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British Columbia Destinations
Galleries, beaches attract visitors to Gabriola
Island
by Sandy Campbell
Looking for an island retreat? You don’t have to go
to the Caribbean. Gabriola Island, which lies just off Nanaimo
on Vancouver Island is a great place to slow down and relax.
Less developed and wellknown than some of the other Gulf Islands,
Gabriola nonetheless has all of the amenities one needs.
To get to Gabriola, you take a 22-minute ferry trip from
Nanaimo. At the ferry dock, you will encounter the Coffee
Bug (a Volkswagen Beetle converted to a mobile espresso bar)
and the White Hart Pub.
On the island you have a choice of accommodation. There are
two resorts and a “Boatel” – a boat motel,
for those who arrive by water. The marina offers nautical
services as well as a restaurant, coin-operated laundry and
showers. There is also a very pleasant campsite on the island
and charming bed and breakfasts and cottages for rent.
Island features include restaurants, a museum, a small shopping
mall, golf course, a weekly farmers’ market, and of
course, the beaches.
A primary Gabriola attraction is the work of local crafts
people and artists. There are numerous potters, painters,
silversmiths, leather workers and other artisans on the island.
Plan at least a day just for gallery-hopping. As you drive
around the island, there are signs for galleries at many driveways.
Many artists invite you in to their galleries and workshops
to see their art.
Others artists have a small booth at the end of the drive,
where they display their artwork. Often these are unmanned.
If you find something you like, you just write a cheque, drop
it into the box and off you go.
The Saturday morning farmers’ market brings out many
of the artists and crafts people to one site. Additionally,
the local farmers bring their fruit, vegetables, herbs and
honey. Kitchen products such as baking, jams and chutneys
are also available.
The beaches also draw people to Gabriola. While there are
high cliffs on the west side of the island, the other sides
all have beaches. You can stay a week and visit a different
beach each day.
The island boasts three provincial parks and one regional
park. There are many access points to the water. Watch for
yellow markers at the trail heads. At Drumbeg Provincial Park,
on the southeast tip of the island, you can climb the rocks
and look for shells, starfish and driftwood. The marina and
yacht club are nearby, so there are always lots of boats to
watch. As you walk through the park, you find yourself in
an unusual Garry Oak forest ecosystem.
On the north end of the island, take Taylor Bay Road to the
Malaspina Galleries. These are rock overhangs that have been
created by the waves undermining the cliff. It looks like
a wave frozen in stone.
Further along Taylor Bay Road, you’ll come to Gabriola
Sands Provincial Park and the Twin Beaches. The beaches are
on either side of the road. These are sand beaches, suitable
for swimming. An annual sand castle building contest is held
here in the summer.
Even further along Taylor Bay Road is Olebar Point. While
there are a few picnic tables and benches here, this is a
windswept rocky point, where you will probably want to just
take in the beauty of the island scenery.
Much of Gabriola is still forested, although there have been
some selective logging operations in the centre of the island.
There are no large predators, save the occasional cougar
which swims from the mainland and you are guaranteed to see
deer on a trip to the island. Many residents feed the deer,
so it is not unusual to see them in people’s back yards
and drivers are warned to watch out for the animals (as well
as pets and children).
Gabriola is also a great place for bird watching. You’ll
be sure to see chestnut-sided chickadees, pigeon guillemots,
rufous-sided towhees and Stellar’s jays in addition
to the usual ducks and gulls.
Once you’ve been to all the beaches and galleries,
there’s still more to do. Scuba diving, whalewatching,
canoeing and kayaking, float-plane tours and water tours are
all available from Gabriola.
Gabriola now has a population of about 5,000 and, while there
are more dwellings being built, it is beginning to reach its
human capacity.
We noticed that on hot afternoons it was often difficult
to find a parking spot near a beach. In the mornings, however,
we sometimes found ourselves alone on the beaches.
If you’re not used to “island time,” you
may find the ferry waits tiresome. Locals know that you need
to go down to the ferry dock about an hour ahead and take
a book or the newspaper.
While the ferry holds about seventy cars and runs hourly,
there is sufficient traffic volume on weekends that you may
have to wait a sailing before you get on.
To attempt to divert some of the traffic away from the weekends,
senior citizens get free personal passage Monday through Thursday.
If you plan to go over to Nanaimo during your stay, you may
want to pick up books of round-trip passenger and vehicle
tickets before crossing to Gabriola the first time. These
represent a substantial savings.
Further information:
British Columbia Provincial Parks: www.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/explore.htm
BC Ferries Schedules: www.bcferries.com/schedules/
Gabriola Island Chamber of Commerce: www.gabriolaisland.org/GICC/home.htm
Follow the “Exploring Gabriola” link to find a
detailed map of the island.
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