Bowen Island Undercurrent December 2 2021

CHRISTMAS AT ENDSWELL: the magic begins on Friday PAGE 8

$1.50

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GST

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021

THE ZEN OF PREPAREDNESS

VOL. 47 NO. 47

BIUndercurrent

BowUndercurrent www.bowenislandundercurrent.com

Tips on being ready PAGE 5

BIM awards community centre tender MARTHA PERKINS

Contributor

Brian Mulroney was the prime minister of Canada when first Bowen Islanders met to discuss the possibility of building a community centre on the island.

Five prime ministers later, the meeting-phase has finally morphed into the doing-phase.

On Thursday morning, the municipality officially announced it had chosen Golden Globe Construction as the winner of its construction tender process.

Construction is slated to begin with site preparation in January 2022.

“I can feel the excitement of this project coming to life,” CAO Liam Edwards told the Undercurrent in advance of the public announcement. “This was the go/no-go decision. If council had said no, it would have meant a significant delay and, in this environment, the cost escalation would have been dramatic.

“We’ve seen 10 to 25 per cent cost escalations in just over a three-month period. The best way to reduce that risk is to lock in secure prices now. Delaying and waiting would likely result in paying more for less.”

When council first green-lighted the project in 2018, the construction budget was $10.5 million. By 2020, the projected costs had risen to $12 million. When the project was put out to tender this past summer, all three bids exceeded the 2018 budget.

Golden Globe Construction’s winning bid was $14.4 million, the lowest received. The budget for the entire project is now $18.7 million.

The BIM-induced reasons for the higher costs are: • time escalation; and • improved energy performance, increased accessibility, improved ventilation and sufficient capacity to meet existing municipal staffing requirements.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Iona Hayes, 5, and her cousin Madeleine Curry, 4, had fun writing their letters to Santa at the Snug Café. Find out what they’re asking Santa for — and when Santa needs the letters by — on page 9. MARTHA PERKINS PHOTO

Mixed reaction to Tunstall Bay water tank ALEX KURIAL

Editor

Although Tunstall Bay residents cannot agree on whether they should have to fund a new water reservoir tank, it seems likely the

project will go ahead.

Municipal engineering director Patrick Graham and CAO Liam Edwards spent most of Monday’s community information session fielding questions residents who had issues with $655,000 price tag.

Earlier this year the Tunstall Bay Water System Local Advisory Committee requested a new reservoir tank to help the 144-property service area with needed capacity and firefighting efforts.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

A2 • Thursday, December 2, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com

Thanks for your help on November 15th

Events December 2, 2021 4:00 pm Public Art Advisory Committee

December 13, 2021 6:15 pm Regular Council Meeting All meetings are online via Zoom and

We’d like to say thanks to everyone who pitched in on and after November 15th when Bowen experienced multiple flooding events across the island. It was truly a community effort to reduce damage, repair built infrastructure and restore natural assets with environmental protection in mind. Bowen was lucky to avoid the magnitude of damage seen in other areas of the Province, but we were heartened to see the care, attention and hard work given by BIM staff, contractors and volunteers who quickly came together in a time of need to coordinate a response.

open to the public, unless noted

Get involved with Emergency Support Services Volunteer Would you consider volunteering to assist your community in an emergency? We have a solid base of dedicated, compassionate volunteers, but as people move and family obligations change, there is always room for energetic and enthusiastic new individuals to join the ESS team on our growing island.

Help your community

otherwise.

When an emergency or disaster affects our community, ESS volunteers are ready to help, providing for the immediate needs of people including evacuees and emergency responders.

You can watch all Regular Council meetings at Municipal Hall. You will

What is ESS? Emergency Support Services (ESS) provides short term assistance to British Columbians who are forced to leave their homes because of house and natural fires, floods, earthquakes or other emergencies. Assistance may include food, lodging, clothing, emotional support and family reunification services. ESS may also provide specialized services such as first aid, child minding, pet care and transportation.

Build resilience

be watching a livestream of the

ESS volunteers prepare for emergencies on an ongoing basis. This dedication ensures that when a disaster strikes our community, individuals or families, there are people trained to help make a difference and get them back on their feet.

meeting on a television set up in Council Chambers.

Gain valuable skills and training

Bowen Island Municipality will be

ESS volunteers train on a regular basis and prepare so that when an emergency or disaster affects their community, they are ready to help.

ESS volunteers gain valuable personal preparedness skills, which can assist them and their own family in times of a disaster.

closed from December 24 at noon until Tuesday, January 4, 2022 for the holidays.

www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/ess

bowenislandmunicipality.ca/ess

If you are interested in joining the Bowen Island ESS team, we would like to hear from you!

Download an application form from the website, and send it by e-mail to Bruce Steele at VE7BGA@bimbc.ca

Help stop COVID-19:

Get vaccinated - everyone over 12 is eligible. Vaccines for children ages 5 - 11 are coming soon.

