Regular passenger ferry service to and from Saysutshun soft launches Friday, April 29 ahead of full-time service in the middle of May. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

ALL ABOARD

Saysutshun ‘ready to see the masses’ ahead of expected busy summer season

Apr 29, 2022 | 5:55 AM

NANAIMO — A popular outdoor recreation destination is set to welcome visitors en masse.

Saysutshun, formerly Newcastle Island, starts its season May 1 with the opening of the island’s amenities and resumption of regular ferry service connecting it to Nanaimo.

Philip Clark, Saysutshun park manager, told NanaimoNewsNOW they were “ready to see the masses” during what’s projected to be a very busy year and added they’ve worked hard over the winter to get the park into pristine shape once more.

“There’s months worth of trail work, landscaping work that needs to be done, boat maintenance, there’s a long process to get everything ready each year but once it’s going we’re good to go for the next five months.”

Passenger ferry service begins Friday, April 29 and will continue Thursday’s through Sunday’s until May 15 when seven day a week crossings begin.

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Boats leave Maffeo Sutton Park at the top and bottom of the hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with return trips from Saysutshun departing at 15’s and 45’s on the clock.

The seven minute trip serves thousands every year.

“We usually put a little over 20,000 people a year on and off the Island with our ferry service, as well as another 20,000 to 35,000 people a year visit Saysutshun via their own vessels, whether it be a cruising yacht or a kayak or a log with a paddle.”

An attached marina allows easy boat access for people visiting Saysutshun year-round. (Experience Saysutshun)

Saysutshun boasts 18 campsites, five additional group sites as well as a 60-slip marina and over 40 mooring buoys just off the Island for free use during the day or overnight moorage for a small charge.

A 200-person pavilion, concession as well as bike and kayak rentals are also offered.

The Island itself also carries a rich history with Snuneymuxw First Nation and was officially renamed back to Saysutshun in 2021.

“It gives us the opportunity to offer a unique look into the history of this Island and the people who occupied it,” Clark said. “We offer cultural on the weekends where you can go on a tour and get some of the stories of the Snuneymuxw First Nation and the history of the Island.”

In addition to Indigenous settlements, Saysutshun was also the site of extensive coal mining as well as a Japanese-owned herring saltery in its history, according to Clark.

Saysutshun is a popular summer destination for campers and those looking for an outdoor recreational experience. (Experience Saysutshun)

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