Bowen Island Undercurrent May 13 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com

FARMERS’ MARKET RETURNS: For its10th year at BICS PAGE 3

Thursday, May 13, 2021 • A1 BOB TURNER PHOTO

GST $1.50 inc.

THURSDAY, MAY 13 , 2021 NO ANCHORS

VOL. 47 NO. 19

BIUndercurrent

BowUndercurrent www.bowenislandundercurrent.com

There’s a new voluntary noanchoring zone in Deep Bay to protect eelgrass PAGE 6

Fireplace ban NO INDOOR WOOD BURNING MAY 15 THROUGH SEPT. 15

BRONWYN BEAIRSTO

Editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com

car lineup for hours with tired children (the worst Mother’s Day present ever, said one commenter) and some sought out mainland hotel rooms.

Through the Bowen Island Everything Else Facebook group and Bowen Ferry Realtime Updates Facebook group, islanders coordinated rides for those crossing to Bowen without their cars and arriving after the bus had stopped running.

Metro Vancouver is looking for cleaner air this summer. From now on, a fire in your fireplace will be banned across the Metro Vancouver region between May 15 and Sept. 15 every year; this includes on Bowen.

The seasonal indoor burning ban is part of a phased Metro Vancouver bylaw aimed at improving regional air quality. It was adopted in late March last year.

For the four summer months, Metro Vancouverites aren’t permitted to use residential indoor wood-burning appliances (indoor fireplaces) unless the appliance is the only heat source, in an off-grid home outside of the urban containment boundary (Bowen is outside of this boundary, Lions Bay is not) or if there is an emergency.

The bylaw was adopted to protect public health, says Esther Bérubé, division manager for air quality bylaw and regulation at Metro Vancouver.

Residential woodburning accounts for about a quarter of fine particulate emissions in the Metro Vancouver region, says Bérubé, emissions that can affect respiratory and cardiac health. “So often we think that wood smoke is innocuous but it’s actually [got] quite significant health impacts. It can also be carcinogenic.”

These restrictions are seasonal. “Generally, because it’s warmer, burning tends to be done more for aesthetic reasons or ambience. And really, the health impacts of it then are really not justified,” says Bérubé.

As of September 2022, residents within the urban containment boundary will need to register their appliances and declare that they’re following best burning practices. As of 2025, Metro Vancouverites within the boundary will need to renew their registration every three years and unregistered devices won’t be allowed.

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UNDERCURRENT PHOTO

EPHEMERAL HORIZONS: Jayme Chalmers (with the disposable mask sculpture) and Michael Trevillion

(with the imagined landscape) have their takes on routine in the latest Hearth Gallery exhibition. See the story on page 9.

Bowen steps up for stranded ferry passengers BRONWYN BEAIRSTO

editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com

For some it was the worst ever Mother’s Day present, for others it was a display of Bowen’s community spirit.

When the Queen of Capilano ferry sailings were unexpectedly cancelled from 4:30 p.m. onward on a gorgeous sunny Sunday, dozens of passengers were stuck on either side of the route.

Islanders who’d been on the mainland lined up at the dock in Horseshoe Bay while rumours swirled that the water taxis weren’t running (Sunshine Coast Water Taxi and later Cormorant Marine did step in to transport stranded folks across the sound). Cpl. Adam Koehle of Bowen RCMP estimates that the taxis transported well over 100 people, locals and tourists, across the sound. Some islanders commented on Facebook being in the Horseshoe Bay

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A2 • Thursday, May 13, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com

We’re hiring - Planner I Temporary full-time

Events May 19, 2021 7:00 pm

Open call for artists: lock-block wall

BIM is looking for a temporary full-time Planner I to join our team immediately for a contract period of 8 months, covering a statutory leave. The position offers an opportunity for you to work on a variety of projects and initiatives relevant to guiding the growth and direction of a community-focused municipality.

Climate Conversation

May 24, 2021 6:15 pm Regular Council Meeting

The Bowen Island Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) is excited to announce an open call public art opportunity for the refurbished lock-block wall at the entrance to Bowen Island.

Commissions are supported by the Bowen Island Municipality through the Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC), as well a through a generous donation offered by Sangre de Fruta Botanical at Artisan Square.

Reporting to the Manager of Planning and Development, the Planner 1 will process development applications and This program aims to foster artworks that define and express the other related Planning applications; conduct preliminary spirit of place that is Bowen island. research and analysis with regards to a future Land Use Bylaw update; provide support and research for Council Proposals should be submitted by 5 pm on June 1, 2021.

Strategic Initiatives; develop material and support facilitation for community engagement; support Planning Technician www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/public-art-advisory-committee inquiries regarding planning and building pre-application inquiries and building plan reviews; and provide excellent customer service to internal and external agencies and groups.

All meetings are online via Zoom and

open to the public, unless noted otherwise.

Help slow the spread of COVID-19:

https://www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/jobs

Climate Conversation: Connecting Canada’s Climate Action Plan with Opportunities for Bowen Island

Stay home if you’re sick

Wednesday, May 19th 7:00 pm Join us as we take a deeper dive into Canada’s new climate action plan and what it means for Bowen. In our next Climate Conversation, MP Patrick Weiler will present the federal government’s strategy and together we will explore how it aligns with Bowen’s Climate Action Strategy. MP Weiler will discuss opportunities for Islanders to become part of the solution—and, of course, answer your questions.

Clean your hands frequently 2 m or 6 feet

Please join us for the Climate Conversation on Wednesday, May 19th, 7:00-8:30 pm.

Keep a safe physical distance

Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 882 1825 9842 Passcode: 327581 www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/news/releases/climate-conversation

Wear a mask in indoor public spaces

Parks Trails and Greenways Advisory Committee Communications Series The Parks, Trails and Greenways Advisory Committee (PTGAC) have been providing advice and recommendations to Council and staff for over a decade! Meeting monthly, PTGAC members take part in activities such as site visits, identification of trail linkages, evaluation of beach accesses, suggesting ways to mitigate erosion and pollution, and following-up with referrals from Council.

