Brandee Charter is pleased to report that Heron sightings (including her capture here) have been plentiful this Spring as the birds - and their fans - enjoy their time in the Meadow.
ALEX KURIAL Editor
Paintings long tucked away have resurfaced, and are now available for viewing at the Hearth Gallery.
The pieces by beloved Bowen artist and cartoonist Ron Woodall make up the new ‘Magnificent Derelicts’ showcase at the gallery. The works offer a longing tour of - as the name implies - buildings across Canada which were captured well after experiencing their heyday.
These structures were observed by Woodall on his drive home to B.C. after attending Expo 67 in Montreal.
“It occurred to me that the most interesting thing I saw on the way were old buildings. They were like monuments or sculptures,” explains Woodall. Many of these were in the Prairies, once-bustling agricultural and farm buildings now fallen into dilapidation and disrepair.
“I started to try to convince Heritage Canada that some of them should be saved, because they’re part of the landscape and they’re part of the heritage,” says Ron. “So then I got into painting them to set them aside and give a different kind of perspective on them.”
Dramatic and unique, this exceptionally crafted
showcases a creative West Coast design with a rare combination of art, grandeur, privacy, and proximity all on a usable 2.5 acres.
Generous windows invite natural light and frame tranquil views of the forest and Killarney Lake. Every detail reflects quality and intention, creating a home that is both impressive and welcoming.
* Mary Lynn Machado
Events
All Council meetingsare open to the public to attend in person or electronically,unless notedotherwise.
April 13, 2026
1:00 pm Regular CouncilMeeting
April 20, 2026
1:00 pm Committeeofthe Whole Meeting
CarterRoadBridgeClosure
Carter RoadBridgewill be closedfor approximatelyfour weeks to allow for essential water main replacement. Work will commence on Monday,April 6, 2026.
BridgeClosureDetails:
CarterRoadwill be closedfromjustpast the BowenChildren’sCentre (BCC) drop offareato the entrance to Belterra.
The bridgewill be open on the weekends
Pedestrian access will be maintained.Trafficflaggers will be in place to escortpedestrians safely across the bridge.
Vehicle access to the regular BCCdropoff area remains the same so drop-offproceduresshould not be affectedfor those students
AlternativeVehicle Route to Belterra, IslandPacific School(IPS),and Cates Hill Chapel via the Mt Gardner Roadaccess point to Carter Road (beside the gas station).
To support single-lane traffic flowon Carter Road, temporary traffic lights willbe installedatthe bottomofthe single-lane hill beside the gas station and nearthe entrance to Belterra
Furtherinformation, including aproject timeline,can be found by using the QR code or visiting:
Questions? Contact Public Works at 604-947-4255 ext. 3or roads@ bimbc.ca.
Reportingtothe Bylaw Services Supervisor, theFerryTraffic Marshals perform traffic flagging duties on BowenIsland during peak ferrytravelperiodsincluding high-volume vehicle traffic and congestion, especially during ferrysailingirregularities and cancellations.Shiftsare scheduledinadvance by Bylaw Services with the possibility of additional shifts as needed.
Availability on weekends andstatutory holidays is mandatory.
Read the position description here: https://bowenislandmunicipality.ca/work-with-us
To applytothis position, please sendacover letterand resume, alongwithany questions, to KatalinaStephens,HRCoordinator,at hr@bimbc.ca
2026 Callfor Photos: Now Open
Do youtakebeautiful photographs of thisbeautiful place we call home?
BowenIslandMunicipalityproduces numerousreports and publications each year andwelovetoinclude photos thatcelebrate wherewelivethroughthe eyes of the peoplewho livehere.
Whocan submit: This call is open to BowenIslandresidents of all ages,fromseasonedphotographers to enthusiastic amateurs.
What to submit: High-resolution digital photosthatreflect Bowen Island’s natural beauty,community vibrancy,and sense of place. Photos must be your original work.
Howtosubmit: Use the QR Code or followthis link: https:// bowenislandmunicipality.ca/ submit-photos/
Credit: Photographers will be acknowledgedwherever possible when theirimagesare used.
Questions? Contact SarahBaxter at 604-947-4255 ext. 223 or email sbaxter@bimbc.ca.
Bowen Arts Tour next month!
