Submitted photos Trevor and Caroline Johnson with their children. The Johnsons, Curt and Sue Daltroy and Lorenzo Arcari, have purchased the old Rainbow Resort on Spectacle Lake and will be reopening it as Sonora Point Resort in April. They plan many chang

LOOMIS – The old Rainbow Resort Campground on Spectacle Lake has been purchased and reopened as the Sonora Point Resort.

The new owners are Trevor and Caroline Johnson, Lorenzo Arcari and Curt and Sue Daltroy. They all live in the Greater Vancouver Area of B.C. They will be opening for this camping season April 1 and will be open seven days a week though Sept. 30.

“We have an exceptional site located on a point on the north side, mid-way down beautiful Spectacle Lake. We are working hard to freshen up the campground and give our guests a great camping experience,” said Trevor Johnson, co-president of the resort.

Sonora Point offers campers access to great rainbow trout fishing and water-sports opportunities from an ideal setting. There are 34 full-service RV sites and 16 with power and water, as well as numerous tent sites. Many sites are located right on the waterfront and several under the shade of the many gorgeous trees.

“We offer our customers a free on-site private boat launch, free moorage (first come first served basis), heated washrooms with free hot showers, fire pits, horseshoe pits, fishing tackle, bait, boat fuel, ice and ice cream,” said Johnson. “In addition there is a large grassy green space suitable for sporting activities and kids play area. For rainy days there is a rustic clubhouse that we can open up for the children to play board games or watch videos in.”

There will be no grand opening this year; however, after the camping season is over the site will undergo a major renovation say the owners. They are planning to completely upgrade the site to a first class fully-gated and secured Private RV Resort with approximately 35-40 sites.

“When complete, it should be one of the best RV Resorts in the state offering owners and their guests the finest of amenities. Sonora Point Resort will be open year around for all season enjoyment of the area. It will be designed in a southwest desert architecture style,” Johnson said.

The group will also improve the shoreline and incorporate several green initiatives into the project that will minimize the impact of the resort on the environment, they say.

“We envision building a fantastic clubhouse with a heated outdoor pool, hot tub, change rooms, laundry, wet bar, big screen TV, pool table, fireplace, kids’ playroom, fitness room and more. All of the RV sites will be full hookup and include optional satellite, telephone, internet hookup and storage sheds,” he said. “There will be moorage for approximately 15 boats (five more than currently) and a secure boat trailer storage compound that includes several heated RV storage units. When completed, the resort will be a highly desirable state of the art, RV Resort.”

For the last several years the group has been looking for waterfront properties, however, the traditional cabin on the water has become so expensive that the dream of ever owning one is rapidly dwindling away, according to Johnson.

“An RV site, on the other hand, is much more affordable and much more practical than owning a house or cabin on the water. You can drive your RV into the site and enjoy all of the amenities without the hassle associated with all of the maintenance involved with full home ownership,” he said, adding, “And when you leave the site, their in no worrying about your home getting destroyed or vandalized, because you take your home with you.”

Many of their family and friends share their thoughts on this issue of recreation property ownership; consequently they had been actively seeking a site.

“Many of us from the west coast of British Columbia spend considerable time in the Osoyoos area of Canada each year because of the dry, warm climate and relaxing, slow paced lifestyle. But Osoyoos is rapidly changing and the lake is becoming overcrowded with boat traffic and the charm is gone. When we ventured south from Osoyoos into the United States, we found the same warm climate, friendly warm people and a small town charm that Osoyoos no longer offered. We fell in love with the area and in particular, the site on Spectacle Lake. The minute we drove on to the property, we new we had found something very special and decided to purchase it right away. We decided soon afterwards that we would build a first class RV Resort that local people and our friends could enjoy year round,” Johnson said.

“What we offer now is a friendly little campground in a great spot at affordable prices. What we will offer in the near future is a new, state of the art, environmentally friendly RV Resort at affordable prices that will bring many economic spin-offs to the area. As well as providing construction opportunities for the local residents, the resort will bring in substantial tourist dollars for many years to come,” he adds.

The men are employed in the Vancouver area as professional firefighters.

Between the owner’s families there are four children ranging from five to 17 years in age.

“We are looking forward to spending quality time with our families at this wonderful location, over the coming years. This desire to satisfy all of our family’s recreational wants is the driving force behind creating a top notch resort,” said Johnson.

The Sonora Point Resort is located at 761 Loomis-Oroville Highway.