Issuu

FRIDAY DECEMBER 18, 2015 VOL. 42, NO. 47

including GST

Watch for more online at: WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

Christmas lights

Your complete guide to everything Christmas on Bowen on page 3

Life on the Rock

Edythe Hanen returns to the Undercurrent with a special column on page 4

It’s No Big Thing

Local author Nick Faragher’s new novel reviewed on page 6

Permanent home urged for Loggers Sports Tim Shoults CONTRIBUTOR

The kids of Cates Hill Chapel rehearse for their Christmas pageant this Saturday (Dec. 20), one of many Christmas activities this coming week. See page 3 for more on Christmas events all over the Island.

Photo submitted

New management and maybe more money for Visitor Info Centre

Tim Shoults

CONTRIBUTOR

The Bowen Island Visitor Centre torch has officially been passed from the Bowen Island Arts Council (BIAC) to Tourism Bowen Island (TBI) – and the centre may have more money to open longer in 2016. Jacqueline Massey of BIAC presented the Visitor Centre’s annual report to Bowen Island municipal council Monday (Dec. 14). BIAC took over operation of the Visitor Centre, located in the Boulevard Cottage on Cardena Road in Snug Cove, in 2012 from the Chamber of Commerce. This past year, BIAC worked in partnership with TBI to identify visitor needs. Massey told council that in 2015, more than 6,300 visitors came through the Visitor Centre while it was open daily between Victoria Day weekend and the Labour Day weekend – an increase of 9 per cent over 2014 numbers – while another 300 people came to the Centre during weekends in September. That compares to a 30 per cent drop in visitor info centre numbers for the Vancouver Coast Mountain area. The Centre is funded primarily by a $12,000 grant from the municipality, supplemented by sales of art and sharing the space with Caring Circle, with most of the expenses going to staffing.

Financial support from TBI kept the centre open on weekends in September this year. Massey said the BIAC was thankful for the opportunity to run the centre for the past four years, but “we think it makes sense” that TBI takes it over. “We look forward to continuing to build cultural tourism on Bowen Island through our own activities.” Murray Atherton of TBI told council the organization is ready and willing to take over. TBI became a registered non-profit society in 2014. It now has more than $14,000 in the bank, and will work with Destination BC on tourism marketing efforts for which it received matching dollars of $7500 last year and this year. It also took over the new tourismbowenisland.com website to submit information on Bowen Island events to other tourism sites and isworking to establish a greater social media presence. Atherton noted the September visitor centre opening cost TBI $800 to run this year. He asked to increase the municipal grant to $15,000 next year to allow TBI to extend operation to daily in September next year, noting that that month is now Vancouver’s busiest month in hotel occupancy.). Council voted unanimously to turn management of the visitor centre over to TBI in 2016 and also to include the $15,000 grant figure in its 2016 budget process.

Bowen Island Municipality will look at turning part of its land on Cowan Point into a permanent home for Loggers Sports, though work may not start quite as quickly as the event’s creator might like. Gary Anderson, who created the inaugural Loggers Sports show during this past summer’s Bowfest celebrations, made an impassioned presentation to municipal council Monday night (Dec. 14), urging lawmakers to give him the go-ahead immediately so he could start work in January for next year’s show. This year’s Loggers Sports came together on only two weeks’ notice in a temporary location but was a popular success. But in order to thrive as a continuing event, Anderson said, the show needs to be in a permanent place. Anderson and other private contractors are prepared to put in the materials and labour in order to convert about 1.5 to 2 acres of the 20-acre municipal space off Athletic Park Road. The space, which was dedicated to the municipality about 10 years ago, was intended to be converted to a municipal athletic park in the future. Part of it currently serves as the municipality’s public works yard. The improvements would involve leveling a portion of the site and seeding it with grass and creating parking, which would allow other community use outside of the annual show. Anderson confirmed the poles could be off to one side of the site to allow for other uses like mountain biking, horse riding and trail running. Coun. Michael Kaile was supportive of the plan: “It really would be an ideal location,” he said. “Going forward, if it’s all private dollars going into it I think it’s worth taking a look at.” Coun. Sue Ellen Fast noted the municipality’s parks plan update was coming up in 2016 and suggested the plan could be considered during that process, but Anderson urged quicker action, noting that there are no riparian or other environmental issues with the site. “We want to get cracking in January,” he said. “Just make a decision. It’s meant to be a park, not a municipal works site.” Coun. Maureen Nicholson said she attended the show this year and enjoyed it, but said that timeline was “unrealistic for council to consider,” noting that residents living in area would need to be consulted. “I don’t want to discourage you or put a damper on your enthusiasm,” she said. “I’d like for us to figure out a way to go forward.” In response, Anderson pointed to a petition supporting the project he started last week which had already garnered 300 signatures. Mayor Murray Skeels echoed Nicholson: “What we want to do is establish a process where we can deal with this stuff…we can’t do it this way,” he said. “You bring with you a lot of baggage about dealing with government,” said Skeels. “You really don’t expect we were going to approve this right here?” “I kind of hoped so,” replied Anderson. “We could get this approved and all go down to the pub.” Coun. Alison Morse ended up moving that municipal staff work with Anderson in his group and bring a proposal back to council. The motion was carried unanimously.

