Bowen Island Undercurrent October 13 2022

Queenof Capilano refit underway

ALEX KURIAL Editor

Voyages to and from the mainland will look a little different for the next month as the Queen of Cumberland takes over sailing duties for the Bowen Island Horseshoe Bay route

The usual ride, Queen of Capilano, is headed in for maintenance, which leads to the switch The Queen of Cumberland took over the route on Wednesday, Oct. 12 and will serve as the main mode of transport for about five and a half weeks until Nov. 20.

Queen of Cumberland is a bit smaller than Queen of Capilano, offering about 15 less vehicle spaces. BC Ferries said they are introducing a pair of changes during this time to try and avoid overloads

One of these is discounted parking rates at Horseshoe Bay for Bowen Island residents, both for daily and monthly parking Residents will need to show a drivers licence with a Bowen Island address to take advantage of the reduced rate

The other is assured loading for vehicles with four or more people taking the 4:35, 5:45, or 6:50 pm sailings from Horseshoe Bay to Bowen Island on weekdays The assuredness is limited to 10 vehicles per sailing

More details can be found on the BC Ferries website

Events

Seeking Public Comment

forDVP-20220247(1455TunstallBlvd)

Seeking Public Comment

forBOV-20220187(686CliffRd)

PROJECTDESCRIPTION:

CouncilwillbeconsideringanapplicationatitsOctober24,

PROJECTDESCRIPTION:

ABoardofVarianceapplicationhasbeensubmittedfor686

MOREINFORMATIONATMUNICIPALHALL:

TheapplicationmaybeviewedatMunicipalHallbetween8:30 AMand4:30PM,MondaythroughFriday(excludingstatutory holidays)oronthemunicipalwebsiteat: www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/planning

YOURCOMMENTSAREWELCOME:

WrittensubmissionsmaybedeliveredtoMunicipalHallby 4:00pmonthemeetingdate(contactinformationbelow): Inperson Bymail Byfax Byemailtomayorandcouncil@bimbc.ca

SubmissionsmayalsobemadetoMayorandCouncilatthe meeting: 6:15pmonMonday,October24,2022 inCouncilChambers,MunicipalHall,OR VirtuallyviaZoom see www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/council-meetings fordetails

Toensureafairprocess,submissionscannotbeacceptedafter themeetinghasbegun.

Questions?PleasecontactDanielMartin,ManagerofPlanning andDevelopment,at604-947-4255ext230orbyemailat dmartin@bimbc.ca

MOREINFORMATION:

Theapplicationmaybeviewedonlineat

oratMunicipalHallbetween8:30AMand4:30PM,Monday

ISLAND

Trunk Road paving scheduled to finish this month

ALEX KURIAL Editor

One lane traffic westbound along Bowen Island Trunk Road may finally be coming to an end this month

The municipality released an update last week that work on the road should be finished by Oct 28 The curb lane has been closed since mid June when a sink hole was discovered under the road The timeline for reopening given then was several weeks, which has now become four months

The revised schedule is now a little over two weeks away Curb work began Tuesday, Oct 11 and should wrap up by Oct 20 Paving will then take place and is expected to be complete by the 28th

The road work will be combined with finishing off Phase 3 of the Multi Use Path (MUP). Construction of Phase 4 should begin sometime next year, and be com pleted in 2024.

Phase 4 of the MUP is planned to run from the end of Phase 3 at Artisan Lake to the Grafton Lake dam.

Westside Playscape Grand Opening!

The much anticipated Westside Playscape celebrated its grand opening Saturday, Oct. 8. The project raised an incredible $115,000+ to make it a reality, including $20,000+ from the Bowen Island Community Foundation and Bowen Island Municipality The four drivers of the project (above, L R) Bobbi Parker, Lusungu Kayani Stearns, Courtni McGillvray, and Kendra Patton were on hand with Mayor Gary Ander (below) to officially declare the Windjammer Road playground open for fun to kids everywhere. / Submitted photos

Crews working on Trunk Road and the MUP the morning of Wednesday, Oct 12. / Alex Kurial photo

VIEWPOINTS

Vote Vote Vote!!!

