This 26.5 ha protected area was acquired by the Nature Trust of BC in 2022, in partnership with the Galiano Conservancy. It includes over 1 km of undeveloped coastline along the northern half of Cable Bay, as well as a diversity of forested ecosystems. According to Florence James, respected Coast Salish Elder and Hul’qumi’num language teacher from Penelakut Island, Cable Bay is traditionally known as Qw’xwulwis, the Hul’qumi’num word for the action of paddling, and was an ideal place to live and assemble prior to and after crossing the Strait of Georgia.
Zoned for a six-lot residential subdivision, this waterfront property was saved from development thanks to conservation-minded land owners who preferred to see the area remain as forest and held off selling the property until adequate funds could be raised to purchase the property for conservation purposes. The Galiano Conservancy maintains public trails along the shoreline and inland edges of the property as part of the over 600 ha Mid-Island Protected Areas Network (MIPAN).
