Bowen Island Undercurrent March 12 2020

ATL’KA7TSEM MAP: The ‘interwoven story of humans and nature’ PAGE 3

$1.50

inc.

GST

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2020

MEET THE NEW MASCOT BIM unveils its

VOL. 46, NO. 11

BIUndercurrent

newest addition to the crew PAGE 7

BowUndercurrent www.bowenislandundercurrent.com

Islander gets YWCA nod

BRENDA MORRISON IS NOMINATED IN THE IN RECONCILIATION IN ACTION CATEGORY OF YWCA’S WOMEN OF DISNTINCTION AWARDS

BRONWYN BEAIRSTO

Editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com

COUNCIL OPTED TO GIVE PARTIES MORE TIME TO REACH CONSENSUS

What councillors had to say

BRONWYN BEAIRSTO

Like the community, council was divided on the issue.

While they were in agreement on value of the IDLC program for Bowen, several councillors noted that the merits of IDLC weren’t up for debate that night.

Local academic Brenda Morrison is nominated for the inaugural Reconciliation in Action category of YWCA’s 37th annual Women of Distinction Awards.

Morrison is director of the Centre for Restorative Justice and associate professor in the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University. She’s also involved with a number of community-based organizations. “Brenda is widely recognized for creating reconciliatory relationships with Indigenous communities and through Restorative Justice, creates effective and culturally relevant programming for those who have experienced traumatic losses,” reads a press release from the YWCA. The new Reconciliation in Action Award recognizes two women––one an Indigenous leader and the other an ally––who have “made a significant and sustained difference across Metro Vancouver by supporting healing and building more just and equitable communities for all people.” There are eight nominees in the category.

Morrison was initially nominated in the educaion category but after her letters of support came in, she was moved into this new category. The YWCA press release highlights innovative SFU classes Morrison created in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and that she’s been on the board of North Shore Restorative Justice, a non-profit that supports North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Bowen Island and Lions Bay, for more than a decade. She also helped create a retreat to support family members of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

If the biography isn’t enough evidence (Morrison has also presented papers at UNESCO as well as the U.K.’s House of Lords, has founded groups and sat on many a board) one minute speaking with the long-time advocate reveals her passion for restorative justice.

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HAIG FARRIS PHOTO

IN THEIR NATURE: Haig Farris spoted an orca and a boat going by fairweather Saturday morning “one eating herring

the other gasoline” commented Farris. Several delighted islanders spotted orcas over the weekend.

IDLC decision put off until April Editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com

Those hoping for resolution one way or the other for a community-dividing proposal were out of luck Monday evening. Council voted to defer decision until April 14 of whether or not

to issue Island Discovery Learning Community (IDLC) a temporary use permit that would allow the school to occupy Evergreen Hall in Deep Bay. The decision was met with a chorus of groans from the standing room only audience.

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2 • THURSDAY MARCH 12. 2020

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Event Calendar

Public Open House

March 16, 2020 5:00 pm

RentSmart workshop for landlords

Advisory Design Panel Meeting

Advisory Planning Commission Meeting

With this free RentSmart workshop you will: • • • •

Learn about your rights as a landlord as well as your responsibilities Improve your chances for finding a great tenant Identify what to look for when choosing tenants Learn techniques for communicating with your tenant

March 21, 2020 9:30 am - 1:30 pm

Saturday, March 21, 2020 9:30 am - 1:30 pm Municipal Hall

RentSmart Workshop for Landlords

March 23, 2020 9:30 am Community Economic Development Committee Meeting

March 23, 2020 6:15 pm

Space is limited! Book here: bowenrentsmart5.eventbrite.ca/

Moving towards BC Energy Step Code 3: Info Session Attention builders and construction professionals!

Breakfast Info Session Friday April 3, 2020 8:00 am - 10:00 am

Regular Council Meeting

All meetings are held in Council Chambers unless otherwise noted.

Council and Committee meetings are open to the public. We encourage you to attend in person or watch online.

The applicant is hosting an open house to provide information

We are holding an information session at Municipal Hall to help prepare and receive input from the public regarding this application. All members of the public are invited to attend. you for the upcoming implementation of BC Energy Step Code 3 on October 1, 2020.

Richard Kadulski, architect and envelope consultant, will share his tips for improving energy performance of buildings and strategies for building envelope design and construction.

Hot breakfast to be provided. Please arrive 15-30min early if you would like breakfast or coffee so that we can start promptly. This event is anticipated to qualify for 2 informal training points through BC Housing’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) system.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Rae Pierce, Planner I, at jpierce@bimbc.ca or 604-947-4255.

Last chance to participate in Bowen’s Housing Need Assessment We want to hear from you about current and emerging housing needs of the island.

Please complete the survey by 4pm, on Wednesday, March 18th, 2020. www. bowenislandmunicipality.ca/ housing

The application allows for retreat centre zoning on the southeast portion of the lot, and would see a dedication of a 2 ha park on the western end of the lot.

Proposed Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 498, 2019 would change the designation of the south-east portion of the lot to RC – Retreat Centre, and the western position of the lot to P – Municipal Park. Proposed Land Use Bylaw No. 499, 2019 would rezone the south-east portion of the lot Rural Commercial 2 (Retreat Centre), rezone the western portion of the lot P1 – Passive Park, and rezone the middle of the lot RR3(c) – to reduce the minimum lot size required to 1 hectare. This would allow for the future subdivision of two residential lots, currently permitted under the zoning. Bylaw No. 499 would also make minor amendments to the retreat centre regulations to restrict the amount of staff accommodation.

Questions?

Contact Daniel Martin, Manager of Planning and Development, at 604-947-4255 or by email at dmartin@bimbc.ca

Committees seeking members Emergency Support Services seeking The Housing Advisory Committee is looking for diverse representation of the Bowen community to participate in its upcoming 2020 activities and be a voice to Council. You don’t have to be an architect or planner, just someone who cares about diverse housing on Bowen Island.

We are looking forward to addressing innovative housing solutions in 2020, supporting housing support programs, addressing challenges in the development process, and facilitating community engagement.

For more information on the Housing Advisory Committee or other committees seeking members please go to:

www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/committees

General Enquiries

Contact Us

Phone: Fax: Email:

Bowen Island Municipal Hall 981 Artisan Lane Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G2

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

Council is considering changes to the Official Community Plan (OCP) and the Land Use Bylaw at 720 Gardner Lane. This is an 8 hectare (20 acre) parcel located on Miller Road and Bowen Island Trunk Road as shown on the map below.

resource acquisition volunteer

Emergency Support Services (ESS) is a community-based provincial response program that provides short term services for individuals and families affected by disasters. Services include food, clothing, lodging, family reunification and other specialized services, usually provided at an ESS Reception Center.