Stay home if you’re sick

Wear a mask in indoor public spaces

Apply now! www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/jobs

Contact Bowen Island Municipality PAID ADVERTISEMENT December 2, 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

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Thursday, December 2, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com • A3

Making recreation matter in a pandemic Rebecca Tunnacliffe wins national award

ic. “The way they’ve managed this is very much thinking about what they want British Columbians to still be able to do rather than what do they have to make people stop doing, which some of the other provinces have done.”

Having the PHO advisory committee has too helped, “We’ve fought for things here in B.C, that other provinces haven’t been able to because they haven’t had that relationship with decision makers,” says Tunnacliffe.

BRONWYN BEAIRSTO

Contributor

Rebecca Tunnacliffe’s mission is to help others recognize their greatness.

Helping people feel that they’re making a difference – having them feel supported, knowing there’s someone who believes in them – is what gives the Bowen Islander great joy.

But it was the greatness in Tunnacliffe, who is CEO of the BC Recreation and Parks Association, that was recognized by her peers earlier this month. She has been honoured with Charity Village’s inaugural “Most Outsanding Impact” award for an individual staff member.

More than 500 Canadian non-profits and charities had put forward nominations to the national organization.

“I’m still pinching myself,” says Tunnacliffe with a laugh during an interview in her Scarborough home. “I can’t believe that I won.”

BCRPA is a non-profit founded in the 1950s dedicated to championing recreation and parks. It’s essentially an organization of municipalities that have recreation and parks departments. Their mandate is to improve British Columbians’ lives through access to public spaces – whether outdoor such as parks, or indoor such ash community centres and pools.

Tunnacliffe’s first four years on the job entailed figuring out what the member organizations needed, finding government funding opportunities and building the team up.

It’s since crisis hit, though, that Tunnacliffe has come into her own in the role. When COVID-19 upended recreational activities across the province, she quickly got onto a provincial health officer advisory committee that included B.C.’s health authorities and sports organizations.

Where once recreation could be seen as not as important as work, the pandemic accentuated its crucial role in our lives.

“That’s where the richness comes in — how we access nature and community building and getting together with our neighbors.

The pandemic’s restrictions on everyone’s life deepened an awareness that parks and recreation are an essential service, says Rebecca Tunnacliffe. BRONWYN BEAIRSTO PHOTO “It’s an essential service.”

Through the Safe Sport Fitness and Recreation Advisory Committee to the PHO, Tunnacliffe advocated for the importance of recreation services.

From managing how to reopen playgrounds to navigating the shifting (and regionally different) complexities of parent spectators at sports games, Tunnacliffe has served as an intermediary between the on-the-ground organizations and the province. “[The orders] keep changing and they’re not always clear,” she says of the complexity of the task.

Before the pandemic, in-person confer-

ences were BCRPA’s bread and butter. The new virtual norm came with benefits. It allowed senior leaders in municipalities to create a network for discussing parks and recreation. Tunnacliffe started weekly confabs.

The 105-ish member municipalities would talk about the orders, the interpretations and the decisions the municipalities are making.

“It became this solid power group of people who were deciding how, as a sector, we would move forward.”

Tunnacliffe credits the provincial government for the level of recreation that’s been able to continue during the pandem-

The world falling apart in March 2020 also meant changes on a logistical level for Tunnacliffe. She went from interactions with a 14-person staff to working from home. “We’re very close staff. So a lot of the team dynamic came from being together and laughing, having social events and those kinds of things,” she says. Tunnacliffe had to figure out how to keep staff productive, satisfied and, mentally, feeling resilient. They started morning muddles – meeting every morning for 20 minutes where a staff member decides what they’re going to talk about. “It’s become a very deep and meaningful thing.”

But fun as well. They’ll play games, talk about what they’re going through and how they’re managing, but also what they’re wearing for Hallowe’en.

As a vibrant extrovert, Tunnacliffe had some concerns moving from a bustling office to a home but the quiet of Bowen has served her well through the tumult. “I just credit so much of my ability to lead in this crisis to being able to live here,” she says.

“I’m part of a community so I understand what my members are trying to provide to their communities.

“Also, there’s hardly a Zoom call I’m on where people aren’t asking, ‘Is that a fake background?’”

In her role, Tunnacliffe’s also seen something in other communities that Bowen doesn’t yet have: a community centre.

It’s the casual interactions in community centres and public facilities – with neighbours and community members – that can create that sense of belonging to something bigger than one’s self, says Tunnacliffe. “The whole design of rec centres is very much focused ‘how do we get people to feel welcome coming in, and that they want to stay and meet other people and enrich their lives through that connection.’”

Sunday December 12th ~ 1:30 pm Santa and a few of his friends will be parading down the main street in the cove.

There will be plenty of opportunity for folks to hand their Christmas letters to one of Santa’s elves. All your North Pole favourites will be there ~ Frosty, Ginger, Rudolph, the Snow Queen & King and the Sugar Plum Fairy, as well as some new comers ~ Olaf, Elsa, Anna & Kristoff~ l l l l l l Anyone wishing to decorate their truck, car, motorbike, cart, wagon or bicycle and would like to join us please call / text: 778-957-0947 or email: lightupbowen@gmail.com

Santa would like to thank the Undercurrent for all their help this year in spreading Christmas cheer

Guess who is coming to town?

