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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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