IPS PRIDE PARADE: Photo gallery and student reflections PAGE 67
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BIRCH housing project continues in‘holding pattern’ ALEX KURIAL Editor
SINGLE VARIETAL TASTES UNDENIABLE: Judges awarded Sip & Tell cider from Riley’s Cidery the bronze medal at the Portland International Cider Cup last month. It’s the second recent international award for the local cidery - which is approaching its 1 year anniversary - and cider crafter Christine Hardie (left). Find out more about Sip & Tell’s accolades and McIntosh-driven flavour in our story below.
Riley’s Cidery making an international mark ALEX KURIAL Editor
Behind the strength of the McIntosh apple, Christine Hardie has created a cider that is captivating tastebuds – and claiming awards – around the globe. Sip & Tell, concocted by Hardie last
year, is fresh off a Bronze medal finish at the Portland International Cider Cup in May. It’s a single varietal, which means one type of apple is used. In Sip & Tell’s case, this is the McIntosh. “With that particular cider you really get the nose of fresh McIntosh apples, which is really nice,” says Hardie. “With
that particular cider you really get the nose of fresh McIntosh apples, which is really nice.” “That smell brings a lot of childhood memories for people,” she adds, saying people have triggered memories of their childhood lunchboxes. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
An anticipated Bowen apartment complex still remains several years away from completion as funding efforts continue. Bowen Island Resilient Community Housing (BIRCH) chair Robyn Fenton provided an update to the Housing Advisory Committee (HAC) last week on the project, which will sit on Lot 3 off Miller Road behind the Health Centre. Upon completion it’s expected to provide more than two-dozen rental units of varying sizes. But while construction was originally scheduled to begin in 2020 with a completion date sometime this year, revised dates now put the project several years out. Fenton says the earliest it could be finished is three years from now, but it will probably take longer. “We’re just in a holding pattern in terms of funding at the moment,” says Fenton. A January 2021 application to BC Housing’s Community Housing Fund was unsuccessful, as BIRCH found themselves up for consideration with 190 applications. In the end, 50 were chosen for funding. Fenton says BIRCH is waiting to hear when BC Housing will open up their next round of funding, and that they’ll have an application ready. “Certainly with the feedback that we’ve got from BC Housing, and that council’s got from them, we still have reason to be optimistic that we could get this funding,” says Fenton. If BC Housing gets on board with the project, it would signal confidence to another source BIRCH is looking to secure, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
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A2 • bowenislandundercurrent.com
Thursday, June 9, 2022
2022 Property Tax Notices
Events All Council meetings are open to the public to attend in person or electronically, unless noted otherwise. June 13, 2022 6:15 pm Regular Council meeting June 15, 2022 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm Virtual Open House via Zoom re Detached Secondary Suite Minimum Lot Size June 23, 2022 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm In person Public Open House re Detached Secondary Suite Minimum Lot Size
Property taxes payments, home owner grant applications and deferment applications are due by 4:30 pm on July 4, 2022. If you haven’t received your property tax notice, please contact us by email bim@bimbc.ca or call 604-947-4255 ext 0.
Westside Water Community Information Meetings Bluewater Park Tuesday, July 12, 2022 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
2021 Annual Report
King Edward Bay Wednesday, July 13, 2022 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
The 2021 Annual Report for Bowen Island Municipality will be presented to Council at its Regular meeting on Monday, June 27, 2022. We invite you to review the Annual Report and to provide your Bowen Bay comments and questions in writing or in person at the meeting. Thursday, July 14, 2022 The Annual Report is available from Monday, June 6, 2022, on our 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm website www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/reports-publications or at Municipal Hall during regular business hours. BIM will be holding Community Information Meetings for each of the three west side water districts to: How to comment on the Annual Report: • Provide an update on water quality and infrastructure 1. Speak at the Council meeting during Public Comment, see • Provide information on the harmonization of west side water system rate structures in alignment with Council’s strategic plan. Section 2 of the Council Agenda for instructions. 2. Submit your written comment to Mayor and Council at mayorandcouncil@bimbc.ca. Each public information meeting will be followed by a Water System Local Advisory Committee meeting. For your written submission to be included in the agenda www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/news/releases/westside-waterpackage, please review the public submission deadlines: community-information-meetings www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/council-meetings
Economic Development lunch and learn for remote workers BIM Community Economic Development Committee (CEDC) would like to hear from remote and hybrid workers on Bowen Island. You’re invited to lunch on: Wednesday, June 15, 2022 at 12:00pm at Doc Morgan’s Restaurant Please RSVP to Stef Shortt by Friday, June 10 at: sshortt@bimbc.ca or 947-4255 ext 253
We’re hiring - Roads Crewperson BIM seeks to fill a new position on the Roads & Parks Crew in Public Works. The crewperson is an outside labourer and will primarily be responsible for assisting with the maintenance of the Municipality’s roads, parks, beaches, and trail infrastructure. In addition, winter maintenance requirements will consist of snow clearing from roadways and applying anti-ice material amongst other duties. This is a full time permanent position at 35 hours per week normally between 8:00 am to 3:30 pm, Monday through Friday; these times may be adjusted to meet specific requirements. www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/jobs
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bowenislandundercurrent.com • A3
ISLAND NEWS