Well folks we ’ ve finally made it After a month of campaign season (and a couple weeks of declarations and discussion prior to that) it’s time to see where all the politicking will land us when the dust settles on Sunday morning

I’ll be joining our hard working elections team on Saturday night to keep an eye on the count, and bring you the results as they happen Hopefully it will not be too late a night, but as our good friend Ron Woodall reminds us a few inches to the right, Bowen votes have a habit of coming down to the wire. Our ballot counters will no doubt receive instruction on sweeping the floor before calling it a night...

But it’s not just close counts that define a Bowen municipal election: it’s high turnout as well. In 2018 there were 67.4% of eligible voters that came out to have their say The two thirds turnout was nearly double the provincial average of 35 6% turnout

This was down from previous years, true 2014 saw an incredible 78 4% turnout, while 2011 blew past the 80 per cent mark at an astounding 83 1% A 62 1% turnout in 2011, Bowen’s lowest of the last decade, was still more than double that year ’ s aver age B C turnout of 28 9%

These numbers are surpassed by few plac es in the province, and are ones we should all be incredibly proud of It shows this island is passionate about the place we call home, and care deeply about what happens and who we give responsibility to make sure this special place is well cared for

We’ve seen this during the past month (sometimes more civilly than others) with discussions across all mediums and formats about Bowen’s important issues Ideas on what path to take to get to the end goal differ greatly at times, but I do believe everyone ’ s goal of preserving and protect ing Bowen’s uniqueness is the same, and that when the new mayor and council are chosen they will all work together earnestly toward this goal

So please get out there and vote on Saturday everyone I have seen the energy from all of you, and while I’ve no doubt our numbers will remain high, I would view it as a personal success to see us top that 70% mark once again. Let’s do this!

Alex Kurial, Editor

TO THE EDITOR

WorkingTogether to Build Better Communities

WEST VANCOUVER SUNSHINE COAST SEATOSKYCOUNTRYMPPATRICKWEILER

Dear Editor,

Municipal elections matter From shaping the type of homes we see in our communities, building and main taining community infrastructure, operating transit, delivering most of

THE WRITE STUFF.

the local services we depend on, cre ating the frameworks that determine whether small businesses thrive, and so much more, municipal governments make decisions that have the greatest impact on our day to day lives, more than any other form of government. Yet four years ago, voter turnout in local elections in British Columbia was an abysmal 39 per cent, much lower than in provincial or federal elections

I will be working closely with who

ever is elected on October 15 to run the ten local governments across our riding of West Vancouver Sunshine Coast Sea to Sky Country. Here are the two most important ways I see local governments making a critical differ ence in building the kind of smart and livable communities we all want

We all know the cost of traffic con gestion on the environment, business activity, and our mental health

full

495 Government Rd., PO Box 130,

VIEWPOINTS

Reader says remember the OCP

In the democratic tradition that has always characterized our community, a great number of islanders came to the school gym or went online to listen to the discussions during the all candidates meeting on October 2

Having been a property owner since 1975, I also recall how islanders came in droves, meeting after meeting, during the exhaustive process that led to the creation of our original Official Community Plan I recall how nearly every household on the island had provided written submissions that were duly considered within that process In the face of various big city developers with urban ideas and proposals, I also witnessed how our efforts were relent lessly multiplied in wave after wave of letters in support of this fledgling com munity plan of the people, a plan that could easily have gone the other way without the undeterred and brave hearted determination of islanders.

Brian Fawcett, the GVRD planner who oversaw the process, said to me that he had never before witnessed such an out pouring of democratic community par ticipation He candidly added that the land use planning principles embedded in our OCP are those that are studied in textbooks, but never actually see the light of day due to the usual big city politics of power and money

Our OCP also gained the respect and commendation of the late Art Phillips, the visionary Vancouver Mayor who pio neered the process of making Vancouver one of the greenest cities in North America When our OCP was passed by the GVRD, Phillips respectfully stood up, faced the people of Bowen Island in

Bowen

attendance and encouraged our commu nity to always uphold the fundamental integrity of our Official Community Plan, as it will avoid many of the mistakes made by Lower Mainland municipalities

While islanders have since revised our OCP a number of times, the fundamental land use planning principles have been retained and have stood the test of time The land use policies and provisions of our OCP were put in place as a result of an extensive democratic participation that incorporated equally extensive state of the art studies, surveys (e g aerial pho togrammetry), in depth community input, democratically transparent reviews, and countless volunteered hours that island ers invested in order to maintain land use development that is balanced, gradual and environmentally sustainable.

