Most people are retired or growing pot. There is work on Saltspring and Pender, but not a lot, and work is very hard to come by on the other islands.

Dear Crystal,

Your dream is attainable, and I will
try to explain how I think you should do it.

1) Living on these islands is cheap
if you take the effort to find the right ways.
My rent is $300, for an independant
40 sq. meter (400 sq. foot) basement suite,
with a lovely view. I rent this from an
okay landlord (all island people are okay).
Another interesting idea is to rent a
complete house for $600-900, and find
friends who would like to live with you.
Please ask us (Kelsey & me) for a peek too.

2) I assume your budget is at least :

- $510, this is what any citizen is
guaranteed: our welfare ($185 + max. $325 rent).
In addition, you may earn $200 or so.
There is a limit to the time you
can be on this welfare. However, if you really
are stuck and poor, this government will
not just leave you homeless and hungry.

- If you have a disability, your income
from the government would be (after lots
of bureaucracy) a small $1000 per month.
From any income you get on top of this,
you may keep $400.

- Between the above two options is a halfway
stage, but hopping upwards can be done
although it will take months.

(I do not promote living of the government's
money, but do encourage accepting welfare
when you need it).

3) There are so many tricks to live and spend
only little. For inspiration, browse through
Henry David Thoreau's book 'Walden', and also
works by Harlan Hubbard (I have not read Hubbard yet).
If the time will come, I'd be happy to help
you apply cost saving methods.

4) There are always jobs available on these
islands (I live on Pender). Pet-sitting, cleaning,
bartending, et cetera.
Your advantage on the Gulf Islands is that
they are small worlds. If you approach people
informally you will be most succesful in getting
some paid labour.

5) I come from an artist family, and have been
around artists all my life. Here's an important
thing: you are not going to make any money.
Being an artist equals poverty. Selling work
is possible, but just not be meganomalic about it.

Crystal, I think you'll do fine as long as
you stay away from cellphones, lease vehicles,
mortages and sigarettes. Unless you feel part
of urban rat-races and modern life-styles, your
life will be easier and more pleasant on one of
these islands. Please give not just Salt Spring
a chance. Let me know if you want to see Pender.

Tristan
(250) 629-3086 [temp. disconnected]
tris@gmx.li

Hi Crystal,
I moved to Salt Spring Island 3 years ago, and enjoy living here! As the island's main industry is tourism, there is lots of jobs here from May to October, though pay rates are not the greatest, running @$8 to 12/hr. Most less skilled islanders have 2 or more part time jobs, while there are numerous opportunities for people with entreprenenurial skills.
Accomodations can be difficult to find, but one can always find a room in a house for $350 to $400 per month.
I don't know where you are currently living or what work skills, experience you have, but the logical thing is to visit SSI for a few weeks and see what you can find.
Our local weekly paper is the Gulf Islands Driftwood, which can be found online as www.gulfislands.net.

Well, i live on Bowen Island. If you live here, you are either an artist (we have every form of artist there is - including a few quite famous ones). Or you have a home/computer business. Or you do what most Boweners do. You work in Vancouver and commute.

This is a very small island, but being so close to Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver (a 15-20 minute ferry ride), and there being only a handful of jobs here, it's what one has to do to survive. If you are an artist, there is an artist's Co-op here (one that i hope to join one day once i get off my rump and start making art).

But i must say it is VERY expensive to live here. Being so close to Vancouver, even though it is an artist's haven, it is getting less hippy/artist and more yuppie. Big money is coming here, building huge mansions, and it is driving up the cost of living incredibly. If i hadn't gotten my foot in the door 5 years ago by buying an ancient little cottage, there would be no way i would be able to do the same thing today. *sigh*

So yeah. If you don’t have mega-bucks, then maybe one of the other, less accessible islands is the route for you. And if you are an artist . . . i have watched quite a few artists sell their work successfully - actually support their families supposedly - on eBay (although this may be atypical). That’s something you can do from ANYwhere – as long as you have internet. (Btw - there is a tribe that may help you there: *+*Artist on Ebay).

I wish you the best of luck! I L-O-V-E island life. I love the moat. I love the small community and quaint atmosphere. It’s like living in another world when you have to take an ocean voyage to go home after a day of shopping in the big bad city. :)

Wow - i just noticed the date that you posted this - over a year ago. Have you attained your dream yet?

WHEN I WROTE I lived with utter joy on Pender Island,
it was February 2004.
Now it is September 2006.

Because I did something stupid,
I lost popularity amongst some neighbours,
and one of them decided to get me and Kelsey to leave.

The man notified the local bylaw office,
to get us evicted a.s.a.p.
Since I rented a suite within my landlord's
house, the grounds were easily manifest.

It is very common to have tennants,
but formally it is not allowed.
One dwelling, means one family.
( This counts for anywhere in BC, I believe )

A lot of misery followed.
We have far from coped with all the consequences.

Anyway, I am back in Vancouver now,
and Kelsey actually got thrown out of the country.
I cannot directly blame that neighbour for
this latter portion of bad luck.
But it is true, that, as one thing led to another,
a lot of uncontroled chaos emerged.
And if it had not, Kelsey would still be here.

I am writing this to warn others for the sometimes
unfortunate sides of living with a small amount
of people on an island. It's a territory thing.

Secondly, I want to announce I (...we) eagerly would
like to move back to one of the Gulf Islands.
Though maybe not Pender Island,
as I am still bitter about everything that happened there.

So, thank you for reading my little story, and
please contact me if you have something for rent.

Tristan
voicemail: 1-800-315-6814

PS.
And, Crystal, have you moved to one of these oases yet ?
Let me know.

Hello! There is potential on Gabriola for work, our economy does seem to be growing fast. Also we are not far from Nanaimo, so many people commute. Clearly though, you'd rather work on the island you live I'm sure. If you want in, I suggest you do it fast though, as the housing market is going through the roof. If I can help you in any way, drop me a line!
~Bobbie