The Sunshine Coast Paradise

Savary Island's beaches have drawn visitors since early 1900. Savary is almost completely surrounded by white sand beaches.  The Island itself is largely composed of sand. The main exception to this is Mace Point, the rocky eastern tip of Savary which is about a mile off the coast of Lund. In addition, as Savary is about five miles long and averages half a mile wide, the ratio of beach to land mass is unusually high.

Savary and the waters around Savary are the warmest water north of Mexico.  The tides moving from the north and south of Georgia Strait meet just north of Savary. The southern tide is warm and the waters move less resulting in generally warmer seas. Add in the water flowing over Savary's sun-baked sandy shelf and you get the warmest water north of Mexico. Incidentally, some marine mammals, such as killer whales, are territorial within the north and south tides and this area is a “no-go” border zone with a low incidence of sightings.

Savary Island lies in the traditional territory of the Sliammon People. The north-side beaches produce an abundant clam harvest. There are native and commercial openings for the harvest. As well, residents and visitors dig clams for the pot (Tidal Fishing license required). The first European record comes from George Vancouver's log in which he named the Island “Savary's Island” on June 25, 1792. In 1886, Jack Green started a trading post to service the gold rush. By 1900, a small subsistence community existed on Savary. In 1910, speculators subdivided over half the Island into 50-foot wide lots. The Union Steamship Line brought day-trippers and vacationers until 1950 when the current road/ferry route opened up. The current year-round population is about 90 growing to over 2000 in the summer months.

Some cottagers have been returning for four generations,
yet there are people who bought lots 30 years ago who have never seen their properties. Lack of services and regulation has resulted in a variety of dwellings from a luxurious beach home to a “Sears” shed (with an outhouse, of course!) Home comforts are provided by woodstoves, propane appliances, generators, solar panels, and ingenuity. In the summer there are three stores and three restaurants. Off-season service is extremely erratic. Phoning ahead is a good idea. Solid community support built a fire hall and provides fire fighting and first aid.

Savary's mild climate creates a varied ecosystem. There are sand dunes, meadows, and forest - home to cedar, fir, hemlock, maple, yew, and arbutus. Introduced species include the ubiquitous Broom and the magnificent Acacias by the Savary Lodge.There are no bears, cougars, rats, or raccoons on Savary. Deer are the only common large mammal while mink and river otters come ashore occasionally. There are many bald eagles and hummingbirds which summer here while owls, woodpeckers and many migratory species frequent the island. As well as clams, there are oysters, mussels, crab, and geoducks found on the beaches. Savary is very safe - more park than wilderness.

As a water access only island there is regular scheduled transportation to the island serviced by Lund Water Taxi. Call 604-483-9749 for schedule information and reservations.

Photos and text courtesy
Rick Thaddeus, Savary Island Real Estate
Box 102, Savary Island
Lund, BC V0N 2G0
604-483-3218 Pager: 604-979-6863
Website: www.savary.ca