Bowen Island Undercurrent May 25 2023

SATURDAY FERRY CANCELLATIONS LEAVE HUNDREDS SCRAMBLING

ALEX KURIAL Editor

It was a trying day for travellers to and from Bowen Island on Saturday after BC Ferries cancelled a dozen sailings on the Snug Cove – Horseshoe Bay route

The ferry company put out a service notice the morning of May 20 warning that 12 sailings, beginning with the 3:30 pm from the mainland, were at risk of being lost due to a staff shortage By early afternoon the cancellations were confirmed, leaving hundreds of passengers on both sides without their expected route home

Fortunately, a pair of sea taxis were announced to take the place of the ferry runs, initially two but thanks to the efforts of Bowen company Cormorant Marine this grew to half-a-dozen While the efforts of those ships managed to clear a massive backlog of visitors looking to leave Bowen Island, and bring many Islanders back home as well, there was no vehicle capacity following the last ferry run off the island This forced people on both sides to find parking for their cars and go back to retrieve them the next day, or in some instances here on the island, spend an unexpected night sleeping in the car

QUEEN VERSUS GREEN:

With summer on the line, the Ice Queen (Claire Carchrae) and her winter army did battle against the Green Man (Dylan Woods) and his forest-dwelling troops. In the end the forces of the woods prevailed, allowing the May Queen (Aviva Rabinowitz) to safely emerge Hannah Florendo served as a boisterous Town Crier, and also penned a recap of how the festival came together, and a thank you to all involved You can find that on Page 3, and stay tuned to our website this week for many more photos from the Green Man Festival’s many colourful events. / Alex

Kurial

photo

It’s an experience Bowen Island Mayor Andrew Leonard says should not be happening

“It’s a very unusual circumstance,” says Leonard, noting there were cancellations on a pair of days in November last year, but not to this extent

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

“It cannot become the new normal”

Events

AllCouncilmeetingsareopen tothepublictoattendin personorelectronically,unless notedotherwise

June 5, 2023

BOV-2022-2455for1121MillerRd

9:30amonMonday,June5,2023 viaZoom

TheBoardofVariancewillbeconsideringavarianceapplicationfor 1121MillerRdtoreducethesidesetbackandrearsetbackforthe retro-activedevelopmentofanaccessorybuilding

Fire Danger Rating

Moreinformationisavailableonourwebsiteat

www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/planning/ orbycontactingNatashaCheong,IslandCommunityPlanner,at 604-947-4255ext247orbyemailatncheong@bimbccabetween8:30 amand4:30pm,MondaytoFriday,excludingstatutoryholidays

Yourcommentsarewelcome:

WrittensubmissionswillsbeaccepteduntilFriday,June2,2023by emailtoplanning@bimbcca,inperson,bymailorfax VerbalsubmissionsmaybemadetotheBoardatthemeeting More informationatwwwbowenislandmunicipalityca/board-of-variance/

We’re hiring a temporary part-time Planning Clerk

BIMhasavacancyforatemporary,part-timePlanningClerkstarting immediately

Thepositionisresponsibleforallclerical-relatedfunctionsofthe Planning&DevelopmentDepartment,includingcustomerserviceand digitaldocumentation

Thepositionwillbeadvertiseduntilitisfilled

Fordetailedinformationandsalarydetailsreadthejobdescription: wwwbowenislandmunicipalityca/work-with-us

TheFireDangerRatingisMODERATE

Thismeans:

• Nobeachfires

• Nocampfiresinpublicplaces

• Campfiresonyourownprivatepropertyforcookingorwarmth only

• BBQsok

Absolutelynoopenburning,burnbarrelsorfireworks wwwbowenislandmunicipalityca/alerts/

Property Taxes

Checkyourmailbox Propertytaxnoticeswillbemailednextweek

YoucanclaimyourHomeOwnerGrant(HOG)onlineaheadof receivingyourtaxnotice

Nocomputer?Notechsavvy?Noproblem!YoucancallBC Governmentat1-888-355-2700orcometoMunicipalHallandreceive confidentialtechsupportfromaFinanceteammember Avoidthe rush,anddoittoday!

Whatyou’llneedtoclaimyourHomeOwnerGrant:

• Jurisdiction&RollNumber

• DateofBirth

• SocialInsuranceNumber

TaxDeferment:AllapplicationsandrenewalsgodirectlytoBC Government.

AllHomeOwnerGrantapplications,Defermentapplications,arrears andpropertytaxpaymentsaredueby4:30pmonTuesday,July4, 2023.

10%latepenaltyisappliedonJuly5,2023toalloutstanding2023 propertytaxbalances

wwwbowenislandmunicipalityca/property-taxes/

HearYe, HearYe!

