Aerial View
circa 1970: Tunstall Bay Subdivision
Although Bluewater was developed in the 1950’s, Tunstall Bay wasn’t subdivided until 1969, when Dee Cee Projects planned residential, condos and commercial lots for the area. Like other neighborhoods on Bowen, the plan was for community amenities (tennis courts, a pool etc.) to be for members only. In the aerial view below, the roads leading…
Read More1962: End of the Resort Era
The year 1962 saw a major transition in land use, when the Union Steamship Company put their Snug Point subdivision on the market, thus drawing to a close the booming resort industry. The 17 acres between Snug Cove and Deep Bay, where the dance pavilion, bandstand, tearoom and picnic ground were was sectioned into private…
Read More1950s & 1960s: USSC Resort Monopoly
The resort business was still going strong at the end of the 1940’s, with Evergreen Park Resort as the destination. However, the Union Steamship Company began to restrict access to the hotel and grounds, picnic tables were taken from the picnic grounds, and the dance hall was closed. In 1957, Evergreen Resort closed, although 180…
Read More1950s: Provincial or Regional Parks
The view of the south end of Bowen Island shows Apodaca Park, deeded to the provinical government by JS Matthews in 1954. The 1950’s mark the start of Bowen Island’s land being considered for provincial and regional parks. 1952: South End of Bowen Island. North-east Bowen Island.
Read Morecirca 1950: The Effects of Logging
Forestry has been a relatively continuous use of the land since Bowen Island was first ‘discovered’ by settlers of European descent. Here, the effects on the landscape of logging can clearly be seen. Killarney and Grafton Lakes can be seen, as well as a farm in the bottom right-hand corner of the image. c. 1950:…
Read Morecirca 1950: Neighbourhoods Emerge
The New Wesminster map of Bowen’s legend shows logging roads, as well as power and telephone lines. Distinct neighborhoods of denser lots and residences can be seen at Cowan’s Point, Hood point, Mt. Gardner Park, and mid-island, although notice that Bluewater is in the early stages of subdivision, while Tunstall Bay has not yet been…
Read Morecirca 1950: Development Continues…
The west side of Bowen Island, including Tunstall Bay, Bowen Bay and Bluewater have all been owned by various logging companies (and by Western Explosives) starting from the late 1800’s. In 1938, a transition between industrial and residential land use occured, when the Adams family bought 850 acres at Tunstall Bay, accessible only by boat…
Read Morecirca 1940: USSC Holdings
The aerial photo shows the extent of the Union Steamship Company’s holdings. The physical landscape has some noticeable changes from today’s view – for instance, Snug Cove has not yet been dredged (the sand extends out much further), and the different shades of forest stands indicate recent logging tracts. The Union Steamships Ltd map shows…
Read Morecirca 1910: The Resort Era Begins
In 1900, Captain John Cates purchased the old Mannion estate at Deep Bay and began the Hotel Monaco, beginning the frenzied resort era on the island. Three hundred fruit trees were planted north of the lagoon, land was cleared for playgrounds, more cottages and tents, twelve portable houses and a store. The grounds were used…
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