Welcome to our Hornby home.

 

 We hope you have a wonderful time in our house, and on the island in general.

 

 

 

                                      CONTENTS      

 

What to do on arrival                                      

 

Kitchen - food, water, utensils, etc                    

 

Where to find - switches, keys, tools, warmth, etc

 

Power outages? (read this beforehand)              

 

Water - quality & quantity. Bathrooms & septic system  

 

Garbage, Compost & Recycle                            

 

Misc. – wifi, wood stove, music, phone, insects, etc       

 

Outdoors - our plants, pond and some sports stuff        

 

The Island - beaches, activities, eating, etc         

 

What to do on departure                                 

 

 

 

ON ARRIVAL

The house may have a smell. Air it well the first day.

 

If the house has been vacant for a while you probably need to turn some things on. Check these things on arrival - they may or may not need doing:

 

ELECTRICAL - Go to the circuit panel, which is located behind a wood covering above the toilet. If they are not on, turn on the water pump (#13) and the hot water heater (#10 & #11).

 

WATER - In winter months we often drain the pipes to prevent freezing.  Open a tap - if water comes out there’s nothing to do. If not, then proceed as follows: 

 

Go to the water tank room (door on your right as you go from living room to large bedroom).  Look down and see the yellow control handle in the line at your feet. Open it. Go outside and locate the tap beneath the kitchen window. It should be running. Shut it. Go back inside and shut all taps in kitchen and bathrooms.

 

 

 

KITCHEN

We observe a basic Jewish Kosher food policy – I would prefer that you not bring into the house any pork products or shellfish, but it’s your call.

 

All the appliances work as you would expect. Use washing machine sparingly (two loads in one day chokes the treatment system). The washing machine sometimes stops completely during a rinse cycle. Just rotate the dial one click and it will come back to life.  The microwave is fine, though the clock may be blinking because of an earlier power outage. Same story with the oven.  The fridge is cold – keep the dial near “normal”, turn down on leaving.

 

We use tap water for general washing purposes and bottled water for drinking, coffee, etc. The dispenser sits on top of the jug and is battery powered.  Don’t lose the USB charge cord that’s held to it – recharge it in the USB & outlets power bar on the side table of the dining room.  It’s red while charging, the light goes out when fully done. Use the water you find - but please replace it before you leave. The best is to take back the big blue empty and refill it at the co-op, at the gas bar or at Ford Cove.

 

Eat any open packages or perishables that you find.  Use the spices, etc that you need. Replace any cans or packages you consume.

Don’t use metal spoons or spatulas on the teflon frypans.

Because we’re on a septic system, be careful what goes down the drain. Large amounts of grease are bad. Coffee grounds go into compost.

There are mice sometimes, so it's a good idea to keep things in sealed containers or up high.

        

 

WHERE TO FIND….

In the kitchen the far left drawer (below the microwave) contains a lot of papers and stuff.  There you will find the instruction manuals for various appliances, fireplace, etc.  There are envelopes with info about Hornby itself and surrounding areas. There’s a ring of keys (with a red tag) to the sheds and second storage room. Also there’s a supply of emergency candles and matches.

 

Between the living room and large bedroom is a storage room. In it are folding chairs, warm clothing, vacuum cleaner and extra bags, light bulbs, battery radio and other supplies for power outages (see below), etc.  We also keep some tools there in case something breaks on you.

 

Along the side of the house is a second storage room. Keys are in the kitchen drawer.  More tools here, but also the hammock. (Hammock hooks are on the sides of the trees in the deck. Rain coming? - store the hammock by hanging on the nails on the outside wall.)

 

The mud room outside the kitchen has seasonal outdoor stuff - citronella oil and table cloths in summer, shovel & salt in winter.

 

The switch for the outdoor path light (it gets dark in the country) is on the far wall of the living room.  The switch for the dining room track lighting is where the cord enters the wall outlet.

 

Phone books (the coloured Hornby one is especially useful) are usually on the dresser in the dining room.

        

 

 

POWER OUTAGES

The island suffers from unpredictable blackouts, though mostly in winter. It’s good to know where things are before that happens.  Check now.

Candles are all over, with extras in the kitchen drawer and inside store room. Matches are in the kitchen drawer and dining room dresser drawer.

There should be small flashlights in the top drawer of the dining room dresser. A headlamp hangs in the storage room. Please don’t waste these flashlights - if you go out at night and wear down the batteries, please put in fresh batteries. Then buy some replacements.