We are looking for a volunteer to assist with resource acquisition, which involves acquiring and updating information on resources and services in our community.

If you’re interested, please contact Carolyn McDonald, ESS Director at boweness@bimbc.ca or Jennifer McGowan, Emergency Program Coordinator at jmcgowan@bimbc.ca

Find us on Facebook Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Monday - Friday, excluding statutory holidays March 12, 2020

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Thursday, March 19, 2020 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm 720 Gardner Lane, Bowen Island

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ISLAND NEWS

MAP SCREENSHOT

The newly launched Atl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound Marine Conservation Assessment interactive map is available online at howesoundconservation.ca/ mapapp. The map includes more than 140 layers of data that build the ecological and human story and state of the sound.

Interactive Howe Sound conservation map launches MAP IS A DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION AND OCEAN WISE INITIATIVE

BRONWYN BEAIRSTO

Editor

Howe Sound may be renowned for its stunning scenery as one of North America’s southernmost fjords but that’s just scraping the surface.

Now, Howe Sounders can dive deep into the ecology of their home through the newly launched Atl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound Marine Conservation Assessment interactive map.

The map––an Ocean Wise and David Suzuki Foundation project––is available on both organizations’ websites and is free to use. It combines more than 140 layers of data to show the ecological landscape of the entire sound and to identify potential conservation areas.

Peter Ross is vice-president of research at Ocean Wise and a Bowen Island resident. He dropped by the Undercurrent office to put this new resource into perspective.

“In my view, what is quite special about this, is that it puts on a map that interwoven story of humans and nature,” said Ross. He described the map as a tool that does its best to define the Howe Sound environment, the species and shorelines as well as human activities.

The map team used scientific data collected over decades, Traditional Knowledge from First Nations, information from citizen scientists and community members and others to create a snapshot of today’s Howe Sound.

Through the map, Bowen Islanders can learn about the eel grass meadows of Mannion Bay, the common murre of the golf course at Cowan Pt., the critical forage fish egg-laying habitat of Hood Pt. beaches and the rocky reefs of Hutt Island.

On the Ocean Wise side, it was the Howe Sound division of their Coastal Ocean Research Institute that helmed the map project.

“As a living laboratory, the Howe Sound area is a gift to the world,” Ross said. “It’s an area that has been monitored, surveyed and charted and discovered for 40 plus years.”

“That’s a really important foundation to where

we are today.”

Of particular import in this story is the Howe Sound recovery. Ross noted how in the ‘70s and ‘80s scientists and community members realized that the sound was heavily affected by the industry––pulp mills and the defunct but unremediated Britannia Mine––in the fjord and the biodiversity was at risk.

“And the remarkable thing is, and I put this down to people, opportunity, realization that there was something wrong with this place, everything came together,” he said. Vancouver Aquarium (now Ocean Wise), Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Squamish Nation, citizens, scuba divers, came together for the decades-long recovery mission and study of the sound. Today, Ocean Wise divers are out in the sound several times a week monitoring everything from temperature and salinity to phytoplankton to rockfish and lingcod. Then there’s of course the exceedingly rare (they were once thought extinct) and shallow live glass sponge reefs sprinkled through the sound.

“There are very few places in the world where we’re actually really monitoring, in a really longterm fashion, what’s going on underneath the surface of the ocean,” said Ross. “I think that’s where the Howe Sound initiative…as documented in part through the this mapping initiative, gives us eyes and ears underwater.”

When it comes to the map’s future, updates aren’t guaranteed but certainly a goal.

“Having a snapshot tool like this at this point in time is like publishing an encyclopedia or a state of the ocean report ––it’s valuable and it’ll always be valuable,” said Ross, “but failure to update it in a in a way that provides insight into changes would be disappointing.”

“This [map] gives us a lot of power of acuity in terms of tracking progress, in terms of looking at the performance of our management measures or the various, sometimes expensive, solutions we might put into place,” he said. “So super important to monitor and to track over time.”

THURSDAY MARCH 12, 2020 • 3

Here are February’s RCMP Statistics CPL. ADAM KOEHLE

B.I. RCMP

The Bowen Island RCMP responded to 41 calls for service in February of 2020: • 2 of those files were roadblocks • 1 of those files was a roadside driving prohibition • 1 of those files was an impaired operation of a vessel investigation • 5 of those files were traffic complaints • 2 of those files were minor collisions with no injuries • 5 of those files were incomplete or pocket dial 911 calls When a 911 call is received, emergency service call takers gather information from the caller to determine which emergency services are required (police/fire/ambulance) and what response is necessary. When the 911 call is cut off, the caller hangs up or the call is accidental (a pocket dial for example) the operator is not able to speak with a caller to determine the reason for the 911 call. Then, the police are forced to follow up to ensure that the caller is safe and not in need of assistance. For that reason, police would like to remind people stay on the line to speak with an operator even if they accidentally dialled 911 and there is no emergency. Time spent tracking down a caller to ensure their safety is time that could be spent assisting other people, who may require help urgently.

Muni Morsels: a different TUP The following are briefs from the March 9 council meeting.

Uber fast: Council unanimously passed first readings of two bylaws to allow Bowen’s participation in Metro Vancouver intermunicipal ride hailing business licences.

These licences are to let companies operate under one licence in all participating municipalities. The City of Vancouver is to be the licensing authority. Licences are to cost $150 per company and an additional $150 per vehicle (though only $30 per zero-emission vehicle and $0 per wheelchair accessible vehicle).

Of the 32 eligible municipalities, 25 are bringing bylaws forward to councils.

It’s not the same TUP: Council voted to give notice that it will consider a TUP at 1034 Miller Rd. (the ambulance station) at the April 14 council meeting. The three-year permit is to allow insurance office as a primary use instead of home occupation because the operator of the Westland Insurance office that’s been in the building since 2008 has moved out (so it’s no longer home occupation) but wants to continue the business there. Coun.

Sue Ellen Fast questioned use of

the temporary use permit in this way instead of rezoning (as this had been a major topic of discussion earlier, during the IDLC debate).

BIM’s manager of planning and development Daniel Martin said that as BIM is looking at rezoning all of Miller, especially given that the ambulance station could move across the street into the impending health centre, a temporary use permit makes more sense in this case.

Relive the stress: Coun. Maureen Nicholson presented the results of the ferry refit community impact survey to council. The survey was open for two weeks for islanders to share the effects of the Bowen Queen’s time on the Bowen run.

