december 30, 2010 undercurrent

Bowen’s Christmas angel

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Wishing you & yoursWishing you & yoursa happy, healthy &

prosperous New Year.prosperous New Year.

Wishing you & yoursa happy, healthy &

prosperous New Year.

Happy Hogmanay!Scotland shares its traditions of welcoming in the new year

Polar Bear SwimKen Miller’s daughter Kelly will be shouting into the megaphone Jan. 1

A mid-winter’s taleTir-na-nOg theatre school presents two matinees of The Snow Queen

THURSDAY DEC. 30, 2010V O L . 3 8 , N O . 4 7

Watch for more online at: WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

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MARTHA PERKINS

E D I T O R

As the candles representing peace, hope, joy and love flickered within the warm confines of the Little Red Church on

Christmas Eve, the congregation started to sing a peaceful lullaby about a baby born in a manger one silent night two thousand years ago.

At the beginning of the service, the Rev. Shelagh MacKinnon had told the crowd that she had hopes for another Christmas Eve miracle - the birth of a Bowen Island baby due that night. The mother, Sarah Etherington, and her fam-ily were waiting expectantly in one of the front pews.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful, MacKinnon said, if Bowen Island could welcome its newest resident on a night that everyone was gathered to cel-ebrate the birth of Christ?

Sarah Etherington delivered on that hope.Her labour pains started partway through the

service, as if on cue from Rev. MacKinnon’s coaxing. She gave her husband, Dave Updegrove, a look that said, “We’ve got to go now - right now” and they gathered up their children, four-year-old Lucas and two-year-old daughter Hailey. They quickly left the church.

continued, PAGE 9

THEY LOVE TO GO A-MUMMERING – Ferry passengers were surprised and delighted when the Black Sheep arrived to spread holiday cheer on the evening of December 22. St. George was on hand to slay a dragon, Father Christmas raised money for the food bank and skeletal doctor made sure there was a happy ending for everyone. More photos page 12. Martha Perkins photo

A look back on 2010; looking forward to 2011This

beautiful baby girl,

as yet unnamed, was born

five seconds after

midnight on December

25.

An Olympic Torch welcomed by hundreds of people on a dark winter morning. The sharing of

the spirit of that flame. The cheers of children and adults playing soccer heard at dusk. A cabinet minister’s announce-ment that Bowen Island was being con-sidered as the site of a national park. One bear on Bowen, then another. Council meetings filled with debates about burning tree stumps, a day of silence, an updated Official Community

Plan and ferry marshalling. And of course, the expression of a wide array of strongly held opinions about all of those things.

That was the year that was on Bowen Island. In the waning days of 2010, the Undercurrent asked people to reflect on the highlights of 2010 and their hopes for 2011.

Murray Atherton, 2010 Citizen of the Year

The first highlight of 2010 had to

be that amazing day on February 10 when the Bowen Island Spirit of BC Committee was totally blown away with the reaction to the Olympic Torch being on the island. We had worked for over four years towards this day and our wildest expectation was that 350 people would show up. We all agreed that we’d be ecstatic with 300! When over 1,300 islanders showed up we were literally speechless.

continued, PAGE 10

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Ring in the New Year with a Scottish feastDecember 31 will find Mariana

Holbrook in her kitchen cook-ing up a feast that will last long

into the night. She celebrates her Scottish roots by making traditional Scottish meals (although she no longer tries to tempt guests with the promise of haggis.) Here are a few of her favourite recipes.

Cock-a-leekie Soup3 lb boiling chicken (giblets removed) 3 slices of streaky bacon 1 lb shin of beef 2 lb leeks 1 large onion 5 fluid ounces single malt4 pints water 1 level tablespoon dried tarragon Salt and pepper 8 pre-soaked prunes Mix the whisky, tarragon and sugar in

the water. Chop up the bacon and place the chicken, bacon and beef in a large bowl and pour over the whisky marinade. Leave to soak overnight. Place the chicken etc in a large soup pot. Chop up the leeks (reserve one) and onion and add to the pot. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for two hours, removing any scum as required. Remove the chicken from the pot, remove skin and bones. Chop the meat into small pieces and return to the pot. Cut up the shin of beef, if required. Add the prunes and the last chopped leek and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. It will serve up to eight people.

Bannock buns(to go with the soup)4 oz (125g) medium oatmeal 2 teaspoons melted bacon fat or butter2 pinches of bicarbonate of soda

Pinch of salt 3/4 tablespoons hot water Additional oatmeal for kneading

Mix the oatmeal, salt and bicarbonate and pour in the melted fat into the centre of the mixture. Stir well, using a porridge stick if you have one and add enough water to make into a stiff paste. Cover a surface in oatmeal and turn the mixture onto this. Work quickly as the paste is dif-ficult to work if it cools. Divide into two and roll one half into a ball and knead with hands covered in oatmeal to stop it sticking. Roll out to around quarter inch thick. Put a plate which is slightly smaller than the size of your pan over the flat-tened mixture and cut round to leave a circular oatcake. Cut into quarters (also called farls) and place in a heated pan which has been lightly greased. Cook for about 3 minutes until the edges curl slightly, turn, and cook the other side. Get ready with another oatcake while the first is being cooked.

An alternative method of cooking is to bake them in an oven at Gas5/375F/190C for about 30 minutes or until brown at the edges. The quantities above will be enough for two bannocks about the size of a des-sert plate. If you want more, do them in batches rather than making larger quanti-ties of mixture. Store in a tin and reheat in a moderate oven when required.

Beef in ClaretTrimmings:5 oz (150g) lean bacon 6 to 8 small, young onions 14oz (400g or two cups) chopped button

mushrooms

3 lb (1 1/2 kg or six cups) stewing steak (supposedly this is better if it is from Highland cattle)

4 tablespoons cooking oil 5 cloves of garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons flour 1 bottle of fruity young claret Salt and freshly milled black pepper 1 teaspoon sugar Bunch of fresh herbs

Cook the bacon in a frying pan until it is lightly brown. Add the onions and cook uncovered for roughly ten minutes. Then add the mushrooms, stir, cover and cook gently for a further ten minutes.

Preheat the oven to 300.°Cut the stewing steak into cubes roughly

11/2” (4cm) square. Heat the oil in a fry-ing pan and brown the cubes of meat. Place in a casserole dish, add the garlic and sprinkle the flour over the meat. Place in the oven uncovered for 15 minutes to continue the browning process. Stir from time to time.

Add wine, light seasoning and herbs. Cover and simmer for 3 hours or until the meat is tender. Remove from the oven and stir in the trimmings. Heat for a fur-ther five minutes and serve with boiled potatoes sprinkled with chopped parsley. If you have another bottle of Burgundy or Beaujolais to drink with the meal - so much the better!

