CASTING CALL Deanna Kamp, Colleen Addison and Davina Haisell (L-R) all had the acting bug and came to see what the buzz was about at Theatre on the Isle’s open auditions at Collins Hall last weekend. All three performed and expressed an interest in adding their names to the long line of Bowen actors who have taken local stages. You can read more about this history, hear what’s coming up for our island theatre troupes, and even see how you can get involved, inside on Page 5. / Marcus Hondro photo
Grafton Lakelands seeks way forward
ALEX KURIAL Editor
The Grafton Lake housing project developer has proposed an alternative to meet the plan’s affordable housing requirements.
The Grafton Lakelands development is a long-term project spanning both sides of Grafton Road by Grafton Lake. The 2017 rezoning agreement specified up to 165 total homes would be made available over multiple phases. That agreement also specified that 45 of these homes would qualify as affordable housing. Ten of these would be available for home ownership during the initial phase of the project, and 35 coming later as rental units.
But with production stalled since then, the Lakelands developer attests that rising construction and financing costs over the past decade mean providing these 10-units is no longer feasible today. As an alternative the developer recently proposed a $1 million cash-in-lieu payment to the municipality (BIM) to waive the affordable housing requirement, which would allow the 10 lots in question to be resold at market rates.
Events
All Council meetingsare open to the public to attend in person or electronically,unless notedotherwise.
March 23, 2026
1:00 pm
Regular Council Meeting
April 13, 2026
1:00 pm
Regular CouncilMeeting
Seeking Public Comment
Development VariancePermit DVP-2026-0013 994 Windjammer Road
1:00 PMonMonday,March 23, 2026
In the Conference Room at the Community Centre, OR via Zoom
ADevelopmentVariance Permitapplicationhas been submittedfor 994 WindjammerRoad(shown on map) toallow for an increase in maximum lotcoverage.
Their application is to request an increase to the maximumlot coverage from 320 m2 to 335 m2. Theapplicant wishes to build a house with aswimming pool with the existing deck structures
The applicationmay be viewedatthe MunicipalOffices at the BowenIsland CommunityCentrebetween8:30 AM and4:30 PM, Monday through Friday (excludingstatutoryholidays) or on the Municipal Website: https://bowenislandmunicipality.ca/planning/
Your Comments AreWelcome
Writtensubmissions may be delivered to the Municipal Offices at the BowenIsland Community Centreby11:00 am on the meeting date in person, by mail, by fax, or by email to mayorandcouncil@ bimbc.ca. Submissions may also be made to Mayor andCouncilat the meeting:
See www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/council-meetings for more information about theCouncil Meeting including howtowatch the meetingvia Zoom.
Should Council proceedwith this application, therewill be further opportunity to shareyour comments on the application, and we would shareadditional information on howtoprovide your comments.
QUESTIONS?
Please contact Xerxes Au, Planner 1at604-947-4255 ext. 247 or by email at xau@bimbc.ca or visit:
www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/planning/
Public Notice
2026 Parcel TaxRoll ReviewPanel Monday,March 30th,2026 at 11:00 am viaZoom
Zoom meeting links can be found here: https:// bowenislandmunicipality.ca/2026/03/18/notice-of-parcel-tax-rollreview-panel-march-30-2026/
TheParcel TaxRollReviewPanel, in accordance with Section204 and 205ofthe Community Charter, S.B.C. 2003, c.26 will meet to consider andapprovethe 2026 Cove Bay Parcel TaxRoll andaddress complaints related to anyotherMunicipal Parcel TaxRolls.
Complaints or requestsfor correction may only be madeonthe basisof:
•Anerror or omission respecting anameoraddress on the parcel taxroll;
•Anerror or omission respecting the inclusion of aparcel;
•Anerror or omission respecting the taxable area or the taxable frontage of aparcel; and/or
•Anexemption thathas been improperly allowedordisallowed.
TheParcel TaxRollReviewPanel will nothear an appeal unless written notice hasbeenmade to the Collectoratleast forty-eight (48) hours beforethe time set for the first sitting of the ReviewPanel, no later than4:30 pm on Friday,March 27, 2026.
The2026 Parcel TaxRolls areavailable forinspection at the Municipal Offices at the BowenIsland Community Centreduring the regular office hours of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm,Monday to Friday (excl. statutoryholidays).
