Bowen Island Undercurrent July 31 2015

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Monday, Aug. 10thCrippen Park

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Join us for a fun-filled nightof family entertainment!For details, visit www.firstcu.ca orcheck us out on Facebook.

Concession provided by Tourism Bowen Island.

No charge * Weather permitting * Everyone welcomewww.firstcu.ca | 604.947.2022

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FRIDAYJULY 31, 2015VOL . 4 2 , NO . 2 7

Making it happenA filmmaker, volunteer teacher anddaughter need help raising money

Let’s play ballBaseball is taken very seriously on Bowenand young ones are catching on

How I Got HereA European sailing trip convincedRondy Dike he’d like to own a marina

continued PAGE 5continued PAGE 5

Tyler Ruggles was able to enjoy a relatively wasp-visit with Ross Cone, Steve McGroty, Perry Mitton and Jeffrey Simonsat Cocoa West thanks to a homemade wasp trap. This has been a record year for wasps. Find out why, and some of thethings you can do to fight back, on page 10. Martha Perkins photo

Remembering Cecil the lionCarol Petersen joinsoutcry against trophyhunting in ZimbwaweMARTHA PERKINSC O N T R I B U T O R

Dawn was breaking when Cecil the lionapproached a watering hole near SomalisaCamp where Bowen Island’s Carol Petersenwas also just starting her day.As Cecil marked his territory he called out,

a sound that has thrilled thousands of visitorsto Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.“He walked closer and closer and then disap-

Rental bankdries upas housingsales riseMERIBETH DEENE D I T O R

According to the numbers, the housingmarket on Bowen is still hot – very hot.Since the beginning of January, 55 homes

have sold, while in all of 2014, the total was60. While this is good news for some people,it seems to be making for challenging timesfor renters.Realtor David Riddell is also a property

manager who deals with rental properties. Hesays that while the rental market on Bowen isalways tight, the situation has come to a headthis summer.“I get calls constantly regardless of the mar-

ket, and I’ve always told people that there isbasically zero vacancy on Bowen so if theyfind something suitable, they should jump atthe opportunity,” says Riddell. “But when thereal estate market was soft, there were lots ofhome owners who decided to hold off on sell-ing and rent their homes. Now I get a lot ofcalls from renters who are anticipating thatthe homes they’re living in will be sold.”Riddell says that he’s happy to hear that the

Accessory Building Bylaw has been broughtforward in council yet again.“I was a member of the Housing Task Force

that legalized secondary suites back in 2004-2005,” says Riddell. “A majority of memberson that committee believed that ‘accessorybuildings,’ basically another whole buildingthat can be rented out for someone to live in,should be legalized as well. That didn’t hap-pen, but now more than ever we need placesfor people to live. We don’t have condos andwe have a limited number of apartmentsavailable for renters. That really needs to befront and centre in the minds of council.”Mayor Murray Skeels put accessory build-

ings on council’s agenda on July 13.Carol Petersen took this photo ofCecil at Hwange National Park.

peared in the bushes,” says the owner of NatureEncounters Tours and Travel. “I ran over to themain dining area, met my guide Calvet and wegathered the rest of the group and piled intoour Land Cruiser to follow him.“The sun was just coming up and it was

‘fresh’ — he was so cool. He just walked downthis road calling and marking his territory.Fabulous.”A media storm was ignited on Tuesday after

it was revealed that a Minnesota trophy hunt-er, who’s now in hiding, had killed the beloved13-year-old lion. Zimbabwean authorities saybait was used to lure Cecil outside the nation-al park’s protective boundaries.“It breaks my heart,” Petersen says of Cecil’s

death. “It’s unbelievably sad.”

2 • FRIDAY JULY 31 2015 WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

→ C O M P L E T E F I R E B A NI N E F F E C T

NO Open BurningNO Camp FiresNO Beach FiresNO FireworksNO BBQs

TO REPORT FIRES OR WILDFIRESCALL 911

→ WAT E R U S A G ER E C O M M E N D AT I O N S

The following recommendations apply for all Municipal Water Systems:

NO LAWN SPRINKLINGNO CAR/BOAT WASHINGNO DECK/POWER WASHING

Please limit your water usage:

● Turn the tap off while brushing or washing● Use the dishwasher only when full● Use laundry machines sparingly● Embrace the dusty look for your car● Water garden by hand-held hose or containers● Equip hoses with spring-loaded shutoff devices● Collect rainwater● Flush only when necessary

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Public Worksdepartment at 604-947-4255

→ I N P U T W A N T E D F O RI S L A N D S T R U S T C O U N C I LS T R A T E G I C P R I O R I T I E S2 0 1 4 l 2 0 1 8

What matters most to you and your community?Have your say on Islands Trust Council’s priorities for the2014-2018 term by visiting:http://www.islandstrust.bc.ca/trust-council/strategic-plan.aspx

Deadline for comment is Monday, August 10, 2015.

→ J O I N T H E D I S C U S S I O NJoin the Province of B.C.’s climate action consultation,open from July 17 to August 17.This is an opportunity to contribute your ideas and priorities for the nextphase of climate action in B.C.. Your input will be invaluable in helping theProvince to develop the Climate Leadership Plan.

In December, you will have another chance to participate, in providingfeedback on a more detailed draft plan.

Please visit http://engage.gov.bc.ca/climateleadership to find out more.

→ F E R R Y L I N E U P lL E T ’ S K E E P I T M O V I N G .I T ’ S O U R B Y L AW

Mind your Ps and Queues!Under BIM Bylaw No. 133, 2005 Section 9e, it is an offence to park, standor stop – impede or obstruct traffic. For traffic safety do not block the ferryline-up. Accidents can be prevented. Please be considerate of those waitingin the queue that may miss the ferry due to a parked car or a queue jumper.

The RCMP will be supporting BIM’s efforts to monitor the ferry line-up.For additional information regarding traffic and other bylaws please call604-947-4255.

→ T H E B O W E N I S L A N DV O L U N T E E R F I R ED E P A R T M E N T I SR E C R U I T I N G N E WM E M B E R S

Applicants must be:

● 19 years of age or older● Living and working on-island● In possession of a valid BC driver’s

license● Willing to undergo a criminal

background check● Available and willing to be called out

at any time● Willing to undergo training for 1st Responder medical situations,

in addition to firefighting● Interested in joining our team and serving the community

Applications may be obtained at www.bimbc.ca or at Municipal Hall.

