Owner Paul Clough announced this week that the Queen Charlotte Lodge, a 20-acre property, would be sold to the Haida Nation.
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The Haida Nation has purchased one of B.C.’s best-known luxury fishing resorts, bringing Haida Gwaii’s most recognizable destination under Indigenous ownership.
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Paul Clough has been at the helm of the Queen Charlotte Lodge, a 20-acre property on the site of a former whaling station at Naden Harbour in Haida Gwaii, since the late 1990s. This week, he announced the lodge has been sold to the Council of the Haida Nation.
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“I can tell you that there’s a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in this. We’ve had a lot of wonderful guests, a lot of wonderful people we’ve worked with, where we’ve loved absolutely almost every single minute of it, and it’s a beautiful part of the world, and we’re very happy to be able to have the opportunity to work with the Haida people to create this beautiful opportunity for people to visit,” Clough said in an interview.
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“We’ve been working at this for over 27 years. We’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished here, and perhaps it was a good time to maybe move on, so that’s that’s kind of where we left it.”
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In a joint statement issued Friday, the Council of the Haida Nation and Queen Charlotte Lodge said they have reached an agreement for the sale of the lodge’s property and equipment. Financial terms, including the sale price, were not disclosed, although the sale is expected to close in late 2027.
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Clough told Postmedia that he couldn’t share any details of the agreement, including whether the name would be changed or whether staff would keep their jobs.
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“This has been a thoughtful and deeply considered decision, one that did not come easily,” said Clough. “I think there are mixed emotions from a lot of the staff. I think for the people that have been with us for all these years, they are saddened, of course, but they also know that there’s a future…I’m confident that hey’ll be happy with whatever happens.”
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Jason Alsop, president of the Haida Nation council who also goes by the name Gaagwiis, said the acquisition will allow the Haida to reconnect with Naden Harbour. The eight-mile-long inlet on the north coast of Graham Island is the largest in Haida Gwaii.
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“Néedan Gawée Naden Harbour has always been a significant place for the Haida Nation,” said Alsop. “We are excited for the future opportunities this agreement unlocks for the Haida Nation based on the engagement with Haida citizens.”
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The Haida Nation did not return calls from Postmedia on Friday.
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The lodge has worked together with the council in a “mutually respectful way” to “transition” the lodge to the Haida people, said Clough, president of Queen Charlotte Lodge Ltd.
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The lodge has been a “proud member of the Haida Gwaii community for more than 30 years and we will always hold Haida Gwaii and its people close to our hearts,” he said.
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The lodge, which generally operates from May to September, is only accessible by boat and air. Most guests board a chartered aircraft from Vancouver to Masset, then take a helicopter the rest of the way to the property.