Requests canbemade by mail, hand delivery, email or fax to:
Reportingtothe Bylaw Services Supervisor,the FerryTraffic Marshals perform traffic flagging duties on BowenIsland during peak ferrytravelperiodsincluding high-volume vehicle traffic and congestion, especially during ferrysailingirregularities and cancellations.Shifts arescheduledinadvance by Bylaw Services with the possibility of additional shiftsasneeded.
Availability on weekends andstatutory holidays is mandatory
Read the position description here:
https://bowenislandmunicipality.ca/work-with-us
Construction & Blasting Notice: Eagle Cliff Road
As part of the Eagle Cliff–Cove Bay Connection Project, crews will begin preparing for the installation of a new section of water main along Eagle Cliff Road. This work will include controlled blasting operations, which will be carried out by Metro Blasting
Tentative Start Date: March 23, 2026
Work Hours: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Activity: Daily Blasting Operations (up to 3 weeks)
What to Expect
• Single lane alternating traffic during working hours. Traffic flaggers will be on-site.
• Delays of 15 - 30 minutes following each blast
• Normal construction noise levels, including warning horns prior to each blast for safety.
• Blasting will occur daily, weather and conditions permitting, for approximately three weeks.
Questions? Contact Public Works at 604-947-4255 ext. 3 or email roads@bimbc.ca
Sustainable Community Grants
Do you need support for a project that increases climate resiliency through community action or environmental protection?
BIM is investing in climate action through the Sustainable Community Grant Program. Many different types of projects may be supported, please refer to the grant criteria for details, and be innovative.
We are now accepting grant applications! Applications close at 4:30 pm on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Bowen Island Municipal Council has adopted a new Water Conservation Bylaw that strengthens the Municipality’s ability to protect and manage the community’s limited supply of municipally treated water during peak demand periods
The bylaw was shaped by resident feedback and establishes clear requirements for responsible water use, giving the Municipality the enforcement tools needed to support compliance during peak summer demand. By reducing unnecessary water loss, it strengthens long-term water sustainability on Bowen Island, supports Council’s strategic initiative on water conservation, and helps ensure a reliable treated water system for future generations.
Conserving treated water is a shared responsibility. As climate patterns shift toward warmer and drier summers, these measures help maintain system resilience and ensure that drinking water remains available for essential needs.
Questions? Reach out to Bylaw Services at 604-9474255 ext. 2 or email bylaw@bimbc.ca.
VIEWPOINTS
EDITORIAL
Hope everybody’s March has been going well so far! We’re really flying along and next week is already our last issue of the month. As is most often the case that means it’s an Island-Wide issue, so don’t hesitate to share what your family, friends, neighbours, or even you have been up to! This week we said goodbye to an island mainstay in the Village Baker. It is very sad to see Neil and Helen move on, yet there is also plenty of happiness for what they achieved in the past 25 years and for their adventures ahead. People will also be happy to know that, in a few weeks, the Village Baker will return to operations under new ownership. More on that soon. For now, thank you Helen and Neil for the decades of operating such a beloved Bowen bakery. The final day featured many patrons, old and new, flocking in to write their memories and goodbyes on cards which just kept filling up - an appropriate testmant to the cafe’s impact and legacy in the community.
- Alex Kurial, Editor
THE WRITE STUFF. The Undercurrent encourages reader participation in your community newspaper. You must include your full name and a daytime phone number (for verification only). The editor reserves the right to edit for clarity, legality, brevity and taste. Please limit to under 500 words. HERE’S HOW: To submit a letter to the editor, fax 604-947-0148 or mail it to PO Box 130, Bowen Island, BC, V0N 1G0 or email editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com
#103–495 Bowen Trunk Road, PO Box 130, Bowen Island BC, V0N 1G0 Phone: 604.947.2442 Fax: 604.947.0148 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.
National NewsMedia Council.
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.
VIEWPOINTS
All’s Well on the Bowen theatre front
MARCUS HONDRO
Contributor
Theatre on the Isle, known colloquially as TOTI, has been producing plays on Bowen Island for nearly 50 years. TOTI relies on the finding of new members and last Saturday, March 14 held an open audition and information session at Collins Hall to give interested Islanders a chance to perform and learn about the company.
To provide a bit of history, in 1977 Islander Martin Clarke joined with David Webber to establish TOTI. The first play they produced was ‘The Drunkard,’ a spoof of a 19th century American temperance play; that very first TOTI cast saw Clarke, Webber, Angela McCullough, Jenny McCullough and Dave Winwood tread the Bowen boards.