Read more. Look for the main article published in the Undercurrent. www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/news/releases/ptgaccommunication-series

Register for a vaccine when it’s your turn

Contact Bowen Island Municipality PAID ADVERTISEMENT May 13, 2021

Phone: Fax: Email: Website:

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

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

www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Monday to Friday Closed statutory holidays

Find us on Facebook Bowen Island Municipality

Subscribe to our mailing list bowenislandmunicipality.ca/subscribe

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Thursday, May 13, 2021 • A3

MUNI MORSELS

Dock decision deferred PUBLIC SPACES BYLAW & ISLAND PLAN PROCEED

BRONWYN BEAIRSTO

Editor

Briefs from the May 10 Bowen Island Municipality regular council meeting: Dock decision deferral: Council opted to defer consideration of a development variance permit at Ecclestone Beach for a month.

The permit applicants are asking BIM to modify setback requirements to allow for a dock at the Miller’s Landing pocket beach in exchange for a statutory right of way over their property. As it stands, the path to the beach is on private property and the public must cross over the private property to get to the public beach space. A neighbourhood group, Friends of Ecclestone Beach, has been vehemently against the dock and is instead proposing a staircase from the adjacent public right-of-way to the beach, circumventing the private property. It asked for a month to get an engineering feasibility report together.

Councillors (except Coun. Alison Morse) had varying levels of enthusiasm for giving the group time to get its report together – citing public access to water and interest in the staircase proposal.

But Mayor Gary Ander was firmly against deferring the DVP consideration. “I don’t think that there’s any way that this can work,” said Ander of the staircase proposal, describing a difficult topography. “I think this is more about stopping the dock. “[If] the proponent hadn’t gone for a variance, we would look at the situation – it’s not dividing a beach and it’s not in an area that doesn’t accept docks.

“I think it would be pretty hard to turn that down at that time.”

Ander also stated concern with ongoing maintenance cost.

Kaile agreed with Ander in principle.

“The only reason, Mayor, I’m prepared to support this is at least to give these people working so hard on this alternative an opportunity to produce their plans,” he said. “I just feel that given the amount of input, that is the correct thing to do.”

The deferral passed with Ander and

Morse against.

Finding priorities: The municipality’s strategic plan – Island Plan 2021 – was adopted Monday. It has three pillars: self-reliance, resilience and responsibility with stratified priorities in each.

What’s priority A1? “Advance housing initiatives.” If you’re wondering how your initiatives or concerns fit in the municipal plan, read it all at bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/243702.

Regulating spaces: Council passed second reading of a bylaw regulating public spaces. The bylaw was initiated earlier this year as a means of regulating encampments on public land but grew to cover quite a lot more, including smoking, gatherings of 20 or more people, posting ads or posters, discharging fireworks and consuming alcohol.

(Permits required for the latter four).

“Staff currently receives requests to use municipal land to hold activities but mechanisms are not in place to permit such activities,” said bylaw manager Bonny Brokenshire at the meeting. This bylaw is to address that gap.

BIM staff has made tweaks throughout the bylaw since March. While councillors David Hocking and Rob Wynen both suggested that the bylaw was intrusive and an overreach, only Wynen voted against second reading. Read the entire bylaw: bowenisland.civicweb.net/ document/243706.

Other morsels: • Council also directed staff to look at creating an easement policy for the muni.

• The Local Service Area Expansion Policy Update was adopted (how much people have to pay when they connect into utilities like water systems was updated.)

• The brand new Cove Bay Water Parcel Tax passed third reading and is expected to be adopted in a special council meeting this week (as BIM has to send out property tax notices.)

• Bowen Island RCMP gave a yearend update, the details of which we’ll feature in next week’s paper.

SARAH HAXBY PHOTO

Jared of Home Farm (with mask off, just for the photo) with locally grown produce.

A market grown on Bowen

BOWEN AGRICULTURAL ALLIANCE’S FARMERS’ MARKET LAUNCHES ITS 10TH YEAR AT THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL SARAH HAXBY; DAVID GRIFFITHS

BAA Farmers’ Market co-leads

The Bowen Agricultural Alliance (BAA) Farmers’ Market is opening on May 15, 10 a.m. to noon at Bowen Island Community School.

The first sale will have an abundance of garden starts and seedlings, as well as the usual vendors selling locally grown produce, flowers, and a variety of items made, baked and grown on Bowen.

The market spots are sold out for this first week and it must be noted that due to the COVID-19 protocols, the market cannot currently accept drop-in vendors, no matter how much we would like to.

We need everyone coming to the sale to please be patient with the two-metre distances between shoppers and vendors and wear masks, sanitize and watch for the signs. Please follow the rules that will allow us to stay open and running and allow us to connect the community to local farmers, gardeners and artisans. We appreciate your patience and your patronage as we are operating for the second year during a pandemic.

Whilst thinking about how to navigate the challenges of running an essential service market this year, I’ve spent a bit of time thinking about challenges and growth opportunities that have faced the Bowen Farmers’ market since its inception.

As I was strolling down memory lane I realized that the Bowen Island Farmers’ Market is now in its tenth year of running at BICS. Before the market moved to BICS, the market was a one-day annual event held down on the lawn

in front of the public library and started around 2006 (thanks to Elle’s vision and hard work).

From a one-day event to being a weekly essential service that runs from mid-May to mid-October, the market has grown and changed over the years but is one of my favourite places to shop. It feels good to support local.

Although I’ll miss the buskers, face painters and the youth vendors, it just feels good to have another year of buying fresh local produce.

Of taking home a bouquet of flowers grown on Bowen or a bag of fresh salad greens from Home Farm. Of buying seedlings to add to my garden or trying one of Maureen’s latest confections (looking forward to crumbles and pies!) And the jams...so many amazing jams!

I also love that the market supports newer food initiatives such as youth-entrepreneur Anna’s Organics, which sells organic food that is rejected by stores due to a variety of issues including being too close to full ripeness or being the wrong size. I once bought an onion from Anna that was almost the size of a soccer ball. She explained that it was so big that no store would accept the onion but I took it home very happily and was glad to support a youth entrepreneur who is helping to prevent commercial food waste.

The Bowen Agricultural Alliance, a small, dedicated group of volunteers has kept the Farmers’ market running and supporting local farmers, gardeners and artisans for more than a decade. We grow with and for our community and look forward to seeing you at the markets, starting May 15, 10 a.m. to noon. Don’t forget to bring cash, a mask, a reusable shopping bag or basket and thank you for supporting local!

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A4 • Thursday, May 13, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com

VIEWPOINTS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

No wall ‘beautification’

DEAR EDITOR: As an artist designer I have spent many decades of my long life decorating interior and exterior wall surfaces in urban public places in Western Canada with paint or sculptural forms. It therefore fills me with horror that, once again on Bowen Island, we are going to see this abomination of a concrete block wall, that greets everyone arriving on the ferry, undertake a makeshift treatment of beautification that is simply perpetuating a series of aesthetic errors made in the past.

