They discussed the severe problem developing with the rapid increase of hunters, the difficulties of hunting law enforcement and the growing number of incidents like poaching at night, shooting of sheep and other domestic animals in meadows and yards close to houses and also to general vandalism.

They decided to form the Bowen Island Rod and Gun Club to act as a liaison body during hunting season.  In 1968, after many months of discussion, they completed the Club Charter.  Their constitution was finally registered in 1985.

During the fall and winter of 1968 there was an exceptionally rich run of Spring Salmon and many of the locals were catching fish up to 30 Lbs.  A competition was called for the next year’s run and a trophy purchased. An entry fee of $5.00 was charged and the money was used for prizes.  Thus the Bowen Island Rod and Gun Club’s Winter Derby was born.

Soon after 1968 the Club developed other activities.  In the harsh winter months club members would feed the ducks and geese in Snug Cove and on the Lagoon purchasing feed made possible by generous donations by some of the Islanders.  The Wood Duck program was sponsored and every summer the children of Bowen delighted in the Dock Derby.

1974: In 1974 Bowen Island was closed to the use of firearms and bows and arrows became the only permissible means for hunting.

1982 to 1983: In 1982 under the sponsorship of the Club and authorized by the Federal Fisheries, 24,000 Coho fry were released in Terminal Creek and thus the salmon enhancement program was started.

A small hatchery was built in the same creek as part of phase 1 and completed in 1983.

1985 to 1986: Phase II took shape in the years 1985/6 and consisted of the building of a fish ladder and jump pools up Bridal Veil Falls.  All work was performed by Bowen hands and crowned by the return of the first Bowen Hatched Coho run after an absence of almost 80 years.

In 1986 the concrete ladder at the upper portion of Bridal Falls was constructed with $63, 660 allocated under a Job Development Program by Employment & Immigration Canada.  Additional funding of $76,000 was approved under the same program for construction of the Hatchery and waterline.

1989: In 1989 the salmon derbies were expanded.  The summer derby ran from June 01 to September 30 and the winter Derby to run from Nov. 01 to Mar. 31.  The entry fee for each derby was $5.00.  Each derby had prizes of $10, $15 and $25.  This winter 25% of our fish were lost due to a cold snap.  In November 1989 we caught 35 brood Coho, 25 female and 10 male.  We released 10 females and planned to spawn 15 for approximately 30,000 eggs.  Due to a plugged pipeline we lost several females so ended up with only 21,000 eggs.  We then got 9,000 eggs from Capilano to bring us up to our quota.  We went to Gambier twice to get chum eggs but were skunked both times, so we got 100,000 eyed Cheakamus chum eggs from the Tenderfoot hatchery.  We also got 50,000 eyed Qualicum Chinook eggs from Capilano for our net-pen rearing program.

1990 to 1991: A 12’ x 20’ storage room was started in 1990 and completed in 1991 and a small space was used for club meetings.  An application was made to the GVRD Parks for permission to build a 16’ x 20’ addition to the hatchery for the purpose of an “Interpretive Classroom”.  A good return for 1991.  Estimates ranged from 200 to 600 fish.  The following winter and spring we reared and released 250,000 juveniles.

1993: The aeration plumbing was moved from the hatchery building to a stand-alone tower.

1995: By 1995 the membership was dwindling.  There was not much interest in fish derbies.  There were few anglers and fewer fish.  However there was a strong community interest in conservation and preservation.  The club name was changed to “Fish and Wildlife” to reflect the changing attitudes.  The by-laws were changed to reduce the required number of directors and size of quorum to more in line with the smaller membership.  The club logo was redesigned to connect the history of the club through the deer with the more recent focus on salmon.

1996 to 1998: In 1966 the classroom addition to the hatchery building was completed.  The rehabilitation of Davies Creek was started.  The rockwork at the mouth of the creek was done in 1997.  The winter and summer salmon derbies were discontinued due to low salmon stocks and the focus on conservation.  A rock and gravel weir was built below the Dorman Road culvert in 1998.  The work has been a joint effort of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Provincial Fisheries and GVRD Parks.  Machinery and gravel was donated by Wolfgang Duntz.  Volunteer labour was provided by the club.  In 1998, beavers dammed and plugged the outflow from Grafton Lake.  This resulted in insufficient water to Terminal creek and the hatchery.  Most of the year’s production did not survive.

1998: A 4” beaver pipe was installed to siphon water over Grafton Lake dam, ensuring a minimum year round 8.5-liter flow.  A telephone line and new 2” backup water line was trenched in from the road to the hatchery.  An alarm and oxygen system was installed.

2000: A signboard kiosk was constructed outside the hatchery with funds donated by the Davies family in memory of “Minnow” Davies.

2003: A kiosk with three large panels which describe:

• Fall Fish Watching - identification of salmon species, answers to salmon watching questions, redds and eggs.
• The Salmon Creek Environment - components of a watershed; wildlife in the estuary.
• Year Round Wildlife Watching - low tide sea life, riparian zone life, historic wildlife.

was erected at the lagoon causeway.

The project was a cooperative effort with EcoLeaders, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, GVRD Parks, North Vancouver Outdoor School, and Mountain Equipment Co-op.

2005: A spawning channel was constructed by introducing river gravel into the side channel that extends from the bottom of the ladders to the lagoon. The Pacific Salmon Foundation made this project possible with a grant of $7400. GVRD Crippen Park personnel along with BIFWC volunteers played a major role in all aspects of planning & executing the work. Local contractors Hammer & Hand Woodwrights, J&E Backhoe, and Twin Islands Excavating transported the river gravel from Squamish, transferred it from a stockpile to the site and constructed a large gravel flume to move the gravel into the channel.