Completed applications may be dropped off at Municipal Hall or emailed [email protected].

→ B O W E N I S L A N D C O U N C I LS U M M E R B R E A K

BIM Mayor and Council will not be in session for the month ofAugust. If you would like to contact Mayor and Council, please [email protected].

Municipal Hall hours will be as listed below.

WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM FRIDAY JULY 31 2015 • 3

MERIBETH DEENE D I T O R

The Medical Clinic Society ofBowen’s new president believesthat, with the existing level ofsupport, fundraising for theproject should not be a problemand the goal of building a clinicshould be realizable within 18months.“There is such widespread sup-

port for this project that I amexpecting political co-operationcoming from council,” says TimRhodes, adding that of threepotential clinic sites, two areon private land and would notrequire re-zoning.He says current challenges

include the creation of a workablebusiness plan that will ensure thelong-term financial sustainabilityof the clinic, figuring out whatkind of medical practitionersshould be in the space and get-ting Vancouver Coastal Health(VCH) on board with the project.“We had a very positive meet-

ing with them last week,” saysRhodes. “They would not need toapprove the building of a clinic,but they would need to accreditthe clinic in order for their pro-grams to be run through it.”Rhodes says that while VCH

understands the need for a clinic,the Medical Clinic Society andCaring Circle are hoping that theresults of their newly releasedHealth Needs Assessment forBowen Island will underscorethose needs further.To learn more about the

Medical Clinic Society of Bowen,go to Communitymedicalclinic.ca/our-people/.To fill out the Health Needs

Assessment, go to: http://fluidsurveys.com/s/Bowen-health/

Rhodessays dreamof medicalclinic soonrealizable

BC Ferries deposestwo QueensThere’s been a palace coup at

BC Ferries.After 7,100 people participated

in a naming contest, BC Ferrieswill honour the Coast Salish peo-ple with its three new intermedi-ate class ferries.The Queen of Burnaby is being

deposed by the Salish Orca onthe Comox-Powell River run inlate 2016; the Queen of Nanaimois bowing out when the SalishEagle takes over the Tsawwassen-Southern Gulf Islands routein early 2017; and the SalishRaven will ply the waters of theSouthern Gulf Islands starting inthe summer of 2017.BC Ferries is working with

First Peoples’ Cultural Councilto select Coast Salish artisans todesign artwork for the vessels’exterior and interior.Is it time for the Queen of

Capilano to get a new name?

Bowen filmmaker wants his father’striumph to inspire hope in Brain MakerMERIBETH DEENE D I T O R

An inoperable malignant braintumour, officially named an astro-systoma because of its star shape.That was the diagnosis LawrenceSparling received just one day afterlearning that his wife was pregnantwith his first child. Sparling wastold that there was no hope for him,but he has lived to tell the story andeven to coach his son through writ-ing a film script on the details ofthat story.Now, 17-year-old Emmett

Sparling is making the final sprintin a fundraising campaign that willcover the production costs.“The short version of the story is

that my father’s brain broke, and toget through the surgery — whichhe was first told he would never beable to have — he imagined he wasan astronaut,” says Sparling. “Thefilm starts out the night my fatherlearned my mother was pregnantwith me. He had a seizure and waswoken up by the smoke alarms thatwent off because dinner was still onthe stove. The script follows himthrough the surgery he managedto get because his brother met oneof the world’s top neurosurgeons atDuke University.”Emmett says his father often

shares his story with people who’vebeen handed grim diagnoses, andhe’s hoping the film will be a wayto reach even more people. Any

Teen vows to help village rebuild after cyclone

MARTHA PERKINSC O N T R I B U T O R

Cyclone Pam might have put anearly end to Fineen Davis’s volun-teer teaching job in a remote vil-lage in Vanuatu but she’s vowing toreturn.The Bowen Island teenager has

started a $5,000 crowdfunding cam-paign to send her back to the SouthPacific island archipelago armedwith more than just a desire to help.The money will pay for her air-

fare, materials to rebuild a class-room and scholarships for two stu-dents who might otherwise not beable to afford high school.Why should fellow islanders help

her? “Why not,” she responds. “Thepeople of Vanuatu have enough to

Nikki Nagy overcomes obstaclesto help others breath easierMERIBETH DEENE D I T O R

Bubbles, roller derby, jelly beansand coding… eight years after NikkiNagy lost her mother to ChronicObstructive Pulmonary Disease,this Bowen Islander took on thesechallenges as a part of the BCLung Association’s Race and UrbanScavenger Hunt.

Nagy and her sister Crystal alsoraised more than $2,300, and theirfundraising campaign is still run-ning.Crystal has participated in these

events before but this was Nikki’sfirst time.“When my mom died, she was

just a few months away from a lungtransplant and she’d been on oxy-gen for about four years,” says Nagy.

“My sister and I want to supportpeople who are in a similar posi-tion, and also support the LungAssociation in finding ways to helpthese people other than just a trans-plant.”So far, participants in the Rush

and Urban Scavenger Hunt haveraised almost $75,000.To support Nikki and Crystal’s

campaign, donate at Kintera.org.

A cancer story witha happy ending

money raised through screeningsand the film festival will go to theCanadian Cancer Society.He’s been working on pre-pro-

duction for Brain Maker (scriptwriting, casting, locations etc.) forsix months now. His goal is to raise

$10,000 to shoot the film, some-thing he’s aiming to do in August.He’s already close to his goal, but

if you’d like to chip in and contrib-ute to his campaign and learn more,go to Indigogo.com/projects/brain-maker#/story.

worry about. We’re so fortunatehere to have free education, food,and houses that won’t blow over. It

should be everyone’s right to havethat.”Fineen had to leave Vanuatu

after 250 kilometres winds blastedthrough the southern provinces,destroying 96 per cent of the foodcrops. Latitude Global Volunteeringpulled half of its volunteers, includ-ing Fineen, out of the regionbecause their presence was no lon-ger viable.“I was really disappointed but if

I’d stayed I would have been a bur-den,” the 19-year-old says.She spent a month in New

Zealand where she and her otherdisplaced volunteers raised $15,000for supplies to send to Vanuatu.Now that she’s home, she’s continu-ing her fundraising efforts.This September Fineen starts her

French studies at the Universityof Ottawa. She plans to return toVanuatu, armed with as many edu-cational and rudimentary medicalsupplies as possible.Her campaign is on YouCaring.

com.

