Bowen Island Undercurrent October 6 2022

Voting begins in Bowen muni election

ALEX KURIAL Editor

Candidates in the upcoming municipal election met at Bowen Island Community School on Sunday as the final days of campaign season are upon us

Some voting has already taken place in fact, with Advance Voting Day held Wednesday, Oct 5 at Municipal Hall But all will be decided next Saturday when the majority of Boweners head to the BICS gym to cast their ballot

Community members met in that same gym Oct 2 for the Undercurrent’s All Candidates Forum, where they heard from 19 hopefuls between the mayoral, council, and school board trustee races on the island.

First up were the six trustee candidates for West Vancouver School Board Lynne Block, Carolyn Broady, Nicole Brown, Sheelah Donahue, and Dave Stevenson are existing trustees seeking re election, while Felicia Zhu is challenging for one of the school board’s five seats

“West Van has been doing very well, but there’s always room to improve I’m closely tied to the current school system with two children in the system. I’m pas sionate and genuine and caring, so I’m going to work very hard to engage the community and work very hard to build that trust between members,” said Zhu

Seeking Public Comment on

ISLAND

Closer to the end than the beginning: Just nine days left in campaign season

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“It’s budget,” said Block. “Your school taxes go to the government, they don’t come straight to individual schools The first year of COVID we had funding feder ally and provincially to cover the costs We didn’t have that the last little bit Our international students that give us the extra monies decreased because of COVID We also have extra monies that we have to spend on sick days that the government isn’t paying for So we have to be very careful about how we budget this year, ” answered Block

The budget was also on the list of Donahue, who has been a trustee since 2014 She also listed student mental health as a focus

“Really what we have to do is make sure we sup port every student on their educational journey Our Indigenous students, our students with special needs, ELS students We have to ensure that every child reach es their full potential,” said Broady

Stevenson explained “We need every dollar to edu cate every kid in this community Some kids it’s an easy task, some kids require more dollars, but at the end of the day that’s what public education needs to do for every single kid, so they get to have the education that’s right for them. And maybe they go on to do some stuff so they can work and give back to the community.”

“I want to highlight the critical role of IT infrastruc ture across our schools, and the chronic underfunding that is making it so hard for the students to keep up… It is overdue for resolution, and the status quo is unsus tainable,” said Brown, focusing on technology

The three mayoral candidates, Andrew Leonard, Maureen Nicholson, and John Turner, followed after, and began by outlining why they chose to pursue the top municipal role

“The decisions that come out of our Municipal Hall should not be a surprise For the past several years, I’ve found many council decisions to be opaque lacking consultation, or worse, ” said Leonard, providing a list of concerns he’s had over the past four years including handling of capital and public works projects, a criti cized temporary use permit process, and the unfolding of the proposed park at Cape Roger Curtis “These are just some of the frustrations that have led me to pay attention and seek answers, and have led to me stand ing before you today ”

The park debate also brought Turner into the mix “The park announcement kicked it off this summer I just remembered the last park debate (2011 National Park proposal) was truly divisive, and I didn’t want to go through that again. That’s why I put my name in the hat… The thing I’m concerned about is fiscal manage ment. We’ve got big infrastructure challenges,” added Turner.

Meanwhile Nicholson, a two term councillor, stressed the importance of someone with political experience claiming the mayorship “There is absolute ly room for fresh perspectives and ideas on council, and I welcome that,” said Nicholson, noting at least four of six councillors in the next term will be new to the role

“But I’m worried about having someone inexperi enced in the mayor ’ s seat, and the potential disruptions that could cause In particular we have a lot of capi tal projects that are completing in the coming years Those projects require a solid understanding of their timelines, their costs, funding opportunities that are available, staffing, resources, and the impacts of delay ing Unlike the other two candidates for mayor, I have a track record on council This is not the time for a mayor who has no experience as a councillor, or even experience on a municipal committee,” said Nicholson

All three candidates fielded several questions thought

up by community members Written answers to these topics can be found in our special election section in this week’s paper on Pages 12 17

Councillors finally had their turn at the stage, where they also outlined why they were drawn to join the race

Judi Gedye spoke to Bowen’s community spirit

“When you walk down the street or go into the store there’s always somebody that will say hello, there’s somebody who will do you a favour, there’s somebody who will pay you a compliment There’s somebody that

will look after you We trust each other”

“I’m running for council because I believe that Bowen is at a crossroad,” said Richard Wiefelspuett

“Will we develop within our means? Will we honour our natural beauty? Will we protect and preserve the authentic lifestyle that we have made? Or will we move further toward unaffordability, gentrification, and development at a pace and scale simply out of touch with a small island community ” continued on page XXXX

VIEWPOINTS

All hands on the debate deck

Wow, what a Sunday that turned out to be When we first entertained the idea of hosting an All Candidates debate back in August, I thought it was going to be fairly straightforward: pick a day, have the candidates and voters show up, ask a few questions, and call it a day

Then, our trusty chief election officer Hope Dallas shared her 2018 all candidates game plan with me (thank you Hope), and I real ized there may be a little more to this than originally thought Thus set off a quest to host an event that lived up to last elec tion’s billing, which, between myself and my colleague Tracey Wait, took many hours of organizing, and lots of emails and calls to get everything straight

Then there is always the fear, will people show up?Welldidyouever Alongwithmyamazingsetup crew, we quickly realized we’d need more chairs as people eagerly arrived even prior to 3 pm The democratic process can really pack a gym, it would seem

Thank you so much for showing up in such force (in the hundreds by my estima tion), it truly meant a lot to see everybody so eager to participate, and the site of a full gym made all the work worth while Sorry for keeping you all so long I will sadly have to be less generous with the beeper next time (and a bit more attentive to the online audio setup) All lessons learned for 2026!

And speaking of that amazing setup crew, they deserve so much credit for making Sunday happen We literally would have had trouble getting things off the ground (espe cially the stage pieces) without their help I’d like to give a special thank you to Tracey (without who I couldn’t get the paper off the ground each week either), Marysia McGilvray, Leo Pedersen, David Collings, Natalia Dominguez, Kyle Pendleton, and of course Sarah Haxby for also guiding me through the entire gym rental process. And to all of you who helped us clean up and put equipment away afterwards too!

There are many more thank you ’ s but sadly space is running out. Your questions were wonderful, and seeing you all there was very inspiring during this non stop election sea son. We are almost there folks, let’s finish this thing off with strength and kindness.

Alex Kurial, Editor

Pressing the pause button

Dear Editor,

Re: Bowen Island Properties’ Application for Temporary Use Permit for a Construction Facility and Temporary Worker Housing at the northwest corner of District Lot 2448

At the Municipal Council meeting on September 26, 2022 Bowen Island Properties was encouraged to hold a public information meeting prior to

Council’s meeting on October 24, 2022 to consider the above noted Temporary Use Permit Given the timing of the Municipal election and the October 24 deadline, the time frame is too short to: 1) provide adequate advance notice to the public about the information meet ing, 2) hold the meeting (which would have to be right around the same date as general voting), and then 3) prepare a follow up report for Council about that

information meeting which would be required by October 17 Therefore, we have requested that the Municipality put the application for the Temporary Use Permit on hold for now We will follow up with this matter after the election

With best regards,

The team at Bowen Island Properties

THE WRITE STUFF. The Undercurrent encourages reader participation

taste

limit

newspaper. You must include your full name and a daytime

Box 130,

A Letter of Thanks

The

I have served 29 years as your Trustee I ask for your vote again. I will continue to make the best decisions for our students. I will continue my strong leadership for an effective Board, advocating for programs and budget funding to meet the needs of our schools and community, and working with public transit to reduce traffic congestion in our community I understand the unique needs of the Bowen students and the solutions that work.

Agent: Dave Stevenson

Radar Hill clear cut to boost radio signal

ALEX KURIAL Editor

The Canadian Coast Guard has requested the clear cutting of around six hectares of trees on Radar Hill in order to improve the service of their radar tower situated there.

