T H E  G R O V E 

A year in Review This month, we celebrate one year of welcoming guests to The Grove B&B on beautiful Mayne Island. Running our Mayne Island bed and breakfast has been an incredible adventure and has surpassed all our expectations! We are delighted to share a few highlights from our first 12 months: 127 bookings 240 room-nights 302 guests hosted Guests from Near and Far From solo cycle tourists to newlyweds, families with kids, groups of friends, and travelers marking life’s

Six Quiet Places to Discover Near the Grove B&B If you’re looking for hidden gems on Mayne Island, you won’t find them on a checklist or behind a tour bus window. They appear at low tide, at sunrise, or on a quiet forest path when the island slows down. These are the places our guests at the Grove B&B on Mayne Island remember most - moments that feel personal, unhurried, and deeply connected to the land and sea. Whether you’re planning a romantic getaway, a nature‑focused esc

Why a Traditional Bed & Breakfast Offers More Value, Comfort, and Warmth Than an Airbnb When planning a getaway to the Southern Gulf Islands, many travellers instinctively open Airbnb. While short-term rentals can be convenient, they often cost more than expected. They rarely match the warmth, comfort, and personalized attention of a traditional bed and breakfast. On Mayne Island, The Grove Bed & Breakfast offers an experience rooted in genuine hospitality, community connecti

For a limited time, guests can enjoy a private exhibition of eleven paintings by acclaimed Mayne Island artist, Terrill Welch. These works are displayed throughout the bed and breakfast to enrich the stay of our visitors. In recent months we've welcomed travelers from South Africa, Germany, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China, several US states, Canadian provinces and many regions across British Columbia. Featuring Terrill’s art is our way of offering an experience that refl

Tucked between Vancouver and Vancouver Island, Mayne Island is a tranquil Gulf Island gem offering a blend of natural beauty, vibrant arts, and rich history. Whether you're here for a weekend or an extended stay, here's how to make the most of your visit. First, you might want to check out this handy resource for tips on getting to Mayne Island . Once you’ve planned your arrival, then you can plan your visit by checking out what the island has to offer, from hikes and walks,

Many of our B&B guests are curious about the journey of our home—how it came to rest among the trees on Mayne Island. Some of you have...

When we started thinking about putting a cabin on our lot, we imagined a relatively small, modest structure. However, after receiving a...

With construction nearly completed, we welcomed our first guests at the Grove. In fact, we've hosted a few groups of family and friends over the last 2 months. My friends Peter and Craig both biked to Mayne Island from Victoria on separate occasions. Both were very helpful with some of the finishing work. Visiting Mayne Island by bicycle seemed easy for them and lends credence to Dana's idea that we should target cyclists as a niche market for our B&B. The Grove on Gallagher

It’s hard to believe my last construction blog update was more than three months ago. A lot has been completed in that time frame. As...

Meet Steve and Olly, the new owners of Mayne Island’s Home Hardware store. They purchased the store from Colleen and Brian Dearden five...

It’s been more than two months since my last blog update, so this one is overdue. Construction has continued at the Grove on Mayne...

As I continue my spotlights on members of the Mayne Island community, let’s meet Carol and Michael Barnes, owners of Espresso Equation. A...

I'm happy to report that construction is continuing at the Grove, despite a few cold rainy days and me not being able to spend as much...

As is often the case on the Gulf Islands, winter brings rain. It wasn't the biblical rains we got 2 years ago, but it rained hard - so...

It started off as an innocent idea we called “Adventure Saturdays” when we moved to Vancouver Island in 2016. Every Saturday, we’d hop in the car and explore a new corner of this magnificent region of Canada; even after being frequent visitors and homeowners here for years, there was still so much to explore. For those of you who know Marc, real estate has been a passionate hobby for years. He loves exploring different areas and assessing properties looking for just the right

I'm back on the blog after a 2-month hiatus. Thankfully, contractor Steve and his crew kept working on our project while I was getting...

Well, it took a little longer than planned, but the forms for the footings were completed and the Ready-mix cement was poured. Why are...

We had some very exciting news in the last few weeks: our building permit was issued on October 3, 2023, and we're thrilled! It took...

Meet Josh Wylder: Professional Pizza Phenom, Composer, Performer A few years ago, in 2020, Josh decided to make the leap back into the restaurant industry after a long hiatus. He was living in Victoria working for a telecommunication business. Life was good, but he certainly wasn’t passionate about his work. All his life, the culinary arts and music occupied much of his love and his spare time, so when he was presented with an opportunity to make a change, he jumped on it. Th

Since the house was delivered to our lot by Nickel Brothers on June 13, we've been busy moving things along, patiently waiting for...

