Eagle Manor Hotel in Quatsino Boasts Colourful History

Article originally published in the North Island Gazette May 31, 2012.

Eagle Manor, formerly the Quatsino Hotel, turns 100 years old this year in 2012.

Ed Evenson was one of the settlers who arrived in Quatsino in the late 1800s.  Always an entrepreneur who had many interests in the community, in 1908 Evenson started construction on a small hotel to host engineers assisting in the development of the Port Alice pulp mill.  It was completed in 1912.

Evenson operated a store and post office, and put two large fuel tanks on the point in front of the hotel which would even fill up the Navy ships when they came into Quatsino Sound.   The hotel had five guest rooms.  When full, guests had to bunk in a common area above the store.

Evenson had a reputation of being very community-minded and he donated property for a community hall in Quatsino.  He was also a part owner in the Yreka mine.  After he had sold his share in the mine the new owners went bankrupt.  A number of the community members were written bad cheques for wages.   Evenson had purchased a boat from new owners which he had not paid for in full.  Local stories tell of Evenson cashing the workers cheques and then dropping off the bad cheques written by the mining company to ‘pay off’ his debt. 

The original Quatsino Hotel, circa 1915 after the addition was completed on the left side of the building (courtesy the Quatsino Museum)

One of the main floor rooms in the hotel served as a temporary dentist’s office.  Some locals said it was hard for them to go into the hotel because they always associated it with having painful dental work done.

Rumour has it that the Hotel at one time operated as a house of ill repute, however it is not clear if this is actually the case.

In 1950 Mr. and Mrs. Harris bought the Quatsino Hotel.  Mr. Harris eventually died and Mrs. Harris, unable to keep up repairs on the old building, moved into a small suite at one side of the hotel.  The rest of the building leaked badly and fell into disrepair.

Nick Tovstigo and his wife Johanna bought the property in 1969 for $5000.  Some of their friends thought they were crazy and suggested they bulldoze the structure.

The Tovstigo embarked on a labour of love refurnishing the hotel.  The first thing they did was cut a hole in the floor, jack up the building and replace the rotting foundation.  They also put on a new roof and started refurnishing the interior.

Unfortunately in 1978 Nick Tovstigo died when the car he was travelling in went off a cliff when he was going to work at the Port Alice pulp mill.

Johanna continued the refurbishment on her own.  After doing well on the stock market, in 1981 alone she spent $125,000 refurbishing the hotel.   In 1983 the Tovstigo’s daughter Andrea, and her partner  John Gresmak took over the property and ran it as Eagle Manor from 1986 until early 1990s.

Florian Tovstigo took over Eagle Manor in 1998.  He added two new cabins, enlarged the dining area, and made numerous other improvements.  Today Eagle Manor does a thriving business, and is a great North Island get-away with a colourful history.