47-592: Mayne Island is a 21-square-kilometre (8.1 sq mi) 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). Mayne Island was inhabited by members of the Tsartlip First Nation prior to European colonization . Several middens are present on
94-399: A Farmers' Market every Saturday morning throughout the summer months. Islanders sell their local produce, handicrafts, baked goods, and art work. 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
141-446: A complement to the existing national park reserve. In most parts of Canada , olive trees cannot thrive; the long, harsh winter and short, humid summer and spring make it difficult for olives to grow comfortably and properly, but Pender Island , Saturna Island , and Salt Spring Island have a Mediterranean style climate that permits olive production. Banana Joe Clemente was one of the first Islanders to introduce olive trees to
188-570: A fixed price and fixed schedule contract. Coastal Renaissance entered service in March 2008, while Coastal Inspiration was delivered the same month and entered service in June that year. The third ship, Coastal Celebration , was delivered in June of the same year and entered service in November. On August 18, 2006, BC Ferries commissioned Flensburger to build a new vessel for its Inside Passage route, with
235-517: A part of BC Ferries standardized fleet plan, which will take the number of ship classes in the BC Ferries fleet from 17 to 5. The proposed replacement classes are Northern, Major, Salish, Shuttle and Island. Additionally, there will still be three unique ( unclassed ) vessels in the fleet after standardization is complete. BC Ferries has stated, however, that this total standardization of the fleet will not be achieved for another 40 years. As of March 2024,
282-636: A private corporation, implemented through the passage of the Coastal Ferry Act (Bill 18–2003). The single voting share of BC Ferries Corporation is held by the provincial government's BC Ferry Authority , which operates under the rules of the Act. In the summer of 1958, a strike by employees of CP Steamships and the Black Ball Line caused the Social Credit government of W. A. C. Bennett to decide that
329-445: 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. The warmest month is August, the coldest month is December. 48°50′42″N 123°16′51″W / 48.84500°N 123.28083°W / 48.84500; -123.28083 Gulf Islands The Gulf Islands
376-469: 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. The Japanese-Canadian community on Mayne Island played a historical role in the island's economics and society from
423-599: Is a group of islands in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia . The name "Gulf Islands" comes from " Gulf of Georgia ", the original term used by George Vancouver in his mapping of the southern part of the archipelago and which before the San Juan Island dispute also was taken to include what have since been called the San Juan Islands . While geopolitically divided,
470-577: The Canadian province of British Columbia . Set up in 1960 to provide a similar service to that provided by the Black Ball Line and the Canadian Pacific Railway , which were affected by job action at the time, BC Ferries has become the largest passenger ferry line in North America , operating a fleet of 41 vessels with a total passenger and crew capacity of over 27,000, serving 47 locations on
517-556: The 1990s, the NDP government commissioned a series of three fast ferries to improve ferry service between the Mainland and Vancouver Island. The ships proved problematic when they suffered many technical issues and cost double what was expected. The fast ferries were eventually sold off for $ 19.4 million in 2003. A controversy began in July 2004 when BC Ferries, under a new American CEO, announced that
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#1732851230404564-641: The B.C. coast. The federal and provincial governments subsidize BC Ferries to provide agreed service levels on essential links between the BC mainland, coastal islands, and parts of the mainland without road access. The inland ferries operating on British Columbia's rivers and lakes are not run by BC Ferries. The responsibility for their provision rests with the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure , which contracts operation to various private sector companies. At its inception, BC Ferries
611-611: 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. The Mayne Island community holds
658-659: The Gulf Islands". The division of the Gulf Islands into two groups, the Southern and Northern Gulf Islands, is relatively common. The dividing line is approximately that formed by the city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, and the mouth of the Fraser River on the mainland. The islands of the Discovery Islands , Howe Sound , and Fraser River delta are not considered part of the Gulf Islands. The Southern Gulf Islands are near