LIZ NANKIN Bowen Arts Tour
What is it about this island that gathers such a group of people together to choose to live and create a community of makers and doers?
When each of us came to this island and thought - this feels so different - it has extraordinary natural beauty. It’s also the people who live here. Some call it a vibe or energy.
Much like the roots of the trees and mycelium that connect and talk to each other. There are Artists. A lot of artists, all ages, all different kinds of backgrounds and
who work in different mediums. Mediums - this network of ideas, imagination, and work ethic creates the community of Bowen Artists.
The Bowen Arts Tour is coming next month. Get ready to look at new things, get ready to have conversations, have your eyes see new visual narratives - have your hands touch Art that is brushed and poured, carved and moulded, and layered and fired and settled and sat with and reworked and considered.
This free self-guided tour of 19 Art Studios and commercial hubs consists of 145 artists that will be sharing their love of what they do with you.
Sculpture photography, painting,
Why Emergency Preparedness matters on Bowen
power outages.
NEIGHBOURHOOD EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM (NERP)
If a major emergency hit Bowen Island, many of us might head for the ferry.
But what if the ferry isn’t running and the roads are closed?
In the early hours of a disruption, it’s often neighbours — not outside help — who make the biggest difference.
Research from the University of British Columbia’s Disaster Resilience Research Network highlights a key challenge: while most people want to be prepared, many don’t know what to do next. Nearly onethird cite a lack of clear, accessible information as the biggest barrier. The issue isn’t awareness — it’s action.
On Bowen, that gap matters. Our reliance on ferries, limited access routes, and forested terrain increase our vulnerability during events like wildfires, storms, or extended
The Neighbourhood Emergency Response Program (NERP) helps address this by organizing neighbours at the local level, building capacity to respond in those critical first hours.
On April 18, a community workshop at the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in the new Fire Hall will focus on wildfire preparedness in a Bowen context.
The session runs from 9 am to 12 pm (doors open at 8:30 with coffee and pastries) and will include:
- A brief overview of UBC research on preparedness;
- A panel featuring RCMP, Fire Department, FireSmart, ESS, and NERP;
- Interactive wildfire scenarios to explore how neighbourhoods can respond.
Preparedness here is not just individual — it’s collective.
Space is limited. To register please email: NERP@storytellings.com
resin work, ceramics, jewelry, textiles, woodwork, literary work, and music and more. Plan your tour with the Bowen Arts Tour guide that will be distributed in each one of your mailboxes on April 17.
Invite family and friends.
It’s an opportunity to meet Artists, see their process and engage in conversations about their work.
The Bowen Arts Tour is a celebration - a two-day experience to bring new visual narratives, and auditory expe -
riences into our lives - supporting our local artist work. To refresh and add to favourites in the home that comfort and enlighten us.
Please go to the website at bowenartstour.com and learn about all the artists that are participating. Each artist is listed - learn tips how to navigate the tour - with a map of the hubs and our newsletter. The tour takes place on Saturday and Sunday, May 23 & 24, from 11 am to 4 pm.
See you at the hubs in May!
VIEWPOINTS
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.
National NewsMedia Council.
The Undercurrent is a member of the National NewsMedia Council of Canada, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please email editor@ bowenislandundercurrent.com or call 604-947-2442. 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.
VIEWPOINTS
Letter: Water and Development questions
GREG POLLARD
Letter Writer
Dear Editor and Mayor and Council,
May I start by commending Alex Kurial, Editor of the Undercurrent, for his front page coverage (Grafton Lakelands seeks way forward, 3/20/26) of yet another boondoggle with Grafton Lake and the unreasonable goals of our Municipality (current and past).
It’s very disheartening how our elected Mayor and Council (except one) have voted to support giving the developer of Lakelands - a massive 165 home subdivision built around our drinking water - an alternative to the agreed 10 lots of affordable
housing for a mere $1 million cash-in-lieu payment. Simple math tells me they can make that up by selling each lot for $100,000 more; which already are marketed in the high $700-thousands.
Not a penalty at all!
Every developer knows their project costs will rise with inflation and demand. The costs are merely passed along to the consumer.
Also in question; why does the Municipality (BIM) care if a developer can move forward with this very controversial project destroying our water table and reservoir? Who cares if the “developer is stuck”?
Good I say!
