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INVISIBLE WOMEN: spies of WWII step out of shadow in new podcast PAGE 7
Thursday, December 10, 2020 • A1
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020 HELPING FUND
VOL. 46 NO. 49
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SwimBowen reached Joanne Raymont when she needed it most PAGE 3
Tax options
COUNCIL GETS A RUNDOWN OF BUDGET PRESSURES FOR 2021
BRONWYN BEAIRSTO
Editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com
While property tax season may seem a ways off, Bowen Island Municipality is in its annual multi-month budget process where staff and council examine priorities for the years ahead. Dec. 7, councillors got a rundown of budget pressures from the man behind the calculator – chief financial officer Raj Hayre. The CFO laid out options for tax increases – options that range from 5.1% to 15.5%. The recommended scenario at this point is a 6.6% tax increase for 2021. But, as staff and councillors repeated many a time, no decisions were made Monday. The proposed budget and community consultation is still to come.
Starting on capital reserves
the International Advisory Committee. “We are four and a half years into the rigorous process for attaining this designation, and we are proud that our nomination document meets the high standards required for submission to UNESCO,” said Ruth Simons, project lead of the society in a news release.
BIM’s infrastructure – its roads, trails, culverts, buildings, water systems, any physical assets – is paid for through reserves, taking on debt (like with the fire hall and community centre) or grants. About a decade ago, BIM built asset renewal into taxation. So every year, a 1.5% tax increase feeds a reserve fund. BIM draws from that fund to maintain Bowen infrastructure and there’s nearly $3.3 million in that fund now. If BIM replaced and renewed everything requested for 2021, it would spend nearly $4.8 million, said Hayre. There’s not enough money in reserves and taxes for that. Hayre is proposing raising the annual capital reserves tax increase to 2%. Then, by deferring some projects and seeking other funding (grants and borrowing), BIM could manage a renewal and replacement budget of $2.3 million for 2021, he said. This comes with the caveat that pushing spending comes with its own risks.
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KATHLEEN AINSCOUGH PHOTO / THE HEARTH
SNOWY SEASON:
Artists aged two and up created snowflakes for the Hearth’s latest community project. The Hearth prepared pre-cut circles of paper - large and small – and asked people to be inspired by something recent in their life and use materials on hand. Families, individuals, artists contributed dozens of larger-than-life flakes. Above: Jean Bradbury, Jami Scheffer, Debbie Benson and Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas work on installation Dec. 5.
Howe Sound UNESCO submission sent off SQUAMISH CHIEF
Glacier Media
Following years-long effort, a submission has been made to UNESCO asking the organization to designate Howe Sound a UNESCO Biosphere. Sites that receive this designation are considered “learning places for
sustainable development.” These are places where the organization encourages people to test interdisciplinary approaches to managing interactions between social and ecological systems. On Dec. 3, the Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society announced it had submitted a nomination package for Howe Sound to Paris for review by
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A2 • Thursday, December 10, 2020
Events December 14, 2020 6:15 pm Regular Council Meeting
bowenislandundercurrent.com
Council proposing to change procedure bylaw
Municipal Hall Holiday Hours Bowen Island Municipality will be closed from Thursday, December 24th at 12:00 pm until January 1, 2021. We will be open for regular business hours on Monday, January 4, 2021.
All meetings are online via Zoom and
A Procedure Bylaw is a is a regulatory bylaw required by the Community Charter to establish general procedures to be followed by Council and Council Committees in conducting their business. The current Council Procedure Bylaw is out of date and requires updating to reflect current meeting practice. Council received a report and draft bylaw at its November 23rd Regular Council meeting with proposed changes to its Council Procedure Bylaw. To view the report, please visit our website at www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca.
open to the public, unless noted otherwise.
The Community Charter requires a local government to provide notice of the proposed changes in general terms. The proposed changes include:
Stay home if you’re sick
Clean your hands frequently 2 m or 6 feet
Stories from the Bay
Kwil’akm / Mannion Bay
The Howe Sound / Átl’a7tsem Marine Reference Guide is hosting a Zoom event with SeaChange Marine Conservation Society and Bowen Island Municipality called ‘Stories from the Bay’. This night will be an evening of storytelling about Kwil’akm / Mannion Bay with memorable tales from the community and presentations from people who are protecting and restoring the Bay. This event will build upon the work of many who have come before us who have dedicated their love for the Bay through videos, presentations, restoration and protective actions. We look forward to your contributions and presence for this delightful evening of caring expressions for a beautiful treasure in the Sound. Get all the details on the Facebook event page:
• •
Council will be considering Bylaw No.529, 2020 at its December 14th Regular Council meeting for consideration of readings. If you have any questions or comments relating to the proposed changes, please submit them in writing by Monday, December 7th or speak during Public Comments at the Council meeting. Meeting details are available on the Municipal website:
www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/council-meetings Questions? Please contact:
https://fb.me/e/7jj7aOSjX Keep a safe physical distance
• • • •
New and revised definitions. New sections to address: 1) Livestreaming of all open Council and Committee meetings; and 2) Consent Agenda Items. Revised Council Agenda publication schedule. Revised procedure for holding electronic meetings. Update to Delegations section. New and expanded procedures for handling motions and resolutions. Update to Committee and Commissions procedure. General minor revisions to update current legislation, formatting, and grammatical modifications.
Ways to Get Involved: • Submit your story! Deadline: December 11th 2020 • Check out the Facebook event page for updates • Register for the Zoom Event. Date: January 20th 2021, 6 - 7:30pm
Hope Dallas Corporate Officer Bowen Island Municipality 981 Artisan Lane Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G2 Email: hdallas@bimbc.ca
Wear a mask in indoor public spaces
Contact Us Phone: Fax: Email:
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Thursday, December 10, 2020 • A3
MERIBETH DEEN PHOTO
These days Joanne Raymont walks every day, and takes the time to appreciate the beauty of the world around her.
Finding a way forward HOW THE SWIMBOWEN FUND HELPED JOANNE RAYMONT AFTER A YEAR OF ILLNESS AND LOSS
MERIBETH DEEN
SwimBowen Community Outreach
What does the world look like after you’ve been hit with cancer, the loss of a child, and the literal disintegration of your spine all within the span of a few months? “There’s no such thing as rock-bottom, things can always get worse,” says Joanne Raymont. “But if you keep looking for beauty you will find it. When you do, it probably won’t look the way you expect it to, but it’s there.” In July of 2019, she was diagnosed with cancer. In November, while awaiting treatment, she lost her 22-year-old daughter, Shilanne. Her chemotherapy treatments followed and when they wrapped up, Joanne found out osteoporosis left her with seven compression fractures in her spine. By winter, she says her days were filled with crippling physical and emotional pain. “I asked my doctors how I could’ve broken the bones in my back and they said it might have been coughing or bending over, so I decided to stop moving. Even sitting still, it just hurt all the time. I didn’t have the psychological strength to move at all, and I just got weaker and weaker and started to dissolve,” recalls Joanne. “I could easily spend a whole day just looking out the window and trying to wrap my head around what had happened to the world. It offended me that the sun kept rising and the moon kept rising and the wind kept blowing. How could the world keep turning without Shilanne in it? But it did.” While her friends had already shown her more support and love than she says she could’ve ever imagined, they encouraged her to ask for more. “A girlfriend of mine told me, ‘you know, there’s this cancer fund,’ and I said, ‘oh yeah, yeah, right.’ I didn’t really think I needed it so I just disregarded that,” explains Joanne. “Then a second girlfriend said, ‘you know that SwimBowen Cancer fund has money there?’ A week later she came back to me again and said: you’ve got to apply for this, that’s what it is there for.” Much to her surprise, the application pro-
cess did not come with endless paperwork and bureaucracy. “I didn’t have to know anybody. It was completely anonymous, and the money was there because I needed it,” she says. “I went and got the form, and the next thing I knew the cheque was in the mail.” The money came in February, and by that time she knew it was critical to get the kind of help that her friends couldn’t give her. “I knew that on an emotional level, I could end up going off the deep-end. So counselling was what I chose to spend that money on right away,” she says. “Having a professional to talk to about what I was going through helped me feel like I could get my feet on some kind of ground, and that everything I was feeling was pretty normal.” The receipt of financial support from total strangers had another important effect on Joanne. “I had been so desolate, so uncertain of what the point of this world was. To have complete strangers just providing services for me like that restored my faith,” she says. “The world that I thought existed just plain didn’t, so what I had to do was build a new concept of what the world was all about. Support from SwimBowen and selfless altruism of other people was pretty much the first ingredient. It turned my life around.” While her world no longer felt safe, Joanne could now see that love still existed in it. “For a while, my only reason for moving forward was thinking about my daughter’s bravery and her compassion for others. I knew she wouldn’t want me to give up, and that got me through from day to day, from morning to afternoon,” she says. “But to see that reflected in other people, even though my daughter was gone – that restored my faith. That’s where the SwimBowen fund made a huge difference for me. I hope that going forward, I can be a part of giving it back.” Note: SwimBowen prioritizes the privacy of all fund recipients and ensures their anonymity. This recipient chose to tell her story publicly.
