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Royal Vancouver Yacht Club Wigwam Inn

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The Wigwam Inn at Indian Arm

The story behind the Wigwam Inn at Indian Arm. A German spy, a gambling joint, a brothel, a midnight raid and a yacht club

I finally got to motor up Indian Arm and see the Wigwam Inn–well from the outside. You can’t get inside unless you’re a member of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club.

From Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City’s Hidden History

It seems crazy to me that it’s still fairly inaccessible (unless you own a boat), yet in 1910 there were four different sternwheelers taking guests up and down the Arm from Vancouver—the year the Wigwam Inn opened.

Alvo von Alvensleben:

I first “discovered” the Inn about 10 years ago. I was doing some research on Alvo von Alvensleben, an early Vancouver businessman and son of a German count who came to Vancouver in 1904, and not only has a name you couldn’t make up, he’s one of the most fascinating characters in BC’s history. For some reason, he has never rated a biography, so I’ve dedicated a chapter to him in my book At Home with History: the secrets of Greater Vancouver’s heritage homes.

Benny Dickens, an advertising manager for the Daily Province saw potential in creating a resort and bought up a few hundred acres at Indian Arm in the early 1900s. He quickly ran out of money and turned to Alvensleben.

Alvensleben financed the construction of the Dominion Building . His private residence is now part of the Crofton House girl’s school in Kerrisdale, he owned a hunting lodge on Somerset in North Vancouver and houses in Pitt Meadows, Surrey and Washington State that are still known as “Alien Acres” and “Spy House.” It was Alvensleben who made the Inn a reality, turning it into a German Luftkurot (fresh-air resort). At the same time, Alvensleben was also selling lots for $200 to $300, and promising a private boat service to Vancouver that “guaranteed to get business people to the office by 9:00 a.m.”

Inn changes hands:

When the war hit, Alvensleben headed to Seattle. The inn which had attracted guests like American millionaires John D. Rockefeller and John Jacob Astor, fell upon tough times after the government seized it in 1914. Over the years, the Inn changed hands many times, and all but disappeared from public view until the early 1960s when William “Fats” Robertson, 34 and his partner Rocky Myers, 30 took control.

In July 1962, Marine Constable Gale Gardener was one of a a couple of boatloads of RCMP officers from the liquor, gambling and prostitution squads, sent up to bust the old resort. They arrested 15 people and uncovered an illegal gambling operation, plates for printing counterfeit money, stolen art and 300 cases of beer. Robertson, and his partner were found guilty of trying to bribe an RCMP officer and received six years in prison. More owners followed until the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club bought the Inn in 1985. Now it’s strictly members only, and there’s no more room at the inn.

© All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all blog content copyright Eve Lazarus.

• Tags Alvo von Alvensleben , At Home with History , Benny Dickens , Crofton House , Dominion Building , Indian Arm , Royal Vancouver Yacht Club , Wigwam Inn

74 comments on “The Wigwam Inn at Indian Arm”

Really interesting article, Eve! We have an original 1910 Wigwam Inn guest book on display at Old Hastings Mill Store Museum. One of the signatures is that of John Jacob Astor. I’d love to get up there sometime!

That’s amazing Lisa I had no idea. I’ll check when you’re there sometime, take a photo and buy you a coffee.

hi eve!! i am a member of RVYC and would be more than happy to send you some pictures of the inside!!

I would love to see them. Can you please send to [email protected] ? Thanks!

I have a serious love of old architecture and the history that goes along with it, including any reports of paranormal occurrences. I am not British Columbia born, so this place is a new find for me, but do they ever host visitors or provide tours? I would love to hear first-hand accounts of any strange occurances in and around the building but im most interested in experiences with room #209.

In the 1960s I was an alter server at Guardian Angels Parish. Broughton at Davie. Every year the church took the alter boys on a picnic trip and one year we went for a cruise up Indian Arm to Wigwam Inn. My memory of the trip is a day of exploring the woods and wandering around the grounds of the Inn. I seem to recall an outdoor in ground swimming pool that seemed out of place at the time.

My mom used to go up with her Grandmother (who read tea leaves for people on the trip) in the late 40s and early 50s – she talks about swimming in the pool on some of those trips.