The Coast Guard has had a radar tower situated on the hill since the 1970s, which they use to monitor marine traffic safety for vessels going into port in Vancouver or travelling Howe Sound

In the approximately 50 years since the tower was established, the surround ing trees have sprouted up a significant amount, and many now block the radar’s line of sight to its coverage area

Alternatives to clear cutting were explored but did not pan out The Coast Guard says extending the height of the tower would make the signal less reli able, and the trees would continue to grow and block the tower again in about a decade Selective cutting was also seen by the Coast Guard as simply kicking the problem down the road

The federal agency has gone through the steps of requesting a development permit request from the municipality,

but in reality this is simply a courtesy “They (Coast Guard) have said that they want to adhere to our development poli cies and bylaws, so they’ve gone through their development plan approval process and followed everything that we ’ ve asked them to do. But ultimately if we were to say no, they would turnaround and sim ply do it anyway, ” said chief administra tive officer Liam Edwards at the Sept 26 council meeting

Neither the federal Coast Guard or the province who own the land need munic ipal approval to proceed with the plan

A pair of small areas will be spared from the original plan though: a segment of trees bordering private property to the south, and a portion in the east containing a sensitive creek

Work will likely start in the coming weeks, with an eye toward finishing the cutting before the rainy season begins. About 50 total trucks worth of logs from the site are expected to leave the island during this time

“It’s time for it to happen because of the heavy winter rains, and we also get more extreme winter storms that hap pen now I would feel more secure about Bowen’s shorelines being safe, as well as shipping,” said Coun Sue Ellen Fast

Dave Stevenson West Vancouver School Board www.davestevenson.ca

at Bowen Island School Gym see you there!

Keystone unofficial Mayor of Bowen Island

The trees inside the yellow triangle (minus the small triangle to the South and trapezoid to the East) will be cut down to help the Coast Guard boost their radar signal which is used for marine safety / BIM map

Councillors make their cases

Craig Macdonald says he thinks Bowen is perceived as a “top down democracy Information comes from the top down, and it doesn’t get down to the bottom I like the bottom up democracy I think that would we need is more input from the people I don’t think your ideas are getting to council I think my role is to try and get out and meet people, talk to you, and get those ideas up to council.”

“I’ve served on council for several terms, as well as the Islands Trust, and it’s been an honour and a privilege to do that,” said veteran seven term coun cillor Alison Morse, highlighting her deep experience with the municipality through council and committees “I have a long tradition of community volun teering, and that’s why I’m standing for re election again, because I want to con tinue serving the community ”

Tim Wake, a former Whistler coun cillor, says Bowen “is faced with signif icant, urgent challenges in the coming term and beyond. Rental housing, infra structure, and financial resources being top priorities We need a diverse and dedicated council working closely with staff and our entire community to tackle these challenges I want to be part of that expertise and part of that council table ”

“I’m a newbie I’ve been here less than three years, and let me tell you I love this place I’m absolutely passionate about it,” opened John Saunders “I was a professional hockey player I learned

a lot about teamwork You don’t have to be best friends with the people beside you, but you ’ re working toward the same goals.” Saunders added as a small business owner, he identifies with the challenges people currently face in this arena

Nicole Thomas Zyczynski said com munity relationships were her inspira tion “I’ve gotten to know many of you through music and the arts, mainly This is why I’d like to get to know more of you under a different lens in the com munity “I bring people together from different backgrounds and collaborate on a common goal I feel that those qualities can be employed with you, and council, and staff, to achieve what we feel are common goals on Bowen.”

Sue Ellen Fast, who along with Morse is the only other current councillor re seeking their council position, said the recent term was a challenging one, “but we got through it, we ’ ve got excel lent staff I move lots of motions, and I create motions capturing the discussion I’ve been on tons of committees I’m in the groove now, I know Islands Trust from the inside, and I have energy and experience ”

Alex Jurgensen, like most of the coun cil candidates, is another newcomer to the political scene. “One of the things I think we can do when it comes to Bowen Island is make sure that we don’t lose diversity ”

From

Store To Your Door

or

Clean Up Day around the corner

SUSAN REDMOND

Bowen Island Recycling Depot

The children are in school, the nights are getting lon ger and the weather, well the weather is just BC weath er. But with the coming of fall our thoughts turn to tidy ing up the yard and house.

Time to get rid of the garbage we ’ ve accumulated over the spring and summer. Recycling depot staff has promised that there would be a clean up week. Starting on Tuesday, October 3, you can now go to the General Store and pick up your decal But before we talk about the clean up day, I thought I would take a moment to let you know how it all began

Back in 1993 Dave McIntosh and his wife Louise started Bowen Waste Services and became the local garbage contractors Dave knew from his travels around the island collecting garbage that there were places that were favourite spots for midnight dumpers These areas were filled with old couches, appliances, lumber any material that was not picked up on trash day This bothered Dave and since he and Louise had access to

many, many bins, he devised a plan

Dave decided that clean up days would be a way to keep the island in its pristine condition Bowen Waste began offering one day in the spring and fall where any one could bring anything they wanted to be placed in the bin and taken off the island for free! Dave knew that this might appeal to the midnight dumpers After all, who can resist something that’s free!

So began the clean up days As with all such things, this program has evolved into what it is today Now you can clean your yard and home and never have to leave the island! Oh and those pesky old mattresses and appliances they come too! That’s quite a deal, if you think about it

You can pick up your tickets for Clean up Days at the General Store starting on Tuesday, October 3 and continuing until Wednesday, October 12. Once you have your decal, call Jan at 604 947 2255 to book your appointment. It’s as easy as that!

Just so you know, at the end of these clean up days, Bowen Waste Solutions removes anywhere from 25 28 TONS of garbage That really is a great deal! Thanks Dave!

Still time to catch Still Life

Memories, Members, New Arrivals and a Party!

Riding the wave of a busy and successful Summer, we are now getting ready for the new fall season with new arrivals and autumn themed works We began September with our Forest Bathing feature: Welcome to Autumn with Forest Bathing, art that’s good for the soul. Featured are tree themed creations by six of the collec tive’s artists: Alys Williams, Kathleen Ainscough, Nancy Dearborn, Jilly Watson, John Givins and Thiago Ramirez. Enter to win a print by Jilly Watson, which will be drawn on October 15.

Our next feature begins on October 14 with Photographer

Cindy May and her newly created Board games with whimsical, COLOURFUL, wonderful photos! My Photo Memory Game features Cindy’s Photographic images and original artworks in themed collections including Bowen Island, Sweet Memories, Train Graffiti, Canadian Prairies, Petals Blossoms Blooms and more. You are invited to try out the games at the Launch Party on October 15 from 2 to 4 pm at Catching Stars. Enjoy some hot apple cider and test your memory on the games.

“Memory games provide interactive fun and friendly, competitive connection. Games played solo provide a relaxing break. Lose yourself in the images and the sto ries they invoke. Memory games are recognized for their cognitive value for people recovering from brain injury or disorders For children, playing games builds confidence,

patience and focus skills The games provide brain stimu lating fun suitable for ages 3 years to 100+ Enjoy playing!”

Newly arrived; whimsical sculptures by Carlos Vela Martinez, pottery by Barbara Hirano, textiles by Lorna Moffatt, new prints on the way by Louise Drescher, Cynthia Albuquerque, and more…

Watch for these new artists coming soon! Leslie Rowe Israelson, Melanie Rowe and Megan Parks are three sisters, whose exquisite cast glass sculptures and bead artistry were on exhibition recently at the Hearth Gallery.

And for something completely different, have you heard of art created by AI (artificial intelligence)?

Thomas Newman has a new body of work created in this method and his prints and cards will soon be available at the gallery

Member news: We are sad to share the news that, due to personal reasons, Alys Williams will not be taking on the role of Member and co owner at Catching Stars, although her stunning photographic works will continue to be rep resented at the gallery If you haven’t seen her collection yet, do stop in it will surely take you on a journey

And so, we will continue our search for a member/ co owner to join us in this rich and rewarding venture Are you passionate about the arts? Looking for a way to connect with like minded people in a creative and stimu lating environment? Love the idea of supporting the arts and artists in the community?

