Cairns has appeared in CTV's anthology series Robson Arms, in CityTv's Godiva's, where she was nominated for a 2006 Leo Award (British Columbia's version of the Emmys) for Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series, and opposite Al Pacino in the feature 88 Minutes. She also appeared in the vampire thriller Blood Angels (aka Thralls). During her season 3 BSG hiatus, she signed on to play the role of Emily Hollander on the ABC Family series Kyle XY. Cairns is also a cast member of Sanctuary, created by Damian Kindler of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. It is billed as "the first broadcast quality, HD drama series designed specifically for the internet". Eight webisodes have been filmed so far.