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My father and mother (Andrew and Gertrude McLennan) wanted to find a place out of  the city where they and their young son, Jack, could spend the summer. On the sugges­tion of their neighbors in Vancouver (Ralph and Cathy Bagshaw), they took over the remainder of the Bagshaw's rental time of the Tier's Cabin (now Rose's) in the summer of 1940. At that time, the Rose's cottage was in poor shape (unlike now!) and my moth­er spent most of her time there making it inhabitable. Mother got to know Mrs. Cocker (the original owner of our cabin) and found out that she rented out her place every  August.  My Mother jumped at the opportunity to leave the Tier's and arranged to rent the Cocker's place the following  year.

 

Originally, there was supposed to be only one cabin in between Davidson's and Wiltshire's (now Hamilton's). Mr. Calvert Simson told my father that the Goepel cabin (now Jack and Adele McLennan's) was not supposed to be where it was and only one  tent  site, for the Cocker's, was planned for this space.  Mr. Simson said that he wanted to  leave a space for a fire break.   Somehow, the Goepels ended up where they did, so  the space left over was rented to Charlie and Jenny Cocker. Our earliest record is an agreement signed by Jenny Cocker and Mr. Calvert Simson dated July 1, 1922, renting them the 6th camping site west of Mr. WT. Blair's house for $20.00 per year. Charlie Cocker worked at Canada Customs in Vancouver and used the place for July each year and rented it for August. We continued to rent their cabin until 1946 when the Cockers sold it to my father for  $350.00.

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Like most of the original cabins, ours began as a floor for a tent, eventually having walls and a roof installed.  There are two distinct parts to the original cabin.  The front half was  very crudely built and the back half only marginally better.  My father put a lining in the front part of the cabin to cut down on the draft, but that was the only major improvement during our early years.  We obtained our water from a hand pump out  front, cooked on a  wood stove and read by coal oil lamps. (life was much simpler then)  In 1970, ownership of the cabin was transferred to Peter and Carolyn McLennan. With such a narrow lot (the cabin is only 14 ft. wide), the only expansion possible was out the front or out the back.  In  the early 70's, both the front and the back porch were closed in to increase the size of the cabin. The kitchen was also moved towards the front  to take advantage of the view.  Since then, we have continually upgraded the place to  make it more comfortable, functional and structurally sound. As a family, we have  enjoyed and appreciated our time at Buccaneer Bay. We owe a tremendous debt of grat­itude to Mr. Simson who had the foresight to see the Bay as it is  and to preserve it for us to enjoy.  Our hope and wish is that in another hundred years,  Buccaneer Bay will  bring those privileged to be there the same happiness  that we have received.