I salute Coun. Alison Morse for standing up against this current proposal and Bowen
Letter: Because major projects have major impacts
ANTON VAN WALRAVEN
Letter Writer
Like you, I love where I live. On Bowen Island in Átl’ka7tsem / Howe Sound. It’s here where we’ve witnessed the return of wildlife in our waters after it had been gone for so long.
Crucial for their return is clean unpolluted water. The plugging and treating of the continuous run-off from the Britannia copper mine, the closure of the Woodfibre mill, plus the ecosystem restoration work done by local volunteer groups, made the difference. It gave nature the chance to bounce back, and did it ever! From zooplankton, herring to sea lions, dolphins and whales. It gives us hope and trust that, when we do the right thing, things can turn around.
Knowing this, I was alarmed and dismayed when I read reports that FortisBC has been exceeding discharge wastewater quality guidelines for over 16 months... Not again!
For Woodfibre LNG’s project to function, it needs the expansion of the existing Eagle Mountain Woodfibre gas pipeline. FortisBC is building this, which involves the drilling of a nine-kilometre long tunnel from Squamish to Woodfibre. This process produces wastewater, and that wastewater, and its copper and aluminium quantities, have been exceeding what is allowed under the permit that was issued. That permit requires FortisBC to work within the BC
Island Resilient Community Housing; and I must express my surprise that the two representatives from the Islands Trust did not join her in support.
Further to this issue regarding Grafton Lake is the recent mailout we all received in the Cove Bay water system of an $80 parcel tax - Bylaw No. 708, 2026. Are you kidding me? When I bought my house in Deep Bay in 2011 my quarterly water bill was $60. Last month, the same house with the same usage was billed just shy of $500!
It appears that BIM is now looking at Grafton Lake as far more than our drinking water; it is also their newest and supposedly best way to get more money from all that rely on the lake and live on this cool island. And this is for discoloured, over-chlorinated water that has a “boil water advisory” for anyone with an immunocompromised condition and babies.
I have to post this in our Airbnb for guests even though I try to filter it myself. And this all with a multi-million dollar Municipal Water Treatment Plant built with the wrong filter system.
I also think it’s wrong that all
Council meetings are held on Monday afternoons when most taxpayers are at work earning an income to pay all these ridiculous water bills and taxes. Why can there not be an early evening Council meeting so more concerned citizens can give their input? Is this done on purpose?
All in all... I honestly believe having a Municipality on Bowen Island is becoming a big mistake. We are the only Gulf Island to do so; the rest governed by the Islands Trust and other sources.
Therefore, I have opened a new email to allow other like-minded Bowenites to express their views that I will present to the current Council, if it warrants doing so, in a few weeks.
If you have something to say, please email the Mayor and Council. And if you agree that maybe it’s time to shed this community’s Council of its ProDeveloper attitude then tell me about it at shutdownBIM@gmail.com
You have a voice, please use it.
Respectfully,
- Greg Pollard
Water Quality Guidelines for Protection of Aquatic Life, and FortisBC hasn’t.
Instead of addressing this head on: issue fines, inform FortisBC that it must stick to the permit conditions to continue, and if it doesn’t, face increasing financial penalties, and - ultimately stop the work altogether - the BC Energy Regulator who issued the permit has suggested to FortisBC to amend it. What?
This is not only totally unacceptable, it’s also totally illegal as BC’s Environmental Management Act doesn’t allow for it. Amendments to existing permits can only be made “for the protection of the environment.” Allowing for increased pollution clearly is not.
Again we have to jump into action to stand up against a project that should not be built in the first place. But here we are again.
My Sea to Sky has asked its supporters to send letters to governments, the BC Energy Regulator, and elected official to stop FortisBC.
I repeat this call here, and ask you to take the time to do so too.
You can use the letter writing tool my Sea to Sky has on its website, or better, write your own: All information to do so you can find below the letter-writing tool on that page.
Átl’ka7tsem / Howe Sound is counting on you!
Thank you!
- Anton van Walraven Concerned Citizens Bowen
TUCKER
Tucker was our Patient of the Week after coming in for his vaccines, and he completely stole our hearts! This sweet pup is still learning the world around him and is scared of birds but loves all cuddles from humans. At home, he’s been busy pestering his big brother Murphy, showing off his playful puppy energy During his visit, Tucker leaned in for comfort and happily soaked up attention from everyone he met. He did a great job for his vaccines, and we’re so proud of his bravery—he’s growing into such a wonderful companion!
