Getting Here

The Haven is on beautiful Gabriola Island, one of the southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia. People come to The Haven from all over Canada and the USA, as well as from Europe and Asia.

New! From June 24 2013 WestJet will be offering a new Calgary-Nanaimo service. Follow this link for more details.

Getting to The Haven is easy!

Gabriola Island is

• 20 minutes ferry ride from Nanaimo
• 20 minutes by float plane from Vancouver Airport south terminal

Nanaimo is

• 20 minutes by float plane from downtown Vancouver or Vancouver Airport
• 1.5 to 2 hours from Vancouver by ferry
• 1.5 hours from Victoria by car

Vancouver is

• 4.5 hours flying time from Toronto
• 4.5 hours flying time from Chicago
• 9 hours by plane from London, UK
• 13 hours by plane from Hong Kong

Rideshare

To offer or request rideshare, go to the Haven blog.

Ferry from Vancouver

BC Ferries run services to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island from Tsawwassen (2 hours) and Horseshoe Bay (1 hour 35 minutes).

There are Greyhound bus services from Victoria and from downtown Vancouver to Nanaimo (via BC Ferries).

Once in Nanaimo, drive or take a taxi or the Nanaimo Shuttle to the Gabriola ferry, which runs approximately once an hour, 7 days a week, from 6 am to 11 pm. Sailing time to Gabriola is 20 minutes. Contact BC Ferries for more information.

On arrival on Gabriola Island, follow the traffic up the hill, take the first left onto Taylor Bay Rd, then drive approximately 2 km (1 mile) and turn left onto Davis Rd. We are at the end of Davis Rd. There are sign posts before both turns. When you arrive on the first day of your program, you can phone us in advance to arrange a shuttle service to The Haven from the 2:30, 3:45, 5:00 and 6:10 ferries. The Gabriola Taxi Service is also available.

Float plane from Vancouver

Tofino Air has flights from Vancouver Airport south terminal to Silva Bay on Gabriola Island. From Silva Bay you can take the Gabriola Taxi to The Haven. Tofino Air in Vancouver can arrange the taxi for you.

Tofino Air, Harbour Air also offer scheduled flights from downtown Vancouver to Nanaimo, landing a five-minute walk from the Gabriola ferry terminal.

Air connection via Vancouver

Air Canada offers connector flights from Vancouver International Airport to Cassidy Airport, about 20 km south of Nanaimo. From Cassidy Airport a taxi or the Nanaimo Shuttle can take you to the Gabriola Ferry terminal in downtown Nanaimo.

Useful contacts