Bowen Island Undercurrent May 27 2018

bowenislandundercurrent.com

NUMBERS: Bowen/Lions Bay at 70% first-dose vaccination

Thursday, May 20, 2021 • A1

GST $1.50 inc.

PAGE 3

PHOTO COURTESY OF MOLLY DENNIS

THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021 SOUND VOICES

VOL. 47 NO.21

BIUndercurrent

New doc follows young people passionate about Howe Sound conservation PAGE 9

BowUndercurrent www.bowenislandundercurrent.com

Why there’s no urgent care at Bowen Vet

FOR THE SAKE OF STAFF AND PATIENTS ALIKE

BRONWYN BEAIRSTO

Editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com

SARAH HAXBY / BOWEN ISLAND COMMUNITY SCHOOL PHOTO

BIKE TO SCHOOL WEEK: Trey took the HUB cycle program held at BICS recently and has

been bike riding to school (almost) daily since. Trey hopes to inspire other youth to ride to school as well, especially next week during Bike to School Week. See the story on p. 4.

Bowen Veterinary Services’ Dr. Midge Ritchie is reminding islanders that the island’s vet clinic does not do emergency care.

Bowen Vet does not meet the criteria to be classified as an emergency clinic under the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia, which holds both the clinic’s accreditation and Ritchie’s veterinary licence. The clinic is also not available for urgent care (when Ritchie arrived in 2019, replacing Dr. Alastair Westcott, it initially was). “It just got to be impossible,” said Ritchie. “We just don’t have the staffing and I’m unable to do it because I am a single mom with a five-year-old son.”

As the clinic’s only vet, bearing the weight of the practice, Ritchie had to draw a line.

The psychological and emotional weight of the job on veterinarians and their staff was exemplified in a recent incident at the clinic, conveyed Ritchie. It’s also the reason there’s now a “zero tolerance” sign at the entrance to the clinic.

“We had one particular client who called and spoke to the staff and demanded that we cancel [the next appointments], that their pet

be seen right away because they said that there was an emergency,” said Ritchie. “It was like 4:15 p.m. on a Tuesday and we close at 5 p.m. and we were booked.”

Ritchie said they tried to direct the owners of the injured cat to go to an emergency clinic.

“We don’t tell people to do this because we don’t want to see them,” said Ritchie. “We’re telling people this because we’re not the appropriate clinic to see them.

“We don’t have the facilities, we don’t have the staff, we don’t have the ability to see emergencies and it’s not the best thing for their animals.”

While the clinic will do the odd treatment like an ear infection, a laceration, a bite, they’re a general practice, managing wellness and long-term disease processes rather than emergencies. “If you broke your leg, you wouldn’t go see Dr. Schloegl, you’d go to emergency room,” said Ritchie. “[The owner of the injured cat] had no idea what our next appointments were,” said Ritchie. “She had no idea that we typically reserve the end of the day for euthanasia.”

On the occasion in question, one of the cat’s owners came down to the clinic, said Ritchie.

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CONTINUED ON P. 8

A2 • Thursday, May 27, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com

Island Plan 2021

Property taxes are due July 2

Events

The Island Plan is an annual publication that outlines Council’s strategic commitments for the year.

We invite you to peruse our priorities for 2021.

Property tax notices have been mailed to all property owners.

If you have not received your notice by Friday, June 4, please contact us as soon as possible so we can ensure you get your notice. Property tax payments are due July 2, 2021.

May 31, 2021 11:00 am Community Grants Advisory Committee

Due to COVID-19, Council has amended the penalty schedule on late payments. A penalty of 2% will be applied on July 3, 2021 to any unpaid taxes, and a further penalty of 8% will be applied on September 1, 2021 to any unpaid taxes.

June 14, 2021 6:15 pm Regular Council Meeting

Do you claim a home owner grant?

All meetings are online via Zoom and

From 2021, municipalities can no longer process home owner grants.

open to the public, unless noted otherwise.

Island Plan 2021 is available on our website at:

bowenislandmunicipality. ca/island-plan

Claim your home owner grant on-line at gov.bc.ca/homeownergrant or call 1-888-355-2700.

Home owner grants must be claimed by July 2, 2021. Unclaimed home owner grants are considered unpaid taxes and are subject to penalties.

Help slow the spread of COVID-19:

Do you defer your taxes?

Since 2020, municipalities can no longer process deferments.

Apply on-line at gov.bc.ca/propertytaxdeferment or call 1-888-355-2700.

Stay home if you’re sick

Deferment applications and renewals must be processed by July 2, 2021 to avoid penalties.

www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/property-taxes

Artists: apply by June 1 for your public art project on the lock block wall.

Clean your hands frequently

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

2 m or 6 feet

Commissions are supported by the Bowen Island Municipality through the Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC), as well as through a generous donation offered by Sangre de Fruta Botanical at Island Survey 2021 is available online until July 31, 2021, and Artisan Square. takes only 20 minutes to complete. Responses are collected anonymously, and a summary of the results will be publicly available This program aims to foster artworks that define and express the later this year. spirit of place that is Bowen island.

