Freedom Cove is an extraordinary artificial island built by artists Catherine King and Wayne Adams off the coast of Tofino, British Columbia. The couple began constructing the island in 1992, using salvaged materials collected over the years. Their labor of love resulted in a unique home featuring four greenhouses, an art gallery, a dance floor, and a lighthouse.
The construction process of Freedom Cove started when King and Adams gathered a pile of wood blown by a storm.
The story of building a self-sufficient island actually started in 1991. The couple was staying in one of their friend’s cabin in Tofino when a storm blew piles of wood. King and Adams knew the pile must have belonged to a man living six miles away. So, they gathered the woods and took them to their Living a highly self-sustaining lifestyle, King and Adams rely on a nearby river and waterfall for their water supply and use solar power for energy. The idea of building this remarkable island began in 1991 when the couple stayed in a friend’s cabin in Tofino. A storm left piles of wood scattered near the area, which they discovered belonged to a man living six miles away. When they returned the wood, the owner refused to take it, insisting that the couple deserved to keep it since they had gathered it themselves.
Inspired by their long-held dream of living in the wild, King and Adams built a house near their friend’s cabin and gradually expanded their project over 28 years, collecting recycled materials to create their floating island paradise.
Catherine King, a dancer, painter, woodcarver, and writer, and Wayne Adams, a sculptor specializing in wood, ivory, and mammoth tusks, earn a living by selling their artworks and produce from their greenhouses. Despite their off-grid lifestyle, a 45-minute boat ride from the nearest town, the couple has remained connected to the outside world since 2013 via the internet, and before that, through written letters.
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The variety of fauna in the region also makes life rather enjoyable and interesting for these artists.
Visitors from around the globe are drawn to Freedom Cove, and the couple regularly encounters the region’s diverse wildlife. Their surroundings are alive with bears, otters, mink, martens, seals, and various waterbird species. Some of the wildlife even visits their home—otters and seals are known to peek through the plexiglass square in the floor of their living room, providing an intimate connection to the natural world.
Freedom Cove is not just a home; it is a testament to creativity, resilience, and a harmonious relationship with nature.
