Bowen Island Undercurrent December 8 2022

Muni orders more public consultation for cidery

ALEX KURIAL Editor

In what had looked like a resolved issue, the munic ipality has directed a local cidery to undergo further public consultation in its pursuit of a lounge application.

The move undertaken by the new council is a reversal of a decision made by the previous council, who, following some changes, voted in support of the Bowen Cider House’s application to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) as one of their last acts in their final meeting on Oct 24. The application was submitted on Nov 4.

The change of course comes after six residents of the mid-island neighbourhood wrote letters in the past month urging the current group to reconsider the 5-2 split decision of their predecessors In the same time frame, five people many involved with the cidery either wrote letters or spoke to council offering support to uphold the previous decision.

The cidery’s application is for a liquor licence which would allow them to serve their product in an indoor lounge and outdoor patio They currently operate a tast ing room where their cider can be sampled, and pur chased by the bottle to take home or drink at picnic tables on location outside

ADevelopmentVariancePermitapplicationhasbeensubmittedfor 1308HillcrestRoad(shownonmap)toreduceparkingrequirements

TheapplicantswishtooperateaBedandBreakfastoperationat theirproperty,wherenoon siteparkingcurrentlyexistsTheyhave requestedtoreducethe2requiredparkingspacestozeroStaff willintroducetheapplicationtoCouncilattheDecember12,2022 CouncilMeeting.AtthatmeetingCouncilwilldecidetosetadate toconsiderissuingthepermit,ormaychoosetonotproceedfurther withtheapplication.

MOREINFORMATION:

ThepublicisinvitedtomakeanappointmenttotalktoDrew Bakken,Planner1,abouttheapplication

Theapplicationcanalsobeviewedonourwebsite: wwwbowenislandmunicipalityca/planning

YOURCOMMENTSAREWELCOME:

WrittensubmissionsmaybedeliveredtoMunicipalHallin

Committee of the Whole seeks consensus on Westside water issues

ALEX KURIAL Editor

Council dedicated a substantial portion of their Nov. 28 meeting to the topic as they look for answers to several prob lems that have come to the forefront. The most immediate of these are the lack of water in the Bluewater Park (BWP) Local Service Area (LSA), largely due to old and failing infrastruc ture in their zone.

This has led to increased reliance on the wells of the neigh bouring King Edward Bay (KEB) LSA for water supply over the past decade, paid for by BWP residents. But with KEB continuing to expand currently home to 42 properties with dozens more on the way this arrangement is no longer sus tainable. BWP peak daily use in the summer can hit 165,000 L, while their only working well can hold just 14,000 L/day. The municipality says a solution may be available in the nearby Bowen Bay (BB) LSA though. Their trio of wells can hold around 114,000 L/day, and hydrologists say with upgrades this number could be boosted to 221,000. This would cover the average BWP daily use of 66,000 L, and near ly cover the LSA’s peak daily summer use, according to chief financial officer Kristen Watson.

Under this scenario, the BB water headed for BWP would be stored in the massive KEB reservoir. The BWP well would also see its capacity increased, and doubled to hold 28,000 L/day. The old, broken and leaky BWP water mains would

begin replacement as well, starting with an approximate 800 metre stretch along Windjammer, Captains Way, and Spyglass Roads.

Costs for the projects depend on how many of them are taken on at once. Upgrading the BB wells and connecting them to the KEB reservoir is estimated at $715,000, replac ing the worst water mains in the 810 metre stretch of BWP at $980,000, and upgrading the BWP well at $75,000, for a total of $1.77 million.

Further water main replacements of equipment that is viewed as questionable or near the end of their life would cost another $1.38 million, for a total of around $3.1 million. This work, classified as Phase 2 of the project, is not seen as immediate though.

Financing the project would be born almost entirely by the residents of the BWP LSA, aside from around $30,000 contributed by BB. Since the BWP LSA has $80,000 in reserves, the remainder would have to be borrowed. Watson says the preferable option for doing this is through a loan authorization bylaw (LAB).