MODERN HOME FURNISHINGS

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Selected Item Clearance Pricis & n Up to 30% off g Boxing Week Only!

604-904-3939

2 • FRIDAY DECEMBER 18 2015

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NEWS from

Municipal Hall MEETING CALENDAR January 11, 2016 7:15 pm Regular Council Meeting

January 12, 2016 7:15 pm Transportation Advisory Committee Meeting All meetings are held in BIM Council Chambers unless otherwise noted.

Ö BIM SUPPORTS

30/30 PROJECT

On Monday November 23, 2015, Council unanimously supported the 30K/ 30Day project being undertaken by Bowen Island residents through St. Andrews Wesley Church in Vancouver and in collaboration with First Credit Union on Bowen Island. The project seeks to raise funds to aid Syrian refugee families who will be relocating to Vancouver. Funds may be donated through a special account set up at the First Credit Union on Bowen Island. For more information, please visit the 30/30 project https://www.facebook.com/30K30DAY

Ö NEW!!! NEWCOMERS GUIDE

Ö COMMUNITY RECREATION Bowen Island Community Recreation WINTER PROGRAMS START JAN 4TH

PROGRAMS MAY BE ADDED OR CHANGES MADE AS WE MOVE THROUGH A SEASON. YOU WILL FIND MOST PROGRAMS IN THE FALL 2015/WINTER 2016 BROCHURE. THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS ARE ALSO BEING OFFERED THIS WINTER:

NEWLY ADDED/ADJUSTED PROGRAMS BASKETBALL COED 11-13YRS TABATA SPIN SPIN MASTERS IN TRAINING WOMEN 55+ SPIN & CROSS TRAINING 9-12YRS ROLLERHOCKEY BOYS 9-12YRS PRESCHOOL SOCCER 3-4YRS PARENT AND TOT GYMTIME FLOOR HOCKEY ADULT BASKETBALL BADMINTON PARTNER DANCE SALSA/2 STEP

MONDAYS/THURSDAYS THURSDAYS FRIDAYS THURSDAYS THURSDAYS THURSDAYS SATURDAYS SATURDAYS THURSDAYS TUESDAYS MONDAYS MONDAYS

3:00-4:00PM 10:15-11:15AM 9:00-10:00AM 6:15-7:15PM 3:00-4:00PM 4:15-5:15PM 4:30-5:15PM 3:00-4:15PM 8:15-9:30PM 7:45-9:00PM 7:30-9:00PM 6:30-8:30PM

PLAY MORE IN 2016 WITH COMMUNITY RECREATION!

BIM is seeking your input as we work towards producing a newcomers guide. What essential information do newcomers need? What would you like to have known when you moved to Bowen? What did you learn that surprised you? Please submit your ideas and suggestions to mnicholson@bimbc.ca by December 20, 2015.

Ö REMINDER: ICE PATROL & SNOW CLEARING

During winter road maintenance operations, trucks fitted with ploughs and salt/sand dispensers need to be able to manoeuvre freely throughout the island roads. Please ensure that vehicles or other items are not parked on or blocking roadways and/or cul-desacs. When shovelling snow, please do NOT place it onto the Municipal roadways. When clearing your driveway, pile snow to the left side of your driveway (when facing your property) to improve visibility of approaching traffic and to reduce the possibility of snow being pushed across your driveway by plough trucks. Snow and Ice removal from sidewalks are the responsibility of the abutting property owner and must be cleared by 10 am. Despite the best efforts of the crew, conditions can deteriorate and roads can become treacherous. In extreme conditions, residents are advised to stay home, use public transit and proceed with caution.

PLEASE HELP KEEP BOWEN ISLAND ROADS SAFE FOR ALL.

