Nature Preserve Flyover

A key goal of the plan for Grafton Lake is to create a nature preserve. We need your help in affirming to Bowen Island Municipal Council that this is the right direction for Bowen Island.

From any perspective, Grafton Lake is central to life on Bowen. It’s in the middle of the island, is a junction of island trails, features extensive wetland habitat supporting wildlife and provides water to almost half the population. And its sheer beauty is an inspiration that should be shared.

The Art Rennison Nature Preserve of  about 200 acres will effectively double the greenways created since becoming a municipality. The other elements of this proposal align to enable preserving the lake in its natural state.

If approved, there will be no development on the shoreline. It will help ensure that environmentally sensitive areas experience as little change as possible. We hope our approach can serve as a model for ensuring that Bowen remains a living island even in the face of development pressures.

The preserve includes the shores of the lake, a large amount of forest, all the wetlands and rocky bluffs, and a broad connection with the crown lands of Mount Gardner. It also includes a section south of the road up against the Eco Reserve, connected by greenways to the lake area.

We seek a strong covenant that will preserve the lands in perpetuity, owned by Bowen Island. We’d like to avoid the possibility of any land being sold off later as surplus. Two pockets surrounded by the preserve (areas 11a & 11b) would be zoned for retreats. UPDATE: the new version of the plan eliminates the retreat areas that were within the nature preserve, and expands the width of the wildlife corridor connecting to it from the south.

“The Grafton Lake Lands contain provincially recognized Sensitive Ecosystems including wetlands, forests, riparian ecosystems, and rock outcrops. Sensitive Ecosystems are ecologically fragile or at risk ecosystems which are sensitive to human disturbance. It also contains some species at risk.” – Bowen Conservancy