Margaret Madeline Harrison Frulling “Pegi” May 23, 1934 - November 28, 2000
Our dear Pegi has moved on to the great adventure. She passed peacefully at Capilano Care Home in West Vancouver from Covid 19. We are grateful to the staff fff there for their exemplary care of Pegi and help they gave our family. They provided weekly FaceTime for a family member and one designated visitor. Cathy was able to see her in October. We could see that even though her dementia had progressed she was still the same happy woman. Pegi was the youngest in her family. She had a brother Mike and a sister Marie and three siblings from their father’s first marriage Glady, Doug and Jack who had lost their mother to the Spanish flu. Pegi lived inToronto with her mother, her father was killed in a car accident when Pegi was a baby. Marie had joined the Airforce in Vancouver and Mike went West to begin a career in Surveying and Engineering. In 1947 they moved to VANCOUVER to live with Marie, Archie and Diane. Her mother Molly had a brain tumour and subsequently passed in 1951. Pegi was a sister to Marie, Archie and an aunt/sister to Diane, Michael, Patrick, Cathy, Keith and Chris. Marie and Archie moved to Bowen Island in the late 50’s. Pegi came over every weekend and formed a group of friends on the Island. On Bowen she reconnected with another niece from the east, Gerry and her daughter Kim who were living with the Buchanan’s. She eventually married Gordon and they built their Bowen home on an acre of land Marie and Archie had given to Pegi for her birthday. She commuted to work in Vancouver with Gord usually chauffeuring Keith and Chris and a car full of kids to highschool....before seatbelt laws.This started an island tradition of calling her Aunty Pegi as not only with the next generation of her family (Kurstin, Amanda, Quinn, Holly, Sasha, Evan,Tanya and Eric) but their friends as well. Pegi’s sister Marie passed at a young age and she evolved into a surrogate grandmother. Always happy to see them and take them on adventures.They went weekly to Expo enjoying the city, sights and goodies it provided. Pegi lived in theYukon for awhile when Gord started a business there and Patrick spent one summer with them. They oft ften t took the Buchanan kids on trips, Cathy still remembers the Calgary Stampede where she went with Gordon’s family.This included his son Gordie, wife Patsy and their children Lori, Michelle and Steven.They were in Pegi’s life long aft fter t Gordon Sr. passed, including her in holiday gatherings. They made a point of visiting her in her care home and sending cards and pictures of their young families. Later in her life Cathy took Pegi on trips, her favourite was a literary trip to Italy where they visited sights from the books they read. There were also nieces and nephews in the Interior,Terri and Steve and in the east Gerry, Kim, Robbie and Joan and then their children. Over the years their families grew and many made the trek to Bowen. Joan andTerri were welcomed oft ften t by her and the Buchanan clan. The family grew, spouses (coming and going) and many more children. In the end she was the grand Matriarch of Bowen.This is a testament to a life well lived. It reminds me of a quote by Ram Dass “In the end we are just walking each other home”. RIP Auntie Pegi ...you will live as long as people’s memories of you.
A4 • Thursday, December 10, 2020
bowenislandundercurrent.com
VIEWPOINTS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Thank you to the community that saved my life ‘We have such admiration’
A DAUGHTER’S THANK YOU TO CARE HOME STAFF
DEAR EDITOR: Respect, integrity, compassion and excellence. These are Capilano Care Home’s core values that my father, Phil Fee and our family have benefitted from during the year and a half that he lived there. He was welcomed and integrated into his third floor community early on and participated happily in many gatherings and outings. We always received detailed communications about how he was doing and what was happening at the home. We were very welcome to visit and participate in theme meals, hockey appreciation, and many more occasions that made Cap feel like Dad’s home. Dad was palliative for the last two months of his life and passed away quickly and peacefully of COVID-19 last week. Throughout COVID-19, they communicated incredibly well with us and did everything humanly possible to stave off the virus, and then contain the outbreak that started almost three weeks ago now. We have such admiration for all their staff, who go in daily, working long hours, continuing to care well for residents by helping each other out, particularly with feeding them in their rooms, visiting them and setting up regular FaceTimes when it wasn’t possible for us to visit. Dad was so well cared for by so many and we would like to thank them all. Huge thanks to Connie Luck, director par excellence, Brittany Perri and Heidi Scoten, social workers with big hearts, third floor nurses, both practical and caring – Karen, Albert and Hazel and more. Rec director with a sense of fun – Alana Amaroso and her team. And care aides Pouran, the music therapist, and so many more! Thanks also to the rest of the staff who are the backbone of Cap – admin, food services, laundry, cleaning. These wonderful people are being stretched so thin by the pandemic and still need our support. We love and appreciate them! Dad was so well cared for by so many and we would like to thank them all. Suzanne Allan
DEAR EDITOR: On Nov. 30 at 9:30 a.m. I wished my wife, Kellee, and our son, Colton,15, a good day as they left to catch the ferry. Ten minutes later I lay unconscious on the floor as my 17-year-old son, Catch, tried to revive me. I regained consciousness however I was barely able to breathe on my own. It was as though I was drowning. I needed oxygen and my lungs were no longer functioning effectively.
Catch reached his mother via FaceTime. She frantically made calls from the already departed ferry. She called both our oldest son, Chance, who was working at the General Store, and our neighbours, Nancy and Bob. Brian who owns the General Store quickly drove Chance to our home and graciously stood by and offered transport to the hospital. Nancy and Bob had arrived moments before and stood by as Chance
called 911 for an ambulance. Fortunately for me, Bob was a retired first responder and recently retired from the Bowen Island Fire Department. His expertise and quick arrival was undoubtedly a factor in saving my life. Due to my breathing condition though I was unable to be taken to the hospital without being fed oxygen, which required an ambulance for transport. The ambulance however was already called so it took a significant amount of time before they could reach me. Bob and BIFD stayed with me until the ambulance’s arrival.
My point of this letter is to let everyone know how special the Bowen Island community is and during a time of crisis how our community rose up to save a neighbour’s life, this time my own. I wish to give thanks to the following people who made the wait for the ambulance’s arrival possible.
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Upon arrival at Lions Gate Hospital, my emergency diagnosis was hypoxemic respiratory failure and I was very blue and cold due to my extremities being shut down. I was well cared for during my one-week stay and had dedicated nurses around the clock exclusive to my recovery. However, during my time there in isolation, I had time to reflect upon what matters most in life. Family and by extension, community, is what tearfully came to mind. With immense gratitude, Darren & the Fehst Family
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Bowen Island Fire Department: Aaron Hanen, Steve Harding, Eric Michner, Tyler Jacquet, Ian Thompson and Bob Robinson And a special thanks to both Nancy Lee and Brian Park for showing us the meaning of a selfless community.
National NewsMedia Council.