It was only filled in 15 years ago or so……

there used to be some sort of a paddle wheeler/boat that would go up that way, past the inn, to a rocky island, i recall. Went on it with my dad. would have been the mid 70s. It would stop at the island, (very small rocky ) and you could go explore for about an hour, til you headed back to Vancouver. I remember my dad, telling me about the Wigwam Inn, and how people such as the Rat Pack, Howard Hughes and such would hang out there.. Love the history of Vancouver..

I still have trouble getting my head around the regular service to Indian Arm over 100 years ago. If we’d never invented cars it would have been much easier to get around Vancouver

And the whole Fraser Valley as well. The old Interurban went everywhere. What a shame that was terminated.

And the rail line sold to an American short haul railway . Typically short sighted. I hope that we don’t make the same mistake with the old hydro power generation site across from Port Moody.

My Dad was in the RCMP and was on one of those boats. He said, they left in complete darkness and turned the motors off so no one at the inn would see or hear them coming. He said there were some prominent people there that night but did not name anyone. Apparently there was also prostitution going on there as well. It was one of his most interesting memories of his time with the RCMP.

I would love to hear that story first hand! Thanks so much for dropping by

Rocky Meyers was a friend. His dad and then a Rocky owned the apartment my mom lived in.

This is the first I’d ever heard of him. Sounds like an interesting guy! What happened to him?

I have no idea! Lost touch after mom died. If he is still alive he would be well in his eighties. He was always one of those guys who was on the edge with every scheme he was involved.

Hello! I am Rocky Myers’ youngest daughter. He was indeed a most fascinating man and there are quite literally thousands of sensational stories about my father. I am still learning more about his colourful past. He just recently passed away on March 16, 2019 at the age of 87 with his wife (my mother) by his side.

My dad knew Rocky as they both went to Kits. My dad also met Alvo when he was a young Vancouver CA and knew the RCMP officer Jack who had to be hidden away at the barracks on Little Mountain as he waited to testify. He was the one who was bribed. His family was hidden on Vancouver Island. We actually picked them up at the ferry at departure when they were coming home.

I was a member of the RCMP Marine Division at the time. After the arrests I made security checks on a forlorn William “Fats Robertson” in the galley of the police boat. It took two more trips to bring out the illegal booze.

There’s quite a history with the police and William Robertson aka Fats Robertson was my grandfather’s brother my grandmother would tell us kids what types of sorts came and went there.

Hi Terrence, my name is Karen Robertson, my aunt Sheila Robertson just passed at 90 years old and in here belongings I found an article about William Fats Robertson and am trying figure out if we are related, do you have any knowledge of Williams family? I remember there was a family secret of drug trafficking and my uncles brother was Steve Ponak who was definitely involved with William, just curious if you have any info. Thanks!

In the mid 70’s I was around 12 years old and went up there a few times on are family boat. Went close enough to see the place but was told back then you had to be a member of the RVYC to even tie up to the dock. Over the years always wondered what had come of that historic place. Glad it is still alive, but a shame the public can’t see inside, like an open house once a year. Would bring my boat down to the salt to go up if there ever was an open day tour.

No problem, just have to become a member of the RVYC. I see fees are a one-time $29,000 (less if you are under 46 – sounds discriminatory….) and then a couple of hundred a month

Like the name on my cigarette boat is “Loose Change”, NOT! Lol

Our graduating class from Hamilton Senior Secondary in N.Van went by boat in 1969 for the day to Granite Falls which was very close to Wigwam Inn. It was a beautiful place and a buddy of mine (Ed Mulcahy) and I went back that summer and camped close to the top of the falls. Me and several friends went back up to the area in a 18 foot speed boat and went over to Wigwam Inn. The place was a total mess from squatters and vandals. I remember seeing huge fire places at the Inn but the vandals had lit fires on floors, smashed our every window in the place, graffiti all over and garbage and empty liquor bottles smashed all over. It must have been a very time consuming and expensive renovation on that old place.