Loan authorization bylaws are funded and approved by the provincial government To make sure they receive approval, the province looks for proof that the affected community is in sup port of the plan Often this is done through a referendum, which in this case would take place in the BWP neighbourhood

It’s the results of this potential referendum that are unknown, and why Watson suggested it may be more pal atable right now to put borrowing $1 77 million for well and immediate water main work to a vote, rather than the $3 1 million which includes future water main work If the lower amount is approved by voters, a 30 year debt repayment

would be undertaken by BWP residents, collected through a new annual parcel tax of around $725 a year. If the $3.1 mil lion were approved, this yearly charge would be $1,323.

Most councillors expressed their desire to pursue the higher number, though they were cautious about the out come of a failed referendum. Watson explained that a no vote from BWP residents would kill the LAB option, and could result in a straight parcel tax on neighbourhood prop erties instead. This would need to be repaid in one year though, instead of 30, meaning it would be a much higher amount per household.

Coun. Tim Wake suggested council hold a Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting with board chairs of all three of the impacted Local Advisory Committees (LAC) to see if agree ment can be reached on the plan going forward. All three LAC’s have expressed several concerns with different aspects of the proposed plan, leaving it up in the air if the trio can all agree on a path ahead.

“We’re striving to reach consensus here before making a decision. If we can’t reach that consensus, and given the time constraints, then we are going to make a decision. But at least we’ll make a decision after we ’ ve really tried everything to reach a consensus, ” said Wake.

Council agreed and unanimously voted to hold a COW on the topic prior to the next council meeting. The meeting took place virtually on Wednesday, Dec. 7 (after press time).

Following this discussion, a decision is expected by council at their Dec. 12 meeting. Watson and engineering director Patrick Graham both stressed the importance of starting work as soon as possible to ensure there’s enough water for all area water needs during the upcoming summer.

EDITORIAL

A quick note to congratulate the incredible efforts of the Light Up crew in bringing such life to the Cove this Christmas It’s a tireless group of volunteers (I often saw them arriving at the office in the morning and when I left at the end of the day), and their efforts are so greatly appreciated for the morale boost they provide to all of us on the island

And applause too for everybody involved in Light Up the Cove last weekend The parade was incredible, the costumes spectacular, and the atmosphere of the large crowd in atten dance so warm and friendly A splendid kick off to Christmas, which is somehow just a little over two weeks away

But before the big night, there’s so much to check out for holiday fun, especially this week end Our calendar later on has all the details, so be sure to give it a look and pick out what looks like fun to you The Last Chance Winter Market on Saturday may be a good start, just in case you were considering some crafts for those special people on your list See you all out there!

Alex Kurial,

It’s the most wonderful time of the year well, not necessarily Grief and loss are a very real com ponent of many peoples lives at this time of year

As the lights are twinkling and sparkling around us, some folks are having a hard time as they remember loved ones who they have lost recently, or in years gone by Grief has no timeline and as author Jaime Anderson says, “grief is love with nowhere to go ”

On Thursday, December 15 at 7 pm, at Collins Hall, all are invited to come and allow your grief somewhere to be We are holding an Honour A Life ceremony featuring readings from a variety of faith traditions; songs from The Threshold Singers and a chance to place a blue ribbon in memory of your loved one on a tree as we process outside in

the cold, night air Some warm, mulled apple cider and goodies will be offered to share

The readings will be from the Christian, Jewish, Indigenous, Buddhist, Gnostic and Tengri Shamanic tradition, and other tra ditions too The Threshold Singers are a small group of singers who sing at bedsides, to the bereaved, to those who are ill or are simply to anyone in need of a soothing “songbath”

We invite you to take a step away from the bright lights and intensity of the season and come to a place where you and the

memories of someone you have loved and lost will be felt and honoured We look forward to spending time with you, your tears, your memories and your tender heart

The Honour a Life Team Lorraine Ashdown Liz Watson Suzanne Allan Phil Adkins

THE WRITE STUFF. The Undercurrent encourages reader participation in your community

All Advertising and news copy content are copyright of the Undercurrent Newspaper All editorial content submitted to the Undercurrent becomes the property of the publication

The Undercurrent is not responsible for unsolicited manu scripts, art work and photographs

National NewsMedia Council.