Fineen Davis had to leave her teaching job in Vanuatu earlybecause of Cyclone Pam. Now she’s raising money to rebuild aclassroom. Meribeth Deen

Fineen Davis raisingmoney for Vanuatu

Nikki Nagy’s mother died ofCOPD. Meribeth Deen

We hope everyone enjoys thisAugust civic holiday weekend.Please remember that there is acomplete fire ban in effect.

• no open burning• no campfires• no beach fires• no fireworks• no barbecues

Emmett Sparling, right, is turning his father’s story in a film, BrainMaker, with the help of director of photography Shane McLachlan.


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Editor

MeribethDeen

It was in November 1987 that 18 BowenIslanders met in the foyer of the BICS gym todiscuss, what ways and means could be foundto build a multi-purpose community hall.Since 1975 Martin Clarke’s imagina-

tive and ingenious stage productions hadfilled the available venues, such as EvergreenHall, Collins Hall, the school gym, even theChristian Science Centre. Logistics often werecomplicated and seating inadequate. Theatre-on-the-Isle needed reliable performance space,so did the classical music program, whichunfolded in the 80s.Paul Hooson was one of those first 18

visionaries. His long career as a performerhad given him a clear insight into the vari-ety of requirements for stage productionsand audience needs. Since those early days hehas devoted endless hours to speak to BowenIslanders on the many different possibilities ofsharing spaces with other recreational needs.He was an outspoken voice on various commit-tees, in front of council and to the press for somany years.With over 450 islanders earning their living in

some connection to the arts, we are one of themost creative communities in Canada. Calledfor by the municipality, a cultural master planwas created 12 years ago. It brought togetherBowen’s many cultural groups in a commonpurpose. With clever marketing and astute man-agement the Bowen Island Arts Council is run-ning a very successful gallery, a bulletin boardfor all cultural events on Bowen and a sizablebudget with a keen business sense.It is regrettable that Paul’s voice has not

had greater resonance in one of the wealthi-est island communities in BC to bring about amulti-purpose hall as tiny communities such asHornby and Cortez have been able to build.We owe you a big “Thank You”, Paul, and

hope that your enthusiasm will continue toinspire us.

HC Behm

Bud Long makes an intriguing sug-gestion about taking OCP drafts toa non-binding referendum. I too ama supporter of more openness anddemocratic engagement in the designof our public policy documents andso I’d like to build on his suggestion.

The problem with a “yes/no” ques-tion on a referendum is that youare never quite sure what a yes anda no means. People choose one orthe other for radically different rea-sons and these are obscured whenit comes down to a simple choice. Italso provides very little actual infor-mation for decision makers. As aresult, community conversations arepolarized and we lose the nuancenecessary to design such a complexdocument as an OCP. To vote yes,one must be in substantial agreementwith the whole thing. Often in refer-enda citizens vote no for very smallreasons (or reasons that have nothingto do with the subject under con-sideration). Without knowing what“yes” and “no” means it is impossibleto further develop a draft that reflectspeople’s concerns and sometimes theloudest voices are not the best indica-tor of the community will.My proposal would be for a more

sophisticated referendum similarto processes I have used workingwith governments and organizationsaround complex policy choices. Theprocess is simple: allow people toindicate their preference for a draftby ranking it between 1 and 7 on ascale. Follow that up with a spaceon the ballot where people can writein what specifically can be done tomove their vote up one number, froma 4 to a 5 for example.

Doing this gives us a fair idea ofthe general spread of public supportfor a document and gives us specificthings that can be done to improvethe document and make it moreacceptable. It allows citizens to havetheir say, and it gives decision mak-ers access to a great deal of usabledata. Sometimes just improving smallthings can radically change supportfor a complex plan.

Nothing stops us from using thismethod.

Referenda are by their nature divi-sive. But we can easily and simplyimprove the process by allowing citi-zens to record their specific concernsso that decision makers can incorpo-rate them. Everywhere I have usedthis process we have generated muchhigher buy in from everybody and amuch stronger proposal, reflectingmore voices and aspirations.

I’d be willing to help make this areality.

Chris Corrigan

A nuancedapproach toreferenda

Thank you,Paul Hooson

Who will lead the battle now?Paul Hooson is a hero of

mine and so I cheered whenhe most deservingly made his‘last stand’ on the front pageof The Undercurrent last week.Sadly, one shouldn’t com-

pare his Herculean struggleto get a community hall builton Bowen Island with theoverwhelming victory ofthe Lakota tribes who beatCuster’s forces within an houror so. No sir, this battle hastaken the powers-that-be 22long years to take down thishonourable and most gener-ous man’s tireless efforts.Paul Hooson, you have

indeed given this noble causeyour best efforts. I want tothank you, personally, onbehalf of those of us whodreamed that one day wecould have a wonderful spacededicated to enrich and cele-brate our amazing little island.And to all of the other vol-

unteers who, alongside him,contributed years of brain-storming, sitting on commit-tees, producing handsomefeasibility reports, attendingendless meetings — keepingthis humungous ball rollingup hill all the way — I wantto say how much your jointefforts are appreciated.As an actor and producer

who has spent 12 years creat-ing theatre here on Bowen,do I have a vested interest inseeing a community hall builtbefore I die? You bet I do!We ALL do. The building ofa much needed new medicalcentre seems to be just around

the corner and there’s a newfirehall being built close tothe RCMP offices on the wayas well.Well done to all of who

have advocated for these newfacilities. And well done tothose who succeeded in get-ting the soccer field built aswell. Nobody seems to thinkthat effort was such a bad ideathese days, myself included.So why on earth isn’t there

talk of a community hall anylonger? Not a peep. It’s almostcompletely disappeared fromeveryone’s radar, thanks tosome council wrangling afew years back. But who willspeak for it now that Paul hasgracefully walked away? It’scertainly not an attractive taskand only a fool would step upto the bat at this point.Is it because the arts are

considered by the silentmajority (probably those samefolks who come to every per-formance at the various jury-rigged performance spacesand love every minute) to bea frill here on Bowen, some-thing unessential, a financialburden that we just can notafford any time soon?As the German poet and

playwright Bertold Brechtsaid, “All arts contribute to thegreatest art of all — the art ofgetting through life.”I think we, as one of the

most artistic municipalities inthe country, deserve it. Don’tyou?

