GUIDE DOG EVENT AT THE COMMUNITY CENTRE PAGE 9
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025
VOL. 52 NO. 03
SQUAMISH HISTORY BOOK CLUB FOCUS PAGE 6
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Old Fire Hall sold to BC Hydro COMPANY SOUGHT SITE FOR YEARS ALEX KURIAL Editor
SUN PEAKS The snowcapped mountains of the North Shore were shining bright during last week’s cold and sunny spell. / Haig Farris photo
The Old Fire Hall on Grafton Road has a new owner as BC Hydro completed purchase of the site to start the new year. The utility company paid $900,000 for the property, which will now serve as a permanent base on the island. The building became an active Fire Hall in 1969 following a donation from the Davies Family and served in this capacity for more than five decades before the opening of the New Fire Hall on Miller Road made it obsolete. BC Hydro has been using the site under lease terms during the three years since. “By securing this location, BC Hydro is making a longterm commitment to Bowen Island. Our crews will be able to respond to outages more quickly and provide reliable service that supports the community’s future growth,” said BC Hydro president and CEO Charlotte Mitha. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
BOWEN ISLAND ROOFING & GUTTERS 604-987-7663
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Seeking Public Comment Temporary Use Permit Application 1710 Whitesails Drive TUP-2026-0004
Events
1:00 PM on Monday, January 26, 2026 In the Conference Room at the Community Centre, OR via Zoom
All Council meetings are open to the public to attend in person or electronically, unless noted otherwise.
A Temporary Use Permit application has been submitted for 1710 Whitesails Drive (shown on map) to allow the applicant to continue to have temporary worker accommodation. Conditions of the permit are identical to TUP-2022-0191.
January 19, 2026 1:00 pm Committee of the Whole Meeting
The application may be viewed at the Municipal Offices at the Bowen Island Community Centre between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday (excluding statutory holidays) or on the Municipal Website: https://bowenislandmunicipality.ca/planning/
January 26, 2026 1:00 pm Regular Council Meeting
Your Comments Are Welcome Written submissions may be delivered to the Municipal Offices at the Bowen Island Community Centre by 11:00 am on the meeting date in person, by mail, by fax, or by email to mayorandcouncil@bimbc.ca. Submissions may also be made to Mayor and Council at the meeting: See www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/council-meetings for more information about the Council Meeting including how to watch the meeting via Zoom.
Complete the Islands Trust Draft Policy Statement Survey On July 29, 2025, Islands Trust Council gave first reading to the Islands Trust draft Policy Statement. Now is your chance to review it and provide input.
Should Council proceed with this application, there will be further opportunity to share your comments on the application, and we would The multi-year process to amend the Policy share additional information on how to provide your comments. Statement marks the first comprehensive update to the document in over 25 years, QUESTIONS? and they want to know, did they get it right? Please contact Xerxes Au, Planner 1 at 604-947-4255 ext. 247 or by email at xau@bimbc.ca or visit:
https://islandstrust.bc.ca/islands-trustdraft-policy-statement-your-input-matters/
www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/planning/
Contact Bowen Island Municipality PAID ADVERTISEMENT January 16, 2026
Phone: 604-947-4255 Bowen Island Municipal Hall Fax: 604-947-0193 580 Bowen Island Trunk Road Email: bim@bimbc.ca Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G2 Website: www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca
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Sale gives BC Hydro permanent presence on-island CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The purchase has been a goal of BC Hydro for several years since the Bowen Fire Department moved into their new home. A delegation to council in late 2023 noted some of the difficulties arising from responding to power outages on the island without a home base. “We have had crews that have gotten stuck on the island overnight. They’ve come over at the start of the windstorm, and then the water gets so rough that the water taxi company won’t run them back,” said field manager Tyler Thompson at the time. “We’ve slept in the trucks before, which is not ideal especially because if we run the trucks all night and they start getting low on fuel, we don’t have easy access to refuel the trucks here.” Avoiding repeat ferry trips will also be an advantage of BC Hydro’s presence on-island. “If we have a crew that’s here and we
have an emergency that we don’t happen to have material for, if we didn’t have a satellite space (Old Fire Hall) that we could get material from, it would mean that we’d have to take a ferry back to our yard, and then a ferry back again,” added Thompson. Now two years later the deal is complete. The municipality will send proceeds from the sale to the Fire Protection Reserve Fund, which supports the Fire Department by contributing to equipment, infrastructure and other operations costs. “We appreciate BC Hydro’s investment and long-term commitment to Bowen Island. Establishing a permanent on-island base strengthens power reliability and emergency response, while ensuring the full market value of the site continues to support the legacy of Bowen Island’s volunteer firefighters,” said mayor Andrew Leonard.
