“Soon after I moved to the island I received brochures in the mail from the Improvement Association and the Eco Alliance. I thought that both groups had some good ideas and decided to join both of them. Before long it became apparent that it was like joining both the American Republican Party and the Communist [...]
Also tagged Municipal Politics, OCPShortly after the current council took office they outlined certain tasks that they hoped to complete during their term. Ferry marshalling was one of them. So now two and a half years later we get to once again enjoy one of our perennial debates. This time the consultant, along with our new senior planner, waded [...]
Also tagged Ferry, Snug CoveI really don’t mean to sound like an alarmist but, our ferry service will soon be an intolerable disaster and we’ll have nobody to blame but ourselves. B.C. Ferries has no plans to upgrade our ferry service. Their plan is simply to keep increasing ferry fares to reduce demand. However we have reached a point [...]
Also tagged Ferry, Snug CoveNo matter what happens from here on in, nobody can accuse the citizens of Bowen of not doing their job. Most of the heavy lifting was done by the National Park Community Advisory Committee, which consisted of 31 islanders who applied to Municipal Council to serve on the committee. Unlike so many task forces and [...]
Also tagged National ParkIt’s getting harder to take this place for granted. When the idea of a national park on Bowen first appeared I was pretty sceptical. My first response was that we didn’t really have anything special enough to warrant thousands of visitors. Since then I’ve joined my wife on many walks into the hinterlands of the [...]
Also taggedIt’s becoming obvious that Parks Canada would like to turn 5,000 acres of Crown Land on Bowen into a national park. While the details of their proposal are far from being worked out, the numbers being thrown around are pretty impressive. The economic boost that it would give the island would put us in an [...]
Also tagged Municipal Politics, National ParkThe new regulations regarding drinking and driving have cast a very noticeable chill over the restaurant and pub businesses on the island. In the rest of the province, the public reaction to the new penalties has prompted Rich Coleman, the Solicitor General to ask the police to use more discretion while doing their duties. It [...]
Also taggedPermissive property tax exemptions, now there’s a bylaw debate that is sure to get your heart racing. It’s one of those goofy esoteric subjects that you probably don’t want to know about. Our Municipal Council has been trying to develop a policy to guide them through this issue since the municipality was established and they’re [...]
Also tagged Municipal HallA couple of weeks ago our Municipal Council gave first reading to a new Noise Control bylaw. In most places this would be a simple housekeeping matter but not on Bowen. Our bylaw seeks to redefine our social responsibilities towards our neighbours. Or, more to the point, seeks to impose penalties on us if we [...]
Also tagged Municipal PoliticsWhile the “Burning at Eddie’s Pit” story is quite an interesting tale of a classic Catch 22 it has also brought to the forefront a whole series of discussions about waste management and CO2 reduction.
Also tagged CO2 Emissions, green collar jobs, Municipal Politics, waste management