Wildlife and Topography on Gabriola Island

Gabriola topography is incredible.  The island offers a wide variety from forests to beaches, to rock cliffs and rugged shores.  Plant life is abundant and at this time of the year it is very green here.  There are a variety of old growth cedars, hemlock, elder and maple trees.  The arbutus tree is one of my favorites.  There are also plenty of bright floral splashes now as there are still some rhodo's in bloom.
Gabriola Island is home to a number of different wildlife and animals.  So far we have seen several Bald Eagles, hummingbirds, robins, blue heron, black-tailed deer, star fish, oysters, sea lions and seals.

The Havens, Gabriola Island

Located at 240 Davis Road, Gabriola Island, B.C.
Today we decided to go back over to the Havens to look around in the day time.  Last week we spent Sat. evening listening to Valdy and Gary Fjellgaard here.
The Havens is a centre for growth and is a not-for-profit charitable organization.  It offers programs for personal and professional growth and development.  The Haven was founded in 1983 by Bennet Wong and Jock McKeen.

the Havens, Gabriola, Island, B.C.

Activitity and Art on Gabriola Island

There's no shortage of outdoor activities as this community has sailing, boating, sea kayaking, fishing, diving, cycling, golfing and camping.  Plenty to do!

Also, Gabriola seems to come alive at this time of year.  In the spring there are a number of festivals and events going on.  This extends through the summer and into the fall.

August 16 to 18 is the Theatre Festival on Gabriola Island.  It is a celebration of arts in the community.  There will be live theatre, Street Art Market, Street Fair, musicians, and much more.

Gabriola is believed to have one of the highest density of artists in any community in Canada.  October 12 through to October 14th, the 17th Annual Gabriola Studio Tour takes place.  More than forty artists are opening their studios to the public.  I have looked at the Tour brochure and am impressed by the variety of art to be included.  Everything from paintings, fused-glass, ceramic, pottery, jewellery, photographs,  art quilts and textile art, wood-works, unique leather purses,

Plus there is a market every Saturday at this time of the year.  You can find fresh baked pies, bread, organic fresh produce, vegetables, honey, home-made jam, jewellery and all sorts of other goodies.

Twin Beaches, Gabriola Island

May 18, 2013
We are all still tired from the drive and move here, so today we are just exploring a couple of the beaches and areas that are close to us.

Twin Beaches are located on the north-west corner of the island.  It consists of the Pilot Bay Beach on one side of the road and Taylor Bay on the other side.

Pilot Bay Beach

Taylor Bay

Casey's had enough travel

Lexi still wants to explore

We also stopped at Descanso Bay and enjoyed exploring and walking out on the rock ledges to explore the tide pools.  There was a blue heron standing on the beach and the Bald Eagles kept flying overhead.  I think they have nests in the trees nearby.

Lexi checking out the tide pool

The Arbutus Tree, Gabriola Island, B.C.

The Arbutus is a deciduous, broad-leafed evergreen tree.  It is not a typical deciduous tree as it always has leaves.  New leaves grow as the old ones die, but there is never a moment with no leaves. In the summer, the reddish brown bark sheds it's skin.  This bark is paper thin and curls up and falls off leaving an exposed layer of green which eventually turns reddish orange again.  These trees do not like a lot of soil and only grow close to the ocean.

 

The berries on the Arbutus tree in August

The bark on the Arbutus tree in August
 

Arbutus Tree, Gabriola Island

 

Homes on Gabriola Island

Homes on Gabriola Island are generally on lots of a half-acre to 5 acres or more.  There is no municipal water or sewer system on the island and so most homes have water wells and septic fields. 
There are a broad array of types of homes ranging from rustic to very modern.  There is eclectic and interesting architecture and design.  You will see many geodesic domes and yurts.

Pilot Bay, Gabriola Island

May 29, 2013
It has been rainy the last couple of days.  Regardless, we decided to go back to Pilot Bay and go for a walk on the beach.  The tide was out and we found some very interesting rock formations that run along the shoreline of this beach.  There were also plenty of oysters to be found. 
Note:  The harvest of these "bivalves" is unsafe at present as they are affected by red tide according to the Fisheries Website that I found on the Internet.
We find that we are trying to embrace the rainy days.  So despite the rain, we are taking in the beauty around us, from every tree, from every rock and from every ocean current.  Jake, our dog just loves running and exploring here.

Gabriola Island is no stranger to the rain and we find we finally are soaked through our rain-proof wind breakers and head back to the truck.  We found out that it is important for us to go and buy some good quality rain coats and to wear layers of clothing to stay warm and dry so that we can enjoy the rain. 

There is something indescribably wonderful and renewing about the fresh salty sea air.    Today, I was initially hesitant about going out for our walk as it would have been easier to hibernate and read,  but I am totally glad that we went.  Rainy days can hold adventure!

