Bowen Island Undercurrent May 6 2021 by Bowen Island Undercurrent

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RIVENDELL’S NEW VISION: Bowen’s retreat centre evolves

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THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021 BIRD CALLS OF BOWEN

VOL. 47 NO. 18

BIUndercurrent

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The Nature Club separates the birdsong from the noise PAGE 3

Paint the wall WHAT’S IN STORE FOR BOWEN’S BIGGEST EYESORE?

BRONWYN BEAIRSTO

Editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com

CHARLES MCNEILL PHOTO

OTTER PREDATOR: A few weeks ago the Undercurrent published photos of an eagle attempting to hunt an

otter. Last week Charles McNeill looked out his Mt. Gardner window to see an otter having a snack of its own. Acquatic wildlife – such as fish, crabs, frogs, reptiles, birds – and sometimes acquatic plants and small mammals make up the river otter’s diet according to the National Wildlife Federation. See more photos of the otter at bowenislandundercurrent.com.

Queen of Cap off for repairs Saturday eve BRONWYN BEAIRSTO

Editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com

Get any mainland errands done early Saturday. The Queen of Capilano is heading off for repairs for the second time in a month.

The last Queen of Cap sailing of May 8 will be the 6:50 p.m. from Horseshoe Bay. A water taxi service will replace the final five sailings of the evening, starting with the 8:30 p.m. from Snug Cove. BC Ferries is providing complimentary Horseshoe Bay surface lot

parking for those having to take the water taxi after 6:50 p.m. For this, one must get a temporary parking pass from the customer service office. Saturday evening ferry cancellations a couple of weeks ago caused some chaos in the Cove as unsuspecting tourists were stranded on Bowen.

PARK ROYAL CONSTRUCTION Home Renovations & General Contracting Water ingress • Dry rot • Mould removal Decks • Docks • Ramps

604-925-8711

Bowen Island is no fortress but one might think otherwise after crossing a moat and arriving at an unassailable mud-brown concrete wall. But, the ugly 50-metre stretch of lock-block wall on the north side of Bowen’s entryway is set to get its Cinderella moment. Bowen Island Municipality’s Public Art Advisory Committee is soon issuing a call for artists’ proposals for a series of panels along the wall. Traditionally, the island’s kids have painted the wall, and the committee had planned on keeping youth involved in a public art project, but given the pandemic the committee shifted its attention. In the meantime, Sangre de Fruta Botanicals approached the committee about making a donation toward public art. “The committee decided...this is a great opportunity to really do something spectacular for the lock-block wall with unexpected and substantial funding,” says Scott Massey, chair of the public art committee. The committee was able to match the local business’ funding. “The lock-block wall itself as a substrate for art, it’s fundamentally a disaster,” says Massey. “If you want the finished product to actually look professional, painting directly on the lock-block wall, unless you are some incredibly experienced muralist,... it would just end up looking really quite awful.” Instead, the committee is providing four-foot by eightfoot panels of medium density overlay board (used for making highway signs) to be delivered right to artists’ studios. This also solves the problem of artists trying to paint along the Cove’s bottleneck pathway during a pandemic. “The beauty of these [panels] is that they can be removed and repainted and reused at any time in the future or swapped out,” says Massey. CONTINUED ON P. 6

LIONS GATE ROOFING ROOFING & REPAIRS

604-987-7663 Trade ticket certified #00012-RO-96

A2 • Thursday, May 6, 2021

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Events May 10, 2021 9:00 am Parcel Tax Review Panel

Seeking Public Comment

Council will be considereing the following Development Variance Permit (DVP) application at: 6:15 pm on Monday, May 10, 2021 at the Regular Council Meeting via Zoom.

Council will be considereing the following Development Variance Permit (DVP) applications at: 6:15 pm on Monday, May 10, 2021 at the Regular Council Meeting via Zoom.

DVP-01-2020 205 Highland Trail

May 10, 2021 6:15 pm

Vary the front lot setback to 6 metres to allow for a deck, and demolish non-permitted stairwell

Regular Council Meeting All meetings are online via Zoom and

open to the public, unless noted otherwise.

DVP-2021-0020 1160 Ecclestone Road

Vary the lot line setback, adjacent public beach access setback, and public beach access provision.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: A Development Variance Permit

application has been submitted for 205 Highland Trail (shown on map) to vary the front lot setback to 6 metres to allow for the completion of a partially constructed deck expansion. The development variance permit will also call for the demolition of a pre-existing nonpermitted stairwell in the road right-of-way along Eaglecliff rd.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: A DVP application has been submitted for 1160 Ecclestone Rd (shown on map) to vary the lot line setback, adjacent public beach access setback, and public beach access provision so as to create a new statutory right-of-way agreement linked to the approval of a proposed private dock that will ensure long-term improved public access to the public beach along the shoreline of the lot.