A4 • Thursday, December 2, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com

VIEWPOINTS EDITORIAL

Try Bowen first

I used to scoff at people who went shopping during their vacation.

Why would anybody spend valuable relaxation time inside a store?

Today, some of my most treasured possessions are things I bought during a holiday. That vest from Tucson, the poster from Paris, the Christmas tree decoration from Newfoundland — they transport me back to a time and place of happy memories.

How many of the stores in Snug Cove get their financial sustenance from day-trippers who want a little memento of their trip to this tiny place that seems a world away from their city life? How many customers are visitors from the mainland who amble about the cove for a few hours or need something to do while waiting for the ferry? Without people who view shopping as recreation, would the stores in the cove be viable?

Full disclosure: I find internet shopping overwhelming. I worry about the environmental impact of all those delivery trucks and returned goods. And, I’ve seen what happens to communities when big-box stores drain all the business away from the owner-operated stores that reflect the owner’s unique likes and marketing savvy. In today’s urban retail world we are offered so much stuff and yet have so little variety to choose from.

I’ve started to pop into the stores in the cove and I find myself getting excited. I’m still a bit overwhelmed by all the choice but I know I will buy most of my Christmas gifts on Bowen Island. Here, I’ll be able to put thought into what I’ll choose. Yes, I’ll be more mindful.

My purchases will be more like a true gift rather than an annoyance I have to strike off a list.

It’s impossible for businesses on the island to meet everyone’s gift-giving needs. But consider giving the island a try before you hit click on a website or brave the crowds of a shopping mall. In the coming weeks, you’ll have a myriad of opportunities to turn a day of shopping into something that might actually be fun.

Martha Perkins, contributor The Undercurrent is pleased to welcome its new editor, Alex Kurial.

Alex moved to the island on Monday after a crosscontinent trek from Ontario. It’s not quite a homecoming but it is a return to the West Coast where he was born and raised. After getting a degree in history, with a minor in journalism, from the University of Victoria, he went to Carleton University for a master’s in journalism.

Contact him at editor@ bowenislandundercurrent .com

CSA Christmas craft sale returns

It may not be as big, but the volunteer organizers are just happy that this favourite island event is back.

Cancelled last year because of the pandemic, the beloved CSA Christmas Craft Fair is returning to BICS on Sun. Dec. 5, 10am-3pm.

However, because of ongoing restrictions, there will be a few changes.

“We like to think that the craft fair will be half full rather than half empty,” event-elf and community school coordinator Sarah Haxby says of the need to have just over 30

tables in the gym.

To compensate there will be more than half a dozen outdoors as well. There will be no indoor food services but you’ll be able to buy a wide array of artisan wares, crafts, quilts, candles, ceramics, jewelry, knitted goods, fine art, cards, t-shirts, baked goods, jams, fruit leather, pies, cakes, cookies and a selection from the Orbaek artisan butcher to take home.

Outside you’ll be able to find hot beverages to warm you up as Cocoa West is hosting an outdoor undercover area.

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 mail

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

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The CSA has hired event ambassadors to help with the Christmas Craft Fair and get everyone into the event with masks, ID and vaccination passports. It’s strongly advised that shoppers bring cash or cheques since many vendors can’t accept credit or debit. People are also encouraged to bring their own bags and patience for parking and changes to the event.

The craft fair has been an island tradition since 1984. Funds raised are re-invested in the community by the Community School Association.

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.

Thursday, December 2, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com • A5

Here are the right times for Saturday’s Light Up the Cove MARTHA PERKINS

Contributor

Instead of focusing on the anxiety of what it would feel like to be caught up in a natural disaster, Amanda Ockeleon tries to liken it to going camping: what would you need when you’re off the grid? MARTHA PERKINS PHOTO

The zen of preparedness MARTHA PERKINS

Contibutor

Floods. Forest fires. The Big One (both earthquakes and heart attacks).

Amanda Ockeleon has stared down her anxieties about almost every natural disaster. But, instead of it making her more fearful about everything that could go wrong, thinking through all the what-ifs has actually made her calmer.

When so many things in life are out of her control, at least she knows she’s ready to act. She’s given her anxiety a constructive task.

“It’s just taking that one little step,” says the island’s former emergency preparedness coordinator. “When you know that your grab-and-go bag is by your front door, you feel like you could move on to the next step if the disaster did happen.”

Ockeleon was one of the first municipal employees to focus on emergency planning. It involved taking a lot of courses that taught her about all the eventualities that the island had to be ready for.

But it was when she watched The Impossible that she was able to see the issues through a more personal — and manageable — perspective.

The movie is about the Boxing Day tsunami that killed an estimated 230,000 people throughout the Indian Ocean. What intrigued her was people’s reaction as the traumatic situation unfolded cinematically. They thought about things she wouldn’t have con-

sidered: Where’s my cellphone so I can let my family know I’m safe? Where’s the nearest hospital?