HANNAH FLORENDO Contributor / Town Crier

Thank you all so much for coming to the first Green Man Festival Reimagined! I’m so happy all of you came to see what the youth of Bowen were able to put together, with the support of our numerous volunteers and sponsors!

As some of you may know and understand, it takes a lot to put on an event, no matter the size of it, and I know that I couldn’t have done this without the support of my friends and family When I was younger, I remember fondly the Green Man festival, performed by Graham Ritchie (The Green Man), and Tina Nielsen (the Ice Queen), Murray Atherton (the Olde Town Crier) and whoever decided to play the May Queen. It was one of my favourite events of the year, because it brought together the youth, and the community, by keeping alive the ideas of the fantastical, magical and whimsical land of the Fae

This is why I brought it up to my Mum a couple months ago It was a spur-of-themoment, do-you-remember-when conversation, and it ended with me saying “I want to bring this back as a volunteer project!” and my mum going “oooookayy ”

I am an impulsive decision maker, and a lot of the time, that isn’t a very good thing I make rash decisions, and end up either

hurt or disappointed However, with this decision, I think it was perfect

It has been a good couple years since Bowen has gotten to experience these kinds of community events, and I think it’s important that we start bringing back some of the ones that may not be “ as important” as Bowfest or Light Up the Cove The thing with these kinds of events is that they bring together the community in some of our quirky Island traditions, and that was the goal of this year ’ s Greenman Festival Reimagined. I wanted to bring together the community in a way where everyone would have some fun

Whether it was because you remember going to the old Green Man Festival in 2014, or you ’ re here as a kid yourself, experiencing the magic of these Island traditions is one of the things that makes Bowen unique, so thank you all so much for supporting me and my peers as we bring back the magic of old

The youth and kids on this island are amazing, and what empowers and strengthens us even more, is that we have the support of our families, and our community

Thank you to our amazing volunteers, sponsors, partners and donors! A big shoutout to Liz Nankin (costumes and wand making), Sarah Haxby (co-coordinator), my mum and dad (for emotional support, setup and organization), Murray Atherton, Docsnsocks (the bagpipers), Alison Nixon and her group of fiddlers, Lee Chanho (Bowen Taekwondo), Alison Nosek, Elle and Dom Wild, Carmen McKay, Emilie and Link Irelan, Aaron and Kelly Woods, Jack and Julie from Tir-na-nOg (for their throne prop), Basia Liseke (for the winter decorations), the Hearth Gallery, Bowen Island Public Library, Marysia McGilvray, Bowen Island Community

Community School board search

JOAN VYNER

Chair /

Community School Association

Are you looking for a way to have a positive impact in the Bowen Island community? The Bowen Island Community School Association is seeking new board members to continue the long tradition of providing a social, educational and active community space at BICS The Board of Directors has several new projects and plans to make this community hub even more useful to our residents

The CSA is a registered charity and partners with the school, West Vancouver School District, the municipality, and many community organizations to achieve the goal of providing a welcoming hub

The Board is recruiting interested people to fill some executive positions, a special event coordinator, and membersat-large. The Board meets monthly from September to June.

To find out more please contact us at bowencsa@gmail com or attend the upcoming Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, June 14 at 5 pm at BICS (we’re going to serve pizza!)

Foundation, Bowen Island Municipality, Tina Nielsen, Shirley Wrinch (costumes), Titaina Michniewicz (face paint consultant), and Jami Scheffer

And last but not least thank you to all of my friends, the teen representatives, who helped me bring my dream to life (listed in no particular order): Jovie Nosek (face painter), Tierney Nosek (face paint-

er), Max Wild (Bowen Taekwondo), Nikko Yamashita (Bowen Taekwondo), Ronan Ramsay (Bowen Taekwondo), Sam Irelan (Bowen Taekwondo), Alex William (Bowen Taekwondo), Dylan Woods (the Green Man), Aviva Rabinowitz (the May Queen), Claire Carchrae (the Ice Queen), Noam Olsen (our drone pilot) and Ethan Harrison (our photographer)

Don’t Miss the Health Centre List

SUZANNE SAATCHI Executive Director / Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation

As construction continues to progress and with opening scheduled in Fall 2023, the Bowen Island Community Health Centre is now encouraging people to take steps to indicate their interest in joining the practices of the Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners who will operate at the BICHC

While we can’t yet say who the health professionals are (we are still in the recruiting process and finalizing agreements with the Ministry of Health) you can be placed on a list to be considered once space opens up

If you are interested in becoming a patient of a Family Physician or Nurse Practitioner at the Health Centre, here at the steps

• Visit GP Link at: https://ns.searchdoctors.ca/

• Register your name and/or other members of your family

• Be sure to indicate Bowen Island as your desired location

GP Link is a website organized by the North Shore Division of Family Practice and has been the longstanding patient queue for the North Shore region to find a FP or NP This list has date stamps that honour how long people have been waiting for a family practitioner, holds health information that help us prioritize patients, uses secure web

forms and database that holds this sensitive information, and has resources in place to obtain patient consent to share information with health providers

The information in this list is regularly checked and updated so we know we can depend in its reliability. It also allows patients to indicate Bowen Island as their preferred location.