First we had murals painted directly onto the concrete surface by the students from BICS, fun for the kids, but a disaster for the Cove. This was followed by a coat of disgusting brown paint and then by a number of ineffectual painted panels, which in this climate quickly deteriorated into tacky eyesores. Please don’t do it yet again!

Painted artworks in public places are urban solutions to urban problems, and are totally, totally, totally, totally inappropriate in this charming, semi-rural atmosphere of Bowen. The very word, beautification, gives me the creeps, and the only beauty in the suggestion of painted panels is that they are easily removed, period. This notion that art is a cure-all for aesthetic problems is flawed. My wife and I normally spend our summers in a lovely medieval village in the Auvergne in central France. Some years ago the mayor and council embarked on a program of beautification and, there being an exposed gable end of a building in the main street, saw it as the opportunity to encourage local artists and dolly up the place. With the help of subsidies from Brussels a giant mosaic was installed and the ancient rural character of our village was destroyed overnight.

Recently the building was gutted by fire, but this was France, the stone walls were 80 centimetres thick, and the objectionable mural will be with us for the next century. All it really needed was a coat of whitewash with a small tree planted in front of it.

The only sensible and permanent solution to our problem in Snug Cove is to replace the existing concrete with a wall of local stone, on which Mother Nature and time will lovingly paint a patina of lichen and moss. It will need no maintenance for the next five hundred years or so, and it will give the highways department the chance to widen the very narrow sidewalk by a foot or so.

Please, don’t do what I think you are about to do.

Yours truly, Paul Deggan

Important COVID information

I had a couple of notes this week asking that I remind Bowen Islanders that if folks received their first dose of any COVID vaccine: • before the provincial booking system launched on April 6; • as a health-care worker or priority frontline worker before May 3; • at a pharmacy; • in long-term care or assisted living; or • at a community outreach clinic in

Whistler or Squamish, they need to ensure they’re registered at gov.bc.ca/getvaccinated to make sure they’re notified when they become eligible for the second dose.

Vancouver Coastal Health has confirmed that it will hold another Bowen Island vaccine clinic in coming weeks but the date wasn’t on the VCH website as of publication time. (Check vch.ca/ covid-19/covid-19-vaccine.) We’ll also

Bowen Island Undercurrent Subscription Rates: Mailed 1 year subscription on Bowen Island: $55, including GST. Within Canada: $85 including GST Newsstand (Single Copy) $1.50 per copy, including GST

ISSN 7819-5040

Bronwyn Beairsto, editor

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.

Please limit to under 500 words. 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.

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.

#102–495 Bowen Trunk Road, PO Box 130, Bowen Island BC, V0N 1G0 Phone: 604.947.2442 Fax: 604.947.0148 bowenislandundercurrent.com DEADLINE for advertising Monday, 4 p.m. DEADLINE for editorial Tuesday 5 p.m.

let you know on our website (bowenislandundercurrent.com) and Facebook page when we know more.

As of Wednesday evening (May 12), Vancouver Coastal Health residents 30 and over are to start receiving invitations to book a vaccine appointment. So if you’re in the 20 to 30 age range and haven’t registered yet because you thought it would be a longer wait, now’s the time!

National NewsMedia Council.

EDITOR Bronwyn Beairsto 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

SPECIAL THANK-YOU Audrey Grescoe

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.

bowenislandundercurrent.com

Thursday, May 13, 2021 • A5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Ecclestone raises memories of another beach access DEAR EDITOR: I am a member of the public at large on Bowen Island, meaning I have no immediate interest in or own property in close proximity to Ecclestone Beach. But what I do have is an interest in the Bowen Island municipal government holding a strong line in following the laws as they apply to homeowners who push to exceed their property rights at the expense of community access to public spaces.

I have a personal history in which the Bowen Island municipal government accommodated a landowner with a conciliatory resolution to a situation similar to the Ecclestone dock application. About 10 years ago a homeowner purchased the historic cabin and corresponding property on Scarborough Beach. They upgraded the cabin into a summer home and then attempted to close access to our entire neighbourhood’s use of the beach by preventing “trespassing” on their driveway.

It was a bit absurd because the homeowners’ new driveway partly obstructed the trail down to the neighbourhood public access beach. They put up a million no trespassing signs saying that no one could walk on their driveway but without walking on a part of their driveway, neighbours could not use the trail that would take them down to the beach.

The municipality resolved the conflict to access of Scarborough Beach by building an expensive but effective staircase down to the beach that ran parallel to the private landowners’ driveway. It was a truce

that worked but at the expense of our taxpayer dollars to conciliate a homeowner that tried to take a public beach and make it private.

I’m sharing this story to remind the municipality that this type of incursion into public spaces happens regularly but it is not our municipal government’s responsibility to accommodate self-interested requests, especially when the report

by West Coast Environmental Law dated April 19 gives the Mayor and council every reason and grounds upon which to deny the variance permit for the dock.

And what is even more notable is the spirit of generosity, collaboration and contribution that is being offered to the municipality by the Friends of Ecclestone Beach. This organization of local citizens is gifting to the Bowen Island Municipality much of the work and investment into building a legal, safe public staircase to the beach to ensure all can access the beach including the homeowners of 1160 Ecclestone Road.

There is no reason to bend over backward to accommodate a dock on Ecclestone Beach that contravenes our Official Community Plan. I am encouraging Bowen’s Mayor and council to take the gift the Friends of Ecclestone Beach are offering and build the staircase. It worked to help in Scarborough a decade ago and this time the price will be shared, which shows the commitment of this group of citizens to a strong Bowen future.

Gail Lotenberg

The community is imploring – no to an Ecclestone dock DEAR EDITOR: As our community informs themselves about the proposed dock application at Ecclestone Beach, they’re making their views known to Mayor and council – loud and clear.

No private dock on our beach in exchange for a pathway across the bottom of 1160 Ecclestone. The proposal put forward by the property owners would be to the detriment of the community, not its benefit.

Up to Monday evening, May 10, 63 letters and 16 public comments voiced in opposition to this proposal for a private dock, to our Bowen council – requesting council deny this DVP and uphold the existing requirements.

