CARVING BEGINS ON THE WELCOME FIGURE PAGE 7
$1.50
inc. GST
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2026
VOL. 52 NO. 39
NEW MURAL AT THE BIKE BARN
BowUndercurrent www.bowenislandundercurrent.com
PAGE 12
NEXWLÉLEXWM KYOSEI PEACE PARK A new park honouring and recognizing Japanese Canadians held its opening ceremony at Sandy Beach on Saturday. Spearheaded by the Bowen Island Museum & Archives along with the tireless efforts of many Islanders, the park celebrates some of Bowen’s earliest residents who helped shape the island, while highlighting the injustice of the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II which stripped these Islanders from their homes. Moments from the official opening included Blair Hayashi taking part in Buddhist prayers (left) and Ellen Hayakawa and Bogdan Gheorghe unveiling information plaques on the park grounds. See more photos from the day on Pages 16-17. / Alex Kurial photos EN OP USE 12-3PM O H CT. 4 •
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A2 • bowenislandundercurrent.com
Friday, October 2, 2026
Make it count, Bowen. 2026 General Local Election. Saturday, October 17, 2026
NOTICE OF ELECTION BY VOTING
VOTING DATES & LOCATIONS
PUBLIC NOTICE is given to the electors of Bowen Island Municipality that an election by voting is necessary to elect six Councillors (6) and two Municipal Trustees (2) for the Islands Trust Council, and that the persons nominated as candidates and for whom votes will be received are: COUNCILLOR - Six (6) to be elected
ADVANCE VOTING will be open to qualified electors of Bowen Island Municipality on: Wednesday, October 7, 2026 between the hours of 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM at Bowen Island Community Centre, 580 Bowen Island Trunk Rd, Bowen Island GENERAL VOTING will be open to qualified electors of Bowen Island Municipality on: Saturday, October 17, 2026 between the hours of 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM at Bowen Island Community School 1041 Mt. Gardner Road, Bowen Island
Surname
Given name
Jurisdiction
BARNES
Constance
Bowen Island
COTTER
Terry
Bowen Island
DAVIDSON
Keith
Bowen Island
FAST
Sue Ellen
Bowen Island
GEDYE
Judith
Bowen Island
HAUSCH
Tim
Bowen Island
JURGENSEN
Alex
Bowen Island
MORSE
Alison
Bowen Island
PARKER
Caroline
Bowen Island
REAKES
Patrick
Bowen Island
MUNICIPAL TRUSTEES FOR ISLANDS TRUST COUNCIL Two (2) to be elected
ELECTOR REGISTRATION If you are not on the list of electors, you may register at the time of voting by completing the application form available at the voting place and making a declaration that you meet the requirements to be registered as set out below: RESIDENT ELECTORS: To register as a resident elector you must: be 18 years of age or older on general voting day; be a Canadian citizen; be a resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration (at time of voting); be a resident of Bowen Island on the day of registration (at time of voting); and not be disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election or assent voting and not otherwise disqualified by law.
Surname
Given name
Jurisdiction
COTTER
Terry
Bowen Island
FAST
Sue Ellen
Bowen Island
GEDYE
Judith
Bowen Island
LEONARD
Andrew
Bowen Island
NON-RESIDENT PROPERTY ELECTORS:
MORSE
Alison
Bowen Island
To register as a resident elector you must: be 18 years of age or older on general voting day; be a Canadian citizen; be a resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration (at time of voting); be a registered owner of real property in Bowen Island Municipality for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration (at time of voting); not be entitled to register as a resident elector; and ·not be disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election or assent voting and not otherwise disqualified by law.
MAYOR ELECTED BY ACCLAMATION Andrew Leonard was elected Mayor by acclamation. There will be no ballot for the Office of Mayor in this election. SCHOOL TRUSTEE ELECTIONS The School District #45 Trustee Election is administered by the District of West Vancouver. For information on School Trustee Candidates, please visit their website election.westvancouver.ca/general/candidate-profiles. For more information, please contact the District of West Vancouver Election Office via phone 604-925-7004 or via email election@westvancouver.ca.
In addition, for non-resident property electors: The only persons who are registered owners of the property, either as joint tenants or tenants in common, are individuals who are not holding the property in trust for a corporation or another trust. If more than one individual is registered owner of the property, only one of those individuals may, with the written consent of the majority of the individual owners, register as a non-resident property elector. In addition, in order to register at time of voting: Resident electors must produce 2 pieces of identification (at least one with a signature). Picture identification is not necessary. The identification must prove both residency and identity. Non-resident property electors must produce 2 pieces of identification (at least one with a signature) to prove identity, proof that they are entitled to register in relation to the property, and, if there is more than one owner of the property, written consent from the majority of the property owners.