The success of our small island community in implementing such an environmentally progressive OCP that belongs fully to the people, right next door to Canada’s third largest city, is a modern day David and Goliath story

The democratic creation of our OCP also parallels the creation of the Islands Trust, and was fostered under the auspices of the Islands Trust

Those of us who fought those intense battles and continue to fight for the preservation of our island way of life are acutely aware of the fact that it is the sustaining lifeblood of our democratic participation, the fundamental integrity of our OCP and our membership in the federation of the Islands Trust that has permitted every human being who sets foot on this island for the first time to experience the uniquely wondrous and authentic feeling that is Bowen Island.

Given the challenging issues that Bowen currently faces, it is more import

MP reminds you to vote

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

Study after study has shown that the only way to alleviate congestion is to reduce single occupancy car trips, in favour of public transit and active transportation.

So if we want to seriously address traf fic in our communities and improve con nectivity in our region, we need councils rowing in the same direction of the pro vincial and federal governments to get such infrastructure approved Canada has invested thirteen times the amount of money into transit projects over the last seven years than it had in the seven prior and established permanent and predictable funding for transit that will get us where we need to go faster and in a cleaner, more sustainable way Canada’s $72 billion National Housing Strategy works directly with munici pal governments to help build afford able, as well as supportive housing Unfortunately, we are not seeing the type

and quantity of housing that is most in demand, shutting many workers, young people, and families out of the commu nities they grew up in, while fueling the labour shortage that is strangling small businesses Councils need to take heed of the impact this is having on our com munities and be ready to do what it takes to get housing built. The federal govern ment will work with willing councils to speed up housing approvals through the Housing Accelerator Fund.

I’m not here to endorse any particular candidate or vision, but if the priorities I’ve mentioned speak to you, I hope you take the time to think about your choice in this election and who will help make these goals a reality

Democracy works at its best when we all do our part Please remember to vote on October 15 if you haven’t already Your vote will shape the type of commu nity you and your family will live in

Neighbourhood group firm on position

Dear Editor,

We write in response to the decision to further delay / place the application of TUP 2022 0166 on hold until a future date We agree that a public hearing should be an integral part of the process and all parties should have proper time to prepare It is unfortunate that it was not considered during this application until BIM Council requested Bowen Island Properties to do so Please be mindful that we were not publicly notified of the application until September 7 and given two weeks to review and prepare our presentation / opposition before going

ant than ever for the new municipal council to not lose sight of the forest for the trees While our OCP needs to be reviewed from time to time, I beseech every new council member to approach this hard fought legal document respect fully, and I especially caution against a cavalier attitude that fails to recognize the decades of democratic tradition and dedi cation that this document represents

As a community within Metro Vancouver, a sprawling population num bering millions of people, I also beseech our new council to always keep in mind

to Council for decision We suggest any future application take a more respectful, responsible, and timely public approach

We also recommend that the public hear ing report carefully take into consider ation public sentiment on whether or not to proceed with such an application This will save Council, staff, and constituents much time and frustration

We remain firm, consistent, and united we adamantly oppose and reject any idea that light manufacturing be allowed or have effect on our residential area or any others on the island

that our support for the fundamental integrity of our community plan, the democratic tradition that created it and the mandate of the Islands Trust are interconnected and critically essential to the preservation of our island way of life I cannot stress enough the importance of providing that fundamental support, as the failure to do so would plunge our community into a perilous climate of internal confrontation at the worst possible time

John Sbragia

TAYLOR, Kathleen (Kate), Moira

September 29, 1943 September 30, 2022

It is with great sadness that the family of Kate Taylor announce her passing on Friday, September 30th at the age of 79, surrounded by her children.

Kate will be lovingly remembered by her son and daughter, David and Sarah and her grandson, Daniel. She will also be dearly missed by her relatives overseas: her sister, Sheilah, her cousin Mary, her nephew, Angus, her niece, Nonie and her extended family. Kate has also left behind friends in Canada and many corners of the world. She will be especially missed by those close to her home and her heart: the wonderful people of Bowen Island.

