FRIDAY JAN 13, 2016 VOL. 43, NO. 02
$1
including GST
Watch for more online at: WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM
Congratulations
To Bowen Islander Haig Farris, appointee to the Order of Canada
Life saving technology
Smart Growth
To tackle emissions, transportation, affordability and diversity on Bowen
Islander’s work aims to reduce postpartum mortality
Council addresses severe weather and emergency planning MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
The rink at Josephine Lake on the weekend of January 6, 2017.
Rafal Izdebski, photo
Staying put, and offering a warm welcome at Seaside Cottage #1 MERIBETH DEEN EDITOR
Crippen Park’s Seaside Cottage #1, located at the entrance to the park trail on Cardena Road is sparse but not empty. Former caretaker Michael Chapman received a letter in September from Metro Vancouver Parks asking him to move out at the end of his contract, on December 31. Chapman, however, has not only not moved out but is also opening his doors to anyone who needs a place to warm-up. “If Metro wants to evict me, I think it is only fair to respect the law,” says Chapman, citing organization failure to correct-
ly follow the Residential Tenancy Act as legal rationale for not abiding by their request to move-out of the building. Chapman, who is well known as an advocate for affordable housing on Bowen, says the termination of his contract and tenancy without explanation is unreasonable. Having requested and failed to get an explanation from Metro Vancouver Parks on the termination, Chapman filed a Freedom of Information request on any communications that pertain to him. At the end of December, that request was fulfilled and he was offered a number of heavily redacted letters and twenty pages of completely redacted documents. continued, PAGE 3
Didn’t get last week’s Undercurrent? For $45 a year (island addresses) you can have the news delivered to your mailbox every Friday morning.
Call 604-947-2442
The city of Vancouver has opened up community centres as a place for people to take refuge from the cold in response to a prolonged cold snap this winter. The Municipality on Bowen Island has not taken any comparable action but at Monday’s council meeting, Maureen Nicholson and Sue-Ellen Fast assured their fellow councillors that “severe weather” is being discussed as a part of the development of the community’s Emergency Management Plan. Councillor Melanie Mason brought up the discussion by highlighting a comment made by the municipality’s Emergency Social Services Co-ordinator Carolyn McDonald at a meeting on December 14. She advised that assisting the homeless in severely cold weather does not fall under the auspices of either Emergency Social Services (ESS) or Emergency Management BC (EMBC). Councillor Fast said that in a meeting last week, members of the Task Force learned that this is in fact the responsibility of the RCMP. Councillor Maureen Nicholson added that when the issue came up, she did her own research into what was being done in other municipalities. “The claim had been made that all other municipalities had established extreme weather warming stations, which in fact is not the case,” said Nicholson. “For Bowen, it’s essentially the facilities that are run by the Lookout on the North Shore not only for shelter but also for warming.” She added that council needs to have a discussion ensuring that when the municipality’s Emergency Management Plan policy is adopted, it addresses extreme weather. She asked that this topic be put on the agenda again for the next emergency planning meeting. The municipality has hired Jen McGowan as an Emergency Services Co-ordinator, and municipal Chief Administrative Officer Kathy Lalonde said she will be tasked with coming up with a long-term plan to address extreme weather and situations like New Year’s Day, when people were stranded on Bowen because the ferry was canceled. Councillor Melanie Mason asked what would happen if people found themselves stranded tomorrow. Nicholson responded that there was no immediate plan as staff had looked into whether there were sites on-island that could be used but no appropriate venues were found. While two individuals have come forward and asked that the municipality take action on these issues, Councillor Fast says that the local community groups who normally deal with these issues have made no mention of requiring assistance.
FRIDA SEPT.. 412 , VOL
Bowfes t,
n Koopma tes resona P’s Larry The NDDouglas’s legacy ate candid
Richards of to Cpt. descendent A saluteke visits with a en its name
$1
E for more Watch NDERCURR ENISLANDU
Bo.BOW Parade wfest, pageWWW Bowfes 3; Bowfes t! ger t page Log me 12;nRu Ga cers page nm soc o autum 6; e Fall intunity groups, fro gpag new7 startin Comm choir, are SKY to
Allie Dra who gave Bow n the ma
Tommy with federal y strongl
ll too It’s sti lift dry to ater ban, w ons ti restric MA RTH
KIN A PER
FRID SEPT. 4, AY 2015 42,
VOL.
Meet the
Green Ken Me can lam their valu ed wants peo didate es, not ple as strateg to vote for y to ous t MP
S
$1 Get art y
NO.
