friday, august 1, 2014

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FREE outdoormovie!Mon. Aug. 11thCrippen ParkConcession starting at 6pmConcession by:Community Medical Clinic Society of Bowen Island

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FRIDAY AUGUST 1 2014

V O L . 4 1 , N O . 3 0

Watch for more online at: WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

On the topic of artArts council talks cultural master plan

Time to registerCall out for Run for Rwanda participants

Bowen bowsLocal cousins recreate historical bows and arrows

STEFANIA SECCIACONTRIBUTOR

It’s still overcast in the early morning as a small sea of backpacks, flipflops and sunglasses load onto the Bowen Island ferry for the short ride from Hoseshoe Bay.

Although the lineup seems busy, it may not be indiciative of the visiting crowds this summer, depending on who you talk to. Several businesses from Snug Cove to Artisan Square have had different tastes of tourism numbers so far.

“We found the visitors this year are way down,” said Basia Lieske, who runs the Union Steamship Marina Complex,

including the gift shop and Union Steamship Cottages. “Our ice cream sales are better because we’ve had some really, real-ly hot days.”

Lieske said the cottages haven’t seen a lot of business either.

“Those numbers are down,” she added. “We’re finding not a lot of people are coming over and staying on the weekends.”

Mostly, the cottages have been booked by people who are attending weddings on the island.

“Most of the tourists that are coming over are big groups of foreign students,” she said. “They don’t really spend a lot of money because they’re kind of on a budget.”

But for Sarah-Jane Curry, one of the owners of her family run Snug Café, tourists seem to just “pour off the street.”

“It’s always busy,” she said. “We pump out a lot of break-fast wraps and breakfast sandwiches. I think it’s been a good summer. It’s very weather dependent.”

Curry noted that it’s a fairly average summer for them with the hustle and bustle turning up with the heat.

“I think August we get all the tourists coming,” she added. “I mean, go and look at the 12 o’ clock ferry. You stand there and you watch them all walk off. They come in droves.”

The Bowen Island ferry unloads a small group of passengers recently on one of its morning runs. Some locals say they think the number of tourists to the island is down, while others say this summer has been great so far. Photo Stefania Seccia

continued PAGE 3

Tourism up and down for local merchants

2 • FRIDAY AUGUST 1 2014 WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

Council agrees to send letter about branding to B.C. FerriesSTEFANIA SECCIACONTRIBUTOR

With the looming mid-life upgrade for the Queen of Capilano ferry, at least one group of locals are brainstorming ways to make the four-month period without it less painful.

On Monday night, the Economic Development Committee asked council for two things as a means to deal with the Queen of Capilano, which is being upgraded and temporarily replaced with the smaller Bowen Queen from January to April 2015.

The committee asked council to write a letter to B.C. Ferries requesting a financial contribution towards a $75,000 branding initiative since it’s par-tially responsible for the challenges facing the com-munity during those four months. Council agreed to send the letter.

BC Ferries is conducting the mid-life upgrade to the Queen of Capilano at a cost of $12 million. The project includes extensive upgrades, refurbishment or replacement of various systems and components on the vessel, according to Corrine Storey, vice-president of customer services with BC Ferries.

The goal is to add another 20 years of life to the Queen of Capilano.

“This significant maintenance project will pro-duce a number of benefits for customers, with the two most notable being the addition of gal-lery decks (adding space for approximately 17 more vehicles) and direct access to the lounge area for foot passengers boarding and disembarking at Horseshoe Bay,” Storey said in an email to the Undercurrent.

Gordon Ganong, chairman of the Economic Development Committee told the Undercurrent before the meeting the request also addresses the need for clear signage that includes Bowen Island on the Upper Levels highway in West Vancouver.

“In essence, to be able to do the branding prop-erly, we really do need a branding expert facilitator,” he said.

“We’ve got great volunteers here and we’ll do what work we can, but we really do need some facilitators.”

The committee is looking high and low for fund-ing, Ganong added.

“The municipality’s budget is fully filled with looking after infrastructure, looking after water and sewer and waste management and those kinds of things that we’re not in a position to be able to start writing cheques for branding,” he said.

The second idea is solving ferry marshalling in Lower Cove by asking the municipality to consider disallowing parking on weekdays from 5 to 10 a.m. on the south side of Trunk Road. Council referred the idea, brought up by Coun. Tim Rhodes, to the Transportation Advisory Committee.

“This proposal of just temporarily having no parking from 5 to 10 in the morning would help alleviate or mitigate some of the safety issues that we would have,” Ganong said.

“The businesses that are open at that time, pri-marily coffee shops that are there in Snug Cove, they would welcome this because they’d have folks who are parked right in front of their establish-ments, get their coffee, get their biscuit, maybe have breakfast while they’re (waiting for) their ferry.”

The overload traffic that extends into the school zone could be avoided by implementing the tem-porary change while the larger ferry is getting changed.

“So those overloads that we have typically hap-pen Monday to Friday in the mornings,” Ganong said. “I don’t think I need to fill in the blanks here for the concern in regards to the school and to the children.”

The Bowen Queen only allows space for 70 vehi-cles, 15 less than the Queen of Capilano.

While Storey recognized the lower capacity leads to more vehicle overloads than usual, she said they’re working with Bowen Island’s Ferry Advisory Committee to mitigate the issue.

“The plan is to implement services that will make it convenient and efficient for customers who would normally take a vehicle on the ferry to leave their vehicle at home,” she noted.

Storey said ideas being explored to lessen poten-tial vehicle overloads include discounting parking fees at Horseshoe Bay, dedicated shuttle service from Bowen Island to downtown Vancouver, water taxis, car sharing, commercial traffic reservations and barge service.

BC Ferries also chose January to April in an effort to lessen the impact on local residents, Storey said, because it’s generally a quieter time on Bowen.

“This time of year sees the lowest volume of tourists and development projects, which means commercial and largery vehicles are minimized,” she said. “BC Ferries knows that traffic volume increases as spring approaches, therefore the sig-nificant benefit to any of the service options imple-mented would likely be introduced during March and April.”

Gordon Ganong, chairman of the Economic Development Committee, says the upcoming Queen of Capilano ferry upgrade could hurt business on Bowen Island. Photo Stefania Seccia

Car collides with scooter In a recent email to the Undercurrent,

RCMP Cst. Bryan Mulrooney, of the Sea to Sky detachment, noted the details of a recent collision as follows.