Ö NERP & ESS

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

BIM is seeking volunteers for the “Neighborhood Emergency Response Program” (NERP) and for the Bowen Island “Emergency Social Services” (ESS). These programs are essential parts of our island life in times of emergencies and crisis, if you have previous experience in either program, or possess skills in data collection or IT, your help is urgently needed and appreciated. Inquiries for NERPs can be directed to binerps@gmail.com. Inquiries for the ESS program can be directed to bowenislandess@gmail.com A short introduction to these important community programs will be emailed to you instantly. Thank You!

Ö 2016 GARBAGE/ORGANICS COLLECTION SCHEDULE

The 2016 Garbage/Organics Collection Schedule has been mailed out to Bowen Island households. You can also download the schedule from www.bimbc.ca

Ö BIM HOLIDAY CLOSURE Bowen Island Municipal Hall will be closed for the holiday season from 12:00 noon on Friday, December 24, 2015 and will re-open at 8:30 am on Monday, January 4, 2016.

Ö BOWEN

ISLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY

December 31, 2015 is the deadline for paying outstanding property taxes.

Wishing you and your families a very safe and happy holiday season!

find us on facebook:

Bowen Island Municipality

~ from Mayor Skeels, Council and staff ~

join our mailing list:

www.bimbc.ca General Enquiries

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Monday - Friday, excluding statutory holidays

Phone: Fax: Email:

604-947-4255 604-947-0193 bim@bimbc.ca

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FRIDAY DECEMBER 18 2015 • 3

Christmas Services:

On The Calendar Food for Fines Ongoing to Dec. 23 at the Library Drop off canned foods for the food bank in exchange for fines.

Christmas Pageant Dec. 20 Little Red Church 10:30 am Everyone welcome

Holiday Light Display Endswell Farm Dec. 18 – 20 Park on the road and walk in, hot chocolate and candy canes avail. Donations welcome.

Christmas Tales Dec. 21 Cates Hill Chapel 6:30 pm Features storyteller Justyn Rees, singer/songwriter Russ Rosen, multiinstrumentalist Brett Ziegler and percussionists Kenton Wiens and Calum Rees. Christmastales.ca

Food Bank Fundraiser Dec. 18 The Bowen Island Pub Complimentary appies and drinks with donation to the food bank 30K/30days Campaign Charity event Help a family get a new start in Canada Dec. 19 , 7:30 pm Tir na nog, $35 tix at Phoenix Tumbling with Someone special from the North Pole Dec. 19, 10 am – 12 pm BICS gym $10. No registration needed 604-331-7286 Home Farm Christmas Fayre Endswell Farm Farmhouse Dec. 19, 3 pm-6 pm Pick up crafts and potted Christmas arrangements and enjoy a glass of Christmas cheer! A Very Bowen Christmas Party Dec. 19, 9 pm At the Pub Featuring the Adam Woodall Band Tickets $10

Storyteller Justyn Rees will be at Christmas Tales at Cates Hill Chapel Dec. 21. Sunday School Christmas Pageant Artisan Square Holiday Festival Cates Hill Chapel Dec. 19 All day long, food, music, Dec. 20, 10 am Includes : Gingerbreatd Lane Registration for gingerbread activities TBCA Carol Singlalong 11 am-3 pm at the office Dec 20, 3 pm to 6 pm Bring along a plate of goodies (sweet or savoury). Hot cider and mulled Christmas House Concert Fundraiser wine will be available. BYOB anything for the food bank else. Wear your best/worst Christmas Dec. 20, 3:30 pm sweater! Terry Oswell will play the in the home of Ruta Yawney, piano to lead us in carol singing for the 1591 Tunstall Bld, Tunstall Bay whole family. Christmas Show Christmas Tales Dec. 20, 6:30 p.m. Dec 21, 6:30 p.m. Cates Hill Chapel Cates Hill Chapel Admission by donation Admission by Donation For more information, contact: (604) For more information, contact: (604) 947-4260 947-4260 catesonbowen@gmail.com catesonbowen@gmail.com Christmas Pageant New Years Eve Party The United Church Featuring Ginger 66, Bowen Island Pub Dec. 20, 10:30 Dec. 31 All welcome

Christmas Eve services Dec. 24 Little Red Church 5, 7 and 10 pm The 5 pm service is perfect for those with young children, who will be asked to join along. There will candlelight, lessons and carols at the 7 and 10 pm services. Christmas Eve mass Dec. 24 St. Gerard’s Catholic Church Christmas Eve carols and Sacrament of Penance are from 6:30pm, with mass at 7:30pm. Christmas Day mass Dec. 25 St. Gerard’s Catholic Church 10:30 am New Year’s Day mass Jan. 1 St. Gerard’s Catholic Church 10:30 am

Happy Holidays

Wishing you and your loved ones all the best for the festive season and a healthy, happy & prosperous 2016!