705-768: The San Juan Islands and Gulf Islands geologically form part of the larger Gulf Archipelago. Strictly speaking, the Strait of Georgia is only the wide, open waters of the main strait between the mainland and Vancouver Island , and does not officially refer to the adjoining waters between the islands and Vancouver Island but has become a common misnomer for the entire Gulf, which includes waters such as Active Pass (between Galiano Island and Mayne Island ), Trincomali Channel (between Galiano Island and Saltspring Island ), Sansum Narrows (between Saltspring Island and Vancouver Island), and Malaspina Strait (between Texada Island and
752-547: The Southern Gulf Islands ( Galiano Island (via Sturdies Bay), Mayne Island (Via Village Bay), Pender Island (via Otter Bay), and Saturna Island (via Lyall Harbour) Route 6 – South Stuart Channel: Crofton to Saltspring Island (via Vesuvius ) Route 7 – Jervis Inlet ( Highway 101 ): Earls Cove to Saltery Bay Route 8 – Queen Charlotte Channel : Horseshoe Bay to Bowen Island (via Snug Cove ) Route 9 – Active Pass Shuttle: Tsawwassen to
799-2525: The Southern Gulf Islands ( Galiano Island (via Sturdies Bay), Mayne Island (via Village Bay), Pender Island (via Otter Bay), Saturna Island (via Lyall Harbour), and Saltspring Island (via Long Harbour) Route 10 – Inside Passage : Port Hardy (via Bear Cove) to Prince Rupert (on Kaien Island ) Route 11 – Hecate Strait ( Highway 16 ): Prince Rupert (on Kaien Island ) to Haida Gwaii (via Skidegate , on Graham Island ) Route 12 – Saanich Inlet : Brentwood Bay to Mill Bay Route 13 – Thornbrough Channel: Langdale to Gambier Island (via New Brighton) and Keats Island (via Keats Landing and Eastbourne). (Foot passengers only, no vehicles). (Operated by Kona Winds Yacht Charters Ltd.) Route 17 – Georgia Strait North: Powell River (via Westview ) to Comox (via Little River ) Route 18 – Malaspina Strait : Powell River (via Westview ) to Texada Island (via Blubber Bay ) Route 19 – Northumberland Channel: Nanaimo Harbour to Gabriola Island (via Descanso Bay) Route 20 – North Stuart Channel: Chemainus to Thetis Island (via Preedy Harbour) and Penelakut Island (via Telegraph Harbour) Route 21 – Baynes Sound : Buckley Bay to Denman Island (via Denman West) Route 22 – Lambert Channel: Denman Island East (via Gravelly Bay ) to Hornby Island (via Shingle Spit ) Route 23 – Discovery Passage : Campbell River to Quadra Island (via Quathiaski Cove ) Route 24 – Sutil Channel : Quadra Island (via Heriot Bay ) to Cortes Island (via Whaletown ) Route 25 – Broughton Strait: Port McNeill to Alert Bay (on Cormorant Island ) and Sointula (on Malcolm Island ) Route 26 – Skidegate Inlet: Skidegate (on Graham Island ) to Alliford Bay (on Moresby Island ) Route 28 – Central Coast Connector: Port Hardy (via Bear Cove) to Bella Coola (seasonal direct summer service)/Route 28A: Port Hardy to Bella Coola (with stops at Bella Bella (via McLoughlin Bay, on Campbell Island ), Klemtu , Ocean Falls , and Shearwater ) Route 30 – Mid-Island Express ( Highway 19 ): Nanaimo (via Duke Point ) to Tsawwassen These are contracted routes that carry foot passengers only, but no vehicles, and are sponsored by BC Ferries. Numbers in blue circles are ferry route numbers. Provincial highway trailblazers are added where appropriate. BC Ferries has
846-549: The Southern Gulf Islands in 1993 growing dozens from seed. In 1994/1995, planting a grove of the seed-grown olive trees around a Botchi pit on Salt Spring Island. He also distributed them to Islanders for their private gardens. Banana Joe is also responsible for introducing Musa basjoo , a hardy species of Banana plant to Salt Spring Island. Farm owner Andrew Butt planted his first olive tree in 2001 at his farm on Pender Island, using Frantoio and Leccino cultivars that he obtained from California . He uses kelp obtained from
893-449: The Strait of Georgia, the Strait of Juan de Fuca , Puget Sound , and all connecting and adjoining waters. According to BC Geographical Names (BCGNIS) the name "Gulf Islands" was originally intended and commonly understood to refer to the archipelago at the southern end of the Strait of Georgia; from Gabriola Island in the north to Saturna Island in the southeast and D'Arcy Island in
940-587: The addition of three new Intermediate-class ferries to phase out Queen of Burnaby and Queen of Nanaimo . These three vessels were to be named the Salish class ; Salish Orca , Salish Eagle and Salish Raven . In 2022, Salish Heron , the fourth Salish-class vessel, entered service. All four ferries were designed and built by Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. in Gdansk, Poland, and are dual-fuel, capable of operating on liquefied natural gas and marine diesel. These vessels are
987-536: The coastal ferry service in British Columbia needed to be government-owned, and so it set about creating BC Ferries. Minister of Highways Phil Gaglardi was tasked with overseeing the new Crown corporation and its rapid expansion. BC Ferries' first route, commissioned in 1960, was between Swartz Bay , north of Sidney on Vancouver Island , and Tsawwassen , an area in Delta , using just two vessels. These ships were