It’s really amazing (in a good way) that the place still exists

I remember the dereliction too. The old bed stands that had been tossed into the water under the dock. It amazes me the energy people will put into vandalism.

i was u there and also seen the destruction from vandals, that was so sad, and it was destroyed just like you said my friend did some diving off the dock and said there was so much stuff dumped in the ocean sinks ubs everything. what makes people do that kinda stuff? Issues i guess

I did the same when I was younger (40ish years ago) I think dad tied up at the dock, we hiked to granite falls and around the outside of the hotel, place was trashed! Pool full of furniture, garbage, booze bottles. Dad told us that hippies had been squatting there. It was a trip that has always remained in my memory, seeing your story brought it all back! 😊. I can’t wait to read your book!

Went up there in early 70’s with friend and his parents in their “Wahoo” speedboat. Totally abandoned. Our feet when through the stairs on the inside. There was a pool full of rainwater and tadpoles. Really amazing that it could be renovated considering how destroyed it was!

Totally huh? We used to go up there when I was a kid and play in the abandoned hotel too…

We spent an night at Wigwam in the 80’s as guests of the Goodman’s (members of the RVYC). The architect of the Wigwam was Sholto Smith. He had designed several buildings in VAncouver, I don’t think any survive. With the advent of the WW1, he went to New Zealand and became one of the preeminent architects there. He was prolific with both commercial and residential commissions, borrowing heavily on Samuel McClure with his coaxial unique design flow. RIchard’s family home in Remuera in -Auckland was designed by him.

I remember as a 10 year old going up to Wigwam end with my older sister add her husband Jay many times. Their friend Bobby Smith had a speed boat he worked for Kodak he was very special and loved us kids. So many pictures now I’m older I so appreciate them. I think it was around 1962-64. Special memories floating on air mattress and loving every minute. I also remember we were allow to visit the hotel and look around it was not operational. I also knew Fats Robertson “Bill” about 10 years later. I married at 19 he was part of the family but not related. He was always respectful to me I had no idea what he did. Did he really buy the Wigwam Inn?

I love all this nostalgic information and memories , I find it fascinating ! when I was young , we went up the Indian Arm, and to Granite falls, and one time did stop at the old wigwam Inn , and my Dad told me many of these storys as well , He is 89 years old now , and his memories are sadly gone , so I can’t ask anymore .. but when he was a lad, his buddies and him had many story’s of getting little boats, and getting over to Belcarra , as kids .. he spent a lot of his youth in the “salt Chuck” as he called it ..

Been there many times, beautiful building inside and out, has an amazing history

We used to play in there as kids in the 70s when it was abandoned.

My dad and grandfather told us it was used as a brothel, among other things, back then.

I can confirm that. We used to go up there in the summers and my brothers and I would run around in and play in the abandoned hotel for hours.

The top 2 floors had a bunch of 10×10 rooms all with single bed-frames in them and nothing else.

I lived and was the maintenance guy there for two years early 80’s. I had a little suite with my own entrance down on the right side in that picture. I eventually knew every inch of that building and fixed most things at least once lol….we (the staff) had a lot of fun while we were there. I was just here looking for the closing date when I found this site…just a few days back I managed to locate one of the guys I worked with who is now in Powell River…he filled me in on several things lol a better memory than I

I recall fishing in the bay when I was a young teenager of 14 in 1954.The Salmon would wait and circle in the bay of the Indian Arm then, move up the River. This would happen every four years.It was unbelievable how many fish would circle in the bay before going up. Not aware if this happens any more but, I doubt it.Likely too much traffic now ☹️ Such good memories !

And, thank you for sharing them!

I was up this summer and at the end of August. There were so many pink salmon running it was amazing, incredible, and almost unbelievable. Someone said there were more than he’d seen in 60 years, but hard to know if that’s true or not.

Yes, the big salmon run happened this summer! Fascinating to watch and to listen to. It was actually hard to sleep in our canin because of the noise of the salmon jumping and then belly flopping back on the water! Thousands and thousand of then , and then (perhaps due to the run) we had the pleasure of watching a pod of Orcas heading up to feed!

My family had a cottage at Sunshine Falls for 20 yrs. When I was a child, I had heard stories about Wigwam Inn and in later years, heard the stories of the Rocky Meyer days….gambling, etc. He attended UBC. Many wonderful memories of my waterskiing days with my sons. Recently a son and grandson took me on a 4 hr. Harbour Cruises boat trip as a birthday treat. It was a gorgeous millpond day with lunch aboard the trip up to Silver Falls with history told along the way. Today I was curious as I always wanted to know more about Wigwam Inn history and found your site. Thank you for this good information.