The Old Fire Hall on Grafton Road is the new on-island home of utility company BC Hydro. / Alex Kurial photo
Support our Firefighters: Donate to Climb The Wall 2026 On March 1, 2026, six members of Bowen Island Fire Rescue will take part in this year’s Climb the Wall fundraiser in support of the BC Lung Foundation. Firefighters from communities across British Columbia and beyond will climb the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre to the 48th floor, wearing full turnout gear and SCBA, to raise funds for this critical cause. The BC Lung Foundation funds vital research and advocates for policies that protect air quality. One in five British Columbians is affected by a lung condition, including asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer. Firefighters face an increased risk of lung disease and cancer due to occupational exposures, making this cause especially close to home for our team. PAID ADVERTISEMENT
You may spot Bowen Island Fire Rescue members training around the island in the coming weeks. Feel free to cheer them on, join for a few laps, or give a friendly honk as you pass by. Most importantly, please consider making a donation and helping support lung health for firefighters and communities across BC. Use the QR Code to donate.
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Friday, January 16, 2026
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#102–495 Bowen Trunk Road, PO Box 130, Bowen Island BC, V0N 1G0 Phone: 604.947.2442 Fax: 604.947.0148 bowenislandundercurrent.com DEADLINE for advertising Monday, 4 p.m. DEADLINE for editorial Tuesday 5 p.m. Bowen Island Undercurrent Subscription Rates: Mailed 1 year subscription on Bowen Island: $62.50, including GST. Within Canada: $85 including GST Newsstand (Single Copy) $1.50 per copy, including GST
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VIEWPOINTS Letter: Visiting Gently OWEN PLOWMAN Bowen Island Conservancy Killing me gently. That’s what trespass looks like from the ground. Recently a large group entered the Sanctuary area of the Wild Coast Nature Refuge and spent time on the pad and shoreline with off-leash dogs. We also found litter in a sensitive seep/wet area afterward. This is why the “no access/stay on designated trails” rules exist — this place is recovering because it’s been given space. What harm can a single half-hour cause? More than most people realize: Trampling fragile habitat: Seep and wetedge areas are living filters — mosses, sedges, and wet soils that take a long time to rebuild once compressed. A few footsteps can break plant mats, collapse tiny channels, and start erosion. Shoreline disturbance: Winter is a highstress season for wildlife. People moving through a closed shoreline can flush birds, disrupt resting/foraging, and push animals away from safe cover. Dogs amplify impacts: The evidence that dogs negatively impact wildlife is overwhelming. Even “friendly” dogs can chase wildlife, disturb nesting/roosting areas, and leave waste that adds nutrients and pathogens to sensitive soils and nearshore water.
