Bowen Island Municipality

Peter Frinton

1.1) Do you support the creation of TDM through smart growth planning and changes to infrastructure such as increasing sidewalks and bike paths and identifying new park & ride areas? If yes, what specific outcomes do you support? If no, why not?

Within communities, such as Bowen, or any of the town centres along the corridor, any actions designed to make alternatives to driving cars are welcome. The short term first steps include connected corridors- multi-purpose trails and expanded transit (perhaps on-call neighbourhood shuttles). On Bowen, we have created safe hitchiking protocols. In the longer term, there is no question that land use decisions are paramount. The exmple of the new Wallmart complex in Squamish is an example of a retrogressive move that Council could have prevented, particularly since most incumbents have spoken about the need to revitalize downtown Squamish.

Along the highway, the best single initiative will be to provide better integrated public transportation.

1.2) Do you support marketing tools like carpooling and school bike plans and promoting events such as bike to work week and car-free days in the town centre? If yes, what specific tools do you support? If no, why not?

Yes- with recognition of the limits. On Bowen, which is hilly and roads are mostly dead-end, biking is not easy, and transit patterns very limited. As well, over 40% of islanders commute off-island. But one Jack Bell Van Pool is not fully subscribed, and yet many people suffer ferry overloads rather than going on foot/taking the bus or joining a car pool. We provide preferential ferry marshaling for van pool. The town centre does not lend itself to car-free, as the ferry marshalling is within it…

2.1) Do you ride local or regional buses on a regular basis (public transit or private carriers)? If not, what would be required for you to start taking the bus? (For example: better schedule, different routes, lower cost? Or other?)

I use transit to commute to Vancouver almost exclusively. On Bowen, I drive, walk or bike depending on where and when travelling. Our neighbourhood does not currently have transit services.

2.2) Do you support the development of an inter-regional transit plan that would integrate services in communities from Metro Vancouver and the Squamish Lillooet Regional District (from West Vancouver to Mount Currie)?

Absolutely. To achieve a seamless service, BC Transit and Translink need to get on the same page.

2.3) What would a successful inter-regional plan look like to you?

Could be one of several forms, but I foresee Translink extending to Pemberton and Chilliwack, maybe Hope. Alternately, a mutually funded derivative authority, similar to the West Van. Blue Bus system, could take over from a terminus point, eg Horseshoe Bay.

3.1) How would you encourage the use of more efficient standards and greener technology for new and retrofitted industries in your community?

BI has none of these; we do have outdoor burning and we are considering reductions to this, with options for greener technology to deal with the burning on island as shipping off-island is not the answer either.

4.1) How will you ensure that all new residential and commercial development occurs in existing developed areas, thereby increasing walkability and proximity to shops and services?

Very hard to do for some sectors, but live/work, light industrial, residential over commercial are all highly effective. As well- under smart plannoing principles, long term needs should be predicted, with nodes planned, rather than simple expansion (spawl). Upzoning existing areas to permit higher density is well proven- laneway housing an urban example, secondary suites or outbuildings on larger parcels.

4.2) What policies do you think will be most effective at reducing our community’s impact on air quality?

Point source pollution is diminishing. Houses are better insulated, and using electricity, gas or better, new wood burners than before. Much less oil use for heating. So it is really transportation that is the key. Rather than holding out for a hydrogen highway, I’d go for battery swaps, transit, anything as mentioned above to reduce unnecessary car useage, and single occupancy especially.

5.1) The Province of BC is considering a province-wide ban on the use of cosmetic pesticides. Regardless of the outcome, would you support a local bylaw banning pesticide use in your community?

I am for the banning of cosmetic pesticide use, and tight regulation of agricultural /forestry pesticides.

5.2) Would you support adopting a similar backyard burning bylaw(s) in (Pemberton/SLRD Electoral Areas)?

Bowen has yet to enact its burning bylaw upgrades, but I am pressing to have it go through, along with further waste reduction/composting/recycling initiatives.

Nerys Poole

Yes. I support more ride share, carpooling, buses going from BI to downtown, bike lane in the Cove and improved walkways across the island.

Yes – all of them

Yes, would use more if service matched the ferry times from HB to SC better and if it were easier to get to NV not just downtown.

Yes, if it includes the above in 2.1

2.3) What would a successful inter-regional plan look like to you?

from BI perpsective, as described above

3.1) How would you encourage the use of more efficient standards and greener technology for new and retrofitted industries in your community?

4.1) How will you ensure that all new residential and commercial development occurs in existing developed areas, thereby increasing walkability and proximity to shops and services?

BI recently updated its OCP which focuses density into the key village nodes of Snug Cove and Seymour Bay and density reallocation from elsewhere on the island.

4.2) What policies do you think will be most effective at reducing our community’s impact on air quality?

on BI, improved passenger ferry service direct to downtown utilizing best options available for reduced emissions from the ferry service

5.1) The Province of BC is considering a province-wide ban on the use of cosmetic pesticides. Regardless of the outcome, would you support a local bylaw banning pesticide use in your community?

N/A

5.2) Would you support adopting a similar backyard burning bylaw(s) in (Pemberton/SLRD Electoral Areas)?

N/A

Tim Rhodes

Yes. Bowen Island has an ongoing initiative to link trails throughout the island. And frankly the increase in ferry costs is encouraging more use of public transportation.

No. Bowen has an older than average mean age and we cannot expect our seniors to bicycle 7 miles over many hills and poor roads to get to the village – and our bus service does not serve entire segments of the island.

