A: Agricultural

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

One home, and one more for every 8 ha of lot over 8 ha (s. 5.7(2)); a cottage with each home (s. 5.7(3)); a secondary suite where the Schedule D map allows (s. 5.7(6))

Main uses

Homes, cottages, agriculture, silviculture, processing and sale of the lot's own farm and forest products; accessory uses, buildings and structures such as home occupations (s. 5.7(1))

Smallest lot for a subdivision

8 ha (s. 5.7(11)); in the Agricultural Land Reserve a subdivision needs the Agricultural Land Commission's approval too (s. 5.7's note)

Lot coverage

20% (s. 5.7(5))

Height limit

9 m for homes, cottages and accessory buildings (s. 5.7(9), (10))

Setbacks

8 m from the front, the rear and a side along a road, 6 m from the interior sides (s. 5.7(8)); 7.5 m from the sea (s. 3.3)

The zone is for farmland: food production, horticulture and farm-gate sales (s. 5.7's purpose).

Cottage: up to 60 m² on a lot of 1 ha or less, 93 m² on a larger one (s. 5.7(7)).

Accessory buildings other than cottages, sheds and farm buildings: four per home on a lot under 8 ha, any number on a larger one (s. 5.7(4)).

In the ALR, farm use is allowed, with up to 20 m² each for a winery's or cidery's retail sales and lounge (s. 3.12).

Secondary suite (s. 3.13): one per lot, only on lots in the shaded area of the bylaw's Schedule D map; inside the building that holds the house, with its own outside door, up to 93 m² and half the house, a 13,640 L rainwater cistern, never strata-titled, no home occupation in it. On a lot under 4 ha outside the Schedule E area, a suite or a cottage, not both.

Short-term rental (s. 3.6): a cottage may be rented to guests for under a month as a home occupation, one cottage per lot at a time, run by someone living in the house; the bylaw's residential use leaves out vacation rental, so the house itself isn't rented by the night (its definitions of residential use and short term vacation rental).

Bed and breakfast (s. 3.6): a home occupation with up to three bedrooms and eight guests, breakfast only.

Home occupations (s. 3.6): run by someone living in the house, up to 95 m², two outside employees, nothing showing outside but a sign; contractor yards with screening and limits on lots under 2 ha.

A new home or suite needs a rainwater cistern: 18,000 L, or 13,640 L for one of 93 m² or less (s. 3.15).

Water (s. 3.3): no building within 7.5 m of the sea or a watercourse, and habitable floors 1.5 m above its natural boundary.

Site-specific exceptions listed in the bylaw by legal description can add or change uses for one property, and development permit areas, the ALR and building rules apply on top. Confirm with the Islands Trust's office for the island before you buy or build.

Source: Section 5.7 of Mayne Island Land Use Bylaw No. 146, 2008 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-11); zone map: Open Government Licence – Islands Trust.