NO PARKING in Telegraph Cove

The word cove evokes for me a 1950ish era: quaint colorful cottages, skiffs, window flower boxes, and a boardwalk.  It must be from the movies, TV shows (remember Cabot Cove?), and books that I have indulged in.  Telegraph Cove in the northeast corner of Vancouver Island will not disappoint.  

About a four-hour drive from Nanaimo on Highway 19, make a right on Beaver Cove Road (there will be signs) and head east for around 11 kilometers.  A former fishing and cannery village, Telegraph Cove acquired its name in 1911 when the Superintendent of Telegraphs scouting for a lineman's station found the naturally-protected cove ideal as the northern terminus for the telegraph line.  Since then, it has been referred to as Telegraph Cove.

Today, Telegraph Cove serves as the launching dock for kayakers, and tourists who are interested in sighting Orca whales that cruise Johnstone Strait during the summer.  

The entire old fishing village has been turned into a private resort.  This is where the pickle lies.  Never have I been to a relatively remote area where you cannot park your car on the side of any road (mostly gravel) within walking distance of the “village”.  There are “No Parking” signs even on grassy patches.  You have to drive quite a considerable distance away to find a spot without a “No Parking” sign.  To be able to park around the resort (and therefore the “village”), you have to check in as a guest or use the Pay Parking lot.  Pay Parking in nowhere?

I took the chance of parking near the General Store (a sign said for hotel guests only).  With the possibility of being towed, it was a brisk gander on the boardwalk where 1940s cottages perched on both sides have now been converted as rentals.  There are historic markers along the way.  At the end of the boardwalk is a museum: Whale Interpretive Centre – entry by CAD$ 3 donation only.  In British Columbia “donation” means you are obligated to give the minimum “suggested” amount.  So the term “donation”, i.e. a “gift or contribution” at your own volition, is not really a suggestion.  Why not correctly call it “entry fee”?

Unless you are a whale fan with a big budget, skip Telegraph Cove.   Whatever beauty it has, has been marred by commercialization.  There are other places in Vancouver Island worth your time and money.