No. I have a home office and transit on Bowen runs on a commuter-centric schedule.

Yes. If it included a subsidized water taxi service to Bowen Island as an alternative to BC Ferries.

2.3) What would a successful inter-regional plan look like to you?

This question is beyond my expertise.

3.1) How would you encourage the use of more efficient standards and greener technology for new and retrofitted industries in your community?

The only application to Bowen is the use of trucks to deliver groceries and supplies. Bowen can only support senior levels of government in creating emissions regulations.

4.1) How will you ensure that all new residential and commercial development occurs in existing developed areas, thereby increasing walkability and proximity to shops and services?

Bowen Island’s OCP already addresses this.

4.2) What policies do you think will be most effective at reducing our community’s impact on air quality?

Subsidized water-taxi service to Vancouver to reduce use of cars on the ferry.

5.1) The Province of BC is considering a province-wide ban on the use of cosmetic pesticides. Regardless of the outcome, would you support a local bylaw banning pesticide use in your community?

N/A

5.2) Would you support adopting a similar backyard burning bylaw(s) in (Pemberton/SLRD Electoral Areas)?

N/A

Silvaine Zimmerman

Yes.

RE: and changes to infrastructure such as increasing sidewalks and bike paths

There is no room for sidewalks on most of Bowen’s mountainous terrain – unless we decrease the road allowance by half, i.e. make most of Bowen single lane traffic. This would at present not be a safe option. Having a multi-passenger taxi service, preferably using electric vehicles, is probably the most appropriate interim solution to Bowen’s public transportation shortcomings and overly heavy reliance on CO2 exhausting personal vehicles.

Lobbying the Provincial government to reduce licensing fees and permits for Island based taxi services will be one of my personal priorities, if elected.

We have a ride-share program that was recently set up – very similar to one I tried to get off the ground 20 years ago, using colour coded cards for offering/requesting rides to various neighborhoods. This was my initial way deal with sham cries for more parking/loop road through park etc., because that would have been facilitating personal vehicle traffic, instead of focusing on alternative transportation methods. The point is helping people move themselves and their goods in an efficient and environmentally appropriate manner

(Park and Ride areas) is a laudable idea, but fraught with difficulties considering the scarcity of space, especially public space, in both Horseshoe Bay and on Bowen Island. Having a dedicated spot for co-op cars/zip-cars on Bowen and in Horseshoe Bay would probably accomplish more.

Marketing tools are good once we have something to market. We should offer community bikes, and considering our mountainous terrain, perhaps even electric-assist bikes to get from bus stops to homes and vice versa, like they do in some European cities already, and have for decades.

2.1) Do you ride local or regional buses on a regular basis (public transit or private carriers)? If not, what would be required for you to start taking the bus? (For example: better schedule, different routes, lower cost? Or other?)

Yes.

better schedule and co-ordination would help everyone,
different routes –
co-ordinated routes/schedules/telecommunication between drivers on behalf of arriving passengers-departing connecting buses between West Van, North Van, Burnaby, Richmond and Vancouver connections would be such a help! I once took only one hour, door to door, using public transport and ferries to get to Kitchener street in Burnaby from Lenora road on Bowen Island. I made all the connections, in part because I ran like a beserker between bus/ferry/bus/bus/bus connections.

On another occasion, my daughter took 6 hours to make same trip in reverse – she missed every connection. Quite a difference, no?

Or other?)

Having rapid transit /rail service stop in Horseshoe Bay on the way to West van, Vancouver, and install tunnel under Lions gate bridge/second narrows/wherever to circumvent highway travel would be wonderful. Imagine travelling ‘via rail’ from Mount Currie to Richmond, New West, like we used to, before I was born? J

One of our most vexing problems on Bowen Island, and a great deterrent to using public transport, is the worry we have that we will miss our Translink connections if we have to rely on our bus connecting and the ferry is late – which it often is. Moreover, BC Ferries has instigated a 10-15 min. cut-off for both foot and vehicle passengers boarding permission. So if the citybus is 30 seconds late arriving, it can happen (often does) that passengers are stranded in Horseshoe bay, although the ferry is still sitting there, leaving 10 minutes later. This has led to some near-violence /choleric reactions in the past.

Yes, and retrurning via rail service wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

2.3) What would a successful inter-regional plan look like to you?

Based as much on electric energy run rail links as possible, with shared resources to connect transit stops to houses like the shared city-bikes mentioned before.

3.1) How would you encourage the use of more efficient standards and greener technology for new and retrofitted industries in your community?

By researching all the available non-polluting alternatives, and setting standards that allow nothing less than the best environmental standards.

4.1) How will you ensure that all new residential and commercial development occurs in existing developed areas, thereby increasing walkability and proximity to shops and services?

Through appropriate zoning and mixed use options, as well as strictly enforced best environmental practice standards.

4.2) What policies do you think will be most effective at reducing our community’s impact on air quality?

Walkable distances from homes to work, in situ daycare options for underage children, public transport to locally situated schools. We should have a small public middle and high school option on Bowen Island.

5.1) The Province of BC is considering a province-wide ban on the use of cosmetic pesticides. Regardless of the outcome, would you support a local bylaw banning pesticide use in your community?

YES ABSOLUTELY. YES.

5.2) Would you support adopting a similar backyard burning bylaw(s) in (Pemberton/SLRD Electoral Areas)?

N/A