TELEPHONES/COMMUNICATION Strathcona Park Lodge is a wilderness lodge. We make our own electricity and we are on an expensive radio phone system. There is no internet capability. There are no telephones or televisions in the accommodation. The nearest regular telephone is in Campbell River or Gold River, 45 minutes in either direction. For phone calls that cannot wait, we have a radio payphone in the lobby - minimum airtime charge is $0.50/minute (plus long distance). This phone services North America only; it does not dial overseas. This phone accepts coins only; it does not take calling cards or credit cards. For your own peace of mind, please ensure that your communication needs are taken care of during your passage through Campbell River, prior to arriving at the Lodge. We found your Canoe Club restaurant to have stunningly good food. I anticipated your relatively remote location to affect your ability to serve exceptional foods, but was overwhelmingly surprised by the quality of your menu selection at the Canoe Club. The presentation, the view, the unique menu, and the friendly service made the dinner dining experiences exceptional. Emily should also be commended for her warm and inviting personality. - John D. Cozier. Nestled on the shores of Upper Campbell Lake overlooking a procession of snow capped peaks, our accommodations consist of an eclectic collection of rooms in log and timber-framed chalets and waterfront cottages. Strathcona Park Lodge and Outdoor Education Centre has accommodations for up to 150 guests. Our buildings are rustic but comfortable, with running water, electricity and washroom facilities. Please note that meals are not included in accommodation rates. 2008 Prices: Lake Front Lakeview Cottages (sleep 2-12) Fully equipped with lakeview deck, bathroom, kitchen/kitchenette and wood stove. Basic kitchenware and linens are provided with cottage rental. Studio Log cottage $175 One bedroom cottage $205 Two bedroom cottage $270 Three bedroom cottage $338 Three bedroom with loft cottage $405. Chalet Rooms Lakeview with Queen or Twins (2 people) $139 Lakeview with Queen Bunkbed (4 people) $160 Queen Bunkbed (4 people) $136 We have other options for those wanting larger accommodation or more economical pricing. Contact us. Preece Cottage $480 Large 2-level cottage with lake view, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, kitchen, dining area, and large deck. Great for small family celebrations or groups of friends. Sleeps 13. Seale House $700 Large chalet with lake view, 8 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, kitchen and 3 decks. Perfect for family celebrations or groups of friends. Sleeps 20. College Building $1050 Rustic apartment complex with 15 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, large kitchen, meeting room with fireplace and large deck. Sleeps 42 adults. Suites in the College Building $122 - $165. If you wish to cook your own meals, please mention it when making a reservation. The College Building, Seale House and many of the smaller cottages have self-contained cooking facilities, but it's a good idea to check in advance to ensure we can meet your needs. Otherwise, we hope you will join us for our hearty meals in the Whale Room. THINGS TO KNOW! Minimum stay applies to Cottages or Full Building rentals: 3 nights - June 27 - Sept. 1 and Christmas Holidays 2 nights - Sept. 2 - June 26 The seventh consecutive night is free on all accommodation, year round. Accommodation is subject to 8% Hotel Tax and 5% GST. A 25% non-refundable deposit is required at the time of booking. NO SMOKING Arrivals and Departures Check in time for accommodation is after 4:00 p.m. Check out time is prior to 11:00 a.m. Reservations and Cancellations A 25% non-refundable deposit is required on all accommodation and packages to confirm space, with the balance due upon arrival. In the event of a cancellation, or if a client arrives late or leaves early for any reason there will be NO refund. All payments may be made in cash or MASTERCARD or VISA, or, if time permits, by cheque or money order. All rates are subject to 8% Hotel Tax and 5% GST (Goods and Services Tax). All prices shown are in Canadian funds. Medical Please check your medical coverage before arrival to make sure it is up to date and adequate. Participants in outdoor activities will be required to complete a medical form and sign a liability waiver.

An online diary about Strathcona Park Lodge Outdoor Education Centre on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Name: Strathcona Park Lodge. Location: Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. View my complete profile. Spring is here and things are starting to grow... High Ropes and Zip Line. Why is the sky blue? Subscribe to Posts [. Thursday, May 1, 2008. You would never guess it was the first of May, seeing as we had snow a couple of days ago, but there are definitely some signs around the lodge that spring is on its way. Daffodils are popping up everywhere and our gardeners are starting to get very busy. There is a lot of work to do to get all the flower beds ready for the new season. Tomorrow we have a guest gardener arriving to help us with our rhodendorons.  The word rhododendron comes from the greek words meaning rose (rhodo) and tree (dendron). Rhodendorons need a lot of attention and a special type of fertilizer to stay green and healthy. Other greenery around the lodge includes rose bushes, lots of cedar, grape vines, apple and cherry trees,  plum and pear trees, and currant bushes. At the lodge we try to promote the idea of doing more with less.  Our kitchen and dining room collect raw fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, tea bags and egg shells and we use it to make our own compost. The compost is then used in the flower beds and vegetable garden to provide nutrients for the growing plants. Check back later for photos of all the beautiful flowers in bloom! posted by Strathcona Park Lodge |. Monday, April 28, 2008. The students aren't the only ones who get to have a pile of fun at Strathcona! Several staff members were lucky the other day and got the chance to do the High Ropes Course and Zip Line here at the Lodge.  With safety as the number one priority, we learnt how to correctly put on our harnesses and how to double-clip.  