FRIDAY DEC 13, 2013 VOL. 40, NO. 28
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Christmas spirit
A book full o’ funnies
The making of...
Traffic-stopping decorations just for fun, and local charity
Ron Woodall’s upcoming book of collected comics
A Christmas concert not to be forgotten
Council questioned over purchasing decisions More than $100 thousand in municipal funds spent with a waive to the standard purchasing policy MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
Christmas decorations made by the kids at Bowen Island Children’s Centre. Debra Stringfellow photo
Survey shows economic impact of potential ferry cuts MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
Of the two hundred and fifteen people who responded to a survey distributed, over two weekends, on the ferry runs which are slated to be cut by April of 2014, one-hundred and thirty four said they were travelling for work. Gordon Ganong, chair of the Bowen Island Economic Improvement Committee says this number goes to show that the cuts will have a drastic impact on Bowen’s economic well-being. Ganong wrote the survey and organized for its distribution by volunteers because, he said, he wanted to know exactly who was riding the affected ferry runs and to hear directly from them about the impact. “One-hundred and thirty-four people might not seem like a very large number,” says Ganong, “But on Bowen we have roughly 1400
households, and if all of the people who use those ferries will have to either quit their jobs or move off island, that means Bowen is losing an excess of $1 million in revenue in exchange for BC Ferries saving $165 thousand.” Among those people who will struggle to get to work if the ferry sailings are cut are nurses, a firefighter, a woman who cares for ten-elderly patients in West Vancouver, a church director, someone who commutes to Bowen to work at the Orchard Recovery Centre, and someone who comes to Bowen to work as a paramedic. Many of the survey respondents noted that they were travelling to the mainland for more than a single purpose, working and socializing, or socializing and doing errands. Ganong says that beyond the simple multiple-choice style answers to the survey, he has collected nine pages of comments written by the people who filled it out.
In the past month, council has approved the purchase of a Bobcat Versahandler with a total cost of more than $70 thousand as well as a contract, worth a maximum cost of $40 thousand dollars, to build a lock-block retaining wall on Bowen Island Trunk road between the BC ferries washrooms and the cenotaph. At council this week, concerned citizen Bill Granger questioned council members as to why they agreed to waive municipal purchasing policies on these decisions, and the appropriateness of using surplus funds to pay for them. “My understanding, from everything I’ve read, from an interview with you (Mayor Adelaar) in the Undercurrent, and from my discussions with you individually, is that money is very tight,” said Granger. “So somehow, we suddenly found up to $40 thousand for an additional lock-block wall to be added on to another project? I understand… there may have been some savings in doing this, but the point is there was not money in the capital or the operating budget identified for that purpose.” Kirsten Watson, the municipality’s manager of finance, says the money for the project comes from the 2013 budget for roads and capital work which has not been fully expensed this year. “We weren’t planning on this project,” says Watson, “the work being done by BC Ferries on the sewer main presented an opportunity for us to widen the sidewalk.”
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Christmas at the Ruddy FFestive Foods:
Christmas Dinner:
• Organic fair trade chocolates • Stollen, panettone & Christmas cakes • Ruddy Kitchen appetizers & baked treats
• Complete turkey dinners from the Ruddy Kitchen • JD Farms natural turkeys • Handmade Tourtiere • All the veggies • Fresh pies, cream & ice cream • Sparkling organic juices
Gifts & Stocking Stuffers! Ruddy Potato in Village Square
604.947.0098
www.ruddypotato.com