(‘The Drunkard’ was written by a B.C. writer, Raymond Hall; among other works, Hall co-wrote, along with Laurence J. Peter, ‘The Peter Principal’, a popular book translated to over 20 languages. It’s about incompetence and how it manages to prevail in society. Incompetence… like when a reporter veers off-topic?).
Since that first play, TOTI has produced dozens more, Clarke estimates as many as 40. They have not managed a production every year but have most, often producing more than one play in a year. Many members are essentially lifers, they stay with the company as long as they stay here, like
Clarke, currently the company chair, a role others have taken on over the years, while some stay even after moving off-island. Some members come and go.
TOTI’s lifeblood is, of course, Islanders who possess a love of theatre, hence the open audition and info session on the 14th. Some 20 people attended and either read a scene with a partner or did a monologue. A notable exception was Connie Barnes, who performed the stirring and powerful Maya Angelou poem, ‘Still I Rise.’
Clarke told the Undercurrent this week that the opportunity to act is the biggest reason people become a part of TOTI, but the company needs more than just actors.
“Most people are there because they would like to perform on stage,” he said. “But we also tell everyone that there is plenty of opportunity to work in building sets, making costumes, publicity, stage management and so on.”
Along with Bard on the Rock and Kingbaby Theatre, TOTI keeps Islanders entertained, and thinking. There are three plays upcoming over the next few months on Bowen, one from each company and all to be mounted in the new theatre at the Community Centre (The Bowen Theatre celebrates its one-year anniversary in April). Two of these plays, and this is in the realm of trivia, were written by a playwright named Will.
First up is a Bard on the Rock production of ‘All’s Well’ by Will Shakespeare (1564-1616; they’ve shortened the title, we shortened the given name). It is being directed by the rock
It was a day of hugs and smiles, with a touch of sadness thrown in, on Tuesday as Helen and Neil Reynolds finished up their reign as proprietors of the Village Baker. A constant stream of customers, friends and well-wishers stopped by for a free St. Patrick’s Day-themed treat. The two opened on March 17, 2001, serving Bowen for exactly 25 years. Phoebe Mayo (left), Andy Rainsley (second left) & Toni Alvarez (right) were among those who joined Helen and Neil (centre) on the final day. Longtime employee Tess Guillon was unable to pose in the photo as she was in the kitchen - working. The new owners are now at the helm, with plans to reopen the Village Baker in a few weeks. / Marcus Hondro submission
of Bard on the Rock, Graham Ritchie; the cast is Christine Atkinson, Morgan Darcy, Kelly Davidson, Doug Elliott, Frazer Elliott, Adrian van Lidth de Jeude, Tina Nielsen, John Parker, Jessie Perry, Brendan Robertson and Claudia Schaefer. That ‘play by a Will’ will run on April 17, 18, 24 and 25 at 7:15 pm.
In June, American playwright Will Eno’s award-winning ‘The Open House,’ will be produced by TOTI and directed by long-time island performer and director, Heather Hodson. Hodson directed the hit collection of Anton Chekov farces two years ago. The cast of ‘The Open House’ is Trevor Campbell, Annabelle Coon, Tina Overbury, John Parker and Calder Stewart. That ‘play by a Will’ will run from June 5-7.
The third play upcoming is ‘Happy Days.’ Not the syrupy American sitcom but the groundbreaking tragicomic classic by Samuel Beckett (1906-1989); it is being produced by Kingbaby Theatre. The Kingbaby couple, David Cameron and Jackie Minns, take on characters Willie and Winnie and are being directed by their son, Andrew Cameron. ‘Happy Days’ will run on dates from July 31 –August 8.
The call for new contributors will always be there, as will the appetite for live theatre on Bowen. Missing this latest open audition doesn’t mean you can’t still contact TOTI, or another company, and start the journey toward becoming a part of island theatre.
October 3, 1935 - November 13, 2025
Celebration of Life
AUDREY SHIRLEY
Monday, March 23, 2026 12:30 - 4:00 pm
Scandinavian Community Centre 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby
Please join us in sharing stories and memories of Audrey’s amazing 90 years. A light refreshment will be served. Please RSVP - triciajacquet@gmail.com
A Hidden Hunter in Bowen’s Bogs
WILL HUSBY & SHEREE JOHNSON Bowen Island Conservancy
Nova Pon’s photo captures something easy to miss, a round-leaved sundew, glittering in the sun. It looks delicate — just a small rosette of red-tipped leaves beaded with what seems like dew. But it is tough, adapted to living in a harsh environment.
