Getting to Gabriola Island is like following a treasure map — it takes a bit of planning and focused attention, but it’s worth it because you end up having found your way to a bright gem.
Gabriola is one of the Gulf Islands on BC’s southern coast. It’s not far, as the crow flies, from Vancouver or even Seattle, but the crow can fly straight over the water and we must take ferries or arrange for someone to fly us over. Take some time to coordinate the various elements of the trip. Ferries run on schedules, so allow ample time between legs of the journey, in case there’s heavy traffic in Vancouver or you’ll need to navigate through unfamiliar territory. Print what you need to (including this page or just the parts of it you’ll need) ahead of time. You might want to bookmark this page — there’s no navigation to it from my main website.
No matter where you begin your journey — unless you arrive on Gabriola by plane — you’ll need to get to Nanaimo. Nanaimo is a town on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The one and only ferry to Gabriola Island leaves from Nanaimo. There are several ferry docks in Nanaimo, so make sure you head to the right one. If you arrive from Vancouver, you’ll come in at the big dock, but need to drive further in to Nanaimo to get to the Gabriola ferry dock. You’ll find more details below.
Remember to bring your passport if you’re coming from the U.S. — an actual passport (vs. birth certificate) is now required for entry into Canada.
If you have a particular transportation need that’s not covered here, or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at grace at highlysensitivepower.com.
Quick Info
The Haven | 1-877-247-9238 | www.haven.ca
BC Ferries | 1-888-223-3779 | www.bcferries.com
Gabriola Taxi | 1-250-247-0049
Getting to Nanaimo | www.gonanaimo.com/nanaimo/transportation-to-nanaimo.html
Getting to The Haven | www.haven.ca/participants-info/getting-here.html
The Haven’s Ridesharing Board | www.haven.ca/shenblog (in left sidebar – scroll down)
Border crossing diagram of current conditions | www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/border/SR543_DutyFree.htm
Gabriola Island Chamber of Commerce | www.gabriolaisland.org/webpage.asp?PAGENAME=home
Google Map of Gabriola Island | www.gabriolaisland.org/GICC/main-map.htm
Options & Tips
Taking the train
Amtrack’s Cascades route offers a marvelous way to travel to Vancouver from as far south as Eugene, Oregon, or Seattle. The whole experience is much more gentle and comfortable than taking a long-distance bus like Greyhound and — here’s the best bit — if you book early enough, the cost is no more than taking the bus. | www.amtrakcascades.com
Driving up from the U.S.
You may be tempted to go through the Peace Arch border crossing, through Vancouver, and across to the West Vancouver ferry terminal in Horseshoe Bay. There’s an easier way. First, instead of going to the main Peach Arch border crossing, take Exit 262 (it’s a little ways south of Peach Arch) and cross the border via the truck crossing. It’s a full-service crossing and since the line-ups there are usually for truck traffic (they’re not allowed through at Peach Arch), the car traffic lines are sometimes (not always) shorter than at Peach Arch. Allow plenty of time to cross the border, no matter which option you choose — it can take a couple of hours during busy times like weekends.
In addition, rather than going through the busy city of Vancouver, go to the Tsawassen ferry dock, just north of the border crossing, and take a ferry right to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. From there, you just need to get to the Gabriola ferry dock. The journey is much more pleasant, unless you like driving in big cities. See below for more information about this route. If you look on this border crossing diagram showing current conditions — www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/border/SR543_DutyFree.htm, this crossing is the one that’s second from the left, route 15 is shown at the top, and it’s the “CARS” lane you’d be using there.
BC Ferries
The BC Ferries website has very detailed information about routes, schedules, and fares. Note that some routes allow you to reserve a spot in advance, to make a reservation for your vehicle to cross. If you’re a walk-on passenger, you don’t need to worry about getting on.
Here are a few links to the specific pages particularly useful for getting to Gabriola Island:
Map of the area, showing ferry routes: www.bcferries.com/schedules/maps/maps-sgi.html
WEST VANCOUVER TO NANAIMO – Ferry from West Vancouver (a separate city that’s north of Vancovuer) at Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo (Horseshoe Bay ferry dock): www.bcferries.com/schedules/mainland/hbna-current.html
SOUTH VANCOUVER TO NANAIMO – From Tsawassen (just south of Vancouver) to Nanaimo (Duke Point ferry dock): www.bcferries.com/schedules/mainland/tsdp-current.html
NANAIMO TO GABRIOLA – From Nanaimo Harbour (Gabriola ferry dock) to Gabriola Island: www.bcferries.com/schedules/southern/nhgi-current.html
On Gabriola
The Gabriola Chamber of Commerce provides this interactive Google Map of Gabriola Island: www.gabriolaisland.org/GICC/main-map.htm
There’s no public transportation on Gabriola Island. There’s a taxi service (250-247-0049) and there’s The Haven’s ridesharing listings (www.haven.ca/shenblog – in left sidebar – scroll down). Or you can let me know your plans and I’ll act as informal connector of possible ride shares within the HSP Gathering goup. Please let me know if you’re driving over and are willing to take on another passenger or more.
If you’re driving, get off the ferry on Gabriola and follow the offloading traffic going up the hill. Take the very first left you come to — it’s not far, onto Taylor Bay Road. Follow the curving road until you come to a sign on the left for The Haven and turn in there.
The main shopping area on Gabriola is at The Village, a little shopping center, with other stores and a gas station and post office, etc., scattered around nearby. To get to it, follow North Road (the road the ferry dumps its traffic onto) up the hill (past the Taylor Bay Road turn off). At the top of the hill is the little post office. North Road is actually the one that veers left in front of the post office. Take that left. A little further on you’ll see what there is to see of the shopping area. Let me know if you have questions about what’s there.
