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Mesachie
Lake
Mesachie Lake is a small unincorporated community bordering
a lake by the same name, located about 7 km (4.4 miles) west of
Lake Cowichan on the South Shore
Road on Vancouver Island.
Forestry
Industry
Historically, the people who settled at Mesachie Lake generally
found employment and various forestry-industry opportunities through
the Hillcrest Lumber Company, founded by Carlton Stone in the early
1900s. As the logging industry slowed down, the community later
found itself becoming more of a recreational destination, with a
number of summer and retirement homes being established here.
Camp
Imadene
Established in 1926, the Camp Imadene has been a fixture along the
lakefront of Mesachie Lake. Camp Imadene has been offering unforgettable
youth programs and experiences for children while spreading the
message of the Christian faith. The bible camp is set in an unrivalled
outdoor setting on the old site of the Hillcrest Lumber Company
and is comprised of a number of buildings and cabins located on
the east side of the community of Mesachie Lake, on South Shore
Road.
Local
Services
There are very few services at Mesachie Lake with the exception
of a small post office and the baseball field. Most services, including
accommodation, restaurants, and supplies stores can found at Lake
Cowichan. Box stores and medical facilities are available in Duncan,
only 35 km (22 miles) away. Honeymoon Bay 4 km (2.5 miles) west
on the South Shore Road did at one time have a general store, unfortunately
the Honeypot Pub is closed and up for sale, and is where you can
find Gordon
Bay Provincial Park and March Meadows Golf Course, as well as
access to the Gordon River FSR.
Outdoor
Recreation
If you like the outdoors, lots of recreational activities can be
found at Mesachie Lake, including unsupervised swimming and water
sports at Bear Lake Park, hiking up the Mesachie Mountain Trail,
and access into Cowichan Lake through Bear Lake. Adventure Riding
and other forms motor sport activities are all found here, plus
mountain biking, hiking, photography, and in the winter, snowmobiling,
skating, hockey, curling, and, with the appropriate license, fishing
throughout the area all year long.
Pacific
Marine Circle Route
Mesachie Lake is also the gateway into exploring the southern tip
of Vancouver Island by using the Pacific Marine Circle Route often
referred to as the PMR. The paved trip from Mesachie Lake to Port
Renfrew takes around an hour one-way, and starts near the old
muster zone for the logging trucks. The Pacific Marine Circle Route
follows the original Harris Creek Main logging forest service road
to, and past, Lizard Lake, Fairy Lake, the San Juan River to Port
Renfrew, and eventually south to Jordan
River and Victoria.
Port
Renfrew
While at Port Renfrew, you can explore the ocean at Botanical Beach,
near the Pacheedaht First Nation Campground and San Juan River Bridge,
get something to eat either at Tomi's Home Style Cooking or the
Coastal Kitchen Cafe, a couple of favourites, and if you have the
proper permit, you can hike the West Coast Trail.
Bear
Country
Just remember if you are enjoying the countryside around British
Columbia, please remember this is Bear Country. Try to avoid the
rivers during heavy salmon spawning times unless you feel comfortable
with bears around and take the usual precautions. There is also
the possibilities of encounters with wolves,cougars or other animals
especially on the roads so please play it safe.
Information
on Mesachie Lake
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click map for
larger image
Mesachie Lake
at Camp Imadene
South Shore Road
- Mesachie Lake
Bear Lake
Start of PMR
- Mesachie Lake
Beach at Port
Renfrew
Bear Lake
Logging Truck
at Mesachie Lake
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