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THURSDAY, MARCH 4 , 2021
REFUNDABLES
VOL. 47 NO. 09
BIUndercurrent
BowUndercurrent www.bowenislandundercurrent.com
There’s a brand new tent at BIRD for the popular program PAGE 6
Getting the jab on Bowen
HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW BRONWYN BEAIRSTO
Editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com
PHOTO & CAPTION CHRIS WILSON
SNOW MOON: February’s full moon is traditionally known as the Snow Moon in the northern hemisphere and
typically symbolises the beginning of spring. This photo of the lighthouse at Cape Roger Curtis, Bowen Island captures the full moon setting into the coming dawn.
Commons cultural corner coming BOWEN LIBRARY RECEIVES $398,000 GRANT BRONWYN BEAIRSTO
Editor@bowenislandundercurrnet.com
While the rest of us are awaiting news of the next stage of lifting pandemic restrictions and the next stage of vaccinations, Bowen Island Public Library
Foundation and the Hearth are celebrating news of an entirely different stage. An outdoor stage. The Snug Cove Cultural Corner project – including an outdoor covered stage, covered seating areas, plaza and walkways expansion and landscaping around the library and gallery – has
STAY SAFE STAY HOME
received a $398,000 grant. The funding is part of the province of B.C.’s $100 million Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program (CERIP) (the same program that awarded $450,000 to Davies Orchard as reported last week). CONTINUED ON P. 9
Bowen Island will have its own vaccine clinic. Bowen Islanders are advised to follow the appointment booking schedule associated with coastal communities, including the Sunshine Coast and Squamish, on the VCH website (vch.ca/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine), the health authority said Tuesday. This means that starting March 8, Bowen Islanders born in 1941 or earlier, or who are Indigenous and born in 1956 or earlier, will be eligible to book a vaccine appointment by calling VCH’s toll-free appointment booking phone line at 1-877-587-5767. (Note: this is different from the province’s guidance asking younger octogenarians to wait to call. VCH is asking Bowen Islanders to start calling March 8.) The date of that appointment will depend on age. The province rolled out a schedule this week where those 90 and over will be vaccinated starting March 15. Those 85 and older will start vaccinations by March 22 and those 80 and over will start vaccinations by March 29. One will need their legal name, date of birth, postal code, personal health number and current contact information to book the appointment. Family members may also book on behalf of seniors. Most clinics will be open every day between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. with evening appointments also available. Where on Bowen vaccinations will happen is not yet clear. For those eligible to get vaccinations in March, the specific appointment location will be confirmed when one books an appointment, said Vancouver Coastal Health Tuesday. The public list of mass clinic locations – to start in April – has yet to be released. CONTINUED ON P. 8
LET US DELIVER YOUR GROCERIES TO YOUR DOORSTEP
www.stongs.com
A2 • Thursday, March 4, 2021
Events March 8, 2021 6:15 pm Regular Council Meeting
March 11, 2021 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm Virtual Public Open House All meetings are online via Zoom and
open to the public, unless noted otherwise.
bowenislandundercurrent.com
We are hiring - Planning Clerk The Bowen Island Municipality Planning and Development department has an immediate opening for a temporary part-time Planning Clerk, three days per week from 8:30am to 4:30pm. This contract will initially be for a period of nine months with a possibility for extension thereafter.
www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/jobs
Sustainable Community Grants Do you need support for a project that increases climate resiliency through community action or environmental protection? BIM is investing in climate action through the Sustainable Community Grant Program. Many different types of projects may be supported, please refer to the grant criteria for details, and be innovative! We are accepting applications until April 15th at 4:30pm. www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/grants-for-the-community
Help slow the spread of COVID-19:
Stay home if you’re sick
BIM Community Grants
Virtual Public Open House Land Use Bylaw changes Thursday, March 11, 2021 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm Bowen Island Council is considering a series of changes to the Land Use Bylaw. These changes are intended to better streamline and clarify definitions and regulations within the Bylaw. Among other things, these would amend definitions for height, grade, floor area, lot coverage, and lot line definitions. Changes would also occur to remove redundant definitions, and better refine items that may occur with setbacks to property lines. Council gave First Reading to Bylaw No. 528 to enact these changes at their December 14, 2020 meeting. The bylaw and staff reports can be viewed at www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/planning The Public Open House will be held on Thursday, March 11, 2021 from 2:30 to 4:30 pm via Zoom. Meeting ID: 840 6363 0567 Passcode: 783464
BIM will be accepting Community Grant applications from Monday, April 12, 2021 until 5 pm on Friday, April 30, 2021.
Questions? Inquiries regarding the proposed bylaws may The Community Grants program is intended to assist be directed to Daniel Martin at 604-947-4255 or by email at and encourage Bowen Island community groups and dmartin@bimbc.ca. organizations within the terms of the Community Charter. Bowen Island community groups and organizations are defined as those where the majority of the members reside within the Municipality. Community groups and organizations For TUP-2021-0017 may apply for a Community Grant.