So glad you found the post! Thanks for stopping by.

Hi we also had a cabin at sunshine back in the 60’s. It was way up the path. I loved to play at the dock except when the jelly fish were out. We would go up the arm to WigWam Inn in my dads boat, walk around and eat our picnic lunch by a gazebo.

Hello, My husband Dave and I were live in caretakers of the Inn from the mid to late 80s, before RVYC purchased and afterwards. A very interesting place, in addition to it’s colourful past, it even has a resident ghost. I have so many memories as well as stories of ghostly happenings there.

Oh wow.. I would love to hear about your paranormal experiences here! I’m a serious enthusiast when it comes to ghostly happenings.

The Wigwam Inn served as a filming location for the 1973 film “A Name for Evil”, starring Robert Culp and Samantha Eggar. It even features in the film’s one-sheet poster advertising. Somehow the Inn was also used in the advertising for a notorious mid-1970s horror movie titled “Last House on Dead End Street”, despite the fact the film was shot in New York and had no connection to the Inn.

Thanks for giving me something to do this weekend! Did not know that. Eve

I remember seeing Robert Culp at the Shop Easy grocery store in Dollarton when I was a kid. I was in awe.

When we were last there mid to late 1970’s, the place was in tatters. The large stove was still in the basement along with a few other things. The grand piano had been thrown off the end of the dock and there were large cut holes in the floors for filming. What must have been a wonderful swimming pool was coming apart and I still have a small blue tile from that along with a piece of torn wall paper. Next time we went we were met by a caretaker with a doberman telling us to leave. It was still beautiful though with gazebos and a virtual field of foxgloves.

My ex (now passed away) along with her ex (before me) use to be the caretakers of the Wigwam Inn and some of horror stories she use to tell me about her time there was not a pretty picture.

I believe my dad, Magistrate A. D. Pool, presided over the court case. We have the newspaper clippings.

I’d have to go back through my file on this which is god knows where or do some searching on newspapers.com but that sounds familiar.

Hi Ken I Went to school with your brother Pip (I called him)or Philip Lived on Osborne We are heading there this weekend so I was looking up the history and saw your name. So interesting. Im looking forward to our overnight in the (haunted Inn) Elaine Scott(Reynolds)

[…] was a noted pianist, and Garth tells me that Peter Cowan, co-owner of Harbour Navigation and the Wigwam Inn, played the bass fiddle in the band in the early 1950s. “We had our Christmas dinner at the […]

[…] a spectacular life of crime and a career on the Vancouver Stock Exchange. He was a co-owner of the Wigwam Inn on Indian Arm in the early 1960s and turned it into an illegal gambling operation, printed […]

[…] highlight for me was finally seeing the Wigwam Inn, but almost as exciting were the two massive power stations that dominate the eastern shore at […]

Eve, his name was Alvo von Alvensieben, not Alvensleben.

Hi Mark, in all the hundreds of references I’ve seen, never once have I seen his name as Alvensieben. Cheers, Eve

Great readings! My mom lead a rather interesting early life, she told me stories about Wigwam Inn. She had an Uncle that was very wealthy and would take his yacht the Twin Isles up there a lot in the 30’s . She ventured up there with her uncle a few times! She also lived in a small Cabin in Deep cove in the 40’s ( living off the land mostly)canoeing to work in Vancouver! Deep Cove was busy bay back then ,no road yet!

Hi Ms.Lazarus, Born in Vancouver in 1952, my family used to putter up Indian Arm in dad’s homemade boat. No windshield. We 5 and our dog. It was in the early 60’s. It was abandoned and I’ll never forget it. We got to explore the whole place. The pool was there but with just some rain water in bottom and it was cracked. The place looked like people had just left everything and disappeared. There were table cloths and cutlery and even plates and glasses. This must have been before any vandalizism. There were even sheets partially on the old metal beds up in the top rooms. I never forgot it and was fascinated by this place. Must have been shortly after the big raid. Popa remembered seeing an article about it in the newspaper. It was such a great find. Made my imagination run wild. I would love to just boat by it. It looks beautiful in the photos. You mentioned there was a historical place I think in Deep cove whom one could pay to take you for a boat ride there. Is that still a possibility or do you have to know a RCYC member? I’d love read more about the history. Where is a good place to look up articles or get a book about it. Thank you for doing this and allowing folks to tell their stories. A wonderful opportunity.

