
Many people come to Bowen in search of a place with a sense of “community.” But what is Community?
To us, community includes a place:
You can become involved with Bowen’s community in many ways. One spin-off is a feeling of connection.
Artists. Bowen Island has a large number of artists. In 2006 Bowen Island was ranked as the Canadian municipality with the fifth highest concentration of artists per capita for municipalities with less than 50,000 people! You can browse art galleries, and attend live theatre and concerts by many groups. We have a community choir and other singing groups. Tir-na-nOg Theatre School and a community theatre group train our young people. The Bowen Island Arts Council (a.k.a The Hearth) coordinates artistic expression on this island — in 2018 the Arts Council celebrated its 30th anniversary.
Families. Bowen Island Family Place provides opportunities for young families to connect. Other programs include story-time at the public library, Mother Goose programs and a variety of spring-break, summer, and day camps run by Bowen Island Community Recreation.
Youth. The Bowen Island Youth Centre is a place where youth ages 12 to 18 can hang out. Scouts, Beavers & Cubs programs are run by Scouts Canada for both boys and girls. Bowen Island Community Recreation runs a variety of other youth programs.
Seniors. Seniors Keeping Young (SKY) hosts a weekly drop-in program with line-dancing, exercises, socializing, speakers and discussions. The Bowen Island Legion hosts Friday night dinners from June to September, put on by volunteer cooks and servers. The Bowen Island Seniors’ Housing Cooperative manages Bowen Court, an 18-unit housing cooperative within walking distance to Snug Cove. Snug Cove House Society plans to create a supportive living facility for seniors, and in the meantime assists seniors with meal options.
Religion and Spirituality. You can attend regular meetings of Christian churches (Catholic, United Church, and Christian Brethren traditions), Unitarians, Quakers, Buddhist meditation sittings, and Jewish community celebrations. Bowen is also home to several retreat centers (including Rivendell Retreat Centre and Xenia Island Retreat and Nectar Yoga) and a summer camp for Christian Scientists.
Community Foundation. The Bowen Island Community Foundation was established in 2001 “with the aim of building and managing endowment funds to support the artistic, cultural, educational, recreational and social well-being of residents on Bowen Island.” The Foundation “distributes the interest earned from the endowment funds back to Bowen Island to help build a more vibrant, sustainable community.”
Festivals and Events. Each year Bowen enjoys a number of festivals and events, including:
You can become involved with Bowen's community in many ways. One spin-off is a feeling of connection.
Sports Clubs: There are a variety of sports clubs including the Bowen Island Football (Soccer) Club, the popular men’s fastpitch league (see this group’s Facebook page—you’ll need to login to Facebook to view the page), the Gymnastics Club whose students have placed well in B.C. tournaments, the Bowen Island Yacht Club, and the Bowen Island Golf Club.
Groups, Organizations, and Volunteer Opportunities. You can become a member of, or a volunteer for, a variety of groups or organizations, including: