June 5, 2026

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Bear spotted on Bowen Island ALEX KURIAL Editor

ONTO THE NEXT CHAPTER Tina Nielsen locks up the library doors for a final time last Sunday, May 31 and ends a 32-year career as Bowen’s chief librarian. The long-time island resident plans a retirement that will include travel, reading, theatre and family. Read much more about Tina’s career and memories inside on Page 6. / Marcus Hondro submission

Residents are being urged to take precautions after a bear was spotted on the island this week.

The new visitor, which appeared to be a young black bear, was seen on dash cam footage crossing the street on Bowen’s west side late Monday night, in the Bluewater neighbourhood. The next afternoon the bear was seen nearby in the Laura Road area, up a tree. And on Wednesday morning the bear had wandered to the southern reaches of the island and Fairweather Road.

A statement from the municipality stressed the importance of properly securing both outdoor garbage and green waste bins in order to keep both residents and the bear safe. Garbage is by far the largest attractant of bears to populated areas of a community.

Black bear attacks on humans are very rare, however it remains vitally important to know the best practices to reduce bear and human conflicts. An extensive list can be found on the WildSafeBC website, for black bears and other wild species living on Bowen including the longterm resident cougar.

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A2 • bowenislandundercurrent.com

Stage 3 Water Use Restrictions for all Municipal Water Systems from June 8, 2026 Bowen Island will move to Stage 3 Water Use Restrictions starting June 8, in line with Metro Vancouver. The change reflects regional efforts to protect the water supply. Residents are encouraged to conserve water and follow the restrictions to help maintain a reliable supply through the summer. Questions? Please call 604-947-4255 ext. 4 or email water@bimbc.ca.

Events All Council meetings are open to the public to attend in person or electronically, unless noted otherwise.

June 8, 2026 1:00 pm Regular Council Meeting June 15, 2026 1:00 pm Committee of the Whole Meeting

Join the Conversation About Bowen’s Future Official Community Plan (OCP) Public Engagement Event Thursday, June 11, 2026 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm In the Bowen Theatre at the Bowen Island Community Centre Refreshments Provided Join Mayor Andrew Leonard and the Official Community Plan Steering Committee Co-Chairs for an engaging evening featuring a short project overview, refreshments, and interactive small-group discussions on key topics.

Explore the ideas shaping Bowen’s future and share your perspective, your input will help guide the draft.

Questions? Contact the Planning Department at 604-947-4255 ext. 6 or email planning@bimbc.ca.

2026 OCP Feedback: Survey Now Open Bowen Island Municipality is updating our Official Community Plan. An Official Community Plan, often known as an OCP, is a local government’s overarching guiding document.

The Draft OCP is available for public review. This community helped shape this draft and now we’re asking you: did we get it right? Complete the survey before June 22, 2026, to let us know.

Scan the QR code or visit: bowenislandmunicipality.ca/ocp-update/

Are you ready to vote this October?

The local government election will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Bowen Island Municipality will use the provincial list of voters prepared by Elections BC for this election.

You can conveniently register to vote online by using the QR code or visiting: elections.bc.ca/register-to-vote

Contact Bowen Island Municipality PAID ADVERTISEMENT June 5, 2026

Phone: 604-947-4255 Bowen Island Municipal Hall Fax: 604-947-0193 580 Bowen Island Trunk Rd Email: bim@bimbc.ca Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G2 Website: www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Monday to Friday Closed statutory holidays

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bowenislandundercurrent.com • A3

Riley’s Cidery narrows rezoning application ALEX KURIAL Editor Riley’s Cidery is now pursuing a property rezoning related solely to the cidery side of the business.

Earlier this year the west side cidery filed a rezoning application requesting the permanent operation of a cidery on the property, along with a new ask for permission to operate a 10-bedroom guest house. While the cidery has run under temporary use permits (TUP) for the past 5.5 years, the guest house would have been a new component of the Laura Road business.

That application was submitted by prospective buyers of the property, which has been up for sale for a few years.

But in a change of direction, last week’s rezoning application was submitted by current owners Rob Purdy and Christine Hardie. Purdy spoke to the modifications at council last week.