EDITOR Bronwyn Beairsto editor@bowenisland undercurrent.com
ADVERTISING Tracey Wait ads@bowenisland undercurrent.com
CARTOONIST Ron Woodall
PUBLISHER Peter Kvarnstrom publisher@bowenisland undercurrent.com 2011 CCNA
CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2011
SPECIAL THANK-YOU Audrey Grescoe
The Undercurrent is a member of the National NewsMedia Council of Canada, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please email editor@bowenislandundercurrent. com or call 604-947-2442. If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the website at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Herring vital link in marine food web, commercial fishery puts it all at risk Editor’s Note: the following letter was sent to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and shared with the Undercurrent. DEAR EDITOR: This letter is sent on behalf of the Bowen Island Conservancy. The Conservancy is a non-profit society, having an objective of the protection and enhancement of the ecological health of Bowen Island and the surrounding marine environment. The society has more than 100 active members and enjoys broad support in the Bowen Island community. Bowen Island is surrounded by the waters of Howe Sound, which were heavily impacted by industrial activity and resource development throughout the 20th century. In recent years, however, Howe Sound has experienced a substantial recovery. Marine life, while undoubtedly not back to pre-development levels, has been recovering from historic lows. This recovery is visible in the frequent observations of whales and other marine mammals that have been absent for many years. More careful observation has shown that life further down the marine food chain has also been recovering. In particular, and most significant for the purpose of this letter, substantial amounts of herring and herring spawn have been observed by scientists and “citizen scientists“ in recent years. It is not surprising to see a correlation between the increase in marine mammal sightings and the increase in herring. It is widely recognized that herring provide a critical link in the marine food web between plankton and larger fish, marine mammals and birds. Thus, we believe that it is fundamentally important for herring stocks to be
protected in order to maintain the ongoing ecological recovery in Howe Sound. On the other hand, herring stocks on the B.C. coast have been declining in recent years, a decline that appears to be strongly correlated with the ongoing commercial fishery. Information available from your department shows that four of the five management areas on the B.C. coast have been closed to commercial fishing due to low stocks, and the remaining area, Georgia Strait, has experienced significant stock declines in recent years. Despite this, your department is approving very large herring fisheries in Georgia Strait this fall, for “food and bait“ and in the new year, for herring roe. In our view, continuation of the commercial fishery in the face of seriously declining stocks is a mistake, and we urge your department to reconsider, either eliminating or substantially reducing the commercial fishery. In this regard, we have been provided with a copy of the letter to your department from the Hornby Island Conservancy. The Bowen Island Conservancy fully endorses the submission of the Hornby Conservancy in their letter. We also understand that your department may consider opening a commercial herring fishery in Howe Sound this year. Such a decision would be a setback to the ecological recovery now under way, and we are adamantly opposed to any commercial fisheries in Howe Sound under the circumstances. We are seeking your assurance that there will be no commercial herring fishery in Howe Sound for the 2020-21 year. John Rich Director, Bowen Island Conservancy
Traffic calming needed onWhitesails The following letter was addressed to BIM council and staff and shared with the Undercurrent DEAR MAYOR, COUNCILLORS & STAFF: Thank you so much for addressing the traffic issues on Bowen Island with your Traffic Calming Policy. Most of my neighbours on Whitesails Drive (50+ properties) have signed the traffic calming request application I am handing in today [Dec. 2]. We are a close-knit neighbourhood with many young families. Our houses are situated close to the road and we all use the road for walking, biking and visiting. The opening up 15 years + ago of the Cape Roger Curtis lands to development turned the sleepy dead-end road that our community is built around into a major thoroughfare. Traffic has steadily increased including construction vans, trucks and machines, periodic logging trucks as well as a growing number of visitors, from on and off island, that come year round to the beaches and trails – walking, cycling and driving. As my sister Wendy and I went door-todoor (in personal protective equipment),
we heard many anecdotes about close calls with children pulled away at the last minute from speeding trucks and a frightening near miss between the school bus and a fully-loaded logging truck at the blind corner onto Whitesails just off Tunstall Boulevard. Our neighbourhood is not only worried about the current deteriorated condition of our now inadequate road and the increased traffic. We are aware that more traffic is coming with the Discovery School opening up their thirty spaces and the beautiful new Bowen Island Conservancy Waterfront Park that will attract more visitors. On top of all these concerns is the Cape On Bowen’s recent promotion of a dramatic upzoning of their remaining 34 lots into a high density subdivision of 750 to 850 people. We welcome this opportunity for study and planning by the municipality to look after the concerns of our well-loved neighbourhood, its present and its future. We hope you will engage with us on any findings you have and possible solutions to our problem. Susan Alexander
Thursday, December 10, 2020 • A5
Here are the November RCMP statistics CPL. ADAM KOEHLE
Bowen Island RCMP
The Bowen Island RCMP responded to 39 calls for service in November of 2020; • 9 of those files were related to traffic complaints or enforcement; • 2 of those files were break-ins to residences; • 3 of those files were requests to check a person’s well-being; • 1 of those files was assisting the Fire Department with a house fire; • 1 of those files was a traveller who was issued a ticket under the Quarantine Act for failing to isolate upon their return to Canada; • 1 of those files was a report of a deer who appeared injured after an altercation with a dog. I watched Home Alone last night, and it made me think about the importance of home security. Break-ins may seem unlikely this year given that we will all be home for the holidays and unable
to travel but a few quick tips can help ensure that you don`t need the help of a quick-witted eight-year-old to deter crooks: • Ensure that you always lock your doors and windows; • Use dead bolts and have doors that close properly; • Illuminate exterior lights to deter someone from prowling around the exterior of your residence; • Update your neighbours if you will be away from your residence for any period of time (ie. shopping in the city, not heading to the interior to visit family). Please have a safe and happy holiday! Editor’s note: Here’s a bit more on the above statistics from Cpl. Koehle: “The fire was on Sunset Rd, no one was injured and it looked like it was a chimney fire. “The Quarantine Act violation was a traveller that returned to Canada from the U.S. and refused to isolate for two weeks, so they were issued a ticket for $1150.”
George Allan Hunter
May 12, 1933 – Nov. 29, 2020 With family members at his side, George Allan Hunter, 87, passed peacefully Nov. 29, 2020, at VGH near his home on Bowen Island, B.C. George was immensely proud to still “have all his marbles” at the end. George was born in Regina, SK, May 12, 1933. His family moved to the Qu’Appelle Valley and then to Winnipeg where George grew up and spent his early summers fishing and exploring outdoors at the family cottage. George finished high school in Calgary, where he met his first and only love, Sheila. They married at St. Joseph’s in 1956 and raised five, loving daughters. George completed his post-secondary studies at SAIT, while also working in the construction industry. In 1956, George and Sheila built their first home at Chestermere Lake, AB. In 1965, George and family moved to West Vancouver, B.C. He designed and built their second family home and grew what would become a long and successful career as a respected quantity surveyor and specification writer for renowned architects. George and Sheila retired to Bowen in 1991. George’s passion for drawing and timber construction was reflected in his designs. His strong hands-on work ethic informed and taught his daughters well. He especially liked to organize work parties. On Bowen, George and his family enjoyed swimming, beach parties, boating, fishing, and water skiing. George was enormously proud developing the property and creating the legacy of Hunter Park. In winter, George and Sheila travelled to the deserts in California and Arizona, where they, their daughters and families enjoyed the sun. George played tennis until age 84. People were naturally drawn to George, thanks to his big and welcoming personality, his sense of humor, authenticity, solid character, and unwavering honesty. George maintained strong, lifelong friendships. He garnered a captive audience when singing the birthday song and “What A Wonderful World”. George will be forever remembered by his wife, Sheila; their five daughters, Bonnie Hunter-James (Mark), Susan Eder, Elizabeth Hunter-Jones (Greg), Sheila Hunter-Tubic (Goran) and Georgina Hunter (Dave Weir); grandchildren Clayton, Erik, Lewie, Charlie, Cameron, Ella, Emma, Hunter and Georgina; great-grandchildren Nathan and Sydney; a sister, Mary, and brother Walter; nieces and nephews. Contact Sheila: geoshe.hunter@gmail.com If you wish to donate in George’s memory: https://bowenhealthcentre.com/pledge-now/
A6 • Thursday, December 10, 2020
bowenislandundercurrent.com
Remembering Lennon’s message 40 years after his assassination
‘THEY ASKED US TO IMAGINE A BETTER
WORLD. A GOOD PLACE TO START AS WE PUT THIS YEAR TO A CLOSE’
LARA SILVER
RAF IZDEBSKI / BOWEN LIFE PHOTO
Union Steamship Company Marina gets into the holiday spirit. From Raf Izdebski of Bowen Life on Facebook and Instagram.