Garbage isn’t just messy: Litter can entangle animals, be ingested, and introduce plastics into the ecosystem — especially around seep zones that drain into the ocean. Visiting gently here is wonderfully simple: Stay on open, designated trails and respect closed Sanctuary boundaries (even if the shoreline looks inviting). Keep dogs out of the Refuge and anywhere near sensitive habitat and wildlife corridors. Pack it in, pack it out (and if you have room, pack out one extra piece). If you see someone heading into a closed area, a calm “Just a heads-up — this section is closed to protect habitat” can make a difference. We’re improving signage and barriers, but infrastructure only goes so far. The missing piece is shared understanding: this Refuge is healthiest when we all help protect it — especially as we plan stewardship for additional lands that are far larger and harder to monitor. If you ever notice trespass into closed areas, please report the location and time to us (crc-reports@bowenislandconservancy. org) Monitoring is one of the strongest deterrents — and community awareness is the strongest protection. And please visit gently. - Owen Plowman President, Bowen Island Conservancy
Letter: A Foot in the Door PAT BUCHANAN Letter Writer I moved to Bowen Island in June 1958, when there were only about 350 permanent residents. Back then, almost anyone could move here. Working families, young people, newcomers — everyone had a chance. Bowen was welcoming and affordable. That’s no longer true, with the cost of housing completely out of reach for most people. I couldn’t afford to buy a house here if I was starting out now. But someone with an average job doesn’t stand a chance. Unless you can afford a $2-million three-bedroom house, you’re out of luck. That’s why I support Westside Village. Bowen needs a place for people to get started, a place where they can get their foot
in the door of homeownership. Westside Village offers that opportunity. It gives people their own space, not just another rental where the monthly payment disappears. With ownership, at least you’re building equity. And the cost — about what you’d pay in rent today — actually gives people something back. Without affordable housing, people leave. Businesses can’t find staff. Restaurants can’t keep workers. Schools lose families. The whole island loses the very people who make it a community. It’s a practical, fair way to help regular people build a life here — the same opportunity my family had in 1958. Everyone needs somewhere to live. For many, that could be Westside Village. I encourage everyone to give this project a chance and help keep Bowen a place that’s welcoming and affordable. - Pat Buchanan
Members of Bowen Island’s Jewish community celebrated Hanukkah at the Driftwood Menorah at sundown on Dec. 20. / Aryana Rayne photo
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Book club explores Squamish Nation history BOWEN ISLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY What if, when we take the ferry, instead of seeing the busy waters of Howe Sound, we saw Átl’ka7tsem where Sínulhkay, the two-headed serpent once passed? If, instead of two lions, we could see in the mountains Ch’ich’iyúy (The Sisters), and knew their story? We may then begin to better understand the people on whose land we live, their rich history and culture. A new book club at the Bowen Island Library is hoping to encourage just this. Reading one book slowly over six meetings in 2026, we hope to expand our knowledge of the history, culture, and land of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), in whose territory lies Nexwlélexwm (Bowen Island). The book we’ll read in six short sections is the beautifully illustrated, award-winning book, Tiná7 Cht Ti Temíxw (We Come From This Land): a Walk Through the History of the Squamish People, by the Squamish Nation. Publishedin2024andwrittenbySquamish journalist Kwetásel’wet (Stephanie Wood) with Nation staff, researchers, archaeologists, elders and historians, this book was conceived of as a way of passing on critical history and knowledge to Squamish youth. Covering the many-thousands of years of Squamish presence here up to today, this book serves as one piece of their story, among many.
It includes first hand accounts, historical photos and colourful illustrations. Ancient, recent, and current experiences are covered — trials, resistance, and celebrations. Readers will read about the impacts of colonialism, racism, reserves, the Indian Act, and residential schools. The book explains contemporary issues and governance, and illustrates recent Squamish projects, such as Woodfibre and the Sen’ákw development in Kitsilano. The Skwxwú7mesh History Book Club aims to read and discuss this book over six meetings, covering the six sections of the book throughout 2026. We encourage attendees to read the selected section before attending, but all attendees are welcome, no matter where you get to in the book, (or even if you haven’t yet read it but would like to learn from the group). Folks can register to come to one, some, or all the meetings we will offer. Our first meeting is Saturday, February 7, from 11:30 am to 1 pm at the library, and we’ll cover Part One of the book. It is free to attend. Please register so we know how many to expect, as we’ll be serving coffee and snacks! (Drop-ins welcome if space allows). Register and learn more at bipl.ca/2026 This series will be facilitated by Erica Olson, a marine ethnoecologist and PhD candidate who works supporting Indigenous stewardship and marine planning initiatives undertaken by Indigenous Nations with Provincial and Federal governments.
