FRIDAY NOV 2, 2013 VOL. 40, NO. 25
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Last minute business idea
Cheap and tasty in town
Crafty folk
Inspired by a fear of last minute shopping
A new column by Rob Bailey
Vendors to look out for at next week’s Community School Craft Fair
Federal funds help Mannion Bay clean-up Removal of ‘problem vessels’ from Mannion Bay must be completed by March 2014 MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
Volunteers cleaned up a mess of styrofoam off the shoreline of Cape Roger Curtis last weekend. See story, p. 3 Meribeth Deen, photo
Ferry cuts affect Bowen’s weekend runs MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
A cut to the Senior’s discount, a gaming pilot project, a 35 percent cut to minor coastal sailings and cuts to weekend sailings to and from Bowen Island are all part of BC Ferries new strategy to finding $54 million in “efficiency improvements” by 2016. Provincial Transportation Minister Todd Stone announced their new strategy on Monday. On Tuesday Municipal Councillor Alison Morse and representatives from 11 other Ferry Advisory Committees met with officials from both Transport Canada and BC Ferries. Morse says their conversation did not get to the specific changes made to various routes. Officials representing BC Ferries did say that while they are open to alternative ideas, they are committed
the their savings goals on each route. For Bowen, this means a savings of $270 thousand dollars between April 2014 to March 2016. This number includes the revenues lost by ticket sales on cancelled sailings. “We know that they haven’t done any social-economic impact analysis when they decided what routes to cut and when,” says Morse. “And they didn’t take into account the number of foot passengers on the cut sailings, only the number of vehicles.” Cuts the early morning sailings to and from Bowen on both Saturday and Sunday could mean that people who work weekends and shifts won’t be able to get to their jobs. Cuts to the last ferry from Bowen on Saturday evening could impact restaurants that host visitors who come here for dinner.
With a total of $30 thousand to do the job, the process of removing “problem vessels” from Mannion Bay is now underway. Half of that money is coming out of the Municipal budget, but the other half has been acquired through funding from Transport Canada. Bowen Island’s chief bylaw officer, Bonny Brokenshire, calls this funding a ‘profound success’ representative of the collaboration and persistence of community groups and the Municipality, but says it is likely more money will be required to complete the process. The Municipality’s efforts to clean up Mannion Bay have been supported by both the Bowen Island Fish and Wildlife Club as well as the Friends of Mannion Bay. Tim Pardee, the president of the Fish and Wildlife Club says that the Bay acts as a protective habitat for mature salmon fry making their way from the Bowen hatchery to the open ocean. It is also a place where the salmon linger before returning to Bowen’s streams and rivers. Brokenshire adds that debris from old boats and docks can land in eelgrass and alter that environment which is so important to young forage fish such as herring and smelts. Bruce Russell with the group Friends of Mannion Bay says that people living aboard boats in the Bay make it hard for locals to enjoy the beach. “I’ve heard it called ‘Poo Bay,’” says Russell. “Some of these boats haven’t moved for 20 years, what do you think the people living on them do with their sewage?”
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Movember Is Here!
“GROW YOUR MO... RAISE SOME DOUGH PARTY” Start your stash November 1st and join us on the last day of the month to have one of our Leaders Of Bowen shave it off for you. Admission is by donation at the door... all proceeds go towards the fight against prostate cancer.
BOWEN ISLAND PUB PRIZES FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30TH 8:00PM - 1:00AM
Ready...Set..Grow!
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All stash growers will re port to the pub to fa ce the blade on Nov. 30!