Campbell River
Reel Reports

Jesse and his 20 lb. 5 oz. Chinook Click for more photos

On Tuesday morning Jesse Danchak came back from his guided fishing tour with more to show for it than just a sun kissed nose; he brought back a 20 lb. 5 oz. Chinook. This means Jesse now leads our Spring Fling Derby as his fish beat out our previous leader, Krista’s, fish by 4 oz. Both guests caught these fish while riding with Russ, a long-term guide for Painter’s Lodge and April Point Resort & Spa. At this point it’s fair to say Russ has bragging rights… but it’s a long season. Unfortunately, I wasn’t working yesterday so I missed the excitement of Russ and Jesse’s arrival at the dock. Luckily, one of our crew members stepped in and snapped a photo of Jesse and his salmon.

That wasn’t the only cool story I heard upon my arrival back at the office today. One of our water taxi operators, Greg, said that last night around 9 a cruise ship was sailing through Discovery Passage right as our April Point Connector was making a run between resorts. Cruise ships are impressively massive when viewed from shore, so you can imagine how small you’d feel in the water next to one. Greg did the safe thing and drove the Connector behind the cruise ship to avoid the wake, but still had to compete with a surprise 8 foot wave. Meanwhile, passengers were cheering that they wanted to go over the wake but Greg did the responsible thing (talk about overcoming peer pressure) and veered away. I really hope fate has it that I’m on the Connector the next time this happens – sounds like a thrilling ride!

See you in a few,

Joanna

TJ and Katie exchanging vows on the Discovery Lawn. Click for more photos

Wedding season that is. TJ and Katie chose a wonderful weekend to tie the knot; there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and they became our first bride and groom of 2012. (I guess it wasn’t such a bad mother’s day gift for their moms either!)  Weddings at Painter’s Lodge are set on the Discovery Lawn overlooking Discovery Passage.  It's no wonder we’re steadily booked with weddings throughout our entire season. I’ve even heard couples already inquiring about available 2013 dates.  I guess our recipe of an ocean/mountain backdrop, green grass and happy couples is one that has been tested to wedding perfection.

Elsewhere at the resort, our corporate group from Country Grocer set off on guided fishing tours and wildlife adventure tours. Although our fishing guests had high hopes, no one took the spot of our Spring Fling Derby leader, Mike, who is still ahead with his 15 lb. Chinook from Monday.

Our entire crew is in for a busy Sunday as we expect to see over 400 guests come through for a taste of our famous Mother’s Day Brunch.  What can I say, those eggs benny certainly make for a happy Mother’s Day!

See you in a few,

Joanna

A standard clove hitch knot. Click for more photos

If you can’t tie a knot, tie a lot. If you were to ask me to tie up a boat to our dock this is what I would do and it would inevitably look like spaghetti.  I should start by saying that I fear that day because I don’t trust my spaghetti and don’t want to be held responsible for a boat floating away. Luckily, we have some great fishing guides and dock crew who really know how to tie a knot and they won’t let that happen.

I took an impromptu crash course in knots today taught by Dave; one of our April Point Connector Operators (and seasoned mariners).  Dave informed me that there are *thousands of knots, but only a couple to live and die by.  Those essential knots would be the clove hitch and the bowline (pronounced bow-lynn). Both of these knots are standard for tying a boat to anything, they hold well and are easy to undo. There is even a helpful little story about a bunny to remind you of how to tie a bowline. The story is definitely geared towards young children–probably ones in cubs or scouts–but it’s bound to stick.

Lastly, there is the “Figure 8 and Lock” (I kind of made up this name by how the knot was explained to me). A quick alternative to conventional knots, this is the one I see most of our crew using. You make a basic figure 8 with the rope then–poof! – lock it up. If any of the aformentioned knots fail me I’ll just take the fool-proof advice I opened with or whip out my iPhone. Why? **There’s an app for that.

See you in a few,

Joanna

*Back in the day, sailors would kill time while at sea by playing with rope; inadvertently creating different knots.

**There seriously is.

"Acrylic Painting: The Positives of Negative Space" Click for more photos

I don’t consider myself an artist –not by any stretch of the imagination– but it doesn’t take one to know that Painter’s Lodge provides ample creative inspiration for those seeking it. In fact, I would argue that our natural surroundings at the Lodge lend inspiration to all of our guests, artists or not.  

Today marked the end of our first 2012 Spring Live & Learn Program. Over two days 13 acrylic painters honed their craft in our Discovery Room which overlooks the Painter’s dock, Quadra Island and the Discovery Passage.  Just as I enjoyed observing the acrylic painters create fantastic art, I look forward to watching our future Spring Live & Learn groups Blossom with Yoga, Contemplate Photography, Learn to Knit and Discover Gypsy Belly Dance. (We also have an entire schedule of Fall Live & Learn Programs up our sleeve!) Whether one finds their inspiration or just has fun, the stunning setting of Discovery Passage is the ideal place to learn, laugh and relax.

