Work Where Others Vacation

Tucked into Sidney’s Shoal Harbour on the northern tip of the Saanich Peninsula — just 20 minutes from Victoria — North Saanich Marina sits in one of Canada’s most picturesque rural communities, with 40 km of oceanfront, rolling farmland, and rocky hills as your daily backdrop. It’s one of southern Vancouver Island’s best ports for boating and sailing, and the perfect launching point for the Gulf Islands, the US San Juan Islands, the Discovery Islands, and world-famous Desolation Sound to the north. With moorage for vessels up to 70 feet, a fuel dock, and free parking right beside the docks, this is a working marina with serious views — and a crew that gets to experience all of it, every single day.

An hour north of Victoria and ten minutes south of Nanaimo Airport, Ladysmith Marina sits on the protected waters of Ladysmith Harbour in one of Vancouver Island’s most charming seaside towns. With a picturesque hillside as its backdrop and the Gulf Islands right on its doorstep, this is a laid-back, year-round destination with a genuine community feel — the kind of place where guests arrive relaxed and leave already planning their next visit. It’s also home to the newest boathouses on Vancouver Island, ranging from 50 to 100 feet. If you’re looking for a slightly slower pace without giving up any of the scenery or the waterfront energy, Ladysmith is your spot.

Just ten minutes from downtown Victoria, Oak Bay Marina sits in a sheltered bay with views of Mount Baker almost every single day of the year. It’s OBMG’s home base — a full-service marina with moorage, a fuel dock, marine engine services, and a gift shop, all tucked into one of the most naturally stunning corners of the coast. Chatham Island and Trial Island are right on the doorstep, with sea birds, seals, otters, and sea lions in the local kelp beds as your daily neighbours. Willows Beach is just around the corner. This is the kind of location where guests pull up and immediately start taking photos — and the crew gets to be there for all of it, every shift.

Nestled in a quiet, wind-sheltered cove just 40 minutes from downtown Victoria, Pedder Bay RV Resort & Marina is where forest meets ocean — and where some of the best fishing grounds on southern Vancouver Island are right outside the door. With the Cascade Mountain Range as a backdrop, the Race Rocks Marine Reserve nearby, and Matheson Lake Regional Park and wilderness trails just around the corner, this location has a natural beauty that’s hard to put into words. The marina comes fully loaded too — fuel dock, three-lane boat launch, boat rentals, guided fishing charters, gear rental, and a tackle shop — while the RV resort brings a whole other side to the operation. If you love the outdoors and want a workplace that genuinely feels like an escape, Pedder Bay delivers it every single day.

Right on the dock at Oak Bay Marina, the Marina Dockside Eatery is where great food meets one of the best waterfront views in Victoria. The menu is the kind of thing people make a point of coming back for — house-made sandwiches and paninis, fresh salads, locally roasted Caffé Fantastico coffee, Silk Road teas, freshly baked pastries, and a gelato selection that makes it hard to leave. On the licensed oceanfront deck, guests sip beer and wine while watching boats come and go — and the crew gets to be part of that atmosphere every single shift. If you’re a food and beverage person who wants a workplace with a view most cafés can only dream about, this is it.