Friday, August 1, 2014 by Bowen Island Undercurrent

Friday, August 1, 2014

FRIDAY AUGUST 1 2014 VOL. 41, NO. 30

75¢

including GST

Watch for more online at: WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

On the topic of art Arts council talks cultural master plan

Time to register

Bowen bows

Call out for Run for Rwanda participants

Local cousins recreate historical bows and arrows

The Bowen Island ferry unloads a small group of passengers recently on one of its morning runs. Some locals say they think the number of tourists to the island is down, while others say this summer has been great so far. Photo Stefania Seccia

Tourism up and down for local merchants STEFANIA SECCIA CONTRIBUTOR

It’s still overcast in the early morning as a small sea of backpacks, flipflops and sunglasses load onto the Bowen Island ferry for the short ride from Hoseshoe Bay. Although the lineup seems busy, it may not be indiciative of the visiting crowds this summer, depending on who you talk to. Several businesses from Snug Cove to Artisan Square have had different tastes of tourism numbers so far. “We found the visitors this year are way down,” said Basia Lieske, who runs the Union Steamship Marina Complex,

including the gift shop and Union Steamship Cottages. “Our ice cream sales are better because we’ve had some really, really hot days.” Lieske said the cottages haven’t seen a lot of business either. “Those numbers are down,” she added. “We’re finding not a lot of people are coming over and staying on the weekends.” Mostly, the cottages have been booked by people who are attending weddings on the island. “Most of the tourists that are coming over are big groups of foreign students,” she said. “They don’t really spend a lot of money because they’re kind of on a budget.”

But for Sarah-Jane Curry, one of the owners of her family run Snug Café, tourists seem to just “pour off the street.” “It’s always busy,” she said. “We pump out a lot of breakfast wraps and breakfast sandwiches. I think it’s been a good summer. It’s very weather dependent.” Curry noted that it’s a fairly average summer for them with the hustle and bustle turning up with the heat. “I think August we get all the tourists coming,” she added. “I mean, go and look at the 12 o’ clock ferry. You stand there and you watch them all walk off. They come in droves.”

FREE outdoor movie! Mon. Aug. 11th Crippen Park

Concession starting at 6pm

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Join us for a funfilled night of famfam ily entertainment! For movie details, visit www.firstcu.ca .firstcu.ca or check us out on Facebook.

Concession by:

Community Medical Clinic Society of Bowen Island

No charge * Weather permitting * Everyone welcome