VIEWPOINTS
Bowen Islanders join ‘No Tyrants’ protest
JOHN DOWLER & CHARLES MCNEILL
Contributors
A contingent of 14 Bowen Islanders was among hundreds who marched in Vancouver for “No Tyrants 3.0” on Saturday, March 28.
We were part of a historic mobilization of more than 8 million people across 3,300 communities worldwide, united by a shared concern: opposing the rise of authoritarianism in the United States in particular, and globally more broadly.
The atmosphere ranged from solemn to festive as approximately 700 to 1,000 participants walked from the Vancouver Public Library to Harbour Green Park, at times filling the northbound lane for blocks.
The rally emphasized solidarity with U.S. protests addressing unconstitutional immigration enforcement policies, the expansion of inhumane detention and surveillance systems, and the ongoing war in Iran, among other related issues.
Speakers called on Canadian companies collaborating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to end those relationships. Examples cited included Hootsuite (supporting ICE’s social media
presence), GardaWorld (providing security services for detention facilities), Thomson Reuters (assisting with data collection and analysis), and Roshel (supplying armoured personnel carriers).
Recent public pressure has already had an impact: Jim Pattison Developments cancelled the sale of a warehouse in Georgia to ICE following public criticism of the deal. At a time when Canada faces economic pressure and even rhetoric or threats that it could become a “51st state,” Canadian companies should prioritize national solidarity over profit.
Representatives from votefromabroad.ca encouraged participants to ask American family members and friends living in Canada to register to vote in the U.S. midterm elections on November 3, 2026. They noted that only about three per cent of Americans in Canada currently vote, underscoring the importance of participation - particularly given that U.S. elections are often decided by margins of 1 per cent or less.
On Bowen Island, a group has formed to explore ways to respond to the impacts of authoritarianism in Canada. Those interested are welcome to get in touch at jdowler@ cosmicidea.com or cimcneill@gmail.com
Places of Worship Welcome You
Sunday Worship 10:30 am Rev Lorraine Ashdown www.biuc.ca | 1122 Miller Road 778-688-2061
QUEEN OF CAPILANO FERRY
Mass at 10:00
Sunday Mass at 9.30 Contact Angela Powell 604-947-2515
Sunday Worship 10:00 Rev Phil Adkins Contact aryana.rayne@gmail.com • www.shirathayam.ca
Carter Rd.) office@cateshillchapel.com
SHIRAT HAYAM (Song of the Sea)
BOWEN’S JEWISH COMMUNITY
Shabbat Gatherings ~ Holidays
DEPART B 5:15 am ex 6:15 am ex 7:30 am ex 8:45 am 10:00am 11:15am 12:35pm 1:55 pm 3:15 pm 4:40 pm -exceptWednesdays 6:00 pm 7:15 pm 8:25 pm -exceptSaturdays 9:30 pm 10:30pm 11:30pm DEPART HORSESHOE BAY 5:45 am except 6:50 am except 8:05 am 9:20 am -exceptWednesdays 10:35 am 11:55 am 1:10 pm 2:35 pm 3:55 pm 5:20 pm 6:35 pm 7:50 pm 8:55 pm -exceptSaturdays 10:00 pm 11:00 pm Where’s the ferry right now? -live updates at www.bowenferry.ca Schedule changes on statutoryholidays. Stay up to dateat www.bcferries.com
Bowen participants in the ‘No Tyrants’ protest in Vancouver last weekend included (L-R) Kathryn Thomson, Hyunjoo Lee, Tim Wake, Katie Smith Milray & Charles McNeill. / Submitted photo
Sea Lions around Bowen continue to gather in numbers on local docks to carry on their highly audible conversations. / Lisa Brougham photo
Magnificent Derelicts showcases Woodall paintings
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
While efforts to save the real life buildings were unsuccessful - keeping derelict buildings is not often an attractive choice to owners of the land - Woodall was able to preserve their memory through art. For more than a decade after his drive home from Expo, hundreds of these scenes were painted by Ron as he worked to capture the idea of ‘arrested decay’ - where a building is allowed to naturally age. “They’re like old men’s faces that evolve according to how long they’ve been exposed,” he says.