BC Housing funding essential to BIRCH’s prospects moving forward CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“We’re very confident that if we do get this BC Housing funding, that CMHC will also very likely be a partner, and there’s some good funding and financing that comes with their support,” says Fenton. ButsecuringthisfederalfundingreliesonobtainingBCHousing support first. “They’d (CMHC) like another major partner. And every time we run the numbers, we really need the funding from BC Housing to make the numbers work,” says Fenton. “Sadly, even with free land, with the construction costs and rental rates, the numbers don’t work. So we need the funding from BC Housing because they have quite a significant amount of equity that goes into the project,” she adds. There are recent positives though, including a partnership with the Lookout Housing and Health Society organization, which has extensive experience in the supportive housing sector. BIRCH and Lookout have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding to work together moving forward. “Generally it’s going to be that we’ll work together to develop, and Lookout will likely take the lead in applications because of their financial background… but BIRCH will still very much be involved,” says Fenton. “And then in the end Lookout will likely be the operator of the building. So that’s where we’re moving toward.” Schematic work has also finished on the building, with 27 units currently estimated. Fenton says this may change slightly based on whether Lookout will require office space in the building, and the results of a septic review currently underway. Like many properties, BIRCH was affected by the Snug Cove Sewer System reaching capacity, making the addition of a septic system necessary. The review will see how much land would be necessary to install this system on a remainder lot bordering BIRCH property. Establishing a septic plan, and negotiating an extension
with the municipality on BIRCH’s agreement to lease, are the organization’s main points of focus while they wait for the next round of funding to become available. Coun. Michael Kaile, a member of the HAC, says the fact the homes won’t be finished until almost the end of the next council’s term puts added emphasis on finding alternative housing solutions now. “For anyone with immediate needs, this is going to be a project that they’ll just have to set aside. Because this is not in any way going to come to fruition (soon),” said Kaile, noting the delay was not a reflection of the BIRCH team’s efforts. Coun. Maureen Nicholson, also an HAC member, says it’s difficult for small rural communities to compete province-wide with projects in bigger cities that will result in more total units. Both Nicholson and Fenton say they’ve raised this point with the Ministry of Housing, and suggested there be separate application streams for large and small communities.
Sip & Tell has now claimed hardware in the United Kingdom and United States CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Hardie says she’s a fan of the Portland competition for its rigorous selection process, including trained judges, blind taste testing, and 240 different entries. “I like that it’s quite strict… and there’s a lot of interesting categories as well,” says Hardie. Sip & Tell’s category was Single Varietal Cider, under the dessert/culinary apples classification. This was one of the more popular categories, with some significant competition. Judges commented Riley’s entry featured “aroma notes were rhubarb, green apple, and pear. Overall, dry, green apple, clean balanced cider.” “It was really neat to medal with some really big cideries from the Pacific Northwest,” says Hardie. “Seattle Cider Company won the gold, so it’s neat to be even in the running with some of those bigger guys. It was awesome.” The Seattle cidery won with ‘Honeycrisp’, while 2 Towns Ciderhouse from Corvallis, Oregon won silver with ‘Cosmic Crisp’. The medal is not the first for Sip & Tell either – at the end of last year the cider won gold at the International Brewing and Cider awards in the United Kingdom. Hardie travelled
across the pond in April this year to accept the award at Guildhall in London. “I’m really passionate about making dry cider because I think just from a health perspective it’s so much better for you,” says Hardie. “So we don’t add any sugar or anything, it’s just pressed apples.” “I was really proud of that cider and I thought it fit that category really well. So that’s why we entered it into the UK in that competition and did really well there, so we thought why not try a competition locally. It was neat to get that recognition not only in the UK but also here in the Pacific Northwest,” she says. Hardie considers herself relatively fresh on the cider scene, having crafted the drink for around five years now. She says this kind of international recognition is incredibly validating for both herself and Riley’s. “I honestly entered just because I’m a new cider maker and I think what I’m making is great, but I was really hoping to just get feedback from the judges. So it was such a bonus to actually win an award because I’m new to it and just kind of learning as I go,” says Hardie.
The Riley’s Cidery team - Frank Patt, Christine Hardie, Anna Bryan, and Isaac Knowles-Gruft, with the multi-award winning Sip & Tell cider. “To win some awards is encouraging and just kind of reinforces my value in using full apple juice and low intervention and doing all the things I’ve been doing. It gives me confidence that I’m making a good cider, and I’m proud of what I’m making,” she says. Anyone interested in trying the award winning Sip & Tell will be happy to hear it’s entering its prime season. “It’s a very light refreshing cider, so food wise it’s great with seafood or any kind of fish. Just as a nice sunny day porch cider, a nice refreshing drink,” explains Hardie.
UNDERCURRENT 2022 GRAD ISSUE! NEW deadline for grad submissions Monday June 13 by 5pm
FREE to submit 100 word grad bio + photo email to editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com
A4 • bowenislandundercurrent.com
Thursday, June 9, 2022
VIEWPOINTS EDITORIAL
It was very inspiring to see Island Pacific School take to the streets last week for a public celebration of Pride Month. Their Pride Parade had no end of vibrancy and enthusiasm to it, and it was clear from talking to the students this was a cause they were truly passionate about and helped drive. This wasn’t something these Grade 6-9’s were assigned to, rather it’s an issue they recognize needs attention and did what they could to make a difference. In a time when the human rights, and lives, of LGBTQ2S+ people continue to be at threat around the world, it is important to reinforce our commitment to equality and safety for everybody here at home. We only have to look south of the border to see how fleeting these rights are, as many states actively push to undo decades of hard-fought progress in this arena, including deciding what can be taught in schools or even which kids can play youth sports. Canada still has much of its own work to do for LGBTQ2S+ rights, but if the Island Pacific kids are any indication, we’ll be headed in the right direction moving forward. - Alex Kurial, editor
How did they get here? They built an ark, they’re CARPENTER ants!
