THURSDAY MAR 29, 2018 VOL. 44, NO. 12
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including GST
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RON’S 500TH
Our beloved cartoonist Ron Woodall dishes on his craft
LIGHTEN UP
In our eight-page real estate pull-out, we have tips to get your home ready for spring
OCTOPUS’S GARDEN
Vancouver Aquarium returns Phoenix to Bowen Island to find a mate
Bowen exempt from proposed speculation tax CHANTAL EUSTACE EDITOR
On Monday morning, frustrated Bowen Islanders spoke out against a proposed speculation tax at council. “People were apoplectic,” said mayor Murray Skeels, speaking with The Undercurrent, of the intense feedback he received, relating to the tax. “Just the impact was going to be so profound, so devastating,” he said, adding council received dozens of letters from concerned people. And he said, the response from islanders was “pretty straightforward,” adding: “It was just: do the math.” And then on Monday afternoon — hours after the municipal meeting — finance minister Carole James announced changes to the proposed speculation tax. For starters, B.C. residents will now only have to pay 0.5 per cent a year on second homes valued at $400,000 or above, she announced. And the tax will apply to B.C. residents who own any second or vacation home that is not rented out at least six months of the year, for periods of at least 30 days. Also, homes under $400,000 will be exempt, in order to ensure that most cabins are not caught in the tax, said James. James also told media that the catchment boundaries of where the tax will apply were reduced. So while areas like Metro Vancouver, Kelowna and Nanaimo are included,
rural and island areas were excluded from the tax. But what about Bowen? From 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. or so on Monday, Skeels said they weren’t completely certain, as initially Bowen Island wasn’t specifically mentioned. Calls were made. Emails were sent. Then at 4:15 p.m., he said, Kathy Lalonde, chief administrative officer for the municipality, received word in writing: Bowen Island was exempt. “I’m pretty happy,” said Skeels on Tuesday. “Given the range of possibilities, I think we did pretty well with it.” But he added, islanders who live on Bowen full time but maintain a residence in places like Vancouver will be impacted by the tax. And he said, the whole thing was quite frustrating. “It should have never happened in the first place,” said Skeels. More on the proposed tax? The minister said that under these new changes, 99 per cent of British Columbians will not have to pay the speculation tax. Canadians from outside the province will have to pay 0.5 per cent this year and a reduced 1 per cent thereafter. Non-Canadian residents will still have to pay 0.5 per cent this year and 2 per cent thereafter, as under the previous iteration of the tax. Continued page 6
Happy trails
Anyone who goes for a walk along Killarney Lake has probably encountered Shirley Stokes and her Irish wolfhound Bella. We caught up with Shirley and Bella this past Sunday and stopped for a chat. Story on page 6. PHOTO CHANTAL EUSTACE
Beached boat at Seymour Bay ‘unacceptable’ CHANTAL EUSTACE EDITOR
A sailboat appears to have been left to sink off the beach at Seymour Bay. “It’s atrocious,” said Bruce Russell, speaking by phone on Monday. He emailed photos of the boat to the paper, as well as the Bowen Island Municipality on the weekend. “It’s totally, totally unacceptable,”
said Russell. He said the boat was first spotted in Mannion Bay being towed by another boat last week. He took note, saying, “a sailboat without a mast says something to me.” His concern was justified when someone alerted him Sunday, saying the boat in question was beached. The Coast Guard was called, and confirmed there are no haz-
ards like batteries and hydrocarbons on board the boat, said Bonny Brokenshire of the Bowen Island Municipality. Removing it from the shore isn’t so simple though. The municipality is also following up with the last-known owner of the boat, she said, and working with federal and provincial bodies. Continued page 16
Bring the kids to ….
BOWEN BUILDING CENTRE; 62p0; 3.417 in; Process color; 4302882
Hammers & Hot Dogs
Saturday april 14 • 11am - 1pm AT IRLY BOWEN BUILDING CENTRE Join Anna, Lena and the gang for a fun, free parent-child early learning activity for families with children aged 3-8, including free hotdogs. Limited space - sign up today! Register at bowencommunityrecreation.com or 604-947-2216
Reminder the Building Centre will be closed Easter Monday Open MON to FRI 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM SAT 8:00 AM TO 5:00 PM CLOSED SUNDAY
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Meeting Calendar April 3, 2018 7:00 pm
An information and Q&A Session with Daniel Martin, Planner; Greg Cormier, Building Inspector; and Lisa Howland, Secondary Suite Owner.
Transportation Advisory Committee Meeting
April 5, 2018 9:30 am Snug Cove Improvements Working
Smart Cities Challenge
Group Meeting
How can we use smart solutions to make Bowen Island an even better place to live, work and visit?
April 5, 2018 7:00 pm
We need your best, most innovative ideas for the Smart Cities Challenge!
Bowen Housing: Detached Secondary Suites Workshop All meetings are held in Council Chambers unless otherwise noted.
Bowen Island Municipality is entering the Smart Cities Challenge, in which the Government of Canada has invited communities of our size to compete for a prize of $5 million. The goal is to solve community challenges using innovative data and connected technology to achieve meaningful outcomes for residents.
Thursday, April 5, 2018 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm Municipal Hall 981 Artisan Lane Attending in person? Please RSVP to housing@bimbc.ca Watch the video live or archived on YouTube: www.youtube.com/bowenislandmunicipality Bowen Housing is an initiative identified by Council as a strategic priority for 2018. This series will help bring awareness to housing options for the community, including planning tools available to municipalities, best practices, housing types and partnership models. Events will include special meetings of Council and speaker events focusing on local solutions.
Join the Economic Development Committee
Please submit your ideas by e-mail to bim@bimbc.ca with the subject line: “Smart Cities Challenge”. The deadline to submit is March 30, 2018.
Saturday, April 21, 2018 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Hazardous Waste and Paint Recycling Saturday, April 29, 2018 9:00 am - 3:00 pm www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/clean-up-days
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
The qualities we are looking for in our volunteers include: • Willingness to put in time on projects and working groups in addition to monthly EDC meetings • Willingness to take leadership roles and be creative in solving community issues • Specific areas of experience that will contribute to a range of skills and interests within the group such as business, economics, research and analysis, sustainability, community building, graphicdesign, marketing, writing, etc. Application forms can be obtained by emailing bim@bimbc.ca or in person at the Municipal Hall. Submission deadline is Monday, April 2, at 4:30 PM.
