25 years ago in the Undercurrent
Mid-February 1990 brought weather-woes to Bowen Island. Snow, wind and freezing temperatures wrought havoc on the power (or lack there of) and on commuters. On Friday February 16 as the 5:55 ferry rounded the point and came in for a landing commuters were aghast to see it pull out again and sail away – just far enough to turn around and come back again. Because there was no power, the crew were required to use the ship’s electrical system but the power cord was frozen solid to the wharf, making it too short ot reach the engine room. So the captain turned the boat around, shortening the distance required, thus allowing the ramp to be lowered. Passengers (still a bit sleepy), shuffled aboard and as usual, headed for the stern of the boat and the stairs to the passenger quarters, much to the delight of the crew. One crew member in particular who laughed at the befuddled commuters saying “gotcha! The stairs are that-a-way,” and steered them to the temporary prow which is normally the stern.
20 years ago in the Undercurrent
A runaway dump truck crashed through a building known at the time as ‘ArtHouse’. The driver lost control of the vehicle while attempting to make a right hand turn onto Dorman Rd. The building was being used by the Bowen Island Arts Council for their workshops and classes and as studio space for a number of local artists. The accident occurred while one of these classes was taking place but thankfully no one was injured in the accident.
15 years ago in the Undercurrent
The province wide, Workers Compensation Board-enforced smoking ban finally caught up with Bowen Island. After ignoring the ban for a week, Pub owner Terry Cotter and Doc’s owner Rondy Dyke were warned they would be facing fines if the ban was not adhered to. Both owners then made their establishment smoke free and noticed a slight drop in business. “Guys who used to sit here and have five or six pints are now drinking two pints before going home to smoke,” said one of the servers at the Pub. Cotter’s reaction to the ban was to focus more on the food aspect to the Pub, treating it more like a restaurant. At least one patron was thrilled with the change. “I’ve been to the bar three times in the last two weeks. I hadn’t gone for almost a year but I’ll keep coming for dinner now that the smoke is gone.”
Bowen Island Botanicals Ltd. was a family owned and operated medicinal herb farm located on the corner of Grafton and Cowan Roads. The business had been building since 1995 with the first crop of Echinacea purpurea cut, dried and stored in 1997. By 2000, the business had safely and effectively (with the help of the University of Saskatchewan) developed Echinacea Tincture and 4 other products for the every growing medicinal herb market.
