Friday, November 14, 2012

16
It’s Christmas advertising! thinking about time to start Contact Maureen for all of our special rates. Don’t forget the new deadlines. Ad booking deadline: Ad copy deadline: Fridays by 4pm Mondays by 4pm Fax: 604.947.0148 | [email protected] Maureen Sawasy 604.947.2442 75 ¢ including GST FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14 2014 VOL. 41, NO. 45 Watch for more online at: WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR Starting this year and for the next ten years, Bowen Island can expect to receive payments of approximate- ly $60 thousand per year because of a new Gas Tax Agreement signed between the Provincial and Federal governments. The municipal Manager of Finance, Kristen Watson, announced this news at council on Monday and was granted her request to establish a reserve fund for the money. George Zawadzki, a candi- date for council, says he sees this money as the perfect opportunity to get rolling on a plan to build a better transportation system on-island through the establish- ment of a municipal taxi service. “People seem to not like the word, ‘taxi,’” says Zawadzki. “What I envision would essentially be a taxi, but it would be more flexible, and it wouldn’t compete with the bus service that we already have. Gabriola Island has a service that’s comparable to what I envi- sion, the difference is that while it is supported by the municipality, it is not run by it.” The Gabriola service, called GERTIE (Gabriola’s Environmentally Responsible Transport for Islanders Express), offers transportation around the island via two 12-seater, bio-diesel powered buses, driven by volunteers. Chapman says Bowen passengers at risk in Horseshoe Bay terminal MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR In the past week BC Ferries has pointed to a prohibitive price tag on the upgrade of the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal as a reason for considering the closure of the route to Departure Bay. Now, saying they won’t cut that ferry, BC Ferries CEO Mike Corrigan says that fares will have to go up in order to the cover costs of the planned upgrade. Bowen Islander and candidate for council, Michael Chapman, says the eco- nomic discussion is clouding a big- ger issue: that in the event of a major earthquake, passengers in their cars, waiting in line to board the Queen of Capilano, would be crushed by the overhead transfer deck. Chapman says that he decided to file a freedom of information request last March, after chatting with someone who was working on the ceiling above the Bowen ferry marshalling area. “I’d been noticing this on-going work for months. It was very noisy and disruptive, and initially I was just thinking that this was too loud, especially for people who might be waiting there with babies or young kids,” says Chapman. “But then I asked the guy who was working up there what he was doing, and he told me he was doing some seismic work. That’s when I decided to research the issue further on my own.” He says that he received fifteen emails with three to four reports each on July 29th, and he’s been sift- ing through them ever since . He says that the recent media reports about the Horseshoe Bay terminal have motivated him to get the infor- mation out there. “Bowen bound passengers are marshalled at the end of the park- ing compound, under the transfer deck – which is built on fill that will liquefy in the case of a major earth- quake,” says Chapman. “I know that when it comes to construction your costs go way up when it comes to unknown base structures, I think this number of $200 million comes out of nowhere. It would likely cost them a lot more than that to rebuild that terminal in a way that is safe for all passengers.” Chapman points to a docu- ment sent to BC Ferries at the end of May, 1999, by Klohn-Crippen Engineering, as the critical docu- ment outlining what would happen in the terminal in the case of an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 to 7.0. “The structure we wait under would collapse,” says Chapman. “Following that report, BC Ferries chose the most economical option to upgrade the terminal and limit their liability, which was to install catch- wires in the ceiling. This does not prevent collapse, but it would make the structure collapse in a more uni- form way. Likely, the people driving on to the ferry above us would sur- vive, but not us.” Chapman offers a solution that he says is far more economical than re-building the Horseshoe Bay ter- minal. “Just move Bowen passengers to the open air line-up, the lower part of the line-up to Nanaimo. The vehi- cles waiting to Nanaimo can just wait further up the road.” Chapman says that he intends to call BC Ferries and make the request as soon as the election is over. Democracy lessons Bowen teachers use election as a learning tool School Trustees Jane Kellett encourages islanders to do their homework and make their picks R-E-S-P-E-C-T Letters: It’s what we’re talking about in the 2014 election Bowen Islanders gathered at the cenotaph on Tuesday to remember and pay homage to the men and women who lost their lives at war. More photos and a memory, on page 16. Meribeth Deen, photo Zawadzki says gas tax monies should fund municipal taxi service continued, PAGE 2

description

The Friday, November 14, 2012 issue of the Bowen Island Undercurrent

Transcript of Friday, November 14, 2012

Page 1: Friday, November 14, 2012

It’sChristmas

advertising!thinkingabouttimetostart

Contact Maureen for all of our special rates.Don’t forget the new deadlines.

Ad booking deadline:Ad copy deadline:

Fridays by 4pmMondays by 4pm

Fax: 604.947.0148 | [email protected]

Maureen Sawasy604.947.2442

75¢ including GST

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14 2014

V O L . 4 1 , N O . 4 5

Watch for more online at: WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

MERIBETH DEENE D I T O R

Starting this year and for the next ten years, Bowen Island can expect to receive payments of approximate-ly $60 thousand per year because of a new Gas Tax Agreement signed between the Provincial and Federal governments. The municipal Manager of Finance, Kristen Watson, announced this news at council on Monday and was granted her request to establish a reserve fund for the money. George Zawadzki, a candi-date for council, says he sees this money as the perfect opportunity to get rolling on a plan to build a better transportation system on-island through the establish-

ment of a municipal taxi service.“People seem to not like the word, ‘taxi,’” says

Zawadzki. “What I envision would essentially be a taxi, but it would be more flexible, and it wouldn’t compete with the bus service that we already have. Gabriola Island has a service that’s comparable to what I envi-sion, the difference is that while it is supported by the municipality, it is not run by it.”

The Gabriola service, called GERTIE (Gabriola’s Environmentally Responsible Transport for Islanders Express), offers transportation around the island via two 12-seater, bio-diesel powered buses, driven by volunteers.

Chapman says Bowen passengers at risk in Horseshoe Bay terminalMERIBETH DEENE D I T O R

In the past week BC Ferries has pointed to a prohibitive price tag on the upgrade of the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal as a reason for considering the closure of the route to Departure Bay. Now, saying they won’t cut that ferry, BC Ferries CEO Mike Corrigan says that fares will have to go up in order to the cover costs of the planned upgrade. Bowen Islander and candidate for council, Michael Chapman, says the eco-nomic discussion is clouding a big-ger issue: that in the event of a major earthquake, passengers in their cars, waiting in line to board the Queen of Capilano, would be crushed by the overhead transfer deck.

Chapman says that he decided to file a freedom of information request last March, after chatting with someone who was working on the ceiling above the Bowen ferry marshalling area.

“I’d been noticing this on-going work for months. It was very noisy and disruptive, and initially I was just thinking that this was too loud, especially for people who might be waiting there with babies or young kids,” says Chapman. “But then I asked the guy who was working up there what he was doing, and he told me he was doing some seismic work. That’s when I decided to research the issue further on my own.”

He says that he received fifteen emails with three to four reports each on July 29th, and he’s been sift-ing through them ever since . He says that the recent media reports about the Horseshoe Bay terminal have motivated him to get the infor-

mation out there.“Bowen bound passengers are

marshalled at the end of the park-ing compound, under the transfer deck – which is built on fill that will liquefy in the case of a major earth-quake,” says Chapman. “I know that when it comes to construction your costs go way up when it comes to unknown base structures, I think this number of $200 million comes out of nowhere. It would likely cost them a lot more than that to rebuild that terminal in a way that is safe for all passengers.”

Chapman points to a docu-ment sent to BC Ferries at the end of May, 1999, by Klohn-Crippen Engineering, as the critical docu-ment outlining what would happen in the terminal in the case of an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 to 7.0.

“The structure we wait under would collapse,” says Chapman. “Following that report, BC Ferries chose the most economical option to upgrade the terminal and limit their liability, which was to install catch-wires in the ceiling. This does not prevent collapse, but it would make the structure collapse in a more uni-form way. Likely, the people driving on to the ferry above us would sur-vive, but not us.”

Chapman offers a solution that he says is far more economical than re-building the Horseshoe Bay ter-minal.

“Just move Bowen passengers to the open air line-up, the lower part of the line-up to Nanaimo. The vehi-cles waiting to Nanaimo can just wait further up the road.”

Chapman says that he intends to call BC Ferries and make the request as soon as the election is over.

Democracy lessons Bowen teachers use election as a learning tool

School TrusteesJane Kellett encourages islanders to do their homework and make their picks

R-E-S-P-E-C-TLetters: It’s what we’re talking about in the 2014 election

Bowen Islanders gathered at the cenotaph on Tuesday to remember and pay homage to the men and women who lost their lives at war. More photos and a memory, on page 16. Meribeth Deen, photo

Zawadzki says gas tax monies should fund municipal taxi service

continued, PAGE 2

BOWEN ISLAND HOUSE ACCOUNR001911379BI03

BANNER

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2 • FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14 2014 WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

BOWEN ISLAND MUNICIPALITYR001910878BI03

SUE ELLEN FASTR001911190BI03

MURRAYBIMTAC

FAST

from PAGE 1

“On Bowen, I see such a service being run by the municipality – and drivers would be municipal employees. Under the province’s passenger trans-portation legislation, you don’t need any kind of permit for a municipality to run such a service,” says Zawadzki. “During the day, the bus or van could go to parts of the island where the TransLink bus doesn’t. During the eve-ning, people could simply call up and have it pick them up and drop them off whereever they needed it to. Also, we could do things like run tours for foot passengers coming off the ferry in the summer time. The revenue generated through these kinds of activities would go back into supporting the service.”