Contributor
In December ten years ago, I happened to be in New York City. Christmas trees cut for sale lined a sidewalk, and the heady fragrance still jolts me back to the wintery walks I had with fascination in my step at all that opened up in front of me. Laid out before me was the backdrop to so many movies I had watched and so many episodes of Jerry Seinfeld. There was more to it, of course – the history in the buildings, the making of the subway, and the human stories that occupied each of those tiny rooms – the city has been a mecca for the downtrodden, downcast, and hopeful souls that embark year after year to make a better life for themselves. The lasting impression of the city’s beauty for me was not in the gaudy lights of Time Square – in fact I hurried away bewildered from that place – but in the collection of people gathering in Central Park one day on December 8, 2010. I followed the familiar tunes the way one would follow the scent of a bakery – hungry for more and comforted by its presence. I was rewarded with the gathering of musicians and fans playing John Lennon’s music on the thirtieth anniversary of his passing. A few musicians sat, singing and strumming guitars that were not hooked up to any sophisticated sound system. It was beautiful in its simplicity. The music was reminiscent in my mind of the hippie days of long hair, youthful defiance, ruinous political disappointments, and emboldened hope for the future. A man next to me shook with emotion, sobbing into his hand, and slowly walked away. Another man held up a sign that said, “THE CIA KILLED LENNON” and a woman distributed poems written for the beloved artist. Gratitude for this gathering of people has not left me. Let us remember together. Let us dream, and repent. Not far away from the Strawberry Fields memorial or from where Lennon was shot, his wife and son have carried on with their lives. A younger Yoko Ono with her signature long black hair and knowing eyes had once handed him a card that said invitingly, ‘Breathe.’ He did. He more than breathed – he sang. In 1969, the year the Beatles performed their final concert on a rooftop in London to the amusement of pedestrians below, he stayed in bed with Yoko Ono during their famous ‘bed-ins’ to remind the rest of the world to make love, not war. A year earlier, the couple had sent acorns to heads of state for them to plant so that large trees would grow, a project that had mixed success. The acorns they planted themselves in England’s Coventry Cathedral were positioned in ‘the east and westerly positions’ on purpose, to symbolize their coming together from the East and West. “We are living proof of East and West getting along together,” she said, combatting racial and political tension with their love for one another. In our advanced era, we are struggling to gather. We sing in private and listen to musicians who have obligingly shared their music with us through computer screens. We breathe under our masks. We are tired, hopeful, expectant of some grand series of changes to get the world’s economies back up again. Let us remember the simple words of artists who wanted us to respond. ‘Breathe.’ Fifty years ago, the lovers worked on a song for the rest of the world’s listeners to ponder. They asked us to imagine a better world. A good place to start as we put this year to a close. If we take a page out of their book, we might even choose to stay in bed, and enjoy it.
bowenislandundercurrent.com
Thursday, December 10, 2020 • A7
Virtual Blue Christmas service proceeding REV. LORRAINE ASHDOWN, REV. PHIL ADKINS
Contributors
Christmastime is here. Christmas Day is only a few sleeps away. We all feel, without exception, that this is an unusual Christmastime, one that we would very gladly never repeat. At the best of times, this season can be very hard on the hearts of many who are lonely; who have experienced loss and who are living with a sense of vulnerability and fragility. And, this year those feelings may have intensified for some. Bowen Island United Church, Cates Hill Chapel and St. Gerard’s Catholic Church invite you to a shared Blue Christmas service on Tuesday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. This service will also include our annual Remembering Tree observance where we tie blue ribbons in memory of those we have lost. We will gather in our “new normal” fashion and share quiet music, reflection, prayer, scripture, candle-lighting and tying blue ribbons for our Remembering Tree. You are invited to join us in your own homes with a candle. During the service, you will be invited to speak the names of those you are missing. For each of these spoken names, Lorraine Ashdown (stationed at Bowen Island United Church) and Phil Adkins (stationed at Cates Hill Chapel) will light a candle and tie a blue ribbon on our Remembering Tree. There is much hurt and sadness for many in our community and beyond as we move
PHOTO COURTESY OF PHIL ADKINS
Bowen Islanders will be invited to speak the names of those they’re missing this season at the virtual Blue Christmas service.
through this season. This service is designed to give space to some of that pain and to honour it as it lives within us. And the service is also meant to offer comfort to all who are weary and who are carrying a heavy burden. Please join us if you feel called to do so. As we say every week at Bowen Island United Church, “No matter who you are; no matter who you love; no matter the colour of your skin; no matter where you are on your faith journey; you are welcome here.” You can find us using this Zoom link: us02web.zoom.us/j/82655166680?pwd=Rk1rOEM2dWk3OE1RM0lCT3NkdStvQT09 Blessings of hope, peace, joy and love to you all.
Holiday Hours of Operation December 24th
OPEN until 5:00pm
December 25th
CLOSED – Merry Christmas!!
December 26th
CLOSED – Merry Christmas!!
December 27th – 31st
Regular Hours
January 1st
CLOSED - Happy New Year!!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! STAY SAFE
T hank You to all for your support this past year From all of us at the Building Centre We wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy Happy New Year! HOLIDAY HOURS Thursda ay
Dec 24th - 7:30a a.m. to o 12 2:00p p.m m.
Friday
De ec 25th - Clossed d
Saturda ay
De ec 26th - Clossed d
Sunday
De ec 27th - Clossed d
Monday
De ec 28th - Closed d
Tuesd day
Dec 29 9th - 7:30a a.m m. to o 5:00p p.m.
Wednesday
Dec 30th - 7:30a a.m m. to o 5:00p p.m.
Thursday
De ec 31st - 7:30a a.m m. to 12::00p.m.
Friday
Jan 1sst - Closed
BOWEN BUILDING CENTRE Helping islanders since 1972 • 1013 Grafton Road 604-947-9622
A8 • Thursday, December 10, 2020
bowenislandundercurrent.com
2020 LIGHTS ON BOWEN SNUG COVE
THE VALLEY
USSC Marina & Boats 416 Venture Road Davies Road BI Museum
Fire Hall Kerr Hill-Grafton Rd Harding Road 998 Harding Road 1233 Adams Road 1652 Adams Road
DEEP BAY 479 Melmore
MILLER ROAD Little Red Church 1294 Miller Road
SCARBOROUGH 1224 Scarborough Rd 1231 Scarborough Rd 1260 Scarborough Rd 1272 Scarborough Rd 1304 Hillcrest Rd
EAGLE CLIFF 1344 Eagle Cliff Rd Highland Tail
Merry Christmas
Bowen Island
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COWANS POINT 1047 Annette Court
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TUNSTALL BAY 1494 White Sails 1525 White Sails 1633 White Sails 1637 White Sails
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BLUE WATER Arbutus Place 847 Windjammer 879 Windjammer 958 Windjammer 1597 Isleview
Bowen Island
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n WINNERS of Bowens LIGHT UP CHALLENGE will be announced next week
