Located at the mouth of the Skeena River on British Columbia's scenic North Coast lays one of the most unique places in the province. Surrounded by outstanding wilderness beauty and biodiversity, Cassiar Cannery is pleased to offer four fully furnished, self-catered waterfront heritage houses for nightly or executive rental. Nestled along the shoreline of Inverness Passage, Cassiar Cannery’s Guest Houses are unique and comfortable. Estuaries are rare ecosystems where fresh water from the Skeena River, second largest river in BC and one of the longest rivers in the world without a dam, mixes with the ocean resulting in a rich complex ecosystem supporting a host of flora and fauna. Expect to see our resident eagles and ravens perched on the old pilings watching for juvenile salmon and other forage fish. A myriad of migratory birds touch down to feed on the rich, rare and complex grasses of the saltwater marsh surrounding the property. Guests are fascinated with the movement of the water through the North Coast’s large tidal cycle where it can move from the outer edge of the dock right up to the houses. All of Cassiar Cannery’s houses are on pilings and at times, are perched right over the ocean. The North Coast is renowned as having some of the best sport fishing grounds in BC. Five species of salmon, huge halibut, crab, prawns and rockfish make this a fishing destination for both sport fishermen and the commercial fleet. The commercial gillnet fleet still fishes along Inverness Passage and into the mouth of the Skeena River. This is a rare and wonderful treat for both our guests and us and highlights why this place is here in the first place. Green purchased the lot known as the Cassiar Cannery to participate in the salmon boom of the 19th and 20th centuries. By this time, self-contained cannery towns had sprung up all over the West Coast. Built of solid BC timber, Cassiar Cannery had a large canning operation on a huge wooden dock, machine shops, electrical shops, a General Store, doctor’s office, boat shop, net loft, storage, cannery worker accommodation, cookhouse and five houses, six residences for the cannery managers and owner. Cassiar Cannery was the longest consecutively operated salmon cannery on the West Coast of Canada operating continuously from 1903 through 1983. It was the last operating Skeena River cannery. Four of the former cannery manager’s homes have been thoughtfully restored into fully furnished, self-catered Guest Houses. There are two, stand alone, three bedroom Guest Houses which sleep six called Sockeye House and Halibut House. Two bedroom Steelhead House and one-bedroom Coho House are a duplex with separate entrances and sharing a common deck. All the Guest Houses have luxury linens, hand-built reclaimed cedar furniture, full kitchens, new appliances (except for Coho House which has an original 1960s turquoise stove), BBQs on large waterfront decks, TVs with DVD players, shampoo, conditioner and towels. Wi-Fi is available with some restrictions. There is ample parking for trucks and trailers along with access to a deep-freeze for sport fishermen. Sockeye House sleeps six in three bedrooms – two with queen beds and one bedroom with two twin beds. It has a washer and dryer and water views from almost every room. With a beautiful yellow cedar floor and handmade reclaimed cedar beds, Sockeye House is a fabulous base for your North Coast adventure. Halibut House also has three bedrooms, two with queen beds and one with twin XL bunk beds, original fir floors, new appliances and a washer/dryer. It will be ready for guests June 2015. Now accepting reservations. Steelhead House also sleeps six in two bedrooms. It has a queen bed in the front bedroom and two sets of twin bunks in the back bedroom. It also has a reclaimed yellow cedar floor and access to a washer/dryer in another house. Coho House is a cozy small one bedroom Guest House with the most comfortable bed. It has access to a washer/dryer in another house. Under restoration and diversification since the summer of 2006, join us, and the thousands of people before us, that know there is something remarkable about this place. Please visit our website www.cassiarcannery.com for further information.
