-rise in the center of town and a waterfall cascading from a dam.  Not even in Campbell River, population of 2,700, did we see high-rise buildings.  Turns out, however, that these building are vacant.  Windows are blown out, houses half gone, walls collapsed and a shower door swinging in the breeze.  This is a modern day ghost town – population 6-8, depending on whom you ask, number 6 or number 8.


Cousins Channel Entrance

Ocean Falls

Back in the early 1900s this was a booming metropolis with a saw mill, a population of 5,000  and a school with a billiard room and saloon – and I mean in the school. Now, the dam predominates and makes electricity for nearby island communities.  A fishery has also opened but other than transient workers, the town remains deserted.

Walking off the dock onto land, a sign points to a grocery store – hours Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 3 PM – 5 PM  -  as well as to a bar in the neighboring town of Martin Valley, population 25 – 40, depending on whom you ask.  Being a Saturday night, Jim and I decide to hike over to the bar – seems like a friendly thing to do, plunk down a few dollars for a brew or two and pump a little cash into the community. It’s about  1 1/2 miles and we are parched by the time we arrive but  alas, the saloon is closed.  Well, it is only 7PM, maybe they catch a later clientele.  No, we find out from a local, they cater to the grocery crowd, the bar being open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

View from our Walk



So Many Choices - So Little Time

Back in town we chat with the new owners of Darke Waters Inn, 5 of the 8 Ocean Falls residents.  They are an enthusiastic couple, already lodging 10 loggers and fellers – and don’t call a “feller” a logger.  

They hope to have an adventure themed retreat but with the absence of amenities and the abundance of rain – it is the wettest spot in BC with an average of 14.5 feet – yes, inches are just not sufficient  to measure the volume of water pouring down on “the rain people”- and a destination only accessible by boat or float plane, they may be overly optimistic.  

And really, they need to clean up that large pile of fresh bear scat in the middle of the road, for a number of reasons, if they want to attract tourists.  And we hope they do at  Darke Waters in Ocean Falls.

Electrical Outlet Boxes