FRIDAY JAN 20, 2017 VOL. 42, NO. 03
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Passive House on Bowen
Super efficient home keeps family toasty warm, with little effort
Women’s March
Resolutions
Local organizer Susanna Braund on her motivation to march
Community celebrates Cove Commons ground-breaking
Relationship experts reflect on high hopes for the new year
Bowen businesses in the running for Small Business BC awards MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
Top left: Jacqueline Massey, Executive Director of the Bowen Island Arts Council and Chief Librarian Tina Nielsen Top right: Murray Atherton, MLA Jordan Sturdy and Erin Cassels from the Bowen Island Lodge Bottom: Carol Cram, Cynthia Nicolson, Mayor Murray Skeels, MP Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, Mumtaz and Navroz Bendali MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
A large crowd of Bowen Islanders as well as MP Pamela Goldsmith-Jones and MLA Jordan Sturdy met at the library this Wednesday to celebrate the successful fundraising efforts of the Bowen Island Library and Arts Council. With
$950,000 in the bank to cover the cost of construction, the building of the addition to the library, known as the Cove Commons, will start as soon as possible. “Early February,” says Chief Librarian Tina Nielsen. “The $295,000 grant from the Federal Government needs to be spent right away.”
Nielsen adds that it has been amazing to be a part of this fundraising effort, that has raised so much money in such a short time. “This started as a joint project in 2015,” she says. “We are so thankful to the community for all their generosity and their efforts.”
Sea Hiker Swimming Inc. and Bowen Island Massage Therapy are both in the top 10 of their category of the 2016 Small Business BC Awards. Sea Hiker, owned and operated by Bowen Islander Peter Scott, helps adults of all levels feel at home in the water. The company was the first of its kind to offer open water courses off Jericho Beach in Vancouver, and they have expanded their open water offerings to Tunstall Bay. “As we are up for a Community Impact Award, we had to answer questions about how we measure ourselves in that regard,” says Scott. “This, and some of the other questions forced us to look at our business in a new way. We’re not running a shelter, we’re a sports organization, but I think that we help people grow an appreciation for being outside and in the water. With that there’s an increased awareness of what’s around us based on where we live.” Scott adds that one aspect of Sea Hiker’s work is to help people who are anxious in the water overcome their fears. “That aspect of the job is really gratifying,” he says. Mary McDonagh, with Bowen Island Massage Therapy, says that being in the running for a Premier’s Peoples Choice Award is incredibly meaningful to her. “When I started my clinic back in 89’, Alicia, who is now my colleague, was just a baby in my arms. There were maybe 1,200 people on Bowen, and there was no healthcare whatsoever,” says McDonagh. “I am still working full-time and loving what I do. I’ve worked on an intimate level with hundreds of people, and to hear people come together collectively to show their appreciation is incredibly rewarding.” McDonagh says the People’s Choice Award is recognition for going above and beyond in the community. “I think all of us at the clinic have an immense appreciation for the hardships, challenges and joys of every single person that walks through our doors,” says McDonagh. “I stand in awe of my community and the people I’ve had the honour of working with.” If either business goes through to the final stage of this competition, they will make a pitch to a panel of business experts about their business in February.
A chapter closes for Bowen’s Economic Development Committee MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
Gordon Ganong offers two simple words to describe Bowen Island’s economic landscape: small business. Four and a half years ago, Ganong offered his services to the newly formed Economic Development Committee (EDC) and was nominated as chair. Looking back, he says the economic landscape on the island has experienced a major shift in that time. “I think people’s attitudes, whether we are talking about entrepreneurs or members of council, have changed dramatically,” he says. “People are just more focused on the local economy now. And if you look at the main strip here in Snug Cove - with the library expansion, plans for the distillery, the Pub, the renovations at Village Square, and also the plans for a medical centre on Dorman Road, it all speaks to that shift.” Ganong says the previous council, led by the late mayor Jack Adelaar, wanted to do something for the economy but didn’t know what. So under that council, the EDC focused on education, and sorting out what could be done to help. “We learned that people don’t make the decision to invest in Bowen Island, they come here and fall in love with the place and then sort out a way to stay here,” says Ganong. “We worked on shifting the circumstances to make that easier for people.” He points to a number of concrete improvements including getting a sign on the highway approaching Horseshoe Bay
letting people know how to get to Bowen; getting a representative from the provincial ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training to attend all EDC meetings and act as a provincial representative; and branding. “We need to be working with the other levels of government if we want to sustain and grow the local economy,” says Ganong, in reference to the first two improvements noted above. “Our only tax-base is residential, we just don’t have the dollars on our own to be putting into the economy. If you’re looking at the Cove Commons project or work on cleaning up Mannion Bay, all of these things need inter-governmental co-operation in the same way.” The branding initiative, he says, highlights who we are and makes the environment the economic driver for the community. Ganong adds that the maintenance of this and other initiatives will be up to new EDC chair and members, who will set their agenda at this week’s meeting. In addition to Ganong, Murray Atherton, Edward Wachtman, Sheree Johnston and Heidi Kurt are all stepping down from the EDC. “The hard work of all of these members, and others, have helped me work effectively as chair,” says Ganong. “We have all been driven by the desire to see this island community flourish.” New to the EDC are Barry Pynn, Dan McBurney, Michelle Nelson and Rod Marsh.