Nicholson pulled quotes from her 40-page summary report for council’s benefit. There were stories of people in cancer treatment affected by the overloads, stories of jobs at risk due to lateness, stories of people with mobility needs stuck on the open car deck in the harsh winter weather, loss of business and overall stress. “This replacement vessel has been detrimental to the health and welfare of our community,” Nicholson quoted to council.

The entire report is available online on the March 9 council agenda.

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Every week for $55 per year ($85 to off island addresses) 604-947-2442 ads@bowenislandundercurrent.com

4 • THURSDAY MARCH 12. 2020

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VIEWPOINT CORRECTION:

Last week’s page 1 story ‘Keep calm and wash your hands’: COVID-19 incorrectlyy stated that epidemic/pandemic is rated third d in the BIM hazard risk assessment, it’s in factt listed fourth behind earthquake, structuree fire and wildland urban interface fire. Sorryy for the error.

CARTOON NOTE: Ron is in Mexico and too lazy to send in cartoons. But over 14 years, each Bowen cartoon has a cultural observation of island life and so has a little back story. So for a month or two, here are some golden oldies and what inspired them. For this one, you’d have to know about the free ferry rides for seniors racket. The observant among us might question why the deceased is as at the booth in Horseshoe Bay and heading for the island. I will admit that this defies logic.

It may have something to do with composting. ––Ron Woodall, cartoonist

ADULT DAY PROGRAM NEEDS HELP

The Bowen Adult Day Program will be delaying our opening until May as we have not yet found an licensed practical nurse (LPN) to hire to be in charge of a small team to run it. If you know an LPN who would like to work one day a week on Bowen (Thursdays) please let me know. This is a much needed, long awaited program that will provide respite for caregivers and a program to those who need it. Contact sooz@ allanfianancial.com. ––Suzanne Allan

More than a medical building: the health centre

SHEREE JOHNSON

B.I. Health Centre Foundation

We are well on our way to seeing a community health centre built on Bowen within the next few years. Thanks to the generosity of donors, more than $250,000 was raised in November and December alone. More and more community members who believe in the importance of accessible and expanded health care on Bowen are stepping up with financial support for the capital fund.

This new facility will be much more than merely a medical building. Community health centres (CHCs) are non-profit organizations that provide primary health and health promotion programs for individuals, families and communities.

Community health centres are increasingly changing the face of health care delivery in Canada and contributing to the development of healthy communities. According to a recent paper by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives,

“The CHC model is well-positioned to address the primary health care challenges we face in both rural and urban British Columbia, while also helping to reduce health care costs through quality improvement and addressing the social determinants of health.”

CHCs provide comprehensive, coordinated, primary health care for their communities, encompassing primary care, illness prevention, and health promotion, in one to one service, personal development groups, and community level interventions.

CHCs are continuously adapting and refining their ability to reach and to serve their clients and communities. CHCs develop their plans based on population health needs and develop best practices for serving those needs. CHCs strive to provide client and community centred care. The Bowen Island CHC will employ tools such as community advisory committees, needs assessment and satisfaction surveys, and other community engagement processes to involve the community in decisions, planning, evaluation and continuous quality improvement. CHCs increase the capacity of communities to improve community and individual health outcomes.

CHCs build interprofessional teams working in collaborative practice. In these teams, professionals work together in a coordinated approach to address the health needs of their clients. Depending on the actual programs and services offered, CHC interprofessional teams may include physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, dietitians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, coun-

sellors, health promoters, community development workers and administrative staff. The inter-disciplinary team approach acknowledges that the health of an individual is intricate and multi-dimensional. When community health workers and health promoters are part of the team, preventative health issues as well as mental and psycho-social issues are addressed. Case consultations between healthcare teams support the delivery of more efficient and effective health care.

CHCs develop strong connections with health system partners and community partners to ensure the integration of CHC services with the delivery of other health and social services. Integration improves client care through the provision of timely services, appropriate referrals, and the delivery of seamless care. Integration also leads to system efficiencies.

CHCs are governed by community boards. Community governance provides leadership that is reflective of diverse communities, thereby enhancing community health.

Community boards and committees provide a mechanism for centres to be responsive to the needs of their respective communities, and for communities to develop a sense of ownership over “their” centres.

Every family on Bowen will benefit from a community health centre. Make your pledge or begin your monthly donations today bowenhealthcentre.com/pledge-now/.

The sooner we reach our goal, the sooner we can break ground and bring accessible and expanded health care close to home.

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.

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The Undercurrent is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, art work and photographs.

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EDITOR BronwynBeairsto editor@bowenisland undercurrent.com

ADVERTISING Tracey Wait ads@bowenisland undercurrent.com

CARTOONIST Ron Woodall

PUBLISHER Peter Kvarnstrom publisher@bowenisland undercurrent.com

2011 CCNA

CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2011

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.

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THURSDAY MARCH 12, 2020 • 5

Council split over whether to issue TUP, noise a concern CONTINUED FROM P. 1

Almost all of the councillors voiced concern about the division in the Deep Bay community over the proposal.

Coun. Sue Ellen Fast said that she was tentatively opposed to the proposal as she would like to uphold the Official Community Plan’s long-term settlement planning and said she would welcome a rezoning application rather than a temporary use permit. “Land use patterns should be thought of over the long term and this is an established residential neighbourhood,” said Fast.

Coun. Maureen Nicholson said that she wasn’t comfortable with the use of a temporary use permit in this situation but that she recognized that it’s important for IDLC. She noted that when the cannabis shop got its temporary use permit, there was the understanding that it would be applying for a rezoning and she said she’d be willing to support the proposal if there was an understanding that there would be a rezoning application.

Mayor Gary Ander, while he stood by his statement in the last council meeting that he believed IDLC benign and that it would be a good fit for Deep Bay, said he couldn’t ignore the letters before him.

“We’re very process driven here, totally process driven to make it fair and equitable,” said Ander. “If we go to a hundred metres around IDLC, unfortunately it’s quite negative.”

He said he wouldn’t be supporting the proposal.

Coun. Michael Kaile said that while a temporary use permit may be technically allowed in this situation, it’s hard for many to reconcile this use as “temporary.” He also said that the community is fractured, evidenced in the many emails and letters the municipality received.

“I would think from the school’s

point of view, to start conducting business with this degree of opposition, would be an extremely uncomfortable proposition,” he said. “Because as several letters said, they’re frankly not welcome.”

Coun. Rob Wynen and Coun.

David Hocking weren’t convinced by the traffic arguments.

