Canada boasts a few world heritage sites and there are Ministries both federal (Heritage and Official Languages) and provincial (Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations) responsible to protect our heritage interests. However, neither the federal nor provincial governments have maintained or increased funding for any heritage projects or organizations in recent years. There are several federal, provincial and local heritage interest groups which are typically non-profit societies, often registered charities, dedicated to education and advocacy for heritage interests. One such group is Heritage BC which suggests a theme for the annual heritage week. This year's theme is "HERITAGE AFLOAT".
Bowen Heritage, Bowen Island Community School's Youth Curator Program, Bowen Island Museum and Archives and The Undercurrent have together considered this theme and delivered this special edition for your education and pleasure.
The theme immediately makes you think of boats but there are other forms of floating we thought had some heritage value.
While floating in the ocean so as not to dip below the top four inches of warm water didn't make the cut, eagles floating on thermals have been doing that for a long time. There is a meringue dessert from France called Îles Flottant, but no one seems to know how old that is. For more possibilities, we need your imagination!
There are some gorgeous older wooden boats which visit Bowen in the summer but none will brave a February storm to celebrate the week. We hope later, maybe Steamship Days. There are some lost events that archival photos might revive: hollowed-out logs and kids paddling for an Eaglecliff regatta! We can all lament losing Sandy Ludwig, our last resident salvager of floating logs, and Jim MacDonald`s sea rescue operations. As we ponder our past and the stories that join us and provide fodder for our imaginations, we also need to consider how such a rich heritage can be exploited to our best advantage as we move forward.
Enjoy Heritage Week and Heritage Afloat!