Members are the Owners and Directors of the Cooperative and take an active role in handling sales, sharing in the business management, shop mainte nance and other related duties Membership is for those who have an interest in becoming a shareholder, are responsible for the governance and administration of the Association, and to reap the benefits of helping to guide the Gallery forward Members are eligible to receive year end profits, as well as retain a larger percentage of art sales Learn more about our cooperative gallery on our website, and get in touch

Interested in finding out more? We would love to hear from you Check out the website at www catch ingstarsgallery com or email us with your ques tions and to set up an appointment to meet with us at info@catchingstarsgallery com

Project Hummingbird

Project Hummingbird marked Truth and Reconciliation Day on September 30 by holding a silkscreen making event on Hummingbird Lane. People were encouraged to pick one of the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Committee and pledge to follow through with it throughout the year

KATHLEEN AINSCOUGH & EMILIE KAPLUN Catching Stars Gallery

Alex Kurial photo

On October 15th re-elect Carolyn Broady for School Trustee

First elected in 2011, I have served as Board Chair since 2014 I am currently President of the BC School Trustees Association and Vice President of the Canadian School Boards Association.

The fundamental work of a trustee is to improve student outcomes and my commitment is to continue to ensure every child reaches their full potential. Contact me at: broady@shaw.ca

Undercurrent Election Special: All Candidates Profile Issue

ALEX KURIAL Editor

The Bowen Island Municipal Election is already next week, which means it’s time for our traditional candidate profile issue We hope the following five pages provide some insight into the people that will form our next municipal government, and maybe even give you that last little prompt to help decide which boxes to check on October 15

To put this together, we sent each can didate for mayor and council the same list of questions, along with a specific set of questions for school board trustee candi dates. All the answers are thorough and thought out, and we’d like to say thank you to all of you for taking the time to fill them out and help contribute to what we think will be a good resource to see where everybody stands

We asked many more questions than there is space to print all the answers, so be sure to check out our website tomorrow to find a link to each candidate’s full responses, including what they think Bowen’s next mascot should be!

The profiles will be scheduled to go up online in about 15 minute intervals through out the day, until all of them have been post ed They’ll go up alphabetically by category of which position people are running for

You may also notice the page profiles have just one word headings, “HOUSING, TOURISM, etc” This was again for the sake of space, candidates received more of a prompt than those single words, and the questions they received to craft these answers are listed below, combined with the matching word in these next several pages:

PRIORITIES = What are your (non hous ing) related priorities for the next four years?

HOUSING = How would you tackle the issue of affordable/rental hous ing on Bowen? And, Bowen will be doing a full review of short term rent al policies next year, do you have any early thoughts on this specifically (ie Should short term rentals continue to be allowed in secondary suites)

PARK PROPOSAL = Assuming the land sale goes through, how will you advocate Bowen gets the best result from the proposed Cape Roger Curtis park?

TOURISM = What will your approach to tourism on Bowen be, and how would you strike a balance between the tourism econo my and issues that arise from it (ferry capaci ty, increased strain on island services such as emergency, etc )

INFRASTRUCTURE = Water, sewage and roads will need major amounts of work in the upcoming years What will your approach to our infrastructure be to avoid surprise or rising costs?

Other questions candidates received, which you will find online, are:

Property taxes are set for a dou ble digit increase next year What will your fiscal approach be re: what munici pal financial obligations are passed on to property owners?

Bowen’s population rose by 600 in the past 5 years, and could pass 5,000 by the next census in four years What is your opinion on continued population growth on the island, and the best ways to manage it?

What is your position on the Bowen elec tion Islands Trust opinion poll, and how do you want to see Bowen’s relationship with Islands Trust change (or not) during the next term, keeping in mind the group has applied to the provincial government for a full review of its operations

You’ll find all those answers, plus some fun ones too, online later today For now, we hope you enjoy this special issue of the Undercurrent, and don’t forget to get out there and vote on October 15!

Note* We aren’t able to secure Gale Lyttle’s answers in time for the print edition, but will work to add her profile online as soon as pos sible Lyttle is running for Council and Islands Trust

FOR RESPONSIVE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT

Authorized by Judith Gedye, candidate for BIM council and Islands Trust, judithgedye@gmail.com

CANDIDATE PROFILES

Andrew Leonard

Running for: Mayor

PRIORITIES

Over eight days last week, it was a gauntlet of events for the candidates I was sur prised that we were not asked a single, direct question on children, youth, and fami lies Or on community men tal health We’ve just come out of a period that harmed our community resilience in ways that hasn’t fully been healed So, a big priority is to bring our community out in the world and back together Using community develop ment process and evolving our engagement is also top of mind, and process improve ment in the way our council functions amongst itself, and between staff and citizenry.

HOUSING

A demographic that this question misses are fam ilies who bought a house on Bowen within the last decade and have made their housing affordable using the revenue coming from a sec ondary suite. However, that affordability comes with the challenge of removing potential rental stock from the market The issue here is that short term rental stock and long term rental stock are the same market We need policies that create solutions to separate those two markets and incentivize long-term rental use, par ticularly for on island work ers and families Second, we need to build the BIRCH project yesterday Third, we should be looking at munic ipality owned funding vehi cles to create new housing on municipality owned land PARK PROPOSAL

There are three things that have to happen. The first is that we need to be ruthlessly honest in our communication with Bowen residents about what’s known about this project and then solic it those informed residents for their informed opinions We need to get our com mittees running “what if” scenarios immediately to consider transportation to recreation to economic

development to indigenous relations Third, we should be looking at other communities in North America who have faced similar project stresses and incorporating their wisdom. By having well informed citizens providing issues-based engagement, and understanding analogous projects in other communities, we’ll be able to participate in any Metro led engagement process with articulate commu nity sourced opinions in hand. This will allow for the Mayor to advocate fiercely and articulately for Bowen’s interests in this project

TOURISM

I believe that Bowen is really poised to define its conversation with tourism this term There are many residents frustrated by the strain that it puts on the island and little in the way of a vision that suggests what tourism on the island should look like and what its impacts should be in the coming decades In the near term, we need a summer ferry solution that doesn’t delay commuters going to work or coming home to their families, bet ter ferry marshalling, better traffic control around points of interest, and bolstered Translink support on island.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Our infrastructure plans need to be published on a community dashboard immediately At a glance, any resident should be able to see the status of what’s upcoming and what’s in progress from the community centre to culverts These should all have real time key performance indicators which let us know what’s been spent, how that’s tracking with budget, what the completion date is, and where we’re at in high level milestones This should be plugged into realistic five year financial plans that don’t gloss over the chal lenges in tax rates or operat ing costs No more surprises

PRIORITIES

I have three priorities: completing our capital proj ects, developing a new or updated Official Community Plan, and securing new rev enue streams and grant program eligibility Other pri orities include dedicated light industrial lands, additional community based collaborative projects (like the Bike Park and Westside Playscape), and a focus on mitigation and adaptation to climate change, especially as it impacts infrastruc ture. As well, intergovern mental and agency relations need constant nurturing to ensure they benefit Bowen Island (for example, eligi bility for rural infrastruc ture funding through ICE-T, enhanced on-island transit through TransLink, and bet ter ferry service through BC Ferries or a social enterprise partnership).

HOUSING

I’d tackle the issue by continuing with work under way and being open to other options Current work includes: Supporting BIRCH by confirming its $1 a year agreement to lease part of Lot 3 Encouraging other partnerships Advocating for better provincial fund ing programs If possible, introducing the Municipal and Regional District Tax payable by users of B&Bs and Residential Guest Accommodation to help fund the Housing Reserve Fund Advancing work on the Lot 1 Expression of Interest Calling for pilot project(s) using the pro posed Cluster Zoning smallhomes option Proceeding with the review of short term rental policies and not prejudging its outcome

PARK PROPOSAL

I’ll first try to under stand what the “best result” means for Islanders. That means paying attention to formal and informal feed back to Metro as well as the process for the pending rezoning There are many

Maureen Nicholson

Running for: Mayor & Islands Trust

potential impacts positive and less so of the pro posed park, but I take com fort in knowing through experience that Metro Parks is proceeding in good faith I would try to ensure that the engagement process is open for revision if needed, that some Bowen facilita tors are used in the engage ment, and that the concerns of residents are addressed I’d then vote accordingly on the rezoning TOURISM

Simple options include better signage, no mar keting campaigns (which has been the case for a while), an info flyer avail able in Horseshoe Bay, and additional BC Ferries funded ferry marshalling Beyond that, a passenger ferry would help I’m keen to examine more close ly a current proposal for an electric ferry funded through a social enterprise model of government sup port, private equity, and user revenue BC Ferries also could perhaps load shift traffic through iden tifying additional runs as lower cost (as they’re now doing with the 9:30 p m runs) The larger ques tion of balance needs to be addressed through a Tourism Strategic Plan INFRASTRUCTURE

We live in a time of sur prises but must prepare as best we can We need to proceed with asset man agement for all munici pally owned assets As a community, we need to recognize that parts of our community infrastructure are held together with the equivalent of scotch tape and chewing gum and that’s a failure that can’t be attributed to a specific council. It’s a fact devel oped over time by enthu siastic Islanders who loved living at the end of a road. We have a steady, slow task ahead of us, supported by much external funding as we can secure.

