History of Mañana Lodge: 4760 Brenton Page Road, Ladysmith, British Columbia

Archaeological evidence indicates that the lands around what is now known as Ladysmith Harbour (called Oyster Harbour by the British Hydrographic Survey of 1859) have been occupied by First Nations for over 5000 years. The area is at the centre of traditional territory claimed by the Stz’uminus First Nation with village sites at shts’emines (Kulleet Bay), thek’min (Shell Beach) and xetl’netsten (Ivy Green).

White settlement of the harbour area commenced in the 1860s, but it was not until the following decade that government controlled settlement began. In 1873 David Page, a pioneer settler, pre-empted 160 acres which included what is now called Page Point. He and his First Nation partner, Susan Sampson, together erected a log cabin and cleared some land for cultivation. He also farmed the native Pacific Oysters which were abundant in the harbour. Crown Grant of the land was finalised in 1885. David Page’s fascinating life story is chronicled in Gary Backlund’s booklet “The Wonderful History of Page Point”.

In 1911 David Page retired to live in Ladysmith and in 1912 sold his 160 acre farm for $20,000 ($125 per acre) to Oyster Harbour Collieries which apparently had hopes of finding coal on the property. Testing was done but nothing worthwhile materialised.

In 1921 the property was sold to Richard Grant Jessup, who owned a pharmacy in Ladysmith.

Jessup and his family did not live on the farm. Joe and Eva Grouhel rented it from about 1920 to 1923, with their two sons Joe Jr. and Bill being born there. After the Grouhels moved to Ladysmith, a Russian Family, the Krjivitzkys, moved to the farm with their two daughters Vera and Marina. The two young girls grew up at Page Point and were known to row across the bay to attend school in Ladysmith.

Vera had many fond memories of Page Point and the Woodley Range. Gary Backlund’s history of Page Point details an interview with her describing the property during the Krjivitzky tenure. There were about 25 acres of fields and about 100 fruit trees that David Page had planted, with many varieties of apples and wildflowers and the sea alive with herring, salmon, seals and killer whales.