Black BunPastry case12 oz plain flour (3 cups) 3 oz lard (6 tablespoons) 3 oz butter or margarine (6 tablespoons) If you are making this for vegetarians

and so can’t use lard, increase the butter

to 6 oz (12 tablespoons) Pinch of salt Half teaspoon baking powder Cold water The filling1 lb seedless raisins (2 3/4 cups) 1 lb cleaned currants (2 3/4 cups 2 oz chopped, blanched almonds (third

of a cup) 2 oz chopped mixed peel (1/4 cup) 6 oz plain flour (1 1/2 cups) 3 oz soft brown sugar (Third of a cup) One level teaspoon ground allspice Half level teaspoon each of ground gin-

ger, ground cinnamon, baking powder Generous pinch of black pepper 2 tablespoon single maltOne large, beaten egg Milk to moisten

Grease an 8-inch loaf tin. Rub the fats into the flour and salt and then mix in enough cold water to make a stiff dough (remember, it is going to line the tin). Roll out the pastry and cut into six pieces, using the bottom, top and four sides of the tin as a rough guide. Press the bottom and four side pieces into the tin, pressing the overlaps to seal the pastry shell.

Mix the raisins, currants, almonds, peel and sugar together. Sift in the flour, all the spices and baking powder and bind them together using the brandy and almost all the egg and add enough milk to moisten.

Pack the filling into the lined tin and add the pastry lid, pinching the edges and using milk or egg to seal really well. Lightly prick the surface with a fork and make four holes to the bottom of the tin with a skewer. Depress the centre slightly (it will rise as it cooks).

Brush the top with milk or the rest of the egg to create a glaze.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 325 for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Test with a skewer which should come out clean; if not, continue cooking. An uncooked cake sizzles if you listen closely!

Cool in the tin and then turn onto a wire rack. Cool thoroughly before storing until Hogmanay.

Atholl Brose (as a dessert not as a

drink, which requires a different process)

3 rounded tablespoons of medium oatmeal 2 tablespoons heath-er honey

Single malt2 cups of whipping

cream

The oatmeal is pre-pared by:

1) Chopping it up in the blender

2) Putting it into a basin and mixing with cold water until the consistency is that of a thick paste. Leave it over night.

When the recipe is about to be finished, add the single malt to the oat mixture.

Whip the cream until it forms peaks and mix in the honey and then add the oat carefully mixture. Serve in wine glasses.

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At Hogmanay, the Scots know how to celebrateMARTHA PERKINS

E D I T O R

Forget their reputation for being dour. On New Year’s Eve, the Scots show the world how to have a good time.

Some say they are borrowing a Viking solstice tradition; others say that the com-pliment should go to the French, who celebrated that “Homme est né” - man is born - with a feast on the last day of the year. Or maybe it could be the Gaelic way of welcoming “oge maiden”, which means new morning.

But it’s the Scottish Reformation that gets the bulk of the blame or credit for the Scottish New Year’s Eve celebration called Hogmanay. For 400 years, from the end of the 17th Century to the mid-1950s, Scots were not allowed to celebrate Christmas because it was deemed too much of a Catholic tradition. Many Scots had to work on Christmas and saved up their food and drink for the celebration of sol-stice on December 31.

Mariana, née Hyslop, Holbrook can trace her family’s roots back to the 1500s. On one of the branches sat Covenanter Brown, “a far right Presbyterian who was very powerful in his day and absolutely nasty.” The Covenanters got their name from the covenants they pledged, fore-most being to maintain the Presbyterian doctrine as Scotland’s sole religion, abol-ishing anything that even had a whiff of Catholicism.

In northern climes, however, you can’t fight the need to find light in a time of darkness. And in Scotland, where life was hard and starvation was common, especially in the Highlands, who’s to stop people from having at least one day of cel-ebration during the Yuletide?

The customs of Hogmanay also have their roots in the Scottish traditions of thrift. You cannot start the new year owing money; all debts must be paid by December 31. Your house must be thor-oughly cleaned, including having no ashes in the hearth. You leave your back door open so the evil spirits will depart (egged on by the smoke of the juniper boughs you burn) while through your front door, the first person to walk into your house after midnight should be a tall, dark man - a dhu.

You put all your bad thoughts into a sock, tie it in a knot and burn it.

“We believed everything,” Holbrook says of her childhood fascination with

Hogmanay.Her grandfather, emigrated to Yorkshire

from Scotland in 1969 “but he was so concerned by the behaviour of the English that he insisted we were all registered as Scots.” He lived in a large house that was recorded in William the Conqueror’s Doomsday book, which means it was built before 1086.

The house had a ballroom with huge fireplaces in each wall and every New Year’s Eve, the entire extended family and friends would get dressed in their most formal attire for the celebration. It was such a big deal that you had to make sure you had a nap in the afternoon because the festivities would last late into the next morning.

“The food was interminable - it would go on and on,” she says. When asked to describe the menu, a critical ingredient of every course seems to be whisky, “the water of life.” And whisky was the drink of choice - you arrived with a bottle as well as something to burn for heat and a candle for light.

The menu included venison, goose and of course haggis. Dessert was a black bun - a rich fruit cake made with whisky that cooks in pastry for hours and then is cut in half with a small sword called a clay-more. You scoop out some cake and pour in even more whisky.

If all of this is getting you in the mood for a Scottish New Year, Holbrook has been kind enough to share some of her favourite traditional Scottish recipes with us. They are on page 2.

Shelagh MacKinnonBowen Island’s United Church minis-

ter grew up in Ottawa but her family kept many Scottish traditions alive, especially such a fun one as Hogmanay.

She says that it was very important that the first person to cross the threshold was not fair-haired because the Vikings were fair-haired.

Everyone would bang pots and pans while the front and back doors were open. “You made all kinds of noise to swoosh out all the bad,” she says.

And everyone would hold hands and sing Robbie Burns’ Auld Lang Syne.

“It’s fun because the whole family is involved,” she says.

John GreenWhen John Green was a teenager in

Glasgow in the early 1960s, he and his

friends used to go to the pub until 11 o’clock at night on New Year’s Eve. Then they’d go home to be with their fam-ily to “spend the bells” - at midnight, all the bells in the city would ring out to let Hogmanay begin in earnest.

“Mom usually had a cooked meal for after the bells,” Green remembers.

In the days before television, there was no 10, 9, 8... countdown. People listened to radio programming but it was the church bells that rang in the new year. As the chime of the bells faded into the darkness, everyone would sing Auld Lang Syne.

But after that wee bit of nostalgia, the partying resumed. The young folk would set out to meet for a few more drinks.

It’s been a few decades since Green and his wife Bernie have lived in Scotland. At four o’clock Bowen time on the after-noon of December 31, which is midnight Glasgow time, they’ll pause and listen for the bells.

And although they might not be with family to sing Auld Lang Syne, they’ll make sure that old friends are not forgot-ten by spending much of January 1 on the phone.

Mariana Holbrook is getting ready to welcome 2011 with many of her favourite Hogmanay traditions. Martha Perkins photo


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viewpoint

This guest editorial was written for the Chamber of Commerce gazette in 1989 by Joan Wood. What’s striking is that many people who have moved to the island in the 21 years since then could be thinking the same things....

