The West Side Playscape Project: Creating Community through Play!

Exploring beaches and forest trails with your family and friends is one of the things that make being a child on Bowen Island so special. And though exploring the island’s natural landscape is an ideal way to grow up, having access to designed play structures and environments also provides important development opportunities for children.

Currently, the only playground on Bowen Island is at the local public school. Due to COVID-19, there have been access restrictions to the playground which has made it very clear that Bowen island needs a public playground that is accessible to all Bowen residents during the day.

The West Side Playscape Project will be a new natural playscape park on 1.5 acres of land on Bowen Island’s west side that will provide a dynamic playscape for all of Bowen's 750+ children. Adjacent to multiple publicly accessible trails and beaches, the playscape will provide a holistically designed outdoor experience for families. It will be a new island destination where families can come for the day and experience all that Bowen Island has to offer.

How it started: Needing more Play Space
As a community, we only have one publicly accessible playground for the island's 750+ children, the highest number of children per capita in all of Canada. Located at the local elementary school, access to this playground is severely limited during the week due to COVID-19 and safety concerns. With rapidly changing demographics, the sheer public need for more child-friendly infrastructure has become increasingly apparent. Playgrounds provide opportunities for children to practice a range of social, emotional, physical and mental skills. By understanding the benefits of adding stimulating and challenging playground equipment you can increase the value of play.

 The inspiration for this project came from our children. A few mothers (now the Bowen Island Playscape Group) wanted to respond to the immediate need for another playground while also addressing future health outcomes for children on Bowen. Active living research reveals our physical environments facilitate healthier opportunities that encourage walking, cycling and playing outside. Play structures offer children offer unique ways to develop physical literacy. The type of play that happens on a playground represents one of the more important parts of a child’s development. Playgrounds are an essential element to the health and development of the mind and body.

 The group approached the Municipality to locate an appropriate spot for a new playscape. The current Arbutus Ridge Playground was identified as the best location. Once built, the Municipality will take control of the park and be responsible for it’s maintenance.

The New Westside Playscape
The new playscape will turn the municipal park into a destination point for the entire community while also promoting active neighborhood design. Children and families will be encouraged to walk or hike to the park through one of the trails or take the TransLink bus directly to the park. The project will not only increase social connectivity but also potentially reduce the risks associated with personal vehicle travel, making it convenient for islanders to leave their cars at home and hop on the bus.  As a result, fewer vehicles will need to travel to the cove, where the Island’s only public playground is located. For the community, we expect to see increased opportunities for social and physical well-being and decreased exposure to traffic and air pollution.

 Since the park sits adjacent to multiple publicly accessible trails and beaches, we wish to increase options for active living for the whole community. The playscape will add to a more holistic outdoor experience for entire families.

 Spearheaded by BIPG and guided by the vision of Derek Lee, PWL Partnership Landscape Architects Inc., a dynamic playscape has been imagined for the Bowen Island Community. Kinsol Play, a natural playscape manufacturer on Vancouver Island, has quoted on playscape equipment for children that will include; two sets of swings, a tall tower slide, and a step-and-balance parkour area. Picnic tables and additional seating are included in the park design. Musical elements like a xylophone and wooden drum will help to round out the park and compliment an existing drum. The addition of shade sails will help to make the park usable on even the hottest of days.

Once funding is in place, the contract term with Kinsol will be 12 weeks from signed contract to completion. Kinsol will be teaming up several Bowen Island businesses who have donated their time and equipment to complete the project (including site preparation work, hardscaping, landscaping).

 This new playscape vision will see the park to its fullest potential and make it a new destination for families and the community on Bowen Island. 

 Community Partners:
BIPG has entered into a formal collaboration with the Bowen Island Montessori School (BIMS), a long-standing and trusted child-care provider in the community.

Erin Sinclair has generous donated her time creating graphics for fundraising materials.

 BIPG has also created an Advisory Council to consult on the project and provide professional guidance to ensure successful project delivery and completion. It includes: Candy Ho, CEO The Cape on Bowen; Derek Lee, Principal Of Urban Design PWL Group and Candice Kabantsov, Owner Copper Spirit Distillery. BIPG continues to identify leaders in the community to join the Advisory Council to help bring this dynamic project to fruition.

The Bowen Island Gardening Club has generously offered to partner on the Westside Playscape project for gardens at the park site.

 Bowen Island Playscape Group:
Kendra Patton
Lusungu Kayani-Stearns
Courtni McGillvray
Bobbi Parker