Mayne Island

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Infobox settlement | official_name = Mayne Island | other_name = | native_name =  | nickname = | settlement_type = Island | motto = | image_skyline = Village Bay Ferry Dock.jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = Village Bay, Mayne Island's ferry dock | image_flag = | flag_size = | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_shield = | shield_size = | image_map = Gulf Islands map 2.png | mapsize = | map_caption = The Southern Gulf Islands, including Mayne. | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Canada | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = British Columbia | subdivision_type2 = Regional District | subdivision_name2 = Capital | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = MP | leader_name = Elizabeth May (Green Party of Canada) | leader_title1 = MLA | leader_name1 = Adam Olsen (Green) | established_title = | established_date = | unit_pref =  | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 21 | area_land_km2 = | area_total_sq_mi = | area_land_sq_mi = | population_as_of = | population_footnotes = | population_total = 1300+ | population_density_km2 = | population_density_sq_mi = | utc_offset = −8 | timezone_DST = PDT | utc_offset_DST = −7 | postal_code_type = Postal Code | postal_code = V0N 2J0 | area_code = | website = | footnotes = | timezone1 = PST }}

right|250px|thumb|Miners Bay Dock'''Mayne Island''' is a {{convert|21|km2|mi2|adj=on}} island in the southern Gulf Islands chain of British Columbia. It is midway between the Lower Mainland of BC and Vancouver Island, and has a population of over 1300. Mount Parke in the south-central heart of the island is its highest peak at 255 metres (837 feet).

==Parks and beaches== There are many parks suitable for walks and hikes, which range from easy, to more strenuous.<ref>{{Cite web |last=jamie |date=2023-04-28 |title=Hikes on Mayne Island |url=https://southerngulfislands.com/4-must-do-hikes-on-mayne-island/ |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=Southern Gulf Islands Tourism |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tremblay |first=Marc S. |date=2025-06-03 |title=Visitor's Guide to Nature, Local Eats, Shops, Art & Culture |url=https://www.mayne.ca/post/visitor-s-guide-to-nature-local-eats-shops-art-culture |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=Mayne.ca |language=en}}</ref>

Gulf Islands National Park Reserve offers opportunities for boating, kayaking, hiking, wildlife viewing and picnicking.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Parks Canada Agency |first=Government of Canada |date=28 March 2017 |title=index - Gulf Islands National Park Reserve |url=https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/gulf/index |website=Pc.gc.ca}}</ref> There is an easy {{convert|1.5|km|mi|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} loop trail at Bennett Bay that leads to Campbell Point. Campbell Point features remnant old-growth forest and views of Georgeson Island. Bennett Bay has a sandy beach which is suitable for sunbathing and swimming.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Parks Canada Agency |first=Government of Canada |date=4 July 2019 |title=Brochures - Gulf Islands National Park Reserve |url=https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/gulf/visit/brochures.aspx |website=Pc.gc.ca}}</ref> '''Georgina Point''' is the location of a historic lighthouse. Built in 1885, the Georgina Point lighthouse marks the entrance to Active Pass. Orcas, harbour seals and seabirds can all be seen at Georgina Point.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mayne Island Chamber of Commerce - Attractions and Parks |url=http://www.mayneislandchamber.ca/attractions.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706184721/http://www.mayneislandchamber.ca/attractions.htm |archive-date=6 July 2011 |access-date=9 March 2011}}</ref>

Mount Parke Regional Park features the island's highest point at approximately 255 metres above sea level. The park offers several forested trails leading to panoramic viewpoints overlooking the Southern Gulf Islands, including views of Active Pass and surrounding waterways. It is a popular destination for hiking and nature observation, with ecosystems ranging from mature Douglas-fir forests to moss-covered rocky outcrops.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mount Parke Regional Park {{!}} Capital Regional District |url=https://www.crd.ca/parks-recreation/find-park-or-trail/mount-parke-regional-park |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623062455/https://www.crd.ca/parks-recreation/find-park-or-trail/mount-parke-regional-park |archive-date=23 June 2025 |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=Capital Regional District |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tremblay |first=Marc S. |date=2022-07-13 |title=Mount Parke, by "Chopper"! |url=https://www.mayne.ca/post/mount-parke-by-chopper |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=Mayne.ca |language=en}}</ref>

