UNDER THE SEA ‘Underwater’was the theme for this year’s Bowfest, leading to plenty of creative floats and costumes from Island residents and organizations during the festival’s opening parade. This includes Union Steamship Co. who took the opportunity to recruit SpongeBob, Patrick & Squidward and others for a trip to Bikini Bottom. You can find many more photos from the day in our gallery on Pages 8-9, and be sure to read about Bowfest’s signature Slug Races just to the right too. / Alex Kurial photo
The Bowfest Country Fair Slug Race Report
SARAH HAXBY Bowfest Slug Race Official
The ever-popular slug races are one of the longest-running Bowfest traditions with 48 years of racing slugs! Bo the Pacific Banana Slug is the original mascot of Bowfest. Bo invites people to slow down to island-time.
Being a cooler summer day, the slugs were a bit livelier this year, and three slugs even crossed the finish line! Last year no slugs crossed the finish line, but the racing slugs are judged on which three slugs are closest to the finish line at the 20-minute mark (roughly the length of a ferry ride).
Thirty-two slugs raced down the track this year, and notably there were no slug collisions, although two slugs did slime off-course and went over the edge of the table.
As the 32 slugs raced down the track the slug-jockey race teams cheered on the Leopard, Banana and Black slugs. Black slugs (Arion ater,) are round-back slugs, and they are one of the most plentiful of slugs to be found on Bowen Island.
They can range in colour from an off-white, to brown, and even shades of red-brown and orange Black slugs are native to Europe and have been introduced to many countries, including Canada. Also introduced to Bowen Island, but not seen as often, are the Leopard slugs (Limax maximus).
The Pacific Banana Slug (Ariolimax columbianus) is native to Bowen Island and come in a range of colours, from yellow to brown to black to green, and many are mottled with black spots. Banana slugs are the second-largest species of terrestrial slug in the world, growing up to 25 centimetres!
There were six Banana slugs at the races this year, and 26 Black slugs, including the lovely, small orange-tinted “Bob” who won the ‘Most Beautiful Slug” of the year award. For the third year in a row, no Leopard slugs showed up at the races, perhaps taking a break after accomplishing the second-fastest win in 2021. But guess what: the Leopard slugs lost the bragging rights to that record this year!
Here are the 2024 Slug Race Results:
Slug Race #1 at 12:30 pm
1st Place: Bug the Slug raced by Harvest
2nd Place: Slimey raced by Annie
3rd Place: Slug, raced by Sawyer
Slug Race #2 at 1 pm
1st Place: Speedy the Slug raced by Sam. Crossing the finish line at 10 minutes and two seconds places Speedy in the Slug Race records second-fastest slug ever to cross the line!
2nd Place: Slimey #1 raced by Josie. Slimey crossed the finish line in 12 minutes
3rd Place: Slimey #2 raced by Lukas crossed the finish line in 20 minutes, right at the end of the race!
Slug Race #3 at 1:30 pm
1st Place: I Bet on Winning Slugs (IBOWS) aka Eric the Slug, raced by Petra, Oscar, Marisa and Cat
2nd Place: Sonic the Slug, raced by Samuel M.
3rd Place: Molly Sonic the Slug raced by Maclaine and Callahan
Slug Race #4 at 2 pm
1st Place: Squishy the Slug raced by Kingston, Kyleigh and Niko
2nd Place: Moppy raced by Inez
3rd Place: Lover the Slug raced by Courtney
All of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners received beautiful rosette
ribbons, thanks to Bowfest and the race sponsors!
All the other participating slug-jockeys received a certificate of participation. Congratulations to: Eva, Georg, Chloe, Aubrie, Emmy, Annika, Paislea, Sage, Freja & Henning, Sam I., Juice, Henry F., Hana and Clementine and Vesper, William S. and Stella, Lua, Rua, Oakley, Meara, Aliya and Rose, Roen, Jameson A., Leif, Molly and AJ.
Thank you to all the slugs who raced including Rose, Black Beauty, Gary the Slug, Bob (the most Beautiful Slug of the Year), Chicken Dinner, Sam’s Dog, Killdozer, Slug, Brownie, Sonic, Wolverine, Slink, Sluggy, Omario, Cheeta, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Bigger One, and Houdini!
Please note, as always: all the slugs at the slug races were carefully returned to the wilds of Bowen after the races which are all held in fun.
Thank you to all the participants in this year’s Slug Races. This Bowfest tradition was made possible this year thanks to Bowfest’s sponsors, the dedicated Bowfest organizers, and volunteers including Sarah Haxby, who ran the slug races again this year.