COPPER SPIRIT DISTILLERY
CINDY MAY PHOTOGRAPHY
BOWEN ISLAND PUB
441 BOWEN ISLAND TRUNK ROAD 778-895-9622 copperspirit.ca @copperspirit Online Store - Pickup - Delivery Thu-Sun 12-5pm.
604-762-0833 Instagram:cindymayphotography Facebook Cindy May Photographycindymay.com gift certificates available pick up or hand delivered cindymay@cindymay.com
604-947-BPUB (2782) www.bowenpub.com Offering…Takeout & Dine In - seven days a week for lunch and dinner (closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day) Delivery - FOOD ON BOWEN (Tuesday to Saturday evenings) Bulk Food Online Food Store
CATCHING STARS GALLERY #1 - 479 BOWEN ISLAND TRUNK RD. 778-956-9991 www.catchingstarsgallery.com Facebook: @catchingstarsgallery Instagram: @catchingstarsgallery In store shopping, Curbside pickup, Virtual Tour, Online Store, Island Delivery, Worldwide shipping. Store hours: 11 - 5pm Daily HAPPY ISLE CANNABIS
SCHOONER LANE DESIGNS
604-947-9888 www.happyislecannabis.com Open 7 days a week through the holidays - closed Christmas Day / Boxing Day / New Years Day
cheese+chopping+serving boards Silver & Copper Jewelry 778 847 3723 Available through Catching Stars Gallery Shop in person or online www.catchingstarsgallery.com/shop
THE HEARTH - ARTS ON BOWEN 430 BOWEN ISLAND TRUNK ROAD 604-947-2454 www.thehearthartosonbowen.ca Facebook: @hearthartsonbowen Instagram: hearth_artsonbowen Open Thursday - Monday 12 - 6 pm. Visit in person, or arrange a virtual tour. One-of-a-kind creations at the December Art Market. MOVEMENT GLOBAL ARTISAN SQUARE Shop online 24/7 www. movementglobal.com Shop in store by appointment please call Amrita 778-863-7770 Curbside pickup, Gift Certificates
Did you find a unique Bowen gift or indulge in some amazing local treats & eats? Share your experience with the Undercurrent email Bronwyn at editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com
MIKI TANAKA JEWELRY 585 PROMETHEUS PLACE (LOWER ARTISAN SQUARE) nfo@mikitanaka.com instagram: @mikitanakajewelry Store hours: Thurs.-Sun. 11am-5pm, Curbside pickup/Delivery available Online shop www.mikitanaka.com KNICK KNACK NOOK 1063 MT GARDNER ROAD OPEN Friday, Dec 11 until Dec 21 Thursday nights by appointment Fri. to Mon. 12 to 2:20 PM 604-947-6665 Free business listing email ads@bowenislandundercurrent.com
Add a little bit o
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LIGHT UP BOWEN
Thursday, December 10, 2020 • A9
This holiday season
THANK YOU BUSINESS SPONSORS:
BOWEN BUILDING CENTRE, COCOA WEST MOVEMENT GLOBAL, LEIGH AUTO DK HARRIS PROPERTIES (Bellringers) PHONEIX, BOWEN PET SUPPLY INTEGRATED HEALTH, Dee Elliot MacDONALD REALTY BOWEN ISLAND PUB Francis Frost REMAX REALTY FABULOUS FINDS MARIE NEYS FINE ART BOWEN PROPERTIES, GENERAL STORE Ross McCorquodale EDWARD JONES TUSCANY, BARCELONA Tapas & Wine Bar CONNIES KNITS, SQUIRREL, BRANCH on BOWEN LIBELLUE COTTAGES, KNICK KNACK NOOK The UNDERCURRENT, BOWEN ISLAND SOAP CO.
& BIG SHOUT OUT & Thank You to our GOFUND ME Donors, Family donors & to all those elves that helped decorate the Cove!
Merry Christmas
Be kind...
Be calm...
Be safe...
Give back to our community...
Buy Local!
CEDC
Community Economic Development Committee
A10 • Thursday, December 10, 2020
bowenislandundercurrent.com
Out of the shadows: Invisible Women THEY WERE GOOD AT KEEPING SECRETS: A NEW PODCAST ABOUT ESPIONAGE WOMEN FROM ISLANDER DIANE GREIG
BRONWYN BEAIRSTO
Editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com
Not even in their obituaries are the women recognised for their contributions in the Second World War. The eight otherwise ordinary women profiled in the new podcast Invisible Women took up dangerous spy work during the Second World War and when it was over, mostly went back to their lives and didn’t tell a soul for decades. Now, Bowen Island psychotherapist Diane Greig is sharing their stories with the world as she uncovers the cultural norms that kept the women quiet.
34MannionBay_MannionBay_TideComingIn_VivLynch
The project started 15 years ago. Greig was working on her PhD, studying labyrinth meditation and dreamwork. The U.K., U.S. and Canada had started opening their files from the Second World War a few years earlier and a friend came across a woman who’d worked for the Polish military behind the lines in France. The friend shared some of the woman’s story and Greig was captured. “They had parachuted in by the light of the moon,” she said. “I was captured by that image, by the fact that these stories had never been told.” A PhD topic and advisor switch later, Greig forged into a world of secrets.
From declassified files, contacts, and a lot of research, Greig found eight women who had worked for the military (French, British, American and Polish) and four who had worked in resistances (Dutch, Polish, Belgian and French). Eight were able to participate in her PhD research under the condition of anonymity. “Even when the Official Secrets Act was up, they still didn’t talk,” said Greig. All of the women Greig talked to had just started telling their stories in the previous five years. With the exception of one, none had had their entire stories captured. “As a psychotherapist, I’m always interested in what’s in shadow – what’s hidden?” Greig said. “To help clients, you often have to investigate, you have to find out something about them that they don’t know about themselves in order to help them.” So when Greig heard about these women’s stories, she wondered why they were still hidden. The image of the femme fatale, of women selling sex for secrets, persists in pop culture and Greig thinks that cultural stigma is part of what stopped these women from telling their stories for so long. But when the women were in their 80s and Greig came along, opening up was a now or never decision. “For the most part, these women were wanting to tell their stories,”
said Greig. “They found they loved doing the spy work. Even though they said how horrific and terrible war was, they found the work thrilling and that they knew they could do the work.” Some conversations were very difficult – these women had seen and experienced horrors – those aren’t in the podcast (though the women said they could be shared). “My research, isn’t about the horrors of war, we all know what that is. It’s really about…the rigidness of cultural norms,” said Greig. During wartime, when they were useful, the women were called to step up – to work in factories, to work as spies – the culture of the time wanted to use them. “Post war, of course, those opportunities for adventure and independence closed up.” All but one of the women Greig interviewed returned to her life of before. “When I google their names, to find their obituaries, none of the obituaries say that they worked in World War Two - they say that they’re the wife or the mother of so and so,” said Greig. “There’s this perpetuation of not having value and not having their contribution known.” In the podcast, they’re still known only by pseudonym. In the opening episode of Invisible Women, Greig describes having to be vetted by the men in each woman’s life before being
allowed access to the former spy. “Some of them had regrets,” said Greig. “Like Edie [who was in the Belgian resistance, transcribing and passing messages about supplies and troop movements, as a young woman], she had regrets that she’d never finished her education. She never worked again.” And we’re still seeing these patterns said Greig. “Women are still not paid equally to men. We’re still in the subordinate position,” she said. “Maybe it’s not as extreme as it was back then in a more authoritarian era, but we still see the same pattern.” Greig talked to the Undercurrent the week after Kamala Harris became vice-president elect of the U.S. “Maybe there’s barriers just being broken now really,” commented Greig. “We’ve got to keep the story going,” Why do the podcast now, 15 years after meeting these women? On the one hand there’s time– with the pandemic and being semi-retired, Greig has time to work on the podcast. There are also many, many talented actors lacking work due to the pandemic – Greig hired eight to voice the women (who have by now mostly died.) But there’s also a cultural moment. “There seems to be a stretching of societal norms collectively, when we look at the progressive movement today – with climate change, Black Lives Matter,
LGBTQ+, women’s marches – there seems to be a desire to look at ourselves differently, to reassess who we are and how we’re acting in life,” said Greig. “There’s an opening in culture, just like there was for these women in World War Two,” said Greig. “There was an opening during wartime because of the chaos and women being invited into roles that were usually reserved for men.” “What’s held and what’s held in shadows or secrecy in a culture is really important, especially for women,” said Greig. “You need to see role models…you need to see it in order to be it.” “And so if women have stories that they think they should share, I would encourage them to do it,” said Greig, adding that this goes for all marginalized groups. It’s about stretching the norm. “We need, to meet the dire challenges of today, really creative thinkers. We don’t need the old status quo.” One can find the podcast on all the usual podcast services or at invisiblewomen.ca. Episode two comes out Dec. 11. There is also an Invisible Women blog and a newsletter where Greig delves deeper into the research and history behind these women’s stories, women in espionage and what’s held in shadow.
