The Sooke Harbour House is once again changing hands, marking a new chapter in the long and tumultuous history of the property.
The property was purchased for an undisclosed sum by West Vancouver businessman and restaurateur Luke Evanow, owner of Fred's Hospitality Group and Foundry Commercial Kitchens.
The listing for the Oceanfront Restaurant and Boutique Hotel from Colliers Canada included properties at 1528, 1529 and 1536 Whiffin Spit Rd. These amount to 3.04 acres of oceanfront property, 28 guest rooms, a fine dining restaurant and lounge space.
Colliers Canada confirmed that the sale closed July 23.
The sale comes less than one year after the Harbour House reopened its doors last year, under managing partner Andre St. Jacques. The property was purchased by IAG Enterprises in July 2020 for $5.6 million. Over $10 million was spent on renovations, which began in 2021 and were completed in 2024.
Colliers Canada's Brandon Selina, explained that IAG Enterprises opted to sell the property after determining it "did not fit into their long term investment portfolio."
Selina explained that Evanow bought the property with big plans for its future.
"I think he has quite a vision now to spend some more money on the building and renovate it, he's going to make some changes to the restaurant given his experience."
This is not the first time Harbour House has changed hands; in 2012, it was put up for sale for $5.9 million by the Philips family. After two years, they found Timothy Durkin, a potential buyer who claimed he intended to invest in the property. In 2020, the Philips family entered an extended legal battle with Durkin, who sued Frederique and Sinclair Philip for control of the business they founded in 1979.
However, in the end, it was the Philips who won the battle. In 2020 a B.C. Supreme Court judge awarded the pair more than $4 million for what was described as a 'six-year odyssey of lies, excuses, threats, intimidation and bullying' suffered at the hands of Durkin, who later had an additional $1.6 million penalty imposed on him for lying about ownership of the hotel to convince a Chinese citizen to invest in the property.
In 2023, a decision was made to deport Durkin from Canada for his involvement in organized crime, which involved a ponzi scheme he orchestrated in Alabama between 2009 and 2013. The decision was upheld in 2025, following an extensive dispute from Durkin.
The Harbour House was put up for sale for $5.63 million in April 2020 as part of a foreclosure sale ordered by the courts, and was later purchased by IAG Enterprises.
At one time, the hotel was one of the largest employers in Sooke and garnered international acclaim. In 2000, the New York Times called the Sooke Harbour House "one of Canada's half-dozen best restaurants."
