Onbowen - Music, Ideas and Culture

The October 3rd Bowen Island Municipal Council Meeting focused on two topics. First up was James Tuer's Snug Cove Village Concepts Plan Presentation that was introduced by BIM Planner, Hap Stelling. The discussion did not go towards making a decision but remainly largely a revisiting of what Mr. Tuer's presented previously to Council and the community at the beginning of the summer.

Next up was a discussion of what was called Permissive Tax Exemptions. In essence, some organizations and businesses that had, in prior years, presented a case for property tax exemption became exempt. Some of the discussion moved towards a revisiting of this approach in light of Council's acknowledgement that it is spending more than it is taking in. The changes made will be phased in and will not take effect until the 2012 fiscal for the groups in question. 

Other topics on the agenda were deferred due to the amount of time these two agenda items took during the course of the evening.

If you wish to watch the video of the presentation, you can Download the video here [QuickTime - 584.63 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.  

The September 26th Bowen Island Municipal Council Meeting was a meeting of adoption and approvals. Both the WASP or Watershed, Aquifer & Stream Protection Bylaw and the Satellite Firehall were given their final reading and then subsequent adoption by Council.

The Community Centre Committee brought forward a more formalized proposal to include the Bowen Island Municipal Hall into the project scope. This was done as the request of Council from the June 13th meeting. It was met with relative approval around the Council table with exception of Councillor Hooper who objected to their not following process by bringing the proposal to a Committee of the Whole meeting with full proforma budget to date statements and with sufficient lead time in order to give the consideration it's full due, in his view. He did, however, support, the idea but not the manner in which it was presented. The issue was brought to a vote and the Committee recommendations to include the Muni Hall and to do some small site enhancements that would include the installation of a display, some signage and a donated bench from the Hoosen family was passed. 

Property owners on the West side of the island who saw their insurance premiums skyrocket this year will be pleased to know the Satellite Firehall should be operational by spring of 2012 which hopefully will bring insurance rates down to a more palatable level.

If you wish to watch the video of the Council meeting, you can Download the video here [QuickTime - 339.05 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.

The Council meeting began with a straight forward presentation and acceptance of the revised report from Staff on the Satellite Firehall proposal. The building permit had not been issued to date but was in the process of being finalized.

Next up was WASP or Watershed, Aquifer and Stream Protection Permit Area Land Use Bylaw. Again another item that went through without too much debate with exception of clarification on a lot of matters which did not require much of a rewrite on Staff's part.

The final big item on the agenda was a revisiting of the question and validity of a second vote on the National Park matter. There was no new substantive material brought to the table. Simply a discussion and refinement of what had been stated previously.

If you wish to watch the video of the presentation, you can Download the video here [QuickTime - 551.53 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.  

September 12th had the Bowen Island Municipal Council dealing with two issues of significance the Community. First up was the timing of the referendum vote on whether or not to go forward with the National Park Proposal as well as the nature of the question to be asked. Second up was the presentation of the Rezoning Application for the Belterra Co-Housing Project and the first reading of the rezoning application.

A few citizens spoke at the beginning of the meeting who were largely speaking to the National Park portion of the meeting. The submissions were diverse. The result of the discussion on the National Park vote was to have the vote during the election and to keep the wording on the referendum vote simple and unequivocal.

The second half of the meeting, on the Belterra Initiative went through without resistance from Council members. Councillor Frinton excused himself from the proceedings to remove any perception of self-interested interference as his property abuts the Belterra one.

If you wish to watch the video of the presentation, you can Download the video here [QuickTime - 497.37 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.  

The evening's proceedings for Bowen Island Municipal Council began with a Satellite Firehall Public Hearing that saw a couple of representations from the public. Concerns issued were about sight lines, noise and the possibility of tainted runoff that could go into Explosives Creek that is both a water supply and a fish bearing stream. Matters were addressed to the satisfaction of those making representation and the hearing drew to a close.

The middle portion of the meeting was taken up with a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the Revised Concept Plan for the Bowen Island National Park previously presented at the August 25th info session. However, it was flanked with a more detailed explanation of Parks Canada's thinking in the 21st Century with the newly conceived idea of near urban National Parks and how Bowen was a good fit as they initiate themselves into this new form of Park. This may sound similar to the people who were in attendance at the Public Information Session at BICS on the Revised Concept Plan, however, Mr. Carson, got more into the skin of their thinking around Bowen and the near urban park concept. The matter of the petition was brought up by Councillor Morse and Mr. Carson did field the question but not in a way that will be satisfactory to the majority of the signatories of the petition. Interpretation of this I will leave up to the viewer.

Next up was the fourth and what was to be the final reading of the newly enshrined OCP. Audience attendance was surprisingly small in number. Councillors made short speeches, except for Councillor Frinton, about the successful outcome of this OCP process and lamented the lack of Champagne.

If you wish to watch the video of the presentation, you can Download the video here [QuickTime - 494.66 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. 

Sept 6th involved two Council Meetings and a Public Hearing. The afternoon session, a Council Meeting, turned into a resinding of the contentious Land Use Bylaws, informally known as the Steep Slopes Bylaw, the Environmentally Sensitive Areas and the Watershed Protection Bylaws. It began with a recommendation from BIM Planner, Hap Stelling, that Council should halt the process for this term as their was insufficient time. Councillor Poole jumped in first and uncharacteristically agreed with the assessment, given that she was one the prime proponents of the Bylaws in their draft form. Councillor Hooper similarly agreed, however, Councillor Frinton was visibly agitated by the about face that was happening around the table proclaiming that he was flabbergasted presenting some arguments towards making some small but significant fixes to wrap up this legislation. Discussion happened around the table and they eventually came to an agreement to rescind the bylaws so the new Council could properly deal with rewriting the draft bylaws to incorporate the comment they heard from their constituents at the Public Hearing earlier in the Summer.

The Tunstall Bay Boat Launch was next up on the agenda. CAO, Brent Mahood, gave a summary of what had transpired including all of the negotiation with Fisheries and the performance bond that had to be issued in order for the work to take place. It appears the project will come in under budget and it is expected that Public Works Director, Wil Hilsen will be presenting a more detailed report on the matter in the coming weeks.

If you wish to watch the video of the presentation, you can Download the video here [QuickTime - 582 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.