Zawadzki adds that restaurant own-ers as well as bed and breakfast owners he’s spoken with have expressed their support for the idea.

“One restaurant owner I spoke with in the Cove said such a service would

likely mean two tables extra being booked per night,” he says. “And I’ve talked to Bed and Breakfast own-ers who are recommending that their guests hitchhike because they’re not on the bus route, or the buses don’t run when they need them to. This is just not acceptable.”

He adds that the benefits of a taxi-like service would not just be econom-ic, but also environmentally beneficial– because it could take cars off the road; helpful to relieve parking congestion; and also, socially beneficial.

On this final benefit, Zawadzki speaks from personal experience.

“Ever since I had my license sus-pended three years ago, I don’t go out much to visit friends in the evenings,” he says. “Having a taxi service would be really helpful for people like me who want to connect socially, but don’t want to have to worry about being stuck somewhere because they had a drink or two.”

A “flexible” taxi service on Bowen

On November 6, penniless ex-council members Peter Frinton and David Wrinch cruised the ferry line-up asking for spare change. “After all of this service to the municipality, neither of us has a pension,” explained Frinton. Despite their own hard-times, Frinton and Wrinch donated their earnings of $126 to the Caring Circle at the end of the day. Meribeth Deen, photo

2 • FRIDAY November 14 2014 WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

For information call 604-947-4255

NOTICE OF A SPECIAL MEETING:BIM TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE

November 26, 2014 at 7:15 pmMunicipal Hall, 981 Artisan Lane

The Bowen Island Municipality Transportation Advisory Committee (BIMTAC) willhold a special meeting on Wednesday, November 26, 2014 at 7:15 p.m.The purpose of this meeting is to develop BIM’s response to:

• 10- Year Transportation Plan Consultation, issued by the BC Ministry ofTransportation and Infrastructure:http://www2.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/consultations/transportation_plan.page

• Performance Term 4 Proposals by the BC Ferry Corporation:http://www.bcferrycommission.com/reports-press/whats-new/

BIMTAC will make a short presentation on each of these plans at the November26th meeting and welcome input from the public. Recommendations will bemade for Council’s consideration on the above noted matters.

Murray forMayorit ’s t ime

To remember our core valuesFor a practical approachFor an independent voiceFor Bowen-size solutions

it ’s t ime

For a Mayor whounderstands who we are,where we come from, andthe importance of movingforward together.

Visit me at

www. murrayskeels.com

Authorized by Murray Skeels ([email protected])

Authorized by Sue Ellen Fast, candidate, [email protected]

Sue Ellen Fastfor

Council and Islands TrustNature and Community

www.sueellenfast.ca

Page 3: Friday, November 14, 2012

WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM FRIDAY November 14 2014 • 3

Whichmayoral candidate has the Experience,Vision andPlan for Bo

• A PLAN TO KEEP OUR SENIORS ON BOWEN ISLANDProviding more health care practioners, facilities and alternative housing

• A PLAN TO ACHIEVE CONSENSUSTo move forward together in a respectful, constructive fashion

• A PLAN FOR SOUND FISCAL MANAGEMENTTo ensure funding for operation andmaintenance of new facilities

• A PLAN TO BUILD OUR COMMUNITY CENTRETo complete the rezoning and pursue private sector funding through donations & rezonings

• A PLAN TO REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITY’S INTERESTS INDISCUSSIONSWITH SENIOR GOVERNMENTSTo build relationships and negotiate with other levels of government to deliver better transit andtransporation options and services

TIM RHODESWILL PROVIDE THE LEADERSHIPTHIS COUNCIL AND OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS

ehas the Experience,owen?

ansit and

MYPROMISE– Iwill continue to: listenuntil I understand, build consensus aroundpragmatic approaches and implementplans for action.

facebook.com/BuildingConsensUs.Bowen | timrhodesbowen.com | [email protected] | 604.947.0750

SECURITY

CARE

LEGACY

CONNECTION

VITALITY

BuildingConsensUs

• Medical Clinic - engage FinanceAdvisory Committee to assist inbusiness plan

• On-islandHealth Services - create program for ‘attraction andretention’of medical practitioners

• Safe drinkingwater - New Building Canada Fund application andCove BayWater users referendum

• Seniors & Snug CoveHouse - expand Cove BayWater and SnugCove Sewer district; encourage private sector proposals

• Marginalized Citizens - pursue Community Paramedicine program

• Diversity of Housing - encourage private sector proposals• Economic Vibrancy - advance thework of the EconomicDevelopment Committee to articulate our advantages

• Senior Government Funding - partner with IslandsTrust membersto pursue special designation as Rural Communities

• Private Sector Relationships - pursue funding or provision ofcommunity needs through rezoning negotiations and DevelopmentCost Charges

• Snug Cove Revitalization - continuework on creation of Snug CoveBusiness Improvement District

• Families & Children - build recreational and social spaces; advocatefor senior government funding for daycare and early childhooddevelopment

• Volunteerism - continue Community Grants funding• Community Centre - complete rezoning and pursue privatesector funding through donations & rezonings

• Arts and Culture - provide performance space• Recreation Opportunities - use rezoning proposals toexpand trails and parkland

• Transportation&Mobility - negotiate trails through rezoningproposals;widen road shoulders; pursuewater taxi options

• Metro Vancouver & Islands Trust - continue to build onhigh level contacts to advance our interests

• Howe Sound - work with Squamish Nation & Howe Soundcommunities on amarine plan and environmental protections

• ParksMaster Plan - provide resources to update• Environmentally Sensitive Areas Bylaw - establish aMayor’sCommittee on the Environment

• Beaches andMannion Bay - pursue License of Occupation for DeepBay to providemunicipal control

• Heritage&History - create a registry of historically relevantbuildings and places

• Fire Hall - find a site for a practical, efficient, effective building• Fiscal Restraint - ensure funding for operation andmaintenance of new facilities• Leadership - continue to build on high level contacts in senior government• Infrastructure Maintenance - monitor the Asset Management Plan• Hazardous Slopes Bylaw - establish a Mayor’s Committee on the Environment

Authorized by Michael Cornelissen, financial agent, 604.947.9352

ELECT TIM RHODES MAYOR

On November 15th please support TIM RHODESfor MAYOR of Bowen Island

TIM’S PLAN

Page 4: Friday, November 14, 2012

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Editor

MeribethDeen

4 • FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14 2014 WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

Page 5: Friday, November 14, 2012

The future looks bright on Bowen

Dear Editor,

I’m so excited about this upcoming election for our Bowen Island Council. We have so many new faces, a diversity of per-spectives, and, it appears, a shared desire to make this council open, collaborative and willing to listen to the hopes, values and concerns of everyone in the community.

There are so many qualified women running too. Sue Ellen Fast and Maureen Nicholson are two women who will bring thoughtful, intelligent and inclusive processes to council. Sue Ellen has served our Island so well, as an educator, and as someone who understands the importance of both our natu-ral ecosystems and human systems. Sue Ellen has worked so hard to help create that network of interconnected trails across Bowen and I know she’ll work just as hard to create the com-munity networks we’ll need to make good things happen on this Island.

Maureen is super bright, and brings rigorous analytical skills to our new council; I believe she also understands the impor-tance of systems thinking and sees how many of our commu-nity values—environmental, heritage, economic, social, etc.—are deeply interconnected.

I think we’ll have a terrific Mayor, whoever we choose, and I look forward to supporting our new council in building an inclusive, open, compassionate and positive civic culture.

Kathryn Thomson

Mayoral candidates address concerns about sexist language

Dear editor,

“If one of the councillors were to make a sexist remark dur-ing a council meeting, how would you behave?” That’s a ques-tion I submitted to the mayoral candidates’ meeting last week; the question wasn’t put. It’s an important question to ask, yes, even in the 21st century, given the possible make-up of our new council and given that sexist remarks and conduct still persist, alas, as I see in my own profession and in many other workplaces too.

So I contacted all three mayoral candidates personally and posed the question to them directly. I was happy to hear their robust responses. They said that they hoped it wouldn’t arise but that if it did, they would have zero tolerance for such inap-propriate conduct and would stop it dead in its tracks. All three emphasized the importance of mutual respect between councillors in every direction.

I am glad to have had the opportunity to discuss this with our mayoral candidates and glad to be able to report their robust responses to the community. If there are any lapses in conduct by our future councillors, I hope our new mayor will not be taken by surprise but will respond quickly and appro-priately and thus establish respectful discourse as the norm.