It was as if she could chunk down her fears about what to do into more achievable goals. “I like that it made me prepared in a more friendly, or normal, way.”

Instead of imagining the terror of a flood or earthquake, she pictured herself camping in the forest. That’s what it would be like if she had to live off the grid with no access to anything other than what she had packed in. There’s no cellphone coverage, no fridge door to open when you’re hungry, no thermostat to turn up when you’re cold at night.

“You ask yourself, ‘What would I need?’ It makes the idea [of being without outside resources] a bit more friendly.

“The whole idea of a disaster is a bit much to take on and that’s probably why people don’t want to get on with being prepared for it. You don’t really want to go down that hole. It’s too much to take on.”

It can be overwhelming to imagine the panic of what would happen if the fires that devastated the interior or the floods that have more recently forced people from their homes in the valley were to happen on Bowen Island. Our brain’s fight, flight or freeze response gets triggered.

“It’s all it’s just too out there in a way, isn’t it,” Ockeleon says of why the message of being prepared has to be repeated even though people already know it’s the right thing to do. When something seems too big to be man-

ageable, “people feel like ‘Let’s just leave it’ or ‘We’ll do it tomorrow.’ You just put it off. It’s like homework — do it later.

“But I think doing things to be prepared just feels better. It’s a bit of a relief. It’s controlling the out of control…. I feel I’ve done as much as I can.

The rest would just be bad luck.”

Ockeleon is still very much involved in emergency preparedness on the island. She sells the grab-and-go kits people should have by their door in case they are told to immediately evacuate. She also teaches first-aid and CPR courses so that if you come across someone having a medical emergency, your training can kick in.

“If you’d never learned any of the stuff — which only takes a few hours — you’d just be standing there flapping your hands up and down rather than being able to think ‘Oh, wait, I know what to do here. Yeah, you go call 911.

I’m going to stay here and check their ABCs.’ You actually have a plan and you can follow it rather than just the old hand wiggle….

“You could take action and that would just be so much better than standing there feeling like, ‘Oh, I should have done better.’”

That said, Ockeleon’s life is not without anxiety. She might not worry about what she’d do if there was a fire but she can still obsess over whether her headache is a sign of brain cancer. And, as organized as she is about coping with natural disaster, she says please don’t ask her to Marie Kondo her junk drawer.

Last week’s Undercurrent had three different times for the Light Up the Cove, for which we apologize.

We’ve now got the definitive word from on high (aka chief volunteer decorator Basia Lieske) about the schedule.

While the joyful spirit of the pre-pandemic Light Up will be maintained, Basia reminds everyone that two primary components are still on hiatus as a safety precaution. There will be no community procession through the Cove and Santa Claus will not be able to take time out of his busy schedule to be here.

The festivities are concentrated in the grassy area near the USSC Marina boardwalk on Saturday, December 4.

At 5:30 p.m., everyone is invited to join Bowen Island’s Jewish community in lighting the seventh candle of the driftwood menorah. This is the first year that a menorah has been part of the Bowen Children’s Centre and Family Place’s annual Festival of Trees.

There will be sufganiyot (Hanukkah donuts) and perhaps the playing of dreidel.

The second phase of evening’s festivities is slated to begin at 6:30 but people might want to be there by 6:15 just in case there’s an earlier start.

USSC’s Rondy Dike will sound off the canon and the lights of the Festival of Trees will be turned on. This will be co-ordinated with switching on the magical light displays that Basia and her team of volunteers have spent days setting up. Brant Brannon will be on hand to create “magic fog effects.”

Some of Santa’s friends from the North Pole will be there to hand out candy canes and other Christmas candies. These mascots include Frosty the Snowman and friends, elves, gingerbread men and women and perhaps Rudolph.

In the meantime, the Santa Claus parade is a go. It’s on Sunday, December 12 at 1:30 p.m. It will follow the Bowfest parade route. Volunteers of various sizes who want to dress up in supplied mascot costumes are still needed, as well as people with flatbed trucks. Please contact Basia at lightupbowen@gmail.com.

It’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas…. On Monday afternoon, the Ruddy Potato’s Mike Brambley, Ron Hogan and Angus McTavish were on hand to help unload a delivery of freshly cut Christmas trees from Giesbrect’s Tree Farm in Langley. The island’s Fairon Moore was able to pick up the truckload of grand fir trees before another atmospheric river threatened the Lower Mainland’s roadways. MARTHA PERKINS PHOTO

A6 • bowenislandundercurrent.com

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Water supply for Cape fires questioned

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Council asked staff to prepare a design; a tender with Industra Construction was approved in September.

Costs were the main point of contention, particularly how payments will be structured. The municipality plans to borrow the money through the municipal finance authority. It has opted for a short-term payment option over five years. This means residents will be paying an extra $937 per year. If the municipality spread the costs over 10 years, the annual levy would be almost half that at $522.