MORE INFORMATION AT MUNICIPAL HALL: The applications may be viewed at Municipal Hall between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday (excluding statutory holidays) or on the municipal website at

YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME: Written submissions may be delivered to Municipal Hall:In person, by mail, by fax or by email to mayorandcouncil@bimbc.ca. Submissions may also be made to Mayor and Council at the meeting. For instructions on how to submit comment, go to:

Questions? Contact Jennifer Pierce, Planner I, by email at jpierce@bimbc.ca or 604-947-4255 x 252.

Help slow the spread of COVID-19:

Stay home if you’re sick

www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/planning

Clean your hands frequently

www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/council-meetings

2 m or 6 feet

Keep a safe physical distance

Parcel Tax Review Panel The sitting of the Parcel Tax Review Panel is an opportunity for individuals to appeal the validity of the Parcel Tax Roll on one of the following grounds: a) there is an error or omission respecting a name or address on the parcel tax roll; b) there is an error or omission respecting the inclusion of a parcel; c) there is an error or omission respecting the taxable area or the taxable frontage of a parcel; d) an exemption has been improperly allowed or disallowed.

Wear a mask in indoor public spaces

The Panel will convene at 9:00 am on May 10, 2021. Individuals who wish to appeal must provide written notice to the Municipality.

www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/news/releases/parcel-tax-review-panel

Contact Bowen Island Municipality PAID ADVERTISEMENT May 6, 2021

Phone: Fax: Email: Website:

604-947-4255 604-947-0193 bim@bimbc.ca

Bowen Island Municipal Hall 981 Artisan Lane Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G2

www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Monday to Friday Closed statutory holidays

www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/planning

www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/council-meetings

Drinking water and people who are immunocompromised The Provincial Health Ofﬁcer advises all British Columbians with compromised immune systems (such as HIV, organ or bone transplants, chemotherapy or medications that suppress the immune system) to avoid drinking water from any surface water or ground water that is under the influence of surface water, unless it has been boiled, ﬁltered, distilled or treated with UV. Bowen Island and other areas in British Columbia use surface water sources (lakes, rivers, streams). This is not a general boil-water advisory for the general public, but rather is directed only at persons with compromised immune systems. If in doubt about your immune system status, please discuss this further with your physician.

Find us on Facebook Bowen Island Municipality

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Thursday, May 6, 2021 • A3

BOWEN NATURE CLUB

What’s with all that racket?

BOWEN’S BIRDS ARE TWEETING, HOOTING, PECKING, WHISTLING UP A STORM

You may have noticed more birdsong lately. Spring is in the air, and many species are preparing to mate and nest. Besides the mellifluous tones of kinglets and Pacific wrens, you might also hear squawking, piercing whistling and noises that don’t really sound like birds at all.

JEN RITCHIE PHOTO

Pileated woodpecker has a repeated monotone maniacal “laugh.”

Some of the noisiest birds are the woodpeckers. They are not shy about announcing their territory and availability to mate. Some will even hammer on drainpipes and eaves, to make their presence wellknown. Pileated woodpeckers are large black and white birds with a distinctive red crest on their heads. Their call is a repeated monotone maniacal “laugh.” They dig large holes high up in trunks of large trees and lay their eggs in April and May. Barred owls are another bird whose call resounds through the woods, usually around dusk. These raptors fly silently on their brown and white striped wings but their insistent question, “who cooks for you?” can echo quite loudly up and down a ravine. They make their nests high up in trees that grow close to water sources like lakes, fens and creeks. They lay their eggs from late March to May. Steller’s jays are another noisy

Coming soon to a bay near you SeaChange Marine Conservation Society, with the help of Bowen volunteers, planted eelgrass shoots in Mannion Bay this past summer to restore nearshore habitat. In order to protect these important salmon-rearing areas, Bowen Island Municipality is collaborating with SeaChange to install informational buoys to delineate a voluntary no anchoring zone. The eelgrass shoots have already shown over 100% growth, let’s keep the eelgrass in by keeping anchors out!

JEN RITCHIE PHOTOS

Steller’s jays have a stunning range of vocalizations while the barred owl insists “who cooks for you.”

bunch. The range of their vocalizations is quite stunning, including imitating other birds, animals and random noises in their environment. These bright blue birds with spiky black heads are quite comfortable living very close to human dwellings. They might even squawk at you if they think you might give them food or if you get too close. They nest on horizontal branches of small conifer trees and lay eggs from April to July. Varied thrushes are beautifully coloured little birds, with bright orange and black feathers, and a distinctive black “necklace” over their bright orange breast. Like the Steller’s jay, you might not realize their call is actual birdsong. It sounds more like a buzzy whistle, which holds a single sustained note before breaking into silence. They make their nests in bushes

in the understory of a forest, often near a stream and lay their eggs in March to May. Bowen Island is home to more than 100 different types of birds, from awe-inspiring raptors to cute songbirds, from silent waterfowl to noisy woodpeckers. They all live in different environments, all have unique plumage and calls. How much do you know about Bowen’s birds? Can you identify songbirds, like juncos and robins? What kind of sound does a Northern flicker make? What’s the difference between a mallard and a merganser duck? Where do the turkey vultures hang out? What does a heron eat? The Bowen Nature Club is offering a fun self-guided birding activity in the month of May and we hope you join us on our Facebook page, where we’ll help guide you

