This week’s randomly selected Bowen Islander for our Q&A column: Laura Koch
When did you come to Bowen?
1991
How did you come to be on Bowen?
My boyfriend was building a house at Hood Point and he wanted someone to come over to help him, so I said I would. So we moved into a cottage on Hood Point and we started to build the log home.
Where on Bowen do you live?
I live over on Queen Charlotte Heights now. I love it. And I’ve remarried and I have a really nice home and a garden. And we have lots of birds here. We have a cat and a dog. I have a really nice husband. And my kids have grown up.
Fill the ferry lineup gap or don’t fill the gap?
We don’t go on the ferry that much but, of course, we’re encouraged [to fill]. They want people to not extend the lineup too far. So we do as much as we can to comply with the instructions.
What’s your favourite Bowen story?
Being a Bowen Islander, I’ve always loved doing watercolour, art and photography. And I think that there are a lot of really talented artists on the island and there’s been a lot of support for artists here. There have been great strides over the years. The new gallery here is just beautiful. And I think that’s a really good thing for Bowen Island.
What do Bowen Islanders have in common?
I think they’re opinionated and they respect each other’s opinions. I do think that we appreciate our environment here and we really do not want it to be degraded any more than it has to be. We really want to see that it prospers despite the growth in population and the pressure from Metro Vancouver and I think that we can do that as long as we stick together.
What’s your favourite COVID-19 balm or activity?
I feed the birds and the birds are always here to entertain me and my husband. We’re always thinking about the garden. Thinking about what trails we want to explore and just trying to keep things simple and enjoy the hummingbirds and stay out of the way of the other human population. It seems to be working!
