New Brighton, Gambier Island Real Estate Guide
New Brighton is just as enjoyable in winter, sitting by the fire and taking in the crisp air and dramatic cloud formations, as it is in summer, with beach swims and hikes.
Modified map of Gambier Island (original from the Islands Trust) showing most communities listed. Click on the image to expand.
BC Ferries passenger service and connected power make New Brighton one of the most accessible communities on Gambier Island.
I recommend New Brighton for almost anyone who does not want to own a boat and for anyone planning to use their property as a full-time residence or enjoy it year-round.
The Location: The Western Peninsula of Gambier Island
The western peninsula of Gambier Island, which includes New Brighton, is the most densely populated on the island, with a long-established community accounting for around 85% of the island's full-time residents.
This peninsula also encompasses 4 neighbouring areas, which are all within walking/short driving distance of New Brighton. These neighbourhoods are Gambier Harbour (~27 minute walk), West Bay (~34 minute walk), Austin Trails (~32 minute walk) and Cotton Bay (~35 minute walk). Realistically, these 5 areas are so close together that they largely operate as one, though they are distinct areas and each has a slightly different feel.
These roads do not connect up with the other communities on Gambier Island. Outside this peninsula, the other Gambier Island communities have no road links to one another.
Trails
There is also a large network of many wonderful walking trails on Gambier. A PDF trail map created by the Gambier Island Conservancy is available via a Google Drive link here. There are a fair number of undocumented, unmarked trails as well, and it should be noted that not all roads marked on the trail map or on BC Assessment exist.
Connected Power
Another key feature of New Brighton, and the encompassing the western peninsula is connected power with BC Hydro, something most of Gambier Island simply doesn't have.
Connected power majorly opens up the potential to enjoy your property in all four seasons. While the off-grid systems present on much of Gambier are certainly fascinating, solar power in particular is challenging in winter.
Even within New Brighton, the rural nature of the community means the power does tend to go out for longer stretches than you’d normally see on the mainland. So most properties have some sort of backup generator for inevitable outages.
Getting To New Brighton
The BC Ferries Operated "Stormaway"
In part, why New Brighton is so great for year-round residents is due to regular service from the BC Ferries-operated passenger Stormaway. The Stormaway is a 30 to 40-passenger capacity water taxi that operates multiple times daily, between Langdale and New Brighton, including through the winter (albeit with a reduced schedule). The crossing is approximately 10 minutes.
Even if you wish to own a boat, this service vastly opens up your potential for use in the winter and/or if your boat is in for service.
Prepaid adult tickets in 2026 are just $5.20 or $7.55 without prepaid tickets (+ the cost of the Horseshoe Bay - Langdale ferry if coming from that direction). Children $2.65 if prepaid, $3.95 without prepaid, for children aged 5 to 11. Free for children under 5.
New Brighton Dock on Gambier Island (June 2021).
The New Brighton Dock, Other Docks, & Mooring Buoys: The Drawback Of This Area (If You Own A Boat)
The New Brighton dock is often at capacity or near capacity (capacity roughly 22 boats).
The majority of properties around New Brighton do not have private docks.
The New Brighton dock is currently under the ownership of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). The Squamish Nation has indicated they no longer want to maintain this dock; as such, the SCRD is undergoing a feasibility study on taking over responsibility for upkeep.
There are also public docks located in West Bay and Gambier Harbour, though both docks only allow for very temporary moorage. Many mooring buoys are present around these docks in particular.
Mercury & Cormorant Scheduled Runs
I include this section cautiously, as the scheduled runs do not go to New Brighton; instead, they stop at nearby Gambier Harbour and West Bay.
Two of the water taxi companies operating in Howe Sound offer scheduled runs for fair rates of $35 to $37 per person. These boats go multiple times daily from Horseshoe Bay (and Sunset Marina as well for Cormorant) in the summer and on certain days in the winter. These can be an excellent way to get to the island without owning a boat, though these scheduled runs do not go to all areas of the island, operating only on the southern half of the island. It is also particularly helpful for friends and teenagers who want to join you at your cabin on a Saturday afternoon, rather than the whole weekend or week, without having you play chauffeur.