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
A good CAWES
Have you ever seen strays on Bowen Island? Starving, trying to survive? Most people will say no, and that is a good thing. We as a small town are really lucky to have an animal rescue facility! Introducing C.A.W.E.S (Coastal Animal Welfare and Education Society). CAWES’ goal is to care for any abandoned domestic animals and assist any injured or distressed animal, including wildlife. CAWES strives to promote, inform, and educate the community on the human guardianship of all animals. CAWES has been doing amazing work on Bowen Island since 2000! There are even more things CAWES does that help wildlife and strays throughout Bowen! Examples of these are: Helping deal with the overpopulation of felines, feeding stray and abandoned cats, offering support to animal lovers and educating them on the welfare of their companion animals, providing support to families who have sick companions, reuniting companion animals with their families... CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
Coho Bon Voyage Is Back Salmon enhancement volunteers with the Bowen Island Fish & Wildlife Club (BIFWC), under the supervision of Fisheries & Oceans Canada, have been active over the last two years operating the Terminal Creek Salmon Hatchery in Crippen Park, managing habitat rehabilitation projects, and monitoring the health of fish bearing creeks. However, something vital has been missing since 2019. Working with local school children, helping BICS with their
Salmonid-in-the-Classroom Program, providing hatchery tours, and getting together with community groups to talk about the importance of protecting wild salmon and salmon riparian habitat have been our most enjoyable and important volunteer activities for over 30 years. Health protocols resulted in the postponement of these public engagement activities for over 2 years. BIFWC volunteers are pleased to announce that Coho Bon Voyage will take place at the hatchery on
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Sunday, June 12th, from 11 AM until 2 PM. Children, their families, and everyone from the Bowen community are invited to help us release coho fry raised at the hatchery into nearby Terminal Creek. There will also be an interactive display of creepy crawlies from under rocks in the creek, and a Metro Vancouver Parks interactive display. Fun for all so please join us.
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EDITOR Alex Kurial editor@bowenisland undercurrent.com
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Thursday, June 9, 2022
bowenislandundercurrent.com • A5
VIEWPOINTS
Readers believe motorized Mt. Gardner is imminent Anyone surprised by the number of dirt bikes strapped to the back of vehicles driving around the Cove last Wednesday afternoon? They were here as a show of support. Get ready for more. The Environment Ministry held a workshop session on June 1 as the next step in formalizing the use of Mt. Gardner. The local Off Road Motorcycle (BTRA) group was being asked which Trail Head and Trails they would agree to “give-up” to other stakeholder groups: Hikers, Trail Runners, Bird Watchers, Nature Club, Conservancy, Dog Walkers and Tourists. In the end they were willing to concede very little. Mt. Gardner was designated as a “Recreation Site” five years ago by the provincial government. This was in recognition of the increasing use by locals and visitors. The Rotary Club noted that hikers were getting lost on the trails because of poor signage and saw a need to maintain the trails. Most could not foresee the changes this new designation would bring to Mt. Gardner. Previously our mountain was simply Crown Land. However, the new “Recreation” designation has created opportunity and caught the attention of the off-road motorcycle industry. The BC Off-Road Motorcycle Association (BCORMA) employs professional lobbyists with the mandate to expand their trail network and has guided Bowen’s small off-road motorcycle group (BTRA) successfully through government bureaucracy. They have strong contacts with the government and money behind them. Soon most of Mt. Gardner will officially become a motorized off-road vehicle playground for all local and off-island groups who care to abuse it. One of the trails has already been named after a high profile U.S. based dirt biker that has held industry funded dirt bike clinics on Bowen. You can
pay homage the next time you are on the CAP BRAPP Trail. Another is simply named DBT (Dirt Bike Trail) on government maps. Wednesday’s workshop has allowed the Ministry to check another box in the process of “meaningful stakeholder engagement”. It was really a public relations exercise meant to soften the blow of the forthcoming decision. Bureaucracy can be maddening, and this process is a good example. The main trail network used by motorcycles is on Radar Hill. This area surrounds a gravel pit and has over 35 km of trails through a beautiful forest with scenic lookouts. It is Crown Land and as such is not part of this Ministry’s focus. The branch responsible for recreation lands (RSTBC) only looks at areas with a Recreation designation. As such, Radar Hill or other crown lands on Bowen are not being considered in the Mt. Gardner process. A simple and common sense approach would leave Mt. Gardner as a wild place for non-motorized quiet enjoyment and allow Radar Hill for motorized use. The tens of thousands of hikers arriving each year can walk to Mt. Gardner from the ferry and the trucks with motorcycles and ATV’s can drive over to Radar Hill. Sadly, the myopic, outdated thinking of RSTBC cannot arrive at this decision, as Radar Hill is not part of their “legislative purview.” There is a sad irony that the best intentions of the humanitarian Rotary Club to help lost hikers will result in Mt. Gardner becoming a dirt bike playground and displace hikers in the process. And further irony that the Environment Ministry is formalizing the expansion of destructive motorized off-road vehicles in our UNESCO Biosphere. - Richard Underdown
Many ways to help out Bowen’s animals CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