There's a combo flashlight/radio on the dining room window ledge. There's another battery operated radio hanging on a nail in the storage room.

The storage room also has a Coleman stove and a lantern. The lantern uses batteries.  The stove operates on camping fuel - there is some there.  (If you need to refill, do it outdoors or in the mud room.  And do it by flashlight, not candle light!!!) 

Don’t use the sinks or flush the toilet.  The pump to the septic will be out.  Water can be gotten from the taps  (the pressure tank will continue to work) but dump waste water in the woods.

Cold? Light the fireplace.

 

WATER

Water is a problem on Hornby both in terms of quantity and quality.

 

Quantity- Hornby Island sits in the rainshadow of the Vancouver Island mountains.  Summers are often very dry.  We get our water from a well on the property which, while adequate for our needs, needs to be used carefully.  Observe the common precautions against waste - don’t let extra water run when washing dishes, kleenex in garbage not the toilet, “if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down”, keep showers short, etc.

 

Quality - Much of the water on Hornby is sulphurous.  Ours isn’t too bad, but you’ll still notice it.  Use the tap water for all washing of dishes and selves.  Take off your silver jewelry while you’re here - the sulphur will darken it.  We use bottled water for drinking purposes. There’s a bottle in each bathroom for brushing teeth (not for washing) - refill them from the kitchen jug.  Just use what you see and replace before you leave.

 

Septic:

All our waste water goes to a septic system.  (It’s on your left as you walk up the driveway)  You shouldn’t have to worry about it at all but you should be aware not to put any bleach, excessive soaps or detergents, coffee grounds, excess grease or other funny stuff into the system.  In fact, gentlemen on antibiotics are requested to pee in the woods.  Please use the minimum of toilet paper.  Put kleenex, dental floss etc. into the garbage, not the toilet. Most important - don't overload it (eg: don't do too many showers or laundry loads)!

 

The septic alarm might ring. If you hear it, please do not ignore.

The alarm would be from the box that’s mounted beside my septic field. On the box will be a red alarm button – push it in and hold for 6 seconds. That should turn off the sound (and possibly the lit button) but now you need to figure out why it went off.

Two choices: Too much water or too little water

-Too much (as explained in the information booklet) means some of you have been taking long showers, or you’ve run two showers plus a laundry load in the same day, or flushing for trivial reasons, etc.  Solution: cut down usage!  Start practicing water conservation immediately.

-Too little (which is the more frequent cause of the alarms) means you’ve been so darn scrupulous about not putting any more water into system than what you need to flush a dump (nobody takes showers or does laundry, rinse water gets tossed into the woods, you let the yellow go so mellow it turns orange, etc) and now the treatment plant is choking on dump matter and toilet paper with insufficient water to chop it up.  Solution: walk from this alarm button back to the house and flush a toilet. Do it again. This might be all it takes. Liberalize your consumption of water.

-There’s a third choice. Sometimes the alarm just goes off for mysterious reasons. Push the button and hope.   If you just can’t get the system to shut up and reset call Daniel Siegel or Sasha LeBaron  (phone numbers on last page).

 

Bathrooms:

The toilet in the main bathroom is a low-flush device - less water used. Push handle for light flush - push & hold for heavier flush. The drawback to this is that sometimes it plugs instead of flushing.  Don't feel guilty - just grab the nearby plunger and get busy.  You can reduce the likelihood of this by going easy on the toilet paper. And remember, no dental floss, kleenex, etc.

Another trick: Get the bucket from the mudroom. Half-fill it with HOT water (use the lower spout in the shower) and pour that into the plugged toilet. Give it a few minutes to soften up the contents before trying again.

 

The toilet in the second bathroom is even fussier - it's designed to chop everything up first. Body wastes & paper only!  Then expect noise after flushing (or running the sink)     For hot water in this bathroom, plug in the heater under the sink (use the black cord that’s dangling there).  Unplug when leaving us.

 

 

GARBAGE, COMPOST & RECYCLE

There is NO garbage collection on Hornby.  The locals must pay for each bag they leave at the recycle centre.  Visitors take their garbage there and pay or else off island with them. So plan what you’re going to do with each thing.

 

Hornby has a very active recycle depot. (It’s actually one of the local highlights and worth a visit.) In summer it’s open Thurs- Sunday, 9AM – 1PM.  In winter it’s Fri – Sun. There’s a free store there too, (10 AM – noon) and you can donate anything in decent shape and browse for some personal finds.