It was on a rainy day visit in 1974 that I fell in love with Bowen Island with its quiet beaches, winding roads with sudden vis-

tas, the abundance of forest and particularly the friendliness of the residents I came in touch with. Since coming to live here, Bowen has changed. There are still quiet beaches, the roads still wind, the vistas and the forests are still here and the people... the people of Bowen Island are special. Here on Bowen I have a feeling of “family”; of a relationship with every other person I meet - the family of Bowen Island. Just as my family has grown and changed, through marriages and births, so has my Bowen Island “family” and this island home changed to accommodate them. Within families we can always find conflict and differ-ences, fears and ambitions, strengths and weak-nesses. Consistently running through the family is the thread of change.

In the 15 years that have gone by, I have watched the school population grow from 45

children and three and a half (I was the half) teachers to over 200 children and nine and a half teachers. I have watched the people crowd on the ferry and heard others say, “I don’t know anyone here, I used to know everyone...”

Are we bemoaning the growth of the island or resentful of newcomers? I think neither. It is the realization of our growth that affects us. I have watched new business ventures estab-lish themselves in Snug Cove and done my best to support them. I have watched vacant lots become homes to new residents who have participated in our community endeavours and I have welcomed them, their contribution and presence in our community, just as I was wel-comed and accepted when I came to Bowen with my family.

I look in the mirror and critically notice the changes in myself, the children I once taught and our community. Change is essential to life. How could a child become an adult without change?

Change will always be with us. It can be healthy or destructive. A strong and caring community will look at itself without bias, carefully consider the impact of natural growth, reach for the challenge created and thought-fully plan for the change that this growth

demands.Bowen is in the throes of significant growth

much like adolescence, and for some of us, change can feel threatening, even though we know it is inevitable. It is sudden and signifi-cant change that is difficult for individuals to deal with. People will draw together for mutual support to deal with it much like the death of a loved one will draw all family members together. Planning for change not only ben-efits a community as a whole, it allows for individual security, comfort and choice. There must always be an allowance for differences of opinion, and respect for the feelings and opin-ions of others in any debate. Those that speak on issues of change in a calm, factual manner will always gain respect and be listened to. Emotionalism does not belong in discussions amongst mature individuals.

I encourage everyone on Bowen Island to consider carefully all issues affecting Bowen Island that may be brought forward. Read all the material and listen to all speakers. Sift out the facts and evaluate them from your own point of view and values, with due consider-ation for other opinions, feelings, fears and concerns.

Joan Wood, 1989

Everything old is new again

Let’s solve the real problems on the island firstTo the Editor:

We (Bowen) are wonderful at creating new “action com-mittees” that better address the issue than the last one. Each time a small flame burns bright-ly, only to be replaced with another bright flame, which is just bright enough to see the previous flame flicker and die, before it too expires in the shadow of the next flame. In the meanwhile absolutely nothing is achieved: Snug Cove Plan, community hall and affordable housing all spring to mind.

Affordable housing is a major problem for Bowen Island. It has been identified as such since the 1995 Official Community Plan. The recent update re-affirmed this. To date absolutely nothing has been done. This is a criminal disgrace for an edu-cated, liberal, caring community. And yet here we are discussing a national park to the exclusion of all other issues.

The prospect of a national park was only raised after the public input phase of the OCP update was complete. A nation-al park was not discussed dur-ing the OCP update. To inves-tigate a NP alongside, yet sepa-rate from the OCP update, for my sensibilities is pretty damn close to elitist behaviour.

A national park has been on the informal council agenda since fall 2009. Be clear it is

not the content that matters to me it is the process that does. We have gone through an elec-tion and an OCP update where the people stated that afford-able housing was an issue they wished and councillors agreed upon action. To my mind this is a small cabal setting an agenda to suit themselves in isolation of the people of Bowen Island.

Make no mistake - I firmly believe the people and the envi-rons they live in matter. It is a partnership; each needs to be nurtured together. In 11 years of the municipality, the people have been taken for granted. To me the people who matter are the people who eke out a living on Bowen Island. Not off-island retirees, not the commuter, not the summer visitor and certainly not the off-island worker who uses the island as a rest and recuperation resort.

The number of true island people is much higher than publicly recognised. With close to 300 businesses in the Gold Pages, the various schools and unlisted home businesses and their dependents (children and grandparents) I could easily and conservatively estimate the total number of people as being one third of the Bowen population, some 1,300 people.

Council is ignoring the real person living on Bowen Island.

The green thought process is absolutely in the Neanderthal

age. On Bowen the environment comes first. However, people are part of the environment, Mother Earth, Gaia if you will. So to support the environment and deny the human role as part of and with in the envi-ronment is impossible. If the Bowen “green” movement is correct then the only logical conclusion for Bowen is to remove all humans from Bowen Island. And to take it to its illogical

conclusion there would be no people on the planet. The Bowen green has no intention of doing this. The Bowen green is looking after its own interests just as assuredly as the next person.

We simply need to look into a mir-ror and accept that behaviour (real-ity) and image are out of alignment.

continued, PAGE 8


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BOWEN ISLAND MUNIC IPAL ITY

Temporary Part-time Recreation ClerkBowen Island Municipality seeks a qualifi ed Recreation Clerk. The individual will be required to provide information and assistance in a courteous manner to the public on general matters relating to Recreation programs and services, perform reception, program registration and secretarial duties as well as provide assistance with fi ling, photocopying, agenda preparation and other administrative tasks.

The applicant should have a strong administrative background, be comfortable working in a computerized environment and have the ability to work with limited supervision.

This is a temporary part-time position for 21 hours per week until March 31, 2011 (workdays will include weekdays, evenings and weekends). Salary will be based on qualifi cations and experience.

Please submit your covering letter and resume via mail, facsimile or e-mail by Friday, January 14, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. to:

Christine WalkerBowen Island Municipality981 Artisan LaneBowen Island, B.C. V0N 1G0

Telephone: 604-947-4255Facsimile: 604-947-0193E-mail: [email protected]

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There are colourful stories behind many of the island names. Here are a few:

Leonora Road: The Leonora was one of the tugs owned by the Burrard Inlet Towing Company when it was taken over by the Union Steamship Company in 1889.

Robinson Road: Jack and Muriel Robinson came to Bowen in 1946 and set up a cottage industry weaving. Visitors who were staying at the Bowen Inn dropped into the Weave Shop to enjoy the handmade items and to have a cup of tea.

Dorman Road: Jacob Dorman was born in Constantinople where his father was an engineer for the British government. He, his wife and two sons came to Canada in 1885 and to Bowen Island in 1886. They moved back to England in 1895 but came back to Vancouver in 1900 and to Bowen in 1905. He always hoped to open a hotel on his prop-erty but never had enough money.

Cowan Road: George Cowan was a Vancouver lawyer who, in 1896, while campaigning for the federal Conservative Party, was so impressed by the southwest tip of the island that in 1889 he bought 46 hect-ares and by 1917, he had more than 400 hectares on which he built cottages for family and friends.

Smugglers Cove Road: During the US Prohibition in the 1920s, it is rumoured, rum runners frequented the bays of Bowen Island. One keeps the name of Smugglers Cove to this day.

Millers Landing Road: Isaac Miller, from Ontario, had a dairy in Vancouver and tried to get a farm going on Bowen; eventually, he and his wife began to divide the land to share with sons, daughters and relatives. Eldest son, George, began to subdivide the property in 1909, and went on to success in politics from 1929 to 1957 as alderman, mayor of Vancouver and MLA.