Gordon Ganong.
Meribeth Deen, photo
2 • FRIDAY JANUARY 20 2017
January 23, 2017
Fire department recruiting new members The Bowen Island Volunteer Fire Department is recruiting new members. Applicants must:
Climate Conversation: Community Energy and Emissions Plan
9:30 am
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be 19 years of age or older
Regular Council meeting
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live and work on Bowen Island
As part of our ongoing commitment to climate action, Council and municipal staff, with support from the Community Energy Association and interested community members, have developed the Bowen Island Community Energy and Emissions Plan.
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have a valid BC driver’s license
Are you interested in learning more about the Plan?
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be willing to undergo a criminal background check
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be available and willing to be called out at any time
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be willing to undergo training for first responder medical situations, in addition to firefighting
January 24, 2017 1:00 pm Communications Team
January 24, 2017 7:15 pm Transportation Advisory Committee
January 25, 2017 7:00 pm Climate Conversation
If you are interested in joining our team and serving the community, please download an application form from our website at www.bimbc.ca or pick one up from Municipal Hall, then submit your application to bim@bimbc.ca or drop it off at Municipal Hall. The closing date for applications is Friday, February 3 at 4:30 pm.
Collaborative projects make better communities
All meetings are held in Council
Join Councillors Maureen Nicholson and Sue Ellen Fast to discuss the next steps in the implementation of the Bowen Island Community Energy and Emissions Plan. Wednesday, January 25, 2017 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Council Chambers Municipal Hall 981 Artisan Lane For more information, and to review the Bowen Island Community Energy and Emissions Plan, please visit http://bimbc.ca/content/climate-action-program If you would like to attend, please RSVP to mnicholson@bimbc.ca
Transportation Plan update
Chambers at Municipal Hall unless otherwise noted.
After a successful summer of community engagement, the Integrated Transportation Master Plan (ITMP) Project Team brought your concerns and ideas to a Council Workshop in November. With the additional feedback from Mayor and Council, the ITMP Project Team is gearing up for a busy winter of research and plan development. The first draft of the plan is expected to be ready for public review at an open house in early spring 2017.
If you’re an individual, group, or business with a good idea for a community-driven initiative, Bowen Island Municipality wants to hear from you. We want to help enable small-scale or early-stage collaborative projects and provide guidance on how to get your idea off to a strong start. Collaborative projects are initiatives intended for public use or participation for community enjoyment and/or service enhancements. To qualify, they must be consistent with the Official Community Plan, meet community needs and have demonstrated support from the community. Some recent examples are the expansion at Bowen Children’s Centre, the new park at Athletic Field and the proposed bike park behind BICS. The find out more about the Collaborative Projects Policy and how you can apply, please go to our website at:
www.bimbc.ca/collaborative-projects General Enquiries
Contact Us
Phone: Fax: Email:
Bowen Island Municipal Hall 981 Artisan Lane Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G2
604-947-4255 604-947-0193 bim@bimbc.ca
What steps towards greenhouse gas reduction would you like to see undertaken in 2017?
Questions about the ITMP? Please contact the team at transportation2017@bimbc.ca
Community boat rack at Tunstall Beach In order to determine which water craft are actively being used for recreation, kayaks and canoes must be stored in the community-use storage racks and labelled with the owner’s name and telephone number. Effective February 15, 2017, any self-propelled water craft left on the beach or in the racks unlabelled will be removed at the owner’s expense. Questions? Please contact Parks & Environment at 604-947-4255 or bim@bimbc.ca
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A Bowen house that beats the weather and hydro bills MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
ware engineer with Oracle, says he’s been interested in energy efficiency ever since he did a project on it in grade 12 social studies. “We knew we wanted to stay on Bowen so we started looking around, but the existing inventory here struck us as highly inefficient,” he says. “An architect we were talking to told me to look up Passive House, so I did and the rest is history.” He points to the large south-facing window in their living room as an example of what makes this style of construction different. “The thing you’ll notice about a Passive House is how thick the walls are. The windows are inset by five or six inches on the outside, and five or six inches on the inside. These walls are 14.5 inches thick and filled with insulation that is a densely packed cellulose. The windows are triple-paned,” he says. When asked about the cost of this kind of construction, in comparison to conventional construction, Brownsword says that when it comes to this home in particular it is hard to pin down accurately. “The lowest estimates I’ve seen say it inflates your construction costs by about 10 percent. For us, it was probably a bit more because there aren’t a lot of passive houses around here – so, for example, we had to get these windows from Europe - they’re from Ireland,” says Brownsword. “And of course, there’s more material – more wood and more
insulation. But what you get is a huge savings in energy costs, and we know that energy prices are only going up.” Brownsword says that in the two to three years prior to construction, they interviewed 16 builders. In the end, they settled on Brad Carter as the lead carpenter and Eric Blomberg as the general contractor. “Some of the guys we talked to said just show me the plans and I’ll build it, we knew this attitude wouldn’t work for us. Finding someone who was excited about the plans was key,” says Brownsword. “There was a really dedicated team here, it was important to have people on board with the rules – like don’t put nails through the airtight membrane of the walls.” Brownsword says there is more work to be done on their house, beyond getting the heat-pump fully operational. Eventually, he says they wants to get solar panels on the roof, and a rainwater catchment system in place. “I’ve been fascinated by the subject of energy efficiency for a long time,” he says. “And now that we’ve done it, we really love it. I have so much in my head and I would love to help people out with their projects. In Vancouver, construction standards are being aggressively improved, and building the old-style of house just didn’t make sense to us. Hopefully people will see this house and follow the example. So far, it’s been great to live in.”
