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De Courcy Island

De Courcy Island De Courcy Island is located beside Valdes Island. De Courcy is about 300 acres in size. Home to deer, rabbits, racoons, and many eagles.

Named after Michael De Courcy, Commander of the HMS Pylades, which served the area from 1859 to 1861. The first resident was William Flewett, and arrived in the late 1880's. He built a log cabin, and farmed. Problems, he faced, included bad weather, loneliness, and sheep rustlers.

In the late 1920's, a religious group known as the Aquarian Foundation, which was led by a man known as Brother XII, setup dwellings, and a schoolhouse on the island. Speculation among the public of the time about the group included rumours of black magic, immoral behaviour, and even slave labour. The group dissolved after a few years resulting in various legal battles. Even today, there is much uncertainty about the group and what really happened.

Between 1943 and 1957, the island was owned by a Swiss brother & sister team, by the name of Paul and Anna Wyff. They along with a couple of other people farmed the island communally, living simply and self-sufficiently.

In 1965, De Courcy Island Estates purchased the land and subdivided it into about 160 lots.

Today, De Courcy Island has 30 to 40 residences on it, mostly summer or weekend use. Groceries, fuel, building materials can be purchased on nearby Gabriola Island. Cellular service is available from either Telus or Rogers. There is a network of hiking trails, gravel roads, barge unloading area, and resident moorage. There is an on-demand barge service out of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.

There is no ferry service, but there are scheduled & chartered seaplane services to Vancouver. Travel time is about 15 minutes.

Seaplane Services
Scheduled Services Charter Services
Tofino Air : 1.800.665.2359 Seair : 1.604.273.8900
Amigo Air : 1.886.692.6440 Harbour Air : 1.604.278.3478

Pirates Cove Marine Park

 In 1966 Pirates Cove Marine Park was establish at the south end of De Courcy Island. The park is 38 hectares in size. The park features a pebble beach, 4 km of hiking trails, camping and picnic areas, and two dinghy floats. Inside Pirates Cove, there is room for about 75 vessels. There are ring bolts in the rocks for securing stern lines.


De Courcy Island


Contact Li Read at Sea to Sky Premier Properties (Salt Spring), 5 - 105 Rainbow Road, Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 2V5; Direct Tel: 1-250-537-7647