On July 27, a member of the Bowen Island RCMP along with paramedics and members of the Bowen Island Fire Department attended a collision on Bowen Island Trunk Road at the ball field parking lot.

A car was exiting the ball field park-ing lot turning left and ferry traffic had stopped to allow the car to enter the road way. Unbeknownst to the driver of the car, a male on a scooter was riding east-bound down the lane of travel.

As the car entered the road, the scoot-er struck the driver’s side front fender of the car causing the rider to be ejected from the scooter. The rider was treated for abrasions by paramedics and was transported to the hospital.

No charges have been laid against either motorist.

Bowen Island RCMP would like to remind motorists to take extra caution

File photo North Shore News

when crossing the ferry lane of traf-fic. Just because one lane of traffic stops doesn’t mean that drivers in the other lane will see you.

Likewise if you are driving in the lane of travel toward the ferry and see vehicles in the ferry lane stop, be aware there may be a vehicle or pedestrian about to enter the roadway.

To advertise in the BowenBusiness Bulletin Board

please contactMaureen at 604-947-2442

BowenBulletin Board

Having agarage sale?

We’ll post it here!Email

[email protected]

Informed by NatureFeaturing the work ofKathleen Ainscough &

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“HEAT”Encaustic paintings by

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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

WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM FRIDAY AUGUST 1 2014 • 3

JACK ADELAARCONTRIBUTOR

Hello Bowen Islanders:This is the letter I’d planned to deliver last month, but

will blame the delay on a brief vacation, plus beautiful weather that slows things down while we share the best of Bowen’s summer activities.

What hasn’t slowed or even slackened pace, however, is the healthy momentum at municipal hall as your council moves ahead with its agenda. I’m extremely gratified to report that we’re working hard and making progress across the board on the ambitious series of ini-tiatives we’re dealing with.

It’s anticipated that the rezoning of Lot 2, which is the critical step in the groundwork for our long-awaited community centre, will be completed in early September. Be assured that council is keeping a close eye on the costs associated with this proposed development. Among the opportunities being explored is the possibil-ity that our municipal offices could move to this site if it assists with funding for the entire complex. As with all things on Bowen, the timing and scope of work on this development will depend on structuring a solid business plan and obtaining financing.

Snug Cove redevelopment is not moving forward as quickly as we had hoped, partly due to the complexities of negotiating with various jurisdictions within Metro Vancouver. Council is committed to making progress on this case and will continue to press for decisions in our favour. In the meantime, the impressive redevelopment taking place by private interests in Village Square is a catalyst and inspiration for those eager to see improve-ment of the Cove in general.

Improvements to ferry marshalling have been hin-dered by the ongoing problems associated with B.C. Ferries service, including the reduction in sailings and the mid-life refit of the Queen of Capilano. On the positive side, we have a highly effective Transportation Advisory Committee dealing with the involved bureau-

cracies and representing Bowen’s interests on all ferry-related issues.

I want to commend the volunteers serving on Bowen’s Economic Development Committee for producing the proposed amendments to the OCP, which were pre-sented to the public earlier this month. The commit-tee’s mission is to provide the flexibility needed to create new and grow existing businesses on Bowen, as the key to economic and quality-of-life stability. I believe most Islanders will agree that the thoughtful and reasonable amendments proposed are essential steps in kick starting local opportunity.

As many of you know, we have tentatively selected a site for the new fire hall to meet the needs of our island. Meanwhile, council continues to deal with our road sys-tem on an ongoing basis, although we are limited by the annual funds available in the municipal budget for infra-structure improvements.

Finally, I’m pleased to report that council is moving forward on several fronts in negotiations with senior levels of government to obtain funding for essential community improvements as well as to provide a better base for Bowen to grow financially. As a result of these new political relationships, we’ve raised the island’s pro-file across Metro, in Victoria and beyond, cultivating increased awareness of our unique issues among impor-tant decision-makers for whom Bowen was simply “off the map” in the past.

After this positive report on our community’s health, it’s time to set matters straight about my own. Despite rumours to the contrary, my chemotherapy treatments are working. But, I find that — for me — the best and most effective therapy is work. According to my doc-tor, I’m perfectly capable of running for a second term, should I so choose. That’s good news if I decide to run for office again on Bowen.

I wish you all a great summer and urge you to support the many volunteers and municipal staff who present wonderful summer programs and events here on our beautiful Island.

A letter from the mayor

Jacqueline Massey, executive director of the Bowen Island Arts Council, echoed Curry’s com-ment on it being a steady summer.

“It all has to do with the weather of course, that’s the draw for people to come to Bowen,” said Massey, noting the arts council has run the visitor’s centre for the last three years. “The stats are up, not significantly in terms of numbers, but we’ve been busy.”

Art and other events, such as Steamship Days,

Various events helping to bring people outcontinued from PAGE 1 have had consistent turnouts, as well, she added.

“In terms of numbers of people in the (The Gallery at Artisan Square), it’s been consistently high,” Massey said. “We’re always lower in terms of traffic up here compared to (Snug Cove).”

Also, compared to winter, summer isn’t a hard sell to come out to Bowen Island, according to Massey.

“It’s the colder season when it’s a little quieter and we’re trying to come up with some opportunities for people to come and check out what we have on the island,” she said.

The Walk-On Dead take to the stage at this year’s Steamship Days festival. The band includes Sean Schonfeld and James Sanders, along with Bowen Island’s James Tuer and Peter Dives. Photo Sea Snaps

Summer sees free concertsThe Bowen Island Arts Council is

presenting a series of free concerts as part of a summer celebration of arts and culture.

In a recent press release, the coun-cil thanked David Graff and the Continental Grifters, as well as every-one who attended their performance on July 26. The last concert of the

summer sessions will be on Aug. 9, 3-5 p.m. on the Rotary Stage. The band Walk-On Dead will wrap up the summer session. The band combines their classic favourites with folk-rock Americana, including Neil Young, Steve Earle and the Rolling Stones, noted the release.

All of the summer sessions are free.

Workon

Bowen

The Bowen Island Undercurrent is seekingtemporary sales/administration help on a

contract basis for vacation relief.

Hours would be up to 30 hours a week.Work would include general administrative tasksas well as sales and customer/client support.