By contrast, not counting letters from the applicants themselves, there have been five letters in support of the dock. Some submissions are from the same individuals. One of the parties in favour of granting the DVP has themselves erected deterrents on a right of way to another public beach adjacent to their property, preventing the community from accessing that beach.

The applicants have now submitted a lengthy letter from a lawyer they’ve hired, claiming that the so-called “solution” offered by them would benefit everyone. This letter is tone deaf to the truth of what our community is actually saying about their proposal, which is, that it doesn’t align with the values of the community and it’s not supported. Further, the letter contains no compelling argument that their client is in any way entitled to

a private dock DVP on our neighbourhood beach. Our zoning bylaws say, if you meet the requirements, you can build a dock, and their proposal clearly does not. If a property with a dock is a priority for the applicants, there are other properties on Bowen where a dock would be permitted.

In the meantime, our community has come out strongly in support of an alternative option to secure public access to Ecclestone Beach via the creation of public staircase leading from Ecclestone right-of-way down to the foreshore. Currently we’re in discussion with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development to acquire the necessary permits. It’s important to note that the siting of the proposed private dock on the foreshore potentially impedes the public access route to the beach via the public staircase.

So the professionals retained by Friends of Ecclestone Public Beach can complete the staircase design and cost estimates, Mayor and council have, with the support of the planning department, granted us an extension on the dock DVP decision until June 14.

So it’s not too late for members of our community to let their views known to Mayor and council. In fact, it’s absolutely essential that we continue to let council know how deeply we care about the protection and preservation of our public beaches on Bowen Island.

Gillian Darling on behalf of the Friends of Ecclestone Public Beach

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A6 • Thursday, May 13, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com

Dozens of stranded Queen of Capilano passengers slept in their cars in the Cove overnight CONTINUED FROM P. 1

An impromptu taxi service of sorts popped up. “Folks were driving down there pretty steadily and picking people up,” said municipal councillor, Maureen Nicholson, who arrived in the Cove at about 8:30 p.m.

“There were others who just came down and parked at the ferry and offered rides home.”

“When we were walking the [ferry] line, there were numerous times when the cars coming down stopped and asked us if we needed a ride,” laughed Nicholson. Local pastor Phil Adkins walked the lineup with Nicholson, checking on car occupants.

At one point, three youth who had come to the island to buy a used car showed up. This was their first trip to Bowen, said Nicholson. “They were just pretty amazed by what was going on.”

Bowen Islanders also stepped up to offer rooms, suites, even kitty litter boxes, for tourists stuck on the island side.

Between 20 and 30 vehicles worth of people opted to stay in their cars overnight in the ferry line, according to Koehle. Many more managed to find accommodation overnight.

Union Steamship Company Marina offered free parking for those caught in the ferry drama and folks were forced to park all over the Cove, according to Koehle.

A point of frustration for Nicholson was that the big glowing BC Ferries sign in the Cove didn’t change to reflect the cancellation, instead it read “next sailing, 9:30 p.m.” said Nicholson.

The ferry’s problem was “with the elec-

tronic and software management system of the emergency generator,” said BC Ferries’ manager of community relations strategy and community engagement Darin Guenette in an email. “After thorough troubleshooting, our technicians solved this problem, replacing parts and updating software as required.” The ferry service isn’t planning follow-up maintenance, said Guenette.

While the first Monday morning ferry was cancelled as it awaited Transport Canada approval, the second one did run but the traffic backlog took until noon to clear up on the Bowen side, said Koehle.

While the municipal response consisted of the mayor making a call to Koehle about the Cove situation, Nicholson says there’s a gap that needs filling.

“One of the upshots of all of this was that there probably should be an official municipal response to these circumstances because BC Ferries doesn’t respond to them,” said Nicholson.

May 9 was the second day in a row the ferry saw cancellations. The Queen of Cap ended its runs early Saturday to have planned repairs done overnight. While a similar evening of planned cancellations caused a ruckus a few weeks ago, Koehle said BC Ferries communicated the schedule change much better and he only had to turn away two vehicles of people waiting for the ferry after the 6 p.m. cut-off. Both vehicles of people had places to stay, said Koehle.

Residential Indoor Wood Burning Seasonal Prohibitions May 15 to September 15 If you own or operate an indoor wood burning appliance in Metro Vancouver, Residential Indoor Wood Burning Emission Regulation Bylaw No. 1303 may affect you.

What you need to know: •

Users of indoor wood burning appliances must use best burning practices.

•

Residential indoor wood burning appliances cannot be used between May 15 and September 15, every year, unless: •

The wood burning appliance is operated within an off-grid residence located outside the Urban Containment Boundary

•

The wood burning appliance is the only source of heat in a residence

•

There is an emergency (such as a gas or electrical outage)

Metro Vancouver adopted Bylaw 1303 in March 2020. The bylaw is intended to reduce smoke from residential indoor wood burning and its impacts on public health and the environment.

Future requirements will be introduced in 2022 and 2025.

For more information go to www.metrovancouver.org and search ‘Residential Wood Burning’, email icentre@metrovancouver.org or call 604-432-6200.

Metro Vancouver offers a wood stove exchange program to reduce emissions from wood-burning appliances. For more information search ‘Wood Stove Exchange’ on our website.

BOWEN ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Grant giving season 2021 UNVEILING THE DESERVING ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVING 2021 COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANTS

RICHARD SMITH

Bowen Island Community Foundation

The pandemic has not cooled enthusiasm among Bowen Island community organizations. Many of them turned to the Bowen Island Community Foundation (BICF) for project support in the coming year.

Community Impact Grants are for projects that “have a measurable and sustainable impact on our community.” Community groups with a broad range of objectives came forward with ideas and we thank them all for their proposals.

For the 2021 grant cycle, BICF has granted a total of $41,000 across six projects that address challenges identified in the broad-based community consultations that the BICF held in 2017, called “Vital Conversations.” These priorities include: diversity and inclusion, environment and parks, sport & recreation, and environmental stewardship.

Bowen Island Resilient Community Housing (BIRCH) has been tremendous-

ly successful in securing support from the Bowen community and all levels of government in their efforts to provide safe, secure, and affordable housing on Bowen. The BICF is pleased to complement this support with a grant of $15,000. To provide funding to bridge the gap between today and the successful funding of the new building’s construction, maintain momentum and ensure that this vital community project is built as immediately as possible.