While the physical subject matter would eventually be lost to time, Woodall succeeded in keeping the buildings alive through a best-selling series of lithographic prints and equally successful pair of picture books - ‘Magnificent Derelicts’ followed by ‘Taken By The Wind.’
In Derelicts, Ron writes: “These buildings are lasting monuments to laughter and grief and birth and death and all the best and worst of times. They are all that remain of a family, a childhood, a lifetime. Everyone has gone. Forever. They have scattered and died, their furnishings, clothing, animals and automobiles have also vanished.”
“But the old homestead, the barns and the stables, the stores on main street where they shopped, the mill down by the river where they worked, the church where they worshipped, the little school where they studied, sometimes stay, at least for a while. When these, the last physical evidence of a lifetime are gone, there is nothing left to remember.”
Then, suddenly, one day Woodall ceased painting the monuments. The decision coincided with another of his great career undertakings - being named creative direc-
tor of the Expo 86 World’s Fair. A lifetime of creative projects followed, but painting these scenes was no longer among them.
On whether he missed picking up the brush: “No. It was a choice between being in a room dabbing grass and leaves and shingles by myself everyday - forever - versus travelling to almost every country in the world,” he explains of the difference between painting and his new pursuits.
“Expo was a polar opposite. Not only that, but the paintings were always really a hobby.”
The paintings went to Ron’s basement where they lived for decades. But after a recent discovery by Woodall’s daughter Jamie, it was determined an exhibit centred around them at the Hearth Gallery would be a perfect opportunity to give the artwork a worthy return. The pieces are currently on display at the gallery until April 20.
Of course Woodall is also well known on Bowen - and certainly at this newspaper - for his weekly cartoon contributions, numbering more than 1,000 all-time. A nod to this part of his career is also part of the exhibit, with 350 cartoons now on display at the Community Centre. Ron’s quirky and introspective look at Island life is a weekly highlight of the Undercurrent, and visitors to the Cartoon Wall can enjoy a trip through Bowen history as they explore years-worth of his funny and warm-hearted observations.
Those looking to have a chat with Ron about the Magnificent Derelicts themselves, his cartoons, or many other topics (as anyone who has joined him for a chat at Village Square will know) can visit Ron at the Artist pARTy at the Hearth Gallery this Saturday, April 4 from 2 to 4 pm.
One of the ‘Magnificent Derelicts’ painted by Ron Woodall during his documentation of once-great Canadian farm buildings. The exhibit of his works at the Hearth runs through April 20.
Learn to Sail Society casts off on a solo voyage
ALEX KURIAL Editor
The Bowen Island Learn to Sail program will be charting its own course as it moves forward.
Many Islanders will be familiar with the popular and long-running program, which has been teaching youth to sail on Bowen since the 1980s. Under the umbrella of the Bowen Island Yacht Club the program has offered a mix of annual summer camps along with classes for island schools. The lessons have launched many lifelong sailors on their journey while instilling a love for the craft in many more.
Now, the program is branching off on its own as the Bowen Island Learn to Sail Society. Margo Osinski, program coordinator with the Society, explains it was an amicable parting from the Yacht Club en route to establishing themselves as a non-profit organization. Two main catalysts for the move were the desire to maintain a focus on youth sailing and the ability to open up new avenues for grants and other financial aid.
“It’s been really exciting, and I think it’s breathed new life into the program because we’re rethinking the way that we used to do things,” says Osinski. “When you run a program for a number of years you start to just repeat and do the same things each summer. This made us rethink how we want to present the program, how we want to advertise, and look at the bigger picture looking forward.”
As is tradition the summer camps for youth will be at the core of the society’s operations. Kids aged six to nine will take part in the Wet Feet program which is a calm introduction into sailing lasting for a week. Youth ages 10 and up will begin the CANSail program which has four levels. Advancing to level three allows for volunteer opportuni-
ties while level four offers the chance to take part in local races, often in collaboration with the West Vancouver Yacht Club and Royal Vancouver Yacht Club.
“Youth that volunteer with us also have the option of potentially becoming coaches with us, so it can lead to first jobs,” adds Osinski. “In fact, all of our coaches at the moment have started sailing with our program and went through the program and are now coaches.”
