THURSDAY JANUARY 10, 2019 VOL. 45, NO. 02
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IS THIS RECONCILIATION?
A BOOK FOR 2019
Anton van Walraven grapples with the Braiding Sweetgrass touches two implications of the Wet’suwet’en struggle, p. 5 contributors on p. 6
THE NEW YEAR PLUNGE
Bowen’s Polar Swim had eccentric beginnings as HC Behm explains, p. 9
Two donors pledge $1 million each for community centre
B.I. MUNICIPALITY CONTRIBUTOR
Over a very short period – in fact, in less than four months – the community has risen to the call for pledges and donations in support of the Bowen Island Community Centre Project. In addition to over $80,000 committed from dozens of community members, a major donor has pledged $1 M toward the capital cost and another anonymous donor has dedicated a legacy gift, valued at approximately $1 M. The Bowen Island Community Centre will provide 12,000 sq. ft. of highly versatile community spaces for indoor and outdoor recreation, performing arts, meetings, classes and social functions of all kinds from fitness and child-minding, to dance, parent and tot, painting, concerts, theatre events and more. It will also include 4,000 sq. ft. of municipal offices, where residents can access municipal services, all from one convenient, accessible location. It will be a “hive” of community activity, welcome to all. The municipality is facing a very tight deadline for a grant application to the federal-provincial Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. If successful, the grant – due January 23 – will pay up to 73 per cent of eligible building costs. Continued on page 2
Jordan Sturdy, MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky (centre, in black), met with islanders Tuesday afternoon. After meeting with council, Sturdy visited the Bowen Island Pub. Pictured: councillor Alison Morse, Sturdy’s constituency assistant Sharon Thompson, pub owner Glenn Cormier, Sturdy, local business person Gary Anderson, Mayor Gary Ander and Al Morse.
Bowen property assessments up 8 per cent Jump in asssessments is unrelated to any potential property tax increase - BIM
BRONWYN BEAIRSTO EDITOR
With the release of B.C.’s tax assessments last week, Bowen saw an average 8.3 per cent rise in assessed residential property values between 2017 and 2018. Business and other assessments rose by 9 per cent. Tim Rhodes, a realtor on-island says that in the past, tax assessments have been much lower than market values. He notes that between 2014 and 2016, the residential assess-
ments rose a mere 9.8 per cent, but between 2016 and 2018, the jump was 46 per cent. “[Past tax assessments] were unrealistically low and they’ve been playing a bit of catch up,” he said. On January 3, the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver released the December benchmark (typical) home price, which is now $1,001,800. The average tax assessment value is $966,000. However, Rhodes notes that determining average prices on Bowen is tricky as there is a diverse
price range. Bowen also has a smaller market than its mainland neighbours. Rhodes said that tax assessments more aligned with market values are good for people trying to sell their homes. “The problem has been that buyers will go and look up the assessed value and in 2014-2016, those assessed values were very low,” he said. “As they approach market value, you wind up, as a seller, or a seller’s realtor, in a better position to support the price you’re asking.”
High overall assessments does not equate tax increase
Bowen Island Municipality chief financial officer Raj Hayre stresses that an overall rise in property assessments does not mean an overall rise in property taxes. “What assessments do is they change the distribution among properties,” said Hayre. As an example, if everyone on Bowen’s taxes rose by exactly eight per cent, then everyone would pay the same proportion of taxes they did last year. Continued on page 2
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