Bowen Island Children’s Centre Society is the recipient of a $3,000 award

that will go towards diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging (DIEB) training for staff at the Children’s Centre. The grant will be used for a pilot program with the BCC’s After School Club. The After School Club is an essential service which, in addition to providing licensed childcare for families of school aged children, offers a social environment where children have an opportunity to share and appreciate people outside of their normal social circle. The DIEB program will foster a genuine sense of belonging and promote deep learning on the issues that impact “belonging.” The intention is to expand the program over time from ASC to all BCC students to other educational organizations on island. Scaling this program up for the entire island is critical.

Bowen Island Heritage Preservation Association is the recipient of a $3,000

grant to support the acquisition and planting of a pollinator chestnut tree (a companion for the existing chestnut tree) as well as their pandemic-adapted “Applefest online” event. Bowen Island has an untapped capacity for nut growing as a food source. The 150

year-old chestnut tree in Davies Orchard is extremely fruitful, but lacks a pollinator mate and the nuts are never fully formed.

BIPA will use this grant for the acquisition, planting, and community celebration of a chestnut pollinator tree.

Bowen Island will have a new drinking fountain and water bottle filling station near the ferry dock, thanks to a

project supported by Bowen Island Rotary Club. BICF is adding to that support with a grant of $2,500. This simple project will give access to water to many thousands of people waiting for the ferry in Snug Cove while not adding to the ever-increasing concern over water sold in disposable plastic bottles. The funds will go towards the purchase of the water fountain and electricians and plumbers from the community will donate their time.

The riding ring on Bowen Island is getting a much-needed upgrade thanks

to a project initiated by the Bowen Island Horse Riders Association (BIHORA). BICF is pleased to participate in this project with a $15,000 grant. BIHORA has 71 members plus holds many public events to engage the public, including events with the B.I. Dog Ranch, the B.I. Trail Society, and the Bowen Trail Riders Association. The current footing in the ring in Crippen Park was installed in 2000. The footing has been in need of work for some time and needs to be replaced to ensure the safety of riders and horses during events, shows and pleasure riding, and for all the islanders and visitors who come to the shows and events and use the facility to play Frisbee, have outdoor gym class activities, etc. Additional funds for the project are anticipated to come from the Horse Council BC Core Funding grant, community fundraising, Pacific Parklands Foundation, BIM Community Grant, and Canada Healthy Communities Initiative grant. Many BIHORA members provide hundreds of volunteer hours for the maintenance and upkeep of the ring.

Finally, BCIF is pleased to be able to support the Bowen Island Football Club with a Bursary program. There

is a genuine need in our community for financial assistance, as COVID-19 has had an inequitable effect on financial situations for families. BIFC is revitalizing their bursary program so it is possible to provide programming to all players, regardless of economic background or impacts of COVID-19.

BICF is pleased to join the football club to ensure that soccer skills training reaches as many Bowen Island participants as possible.

Once the BIFC recovers from the COVID impacts on the organization, the intention is to self-fund the bursary program going forward.

It’s hard to stay connected in the community, which is why we love hearing from you. We also love story ideas, letters, photos, other submissions! Email editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com or call Bronwyn at 604-314-3004.

bowenislandundercurrent.com

Woodstove exchange rebate available CONTINUED FROM P. 1

Exemptions are in place for low-income households using wood as a principle heat source in these later phases but not for the seasonal ban.

Already in place is a requirement across the region to follow best burning practices (including burning clean, seasoned wood or manufactured pellets or logs; no garbage burning and producing no visible emissions except for when the fire’s getting started).

Part of the bylaw’s intent is to encourage people to use Metro’s woodstove exchange program, says Bérubé. If Metro Vancouverites trade in old uncertified appliances, they can receive rebates of $250 or $400 (there are just 150 rebates remaining in 2021, according to Metro’s website).

Bowen Island, however, was caught off-guard by the bylaw.

It was Coun. Alison Morse who had a keen eye on the infor-

mation items on the municipal council agenda Monday evening and caught the Metro Vancouver notice and asked if it applied to Bowen.

The municipality’s managers meeting the following morning was the first time Bowen fire chief Aaron Hanen says he became aware of the bylaw. “I’m surprised this is the first that I’m hearing of it as well,” he says, adding that while the fire department does do education around other Metro Vancouver fire-related regulations (like burn days), enforcement is up to the regional district.

Metro Vancouver has its own enforcement officers but they’re likely not on Bowen often.

Instead, there’s an air quality complaint line concerned islanders can call. And while the bylaw has provisions for fines up to $10,000, enforcement always starts with education and then ticket notices and lower fines, says Bérubé.

This quilt on exhbit at the library until May 15 was created in 2000 by several Bowen Island artists. It has a theme of houses – the idea of Jennifer Love and several Foxglove Coop members for a fundraising raffle. It was won by Mary Leigh and has been carefully looked after by her. Well worth the effort to view!

-Sheila Hunter

Thursday, May 13, 2021 • A7

Get to know your neighbour NEXT IN OUR Q&A SERIES: SHEILA HUNTER

Meet your neighbour: Sheila Hunter When did you come to Bowen?

We came as summer people in 1971 to the new Tunstall Bay subdivision – at that time called the Tunstall Bay Beach Club. My husband, George, designed a house and along with about three or four other families, we were the first to build at Tunstall Bay. In fact, John and Liz Monk – I was just talking to them on the phone – they were our next-door neighbours. They had four kids and we had five and they were alternating ages. And some of those kids are still connected.

We were definitely summer people. We spent the summers here and then went home (to West Vancouver).

We also went home every Friday to do the laundry and came back because we didn’t have a washer and dryer. We had one bathroom and one bedroom with double-size bunk beds in it for all the kids and their friends.

In 1991 George and I retired out here. In the meantime, we had built and sold the Tunstall Bay property on Whitesails and then we bought the remainder land from Maisie and Millie Adams here on Adams Road in about 1980. And then in 1990, we built another house on Eves Road. We there for four or five years and then we subdivided the property into four lots plus the lot we’re on. Plus we built the public Hunter Park Trail.

How did you come to be on

Bowen?

We just took a Sunday drive from home. The two oldest kids had been invited to Whistler with friends and so we brought the three younger ones with us over here. Georgina was about eight, Sheila was about nine and a half, Elizabeth was about 11. We drove down to the end of the road and there was a sales office in the clubhouse. There was a nice couple of people there, George somebody and his daughter, and they had a presentation.

My George had grown up with a summer cottage – he was raised in Winnipeg, but they always had a summer place in Kenora, Ontario – and he said we needed a summer house. Well, I mean, how were we going to afford a summer house?

