Friday, January 23, 2015

75¢ including GST

FRIDAY JANUARY 23 2015

V O L . 4 2 , N O . 0 3

Watch for more online at: WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

MERIBETH DEENE D I T O R

Linda Hurlburt says that when she and her husband bought their waterfront property on Mannion Bay in 1990, they were sure they had found the most beautiful spot on Bowen Island. The Bay was virtually empty in winter she says, and in fact, she did not think it was possible for a boat to remain moored there through the winter with the cutting South East winds. However since moving back to their home a year ago after a

decade of being back and forth, Hurleburt says Mannion Bay is a problem area. Like other waterfront property owners in the area, she says she’s getting impatient to see some effective solutions to prevent the long-term stay of vessels that are often uncared for, and often end up either on the beach or at the bottom of the bay.

Looking out off her balcony, Hurlburt points out different boats and how long they’ve been there, or to spots where boats used to be, and tells stories about sinkings and boats washed ashore.

“Just before the election, I looked out and a large, mast-less boat called the Barra, which had been there for a long time, was suddenly gone,” Hurlburt says. “On November 17, I watched a small sailboat sink right in front of my neighbour’s house. It had belonged to them, but it seems they traded it to their roofer so when I called them to say it was sinking, they told me it wasn’t theirs any more. Then, last Friday I saw the Helen Kate, a 32 foot boat, drifting across the Bay. Now all you can see of it is the mast, sticking out right in front of Bruce Russell’s place.”

More on the MeadowThe pros and cons of the plan

Gone bustIsland businesses lose dollars with failure of large construction company

A year in donationsKnick Knack Nook tallies up what’s been given away in 2014

Members of the BICS Jump Club brush up on their skipping skills in preparation for the annual Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser, coming up in February. Meribeth Deen, photo

As winter storms sink boats, Friends of Mannion Bay await progress on Bay management plan

continued, PAGE 8

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Members requested for theBIM Economic Development Committee (EDC)

Bowen Island Municipal Council is requesting applications from members of thepublic interested in joining the Bowen Island Municipal Economic DevelopmentCommittee (EDC).

The Committee provides advice to Council on policies and strategic initiatives thatwill further enhance Bowen Island as an ideal business and investment location.Please visit the Committee’s page on the BIM website for more information,including the Terms of Reference:http://bowenisland.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentDisplay.aspx?Id=27837

Those interested in sitting on EDC are asked to fill out an application form:http://bowenisland.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentDisplay.aspx?Id=37770

Please submit your completed application via email, fax or regular mailby Monday, February 2, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. to:

Hope Dallas, Committee ClerkBowen Island Municipality981 Artisan LaneBowen Island, BC V0N 1G2

EMAIL: [email protected]: www.bimbc.ca

PHONE: 604-947-4255FAX: 604-947-0193

INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE

2014-18 BOWEN ISLAND MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

You are invited to attend the Inaugural Council Meeting, to be held:

Monday, December 1st, 20147:15 p.m.

Location: Cates Hill Chapel, 661 Carter Road

The agenda for the Inaugural Meeting will be postedon the Bowen Island Municipal website at www.bimbc.ca

the week prior to the event.

We hope to see you there!

For information, call 604-947-4255

Full-time Utility Operator Position

Bowen Island Municipality seeks a qualified Utility Operator. Working in the Public WorksDepartment, the successful applicant will be required to work on the maintenance, repair andoperation of municipal water and sewer systems and facilities including the investigation andresolution of trouble calls and emergencies. The individual will also assist in labouring tasksassociated with the maintenance of roads, docks, trails, parks and buildings.

The applicant should have considerable experience in the maintenance, repair and installationof water and sewer facilities and systems, or an equivalent combination of training andexperience. Certification of BCWWA Small Water Systems is desirable; however, if the individualdoes not hold the certification, they must be willing to complete it within the first six months ofemployment.

This is a permanent full-time position working 35 hour/week. Days of work will includeweekends and will interchange with the other Utility Operators. Additional work will berequired outside of regular hours, including nights, to respond to emergencies.

Please submit your covering letter and resume via e-mail, fax or mail byFriday, January 30, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. to:

Christine Walker, Human Resources ManagerBowen Island Municipality981 Artisan LaneBowen Island, BC V0N 1G2

FAX: 604-947-0193EMAIL: [email protected]: www.bimbc.ca

Temporary Full-time Administrative Assistant

Bowen Island Municipality seeks a qualified temporary full-timeAdministrative Assistant. This is a 35 hour/week position coveringregular office hours Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm.The individual will be required to provide information andassistance in a courteous manner to the public on general mattersrelating to the Municipality, and perform reception and secretarialduties. As well, the individual will provide assistance with agendapreparation, cashier duties and other administrative tasks asrequired.

The applicant should have a strong administrative background,have excellent computer skills using MS Word and Excel, andhave the ability to work with limited supervision.

This is a temporary full-time position through to July 3, 2015.We thank all applicants, but advise that only those selected for aninterview will be contacted.

Please submit your covering letter and resume via e-mail, fax ormail by Monday, February 2, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. to

Christine Walker, Human Resources ManagerBowen Island Municipality981 Artisan LaneBowen Island, BC V0N 1G2

FAX: 604-947-0193EMAIL: [email protected]: www.bimbc.ca

For information call 604-947-4255

Bowen Island MunicipalityDrinking Water and Persons who are Immunocompromised

The Provincial Health Officer advises all British Columbianswith compromised immune systems (such as HIV, organ or bonetransplants, chemotherapy or medications that suppress the immunesystem) to avoid drinking water from any surface water or groundwater that is under the influence of surface water, unless it has beenboiled, filtered ,distilled or treated with UV. Bowen Island and otherareas in British Columbia use surface water sources (lakes, rivers,streams).This is not a general boil-water advisory forthe general public, but rather is directed only at persons withcompromised immune systems. If in doubt about your immune system

status, please discuss this further with your physician.For additional information refer to health file

http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthfiles/hfile56.stmor contact your physician directly.

BOWEN ISLAND COMMUNITY GRANTSand

GRANTS-IN-AIDAPPLICATION DEADLINE 2015

Deadline for ApplicationsJanuary 31, 2015

Applications for the 2015 Community Grant and Grant-in-Aid Program will beaccepted until January 31, 2015.

Application forms and information about Evaluation Criteria, CommunityGrants and Grant-in-Aid Policies can be found on our website at:http://bowenisland.civicwebcms.com/content/policiesor in person at Municipal Hall. Contact Municipal Hall at 604-947-4255 forfurther information, or in person at:

Bowen Island Municipality981 Artisan LaneBowen Island, BC V0N 1G0Fax: 604-947-0193

Bowen Island Municipality

WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM FRIDAY JANUARY 23 2015 • 3

WOOD

BIM COMMUNITY REC


On Friday, January 9th, Bowen Islanders work-ing for Wakefield Construction Inc. were informed that their employer was headed for receivership. On Tuesday of this week, a formal bankruptcy hearing was held, according to insolvency consultants Boale, Wood & Company. Also this week, the same com-pany released a list of all the outstanding debts owed by Wakefield Construction.

