Canon Bowyer was born in Toronto, York County, Ontario in 1952 and reared in East York and Scarborough where he received his elementary and secondary education. His undergraduate degree was earned at the University of Waterloo and his Master of Divinity was granted by the University of Western Ontario.

Interest in heraldry began as a schoolboy and he eventually joined the Heraldry Society of Canada in 1971 after several years of reading the society’s journal in the public library.

Since then he has served the Society on the Board of Directors at the national and branch levels. Over the years he has designed armorial bearings for individuals and corporations including laymen, priests and bishops (both Anglican and Roman Catholic), parishes, cathedrals, academic colleges, cultural and municipal entities. Upon the creation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority he was asked to be a heraldic consultant and painter. Book- plates, seals, and illuminated letters of consecration and other documents have also been produced by him, as well as articles and illustrations for Heraldry in Canada and Hogtown Heraldry.

With Darrel Kennedy he initiated a heraldic exhibit, "Heraldry: Symbols Of Your History" for which he was a guest curator. This ran for three months in 1996 at the Wellington County Museum and Archives in Fergus, Ontario and has been the largest exhibit of its kind in Canada. He has lectured on a number of occasions on heraldry at schools and community organizations for children and adults.

Ordained a deacon in 1977 and a priest in 1978 he has served parishes in the Diocese of Huron in Kitchener, Dover Township, Lambeth and Delaware, and Saint John Parish, Cambridge. Appointed to the Chapter of Canons of the Cathedral Church of St Paul, London, Ontario, in 1994 he has also been Regional Dean in several deaneries in the diocese and was for ten years the Honorary Clerical Secretary of the synod of the diocese. With an interest in history he has written three parish histories.

Beside diocesan committee work he has served on a number of committees for community groups and organizations. Presently he is a member of the City of Cambridge archives committee, is Chaplain of the Cambridge Fire Department and serves the Royal Canadian Legion as a branch and zone chaplain.

Honours and awards

• 2013 Honorary Senior Fellow of Renison University College
• 2013 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
• 2005 Service Medal of the MV Order of Saint John
• 1999 Arms registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority, Ottawa
• 1996 Serving Brother of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
• 1989 Fellow of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada
• 1981 Arms granted by the Kings of Arms, College of Arms, London