Bowen Island Undercurrent April 10 2015

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FRIDAY APRIL10, 3, 2015 APRIL 2015 1 VOL. 42, NO. 12

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Going, going, but not gone War ship finds a new home at the bottom of Howe Sound

Is it right for Howe Sound?

Concerned Citizens of Bowen Island take their concerns off-island

Remembering Toller

Edye Hanen and Kami Kanetsuka writing from San Miguel, Mexico

Council unveils strategic plan for 2015 MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR

Tina Nielsen and library volunteer Allie Drake show off a few of the many pieces of medical equipment available for loan through the Bowen Island Med Shed. Meribeth Deen, photo

Med Shed continues to grow as library evolves nificantly since 2012 even though items that are too worn or no longer in good shape are discarded as necessary. “Sandy Logan comes here about once a year to go through everything and ensure that it is all fit for use,” says Nielsen. “We’re not medical people, so we don’t necessarily know what’s good or not.” She adds that donations keep coming in, and they accept all kinds of medical equipment, except for things that are made of soft fabric and hard to wash. According to library records, the Med Shed was accessed an average of five times per week in 2014. “I think there are still a lot of people who don’t know about us,” says Nielsen. “But more and more, we are getting calls from people before they go in to the hospital asking about a piece of equipment they might need after surgery. Otherwise, people might have to purchase a piece of equipment they could easily get for free here on Bowen.”

MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR

It was back in the summer of 2012 when one of the unassuming sheds behind the library found a higher purpose: as a storage room for medical equipment to be lent to members of the community in times of need. Previously, this equipment was housed and leant out by Adrienne Lawson and Massoud Najare, but when they put the call out for someone else to take over the service, the library stepped-up. Since then, Chief Librarian Tina Nielsen and library volunteers have attended to the Med Shed in the same way they attend to books: they help members of the community find what they need, whether it be child-sized crutches, an elevated toilet seat or a walker, and put them away neatly when they’re done. Neilsen says the size of the Med Shed’s collection has grown sig-

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This Tuesday, council approved and released a document outlining six strategic pillars containing eleven priorities in the coming year. Within each of the priorities fall specific projects, the steps required to move each forward, and a member of council or staff assigned to work on it. The plan was developed following two “retreat style” day-long meetings, and a great deal of emails sent back and forth over 2.5 months, facilitated by Andrea Verwey and Joyce Ganong. Prior to the official approval of the plan, Mayor Skeels explained that council sorted all of the proposed priorities and projects into groups. “In simple terms, we had to deal with outstanding infrastructure and administrative issues, and move ahead with some important projects,” said Skeels. “Our overarching goal is to build community, and an important part of that is achieving a balance where a broad cross-section of our community can feel that the things that matter to them are being addressed.” The strategic pillars of the plan include protecting and preserving unique ecosystems, maintaining accountable and effective government, enhancing the caring community of Bowen Island, supporting a diverse population, minimizing Bowen’s ecological footprint, and creating a robust and resilient local economy. These tie in directly to the 12 Goals of the OCP, the Vision and the Mission of the Municipality. “Continue to plan for a new fire hall,” for example, falls under the strategic pillar of building a vibrant community. The success of this project will be realized when, by January of 2016, The Undercurrent runs a photo of the sign on the new fire hall site with a story on when the shovels will hit the ground to accompany it. Facilitator Joyce Ganong, who at the swearing-in of this council in December, urged a focus on values, says this council created a draft set of values that is included in the 2015 Island Plan. They want input from the community on them. “When they discussed values, it was about how we as Bowen Islanders relate to one another, how we communicate, and how we make decisions,” says Ganong. She adds that in the process of developing the priorities and the values, it was exciting to see the group becoming a team.


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