Those interested should submit a resume to:Ad Sales Representatve, Bowen Island Undercurrent

[email protected]

BOWFEST Community FairSaturday, August 23rd11 am till 10pmCrippen / Bowfest Field

4 • FRIDAY AUGUST 1 2014 WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM4 • FRIDAY JULY 25 2014 WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

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Here’s how.To submit a letter to the editor, fax 604-947-0148 or mail it to

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viewpoint

EDITORIALPublished by Bowen Island Undercurrent a division of LMP Publication Limited Partnership, #102 - 495 Government Rd. Bowen Island, B.C. V0N 1G0

GRAHAM RITCHIEGUEST EDITORIAL

“Canada is not a real country.”Do Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard’s 1996 aside probably did more to boost

Canadian unity than all the millions spent, and misspent, by Canada’s federal unity budgets. When all the outraged spluttering stopped, we actually had to think about our country and find verifiable proofs of our reality.

Perhaps we should take time out for a similar exercise in our little corner of Canada. We use the word community a lot here. It’s a satisfactory, comfortable word, makes us feel all warm inside. Let’s make a list of all the things that make for a com-munity. A gathering place for all? Mmm, the ferry? No, it’s getting too expensive for many. The general Sstore line-up? No, the service is too good these days and the line moves too fast. The video store? Netflix.

A common set of values? All too often, those who actually take part in political discussion on Bowen tend to be in complete agreement only on one key point: that to actually listen to an opposing argument is a clear sign of weakness. A recent submis-sion to our council urges dismissal of “the predictable objections coming from the usual minority”.

Common recreation facilities? Fabulous. Tournament time at Snug Cove Field is the best. Soccer is booming on Bowen, and the golf course is open and swinging year round. Bringing up kids on Bowen is generally a rewarding experience. If you add all the yoga studios together, they’re the third biggest industry after real estate and garbage collection. Yes, a pool would be nice, but annual maintenance costs are ter-rifying, quite aside from the construction invoice. Common cultural facilities? The Library’s well equipped and well staffed. The Arts Council does a great job of trying to pull together all the disparate bits and pieces of culture on Bowen, and having the physical focus of the Gallery really helps some art forms. The Music Association ditto, but both are almost terminally hampered by the lack of an adequate dedicated perfor-mance space. Sharing a cultural experience has been a vital bonding agent since the dawn of human time.

Healthcare services caring for all residents? A substantial collection of body and mind counsellors, but otherwise sorely lacking. A great pharmacy. One-point-something GPs with full patient lists. No diagnostic services except for the welcome weekly Lifelabs clinic. The mainland-based health service provider plans only on get-ting a patient to the mainland as quickly as possible and hoping it’s not too late.

Services for seniors? Eighteen residential units for younger seniors supported by a generous federal program that will never be repeated. One each of volunteer-created activity and meal programs.

Is this the infrastructure of a real community?If you’re in the parenting business, the answer is probably yes. Bowen’s a great place

for parents and a great place to grow up. Lots of facilities and shared activity opportu-nities. If you’re in good health, the answer is probably yes. There are plans afoot that may well, in time, produce a dedicated recreational and performance space, a bigger library, more medical services.

If you’re a senior in good health, the answer is still probably yes. If you’re a senior senior, the answer is almost certainly no. There is no community for you here. If you can no longer handle your home, you have to leave. There is no specialized housing here that can support you in staying productive and independent. There is such hous-ing on the mainland, lots of it. There are a lot more people there, so it’s good business to build 90, or 200, or 3,000 units of supportive housing. They make investors and local seniors very happy. Government service providers look at a map and see that Bowen Island is half an inch away from all these wonderful facilities, so there’s no need to worry about Bowen seniors. But maps don’t show psychological and emo-tional distances. They don’t show that that last 20-minute ferry ride takes Bowen’s elders from their friends and neighbours and, yes, from their community.

Twenty years ago, a group of islanders decided that something had to be done about this annual exodus of their senior friends, that a real community doesn’t dis-card its seniors every year as a matter of routine. They decided to build a residence, providing meals, a staff presence and mutual support, that would allow senior seniors to continue to enjoy, and contribute to, their community.

Fighting the problem of scale, of providing a service for a small community, proved often overwhelming. Volunteers dropped out, others took their place. Slowly, islands of progress arose from the ocean of disappointments. In 2004, each Bowen household donated an average $89 to buy land near the village on Miller Road. In 2008, council granted enough density on that land to allow half of it to be sold on the open market for small-scale affordable housing, raising enough seed money to enable construction of the residence on the other half. Now, in 2014, literally any day now, a completed subdivision application will put that plan into practice. Nine small lots, three of them for single-family homes, six of them okayed for two townhouses each, will be offered for sale. When they’re sold, Snug Cove House will rise on the foundations of 20 years of communal effort, and Bowen will be a real community for everyone.

Coming to terms with community

Dear Editor Translink does not care about our Bowen Island

Community.I asked them the other day what would it specifically take

to implement a commuter bus from Bowen Island directly to downtown Vancouver. This has not been answered.

Instead, Translink says they understand Bowen’s unique situation? It is okay for them to treat Boweners as third-rate in their books, they told me even buses on the Horseshoe Bay side take precedent to follow a schedule that mixes well for Nanaimo and Sunshine Coast residents, rather than Bowen. However, what taxes do these people pay to Translink? Why are Bowen Islanders getting shafted again? This is pure human rights discrimination in my books because we live on this island. It is bad enough our local transit shuttle bus on the island ends service at 7 p.m. If Translink can’t provide neces-sary services to encourage less car usage, (it’s) no wonder why overloads continue on our B.C. Ferries on a daily basis.

Andrew PietrowBowen Island

Dear Editor:We are from New Zealand and have just

enjoyed over three weeks on Bowen Island.We have appreciated your 40-kilometre speed

limit, which helps slow down the pace of life. Great to see a small line of cars patiently stopping on Grafton Road to allow the geese to cross.

Your Canada Day and Steamship celebrations

are a credit to your community and so much fun to be part of. A special thanks to Saskia from The Yoga Loft for her instruction in Iyengar yoga. As a person with two hip replacements and limita-tions, her acceptance and encouragement, tailor-ing exercises to suit my needs, was welcoming.

Megan and Kevin McCarthy,Pauanui Beach, New Zealand

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New Zealander sends thanks for a recent enjoyable visit

Reader wants a commuter bus

File photo North Shore News



STEFANIA SECCIACONTRIBUTOR

Bowen Island’s Cultural Master Plan not only needs a new coat of paint, but also a modern update.

That’s the message the Bowen Island Arts Council brought to council in a pre-sentation at its Monday night meeting. Council gave the green light for a $5,000 request, including in-kind contributions, from the municipality and the ability to lead a review and revision of the Cultural Master Plan.

“We were one of the first communi-ties that actually put together a Cultural Master Plan,” said Jacqueline Massey, executive director of the arts council before the meeting. “Since then, across the country a lot of cities have them. Whistler just completed theirs a little while ago.”

The plan is more than 11 years old after being originally written in 2003 and implemented in 2005. As an official municipal bylaw, its guidelines helped shape the direction and tone of the cul-ture and arts on the island.

“It’s a policy around arts and culture and how that meshes with the munici-pality,” Massey explained. “It was a huge community, collaborative and very inclu-sive process involving a steering commit-tee of 20 people and numerous consulta-tion meetings with groups from a broad spectrum of our community.”

The plan was broken down into four major themes, including a framework for advocacy and support, arts and cultural facilities, community economic develop-ment and cultural education program-ming and support.

“As a result of that, we work quite closely with the municipality in develop-ing our programs and services, so over the years a number of these recommen-dations happened,” she said.

However, the one directive that has been left behind is having a new facil-ity dedicated to art and culture, Massey noted.

“The biggest area we haven’t had much success for is under the arts and cultural facilities, which is a huge need in the community and unfortunately that agen-da has not really been forwarded much for a whole bunch of reasons,” she said.

The arts council has advocated for a multi-purpose space for the performing arts, Massey noted.

“We do have community lands that are owned by the municipality, so there’s work being done in trying to explore what could be possible,” she said. “We’ll probably continue to play a big role in that.”

The new, updated master plan for arts and culture is expected to take one year or up to 18 months to complete.

According to the arts council, the new framework will articulate a vision and model of what a vibrant and economical-

Arts council says plan needs review

Jacqueline Massey, executive director of the Bowen Island Arts Council, stands in The Gallery at Artisan Square. Stefania Seccia, photo

Organizers remind runners to register for Rotary Run for Rwanda

ly viable arts and culture component will look like in the local economy, feasible recommendations and provide measures for implementation.

“We’re really excited about that potential, too, that economic development,” Massey said. “I’m sure that will be a big component to the cultural master plan.”

The master plan includes strengthening and support-ing the arts scene to help drive tourism to the island, Massey said. “We are … the fifth most artistic com-munity in Canada,” she added. “We have a lot of local resources in terms of talent and creativity to draw from. We already have that infrastructure to build on.”

SUSAN MUNROCONTRIBUTOR

In May four years ago, my husband Robin and I dis-covered that the popular Run for the Ferry was about to be abandoned as the race director decided that he need-ed time for other projects.

Being runners ourselves, we thought it would be a pity for the island to lose this great event, which is for so many people an excellent start to Bowfest Day, so we decided to give it a go, with no previous experience in race organization. We had already been supporting our daughter Margaret with her work sponsoring young girls through high school in Rwanda for several years, so it seemed an ideal opportunity to gather some extra funds. Little did we realize at that time that this would become an annual event for them.

As it happened, we had just joined the Rotary Club of Bowen Island and the club was happy to back this event. Four years on, we are still nurturing the race with the help of friends and club members, and are happy that this has become a popular community event for locals and visitors alike. Apart from the pleasure of a great run or walk, fruit and muffins (donated by local businesses) provide a nutritious snack, and the library lawn becomes a great vantage point for the Bowfest Parade that starts immediately after prizes are awarded.

The Children’s Run has become particularly popular over the years. Organized by Lisa Brougham, a well-known island gymnastics coach and runner, the run starts at 8:30 a.m. and covers 1.5 kilometres from the ferry dock, through the park to Miller Road and back again. Parents and/or grandparents often accompany their youngsters and are back in time to do the five or 10 k run. Strollers are accepted too. All participants in the run receive a very glamorous medal, and the first 30 nine-year-olds and under who register for the run get free admission to Bowfest. New this year is a special prize for the first girl and boy to finish this run.

The 10-kilometre and five-kilometre runs start at 9 a.m. from the ferry dock. This year, Barry Adams, the course co-ordinator, has altered the course slightly so that it covers more trails than before. Runners love this course as it is a comfortable run from the ferry dock to Killarney Lake and back, mainly through the Crippen

The popular Rotary Run for Rwanda is coming up and it’s time to register. Photo supplied

Park trails. If supporters are not up for the run, the five-kilometre course is open to walkers and is becom-ing increasingly popular. Every year at least $5,000 goes from Bowen Island to the organization Komera to spon-sor 10 girls from rural villages for their last three years at high school in Rwanda. This past year it was also pos-sible to pay some of the salary of the social workers who supports these girls. A sum of US $500 not only pays a girl’s school fees and boarding expenses, but also funds entrepreneurship and leadership camps where she learns skills that will be essential once she leaves high school. A little seed money is also given to each girl every year to fund a local enterprise.

Over the years we’ve noticed that Bowen Islanders are slow to sign up for the run, so this year we are encour-aging everyone to sign up well in advance, to avoid confusion on race day. Online registration is the easiest for everyone, available on the run website, rotaryrun-forrwanda.com, and registration forms are available at various island outlets and can be handed in at First Credit Union or Phoenix. Tickets for Bowfest are avail-able on Friday afternoon before the run on the library lawn and before the run on Saturday. This beats stand-ing in line when the Bowfest gates open on Saturday.

August 23 will be a brilliant festival day as Bowfest celebrates its annual parade and summer fair, and the Rotary Run for Rwanda its fourth anniversary.

Dogs get Lyme disease tooMERIBETH DEENEDITOR

According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, the risk of becoming infected with Lyme disease is extremely low, with 0.5 cases per 100,000 people, and a tick infection rate of less than one per cent.

Bowen Island veterinarian Alistair Westcott believes the rate of infection may in fact be higher than that statistic, and in response, he is bringing the canine test for the dis-ease to Bowen Island within the next month or so.

Westcott says he knows of four people on Bowen who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease.

“I think there’s enough evidence that the disease may exist here that we should approach this with a sense of measured concern,” he says. “I’m not interested in caus-ing alarm, but Lyme disease should definitely not be taken lightly.”

