The Bowen Island Community Foundation awarded $65,000 in grants to support important community initiatives. These grants are made possible by generous community donations. The funded projects are all responsive to the community’s needs identified in the 2017 Vital Conversations report and were awarded from the Foundation’s Community Impact Grants.
| Organization | Project | Grant Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bowen Island United Church | Improvements to Collins Hall | $17,000 |
| Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation | Audio-visual equipment to assist delivery of healthcare, patient education, and staff training | $10,000 |
| Bowen Island Municipality Community Centre | Furniture for Community Living Room | $9,500 |
| Bowen Island Rotary Club | Greenhouse at Grafton Gardens Commons | $8,000 |
| Seniors Keeping Young Society | Rental of accessible vehicle for off-island excursions | $7,000 |
| Island Pacific School | Colin Ruloff Community Fieldhouse outdoor classroom | $5,000 |
| Bowen Birth Collective | Funding for outreach work and to provide access to resources | $3,500 |
| Bowen Island Museum & Archives | Museum exhibit by the blind for the sighted, A New Way of Seeing | $2,500 |
| Green Man Festival | Youth-led project to reinstate the festival | $2,500 |
Organization: Bowen Island United Church
Project: Improvements to Collins Hall
Grant Amount: $17,000
Vital Conversations Priority: Gathering Places for All
The grant will be used for capital improvement of Collins Hall, enhancing its ability and capacity to continue to host community and private groups at a low-rent cost, to energize children’s playgroup activities, and to help extend the life of the building.
Organization: Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation
Project: Audio-visual equipment to assist delivery of healthcare, patient education, and staff training
Grant Amount: $10,000
Vital Conversations Priority: Bring Healthcare Close to Home
With this project, the goal of the BIHCF is to improve access to quality healthcare for the residents of our rural island community by incorporating technology into the delivery of care, enhancing the ability of patients and healthcare providers to learn, communicate, and receive care in real-time and on-island.
Organization: Bowen Island Municipality (Community Centre)
Project: Furniture for Community Living Room
Grant Amount: $9,500
Vital Conversations Priority: Gathering Places for All
This grant to the Bowen Island Municipality funds the purchase of furnishings for the Community Living Room, an approximate 900-square-foot space situated in the heart of the new Bowen Island Community Centre. The furniture will accommodate mobility devices and other accessibility needs.
Organization: Rotary Club of Bowen Island
Project: Greenhouse at Grafton Gardens Commons
Grant Amount: $8,000
Vital Conversations Priority: Take Responsibility for the Stewardship of Our Environment
This grant to the Rotary Club of Bowen Island funds construction of a greenhouse that will provide an environment for islanders to learn about food resilience in a highly visible and central location. The greenhouse will provide products for sale at the summer market and donations to those in need. Charitable partner for grant: Bowen Island Museum & Archives.
Organization: Seniors Keeping Young Society
Project: Rental of accessible vehicle for off-island excursions
Grant Amount: $7,000
Vital Conversations Priority: Seniors; Expand Our Transportation Options
This project by Seniors Keeping Young (SKY) provides accessible transportation for seniors to partake in excursions both on- and off-island to museums and other venues of educational and cultural significance. Such excursions support the physical and mental well-being of our island’s seniors and help to heal the scars of the social isolation that had such a significant impact on them during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Organization: Island Pacific School
Project: Colin Ruloff Community Field House outdoor classroom
Grant Amount: $5,000
Vital Conversations Priority: Gathering Places for All; Support Our Youth
The Colin Ruloff Community Field House at Island Pacific School provides a sheltered space for student activities, Cates Hill Chapel events, and broader community use such as weddings, outdoor concerts, workshops, and outdoor recreation.
Organization: Bowen Birth Collective
Project: Funding for outreach work and to provide access to resources
Grant Amount: $3,500
Vital Conversations Priority: Bring Healthcare Close to Home
The Bowen Birth Collective is committed to advocating for and promoting access to support and resources for birthing people and parents on Bowen Island. This grant will enhance the Collective’s community outreach work to ensure equity and access to resources and information. Charitable partner for grant: Bowen Children’s Centre.
Organization: Bowen Island Museum & Archives
Project: Museum exhibit by the blind for the sighted, A New Way of Seeing
Grant Amount: $2,500
Vital Conversations Priority: Celebrate Diversity and Inclusion; Increase Our Volunteer Pool
A New Way of Seeing is a Bowen Island Museum & Archives proposal that engages with issues around accessibility and inclusivity. The museum exhibit, curated by the blind for the sighted, extends into the community through various programming.
Organization: Green Man Festival
Project: To reinstate the festival (youth-led project)
Grant Amount: $2,500
Vital Conversations Priority: Support Our Youth
This grant supports youth-led efforts to revitalize the old Bowen Island Green Man Festival as a new, sustainable, community event and to document it in photography and film. Charitable partner for grant: Bowen Island Arts Council.