FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016 VOL. 42, NO. 52
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Watch for more online at: WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM
A growing concern
Out of harmony
How to garden on a rock
Fracking hits a sour note for Marc Gawthrop
Play ball!
Girls soccer is fast and fun
Council welcomes new MP Pamela Goldsmith-Jones LOUISE LOIK EDITOR
Bowen’s Mayor Murray Skeels is very pleased after our new MP Pam Goldsmith-Jones paid a visit to Bowen’s council chambers. Skeels says the agenda was for Bowen to get a “Build Canada Grant” for Cove Bay water and wastewater treatment, and to talk about solutions for transportation and housing. “She has offered to assist Bowen with applications for subsidies,” says Skeels. Goldsmith-Jones also listened to council’s concerns that there are subsidies for east coast maritime ferries, which are not handed out on the west coast. “She’s putting together a file with our priorities and contact information for follow-up,” says the mayor. Goldsmith-Jones is fully apprised of the regional fight against LNG and according to Skeels, she expressed a commitment to representing our voice back in Ottawa. “She said that she is providing Ottawa with information on the environment and is undertaking an environmental assessment.” Skeels says that the MP from North Vancouver, Jonathan Wilkinson, is also working on the subject. Goldsmith-Jones told council that she would like to attend the Howe Sound forum. “She is certainly representative of the style Justin Trudeau presents. She is coming across as accessible and open. She isn’t given pat answers. She’s a breath of fresh air.” The mayor was also pleased that she sees the value in “citizen science,” the sort that accepts the information of people like Adam Taylor when he carefully documents the underwater locations of glass sponges around the Sound. The MP is also planning to meet representatives from Islands trust to hear their concerns and thoughts. “It’s clear that she has latitude to work in a proactive way,” says Skeels, who represented Bowen at the opening event for the MP’s new office in West Vancouver. Goldsmith-Jones has acknowledged that derelict vessels are a big issue up and down the coast and has offered Bonnie Brokenshire support from the parliamentary library for background research for bylaws, as well as offering use of her office for time frames when she is away in Ottawa. Skeels says that they also discussed a library grant and an increase in the number of island summer jobs for students.
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Bald eagles have been sighted over Bowen Island after finding rivers frozen where they would normally feast on spawning salmon. ALLARD OCKELOEN photo
Eagles flock to Bowen after Brackendale bust LOUISE LOIK EDITOR
At this time of year, eagles, and the humans who want to see them, traditionally flock to Brackendale where the birds of prey feast on spawning salmon. This year, with frozen rivers and fewer fish, the eagles haven’t landed. The average eagle count in Brackendale is 1,442. This year there were 1,000 fewer birds, the lowest in 30 years or more. The highest was closer to 4,000 in 1994. While there is concern that eagle numbers may be dropping, there have been an increased number of sightings elsewhere. On Bowen, people have seen as many as 15 bald eagles riding a thermal over the southwest tip of the island, and many more have been spotted around the shores. What may be happening is that the eagles are scattering to
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various locations where food is more accessible. Richard Wing of the Bowen Island Nature Club has seen a significant number of the birds over the southwest side of the island shores, but Wing says the data from the bird count on Bowen has not come in yet. In the past, it has been common for around 30 eagles to be sighted. Eagles and turkey vultures are frequently seen together soaring over Bowen, riding the thermals above rock ridges. Both types of birds are similar in size, but the wing shape of the eagles is more tapered when seen in silhouette against the sky. The juvenile eagles lack the white heads and tails of the adults and are more likely to be mistaken for a vulture at a distance. The wings of a bald eagle span eight feet, or nearly 2.5 metres
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