Westcott says Lyme disease is difficult to diagnose in both humans and animals because it hides from the immune system and mimics other diseases such as MS, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s, and many other diseases.

“For humans there are tests but they are not always accurate, and sometimes there are false positives. Some people have a more obvious response than others, and symp-toms vary,” says Westcott. “For dogs, the test is more simple. There is a specific antigen that is found in dogs if infection has in fact occurred, and that’s what the test looks for.”

The Lyme disease test for dogs costs roughly $75, and Westcott says he would likely administer it if a dog was showing suspicious symptoms, such as arthritis at an early age. Westcott says he believes once dogs start being tested for Lyme disease on Bowen, there will be more data that can help lead to a better understanding of the risks here.

As for people, Westcott recommends precautionary measures as well as measures to improve the data on Lyme disease.

“If you find a tick on your body, I would recommend getting a prescription for the Lyme disease antibiotic as a preventative measure. Also, because we’re not clear on the actual prevalence of the disease, I would take the tick into the BC Centre for Disease Control on 12th Street in Vancouver, near Cambie Street.”

He adds that a tick needs to be attached for at least 48 hours in order to transmit the disease.

“I would still say this is a much bigger problem in Eastern Canada, but, hopefully, we’ll have more data soon because we’ll be doing more testing.”

photo Canstock


On the calendarFRIDAY AUGUST 1

Youth Centre drop-in 6 - 9 p.m.

SATURDAY AUGUST 2

Bowen Island Summer Market Boardwalk in Snug Cove, 10 a.m. -5 p.m.

BIAC Summer Sessions

Youth Centre drop-in 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Dock DanceTickets $25, available from any firefighter or the General Store

SUNDAY AUGUST 3Bowen Island Summer

Market Boardwalk in Snug Cove, 10 a.m. -5 p.m.

Adult sailing classes at Tunstall Bay, 12 - 4 p.m. Registration online through Bowen Island Yacht Club. $60 per class, buy four get one free.

Book launch: Damien by Oscar Donald Erikson 7 p.m. at the Gallery at Artisan Square

MONDAY AUGUST 4

TUESDAY AUGUST 5AA Meeting

Collins Hall 7:15 p.m.

THURSDAY AUGUST 7

Duplicate bridge at the hall at Bowen Court. For more info call Irene Wanless 604-947-2955

Youth Centre drop-in (6 p.m. - 9 p.m.) UPCOMING

SATURDAY AUGUST 9Bowen Island Farmer’s Market and Bowfeast @ BICS9:30 - 12:30

Bowen Island Arts Council presents: Summer Sessions Walk on Dead Rotary Stage outside the Snug Cafe, 3 - 5 p.m Free!

SUNDAY AUGUST 10

The 23rd annual Bowen Island Dog Days of Summer event is set to celebrate furry friends in support of B.C. Guide Dog Services. The event includes contests, prizes, exhibits, refreshments and dog-themed entertainment. At the Union Steamship Co. Marina lawn, Snug Cove. Registration starts at 11 a.m. and events start at noon.

Jayeson Hendyrsan practises some tai chi moves in the park recently. Hendyrsan teaches tai chi on Tuesdays and Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Bowen Island Community School. He has been doing this traditional form of martial art for 25 years. Stefania Seccia, photo

The front page of the Bowen Island Undercurrent featured a story on the local RCMP constable and what it was like to be on duty on Bowen as the only constable compared to what it was like working in North Vancouver.

“I’ve had about four break-ins in eleven months. In North Vancouver you would have four in the first hour of a night shift,” said Constable Peter Kennedy.

It was that sort of low crime stat that had residents leaving doors unlocked a fact which Kennedy though was probably, “not a good idea”.

Kennedy praised residents for the low drinking and driving stats and was quick to point out that policing in a small town meant being ok with getting to know its residents as this can help with knowing what is going on and where potential trouble might occur.

“In North Vancouver I was just another cop in a police car. The peo-ple here are great. There’s a lot of sup-port and it makes my job that much more satisfying. Sometimes my hand gets tired from all the waving.”

• • •A propane cylinder exploded at the

Bowen Building Centre startling the neighbors and closing propane sales until further notice.

One man suffered minor propane (freezer) burns to his left shoulder

25 YEARS AGO IN THE UNDERCURRENT

and while the fire department were on alert, their service were not required. This accident served as a reminder to the public to check their propane tanks for leaks. To do this, apply a soapy solution to the tank fits and hose.

If the solution bubbles there is a leak in the tank and it should be replaced.

20 YEARS AGO IN THE UNDERCURRENT

The Headline of the paper read, “Mount Gardner sought by GVRD for park lands”.

While the provincial govern-ment mulled the idea of opening up parts of Bowen Island to woodlots, Greater Vancouver Regional District’s parks and planning committee listed Crown-owned Mt. Gardener and a privately held area around Cape Roger Curtis as candidates for a B.C. gov-ernment preservation scheme.

In doing this, any logging would immediately be ruled out.

The proposal was still tentative and GVRD director Ross Carter was con-fident that any logging would only take place after public hearing.

• • •The popular Bowen Island

Firefighters Dock Dance was planned for Saturday, July 30. This would be the third annual Dock Dance and would feature two bands: The

continued PAGE 8

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Caring Circle offering resourcesPAULINE LEBELCOMMUNITY CAULDRON

Bowen Island is blessed with many caring people. They volunteer their time in many ways to look after

the needs of others: the kind people who stock the food bank at the back of the Little Red Church; our volunteer firemen who put out house fires and respond to other emergencies; the Fish and Wildlife Club that cares for our streams and for salmon; and those who organize fundraisers for islanders and others who are ill or going through hard times. They know that caring for others contributes to an enhanced experience of community and strengthens our sense of belonging.

Sometimes the caring arises out of our own needs. When Diane Marshall suffered a serious health crisis, she wondered how many people like her could not find the health resources they needed on Bowen. She saw that there was medical help out there but it was hard to find because there was no one place where all these resources were listed. She gathered a few people around her to form a group to address this.

“We needed a name, so at the first meeting I brought two: The Caring Circle and Circle of Care. For some people it was a bit smarmy,” she says with a giggle. “But they’ve all got over it by now.”

With that, the Caring Circle came to be. “The Caring Circle is needed because it’s important

that people on the island feel they’re held in a large framework of support,” says Marshall. “People who come to live on an island are independent, and as they get older that can get them into trouble. They may need help and help is not available. We realized that anything we did to help one age group would help all groups.”

