The Bowen Island Podcast

Don Shafer

Welcome to the Bowen Island Podcast. Bowen Island, or Nex̱wlélex̱wm, is tucked away in Howe Sound and forms part of the scenic "Sea to Sky" corridor that stretches from West Vancouver through Lions Bay, Squamish, Whistler, and into the Pemberton Valley. This region is home to the Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw), Lil'wat (Lil̓wat7úl), or N'Quatqua (N'k̓wátkwa̱), and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, whose rich cultural heritage continues to shape and enrich the area's vibrant community. Known for its breathtaking natural beauty, this region also boasts the UNESCO-designated Átl'ka7tsem/Howe Sound Biosphere Region, highlighting its global significance. The Bowen Island Podcast started by engaging with all of the candidates in the 2022 municipal elections on Bowen Island. In recent episodes, we've expanded our focus to include former mayors, councillors, and other key community figures. Our last initiative was to connect with candidates from the Sea to Sky riding to get their various perspectives, and presently, we're engaged in Bowen's Official Community Plan. Please subscribe/follow to learn when the next podcast is available.

  1. 2h ago

    Alison Morse - Election 2026

    What do 27 years around Bowen’s Council table teach you about what local government can — and can’t — accomplish? Alison Morse has lived on Bowen for about 30 years and has served on every municipal Council since incorporation. Now she’s asking voters to return her to Council and elect her to the Islands Trust. In this conversation, Alison reflects on what all those years have taught her: the importance of listening, explaining difficult decisions, fiscal responsibility — and the tendency of councils to put more into their strategic plans than a small municipality can realistically get done. We talk about housing and Bowen’s need for more choices for young people, workers and seniors — and the reality that accommodating them may mean accepting a little more density in some parts of the island. We also get into the new Official Community Plan and Monday’s Council discussion, including the proposed changes to the Land Use Map and the unusual process of asking Council to approve changes before they’ve been incorporated into a complete second draft. And Alison explains why she wants to return to the Islands Trust, where she believes her accounting, budgeting and long experience with Bowen government could be useful at a time when the Trust itself is wrestling with costs and governance. The Bowen Island Podcast is produced in a small cabin in the woods on Bowen Island, on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw — the Squamish Nation — with gratitude for their stewardship of these lands and waters over countless generations. If you’d like to explore more of my work on conversation, community and polarization, you can find me on other broadcast/podcast platforms, including The Conversation Lab, Everything Podcasts.com, Central City Foundations Hope Dialogue, or on Substack.  Thanks for listening

    Alison Morse - Election 2026

  2. 3d ago

    Judi Gedye - Election 2026

    What does Bowen need to finish before it takes on more — and what kind of island are we trying to protect for the future? In this wide-ranging Election 2026 conversation, incumbent Councillor and Islands Trust Trustee Judith Gedye talks about the realities of governing a small island community: municipal spending and the budget, unfinished work from the current term, and the challenge of deciding what the community can realistically afford. We talk about the Official Community Plan and why completing it matters, development and housing, infrastructure, community engagement, and what Judi has learned during four years around the Council table. We also spend some time on the Islands Trust. Judi explains what the Trust actually does, why she remains passionate about its preserve-and-protect mandate, what Bowen receives from being part of it, and why she believes the organization is worth defending even as questions are being asked about its costs, governance and future. And underneath it all is Judi's long relationship with Bowen — almost 46 years of living here, watching the island change, participating in community life and thinking about what should change and what is worth holding onto. The Bowen Island Podcast is produced in a small cabin in the woods on Bowen Island, on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw — the Squamish Nation — with gratitude for their stewardship of these lands and waters over countless generations. If you’d like to explore more of my work on conversation, community and polarization, you can find me on other broadcast/podcast platforms, including The Conversation Lab, Everything Podcasts.com, Central City Foundations Hope Dialogue, or on Substack.  Thanks for listening

    Judi Gedye - Election 2026

  3. Sep 9

    Caroline Parker - Election 2026

    Caroline Parker has called Bowen Island home for 17 years and has been an active participant in community life throughout much of that time. With a background in law and education, Caroline brings both professional experience and a long familiarity with Bowen to her decision to run for Council. In this conversation, we talk about many of the issues facing the island: housing and affordability, water and infrastructure, development and the OCP, the environment, emergency preparedness, governance, and how a small municipality decides what it can realistically afford and accomplish. But Caroline also brings the conversation back to community. She speaks warmly about the tradespeople, volunteers and others who quietly get things done on Bowen, and makes a point of acknowledging the work and service of the current Council. It's a conversation about the challenges ahead, but also about appreciating the people who have helped build and sustain the community we already have. The Bowen Island Podcast is produced in a small cabin in the woods on Bowen Island, on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw — the Squamish Nation — with gratitude for their stewardship of these lands and waters over countless generations. If you’d like to explore more of my work on conversation, community and polarization, you can find me on other broadcast/podcast platforms, including The Conversation Lab, Everything Podcasts.com, Central City Foundations Hope Dialogue, or on Substack.  Thanks for listening

    Caroline Parker - Election 2026

  4. Sep 8

    Constance Barnes - Election 2026

    Seventeen years after first coming to Bowen Island, Constance Barnes is asking Islanders to elect her to Municipal Council. In this conversation, Constance talks about what initially brought her to Bowen, her work with the Orchard Treatment Centre, and the experience she gained as an elected Vancouver Park Board commissioner and Chair. She reflects on community, public service and leadership—and also raises concerns about Bowen’s emergency planning and whether the island is adequately prepared for a serious emergency. Constance also speaks warmly about the profound influence of her father, Emery Barnes: a social worker, longtime B.C. MLA and passionate advocate for human rights and people living in poverty, who became the first Black Speaker of a legislature in Canada. The Bowen Island Podcast is produced in a small cabin in the woods on Bowen Island, on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw — the Squamish Nation — with gratitude for their stewardship of these lands and waters over countless generations. If you’d like to explore more of my work on conversation, community and polarization, you can find me on other broadcast/podcast platforms, including The Conversation Lab, Everything Podcasts.com, Central City Foundations Hope Dialogue, or on Substack.  Thanks for listening

