— Published Date: May 14, 2012 (Issue 40-20) —
Ferry act amended
In a long-awaited response to a review of BC Ferry (BCF) by BCF Commissioner Gordon Macatee, Transportation Minister Blair Leckstrom Wednesday announced a number of amendments to the Coastal Ferry Act (CFA).
Madrona mall moves to ‘phase two’
Madrona mall owners Chris Hock and Lana Pearson have applied to the Local Trust Committee (LTC) to proceed with the second phase of a mall to be built on the corner of North and South roads in the Village core.
Director moves taxi-saver bylaw for Gabriola
Regional Director Howard Houle Tuesday moved a resolution that staff of the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) research and report on introducing a taxi-saver program on Gabriola in 2013.
Bear sighted in Decourcy Dr. triangle
A number of Gabriolans will stand witness to sightings of a bear on Gabriola in the Decourcy Drive area, and Shaun Whelan, who may be one of the first residents to see it, is among them.
Radio tower use still uncertain
There is a range of possible uses and users for a radio tower proposed by the Gabriola Radio Society (GRS), and to date GRS is not sure which of these will be implemented, according to GRS President Ken Zakreski.
Trust prioritises staff time for OCP review
To further their work on a review of the Official Community Plan (OCP), trustees have directed staff to allocate a greater proportion of their time towards their ‘top priorities list’ and less towards processing applications.
— Published Date: May 10, 2012 (Issue 40-19) —
Quinsam resumes service
Gabriolans report this morning that the Quinsam – the ferry that services the route between Nanaimo and Gabriola – resumed service Wednesday night at about 8 pm.
— Published Date: May 9, 2012 (Issue 40-19) —
Quinsam cancelled ‘until further notice’
BC Ferries (BCF) reports this hour that sailings of the Quinsam – the ferry that services the Nanaimo to Gabriola Island route – is cancelled “until further notice” due to mechanical difficulties.
— Published Date: May 7, 2012 (Issue 40-19) —
Power pole painting project postponed
A project initiated by the Gabriola Arts Council (GAC) to dress up a some of the power poles on the island has been postponed, and local elected representatives have been asked by BC Hydro to ensure any further pole painting “meets community expectations”.
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| Snuneymuxw Dancers and Drummers’ youngest member performs his inaugural dance at Folklife Village for the April 29 Ceremonial Friendship Dance, in honour of Snuneymuxw Day . ~ Photo by Chris Bowers |
Dancers celebrate Snuneymuxw Day
A friendship dance was among a number of April 29 events presented by the Snuneymuxw First Nation (SFN) in honour of Snuneymuxw Day.
One for three
RDN responds to funding requests
While a proposal to establish an off-road foot and bicycle path through the Village may receive funding from the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN), two others do not qualify for Canada Gas Tax funding, according to RDN Chief Administrative Officer Carol Mason.
Ferry committee presents community concerns
Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) and community members presented a number of community concerns to BC Ferry (BCF) officials at their bi-annual meeting at the golf course on April 26.
Public transit up to islanders – or maybe not
If Gabriolans want to have some form of public transit on the island it will probably have to happen independently of anything provided by BC Transit, according to Gabriola Transportation Association (GTA) member John Hodgkins.
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| Eagle takes a quick splash off Brickyard Beach after being released and before heading over to Mudge Island. ~ Photo by Chris Bowers |
Rescued eagle, owl released
A rescued barn owl and an eagle that was found in a ditch after a “territorial dispute” were both released on Gabriola Tuesday, after recovering from their injuries.
RDN reinstitutes cistern rebate
A popular cistern rebate program that was piloted last year has been reinstituted and will be available for all areas in the Regional District of Nanaimo.
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| Volunteer firefighters person their display at Folklife Village. Left to right Clair Watson, Kyle Clifford (in back), Nigel Denholm, Jen Knight, Will Sprogis, Jethro Baker. ~ Photo by Chris Bowers |
Volunteer firefighters erect display for Emergency Preparedness Week
Volunteer firefighters did some extra volunteering at Folklife Village Saturday to raise awareness about Emergency Preparedness Week May 6 - 12.
Trust OKs community engagement survey
Trustees put the final touches April 19 on a community survey and process to see how Gabriolans would like to be consulted about the review of their Official Community Plan (OCP).
FAC aims to increase accessibility to community
Although it is a creature of BC Ferries (BCF), Gabriola’s new Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) would like to be more accessible to community members, and to do so, at meetings it will open some of its discussion up to comments from the floor.