Keep a safe physical distance

www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/public-art-advisory-committee

Contact Bowen Island Municipality ADVERTISEMENT May 27, 2021

Scan this code with your phone to complete the survey! -----------–› If you don’t have a computer, or if you wish to complete the survey in an alternative format, you can get help from staff at Municipal Hall.

Get a vaccine - everyone over 12 is eligible

Phone: Fax: Email: Website:

www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/ island-survey

Proposals should be submitted by 5:00 pm on June 1, 2021.

Wear a mask in indoor public spaces

PAID

We’d like to hear from you about municipal services, emergency preparedness, housing and the local economy on Bowen Island.

The Island Survey is conducted every other year to collect local, relevant data that will complement Census data in order to inform Council’s decisions on services, to support grant applications and to help anticipate demand. The survey also collects data for year over year comparisons.

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

bowenislandundercurrent.com

Greatest love

Bowen/ Lions Bay COVID-19 numbers

Jim de Zwart and his love at first IRL sight,TanyaVoormeij-de Zwart, have built a family and a life on Bowen together. Now, the island is stepping up to help the couple in the face of Jim’s critical illness JANE MCKAY

Contributor

Writing an article about Jim is difficult to do without including his greatest love: his family.

Jim came to Bowen Island 18 years ago with the love of his life, Tanya Voormeij-de Zwart, and their two young boys, Robin and Thomas.

Tanya and Jim met in August 1995 on an IRC (Internet Relay Chat) channel for Dutch new media artists. Tanya was a graphic designer living in Kitsilano and Jim was studying at the Utrecht School of the Arts in Holland. At the time, IRC was a cutting-edge way for artists to network and inspire each other. The couple chatted up to 16 hours a day, connecting deeply, falling in love. A month later, they decided to meet in person at a little train station in Holland.

It was love at first “real life” sight. In November, Tanya took a leap of faith – leaving her home in Canada, moving in with Jim in Utrecht, and marrying him in May 1998. In August 1999, their son Robin was born, followed by Thomas in May 2001. When Tanya became homesick for Canada, the family moved in February 2003, landing on Bowen Island, and have never left.

In May 2004, their daughter Eva was born.

As a mother of young children, I met Tanya and Jim through mutual friends. Our children are of similar ages and our friendship was a natural fit. What has always struck me, watching Tanya and Jim over the years, is the incredible love they share together. Love-struck teenagers, forever, comes to mind. Jim has always been the bedrock of the family, quietly supporting everyone throughout their incredible life adventures.

Raising their children with an attachment parenting philosophy, Tanya homeschooled their kids. Supported by Island Discovery Learning Community, she mentored the boys to the end of high school. Eva chose to complete her final high school years at West Vancouver Secondary School and will be heading to University of Northern British Columbia (Prince George) in the fall to study biochemistry and molecular biology. Robin is about to graduate from SFU and Thomas is on a pause from BCIT. Both boys followed their father’s

Thursday, May 20, 2021 • A3

PHOTO COURTESY OF TANYA VOORMEIJ-DE ZWART

Robin, Tanya, Eva, Thomas and Jim have a great love of the arts and founded a family film and theatre company, which put on “Random Acts of Comedy” at Tir-na-nOg a couple of years ago. Jim was recently diagnosed with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.

footsteps into the world of computer science and cyber security.

Tanya and Jim always encouraged their children to explore the arts, leading to a great love for music and acting. Many times, their entire family would be featured in Tir-na-nOg plays. As a family, they founded a film production company and a theatre company, raising funds with their inaugural play “Random Acts of Comedy” toward a theatre scholarship for youth.

As our children reached teenagehood, Tanya and Jim opened their home to their famous game nights. Jimmie’s pizza fed many hungry teens and their colourful home gave teens a space for safe fun. Tanya and Jim’s New Year’s Eve parties were always a treat to attend. Jim would happily make his famous oliebollen, a Dutch donut covered in icing sugar.

Late November 2020, Jim started experiencing ringing in his ears, blurry vision and headaches. He ended up at Lion’s Gate Hospital, where lumbar puncture results led to the diagnosis of benign intracranial hypertension.

Things didn’t get better with treatment, however and Dr. Blackwood knew he needed a second opinion. As such, Jim was seen by Vancouver General Hospital’s neurology team, resulting in a different diagnosis; Jim was found to have a cancer that had spread to the lining of his brain and spinal cord called leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. Sobering and stunning information for any family.

Jim had an enormous set back on May 13 with an emergency trip to Lion’s Gate Hospital,

when he could not be woken up from a nap. A lumbar puncture revealed a pressure inside his brain and spinal cord so high (over three times the healthy limit), it caused temporary paralysis on his left side. Emergency surgery to place a shunt (a permanent drain from his spinal fluid to his abdomen) had to be performed before he could receive any more treatment for his cancer. Tuesday May 25 , Jim embarked on radiation therapy, to be followed by chemotherapy.

I wrote this article to bring awareness regarding Jim’s health and his family’s need for help.

Jim has a message to share with Bowen Island: “Eighteen years of commuting has been well worth calling Bowen home; being part of the fabric of a beautiful community has made my dear family and I feel worry-free and carried by many hands in light of my recent health crisis.