The round-leaved sundew is one of Bowen Island’s two carnivorous plants. They grow only in bogs, a type of wetland along with sphagnum moss, pitcher plants (Bowen’s other carnivorous plant), Labrador tea, bog laurel, and bog orchids. Unlike the giant flesh-eating plants of horror movies, the sundew is small, growing in a rosette, only a few centimetres across and no taller than a hand is long.
Each leaf has a slender stem that ends in a round blade about as wide as your thumbnail. Across the leaf’s upper surface are short red hairs, each tipped with a tiny sugary drop of sticky fluid that sparkles in sunlight. A sweet smell entices insects to land to have a tasty snack, only to discover themselves ensnared in a sticky death trap.
Bogs are difficult places for plants to live. Their soils are low in the nutrients that plants need to grow. While other bog plants struggle to gather enough through their roots, the sundew gets what it needs by catching and digesting tiny midges, beetles,
ants, and mosquitoes. At the top of Nova’s photo, you can see this sundew has already caught two small midges.
Once an insect is trapped, the leaf slowly folds around it and releases digestive juices that turn the soft parts into liquid. The leaf absorbs those nutrients and uses them for growth. You can see one of these folded leaves in the top left corner of Nova’s photo. When only the insect’s hard exoskeleton remains, the leaf slowly opens again, ready for another catch. Halfway down the right-hand side of the photo, the dark grey blobs on one leaf are probably the remains of a fully digested insect.
Sundews do more than feed themselves. Some of the nutrients they collect from prey are later released into the soil, where nearby bog plants can use them. Even in a small wetland, they are part of a larger living system.
Their insect-catching habit is only one of their remarkable adaptations. Sundews also save energy by not producing nectar to attract pollinators. Their tiny white flowers — no bigger than a peppercorn — appear each summer in groups of two to 15. Each flower opens for only a couple of hours on a single day, and only in direct sunlight, giving pollinators a very short window to find them. Most of the time, the flowers pollinate themselves.
They are equally inventive when it comes to seed dispersal. Bowen’s wetlands are small and often separated by forest or cleared land, so getting seeds to the right place is no small feat. Each plant produces
hundreds of slender, light-brown seeds that can travel on the wind for up to 10 kilometres. The seeds are also waterproof and can float for months along streams, lakes, and ponds, and some may even hitch a ride in the feathers of waterbirds.
Beyond all this, round-leaved sundews are simply beautiful. Their crimson hairs and sparkling droplets create a flash of colour against the soft green of the bog. What looks small and easily overlooked is, in fact, one of Bowen’s most fascinating plants.
Clearing and draining bogs and other wetlands on Bowen has reduced roundleaved sundew habitat by changing the conditions these plants need to survive. The wetlands that remain still depend on the
Now is the time to tackle Scotch broom
already showing signs of budding in the warmer parts of the island.
This year, when driving to Tofino in January, I could not fail to notice the broom plants fringing the highway for the majority of our journey. Having just written about invasive broom in November, its impact was appallingly evident.
In less than 150 years, the handful of seeds that the homesick Scot, Walter Calhoun Grant, scattered on his property in Sooke, have spread to make broom a dominant plant in southern Vancouver Island.
Unless you are looking for it, for a good part of the year broom does not stand out on the landscape. But broom in flower is easily recognizable with its bright yellow blossoms and strong perfume. Despite the shortlived drops in temperature we have had recently, spring appears to be well on the way, and the broom plants are
An ideal time to attack is now, before they flower and scatter their myriad seeds. Small broom plants can be pulled but larger ones should be cut at the base of the main stem, level with or even below the soil. Leaving even an inch of stalk will allow the plant to regenerate.
Because most of the plants’ energy is going into flower and seed production at this time of year, the roots are still dormant and by eliminating the possibility of photosynthesis the plants will starve, usually dying by the end of the summer. It is important to avoid disturbing the soil around the decapitated plants, because invariably there will be seeds from previous years ready to germinate.