 

We recycle here.  In one of the sheds you’ll find several boxes for recycle collection.  CLEAN your stuff, SORT it into paper, plastic, metal, free store, etc.  You can either leave it in the shed for us to take, or take it to the depot yourself and get the Hornby experience.

 

In the enclosure behind the sheds is the compost bin.  Put in it all vegetable matter - but no meats, greasy foods, etc. We have rats!  Not in the house. But around the outside. I found a large rat inside the compost bin one day as I lifted the top to dump in fresh stuff.  So here’s how to close the composter to keep rats out:

On both the lid of the composter and on its rim you see the letter pattern C – O – C – O - ..   If you fit the lid so the letters are the same (C-C  O-O   C-C   O-O. etc) then the vents are open (and rats have a doorway).  But rotate the lid so the letters line up with the other (C-O.  O-C.  C-O etc) and vents are closed – and rats are obliged to go elsewhere for dinner.

And remember to clean all plastics and jars before you put them in the blue box and into the recycling shed.  I’ve seen lots of evidence of rats coming into the shed to chew on stuff.

 

The remainder goes into a garbage bag, then into your trunk!  Take it to the depot (and pay the fee) or take it off the island.

 

 

MISCELLANEOUS

Wifi – Hornby to The World     Password: 6048794466

 

This is a no-smoking house. If you smoke, please do it outdoors, (ashtrays are in the mud room) and throw all butts into the garbage.

 

Please close all ground-floor windows if you leave the house- even Hornby has break-ins.  Screens are optional during the day, but beware - in summer mosquitos come out a few hours before sunset.

 

Please don't wear shoes indoors.  Leave wet clothing in the mud room before you come in.  In winter you may hang stuff above the woodstove to dry it. (There’s a lifting tool hanging on the wall)

 

The washer and dryer work (though if the washer stops mid-cycle, read the helpful directions on the lid).  But remember: don't waste water, and no excess detergents in the septic.  Be prudent.

 

Treat the stereo system in the dining room gently. If you use our cassettes or CD's, put them back into the cases immediately after use. The CD’s on the wall are in categories – read the chart & put them back in the right place.

 

We have some night-lights around. Put one in the dining room wall outlet. It will illuminate a safe descent from the second floor to the bathroom.

                 

The second floor deck is safe.

The top floor is most suited to short people (kids!). In winter we usually seal it off with styrofoam.  If you remove the styrofoam, note the pattern first for easy re-assembly before you leave.

                 

The wood stove in the living room throws a lot of heat. You probably don’t want to bother with it in summer unless the weather is wretched.    Basic idea:  slide the lever that’s below the door to the left to get the fire going (a bed of crumpled paper, a layer of kindling, then bigger stuff), then move it rightward once the wood is all caught.  The dial on the stovepipe will give you a good idea of how hot it is – you want the middle.  Put cold ashes in compost or in the woods (where we won't see it).  There’s glass cleaner under the sink – or use vinegar and paper towels on a cold window. Kindling (& hatchet) is in the stand­alone shed.  Don’t waste kindling.

 

The phone number is 250-335-1955. All Hornby phones begin 335- and are local calls. You are in area code 250.    Do not charge long-distance calls to us.  Bill long distance to your own number or else don’t phone!!   Check the screen on the phone (or hear the staccato dial tone, then dial then #98) in case anyone phoned you and left a message.

 

 

OUTDOORS

You don’t need to do anything more with the outdoors than enjoy it. Be careful where you walk and you won’t damage any plants.  If you're here for a week or more during dry weather, you might feel inclined to water them. I’d appreciate that. There are jugs of water for that purpose behind the house.  (I bet you were wondering about those)

 

Keep the gate closed so deer don’t enter and eat the garden.

 

Don't use the outdoor chairs indoors.  (There are indoor folding chairs in the storage room)

 

The fish don’t need to be fed - it’s amazing how well they do on their own. In fact, overfeeding adds to the algae growth and is a bad idea. But in case you want to treat them, you’ll find fish food on the table by the door or in the “Pond” box in the storage room.  Never feed them in the cold months.

 

There are bikes in the shed (keys in kitchen drawer), though we've locked up our personal bikes. The brakes on the blue bike are bad in wet weather. There are helmets and bike locks there, too - use them!   There are frisbees, water sport items, sand toys, beach chairs and other recreation in the same shed.  Enjoy!