“The short-term approach was the one that the LAC preferred. We supported that and agreed with it and proceeded on that basis,” Graham said.

Several people were also opposed to the money coming through debt financing rather than reserves.

“It has to be debt financing; there’s really no other way to pay for infrastructure of this scale,” responded Graham. “Until the point when we have the water system reserves built up to a much more substantial level, then there’s capacity to deal with capital replacements over time without having to do debt financing.”

There is currently about $270,000 only in the water reserves and this is being eyed for other projects. Any potential grants are also being focused elsewhere. The province says projects such as new water tanks should be funded through municipal asset management.

Another financial concern was the size of the new tank. The old tank,

built sometime in the mid-1980s, can hold 66 cubic metres for storage and 161 cubic metres for fire fighting. It will remain in use as long as possible although, like much about the tank, its lifespan is unknown.

The new tank, made of glass-fused bolted steel, will be 595 cubic metres.

Water for fighting fires will take up the vast majority at 438, with 66 for storage and 91 for emergency storage.

Some residents suggested the new tank needs to be about half that size.

But that doesn’t mean it would be half the cost. A bolted-steel tank holding 290 cubic metres would cost $325,000 while the 595 cubic metre tank is $374,000.

The LAC and municipality agreed the extra 305 cubic metres is worth the approximate $50,000.

Many residents expressed their preference for a concrete tank, saying it would last 100 years. But costs would also skyrocket: a 595 cubic metre reinforced concrete tank was estimated at just under $1.5 million.

How the water would be used was another point of contention. Several people said nearby Cape on Bowen property owners, lacking their own reservoir, would benefit from the new tank and yet aren’t contributing to its costs. They want the neighbouring properties to either contribute to the project or not be allowed to draw water from it during a fire.

“I’m fine if they pull from our hydrants if they shoulder a portion of the cost,” said one resident.

Graham said, “Cape Roger Curtis is not benefitting in any way from this

project. The only ability to fight fires beyond what an individual home in Cape Roger Curtis has is how big the tanker truck is from the fire department.”

“You can imagine the size of that fire truck’s tank compared to your reservoir. It’s tiny…. That occurs all across Bowen anywhere that’s not within water service.”

“Fires get fought with ocean water or whatever we can do to save lives,” said clerk Stef Shortt.

LAC committee member Peter Rankin was discouraged by this turn in the discussion. “The one thing I’m shocked about [is] if there is a fire at Roger Curtis… good luck to us in Tunstall Bay. We will be very lucky to miss it.”

Rankin says sharing water in a fire emergency needs to be done for the good of the island so the fire doesn’t spread.

Rankin also doesn’t believe there needs to be as many water boards on Bowen. He said opposition like this for a new tank discourages people from participating in the water management process.

“We have asked for new volunteers, we haven’t had any. People have been resigning left and right because nothing has been done… How long it’s going to last, who knows,” he says.

The proposal goes to council Dec. 13 for loan authorization. Edwards and Graham are advocating for its approval. They say $54,000 has already been spent on design, costs will go up if delayed and it would not look good for the municipality to cancel an accepted tender.

Since 1978

Places of Worship Welcome You

Queen of Capilano Ferry Schedule November 22, 2021 to March 31, 2022

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 7:40pm Except SAT 8:55 pm " - 8:30 pm 10:00 pm " - 9:30 pm 11:00pm " -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 8:20 pm Except SAT 9:30pm " - 9:00 pm 10:30pm " - 10:00 pm

Note: Schedules subject to change without notice: Please check BCFERRIES.COM

Schedule changes on statutory holidays

BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCH E BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCH Sunday Worship 10:30 am Rev. Lorraine Ashdown Lynn Williams - Minister of Music.

Helen Wallwork leads Sunday School.

v l M

FOOD

FOOD BANK DROP-OFF

ST. GERARD’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Sunday Mass at 9.30

Contact Angela Powell 604-947-2515

CATES HILL CHAPEL

A

6304

www.cateshillchapel.com 604-947-4260 (661 Carter Rd.)

00 am W Now offering worship services via Zoom.

m

S

A link available on website.

Pastor: Phil Adkins

SHIRAT HAYAM (Song of the Sea) BOWEN’S JEWISH COMMUNITY Shabbat Gatherings ~ Holidays Contact aryana.rayne@gmail.com

Thursday, December 2, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com A7

LIGHT UP Bowen island

HANNUKAH-Festival of Lights SATURDAY Dec 4th 5:30 pm - USSC lawn

On November 21, Lisa Brougham took this photo of a gorgeous sunset over Onion Island from Sealeigh Park.

Parents must pre-register for the Nook’s Children’s Shopping Day JOHN LAWRENCE

Knick Knack Nook

The good people at the Knick Knack Nook are once again offering a Children’s Shopping Day at the Nook on Sat., Dec. 11.

However, because of Covid-19 safety concerns, the Nook will be limiting how many shoppers are in the thrift store at the same time.

Each shopping session will be limited to four children who will have 15 minutes to make their choices. The hours are from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m..