Double-clipping means that at all times you have two carabiners clipped onto the safety cable, so that if you happened to slip on one of the challenges, you wouldn't fall. It's very important to remember that for some people, heights are really scary! Here at Strathcona Park Lodge we promote the idea of challenge by choice, which means that you decide how far to push yourself, and we let people know that they are in a safe environment. With the cheering and support of our two great instructors and lots of friends, everyone completed the entire course and took the plunge on our zip line! Everyone had a lot of fun and for some, it was a very big accomplishment. It feels great to conquer your fears! Friday, April 25, 2008. Mini school Point Grey from Vancouver was at SPL last week. The students as well as the instructors had a great time. Some of the groups got the chance to explore a new campsite on the west side of the Upper Campbell Lake. Because the water level is so low, and the narrows between Upper Campbell Lake and Buttle Lake turned into a rapid, its impossible to paddle to the campsites along the shores of Buttle Lake. Instructors found another campsite on the Upper Campbell Lake and named it Cutthroat Trout Point. There is a lot of cutthroat trout in the lake and because the new campsite is right across from Dolly Varden point, it wasnt really difficult to come up with a name for our new spot. Some Point Grey students had the honor to be the first SPL-visitors to camp at Cutthroat Trout Point. They did a big sweep and cleaned the beach area. There was some garbage lying around. Stuff that other not so well mannered no trace campers had left behind. Other Point Grey groups went to the campsites on False Echo. The reconstruction of the swimming bay is done. The heavy machinery is gone and the beach looks much better. Hopefully the water level will come up soon. A few nice warm days with a lot of snow melt will do or a couple of very rainy days will work too. At SPL we opt for the first though. Monday, April 21, 2008. Bob the Builder arrived at the lodge today and he has taken Muck the digger dumper, Benny the robo digger, and Scoop the digger with him. Everybody is excited! The heavy machinery rolled in this morning. Since the water level of the lake is so low, SPL decided to change the slope of the beach in the swimming bay. Because of the steep angle of the beach, the swimming bay normally gets deep pretty fast. A big excavator, a bulldozer and dump truck, all handled by the same guy, started digging, shoveling and pushing this morning. It is probably going to be a 3-day job. Having all those big machines in the swimming bay is a bit inconvenient but it is possible to work around the bay. Several school groups are on an out trip this week, so avoiding bay is not a big deal. Thursday, April 17, 2008. What happens when you post an announcement for a rolling session in the Campbell River pool? Before you know almost 20 people sign up and you find yourself figuring out how to get everybody to town. For a lot of people rolling a kayak is something magical. Almost everybody at SPL, form housekeeper to office employee, wants to be able to pull off that trick. Learning how to paddle a kayak. Mwah maybe some other time. Learning how to paddle a canoe? Not today, maybe tomorrow. But practicing how to roll a kayak. I am in, when are we going? The traditional kayak roll, or Eskimo roll, is developed in the Arctic by Inuit. The Inuit people have been rolling their kayaks for many centuries; for them, the ability to roll was a basic survival technique. A missionary, writing in 1765, described ten methods by which an Inuit righted his craft, including full- and half-paddle rolls, and rolls using the harpoon or just the hands. A significant observation in the account is that once the paddle was positioned, the kayaker applied 'a flick of the hips' to recover. The C-to-C is the most common roll. It involves an initial torso rotation along the side of the kayak, so that the paddle moves across the surface of the water to a position at a 90 degree (right) angle to the kayak. The paddle is then pulled across and a hip snap is applied. The sweep roll, also called screw roll is probably the easiest roll to learn. In this roll the active paddle blade is brought from the setup position away from the side of the kayak and then across to the final position in a continuous fluid motion. The hip flick is the most important move when rolling. The paddle is only used for support. You dont need big arm muscles to pull off a roll. Another important thing is to keep your head close to the water when you are doing your roll move. It is very natural to get you head out of the water first, but thats wrong. Leave your head in the water as long as possible. Its going to be fun tonight! Wednesday, April 16, 2008. Dinner on our out trips is going to be so good this year. Matt (out trip coordinator) and Jessie (kitchen chef) changed the menus for out trip food a bit. We are almost going to serve haute cuisine in the bush now. Next week all the instructors are going to have a workshop on how to prepare the new meals. The Strathcona blog is proud to be the first to present the new meals: Meatless stroganoff with smoked tofu A beautiful dish with the finest smoked tofu and delicious egg noodles. Sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions smothered in a very tasteful cooking wine. Mexican style couscous The best couscous from Morocco combined with the best Mexican refried beans! This is bush fusion cooking as bush fusion cooking is meant to be. Fresh tomatoes and a mouthwatering home made salsa! Sheppardless Pie Forget the Sheppard, who needs him anyway? This pie is fine without. Delicious Prince Edward Island mashed potatoes, bud the spud from the bright red mud. Lentils and fresh vegetables of the day. Topped with grated cheese, this is a pie you need to try. Strathcona Burrito The number one in the Mexican kitchen! A nice burrito stuffed with tasty rice, refried beans, home made salsa, sour cream and real Canadian grated cedar. Eat you he...

 Baby chairs and cots are provided
 Playground for children
 Clothes dry cleaning
 Conference and meeting room
 Credit cards accepted
 Dinner may be served in the room
 Facsimile services
 Hairdryer
 Kitchen
 Laundry services/washing machine
 Licensed bar
 Smoke-free guest rooms
 Parking lot
 Private park, garden, courtyard
 Quiet surroundings
 Fridge
 Restaurant
 Sauna
 Private/Ensuite bathroom
 Tea and coffee making facilities
 Phone at reception
 Cheques accepted