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#17328512304041034-408: The company had disqualified all Canadian bids to build three new Coastal-class ships, and only the proposals from European shipyards were being considered. The contract was estimated at $ 542 million for the three ships, each designed to carry 370 vehicles and 1600 passengers. The argument for domestic construction of the ferries was that it would employ numerous British Columbia workers, revitalize
1081-558: The contract having many of the same types of terms as that for the Coastal-class vessels. The new northern service vessel, Northern Expedition , was delivered in March 2008, and entered service in May of the same year. On August 26, 2012, BC Ferries announced that it would be cutting 98 round trips on its major routes starting in the fall and winter of 2012 as part of a four-year plan to save $ 1 million on these routes. Service cuts have included
1128-530: The ecosystem endangered . Since then, GOERT has been working to motivate public and private restoration of the rare ecosystem and promote conservation activities. [1] The unique ecosystem of the islands has been a focal point of conservation efforts for decades. BC Parks operates a variety of provincial parks on the islands, the oldest being Mount Maxwell Provincial Park on Salt Spring Island . In 2003, Parks Canada established Gulf Islands National Park Reserve to protect ecologically important regions of
1175-621: The elimination of supplementary sailings on the Swartz Bay–Tsawwassen route, 18 round trips on the Horseshoe Bay–Departure Bay route, and 48 round trips, the largest number of cuts, on the Duke Point–Tsawwassen route, with plans to look for savings on the smaller unprofitable routes in the future. Free ferry trips for seniors were suspended from April 2014 to April 2018. In the fall of 2014, BC Ferries announced
1222-493: The first five years of its operations, to keep up with the demand. Another method of satisfying increasing demand for service was BC Ferries' unique "stretch and lift" program, involving seven vessels being cut in half and extended, and five of those vessels later cut in half again and elevated, to increase their passenger and vehicle-carrying capacities. The vast majority of the vessels in the fleet were built in B.C. waters, with only two foreign purchases and one domestic purchase. In
1269-756: The fleet has so far been reduced to 11 classes of vessels, with 8 unique ( unclassed ) vessels remaining as well. Route numbers are used internally by BC Ferries. All routes except Route 13 and the Unregulated Routes carry vehicles. Figures displayed are annual vehicle equivalent and annual passengers . Route 1 – Georgia Strait South ( Highway 17 ): Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen Route 2 – Georgia Strait Central ( Highway 1 ): Nanaimo (via Departure Bay ) to Horseshoe Bay Route 3 – Howe Sound : Langdale to Horseshoe Bay Route 4 – Satellite Channel: Swartz Bay to Saltspring Island (via Fulford Harbour ) Route 5 – Swanson Channel: Swartz Bay to
1316-643: 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
1363-653: The island, along with period articles – most notably including a 2 tonnes (2.2 short tons) stone bowl which was stolen in 1982 and again, in 2007. 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
1410-604: The last remaining pockets of Garry oak ecosystems . Only about five percent of Garry oak ecosystems remain in their natural state, landing 91 of the approximately 350 species it supports on the province's list of species at risk . The unique Mediterranean characteristics of the islands' climate supports the Garry oak ecosystem. Garry oak ecosystems are home to more plant species, such as the camas , than any other terrestrial ecosystem in coastal B.C. and are one of Canada's most at-risk natural habitats . Today, Garry oak meadows exist in
1457-461: The mainland around Powell River ). "The Gulf" refers to all such waters collectively, and to those communities and shores surrounding it. Only the term "Strait of Georgia" remains in the provincial gazette although its use as a synonym for the Gulf is unofficial, while the term Gulf of Georgia remains in current use though not in the provincial gazette. The term Salish Sea was adopted in 2010 to refer to
Mayne Island - Misplaced Pages Continue
1504-467: 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
1551-451: The major cities of Nanaimo and Victoria on Vancouver Island as well as Vancouver on the mainland. None of the islands are linked to another island by bridge, the exception being Pender Island which was artificially divided into two by a canal dug in 1903. Various proposals have been made to link one or more of the islands to another island, or with the mainland coast of the province, without success. Challenges include high capital costs,