 

 

THE ISLAND

You can easily walk to the beach access at Grassy Point. Locals gather there in the evening for viewing the sunset. Swimming is good there when the tide is high (beware of possible currents off the point). But for sandy beaches you want Whaling Station Bay or Tribune Bay. Whaling Station is a favorite of families with very young kids. Tribune Bay is a provincial park and has parking lots, toilets, lots of sand and people.  Little Tribune is the clothing-optional, quieter undeveloped beach accessible from Little Trib Road near the Co-op. 

 

The Co-op is the hub of island activity. You can buy almost anything there. You don’t need a membership to shop there, but if you tell them ours (#1863) we will earn some minimal rebate on the purchase.  Around the Co-op are bookstores, pottery, clothing, ice cream, two restaurants (Forage and VORIZO), with more nearby food (Sizzle and Pizza) near the gas station.

Aside from those restaurants, you can eat pizza at Hornby Heart on Central Road and another pizza option at Ford’s Cove. Hornby Heart also has a fancy restaurant in the evenings (I don’t know if it’s functioning in 2026). Sea Breeze Lodge has a fancy dinner - call to get the menu and book. Above the store at Ford Cove a new restaurant offers spectacular sunset views and acceptable food. The pub and restaurant at the ferry are better food (IMHO) and the outdoor seating is a pleasure.  You can sample ciders at Fossil Beach and honey meads at Middle Mountain Mead   

In late summer the island abounds in blackberries.

 

Helliwell Park is an easy walk past magnificent views. Plan two hours and carry water.  Mount Geoffry has hiking trails (enter from Strachan Rd) and biking trails (enter from beside the cemetery).  Kids fish off the docks at Ford Cove and Shingle Spit.  There are fossils and petroglyphs at low tide if you know where to look. On moonless nights look at the bioluminescence at Phipps Point. Renting kayaks is fun.

 

The newsletter “The Island Grapevine” lists tides and general happenings on both Denman and Hornby, while “The Tribune” is Hornby alone. Read the notice boards around the co-op to find out what’s happening on the island.

 

Wednesdays and Saturdays in summer there’s a food & crafts market near The Community Hall. Check the notice board to see what’s on this week.    Nearby is the Hornby Arts Centre – go see what’s on there.    Also nearby is the Natural History exhibit – good for both adults and kids.

 

There’s a medical centre near the Community Hall.   In summer the RCMP have a detachment next door.    Visit the Free Store at the Recycling Center.    Buy some local pottery and art.   There's an ATM at the Co-op and another at the credit union behind the Community Hall.

 

ON DEPARTURE

Do you have any comments or suggestions for us?  We’d love to hear them. Please leave us a note in our visitors book which should be on the dining room dresser.

 

Don’t leave us your garbage!  We don’t want it!  Put all the (cleaned) recycle stuff in the shed.  Put the compost in its bin.  (Note that hard-to-break-down items like avocado pits, corn cobs, “Biodegradable” paper plates and any animal products are all garbage.) Everything else goes into a garbage bag and you take it off the island or to the depot.

 

All kitchen food items should be in sealed containers so the mice won’t get them after you’re gone.  Don't leave perishables in the fridge.

 

Are all baseboard heaters turned off? In the main floor large bedroom it's a wall thermostat.  In small bedroom it's a dial on the baseboard.  Living room has a wall thermostat. There are no baseboards on upper levels. (In winter leave the dining room thermostat set to 5°)

Did you close the fireplace damper and reload the wood boxes?

Lights off? Appliances off?

Is the cord to the water heater in the second bathroom unplugged?

Bathroom and kitchen all clean?

Are the shed and outside storage room locked?

All taps closed tight?  In winter, you may need to drain the pipes. If so, go to the water tank room (see "On Arrival" section) and close the tap at your feet. Then open some inside taps. Finally, go outside and find the tap below the kitchen window. Open it to drain. 

If no one is going to be here in the next few days you need to turn some electrical circuits off. Go to the circuit panel above the toilet. Turn off the hot water heater (#10 & #11) and (in winter only) the water pump (#13). In the second bathroom, if you plugged in the hot water before, then unplug it now. 

If someone is coming here soon, or if you know the property manager will be doing this (quite likely), you can skip all this switches and faucets stuff.

 

If you are a summer renter, then we might have a cleaning person coming in after you to do floors, bathrooms, etc. Even so, you still must empty the fridge, clean your dishes, put recycles in the shed and dispose of your garbage.