By Times Chronicle Staff
A respected journalist who died in 2020 is being honoured through a bursary to help Keremeos students.
The bursary, for graduating pupils of Similkameen Elementary Secondary School, is in memory of Tara Bowie, former editor of the Keremeos Review. She died in a car accident two years ago on Nov. 6. She was 40.
From the age of seven, Bowie dreamed of being a writer. After high school, she studied journalism in Ontario, and over the years worked for many papers, winning numerous awards. She is best remembered locally as the hardworking editor of the Keremeos Review, and writer for the Similkameen Spotlight and Penticton Western News from 2014-2019.
One of Bowie’s best stories was a feature on a Keremeos man who chose death with dignity at home. She was there for the “going away” party and wrote a powerful piece on the man’s last hurrah. The story won a BC award.
“Tara was a small town girl and everything she did was small town,” said her mother, Nancy Birtch. “She went to every event there was in town . . . she was there and would work hard to get the story out.”
Birtch established the bursary with the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen to honour Bowie and give students a leg up as they pursue their own dreams.
“My hope with this is to help a student become what they want to become. It may be a little stepping stone, but it’s still a stepping stone that leads to where they eventually want to go.”
If a student wants to become a carpenter or a chef, this fund will give them a bit of hope to make things easier, Birtch said.
Bowie’s mother said the bursary (approximately $350) is especially fitting because her daughter loved covering the school’s graduation ceremony where she talked to students about their hopes and dreams.
“Her name will carry on. The student may not know who or what Tara did, but they’ll know that someone thought ahead to help them.”
Birtch said helping students realize their dreams will help create more of the stories that Bowie loved best.
“Her favorite stories really were the ones of the community coming together.”
The bursary will be awarded annually to students graduating from Similkameen Elementary Secondary School and looking to pursue post-secondary education to improve their lives. Bursary applications open in the spring and more information on the application process can be found at cfso.net/apply-for-a-bursary.
Tara Bowie was the definition of a small town girl who loved community journalism.
Photo contributed