A Year in R eview

Another wonderful year unfolded, demonstrating an even stronger

real estate

market on Bowen Island than the past several years combined. This points to the prospect of continued strong market activity in 2016. It was an ultimate pleasure assisting new comers to Bowen Island purchase their dream homes. As well as, aiding long time residents move on to the next chapter of their lives, by selling their much beloved properties.

Giving Back to Bowen Island

We take pride and are extremely grateful to live & work on Bowen Island. It is important for us to give back to our community. Since launching Living Bowen we have contributed over

$5600 to numerous foundations & councils on Bowen

Island, ensuring that our contribution is utilized to beneﬁt & improve Bowen Island’s community and special way of life. We lo ook forward to fulﬁlling your real estate needs and continuing to give back in 2016. 2

2016 Community Offer ff

A $750 contribution to the Bowen Island Commun nity Foundation will be made for each new listing signed with me between January 1st - April 30th, 2016.

bt@livingbowen.com livingbowen.com

This is not intended to solicit properties proper already listed.

604 947 9738 604 803 0012

4 • FRIDAY DECEMBER 18 2015

viewpoint The Write Stuff. The Undercurrent encourages reader participation in your community newspaper. You must include your full name and a daytime phone number (for verification only). The editor reserves the right to edit for clarity, legality, brevity and taste. Here’s how. To submit a letter to the editor, fax 604-947-0148 or mail it to #102, 495 Government Rd., PO Box 130, Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G0 or email editor@ bowenislandundercurrent.com. National NewsMedia Council. The Undercurrent is a member of the National NewsMedia Council of Canada, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please email editor@ bowenislandundercurrent.com or call 604-947-2442. If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the website at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information.

All Advertising and news copy content are copyright of the Undercurrent Newspaper. All editorial content submitted to the Undercurrent becomes the property of the publication. The undercurrent is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, art work and photographs. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

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Life on The Rock Edythe Hanen

CONTRIBUTOR

Island life: It had its allure. A simple life, we thought; growing our own vegetables, heating with wood, baking bread. We didn’t know much about hauling wood and frozen pipes – not yet, anyway. Or about the Squamish winds that rampaged down Howe Sound, tore through our dreams, taking down power lines and plunging us into darkness, day after day through that first long, cold winter of 1972. I learned to split wood, but not willingly. It was a cold afternoon, threatening snow. All the sounds – the keening of the foghorns in the harbour, the screaming gulls, the hollow echo of the splitting wood in the frozen afternoon – hung in the air like an unspoken question. It was impossible at first. The axe that threw me off balance when I swung it over my head, the unyielding wood. Then came the electrifying moment of triumph when the pieces flew apart with a clean, cold crack. I was a young mother then, marooned during winters on this lonely piece of rock. Young children bound me to my days; my life was filled, overflowed with a thousand small important tasks. There were long afternoons when I sat at the window watching it rain. A few of us women gathered one evening a week to talk about books that we had little time to read. I bought a red geranium for the windowsill. On summer afternoons my children explored forests and beaches, discovered their own magic places and named them: Galosh Gardens, Bird Island, Monkey Beach. In the Cove, pre-dredging, long stretches of mudflats hid arrowheads and coloured beach glass smoothed by tides and time. On summer evenings we swam naked off our old wooden boat, gliding deep into the sea like arrows shot into its shadowy depths. There were few waterfront houses then – no watchful eyes, no laws that we knew about. Cates Hill – unnamed then – was just acres and acres of windy bluffs. One cottage on the hillside above the Cove stood gloriously for years with its white painted tower and flagpole that looked out over the sea; like many others, it finally crumbled into the earth, leaving nothing but memories of another time. The Bowmart, with its row of regulars lined up on their red vinyl stools in front of their newspapers and coffee, arguing over local gossip or the news of the day; the penny candy dropped into little brown paper bags on Saturday mornings with the week’s allowance; the rows of dust-covered cans of beans and peaches and peas that hadn’t seen the light of day for years. Coming home on the water taxi from Expo 86 is one my fondest memories. In one of the hottest summers I can remember, we flew cross the water at midnight under a full moon and a sky awash in a pink and green Aurora Borealis. Each new season arrived with its burgeoning gifts. Fall, with its cool fingers of fog; spring’s scent of sweet blossoms and rain; the summer voices of creeks that rose and tumbled out of hillsides. The grassy field – called the ‘lower horsefield’ – by the sea, where horses wandered, unclaimed and undisturbed. On winter nights we skated on the lagoon under the stars, gas lanterns set out along the water’s edge. For a long time changes were few and far between, but they came. Slowly. One Saturday afternoon we discovered a Bookmobile parked in Snug Cove. Someone opened a restaurant that didn’t close during the winter. A doctor set up a oncea-week clinic. Theatre performances – one in spring and one in fall – became the highlight of island life. There was a joy in the simplicity of those days, a deep pleasure in hunkering down for the onslaught of a fierce windstorm or seeing the winter’s cordwood split and stacked. It couldn’t be just any wood, though. It had to be cedar. Seasoned cedar. Because green wood, Peter Frinton insisted, was grounds for divorce. A lot of that past has vanished into memory now, but this still-wild place with its creeks and slopes and valleys, its high windy ridges will always be home to me. Edythe Hanen is a former editor of the Undercurrent.