And while the focus remains on youth sailing, the Society is hoping to attract more adults to the seas as well. Adult and family lessons are scheduled for June, and are aimed at all levels of sailing competency.
“You don’t really need to have any previous sailing knowledge. Our coaches will take it from the level that you’re at and adjust the lesson. It is essentially a private lesson for adults and families,” says Osinski, explaining a session could range from learning the basics in Tunstall Bay to taking a boat for a ride out to Pasley Island.
“I know that a lot of people on Bowen are interested in sailing. Many of them don’t have boats… It would be nice to get adults involved in some way whether it’s through programming or community events where people can come together,” she adds.
With that in mind the group is also planning some events which don’t necessarily require you to set sail. The first is a film screening on Saturday, April 11 at the Community Centre in support of the society.
‘Via Sedna’ will be playing, the story of an all-female sailing and climbing expedition heading off for adventure in Greenland. “It’s nice to show girls that they can get involved in sports and do these exciting types of adventures and activities,” says Osinski.
And on Sunday, May 31 a Community Sailing Day is planned to further introduce Islanders of all ages to sailing. People are welcome to come for snacks and conver-
Margo Osinski (right) and instructor Miranda Berry (yellow shirt) help Island Pacific School students prepare their boat during Learn to Sail lessons in 2022 (above, Alex Kurial photo). Later that year, Liam McNolty and Henry Sinclair (then age 14 & 12) - representing Bowen Island Yacht Club - took first place in the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club’s annual Commodore’s Cup in the RS Feva class. Both sailors had completed CANSail Level Four through the Learn to Sail program earlier that summer (below, John Cutler photo).
sation on land, investigate boats on the beach, or even try heading out if they’re feeling adventurous.
“We’re hoping to draw anyone that is interested in sailing or the sailing programs. Definitely parents and kids that are thinking about maybe doing the summer camps so that the kids can get out on the water and see what it feels like, or adults that want to
get a feel for it. And an opportunity to meet our coaches to see who the kids and adult lessons would be with” says Osinski. Information on all programs and events, along with how to become a member or contribute, can be found on the Society’s new website at bowensailing.ca
You can also write to the Learn to Sail Society at ahoy@bowensailing.ca
oremail us at subscribe@bowenislandundercurrent.com
Pleasecallour subscription direct line at 604-947-2426 for$62.50per year
every week to your Canada Post mailbox
Food Resilience Society asks, what’s in a name?
ELAINE CAMERON
Bowen Island Food Resilience Society
Grafton Agricultural Commons is definitely a bit of a mouthful.
In the five years that Bowen Island Food Resilience Society has been managing the garden, we’ve never quite managed to settle on a name. At different times we’ve called it Grafton Gardens, Grafton Commons, or simply The Commons. We figured that this year we should land on one name, and our upcoming AGM motivated us to do it now.
So why don’t we just call it a community garden? The answer lies both in history and in our ambitions. We chose to include the words ‘agriculture’ and ‘commons’ because they hold important meanings for us.
A ‘commons’ is land shared by a community, not owned by anyone, but by everyone who takes part in it. In history, and in many parts of the world today, particularly in Indigenous communities, common lands are variously used for grazing or trapping animals, fishing, collecting firewood, gathering or growing food, and living on.
The idea of the commons is rooted in cooperation, shared responsibility and caring for the land. We wanted to capture that sense in the garden’s name.
Many of these shared lands disappeared as they were turned into private property. But the idea was never extinguished. Today, communities around the world are rediscovering the power of common spaces. By including ‘commons’ in the garden’s name, we’re signaling that it’s important to us that it’s not just a place where gardeners tend
individual boxes, but a shared space where people work together, learn together, and grow food together.
The word ‘agricultural’ is just as important. Right now, the garden is focused on creating better soil and growing vegetables and fruit. Beds are planted by volunteers working side-by-side, and food is sold and donated locally. But our vision goes further.
Our long-term goal is to create a complete organic and regenerative farm — one that includes not only crops, but also some animals. Because, for example, and as many Islanders know, chickens can do more than lay eggs; they can help create natural fertilizer.
Our approach is rooted in regenerative agriculture (pun intended), a way of farming that works with nature rather than needing constant artificial inputs. By cultivating biodiversity both above and below the soil and integrating animals, we can create a system that becomes stronger and more productive over time.