The Undercurrent is a member of the National NewsMedia Council of Canada, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour If you have concerns about editorial content, please email editor@bowenislandundercurrent com or call 604 947 2442

If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the website at mediacouncil ca or call toll free 1 844 877 1163 for additional information

Editor

Saturday thoughts - Ferries, chimneys, notices, and more

JUDITH GEDYE

My second open house since the election was this past Saturday Mayor Leonard and eight others from around the island showed up for tea, cookies and conversation The next is January 7, 2023 and the first Saturday of every month for four years!

1) Lots of talk about BC Ferries:

* One person wondered if there was any research on the reasons for the global shortage of workers phenomena lots of anecdotal and popular explanations but it is unclear how valid those reasons might be It’s a problem which, if better understood, might help with suggested solutions If you know of any research, please let me know

* The Ferry Advisory Committee and the Transportation Advisory Committee were mentioned What is the dif ference? How much overlap? Who is on these commit tees? Part of our strategic planning is to follow up on the research Maureen Nicholson and Michael Kaile have done and sort through the existing committees to determine if some could be combined, and what, if any, new terms of

reference might be We asked for suggestions for people who might be approached to sit on various cttees All levels of involvement is valued

* A suggestion of organizing or participating in a provincial roundtable on BCF Bowen, Sunshine Coast, West & North Van, all the Islands Trust islands, other dependent coastal communities out side the Trust, and Ministry of Transportation Any others? Could Bowen play a leading role? [after thought what work has preceded this at UBCM?]

* What about residents getting preferred loading? Q: does this happen on other islands? In other jurisdictions?

* Attitude problems can be two ways why sniffer dogs? Overall, more sympathetic to the front line workers

* Can we get statistics for the number of vehicles that are off island contractors or ser vices they get priority loading for commer cial onto Bowen and can be problematic with speed and queue jumping Any ideas for edu cational efforts? Part of business licencing?

* The concept of “constructive whining”

Tis the season to be jolly

If the rumours are correct, that because of the inappropri ate manner in which some, if not perhaps too many, Bowen Islanders are disrespectful and verbally abusive of the BC

Ferries Horseshoe Bay terminal staff and Queen of Capilano deck/concession staff, shame on us as a community Yes, we all have good reason for being upset and frustrated, not to mention greatly inconvenienced, with the many late sailing and unexpected cancellations, but seriously, let’s handle our disappointment in a more civil and appropriate manner It is time to look in the mirror and ask, “would I like to be treated in the same manner”? I think not!

As far as our lifeline to/from our island home is con cerned, the season to be jolly is 12 months, not just the ho, ho, ho month of December A five finger wave is in order, not the one finger salute Bowen has so many reasons for having established a positive, enviable reputation, the negative one that has been suggested we may have established for our ferry frustrations, is not one to be proud of Combined with

the occasional “thank you smile” , the five finger wave will hopefully help reduce the number of cancellations, if in fact the suggested disrespect is a factor

And if it’s not, what’s wrong with a few more waves and smiles at the staff? By all means, let the “higher than deck level” staff at BC Ferries head office know of our displeasure, they do not have to physically be part of the crew to keep our Queen sailing I have been a resident of Bowen for long enough to fondly remember Tommy White’s Sannie water taxi service which, like Cormorant Marine’s service, was/is wonderful but not nearly as convenient and comfortable as the ferry No more, ho, ho, holly cow, not another cancella tion! Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year and as we have all dreamed on occasion, let’s hope our ship keeps coming in

2) Corollary I noticed recently that one area of notice boards on the boat is largely empty and could be filled with Muni bulletins and notices

3) Metro CRC park plans Andrew said the information from closed meetings concerning the park proposal are to be released soon in preparation for referrals to various com mittees for public discussion Metro and other mayors are paying close attention to our reactions