Wynen said that he was impressed with IDLC’s traffic mitigation plan and general transportation approach, where a proponent said they wanted less parking and then gave a plan for how they were going to manage it. He also referenced his background as a Vancouver School Board Trustee and managing the safe streets to school program. “The fact of the matter is, the more people you put on the road, the safer it gets,” he said. A sentiment Hocking had shared earlier in the meeting.

However, both Hocking and Wynen also acknowledged that the noise for immediate neighbours is a concern. Wynen said he would support the proposal while Hocking said that he wanted to give the neighbourhood more time to come together and work through some of the issues.

After two hours of speakers, presentations and debate, council voted four to three (Kaile, Fast and Wynen against) to give residents of Deep Bay and IDLC more time to work toward consensus (though many voiced doubt this would happen.) Ander said he would like to see the community liaison group proposed as a condition of the temporary use permit formed and issues discussed before this matter comes back before council.

It is due to come back to council April 14.

So what’s the proposal?

IDLC, a publicly funded organization (through the Powell River School District), which has been based at Cowan Pt. for the past decade, needs to move to a new location after the end of

this school year. IDLC programs serve students from kindergarten to grade 12 and can have both homeschooling and classroom components (it’s also possible to just have supported homeschooling through the program).

Currently, IDLC serves more than 40 students though not all in a classroom setting and not all at once. Deep Bay resident Andrew Schouten has offered to buy Evergreen Hall on Melmore Rd. for the school to use on the condition that the school gets all the necessary municipal permits. As the property has settlement residential zoning, IDLC applied for a three-year temporary use permit to allow “school” as a primary use.

IDLC also applied for a development variance permit that would reduce the parking requirement from 32 on-site parking spots to six. IDLC would also require new building and occupancy permits for the building to reflect a school use and this would see occupancy capped at 30 people in the building at one time.

The proposal first came before council Feb. 10, when they voted to issue notice to Evergreen Hall’s neighbours that the permits would be considered March 9.

The controversy

Increased traffic on the narrow Deep Bay roads, pedestrian safety, noise, effects on property values, purported misuse of a temporary use permit, inadequate public process and short notice are among the concerns listed in the plethora of letters to council from Deep Bay residents. Manager of planning and development Daniel Martin told council that as of Monday afternoon, BIM had received 49 letters from Deep Bay residents with 19 households indicating support and 28 indicating opposition (some households saw multiple letters written, which is why the numbers don’t add up).

The total letter count at that point

Schedule in Effect: October 15, 2019 to March 31, 2020 On December 25, & January 1 service will begin with the 8:35 am sailing from Bowen Island and the 8:00 am sailing from Horseshoe Bay.

Leave Snug Cove

5:20 am^ 6:20 am< 7:30 am< 8:35 am 9:40 am 10:50 am 12:00 pm 1:10 pm 2:55 pm 4:00 pm† 5:10 pm 6:15 pm 7:25 pm* 8:30 pm 9:30 pm 10:30 pm

VANCOUVER Horseshoe Bay 5:50 am< 6:50 am< 8:00 am 9:05 am† 10:15 am 11:25 am 12:35 pm 2:20 pm 3:30 pm 4:35 pm 5:45 pm 6:50 pm 8:00 pm* 9:00 pm 10:00 pm

Distance: 3 NAUTICAL MILES Crossing Time: 20 MINUTES

Leave Horseshoe Bay

▼

BOWEN ISLAND Snug Cove

* DAILY EXCEPT SATURDAYS

< EXCEPT DEC 25 & JAN 1 ^ EXCEPT SUN AND NOV 11, DEC 25, JAN 1 & FEB 17 † DC WEDNESDAY SAILINGS WILL BE REPLACED BY DANGEROUS CARGO SAILINGS. NO OTHER PASSENGERS PERMITTED.

(including letters from people outside of Deep Bay) was 95.

Some mitigation plans for these concerns are built into the conditions for the temporary use permit. IDLC has created a traffic management plan that would see students dropped off in the cove or on Miller Rd. and then walk in to the school as a condition of participation in the on-site program.

Neighbours’ letters voice doubt as to whether parents would adhere to the plan on a rainy winter’s day, question the plan’s enforceability and voice concern that this would mean more kids walking on the narrow street with blind corners. One of the suggestions in Martin’s staff report to council is that should the permit pass, municipal bylaw officers or planning staff conduct periodic checks at drop-off and pick-up times to ensure folks are following the traffic management plan.

Conditions added since the permit last came before council include: building in hours of operation, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and summer break in July and August, with a maximum occupancy of six people in off hours; IDLC submitting a school schedule at the beginning of each term that guarantees there wouldn’t be more than 30 people on-site at once; and the creation of a community liaison group. The liaison group would be three Deep Bay residents unaffiliated with IDLC, two IDLC parents and one IDLC staff member.

One of the major points of contention is the nature of “temporary” in temporary use permit.

Whereas a rezoning would trigger a lengthy public engagement process that could span years, a temporary use permit can pass in a matter of weeks or months. Many letters to council said that three years is not “temporary” and some questioned the legality of such a use of the permit. At least one letter to council said that should

the proposal pass, this neighbour would pursue a legal challenge.

Martin wrote in his staff report that the temporary use permit is not to authorize long-term use but to issue a permit for three years with the possibility of a onetime renewal, authorizing a use on a temporary basis for something that wouldn’t otherwise be allowed in the zoning. Martin said to council that part of the strength of a temporary use permit over a rezoning is that a permit can be revoked should permit conditions not be met.

Letters and speakers to council also noted that the short term frame had stirred up resentment, one speaker Monday evening said she felt that the proposal had been imposed quite suddenly on the community.

Letters in favour of issuing the permit noted that the school would be preserving a heritage building with minimal renovations (Union Steamship Company built the hall in 1941) and several welcomed the addition of more youth to the neighbourhood.

Some letters also said that speeding is already an issue in the neighbourhood and that this proposal could come with a traffic calming plan. Some letters also suggested that there’s already increased foot traffic in the Deep Bay area and that a few more kids wouldn’t be noticeable. The walkability of the location––therefore reducing the carbon demands of several parents driving across the island to Cowan Pt. regularly––was too listed in letters as a benefit.

Martin wrote in his staff report that while several letters questioned the appropriateness of a school in an established residential neighbourhood, it is generally considered preferable to have elementary schools in particular located in residential neighbourhoods.

Check bowenislandundercurrent.com for updates to this story.

Places of Worship Welcome You BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCH Reverend Lorraine Ashdown Service and Sunday School 10:30 am Collins Hall Bookings: Helen Wallwork Minister of Music: Lynn Williams

FOOD BANK DROP-OFF

ST. GERARD’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Sunday Mass: 9:30 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

6 • THURSDAY MARCH 12. 2020

WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM UNDERCURRENT PHOTO

Islanders got a mix of sun and snow Saturday morning.

