Most days still, I have to pinch myself to make sure that I am not dreaming and that I actually get to stay here at the Haig-Brown House. I often have to catch my breath coming into the magnificent driveway greeted by the tin mailbox framed by the sprawling Rhododendrons – around and through and there it is… the turquoise trimmed inviting house sharing a seat at the table with the towering maple and expanse of green goodness with the rushing Campbell River as the backdrop.
I have known the last three site managers, Dory Montague, Sandra Chow and Catherine Macleod and I always thought they had THE Best job. Imagine chatting over breakfast with enthusiastic travellers from all over the world from May to October and then becoming a traveller myself for the other part of the year. Pretty perfect!
I arrived here last April. The world was very strange and I wondered if at long last my dreams of being be able to stay at the Haig-Brown House would be thwarted by the pandemic pretty much stopping the world in its tracks. Thankfully, I was invited to mind the house while we wondered if there would be anything at all that would resemble a bed and breakfast season.
Eventually in July of 2020, we had our first guests and continued to have a trickle of guests, mostly Islanders seeking a staycation. A whole year has passed practically and we are about to open our doors again to welcome the 2021 season.
I think my favourite part of being a host here is finding common ground and connections with the guests and exchanging life experiences. We have found a way to share and swap stories about our times in Jaipur, India, the mancomunados in the mountains of Oaxaca and village treks in Nepal. As Catherine Macleod noted, the house comes alive with guests. And she is right.
The experience here is intimate. This place attracts followers of Roderick and Ann Haig-Brown, ardent fly fishers, bird enthusiasts and gardeners of all kinds. It is a place to settle and relax and take a step back in time.
I love it. Playing housey and host here and sharing the reverent tranquility of a precious jewel of Campbell River, the Haig-Brown House.
The Bed & Breakfast season runs from May 1st until October 31st. To book a room or arrange a rental at the Haig-Brown House call 250-286-6646, or Marjorie’s cell at 250-204-5355; or email haig-brown@crmuseum.ca.
