A place to build your career.

Bowen Island (Nexwlélexwm) is a natural jewel surrounded by the spectacular beauty of Howe Sound — an ideal place for those who want to live close to the city, but not in it.

A short ferry ride and a few kilometres from downtown Vancouver, Bowen is home to 4,200 permanent residents. It’s been a municipality since 1999, and a tight-knit community for decades. Increasingly vibrant, Bowen remains resolutely a sanctuary of nature, peace and safety.

A popular place to own a vacation home, Bowen grows by about 1,500 part-time residents in summer, along with thousands of short-term and day visitors. Major attractions include hiking and walking, kayaking and boating, swimming and picnicking at clean scenic beaches. More and more, new residents and visitors are drawn to the Island’s growing arts, music, artisanal and culinary offerings.

Settled areas consist of over 20 neighbourhoods that, all told, consume only a tiny portion of Bowen’s total area. The remainder is largely Crown Land. Snug Cove village is the commercial hub, with restaurants, food and specialty stores, medical offices, pharmacy, public library, post office, museums, credit union, elementary school, a home schooling network, a private middle school and other useful amenities.

Nearby, Artisan Square is home to artist studios and galleries, boutiques, cafes and more. Wrapping around the village, 242-hectare Crippen Regional Park offers 12.5 kilometres of walking trails through nature and history, forest and seaside.

Islanders are passionate about their home; proud of its natural beauty, rich heritage, arts scene, volunteerism, reputation for safety — and, perhaps above all, its difference from every place else. Here, “community” is more than a pleasant lifestyle feature — it is a strong, shared spirit of volunteerism and neighbours helping neighbours.

More and more young families are drawn by Bowen’s reputation as an outstanding, even magical, place to raise children. Community spirit runs deep here, with residents reporting a higher-than-average sense of belonging.