Dear Editor,
I left the island for four years in 1989 for a lucrative job which allowed me to buy property just before the prices doubled and coincidentally, just when the GST came in.
Our economy started changing into “world” interests.
My friends who had small children and part-time work had to take on not just full time work but sometimes two minimum wage jobs just to keep their homes. Everything was more expensive and it really added up. And sources of funding died or dried up.
A lot of 10-15 year Bowen people left for more affordable space on Vancouver Island or farther. My unscientific impression is that the population started to change to younger families with two healthy income earners, more if not wealthy then well-covered pensioners, and old timers who had paid off their houses and had their health – kids and service workers moving off.
We talked about problems brewing: similar to Whistler there has been a lack of housing for low wage workers. Our general store and a few other places have been lynch pins. No one has really kept track of why people leave and there are usually multiple reasons – work opportunities, cheaper housing, closer to family or care, cabin fever, not being able to adapt to the ferry.
Bottom line, again unscientific, is that we have become mostly rich, pre-occupied with ourselves, more isolated in not knowing neighbours as well, and disgruntled with all the problems of living on an island!
One very unfortunate result, as Adam Taylor pointed out in last week’s paper is FAR fewer volunteers. Even with all the demands, if more people could just do a little bit, more could happen which we could all enjoy and afford. If you want something to happen with such a small (even if captive) audience, you have to help! Simple math – one volunteer doing the job of 100 or 100 people doing a tiny bit and helping it rock.
Look at the logger games!!
Of course our community is changing. Most likely fewer events will happen – as more of the givers give up. The takers will regret that change and our community will be worse off. If you want something to happen, volunteer – decide if it is once for two hours or once a month for two hours. Whatever, just do it! We will all be better for it.
Judi Gedye
