Our community today seems strongly polarized and that is neither healthy nor helpful. Please know that in spite of emotions reaching a high pitch, council is NOT rushing headlong into giving Metro everything they want. First reading is merely the start and nowhere close to the end, of the process. That was said but does not appear to have been heard.
On April 3, Bowen Council had a tour of our works yard, and although that is a local concern that deserves far more attention, like so much else it was overshadowed by Metro’s park proposal. I was told there was heavy politicking among Metro mayors and a strong possibility that Metro would not complete the purchase of Cape Roger Curtis.
The Metro Park Committee was meeting on April 19 and to be a delegate at that meeting you had to apply before April 5. Tim Wake and I agreed to apply to speak. Unbeknownst to us, Sue Ellen Fast also applied. We agreed that because Council had not discussed any “position”, we could only voice personal opinions. In particular, I was told that my “Bowen Bumpkins” letter was being used against us and I wanted that reaction off the table: no punishment of Bowen for my opinions. I believed an apology would defuse that weapon.
At our April 11 meeting, Bowen Council agreed, in a very carefully worded letter, to write to Metro Parks for the limited purpose of encouraging them to complete the purchase. We had one day for that letter to make it into the agenda package of the Park Committee on April 19. We believed then that many people, not just the “yes” contingent, did not want to lose our second chance to have the land become public property. As an additional show of “good faith”, council directed staff to return at our next available meeting with a first draft of bylaws to start the legislative process.
At the Metro Park meeting, councillors were all grilled about the community’s lack of support for the park. I assumed they knew I had campaigned from a “No, unless...” position, and affirmed there were considerable, serious concerns, but, bottom line, I believed there was agreement to preserve the site and it was too soon to kill the deal. Tim and Sue Ellen had their own messages, but I feel they were very careful in their language, not promising any final positions, but they are inherently more positive and trusting of Metro than I am.
Other delegates from Bowen were John Dowler, Shari Ulrich, David Hocking, and Charles McNeill. They are all strong “yes” supporters. Until the park agenda was published, I had no knowledge of who else would be speaking. None of the councillors gave previews prior to the meeting and the committee went into a closed session immediately after. None of us had any idea what effect our submissions might have had until the end of the full Metro Board a week later on April 21 with their decision to continue with the purchase.
Back on Bowen, on April 24, staff presented, at first reading, draft bylaws for amendments necessary for overnight camping. I had hoped we could agree to send the first draft back to staff to wait, at least, for all the reports that are supposed to be coming. Instead, there was a long session of “wordsmithing” on something we were told would be subject to considerable change once reports were received, and local committees would again be asked to respond, plus outside agencies might be heard from for the first time.
Was this merely an exercise to continue to assuage Metro until their deal is complete? Is mollifying Metro becoming too familiar and too easy for both staff and council? I don’t know, but apparently we are still not ready to have any discussion of the larger issues and a narrow window was opened. I can see how it is worrying but it’s only the start of the process and we are months away from any final decisions about camping.
Meanwhile, Facebook postings and letters have become more frantic and polarizing. One recently casually asked about a full recall of the whole council. Other community leaders are quoting partial sentences, missing or ignoring nuance, wittingly or not, riling people up to receive compliments about how brilliant they are in their condemnation. I returned from a very interesting, refreshing conference and was energized to write several comments about referenda and participatory and loss of control and they have all disappeared or been drowned out with subsequent long repetitious comments and rants. Surviving this, truly does seems to require getting off that platform and find some other way of sharing ideas.
And most importantly, there is no question Bowen, as a carefully nurtured green sanctuary, has been “discovered” thanks to many factors: Metro’s advertising, our good and bad ability to make headlines, all the TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and billions of shared views. And we are not prepared for any of this surge of interest.
Some of our problems are common to world economics (housing), and the climate crisis (stay-cations), the entire BC coast (BC Ferries), and regional crises (drug deaths, unliveable cities, and camping in only two of Metro’s parks and a 7 million population that clearly wants more), all in addition to our many local problems: neglected infrastructure, resulting questions of affordability, and now a community that is getting rocked to its core with anger and destructiveness.
Together we must sort this all out, but the SCREAMING, demanding belligerence, and constant repetitive tirades are not helping. I’ve clearly been spoiled with rational arguments from well prepared counsel representing clients according to established rules in our courtrooms. With no exaggeration, I now feel like I’ve entered a potentially dangerous mob scene. Help make that scenario go away.
My next Open House is scheduled for May 6 at 3 pm at Collins Hall and you are all invited. I will be baking cookies and making tea. We will sit in a circle and everyone will get a chance to speak. I sincerely hope we can have a discussion and I leave that meeting with renewed respect for the ability of my community to work collectively on solutions to difficult problems.
