BOWEN ISLAND CONSERVANCY — NEW WEBSITE
PROTECT — Cape Lands — Page Draft | Phase One — Build | June 2026
Individual place page for the Cape Roger Curtis conservation lands acquired October 2024. Content drawn directly from Conservancy source material.
HERO IMAGE
Suggested: recovery image — blasted rock with new growth emerging, October 2024 (L. Loik). Or aerial looking west over the Cape. Conveys scale and recovery in progress.
Conservancy Protected Land at Cape Roger Curtis
A new beginning for 160 acres of coastal, forest, creek, and recovery lands at Cape Roger Curtis.
[HERO PHOTO] Conservation lands at Cape Roger Curtis.
QUICK FACTS
Location
Cape Roger Curtis, Nex̱wɬélex̱wm / Bowen Island
Size
160 acres / approximately 65 hectares
Acquired from
Metro Vancouver
Acquired by
Bowen Island Conservancy
Acquired
October 2024
Protected for
Coastal lands, sensitive ecosystems, forest, creek corridor, shoreline, ecological recovery
Connected to
Wild Coast Nature Refuge (combined protected area at Cape Roger Curtis approximately 192 acres)
Includes
Remaining undeveloped coastal lots east of the Wild Coast Nature Refuge and inland lots across Cape Drive
Key water feature
Huszar Creek, protected from Crown Land down to the ocean
Public access
To be determined through conservation planning and stewardship assessment
Part of
Átl'ka7tsem / Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region
WHY THIS PLACE MATTERS
Cape Roger Curtis is one of Bowen's most closely watched places. For years, the future of its undeveloped lands was uncertain — the subject of proposals, public concern, and debate about what this part of the island should become.
In October 2024, the Bowen Island Conservancy purchased 160 acres from Metro Vancouver, and the uncertainty ended.
These lands stretch from the east side of the Wild Coast Nature Refuge toward the eastern boundary of the Cape, and include inland lots across Cape Drive that protect the course of Huszar Creek as it flows from Crown Land toward the ocean.
Not all of the land is in its original condition. Some of it had already been prepared for housing — driveways cut, building plots cleared. That history did not disappear when the sale was signed. But protection creates the chance to begin again: to understand what is here, restore what has been disturbed, and make decisions for this land that put conservation first.
WHAT THIS PLACE PROTECTS
A Larger Coastal Conservation Area
The Cape Lands sit beside the Wild Coast Nature Refuge. Together, the two properties form a connected protected area of approximately 192 acres at Cape Roger Curtis — one of the most significant conservation holdings in the Átl'ka7tsem / Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region. That is a large and ecologically important piece of Bowen's southwestern coast, held in one place.
Huszar Creek
The inland lots follow the course of Huszar Creek, protecting it from where it flows off Crown Land to where it reaches the ocean. A creek is more than its channel. It is the surrounding forest, the roots and soils that slow and filter water, the shade that keeps it cool, and the land on either side that shapes how it moves. Protecting these lots means protecting the whole corridor.
Remaining Undeveloped Coastal Lots
The acquisition includes the last undeveloped coastal lots at Cape Roger Curtis — from the east side of the Wild Coast Nature Refuge to the eastern boundary of the Cape. These were the only remaining coastal lots in this part of Bowen that had not yet been built on. Protecting them prevents the fragmentation of a sensitive coastal landscape from going any further.
Damaged and Recovering Land
Some of the land had already been prepared for housing. Driveways were cut and building plots were cleared several years before the sale. These areas will need careful assessment and patient restoration. What matters is that their trajectory has changed. Land that was heading toward development can now move toward recovery.
Sensitive Ecosystems at Cape Roger Curtis
Cape Roger Curtis has long been recognized for its ecological significance: mature second-growth forest, rare coastal bluff ecosystems, sensitive plant communities, shoreline habitat, and the larger ecological connections it holds at the entrance to Átl'ka7tsem / Howe Sound. These values do not disappear after a period of disturbance. They are still here, waiting for the pressure to stop.
HOW THIS PLACE WAS PROTECTED
The Bowen Island Conservancy purchased the 160-acre property from Metro Vancouver in October 2024, with the support of generous donors. The sale followed years of public concern about earlier proposals that would have seen the Cape used for regional park facilities and overnight camping — uses the community strongly opposed.
Bowen Island Municipality described the acquisition as 65 hectares of land coming under conservation protection, and called it one of the most significant land protection outcomes in Bowen Island's history.
HOW WE CARE FOR IT
The first task is to understand the land. These 160 acres are not one uniform place. They include coastal lots, inland lots, disturbed areas, sensitive ecosystems, creek corridor, and second-growth forest — each requiring different thinking.
Conservation planning and a stewardship assessment are underway to guide the Conservancy's decisions about what the land needs, what can be restored, and how it should be managed over the long term.
Public access has not yet been determined. Decisions about where and how people can visit will be made through the conservation planning process, based on where access can happen without harming what the land is working to become.
PLEASE VISIT GENTLY
Public access and visitor guidelines are to be determined through conservation planning and stewardship assessment.
CALL TO ACTION
[ Support Our Work ] [ Become a Member ] [ Volunteer for Stewardship Work ] [ Learn About the Wild Coast Nature Refuge ] [ Report a Concern ]