St. John Point Regional Park occupies the southeastern tip of Mayne Island and features a loop trail that follows the shoreline, offering views of Navy Channel, Plumper Sound, North Pender and Saturna Islands. The park is noted for its abundance of arbutus trees along the rugged coastline, as well as pebble beach on the north side of the point. Visitors can enjoy hiking, wildlife viewing, and ocean vistas while exploring this protected natural area.<ref>{{Cite web |title=St. John Point Regional Park {{!}} Capital Regional District |url=https://www.crd.ca/parks-recreation/find-park-or-trail/st-john-point-regional-park |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250515070650/https://www.crd.ca/parks-recreation/find-park-or-trail/st-john-point-regional-park |archive-date=15 May 2025 |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=Capital Regional District |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref>

Edith Point Conservation Area is on the north side of Mayne Island and protects coastal ecosystems with Douglas-fir and arbutus forests, rocky bluffs, and sensitive shoreline habitats. Trails include a forest path through the center and routes along the north and south shores with views of the Strait of Georgia and Campbell Bay. The property was donated by the Graves family and is co-managed by the Mayne Island Conservancy and the Nature Conservancy of Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walsh |first=Robin |date=2024-06-28 |title=Edith Point Conservation Area: Walk-in Only |url=https://mayneconservancy.ca/edith-point-conservation-area-walk-in-only/ |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=Mayne Island Conservancy |language=en-CA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Walsh |first=Robin |date=2022-11-02 |title=Edith Point Preserved Forever! |url=https://mayneconservancy.ca/edith-point-preserved-forever/ |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=Mayne Island Conservancy |language=en-CA}}</ref>

Fred and Bette Cotton Community Park is a waterfront park overlooking Active Pass. It's part of the Whaletrail.org and features a short, forested trail leading to a rocky shoreline, with views of marine wildlife. The property was donated by the Cotton family and is managed by the Mayne Island Parks and Recreation Commission.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-11-29 |title=Fred and Bette Cotton Community Park, Mayne Island |url=https://thewhaletrail.org/sites/fred-and-bette-cotton-community-park-mayne-island/ |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=The Whale Trail |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tremblay |first=Marc S. |date=2025-12-14 |title=Six Hidden Gems on Mayne Island |url=https://www.mayne.ca/post/six-hidden-gems-on-mayne-island |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=Mayne.ca |language=en}}</ref>

==History== Mayne Island was inhabited by members of the Tsartlip First Nation prior to European colonization. Several middens are present on the island, along with period articles – most notably including a {{convert|2|t|ST|abbr=off|sigfig=2}} stone bowl which was stolen in 1982 and again, in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lavoie |first=Judith |date=17 August 2007 |title=Island contemplates mystery of missing bowl |work=Vancouver Sun |publisher=Postmedia |url=http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=78e25197-7570-427d-a92a-9c9581bce41f |url-status=dead |access-date=17 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026051244/http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=78e25197-7570-427d-a92a-9c9581bce41f |archive-date=26 October 2012 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

In 1794 Captain George Vancouver camped on Georgina Point where his crew left a coin and a knife found over a century later by early settlers.

In 1857 Captain George Richards of the Royal Navy surveyed the area as captain of the Royal Navy vessel HMS ''Plumper'', naming the island after his Lieutenant Richard Charles Mayne, son of the first commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police. His journals concerning his explorations of British Columbia are important sources for early British Columbia history, as are those of his colleague in many of those explorations, Royal Engineer Lieutenant Henry Spencer Palmer.

During the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush of 1858–1860 and after, Vancouver Island miners gathered on Mayne Island before rowing across Georgia Strait to the mainland of BC in search of their fortunes. The earliest homesteaders registered land claims in the Miners Bay area in 1859.

During the late 19th century, Mayne Island was the commercial and social centre of the Gulf Islands. The port at Miners Bay was always busy due to the steady stream of marine traffic travelling through Active Pass, the narrow, curving strait separating Mayne from Galiano Island to the north, which is the main ferry route between the Mainland and Vancouver Island today. The historic village at Miners Bay remains the commercial centre of the island, with the annual Fall Fair still being held at the old Agricultural Hall like so many years before. Miners Bay is also the site of the Springwater Lodge which was built in 1892 and remains the oldest continuously operated hotel in British Columbia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.springwaterlodge.com/history.htm |title=Springwater Lodge: History |access-date=15 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227030943/http://www.springwaterlodge.com/history.htm |archive-date=27 February 2011 }}</ref> Nearby Active Pass still throbs with a steady stream of marine traffic, a bustling contrast to the island's quiet interior byways. Village Bay, with its BC Ferries terminal, has several late 19th-century to 1930s buildings. Active Pass is named after the American survey ship USCS ''Active'', the first steam vessel to navigate the pass.<ref>{{cite bcgnis|id=160 |title=Active Pass}}</ref> In 1891, the Mayne Island subdistrict had a population of 197.<ref>Government of Canada (Department of Agriculture, Census Branch). ''[https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2016/statcan/CS98-1891-1.pdf Census of Canada, 1890-1891]'', 1893, table 2.</ref>

