This story was published in the August edition of the South Cowichan Connector.
The Strandlunds are over the moon to be celebrating a decade of running the Malahat's Moon Water Lodge.
"It feels like a real accomplishment," said co-owner Lori Strandlund. "It feels very special to me to still be here. We are both from the island, and saw an opportunity to do something for the community, and bring the lodge and restaurant back to life. We first figured it would be a two year project and that was 10 years ago. Our intent was to purchase it, give it new life and then sell it and move on, but that never happened. The journey has been remarkable, it's probably one of the most fascinating industries to be in, and being a part of it through some of the challenges we faced such as increased costs, and COVID and coming through that on the other side has been quite the adventure."
The lodge formerly known as the Malahat Mountain Inn, which was first built in 2004, had been vacant and not in operation for eight months when the Strandlunds first saw the sign in 2014 to embrace a new adventure in an area with such rich roots. This hidden gem sits proudly on the Malahat Trail which seemed like an impossible pipe dream when it was first proposed to build a road between Mill Bay and Victoria in the late 1800s. The "highway" was eventually completed by 1911. The Malahat Chalet has been a pit-stop paradise on the Malahat since it was first built in 1905 and while its original name was lost over the years, the Strandlunds brought the history of the Malahat Chalet back to the present when they took over a decade ago. As for how the Standlunds came up with their name for the lodge — well that's a different story.
"When the full moon hits at night it reflects on the water here and it is just so beautiful and like nothing you have ever seen before," said Strandlund.
Lori, who was born and raised in Victoria, moved up to the valley with her husband Randy in March 2014 after the two purchased the property. Randy, who worked in the hospitality industry for most of his life, ran a restaurant in James Bay during the '80s, while Lori had a background in property management making this business endeavour a perfect fit.
"It worked well for me to get into hospitality because as a traveller I know what I like, and as a property manager I understand people management and rentals so it was a good fit,' said Strandlund.
Strandlund admitted she did eight months of research before diving into their new business, which included learning curves such as learning all the systems from scratch, understanding the payment and booking engines and booking systems as well as the world market, but also creating an online presence. All the responsibilities of running a restaurant, such as finding staff and suppliers, was also foreign to her and something she was able to learn on the fly. In their early years of running the chalet before the pandemic they held their signature 'Malahat Magic' nights where dinner would be served at 10 p.m. on nights that there was a full moon. Strandlund is also proud of the fact that over the years she was able to assist with fundraisers when people expressed a need, and would also do special dinners for locals around the holidays.
"The moon was so bright it lit up the whole room as if the lights we on, but it was only the light of the moon coming in, and it was absolutely spectacular," said Strandlund. "Every Christmas we'd put on a turkey dinner which would be a very reduced rate for locals, and on Remembrance Day we would welcome our veterans and would always either give them a very hefty discount or just take care of their meals.
In an effort to take care of themselves and their time, the Strandlunds made the decision to sell the chalet in 2023, which opened under new management this past April.
"COVID was pretty hard on us, and we worked a lot of long hours," said Strandlund. "We just decided that we came through the other side and we were ready to pass the torch of the restaurant on to someone else, and get a bit of our life back. It's been a great decision, and we absolutely love our new neighbours here. They are family oriented, and share the same values that we do, and are just really good people. I think once they have the chance to get settled and we begin to gel a little bit, we will be able to continue with that community support."
The Strandlunds will still look at offering community support where they can through donations for one of their 13 luxurious rooms that offer spectacular views overlooking Finlayson Arm and the Pacific Ocean. While a few of their rooms are spoken for by staff that live on site Strandlund said they normally have 10 to rent out. Rooms range in price throughout the season and start off at $325 up to $385 per night. They will also offer short term special monthly rates equivalent to what a one bedroom unit may go for in town for various scenarios including those who may be visiting a loved one in the hospital. Each room has a microwave and complimentary snacks, while some are equipped with full kitchenettes, plus there is no shortage of Wi-Fi throughout the lodge. This taste of paradise is also pet friendly and Strandlund said whatever your family pet member is, they can come.