In total, the company owes more than $6 mil-lion. On Bowen, Wakefield Construction owes more than $400,000. Among the Bowen Island compa-nies owed money are Artisan Office Services, Black Bear Transport, Blomberg Building Group, Bowen

Bay Plumbing and Heating, and the Bowen Building Centre.

The letter that accompanies the list of creditors explains that Wakefield is required to formulate and file a “Proposal” to its creditors within 30 days or apply to Court to extend that period. In the “Notice of Intention” (to make a proposal) “no creditor shall have any remedy against the debtor or his property or shall commence or continue any action, execution or other proceedings for the recovery of a claim.”

Employees are also owed money for the final pay period prior to January 9th.

According to a letter sent by Boale, Wood & Company, these employees are entitled to the federal Wage Earner Protection Program, which will re-imburse them with up to $3,600 in lost wages.

Bowen businesses take a hit with bankrupcy of Wakefield Construction Inc.

CST. BRIAN MULROONEYS U B M I S S I O N

Sometime between the afternoon of Sunday January 18 and the following morning an unknown person took an Irish Terrier from the area of Arbutus Lane. The dog was found abandoned and uninjured in a dog crate in Stanley Park. The dog’s collar and tags were removed by the suspect, likely to hinder attempts at finding the owner. Bowen Island RCMP are investigating this theft. If you have any informa-tion, please call Bowen Island RCMP at 947-0516. Please quote file number 2015-29.

* * * * * * The Bowen Island RCMP have received a few

reports concerning motorists not yielding to emer-gency vehicles with their emergency lights activated. Police would like to remind motorists to yield to emergency vehicles including police, fire, ambulance, and tow trucks. The law requires vehicles to slow to 40 km/h when passing emergency vehicles any time the speed limit is below 80 km/h. Due to the speed limits and narrow roads on Bowen Island, common sense dictates that motorists may need to pass at below 40 km/h or in some instances stop and use the oncoming lane when safe to do so. Drivers failing to yield to emergency vehicles are subject to a $173 fine.

RCMP update: dog-napping and passing the ambulance

HANS BEHMS U B M I S S I O N

On January 15th, an interesting group of people came to The Gallery for a discussion of Community as

a philosophical concept, applied to Bowen Island.

Gustaaf Tasseron lead the explora-tion of questions:

What is Community?

continued, PAGE 8

What is community

Woodfibre LNG Limited (WLNG, or Proponent) is proposing the development and operation of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facility and floating LNG storage at the former Woodfibre Pulp and Paper Mill site (Project site) near Squamish, British Columbia (BC).

The Woodfibre LNG Project (Project) comprises construction and operation of a gas processing and liquefaction facility to produce approximately 2.1 million metric tonnes per annum of LNG, associated storage capacity of 250,000 m3, and export infrastructure.

The proposed Project is subject to review under British Columbia’s Environmental Assessment Act and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.

The Proponent has now submitted its application (Application) to obtain an Environmental Assessment Certificate.

In order to provide information to the public about the Application, and to receive comments from the public, the Environmental Assessment Office of British Columbia (EAO) invites the public to attend an Open House. Open Houses are scheduled as follows:

SQUAMISHWednesday, January 28, 20154:00 pm to 8:00 pmCN Roundhouse & Convention Centre 39645 Government Road, Squamish

DISTRICT OF WEST VANCOUVERThursday, January 29, 20155:00 pm to 9:00 pmCaulfeild Elementary School 4685 Keith Road, West Vancouver

BOWEN ISLANDFriday, January 30, 20154:00 pm to 8:00 pmBowen Island Community School 1041 Mt. Gardner Road, Bowen Island

Environmental Assessment of the Proposed Woodfibre LNG Project, Squamish, BC

Open House and Invitation to Comment

The intention of seeking public comments is to ensure that all potential effects —environmental, social, heritage and health — that might result from the proposed Project are identified for consideration as part of the assessment process.

There are 45 days for the submission of comments by the public in relation to the Application. The comment period will begin on January 22, 2015 and end on March 9, 2015. All comments received during this comment period will be considered.

EAO accepts public comments through the following ways:

By Online Form: http://www.eao.gov.bc.caBy Mail: Environmental Assessment Office PO Box 9426 Stn Prov Govt Victoria BC V8W 9V1By Fax: 250-387-0230

An electronic copy of the Application and information regarding the environmental assessment process will be available at www.eao.gov.bc.ca as of January 12, 2015. Copies of the Application will also be available for viewing at these locations:

• Woodfibre LNG Fortis BC Community Office, 38134 Cleveland Avenue, Squamish, BC• Squamish Public Library, 37907 2 Avenue, Squamish, BC• Squamish Municipal Hall, 37955 2 Avenue, Squamish, BC• Bowen Island Library, 430 Bowen Trunk Road, Bowen Island, BC• West Vancouver Memorial Library, 1950 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, BC• West Vancouver Municipal Hall, 750 17 Street, West Vancouver, BC

NOTE: All submissions received by EAO during the comment period in relation to the proposed Project are considered public and will be posted to the EAO website.

Spring and SummerDaycamp Leader Positions Available

Bowen Island Community Recreation has full and part time positionsavailable for Spring Break and Summer Staff. Positions include; but arenot limited to, Daycamps, Specialty Camps, and Playcare. Hours per weekand number of weeks will vary depending on the nature of the position.Weeks of work will occur March 9 – 13th and from mid-June throughlate August.The ideal candidates for these positions have previous experienceworkingwith groups of children, are enthusiastic and creative, able to work in ateam environment, enjoy participating in a large variety of activities, haveexcellent communication skills, and are highly organized. Lifeguardingcertification is an asset for some positions.

All applicants will be expected to participate in an interactiveGroup interview which will be held on

Friday February 6th from 10:30am – 1:30pm in BICS GYM.Please submit your covering letter and resume via e-mail, fax or mail

by noon on Wednesday February 4th , 2015 to:

Christine Walker, Human Resources ManagerBowen Island Municipality981 Artisan LaneBowen Island, BC V0N 1G2FAX: 604-947-0193EMAIL: [email protected]: www.bowencommunityrecreation.com

For information call 604-947-2216

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.

Here’s how.To submit a letter to the editor, fax 604-947-0148 or mail it to

#102, 495 Government Rd., PO Box 130, Bowen Island,

BC V0N 1G0 or email [email protected].

