Grafton Lake Lands

The Grafton Lake Lands stretch from the slopes of Mt. Gardner across the valley floor and up to the Ecological Reserve, an area of 350 acres. They are right in the centre of Bowen Island, and the only road across the island passes through. Starting in the 1970s, Primex Investments assembled a collection of five contiguous parcels of land around the lake. About a year and a half ago they put the properties up for sale, prompting local developer John Reid to approach Primex with the idea of creating an approximately 200-acre nature preserve around the lake and moving any development to the less sensitive areas of the property. The area features dense lowland rainforest, maze-like wetlands and the second largest lake on the island. The lake provides water for Snug Cove, and the Municipality maintains a small dam where the road meets the lake and a stream. Across the road from the lake, on land included in the agricultural land reserve, is a stand of alder trees and open field. John has been exploring the development alternatives that would make room for the nature preserve, and possibly bring agricultural land back into production. Appropriate housing and work space would fit in areas of low impact. We're now opening up the discussion to a wider audience. We hope that this dialogue will lead us to the best possible outcome for the Bowen Island community. We’ll add information over time to the website and FB. We'll present and invite ideas, receive feedback and answer questions. Please let us know what you think early, so we can absorb ideas and see how they fit into a comprehensive plan.