For the Love of Hornby…

Hornby Island is a special place filled with immense beauty and fragile natural biodiversity. Our community is equally diverse and remarkable, with a year-round population of 1,200 strong. We are tightly-knit, lending hands and hearts in numbers big and small whenever needed. Vacationing on Hornby is a unique opportunity to live on a Gulf Island, even if only for a week or two. Being here requires special consideration distinctive to living anywhere else. Our infrastructure is geared towards a small population and an island is a finite space where our footprint becomes exponentially larger. Our water supply comes from winter rains stored in shared aquifers and rainwater catchment so every drop is extremely precious and rare. And our remoteness being two ferries away from pretty much everything makes anything related to travel more expensive and challenging. In 2022, our community sent out the rallying call of Being Here: What You Do Matters, to encourage personal awareness and responsibility, for each of us to take our place in the nature of things. Whether resident or visitor, we ask everyone to live consciously in the stewardship of this magical place. There are many ways to contribute and make a difference:

Water Conservation

When asked what most concerns residents both full and part-time, water scarcity constantly tops the list. Water conservation is a communal way of life on a gulf island and easy to do:

• Flush only as need dictates.
• Take short, navy showers every other day, or even every three days. Or better yet, jump in the ocean.
• Avoid running taps.
• Take your laundry home to wash.
• Bring your own bedding and towels to the island.
• Water Stewardship

Respect the Land, Water and Air

• Prevent erosion: Leave plants, rocks and animals in their natural habitat.• Reduce the overall footprint and adopt a beach or trail to clean up while you are here.
• Take as much garbage and recycling off island with you as possible.
Our Depot is designed for a population of 1,000 and the small staff are quickly overwhelmed when the population quadruples in the summer. Removal is a prohibitive expense on our island’s property taxes. http://hirra.ca/recycle/
• Car pool to come here. Ferry line ups adversely affect us all. When you are here, walk, cycle and take the bus home.

Join Us

• Shop Local: Shops and Services / Farmers Market and Stands
• Drive responsibly: Slow down and giving our cyclists, many of whom are in their 70s and 80s, a wide berth when passing.
• Enjoy and respect the peace and quiet.
• Respect Provincial Fire Bans
• Hornby Island Residents and Ratepayer’s Association

Book early!

The island regularly sells out during the summer and we encourage you to arrange accommodations before you arrive.
Check out our friends and fellow accommodation providers at:

hornbyisland.com
Wind and Waves Vacation Rentals
Sea Breeze Lodge
Outer Island Guest Farm
Fossil Beach Glamping Tents
Fords Cove Cabins and Camping
Leana Vineyard Glamping and Camping
Bradsdadsland Camping
Tribune Bay Provincial Campground