4) Chimney scrubbers: One person mentioned that in Germany there were scrubbers installed in chimneys so that the particulates and chemicals were significantly reduced With Metro’s new rules about woodstoves, this technology is worth considering

If the product could be sourced, it was relatively easy to install, but she did not know if it would be contrary to the BC Building Code I mentioned that staff had mentioned that one possible future plan for our Environmental staff was to offer a “concierge” service to help people retrofit their homes to lower thelossofheat,bemoreFiresmart,collectrainwater,etc Perhaps research into chimney/stove upgrades could be included

Bruce Russell

COUN.

Environmental contractors were at work at the end of Bowen Island Trunk Road on Monday and Tuesday taking core samples to see if there’s any ground contamination from fuel tanks that used to be stored in the area The front of the ferry lineup was slightly altered to accommodate their work, but thanks to the efforts of the ferry marshal, loading and unloading chaos was averted. / Alex Kurial photo

Ruddy Emporium grand opening Saturday - with Christmas Trees!

ALEX KURIAL

Editor

You’ve probably noticed the new shop next to the Bowen Beer & Wine Cellar by now, stocked full of Christmas cards, gifts and more But just in case you haven’t strolled by yet, the Ruddy Emporium is ready to welcome people inside at their grand opening this Saturday, Dec 10

The space, offically termed a health and wellness store, has been open for about a month after soft launching in mid Novem ber. It’s partly born out of changes taking place upstairs at the Ruddy. Store man ager Melanie Mason says several tables of Christmas displays meant a number of items had to be shifted elsewhere. This meant stock had to be sent downstairs, and Mason decided it was a good time to try and see if the health and wellness theme could trek out on its own.

There will be a lot of help during December, as the Emporium is also cur rently serving as a gift shop, selling a variety of items many from right here on Bowen Island including coffees, candles, flowers, cards, art work, herbs, and lots of other assorted gifts

Mason is hoping the space can contin ue once the new year begins She says the Ruddy Cafe is planning on returning the indoor seating that existed prior to Covid, so the extra space would be preferable

But for now, the focus is Christmas Saturday’s grand opening coincides with something Islanders always look forward to the delivery of Ruddy Christmas Trees. 150 will be arriving the same day, and available both upstairs at the Ruddy and downstairs at the Emporium.

The event starts at 10 am and runs to 6 pm. Emporium manager Carmen Balon will be on hand with her homemade tea,

light

DONORS

BOWEN

and there will be cookies too

For the rest of December, the Emporium will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 4

Last chance crafting at theWinter Market

What is the Bowen Island Winter Market at BICS? It is a special event featuring items made, grown and baked on Bowen, that is also known as ‘the last chance’ farmers’ market and Craft Fair

The Bowen Agricultural Alliance (BAA) hosts this event outside, as well as inside the gym at BICS as one last market for farmers’ and gardeners to their fall harvest and har vest products, including: plants, wreaths, persimmon, garlic, jams, jellies, fruit leath er, frozen chicken, sausage, cider and more! Farmers sell alongside crafters and bak ers with a full array of baked treats, crafts and gifts such as tea, aromatherapy, jewelry, gnome decorations, cutting boards, and items made by youth vendors

A few of the many vendors featured at this event include ManitobaMade by Jake, Foxglove jams, Old Tree fruit leather, Sweet Salal plants and wreaths, and warm and

cozy knit, felted and sewn wares such as Freda’s Hip and Happy women’s clothing, perfect for all body types, and hand-felt ed hats made by Ruben, as well as holiday decor, such as upcycled glitter bulbs by and decorations

These include the fundraising gnomes and deer sold by Helen Taylor who writes: “My friend Lucas lost his mom to Cancer a few months ago and made these beauti ful beings out of wood that was cut down during the storms He wants to sell them and donate most of the proceeds less his costs to families going through Cancer on Bowen. I was told that Swim Bowen is the Charity that supports those families so we are supporting that I look forward to being a part of this event”

The Winter Market is open to, and has vendors of all ages, and is the last chance farmers’ market as well as a craft fair for locals to buy and support local artisans, crafters, bakers, farmers and gardeners. The Winter Market runs 10 am to 1 pm, Saturday, December 10 at Bowen Island Community School.