Walking from the icy Bolton Road driveway to the newly built home belonging to Andrew Brownsword, Andrea Stevenson and their daughter Maryanne, you will pass by a rustic little cabin that served as the family’s home while the new place was under construction. The two buildings couldn’t be more opposite, and the cabin serves to highlight what makes the new house quite remarkable. “It is roughly 700 square feet and extremely drafty,” says Brownsword about the cabin. “Last winter, we had three space heaters and a wood stove going at any given time. I recall one heating bill that was roughly $700, and another that was more than $800. It was a pretty warm winter, and we were still cold.” The new home, which they moved into in May, is roughly 2,400 square feet. It is spacious, open, and comfortably warm on a cold winter’s day. At the moment, there is one space heater running in the house as the heat pump is not fully operational. “This winter we’ve had hydro bills of close to $400, which is really a lot for this place,” says Brownsword. “Once the heat pump is functioning as it should, we should be seeing bills that are much closer to $400 per year.” This house meets Passiv Haus standards, meaning it is airtight and super-insulated, making conventional heating systems unnecessary. “We haven’t tried it, but they say that in a house like this all you should be able to light half a dozen candles to keep it warm,” says Brownsword. “Here’s another way of looking at it: the smallest propane fireplace you can buy will put out between 25,000 and 30,000 BTUs (British Thermal Units). This is roughly the same as a woodstove. Our entire house over the past month has only required about 9000 BTUs, so while we do have a space mapped out for a woodstove, a regular wood burner would instantly overheat us. Our plan is for a masonry heater, which captures most of the heat in stone and releases it TheBrownsword-Stevenson family home on Bolton Road. over 24 hours.” Meribeth Deen, photo Brownsword, who is a soft-
Women’s March on Washington comes to Bowen MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
Motivated by the desire to not leave the island this weekend, but also, by a letter from a colleague in the US, Susanna Braund has organized a march in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington that will begin outside the Bowen Island Library, at 9:45am on Saturday. “My colleague, who is based in California sent out an email to maybe 50 of us, stating how moved she is to see the support of people from around the world marching in solidarity,” says Braund. The Women’s March on Washington, which will be carried out in more than 600 cities across the globe, is set to take
place the day following the inauguration of President Donald Trump. The mission of the March, as stated by the organizers: ...is the first step towards unifying our communities, grounded in new relationships, to create change from the grassroots level up. We will not rest until women have parity and equity at all levels of leadership in society. Organizers have also stated that the March is non-partisan and aims to advance a specific policy agenda that includes: expanding family leave, ending racial profiling, and maintaining or broadening access to abortion and birth control. Braund says that for her the March is in part an opportunity to express her
feelings in the wake of US election. “It felt like a body blow and it sent me, and many others into deep despair. I also fear that all the hard work of the women’s movement in the past 50 years will suffer a terrible setback under this new administration. We march for ourselves, for our daughters’ generation and for their daughters too, to claim autonomy over our bodies and our minds, our souls and our lives. As of Wednesday, January 18, 38 people have registered to participate in the Women’s March on Bowen Island. If you would like to register and participate for the Women’s March on Bowen Island, you can find the page on actionnetwork.org.
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The BC Building Act and energy efficiency In the earlier article about Bowen Island’s Community Energy Efficiency Plan (CEEP), councillor Maureen Nicholson mentioned the BC Building Act as an example of how higher levels of government can help municipalities cut emissions. In the plan (the CEEP), it is stated that emissions from buildings accounts for 13% of all of Bowen’s emissions. The plan states that, “the energy efficiency requirements of the BC Building Code may not be reflected in some buildings due to a lack of knowledge by builders, and limited number of required inspection or enforcement practices.” Possible solutions to this, as stated in the report, include: • Changing building inspection requirements or practices. • Increasing the number of Certified Energy Assessors. • Promoting educational sessions on the BC Building Code to builders / developers in their community. The Homeowner’s Protection Office regularly runs such sessions. The report also mentions that the building code is an ongoing provincial initiative, improving energy efficiency of new housing. To understand the role that the BC Building Act plays in efficiency, The Undercurrent spoke with Bowen-based architect Martin Pykalo, who works for the City of Vancouver to deliver city-owned assets such as libraries and public housing. “The Provincial Building Code is the law, and it applies to all buildings no matter how small. Even a shed, if it is heated, must adhere to the standards set out in the Building Code,” says Pykalo. “It outlines the worst possible building you can build, and it is the Municipality’s job to uphold that. In order to get an occupancy permit, the building must meet that basic standard. If you happen to own a building that is not to code and are paying for insurance, you are basically throwing your money away because if you have a fire, it gives the insurance company an excuse not to pay you.” He adds that some municipalities have enacted mechanisms that force developers to adhere to higher standards. The City of Vancouver, for example, has required that any building built for its ownership must adhere to LEED Gold Standards (this is one of the highest standards for efficiency set by the US Green Building Council.) “Implementing a mechanism like this requires a lot of political will,” says Pykalo. “And in a time when we are addressing the issue of affordability, building costs go up. I do think in the long run, when you factor in energy savings the costs balance out.” The province of British Columbia has committed to implementing an “Energy Step Code” into the Building Act to replace the unique requirements that municipalities across the province have implemented. According to a report by the Office of Housing and Construction Standards, the levels of the code indicate “a linear progression from the current Building Code towards the highest levels of energy efficiency in buildings.” Signing on to any increased standards laid out by this code would be voluntary. The Step Code plan is expected to come into force in this spring.