Find us on Facebook Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Monday - Friday, excluding statutory holidays March 29, 2018
Bowen Island Municipality
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Bowen Island Municipality’s Economic Development Committee, the volunteer group that brought the Bowen Island Community Brand to life, is looking for volunteers. In addition to committee responsibilities such as attending monthly meetings in person and completing actions generated from such, EDC members work on subcommittees such as the “Business Licensing Task Force” and the “Business Retention and Expansion Subcommittee”.
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Free Phoenix: Bowen octopus returns home CHANTAL EUSTACE EDITOR
Phoenix, a Giant Pacific octopus, is back in her home turf off the southeast coast of Bowen Island. Possibly looking for a mate. The female octopus was taken from the area last year to be on display at the Vancouver Aquarium. But when staff noticed she had become reproductively active, the plan for her release was hatched. “We knew she was fully grown and seeing eggs in her mantle confirmed that it was her time to reproduce,” said Ruby Banwait, senior aquarium biologist at the aquarium. And that’s how the Bowen Island octopus came home — part of collaboration with Ocean Wise and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) — and a first for the aquarium. “It was a beautiful, bright, sunny day,” Banwait said, recalling the March 16 dive off Bowen, in a phone interview with The Undercurrent. “It wasn’t exactly where we collected her from,” she said, describing shifting tide conditions and
strong winds. “But we got pretty darn close.” The dive team got into the water with the octopus — about nine metres from shore — and dove to about 13 metres for Phoenix’s release, she said. “The really cool part for me is that she was so calm the entire time. She was really relaxed. Her colouration was really nice. She didn’t ink in the bag and she didn’t, you know, jet away from us,” said Banwait. “She sat for a little while on the rocks when we first let her out and we had a chance to just look at her overall body condition. And she looked great. And eventually she started crawling away, making her way along the bottom.” And then she went on her way. And what are Phoenix’s chances for finding a mate? “It seems to be a pretty prolific area for octopus around Bowen Island,” Banwait said. “I’m going to guess it will be fairly easy.” Then Banwait hedges a little, adding: “But it just depends on the compliment of animals that is around, if there are already a lot of females around in that area, then maybe, she’s going to have more competition.”
A Vancouver Aquarium diver releases the Giant Octopus into waters off Bowen Island. Phoenix was on display for a year. PHOTO VANCOUVER AQUARIUM
BC SPCA: Choose chocolate bunnies this Easter MELISSA SHAW VANCOUVER IS AWESOME
A living and breathing rabbit is long-term commitment. That’s why the BC SPCA is reminding the public that chocolate bunnies make better gifts for Easter than real rabbits. Each year, the SPCA receives dozens of abandoned rabbits at its branches across the province after the spring holiday weekend has passed once the excitement of a new pet is replaced by the reality of caring for its needs.
“The animals turned in to SPCA shelters are the fortunate ones,” said Lorie Chortyk of the BC SPCA. “Many others are simply abandoned in the wild to fend for themselves, and these domesticated rabbits often fall prey to predators such as coyotes, are susceptible to disease, or end up starving to death.” Chortyk said if there are no predators the rabbits can multiply and create a serious overpopulation problem as the animals can live for more than 12 years.
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THURSDAY THURSDAYMARCH MARCH29 29 2018 2018 •• 3 3
“The whales use echolocation to find their pray... and if there’s a lot of boat noise that makes their job much more difficult,” says researcher Lance Barret-Lennard. PHOTO SUPPLIED
Can orcas communicate above the din of human activity? Federal government funds studies into presence and behaviour of whales living off our coast RICA TALAY NORTH SHORE NEWS
Government funding will go into researching the endangered southern killer whale, a frequent Bowen Island visitor. As part of the initiative to protect Canadian coasts, the federal government announced $12.2 million in objective to preserve marine mammals at the Vancouver Aquarium on March 15. The $9.1 million will go towards new technology to detect the presence of whales, while $3.1 million will fund four research projects dedicated to studying the impacts of underwater noise and reduction of prey on marine mammals — in particular the endangered southern killer whale residents. One of the research groups, Ocean Wise, is receiving $942,000 of government funding for their long-term research project that’s assessing the health and condition of southern and northern resident killer whales and analyzing the impact of environment stressors such as noise and prey limitation. “I was ecstatic I have to say,” said project head Lance Barret-Lennard. “The hardest kinds of studies to fund are always long term ones, it’s much easier to get funding for a one year or two year project, but to be able to convince a funder that you need a multi-year funding is tough, so I was super happy.” North Vancouver resident, Barret-Lennard, says northern residents usually never go into the Howe Sound but other species such as the Bigg’s killer whale or sometimes known as transients and southern residents tend to come around Bowen more often. “The endangered southern resident population comes into the
mouth of Howe Sound, quite frequently but it usually doesn’t go very far up Howe Sound. They will sometimes go around Bowen Island, but normally it won’t even go that far, it’ll just come in and go along the shore of Bowen Island and back out again,” he explained. Spokesperson for the BC Cetacean Sightings Network, Jessica Torode, says she received a report of a killer whale sighting near Snug Cove. The network collects sightings of cetaceans in B.C.’s and surrounding waters. “She saw three killer whales close together and one male travelling further from the group,” she said in an email. Barret-Lennard who’s the director of Ocean Wise’s Marine Mammal Research Program applied for the funding to continue their long-term project of analysing the conditions of the northern and southern killer whales through photogrammetry, the use of photography to measure objects. His team uses drone photographs to observe the monthly and yearly conditions of the killer whales. With the concern mostly on the southern residents, due to their alarming risk of endangerment, Barret-Lennard says it’s also important to study the northern whales. He explains how through their researching both populations, they can better understand the reason why the southern population is declining. “We have two more years of funding from a U.S source for the southern killer resident work, and that’s pretty easy to fund because (the Canadian and U.S.) governments are very concerned about southern residents, what’s harder for us to fund is the very important northern resident work, so I’m really happy
about this grant,” he said. According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the southern residents have been listed endangered since 2003 by the Species at Risk Public Registry, while the northern received a threatened status on the same year. Both populations primarily feed on salmon and have been heavily impacted by commercial sport and commercial fishing. Ocean Wise started their killer whale research in 2014 and BarretLennard says his team has found the first strong evidence that the southern resident killer whales are facing a prey shortage challenge.” Through their research they have found how excessive underwater noise is linked to the lack of prey availability. “The biggest kind of disturbance is under water noise, the sound from boat engines are super loud. The whales use echolocation to find their pray... and if there’s a lot of boat noise that makes their job much more difficult,” he said. The government funding will be split into a four year process, the majority of the grant will go into the photo research and field work expenses, as well as the labour that goes into the analysis of the photographs. Barret-Lennard says roughly $160,000 will go into a genetic study and $100,000 will be dedicated to looking at stress hormones in the killer whales. “The biggest value of this particular funding is it extends for a full four years and that’s just a long time horizon, that’s awesome,” he said. “It’s important for this program to run for multiple years because it’s all of the power of it, all the value that really comes from these comparisons if we’re looking at change over time.”
