Davies Orchard

* Good for history buffs and those looking for a quiet picnic ground *
Just a bit South of Bowen Island Trunk Rd. there is a baseball diamond. To the immediate East of that is a little trail labeled Davies Orchard. Near the entrance we found some historical markers that had an interesting story about the history of Bowen Island that I never knew.
William Davies planted an orchard here in 1887 and sent fruit, deer and grouse to Vancouver. Eventually there were cabins, an a big resort and Bowen Island started to be called «The People’s Playground» and become a hot resort destination. This eventually all led to the Union Steamship company purchasing the resort and in its peak was bringing 5000 people each Summer weekend to the resort!
Long story short (or at least a bit shorter), it was a resort that was quite popular and then died in popularity when cars started to take over. There are only a few of the original cottages remaining and many are in disrepair.
The site is currently under re-​development to become a living museum telling the story of Bowen Island past. Until then the little display with the history makes for an interesting read.
For now if you walk just a bit down the path you will find a huge open field with beautiful views of the water and several picnic tables that are absolutely deserted! A great spot for a picnic and a bit of a history lesson!