Now’s your chance to get a tree grafted from 1887 Davies Orchard apple trees SARAH HAXBY

B.I. Heritage Preservation Association

MEDICAL OFFICE IS HIRING FT/PT! The Bowen Island Medical Office is looking for staff to join our growing team!

Are you a trained Medical Office Assistant looking to work on island? Perhaps you have related office experience and are interested in working in health care? We are looking for a full and/or part time office assistant.

The ideal candidate will have excellent computer skills, is interested in lifelong learning, self-motivated, friendly, caring, reliable and discrete.

Onsite training can be provided for the right applicant. Salary will reflect experience and skills.

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

If interested, please reply with resume and references to: schloeglclinic@yahoo.com

The Bowen Island Heritage Preservation Association is extraordinarily pleased to help support and to spread the word about a very special sale that is taking place on Bowen Island March 15 and 22, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 620 Laura Road.

There’s going to be a sale of young heritage variety apple trees that were grafted onto semi-dwarf root stock, which means they won’t grow too tall but they will produce an array of heritage apple types not found in stores or commercial nurseries.

All of these varieties are very successfully locally, come from heritage stock that is not often available, and some of the trees have grafts that were taken from Bowen Island heritage trees, including from the original Davies Orchard trees that were planted in 1887 and are still producing fruit.

The sale is a chance to buy a piece of history and help grow it into the future, in a way that will provide food for families for many years to come as well as keeping heritage varieties alive. Consider putting a fruit tree or two in your yard. They will need to be protected from the deer but it’s worth growing a piece of history.

There is quite a bit of information about heritage trees online, thanks to the many apple aficionados. It would take too long to list all the many characteristics and unique aspects of all of these trees. Some apples are best

SARAH HAXBY PHOTO

Christine Hardie out in the orchard.

as eaters, or for juicing, some turn to mush when they are cooked but other apples (especially the russet varieties) can be baked for up to an hour and still retain their delicious texture. Some apples are better for saving (keepers) and can sit on a shelf in your root cellar for months. You could also use your refrigerator or a dark cool room to store these apples but there aren’t very many store-bought apples that last for any particular length of time.

Another thing to consider in these days of unpredictable weather that affects growth and pollination conditions, is that it’s a good idea to consider growing a range of apple varieties.

Some of the yellow transparent apples become ripe as early as June and July, whereas most apples become ripe in September or October. Some winter varieties don’t become fully ripe until the winter until late November or early

December. Some apple trees are great for making cider, some are great for making jams set because of their high pectin levels. What type of apple tree is best for you? Perhaps a black Oxford: a good eater, firm, crisp, sweet with deep crimson skin. If you want to take a bite of a big apple, wolf rover apples can produce fruit with a 6” diameter and sops of wine looks as though someone has spilled red wine inside the fruit.

There is a full list of the trees available from c.hardie@live.ca. So, check it out, and then do a bit of research, go online and find out what type of apple fits your interests, look around the yard and try to find a spot that’s fenced where you could have a tree that will get to be approximately 10 to 12’ tall and wide. If you don’t have a fenced yard, you could try building a protective circle of wire around the tree.

This heritage fruit tree sale is made possible thanks to John Riley and the hard work of a crew of people who helped to graft these hundreds of apple trees that are being sold by Christine Hardie and Rob Purdy, who have taken over the running of Riley’s Orchard. The sale is also being supported in part by the Bowen Heritage Preservation Association, which received a sustainability grant from the Knick Knack Nook last year to help support keeping our agricultural heritage growing into the future.

Everyone who purchases a tree will also receive a basic guide to planting and caring for their trees.

Healthy tips of advice

Joanna Quarry, Positively Fit Training

For great posture and a healthy back, look for exercises that focus on strengthening your “posterior chain” including your triceps, back muscles (rhomboids, mid traps, back extensors), glutes, and hamstrings. There are all sorts of excellent exercises to work these areas and require nothing but a little floor space and 15 - 30 minutes 3 - 5 x week. Carve out some time for you this spring to feel a little taller and more resilient! positivelyfit.ca

Rachel Canning, Positively Fit Training

We all have a dominant side. For great, functional strength, focus your workouts so that you start unilateral exercises (balance, one armed rows etc) on your non-dominant side first. This helps build a different neuro-muscular pathway (we default to starting on our dominant side first). As well, our focus is sharper at the beginning of every exercise, and tends to wain from there. Wake up your non-dominant side this spring for the best strength results! positivelyfit.ca

Tim Kerr, Phoenix Lifestyle Management Ltd. Tracy Leach, DC Chiropractor Sleep well! Chronic sleep deficiency can cause Certified Nutritional Practitioner and heart disease, diabetes, cancer, memory loss, Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach

Getting enough sleep, eating the rainbow, regular exercise and proper hydration are all vital modifiable components of living a healthy lifestyle.

Add in a little daily gratitude for stress management and positive reinforcement and you’re bound to have a great day! www.phoenixlm.ca

lowered immunity, and obesity. But did you know that poor sleep can worsen pain? Lacking sleep, the brain region that perceives pain is hyperactive, while the release of pain-relieving neurotransmitters is lowered. Develop healthy sleep habits to reduce pain. www.drtraceyleach.ca

Dr. Alea Bell, ND. Naturopathic Doctor

Vicky Frederiksen, Certified Shiatsu Practitioner

Sandy Logan, Physiotherapist, BScPT, BScKIN

Chantal Russell, Registered Holistic Nutritionist

Did you know that close to 40% of Canadians have vitamin D deficiency? Vitamin D is responsible for many functions including fighting off viruses, cancer prevention, bone health and nerve and muscle function. Be sure to supplement with vitamin D3 through the winter months. https://birchwellness.janeapp.com/locations/ bowen-island

Sleep is a valuable part of the repair process, whether you are recovering from a hard work out, major surgery or a stressful day on the job. Sleep calms down inflammation; boosts immunity and helps lay down new memory so you can tackle challenges head on.

Eating a healthy diet, exercise, exposure to sunlight, a warm bath and turning off ALL tech devices by 8 pm are some simple strategies to help you get your zzz’s. bowenislandwellnesscentre.ca

Shiatsu will not only relieve stress and create balance in your body, Shiatsu is also good for aiding your body in boosting and allowing the immune system to operate as it should.

Sessions are 60.00/hour or add 1.00 per minute for longer. v.gathe@gmail.com or call/text 778-8819012

With everything that’s going on lately, we’re hearing a lot about the importance of washing our hands and avoiding sneezing on people. But is anyone reminding us to sleep and eat well? Maybe instead of fearing a virus, we should focus on fortifying our body’s health.

