friday May 6, 2011 V o l . 3 8 , no . 1 3
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Watch for more online at: WwW.bowenislandundercurrent.COM
Election night coverage
Only polls that Tory candidate didn’t win were on Bowen Island
Love of reading
BICS library is raising money to stock shelves with books and resources
Happy 30th
There was a joyous mood as library celebrated pearl anniversary
Park vote likely delayed
Best in BC Undercurrent judged #1 in BC, second in Canada
T
candidates’ meeting, and a non-stop election campaign, he said a big part of his job was to listen to what other people were saying.
he Bowen Island Undercurrent has been named British Columbia’s best community newspaper in its circulation category. That first-place finish was just one of eight awards that the paper’s staff picked up at the weekend’s British Columbia Yukon Community Newspaper Association and Canadian Community Newspaper Association’s annual newspaper competitions. The Undercurrent also came second as the best all-round newspaper in Canada in its circulation category and Slow Lane columnist Marcus Hondro won the coveted best columnist award, open to all community newspaper columnists across the country. The BCYNA judge said “Stories in [the Undercurrent] are well written, informative and relevant to the small, specialized community. The range of content and amount of information given for the size of publication is very impressive, as is the quality of photography, design and layout. The easy-to-read, organization and good variation of content make it one of the best and well-rounded community newspapers I’ve seen in years.” Ironically, the North Thompson Times, which came second to the Undercurrent in the provincial competition, won top honours at the national level, with the
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SUSANNE MARTIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
B
owen residents will likely get more time to make up their minds about the national park. The community opinion vote about whether council should continue exploring the possibility of creating a national park reserve on Bowen had been scheduled for June 25. It may be postponed now that Parks Canada has announced that its revised park concept won’t be ready to be presented to the public until the end of June. Council will be discussing the implications of the delay at the May 9 council meeting. One suggestion, Councillor Nerys Poole said, is to hold the community opinion vote at the same time as the municipal elections in November. Parks Canada had initially planned to present the revised park concept in mid-May. It announced this week that it has to reschedule the open house because more time is required for internal and provincial reviews of the revised park concept as well as the completion of an independent social assessment of some of the impacts a national park could have for the Bowen Island community. As a third reason, Parks Canada cited the ongoing consultation with First Nations. continued, PAGE 7
A pearl of a party: Betty Dhont joins the celebration at the Bowen Island Library on Sunday. The library threw itself a festive New Orleans-themed party in honour of its 30-year anniversary. There was food, music, a Maypole celebration, bubbles and a whole lot of community spirit. More photos on page 12. Photo by Susanne Martin
The morning after interview: MP Weston MARTHA PERKINS E d itor
J
ohn Weston spent the past six weeks talking about his party’s platform but for him, it was the listening that
really mattered. “There is so much to be learned,” he said in a telephone interview the morning after he became a member of a majority Conservative government. With eight opponents, 10 all-