Mayne Island is a rustic 21-square-kilometre island in the southern Gulf Islands chain of British Columbia. It is situated midway between the lower mainland of BC and Vancouver Island, and has a population of around 900. One well-known resident is children's entertainer Raffi.
During the late 1800s Mayne Island was both 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 historic village at Miners Bay is still the commercial centre of the island, with the annual Fall Fair still being held at the old Agricultural Hall like so many years before. 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 1800s to 1930s buildings. Active Pass is named after the American survey ship USS Active, the first steam vessel to navigate the pass.
