Discover Picturesque Howe Sound
Amanda Simard, Writing Intern
This post was written by writing intern Amanda Simard.
This month’s calendar photo features a beautiful mountain landscape taken from Bowen Island in Howe Sound, British Columbia. Here are some facts you might not know about this picturesque region located just outside of Vancouver!
Howe Sound is a fjord located in the Georgia Straight. It 
extends 42 kilometres from West Vancouver to Squamish. Howe Sound is a great location for recreational activities like sailing, diving, camping, hiking, and fishing.
An unfortunate history of mismanaged industrial operations in the area led to severely polluted waters which devastated local wildlife. However, Howe Sound has invested a lot of money and effort into cleaning up the beaches and waters as well as upgrading the environmental standards of the local industries. In the last few years, the success of these efforts has started to show through returning marine wildlife.
Did you know? A Fjord is a long, narrow inlet of the sea through high cliffs or steep slopes.
Bowen Island is one of the bigger islands in Howe Sound, measuring approximately 6 kilometres wide and 12 kilometres long. It is home to a population of 3,551 permanent residents and receives an additional 1,500 visitors in the summer.
Historically, the island was used as summering grounds by the native Squamish Nation. Like the rest of Howe Sound, Bowen Island is a great place for many summer activities like kayaking and swimming. It is also home to many artists, rating as Canada’s fourth-most artistic community per capita.
Which Canadian regions do you like spending your summer in? Let us know in the comments, on Facebook, or on Twitter!