At Kate’s request no formal service will be held. However, those who knew and loved her are invited to a drop-in gathering in her name on Saturday, October 22nd between 4:00-8:00pm at Doc Morgan’s where we can raise a G&T or a white wine in her memory. 439 Bowen Island Trunk Rd, Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G0.

Memorial Donations in Kate’s name may be made to Bowen Island Better at Home (Caring Circle), CAWES or the Bowen Island Arts Council.

‘Team ‘PON’ Protect Our Neighbourhoods

Fiddle and Guitar duo set to delight Tir-na-nOg

SHARI ULRICH Contributor

One of the great bonuses of being a musician all my life, is to feel a part of a large community We meet and re connect at festivals, benefits, and conferences and forge life long friendships And those are the people I like to invite to my home Bowen Island It’s a win win scenario to be able to share this remarkable place we live with my musical friends, and then share their music with my community Gratitude abounds So this Sunday, Oct 16 , at 7:30 pm at Tir na nOg theatre, I will be presenting the exceptional duo of fiddler Pierre

Schryer and guitarist Adam Dobre

Pierre is one of Canada’s leading traditional fiddlers

His remarkable skill and authentic warmth and love of playing has earned him numerous titles and awards including Canadian Open Fiddle Champion, Grand Masters Champion, Violoneux Championnat, and North American Irish Fiddle Champion As you can see from their videos, Pierre truly captivates an audience with his energy and genuine warmth. His ability knows no bounds, covering styles from Irish, Scottish, Québecois, and Cape Breton to Canadian Old Time, American Swing and more.

Adam is a highly accomplished guitarist, equally at home with Bluegrass, Celtic, Jazz, Gypsy, Country, Folk, Old Time, Rock, Blues, and more His playing reveals his many influences and his absolute grace and superb versatility on the guitar Adam has branched out with all sorts of projects such as Rock with Grammy Nominee Toni Childs (including an Australian tour where they opened for the legendary Jackson Brown);

toured with the Ruth Moody Band; was the musical engineer and producer for Sarah Van Borek’s “One Voice” video, and many nationally known artists

But the “credits” don’t convey the impact of their skill and musicality It is inspiring, exciting and tremen dously moving, and just what we’ll need after our elec tion ramp up!

Tickets are available at Phoenix Books (with cash) and online until just before 5 pm on Sunday, at which point you could show up at the door and likely find a seat. Thanks for your support of live music!

VIEWPOINTS

Grateful to many for being here

Dear Editor,

A week ago, more or less, the very early morning of October 1, I drowned The fact that I didn’t make the obits this week but am instead sitting at my break fast table writing this note is due not to divine intervention or even just plain luck, but to the combined efforts of the very many people to whom I now extend my deepest gratitude

Patrick Mcgillion who at two in the morning under a quarter moon dived into the dock fully clothed, and then hauled me around to the swim grid of Peter Ryan’s boat. I was unresponsive, not breathing, and it took the efforts of Pat, Alex Denis Lay, and Peter to get me halfway onto the grid and begin expel ling water and start compressions.

Shannon, our Marina manager arrived, and on the dock proper and in response to determined application of CPR, a skill in which Shannon is blessedly well trained, I continued to trade sea water for finally, some several minutes later, a breath

This is when the full panoply of our emergency services took over, our vol unteer firemen and paramedics I was unconscious through all of this but almost all of these same volunteer fire

men appeared in the pages of this same paper a couple of weeks ago in cele bration of the completion of their long overdue ‘ new home’ We islanders are lucky to have such a selfless and dedi cated bunch as we have in our first re sponders, and I think all of us know that Completing the Bowen end of things is our water taxi skipper, Mike, who hauled himself from his bed at that ungodly hour and got me over to Horseshoe Bay

Once off island my thanks are due to the ambulance crew that took over my care in Horseshoe Bay; to the dedicat ed and outstanding nursing and various medical staff in Emergency at Lions Gate Hospital, which is where I came to a fleeting consciousness, and as well to the many ancillary staff at that facility who all played some greater or lesser but necessary part in facilitating my journey to full recovery

