Snug Cove
circa 1970: Various Land Uses
The major themes of land use change on Bowen Island are captured in this image of Snug Cove. The Collins Farm (still present today) provides a link to the early farming and pioneering days, while the old hotel site is marked. Residential and commmerical land use dominate the areas closest to the ferry, and Crippen…
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 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…
Read Morecirca 1900: Tourists Incoming
The tourism business had an early start on Bowen Island— the close proximity that made it so ideal for resouce extraction made it a close holiday get-away for Vancouver residents. The Howe Sound Hotel at Hood Point (late 1890’s) was the first hotel open to the public on Bowen Island, and was mainly used by…
Read MoreLate 1800s: The Land Ordinance Act
The Land Ordinance Act of 1870 allowed a male British subject over eighteen to pre-empt a plot of land for a minimum of four years. WJ Davies’ pre-emption claim on Lot 490 in Snug Cove was the first official pre-emption. Other early pre-emptions include Joseph Mannion’s in 1885 (Lot 492 at Tunstall Bay). 1889: Bowen…
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