#102–495 Bowen Trunk Road, PO Box 130, Bowen Island BC, V0N 1G0 Phone: 604.947.2442 Fax: 604.947.0148 Deadline for all advertising and editorial: Monday, 4:00p.m. www.bowenislandundercurrent.com

Keep Foundation in mind when giving To our fellow Bowen Islanders, Like you, we have been saddened by recent world events. We have watched as refugees have fled war-torn countries, and as terrible acts have shaken a nation. And we have reflected, in the midst of fearful media clips and headlines, on the beautiful and peaceful place that we call home – Bowen Island. We know that we are fortunate. Our connection to our caring community, and our desire to strengthen it so that generations to come will also know its capacity, is what motivates us to reach out to you in support of your Community Foundation. This year, we are more aware than ever that there are many causes in need of support. We respect that many of you have received

Interim Editor Louise Loik

information from a variety of charities. Each one of them is worthy. The Foundation’s mission is to enhance our own back yard, on Bowen Island. With your help, we can make a difference to the people right here in our own community who rely on local charities for support. And we can enhance our island community to the benefit of everyone. When budgeting your valuable charitable dollars, we kindly ask that you keep in mind local needs and opportunities. The Bowen Island Community Foundation is entirely volunteer-driven. Every penny of every dollar donated to the Foundation is either permanently endowed, or granted directly to support local causes. Any administrative expenses, which are

nominal, are donated. For the Foundation, and for the many community initiatives and organizations that we support, every dollar counts. In fact, there is no donation that is “too small” – we appreciate any amount that you are able to give. We are Bowen Island’s community charity, and it is the breadth of our donor support that we rely upon to serve so many island needs. We welcome your participation, your questions and your feedback. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Bowen Island Community Foundation, we wish you a wonderful holiday season with friends and family on beautiful Bowen Island. With gratitude, Soren Hammerberg Chair, Bowen Island Community Foundation

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FRIDAY DECEMBER 18 2015 • 5

Bowen animal affairs: Animals and Christmas Susanna Braund CONTRIBUTOR

Let’s admit it: Christmas goes against the grain. At this dark time of year, when our bodies are telling us to withdraw, so we can rest and recuperate from the stresses of the year, our mad, consumer-driven “first” world demands that we race around faster than any hamster in a wheel. The result? Increased stress levels for everyone in the household. These increased stress levels affect our companion animals too. In fact, the winter holiday season is probably the most stressful time of the year for them. Household rules are relaxed and routine patterns, which most animals really appreciate, are disrupted. There might be extra people in the house, some of them perhaps not comfortable with animals or respectful around them. Some of the rich foods that we humans adore in the holiday season can pose greater health risks to our animals than our regular fare. And the noise of celebrations can be traumatic for our pet cats and dogs and especially for prey animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and mice. We will do well to minimize such causes of stress if we can. Keep your companion animals away from the most boisterous celebrations and maintain their feeding and exercise routines as closely as possible. And if Fido gets extra walks over the holidays, he will likely not complain! One big no-no is the practice of giving kittens or puppies as Christmas presents. Animals do not make good gifts, especially not surprise gifts. The decision to take an animal into the family needs to be taken carefully, with full awareness of the likely commitment of time, money and affection. Here’s a realistic suggestion about the financial implications of having a companion animal: A rough calculation of the annual cost of feeding a cat is $60 per month, i.e. $720 per year. Add in other costs such as visits to the vet for shots, kitty litter and toys, and you are certainly talking about more than $1,000 per year. Dogs are likely

