Couple Has Lived For 29 Years On a Hand-Built Island They Call the Freedom Cove

In Vancouver, life is a bit different for Catherine and Wayne. The two are artists and have been married for over 3 decades now. Their home is an interesting place, not just because they’re artists. It’s because they don’t live on land.

Catherine and Wayne reside in Freedom Cove, which they built themselves.

The whole structure has everything they need, all a good distance away in the water. Freedom Cove is tethered to nearby terrain, close to the shore of Vancouver Island.

45 minutes away from the nearest mainland residences is pretty remote by a lot of people’s standards, but that’s just how these two like it. And with a dance floor, lighthouse, and garden, there’s a lot to like. All of this is floating on the water.

The entire structure weighs 5oo tons or 1 million pounds as estimated by Wayne. Oh, and he built the whole thing with just handsaws and hammers. By hand.

Power tools? Never heard of ’em. This whole place was built the old-fashioned way.

“I KNOW EVERY BOARD AND NAIL BY NAME.”

That’s a herculean demonstration of DIY if you don’t mind me saying. Wayne makes it pretty clear where his determination to do this came from.

“I’VE BEEN BUILDING TREE FORTS SINCE I WAS 7. I SAID ‘WELL, DAD, I’M PUTTING A TREE FORT IN THE OCEAN.”

Despite the relative remoteness, Catherine and Wayne have everything they need.

This side of Vancouver is teeming with life, flora, and fauna alike. Birds and all sorts of fish can be found in nearly every direction, so fishing is naturally, quite rewarding for Wayne. British Columbia is home to Rock Doves, Starlings, Peacocks, and beavers. It’s also got Salmon, Coastal Cutthroat trout, and Rainbow trout.
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