Dear Editor and Community,
Thanks to you all who came out to Crippen Park to celebrate Canada Day Bowen style! There are so many to thank. What an amazing and HOT day with families from off and on Island enjoying this picnic-style event with music, Badminton, Croquet, Bocce, Ping Pong, twister, Human Foos ball and of course the ever loved sack races and tug-o-war. The younger crowd was busy with Bubbles, Face Painting, tattoos, crafts, and thanks to Joanna Wing a funfilled Playcare area. For those brave enough to wrap a snake around their neck- we thank the West Coast Society for the preservation of Reptiles and amphibians for carting all those slithering creatures over from the mainland- and more importantly for carting them back! Thanks to Mayor Adelaar and Shari Ulrich for kicking the event off with an official welcome and beautifully sung “O Canada”, and to our faithful volunteer fire fighters who closed the event in cooling style with the “only on Bowen hose down”. They are true Canadians “hosers”. Thanks to Adam Woodall and his band who kept us tapping our toes, and enjoying their music throughout the day, and to Julia Graff and Bowen Island Music Association for providing our sound. Thank you David Graff for your support throughout the day and for lugging and returning all the sound equipment! Thank you Doug and Jules from Alderwood Farm for keeping our stomachs happy, and to Nancy Joyce and Brian Mulrooney, our RCMP who arrived in Red Surge to keep the peace and to cut a piece of cake, that was graciously provided by Glen Cormier of Bowen Island Pub. Thanks also to the BC Ambulance Service who provided tours of the Ambulance, and the GVRD staff, local Rod Harding, for helping to keep operations running smoothly, and to Bruce Mctaggart of Mctaggart Pure Water Systems for providing us with bottled water to keep us all from de-hydrating under the hot sun! A very special thanks to Becca Smith, and to 4cats arts studio (for the canvas donation), and to the many artists, young and/or young at heart who took part in Community Recreation’s Canada Day Collaborative art project . It could be titled “Our community garden” but Call 604-947-2216 if you were one of the many artists and have a different idea for its title! A big thank you Tim Hausch for hanging our Canada Day banner! It was definitely our most well attended Canada Day Celebrations ever.
Thanks to our summer staff Eryn Jackson, Connor and Ryley Mcleod, Emma Anderson-Nash, Rosie Ander; and to our fabulous volunteers; Justin Walker, Cassidy Wieshart, Kamille Gruft (and friend, Grace), Cole Jennings, Greg Pennington, Aure Barrera, Sophie Walters, Olivia Harding, we couldn’t have done it without you!!
There are so many volunteers that put this event together and we are ever thankful for the memories. If you missed it this year, mark it down in your calendars for next year. Always July 1st, always Crippen Park, and always thanks to our amazing community.
Shelley and Shauna, Bowen Island Community Recreation