Together, Marshall and Colleen O’Neil created a one-page guide to health resources on the island. Six months later, with the help of “little bits of money” the one-page morphed into a pamphlet, The Bowen Island Health Resources Guide, and later a website: caringcircle.ca. Then O’Neil’s phone started ringing.

They needed a storefront. After an initial location in Village Square, The Bowen Island Health Resource Centre is now located in the heritage cottage behind the library.

“Everything you see here has been donated,” says O’Neil. “Chairs, tables, shelves, and two computers from Brian and Julia McCaig.”

The cottage holds a “free library” well stocked with books and pamphlets, all related to health.

Anyone is welcome to take a book and bring it back when they’re finished or keep it and bring another one or two when they stop by again.

I spotted a book with the title How To Raise a Two-Year-Old, and wished I could have got my hands on that one many years ago. There are books on aging and on various medical conditions. There are also pamphlets on teen health, housing, disability and how to apply for TAP forms. Also available is My Voice — An Advanced Care Planning Guide — to help with conversations between patients and family or health care providers. I bought the workbook on the spot. It’s only $5.

O’Neil works at the resource centre three days a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

“Colleen has been such a huge force,” says Marshall, “and brings so much talent to this work.”

With her background as a palliative care nurse and health care navigator, she has many skills to help those who come in the door. “I can’t solve every problem,” says O’Neil, “but I know who to call to find the information. People come in who are vulnerable; could be depression or a recent diagnosis, or a parent who’s dying.”

At the resource centre, they find a private place to talk about these things. O’Neil and Marshall are both proud of their programs, including Clinging to the Rock, a spring program on mental health for people of all ages; and The Driver Program, with a roster of volunteer driv-ers willing to provide transportation for those who would have difficulty getting to medical appointments.

For the future, Marshall would like to see more part-nering. “We will be meeting with different groups to look at support needed for young families,” she says. “We need to know if a group is doing something so we don’t reinvent the wheel. We want to be a catalyst for programs that aren’t happening on Bowen, to improve health out-comes here. Our biggest challenge is letting people know what we do and that it’s for all ages.”

The Caring Circle, another reason why Bowen is a good place to live.

Young gymnasts hang out at Bowen Island Gymnastics Club in the photo above. At right, West Vancouver secondary students and football players Jack Walsh, Oscar Schumann and Coby Derban display their skills at a high school gymnastics championship. The gymnastics club is running its annual summer camps in August, which includes Kindergym for kids ages four to six, Stick It Camps for ages six-18 and all-day gym for ages four and up. New this year are strength and conditioning camps for boys seven to 13 and girls seven to 14. Register at [email protected] or call Lisa at 604-313-7286. Photos supplied

BOWEN ISLANDGYMNASTICSSUMMERCAMPSAUG5-8AUG11–15

KINDERCAMP

BARS, TUMBLING& CONDITIONING

CAMP

10am - Noon3-5 yrs | $20 per day

STICK IT REC CAMP

BOYS GIRLS

12:30pm - 4pm

9:30 - noon 12:30 - 3pm

6-14 yrs | $35 per day

7-13 yrs | $25 per day 7-14 yrs | $25 per day

PLEASE BRING A WATER BOTTLE AND A SNACKBICS GYMNASIUM

Space is limited: Pre-registration is requiredContact Lisa Bullock 604-313-7286 [email protected]


ROSALIND DUANECONTRIBUTOR

What Raef Grohne enjoys doing the most for his job is heading high up in a crane, sometimes at dusk.

It can be a challenge up there, standing on a moving structure try-ing to capture the city lights below in a dramatic scene.

Grohne is an architectural pho-tographer. And part of his work sometimes includes providing pan-oramic views that are blown up and used as large murals for marketing and project presentation centres.

“It’s a bit more of a challenge because you’re working with Mother Nature rather than a small space where you can control all of the aspects and make the scene exactly the way you want it,” he says of shooting the panoramas.

A Bowen Island resident, Grohne has been taking architectural pho-tos for about 22 years. Back then, he was just starting out as a pho-tographer when he started work with a design and marketing firm. He helped create images for a new project presentation, and a career in architectural photography was born.

He says he realized then that he didn’t want to work in a studio because he didn’t want to be indoors all day, and he discovered he had an eye for structures rather than prod-ucts. Grohne describes architectural photography as part technical and part art.

“It really is both. I mean you have to have the technical knowledge to get that scene but you also have to

Trying to capture the art of architecture Bowen Island resident Raef Grohne, seen in the photo below, is an architectural photographer. In his work, he tries to highlight the details of exterior angles and interior design elements. Samples of his work are seen in the photos above and below. Photos supplied

have an eye for shapes and colours and composition,” he says.

This type of work is about cap-turing the architectural or interior design elements of a space and cre-ating images that are more focused on those details rather than just showing the big space, he explains. It is different from general real estate photos in that way.

“What I like is trying to create dramatic scenes, so if there’s strong angles that’s something that appeals to me where you’re really creating lots of dynamic shapes within a scene,” he says. “I also like trying to incorporate the environment around it too if possible.”

Taking a photo of a building from four blocks away creates a whole dif-ferent perspective than if the photo is taken standing next to the build-

ing, he notes.Grohne has a range of clients that

includes architects, developers and construction companies.

Different clients may have differ-ent requirements, but Grohne says after so many years of experience, he generally has a lot of freedom in what he shoots, and he is able to anticipate what is required.

When he walks into a room he is photographing, Grohne says the first thing he considers is the lighting. If the goal is to highlight details rather than an overall feel, it’s important to be a little bit more thoughtful about what is being shown off, he explains.

Even with a good angle, bad light-ing can ruin a shot. Great lighting will make it look better, he says.

It’s also important to create a way for the viewer’s eye to move through the scene.

“Typically the way that I would do that is through colour,” notes Grohne.

He sometimes places flowers or colourful objects in certain areas of the home to help draw the eye. Lighting does the same, he notes, so if the room is overall a little bit darker, he will bring up lighting in certain areas, and that also helps the eye go through the scene.

When he’s not working, Grohne admits he doesn’t take a lot of pho-tos. It is not his hobby, but there is another hobby he admits to be inter-ested in.

“I wouldn’t mind having the time and the knowledge to restore cars,” he says with a laugh.