All the healing thoughts and messages of support really put me at ease while I am being poked, prodded, scanned, and transported to figure out what is going on with me. The road ahead will be difficult but with all the light, love, and support, I feel strong about this journey. Bowen rocks! Thank you!“ Living life in the moment, having hope, love, and endless positivity is a message for all. If you would like to contribute to Jim’s family, there is a meal train (mealtrain.com/trains/0o158z), a GoFundMe campaign (gofund.me/ef6cbd12 ) and a bank account at the First Credit Union set up for Jim’s family. Etransfer funds can go to First Credit Union: tanya@ultramotif. com or thedezwartfamilyonbowen@gmail. com.

The BC CDC releases the previous week’s COVID-19 case rates and vaccination numbers by community health service area (for us, that’s the 5,000-odd people of Bowen Island-Lions Bay) every Wednesday. Here are the numbers released May 26: • 70 per cent of adults 18 and over have had at least one dose of a vaccine as of May 24. (Last week this number was 68 per cent.)

84 per cent of adults 50 • and over have had at least one dose of a vaccine as of May 24. (No change from last week.)

For the second week • running, ending May 24, the case rate per 100,000 was zero as was the test positivity rate. (A couple of weeks ago, the Bowen/Lions Bay case rate was 7.8.)

Reopening While there’s still an inter-regional travel ban in place, as of Tuesday gathering restrictions lightened. We’re allowed: outdoor personal gatherings of up to 10 people and indoor personal gatherings of up to five people. Outdoor seated, organized gatherings of up to 50 people with a COVID-19 safety plan and indoor seated gatherings of up to 10 people with a COVID-19 safety plan. Recreational travel within the region (not between regions though). Indoor and outdoor dining with groups of up to six people. Indoor low-intensity exercise (limited capacity) and outdoor games and practices (no spectators).

More info: www2.gov.bc.ca/ gov/content/covid-19/info/ restart

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A4 • Thursday, May 20, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com

VIEWPOINTS

Watch for kids biking next week SARAH HAXBY

Bowen Island Community School

Ninety Bowen Island Community School students recently participated in a bike safety program facilitated by educators from the cycling advocacy group, HUB cycling. Intersections and other challenging road conditions students might encounter while riding on actual roads were simulated on the paved areas of the school site for students to practise their safe-riding skills. The classroom components of the program included learning about proper equipment and maintenance, and reading signs. This hands-on program was offered free of charge from HUB cycling to help young people build important physical skills as well as confidence and knowledge of how to ride a bike safely.

The program was scheduled to run a few weeks before Bike to School Week where students with riding skills and a safe route to school are encouraged to bike, walk and roll to school. Some students may be able to ride from their home to school; others are encouraged to “park and ride,” meaning they can get a ride to a nearby parking lot and ride the last bit to school through trails or low-traffic roads.

Bowen will see a higher volume of bike riders on the road the week of May 31-June 4. We hope that in a shared effort to encourage sustainable, active transportation, Islanders will be extra-courteous to cyclists, including waiting to pass cyclists in safe areas only, driving slowly, and giving cyclists a minimum of one metre clearance. The RCMP will be supporting Bike to School Week by providing extra speed enforcement along some of Bowen’s roads May 31 to June 4.

Thank you in advance to the community for supporting a safe and healthy cycling culture on Bowen Island.

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR MUNI MORSELS

Because of the long weekend’s constraints on time and space, I’ll have coverage of this week’s council meeting in next week’s paper.

But short version: the equity, diversity and inclusion policy passed, BIM agreed to a playground on the west side if the money can be raised, and there’s a big Land Use Bylaw amendment on the go. –Bronwyn

EDITORIAL

It’s time for some graduating

The province has provided us with goalposts for reopening: vaccination levels across the province (along with case counts, hospitalizations and other markers). Bowen, with its 70 per cent single-dose coverage for adults 18 and over, won’t be making or breaking B.C.’s reopening strategy, but we’re still an island intimately connected with the North Shore and the rest of the Lower Mainland. We’re all barrelling for that finish line together (but instead of medals we get Dr. Henry’s jestfully suggested “hug day.”) With daily good news of decreasing COVID-19 case counts (250 new cases on Wednesday) and lightening restrictions, please do take a few minutes to see what’s allowed and

what’s not before socializing. (See them at www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/ info/restart). With yesterday’s announcement, I have hope that I may be able to see my grandfather in the Okanagan before his 90th birthday this summer. It’s one of those lights that keep getting brighter.

On the topic of bright notes: When wished happy grad school graduation this morning, my brother’s response was along the lines of “what?” (Granted, he’s the absent-minded professor of the family and also defended his thesis a while ago.)

I imagine my brother’s not alone in having a surprise graduation this year – there’s a lot going on. But, graduation at

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.

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

any level of education is a huge milestone and I hope everyone’s getting the chance to celebrate their accomplishments, especially having spent the past one and a half academic years trying to learn during a world-changing crisis.

All that to say – let’s really hear it for the grads this year! Our annual grad edition will be June 24. This is for grads at every level – elementary, middle, high school; undergrad and overgrad. Please send up to 100 words and a photo (vertical rectangle – like a school portrait though it doesn’t need to be a school portrait) to editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com before June 21.