Places of Worship Welcome You BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCH FOOD BANK
Sunday Worship 10:30 am Rev. Lorraine Ashdown
DROP-OFF
778-688-2061
OFFICE HOURS WEDNESDAY 10-4 OR BY APPOINTMENT
ST. GERARD’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Sunday Mass at 10:00
Contact Angela Powell 604-947-2515
CATES HILL CHAPEL
www.cateshillchapel.com 604-947-4260 (661 Carter Rd.)
Sunday Worship 10:00 SHIRAT HAYAM (Song of the Sea) BOWEN’S JEWISH COMMUNITY Shabbat Gatherings ~ Holidays Contact aryana.rayne@gmail.com • www.shirathayam.ca
Tiná7 cht ti temíxw (We Come From This Land) covers Squamish history from the Nation’s very beginnings as multiple different Indigenous communities to its present day stance as a band with more than 4,000 members. / Kwetásel’wet (Stephanie Wood) photo This club is also supported by Dr. Brenda Morrison of Simon Fraser University. Both have experience working in collaboration with the Squamish Nation. Our volunteers and library staff are keen to make this club a welcoming space for attendees to learn and ask questions. We have many copies here at the library for patrons to borrow. It is also available to buy or order from local booksellers, if you’d like to own your own copy.
If you’d like to receive email reminders and updates about this book club this year, please sign up for our dedicated email list at bipl.ca/news We hope to welcome many attendees at our first meeting, so do please register if you are interested in joining us. We encourage locals to make 2026 the year to get to know the history, culture, and land of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation).
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Schedule changes on statutory holidays. Stay up to date at www.bcferries.com
Friday, January 16, 2026
BC celebrates Family Literacy Week BOWEN ISLAND LITERACY TASK GROUP The Bowen Island Literacy Task Group invites Bowen Islanders to celebrate Family Literacy Week. The Province of British Columbia has officially proclaimed Family Literacy Week from January 25 to February 1, 2026, an annual campaign celebrating the vital role of literacy in families. This week-long event includes the nationally recognized Family Literacy Day, held every year on January 27, and organized by ABC Life Literacy Canada. Family Literacy is about families learning together through daily activities. This year’s theme -- Make mealtime family learning time -- encourages families to embrace mealtime as valuable learning time through activities like cooking, conversation and mindful eating practices. “Families learn and grow so much just by being together at mealtime. It’s amazing how many skills show up around the table,” says Sandra Lee, Executive Director, Decoda Literacy Solutions. BC’s provincial literacy organization. “New words, little math moments, trying new foods, sharing family stories and cultural traditions... Mealtime isn’t just eating; it’s connection.” On Bowen, we’ve planned a number of local events around the theme of food, literacy and community. The Bowen Island Public Library is preparing Family Literacy Week Take-Home Kits. Drop by the library from January 25 to 30 to pick up a free kit, which will be available while supplies last. The Library is also presenting Family Snacks & Stories on Sunday, January 25 from 1 to 2:30 pm. Try some new snacks and stories & explore the library’s cookbook collection. This
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event is for children of all ages and their caregivers. Register at: bipl.ca/flw The Bowen Children’s Centre & Bowen Island Family Place are hosting a Winter Storybook Picnic on Tuesday, January 27 at Bowen Island Family Place, from 9 am to Noon. Bring your picnic blankets and your favourite fuzzy friend! This program is for children ages two to five with their caregivers. To register, email: coordinator@ bowenislandfamilyplace.com Celebrate Family Literacy Week with food, stories, and community! Join us on Wednesday, January 28 at the Royal Canadian Legion from 5 to 7:30 pm for a Multicultural Potluck dinner celebrating learning, culture, and connection around the table. We encourage guests to bring a dish that holds meaning or reflects their culture or traditions to share with others. In addition, Bowen Island chefs will be preparing a delicious selection of dishes that represent the rich cultural diversity of our island community. While this event is free, we ask you to please register through Bowen Island Community Recreation at https://tinyurl.com/mr8pnthh The Bowen Island Literacy Task Group is a coalition of representatives of key community groups, including the Bowen Island Public Library, Bowen Children’s Centre, Bowen Island Community School, Bowen Island Community Recreation, Bowen Island Community Health Centre, The Hearth, Arts on Bowen, and Bowen Island Museum and Archives. The BILTG is dedicated to promoting literacy and fostering education on Bowen Island. It is appreciative of and acknowledges the support of Decoda Literacy Solutions, who provide funding to support local initiatives. For more information, please contact us at bowenliteracytaskgroup@gmail.com