Hood Point Road: In 1860, Captain George Henry Richards named Hood Point, Mount Gardner, Cape Roger Curtis and Collingwood Channel after naval officers in the battle won by Earl Howe and Rear Admiral James Bowen against the new French republic.

Humming Bird Lane: Croft and Angus, a Chemainus lum-ber company, sold out its interest in acreage near Tunstall Bay to the Victoria Lumber and Manufacturing Company in 1889. The chief owner of the company was J.A. Humbird of Wisconsin.

Lastly, Senator Road was named for the Moodyville

ferry which became another of the boats taken over by the Union Steamship Company from the Burrard Inlet Towing Company in 1889. There are many more stories about island names.

• Ten Years Ago in the Undercurrent of January 5, 2001, Barbara Murray was writing for the newspaper. The head-line for her excellent lead story on page 1 said “Bowen water system controls being viewed as ‘unorganized ‘. A

full explanation of Bowen’s water systems followed. Councillor Bob Turner, a geo-scientist, said that one of Bowen’s assets is the large amount of natural landscape which provides great natural protection. Concern was expressed about the massive Grafton Lake watershed which feeds the Cove Bay Water System. Within the watershed are potential water quality hazards and there is increased activity all around the lake. • Sarah Allen’s Breakfast Café was highlighted with a picture story in the Vancouver Sun’s Restaurant section which said, “The menu is something to sink your teeth into.” The cozy atmosphere of the café was shared in the evenings with Blue Eyed Marys. • Realtor Sue Barr announced

her probably permanent sabbatical after 11 years of island real estate and passed her clients on to Michelle Taylor. • Long time Legion stalwart Jim Clarke passed away on December 24.

• Birthdays, January 1 through January 15 . Special good wishes to the two who have New Year’s Day birthdays: Patrick Holland and Marcus (Slow Lane) Hondro. On January 2, birthdays are for Jason Davies, Scott Burgess and Elizabeth Anne Bishop. The sole January 3 birthday belongs to Eagle Cliffer Heather Carter. Then it’s January 5, the natal day of Kate Hartle, Christine Riley and Shawnie. Does anyone else remember Shawnie? On January 6, Ryan Trethewey will celebrate. On January 7, the birthday folks include Chris Hurlburt, Conrad Heath, Kamille Gruft and Wilson Dives. Then, we move to January 9 when Finn Parker-Vik and Kimberly Brooks will celebrate. Andreas Behm has a January 10 birthday followed by the January 11 birthday stars: Tammie Meyers, Julie Vik, Shona Campden and Jaki Benjamin. Far away in Nova Scotia go birthday wishes to Theresa McDonald, Elaine Loree’s mother. Ted Duffield has the only January 14 birthday but January 15 is the special day for Kelsea Rose, Ella Klein and Rory MacIntosh. Coming soon: Jan Furst’s 98th birthday!

• The Last Word: If you have a birthday or two to share, just telephone 947-2440 or e-mail to [email protected])

islandneighbours

LoisMeyers-Carter

[email protected]

What’s in a name? Plenty of island history

Some New Year’s resolution suggestions

To the Editor

Eight New Year resolutions for council to act on:

1. Consolidate jobs and reduce munici-pal staff by one third.

2. Stop thinking about a new municipal hall.3. Sell the surplus municipal lands and recoup

the mortgage.4. Forget the idea of a national park.5. Accept and implement the plan to rejuve-

nate Snug Cove.6. Accept and implement the plan for ferry

marshalling.7. Fix the Snug Cove water and sewer prob-

lems.8. Stop dreaming of the Cape Roger Curtis

lands and negotiate with the Ho family the acceptance of their revised Neighbourhood Plan.

Anthony Gamage

Dog’s owner says thanksTo the Editor:

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Cst. Bryan Mulrooney and his partner of the RCMP, and especially Dr. Alastair Westcott,

for their very kind consideration and help with my Cara.Anyone familiar with my little girl knew she was more than just a dog. Especially to me.

Thank you to Roger and Bonnie, and to all, for your kind words.

Charlie Monks

To the Editor:

On December 22, I fell down a flight of stairs. My nose and my right arm were broken but I’m glad to say that I’m getting better every day.

When I returned to Bowen Island, I learned that money has been collected to pay my rent, for which I am very grateful. I am very much in awe of Bowen Island’s generosity. Thank you so much to everyone who contributed.

Best wishes for the new year, Margaret Proudlock

To the Editor:

Did anyone witness a hit-and-run at the Beer & Wine Store parking lot on Thursday, December 16 between 11 a.m. and 2p.m.?

My silver Toyota Yaris was parked in front of the gift store and it looks like someone backed into it, damaging my bumper. It will cost me my $300 deductible plus the time/money/ferry to get it fixed.

Thanks, Leah Darling, 604-947-2876

Generosity appreciated

Accident witnesses sought


Thursday, January 13, 2011

Kay Meek Centre1700 Mathers Avenue, West Vancouver

6:45 pm – 8:00pm

Admission is free and open to all.

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Dan VeniezMichael Ignatieff

Join us for a Conversation with Michael Ignatieff and Dan Veniez

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Second generation takes over the megaphone duties at Polar Bear SwimMARTHA PERKINS

E D I T O R

For 364 days of the year, Ken Miller was a mild-man-nered Bowen Islander who

didn’t talk a lot.But put a megaphone in his

hand on January 1 and some-thing would come over him. He’d yell, he’d cajole, he’d be full of all kinds of New Year bonhomie. He’d make the idea of swimming in the frigid waters of Bowen Bay sound like so much fun that you started to believe that it wouldn’t really be that much different than going for a dip in the middle of July.

And then, precisely 14 hours after people across the island had counted down the seconds to the dawn of a new year, he’d put the megaphone next to his mouth and yell, “Ten, nine, eight....” The crowd on the beach would join in and then, buoyed by the ener-gy that Miller had helped to cre-ate, people would dash across the beach and into the water as part of the annual Polar Bear Swim.

This January 1, it will sadden a lot of people that Ken Miller isn’t there on the beach with

his megaphone. The voice of Bowen’s annual New Year’s Day swim died of pancreatic cancer this past fall.

But his legacy will live on. His 22-year-old daughter Kelly will be picking up the megaphone, carrying on a tradition that has been part of Bowen Island for... well, forever.

“I don’t know how my year would end up if the Polar Bear Swim didn’t happen,” Kelly says.

She’s been going to the Polar Bear Swim ever since she was born. At first, the swim was orga-nized by Harold Fraser and her father would be there to help. Then the torch, or megaphone, was passed on to Ken.

Kelly was probably 11 when her parents finally allowed her to take part as a swimmer but she had to go in fully clothed in the hopes she would be warmer.

“It happens really fast,” she says of the swim itself. “The less you think about it, the easier it is.”

Thinking about it is harder than doing it, she says. You’re in the water for such a short period of time that your body doesn’t have too much time to feel the

cold before your brain is saying, “Hey, this is pretty invigorating.” It’s one of the fastest and saf-est ways to experience such an adrenalin rush and you’ll be sur-prised by how quickly the after-effects of the previous night’s cel-ebration evaporate.