to cost considerably more, since you can’t leave a dog alone as you can a cat, so there will be dog-care costs for most households. A figure of $2,000 per year is not unreasonable. What’s more, the puppy you give might be an animal bred at an unscrupulous puppy mill. If so, it will likely have a whole host of health and psychological issues already – more stress and more expense. Unfortunately, the number of kittens and puppies abandoned or surrendered to animal shelters escalates dramatically in the weeks after Christmas, as people tire of the cute little fluffy thing when it starts chewing shoes or peeing indoors or develops a respiratory infection. If you must give a kitten or a puppy, please discuss it with the recipient first. Strangely, the number of older pets surrendered to rescue agencies goes up in the weeks before Christmas. I don’t understand this, but wonder if people’s travel plans are relevant. (Animals are abandoned all through the summer months too, which must correlate to people taking holidays.) If you are interested in giving the best possible Christmas present to an abandoned animal, please consider welcoming into your home one of the animals waiting for new foster or forever homes locally, maybe choosing an arrival date early in the New Year, after the festivities are over. For example, check out the dogs listed by Dogwood Rescue, a local organization who re-home dogs, young and old, from all over BC and who rescue dogs from high-kill shelters in the US. I speak from experience when I say that the gratitude of abandoned animals is very real: they do seem to understand that they are being given a second chance. Finally, a plea: if you find yourself unable to care for your animal, please don’t just abandon it, but work with the local animal welfare organizations who will do all they can to find a good solution for the animal. May your winter holidays be healthy and happy for all members of your family, human and animal.

Notice The USSC Marina’s Boat launch Ramp will be available by pre-arrangement only during the construction of the new marina garages. The construction may last into early summer. There will be no trailer parking or storage during this period. To make arrangements call 604-947-0707 Thank you Union SteamShip Co. Marina

HAPPY HOUR! Mon - Fri 3pm - 6pm

Allard and Poppy Ockleon were among the 26 reindeer who hoofed their way through the woods Saturday morning (Dec. 13) raising $1,200 (and counting) for the Bowen Island Christmas Hamper as part of the annual Reindeer Walk. Mary Letson photo

Christmas is here at the

USSC Marina Gift Shop

Christmas Ornaments, Santa Stockings, Advent Calendars, Table Linens, Soap, Fudge Sauces, Gourmet & Specialty Food Items, FUN Stocking Stuffers, Board Games & gifts for everyone in your family.

OPEN 7 DAYS a WEEK

Thursday Dec 10th & Thursday Dec 17th

OPEN LATE

for evening shopping until 8:00 pm 947-0707 #2

SUNDAY - Caesar Sunday MONDAY - 2 for 1 Cod Fish & Chips TUESDAY - Closed WEDNESDAY - Closed THURSDAY - Kids Eat Free! (1 free kids meal with the purchase of 1 adult meal) FRIDAY - Free Live Music! Prime Rib Dinner SATURDAY - Something New Every Saturday! Check our Facebook Page for Details! Special Events for December Dec 18th - Martini’s with Sexy Santa (19+yrs) Stay tuned for more info on our New Years Eve Extravaganza

Call for Reservations

(604) 947-0808

6 • FRIDAY DECEMBER 18 2015

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Places of Worship Welcome You Life becomes art BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCH Rev. Shelagh MacKinnon

Service and Sunday School: 10:30 a.m. Collins Hall Bookings: HelenWallwork Minister of Music: Lynn Williams

FOOD BANK DROP-OFF

BOWEN ISLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH Pastor Clinton Neal 1070 Miller Road 604-947-0384 Service 10:30 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m.

ST. GERARD’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Sunday Mass: 10:30 a.m.

Administration Office: 604-682-6774 CATES HILL CHAPEL www.cateshillchapel.com

604-947-4260 (661 Carter Rd.)