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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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It isn’t only the cats of Bowen Island that know how to seize an opportunity. Ten years ago, the Undercurrent welcomed Ron Woodall’s amazing creativity to its pages. His first cartoon for the paper was “Dog Days cancelled,” top left. His vision of The Snug’s expansion was cartoon number 39, above, while his edgier vision of golfing on Bowen Island was cartoon number 91, at left. His 500th cartoon, below, has us excited about the weeks and years to come.
Ron Woodall’s 500th cartoon RON WOODALL UNDERCURRENT CARTOONIST
This week is my cartoon number 500. A few thoughts.... The quirkiness of Bowen is hard to put into words so how about pictures? This place is not hilarious funny but charming funny. Cartoonists get a special hyperbole pass that allows them make things up and draw cheeky stuff no decent person would think of. Extracting little absurdities requires empathy and sensitivity, qualities which I lack and so depend on the missus to ensure. So, 495 of these did not actually hit a raw nerve. We do have to live here, the best ideas — the edgy ones — are seldom seen. It is always a tricky needle to thread. Unlike political, editorial, cartoons which are downright savage, we have three self-imposed rules: (1) It must be Bowen-specific. (2) It must not be personal. (3) It must not take sides. Which means it must focus only on the issue. Some leftie bias does seep through but as much as possible, the editorializing is left to the editor. Sure, they look dashed off but they always seem to inflict a couple of days of angst.
#102–495 Bowen Trunk Road, PO Box 130, Bowen Island BC, V0N 1G0 Phone: 604.947.2442 Fax: 604.947.0148 Deadline for all advertising and editorial: Monday, 4:00 p.m. www.bowenislandundercurrent.com
The single panel cartoon, which is what these are, is a dying breed — still surviving in The New Yorker but few other places. Sadly, even that magazine now hires staff writer/artist teams. An era is over. The single panel is called the “Haiku of Comic Art.” A precise self-contained unit which distills all context and relevance to a fleeting glance. Imagine stand-up comedy with only one sentence for an entire act. A cartoon can often seem abstract. I explain that it’s like jazz. You may not hum the melody but it’s still music.. It took at few years on the island to give it a try. There was, and still is, that danger of newcomer condescension. By definition, that’s what cartoons do. I explain it this way: “If the ferry’s on time, there is no gag.” The first cartoon happened by chance. A sign on Doc’s lawn read, “Dog Days Are Cancelled.” That seemed funny. Wondered if the cats might seize this window of opportunity? Drew a ’toon which was well received by The Undercurrent. Even better, it was free of charge so could there be another for next week? Nevertheless, for 10 years there has been weekly remorse and contrition when reminded of The Undercurrent’s wholesome and affirmative approach to journalism.
The paper is divided into three parts: (1)The serious citizen and stakeholder’s mature, responsible concerns part. (2) The kids and moms fundraising for Africa and prayer through spiritual yoga and creative visualization at the commons “luv ya” part. (3) The squiggly box in which an 83 year old geezerchild likes to draw the ferry sinking or U-Pik dog poo. Now for the second 500.
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Tracey Wait
Ron Woodall
Peter Kvarnstrom
Bowen Island Undercurrent Subscription Rates: Mailed 1 year subscription on Bowen Island: $45, including GST. Within Canada: $65 including GST Newsstand (Single Copy) $1 per copy, including GST
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Editorial
THURSDAY THURSDAYMARCH MARCH29 29 2018 2018 •• 5 5
Bowen needs to get on the plogging bandwagon CHANTAL EUSTACE EDITOR
Every once in a while I see something online that not only makes me laugh, but also leaves me feeling kind of inspired. Even a little hopeful. This week I learned about plogging. Nope, not a typo. Plogging — a made-up word that combines the act of picking or “plucking” up litter while jogging — is growing in popularity. Search #plogging on social media and you’ll see photos of smiling people from around the world — often sweaty and wearing gym clothes — next to bags of garbage. How does one join the plogging movement? It’s simple. Just bring a bag with you on your next jog — or, if you’re like me, your next walk —and see how many beer cans, chip wrappers, cigarette buts and coffee cups you can collect. It’s incredible how many people are still dropping litter. So I hope we Bowen Islanders can hop on this Swedish-born fitness trend and start plogging. And if you do go for a plog, send me your photo and tell me about it. It all helps right?
During her time in Nepal, Bowen Islander Kate Coffey visited the SCI Practice Home. In this photo she’s with Jharana Rana, board member, Ram Magar, network coordinator, and Rishi Ram Dhakal, home founder and president.
Thank you for a remarkable evening To the Editor:
Last Saturday evening, just under 60 Bowen Islanders turned up at the Annex to hear the story of my year in Sri Lanka, devour some delicious food and donate generously to the SCI Practice Home in Kathmandu, Nepal. The evening raised more than $4,500, allowing THREE children with spinal cord injuries to continue their education.