“Based on the feedback we’ve received, we’ve decided to significantly narrow the rezoning application. We are now simply asking for permission to continue operating the cidery substantially as it exists today,

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with no material expansion to the operation which has been in place for the last 5.5 years,” said Purdy.

Along with feedback from nearby neighbours, who were largely opposed to the guest house component, the decision to pursue just a cidery rezoning seemed to reflect comments made by mayor Andrew Leonard in April. “The guest house goes one step further and is an unproven use… I’m concerned that if this larger rezoning fails because of that added use (guest house), then everything goes away,” said Leonard at the time.

The cidery owner added he was committed to preserving the orchards on the property as well, which are home to more than more than 1,000 different varieties of apple across two of the property’s five acres.

“We understand why people care deeply about preserving them. We do too,” said Purdy of the apple trees. “We believe the cidery is one of the strongest reasons for the orchard to remain viable over the long term.”

Councillors were pleased with the decision to focus on cidery use for now. “I’m heartened by the progress and having this revised application,” said Coun. Sue Ellen

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Fast, saying it serves both the community and ability to protect the orchards.

She added Riley’s Cidery hasn’t had any bylaw complaints during its 5.5 years of operation.

Council unanimously voted to prepare a Land Use Amendment bylaw supporting the cidery rezoning proposal to bring to a future first reading (minus Coun. John Saunders who was absent).

Oysters seized from illegal harvest BOWEN ISLAND RCMP On Monday, April 20 the Bowen Island RCMP Detachment received a report of a group at Sandy Beach collecting oysters.

Police attended the beach and were able to locate three suspects waiting for the ferry at Snug Cove. Police charged all three suspects with illegally possessing fish under Section 33 of the Canadian Fisheries Act. The Bowen Island RCMP seized a total of 138 oysters from the three suspects. Police then released the oysters back into their natural habitat.

The Bowen Island RCMP Detachment and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans work collaboratively to interdict illegal fishing in the area.

The RCMP Detachment wants to remind people that harvesting shellfish out of season or during red tide can be dangerous

to your health and to the ecosystem they come from.

If you see someone illegally harvesting shellfish, please contact the Bowen Island RCMP Detachment non-emergency line at 604-947-0516.

All of the illegally harvested oysters from Sandy Beach were rescued.

NOTICE AMENDMENT BYLAW 200 ISLANDS TRUST COUNCIL NOTICE OF INTENTION TO AMEND ISLANDS TRUST COUNCIL PROCEDURE BYLAW TAKE NOTICE that the Islands Trust Council intends to consider passing a bylaw to amend Islands Trust Council Meetings Procedures Bylaw, 2004, as amended.

PURPOSE OF THE AMENDMENT The general intent of the proposed Islands Trust Council Bylaw 200, cited as “Islands Trust Council Meeting Procedures Bylaw, 2004, Amendment Bylaw No. 2, 2025” is to: • Amend the date of the first meeting of Islands Trust Council following a general local election to allow the meeting to occur before the end of November.

INSPECTION OF DOCUMENTS A copy of the proposed amendment bylaw and relevant staff reports are available for inspection on the Islands Trust website or in person at the following Islands Trust office locations: • 200 – 1627 Fort Street, Victoria, BC - Mon - Fri (excl. statutory holidays), 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

• 700 North Road, Gabriola Island, BC - Mon - Thurs (excl. statutory holidays), 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

• 4 – 121 McPhillips Avenue, Salt Spring Island, BC - Mon - Fri (excl. statutory holidays), 8:30 a.m. 4:00 p.m.

Scan the QR code to view the bylaw materials online or visit https://islandstrust.bc.ca/about-us/governance/bylaws/

David Marlor, Secretary

A4 • bowenislandundercurrent.com

Friday, June 5, 2026

VIEWPOINTS

Close to Home

Sometimes you don’t have to go beyond your own backyard to find a flurry of wildlife. That was the case recently for Patrick Currah, who shared these pictures of beautiful creatures of the land and (when they grow up) the sky, photographed right in the family garden.