Bronwyn Beairsto, editor

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 20, 2021 • A5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Rebuttal: Discussion needed for democracy, not demagoguery DEAR EDITOR: Moving to Bowen Island in the late 1980s, Anne and I have had the privilege to enjoy the strong community spirit that always prevailed through the years, despite the usual conflicts of private interests attempting to establish a vision of economical success at the expense of the well-being of all residents. Much was accomplished by many dedicated residents over the years, that’s beneficial to all today. The community centre is one of the accomplishments to be realized soon. Opinion may vary to extremes; that is the reality of a healthy democracy. Periodically, we elect a number of official representatives to manage the evolution of the community way of life and protect equally the well-being of all residents, with the help of the administration of the municipality.

This necessitates an unbiased attitude from all elected officials that must be required also from all members of their administrative staff. Is it not what we are entitled to expect?

The well-being and interests of all members of the community must prevail against the interests of individual vision of pretense when conflicts arise. We are supposed to be regulated by bylaws established to manage those situations with an overall Official Community Plan revised regularly by resident committees and public hearings. Are we not supposed, as electors, to be well-informed of any changes in

No moratorium on debating island issues DEAR EDITOR: I am writing in response to Murray Atherton’s letter regarding the recent lack of island positivity and how “this is just not the island way,” implying that those who are concerned about the process and transparency of some municipal decisions are just whiners and should get over themselves and ‘all their puny sorrows.’

Consistently, letters to the Undercurrent regarding various issues have been reasonable, thoughtful and erudite queries, and yes, most respectful. Yet, in Mr. Atherton’s opinion, the last “loudest negative voice” shouldn’t be heard.

True, Bowen Island, at times, might just be “an argument surrounded by water,” but does that suggest there should be a moratorium on debating issues and listening to differing views and possible solutions? Instead, he suggests we should just “go with the solutions and find something in those decisions that you can celebrate.’’

A healthy community strives to include and respect all voices, even the ones asking potentially uncomfortable questions of the decision makers. This is what makes a cohesive community.

As a member of Friends of Ecclestone Beach, the ones responsible for the latest “uproar” about a beloved “rocky postage-stamp sized beach,” the poor neighbourhood sibling to her big sister, “Pebbly,” in Mannion Bay. I disagree that this uproar is unworthy of our collective concern. We contend that public access to Ecclestone Public Beach, so appreciated for over 100 years in Miller’s Landing, whether it be postage-sized or not – that’s not the point – it is worth saving from an excessive 123-foot private dock that does not conform to our own Bowen bylaws. Currently, all public right-of-way access to the beach has been legally blocked by the dock applicant who wants a variance until this issue is resolved. We also have a positive solution; a new staircase on the public right-of-way. I don’t think that’s negative at all!

In fact, I think attention to the issue of private encroachment on public waterfront is enormously worthy of our attention and one we can all get behind in a positive manner, because we all love and appreciate Bowen Island.

Heather Hodson

those regulations or bylaws and given the possibility to agree or to object to such changes, in a true democratic manner?

All this is presented here with proper objectivity, in a positive way to be expected of everyone in our community. It is, therefore, very disappointing to read the comments of a letter to the editor, objecting to the various controversies past and present on the island, describing the residents involved as being not positive and responsible of interfering with the

potential benefits that the objected proposals would provide to the community. Nothing objective is presented regarding the point of view of the opposing members. Sorry, but this is not beneficial to the democratic process of fair exchange.

This is in no other term, simple demagoguery and it has no place on Bowen Island.

Thank you André Chollat

meet masterworks Can a 14-year-old be expected to conduct a public presentation similar to a TED talk?

Island Pacific School students have been doing so for more than 25 years through a program called Masterworks

JOIN THE LIVESTREAM | JUNE 7-10

islandpacific.org/masterworks

MY MASTERWORKS: Hanging by a Thread The Environmental Impacts of the Fashion Industry DATE + TIME

PRESENTER

PRESENTATION

JUNE 7 9:00 am

Jonas Blanchard

Wyld Design | Creating a Clothing Brand

10:00 am

Beck Morissette

House on Wheels | The Process of Restoring a Boler Trailer

11:00 am

Owen Walker

The Evolution of Mountain Bikes

1:00 pm

Rosalie Hancock

A World Run on Illusion | a Conceptual and Historial look at Currency

2:00 pm

Jake Salomi

Motorbike Mechanics | Rebuilding a Yamaha YZ125

JUNE 8 9:00 am

Gavin Burns

A Swing Through Time | The Development of Major League Baseball

10:00 am

James McDonald

It’s Not a Woman’s World | A Look in How Colonization Affected Women’s Rights

11:00 am

Kate Purdy

Hanging by a Thread | The Environmental Impacts of the Fashion Industry

1:00 pm

Rebecca Durand

From Behind the Camera | The Process of Film Making

2:00 pm

Connor Wood

Market Manipulations | Using Marketing Strategies to Grow My Brand

JUNE 9 9:00 am

Wylie Stiver

Leave the Faucet Running | A Look Into Six Months of Continuous Songwriting

10:00 am

Malcolm Cormier

All Aboard - Trains in Canada

11:00 am

Sydney Florin

Do YOU Know What You’re Eating? | The Negative Effects of Food Additives and How to Avoid Them

1:00 pm

Freja Henrichsen

How to Shred Safely | Skiing in the Backcountry

JUNE 10 9:00 am

Roman Bicknell

Piece by Piece | The Process of Designing a LEGO Set

10:00 am

Sam Shanks

Deducing Information from a Graphic Crime Scene

11:00 am

Phoebe MacLeod

Back to Nature | Teaching Youth the Benefits of Being Outdoors Through an Adventure Film

LEARNING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. INSPIRED TO MAKE WAVES.

