It was the early morning hours of Dec. 31, when Gordie and Marilyn Graham sadly sat and watched while the at the far end of the boardwalk burned to the ground.

"We had no idea what was to come, and it came in a flood," the resort owners said in a statement to media. While the damage was catastrophic, "there was a flood of support, well wishes and shared memories that were sent to us and to those who have called Telegraph Cove home. They came from our local communities, Vancouver Island, all across Canada and internationally."

The Grahams stated because of all the heartfelt support being shown towards the resort, they decided to continue and rebuild the landmark North Vancouver Island resort back to what it once was.

"In fact, it became our responsibility to see that Telegraph Cove continues," they confirmed, adding they wanted to say thank you to all the local fire departments who "did such a wonderful job of containing the fire. Fortunately none of the accommodation was damaged."

With the approvals required from the Ministry of Environment and Department of Fisheries now in place, the rebuild has officially begun.

"The first step is the careful removal of debris, followed by cleanup of the remaining structures," the Grahams said, noting Abernethy Contracting is in charge of organizing and scheduling.

"Our insurance company has been tremendously supportive. The environmental and engineering companies, worked quickly to assist with the proposal necessary for approval before the cleanup could begin. The government agencies were also sensitive to the urgency, responding as soon as was possible, ensuring the proposal met all the necessary requirements."

The Grahams are aware how important the rebuild is to North Island tourism, and all the businesses and individuals affected by the loss.

"Hardy Bay Sawmills is busy milling the yellow cedar needed to replace the boardwalk and docks," they confirmed, noting Alert Bay Towing had just finished a job in Campbell River and were able to come directly to the Cove and start work.

"It was a beautiful sight to see the arrival of their barge and crane as they approached the harbour on March 6. Once the cleanup is done work will start on the dock area, Whale Watch Office, Bear Tours office, a new electrical distribution building and getting our sewage treatment plant operational," added the Grahams, pointing out all the rebuild work will be done by North Island companies.

"Telegraph Cove is an integral part of the North Island and very important to residents and businesses. We will work together to bring it back as soon as possible. We will keep putting out information bulletins as work progresses and plans are formed."