Genoa Bay’s rich and colourful history begins in 1848, when 10-year-old Giovanni Baptiste Ordano left Italy aboard his uncle’s sailing ship. By 1858, as a young trader, he spotted a small bay just west of Cowichan Bay and named it Genoa Bay after his birthplace. Ordano later settled in Cowichan Bay, opening the first store in the region and trading with Austrian, French, and Greek fishermen.

In 1873, Genoa Bay became home to the province’s largest sawmill, founded by W\.J. Sutton. The mill operated until 1925 and played a key role in supplying lumber to rebuild the waterfronts of San Francisco and Toronto. At its peak, the mill employed 125 people and the 25-acre site included 61 buildings—such as worker accommodations, a church, post office, school, mill offices, and more. Logs were floated down the Cowichan River and across Cowichan Bay to the mill, but a lack of fresh water—hauled over from Salt Spring Island—eventually forced the operation to close.

After sitting largely abandoned, Genoa Bay found new life in 1946 when three former naval officers built a resort featuring cottages, a 17-room lodge, a dining room, dance floor, swimming pool, and extensive docks. It quickly became a popular retreat, with floatplanes and boats arriving from Victoria and Vancouver. In 1959, William Morgan—rumoured to be a descendant of pirate-turned-governor Henry Morgan—purchased the resort and turned it into a bustling vacation spot.

The café that stands today was once the old mill’s storehouse. Moved to the shoreline between 1968 and 1970, it was transformed into a marine supply store and later a café. Over the years, additions were made, and the space expanded, but the original kitchen remains the same. Through every era—from sawmilling hub to seaside escape—Genoa Bay has maintained its unique character, charm, and deep ties to Vancouver Island’s maritime heritage.

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