Union Bay · Vancouver Island
Union Bay Real Estate
& Homes for Sale
A small Baynes Sound community where coastal history, older residential pockets and a changing south-Valley landscape all meet. Explore current Union Bay homes and understand how shoreline, servicing, lot context and future growth can change the purchase.
Explore homes currently for sale in Union Bay.
Start with the live inventory below. After the listings, we will break Union Bay down by shoreline relationship, established village streets, newer development context and the property-specific questions that matter most here.
Listed by Siya Herman Oakwyn Realty Ltd. (NA)
Listed by John Kalhous Royal LePage-Comox Valley (CV)
Listed by Amanda Racine Royal LePage-Comox Valley (CV)
Listed by Brandon Guile REMAX Ocean Pacific (Crtny)
Listed by Justin Crawford eXp Realty (CX)
Listed by Bryce Hansen eXp Realty (CT)
Where to live in Union Bay
The biggest difference is not the neighbourhood name. It is which version of Union Bay you are buying into.
Established village streets, direct Baynes Sound exposure, newer development and larger inland properties can sit surprisingly close together. Start with property context first, then narrow the listings.
Start with the coast, then work backward toward the property systems.
Union Bay stretches from its shoreline up toward forested slopes and newer growth areas. A home can feel completely different depending on whether the attraction is direct water access, an established older street, a newer planned setting or simply more land and separation.
Four useful search starting points
Think in property contexts, not made-up neighbourhood boundaries.
These are practical ways to organize a Union Bay search rather than official neighbourhood names. The exact parcel still controls the important questions around zoning, services, shoreline and future use.
Older village streets + heritage context
Start here when mature lots, older housing and the community's historic scale are part of the appeal. Renovation history, drainage, major systems and road position matter more than cosmetic finishes.
The shoreline experience
Waterfront and water-view properties can deliver the strongest Union Bay atmosphere. Compare elevation, exposure, shoreline condition, access, retaining, flood requirements and the property's actual relationship with the water.
A community that is still changing
Union Bay Estates introduces a very different purchase context from the older village. Review the exact phase, completed infrastructure, future plans, neighbouring construction and what is existing today versus what remains proposed.
More land, privacy + forest
Moving away from the immediate shoreline can bring larger lots, trees, workshops and more breathing room. That also makes zoning, access, drainage, outbuildings and property systems a bigger part of the buying decision.
One Union Bay difference
You are evaluating both an established community and a long-term growth story.
Union Bay is an unincorporated community in CVRD Electoral Area A. At the same time, Union Bay Estates is under development with additional residential, marina, commercial and infrastructure components planned over future phases.
Daily life in Union Bay
Union Bay feels coastal first, residential second and commercial a distant third.
The community is small, linear and tied closely to Baynes Sound. Daily life is less about a busy town centre and more about shoreline access, quiet streets, boats, views and making the short drive north when you need a larger service base.
Baynes Sound is always in the background.
Union Bay's identity follows the shoreline. Boats, beach access, changing tides and long views across the Sound give even inland streets a distinctly coastal feel.
Coastline shapes the communityYou will use Courtenay for plenty.
Union Bay has local essentials, but major shopping, hospital access, professional services and a broader restaurant and retail base are still concentrated farther north in Courtenay.
Quiet without pretending to be self-containedThe water is scenery and infrastructure.
This is not a resort shoreline. Baynes Sound has a long working-waterfront history and remains a marine environment where boats, shellfish activity, industrial history and residential life overlap.
Beautiful, but not sanitizedClose enough to town, clearly outside it.
Union Bay works for buyers who want more separation from Courtenay without moving so far south that every errand starts to feel like a project.
A deliberate step away from the coreCoal port roots + protected heritage
The old Union Wharf story is still visible in the community.
Union Bay grew as a major coal shipping port serving the mines around Cumberland. That working history still shows up in the scale of the village, surviving buildings and the relationship between Island Highway and the waterfront.
In 2026, the CVRD added the Union Bay Post Office and Gaol House to its Community Heritage Register, formally recognizing two of the community's most important surviving heritage places.
A local issue worth knowing about
The shipbreaking dispute is part of Union Bay's current story.
The former industrial waterfront at 5084 Island Highway South has been the subject of sustained community concern, provincial regulatory action and litigation involving shipbreaking activity.
The Province cancelled Deep Water Recovery's Crown foreshore lease in 2025. As of April 2026, the CVRD said its court action against Deep Water Recovery Ltd. and Union Bay Industries Ltd. remained active after an amended Notice of Claim was filed on March 25, 2026.
This does not make every Union Bay property problematic. It simply means a buyer who cares about industrial activity, environmental context or waterfront outlook should understand where the site is relative to the home and review the latest public information before making a decision.
The pretty part is obvious. The wastewater and water-table questions are not.
Next we get into septic, high winter groundwater, future sewer servicing, coastal drainage, water service, zoning and what to verify before buying.
Housing + ownership
In Union Bay, the yard can matter as much as the house.
Older village homes, shoreline properties and newer growth areas can carry very different infrastructure and site questions. The purchase becomes much easier when you understand the wastewater, water, drainage and zoning context first.
Older homes + smaller lots
The historic core can offer mature streets, character and proximity to the shoreline. On older properties, the condition and location of septic systems, drainage patterns and major building systems deserve just as much attention as the renovation itself.