Check in with the Deep Cove Heritage Society, I believe they still do an annual summer fundraiser up Indian Arm, but at least the year I went, we were not able to go inside. That must have been so interesting to see the Inn at that time!

I’ve written about the Wigwam Inn in At Home with History and Vancouver Exposed https://evelazarus.com/books/

My grandfather was responsible for bringing Wigwam Inn back to life. I worked there for a few years to help when I was younger. I am surprised his name is not mentioned. Tony Casano

You can actually drive out to the WigWam Inn from Squamish, you have to have a pretty stout 4×4 however. The road is not an easy one. I’ve been out there many times, when I had my Jeep.

My grandparents met at one of the weekend dances there in the mid-1920s. They used to go up by boat and dance up there prior to the depression.

My inlaws lived in California and brought their boat up to B.C. They took their English Friends to Wigwam Inn. Robert Culp was filming and invited them all in for lunch and a tour. My father in law had worked at the Steve Allen show and they seemed to all have a great day. We had a cabin across from Silver falls. My neighbour and I took the children (6 between us) and had lunch there in the 80’s Fish and Chips Before the RVYC banned everyone from even tying up to their logs!

As we can all see, the Inn has been around for a long time and has been almost burried in bad reputations. But thank God that RVYC finally came along and actually saved the whole thing by buying it and restoring it!. It was a miracle that the building had not been burned down by brainless vandals who smashed the interior and burned most of the furniture in the fireplace. Some individuals also bought the Inn but they lacked the resources to really fix it up. People think it is a shame that RVYC bought the place, but if they hadn’t, it would be nothing but a pile of ash today. Did anyone mention that Granite Falls (across the inlet) was a favourite Saturday cruise, picnic spot and dance hall?

A shame that there is no mention of the group that owned Wigwam prior to RVYC. Sorry, I don’t have names, rumour had it that it was a group of lawyers from Vancouver. They brought the Wigwam Inn back to life and were operating it as a hotel and restaurant in the late 70’s early 80’s. We used to go there for a nice dinner when we were at our cabin for the weekend. I know of one couple that had their wedding reception there. It’s too bad they couldn’t make a go of it and it fell into receivership which I believe is when RVYC picked it up. I think they were ahead of their time…imagine how well it would be received if today it were a wellness retreat, hotel or nature spa for all to enjoy

The first time I was at Wigwam. Was about 1963. My dad took us up there in his speedboat. The place was vacant and in very good condition. The rooms were furnished and there was no vandalism. We went back a year or 2 later and the place was a mess. Every window was broken, there was junk in the pool and the piano was thrown off the dock into the water. We are now RVYC members and go there regularly. We went from Squamish to the end of Indian Arm on our dirt bikes about 20 years ago. When we got to the end of the road, the tide was very low so we were riding on the mud flats. One of the bikes broke down so we dragged it thru the Indian River and turned up at the Inn. The caretaker at the time told us that we were the only people who ever turned up there by road. We went back the next day by boat to pick up the dirt bike.

It’s amazing the inn survived. You’ll have to go back and see the renovated version!

I used to go to the Wigman Inn for several weeks each summer as a child. My grandparents (George & Minette Blackmun) owned it for a brief period of time in the late 1950’s. I have grown up with the knowledge that they sold it to the persons who made it into the gambling resort. I still remember the claw foot bathtubs and bare light bulbs in the rooms. On weekends they had a country music singer playing and he gave me a green vinyl record. I loved the huge fireplaces. I caught my first salmon there and I had to drag it up to the kitchen. It fed the entire family with lots left over. So many wonderful memories.

That is so interesting! Thanks for adding to the story.

Next year, 2025 RVYC will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Wigwam Inn and it is still a beautiful historic building. Much work has gone into improving and maintaining the site.