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Kwil’akm / Mannion Bay
The Howe Sound / Átl'ḵa7tsem Marine Reference Guide is hosting a Zoom event with SeaChange Marine Conservation Society and Bowen Island Municipality called ‘Stories from the Bay’. This night will be an evening of storytelling about Kwil’akm / Mannion Bay with memorable tales from the community and presentations from people who are protecting and restoring the Bay. This event will build upon the work of many who have come before us who have dedicated their love for the Bay through videos, presentations, restoration and protective actions. We look forward to your contributions and presence for this delightful evening of caring expressions for a beautiful treasure in the Sound.
Ways to Get Involved: • Submit your story! Extended deadline: January 6th 2021 https://forms.gle/VqWRVnHCFv9SQNQ49 • Search ‘Stories from the Bay’ on Facebook for event updates • Register for our Zoom Event. Date: January 20th 2021, 6 - 7:30pm https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/ register/tZAlcO6gqD4uG9WjJ3nJnhiKw1H365civJzJ
Shop online 24/7 at www. movementglobal.com Shop in store at ARTISAN SQUARE by appointment call Amrita at 778 863 7770 Curb side pickup and Gift Certificates available
Merry & bright! vegetable cashmere for the holidays shop for men & women
Eco fashion made locally
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Thursday, December 10, 2020 • A11
BOWEN NATURE CLUB
P is for Pine Siskin
EMBARKING ON AN ALPHABETIC ADVENTURE WHILE WE ISOLATE, COURTESY OF THE NATURE CLUB
JEN RITCHIE
Bowen Nature Club
I’ve been having fun exploring my neighbourhood with the “Play Outside with Bowen Nature Club” outdoor activity series that has been running this fall. Have you been playing along? For week nine the activity was an alphabet scavenger hunt. So, in that spirit, I’d like to submit: A is for “A LOT.” B is for Birds. C is for Clustering. D is for Diving. E is for Everywhere! Have you seen them? Of course you have! Did you know what they were? Maybe not! Bowen has been abuzz about the huge Flocks of little birds inundating the island this last month. Undulating Gracefully like schools of Herring, they swirled around houses and above roadways, through trees, and unfortunately also into a few windows. Islanders were Jarred at the birds getting Knocked out (or sadly even Killed), and intensely curious about the abundance of these Lively little creatures. What are these Mysterious little birds? And why are they appearing in such large numbers? Is this one of the final squares on our bizarre 2020 bingo card? N is for Never fear: O is not for Omen, P is not for Plague-- it is a very natural phenomenon. P is for Pine Siskins. Adorable little finches, their yellow accented wings and tails are much brighter than goldfinches. They have notched tails like sparrows, but at five inches (12 to 13cm) are smaller. Pine Siskins are common throughout
Canada all year; however, they do migrate farther north to breed, and farther south in the winter. The most surprising (Quirky?) aspect to their migration is that it is rather erratic. Some years, you will see a huge boom of birds, and other years, you will see scarcely any. Crop failures and other changes in their usual food supply can be what causes them to change Ranges and move into new areas. Bowen’s plentiful alder trees are likely an attractant to this hungry bird. They use their small pointed beaks to pry the Seeds out of alder cones. Of course, they also eat other cones and seeds, like the eponymous pine. You might catch them at your feeder, if you put out Thistle seeds or sunflower seeds. Unfortunately, Pine Siskins tend to carry salmonella, and can infect each other and other birds at feeders, so it’s probably best to let them forage on their own. We hope you’ve been enjoying the “Virtual” club activities we’ve been posting this fall. While the club is taking a break from posting structured outdoor activities this Winter, it is our dream that you will continue to “forage on your own,” through December and beyond. Of course, you can always go back and do this fall’s activities any time you like! In addition, feel free to join in the Annual Audubon Xmas (Christmas) Bird Count, which runs from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5. Keep an eye out for the flash of Yellow on the Pine Siskin, as it Zips along in a neighbourhood near you. Resources: facebook.com/bowennatureclub; audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count
A Cyber Soirée Thank You! To everyone for your attendance at our Soirée, your cash and auction donations, video submissions, entertainer videos, sponsorships, hours upon hours of volunteer time, support and encouragement! We had an estimated 1,000 viewers at our live show on Saturday and we raised a phenomenal $75,000 to kickstart our Bridge to the Future fund! Exciting announcements at our event included: • plans to move forward with the purchase of our current building at 671 Carter Road • construction of a new outdoor covered area — our fieldhouse • a recent generous gift of strata lot #2 (a parcel of land adjacent to our parking lot) by Wolfgang Duntz and Scarlett Duntz of Bowen Island Properties • creation of an endowment fund held by the Bowen Island Community Foundation An exciting start as we head into the next 25 years of Island Pacific School! If you missed the show you can view it at:
islandpacific.org/giving A SMALL BY DESIGN
DI SC OV E R U S
MIDDLE SCHOOL
ISLAND PACIFIC SCHOOL Apply Now for 2021-22 and Beyond
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Count birds this Christmas NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY’S CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT IS BACK
MICAELE FLORENDO
Contributor
The National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count is planned for this season on Jan. 1. We are seeking birders of all age ranges to count birds over much of the island on foot, by car, and by boat. Realizing that our lives are a little different this year, perhaps this will be the year a birding walkabout starts your new year! The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a long-standing program of the National Audubon Society, with more than 100 years of community science involvement. It is an early-winter bird census, where thousands of volunteers across the U.S., Canada, and many countries in the Western Hemisphere go out over a 24-hour period on one calendar day to count birds; volunteers count every bird they see or hear all day through a designated 15-mile (24-km) diameter. So, it’s not just a species tally—it’s a tally of all birds counted all day, giving an indication
FILE PHOTO
of the total number of birds in the circle that day. If you’re interested in reviewing some of the historical data, it’s available online at audubon.org/conservation/where-have-allbirds-gone. Given the current restrictions due to COVID-19, we will have to craft slightly different plans this year and bird a little more independently. As there is a specific methodology to the Christmas Bird Count, if you’d like to participate, feel free to contact me at 604-838-2321 or by email at mmaddison@hotmail.com. Oh, and for those that are interested, the VanDusen Botanical Garden has partnered with the Vancouver Avian Research Centre to offer an online workshop on Saturday, Jan. 23, for supporting wild birds through winter. Information on this may be found online at vandusengarden.org/explore/ courses/.
Patient of the Week LINUS Over the last year, Dr. Ritchie has been treating Linus for a number of conditions including heartworms, multiple mast cell tumours, and cutaneous hemangiosarcoma. It is with great joy we can finally give Linus a clean bill of health! Rescue dogs sometimes come with health complications, but they’re always worth it in the end!
REGULAR HOURS Tuesday to Friday 9- 5 Saturday 9- 1 Closed Sunday and Monday
To schedule appointments, please call
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or email reception@bowenvet.com
A12 • Thursday, December 10, 2020
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A 6.6% tax increase in 2021 likely scenario CONTINUED FROM P. 1
Make cheques payable to B.I. Christmas Hamper Fund mail to PO Box 19 Bowen Island TAX RECEIPTS WILL BE PROVIDED Infformation: Linda Pffeifff (9625)), Janice Skeels (952 24)), Pernille Nielsen (2210), or Ian Thompson (329-8097)
p
Bowen Island Christmas Hamper Drive
DEPARTS SNUG COVE HORSESHOE BAY
SUN to THURS FRI & SA. ed 11:15PM ns suspend5AM ter ru 12:30AM ommu
dc
ight anAfternoon Commuter Runs S Late n Mon - Fri Horseshoe Bay - Snug Cove
We’re still here for essential services such as ambulance transport and we’re here for your private charter needs. Please feel free to call us with your questions as we chart these waters together.