Thank you to the generous souls of Bowen Island! As is always the case, these kinds of events do not happen on their own. Heartfelt thanks to my team of volunteers: Rob S, Rob G, Judi Robyn, Muriel, Gail, Shannon, Doris, Marcel, Jlonka, Jen, Phil, Marysia for a stellar job, to Claire Leverton for poster design, to the Bowen Island Undercurrent for their online promotion, to BIAC
for promotion and ticket sales, and to BIPL for rental of the Annex. Thanks, too, for discounts from Paul Rickett and Fresh St Market which helped reduce my costs. And to all those of you who donated generously and who bought tickets, raffle tickets, chutneys and spice mixes, thank you. Know you have made a huge difference to these children in Nepal. Kate Coffey
Two outstanding community members deserve support and praise To the Editor: Re: Bob Bates needs a new studio: If my wife Dorene and I had the space we would have Bob back in a New York minute. I say “back” because we first met him in the mid-1980s as he was using one of the extra cottages on our property and was a model tenant/friend for 10 years. He is gives new meaning to the word “gentle” in the word gentleman, which he is to the core. He is polite, bright and has a thirst for knowledge that is never-ending. He is very caring for people and all
Places of Worship Welcome You BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCH BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCH Shelagh Mackinnon Rev.Rev. Shelagh MacKinnon
Helan Wallwork Minister of Music: Lynn Williams
FOOD BANK
FOOD DROP-OFF BANK DROP-OFF
BOWEN ISLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH Pastor Clinton Neal ST. GERARD’S ROMAN 1070 Miller Road 604-947-0384 Service 10:30 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. CATHOLIC CHURCH
Sunday Mass: 10:30 a.m.
ST. GERARD’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Administration Office: 604-682-6774 Mass: 10:30 a.m. Priest: Father James Comey
10:00 a.m. Worship CATES HILL CHAPEL 604-988-6304 Sunday School: Tots to Teens Easter Sunday April 1
for all a.m.www.cateshillchapel.com W 7:30 Easter Sunrise Service CATES HILL10:00 CHAPEL 604-947-4260
Bowen Churches @ Sandy Beach (661 Carter Rd.) 10:00 Easter Worship Celebration 11:30 Easter Luncheon Worship • Sunday School: Tots to Teens
10:00 a.m. www.cateshillchapel.com • 604-947-4260 • (661 Carter Rd.) Pastor: Dr. James B. Krohn Pastor: Phil Adkins
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BOWEN ISLAND Snug Cove
5:20 am^> 6:20 am 7:30 am# 8:35 am 9:40 am 10:50 am 12:00 pm 1:10 pm 2:55 pm 4:00 pm† 5:10 pm* 6:15 pm 7:25 pm* 8:30 pm# 9:30 pm 10:30 pm
VANCOUVER Horseshoe Bay 5:50 am 6:50 am# 8:00 am 9:05 am† 10:15 am 11:25 am 12:35 pm 2:20 pm 3:30 pm 4:35 pm * 5:45 pm 6:50 pm 8:00 pm* 9:00 pm# 10:00 pm
Distance: 3 NAUTICAL MILES Crossing Time: 20 MINUTES
Leave Horseshoe Bay
Service and Sunday School: 10:30 a.m. Service and Sunday School 10:30 am Collins Hall Bookings: Helen Wallwork MinisterCollins of Music: Williams HallLynn Bookings:
the monies for which will be used to do the landscaping and create an attractive and functional courtyard at the SE corner of the library site, which will capture the attention, not to mention use, of a great many ferry foot passengers at the front door entrance to our community. The Cove Commons library courtyard will complement the wonderful Snug Cove Garden Gateway which one might suggest are “bookends” at this strategic location in the community, no pun intended. Bruce Russell
BC Ferries REGULAR SCHEDULE January 2, 2018 to March 31, 2018
Leave Snug Cove
What is plogging? It’s picking up garbage while you’re jogging.
living creature as well as the environment. The community is indeed a better place for having him as a resident. Re: Cove Commons: What a delight to see Kate Coffey using the Annex at Cove Commons for a public presentation which is one of the purposes of the addition to the library. It is apparent that Kate “walks the walk” and not just “talks the talk” as she was very involved in the fundraising for this much needed addition. Speaking of which, the fundraising campaign for Cove Commons Phase II is now underway,
* DAILY EXCEPT SATURDAYS # DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAYS ^ DAILY EXCEPT SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS † WEDNESDAY SAILINGS WILL BE REPLACED BY DANGEROUS CARGO SAILINGS. NO OTHER PASSENGERS PERMITTED. > DAILY EXCEPT FEB 12 & MAR 30
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Good news for islanders
There in spirit Kailey Spear, Dyan Spear, Samantha Spear, Mary Poitier, Ted Spear and Warren Franklin showed their solidarity with students across the globe at last Saturday’s March for Our Lives. Their “mini-march” on Bowen Island was part of the call for stricter gun control in the United States.
from page 1
B.C. income-tax payers who are paying the 0.5 per cent annual tax will still be eligible for a credit to offset their speculation tax bill. The minister added that, just as with Vancouver’s Empty Homes Tax, there would be exemptions for special cases, such as homes owned by seniors going into long-term care or homes under probate, for example. James said that the ministry was working on a system to “temporarily” grandfather in exemptions on strata homes in buildings that do not allow rentals. However, she added that this could not be a permanent exemption as it could potentially incentivize strata corporations to exclude rentals or encourage speculators to invest in such buildings where the tax does not apply. When asked whether the reduction in the scope of the tax would affect the projected $200 million in revenues, James said that this original figure had been “conservative” and she didn’t expect the changes to make a difference in revenues. “We have focused the geographic areas so this tax only applies in urban housing markets hit hardest by the housing crisis,” said James. “With so many people desperate to find good homes in these urban areas, we need to take every step we can to free up and create more housing opportunities.”
A “Bowen moment” with Shirley Stokes and Bella CHANTAL EUSTACE EDITOR
Shirley Stokes holds out her hand to give her beloved dog, Bella, a treat. The 75-kilogram, Irish Wolf Hound waits patiently, nose up and eyes focused. The colourful pair — Stokes, an “80-plus” local with a friendly smile and her large, relaxed dog
Bella the Irish wolfhound loves to greet people on the trails at Crippen Park, says 80-plus-year-old Shirley Stokes.
— are regulars along the paths of Killarney Lake. On Sunday afternoon, I stopped them for a photo and a visit. “She loves people,” says Stokes, looking at Bella. “She’s got many, many friends.” And just then, two dogs (and their human) greeted Bella and Stokes. Tails wagging, the sun peaked out.
