Gulf Islands

Today I am taking the dinghy to one of the Gulf Islands' hidden gems, Saturnina Island, a small, protected island just off the east coast of Gabriola Island in British Columbia. Although it looks like a quiet, untouched island today, Saturnina has a fascinating...

Cowichan Tribes Department of Lands and Self Governance has worked with a contractor to install markers in Cowichan Bay to denote voluntary no-anchor zones for the protection of eelgrass. In cooperation with SeaChange Marine Conservation Society, ongoing monitoring of...

Some of my favourite boating destinations aren't planned months in advance. They're discovered because the anchorage is peaceful, the weather is calm, and someone mentions, "There's a really good restaurant just around the corner." That's exactly how I found Mañana...

A new museum project commemorates the Japanese community on Gabriola Island before their forced removal between 1942 and 1949. The main exhibit is at Gabriola Museum with satellite components at Page’s Resort & Marina and Page’s Inn on Silva Bay, a popular...

Did you know that Page’s Resort & Marina on Gabriola Island in British Columbia was a thriving fish camp nearly a century ago? The Koyama Fish Camp was operated on this site in beautiful Silva Bay by Kanshiro Koyama from the late 1920s until the war years, when he...

The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority has installed “seabins” at the Inner Causeway and at Fisherman’s Wharf to sustain healthy waters in the area. Seabins operate by attracting and trapping floating debris and pollutants, such as plastics, paper, fuel, and...

The beautiful vineyards and accompanying bistro have returned to Saturna Island thanks to members of the Hayward family, who purchased the site in 2020 and have restored the property to its former glory. They have remediated the vineyards and revitalized the three...

Boaters are reminded to stay outside of the No-Go Sanctuary Zones established in the Gulf Islands to protect Southern Resident killer whales (Orcas). In past seasons a number of boaters received registered letters in the mail from Transport Canada, citing violations...

The BC Marine Parks Forever Society is an offshoot of the Council of BC Yacht Clubs cbcyachtclubs.org, representing 15,000 boaters. The Society is non profit and an all volunteer run organization with members on both sides of the Canada/U.S. border. The organization...

In November of 2023, the Ladysmith Maritime Society (LMS) launched legal proceedings so as to continue operating their Ladysmith Community Marina on the leased water lot at Ladysmith, BC. Background. Since 2009, the Ladysmith Maritime Society had a lease agreement...

Bute Island located in the southeastern portion of Ladysmith Harbour, BC is one of those local, best-kept secrets. This small Regional Park is accessible by boat, kayak, and canoe, with a public float available for day use. Now boaters have the option of tying to one...

Due to a signed Reconciliation Agreement, the Province and City of Ladysmith are in a transition period for the transfer of the leased water lot to the Stz’uminus First Nation. This transfer has raised concerns about the future of the Ladysmith Community Marina, which...

Recreational boaters visiting the Victoria BC Harbour now have another option for guest moorage, namely Village Marina located just north of the Johnson Street Bridge on the east bank. Village Marina in Victoria’s Upper Harbour is now managed by the world-class...

Boaters are in for a delightful experience at Telegraph Harbour Marina on Thetis Island. The marina was recently purchased by a young couple, who are themselves boaters, and extend a warm, heartfelt welcome to visitors. Their four young children add to the friendly,...

An air of mysticism still hangs over the islands of De Courcy and Valdes, left from the 1920s when these remote islands were occupied by followers of a cult leader known as Brother XII. Edward Arthur Wilson, later known as Brother XII, traveled the world as a mariner...