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“We went through a prioritization exercise of deferring works based on risks to the municipality and risks of not doing that work,” said Hayre. “And then I also looked at other funding alternatives.” Among the spending contortions Hayre mentioned: Doing half of the $700,000• $800,000 culvert work needed • Using five-year equipment financing (borrowing) to fund the $640,000 fire truck • Roads renewal spending of $400,000 rather $700,000 • Deferring a couple of large projects New projects, like the composting facility, that come from grant funding and borrowing, are separate from the type of work listed above. The water and sewer districts are also funded differently. (That’s a whole other story).
The process
BIM approached this year’s budget development a little differently from years past, said chief administrative officer Liam Edwards. There was more one-on-one discussion with department managers and they looked at areas in need of attention, particularly when it came to appropriate fees and charges for services. “What we’re providing with council here today is a list of the highest priority items identified by each department,” said Edwards. “The needs are long and there are many but it’s not to say that everything has to be done in 2021. There are opportunities to defer some of those needs.” “I also want to acknowledge that we recognize that this past year has been an incredibly difficult year for many Bowen Island residents, if not all, as well as Bowen businesses,” said Edwards. “We’ve taken these challenging situations into mind as we develop this budget.”
The operating budget
The operating budget includes wages and salaries, insurance, contracts for services, supplies, debt servic-
ing, community grants and the money that’s then transferred to reserves, said Hayre. Pressures on next year’s budget include: • A 1.8% tax increase for cost of living adjustments for employees. This increase was cut at the 11th hour in 2020 as BIM found ways to slash the tax burden in light of the pandemic. • A 1.8% tax increase for insurance, legal services, supplies and maintenance (some of the spending in this section has been offset by new taxable properties and development fees – the 1.8% is after the offset). • An 8.6% tax increase for 6.9 new FTEs (FTEs are equal to a percentage of a full-time job). • A 1.7% tax increase in council strategic initiatives (services not funded elsewhere but council wishes to fund –– the asset management plan and shortterm housing initiatives are examples Hayre gave). • And the 2% increase for capital reserves. The above priorities total $863,000, a 15.5% tax increase. That’s an additional burden of $380 a year for the average household assessed at $1,083,000. But that’s a little high for a tax increase. Carving down the priorities and presenting options, Hayre recommended a 6.6% increase for 2020 that includes: • $112,000 for capital reserves (2% increase) • $102,000 for staff cost of living adjustments (1.8% increase) • $47,000 for insurance, legal services, supplies and maintenance (.7% increase) • $67,000 for new full-time equivalents (1.1% increase) this includes a part-time human resources position and increasing hours for a bylaw position • $50,000 for council strategic initiatives (1% increase) Edwards said the new part-time human resources position came out of an all-staff survey over the sum-
mer. “That was a very clear and strong request from all staff to get a dedicated HR resource,” he said. The bylaw funding is to make the second officer full-time. “In my short time here, I have noticed a tremendous amount of activity in the bylaws department,” said Edwards. “We only have less than two staff and complement allocated to it. But yet, the amount of time that bylaw services requires is dramatic.” Councillors noted that the public is likely to react to the idea of more FTEs. Edwards pointed to a lower staff per capita ratio than neighbouring communities. “We are quite lean in comparison to some of our neighbor communities but yet the expectation of the level of service is quite high,” said Edwards. Coun. Alison Morse noted that comparisons with other communities must be done with care as some don’t do their own recreation or do have paid firefighters. “The pressure is on the operations of our core services around utilities, roads, parks, fire, that’s where the pressure really lies,” said Edwards. “Where we’re really feeling the pressure is from demand from the public to have adequate levels of service and higher levels of service.”
Other tidbits
Coun. Maureen Nicholson asked Hayre about the COVID-19 relief funding. “What we’re talking about [in the operating budget] is ongoing costs of providing services,” said Hayre. “We shouldn’t be using a one-time grant or funding source to fund those types of requirements, because it’ll just add on to the pressures in subsequent years.” Hayre compared a 1% tax increase on Bowen ($56,700) with municipalities like Burnaby ($3,106,000) or West Vancouver (more than $1 million). Hayre mentioned that external agencies (TransLink, schools, Islands Trust and such) represent usually about 50% of Bowen Islanders’ tax bills. Watch the committee of the whole meeting on BIM’s Youtube channel.
bowenislandundercurrent.com
Thursday, December 10, 2020 • A13
A glimpse into our future? RECOUNTING A MOMENT OF PHENOMENAL PLAYGROUND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
STEWART PROCKTER Contributor
I wanted to share this moment of phenomenal conflict resolution. First let me set the scene: for at least 15 minutes I was aware of several individuals vying for prime positions, under cover and protected from inclement weather. Though friends, two of the group were not keen to give up their snug perches, despite others trying all possible and acceptable approaches to move, topple or unseat the perchers and gain access to the twin thrones of this dry haven. Darkness was falling at the end of a long day, and tempers, patience, and several other reserves and resiliencies were either overly strained, depleted or on a knife’s edge as the negotiations continued. Eventually one of the damp negotiators looked out with the group, as one of his friends had become “upset.” As I was closest to the unfolding events I entered the fray. Seeing one lad, in floods of tears and clearly very upset, I was all ready to take charge and calm the tone of the interaction. It was then that I became aware that one of the group, who had been waiting patiently for a share of the drier positions, was already fully in charge and was also calming the tone of the interaction. Despite the tears and tension, and my presence, this
young man went on to quietly talk through the altercation in the most non-threatening of tones and in words any conflict resolution guru would have been hard pressed to better. With a nod to the weeping friend, the boy said. “He was screaming. He was screaming, and he could not hear me. I was talking and trying to talk to him but he could not hear me.” As if this calm and factual representation was not enough, and it was enough to allow the tear-stained friend to feel no need to respond or defend his actions, the lad went on to reveal this truth to all of us. “When a human being is talking, another human being has to be quiet to hear. After the human being is finished, and is quiet, then the other human being can talk.” While my written words can only fail to replicate the eloquence of this lad and the calmness of his delivery – in light of the length of the day, the length of the interaction, the level of dysregulation of at least one of the group, still sobbing in the shadows, I think it is fair to say that this was a phenomenal piece of peace-keeping. So calmed were the drier of the friends, by the assured words of their contemporary, that there was immediate agreement to a sharing of the meagre accommodation. Such moments of negotiation and resolution are rare, even in the world of adult human beings. The fact that these events took place in a playhouse, on a preschool playground, and between children of four and five years old makes them all the more exceptional. Perhaps, despite 2020, there is hope for the future after all.
What’s bringing you joy as we head into the holiday season? Let us know: editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com.
EMPLOYMENT POSTING: NORTH SHORE BETTER AT HOME PROGRAM Bowen Island Better at Home Coordinator NSCR seeks a part-time contractor (10 hours/week approx. 2 hours/day Monday - Friday) for the role of Bowen Island Better at Home coordinator. This position is responsible to coordinate delivery of the four non-medical services offered to clients registered with the New Bowen Island Better at Home Program. The Bowen Island Better at Home Coordinator responds to requests from clients, their relatives or caregivers, as well as from professionals in community agencies to provide these non-medical services that assist clients to age in in place in their own homes. The Bowen Island Better at Home Coordinator works with seniors, family members, volunteers, staff, external contractors and community partners on the Island. Qualifications, Skills and Experience Ø Experience working with seniors Ø Proven excellent organizational and administration skills Ø Proven customer service and interpersonal skills Ø Some experience working with volunteers to deliver programs and services Ø Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and database programs Ø Ability to communicate well, work independently, and with diverse groups Ø Some post-secondary education or equivalent combination of knowledge and experience Note: a satisfactory criminal record check and vulnerable sector search will be a pre-requisite for employment If you are Interested to learn more: Email: Colleen O’Neil – info@caringcircle.ca (the full job posting will be sent to you) Applications received until December 14, 2020: Please send electronic applications (letter + CV) to Sue Carabetta, Manager, Community Engagement & Seniors Programs: sue.carabetta@nscr.bc.ca.
