Around 40 years ago, Rod Palm (Grandad) purchased Strawberry Island. He and his wife raised his 5 kids here. They lived in an old ship called "The Norvan" (built in 1900). In 1903 the vessel was used as a ferry service that sailed from North Vancouver to Vancouver under the name "North Vancouver Ferry No. 1". In 1925, M.R. Cliff of Vancouver purchased the ferry vessel and had it rebuilt as a steam tug boat.

He renamed it "The Norvan". When Rod and family acquired the island, they decided to haul the vessel from the water and ground it onto the island. Rod states they "accomplished this by using three 50-ton hydraulic jacks. The bow would be lifted a foot, then the stern a foot, then the jacks were put on an angle to facilitate sliding sideways." The Palm family resided on this ship for many years. He says that "the house-works look shabby, but it's all edge grain first growth cedar that I chainsaw milled from beach combed logs and there are no knots in the siding or facia." Rod still lives on The Norvan. He overlooks the entire town of Tofino and its beautiful marinas.