    Constance Barnes - Election 2026

  5. Sep 7

    Tim Hausch - Election 2026

    In this episode of the Bowen Island Podcast, I sit down with Tim Hausch. We talk about whar he loves about Bowen and what has drawn him into local politics, the issues he believes the island needs to confront, and how he thinks about growth, affordability, the environment, governance and Bowen's future. There are no gotcha moments here. This is an opportunity to spend a little time with the people asking to represent us — to hear who they are, what matters to them and how they think. The Bowen Island Podcast is produced in a small cabin in the woods on Bowen Island, on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw — the Squamish Nation — with gratitude for their stewardship of these lands and waters over countless generations. If you’d like to explore more of my work on conversation, community and polarization, you can find me on other broadcast/podcast platforms, including The Conversation Lab, Everything Podcasts.com, Central City Foundations Hope Dialogue, or on Substack.  Thanks for listening

    Tim Hausch - Election 2026

  6. Sep 3

    Patrick Michael Reakes - Election 2026

    Patrick Reakes joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about Bowen Island, why he’s running, and some of the challenges he believes the next Council will need to confront. At the top of his list is Bowen’s financial position and his concern about the municipal budget deficit, rising costs and whether the way we’re doing things is sustainable. We also talk about water, infrastructure, wildfire preparedness, emergency response and another kind of sustainability: burnout.  It’s a conversation about affordability, resilience and capacity — and Patrick’s thoughts about what Bowen needs to pay attention to as it plans for the next four years The Bowen Island Podcast is produced in a small cabin in the woods on Bowen Island, on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw — the Squamish Nation — with gratitude for their stewardship of these lands and waters over countless generations. If you’d like to explore more of my work on conversation, community and polarization, you can find me on other broadcast/podcast platforms, including The Conversation Lab, Everything Podcasts.com, Central City Foundations Hope Dialogue, or on Substack.  Thanks for listening

    Patrick Michael Reakes - Election 2026

  7. Sep 2

    Keith Davidson - Election 2026

    In this episode, Keith Davidson talks about his love for Bowen Island, his long-standing commitment to community service, and why he’s decided to put his name forward in this election. We talk about the challenges facing Bowen, how a small municipality decides what it can realistically afford and deliver, and the importance of making thoughtful decisions about the island’s future. Keith also reflects on technology and how local government can keep pace with a changing world, while still protecting the character and sense of community that make Bowen special. At its heart, this is a conversation about community service — what Keith believes he can contribute, and why, at this point in his life, he wants to give something back to an island he clearly loves. The Bowen Island Podcast is produced in a small cabin in the woods on Bowen Island, on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw — the Squamish Nation — with gratitude for their stewardship of these lands and waters over countless generations. If you’d like to explore more of my work on conversation, community and polarization, you can find me on other broadcast/podcast platforms, including The Conversation Lab, Everything Podcasts.com, Central City Foundations Hope Dialogue, or on Substack.  Thanks for listening

    Keith Davidson - Election 2026

  8. Aug 31

    Councillor Alex Jurgensen - Election 2026

    This episode is with Alex Jurgensen. We talk about his first term on council, why he's running again, and what he believes Bowen needs to focus on over the next four years. Our conversation ranges from housing, land use and the OCP to affordability, accessibility, transparency and inclusion, the environment, Islands Trust and the challenges of making decisions in a small community where people don't always agree. It's also a chance to get beyond the campaign material and hear more about Alex himself — what shaped him, what he's learned from public service, and what he hopes to contribute if Bowen Islanders give him another term. The Bowen Island Podcast is produced in a small cabin in the woods on Bowen Island, on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw — the Squamish Nation — with gratitude for their stewardship of these lands and waters over countless generations. If you’d like to explore more of my work on conversation, community and polarization, you can find me on other broadcast/podcast platforms, including The Conversation Lab, Everything Podcasts.com, Central City Foundations Hope Dialogue, or on Substack.  Thanks for listening

    Councillor Alex Jurgensen - Election 2026
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About

Welcome to the Bowen Island Podcast. Bowen Island, or Nex̱wlélex̱wm, is tucked away in Howe Sound and forms part of the scenic "Sea to Sky" corridor that stretches from West Vancouver through Lions Bay, Squamish, Whistler, and into the Pemberton Valley. This region is home to the Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw), Lil'wat (Lil̓wat7úl), or N'Quatqua (N'k̓wátkwa̱), and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, whose rich cultural heritage continues to shape and enrich the area's vibrant community. Known for its breathtaking natural beauty, this region also boasts the UNESCO-designated Átl'ka7tsem/Howe Sound Biosphere Region, highlighting its global significance. The Bowen Island Podcast started by engaging with all of the candidates in the 2022 municipal elections on Bowen Island. In recent episodes, we've expanded our focus to include former mayors, councillors, and other key community figures. Our last initiative was to connect with candidates from the Sea to Sky riding to get their various perspectives, and presently, we're engaged in Bowen's Official Community Plan. Please subscribe/follow to learn when the next podcast is available.

Information

  • Creator
    Don Shafer
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Don Shafer
  • Show Website
    The Bowen Island Podcast