Every year, there are probably about 100 participants of all ages who whoop and holler as they dash for the water. Whether you

swim or not, Kelly invites every-one to come to Bowen Bay beach to enjoy the camaraderie and cheer the swimmers on. She’ll be there by 10 to get everything set up - including the tent where people are encouraged to register so they can get their official Polar Bear Swim certificate - and the countdown begins at 10 seconds before 2 p.m. sharp. There will probably also be a tribute to her

father, with everyone invited to share their memories.

The event wraps up with every-one drying off around a bonfire organized by Pat Buchanan.

After the crowd of swimmers towels off and heads for home with an infusion of energy, Kelly says she might be tempted to put down the megaphone and dash into the water herself for old time’s sake.

For years, Ken Miller was the cajoling voice on the other end of the megaphone as he got swimmers psyched up for their dash into the chilly waters of Bowen Bay. He died this fall and his daughter Kelly, will be picking up the megaphone in his honour. Martha Perkins photo


“I keep on keeping on because life is beautiful and I love my life.” Clare Boggan

As you can see from the photo, I look healthy. And I feel healthy too. However, three years ago, I was diagnosed with metastatic cancer. A ridiculously rare type of cancer (Myxofi brosarcoma...say that 10 times fast!) that came with a label that read “incurable.” Do I believe it? No. I am up for the challenge and so far have managed it well. I eat plants, seeds and nuts – usually raw – and I know they’ve helped enormously in my well-being. Exer-cise, positive attitude, Acupuncture, etc. have all been valuable tools. I’ve also have had 3 rounds of radiation and 8 operations that have left me with a limp and painful sleepless nights.

Now I must make a decision. The cancer is progressing slowly, but surely, and radia-tion and surgery are no longer options. I’ve spent many hours racking my brains, researching, crying, feeling angry, scared and fed up. The only course of action I have now is to seek treatment out of country, which is looking somewhat promising.

This is good. I still have options. But unfortunately the treatment comes at a massively huge price...a whopping $30,000 at least. There isn’t enough money in my close circle to cover the costs, so I will need as much help from you as you can give me to raise funds.

I am asking that you follow me on my journey, whether it be in donations of money, ideas, talents or time. A Trust Account has been established for me at Van City Credit Union. You can donate at any branch.

Account name: Clare Boggan Trust AccountVan City Credit UnionAcct. # 644633Branch # 3You can also use PayPal to contribute: PayPal Account email address: [email protected]

I will keep you posted on my progress and upcoming events. In the meantime if you’d like to contact me, please do so at [email protected]

Thank you all for your continuing love and support!

Advertise in the Premier Edition of Bowen Island Undercurrent’s Wedding Guide the ultimate source for planning a wedding on Bowen. The Wedding Guide will be available at Wedding Fairs throughout the lower mainland to showcase Bowen Island as the premier Wedding Destination.

The Guide will provide listings for:Photographers, Caterers, Accommodations, Churches, Best Bowen Beaches - everything the discriminating bride needs to plan the Perfect Bowen Wedding.

Contact Suzanne at 947-2442 for advertising information.

I Do...I Do...

photo: Claudia Schaeferphoto: Claudia Schaefer

Students at the Tir-na-nOg Theatre School spent part of the Christmas break in rehearsals for this weekend’s performance of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen. Tir-na-nOg photo

A mid-winter’s tale unfolds at Tir-na-nOg Dec. 31 and Jan. 1

Come in from the wind, leave the rain

behind - come, pull up a seat, toast your toes, warm the cock-les of your heart by the ancient, storied hearthside. Let this mixed-aged cast of Tir-na-nOg actors, from six to old-enough-not-to-tell, take you on a magical journey to the home of The Snow Queen in an original play based upon Hans Christian Anderson’s classic tale. A safe return is assured - there and back in an hour - and, as our wise Grandmother guide does say, “When we are at the end of the story we shall know more than we do now.”

Two benefit perfor-mances for the Tir-na-nOg Theatre School Society are being offered: 2 p.m. mati-nees, December 31 and January 1.

Tickets may be acquired at Phoenix-on-Bowen (open December 29 to 31, from 11 until 4) for $10/seat or at the door for not much more. The Tir-na-nOg box office is at 585 Rivendell Drive, Cates Hill; phone 604 947 9507 or email [email protected].

Happy New Year!


Doug JamiesonPh: 604-947-9434Cell: 604-690-3328

Allan PedleyPh: 604-307-0423Fax: 604-947-2323

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High tide on the CausewayTo the Editor:

Bowen Island recently experienced the high-est tides of the year. This picture was taken on Boxing Day morning when the tide was about 5.34 m. For comparison, the maximum recorded high tide at the Point Atkinson lightstation was 5.61 m in December 1982.

Extreme high tides (sometimes called King tides) help highlight which coastal areas are sus-ceptible to sea level rise associated with climate

change. The BC Ministry of Environment pre-dicts sea level near Vancouver will rise about 30 cm by 2100, but could be as much as 100 cm.

Bowen Island’s steep, rocky shorelines are generally resilient to sea level change. But even a moderate increase in sea level will increase shoreline erosion during storms, kill trees and change vegetation at Sandy Beach, the Lagoon, and Bowfest Field, and flood low-lying areas in Snug Cove and Deep Bay during high tides.

Nick Page

We are less of an educated, liberal and car-ing community than we see ourselves as being. There is no right or wrong in this. It is what it is. If we do look into a mirror we might also recognize we are less of a rural island with Snug Cove as the village at its heart and more like suburbia with no village. Until image and reality come into alignment, Bowen will never move forward to become a community. It will be stagnant and lose control of itself to the mammon of money. Canada’s biggest uniting

theme is “we are not American”. By looking after ourselves first and not our community we are much closer to an American style of behav-iour, than many islanders are willing to admit to themselves. For me a national park is a low priority issue which can simmer away in the background of Bowen politics while some thing important is done for the people of Bowen.

Daniel Heald

P.S. I am happy with any future vision for Bowen Island, I just ask for reality and vision to be in alignment.

continued from PAGE 4

How will Bowen be able to cope with higher tides caused by climate change? Nick Page photo

Do we really need affordable housing? Why don’t we have it?

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of columns focused on housing issues on Bowen.

TIM WAKE

A F F O R D A B L E H O U S I N G

C O N S U L T A N T

Sometimes this column will deal with a single housing issue, but this week it will be

in the form of a Q&A. Please send questions you would like answered to: [email protected].

1. Do we really need affordable housing on Bowen Island?

Affordable housing is a hot topic for local businesses, resident employees and those who com-mute to Bowen for work. It has been a hot topic for awhile. The businesses are saying it is hard to find employees who live on Bowen, resident employees struggle to find good long-term rental and cannot afford to buy a single-family home, and many of those who commute to work here would live here if they could find a way. For a more detailed answer with data to back it up, download a pdf of Margaret Eberle’s Affordable Housing Needs Assessment (2007) at: http://bowenhousing.org. It’s on page 41.

Short answer: Yes, we really need it.

