FRIDAY NOVEMBER 9 2012 • 5
WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM
A trip home on the small, but speedy, Bowen Queen
Synopsis of events at Seymour Bay Park lands
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On Saturday, November 3, Wolfgang Duntz invited members of the commuity to come and take a look at the work that has been done at Seymour Bay Municipal Park. He was also on hand to answer questions. Submitted photo lished, which has yet to meet. Because the developers (Wolfgang Duntz and Darren Jennings) were elected to council in 2011, there are also attendant concerns about potential conflicts of interest, due process and independence of council/ staff. Additionally, since the head municipal planner, community planner and Greenways Committee were all removed from office in the first five months of this council’s term, and the previous CAO resigned, the municipality has reduced capacity and limited corpo-
rate memory to now effectively resolve the Seymour Bay Park issues. Meanwhile, council made no progress in replanting native vegetation, defining and resolving design/as-built flaws, ensuring public safety and returning the park to its original condition as a passive, natural state ocean front public park. Given the situation, I believe that an independent public inquiry conducted by senior governments (Islands Trust or the province) is warranted. Doug Hooper
Drastic changes to beach without public consultation To the Editor:
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olfgang Duntz says he had to make drastic changes to the romantic beach at Seymour Bay, because the trees were destabilizing the slope. I thought that trees stabilize slopes but I am no expert. I was there lately and I could not believe what happened to that special place, where my son’s wedding took place a few years back. I know one thing: we would not want to hold a wedding at that bleak place today.
But I remembered way back when Duntz was talking about a hotel he wanted to build between the golf course and the beach and his vision of a passenger ferry docking at Seymour Bay, to bring golfers from downtown and connect the south and westside of the island to a shorter commute. For that, the changes would make sense: water view for the hotel and a cleaned-up beach for a dock. We will wait and see what happens next. But why such a drastic change to a public beach could take place without
public consultation is beyond my understanding of all those promises of openness. I just hope that council did not allow the developers at Roger Curtis to conveniently forget that we have a right to beach access. That is the minimum we can expect. I was there several times this summer. People use what little access we have so far, even if it is not accessible for seniors. Council is bound to preserve our interest with developers, in spite of their own interests. Imke Zimmermann
her 25,000th cup of coffee. That’s an ’ve written columns on the ferry unofficial tabulation, but by our math but always on our beloved Queen accurate. of Capilano; at least I don’t think We’re talking about how I’m pretty I’ve written one on the Bowen Queen. sure the Mayne Queen was on the That seems somehow unfair, though Saltspring run in the late 70’s and I’m aware that given ferries can’t feel early 80’s when I used to go over left out that having a concern for such to Saltspring from Victoria to play a thing is a little immature. in blues bands. Many times played At any rate, here I am on November Saltspring with Uncle Wiggly’s Hot 7, 2012 on the 7:30 crossing to Snug Shoes Blues Band, also in the Rockin’ Cove. I only missed the 6:30 by a Devils (I made up that name), Elmore’s handful of cars, which quite naturally Bar and Grill (that one, too, and that was annoying. This brings us to the band still playing in Victoria) and with main thing that the most of us have the legendary Chicago blues guitarist, against the Bowen Queen, her size. the late Hubert Sumlin. She’s too petite for the gig. I recall running around the deck in I looked the numbers up in anticithe wind of the Mayne Queen pation of writing a Lane on with one of our sax players, the ferry today, and our reguslow Dave ‘the Duck’ Rouse, and guilar ferry, built in 1991, is 96 lane tarist West Coast Comerford. m. long and takes on 85 cars, I’ve asked those guys to come while this ferry, built in 1965, over to Bowen and play but is 85 m. long and fits 70 cars. so far it hasn’t happened. Her distinct lack of size causes Somehow I feel almost as excitoverflow. I only made it on the ed about the prospect of sitting 12:30 today by two cars and yet on the exact same shaped ferry was parked on the top crest of together again, as playing with the hill just a few cars in from them. where they painted that new I can’t do it. I can’t get up to cross-hatched section a few see who else is here. Got no bonhomie years ago. left for the day. Worked then went to Now I don’t like it that the Bowen an audition for a Wisk commercial, Queen has two sections to sit in so as a scientist. Think it’s gonna be a you have to go upstairs and around funny commercial and believe it to be and down again to get from one to the other. This means you might be in one a U.S. national, which are lucrative, but they shoot in Toronto and will see section and super interesting people actors here and