Plant grass or a ground cover to deter them and check the area regularly to remove any new seedlings that crop up. Discarded plants should be bagged, labelled as “invasive,” and put in the garbage, never in the compost.
conditions that sustain plants like this. By keeping these places intact and treading lightly when we visit them, we help sundews and the other specialized plants of their bog community endure.
The next time you are near a Bowen wetland, slow down and look closely. You may spot a sundew at work.
The Bowen Island Conservancy is a land trust and registered charity that works to protect and preserve the island’s natural environment — from endangered coastal bluffs to inland lakes, wetlands, and fens. This article is part of a monthly series featuring photographs submitted to the Bowen Island Conservancy’s Biodiversity Photo Contest. To see the latest submissions and winners, visit the Conservancy website.
Brightly coloured Cytisus scoparius, commonly known as Scotch broom. / William Milliken photo
PHOTO BY NOVA PON - “SUNDEW ON THE LAKE”
AUBIN VAN BERCKEL Bowen Island Garden Club
SwimBowen Registration opens April 1!
MARY
Registration for the 9th Annual SwimBowen Fundraiser opens April 1 at 10 am for 85 lucky swimmers!
The swim is on Saturday, July 11 at 10 am with registrants swimming either 750 or 1,500 metres in Tunstall Bay. We sell out quickly, so hop on early to SwimBowen.com to register. All proceeds benefit the SwimBowen Cancer Care Fund, supporting Bowen Island residents in active cancer treatment. To date the Cancer Care Fund has gifted a remarkable $160,000 in cancer care gifts.
Teams:
Bigger teams and streamlined registration are here! We have taken out team captains and the maximum team size is now six swimmers. When registering, you will see there is an option to “Add registrant to (team name)”. Team names will be available to select.
If you don’t see your team name - it is because you are the first on your team to register! You can create your team by selecting the option “create a team”. After selecting “create a team” you will be prompted to key in your team name. Your teammates registering after you will then automatically see your team name and can select “Add this registrant to “(team name)”. Voila!
Free Registration!
There is free registration to those swimmers raising $500 or more on their SwimBowen fundraising page. Every participant has an online page to customize with a photo, a fundraising goal, and an opportunity to tell us what lights
you up about ocean swimming and SwimBowen. Or heck, tell us a big beautiful story and be included in an amazing draw prize! Share your SwimBowen goals with friends and family and watch the magic unfold.
To our stunning 2026 corporate sponsors so far - Fresh Tracks, Marie Neys Fine Art, Bellwater Island Treatment Systems, Allan Financial, and the Bowen Building Centreyour generosity ensures the Cancer Care Fund keeps giving in an extraordinary way. We are so grateful.
A big thank you to our event sponsors that make SwimBowen possible: Tunstall Bay Community Association, Basia at Bowen Event Rentals, Jo Hayes at Artisan Eats, Melanie Mason at The Ruddy Potato, Nancy at the Snug Cove General Store, and photographers Scott Robarts and Alys Williams. Together you help us put on the best swim/ beach party/fundraiser ever!
Our awards ceremony will be bursting with prizes recognizing the top overall finishers in both the 1,500 and 750 metre events, fun draw prizes, and our legendary deluxe three-night Whistler Getaway for the top single fundraiser.
Every year the SwimBowen team marvels at how this event brings together swimmers, volunteers, donors and sponsors all while raising funds for our friends and neighbours working hard to get through cancer treatment. Together we create a sense of agency in the face of a disease that can make us feel so utterly powerless.
For more information on sponsoring, volunteering or donating to SwimBowen, please visit us at SwimBowen.com or email us at swimbowensociety@gmail.com
Come experience the joy of supporting the best little event in the Gulf Islands.
Event organizer David Bellringer (right) cheers on SwimBowen 2025 participants. / Alys Williams photo
LETSON SwimBowen
Bowen to the Amazon: A Rotary Village-to-Village Partnership for the Planet
CHARLES MCNEILL Contributor
Last week the Bowen Island Rotary Club hosted a presentation about a compelling new partnership: a direct connection between our small island community and an Indigenous village deep in the Amazon rainforest.
At first glance, Bowen Island and the Brazilian Amazon seem worlds apart. Yet the truth is that our futures are closely linked.
The Amazon rainforest is the largest tropical forest on Earth, stretching across nine South American countries and covering an area nearly the size of Australia. It holds about 10 per cent of the planet’s known species and stores 150–200 billion tonnes of carbon in its trees and soils — roughly equal to 15–20 years of global human carbon emissions.