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| Back Row (left to right): Margot Anfossie, Guy Parcher, Neil Robinson, Richard Lenz, Glen Murphy, Shelley Wooller. Front Row (left to right): Ezra Anfossie-Heather, Bianca Parcher, Gill Parcher, Tansi Robinson, Frankie Pothier, Andrew Lenz, Jackson Tait, Hanah Noseda, Joey Tait, Jude Anfossie-Heather. ~ Photo by Chris Bowers |
Students celebrate Earth Day with pedal power
Students from teacher Glen Murphy’s grade five class celebrated Earth Day late this year, by pedalling to school on Tuesday.
Food action plan for Gabriola under construction
A local group has received funding to create a Community Food Action Plan to connect people who wish to grow food with people who have land, and to “raise the profile on how we are going to feed ourselves here”.
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| A Positive Energy Quilter and her helper fasten up signs and a 1,280 foot length of “Danger-Crime Scene” tape for an unusual Earth Day display. ~ Photo by Iain Lawrence |
Quilters create graphic warning for Earth Day
Gabriola’s Positive Energy Quilters celebrated Earth Day this year by creating a graphic display of the size of an oil tanker.
Density transfer proposal on hold
An application to transfer densities from lands between the 707 and Coats Marsh parks into the Lock Bay area of Gabriola is on hold, as the applicants want to focus first on another subdivision.
— Published Date: April 23, 2012 (Issue 40-17) —
Energy group cuts island electricity use
An island energy conservation group has reduced the amount of energy imported to Gabriola by “an estimated 258,000 kilowatts per year”, Sustainable Gabriola (SG) member James Ramsey said at an April 14 meeting at the Commons.
Trust to run public radio tower process
The Local Trust Committee (LTC) will facilitate a quasi “public hearing” process to receive feedback from community members on a proposal to build a radio tower between Chernoff and Lockwood Drives.
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| A few Gabriolans showed up at Thursday’s Trust meeting to see how a public consultation process about a radio tower on Chernoff Drive will be conducted. ~ Photo by Chris Bowers |
No commercial users on radio tower; cost-sharing less clear
The Gabriola Radio Society (GRS) is clear that they will not give “commercial users” space on a radio tower the organisation is proposing to build off Chernoff Drive.
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| Gabriola’s only cross-walk is located on North Road at Robert’s. Working group calls for more traffic tamers in the Village core on North Road. ~ Photo by Chris Bowers |
Village core working group will carry on
A working group composed of members of Sustainable Gabriola (SG) and the Gabriola Chamber of Commerce (CoC) will probably continue working with Village core landowners and businesses on “some kind of rough plan” for the area.
Trustees call for RAR PR
Trustees have asked staff to propose a way through which community members may be informed about why protecting fish habitat is important.
BCF washroom repairs slated for Monday
A crew is expected to repair damages in the BC Ferry (BCF) washrooms at Descanso Bay today, Monday, BCF’s Director of Media Relations and Corporate Development Deborah Marshall said by email Wednesday.
— Published Date: April 16, 2012 (Issue 40-16) —
BCF washrooms vandalised, closed
BC Ferries (BCF) is “sourcing a ‘tamper-proof’ toilet paper dispenser” as part of its efforts to reopen vandalised washrooms at Gabriola’s Descanso Bay ferry terminal.
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| They’re everywhere! Participants in the under five division search for goodies at the annual Easter egg hunt at the Commons. ~ Photo by Chris Bowers |
Gun club sposors another successful Easter egg hunt
If the number of participants was any indication, another successful Easter egg hunt was had by all, April 8 at the Commons.
GIRO to test drive lower prices
Updated April 17, 2012 The Gabriola Island Recycling Organisation (GIRO) board has asked its “pricers” to reduce the costs of some of its higher priced items – other than auction items – for three months, according to new GIRO board Chair Jacinthe Eastick.
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| Denise De Man stands in front of her new store, This ‘n That, at Twin Beaches Mall. ~ Photo by Chris Bowers |
This ‘n That
De Man, Scott open new Twin Beaches business
Business and life partners Denise De Man and John Scott of This ‘n That Goods and Services at Twin Beaches Mall are no strangers to running a business.
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| Left to right: Quartz Lavilla-Healy, Ms. Mara, Jacklin Buckingham, and Devon Burroughs. ~ Photo submitted by Mara Brenner |
Gabe dance students earn awards
Students from Gabriola Dance and Pilates left last week’s Upper Island Dance Festival with a few awards to show for their efforts, according to dance instructor Mara Brenner.
