TELEGRAPH COVE, BC — Many North Island communities are saddened by the news of the fire at Telegraph Cove on Dec. 31, 2024 as images of the blaze consuming the historic mill building and the Whale Interpretive Centre were startling. …Telegraph Cove is a rare reminder of early industrial life on the coast. In 1909, Alfred Marmaduke “Duke” Wastell was recruited to manage a struggling box-making factory in Alert Bay, also known as ‘Yalis. It was to make the shipping boxes for the cannery operated by BC Fishing and Packing Co. ‘Yalis, with a population of 230, was a hub of economic activity, driven by its booming fishing and logging industries. Logging operations dotted the coastline, but getting timber to market was difficult. …In 1912, the federal government began constructing a telephone and telegraph line stretching from Campbell River to Northern Vancouver Island. At that time, ‘Yalis served as the headquarters for commercial interests, and the superintendent of telegraphs wanted to set up a telegraph station nearby.