TYPES OF DOCUMENTS THAT WILL BE ACCEPTED AS IDENTIFICATION
You must produce at least two (2) documents that provide evidence of your identity and place of residence, at least one (1) of which must contain your signature. The following classes of documents will be accepted: a Driver’s Licence; an Identification Card such as a photo BC services card; a non-photo BC services card; an Owner’s Certificate of Insurance and Vehicle Licence issued by ICBC a BC CareCard or BC Gold CareCard; a Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security Request for Continued Assistance Form SDES8, (now “Monthly Form EA181); a Social Insurance Number card; a Citizenship Card; a real property tax notice; a credit card or debit card; or a utility bill, (such as electricity, natural gas, water, telephone or cable services). The above listed identification documents MUST be accepted by election officials. An election official may also accept other forms of documents that provide evidence satisfactory to the election official (e.g., a valid, current passport). If you may require some assistance as a result of physical challenges, you are invited to contact the Chief Election Officer as soon as possible in order to facilitate your voting experience.
CONTACT INFORMATION AND HOURS OF OPERATION
Sophie Idsinga, Chief Election Officer at 604-947-4255 ext 246 Stef Shortt, Deputy Chief Election Officer at 604-947-4255 ext 253 Email: Election2026@bimbc.ca Paid Advertisement: October 2, 2026
Bowen Island Municipality 580 Bowen Island Trunk Rd Bowen Island BC V0N 1G2
Regular business hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday, except statutory holidays First publication date: September 25, 2026 Second publication date: October 2, 2026
bowenislandundercurrent.com • A3
Friday, October 2, 2026
Make it count, Bowen. 2026 General Local Election. Saturday, October 17, 2026
Upcoming Construction Notice: Snug Cove South Pier
MAIL BALLOT VOTING AVAILABLE Any eligible elector can apply to vote by mail ballot. Applications may be made as follows:
Events
Step 1: Make sure you’re registered to vote. Contact Bowen Island Municipality to check.
All Council meetings are open to the public to attend in person or electronically, unless noted otherwise.
Step 2: Complete the Application to Vote by Mail Ballot (available on our website or at the Municipal Offices) and submit it to the Chief Election Officer. Step 3: Get your mail ballot package. Ballots are now available at the Municipal Offices.
October 13, 2026 1:00 pm Regular Council Meeting
Step 4: Mark your ballots according to the instructions provided. Step 5: Make sure you return your ballots to the Chief Election Officer as soon as possible, and by the close of voting at 8:00 pm on October 17, 2026. Please note, mail ballot packages will be sent as soon as possible after the ballots are available. If your Application to Vote by Mail Ballot is received after October 9th, time may not permit mailing. Contact the Chief Election Officer to arrange pick-up from the Municipal Offices.
SCAN ME Check Your Chimneys If you use a residential indoor wood-burning appliance, now is a good time to inspect and clean your chimney before regular use begins. A clean, well-maintained chimney helps reduce the risk of chimney fires, improves appliance efficiency, and supports safer operation throughout the heating season. Check for any signs of damage, obstructions, or creosote buildup, and consider having your chimney professionally inspected and cleaned if needed. Need help? Use BIM’s Business Search to find someone to help: bowenislandmunicipality.ca/business-search/.
Phone: 604-947-4255 Fax: 604-947-0193 Email: bim@bimbc.ca
Construction is anticipated to begin October 5 and is expected to take approximately one week. The work will be completed in stages so that continuous access to the South Pier is maintained for emergency vehicles and the public throughout construction. The access route will shift as the work progresses, and temporary barriers and signage will be in place to separate the active construction area from the open access route.
www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/2026-election
PAID ADVERTISEMENT October 2, 2026
Bowen Island Municipality will be completing additional repair work at the landward end of the Snug Cove South Pier. The work will include localized replacement of deteriorated timber stringers and decking within the general construction area illustrated in red.
October 26, 2026 1:00 pm Regular Council Meeting
Please use caution when travelling through the area and follow posted signage and directions from the contractor. We appreciate the community’s patience while this necessary repair work is completed. Questions? Contact Public Works at 604-947-4255 ext 3 or email roads@bimbc.ca.
Check Your Mailboxes! Candidate Information Guides were sent out this week. Get to know the candidates in the 2026 General Local Election. These handy booklets contain information about each person running for office, helping you make an informed choice on election day. www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/2026-election
Bowen Island Municipality 580 Bowen Island Trunk Road Bowen Island, BC, V0N 1G2
Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Monday to Friday Closed statutory holidays
Bowen Island Municipality
Subscribe to our mailing list bowenislandmunicipality.ca/subscribe
A4 • bowenislandundercurrent.com
Friday, October 2, 2026
VIEWPOINTS Welcome to October The Undercurrent and Bowen Library are looking forward to seeing everybody this Sunday at the All Candidates Forum! We have a hefty crowd registered already but there is still space (as of writing this on Tuesday) if you are interested. You can register via the Library website at bipl.ca/ forum. And if you can’t attend but still want to see what the candidates have to say, no worries. We are planning to record the forum for people to view later on. Next week will also feature the Undercurrent’s Candidate Profile issue, where we ask everybody to (briefly) supply their thoughts on Bowen issues of the day. You won’t want to miss it - and you won’t, because it’s an Island Wide edition and will be coming to every mailbox. If you have a non-election story or photo to share, those are of course very welcome too! - Alex Kurial, Editor
Ron Paley photo 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. Please limit to under 500 words. HERE’S HOW: To submit a letter to the editor, fax 604-947-0148 or mail it to PO Box 130, Bowen Island, BC, V0N 1G0 or email editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com All Advertising and news copy content are copyright of the Undercurrent Newspaper. All editorial content submitted to the Undercurrent becomes the property of the publication. The Undercurrent is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, art work and photographs.