in finding and identifying the many different birds that share our island home. Each Monday and Thursday in May, we’ll post several examples of a certain family of birds, along with tips on where to find them and how to identify them. The Bowen library has also recently added bird watching kits to their collection of borrowing materials. So head on over and check them out. Follow along all month at Bowen Nature Club’s Facebook Page: facebook.com/bowennatureclub. Find another fun Bowen-based birding resource, which includes photos, descriptions, and audio at ebird.org/hotspot/L1459600. May 8 is National Migratory Bird Day in Canada. Visit migratorybirdday. org for more activities. Sing, fly, soar – like a bird!

Climate Conversation Connecting Canada’s Climate Action Plan with Opportunities for Bowen Wednesday, May 19th, 7:00-8:30 pm Join us as we take a deeper dive into Canada’s new climate action plan and what it means for Bowen. In our next Climate Conversation, MP Patrick Weiler will present the federal government’s strategy and together we will explore how it aligns with Bowen’s Climate Action Strategy. MP Weiler will discuss opportunities for Islanders to become part of the solution—and, of course, answer your questions.

Your participation is key to creating a relevant, sustainable, local community economic development plan for Bowen Island. Phase 2 of public engagement comprises ﬁve virtual Focus Groups designed by Hill & Knowlton Strategies which are open to the public, but seats are limited. The topics, including cross-cutting themes for these workshops are: Health & Wellness - Wed, May 12 at 7:00 pm Food System - Thu, May 13 at 7:00 pm Knowledge Sector - Tue, May 18 at 4:00 pm Strategic Tourism - Wed, May 19 at 1:00 pm Commercial & Industrial - Wed, May 19 at 4:00 pm

Please join us via Zoom for the Climate Conversation on Wednesday, May 19th, 7:00-8:30 pm. Sign up by May 10 at 3:00 pm at the link below. Please www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/news/releases/ climate-conversation

note that seats are limited.

www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/rsvp Questions? Please contact Stef Shortt at sshortt@bimbc.ca or 604-947-4255. Add your ideas to the conversation taking place on Citizenlab: https://bowenisland.citizenlab.co

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

JEN RITCHIE

Bowen Nature Club

A4 • Thursday, May 6, 2021

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VIEWPOINTS

Marcel and the lock-block wall RON WOODALL

Dada resurrectionist

Finally, there’s an open call out for the wall mural. What fortunate timing. As many of you know, Marcel Duchamp, the renowned block wall conceptualist has recently moved to Bowen Island. For those who are unfamiliar with Duchamp’s work, a short biography can be found on page 168 of the reference book Art for Dummies. His work, it says, has been equally admired and reviled which is perfect for Bowen Island. The first time he disembarked from the Queen of Capilano, Duchamp was awestruck by the majesty of the long undulating row of unadorned interlocking grey blocks which he took to be a minimalist metaphor for simple island life. He was even more delighted to learn that we had an actual public art advisory committee because as they say in Rouen, “sept têtes valent mieux qu’une.” “Zut alors,” he exclaimed, struggling in his broken English, “I shall be permitted to benefit the community through strengthening its identity and civic pride by enhancing public spaces for residents and visitors. I can demonstrate a clear belief in the importance of culture, heritage and creativity while leaving a lasting legacy for the future. I hope there is some community-based process for incorporating the integration of artwork into public spaces throughout Bowen Island! “Such a policy could provide council, staff and the community with a clear, consistent framework for decision making, so they might not only know all about art, but also know what

they don’t like.” Marcel’s way with his second language charms, as only a Frenchman can. He added that he “yearned to help promote the culture of Bowen Island and to enhance its desirability as a community by creating an appealing environment in which to live while honouring, preserving and encouraging our cultural heritage and artistic diversity in order to promote civic identity through awareness and preservation of the community’s history and cultures but at the same time, support effective community planning, economic development and cultural tourism opportunities.” We are indeed blessed to have this world-renowned genius among us. He is proposing a world-class installation that combines fleeting deception with eternal beauty. The concept is to install a mural of monumental irony. “Art Trouve” he calls it, except that he puts a little stick over the e. Lucky for us Marcel has located and imported fifty segments of a remarkably large Christmas wall decoration originally in the Target discount store in Bellingham. He finds much amusement in the irony that his entire composition will be lineal and best of all, “Plastique Naturel,” reflecting simultaneously the antithesis and also the tithesis of Bowen. And for very special occasions, there will be that added feature of flammability. He has apologized in advance for burdening the committee and perhaps council itself with so many similar panels to evaluate. The rumours that Marcel Duchamp is dead should be dismissed. And if true, all the more admirable that he would take on this epic endeavour. Marcel Duchamp, in his signature fetching pink polo shirt, completing the perilous north facing of the Great Wall of China At Jiankou.