... finding homes for animals that have been abandoned or given up, reducing the number of stray animals through foster and adoption, and sustaining our natural environment by participating in and supporting wildlife rescue activities. CAWES needs your help, and the best way you can do that is to donate to CAWES. Any amount is welcome and you can be a part of helping animals all over Bowen. For our Grade 8 community project, we chose to raise awareness about CAWES and encourage people to donate and get involved with this wonderful organization. A great way you can help is going to the CAWES bowen website, and donating to this amazing charity. CAWES is always grateful for donations from our community that help to keep the organization alive and assist-
ing Bowen. Monetary donations can be made by Interac E-Transfer to info@ cawes.org, directly at the First Credit Union to our everyday account or via Paypal on our website at www.cawes.org. Other items that are frequently donated and most appreciated are: Cat Food for the feeding stations, wet and dry, Dog Food to pass on to dog to pass on to dog rescue organizations and the Downtown East Side, Dog and cat kennels and other supplies, New or good quality used items for our fundraising online auctions, Thank you for your generosity and support, - Hayden and Nick
Dear Editor, I am writing this letter for the Undercurrent to ask the Bowen community to join me in urging Council to restate, through another Council resolution, its commitment to securing non-motorized status for all of Mount Gardner. On April 27, 2020 Council unanimously supported a resolution requesting staff to write to Recreation Sites and Trails BC (RSTBC) requesting non-motorized status for Mount Gardner. The response from RSTBC was that a public consultation process would be conducted, but the date was continually pushed into the future. Many of us felt that no consultation process was needed given the unanimous vote of Council and the overwhelming support from the Bowen community for non-motorized status. On September 2021, without any public consultation, RSTBC sent a letter to Bowen Island Municipality with the following statement: “RSTBC with assistance from the recreational user groups will create a non-motorized recreation experience within the Mount Gardner Recreation Site, leading from a highway vehicle accessible trailhead to the summit of Mount Gardner. The summit ridge of Mount Gardner is to provide a non-motorized recreation experience”. Now, over two years since the Council resolution, the province has begun the public consultation process with the first stakeholder meeting on June 1 in Collins Hall. The structure of the meeting did not invite open discussion of the pros
and cons of non-motorized status, as one might expect. Rather the meeting was focused on exploring how motorized and non-motorized could co-exist on Mount Gardner. As an example, one topic of discussion was: where would be the best parking area for motorized vehciles wanting access to the trails? I can agree with the RSTBC decision that there should be “a non-motorized recreation experience within the Mount Gardner Recreation Site” but firmly believe that such a recreation experience can only be achieved by securing non-motorized status for all of Mount Gardner The impact of motorized vehicles - the noise, the trail damage, the disruption to wildlife and the natural environment is undeniable. Mount Gardner plays a central role both geographically and in the functioning of the natural ecosystems - on Bowen Island, an island in the Islands Trust, protected for the benefit of all residents of British Columbia. Mount Gardner is treasured by many, from on and off-island, for the peace and tranquility that can be found in its forests. Mount Gardner must be given non-motorized status. I urge Council to restate this island’s commitment to securing non-motorized status for all of Mount Gardner. Surely the provincial government will support our Council and the overwhelming desire of the Bowen community. Sincerely, - Rosemary Knight
2021 BIRCHYear-in-Review Hello Bowen! It’s been a while since our last update, and we want to reassure you that our low profile doesn’t indicate we haven’t been busy, and we have a lot to share! The housing crisis on Bowen Island has of course not gone away and COVID-19 continues to affect virtually every aspect of everyone’s lives. But in spite of these Interesting Times, BIRCH has been able to advance our project in many ways, and we are even working on a second potential rental housing project for Bowen Island! Since our last update we received two grants that will allow us to continue advancing our project on Lot 3. The first of these is $15,000 from Bowen Island Community Foundation; these funds are being used towards project specific needs, such as land preparation and consultant fees. The second is an $8,500 operational funding grant from Bowen Island Municipality, which will be used to cover ongoing administrative costs and are critical to ensuring that we continue to make progress on the project. BIRCH is strongly encouraging the municipality to prioritise implementing the MRDT (Municipal
& Regional District Tax), as it would provide a revenue source to fund affordable housing on Bowen. We are grateful that our community provides ongoing support for our mission, and always strive to spend this money responsibly and to wring all possible value out of each dollar. We have completed the schematic design of our rental suites building on Lot 3 on Miller Road. With the support of our development consultants, CitySpaces and our architects at Boni Maddison Architects, we have been able to apply for project funding from 3 levels of government. Of course, external funding is required to advance towards construction and our application to BC Housing in last year’s intake window was unsuccessful. Of the record 190 applications they received, only 50 were funded, but we received considerable positive feedback from BCH and will re-apply in their next intake window. In the meantime, we are working with Canada’s national housing agency (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) on alternative funding options. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
A6 • bowenislandundercurrent.com
Thursday, June 9, 2022
Island Pacific School shows off its Pride KARI MARENTETTE Teacher / Island Pacific School It happened on Bowen! This was the first ISABC GSA Pride meetup for 2022 (in person!) hosted by Island Pacific School on Bowen Island on Wednesday, June 1, 2022. It was a fun filled day with many schools joining us participating in activities, performances, music, with lots of opportunities for the Independent Schools Association of BC (ISABC) Gender & Sexuality Alliance Club (GSA) students to connect.