Susanna Braund

Hoping for four years of improved public process

To the Editor,

At the recent All-Candidates Meeting I heard lots of support for the environment, seniors, families, and needed infrastruc-ture for Bowen Island – values I think most of us share. In order to move forward with these projects, we need a public process that works for ALL Bowen Islanders. So I was especially keen to hear what the incumbent candidates, Tim Rhodes and Alison Morse, had to say about their track record on council regarding public process. While the talk at Saturday’s meeting seemed like all candidates supported an involved and active public process – the record by the current council does not support this. I can give three poignant examples of how the past three years have not encouraged respect for public process:

1) Moving all council meetings to the daytime – substantially limiting the ability of working people and folks with young families to attend meetings

2) the lack of reaction by all council members and their col-lective failure to respond immediately at a meeting when a member of the public was treated disrespectfully

3) the failure of Council to discuss and debate an issue in response to public comments about a bylaw, e.g.at the meeting on the proposed dock bylaw, some 39 Islanders spoke in opposi-tion to the bylaw while one spoke in favour; despite this over-whelming feedback, the council voted to pass this bylaw without any debate or explanation.

These are just three examples where the current council did not listen and act based on a solid public process.

I will be considering the record of the current incumbents when I go to the ballot box on November 15th and urge you to think about whose actions have spoken louder than words.

DG Blair

Your choice for mayor is important

Dear Editor,

Good news: It looks like we’ll have a more representative council, with a balance of views, more women and a younger demographic, though only one councillor, at most, has experi-ence at the job. Which mayoral candidate has the skills and background to be best able to lead this promising but inexpe-rienced team?

As a former staff member, Stacy Beamer understands municipal processes and has deep knowledge of our commu-nity’s physical infrastructure. Tim Rhodes has been a coun-cillor and acting mayor, has been a hard-working contributor to many committees, and is a good listener and calm facilita-tor. I believe they both bring skills and experience that would be valuable.

While Murray Skeels is a good and prolific writer, I ques-tion whether the skills required to write opinion pieces are the makings of a good leader who must be balanced, thoughtful and respectful.

We need a mayor who will be best able to lead our new council into a respectful, hard-working team that reflects and appreciates the diversity of Bowen’s citizens. A team that will reach past the history of divisiveness and make rapid progress on our top priorities, such as a community centre, health clinic and more diverse and affordable housing.

David Hocking

Vote for candidates who take the high road

Dear Editor,

There’s a new issue in this election—respect. More and more people want a more civil political culture on our sensi-tive little island.

It is very clear from the Community Foundation’s Vital Conversation report that this is a top priority—right up there with a community centre and health clinic. Indeed, many Vital Conversation participants felt the chronic divisions are funda-mentally why we don’t yet have such basic infrastructure. (A few said they don’t want more services; fair enough.)

So, respect is a big conversation point right now. But I wonder if Murray Skeels and Nerys Poole got the memo. To many, their recent articles in the Bulletin represent a deeply discouraging continuation of non-respectful dialogue in our community.

There is a good deal of common ground on Bowen and we need people who will focus on enhancing it. True, consensus isn’t always possible, but I want a Mayor and Councillors who will do their damnedest to try.

Let’s push aside the “sides” and elect candidates who bring a wide range of values, opinions and skills to the Council table. The caveat? They must also bring a proven record of working well with others to achieve their goals. Fortunately, there are sufficient candidates who fit this description to fill your ballot.

I urge you to bestow the high honour of your vote only to those who travel the high road.

Heather Prittie

Is a bark worse than a BITE? In her October 24th letter to the editor, Shari Ulrich accuses

Murray Skeels of playing “a significant role in the discourse of countless issues in the community over the years”. I couldn’t agree more. However, it’s my opinion that it has been a signif-icant positive role, not the “divisive” role that she asserts.

Divisiveness is behaviour that creates disunity or dissension. Our disunity does not originate from any one person, rather it lies in the issues that divide us and our collective inability to listen to each other. Murray has simply, and bravely, stuck his neck out and put a voice to another side of the issues … a per-spective, by the way, which many of us resonate with.

You may not have liked The Bulletin because you disagree with him. It may have made you uncomfortable because you don’t like conflict. But what he has done is not much differ-ent than what Tim has done with BITE, BowenLife, and his blog. There are differences, though, huge differences. Unlike BITE, Murray’s editorials were not funded by, amongst others, The Cape on Bowen. One, after all, doesn’t BITE the hand that feeds you!

I believe it is our right, if not our responsibility, to voice our opinions, respectfully of course, especially if there is much at stake. Murray has provided a valuable community service over many years, and many councils … NOT just the current one.

So my hat is off to Murray for the time and energy he has put into his editorials, even if he might not have connected the dots correctly 100% of the time. Hey, we are all intelligent peo-ple on this island and can make up our own minds about what we read … and they are, after all, editorials which are opinions by definition.

Dennis Vetter

Actions, not words Dear Editor,

Throughout weeks of campaigning constant reference has been made to one of the key conclusions from the Vital Conversations workshop, “respectful discourse”? To that end I believe past actions, conduct and communications speak louder than mere campaign references to that honourable objective. So much of what our community needs, over the next four years, depends on a huge and constant dose of civil, yet effective discussions and negotiations, both with numerous off-island and on-island agencies. We far prefer the candidate who, from within the very challenging council atmosphere has thoughtfully, methodically and respectfully worked through many difficult situations.

Our support for Tim Rhodes parallels the respectful com-ments made recently by Shari Ulrich. I ask, has Shari ever been “off key”? I don’t think so. Let’s not mistake Tim’s quiet, soft spoken nature for one who is not an aggressive, persistent fighter with balance, reason and respect being key consider-ations in his approach to matters.

In order for a smooth, productive and efficient transition from this to the next council we need to re-elect the only two incumbents, Tim and Alison, the latter of whom has more financial and accounting experience to offer than the rest of the candidates combined! That still leaves our council with over 70% new faces and ideas. For our tax dollars we pre-fer the more balanced, open minded candidates who have a demonstrated record of community service; respectful com-munications, negotiation and dispute resolutions skills such as Michael Kaile and Gary Ander. As non-incumbents, they appear to have a better understanding of the issues that need to be prioritized in order to preserve the community we love, while at the same time moving forward with reasonable devel-opment, affordable housing, amenities, employment opportu-nities and an increased tax base, all at an affordable pace. We have every confidence the foregoing “core” choices for council, plus George, will undertake a sustainable (environmentally and financially) agenda with an abundance of factual and respectful discourse. Let the vital conversations begin.

Yours truly,Bruce & Dorene Russell

WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14 2014 • 5

letters continue on PAGE 10

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6 • FRIDAY November 14 2014 WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

westvancouver.ca/election

Persons nominated as candidates and for whomvotes will be received are:

For the Office of School Trustee for SD45(five to be elected for a four-year term):

BOYD, Jim 1395 Camridge Road,West VancouverBROADY, Carolyn 1520 Rena Crescent,West VancouverBROWN, Nicole 2025 27th Street, West VancouverDONAHUE, SheelahWest VancouverDORSMAN, Pieter Lions BayINMAN, Rob West VancouverLESCHERT, Irene West VancouverSTEVENSON,Dave 2270HaywoodAvenue,WestVancouver

For the Office of Councillor for the DWV(six to be elected for a four-year term)

BAXTER, Joanna West VancouverBOOTH, Mary-Ann West VancouverCAMERON, Craig West VancouverCASSIDY, Christine West VancouverCLOUGH, Max 1575 TaylorWay,West VancouverEVISON,Michael 4087 Rose Crescent,West VancouverFINKBEINER, Jim West VancouverGAMBIOLI, Nora West VancouverJOHNSON, Jon West VancouverLAMBUR, Peter 1060 Clyde Avenue,West VancouverLEWIS, Michael 4485 Ross Lane,West VancouverMALLAKIN, Ali West VancouverPLATT, Terry 1555 Fulton Avenue,West VancouverREYNOLDS,Carolanne 2545QueensAvenue,WestVancouverSOPROVICH,Bill 1203-2180ArgyleAvenue,WestVancouver

The one candidate,Michael Smith, for the Office ofMayor,District of West Vancouver, was elected by acclamationpursuant to section 76 of the Local Government Act.

For the School Trustee election for SD45 only:Notice of general voting and advance voting for SD45SD45 includes West Vancouver, Bowen IslandMunicipality, Village of Lions Bay and part of GVRDElectoral Area A (that portion of GVRD ElectoralArea A lying along, or within Howe Sound adjacentto the municipalities of Bowen Island, Lions Bay andWest Vancouver). For School Trustee elections, theBoard of Education for the SD45, has, by resolutionand bylaw, agreed that the Chief Election Officer andDeputy Chief Election Officer appointed by the DWVwill also act on the board’s behalf, and has designatedlocations at which qualified electors may vote forSchool Trustees only within their voting divisions.

Voting Division 1:West VancouverSame locations, dates and times as listed in next column.