Heather Hodson

WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM FRIDAY July 31 2015 • 5

Our family recently walked along the Cape RogerCurtis shore, ending up at the beach at the end of RogerCurtis Lane. As we looked towards the North, one ofthe controversial docks blocked the horizon line, and weremarked that this was somewhat regrettable.However, as a biologist, I was immediately drawn to

the dock’s pilings, which are covered with barnacles,mussels, and other creatures common in the intertidalzone. I reminded my family of an article that I had writ-ten to The Undercurrent at the first round of debates ondocks – “Docks, memories, and why they matter”. Webiologists know that the value of intertidal “real estate”is probably infinitely greater than that of the real estatein Vancouver, for its value is measured in the challengeof life or death! One of the premises of Darwin’s famousargument is that “Resources are limited” and in theintertidal zone, space is a limited resource.As a scientist, I examine the world using the scien-

tific method: propose a falsifiable hypothesis, devise amethod to test that hypothesis, collect data, and thentest the hypothesis using statistical methods. Regrettably,this approach has — so far — not been evident to me onBowen, especially in relation to decisions with an eco-logical implication.Let’s take the issue of docks. It is claimed that the

docks on Cape Roger Curtis negatively impact the “eco-logical value” of the habitat. First, I have seen no defini-tion of “ecological value”, nor have I seen any data pre-sented to demonstrate that these particular docks haveor will have a negative impact on the “ecological value”of this environment.Let me propose a definition of “ecological value”:

the level of benefits that the space, water, minerals,biota, and all other factors provide to support nativelife forms. Under this definition, the naval ship sunk inHowe Sound has beneficial “ecological value”: it measur-ably benefits the biota by providing reef-like habitat fororganisms of Howe Sound. I hypothesize that the dockson Cape Roger Curtis, in the same way, would benefitthe intertidal community there: that is, the dock at thebeach at the end of Roger Curtis Lane would have ben-eficial “ecological value”. While I have not counted them,I would wager that on only one piling of the six or moreon that dock, there are more barnacles, mussels, andsmall crustaceans than there are people on Bowen. And,I have not even considered the microbial world on eachpiling, a number that would undoubtedly outnumber thepopulation of the Earth on each piling!So do these pilings have beneficial “ecological value”?

If we could interview the hundreds of thousands oforganisms on those pilings and ask them whether theplace they call “home” has “ecological value”, I wouldimagine they would all say “Yes”, and certainly betterthan the alternative, which is death.As a biologist, however, I must be dispassionate.

Perhaps my hypothesis is supported. While I could countall the organisms on these pilings, to what do I comparethese numbers to determine whether the increase is sta-tistically significant and therefore “beneficial”? Should itbe to the abundances on one side of the beach, should itbe to the abundances on both sides of the beach, shouldit be to the entire shoreline along Cape Roger Curtis?Given measurement errors, it is unlikely I could providestatistical support for the hypothesis that these pilingshave measurably increased abundances or have had abeneficial “ecological value” even in relation to ONESIDE of the beach! But, it is safe to say that they have nothad a negative “ecological value” for the organisms thathave chosen to live and thrive there.Can the opponents of these docks provide any argu-

ments or measurements that would convince me as abiologist that any of the docks have had or even will havea significant negative impact on the “ecological value” ofthe habitat?I suspect, as our former mayor Jack Adelaar claimed,

that this is a matter not of “ecological values” but of“esthetic values”. I am prepared to consider and arguethis matter on esthetic grounds. However, let us notappeal to “ecological value” to justify opposition to thedocks without providing at least some empirical data todemonstrate the negative impact that these docks mighthave in this particular place, at this particular time.

Denis Lynn

What’s the scienceon the ecologicalimpact of CapeRoger Curtis docks?

The last time Carol Petersen saw Cecil the lion, he was minding his own business as a herd of elephants passed.The female elephants thought he was a little too close and chased him away. “This handsome, regal male ranaway like a puppy.”Carol Petersen/Nature Encounters Tours and Travel

Trophy hunting takes ‘biggest and best’and must be stopped: Carol Petersenfrom page 1

Petersen understands why people huntfor food but says more must be done toprevent people like the Minnesotan den-tist paying tens of thousands of dollarsfor hunting expeditions.“Hunting takes out the biggest and the

best — the lions with the biggest manes,the elephants with the longest tusks,the antelopes with the biggest horns,”

Petersen says. “[These animals] havemade it through drought, good times, badtimes, and they’re the ones who should beprotected.“Hunters make it impossible for these

genes to carry on.”She last saw Cecil last September.“We found him in an open area of

Hwange National Park. He was just lyingdown, minding his own business when aherd of elephants walked by fairly close

to him. The females were bugged andchased him off. This handsome, regalmale ran away like a puppy.”She believes that one of the ways to

prevent the deaths of other Cecils is byvisiting Africa and investing tourism dol-lars — money that will be spent on hiringgame wardens and preserving parkland— and shooting Cecil’s offspring with acamera, not a gun or arrow.

Heritage commission would bring groupstogether, create registry: advocatesMARTHA PERKINSC O N T R I B U T O R

A proposed heritage commissionmight help the island secure federalfunding to preserve Davies Orchard cot-tages and pool the resources of localorganizations, advocates say.“We don’t have staff resources so if we

have a commission with stakeholdersthen we’re harnessing that energy,” saidCAO Kathy Lalonde, who used her owntime to investigate what other communi-ties are doing for heritage conservationand presented her recommendations tocouncil on Monday.She liked a slow, incremental approach

that would see a local advisory groupcompile a heritage registry as a startingpoint. The commission would compriseof seven to 13 members and includerepresentatives of the island’s two heri-

tage groups, Bowen Heritage and BowenIsland Museum and Archives, as well asother interested parties.Councillor Gary Ander wondered if

a commission is a knee-jerk reaction tohow the orchard cottages are being —or not being — protected. He said timewould be better spent lobbying MetroVancouver, which owns the cottages, todevote resources to their preservation.Councillor Alison Morse, who ended

up being the only one who voted againstit, agreed with Ander. “It’s partly beingdone to make cottages looking better butthe only way for that to happen is to sitdown with Metro and discuss it. It’s notgoing to be done by a commission,” shesaid. “If we want a heritage inventorythen that can be done with a workinggroup. We’ve already got two organiza-tions that can advise on what should bein the registry.”She worried that a commission could

add a layer of red tape.Lalonde said a working group usually

focuses on one project that has a begin-ning and an end. A commission allowsfor the registry, which does not imposerules or restrictions on property owners,to become a living document that is con-stantly updated.“It would put us in better posi-

tion to secure federal funding,” arguedCouncillor Maureen Nicholson, who alsoliked that it created a formal alliance ofthe two major organizations. “One groupon its own couldn’t pull this off,” she said.Mayor Murray Skeels didn’t see it as a

lot of work for staff. “The cottage situa-tion woke us up to the fact we’re nowherewith this. Let’s let some smart, brightpeople in the community go to work onthis and see where it goes.”Staff will be asked to draft a bylaw for

the commission’s creation.