In other words, what happens in the Amazon affects the climate everywhere — including here in British Columbia.
And here on Bowen, we already feel the effects of climate change: the fires, the smoke-choked summers, the flooding, the heat waves. These are the result of global temperatures having risen nearly 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, making the last decade the warmest in more than 125,000 years.
The forest also acts as a giant air conditioner. Moisture released by billions of trees creates atmospheric currents often called “flying rivers,” helping generate rainfall across South America and influencing weather patterns far beyond,
even reaching our own continent.
Yet the Amazon is under enormous pressure. Continued deforestation – especially from cattle for beef – and also from logging and mining is pushing parts of the forest toward a very dangerous tipping point where the rainforest could transform into dry savanna – with devastating consequences.
But there is also strong reason for hope - and it lives in the Amazon’s Indigenous territories.
Research consistently shows that where Indigenous peoples hold secure land rights, deforestation rates are two to three times lower than in surrounding areas. Though Indigenous peoples make up only around 6 per cent of the world’s population, their territories protect a significant portion of the planet’s remaining biodiversity.
They are, quite literally, guardians of life on Earth. During my 30 years working with the United Nations, supporting Indigenous communities was one of the most effective strategies we found for protecting tropical forests — and therefore our climate and our biodiversity.
This is why I was so pleased to join Prof. Wade Davis, renowned anthropologist and Bowen resident, and Alice Fortes, a Brazilian environmental leader and co-founder of the Amazon Reforest Alliance (‘Aliança Reflorestar da Amazônia’), in speaking at last week’s Bowen Rotary Club meeting. By video from Brazil, Alice proposed something bold and beautiful: a village-to-village collaboration between Bowen Island and the Nukini people of Recanto Verde village, on the Moa River in Acre state, at the westernmost edge of Brazil’s Amazon.
The Nukini — whose name means “Jaguar People” — occupy seven villages on a 27,000-hectare territory adjacent to the Serra do Divisor National Park, one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, home to over 1,200 animal species. Their land was recognized by the Brazilian government only in 1991, after generations of violence, enslavement, and forced cultural erasure during the rubber boom era. Some of their territory was clear-cut but the Nukini are rebuilding — and they are asking for our partnership.
The project is concrete and achievable. Led by Chief Xiti Nukini and the families in Recanto Verde village, the plan is to plant 5,000 trees using agroforestry methods — integrating food-producing fruit trees with hardwood species — on already-identified degraded land. The work includes training local Indigenous Agroforestry Agents, establishing nurseries, collecting seeds of endangered species, and nurturing the seedlings for two years.
As Alice said to our gathering: this is not about charity, but about reciprocity — giving back to those who help ensure the forest continues to provide all of us with so many crucial environmental services.
From one island community to another, across 10,000 kilometres, we have the chance to make that partnership real. Sometimes the most meaningful global action begins with something simple — one community reaching out to another.
To learn more or get involved, please contact us at cimcneill@gmail.com or see www.bowenrotary.com
Your future st ar ts here
Global energy.Local opportunity.
Join afirst-of-its-kindLNG projectrootedin partnership with Sḵwxwú7meshÚxwumixw (SquamishNation). At WoodfibreLNG, long-term, skilled careers arebeing built right hereinthe Sea-to-Sky —helping deliver lower-carbon energy to the world while creating opportunity at home.
woodfibrelng.ca/careers
Charles McNeill (left) spoke to the Rotary Club last week about opportunities for collaboration between Islanders and Indigenous residents of the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil. Alice Fortes & Wade Davis (on-screen) were fellow speakers at the community talk at Artisan Eats. / Steven Trende photo
West Vancouver Thunder U11 A1 team won their Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association flight in the championship game on March 10. Early mornings and many ferry trips paid off for Islanders Lochlan Stevenson and Eli Montgomery when their team won the title in a balanced and well-played game against North Vancouver 5-2. Pictured are Bowen Island supporters David & Vivian Pearce, Robert & Linda Barratt and the Stevenson family and friends who came out to support. / Sheana Stevenson submission
Cash-in-lieu proposal supported
$1 MILLION WOULD GO TOWARD AFFORDABLE HOMES
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The developer would also agree to sell the properties to Bowen residents or workers, with a focus on contractors and tradespeople wishing to use the vacant lots to build their own homes.