After we purchased the lot on Gallagher Bay Road, Dana and I were curious about the history of our new property. We knew the previous...

"The 44" is a fabled property on Mayne Island, one that's as mysterious as it is legendary. "Mysterious" because folklore says it was developed as a kind of a Utopian community by its original owners, and "legendary" for how it attracted the Island's youth for clandestine parties and escapades. For Margaux and Katharine from Mayne Island's Cove Candle Co ., The 44 was a place to enjoy Halloween bonfires, escape and dance all night in the "shop", which is now the "studio." The

Micro-breweries have flourished in Canada and abroad. For beer enthusiasts, there's something special about discovering local micro-breweries and tasting new and interesting beers. I'm not a connoisseur of all things hoppy and malty, and I wouldn't put myself in the category of "beer enthusiasts", but I enjoy visiting tasting rooms and patios of local micro-breweries. In Victoria, one of my favourite micro-breweries is Driftwood Brewery , located in Esquimalt, although I'm no

It's been four days since our house was delivered to our lot on Mayne Island. It feels like we got an Amazon delivery, except it didn't...

With the trees and logs out of the way, Matt T started excavating where the house will sit. Normally, excavation starts once the building...

Recap: Nickel Brothers is a company that buys houses from people who are redeveloping their property. They save houses from being...

With just a little over two weeks to go before the " new used house " is delivered to the Grove, we're continuing to work on preparing the lot to make room for it. The amount of work and planning to make this happen in such a short time frame is dizzying. It feels like we're juggling hundreds of balls (or flaming torches?) at the same time, with all of them hovering over our heads, not knowing which one we'll catch, and which one we'll drop. While trying to line up all the tr

Sometimes, being flexible is important. Maybe it's important all the time, actually. For those who have followed our Mayne Island...

Last week at low tide, Dana and I visited Campbell Bay. The bay is home to one of the Island's best beaches, with a relatively...

Even though we're not in the big City, it doesn't mean you can't go to the movies... Volunteers organized a showing Sing 2 in the park,...

We're learning a lot about designing and building a home. As discussed in the Finding a Builder blog, some builders provide a suite of...

It's hard to beat the view from this place, especially when it's a warm summer evening and the sun's setting over Active Pass. Throw-in some tasty fish and chips, a burger, a cold beer or a couple of cocktails, and it's pretty much heaven! I'm talking about the Spring Water Lodge , of course, located on the west side of the island in Miners Bay, right on Active Pass. The Springwater lodge is reported to be the oldest continuously operating hotel-bar in British Columbia. It wa

Mayne Island has several parks to explore, with options for everyone. From gentle forest walks, to sea-side strolls, to more exhilarating hikes to scenic points overlooking the Southern Gulf Islands, there is something for everyone. Mount Parke can tick a lot of boxes for residents and visitors, whether you want to take it easy and do a slow forest stroll, or a more strenuous hike to the top to get your heart pumping. It's part of the Capital Regional District Regional Park s

Researching and evaluating home builders could be a full-time job. The options are endless. There are small builders, big builders,...

While we were still in bed this morning, lightning struck not too far from The Grove. Maybe it hit Pender Island across Navy Channel, or...

I needed a diversion to make sure we would be out and about to drive to the Government Dock at Miner's Bay, at the exact time Cassia was...

We're so happy we found this lot... Thankfully, the offers we made on other properties fell through, or we walked away after the home...

We're fortunate that our place is less than a 10-minute from Piggott Bay. In my opinion, it's one of the best bay on the island, with a...

We've been looking at lots and cabins on the Gulf Islands for a long time - probably more than 15 years. We tried and experienced several Islands before focusing on one of them. We overnighted on Pender, Salt Spring, Saturna, Galiano, Gabriola, Hornby and Cortez Islands. We looked at dozens of properties and made offers on four of them in total. First attempt... One was a timeshare on Pender Island. Thankfully, someone made an offer with no conditions and we lost out on it (p

The April 16-17 weekend was special... Keiver had made the trip to the West Coast from Calgary, while Preston and his wife Daria were...

Burning is limited on Mayne Island... and throughout British Columbia, for that matter. It depends on a bunch of factors, including the...

We took possession of The Grove February 14, 2021. As luck would have it, a thick carpet of snow fell the night before, but that wasn't...