SARAH HAXBY BAA Farmers Market Lead

pm, closed on Mondays The Ruddy will be closed Christmas and Boxing Day, and open on New Year’s Eve

Ruddy manager Melanie Mason (left) and Emporium manager Carmen Balon in their new venture The space currently sports a seasonal angle, but plans to transition to full-time health and wellness in the new year / Alex Kurial photo

New consultation process will include public meeting for Cider House lounge application

October’s decision was split not only among council but among the public as well, including dozens of people who showed up in person to the meeting.

Those opposed to the application, which included 21 letters from people within 300 metres of the Cider House compared to three in support (125 letters of support compared to four against were submitted from the rest of Bowen), covered a wide range of concerns, ranging from operating hours to noise to parking Chief among the complaints was also the consultation process itself, which consist ed of mailouts to neighbours within a 300 metre radius of the cidery at least 10 days in advance of the council meeting Island community planner Natasha Cheong says this fulfilled the municipality’s public notice obligation under current rules, though staff acknowledged earlier in the Nov 28 council meeting during a separate item of business that there’s a desire to expand the public consultation process for development relat ed activities on the island.

After taking the raised concerns into con sideration, several conditions were estab lished for the cidery’s application during the Oct 24 meeting, including reducing oper ating hours, pledging not to have amplified outdoor noise, and agreeing to establish a Good Neighbour Agreement (GNA) sim ilar to the Legion or Bowen Lodge The former council was confident these moves addressed neighbour concerns and took their feedback into account

But now, following the new letters received, staff recommended to council that additional public consultation be pursued Details for what this will be are expected to be brought to the next meeting on Dec. 12. Tentatively, the schedule would require a five week public notice period from Dec. 19 to Jan. 23, which would include an in-per son public meeting and drafting of the GNA. The GNA, while agreed to in principle, had not been constructed when the application was sent off to the LCRB, though a final ver sion is not legally necessary for a complete application.

Information collected during this time could then be heard by council during their Jan. 23 meeting, and final comments sub mitted to the LCRB before a Feb 2 deadline additional comments must arrive to the branch within 90 days of the original application date

Like their previous counterparts, council were again split on what steps to take “I’m happy to see this recommendation,” said Coun Sue Ellen Fast, who voted

against endorsing the cidery’s application in October

“It wasn’t just the trouble about notice I think this is a good way to go to give the neighbours a voice, and let everybody hear about the issues and to have their sugges tions, and have more of a consensus based process, ” said Fast

The other remaining member of the previous council, Coun. Alison Morse, again held an opposing view to her colleague “I’m a little perplexed by this whole thing We had many comments (in October), which we listened to And I thought we had indicated we had heard them, because the maximum hours of operation were limited… on-site parking only, no off site parking, and no amplified noise”

“I thought we had responded to the neigh bours’ concerns by putting in those condi tions As far as I can understand the appli cants followed all the rules that the munici pality and LCRB gave them,” said Morse

After discussion the viewpoint of more public consultation won out, with council voting 5-2 to accept staff’s recommendation and require the expanded steps. Coun. John Saunders joined Morse in dissent.

Jeannette Langmann from the Cider House had spoken to council earlier in the evening, asking them to stick with the original decision. “We followed the process, we did due diligence in good faith with our application,” she said, noting the cidery undertook public consultation despite no requirement to do so

“If there’s a problem with the process don’t penalize us We feel that public input can be captured within the GNA,” she added.

Following the decision, Langmann expressed the venue ’ s disappointment in the result during question period. “Obviously we’re very upset We have done nothing wrong We’ve never had a complaint, we ’ ve never had a noise complaint”

“We were always in favour of an agreement with the neighbourhoods, that was never a problem We have asked the com munity to be part of this We never had a problem with that We got stuck in the mid dle of the process, you (council) changed the process but we’re the ones being punished for it,” said Langmann.