This is the best, most reliable and efficient way for us to manage people’s interest, ensure fairness and protect people’s information privacy.

You may be currently on another waiting list on Bowen; however, as a new clinic, we cannot use those lists due to privacy and patient consent concerns

If you are already on the GP Link list and did not indicate you were seeking a Bowen Island family practitioner at the time of registration, you need to update your information by contacting patient services at the North Shore Division of Family Practice by emailing: patientservices@nsdivision.ca

The vision of the BICHC is to create supportive group of health professionals committed to long-term patient care As a result, the priority is to encourage people to attach to a family practitioner However, we will retain some capacity for people on Bowen who, regardless of attachment to the BICHC, require the immediate attention of a physician or nurse practitioner Patients will still need to call 911 for emergencies

A pair of very special people (both to this newspaper/island, and myself personally) made a visit to Bowen over the weekend Anyone familiar with the Undercurrent needs no introduction to Bronwyn Beairsto and Martha Perkins, who each expertly steered this paper for many years prior to my arrival Bronwyn of course is still on top of the journalism game as editor of our sister paper the Coast Reporter on the Sunshine Coast, and Martha is always off on a new adventure

The three of us actually go back many years prior to my arrival, when Bronwyn and I were - while still in school at Carleton - interns at the (sadly, now defunct) Vancouver Courier Martha was our Editor, and taught us many skills, both in life and work, that we still carry with us today It was a wonderful summer experience, and, after bouncing around this big country for awhile, fate brought us back together three years later when this position came open It’s no exaggeration to say that their kindness and guidance in my first month especially, but also many days since, is the reason I’m still in the role today, and I’m so glad that I am I couldn’t ask for better friends and mentors to navigate this journey with (A big thank you to Murray Atherton for capturing the visit!)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Undercurrent Editor Meet-Up Tunstall Bay Community Meeting

JUDITH GEDYE Bowen Island Municipality Councillor

In marked contrast to sitting in a circle and having a discussion, the Tunstall Bay clubhouse had couches along one wall where 6 councillors were lined up underneath a projection screen that showed a map with 5 different access routes to Cape

Roger Curtis. On the other side of the room were 4 rows of folding chairs with 40 people facing council.

People also packed the stairs & stood shoulder to shoulder along the pony walls. The room was full and felt anxious. This meeting was held in the context of what everyone knew was a barrage of letter writing and constant interruptions at every opportunity in the shops

and parking lots.

There was no stated goal other than to have an “opportunity to speak ‘to’ council” . There was no agenda and discussion topics ranged widely. Some of the many people who spoke had appeared as a delegation to council the previous Monday. Their submissions were repeated with vigour, and applause.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

THE WRITE STUFF. The Undercurrent encourages reader participation in your community newspaper You must include your full name and a daytime phone number (for verification only). The editor reserves the right to edit for clarity, legality, brevity and taste. Please limit to under 500 words HERE’S HOW: To submit a letter to the editor, fax 604-947-0148 or mail it to #102, 495 Bowen Island Trunk Road, PO Box 130, Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G0 or email editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com

#102–495

EDITOR Alex Kurial editor@bowenisland

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Ron Woodall

VIEWPOINTS

An Unfortunate End, For Now...

With much regret, the board of directors of Snug Cove House Society has to inform fellow islanders that its effort to create a supportive residence for island seniors has failed, at least for the foreseeable future

The just completed sub-contractors’ tender process put the total cost of construction at $22 2 million, a full $4 2 million higher than the $18 million Class C estimate of just a year ago That estimate was prepared by an experienced and reputable general contractor and was expected to hold firm

It had already calculated for continuing inflation and the higher costs of building on an island. But it did not include a dramatic rise in heating and cooling equipment prices and earth-moving costs, and did not predict current conditions for island work The construction industry is working close to capacity at the moment, and lower mainland suppliers are uninterested in the risks of sending their skilled labour to an island with erratic ferry service

The Society cannot hope to raise any-

thing close to $4.2 million, and it’s clear that there’s no opportunity for viable and meaningful cost-cutting measures It is assessing next steps

Meanwhile it must surrender the $12.2 million mortgage it had secured, and not ask the 178 island households and institutions that pledged $339,475 to turn their promises into actual donations

