De Courcy Island Oceanfront for sale: (Listed 2010-01-12)

10004

$215,000

Lot 11; PL:20513; LD: Nanaimo [32]; Section: 10; Narrative: Decourcy Island

$785.10

Residential

Situated on the Eastern shore of De Courcy Island this oceanfront property gifts stunning views of Pylades Channel with Valdes and Gabriola Islands in the background. This vacant treed property left in its natural state is fairly level providing a very suitable building site with gentle granite frontage. A beautiful mix of Cedar, Fir and Arbutus trees can be found on the property. It is only a few minutes walk to Pirates Cove where you will find the Islands only marina reserved for property owners. Moorage leases are available.

While De Courcy Island is only accessible by water, there is an interior road network that links each of the residential properties. This roadway allows for easy loading and unloading from Pirate’s Cove. Many residents on the Island have vehicles that can be easily brought onto the Island by semi-regular barge service.

De Courcy Island gives its name to the De Courcy group of islands which consist, from North to South, of Mudge Island, Link Island, De Courcy Island, Ruxton Island and Pylades Island. This island group runs parallel to the east coast of Vancouver Island inside the protection of the larger Gabriola Island and Valdes Island. Access by boat from Nanaimo in the north is through Dodd Narrows. From Vancouver, vessels pass between Gabriola Island and Valdes Island through Gabriola Passage. Both Dodd Narrows and Gabriola Passage have strong tidal currents. Gabriola and Valdes Islands protect these smaller islands from the more open Strait of Georgia.

One of the Gulf Island's most popular marine parks, Pirates Cove Provincial Marine Park is located on the southeast corner of De Courcy Island. Outdoor enthusiasts can hike the 4-kilometre trail or explore the sandstone beaches and caves. As would be expected, swimming and kayaking are popular activities at Pirates Cove, called Gospel Cove by the Aquarians. The 31-hectare Pirates Cove offers walk-in campsites, a magnificent all weather anchorage, and a variety of opportunities for wildlife viewing.

De Courcy Island is located in Northumberland Channel, between Nanaimo and Valdes Island, 16 kilometres southeast of Nanaimo. De Courcy Island is accessed by private boat or float plane. Approximately 25 minutes by boat from Nanaimo's Boat Harbour, 10 minutes by boat to Ladysmith, or 20 minutes by float plane from Vancouver.

Seaplane Services:
Tofino Air 1-800-665-2359
Amigo Air 1-886-692-6440

Scheduled Services:

Charter Services:
Seair 1-604-273-8900
Harbour Air 1-604-278-3478

Contact Listing Broker.

There is a drilled well located on the property. Private septic and water systems would need to be put in place. DeCourcy Island is not serviced by hydroelectric power. Most residents have solar systems and generators.

Outdoor enthusiasts can fish, kayak, hike the 4-kilometre trail or explore the sandstone beaches and caves.

The island features an excellent array of wildlife. Common marine animal include Harbor Seal (year-round), Steller's & California Sea Lions (late-Aug through mid-May), Harbor Porpoise, Orca, Gray & Humpback Whale (summer months). River otter, black-tailed deer and bald eagles make their home on the island. Bird watchers can spot Wilson's warblers, Pacific flycatchers, Black oystercatchers, White-crowned sparrows, Bald Eagles & Great Blue Herons, as well as other species.

Located in Northumberland Channel off the east coast of central Vancouver Island, De Courcy Island was named after Michael de Courcy, captain of the H.M.S Pylades, a vessel that charted these waters from 1859 to 1861.

De Courcy Island is about 300 acres in size and is heavily forested in most areas, except for a small private farm on the northwest side of the Island. There are several middens on De Courcy Island that indicate native use of the land going back over 3,000 years.

Between 1943 and 1957, the island was owned by a Swiss brother and sister, Paul and Anna Wyff. They farmed the island communally with a number of other people, living a simple and self-sufficient lifestyle. De Courcy Island Estates purchased the land in 1965 and subdivided it into approximately 160 lots. Today, De Courcy has around 40 residences built on the island, most of which are used on weekends or during the summer months.

Recent history of De Courcy Island records the drama played out in the late 20's and early 30's when the island was home to the Aquarian Foundation, a religious cult led by the "downright evil" Brother Xll. Believing himself to be the Twelfth Master of Wisdom who would usher in a new age, Brother Xll convinced 8,000 followers to hand over their worldly possessions and follow him to De Courcy Island.

The amount of money donated to the foundation is legendary - people would give their entire life savings in support. The land purchased included De Courcy Island. A settlement was built on the north end of the island, with stories of having gun fortifications and rock shelters. Any excess money was said to have been converted to gold coins and sealed into glass jars and placed into cedar chests. Facing trial in Nanaimo in 1933 on a bundle of charges, Brother Xll and his cohort disappeared on the colony's boat. The couple and the colony's fortune were never seen in these parts again.

Like many of the Gulf Islands, De Courcy Island contains an interesting mixture of plants - some coastal, and some more typically found in the dry interior of BC. Rocky Mountain Juniper, satin flower and poison oak are all species that are much more widely spread in the interior than they are on the coast, but they thrive here in the dry summers of De Courcy Island.