daily. Residents of Gabriola who work or attend high school in Nanaimo use the ferry to commute. Gabriola may also be reached by float plane or small boat. Islands and islets near Gabriola include Snake Island and Entrance Island to the north, the Flat Top Islands, Breakwater Island, and Valdes Island to the east, and Mudge Island, Link Island, and DeCourcy Island to the south. The North Road-South Road loop of is the main island highway. It passes near most parts of the island, including the ferry terminal at Descanso Bay. The island has three provincial parks—Gabriola Sands Provincial Park on the northwest shore, Sandwell Provincial Park on the northeast shore, and Drumbeg Provincial Park on the east shore—as well as Descanso Bay Regional Park and an adjacent community park near the ferry terminal. Large coastal sandstone formations known as the Malaspina Galleries are preserved in this community park. The formations were named after the 18th-century Spanish explorer Alejandro Malaspina. Demographics The population of Gabriola rose by 15 percent, from 3,522 to 4,050, between 2001 and 2006. This growth rate was higher than that for BC as a whole, which grew at a rate of 5.3 percent. The population density was 70.3/km2 (182.1 mi2) in 2006 compared to 4.4/km2 (11.4 mi2) for all of BC. The total number of private dwellings on Gabriola was 2,744 in 2006, of which 1,998 were occupied by the usual residents. The median age of the population was 52.9 years compared to the BC median of 40.8. Of the total population, 1,960 were male and 2,090 were female. Climate Under the Köppen climate classification, the island has a cool summer Mediterranean climate due to its dry summers. Other climate classification systems, such as Trewartha, place it firmly in the Oceanic zone (Do). Cool and moist, the island averages 138 rainy days per year and seven days with snowfall greater than . Days with high temperatures of or higher are rare, averaging less than one per year. Days with temperatures below occur about 25 times per year. Winters are cool and wet with the average temperature in January being and an average precipitation of . Due to its mild winters, the average annual snowfall is low at during the season. Summers, on the other hand are dry and mild with a July average of with only of precipitation. Community Island festivals include the annual Isle of