PRIORITIES

The responsible thing to do is get a handle on our fiscal situation. First off is to separate fact from fiction to determine the true state of affairs. The filtration plant was sup posed to be operational 18 months ago. Sewer/sep tic limitations are a factor in completing the health centre and will likely be an issue for the BIRCH project and individu al property owners too The community centre is underway but underfund ed and we need to get a plan in place to com plete construction and then work up a business strategy

HOUSING

I recognize that peo ple are financially depen dent on the income from short term rentals but as a community we ’ re pay ing the cost of the related services and there is a lack of stable long term rentals So, I don’t think short term rentals should be allowed in secondary suites until there’s an adequate supply of long term rentals

PARK PROPOSAL

I would prefer to be proactive and put togeth er a plan for what we think is acceptable and not wait to react to Metro Vancouver’s proposal

This gives us time and at the very least helps clar ify a bargaining position

The biggest challenge could be to get agreement on what Bowen thinks is acceptable and I think not having this will hurt us in the long run TOURISM

I mentioned rapid change and this is a per fect example Almost overnight we ’ ve gone from being a bedroom community to a desti nation resort However, unlike a resort, we have no way of controlling how many guests show

John Turner

Running for: Mayor

up My concern is that everything we ’ ve talk ed about for recovering costs is just going to be a drop in the bucket, e g licenses for Short Term Rentals and the Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT)

Long term if we ’ re des tined to be a resort we need to adapt to that kind of thinking Short term we need to work out solu tions to reclaim our lives Foot passenger ferries could provide smaller and more frequent service but it doesn’t help those who have to drive on On this side we need a marshalling solution

BC Ferries is the “admission gate” to the island, they control who and how many come to the island Consider that “Possible Wait” could also mean there are too many people on the island A couple of ideas: have BC Ferries collect an addi tional “Bowen” tourist tariff on our behalf, and a combined priority/res ervation system for res idents, licensed contrac tors, and possibly guests of licensed Short Term Rentals

INFRASTRUCTURE

The reason I’m running is basically in recognition of this fact The report you did on the budget includ ed a comment from Public Works that the replace ment cost of all the culverts on the island is in the ball park of 40 million I think we ’ re seeing indications of infrastructure tapping out now (sewer capacity and the culvert in the cove being two).

We seem to have trou ble dealing with capital projects. I’d like to tap into the collective expe rience within the commu nity to make sure we don’t go down the wrong path, and also involve local contractors who have a vested interest.

CANDIDATE PROFILES

Robin Burger Runningfor:Council

PRIORITIES

My non housing relat ed priorities are to address the concerns with munic ipal decisionmaking pro cesses around important community issues I plan to work on community engagement processes in order to achieve a more respectful and meaning ful dialogue with islanders to work together to make progress and change on the many outstanding concerns impacting our community. I also plan to support efforts to make the municipality more accountable fiscally and to continue the work of protecting our biodiversity in terms of climate change impacts, development, and tourism

HOUSING

Housing is a main reason I am running for council There has been little policy, research utilization or poli cy development for housing provision from the munic ipality for over a decade The latest legislated hous ing needs report 2020 not utilized. We need more community consultation; planning, land use, bylaw/ rezoning, and alternative options to the BIRCH lot 3 project and employee hous ing as these have seen lit tle progress Each political term of office on Bowen has made housing an election issue and passed it along to the next. My long time vol unteer and MA thesis work relates to housing and pol icy on Bowen

PARK PROPOSAL

The best scenario is park protection for the CRC lands with no campgrounds due to all the related impacts water, ferry, increased traf fic, roads, etc This is, in my view community con sultation process not going well Without information there is an inclination to speculate outcomes based on past experience Metro

Vancouver Parks manage ment have not necessari ly served our community well The Davies Orchard cottages are a good exam ple These historical cottag es have been left by Metro to deteriorate to be demol ished in full view at the entryway to Bowen Island despite community efforts to save them

TOURISM

The balance for tourism is maintaining economic growth and ensuring envi ronmental protection Right now, I think Bowen is in a state of over tourism as witnessed by the amount of ferry traffic and damage to our park spaces during the dry summer and through the fall. I think we need to work on preserving our island’s environment and encourage more visitors rather than tourists Local businesses need to be pro tected in this process and I think once again we need more community consulta tion on this topic

INFRASTRUCTURE

Our infrastructure needs an ongoing commitment in terms of financial planning based on accurate engi neering consultation, study and reporting Most munic ipal governments are facing the same challenges and require funding options from other levels of gov ernment These costs need to be balanced with our current financial commit ments to ensure we have a clear picture for timeframes of work. Again, we need to include this in our strate gic planning and allow for community consultation to avoid incurring unexpected costs

PRIORITIES

Protecting coastlines, wildlife, and healthy forests and wetlands, especially for drinking water supply, to drawdown carbon and to slow down deluges from atmospheric rivers so they don’t wash out too many culverts

More climate action faster including the multi use pathway, transit and other ways to reduce expensive car dependan cy; more hiking trails and access to beaches; and generally a child friendly island rich in experiences beyond car seats

HOUSING

Advocate for more hous ing grants to be available for smaller communities, and continue to work with others on Bowen, includ ing charities. Advocate for a provincial regulatory framework for short term rentals too, similar to that in place for ride hailing, for example Let’s explore removing parking spaces required for lots near tran sit routes and multi use pathway, to leave more space for homes I look for ward to the review of our short term rental policies It’s clear that the ever ex panding online bookings industry has reduced long term rentals and also drives housing prices higher.

PARK PROPOSAL

Robust public consul tation will clarify issues that will need to be tack led through park plan ning This is an opportuni ty I have worked towards for many years Already we have heard about extend ing buses and the multi use pathway. Could electric foot passenger ferries be an option? How about a lug gage shuttle like the ferry between Horseshoe Bay and Nanaimo, or walking and cycling trips in Europe? Crippen park trails are busy with appreciative locals and

Sue Ellen Fast

Runningfor:Council &IslandsTrust

I expect the new park will be too, with careful design. I’m looking forward to a Bowen that’s an even better place to live

TOURISM

Acknowledge limits and invite the visitors we want to come Bowen is a finite island with limited resourc es and space Businesses can shoulder more of the costs of increased strain on island services Why bring a vehicle when alternative means of getting around are more enticing? I love the island wide network of trails vision, that visitors can disappear into Bed and breakfast hosts used to pick their guests up from the ferry Do they still? Let’s design visitor experienc es that invite visitors that enjoy and best fit with what Bowen can offer without overwhelming our capacity and community wellbeing

INFRASTRUCTURE

Protect natural eco systems to help nature so nature can help us Green infrastructure; such as for ests soaking up and slow ing down winter deluges so roads are not washed out Wetlands, collecting rain to replenish aquifers and wells I acknowledge that climate change is intensi fying weather events and more rainwater is like ly getting into the pipes of the sewer treatment plant, into roads causing sink holes and potholes. Let’s cut emissions through our climate action strategy and also apply for climate relat ed grant funding which is increasing

PRIORITIES

No to camping on Bowen without safeguards against negative effects to Bowen, opening of the Community Centre with no additional tax burden, long term man ageable budgeting for out standing and ongoing infra structure needs, planning for comprehensive island wide and off island trans portation services, sur plus land rezoned for light industrial area, completion of BIRCH and Snug Cove House.

HOUSING

Create/update an inven tory of primary and second ary housing stock (now and potential); research what has worked elsewhere and experiment with what can be tried here (a good use of TUPs); benefits and sup port for co operative hous ing projects

PARK PROPOSAL

No camping (as stated in existing bylaws) unless and until important concerns are satisfactorily resolved Enforcement provisions must be included, especial ly if management is con tracted out Negotiations must focus on amenities so that there is no net loss to Bowen on issues of trans portation, emergency ser vices, resources and capaci ty. Performance bonds and possibly temporary permits should be considered.

