In 2026, the Bowen Island Community Foundation awarded more than $100,000 in grants to support important community initiatives. These grants are made possible by the generosity of our donors. The funded projects respond to community needs identified in the 2023 Vital Conversations report and are awarded from the Foundation’s Community Impact Fund.
Organization: The Knick Knack Nook
Project: New storage shed
Grant Amount: $20,000
Vital Conversations Priorities: Community Building; Environmental Protection; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity; Volunteerism
Grant helps to build a new secure, weather-protected storage shed for the Knick Knack Nook, enabling safer and more efficient management of donated items. The shed will reduce waste by protecting reusable items from damage and supporting redistribution to Bowen residents and non-profit partners. It will improve volunteer safety and workflow, strengthen the Nook’s operational capacity, and contribute to Bowen’s environmental stewardship, social well-being, equity, and community resilience.
Organization: Bowen All Wheels Society
Project: Phase 1 of Bowen All Wheels Terrain Park
Grant Amount: $15,000
Vital Conversations Priorities: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity; Youth and Seniors
Grant helps the Bowen All Wheels Society to plan an inclusive All Wheels Terrain Park near BICS, providing Bowen youth and community members of all ages and abilities with a safe, accessible space for physical activity, social connection, creative expression, and confidence-building. Responding to growing concerns about youth anxiety, isolation, and screen dependence, the park will promote mental wellness, resilience, and belonging through unstructured, youth-driven recreation. Charitable partner for grant: Bowen Island Municipality
Organization: Bowen Island Pickleball Society
Project: Resurfacing BICS public courts and adding pickleball lines
Grant Amount: $10,000
Vital Conversations Priorities: Community Building; Youth and Seniors
Grant helps the Bowen Island Pickleball Society to resurface the BICS tennis court and add pickleball lines. The project will transform an underused, deteriorating court into a safe, accessible outdoor recreation amenity for all ages. Available to the community outside school hours at no cost, the upgraded court will support tennis and Bowen’s growing pickleball community, encouraging physical activity, active aging, lifelong fitness, and the social connections that make sport a valuable part of community life. Charitable partner for grant: Bowen Island Municipality
Organization: Bowen Island Men’s Shed
Project: Paving for safety and access
Grant Amount: $10,000
Vital Conversations Priorities: Community Building; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity; Volunteerism; Youth and Seniors
Grant helps fund accessible paving around the Bowen Island Men’s Shed workshop at Island Pacific School. The improvements will create safe, level pathways and gathering areas, making the Shed more accessible to members using mobility aids while expanding opportunities for workshops, social gatherings, and community programming. The project will also strengthen the Shed’s partnership with IPS, supporting intergenerational learning and mentorship. The improvements will foster connection, volunteerism, active participation, and a stronger, more inclusive community. Charitable partner for grant: Island Pacific School
Organization: Tir-na-nOg Theatre School Society
Project: Stage lighting equipment
Grant Amount: $9,745
Vital Conversations Priorities: Community Building
Grant helps fund repairs and upgrades to the stage lighting system for Tir-na-nOg Theatre School. After years of service, aging units purchased in the late 1990s have failed, limiting the theatre’s ability to fully illuminate the stage. The repairs and upgrades will provide a well-functioning stage lighting system, enhancing productions, concerts, and technical training for students. The upgraded system will support Tir-na-nOg’s ongoing role as a valued venue for performing arts and community events on Bowen.
Organization: Bowen Island Conservancy
Project: Bowen Backyard Biodiversity Handbook
Grant Amount: $7,500
Vital Conversations Priority: Environmental Protection
Grant helps fund the Bowen Backyard Biodiversity Handbook, a practical guide to protecting and enhancing nature on private property. Developed by the Bowen Island Conservancy’s Caring for Nature initiative, the handbook will provide residents with accessible, Bowen-specific guidance and approximately 30 practical stewardship actions for gardens, forests, wetlands, shorelines, and wildlife habitat. By equipping landowners and renters with knowledge and tools to care for their properties, the project will strengthen environmental stewardship and biodiversity across the island.
Organization: Bowfest
Project: 50th Anniversary mainstage
Grant Amount: $5,000
Vital Conversations Priorities: Community Building; Volunteerism
Grant helps fund the mainstage for Bowfest’s 50th anniversary celebration, marking five decades of this beloved Bowen Island summer event. The stage will bring together local musicians, a DJ, performers, families, volunteers, and community members for a day of music, games, recognition, and celebration. Professional staging, sound, technical support, and safety infrastructure will ensure an accessible and welcoming gathering place. Historical storytelling will also honour Bowfest’s legacy and the generations who have helped make it a cherished community tradition. Charitable partner for grant: The Hearth—Arts on Bowen
Organization: Bowen Children’s Centre
Project: NERPies trauma training
Grant Amount: $4,000
Vital Conversations Priorities: Community Building; Youth and Seniors
Grant helps the Bowen Children’s Centre prepare young children and their caregivers for emergencies through the “NERPies” project. The project will provide trauma-informed emergency preparedness training for 35 BCC staff, invite staff from other Bowen childcare organizations to participate, and purchase specialized safety supplies for children under three. Building practical skills and capacity will help ensure that more than 100 children in care each day can be kept safe during emergencies and infrastructure disruptions.