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The editor reserves the right to edit for clarity, legality, brevity and taste. Please limit to under 500 words. HERE’S HOW: To submit a letter to the editor, fax 604-947-0148 or mail it to PO Box 130, Bowen Island, BC, V0N 1G0 or email editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com All Advertising and news copy content are copyright of the Undercurrent Newspaper. All editorial content submitted to the Undercurrent becomes the property of the publication. The Undercurrent is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, art work and photographs.

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If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the website at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information.

Friday, June 5, 2026

bowenislandundercurrent.com • A5

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Get ready to have a happy Pride month!

JUNE IS SHAPING UP TO BE ONE OF BOWEN’S MOST VIBRANT PRIDE SEASONS YET BOWEN ISLAND PRIDE SOCIETY What began as a small community parade has grown into weeks of celebration, creativity, connection, and visibility for Bowen Island’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community and allies.

This year’s Pride festivities include events for all ages and interests, from a Youth Pride Party at the Bowen Island Public Library to the Third Annual Pride Parade & Festival on Saturday, June 6, featuring a pedestrian parade down the Multi-Use Path, accessible cheer station on the Bowen Island Library Lawn, and an all-ages Pier Party on the municipal pier DJ’d by our own Mayor Leonard DJ Mayor McCheese featuring a drag performance by The Unstoppable Conni Smudge.

The celebrations continue with a soldout Tea Dance at Doc Morgan’s Pub &

Restaurant, the “Hello, My Name Is…” queer art show and community Chalk Festival hosted by The Hearth Arts on Bowen, followed by an evening Pride After Party at Bowen Island Pub, and Big Phat Drag Bingo at the Legion on Sunday, June 7.

The next Tuesday, June 9 features a Pridethemed Speak the Spark at the Library Annex. Later in June, the Bowen Island Film Society presents screenings of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Strangers on a Train at the Bowen Theatre.

More than anything, this year’s calendar reflects the growing energy, support, and community spirit behind Pride on Bowen Island. Bowen Island Pride Society extends its heartfelt thanks to the sponsors, supporters, volunteers, artists, performers, and community members helping make this celebration possible.

SHOOPY Meet Shoopy, our Patient of the Week! This sweet neighborhood celebrity can often be spotted living just across from the Village Baker, charming everyone who passes by with those bright eyes and gentle personality. Around the Cove, Shoopy is quickly becoming a local favorite among both residents and tourists alike — always ready to greet new friends and soak up a little extra attention. We’re so happy to feature this lovable little star!

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The Fit Guys program on Bowen Island attended a CPR course on May 15. Fit Guys is an exercise program that runs four days a week promoting fitness over age 60, and social prescribing with meeting for coffee after three sessions and lunch after a later morning session. The program has been fully subscribed to. The photo highlights the importance of exercise, social prescribing and having members of a community fluent in CPR. / Matt Blackwood submission

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A6 • bowenislandundercurrent.com

Friday, June 5, 2026

Chief Librarian closes book on more than 30 years of service MARCUS HONDRO Contributor Bowen Island Chief Librarian Tina Nielsen has retired.

Nielsen, who took the reins of the Bowen Library in 1995, four years before the island became a municipality, worked her final day on the job on Sunday, May 31, 2026.

As she walked out of the building and locked up for a final time on that last day, the affable Nielsen was feeling a mixture of emotions, happy for the next chapter, a chapter

she says will include a lot of travel and family time, but also aware of all she would be leaving behind.

“My best memories are all about people and getting to know the people of my community,” she told the Undercurrent via email this week. “Long time residents and those newly arrived.”

She came to the job having already lived on Bowen for five years. During that time, she’d been working two locations, she was the children’s librarian at North Vancouver District Library and the children’s services librarian on Bowen. After Corinne Frantel left the Bowen

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library, Nielsen became chief librarian here, a then newlyrevised position.

Naturally, the island has changed in the past 32 years.

“Bowen has grown… more services, more people, and sometimes higher expectations of what a library can offer,” Nielsen said. “What hasn’t changed is the sense of community, the love of nature and quiet, and the shared philosophy of helping each other out.”

The library itself has gone through major changes, including moving in 2002 from Cates Corner (under the pharmacy) to its present location in the Old General Store.