Sarah Haxby photos
VIEWPOINTS
EDITORIAL
Festival Fun
Thankstothe Bowfestorganizers forputtingonyet another amazingend-of-summer festival! Margaret Gray,Jay Bennett, Sarah Haxby, and many,manymoreincrediblevolunteersdeserve huge credit formakingitan extraspecial day. This wasmyfirst Bowfest with amorningparade,and Iwas abig fanof theearlier starttime.Itmade allofthe event timingthroughoutthe dayalot better and less crammed. Hopefullythat’s heretostay!
Also thank youtoeveryonewho came by our Undercurrent booth duringthe day. We had lotsofgreat chatswith peopleabout what’s goingonaround town and what thepaper is up to as well. Congrats to Gordon R. forbeing thelucky recipientofthe SeatoSky Gondola passes as ourcontest winner!
And one morebig congratstoCollins Farm on theaccomplishmentofgrowing theisland’s biggestzucchini at the CountryFair.Gail Lotenbergwas on hand to claimthe coveted Bowfestribbon, and celebratewith thevegetablethat will surely feed many.Well done!
-AlexKurial, Editor
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VIEWPOINTS
A Fun Time Volunteering
BILL GRANGER Letter Writer
For the first time in many years, I responded to the organizer’s need for volunteers to help with running the 48th Bowfest, and I’m glad I did!
Jay and Cindy were very well organized with lists of people matched to tasks, t-shirts, stickers to identify the great sponsors and volunteers working the parade and event day, snacks to keep everyone moving and a whole lot of enthusi-
asm throughout the wet set up, happily overcast then sunny event day, and clean up afterwards.
The old photos from the Museum and Archives published in the Undercurrent show the early Bowfest’s as creative and happy; a whole new group of volunteer folks have reinvented a continuing sense of spirit and joy. From the country fair to bands and bagpipes, home-grown prize winning vegetables, to catching up with new and old friends at the field, this was really fun.
Thanks!
Let’s save Bookfest - a much loved Bowen event
DIANA KAILE Letter Writer
What is needed to do that? A place in which to store books donated by the community (dry and large enough to house a year’s worth of books). Without such a facility there will be no more bookfest, so breaking a tradition going back over 20+ years.
A huge loss for all those book lovers out there, not to mention that the proceeds go to “the Friends of the Library” for various projects
A much anticipated fixture in the yearly calendar where many can find terrific bargains, kids can arrive with their pocket money and leave with a box of wonderful books, this would be such a huge loss to all who love reading and
acquiring often treasured old books.
A very big thank you to acknowledge Anna-Marie’s tireless and dedicated endeavours with the help of many volunteers. Their hard work and unbelievable enthusiasm has resulted in putting on this much loved and anticipated book sale for the past 20 years at least.
Not forgetting the book case at the entrance to the library where books can be purchased again at a very reasonable cost all year round, ideal to stock up when going on vacations Additionally, appreciation for monthly stints at the library receiving donations, sorting books and boxing them up - many hours of work, all behind the scenes
Nowhere to house the books means the end of an era. Where will all the books go? Can anyone help providing suitable storage? To lose Bookfest would be so very sad.
See you on the Small Screen
PETER WRINCH
Letter Writer
I have lived on Bowen for 10 years. Like so many of you, that has meant hundreds of trips on the Queen of Capilano I have a love/hate relationship with the vessel
It is the thing that keeps Bowen, Bowen. A rural island connected to the city, but separate Over the past number of years, I noticed something disturbing on the ferry. The realization has been creeping on me slowly, but it feels more and more real every time I take our beloved boat
If you walk on the car deck or the passenger deck, you will notice that most of us (including me) are neckcraned into our Apple and Samsung sales devices. I know this is happening everywhere - restaurants, public transportation, parks, in our homes, but there is something about it on the ferry that really brings it home to me. There we are for 20 minutes, crossing through one of the most beautiful scenes in the world and I am watching another episode of The Office, sitting in my car, not talking to anyone.
I wonder if this is what we want? I wonder if this is what I want? It is clear that this is what Apple, Samsung, and Silicon Valley (and the other robber-barons that profit off our atom-
ization) want, but I wonder about the impacts to communities and our brains (and even our necks).
There is a growing body of literature that is raising the alarm about the impacts on our attention span, our mental health, and our social connections. I was moved by Johann Hari’s “Stolen Focus” in which he said, “Take care what technologies you use, because your consciousness will, over time, come to be shaped like those technologies.” What are our ferry rides doing to our consciousness?
When I first moved to Bowen, I was a regular commuter on the water-taxi. It was usually a number of the same folks who commuted that way and we would talk, have beers, work, and yes, look at our phones Many of those people I commuted with are people I am still connected with on Bowen. I have also had amazing conversations with our neighbours on the Queen - mostly at the end of a long day commuting home.
I don’t have an answer nor do I have a call to action and I certainly don’t have any judgment as I am in it as much as anyone. If you have any ideas or simply want to put down your phone and strike up a conversation, knock on my window - I will be watching another rerun of The Office.