B.C. Press Council.The Undercurrent is a member

of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory

body governing the province’s newspaper industry. The council

considers complaints from the public about the conduct of

member newspapers. Directors oversee the mediation of

complaints, with input from both the newspaper and the

complaint holder. If talking with the editor or publisher does not

resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment,

you may contact the B.C. Press Council. Your written concern,

with documentation, should be sent to B.C. Press Council, 201 Selby St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2R2. For information, phone

1-888-687-2213 or go to www.bcpresscouncil.org.

viewpoint

Published by Bowen Island Undercurrent a division of LMP Publication Limited Partnership, #102 - 495 Government Rd. Bowen Island, B.C. V0N 1G0

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to concerns about the Pollinator Initiative in Crippen Park on Bowen Island. I’m a member of the Board of Directors of the Bowen Island Foundation and our Board has expressed interest in funding this initiative. I became concerned, however, when I began to see some opposition to this project, and claims from self-described local experts that the proposal was likely to produce negative environmental conse-quences and was to be situated in an inappropriate location.

But I do not have the expertise to be able to choose amongst these competing claims and so I sought the advice of two of my faculty colleagues at Simon Fraser, both with significant expertise in this realm. I provided them with a copy of the proposal, and a link to our local Forum, where both propo-nents and opponents of the project have voiced their views.

Mark Winston is a Professor of Biology and one of North America’s leading experts on pollina-tion. His achievements have been recognized by many awards: the British Columbia Gold Medal in Science and Engineering, Academic of the Year, and election as a Fellow in the Royal Society of Canada.

Here is his response,“As I read the proposal, the objective was not to

return a tiny portion of Bowen to its original habi-tat, but rather to promote understanding of the importance of pollination, awareness of wild bees (some of which are native), serve as a resource and inspiration for those interested in local food pro-duction… I think this is an excellent proposal that would add an important element to the park and provide many useful messages and experiences to visitors. I would support proceeding as planned, and perhaps rather than rejecting the opposition points use the project as a way to highlight this issue of what is native and is not as a component.”

Professor Gail Anderson’s major research inter-ests are in insect and other arthropod-borne dis-eases in man and animals, in particular the pest management aspects, and in forensic entomology, the use of insects in death investigation.. She has gained international recognition for her pioneering work in the field of medico-legal entomology Dr. Anderson is the only full-time forensic entomolo-gist in Canada.

Her response follows,“To me it seems a no brainer - increasing native

pollinators is always a great idea - we are all being encouraged to do this. If the proposal was to release

a bunch of non-natives it would be very different but this seems to just be a general improvement of an area and designed to attract and educate people and kids. As is mentioned repeatedly, this is hardly an old growth area - it was a farm and is now an abandoned farm so they wish to improve it and improve the park generally … I get the impression that there are a few people who feel very passion-ately about ‘no change’ which is sometimes good, but in this case, the area has already been ‘changed’ repeatedly and this seems an attempt to improve it and actually demonstrate the agricultural use the land was put to in the past as well as increase the general health of the areas by simply encouraging native pollinators and hence wildlflowers, berries etc, which will improve bird sites and animal forag-ing and generally make the place healthier.”

In sum, the best available evidence from those with relevant expertise suggests that this is a won-derful initiative and one that can now be strongly supported by Metro Vancouver.

Sincerely,Dr. Neil Boyd

A Balanced View of the Pollinator Initiative: What the Science Tells Us

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The undercurrent is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, art work

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Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Contributor

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Editor

MeribethDeen


PAULINE LE BELC O M M U N I T Y C A U L D R O N

Winters on Bowen can be a challenge for many. So a few survival suggestions might be in order.

Here’s my list of fourteen things you can do when the dark and the wet is getting to you:

1. Pop into Phoenix in Village Square. Buy a book about a warm climate. A chat with Alison is always a cheer up. And if you like mysteries, they have some used ones for $2.00. There are twenty in the Janet Evanovich series. By the time you finish, it’ll be spring.

2. Grab the kids and go to the beach, any beach, and look for beach glass. You might even spot a whale or a pod of dolphins swimming by.

3. Go to the Snug Café for a bowl of soup and try to stay morose while Piers tells you one of his hilarious jokes.

4. Walk the cross-island trail – minimum two hours – all that fresh air will put you in a great mood. And you’ll be too tired to com-plain about the weather or the small ferry.

5. Go to the library on a Sunday afternoon. They’re open in the winter from 12 – 4 pm. You can sit in one of those comfy chairs, read the newspapers, and catch up on what’s going on in the rest of the world. Guaranteed to make you feel good about living in such a beautiful, relatively peaceful place.

6. Go to a municipal council meeting and sup-port the courageous people who are working very hard to make sure this island is a good place to live, whatever the season.

7. Stop in at the Village Video store and choose a comedy. While you’re there, be sure and feed Candy, the cocker spaniel. There’s a little bowl of her dog food right on the front coun-ter. She doesn’t eat at home, Mladen tells me. Oh, and if you throw the little biscuit she jumps up and catches it. Very entertaining. I found a great movie there last week - As It Is In Heaven - about a small town church choir in Sweden and how the power of sing-ing together does amazing, miraculous and romantic things for the villagers and the choir director.

8. Join the Bowen Island Community Choir. See number 7.

9. Go to the Fix-It- Fair this Saturday at Collins Hall from 11 - 3, hobnob with your neigh-bours, and bring along your broken tools, small appliances, electronics, clothing, any-thing that needs mending.

10. Phone West Coast Seeds – 604-952-8820 - and order their free catalogue of untreated and local seeds – over 700 vegetable, herb and flower varieties. Start planning your garden.

11. Go on to the Bowen Forum and post some-thing outrageously kind.

12. Go to the lagoon and feed the ducks. There’s a new pair of ducks in the lagoon - male and female wigeons. They are so beautiful, smaller than the mallards. You can identify the male by the jaunty white stripe on his head. And he never lets the female far out of his sight. Listen for their call. It sounds exactly like the squeaky yellow rubber ducky in your bath-tub. You can buy duck food in $3.00 bags at Bowen’s Little Pet Shop in Artisan Square. I tried feeding them millet but they seem to prefer the pellets in these bags.

13. While you’re at Artisan Square, invite a friend for a cup of hot chocolate at Cocoa West, and enjoy the benefits of chocolate. Scientifically proven. Chocolate causes the brain to release endorphins, chemicals that make you feel good. As well as serotonin, which acts like an antidepressant and helps you to relax. With all those endorphins and serotonin flowing through your body you’ll be ready to go for the next suggestion.

14. Buy some extra food at the Ruddy Potato or the General Store and drop it off at the Food Bank in the Little Red Church for those who are having an especially hard time this winter.

15. Now that the snowdrops are popping their little white heads out of the ground, spring is just around the corner!

(Temporary) good news for FOBILS


Dear Editor,

Friends of the Bowen Island Library have now located a temporary and I repeat TEMPORARY location to sort books for our annual book sale in May. Many thanks to Judi and the Heritage group for their assistance. We are now able to accept book donations at the library during regular hours. Please remember that we are looking for books in good condition, no text books, magazines or encyclo-pedia.

