Patti-Jo Wiese joined Partners for the Park because she wants to change the tone of the discussion. "I've approached many people to talk about the park and the answer was always the same, 'We can't go there.'"
Wiese raises her hands in a gesture of surrender. Then she adds, "I thought this was strange, particularly on the playground of the school. I feel that the discussion needs to move past that knee-jerk reaction to another level of being informed."
Wiese, a mother of two, is an outspoken supporter of a national park on Bowen. It is at the kitchen table in her sunny Cates Hill home that Kat Kelly Hayduk, Stephen Foster, Ian Thomson and Will Husby, members of the core group of Partners for the Park, share their views on Bowen's future. On this weekday morning, the kids have left for school and the dogs, after clamouring for a walk, have settled down to wait. The discussion is passionate but there is little cutting in. Except for the occasional words of banter, everyone waits respectfully for a turn to speak.
Wiese continues, "I feel that there is a silent majority of people who have not weighed in on the discussion because it was pretty negative, and a little angry. But people want more information. So our tone is one of partnership, inclusiveness, education and research, with an effort to move towards stewardship of this idea."
Foster adds the word legacy to the list of benefits. Foster was part of the national parks advisory committee. When the committee finished its task, some of the members wanted to continue exploring the subject. "We thought that there were a lot of forces on the island who were saying no," Foster says. "They are assuming a lot of things and are not necessarily working with the facts. We thought, 'How do we create different approach and talk about things in an open, honest and inclusive way?'"
At the first meeting of Partners for the Park, there were over 40 people in the room. Foster says, "It was a group of people who were enthusiastic about the park idea but having some of the same questions as the community. The difference is that we are naturally disposed to say we see lots of possibility."
Partners for the Park then built an infrastructure and announced itself at Bowfest. The group has now grown to about 70 people. A smaller group of 15 to 20 meets regularly. And the people sitting at Wiese's table plus one or two have taken on the executive function.
"From the polling that was done in March, we know that the broadest group identified was the undecided," Foster says. "And that makes sense as there are still a lot of unanswered questions. But now, because we are in elections where a decision needs to be made, it is important to have direct answers, that the votes are not driven by fear or by assumptions."
Husby takes up the thread. "Some members of our group have been looking at different aspects of what a national park on Bowen could mean, for example for opportunities for education This isn't pie in the sky stuff, it's research about what Parks Canada has done in other communities. The idea is to provide information and maybe suggestions on how to find out more. That is going to help us have a real dialogue and make informed decisions."
Some of the research is posted on the website (bowenpark.ca). There is also a contact email ([email protected]) for people who want to partner up or have questions and comments. If clarification is needed, the questions will be passed along to Parks Canada.
Thomson has had positive experiences communicating with Parks Canada. He says, "They have been remarkably responsive to the questions. I deal with federal and provincial bureaucrats for a living and I must say that the parks people have been very good. It feels like they are moving into a direction where they want to be a part of the community rather than an entity coming in from the outside."
He adds that the group's enthusiasm about the park doesn't mean they are going easy on Parks Canada. "We are going to hold them to account. If we get a yes, this group will be paying close attention to ensure that this isn't taken to mean an automatic 'go ahead' with the park."
Counting the potential gains a national park would bring to Bowen, Foster says, "First, it's a solid win for the community in terms of securing our forest space and watersheds. Second, the economic gains are significant for the community. We see jobs for young people, we see research possibilities, we see all kinds of growth possibilities. And third, we see education wins. Parents see this quicker than anyone." There are nods around the table. Hayduk says that she drives her kids to SFU every other Saturday for a science program. And Wiese recounts paying $600 for her kid to attend a Vancouver Aquarium camp.
Foster says, "If you look at the Gulf Island National Park Reserve, the last time I checked their website, I counted 54 research projects. That's not only research and knowledge but it engages young people at an early age and, man, they come out smart. So, a large number of our partners turn out to be parents who really get this."
This reminds Wiese of her trip to the Gros Morne National Park this summer. She says, "Woody Point is a small community and Parks Canada has been there for 37 years." She takes out her phone where she's made a list of all the attractions: an independent film festival, a music festival, a theatre festival, guided walks, artists in residence, a yoga studio, a taxidermy museum. Wiese says, "There are so many opportunities for entrepreneurship. I get excited about the possibility to create jobs and being able to attract the 20-somethings back. That part of Bowen's community has been gutted over the past 10 years."
"The key," Foster says, "is that we're not afraid of Parks Canada as a partner. Let's face it, we're a community that lacks financial capacity. We look at agencies that are willing to come and work with us and that might be compatible with our ideals as a community. And if you throw Parks Canada out of the line-up, wow, there is no one else there. To us, we look at them as the only ones in line to help us accomplish some things. In the end, people might say, that's not right for us. But at a minimum, we need to look closely."
Since she became involved in the national parks advisory committee, Hayduk has been a regular at council meetings. She says, "There are some voices that have been quiet, mostly from people who are busy with other things. There's a certain demographic that comes out to all the meetings. I'm often the youngest person there. I look around and think, 'Are these the only voices council is hearing?'"
"I think the negative tone in the discussion certainly attracts more attention," says Wiese. "And a big part of why I wanted to come forward was for the people who are quietly being positive."
Wiese was instrumental of putting together a video titled, The best idea yet. She says, "We're a very eclectic group. We come from very diverse parts of the community, and represent a vast array of ages. That is reflected in that short movie. We created it to come out, there is an element of people needing to feel safety in numbers."
The video is one of three featured on the website. The other two showcase the marine life off Bowen's shores. Husby says, "What the videos do is answer the question, 'What's special about Bowen?' When you see them, you realize that this is a fantastic place." And the consensus around the table is that this fantastic place needs to be protected, as well as shared.
Foster says, "There has been quite a bit of disappointment that the debate has been so Bowen-centric. Howe Sound is clearly facing some kind of massive recovery, and if we're looking at Bowen's location, we could be starting to create this massive bluebelt and greenbelt around a major city. That is why other organizations like the Suzuki Foundation, the Parks and Wilderness Society and the Wilderness Committee are talking to us, they see this as a big deal."
Wiese says, "We're trying to think bigger than just the community. There is this spirit of motivation in our group and that is the notion of inclusion, of sharing what we have and stewarding it."
"And creating a legacy for our children, for the people of the Greater Vancouver area, for Canada and the world," Husby adds for good measure.
