Beaverview RV Park under new management
By Andrea Arnold
Newcomers to the Robson Valley, Matt Desaulniers and Christa Morgan, are excited to find their routine as they settle into life as owners and managers of the Beaverview RV Park and Campground. The campground, located just outside McBride village limits, sits next to the Fraser River with easy access off Highway 16.
“We have been looking for a change in lifestyle for about five years, since the pandemic,” said Morgan. We have looked all over the province for the right property.”
The pair viewed the property when it was listed over a year ago, and were disappointed to learn that it had sold to another buyer. They had not given up on the idea of moving to the Robson Valley and continued to check out properties in the area. They were thrilled to have a second chance to make the move from Vernon to McBride and take over the turnkey business.
“This property felt right,” said Morgan. “It has so much potential. We were looking for an income generating property, initially with cabins, but they were either too out of the way or too expensive.”
They both have location flexibility in their careers, so it doesn’t matter where they live. Desaulniers has to travel all over the province for his work as a Fire Inspector on commercial buildings, and Morgan wants to bring her services as a residential real estate appraiser to the valley.
The pair unloaded their U-Haul on April 28th, and then made the trip again to make the move official a few days later.
“We actually took possession on April 2nd, but the unexpected passing of my mother in February delayed things a little,” said Morgan. “We would have liked to have been here longer before opening, but we are getting there.”
When they arrived, they immediately set to work and even before they had the water turned on, they had people stopping in and asking if they could camp for the night.
“Every day we have had drop-ins,” said Desaulniers. “Over the long weekend we were about 75 per cent full. Only about half of those were pre-booked.”
“It was a real confidence boost,” said Morgan. “It was good to see that this property can make money.”
In the few weeks they have been here, they have realized that it is a steep learning curve.
“Previous owners Dave and Jill Williams have been very helpful and encouraging,” said Morgan.
“We have had Rod (Adrenaline Services) out here several times to help with the water pump,” said Desaulniers.
So far they have made it through no internet, point-of-sale device delay, power outages and a burned-out pump in the pumphouse.
The pair looks forward to having a routine, knowing what needs to be done when. Normally an early riser,
Desaulniers is having to get used to not being able to mow the lawn for example, at 7:00 in the morning because he’d wake the guests. Morgan is happy to not be sitting at a computer for hours each day.
Desaulniers says one change he would like to get done this year is a designated, fenced dog area. They are also looking into a generator so that their systems don’t go down when the power does. Their immediate plans include a cosmetic clean-up of the property. Further down the road, they are considering a mini putt putt course, the construction of what would be their primary residence, replacing the bathrooms, and possibly providing an RV-in-place for rent.
As the season kicks into high gear, Desaulniers and Morgan are excited to meet their guests, some of which are return guests, and Morgan joked they may know more about the property then she and Desaulniers do. They also enjoy meeting people from around the world.
“We had some Aussie guests give us some Australian cookies,” said Morgan.
In his work, Desaulniers has travelled all around B.C., so he is able to suggest points of interest to those guests who are continuing on.
“We are excited to be here for the long haul,” said Morgan. “The town is so friendly. People already know our names.”
The pair say they’re are ready to embrace their new pace of life, being outside, chatting with people and becoming a part of the community.