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MONTECRISTO

The Wigwam Inn, circa 1912, when it was a German resort. Photo courtesy of the Vancouver Archives, LGN 1028.

The Yacht Club Outside Vancouver That Was Once a Notorious Gambling Den and Brothel

• Story: Eve Lazarus

The following excerpt was taken from the chapter “The Wigwam Inn at Indian Arm” in Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City’s Hidden History by Eve Lazarus. Permission to reprint this excerpt was provided by the publisher, Arsenal Pulp Press. 

A few years ago, when I found out that the Deep Cove Heritage Society offered a boat ride up Indian Arm as one of its summer fundraisers, I immediately booked a ticket.

I’ve wanted to see the Wigwam Inn since I started researching its first owner, Alvo von Alvensleben, for my book At Home With History . Aside from having a name you couldn’t make up, he was the son of a German count, and after having a row with his father, landed in Vancouver in 1904 with just a few dollars in his pocket. He fished for salmon and did other labouring jobs, started speculating in land, and within a few years became a successful financier and developer.

In the early 1900s, Benny Dickens, an advertising manager for the Daily Province , saw potential in creating a resort at Indian Arm and bought up a few hundred acres of land. He quickly ran out of money and turned to Alvensleben for help. Alvensleben financed the building, changed the theme from Indigenous to German, and created a Luftkurort (fresh-air resort). It attracted guests such as American millionaires John D. Rockefeller and John Jacob Astor, before he went down with the Titanic in 1912.

Unless you own a boat, Indian Arm is fairly inaccessible, yet that wasn’t always the case. In 1910, the year the Wigwam Inn opened, there were four different sternwheelers taking guests up and down the arm from Vancouver. Alvensleben was selling lots for $200 to $300 and promising a private boat service to Vancouver that guaranteed to get business people to the office by 9 a.m.

The Wigwam Inn in 2017. Photo by Eve Lazarus.

When the First World War hit, Alvensleben became an enemy alien, and the government seized all of his property. The Inn was sold and changed hands many times, and it all but disappeared from public view until the early 1960s when William “Fats” Robertson and his lawyer Rockmill “Rocky” Myers took control.

Robertson had paid $60,000 for the Wigwam Inn, and his plan was to turn it into a swanky casino and brothel for the rich, who could afford to lose $30,000 or $40,000 a night in a private game.

On Saturday, July 28, 1962, Marine Constable Gale Gardner and others from the Gibsons RCMP detachment were ordered to report to HMCS Discovery at Deadman’s Island in Coal Harbour. When they arrived, they met up with a second police boat full of officers from the liquor, gambling, and prostitution squads, as well as general investigators, senior members of the force, and a police dog. They arranged to leave Deadman’s Island so they would arrive at the Wigwam Inn just after midnight.

“Timing was essential so that the raid could take place early Sunday morning, because then all activities at the inn would be illegal,” Gale told me. “When we were close, all the running lights were shut down and our vessels were moored at the marine dock. Then members rushed ashore and all hell broke loose.”

Robertson, 34, was arrested and put in the galley of one of the RCMP boats. Twenty-three-year-old Gale was sent to guard him. “Even today, I can still see the forlorn Fats Robertson sitting there, his empire busted,” says the former RCMP officer.

RCMP found a large quantity of gambling paraphernalia, stolen paintings and antiques, plates for printing counterfeit money, and 300 cases of beer.

Fats Robertson and 30-year-old Rocky Myers were charged with conspiring to bribe Corporal Jack McDonald of the RCMP drug squad. They were sentenced to six years in jail.

After his release, Robertson lost his trading privileges on the Vancouver Stock Exchange for manipulating the share price of two junior mining companies. He was back in the headlines again when he was caught heading up a major drug trafficking ring. Police seized over $4 million worth of cocaine, and Robertson was convicted and sentenced to prison, this time for 23 years.

He was out in eight, had his trading privileges reinstated, and in 2003 was back in the news yet again when a former insurance salesman from West Vancouver who moonlighted as a hit man said Robertson had contracted his services for two murders in 1969.

As for the Wigwam Inn, the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club bought the inn in 1985. Now it’s strictly for members only.