Organization: Bowen Island Gymnastics Club
Project: 2026 National Gymnaestrada participation
Grant Amount: $4,000
Vital Conversations Priorities: Community Building; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity; Volunteerism; Youth and Seniors
Grant helps support the Bowen Island Gymnastics Club Performance Team’s participation in the 2026 National Gymnaestrada in Regina. This non-competitive festival celebrates gymnastics, movement, and artistic expression, bringing together participants aged 11 to 56 in a unique intergenerational experience. Through training, choreography, fundraising, and performance, the project builds confidence, leadership, creativity, and community connection while reducing financial barriers to participation. Representing Bowen Island on a national stage fosters community pride and showcases the island’s spirit of inclusion and volunteerism. Charitable partner for grant: Bowen Island Municipality
Organization: Come Dance with Me
Project: Community dance project for Community Centre 1-year celebration
Grant Amount: $3,700
Vital Conversations Priorities: Community Building; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity; Youth and Seniors
Grant helps bring Come Dance with Me to the stage as part of the Community Centre’s first anniversary celebration. This joyful, collaborative performance will bring together professional and community dancers, clowns, musicians, youth, seniors, and members of the public in a celebration of movement and belonging. Blending dance, theatre, music, and audience participation, the project aims to transform a performance into a shared community experience, inviting Bowen Islanders of all ages and abilities to dance, connect, and celebrate together. Charitable partner for grant: The Hearth—Arts on Bowen
Organization: Bowen Island Museum and Archives
Project: Nex̱wlélex̱m (Bowen Island) Japanese Canadian Legacies Project: Making Peace with the Past, Creating Hope for the Future
Grant Amount: $3,000
Vital Conversations Priorities: Community Building; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity
Grant supports the opening ceremony of Japanese Canadian Legacies Project, a collaboration between the Bowen Island Museum & Archives and the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society. Japanese Canadian families who had established deep roots on the island were forcibly removed in 1942 and incarcerated during the Second World War. Their homes, livelihoods, and communities were disrupted and lost. For decades, this history was largely absent from public interpretation. Seeking to address that absence, the project will preserve, interpret, and share the history and legacy of Japanese Canadians on Bowen through permanent onsite interpretation at Sandy Beach Park and publicly accessible online research resources.
Organization: Lux Shadow Tales
Project: Puppet show development and performance
Grant Amount: $3,000
Vital Conversations Priorities: Community Building; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity; Youth and Seniors
Grant helps bring Lux Shadow Tales to Bowen Island through a blend of shadow puppetry, live theatre, music, and storytelling. Drawing on local stories and archival images, the project will offer workshops for children, teens, and adults, followed by three performances at the Bowen Theatre. Through movement, play, and collaborative storytelling, participants will explore empathy, creativity, and connection across generations. This accessible, hands-on project celebrates shared humanity while nurturing belonging, artistic expression, and community resilience. Charitable partner for grant: Bowen Island Museum & Archives
Organization: Bowen Island Public Library
Project: Sḵwx̱wú7mesh History Book Club presentations
Grant Amount: $2,700
Vital Conversations Priorities: Community Building; Environmental Protection; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity; Youth and Seniors
Grant helps expand the Bowen Island Public Library’s Sḵwx̱wú7mesh History Book Club—which invites Bowen Islanders to spend 2026 getting to know the Squamish Nation, their history, culture, and land—into a year-long program of learning and cultural exchange. Funding will support up to three presentations by Squamish Nation knowledge keepers, storytellers, and elders, offering islanders opportunities to learn directly about Sḵwx̱wú7mesh history, language, culture, and contemporary experiences. Open to the wider community, including youth and families, the program will deepen understanding, strengthen relationships, and create meaningful opportunities for learning and reconciliation.
Organization: Bowen Island Community Health Centre
Project: CPR & AED for everyone
Grant Amount: $2,600
Vital Conversations Priorities: Community Building; Volunteerism; Youth and Seniors
Grant helps bring CPR and AED training to Bowen residents, strengthening community readiness for medical emergencies. Four hands-on sessions will give participants practical experience with compression-only CPR, AED use, and emergency response, while increasing awareness of AED locations across the island. Open to residents of all ages, the program particularly supports seniors, caregivers, volunteers, and others who may lack confidence in responding to emergencies. By building practical skills and neighbour-to-neighbour preparedness, the project will strengthen Bowen’s health, safety, and community resilience. In partnership with the Neighbourhood Emergency Response Program (NERP) and the Rotary Club of Bowen Island
Organization: Bowen Island Pride Society
Project: Annual Pride parade and festival
Grant Amount: $1,500
Vital Conversations Priorities: Community Building; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity; Youth and Seniors
Grant helps Bowen Island Pride Society present the 2026 Bowen Pride Festival, a month-long celebration creating welcoming spaces for LGBTQ2IA+ residents, allies, and the wider community. The festival will feature an expanded Pride parade and picnic, a new all-ages dock party, performances, and inclusive community programming. Funding will support performers, accessibility, equipment, and safety measures, helping more islanders participate. Building on strong and growing attendance, the festival will strengthen belonging, visibility, allyship, and connections across generations while celebrating Bowen’s diverse community. Charitable partner for grant: The Hearth—Arts on Bowen