Voting Division 2: Bowen Island Municipalityon November 15, from 8 a.m.–8 p.m. at:Bowen Island Community School, 1041 Mt. Gardner RoadWestcotElementarySchool,760WestcotRoad,WestVancouverfrom 1 p.m.–2 p.m. at:1070Miller Road only for residents and staff of BowenCourtAdvance voting is onNovember 5 from8 a.m.–8 p.m. at:Bowen Island Municipal Hall, 981 Artisan Lane

Voting Division 3: Village of Lions Bayon November 15, from 8 a.m.–8 p.m. at:the Lions Bay Village Hall, 400 Centre RoadAdvance voting is onNovember 5 from8 a.m.–8 p.m. at:the Lions Bay Village Hall, 400 Centre Road

Voting Division 4: The portion of GVRD Electoral AreaA lyingalong, orwithinHoweSoundadjacent to themuni-cipalities of Bowen Island, LionsBayandWestVancouveron November 15, from 8 a.m.–8 p.m. at:Gleneagles Community Centre, 6262 Marine Drive.Advance voting is onNovember 5 from8 a.m.–8 p.m. at:West Vancouver Municipal Hall, 750 17th Street

Notice of general voting and advance voting forDWV:Advance voting will be held at the West VancouverMunicipal Hall at 750 17th Street from 8 a.m.–8 p.m.on November 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10, 2014.

General voting day:Open to qualified electors of the DWV on Saturday,November 15, 2014 from 8 a.m.–8 p.m. at:

Eagle HarbourMontessori School, 5575Marine Drive*Rockridge Secondary School, 5350 Headland Drive*Gleneagles Community Centre, 6262 Marine Drive*Seniors’ Activity Center, 695 21st Street*Hollyburn Elementary School, 1329 Duchess Avenue*Sentinel Secondary School, 1250 Chartwell Drive*Irwin Park Elementary School, 2455HaywoodAvenue*Westcot Elementary School, 760Westcot Road*Presbyterian Church, 2893 Marine DriveAmbleside Youth Centre, 1018 Pound Road*Ridgeview Elementary School, 1250Mathers Avenue*

Wheelchair access and curbside voting is available at alllocations. Locations marked with * are most accessible.

Mail ballot voting:Electors who may vote by mail ballot are personswho have a physical disability, illness or injurythat affects their ability to vote at another votingopportunity and persons who expect to beabsent from the municipality or electoral area ongeneral voting day and at the times of all advancevoting opportunities. The application is availableat westvancouver.ca/election and at the WestVancouver municipal hall. Completed mail ballotsmust be received by the District of West VancouverChief Election Officer at West Vancouver MunicipalHall no later than 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 15,2014 in order to be counted for the election.

Elector Qualifications and Registration:Qualifications: 18 years of age or older on generalvoting day; a Canadian citizen; a resident of BritishColumbia for at least 6 months immediatelybefore the day of registration; a resident of, or aregistered owner of real property in the municipalityor electoral area for at least 30 days immediatelybefore the day of registration; and not disqualifiedby any enactment from voting in an election orotherwise disqualified by law. If you are a residentelector and are not on the list of registeredelectors: bring two pieces of identification thatprove your identity and residence; one must haveyour signature. Photo ID is not required. If youare a non-resident property elector: bring twopieces of identification that prove your identity andresidence, one must have your signature; proof ofproperty ownership (certificate of title, tax notice,assessment notice or a current title search); and ifthere is more than one owner, written consent fromthe majority of the owners, including yourself, foryou to register as the elector. Contact the ElectionOffice at 604-925-7045 or 604-925-7049 for moreinformation.

The registered owner of real property meanswhichever of the following is applicable: (a) theowner of a registered estate in fee simple of theproperty unless another person holds an interestin the property referred to in (b) to (d) as follows;(b) the holder of the last registered agreement forsale unless another person holds an interest in theproperty referred to in (c) or (d) as follows; (c) thetenant for life under a registered life interest in theproperty unless another person holds an interestin the property referred to in (d) as follows; (d) theholder of a registered lease of the property for aterm of at least 99 years.

No corporation is entitled to be registered asan elector or have a representative registeredas an elector, no corporation is entitled to vote,and permanent residents of Canada (landedimmigrants) who have not become Canadiancitizens are not permitted to vote.

Documents acceptable for ID include: A BC Driver’sLicence, a BC ID Card, an Owner’s Certificate ofInsurance and Vehicle Licence issued by ICBC,a BC CareCard or BC Gold CareCard, a Requestfor Continued Assistance Form SDES8, a SocialInsurance Number Card, a Canadian CitizenshipCard, a real property tax notice, a credit/debitcard issued by a savings institution and a utilitybill issued for the supply of electricity, natural gas,water, telephone or coaxial cable services.

S. Scholes, Chief Election OfficerOctober 29, 2014

Notice of Election2014GeneralLocalElection:DistrictofWestVancouver&WestVancouverSchoolDistrict (SD45)PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given to the electors of the District of West Vancouver (DWV) andWest Vancouver School District 45 (SD45) that anelection by voting is necessary to elect School Trustees for SD45 and Councillors for the DWV. The election will be held on November 15, 2014.

NOV EMB E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 4

Contact the Election Office with enquiries or if you require more information:Legislative Services Department | District of West Vancouver Municipal Hall750 17th Street, West Vancouver BC | t: 604-925-7045 or 604-925-7049e: [email protected] | hours: 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. regular business days

Page 7: Friday, November 14, 2012

WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM FRIDAY November 14 2014 • 7

REVISED 2014 NOTICE OF ELECTION BY VOTING

Kathy LalondeChief Election Officer

Casey GrundyDeputy Chief Election Officer

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given to the electors of Bowen IslandMunicipality that an election by voting is necessary to elect aMayor, six Councillors and two Municipal Trustees for the IslandsTrust Council for a four year term commencing December 2014,and that the persons nominated as candidates at the election forwhom votes will be received are:

Mayor - One (1) to be Elected

Surname Usual Names Residential Address

BEAMER ............STACY .................757 Channelview Drive, Bowen Island

RHODES.............TIM......................1255 Deerwalk, Bowen Island

SKEELS..............MURRAY..............851 Valhalla Place, Bowen Island

STONE ......................................... ANDREW ......................... (Withdrawn)

Councillor - Six (6) to be Elected

Surname Usual Names Residential Address

ANDER...............GARY...................23 Arbutus Lane, Bowen Island

CHAPMAN .........MICHAEL .............438 Cardena Road, Bowen Island

FAST..................SUE ELLEN...........504 Reed Road, Bowen Island

FREEMAN ..........MARCUS..............424 Smugglers Cove Road, Bowen Island

GABRIELLE ........YVETTE................1125 Lenora Road, Bowen Island

KAILE ................MICHAEL .............835 Hummingbird Lane, Bowen Island

MASON..............MELANIE .............840 Hummingbird Lane, Bowen Island

MORSE ..............ALISON M............1235 Fairweather Road, Bowen Island

NICHOLSON .......MAUREEN............1104 Harding Road, Bowen Island

WILLIAMSON .....PETER .................1471 Tunstall Blvd., Bowen Island

ZAWADZKI .........GEORGE...............967 Village Drive, Bowen Island

Municipal Trustee for the Islands Trust Council - Two (2) to be Elected

Surname Usual Names Residential Address

CHAPMAN .........MICHAEL .............438 Cardena Road., Bowen Island

FAST..................SUE ELLEN...........504 Reed Road, Bowen Island

GABRIELLE ........YVETTE................1125 Lenora Road, Bowen Island

KAILE ................MICHAEL .............835 Hummingbird Lane, Bowen Island

MORSE ..............ALISON M............1235 Fairweather Road, Bowen Island

NICHOLSON .......MAUREEN............1104 Harding Road, Bowen Island

STONE ......................................... ANDREW ............................ (Withdrawn)

WILLIAMSON .....PETER .................1471 Tunstall Boulevard, Bowen Island

GENERAL VOTING DAY will be open to qualified electors of Bowen

Island Municipality on:

Saturday, November 15, 2014between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. at the following locations: Bowen Island Community School, 1041 Mt. Gardner Road, Bowen Island, B.C.;

Westcot Elementary School, 760 Westcot Road, West Vancouver, B.C.; or

1070 Miller Road, Bowen Island, B.C. (1:00 – 2:00 p.m. only for residents and staff

of Bowen Court).

ADVANCE VOTING DAY be open to qualified electors of Bowen IslandMunicipality on:

Wednesday, November 5, 2014between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

at Bowen Island Municipal Hall, 981 Artisan Lane, Bowen Island, B.C.

ELECTOR REGISTRATIONIf you are not on the Lists of Registered Electors, you may register at the time ofvoting by completing the required application form available at the voting place.To register you must meet the following requirements:• 18 years of age or older on general voting day;• Canadian citizen;• Resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately precedingthe day of registration;

• Resident of OR registered owner of real property in Bowen IslandMunicipality for at least 30 days immediately preceding the day ofregistration;

• Not disqualified by the Local Government Act or any other enactment fromvoting in an election or otherwise disqualified by law.