Thanks to each and every one of you for your wonderfully generous intentions (And Cates Pharmacy for so patiently handling the pledge forms ) And thanks to our municipality for the support and staff expertise it has dedicated to the cause over the years

- With gratitude, the board of directors of Snug Cove House Society Martine Sampath, Pernille Nielsen, Cindy Macleod, Graham Ritchie, Rev Lorraine Ashdown, Holly Mackintosh, Andy Powell-Williams, Sheilagh Sparks

Readers ask for a vote

Surely it is appropriate to hold a referendum on whether camping sites should be allowed at Cape Roger Curtis

There are many wonderful camping sites all over the B.C mainland; an island presents special problems Not least of which is fire How the basic safety of humans and others on the island would be managed in case of fire has not been addressed. Optimistic assumptions that some-

how it would all work out fine do not add up to a concrete plan Congested ferry traffic, already a serious problem, has not been addressed.

Show us concrete plans and hold a referendum Democracy asks no less

- Paul & Patricia Churchland

Dock Decision: Another Perspective

Thank you to all who took part in the fouryear discussion of my family’s future dock It is west of Ecclestone Road allowance on the north shore of Kwilákm/Mannion Bay. It has been mentioned in the press recently after the decision of the Province to grant tenure to the dock application.

We were humbled by the immense care that Bowen council members in 2020 and 2021 took with our application and public input They studied the site firsthand, some several times, before voting 6–1 in favour of our proposal.

We were glad that supporters and opponents share some common values They include appropriate development, public access to beaches, and ecological sensitivity.

Bowen’s bylaws (4.13.1) and Official Community Plan (pp. 28-29) guide appropriate development. They apply to private moorage, and our dock complies. It is less than the 40 metre length limit and on a shoreline with many docks that have been in operation for decades. It contrasts with Cape Roger Curtis docks, 112—157 m long and on previously undocked coastline.

Regarding access to beaches, fear was

expressed by some neighbours that the pocket beach near Ecclestone on Kwilákm/ Mannion Bay will be gone when our dock is built Quite the contrary! We obtained a development permit in order to keep our dock close to the east property line, away from the pocket beach on the west side We also provided—in perpetuity— formal legal land access to the little beach, which previously only had legal water access This rocky beach does share the shore with our dock, which is largely on bedrock, but the neighbours’ dock is near ours, already in the same sight lines from a beachgoer’s vantage point

The civic discourse about our dock led to project modifications that affirm the values we mutually agree on Those values include the most ecological dock materials and practices currently available.

At times throughout our application process, opposing voices expressed inaccurate information, which we hope this letter helps to clear up. Our intention as Bowen Islanders with all of you is to build on respectful engagement as good neighbours.

- Tim Klauke

REEVES, Margaret Primrose

May 9, 1942 - May 12, 2023

Born in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia to Ronald and Helen Dickie, Margaret was the fourth of five siblings (Robert, Paul, Ralph and Jeannie). She married Donovan Reeves (1937-2017) and is survived by sons Jordan (Jennifer Joubert) and Bentley (Dawn Newton) and grandchildren Noah, Cameron, Isaac, Gemma and Robin.

School teacher, mother and passionate gourmet cook, Marg was an adventurer-entrepreneur at heart. With Don, she travelled Europe, North Africa and the Middle East in her youth, hiked the West Coast Trail, sailed to Alaska, remodelled houses in Canada and New Zealand, and worked in Malaysia. Together they turned a summer cabin full of memories on Bowen Island into an architectural dream.

After overcoming cancer and becoming a heart transplant recipient in 2008, Marg died suddenly on May 12 in West Vancouver at the age of 81. Family and friends celebrate a life that showed us all what is possible.

VIEWS Conversations, and more, atTunstall Bay

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

If the goal was for council to witness the fears, frustrations, anger and your community spirit, we did that

There are a variety of ways of dealing with fear and frustration. Personally, I don’t find either aggressive demands or repetition help with complex problem-solving Regardless, we were polite and patient, sympathetic and tolerant Nevertheless, many wanted commitments and promises None of us are in any position to know either what the community wants or what can be delivered. My analysis here is specific to the topics of this meeting but examining the process would also help any future community meetings.

WHAT DID WE LEARN? WHAT CHANGED? HOW

150th

DID WE HELP EACH OTHER? Six councillors and about 60 people representing a neighbourhood of 150 homes met for 2 5 hours on a beautiful, sunny, spring Saturday (May 13) Those are significant numbers Could the time have been time better spent? I think so. I wanted much more local knowledge. We are outmatched by Metro’s resources and we need more (and more reliable) information to work with RE: traffic: I wanted to hear from people who had walked the 5 alternative routes and were able to tell me about gradients, potential engineering problems or environmental significance, and green house gas emissions for each route I wanted to hear more about traffic calming: had anyone

anniversary

of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with a special dinner for our constabulary and their families on Friday, May 26

Please join us as we celebrate this milestone in our community

Roast Beef/yorkshire pudding, with sides of roast potatoes gravy, veg from legion volunteers and a celebratory cake from Shura Keith!