TOURISM

Proximity to Vancouver is a blessing and a curse Ferry traffic is a major difficulty on island and in HSB, and more options need to be agreed with BCF, including incentives for visitors to not bring cars On island week end bus service should be expanded Low impact tourism should be encour aged, and intrusive tourism deterred. Negotiations with

Judith Gedye Runningfor:Council &IslandsTrust

the province must focus on their plans for Crown land exploitation

INFRASTRUCTURE

Potable water and non polluting septics (or sewage outfall) are funda mental to every household. Decent roads and storm drainage are important to help us reach our homes While aging systems need replacing, and yet, for rea sons I do not yet under stand, reserves either have not been collected or have been spent on short term priorities A savings plan where capital and interest are protected from short term spending must be cre ated or strengthened The recent increase in debt load and favourable con sideration of “island wide” amenities, must be careful ly examined, a clear policy developed and any future proposals subject to more critical analysis

CANDIDATE PROFILES

Alex Jurgensen

Running for: Council

PRIORITIES

There are a lot of issues facing Bowen right now: the park/campground, afford able housing, the environ ment, ferry capacity, just to name a few. With the time crunch before the park/ campground sale goes through, the time is now to act on this issue. However, that does not mean the other issues I mentioned need to take a back seat They can also be worked on simultaneously with the park/campground issues We also need to solve these problems with a multidis ciplinary lens quickly to avoid Bowen Island losing diversity and becoming a socioeconomic monocul ture.

HOUSING

We need both quick and long to implement models Back east there is a program for connecting young fami lies with seniors who move into suites in their homes The families help the seniors stay in their homes in exchange for a symbiotic rental relationship Models like this one could simul taneously prevent the loss of Bowen residents to both aging and the housing cri sis. Ideas like affordable housing projects, that take longer, should absolutely form part of our housing strategy Short term rent als could continue to be allowed in secondary suites unless the alternative could actually help the housing crisis

PARK PROPOSAL

We have a rezoning pro cess to go through pre sale to the best of my knowl edge This is a chance to influence the project before the sale goes through Part of the rezoning process is an opportunity for pub lic engagement, where the community can tell us what

they want to see Based on this process we can deter mine what parts of the proj ect are a good fit for Bowen Island and negotiate from that position I wont sup port a project that is not a good fit for Bowen or that the majority of the commu nity opposes

TOURISM

Recognizing that for accessibility purposes cars can sometimes be neces sary, we need to ask our selves “how can we min imize tourists bringing cars?” This is a multi pronged answer requiring us to improve key infra structure, such as bus fre quency and emergency services capacity in a way that can benefit residents and tourism alike We also need tourism accommo dation near the Cove, that is not in residential neigh bourhoods, that can help keep tourists spending at local businesses Finally, I believe we need to look beyond tourism to other opportunities that can off set the Bowen economy

INFRASTRUCTURE

To avoid surprises and/ or rising costs of infrastruc ture, we need to put money away each year for surpris es and stay on top of infra structure maintenance in a timely and transparent way that is accountable We also need to, as I’ve said before, find other ways to pay for infrastructure projects out side of the tax base

PRIORITIES

1 Ensure completion of existing infrastructure proj ects and prioritize future infrastructure investment based on vulnerability and needs 2 Alleviate tax bur den on homeowners by finding ways to diversi fy and expand the island’s revenue and tax base 3 Prepare for negotiations with Metro Vancouver on its proposed regional park at Cape Roger Curtis

HOUSING

Increasing density and diversifying housing stock in the Cove area should be the preferred option to assist with affordable/ rental housing We need to work in tandem with the province to ensure we are incentivizing and stream lining approvals for new purpose built rental hous ing while protecting exist ing stock so people can stay in the community and age in place on Bowen Short term rentals should be restricted to units with out kitchen facilities so we maximize long term rental inventory The Municipality should ensure that all short term rentals are proper ly licenced I’m a propo nent of removing mandat ed parking requirements for short term rentals to encourage people to visit Bowen without a vehicle

PARK PROPOSAL

We must advocate for low impact tourism and creat ing a park with the least ecological impact and neg ative externalities We must prioritize active modes of transportation and limit private vehicles to be part of the park experience Any park approval must be considered in the context of transportation demand management GVRD is aware of the need for a cross island multi use path

Craig Macdonald

Running for: Council

for walking, cycling and rolling as well as a second ary access route to the park While their vision is prom ising, specifics still must be negotiated

TOURISM

Tourism poses challeng es and opportunities for Bowen While a number of local businesses bene fit from tourism, Bowen residents disproportion ately bear the brunt of its externalities (e g , less ferry capacity, crowding, increased infrastructure demand and costs, etc ) We must focus on educat ing tourists and discourag ing vehicular traffic from coming to Bowen. It should not be cheaper for someone to drive their car to Bowen than to park it in Horseshoe Bay We must evaluate ways to benefit from tourism by participating in provincial led initiatives, specifically designed for tourism based economies such as Islands Coastal Economic Trust or Resort Municipality Initiative

INFRASTRUCTURE

Getting a handle on our future anticipated infra structure demands, accu rate cost forecasting and scheduling need be a top priority for the next Council Bowen does not have unlimited funds so we need to prioritize invest ment and take advantage of government grant oppor tunities wherever possible We need to do a better job as a municipal government, communicating the state of infrastructure and explain ing available options. Adoption of an infrastruc ture investment plan and policy will be the deter mining factor in creating a realistic timeline to avoid surprises

PRIORITIES

Completion of the Community Center; the Park at Cape Roger Curtis; ensuring that we are pre pared for the implications of climate change and that our crown lands are pro tected as they are our water sheds, recreation areas; stewardship of Bowen’s assets, looking after what we have, the built infra structure, our natural capi tal and the people of Bowen which means health care and diversity of housing; transportation, ferry issues and active transportation; a vibrant Bowen economy and last but not least fis cal responsibility, finding a balance between demand and taxpayer ability to pay

HOUSING

Applications that cre ate rental housing should get priority processing Continue to work with BIRCH on their affordable rental housing project for Lot 3 and with BC Housing. Explore options with the respondents to the request for proposals for lot 1 Encourage proposals that provide housing diversi ty Consider the need for visitor accommodation in the policy review I believe rules to restrict residen tial guest accommodation (RGA) in secondary suites would not apply to RGA’s that were operating with a business license when the rules changed as long as they continued to operate The restriction would only prohibit new RGA’s

PARK PROPOSAL

Council will need to ensure that all their con cerns and the communi ty concerns are identified so they can be addressed Council needs to speak with one voice in negotiat ing with Metro Vancouver

That means, as has been

Alison Morse

Runningfor: Council

done with other rezoning applications, agreeing on the amenities that would like to see provided as part of the rezoning and devel opment of the park as well as addressing the concerns identified and discussing operational conditions. Some initial thoughts on amenities would be con tributions to the MUP, a shuttle service, a passenger ferry

TOURISM

Visitors have always been a part of Bowen The Tourism Plan should be reviewed and updated Tourism Bowen operates the visitor centre and their priority is managing the visitors to Bowen Tourism marketing should focus on the shoulder seasons Data needs to be gathered on ferry use, 2020 and 2021 were covid years, people were not out and about and now they are plus the population increase We should try again to get the MRDTax approved by the province for Bowen which means getting the support of the accommodation providers. We need BCF to fund more hours for a ferry marshalling person.

INFRASTRUCTURE

My priority in this area is to ensure that a full asset management plan is pre pared as it is a key part of managing our infrastruc ture and budgeting for future expenditures This is priority C1 in Island Plan 2022 Part of developing the plan is assessing the condi tion of the assets The data has been collected for some classes of assets such as the culverts but not all asset classes Work has been done on plans for some of the utilities A grant appli cation has been submitted for funding to hire a consul tant to assist with preparing the full plan

CANDIDATE PROFILES

John Saunders

Running for: Council

PRIORITIES

I believe that infrastruc ture concerns are para mount I recognize that other issues loom large: housing, the ferries, the environment, the park, tour ism, and others. But without proper infrastructure we will not be able to support any initiatives in those other areas We can’t build hous ing if we can’t supply water and sewage We can’t build a park if there is no way to get to it Beyond that, or actually prior to it, we need to decide where we are going: rural or urban? I don’t think those are tough particularly choic es, but I do think that sorting out priorities, resources, and commitments will be challenging, and require some very difficult choices

HOUSING

We need to consider more diverse ways to house Perhaps that means make it easier or to incentivise a rental suite to be longer term. Perhaps tiny homes are a possibility Increasing den sity is an option that has to be considered, although none of us wants or expects to see 12 story condo going up Part of the problem will be where does the land required come from? We have some pretty limited geography here, and even if and when we agree that more hous ing is required, we will have to find the right places to locate it There is possibly room for both long term and short term rentals, but in my mind the long term will take precedence.