Resident electors will also be required to produce two (2) pieces ofidentification (at least one with signature). Picture identification is notnecessary. The identification must prove both residency and identity.Non-resident property electors must produce two (2) pieces of identification(at least one with signature) to prove identity, proof that they are entitled toregister in relation to the property, and, if there is more than one owner of theproperty,written consent from the other property owners.

MAIL BALLOT VOTINGQualified electors may vote by mail if they:• Have a physical disability, illness or injury that affects their ability tovote at another voting opportunity; OR

• Expect to be absent from Bowen Island Municipality on general votingday and at the times of the advance voting opportunity.

Requesting a Mail Ballot package:Before 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 13, 2014 you must completeand submit an application for a mail ballot package by mail. Theapplication can be obtained by contacting Municipal Hall or is available onthe municipal website at www.bimbc.ca.The Municipality will send out mail ballot packages commencing on orabout October 27, 2014. To be counted, your mail ballot must be receivedby the Chief Election Officer before the close of voting on general votingday (8:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 15, 2014). It is the obligationof the person applying to vote by mail ballot to ensure that themail ballot is received by the Chief Election Officer within this timelimit. Additionally, mail ballots can only be counted if all the requiredinformation and signatures are provided.

SCHOOL TRUSTEE ELECTIONSThe School District #45 Trustee Election is administered through the District of WestVancouver. For further information please contact their Election Office via telephone at604-925-7045, via e-mail at [email protected] or visit their website atwww.westvancouver.ca

FURTHER INFORMATION on the foregoing may be obtained by contacting:

Bowen Island Municipality981 Artisan Lane

Bowen Island, B.C. V0N 1G2Tel: 604-947-4255 Fax: 604-947-0193 E-mail: [email protected]

Page 8: Friday, November 14, 2012

MICHAELKAILEjust common sense

&YOURCANDIDATEBOWEN ISLAND COUNCILISLANDS TRUST

“Working with our partnersin the Islands Trustto maximize benefitsto Bowen Island from our 2014investement of $214,000.”

35 years in Tourism & Hospitality around the world -working with diverse staff to serve the needs of guests and local communities

with civility and respect - delivers awareness, expertiseand just common sense...”

“Please Contact Me: [email protected] | LinkedIn.com | facebook.com/kaileforcouncil

Authorized by Michael Cornelissen, financial agent, 604.947.9352Authorized by Kirsty Johnstone, financial agent, 604-947-9504

• As we head into the final lap of the campaign, I think it prudent to revisitthe highlights.

• The overriding public priority in this campaign is to keep Bowen Island “BOWEN”,the unique, caring, safe, green place we all call home.

• How as Mayor and Council can we make this happen:1) By creating an atmosphere in council that is inclusive, respectful and efficient.2) By having a diversity of housing to accommodate ALL socio-economic groups through

a) Accessory building regulation andb) Affordable housing components being built into any future development proposals.

3) By having work on the island in the construction trades, in the tourist industry,in the artscommunity, home based businesses and environmentally sensitive light industry.

4) By having “developers” contribute their fair share of amenities to the community.5) By working with our partners; BC ferries, Metro Translink and the Islands Trust to accomplish our goals.6) By fostering and protecting our treasured natural environment and turning inward to discover

ways of reducing our carbon footprint through on island composting and other green initiatives7) By caring and accommodating our young families and our seniors.

These are all goals we can and MUST achieve.

Let’s not fool ourselves, there are considerable challenges ahead as Bowen Island enters this very critical,ever changing stage in our evolution. It will take experience, dedication and a whole lot of hard work toposition Bowen Island in the place we all want to be 4 years down the road.

Vote wisely, the future of our wonderful Isle isin your hands.

Thank-you all for your commitment ! Gary

Gary Ander for CouncilGary Ander for Council

SensibleBalanced

Straightforward

MERIBETH DEENE D I T O R

Bowen Islander Jane Kellett ran, and was voted-in as a trustee for School District 45 four times starting in 2002. This election, she has decided to step back from the position and pursue her many other interests, including golf. Without her in the running, there are eight people candidates vying for the five existing positions, but not one of them is from Bowen. Kellett says she hopes that Bowen Islanders will not forget to vote for school trustees just because there is no one from here in the running.

“It is absolutely critical to become informed and vote for school

trustees,” says Kellett. “Having a strong board of education is criti-cal for the governance of the public education system.”

Kellett says that the board develops a strategic plan for the dis-trict and works with the superintendent of schools to implement the plan and oversee the annual budget. Another important job is to address the needs of the district to the Ministry of Education.

“When you pick candidates for this position, you want to know that they understand the needs of students, because they are driv-ing the way public education is headed. And right now, helping to resolve the labour situation is a big part of that – board members sit on different committees with the ministry of education, and also lobby for the needs of students in the district.”

Kellett adds that working as a school trustee with Bowen stu-dents in mind added an extra dimension to the job.

“We’re lucky to be a part of West Vancouver School District. It is one of the highest performing districts in the province, and there are many innovative programs here that have been replicated else-where,” she says.

Kellett says that working with the high schools in West Van to make sure that teachers are aware of the extra challenges faced by students from Bowen was one of the things she worked hard on in her twelve years on the school board.

“I think there is a much greater awareness now among teach-ers about the fact that Bowen students are getting up at 6:30 in the morning just to get to school on time, and that extra curricular activities can be particularly hard because of the transportation system,” says Kellett. “Things are better, I think, but of course the awareness is not always what you would like it to be.”

She adds that a good relationship between the school district and the municipality has allowed for the successful joint management of BICS, which allows for the Bowen Rec office to be run out of the school, some Municipal funding for the community school co-ordinator position and resulted in the creation of the turf field.

“BICS is the only community school in the district,” says Kellett. “So it is important the whoever is sitting on the board understands what that means.”

Don’t forget to vote for School Trustees

8 • FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14 2014 WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

MICHAEL KAILER001911199BI03

GARY ANDERR001911243BI03

ANDERKAILE

Former Bowen trustee says Trustees are critical to quality of public education

Jane Kellett started her work as a School Trustee towards the end of her childrens’ high school education. “I didn’t do it for my kids, I did it because I believe in public education.”Meribeth Deen, photo

continued, PAGE 9

ANN SILBERMANS U B M I S S I O N

The IRLY was hopping on the morning October 25 for the annual pumpkin carving event. Anna Donnelly grilled up a storm on the barbeque, and “Lovely Lena,” master organizer, had tables, mats, pumpkins, and carving tools ready. The children were not disappointed, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. they carved, ate and ran around. They left, happy with full bellies, trick or treat bags, and carved pumpkin.

Now a Bowen tradition, the Irly Bird continues to sponsor FREE events like this one partnering with Bowen Island Community School and Bowen Children’s Centre to give families Saturday morn-ing events that are guaranteed to leave you smiling. Thank you Anita for donating the pumpkins – there was a perfect size for every age! AND watch the Rec Centre online brochure for the next event: Hammers and hot dogs!

The Board and families of Bowen Children’s Centre would like to thank Anna Donnelley and the staff of Irly Bird for supporting our children this year by donating to the Gail Taylor Bursary Fund – a fund that ensures all Bowen children can attend preschool and get the support they need. This fund is available to families whose children need extra support in the classroom, financial support and emergency support in a time of financial crisis. To donate to this fund or for more information, please contact Ann (9626); [email protected]

Only on Bowen

Page 9: Friday, November 14, 2012

MERIBETH DEENE D I T O R

According to the BC curriculum students in grade 5 should learn about political and legal structures that make up governance, and learn an appreciation for the process. Here on Bowen, teachers are delving into the municipal election head-on with their students in order to bring that aspect of the curriculum to life.

Members of the grade 5 – 7 class at Island Discovery Learning Centre have met with all three mayoral candidates. They’ve also sat in on a council meeting, and toured the municipal hall.

All of the students expressed an eagerness to vote in a few years – and said that they feel confident they’ll be ready to do so.

“You need to get to know all of the candidates, and what they are about,” says Asha Dobson. “You can’t just vote for people because they’re your friends or you know them.”

The class agreed that one thing they would like to see brought up as an issue is creating opportunity for people their age to get work experience.

“We’ve heard about how there needs to be a home for seniors, but also, if that existed, we could help out,” says Thomas De Zwart.

Kate Matson adds, “It’s not just about paid jobs, but getting the

chance to do things that are meaningful.”Matson, her twin sister Maia, and Liz Hodges all commute to

school on Bowen from East Vancouver two days a week. They say they’ve developed a “fear” of ongoing cuts to ferry services.

The class also pointed to the decision to destroy the bike park as an example of how council has not considered the needs of kids on Bowen.

“It was there one minute, and gone the next,” says Asha Dobson.The bike park decision is one that the students in Andrea

Layzell’s grade 5 class at BICS have a hard time accepting.“They shouldn’t just DO things,” says Ellie Walters. “They should

talk to people more. When they decided to take down the bike park, they only talked to the person who ran it, not the kids who used it or the parents.”