The proposal was referred to Bowen Island Resilient Community Housing (BIRCH), the municipality’s partner on local housing projects and topics. BIRCH agreed with the developer’s assessment that the initial 10 agreed-upon affordable housing units were no longer viable due to the reality of costs in 2026. With this in mind the organization recommended that BIM accept the $1 million offer to disregard this clause.
BIRCH reasoned that having $1 million to dedicate toward affordable housing could result in more than 10 of these properties being created overall on the island, and in a faster amount of time. Holding the developer to the original terms could result in indefinite delays to any housing becoming available at all, said BIRCH. They added the agreement would need a firm commitment on timing, with delivery of the funds expected between this year and 2027.
Councillors were largely in agreement with the developer and BIRCH’s assessments of the current situation. “I think it’s pretty clear here that the developer is stuck, and those units aren’t going to get built. And I don’t think we have a way to force (developer) to build them,” said Coun. Tim Wake during last week’s meeting.
Wake expressed optimism at the idea of local contractors being able to buy the lots, as well as BIM being freed up to pursue other more viable chances to build affordable housing elsewhere. “Conditions have changed dramatically since 2017, and what was feasible then is not feasible now… Our colleagues at BIRCH have done a lot of analysis on this and they’re telling us this is the best way to get housing built. If we try to force the developer… then everything’s just going to sit for who knows how many years,” said Wake.
A motion to draw up a new housing agreement with the developer - accepting the $1 million in place of the 10 affordable homes - passed in a 6-1 vote with Coun. Alison Morse opposed.
HAZEL CONTACT
Hazel came all the way from the big city to visit us this week! This sweet dachshund loves spending time with her guinea pig siblings and sometimes even sneaks a little of their hay One of Hazel’s favorite things to do is dig into blankets to make the perfect cozy nest before curling up for a nap. We loved seeing Hazel— she’s as adorable as she is cuddly!
MARKETPLACE Your Community
604-653-7851
ndunder cu rr ent. c o boweni slandunder curr ent.co m 604-653-7851 nmather@glaciermedia.ca
Call or email to place your ad, Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm 236-889-6595 ahogan@glaciermedia.ca 236-889-6595 ahogan@lodestarmedia.ca
Call or email to place your ad, Mond ay throug hF riday 8:30am to 4:30pm 604-362-0586 •604-653-7851 classi fi eds@van.n et
i . gnome matter what it is..s... People love a bargain!
ahogan@lodestarmedia.ca in touch with your community anywhere. www.bowenislandundercurrent.com
SUDOKU
Places
Worship
www.biuc.ca | 1122 Miller Road
Sunday Worship 10:30 am Rev Lorraine Ashdown
778-688-2061
Sunday Mass at 10:00
Sunday Mass at 9.30 Contact Angela Powell 604-947-2515
c sifieds.vancourier.com 604-653-7851
604-947-4260 (661 Carter Rd )
c sifieds.vancourier.com 236-889-6595
Community News
Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a Sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.
Sunday Worship 10:00 Rev. Phil Adkins
Sunday Worship 10:00 www.cateshillchapel.com 604-947-4260 (661 Carter Rd.) office@cateshillchapel.com
SHIRAT HAYAM (Song of the Sea) BOWEN’S JEWISH COMMUNITY Shabbat Gatherings ~ Holidays
QUEEN OF CAPILANO FERRY SCHEDULE UNTILMARCH 23 2026
DEPART BOWENISLAND
5:15 am except Sundays 6:15 am except 7:30 am except 8:45 am 10:00am 11:15am 12:35 pm 1:55 pm 3:15 pm 4:40 pm -exceptWednesdays 6:00 pm 7:15 pm 8:25 pm -exceptSaturdays 9:30 pm 10:30pm 11:30pm
DEPART HORSESHOE BAY 5:45 am except 6:50 am except 8:05 am 9:20 am -exceptWednesdays 10:35 am 11:55 am 1:10 pm 2:35 pm 3:55 pm 5:20 pm 6:35 pm 7:50 pm 8:55 pm -exceptSaturdays 10:00 pm 11:00 pm
Where’s the ferry right now? -live
at www.bowenferry.ca Schedule
Stay up todateatwww.bcferries.com
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Friday, March 20
Norden the Magician at the Community Centre
Come see one of Canada’s premier magicians, whose comedy-filled shows and wonderfully wacky personality captivate audiences of all ages. Doors at 2 pm with the show starting at 2:30, ticket info on Rec website.