Tickets $20, available the next 2 Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Legion or etransfer rcl150treasurer@gmail.com. Members and guests welcome -1267 Scarborough Road.

CALL TO ARTISTS

researched speed bumps, their cost and challenges, or ideas for painting notices or illusions on the pavement

What’s your tolerance for signs? Has the RCMP been asked about increased speed limit enforcement? Would a portion of the Multi-Use Path be helpful? What about parking lots - size and locations? More paving or will existing blasted rock building sites suffice? If none, what are alternatives? Baseline traffic patterns and ideas for measuring numbers of on and off-island visitors to CRC

No-one on council lives on Whitesails, but the same concerns, in differing degrees, are island wide Speeding, parking on travelled portions, entire road surfaces treated like sidewalks or bike trails - too many lookiloos or rally drivers It seems to me a given that whatever happens, Whitesails can never be a cul-de-sac again. In the past, when alternative routes were discussed, neighbourhood protection was ignored That’s an important lesson, but we now need to figure out the costs and benefits of several traffic mitigation ideas

How much does an alternative road cost to build? What if building a road meant there was no budget for a robust bus or shuttle service? Would pedestrians and bicyclists be protected with curbs regardless of alternative vehicle access? What are the priorities for this community? This is not an exhaustive list, but I wish we had spent time on any of it

Re: Fire Every single person living on this island should have an existential fear of fire Assuming Metro keeps the property, at the very least as a “passive park” with trails and some signs,

and that now, there is not a speck of fire protection on the public parts of the Cape, what is both a minimum and a best case demand for fire protection for CRC? Would another water tower like the recent addition to Tunstall’s system be sufficient? Should all park staff be trained professional firefighters first and nature guides second? Would a fully loaded emergency trailer on site be a prerequisite?

What data do we have about wells on CRC? What water supplies are needed for adequate fire protection? If water is available to visitors, how is volume of use controlled?

What other amenities should be provided? No pit toilets, possibly compostable ones, or are tertiary septic systems, assuming there is water, necessary? What about garbage? Should there be off-leash or off-limit dog areas?

Tunstall is closest to CRC therefore this development proposal is nearer to your hearts and minds, but the concerns are shared islandwide, even by the strongest supporters It is not a matter of convincing anyone of the risks However, the time and energy could be far better spent.

Simply sharing your angst is mostly distressing My whole working life I have listened to fears and frustrations but that work is enervating unless it is turned into creative energy and problem-solving. If we can move the discussion from talk/listen to research/ report/ listen, we will all be so much better off Bowen Island council and staff are out-resourced by Metro and we need all the help, and support, we can get Ask not what your council can do for you, but what you can do for your council.

Thank you for your support of local journalism now and always.

12 sailings cancelled Saturday

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

But in spite of the uncertainty, there was no shortage of groups or individuals who stepped up to help manage the situation Public works staff and ferry marshal Peter King were among people performing traffic control, as many visitors who hadn’t heard the news continued to enter the ferry lineup to board a vessel that was not coming Tourism Bowen Island helped inform pedestrian traffic of the development, and all three officers of the Bowen Island RCMP were on scene to help coordinate lineups for the water taxis, and hand out water bottles to people working and waiting in the heat

There were also many people who opened up their homes to anyone left on the island, including Camp Bowen, where the effort was coordinated by Alex Jurgensen, and several private residences Leonard says this speaks to the island’s community spirit, even during a difficult situation.

“When people are trapped on the island and they need shelter and they need a place to stay for the night, we have this comefrom-away moment where people step up and take people in. Camp Bowen took in 32 people, people had folks in their bedrooms, people were checking on those that were stranded and sleeping in their cars to see if they wanted shelter… I think our community really stepped up and demonstrated its care to the residents of the region who were trapped here,” says Leonard.

Following the incident Leonard spoke with the CEO of BC Ferries, Nicolas Jimenez, earlier this week The mayor said Jimenez offered a genuine apology for what happened, and the pair proceeded to discuss possible solutions for avoiding more mass sailing cancellations in the future These included a visitor surcharge, assured loading for Bowen residents, upgrades to the Snug Cove terminal, and also increased participation on the issue from Metro Vancouver and Translink, particularly given the former’s current proposal to build a regional park on

the island.