It has also grown in size and in the number of services it offers and Nielsen has been spearheading these transitions all along.

“We now offer a wide range of programs on a regular basis,” Nielsen said. “And far more technical services from e-books to online learning platforms to streaming services - requiring staff to bring strong digital and technical skills, alongside deep knowledge of our collections and programs.”

Nielsen, herself widely read with an accent on fiction, said she never lost her love of sharing books with regular and new customers alike. She had a great fondness for seeing children grow from being read to, to reading chapter books on their own and then moving on to young adult novels and beyond.

She notes there is great satisfaction in library work.

“Helping someone complete an overwhelming online government form, or providing free medical equipment that allows a loved one to remain at home during palliative care, that has been deeply meaningful.”

Among her accomplishments was the creating of The Med Shed, the service that provides people with that chance to stay at home during care. The Med Shed sees the library lend out walkers, wheelchairs, commodes, tub transfer benches, pulse oximeters and many other medical devices.

Nielsen says staff turnover has been low during her time there and estimates that over the years she’s worked with fewer than 20 employees, with all of them, she says, contributing something unique and being “… committed to building the best library they can.”

Volunteers come and go for a variety of reasons and she was unable to pin down a number, saying she’s worked with “… between 100 and 200,” adding she has “a deep and abiding appreciation for all the amazing community members who dedicated their time to supporting library service on Bowen.”

Not one for idleness, despite now being retired, Nielsen will remain busy. Among other projects, she’s a part of The Theatre on the Isle (TOTI) production team that is putting up ‘The Open House,’ playing three nights this week (June 5-7) at the Bowen Theatre.

Along with travel, she’ll also be gardening and spending more time with family. She won’t be forgetting the past 32 years and intends to herself become a regular patron of the Bowen library.

“I will deeply miss the amazing staff team at the library, as well as the dedicated library volunteers, Library Board, and the Friends of the Library. I’ll miss connecting with the incredibly hard-working municipal staff and council and I will always value the insights I’ve gained into the challenges and dedication involved in municipal work.

“And of course, I’ll miss seeing library patrons every day.”

Friday, June 5, 2026

bowenislandundercurrent.com • A7

May RCMP Stats on Bowen BOWEN ISLAND RCMP There were 60 calls for service in May. Bowen Island RCMP conducted targeted boat and traffic and impaired driving enforcement 24 times including: - Speed enforcement of Bowen Island Community School, Snug Cove, Playground zones - Fishery and Safety inspections of vessels in the waters surrounding Bowen Island - Impaired driving roadblocks Other calls for service: 4 False 911’s – Accidental dials from cellphones and residences 3 Animal – Hot dogs in car, dog fights 3 Disturbances – Intoxicated patrons at liquor establishments requiring removal 1 Threat – Bowen Island resident threatened ICBC staff 5 Liquor Act – Liquor Licenced premise check. No violations 1 Fraud – Bank fraud 9 Assists to the Public – Neighbour disputes, clam diggers, trespassers, landlord/tenant disputes

4 Assists to other Police/Agencies – Assisted Probation office, Sunshine Coast RCMP 3 Bylaw – Foot patrols of ferry lineup and docks 6 Check Wellbeing – Mental health related. Called in by friends, family and passerby’s 5 Property – Lost glasses, found wallet, lost licence plate, lost bag 5 Canada Shipping Act – Safety checks of vessels in the waters surrounding Bowen Island. All found in violation of lacking appropriate safety equipment 3 Mischief – Wiring to Municipality’s speed data collector cut, investigation ongoing. Houses being egged 8 Traffic files - Stuck semi-truck, aggressive drivers Police Message: The Bowen Island RCMP are proud to participate in and assist with several community events throughout June, including Bike to School Week, Bowen Pride (June 6), the Round Bowen Race (June 13), and the Fire Hall Open House (June 20). RCMP members will be supporting these events through traffic enforcement and increased officer presence.

Residents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with event dates and locations, and to plan accordingly for possible disruptions to day-to-day travel and activities.