#103–495 Bowen Trunk Road, PO Box 130, Bowen Island BC, V0N 1G0 Phone: 604.947.2442 Fax: 604.947.0148 bowenislandundercurrent.com DEADLINE for advertising Monday, 4 p.m. DEADLINE for editorial Tuesday 5 p.m. Bowen Island Undercurrent Subscription Rates: Mailed 1 year subscription on Bowen Island: $62.50, including GST. Within Canada: $85 including GST Newsstand (Single Copy) $1.50 per copy, including GST
ISSN 7819-5040
National NewsMedia Council.
EDITOR Alex Kurial editor@bowenisland undercurrent.com
ADVERTISING Tracey Wait ads@bowenisland undercurrent.com
CARTOONIST Ron Woodall
PUBLISHER Sarah Strother publisher@bowenisland undercurrent.com 2011 CCNA
CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2011
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.
bowenislandundercurrent.com • A5
Friday, October 2, 2026
VIEWPOINTS Letter: Questions about local Housing priority TIM BEKHUYS Letter Writer Dear Editor, As the father of a disabled daughter, I was heartened to see Hemlock Hill Village under construction. All involved deserve credit for bringing 25 rental homes this far. But I was disheartened to learn that Bowen Island Municipality’s Housing Agreement does not name people with disabilities as a distinct priority group, even though BIM’s own Accessibility Action Plan identifies them as especially vulnerable to housing insecurity. I wanted to understand how applicants will be selected. When I asked Lookout for its operating agreement with BC Housing, they told me it could not release it because it was BC Housing’s “intellectual property”. BC Housing released it in four days after I filed a Freedom of Information request. Even with both agreements in hand, I cannot find a clear rule for deciding who gets a home: BIM’s Housing Agreement tells Lookout to give priority to current residents of at least one year, permanent employees of Bowen businesses, or qualifying retirees. Disability and housing needs are not separately named in that priority clause. The BC Housing Operating Agreement sets income and subsidy requirements, and adds priority considerations for subsidized homes, including families, seniors and people with disabilities. How are these rules applied together? If a current resident with a disability, someone who works on Bowen but lives elsewhere, and a former resident hoping to return seek the same suitable home, who comes first? Neither agreement supplies a public ranking rule that answers that question. BIRCH’s FAQ adds to the uncertainty: it says applicants may be current residents or former residents wishing to return. The latter are not among BIM’s three named priority categories. Lookout will select tenants, but the public has not been shown how it will weigh local residence, disability, income and other housing needs.
I do not support using employment as a route to these scarce homes or allocating them to off-island former residents who wish to return, while current Bowen residents with demonstrated need remain unhoused. Those are policy choices Council should debate openly, not leave buried in overlapping documents. The gap matters because the project uses municipally owned land on a 65-year lease at $10 a year, alongside substantial public funding. The community’s housing and accessibility work identifies people struggling to stay housed. Yet residents cannot tell whether the selection process will serve those identified needs. Before applications open, BIM should work with Lookout and BC Housing to publish one plain-language policy explaining eligibility, priority ranking, returning-resident status, treatment of disability and financial need, and appeals. After occupancy, anonymized reporting should show whom the homes actually serve. Referring residents from one organization to another is not enough when BIM approved the Housing Agreement and the land remains a major municipal contribution. That leads to the same question I am asking of all the candidates running in the upcoming municipal election: “Do you believe that, for municipally supported affordable housing on Bowen, an applicant who qualifies because they work on Bowen, or because they previously lived here and wish to return, should receive priority over an eligible person with a disability who has greater housing need? If not, would you support requiring BIM to publish a clear priority-ranking policy before applications for Hemlock Hill open?” This is an important development. BIM now owes Bowen residents an understandable, transparent way to decide who benefits. They cannot abdicate this to BIRCH, Lookout or BC Housing. - Tim Bekhuys
The Knick Knack Nook’s finest threads were on display for all to see at a fashion show fundraiser for the re-use it store on September 18. The much loved Bowen institution is raising money towards building a new building which will last long into the future. / Submitted photos
3-4PM Saturday, Oct. 3rd | Collins Hall A monthly open house sponsored by Judi Gedye, BIM councillor and Islands Trustee.
A6 • bowenislandundercurrent.com
Friday, October 2, 2026
VIEWPOINTS
Before the First Storm JUDE NEALE Bowen Island Poet Laureate
Higher it climbed, until the cedars were etched in bronze,
Before the first storm the harvest moon rose through the black firs,
their thousand branches fine as a painter’s brush against the sky.
a lantern of burnt apricot, its copper heart aflame above Bowen.
And there it floated, so immense, so close,
It lit a scatter of leaves along the damp road,
we could almost feel its warmth upon our faces.
each fallen leaf, a small astonishment of amber and rose.