EDITORIAL

There was a boss I used to tease because at the turn of every month she’d proclaim, “Now THIS is my favourite month.” (Shoutout to Ali at the Whitehorse grilled cheese truck.) Lately I’ve been feeling like the opposite, “Now THIS is the worst month ever.” (And I think I’ve said as much in these pages.) But as I look out my window at 9 p.m. and there’s still brush of yellow along the horizon at this late hour, the optimist is dragging the pessimist to watch the sun set – hopefully on the worst of this pandemic. I celebrated three years at the Undercurrent Sunday. And my story with this paper started with, “No, Martha, there is no way I can do that.” (Again, the optimist won out and I did it.) As a 25-year-old newbie journalist, I soon learned that community news is about so much more than “this person/institution/group really messed up.” Some weeks it’s being a reluctant mediator to whatever controversy someone wants you to report on/publish a letter about, other weeks it’s sitting outside the café to see

who will walk by with a story idea. Some weeks it’s tragedy, though thankfully rare (but when it strikes, you’re that much more affected than in a big city), and other weeks you get to celebrate joy with your neighbours. I was listening to a CBC Cross Country checkup (I think!) recently where a psychiatrist was differentiating the “Pollyanna” mindset from finding and choosing positivity. (Again, go see professionals, don’t listen to a journalist about your mental health, we’re as clueless as you.) But the point I found valuable. Bowen can be a vicious and cruel community, quick to judge and slow to forgive (as can any town) and denying that helps no one. But, behind every angry keyboard stroke on a controversial Facebook thread, I think there’s an optimist looking for our community’s best interest. And that’s what I cling to when things get nasty. Thank you for three great years (and counting) Bowen. –Bronwyn Beairsto, editor

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. All Advertising and news copy content are copyright of the Undercurrent Newspaper. All editorial content submitted to the Undercurrent becomes the property of the publication. The Undercurrent is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, art work and photographs.

#102–495 Bowen Trunk Road, PO Box 130, Bowen Island BC, V0N 1G0 Phone: 604.947.2442 Fax: 604.947.0148 bowenislandundercurrent.com DEADLINE for advertising Monday, 4 p.m. DEADLINE for editorial Tuesday 5 p.m. Bowen Island Undercurrent Subscription Rates: Mailed 1 year subscription on Bowen Island: $55, including GST. Within Canada: $85 including GST Newsstand (Single Copy) $1.50 per copy, including GST

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National NewsMedia Council.

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.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The following letters are regarding the development variance application to allow a dock at Ecclestone Beach, coming to council May 10. BIM staff have recommended deferring consideration of the DVP for a month. See the agenda: bowenislandmunicipality.ca/council-meetings.

Dock is an ‘unconscionable’trade-off DEAR EDITOR:I am writing to strongly oppose the application for a private dock at Ecclestone Beach and the tying of this development variance permit to public access to this historically and environmentally significant pocket beach. This flies contrary to all the strides this community has made in the past few years to restrict docks in sensitive marine areas and put the greater public interest above that of a private waterfront property owner. Our beaches are our communal treasures, open and accessible to all. Where this is a traditional local destination for swimming, picnicking and family outings, it becomes a vital part of the fabric of a sharing, welcoming neighbourhood. Any proposal that threatens this reality must be thoroughly vetted and challenged, as the potential for permanent damage to this beautiful micro-beach is clear. There should be no “trading off” of a variance to the setback bylaws in order to gain “permission” for our citizens to cross 30 feet of private land, in exchange for supporting such a dock application.

If it destroys the ambiance of the beach, as those at Roger Curtis have certainly done, there is little point in providing access at all. The enjoyment of an undeveloped natural area is lost forever. And for what? The benefit of a property owner who already has waterfront land to luxuriate on, while those who can’t afford such privilege pay the price by caving to these demands? This is unconscionable. I support the effort of those who seek an alternate solution to providing beach access via the municipal right-of-way, thus separating this issue from that of the dock application, as is right. I believe a staircase is a viable, safe and publicly responsible course to follow, and have requested that council defer consideration of the development variance permit and delay moving forward with any decision on the dock application. I also vehemently oppose this dock, under any circumstances. Paul Hooson

Beach is‘one of the island’s most peaceful little spots’

DEAR EDITOR: Ecclestone Beach is the only low tide accessible south facing beach on Mannion Bay. It’s beauty has been enjoyed and treasured as one of the island’s most peaceful little spots on the water to visit with nature for over 100 years. It is now in danger of being recklessly ruined by a variance application that will result in a 123-foot private dock rising up and across at one end of the beach. This dock does not belong at a public beach. It does not conform to our Bowen

bylaws, our Official Community Plan or provincial legal requirements and it should not be permitted for any reason. The proposed dock will remain a permanent scar for decades to come, devaluing the rights of the public and fragile sea life. The Friends of Ecclestone Beach have commenced plans with a engineer for a staircase on the public right-of-way. Ecclestone Beach should remain free from private interests now and into our future. Heather Hodson

Thursday, May 6, 2021 • A5

Who wants an amateur radio licence?

Anyone interested in obtaining their Amateur Radio Proficiency Certificate is now able to do so online and if there is enough interest I will host a course here on Bowen. Your proficiency certificate would enable you to serve the volunteer emergency management community groups such as Emergency Support Services, Neighbourhood Emergency Reponse Program or an emergency operations centre activation during critical events. This course involves very basic concepts of DEAR EDITOR: To the black SUV I cut-off on Sunday morning outside Xenia. Huge apologies. I was very late, going way too fast and in an absolutely foul mood. You were more than entitled to honk at me and I’ve felt sheepish all day. In future I’ll drive a lot slower and like I actually deserve my license. Sincerely, one of your more obnoxious neighbours with his cap in hand.

physics and math. It’s also an interesting hobby for those of the computer, nerd or technical persuasion. The details for the time involved (generally six Saturdays) and costs will be determined when I have a commitment/confirmation from those interested. I would like to see a minimum of six for a Zoom class. There is also a final examination. Contact me by email only: Bruce Steele, director of emergency communications/BEARS, VE7BGA@ gmail.com. Bruce Steele

LEN GILDAY PHOTO

Gold spy apple blossoms make their appearance.

Emergency Preparation On Bowen This is National Preparedness Week. Your Neighbourhood Emergency Response Program (NERP) volunteers and auxiliaries would like you to take a few moments and think about what you and your family would do in the event of a major emergency. Do you have enough emergency supplies—food, water, medicine, etc.—for at least three weeks? Does everyone in your family have a grab-and-go bag with clothing, medications, contact information, etc. packed and ready? Is every phone in your household—kids included—registered with the Bowen Island Emergency Notification System? For more details, please go to: https://www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/emergency-program Thank you, your NERP volunteers. Barry & Heather Adams Kathleen Aisncough Ily Alan Lisa Arthur Andrea Bastin/Michael Segal Cathy Bayly Joan Beals Stephen Boggan Terry Boss Roger Brownsey Elle Burk Andrea Bussanidi Robin & Hilery Butler Kim Calsaferri Michelle Canlas Hilary Cassady Martin Clarke

Steve Clippingdale Karen Cowper Nancy Cox Melissa Crenshaw Meribeth Dean Carmen Dives Rob Dufty Stephen Edwards Catherine Epps Vickey Fredrickson Joyce Ganong Judi Gedye Jenni Griffiths Judith Heezen Adam Hervieux Betsy & Brian Hodgins Wendy Holm Rebecca Hurst

Michelle Johnson Jane Kellet Gillian Kovanic Joe Lewicki Louise & Richard Loik Gail Lotenberg Gale Lyttle Janice MacLean Jae Mather Jewal Maxwell Cindy May Julia & Brian McCaig Brenda McCluhan Kelly Miller Sasha Milsted Jesse Montegomery Alison & Alan Morse Michelle Mountain

Doug Nash Susan Nelson Amanda Ockeloen Jennifer & Tim Pardee Andrew Pask Harry Patrick Kendra Patton Glen Pierce Owen Plowman Denise Richard Sue & Graeham Ritchie Jon Ritchie Cathryn Robertson Marie-Claire Seebohm Tom and Wendy Sisk Scott Slater Andrea Stevenson James Sullivan

Susan Swift Saskia Tait Ian & Deb Thomson Kathryn Thomson/Dan Parke Mark Topolnsky Sonia Usmiani Cynthia Van Hoof Barthel Edward Wachtman Maureen Witney Jeremy Woolf Karen Wristen Cordell Wynne Carla Young Don & Joann Youngson Brittany Yu Jason Zahara

A6 • Thursday, May 6, 2021 v bowenislandundercurrent.com

Richard the Tick dies THE SUPERSTAR TICK SPENT MONTHS LIVING IN A PLASTIC BAG

PETER MCLEAN

Ticknapper

All things bright and beautiful/ All creatures great and small / All things wise and wonderful / The Lord God that made them all - Cecil Frances Alexander; William Henry Monk I sang that in Sunday school in the basement of the old St. Stephen’s church on 22nd Street in West Van. Since that time in 1958, the consideration of ‘creatures great and

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Since 1978

While painting is the obvious media choice, “If people like to get a little bit Rauschenberg and want to stick their chewed gum remnants on it or bottle caps or things like that, I’m sure we’re open to that kind of thing,” says Massey. Given that they have 12 panels total, the committee is looking to hire four artists or groups of artists to paint three panels each with themes of local flora and fauna or seasons. With the open call for ideas set to go out in the next week or so and close June 1, art work would be expected for mid

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

to late August. Massey also notes that public art is expensive so if any locals or businesses are interested in supporting the project, the committee is very open to that. Massey also thanks the public art committee for their “immense amount of effort.” “There’s a lot of hidden details in getting all this stuff moved through,” he says. BIM struck the PAAC 2019 to give council advice and recommendations on integrating art into public spaces on Bowen. Council has final say on all public art.