BOWEN ISLAND ARTS COUNCIL; 62p0; 6.917 in; Process color; 4302954
The Cove CoBons
Please join the Bowen Island Public Library and the Bowen Island Arts Council
is open!
Sunday, April 8, 2018
It’s time for a
for our
CoBuniC CelebDtion
GDnd Opening 1 pm - 3 pm Everyone Welcome!
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THURSDAY MARCH 29 2018 • 7
• Spring 2018 •
BOWEN ISLAND real estate guide • what sold what’s next
Coming F=BAc>< Frost F=@<G && Felicity F>CFcFGy Buskard BE<kB=? Coming soon soon 375 375 Cardena CARDENA road DRIVE && Marina MARINA from Frances
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SUN. OCEAN VIEWS. GOLF COURSE LIVING. Bowen’s newest development in Seymour Landing at Cowan Point New homes slated for construction on Lots 2, 3, and 5 at Russell Lane in Seymour Landing are available for sale starting at $1,250,000 (plus 5% GST). These single-level, 2,000-square-foot homes are situated above the 9th fairway of Bowen’s 9-hole public golf course. They enjoy a sunny, south-facing location with ocean views to the east. Each home CONCEPTUAL
has 4 bedrooms (or 3 bedrooms with den), 3 bathrooms, a south-facing enclosed patio,
FLOOR PLAN
and a double-car garage. Occupancy is scheduled for late fall 2018. For more information, see www.bowenislandproperties.ca/
C O WA N
russell-lane-new-homes or call us at 604-947-0000. Realtor.ca MLS Listing #: R2247946/R2247938/R2247886
POINT DRIV
RUSS E
LL LA NE
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Features in each home include: •
Architecturally designed floor plan;
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Hardwood and tile flooring throughout;
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Quartz countertops with full-height tile backsplash in kitchen;
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2 Golf Course
3
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High-efficiency forced-air propane furnace; On-demand hot water and heat recovery ventilation systems;
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Professionally designed interiors.
SITE PLAN CONCEPT
Since 1988, building communities where people love to live
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Taxes to counter affordability crisis less than effective
THURSDAY THURSDAYMARCH MARCH29 292018 2018 •• 9
TIMOTHY RHODES CONTRIBUTOR
In August 2016, the Government of BC implemented a Foreign-buyers Tax, a City of Vancouver Vacancy Tax, and changes to the Property Transfer Tax, in anticipation that reducing the pressure from foreign buyers on the lower mainland housing market would counter the affordability crisis. The MLS®HPI (Home Price Index) measures the rate at which housing prices change over time taking into account the type of homes sold. Changes in the MLS®HPI from February 2015 through February 2018 give an accurate representation of not only how prices have risen or fallen but also the rate at which they changed. The communities used in this comparison are the REBGV (combined results for municipalities governed by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver), West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Vancouver, and Bowen Island. Data deals with detached homes only as this is currently the only category reported for Bowen Island). This comparison starts at the end of February 2015, prior to the implementation of the new taxes in August 2016, and ends at the end of February 2018. The MLS®HPI rose steadily in all of the comparator communities from February 2015 until the end September 2016, increasing over those 20 months by an average of 55.7 per cent in the mainland communities, with Bowen Island the low-end outlier at 35.5 per cent. The impact of the new taxes began to register after September 2016 and, by January 2017, the MLS®HPI in
REBGV had fallen 5.9 per cent and West Vancouver homes lost 14.4 per cent (-$494,700). Again the outlier, Bowen Island real estate increased 4.3 per cent (+$37,200). However, by March 2017, the market had stabilized somewhat and the MLS®HPI began to rise again. By the end of February 2018, the comparators, excluding Bowen Island, averaged an MLS®HPI increase of 6.6 per cent with a 18.7 per cent increase on Bowen Island. Bowen Island’s MLS®HPI increase from February 2015 to February 2016 (prior to the new taxes) was 9.7 per cent. As of February 2018, West Vancou-
ver and Vancouver still fall short of their MLS®HPI high of September 2016 (down 8.3 and 1.2 per cent respectively), while REBGV and North Vancouver exceed the figure by 1.9 and 0.4 per cent respectively. Again the outlier, Bowen Island has exceeded its September 2016 MLS®HPI by 22.4 per cent. Bowen Island property owners lost significant real estate value in 2008 and recovery did not begin
in earnest until 2014. An apparent lack of foreign buyer interest in island properties protected it from the very dramatic price gains in other Metro communities. As a strategy to deal with the affordability crisis, the Foreign-buyer tax has served to slow price increases dramatically in most jurisdictions, and even reduced the MLS®HPI in areas with the most expensive real estate, but it has had no significant impact on the affordability crisis. Using taxation to create affordability was a counter-intuitive approach, and has proven less than effective. Except for West Vancouver, the MLS®HPI is equal to or higher than when the tax was implemented. The government’s latest strategy, the speculation tax, is aimed at increasing the
availablity of accommodation rather than addressing affordability, and is designed to encourage owners to rent summer homes, empty homes and homes purchased for speculative reasons to long-term tenants; however, Bowen Island, along with other island communities, has been excluded from the speculation tax. It appears Bowen Island, historically an anomaly or outlier in the Metro Vancouver market, will continue to be the exception rather than the rule. Data extrapolated from: Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (http://www.rebgv.org). Data deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Timothy Rhodes is a REALTOR® with Angell Hasman & Associates, Realty, Ltd.
SUMMER IS COMING Enjoy Everyday.
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RHODES ON BOWEN 604-341-9488 Shirley Roberts (nee Reed) tim@rhodesonbowen.com
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rhodesonbowen.com
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10 THURSDAYMARCH MARCH 2018 10 o• THURSDAY 2929 2018
10 ways to add spring freshness to your home décor BASIA LIESKE SPECIAL TO THE UNDERCURRENT
I don’t know about you, but I am ready for spring! Even though we’ve had a fairly agreeable winter this year on Bowen Island, there is nothing that warms a decorator’s heart like the first signs of spring. It’s the right time to pack up the old and usher in the new. Here are a few budgetfriendly ideas to help you on you way: 1. Clean and organize before you decorate. Scrub the floors, dust and wash the windows. De-clutter shelves, cabinets and countertops. You can’t achieve your springtime clean-slate potential with overflowing closets and cluttered surfaces. So box it up, bag it up, sell it or donate it. No matter how wonderful your design skills, clutter detracts from the overall function and beauty of your space. And don’t forget to air out your house: There is no substitute for letting fresh breezes in — dust and germs out.
