Stay & Play

Strike Gold at the Oak Island Resort

by Jennifer Merrick

The Holy Grail? Pirate loot? Shakespeare’s manuscripts? Could any of these treasures be buried on Oak Island, a 140-acre isle located in Mahone Bay on the south shore of Nova Scotia? Many believe just that and since the late 18th century, treasure hunters have poured massive amounts of money, time and resources in the quest to discover what secrets and riches it guards

The latest treasure hunters to stake their claim are Rick and Marty Lagina, two brothers from Michigan whose escapades are being filmed by the History Channel in the reality series, The Curse of Oak Island. It’s the highest rated show on the channel with 4.1 million viewers.

The brothers’ finds were fascinating, challenging the historic timeline of European contact in North America. Not only were the storylines riveting but so was the place itself. Each time I saw the aerial view of the forested island and the Atlantic coast, I vowed I would visit. So this summer our family drove 1800 kms to Nova Scotia to see it for ourselves.

We stayed at the Oak Island Resort & Conference Centre, and though it wasn’t on the famous island that bears its name, the property was directly across from it. It was a gem of a resort with 32 acres of green spaces and ocean shoreline to enjoy. The 102 rooms were newly renovated with a nautical-themed décor fitting for its location and accommodation choices ranged from classic guest rooms to private oceanside chalets and villas. Amenities and activities included indoor and outdoor pools, hot tub, tennis court, equipment rentals (including SUP, kayaks and bikes) firepits, restaurant, bar (with nightly entertainment) and tours.

We were especially thrilled to partake in the Salty Dog Tour given by Tony Sampson, a professional diver and regular on the show. A natural storyteller, he regaled us with tales of pirates, sharks, mysteries and, of course, Oak Island, while we motored around the island in his comfy Tritoon boat. We stopped at the ‘Oak Island Triangle’, where countless electronic failures and unexplained phenomena have occurred; Smiths Cove, where the 14th century Knights of the Templar iron cross was unearthed and the Money Pit.

Would this be the season the Lagina brothers find the treasure? I wished them all the best, but as far as I was concerned, the Holy Grail was all around us. In the past two days, we had sat on the rocks of the Atlantic Ocean at Peggy’s Cove, admired the majestic Bluenose II at full mast in the colourful village of Lunenburg, kayaked in the calm protected waters at Blue Rocks and dropped our jaws more than a few times at the views we encountered on our drives through the region. Other visitors have felt the same according to Tony.

“With the popularity of the show, we’ve had a lot of tourists come to see Oak Island, and they fall in love with Nova Scotia”.