In the summers, both services frequently get full on Friday and Sunday bookings, and especially over sunny long weekends, so try to give at least 3 to 4 days’ notice to ensure you're still okay to book.
https://mercurytransport.ca/services/schedule-runs/
Marina Considerations For Boat Owners
There are many nearby marinas to choose from, most, if not all, of which will have waitlists.
Sewell's Marina https://www.sewellsmarina.com/about/moorage/ in Horseshoe Bay, Sunset Marina https://sunsetmarina.ca/howe-sound-mooring/, Lions Bay (dry dock storage up to 32ft) http://www.lionsbaymarina.com/drylandmoorage.html, Gibson's Marina https://gibsonsmarina.ca/, Squamish Yacht Club https://squamishyachtclub.com/, Squamish Marina https://www.squamishmarina.com/, Thunderbird https://thunderbirdmarina.ca/our-moorage-rates/, West Vancouver Yacht Club https://www.wvyc.ca/, Eagle Harbour Yacht Club https://www.ehyc.org/moorage, & West Vancouver Marina https://www.westvancouvermarina.ca/
A key way many of my clients get their initial moorage, at least to start, is to purchase a boat from the prior owner of the boat and transfer the moorage. Not all marinas will allow this, though a good number do. There are also many more marinas in False Creek, Coal Harbour, and along the Fraser River that are further by boat, though mean less time in traffic. Some of which can be viable options for more immediate moorage, while you wait for a slip to come up in a closer marina.
Map showing New Brighton on Gambier Island, particularly notable is the size difference between some lots. Source SCRD maps.
The Community of New Brighton
Community Centre & Farmers Market
In New Brighton, there is a small community centre, which hosts several community events throughout the year and can be rented out by residents.
Around nearby Gambier Harbour, there is also a farmers’ market on Saturdays, which occurs from May to September.
Beaches
New Brighton has several moderately rocky beaches that are widely enjoyed in the summer and feel meditative in the winter.
Kid Friendly & School Logistics
New Brighton is wonderful if you have kids and want a spot for them to run around, get off their screens, and play with other kids. While there are kids in the other developments on the island, there are simply more friends to make in this area.
For year-round residents wishing to raise children on the island, Langdale Elementary School and Elphinstone Secondary School are easy options for children. There is school bus service for both schools picking up from the Langdale ferry terminal.
Bonus: children who are residents of Gambier Island ride the Stormaway for free when going for the purpose of school, or school-related events and sports.
Key Ownership Considerations In New Brighton
Ownership Type & Lot Size
Nearly all of the properties in New Brighton have freehold non-strata ownership.
Lot sizes vary widely, with the smallest generally around 14,000 sqft and the largest up to 10 acres.
Barges & Barge Landing Area
If you want to get something on the island, such as a truck or building supplies, you'll need to hire a barge. There is no car ferry to Gambier Island. There is a barge landing area located just off the New Brighton dock.
Zoning
The primary type of residential zoning in New Brighton is Settlement Residential (SR).
The following uses are permitted, subject to the regulations set out in this Section and all other uses are prohibited. a) Single family residential use; (b) Associated secondary dwelling use; (c) Domestic agriculture; (d) Agriculture; (e) Accessory uses including but not limited to home occupations.
Waterfront setback regulations are typically 15 metres, though there are some exceptions.
Both SR allow for single-family home use plus an associated secondary dwelling, that is, presuming the property is over 0.4 hectares (i.e. 0.98 acres). Then for every 0.2 hectares larger than 0.4 hectares, you can build larger, etc.
*Whenever buying with the intent to build more, always double-check the most recent Gambier Island zoning bylaws to ensure the lot you’re buying matches the zoning. I am happy to do this for you if I clearly know what your requirements are.