Stories and photos from

your community

www.bowenislandundercurrent.com

A6 • Thursday, May 20, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com

Couldn’t see the view or the forest for the Scotch broom

CUT THE BROOM WHEN IN BLOOM AND STOP THE SPREAD

MOIRA GREAVAN

Contributor

At the end of April, five volunteer “weed warriors” of the Crippen Park Stewardship Group, spent four hours removing Scotch broom on Dorman Point. Large, older, woody plants and many young seedlings were removed. The accumulated pile of broom measured eight metres long, three metres wide and two metres high! No small “calling card” for the Crippen Park staff to pick up for disposal!

Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparious) was introduced to the Pacific Northwest in the mid-1800s as an ornamental plant. Broom is very aggressive and invasive, eventually dominating landscapes, often replacing native species with which they compete for

MOIRA GREAVAN PHOTO

space, light, water and nutrients. The broom will form dense thickets that can shade out native vegetation, prevent forest regrowth and reduce biodiversity. The plant is toxic to domestic animals and wildlife and for some people can cause allergic reactions. Scotch broom is also a fire danger due to its high oil content. It seeds prolifically (a mature threeto-eight-year-old plant can produce 6,000 to 18,000 seeds annually) and the seeds can remain viable in the soil for more than 30 years. At maturity, bean-like seeds can be ejected some distance from their brown seedpods.

Large Scotch broom plants with stem diameters over five cm, should be cut. The best time is when the yellow flowers are in bloom at the end of April and through May, when the energy of the plant is above the ground in the flowers. The plant usually dies if you cut or saw off the main stem of broom in bloom at ground level or slightly below and below any buds near the base that can resprout. You do not need to remove the roots as the plant will die in summer’s dry heat. If the broom is too big and you can’t cut it at ground level, peel back and strip the bark or damage the remaining stem with a lopper or a hatchet.

Preferably in the wet season when it is easier, the most appropriate practice for young Scotch broom plants (roughly the size of a pencil) is to pull them, trying not to disturb the soil or destroy the ground cover as seeds will germinate. Pat down the soil and replace any groundcover such as grass or moss that was disturbed to prevent seeds in the soil seedbank from sprouting.

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

MOIRA GREAVAN PHOTO

A pile of Scotch broom vanquished by weed warriors earlier this spring in Crippen Park.

When broom is blooming, at the very least, cut off all the flower heads before the seeds mature and are dispersed. The site should be regularly monitored for future growth of seedlings, which should be pulled. Planting trees, grass, and groundcover plants, native or cultivated, will discourage the growth of broom.

Stop the spread of Scotch broom by going after small patches first. For larger infestations, start at the outer edges to stop the further spread of seeds and move toward the centre.

If practical, collect and remove the pulled and cut plants. If seeds are present, plants should be removed in a way that prevents seeds from spreading. If removal and disposal is not practical, leave the broom on site, chipping or mulching the plants if seeds are not present. Contact the municipality or the waste collection service regarding their disposal.

For further information or if you wish to participate in our monthly event (when covid restrictions allow) contact: BowenIslandWeedWarriors@gmail.com.

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

bowenislandundercurrent.com

Thursday, May 20, 2021 • A7

ZOOM THROUGH TIME!

Virtual Exhibits and Open House

Wednesday, June 2nd | 7-8 pm A menagerie of online exhibits from the arts and individuals & societies curriculums.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Jasper was born more than three months early, last June.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Jasper came home in September, much to the excitement of big brother, Albie.

Sharing baby Jasper’s progress & a note of thanks It’s been almost a year since our baby Jasper was born more than three months early on June 4, 2020. From the very start, the Bowen community has given us incredible support that has helped us survive through an extremely difficult time.

We would like to thank everyone for your generosity and kindness and bring you up to date on Jasper’s progress. Jasper was born at 26 weeks, weighing less than two pounds. He was immediately transferred to the NICU at Children’s Hospital where he stayed for more than four months with many struggles including severe infections, digestion problems and trouble breathing on his own. For over a month in the summer, he had to be intubated. Throughout all these ups and downs, we came to deeply appreciate the dedicated and skilful medical team at BC Children’s and our Canadian health care system. Jasper was finally released from hospital on September 24 and came home to Bowen and his excited big brother, Albie. I’m happy to report that Jasper is now doing well, making progress with first-year

milestones like sitting up and rolling over.

(Though he was born nearly a year ago, Jasper’s “corrected age” is 8.5 months.) He has a big appetite and now weighs more than 19 pounds. Jasper is the perfect audience for his brother and chuckles with delight at Albie’s antics.