Mayor Andrew Leonard agreed the Cider House bore no fault for how the situation has played out “My takeaway from this evening is the additional public notifica tion and public consultation process is to effectively get the GNA done and off the ground. It was unfortunate that the application was referred to the board without that GNA attached to it,” said the mayor

The smallest in her litter, with “ too much white” for a Toller, Chaiya charmed all she met She loved snow, having been house trained in winter when she would disappear in the deep powder only to pop up a moment later, ready to catch a snowball or three She learned to balance slippery logs and surf big waves at Alberta Bay, always ready for you to throw another stick She loved exploring in the forest but would always check over her shoulder to make sure you kept up Chaiya was happiest when surrounded by family and friends and also enjoyed visiting the Bowen Dog Ranch Strangers called her a “puppy” even in her old age when despite health challenges, she stayed curious and ready for adventures. It’s that spirit we’ll remember, even though the Killarney Lake walks won’t be the same Thank you, Bowen Vet Team, for looking after Chaiya Sylvie and Birgitta

Photo by: Cherie Westmoreland

The Bowen Cider House is applying for a liquor licence for future outdoor and indoor lounge areas / Alex Kurial photo

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9

The Magic of Christmas at Endswell Farm Lights, Santa Claus and Mrs Claus, marshmallow roasting, and more Also December 10 & 11

Storytime at the Bowen Island Library

Storytime is a free drop in program of stories and songs for 2 to 4 year olds and their caregivers! From 10:30 to 11 am Dec 9 is our final Storytime until the new year (Check our calendar at bowenlibrary ca in January for new dates)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10

Seniors Keeping Young Gameday

12:30 to 2:30 pm Gather for Games with SKY (Seniors Keeping Young) and the Bowen Library Take a break from holiday busy ness, and drop in for fun and friendly games in the cozy Library Annex Anyone aged 55+ can come enjoy cards, chess, Scrabble, Yahtzee, UNO, Rummikub, Boggle, and more, along with tea and coffee and treats Free (SKY membership not required)

Bowen Community Choir Concert

Two showings, matinee at 2 pm and evening show at 7 pm Martinis with Santa at Doc Morgan’s Morgan’s live music, runs 7 pm til late

Family Style Christmas Dinner

Danish roast pork dinner with all the trimmings, 6 to 10 pm at Bowen Cider House Details & tickets online at www bowenciderhouse ca

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11

Breakfast and photos with Santa Bowen Island Community School 10 am to Noon A fundraiser for BICS PAC Watch for poster on ticket details Danish Brunch & Craft Fair

11 am to 5 pm Crafts, Music, Christmas Market and Traditional Holiday Fare including Æbleskiver at Meadbrook Market and Bowen Cider House More info at www bowenciderhouse ca

Children’s Shopping Day at Knick Knack Nook

Calling all kids to the Nook between Noon and 2 pm The store will be decked out with items for kids to explore

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11

Pop Up Craft Market

Join Tell Your Friends and Branch On Bowen for a pop up market on the marina! Enjoy unique, local gifts, festive drinks, and crafts for the kids Starts at Noon (12 pm)

French Connections at the Bowen Island Library

Fun and friendly conversation practice in French Drop in and join us to practice your French, and get to know other French speakers on Bowen Island! Focus is on begin ner and intermediate speakers, but all levels welcome Starts at Noon (12 pm)

Rivendell Retreat Centre Open House

Enjoy silence during the hectic holiday season Learn more at rivendellretreat org

A Christmas Carol

The 24th annual dramatic reading of Charles Dickens’ clas sic Christmas tale, 7:30pm at Collins Hall Featuring Scrooge, Tiny Tim, lots of ghosts, Tina Nielsen, Martin Clarke, Kat Stephens, Graham Ritchie and Marc Gawthrop Music, hot drinks and munchies Tickets $25 at Cates Pharmacy

