Bowser ( ) is a community on the east coast of

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. It has a population of 1,729. Approximately north of

Nanaimo Nanaimo ( ) is a city of about 100,000 on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. "The Harbour City" was previously known as the "Hub City", which was attributed to its original layout design with streets radiating fr ...

, Bowser is in a region informally known as Lighthouse Country, spanning a stretch of highway that extends from Qualicum Beach in the south to Horne Lake to the west and Fanny Bay in the north and east to Denman and Hornby Islands. Bowser is in the

Regional District of Nanaimo The Regional District of Nanaimo is a regional district located on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the south by the Cowichan Valley Regional District, to the west by the Alberni-Clayoquot Re ...

and in its Electoral Area H, one of eight in the District. The community was named after William J. Bowser, premier of British Columbia from 1915 to 1916. Bowser is served by the coast-spanning Island Highway. Bowser's local hotel was famous in the 1930s for a dog trained by his owners to deliver beer bottles to tables, receive the payment, and deliver change, a feat listed in "

Ripley's Believe It or Not! ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals with bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the ''Believe It or Not'' ...

". Bowser has lent its name to a soil series which is widespread on eastern Vancouver Island. Bowser loamy sand is mapped under the whole community. Near the community is the Bowser Ecological Reserve, which was established in 1996 to protect part of a productive forest ecosystem. While the 113-hectare ecological reserve was created for research purposes, including surveying species regenerating after a fire that occurred in the area over 100 years prior, it is open to the public for hiking.

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