When Jasper was born, my friend and colleague Sara Skuce organized a Go-fund Me for our family and we are so grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support we received. I want to say an extra special thank-you to all of my colleagues at BICS, the children and families of my Grade 2/3 class of 2019/2020, the staff at BCC, our wonderful friends and family, near and far, and the amazing hospitality from our neighbours, Peter and Claire.

Again, a huge thank you to everyone in the Bowen Island community for their kindness and support. This is a special place to be a part of.

Sincerest gratitude, Sara Nicolson, Danny Vermette, Albie and Jasper

JOIN US ONLINE

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LEARNING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. INSPIRED TO MAKE WAVES.

Patient of the Week BELLE Belle’s Dad brought her in right away when he noticed she wasn’t feeling well. She was on IV fluids for the day and had an appetite stimulant to encourage her to eat. Belle’s Dad’s quick thinking bringing her to us meant she was feeling much better in only a couple of days!

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

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or email reception@bowenvet.com

A8 • Thursday, May 20, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com

CALL TO ARTISTS

BE PART OF OUR 2022 GALLERY EXHIBITION SCHEDULE Submit your Application Hearth Gallery on Bowen Island

Deadline: Wednesday June 30th, 2021 Find the application on our website www.thehearth.ca Call to Artists - 2022 season

25th year Anniversary

of PARADISE…

Bring a blanket, have a picnic

and enjoy… Smok’in Smokies, BBQ Beef burgers and hot dogs, Delicious Veggie burgers and Veggie dogs. Fried onions, cheddar cheese, bacon, BBQ pineapple ring and more. Assorted ice cold drinks & chips.

PARADISE GRILL

Closed Tuesday/Wednesdays.

Covid Conscientious system in place.

Art and conservation in Uncharted Waters

HOWE SOUND SHORT DOC IN THE WORKS

BRONWYN BEAISTO

Editor

Howe Sound is at the tip of Di’s paintbrush. One need only glance at the Bowen painter’s work to see where she draws inspiration. And so it was during a daytrip to Bowen that one of Di’s works caught a young British filmmaker’s eye. Newly arrived from the U.K. and so inspired by the art, Molly Dennis reached out to Di to see if the artist would be interested in a short documentary about her work.

But as it soon turned out, the paintings weren’t “the story” – Howe Sound was the story.

“We started off making this short documentary about an artist on Bowen Island and then it exponentially grew,” explains Dennis. The project turned into Uncharted Waters, a short documentary featuring five young voices with diverse connections to the sound “as they navigate a changing landscape and uncertain future but also as they come together in community to celebrate and sustain the place they love.”

“We started with one character and

then started meeting other people,” says Hannah Sidden – the film’s producer, also recently arrived from the UK, though she grew up in the Lower Mainland. “The community aspect really grew from there and we realized that it was actually a larger story.”

The thread tying the voices together is UBC’s Howe Sound/Atl’ka7tsem Marine Reference Guide – an online interactive map with scientific data and narrative resources depicting the ecological and human values of the sound and how to protect them. The film is not just about the water and islands but the social and community aspects of Howe Sound, says Dennis.

The film features faces well known to Bowen Islanders – marine ecologist Fiona Beaty and our own Di – as well as Squamish Nation young people Jonathan Williams and Nolan Rudkowsky. The filmmakers are still searching for the fifth voice. “We decided to focus in on talking to younger people and the new generation of conservation and restoration efforts around the sound,” says Sidden.

“Di was so passionate about linking her art to conservation work around the sound. And she was quite interested in the science of everything,” explains Sidden. “And a lot of what Fiona was interested in was [getting] people to connect to things that might seem too scientific or not super tangible.

“How you connect people to nature and make people care about where they’re living and restoration – going beyond the data to actually look at what that means artistically or for people living on the land.”

They met Squamish-based Williams

and Rudkowsky through Beaty, as the youth were doing a lot of talks for the marine reference guide. “Their reason for getting involved with [that] project was to deepen their understanding of the water as well,” says Dennis. “[They are] looking to connect to where they live and encourage other people our age to also find that connection,” says Sidden.

Other Bowen resources, like the museum and archives, Adam Taylor, Bob Turner, have also lent knowledge and footage to Dennis and Sidden.

And if anyone else has information or resources to share, the filmmakers would love to hear from them.

While the project started last summer, the pandemic and other jobs and responsibilities have made the documentary making a slow process. “We both committed to letting it take the time it needed to take,” says Sidden, which has proved valuable in leaving time for building relationships. They do, however, hope to have the film finished by the end of summer and then a screening on-island.

The filmmaking duo are fundraising to be able to finish the film (they’re also working on a few grants) with the goal of garnering $10,000. Find the IndieGoGo and a trailer for the film at indiegogo.com/projects/uncharted-waters-the-young-voices-of-howesound#/.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MOLLY DENNIS

‘I just want the community to understand and be compassionate’ Changing Trends in Today’s Gardens Brian Minter June 7 at 7pm

Bowen Island Garden Club is so delighted to welcome Brian Minter into our homes. He will speak about the current thinking of gardeners today.

How we can work toward the best outcomes in our gardens and our environment.

Brian will take some time at the end of his presentation to answer questions. You must be a current Garden Club member to attend this Zoom session and if the turnout is high you may be asked to limit your questions.

