Welcome to Deep Cove, a true nature lover’s paradise, a community where hiking, boating, and water sports reign supreme among residents lucky enough to call this laidback, artsy community home sweet home.
Comprising the area on the far east side of the North Shore, Deep Cove lies nestled in the shadow of Seymour Mountain to the north and the placid waters of Indian Arm to the east.
Only 13 kilometres from Downtown Vancouver, this quaint seaside village feels light years away from the crowds and traffic of city living.
The traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, Deep Cove eventually became a popular cottage destination as Vancouver grew with European settlement in the early 20th century. Following the completion of the Second Narrows Memorial Crossing bridge in 1960, the village saw a build-up of residential neighbourhoods surrounding the area as more and more people chose to call this idyllic setting home, according to the Deep Cove Heritage Society.
Deep Cove is a community with distinctly West Coast vibes with many of the homes dotting the area’s shorelines sporting their own boat slips, whether for lavish sport boats or a couple of salt-streaked kayaks. Inside the pint-sized village, a series of funky businesses can be found.
One thing this nature-loving community does particularly well is food, whether it’s loaded pizza and craft beer at the Raven Pub, mouthwatering treats from Honey’s Doughnuts and Goodies, or hearty fare from the Arms Reach Bistro Restaurant, a local dining favourite. All that outdoor recreation keeps Deep Covers hungry.
With recreation reigning supreme in the area it’s not surprising that “the cove” offers one of the largest selections of water sport rentals in the country with Deep Cove Kayak offering rentals of kayaks, paddle boards, and dragon boats, something that Amy Harris, communications manager for the company, says is a booming business.
“It gets pretty busy down there. We’ve been selling out pretty much every weekend so far this year and been very busy during the week as well,” she notes, explaining the business, which operates on the village’s waterfront from March to October books between 30,000 and 40,000 rentals per year, even more in recent years.
“Especially in the last couple of years it’s been getting up there to 40,000 plus,” says Harris.
She attributes the area’s popularity as a water sport destination to two main reasons, both having to do with its location.
“It’s a pretty protected area so the water is usually pretty calm,” she explains. “Obviously having that calm water means that a lot of people who aren’t familiar with water sports, beginners, can still go out and feel very safe out on the water.”
The other reason is the scenery.
“We’re very lucky in Deep Cove to have such spectacular scenery right on our door step,” she says.
Deep Cove also supports a thriving arts community, with three separate galleries located in the village alone. Among those is the Seymour Art Gallery that contains both a gallery and a store, which sells works by local artists.
“The community is very tightly knit here. It’s very supportive of the arts,” says Vanessa Black, gallery assistant at the Seymour Art Gallery.“I think that definitely encourages artists to stay and to work and to contribute to this community in particular.”
Black says she believes it’s the area’s natural beauty that contributes to the many artists that call this community home. “I think it’s just (the) scenery. Definitely nature. That’s the subject matter of a lot of the art in the shop. I think that really speaks to a lot of creative people.”
Hiking is also popular in the area, particularly the two-kilometre Quarry Rock hike, which takes trekkers high above the community and offers stunning views of surrounding waterways.
Deep Cove is also the eastern terminus for the 48-kilometre Baden Powell Trail, which spans all the way west to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver.
So whether it’s paddling, hiking, gorging on delicious food fare or simply taking in the breathtaking scenery that permeates the area, the community of Deep Cove has lots to offer.