PARK PROPOSAL

I think there have to be a lot of avenues to help us get maximum benefit. And by benefit I don’t necessarily mean financial As a first step, we cannot allow anything to occur until we really under stand what the park is intend ed to look like and how it will impact us both the large us, on the Island, and the small

er us those that live there and will be most impacted I would insist on a detailed plan from metro as to park usage, including transporta tion planning, parking plan ning, bylaw enforcement, ferry considerations, and care and control of the park Without this kind of informa tion we cannot really start to strategize how it can most benefit our island I will say, while a lot of reaction to the park is understandably neg ative, a park is preferable to a massive house or two on huge lots.

TOURISM

Again, we need more data I think tourism is vital but we will need infrastructure to support it We need to attract tourists that might value the same things we do and would be willing to contrib ute to the upkeep of those things It is our property taxes that support the roads that we drive on, yes, but they are beat up by thousands and thousands of off island cars as well Other infrastructure is equally strained by tour ism I think our goal needs to be finding a way to gen erate more municipal reve nue from tourism and turn that revenue directly to infra structure support.

INFRASTRUCTURE

First, we have some commitments already in place, and we need to follow through on those Beyond that, I think we need to have more concrete planning in place to project what we will need in the future. We all understand that budgets can often be hopeful guesses at best, but it is incumbent on the incoming council to truly have a strong grasp on needs that are short term within a year; medium term within 2-5 years; and long term beyond five years. This will mean some hard choices about priorities. The infrastructure we need to live, such as water and sewage, have to take a priority. That may mean other things will suffer in the short term

PRIORITIES

Evaluate what needs fix ing and fix it Thoughtful dialogue with the Community. Listen to the people of Bowen. We could do this in a number of ways opinion polls, surveys, town hall discussions and potential ly other creative ways of engaging

HOUSING

We know from our neighbouring Islands and small villages that short term rent als such as Air BnB have a disadvantageous effect on longterm rental housing and the sustainability of vibrant community living. This is particularly true in a small community such as Bowen. There are multiple ways to approach this challenge and in order to find solutions we need to make a careful and in depth study of our unique situation here on Bowen, in regards to housing. In a challenge like this, an opportunity may be found.

PARK PROPOSAL

Assuming the land sale does proceed, I believe it would be possible for us to act as stewards of responsible land use, setting an example of how a green footprint in this park can be achieved. Public opinion is very important and the diversity of ideas and sug gestions from Boweners is crucial We need to bring our ideas and concerns to Metro Vancouver at the ear liest possible opportunity. I could see exploring an elec tric passenger boat/ferry from Vancouver to the South end of Bowen, or an electric bus shuttle from the Cove to the Cape Listen to the peo ple of Bowen concern and respect for others through open dialogue will go a long way in making Bowen a bet ter place

Nicole Thomas Zyczynski

Runningfor:Council

TOURISM

Bowen has always been a haven for tourists, a short getaway from the metrop olis, a picnic for the day, lunch or a walk in nature. We need to explore new initiatives to encourage green tourism An electric shut tle from the ferry twice a day to and from the base of Mt Gardener, or the Cape (assuming the Park goes through). A hotel/inn/lodge for short term stays An additional marine transport service from Horseshoe Bay or Downtown Vancouver could be explored to alleviate foot traffic to Snug Cove on BC Ferries Engage the community, listen to their ideas

INFRASTRUCTURE

Management of assets Determine the longevity of our infrastructure what will need repair and when and how much will it cost. Five to 50 year plan

PRIORITIES

Critical Project Completion Snug

Cove Sewage Treatment, Cove Bay Water

Treatment, Healthcare Centre, Infrastructure Replacement Long Term Fiscal Planning and Responsibility we need to think beyond just four years and act on projects with achievable outcomes using on island expertise.

HOUSING

Relying on the pri vate development sector to produce housing will not provide the homes we desperately need for our local workforce families We need to better support the current BIRCH proj ect and enable more like it The municipality must be a full partner in sup porting land use planning and processes to develop affordable housing solu tions We cannot stand back and expect non profit and volunteer organizations to do this alone. We can do more Secondary suites are a small part of the solution and become less so as real estate values increase We need larger non profit proj ects in less car dependent locations

PARK PROPOSAL

We need to have a serious and comprehensive collab orative planning negoti ation with Metro Parks to create transportation and land use solutions that meet our needs and theirs

TOURISM

We have an opportuni ty to become a leader in green tourism We need to find way to replace auto mobile based visitation with walking, cycling, shuttles and water taxis to several locations with low impact activities Let’s have a brainstorming workshop

Tim Wake

on finding alternatives to cars that promote a more active lifestyle and experi ence for ourselves and our visitors.

INFRASTRUCTURE

As stated above in pri orities Long Term Fiscal Planning and Responsibility we need to think beyond just four years and act on projects with achievable outcomes using on island expertise

Runningfor:Council &IslandsTrust

CANDIDATE PROFILES

Richard Wiefelspuett Runningfor:Council

PRIORITIES

Preserve and protect Bowen’s natural beauty and authentic island lifestyle Foster development within our means Facilitate meaningful and regular community engagement. Review the efficiency of service delivery by BIM with the objective to dial back 2 digit property tax increases through improved processes and best prac tices for asset and project management

HOUSING

I would focus the efforts of the municipality on affordable rental housing. This will require a reliable and current needs assess ment short, mid and long term for Bowen Island As a start, support BIRCH, a fairly advanced project with the best chances to come to completion in the near term Due to legislative restraints in BC, intergov ernmental coordination is fundamental to the cre ation of a successful hous ing policy for Bowen Island

In my view community or social housing options, as in units developed with government funding or subsidies, and operated by either public, non profit, or cooperative housing orga nizations are worth explor ing Such units would be reserved for residents with low to moderate incomes, and rents set well below market prices Social hous ing units in BC are typically owned and operated by BC Housing It all starts with a needs assessment.

PARK PROPOSAL

That’s a really good question In my view, at this stage, we know too lit tle about the property sale and the final plan of Metro Vancouver I would advo cate for a comprehensive impact study including the effect of crucial parameters such as marine and road traffic, numbers of camp

sites and campers, impact of additional road construc tion, water, sewage, health, safety, security etc before any meaningful consulta tion can be held This is to be paid for by the propo nent and should produce reliable and broad data for our evaluation. I also feel strongly that BIM must engage with its constituents to obtain a clear mandate and objectives from Bowen Islanders prior to any talks and negotiations with Metro Vancouver on the issue For now, I suggest to slow down and reject any attempts to force our municipality into a timeframe that may have been established without our input and consideration of our requirements

TOURISM

According to a recent sur vey on Bowen Island there are some 600 licensed busi nesses on Bowen Island Only some of these bene fit from tourism Certainly most residents don’t. However, all of Bowen Island pays for the upkeep of the infrastructure that is absolutely necessary for tourism We need to find a way to have tourism busi nesses and individual tour ists pay their fair share of these costs. Additional cost are lost time due to ferry overloads etc. I would dis courage any further growth of this industry on Bowen until we have established a robust mechanism to extract a fair share from the industry to fund infrastruc ture build up, maintenance and repair In addition we need this industry to appre ciate the capacity limita tions that are inherent to a small island

INFRASTRUCTURE

Professional asset man agement planning, best practices for project man agement and cost control, adherence to the user pays principal and a conscien tious distinction between “must have” and “nice to have” projects.