there, and maybe in might be in the other section, like Montreal, Calgary, even Winnipeg, so say Vale Henriques and his amusing it’s a long shot, but you never know. brothers, Hudson and Caius, and you By the way, I love Wisk detergent: wouldn’t even know it. Wisk gives your clothes a deep down On this day, I’m too tired to run clean. about talking to people, frankly. Katey Let that be the theme of this colMcGregor, doing homework sits umn: pandering. There’s no more time nearby. Good for her, making use of for anything else anyhow because the ferry time and not just goofing off texBowen Queen’s most distinctive attriting someone. Mimi Jones is here but beyond that I’m so fatigued that I don’t bute besides her lack of car space, is her speed. She zips along and already even know who I saw coming up. I’m we are there. near the little cafeteria, ably staffed by We’ve all had uneventful ferry rides Lynn Wakelin this shift. Just asked and Lynn who says we get and now you’ve read about one. our boat back somewhere between the 17th and 20th. She also told me the Bowen Queen has a sister ship, the Mayne Queen, Bruce Wright McArthur which runs around on the “The Eagle” South Gulf Island routes. April 28, 1946 – November 3, 2012 Lynn, who’s been with Bruce had a brain B.C. Ferries for 18 years, aneurysm and left keeping us fed and enterus November 3rd. tained, recently served
B o w e n I s l a n d M u n I c I pa l I t y
ELLIOTT, Gordon Dugald Evans
Water Main Flushing
May 1, 1930 – November 4, 2012
As part of its regular water system maintenance program, the Municipality will flush water mains in Bowen Bay, Blue Water Park, Cove Bay, Eagle Cliff, Hood Point, King Edward Bay and Tunstall Bay from November 13 – December 7, 2012. This procedure is necessary to remove sediment that gradually deposits in the pipes and will not pose a health hazard. Municipal staff will try to minimize any inconvenience. Flushing will take place 7 days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in most neighbourhoods. Every effort will be made to ensure that water quality is not affected but some turbidity and higher than normal chlorine concentrations may be present for short periods of time. Running your tap briefly should clear this up. In addition, temporary pressure fluctuations may occur. For more information call Bob Robinson, Superintendent of Utilities at 604-947-4255. Reminder It is recommended that water users with compromised immune systems ensure that their drinking water is boiled, filtered or distilled. Public Works
Gordon Elliott passed away unexpectedly at the age of 82. Gordon was a longtime resident of Bowen Island. In 1960, the Elliott’s bought their first family home on the island, next door to the Bowmart. The home is now Tuscany’s Restaurant. In 1976, they started building a home in Grafton Bay and moved there permanently in 1992. They began Elliott’s Donkey Farm – a favourite field trip destination for Island school children. Gordon will be missed by his wife Pat, his six children, Mark, Brock, Ross, Guy, Kent, Jan, their spouses, 17 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren and his sister-in-law Jolyne and niece Susan. A service for Gordon will be held at Mount Seymour Golf Course at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, November 9, 2012.
For InForMatIon call 604-947-4255
Marcus Hondro
Dear Editor: here is a lot of detailed information emerging about what has happened on the municipality’s Seymour Bay Park lands. Photographs and video from Seymour Bay Park taken on Saturday, November 3, can be viewed at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/t91dyszn8a9gah9/ lm_Q8pPsdQ?m. To help people understand the situation, here’s a brief synopsis: Municipal ocean front park lands on the south side of Bowen Island were clear cut and modified by the developers in August 2011 to install a storm water system for their upland subdivision. Impacts on park use and public safety were noted by the council committee mandated to monitor public parks and trails and reported to staff and council from January to April, 2012. Despite direct inquiries and even a formal freedom of information request, the committee was not able to establish that proper authorizations to conduct the work were in place. Additionally, the committee review raised questions about whether the municipality properly monitored the works and is acting in a timely manner to mitigate impacts and enforce park remediation. The committee was dismissed by council in April 2012 and a replacement committee estab-
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Many people on Bowen Island and in Vancouver will miss this real life character, his ‘eccentricities’ and his quick wit. Especially missing him are his sisters Dannie and Suzie (Mark), his daughter Alix (Brad), his niece Kate Naphtali, his aunt Barb Wright and his cousins Sandy (Louise), Bill, Laura and Helen (Rick) Wright. Born to Herb and Helen McArthur, Bruce’s escapades growing up, as “the Eagle” in Vancouver, were the stuff of legends. He spent most of his adult life on Bowen Island entertaining his longstanding friends with his unique gift of storytelling and entertaining himself with his interests in writing and painting. He was an unforgettable character and loved by many. A celebration of his life will be announced at a later date.