Eve Lazarus is an award-winning North Vancouver–based journalist and author. Her passion for true crime and non-traditional history has led to nine books of non-fiction, including Arsenal titles and B.C. bestsellers Murder by Milkshake (2018); Blood, Sweat, and Fear (2017); and Cold Case Vancouver (2015). Read more stories of Hidden Vancouver here. 

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History of the Wigwam Inn: Gangsters, Booze, Gambling and Billionaires

Fun fact : you can access the Wigwam Inn using logging roads from Squamish, pending weather and your outdoor experience level, however, do note that it is private property and you need permission to visit .

The Wigwam Inn is a historic and stunning hotel situated at the northern end of Indian Arm , boasting a fascinating past. It was built in 1909, with financial support from Alvo von Alvensleben , a German-born entrepreneur who became a real estate king in Vancouver within five years. He financed various ventures, and the Wigwam was one of them, which was rumored to have been aided by Kaiser Wilhelm .

The Wigwam Inn opened in 1910 as a world-class resort, financed by Count Gustav Constantin Alvo Van Alvensleben, and changed ownership several times. It was once raided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) as a gambling casino, and notable guests included John D. Rockefeller , John Jacob Astor, and Al Capone , who allegedly used it as a hideout. The Royal Vancouver Yacht Club now privately owns the Wigwam Inn, and kayakers and paddleboarders can only view it from afar.

The building has a full industrial kitchen, showers, and many comfortable hotel-style suites. The balconies offer a breathtaking view of the surroundings.

Around ten years ago, the Wigwam Inn came to the attention of a local writer when they researched Alvo von Alvensleben, an early Vancouver businessman and the son of a German count who came to Vancouver in 1904. Alvensleben is one of the most intriguing characters in British Columbia’s history, but there has never been a biography of him. Consequently, the writer dedicated a chapter to him in their book , “At Home with History: The Secrets of Greater Vancouver’s Heritage Homes.”

The idea of a resort in Indian Arm came from Benny Dickens , an advertising manager for the Daily Province , who purchased several hundred acres of land in the early 1900s. However, Dickens ran out of money and looked to Alvensleben for help. The Dominion Building was built with Alvensleben’s financing, and his private residence is now part of the Crofton House girls’ school in Kerrisdale. He owned a hunting lodge on Somerset in North Vancouver, along with homes in Pitt Meadows, Surrey, and Washington State, known as “Alien Acres” and “Spy House.”

Alvensleben turned the Wigwam Inn into a German Luftkurot (fresh-air resort) and sold lots for $200 to $300, offering a private boat service to Vancouver that “guaranteed to get business people to the office by 9:00 a.m.” However, when the First World War began, Alvensleben left for Seattle, and the government seized the Inn in 1914, causing it to struggle financially.

Over the years, the Inn changed hands several times and was mostly forgotten by the public until the early 1960s, when William “Fats” Robertson , 34, and his partner Rocky Myers , 30, took over. In July 1962, the RCMP raided the Inn and found an illegal gambling operation, plates for printing counterfeit money, stolen art, and 300 cases of beer. Robertson and his partner were found guilty of attempting to bribe an RCMP officer and received a six-year sentence in prison.

The Wigwam Inn passed through several owners until the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club purchased it in 1985. Since then, it has been strictly members-only, with no more room for the public. The Deep Cove Heritage Society offered a boat ride up Indian Arm as a summer fundraiser, and the speaker booked a ticket a few years ago to see the Inn. The Inn’s history is fascinating, and the story of Alvo von Alvensleben remains a mystery, making it an exciting topic for research and exploration.

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Rumoured Capone hideout to be open for Indian Arm tour

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Deep Cove Heritage Society’s annual Indian Arm Boat Cruise will include an extraordinary feature this year: a tour of the fabled Wigwam Inn.

This historic structure sits at the north end of Indian Arm and has a fascinating and storied past. Wigwam Inn now serves as an outstation for the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club and so this a rare chance to go inside the historic building.

The Indian Arm boat tour is one of the community outreach programs that the Deep Cove Heritage Society offers. In autumn, there is also a bus tour of landmarks throughout the Seymour area under the guidance of Janet Pavlik, who was instrumental in starting the Heritage group in 1970. The group also offers school programs, regular displays as well as photos from the archives that are on its website, deepcoveheritage.com.