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Last Friday was a momentous day for housing supply on Bowen as the official groundbreaking for the Hemlock Hill Village apartment building on Miller Road took place in the afternoon. Present at the event were (L-R) Bowen mayor Andrew Leonard, BIRCH board chair David McCullum, Lookout CEO Shayne Williams & West Vancouver - Sunshine Coast - Sea to Sky Country MP Patrick Weiler. Spearheaded by Bowen Island Resilient Community Housing (BIRCH) and the Lookout Society, with support from the Bowen Island Municipality and the provincial government via BC Housing, the 25-unit development will prioritize current and former Bowen residents seeking secure rental housing. Homes will be a mix of market rent, low income, and subsidy units. We’ll have more on this story next week. / Alex Kurial photo

A8 • bowenislandundercurrent.com

Friday, June 5, 2026

Fall in love with Bowen all over again with this new TV series GRACE GILROY – LOCAL PRODUCER OF THE RECENT ISLAND PRODUCTION ‘EVERY YEAR AFTER’ – SPEAKS TO THE IMPACT OF FILMING ON THE BOWEN COMMUNITY & HER EXPERIENCE WORKING IN THE FILM INDUSTRY AS A BOWEN RESIDENT MADY BONIFACE Contributor Bowen Island has been the filming location for many movies and TV shows. Grace Gilroy – a producer of many such works and a Bowen resident for the past 24 years – gives some insight into why this may be, including a peek into the Island’s most recent production, ‘Every Year After’, set to release on Wednesday, June 10.

Gilroy is a producer on Every Year After, an Amazon Prime original romance drama.

Every Year After follows Persephone “Percy” (Sadie Soverall) and Sam (Matt Cornett), childhood friends who reconnect and rekindle their romance in Barry’s Bay, based on the book by Carley Fortune titled Every Summer After.

Gilroy has worked on many prominent projects filmed in BC, such as The X-Files (1993-2018), Alien VS. Predator (2004) and The Edge (1997). Gilroy attributes her discovery of the island to the film industry. Gilroy and her husband moved

to Bowen after she scouted the island for previous productions.

Gilroy states, “It’s very interesting, because the first time I scouted over on the island, and the first time I actually was really over on the island, was in the mid 80s.”

After reading the script for Every Year After (2026), Gilroy immediately thought of Bowen. The long-time producer concluded that Bowen held the right small-town feel and natural beauty to create Barry’s Bay. This involved the transformation of Bowen’s Snug Cove as one of the primary filming locations for the Amazon original series.

Locations such as Doc Morgan’s, Tippy’s Cookhouse and the Causeway all got their big-time debuts in this new series, with some undergoing great transformations. For example, a sign on the Causeway welcoming people to Barry’s Bay confused some tourists. This, and some clever editing, transformed the ocean into a lake.

Gilroy says, “I think we showed Bowen off to its best advantages. You know, we made it feel special, and it is, you know, it’s a special place.”

After filming concluded, the production team of Every Year After helped with the completion of the Bowen Island Community Centre. Gilroy mentions that this is common practice for the productions she works on, as they want to leave the community in better shape than when they came.

She hopes that the latest filming inspires more locals to be a part of future projects on

the island. Maybe a second season will once again transform Bowen through TV magic into Barry’s Bay. The filming of Every Year After took place during the summer and early fall of 2025.

Curious about other Bowen film and TV productions? You’ll find A Cinephile’s Guide to Bowen Island on the Tourism Bowen Island’s website.

Each game at the Snug Cove ball diamond features incredible feats and memorable moments. Sometimes these accomplishments stand out above the rest, and that was certainly the case for fans at last Friday’s game between the Cruisers and Diggers. Those in attendance, and on the field, witnessed the incredibly rare shutout as the Cruisers kept the Diggers off the board completely in a 3-0 win. It was truly a pitcher’s duel masterclass, and on most days Adam Woodward’s 7 innings allowing just 3 runs while striking out 6 would be more than enough to claim the win. But this time he happend to be going up against Grady Huskisson (#3 - 4 innings pitched, 4 strikeouts) and Jamie Weismiller (#9 - 3 innings, 2 strikeouts) who were firing on all cylinders.