Parents are invited to preregister their children at the Nook on Wed., Dec. 8 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Shopping lists should be limited to five family members only.

Simple math indicates that only a limited number of children can be accommodated, far fewer than in the past.

The Nook’s aim is to keep everyone safe, particularly our volunteers who are some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

Please be advised that we will not be able to accommodate drop-ins on the day.

The Rivendell Community invites you to join us for our pre-Christmas

Open House

Sunday, December 5, 2021 from 3 – 5 pm at Rivendell Retreat Centre at the top of Cates Hill, Bowen Island This year’s theme is

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS You are welcome to wander through the lodge and experience the stations that will be set up both inside and outside. Light refreshments and warm drinks will be served. Due to COVID, we will not hold an indoor gathering in front of the tree.

7th night lighting of the new community MENORAH. Music, readings and treats. All of Bowen is invited to celebrate.

LIGHT UP THE COVE & FAMILY PLACE

Festival of Trees SATURDAY Dec 4th 6:30 pm -USSC Boardwalk

A canon will signal the lights to go on. There will be some magic fog and several of Santas friends will be passing out Christmas sweets and hot beverages.

PLEASE NOTE: there will not be a lantern walk this year & Santa will not be arriving by boat.

Instead there will be a SANTA PARADE on Sunday December 112th down main street.

SANTA PARADE - IN THE COVE SUNDAY Dec 12th, 1:30pm

BIG SHOUT OUT to all our donors!

Bowen Island Municipality Bowen Properties Bowen Building Centre David Bellringer Marie Neys Fine Art Sangre De Fruta Nick Knack Knook Leigh Auto MacDonald Realty Bowen Pet Supplies Edward Jones

Howe Sound Auto

Barcelona Tapas & Wine Bar Branch on Bowen Cocoa West Bowen General Store Squirrel Connie Knits Christie Stashyn Nance Mosely

THANK YOU

ELVES WHO CAME TO Help WE ARE SO

GRATEFUL!

A8 • Thursday, December 2, 2021

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Yvonne McSkimming: What Christmas lights mean to me This is a transcript of a telephone conversation with Yvonne McSkimming. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Noah Pryce-Jones strings up some of the more than 40,000 lights that will turn Endswell Farm into a winter wonderland on December 3 and 19. On those two nights, ticket holders can enjoy the festive celebration of light while raising money for the Bowen Island Food Bank. Please note: December 19 is already sold out and a limited numer of tickets remain for December 3. ALEX KURIAL PHOTO

Endswell Farm turns on its Christmas magic MARTHA PERKINS

Contributor

This is a time of darkness, both literally and whenever you read the news.

Yvonne McSkimming has made it her mission to say, “Let there be light.”

And, by joining forces with Home Farm’s Noah Pryce-Jones to create a magical celebration of Christmas at Endswell Farm, she’s also hoping that the twinkling wonderland of multi-coloured lights will remind people that it’s through our diversity that we can find enlightenment. (Yes, she is that philosophical about it all. Please see the sidebar about what Christmas lights mean to her.)

On Friday, December 3, McSkimming and Pryce-Jones will welcome 150 ticket-holders to the first-ever Christmas at Endswell Farm.

(The second celebration Dec. 19 is already sold out. Limited tickets left for Dec. 3) For a minimum $15 donation to the food bank, people will be charmed by the more than 40,000 lights that McSkimming has collected over the years. There will also be sparklers for the kids, a craft station where everyone can make decorations out of pine cones, an open marshmallow-roasting fire pit, hot chocolate, warm apple cider and a

box of the seven different homemade baked treats that Mrs. Claus likes to give to Santa when he’s busy in his workshop.

Oh, and did we mention that Santa is taking a break from his list-granting duties to visit Endswell?

“It’s going be pretty spectacular, rain or shine,” McSkimming says. “It’s been off the charts in terms of people saying ‘We want to come.’”

McSkimming’s love of Christmas lights is already well known on the island. Not only was her former home a sparkling beacon of festive fancy but she also put on a display of lights years ago at Endswell before switching her efforts to decorating the Little Red Church. The church board recently decided to go in a different direction and McSkimming started looking for a new venue.

The partnership with Endswell Farm is a natural one. McSkimming lives at the farm, which is where Pryce-Jones runs Home Farms Gardens. A festival of lights fundraiser for the food bank is part of Pryce-Jones’ personal ethos as well, McSkimming says.

“Noah’s upbringing is all around service, supporting community, building community and having people gather.”

The farm is owned by Matt Sauder who

graciously welcomed their idea of how to create more than just a light display.

McSkimming personally covers all of the costs of the annual display, including purchasing the lights and paying for help to set up the lights and take them down.

Although she is involved with many other good causes on the islands, the food bank remains her fundraising focus at Christmas.

“It really does serve a wide spectrum of individuals,” she says. “It’s not that there aren’t other charities that are lovely on the island but most of the charities are specific to a target group. I understand how much things are costing and the jump in costs is off the charts. The food bank ensures that anybody, from anywhere, from any social and economic background has access to something that is going to be nutritious.