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Bowen Waste Solutions and Bowen Island Tree Services once again teamed up and chipped in to support the community this year. They collected Christmas trees free of charge (and processed by hard workers such as Tyler from BI Tree Services, above) and paid forward by way of donations. This year $1,000 was donated to the Bowen Island Community Foundation. The chips are also donated to local residents. / Submitted photo
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Caring for Nature Photo of the Month - Black Oystercatchers Inbound WILL HUSBY & SHEREE JOHNSON Bowen Island Conservancy PHOTO BY STEVEN BROWER First you hear them: high-pitched whistles that carry over the surf. Walking the shoreline or paddling along Bowen’s coast, the sound often arrives in a rolling, stuttering, trilling burst — as if the intertidal itself is sending an announcement: black oystercatchers are nearby. Steven Brower’s photo captures what that announcement leads to: two black oystercatchers on a rocky intertidal stage, edged with brown rockweed and carpeted with beds of blue mussels. They’re common on Bowen — watch for them on rocky shores, rocky headlands, and the small rocky islets just offshore. Once you spot them, they’re hard to forget: crow-sized and dressed in black, with long bright orange bills, pink legs, red eye-rings, and bright yellow irises. Scientists have found that black oystercatchers can be an indication of high biodiversity in the intertidal zone — the narrow band between high and low tide — because this strip of shoreline is their world: their sole source of food, and the only place where they nest and raise their young. Their days are tuned to the tide. Year-round, they wait for low water to expose the buffet, then forage across rocky intertidal shelves and exposed mud flats. Despite their name, they seldom eat oysters; instead, they seem to sample nearly everything else the shore has to offer: blue mussels, barnacles, shore crabs, limpets, and chitons on rock; isopods and amphipods (small, fast-moving relatives of shrimp), sea urchins, and shore crabs in rockweed; and clams, sand worms, and ghost shrimp probed from mud, sand, and clay banks. If you keep a respectful distance, you can watch a masterclass in patience, timing,
and speed. As the tide rises or falls, waves wash over a mussel bed and some mussels briefly loosen their shells to feed. An oystercatcher sees the opening instantly — quick stab, beak slipped into the gap, the closing muscle severed — then the soft insides are scooped up and swallowed in one clean movement. Black oystercatchers don’t just pair up for a season — they mate for life, and they take their shoreline seriously. By spring, the quiet winter coast turns into a stage: sharp, ringing calls slice across the water as a bonded pair declares, in no uncertain terms, this stretch is ours. Watch for breeding-season rituals too: purposeful walking displays along the tide line and paired flights, flying together and calling as if to keep time with one another. When courtship turns to nesting, Bowen’s oystercatchers choose places that look spare to us but offer one crucial advantage: fewer mammalian predators. They head for tiny, barren islets just offshore, and for isolated rocky headlands, where raccoons, skunks, rats, cats, and dogs are less likely to reach eggs and chicks. Then comes the most minimalist “home build” imaginable. The male scouts several likely spots on gravelly soil just above the high tide line. The female chooses. Together, they excavate a shallow scrape — only about two centimetres deep — just large enough to cradle three to four small, grey eggs. The eggs are so camouflaged that people can walk right past without realizing what’s there. From there, the work becomes shared devotion. Both adults incubate, then tend and feed their newly hatched chicks — energetic grey bundles of fluff — over the months it takes until they are full grown and able to fly. The youngsters usually stay with their parents for almost a year, learning the ropes of survival along the demanding edge of sea and stone. Nesting season, though, is when every-
