FRIDAY JAN. 4, 2013 VOL. 38, NO. 34
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What’s ahead?
Elected officials and organizations share their plans for 2013
Hodgepodge
It’s not too late to wish the columnist a happy birthday
Train up for Sun Run
Clinic helps you get in shape for 10 km run or walk
Snug Cove House ready for next step SUSANNE MARTIN EDITOR
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ple in the ferry line-up don’t go into businesses to spent money,” she said. “But that’s not true.” Locals plan to line up early in order to do their shopping, according to Petersen, and tourists are not used to the ferry - they don’t want to venture far from their vehicles after they line up. Both groups are valuable customers that help local businesses survive. “We depend on tourism,” Petersen says. “Bowen is a small market and how much can islanders buy in each store? The Christmas and summer seasons hold us through the rest of the year.” Petersen feels that moving the line-up could have serious consequences for her bottom line. “Just in the last three weeks, people are coming into the store from the line-up, picking out
very year, seniors are moving away from Bowen Island as the majority of homes consist of single-family dwellings, often on difficult terrain, and many health services are a ferry ride away. But is the move made by choice or from necessity? Graham Ritchie, chair of the Snug Cove House Society, believes that there should be a structure and services in place to allow seniors to stay in the community. The society’s goal is to create safe and supportive housing options as well as complementary services for seniors. To that goal, 1.2 acres next to Bowen Court were purchased in 2004 with funds raised by community members. To build a campus of care facility, part of the property will be subdivided and sold and Ritchie said that “now the way is clear to proceed.” “Our plan to sell half our land to raise construction funds had been complicated by the worst real estate market on Bowen in 10 years,” Ritchie said, adding that the society had been looking at various combinations of lot numbers and unit types that would improve the odds of selling the market land. “Bowen’s real estate inventory does not include small multi-family lots and it’s proving difficult to estimate their potential value.
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Brrr! Islanders braved the freezing waters of Bowen Bay at the annual Polar Bear Swim to welcome 2013.
Debra Stringfellow photo
Which marshalling option is good for cove businesses? SUSANNE MARTIN EDITOR
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n the past few months, a number of ferry marshalling options have been presented and discussed in council chambers as well as in the community. Carol Petersen, owner of Nature Encounters Tours & Travel Ltd., with a store situated a few metres away from the ferry line-up, has decided to find out what business owners in Snug Cove think about the different ideas. She has distributed a form that invites comments on whether the businesses are affected by having ferry marshalling close by. She also asks whether business owners would support the ferry line-up staying where it is, if they have seen the various proposed plans and which of them they like.
“I went to the Bowen Island Chamber of Commerce meeting in December to hear about [ferry marshalling options],” Petersen said. “I’ve never been approached as a business owner by council at any time and I’ve been in that store for six years. I’m getting concerned that something is going to happen without any input from businesses in the cove.” Three options were presented at the Chamber meeting - the south side option that sees moving the line-up through Crippen Park south of Trunk Road, the Plan Z that envisions moving ferry marshalling into Crippen Park north of Trunk Road and the so-called Fletcher Plan that includes traffic cirlces. Petersen believes the options would affect traffic to her store negatively. “Someone at the meeting suggested that peo-
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