Food security is super critical and it’s going to be even more so in the next few months.”

Christmas at Endswell Farm is on two nights from 6 to 8 p.m.: Fri., Dec. 3 and Sun., Dec. 19.

To secure your tickets to either night please contact Yvonne McSkimming at 604726-5277 or ymuzak@telus.net or Noah at 604-341-7244 or noah@homefarm.ca. A minimum donation of $15 per person is requested.

The lights are the only thing about Christmas that I really like. I know that is going sound really bad but, at the end of the day, I’m not a stuff person. Bless people’s soul for everyone who’s ever given me a present but what I like are moments. That’s what matters to me.

Now, I know there’s a whole camp for whom it can only be white lights. I’m not like that. When I did the lights at my former house, I didn’t have a pattern. It was whatever happened in the moment; every year it would be something different. And I love the element of colour because that’s what the world is all about — it’s our diversity and differences in cultures that make us all united. If we just remember that we all bleed red it doesn’t matter where we’re from, or what colour of skin we are or who we love; that’s our commonality.

I always found that the lights just bring joy. They always make me smile and feel connected to everything else around me.

When I think about Christmas, I think that’s what it’s supposed to be all about — this whole element of people being kind, people being more mindful, people remembering that we don’t get through adversity as an individual, we get through challenges as a united front.

That can be seen right now with what we’re dealing with the BC flooding. I was talking to friends who live in Chilliwack the other day and they were horrified. They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost their home, they’ve lost their business. They should be thinking, “What am I going to do? How am I supposed to pay a mortgage and all the bills on something I can’t even get into?”

That’s where my head would go. But they’re thinking “What is going on in the gas lineup? What is going on at the grocery store where people are hoarding and they’re not following the rules? People are being cruel to each other and they’re saying nasty things to each other.”

That’s the ugly side of the human existence, unfortunately. I’ve never understood why we have to be like that. I’m hoping that somewhere along the way as a species we evolve and become more enlightened. We need to understand the dynamic of what it means to be this united front, not this individualistic piece because [thinking only of our own needs is] what happens when people get scared and anxious. [Their viewpoint] becomes very singular and it’s all about them. It makes it really difficult. So the lights for me is trying to remind everyone we are all in this together. It’s the beauty and colours that brings a sense of joy and connection.

Thursday, December 2, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com • A9

Mail your wish lists by Dec. 18 and Santa will write back

Tender okayed for community centre FROM PAGE 1

MARTHA PERKINS

Contributor

Last Christmas Eve, Iona Hayes didn’t hear the clip-clop of reindeer hooves on the roof of her house. But she knows Santa Claus was there because she awoke the next morning to discover all sorts of presents under the tree.

“It was so cool,” the now-fiveyear-old says.

This year, she wants one of those gifts to be a toy horse.

To make sure that Santa knows what to bring her, she sat down with her cousin Madeleine Curry at the Snug Café to write their Dear Santa letters.

“It’s his job to give us presents and he likes to do it,” says four-year-old Madeleine, who’s

The whole concept of Santa Claus is pretty cool to Iona Hayes, 5, and her cousin Madeleine Curry, 4. Iona is asking for a toy horse while Madeleine wants a stuffed unicorn. MARTHA PERKINS PHOTO requesting a stuffed unicorn.

She also knows what she has to do to remain on Santa’s good-list: Don’t fight with her brother.

Luckily for children on the island, the staff at the Bowen Island post office have a direct route to the North Pole.

Children can drop off their Santa letter in any post box on the

island and Santa will hand-write them a letter back.

To ensure that Santa has time to respond before he sets off on his round-the-world journey on Christmas Eve, Santa letters should be popped into an island mailbox by December 18.

No postage is required but Santa does need a complete return

address. (Please no “Brody, Bowen Island.”)

Children who drop into the post office can watch the staff put a date stamp on the letter to let them know it’s officially on its way.

The address is: Santa Claus North Pole HOH OHO Canada

The pandemic-induced reasons are: • greater demand for construction raw materials, commodities and labour as people used the lockdown to expand/renovate their homes or businesses; and • decreased production and supply chain disruptions .

An island as small as Bowen also faces increased transportation, acquisition and labour costs.

The municipality worked with Golden Globe to find $500,000 in savings.

The municipality hopes it will be eligible for more federal funding through the Canada Cultural Spaces grant. This would be on top of the existing $7.9 million Investing in Canada Infrastructure grant.

BIM can also transfer $1.2 million of its Covid-19 Safe Restart Fund for Local Governments fund to the project.

On top of the $1.3 million already pledged in donations, the fundraising campaign will be re-launched in December in anticipation of reaching an additional fundraising target of $1.5 million.

Further updates will soon be available on the project’s website: OurIslandPlace.com.

The Magic of Christmas COME CELEBRATE THE MAGIC LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS AT ENDSWELL FARM 1461 Mount Gardner Rd

Visit with Santa, see over 40,000 lights, have some hot chocolate or warm apple cider, make a Christmas tree ornament, light up a sparkler, roast marshmallows on a stick and take home a box of Christmas treats made special for you by Mrs. Claus herself.

