It's going to be hot – really hot – all weekend.
While mainland communities have cooling stations for those without air conditioning, Bowen Island does not.
Bowen does, however, according to the municipality, have 48 municipal beaches and coastal access points.
The larger community beaches include:
- Sandy Beach
- Tunstall Bay Beach
- Bowen Bay Beach
- Cape Roger Curtis Beach
Smaller neighbourhood beaches, with usually less parking, monitoring and maintenance are scattered around the island. BIM has a detailed map of beaches, or you can find more information on the Bowmap.
But, the expansive foreshore in Snug Cove is not a good place to swim. Last week, Vancouver Coastal Health issued its perennial no swimming advisory for the Cove due to high e-coli counts.
Some other extreme heat tips from Vancouver Coastal Health include:
- Never leave pets or children alone in a parked car
- Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of non-alcoholic beverages, preferably water
- Apply cool water mist or wet towels before sitting in front of a fan to cool off
- Avoid tiring work or exercise in the heat, and if you must work in the heat, drink two to four glasses of non-alcoholic fluids each hour. Work in the mornings and evening when possible.
- Stick to the shade, wear sunscreen, wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and loose clothing
- Check in on others
