BC Island For Sale | Stephen Foster 

BC Island For Sale | Stephen Foster
Retreat Island is a 7 acre island, just off the west side of Galiano Island; it faces across Trincomali Channel toward Fernwood on Saltspring Island. Access is a by small boat from Retreat Cove public dock, which is a very short distance away on Galiano. Retreat Island is what makes Retreat Cove into a cove. Its native old growth forest has never been logged. Large 500 year-plus old growth Douglas Firs grow on the northeast side of the island, which slopes gently down to the shore and a rich eel grass bed in the shallows between Retreat and Galiano. The southwest facing side of the island is a steep drop-off, above which is a healthy Garry Oak and Arbutus meadow with spring wild flowers of sea blush (plectritis congesta), merry wink (collinsia). erythroniums (fawn lilies), fritollaria (chocolate lilies) and many others that thrive in early spring at the edge of the Douglas Fir zone. There is a small white shell beach at the north end of the island, which was visited seasonally by Coast Salish First Nations, who harvested clams there for thousands of years. Retreat Cove itself was known as a place where young men came for puberty ceremonies. However, the island was never used as a village site. There is an eagle nest on the island.
George Plange and Malcolm Hegge purchased the island in 1969. After spending a long time getting to know the island and camping there, George collaborated with Salt Spring Island architect Henry (Hank) Schubart, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, to design a home that would take advantage of the island's distinctive features with a minimum of disturbance. The result was the present house, completed in 1985. George and Hank built the house around the existing old growth fir trees. Hank's design used post and beam internal framing, large decks and extensive decks to create a feeling of living within the landscape, rather than imposing on it. Following George's death, the present owners, Robin and Jillian Ridington, became stewards of the island in 1992. Three years later, Robin took early retirement from his teaching post in the Anthropology Department at UBC. Jillian and Robin moved to Retreat, where they supervised construction of a new studio and guesthouse, again designed by Hank Schubart. The new buildings continued with Hank's theme of post and beam construction, and local Galiano builders Struen Robertson and Lars Lilholt added their own creative touches. The Ridingtons found antique French banding from Lee Valley Tools and bought enough to incorporate them into the studio and a two-bedroom guest house. They obtained salvaged Douglas fir flooring and a claw foot bathtub from a heritage house that was being demolished in Vancouver. A deck, recently rebuilt, connects these two new buildings. The studio was designed with two desks, and with shelving to accommodate an extensive library and a collection of audio and video tapes from the Ridingtons' fieldwork with the Dane-zaa First Nations.
When the Ridingtons bought Retreat Island, it was subdividable into two lots. In consultation with various nature conservancy organizations, the Ridingtons subdivided and placed a conservation covenant on one half of the island and donated that parcel to the Galiano Conservancy Association. The Conservancy has been a responsible owner, and each year provides a crew to pull invasive broom on the entire island. Other than invited guests, there are no other visitors to Retreat, as there is no public access. The Ridingtons and subsequent owners can enjoy the benefits of an old growth nature conservancy area adjacent to their half of the island.
Access and Amenities
The island is serviced by a submarine cable providing a reliable 200 amp connection to the grid. Power lines on the island connect to the cable and feed into the buildings. There is a high-speed internet connection provided by Beacon Wireless. A 40' dock can accommodate a boat up to about 50'. The Ridingtons kept their 45' schooner with a 10' bowsprit there until they acquired their present 32' Nordic Tug. The other side of the float provides additional moorage. The island comes with an 8 X 20 aluminum barge built
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BC Island For Sale | Sotheby's Realty Canada | Stephen Foster