In the August, 2022 edition of PY, Cherie Thiessen introduced us to six great taverns in the Gulf Islands, several of which we have enjoyed ourselves.
Our Grand Banks 36 spends its winters at Coal Harbour Marina in downtown Vancouver, so we have a choice to make when we head out under the Lions Gate Bridge in the summer. Do we head for those pubs in the Gulf Islands, which involves crossing the Strait of Georgia, or do we head up the Sunshine Coast toward Desolation Sound? There’s no wrong answer
1. Doc Morgan’s Pub & Restaurant
Bowen Island
If we opt for the Sunshine Coast and Desolation Sound, our first (and last) stop is the Union Steamship Marina on Bowen Island. At trawler speed we can be tucked into Snug Cove in under two hours.
This is a well-run marina with the best showers on the coast. The property was purchased by Rondi and Dorothy Dike in 1985 and is still managed by their daughter Oydis Peterson.
At the top of the ramp is a large expanse of grass where people may be playing jenga, or beanbag toss (cornhole for our American visitors) or just sitting in Adirondack chairs watching the world go by. Across the lawn is a nice gift store (with ice cream), laundry facilities and, of course, a pub.
Doc Morgan’s is named after the original owner of the building, a doctor from Vancouver. It has an extensive patio with lots of shade for hot summer days, and a cosy interior for cooler days in the spring and fall. It supports local brewers, distillers and wine makers, and hosts community events throughout the year, including “light up the cove” at Christmas.
A bowl of Doc’s crowded seafood chowder goes for $13. Pub fare starts at $18 for Pacific fish tacos and goes up to $29 for two-piece halibut and chips. Large plates start at $24 for cashew cream linguini and top out at $38 for a NY strip steak.
The Union Steamship Marina has a half-day rate so you can pop in just for lunch.
2. Bowen Island Pub
Bowen Island
There was a time when Glenn Cormier couldn’t find Bowen Island on a map but his wife Meredith has a long history there. In 2012, they bought the old Bowen Island Pub, which dated back to the late 1980s, and set about building a newer version right next door. The new pub opened in the spring of 2018, with a West Coast feel, and has tried hard to cater to the local community.
Their New England style salmon chowder sells for $12. There are burgers of course, running from $18 to $22, pizzas going for $31 to 34 for the large version, a kids menu offers the usual favourites and they do benny brunch on weekends from 11:30 to 14:30. There are TV’s for watching sports and the bar gets busy for live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
For pub alternatives try Tuscany or Barcelona, located on the main street between Doc Morgan’s and the Bowen Island Pub. For breakfast you can pop into The Snug featuring coffee, muffins and sandwiches.
If you go to Snug Cove, keep an eye out for the ferry that runs between Bowen Island and Horseshoe Bay roughly every hour. The Bowen Island Pub is a 10-minute walk from the marina docks. It slightly uphill getting there but that means the walk home is easy.
Bowen Island Park
Gramma’s Marine Pub3. Gramma’s Marine Pub
Gibsons
There are two marinas to choose from when visiting Gibson’s. Gibson’s Marina caters mainly to pleasure craft and takes reservations. It has a small marine hardware store and good showers but is a short walk from the bars and restaurants.
We often opt for Gibson’s Landing Harbour Authority, which caters more to commercial craft, but not exclusively. It’s first come, first served though so get there early. Gramma’s Pub is just up the ramp. The building began as a dance hall and went through several iterations before being purchased by the Janowski family in 1978. Apparently, Gramma Janowski enjoyed a pint!
You don’t go to Gramma’s for the ambience, although there is an enclosed porch looking out at Keats Island. Gramma’s is your basic pub but if you just want a beer and a burger or to catch up on the Blue Jays, it serves the purpose well. They have loads of beer and cider from all over, but they really like to show off local breweries.
One summer weekend we couldn’t get into Gramma’s. Like a lot of other restaurants during Covid they were short-staffed. No problem, we’ll have fish and chips to go. Problem, they were out of fish! We were lucky to get linguine vongole to go from Buono Osteria on Marine Drive. Other good options for dinner include Smitty’s Oyster House and Lunitas Mexican Eatery, both looking out over the marina.
4. Tapworks Brewing Company
Gibsons
Six years ago, Geoff Gornall and two of his buddies quit perfectly good jobs in Vancouver, moving to Gibson’s for lifestyle reasons and opening a craft brewery. At first it was just the three of them and their wives, now they employ as many as 45 people during peak season.
Tapworks Brewing is a short five-minute walk up the hill from the Gibsons Landing Harbour Authority dock—only one block above Marine Drive. They brew their own beer, including One Sailing Wait IPA, Crispy Buoy Craft Lager or Backwoods Hazy Pale Ale. Crispy Buoy won gold at the 2020 Canadian Brewing Awards and still lives up to the honour.
Tapworks’ menu is limited, but if it’s a patio kind of day, this is a great place for a beer and a burger. It has a nautical theme so boaters will feel right at home.
5. Grasshopper Pub
Garden Bay
As you leave Gibson’s heading up the Sunshine Coast, you have to cross Shoal Channel. There should be lots of water under you keel but keep an eye on your chart plotter. Incidentally, the ‘Sunshine Coast’ was a marketing ploy, created by Harry Roberts of Roberts Creek to promote tourism, and it seems to be working.
Northbound from Gibson’s you are exposed to the Strait of Georgia on your port side, and houses along the coast on your starboard side. You’ll pass the community of Sechelt and if it’s lumpy we will duck in behind the Trail Islands for shelter.
Pass by Halfmoon Bay, sneak through Welcome Channel and around the corner to Smuggler Cove Marine Park or Secret Cove. There is no longer a pub at Secret Cove but there is a nice restaurant called the Upper Deck above the store at Secret Cove Marina.