GFEG (Gambier Fire Equipment Group)
The most prepared of any of the communities is, of course, the largest one. There is a small fire truck located in this community, in addition to a number of fire equipment locations. There is no fire department; community residents are connected via a WhatsApp chat to respond to emergencies. There are also critical medical supplies like an AED.
Property Insurance
Property insurance is expensive relative to mainland homes, and far fewer insurance companies insure on Gambier. This is due to the lack of a fire department, coupled with wood stoves in most properties.
If the property you’re buying has a wood stove, you’ll likely need a WETT (Wood Energy Technology Transfer) certificate to get insurance. Most sellers will be able to provide you with them; if not, this can usually be written into your offer.
Prior to purchasing, I recommend you get a quote from an insurance broker (usually included as ‘subject to insurance’). I am always happy to recommend an insurance broker for Gambier, even if you are not a current client/already own real estate on Gambier.
Cell Coverage
A lot of New Brighton has cell coverage, though the strength of the signal varies widely. I find that typically Telus is the best provider around Gambier, though it’s so close I wouldn’t switch providers unless you’re consistently not getting service on Rogers, while your friends are still connected to Telus. I cannot speak to Bell or other providers, as I have not personally used them. Many owners have boosters to improve service.
Internet Service
Internet service is mostly via line-of-sight connections using the Telus Rural Hub. New Brighton is currently in the process of getting fibre optic through the Connected Coast program bringing fibre to rural communities in BC. Starlink is also becoming increasingly common, though Starlink is pretty expensive, so I probably wouldn’t go this route myself, unless I required higher speeds prior to the planned fibre upgrades. Especially part-time/seasonal owners often rely on cellphone hotspots for their only internet, coupled with a cell booster.
Property Values
In 2021, I filmed this video about New Brighton, Gambier Harbour, and West Bay. It includes some great visuals of this area.
Property values around New Brighton tend to fetch higher prices than other areas of the island. This is particularly noticeable when comparing inland properties, where a non-view acre in New Brighton with a modest home is roughly in line with the price for 2-4 acres of waterfront with a similar home in Brigade Bay or Douglas Bay, and 1 acre bare lot value is often comparable with a 5-acre parcel in Fircom Plateau. Consider how much you value connected power and the Stormaway service, as you are paying for it in your purchase price versus other off-grid areas of Gambier Island.
History of New Brighton, Gambier Island
If Gambier’s history interests you, I recommend you read Miramar II: Gambier Island's History, published in 2011 by Bill Errico Jr.
Sources/References:
This guide and the knowledge contained herein were gathered from my real estate experience since 2016, helping buyers and sellers on Gambier Island, and verified against the following source material.
Key sources include the following:
Conversations with owners, friends, builders/contractors, and other local Realtors® who guided me early in my career. Information was gathered from firsthand site visits, transactions, and home inspections.
Countless conversations and emails with many levels of government, including the planning department at the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD), BC Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship, FrontCounter BC, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, individual MPs and MLAs.
Direct information from: Gambier Island Local Trust Area/Islands Trust (particularly from historical minutes), Sunshine Coast Regional District website mapping tools, SCRD docks, BC Ferries Stormaway, Mercury Water Taxi, Cormorant Water Taxi, Gambier Island Conservancy, The Gambier Island Community Association, UBC Archives, SD46, BC Assessment, BC Government websites (particularly regarding well information and private moorage), documents pulled from the Land Title Survey Authority (LTSA) over the course of my career (titles, easements, covenants, surveys, and subdivision plans), and other information from the Government of Canada.
Some information in this guide, particularly regarding past sales, is based on listing and sales data I can access as a licensed Realtor® within GVR (Greater Vancouver Realtors®) through local cooperative selling system tools (MLS), current as of Feb 2026. While verifying some facts I heard second hand about some of these neighbourhoods, I cross-referenced past listing details and sales going back as far as the late 1990s.
Knowledge of the area also comes from having grown up boating in and around Gambier Island and visiting friends. Additionally, some information I have become aware of during the course of being a property owner on Gambier Island.
Last updated February 2026. Feel free to email me if you feel something is incorrect or if I’ve missed a point that should be included.
