Protection Island
- Protection Island ferry schedule
- Dinghy Dock Pub
- Protection Island FAQ (.pdf)
- Protection Island Cultural Historical Society
- Historic map of Protection Island, 1955 (before subdivision)
- Swimming to Protection Island
- Someone else's photos of Protection Island
- Protection Island real estate
- Moving to the island
Protection Island is a rare and beautiful kind of place; it's rare because it's a little island right in the city's harbour, without a bridge going to it. Imagine the result: a typical Georgia Strait island with tall forests and sandstone tidepools, but only a five minute boat ride from downtown.
The culture on Protection Island is part of the draw for visitors. This is a community where people know their neighbours, and if you don't say hello to the guy pushing a wheelbarrow down the street (most residents don't have a car on this side), you might as well be wearing a "tourist" sign on your shirt. There is an interesting blend of types of people here, too, characteristic of the gulf islands in general; there are hippies and rednecks and yuppies, all living in reasonable harmony. There are disputes, but they are handled with the kind of respect that's typical in intimate neighbourhoods.
Protection Island is so gorgeous, with its dense woods and beaches that turn exotically sandy when the tide is out. There are heron rookeries in the arbutus groves, where the herons protect their young from predatory eagles by croaking in unison, an intimidating prehistoric chant. Seals and otters also circle the island, which is great for the hundreds of kayakers that come exploring, or paddle joyfully back and forth from the city to their island getaways.
Picture this: Protection Island is the smaller of the two islands in Nanaimo Harbour. The other is Newcastle Island, a massive and densely forested Provincial historic island park. You can walk to Newcastle Island from Protection Island at low tide!
The Dinghy Dock is a floating pub on the city-side of Protection Island. You can take the Protection Connection ferry, a converted BC Ferries lifeboat, from downtown (near Port Place Mall on the waterfront). The crossing takes less than ten minutes in the little boat, which carries about 30 people comfortably. The pub serves seafood dishes as well as standard pub fare, and has a family section.
Moving to Protection Island
What a daunting task it is to move to this lovely island! There is no bridge, and no regular ferry that can carry a vehicle. But don't be discouraged - you can hire a barge to bring your effects, but it will cost you a pretty penny. Barge services can run up to 3 hundred dollars per hour, so islanders and would-be islanders typically do everything they can to find people interested in sharing the barge. Such as, "You use it to get your old car off the island, then I'll use it to bring my stuff over."
Once your barge lands on Protection Island, it may be a chore to get your stuff to your new place. Try to arrange to use someone's truck (many people keep cars and trucks over there), or, if your home is near a dock, use dollies and wheelbarrows. Nobody will look at you funny.