From Secret Cove it’s a short ride to Pender Harbour where there are several options for overnight. We have anchored in Garden Bay but the Garden Bay Pub, once a hive of activity, had fallen on hard times under new ownership and finally burned down in 2020. There was also a change of ownership at Irvings Landing and big plans for development that never materialized. That only leaves one pub option in Pender Harbour, but it’s a good one.
The Grasshopper Pub also burned down back in 2013 but was rebuilt. It is high up on the hillside overlooking the harbour, right on the highway so easily accessible by car. In fact, you can stay overnight at the adjacent Pender Harbour Hotel if you need a night away from the boat.
Access is a little bit more challenging for boaters but it can be done. From your marina or anchorage, dinghy over to a small marina directly below the pub and hump it up the hill. And beware, it is up, but you’ll be rewarded with a spectacular view.
A bowl of seafood chowder at the Grasshopper goes for $11. There are sandwiches and burgers of course, and main courses go from $20 for the liver and onions to $23 for the Cajun seafood linguine.
6. Backeddy Resort & Marina
Egmont
From Pender Harbour you can make a side-trip to Egmont, which is the jumping off place for visitors to Princess Louisa Inlet. The Backeddy has 300 feet of transient moorage, fuel and water, a pub looking out over the marina and cabins for rent.
Peter and Suzanne Laurie bought the Backeddy in 2008. Peter has experience in hospitality and Suzanne has roots on the Sunshine Coast, so when they found out that the pub and marina were for sale, it got them thinking. They made an offer knowing full well that there was already an offer on the table and when that fell through, suddenly they were owners!
The pub is kid-friendly and dogs are welcome in the picnic area, which is also licensed. Peter confesses that the Backeddy is unlikely to win architectural awards so they rely on good food and great service to keep people coming back.
After dinner, you can hike to Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park to watch the rapids from the safety of the shore. It’s about an hours’ walk to the Roland Point Viewing Area. Stop at the Skookumchuck Bakery and Cafe for a cinnamon roll on your way.
There are fine dining options nearby at the Western Canada Wilderness Resort and the Ruby Lake Resort.
7. Forest Bistro and Lounge
Powell River
Until very recently there was a shortage of pubs in Powell River, at least down by the water. At one time there must have been a pub in the basement of the Marine Inn, just up the street from the Westview Marina, but it has been closed for as long as we have been visiting Powell River.
There was a pub called in the old Westview Hotel, just on the corner of Marine Avenue, but we took one look inside and fled! These days, the pub has been replaced by the Forest Bistro and Lounge.
John and Jessica (soon-to-be) Walls bought the hotel in 2019. John is a chef who has worked up and down the West Coast but decided to settle in Powell River for quality-of-life reasons. The Forest Bistro is a gastro pub from 12:00 to 21:00, and a lounge from 21:00 till midnight. It is west facing, looking out over the harbour, and is a great place to have lunch or dinner.
Like a lot of small towns, the arrival of a shiny new mall sucked some of the life out of Marine Avenue, but there are shops worth peeking into, and we like to provision at the Chopping Block. The town has a new development plan to try to breathe life back into Marine Avenue and the Forest Bistro fits right into that plan. Besides serving food and beverages, they host live music and theatre, fashion shows and various community events.
Another option, particularly on a hot summer day, is Costa del Sol—a 10-minute walk north on Marine Ave. It’s located in an old police station but dressed up with tile floors, stained glass and bright colours. There are tacos, of course, starting at two for $16, as well as burritos, quesadilla and enchiladas. And for those who like it hot, there’s a Creole Caribe jambalaya bowl for $19.75. Oh, and there’s an assortment of tequila and mezcal as long as you’re in for the night. Costa del Sol doesn’t take reservations.
Lund Hotel.8. Lund Hotel
Lund
The community of Lund is the last stop on Highway 101 that runs all the way from Tierra del Fuego in South America, and the marina is the last stop on your trip northbound before reaching Desolation Sound. Lund was settled in 1889 by the Thulin brothers who named it after a town in their native Sweden. They started with a store and a post office, followed by a hotel. The original Malaspina Hotel burned down (a common theme on the Sunshine Coast) but was rebuilt in 1918 and rechristened as the Lund Hotel.
The pub at the Lund Hotel, now owned by the Tla’amin First Nation, is still a meeting place for community members. For decades, Russell-the-Hermit was a fixture in the pub, occupying the third barstool on the right.
At one time there was a clash of cultures—tough as nails Scandinavian loggers and commercial fisherman mixing with hippies, tourists and bike gangs. Brawls were not uncommon. Today there are fewer loggers and fisherman, and the hippies are now senior citizens so it’s safe to go up for a pint.
Occasionally a helicopter lands out front, scattering menus, napkins and umbrellas. Keep an eye out for Oprah Winfrey.
Like Gibsons Harbour Authority and Westview in Powell River, Lund is a community owned and operated marina. They don’t take reservations, but they won’t turn you away either. You can’t miss the hotel and pub. The store, once incorporated into the hotel building, has moved to spacious new quarters just out back.
Even if we aren’t stopping overnight, we’ll deke into Nancy’s for one of the famous cinnamon buns. For a dining option, check out the Boardwalk, run by Rayanne and Roy Blackwell. They moved to Lund in 2010 after running Mr. Pickwick Fish and Chips in downtown Vancouver for many years.
If your travels take you up toward Desolation Sound this summer, you’ll find plenty of beer, burgers, tacos and cinnamon rolls. So add these pubs to your summer cruising itinerary and enjoy the best of the Sunshine Coast.