In all I figure I owe a debt of gratitude of a magnitude which I can never hope to repay to close to 60 people From my humbled self to my many friends, to Donalda and my children near and far and whose love and support meant so much, thank you

Nick Faragher

BIRCH speaks ahead of election

Several years ago, we saw a gap in the kind of housing being developed on Bowen With no non profit organisa tion in a position to go after the newly available provincial and federal funding opportunities, Bowen Island Resilient Community Housing (BIRCH) Society was formed We reached out to the municipality, and they agreed to part ner with us in the development of new affordable housing in the community and provide land for the project

BIRCH is primarily volunteer run, with our executive director working at below market compensation With the approximate $30,000 of operational funds BIM has provided in the past four years, BIRCH has been able to secure almost $200,000 in project funding for the Miller Road affordable housing project (note this funding cannot be used for BIRCH operations). We have secured our con sultant team and completed schemat ic design of the building We have also recently formed a partnership with a well established Vancouver based hous ing organisation that greatly improves our chances of securing government funding

During the campaign for the 2018 Bowen Island municipal election, 100 per cent of the candidates for Council and the Mayoralty publicly pledged their sup

port to working to solve the housing crisis that the Island was facing Each candi date endorsed the project that BIRCH had been pursuing in support of solving this problem However, after the election, Council drastically reduced the land that they would make available to the BIRCH project The resulting renegotiation resulted in a significant reduction in the land available to the project, drastically reducing the scope of BIRCH’s ability to build, and sending mixed messages to potential funding partners regarding the municipality’s support for the project.

In the four years since then, our rela tionship with BIM has felt less and less like a partnership. In 2019 we were granted a three year agreement to lease on a lot on Miller Road Recently, a renewal of that agreement was reduced to one year according to the CAO this reduction was in order to “hold (BIRCH’s) feet to the fire” and ensure that the land remain available for “ any higher purpose ” These types of state ments have made us at BIRCH feel that we are not seen as valuable partners, working together with the municipality to build housing for the community but rather as an outside organisation that needs to continually prove its value

Tough Times Toolkit Available Again

COLLEEN O’NEIL Caring Circle

“My hope is that people gain confi dence in counting on themselves,” explains course creator Maureen Mackey

Do you sometimes get stuck in your brain as you deal with pressure? How is your stress level these days? We are all dealing with multiple uncertainties: inflation and paying bills, managing our Covid risk, ambiguous world events, diffi cult everyday decisions and more Our individual worlds have shifted and it’s often tough managing our everyday lives and planning for our best futures

But there are concrete mental health tools we can strengthen to help manage our daily lives

To that end, volunteer Maureen Mackey, who has a professional background in psychiatric nursing, along with teaching and building online courses for Douglas College, is offering a free “Tough Times Toolkit” course through the Caring Circle This course is not therapy or counselling, or for people in cri sis or with acute needs Rather, it is for everyday Bowen Islanders who want to take a proactive approach to managing their mental health in these tough times

This course starts at the end of

this month via Zoom Choose either Thursdays 6:30 to 8:30 pm or Fridays 11 am to 1 pm, starting on October 27/28 and ending December 8/9, with the week of Remembrance Day off (November 10/11)

The topics covered are: growth mindset, stress and the brain, emo tional intelligence and regulation, thinking about your thinking, and culminating with your person al resilience building plan Use of email and Zoom are required (all you need for Zoom is open ing a web link and using your computer’s camera and sound)

A previous participant said, “I truly like the virtual platform The way you facilitate the course allows personal connections to be made, and your management of course materials online is very good. At the same time we are each in our own personal space, which I think adds to the comfort level of sharing.”

