A pair of Bowen beaches will be receiving new names in the coming months.
The two destinations set to change names are Crayola Beach in the Bluewater neighbourhood and Pebble Beach at Cape Roger Curtis. They’ll be known as X̱éla7an and Smí7mant Áyalhḵw respectively going forward, drawing their new names from the Squamish language. The initiative is a result of a Bowen Island Parks Plan recommendation for collaboration with Squamish Nation, and a means to clear up some practical issues with the current names.
Aaron Williams, a language specialist with Squamish Nation, provided the guidance for the new names. Joined by his mother and cousin, the three came to Bowen last fall and met with manager of environment and parks planning Carla Skuce to explore the beaches in question. They first went to Pebble Beach, also referred to as Roger Curtis Beach, on the southwest side of the island.
“One of the main things we noticed at this beach is that there were lots of little pebbles, it was like somebody went in there and dumped tons and tons of tiny little pebbles, and you could tell they were all rounded from the ocean… that was a very huge indicator for this name,” said Williams as he presented the new names to council last month.
“It was very striking to see that… this indicated this beach was very untouched and unscathed from development, which was very beautiful to see,” added Williams. As a result he felt Smí7mant Áyalhḵw – translated to ‘place of pebbles’ – appropriately reflected the setting of the beach, a “reference to the wonderful state and condition that the beach is in.”
Further north on Bowen’s west side the group visited Crayola Beach, occasionally known as Bluewater Beach. Aaron’s mother Vanessa noticed red markings left by water tides on rock banks and bluffs. This brought forward memories of petroglyphs, a form of communication where messages are created through a technique of marking rocks.
“It was something that really stood out to her, and reminded her of our old way of educating the future through the petroglyphs,” explained Aaron. This led to the name X̱éla7an, which means ‘marked/coloured on the cheek/side’.
In addition to the collaborative element, the municipality said new names will resolve some current issues with the beaches. These were explained as Pebble Beach bearing too close a resemblance to Pebbly Beach at Mannion Bay which created confusion, and disagreements among residents on whether Crayola Beach or Bluewater Beach was the historically accurate name of the location.
“My heart is full hearing the words of your travel to the island and to those beaches, and hearing the experience of your Mom there as well,” said Mayor Andrew Leonard to Williams.
“I’m really struck by what feels like a deep reverence to soaking in and embodying the place as a means to have the name emerge from it in your considerations. It touches me in a deeply respectful way and I feel a full body of gratitude in receiving those names,” the mayor added.
“It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of this process for the wonderful locals of Bowen Island, and to be able to have a small piece of our identity in the eye of the dear locals of Bowen Island,” said Williams.