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12

Regular Council Meeting

6:15 pm at Municipal Hall Members of the public can attend either in person, by Zoom, or watch on YouTube

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15

Holiday Wonderland Exhibit at the Museum Museum & Archives holiday exhibit Indoor exhibit runs until December 18, outside exhibit to January 2, 2023

Holiday Cookie Exchange 4:30 to 6:30 pm Check out the Bowen Recreation Department for more information

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16

SKÅL Cocktail Party 6 to 8 pm

Bowen Cider House festive cocktails with tasty treats from Meadowbrook Market Details and tickets online at www bowenciderhouse ca

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17

Theatre on the Isle presents Briefs II

This selection of short scenes, comedy, poetry, music,

and more will cap off your holiday season in true local Bowen style! At the Legion 19yrs+ Tickets at the Hearth and eventbrite ca Also on Sunday, December 18

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18

Hanukkah Menorah lighting

Come down to the Cove at 4:30 pm for the second annu al celebration and lighting of the first Menorah candle Takes place at the Festival of Trees

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21

A Child’s Christmas in Wales

Read by Martin Clarke with music by Bob Ducet at the Snug 6:30 pm Please bring a donation for the food bank

TUESDAYS

Community Lunches at the Legion

2nd and 4th Tuesday’s of every month from 11:30 am to 1 pm Adult only, drop in event $10 for a full lunch Next lunch: December 13

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

THURSDAYS

Breath & Workspace @ Sweat The Technique Studio

Join this beginner movement class created to rebalance and prep the body for more active mobility 6 pm

Pre register weekly at sweatthetechniquestudio com

Thursday Art Group

Each week at Collins Hall, 9:30 to 11:30 am Members pay $30 per month to help pay the rent at the Hall Paid TAG members pay $5 Non Members who wish to join the fun pay $10 For enquiries please reach out to Marie@ marieneys com or shannonrondeau@shaw ca

SATURDAYS

Men’s Mobility Circuit Class @ 9 am, Mobility Skills Class (All Levels) @ 10:15 am Sweat The Technique Studio Pre register weekly at sweatthetechniquestudio com

Tunstall Bay Ocean Plunge

Saturdays at 11:45 am Free community activity Register at Sweatthetechniquestudio com

Queen of Capilano Ferry Schedule Nov 19 - March 31 2023

DEPART BOWEN ISLAND

5:20 am except Sundays 6:20 am 7:30 am 8:35 am 9:40 am 10:50 am 12:00 pm 1:10 pm 2:55 pm 4:00 pm except Wednesdays 5:10 pm 6:15 pm 7:25 pm except Saturdays 8:30 pm 9:30 pm 10:30pm

DEPART HORSESHOE BAY 5:50 am 6:50 am 8:00 am 9:05 am except Wednesdays 10:15 am 11:25 am 12:35 pm 2:20 pm 3:30 pm 4:35pm 5:45 pm 6:50 pm 8:00 pm-except Saturdays 9:00 pm 10:00pm

Note: Schedules subject to change without notice Please check BCFERRIES.COM Schedule changes on statutory holidays

December 25 and Jan 1 the first sailing from Bowen is 8:35 am and first sailing from Horseshoe Bay is 8:00 am

Community food program combines relationships and local food sourcing

Home Farm’s CSA

Jody Peck is entering her second year at the helm of Home Farm’s Community Supported Agriculture program The movement emphasizes making connections, not only with your food, but with fellow growers too

If you ’ ve been to the Farmers Market at all this year, you’ll likely have seen the big blue tubs Peck distributes at the Home Farm’s stand outside the BICS gym Each week par ticipants receive a new box of produce, along with tips on the best way to use the assorted foods Everything inside is from the island, in this case specifically the property along Mt Gardner Road

“Everybody loves the idea It’s the most local farm to table eating It supports local food security It’s really a fun thing,” says Peck “And you meet at the Farmers Market every week so it really has a community feel. You can come to the Farmers Market and supplement your harvest boxes with other vendors”

