Hornby Island Community School

Hornby Island, Canada – A Great Place for Kids to Grow Up Would your family love the Hornby Island lifestyle? To determine your suitability for island life take the quiz:

* See video and photo credits below.

Would members of your family prefer to walk or ride than drive?

Does the simplicity of having a few great stores to shop in appeal to you?

Can you manage living without mosquitoes and black flies?

Does your family enjoy participating in family and community events?

Would your credit card appreciate lengthy periods of inactivity?

Would the family find ferry boat travel a fun reprieve from freeways?

Are you ready to rediscover the delight of taking time to sniff the salt air and the scent of wild roses, and take leisurely walks along the shoreline or pause to scan the sky for falling stars?

** See video and photo credits below. Answers

If you answered ‘yes’ to seven, you are already here in spirit.

If yes to six, click here to register your child at the Hornby Island Community School (click here to download school brochure in PDF format).

If yes to five, click here to connect with a realtor.

If yes to four, come for a visit then retake the quiz.

If yes to three, click here for more images.

If yes to two, rethink your options.

If yes to one, good luck finding a parking space.

For more about Hornby Island, see FAQ below.

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Questions and Answers about Hornby Island, B.C., Canada

Housing
Home purchasing options exceed opportunities for year round rentals. Rentals are more typically available weekly in July and August and monthly from September through June. A modest-cost housing project is underway. Click here to view rental market. Click here to view real estate market.

Medical Care
The island’s two medical Doctors rotate bi-weekly at the local clinic. A new medical clinic facility is currently underway. Emergency responders and ambulance services are accessible 24/7. The island has a resident dentist available year round. Home support services are available.

Employment
This is an ideal location for telecommuters, those who can work independent of place, artists and other home business including those requiring high speed Internet service. Employment is obtainable in construction and the trades. Other local employers include the Hornby Co-op Store, B.C. Ferries, Hornby School - District 71 and Home Support with the Hornby/Denman Health Care Society.

Schools
Hornby Island Community School serves grades K – 7. The Pre-school offers childcare for infants up to five years. Toddler Drop-in and Parenting classes are provided through the Hornby Island Educational Society’s community programs. School District bus service transports high school students into Courtenay.

Arts & Athletic
Opportunities abound for outdoor and indoor recreation with three tennis courts, a weight room, mountain biking trails, a baseball diamond, basketball, badminton, volleyball and soccer venues. Yoga is a constant. Many artists offer classes and workshops and several exhibition venues are available. Musical events occur year round, with the enormously popular Blues Week in May followed by the Hornby Festival in the summer plus ongoing fiddlers, dancers and choral groups.

Nearest Town
Courtenay and Comox are the closest towns – approximately a 15 to 20 minute drive north from Buckley Bay on Vancouver Island. Nanaimo is a 50 minute drive south from Buckley Bay, two short delightful ferry rides from Hornby. Moor your own transport at the Government wharf or employ the services of a local water taxi.

Wildlife
No dangerous or poisonous wildlife reside on Hornby Island. Landowners with a penchant for gardening are advised to ‘plant a deer fence’ as deer are plentiful. Bird songs and sea lion barking are heard throughout the island. As bicycling is a common alternate way to travel along roadside trails there are lots of chances to listen.

Climate
Daily average summer temperature: 28 degrees Celsius
Daily average winter temperature: 6 degrees Celsius
Average annual rainfall: 1336 mm.

Sound too good to be true? ... Well, if you are a dyed in the wool urbanite, it may not be for you or your family, but if you want to reconnect with what is really important about the human experience in a naturally lovely setting by living at a slower pace and challenging your ability to become more self reliant and community focused, there is a good chance this is somewhere you may want to call home.

* Video produced by Ryan Da Silva
Photos by Bob Cain, Hornby School staff, Wayne Weins

** "Jody's ride" video produced by Outer Island Productions
Music: Dana Inglis
Camera: Joss Biggins, Dale Devost, Irah Vet