Snug Cove community walkway, Bowen Island

A public art feature along the walkway at Snug Cove: StreetBond 150 on asphalt, each custom colour representing part of the island community, with the local wildlife asking the questions.

Snug Cove is the heart of Bowen Island: the ferry landing, the commercial area, the place the island gathers. The walkway there is the first thing visitors see coming off the ferry and the daily route for residents who walk it year-round. Square One was engaged to install a public art feature along it in StreetBond 150, with each custom colour in the design representing part of the island community.

The design runs down the walkway as a scatter of ovals in yellow, blue, green and grey, with the local wildlife asking the questions: a seal and an eagle each speak to passers-by from a white speech bubble. StreetBond is a water-based acrylic pavement coating, published by its manufacturer for asphalt and concrete with an anti-skid aggregate for surfaces that stay wet for months at a time, and more than fifty standard colours with custom mixing, which is how the island's palette was matched.

Bowen's marine climate, salt air, high humidity and freeze-thaw, is the reason a coating made for outdoor Canadian conditions was specified. Application was direct to the existing asphalt and concrete after cleaning, profiling and priming where required, and the crew mobilized by ferry, as it does for island communities across BC. An island municipality or First Nation planning a community piece should ask for the colour palette to be developed with the community before the coating is mixed.

Read the full story: Bowen Island community walkway: StreetBond public art at Snug Cove