2. What does the term “afford-able housing” mean on Bowen?

It means housing that is afford-able to singles, couples, families and seniors who live here or work here. It means townhouses and apart-ments for rent in the $600 - $1,500 range. It means any housing unit that can be purchased for $175,000 to $350,000. It also means subsi-dized social housing for single par-ent families, seniors and those with disabilities.

3. Why is there a shortage of affordable housing here?

The short answer is the market price of land and the cost to build. But the biggest problem on Bowen is that, according to the 2006 census, 92 per cent of our hous-ing stock is single-family homes. Apartments, townhouses and suites in total number about 85 units

(under seven per cent). Less than 20 per cent of our housing stock is rental. A broader range of housing choices, especially smaller multi-family units, is needed. Another reason for the shortage is a lack of multi-family zoning and little incen-tive for developers to build anything but single-family homes.

4. Why won’t developers build townhouses and apartments?

There is very little land on Bowen zoned for the density required to make this break even, let alone profitable. The approvals process for rezoning is long and ardu-ous and, therefore, expensive. Purchasing existing lots in Snug Cove for redevelopment with the kind of projects we need to pro-vide a mix of housing and com-mercial appropriate to a walkable village would be expensive. Several lots would have to be assembled to work for this kind of development. It is much easier and more profit-able to just keep on building big single family homes.

5. What will happen if we fail to find a way to create afford-able housing on Bowen?

The same thing that is happen-ing now - we will continue to lose young people just starting out in the workforce, young families, seniors and all those good people on Bowen who do not currently own a home and are fed up with a difficult rental market. These people are an essential component of any community. They are the volun-teers, the organizers, the teachers, nurses, tradespeople, artists of all kinds, community providers...... the list goes on. They will be replaced by vacation home-owners, who are good people, but do we want them to be the dominant demographic? What would that do to our commu-nity fabric? Will The Snug still be able to get staff to look after us? I know, I am supposed to be answer-ing the questions, not asking them, but the current dynamic of replace-ment (who is replacing whom) on Bowen is a core issue. We are losing community members who do not wish to leave. Perhaps we need to tell a few of their stories to bring it home to us.

Image and reality are out of alignment here


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Land Act: Notice of Intention to Apply for a Disposition of Crown Land

Take notice that Barbara Melosky of 1470 Blanca St, Vancouver, BC V6B4N7, intends to make application to the Province of British Columbia, for a Tenure for Private Moorage purposes covering a portion of the water frontage of Strata Lot 11, DL 1545, Group 1, NWD, Strata Plan BCS2586 situated on Provincial Crown land located at the south of King Edward Bay on the west side of Bowen Island.

The Land File Number is 2410551.

Comments on this application may be submitted in two ways:

1) Online via the Applications and Reasons for Decision Database on the Integrated Land Management Bureau (ILMB) website at:

www.arfd.gov.bc.ca/ApplicationPosting/index.jsp

where details of this application, including maps can also be found.

2) By mail to the Senior Land Offi cer at 20-10428 153rd Street, Surrey, BC V3R 1E1.

Comments will be received by ILMB until January 22, 2011.

Comments received after this date may not be considered.

Be advised that any response to this advertisement will be provided to the public upon request. For information, contact the FOI Advisor at the ILMB regional offi ce.

Land Act: Notice of Intention to Apply for a Disposition of Crown Land

Take notice that Pamela Bell of 3852 West 2nd Ave, Vancouver, BC V6R1K2, intends to make application to the Province of British Columbia, for a Tenure for Private Moorage purposes covering a portion of the water frontage of Strata Lot 13, DL 1545, Group 1, NWD, Strata Plan BCS2585 situated on Provincial Crown land located at the south of King Edward Bay on the west side of Bowen Island.

The Land File Number is 2410550.

Comments on this application may be submitted in two ways:

1) Online via the Applications and Reasons for Decision Database on the Integrated Land Management Bureau (ILMB) website at:

www.arfd.gov.bc.ca/ApplicationPosting/index.jspwhere details of this application, including maps can also be found.

2) By mail to the Senior Land Offi cer at 200-10428 153rd Street, Surrey, BC V3R 1E1.

Comments will be received by ILMB until January 21, 2011. Comments received after this date may not be considered.

Be advised that any response to this advertisement will be provided to the public upon request. For information, contact the FOI Advisor at the ILMB regional offi ce.

The family missed the eight o’clock ferry but was able to get the nine o’clock ferry. They rushed to St. Paul’s Hospital, where a seven-pound, 14-ounce baby girl was born five seconds after midnight.

“I was worried it would have looked a little staged,” Etherington laughs a few days later.

The night was a beautiful experience for the entire family, especially since it was MacKinnon who had officiated at their marriage ceremony. The birth of a daughter, as part of such a magical evening at the church, was “a pretty special gift.”

MacKinnon says, “to go into labour on Christmas Eve, in a church, is the most beautiful thing for us.”

All the images around Christmas coalesced at that moment - having to travel, a birth, the hopes of a new beginning. MacKinnon especially loves the “awe and vulnerability” that the birth of a child in a manger represents.

After the Updegrove family made their hasty retreat from the church, the congregation couldn’t help but reflect on what mir-acles might await them as the candle representing Christ was lit and seemed to burn a little brighter.

It’s not too late to buy

Ron Woodall’s portrait

calendar. It’s only $15 and proceeds go

to the Danielle DuLong

Memorial Scholarship

Fund. Calendars are available at the Ruddy Potato office, the Pharmacy and Phoenix


Every birth is a miracle, but the birth of this baby girl was even more special. Her mother went into labour in the midst of the Little Red Church’s Christmas Eve service. The family rushed to St. Paul’s where the baby was born five seconds after midnight on December 25. Meanwhile, the Undercurrent would love to know who the first baby born in 2011 will be. Please call editor Martha Perkins if you know of a birth in the early days of the new year.

Christmas Eve a little more magical with baby’s birth

1 0 ❚ T H U R S D A Y D E C E M B E R 3 0 2 0 1 0 W W W. B O W E N I S L A N D U N D E R C U R R E N T. C O M

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MARY MCDONAGHReg. Massage Therapist

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Call for Video Editing ServicesThe Spirit of Bowen Committee wishes to commission a videographer to edit raw footage of the local 2010 Torch Relay Celebration. The intent is to produce a 15-minute video, combining the raw footage, still photos and music capturing the excitement of last year’s festivities. This video will be screened at a Community Spirit Party, on 6 February, 2011, as part of this year’s Spirit Festival activities. Copies of the video will be available for purchase for a nominal charge.Please submit your proposals to [email protected] no later than 10 January. Include cost of editing, and production of 300 videos.

Bowen Island Arts Council 589 Artisan Square Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G0 604-947-2454 www.biac.ca

Promoting and Celebrating arts and culture on Bowen Island.

4th Annual New Year’s Day Brunch!

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The second has to be the whole Olympic and Paralympic Games. Having seeing the reaction on Bowen extended to all of Canada was truly amazing. I guess the pri-mary feeling is pride. Pride in being a Canadian. The Games brought out the honest feeling of national-ism that I haven’t felt since I was at a tourism conference in Winnipeg and the result of the Quebec sepa-ration vote was announced; the entire room of 500 people stood up, held hands and sang O Canada.

