A FERRY MERRY NEW YEAR’S EVE: Eventful voyage closes 2022 PAGE 6
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2023
TEDDY BEAR GALA WRAPS
VOL. 48 NO. 49
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BowUndercurrent www.bowenislandundercurrent.com
Bears off to rest PAGE 12
Malkin Creek Trail expansion finds support PLAN COULD ALSO REINVIGORATE AARON SLUGGETT FIELD ALEX KURIAL Editor
WELCOME TO 2023! - A group of hearty participants were determined to start the new year off with a splash, braving the freezing waters of Bowen Bay Beach to take part in the Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Day. While it may have been quite the shock, there were a variety of inventive ideas back on shore to get warm once plungers had enough of the frigid sea. For the event photo gallery, check out Pages 8-9. / Bruce Steele photo
The Parks, Trails and Greenways committee has their sights set on expanding the Malkin Creek Trail system in 2023. There are a few goals to this project, outlined during the committee’s final meeting of 2022 on Dec. 19. Many of them revolved around connecting the already existing trails and parks in the area, which would promote more use of the spaces. The most immediate addition of trail would be immediately south of Amelia Lane in Malkin Creek Park. The path would run from an improved parking lot where the trail currently veers off the road, and reappear at a new parking lot at the end of the lane. This would connect the Malkin path to the Bowen Bay Trail which also runs to the end of Amelia Lane, and also give people a real path between the two, instead of the current approach of walking along the road. Local resident Ian Stuart, who lives next to Malkin Creek Park, has offered to pitch in his own time and effort to make this portion of the path happen. “There’s a very easy way to go from there (existing parking lot) up to what would make a great parking area off the trail head,” says Stuart, adding he could do much of the work with his own machines. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6