In marked contrast to sitting in a circle and having a discussion, the Tunstall Bay clubhouse had couches along one wall where 6 councillors were lined up underneath a projection screen that showed a map with 5 different access routes to Cape Roger Curtis. On the other side of the room were 4 rows of folding chairs with ~40 people facing council.
People also packed the stairs and stood shoulder to shoulder along the pony walls. The room was full and felt anxious. This meeting was held in the context of what everyone knew was a barrage of letter writing and constant interruptions at every opportunity in the shops and parking lots.
There was no stated goal other than to have an “opportunity to speak ‘to’ council”. There was no agenda and discussion topics ranged widely. Some of the many people who spoke had appeared as a delegation to council the previous Monday. Their submissions were repeated with vigour, and applause.
If the goal was for council to witness the fears, frustrations, anger, and your community spirit, we did that.
There are a variety of ways of dealing with fear and frustration. Personally, I don’t find either aggressive demands or repetition help with complex problem-solving. Regardless, we were polite and patient, sympathetic and tolerant. Nevertheless, many wanted commitments and promises. None of us are in any position to know either what the community wants or what can be delivered.
My analysis here is specific to the topics of this meeting, but examining the process would also help any future community meetings.
WHAT DID WE LEARN? WHAT CHANGED? HOW DID WE HELP EACH OTHER?
Six councillors and about 60 people representing a neighbourhood of 150 homes met for 2.5 hours on a beautiful, sunny, spring Saturday (May 13). Those are significant numbers. Could the time have been time better spent? I think so. I wanted much more local knowledge. We are outmatched by Metro’s resources and we need more (and more reliable) information to work with.
RE: traffic: I wanted to hear from people who had walked the 5 alternative routes and were able to tell me about gradients, potential engineering problems or environmental significance, and green house gas emissions for each route. I wanted to hear more about traffic calming: had anyone researched speed bumps, their cost and challenges, or ideas for painting notices or illusions on the pavement.
What’s your tolerance for signs? Has the RCMP been asked about increased speed limit enforcement? Would a portion of the Multi-Use Path be helpful? What about parking lots - size and locations? More paving or will existing blasted rock building sites suffice? If none, what are alternatives? Baseline traffic patterns and ideas for measuring numbers of on and off-island visitors to CRC.
No-one on council lives on Whitesails, but the same concerns, in differing degrees, are island wide. Speeding, parking on travelled portions, entire road surfaces treated like sidewalks or bike trails - too many lookiloos or rally drivers. It seems to me a given that whatever happens, Whitesails can never be a cul-de-sac again. In the past, when alternative routes were discussed, neighbourhood protection was ignored. That’s an important lesson, but we now need to figure out the costs and benefits of several traffic mitigation ideas.
How much does an alternative road cost to build? What if building a road meant there was no budget for a robust bus or shuttle service? Would pedestrians and bicyclists be protected with curbs regardless of alternative vehicle access? What are the priorities for this community? This is not an exhaustive list, but I wish we had spent time on any of it.
Re: Fire. Every single person living on this island should have an existential fear of fire. Assuming Metro keeps the property, at the very least as a “passive park” with trails and some signs, and that now, there is not a speck of fire protection on the public parts of the Cape, what is both a minimum and a best case demand for fire protection for CRC? Would another water tower like the recent addition to Tunstall’s system be sufficient? Should all park staff be trained professional firefighters first and nature guides second? Would a fully loaded emergency trailer on site be a prerequisite?
What data do we have about wells on CRC? What water supplies are needed for adequate fire protection? If water is available to visitors, how is volume of use controlled?
What other amenities should be provided? No pit toilets, possibly compostable ones, or are tertiary septic systems, assuming there is water, necessary? What about garbage? Should there be off-leash or off-limit dog areas?
Tunstall is closest to CRC therefore this development proposal is nearer to your hearts and minds, but the concerns are shared island-wide, even by the strongest supporters. It is not a matter of convincing anyone of the risks. However, the time and energy could be far better spent.
Simply sharing your angst is mostly distressing. My whole working life I have listened to fears and frustrations but that work is enervating unless it is turned into creative energy and problem-solving. If we can move the discussion from talk/listen to research/report/ listen, we will all be so much better off. Bowen Island council and staff are out-resourced by Metro and we need all the help, and support, we can get.
Ask not what your council can do for you, but what you can do for your council.