“Given that we are being increasingly seen as a regional amenity, whether it’s passenger service or water taxi service or something else, something that will help ensure the reliability of service as well as the liveability of our residents to access the mainland and be able to return on a regular basis,” said the mayor of what’d he’d like to see from the regional bodies

“In many respects given the proximity (to Vancouver), given the commuter culture, given the need to access amenities, medical appointments, sports, grocery stores, the ferry really is public transit,” he added.

Leonard says the Bowen ferry really acts like a highway system, and the cancellation of sailings is comparable to a highway being washed out “It caused a whole lot of stress and ultimately led to people sleeping in their cars, people seeking shelter at Camp Bowen, people seeking last minute Airbnb accommodations, which is just exceedingly challenging for an island with a small infrastructure like ours, ” said Leonard.

The Victoria Day weekend was the first of several summer long weekends which are expected to bring large numbers of visitors to Bowen, in addition to general increased summer ferry traffic itself Leonard says the events of last weekend will weigh on Islanders moving forward.

“I know that it cannot become the new normal, because it’s happened twice already in the last few months and it’s been really, really challenging That said, I don’t have optimism I feel it’s anxiety provoking, and I feel like it’s going to leave myself and the residents of the island to feel like we’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop What’s going to happen during the next long weekend, and what’s going to happen during the busy summer weekends?”

“How much longer do we have to deal with these ferry issues before we see investment and commitment from BC Ferries and from the province ensuring reliability for our ferry service to the island?” says Leonard.

The lineup for water taxis was routinely backed up wellpastSnug Cove Dock on Saturday / Alex Kurial photo

BowenIsland CommunityDrop-in

Deliveringthebestservicetocoastalcommunities,meansknowingwhatis importanttothosewholive,workandplayinthemeachday Dropbyour openhouseandchatwithourteamaboutthetopicsmostimportanttoyou!

Date: Saturday,June3,2023

Time: 1:00pm-3:00pm

Location: BowenIslandCommunitySchool,1041MtGardnerRoad

AFerryAdvisoryCommitteeMeetingwillbeheldpriortothecommunity drop-in. Publicarewelcometoattend PleasecontactFACchair, TylerDavenportatbowenfac@gmail.comorFACinfo@bcferries.com formoredetails

Helpshapetheconversation: Visitbcferriesprojects.com/bowen-islandandshareyourcomments, questionsandideaswithus.

Formoreinformation,contact: engagement@bcferries.com

ScantheQRcodetolearnmore

bcferries.com RIVER

This sweet girl has been coming in weekly for quick check ups and loves to jump on the scale for some treats.

Side Note: During the hot weather travel with your pets in the car in the morning or evening only and have water on hand for them. Signs of heatstroke are heavy panting, excessive drooling, drowsiness and signs of vomiting.

Debut poetry book for Bowen writer

ALEX KURIAL

Editor

You probably won’t find a book similar to Safety Razor while you’re searching for your next read – that’s because author Emily Osborne is one of only a few people in the world capable of compiling the translations found within its pages.

Osborne’s new book combines her own poetry, in common English, with translations of poems in Old Norse Icelandic, a language of runes It’s also a language whose era ended long ago, its mannerisms and secrets now kept alive by writers and academics like Osborne

Hailing from London, Ontario, Emily’s passion for language began in university where she completed an undergraduate degree in English Literature Her next stop was Cambridge University in England where she achieved a Masters degree in Old English Literature, capping it all off with a PhD in Norse Literature – a genre Emily says she was immediately fascinated by.

Osborne began to envision her book even before moving to Bowen, where she’s now lived for four years with her husband and two sons She’s written poems since she was a young child, but explained finding time to pursue passions while working in academia – Osborne accepted a post doctorate position at the University of British Columbia after earning her PhD – can be difficult

“When I was doing my PhD and post doc it’s really hard to have your critical and creative faculties coexisting. Writing criticism on poetry and then actually writing it at the same time just didn’t really work,” she says.

So Emily decided to shift to a focus on creative writing. She was bolstered in part by a 2018 talk at the Vancouver Public Library for the Dead Poets Reading Series, where she read the works of 10th century Icelandic poet Egill Skallagrímsson. A local book seller in the audience came up to Osborne after and said she should write a book of translations, as people would often ask for more Viking and Scandinavian reading material.

And while working on both her own poems and translations of Old Norse Skaldic poets, her publisher proposed combining them into the same book Osborne says she was intrigued by the idea, which came with many new questions

“It was an interesting experience to think about twinning these poems from 1,000 years ago with my own poetry. How does that work? How do they speak to each other thematically, and even with poetic devices – how do their metaphors speak to each other? And how does the language speak to each other?” were some of her thoughts

One of the unique aspects of Skaldic verse, and part of the reason it’s nearly untranslatable today, is the use of kennings, or compound metaphors, to describe objects or ideas Osborne explains that a sword is not just a sword, it’s ‘the light of battle’ . The kennings can be multi-layered too, so if a battle is a ‘storm of shields’ , a sword then becomes ‘the light of the storm of shields’ .