The best way to build our immune defence is to lower stress, get enough sleep, stay well hydrated, eat healthy food, find someone to love, and laugh a little more. www.chantalrussell.com

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BOWEN BEAT

THURSDAY MARCH 12, 2020 • 7

Hop-ping for people to slow down

Bowen Island Municipality unveiled its newest mascot last week: a Pacific Chorus Frog, also known as a Pacific Tree Frog.

To mark the occasion and in honour of World Frog Day (March 20, during spring break) BIM’s manager of environment and parks planning, Bonny Brokenshire and environment and parks planning coordinator Carla Skuce gave presentations to Bowen Island Community School students and Island Pacific School students (pictured here). In the photo below, Skuce unveils a mockup of the road signs that will go on Mt. Gardner Rd. by Killarney Lake to warn drivers to slow down and watch for the frogs that hop across the road in spring and fall.

PHOTOS BY BRONWYN BEAIRSTO

Local poet Jude Neale held a poetry reading and book launch Sunday afternoon for her eighth book of poetry, Impromptu. The book stemmed from a poetry challenge where poets had to write a poem each day in response to a prompt. Jude wrote 47. Instead of working off of a predetermined list of poems, MC Martin Clarke had people from the audience draw numbers from a hat and the numbers corresponded with poems in the book. Below photo: Paul Hoosen

Jude signs a copy of Impromptu for Ira. Photo: Undercurrent

It was a full day at daddy (uncle) and me drop in last Saturday at Family Place.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROB WYNEN

The SportmedBC 10k In-Training program (formerly the SunRun program) on Saturday mornings has been a running success on Bowen for many years, this year has been no different. Many thanks to our Bowen volunteer leaders and guest experts. Keep up the great work.

PHOTO AND CAPTION COURTESY OF SHEANA STEVENSON, BICR

8 • THURSDAY MARCH 12. 2020

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Discussing restorative justice, reconciliation and decolonization with Women of Distinction nominee on Bowen Island

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“Restorative justice is about building a healthy relational ecology,” says Morrison. “What we want is people to take responsibility for their own behavior and manage relationships in healthy ways.

“That’s why we have conversations between victims, offenders and communities, because we know when people have a sense of belonging and accountability to each other, that keeps a lot of people out of harm’s way.”

“So we want the same things happening in schools because when we manage relationships in a healthy way in schools, then we keep them there,” she says. “Once we start excluding young people from schools, that sends them into the criminal justice system.”

“There’s something called the school to prison pipeline that’s very well documented in the United States,” says Morrison. “And the kids that we push out at school start feeling alienated, it’s a theme that carries on in their life and they make poorer and poorer decisions.

“In the United States that’s mostly characterized by African American males [who] make up the school to prison pipeline and in Canada, that pipeline is made up of Indigenous people.

“Indigenous people don’t feel included in school for many different reasons,” says Morrison. “They’re more likely to get expelled from school and if you go into the criminal justice context, that is where we find the disproportionate representation.

“Given that the average population in Canada is four per cent Indigenous, go to a male [correctional] institution a quarter Indigenous. If you go into a female institution, half are Indigenous.

“Even though crime is going down and we’re locking up less people in general, Indigenous women are the fastest growing population in our jail system,” says Morrison. “So that’s a reflection that we’re not meeting their needs on the outside.”

“The big umbrella for my work is disrupting, in a good way, the school to prison pipeline to build healthy relationships for our most vulnerable members of society.”

Later in the conversation Morrison noted, “In particular here in Canada, a lot of restorative justice practices are informed by Indigenous practices.”

It is also an interesting time to be talking of reconciliation when signs in support of the Wet’suwet’en Nation declare that “Reconciliation is dead.”

When asked what she thought about this, Morrison replied, “For me, reconciliation is more of a verb than a noun. That this is this will always be ongoing work.

“The work of reconciliation is really about learning and growing together across different ways of knowing, different worldviews because I think the strength is in our diversity of perspective, as non-Indigenous and Indigenous people.”

Discussion also turned to decolonization of a colonial institution.

“Decolonization is really important process and

PHOTO COURTESY OF YWCA

Brenda Morrison is an associate professor at SFU and a nominee for the inaugural Reconciliation in Action Award.

Indigenisation is an important [process] and they are parallel but mutual,” said Morrison. “We need to be doing both.

“It’s really my job when it comes to [Indigenizing] is to… use my privilege to open the institutional space and to get out of the way.

“Just open a space to learn and grow through another worldview and different rituals and processes [so]that the local Indigenous people can inform these institutional practices.”

Last week, the YWCA held an event for all the Women of Distinction nominees at the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver.

Morrison attended with two women she’s been friends with since high school (one of which was a Women of Distinction nominee last year) and her daughter. “I wanted to pull together the old and the new,” laughs Morrison.

“And, you know, to inspire my daughter in terms of she’s at an important developmental stage.”

“Women are doing so many amazing things that you want just to spend 15 minutes with each of them or even have a really great dinner party,” she said.

YWCA will announce award recipients May 11 at an awards dinner at JW Marriot Parq Vancouver.

BICS students benefit from local artistic talent SARAH HAXBY

On behalf of CSA

By planting the ‘Right plant in the right place’ you will have a garden that thrives, is enjoyable to be in and a pleasure to work with. Su will show you lots of plants for those difficult places, address soil amendments, how to get the best possible plants and how to grow a garden that needs less water.

There will be a limited number of unusual and interesting plants for sale.

Please join us on Monday March 16th, 1pm at the Legion.

Everyone is welcome, Members are free guests $3.

What happens when practicing and professional artists share their work and techniques with Bowen students age five through 18?

Mentorship is a rich way to share knowledge, skills and to spark creativity.

As part of the Community School Association (CSA) Art Show and Auction 2020, ten local artists donated “Canvas Inspiration Sessions” to participating children and youth between March 2 and 5 at Bowen Island Community School. The school coordinator organized these on behalf of the CSA. The series of free, after-school art classes included artists Glen Pierce, the art of game design, Shura Keith, the art of cake decoration, Di Izdebski,

landscape painting, Wendy Harding, how to change a drawing book to create your own style, Cyrille Zellweger, animal drawing and geometry, Tracy McLachlan, painting animals and landscape, Cordell Wynne, the art of drawing light and scratchboard, Paula Love, painting from the heart, Kathryn Gaitens, photography and Sarah Haxby, painting techniques and layers.

A bouquet of thanks to the local artists for the gift of their time and art and many thanks to Opus Art supplies for the donation of the hundreds of canvases. The canvases are now out in the community being turned into works of art by Bowen Island children and youth.