But we did and we built a very interesting house.

Where on Bowen do you live? I now live on Adams Road. The lower lot of our subdivision of 14 acres.

Fill the ferry line up gap or don’t fill the gap? Absolutely. Fill it up.

What’s your favourite Bowen story or fact? I think just the neighbours. Particularly in my losing my husband after so many years, my neighbours and my family, even in this pandemic, have just been so good. And I love our little church, St. Gerard’s, which isn’t open at the moment.

We’ve met some wonderful friends here. To go on the ferry or in the store and see someone you haven’t seen for a while but you’ve known them for 40 years, it’s won-

derful.

How long were you and George married?

We would’ve had our 65th anniversary in June this year. So we had 64 and three quarter years together of a lot of fun and adventures.

Spent many winters in the desert.

And that was part of our life, going away in the winter and just raising our children.

What do Bowen Islanders have in common? I think they complain a lot – in a nice way – and don’t do a heck of a lot about it.

Boy, I think everybody sure steps up to the plate when there’s an emergency.

What’s keeping you going during COVID-19? The fact that I do have family here and luckily, I’ve had my shot, but we’ve kept our bubble very, very small.

I’ve been reading a lot – I tell you, at the library, quite a few books go out every week. Oh and I’m a quilter. I do a lot in my sewing room.

A8• Thursday, May 13, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com

Bowen artist at Kurbatoff: From her first solo show, held on Bowen Island in 2008, to now selling internationally, it’s no surprise to find Andrea Klann’s ‘Carousel of Dreams’spotlight exhibition at the Kurbatoff Gallery in South Granville. The show opened May 6 and runs to May 21. “Inspired by the odd, the real and the imagined, expect the unexpected,” describes Andrea. “Perfect nourishment for COVID blues!”

Caring Circle Health & Wellness Society of Bowen Island

Annual General Meeting on Zoom All Welcome May 26 - 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Zoom Link: Meeting ID: 881 7431 4545 Passcode: 491847

HAVE YOUR SAY The Personal Information Protection Act governs the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information by private sector organizations.

A parliamentary committee is reviewing this Act and wants to hear what you think.

Register by June 4 to present to the Committee or share your thoughts in writing by July 30.

For full details visit our website, email us at pipacommittee@leg.bc.ca, or call us toll-free at 1-877-428-8337 Special Committee to Review the Personal Information Protection Act

www.leg.bc.ca/cmt/pipa

PHOTO COURTESY OF BIM

COASTAL PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO / JAMIE SMITH PHOTO

Eelgrass inventory completed in 2014 by Islands Trust helped determine buoy These buoys indicate voluntary placement. The no anchoring zone protects the largest meadows in front of and no-anchoring zones to help protect eelgrass meadows. south of Pebbly Beach.

Anchor out for eelgrass meadows EELGRASS PLANTING IN MANNION BAY HAS SHOWN MORE THAN 100% GROWTH, SO BIM AND SEA CHANGE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT SURVIVES CARLA SKUCE

Bowen Island Municipality

On a yellow-tinged, hazy day last summer, Bowen volunteers braved wildfire smoke and a pandemic to prepare eelgrass shoots on Pebbly Beach for divers to plant on the sea floor of Mannion Bay. They were taking part in SeaChange Marine Conservation Society’s Salish Sea Nearshore Habitat Recovery Project, an initiative that has delivered educational programs, marine riparian restoration and underwater debris removal on top of the thousands of square metres of eelgrass planted.

The importance of eelgrass meadows should not be understated. More than 400 species use this fast-declining ecosystem for habitat and refuge. Eelgrass meadows are where plankton thrive, seabirds feed, Pacific herring lay eggs and Dungeness crab seek shelter. Even orcas benefit by feeding on the salmon that were reared in eelgrass meadows.

Eelgrass also mitigates climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide and helps combat ocean acidification. It protects coastlines by absorbing wave energy of coastal storms and cleans water by trapping sediments and pollutants.

Even the bacteria in eelgrass meadows have been shown to help prevent algae blooms.

And for the fiscally minded who still needed convincing, not only do eelgrass meadows support healthy commercial and recreational fishing industries, studies also estimate that each hectare of seagrass in the Salish Sea provides $87,000 in ecosystem services.

The Mannion Bay eelgrass planting has shown more than 100 per cent growth since September 2020 but human activities threaten its survival. That is why Bowen Island Municipality has collaborated with SeaChange to install informational buoys delineating a voluntary no-anchoring zone. You can help by spreading the word about this voluntary and grassroots stewardship initiative and by keeping boats away from the eelgrass habitat and anchoring in deeper waters.

This voluntary no-anchor zone is the first of its kind on the Canadian side of the Salish Sea and designed based of successful initiatives in Puget Sound. If successful, this stewardship model may spread throughout other bays along British Columbia’s coastline and contribute to greater holistic protection for this critically important marine plant.

For more information, or to learn more about eelgrass friendly moorings visit the SeaChange website: seachangesociety.com/ and watch Bob Turner’s video “Restoring our Eelgrass” on YouTube: youtu.be/aG6KLCfFgSE.

Watch for some neat stories from BIM’s Parks, Trails, and Greenways Advisory Committee BONNY BROKENSHIRE

Manager of environment and parks planning

The Parks, Trails and Greenways Advisory Committee (PTGAC) has been providing advice and recommendations to council and staff for more than a decade. Meeting monthly, PTGAC members take part in activities such as site visits, identification of trail linkages, evaluation of beach accesses, suggesting ways to mitigate erosion and pollution and following-up with referrals from council.

Since the adoption of the Bowen Island Parks Plan in 2018, the PTGAC has been actively implementing the plan’s objectives. Recommendation 5.3.1, for example, calls for the “cre-

PHOTO COURTESY OF BIM

Meet the PTGAC members. Top: Phil Osborne, Rob Pineau, DG Blair, Ben Hart.

Middle: Lusungu Kayani (chair), Sue Ellen Fast (councillor), Bonny Brokenshire (manager of environment & parks planning), Jeremy Howe. Bottom: Nicola Murray, Claudia Schaefer (vice chair), Carla Skuce (parks and environment coordinator), Stef Shortt (committee coordinator). ation of effective public communications and outreach to educate Bowen Islanders about services and functions that ecosystems provide within our parks, trails, greenways and beaches.”