Seeking Public Comment 620 Laura Road Cidery
Clean your hands frequently 2 m or 6 feet
Keep a safe physical distance
Wear a mask in indoor public spaces
Neighbourhood Small Grants The Bowen Island Community Foundation in partneship with BIM is now accepting applications for the Neighbourhood Small Grants program. The Responsive Neighbourhood Small Grants Program funds small-scale projects that reduce social isolation. www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/grants-for-the-community
Contact Us Phone: Fax: Email:
604-947-4255 604-947-0193 bim@bimbc.ca
Council Meeting via Zoom 6:15 PM on Monday, March 22, 2021 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: A Temporary Use Permit application has been submitted for 620 Laura Road to permit a cidery. The proposed cidery will utilize the existing apple orchards on site to produce cider for sale on site or through the Liquor Distribution Branch. The cidery will be permitted to produce cider, provide onsite sales, and provide tours of the cidery and associated orchard. A picnic area is proposed to be located adjacent to the cidery. bowenislandmunicipality.ca/planning
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Bowen Island sex offender found not guilty of probation breach BRENT RICHTER
brichter@nsnews.com
A man convicted of several sex offenses has been found not guilty of breaching the conditions of his release after being arrested on a Bowen Island beach. BC Corrections issued a public warning in Feb. 2020 saying Daniel Justin Isto was being released into the community and that he was at high risk to reoffend. He had been serving an 18-month jail term for sexually touching a nine-yearold girl in North Vancouver. Previously, he had been sentenced in 2012 for sexually abusing two 11-year-old girls. Among the conditions of his 2020 release was an order prohibiting him from going to any parks, public swimming areas, community centers, schools, daycares, playgrounds or any place that it could be reasonably expected for there to be people under the age of 16. He was arrested on April 16, 2020 when a Bowen Island RCMP officer watched him rowing ashore from his 26-foot boat in Manion Bay to Sandy Beach municipal park next to Snug Cove. Bowen Island RCMP officer Cpl.
Adam Koehle was doing a foot patrol of the beach when he noticed Isto’s boat, he testified during Isto’s trial for breach of probation on Wednesday. “The gentleman who we assumed was associated to that boat has a interesting history that was significant to the community,” Koehle told the court. “We’d been made aware of from probation that Mr. Isto was being released back into the community and that he was a high-risk sex offender.” Bowen Island municipal bylaw officers had previously asked for RCMP assistance when dealing with Isto’s attempts to tie up his boat to the government dock, Koehle said. Koehle said he watched Isto on the boat with his binoculars and took photos of him as he rowed a small white boat to shore where he arrested him. At the time, there was a young mother and toddler on the beach, he testified. Taking the stand in his own defence, Isto testified he had been planning to live aboard the boat to save money on rent. At the time, he was in search of a safe place to moor it but Canadian Coast Guard officials had told him to move his boat, after it appeared to be an environmental risk. Isto told the court he only rowed to shore that afternoon because he saw he
was being watched by Koehle. “When I noticed him, I kind of figured out, here we go, right? I should go and see what’s happening – make sure that he wasn’t there for me,” he said, adding later: “I’ve dealt with the police a lot in my life and I know it’s better to just go and make sure everything is OK than to make him chase me.” Isto’s North Vancouver lawyer David Fai argued the circumstances of the arrest should provide reasonable doubt as to whether his client had intended to breach the order barring him from public swimming areas. Ruling from the bench, North Vancouver provincial court Judge Joanne Challenger agreed, finding Isto not guilty. “Frankly, for someone in those circumstances with a history with the police as well as an immediate history with the police, that could reasonably be true,” she said. Although he was not guilty of breaching his probation, Challenger left Isto with a warning. “You need to comply with the probation. You’ve got to understand by now how serious your past behaviour has been and that any breach at all will result in an arrest and charges,” she said.
Thursday, March 4, 2021 • A3
BIM to start building the multi-use pathway this month
It’ll be a busy couple of months on Grafton Road. Bowen Island Municipality announced Tuesday that it has hired Triex Contracting to build the first section of the long-planned multi-use path between Bowen Island Community School and Carter Road. The 13-week schedule will see construction start in March, so as to qualify for soon-to-expire Bike BC funding. (The first phase of the pathway was set to start in 2019 in the Charlie’s Lane area of Grafton Road but after engineering estimates came in over budget, the project was reevaluated). This project is budgeted at $885,000, BIM said in a press release, with $495,000 to come from the Bike BC grant and $390,000 from the municipality. “The tender was competitive and resulted in a low bid from Triex, a reputable contractor that has performed well on previous municipal construction projects,” said the press release. The Triex bid came in at $547,565 plus tax. “Another key component of this phase is an intersection improvement at Mount Gardner Road, which is particularly busy with ferry marshalling and student traffic,” said the press release. “The improvement will have better sightlines and traffic calming to help maintain safe vehicle speeds and awareness of pedestrians.” Should more grant funding come in, more sections of the path could be built this year, said the press release. The path has been called the “backbone” of BIM’s 2018 transportation plan, which calls for more active transportation infrastructure. “Of the 75 kilometres of public roads on the island, less than 0.5 km have sidewalks and those are only within Snug Cove,” said the press release. “Roads on the remainder of the island are built to a rural standard (single lane in each direction) with little or no shoulders.”
A4 • Thursday, March 4, 2021
bowenislandundercurrent.com
VIEWPOINTS EDITORIAL
One year
For the past year, COVID-19 has been both that thing we don’t want to talk about and the only thing we talk about. While the “light at the end of the tunnel” appears to be getting brighter and COVID-less future seems possible, we’re still in a semi-shutdown state and we don’t know when it’s lifting. Same old same old. But not really. As more of my loved ones become eligible for vaccines I feel like I can let go of some of that breath I’ve been holding for a year. As we learned this week, we under 30s may even get to have our first vaccine doses by the end of July. In that spirit, the Undercurrent is planning a commemorative edition in mid to late March to mark the anniversary of our first shut-
down. We hope to cover who and what we’ve lost, what we’ve built, how we’ve grown and what we need to know for the future. Hopefully this will be among the last of our “COVID editions” though there are no guarantees in life (as we’ve so brutally learned over the last year). Please send in any ideas or submissions for this edition to editor@bowenislandundercurrent. com. If you have a smidge of an idea and aren’t quite sure what to do with it, please feel free to give me a ring at 604-314-3004. On the note of vaccines, it’s going to be all of our jobs to spread accurate and up-to-date information to Boweners in every corner of this island. Keep an eye out for information (from fact-checked sources, like VCH, BCCDC, the municipality, the news media) and please share it with those in your circle. Bronwyn Beairsto, editor
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Objectionable editing DEAR EDITOR: Your biases are showing. I refer to the Editor’s notes inserted in Tom Edwards’s recent letter to the Undercurrent expressing his views on the Islands Trust annual assessment. In my opinion (and experience) your editorial interjections were out of order and unnecessary. Yes, Mr. Edwards was critical of the Islands Trust, but his tone was civil and positive, and his statements neither inflammatory nor untruthful. I question why you felt it appropriate to challenge his points with “Editor’s notes”, which read as if they were, in fact, authored by an Islands Trust spokesperson. The Islands Trust has many vocal champions on Bowen Island who are more than capable of rebutting, via the Undercurrent,
any statements they feel are misleading. I am not aware that you’ve used this editorial “tool” to interrupt the numerous letters to the editor you publish in support of the Trust, some of which include hyperbole and inaccurate claims that actually warrant clarification. In a community newspaper, readers should feel free to express a range of opinions in a civil manner without being rebuked in print by the editor. If you have problems with a writer’s statement, resolve them before publication. Taking issue with views that don’t conform with your own will discourage contributions and produce a dull read. You’ve done a spectacular job with the Undercurrent so far. Don’t risk it. Gayle Stevenson
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. Please limit to under 500 words. 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.