"The rooms are pretty luxurious. There are electric fireplaces in most of the rooms, as well as a spa tub right up against the window," said Strandlund. "We have the best location with just a ridiculous view. People from all over the world can appreciate this view — you've got the mountains, ocean, wildlife, and there is nothing obstructing your view."
The Malahat SkyWalk which Strandlund describes as a fantastic neighbour, can also be viewed in the distance from each room. In the fall Moon Water Lodge will look at doing some partnership promotions with some of their neighbouring tourism operators, particularly the SkyWalk, to promote local business.
One of the things the couple is most proud of since embarking on this business venture is their commitment to the environment. Strandlund said they have always only used ceramic cups and never have any disposable or plastic items in their rooms, not to mention that all the cleaners they use are environmentally friendly. Strandlund said the couple has always taken the future of the environment seriously and something they have been actively on top of since 2016.
"We went from using about 15 plastic bags each day down to two," said Strandlund. "This was inspired from my trip to Europe where I saw they weren't using plastic liners in their bins. A paper towel lined the bottom so you knew it was ready for you, but we came to the conclusion that there is no need to throw that much plastic away; it really bothers me. Even though we can't see it, there is even tons of plastic in the ocean right here."
In 2017 the Strandlunds also used their position as hospitality business owners to play their part with the removal of plastic straws in B.C.
"As a result of being down in the U.S. we came back and removed all plastic straws from the restaurant and at that time saw a lot of opposition from both the staff and the public because it was still a new idea at that point," said Strandlund. "I had a radio presence at that time so I put a challenge out to the restaurants in B.C. I then found a manufacturer and supplier of paper straws in Canada, and then I just pounded the pavement and handed out pamphlets and samples to restaurants and bars in the area while educating our staff, who then educated our customers. Now I am just so happy to see that there are very few people still using plastic straws anywhere, and it just felt good to be a part of that stand and education because the impacts on the environment are very important to us and our operations."
Operating Moon Lodge for the past decade has offered the Strandlunds several opportunities to make people's milestones that much more memorable. They offer a list of add-ons that guests can ask for in advance such as flowers and chocolates in the room, or a bigger spa package that would include bubble bath and epsom salts. This perfect romantic hideaway even became a hot spot for lovers to exchange nuptials during COVID.
"My favourite part of our journey is having the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and hearing all their stories and being able to celebrate their special occasions with them," said Strandlund. "Honeymoons are always a favourite, we get a lot of new brides and grooms, and when we ran the restaurant we used to host weddings here, and have even had couples married with intimate weddings inside the hotel. For these special occasions we will decorate the room a little more, and add little extra touches we are capable of doing in the moment, and will also be flexible with offering them a later check-out time if they so desire."
One of Strandlund's personal desires is to eventually promote community development in the Malahat area that would very much mirror a community association, giving locals of the area more of a voice. Strandlund said this is something she feels strongly about and has done her research and is looking to take the first steps once they get on the other side of their busy summer season. With the lodge literally located at the start of the Cowichan Valley she feels it would be neat to have a big arch on the Malahat welcoming visitors. Fall specials will also soon be in the works giving both visitors and locals a place to get away for holidays and other celebrations. For more information on this hidden gem visit moonwaterlodge.com.
"Halloween is a funny one, we will have people come and stay here with their pets because they don't want to be around fireworks and such which gives us more of a chance to connect with our neighbours and community members," said Strandlund. "As long as we are making people happy, we'll keep doing what we are doing. It sure would be fun to celebrate year 20. I would hope that all of our guests find a re-connection with nature and come away with a sense of hope and a restored soul. I think our world right now is pretty depressed, there are a lot of sad people out there and who have lost hope in life. I hope when guests come here they can sit out on their patio, take the strength from the environment and walk away with the feeling that there are still some good things in this world."
