Journey to Princess Louisa - Day 5 at Snug Cove on Bowen Island

Today we are on to Snug Cove on Bowen Island. While at Silva Bay, we talked to a couple who had been there for three days. They had planned to cross the Strait of Georgia but because of 30 knot winds, they had not been able to. We checked our weather closely and found that we had missed the high winds and had timed our trip perfectly. We decided to leave by 8:00am since mornings are usually the most calm out on the water. The Strait was like a pond and we had a great trip over. We passed a tugboat pulling a very long log boom. Caution is required when cruising through shipping channels.

 

 

 

 

 

We loved Snug Cove and its charming character. As we walked up the street we saw artisan shops, well maintained grounds and quirky signs and people.

 

 

 

 

It looks like we missed the community festival by only one day! Crews were setting up for the Steamship Days festival that begins tomorrow. We are leaving early so will miss the activities, unfortunately. I would love to stay and see what they have going on. 

 

Following is an excerpt from www.bowenheritage.org titled:  Bowen Island: Vancouver's Playground. "Bowen Island has a unique and fascinating history linked to landscapes, buildings, boats, and people’s stories. Closely tied with the development of Vancouver and the West Coast, Bowen was a major attraction in a bustling tourism business from the early 1900s. 

At a time when Vancouver had few restaurants, when beer parlours were the only place one could legally drink in public, the Union Steamship Company offered $1 overnight excursions to Bowen on its flagship the Lady Alexandra. Dancing, fine dining, and a full-service bar kept passengers entertained en route.

Awaiting the passengers on Bowen was a dance pavilion that hosted some of the best dance bands of the era; full-service hotels and housekeeping cottages; camping and picnic grounds and walking trails in the cool, majestic rainforest. Baseball diamonds, tennis courts, lawn bowling, horse riding, and croquet rounded out the daytime entertainments.

So popular was Bowen that the Union Steamship Company purchased the lands of early settlers like William Davies, who had established an orchard in Snug Cove by 1887. In the Orchard and other lands surrounding Snug Cove and Deep Bay, the Company built nearly 200 cottages to accommodate visitors. In 1928, the cottage pictured above was built amid Davies's heritage apples, two of which bloom in the foreground.

Today, you can visit the Bowen Heritage Museum in one of those restored 1928 cottages for a taste of the heady days of the Union Steamship era. Stay the night in one of the upgraded cabins and experience living in Bowen heritage."