FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13 2015 VOL. 42, NO. 06
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Watch for more online at: WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM
Love languages
How to say “I love you” so that your partner will really hear you
The future of God
Spirituality in the age of complexity and social progress
Mini Gala
Sneak peaks for those of you who have yet to pop into the Gallery
Enthusiastic response to Visitor’s Survey presentation MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
Bowen Island Library’s tech tutor, Leo Pedersen, working with Debra Bram. The tech tutor program has been running for three years in order to help members of the community use technology for their social, financial, employment, educational, and recreational benefit. Tina Nielsen, photo
King gears up to keep Bowen Express running past refit period MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
The week of January 5, the first week of life with the Bowen Queen and the first week Peter King drove commuters downtown and back to Horseshoe Bay in the afternoon, the Bowen Express bus transported 322 passengers. By the end of the first week in February that number had increased to 438 passengers. These numbers are giving King confidence that he can keep the bus running on his own even when the Queen of Capilano comes back to route 8 with increased vehicle capacity. “People who normally drive are saving money. They’re getting downtown faster than they would if they drove, and they get to FIRST CREDIT UNION R001974656 BI03
sleep-in, because they no longer have to park in the ferry line-up,” says King, adding that his best time from downtown to Horseshoe Bay on a Friday afternoon is 19 minutes. “I’ve had people tell me they’ve given up their parking spot in Horseshoe Bay, others who say they’ve stopped using Car2Go.” Currently, the bus gets a free ride back on the 6:30 p.m. ferry to Snug Cove at the end of every weekday. King says this is worth about $100 each day to B.C. Ferries and he has been told that such a deal will not be available to him once the Queen of Capilano is back in service. The bus also gets preferential loading, so currently there is a guarantee that it won’t be overloaded. continued, PAGE 2
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Bowen is peaceful, beautiful, relaxing and oh so close to Vancouver... Bowen Islanders know these things, but 58 of them were reminded of it on Friday while watching an hour-long presentation by Edward Watchman and Sheree Johnson on the Visitor Exit Survey at the Bowen Island Pub. “I think the whole island should hear about the positive image that Bowen has for the people who come here,” says Economic Development Committee (EDC) member Jacqueline Massey. “Because it is our everyday, I think people tend to forget. But being reminded, I think that the people in the room really started to consider how we can support the values expressed in this survey.” Members of council who were present at the gathering echoed this sentiment. “The responses to the survey are definitely in line with the island’s core values,” says Councillor Melanie Mason. “There has been talk about promoting Bowen as a place of wellness, and with the results of this survey in mind, that makes sense. If you look at the new families on Bowen, with acupuncturists, yoga teachers, and therapists... they seem to echo that view of what Bowen is all about. I think by developing this sector, we can build Bowen as a year-round destination.” Councillor Gary Ander says the content of the presentation didn’t include anything that he wasn’t already aware of, but it was nice to be reminded. “This kind of information can help us stay focused on where we want to go,” says Ander. “All the business sectors on Bowen are trying to market our island as a place of harmony and solace, but I think council has to back that up by continuing to fund the EDC, and finding money for the branding initiative.” EDC chair Gordon Ganong says now that the awareness of this work is out, the next steps include surveys of both businesses and residents coupled with “business walks” to glean more about what needs to be done to support island enterprises. “The end goal, of course, is a resilient economy,” says Ganong.