The third started with the announcement that I was named as Citizen of the Year for Bowen. The feeling of pride that being able to “give back” to a community that I have been part of for as long as I can remember was recognized. It’s the pride I have every time I walk into the Credit Union and realize I had something to do with bringing this amazing business to Bowen... employing five awesome people in jobs that pay “city wages” with benefits and providing a future career path. The pride I get in seeing how successful the Bowen Island Community Foundation has become. The feeling of pride when I look back on how involved the Chamber was in tourism... the opening of the info centre and the commencement of a tourism plan for the Island. The wonderful pride in reliving the Torch Run (and look-ing forward to Spirit Week start-ing February 6, 2011). My primary hope for 2011 is that whatever hap-pens with the national park initia-tive is accepted by all islanders and whatever that decision is, that it will be the BEST decision for the island and that we can move for-ward when that decision is made.

My next hope will be that finally we will have a start in developing a Snug Cove that we can all be proud of. We have an amazing team on the island who have spent years on this project. I challenge Mayor Bob Turner to give us the opportunity to vote on not only the national park initiative in April but on our choice for THE Snug Cove plan that we like and then go forward with the plan that receives the most votes.

Once those two initiatives are in the implementation stage, we can decide on our overall future by the creation of an economic develop-ment plan for the island. Let’s just do it.

My personal goal is to stay healthy, fit and enjoy our wonderful golf course and community.

Morgan Quarry, Bowen Island FCI guess its a bit of a cliche for a

sports guy to write about sports but ... if the shoe fits.

Ironically my two fondest memo-ries involve lights in the darkness. My first would be the morning the Olympic flame came to Bowen. I was amazed at how many people made the effort to wake up on a cold morning in February to witness it but it was worth it. Many people have said that the decision to have the Olympic torch run touch so many communities was one of the reasons behind the huge success of the Games and after experienc-ing that moment with friends and neighbors I can see why. It was unforgettable.

My second favourite was a com-bination of the first night we played coed soccer under the lights and watching the U11 boys (and one girl) soccer team practice under the lights on the artificial turf field on a clear, beautiful winter evening in late November. Perhaps the only true thing that I miss about living back East is playing shinny at night during the winter. There is no doubt that the lights in the darkness adds

to the attraction. The outdoor lit hockey rink is part of our social fabric. Its part of how we face winter and overcome it. Seeing the lights on at the AT field reminds me of that feeling and I am drawn to it.

Now I realize that some may roll their eyes at this but the reason why it was so spe-cial was not because we were all playing soccer but rather because for the first time in my time here people were engaged in a nighttime sports activ-ity during the long dark win-ter months. One of the things I find most intriguing about Bowen is the diversity of the people who live here. Its not always easy to get to know people from outside your own interests or social circle. I am always amazed when I discover what people do or the talents they possess when I see their work in an art show or on display somewhere. The coed league has been so successful because it has brought people from different backgrounds from across the island and placed them in a social setting.

Watching your child play under the lights on a winter evening is a special feeling and so is playing soccer with a group of adults who have all sorts of different backgrounds but share a desire to get out-side and play! Having the lights has prolonged that feeling and allowed it to continue over the winter.

These two events have some-thing in common. A sporting event bringing people together who perhaps normally would not. That’s why I chose them.

As for 2011 I wish for the following: Less reports, let-ters to the editor, commissions, committees and meetings. More decisions and action.

It’s always important to weigh the pros and cons of any initiative or decision but if you take too long it can create fur-ther divisiveness and lead to unnecessary delays and stag-nancy.

Cro Lucas, CouncillorI think one of the special

moments of 2010 would be the granting of immigration visas for Andrea Bastin and Michael Segal’s twin boys. This hap-pened as a direct result of the positive power that was gener-ated by Bowen Islanders com-ing together on an issue (and generous help from our MLA, John Weston.)

For 2011 my wish is that, regardless of the outcome of the national park issue, that islanders come together and find consensus to move forward and finally resolve outstand-ing ferry marshalling issues and collectively embrace a clear vision for the future develop-ment of Snug Cove.

Peter Frinton, Councillor2010 has mercifully been

another year of good health liv-ing on a paradise island among good neighbours and friends.

Politically, the most signifi-cant events have been the fail-ure of the Cape Roger Curtis process and the very good, now almost complete, work on the Official Community Plan update.

For 2011, I hope the com-munity closely considers the national park proposal(s) and supports a well-crafted agree-ment which is beneficial to all parties. This could be one of the most significant things to have ever happened on Bowen.

Shari Ulrich, Community Hall Advisory Committee

Memorable is the key word, given my abysmal memory. So I’ll have to go with something REALLY recent - going to the Christmas Craft Fair at BICS. It’s always a highlight of the year for me - seeing so many people I’ve known for years and taking in the stellar work of Bowen’s artisans. The peren-nial highlight for me is strolling through the Sunday Market (or is that me just longing for a hot summer day?)

But particular to 2010 would be the sight of the lit up turf field on a winter evening with a bunch of steaming kids and adults running.

As to my hopes of what will

happen in 2011, it’s impossible not to answer that with my dream of seeing the community come together to build their hall by the next year.

Piers Hayes, Snug Café and Rotary Club

Hayes has a lot of highlights from 2010 to choose from when it comes to picking his favourite.

One occurred very late in the year, Christmas Eve to be pre-cise, when his daughter Sarah Jane announced that she was betrothed to Gordon Curry, with a summer wedding in England being planned.

At the very start of the year was his successful recovery from heart bypass surgery.

And right in the middle were his efforts to form Bowen Island’s first Rotary Club.

“It’s like being a kid in a candy store,” he says of his sur-feit of good news.

The Rotary Club was granted provisionary status in December and one of his goals for 2011 is to get full sta-tus. He’d also like to see tour-ism improved on the island. Perhaps one way to start, he suggests, is by removing tariffs for daytrippers who arrive by boat and tie up at the govern-ment dock.

Kevin Manning, Manager of First Credit Union

Without a doubt the Olympics in general and the torch coming to Bowen spe-cifically were my highlights of 2010. That was a magical morning for Bowen and the memory of it will be one my children and I will cherish for the rest of our lives. I would include the beautiful commem-orative statue by Simon James and Shane Tweten in front of the library as part of this great event.

For 2011, I have little doubt as to my hopes and that is for an official fundraising campaign for the community hall to be launched and the site prepared for the beginning of construc-tion in 2012.

Heritage WeekBowen celebrates long history of sports and recreation

Golf course historyIt took 70 years and one man’s tenacity to get course built

Olympic torch lights up the cove

FRIDAY FEB. 12 2010 V O L . 3 8 , N O . 3

Watch for more online at: WWW.BOWENISLANDUNDERCURRENT.COM

75¢including GST

MARTHA PERKINS

E D I T O R

It was a morning beyond any-one’s expectations.

How do you describe what it was like when, in the early morn-ing darkness on February 10, hundreds of Bowen Islanders paraded down Trunk Road in the wake of the Olympic Torch?