2. Bring in some blooms. Bring the outside in. Fill vases with bunches of cheerful daffodils, tulips or blooming cherry, magnolia or forsythia branches and it’s instantly spring inside. A bowl of lemons are also cheerful and cheap! And don’t forget nature’s other gifts as well — branches, feathers, pebbles, shells and so on. 3. Rearrange furniture. This is my ultimate, go-to, no-cost, decorating tip at any time of the year. Sometimes sprucing up is as simple as rearranging what you already own. Rearrange the floor plan of your living room, your dining room or master bedroom ~ moving around your furniture will be a super quick update for the new season. Swap that dark wood bench or upholstered chair for a lighter, spring-colored wicker replacement. Decorate subtly around a theme and bring in accent pieces from other rooms — and don’t be afraid to experiment with an eclectic mix of
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Nothing says spring more than a bouquet of flowers. PHOTO BASIA LIESKE
periods and styles. 4. Paint It. Spring is the time to paint. It is a simple way to get a big design bang for your buck. Paint can update old furniture, brighten a room or freshen up a front door. Paint an accent wall a high-contrast color (the brighter the better) or choose timeless and
coordinating (not necessarily matching) colors for a professional look. Don’t be afraid to mix it up. This year is the year! All you need is a single quart to completely transform a space. You can add in accessories to complement it and simply change it when you get tired of it.
5. Perk up your pillows. One of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to update your home is to swap out wintry linens. Make or buy new pillow shams for your sofa or bed decor pillows. Use bright colors & patterns, less weighty fabrics and don’t be afraid to mix in a bold print.
As well, a sofa can get a refreshed lift by just adding a new coloured throw. 6. Give your bookshelves a boost. It’s easy for bookcases to descend into chaos. A wellarranged bookcase can be a striking focal point in a room. continued on page 13
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12 â&#x20AC;˘ THURSDAY MARCH 29 2018
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Drawing by Liz Watson
Snug CoveCOVE House Society of Bowen Island SNUG HOUSE SOCIETY Thank you Bowen Island, for your Island Takes Great Pleasure in Announcing to Bowen support in the successful market launch of
THE
the sale of 12 fully serviced single-family and duplex at LOTS AT VILLAGE BYlotsTHE
COVE
Offers to Purchase Contracts are pending on all lots, byIsland the Cove all Village from Bowen residents 1080 Please contact us Miller if youRoad would like to be advised if any lots currently under House to sale. contract Open do not complete Saturday, March 10 & Sunday March 11 604-947-2525 2:00 to 4:30 pm INFO@VILLAGEBYTHECOVE.CA
1269 Adams Rd $285,000
Here is one of the few remaining opportunities to get into the Bowen market at an affordable price! Development permit issued and driveway roughed in. This
nearly 1/2 acre lot is steep at the road but there is a fantastic level, private & sunny site at the rear of the property with a lovely view over the valley to Mt. Gardner. The lot will need a type 3 septic and well drilled. On school and commuter bus routes. Ready to build now or keep as an investment holding property. No GST.
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THURSDAY 2018 •• 13 13 THURSDAYMARCH MARCH 29 29 2018
OPEN HOUSE Saturday 12-4 pm March 31
1268 Scarborough Road $669,000 One of the fastest ways to freshen your home’s look is with paint. Anna Donnelly and Katheryn Pinner at Irly Building Centre can custom mix the perfect colour palette. PHOTO TRACEY WAIT from page 10
Line up your some of your books vertically, some horizontally, in patterns, or arrange books by color for another surprising change. A good idea is to break up the books by adding the odd small artwork or treasure. 10. Choose one high-profile project. If you decide to splurge on a single item, make sure it is
high-profile. Investments in good paint, a deluxe area rug, one professionally reupholstered chair, or luxurious bed linens will set the stage for the rest of your more frugal spruce-up ideas. Anchored by one highprofile project, all the smaller details will shine more brightly. I hope a few of these ideas inspire some spring decorating ideas of your own. Remember, spring is the
beginning of yard sale season too — keep an eye out for great bargains and weekend decorating projects you can do on a budget. What are your spring spruce-up projects? What projects have been waiting for your creative touches all winter long? And - if you need any help please feel free to contact me: basialieske@gmail.com
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.
First time buyers or investors!!! Bright two bedroom family home on sunny 1/4 acre lot on the bus route and only minutes to the ferry. Features include sun room, wood stove, large open kitchen and dining room, sundecks, fenced garden with greenhouse and mountain view. Privately situated in an ideal friendly neighborhood, this affordable cherished home is a must see! Sellers Motivated! SEE YOU THERE!!!
Julia Mcculloch 604-367-1035
mccullochjulia@yahoo.ca
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14 • THURSDAY MARCH 29 2018
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THURSDAY 2018 •• 15 15 THURSDAYMARCH MARCH 29 29 2018
BOWENBEAT Seniors Keeping Young We caught up with the gang at Seniors Keeping Young, or SKY, this week for their weekly morning fitness class. And this week’s guest speaker was Jeanne Sarrich, a local potter who led them through a “how to” on creating thumb pots. – Photos by Tracey Wait
Bev Rogers and Margaret Purdy
Joan Anastasiou and Sheena Smith
ICR Spring Break Drama Camps were good times for these mystery campers. PHOTO SHEANA STEVENSON
Pat Pinch, Sylvia Shaw and Sheena Smith.
Sylvia Shaw
April Sear
Pat Pinch and Chris Farah
ANGLICANS INTERESTED IN WORSHIPPING ON BOWEN ISLAND I would like to find out whether a viable number of Anglicans would like to use a church facility on Bowen Island instead of commuting to other parishes on the lower mainland. I believe Bowen Island is part of the diocese of New Westminster and as such might have the Bishop’s interest in cost sharing with an existing church on Bowen Island. We need relevant numbers in order to proceed with such an idea. I would be prepared to collect number of individuals, families, including children to check this out. Please communicate with me the “old fashioned way” i.e. by mail to my address in Vancouver including your phone number. I will keep the information private and give you feedback by phone. My address is Dr. Brian Harris, #211 - 3540 West 41st street, Vancouver BC V6N 3E6. As the number of residents swell on island during the summer months, I would also request these numbers as well. Thank you for your interest.