ROSS, Marja-Liisa
Marja-Liisa Ross passed away on July 3, 2024 at her residence in West Vancouver following ashort illness. Marja-Liisa and her husband Peter E. Ross were longtime residents of Bowen Island having built ahome in Tunstall Bay in the early 1980s. Marja-Liisa enjoyed the company of the many close friends she and Peter came to know over the years on Bowen. They were active membersof the TunstallBay Club and enjoyed walks on the beach with their dogs, tennisand the many social activities at the Club and on the Island.
Marja-Liisa Noropohja was born in Oulu, Finland on May 6, 1942. She moved to Canada in her early twenties. She metPeter through her work and they married in Vancouver in 1982. Marja-Liisa and Peter enjoyed traveling andhad aparticular affinity for Cannon Beach, Oregon and Palm Beach, Florida where they would go almost every winter forPeter to play tennisand forMarja-Liisa to vacation with her Finnish friends and relatives. She was fiercely proud of her Finnish heritage and followed the Finnish hockey players in the NHL as well as the Finnish Olympic hockey teams. All of their dogs were named after Finnish Formula 1race car drivers.
Peter and Marja-Liisa moved to West Vancouver in 2017 but they always held Bowen Island and their many friends close to their hearts. Marja-Liisa continued to reside in West Vancouver following Peter’sdeath in July,2021.Although she missed him tremendously,she was good friends with many fellow residents and their families at Amica Lionsgate. She was loved by the excellent staff at Amica and the feeling was mutual.
Marja-Liisa is survived by Peter’s three children David,Stephen and Heather Rossand their spouses, ten grandchildren and five great grandchildren. She will be deeply missed by all who loved her.She will be interred with her husband Peteratthe family plot in Riviere Du Loup, Quebec. Amemorial service is being planned formidOctober at Amica Lionsgate in West Vancouver with furtherdetails to come. Arrangementsby Hollyburn Funeral Home West Vancouver
Winners of theBowen Island Conservancy’s photo contest were revealed this week.
Thecontest,designedtoshowthe island’s biodiversity,is part of theorganization’s larger Caring for Nature initiativewhich launchedearlier this year.The Conservancy hassharedelements of its visionwiththe
communityduringeventsoverthe last few months, andhas moreplannedfor laterthis year.
Youcan find outmoreabout theCaring for Nature initiative on the Conservancy website. Fornow enjoy the winning shots from thephotocontest,and congratulations to allofthe photographers!
BAY 5:50 am 6:50 am 8:00 am 9:05 am -except Wednesdays. 10:10 am 11:15 am 12:40 pm 1:55 pm 3:30 pm 4:40 pm 5:45 pm 6:50 pm 7:50 pm -except Saturdays 9:20 pm 10:20 pm
1st PlaceAdults: AaronRabinowitz -‘Hiking down into the fog...’
The Bowen Island Rotary Run has come and gone, and everyone had a great time. After weather worrying came to nothing, our runners came out in droves, and we were all done in time for the Bowfest Parade!
We had an army of volunteers supporting us, without whom the run wouldnever take place. Many thanks also go to our financial sponsors: Presman Wealth Management, Frits de Vries Architects, Dr. Gloria Chao, Bowen Island Properties, Barbara Wahler, and the Ockeloen and Adams families.
We are also very grateful to our in-kind sponsors who supplied food, drinks and muffins for hungry runners: Snug Cove General Store, Artisan Eats, the Snug Café, Ruddy on Bowen and Savary Island Pie Company.
Here are the results for the various runs: 1.5K Kids Run:
All results can be found on the website komeracanada.ca
Thanks to you all - runners, walkers, sponsors and donors - we have raised enough to support all our sponsored girls in their schooling in Rwanda.
See you next year!
Nook fundraises for Snug Cove House
CATHY BAYLY
Contributor
What a fabulous evening! It was a unique intersection of community, sustainability, and creativity.
The Knick Knack Nook art sale filled the Nook and spilled over to the recycling depot - a deliberate choice - one that reflects the essence of the art. The works on display were not newly created pieces but rather a collection of donated art, each with its own history and significance, given a second life through the generosity of our community.
The Nook would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to the incredible success of our art sale. Thanks to your generosity and support, we were able to raise an amazing $1,000 for Snug Cove House!
Whether you donated art, attended the event, or spread the word, you played a crucial role in making this event so special. The art on display was a true reflection of the spirit and creativity of our Bowen
Island community, and it was inspiring to see so many people come together for a great cause.
Your contributions will go a long way in supporting Snug Cove House and the important work they do. Thank you for being part of this wonderful event and for continuing to make our community such a vibrant and caring place.
