A family says they’re heartbroken after their remote fishing lodge was broken into and ransacked while the man whose dream it was to own it was in palliative care.

Ken Tanguay said he and his family are devastated that thieves busted their way into Cordero Lodge, located near East Thurlow Island, stole what they could and then vandalized everything else.

“They’ve destroyed the landing, the dock, gangways, they kicked in doors,” said Tanguay. “It’s one thing just to take stuff, okay fine, stuff can be replaced. But to outright try to damage and destroy something…his dream his whole life was to own a fishing lodge in the middle of somewhere and he could entertain people.”

Sayward RCMP said the break-in happened sometime between Jan. 19 and 29, with $10,000 of equipment being taken as well as “a considerable amount of damage” done to the property.

Items stolen include a large solid brass eagle statue, fishing gear, crab and prawn traps, generators, chainsaws, an industrial meat slicer, solar panels, a water turbine and two long-barrelled firearms.

It’s a massive blow to the family who say their father Lorrie is well-liked in the community of Qualicum Beach and is currently battling terminal cancer in palliative care.

Tanguay says the family can’t break the news to him over fear the devastation could make things worse.

“We can’t tell him. He’ll be gone the moment he’s told, I can see it. I just know it would gut him that much,” said Tanguay. “He’s a fighter but that would take the fight out of him.”

RCMP are investigating the incident and word is spreading to other remote facilities in the area. Tanguay is hoping the incident doesn’t destroy the family’s attempts to sell the lodge.

“It’s hard at this time that somebody would do something, especially when we have it up for sale and we have prospective buyers,” he said. “This could affect the sale of this and destroy that, and this would leave my mother destitute and possibly bankrupt.”

The lodge is only accessible by boat and is about 30 to 60 minutes away from the Browns Bay and Rock Bay boat launches.

He’s hoping anyone with information on the theft and vandalism will contact RCMP.

Anyone who knows something is asked to call RCMP at 250-282-5522 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

With a report from CTV Vancouver Island's Gord Kurbis