A safe environment is guaran teed and confidentiality is a priority Each class is limited to five to eight participants aged 25 and up The goal is to count on yourself build ing upon your individual strengths while applying tools to experi ence successes and learning on an everyday basis

The Tough Times Toolkit has already been completed by 22 Bowen

Islanders and this will be the fourth offering Feedback on the anony mous course evaluations is over whelmingly positive 100 per cent of participants recommend it! One par ticipant said that through the course they realized, “Mental health is just like physical health You need to put some thought and time into it This doesn’t mean you are nuts, or weak it’s an important part of living life in a smart, successful way ”

Another comment: “Excellent instructor who struck the correct balance between humour and seri ousness, individual feedback and moving the class forward, a personal touch with remaining the instructor. Maureen’s careful listening followed by caring feedback was eye opening for all of us. ”

In addition to her professional background, Maureen has person al experience: “ I have had my own struggles with mental health and many of my friends on Bowen know about that The tools in this course are evidence based and work for me I believe that this course provides an opportunity to focus deliberately on improving the quality of our every day lives ”

Curious or interested? Contact Colleen O’Neil, Program Director of Caring Circle, at 604 947-9100 or info@ caringcircle.ca for more information.

VIEWPOINTS

Housing project asks for council commitment

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

Applications to BIM for multi year funding were turned down, and it was only after three unsuc cessful grant applications that council made a special resolution to provide operational funds We repeatedly had to make our case for the need for operational funds to support our organisation once again feeling we need to prove our worthiness as a partner Continually having to justify our organisation and its role in developing housing on Bowen has taken its toll on our board and staff and our motivation

Lastly, our advocacy for imple mentation of the Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) has

not been made a priority by the cur rent council This tax would provide revenue to the municipality that could be used towards affordable housing such as operational funds for BIRCH or other housing organisations

BIRCH does not purport to have the only answer to the housing cri sis, nor is it the only organisation working towards housing solutions on Bowen Island. We are howev er, in a unique position to apply for upcoming government fund ing opportunities with our years of professional experience, work completed to date towards the Miller Road project and our ongo ing efforts at building relationships

with funding partners.

With this upcoming election and many new councillors, we are hop ing for a stronger relationship and true partnership with the munici pality moving forward.

Our questions to each candidate: What tangible commitment are you as a candidate willing to make to BIRCH and the Miller Road project, and uphold once elected?

Will you support implementing the MRDT to provide revenue for build ing affordable housing for Bowen?

Thanks,

David McCullum

Board Chair, BIRCH, on behalf of the BIRCH Board of Directors

Bowen athletes headed for World Gymnaestrada

LISA BROUGHAM

Bowen Island Gymnastics

Bowen Gymnastics is beyond excited to join forc es with Whistler / Pemberton Gymnastics to represent Canada in Amsterdam for the 2023 World Gymnaestrada Event for a “Sea to Sky Performance Team” . Bowen Island Gymnastics will be sending 10 gymnasts, coaches, and parent team supporters

This will mark the fourth time Bowen Island Gymnastics has been invited and attended a World Gymnaestrada, previously going in 2011, 2015, 2019, and now 2023

It is truly a privilege for our team to get the opportunity to attend World Gymnaestrada this year as the selection for Team Canada is limited to eight Gymnastics Clubs in British Columbia and one of 15 Canadian performance spots

What is World Gymnaestrada?

Worldwide, non competi tive Fédération Internationale de

Gymnastique (FIG) Gymnastics for All event

Held every 4 years (the last WG was in Dornbirn 2019)

Attracts the largest number of active participants of any FIG event (avg 20,000 participants from 50 nations)

Participation is for everyone, regardless of gender, age, race, religion, culture, ability or social standing.

17th FIG World Gymnaestrada

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Event Dates: July 30 August 5, 2023

Canadian Delegation Arrival (Amsterdam): July 28, 2023 (to be confirmed)

Canadian Delegation Departure (Amsterdam): August 6, 2023

World Gymnaestrada is Coming Home

The very first edition was unsurprisingly held in the Netherlands (Rotterdam) in 1953, under the motto ‘Joy of Life in Gymnastics’

The Netherlands (Amsterdam) again hosted the World Gymnaestrada in 1991 Compared to 1953, the number of participating countries had doubled to 28 and the number of participants almost quadrupled to 19,500

In 2023, exactly 70 years after the first edition of the World Gymnaestrada, Amsterdam again hopes to welcome you to this event. Faithful to the founding principles, but with a fresh and innova tive interpretation for a new generation.

Please support the team when you go to vote this Saturday, Oct 15 at Bowen Island Community School, as we’ll be holding our Bake Sale fundraiser there

Morse, Alison

Re-elect Alison 4 Council Experience Counts

more information

Bowen gymnasts carried the Team Canada flag at opening cermonies during 2019 Gymnaestrada in Austria.