from page 1

Council agreed that the AdvisoryPlanning Commission should take anoth-er look at an accessory building bylaw.Skeels says he brought it up because he

sees it as low-hanging fruit when it comesto creating more housing diversity.“When this issue came up a number of

years ago, there weren’t enough planningresources available to make it happen,”says Skeels. “So I figure we should bring itback and see if it flies. It is a very simplebylaw, and if we can figure out the right

conditions for it – how big the accessorybuildings should be and on what size ofproperty. Hopefully people won’t objectto it.”Councillor Melanie Mason suggested

that an affordable housing committeebe set up to broaden the possibilities fordiverse housing.In a later interview, she said she sees

this bylaw as a good, “first step,” but isalso hopeful that the municipality’s newplanner, Daniel Martin, will be able tohelp move things forward as he has abackground in affordable housing.

Accessory buildings to be re-considered

As houses get sold, renters may findthemselves without a place to live.


Let’splayball!

MERIBETH DEENE D I T O R

This past Thursday was a specialnight down at the ball diamond inSnug Cove: it was Toilet Bowl night,so called because the Bowen IslandMen’s Fastpitch League’s two worstteams were going head to head.Last year’s league champions, theCruisers, played the Twins for a caseof beer and a trophy.Struggling teams, of course, have

been known to make a comebackduring the final tournament of theseason, and members of both teamssay they will come out in force theweekend of August 7.Julien Stevenson, coach for the

Twins, says his team suffers becauseof the age of its players.“All our players are in their 40s.

They all have kids, it’s summer timeand it’s super busy,” he says. “If wehave all our players out, we couldbeat anyone but out of 17 playersit can be tough to get nine to showup.”Jim Gibson, manager of the

Cruisers, says he too struggles to gethis best players out at games, but fora different reason.“I’d say we’re in a development

year,” he says, jokingly. “We’ve gotthese great young players who arereally dedicated to the league andcommute from town. We even haveone, Joe Wainsborough, who comesfrom Victoria. He doesn’t alwaysmake it but they will all be there forthe finals.”Gibson adds that in his nine years

with the fastpitch league, the 2015

Young playersbring new energyto the Men’sFastpitch League

season has been one of the best interms of the level of play.“I’d say we’re having a resur-

gence,” says Gibson. “There are a lotof fastpitch leagues losing member-ship but here, even when kids moveoff-island and get jobs in the city,they want to come back and play.They grow up watching their dadsplay in the league, and then theyplay alongside them. Or sometimesagainst them.”Derek Sinke, who plays for

the Brewers, is just one of thoseyoung players. He rose the ranksfrom Bowen’s t-ball league all theway to a draft camp for the majorleagues after a stint at Taft Collegein California. He says that the dayhe was set to sign a contract, heblew his arm out. Now he’s backon Bowen, playing against his dad,Rick, who plays for the Firemen.The Brewers were re-formed last

year out of the former Celtics and,last year, were the worst team in the

league. This year, they’re one of thebest.“A lot of us work on-island and

we just really enjoy playing together,so we’ve been in the habit of gettingtogether after work to practise,” saysSinke.Molly Montgomery, one of this

year’s scorekeepers, agrees withJim Gibson about the level of playthis season, and she attributes thequality of the game to the dynamicdescribed by Sinke.“Each team has its own dynamic

and a lot of the guys have been play-ing together for years,” she says.“When you’ve got a team that reallygels, they play really well. And asthe season has gone on we’ve seenthe level of play get better and bet-ter, with a lot of games going in toextra innings.”Montgomery, too, spent her

childhood watching the fastpitchgames. Her family used to spon-sor the Tigers (who have been

re-named the Shakers) and hersummers were spent watching herbrothers play.“They still play for the Shakers,

although Noah is out because hebroke his fingers. Hamish is backfrom New York and has rejoinedthe team,” she says. “It really is theintergenerational aspect of thisleague that makes it so special.There’s nothing else like it. And it’snice to see more people coming outto the games again. When I was akid, the stands were always packed.I’d say there was a 10-year lull butnow… we’re seeing more and morepeople coming out to watch.”

Bowen Island Men’sFastpitch League Teams:

The Brewers: Formerly known asthe Celtics, have come back fromthe bottom of league standings last

year to the top this year.The Cruisers: Named in honour

of the league’s senior player, EddieWeismiller, because of the 1983 film“Eddie and the Cruisers.”The Firemen: Known for their

colourful Hawaiian attire for Fridaynight games.Diggers: “Back in the day they

couldn’t win a single game,” saysMolly Montgomery. “Since 2010they’ve made a comeback.”The Shakers: Currently in the

middle of the pack, watch outfor the league’s “Godfather” GlenMcGregor on the mound at theupcoming tournament.

Don’t forget to come out to thisyear’s final tournament, the week-end of August 7. The concessionwill be hosted by the Diggers sosupport them by grabbing a burgerand a drink.

Young fans of the Twins, from left: Sophia, Sammy, Alexis, Jack, Fraser, Mason, Ryland, Ty, Mackayla and Rory. Meribeth Deen photo

Jackson Miller and his father Scott Miller play together on theBrewers. Meribeth Deen photo

Sophia earns 50 cents forretrieving a foul ball. MD photo

Twins outfielders keep an eyeon the action.

With the Twins’ Julian Stevenson looking on from third base, theCruisers’ pitcher, Casey Grundy, tries to stop the Twins in theirtracks.

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Council briefs

On-leash bylaw’s finalreading set for SeptemberMARTHA PERKINSC O N T R I B U T O R

The following are brief reports ofitems discussed at the July 27 meeting ofBowen Island Council.

