The State of Bowen Island – Volume 1: Report
admin
- Biological invasions, Ecology, Ecosystems, Environmental education, Environmental planning, Forest ecology, Geology, Groundwater, Hydrology, Municipal Planning, Policy & Governance Data, Regional planning, Research data, Riparian ecology, Species Biodiversity, Water quality, Water Resources, Water-supply, Watershed management
Basics
Title
The State of Bowen Island - Volume 1: Report
Description
AI-generated: This is the foundational sustainability report for Bowen Island, British Columbia, produced by the Bowen Island Sustainability Project in February 2001. The report documents the state of the island across twelve thematic chapters: Water (climate, geology, groundwater, wetlands, aquifers, water supply systems), Air Quality, Natural Diversity (biodiversity, ecosystems, keystone and introduced species), People (demographics, income, employment, health), Community Resources (arts, institutions, housing, education, healthcare, emergency services), Governance (municipal and regional jurisdictions, budget), Economy (formal and informal), Energy (hydroelectricity, alternatives, transportation energy), Land Use (policy, changing use, planning initiatives), Transportation (ferry traffic, travel modes), and Resource Use (consumption, waste, recycling). A companion volume (Volume 2) contains 15 GIS maps and supporting appendices. The report introduces a set of community sustainability indicators and identifies key information gaps, particularly around air quality, the on-island economy, and biodiversity data. It concludes with recommendations to treat the report as a living document, address data gaps, develop community sustainability indicators and targets, and nurture a digital library for ongoing data management. The report was prepared by Maggie Julian and Jim Bailey of UBC's School of Community and Regional Planning, with support from the Real Estate Foundation, Capilano College, the Geological Survey of Canada, and Bowen Island Municipality.
Date
January 1, 2001
Creator Organization
Bowen Island Sustainability Project | Bowen Island Municipality
Authors
Maggie Julian | Jim Bailey
Document Type
Report
Document URL
Full Text URL
Subject Area
Ecology > Biological invasions | Ecology | Ecosystems | Conservation & Protected Areas > Environmental education | Policy & Governance > Environmental planning | Ecosystems > Forest ecology | Ecology > Geology | Water Resources > Groundwater | Water Resources > Hydrology | Policy & Governance > Municipal Planning | Policy & Governance Data | Policy & Governance > Regional planning | Data Tools & Methods > Research data | Ecosystems > Riparian ecology | Species Biodiversity | Water Resources > Water quality | Water Resources | Water-supply | Water Resources > Watershed management
Metadata
Keywords
sustainability
|Bowen Island
|state of the environment
|groundwater
|water supply
|biodiversity
|land use
|transportation
|energy
|demographics
|community resources
|governance
|economy
|resource use
|waste
|GIS mapping
|sustainability indicators
|Howe Sound
|community planning
|Official Community Plan
|Islands Trust
|BC Ferries
|natural diversity
|introduced species
Time Period
circa 1986-2001
Relationship - isPartOf
Document ID
2605072119
Relationship - hasPart
Document ID
2605072119
Document ID
2605072119
Document ID
2605072119
Document ID
2605072119
Document ID
2605072119
Copyright holder
Bowen Island Sustainability Project | Bowen Island Municipality
Document Filename
state_of_bowen_vol1_2001_2605072119.pdf
Storage Location
analysis/other-sources/
Key Findings
This report is the first comprehensive state-of-the-environment assessment for Bowen Island. Key findings include: (1) Bowen Island's water supply depends on a mix of surface water licences, shallow wells, and deep drilled wells, with groundwater data gaps and saltwater intrusion concerns identified; (2) Air quality monitoring data were absent at the time of publication; (3) Biodiversity information was incomplete, with gaps in deer population estimates and nesting bird data; (4) Population growth was documented as rapid throughout the 1990s, with significant demographic change; (5) The island's formal economy was largely service and tourism-based, with a substantial informal and home-based work component; (6) Energy supply was primarily BC Hydro hydroelectricity via submarine cable, with capacity limitations projected; (7) Land use was governed by the Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 139 and Zoning Bylaw No. 36, with significant development pressure; (8) Ferry dependency (BC Ferries Route 8) was a defining feature of transportation; (9) Waste and recycling data showed significant off-island transfer of solid waste. The report recommends regular updates, community dialogue, indicator development, and investment in digital mapping and library infrastructure.
Methodology
The report is based on a systematic review and compilation of available secondary data from government agencies, Statistics Canada census data (1986, 1991, 1996), BC Hydro records, RCMP reports, municipal records, real estate data, and community surveys. GIS mapping was conducted by Miki Shoji and Stephanie Lemmon using digitized data from the Bowen Island Forest and Water Management Society, Islands Trust, and the Geological Survey of Canada. The mapping used UTM Zone 10, NAD83 projection. Sustainability indicators were developed drawing on established frameworks including OECD, Sustainable Seattle, and Bellagio Principles.