Anything that did get into play was snatched by some very timely defense by the players in grey, including escaping two Diggers on base & 0 outs to start the 4th. Ben Welsh (#44) also made his mark on the game, the leadoff batter scoring all 3 runs on the night. In the ultimate example of helping your own cause, each time he was driven in by the #2 man in the lineup - Huskisson.

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Friday, June 5, 2026

bowenislandundercurrent.com • A9

BC Seniors Week meets National AccessAbility Week with Auracast KATHY PICHORA-FULLER Seniors Keeping Young In 2026, BC Seniors Week is celebrated June 1-7 and National AccessAbility Week is celebrated May 31 to June 6. As these celebrations intersect, there is good news about hearing accessibility for older adults on Bowen.

Just over 25 per cent of the Bowen population are seniors and roughly half of seniors live with hearing loss. Only about one-fifth of older adults with age-related changes in their hearing abilities use hearing aids. Hearing aids are primarily designed to help people when they are having conversations. They work well as sound amplifiers, but many older adults still have trouble listening to speech in everyday situations, especially in group situations in large or noisy rooms.

One reason that hearing aids do not provide perfect hearing is that they are designed to pick up sounds within about eight feet of the listener and hearing aid users need to combine hearing aids with other accessible technologies to pick up sounds from further away.

Another reason is that making sounds louder does not isolate a talker’s speech from surrounding noise in the environment.

A new low-energy audio Bluetooth technology called “Auracast” now provides accessibility to older adults on Bowen in challenging situations where distance across a large room and interfering noise have made listening difficult. The Bowen Island Community Centre has adopted the use of Auracast, becoming a leader in hearing accessibility as an early adopter of Auracast, joining famous venues such as the Opera Hall in Sydney, Australia and Frankfurt Airport

Faithful music combo SHARI ULRICH Contributor In my 50-plus years as a musician, saying yes to projects has never backfired. (Okay, maybe once, but that’s for another conversation!)

So 15 months ago when the Unfaithful Servants asked if they could play the “Trust Me” series on Bowen, after checking them out and being gobsmaked, I said “hell yes!” When they made the unusual request to play on one of my songs that night I said “uh… sure.” When they asked if I’d like to tour with them as a co-bill I said “Really? Yes!” All gifts that keep on giving, leading me wanting to do some solo shows with the combination of our beloved Cindy Fairbank (who has joined me since the moment I first heard her play nine years ago), and The Unfaithful Servants’ fiddle player, 24-year old Quin Etheridge-Pedden.

These two tremendously gifted musicians share a level of musicality, skill and intuition, that to me, is the heart of making music. So I couldn’t help but want to see what that combination would be like!

Please join us at Tir-na-nOg on Monday, June 8 to discover what this “yes” sounds like! Tickets, as usual, are at trustme.tickit.ca and at Phoenix Books (with cash). Hope to see you there!

in Germany.

In the last month, the new Auracast technology has been installed at the Community Centre in the Council/ Conference room and also in the Bowen Theatre. In effect, the system uses the new Bluetooth technology to transmit the sound from a microphone directly and without delay to the receiver in a person’s ear – overcoming distance and noise.

The system can be used by people who use multiple brands of hearing aids that are Auracast enabled. It can also be used by people using smart phones or computers with

Auracast enabled. Or headsets available at the Community Centre can be used by people who do not have an enabled hearing aid or smart phone.

The system installed in the theatre was donated by SKY (Seniors Keeping Young) so that older adult members of SKY will not miss a word again when they are attending presentations in the theatre. Please ask the staff at the Community Centre if you have questions about how to use Auracast or contact SKY if you have questions about hearing accessibility or age-related changes in hearing.

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A10 • bowenislandundercurrent.com

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Friday, June 5, 2026

bowenislandundercurrent.com • A11

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A12 • bowenislandundercurrent.com

Friday, June 5, 2026

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Friday June 5 to Sunday, June 7 The Open House Island actors star in Will Eno’s award-winning play at the Bowen Theatre. Directed by Heather Hodson. All three shows start 7:30 pm, tickets available online on Eventbrite.

