Buying A Lake Resort



At the dock

My parents, John and Kay Clark, purchased Blue Lake Resort in September 1968 from Howard and Vivian Steeves. In 1968, the resort had 15 campsites and 8 rustic cabins. Nearby was another building with a store. There was no electricity, hot water, or indoor bathroom facilities, just outhouses, woodstoves and coal oil lanterns.

The lake was crystal clear, ½ mile long by a ¼ of a mile wide surrounded by two rugged mountains. No motor boats were allowed on it. The lake was government owned so it was stocked with fish on a yearly basis. A truck would come in the spring to drop off rainbow trout from a fish hatchery.



Early image of our house and the store (right).

 My father started upgrading the resort soon after we arrived. He put in street lights and a power plant. Later, he added more campsites and washroom facilities with toilets and showers. For the cabin we lived in he added a whole other section on to it. He put in a full bathroom, a kitchen with all appliances and another bedroom. Here is an excerpt from a letter my grandmother wrote in December 1968:

John has been very busy and has done a lot, changed a wall and put in the bath r[oom] with shower instead of old tub and also a toilet. He had to put in a septic tank, made it out of wood. Has all appliances hooked up in kitchen except the dish washer. 

Just before 11 pm my father would dim the lights for the power plant by pulling on the cord at the back door of our cabin. This would signal to the people at the resort that it was time to get out candles or lanterns because the power plant would be shut off for the evening.

(c) Annette Fulford, 2012