Good Times at Ocean Falls



Denis and Leonard coming back with the crab pots

In addition to the good water used by boaters to fill their tanks, Ocean Falls is also a good place to find crab and we have never come up empty handed.  Denis invited Leonard to go with him in the dinghy to pick up three crab pots that had been set the night before.  All three pots had numerous crabs, more than was needed.  The one female among the bunch was tossed back (the crab that is) along with the smaller size crabs.  

Buckets of Crab

Once sorted into buckets, the next step was to dispatch the crab at the cleaning station provided at the docks.  

Dispatching the Crab

It was nearing lunch time and we were anticipating a wonderful feast.  We parceled out the crab and Mary put a pot of boiling water on the stove and I prepared another pot of boiling water aboard our boat next door.  Back on Teka III we poured off the hot water and rinsed with cold, we were ready for the feast – succulent fresh crab served with melted butter and lemon juice, a real treat.  

A Feast of Cooked Crab

Later that evening we attended the Ocean Falls community BBQ and Salmon Derby.  Locals and guests alike could attend the event for a nominal fee and the weather was perfect for the outdoor event.  We purchased tickets for the BBQ which included corn-on-the-cob, beans, and burgers with berry pie for dessert.  

Enjoying the Crab Feast on cockpit of Teka III

Those who participated in the Salmon Derby received prizes for the largest fish caught.  Raffle tickets were sold for “door prizes” such as hats and T-shirts; and the best prize of all was a ride in a small helicopter that had flown in from Shearwater for the event.  

Community BBQ at Ocean Falls (ruins in far background)

Three lucky guys had the right numbers on their tickets and got to go for a short ride over the area.  It was a fun party and we felt like we were getting to know some of the locals.  

Community BBQ, Ocean Falls

Gwen was there and so was Norman, a familiar face in the community who maintains a collection of items left behind when folks abandoned their homes (see previous blog post).  Norman enjoys showing visitors this collection located in the old dock warehouse – an antique shop or museum of sorts.  

"The Shack" (Harbormaster's Office)

We also participated in one of the movie nights held at “The Shack” (harbormaster’s office) and the pancake breakfast on Sunday morning before our departure – good fun and good memories.  Although Ocean Falls remains a ghost town, there seems to be an effort to revive the tradition of good times.  The town site of Ocean Falls actually started long before the Crown Zellerbach saga of the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s.  A crew of 25 men arrived at the head of Cousins Inlet in 1906 and cleared the land for a town site.   By 1909 a saw mill was in production and a store was built with 10 students attending classes on the second floor, a small hospital was operating on Front Street.  

Single Women's Dorm converted to a Hospital, Early 1900's (currently leased to a logging co.)

 A number of houses had been added by 1910 and a hotel was being built as well as the construction of a pulp mill and a dam at the head of the falls.  The Recession had begun in 1912 and the Ocean Falls Co. Limited went into receivership; a new company, Pacific Mills Limited, took over in 1915.  Around this time a new hospital was built and a doctor was brought to town as a permanent resident.  

Early 1900's Fire Station

By 1917 the town had grown and additional buildings added, including a fire hall, post office, customs building, and a dock warehouse.  

Early Waterfront Warehouses, Ocean Falls

Additional bunkhouses and apartments were built for the new workers.  The arrival of WWI brought a demand for strong, lightweight wood for construction of airplanes and the Sitka Spruce of north coast British Columbia met the need.  The Depression then hit in the 30’s but WWII once again brought the demand for Sitka Spruce.  The 1950’s and 60’s saw continued growth with Crown Zellerbach now the owner of the mill.  

A House in Ruins (1950's-60's)

By the 1970’s the mill facilities were old and Crown Zellerbach needed to cut costs and increase profits at other mills and so began phasing out operations in Ocean Falls.  

Restless Spirits Upstairs?  An Abandoned House

This was the beginning of the Ocean Falls ghost town saga with many of the buildings seen today in ruins along with a few building left from the earlier 1900's.