Lynne Block

Runningfor: SchoolBoard

One big challenge is ensuring adequate funding for our schools For WVSD, unfunded cost increases, inflation, Covid, etc , while having one of the lowest funding alloca tions in B C , all combine to increase strain on our budget

As a team, we will continue to spend funds responsibly, and advocate for sufficient funding with students and staff at the forefront of our decision making

Another challenge is the rapidity of changes in our world. We will continue to provide our students with the education, knowledge, skills and resiliency to successfully transition from grade 12, to thriving in a rapidly evolving future

Nicole Brown Runningfor: SchoolBoard

A balance between technology and nature-based learning for students should be a priority. It simply cannot be one versus the other. Students need to be grounded by their physical, natural environment in many ways guided by First People’s principles and transform those skills to function successfully in our modern tech-driven world. Our robotics program is phenomenal, and students compete at the highest level from ages 12+. At the same time, BICS has a new, accessible $125 K playground and Rockridge is cur rently building an outdoor learning classroom Our youth need the best of both worlds to thrive

Dave Stevenson

Runningfor: SchoolBoard

As with every term I have served the challenges are; to support the best education practises to improve student achievement, protect funding for the classroom and core services, skillfully manage the budget choices, listen to the community to improve our District, advocate to Victoria for funding that covers all our contract costs, find great new staff when openings exist, and support senior staff to do the most best possible job for the district I will work to form the best possible board of trustees to provide effective leadership and governance

Carolyn Broady

Runningfor: SchoolBoard

Properly supporting our most vulnerable students, stu dents with diverse learning needs, indigenous students, English language learners and students and families who are struggling financially, will continue to be one of the big gest challenges in education The value of locally elected boards is that they understand the needs of families in their communities and can find local solutions to support them My commitment is to continue to listen to the experts our educators, administrators, and the team in student support services and provide them with the funding and resourc es they need to continue this important work

Sheelah Donahue

Runningfor: SchoolBoard

We are challenged by daunting fiscal constraints and rapid social change, some of it long overdue At the same time, we must deliver the finest educational outcomes for our students now in K-12, prepare them for a smooth transition out of our schools and into their future, and manage childcare—an emerging part of the education landscape This work is not tied to municipal election cycles and I have the experience needed to provide continuity as an effective advocate for complex issues involving all three levels of government while keeping the needs of our school communities top of mind.

Resistance to Change The goal of education is to prepare our students for a changing world that at present, we can’t even imagine due to the exponential development of technology. Making changes to learning methods is dif ficult because no one wants to risk the success of our students Schools and educators usually are ahead of the parents, but education extends beyond school walls. I’ll endeavour to engage with as many the community partners with open-mindedness, respect the differences and build a mutual understanding, so we can work toward the common goal of raising a responsible, creative and resilient citizen of the future

Felicia Zhu

Runningfor: SchoolBoard

NoticeofElectionbyVoting

PUBLICNOTICEisgiventotheelectorsofBowenIslandMunicipality thatanelectionbyvotingisnecessarytoelectaMayor(1),Councillors (6),andMunicipalTrustees(2)fortheIslandsTrustCouncil,andthat thepersonsnominatedascandidatesandforwhomvoteswillbe receivedare:

MAYOR One(1)tobeelected

Surname Givenname Address

LEONARD Andrew 949SpyglassRoad,BowenIsland

NICHOLSON Maureen 855TaylorRoad,BowenIsland

TURNER John 160BannisterRoad,BowenIsland

COUNCILLOR-Six(6)tobeelected

Surname Givenname Address

BURGER Robin #3 983DaviesRoad,BowenIsland

FAST SueEllen 504ReedRoad,BowenIsland

GEDYE Judith BowenIsland(Residentialaddressremovedat requestofcandidate)

JURGENSEN Alex 1062MillerRoad,BowenIsland

LYTTLE Gale 1508WilliamsRoad,BowenIsland.

MACDONALD Craig 1675WhiteSailsDrive,BowenIsland

MORSE Alison 1235FairweatherRoad,BowenIsland

SAUNDERS John 965CaptainCatesWalk,BowenIsland

THOMAS ZYCZYNSKI Nicole 663TaylorRoad,BowenIsland

WAKE Tim 961SeaviewPlace,BowenIsland

WIEFELSPUETT Richard #603 91ChapelStreet,Nanaimo

MUNICIPALTRUSTEESFORISLANDSTRUSTCOUNCILTwo(2)tobeselected

Surname Givenname Address

FAST SueEllen 504ReedRoad,BowenIsland.

GEDYE Judith BowenIsland(Residentialaddressremovedat requestofcandidate)

LYTTLE Gale 1508WilliamsRoad,BowenIsland

NICHOLSON Maureen 855TaylorRoad,BowenIsland

WAKE Tim 961SeaviewPlace,BowenIsland

Note:IslandsTrustMunicipalTrusteesareselectedbyhavingreceivedthe highestandsecondhighestnumberofvotesforIslandsTrustMunicipal TrusteeandwhoareelectedtoCouncil

SCHOOLTRUSTEEELECTIONS,TheSchoolDistrict#45TrusteeElectionis administeredbytheDistrictofWestVancouver ForinformationonSchool TrusteeCandidates,visittheirwebsitewww.election.westvancouver.ca/ general/candidate profiles

Formoreinformation,contacttheirChiefElectionOfficerviaphone604 925 7063orviaemailceo@westvancouver.ca.

VotingDates&Locations

GENERALVOTINGwillbeopentoqualifiedelectorsofBowenIsland Municipalityon: Saturday,October15,2022

betweenthehoursof8:00AMand8:00PM atBowenIslandCommunitySchool,1041Mt GardnerRoad, BowenIsland

MAILBALLOTVOTINGisavailabletoallqualifiedelectors.Submitan ApplicationtoVotebyMailBallotearly ApplicationsareavailableontheBIM websiteandatMunicipalHallduringregularbusinesshours.

MailballotpackageswillnotbemailedafterFriday,October7th.Electors mayrequestamailballotpackageforpick upatMunicipalHallupuntil Friday,October14that4:30PM.

Itisthesoleresponsibilityoftheelectortoreturnthecompletedmailballot packagetotheChiefElectionOfficerorElectionOfficialbeforethecloseof voting,Saturday,October15that8:00PM.

ElectorRegistration

Ifyouarenotonthelistofelectors,youmayregisteratthetimeofvotingby completingtherequiredapplicationformavailableatthevotingplaceorin advanceofvotingatMunicipalHall.Toregisteryoumustmeetthefollowing qualificationstovoteasaResidentElectororNon ResidentProperty Elector:

• Be18yearsofageorolderwhenyouregistertovote,or18yearsorolder ongeneralvotingday,

• BeaCanadiancitizen,

• HavebeenaresidentofB C foratleastsixmonthsbeforeyouregister tovote,

• ForResidentElectors,bearesidentofBowenIsland,

• ForNon-ResidentPropertyElectors,youmusthaveownedpropertyon BowenIslandatleast30daysimmediatelybeforethedayofregistration,

• NotbedisqualifiedundertheLocalGovernmentAct,oranyother enactment,orbylawfromvotinginalocalelection

Votingrightsaregrantedtocitizensbasedonresidencyorproperty ownership Thereisnocorporateorbusinessvoteinlocalelections

Toregisterinadvance,residentandnon-residentpropertyelectors

Lunch Time! Community Kitchen is back in business at the Legion

really nice thing to do but I could never do it since I was always working,” says Cheryl

There’s a new dining option on Tuesday afternoons, as the Community Lunch program has picked back up thanks to some eager volunteers

Mother and daughter team Cheryl and Milly Evans are making soup every other Tuesday at the Legion. The lunch is an event Cheryl was always fond of, but could never attend because of her job at the Post Office Once she retired and was looking to help out, she learned it was in need of a revival

“After COVID I emailed Colleen (O’Neil) to see if I could volunteer at it And she said, well there’s nobody doing it,” says Cheryl So, with Milly’s help, the pair made soup for their first lunch on Sept 27: a choice between spicy sausage and white bean soup, and minestrone

“I thought it was a great idea and a

“It’s mostly to help get seniors out of the house and have a little event for them,” adds Milly, noting who the lunch es are aimed toward The pair notes all adults are welcome though

The duo is already preparing for their next lunch, which is scheduled for Oct. 11 and may have a Thanksgiving theme. Milly says she’ll be searching Pinterest for fun and fresh ideas for the soups.