We are going to have to work hard to make up for the weeks we have lost but I have faith in Bowen that residents will come through and donate lots of books.

All funds raised from the sale will help support the Bowen Island Library’s pro-grams so bring on the books Bowen!

We are still looking for a more permanent location and I thank everyone who has made suggestions and helped with the search.

Sincerely,

Greta Smith

Dear Editor,

It was a packed house at last Sunday’s “Telling A Story: Living and Working in Nepal and Bangladesh Event hosted at The Gallery. And what a fun event it was too! Thanks to everyone who attended and got to experience a little piece of Nepal with some lively Nepali music and delicious Nepali snacks.

The audience were so graciously interested in hearing my story of living and working in Nepal and Bangladesh in 2014 and Dr Peter and Dr Claire’s presenta-tion on spinal cord injury, SpiNepal and SIRC.

A total of CAD$2,804 was raised – marvelous! This goes a long way in Nepal and will pay for the entire rehabilitation cost for one patient plus the purchase of two wheelchairs plus one income generating kit – now that is what I call making a difference!

The event could not have been possible without the help and dedication of the following people who worked tirelessly to make this event the success it was: Jlonka Bally Brown, Renu Chaudhry, Peter Davies, Jacqui Massey, Kate Thomas-Peters, Bonnie Wright, Bowen Wright, Casey Wright, Curtis Wright, Dr Raju Dhakal, Dr Prakash Paudel, Bowen Island Arts Council, The Gallery, Bowen Online -Phorum and The Undercurrent. My heartfelt thanks.

Congrats to Sue Hurn for winning the raffle prize – Nepali Dinner for Six in her own home. We look forward to cooking for you Sue!

My thanks also to Dr Peter Wing and Dr Claire Weeks for their energy in help-ing me organize this event, for their commitment to SIRC and finally support and belief in me. Dhanybhad!

Kate Coffey

$2,804 for spinal chord rehabilitation in Nepal

Dear Editor,

Living on the mainland these days, after many years on Bowen Island, I have a piece of Bowen in my tiny apartment: a print of a lovely painting by Bill Hoopes, called “The Meadows”. He has captured the subtle beauty and uncultivated tranquility of that bucolic space on a summer day.

When I come back to Bowen to visit, I am drawn to The Meadows in Crippen Park – as are so many others – and the restorative powers of their peaceful hush and wide-open space.

I have learned that some members of the Bowen Agricultural Alliance (BAA) are proposing to build a large demonstration garden so as to educate the public about pollination. I think that’s a fine idea; I would like to know more myself.

I also understand that they would like to situate this cultivation initiative in The Meadows. I firmly believe that that’s the wrong place for it.

I feel like Dr. Seuss’s elephant protagonist, Horton, when he heard the Whos.

There is already an evolved ecosystem thriving in and around the thirty-one thousand plus square feet area that has been targeted. It is delicate, complex, balanced and teeming with life. Why dig it up (and dump it …. where?) so as to replace it with – I gather from the plans – raised beds, gravel paths, signage, covered patio and 7 foot deer fencing? Can that even be done in a riparian zone?

A fragile new garden is likely to need water during the summer months; where will that come from?

And what of the loss for Vancouverites, islanders and those who come to Bowen from farther afield? I cannot think of another space like The Meadows so

close to the urban centre. Community gardens are proliferating in Vancouver; The Meadows are entirely different, and they offer visitors a wonderful, unfa-miliar experience.

I would support the kind of garden centre pro-posed if it were situated in the Cove. The Cove Bay Water System could provide irrigation, and electricity would be available if needed. It would reach far more people at that location, and would be accessible to those with compromised mobility and other impedi-ments.

Rather than profoundly disrupting an established ecosystem that is already doing everything this group espouses, wouldn’t it be better to collaborate with experts at, for instance, Bowen Island Nature Club, Bowen Island Fish and Wildlife Club, Bowen Conservancy, and more, to create a booklet and even a smartphone app educating people about what is already going on in The Meadows? I think all that’s needed is a tour guide.

Because what’s happening right now in The Meadows is a busy, fascinating, self-sustaining bio-logical community where pollination plays a vital role in the established energy transformations and biogeochemical cycling that reflect a healthy ecology. Mother Nature has been working on this project for a century, and offers a demonstration every single day.

Fiona BeatyVancouver, BC

Don’t disrupt the thriving Meadow

Dear Editor,

So there’s a petition to stop a pollinators garden in Crippen Park. Has anyone noticed that many of the same people also opposed the soccer field, the lights for the soccer field, and the recent rezoning of Lot 2 of the Community Lands? In each case, the opponents are alerting us to ecological disaster and a grave threat to our unique way of life.

Have a look at the activity on the soccer field. Far from a threat, it’s the liveliest place on the island, where dozens of children, teens, women and men are enhanc-ing our community through healthy on-island recreation and social interaction.

This all-too-frequent opposition to any change -- in this case, to a small garden on ALR land! -- is, I feel, actually destructive to our way of life. Sadly, over time it has crushed initiative, creativity and volunteerism, not to mention eroded many friendships. When I decided to join this BAA working group, people told me, why bother? Your work will just be attacked as “anti-Bowen” and it will result in yet another division in the community.

But I couldn’t resist - the project is just too appealing. After several years of consultation with Metro Vancouver, and discussions with many Bowen groups along the way, we now have an opportunity to create something special and beau-tiful and important in our beloved outdoor/education hub in Crippen Park, and do so in a uniquely Bowen manner.

I understand fears about change. But certainly a pollinator demo garden in the meadows is not a step on the slippery slope to an urban lifestyle! Thank good-ness Bowen’s habitual opposers didn’t prevail on the soccer field. I hope they can widen their outlook, reconsider their stance, and join us in this worthy endeav-our.

Heather Prittie

First the soccer field, now the Meadow

Another Bowen Winter Got You Down?

Dear editor, I would like to state my concerns about the

Pollinator Garden proposal in Crippen meadow that the Bowen Agricultural Alliance has before Metro Vancouver Parks.

As a professional environmental educator and entomologist, I applaud the initiative of this com-munity organization to promote learning about the pollination services provided by native insects, birds and other wildlife. Without these creatures, natural ecosystems and most agriculture would collapse.

That said, I have many concerns about the pro-posed garden location in Crippen meadow. I urge BAA and Metro Vancouver Parks to choose another location.

The current meadow habit is ideal for native pol-linators and needs no “improvement”. It is a healthy, diverse pollinator habitat. A wide variety of flowering plants provide abundant nectar and pollen through-out the spring summer and fall. The rough ground, exposed soil and woody debris provide needed nest-ing and overwintering habitat for native leaf-cutter, bumble, blue orchard bees and wooly bear caterpil-lars snoozing to emerge as adult moths ready to pol-linate in spring.

