INSIDE

Whalen’s: New owners and open

When June Cumali came to visit Vancouver relatives and spent some time renting a Point Roberts cabin, she knew she wanted to always have a piece of Point Roberts. She didn’t find the residential property that was quite right so she started looking at commercial offerings.

“She gives me a call and says I bought myself a park!” recalls her husband Zulfi. “We thought this was just such a fantastic place for summer.”

June and Zulfi took over the Maple Beach vacation landmark Whalen RV Park on February 1. June has stocked up the small store at the park in anticipation of summer visitors.

“We have stuff people forget,” she said, from ketchup to bags of ice. The store also stocks the summertime favorites: ice cream, penny candies, cold drinks.

June and son Douglas have come up and will spend the summer running Whalen’s, while Zulfi plans to “commute” between their home in San Francisco and the Point.

“What we’re trying to do is get an idea of how things work and by mid-summer we can make plans for any changes,” Zulfi said. “Our goal is to improve what’s here right now.”

Wireless internet is already available at Whalen’s, but Douglas is hoping to set up a room for computer games. Zulfi is thinking of having more equipment for lawn games. Landscaping changes are already underway and June is hoping to have success with her favorite, blue morning glories.

Where Zulfi hopes not to see any changes is the back meadow, a circle of lawn surrounded by trees, which welcomes “no-hookup” campers.
“This is beautiful in here and we want to keep as much of that as we can,” he said. “This kind of thing won’t be around for long.”

The Cumalis will, however, look into getting an additional water connection so they could possibly provide more spots with water and electricity for recreational vehicles – of the 49 they now have three quarters are permanently rented.