Queen Charlotte Lodge was built in the winter of 1991 by a Vancouver businessman named Bob Murphy and we opened the doors June 9th of that year with the main lodge accommodating 48 guests. A year later the 6 bedroom Charlotte House was added to serve groups of up to 12.
The MV Driftwood is a 1941 vintage US Army tug which was converted for hospitality use and has served as a guest service centre for lunches and hospitality on the fishing grounds since 1991. In 1994 it was upgraded to accommodate 12 guests on board and has been a very popular destination ever since.
In 2000 Bob sold the Lodge to an enthusiastic group of Canadian businessmen led by Paul Clough whose role is that of Managing Partner. Under Paul's leadership QCL has evolved into a truly world class destination.
Totem House was added in 2008 as our top of the line accommodation package, providing fully-catered private service for up to 8 guests.
We operate through the summer months of June/July/August each year with a crew of up to 80 staff & guides. The Lodge maintains about 15 year-round employees in key positions with offices in Vancouver, British Columbia.
There are no roads connecting Naden Harbour to the outside world so all access is by boat - 90 minutes - or by air - 15 minutes - to Masset, the nearest community.
During the winter months the lodge is abandoned save for a few crew who rotate through month-long stints as caretakers. The staff out buildings are winterized as it can freeze for weeks at a time up here. All the log guest buildings remain heated through the winter to protect them from mould & mildew in the extremely damp/wet/windy environment.
All supplies have to be brought in by barge, boat or aircraft so we load up several shipping containers every spring and barge them up to Naden Harbour on Haida Gwaii. Fresh groceries arrive by air throughout the summer.