The proposed changes will greatly reduce the size of the remaining meadow which is important feed-ing habitat for seed and insect eating birds. The proposed site also includes one of the islands few known garter snake hibernating sites. Using the

Island’s Trusts’ online MapIT application, I measured the area of the remaining meadow habitat and the proposed garden site (see attached illustration). The proposed garden will remove approximately 2,653 square metres of habitat—that’s the area of about ten tennis courts—close to twenty-five percent of the remaining meadow.

As a gardener, I know that the local deer will be very interested in sampling anything grown in the proposed garden. A high deer fence will be required. Because of the location of the proposed site, this fence and the garden structures will strongly impact the visual experience of walking through the mead-ows. See the photos depicting the location and height of the fence.

I think there are better locations for a pollinator garden site. For example, I have talked to some mem-bers of Bowen Heritage who would entertain work-ing with BAA and Metro Parks to establish interpre-tation in the Davies Orchard in Snug Cove. This site has higher visitation, better handicapped access and a year-round water supply.

I hope everyone with an interest in the meadow and the bees and other insects that do pollination work there will let Metro Vancouver Parks know your thoughts. For links to Metro Parks’ feedback web page and to a petition opposing the location of a garden in the meadow got to my Crippen Meadow webpage: bowenpollinatoreducation.ca

Will Husby

Concerns about the proposed location of the pollinator garden


ISLAND PACIFIC SCHOOLR001959247BI03

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DG Blair stands beside a marked off area representing the proposed size and location for the pollinator garden. This is the size of ten tennis courts and close to 25 percent of the remaining meadow.

MICHELLE PENTZ-GLAVES U B M I S S I O N

1. BAA has the farming/agriculture history wrong:

We got our info from a well-respect-ed Bowen history book. The Irene Howard book didn’t specify what exactly was grown where -- but the important thing is the area WAS part of Terminal Farms and that is why it was made part of the ALR, actually.

Marion Moore has since told us the info in Howard’s book isn’t entirely accurate in her estimation. If the proj-ect goes forward, we’ll engage with local elders to make sure all historical details are as accurate as possible, of course. That said, the area still has ag roots and was ideed part of Cap. Cates’ farm holdings.

2. Endangered creatures: Unfounded, according to our

experts: Janine de la Salle’s detailed site assessment, Metro Vancouver’s biolo-gist’s findings and input from profs/pros Mark Winston and Elisabeth Elle. We have already had the benefit of Metro Vancouver thorough-going eco-logical assessment. I am sure Metro Vancouver is reviewing the public input on this and will advise if any additional concerns come to light.

3. Didn’t talk to islanders/give enough time for discussion:

We sat down 1-on-1 with 22 com-munity groups who have an active interest in the meadows to build our proposal. We also held a half day visioning session with these island-ers. The entire process of discussion has been 5 years so far. Then we held a public meeting Dec. 9 which was wide-ly advertised.

4. Why this location? As an agricultural education ini-

tiative, it is important for the demo garden to be located in Bowen’s educa-tional hub, and on ALR land. The proj-ect simply would not be viable in a less well-used area, in our view.

It’s our top choice. We listed our reasons and sent this in a note to all BAA members, which we shared with the Undercurrent and has been widely circulated. We had considered several other Crippen sites with Metro Van, including the dog park (before it was built), the former bike park across from the lake and the field behind the baseball field/Bowfest field + Davies Orchard area, but none was as compel-ling.

5. Why are you still considering this location?

We want to hear from all island-ers and gauge interest realistically. If the majority are in favour, we’ll move forward; if not, we won’t. Public com-ments to Metro Van close Jan. 30.

Response to opposition to Killarny Meadow Pollinator Garden

from PAGE 3

Answer: Living, working and caring together, because we are neighbours and therefore connected to one anoth-er in small communities within a lager Community. Trust.

What threatens it? Answer: Disconnectedness, disinterest, thus ignorance and misunderstanding, disrespect for differing opinions, divi-siveness, ill will, abuse of trust and established values for personal gain at the expense of others, exploitation, personal attacks.

How can we build Community on Bowen Island? Answer: Participation in dialogue without prejudice, respect-ing different points of view, expressing opposition in a civilized manner, always seeking to learn, trying to find common ground to move forward, to thank those, who step forward to serve in elected

office for their courage to expose them-selves to public criticism , right or wrong, to foster an attitude of conciliation.

What does it take? Answer: For everyone interested in building Community to participate, be open-minded and trusting, but to be vigilant, offering skills as a volunteer and giving precious time, drawing in the entire family to teach the next generation and to share wealth.

On behalf of the Bowen Island Community School Association (CSA) I want to thank everyone, who con-tributed to the AGORA dialogue and Gustaaf Tasseron for his vision toward the constitutional goal of “Happiness” for Bowen Island’s Community.

The next AGORA will be held on Thursday, February 26th, 7 - 8:30 p.m. at The Gallery in Artisan Square Topic: Education.

AGORA forum contemplates community

Bowen Island Conservancy

Lines that don’t divide: telling talesabout chemicals, animals, and people

Our 2015 Speaker Series commences on January 24th with a presentation by Jay Taylor,Professor of History, Simon Fraser University.Dealing with the problem of pollution in the Salish Sea is particularly difficult becausetoxic substances migrate freely across the Canada-U.S. border, and decisions made onone side of the 49th parallel affect humans and animals on both sides of the line. Jay willprovide a historical overview of the processes that have contributed pollutants to theSalish Sea, and discuss how the border has and has not divided the region chemicallyand politically.

• When: January 24th, at 3:00 pm• Where: The Gallery at Artisan Square

More information about this presentation is available atbowenislandconservancy.org.

Refreshments will be served. We hope that you’ll be able to join us;everyone is welcome.

JOHN LAWRENCES U B M I S S I O N

We have been travelling now for 7 weeks in Chile. After returning from the windswept steppes of Patagonia we crossed the Andes from Chile to Argentina´s Whistler at Bariloche, a town noted for its lakes, mountains, ski hill and choco-lates. The chocolates are sold in stores the size of supermarkets, and so vast is the local appetite for them, every other shop on the mainstreet is in the business.

From Bariloche, we moved a few hours south to the delightful little town of El Bolson. It was December 28 and not a good time to be arriving anywhere without an advanced booking. However the universe came to our assistance as we board-ed the bus: we fell in with a traveller headed for the same town and reserved us a place. What’s more her son offered to pick us all up and deliver us to our Hospedaje.