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EDITOR Bronwyn Beairsto editor@bowenisland undercurrent.com
ADVERTISING Tracey Wait ads@bowenisland undercurrent.com
CARTOONIST Ron Woodall
PUBLISHER Peter Kvarnstrom publisher@bowenisland undercurrent.com 2011 CCNA
CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2011
SPECIAL THANK-YOU Audrey Grescoe
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.
bowenislandundercurrent.com
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Bowen’s legal structure entwined with Islands Trust DEAR EDITOR: It is important to point out that any challenge to the Islands Trust and Bowen’s place within it would be faced with an existing legal structure that has been consistently upheld by successive provincial governments since the 1970s. A challenge to a provincial mandate that transcends the boundaries of local island governance. Of all the islands in the Islands Trust, there is surely no island more exposed and vulnerable to the unrelenting pressures of urban sprawl than Bowen, located a short distance from Canada’s third largest city. The Islands Trust mandate and our Official Community Plan, which is legally tied to the Islands Trust, are entities that were well ahead of their time when they came into existence, and continue to lead the way in bringing forward and consolidating a legal, comprehensive framework of much needed policies for sustainable land use planning. In a global environmental crisis brought on by a profound lack of sustainability within the urban-suburban status quo, the prime reason for the challenges to Bowen’s OCP and the Islands Trust is precisely because the Trust and our OCP are at the vanguard of community environmental efforts. The resulting political struggle on Bowen since the seventies has been between that new, emerging order and the old “business as usual,” bottom line approach that follows the path of least resistance if not taken to task. Our municipality is not the same legal entity as an urban municipality within Metro Vancouver. It has a different legal status described as an “island municipality” within the jurisdiction of the Islands Trust. In keeping with the provincial mandate, a key function of the Islands Trust is to ensure an ongoing, long-term adherence to the environmentally progressive land use planning provisions of our OCP. The underlying purpose of removing Bowen from the Islands Trust would be to place us on the same turf that exists in Metro Vancouver, where it is much easier to run roughshod over local community plans. The other part of that agenda would be to remove Bowen’s legal status as an “island municipality” within the Trust, putting Bowen Island residents in the same position as the mainland residents who must continually face the corporate juggernauts in Metro Vancouver. In my view, for those who value our island way of life, the health of our natural environment and the need for continued, long-term sustainable development for our future generations, there is no question that, beyond the usual need for fiscal reviews, our tax dollars are well spent in ensuring our
Thursday, March 4, 2021 • A5
Health centre wood chip fundraiser is this Saturday
place within this strong federation of islands. Any group of citizens or politicians who were to attempt to dismantle and replace the legal structure of our island municipality, the legal connections between our OCP and the Islands Trust, in addition to challenging the mandate of the provincial jurisdiction overseeing one of the major islands within the Islands Trust, would stir up a sea of legal and political troubles. The local political repercussions alone would be enormous. A great division and strong backlash would be created within our community as this would challenge an island legacy that was created and built over nearly 50 years of grassroots and governmental efforts. These are hard-fought victories spanning generations. Many Vancouverites and British Columbians at large who know and love the island would also share the dismay and vehement disapproval of many islanders. Given the number of lawyers who have worked on the campaigns over the years to build and uphold the foundations of our community, I also have no doubt that, if deemed necessary, such a challenge would be contested legally. What we have been creating here and continue to create is a farsighted, comprehensive model of sustainability for the future. It is a model that the late Art Phillips, a progressive former mayor of Vancouver, wholeheartedly applauded when our Official Community Plan was created in 1976, under the jurisdiction of the Islands Trust. He stated that, if Bowen Islanders remain steadfast and stay the course, they will avoid many of the mistakes made by municipalities throughout the Lower Mainland. The way of life islanders enjoy today did not fall out of the sky. It has come about because our community was founded by farsighted individuals with a vision of long term sustainability and because islanders essentially did stay the course, just as Mayor Phillips advised on that historic day when the G.V.R.D. voted to approve our Official Community Plan. And now more than ever, when the need for environmental sustainability has never been greater, we will continue to stay the course and claim the future where it rightly belongs, within the Islands Trust.
On Saturday, March 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the wood chips will be available to the public by donation at our Lot 3 site on Miller Road. Thanks to Andy Rainsley at Bowenshire Stonework & Landscaping, who has volunteered to be there to help with loading— bring your own container and transport. We hope the chips from our site find good uses in the gardens of Bowen and they continue to nurture us all!
and Hector Hello Lee, Betty, Ruby, le, England! over there in Newcast
you! We love you and miss y, Daphne, Peter, Shelle Jennifer, and Paul
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Cat Care
Home Visits Litter Maintenance Playtime
www.barkpetcare.ca
I&I TOWING HAULING LTD
John Sbragia
Vehicles • Construction Equipment Sea-Can Containers • Tiny Homes Bowen Island • Greater Vancouver Vancouver Island • Sunshine Coast
Michael Bingham JAN SEAMAN PHOTO
Susan Redmond, Deb Blenkhorn and Mary Ann Zakreski of Bowen Waste sorting refundables at Bowen Island Recycling Depot. The refundables program just got a new tent – see the story on p. 4.