thing is most precarious. Researchers have found that in areas similar to Bowen, up to 60 per cent of eggs and flightless young are eaten by gulls, crows, and ravens; with that level of natural predation, local populations can still remain stable. What tips the balance is added disturbance — especially increasing numbers of kayakers and boaters visiting nesting islets in spring and summer. Visitors and their dogs can crush eggs, or scare adults away from eggs and chicks, leaving them exposed and vulnerable to predators. One unfortunately timed human visit can trigger total nesting failure for a pair. So the next time you hear that bright,
urgent whistle, take it as a front-row invitation to Bowen’s intertidal life. Slow down. Watch from a distance. And in spring and summer, please resist stopping off on rocky islets and headlands — give these birds the space they need to bring the next generation into the world. The Bowen Island Conservancy is a land trust and registered charity that works to protect and preserve the island’s natural environment — from endangered coastal bluffs to inland lakes, wetlands, and fens. This article is part of a monthly series featuring photographs submitted to the Bowen Island Conservancy’s Bowen Biodiversity Photo Contest. To see the latest submissions and winners, please visit our website.
Friday, January 16, 2026
One Dog at a Time EMILY MCCULLUM Contributor Canadians from coast to coast — and right here on our little island — are living richer, fuller lives thanks to their dog guides. On Saturday, January 24, we’ll have an unique opportunity to learn more about dog guides, how they’re raised and trained, what they do, and how to get one, from Bev Crandell, CEO of the largest dog guide training centre in Canada, Lions Foundation of Dog Guides Canada. Speaking from pers onal experience — I have a hearing assistance dog from LFCDG — demand for guide dogs is so high that, even after meeting all the qualifications, one sometimes has to wait years to get a guide dog from any of the training schools in Canada. LFCDG is trying to address this need by offering seven different training programs (canine vision,
hearing, seizure response, service, autism assistance, diabetes alert, and facility support) and expanding their facilities to raise and train more dogs. It costs around $30,000 to raise and train a fully qualified guide dog, but the good news is that such a dog is free for those who need them. Come and find out more on Saturday morning, January 24, from 9:30 to 11 am at the Bowen Island Community Centre Theatre.
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Faces in the Crowd MICHAEL NANKIN Bowen Island Film Society Elia Kazan predicted Donald Trump in 1957. In their film, A Face in the Crowd, director Elia Kazan and writer Budd Schulberg prove that in 1957 they had either a time machine or a prescient genius to see where things were going. Although the story of Lonesome Roads (Andy Griffith in a best-of-career performance) may seem quaint by those of us who are living the nightmare it predicted, it was shocking and radical at the time. It is eloquent about the love-hate affair Americans have with the people who charm and hurt and swindle them/us. This parable about a small-town con man who attains the power to sway the nation to his whims is America – in 1957 and 2026. Now, as we watch the rise of real-life faux-populist demagogues around the globe, the message at the heart of this film, despite the wry humor that still keeps it afloat, is often too truthful to bear. America is a country where two-bit entertainers have frequently joined the political class, buoyed by name recognition and charisma alone, and it’s perhaps the only developed nation in the world where this happens so often. Americans today might like to think they are on to bilkers and crooks like the film’s anti-hero, Lonesome
Rhodes, that they can see a con for a con. But in 2010, the film’s star Patricia Neal sat down at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood for a postscreening discussion of A Face in the Crowd. The audience was asked: “How many of you seeing Lonesome Rhodes on TV would trust him or be drawn to him?” The response was only a smattering of applause. Later that year, season 10 of The Apprentice premiered on NBC. The film is a special screening of Bowen Island Film Society’s The Vault series, presenting films from the past that speak to current issues. There will be a discussion after the film. The screening takes places Tuesday, January 20 at 6:30 pm at the Community Centre.