Please join us Via Zoom Monday June 7 at 7pm. A link will be sent to all current garden club members.

If you would like to become a member go to bowenislandgardenclub.ca and look on the membership link.

Changing Trends in Today’s Gardens Zoom at 7 pm Monday June 7

CONTINUED FROM P. 1

“He was belligerent, he was screaming at [staff], being quite rude and swearing,” said Ritchie. “It was quite a traumatic experience for the entire staff and the clients that were around.

“And this is a recurrent theme in veterinary medicine in general.

“You’d never go to your family doctor and speak to them like that,” she said. “So there’s a disconnect about how veterinarians are treated for some reason.”

As a clinic with one vet and a small staff, there are only so many patients they can see – while they keep space for a small number of same-day appointments, the clinic is currently booked two to three weeks out, said Ritchie.

“I don’t want to just start seeing patient after patient after patient and losing the quality of care,” said Ritchie. A quality of care that would be lost with double and triple booking, she said. “The kind of feeling that we have here is to have people feel heard and listened to and cared about.”

And it’s not as easy as Bowen Vet just hiring a second veterinarian – there’s a vet shortage throughout Canada and the U.S. Even if a vet could be found, there’s the problem of finding qualified staff. “It’s not just me doing my thing. It’s my technicians, my assistant, and my receptionist also being able to do it,” said Ritchie. “It’s a much deeper issue.”

“I don’t want people to think that we’re pushing them away, turning them away because we don’t want to see them,” she said. “When we tell you to go somewhere else, or to be seen by another clinic, we’re doing that because we honestly feel it’s in the best interest of the patient.”

Ritchie is the only vet for the Bowen clinic and is in an industry that’s seeing a mental health crisis. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association says one in five Canadian

vets and techs have reported “suicide ideation, burnout, and depression.” A University of Guelph study published last year found 17 per cent of vets surveyed reported “seriously considered suicide since starting veterinary school,” compared to 12 per cent of the general Canadian population.

“It’s becoming an epidemic,” said Ritchie. “My colleagues are losing their lives.” She points to the widespread social media campaign #NOMV – “not one more vet” – referring to not losing any more vets to suicide.

Ritchie also pointed to this as why she and her staff need to draw firm boundaries.

“We’re all emotionally invested into every single one of our patients,” said Ritchie. And the emotional connections are compounded in a small town, where not only do you get to know the animals and their families, but you see them in the neighbourhood, at the school, in the grocery store.

“I just want the community to understand and be compassionate,” said Ritchie. “And when we say no, and when we when we set boundaries, we’re not doing it to hurt them or to be mean or to be rude.

“We’re doing it to be the best for all the animals that we can be and to help the staff survive from day to day,” said Ritchie. “So we can be around long term – so we don’t all burn out.”

Seek help - for yourself or others.

If you - or someone you know - is in crisis or distress, know that you are not alone. There is help and there are people who will listen. Talk to a family member, a teacher, a doctor, a coach or a person you trust. Call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Call the Crisis Centre at 604872-3311 or provincewide at 1-800-SUICIDE. Families and survivors can also get help at SAFER (Suicide Attempt Followup, Education & Research) at 604-675-3985.

bowenislandundercurrent.com

Thursday, May 20, 2021 • A9

Camp Bow-Isle is holding camps for island kids this summer BRONWYN BEAIRSTO

Editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com

In the 1960s, a group of Vancouver Christian Scientists bought an 160-acre slice of east Bowen for a summer camp for Sunday school students.

In the intervening decades, Camp Bow-Isle has grown to welcome Christian Scientist youth and families from all over Canada and the U.S. every year. It’s the only such camp in Canada.

Because of overnight camp restrictions in B.C. and restricted cross-border travel, fewer campers can attend Camp Bow-Isle this year and the camp’s faith-based schedule is shorter than its usual 10 weeks. So, the camp will offer nonfaith-based programs to Bowen kids this summer.

“It’s something we’re really excited about,” says Vanessa Ramirez Jasso the camp’s assistant director and director of the Bow-Isle Outdoor Centre.

Camp activities include team-building, archery, rock-climbing, canoeing, kayaking and using the rope course for the older campers. “Just helping to shape character or support character – in finding more confidence in themselves and having a supportive environment to do that,” says Ramirez Jasso, “which is a big focus of Camp Bow-Isle.

“We really care about people and just want to support in any way that we can.”

Over the decades there have been opportunities for directors living on the property to bring in Bowen school and community groups to use the expansive property in the shoulder seasons (May and September) as part of the Outdoor Centre. (For example, the archery club is currently using Camp Bow-Isle on Wednesday evenings.)

And Ramirez Jasso’s role has recently expanded to making the camp more available.

Ramirez Jasso first came to Bowen as a camper, then becoming a councillor for sixish years before jumping into her current job in November 2019.

But, the pandemic hit and the border between the U.S. and Canada closed. Both Ramirez Jasso and the camp’s director, Jacob Publicover, were stuck in the U.S. so Camp Bow-Isle shifted to online programming in 2020. “But it was not the same as

walking to the lake and having a little conversation with campers, just to check in,” she says. “It was perfect, just for what we needed at that time and we’re grateful we did it, but we definitely are looking [forward to] being in person and being outdoors and just connecting with people again.”

