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Meet your Bowen Island neighbours: Jackie Bradley

Our weekly Q&A continues
Jackie at a hugel
Jackie Bradley’s Hugelkultur garden, as printed in the 2019 story 'Help your garden cope with dry summers and poor soil with Hugelkultur'

Meet your neighbour: Jackie Bradley

When did you come to Bowen?

My husband, Phil and I bought land here in 1988. We were living on a boat in Vancouver at the time. We built a small home on the land in 1993 and spent most weekends and big chunks of summer here. We moved here full-time in 2004.

How did you come to be on Bowen?

After living on the boat for many years we realized we wouldn’t always want to live on the water, so we decided we needed to invest in some land. I really wanted to live outside of the city in a more rural environment and Phil wanted to be close to the ocean. We looked at land on the Sunshine Coast and decided to also have a look at Bowen Island. From the moment we drove onto and across Bowen Island, I knew this was the place I wanted to live. I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt like the land was saying to me, you belong here.

Where on Bowen Island do you live?

We live on Adams Road a bit before you get to Bowen Bay Road. 

Fill the ferry lineup gap or don’t fill the gap?

Definitely fill the gap as long as the lineup is not anywhere near the cut-off point.

What’s your favourite Bowen fact or story?

I don’t really have a Bowen fact or story, but what I love about Bowen is the land and the people. The land is so alive and many, many people are generous, kind, interesting and want to respect the land.

What’s your favourite COVID-19 balm or activity (aka what’s keeping you going during COVID)?

Being part of BIFS (Bowen Island FoodResilience Society) and working at the Grafton Agricultural Commons. I love it that I get to be outdoors with other like-minded people. Even though we aren’t too physically close, it is such a life affirming experience. I feel extremely lucky.