A characteristic Galiano Island cottage on a patch of well-tended, sunlit grass at Mary Anne Point in Active Pass, painted in 2001. I believe this is the Scoones house, built in stages beginning in 1885 by a carpenter named Cullison. It was initially owned by the Burrill brothers, then was bought by seaman Alec Scoones in 1897. It has been added to many times over the years, but no addition has completely erased the character of the old place. The Mary Anne Point light sits on the water at the end of the yard and is well known to local boaters and passengers on the BC Ferries vessels travelling between the islands. Source for the information is Island Heritage Buildings, by Thomas K. Ovanin, published by the Islands Trust in 1987 and now, regrettably, out of print. Thanks to Jonathan Yardley for lending me his copy.

Update 2025: I went by on the ferry – the house has been demolished. Can anyone confirm the timing?

Note from Jean Wilson: "I lived on Galiano in the 70s and knew Betty Steward, who was a Scoones by birth and and born in that house. She was a painter, too--she died a couple of years ago."

Note from Corey Barker (née Scoones): My mother, Irene,was married to Paul (Jim) Scoones in the early 1950's. I had her look at the picture and read the description, she recognized it at once. Alec Scoones and his wife had six children: Mary, Elizabeth (Betty), Margaret (Maggie), William (Bill), Paul (Jim) and John.The house at one time belonged to Max Hillary (nephew of Sir Edmund Hillary) whose family was aquainted with the Scooneses. My sister Maggie Scoones is currently living on Galiano Island, next door to her father Jim Scoones.

Note from CD Riches, Westminster School London England: I am doing some research into the life of Offley Scoones, born 2 jan 1865, who went to Westminster School. He was an Oxford football blue 1884-7, married Isabel Frank Fenella 0n 10 feb 1897 and died at Galiano Island on 9 dec 1899