Over 250 tables and booths of antiques and vintage collectibles under one roof! Antique & estate jewellery, mid-century Modernist decor, china, glass & pottery, fine art, memorabilia, classic toys & dolls, retro lighting, textiles and much more...
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PHOENIX BOOKS; 30p6; 6.917 in; Process color; 4304654
If the owner doesn’t remove this beached sailboat, the municipality will have to apply to Transport Canada to be able to remove it from Seymour Bay — and, possibly, pick up the costs.
Removing beached boat could cost BIM $5,000 from page 1
Easter treats and activities!
Games • Toys Books • Arts & Crafts Chocolate Bunnies and More!
EASTER WEEKEND HOURS
Friday: 9-5 • Saturday: 9-5 Sunday: 10-4 • Monday: Closed
Bowen Food Sovereignty Calendar
3-Day Thermal Composting Workshop* April 6 & 7, May 12 Fri., April 6, 7pm BICS The Magic of Soil: Chapter Two. A talk by UBC professor Phil Gregory on restoring soil biology and thermal composting.
Sat. April 7 & Sun. May 12, 1pm Grafton Community Garden
April 7 Hands-on assembly of Thermal Compost and May 12 a biological analysis of the compost led by Jo Castaneda Tobias, a ‘soil food web consultant’ and participants take home extract. *Suggested workshop donation $20-$50. To register: landheartandsky@gmail.com or http://graftonlake.ca/gardens/ Sponsored by landheartandsky and the Grafton Community Garden
Permaculture Design, Gardening & Food Forestry Sat. April 14, 11- 5:30 Keynotes by Delvin Solkinson and Kym Chi. Explore permaculture design methods, strategies and techniques, food forestry, and community building. Visit Grafton Community Gardens, a rural farm, and a community garden on Bowen Island. To register contact: delvin@cosm.org Brought to you by Bowen in Transition
Bowen Food Sovereignty is a project of Bowen in Transition and the Bowen Agricultural Alliance. Look for BFS articles about food and climate change, and what’s growing on Bowen in the Undercurrent.
“Let’s say there’s no assistance from the province or the federal government with this particular vessel,” she said. “Then what the municipality has to do is we have to apply to Transport Canada to gain authorization to actually do anything with the boat.” That could be expensive. “The problem being, this is a fair sized boat,” she said. “So we’re speaking of up to, probably $5,000 or more dollars to deal with this particular vessel.”
In the meantime, the boat is there in plain view. “We just want to keep our shores safe and unpolluted,” she said. Last week, the paper reported that Bowen Island Municipality has applied for $10,000, under a federal abandoned boats program, to remove and dispose of two derelict vessels from Mannion Bay. The federal government announced last week the first funding recipients under its abandoned boats program, but Bowen is still waiting to hear where it stands.
End of an Era Sale at Bell’Occhio
The plan changed and Bell’Occhio will be closing its doors April 30th To end the era we will be holding an APRIL BLOWOUT SALE! Bargains in housewares, pictures, mirrors, glassware, décor pieces, and kitchenware including some exciting NEW inventory. Make an offer on furniture and lighting fixtures (gorgeous pieces available!) Come early and find wonderful bargains – even shop early for next Xmas! (All items on sale except soap and consigned art)
Commercial space for lease 992 Dorman Road Located in Village Square in Snug Cove, next to the Village Baker. 613 square feet of street-level commercial space, ideal for retail or a professional office. For further information or to view the suite, please contact Lisa at 778-835-6802 or blueroof90@gmail.com. D.K. Harris Properties Ltd. Box 258 Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G0
Food for thought:
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Scrumming in New Zealand Eight Bowen teenaged boys are on a two-week trip to New Zealand, part of the West Vancouver Secondary School Senior Boys rugby tour. Back row, left to right: Doug MacDonald, Thomas Pedley, Payton Grundy, Finn RainsleyRay, and Paul Welsh (coach). Front row: Ben Welsh, Jonah Greenspoon and Mattias Blomberg. Missing from photo is Jarod Scrivens). Photo Mary Ann Zakreski
Workshops focus on how to enrich island’s soil SUSAN SWIFT BOWEN FOOD SOVEREIGNTY
One of the issues that members of Bowen Food Sovereignty is concerned about is how climate change and farming techniques impact soil and the production of food. At a recent meeting of BFS, member Phil Gregory reported that the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization had announced that the world has only “60 years of farming left if soil degradation continues.” The situation is critical. But there is some good news. Gregory, who is a retired UBC Professor of Astrophysics, has turned his attention to soil biology. It turns out that healthy soil is teeming with microbes that nature has evolved over millions of years to provide all the nutrients plants need to grow strong and healthy. Among other things, these microbes can build life-giving fertile soil very quickly. Unaware of this hidden universe in soils, we have been destroying soil microbes with plowing and man-made chemicals that disrupt natural processes and reduce living soil to dirt. And dirt is easily washed or blown away. It is not within the power of a single community or country to solve a global problem of this size. But fortunately, there are people who practice and advocate for “regenerative agriculture.” Restoring the soil’s biology will not only produce fertile soil for productive growing, it is also a proven method for sequestering climate-warming, atmospheric carbon. As a scientist, Gregory has been conducting composting experiments to improve soil on Bowen Island. “We can rapidly inoculate our dirt with high quality compost that contains a large range of the indigenous microbes. High quality compost has thousands of different types of beneficial bacteria, fungi and their essential microscopic predators.” To demonstrate these methods, Jessica Mitts of Grafton Community Gardens and business owner of Land, Heart and Sky, is hosting two talks and a hands-on workshop this spring. The first is with Gregory, who is presenting, “Magic of Soil: Chapter 2,” at Bowen Island Community School on Friday, April 6. He will also help to oversee the construction of a thermal composting pile on Saturday, April 7 at Grafton Community Garden. The second speaker is Jo Castaneda Tobias, a regenerative soils expert and a trained soil food web consultant, from RootShoot Vancouver. On May 12, she will demonstrate making compost extract that participants can take home and apply to their own gardens. To enrol, contact landheartandsky@gmail.com or https:// graftonlake.ca/gardens
BOWEN ISLAND DOG RANCH; 20p0; 1.6313 in; Process color; 4303012
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THURSDAY 2018 ••17 17 THURSDAY MARCH MARCH 29 2018
Keep those bad surprises to a minimum, please SUSAN REDMOND BOWEN RECYCLING
Each day holds a surprise, says writer Henri Nouwen. Surprises come in many forms and that is what makes working at the Depot both fun and challenging! Some surprises are cheering — like the lovely lady who brings the staff treats to help brighten up their day. Her wonderful, homemade baking is much appreciated and always a lovely surprise when it is dropped off. Another nice surprise? People who take the time to clean their recycling because clean recycling makes the depot a healthier place to work and that is really appreciated by staff. Some surprises are not so cheering. Finding full mason jars full of fat, resting on top of the
metal — in the metal bin — is not the best surprise. This type of fat can be easily disposed of by putting the fat into a green waste bag. Lately depot staff have been surprised to find glass containers mixed in with the hard plastics. This could be a potentially dangerous workplace hazard for staff if the glass is put through the compactor as it would cause glass shards to fly everywhere. Lastly, the soft plastics bins are always a source of interesting surprises. Typically as depot staff sort through the bags, they pull out Zip Lock bags and crinkly plastics. But last Saturday a depot staffer shook out a bag full of used Q-tips and bloodied Kleenexes. The whole egg left in with the mixed paper was another, not-so-pleasant surprise. As you can see, surprises can be a mixed blessing at the Depot. They certainly keep depot staff on their toes!