We bent above the rain-dark road, opened our hungry palms
The puddles held its colour, the wet stones shone,
and gathered from a single puddle enough moonlight
and every dark hollow filled with fire.
to hold our shadows in the accident of light.
HomeSafe
FREE SMOKE ALARM INSTALLATION & HOME SAFETY INSPECTIONS Not sure your smoke alarms are working properly? Bowen Island Fire Rescue offers free HomeSafe visits that include smoke alarm checks, fire safety advice, home escape planning, and free replacement battery-powered smoke alarms when needed. REQUEST A FREE HOMESAFE VISIT TODAY.
FREE HOME VISITS
604-947-4255 ext. 333 bowenislandmunicipality.ca/bowen-island-homesafe-program/ sedwards@bimbc.ca
Harvest Moon on Bowen Island. / Submitted photo
bowenislandundercurrent.com • A7
Friday, October 2, 2026
Celebrating a Big Milestone for the Welcome Figure Project PAULINE LE BEL Contributor Knowing Our Place would like to let everyone know we have reached our first fundraising target for the future installation of a Squamish Nation welcome figure on the island. Below is a photo of Squamish Nation master carver, Xwalacktun, sitting on a log. Not just any log. This is OUR log. The cedar log he will transform into our welcome figure. And thanks to the generosity of the First Credit Union and many Bowen Islanders, we have reached an important milestone. We now have half of the funds needed. This means Xwalacktun can begin the process of removing layers of red cedar until our Grandmother Welcome Figure is revealed. Yes! A Grandmother! Why have so many Islanders donated to make the welcome figure a reality? I’ll let a few of them speak for themselves: Katherine Wolters: “I think that this project affords Bowen Island a huge opportunity, as a community within the traditional territory of the Skwxwu’7mesh Nation, to take further steps towards understanding and relationship-building with the people who originally lived upon these lands. We are privileged that such a renowned and accomplished artist is willing to make something for Bowen that might connect us to the Indigenous heritage of this place and that will send out a constant message of welcome to visitors and to current residents - a Welcome Figure to remind us of the work we all
need to continue towards reconciliation.” Bob Turner: “The Welcome Figure will be more than a powerful reminder that Nexwlélexwm/Bowen Island lies within the ancestral lands of Squamish Nation. Welcome Figures have a powerful presence that lift the spirit of a place, and our Welcome Figure will lift the spirit of this place that we call home.” Jennifer Streckmann: “I donated because this project is a meaningful act of reciprocity and relationship-building. The Welcome Figure honours the Squamish Nation’s enduring connection to this place and helps strengthen the ties between Bowen Island and the Squamish Nation through respect, recognition, and a shared appreciation of Squamish culture and art. The project team is a wonderful group of Islanders who have approached this work by listening directly to Squamish people and turning what they heard into action. I couldn’t be happier to support their efforts.” We still have one more milestone: the other half to be paid to Xwalacktun on completion of the welcome figure in the spring of 2027. September 30 was the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. A time for deep reflection and action. A donation to the welcome figure is an opportunity to contribute to reconciliation in a meaningful and enduring way. We’ve made it easy to donate and receive a tax deductible receipt. Amounts of any size really make a difference. Please visit the ‘My Charitable Impact’ website and search ‘Welcome Figure Project for Bowen Island (Nexwlélexwm) to find out more.
SIGN UP
A8 • bowenislandundercurrent.com
Friday, October 2, 2026
COMMUNITY UPDATE: GAME OVER. OR WAKE UP CALL? Starting in September 2024 with our Public Open Houses, Bowen Island Properties has spent the past 2 years working alongside BIM staff, consulting planners, technical experts, and Island residents to envision a compact, walkable neighbourhood hub on ~15 acres of serviced land at Seymour Bay. As directed by Council in May 2026, our rezoning application is currently paused while the Municipality completes its Official Community Plan (OCP) update and we respect this procedural deference. Unfortunately, we see the introduction of (draft) policy 2.2.4 – as presented to Council on September 21 – as clearly representing a foundational roadblock that effectively kills our project. Perhaps more concerning – and based on our decades of experience in building community on Bowen (Village Square, Artisan Square, IPS, Cates Hill Chapel, The Children’s Centre, Tir-na-nOg, Rivendell Retreat, Cates Hill Village, Seymour Landing and the Bowen Golf Course)– we believe the same policy will render infeasible the vast majority of Bowen’s ambition towards housing diversity, affordability and more complete community.
WERE YOUR VOICES HEARD? The 2nd round of engagement for the OCP yielded the following recommended revision to Draft OCP Policy 2.2.4: “New applications for development on lots exceeding 0.4 ha in area (i.e. 1 acre) shall follow principles of Conservation Development, where a target of 50 percent of the total land subject to the rezoning application is protected from further development.”