Dogs will likely only have a fewmore weeks to freely roam Snug Cove.Council unanimously passed first,

second and third reading of a new on-leash policy for the Cove after a vastmajority of public responses were infavour of the bylaw amendment.Of the 26 people who responded to

council’s request for input, 88 per centsaid they wanted dogs in the Cove tobe on a leash.A three-year review of aggressive

dog reports revealed that all incidentsinvolved dogs that weren’t on a leashand that a disproportionate numbertook place in the Cove.Final reading is expected to take

place at the September 14 meeting and,if passed, will be affective immediately.However, there will be a period oftransition and education in the weeksfollowing the rule change.The on-leash area will include

Bowen Trunk Road to Carter Road,past BICS to the recycling depot, downMiller Road to the Abbyfield area, andaccess areas to Metro Vancouver parks(where dogs are already supposed to beon a leash). It does not apply to privatelands. Dog owners will be subject tofines of $25 for a first offence, $50 fora second offence within a 12 monthperiod, and $150 for a third offencewithin a 12 month period.

New planning staffCouncil welcomed two new membersto the island’s planning department:Daniel Martin and Emma Chow.Martin’s previous posting was as

a planner in Kitimat; before that hewas the development director forthe Salsbury Community Society inVancouver and worked on a rentalhousing report for the BC Non-ProfitHousing Association. He says he andhis wife, who are expecting their firstchild in October, are really lookingforward to raising their family on theisland.His new co-worker started

her career in a small VancouverIsland port, worked for the city ofLloydminster and more recently waswith a private consulting firm inAlberta, working on comprehensiveland use plans.

Eagle Cliff drivewayCouncil allowed an amendment toreposition the driveway and garage ofa steeply sloped property in Eagle Cliff.The land owner had already receivedpermission for the garage and retain-ing wall, which are behind a new con-crete barrier. An engineer created anaccess plan that would allow a vehicleto make a three-point turn and there-fore not have to back onto the road.The Eagle Cliff Community

Association expressed concern aboutthe safety of the entire developmentapplication and encroachment on pub-lic property along Eagle Cliff Road.Staff, however, recommended allowingthe variation and is working with theland owner to mitigate concerns.

Emma Chow and Daniel Martin started with themunicipality’s planning department on Monday.Martha Perkins photo

Snug Cove HouseA dozen proponents of Snug CoveHouse applauded when council agreedto allow the Miller Road seniors hous-ing project to hook up to municipalwater and sewers.Council also agreed to explore themunicipality’s financial contribution tothe housing development.Staff hopes to bring various funding

options forward for council discussionas soon as possible. This would includenegotiations about infrastructure costs.

Bowen CourtBowen Court has asked for permissionto expand its parking area onto munici-pal land and look into the possibilityof creating better access for garbageremoval.Staff will look into any issues, such as

liability, and report to council.

Have your sayCouncillor Sue-Ellen Fast remindedeveryone that the Islands Trust is wel-coming input into its new strategicplan to set priorities on how to allocateresources and guide future decisions.The Trust’s executive committee will

discuss the strategic plan at its quarterlymeeting on Bowen Island on September15.Go to IslandsTrust.bc.ca to comment

before the August 10 deadline.

“Like” the Undercurrent’s Facebookpage and keep up to date on storiesthat are posted during the week!

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MARTHA PERKINSC O N T R I B U T O R

A small log-strewn beach is notenough of an incentive for BowenIsland council to enter into negotia-tions to create 21 new lots on ArbutusBay, councillors said Monday.“I am usually the last person to

not support an application for parksand trails and beach access,” saidCouncillor Sue-Ellen Fast, who spokeagainst the offer of a small publicbeach, with road access, in exchangefor allowing three more than the 18lots that OCP currently allows. “I justwish there’d be a better proposal thatdidn’t include so many roads and somuch development.”The new lots are jointly being

proposed by three separate butneighbouring properties: McGeer,Johnstone and the estate of the lateMaggie Cumming.Fast was a friend of Cumming

and served with her on many islandcommittees, most of which focusedon protecting nature and restoringenvironmental damage, she said. Shesaid Cumming’s dream was for threedwellings on that portion of the land,not the nine being proposed. “I don’tthink it’s worth sending it forwarduntil the proposal is more in keepingwith [Maggie’s] dreams for the land.”When the proposal first came

before council, Mayor Murray Skeels

said, council had an on-site visit andrelayed concerns to the propertyowners.Nothing has been done to accom-

modate those concerns, he said, sohe was in favour of doing nothing inreturn until the owners came backwith “more realistic” plan. He wasalso not in favour of getting aroundOCP restrictions one amendment ata time.Councillor Melanie Mason also

had concerns about the lack of publicbenefit in exchange for allowing thedevelopment.Skeels noted that there was a larger,

better beach on the property, butunder the owners’ current plans, itwould be surrounded by private lotsand therefore not be accessible.Councillor Alison Morse said she

worked with Cumming on a parksand recreation beach plan that des-ignated large public beaches, such asTunstall and Bowen Bay, as placeswhere there’d be sufficient parking,garbage cans and washrooms. TheArbutus Bay beach would qualify asa neighbourhood beach that peoplewalk to, she said.A motion was passed to direct

staff to work with the proponents toaddress concerns about OCP density,roads and beach access. CouncillorGary Ander, who owns property onthe land in question, had recusedhimself and left council chambers.

Snug Cove House Society Board members Carol MacKinnon, Tamsin Miley, Irene Wanless,Graham Ritchie, and Bill Kitchen, building committee chair John Greene and project managerDon Nicolson were all smiles on Monday after council agreed to allow the Society’s MillerRoad land to connect to municipal water and sewer services. They say it’s a key milestone onthe road to the creation of a residence that will allow seniors to stay on the island instead ofleaving to find supportive housing elsewhere. Peter Williamson photo

Council sendsArbutus Bay planback to proponents

Dance your way fit with ZumbaDEBRA STRINGFELLOWC O N T R I B U T O R

Looking to find your groove and stay fit? Zumba’supbeat, low-impact, Latin-inspired dance movesincorporate aerobic elements and a touch of salsa tospice things up.Classes are Friday mornings from 9-10am at the

youth centre/fitness studio till the end of summerwith instructor Gemma Rose.Rose is a certified Zumba instructor and has been

teaching this fitness class for more than four yearswith Bowen Island Parks and Rec.Choreographed routines to popular music is at

the heart of this program but dance experience isnot a prerequisite to take this class; it’s all about try-ing something new and justmoving,“This is absolutely a class

for beginners but also alot of fun for people whohave dance experience. Ihave had people as youngas 9 years old right up to 70years old in class. Anybodycan take the class!” explainsRose.“I always tell people

not to be nervous becausenobody is watching you.Everyone is focused onthe movement which alsomeans everyone is watchingthe instructor. So thereis no pressure on you,because all the pressure ison me,” says Rose.This is a drop-in class and

tickets can be purchased at the Recreation office. Formore information on Zumba and other great ways tostay fit, check out the bowencommunityrecreation.