What better thing to do on a rainy, cold January day? Cribbage!! REBECCA LYNE SUBMISSION
Come out to the Legion, Sunday, January 29th and play this classic game with other card playing peeps in your community all while supporting two local causes, The Missy Foundation and Adam Taylor’s Nature Dive. Feel free to show us your mad skills while chirping your competition. Prizes for top two finishing teams. Why put on a cribbage tournament for charity? Well for this team of co-organizers (Steph Carruthers, Alida Edwards, & Rebecca Lyne), it’s a way to give back while in a busy stage of life when we can’t always physically be there for other volunteer initiatives. Whether it be a
motley crew of dogs or kids, hands are often full right now and this fundraiser gives a flexible schedule and smaller commitment than other volunteer roles. Just gotta do what you can when you can! If you can make it out to this event, your team’s entry fee is going directly towards supporting Adam Taylor’s annual Nature Dive (date TBD but likely sometime in September) and helping the Missy Foundation provide a calm, safe retirement home for pets in old age that have no where else to go. Let’s do this Bowen. Legion (and bar) will be open to public on this day (game snacks provided). For more info, please call 778-8681576.
4 • FRIDAY JANUARY 20 2017
viewpoint The Write Stuff. The Undercurrent encourages reader participation in your community newspaper. You must include your full name and a daytime phone number (for verification only). The editor reserves the right to edit for clarity, legality, brevity and taste. Here’s how. To submit a letter to the editor, fax 604-947-0148 or mail it to #102, 495 Government Rd., PO Box 130, Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G0 or email editor@ bowenislandundercurrent.com. National NewsMedia Council. The Undercurrent is a member of the National NewsMedia Council of Canada, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please email editor@ bowenislandundercurrent.com or call 604-947-2442. If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the website at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information.
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Tackling climate change one bubble bath at a time My kid’s shampoo claims to be carbon neutral. I might be wrong, but such a claim makes me think every claim on the bottle is bunk, and that I should’ve just bought the cheap stuff. The cheap stuff, the Spider-Man bubble-bath (yes I returned the $30 bottle of kids bubble-bath I accidentally purchased at Whole Foods and opted for the $2.99 bottle at London Drugs) claims to be gluten-free. When I saw this, I had to actively stop my eyes from rolling into my skull and staying there. If I didn’t need some incentive to get my kids in the bath in the first place (bubbles) or some kind of soapy agent to get the snot out of their hair, I would absolutely concede to my husband’s minimalist dream and buy none of it. All this marketing geared
towards helping us make “good” decisions induces a fatigue, I think. When I see these things I get why so many people lack the energy to actively engage with environmental issues. There’s just too much to worry about, and the solutions seem out of reach. I say all this as a preface to the acknowledgment that in past weeks, I have dedicated considerable space to issues of energy consumption and our Community Energy Emissions Plan. It has been said that “climate change” is a notoriously boring subject, tough to tackle for storytellers of all stripes. I don’t suppose I have the remedy for that, but as this community is so highly engaged and has taken on the task of setting targets in the first place, I’m hoping that I won’t lose too many of you.