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Meet Furgus Furgus had his humans worried when they noticed stiffness and limping. After his exam it was decided that he would need to have imaging done to make sure there was no hip dysplasia or ligament tears. Once that was all ruled out he went home with pain control and has been improving since.
18 • THURSDAY MARCH 29 2018
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Your Community
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Email: classifieds@van.net
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TODAY'S PUZZ
HEALTH & WELLNESS Dr. Susanne Schloegl
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At entrance to Artisan Square Suite #597
Appointments Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri, 9am - 5pm ECG and HOLTER now available. Artisan Square
Lifelabs Dr. Zandy’s Office Tues - 6:45 - 8 a.m. Thurs. - 6:45 - 8:45 a.m.
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Mary Coleman, MSW, RSW Compassion minded counselling
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Julie Hughes, RPC
For routine lab tests. Specialized tests & children may be referred to the mainland.
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Artisan Square 604-947-0734
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Family Dentist
Horseshoe Bay 604-921-8522 www.bowenislanddental.com
BOWEN ISLAND
MASSAGE THERAPY
Counselling
778-858-2669
Hearing Testing On Bowen Island @ Caring Circle West Vancouver
CATHERINE SHAW Dr. Traditional Chinese Medicine/Acupuncturist
@ Artisan Square
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Psychologist Dr. Carolyn Nesbitt PhD, R.Psych #1484
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Celebrating 29 years Community Healthcare
Bowen Island Chiropractic
Dr. Tracy Leach, D.C. Certified provider of Active Release Techniques Artisan Square Tues. & Fri.
778-828-5681
www.drtracyleach.ca
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THURSDAY MARCH 29 2018 • 19
BOWEN HOME SERVICES love the life you live CNC ROUTER WORKSHOP en on Bow
Spring Cleanup - Garden Prep Deer Fencing - Garden Design Hardscape Mini Excavator
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Craig 604-366-2229 • seatoskycnc@gmail.com
We are a full service company providing rentals for parties & events. We also can plan & coordinate your special day.
Noah, Corrina, and Rosie An island family run business for over ten years.
Paul & Basia Lieske Phone: 604-947-0640 E: boweneventrentals@gmail.com W: boweneventrentals.com
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shed wood works Paul & Basia Lieske 604-947-0640 Email: basialieske@gmail.com
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live the life you love To reserve a spot on this page, contact us at 604-947-2442 or ads@bowenislandundercurrent.com Support any one of our amazing local businesses advertised in this week’s paper and get a year’s subscription for just $33* A regular subscription is $45 per year. (*Proof of visit with a business card or receipt.)
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On the calendar THURSDAY MARCH 29 Duplicate Bridge Bowen Court 6:45 - 10 pm For info call Irene 604-947-2955
Mona, full of fun PARC resident
FRIDAY MARCH 30 Fauré’s Requiem A free meditative concert of beautiful music sung by The Ladies Madrigal Singers and some of Bowen’s finest male singers. Cates Hill Chapel at 3:pm SATURDAY MARCH 31 Easter Egg Hunt Hop over to BICS Playground for this fun, annual Easter Egg Hunt. Enjoy games and a visit from the Easter Bunny! Don’t forget your Easter basket for the egg hunt. 10:30am sharp (while supplies last). Register online at bowencommunityrecreation.com SUNDAY APRIL 1 Easter Sunrise Service for all Bowen Churches Sandy Beach at 7:30 am MONDAY APRIL 2 S.K.Y. Seniors Keeping Young Exercise at 9:00, coffee at 9:15, Yoga at 11:15. Bowen Court
Life’s better here To Mona, life is one big party – from enjoying afternoon cocktails in the Westerleigh’s front garden to taking ukulele lessons, because “why not?”, Mona is thoroughly enjoying herself. That’s how it is at Westerleigh PARC: it’s easy to enjoy the amenities and just have fun. And with PARC Retirement Living’s focus on maintaining a healthy body and mind through our Independent Living+ program, it’s easy to see how life’s just better here.
You can read Mona’s full story online at parcliving.ca/ilivehere
Call Gail at 604.922.9888 to reserve your tour and complimentary lunch. Located right next door to the West Vancouver Seniors’ Activity Centre.
725 – 22nd Street, West Vancouver
parcliving.ca/westerleigh
TUESDAY APRIL 3 Bowen Island AA Collins Hall at 7:15 pm THURSDAY APRIL 5 Duplicate Bridge Bowen Court 6:45-10 pm For info call Irene 604-947-2955
SATURDAY APRIL 7 Nearly Neil! Bobby Bruce’s Tribute to Neil Diamond. 8:00 pm at the Bowen Legion Tickets $20 at Phoenix or at the Legion. Members and guests welcome.