Rhythm of an Island - Part One (Summer)

This is the first in a series of posts about Hornby throughout the seasons.  

Summer is first because -- well -- we are certainly in the thick of it now.

Welcome to Hornby!

This is our fourth summer living here. 

We moved to Hornby Island in February 2012.  We chose that time of year to get a glimpse of winter, but with the promise of spring.   More importantly, we wanted to meet the year-round community without the distraction of the summer visitors. 

And so we have now experienced 3 full cycles of the seasons, and are getting a sense of the island’s annual rhythm – its biorhythm so to speak.  Each season has its flavour, making any time of year a good time to visit Hornby Island.

But, let's talk about summer ...

On Hornby, summer is book ended by the weekend before Canada Day and Labour Day.

The island has a resident year round population of approximately 900.  That number swells generously in July and August. 

I’m not sure anyone really knows by how many, but I’ve heard it estimated anywhere from 4,000 to 7,000.   You can almost feel the island sink from the extra weight.

Leading up to the end of the school year things slowly get busier.  Stores are open more frequently, Pizza Galore is open on weekends, and the Farmers' Market is open on Saturdays.  The island has a comfortable sense of blossoming like a garden – a gentle renewal.  The weather is warmer and the sunbathers hit the beach. 

Let the Party Begin!

But, come that last week of June and it’s like someone turned on the light switch to a football stadium in the black of night.  The locals get jolted into an altered state, for this is their busiest time of year.

Apart from the giant bloom of visitors, a number of things mark the beginning of summer:

• The Co-op store and Gas Bar go from being open 6 days to 7 days a week with expanded hours each day.
  

• At the Syzygy land co-op, all of the businesses open up (Cardboard House Bakery, Pizza Galore, Gecko Designs, Carefree Café).  As well, the Cardboard House hosts live music on Wednesday and Sundays evenings from 6:30 – 8:30 pm.

• Lix (at the Ringside) sells more ice cream than coffee and all the Ringside stores and restaurants are open 7 days week.

• The Thatch Pub opens 7 days a week (still with live Jazz on Friday nights), as does the Sea Breeze Lodge dining room.

• The Farmers Market runs on Wednesdays as well as Saturdays from 11am to 2pm.

• The Fruit Stand at Beulah Creek opens – providing fresh produce, weekly sourced both locally and from the Okanagan.

The Depot (with the world famous “free store”) opens 4 instead of 3 days a week.

• The Artists Studios run regular studio hours and the Community Hall becomes host to many an art show.

The beaches are packed and Tribune Bay is like a small city lit up with dozens of boats anchored each night. 

Denman Islanders joke that they can tell who’s headed to Hornby by all the bicycles strapped to the back of their cars.

As I write this, summer is in full swing.  We have just come through the busiest point – the August long weekend.   The Hornby Festival is almost over – such a wonderful event.  By now, most of the locals have a ‘deer in the headlights’ look about them – unsure of what just hit them, and wondering where all these people came from. 

But, we are on the back stretch now.  It will all come to an abrupt close when that light switch is turned off again on Labour Day.  The island will descend on the Thatch Pub to wave good bye to the folks on the 6pm ferry headed for Denman Island – a tradition I’ll write more about in my next post.

So for now – enjoy the last few weeks of summer.  It’s been a sweet and sunny one.  Maybe you could do a bit of a rain dance for us.