A FIRST GOODBYE TO SEYMOUR LANDING Without clear exemptions or flexibility written into Policy 2.2.4 for large and comprehensive pre-planned sites like Seymour Landing, this blanket approach upends decades of local investment, collaboration, and iterative design work. In simple terms, beyond what’s already allowed under current zoning, nothing “pencils.” If this holds, we see the end to our vision for Seymour Landing, specifically: • Goodbye to Seniors’ Independent Living, Workforce & Rental Housing: Purpose-built, compact housing for seniors, local workers and young families will become exceedingly unaffordable, despite available capacity to develop and service them. • Goodbye to Neighbourhood Gathering Spaces and Services: Local retail and coffee shops will lack the critical ‘body heat’ to make even the most modest business case viable. In addition, the much needed electrical upgrades to existing facilities, such as Bowen Golf Clubhouse & Shed Eatery, will be very difficult, if not impossible to fund. • Goodbye to Public Realm and Transportation Improvements: investments in the long-term passenger ferry landing, transportation hub and associated public space improvements are unwarranted in the context of a low-density residential enclave. And any hope of TransLink service and a permanent helicopter evacuation pad being fully expanded into South Bowen.
A BRIDGE TOO FAR IN (DRAFT) OCP POLICY Draft Policy 2.2.4 mandates a 50% dedication of land for conservation on any rezoning application larger than 1 acre.
This is the recommended revision found in the “Phase 2, What We Heard Report: Official Community Plan Update”. This revision is deeply concerning as it does not seem to address the many concerns raised by the public as part of the Round Two public engagement.
Page 1 of 2
While we fully support the principle of conserving nature on Bowen, applying this ‘principle’ as a literal rule – irrespective of environmental, social or financial context – is deeply misaligned with our Island-wide priorities as referenced in the balance of the draft OCP and public comments... and blind to the challenges we face as a community.
Sixth article in a series about our rezoning application.
bowenislandundercurrent.com • A9
Friday, October 2, 2026
BROADLY SPEAKING, MAJOR CONSEQUENCES In comprehensively master-planned areas like Seymour Landing, extensive environmental protection covenants, parks, and public trail networks have already been dedicated across the broader landholding. Blind application of this policy – requiring an additional 50% dedication on the remaining, small and already-serviced footprint, (i.e. “infill development”) – begs “why?” What about the opportunity for more efficient use of our scarce, serviced development lands to deliver on diverse housing forms and island-scale commercial uses?
Policy 2.2.4 – if enacted as currently written – will stifle diversity of housing and, more broadly speaking, impact the island-wide economy placing current taxpayers & businesses in a more expensive future. We see this as an “unforced error,” a step in the wrong direction and a clear market signal that will surely dissuade future investment and ambition for enlightened projects to meet our collective desires.
More concerning are the consequences that extend far beyond Seymour Landing, this policy effectively doubles the underlying cost of land, already the most significant hurdle to the delivery of more diverse and affordable housing and island-scale commercial uses on Bowen.
While our formal application is paused pending adoption of the OCP update, Bowen Island Properties remains deeply committed to Seymour Landing, believing that our proposal demonstrates a tangible and much-needed offering: a model for how shared community goals can be practically implemented, offering a better outcome than the status quo alternative, which is 9 large single-family lots.
This reality applies equally to the Municipality’s own Community Lands near Snug Cove, creating an unintended but very real barrier to the viability of future municipal affordable housing projects.
LOOKING AHEAD
And despite our demonstrated commitment as a second-generation community builder on Bowen, we might be left to very seriously consider an “exit strategy”: where we can no longer seek to engage in bigger and more visionary conversations about complete community and future needs. We may be left to focus on development that asks nothing further of our imagination and resources, simply the mundane task of carving up one last handful of outdated estate lots. Our vision for Seymour Landing hangs in this balance, it’s future subject to a necessary policy course correction and ongoing community support. As Bowen Island prepares for the upcoming municipal election, key choices around housing diversity, fiscal sustainability, environmental protection and island character are top of mind for everyone. Whatever the outcome, we look forward to engaging constructively with newly elected leadership and the community as the OCP process concludes. Respectfully submitted, Daron Jennings & Scarlett Duntz Bowen Island Properties LP Daron: 604-861-7317 | djennings@bowenislandproperties.ca Scarlett: 604-780-5080| sduntz@bowenislandproperties.ca
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rezoning.bowenislandproperties.ca
A10 • bowenislandundercurrent.com
Artisan Suites Boutique Hotel
Friday, October 2, 2026
Bowen Island Fire Rescue Te
BOWEN ISLAND
ROOFING & GUTTERS
Our island is grateful to have this team of firefighters - many of whom ar
Top row L-R Shawn Davies, Paul Towne, Kevin Toews, Mike Laudrum, Andy Huinink, Steve Edwards Bottom row L-R Jason Jacquet, Iishan Cruz, Peyton Liscomb, Makena Coker, Jesse Montgomery, Jennifer McGowan, Scott Begg, Jim Missing Ian Brown, Eddie Harper, Mike Hartwick, Matt Jones, Ethan Kinakin, Barry Murton, Rory Patterson
Friday, October 2, 2026
bowenislandundercurrent.com • A11
eam - thank you for all you do!
BOWEN B O N CARPENTRY C P & ROT O REPAIR P
re Volunteers!
mmy Skuce, Steve Harding, Rachel Canning, Alex Elston, Jessie Perry, Aaron Hanen, Scott Moore, Eric Michener, Tyler Jacquet, Ian Thompson.