Leading the event was Kari Marentette (she/her), Island Pacific School’s Grade 6 homeroom teacher. Kari also teaches Language Acquisition French to our Grade 6-9’s and Individuals & Societies to our Grade 6’s. She worked behind the scenes with the Gender & Sexuality Alliance club (GSA) and ISABC in creating this awesome day.
How IPS is honouring the LGBTQ2S+ movement: This year, Island Pacific School is celebrating Pride Month to honour the LGBTQ2S+ members of our community. Pride Month provides us a chance to recognize and celebrate the diversity of our community in our
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student, faculty, and family population. This is an opportunity to reflect on the challenges that this community has faced over time and implement new ways of supporting our LGBTQ2S+ community. As part of our commitment to supporting the LGBTQ2S+ community in our school, we created a GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance) club in the 2020-2021 academic year. This club hosted events such as a Pride halloween dance and Pride trivia. We made pronoun buttons available to all students, and have put a Pride flag at the entrance of every classroom as well as a Progress Pride flag in the front of the school. Our communications team created an official Pride logo which can be seen on much of our community outreach and media. Our educators diligently explored their
curriculums to look for opportunities to include LGBTQ2S+ history and stories, for example, in our Grade 8 French class, we explore a variety of French music from LGBTQ2S+ artists. Our library has revamped their offerings, including many new books with LGBTQ2S+ stories. This year, the Pride Celebration event we just hosted with other ISABC schools’ GSA clubs drew independent school students from Vancouver and surrounding areas. The event included speeches about the importance of celebrating Pride Month, and an opportunity for students from many schools to hear each others’ stories and have fun together. We would like to thank everyone in our Island Pacific School community for their support with these initiatives.
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Start dreaming of Strawberries REV. LORRAINE ASHDOWN Bowen Island United Church It was 2019 when Bowen Island United Church had its last Strawberry Tea at home. For the past two years, we held our much beloved annual event at The Bowen Island Legion in the ‘new normal’ drive through style. Thank you so much to The Legion. We could not have continued our tradition without you. But, we are so very happy to declare that we are back! On Saturday, June 25th, from 10-3pm, we will be hosting one of our favourite community gatherings. The Tea offers strawberries( to be pre-ordered-details to come); straw-
berry shortcake; scones; a bar-b-que with hamburgers, veggie burgers and hot dogs; a Silent Auction including a Sam Black painting, a painting by Liz Watson of a familiar BC scene and other gems; attic treasures; a raffle of both wine and spirits and teas and goodies; music and good ole fashioned hospitality. Save the date. Dream of fresh strawberries. And, if you have anything you would like to donate to the Silent Auction, please contact me at 778-688-2061. Thank you all. We can’t wait to welcome you to back home to the Strawberry Tea at Bowen Island United Church. Warm regards, Rev. Lorraine Ashdown
Thursday, June 9, 2022
bowenislandundercurrent.com • A7
IPS Pride reflections ALEX KURIAL Editor We talked to some of the Island Pacific School students and teachers who made last week’s Pride Parade and activty day come together on Bowen. Hannah Florendo, Grade 9 “In my knowledge it’s the first Pride Parade and Pride event Bowen has even hosted, so it was a really big step for our community. It was amazing, it was so nice to be in a space where there were people like me, who don’t necessarily identify with the gender norms. It was a safe space to be who I was, and get to know people for who they were, and be open about it. When I was in Grade 6 (Grade 9 now) we didn’t have Kari (Marentette), and since Grade 7 Kari’s been an unstoppable force of nature in bringing about all these changes to school and making it a more open space. I’m really hoping this becomes an annual thing that’s open to the community… and then it gets carried on.”
necessarily downcast, but it’s not very open. To be in this school where it’s so open and to have this huge Pride Parade where everyone’s open and non-judgemental, it’s really nice to be around that.” Kari Marentette, IPS Teacher “I went to the ISABC SOGI (Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity) heads meeting. Most of the independent schools in the area have a GSA (Gender & Sexuality Alliance) lead teacher, so we all got together and we were brainstorming ideas for how different schools in the area were going to celebrate Pride. And I had this dream in my mind of bringing all these schools over to Bowen on Bowfest field celebrating Pride. So I just sort of threw it out there as ‘This is a crazy idea, but do you think it could work?’ And then everyone was super enthusiastic about it and it just sort of rolled from there and became real, which is crazy.”
Mischa LaRoche, Grade 6 “I think it was a great way for people to get together and be who they are and not have to worry about being judged.”
Activities at the Bowfest Field included a make up station, cookie decorating, games such as spike ball, parachuting, volleyball and hula hooping, painting stations for kindness rocks and Pride flags, button making, and a reading station set up and attended by the Bowen Island Public Library. Marentette says six other school GSA clubs and about 150-170 students and staff took part.
