Bowen Island
by Peter Boronkay
An imposing rocky intrusion stands guard at the entrance to Howe Sound. Here grew 1,000- year-old western red cedars before colonial settlement in the late 19th century. Cougars ran wild, while the fiord was graced by humpback whales. The first known human inhabitants were the Salish and Squamish peoples who used the island as a meeting place. The Squamish named the island Xwlil xhwm, meaning “fast drumming ground.” In 1794 the Spanish became the first Europeans to sail by the island’s rocky coastline, when Narvaez named it the Isle of Apodaca after Sebastian Ruiz de Apodaca (1754-1835), a Spanish aristocrat, naval officer and colonial administrator. Subsequently it was renamed after Rear-Admiral James Bowen (1751-1835) by Captain George Henry Richards in 1860. Bowen never visited the island. The honor was in recognition of his wartime efforts in defeating a French fleet on June 1, 1794, while serving Admiral Howe.
The first recorded non-native settler on Bowen was Charlie Dagger, a logger who moved from Point Grey in 1872. Within 30 years, Bowen supported agriculture, fishing, logging, shingle manufacturing and dynamite production. The dynamite plant was located at present-day Tunstall Bay due to its remote but accessible location from the sound. This precaution was warranted as there was a series of fatal explosions, one of which was powerful enough to be felt 40 kilometres away in Nanaimo. Today the dynamite plant’s brick fireplace base still stands along the beach. Mannion Bay contributed to the economic activity on the island, with abundant clay deposits for use in high-quality bricks needed for the active construction industry in Vancouver. This bay was also a resting spot for whaling ships that operated until virtually all humpbacks were slaughtered in the sound by 1907. Later, brick and dynamite production gave way to recreational activities, while logging and agriculture remain to this day on a smaller scale.
Beginning in 1900, the vision of Captain John A. Cates transformed Bowen Island into a picnic destination for Vancouverites. Cates loved Bowen Island and wanted others to see and experience the beauty of the place. His efforts made Bowen Island a resort destination for decades. The Cates family was also responsible for the construction of the Britannia, the ship that brought many thousands of visitors to the island.
Hundreds of people would arrive in Snug Cove, where they could find “ample shade in the deep woods.” Under Captain Cates’ direction, 300 fruit trees were planted and infrastructure put in place for the tourists. Promotional literature stated “where can we go to get out of the heat! Go to Bowen Island, where there is a cool sea breeze, fine shady trees, good water, good bathing and one of the finest cafes on the coast.”
Cates expanded the attractions to include a hotel renowned for its clay tennis courts, tournaments and lawn bowling. These new amenities were enjoyed at the end of World War I by many reunited families.
In 1920 Captain Cates sold the business to the Union Steamship Company of B.C., and moved to the province’s Interior. However, his love of the area caused him to return in 1924 to construct a house and run a hotel at Crescent Beach.
The Union Steamship Company took over the promotion of tourism to the island and their brochures stated that “it’s just fourteen miles to this lovely isle, with its shady beaches, grassy slopes, wooded trails and mountains--where the Spirit of Recreation reigns supreme.” Under the Union’s direction, a dance pavilion with a capacity of 800 people was added in 1921, and it became an integral part of the “Happy Isle” activities. Three years later, Lady Alexandra became the star of ships sailing to Bowen, as it allowed for 1,400 passengers to cruise and dance all the way from Vancouver to Snug Cove. Visitors mostly boarded in downtown Vancouver, as the road to Horseshoe Bay was not opened until 1928.
The village of Snug Cove developed under the steamship company’s direction, and in 1941 a Canadian Pacific Railway subsidiary purchased a controlling share of the Union and determined policy for the next 14 years.
Visitors to the island continued to increase until 1946, reaching a record of 101,000, but the peak was followed by a downturn. The decline may have been because of the preference of Vancouverites to go automobile cruising, increased costs or the failed attempt at creating the “Evergreen Park Resort.” This planned resort in 1956 was to make Bowen Island “one of North America’s most luxurious resorts,” but the proposal was met with scepticism by island residents. Rules were changed so that boaters were able to land at the Union wharf only if they dined at the Union hotel. An imposing gate was erected at the entrance to the Union’s road that gave a sense of exclusiveness that was not in line with the residents’ community spirit. By this time the merry Saturday night cruises belonged to a bygone era, and the dance pavilion was closed. Also the beautiful monkey puzzle tree on the Bowen Inn grounds was chopped down on instructions from Union management, which to this day remains a sore point among long-time residents of the island. Eventually in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the resort buildings were dismantled, and the resort properties along with the picnic and camping grounds were subdivided and sold as residential lots. The island’s growing population was rewarded in 1983 by a GVRD initiative that created Crippen Regional Park out of the remaining 259 hectares of the old Union Steamship property. Glen Crippen was a senior consulting engineer who owned the property before the GVRD purchase.
The new residential subdivisions and the growth of Vancouver contributed to the increase in island population. By 1996 the population was estimated at close to 2,500, with a surge during summer cottage months that increases the total to more than 4,000. Residents have a strong community spirit that is likely strengthened by the geography and social interaction between ferry commuters. Wildlife still abounds on the island, including deer, bald eagles and heron. In 1995 a black bear happily swam to the island but his holiday was cut short when he was caught, transported and released off the Coquihalla Highway.
In recent political history, the island turned down a 1991 referendum on municipal status. The island remains unincorporated and under the jurisdiction of the GVRD. There is now renewed interest in a referendum on the same issue. Administration also falls under the provincial government body, The Islands Trust, that has a mandate “to preserve and protect” the island. The Official Community Plan attempts to control future growth and pegs the population ceiling at 7,200, which may be reached when the allowable building areas are developed. Probably half the non-retired adults on the island commute to work in the Lower Mainland.
The nature of recreational activity on the island has been transformed over the years but remains an important part of the island way of life. Outdoor opportunities in Crippen Regional Park allow for hiking trails in varying ecosystems, and non-motorized boating on Killarney Lake. Hikers may also traverse Crown land to Mount Gardner to enjoy the panoramic view of Georgia Strait. Privacy may be found at Apodaca Provincial Park, a secluded waterfront lot accessible by boat. Popular public beaches are located in Mannion Bay and Bowen Bay, while two marinas at Snug Cove cater to the water sport enthusiasts. Bowen Island Tours maintains a link with the island’s past by organizing day trips that include hiking, a picnic lunch, optional kayaking and a cottage brewery tour.
BOWEN ISLAND FACTS Population near 2,500 in 1996. 5,260 hectares, with 37 kilometers of coastline. Mount Gardner is the highest peak at 719 metres. Ferry crossing takes 20 minutes from Horseshoe Bay. BC Ferries operate between 5:45 A.M. and 9:45 P.M. with additional services of a private taxi boat to 11:30 P.M., except Saturday and Sunday to 12:30 A.M. Housing is mainly detached single family, with a country cottage atmosphere. The elementary educational system in Snug Cove is part of the West Vancouver School District. High school students either commute to West Vancouver, or take part in a new private initiative--the Island Pacific School--with emphasis on outdoor pursuits for grades seven to nine. 911 activates an emergency response including an on-island ambulance service, a taxi boat to Horseshoe Bay and a waiting ambulance for transport to Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver. Other facilities include an RCMP detachment, a volunteer fire department and a library affiliated with West Vancouver’s Memorial Library.
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