Saturday, June 6 Bowen Pride Celebration The annual Pride celebration begins at 11 am with the Pride Parade, starting at the Bowen Island Community School field and making its way down the hill into Snug Cove. Followed by an all-ages Pier Party at Snug Cove Pier (Dock Dance) from Noon to 3 pm.

Saturday, June 6 Men’s Shed Meetup at Island Pacific School Bowen Island Men’s Shed gathering at IPS (behind the school) from 10:30 am to Noon. All ages of men welcome.

Complimentary coffee/tea/cookies and great company.

Saturday, June 6 MLA Meet & Greet at the Library Meet & Greet with Jeremy Valeriote. Jeremy is our member of the BC Legislative Assembly for West Vancouver - Sea to Sky. No need to register in advance, open to all ages. From 1:30 to 3 pm. Learn more at bipl.ca/meet Saturday, June 6 Artist Reception at Catching Stars Gallery Come hangout with feature artists for June, Shelley Koke & Michael Epp, at the gallery in Snug Cove from 2 to 4 pm.

Saturday, June 6 Judi Gedye Open House Come chat about Island issues with Bowen Councillor Judith Gedye. All welcome, Collins Hall from 3 to 4 pm.

Saturday, June 6 Artist pARTy at the Hearth Gallery Meet the artists behind the ‘Hello, My Name Is...” inaugural queer arts show during a Hearth party from 6 to 8 pm.

Sunday, June 7 Agricultural Talk on Soil “The Magic of Soil” talk and demonstration with Phil Gregory at Grafton Agricultural Commons (across from Grafton Lake parking lot). From 1 to 3 pm.

Tuesday, June 9 & Wednesday, June 10 Masterworks at Island Pacific School Grade 9 capstone presentations are a year-long Rite of Passage where every student chooses something they care deeply about and present before a public audience.

Presentations both days from 9:30 am to 2 pm at IPS. Tuesday, June 9 Speak the Spark Storytelling Members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community will share 10-minute true stories from their own lives. Theme: Out of the Blue. Admission by donation. 7 pm at the Library Annex.

Saturday, June 13 Strawberry Tea Silent auction, BBQ, sandwiches & strawberry shortcake.

Cash/debit at the door. United Church from 10 am to 3 pm.

Saturday, June 13 Round Bowen Race Keep an eye out for 100+ sailing ships in the Navis Round Bowen Race! 10 am to 5:30 pm) Or join us, details and crew bank at biyc.bc.ca. Direction around Bowen TBD the morning of. BBQ to follow on the USSC lawn with Black Molly!

Saturday, June 13

Skwxwú7mesh History Book Club at the Library In this friendly book club, we’ll be discussing part two of Tiná7 Cht Ti Temíxw: We Come From This Land: a Walk Through the History of the Squamish People (2024), by the Squamish Nation. Coffee and snacks provided! Free, from 11:30 am to 1 pm. Find out more and register at bipl.ca/2026 Saturday, June 13 Summer Social Tea Join us for an afternoon tea with music, refreshments & good company. Presented by Seniors Keeping Young (SKY), at the Museum & Archives from 1 to 4 pm. All ages welcome!

SATURDAYS Farmers Market The annual Farmers Market returns with a new home at Davies Orchard. Come see all your favourite food, arts & craft vendors. From 10 am to Noon.

MONDAYS Happy Mondays!

Meditations & Buddhist teachings on “Inspiring Solutions for Difficulties”. $12/class, everyone welcome. Community Centre from 7 to 8 pm. Runs thru June 22.

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 until 11:30 to hangout!

OCP Engagement Opportunities Learn more about the Official Community Plan Review and how you can contribute at the following events: June 6 Bowen Pride (at the Library), Jeremy Valeriote Meet & Greet, Judi Gedye Open House

Smoother travel for everyone We’re shifting Dangerous Goods to a quieter sailing time. Making travel easier for the community while supporting reliable delivery of essential goods.

Bowen Island

Horseshoe Bay

WEDNESDAY SAILINGS FROM JUNE 3

1:55PM

4:40PM

DANGEROUS GOODS SAILING ONLY

NOW AVAILABLE FOR COMMUTER TRAVEL

Learn more