Map Descriptions
Page 183-240 (Volume 2 maps section): Map 1 - General Map of Bowen Island showing roads, streams, lakes, and contours at 1:50,000 scale, UTM Zone 10, NAD83.
|Page 184 (Map 2): Biogeoclimatic Zones and Total Precipitation showing CWH zones and monthly precipitation graphs from six weather stations (1992-1999).
|Page 185 (Map 3): Bedrock Geology showing plutonic, volcanic/sedimentary, and sedimentary units with deep well locations.
|Page 186 (Map 4): Surface Geology classified by predominant surface material types including morainal, fluvial, marine, organic, colluvial, and anthropogenic deposits.
|Page 187 (Map 5): Surface Water showing lakes, springs, wetlands, streams, and interpreted watershed boundaries with named springs throughout the island.
|Page 188 (Map 6): Streams and Slope Areas greater than 25 degrees, showing named creeks and steep terrain zones designated as Development Permit Areas.
|Page 189 (Map 7): Development Permit Area for slopes greater than 25 degrees, showing property boundaries and steep terrain requiring development permits.
|Page 190 (Map 8): Vegetation Associations classified by dominant species groups including Douglas-fir, Western Hemlock, Western Red Cedar, Red Alder, and Bigleaf Maple associations.
|Page 191 (Map 9): OCP Land Use Designations under Bylaw No. 139 (1995), showing Rural, Rural Residential, Agricultural Land Reserve, Institutional, Public Facility, Tourist Commercial, and Snug Cove zones.
|Page 192 (Map 10): Zoning Bylaw (Bylaw No. 36) showing detailed zoning categories including Rural, Settlement Residential, Community Water Supply, Public and Recreational, Civic and Assembly, and others.
|Page 193 (Map 11): Subdivisions under Bylaw No. 270, classified by minimum lot size and water/septic service type.
|Page 194 (Map 12): Water Districts and Location of Water Intake showing registered surface water intake points, shallow wells, deep wells, and named water improvement districts across the island.
|Page 195 (Map 13): Parks, Ecological Reserve and Crown Land showing community parks, provincial parks, regional parks (Crippen), and Ecological Reserve No. 48.
|Page 196 (Map 15): Major Roads classified by type (Main Rural, Minor Rural, Residential Rural/Local).
|Page 197 (Map 16): Orthophoto of Snug Cove Area at 1:8,000 scale from 1999 Ministry of Environment aerial photography.
Graph Descriptions
Page 4 (Figure 1-1): Conceptual framework diagram showing the relationship between sustainability themes (Water, Air, Natural Diversity, People, Community Resources, Governance, Economy, Energy, Land Use, Transportation, Resource Use) and sustainability.
|Page 2-6 (Figure 2-1): System Quality and Sustainability conceptual diagram.
|Page 3-9 (Figure 3-2): Water Sources and Access diagram.
|Page 4-2 (Figure 4-2): Air Quality Index chart.
|Page 4-5 (Figure 4-4): Population and Vehicle Numbers bar chart.
|Page 6-2 (Figure 6-2): Bowen Island Population Growth line graph.
|Page 6-5 (Figure 6-3): Teen Fertility Rate graph.
|Page 6-7 through 6-13: Multiple demographic charts (household size, senior population, adult population trends, youth population, immigration, mother tongue, visible minority).
|Page 6-15 (Figure 6-11): Education levels bar chart.
|Page 6-19 (Figure 6-13): Household incomes bar chart 1986 and 1991.
|Page 6-20 (Figure 6-14): Occupations of Bowen Islanders pie or bar chart.
|Page 10-1 through 10-9: Energy charts including BC Hydro distribution, electricity demand, submarine cable capacity projections, and fuel oil volumes.
|Page 11-2 through 11-5: Land use charts including building permits, building permit values, house sales, and home values.
|Page 12-1 through 12-7: Ferry traffic charts including total passengers, passenger vehicles, and vehicle type breakdown.
|Page 2 (Map 2 precipitation insets): Bar charts for monthly average precipitation at six stations (Cates Bay, Killarney Lake, Millers Landing, Bowen Bay, Josephine Ridge, Sunset Park, Arbutus Bay) covering 1992-1999.
Page Count
240
Publisher Location
Bowen Island, British Columbia
File Size
11368240 bytes
File Format
application/pdf
Geographic Locations
Bowen Island, British Columbia | Howe Sound | Greater Vancouver Regional District | Snug Cove | Mount Gardner | Killarney Lake | Grafton Lake | Josephine Lake | Cowan Point | Cape Roger Curtis | Tunstall Bay | Bowen Bay | Cates Bay
Coordinate Reference Systems
UTM Zone 10, NAD83, Spheroid Clarke 1866
GIS Layer Geometry
polygon