Vote don’t hesitate, do it.

Engage, it’s empowering to make a decision for the future of your community that you live, love, work and thrive in.

Your voice counts I will listen.

Nicole Thomas Zyczynski

paid for and authorized by Nicole Thomas Zyczynski

Turning the page on another successful Farmers Market season

The last Farmers’ Market of the 2022 season was held on Oct 8 at BICS and it wrapped up a bountiful season with a cornucopia of local produce and things made, grown and baked on Bowen, including a pumpkin sale

A huge thanks to all the people who came out to support the local vendors, from the youthful entrepreneurs to the more seasoned vendors

Congratulations to the Bowen Island Heritage Preservation Association for a successful heritage apple pie sale Helen Wallwork, Kat Haxby, Deb Donnelly, Susanne Phillipe, Daphne Fargher, (myself ) Sarah Haxby, and Sharon Slugget worked as a team to create 59 pies made with local apples that were sold at the Farmer’s market as a way to keep BIHPA and the spirit of the traditional Applefest event alive!

Thank you to all the pickers, peelers and pie makers for turning over 120 lbs of fruit into delicious pies, and thanks to the community for the enthusiasm in pie purchasing!!! The pies sold out in under half an hour!

Helen

andYouth

BOWEN ISLAND COMMUNITY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

The Bowen Island Community School Association and Bowen Literacy Task Group are pleased to offer a free presentation by Jesse Miller on Social Media, Technology and Youth on Thursday, Oct. 27 from 5:30 to 7 pm at Bowen Island Community School

Jesse Miller, from Mediated Reality, is a well known educator in this field His presentation will focus on social media education about content and understanding community concerns He will provide current information to help parents open communication with their children about engaging with social media His presentation will also help all adults understand the impact and effect of social media

Everyone is welcome to attend The presentation from 5:30 to 6:30 pm will be followed by a Q&A from 6:30 to 7 pm

The presentation was made possible thanks to donations from the Seymour Bay Foundation, Bowen Island Recylcing Depot, and the Bowen Literacy Task Group

For further information contact Sarah

SARAH HAXBY Bowen Agricultural Alliance Farmers Market Lead & Bowen Island Heritage Preservation Association Apple Peeler

Buyers

Health Centre busy building and recruiting

ALEX KURIAL Editor

The new Community Health Centre continues to develop as recognizable rooms are now taking shape at the Miller Road site

With construction well underway, and an anticipated opening date of next summer, the Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation is now fully in recruitment mode to fill these new spaces, with the focus on drawing fam ily practitioners such as physicians and nurse practitioners

While efforts so far have primarily been via word of mouth, the Foundation

says there will be a shift to close out 2022 and into the new year as the team seeks out specific professionals they believe will bring the most success to the Health Centre They’re confident construction progress will assist in this cause

Word of mouth has attracted interest though Three practitioners visited the site last month, with 14 total inquiries so far The Foundation says four practi tioners have expressed serious interest in joining the pair of existing on island physicians who will be in the new centre.

They added while there’s much work still to do, the expressions of interest have been encouraging, especially given the difficulties of attracting specialists to rural environments in B C

Dan Parke, architect with Salal Architecture (left) andTim Rhodes, BIHCF president, tour the Community Health Centre in late September The Foundation is looking for tenants to occupy the rental space on the lower level (below). / Alex Kurial photos

Mudder Fundraiser on Bowen

CASEY JAMES Director of Communications / Island Pacific School

Island Pacific School is getting ready for this year ’ s 2nd annual Monsoon Madness Mudder fundraiser

Last year, Bowen Island’s indepen dent school raised over $100,000 Island Pacific School’s fundraising efforts are focused on student bursaries and their Capital Campaign to fund the Colin Ruloff Community Field House which is an outdoor field house that will offer a beautiful space for the community to use for weddings, celebrations of life, gradu ations and more!