Among the other concerns expressed by student’s in Layzell’s class were the need for more animal control (to deal with skunks), the need for improved walking trails, the desire for more amenities near the golf course, and a medical clinic.

Roughly half the class expressed excitement about getting the chance to vote in eight years time.

The students who were less enthusiastic about voting concluded that if politicians want more people to vote, they need to get out and talk to them, face to face.

Students learn about governance, citizenship, through election

WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14 2014 • 9

ALISON MORSER001911247BI03

BOWEN ISLAND HOUSE ACCOUNR001910886BI99

ALISON

from PAGE 8

The candidates running for the position of School Trustee for School District 45 are: Jim Boyd, Carolyn Broady, Nicole Brown, Sheelah Donahue, Pieter Dorsman, Rob Inman, Irene Leschert and Dave Stevenson. For brief bios and their website infor-mation, go to the City of West Vancouver’s List of Candidates, and click on “School Trustee.” When you get to the voting booth, remember that you can vote for up to five candidates.

Voting for school trustees

Students from the Island Discovery Learning Centre meet with mayoral candidate Stacy Beamer. For more photos, check out this story on The Undercurrent’s website.Dayna Purdy, photo

Bowen Island “dream board”MERIBETH DEENE D I T O R

What are Bowen Islanders dreams for the place they call home? The final pins on this election year’s dream board.

ROSS BRAGGR A D I O P R O D U C E R ,

H A N D Y M A N , D A D

I would love to have a re-use-it store on here: a place to drop off unwanted building mate-rials and a place to find odds and ends includ-ing wood or paint or any other by-product of construction or renova-tion (whether it be resi-dential or commercial). Re-using reduces dis-posal costs, saves people money, and is great for the environment.

Dionne Finch and her youngest son, Isaac.Meribeth Deen, photo

DIONNE FINCHG A R D E N E R , M O T H E R O F F O U R

I have a long list of dreams for Bowen and they are all equally important to me. I would love for the spring and summer programs offered by the rec cen-tre to be ‘licensed childcare’ so that families eligible for government childcare subsidy can use the subsidy that they are entitled to. I would love for the main strip to have large planters with beautiful trees and plants. I’m tempted to take this on myself! And, it would be great if outdoor public water fountains to be installed at the school and by the ferry.

RE-ELECTALISONMORSE

Council and Islands Trust

AuthorizedbyAlisonMorse as Financial Agent • [email protected]

www.alison4council.com

• Integrity• Accountability• Experience• Independent

Abalanced,moderatevoice.Understandsgoodfiscalmanagement.Believes infact-baseddecision-making.

LANTERN MAKINGWORKSHOPSaturday Nov 29th, 2014 10:00 am to 12 noon.

LIGHT UP BOWEN - CHILDRENS’ LANTERNWORKSHOPat BICS Multi-Purpose Room Cost: $10.00 per child

Take the opportunity for your child to create a one ofa kind lantern that they can carry during the

LIGHT UP BOWEN Lantern Procession.Children under the ages of 8 years old need to beaccompanied by an adult. Families welcome to

work together on lanterns.

There are only 30 spaces available.Register in Person at the BI Community Rec Office.

By phone 604-947-2216 orwww.bowencommunityrecreation.com

Page 10: Friday, November 14, 2012

10 • FRIDAY November 14 2014 WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

You are Invited To AttendA Public Information Session regarding the

re-zonIng of the “Pub Building” andadjacent vacant lot

(477 & 479 Bowen Trunk rd.)Monday November 17th at 6:00pm

Evergreen Hall

Everyone Welcome!!Please contact

[email protected] for further information.

VOTE forMarcus FreemanCouncillorIndependent, Caring, Accountable

Authorized by Marcus Freeman @ 604.947.0424

10 • FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14 2014 WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

MARCUS

PUB

Vital Conversations set the toneTo the Editor;

It has been great relief for me that this election is following the wishes and needs of the community, including respectful dialogue. Thank you to the Bowen Island Community Foundation for organizing the Vital Conversations in May that set the tone and the identified the priorities that many feel are relevant for living on this very special island. (Where else are 150 year old trees, just off the main street?)

Our community identified the need to access nature through trails and beach-es, support the arts community, businesses, medical centre, community centre, and housing. The business of Snug Cove water and sewage is also on the agenda with all candidates promising the long awaited connections for the building of Snug Cove House.

Development projects are to adhere to Bowens Official Community Plan (OCP). The OCP is our guide to our islands future and should be respected by Mayor and Council.

Wow, our community is coming together. I am giving support to Murray Skeels as our future Mayor. Murray listens and

discusses with informed respect and humour. He will listen to his councillors, committees and the community. His experience of living on Bowen, raising his children and running a successful business have prepared him for understanding the priorities of this tiny island.

Please take the time to vote.

RegardsCathryn Robertson

Dear Editor

May I first applaud the three candidates that have been nominated for the posi-tion of Mayor: a position that requires major commitments of time and energy. Many thanks to you all. Now the voters must choose.

I will not be voting for Murray Skeels. While not doubting his sincerity, I think back to his numerous epistles in The Bulletin that have fostered acrimony within the Community. How can this be reconciled with the need to foster “respectful dialogue and consensus-building in relation to community issues,” a primary goal articulated so clearly in the Vital Conversations report.

Stacy, I wish you could have run for council. You are a well-respected Bowen Islander with a strong background in the engineering aspects of the Island’s development. Your present career gives you an intimate understanding of the challenges and aspirations of our vital arts community. Your lack of municipal council experience is, however, regrettable. It is a factor which could be handled as a councillor, but could severely handicap your performance in a mayoral role. Should you not be successful, I sincerely hope that you will stay involved at the committee level with a view to running as a councillor four years from now.

Tim Rhodes is an honest, intelligent, hard-working individual with valuable council experience. He is thoughtful and compassionate, a quiet but firm per-son who listens and achieves consensus through effective communications and respectful dialogue. Of engineering background, I was privileged to be a mem-ber of the Solid Waste Resource Advisory Committee. I was impressed with the critically supportive role Tim adopted to provide guidance to our endeavours. He did his homework, he was firm and fair. Tim has represented our Island well in discussions with off-Island authorities and will provide valuable conti-nuity in this regard.

The details of Tim’s platform are plainly articulated in his election pamphlets and advertisements. He goes beyond “the big picture” to add the necessary “meat to the bones.” He welcomes accountability.

I sincerely wish all candidates well, but I’m voting for Tim.

Peter Taggart

My vote for mayor

Dear Editor

The primary purpose of a Municipality is to direct and regulate development towards the best interests of the community, both in the short and long term. We will certainly need many forms of development on Bowen over the next few years. It is very important that our Mayor and Councillors are, without any doubt, willing to act as an effective regulator to meet the greater good in the face of substantial pressure to satisfy the financial ambitions of particular companies. The approach should be friendly but firm.

The Municipality should lead the development agenda, meeting community needs, rather than simply reacting to a random series of development proposals. Murray Skeels is very well informed, capable, and has a good sensible vision for the future of Bowen Island. I am very pleased that he decided to offer his services to our community if elected as mayor.

Richard Helm

Municipality should direct development

Page 11: Friday, November 14, 2012

Why I am voting for Murray, for mayor

WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14 2014 • 11

BOWEN ISLAND HOUSE ACCOUNR001910891BI03

HEALTH

Dear Editor,

When I read The Bulletin’s latest broadside from Nerys Poole I was reminded of how and why Cape Roger Curtis sank to such a sad outcome. Fifty-nine ten acre lots for multi-millionaires – what amenities do you think prospective purchasers might want for such a waterfront playground? What could possibly go wrong with that picture?

Oddly enough, Nerys actually seems proud of the outcome for the Cape that she, Murray, Doug and Bob achieved. In fact, at the end of her article she explains that things only went wrong after she and her like-minded councillors lost the 2011 election, and the current council started dealing with the docks.

She writes darkly of undue influence from developers, council meetings behind closed doors, contravention of the Community Charter, and a council that allowed developers to build whatever docks they wanted.

Nerys forgot to mention a few important facts.The first is that in September 2011, just weeks before the election, the CRC owners had filed four dock

applications with the province. The second is that at that time, there was insufficient municipal protection in place to prevent those docks from being built. If the incoming council had quickly increased the protection right away, and tried to apply it to those applications retroactively, it would have triggered a lawsuit by the owners that would have been prohibitively expensive for Bowen, and futile to defend.

So the time to foresee the need for better protection, and then quickly implement it before any dock applications were filed, was during the tenure of Nerys and her cohorts. They were in control of making CRC a waterfront playground for multi-millionaires, and they were also in control of amending the Official Community Plan – which typically outlines such things as protective principles.

And what about her accusation that our current council violated The Community Charter by holding closed meetings? Unfortunately for Nerys, the oppo-site is true. The Charter advises that there should be closed meetings when council is discussing potential legal problems, property or land use values, and mat-ters related to personnel. So this means that council’s discussions about the legal implications that might flow from increased CRC protection, or about the financial implications that might flow from rezoning or sale of any community lands, should take place in closed meetings.