Furthermore, we’ll only find solutions if we bother to understand the problem in the first place. The solutions, as a number of commentators on the subject have noted, actually serve us better by improving our quality of life. While buildings are not one of the major sources of emissions here on Bowen, improv-
ing the efficiency of homes will impact affordability. Creating a walkable Cove, and better on-island transportation alternatives would improve our health, save us money and mean I have to sit through fewer conversations about parking at council. And while eliminating the
ferry is clearly not an option, making it easier to stay on-island can maybe ease our reliance on it. I look forward to your feedback on all of it. The Undercurrent welcomes your perspective. editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com
‘Storm’ hits Bowen for outdoor hockey classic Generous neighbours share Ballou Pond for moonlit peewee contest Dear Editor, Winter will have let go of its frosty grip by press time this weekend, but it was quite the ride. While the snow, ice, and colder weather poses a problem for many, it was a wonderful six weeks for outdoor play. Tobogganers, hockey players and Inuit sled dogs could not have been happier! Last weekend, the North Vancouver Peewee Storm A2 rep hockey team visited Bowen to enjoy an evening of ‘outdoor classic’ hockey on Ballou Pond. It was a spectacular night under the moon and floodlights, and a rare treat for town kids to see outdoor hockey action. The next day, the sleepover boys got an extra special treat with Grafton Lake offering up hours of virgin, coast to coast perfect ice to enjoy. Thanks to Jeff and Sue for sharing the pond with the Storm team and many neighbourhood families over the
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to clear roads, trails, and sidewalks, and keep island travel as safe as possible. It was a tough mix of weather events and cold temperatures and, all things considered, they did a fantastic job. Thanks for your long hours and hard work! However, thorns to the person who ticketed the hockey mom for parking roadside to the hockey pond, given that shoulders weren’t ploughed and alternatives didn’t exist. Many islanders had to use creative parking over the past two months to cope with road and driveway conditions, and ticketing a car that posed no safety risk or traffic problems is just plain mean-spirited (but, ironically, fits the new Bowen brand I suppose). Even though the glow from the ‘best hockey season ever’ on Bowen will last a while, I probably won’t miss the sheet of ice that invaded my driveway.
A2 Peewee rep team the North Vancouver Storm (as well as a few siblings) gather for a late-night shinny at Ballou Pond. photo Mark Hadrill past few weeks. Thanks also to Michael and Steve for lending tools to flood and light
and pond. Roses too, to the municipal works crews, parks staff,
businesses, contractors and neighbours who worked so hard over the past six weeks
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FRIDAY FRIDAY JANUARY JANUARY 20 20 2017 2017 •S 55
Acupressure points and wellness tips COURTNEY MORRIS CONTRIBUTOR
In Chinese Medicine it is thought that living in tune with the seasons can keep your health balanced. Chinese Medicine philosophy always goes back to balancing the Yin and the Yang. Summer is the utmost of Yang and Winter is utmost Yin. In the summer when the Yang is high, the days are long and our energy is abundant, we can stay up late and harvest this energy. The winter is a time to nourish our Yin. The days are shorter and it is a good time to read a book by the fire, go to sleep earlier and wake up later. The same as the roots are resting and the animals hibernate so should we slow down. 1. Rest. This doesn’t mean to stop all exercise, it’s good to get the blood moving but remember to go to bed early and not
take on extra commitments. 2. Stay Warm. It is important to stay warm by wearing proper clothing. Hats that cover the ears, boots to keep your feet warm and scarves to cover your neck. 3. Eat for the Season. Great foods for the winter are: apples, pears, mushrooms, black beans, walnuts, black sesame seeds, root vegetables, squash, potatoes, winter greens. Bone or Veggie Broth Soup. Acupressure can help to stimulate the body to heal itself. For winter wellness you can do acupressure on points Kidney 27 and Stomach 36. Point Kidney 27 is located in that space right under the clavicle about 3 fingers from the midline of the body. You can massage this point for 2 minutes a day to help with immune boosting and it will help to strengthening your ‘jing’.
“Jing” is your vital force. It is hard to translate accurately, it is responsible for your fundamental essence and energy. When I treat for fertility I work a lot on strengthening people’s Jing. If someone is ill a lot or has been through a lot of illness their jing can be depleted. Stomach 36 is located about a hand length from the patella of the knee and about 1 finger over from the tibia. This is also an immune boosting point. Massage this point daily for 2 minutes. It is also a great one to do on babies and kids. Living in tune with the seasons helps to protect our energy, stay healthier and prevent illness. Courtney Morris, Registered Acupuncturist, Homeopath and is Co-Owner of Bowen Island Naturopathic and Acupuncture clinic.
Greetings from Guatemala At the start of a new year many of us think about beginnings and resolutions. We were wondering if the dead of winter is really the best time to initiate something new or start on intentions to change an undesired trait or behaviour. Why? Because the natural inclination at that time is to get out of the cold, go inward, relax and restore. By January 1st our collective habit is to think, “Well it’s a new year. Now is the time to create a new me with more creativity, power and abundance.” We certainly have created many new intentions like this over the years. However, one thing we’ve noticed is that some of us make many of the same New Year’s resolutions every year! Now isn’t that interesting! What does that mean? Maybe we haven’t fully understood the process of making commitments that stick. In nature we see new beginnings in the spring time. That’s when we spot new shoots, buds and birdies. However, what we are seeing is something that began much earlier. It takes time to create something new and we don’t see with our eyes the seeds germinating in the earth or new life gestating in the womb. What if this time of year is not the time for new intentions, but rather for introspection and making peace with where we are at. This means first taking time to fully acknowledge and accept our situation, loving ourselves wherever we’ve arrived. Then we can choose to let go parts of ourselves and make way for something more aligned with who we are to emerge. Our instant society wants instant results. When we declare our new goals, we want to see outcomes within a few weeks or a
HAVE YOU BEEN FORCED TO SWITCH YOUR MEDICATION? BC PharmaCare has expanded its Reference Drug Program as of December 1, 2016, which means that if you use PharmaCare, your medicine might have been switched with a different product at the pharmacy. Patients affected by this policy of medication substitution are those who take medication for high blood pressure (hypertension), angina, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or heartburn, ulcers, high cholesterol, muscle pain, or arthritis. Has this policy caused you any issues, have you experienced any medical problems, new or increased costs, or other concerns (i.e., more trips to the doctor/hospital)?
WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU.
Our survey is open January 9-28, 2017 from Monday to Saturday, 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM Call 604-800-8251 or 1-800-313-0737 www.betterpharmacare.org
DEPARTS SUN to THURS FRI & SAT SNUG COVE 11:15PM 12:15AM SNUG COVE 11:15PM 12:15AM HORSESHOE BAY 11:30PM 12:30AM HORSESHOE BAY 11:30PM 12:30AM
Scheduled Afternoon Commuter Runs OPERATING 7 DAYS WEEK Mon - Fri Horseshoe Bay -ASnug Cove
Proudly Celebrating Over 36 39 Years of Trusted Transport for Bowen Island & Howe Sound Soorya and Jack are relationship coaches and spiritual mentors. They lead relationship workshops at Bowen Island Yoga (BowenIslandYoga.com) and will lead two ‘Rejuvenate Your Relationship’ weekend retreats at Nectar Yoga B&B, Bowen Island (NectarYoga.ca) on April 7-9 and Sept. 22-24. month MAX. We too need time to gestate so that fresh purposes can emerge by inspiration and conscious choice instead of unconscious reaction. It takes time for intentions to develop with strength and steady conviction. There must be some continuous cohesive power causing our intentions to manifest. In human terms, commitment is like that. It’s not just one commitment and let’s hope it happens. It’s a continuous series of recommitments with great respect for our efforts, and the ability to redirect when we go astray, that provides the connectivity needed to materialize our wishes and goals. Here we are near San Marcos La Laguna in Guatemala, taking time for our gestation period, adding self-love, mindfulness, disagreeing at times but always
recommitting to what’s important. We’re in great company with the many young people who’ve travelled from all over the world to live a life closer to their basic needs, fusing New Age, Yoga and Mayan teachings. Foreigners and locals together have created many initiatives. They have used their combined ingenuity — from permaculture, to manufacturing probiotic drinks, to offering workshops, to building hotels and spiritual centres for life-affirming practices. We will be back on Bowen Island in early March in time to appreciate the visible signs of our new intentions manifesting for 2017. Soorya and Jack Resels have studied and trained with world renowned relationship experts Drs Katie and Gay
Hendricks (hendricks.com). They are certified Conscious Loving and Living Coaches and have worked with hundreds of individuals and couples (JackandSoorya.com).
Telephone: 604-947-2243 Cellular: 604-250-2630 24 Hour Tug & BargeService services Special Event Cruises PRIVATE CHARTERS AVAILABLE ANYTIME
email: cormorantmarine@telus.net web: cormorantwatertaxi.com
604-947-2243
Since 1978
Request for bids for repair/remediation construction work at Bowen Island Legion 150. The Bowen Island Legion is inviting building contractors to bid on structural repair work on the Legion building. The work involves the sistering and support of existing joist beams under the legion building, along with additional repairs. This work is offered to qualified contractors who are appropriately insured and covered by Workers Compensation. Interested parties can contact Jason Zahara by February 15, 2017 at jaguza1@shaw.ca for a copy of the engineer’s report and set up a site visit.
6 •S FRIDAY JANUARY 20 2017
WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM
CNV considers three dwellings per lot
JEREMY SHEPHERD NORTH SHORE NEWS
A coach house and a secondary suite may be coming to a one-unit residential lot near you. City of North Vancouver
council voted unanimously Monday to send a zoning amendment – which would allow homeowners to add a secondary suite and a coach house – to a public hearing. Presently, homeowners can have
one or the other but not both. While council supported housing for the city’s renters, the sticking point may be determining where those renters will park, according to Coun. Don Bell. “The one area that is a concern to me is the parking question,” Bell said. The city’s bylaws require one parking spot for each additional unit. However, staff is recommending two parking spots on lots with three dwellings. A three-parking spot requirement would “consume an excessive amount of the site and impact the massing and even viability of adding a coach house on some sites,” forcing more floor area on the second storey, according to a staff report penned by planner Wendy Tse. The report also notes that the City of Vancouver requires only one parking space for three
dwellings. While she supported sending the bylaw to public hearing, Coun. Pam Bookham advised city staff that she was looking for more “hard data” on affordability around building and maintaining coach houses. Accessibility was also a key issue for Bookham. “Over this unusually wintery month (we’ve seen) that there are real problems in terms of accessing lanes.” Bookham was also curious to see if the coach houses would play a role in replacing the city’s diminishing stock of three- and four-storey walk-ups. “Can we look at coach houses as, in any way, picking up that need?” she asked. The city allowed secondary suites in 1993 and spearheaded a coach house program in 2010. “Based on the success of both initiatives, the number of
ground-oriented rental units available has increased,” according to the staff report. City council clashed on the issue in 2014, with Couns. Linda Buchanan and Craig Keating as well as Mayor Darrell Mussatto voting against the proposed official community plan because it prohibited coach houses and secondary suites on the same lot. At the time, Buchanan blasted the draft OCP (which was ultimately defeated) for taking away the rights of property owners to create revenue as well as removing options for affordability. The new bylaw wouldn’t change floor space limits on each lot. Those limits would ensure houses “remain respectful in size and massing,” according to Tse’s report. The three buildings would also remain a package deal as homeowners would not be permitted to stratify
the buildings or to sell them separately. The city’s current rules only allow a secondary suite if the homeowner resides in the principal dwelling. However, the new bylaw would allow the property owner to have their pick of the three homes. “I think that makes sense, not forcing them to live in the primary unit,” Bell said, explaining that homeowners could downsize without leaving their property. With the city’s vacancy rate hovering just above zero and the barriers to homeownership spiralling higher, the new bylaw is necessary to meet the growing demand and to ensure: “residents of all income levels can afford to live in the city,” according to the staff report. The public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 20.