Hospedajes are scattered through most residential areas in Chile and Argentina, offer simple inexpensive accommodation in people’s homes. The one we stayed at was operated by a young woman with two delightful small children, Pedro and Zuria. The children rarely stayed inside their house. The steady stream of back-packers through their home were their entertainment, and the children were ours. Mum had absolutely no English, but we quickly discovered that there’s an outside kitchen, a covered eating area, central heating in the room and a mag-nificent backdrop of mountain ridges all for the princely sum of $25. You might wonder about the heating as surely we are in the middle of summer. In actual fact, with the exception of our first two days in Santiago, mornings and evenings could be decidedly cold. We eventually stayed 6 days, summer arrived on the 4th day and has been with us ever since.

El Bolson, which means in English ‘the purse’ or ‘the basket,’ seemed to be a cross between Pemberton and Nelson. It’s wide, fertile sheltered valley bottom supports a cornucopia of local fruits and vegetables. Cherries and walnut trees grow in every garden as do roses, red currents and peaches. The craft markets brought out the now aging wave of alternative people who passed by in the 60’s and never left. But it’s tourism that makes the place hum today. During our stay, we hiked in the mountains and even hazarded a paddle in an Alpine lake. The lat-ter made memorable by its ‘Lions’ like view, but also the excellent bottle of wine we sipped and shared at the lake’s edge with a young Italian couple.

In two days time we will have racked up our 60th hour in long distance bus journeys (which serve meals and wine!) and arrived in Buenos Aires, city of the Tango. It will be very hot and very sticky, but no doubt - lots of fun.

Digital x-ray machine improves diagnostics


BOWEN ISLAND VETR004946385BI03

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When it’s winter on Bowen it’s summer in ChileIslander reports on adventure abroad

The delightful Zuria and Pedro.John Lawrence, photo

A digital x-ray of a dog’s knee.Meribeth Deen, photo


Bowen Island Veterinarian Alastair Westcott says the newest piece of equipment in his clinic is far more than an exciting new toy - it will make a critical differ-ence in assisting animals in emergency situations.

The new digital X-ray unit means an X-ray can be taken and viewed on a large screenwithin four sec-onds as opposed to the 20 to 30 minutes required to develop film.

Westcott says the quality of the X-ray is also about 100 percent better than the quality of a film X-ray.

Another advantage is the ability to zoom-in on an area of interest in the image (in the image above, for example, you can see Dr. Westcott zooming in on a portion of the knee) and also the ability to see the soft tissues.

This is just another step in our committment to provide expedient, point-of-care diagnostics within minutes here on Bowen Island,” says Westcott. “The digital X-ray, our complete blood analysis lab and our fully equipped ICU/surgery allows us to function as a fully-equipped and emergency-capable animal hospital. We can admit, completely diagnose, stabi-lize and treat a patient within minutes.”


ASHTON

from PAGE 1

Hurlburt says as a boater herself, she knows how much commitment and money is required to keep a vessel afloat. As a waterfront property owner, she is a strong supporter of The Friends of Mannion Bay, of which Bruce Russell is the defacto leader. She has given money to the group in order to move forward efforts to clean-up the Bay.

“I think the plan put forward last year by Bonny Brokenshire (Senior Bylaw Services Officer with the Municipality) is on the right track,” says Hurlburt. “Moving towards a situation where the Bay is zoned for recreational use is definitely what needs to hap-pen, but we need to know that the new council is on board with the proposed five-step plan, so we can keep moving it forward.”

Russell agrees, saying that he’s impressed at the improvements made in the past year, but simply does not want to see those efforts falter.

“It would be criminal to not keep going with this plan,” he says.

The five steps to maintain Mannion Bay, as pro-

posed last may to council by Brokenshire involved obtaining a Licence of Occupation (LOO) for boat-ers in the Bay, with the nominal fee collected going towards enforcement and maintenance (including dealing with beached wrecks or other sunken ves-sels). The second option included an amendment to the Municipality’s Land Use Bylaw, which extends 300 metres off the shoreline. Other steps included a strategy for bylaw enforcement, the creation of a social plan, and an environmental study for Mannion Bay.

Brokenshire says that the recommendation made to acquire the Licence of Occupation was stalled, initially because of a turnover in planning staff. Other measures are on hold because of funding, and because the new council needs to go ahead and offer authorization.

“One possibility, is that Mannion Bay will end up falling within a larger shoreline protection plan,” says Bonny. “But we really don’t know where this council will take the issue.”

Meanwhile, councillor Alison Morse continues to work with leaders from other coastal communities and levels of government to deal with the derelict vessels issue. Last week, Morse met with MP John Weston, a representative from the Islands Trust, lead-ers for the Sea to Sky Corridor, and the Sunshine Coast to discuss solutions.

“The major impediment to solving this is that there are several different government agencies, and several different levels of government involved in the issue,” says MP JohnWeston. “Last week, what we tried to do was come up with a list of specific and achievable goals that could remedy some of the con-cerns raised about derelict vessels.”

The list they came up with includes:- the possibility of creating a levy that would be

attached to the aquisition of a vessel, thereby creat-ing a pot of money that can be used to deal with the clean-up of abandoned or sunken vessels.

- the creation of a bond to be aquired by boat own-ers, the bond would kick in to gear if the boat/vessel were left derelict, or sunk

- finding a way to better co-ordinate the informa-tion in the three vessel registries (small vessel reg-istry, large vessel registry, pleasure craft registry) so that the owners of abandoned vessels could be more easily found

- the possibility of bringing about criminal liability for people who abandon vessels

- tightening the definitions of “derelict” and “aban-doned vessels

Weston says that in last week’s meeting, a working group on the issue was created.

“We’ve got some real momentum going on this,” he says.

Linda Hurlburt on her deck, overlooking Mannion Bay.Meribeth Deen, photo

Waterfront property owners await action

Announcement of Psychological ServicesDr. Robert Wilson Ph.D.,

experienced registered psychologist, will provideservices in Horseshoe Bay beginning January 2015.

Services will include counselling for:Anxiety

DepressionGrief

Marital problemsWork and lifestyle distressAlso available is a unique proactivefive-session series for couples titled

“Building Relationship Resilience.”For an appointment please call:

604-831-7792For additional information visit my website at

www.rfwilsonpsychologist.com

604.899.0803 | 1.866.759.6006www.ashtoncollege.com

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Learn more about our online 7-module course Home Inspectionprogram. Contact a program adviser at 604.899.0803 or [email protected].

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BOWEN IN TRANSITIONS U B M I S S I O N

On Saturday, January 24th Bowen in Transition will be hosting a “Fix-It-Fair” at Collins Hall between 11:00 and 3:00. Bring along your non-function-ing small appliances and electronics, clothing, phones, bicycles etc. and a group of fix-it folks will be on hand to

help you fix them. There will also be expert advice available for computer problems.

If, however, you have nothing that needs fixing right now, come along anyway. Be nosey, play around, have fun and acquire a new skill or two.

Tea, coffee and nibblies will be avail-able to keep you going.

DON’T CHUCK IT... FIX IT!