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

than an entrée…I believe he would still be with us had it not been for my paper-towel-moistening-neglect. Aside from the guilt I feel for failing to provide the necessities of life, the guilt I would have felt in flushing him down a toilet, incinerating him or doing the gross thumbnails thing would have been no different from the guilt I feel now. All forms of termination would have been deliberate execution not unlike this inadvertent one. Dead is dead. The alternative was equally nasty: turning him loose into Bowen Island’s wilds may have eventually inflicted a loved one or friend…two or four legged…with annoying discomfort or severe illness. Although many folks sent me well-considered and kind suggestions as to what I should do (I remain grateful for your concern) there is no avoiding the fact that I was caught between a tick and a hard place. Consequently…I did nothing…I let sleeping bugs lie… and…regrettably…die. So now it’s all over and the sad duty of delivering Dick’s eulogy defaults to yours cruelly. “Dick was a fine specimen who lived life to the fullest in spite of limitations imposed on him through no fault of his own. He never complained about his predicament preferring instead to sunbathe, exercise and take his leisure at any hour that suited him. In spite of continually being in full view of anyone that cared to look into his baggie, Dick was a very private arachnid who kept the most pertinent details of his little life to himself: he never revealed his age or mentioned having had any children …nor did he share his sexual preferences or…truth be told…his/her/their gender. He was only named Dick (and not Eunice) because there was a manliness in his carriage…a masculinity in his gait…a menacing look in his eye when he stared out from within the baggie. Never once did he use any one of his multiple appendages to flip the bird at his host as was well deserved. Dick was not that kind of tick.” Richard The Tick (Autumn, 2020 - April 30, 2021)

Lock-block wall could see art by the end of summer CONTINUED FROM P. 1

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small’ being equal in the context of this Great Mystery has thrummed within me. To what avail??? What have I done??? God…may She forgive me. When the time comes for one to cross over and leave this world, the customary act of offering a dignified farewell usually falls on the shoulders of the one that knew the deceased best…that would be me. But first it is only fair that I tell you who has left us. Dick. I am sorry to say that Dick the tick has kicked. I check in on him regularly and only yesterday did I notice that he wasn’t his usual, glistening, supple self…he just lay there…uncharacteristically still…dull in pallor…dry and stiff of flesh…rattled in the baggie. He wasn’t pulling off a tick-trick and faking it… forcing my hand to pop the seal for a closer look only to make a valiant dash for it. Nope…Dick had left the baggie though his carcass remained. My fault. What I once fully believed to be a hermetically sealed enclosure evidently wasn’t…the once musty and moist paper towel that provided him with sustenance, refuge, leisure and exercise had slowly transformed into a barren, driedup-oasis that was now nothing more than a rude deathbed. Evaporation is a cruel truth. My entire fault. What a shame. Not too long ago – after feeling a twinge of guilt for Dick’s four-month imprisonment – I pondered the value of my vain experiment and Googled for information on the longevity of a tick to determine how long one might survive between feedings. For one thing, the data was reassuring… and another…the lexicon was comforting. Where I once regarded myself as “Tick-Warden,” “Abductor” or “Ticknapper,” the Googled blurb on a tick’s lifespan kindly referred to me as “Host.” You would want to know this: nymph wood ticks are able to survive for over 300 days without food…adults are able to survive up to 600 days without a “Host.” So what gives? Although Dick’s last meal… me…on my birthday, Dec. 4, 2020…was more of an appie

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Get to know your neighbour NEXT IN OUR Q&A SERIES: MICHAEL EDEN

Where on Bowen do you live now? On Whitesails Fill the ferry lineup gap or don’t fill the gap? I probably get incensed if I see someone filling the gap, but at the same time it makes sense, as long as they’re not budding in where they shouldn’t be. But if there’s a gap, yeah, fill it. It makes more sense than leaving a space. What do you like about Bowen? We live in a great neighbourhood. All of our neighbours are friendly and helpful. There are fun neighbourhood get-togethers. We are close to walking trails, close to the ocean. The many moods of the ocean continually amaze us. We spend many hours watching the ocean. What’s keeping you going during COVID19? Looking forward to kayaking in the summer. Where do you like to kayak? Around Tunstall Bay. I’m not that adventurous. I go out to Pasley Island sometimes if it’s calm.

Meet your neighbour: Michael Eden When did you come to Bowen? We stayed at the Morrits’ house on Eve Road in 1972 on Bowen Bay, for half a week or a week. We moved here around 12 or 13 years ago. We were living in Eastern Ontario and originally, the plan was to stay there in the winter and come here in the summer. We discovered that it’s a long commute, back and forth. You could drive it in three days and then rest up for a couple of days, or you could do it five days and not rest up. So we decided stay. We were living on Windjammer when we moved here. We thought it was a little small so then we moved to where we are now. You’ve already rather answered it but how did you come to be on Bowen? We knew about Bowen by visits to Vancouver but when we were looking for a place over here, in the first summer, we were just going to rent and look around. We put ads in different papers, places around Vancouver, and we only had one reply. And that was from Bowen. That was on Collins Lane. So I suppose that was the first Michael and Judith Eden first visited Bowen in 1972. summer we stayed here.