Since last year ’ s event was a roaring success, they decided to do it again! And if it’s pouring rain all the better

The Monsoon Madness Mudder will be on Oct 29 from 9 am to 3 pm Teams of two to any number take on a two kilo metre course down Carter Road, to the

Meadow, up behind Bowen Children’s Centre and Cates Hill Chapel up to the waterfalls and back to the school with six obstacles with physical challenges (such as climbing over or under things)

“Invariably, they’ll be getting muddy as they go, ” says Scott Herrington, IPS’s Head of School

This is an event for the entire commu nity, all ages welcome bring your baby in a mudproof baby carrier and granny in her walker to sit and cheer your team on!

It’s not a mass start event Instead, waves of teams will run the course between 10 am and 2 pm

Back at IPS, there will be a social gath ering outdoor tents, warming stations, kids activity stations,

chocolate

Tickets

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

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

Saturday, October 15

FrenchConnections:Funandfriendly conversation practice in French, at the Bowen Island Library

Saturdays, October 15 & November 19, and Sunday December 11 Drop in at Noon (12pm)andjoinustopracticeyourFrench, and get to know other French speakers on Bowen Island! For beginner and intermedi ate speakers, but all levels welcome

Sunday, October 16

Shari Ulrich’s ‘Trust Me’ Series Canadian Folk Award winning musi cians Pierre Schryer and Adam Dobres perform at Tir na nOg Show starts at 7:30 pm.TicketsavailableatPhoenixBooksand eventbrite.ca. More info on Page 6.

Monday, October 17

Alzheimer Society Monthly Meeting

Cates Hill Chapel. The group ’ s monthly meeting gives islanders a chance to share the dementia journey with others It offers a safe place to learn about dementia and the Society’s many free resources Register by calling 1 800 936 6033, and learn more

at www.alzheimerbc.org

Thursday, October 20

Yoga Fundamentals @ Sweat The Technique Studio

Join Andrea Clark, owner of Nectar Yoga, for an in depth evening of Pranayama (conscious breath), Dhyana (meditation), Asana (yogic movement), Savasana (guided relaxation), and Sharing This special workshop series is intended for those who want to build (or rebuild) their practice from a strong foundation $50 7:30 pm Pre register at sweatthetechniquestudio com

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, interviewing, job searches,insightsonthejobmarket,career and education advice, and more from a WorkBC Career Advisor, from 2 to 5 pm

Thursday, October 27

Community Workshop

Community School Association will also be offering a special workshop for our community featuring Jesse Miller, from Mediated Reality who will present a talk about social media literacy and digital trends from 5:30 7:00 pm at BICS. More details about registration (free event) and childcare will come soon. Find out more on Page 10 of this week’s paper.

Saturday, October 29

Monsoon Madness Mudder at Island Pacific School

Get muddy at the IPS annual fundraiser event MoreinformationtotheleftonPage13

Saturday, October 29

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 sugges tions, earn volunteer hours and enjoy some Halloween treats! Visit bipl link/TAG for more info

WEEKEND UPDATE

Nectar Yoga on the Pier

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

SATURDAYS

Men’s Mobility Circuit Class @ Sweat The Technique Studio. 9 am. Mobility Skills Class (All Levels) @ Sweat The Technique Studio. 10:15 AM

Training mobility is a dynamic combination of strengthening and kinetic stretching Work at any level to rebalance alignment, unlock tight joints and prevent pain/injury. Pre-register for both weekly at sweatthetechnique studio.com

TUESDAYS

Yoga at Collins Hall

Tuesdays from 1 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 18 Wednesday, October 19

Open Format Painting Class

9:30 to 11:30 am. Join Marie Neys (at the studio) and 5 other students Register online at marieneys.com or contact Marie@marieneys.com

THURSDAYS

Thursday, October 13

Paint a Bowen Sunset 9:30 to 11:30 am Register online at marieneys.com or contact Marie@marieneys.com

Thursday Art Group

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

Parent & Community Presentation

PARENT EDUCATION EVENING with guest speaker JESSE MILLER from mediatereality.com

“SOCIAL MEDIA & SCREEN TIME FOR YOUTH & CREATING BOUNDARIES AROUND TECHNOLOGY USE” 5:30-7:00pm Q & A 6:30-7:00pm

BOWEN ISLAND COMMUNITY SCHOOL 1041 Mount Gardner Road, Bowen Island

Dave Stevenson

West Vancouver School Board www.davestevenson.ca

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.