A big congratulations to this year's winner of the Best Bowen Apple Pie Contest. That's Ben the Best Baker who was selected by this year's panel of distinguished judges: RCMP Const. Chris Froats, the General Store's Nancy Lee, and Chief Librarian Tina Nielsen.
Bowen Heritage gratefully acknowledges the support and help of many islanders for Applefest 2012. We enjoyed record attendance and raised over $1,500 to support our heritage preservation efforts.
Bowen Heritage gave special thanks this year to Bill and Peter Granger, who for many years organized volunteer horticultural students from Kwantlen College to visit in the wet of winter to prune and inspect our heritage trees. They have been nurturing our trees and our organization for many years, and we are deeply thankful.
We would also like to publicly thank John and Josephine Riley for their splendid heritage apple display; Bowen Agricultural Alliance organizers Elle Glave and Leah Walker, and growers Aubin and David van Berckel, Jayeson Hendyrsan and Kim Brooks of Forest Brooks Farm, Dave and Louise McIntosh, Maureen Sawasy, and Michelle Taylor; Florrie Levine and Doug Davis for their cider press; Julie Cree of Artisan Eats/The Tuscany; the Ruddy Kitchen and especially Elena Waldman; Sarah Haxby and the amazing apple-picking BICS kids; local orchards, especially Collins Farm, the Podivans, Kate Coffey, and the van Berckels; the Bowen Heritage Marathon Apple Pie Makers: Chris Buchanan, Brent Carline, Wolf Draegestein, Judi Gedye, Sheree Johnson, Maria Steernberg, and Karen Wristen; Metro Vancouver Parks staff (including Tom McComb and Rod Harding) for set-up, recycling, and park interpretation; a second thank-you to Brent Carline for the very well attended Windowsill Garden Workshop for Kids, supported by Vancity Community Projects; pie contestants Jules de Groot of Alderwood Farm, Julie Cree of Artisan Eats, Maureen Sawasy, Chris and Wolf of Sunnystein Farm, Ben the Best Baker, last year's winner Laura Bramly, and Sarah Jane from The Snug; Rondy Dike of the Union SteamShip Company (USSC) for opening up the rental cottages for viewing; Coral Louie of the Sign Studio for new orchard signage and our beautiful Applefest banner; Tim Hausch of Shaw Cable for putting up the banner; Tatiana Michniewicz for face-painting willing little Applefeasters; Charmaine and Frannie Heffelfinger and Coral Louie for cakewalk cupcakes; and for getting the word out to their readers and members, thanks to Barbara Wiltshire's Phorum, BC Living online magazine, the Bowen Island Arts Council, the Bowen Island Museums and Archives, Bowen Island Magazine, the Undercurrent, and Family Place.
Thanks also to whoever was responsible for the glorious weather. Our sincere apologies to anyone we may have missed in this list of generosity.
Maria Steernberg's photos of the event are posted at www.bowenheritage.org/events.html. If you have photos you'd like to share, please send them to [email protected]. We always welcome new members who want to help restore the heritage cottages of Snug Cove. See www.bowenheritage.org. Our directors are Rob Cairns, Judi Gedye, Maureen Nicholson, Caroline Goodson Parker, and Karen Wristen.
How much cider did Florrie Levine, Doug Davis, and the kids serve up? "We gave out at least 425 cups of cider and many refills," says Florrie. "We pressed 150 pounds of apples which we picked from the Podivans' orchard. Thanks to them for their continued support of Applefest. We loved seeing so many kids and adults enjoy the workings of the cider press. Doug noted that many more girls were interested this year. It was great to have so many young helpers, especially Rylan, Molly, Raben, and Mait, who washed apples, pressed apples, and served the cider all day! It's very fun for our family to participate in Applefest."
