About Denman Island

Denman Island is a small and lovely rural community located off the eastern shore of central Vancouver Island opposite Buckley Bay. It’s ideally situated 20 kilometres south of Courtenay and just an hour north of Nanaimo.

With a year-round population of about 1200 people, it boasts a charming Community Hall, a Seniors Hall, medical clinic behind the Coast Realty office, library, museum, public school, community Art Gallery, a lovingly restored Arts Centre and many artisan galleries as well. A General Store with liquor agency and cafι, a Post Office, a bakery & pizza shop, a natural foods & video store, hardware, bookstore and craft shop give Denman Village an inviting ambience. There are many B & B’s ready to accommodate visitors, as well as a small oceanside Provincial Campground at Fillongley Park , with a limited number of campsites, toilet facilities and drinking water. A public boat launch is available at Bill Mee Park. Denman’s inviting natural attributes include relatively quiet country roads down which to walk, cycle or ride and a number of areas preserved by the Denman Island Conservancy offering forest and wetlands access for the nature and bird lovers. Many wonderful rocky foreshores provide an ideal place for the tide pool loving beachcomber. A beautiful sandy beach for family swimming and picnicking graces the east side of the island at Fillongley Provincial Park. Sandy Island Marine Provincial Park is located at the northern tip of Denman, with access by boat or long beach hike. Year round residents enjoy a varied cultural life as well, with a vibrant local arts scene offering concerts, theatre, dances, art shows and workshops, as well as community school programs for all ages.

Denman is part of the Islands Trust area in the Strait of Georgia. The Islands Trust exists to preserve and protect the unique and fragile environment of the Trust area.