Names matter because they shape how we think. A “community garden” suggests a collection of individual plots. An Agricultural Commons suggests something larger. In the end, the name honours an old idea — the commons — while looking ahead to a new kind of small farm built on cooperation, regeneration, and respect for the natural world. In that sense, Grafton Agricultural Commons is a name for what exists today and a statement of intention.
We hope you’ll join Bowen Island Food Resilience Society at our AGM: Sunday, April 12 from 2 to 3:30 pm at Belterra Cohousing Common House.
A new sign, funded by a municipal Grant-in-Aid, is set to go up at Grafton Agriculture Commons.
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Thursday, April 2
Bowfest AGM
All Islanders welcome to share their point of view on Bowfest’s 50th year! The festival’s annual general meeting takes place from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at the Community Centre.
Saturday, April 4
Men’s Shed Meetup
Bowen Island Men’s Shed gathering at Island Pacific School between 10:30 am and Noon. All ages of men welcome. Complimentary coffee/tea and great company!
Saturday, April 4
Artist pARTy at the Hearth
Come see works from famed Bowen artist Ron Woodall in the ‘Magnificent Derelicts’ exhibit at the Hearth Gallery. Runs thru April 20. Artist pARTy with Ron takes place Saturday, April 4 from 2 to 4 pm at the gallery.
Saturday, April 4
Judi Gedye Open House
Come chat about island issues with Councillor Judith Gedye. From 3 to 4 pm at Collins Hall, everyone welcome.
Sunday, April 5
Easter Sunday Services
Sunrise Service at Sandy Beach. All Bowen Churches in attendance, led by Rev. Laura Lockhart. Begins 7 am at Sandy Beach ~ Rain or Shine!
Tuesday, April 7
Reach Further for SKY
Seniors Keeping Young has recently revised its bylaws and anybody who is interested in healthy aging is welcome to become a member. Join us for a welcoming, behind-the-
scenes look at our programs, partnerships, and plans for the year ahead. Contact info@skyonbowen.ca or call SKY at 672892-2322. From 2 to 3:30 pm.
Saturday, April 11
Fix-It Fair at the Legion
Bring your broken things! Volunteers will work to repair and mend your household items. Full details on Page 8.
Saturday, April 11
The Nature of Conversation on Bowen at the Library Free, drop-in presentation by Sue Ellen Fast in the “If You Love This Island” series. Starts 1 pm, more at bipl.ca/nature
Sunday, April 12
Book Donation Morning at the Library
Friends of the Library welcome your donations of clean, good condition used books. They’re especially seeking novels and kids books. From 10 am until bins full (Noon latest).
Sunday, April 12
Fix-It Workshop at the Library
Sewing Machine 101: A beginner friendly hands on workshop to learn how to use your sewing machine. From 1 to 3 pm. Registration required: bipl.ca/fix
Sunday, April 12
Food Resilience Society AGM
You’re warmly invited to BI Food Resilience Society’s Annual General Meeting. It’s a great chance to support us, learn something new, and stay afterwards to connect with others over refreshments. 2 to 3:30 pm at Belterra Cohousing Common House, everyone is welcome.
Tuesday, April 14
Speak the Spark Storytelling Bowen’s own storytelling night, where Islanders come to
The Bowen Island Event Planner is on its way— check your mailbox this week!
tell and listen to each other’s stories. Stories must be true, about the storyteller and 10 minutes max! From 7 to 9 pm.
Thursday, April 16
Women’s Golf League Opening Day
Season kickoff in a scramble format, all level of experience welcome with a fun social luncheon following play. Whether you’re new to golf, or a long time league player we hope you will join us! To register go to www. bowengolf.com and click under events. Starts 10 am at the Golf Course.
MONDAYS
Happy Mondays!
Meditations & Buddhist teachings on “Inspiring Solutions for Difficulties”. $12 per class or 5 week pass for $50. Everyone is welcome.” At Bowen Island Community Centre from 7 to 8 pm, thru May 4 (except Easter Monday, April 6).
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!
THURSDAYS
Thursday Art Group
Join the Thursday Art Group (TAG) at Collins Hall from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm to paint and create together. $30 per month or $10 drop-in. Info at shannonrondeau@shaw.ca