There have been calls for a more civil discourse before this election, and I’m hoping there won’t be any more articles like the one from Nerys Poole. We need facts and insights, not accusations and insinu-ations.

Isabel Otter

Move forward from Cape Roger Curtis with accuracy, and the full story

Dear Editor,

When Murray asked me to run his campaign for Mayor, I said yes right away. I had long encouraged Murray to run because he is someone rooted squarely in the mainstream of Bowen life. As a long-time resident and small business owner on Bowen he has developed friendships and business relationships in all corners of the island. And he has always taken a uniquely inde-pendent and plain-spoken view that didn’t fit in either the left or the right side of the political agenda. As a former Mayor myself, I instinctively felt he had the right stuff to represent the entire island.

I first encountered Murray though his Bulletin articles. I was Mayor of Bowen for the six years between 2005 to 2011. I learned quickly that it paid me dividends to read his Bulletin. Not because it was necessarily flattering. Sometimes it was. Often it wasn’t. But because he always had a point, always had something worth listening to, and there was an inherent fairness in the way he said it. Sometimes I agreed with his whole piece. Sometimes I didn’t. But even when I didn’t, it sharpened my understanding of what I did think. And because he offered a lot of facts, I could un-hitch his conclusion from his information. In retrospect, he taught me a lot.

Recently there have been many voices speaking to the importance of civility in our public discourse. I heartily agree with this. This was my bedrock principle for my six years as Mayor and for this I have been thanked many times by folks of all political stripes. But there is a point here that seems to be overlooked by some. One of the critical values of civility is to create a cli-mate where vigorous debate can thrive. Vigorous debate is essential to getting to the better idea, and discarding the rest. Such debate ensures accountability of our elected officials. We need to be very wary of those who cast civil debate as “divisive” to avoid accountability. This Council needs to be held accountable for both its shortcomings and successes. I have watched carefully all five councils that we have had since incorporation and I can confidently say that the current

council has set a damagingly low standard for transparency, accessibility, and civility. I say this based on their record: council meetings held only during the day so few could attend, a bare minimum of special public meetings that invited the public to speak, a clear lack of welcome to those whose views they did not share, the inappropriate use of closed meetings for decisions that should have been made in the public, and withholding of a planning report on a controver-sial issue that prevented effective public scrutiny to name a few.

Mayor candidate Tim Rhodes needs to be accountable for his role in condoning these actions this Council. He has, since deciding to run for Mayor, pitched himself as a consensus builder, and changed his writing style. When I look at his record, I find his claim astonishing. For two years, Tim wrote a very divisive newspaper that continually attacked not only the actions of Council but individuals. If he now wants to be a force for consensus, wonderful, but he has come to this conclusion very recently. So I can only be skeptical of its sincerity at this point.

Tim Rhodes has also yet to convince me that he is independent of the major development interests on Bowen Island. His BITE newspaper was funded by major developers and his writ-ings promoted their point of view. He ran as part of a slate with our island’s major developers in the last election, and took campaign contributions from other major developers. In this elec-tion, he has been publically endorsed by a major developer. He has refused to reveal who funds his current newsletter, his expensive full page colour ads in the paper, and who is funding his campaign. My concern is this: a mayor must hold the public’s confidence that he or she’s first allegiance is to the public good of Bowen Island, and not to some other private interests. Tim has yet to convince me of this.

Which brings me back to my own conviction that Murray Skeels is a much better candidate for Bowen Island’s mayor. Murray is a very uncomplicated person. He writes what he believes, and he says the same thing. Those who know him, have worked for and with him, speak highly of his integrity and his honesty. He means what he says. Early on in this campaign, some sug-gested that he reveal some unflattering information about a competing candidate, to gain advantage. It impressed me greatly that he, without hesitation, said neither he nor anyone on his team would have anything to do with it. That to me is integrity - doing the right thing even when it is to your disadvantage. For me, this mayor’s race is all about trust.

Bob Turner

Places of Worship WelcomeYou

BOWEN ISLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH

Pastor Clinton Neal1070 Miller Road 604-947-0384

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

FOODBANKDROP-OFF

BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCHRev. Shelagh MacKinnon

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

Minister of Music: LynnWilliams

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

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

Pastor: Dr. James B. Krohn

(661 Carter Rd.)

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

604-988-6304

Dr. Dana BartonNaturopathic Physician

596 B. Artisan Square

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ChiropractorDr. Tracy Leach, D.C.

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Page 12: Friday, November 14, 2012

12 • FRIDAY November 14 2014 WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

“Otherwordly”featuring the surreal

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Bowen Bulletin Board

On November 15 we will be casting our votesfor BOWEN ISLAND MAYOR and COUNCIL

This is the time to THINK. . .WHO and WHAT are you voting for

☑ They understand all the issues facing Bowen☑ They have relevant experience☑ They have more than one item on their agenda☑ They are not afraid of making hard decisions☑ They have an open mind☑ They are willing to do the hard work for four years☑ They respond to criticism by finding practical solutions

7 top reasons TO vote for a candidate:

7 top reasons NOT to vote for a candidate:☐ You like their hairstyle☐ They live down the road☐ They wear socks with Birkenstocks☐ You like their bumper stickers☐ Your kids play together☐ You see them on the ferry☐ They offer constant criticism – but no real solutions

Last election, Bowen Island had a 72.95% turnout -- the best in the Province Let’s do even better!

Announcement courtesy of Monica McKinley, Realtor,Royal LePage Northshore, 604-644-4626

Page 13: Friday, November 14, 2012

WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14 2014 • 13

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FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14Legion Dinner

Doors open at 5 p.m. dinner starts at 6:30

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 15Crippen Stewardship Group Weed Warriors

10:00 AM - 1:00 PM We will meet by the bridge at the mouth of Davie’s Creek (at nearby picnic table in field). Everyone welcome. Tools and gloves provid-ed. Dress for the weather and bring your water supply.

Bootcamp for Procrastinators workshop with Ivan Coyote - tick-ets on sale at the Gallery at Artisan Square or at www.biac.ca

Bowen Island Gymnastics Club Sports Swap Fundraiser to send 10 gymnasts to the 2015 World Gymnaestrada Event in Helsinki, Finland in July 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at BICS, $30 per table

1950s Hot Havana Night, IPS Fundraiser Live Latin Music, DJ & Dancing 7 - 11:30 at Cates Hill ChapelTickets $35 at Phoenix and IPS

ELECTION!

MONDAY NOVEMBER 17S.K.Y. Seniors Keeping Young

9:00am Exercises, then refreshments 10:00am A special treat: concert by Susanna Braund and friends. 11:00am Seniors Yoga with Diana Kaele.

NOVEMBER 17The Bowen Island Garden Club presents Paul Sprigg

The art of crevice and rock gardening The Gallery at Artisan Square, 1 p.m.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 18AA Meeting

Collins Hall 7:15 p.m.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 19Knitting Circle

2 - 5 p.m. Bowen Court - All levels welcome!

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 20Duplicate Bridge @ Bowen Court

Call Irene @ 2955

UPCOMING

NOVEMBER 22Rotary Variety Show

7 p.m. Cates Hill Chapel Funds raised go to the Africa Village Project and the Bowen Island Firefighters

NOVEMBER 22Movember tattoos In the Flesh Tattoos

DECEMBER 6Light Up Bowen

DECEMBER 7Community School

Association Craft Fair

DECEMBER 11Kerri Sutherland of

the Alzheimer Society of BC presents a workshop entitled “Understanding Dementia” to the Rotary Club. 7:30 pm, Collins Hall, all are welcome, no charge.

On the calendar

BOWEN ISLAND GARDEN CLUBS U B M I S S I O N

On November 17, the Bowen Island Garden Club welcomes Paul Spriggs. Spriggs will give a presenta-tion about rock gardening highlighting a new style of called crevice gardening.

Spriggs has been the owner and operator of a land-scaping company in Victoria for 25 years. He is also an avid plant explorer and mountaineer. Over the years he has melded his love of gardens with his love of the mountains and become a rock gardener. Paul’s specialty within the world of rock gardens is a style of gardening called crevice gardens. One of his men-tors is Mr. Zdenek Zvolanek of the Czech Republic who is one of the innovators of this style of gardens. Together they have worked at building several gar-dens and in conducting workshops in this art form. Rock gardens and their plants are Paul’s passion and he loves to share his knowledge and showcase this very different world of gardening. Paul will also be bringing plants that are ideal examples for crevice gardens.

Please join us at the Gallery at Artisan Square on November 17, 2014 at 1 PM. Everyone is welcome.

Cracks and crevices: the art of rock and crevice gardening

TINA OVERBURYS U B M I S S I O N

The Bowen Island Dog Ranch celebrates eight years in busi-ness this month and in dog years that makes them 45 years old. In Bowen Island years that makes them almost local, and in business it makes them a success. In honour of The Dog Ranch’s birthday, owner Karen Munro, is thanking her clients, neighbours and com-munity by offering ‘opening day’ boarding prices until Nov. 30th - that’s $30/day and less than most of us pay for the Queen of Cap!

