Onbowen - Music, Ideas and Culture

Below is a video excerpt from Chris Harvey-Clark's presentation on sponge reefs and other aquatic life found while diving off the shores of Bowen.

If you wish to view the video, you can either Download the video here [QuickTime - 32.78 MB] ( with Internet Explorer use right-click > save target as, on a Mac use control-click > save link as... ) or you can watch online after the break.

A visual essay the from OCP Visioning Workshop this past August 15th where a collection of Bowen citizens assembled to give the OCP Update Committee some real direction on the elements that should be woven into the considerations when drawing up Bowen Island's revamped OCP to be delivered in 2010.

If you want to weigh in with internet commentary or reflection on this, head on over to Bowen Island Ourselves and join in the OCP related discussions underway.

The Bowen Island Community Choir offered up another spirited and heartfelt choral performance on Saturday, December 12th at Cates Hill Chapel. Director, Ellen MacIntosh was at the helm of a fifty-five voice choir who, with the accompaniment of Sheilagh Sparks, sang jazz, swing, folk, Celtic, sacred and gospel music with gusto and fervor.

Guests Fineen Davis on oboe, Cam Hayduk -- none other than Elvis, Brian Hoover on percussion and choral member Shasta Martinuk on flute, brought additional charm and beauty to the program.

The Community Choir is an open choir and no auditions are required. All are welcome. Rumour has it that the choir is on the lookout for male tenors at this point but of course all singers of both genders and all levels of ability are invited to join. Rehearsals at Cates Hill Chapel begin again on January 11th in preparation for a Spring concert. Please call Choir Manager, Lorraine Ashdown if you have any questions. x2061.

If you wish to view the choral concert, you can either Download the video here [MP4 Video/Audio File - 345.04 MB] ( with Internet Explorer use right-click > save target as, on a Mac use control-click > save link as... ) or you can watch online after the break  

Lisa Shatzky’s recently published collection of poetry honours the First Nations People who have suffered at the hands of the Canadian Government’s Residential School System. She and her friends presented a selection from her book, Do Not Call Me by My Name at The Gallery on Bowen Island.

She worked as a therapist for over 15 years with these people helping them with multi-generational trauma and listened to their stories of terrible loss and grief and was inspired by their resilience and incredible sense of spirit.

Accompanied by a wonderfully sensitive musician, Ruta Yawney on harp and flute, Lisa’s poetry was performed by herself, Don MacLean, Simon James, and Roger Grant to an enthralled audience.

Patrick Lane, a Governor General Award winning poet, has said that: “These are poems of unspeakable bravery. Out of this grieving comes a spiritual renewal and hope for all of us.”

Lisa tells us that: “These are terrible and sad poems, but they are also human and necessary. They speak the unspeakable. But somewhere in the ashes, there is grief that gives life…that transcends.”

If you wish to watch the poetry reading, you can either Download the video here [QuickTime - 188.78 MB] ( with Internet Explorer use right-click > save target as, on a Mac use control-click > save link as... ) or you can watch online after the break  

Several significant topics were on the plate of the November 7th Council Meeting. First was a budget update from CFO, Karen Blow which morphed into what became a very important and prescient discussion on the Core Service Review and finally another overview of the Snug Cove Village and Transportation Plan documents from BIM Planner, Hap Stelling.

From this viewer's perspective the most important portion of the meeting came about when Mayor Turner underlined the importance of what was being talked about was in preparation for the Core Service Review. This Review is intended, as the Mayor put it, as a strategic exercise, to look at the Muni's service offering from a very high level to provide analysis to see how we can be more efficient with expenditure. He was quite adamant that this exercise was not simply going to be a nip and tuck exercise and it was of the utmost importance to get on with it as it will be essential groundwork for the next Council.

I would highly recommend that all electoral Candidate's watch the proceedings as the results of this will have a great effect on whomever is elected to office on November 19th.

Key portions of the meeting have been flagged out with Chapter Markers. They can be utilized from the drop down menu that appears to the right of the scrub bar if you have QuickTime version 7 installed on your Mac or Windows machine. 

I apologize for the rather crude filming style for this Council Meeting. This camera operator arrived at the meeting without a key piece of gear that attaches the camera to the tripod. I found a solution but the style is a bit on the funky side.

If you wish to watch the video of the presentation, you can Download the video here [QuickTime - 549.76 MB] ( with Internet Explorer use right-click > save target as, on a Mac use control-click > save link as... ) or you can watch online after the break 

CBC Morning Show peformed a joint interview with Mayority Candidates Nerys Poole and Jack Adelaar whom are running in the upcoming, November 19th election.

If you wish to listen to the audio interview, you can Download the sound file here [MP3 Audio - 10.98 MB] ( with Internet Explorer use right-click > save target as, on a Mac use control-click > save link as... ) or you can listen online after the break