604 947 1717 ianditowhaul@gmail.com
A6 • Thursday, March 4, 2021
bowenislandundercurrent.com
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
An‘unnaceptable’debt: Site C
DEAR EDITOR: Do you ever wonder what a family member or friend would have thought of this or that? I did, a few days after the shock of the insanity that is now a $16 billion Site C dam, had subsided a bit. I wondered what my late father would have thought of this. Although he was seldom outspoken, a rise of the eyebrows would have revealed a lot. My father was a civil engineer who worked for the largest and oldest water authority in the Netherlands where he led the projects department. He did so with deep integrity, and commitment to the common good. He was known to be friendly, diplomatic but tough. During his 25-year term, he ensured that projects not only had the consent of landowners (who were bought out appropriately if needed), but were designed, and constructed, and delivered on time and on budget. Genetically biased as I was, I followed in his footsteps, and attended the same technical university he and his father (my grandfather) had graduated from. So I was engineeringly shocked to hear Premier Horgan announce the latest assumed price tag of the Site C dam and that the Indigenous and geotechnical issues remain unresolved. As an engineer I’ve become opposed to the Site C dam, the more I’m learning about it. Sadly and maddeningly, the fundamental question Canada and its provinces choose to ignore continuously: Indigenous Land Title, and Treaty Rights, pops up at Site C situated in Treaty 8 territory too. To construct the Site C dam, the province of B.C. is literally bulldozing over Treaty 8 First Nations’ rights. This will be battled over in a 120-day long court session
scheduled for Spring 2022. Add that to the price tag, and a $ 1 billion settlement that could come out of it. When it comes to the geotechnical issues, it is insanity. Former B.C. bureaucrat Peter Milburn says it best in his report: “The geotechnical issues always existed. Despite decades of research, BC Hydro did not understand how these issues would manifest themselves in the design.” These geotechnical issues are causing the dramatic cost increases. Construction delays immediately trigger companies affected to claim for lost time, all the way down the chain of materials and services delivery firms, with the accumulation of all of those claims ending up at BC Hydro. The design and engineering time for changes has to be paid for too, often double or triple, because of overwork caused by time urgency. Still at $16 billion, Premier Horgan and others, say that the dam will produce “affordable” power. Am I missing something? The proposal for the Site C dam was shelved twice in the past. What was different in 2013, when the project was reinitiated, was that the proposed dam had to stand up against alternatives for renewable electricity generation that were in their infancy in the 1980s: wind and solar. Both wind and solar technologies have been taking off big time since 2013. They’re being installed on a massive scale, making renewable energy cheaper and cheaper at prices, the dam will never be able to compete with. So it will produce power at a steep loss that will only increase over time. To make matters worse for Site C, existing wind and solar farms are being combined with battery storage to make up for intermittence: one of the arguments to build the dam.
So did BC Hydro ever ask the question: “Can we make wind, geo, solar work with the hydro storage reservoirs we already have?” There is a reason why we see so few solar and wind projects in B.C. It’s because of BC Hydro, which many have noticed, has been actively discouraging it. It only wants to focus on hydro, when it shouldn’t. BC Hydro needs a reset away from debt generation, with a new focus on all renewable forms of energy: a B.C. Power utility with a mandate to keep power clean, affordable and reliable The future is local power generation, local storage, and shorter distribution lines to increase the resiliency locally against climate disruptions, and that of the larger network these will be linked into. And, of course, we must decrease our energy need through increased efficiency, our biggest challenge that comes with the biggest payback. Imagine how much energy you can save with $5 billion in energy retrofitting. The knowledge and expertise we can export. We still can. I think it is unacceptable to pass a huge debt to next generations unable to pay it off. It’ll be another big problem to deal with besides climate change, Truth and Reconciliation, deep inequality, pollution, species extinction due to habitat loss, loss of farmland, and acidifying oceans. We must cancel the Site C dam. It will save us $10 billion. And yes, we can still pay off the sunk costs over time, it doesn’t have to be paid back tomorrow, as the Premier suggested. There need to be political consequences: both Premier Horgan and Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources Minister Bruce Ralston - responsible for the Site C dam - have failed in their ministerial duties and should resign. Anton van Walraven
UNDERCURRENT PHOTO
Louise McIntosh and Jan Seaman in the new refundables tent at BIRD.
New tent for refundables SUSAN REDMOND, LOUISE MCINTOSH, JAN SEAMAN
Bowen Waste Solutions
One of the most remarkable programs at BIRD is the Bowen Island Refundable Assist Program. This program supports local community organizations by providing them with the opportunity to raise funds. In the early days, volunteers Hank Strubin and Dave McIntosh took it upon themselves to offer the refundables to the local Girl Guides for fundraising. During the 1980s, the Guides were responsible for taking the refundables into town. As more groups began to participate in this grassroots program, transportation became a greater challenge. Dave, who took over from Hank in 1985, often let participating groups borrow his own pickup truck for transport. Between 1985 and 1994, Dave saw that Hank’s initiative had great fundraising potential. Concurrently, he used his community contacts to expand the donations, and the refundable program flourished under his guidance. In 1994, Bowen Waste Service was incorporated and Dave along with his wife, Louise, became the local municipal waste contractors. During this time, Dave
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launched an expansion of the program, offering the use of a container to transport the refundables to the city. This expansion was facilitated by the support of North Vancouver Return-It Depot, which brought in a larger crew specifically to accommodate deliveries from Bowen Island. Their support was instrumental in allowing the program’s continuation. In 2007, the municipality decided to move the recycling depot from its original site to its present location, and there were some suggestions that the program be discontinued. Dave successfully negotiated continuation of the program, pointing out its value in supporting local charities. In 2020, $57,000 was raised with the proceeds benefiting 18 local groups. Dave and Louise’s advocacy for this program has raised in excess of $1.2 million over the past 25 years. Bowen Waste Solutions is proud to continue its support of the program and has recently constructed a refundable tent with the generous help of the local Bowen Island Rotary Club and Bowen Concrete. Thank you Bowen Island for your generous contributions, we couldn’t have done it without you.