City of North Vancouver Coun. Linda Buchanan considers a bylaw allowing secondary suites and coach houses. Buchanan previously argued such additions could give the city some much-needed affordable housing options. PHOTO MIKE WAKEFIELD
BC Ferries REGULAR SCHEDULE REGULAR SCHEDULE Jan May 3 to15May 17, 2017 In Effect to October 13, 2014
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BOWEN ISLAND Snug Cove
Distance: 3 NAUTICAL MILES Crossing Time: 20 MINUTES
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Places of Worship Welcome You BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCH Rev. Shelagh MacKinnon
Service and Sunday School: 10:30 a.m. Collins Hall Bookings: Helen Wallwork Minister of Music: Lynn Williams
FOOD BANK DROP-OFF
BOWEN ISLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH www.bowencommunitychurch.org Pastor Clinton Neal 1070 1070 Miller Road 604-947-0384 604-947-0441 Service 10:30Service a.m. Sunday 11:00 a.m. 10:30 School a.m.
AUG 4, SEPT 1 & † 13 OCT
ST. GERARD’S CATHOLIC CHURCH ST. GERARD’SROMAN ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
†
604-988-6304 Administration Office: 604-682-6774
THE WEDNESDAY SAILINGS WILL BE REPLACED THEDANGEROUS WEDNESDAY BY SAILINGS WILL CARGO SAILINGS. BE REPLACED NO OTHER BY DANGEROUS PASSENGERS CARGO SAILINGS. NO OTHER PERMITTED.
PASSENGERS PERMITTED.
Mass: 10:30 Sunday a.m. Priest: James Comey Mass:Father 10:30 a.m.
CATES HILL CHAPEL www.cateshillchapel.com 604-947-4260
(661 Carter Rd.)
10:00 a.m. Worship • Sunday School: Tots to Teens Phil James Adkins B. Krohn Pastor: Dr.
WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM
FRIDAY JANUARY 20 2017 • 7
BOWEN BULLETIN BOARD FREE
Hearing Tests Hearing Aid Clean and Checks
Caring Circle, Bowen Island
604.349.7402
Tuesday January 24th
info@bowenconcrete.ca
Call 604-281-3691 for appointment
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I’ll pick up your recycling and deliver to BIRC for $25/load Kindling $20/box at Building Centre CALL 947-2430
4pm Friday to book the space 4pm Monday for artwork Contact Maureen to book your ad today. 604-947-2442
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MARKETPLACE Or call to place your ad at
604-630-3300
Email: classifieds@van.net
Phone Hours: Mon to Fri 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Office Hours: 9 am to 5 pm
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BC WIDE CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS ADVERTISING POLICIES
All advertising published in this newspaper is accepted on the premise that the merchandise and services offered are accurately described and willingly sold to buyers at the advertised prices. Advertisers are aware of these conditions. Advertising that does not conform to these standards or that is deceptive or misleading, is never knowingly accepted. If any reader encounters non-compliance with these standards we ask that you inform the Publisher of this newspaper and The Advertising Standards Council of B.C. OMISSION AND ERROR: The publishers do not guarantee the insertion of a particular advertisement on a specified date, or at all, although every effort will be made to meet the wishes of the advertisers. Further, the publishers do not accept liability for any loss of damage caused by an error or inaccuracy in the printing of an advertisement beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred. Any corrections of changes will be made in the next available issue. The Bowen Island Undercurrent will be responsible for only one incorrect insertion with liability limited to that portion of the advertisement affected by the error. Request for adjustments or corrections on charges must be made within 30 days of the ad’s expiration. For best results please check your ad for accuracy the first day it appears. Refunds made only after 7 business days notice!