BOWEN ISLAND HOUSE ACCOUNR001960221BI03

CHURCH

HEALTHFERRY

On the calendarFRIDAY JANUARY 23

Robbie Burns Dinner at the Legion Tickets $20

SATURDAY JANUARY 24

Fix-it Fair Collins Hall, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Bowen Island Conservancy Speakers Series Jay Taylor, Professor of History at SFU talks about cross-border pollution in the Salish Sea 3 p.m. at the Gallery at Artisan Square

Youth Open Gym 6 - 8:30 p.m at BICS

Black Sheep Morris dancers UK dance tour extravaganza The Bowen Pub starting at 6:30 p.m MONDAY JANUARY 26

Seniors Keeping Young (S.K.Y.) 9 a.m. exercises 11 a.m. Brent O’Malley, owner of Bowen Island Sea Kayaking 12 p.m. Soup and bun lunch, plus dessert! TUESDAY JANUARY 27

AA Meeting Collins Hall 7:15 p.m.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 28

Knitting Circle 1 - 4 p.m. Bowen Court - All levels welcome!

Old School, Now School, Next School: The Dynamic Nature of Education featuring Dr. Ted Spear and Jen Henrichsen of Island Pacific School 5:45 - 7:45 PM at the Youth Centre. Childcare provided at Bowen Children’s Centre

THURSDAY JANUARY 29Duplicate Bridge @ Bowen Court

Call Irene @ 2955

Bowen Rotary presents Damien Bryan Talk: Fair Trade and the Organic Food Movement All welcome, no charge 7:30 p.m. Collins Hall

UPCOMING

FRIDAY JANUARY 31Bowen Nature Club Potluck and AGM

5-9PM, 602 Collins lane, contact 947-9562 Entomologist Will Husby will speak about our local insects’ involvement in our ecosystems - suitable for all ages.

FEBRUARY 8 Seed exchange and garden planning workshop

Bring labelled and dated seeds to trade, buy local seeds 12 p.m., BICS multi-purpose room 12:30 p.m. Garden planning workshop

The Fretless In concert at Tir-na-nog

FEBRUARY 19, 20, 21 Shakespeare’s Cymbeline

Directed by Graham Ritchie 7:15 at Cates Hill Chapel Tickets $20 from the library or brownpapertickets.com

FEBRUARY 26AGORA forum discussing Education

7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m at the Gallery at Artisan Square

ISLAND PACIFIC SCHOOLS U B M I S S I O N

Next Wednesday evening Ted Spear and Jennifer Henrichsen will give a talk at the Youth Centre on the chang-ing nature of education. Spear holds Ph.D. in philosophy of education and is the Head of School at Island Pacific School. Henrichsen is the Assistant Head, who also teaches Math and runs

the school’s Masterworks program. Every year they present on Bowen (and off-island) about the changing trends in education and how best to make sense of them.

This year they will be concluding their remarks with an examination of “10 Key Questions” that parents should be asking themselves about education.

Doors are open at 5:45, with the pre-sentation itself running from 6:15 to 7:45. Refreshments will be served.

Annual Ed Talk at Youth Centre

HEALTH & WELLNESSChiropractorDr. Tracy Leach, D.C.

595B Artisan LaneTuesdaysCall for anappointment

(778) 828-5681www.leachchiro.com

Dr. Utah Zandy604-947-9830

CALL FORAPPOINTMENT

OPENTUESDAYS &THURSDAYS

Body VitalityMassage therapyNow 7 days a week!

James Goldfarb RMTFri, Sat, Sun, Mon604-288-2860

Jenni Griffiths RMTTue,Wed, Thur604-240-6485

www.bodyvitaliy.ca

CATHERINE SHAWDr. Traditional ChineseMedicine/Acupuncturist

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MARY MCDONAGHRMT, DCH

Registered Massage Therapist(Available Mondays through Fridays)

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SANDY LOGANRegistered Physiotherapist

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ROBYN IZARDRMT

Registered Massage Therapist(Available Thursdays through Sundays)

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COuRTNEY MORRISR.Ac, DCH

Dr. Gloria ChaoFamily Dentist

www.bowenislanddental.com

Artisan Square604-947-0734

Alternate Fridays10am - 4:30pm

Horseshoe Bay604-921-8522

Dr. SusanneSchloegl

M.D.Open Mon.Wed.

Thurs. Fri.Call for anappointmentArtisan Square604-947-9986

InHabitSomatic Centre566 Artisan SquareSomatic Patterning

Massage

Craniosacral Therapy

Ball Rolling Classes

T’ai Chi Chih

(778) 952-3757

Breathe Move Touch

PsychologistDr. Carolyn NesbittPhD, R.Psych #1484

604-376-9801www.CarolynNesbitt.com

Dr. Dana Barton

NaturopathicPhysician

596 B.Artisan Square

604-730-1174Natural

Family Medicine

BLOODTESTS,URINETESTS

OR ECGS6:45 - 9:00 A.M.EVERY THURSDAYDR. ZANDY’S OFFICE

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Places of Worship WelcomeYou

BOWEN ISLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH

Pastor Clinton Neal1070 Miller Road 604-947-0384

Service 10:30 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m.

FOODBANKDROP-OFF

BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCHRev. Shelagh MacKinnon

Service and Sunday School: 10:30 a.m.Collins Hall Bookings: HelenWallwork

Minister of Music: LynnWilliams

CATES HILL CHAPEL www.cateshillchapel.com 604-947-4260

10:00 a.m. Worship • Sunday School: Tots to Teens

Pastor: Dr. James B. Krohn

(661 Carter Rd.)

ST. GERARD’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHMass: 10:30 a.m. Priest: Father James Comey

604-988-6304

A medical clinic on Bowen: Let’s take the next steps


BOWEN ISLAND HOUSE ACCOUNR001960219BI03

B BOARD

PETER FRINTONS U B M I S S I O N

The Caring Circle has had some major successes- from providing a health care services portal, health programming, a driver program and advocacy work to improve health services on Bowen.

Another related initiative has been the nascent off-shoot Community Medical Clinic Society, dedicated to the establishment and maintenance of a primary health care facility. Sounds simple, but getting a clinic up and running will require hard work, vision, money and persistence. Fortunately, some great mod-els have been developed by similar communities.

Gabriola now has a free standing clinic (http://www.ghcs.ca/) that provides stellar service on that island- one with a similar population and distance to a regional hospital. Even some of the smaller islands- Pender and Denman come to mind, have clinics or ‘centres’.

The need is patently obvious. Anyone requiring secondary or off-hours medical attention has to go to the North Shore. Transport can be problematic and potentially life-threatening. Many seniors, but also pregnant women and others feel quite vulnerable on Bowen.