Watching the rain storm move towards us today from the mountains as thunder crackled in the distance and the tide made its way out for the afternoon certainly sent a sort of electricity through me. I may not release this energy on to canvas like painters do, but I still interpret it as inspiration… even if it’s just inspiration to stand still for 2 minutes and enjoy the view.

See you in a few,

Joanna

This rainbow appeared as we were boarding the Sunset Tour Click for more photos

My second week as Marketing Coordinator has almost come to an end and I can’t believe how lucky I am to be here. In fact, I’m growing concerned that one of these days my boss will pop up and yell, “Just kidding!”, because this job is just too cool.  

Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of accompanying the gang from Country Grocer on one of our Sunset Tours. It had been pouring rain on and off all afternoon but come sail time the clouds broke up a bit and the most beautiful rainbow formed (see photos).  If you’re unfamiliar with the Sunset Tour, it is a 2 ½ hour jaunt on The Pachena Princess— a 52’ cabin cruiser with a covered cabin, on-board washroom and wrap-around viewing deck. The Sunset Tour sets off from April Point Resort & Spa and takes you into the hidden coves and inlets that make up the majestic Discovery Passage.  We learned about the history and culture of the area through our knowledgeable guide, Caylin, while deckhands Tristan and Terri served the (non-working) guests complimentary beverages and snacks.  Word spread of how unique this tour is so today more of our guests from Country Grocer decided to give it a whirl, except this time they opted for an afternoon cruise.  While we may not have seen the sun set, we had it high in the sky keeping us warm. (Yep, you guessed it. I got to go, too!) There’s nothing like the perfect combination of sunshine on your face, ocean breeze in your hair and good music playing on the stereo. Despite being the only non-adult on board, 10 year-old Rachel even had a fabulous time. Check her out driving the Pachena Princess in my photos! We spotted 6 bald eagles circling a portion of beach on Gowland Island and close to 30 more sitting pretty in the sandbar off of the Painter’s Lodge Dock. (Due to an extremely low tide these eagles were visible from Painter’s all morning.) 

So, you can see what I mean when I say, “Pinch me.”

See you in a few,

Joanna

Kelsey, Kalisha and Terry, Servers at Painter's Lodge Click for more photos

Well the big day finally came and now both Painter’s Lodge and April Point Resort & Spa are open for the 2012 season. You would be surprised at the amount of work that goes into re-opening these resorts after a long off-season. There are decks to paint, lawns to manicure, paintings to mount, carpets to clean and new crew members to train. Without fail everything always falls in to place on time and, usually in the same breath, we then welcome our first guests of the season.

Our complimentary water shuttle (The April Point Connector) between Painter’s Lodge and April Point Resort & Spa began running for guests today and one of our first passengers was a pup named Jordy. I was all set to hop on board with Jordy and take a ride to April Point when one of our return fishing guides, Ron, offered me a lift in a Boston Whaler. I happily accepted (wouldn’t you?). I promise to never complain that scenic boat rides are part of my daily work.

In addition to more boat rides, I look forward to Jazz at the Point every Tuesday at April Point, Sunday Brunch at Painter’s Lodge, BIG fish being caught, lots of sunshine and friendships formed with my new co-workers. 

Here’s a look at the 2012 Crew as well as some shots I took today around both properties. Recognize any of these faces or places?

See you in a few,

Joanna  

Click for more photos

Hello! My name is Joanna and I’m thrilled to introduce myself as the new Resort Marketing Coordinator at Painter’s Lodge and April Point Resort & Spa.  Where to begin!

I have lived on Vancouver Island my entire life but am still awe-stricken by the unique combination of mountain, ocean and forest views we are blessed with.  Over the past few days I’ve been learning all about the history of Painter’s Lodge and April Point Resort & Spa and have toured both properties extensively.  I’ve met crew members from all departments and am humbled by how many names I need to learn! Everyone has been very kind and welcoming, assuring me that I will indeed love my experience here.  I’d heard wonderful things about Oak Bay Marine Group as an employer and need no further convincing that this indeed true, as an astounding amount of crew are return employees.

I come to this position with a background in media communications and hospitality industry experience.  I simply can’t wait to capture more special, exciting, one-in-a-million-experiences that occur here every year.  Caylin may be half my size, but trust me; she has some pretty big shoes to fill!

Whether you plan on visiting Painter’s Lodge or April Point Resort & Spa this season or not, I invite you to check in with me often and see what we’re up to. You may catch a glimpse of killer whales, your favourite bartender, or even a rare 40 lb. tyee.

Check in tomorrow for an introduction to some of the 2012 crew.

See you in a few,

Joanna

Your favourite OBMG resorts are ready for summer. It started May 3rd at Painter's Lodge and April Point Resort & Spa and the Canadian Princess Resort opens its doors on May 17th. Your great fishing adventure awaits at the MV Charlotte Princess, starting June 6th. Looking for an adventure on wheels? Pedder Bay RV Resort & Marina is now fully open for the 2012 season.

The Victoria OBMG office is now back to normal. Phones, computers and reservation systems are all working!

OBMG's Victoria office now has power and computer functionality, but phone systems are still not operating. We'll update when our phones are back to normal. Thanks for your patience!