Harper Chell, Grade 6 “I thought it was really great. I’ve been in a lot of places where LGBTQ2S+ isn’t
Page 6 & 7 photos by Alex Kurial & Julie Langlois. Check our story on the Undercurrent website for more photos.
COHO BON VOYAGE will take place Sunday June 12th, between 11 AM and 2 PM at the Terminal Creek Salmon Hatchery in Crippen Park. Parking is available across from the Public Works Yard and gas station on Mount Gardner Road. Please join us to see the smiles on children’s faces as they carry and release salmon fry into Terminal Creek. Everybody is welcome. Bowen Island Fish & Wildlife Club • http://www.bowenhatchery.org
A8 • bowenislandundercurrent.com
Thursday, June 9, 2022
Course record ‘fore’Ukraine refugees ALEX KURIAL Editor
When Peter Boronkay saw the Russian invasion of Ukraine unfold earlier this year, he couldn’t believe what was taking place. Boronkay says he was “shocked that today there’s tanks rolling through Europe. I figured we would have evolved out of that by now.” “The impact of that is seven million refugees leaving the country, and eight million internal refugees,” said Boronkay, also noting the many Russian refugees forced to flee their own country. “So the idea was to see how I could help in some way. Being a governor of Golf Canada, golf was the logical thing I could do,” he says. Boronkay set to work and came up with a plan: knock off the Bowen Golf Course single-day hole record while raising funds for each hole played. The previous record was 81, so Boronkay set his goal for 90. While these 10 rounds were his stated goal, Boronkay says “I like the philosophy of under-promising and over-delivering. So although I officially said 90 in my mind, I decided I’m going to go for 1-0-1.” To accomplish the feat, some good help and good fortune would be necessary. Both were present on June 6, when
Boronkay teed off from the first hole at 5 am. First, a dedicated team of four volunteers helped ferry Boronkay around the course in different shifts. “They drove the cart, I hit the balls. That was for efficiency because I wanted to make sure I could get this project done.” Boronkay added Monday morning’s cloudy weather “actually was helpful, because when it’s cooler you’re not overheating in the sunshine. So it’s actually good that it was not too hot.” Not that weather would have been a factor anyway, Boronkay explains. “The course kindly offered that if the weather was really bad they’d reschedule me. I said I don’t care what the weather is, it could be hailing all day long, I’m doing it.” “I use the analogy of Ernest Shackleton: if Shackleton could survive a shipwreck in the Antarctic and roll his way out, there’s no excuse for me not to be able to golf for a full day.” In addition, the golf club booked off the course until noon, allowing Boronkay seven hours of unimpeded access to start the day. “It was a surreal experience. Just imagine playing seven hours of golf before you see a player.” “It was something else to be just firing through the course, every round was just under an hour… That allowed us to be hyper efficient,” says Boronkay. As the day wrapped up, Boronkay had completed his goal of 10 rounds, added one more round to hit 99 total holes, and then for good measure played the first and ninth holes to pass
Baronkay played 101 holes June 6. / Alex Kurial photo the century mark and hit 101. “I like three digits more than two,” Baronkay quips. And most importantly, with many fundraising donors contributing on a per hole basis, the money raised to support Red Cross efforts in Ukraine has come pouring in. The morning of June 8, more than $4,300 had been brought in. “I’m happy that I chose the cause that I did, and it certainly helped that the Red Cross already has all the mechanisms in place for fundraising,” says Boronkay. “All one needs to be is creative to create a fundraising event and come up with an interesting idea, and then reverse engineer the process,” says Boronkay on his effort, and how other people can come up with their own unique fundraisers. “I tend to do that in what I do and my profession, and I could do it here too.”
An evening of reading and song with Barney Bentall and Lawrence Hill at the Hearth MATHILDE ROHR Cultural Connector / The Hearth The Hearth Gallery is very pleased to host an evening of reading and song by Lawrence Hill and Barney Bentall. The two famous old friends will come together to present their new work on June 16 Lawrence Hill is the award-winning and internationally bestselling author of 11 books of fiction and nonfiction, including The Book of Negroes and Illegal. A professor of creative writing at the University of Guelph, he has spent more than a decade volunteering in book clubs in federal penitentiaries. Hill will give a few readings and talk about his last novel Beatrice and Croc Harry. His books will also be
available to purchase during the evening. Barney Bentall is a singer-songwriter who came to national attention fronting the band The Legendary Hearts. During the pandemic, the musician recorded his last album Cosmic Dreamer from which he will perform some of his newest songs at the Hearth. Bentall describes himself as a collaborative worker; he initiated this project with Hill, who was immediately delighted with the idea of engaging with his friend on stage. This friendly duo promises a night full of songs, stories, and captivating talks! All proceeds will go to the Bowen Island Community Center. The evening takes place Thursday, June 16 at 7 pm at the Hearth - doors open at 6:30 pm. Tickets available for pre-purchase at the Hearth or at the door. Limited seating. Price: $20.
Places of Worship Welcome You
Lawrence Hill and Barney Bentall will appear Thursday, June 16 at the Hearth.
Queen of Capilano Ferry Schedule APRIL 9 - JUNE 22
BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCH www.biuc.ca | 1122 Miller Road
FOOD BANK
Sunday Worship 10:30 am Rev. Lorraine Ashdown
DROP-OFF
ST. GERARD’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Sunday Mass at 9.30
Contact Angela Powell 604-947-2515
CATES HILL CHAPEL
www.cateshillchapel.com 604-947-4260 (661 Carter Rd.)
