Bowen Island – Wikipedia

L’ Bowen island , is an island of the Bay of Howe, in British Columbia (Canada), part of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD).

Has approximately a width of 6 km , a length of 12 km and is from the continent 2 km at the nearest point. More than 3 500 people reside (according to the 2007 census data), to which about 1 500 visitors are added in the summer. About 500 workers and more than 200 students move daily to the continent. The earth’s earth’s surface is of 49,94 km² .

The island of Bowen was known to native populations: in particular, it was a destination, in areas like Snug Cove, of hunting excursions and collection of squamish.

When the Spanish explorers arrived on the west coast of Canada, they gave new names to many of the places present in what is now known as the Strait of Georgia. Bowen island was called Apodaca Island (in honor of the Mexican city of Apodaca) by the Spanish captain José María Narváez in July 1791.

In 1860, Captain George Henry Richards renamed the island in honor of the backstone James Bowen, commander of the “HMS Queen Charlotte” ^[first] . Bowen remained a wild natural area until 1871 when the colonizers began to build homes and started a brick factory, which also supplied the nearby city of Vancouver, in a strong expansion. Over the years, the local industry has operated in various sectors, including the production of explosives, timber and mining, but never in the metalworking sector.

In the first half of the twentieth century, life on the island of Bowen was dominated by Union Steamship Company who opened a resort at Snug Cove, then closed in the 1960s.
In the 1940s and 1950s, a colony of artists on the island, called Lieben ^[2] , he hosted many famous Canadian authors, artists and intellectuals, such as Alice Munro and Malcolm Lowry, who ended his latest book there, The ferry to Gabriola . Today the island is recognized as one of the national historical sites of Canada.
In the 1980s, the pressure from the real estate sector in Vancouver accelerated the growth of Bowen and currently the local economy is largely dependent on the commuters who work on the continent in the Vancouver metro. Before becoming an autonomous town hall, the island of Bowen was part of the Sunshine Coast Regional District .

Foreign ethnic groups and minorities [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

The indigenous population of the island is known by the name of SḵWXWú7Mesh ( Squamish ). Their territory includes Howe’s bay, including Bowen island. They are part of the coast’s linguistic group. Their language is different from the Halkomelem language spoken by their southern relatives, but very similar to that of the similar Shishalk, coming from Secchelt.

In the Squamish language the name for Snug Cove is XWILIL XHWM , which means “bay”. Bowen is still used by Squamish and Musqueam to hunt deer.

Religion [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

The religions practiced on the island are varied. There are places of worship belonging to the Catholic Church ^[3] , to the United Church of Canada, to the Congregational Christian Church of Canada ^[4] and to the Christian Brethren Church . ^[5] . Furthermore, there are often meetings organized by Unitariani and Quaccheri. Then there are frequent buddhist meditation sessions both according to the Zen and Vipassana tradition. Finally, there is a Jewish community that celebrates Shabbat and other religious anniversaries.

Cinema [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

The following films were shot entirely or partially on the island of Bowen:

As for trade, the island has many small activities, such as bars, souvenirs shops, groceries, a pharmacy, restaurants, flowers and even a chamber of commerce. ^[21] The shops are concentrated above all around Snug Cove and ad Artisan Square .
Maritime transport to move from and to the island includes a ferry service of the British Columbia Ferries Which connects Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) with SNUG Cove, and a “Water-Taxi” service, also at night. ^[22]