The boat cruise this year features tour operator Mitch Bloomfield and Belcarra Mayor Ralph Drew, author of three history books of Belcarra, Ioco and Indian Arm, both of whom are ready to share their knowledge.

The 1982 book, The History of Indian Arm by Pam Humphreys and Steven G. Wong, covers Wigwam’s history to just before it was purchased by the Yacht Club in 1985.

Wigwam Inn was conceived by Benjamin Franklin Dickens; in 1906 he purchased the land and drew up plans but did not have the capital to build. He brought in German investor Alvo von Alvensleben and it is rumoured that Kaiser Wilhelm was a backer.

The Inn, only accessible by boat, opened on June 10, 1910, with 600 people attending. A retreat for the wealthy, in April 1911, both John D. Rockefeller and John Jacob Astor signed the registration book the same day. Wigwam was a popular destination for regattas, bringing competitors from across the Pacific Northwest with races, rowing, sculling and canoe jousting.

In 1911, the first caretakers were George and Meg Dayton. One winter Meg, who was pregnant, was walking outside when she slipped, fell and hit her head on a rock. The accident caused her to go into labour two months early and she fell into a coma. While waiting on the dock for a doctor, George alerted an elderly First Nations woman who was fishing. She went to Meg’s room and two hours later they heard a baby; both Meg and the baby were saved.

The baby, Marguerite (Dayton) West, became a writer in Victoria. Her obituary in the Victoria Times Colonist on March 19, 2006, states she was the first Caucasian baby born in Indian Arm.

Von Alvensleben returned to Germany in 1914 to raise money but when war was declared between Britain and Germany he could not return, so he moved to Seattle. The Canadian government confiscated his holdings; the Inn was taken over by the Custodian of Enemy Property and purchased by a private purchaser.

In the mid-1920s Capt. Stalker of Harbour Navigation took over the lease and Mrs. Margaret McAuliffe became the manager for the next 17 years along with her son, Marcus. A cook, Lee Yeun, came for the summer seasons and was their undisputed king of the kitchen for 25 years.

During the 1930s the Wigwam was given a new roof and new beds – spring mattresses instead of felt pads. The facelift also saw the gardens re-landscaped, water systems improved and a second dock put in.

After the Great Depression ended and the Second World War began, jobs were more plentiful and people began returning to the Wigwam mainly for day trips. Celebrities such as W.C. Fields and Lister Sinclair paid it visits.

Cpt. Stalker sold it in 1951, the new owners obtained a liquor licence (the Inn had been dry since prohibition) and advertised it not for the scenery but for dancing and partying.

More new owners in the 1960s improved docks and added a swimming pool. However, it was discovered that it had become a major gambling casino; two boats of RCMP officers raided it in the night and 15 people were arrested.

Wigwam Inn sat abandoned, ransacked by boaters; hippies moved in and used oak floors and bannisters in the fireplace. Plans to demolish it fortunately did not happen. It was used as a film location for the movie The Grove, then sat empty until 1972 when it was purchased by Tony Casano of Arjay Developments. Casano spent seven years working to restore the Wigwam, selling it in December 1979 and knowing it would not be torn down.

By 1985 it was purchased by the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club as a members’ private outstation.

There are other stories about Wigwam such as an apparent slashing and killing of one guest by another; the Ghost of Martha, who disappeared when walking her dog, and the rumours that Al Capone hid at the Inn.

Deep Cove Heritage Society’s Indian Arm Boat Cruise is Aug. 28, leaving the Deep Cove Government Wharf at 11 a.m. Tickets are $30 at deepcoveheritage.com or 604-929-5744. ■

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WIGWAM INN  ( Your browser does not support html5 audio. ) is a 40-room lodge built at the head of INDIAN ARM . B.F. Dickens purchased the land in 1906, planning a luxury lodge and cottage resort. Alvo von ALVENSLEBEN joined him as a partner in 1910, the year the first guests arrived. The grounds were terraced and emulated a German beer garden. Over the years the inn changed hands several times. In 1962 the RCMP raided it, charging criminal operations, including gambling. The ROYAL...

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