A12 • bowenislandundercurrent.com
Friday, October 2, 2026
Suggesting a good Book KATHRYN THOMSON Forest Flaneur & Writer
A celebration was held last Thursday to recognize a new piece of public art by Bowen artist and painter Simeon Doytchinov. Simeon proposed the Bowen-inspired mural to the Hearth Gallery and Bowen Island Municipality and managed to win both their support to bring the project to life. You can find Simeon’s mural safely undercover at the Government Dock’s Bike Barn. / Alex Kurial photo
Your story starts here
You know that feeling you get when you’re walking along the forest path and there’s the light dissolving into rainbows that filter through tangles of branches, and the beauty in that moment — the light, the forest, the dissolving, the tangles — makes you want to throw yourself on the ground and weep with joy because no moment has ever been, or ever will be, that perfect? Or it could be a perfect cup of coffee at dawn when the sun has you all to itself. In any case, you know what I mean. Today I found a perfect book. Its colour (the sky just before twilight), the weight and size and texture of it — all are perfect; and the book says to you “here we are, you and I together, how miraculous!
By all means turn these pages let each moment, each tender suggestion, each subtle hint, fill you with delight.” And that’s what happens. You read a poem and are filled with wonder. And it will bloom inside you for a long time. Aaron Rabinovitch’s book Suggestions (Gaspereau Press 2026) is a portal into the smallest and most intimate moments of experience. Each suggestion (poem) illuminates something so ordinary and so sacred, like pieces of beach glass made translucent by ocean waves. Aaron has tenderly picked up these gems, polished them and passed them into our hands, reminding us that perfect moments in this life do indeed exist. There are copies of Suggestions at the Bowen Library, and also at Phoenix bookstore.
This Sea to Sky area is such a unique, beautiful place in the world. To be able to have this opportunity at Woodfibre where I can combine what I want to do for work with where I want to be is incredibly rare. Kelly Steeves Dog lover | Outdoorswoman | Head of Engineering Support
Find your story at woodfibrelng.ca/careers
bowenislandundercurrent.com • A13
Friday, October 2, 2026
From children apprehended to self-determination: New podcast explores Indigenous child welfare WAYNE CHRISTIAN, WHO ORGANIZED THE 1980 PROVINCE-WIDE MOVEMENT KNOWN AS THE INDIAN CHILD CARAVAN, IS THE FIRST GUEST ON CALLING ALL KIN MICHAEL JOHN LO The Times Colonist Wayne Christian was just 25 and a newly elected chief of the Spallumcheen band in the North Okanagan when a young mother came to a council meeting asking for help. Her children were about to be removed into foster care. It was 1979, and an “alarmingly high percentage” of Indigenous children were being removed from their homes by agencies, according to the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. Christian began pushing for children to be placed within his community, and for non-Indigenous placement to occur only as a last resort. His advocacy sparked the 1980 province-wide movement known as the Indian Child Caravan. With the help of an African National Congress activist in exile from apartheid South Africa and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, Christian organized about 2,000 people across the province into a procession, driving from Prince Rupert and Chase to Vancouver for a weekend of protests
and rallies. Marchers arrived in Vancouver’s upscale Shaughnessy neighbourhood that October, massing outside the home of Grace McCarthy, then Social Credit deputy premier and minister of human resources, demanding that the government stop “stealing Indian children from their homes,” according to reporting in the Times Colonist at the time. McCarthy slipped away from her home before the peaceful protest showed up at her door. But she would later meet with Christian and other First Nation leaders, which led to the historic agreement that gave the Spallumcheen, now known as the Splatsin, control over their own childwelfare program. Christian’s advocacy helped guide future laws that reshaped First Nations child welfare, such as Bill C-92. Passed in 2019, the federal bill allows Indigenous groups to assume full jurisdiction over child and family services. Cowichan Tribes assumed full responsibility over its youth and family services in 2024, and several Island nations are in the process of pursuing similar agreements. “He really lands where we are at in history,” said Victoria-
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based Hiinahcit Petrina Dezall, co-host of a new podcast Calling All Kin, which launched on Wednesday, Truth and Reconciliation Day. Christian is the first guest in the podcast series, which traces the evolution of Indigenous child welfare in B.C., from the work of older activists like Christian to the youth advocates of today. “Nobody that we speak to is satisfied with the status quo in child welfare in this country,” said co-host Erika Finestone, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Victoria, in an interview this month. “They’re all doing in their own very different ways something to bring their teachings, their unique perspectives, to the world.” The two hosts were introduced to each other about three years ago and became fast friends over their shared passion for children’s welfare. The idea for the seven-part podcast began when the two were visiting Dezall’s Nuu-Chah-Nulth family in Port Alberni. An elder told them that they should take what they had learned to a wider audience. Neither had considered podcasting before. CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
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Friday, October 2, 2026
Calling All Kin podcast debuted on Truth and Reconciliation Day CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
As part of her PhD, Finestone had just wrapped up a seven-year research project that followed Indigenous families on Vancouver Island as they resisted their children being taken into the child welfare system. Dezall’s connection to the child welfare system is more personal. At the time, she was in the thick of advocating for four Nuu-ChahNulth children who had been removed from her relatives by the Ministry of Children and Family Development. She, too, had a stack of research, gathered while trying to keep those children within her family — a 500-page binder that she would use to confront social workers. “We were just healthy, happy people that had homes for the children and just wanted to bring them home,” she said. “Why is this so difficult? I figured if I had all the papers, I could find the answers.” Indigenous children are vastly over-represented in foster care in Canada, making up 53.8 per cent of children under 14 in care, despite the fact they are just 7.7 per cent of the population under 14, according to the most recent census data in 2021. Improving child welfare was a key priority flagged in the 2015 final report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which spent years looking into the churchrun, government-funded residential school system that operated from the 1870s to 1996.