The Japanese-Canadian community on Mayne Island played a historical role in the island's economics and society from the turn of the 20th century until World War II. The community had close ties to the European-Canadian population throughout the Gulf Islands and was involved in major economic initiatives such as greenhouse farming.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mayneisland.com/maynehistory.html|title=Mayne Island, B.C. - Our Island Community|website=Mayneisland.com}}</ref>

Historical research has identified Washiji Oya and his wife Yo Oya (née Shishido) as early landowners on Mayne Island, British Columbia, where they held title to a 159-acre property between 1905 and 1908. The land was purchased from a Crown grant and later sold to another private owner, establishing a documented connection between the Oya family and Mayne Island in the early twentieth century.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Important new Japanese connection to Mayne Island | url=https://www.mayne.ca/post/important-new-japanese-connection-to-mayne-island | access-date=2025-12-20 | website=www.mayne.ca}}</ref>

Yo Oya is recognized as the first Japanese woman known to have immigrated to Canada and the first to give birth to Japanese-Canadian children in the country, having arrived in the late 1880s.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Japanese Canadian History - NAJC | url=https://najc.ca/japanese-canadian-history/ | access-date=2025-12-20 | website=najc.ca}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title=Canada’s Japanese Canadian Timeline | url=https://www.ahsnb.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/AHSNB-Canadas-Japanese-Canadian-Timeline_Final.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126090413/http://www.ahsnb.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/AHSNB-Canadas-Japanese-Canadian-Timeline_Final.pdf | archive-date=2022-01-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | title=Collection | url=https://nikkeimuseum.org/www/collections_detail.php?col_id=F613 | access-date=2025-12-20 | website=nikkeimuseum.org}}</ref> The Oyas’ presence contributes to the historical understanding of early Japanese settlement in British Columbia and the Gulf Islands prior to the Second World War.

In 1942 the Japanese Canadians living on Mayne Island were interned by the government and resettled in various internment camps such as New Denver or moved to Southern Alberta to work in the sugar beet fields. These restrictions on where the Japanese Canadians from the coast could live continued until well after the end of World War II, only ending in April 1949 with the rescinding of the last restrictions on Japanese Canadian movement and the provision of full citizenship rights to all Japanese Canadians. All of the Japanese Canadian properties, including their homes, land and fishing boats were confiscated by the BC Security Commission, initially in trust for their owners, but later sold without the permission of their owners. As a consequence, almost all of the families would never return to the island after the loss of their land, possessions and their community. Today, the Japanese Gardens, near Dinner Bay, are dedicated to the memory and legacy of the Mayne Island's Japanese-Canadian community.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mayneisland.com/places/japanesegarden/settlers.html|title=Mayne Island, B.C. - Our Island Community|website=Mayneisland.com}}</ref>

The Mayne Island community holds a Farmers' Market every Saturday morning throughout the summer months. Islanders sell their local produce, handicrafts, baked goods, and art work.

==Local economy== Mayne Island’s economy is largely based on tourism and small, locally operated businesses. Visitor services include accommodations such as inns, bed and breakfasts, and vacation rentals, as well as restaurants, artisan studios and galleries, food services, and retail outlets. Many businesses operate on a small scale and reflect the island’s rural and community-oriented character.

Local business information and economic initiatives are supported by the Mayne Island Chamber of Commerce, which maintains a directory of member businesses and promotes tourism and community events.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mayne Island Chamber of Commerce |url=https://www.mayneislandchamber.ca/ |website=Mayne Island Chamber of Commerce |access-date=16 December 2025 }}</ref>

==Transportation== thumb|A view of Mayne Island from the ferry BC Ferries operates a vehicle and passenger scheduled ferry service from Tsawwassen (Vancouver) on the mainland and Swartz Bay (Victoria) on Vancouver Island as well as to the other major southern Gulf Islands. SeaAir Seaplanes operates a scheduled float plane service calling at Mayne Island from Vancouver downtown and the airport. Hitchhiking is common on the island in the summer and dedicated "car stops" for pick-ups are located along the major roadways.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mayneisland.com/carstops/index.htm|title=Mayne Island, B.C. - Our Island Community|website=Mayneisland.com}}</ref> There is a 2.3 kilometer gravel multi-use trail from the Village Bay Ferry Terminal to the town in Miners Bay.<ref>https://www.crd.ca/parks-recreation/find-park-or-trail/mayne-island-regional-trail</ref>

==Climate==

The warmest month is August, the coldest month is December.

