British Columbia's Portland Island is a much-loved location in the Southern Gulf Islands for both boaters and kayakers. Portland Island is a great destination for a day trip or multi-day boating and camping adventures with a pair of protected moorages and also three campgrounds.
First Nations people utilized Portland Island going back three thousand years as is verified by the middens that can be located on the island. These middens are categorized as archaeological sites and are protected legally. As such these middens must not be disturbed. Subsequently the island ended up being inhabited by Kanaka (Hawaiian) immigrants and was utilized primarily for farming purposes. An ecentric proprietor in the 1920's was Frank "One Arm" Sutton, a retired British army officer. Frank Sutton acquired the island with funds he had won gambling on horse races within China. The plan was to raise & train thoroughbred race horses on the island. All evidence of the old horse racing track and a golf course have now disappeared.
In 1958 the island was presented as a gift from the Province of British Columbia to Princess Margaret to commemorate her visit to the province. Princess Margaret returned the island to the province of British Columbia in 1967 for use as a park and it became known as Princess Margaret Marine Park. The Canadian Government bought the island from the Province of British Columbia and it became recognized once again as Portland Island and became a portion of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve of Canada.
Portland Island is located around 4.5 kilometres from Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island making it a popular day getaway for kayakers and boaters. Even though it's not a very large crossing, it can occasionally get rather rough during poor weather conditions.
3 campsites are available on the island; Shell Beach Campsite is located on a gorgeous shell beach directly across from Brackman Island (Brackman Island is an ecological reserve and visiting is not permitted). The beautiful shell beach is partly sheltered by Brackman Island and does not get struck directly by ferry wake. Arbutus Point Campground is situated on a small peninsula on the northeast end of the island and offers fantastic vistas of the surrounding islands. The beach for the campground is located on the north side of the peninsula. Princess Bay campground can be found above the bay and features a wonderful view of the panoramic bay, the most popular overnighting stop for pleasure boaters. Pit toilets are situated at each of the campsites on Portland Island.
In addition to Princess Bay, boaters have an alternative of staying at the northern end of the island at Royal Cove.
BC's first artificial reef, the submerged freighter G.B. Church, lies off the northeast shore of Portland Island. The scuttled vessel now serves as a safe place for underwater creatures and is an attraction for technical scuba diving.
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