The Nook’s Art in the Forest fundraiser brought in $1,000 for Snug Cove House. / Submitted photo
Runners take off in the Rotary Run’s 5K race on Saturday / Bowen Rotary photo
BOWFEST
It was another jampacked Bowfest weekend as the island festival celebrated its 48th year running. This year’s theme was ‘Underwater’ and the forecast certainly looked like it had received the memo But in the end the rain stayed away, and the day kicked off with a colourful morning parade down Trunk Road.
Later on at the Bowfest Field there were fun and games for kids and adults, including the historic Slug Races (see Page 3), tugof-war (the kids maintained their dominance over the adults), tricycle races, biggest egetable contests at the Country Fair,
Lego builds, and the much anticipated return of the lip sync challenge, where all of the participants were H-O-T-T-O-G-O
There was plenty of great music throughout the day as well, including the Snug Cove Blues Band, Boom Daddy, Straightup Sevenhills, and even Mayor McCheese spinning DJ tracks Food and drink were plenty too, and for those who weren’t finished dancing there was a full house to see Black Molly at the Pub following the festival.
See you at Bowfest 2025! Until then you can check out our photo gallery, and stay tuned for more photos online later this week!
Alex Kurial photos
Major projects don’t need to have major impacts.
WoodfibreLNG will housenon-local workers on afloatel, reducingpressure on local housinginSquamish.
woodfibrelng.ca@woodfibreLNG
BEAU
Meet Beau!This cutie is quick to win over the heartsof everyone he meets! As an avid year-round swimmer,Beau can often be seen at the local beaches practicing his tolling andretrieving! To help support thishandsome fella’sfavoriteactivitiesBeau receives regular injections to help keep swimmersitchand allergiesatbay.Ifyour furry companion isstruggling from allergiesorother skin issues, we wouldlove to help support them!Call or emailBowen Veterinary Servicestobook your fur babies’ next appointment!
REGULAR HOURS CONTACT
reception@bowenvet.com 604.947.9247
Mon-Fri 9-5 ClosedSat &Sun
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
To Saturday, August 31
Mount Gardner Exhibit at the Museum & Archives
Visit the Museum & Archives for “Mount Gardner Park: Art, History, Family Ties and the Eastman/McNeill Journey”
To Monday, September 2
Jean Bradbury at Hearth Gallery
Dominion: My Land on Bowen Island art show at the Hearth Gallery featuring works by Jean Bradbury
Tuesday, September 3
SKY Musical Movement
With Marc Gawthrop on piano at Bowen Court. Free for 55+, from 10 to 11 am.
Tuesday, September 3 (& other dates)
SKY Hangouts
Drop in at the Cottage on Cardena Drive. We will be offering a welcoming place to stop in for a coffee, tea and a treat while visiting with fellow seniors or friends From 1 to 3 pm on all days Sept 3-8.
Wednesday, September 4
SKY Social Lunch
Lunch is at Doc Morgan’s at Noon. Please RSVP to info@skyonbowenisland.ca
Thursday, September 5
TAG Meeting
Join the Thursday Art Group (TAG) at Collins Hall to see what’s new. If you are a creative and wish to find other like minded souls, TAG meets every Thursday to sketch, draw, and paint. We will meet until Dec. 19. $30 per month to help pay for the Hall rental. If you are new - come for a free day to see what we are all about. Meetings take place every Thursday from 9 am to Noon. For further information contact Shannonrondeau@shaw.ca
Thursday, September 5
SKY Yoga
Join Diana for yoga at Bowen Court from 10 to 11 am. $5 fee for non-members free for SKY members
Friday, Sept. 6 to Sunday, Sept. 9
Slo-Pitch League Tournament
Head down to Snug Cove Field for a full weekend of baseball fun at the Bowen Island Slo-Pitch League Tournament. Check next week’s issue for the full schedule.
Monday, September 9
Painting Workshop
Register for a Painting Workshop with Marie Neys Fine Art, from 10 am to 3 pm Students work on their own projects with guidance from Marie. Only 5 to 6 students per session. For details and to registerplease write marie@marieneys.com
Monday, September 9
Rotary Speaker Series
Maureen McLean will speak about the “Tough times Tool Kit: Community Mental Health Promotion on Bowen Island” at Artisan Eats at 7:30 pm Everyone is welcome More details available at bowenrotary.com
To September 9
Choir Callout
Carmina Bowena, Bowen Island’s a cappella chamber choir, is looking for additional singers. Altos, tenors, and basses are particularly welcome Season starts on Sept 9. Please contact ntzharmonium@mac.com or call 778-926-4286.
SATURDAYS
Farmers Market
The Bowen Island Farmers Market is back for the summer. Come say hi to all the vendors and check out all the food, crafts, clothes, & more at Bowen Island Community School. Market runs from 10 am to Noon.
Young Bowfest-goers talk with Robert Notari (left) & Bryan Cuthbertson of the Bowen Island RCMP during Saturday’s festival / Robert Ballantyne photo