“It’s pretty cool, and in order to actually understand the poetry you have to have a knowledge of this embedded system of metaphors And because the language was inflected and had specific endings for whatever form a word was in, word order is not very important,” explains Osborne

To add an extra layer of complexity, the metaphors are not always grouped directly together in the verse They can begin in the first line of a stanza, and not conclude until the fourth line Osborne says that decoding the kennings is like piecing together a puzzle, with the answer not always obvious at first glance

“One of the reasons why they did it that way is because there’s very strict metrical and internal rhyme systems So if you have flexibility in your word order you can meet the metrical demands,” she says of the Skaldic structure “One of the things that’s amazing to me is that an 11th century Icelander would hear this and be able to unpack it in their mind and understand it”

While translating the ancient material was one part of Safety Razor’s construction, finding the right order for the mix of old and new poems was another. “Probably the most challenging was just organizing the poems. I had a completely different organization when I submitted it to the editor I think everyone sees different themes and different priorities when they read a book He suggested a totally different ordering, and then he suggested putting in the Old Norse translations so that caused another reordering,” says Emily.

The book settled on three distinctive sections, beginning with stories from Emily’s childhood and growing up, shifting to an art history focus in the middle (including dinosaurs

and the famed Jumbo the Elephant), and concluding with stories of her family and imagined journey into old age and the future

As for the title, Osborne says the themes in both her work and the Skaldic bards informed the choice “Safety versus danger Innocence versus experience Naivety versus science and academics I was thinking of all this and the term ‘Safety Razor’ jumped to mind,” she says, adding she knew it was the “perfect title for the collection.”

“It matches imagery in the book of cutting and sharp things, and injuries And not always physical injuries, but also emotional injuries and childhood trauma in the collection,” says Osborne. A poem about losing a family member, for example, is carefully paired with an Old Norse translation of a woman mourning the passing of her brother. Along with a matching theme, Emily employed similar imagery for the paring too

Osborne’s book is now available locally at the Hearth Gallery, and in mainland book stores and online Inspired by her first publication, she’s now working on a larger book translating the works of many Skaldic poets

Emily says ultimately, she wants to make her translations engaging and meaningful for readers “Most of the translations that exist are academic translations, and they’re entirely unreadable for anyone who’s interested in the poetry.”

“It becomes trying to think about how to communicate all of this cultural knowledge and mythology without completely doing away with that mystery of the verse, ” she says of her writing goal.

Bowen poet Emily Osborne is the author of Safety Razor / Candice Kabantsov & Alex Kurial photos

BookFest turns the page

Another successful BookFest took place at Bowen Island Community School over the long weekend thanks to the efforts of the Friends of the Bowen Island Library The Friends are now looking for a new home to store their books for the year ahead in order to keep the popular annual event going But if it was their last ride, BookFest has delivered countless hours of joy to all readers on the island. / Alex Kurial photo

Meadowbrook Market hosted a Makers Market on Sunday, featuring live music and more than 20 vendors including Kyle De Connick (right) with Anchorage Roasting Wendy Hackney (left) took home a bag of the beans. Chef Erik Miller (second left) prepared a roast pig, and was joined by Jeannette Langmann and Alastair Johnstone of the Bowen Cider House. / Basia Lieske photo

FINAL SCORES

Wednesday, May 17

Brewers (11) vs. Diggers (8)

Thursday, May 18

Twins (8) vs. Shakers (10)

Wednesday, May 24

Cruisers vs. Twins

UPCOMING GAMES (All starttimes6:30pm)

Thursday, May 25

Brewers vs. Shakers

Friday, May 26

Diggers vs. Firemen

Tuesday, May 30

Twins vs. Brewers

Wednesday, May 31

Shakers vs. Cruisers

Shakers returning to the win column - and first placeafter knocking off the Twins This week and next sees a return to the usual schedule as the league wraps up the final games of May.