Business is a hot topic on Bowen Island, especially with this being election week, and not to get into a heavy conversation about Bowen’s economic development, but its seems The Dog Ranch has figured out a thing or two bridging all the hot topics that usually divides us:

1) They hire local staff: depending on the season, the Dog Ranch employs between 8 and 10 people living on-island.

2) They contribute to the community in multiple ways: support-ing local rescues, pet stores, and our local vet; participating in the Festival of Trees, Bowfest and the Christmas Craft Fair.

4) They support our young people offering work professional experience for those who are passionate about dogs.

Bowen, as an utterly dog-loving community, has made a perfect home for Munro as she pursues her dream of becoming the Lower Mainland’s premier dog boarding facility. The Ranch offers off-leash boarding with a full time vet tech staff seven days a week, dog grooming, puppy and dog training with Bowen Island’s own Master Trainer Dayna Woodman, plus a heated boarding facility in a dou-

bled fenced safety first property designed for running, digging and playing dogs during their scheduled day of play and socializing. If there was such a thing as Club Med for dogs, I think this might be it!

I spoke with Ollie’s owner, Brenda about The Ranch. Ollie is a big, friendly golden lab, (and one of Basia’s pups). Brenda gushed about what a difference The Dog Ranch has made in both her fam-ily’s life and Ollie’s.

“Ollie was only 12 weeks old when my work schedule changed and I was suddenly needed off island at times. I didn’t know what I would’ve done without them. I took him to The Ranch and they went above and beyond to help me out. They looked after him, they grew him up, he went to puppy training with Dayna, it was like taking my kid to pre-school, only it’s dog-school. When Ollie was doing this alpha-thing with my daughter, Dayna came out and taught our whole family what to do. They are just always there when I need them. I love being able to scratch all the “dog to-dos” off my list, because they handle it all! It’s a godsend having them on the island, and I secret obsession is watching what Ollie’s up to on their great facebook page. I can peek in on him all day!”

Home is where we are family, and work is where we are business. It’s a noteable thing to be able to do both in the same place, espe-cially when the place we are is an island paradise. It takes a village, to raise a business and a dog, but having a real community is even better.

If you want to take advantage of The Ranch’s opening day special on until November 30th, or to sign up your pup for puppy training with Master Trainer Dayna Woodman this weekend, give them a call at 6965.

The Dog Ranch celebrates 45 dog-years in business on Bowen

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Page 14: Friday, November 14, 2012

14 • FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14 2014 WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

BOWEN ISLAND VETR002904516BI03

ISLAND PACIFIC SCHOOLR001910885BI03

VETIPS

LISA

SUSANNA BRAUNDA N I M A L A F F A I R S

In the past week or so, one little dog and two cats on Bowen have died apparently from poisoning. So I decided I would devote this column to the dangers to our companion animals of two products that we use especially at this time of the year, as we see winter looming: antifreeze and rat poison.

Every year thousands of cats and dogs are poisoned by con-suming antifreeze. This is the coloured fluid, usually green or red, that we put in our cars’ cooling system. The active ingre-dient is called ethylene glycol. It is also found in brake fluid and hydraulic fluids.

It has a sweet taste that attracts animals. They might find a puddle of antifreeze on the ground that has leaked from a break in the cooling system or they might find a container that has been used to drain a car radiator. Only last week there

was a puddle of anti-freeze left by a vehi-cle in Village Square. It’s most likely the owner has no idea of the leak.

Ethylene glycol is dangerous even in small quantities. Three tablespoons can kill a dog weighing 20 pounds. The poisoning is insidious: there are short term symptoms which an animal can seem to recover from, and there are long term effects to the kidneys which are irreparable.

If you see these symptoms, there is no time at all to be lost: get your animal

to a vet as soon as possible.

The first symptoms are similar to alcohol intoxication. The animal may at first have a staggering drunken appearance (this is the most common symptom) along with excessive thirst and urination, panting and vomiting, loss of coordination and sei-zures. If you see these symptoms, there is no time at all to be lost: get your animal to a vet as soon as possible.

Over the next couple of days, the ethylene glycol produces crystals in the kidneys. There is no cure for this kidney dam-age. The symptoms of kidney damage include lethargy, inabili-ty to urinate, loss of appetite, dehydration and excessive saliva-tion. The animal will have painfully swollen kidneys and will suffer terribly until it dies.

Quick action does save some animals. But it goes with-out saying that it is better if we all use this toxic product as responsibly as possible, or, best of all, switch to something less toxic, such as a propylene glycol based product.

This is also the time of year when we all become more aware of the rodents who live alongside us and who would dearly like to share our homes on a more intimate basis than we want. So some of us put down rat poison. Unfortunately, this is another killer of thousands of companion animals, as well as unintend-ed wildlife victims.

My researches reveal that there are four different active ingredients in the rat and mouse poisons we buy. Each admin-isters its poison differently so it’s really important to try to identify the active ingredient if you suspect your cat or dog has been munching on the bait, which often resembles kibble and is as attractive to our companion animals as it is to the ‘pests’ we are trying to control.

The four common active ingredients in mouse and rat poi-sons are (1) long-acting anticoagulants, (2) cholecalciferol, (3) bromethalin, and (4) phosphide rodenticides.

(1) Anticoagulants work by inhibiting the enzymes responsible for recycling vitamin K and ultimately reduce pro-duction of clotting factors in the blood, causing the animal to bleed to death. The signs of this kind of poisoning include difficulty in breathing, lethargy, lack of appetite, blood in the stool, vomit, or urine, bleeding nose or gums, bruising of skin and ears, pallor, and weakness. The most common cause of death is bleeding into the chest cavity.

(2) Cholecalciferol produces hypercalcemia, that is, excessive calcium levels in the blood, which leads to kidney failure and cardiac abnormalities. Initial symptoms include depression, loss of appetite, excessive urination and exces-sive thirst. Later, there may be vomiting, constipation, and/or bloody diarrhea, with loss of kidney function.

(3) When an animal consumes baits that use brometh-alin, this can result in increased pressure of cerebrospinal fluid (the liquid inside the skull that the brain basically floats in) and cerebral edema (the accumulation of excess water in the brain). Common symptoms include loss of appetite, impaired movement, paralysis of the animal’s hind limbs, muscle trem-ors and seizures.

(4) Zinc phosphide, the active ingredient in many rat poisons, works by producing a highly toxic gas called phos-phine. This occurs when the bait interacts with the acid in the animal’s stomach. One sign that your cat or dog has eaten this kind of rodenticide is that its breath will smell of garlic or rot-ten fish. As with antifreeze, the side effects of zinc phosphide poisoning can linger for several days even after treatment.

There is more information about these poisons on websites including the PetMD website (and I also discovered a resource called www.toxipedia.org). But the basic message is clear: if you think your animal has consumed a poison, you need to act really fast. Get your animal to a vet as soon as you can and if you are able to identify the likely source, take the packaging with you. If you are lucky, you may be able to avoid your pet suffering a horrible, agonising death. Of the horrible, agonis-ing deaths inflicted on mice and rats, and on wildlife such as owls and eagles that eat mice and rats, I will say only that the world would be a better place if we didn’t use poisons.

Poison and pets: seasonal dangers to our companion animals

Happy

50thKen,“fromTwinisland”

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WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM FRIDAY November 14 2014 • 11

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GLACIER COMMUNITY PROMOR002854979L781

HC BEHMS U B M I S S I O N

This week we remembered the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War, the most horrific conflict the world had seen to date only to be followed by an even worse one 25 years later. There is a saying: it takes hours to declare a war and 90 years (three generations) to overcome it.

I was born in the north eastern German prov-ince of Mecklenburg in 1940. My mother managed to cross into, what was to become the British Sector, with my one year old brother and me five hours, before the Russians arrived at that border on April 29, 1945 and closed it.

Five times I had returned to East Germany and

always left with the grief that my family and friends were imprisoned. On August 12, 1961 I arrived in Vancouver reuniting with cousins. Our joy was chilled when the TV news showed the begin-nings of the Berlin Wall and we knew then that the prison doors had fallen shut.

28 years later that wall came down and the world sighed relief. Horst Mann was there and brought a piece of the wall. I celebrated with 26 Bowen Islanders from 13 countries. It is now 25 years later and no one could have imagined the effect this event had. It thawed the chill of the cold war and Eastern Europeans also, not only Germans, can now again enjoy freedom and democracy.

The world is a better place for it, a comforting thought on a dark day like November 11.

Silence and solemn remembrance at the cenotaph16 • FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14 2014 WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

FUNDSOCIAL

PHOTOSLeft: Frank Neilsen, a former member of the Danish Resistance lays a wreath. Marty Greyell, a reservist with The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, stands in front of him. Maureen Sawasy, photo

Top: Reverend Shelagh MacKinnon, the master of ceremonies

Meribeth Deen, photo

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