10:00 a.m. Worship • Sunday School: Tots to Teens Pastor: Phil Adkins

Early on December 10, my beloved wife, Trixie (Beatrice), quietly slipped away to her eternal peace. She was 79, and we had been married for almost 54 years. She is deeply mourned by her four children, six grandchildren, her brother and sister-in-law, and myself, and by the many other members of her extended family. During the last several years, she was the victim of the gradual, but relentless, mental and physical effects of Alzheimer’s disease. But to the extent possible, she fought those effects with characteristic fortitude and consideration of others. Trixie loved Bowen. She first came here in the summer of 1945 (she vividly recalled the fire bell ringing to signal the end of World War 2). That year, and for some ten years thereafter, her parents rented for July and August one of the hotel cottages along what is now Senator Road in Mannion/Deep Bay. One of the great joys of her life was learning to ride and to take care of the horses at the original Evergreen Stables (the concrete foundations and water trough can still be seen in the long grass just to the north of the riding ring in Crippen Park). Later, in her teens, she happily worked for two or three summers at the old general store, which now houses Bowen’s library. It was the sweet memories of those times that, four decades later, brought her back to Bowen - with myself in the baggage, happy to be where she was happy. Here she watched her family grow with the arrival of each new grandchild. And it was here that, with expert help from others, especially horticulturist Andre Chollat, she was able to give full vent to her lifelong love of gardening. Our little joke was that she had two passions, her family and her garden...and not necessarily in that order. In accordance with her wishes, her body has been donated to the UBC medical school.

REGULAR SCHEDULE BC Ferries REGULAR SCHEDULE December 20 to 29, 2015 In Effect May 15 December to October 13, 2014

▼

5:30 am* 6:30 am%* 7:30 am* 8:35 am 9:35 am# 10:35 am 11:40 am 12:45 pm 3:10 pm 4:15 pm† 5:15 pm * 6:20 pm 7:20 pm* 8:15 pm# 9:10 pm 10:05 pm

VANCOUVER Horseshoe Bay 6:00 am% * 7:00 am* 8:00 am 9:05 am†# 10:05 am 11:05 am 12:10 pm 2:35 pm 3:45 pm 4:45 pm 5:50 pm* 6:50 pm 7:50 pm* 8:40 pm# 9:40 pm

Leave Horseshoe Bay

Leave Snug Cove

BOWEN ISLAND Snug Cove

Distance: 3 NAUTICAL MILES Crossing Time: 20 MINUTES *

DAILY EXCEPT SAT, SUN AND DEC 25 # DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAYS

DAILY EXCEPT SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS & DEC 25

† THE WEDNESDAY SAILINGS WILL BE REPLACED BY DANGEROUS CARGO SAILINGS. NO OTHER PASSENGERS PERMITTED. % DAILY EXCEPT DEC 25

again for local author

Local author Nick Faragher has once again drawn from his past, this time generating a novel dealing with the impacts of an horrific crime. The Bowen Island Arts Council held the official launch of Faragher’s new novel It’s No Big Thing at The Gallery last month. The book, published this past summer by First Press Publishing, is based on an actual crime that took place about 30 years ago. The victim of that crime was a young girl, working alone, late at night, in a convenience store. The perpetrators were three teenage boys. The young girl was rendered quadriplegic as the result of the injuries that she sustaining in the course of that robbery. Faragher experienced a similar case first hand while working in the justice system in Ontario, writing a report for the court on one of the attackers. He changed some details about the case – the victim in his story was rendered a paraplegic rather than a quadriplegic, for example. He has also chosen not to disclose the actual case the story is based on. “I’m not trying to do a true crime account,” he said. “It’s entirely a work of fiction, but its genesis is in that story.” The story, says Faragher, is less about the crime and more about the different motivations that might cause young men, from essentially decent homes, with hard working and loving parents, to commit a horrific crime. In particular, the story is about why one of them would shoot a defenseless young woman, and how his companions might shape their own responses in light of this brutality. The subtleties of family dynamics, the power of cultural role models from Al Capone to the Bacon Brothers, differing philosophies of exis-

Local author Nick Faragher speaks at the launch of his new novel It’s No Big Thing at The Gallery last month.

Jacqueline Massey photo

tence (Nietzsche), the gratuitous displays of violence in the media (John Wayne to Sam Peckinpah) and the importance of acting in accordance with what one knows to be right, all play a part. It’s No Big Thing is Faragher’s second book. He published The Well and Other Stories in 2009, a collection in which his own personal experiences also play some part. Faragher was born in Manchester, England. He moved to Greece as a young man and supported himself, for the most part, by teaching English. “The Watch Seller”, one of the stories in The Well, suggests he found other ways to get by. A year or so later he

moved to Italy where he got by in a similarly haphazard fashion. He moved to Canada in 1979, worked as a parole officer, briefly taught criminology, then became a chairing member of the Ontario Board of Parole before moving to B.C. in 1990. He lived a year or two in Central America before moving back to B.C. where he and his second wife operated The Snug coffee house on Bowen Island. Faragher was a regular columnist for the Undercurrent for a time in the 1990s. It’s No Big Thing is on sale at Phoenix on Bowen as well as online at Amazon and is also available at the library.