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Friday, January 16, 2026
COMMUNITY CALENDAR Friday, January 16 Grade 6/7 Swim Night with Bowen Rec Join us for a fun evening out as we take a small group to the West Vancouver Aquatic Centre for open swim! Meet 4:30 pm at the Ferry Terminal for 4:40 ferry. Returning on 8:55 pm ferry. Register on Bowen Rec website. Saturday, January 17 Cyber Smart Canada Talk at the Library Learn how to protect yourself from online and offline scams in this easy-to-understand workshop for seniors. Starts 1 pm, register at: bipl.ca/cyber Saturday, January 17 Garden Club Speaker All About Hydrangeas by Jill Wright. At Collins Hall starting at 1 pm, doors at 12:30. Members free, non-members $5. Tuesday, January 20 Bowen Film Society Screening ‘A Face in the Crowd’ tells the story of a drifter named Lonesome Rhodes, who rises from obscurity to become a national media sensation. At the Bowen Theatre, doors 5:30 pm and movie at 6:30. Tickets $10 thru Bowen Rec. Wednesday, January 21 & Friday, January 23 SKY Walks Seniors Keeping Young walks start at Killarney Lake on Jan. 21 & Golf Course on Jan. 23. Both start at 10:30 am. Thursday, January 22 Writers Feedback Group at the Library Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, all ages and types of writer are welcome to share and give constructive feedback on each other’s writing in this positive and supportive environment. Free, runs 5 to 6:30 pm.
Registration required –register at bipl.ca/write Friday, January 23 Tween Night: Skate. Art. Fashion. Get ready for an evening all about skateboarding culture! This teen event celebrates skateboarding in all its forms - on the board, on-screen, and in style. From 6 to 9 pm at the Community Centre, register with Bowen Rec. Saturday, January 24 French Connections at the Library Drop in and join us to practice your conversational French, and get to know other French language learners on Bowen Island! Free, 10:30 to 11:30 am. bipl.ca/French Saturday, January 24 & Sunday, January 25 Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival A two-day celebration of adventure, storytelling and the spirit of exploration. Come for Saturday, Sunday, or both. Doors at 1:30 pm, films start at 3. More info on films and ticket details on Bowen Rec website. Saturday, January 24 & Sunday, January 25 Orchard Wassail & Magic Show Bowen Cider House invites all to toast the apple trees and scare away evil spirits to usher in the new harvest! Activites from 4 to 9 pm on Saturday. Sunday features ‘Magic in the Wood’ with Islander Eli the Magician. Family show at 3 pm with an After Dark performance following at 6. Sunday, January 25 Family Snacks & Stories at the Library Celebrate Family Literacy Week with Bowen Library! Try some new snacks and stories & explore the library’s cookbook collection. For families and their children of all ages. 1 to 2:30 pm in the Library Annex. Please register at
bipl.ca/flw & read more about Literacy Week on Page 7. Monday, January 26 Monday Menders Anyone interested in mending with others is invited to the Community Centre from 7 to 9 pm. Bring your own holey clothes & mending kit! Wednesday, January 28 Fibre Arts Guild Meeting The guild meets at Collins Hall from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. All fibre artists welcome, annual membership $20. Bring show & tell! Saturday, January 31 Carmina Bowena Concert The choir, along with their musical companions Sola Musica will take you on a “Musical Feast”, a musical voyage through Medieval, Renaissance and Modern Europe. Show begins 7:30 pm at Tir-na-nOg Theatre. Tickets $25, available at Cates Pharmasave, at the door, or carminabowena.ca TUESDAYS Bowen Celtic Music Group All instruments and levels welcome – we start slow, call out the songs in advance, and can send out a digital songbook as a PDF if you’d prefer sheet music, chords, or guitar tabs. Takes place at Bowen Court on Seniors Road from 7 to 9 pm. Suggested donation of $5 per session. WEDNESDAYS Family Storytime at the Library A free 30-minute drop-in program of stories, rhymes, and songs for children age 0-6 and their caregivers! From 10:30 to 11 am, families are welcome to stay after until 11:30 and socialize in the cozy Annex, read books, and hang out!