Back in the truck we decide to drive further down Berry Point Road to Orlebar Point.  Here we viewed the Entrance Island Lighthouse and the ferry coming across from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo.  We will definitely come back here on a sunny day to explore the beach.

Entrance Island Lighthouse

History and The Hippies of Gabriola Island

In the 1950's, fewer than 400 people lived full time on the island.  Electricity came in 1955.
Gabriola became a haven for many young people in the early 1970's who were seeking an alternative lifestyle, freedom and mind altering drugs.
It is said that with $12.00 down/ $12.00 month/ and $1,200. full price, you could buy a lot on Gabriola Island.
The "hippies" came with their guitars, beads, long hear, funny hats and clothes to stay on the Island.  It was a time to party and smoke pot.  It was a haven for long time peace and social activists.

Valdy and Gary Fjellgaard Concert

May 26, 2013

The Haven,  Gabriola Island

Tonight we went over to the Haven to a concert.  Valdy and Gary Fjellgaard played guitars and sang.  Both are "Islanders".  We have both been to their concerts before in Calgary and in Okotoks and we enjoy their music.  The difference being that tonight we are "Islanders", too.

Then from the row behind us we overhear a woman talking about her new neighbors and how she listened to their water pump going continuously.  She went on for about 5 minutes talking about how they must have come from the city and must be washing everything in the house and didn't they know that they should watch their water use.  We know that she isn't our neighbour, because we have met our neighbour and she is nice.  Secondly, we are very water conscious as we had a well and septic system in our other home, too.  George finally turned around and introduced us to them and said that we were new on the island - I think her mouth dropped open- but then he went on to say that we are very water conscious.  She never did introduce herself???   I wonder to myself  "how long does it take before you become a true islander ?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xt8rPJqPxQ

May 25, 2013
We have been on the island a week now and have really enjoyed ourselves.  Today, we are taking the ferry back over to Nanaimo to do some shopping and then go for supper at our friends in Nanoose Bay.  Nanoose Bay is located appr. 20 km north of Nanaimo or 15km south of  Parksville.
Our shopping excursion reminds us of being back in Calgary as it is hectic and busy in Nanaimo being it is Saturday.  Our supper and visit with Gary and Shirley was great - as usual.  Thanks for the delicious supper!

Going back to Gabriola Island

Malaspina Galleries, Gabriola Island

Malaspina Galleries

May 21, 2013
Today we are going to the Malaspina Galleries for our walk and to explore.  Malaspina Galleries is accessible by a short trail located at the end of Malaspina Drive.
Here we find an example of nature's art as the sandstone cliffs have been sculpted by the ocean's tides and movement until the sandstone looks like huge waves.

Geo standing inside one of the sandstone waves

Silva Bay, Gabriola Island

May 21, 2013
Today, we drove around the island.  A narrow paved road circles the island which is about 16 km in length and 7 km wide.  It is called the North Road on the north side and of course, the South Road on the south side.  Off of these main roads are many wandering dead-end streets, such as Whalebone and Berry Point.
Half  way around the island we stopped at Silva Bay for lunch and sat out on their patio overlooking the Silva Bay Marina.  It is a great casual pub-style restaurant.  They have the freshest calamari that we have had for a long time.  This along with the fresh Caesar salad and the view was well worth the drive.

Silva Bay, Gabriola Island

The tides are extreme right now.  The fishing report for the Sounder News says that "a low of .8 to a high of 15.8" and depths are variable from 65' to 180'.  The weather has been rainy.

Folklife Village, Gabriola Island, B.C.

Don't expect to find fast food restaurants or big box stores when you go to Gabriola.  The Island does have several good restaurants and an interesting town centre on North Road a few minutes uphill from the ferry terminal.
The province of British Columbia built a pavilion to represent the province's native and settler cultures to the world for Expo '86 held in Vancouver, B.C.  After Expo was finished, the pavilion was sold, dismantled and put on barges and stored.
A couple of years later, the Gabriola Island Trustees were presented with a plan and drawings to move and once again set up the village as a commercial center on Gabriola Island.  It took about two years to re-construct the village and today it's extensive post and beam structure is perfect for the Folklife Village Centre.  The grocery store, drug store, real estate office, library, the Old Crow Cafe, and several other smaller shops can be found here.

The Climate on Gabriola Island, B.C.

The climate on Gabriola Island is considered to be Mediterranean which is characterized by warm to hot, dry summers and mild to cool, wet winters.
July average temperature is 17 degrees centigrade with only 1" precipitation.
Jan average temperature is 3.7 degrees centigrade and an average precipitation of 5".

Living on an Island

On May 16, 2013 we took possession of our home on Gabriola Island, B.C., and we will eventually be retiring here.

Gabriola Island is a twenty minute ferry ride from the city of Nanaimo across the North Umberland Channel. The island is one of the largest of the Southern Gulf Islands with a population of appr. 5,000 people.