Indigenous children continue to be apprehended into child welfare systems at rates three times higher than the numbers of children taken into the residential school system during the 1940s, according to research from the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society. Plenty of local voices are featured in Calling All Kin, including Tara Williamson, director at the University of Victoria’s Indigenous Law Research Unit, and Katharina Stocker, a former executive director of NILTU,O Child and Family Services Society, which provides support services to seven nations on the South Island. Cheyanne Tinoco, a Quw’utsun youth who attended Claremont Secondary School, co-hosts the podcast’s last episode. Dezall said that it was powerful to have Tinoco, who personally experienced the child welfare system, speaking with advocate Cindy Blackstock, who is at the forefront of a group that is advocating for better child welfare funding for First Nations. The podcast, produced by Nadeen Shaker and Gordon Katic of Cited Media and funded through a program at Simon Fraser University, has an advisory board with a number of UVic academics, including Métis elder Jeannine Carriere and associate university librarian Ry Moran. To learn more about the podcast please visit callingallkin.ca
Hiinahcit Petrina Dezall (left), a Nuu-chah-nulth educator, and Erika Finestone, an anthropologist and Indigenous Studies scholar at the University of Victoria, co-host the new podcast Calling All Kin. (Darren Stone photo, above) / People carry signs during the 1980 province-wide movement known as the Indian Child Caravan, which called for the placement of First Nations children in non-Indigenous homes to happen only as a last resort. (Union of BC Indian Chiefs Library and Archives photo, below)
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Friday, October 2, 2026
Psychological masks in The Bad Seed MICHAEL NANKIN Bowen Island Film Society It has been said that parents are only as content as their saddest child. Would it be appropriate to ask, are parents only as moral as their most evil child? In 1955, a world before fake news, deep fakes, AI images and unvetted information coming at us from every venue, ‘The Bad Seed’ told a story of a mother with a young daughter - the sweetest, most perfect 1950’s ideal of the well-raised child - who begins to suspect that her babydoll little darling is a serial killer. The movie, based on a best-selling novel and what was, at the time, the most successful play in Broadway history, comes to us with the magnificent Broadway cast intact, playing the scenes in a theatrical, grand guignol style that is a perfect match for the material. It was the first
horror film in which the horror comes, not from some ancient curse or wretched monster, but from a member of the family. Before there was such a thing as a school shooting, what was it about the 50’s that brought such universal fascination with the nature/nurture question about evil in children? Or maybe it’s a timeless question, as evidenced by last year’s TV series ‘Adolescence’. And maybe the issue isn’t children at all. When we live in a time when we are faced with things that are one thing, yet masquerade as another, we don’t have to be parents to wonder - what have we brought into this world? It might be a nice creepy way to enter the Halloween season wondering, along with mom, if the best little girl in the world is not what she seems. Bowen Island Film Society presents The Bad Seed on Friday, October 2 at 6:30 pm at the Community Centre Theatre. Tickets are available through Bowen Recreation or at the door.
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Friday, October 2, 2026
Peace Park Opening
Scenes from opening day at the Nexwlélexwm Kyosei Peace Park included messages and stories from families of past Japanese Canadian residents on Bowen Island, members of the Shinto and Buddhist faiths, Squamish Nation, and many of the Islanders who worked hard to help make this new space at Sandy Beach a reality. The park aims to remember these Japanese Canadian residents of Bowen and B.C. while also ensuring we never forget the events leading up to their internment during World War II, in order to make sure such a tragedy never takes place again. / Alex Kurial photos
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Friday, October 2, 2026
Places of Worship Welcome You BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCH www.biuc.ca | 1122 Miller Road
Sunday Worship 10:30 am Rev. Lorraine Ashdown 778-688-2061
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www.cateshillchapel.com Sunday Worship 10:00 604-947-4260
www.cateshillchapel.com (661 Carter Rd.) 604-947-4260 Sunday Worship(661 10:00 Carter Rd.) Rev. Phil Adkins office@cateshillchapel.com SHIRAT HAYAM (Song of the Sea) BOWEN’S JEWISH COMMUNITY Shabbat Gatherings ~ Holidays Contact aryana.rayne@gmail.com • www.shirathayam.ca
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Friday, October 2, 2026
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Friday, October 2, 2026
COMMUNITY CALENDAR Friday, October 2 Movie Night with the Film Society Screening of ‘The Bad Seed’ (1956). A chilling psychological thriller and one of Hollywood’s most unsettling dramas, The Bad Seed explores the question of whether evil is inherited or learned. Bowen Theatre 6:30 pm, tix thru Bowen Rec. Saturday, October 3 ‘Navigating the Health Care System’ Talk Connie Jorsvik R.N. and health navigation expert presents two talks focused on those struggling with health issues & those family members & friends helping them get the care they need. ‘Effective Patient & Care Communication’ from 10 am to 11:45 & ‘Understanding Capability, Dementia & Fraility’ from 12:15 to 2 pm. Lunch in between. RSVP to healthservices@bowenislandhealthcentre.com Saturday, October 3 Men’s Shed Meetup Men please come and join us behind Island Pacific School, 671 Carter Road for some coffee, snacks and good company. From 10:30 am to Noon. For more information on the Bowen Island Men’s Shed visit www.bimshed.ca Saturday, October 3 Artist pARTy at the Hearth Brad Carter will be discussing his photographs of Passage Island which inform his new exhibit ‘Passage’. 6 to 8 pm. Sunday, October 4 CIBC Run for the Cure Bowen’s Bosom Buddies return for their 3rd year of walking 5K along Island trails raising funds to combat cancer. Together they’ve raised $7,000+ in their career. Give a honk of support when you see them walking on Sunday!
