FRIDAY SEPT. 27, 2013 VOL. 40, NO. 18
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Lordess of the Rings
Recycling deadline
Bye Bye Beardie
Lord of the Rings female combat instructor now teaching on Bowen
Like most of B.C., BIM is rejecting a deadline for a new recycling program
Jump to page 7 to see what Eddie Weismiller looks like without his beard
Signs, signs, everywhere there’s signs Bowen Island’s excessive signage is making the community confusing to visitors, according to local politicians looking to pluck the placards TYLER ORTON CONTRIBUTOR
Bowen Island Municipality (BIM) is looking for a sign. In a bid to make the island more accessible to visitors, councillors have ordered a review of all the redundant and unfriendly signage dotting the streets. Coun. Andrew Stone presented a slideshow to council on Sept. 23 showcasing some of the unnecessary road signs strewn about the island. One picture featured a speed bump, a painted road and multiple warning signs to motorists indicating a crosswalk up ahead. “The implied effect of that is that the person who is approaching that sign is too stupid to know that there’s a crosswalk there,” he told council. In addition to redundancy, Stone Redundant, contradictory and unfriendly signs are filling Bowen Island with “visual garbage,” noted another problem was the lack according to one local councillor who wants to see unnecessary signage removed Submitted photo of standardization of signs on Bowen Island that he said “just leads to visual garbage.” Acting Mayor Tim Rhodes said there are also problems with a lack of signage at certain points on the island. “There really is nothing that helps provinces of the U.S and Canada. The owner of the SUSANNE MARTIN a new visitor or a tourist on the Bowen Island Coffee Roasting Company has been invit- island (after getting off the ferry),” he CONTRIBUTOR ed to participate in the 2013 America’s Best Espresso told council. Gino Rutigliano’s espresso will again be compared Competition that is part of Coffee Fest, an annual trade “While we have a proliferation of to the brews of competitors in the western states and signs, there are also signs we should continued, PAGE 3
Bowen Island espresso wizard aims to give his rivals a brews’ing at coffee competition
have on Bowen.” Stone said he agreed with Rhodes. “Signage — if it’s done correctly — that’s encouraging and helpful will hopefully be good for the economy as opposed to telling people what they should or shouldn’t do,” Stone said. BIM’s development and operations manager Keith Walhstrom told council much of the issue comes down to regulations and enforcement. “A lot of signs are there because of people not respecting what should be an obvious choice. People should not park next to a concrete barrier, but they do,” he said. “If you don’t have (regulatory signs,) then you can’t enforce.” Stone suggested one solution may be to get rid of some signs warning against illegal car maneuvers, such as U-turns, and instead impose random law enforcement checks on problem roads. Although councillors briefly spoke about hiring a firm to conduct a sign audit, it will be up to the BIM’s advisory design panel and advisory planning committee to review the signage situation first. Meanwhile, one ongoing project bound to catch the attention of both residents and visitors is a sevencontinued, PAGE 2