It was as if you could feel the pride that islanders feel in their home, in their country, in their Olympic athletes. In the glow of the light that got its start from the brilliance of the sun in Athens, Greece, an electrical cur-rent surged through the crowd. It was as if the torch turned on some invisible light in people’s hearts - this is what the Olympic spirit is all about.

One of the biggest thrills for people was to see 15-year-old Rosie Ander hold the flame high above her as she walked out of the parking lot of BICS at 6:10 in the morning.

The day before, she’d got a phone call from Spirit of Bowen chairman Murray Atherton. He told her that the Torch Run orga-nizers asked him to suggest the name of a young Bowen Islander who exemplified the spirit of the Olympics.

With glowing hearts, Bowen Island teenager Rosie Ander finishes her leg of the torch run on Wednesday morning by lighting the torch of Vancouver resident Mike Jusiak as the morning’s third torch bearer, Valerie Hahn, and hundreds of spectators cheer them on. Andrew Stone videotaped the entire morning for the spirit committee. It will soon be on www.onbowen.ca Martha Perkins photo

Hundreds line road in early morning darkness and catch the Olympic spirit

Tamari AlmondsRice Cracker Mix

Smartfood PopcornRuddy Kitchen Snack Ribs

BBQ ChickenGreek Salad

LasagneOh Canada Tortilla Chips

Que Pasa Fresh Salsa

GuacamoleFajitas

Knudsen SpritzersJamaican LemonadeMango Lemon Lime

Raincoast CrispsChevre With Red Pepper

Greek Olives

Balderson Aged Cheddar Cheese

Blue Star Farms Rye & Flax Crackers

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en Snack Ribs

ee

C

Ph 604.947.0098 / Ph 604.947.0098 / Fax 604.947.Fax 604.947.05980598 / www.ruddypotato.com / www.ruddypotato.com

LET THE LET THE GAMES BEGIN!GAMES BEGIN!

The Ruddy Couch PotatoesThe Ruddy Couch Potatoes

GoIt tootenac

continued, PAGE 20

Night Sky bylaw before articial turf lights are installed: councilMARTHA PERKINS

E D I T O R

Bowen Island municipal council is not yet ready to turn on the lights at the

artificial turf field.On Monday night, it consid-

ered a motion to “de-couple” a previous motion not to install lighting on the new soccer field until it had a bylaw governing

how to keep the night skies dark.Staff had been concerned that

there wasn’t enough time to get the Night Sky bylaw drafted and passed before federal funding ran out to help pay for the light-

ing. It was suggested that council work on both initiatives at the same time rather than linking a decision about the lighting to the passing of the bylaw.

continued, PAGE 15


Torch Run brought island together

W W W. B O W E N I S L A N D U N D E R C U R R E N T. C O M T H U R S D A Y D E C E M B E R 3 0 2 0 1 0 ❚ 1 1

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

33 INFORMATION

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108 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

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160 TRADES, TECHNICAL

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218 BUSINESS/OFFICE SERVICE

DOES your business need help? Has the Christmas season been slower than expected? Do you want an experienced business person to fi nd ways to improve your opera-tions & revenues? I have over 20 years local experience and can help. Call Mark 778-355-6105Mature woman will provide just-in-time assistance, online or onsite. [email protected] 604-947-2470

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58 UNCLASSIFIED

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58 UNCLASSIFIED

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58 UNCLASSIFIED

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1 2 ❚ T H U R S D A Y D E C E M B E R 3 0 2 0 1 0 W W W. B O W E N I S L A N D U N D E R C U R R E N T. C O M

ityitty

JACUZZI & SUNDANCEJACUZZI & SUNDANCEON SALE NOW!ON SALE NOW!

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104 Philip Avenue, North Vancouver Tel: 604.985.0057

www.crystalview.ca M-F 8:30-5 Sa 9:30-4:30 ON THE NORTH SHORE SINCE 1986!

John Weston, Member of ParliamentWest Vancouver - Sunshine Coast - Sea to Sky Country

E: [email protected] | www.johnweston.ca

West Vancouver Constituency Offi ce:Suite 21 - 285 17th St. West Vancouver, B.C. V7V 3S6

T: 604 981-1790 | F: 604 981-1794

Happy New Year! First, thank you for electing me to represent you as Member of Parliament for the North Shore and Bowen Island. It’s been a distinct honour and privilege to serve you. Secondly, I would like with you to refl ect upon a year of peace and economic recovery in our community and upon some of our recent accomplishments on the North Shore. We have much to celebrate in 2010. Strong signs of economic recovery come to mind, along with an exuber-ant Olympic Torch Relay and the successful Games that followed. When I was elected in 2008, constituents said they wanted an MP who would serve the community; listen; refl ect the community’s priorities; work towards them; and deliver results. The priorities you set for me included: assembling a responsive constituency staff; focusing on the economic recovery, for workers and seniors; upgrad-ing our infrastructure; engaging the Pacifi c Rim; focusing on health; and protecting or enhancing our precious environment. Today we see an updated aquatic and community centre, and senior’ centre; highway, sewer and water treatment plant improvements, an extended Spirit Trail, improved playing fi eld facilities, brand new artifi cial turf fi elds for fi eld hockey and soccer; and a replacement for the old “Blue Bridge” along Marine Drive. I’m proud of how quickly and effi ciently Canada’s Eco-nomic Action Plan was implemented, helping Canadians through the worst global recession since the 1930’s. The

Plan has won global acclaim while; more importantly, we have seen about 450,000 new jobs created since July 2009. Meanwhile, individuals, families, and community organizations are still struggling, and together we still have work to do. We saw positive results from the Prime Minister’s visit to China, in the form of Approved Destination Status for China-based tourism to Canada. Last month, our Govern-ment waived the visa requirement for Taiwan visitors - another initiative which I specifi cally supported. Meanwhile, our Environment Minister added over 30% to the total of Canadian lands dedicated as national parks; signed the Copenhagen Accord; and participated actively on the international stage to bring the major polluters closer to an effective agreement to decrease emissions. In Ottawa, I was humbled by unanimous House of Com-mons support for my fi rst Private Member’s Bill, C-475, which battles crystal meth and ecstasy. My Parliamentary Fitness Initiative continued, an all-party program to pro-fi le the virtues of increased physical activity. After two years serving as your Member of Parliament, one observation hits home. Achievements in public life are attained, not by MP’s alone, but by close communica-tion and cooperation among community members. With that thought in mind, on behalf of my staff and family, I thank you again, and wish you a healthy and prosperous New Year.

With best regards, John Weston, MP

A 180-YEAR-OLD TRADITION

Bowen Island’s Black Sheep revive an old peasant drama every Christmas for the enjoyment of ferry passengers. Clockwise from far left: Martin Clarke plays Father Christmas, but unlike his descendent, Santa Claus, he likes to take rather than give. Rodger Grant was a foreign stranger, which made St. George, played by Graham Ritchie, suspicious. Bob Doucet played the melodion while a costume-less dragon, Jim Crawford, awaits his scene-stealing turn. Jim McConnan played a doctor who can bring people (and dragons) back from the dead; Chris Crowley was the bylaw officer. St. George used his sword to slay the hapless dragon, which the ferry passengers found highly amusing.Martha Perkins photos

december 30, 2010 undercurrent

Documents

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