Visitor’s Guide to Nature, Local Eats, Shops, Art & Culture
Tucked between Vancouver and Vancouver Island, Mayne Island is a tranquil Gulf Island gem offering a blend of natural beauty, vibrant...
Marc S. Tremblay
Jun 224 min read
The Story Behind The Grove B&B
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
Mar 162 min read
Reclaimed, Redesigned, and Ready: The Grove B&B Journey
When we started thinking about putting a cabin on our lot, we imagined a relatively small, modest structure. However, after receiving a...
Marc S. Tremblay
Jan 232 min read
Soft launch with our first guests
With construction nearly completed, we welcomed our first guests at the Grove. In fact, we've hosted a few groups of family and friends...
Marc S. Tremblay
Oct 14, 20242 min read
Construction's almost done
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
Sep 15, 20245 min read
Right at home at Home Hardware
Meet Steve and Olly, the new owners of Mayne Island’s Home Hardware store. They purchased the store from Colleen and Brian Dearden five...
Marc S. Tremblay
Aug 25, 202411 min read
Construction update
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
May 23, 20243 min read
Solving the Espresso Equation
As I continue my spotlights on members of the Mayne Island community, let’s meet Carol and Michael Barnes, owners of Espresso Equation. A...
Marc S. Tremblay
Mar 27, 20244 min read
Construction continues
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
Mar 17, 20244 min read
Drains, frames, floors and slab
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
Feb 9, 20243 min read
A perfect little community
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...
Dana Tremblay
Jan 7, 20242 min read
Bringing down the house
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
Dec 29, 20233 min read
From the ground up
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
Nov 4, 20232 min read
Construction has started!
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
Oct 16, 20233 min read
“Give Pizza Chance”
Meet Josh Wylder: Professional Pizza Phenom, Composer, Performer A few years ago, in 2020, Josh decided to make the leap back into the...
Marc S. Tremblay
Oct 1, 20238 min read
Construction update
Since the house was delivered to our lot by Nickel Brothers on June 13, we've been busy moving things along, patiently waiting for...
Marc S. Tremblay
Sep 16, 20236 min read
Important new Japanese connection to Mayne Island
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
Sep 10, 20235 min read
Meet Adam and Amy: the creative couple behind "The 44"
"The 44" is a fabled property on Mayne Island, one that's as mysterious as it is legendary. "Mysterious" because folklore says it was...
Marc S. Tremblay
Aug 9, 20237 min read
Mayne Island's "Nano" Brewery
Micro-breweries have flourished in Canada and abroad. For beer enthusiasts, there's something special about discovering local...
Marc S. Tremblay
Jul 5, 20234 min read
Feels like an Amazon delivery
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
Jun 17, 20234 min read
Can you dig it?
With the trees and logs out of the way, Matt T started excavating where the house will sit. Normally, excavation starts once the building...
Marc S. Tremblay
Jun 11, 20233 min read
It's happening so fast!
Recap: Nickel Brothers is a company that buys houses from people who are redeveloping their property. They save houses from being...
Marc S. Tremblay
Jun 5, 20234 min read
Head 'em up, move 'em out!
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
May 27, 20233 min read
Change of plans...
Sometimes, being flexible is important. Maybe it's important all the time, actually. For those who have followed our Mayne Island...
Marc S. Tremblay
May 10, 20234 min read
Found: 73 Million Years Old Fossil
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
Sep 26, 20222 min read
Movie in the Park!
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,...
Marc S. Tremblay
Aug 3, 20221 min read
Finding a Cabin Designer: check.
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
Aug 2, 20222 min read
Sinéad at the Springwater
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
Jul 31, 20221 min read
Mount Parke, by "Chopper"!
Mayne Island has several parks to explore, with options for everyone. From gentle forest walks, to sea-side strolls, to more exhilarating...
Marc S. Tremblay
Jul 13, 20222 min read
Finding a Builder: check.
Researching and evaluating home builders could be a full-time job. The options are endless. There are small builders, big builders,...
Marc S. Tremblay
Jul 6, 20222 min read
Lightning + thunder
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
Jul 3, 20221 min read
Baby Alpacas!
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
Jul 2, 20222 min read
A True Diamond in the Rough!
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
Jun 30, 20221 min read
Views, Sights and Sounds of Piggott Bay
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
May 2, 20221 min read
Building lot: check.
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
May 2, 20223 min read
Surprise!
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
May 2, 20221 min read
Winter and Spring burns
Burning is limited on Mayne Island... and throughout British Columbia, for that matter. It depends on a bunch of factors, including the...
Marc S. Tremblay
May 2, 20221 min read
Get Groved in!
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...
Marc S. Tremblay
Apr 30, 20221 min read