Peck says this community focus is one of the most import ant parts of the program “It’s become a really popular model for small farms because it involves the community directly. The community supports the farm and the farm supports the community You can have access to hyper local produce, and people who really are wanting to be truly invested in their food, they have a relationship with the farmer, they know they’re getting high quality vegetables and produce, and it also eliminates food miles,” she explains

“It works really well anywhere, but it especially works well in small communities because you really create those relationships,” adds Peck “The CSA members get to know each other, and we usually have a few things at the farm where they get to come see the farm, and be a part of their food system”

The variety of foods are all ones which can be grown on Bowen, so orange and lemon lovers will have to satisfy their appetite in alternative ways But the different seasons provide for a wide range of selection This includes arugula and radishes in the Spring, carrots, beats and peas in the Summer, and finishing off with larger items such as squash and potatoes in the Fall

“We also try some really fun, adventurous crops This sea son some of our more unique crops were celeriac, or we had fennel, and some interesting radishes,” says Peck, explaining her growing plan combines a mix of said adventurous crops to go along with the fan favourites

“Every year we adjust the crop plan We see what worked really well last year, we take feedback into consideration, and we always want to try some exciting new crops as well But we always have the basics, we always have a lot of greens, we always have tomatoes we always have sugar snap peas, ” says Peck

As part of the sustainability angle though, there’s a limit to how many people can participate “We’re sustainably grow ing it We’re not trying to make it huge, we ’ re just trying to make it so it can support the community with how big our garden is,” says Peck She finds most people who sign up are “foodie couples” , or small families

Right now half of the possible 40 spots are filled Peck is hoping to snag some more people for the new year with an early bird sale on subscriptions currently on until Christmas People can also decide if they want to choose add-ons to the program, such as eggs or sausages

“It kind of works for everybody, as long as you love really fresh, good produce,” says Peck

More information on the CSA program can be found at homefarm.ca

ALEX KURIAL

Editor

season lines up with the Farmers Market, running over 20 weeks from May to October Peck expects next year ’ s first box delivery to be May 27

Jody Peck shows off some of the items that come in the CSA blue boxes during opening day of the Farmers Market earlier this year. / Alex Kurial photo

CSA members Julia Van Walraven (right, top right) and Qurban Naismith (above) show off their hauls from the community farming program.

Bowen gets Lit

annual Light Up the Cove celebration took place last Saturday, complete with snowmen, singing, snow royalty, and of course Santa himself! The star of the show arrived in style on his Volkswagen chariot as the parade travelled from the Marina to the new Pavilion at Cove Commons Once there, people were treated to drinks and snacks, and children got to make their case to Kris Kringle The Christmas Tree lawn also exploded in light, continuing another popular Bowen tradition. The holiday season is now full steam ahead on the island.

The Three Wise Men made an appearance to sing to the crowd In addition to being good gift givers, it turns out they have quality voices too.

Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus sing from the manger

Alex Kurial photos

Scan the QR Code to find these photos and more in our online photo gallery

Drinks Drinks ON THE ROCK

Alex visits Thom at Doc Morgan's for a Winter Warmer WATCH HERE

MayorAndrewLeonardmadeacheerysnackdistributor

Tis the (Craft Fair) Season 2

Ruben’s handmade hats modelled by their new owners: Paul Hoosen and Monique Dauchot, at the CSA Craft Fair. Ruben’s Hats will be for sale at the Winter Farmers Market & Craft Fair / Sarah Haxby photo

Sunday’s annual CSA Christmas Craft drew big crowds and big fun as hundreds of people flooded into BICS to check out both the main event in the gym, and the return of the Youth Craft Fair upstairs Many Christmas presents were purchased (both for others and for the shoppers themselves) at yet another highly successful edition of the holiday event

The Fibre Arts Guild stand, with members (L R) Charmaine Heffelfinger, Anna Marie Atherton, Sindy Zelezen, Muriel Curtis, Heather Stephens, Krista Hennebury, and Brigitte Karst / Murray Atherton photo

Alex Kurial photos