We’re rounding the last weeks of 2020 and despite COVID-19 restrictions being extended into the new year, Bowen Islanders are doing their best to keep spirits bright.
Santa isn't just coming to Town: Santa’s touring Bowen’s neighbourhoods Saturday afternoon starting at noon in the Cove. Kids can give letters to Santa’s elf helper but need to keep Santa safe by staying distant. Islanders can follow Santa’s progress and see where he’s planning stops.
Santa picked a good day to come – the forecast is calling for sun Saturday with rain and snow the rest of the week. (Environment Canada)
Bright lights of Bowen: And if seeing Santa isn’t enough holiday spirit, Light Up Bowen created a handy map of the island’s magnificent light displays this year.
COVID-19 can’t stop Dickens: The 22nd annual reading of A Christmas Carol with Bowen’s all-star cast of Susanna Braund, Martin Clarke, Tina Nielsen and Graham Ritchie is coming to islanders’ homes this year. The beloved island tradition is a little earlier than usual, taking place Saturday, Dec. 13 over Zoom. Find the Zoom details on Theatre on the Isle’s website. In lieu of a paid ticket, organizers are asking attendees consider a donation to Snug Cove House Society (details on the website). This is the first of four Theatre on the Isle-sponsored Zoom events.
Graham Ritchie, Susanna Braund, Tina Nielsen and Martin Clarke at the 20th annual reading of A Christmas Carol at Collins' Hall in Dec. 2018. While the cast is back this year, the audience will watch from their homes. (Photo: Bronwyn Beairsto)
In the past week or two (we’re not called the over-current)
Biosphere progress: After years of work and preparation, the submission for Howe Sound to become a UNESCO biosphere region has been submitted to Paris for review. BIM endorsed the application last year. While the application is regional, Bowen is involved – Bowen Islander Dr. Hasan Hutchinson is on the board that prepared the submission and Bob Turner is an honorary board member. In fact, Turner made a video about the UNESCO biosphere initiative last year:
Money, money, money: BIM council got a rundown of budget pressures for 2021 in a committee of the whole meeting Monday. The scary number of 15.5% for a tax increase has been thrown around a lot – that’s not happening. That number refers to how much taxes would go up if BIM funded all of its priorities in 2021. It looks like taxes will go up 6.6% (which is higher than last year’s 4.7% increase, lower than 2019’s 6.7% increase and much lower than 2018’s 8.7% increase). For islanders interested in a deeper dive into the numbers and the five-year plan, watching the two-hour meeting is worth the time.
Not thrilling but important: Over the past couple of weeks, BIM has been holding local advisory committee meetings – these are the advisory committees for the water systems and sewer system. All of the meetings are on BIM’s YouTube channel if islanders are curious about the details of their respective districts.
November’s RCMP statistics are out: Notable statistics include a fire on Sunset Road (no one was hurt) and a fine of $1,150 under the Quarantine Act for a traveller who’d returned from the U.S. and refused to isolate for two weeks.
Bowenia
Dec. 8 was the 40th anniversary of John Lennon’s death. Bowen Islander Lara Silver wrote a lovely reflection on the anniversary. “They asked us to imagine a better world. A good place to start as we put this year to a close.”
Last year, Joanne Raymont was diagnosed with cancer and then, while awaiting treatment, she lost her daughter, Shilanne. Through the SwimBowen Cancer Fund, the community stepped up to help the islander. With the financial support Raymont accessed counselling that helped her feel like she had her feet on some kind of ground. Having the support from total strangers too had a profound effect. “I had been so desolate, so uncertain of what the point of this world was. To have complete strangers just providing services for me like that restored my faith,” she says. “The world that I thought existed just plain didn’t, so what I had to do was build a new concept of what the world was all about. Support from SwimBowen and selfless altruism of other people was pretty much the first ingredient. It turned my life around.”
These days Joanne Raymont walks every day, and takes the time to appreciate the beauty of the world around her. (Photo: Meribeth Deen)
Make a wish for 2021 at the Children’s Tree: Family Place’s annual Festival of Trees in the Cove is back and this year it has a special addition: the Children’s Tree. Make a wish for the year ahead and hang it in one of the clear plastic balls provided under the tree.
The festival of trees in the Cove includes a Children's Tree in the middle this year. (Photo: Tracey Wait)
It won’t look like years past but the island churches’ Blue Christmas service is going ahead over Zoom on Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. “At the best of times, this season can be very hard on the hearts of many who are lonely; who have experienced loss and who are living with a sense of vulnerability and fragility. And, this year those feelings may have intensified for some,” write Rev. Lorraine Ashdown and Rev. Phil Adkins.
Darren Fehst owes his life to community members and the B.I. Fire Department who stepped in to help when he was injured. He and his family penned a heartfelt thank-you. “My point of this letter is to let everyone know how special the Bowen Island community is and during a time of crisis how our community rose up to save a neighbour’s life, this time my own.”
On the agenda
Monday is the last regular BIM council meeting of 2020. The agenda doesn’t seem to be hefty but includes a few things of note:
- Given the capacity issues with the Snug Cove Sewer System, staff is recommending council reject a rezoning application to allow the construction of eight rental units on properties along Miller Road.
- Tourism Bowen Island will give its annual report to council on the past year and discuss a fee for service agreement. The report says that 90% of the visitors they assisted this year were day-trippers.
- Acting fire chief Aaron Hanen will give his biannual report on the fire department’s activities. Between Jan. 1 and Nov. 18, BIFD attended 137 calls and completed 1,176 training hours.
- Emergency program coordinator Jennifer McGowan will report on progress on getting a COVID-19 testing centre on Bowen Island. BC Emergency Health Services could be a potential partner for setting up a Bowen site (community paramedics are now allowed to do certain testing after going through competency assessments) but nothing is certain.
For a longer read
Last week we commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Union Steamship Company buying its Bowen Island resort. Slip into Bowen's past with several stories from islanders, sister publications and the Undercurrent in our online feature.
Lady Alexandra visiting Bowen Island ca.1930 (Photo: Bowen Island Museum and Archives)The cartoon
(Cartoon: Ron Woodall)
That's it for this week! Stay safe, wear your mask and if you have any neat or important stories you'd like to share or you'd like us to cover, email me at editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com. Our last print edition of 2020 will be Dec. 24. That'll once again be a 'Bowen's yearbook' edition, so send in your accomplishments!
–Bronwyn Beairsto, editor