Better at Home is brought to Bowen in partnership with the Caring Circle
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WE’RE HIRING SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS At First Student, our School Bus Drivers are an integral part of the communities they serve. We are your friends, family, and neighbours! We are proud to offer: • Competitive Wages • Flexible Hours • Free Training Apply: ca.firstgroupcareers.com Call: 604.255.3555 We are an equal opportunity employer that values a diverse workforce.
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Thursday, December 10, 2020 • A15
Howe Sound could have formal designation by winter 2021 CONTINUED FROM P. 1
The committee will next give recommendations regarding the application between April and May 2021. If everything goes according to plan, Howe Sound will receive a formal designation by the winter of 2021. Previously, the Howe Sound Biosphere Region nomination was endorsed by the Canadian Commission for UNESCO back in September. It was the final major endorsement needed to bring the application to a stage where it could be submitted. The CCUNESCO serves as a bridge between Canadians and UNESCO. An endorsement from that organization is a sign the Howe Sound project is a good contender for fulfilling the standards of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Program. On the Bowen side: Bowen Island Municipal Council officially endorsed the nomination last year. Bowen Islander Dr. Hasan Hutchinson is currently on the board for the project and Bob Turner is an honorary board member. Last year, Turner made a short film about the project: ‘A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve for Atl’ka7tsem - Howe Sound’
KATHLEEN AINSCOUGH PHOTO
The Hearth collected community-decorated snowflakes for its gallery as a community art piece.
BOWEN HOME SERVICES love the life you live Landscape Lighting Irrigation BOWEN ISLAND SPECIALISTS! QUALITY SERVICE GUARANTEED!
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A16 • Thursday, December 10, 2020
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Introducing the Children’s Tree
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
ONGOING
Letters to Santa Drop it into the red mailbox at the Recreation office. before Dec. 15, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Bowen Island Winter Fair Online Nov. 21 to Dec. 22. Visit facebook.com/ events/738063303466214/ to see Bowen-made products! Arts Pacific Gallery gift certificate draw Arts Pacific Gallery Enter to win a $100 Gift Certificate from Arts Pacific Gallery Nov. 20 to Dec. 20 Stocking Stuffer Weekend at Catching Stars Gallery Dec. 11-13 Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
THURSDAY DEC. 10
Rotary talk: NERP’s Edward Wachtman Online, 7:30 pm, Edward Wachtman, lead coordinator
for the Neighbourhood Emergency Response Program (NERP) Go to Bowenrotary.com for meeting link.
CAWES Winner’s Choice Raffle 7 pm More information at cawes.org
FRIDAY DEC. 11
Christmas Carol Live-streamed 7:30 pm 22nd annual reading more info: @ TheatreOnTheIsleBowen on Facebook
SUNDAY DEC. 13
Drive-through dinner at the Legion 4 p.m. to sold out Roast beef, mashed potatoes, roasted root veggies, gravy, yorkshire pudding and treacle pudding cake. All dinners by donation. Cash or cheques are welcome. Stories from the bay deadline for submissions “Stories from the Bay will be an evening of storytelling about Kwil’akm/Mannion Bay with memorable tales from the community and presentations from people who are protecting and restoring the Bay Jan. 20. More information at bit. ly/33CbocW”
SATURDAY DEC. 12
MONDAY DEC. 14
Regular Council Meeting Zoom 6:15 pm
TUESDAY DEC. 15
Blue Christmas ceremony Zoom 7 pm, more info p. 7
THURSDAY DEC. 17
BIHPA Bowen Island Heritage Preservation Assoc. AGM Zoom 7 pm Email shaxby@ hotmail.com to get a Zoom link. Please put BIHPA in the subject line
SUNDAY DEC. 20
A Child’s Christmas in Wales
Zoom 7:30 pm A virtual evening of storytelling, live reading and music. With Martin Clarke, Allice Bernards and Bob Doucet. Presented by Theatre on the Isle. Follow on Facebook for more information @ TheatreOnTheIsleBowen
DEC. 22 & 23
Mad Mabel’s Christmas Zoom 7:30 pm By David Cameron. Presented by Theatre on the Isle. Follow @TheatreOnTheIsleBowen on Facebook for more information
SUNDAY JAN. 1
Christmas Bird Count Open to anyone keen on birds. Contact Micaele Florendo at 604.838.2321 or mflorendo@hotmail.com
WEDNESDAY JAN. 20
Stories from the Bay event Zoom 7:30 pm Howe Sound / Átl’ka7tsem Marine Reference Guide is hosting
The creative decorations adorning the Festival of Trees in the Cove have delighted Bowen Islanders every December since 2007. Family Place, under the umbrella of Bowen Children’s Centre, runs the fundraiser with the support of many local businesses, organizations and several particularly dedicated volunteers (Caroline Parker, Rebecca Ander, Deidre Farrah and family and Noah Pryce-Jones and family). Though this year is different from any before it and times are difficult, the beloved fundraiser is proceeding and it has an addition. In the centre of the lawn is the “Children’s Tree” (after all they are the centre of our world aren’t they – our children). To this tree, the community is invited to add wishes for 2021. For safety, wishers are asked to bring hand sanitizer, distance from those outside their household and take turns. The hope is that the children (big and small) of Bowen will put a hope for the world into a plastic tree ball (they’re under the tree) and hang the ball on the tree using provided hooks.
The Children’s Tree
This tree is for wishes, for children and all: The young and the old, the big and the small. It’s a wish for the world, for the upcoming year. Perhaps a wish for more laughter, or maybe more cheer. So write down your wish, and when you are done Hang it on the tree and see what will become. Our wishes for you, sent below and above, Are for health, happiness, peace and most of all LOVE! Rebecca Ander
ASSURANCE PROJECT MANAGEMENT Book your complimentary meet & greet and first walk or drop in. Rates are $25 for group hikes and start at $15 for drop-ins. Dog Walking Group Hikes Individual Walks Socialization
778 898 5950 |
Professional Consulting and Construction Management Services.
Cat Care
Home Visits Litter Maintenance Playtime
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Peter Winckler 604-916-2928
Places of Worship Welcome You BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCH Now offering a youtube channel of reflections and hymn/songs with Reverend Lorraine Ashdown and Lynn Williams. youtubewatch?v=tejV7Y6jo
FOOD BANK DROP-OFF
Sunday Mass at 9.30 (limited seating due to Covid 19)
Contact Angela Powell 604-947-2515 www.cateshillchapel.com 604-947-4260 (661 Carter Rd.)
Now offering worship services via Zoom. A link available on website.
Pastor: Phil Adkins
Queen of Capilano Ferry Schedule October 13 to May 15 2021 DEPART BOWEN ISLAND DEPART HORSESHOE BAY
ST. GERARD’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
CATES HILL CHAPEL
on Bowen Island
Significant projects, extraordinary results.
5:20 am except Sundays 6:20 am 7:30 am 8:35 am 9:40 am 10:50 am 12:00 pm 1:10 pm 2:55 pm 4:00 pm except Wednesdays 5:10 pm 6:15 pm 7:25 pm Mon Wed Th Fri 7:26 pm Tue Sun 8:30 pm 9:30 pm 10:30 pm
5:50 am 6:50 am 8:00 am 9:05 am except Wednesdays 10:15 am 11:25 am 12:35 pm 2:20 pm 3:30 pm 4:35 pm 5:45 pm 6:50 pm 8:00 pm except Saturdays 9:00 pm 10:00 pm
Note: Schedules subject to change without notice: Please check BCFERRIES.COM Schedule changes on statutory holidays