This month’s open house treat was a Nanaimo bar with a layer of fresh raspberries over the custard and under the melted chocolate. I’m calling them Deep Bay bar. They are fantastic. More importantly, our conversation started with why cars idle in the ferry line-up. How about a school art contest for banners to advertise our ban on idling? But then there’s enforcement – sigh! If you roll up your car windows to avoid the ocean breeze and burn gas to cool off, will you understand a ban on idling? Where to start? And are there already too many signs?
Next we talked about various Fire Smart lessons. An ember from another fire smouldered in an open field for two days before turning to flame. A jogger noticed the smoke and our firefighters got it extinguished quickly. The combination of alert passersby and prompt professional help was praised. What about if there were a larger fire and we had to evacuate? Where do we find information?
First, sign up for “Alertable.” Bowen Island Municipality has a booklet with excellent information. And the blue/white NERP kiosks have good information – organizing your own evacuation plan, what’s in your emergency kit, your closest muster point.
There is an evacuation plan for Bowen with localized maps of where to go if you need to evacuate. As the ferry docks and visitors arrive, BC Ferries is announcing a total ban on fires. More signs along all park trails for increased awareness would be helpful. There’s a bright yellow one with a hand and a cigarette which admonishes: “Don’t be a flicking idiot”. We agreed a little fear is good, but not to be paralyzed by it: spend time now to be prepared so that if you need to act fast you will be ready.
I’m reading John Vaillant’s newest book, Fire Weather. It focuses on the 2016 apocalyptic fire that wiped out Fort McMurray. The climate crisis worsening with drier winters and warmer, earlier summers and the human folly of ignoring vital signs. Fire is our 21st century nemesis and we need to smarten up – a lot.
Updates on capital projects: the water treatment plant – had it passed inspection and gone “on stream”? And the Cove’s sewage treatment – what’s happening there? I didn’t have answers. There is a wider policy issue about sharing costs island-wide that needs work, possibly in the fall. Funding gaps and constantly increasing costs for both the health centre and the community centre were worries. I sincerely hope we can find ways to finish both as they will add so much to our community, but I’ve only just been gifted a magic wand (thank you, Bonnie) and have yet to test it.
The last question was when the review of short-term rentals would happen. We mentioned pros and cons with general agreement that we need to be careful not to demonize but work on the problems. A tourism tax to contribute to increased infrastructure costs should be considered.
Finally, a person living beside the provincial park on Cortez – we couldn’t not talk about parks – reported that a full-time, live-in ranger made a huge difference to enforcing their strict fire ban.
Today’s theme was clearly about fire and how important it is to be well-informed and ready for such an emergency. Take note: each of us is responsible for our own preparation.
There are no council meetings in August, so there will probably not be an open house. If that changes, I’ll put an ad in the Undercurrent and on Facebook. Most likely, the next will be in September.
