“There was a little house down here, a rancher,” Tim Hackett says, gesturing out the panoramic windows towards the patio outside Long Beach Lodge. “And I stood on the roof and said ‘this is where the Great Room is going to be.’”
23 years after the lodge’s construction in 2002, we’re sitting fireside in the room that Tim envisioned. It’s a beautiful day outside, with pockets of weather clashing on the sun-kissed horizon. Time has passed and things have changed, but the vista that inspired the lodge remains the same. Tim has been drawn to Tofino since he was a young man. He and his friends used to brave the old road in the ‘60s and camp on Long Beach. So when he first heard of a property for sale on Cox Bay in the late ‘90s, Tim jumped at the opportunity to create something special in a place that he’s always loved.
The infrastructure on Cox Bay has changed in the last couple decades; it took time for it to become the world-class destination that it is today. And Long Beach Lodge has evolved as well. “We’ve added a lot of amenities to the property. When we started 23 years ago, it was just the lodge,” says Tim. “And then we added the cabins and then later the Surf Club and the fire pits, the patio, and now just recently The Spa. But looking back, I feel our biggest accomplishment has been how we’ve developed in terms of culture. What makes the place really special is the people that work for us.”
The lodge was originally meant to be a retirement project for Tim, one final job on Vancouver Island’s West Coast that would pay homage to his successful career as a developer in the Greater Victoria area. But the transition from the construction industry to hospitality revitalized him, as did the opportunity to work with the wide array of humans that Tofino attracts.
“I find it very uplifting working with all sorts of bright young people,” says Tim. “That’s probably my favourite part of being up here.”
Tim’s also grateful for the chance to work alongside his family. Throughout his whole career, his brother Tony has been at his side.
“Tony plays a huge role in the success of this business and also the construction business. We worked together for almost 50 years and I’m really pleased with what we built.”
Indeed, Long Beach Lodge can be seen as a post-and-beam representation of Tim’s lifelong working relationship with Tony, one that takes notes from the culmination of their shared experience.
“We normally built things and then we looked back a few years later and said, well, ‘I wish I’d done this or I wish I’d done that’. But there hasn’t been any of that with this project.” Of course there comes a point when it’s time to put down the tools and truly enjoy the fruits of your labour. Tim and Tony have both been threatening to retire for years, but they’ve remained engaged in projects and operations alike.
That being said, Tim recently changed his title from “Owner” of Long Beach Lodge Resort to “Founder”, signalling an ongoing process that will see Tim’s stepdaughter, Katie Foussier, take over at the lodge. “Katie’s now an owner, so she’s basically the next generation in the business. That’s been a big switch in the last couple of years,” says Tim.
Katie grew up in Victoria. She did her undergrad at UVic before moving to France to pursue her Masters in Finance. She met her husband there and started a family before they decided to come back to Canada and apply their respective expertise to businesses over here. Her husband bought a hardware company in Quebec and Katie, of course, has spent the last couple years taking over operations at the lodge. “Well, I’ve just been thinking recently, it’s a big relief,” says Tim when asked how it feels to pass on the torch. “Katie’s bringing in fresh ideas and she’s more the age of all the managers, which is great. We’re planning for the future and I think businesses have to do that.” Over the last couple years, Katie has been integrated into the business, working with Tony and Tim while they’re both still very involved.
“I’m very thankful for the opportunity. I know it’s a huge responsibility to walk in Tim’s footsteps and I’ll do my best to continue his vision.”
And the process ensures that the culture of Long Beach Lodge is passed from one generation to the next, instilling a cornerstone of timelessness in the business. “Honestly, I think it’s a pretty special place right on the beach and there aren’t many places in the world that are like this. This is why we want to make sure guests continue to enjoy this beautiful place for years to come with amazing staff to welcome them.”