Mudge Island was named by Captain Richards of the HMS Plumper after his Lieutenant William Fitzwilliam Mudge. Mudge Island is approximately 0.5 mile wide and 2.5 miles long. It is the most northern member of the De Courcy Group of Gulf Islands

HMS Plumper | Captian Richards | Mudge Island

Mudge lies accross False Narrows from Gabriola Island, and is near the northern end of Valdes Island. Mudge has no ferry service, but is only three minutes from a boat ramp on Gabriola Island, and just 25 minutes from the city of Nanaimo. Deep water moorage is available at “Friends of Coho Cove” on Mudge Island.

Mudge has a year round population of about 60 full time residents. Some are artisans, some commute to work on Gabriola or Vancouver Island, and some run home based businesses. The Summer can boast the population to between 100 and 150. Residents get around on Mudge via dirt roads by either foot or bicycle.

There are no shops on Mudge Island, so residents do their shopping on either Gabriola Island (food, pharmacy, liquor, hardware, etc), or in Nanaimo. School children attend elementary school on Gabriola Island, catching the school bus at Brickyard Hill.

Mudge Island is unique among the smaller islands in that it offers full hydro, telephone and cable TV services. Mudge can be accessed by private watercraft, seaplane, water taxi, or barge for large and heavy supplies.