<div style="width:85%;"> {{Weather box |location = Mayne Island (1981–2010) |metric first = yes |single line = yes |Jan record high C = 14 |Feb record high C = 17 |Mar record high C = 19 |Apr record high C = 24.5 |May record high C = 30 |Jun record high C = 30.5 |Jul record high C = 32 |Aug record high C = 30.5 |Sep record high C = 29.5 |Oct record high C = 24 |Nov record high C = 16.5 |Dec record high C = 13.5 |year record high C = 32 |Jan high C = 7.3 |Feb high C = 8.5 |Mar high C = 10.7 |Apr high C = 13.8 |May high C = 17.1 |Jun high C = 20.0 |Jul high C = 22.5 |Aug high C = 22.6 |Sep high C = 19.8 |Oct high C = 14.1 |Nov high C = 9.7 |Dec high C = 6.9 |year high C = 14.4 | Jan mean C =4.6 | Feb mean C =5.2 | Mar mean C =6.9 | Apr mean C =9.4 | May mean C =12.2 | Jun mean C =14.7 | Jul mean C =16.8 | Aug mean C =16.9 | Sep mean C =14.5 | Oct mean C =10.3 | Nov mean C =6.8 | Dec mean C =4.4 | year mean C =10.2 |Jan low C = 1.9 |Feb low C = 1.8 |Mar low C = 3.0 |Apr low C = 4.9 |May low C = 7.1 |Jun low C = 9.4 |Jul low C = 11.0 |Aug low C = 11.1 |Sep low C = 9.1 |Oct low C = 6.4 |Nov low C = 3.8 |Dec low C = 1.8 |year low C = 6.0 |Jan record low C = -10 |Feb record low C = -12 |Mar record low C = -5 |Apr record low C = -1.5 |May record low C = 0 |Jun record low C = 3.5 |Jul record low C = 4.5 |Aug record low C = 5 |Sep record low C = 2 |Oct record low C = -4 |Nov record low C = -14 |Dec record low C = -11 |year record low C = -14 |Jan precipitation mm = 129.9 |Feb precipitation mm = 87.7 |Mar precipitation mm = 75.4 |Apr precipitation mm = 55.3 |May precipitation mm = 44.0 |Jun precipitation mm = 36.9 |Jul precipitation mm = 21.2 |Aug precipitation mm = 23.8 |Sep precipitation mm = 28.0 |Oct precipitation mm = 79.9 |Nov precipitation mm = 135.4 |Dec precipitation mm = 124.5 |year precipitation mm = 842.0 |precipitation colour = green |source 1 = Environment Canada<ref name= "climate">Environment Canada — [http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_1981_2010_e.html?searchType=stnProx&txtRadius=25&optProxType=station&coordsStn=48.775278%7C-123.127779%7CSATURNA+CAPMON&txtCentralLatMin=0&txtCentralLatSec=0&txtCentralLongMin=0&txtCentralLongSec=0&stnID=67&dispBack=0 Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010], accessed 11 September 2017</ref> |date=August 2017 }}</div>

== Gallery == thumb|View from top of Mount Parke Regional Park<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tremblay |first=Marc S. |date=2022-07-13 |title=Mount Parke, by "Chopper"! |url=https://www.mayne.ca/post/mount-parke-by-chopper |access-date=2025-12-17 |website=Mayne.ca |language=en}}</ref><gallery> File:Village Bay from Mt. Sutil.JPG|Village Bay from Mt. Sutil File:Font, St. Mary Magdalen.jpg|Font, St. Mary Magdalen File:St. Mary Magdalen, Anglican Church.jpg|St. Mary Magdalen, Anglican Church File:Cedar canoe-bailer belonging to Felix Jack.jpg|Cedar canoe-bailer belonging to Felix Jack </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Mayne Island}} {{wikivoyage|Mayne Island}} *[http://www.mayne.ca Blog about living, visiting and building on Mayne Island] *[http://www.mayneisland.com Mayne Island website] *[http://www.mayneislandchamber.ca Mayne Island Community Chamber of Commerce website] *{{BCGNIS|7473|Mayne Island}}

{{Coord|48|50|42|N|123|16|51|W|region:CA_type:isle|display=title}}

Category:Populated places in the Capital Regional District Category:Islands of the Gulf Islands Category:Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia