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BOWEN’S LATEST COVID19 NUMBERS: BC CDC data PAGE 3
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THURSDAY, JUNE 3 , 2021
HOW TO GET MAL: The process
VOL. 47 NO.22
BIUndercurrent
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Sliding into summer season
HOW IS TOURISM BOWEN ISLAND MANAGING VISITORS IN COVID-19?
BRONWYN BEAIRSTO
Editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com
LORRAINE ASHDOWN PHOTO
On Wednesday morning, a group of Bowen Islanders gathered to tie orange and red ribbons around the churchyard and fences. The orange ribbons are to acknowledge the children who suffered and died at Indian Residential Schools over the decades. The red are to honour the Missing and Murdered indigenous Women and Girls. We share the sorrow of the families who have been harmed by the Indian Residential Schools, run by the Canadian government and the Catholic, Anglican and United Churches. –Rev. Lorraine Ashdown, Bowen Island United Church
While a trip to the interior is not in the cards these days, non-essential travel within our region – that is within the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health Authorities – is allowed under provincial guidelines as of last week. What does this mean down at the visitors’ centre? As per the service agreement with the municipality, the Tourism Bowen-operated service beside the library is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.(ish) May long weekend to through September. The tourism non-profit had been telling people since November (as per provincial guidelines) to please put off coming to Bowen during high COVID-19 case counts. Now, with regional leisure travel restored, it’s slipping into its destination management role. “We are doing our best with the people that we talk to to ask them to please travel responsibly and respect COVID health and safety protocols,” said Jody Lorenz, Tourism Bowen’s administrator, while acknowledging they don’t speak to everyone. “I just want to reassure some [locals]. I know they’re nervous,” says Lorenz. She invites anyone with concerns or questions to come down to the visitors’ centre to chat. “Our objectives are to responsibly manage visitors,” she said. “We help people find washrooms. We help people find the public trails, public beaches, we connect people from a community economic development perspective, we connect people with restaurants and shops and activities.” That being said, Lorenz said it’s been quiet since she opened the centre. “I was expecting it to be busier this past weekend but it was actually really quite quiet,” she said. CONTINUED ON P. 8
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A2 • Thursday, June 3, 2021
bowenislandundercurrent.com
Career Opportunities: Chief Financial Officer
Events June 7, 2021 2:00 pm
Seeking Public Comment for DVP-10-2020 (1149 Senator Rd)
Bowen Island Municipality has a vacancy for a Chief Financial Officer. Reporting directly to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a member of the senior management team and is responsible for the supervision, planning, organizing, direction and control of the Finance Department, and for the efficient and effective administration of all Municipal financial affairs. The CFO provides advice on financial matters to Council, the CAO, the senior management team and performs statutory duties required by the Community Charter, the Local Government Act and other relevant statutes.
Housing Advisory Committee
June 14, 2021 6:15 pm Regular Council Meeting All meetings are online via Zoom and
open to the public, unless noted
The CFO provides strategic leadership to a small department of dedicated professionals, collaborates across all departments, and engages with multiple community partners, stakeholders and the general public. The CFO supports the Finance Advisory Committee which provides financial advice to Council. The CFO has a close functional relationship with the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), assisting with the implementation of Council’s strategic direction and will at times be required to be the Acting CAO.
otherwise.
Help stop COVID-19:
The ideal candidate is a well respected financial professional, with a successful track record in senior financial management within a local government or similar public sector entity. As a Chartered Professional Accountant of Canada in good standing, the CFO requires exceptional knowledge of Public Sector Accounting Standards and the financial legislative framework for local governments in BC.
Get a vaccine - everyone over 12 is eligible
Community Recreation Program Staff
Bowen Island Municipality has vacancies for two dynamic, community minded individuals to join the Recreation and Community Services Department. Working as a collaborative and respectful team, Community Recreation offers a diverse suite of recreational and cultural activities for all ages, abilities and interests within the Bowen Island Community. Two permanent, full-time positions are available:
Clean your hands frequently 2 m or 6 feet
Keep a safe physical distance
Community Recreation Program Supervisor - develops and oversees all aspects of the child & family portfolio; supervises other programming and office staff Community Recreation Programmer - develops and oversees all aspects of the adult program portfolio
Wear a mask in indoor public spaces
The application closing date is Friday, June 18th by 8:00 pm. Apply on our website at www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/jobs
Contact Bowen Island Municipality ADVERTISEMENT June 3, 2021
Phone: Fax: Email: Website:
The application may be viewed online at:
www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/planning, or at Municipal Hall between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday (excluding statutory holidays).
The CFO has strong team building skills and is recognized as a flexible, visionary leader, with excellent communication skills, sound political acumen, and models a culture of continuous improvement. Being a small municipality, the CFO possesses functional knowledge of all financial operational processes and is keen to pitch-in on all aspects of departmental work. A desire and intent to live on Bowen Island is preferred. Written submissions may be delivered to Bowen Island Municipality: The application closing date is Friday, June 18th by 4:00 pm. Apply • By email to mayorandcouncil@bimbc.ca on our website at www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/jobs • In person at Municipal Hall • By mail to 981 Artisan Lane • By fax to 604-947-0193
Stay home if you’re sick
PAID
A Development Variance Permit application has been submitted for 1149 Senator Rd (shown on map) to vary the side lot setback from 3.0 metres to 2.0 metres. The proposed work would allow for a small addition to the front of the residence. The proposal also includes the relocation of the existing shed from the road right-ofway to within the property.
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
Please note, to be included in the published agenda, written submissions must be delivered by 1:00pm seven (7) calendars days prior to the meeting, and to be received by Council must be delivered before 4:00 PM on the meeting day. Read more about submission deadlines at:
www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/council-meetings
Verbal submissions may be made to Mayor and Council at the meeting:
6:15 PM on MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021 Virtually via Zoom see www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/council-meetings for meeting details
To ensure a fair process, submissions cannot be accepted after the meeting has begun. Questions? Please contact Daniel Martin at 604-947-4255 or dmartin@bimbc.ca.
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Thursday, June 3, 2021 • A3
Here’s what you need to know about medically assured loading BRONWYN BEAIRSTO
Editor
Cars on the crosshatches are a sure sign of summer in the Cove. As tourist season swings into gear, keen-eyed islanders are keeping a look out for cars budding in line. However, there is one crosshatched section that can create some confusion: the medically assured loading section in front of the General Store. There have been some changes to the medically assured loading program since the pandemic began, so here’s a refresher, courtesy of the Caring Circle website: Who’s eligible for medically assured loading? People on their way to medical specialist services whose medical practitioners have said that extended waits at
the ferry terminal could be a risk to their health (For example, undergoing certain kinds of cancer treatment). You must have a completed provincial Travel Assistance Program (TAP) form with an MSP confirmation number and a letter from the medical practitioner. What to do in Horseshoe Bay? Get to the ticket booth at least 30 minutes before departure time and have both the letter from your medical practitioner and your TAP form ready; show the ticket agent. What to do on Bowen Island? First, you need to get your medically assured loading cards. Bring your letter from your medical practitioner to municipal hall at the end of Artisan Lane. They’ll give you two MAL cards, which you’ll put on your
front and rear windows. Then, when you’re set to go, there’s a medically assured loading section in front of the General Store. If folks approach you, coming to let you know that there’s no parking in the crosshatches, kindly tell them you’re there for medically assured loading. What’s TAP? Ferry costs for certain kinds of medical services are covered under the Travel Assistance Program. This includes: non-emergency medical specialist services, diagnostic procedures, laboratory procedures, diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine procedures, BC Cancer Agency, Transplant Units, HIV/AIDS treatment at St. Paul’s Hospital, specialty clinics at BC Children’s Hospital and other tertiary care
hospital services. To find out more about TAP and what’s included and excluded, visit: gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/accessinghealth-care/tap-bc/travel-assistance-program-tap-bc.
COLLEEN O’NEIL PHOTO
The MAL card from BIM for cars in the Bowen ferry lineup.
IslandsTrust’s independent review starts
The Islands Trust announced last week that Great North Management will be conducting the federation’s $75,000 independent review over the next 10 months. “Current performance, practices, work processes, and decision-making systems,” come under the purview of the review, as will the structure of the organization, its policies, procedures, efficacy and efficiency, said a press release. Excluded are the Islands Trust Conservancy and Bowen Island Municipality and provincial guiding legislation (in which the annual tax formula is embedded). Bowen Islands Trustee, Michael Kaile, sits on the steering committee for the review. “It’s been a difficult, uphill struggle to actually get us to where we are now,” said Kaile. He decided to run for the Trust with a “slightly contrarian approach” after Bowen’s tax requisition jumped significantly during his first term on council. Kaile was elected to the Trust in the last civic election. “Raising my voice significantly during these [Islands Trust] meetings, I found that…I wasn’t the only one,” said Kaile. “Eventually this group formed and took us to where we are now.” Unless the review suggests radical changes, this is a longer-term exercise, said Kaile. And whil the municipality’s operations aren’t under review (nor the governing legislation, nor the conservancy), the relationships between the Trust and the organizations are. “That all-encompassing statement certainly will cover our requisition.” “We will focus on the effectiveness of Islands Trust’s governance in determining the strategic direction of the organization as well as reviewing the land-use planning services and advocacy activities,” said Charles Kelly, Great North Management’s project lead in a press release. “Trust Council’s goal for this review is to assess current performance and seek input on options for strengthening Islands Trust, so it can better fulfil its preserve and protect mandate into the future,” said Trust chair Peter Luckham in the release.
Bowen/Lions Bay COVID-19 numbers
The BC CDC releases the previous week’s COVID-19 case rates and vaccination numbers by community health service area (for us, that’s the 5,000-odd people of Bowen Island-Lions Bay) every Wednesday. Here are the numbers, current as of May 31: • Vaccination coverage for all islanders 12 and older: 75 per cent • Vaccination coverage for adults 18 and older: 79 per cent (up from 70 last week) • Vaccination coverage for adults 50 and older: 86 per cent (up from 84 last week) • For the third week running, ending May 31, the case rate per 100,000 was zero. However, the test positivity rate was 2 per cent. The next vaccination clinic on Bowen Island is June 5 at BICS. See more information at vch.ca/covid-19/covid-19vaccine or call 1-833-838-2323
meet masterworks Can a 14-year-old be expected to conduct a public presentation similar to a TED talk? Island Pacific School students have been doing so for more than 25 years through a program called Masterworks
JOIN THE LIVESTREAM | JUNE 7-10
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MY MASTERWORKS: Hanging by a Thread The Environmental Impacts of the Fashion Industry DATE + TIME
PRESENTER
PRESENTATION
JUNE 7 9:00 am
Jonas Blanchard
Wyld Design | Creating a Clothing Brand
10:00 am
Beck Morissette
House on Wheels | The Process of Restoring a Boler Trailer
11:00 am
Owen Walker
The Evolution of Mountain Bikes
1:00 pm
Rosalie Hancock
A World Run on Illusion | a Conceptual and Historial look at Currency
2:00 pm
Jake Salomi
Motorbike Mechanics | Rebuilding a Yamaha YZ125
JUNE 8 9:00 am
Gavin Burns
A Swing Through Time | The Development of Major League Baseball
10:00 am
James McDonald
It’s Not a Woman’s World | A Look in How Colonization Affected Women’s Rights
11:00 am
Kate Purdy
Hanging by a Thread | The Environmental Impacts of the Fashion Industry
1:00 pm
Rebecca Durand
From Behind the Camera | The Process of Film Making
2:00 pm
Connor Wood
Market Manipulations | Using Marketing Strategies to Grow My Brand
JUNE 9 9:00 am
Wylie Stiver
Leave the Faucet Running | A Look Into Six Months of Continuous Songwriting
10:00 am
Malcolm Cormier
All Aboard - Trains in Canada
11:00 am
Sydney Florin
Do YOU Know What You’re Eating? | The Negative Effects of Food Additives and How to Avoid Them
1:00 pm
Freja Henrichsen
How to Shred Safely | Skiing in the Backcountry
JUNE 10 9:00 am
Roman Bicknell
Piece by Piece | The Process of Designing a LEGO Set
10:00 am
Sam Shanks
Deducing Information from a Graphic Crime Scene
11:00 am
Phoebe MacLeod
Back to Nature | Teaching Youth the Benefits of Being Outdoors Through an Adventure Film
LEARNING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. INSPIRED TO MAKE WAVES.
A4 • Thursday, June 3, 2021
bowenislandundercurrent.com
VIEWPOINTS
EDITORIAL
For settlers, it’s a time to listen as we haven’t before and to demand action of our governments, insititutions, leaders, communities as we haven’t before. (We also need to give space for mourning and sit down and be quiet when asked to by Indigenous people. Some spaces, some stories, some moments are not ours to share in.) But this is a time of collective mourning across the country as we recognize 215 lives, children. Let that devastation propel us to action and let hope replace excuses: trc.ca/assets/pdf/Calls_to_Action_English2. Bronwyn Beairsto, editor
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Trust review in motion
DEAR EDITOR: At last after a long and sometimes tortuous journey, going back to September when nine trustees first got together (there are 26 in total). The net of that meeting was to propose a full review of the Islands Trust. Early last December saw a nail-biting cliffhanger trustees meeting, which approved this review by the narrowest of majorities. Also with the financial resources to make it possible. Journey far from over, the March Trustees meeting saw an attempt to de-fund, this effort rejected by a significant majority of trustees. My thanks as a member of the “select committee” to those of my trustee colleagues who have worked so hard to ensure this much needed review proceeds. Editor’s note: see coverage on p. 3 Michael Kaile Bowen Islands Trustee
We don’t need more red tape
DEAR EDITOR: A couple of weeks ago I got a paper in the mail called ‘The Bowenian.’ They want to restrict tree removal on your property and the amount of blasting an owner can do. I just removed about 15 dead and dying hemlock and cedar trees this year. They were on solid bedrock with about six inches of dirt. I should have cut them down 20 years ago. I don’t want to have to go to the muni to get approval. If they get their way on the blasting restrictions, this would mean a blasting bylaw. In West Vancouver it takes two to three months to get a permit. That’s all we need – more bureaucracy. It is now taking two to three months for a building permit. If this goes to council in the fall as that paper says, I hope that council is open for in-person business, not a Zoom call. There is a lot of dead hemlock on-island, which is a real fire hazard and no access roads for ground crews to get to. Luckily, we don’t get the lightning strikes that the interior does. It’s too bad these people weren’t as passionate about the farmland that is disappearing. When you lose it, it won’t come back. Gary Anderson Metro Blasting
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
‘What’s going on’with all the tree cutting? DEAR EDITOR: Like the song by Marvin Gaye “What’s Going On.” As I drive around Bowen Island I’ve noticed some changes that are not positive ones. Yes, we have some great amenities and some wonderful improvements have been made for everyone. My husband and I are grateful to live on Bowen. My parents, who are now deceased, moved to the island over 30 years ago. They came for the peace, quiet and isolation. My mom loved the
deer and the squirrels she fed. We, on the other hand, came from the concrete jungle of Vancouver where it is crowded and expensive. What has us concerned is the massive development. There is lots of clear-cutting of trees going on. Huge houses are being built. Our house is a modest size and we are happy with it. My dad built our house. If the pace of development continues, Bowen will be unrecognizable in a few years. It has happened to other islands.
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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What makes this island so beautiful are the trees the beaches and wildlife. A community atmosphere exists and the people are friendly. We have to think of what is best for Bowen. We must look to nature and keep it close! It is a gift. Once the trees go, this will no longer be the island we know and love. We should have a tree bylaw! Let’s keep our island beautiful for the future and protect our surroundings. Thank you, Roger and Barbara Mcgown
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.
bowenislandundercurrent.com
‘Time for reckoning and hard work’
Beitel, Mark Allen
‘Reparation, restitution, compensation, land back, Indigenous sovereignty, and our full support for rebuilding Indigenous communities and nations’needed Trigger warning: This letter contains details about residential schools. Please take good care.
DEAR EDITOR: Many more know now what was suspected for so long. The remains of 215 Indigenous children were found at the residential school in Kamloops. Children lived in fear and misery, and when they starved, perished from preventable disease, or were murdered, their parents, their families were made victims too, not once, but over and over again, by the silence from the schools, by inquiries not taken seriously and ignored, by stories dismissed by Canada, its leaders and its citizens for far too long. At least the loss of my family and that of many other Jewish families was acknowledged after the Second World War. The ongoing hurt of dismissal for so long is unimaginable for me. My heart goes out to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Kukpi7 people in an embrace of caring and love. As a recent settler (since 1999), I find it also unimaginable to hear the words of many Canadian politicians and media hosts playing or pleading ignorance about the deaths at the Residential School in Kamloops. I am frankly disgusted, because what happened at the Residential Schools was well known and understood by the Canadian government, a colonial regime that has been in power uninterrupted since 1867, and is responsible for setting up the Indian Residential School system for the purpose of alienating Indigenous children from their families, communities and culture. Dr. Peter Bryce reported on the unusually high sickness and deaths rates at the schools as early as 1907. But those findings were ignored and again when he self published his findings in 1922. Stories of Residential Schools have long been a part of Indigenous communities as parents, siblings, grandparents and nations wondered about the whereabouts of their missing children. Thousands of children didn’t return from the church or state-run schools. Or when children did, they were highly traumatized, and alienated from the families and communities. And because of the level of segregation between Indigenous communities and settlers/colonizers, something that continues to this day, settlers seldom hear the stories, or ignore them when they do. And when the settler media or politicians talk about these stories, they’re
talked about as if in the distant past. Well, the last Residential School closed in 1996 and most were in full operation in the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s. There are people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s who attended these institutions. And, today, more Indigenous children are placed away from their families than at the height of the Residential Schools. So why haven’t more settlers paid attention to the stories? It was not that the stories didn’t make it out at all. I learned about Canada and the effect of colonization by pure accident when I spend an afternoon with the late Nuxalk Chief Qwatsinas in Amsterdam in 1998 and more when I visited him in Bella Coola the same year. I wasn’t sure what to make of it at first, as it was a direct challenge to my worldview and the gratitude I was brought up with for Canadians as the liberators of the Netherlands from the Nazis. When I landed in 1999 to join my wife in Lantzville on Snaw-Wah-nas First Nations Territory, I had no idea about Residential Schools but that changed within six months of arrival. The workings of the schools, children dying, young kids buried in unmarked graves, survivors deeply traumatized: all were talked about in detail in a weekly program broadcast right here from Vancouver by CRFO radio. Since then, the apology was issued in 2008, directly followed by the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission until 2015. The commission travelled the country taking thousands of testimonies from residential school survivors at meetings open to the public. It was summarized in the commission’s final report, which included 94 recommendations (2015). I accepted the stories, no doubt because many of my Jewish ancestors never made it back from the concentration camps and family members who survived left traumatized. Why would the stories from Chief Qwatsinas, and the program on CRFO radio, and later the testimonies documented by the TRC and its report, not be plausible? Or had I misunderstood the lack of attention from Canadians as disinterest? Maybe the stories had registered at an unconscious level for a long time. I don’t know, I didn’t grow up here. Maybe it’s because since the early 2000s more information is available owing to the publication of many books on the topic of colonization and the relationship between Canada and Indigenous peoples. Maybe it needed something to bring it all home. And clearly that seem to have happened last week, Thursday, May 27,
2021, with the acknowledgment that, as was long known but not documented, the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Kukpi7 nation had found 215 children in unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Residential School. The disbelief, and upset are widespread. In fact, this story made it all over the world to many countries, with pretty much all media outlets within those countries reporting on it. This is about a lot more than successive governments have tried to make us believe, so while government again grasps for symbolic gestures to get away with what cannot be gotten away with, we settlers, must realize that we have a role to play here. We must: • Give space and full support to Indigenous communities and peoples for healing. • Demand that funding and support is provided for Indigenous communities who want to locate and confirm suspected unmarked graves at Residential School sites across Canada. • Support Indigenous communities in how communities want these investigation to be done, and if requested by Indigenous communities, to give full support, experience, expertise to help get the International Court of Justice involved, to work together with Indigenous communities to do the investigations. • Educate ourselves where needed on the topics of Residential Schools, the effects of ongoing colonialism in Canada on Indigenous people. • Reconcile that our privilege has been made possible by the attempted erasure, attempted assimilation and deaths of Indigenous people. We must help to decolonize Canada, which also means that Canada must submit to justice for genocidal crimes committed. (Of which residential schools are just one) We must help make right what is wrong. Although that will never bring back loved ones, reparation, restitution, compensation, land back, Indigenous sovereignty, and our full support for rebuilding Indigenous communities and nations - where that is needed - will go a very long way. This is watershed moment. It’s time for some hard reckoning and hard work. Anton van Walraven
NOTES
TO MOIRA GREAVAN: What a great article on Scotch broom! Thanks. Dennis Facer
DEAR EDITOR: I agree wholeheartedly with André Chollat and Heather Hodson. I’m against any dock at Ecclestone Beach. Imke Zimmerman
Thursday, June 3, 2021 • A5
April 21, 1957 May 14, 2021
With sadness we announce the passing of Mark Allen Beitel. Survived by his husband, John Allen, step-daughter Ily allen and siblings, Roxann Amyotte, Jeff Beitel and Chris Beitel. We will love you forever.
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A6 • Thursday, June 3, 2021
bowenislandundercurrent.com
North Shore memorials honour 215 children found buried at B.C. residential school
Trigger warning: This story contains details about residential schools.
ELISIA SEEBER
Local Jounalism Initiative / North Shore News
It was a day of healing and mourning on the North Shore as community members gathered wearing orange to honour the 215 Indigenous children discovered in a mass grave at the site of a former residential school in British Columbia last week. Tiny pairs of colourful shoes now line the steps of St. Paul’s Indian Church in the Sḵwx̱ wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) community of Eslhá7an. Members from both Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, including residential school survivors, came together for a moving drumming circle and ceremony where they placed pairs of shoes and flowers at the site to represent the Indigenous children whose remains were uncovered in an unmarked grave at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. On May 28, Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation shared the heartbreaking news that the remains of more than 200 children were found at the site with the help of a ground-penetrating radar. Children as young as three
years old were found buried on the site of what was once Canada’s largest Indigenous residential school — one of the institutions that held children taken from families across the nation. From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 First Nations children were required to attend federally funded Christian schools as part of a program to assimilate them into Canadian society. They were forced to convert to Christianity and not allowed to speak their native languages. Many were beaten and verbally abused, and up to 6,000 are said to have died. It wasn’t until 1984 that all residential schools in B.C. were closed down; the last one in Canada didn’t close until 1996. In 2008, the Canadian government apologized in Parliament and admitted that physical and sexual abuse was rampant in the schools. “There’s no nice way of saying it but the truth has to be told,” Reuben George of Tsleil-Waututh Nation said, speaking passionately on the steps of St Paul’s Indian Church on May 31. “It really resonated with me when my son Cedar turned five, how hard that would be to have your child taken away … and to have all those horrible things happen and be lied to about it.” “Rape and starvation and murder. Now we know. We always knew that. They said only 50 stu-
dents died there. Now, it’s gone up to 215 and probably a lot more than that. That’s one school.” There were 28 residential schools in B.C. St. Paul’s Indian Residential school, which was located on the 500-block of West Keith Road in North Vancouver, was the only one in the Metro Vancouver area. It was run by the Catholic Church for 60 years until closing in 1959. The site is now home to St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary. At the gathering, George became emotional speaking about his father, the late Terry Baker. “My dad’s over here in the graveyard and I think how different it would be if he didn’t experience something like this,” he said. “That I would have a dad.” George continued that this wasn’t just his story. “All of us here have the same story, right across Canada,” he said. “That’s what this church did. They hurt our people. When they hurt one, they hurt our whole community.”
‘This is good medicine for us’
Through his hurt and pain, George uplifted the crowd with inspiring words, sending his love to members and Elders as medicine. He said what was needed now was love, honour and strength to move forward. “We have to stand united and be strong with one another,” he said. “Be strong and lift each other up.” Residential school survivor and Squamish Nation Elder Bob Baker who attended the Kamloops Indian Residential School for two years and was then sent to “that nightmare” that was St. Paul’s, continued George’s message of staying strong and healing. “This is good medicine for us,” he said. “Good medicine for everybody. All of us that were going to
school, we didn’t know at the time what was going on, but looking back now, we can see where those dark places were. “Coming together like this is something that we have. It’s medicine for us. We know how to take care of each other, so let’s do it.” Squamish Nation hereditary chief Janice George thanked everyone for “coming here to hold each other up and to show each other love through these times.” North Vancouver School District’s Indigenous Education team also gathered outside its education services centre for an intimate drum circle. One by one, 215 teddy bears were laid at the foot of NVSD’s Welcome Pole for the young lives lost. Meanwhile, Tsleil-Waututh Nation School held a healing circle for its students and members. Canadian flags were also flown at half-mast across schools and the three North Shore municipalities to honour the children. The movement to wear orange by the BC Teachers’ Federation is spreading across the province to encourage conversations and to send the message that “every child matters.”
Calls for more residential school sites to be examined
Calls are now being heard across Canada for expert examinations of all residential school sites, including St. Paul’s. Both Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations are in support of finding the truth. “It’s time for us to think about what we’re going to leave for the future generations,” Janice George said. “What we are going to do now. We have things to look forward to. This is just the beginning of the work we are going to do.” The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established in June 2008 to find the truth in the country’s dark and painful history
of residential schools. Part of the commission’s 94 Calls to Action is to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation. “These children would have been Elders and members of our communities today, and we must honour them by joining forces to urgently call for Action 75 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to identify all cemeteries, residential school sites, and unmarked graves at which Indigenous children have been buried,” Squamish Nation said in a statement. Just 10 out of the 94 Calls to Action have so far been completed. “We as a Nation reaffirm our commitment to the remaining Calls and we urge the federal government, all institutions, First Nations leaders, and people of Canada to demand the implementation and completion of this work.” “What the world has learned this past week from Kamloops is a moment for country-wide reflection, but also an action to urgently repair the intergenerational harm done to our peoples.” -- With files from the Canadian Press Elisia Seeber is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative
The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available to provide support (1-866-925-4419). In B.C., a toll-free First Nations and Indigenous Crisis Line (1-800-5888717) is offered through the KUUUS Crisis Line Society. Both Crisis Lines are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Over the years dad's imparted his wisdom with you and if you share it with us, we'll all be the wiser for it! Father's Day SUNDAY JUNE 20 DAD LOVES BOWEN
To share a nugget of your father's wisdom for our June 17 edition of the Undercurrentplease email Bronwyn by Monday, June 14, 5 pm editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com Thanks!
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Building a child-friendly neighbourhood park: Westside Playscape LUSUNGU KAYANI-STEARNS
Chair, Bowen Island Parks, Trails and Greenways Advisory Committee
The Westside Playscape as it is today.
Children are spending half as much time in nature compared with 20 years ago. As a result, they are facing negative impacts on their physical, mental and social health. For example, less than one in five children and youth, ages five to 17 are meeting national movement behaviour guidelines for physical activity, sedentary behaviours and sleep. On Bowen Island, while young children fare well in social and emotional competence, emotional health and maturity, language and cognitive development, they score below average in “physical readiness.” This last year has been even more challenging for families to meet their daily movement needs. With physical and social distancing measures in place to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, access to playgrounds, public spaces, playdates and extracurricular sports and activities for children and youth have been limited. Fortunately, there are many opportunities on Bowen for families seeking to be more active. With more than 73 hectares of municipal parkland including established parks and undeveloped natural areas, Bowen Island has numerous opportunities to get active and commune with nature. The Westside Playscape, on the west side
of the island, is one such child-friendly park nestled in the King Edward Bay neighbourhood. This municipal park currently has a natural playscape featuring a mud kitchen table and a log balance to stimulate imagination and creative play. With the support of the municipality, the Bowen Island Playscapes Group is embarking on a fundraising campaign to add swings, a climbing tower, and an expansion to the existing balance structure. A covered area provides ample shade and shelter while an open-air picnic table offers visitors a boost of Vitamin D. The neighbourhood park is well connected to the King Edward Bay, Malkin Creek, Arbutus Ridge, and Mt. Gardner trails and provides healthful, active fun for children and caregivers of all ages. Bowen Island’s 10-year Parks Plan prioritizes “active lifestyles, health and wellness through a diversity of outdoor recreation opportunities.” Investments made to the Westside Playscape are the result of community efforts, forward-thinking vision and commitment to the overall health and well-being of the island. So, if you have not been out to the park, pack yourself a picnic, sunhat and plenty of water for a trip to this little gem.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Thursday, June 3, 2021 • A7
Drive-through at the Legion
SATURDAY JUNE 12th 10 a.m -noon Straawberry Short Caake andd/or sandwich plaate by donation
PRE-ORDER Berries, Pies & Tarts
2 1/2 lbs Strawberries $15 Strawberry Pies, Strawberry/Rhubarb Pies and Lemon Meringue Pies all $15 Strawberry or lemon tarts 6 for $10
Must be pre-ordered by Sunday June 6th Sheila McCall 604 947-9074 or msmccall@telus.net BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCH FUNDRAISER
KATHLEEN AINSCOUGH PHOTO
Ephemeral Horizons at the Hearth until June 7, features the work of Michael Trevillion and Jayme Chalmers. For the first time in 2021, the Hearth will get to hold an artist party for show: this coming Saturday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
First artist pARTy of a new era is Saturday KATHLEEN AINSCOUGH
The Hearth
Yes! It’s time to gather! Join us for the Ephemeral Horizons artist party with Michael Trevillion and Jayme Chalmers this Saturday, June 5, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the Hearth Gallery patio. Music will be provided by DJ Yeshe (aka Jamie Woodall). Jamie weaves a tapestry of sound, combining her love of the rich rhythms of house music with a deep appreciation for the history, evolution, integrity and musicianship of old-school funk, disco and soul and jazz. Her high-energy, upbeat and soulfully
infused music cultivates uncontainable joy, movement and celebration After much anticipation and many cancelled events, we are thrilled to invite the community to join in celebrating arts and culture in the community with the amazing creations of these two artists. Paintings of imagined landscapes by Michael Trevillion pair beautifully with the portrait sculptures of Jayme Chalmers. Experience them in person daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Monday at the Hearth Gallery in the heart of Snug Cove. All safety protocols are in place. Masks will be required to enter the gallery. To view the exhibition online visit www. thehearthartsonbowen.ca
Patient of the Week MAUDE AND GUS Meet Maude and her son Gus. Maude recently
REGULAR HOURS Tuesday to Friday 9- 5 Saturday 9- 1 Closed Sunday and Monday
had her spay surgery done with us, so lucky for Gus, he gets to stay
To schedule appointments, please call
an only child!
or email reception@bowenvet.com
604.947.9247
A8 • Thursday, June 3, 2021
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For myself only. Non-smoker, quiet lifestyle (no parties) No pets. No car - I ride an e-bike Looking to rent JULY 1st. Will sign lease $1500-$2500. References available. David Berger 604-690-0616
Building for inclusivity: BIRCH NEIL BOYD
Bowen Island Community Foundation
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING You are Cordially Invited to Attend The Board of Directors of the Bowen Island Community School Association hereby give notice that the Annual General Meeting of the Association will be held online on Wednesday, June 9, 2021 5:00 – 6:00 PM for the following purposes: • To receive the financial statements of the Association • To receive reports of Board Members • To elect Board Members of the Association to fill required vacancies on the board; and most importantly • To welcome new members of the community and invite them to learn more about the Community School Association! Please email bowencsa@gmail.com by June 7 for the zoom link.
We’ve all seen what has been happening to the cost of living on Bowen Island. Rental accommodations are disappearing quickly, and long-time residents of the island are struggling to find an option that will allow them to continue to live here. Many of those who arrived on Bowen in the ‘70s and ’80s are contemplating departure or have already left. We are becoming an island that is heavily skewed to the wealthy – and it wasn’t always this way. So, how to start an article about that wonderful initiative, Bowen Island Resilient Community Housing (BIRCH). Bowen Island Community Foundation (BICF) is pleased to have contributed $15,000 to this organization, funds that will be used for public art in their new rental housing complex and for paying consultants who can help this project to completion. The photo accompanying this story provides you with an image of what this 27-unit rental building will look like when it is completed, hopefully about two years from now. But what’s really fabulous about BIRCH (and, by implication, this building) is who it is designed to serve. The 27 units at BIRCH will have
PHOTO COURTESY OF BIRCH
Concept drawing of BIRCH’s planned development on Miller’s Road.
varying levels of government subsidy – 20 per cent will be set at “shelter rate,” 50 per cent at rent geared to income, and 30 per cent at the low end of market. To give you an idea of what this might mean in 2021 dollars, a one bedroom at shelter rate would rent for $375 monthly, for $700 at rent geared to income, and for $1,260 at the low end of market. Current planning envisions four studio, 10 one bedroom, 11 two bedroom, and two three-bedroom apartments. How will BIRCH determine who has priority in renting these 27 units? That is a work in progress and Bowen Islanders will be asked for their input. Both board chair David McCullum and executive director Robyn Fenton stressed that it will be important to provide opportunities for those who have contributed to the life of the island – and that they will be developing an anonymized scorecard, with the assistance of the community, to allow them to make these decisions. Will 27 rental units be sufficient to
meet the needs of our current population on Bowen? I think we all know the answer to that question. It’s a welcome start, but only a start. We need more rentals, market and non-market, and, more generally, a greater diversity of housing options (Ocasa Construction’s new rental building, taking shape on the property above the Museum and Archives, is a most welcome addition). For the folks at BIRCH, the 27 units are only a beginning. They have their eye on other properties in the area of the Cove and are contemplating rentto-own options, as well as other possibilities that give more options for islanders who do not have the funds to afford the current prices of Bowen real estate but want to stay here on the rock. So, let’s hope that BIRCH can secure funding from BC’s Community Housing Fund and/or from the federal Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. It’s an important step in ensuring that we are able to sustain a Bowen Island community that is both diverse and inclusive.
Queen of Cap announcements still warn against‘non-essential travel’ CONTINUED FROM P. 1
And while last year, she and her staff were doing education on COVID protocols, this year, folks know the program. “My experience last year was people were understanding and respectful and I am just getting the same this year.” That being said, Brent O’Malley, owner of Bowen Island Sea Kayaking, found some frustration when he boarded the Queen of
Capilano as a foot passenger Monday morning and heard an announcement discouraging non-essential travel. There’s also still a sign in Snug Cove discouraging non-essential travel. “Having one announcement issued from the BC Ferries head office that needs to be read on every sailing across all of BC Ferries’ sailings is perpetuating confusion and misinformation,” O’Malley said in
a letter to the ferry service and municipal council. “The announcement this morning implied that non-essential travel to Bowen was not allowed.” As Bowen’s route is entirely within VCH (as is the Horseshoe Bay to Langdale route), travel for non-essential reasons for residents of the region is allowed. O’Malley requested the announcement be changed or deleted. As of publica-
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tion time BC Ferries hadn’t replied to the Undercurrent. While it’ll be a bit before the May BC Ferries traffic numbers are out, here’s what April’s passenger stats Horseshoe Bay to Bowen looked like: • April 2021: 39,689 passengers • April 2020: 17,922 passengers • April 2019: 53,574 passengers
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Offering meditation in the garden ‘STRESS HAS KEPT MANY OF US IN OUR HEADS’ KAMI KANETSUKA
Contributor
I hope most of us survived the past year without going slightly crazy. For me, the restrictions from socializing seemed particularly difficult. Happily, last year I came up with a couple of ways to truly connect with others. In June I organized a socially distanced dance party on the Bowfest field. More importantly, I invited those who are interested in meditation to a combined gardening, meditation and nature mandala workshop in my garden. Vera Keogh acted as a co-helper and recited John O’Donahue poetry with her lovely Irish accent. Four people took part and from that, a schoolteacher participant invited me to give a meditation session to her students. When school commenced in the fall I gave a session to a group of teenagers at West Vancouver Secondary School. With restrictions, I plan to offer a guided meditation, with emphasis on body awareness, especially breath and our connection with nature. Stress has kept many of us in our heads rather than our bodies. A day connecting with nature can work wonders. During this pandemic year I have been connecting with an old friend meditation teacher who offers talks and guided meditation from a small cabin in France. I receive the record-
ings early in the morning and often meditate with it while still in bed. It was while listening to Martin talking about being aware of the sounds surrounding us, that I had the experience of hearing the birds outside his cabin, simultaneously while hearing the chain-sawing and thump of the beautiful trees across the road from me, falling to the ground. The morning before writing this piece, I heard Martin mention “You might have a relationship with the magnificent trees where you live and recognize them as blessed beings. Sit with them sense their aliveness, steadiness and the way they spread their roots into the earth and shelter birds. We know that trees communicate with each other, nourish each other and warn each other of danger.” As he spoke I remembered how much the trees that were felled meant to me and how I still go and sit on tree stumps with a cup of tea, in what I call the tree cemetery. Now, little green shoots sprout from some of them. I have had extensive experience practising Vipassana meditation both in India and the West. Also have had some teachings from the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, where he has his monastery. For many years I gave guided meditation sessions at the Orchard Recovery Centre and have given a meditation/writing retreat at a spa in
Mexico. In 2017, I took a Mindfulness teacher training course in Germany with one of my long-term teachers, with the expectation that we would take our experience into our community. The belief is that we work on ourselves for the benefit of others. Initially I would like anyone interested to connect with me with name, contact details and availability. My workshops are by donation and I ask for a little help in my rather large garden. The garden is always in need of a little loving care, as it is full of pollinator wild flowers that proliferate far too quickly. Because weather here is unpredictable, I’ll check the forecast and when it seems that the weather will comply, I’ll see who is available. I’m hoping to have workshops through the summer and can easily accommodate six at a time with distancing. I am also prepared to do one-on-one instruction and am open to any innovations. I can be contacted either on Facebook or at mykamikan@gmail.com. Further details and dates will be worked out when I get some response.
Thursday, June 3, 2021 • A9
JOIN THE HEARTH TEAM
CULTURAL CONNECTOR 2021 SUMMER SEASON
Full-time/Seasonal (July to September) The Hearth Gallery - Arts on Bowen
Application deadline: June 18th, 2021 For more info & how to apply, please visit www.thehearth.ca
25th year Anniversary
of PARADISE…
Bring a blanket, have a picnic
and enjoy… Smok’in Smokies, BBQ Beef burgers and hot dogs, Delicious Veggie burgers and Veggie dogs. Fried onions, cheddar cheese, bacon, BBQ pineapple ring and more. Slush Puppies, ice cold drinks & chips.
PARADISE GRILL SUBMITTED PHOTO
Closed Tuesday/Wednesdays. Covid Conscientious system in place.
UNDERCURRENT 2021 GRAD ISSUE JUNE 24
Free to submit editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com Max.100 words + photo. Deadline June 21st 5 PM
A10 • Thursday, June 3, 2021
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CALENDAR THURSDAY JUNE 3
The Actor's Quarantine Concludes Live on Theatre on the Isle's YouTube 7:30 pm Play' by Samuel Beckett and directed by Jackie Ann Minns & 'Leave Meeting' adapted
by Kat Stephens from Jean-Paul Sartre's 'No Exit'
SATURDAY JUNE 5
Ephemeral Horizons Artists' Party with Michael Trevillion & Jayme Chalmers Hearth Gallery 6-8 pm Music by DJ Yeshe BAA Farmers' Market
BICS parking lot 10 am - noon Made, grown, baked on Bowen. Bring a mask and cash and please follow the signs.