Bowen Isla arts cou nd recreation ncil on excitin teams up wit g fall pro h gram
Attem p break ted -i indica ns te loc a know ledge l
OR r bu MA RTH ht be ove A PER KIN S ught mig st fires is. EDIT OR fore The dro th risk of dry out mean the incredibly on said o The Bow en Islan “It’s still Ian Thomps ’t done a two atte d RCM ef P are and entempted break Fire Chi en this rain hasnmer-like and ente investigating the culp r which have rs and ing. “Ev a return to sum k, he’s ke bourhoorit(s) have famled them to belione break With later this wee place iliarity ds. in for with the eve that One was casted fire restrictions a barbecue neighe were awa on Dorman island’s you can hav or charco attempt y for a few daysRoad. The pfires lic places. While owners cam ed, and but faile pub y, no open a d, to gain the suspect wed in propert rear the si are allo access No entr door. reassess islan becues will by forc on on Hum y was gained ing Thomps then, he reminds s and b il property mingbird Lan during an atte and, unt kyard clearing suspect might have e, either. Alth mpt bac There app y oug was scar are no 15. was a a lever-op ed awa eared vacant, h the e to give r Alicia lot tim obe of Oct Hop not yet turned erated windowy from trying the and det penrath brawn on disp the And it’s er wash. (wh when the to open the K erminat lay at In the lights on. pow ions in Bowfest ion to o created a owner a good oods win. Sto through third inciden new er restrict ’s ry on pag yoga moveLogger Gam The wat er neighbourh tent B open to the screen of t, the suspect den wat es, and called e 6; mo erin cut a Blue gain le win The and not ks sup access that, onc re pho a negligib to a homdow that was tos and AxePub Thrlic worjust hadng eamo left gro had rum e again, appeare e on Dav havlled thew mal video nt ow) belo rainsthri feet me compet hun receonlineare opening maged through d vacant. Theid Road dresum at 500 ds of Bow 26 this itor the mas suspect dent’s dogdrawers, but wells that il AugustenIs land ust 28spectators s. Women was scar ter bedroom . m rren with the such as ercu Up unt . Between AugUnd ed awa The RCM ir strengt 10 or so rain t.com. y by resi-, P says occurred Martha 8mm of and another tember. h two Perkins m, the rear after midnigh of these inci photo 104.5m few days of Sep e rain to of the resid t and acce dents first MA RTH a lot mor Robinso the ss ence was take . A PER via “It will icipal wells, munici KIN S EDIT Tips on OR on det in the munr residents serve w The RCM erring the It was All othe ended to con P reminds fts No, she around mm decided O’Neil’s two in the mor are reco during their homes to residents to , she’d wait When MA RTH walk the day gasping five-month-old ning and Col S ered her she gotastoBIC A PER and in assess ‘weak poin Look the hospfor the 5:30 KIN S through for each brea daughter wasleen g daughte EDIT ts’ have mornin access for objects thatthe evening. th. OR r had pne ital she disc ferry. such and Sta baby, she the night tryi As O’Neill sday take n her mig ovumonia. pace ng to com e Bridge to north People as ladders, stum ht be used d don Tue How many right away,” “I shou Arti s Gat island’s wondered whe oun should for sts fort ed Lion she ygr time Islan ld ps, don item t emergen clos the says toda The pla also and ther ’t6 usu s have d hesi all be s of valu the to 8am to call ally cy’s She hesi y. ay willover thei e that canassess the visibrocks. tor’s help tated to call people on er in serv side. the from r work r. Aslike people ices. tate newning h oth BowenCausew mor d. Should medet ility 911 or be seen creativeWh istlebut whe tram get off because of how photos she seek in the mid gre ics eac from the of “Crimin idea for els n it comes pling Saturday they the islan bother Perkins dle d be do Levthe complic their doc ut tha driv als tend friendsaboMar Gra’nfon outBowen the para d? of the That’s exac Upp lleder. 3. the ! Two to wilstreets of Bowto a thethri The Island y ated it is tothe RBClane s ofBow tly the school tos on page have to take er of the wate night, and wha - tion O’N “Mainly RCMP be opportunist lor Way ute en, en TayIslan sortteofin ever ’t them acro r taxi Cpl. bound ing t eil, andcandida t day of drero Baytstoto subm Mun infodidn Communessf oeartis and are small items that Paulo Arr ic,” says ul other mem ss to Hor who would rma the firs year. More pho “We will beit desiamicipality is cros eaga Horsesh swa are left seshoe Traf joys of lksficin Snu e then.) bers of 8:35 gns for invi Bow n a succ ity Med laptops, quick to grab am. sincical and Bayhas in the . fect the Clin Islan tion Ah, the a new school ? bee alen g Cove. new paintwiththe to 9:30 elec d, wan the6:30 should money, wallets,will be targeted open scape.” ic Soc The Since ted pavi affedcts of e 7 be kept municip litter the land t islanders to ietypag rings in (phones, ThisRoa rgan’s. purses). this mon ng of Bow timing is perMo goin out ed en Islan The g to Doc th. of plai tinuprov The Bow want to Con d Trunk ther at e new here, they es. continu ide. roundingbe in plain view n view. If se items en Islan up with got toge uett ed PAG they are s before d Arts , con BIM to ed. E7 council al elections wer certain etiq s,” says side Council you leav At hom r your ensure has team e or in that the win municipto come up withldn’t have sign (and a vehicle,e them unattensurnew cros ed leav dows and doo dclose and wanted agreed we wou at the meeting srs. Out e item KIN S continu A PER “We ping cart s of value on in the tow lock who was ed PAG n, don MA RTH a tabl for even E9 Morse, for a Alison a few seco e or in a shop’t OR running al EDIT nds. of people r municip -eve a group continu In 1999, en Island’s first ed PAG Bow E8 seat on EDIT
Why t surve he healthc y mat ters are
Artists crossw bid on alvis k ory ffic ad design
ay tra Saturd
It’s
Bow not ‘the
en way
’ to ha
ve cam
paign
signs
32
includ GST ing
Watch WWW for more .BOW ENISLANDU online at: NDERCURR ENT.C
OM