As a newcomer to Bowen Island, a lover of history and someone interested in community issues, I am rapidly becoming familiar with Davies Orchard and the discussions surrounding the fate of the historic cottages there. I have also read Irene Howard’s account of the importance of the cottages, particularly during the Steamship era on Bowen Island. But two oral histories recently collected may shed light on a later “Golden Age” of these cabins, particularly for a group of artists, dreamers, and independent thinkers. The following excerpts are taken from my interviews with Connie Wright and Rita Greenlaw, both members of the Davies Orchard community in the 1980s and 1990s.
CW: I moved into one of the old cottages just at the time that Crippen Park was created in 1983 and I stayed for 19 years. The experience of living there was phenomenal. It was a total community. All the cabins were outfitted, everybody worked, we all kept an eye out for each other. I’d say it was really one of the most special times of my life. I loved living there.
RG: In 1991, I moved into one of the old Union Steamship cabins - number twelve. Was it pink? It always seemed pink to me because historically, I think they were pink. It’s disastrous and heartbreaking to look at its condition right now because when it was my home, there was just so much joy and so much energy that came out of there.
The nickname for members of our community was MEOWs - Middle Aged Orchard Women. But we weren’t all middle aged, for crying out loud! And there may have been one or two token men there too. We were really close women, we were peers, and we had the same type of energy. We were cat-loving, creatively independent women! We also hosted many celebrations. We had “Tea and Toast” parties, croquet afternoons complete with cucumber sandwiches, and a number of festive picnics in the Orchard where people came in costumes of every type. There was always lots of buffoonery and were all very theatrical. It was just fun.
CW: When I lived in the Orchard, two different writers were there as well as other artists. I’ve supported myself my whole life by creating. I’m a fibre artist but I was also doing sculptural things. I just found it very inspirational to live there - the mountains, the ocean and just the feel of that community in the Orchard. It has an aura to it that I think is very real. To this day, when I walk around there I feel like I can hear the voices of people from the past whispering. Because, everyone that ever spent any time on Bowen always had a memory of the Orchard and the cottages there.
RG: We were all creative. We were all vitally involved in making and creating.
We were witnessing each other’s lives. The Orchard always had its own little identity down in the Cove. It really was very special. Because it had so much history, the Orchard and those cabins - I couldn’t believe I was living in one! I felt kind of honoured in a certain way.
I miss the Bowen I was part of. Wholeheartedly, I miss it. The Orchard community was a big part of that. I’d venture to say the Golden Age might have been the 1990s. The arts were flourishing, there was a creative spark there. Everybody was involved and we always had events going on. We had to make our own fun - this was pre-pub so we had to be creative with our time.
CW: Those cottages could continue to be phenomenal. They could be workshops, they could be craft stores, artist studios. When I lived in the Orchard, all the artists living in that area just made for a vibrant community. Bowen is filled with artists because it’s just so creative here. And the Orchard and its cottages could still be that way - a vibrant community in the heart of Bowen.
If you or someone you know lived in one of the Davies Orchard cottages, I’d love to hear from you so that I may capture your stories. Please contact me at [email protected] or through the Bowen Island Museum and Archives where I volunteer.
