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Hornby is called the jewel of the Gulf Islands, with the finest of sand beaches, diverse forests, abundant sealife, and its own unique culture. Our diverse forest ecology ranges from dry arbutus (madrona) and oak groves on the south shores to coastal rain forest inland. Our sea life is abundant and accessible.
We are located in the Gulf of Georgia, an inland sea protected from the open Pacific Ocean by the barrier of Vancouver Island. We have the full tidal range of the open ocean, but warmer water in summer and protection from the ocean swells.
This picture shows The Quilt for 2004. Every year the Quilters Guild asssembles a quilt to be auctionned off for charity, which is mounted on a dedicated frame at the Co-op store for most of the summer.
We are accessible by BC Ferries from Buckley Bay on Vancouver Island: one ferry to Denman Island, a drive across Denman and another ferry to Hornby Island, taking about 50 minutes in all. Buckley Bay is about one hour's drive up-island from Nanaimo.
There is no public transit either across Denman Island or on Hornby Island. The second most frequent form of travel is by bicycle, the third is by thumb.
Tribune Bay is a popular summer anchorage, and we have a small vessel port at Ford Cove.
In the 1950's Hornby Island was a failing farming community no longer able to compete in supplying garden produce to Vancouver. In the 1960's it became a haven for alternate lifestyles. Many of the 1960's residents remain on the island to-day as organic farmers, artisans or artists. At its lowest point the population was estimated to be only 350 people. With the subsequent arrival of retirees, remote workers and X-generation dropouts we now have a population of about 1000 people. We ourselves first came to Hornby in 1970 as campers, and continued every year until 1996 when we moved here permanently. The 1970 ferry carried only five cars.
Because of the two ferries between us and Vancouver Island, we are not a bedroom community. We have our own culture and a history of resolving our own problems. Infrastructure tends to be developed by community effort, such as our Festival Hall, our Co-op Store and Our Recycling Depot and Free Store.
We have an abundant population of deer, with no predators: there are no wolves, coyotes, bear or cougars. There probably have been predators in the past and there will be in the future, but now we have so many deer that they eat virtually everything they can get at except salal, ferns, daffodils or (sometimes) rhododendrons. For some reason we also have no racoons or squirrels, but possums have recently appeared.
The first thing that attracted summer visitors to Hornby Island, and still the primary draw, was the beaches. Tribune Bay is the best sand beach in the Gulf Islands. There are also fine sand beaches at Little Tribune Bay and Whaling Station Bay. For many years there was a Lodge at Tribune Bay. The beach at Tribune Bay is now a Provincial Park. The buildings of the old Hornby Island Lodge were saved from destruction by community effort and now serve as an outdoor school site for the Comox Valley.
The rock and gravel beaches are perhaps more interesting because of the abundant intertidal sea life, and are still swimmable. The best accessible gravel beaches are in Halliwell Provincial Park, Grassy Point and Phipps Point. For an adventure, walk the beach from Fords Cove to Shingle Spit, but watch the tide.
It so happens that the lowest tides occur during the middle of the day in summer - in winter they are in the middle of the night. Our maximum tidal range is 16 feet.
After the beaches, the next attraction of Hornby Island has been the artists, originally the potters, but increasingly workers in other media. Our potters, and those of Denman Island, offer products at a full range of quality and price. Pottery and art are for sale at the potters' studios or at the Marketplace at the Co-op store. There are art galleries at Fords Cove and at 1665 Central Road. Art work is also often displayed at the Co-op store, Seabreeze Lodge and the restaurant at The Thatch.
The annual quilt show happens on Sunday of the August long weekend.
The annual Hornby Festival features world-class entertainers, and runs for 10 days at the beginning of August. The Festival office number is 250-335-2734. The Festival Society also sponsors other events throughout the year.
The island is replete with musicians who morph into groups for various functions. In summer the Pub, the Bakery, Vorizo and Joe King Park all have musical evenings. There is an annual Blues Workshop in May. We have Celtic festivals, fiddle camps, and visiting artists of many kinds. Music from Borodin to BB King. Not to mention the new girls' marimba band.
You can rent bikes or kayaks, or go on a diving expedition.
Previous logging in the Uplands area has left behind a network of roads and trails, which are now used for hiking and biking. Northlands Trail is maintained as an active road for fire and rescue access. Most of the other old roads have eroded out and are impassible to 4-wheelers, but still used for 2-wheelers and pedestrians. Some new trails have been created by the bicyclers. Mountain biking is a relatively new activity on Hornby Island, which is now considered to be one of the top venues in the province for racing.
The upland trails are in use year-round. There is easy access from the Fire Hall, the top of Slade Road and from Strachan Road. Pick up a map at the Bike Shop.
At the annual herring spawn and roe fishery in March, man and nature go berserk. Hundreds of eagles perch in trees overlooking the beaches, thousands of gulls line the beaches. The sea lions which winter here stay for this event and then leave. There are up to 50 fish boats in our waters, built specially for herring fishing. We also have planes flying around spotting the herring, Fisheries zodiacs monitoring the fishermen, even Search and Rescue. The fishery may last only a few hours, but the spawn goes on for several days.
The area around Hornby and Denman Islands is the last big herring run on the coast, all the rest having been fished out. We are hoping to see it closed for a time to allow it and other stocks to recover, but whether or not there is fishing, it is a great spectacle. The roe which washes up on shore can be up to 8 inches in depth. Roe deposited on wrack is apparently a Japanese delicacy. You can try it here for free.
On average, July is the driest month of the year, according to unofficial records taken on the island. Next is September, then August and then May. There is more rainfall in June than in May. There is usually a three-week stretch of warm dry weather sometime in May. This is a great time to visit the island on a whim.
Autumn is our favourite time of the year. The crowds are gone but the weather is still good. In a summer like last year, the swimming is still good. The trails are dry, the beaches and parks are empty. Try out your fungus hunting.
In September the island returns to its quieter winter mode, starting with a celebration when the last ferry leaves on Labour Day. Community activities like Scottish dancing, community dinners and bridge recommence. Mountain biking carries on.
On average, there is less rainfall in September than in August, and this usually carries on until mid-October.
There is a cash machine at the Union Bay Credit Union at Shingle Spit (where the ferry lands), and one inside the Co-op store.
There is a liquor agency at the Co-op store and a store at the Thatch pub.