OCEAN FALLS-The Sounds of Silence 1981

With Genevieve Westcott and cameraman Steve Rendall I did this little profile of the ghost town of OCEAN FALLS in 1981.
The town on the upper BC Canada coast had been deserted by the inhabitants after the mill closed down 18 months before. It was an eerie experience.
I often felt it would make a great movie set as all the buildings were in perfect condition at that time. We stayed in the large hotel, the only guests.
If anyone has more recent information about the town, please post it here.

[@ctvediting]

While Ocean Falls will never be what it was, but I was surprised to find out the electricity is still being generated and now the town is a crypto-currency mining operation.

[@ronbooiman7906]

Lived there in 1976

[@endlessdrive8421]

Would be great to see a revival of this location as a coop economy of business and vacation.

[@skawtief3747]

I've got to comment on this a bit, the picture they used to describe the "bowling alley" is actually a picture of the court house. I know this because I LIVED there upstairs for two years, 1979 -1980. My dad was one of two RCMP officers stationed here ( usually two at any given time if I recall ) and that is the building that they lived in. I was only 9 years old but I remember this town with great fondness. Of all the places i've lived over the years this is the only one that I dream about regularily. Absolutely loved it and I still lament the fact that I haven't had the opportunity to return here for some much needed catharsis. :)

[@TheTonywade]

+skawtie F Thanks. It was so long ago I can't remember why we called it the bowling alley but we stand corrected. Cheers...

[@floydmurray9824]

Hey I know you posted this a while ago but I want to ask if you knew the other RCMP officer? My grandfather was an RCMP officer in that town. His name was Myles Stanley Novak.

[@TheTonywade]

Sorry but it was 1981 and I really can't remember :)

[@skawtief3747]

Sorry, that name isn't familiar to me. I can only remember the first names of the two other RCMP that were stationed there at different times with my dad. Jean { french Canadian so i'm probably butchering the spelling} and Chris. For some reason I thought Jean's name was Renee, hence why this is edited. Both were really nice guys.

[@pm6613]

You are correct; the bowling alley was in the basement of the Martin Inn hotel.

[@libertyjosh804]

From what I've seen is there's still people living and working there. You can buy a nice house there for a good price. The hydro is still running and providing power to the city. Sure, most of the area by the ferry landing is abandoned but the city is still alive and well. I would move there myself.

[@Stikkelsbær]

More should have been done to sustain and build on communities like Ocean Falls, Cassiar, Faro, Pine Point, Granisle, Uranium City, etc. We don't seem to value anything other than how well a place can export raw resources. Value is seen in resource extraction rather than people. You can hear the difference between the bureaucrat arguing the community can only exist if it provides a resource for global business exports versus the European-accented resident who is arguing for the inherent human value of the community itself. Powell River, Gold River, Mackenzie, and Tumbler Ridge have narrowly avoided this fate.

[@TheTonywade]

I fixed the audio on this...

[@johnnyjensen6067]

My hometown. Beautiful place.

[@waimeagavin808]

Johnny Jensen sad to see what it looks like now

[@johnnyjensen6067]

@@waimeagavin808 Yes, I know. I wish something would happen there again. I'd move back. Cheers.

[@carlb.4097]

My father was c.i.b.c branch manager back in 1948

[@johnnyjensen6067]

@@carlb.4097 It was a great place, especially for children. I wasn't born there, but it is the first place I remember in my life. Will always love it!

[@EmreIskenderoglu]

Free houses for homeless

[@carlb.4097]

Considering moving there

[@evanforster2665]

just got home from there dont think theres any lots for sale right now not sure

[@carlb.4097]

Thank you. I was watching a vid on the lodge .I'd love to visit. My father worked in the CIBC bank in 48

[@netook8]

it still has warmer winters than Edmonton!

[@SandraOssinger]

Why? What would you do for an income? No store, etc. It was okay in the 60s, but after that, it just was being demolished. RESEARCH WELL, before considering!

[@SandraOssinger]

Also very very isolated!

[@siangrant1352]

skawtie F I lived in Ocean Falls during 1979 - 1980 and was also nine years old at the time. My parents have a photo of one of the RCMP officers marching in what I think was a Canada Day parade. I still vividly remember watching him march by us looking proud in his uniform. You and I were probably in the same grade, still have my class photo and I can remember several names of the kids in my class.

[@skawtief3747]

Nice! Do you remember what group they ( the school ) put you in? I was a "shark". Yes, this is a test. Unless you ALSO say "shark" in which case my test is a complete failure and waste of time. ;)

[@siangrant1352]

skawtie F I have no recollection of being put into a group I'm sorry but a Shark would be cool :) I want to say my teacher's name was Mrs. Woolworth or something like that. In my class were Twins Tina and Tara (whose mum monitored the weather at the airport for the sea planes) James, Rodney, Suzy, Tammy, Betty, Monica. Suzy bought my banana seat bike before we left O.F and I had to watch her riding around on it for what felt like weeks before we actually sailed away. I remember watching Octopussy at the movies there and an awesome movie about roller skating.

[@siangrant1352]

I have my Bond movies confused. It must have been Moonraker, I thought I'd best check with Google. Like I said, still have my class photo AND a whole school photo which was taken outside the building.

[@skawtief3747]

Yeah, there were " sharks, killerwhales and barracuda's. We had t-shirts too. I remember a Rodney, tall lanky fella if i recall. Betty sounds familiar but for some reason I thought her name was ( or pronounced ) Bitty. She had a slight German accent. Good god man, you've made me dig deep in the ol' memory archives for this response. Had to dust off thirty-five years of unused braincells for this. Your memory though seems much better than mine. Or more realistically you just had WAAAAY more friends than I did. lol.

[@skawtief3747]

Haha. It was for SURE moonraker. My first bond movie.

[@MrHiphoperation]

There is a touch of West of Ireland in their accents.

[@melaniewood2500]

Keith has been there filming an interactive media project with NFB. You are such a trend-setter! Decades ahead of the curve :-)

[@fishsticks5175]

The gem cbc used to be. Not to mention big business in the form of small town key to my heart

[@alternateimpact81]

Kind of like kitsault

[@SandraOssinger]

Kitsault looks a lot better! Not a bunch of old derelict buildings.

[@dunkydog1676]

total ghost town now

[@libertyjosh804]

There's still people living there and the ferry still runs there from what I hear.

[@brannaghphillips1699]

@@libertyjosh804 There are about 25 people there mostly in Martin Valley. The ferry runs to Ocean Falls once a week in the winter and 6 days in the summer

[@reneewarren6710]

@@libertyjosh804 You hear correct.