A perfect family day to experience our stories, our history, and our culture.
Since December 2025, the Public Entity of Bonaire has been developing the “Canon of Bonaire.” The Canon is a modern timeline of Bonaire, highlighting significant events, influential people, historical sites, architecture, music, dance, and essential narratives. The Canon of Bonaire project is part of the Slavery Past Action Agenda and is being executed by the Directorate of Community and Care.
In the recent period, the Directorate of Planning and Development has focused on restoring the water basins. Efforts have been made to improve the accessibility of Fontein and to create walking paths within the plantation. We invite the residents of Bonaire to experience these enhancements firsthand on May 17th. On this day, we will celebrate the inaugural Canon Day in Bonaire, opening the gates of Fontein to visitors of all ages.
During the official opening event on May 17th, various tours will take place at Fontein, detailing the area’s rich history. These tours, organized by FuHiKuBo in the morning, will educate visitors about the island’s first inhabitants, rock paintings, and the stories of rebellion and resistance during the era of slavery. Participants will also learn about the history of the water basins, the impact of World War II, and much more. Additionally, there will be a communal family lunch. In the afternoon, interactive sessions and workshops will allow the public to contribute ideas on which topics should be included in the Canon of Bonaire.
The program for Canon Day still has available slots in the afternoon for community-proposed activities. Suggestions could include a Spoken Word workshop, traditional healing (Kuranderia) demonstrations, or painting classes. If you have an idea for an activity, please submit your proposal by Monday, April 27th, to daudi.cijntje@bonairegov.com.
To accommodate visitors, the Public Entity of Bonaire will provide shuttle buses to Fontein, as parking space on-site is limited. We kindly request that the public utilizes this special bus service.
The Public Entity of Bonaire will keep the community informed of all developments regarding the first Canon Day. Further information regarding registration and the bus schedule will be released shortly.