“Bowen Brats” among the headlines in paper 15 years ago continued from PAGE 6

Paperboys and the Fat Boogie Orchestra.

15 YEARS AGO IN THE UNDERCURRENTB.C. Ferries released a statement saying the corporation

is not planning to replace the Queen of Capilano with the Skeena Queen as previously reported by the Bowen-based Ferry CURE organization.

“A lot of misinformation has been going on about this for a while now,” said spokesperson Joanna Whittier. “It’s no secret the corporation is reviewing options, but there’s certainly been no decision.”

• • •

Youth workers and advocates on Bowen were coming to the defense of Bowen’s ferry riding teens after an article writ-ten for the Victoria Times-Columnist was picked up by the North Shore News and ran in the Vancouver Sun. The Sun also published an editorial relating to the article.

The article stemmed from a decision by B.C. Ferries and West Vancouver School Board to fund a social worker to address the behaviour issues on the Bowen sailings that teens regularly used.

With headlines like, “Bowen Brats” or “Ferries to Babysit Rowdy Teens,” Teen Centre Society chairwoman Jane Kellet and RCMP Cpl. Wayn Mossman were speaking out against B.C. Ferries’ decision and its portrayal in the media.

10 YEARS AGO IN THE UNDERCURRENTThe Cowan point land development was voted in favour

of proceeding at a Monday evening council meeting. While the mayor voted against it and two members of the Johnstone family (neighbours of the Cowan point develop-ment) expressed concerns over the development, developer Wolfgang Duntz was given the ok to proceed.

• • •In the early morning hours of July 27, 2004, two cars were

stolen on Bowen Island. Noone was apprehended and results of forensic tests were still forthcoming. Police were using the incident as a reminder to residents to lock their vehicles.

— Compiled by Maureen Sawasy


The Minerva Foundation for B.C. Women is pleased to announce that nominations for their ninth annual Women In awards are now open.

A recent press release from the organization noted that Women In is the foundation’s annual signature event, which honours women for their significant contributions to non-traditional fields. This year, Minerva is recognizing four women in the field of energy.

For the purpose of these awards, the definition of “energy” includes electricity, oil and gas, energy effi-ciency and conservation, and alternative fuels. At the event, two honourees will receive awards for commu-nity leadership and excellence; one for her role as a volunteer or philanthropist; and another, the inaugu-ral Emerging Leader award.

Presented by Scotiabank, the awards luncheon will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver, on November 26. All finalists and winners will be invit-ed to attend, along with more than 400 senior busi-

ness and community leaders. Adine Mees, CEO at the Minerva

Foundation,noted in the release that this is a unique opportunity to celebrate women leading the way in a vibrant and growing sector in the province.

To nominate an outstanding woman, check out the eligibility criteria and nomination form on Minerva’s website: theminervafoundation.com.

Nominations close on September 26.Tickets to the event will be available in September.About the Minerva Foundation for BC WomenThe Minerva Foundation for B.C. Women is a

charitable organization that delivers a range of pro-grams to help women develop their leadership capac-ity and find meaningful work, noted the release.

This includes education awards for women in need, mentoring and coaching, job search support and culturally relevant programming developed and delivered in partnership with aboriginal women, stated the release.

Colin Girouard works out at Crippen Regional Park last week using a cardio rope. He does this workout most mornings during the week. Girouard is a personal trainer who has been living on Bowen Island for a month. Stefania Seccia, photo

Beware of bat bitesAlthough bats are a valuable part of the B.C. ecosystem, Vancouver Coastal

Health Public Health is warning people to stay away from the furry creatures as they can carry rabies, a fatal disease that affects the central nervous system.

In a recent press release, VCH notes that if a bat is infected with rabies it can transmit the disease to humans when its saliva comes into contact with a person’s mucus membranes (eyes, nose, mouth) or through a break in the skin. The most recent human case of rabies in B.C. linked to a bat strain of the virus was in 2003 and it was fatal.

Dr. Meena Dawar, medical health officer, noted in the release that VCH is advising people to avoid physical contact with bats, dead or alive, and to seek immediate medical attention if they have been scratched, bitten, or have had any physical contact with a bat. While rabies can be prevented with a vaccine if given soon after exposure to the virus, immunization is ineffective once symp-toms develop, stated Dawar.

Though rabies in bats is uncommon, in the last year five bats in B.C. tested positive for the disease.

One of those bats was found in Vancouver’s Kitsilano area. Overall, four to eight per cent of bats sent for testing from B.C. are found to carry rabies, although it is estimated the incidence of rabies among bats in the wild is lower.

Randy Ash, senior environmental health officer, said in the release that some people find an injured or sick bat and try to nurse it back to health.

A bat acting unusually may be more likely to be infected with rabies, so this practice is risky, he noted. The majority of human contact with bats hap-pens between July and September when bats are most active and juveniles are weaned, he added. Prevention tips:n Do not touch live or dead bats.n If you know of bats living in a building and would like to learn more about whether you need to or how to safely evict them, see www.bcbats.ca.n Avoid locations or activities where bats are likely to be encountered (e.g. caves).n If you have a pet dog, cat or ferret make sure that it is vaccinated regularly against rabies.n Warn children about the risks of exposure to rabies (e.g. not approaching wildlife or handling bats).

In the Lower Mainland, injured bats can be reported to the Wildlife Rescue Association at 604-526-7275. On the Sunshine Coast, injured bats can be reported to the Gibsons Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre at 604-886-4989.

People who have been bitten or scratched by a bat (or other possibly rabid animal), or who have handled a bat should immediately do the following:n Thoroughly wash the bite or scratch with soap and water, using lots of water to flush the wound.n In the case of handling a bat, wash hands thoroughly.Seek medical attention right away.n If the bat is still alive and available, have a wildlife expert capture it and contact VCH at 604-675-3900 for testing. If the bat is dead, simply contact VCH.

Other mammals in B.C. such as skunks, foxes, raccoons and coyotes do not carry rabies.

Although if people are bitten by them they should still see a doctor to ensure they are not at risk of bacterial infections.

VCH is responsible for the delivery of $3.2 billion in community, hospital and residential care to more than one million people in communities including Richmond, Vancouver, the North Shore, Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky corridor, Powell River, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.