bowenislandundercurrent.com
From urban to rural: gardening tips
Thursday, March 4, 2021 • A7
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
ONE BOWEN ISLANDER’S GARDENING EXPERIENCE
are invited from qualified individuals for a senior management & leadership position as
‘Gardening is a bit of an art. If you are looking for consistent advice from gardeners, read no further. You won’t find it,’ writes Rob Wynen
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
for the new Bowen Island Community Health Centre
ROB WYNEN
Contributor
Plants have always been a big part of my life. There is something about being around living entities that don’t require daily walks, drool on the carpet or require you to pick up their poop on a daily basis. I learned to garden by trial and error. I started in my university days with indoor house plants, progressed to unsanctioned gardens in vacant lots downtown, a garden on a neighbour’s roof and then our own on Commercial Drive as well as building two community gardens in the city. Gardening was a big reason for moving to Bowen – we just kept running out of space. Now, I am very fortunate to live on a 12-acre property. I would say my wife and I have graduated up to hobby farm status. After 30 years, moving from one house plant to our current gardens, I have learned some lessons along the way. If you are thinking of upping your gardening game, here are some of my learning lessons over the years that will save you some time and muscle aches. I will say that gardening is a bit of an art, if you are looking for consistent advice from gardeners, read no further, you won’t find it. We all have different thoughts on what a garden should look like and how to get there. Size, time and physical strength are big factors and will determine gardening techniques. Pulling weeds in a 10x10 garden is doable but forget about that on an acre plus garden. Here we go: 1. Don’t complicate things, just get started. Gardening is not rocket science and if you stick to local plants they will grow without much, if any, human intervention. Most gardeners I know have never taken a course on gardening; it is often something you fall into. Start small and progress as you see fit staying within your time and physical abilities. Going too big too fast can turn gardening into a chore. 2. Minimize power tools. The amount of energy and time some people mess around with supposedly “time saving” equipment makes me scratch my head. Start with the basics, any
ROB WYNEN PHOTO
Gardening was a big reason for moving to Bowen for Rob Wynen and his family. Wynen’s green thumb started in his university days with indoor house plants. Today, his 12-acre property could be considered a hobby farm.
garden under half an acre can be done with hand tools. 3. Mulch and mulch, the more on top of the garden the better. Mulch provides nutrients to the soil, prevents water evaporation, protects nutrients from being washed away during the rainy season and prevents weed seeds from taking root. The more variety of mulch the better, food compost, leaves, wood chips, just mix it and you will be fine. People love to complicate compost and mulch, we pretty much use anything that will break down and it has always worked out fine. 4. Split up the chores. You wouldn’t go to the gym for a four-hour workout and then wonder why your back is sore the next day. The same goes for gardening. Split up the tasks and spread the work out over the week so you don’t injure yourself. The older you get the more important this becomes. 5. Get ahead of the weeding and clearing in winter. When winter hits, get going on preparing for the next season. The time to deal with blackberry bushes is not in the summer when they are in full swing, winter is the time to get them. Summer is the time to plant and keep them at bay. This is the perfect time to start a garden. You will want to hold off on planting until mid-March, early-April but there is no need to wait to get the soil ready. Oh, that reminds me, watch out for those deer, they will eat pretty much everything so a deer fence may be in order or you’ll just be prepping for a walk-in diner for them. Happy gardening.
The Bowen Island Community Health Centre will openinearly2023.Muchneedstobeaccomplished before then to be ready to provide primary care, health promotion, and community wellbeing services to the island. The position will be involved in operational planning, organizational development, human capital management, physician engagement, tenant engagement, financial management, and program delivery. For more information on the position and submission, please visit: bowenhealthcentre.com/bihcf-eoi
A8 • Thursday, March 4, 2021
bowenislandundercurrent.com
B.C. extends gap between vaccine doses to 16 weeks as rollout accelerates TYLER ORTON
Business in Vancouver
Editor’s note: the following is coverage of the province’s March 1 vaccine rollout update. For the most up-to-date coverage, visit bowenislandundercurrent.com/ coronavirus-covid-19-information. The province is dramatically extending the interval between the first and second COVID-19 vaccine doses in a bid to accelerate immunization plans for British Columbians. Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. both recommend intervals of three to four weeks between their first and second doses. B.C. has been administering doses 42 days apart since January. But effective Monday (March 1) that interval is being extended to 16 weeks — or 112 days — with the province citing data that shows vaccines proving to be effective for at least four months after a single dose. Younger people who would have been scheduled for their first dose in the summer would now be getting their first dose likely in the spring. But the change also means that many second doses for older British Columbians won’t commence until the summer — much later than planned when the province unveiled its strategy in January. Henry said the province will soon be “rejigging” the timeframes for mass vaccinations as a result. “We will be able to do a lot more in our post-pandemic reality once we have so many people in our population protected,” she said. Penny Ballem, executive lead for B.C.’s immunization plan, said
the plan to extend the intervals will immediately free up another 70,000 doses. The move comes as B.C. hastens its rollout plans as Pfizer and Moderna shipping delays subside, and the province prepares to begin accepting deliveries of the just-approved AstraZeneca plc vaccine. “This is exciting news. We will be able to move everyone up in the queue,” B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said in a media briefing, adding the province will continue its vaccine evaluation to detect if there’s any concerns about vaccine effectiveness moving forward. She said the province will also be considering loosening restrictions placed on long-term care homes as the vaccines prove effective. The current mass vaccination plans are centred around supplies from Moderna and Pfizer. Henry said it’s unclear how many AstraZeneca doses are bound for the province, but she expects the first shipment to arrive next week. Federal officials said last week the first 500,000 doses will be arriving in Canada in the coming weeks. “Once we get those details, we will be working those through and determining who best to target,” Henry said. The province intends to inoculate 415,000 people between March and early April — roughly 10% of the 4.3 million British Columbians eligible for vaccinations (those under 18 years old are not currently eligible). About 252,000 British Columbians have received at least their first dose as of Feb. 26. “We are dependent on offshore supplies of vaccines to meet our