There is a tight group, consisting of volunteer board members, advisors, and practitioners which have been carefully crafting a course of action. Jaye Routledge chairs the group’s monthly general and board meetings. Colleen O’Neil, Bud Massender, Bruce Wallace, Dr. Sue Schloegel regularly attend. A constitution has been written, charitable status is being pursued, architects hounded for free advice, and some serious number crunching undertaken.

Immediate next steps include conducting a Needs Assessment Survey, something vital to obtaining any

Coastal Health or other funding. We will all be asked to complete the survey when it is launched. Another area of interest is in lobbying B.C.Ambulance to be included in a pilot Community Paramedicine Program, wherein ambulance personnel would have additional training that would allow them to visit vulnerable residents in their homes to make sure they’re getting the support they need. It might involve medication oversight, vital signs monitoring and home living risk assessment. This increases the capacity of the ambulance crews who are often sitting at the station waiting for call outs. Caring Circle, The Medical Clinic Society, and the Municipality are all advocating for this program to be given a trial here on Bowen Island.

What is emerging is a process with decision points that will hopefully lead to a clinic within a couple of years. Clearly, there is sensitivity to competing capi-tal needs- for a firehall, community centre, library enhancements, sewer and water. The strategy moving forward has always been to seek synergies. Hence the proposal that the Clinic be part of Municipal Land (Lot 2) development.

But other options are being examined, from rent-ing an existing interim space, to having a sponsor purchase and renovate a building suitable for clinic needs, to appeals to the philanthropic community to build a structure from the ground up. Fundraising will only begin once a strong consensus has been built. Already, some other health care providers have expressed some interest in working on Bowen if a health centre is opened, and we will have better success retaining and supporting our Bowen Island physicians if we have an integrated health centre on Bowen. Any initiative which improves access to pri-mary care on Bowen is something to applaud.


The Knick Knack Nook has tal-lied the donations made in 2014, and in terms of financial funds dispersed, the total exceeds more than $40,000. However, Nook Board President, Donna Scorer, says what she is really surprised about is the huge number of items that have been distributed to various organizations both on Bowen and in Vancouver.

Sixteen organizations have received goods donated to Bowen Island’s re-use it store including the Aboriginal Mothers’ Centre in Vancouver (71 bags, 2 boxes of women’s and children’s cloth-ing, bedding and books); Books for Me, which gives books to children to keep at home (14 boxes of books); Lookout in the Downtown Eastside, which helps men transitioning from shelters into apartments (132 bags, with 32 boxes of clothing, blankets and books).

Good quality things go up for

sale but if they don’t sell, we

have to find another way to

pass them on...

“The dispersement of items is over-whelming,” says Scorer. “When people bring things in, we can really only keep a certain amount in the store. Good quality things go up for sale but if they

don’t sell, we have to find another way to pass them on and keep them out of the landfill. We have a few volunteers who drive to Vancouver to pass along items to other organizations, but we don’t have nearly enough people doing this work.”

Scorer says that occasionally, Nook staff will recommend that people post items up on the Bowen Island Buy-Sell-Trade Facebook page, or will offer a list of other organizations that would be interested in taking items.

“There was someone around Christmas time who brought in a bike that was in really good condition, and he offered to give it to us,” says Scorer, “But the person also said that if we knew of a family that would benefit, to give it directly to them. That’s what ended up happening.”

Scorer says that she’s hoping a small extension to the Nook store will help reduce the number of trips volunteers are making off-island to donate goods, but ultimately, they need more vol-unteers and for more people who are donating to be mindful of what their giving away.

“Things need to be clean – and not broken. Sometimes a volunteer will take a piece of clothing home and wash it so it can be re-sold, but we don’t have water. So generally, these items have to go into the garbage. And we have to pay for it.”

Scorer adds that volunteers at the Knick Knack Nook are happy to give out their list of organizations for peo-ple to donate to off-island if they are interested.

Overwhelming flood of donations mean

Nook items are shipped off-island

BOWEN BULLETIN BOARDFound:Tortoise shellframe readingglasses in blackcase in Decemberin the Post Office.To claim, come bythe Undercurrentoffice Mon. - Wed.9:30am - 4:30pm.

I’ll pick up yourrecycling and

deliver to BIRC for$25/load

Kindling $20/boxat Building Centre

LANCE’SRECYCLING

CALL 947-2430

BrannonBrothersroofing&sheetmetal

Call Mike at604-338-2516

Got a great photo?Got a great storyor story idea?

Please get in touch with us!Contact Meribeth Deenat the Undercurrent

[email protected]

Did you know you can advertise in this space for as little as $10/week??

$10aweek!

Think of this as the Bowen Island ‘unclassified’ section.Garage sale, add jobs, work wanted, help wanted, items for sale,

items found, items lost, etc...

Call/email Maureen to advertise here!604-947-2442 • [email protected]

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This spaceavailable


EMILY VAN LIDTH DE JEUDES U B M I S S I O N

On a cold November afternoon, I joined my son on the little bluff that juts precariously out to the sky below Dorman Point. The younger kids remained on the bigger bluff, and he needed a moment of peace. I found him hanging over the mossy edge photographing what we call “Louie’s path”, below. In the settling twilight, an orange glow began to creep from behind the distant point, and he tried out some new camera tricks, photo-graphing the open sky.

We sat together for a while, look-ing at the frothy waves, trying to see fins among the shadows and rolling crests, and I realized that my son has outgrown (F)unschool. How could that be? I created this program for him and his sister – they even named the pro-gram, in its infancy, when it consisted of just a few friends, and wasn’t even a Nature Club program yet.

I have been a Nature Club member all my life, and still enjoy meeting up with the people I camped with and babysat 30 years ago. I thought Nature Club (F)unschool would grow along with my kids. But now my kids are 10 and almost 13. My son is helpful with the little ones: he encourages them in their explorations, lifts them up when they need a hand, and generally – but

not always – tries to set a good exam-ple. But exploration shouldn’t always feel like babysitting. Sometimes the chatter of admiring little ones is just too much, and he and some of the other older kids want to go further, faster, higher, or just feel careless.

...there has to be an

opportunity for the older

kids to be – well – older!

There has to be nothing holding them back.

So I made my decision, that day: (F)unschool has to grow up, too. Of course there are still many young fami-lies who love and benefit from the reg-ular Friday outings, but there has to be an opportunity for the older kids to be – well – older! There has to be nothing holding them back. So from now on, the first Friday of every month will be dedicated to these adventurous, inspir-ing older kids (and adults who can keep up!). Let’s call it (F)unschool 10+.

This year in addition to such annual treats as the boat trip, camping trip and sea creatures day, the Nature Club intends to visit Maplewood Mudflats and Apodaca Park.

Please email [email protected] for more information.

(F)unschool grows up...12 • FRIDAY JANUARY 23 2015 WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

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(F)unschool adventures (from top) at Dorman Point, September Morn beach, Clipper Beach.Emily van Lidth de Jeude, photos

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