Mañana Lodge in Ladysmith is under new management. Ongoing renovations to the buildings and docks are introducing 70 new slips for local boaters and visitors.
Alissa Styan and Stefan Crucil, siblings who joined the family business at FMC Holdings Ltd., are the new owners of Mañana Lodge. Their family has lived in Ladysmith for generations and the siblings have long kept an eye on the property that meant so much to their father and grandfather who remembered celebrating major milestones at the lodge growing up.
“We heard so many stories,” said Styan. “Whether it was weddings, grad ceremonies, family reunions—it was really known as the gathering space at that time, and so it really inspired us to bring it back to the original thing.”
Mañana Lodge was first opened to the public in 1948 by owners Harry and Zella Olmstead. During their tenure they constructed the first commercial docks on the property and brought hundreds of boaters to Ladysmith’s stunning harbour. The property changed hands seven times over the following 60 years and underwent two name changes: first to Page Point Inn in 1999, then Raven Point Inn in 2019.
In 2023, the time was right and the siblings purchased the lodge in partnership with Coast Salish Development Corporation, the economic development agency for the Stz’uminus First Nation.
Now the inn is restored to its original name: Mañana Lodge. Styan and Crucil are dedicated to renovating the property so it can once again be a beacon of community and tourism for the Town of Ladysmith, and that means new docks for boaters.
The old docks are gone completely. In its place are seven feet wide, environmentally friendly fibreglass-reinforced plastic docks built just across the harbour by Tom Irwin Marine. When completed there will be 138 slips, 70 more than offered before the expansion and renovation.
Tom Irwin says the docks are a hybrid of several different West Coast designs: “They look different from the top because of the fibreglass mini mesh that we’re standing on, but the substructure is similar to docks that have been built on the coast for 50 or 60 years.”
The slips are available in lengths of 38, 45, 50, 60 and 80 feet with two t-shaped docks at about 100 feet each. There are 90 slips for contract moorage and 48 for transient moorage including 1,000 feet of linear dock. Along the total 2,000 feet of dock space, boaters can utilize the fuel barge, pump-out station and the 130 by 30-foot “welcome float.”
“It’s a gathering space for people to come,” said Styan. “We’ll have some picnic tables and a barbecue in this area—and heaters and lighting and everything—so it can be a covered gathering space in the summer.”
The coastal lifestyle at Mañana goes beyond the edge of the docks, too. Styan says, “we’ll have paddleboard and kayak rentals. We’re hoping to partner with some fishing charters to support guests’ experiences but also local business and to share knowledge and awareness.” Crucil says the lodge is also planning a shuttle for guests to explore more of the area, like the Cedar Farmers Market or downtown Ladysmith.
“We’ve grown up on the island and had great experiences on the water since we were kids, so coming here it’s hard not to feel inspired,” said Styan. “We look forward to welcoming you this year and the years to come.”
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