Minimum donation of $15 per person with all proceeds going to support the BOWEN ISLAND FOOD BANK

Call or email Yvonne at 604 726 5277 / ymuzak@telus.net or Noah at 604 341 7244 / noah@homefarm.ca to purchase tickets

SOLD OUT DEC 19! HURRY THERE ARE STILL TICKETS FOR THIS FRIDAY DEC 3 6 PM - 8 PM. Please bring your own utensil or stick for marshmellow roasting

A10 • Thursday, December 2, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com

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To advertise here please call 604947-2442 or email ads@bowenislandundercurrent.com

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Thursday, December 2, 2021

bowenislandundercurrent.com • A11

Rain entices coho salmon to explore Mannion Bay MARTHA PERKINS

Contributor

Humans might not like record-setting rainfalls but coho salmon off the shores of Bowen Island are benefitting from it.

Coho salmon spawn in fresh water, says Tim Pardee, the president of the volunteer-based Bowen Island Fish and Wildlife Club.

The rain that has been washing down the island’s steep terrain into Mannion Bay has reduced the bay’s salinity levels. This, in turn, has attracted more of the spawning fish.

“We seem to be getting more coho coming into the lagoon,” Pardee says. “If you’re a salmon, you sense [the fresh water] and think that this is where I have to be.”

As well, coho are very strong swimmers so they’re not daunted by the heavier waterflow down Bowen’s many creeks.

The main danger fish face is when rivers and lakes overflow their banks. Once the water recedes, there’s the risk that they’ll get stranded in an environment that’s not conducive to their survival.

The wildlife club has fish traps. When coho come into the trap, club members then relocate them to spawning areas such as Miller Creek.

This is a file photo of male and female chum salmon spawn in the gravel below Bridal Veil Falls.

BOB TURNER FILE PHOTO

The club’s hatchery has been dormant this fall as members follow salmons’ normal spawning cycle. Pardee says the volunteers

are getting ready to open it up in advance of the arrival of eggs either in late December or early January.

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A12 • bowenislandundercurrent.com

Thursday, December 2, 2021

CALENDAR

SKY members and those interested in joining SKY, may be interested in knowing we are walking together on Wednesday afternoons. Please contact 778-886-3600

TO DECEMBER 26

December Art Market Hearth Gallery: Gift items from local artists and artisans. 11 to 5 daily except Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

(Note: the gallery will be open every day until Christmas.)

THURSDAY DEC 2

Squamish Stories with Kung Jaadee Library Annex 10:30 am Live streamed. All-ages event with Q&A. Kung Jaadee will share Squamish legends popularized by Indigenous activist and poet E. Pauline Johnson’s ‘Legends of Vancouver.’

FRIDAY DEC 3

Festival of Trees decorating party Hot chocolate, cookies and decorating fun, 10 am to noon, grassy area in the Cove.

Christmas at Endswell Farm 6 to 8pm: Visit with Santa, see over 40,000 lights, have some hot chocolate or warm apple cider, make a Christmas tree ornament, light up a sparkler, roast marshmallows and take a box of Christmas treats made special for you by Mrs. Claus herself. Minimum donation of $15/pp with all proceeds going to the Bowen Island Food Bank.

Call or email Yvonne at 604 726 5277 / ymuzak@telus. net or Noah at 604 341 7244 / noah@homefarm.ca to purchase tickets. Also on December 19 Friday night dinner Legion Doors at 5, dinner at 6.

Members $13; non-members $15

SATURDAY DEC 4

Lighting of the menorah 5:30 pm at the grassy area near ferry: Bowen Island’s Jewish community invites everyone to join its celebration of Hannukah.

Songs, treats and dreidel.

Light Up of the Cove 6:30 pm: canon will signal a small light show with Santa’s friends passing out treats next to USSC Marina

SUNDAY DEC 5

Pre-Christmas Open House Rivendell Retreat Centre 3 – 5 pm: This year’s theme is Light in the Darkness.

Stations will be set up both inside and outside. Light refreshments and warm drinks.

CSA Craft Fair 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at BICS gym. Local crafts, artists, artisans, baked goods and raffle. Entrance by donation and proof of vaccination (with i.d.). Masks required.

Please bring cash since most of the 30-plus vendors can’t accept plastic and reusable shopping bags.

MONDAY DEC 6

John Reischman & The Jaybirds 7 pm, Tir-na-nOg Part of Shari Ulrich’s Trust Me series. Tickets on Eventbrite or Phoenix. Proof of vaccination and masks.

Patients of the Week SWEETIE AND TARZANA Meet Iona’s first kittens, Sweetie and Tarzana! They were in recently

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

to be spayed. They were adopted from a farm and now have a loving home on Bowen. Iona took excellent care of them while they recovered from their surgeries!

To schedule appointments, please call

604.947.9247

or email reception@bowenvet.com