A very Happy New Year to you and your “bubble”!

Without the ability to come together at midnight on December 31, the beginning of 2021 may feel like an extension of last year, however, 2020 is safely in hindsight now, thank goodness. With this fresh start comes a very special celebration for the Wickaninnish Inn: our 25th jubilee! That’s right, we opened our doors in 1996, and we are looking forward to many more years to come.

During regular times and operations, January is the month we close our doors for routine annual maintenance and special projects. Of course, we’ve been closed a little longer than usual now and that will continue until government regulations and advisories change. British Columbia’s Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, announced an extension of the province-wide travel advisory last week, which will continue until Friday February 5, 2021. The Inn will remain closed until the provincial advisory has lifted and we are assured we can safely invite guests into our community—we’re definitely excited to do so! As always we remain committed to the health and safety of our guests, staff and residents of our small town, and will continue to take all the necessary considerations and precautions to ensure safety is the first priority.

We are making the most of our closure time by refreshing a number of areas. It’s a little slower than our usual bustle of maintenance—with health restrictions in place, we’re working in shifts to moderate the number of people on site—however, on your next visit you’ll discover new carpet in The Pointe Restaurant, new flooring in the Ancient Cedars Spa, as well as newly refreshed woodwork throughout the Inns’ buildings.

There are likely still a few hurdles ahead, but there’s always something about a fresh start that enlivens the spirit. I am encouraged by the resolve I continue to see in our community: to get through this together. And we will!

I do hope you had a joyous slide into 2021, and the Wickaninnish team and I look forward to sharing stories with you in person as soon as it is deemed safe to do so.