In keeping with this parks plan directive, PTGAC members have creat-

ed an article series aimed at highlighting special natural attributes of our parks, trails, greenways and beaches.

These informative pieces will be disseminated over the coming months through BIM communications and in the Undercurrent.

bowenislandundercurrent.com

Thursday, May 13, 2021 • A9

ings,” he said. “It’s a sort of celebration of the mediums themselves.”

“The sculptures signify language and dialogue as well as the performative driven nature of our daily routines,” he said.

The multi-year research-studio project also involved creating his own paper using banana leaves.

“That’s going back to ancient traditions of when banana leaves were used as writing surfaces.”

While this is Chalmers’s first show on Bowen Island, since the project started a few years ago he’s had a few other exhibitions sprinkled across the region, the last one being at the Ferry Building Gallery in West Vancouver.

“Generally speaking, the portraits, I’m trying to tie into historical figures that take on larger symbolism and represent something bigger than themselves,” said Chalmers.

“For me with Emily Carr, it’s tied into the land representing the people.”

“The idea of me using 365 newspapers was also bringing the symbolic significance of the newspaper and the idea of the routine,” he said.

Chalmers and Trevillion have very different artwork but find a common thread in routine.

“In his case, it’s more with the literal, with the landscape and nature and the seasonal aspect.

“But then, I think we’re also bringing light to the fact of just the daily routines in our personal, social and work routines.

Though Chalmers and Trevillion were supposed to have their exhibition last year, the show was put off due to COVID-19. Which also gave the chance for Chalmers to do a portrait made out of 365 disposable masks.

“In a weird way it might actually be a better show,” he said, of the delay.

Capturing Ephemeral Horizons: Trevillion & Chalmers

NEW SHOW AT THE HEARTH RUNS MAY 13 THROUGH JUNE 7 BRONWYN BEAIRSTO

Editor

A couple of times in the past year, the Undercurrent received calls from an artist asking if we had any leftover papers. Jayme Chalmers had an unusual end planned for the pages. Our newsprint has been used for gardening, burning, paper mâché, but it’s likely never sculpted into a bust of Emily Carr. The sculpture is part of the Ephemeral Horizons exhibit at the Hearth, featuring Jayme Chalmers and Michael Trevillion.

It runs May 13 through June 7.

The Undercurrent spoke with both artists in recent weeks.

Michael Trevillion

“I think that’s poetic timing,” Michael Trevillion commented when the Undercurrent called last Friday. He’d just put down the brushes for his final painting in the Ephemeral Horizons show.

At 73, this is the oil artist’s first exhibition, though he’s been painting since he was 13.

Over 60 years, some years Trevillion hasn’t painted at all,

other years he’s painted a lot, particularly proliferating in the past couple of years.

But Trevillion’s never been far from the art world, starting out at the Winnipeg Art Gallery painting walls and doing odd jobs, graduating to framing and matting after the former framer and matter died.

He ventured out, trying to make it in the music world but ultimately returned to visual art. For the past 35 years, Trevillion has been a framer and matter and has lighted displays at Vancouver Art Gallery.

“In some ways, it’s been a good thing for my art in other ways not.

But certainly it’s exposed me to a lot of different styles and works of art,” he said. “In one way, it lets me off the hook. I don’t have to evolve the art form because there’s so many people doing so [much amazing work].

There’s a gentle light throughout Trevillion’s nine imagined landscapes in the show. “I’m not very adventurous,” he said of the content. “But it’s more of getting a certain quality to the whole thing.

A certain feel. A mood of everything.”

“I don’t really work from anything,” said Trevillion. “I’ve observed the effects of light and everything like that all around me.”

“Probably if I had a teacher, the teacher would have forced me to actually try some other things,” he said. But, left to his own devices, Trevillion opts to paint another imaginary landscape. “[Because] this time, maybe I can really reach that quality that I’m looking for.”

Since the Belterra resident started selling his artwork 20 years ago, this is the first time he’s had several of his paintings around his home.

It was always a relief to deliver a painting, to consider it done. “So this has been a bit of a torture for the last two years having paintings around getting ready for an exhibition,” said Trevillion.

Jayme Chalmers

The University of Calgarytrained artist has long been invested in portrait. “Just the simplicity of it with the power and what it symbolizes,” said Chalmers.

Chalmers’s part of the exhibit consists of three dimensional portraits made out of paperback(esque) materials: encyclopedias, dictionaries, books, dried banana leaves, disposable masks, old newspapers and more.

“Some of them, I’m referencing photographs, or some of them I’m referencing old sculptures. Some of them I’m referencing old paint-

Looking for adventure on Bowen this summer? Look no further! We’re excited to announce four weeks of day camp this summer at Camp Bow-Isle. Get your kids outside with activities like archery, rock climbing, kayaking, canoeing, crafting, hiking, fun games and more.

Session dates Week 1: June 21 - 25 Week 2: June 28 - July 2 Week 3: July 5 - 9 Week 4: July 12 - 16 ($400 per week) These day camp programs are open for kids ages 7-15 years old. Each session will run from Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Head over to our website to be notified when registration is open.

Patient of the Week GORDON This is Gordon. He has been seeing us lately to try and help with his allergies. We sent

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REGULAR HOURS Tuesday to Friday 9- 5 Saturday 9- 1 Closed Sunday and Monday

out an allergy panel to try and figure how best to help him be more comfortable. Gordon is a

www.bowisle.ca/outdoor-centre/ outdoorcentre@bowisle.ca 604 947 2500

JAYME CHALMERS PHOTO

A three-dimensional portrait of Emily Carr made out of old papers.

sweet old fella and we always love seeing him!

To schedule appointments, please call

604.947.9247

or email reception@bowenvet.com

A10 • Thursday, May 13, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com

Your Community

MARKETPLACE bowenislandundercurrent.com

Call or email to place your ad, Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

604-444-3000 • 604-653-7851 classifieds@van.net

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CALENDAR UNTIL MAY 15

Bowen Blankets Bowen Island Museum & Bowen Island Public Library

MAY 13JUNE 7

Ephemeral Horizons Hearth Gallery

11 am-4 pm Thursday-Monday "Inspired by the seasonal variety in the Bowen Island landscape as well as the colour and form of our daily routines – as individuals and as a broader (Bowen Island) community"

Zoom 7:30 pm See www. bowenrotary.com for information on joining us.