Ramirez Jasso made it across the border in February and is now living on the property. “I’ve always loved outdoor education and just working with kids. So that’s where my path led to this point,” she says.

In the programs specifically for Christian Scientist kids, there are short Bible lessons in the mornings and moments of conversation about how to live Christian Science throughout the day.

“The main principle of the religion is just to love all mankind and to love God. So we practise that as much as we can during the sessions,” says Ramirez Jasso.

“We kind of incorporate it into every activity we do as well,” says Publicover – he’s still in California but planning on coming North later this summer.

God as a source of strength and safety can be a topic of conversation on the ropes course, for example.

But while the staff of the programs open to Bowen kids will mostly be Christian Scientists, those camps won’t be faith-based. “We will be doing our own mental work prior to working with the kids, but when working with the kids [we’ll be] focusing on human values of being kind and being respectful of others and basic compassion for each other,” says Ramirez Jasso. “It will be very separate and very focused on camp activities and building relationships with the kids – just giving them a fun summer experience.”

The one-week kids camps run June 21 to July 16, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with up to 24 kids a week. The four weeks of camps are open to kids ages seven to 15. “We’ll most likely do some big camp game activities all together but kids will be cohorted into smaller groups based on their ages,” says Ramirez Jasso.

Find more information or register online at bowisle.ca/outdoor-centre/.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAMP BOW-ISLE

Camp Bow-Isle will be holding camps for island kids in early summer.

Get to know your neighbour NEXT IN OUR SERIES: SYLVIA BOSS When did you come to Bowen? My husband and I moved to Bowen on Dec 16, 2002. At that time we weren’t sure how long we’d be staying. We can’t imagine moving away now.

How did you come to be on Bowen?

A colleague living on Bowen who managed a long daily commute to Richmond told us what a great place Bowen was to live. Our daughter, after a visit here thought the island would appeal to us. Our family had had time living on Vancouver Island at a summer cabin in Fanny Bay. The West Coast forests, calm and peacefulness had always appealed.

We visited Bowen one weekend, were delighted with what we saw, checked on real estate and decided to buy a lot on Cates Hill and build a house. Wolfgang Duntz, Dennis Dallas and David Riddell made it all happen for us.

Where on Bowen do you live? We live on lower Cates Hill.

Fill the gap or don’t fill the gap?

Fill it in if the line up is below Village Square. Otherwise, join the end of

PHOTO COURTESY OF SYLVIA BOSS

the line up the hill.

What do you like about Bowen Island? The richness of the arts community, the close connections of a caring, supportive population, the accomplishments of a wealth of goal-oriented volunteers and the abundance of beautiful walking trails to ‘soothe the soul’.

What’s your favourite COVID-19 balm or activity? Walking at Cape Roger Curtis, on neighbourhood trails and in Crippen Park with a variety of people and dogs; reading; gardening; connecting more on social media; and completing some DIY projects.

Bowen Island Family

21 UNDERCURRENT 20 24 G R A D IS S U E JU N E

THANK YOU FOR RECYCLING THIS NEWSPAPER.

FREE to submit editor@bowenisland undercurrent.com Max.100 words + photo. Deadline June 21st 5 PM

Home needed As soon as possible

2+ bedrooms for a great family with references. A very well behaved dog, 2 adults and 2 children. Hoping to stay on Bowen Island. Contact Simon 778-233-7032 raventales@shaw.ca

A10 • Thursday, May 27, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com

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

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CALENDAR MAY 13JUNE 7

Ephemeral Horizons Hearth Gallery11 am-4pm Thurs.Mon.

THURSDAY MAY 27

Rotary Club talk: Liam Edwards, BIM CAO Zoom 7:30 pm Check

bowenrotary.com for the Zoom invitation. Arriving during COVID with his family, Liam Edwards took on the challenges of chief administrative officer of a small municipality.

SATURDAY MAY 29

Garden Club pop-up plant sale Legion parking lot 10 am to noon Lots of perennials, some deer

proof and veggies seedlings and marigolds too!

BAA Farmers’ Market BICS undercover area 10 am - noon Made, grown, baked on Bowen.

Bring a mask and cash and please follow the signs.

SATURDAY JUNE 5

Ephemeral Horizons Artists’ Party Hearth Gallery 6-8 pm

Thursday, May 20, 2021 • A11

TUES.THURS. JUNE 810

short cake and/or sandwich plate by donation. “All bulk strawberries sold in two and half pound baskets pre ordered and paid for.

Please book online by emailing msmccall@telus.net or call Sheila at 9074. Pick up will be Friday June 11, 5-7pm at Collins Hall.”

Community clean-up in honour of World Oceans Day

Islands Trust Council meeting Online More information: islandstrust.bc.ca/whatshappening/meetings-and-events/ And, why cook in pandemic when

SATURDAY JUNE 12

Drive-through Strawberry Tea Legion parking lot 10 a.m. until sold out (or noon) Strawberry

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A12 • Thursday, May 27, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com

We can all help bring families together again.

Get vaccinated.

Canada.ca/covid-vaccine 1-833-784-4397