Welcome to the Undercurrent's annual 24th heritage issue helping Bowen Islanders to celebrate Heritage Week, February 18 to 24.
This year, BC Heritage has selected the theme: Good Neighbours: Heritage Homes and Neighbourhoods. For celebrations across the province, see www.heritagebc.ca/heritage-week-2013. For details on our local celebrations, go to bowenhistory.ca and bowenheritage.org.
The local celebrations begin with the placing of the traditional big Heritage Week sign at the intersection corner. Then comes the question - how can islanders participate in Heritage Week?
Visitors can peek and poke at three Open Houses on Sunday, February 24, from 2 to 4 p.m. The Bowen Museum and Archives, Davies Heritage Orchard Museum, and newly renovated Seaside Cottage welcome you.
The Bowen Museum and Archives are in the charming building across the street from the RCMP offices. The modest space is home to the photographic database, as well as the biographical database. Here, Archival volunteer Leslie Churchland will help visitors explore family records. Museum curator Heather Joan Tam will help locate photos of neighbourhoods. The main floor museum is showcasing a picture history of Lieben, the celebrated artistic site. Andrea Verwey, Lieben specialist, will host this event.
The historic Davies Orchard is tucked in the heart of Snug Cove. This ongoing community project of Bowen Heritage is an active reminder of Bowen's lively steamship era and agricultural heritage. Don't miss the restored cottage, a fascinating museum demonstration of vacation living in early years.
New Crippen Park caretaker Michael Chapman is opening his home, Seaside Cottage on the lagoon causeway, to guests, too.
Bowen Heritage will host afree Jane's Walktour of heritage sites in the Snug Cove neighbourhood, led by Will Husby and Marion Moore. Named after urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs, Jane's Walksencourage people to learn about the history of their communities. Check bowenheritage.ca for the time and gathering place.
Manyexcellent junior curators have benefited from sessions organized by curator Heather Joan Tam, community school coordinator Sarah Haxby and archivist Deidre Farah. This program was offered to all the schools of Bowen Island this year. Using resources of both Bowen Heritage and the Museum and Archives, these sessions will result in special displays at the Bowen Island Community School in the upper foyer from February 18,and at the Island Discovery Learning Community. BICS will also celebrate Heritage Day on February 22.
For anyone 55 and older, Seniors Keeping Young willhost a memory and story-sharing circle at 11 a.m., on Monday, February 18, at Bowen Court. The topic is "Where were you in the 70s?"
The Legion's February 22 Friday night dinner cooked by Yvonne McSkimmingwill have a heritage-themed menu featuring traditional, home-cooked recipes, and a slide show of historic images.Wear something vintage and get in the spirit of the evening!Details will be in the Undercurrent's weekly calendar.
Shelagh MacKinnon, pastor of the Little Red Church, promises a heritage-theme sermon on Sunday, February 24.
As good starter reading, the 2012 Bowen phone book also has a wonderful neighbourhoods feature to look at again with friends and family.
