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In May 1997, after years of being totally frustrated trying to prepare and outfit themselves for journeys at home and abroad, Shelagh and Jack Saprunoff opened The Traveller's Tale. Their mission was to provide a travel resource centre for the north island region of Vancouver Island. The centre would carry all the paraphernalia required by travellers. This would include maps and guides for early planning, a selection of high performance luggage and packs, practical day bags, a full selection of electrical adapters and transformers, accessories, and security items. Traveller's Tale set out to make the preparation and planning of a journey as successful and as much fun as the voyage itself.

Travel is a bug and once you've been bitten it's impossible to resume a travel-free existence. Catching the bug early on, the Saprunoffs planned their first cycle trip from Amsterdam to Zurich in their mid-twenties. By that time, each of them had a couple of "OE's" (overseas experiences) under their belts. Moving to the Comox Valley in 1982, they were able to balance the benefits of a smaller community with the need to explore different parts of the world. However, Jack's teaching position fell victim to the restraint program and, as is often the case, this opened other doors. They set off with daughter Megan in hand and spent the next five years living and working abroad. Upon re-establishing themselves in the Valley after years on the road, the Saprunoffs came to the conclusion that there was no point fighting it, they may as well give themselves over completely to the "travel bug"! Hence the creation of The Traveller's Tale.

The store has evolved over the years in response to the needs of the travelling public on the north island. The Armchair Travel series, which started as an opportunity for travellers to share information and experiences proved overwhelmingly successful. This led to First Time Out travel seminars focusing on specific locations, such as Southeast Asia, and Europe. The culmination of the Saprunoff's vision occurred in the summer of 1999 when they were able to share the passion for travel by taking two groups of clients cycling in France.

The only downside for the small shop in The Courtyard was that it was bursting at the seams. It was unable to accommodate increasing inventory levels, and people were tired of standing room only for the various slide presentations, seminars and other events. So in 2000, in a great leap sideways, the store expanded into the space next door. In 2003 the Saprunoffs realized their original concept by joining forces with Panorama Travel Consultants Ltd. in order to create a total travel facility.

Since opening in May 1997, The Traveller’s Tale has set out to become the ultimate launch pad for travellers of all stripes. Last spring with the arrival of Panorama Travel Consultants, we have been able to assist in making travel arrangements of all types from the simplest, to the most complex. The focus is on developing itineraries that truly meet the needs of the traveller. After years of supplying and outfitting the travellers of the Comox Valley from soup to nuts, or from travel guides to maps to luggage and all the accessories in between, as well as taking care of planes, trains and automobiles, it was time to complete the puzzle!

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