targets. The federal government has been working overtime to ensure we get access to those vaccines. But there is no domestic supplier that we can put pressure on,” B.C. Premier John Horgan said. Provincial officials also offered further details Monday on B.C.’s mass vaccination efforts. Immunizations begin this week for those living and working in independent living centres and seniors supportive housing. Those receiving home-care support as well as staff also get their first vaccine doses. By March 8, seniors 90 years and older as well as Indigenous people 65 years and older will be able to book appointments through their local health authority’s call centre. That will expand to those 85 years and older by March 15 and 80 years and older by March 22, while vaccinations for the above groups will begin a week later. The province is urging older British Columbians to only call in once they’re eligible. The call centre will ask British Columbians for their legal name, date of birth, postal code, personal health number and current contact info. Call centre workers will not be asking for financial info, such as credit card details. By April, British Columbians will be expected to register and book their first and second doses via an online tool that the province will be sharing more details about in the coming weeks. Instructions for call centre bookings and local health authority call centre numbers are available at gov.bc.ca/bcseniorsfirst. Family members will be able to book on behalf of seniors who may not feel comfortable scheduling their vaccinations on their
own. The province will also be offering mobile vaccination clinics to those too frail to attend clinics. By mid-April, health workers will begin vaccinating those 60-79 years old, as well as British Columbians over the age of 16 considered to be extremely clinically vulnerable. Meanwhile, the federal government awarded Deloitte Inc. a $16-million contract late last year to provide a national vaccine management IT platform (NVMIP) meant to assist provinces with vaccine rollout, administration and reporting. The NVMIP isn’t meant to replace B.C.’s existing system, but the province confirmed it would be used to record all immunizations electronically and track vaccine inventory. Last week B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry issued an order allowing dentists, midwives, pharmacy technicians, paramedics, retired nurses and “a number of other professions” to assist at clinics administering vaccines. At peak immunization capacity, the province will be relying on 715 full-time immunizers across 172 vaccination sites as it seeks to administer about 100,000 doses per day. With the approval of AstraZeneca, Henry also confirmed first responders and essential workers might be able to move up in the queue if possible, or else wait for their age group to be eligible for the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. The newly approved vaccine has an efficacy rate of 62% compared with about 95% for Pfizer and Moderna. “There will be a little bit of choice but not a whole lot,” Henry said.
Mobility considerations for vaccinations CONTINUED FROM P. 1
For Indigenous people, there’s also the option of using dedicated vaccination sites, “which will offer services that are culturally safe, with ceremonial plans in place,” said VCH. If one does not have access to transportation, they are to mention it at the time of booking and will be called back by the home immunization team, said VCH.
Vaccine information Find province-wide information: gov.bc.ca/gov/ content/covid-19/vaccine/seniors Find local information: vch.ca/covid-19/covid-19vaccine Bowen Islanders over 80 or Indigenous people over 65 can start calling to register for an appointment starting March 8. The appointment booking line number for the Vancouver Coastal Health region is 1-877-587-5767 and will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To book an appointment you will need first and last name, date of birth, postal code, Personal Health Number and contact information
Whether you're zooming or grooving pandemic style, we're still here to help get the word out for you or your organization. Listings are always free in our weekly community calendar. Please email your listing to Bronwyn by Tuesday 5 p.m. for that week's edition. editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com
Thank you!
bowenislandundercurrent.com
Cultural corner could be completed by end of 2021
CONTINUED FROM P. 1
Chief librarian Tina Nielsen celebrated the news in a press release, sharing that the timeline to apply for the one-time grant for small-scale public use infrastructure was tight but they luckily had a shovel-ready project. This cultural corner has been part of the Cove Commons vision since its opening in 2018. “This will be a wonderful addition to our civic spaces,” said Library Board chair Susan Munro in the release, adding that the project could be complete by the end of the year. “The Snug Cove Cultural Corner, in the heart of Snug Cove, will offer residents and visitors opportunities to participate in cultural events, enjoy public art and to safely socialize in a beautiful outdoor setting,” said The Hearth’s executive director Jami Scheffer in the release.
Thursday, March 4, 2021 • A9
The You Are Here art show has been on quite the journey and now it’s here THE HEARTH GALLERY’S NEW SHOW RUNS TO MARCH 22
KATHLEEN AINSCOUGH
The Hearth
The new exhibition, ‘You Are Here’ is proudly presented by The Hearth Gallery in collaboration with North Van Arts. Twelve stunning works of art were used to create a 2021 calendar as a promotional and fundraising tool for the North Shore Culture Compass and are the foundation for this touring exhibition. How does Bowen Island fit in to the picture you may ask? The 2021 You Are Here calendar exhibition (now in its fifth year) first showed at North Vancouver’s Lynn Valley Library Gallery last November and then travelled to the Silk Purse Arts Centre in West Vancouver. The third leg of the journey has now landed the exhibition at the Hearth Gallery for the exhibit’s final showing. COVID-19 has sent us all to places we never imagined and this project is no exception. The Hearth had planned a full roster of exciting exhibitions before the pandemic hit, and some of the artists decided to reschedule their shows, which left an opening. Because I, as a North-Vancouver raised Bowen Islander, am one of the artists of the You Are Here
KATHLEEN AINSOUGH PHOTO
The You Are Here exhibit features North Shore region artists, including Bowen’s Kathleen Ainscough.