Sunday Worship 10:00 Services offered in-person or online via Zoom. Link available on website. Rev. Phil Adkins
SHIRAT HAYAM (Song of the Sea) BOWEN’S JEWISH COMMUNITY Shabbat Gatherings ~ Holidays Contact aryana.rayne@gmail.com
DEPART BOWEN ISLAND
DEPART HORSESHOE BAY
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Note: Schedules subject to change without notice
Please check BCFERRIES.COM Schedule changes on statutory holidays
Thursday, June 9, 2022
bowenislandundercurrent.com • A9
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
EARLY WARNING Write on Bowen Festival Saturday & Sunday August 6 & 7. Tickets on sale now. writeonbowen.com Thursday June 9 Bowen Island Men’s Fastpitch Shakers v Firemen 6:30 pm Snug Cove Field Shari Ulrich’s ‘Trust Me Series’ presents The Small Glories Tir-na-nOg Theatre. Tickets at eventbrite.ca Friday June 10 10:30 am – Drop-in Spring Storytime @ Bowen Island Library. Storytime is stories, songs, and play activities for 2-4 year-olds and their caregivers Bowen Island Men’s Fastpitch Diggers v Cruisers 6:30 pm Saturday June 11 Round Bowen Race - 10 AM There are normally 100+ plus boats registered, and with only 1 start, makes it one of the largest single starts on the west coast. The race involves circumnavigation of Bowen Island. Nectar Yoga on the Pier (beside the ferry) 9 am - 10 am $15 pre-register at nectaryoga.ca Bowen Island Farmers Market Bowen Island Community School 10 am to noon every Saturday Final meeting of Bring Your Own Book Club, for Bowen Islanders 18-35 years old, 12-1 pm @ Bowen Island Library Annex. A welcoming drop-in group where you can rave (or rant!) about a book you’ve read, find your next great read, and meet other young book lovers. Bowen Slopitch League- cheer on your friends and neighbours at Snug Cove field! - Sluggers vs Basecombers noon Burley Batters vs Loggers 2pm The Blu’s vs Phoenix 4 pm Sunday June 12 Coho Bon Voyage - 11 AM to 2 PM, Children carry and release salmon fry into Terminal Creek. Nectar Yoga on the Pier (beside the ferry) 9 am - 10 am $15 pre-register at nectaryoga.ca Bowen Island Men’s Fastpitch Shakers v Firemen Snug Cove Field Monday June 13 Monday June 13 to Wednesday June 15 Masterworks 2022 Island Pacific School see schedule on page 9 6:15 pm Regular Council meeting Bowen Island Men’s Fastpitch Cruisers v Twins 6:30 pm Tuesday June 14 Bowen Slopitch League- at Snug Cove field. Loggers vs Phoenix Wednesday June 15 Summer Reading Club at the Bowen Island Library begins! Kids can come register for SRC and collect their 50-day Reading Challenge booklet; start collecting stickers and earn a medal! Weekly children’s programs begin in July—go to bipl. link/src to sign up for our SRC newsletter and find out more. BIM Community Economic Development Committee (CEDC) invites remote and hybrid workers to lunch and learn at 12:00pm at Doc Morgan’s Restaurant Please RSVP to Stef Shortt by Friday, June 10 at: sshortt@bimbc.ca or 9474255 ext 253 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm Virtual Open House via Zoom re Detached Secondary Suite Minimum Lot Size Bowen Island Men’s Fastpitch Shakers v Brewers 6:30 pm Juno award winning Good Lovelies at Tir-na-nog Theatre 7 pm Tickets available at the Hearth Gallery. goodlovelies.com Thursday June 16 Barney Bentall & Lawrence Hill ‘Old friends share new work’ an evening of reading and song at the Hearth Gallery Doors 6:30 pm event 7 pm. Pre - purchase tickets at the Hearth or take your chances at the door. Proceeds to the Bowen Island Community Centre Bowen Island Men’s Fastpitch Firemen v Diggers 6:30 pm Snug Cove Field Friday June 17 10:30 am – Drop-in Spring Storytime @ Bowen Island Library. Storytime is stories, songs, and play activities for 2-4 year-olds and their caregivers Bowen Island Men’s Fastpitch Twins v Shakers 6:30 pm Snug Cove Field
Saturday June 18 Nectar Yoga on the Pier (beside the ferry) 9 am - 10 am $15 pre-register at nectaryoga.ca Bowen Island Farmers Market Bowen Island Community School 10 am to noon every Saturday Bowen Slopitch League- cheer on your friends and neighbours at Snug Cove field! Basecombers vs Phoenix noon. Sluggers vs Burley Batters 2 pm Loggers vs Blu’s 4 pm Snug Cove Blues Band at the Bowen Island Pub 7 - 10 pm Sunday June 19 Nectar Yoga on the Pier (beside the ferry) 9 am - 10 am $15 pre-register at nectaryoga.ca Seymour Bay Beach Explore - 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. Join the Bowen Nature Club for a hands-on discovery of the marine
life that lives near our shores. Free for annual members. Day membership required for non-members. To register: bowennatureclub@gmail.com Monday June 20 Bowen Island Men’s Fastpitch Brewers v Cruisers 6:30 pm Tuesday June 21 7:00-8:30 pm – An Evening of Short Indigenous Films @ the BowenIslandLibrary.Registrationrequired,pleasecall604-9479788toregister.OnNationalIndigenousPeoplesDay,comewatch four short films that celebrate the art and culture of Indigenous Peoples on the Pacific Coast, with opportunity for lively discussion about these acclaimed artists and their engaging stories. Facilitated by Pauline Le Bel. Bowen Slopitch League, Burley Batters vs Basecombers 6:30 pm
INTRODUCING MASTERWORKS 2022 For more than 27 years, Island Pacific School Grade 9 students have been preparing presentations in a signature program called Masterworks. This capstone project represents completion of one of their academic achievements at Island Pacific School.