Waterfront + coastal exposure
Waterfront and ocean-view properties make the setting part of the value. They also bring flood hazard, drainage, erosion, access and shoreline questions that need to be understood at the exact parcel rather than generalized across the community.
More space, more moving pieces
Newer development and larger inland properties can solve some older-home problems while introducing different ones: future phases, service capacity, zoning, outbuildings and what infrastructure is complete today versus still planned for tomorrow.
The Union Bay rule: do not treat infrastructure as background information. On some properties, septic performance, seasonal groundwater, flood requirements or future servicing can materially change both the ownership experience and the property's long-term options.
Buy smarter
Six checks I would make before treating a Union Bay property as simple.
Union Bay is a good example of why rural-coastal due diligence matters. The lifestyle can be fantastic, but the systems underneath the property are not uniform from one address to the next.
Septic + high winter water table
CVRD technical material identifies poor soil conditions and a high winter water table as prevalent in Union Bay. The same material notes that 95% of Union Bay lots in the study area were below 0.2 hectares. On an older home, review septic filing or permit history, field location, maintenance, recent assessment and whether the site realistically has room for repair or replacement.
CVRD wastewater context →Sewer Extension South
A regional sewer extension is being pursued for Union Bay, Royston and surrounding south-Valley areas, but buyers should not treat future sewer as completed or guaranteed on a specific timeline. The CVRD is currently reviewing alternate phasing and scope because a major funding partner is unable to commit its share at this time, while additional grant funding is sought.
Current Sewer Extension South update →Union Bay water service
The CVRD's Union Bay Water Local Service Area currently serves roughly 690 properties and about 1,500 residents. Water is drawn from Langley Lake and treated at a multi-barrier filtration plant. Confirm that the exact parcel is within the service area, its connection status, current charges and any development-specific requirements.
CVRD Union Bay Water System →Coastal drainage + flood hazard
Union Bay's low coastal setting makes water movement a real ownership question. The CVRD adopted Flood Hazard Land Use Management Bylaw No. 890 in March 2026. Habitable development near the sea can require site-specific professional flood assessment, including flood construction levels and setbacks. Also inspect practical drainage on the lot: grades, ditches, culverts, foundation moisture and where winter water actually goes.
CVRD floodplain requirements →Zoning + intended use
Union Bay is in CVRD Electoral Area A, so land use is governed through regional district zoning rather than a municipal bylaw. Do not assume a suite, second dwelling, home business, subdivision, short-term rental or redevelopment plan works because a nearby property appears to do something similar. Check the actual parcel and applicable development permit areas.
CVRD zoning information →Union Bay Estates + future growth
Union Bay Estates has long-term approvals capable of creating a large amount of future housing and other land uses, but the CVRD says work related to the project was paused after the properties were listed for sale in 2025. For nearby purchases, separate what exists now from concept plans, permitted future potential and infrastructure that has not yet been completed.
CVRD Union Bay Estates update →The infrastructure reality
Buy the property that exists today, not the version you hope future servicing creates.
The sewer project is important because the septic and groundwater issues are real, but future infrastructure should be treated as a changing planning process until the exact scope, funding, phasing and connection requirements are confirmed. That makes present-day site condition especially important.
Property-specific due diligence
Send me the address before you make assumptions about the systems.
I can help you identify which records, maps and professional opinions matter before conditions are removed. The goal is not to make Union Bay sound complicated. It is to make sure the beautiful part of the property is not distracting from something expensive underneath it.
Is Union Bay actually the right south-Valley fit?
Next we compare Union Bay with Royston, Fanny Bay, Courtenay and the wider Comox Valley, then answer the practical questions buyers usually ask before narrowing the search.
Compare the south Valley
Union Bay fits buyers who want more separation without going fully rural.
The choice usually comes down to how much convenience, land, shoreline and driving you want in the week you actually live.
Coast + history + breathing room
A good middle ground when Baynes Sound, older community character and a quieter south-Valley setting matter without moving much farther from Courtenay.
You are hereCloser to Courtenay
Better when you want a quieter coast but still value fast access to the Valley's main service centre.
Explore Royston → Fanny BayMore rural + more land
Widen south when acreage, privacy, outbuildings and a stronger rural-coastal lifestyle matter more than proximity to town.
Explore Fanny Bay → CourtenayServices + housing choice
Choose Courtenay when shopping, healthcare, broader inventory and day-to-day convenience outweigh the need for a quieter coastal setting.
Explore Courtenay →For Union Bay homeowners
Your property value is more than the view and square footage.
Shoreline position, septic, drainage, lot utility, renovation history, servicing and nearby development can materially change buyer perception. A property-specific assessment is more useful here than a generic online estimate.
Request a Property Assessment →Union Bay FAQ
Four questions worth answering before you move.
The important questions here are not complicated. They are just more property-specific than they are in a typical municipal neighbourhood.
Is Union Bay a good place to live?
Does every Union Bay property have sewer?
What should I check before buying near the water?
How does Union Bay compare with Royston and Fanny Bay?
Considering Union Bay?
Find the right property, not just the right view.
Send me a listing, street or rough idea of what you want. I can help you compare Union Bay with the rest of the south Valley and flag the property questions worth answering before you commit.