Zumba like noone’s watching,Gemma Rose says.Debra Stringfellowphoto

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JOHN LAWRENCEB I G A R D E N C L U B

Despite the ravages of drought and vora-cious, thirsty deer, the Garden Club is host-ing an Open Garden this Sunday at thehome of Ron and Lea Rochon, 977 VillageDrive, on Cate’s Hill.The Rochons inherited the ‘good bones’

of an existing garden when they moved tothe island five years ago. Since then theyhave planted a variety of espaliered fruittrees in their mini orchard including apples,pears, plums, lemons and peaches.With serious intentions to grow their

own food, a vegetable garden has beendeveloped and an irrigation system installedwhich takes some water from the roof. Learuefully admits that the food she can pro-duce isn’t so much limited by the size of herveggie plot but more by the limitations ofpersonal energy. Isn’t this something thatat some point we gardeners all have to con-front! The irrigation system however, con-serves the energy that would otherwise beconsumed in dragging hosepipe from oneend of the garden to the other!The Garden will be open to both club

members and the general public from 2 –4pm on Sunday, August 2. There is a smallcharge for non-members but full annualmemberships ($20 per family) can bebought on site. As parking can be a problemvisitors are advised to leave their vehiclesoutside the ‘two pillars’ on upper Cate’s Hill.

Come and join us for an opportunity tolearn more about gardening, bump into oldfriends, and perhaps make some new ones.Juice, coffee, tea and cookies are includedwith the price of admission.

DaffodilsThis year the Garden Club’s daffodil

queen, Sheila Webster, has a full slate ofbulbs to choose from. They are as follows:• King Alfred $27 per 100 (mid season -

classic all yellow daffodils 40cm tall)• Tete a Tete $20 per 100 (early season -

mini all yellow daffodils 25 cm tall)• Tahiti $42 per 100 (mid season - double

daffodil flecked with orange 40cm tall)• Minnow $20 per 100 (mid season - soft

yellow with multiple small blooms per stem25cm tall)• Suzy $33 per 100 (early/mid spring -

yellow with orange cup and multiple smallblooms per stem 40cm tall)• Snowdrops $35 per 100 (early spring)In addition Bobbex, the deer repellant,

is also offered at $12.75 for the 1 litre spraybottle and $22.52 for the concentrate.Orders should be placed with Sheila

before September 15 at [email protected] note that the bulbs are available

to all Islanders at pretty much cost. Theprogram is now in its 10th year resulting in150,000 bulbs waiting to astonish us in thespring!Get your order in soon.

Sunday’s Open Garden featuresmini orchard, ideas for dry conditions

Gardeners, photographers, artists:get ready for Bowfest’s Country FairMeasure your sunflowers and hollyhocks,

don’t pick one of those monster zucchinis,chase after bees with your camera and watchyour garden to see which slugs are the fastest,because it’s time to get ready for a decades-oldcommunity tradition.Bowen Islanders of all ages are invited to

participate in the Bowfest Country Fair Conteston August 29 and try to win the coveted rib-bons and bragging rights.The Slug Races are a traditional favourite.

Adults and youth are welcome to bring theirracing slug and slug race bribes to the racetrack.The Bowfest Community Fair Association

makes the Country Fair contests possible andwe’re excited once again to see what sort ofentries will be submitted!Country Fair Contest Categories (adult and

youth unless otherwise noted):1: Tallest flower grown on Bowen. Bring

in the actual flower, or a photo with proof ofheight

2: Biggest squash grown on Bowen. Bringin your biggest squashes to be weighed. (Letus know if you want it back, or want us to sellthem!)3: Strangest Looking Vegetable or fruit grownon Bowen4: Best Photo of a Bee (any type of BC bee)5: Best Photo of a Bowen Island Slug: explain

why you think it is incredible6: Favourite Farm Animal or

Domestic Animal Award: through photos,drawings, poetry, a short story, or online

media, share with us why you think your ani-mal is the best!7: Lego Contest: create a farm or garden-

inspired Lego creation, from the past, present,or your imagination and explain how you wereinspired to create it. Youth only8: Fiber Arts Finest: finest handknit/cro-

cheted/spun/felted creation (extra points ifyou use any locally-sourced fibers, or did anyof the dyeing with local ingredients.) Pleaseexplain the inspiration for the piece and what itis made ofHow to enter:• Bring your photos/stories/creations/racing

slugs to the Country Fair Tent 11am 12:30pm• Put your name/phone/age on the back of

each entry (except slugs.)• Public voting takes place 12:30-1:30,

Judging takes place at 1:30.• Awards announced approx. 2pm• Adult (19+); youth (under 19)Please pick up your entries and ribbons

2:30-3 pm. The Country Fair closes at 3pm onAugut 29.

The 2015 Bowfest Country Fair Tent is host-ed by Sarah Haxby, the BICS Student GardenClub, the Young Farmers of Bowen Program,the Bowen Agricultural Alliance and thanks toanyone who can volunteer to help us keep thisfun tradition going! To sign-up for a free tableat the mini farmers` market contact [email protected]. All VCH rules apply to participatein the market, so if you have canned or pro-cessed foods, please get in touch in advanceand ensure you have your testing certificates.

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All-out battle iswaged to makethe outdoorssafe again

MARTHA PERKINSE D I T O R

Humans weren’t the only oneswho enjoyed the warm, dry spring.Queen wasps coming out of hiber-nation were able to go forth andmultiply in prodigious numbersand their progeny are now drivingeveryone crazy.The record number of wasps can

be blamed on the weather, says WillHusby, an entomologist who hasjoined the crusade against the wasphordes.When queen wasps come out of

hibernation and start looking fornew sites to establish colonies, cold,wet weather usually kills many ofthem off, he says. This year’s warmweather also gave her first broods abetter chance of survival and now

Wasp traps have been fly-ing off the shelf at the IRLYBuilding Centre.So far this year they’ve sold

445 of the death traps, whichis “a tremendous amount,” saysgeneral manager Lena Simms.However, the store is also

offering tutorials on how tobuild your own trap:

• take an empty two-litre popbottle• cut off the top portion and

put it upside down, lidless, intothe top of the remaining por-tion bottle• pour in a little bit of cooking

oil and add a piece of raw fish orbacon. (In the fall, substitute theprotein with something sweet.)• set it out and wait for the

wasps.The oil makes it impossible

for the wasps to climb out andthey die.