JOIN US CATES HILL CHAPEL OR ONLINE
JUNE 13-15, 2022
https:/ islandpacific.org/masterworks-program/
DATE + TIME
PRESENTER
PRESENTATION
JUNE 13 9:00 am
Lukas Hagglund
Is Nuclear Power Enough for Us?
10:00 am
Jenny Shang-Gagnon
Interior Design 101 - How to Bring your Space to Life
11:00 am
Aviva Rabinowitz
Perceiving Personality - Reliability and Validity of the Myers-Briggs Test
1:00 pm
Sam Florin
Computer Generated Imagery - My Journey
JUNE 14 9:00 am
Anika Horvath
The Legacy of Olympus - Greek Culture’s Influence on our Modern World
10:00 am
Lukas Legal
Carbon Capture - Removing CO2 from the Air
11:00 am
Kalan McKie
Entrepreneurship - Developing a Product for Market
1:00 pm
Oliver Young
Cooking up Culture
JUNE 15 9:00 am
Finnsson Cane-Osborne
The Future of Transportation: Fuel Cells to Batteries, Coast to Coast
10:00 am
Ethan Harrison
Entering the Pipeline - The Full Process of Visual Effects in Film
11:00 am
Caelan Redekopp
Blockchains: The Future of Money, Art and Technology
1:00 pm
Hannah Florendo
Stitching A Story: Creating a Costume to Convey A Character
LEARNING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. INSPIRED TO MAKE WAVES.
A10 • bowenislandundercurrent.com
Thursday, June 9, 2022
Your Community
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SUDOKU
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Proverbs 28.13
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Thursday, June 9, 2022
bowenislandundercurrent.com • A11
BIRCH continuing forward with 2022 plans CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
In support of this initiative, we have signed an memorandum of understanding with Lookout Housing and Health Society to bring them in as a partner for the Lot 3 project. Lookout is well known on Bowen Island through their Emergency Shelter efforts and has more than 40 years of non-profit housing experience in the region, so we are thrilled that they will be our partner in advancing our project towards completion. In the coming year we and Lookout hope to move forward with CMHC funding for Lot 3. In support of this we will revive our com-
VIEWS
munity working group, BARC and conduct our 2nd community housing survey. Watch for links and a postcard in your mailbox so that you may contribute your thoughts to this community “pulse-check” on Bowen Island’s housing needs and concerns. The deadline is June 30. Lastly, we would like to thank our volunteer Board directors Aaron Davison, Adam Lougheed, Jack Resels, Amy Seabrooke, Tim Wake, Marla Zucht, and David McCullum for their time, our friends at CitySpaces Development Consultants and Greenbooks Accounting for all their hard work this past year. Additionally, the BIM
Community Foundation, and Bowen Island Municipality for their financial support. And the Bowen Island community as a whole for your ongoing support – Thank you all! And one more thank you is due to our fearless Executive Director Robyn Fenton. Simply put: Robyn is the driving force behind BIRCH. Her endless enthusiasm and energy, her industry experience and insight, her contacts, and her relentless optimism are what has enabled our progress to date. Thank you, Robyn! We wish you and yours a safe, happy, and resilient year, and thank you again for your support.
It’s the final few days to see John Dowler’s exhibition “The Camera Trap” at the Hearth. The show is open until Monday, June 13. / Kathleen Ainscough photo
BOWEN HOME SERVICES love the life you live
RoB
Tim Rhodes REALTOR®
604.341.9488
RHODES ON BOWEN
REAL ESTATE MARKETING going that extra mile rhodesonbowen.com tim@rhodesonbowen.com NEW CONSTRUCTION
Landscape Lighting Irrigation
Seascape Bruce Culver
Office: 604-947-9686
Cell: 604-329-3045
BOWEN ISLAND ROOFING ROOFING & REPAIRS
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RENOVATIONS RESTORATION ADDITIONS SECONDARY STRUCTURES UNIQUE OUTDOOR SPACES
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SUB CONTRACT WORK
BUILT GREEN BC BUILDER CONTACT US FOR A FREE QUOTATION WWW.WHITEHART.CA ADDRESS 302-566 ARTISAN LANE BOWEN ISLAND, BC PHONE 1 (778) 999-3434
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Window Blinds BOWEN ISLAND SPECIALISTS! QUALITY SERVICE GUARANTEED! Keep Calm and Call Econo
604.980.3333
991 West First Street, North Vancouver, BC www.economovingandstorage.com
On Bowen 778-995-1902
A12 • bowenislandundercurrent.com
Thursday, June 9, 2022
INTRODUCING
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