Rotary Talk: Jack Taunton

Connecting Canada's Climate

THURSDAY MAY 13

SATURDAY MAY 15

BAA Farmers' Market BICS parking lot 10 am - noon; bring masks, cash, follow the signs.

WED MAY 19

Action Plan with opportunities on Bowen: climate conversation Zoom 7-8:30 "Join us as we take a deeper dive into Canada’s new climate action plan and what it means for Bowen. In our next Climate Conversation, MP Patrick Weiler will present the federal government’s strategy and

Thursday, May 13, 2021 • A11 together we will explore how it aligns with Bowen’s Climate Action Strategy. MP Weiler will discuss opportunities for Islanders to become part of the solution—and, of course, answer your questions."

TUESDAY MAY 25

Regular council meeting Zoom 6:15 pm

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live the life you love To reserve a spot on this page, contact us at 604-947-2442 or ads@bowenislandundercurrent.com

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A12 • Thursday, May 13, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com

Dr. JackTaunton at Rotary Club HILARY BUTLER

Rotary Club of Bowen Island

Dr. Jack Taunton is a household name in Vancouver but also throughout the world as his name is synonymous with sports medicine in many countries. He has served as Canada’s chief medical officer for many Olympic and Paralympic Games, an onerous job that included organizing many volunteers and running doping control programs. He is also a nationally ranked marathon runner. As a professor in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC for many years, he was known on the campus not only for his popular classes, but also as director of the McGavin Sports Medicine Centre, which he founded in 1977 with his colleague and friend, Dr. Doug Clement. Dr. Taunton has also treated many thousands of Vancouver athletes suffering from sports injuries.

Dr. Taunton is now semi-retired so recently has had more time to devote to helping out with COVID-related matters and speaking at various venues about his experience as a sports medicine doctor. The Rotary Club of Bowen Island will be hosting Dr. Taunton at our meeting this evening, Thursday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. We welcome guests at this Zoom meeting. Our website, bowenrotary.com has a comprehensive bio of Dr. Taunton and the Zoom URL. Please join us at 7:30 p.m.!

PHOTO COURTESY OF OYDIS NICKLE

“Duck Morgan’s, table for 6 please?”

These Bowen residents also wanted to support a local restaurant!

Thank you Doc Morgan’s for the adorable photo.

How to protect our pollinators PAM MATTHEWS

Contributor

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAM MATTHEWS

Spring is a magical time of year. The birds are singing and the bees are humming. While they are beautiful to watch and they bring joy to us, they also play an important role in our lives. Imagine living in a world without flowers or fruit or even coffee or chocolate for that matter. Thanks to the wonderful work of pollinators like bees, much of the food we eat and flowers and plants we enjoy are possible.

And it’s not just bees that are doing all the work. Butterflies, birds, beetles, bats, wasps and even flies are important in the pollination process. But despite the importance of pollinators, they are taken for granted all too often. Worldwide, there is an alarming decline in pollinator populations.

Excessive use of pesticides, climate change and an ever-expanding conversion of landscapes to human use are the biggest culprits.

It is estimated that more than 1,300 types of plants are grown around the world for food, beverages, medicines, condiments, spices and even fabric. Of these, about 75 per cent are pollinated by animals. More than one of every three bites of food we eat or beverages we drink are directly because of pollinators. Indirectly, pollinators ultimately play a role in the majority of what we eat and consume.

Bowen Island has plenty of wild plants and areas to support pollinators but it is important to provide continuous corridors for pollinators. We can all do our part by making our gardens a haven for them. Here are some tips on how to create a pollinator garden: • Choose a sunny spot that is sheltered from prevailing winds.

• Plant a diversity of blooms to attract the greatest variety of pollinators. Include a mixture of plants that will provide blooms from spring through fall. Add multiples of each plant to better catch the attention of pollinators.

• If the area you have to work with is limited, try filling a few containers with some nectar-rich flowers.

Places of Worship Welcome You BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCH Now offering a youtube channel of reflections and hymn/songs with Reverend Lorraine Ashdown and Lynn Williams. youtubewatch?v=tejV7Y6jo

FOOD BANK DROP-OFF

ST. GERARD’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Masses are live streamed everyday.

Times posted at holyrosarycathedral.org Contact Angela Powell 604-947-2515

CATES HILL CHAPEL

www.cateshillchapel.com 604-947-4260

Pam Matthews and Island Pacific School students watch mason bees hatching.

• • •

• •

Select native flowers abundant in nectar rather than exotic blooms bred for showiness.

Satisfy the thirst of butterflies and bees on hot summer days by supplying water in a shallow dish or birdbath with half-submerged stones as perches.

Pesticides are a butterfly’s worst enemy.

Allow a corner of your garden to go a bit wild. Leaf litter, fallen logs or brush piles allow adult pollinators a safe place to hibernate. Leave garden cleanup until late spring to avoid destroying the pupae of butterflies and bees that overwinter on plant stems. Allow leaf litter to remain on beds wherever possible to protect species that overwinter among the leaves.

Add some night-blooming flowers, such as evening primrose, scarlet gaura, prairie four o’clocks and phlox, to attract night-flying moths.

And finally, you can educate yourself. If you would like to learn more about planting pollinator gardens, there are excellent resources on the web. I joined the David Suzuki foundation’s “butterfly-ways” program and committed to promoting pollinator habitats in my community. I started with Island Pacific School’s yard. Along with starting vegetables, we planted wildflower seeds in pots which will be transplanted into our pollinator garden beside the school. This garden will support our beehive as well as the wild bees that live nearby. I also obtained financial support from the Bowen Island conservancy and I have prepared seed packages which I am giving away to anyone who is interested. You can pick them up at the Bowen seed library (at the library) or send me an email and I will get them to you. If you have any questions or would like some seeds, please contact me at pam. matthews@islandpacific.org.

Queen of Capilano Ferry Schedule May to June 24 2021 DEPART BOWEN ISLAND

DEPART HORSESHOE BAY

5:20 am except Sundays 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 except Wednesdays 5:10 pm 6:15 pm 7:25 pm except Saturdays 8:30 pm 9:30 pm 10:30 pm

5:50 am 6:50 am 8:00 am 9:05 am except Wednesdays 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 except Saturdays 9:00 pm 10:00 pm

(661 Carter Rd.)

Now offering worship services via Zoom.

A link available on website.

Pastor: Phil Adkins

Note: Schedules subject to change without notice: Please check BCFERRIES.COM Schedule changes on statutory holidays