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Patients of the Week MISHKA AND RAZZY These two matching cuties are Mishka and Razzy. They are Russian Blue cats which are a hypoallergenic breed of cat. They were in recently for their annual wellness appointments to make sure they are in good health and up to date on all of their vaccinations. Happy tails Mishka and Razzy!

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A8 • Thursday, May 6, 2021

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Thriving with silence: Rivendell

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Thursday, May 6, 2021 • A9

Rivendell has flown under the radar for nearly two decades. Here’s what the pay-what-you-can retreat centre has in store for its future BRONWYN BEAIRSTO

Editor

Often it starts with a leg-burning, lung-busting trudge up Cates Hill, following the road spiralling up into the trees to the lodge perched above Snug Cove. And then quiet. From the hand-drawn floor plan given to developer Wolfgang Duntz back in 2001 when he met with founders Howard and Shirley Bentall, to a thriving retreat centre hosting thousands of guests a year, even as a success story, Rivendell Retreat Centre is something of the antithesis of modern capitalist bustle. Guests pay what they can and the operation is run entirely on volunteer power. WiFi is available in some places but unplugging is encouraged. The centre has conciously flown under the radar, even in a community as small as Bowen. Eighteen years into its existence, the Christian-based but all-welcoming retreat space, is “revisioning” its future. Rivendell started as just the lodge, built in just 18 months two decades ago. It’s 18 rooms, a big and a small kitchen (uncertified to keep costs down, groups or individuals provide their own food), library, nooks, reading rooms and a view over the North Shore mountains that would make Elrond himself envious. At this hilltop property, Rivendell has since added the Cottage, a two-bedroom building set a hundred metres or so away from the lodge and meant for respite for families who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to get away. On this property, there’s also the sanctuary. Mimicking the spiral of a nautilus shell, the sacred space is open to guests as well as the Bowen public. “For our first 18 years, what we offered was space,” says Kathi Bentall. The daughter of Shirley and Howard helped found

Rivendell and remains among the leadership team volunteers. The organization itself didn’t offer much in the way of programming but groups and individuals came to use the serene setting for spiritual retreat. When guests call to book space at Rivendell, it’s made clear that this is not a bed and breakfast, a girls weekend trip location or a wedding venue; it’s a place for reflection, contemplation and quiet. “Such a rare thing in our society,” comments Kathi. About six years ago, through some agreements with Bowen Island Properties (the same developer that donated the Cates Hill property)theRivendellFoundation got its own slice of Mirkwood. The Hermitage, a quiet property out near Fairweather, entirely in the woods with a view of the ocean through the gaps in the trees, has a main building with basic facilities and then “Hobbit paths” to five unserviced mini cabins each with a bed, a small wood stove, a table and chair. Particularly at this location, they’re seeing people desperate to be unplugged, says Kathi. In just the past year, the organization has added a writer’s retreat at a separate Cates Hill location, where one applies to use the space (rather than it being simply bookable). Rivendell’s fifth site is the Listening Post at the corner of Main and Hastings Streets in downtown Vancouver. “It’s a quiet oasis,” describes Kathi, who was also involved in the volunteer-run space’s opening in 2000. There was a need for a place to meet with people in the Downtown Eastside, where such places are far and few between. “It’s been, again, a very simple space just to provide a place for people to pause and listen to their own inner wisdom.” Kathi was already offering retreats for people in the Downtown Eastside, going to other nearby retreat centres, when she and her parents launched

CHERIE WESTMORELAND PHOTO

Unserviced mini cabins out at the Hermitage allow visitors to unplug.

Rivendell. The retreats moved to Rivendell and the connection between people living downtown and the Bowen organization grew. The Listening Post now falls under the Rivendell umbrella. “There’s something really grounding in that we’re connected with the inner city as well,” says Kathi. “It just makes a lot of sense.” From the beginning, a tenet of Rivendell’s model has been paywhat-you-can. “When we first started, it was pretty radical,” says Kathi. “But you know, we’ve been in the black. “I think because people who can pay more respond to that principle of generosity and give additional donations and those who can’t don’t have to ask for special favours.”

