In 1919, Captain Alfred and Marion Hailey were visiting Dr. Burnett who owned the property now owned by the Holmes. Dr. Burnett brought them to the main beach to show them around and introduced them to Calvert Simson. Captain Hailey asked if it would be possible to obtain a site. Calvert offered him the choice of building on the ridge and the present site was chosen.  The site is one of the largest, being 75 feet wide.

 

Captain Hailey arranged for a builder to construct the original cabin for $600.  The cabin was completed in 1921/22 and contained a living room, kitchen, three bedrooms, a front and back porch. The Hailey's rented at Vaucroft for at least one summer while the cabin was being built.

 

The large fireplace with a 4 foot opening was

built sometime later by Mccullogh, who ran

the farm at that time. The rock face was built

from stones gathered from Buccaneer Bay

and other places on the coast.

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A sleeping house was built and this was turned

into a tool house probably in the 1930's.

Captain Hailey had a very well stocked tool

house. He never threw anything out in case it

could be useful later. If anyone needed

something, it or a good substitute could be

found and most of the time still can be today.

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Later, the bedroom was extended forward

over part of the front porch and an 8 foot

addition consisting of a bedroom with a

fireplace and a side porch was added.

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When Captain Hailey retired from Canadian Pacific Steamships around 1938, he and Marion spent much of their time at Buccaneer Bay, including one winter. However like most cabins at that time, it was not built for winter use. They decided that in future, winters would be more comfortable in Vancouver.

 

The Hailey garden was Marion's pride and joy. The raised beds had an amazing variety of flowers. Many remain today and are at their peak in the spring. The roses over the front gate are the originals. Two ponds were built and had gold fish in them, at least as long as the birds or mink did not get at them. The water lilies in the pond next to Cornwall's are some of the original ones. There was a gutter and drainpipe system from the woodshed to keep the pond filled.  Parts can still be seen today.

 

Captain Hailey kept the kerosene in used gin bottles in the wood shed and the one in use was kept on the back porch. This proved interesting one winter. Walter, the caretaker of the time was known to take a drink or four. There was always one bottle of gin left for Walter in case he really got desperate. One winter, Walter was in dire need and spotted the 'gin' bottle on the back porch and took a big swig. Next spring, Capt. Hailey got heck for putting kerosene in the gin bottle.

 

Captain Hailey had red hair and a beard and was nicknamed "Bricks". One of his boats was named "Bricks". It was a teak framed 17 foot boat with teak trim and floorboards and built in the Orient and brought back on one of his trips as skipper of the Empress of Asia. The boat was always shipshape and everything neatly stowed. The "Bricks" was prominently displayed in several pictures of the float in the middle of the Bay where the Union Steamship docked.  The hull remains on the front beach and will be restored in the next few years.