Saturday, March 21
French Connections at the Library
Drop in and join us to practice your conversational French, and get to know other French language learners on Bowen Island! Free, 10:30 to 11:30 am. bipl.ca/French
Saturday, March 21
Artist Reception at Catching Stars Gallery
Feature artist Mekaila Tyrrell is at the gallery to showcase her ‘Lapis Mystica’ works. Meet and great Mekaila from 2 to 4 pm and check out her art during the month of March.
Sunday, March 22
Book Donation Morning at the Library
Friends of the Library welcome your donations of clean, good condition used books. They’re especially seeking novels and kids books. From 10 am until bins full (Noon latest).
Tuesday, March 24
Foundry at the Health Centre
Clinician Shannon Roberts is taking appointments for youth age 12-24 to talk about any issues regarding mental health or substance use. Parents or caregivers of a youth in that age range can sign up too. Email healthservices@ bowenhealthcentre.com or call 604-947-9986 to sign up.
Tuesday, March 24
Career & Community Help at the Library
Drop in to see a WorkBC Career Advisor (10 am to 3 pm)
or Community Integration Specialist (11 am to 2 pm). Career Advisor helps with resumes, cover letters, interviewing, job searches, job market & education advice; Community Specialist helps with accessing financial, housing, and health supports, government programs, disability assistance, and more. Learn more about both at bipl.ca/get-help
Wednesday, March 25 & Friday, March 27
SKY Walks
Seniors Keeping Young meets at Headwaters Park on Mar. 25 & Grafton Lake on Mar. 27. Both walks start at 10:30 am.
Thursday, March 26
Spring Break STEAM Club at the Library
Learn new skills, make something new! We’ll explore a new STEAM activity every session, with time to practice and explore science, arts & technology. 10:30 to 11:30am in the Library Annex. Ages 6-10. Please register at: bipl.ca/steam
Thursday, March 26
Writers’ Feedback Group at the Library
Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, all ages and types of writer are welcome to share and give constructive feedback on each other’s writing in this positive and supportive environment. From 5 to 6:30 pm. Free event, registration required – register at bipl.ca/write
Thursday, March 26
Bowen Contra Dance
Beginners (and all levels) welcome to this free dance session! At Cates Hill Chapel from 7:30 to 9:30 pm.
Saturday, March 28
Skwxwú7mesh History Book Club at the Library
In this friendly book club, we’ll be discussing part two of Tiná7 Cht Ti Temíxw: We Come From This Land: a Walk
Through the History of the Squamish People (2024), by the Squamish Nation. Coffee and snacks provided! From 11:30 am to 1 pm. Borrow a copy from the library. Free, please note new date. Find out more and register at bipl.ca/2026
Sunday, March 29
Bowen Women’s Golf League Meet and Greet
Informative event for all skill levels interested in women’s golf programs: instruction, mentorship, tournament play, & Tuesday/Thursday social league play. Join us at the Shed at the Golf Course from 3 to 5 pm. No registration necessary.
Wednesday, April 1
Magnificent Derelicts at the Hearth
Come see works from famed Bowen artist Ron Woodall. Exhibit opens April 1 at the Hearth Gallery and runs to April 20. Artist pARTy Saturday, April 4 from 2 to 4 pm.
Thursday, April 2
Bowfest AGM
All Islanders welcome to share their point of view on Bowfest’s 50th year! The festival’s annual general meeting takes place from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at the Community Centre.
WEDNESDAYS
Family Storytime at the Library
A free 30-minute drop-in program of stories, rhymes, and songs for children age 0-6 and their caregivers! From 10:30 to 11 am, families are welcome to stay after until 11:30 and socialize in the cozy Annex, read books, and hang out!
THURSDAYS
Thursday Art Group
Join the Thursday Art Group (TAG) at Collins Hall from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm to paint and create together. $30 per month or $10 drop-in. Info at shannonrondeau@shaw.ca
Private and tranquil with the magic of a treehouse and rich timber details, this home is a unique opportunity to make Bowen your full time home.
The loft-like ceiling, with an 18’ elevated centre line and rows of clerestory windows, brings natural light into the living areas.
The split-level floor plan provides privacy between the 2 bedrooms, each with fully renovated ensuites. The den offers flexibility for use as a 3rd bedroom or home office.