The first lunch drew about 15 attend ees, and the Evans are expecting that number to rise as we get into the rainy season and people start craving a warm bowl of soup

Lunches are $10 and include soup, bread, dessert and tea or coffee They’re held at the Legion the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, from 11:30 am to 1 pm The Caring Circle and Little Red Church are also involved in the lunches

Richard Wiefelspuett for Council

“Bowen Island is at a crossroad. Will we develop within our means, while valuing our natural beauty that is enjoyed and accessible throughout our community?

will we dri

further towards una

that

out

with

small island and its people?

stands for

and

life and for sharing the experience in sustainable ways.”

“The decisions of the next 4 years will have far reaching consequences for our rock Richard W invites you to work towards a shared vision and direc

on for the island, mindful of our resources and our capacity”

Abigthankyouto

firstsponsor:

Cheryl & Milly Evans (centre) are among a dedicated group of volunteers who have helped revive the Community Lunch program at the Legion.

Apple Harvest Festival Fun!

included

tasting,

also

Photos: Basia Lieske, Kirsten Houser, & Yiting Lim.

An education in apple picking

SARAH HAXBY Bowen Island Heritage Preservation Association

BICS grade 6/7 students picked heritage apples as a challenging and collab orative form of commu nity service, as well as a way to learn about, and to connect, to local heri tage The apples from the trees in historic Davies Orchard are being donat ed to the BIHPA fundrais ing pie sale, with those funds being reinvested in the community Students also picked enough apples to do their own in class apple tasting, juicing and to make apple sauce

We All Have Gifts to Share

RICHARD SMITH

We lead busy lives. We work hard and some times commute long distances. We have families to care for and errands to run. Who has time to connect with neighbours? The benefits to con necting with one ’ s community are significant ; when neighbours know and trust each other, peo ple are healthier and happier, our children do better in school and in their development, and community members support and look out for one another

Your Bowen Island Community Foundation’s Neighbourhood Small Grants (NSG) program is based on a simple but powerful idea that everyone is a valuable member of the commu nity and that we all have something to share NSG empowers community members to put their ideas into action by providing grants up to $500

for projects that make neighbourhoods better places to live

GRANTS

emotionally

Some examples of our NSGs from this past year: a Chess Club by teen Turo Callewaert, a Community Garden Party by Elaine Cameron, and the Captains Way Colour 3 by Anne Boa

In addition, the following projects are still ongoing: the Belterra Pollinator Garden, Bluewater Basketball, and the King Edward Bay Plant Restoration Project by Virginia Penny Other recent or ongoing projects include the Low Hanging Fruit initiative by Hasan Hutchinson and Meribeth Dean, and the Way to Go! Poetry, Music and Conversation on the End of Life by Pauline Le Bel

See these and others at bowenfoundation com/r nsg project stories and photos/

A neighbourhood is so much more than a geo graphically localized area though It is the place we call home, where our children play, and where we have the most invested financially and

Building community increases our health and hap piness, reduces social isolation, and builds networks of care for people who could use our help

Do YOU have a great idea that will connect and engage neighbours? How about a neigh bourhood block party? Or a beach clean up gathering? Share skills & knowledge? Art or music lessons? Share sustainable gardening tips? Storytelling sessions? Highlight & cele brate diversity? Connect to indigenous culture/ communities? Host an ethnic cooking night to prepare and share? Increase sense of belonging to one ’ s community? A neighbourhood walking tour? Showcase local history?

THE DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS NOVEMBER 30

LEARN MORE AND APPLY NOW AT: bowenfounda tion com/neighbourhood small grants/ Have any questions? Contact Lisa at nsg@bowen foundation.com or 778 835 6802

Happy 50th Anniversary Pat!

Pat

his 50th anniversary of working at the Bowen Building Centre in style last

party at what’s been his second home

Alex Kurial

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Friday, October 7

Storytime at the Library Annex

A free drop in program of stories and songs for 2 4 year olds and theircaregivers!Fridaysat10:30amBowenLibraryAnnexuntilDec 9 (no Storytimes on Sept 30 & Nov 11 statutory holidays)

Saturday, October 8

Book Donation Day at the Bowen Island Library Annex 1 pm until volunteers’ bins are full (no later than 3 pm). A vol

unteer will pre screen your donations while you wait and will accept those that meet donation guidelines Donors will need to take back any items that do not meet the guidelines, available at bowenlibrary ca/donated materials

Other book donation days this fall are Nov 5, and Dec 3

Tunstall Bay Club Association Candidate Event 4:30 6 pm @ Tunstall Bay Clubhouse. An informal meet and greet with some of the candidates, for Tunstall Bay Club

members and their guests

Tuesday, October 11

Community Lunch at the Legion

Soup lunch from 11:30 am to 1 pm Find out much more in our story on Page 19

Thursday, October 13

ChessMates at the Bowen Island Library

Join us for all ages casual chess on Oct 13, 27, Nov 10, 24, and Dec 8 (the Dec 8 final session is a friendly tournament) 6:30 to 8 pm

All experience levels welcome, though it helps if you know the basics

Friday, October 14 Legion Dinner

Doors open 5:30 pm, dinner served at 6:30 Members and guests welcome Call 604 910 5990 for information

Saturday, October 15

Bowen Island Municipal Election

Voting takes place from 8 am to 8 pm at Bowen Island Community School.

FrenchConnections:Funandfriendlyconversationpractice in French, at the Bowen Island Library

Saturdays, October 15 & November 19, and Sunday December 11 Drop in at Noon (12 pm) and join us to practice your French, and get to know other French speakers on Bowen Island! For beginner and intermediate speakers, but all levels welcome Sunday, October 16

Shari Ulrich’s ‘Trust Me’ Series

Canadian Folk Award winning musicians Pierre Schryer and Adam Dobres perform at Tir na nOg Show starts at 7:30 pm

Tickets available at Phoenix Books and eventbrite ca Wednesday, October 26

Drop in to see a Career Advisor at the Bowen Island Library

Come get one on one help with resumes, cover letters, inter viewing, job searches, insights on the job market, career and edu cation advice, and more from a WorkBC Career Advisor, from 2 to 5 pm Also on Nov 23

Thursday, October 27

Community Workshop Community School Association will also be offering a special workshop for our community featuring Jesse Miller, from Mediated Realitywhowillpresentatalkaboutsocialmedialiteracyanddigital trends from 5:30 7:00 pm at BICS. More details about registration (free event) and childcare will come later this week

Saturday, October 29

Monsoon Madness Mudder at Island Pacific School

Get muddy at the IPS annual fundraiser event

Teen Advisory Group Meeting Bowen Library Annex Joining TAG gives you a voice in what happens at the Library! Drop in from 2 to 3:30 pm to make suggestions, earn volunteer hours and enjoy some Halloween treats! Visit bipl link/TAG for more info Weekend Update

Nectar Yoga on the Pier (beside the ferry)

10:15 am $15, pre register at nectaryoga ca

Drop-in space may be available

Bowen Island Farmers Market

Bowen Island Community School 10 am to Noon every Saturday Last one of the year, don’t miss it! Get your apple pies from the Bowen Island Heritage Preservation Association. Made from Bowen grown apples that have been growing for over 130 years! Bramley Apples also for sale

There will be 60 pies!

Tuesday’s

Yoga at Collins Hall

Tuesdays from 1 pm to 2 pm All levels of experience welcome... Chair to Standing $15 drop in Email jackie minns@gmail com or call 604 220 9092

Tuesday, October 11, 18

Wednesday, October 12, 19

Open Format Painting Class

9:30 to 11:30 Join Marie Neys (at the studio) and 5 other students Marie will help you develop paintings, skills, and more Register online at marieneys.com or contact Marie@ marieneys.com (only pay for the classes you can attend previous acrylic painting experience is appreciated).

Thursdays, October 6, 13

Paint a Bowen Sunset 9:30 to 11:30 Join Marie Neys for a Beginner Level Adult Class to discover the Joy of Painting Sunsets and how to paint back lit scenes effectively Register online at marieneys.com or contact Marie@marieneys.com

Thursday Art Group

Each week at Collins Hall, 9:30 to 11:30 am

brought to

people behind

by real life

local

power of

HappyThanksgiving

OLIVIA'S STUFFING

TRIPLE JIM'S ASSORTED JUICES

HERB CLAMSHELLS