Quinsam returning to Nanaimo

Gabriola Island is a haven for artists, retirees and to those who simply wish for a slower pace of life.  It truly is quiet and tranquil.  In fact, at times the sense of tranquility is inescapable here. " Island time" is a reality here.

Gabriola's name is thought to have been derived following the arrival of Jose Maria Narvaez on the island in 1791 when he christened it as Punta de Gaviola.  The earliest settlers on the island can be traced back to the late 1800's.  Many were blended families with European men and First Nations wives.  The heritage belongs to the Snu Neymuxw First Nations.   In the mid 70's and 1980's "hippie immigration" caused the population to rise  to around 2,000 people.

Today, as a broad generalization the people of Gabriola are typically self-sufficient, artistic, perhaps eccentric, retired or old hippies.  There are also many affluent families who own the oceanfront homes and vacation properties.  Most locals that we have met seem friendly and are very passionate about "their" island.

Discussion usually centres around water, the shortage of  water during summer droughts, collection of water and the amount of water used.  Garbage and recycling is taken seriously as all garbage has to be taken off of the island.  Sustainability and respect for the environment, along with recycling, are on the islander's mind at all times.  Gabriola is definitely a "Green Island".

Spring on Gabriola Island

The temperature is mild now and the light rain comes early in the morning.  It is nice to see the Rofous hummingbirds that are feeding at the feeder now.  They hummingbirds seem to appear out of nowhere in their high speed, zooming dive down to get their drink from the feeder.

We have noticed that the Western Tent caterpillars are taking over the Alder trees.  They fall out of the sky and land on you.  Hopefully the brown bats that we see flying at night will eat them.  At night when we walk I am afraid of the bats when they seem to swoop down at you.

Another not so nice thing are the big black slugs that are on the wet grass or under the leaves of plants.  They say there are 49 species of slugs in B.C.

Our First Days on Gabriola Island

May 14, 2013

Last on the ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo, B.C.

George and I took our truck and a rented 6x12ft. U-haul trailer packed with necessities and some furniture for our first stay at our new home on the Island of Gabriola. I must commend George on the amount of items that he packed into that small trailer with the help of Ant, our son-in-law.   Everything we needed except the spaghetti  strainer!

Gabriola Island has a tranquil, friendly vibe and you feel an immediate sense of relaxation as soon as you get off of the ferry.

Leaving Nanaimo, B.C.

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Claire and Ant, along with our two grand-kids, drove out in their car to help us unload and to have a short holiday.   Thank you for all your help!

Claire, Casey and Lexi at Descanso Bay

Tent Caterpillars on Gabriola Island

Tent caterpillars are dropping down out of the trees with a vengeance.  They are a native insect to this area and their natural targets seem to be the deciduous trees, such as our elders.  I have read that when they get dense like this they get a viral disease tat is specific to them and kills many of them.  The rest of the caterpillars hatch into moths, which lay many eggs.

During this heavy infestation they feed and defoliate the trees.  It is recommended that with the few trees in our yard that are affected, hand picking or cutting of the nests in the evening when the caterpillars have returned to their nest can help reduce damage.  Burn the nests, or put into bags for disposal.  If they are left alone they will naturally decline and continue their cycle.  I think we will let nature take it's place!

Our Reasons for Buying our Retirement Home on Gabriola Island

We purchased our retirement home on Gabriola Island because:
-it has easy access to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island with only a twenty minute ferry ride.
-it is in a semi-rural area on a somewhat modern island
-the island stills has old charm
-it is restful and there is a sense of peaceful tranquility here
-it is connected to the rest of the world and has high speed internet, TV, Telephones, etc.
-Self-sufficient community with friendly people
-it has a brand new medical centre with a helicopter ambulance pad and a pharmacy.
-there is sea plane that goes to Vancouver
-the island has it's own Fire Dept and RCMP Station
-there are food growers and a local market with local produce
-there is a supermarket food store, Restaurants, Coffee Shops, Library, Drug Store, Dental Clinic, Chiropractor, Physio, massage, vet clinic, Gas and Propane station, Credit Union,
-The island has a low crime rate
-there are plenty of hiking trails and shores to explore.
-No big industry or pollution on the island.  Clean air.
-The island has half the rainfall that Vancouver has.
-Property values are good still.

Gabriola Island

Accommodation on Gabriola Island, B.C.

Despite the fact that there are no hotels on the island, there are many B&B's and cottages rentals to choose from.
We stayed at the Hummingbird Lodge B&B when we first came to Gabriola Island to look at properties back in March.  The Hummingbird is a hand-built  5000 sq ft home made from the cedar and alder trees from that property.

Boyd Schlenker - Rest in Peace

Thank you to all of you that have offered us your prayers and support with the recent loss of our son, Boyd Schlenker, on August 16, 2012.  It has been much appreciated.