- Reporting from Kat, Cheri, George, & Alex

Will Ander (#50) of the Twins patrols right field during last Thursday’s game against theShakers.TheTwinshadaslimleadgoingintothebottomofthe6thbutsomelate heroics by the Shakers courtesy of a 3-run home run lifted them to victory by a score of 10-8.The Shakers are currently in top spot as the only team with a record over .500 It was pretty quiet on the baseball front with just a few games since our last check-in due to the long weekend break Action included the Brewers keeping their hot streak going by beating another first place team in the Diggers, and the

CALENDAR

Friday, May 26

Special Legion Dinner for RCMP

May 23 is the 150th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Bowen Legion is honouring this event by holding a special dinner for our constabulary and their families on May 26 Don Cochrane and Rod Leroy are the Roast Beef/yorkshire pudding chefs, with sides of roast potatoes, gravy, veggies from other legion volunteers, and a celebratory cake from Shura Keith! Tickets $20 ,available the next two Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Legion, or e-transfer rcl150treasurer@gmail com. Members and guests welcome

Saturday, May 27

Multi-Family Garage Sale

From 10 am to 1:30 pm at Artisan and Roocroft Lane, specifically in the lawn area of Artisan Lane

Saturday, May 27

Pizza and Perennials

11 am to 5 pm at 499 Sunset Road. Shop the garden. Eat pizza. Listen to music.

Saturday, May 27

Author Talk at the Bowen Library

Rosella M. Leslie will be speaking on her new book, Losing Us: A Dementia Caregiver’s Journey. Hailing from the Sunshine Coast, Rosella Leslie presents on her candid, compassionate and sometimes humorous memoir about her heartbreaking struggles and triumphs as her husband’s primary caregiver Starts at 2 pm

Saturday, May 27

The Sixties Band at the Pub Fundraiser for the Bowen Island Community Foundation. Starts at 7 pm Dinner reservations available at bowenpub@gmail.com

Sunday, May 28

Celebration of Life for Jewal Maxwell

3 pm at the Bowen Lodge at 380 Cardena Road. In her honour there will be a musical tribute featuring a 14-piece swing band and other musical guests. Everyone is welcome.

Monday, May 29

Rotary Speaker Series

Artisan Eats Café, 539 Artisan Lane The Bowen public is invited. There is no charge Our guest speaker is Susan Redmond from the Bowen Island Recycling Depot (BIRD) speaking about the value of BIRD on Bowen. As part of Rotary’s vocational focus, Susan will describe her career change from a professional librarian to the Coordinator of the B.I. Refundables at BIRD and why she LOVES this job We will also hear about the history of BIRD, why it is unique, and how it has become a huge benefit to so many Bowen Island organizations Doors open about 7 pm and the meeting starts at 7:30. We plan to conclude by 9 pm

Saturday, June 3

Mini Pride Parade and Crafting at the Library

Come craft a mini float or flag at 1 pm, then at 2 pm we’ll parade them around the library and have a Pride Season kickoff celebration with snacks provided by the General Store & the Ruddy Potato All ages/families/everyone welcome/drop-in. Presented by the Library & our Teen Advisory Group More info at bipl.link/pride

June 10-11

Long Table Dinner at Endswell Farm

Two seatings each day at 3 and 7:30 pm 9-course Farm to table tasting menu along with natural wine pairing Hosted by seeyousoon’s renowned chefs Keith, Michael and Kevin. Tickets available online at Eventbrite.

Saturday, June 10

Summer Social Tea with SKY

Seniors Keeping Young host a Summer Social Tea at the Bowen Island Museum & Archives. Music and refreshments from 1 to 4 pm. See ad on Page 6 for more information.

TUESDAYS

Babytime at the Library

A free, 1/2 hr drop-in program of songs, books, and rhymes for babies 0-18 months and their caregivers! 11:30 am Runs to June 27.

Legion Tuesdays - New!

The Legion is giving a trial run to Tuesday openings from 4:30 to 6:30 pm This day will be 19+ entry, come enjoy our FREE pool, shuffleboard, foosball and weather permitting, cornhole games See Thursday entry too

WEDNESDAYS

Storytime at the Library

10:30 to 11 am A free drop-in program of stories and songs for 2-4 year-olds and their caregivers! Runs to June 14

Bowen Bridge

We meet from 1:30 to 4:30 pm at Bowen Court on Wednesdays Fee is $6 per person per session Your place at the table must be arranged - by email - no later than 6 pm on the Monday before To make your booking or to seek more information, please email bowcates@yahoo ca We look forward to seeing you

THURSDAYS

SKY Writing Workshops on Zoom with Diana Jewel

Attend as many as you wish but space is limited so RSVP to SKYonBowen@outlook.com Every Thursday from 1 to 2 pm, until June 8.

Thursday Art Group

The Thursday Art Group (TAG) meets every Thursday at Collins Hall from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm to create, paint, sketch and enjoy meeting like minded souls. If you think this group might be for you, pop by and see what we are all about.

Legion Thursdays - New!

“Open to minors with parental supervision” day. There will be a limited menu for sale to allow this under our license The pool and shuffleboard tables must be supervised by a parent (this is not a daycare). Weather permitting, basketball, cornhole and hockey fun outside See Tuesday