REVIEW: Novel immerses you Sam Knowles

CONTRIBUTOR

BOOK REVIEW It’s No Big Thing: a novel of crime and philosophy By Nick Faragher From the first page, this novel immerses you in the world of the three main characters and plays out in your mind as if you were watching a film. The kind of film you know you will want to watch again and are reluctant to see end. These three individuals, at the pivotal point between adolescence and adulthood, are trying to make of themselves the men they believe they want to be. It is from within this context that they embark on what to them seems almost a daring prank. With its dire turn of events, what is revealed are the very different motivations and thought processes that inform each boy’s actions, what shaped them and how their belief systems guide their actions. Ultimately the influences of their genera-

tion, with its ultra-realistic violent games, the barrage of negative media and their own quest for birthing the men they believe they should be, impact their decisions. We are drawn in, observing the subtleties of each influence, colouring the canvas of their still forming selves. The author creates a full spectrum of characters and places against which this story plays out. Parents, confident in the knowledge of who their children are must face some brutal realities that are initially incomprehensible to them. There are snippets of recognition for those living on the west coast, in particular the Vancouver area where the novel is set, East Hastings’ lesser known back alleys, North Van’s coffee altars and the realities that lie behind the apparent complacencies of West Van’s suburbs. It is a great read, engaging to the end. Poignant too in its reflection on the importance in our adolescents of the existential question, nihilism and the ever-present search for identity, role models and who or what is providing them. After all, it IS a big thing.

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Bowen’s poetry in motion in the UK Tim Shoults CONTRIBUTOR

Jude Neale’s poetry is really getting around in Europe these days – literally. The Bowen Island poet, vocalist and spoken word performer won a competition by the United Kingdom’s Poet Laureate this fall to have one of her poems published not in a book, but on a bus. Her poem “Emptiness in the Garden” is now circulating across the UK’s Channel Islands on public transit, where it will be seen by approximately 100,000 travellers over the course of a year as a winner of the 2015 Guernsey Literary Prize. The honour came with a tour where she read in London’s Covent Garden poetry house as well as in Amsterdam. It’s the cap to a productive and hectic year for Neale. She produced four two-hour shows on Bowen Island this year, collaborating with dancer SueLynn Seng, Vancouver’s poet laureate Rachel Rose and with jazz guitarist Teun Schut and bassist Ian Cameron, along with a concert in July in support of the library’s expansion project. And 2016 looks to be just as busy for Neale. Her fourth book of poetry, Midsummer Bewilders the Dog Star, is due to come out, complete with a cover designed by local artist

Janice Treleaven. “She did this doodle on Facebook and I said, ‘That’s what I need!’,” says Neale. The book will be her fourth, but her first published in the United States. But before that comes out, she’ll be releasing a new CD – a performance of 10 selections from Midsummer Bewilders the Dog Star set to music by Vancouver violist Thomas Beckman – at the end of January, complete with a launch performance at the Gallery on Feb. 14. That Neale works with musicians is no accident – before her career in poetry she was a professional opera singer who studied at the Royal Opera in London. “That really affects my poetry, that cadence.” She made the transition from music to poetry because of her age – “I thought my voice isn’t going to last forever” – and hasn’t missed a beat, with recognition for her poetry in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States and Canada. Most recently, the Magpie International Poetry Competition informed her that one of her poems has been chosen as a finalist by Vancouver’s first poet laureate, George McWhirter. She has also been published in the prestigious Boston Jewish Literary Journal three times.

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“Somehow I’ve got it into their heads that I must be Jewish,” she says with a laugh. Despite the change in focus, her singing also forms a critical

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Bowen Island poet and performer Jude Neale admires her poem “Emptiness in the Garden” published on a bus in Britain’s Channel Islands as a winner of the 2015 Guernsey Literary Prize by the UK’s Poet Laureate.

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‘Tis the season of expressing love and gratitude and friendship and the warmest of feelings. And often we do this by seeking out an object or experience to give to that special person who makes our life that much richer. We look high and low for something to convey meaning and that will bring joy or delight. It can be very challenging to find the perfect present for those significant others on our list. But on Bowen, thanks to the high number of resident artists and craftspeople, the task is just a little easier. The Bowen Island Arts Council (BIAC) is happy to come to the aid of intrepid shoppers with It’s a Wrap, our annual end-of-the-year showcase of stunning (and in some cases) functional artwork featuring unique hand-made gifts created by more than 40 local artists. The show and sale runs through to Jan. 3. The gala opening reception was last Friday, (Dec. 11) featuring lively entertainment by Marc Gawthrop. The Gallery is open seven days per week during December, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come come by and enjoy the spirit of the season.