Wasp sting remedy?Try this simple remedy when you get stung by a wasp: dab a littledeodorant on the welt.

“As soon as I put it on, the pain was gone, gone, gone,” said onereader who wished to remain anonymous.

“Within two minutes, I couldn’t even have told you where I’d beenstung. It was amazing.”

She used her husband’s Degree, not her all-natural product.

However, she says that when her sister-in-law tried it, it didn’t dothe trick.

they are in search of water to feed and house the nextgenerations. (Wasps will shave off bits of wood, mix itwith water to make a paste which turns into the paperwith which they make their nest.)“The colonies are big, they’re hungry and they’re

coming to us,” Husby says. “There’s no much wateravailable so they go looking for water to take back totheir larvae.”He bought some traps from IRLY Building Centre

and in the first weeks of summer was killing 100 waspsa day. (He puts fruit-based vinegar or apple juice in thetraps as an incentive and keeps the traps topped up.)He also tracked wasps to a nest in the woodpile next

to his house and in the early morning coolness, beforethe wasps were active, he sprayed the hidey-hole’sentrance . No more wasps.Wasps are our friends when it comes to pest control

but their numbers this summer are turning them intothe pest. “I appreciate what they do in nature but they’rereally annoying this year,” says Husby, who’s been stungin the mouth after taking a sip of a drink, not realizing awasp had got there first.To eradicate the wasps you have to kill the queen but

he urges caution when trying to get too close. (Five inthe morning is the best time.) He also advises that peo-ple carefully read the instructions on bug sprays.

Makeyour owndeath trapfor wasps

Waronwasps

Pat Buchanan shows Noemie Picard the wasp traps on offer at IRLY Building Centre. So far this year,the centre has sold 445 traps; it’s also offering advice on how to make your own, at right.Martha Perkins photo

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

FAMILY FUN AT

871 GREEN RD, BOWEN ISLANDCAMP BOW-ISLE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8TH: 9 AM - 2.30 PM

Camp Bow-Isle is designed to help students of Christian Sciencegain a better understanding of their relationship to God,

to enjoy fellowship with other Christian Scientists,and to have fun. • www.bowisle.ca

Pick delicious organic apples fromour heritage orchard. Then enjoy a lightlunch followed by a talk by Stormy Falsoduring which she will discuss how a betterunderstanding of God leads to healing.

Stormy is from Atlanta GAwhere she is in the full-time practice

of Christian Science healing.

Apple picking by donation.Orchard closes at 11:30 am.


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Rondy Dike creates amarina where happypeople like to stayMARTHA PERKINSC O N T R I B U T O R

It was a sailing trip in Europethat charted Rondy Dike’s path toa funky little marina for sale on anisland he’d never heard of.He and his wife Dorothy were

taking a year’s hiatus from his careeras an architect by sailing their 37’Fisher from England to France andthen on to the Mediterranean in theearly 1980s.The trip was also a chance to get

away from the stresses inherent intheir apartment building investments.As they moored in the various

ports, they realized that marinaswere in some ways very much likeapartment buildings — places yourented out to people.But whereas apartment owners

deal with tenants who sometimespunch holes in walls or leave a messbehind, marina tenants do theirutmost not to damage their rentalspace, partly because they’d domuch damage to their own propertywhile they’re at it.“No one with a very expensive

boat hits my greasy old dock piles,”Rondy says more than 30 years later.As an added bonus, “People whoare in marinas are usually happy

because they’re playing with theirtoys.”When Rondy and Dorothy

returned home to Seattle — he’soriginally from Oklahoma, she’sfrom Wyoming — they startedlooking for a marina to buy.There are two types of marinas, he

says: holiday marinas, which are usu-ally more remote and open season-ally; and city marinas, which have asteady clientele but not much atmo-sphere because there’s not the con-stant ebb and flow of visiting boats.A realtor told them about a mari-

na for sale on Bowen Island.“It was a beautiful town and yet

close enough to Vancouver to getpermanent boats and far enoughaway to keep it as a holiday slip.”Now, if you think of the Union

Steam Ship Company Marina today,you picture a historic looking build-ing perched regally beside a resplen-dent flower garden and grassy lawnwhere dogs and families frolic. Awooden boardwalk connects you tothe orchard cottages and CrippenPark. Walk down the gangplank tothe floating marina office, and thereare up to 150 boats gently rockingin the ferry wake.That’s not the scene that greeted

the Dikes. There was an ancient

Rondy Dike transformed a small marina into the popular destination it is today. Martha Perkins photo

How I Got Here

bungalow that doubled as themarina office which overlooked abig field which morphed into a vastmud flat before you reached waterdeep enough to accommodate themarina’s 30 to 40 slips.As architectural co-ordinator for

Westin Hotels — the first hotel hebuilt with them was the BayshoreInn — he thought he had a goodidea of how long it would take totransform the little marina into des-tination it is today. A year maybe?They bought the marina in 1985

and, in Rondy’s words, “somepeople did everything they couldto stop us.” There was a committeecalled Save the Park, bylaws were

enacted, dredging proposals werefought, roadblocks were put in theirway. When the federal and provin-cial governments disagreed with theIslands Trust and backed the proj-ect, including providing money todredge the cove, there was outrage.A 1989 article in the Vancouver Sunquoted one islander who opposedthe effort to “turn Bowen Islandinto Coney Island.”It took six years to get the marina

built and 20 years to go through allthe required hoops to get the float-ing office and clubhouse built.As to that little bungalow, it was

lifted so what’s now the gift shopcould be the main floor. The bunga-

low became part of the second-floorliving space and the flag tower wasthe finishing touch. The main build-ing may look like it was here dur-ing USSC’s steamship days, but it’stotally modern.Last year, there were 11,601 off-

island visitors to the marina and itscottages; the average amount mostvisitors will spend overnight is $200to $250, Dike says, so that meansthe marina contributes hundreds ofthousands of dollars to Snug Cove’seconomy every year.It’s also is the home of their boat,

Moxie, which is a word some peoplewould say perfectly describes whatit took to create USSC Marina.

Bowen Island Undercurrent July 31 2015

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Transcript of Bowen Island Undercurrent July 31 2015