FRIDAY APRIL 5, 2013 VOL. 38, NO. 45
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Wild Child Party returns
Annual fundraiser for BCC is a chance to let loose
Blue skies and a breeze
Bowen sailors participate in Southern Straits yacht race
2013 Strategic Business Plan
Community partners and organizations can work together to promote Bowen as destination
MARCUS HONDRO CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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Cellist performs ‘lost’ piece in classical concert series
Partnering for a viable economy
Council approves
owen Island council approved an official business plan that was presented by planning consultant Tom Fletcher at the council meeting on March 25. The 2013 Strategic Business Plan does not contain decisions on issues before council but is a listing of goals that council and staff will work on. It comes after council and municipal staff held a strategic planning workshop with what the municipality called “a view to creating a strategic business plan for the municipality” last month. Councillor Cro Lucas notes that the plan has given council and staff a “step by step process” on the goals they are looking to move forward on. “Everything that is being proposed in the plan has to go through the public input process before it finally becomes an action plan,” Lucas told the Undercurrent. The municipality enlisted Fletcher of Fletcher and Company Municipal Consulting in March of 2012 to help with planning and Fletcher took the goals and priorities from the February workshop and assembled the 2013 Strategic Business Plan, approved on the 25th. Some areas the plan details movement on are: Snug Cove improvement, including ferry marshalling and parking issues, acquiring the strip of land on the north side of Government Road, updating by-law enforcement, cleaning up Mannion (Deep) Bay, updating Bowen’s Emergency Plan and detailing economic strategies. Creating a “community campus” with the intention of building a community centre that could include a municipal hall, a cultural centre, the library, museum and medical practitioners’ offices is also noted in the plan. The finding and allocating of funds for that project and the others are also areas mentioned as priorities.
Como una fantasia
SUSANNE MARTIN EDITOR
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Sunshine, horses and Easter treats - the conditions were perfect for BIHORA’s games event on Saturday, March 29. More photos on page 12.
owen Island’s economy can benefit from visitors and partnerships can help to implement initiatives that can boost the numbers, says Shawna Leung, director of community relations of the Vancouver, Coast and Mountains Tourism Region. She traveled to Bowen Island to address the Economic Development Advisory Committee and members of the public in an open meeting on Tuesday, April 2. After her presentation, Leung stopped at the Undercurrent office with Maria Steernberg, manager of the Bowen Island Chamber of Commerce. Both were excited about working closely with the community to promote Bowen as a destination for visitors. According to Leung, the last time Bowen Island accessed funding through Community Tourism Opportunities was in 2008/2009, when a Tourism BC facilitator come to Bowen Island to “walk the community through a tourism plan.” The Community Tourism Foundation Program allocated funding for four projects: the Come to your Senses initiative that aimed to bring visitors from off-island by offering packages, Applefest, an arts and culture banner program and the creation of an image bank. After the four year gap, Leung looks forward to connecting with the community again to “revisit the community plan from 2008, updating it and implementing initiatives.” “The organization I represent works with 39 communities throughout the region, Bowen Island included,” Leung said, adding that this year, she has applied for a $9,200 grant for Community Tourism Opportunities on behalf of Bowen.
Debra Stringfellow photo
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Music Every Friday, April 5 Friday, April 12 Saturday, April 20 Thursday, April 18 Saturday, April 27 604-947-BPUB (2782)
Weekend!
Karaoke - with The Beaver - No Cover Fat Back Playas Mindle Beach Jazz Night with steak & prawn dinner special Mohawk Lodge (with opening band “The Fight”) Bowen Island Pub
ww.bowenislandpub.com