— Published Date: May 14, 2012 (Issue 40-20) —
Editorial
Fixing the ferry system
After seeing the powers and responsibilities that Wednesday’s amendments to the Coastal Ferry Act (CFA) have dumped into BC Ferries (BCF) Commissioner Gordon Macatee’s lap one has to wonder whether BCF’s board of directors serve any other purpose than giving, and then making excuses for, ridiculous raises to themselves and BCF department heads.
Bafflegab
An ongoing conversation between “Gabe” an islander and a political junkie, and “Youth” a young, hesitant newcomer to the weird, whacky and often disturbing world of Canadian politics. Gabe attempts to explain the current situation with the federal government and other political disorders.
— Published Date: May 7, 2012 (Issue 40-19) —
Chris’s Comments
Facebook and other distractions
In one of my former lives – prior to becoming the Department of Everything for the Flying Shingle – I was a fairly busy social activist, and learned a whole lot about conducting conversations online.
A Modest Opinion
You can’t keep a good media baron down
If you were to keep a list of the top three media barons who have gone to jail it’d look a little something like this: Martha Stewart, John Rigas, and Conrad Black (if you don’t have a list of the top three media barons who have gone to jail, then you should probably sit down and write one now – I’ve pretty much done all the work for you anyways – before someone laughs at you).
— Published Date: April 30, 2012 (Issue 40-18) —
Editorial
‘And yet it moves’
There are times when any rational person can be forgiven for concluding that the human race deserves to go extinct.
The Three Faces of Conservatism
It has always amazed me how flawed legalistic marketplace-driven property-centered thinking is, but for all its flaws I have never understood why trying to argue against its positions is much like nailing jello to the wall.
Theatre of the Absurd
Oxymorons
Being a bit of an etymologist the word oxymoron has always been one of my favourites because it can be used to describe so many statements or actions that appear to be primarily the purview of those of the political persuasion.
— Published Date: April 23, 2012 (Issue 40-17) —
Editorial
The power of creative nagging
One of the comments Trustee Sheila Malcolmson made during the long process in which what was once the “UREP lands” became the Elder Cedar Nature Reserve, was how much that transformation was to be laid at the feet of Gabriola Land Conservancy member Leigh Ann Millman.
— Published Date: April 16, 2012 (Issue 40-16) —
Editorial
Toilet vandalism and other rites of passage
One obvious response to this week’s vandalism in the washrooms at the Descanso Bay ferry terminal is to call for more surveillance: perhaps we should install security cameras some will suggest.
Bafflegab
An ongoing conversation between “Gabe” an islander and a political junkie, and “Youth” a young, hesitant newcomer to the weird, whacky and often disturbing world of Canadian politics. Gabe attempts to explain the current situation with the federal government and other political disorders
Iconoclast
The Economics of Climate Change
“It now seems almost certain that, if it hasn’t happened already, within the next several years enough warming will be locked into the system to set in train feedback processes that will overwhelm any attempts we make to cut back on our carbon emissions. We will be powerless to stop the jump to a new climate on Earth, one much less sympathetic to life. The kind of Climate that has allowed civilisation to flourish will be gone and humans will enter a long struggle just to survive
— Published Date: May 14, 2012 (Issue 40-20) —
Kids’ Corner
The Battle of Ninja
One day a long time ago, the man was quietly napping on his sofa when suddenly the phone rang.
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| Earth Day Bags. ~ Photo courtesy of GROWLS |
Just for the Birds
Death by Plastic
If the number of people I see at GIRO every week is any indication, a lot of Gabriolans already subscribe to the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” maxim.
Bafflegab
An ongoing conversation between “Gabe” an islander and a political junkie, and “Youth” a young, hesitant newcomer to the weird, whacky and often disturbing world of Canadian politics. Gabe attempts to explain the current situation with the federal government and other political disorders.
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| Red Breasted Sapsucker. ~ Photo by www.public-domain-image.com |
GROWLS' Prowls
Nesting season
In the interior of the province and across the country we experience winter with days of extreme cold, snow, and sleet storms.
Partners in Prevention campaign kicks off
Good food, live music, a silent auction, raffles, a 50/50 draw, and more await purchasers of a $15 ticket for the Burger and Beer fundraiser to reinstate Gabriola’s Teen Peer Helping program.
Chris’s Comments
Facebook and other distractions
In one of my former lives – prior to becoming the Department of Everything for the Flying Shingle – I was a fairly busy social activist, and learned a whole lot about conducting conversations online.