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8 • FRIDAY JANUARY 20 2017
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Artist seeks community help with industrial projects in Howe Sound MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
Local artist Jay White wants Bowen Islanders to join people from across the Sea to Sky region in Horseshoe Bay next weekend to voice their concerns about various resource extraction and shipping projects proposed for Howe Sound. This includes the proposed McNab Creek Gravel Mine and the proposed Woodfibre LNG Plant. He also wants to teach these people how to make pin-hole cameras, and to pick a spot near one of these proposed industrial sites to set these cameras up in late February. “The images that come from the pinhole cameras can be beautiful, and they have very long exposures – between six and eight weeks – so they aren’t really about photographing something with clarity,” says White. “For me, this is more about getting people physically into places where they are discouraged from going. It’s a sort of playful act of counter surveillance.” White, who is working on this project with fellow artist Gen Robertson, has carried out the project once before along the route of the pro-
MONDAY, JAN. 23
TUESDAY, JAN. 24
Special community lunch at the Legion; Beef Bourguignon, followed by dessert, tea/coffee. Cost $10. Adult event; to reserve call Caring Circle @ 9100 The Magic of Soil, a talk by Phil Gregory, 7–9 p.m. at the Gallery at Artisan Square; Bowen Ag Alliance and Bowen in Transition
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 25
Learn more about the Community Energy and Emissions Plan, council chambers 7-9 p.m.
FRIDAY, JAN. 27
Montessori open house, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
SATURDAY, JAN. 28
Bowen Island resident Jay White is an artist and teacher at Emily Carr University. He is organizing an upcoming event that includes pin-hole cameras. photo supplied posed Kinder Morgan Pipeline expansion in Burnaby. “The pipeline route takes about a day to walk, and you are technically trespassing in a lot of the places along the way,” says White. “But the point is that we should be
allowed to see where these projects might happen. Participants come back from these places with lived experiences and stories, and I feel in the telling of those stories we can make a larger, lasting impact.” White and Robertson are
Certified provider of Active Release Techniques Artisan Square Tues. & Fri.
778-828-5681
www.drtracyleach.ca
BODY VITALITY MASSAGE THERAPY James Goldfarb RMT BC#05279 Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon Call 604-288-2860 text 250-726-8080 www.bodyvitality.ca
Bowen Island Naturopathic & Acupuncture Clinic #201 - 566 Artisan Square
Natural health solutions for the whole family
Dr. Alea Bell, ND Naturopathic Doctor
778-891-0370
draleabell@gmail.com
Courtney Morris, R.Ac Registered Acupuncturist, Doula, Homeopath
604-338-5001
courtneykmorris@gmail.com
hosting their workshop, called “Pinhole Cameras and Pipelines,” at St. Monica’s Church in Horseshoe Bay at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28. Workshop participants aren’t required to set up the cameras in February.
BOWEN ISLAND
MASSAGE THERAPY
Call us at
604-947-9755 EXT #1
Open Mon.Wed. Thurs. Fri. Now accepting Bowen patients. Artisan Square
604-281-3691
Dr. Utah Zandy 604-947-9830 CALL FOR APPOINTMENT OPEN TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS
FREE
Hearing Testing On Bowen Island @ Caring Circle West Vancouver
Dr. Dana Barton
Naturopathic Physician
@ Artisan Square
CATHERINE SHAW
Suite #595A Next Door
❦
MARY MCDONAGH RMT HARMONY SHIRE RMT ALICIA HOPPENRATH RMT
604-730-1174
Celebrating 29 years
Natural Family Medicine
Artisan Square 604-947-0734
Family Dentist
Alternate Fridays 10am - 4:30pm Horseshoe Bay 604-921-8522 www.bowenislanddental.com
At entrance to Artisan Square Suite #597
Suite #597 Wellness Centre
596 B. Artisan Square
778-233-4425
Compassion minded counselling to grow wellbeing in the midst of serious illness, loss and grief.
Three ways to see Europe, a fundraiser for Komera Canada, Collins Hall, 3 p.m., $15 for adults, $12 for students.
NexGen Hearing
Dr. Gloria Chao
Docs on the Bay and Bowen Island
SUNDAY, JAN. 29
The Lonesome Ace Stringband, 4 p.m. at Tir Na Nog TheatreTickets; $20 at lonsomeace.com
Dr. Susanne Schloegl
Mary Coleman MSW, RSW
Annual Bowen Ag Alliance Seed Sale/Exchange (garden book and tools swap; mini farmers market), noon–2 p.m. at BICS. For more info or to book a table contact Sarah Haxby at shaxby@wvschools.ca
HEALTH & WELLNESS 604-947-9986
Dr. Tracy Leach, D.C.
SATURDAY, JAN. 21 Women’s March on Washington–Bowen Island, 9:45 a.m. in front of the Bowen Island Library; wear a pink hat or scarf if you have one. Everyone welcome! Seniors Keeping Young (SKY): Exercise at 9 a.m., coffee at 9:45 a.m., Speaker’s Corner with Joanne Mulhall discussing Natural Health and Nutrition at 10 a.m., and yoga with Jeff Simons at 11:15 a.m..
M.D.
Bowen Island Chiropractic
On the calendar
Community Healthcare
Psychologist Dr. Carolyn Nesbitt PhD, R.Psych #1484
604-376-9801 www.CarolynNesbitt.com
Dr. Traditional Chinese Medicine/Acupuncturist
MARY MCDONAGH
RMT, DCH Registered Massage Therapist
❦
SANDY LOGAN Registered Physiotherapist
❦
HEIDI MATHER
Acupuncturist Registered Nutritionist
Life Labs Tue @ Dr. Schloegl Thur @ Dr. Zandy 6:45am - 8:45am
For routine lab tests. Specialized tests & children may be referred to the mainland.