2
Storeys
16
Hotel rooms
1
General store
~80
Seat restaurant
✓
Existing marina
There has been considerable discussion on Gabriola about what may eventually be built at Silva Bay. Some descriptions have portrayed the proposal as a large, high-end resort that would be out of scale with the Island.
That is not what is being proposed.
The current Silva Bay redevelopment is a low-rise, two-storey waterfront project intended to restore many of the commercial and hospitality uses that have historically existed at Silva Bay.
THE CURRENT PROPOSAL
What's included
Two storeys
A low-rise building, deliberately modest in scale.
16-room hotel
A destination for visitors arriving by ferry, air or boat.
General store
A reason for residents and visitors to gather.
~80-seat restaurant
Alongside the continued marina and waterfront activities.
SEE IT FOR YOURSELF
Three views of the proposal
WATERFRONT / MARINA VIEW
LAND-SIDE / ARRIVAL VIEW
WIDER CONTEXTUAL VIEW
LAYOUT
Simplified site plan
A simplified layout — not a technical survey drawing
SCALE
How tall is two storeys, really?
An illustrative elevation only, to make the actual scale of a two-storey building visually obvious against familiar references
GULF ISLANDS DESTINATION
Restoring Silva Bay as a Gulf Islands Destination
Silva Bay was historically more than a marina. It was a destination and gathering place for Gabriola residents and for visitors arriving on the Island by ferry, air and boat.
The marina remains active today and already brings boaters from throughout the Gulf Islands to Gabriola. What is missing is the broader waterfront hub that once existed around it.
Historically, Silva Bay included a hotel, pub, restaurant, store and marina facilities that together made the area a vibrant place to stay, eat, meet, shop and spend time on the waterfront. It served local residents, visitors staying on Gabriola, and boaters arriving directly at the marina.
Our objective is to restore that role.
The proposed 16-room hotel is intended to be a destination in its own right for people visiting Gabriola, whether they arrive by ferry, air or boat. The restaurant and general store would once again give residents and visitors reasons to gather at Silva Bay, while the existing marina would remain an important gateway for people travelling through the Gulf Islands.
Taken together, the hotel, restaurant, store and marina are intended to recreate a lively but appropriately scaled waterfront hub: a place where Gabriola residents can meet friends for a meal, visitors can stay while exploring the Island, and boaters can come ashore and become part of the broader community.
The vision is not simply to add accommodation or commercial space. It is to bring Silva Bay back as a recognizable destination within Gabriola and the Gulf Islands, building on the role it played for many years.
FIT
A Development Intended to Fit Gabriola
We understand that Gabriola’s character is one of the principal reasons people choose to live here.
A development appropriate for downtown Vancouver, Nanaimo or a large resort community would not necessarily be appropriate for Silva Bay.
That is why scale matters.
A two-storey, 16-room hotel is very different from the type of large resort development that some residents may understandably be concerned about when they hear the word “resort.”
The proposal is intended to remain visually and functionally connected to its waterfront and island setting.
We have also worked with professionals familiar with local conditions and the Islands Trust regulatory environment in developing the plans.
THEN AND NOW
Silva Bay Then and Now
HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPH
Former hotel, restaurant, store or marina facilities
SILVA BAY TODAY
Current waterfront & marina
TIMELINE
Why Has Nothing Happened for So Many Years?
This is a fair question, and one we know many residents have been asking.
Silva Bay was purchased approximately seven years ago with the intention of redeveloping the property. The absence of visible construction does not reflect a lack of interest in proceeding.
The central difficulty has been finding a legally permissible and economically viable source of water for the proposed redevelopment.
Historically, the Silva Bay waterfront received water from an off-site well located on a separate upland parcel. A dispute arose with Islands Trust over whether that historical use of the well could legally continue under the existing zoning.
That disagreement eventually resulted in litigation. Silva Bay lost at trial and is appealing.
At the same time, we are pursuing an alternative zoning solution because we do not believe the community should have to wait indefinitely for the courts to determine whether there is another workable way forward.
WHY THIS MATTERS NOW
Respecting Gabriola and the role of Islands Trust
The scale of the proposed project is directly connected to the water issue. The well has been professionally tested, and the project contemplates significant water-storage capacity to allow demand to be managed responsibly. But some lawful mechanism must exist that permits the water to be used for the waterfront development.
Desalination and continuous importation of water would make the project economically unfeasible. Resolving the water and zoning issue is not simply one regulatory detail among many — it is the issue that will largely determine whether the Silva Bay redevelopment can proceed.
SEE FOR YOURSELF
Why Has Nothing Happened for So Many Years?
We believe residents should be able to judge the development based on the actual plans rather than descriptions passed from person to person.
We will make the current architectural renderings, site information and other project materials available here and at our community information session.
We welcome questions, including difficult ones. People may have different views about the appropriate future of Silva Bay. Our objective is to make sure those views are formed with an accurate understanding of what is actually being proposed.