M O N D AY W E D N E S D AY JUNE 710
IPS Masterworks presentations See the schedule for the TED Talklike presentations of graduating
students at islandpacific.org/ masterworks-program/
SATURDAY JUNE 12
Thursday, June 3, 2021 • A11 paper said this started at 10 a.m.; it starts at noon.)
Drive-through Strawberry Tea Legion parking lot Noon until sold out Strawberry short cake and/or sandwich plate by donation. See more details on page 12. (CORRECTION: last week’s
MONDAY JUNE 14
Regular Council Meeting Zoom 6:15 pm And, why cook in pandemic when there’s Bowen take-out eats and drinks for every day of the week!
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Strawberry Extravaganza drives on June 12
Get to know your neighbour NEXT IN OUR WEEKLY SERIES: PHIL KEMP
When did you come to Bowen? 2006 How did you come to be on Bowen? Got married to a woman who lived on Bowen and moved here. What’s the story there? We had known each other years before and then lost contact. We both had lots of things change in our lives and got back in contact and it kind of came from there. We’ve known each other for 30 years. We both lived quite separately in Jacksonville, Oregon. I don’t know Jacksonville. Jacksonville is where the first gold was found in the state of Oregon. That’s what started the gold rush there and the gold was found in the backyard of my old house. And all the tourists used to come and look at it every day. Where on Bowen do you live? Tunstall Bay Fill the ferry lineup gap or don’t fill the gap? Fill the gap if I’m there early, if there’s no overload. What’s your favourite Bowen Island fact or story? It’s something you started. The guy from the Vancouver Maritime Museum gave you a story [December 2020]. And it related to a man from Shetland who was a skipper for the
Union Steamship Company who died of a heart attack sailing down Howe Sound. I took that story and copied it to one of the Shetland, where I’m from, Facebook pages and all of a sudden, all these people that I knew came forward and said ‘Oh, my uncle worked for the Union Steamship Company’ and ‘My brother worked at the Union Steamship Company’ and ‘My grandfather worked at the Union Steamship Company.’ It was filled with guys from Shetland who didn’t necessarily stay here, they didn’t emigrate, but they would come and work here for years and return to Shetland. How did that link happen? I’m going to say that it was just in the days when seamen worked all over the world. And the Union Steamship Company had their vessels built in Scotland. I think that that’s where some of that connection was – sailors would work on any ship anywhere in the world. One of the ships that was built brand new for the Union Steamship Company was built in Scotland and they sailed it from Glasgow to here. Apparently, the sand on the beach in Mannion Bay was the sand that was in the ballast of that vessel when it sailed over. A friend of mine in Shetland, his uncle was on the crew
IT’S THE COVID-19 SAFE VERSION OF THE ANNUAL STRAWBERRY TEA REV. LORRAINE ASHDOWN
Bowen Island United Church
PHOTO COURTESY OF PHIL KEMP
of that boat that sailed from Scotland to Bowen Island. Wow! It’s this weird story. It’s just the strangest thing. I knew nothing about it. I just learned all this, this past year. What do Bowen Islanders have in common? I think they have just a desire to live somewhere really unique. And have a life that’s really unique. Because if you can’t handle that uniqueness, you’re not going to last very long here. What’s your favourite COVID-19 balm or activity? Being outdoors. Walking and being outdoors, especially at the Cape, that’s where I spend most of my time.
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
ST. GERARD’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Masses are live streamed everyday. Times posted at holyrosarycathedral.org Contact Angela Powell 604-947-2515
CATES HILL CHAPEL
www.cateshillchapel.com 604-947-4260
Bowen Island United Church loves tradition. At some point in the early 1980s, St. Gerard’s Catholic Mission on Bowen began hosting the annual Strawberry Tea and did so for many years. We, at the United Church, took over the helm approximately 10 years ago. Since then we have hosted the annual Strawberry Tea, an event in June that features fresh strawberries, sandwiches, strawberry scones with Devonshire cream, children’s games, sales of gently used clothing and more. We have gathered in our churchyard and visited with neighbours and friends-new and old. Well, although the tradition does continue, this disturbance called COVID-19 has caused us to do things differently last year and this year too. This year, on Saturday, June 12 from noon until we are sold out, Bowen Island United Church will host the drive-through version of the Strawberry Extravaganza at the Bowen Island Legion. We will serve sandwiches and strawberry shortcake by donation and pre-ordered pies and tarts will be available for pick up as well. To order your strawberry, strawberry /rhubarb or lemon meringue pie in advance for $15 per pie, or your strawberry tarts (six for $10), please e-transfer Sheila McCall at msmccall@telus.net by
Helen Wallwork and the late Angie McCulloch dressed in their Strawberry Tea finery back in 2018.
Sunday, June 6 or call her at 9074. Two and a half pound baskets of strawberries can also be ordered in advance, through Sheila McCall, for a cost of $15 per container. The strawberries can be picked up at Collins Hall, 1122 Miller Road on Friday, June 11 between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. All orders must be placed by June 6. We are praying for the best possible strawberry growing and picking weather in the next week while. We hope that you will come out and support Bowen Island United Church and that you will enjoy all the tastes of early summer. We thank you so much for your presence in the life of our faith community. This has been a tough year for us all. We long for the day when we can serve you tea and pie and sandwiches and scones with Devonshire cream in our churchyard – and we know that day will come. Until then, thank you for joining us in the “new normal” configuration of our event and we are delighted that we can at least continue to honour this long-standing tradition of a familiar community gathering. We look forward to seeing your smiling faces in your shiny cars as you drive through our Strawberry Extravaganza.
Queen of Capilano Ferry Schedule May to June 24 2021 DEPART BOWEN ISLAND
DEPART HORSESHOE BAY
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 except Saturdays 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
(661 Carter Rd.)
Now offering worship services via Zoom. A link available on website.
Pastor: Phil Adkins
Note: Schedules subject to change without notice: Please check BCFERRIES.COM Schedule changes on statutory holidays