A Modest Opinion
You can’t keep a good media baron down
If you were to keep a list of the top three media barons who have gone to jail it’d look a little something like this: Martha Stewart, John Rigas, and Conrad Black (if you don’t have a list of the top three media barons who have gone to jail, then you should probably sit down and write one now – I’ve pretty much done all the work for you anyways – before someone laughs at you).
— Published Date: April 30, 2012 (Issue 40-18) —
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| Special guests in the Faire Wynds Wind Quintet join regular ensemble members. ~ Photo by Chris Bowers |
Ensemble continues to impress
The Gabriola Chamber Ensemble (GCE) continues to impress: this season with its offering of “Bach to the Future”.
The Three Faces of Conservatism
It has always amazed me how flawed legalistic marketplace-driven property-centered thinking is, but for all its flaws I have never understood why trying to argue against its positions is much like nailing jello to the wall.
Theatre of the Absurd
Oxymorons
Being a bit of an etymologist the word oxymoron has always been one of my favourites because it can be used to describe so many statements or actions that appear to be primarily the purview of those of the political persuasion.
GaLTT launches big tree registry
Following our new Strategic Plan initiative, Gabriola Land and Trails Trust (GaLTT) is launching a big tree registry for Gabriola under the stewardship of board member David Boehm and supporting member Rob Brockley.
Dear Gabby
I am a square dancer and I wonder if you know if there is a square dance group on the island?
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| Many of the world’s major food crops depend on pollination by bees. ~ Photo by Anne Sherrod |
The bee’s needs
When the final tally is done on humanity’s many post-Industrial Revolution screw ups, it is likely that the top of the list will be: They let the bees die.
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| Mallard. ~ Photo by Iain Lawrence |
Just for the Birds
The Sex Life of a Mallard
From tiny ponds in the forest, to open wetlands, to irrigation ditches and flooded farmers’ fields, to placid lakes and ocean shores, if you’re near water, you’re likely, eventually, to happen upon a pair of Mallards.
Bafflegab
An ongoing conversation between “Gabe” an islander and a political junkie, and “Youth” a young, hesitant newcomer to the weird, whacky and often disturbing world of Canadian politics. Gabe attempts to explain the current situation with the federal government and other political disorders
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| Gabriolan Jean Wyenberg holds up a sign at a No Tankers rally in Victoria. ~ Photo by Nancy Crozier |
The battle against big oil
Positive Energy Quilters’ Screening at the Roxy on EARTH DAY, APRIL 22 Imagine setting out to do a little beachcombing at Drumbeg Park after a stormy week.
Iconoclast
The Economics of Climate Change
“It now seems almost certain that, if it hasn’t happened already, within the next several years enough warming will be locked into the system to set in train feedback processes that will overwhelm any attempts we make to cut back on our carbon emissions. We will be powerless to stop the jump to a new climate on Earth, one much less sympathetic to life. The kind of Climate that has allowed civilisation to flourish will be gone and humans will enter a long struggle just to survive
— Published Date: May 14, 2012 (Issue 40-20) —
No, no, no more taxes!
Dear Editor, Attached is a letter I sent to Regional Director Howard Houle regarding proposed increased taxes.
Another day another boondoggle
Dear Editor, A recent MacLeans magazine article outlines the deal struck by a foreign auto maker to set up operations in an area of the US experiencing high unemployment.
Elected reps outline power pole painting approval process
To the Gabriola Arts Council: Regarding hydro pole painting decision-making BC Hydro having asked us Wednesday to approve any further painting of hydro poles (1), we three locally elected representatives met to discuss how we might carry out this task.
More information helpful
Dear Editor, At a luncheon yesterday, one of my friends told me that it would be a good idea to publish GIRO’s 2011 Statement of Operations so that the community would understand where and how the donations to GIRO and revenues of operations are spent.
Readers should do their own research
Dear Editor, Please see below URL’s on articles and sites and links for you and your readerships’ edification on the upcoming Rio+20 summit and other topics.
Memorial fund sent to Pugwash, AI, PHC
Dear Editor, Last year, following the death of my partner Mike Wallace, a number of people very kindly made donations to a memorial fund I had established in the hope of erecting a bench in Mike’s memory at Drumbeg.
Gabriolans should get a tank
Dear Editor, Easter is one of the great get-togethers for our family: relatives, daughters, grand-daughters, sons-in-law, and we have a jolly time discussing what is going on.