Sunday, October 4 Book Donation Morning The Friends of the Bowen Island Library will be accepting gently used books between 10 am & Noon. Sunday, October 4 All Candidates Forum Join us for an afternoon with the municipal council candidates and hear their perspectives on the issues shaping our community before you vote. Hosted by the Undercurrent and Bowen Library. 2 to 4 pm, register at bipl.ca/forum Tuesday, October 6 Tunstall Bay Community Association Candidate Event Join us for a Q&A/Meet and Greet from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. Three or four questions distilled from the community will comprise the Q&A portion of the evening, followed by an informal meet and greet. TBCA Clubhouse at 1666 Tunstall Boulevard. Email secretary@tunstallbay.org for more info and to submit a question for consideration, all welcome. Wednesday, October 7 Advance Voting Day Cast your vote early in the Bowen Island municipal election. Polls open at Community Centre from 8 am to 8 pm. Wednesday, October 7 Community Collective with Bowen Rec This is an all-ages gathering where individuals, families, youth elders and community members come together to create, connect, learn from one another, belong, and most importantly - have fun. From 6 to 8 pm at the Community Centre, register on Bowen Recreation website. Thursday, October 8 Candidate Speed Dating at the Pub
Come to the Bowen Island Pub for Cocktails and Conversations with municipal election candidates. Ask questions during one-on-one two minute rounds! Complimentary appies and cash bar, from 6 to 8 pm. Saturday, October 10 Applefest Heritage Association presents Applefest! Davies Orchard from 10 am to Noon. Apple displays, tour the Cottages, baking contests, and of course lots of apple pies. WEDNESDAYS Family Storytime at the Library Drop in for a free program of stories and songs! From 10:30 to 11 am in the Library Annex. Ages 0-6 with caregivers. No registration required. Families are welcome to stay until 11:30 am and socialize, read books, and hang out! THURSDAYS Thursday Art Group TAG (Thursday Art Group) meets every Thursday at Collins Hall from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Come join a group of self-directed artists working in different mediums in a supportive environment. Monthly $35, drop-in $12, first drop-in free. Info at jilly.watson@shaw.ca FRIDAYS Legion Dinners Friday dinners are back for fall at the Legion. Doors open at 5:30 pm. Members can purchase tickets every Thursday, non-members welcome to buy tickets Friday if not sold out. SATURDAYS Farmers Market The annual Farmers Market returns with a new home at Davies Orchard. From 10 am to Noon. BOWEN ISLAND HERITAGE PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION’S TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY EVENT
APPLEFEST APPLE PIE SALE & FARMERS’ MARKET APPLE PIES MADE WITH LOCAL HERITAGE APPLES, AS A BIHPA FUNDRAISER
Keystone ~ unofficial Mayor of Bowen Island
Bowen’s Bosom Buddies are at it again for our 3rd year! Once again, on Sunday October 4th we will be walking 5K through Bowen Island trails to raise funds and bring awareness to the thousands of Canadians whose lives are touched by cancer every year. Together this amazing team and our incredibly generous community has raised over $7000.00 so far this year. Thank you for the support.
Don’t forget to Honk when you see us on October 4th Bowen’s Bosom Buddies
APPLE DISPLAY, MUSEUM COTTAGE OPEN BEST APPLE PIE CONTEST & MORE!
BOWEN ISLAND MUNICIPAL ELECTION ADVANCE VOTE Wednesday October 7th 8am-8pm at the Bowen Island Community Centre
or vote Saturday y October 17th 8am m - 8pm
at the Bowen Island Comm munity School
See you th here!
Celebrate
OUR HERITAGE APPLES & LOCAL COMMUNITY
DAVIES ORCHARD, SNUG COVE, BOWEN ISLAND
SATURDAY OCTOBER10,2026, 10AM-12PM
A free, fun, family-friendly event Hosted by
with thanks to