1598-494: The mid-1980s, BC Ferries took over the operations of the saltwater branch of the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Highways, which ran ferry services to very small coastal communities. This action dramatically increased the size of BC Ferries' fleet and its geographical service area. The distinctive "dogwood on green" flag that BC Ferries used between 1960 and 2003 gave the service its popular nickname "the Dogwood Fleet". During
1645-573: 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. Nearby Active Pass still throbs with
1692-402: The northern end of the Strait of Georgia , including all islands south of Savary Island , the southernmost island of the neighbouring Discovery Islands . The major Northern Gulf Islands are as follows: The islands and surrounding ocean are rich with ecologically diverse plants and sea life including Garry oaks , wild lilies, kelp beds and Orcas . The Gulf Islands are home to one of
1739-536: The now-retired MV Tsawwassen and the MV Sidney . The next few years saw a dramatic growth of the B.C. ferry system as it took over operations of the Black Ball Line and other major private companies providing vehicle ferry service between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland . As the ferry system expanded and started to service other small coastal communities, BC Ferries had to build more vessels, many of them in
1786-505: The presence of ecologically sensitive ecosystems, the mountainous terrain of the islands, impracticality due to the low population of the islands, and opposition from locals. BC Ferries British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. , operating as BC Ferries ( BCF ), is a former provincial Crown corporation , now operating as an independently managed, publicly owned Canadian company. BC Ferries provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in
1833-488: The sagging B.C. shipbuilding industry, and entitle the provincial government to a large portion of the cost in the form of taxes. BC Ferries CEO David Hahn claimed that building the ferries in Germany would "save almost $ 80 million and could lead to lower fares." On September 17, 2004, BC Ferries awarded the vessel construction contract to Germany's Flensburger shipyard . The contract protected BC Ferries from any delays through
1880-616: The shallow and exposed soil of valleys , rocky foothills and southern slopes —areas that the settlers of the past 150 years have found unsuitable for agriculture or development . The Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team (GOERT), a partnership of a number of governmental and non-governmental agencies that comprise 22 individuals, was established in 1999 after the delegates of the First International Garry Oak Ecosystem Symposium met in Victoria and declared
1927-527: The southeastern Gulf Islands. As a National Park Reserve , the long-term goal is to protect most of the southeastern Gulf Islands. In 2012, Parks Canada published a feasibility Study for the proposed Southern Strait of Georgia National Marine Conservation Area Reserve. The goal of the National Marine Conservation Area is to protect ecologically significant marine habitats and ensure sustainable use of marine resources. It would also serve as
Mayne Island - Misplaced Pages Continue
1974-499: The southern end of the Strait of Georgia , forming an intricate network of waterways between them, collectively referred to as part of the Salish Sea . The Southern Gulf Islands include hundreds of islands and islets, and form part of a larger archipelago that also includes the nearby San Juan Islands of the state of Washington in the United States . The major Southern Gulf Islands are: The Northern Gulf Islands are located near
2021-419: The southwest. During the 1990s, however, the name began to be applied to all the islands in the Strait of Georgia, resulting in the introduction of the term "Southern Gulf Islands", which BCGNIS calls a misnomer, to distinguish the original "Gulf Islands" from the rest, which are sometimes called the "Northern Gulf Islands". BCGNIS further notes that Quadra Island is increasingly described as the "northernmost of
2068-600: 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
2115-408: The surrounding straits as fertilizer and uses a pruning method that enhances the sunlight exposure on the trees. Michael Pierce and colleagues established an olive tree nursery on Saturna Island in 2009 that supplied olive trees to the region. The larger populated islands are served by BC Ferries , which operates various vehicle and passenger ferries between the Gulf Islands and to terminals near
2162-467: 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. 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
2209-699: Was a division of the British Columbia Toll Highways and Bridges Authority, a provincial Crown corporation. Through successive reorganizations, it evolved into the British Columbia Ferry Authority and then the British Columbia Ferry Corporation, both of which were also provincial Crown corporations. In 2003, the Government of British Columbia announced that BC Ferries, which had been in debt, would be reorganized into
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