Bowen Island Historians Museum & Archives

BOWEN ISLAND COMMUNITY MUSEUM

Western Explosives Factory

1909 - 1913

May 17 - Winter 2009

Picture this: Bowen Island, 1909.

On one end of the island, boatloads of happy picnickers from Vancouver are arriving in Snug Cove to enjoy forested campgrounds, beautiful walking paths, swimming, a tearoom, and all the facilities Captain John Cates’ Terminal Steamships Company resort has to offer.

On the other side of the island, in an 850-acre lot with 20-odd buildings spread out from Tunstall to Bowen Bay, some 80 men are creating explosive mixtures from acid and chemicals in large vats, processing the volatile material with ovens and kilns, and packing dynamite sticks to be used in mining, logging, and construction projects.

We are excited to present our summer exhibit on the dynamite plant that was on Bowen Island from 1909 to 1913. Please join us this Sunday, May 17^th from 2 – 4 pm at the Bowen Island Community Museum for the opening of The History of Western Explosives Factory on Bowen Island.

Come and explore the history of dynamite manufacturing on Bowen, learn about the details surrounding the fatal accidents at the plant, browse the display of pottery left behind by the dynamite plant workers, and get a glimpse into the lives of the contract labourers engaged in this dangerous work.

It is also a good chance to see some impressively detailed photographs of the interiors of a Departure Bay dynamite plant in 1909. They give us a good idea of what Bowen Island’s own dynamite plant looked like a century ago.

The exhibit will run until September 7, 2009.

Admission is by donation.

Click here to read more about the explosives factory and what treasures are featured in the exhibit.