Group asks for nominations

HEALTH &WELLNESS

Dr. Gloria ChaoFamily Dentist

Artisan Square • 604-947-0734Alternate Fridays 10am-4:30pm

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BOWEN ISLANDWELLNESS CENTRE604-947-9755CATHERINE SHAWDr. Traditional ChineseMedicine/Acupuncturist

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Creating a handmade piece of historyMERIBETH DEENEDITOR

Curiosity and experimentation have brought 22-year-old Teo Ploias a summer job that includes sourcing stone and wood, and target shooting.

The job is the making and selling of bows arrows that not only shoot, but are historically accurate.

Ploias and his cousin Robert Torok Szasz have been selling bows and arrows for roughly six months. Their company, Bowen Bows, operates out of a corner of Ploias’s father’s basement work-shop in Bluewater.

As a kid, Ploias says he had a bow but not a very good one. Szasz says he always wanted a bow, but never had one until his cousin taught him how to make one.

Ploias made his first bow last summer.“I was down at the beach with some friends and decided to

make one just for fun,” he says. “I finished it and it looked quite beautiful, but it didn’t shoot that well. I figured if I did some research and put some time into it, I could actually make some-thing really good.”

Ploias delved into his history books to find the specifics of var-ious kinds of bows made in various periods and places, and how to best recreate them.

The Neolithic Holmegaard bow, discovered in the Holmegaard bogs of Denmark, is wide-limbed, a powerful shot, and originally made form elm.

The Bowen Bows version is made with rock maple and covered in rawhide.

Ploias has also crafted short re-curved bows that would have been used by the Mongols riding on horseback.

To learn to shoot and test the effectiveness of the bow, Ploias shot out of the back of a dinghy while his father drove it.

On his back deck, Ploias is storing a large piece of yew that he plans on making an English bow with.

“I think there might be two yew trees on Bowen,” says Ploias. “This is from one of them.”

Seventeen-year-old Szasz has gravitated towards the making of arrows (“fletching”). To make the shafts he uses arrowwood (oth-erwise known as oceanspray) collected locally, straightened over a fire or candle.

For an arrow based on those that would have been made in the Stone Ages, he is waiting for a friend to bring a chunk of obsidian from Oregon.

He’s also used chunks of random deer bone, found around

Teo Ploias and Robert Torok Szasz test out some of their handmade bows and arrows. The Bowen Island cousins have started a company called Bowen Bows, for which they make and sell bows and arrows. Meribeth Deen, photos

Bowen, for arrowheads. As well as shale from a quarry in Jervis inlet which, says Ploias, hasn’t been used for this pur-pose for probably 300 years. In six months, Ploias and Szasz say they have sold 10 bows, and right now, they have more

orders than they can keep up with. They say there are no particular long-term plans for

Bowen Bows, but they are enjoying the process of learning their craft, and are open to where ever it might take them.

WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM FRIDAY August 1 2014 • 11

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CONNECTING COMMUNITIES


What is your favourite spot on Bowen Island?

Daly ThompsonBowen Island

“The Apodaca (Provincial Park) trail. I went there a ton when I was little.”

Josie HuskissonBowen Island

“Killarney Lake, it’s a really good trail I run and walk it a lot. In winter it freezes over, it’s all ice. It’s really beautiful.”

Grady HuskissonBowen Island

“I like the rope swing at Grafton Lake.”

John WhatleyEast Vancouver

“Crippen Regional Park. We bring our big group of (day camp) kids out here.”

Bowen Island isn’t just a beautiful spot in the Pacific to live, work and play, it’s also a favourite destination spot for mainlanders want-ing to experience island liv-ing. The 52-square-kilome-tre island bustling with for-ests, beaches and rural living has many public and secret spots both tourists and locals like to traverse. There are plenty of activities borne from the natural beauty of the island, including kaya-king, swimming, sailing, shopping, dining and hik-ing. With so much to offer, it’s often difficult to pick one favourite spot.

— Stefania Seccia

Wil ThompsonBowen Island

““Mt. Gardner Dock.”

INQUIRING REPORTER

A mullein plant grows in a North vancouver neighbourhood. The plants can reach up to three metres. Mike Wakefield, photo

MERIBETH DEENEDITOR

Back in January, it looked as though the Belterra co-housing develop-ment was likely to be populated by retirees and empty nesters.

At that time there was only one family with one child that had pur-chased a unit in the development. Now, with construction under way and the first building set for completion at the end of October, there are a total of eight children who will soon be calling Belterra home.

“We were pretty upset for a while because families weren’t sign-ing up,” says developer Roger McGillivray. “So we’re happy to see this change. There are also two units left and they’re designed for families so I hope that’s how it pans out.”

Carmen Yamashita and her husband John are planning to move to Bowen this summer, even though their new home is months away from completion, so that their three kids can start the school year at BICS.

“We found out about co-housing a little more than a year ago, and went to a meeting for a co-housing project in Vancouver but we were priced out,” she says. “When we found out about Belterra, I thought it looked like heaven, but at that point Bowen looked more like a great place to go on holiday instead of a place to live. The obstacles that come with living on an island made it seem unrealistic.”

The main obstacle, says Yamashita, is that her husband has to com-

mute to Surrey four days straight (followed by four days off) for his job with the RCMP.

“We’re calling him the sacrificial dad,” she says. “But he’s four days on, four days off, so when he’s not working he’ll really get to enjoy life here.”

Yamashita will also commute three days per week to her job as a teacher-librarian at Bayview elementary in Kitsilano.

She says that when the couple first decided to take the plunge and buy in to Belterra, they were only slightly concerned that the develop-ment seemed to be heavily populated by older people instead of with kids.

“I figured, there’s a school on Bowen with 350 students, so there is no shortage of local kids,” says Yamashita. “Also, when we came to visit Bowen and were walking some of the local trails, I noticed my kids were afraid of mud and slugs, so I thought it would be really great for them to live in a place where they could reconnect to nature.”

Yamashita says that since other families have bought in to Belterra, they’ve had a chance to get to know them and the kids have already developed connections.

“My son, who’s in Grade 2, is the most hesitant to move to Bowen because he doesn’t want to leave his friends, but there’s another fam-ily moving into Belterra with a son his age and they hit it off instantly,” says Yamashita. “There are also two girls slated to be moving in, and my daughter Josie is very excited to meet them.”

Family considers local co-housing option

Carmen Yamashita and her kids Isaac, Nikko and Josie are set to move to Bowen Island soon. Roger McGillivray, photo

friday, august 1, 2014

Documents

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lot of people

smaller bowen queen

o clock ferry

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