Creating intention

“This is just a building,” Margie Savigny gestures at the lodge. She’s also part of Rivendell’s leadership team and joined the retreat community about 13 years ago. “In order to make a building have an intention, someone has to be here to offer that intention. “The host has an intention to bring people into community with that sense of silence and prayer.” An experienced volunteer stays at the space and can often offer spiritual companioning – offering a listening ear. They also lead a daily 8 a.m. prayer for anyone at the lodge or in the broader Bowen public and a 5 p.m. gathering. While no one coming to Rivendell or to the prayers or gatherings needs to be Christian, the hosts are. “It’s not by any means a place of conversion or intentional offering of our religion. But it is a time where we bring that intention of our Christian way of life. And we just hold it,” says Margie. Rivendell has traditionally had four values – prayer, silence, hospitality and simplicity. “Our own personal journeys bring us to know the value of silence and prayer, simplicity and hospitality,” says Kathi. It was discovering a place of silent retreat that helped Kathi heal following a “very, very dark time” in her life in the early ’90s. “Just the opportunity to pause, and work through my anger at what all had gone on in my life and then to find another voice,” she says. “That inner voice, and you can call it the still small voice of God, you can call it wisdom. There are so many different words for that.” “But it was so healing for me and life-giving,” she says. “From that

CHERIE WESTMORELAND PHOTO

The Rivendell lodge is at the tiptop of Cates Hill. point on I thought, this is what the world needs. “A space for prayer. For some silence, simplicity – it needs to be just simple, not complex – where they’re received with hospitality and welcomed, whoever they are. With the revisioning, Rivendell has added a new core value: social action. “Just knowing that once we regroup, we’re refreshed, that we have our action in the world,” explains Kathi, “And we can come back to it with much more clarity. “Not just act in the world out of our woundedness but act in our world out of ‘Okay, this is what I need to do.’” Kathi gives the example of the environmental movement – how do we make change that’s effective? “So often I think we are spinning our wheels and not willing to actually do the hard work inside.”

A new vision

The volunteer community and the role of hosts have been key to the Rivendell model. A host would come for a week or five days and then tag off their successor. “It worked really well, probably for about 15 of the 18 years,” says Kathi. With the addition of the Hermitage, the Rivendell crew began to feel that the retreat centre was growing beyond its entirely volunteer model. They were also having a tough time attracting volunteers – it’s no small feat to move people through the 18-bed lodge, which pre-pandemic was running at 90 per cent capacity, dealing with comings, goings, bookings and cancellations. So came the revisioning. Last year, local professional facilitators Chris Corrigan and Caitlin Frost led the intensive revisioning, including in-depth interviews and discussions with the community and its visitors. Where in its first decades, Rivendell has provided space for individuals and other programs’ groups, the organization heard that visitors wanted some leadership on their contemplative journeys. So Rivendell will offer some support for “people who really want to be nurtured in that way of living life with much more inten-

tion and listening from a deeper place,” says Kathi. “So the vision shifted to nurturing and supporting contemplative life and tending our sacred sites.” Where the five Rivendell sites have been operating with some independence, the revisioning saw them all coming more fully under the same umbrella. In the earlier days of Rivendell, a core community of 10 to 12 volunteers made up the host roster. “We really had quite a connection among us,” says Kathi. But the operation got bigger, adding the Hermitage and more hosts, diluting the sense of support among hosts. So, with the revisioning, volunteers are organized into journey groups – six or seven people supporting one another and every journey group supports one of the five sites. Most of the journey group members are from the Lower Mainland, though some are from farther afield, including the Okanagan. If one doesn’t want to commit to being in a journey group, they can also contribute funds or time as a friend of Rivendell. Another major change with the new vision is that Rivendell is getting its first employee. A paid employee will oversee maintenance, supplies, functioning (though volunteers will still handle booking). “We’re excited to be able to offer that to somebody,” says Kathi. This year is about “living into” the new vision and then next year, the new slate of retreat offerings are to start. But of course, the pandemic also has much up in the air. While Rivendell is currently closed until after the May long weekend due to the “circuit breaker” restrictions, for the past year, it’s been booking at half capacity, with only seven to nine people in its lodge. Traditionally, the 5 p.m. bell has rung at the lodge, marking the time for the daily gathering in the sanctuary. Today, while gathering is prohibited, the bell still rings. “People on the island have told us, especially during COVID, please don’t stop ringing the bell,” says Margie. “It is a bit of a beacon.”

A10 • Thursday, May 6, 2021

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CALENDAR APRIL 15MAY 15

Bowen Blankets Bowen Island Museum & Bowen Island Public Library

MAY 5  MAY 10

Wayfinders II

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B.I. Archery Club archery shoots Camp Bow-Isle; two sessions (5:306:30; 6:30-7:30) $5, no compound bows, pre-registration mandatory, More info: eventbrite.ca/e/bowen-

Drive-through dinner at the Legion Starts at 4:30 pm Roast Beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, veg and desert; by donation

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Regular Council meeting

Thursday, May 6, 2021 • A11 WEDNESDAY MAY 19

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THURSDAY MAY 13

Rotary Talk: Jack Taunton Zoom 7:30 pm Dr. Jack Taunton, athlete and emeritus professor at UBC, founder and director of the UBC McGavin Sports Medicine Centre; see bowenrotary. com for information on joining

Climate conversation: Connecting Canada’s Climate Action Plan with Opportunities on Bowen Zoom 7-8:30 Taking a deeper dive into Canada’s new climate action plan and what it means for Bowen with MP Patrick Weiler

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MOTHER'S DAY SUNDAY MAY 9