The artwork will be exhibited and for sale at the CSA Art Show & Auction 2020, April 15 to 25 at the Gallery at Cove Commons as a fundraiser for the CSA.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH HAXBY

This photo of Harper, age six was taken by one of her friends (also age six) at Kathryn Gaitens’ photography talk and workshop.

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THURSDAY MARCH 12, 2020 • 9

CALENDAR THURSDAY MARCH 12

Duplicate Bridge

Bowen Court 6:45-10 pm Info call Pat at 778-288-7090

Open Mic Night

Rustique Bistro 7 pm

FRIDAY MARCH 13

Snug Cove Blues Band Live at the Pub 7- 10 pm Dinner specials and no cover

Legion Dinner

Bowen Island Legion Doors at 5:30 Dinner at 6:30pm Members and guests welcome.

SATURDAY MARCH 14

Singing Back the Light

Tir-na-nOg Theatre 7:30 pm special guest, Alison Nixon reads Brian Hoover’s, Tales of the Heart, . Followed by a vocal quartet with musical accompaniment of Brian’s meditations of Singing Back the Light : “on the basic goodness of humankind” Tickets at the Phoenix and the door $20.

Don’t miss out, last year it sold out.

Knowing Our Place: Book Club

Library Flex Room 11-12:30 pm The Book Club will discuss Memory Serves by Lee Maracle.

Register and find more info at bit. ly/bookclub2020-1

Call of the Coast: Artist demonstration & reception Catching Stars Gallery 1-3 pm

Join Kathleen Ainscough for a demonstration of her creative process which includes 3 stages Workflow, Design & Value. Raise a glass in celebration. (2-3 pm) catchingstarsgallery.com

SUNDAY MARCH 15

Outdoor Meditation Circle Meet at the picnic tables at the entrance to Crippen Park 11 am. No cost. More info at lisa. shatzky@gmail.com

Apple Tree Sale

620 Laura Road 10 am - noon Two year old bare root trees.

Over 80 different heritage varieties. $25 per tree or $20 per tree for three.

MONDAY MARCH 16

How to Grow a Happy Garden with Su Rickett

Legion Hall 1 pm Su Rickett discusses how to plant ‘the right plant in the right place’ to have a garden that thrives. There will be a limited number of unusual and interesting plants for sale.

Presented by the Bowen Island Garden Club. Members are free are guests $3

Seniors Keeping Young

1070 Millder Rd. 9 a.m. Exercises, 10 a.m. Guest Speaker: Sue Ellen Fast “Birds”, 11:15 a.m. Yoga

TUESDAY MARCH 17

Bowen Island AA Collins Hall 7:15 pm

THURSDAY MARCH 19

Duplicate Bridge

Bowen Court 6:45-10 pm Info call Pat at 778-288-7090

Tribe of the Wild Scribes: An evening in the tavern of the soul Collins Hall 7:30 - 9 pm Join Brian Hoover, Tenneson Woolf, Roq Gareau and Dave Waugh for a night of story telling and live music. Free admission.

FRIDAY MARCH 20

Friday Night Live at the Pub

Bowen Island Pub 7- 10 pm Live music, dinner specials and no cover

SATURDAY MARCH 21

“Toxic Beauty” documentary screening and discussion

Belterra Common House 7 9:30 pm “This award-winning documentary explores the question: Are cosmetics and the personal care industry making us sick? A fundraiser for the Bowen Island Health Centre. Tickets by donation at Eventbrite: https:// tinyurl.com/vdz9hk2

SUNDAY MARCH 22

Outdoor Meditation Circle Meet at the picnic tables at the entrance to Crippen Park 11 am. No cost. More info at lisa. shatzky@gmail.com

Apple Tree Sale

620 Laura Road 10 am - noon Two year old bare root trees.

Brian J. Hydesmith captured last Thursday’s suset at Tunstall Bay.

BRIAN J. HYDESMITH PHOTO

NEAT NUMBERS, INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY EDITION: Neat numbers is the Undercurrent’s numerically challenged editor’s attempt at bringing you some interesting data every week.

This week’s numbers come from the 2016 census. I found them while doing a story on the municipality’s 20th anniversary and have meant to research them more but it hasn’t happened yet.

On the Bowen Island profile, scrolling down to employment income statistics, median employment income in 2015 for full-year full-time workers on Bowen was $66,424 – that’s $79,382 for men and $59,579 for women. That’s a gap that appears to be pretty standard when looking at other com-

munities’ profiles.

However the interesting numbers are in the average employment income in 2015 for full-year full-time workers––overall $ 95,252. The average employment income for Bowen men over 15 in 2015 was $119,640 while the average for women was $65,994.

Other interesting but perhaps unrelated numbers, Bowen profile enumerates 645 men with a university certificate, diploma or degree at bachelor level or above and 725 women. On the other hand it says there are 145 men with an apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma and 55 women.

Thoughts? Email editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com. ––Bronwyn Beairsto

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THURSDAY MARCH 12, 2020 • 11

Next up at the Hearth is ‘Forests of the Coast’from new islander Jean Bradbury JEAN BRADBURY

Contributor

A unique exhibition of paintings by artist Jean Bradbury is on view at The Gallery @ Cove Commons from March 11 to April 12.

Bradbury, who splits her time between studios in Seattle and Bowen Island, celebrates the native plants of the west coast in her new exhibition titled “Forests of the Coast.” Misty trunks of cedar, fir and maple loom toward the sky as tangled branch-

es sketch stories about the complexity of our natural environment on her large-scale canvasses.

Included in the exhibition of forest images are two light boxes depicting the filtered light of both the rain forest and the underwater kelp forest. “These amazing forests are complex and delicate ecosystems that are treasures to be celebrated and protected” says Bradbury. “They are awe inspiring in their richness and biodiversity. The almost overwhelming cycle of birth, death,

and decay is profound and apparent as we explore these places. Much like the kelp and the trees I find myself reaching toward the light on a misty winter day. One day in the studio some rare and precious sunlight shone through a canvas I was painting, creating exactly the feeling of magic I was trying to recreate in paint. I knew I had to add actual light to my paintings.”

Bradbury adds, “These are paintings of light and water. Whether we are near the ocean or simply walking in the drizzly

woods, Bowen Islanders embrace water and wetness. I have painted raindrops on some of the wildflowers to show that each is a jewel to be treasured. And of course the kelp forests live under the depths of water. Water is life. But water is also magic”.

Also included in the exhibition are paintings of native wildflowers including camas, yellow violets and salmonberry.