project and because islanders’ lives are so connected to the North Shore, Jami Scheffer, executive director of The Hearth reached out to the North Van Arts Council to have Bowen Island added to the North Shore Culture Compass site and to the You Are Here art show tour. Initiated by North Van Arts, the Culture Compass is an interactive, online map showcasing the art and cultural diversity and offerings of the North Shore. It is an ongoing project to compile a hub of cultural assets within the North Shore region, including the City of North Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver, the District of West Vancouver, the Squamish Nation and the TsleilWaututh Nation and now Bowen Island. The You Are Here 2021 Calendar features twelve dynamic scenes of the North Shore by local artists: Kathleen Ainscough, Tim Bennison, Enda Bardell, Miles Brook, Diana Zoe Coop, Chris Dalton, Lyza Del Mar-Gustin, Danyne Johnston, Ishrat Khan,
Lorena Krause and Tatjana Mirkov-Popovicki. Read the artists bios on display in the gallery and discover the inspirational stories and locations behind these works. The show runs until March 22 at the Hearth Gallery and features many of the stunning artworks from the You Are Here 2021 calendar (some have sold) as well as additional artworks by the participating artists. Sales of the calendar directly support North Van Arts’ interactive database project, North Shore Culture Compass. Visit the virtual gallery on The Hearth website, thehearthartsonbowen.ca, for a preview of the artworks in the show, to subscribe to our newsletter and to become a Hearth member. As always, art is best appreciated in person so c’mon in. Appropriate health and safety protocols are in place to make your visit comfortable and safe. Hours are Thursday to Monday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Patient of the Week PIPER Meet Piper, Dr. Ritchie’s new pit mix rescue from Texas. In true Vet’s-Dog fashion, Piper has a laundry list of health issues that we will be tackling over the next year, including but not limited to; alopecia, heartworms, dental disease, a variety of growths and lumps etc. She roughed it on the streets but now she’s living the life of luxury she deserves!
REGULAR HOURS Tuesday to Friday 9- 5 Saturday 9- 1 Closed Sunday and Monday
To schedule appointments, please call
604.947.9247
or email reception@bowenvet.com
A10 • Thursday, March 4, 2021
bowenislandundercurrent.com
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BC WIDE CLASSIFIEDS GENERAL EMPLOYMENT Get trained & work as a Class1 instructor in Fort St. John, BC. $30/hr Full time. 8am to 5pm. Monday to Friday. Extended benefits (250)-794-7991 chris@peacedriver.com
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Tues - 6:45-8:45 am • Thurs - 6:45-8:45 am Book online at https://locations.lifelabs.com
Limited appointment availability Drop in available for all patients- arrive early
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You Are Here Art Show The Hearth Thursday-Monday 11 am-4 pm Original art works from the North Shore Culture Compass 2021 You Are Here Calendar. More information: thehearthartsonbowen.ca
THURSDAY MARCH 4
TOTI presents: Bard on the Broadband “Live on ye olde YouTube” 7:30 pm A “variety-style evening” featuring “snippets of the Bard’s greatest hits - as well as some beloved contemporary tidbits inspired by his works.” More information
FRIDAY MARCH 5
Legion Drive thru Dinner 4:30 pm Meat or Veg Lasagne
with green salad and carrot cake for dessert By donation.
MONDAY MARCH 8
bc.ca/media/350906/202105_it_tc_march-trust-councilannounced_nr_final.pdf
Bowen Rec Spring Registration opens From Spring Break programs to Fitness POP-UPs -register at www.bowenrecreation.com
Islands Trust evening delegations and town hall session Online 7-9 pm (see info above)
TUESDAY MARCH 9
Islands Trust Council Online 9 am
Introducing Metro Vancouver’s Clean Air Plan - how we can reach 45% emission reductions by 2030?: Metro Van webinar 10:30-11:30 am Part of Climate Action in Metro Vancouver webinar series - get more info/ register bit.ly/2Mov52i Islands Trust Council Online 9 am See more information: islandstrust.
WEDNESDAY MARCH 10 THURSDAY MARCH 11
Islands Trust Council Online 9 am
Mammogram screening van Bowen Legion Call BBC Mammogram Screening number - 1-800663-9203 or 604-877-6187 to book an appointment. Limited number of appointments - book well in advance
BIM Public Open House: Land Use Bylaw Changes 2:30 - 4:30 pm Zoom Meeting ID: 840 6363 0567 Passcode: 783464 Rotary Speaker: Jayne McMillan Zoom 7:30 pm Check bowenrotary.com for the Zoom invitation. Jayne will be talking about the role of the Emergency Support Services here on Bowen and how it supports the community in the face of a fire, or earthquake or other emergencies. You will learn how ESS provides short term assistance to British Columbians forced to leave their homes because of an emergency. A group of ESS volunteers will be joining the Rotary virtual
Thursday, March 4, 2021 • A11 meeting to share more about the services they provide and answer your questions. This will be a very informative meeting, do join us.
FRIDAY MARCH 12
Mammogram screening van Limited number of appointments - book well in advance (see info above) Youth Centre Friday Nights 12-18 yrs 650 Carter Road 4:30 -9 pm Air Hockey Tournament Pre-register at www.bowenrecreation.com
SATURDAY MARCH 13
Mammogram screening van Bowen Legion Limited number of appointments - book well in advance
BOWEN HOME SERVICES love the life you live Landscape Lighting Irrigation Licensed Electrical Contractor 778.266.6465 www.bowenislandelectrical.com
Seascape Bruce Culver
Office: 604-947-9686
Cell: 604-329-3045
BOWEN ISLAND SPECIALISTS! QUALITY SERVICE GUARANTEED! Keep Calm and Call Econo
604.980.3333
991 West First Street, North Vancouver, BC www.economovingandstorage.com
Window Blinds On Bowen 778-995-1902 NEW CONSTRUCTION RENOVATIONS RESTORATION ADDITIONS SECONDARY STRUCTURES UNIQUE OUTDOOR SPACES SUB CONTRACT WORK
BUILT GREEN BC BUILDER CONTACT US FOR A FREE QUOTATION WWW.WHITEHART.CA ADDRESS 302-566 ARTISAN LANE BOWEN ISLAND, BC PHONE 1 (778) 999-3434
live the life you love To reserve a spot on this page, contact us at 604-947-2442 or ads@bowenislandundercurrent.com
A12 • Thursday, March 4, 2021
bowenislandundercurrent.com
Get to know your neighbour
Here’s how BIFC is making spring soccer happen
BRONWYN BEAIRSTO
Yes, I know this is cheating. I had a few hiccups finding this week’s neighbour so I thought I’d give myself a break and do what I love most – write about myself. (That’s hopefully a joke?) I’m now taking volunteers who wish to be ‘neighbours’ – one can email editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com.
