FRIDAY JAN 03, 2014 VOL. 41, NO. 01
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Watch for more online at: WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM
It’s a wrap
Ring in the New Year
Look what we found!
A year in review for a few Bowen community organizations
With upcoming concerts
Another look at great stuff people got at the Nook in 2013
From pulp and paper to liquid natural gas Woodfibre Pulp and Paper shut down in 2006. A pending proposal could turn it into an LNG export facility, sending 3 to 4 tankers past Bowen every month MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
Baby it’s cold inside (the water)! Swimmers brave Polar Bear dip. Kami Kanetsuka, photo
A former pulp mill near Squamish on the North West shores of Howe Sound may get a chance at a second life as a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) processing and export facility, now that the National Energy Board has approved the company’s application to export LNG. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is now asking for public comment on whether a federal environmenthe chilly waters of Howe Sound for the annual tal assessment is required, and whether the request by the Province of British Columbia to conduct the environmental assessment, should be approved. If the project goes forward, approximately 3-4 tankers – each roughly one and a half times the size of a BC Ferries Coastal Class Ferry (such as the ferries that the age of the patient directly to the paramedics in the travel between Horseshoe bay and driver and passenger seats of the ambulance. Nanaimo) - will pass by Bowen “When we get paged for an emergency, we call the Island every month. Propelled by dispatcher to confirm that we’ve received the message,” natural gas and using diesel as a says Donohue. “When we get into the ambulance, we back-up fuel, the double-hulled get the information collected by the dispatcher as it tankers will carry 2.1 million tonnes comes in.” of liquefied natural gas to China What the new system does not offer is updated softevery year. ware for the GPS system that ensures the ambulance Marion Ngo, the manager of comdrivers take the most direct route emergency locations. munications with Woodfibre Natural For Caring Circle coordinator Colleen O’Neil, this is Gas Ltd., says the project is still in a major concern. the early phases of planning, so elements regarding technology, engicontinued, PAGE 2 neering and impacts of the projects
Bowen’s new ambulance comes with new computer, but lacks GPS updates MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
T
he BC Ambulance Service Station 225 was unusually busy in the lead up to New Year’s eve this year. Paramedic Brendan Donohue says that during his shift between midnight on December 29th and midnight on December 30th, he responded to four calls, which, he says, is unusual during the typically slow winter season. Donohue drove to those calls in the station’s new ambulance, which is equipped with a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system. This device relays all the information collected through the telephone dispatcher, such as the address, the type of emergency, and
are yet to be determined. Many of those details will be revealed through the environmental assessment process, whether it is conducted by the Federal government, Provincial government or both. However, Ngo says Woodfibre is expecting BC Hydro to provide the power needed to compress the natural gas into liquid form (the gas needs to be cooled to approximately -160 degrees Celcius). Peter Frinton, Bowen’s representative to the Sea to Sky Clean Air Society, says while the Society is concerned about the re-industrialization of Howe Sound in general, the use of hydro as a source of power largely alleviates concerns about localized air pollution. “We really need to know the specifics,” says Frinton, “but I think if they were burning natural gas to power their plant they would likely face a lot more opposition. From my personal perspective, I am a lot more concerned about the big picture when it comes to air quality, and questions about say, greenhouse gas emissions created through the natural gas industry as a whole.” Merran Smith, the Bowen-based director of Clean Energy with Tides Canada, says that the thing to remember about LNG is that it is a fossil fuel. continued, PAGE 2
DED is now Detectable and Treatable
Parkade
Fresh Street Market formerly Safeway
Clyde Ave Savary Island Pie Co.
16th Street
Marine Drive
210-1555 Marine Dr West Vancouver 604.922.0413 www.optomeyes.ca Easy Access- Next to Savary Island Pie Co.
Marine Dr ive
15th Street
Shoppers Drug Mart
“Dry Eye Disease (DED) is one of the most under-diagnosed ocular diseases, and yet it is the most common reason why patients go see their Eye Doctor” Dr. Bowden says. Dry eye occurs when eyes do not produce the correct quantity or quality of tears. Many people mistake the dry eye symptoms for allergies, climatic conditions or just “eyestrain”. Your eyes need a constant layer of tears—called the “tear film”— to maintain and protect the ocular surface. In Dry Eye, underlying changes to the health of the tear glands can result in a change in the quantity and quality of the tears you make. This results in a tear film that can no longer provide enough nourishment or protection to the surface of your eye. This can lead to damage of your eye’s surface, which, in turn, can lead to the symptoms of Dry Eye such as; stinging, burning, scratchy sensation, sensitivity to light, tearing, tired eyes, and difficulty wearing contact lenses. DED causes blurred vision, often worsening at the end of the day or after focusing for a prolonged period on a nearby task like a computer screen. Optomeyes Eye Doctors now have a diagnostic test that aids in accurate and early detection of Dry Eye Disease. “We can quantitatively monitor the disease severity and can intervene early in the disease process. This helps us custom prescribe therapies that work for each individual” says Dr. Bowden. If you suffer from dry eye, talk us about treatment options.