There will be a closing party at the Gallery @ Cove Commons from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on April 11.

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FROM OUR MEXICO CORRESPONDENT

ABBA House: a place of refuge

ISLANDER KAMI KANETSUKA VISITS ABBA HOUSE IN CELAYA, MEXICO, WHERE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE PASS THROUGH ANNUALLY ON THEIR WAY TO OR FROM THE U.S. BORDER. ABBA HOUSE ALSO HAS A BOWEN CONNECTION...

KAMI KANETSUKA

Contributor

I have been visiting San Miguel de Allende for some years now, as have several others from Bowen Island.

For those of us who come for extended visits, there comes a time when one feels the need to give something back for the pleasure of spending time in this heritage city, known for its arts and culture.

There is often a certain synchronicity here, where things fall into place by meeting the right people.

This year I volunteered for an event around the migrant situation in Mexico, and met Stan Allen, who for two and a half years has been volunteering at ABBA house, a safe communal home for migrants.

At this event we ran into Dr. Ellen Coburn of Bowen Island and I found out that she had been accompanying Stan twice a week for several months to administer medication and check other medical needs. This created a desire for me to go with them to check out this place.

ABBA House in Celaya has housed thousands of migrants on their danger-

ous journey, either to the U.S. or their return to the homes they had to flee due to corruption, violence and poverty. All north/south trains pass through Celaya and many ride the trains, nicknamed La Bestia. Often the migrants find their way to ABBA House for a few days of refuge.

Those who are still able-bodied can stay for three days, where they receive nurturing care; others who are sick or injured are taken care of until they are able to resume their journey, which is full of obstacles and dangers. All who arrive have experienced hardships, and many arrive with injuries, including amputations, sometimes after falling off the train and sustaining horrendous injuries. Many have infected blisters from walking many miles. All arrive traumatized, exhausted and red-eyed with the dust from the road.

By road from San Miguel, it took us a little over an hour to reach the house on a dusty street in Celaya.

On arrival we entered the always-locked metal doors.

Stan introduced to the mostly volunteer staff. Angie, who registers new arrivals,

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAMI KANETSUKA

After a week’s shopping: Kami, Stan, Magali and Ellen.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAMI KANETSUKA

Colouring mandalas. Kami is in the right hand corner. was sorting through a pile of clothes. (Abba provides shoes, backpacks, socks, underwear, medications, new and used clothing and personal hygiene products.)

I met the kitchen staff and other volunteer workers. I was then introduced to the migrants Stan was familiar with. (People come and leave on a daily basis.) At the time of my visit, the majority of them were Hondurans.

While I was learning the lay of the land, Ellen quietly disappeared into the infirmary to attend to all the medical needs.

In the film Where Can We Live in Peace by Canadian filmmaker Judy Jackson, there is much on the work of ABBA House. In one part, nurse Amparo Pasahondo says about Ellen, “She’s the first doctor who has come and helped us. Mostly it’s really hard, we have to take patients to the hospital and then it is hard to get seen.

Often we come back without being seen. Ellen is so

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DATE

March 19, 2020

TIME

7:30 to 9pm

COST

Free

LOCATION

Collins Hall (1122 Miller Road), Bowen Island, BC

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAMI KANETSUKA

Birthday celebration with Stan with Angie. Magali is on the right.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAMI KANETSUKA

Ellen Coburn entering with newly bought medicines. much help, she has brought medicines as well. Really she has been a blessing and there has been a big change at ABBA.” Due to limited Spanish I was able to talk with only one migrant. As an amputee, Alan had been at the house for some months, waiting for his prosthesis.

He had lost part of one leg falling off the train. He happily spoke with me to practice his English and proudly told me it was his daughter who taught him. Most of his family are still back in Honduras. It was a friendly chat and he was also curious about me. This man who must have suffered terribly in life kept smiling as we talked and still had a twinkle in his eye. Later Stan told me that he had not told his family about losing part of his leg.

When Ellen reappeared, Stan said it was time to shop for a week’s groceries. With Magali, one of the cooks, the four of us set out for a nearby supermarket. With a list and a quick wander around the aisles, we soon filled up four carts. Ellen bought more medical supplies. Angie had a birthday coming up in a couple of days, so four large cakes sat on the top of a one of the carts. When we arrived back, Stan called for volunteers to help unpack the groceries. A train of young men quickly carried everything into the house.

ABBA House is the brainchild of Pastor Ignacio Martinez Ramirez, a truly compassionate man. In Judy Jackson’s film, he is seen bathing the blistered feet of a migrant. He tells how he and his family originally started by taking food to the migrants on the trains, but with the strong feeling they were not doing enough.

With time and much work, they raised money to rent a place, which is the present ABBA House. Pastor Ignacio’s mission, and that of the team he has built, is to provide each person with three nights of safe, fear-free rest, healthy food, showers, fresh clothes, legal assistance and medical attention. His daughter Abril, a psychologist, offers emotional support.

Pastor Ingnacio greeted me warmly and I could feel this was a man who treats all as equals. As I left his office with Stan, we ran into Austen, a 17-year-old migrant from Honduras. He gave me a big embracing hug (something I would not experience in Canada with a 17-year-old boy.) Stan told me his story. When he was 14 years old, Austen was traveling there with his two cousins. Their father, his uncle, was already in the U.S. When they reached the border, his uncle told him that he could not be responsible for him. As a strong, attractive teenager, the dangers at the border were so great that he decided to turn back. On his journey back he auspiciously found ABBA House. Pastor Ignacio was impressed with Austen’s demeanor and the pastor and his family decided to adopt him. When I met Austen he had just

returned from school. As a friendly teenager he is very much part of the communal house.

Stan always brings word games, puzzles and ping pong balls etc. to keep the people engaged and later in the afternoon Ellen and I joined in, coloring mandalas. As I sat surrounded by these migrants, I was aware of my privilege. I was aware that if I were born in their country, I would most likely be completely in their position. As Stan said, “They are all good people, just wanting to make a better life for themselves and their families.”

My visit to ABBA House, with its community spirit and resilient people, will remain with me for a long time. They represent for me the millions of migrants worldwide who are forced to leave their homes due to corruption, violence, environmental devastation and poverty.

Later this year Ellen and I would like to do a presentation on Bowen Island and Judy Jackson is willing to show her film. Judy and I agreed that although these migrants are nearer to Canada than many others, we hear less about them than others from distant lands.

ABBA House relies solely on the big hearts of those who respond to the need of this vulnerable population and understand the complete random chance of where you happen to be born. If moved please make financial gifts to assist with the mission of ABBA house at the following link: gofundme.com/f/ abba-house-shoes-for-immigrants.