ADULT LEAGUES DEPENDENT ON RESTRICTIONS LIGHTENING BRONWYN BEAIRSTO
Editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com
Registration is open for Bowen Island Football Club’s spring programming, scheduled to start April 5. As phase one of BC Soccer’s Return to Play restrictions stretch into their fourth month (mandating three metre physical distancing and no spectators), here’s how Bowen Island Football Club is keeping the soccer balls rolling. Since December, when the province imposed the latest round of sports restrictions, BIFC youth players have been able to do socially distanced training. “We create grids for them to train in,” explains BIFC general manager Morgan Quarry. “It’s one of those sort of ironies where it’s actually very good for their development. “They get a lot of touches on the ball, there’s a lot of dribbling, there’s a lot of ball mastery work. We’re still able to get them to exercise but there’s no contact with one another.” BIFC has been able to do a little bit with some of the younger players but it’ll be when the weather gets better that the program will open to all of the Mini House (U-5s and U-8s) and
Academy players (a training program open to youth team players). Youth teams’ (U-9 to U-12) registration is set to open in May. Should phase one guidelines still be in place come April, the Mini and Academy programs will go ahead with socially distanced training says Quarry. “If it opens up to phase two, which is limited contact, then we’re back to what we were doing in the fall.” Phase two would mean kids could play some scrimmages and games with limited contact. “Given the feedback we’ve had from the community, parents really want to get their kids outside and active because they’ve been stuck inside,” says Quarry. Even over the cold winter months, BIFC was getting interest in having the young kids out playing. “So we’re excited to be able to offer that.” But, for the adults, team sports, indoor or outdoor, are prohibited for people 22 years or older. “We’re optimistic that that will change…by the first week of April,” says Quarry. Registration is open for both the five-a-side and recreational league. The other program that’s dependent on restrictions lifting is BIFC’s new rugby program for teenagers, launched last fall.
UNDERCURRENT PHOTO
Above: BIFC players in October when the province was under phase two of BC Soccer’s Return to Play guidelines. Phase two allows for limited contact while under phase one (the current phase) kids must stay three metres apart from one another.
“We were approached by some people who were unable to play rugby anywhere. It was completely unavailable to them, even off island,” says Quarry. “And [the program] was extremely popular.” The coed inaugural program had about 22 participants. There’s been something of a cap on Bowen when it comes to sports for teenagers, says Quarry. Teams go to about 13 or 14 and then once high school hits, kids have to go off-island to pursue their sports. The eight-week spring rugby program with two sessions a week, is set to start April 5. Two Bowen-raised coaches with more than a decade of rugby experi-
Places of Worship Welcome You BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCH Now offering a youtube channel of reflections and hymn/songs with Reverend Lorraine Ashdown and Lynn Williams. youtubewatch?v=tejV7Y6jo
FOOD BANK DROP-OFF
Masses are live streamed everyday. Times posted at holyrosarycathedral.org Contact Angela Powell 604-947-2515
www.cateshillchapel.com 604-947-4260 (661 Carter Rd.)
Now offering worship services via Zoom. A link available on website.
Pastor: Phil Adkins
Queen of Capilano Ferry Schedule October 13 to May 15 2021 DEPART BOWEN ISLAND DEPART HORSESHOE BAY
ST. GERARD’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
CATES HILL CHAPEL
ence behind them – including playing the sport in university – Ayden Radley and Davin Killy are heading up BIFC’s newest program. BIFC started out as a sport society (not exclusively a soccer non-profit), Quarry notes. “So for us to be able to offer something like rugby, which appeals to a group of kids that we just simply haven’t been able to provide programming for, was exciting.” Because of the nature of rugby, the program needs the limited contact allowed in phase two of the Return-to-Play guidelines. For more information and to access registration, visit the club’s brand new website at bowenfc.com.
When did you arrive? May 2, 2018. How did you come to be on Bowen? I had an internship at the Vancouver Courier just as I was finishing my journalism degree. The editor there – one Martha Perkins – said they needed some help over at the Bowen newspaper and would I finish out my internship on the island? I was a total newbie journalist so I told her I definitely couldn’t do it. Anyone who knows Martha knows that she’s kindly persuasive. So the next Wednesday we took the 257 to Horseshoe Bay. A family friend picked me up after work on Bowen that day and drove me everywhere on the island – every neighbourhood, every scandal – even though I was going to only be here two weeks. Ha! Where do you live on Bowen? In a house. Fill the ferry line up gap or don’t fill the gap? I don’t usually have a car so it isn’t an issue that comes up much. But I love hearing folks’ opinions on it What’s your favourite Bowen fact? Just that the Bowen Island Archives exist and are accessible. I love archives. What’s a Bowen Islander? Has been startled in the dark by a deer munching nearby.
5:20 am except Sundays 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 except Wednesdays 5:10 pm 6:15 pm 7:25 pm Mon Wed Th Fri 7:26 pm Tue Sun 8:30 pm 9:30 pm 10:30 pm
5:50 am 6:50 am 8:00 am 9:05 am except Wednesdays 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 except Saturdays 9:00 pm 10:00 pm
Note: Schedules subject to change without notice: Please check BCFERRIES.COM Schedule changes on statutory holidays