Constance Barnes

As a Vancouver Park Board Commissioner and Chair,I helped advance Creekside Community Centre- the first in Canada to acheive LEED Platinum, I also championed urban forests, climate adaption and restored urban forests as well as coastlines. One project especially close to my heart was daylighting streams to restore natural habitat and healthier eco systems. Working with Indigenous communities to honour their traditional knowledge and stewardship made this enviromental work deeply meaningful to me. I championed car-free cycling routes in Stanley Park and I was extrememly lucky to work with David Suzuki on reducing our carbon footprint with practical climate action that made Vancouver greener healthier and more resilient.

Well, I think the first thing I would do is ask, “What are the facts?”

Before we start making promises, I want to know what conversations have already happened. Has Bowen Island Municipality connected with BC Ferries? Have we talked with the Province, our federal partners, our MP and MLA, our Indigenous partners, the Squamish Nation, climate experts and people in our community?

Because if we’re going to do something as big as move toward an electric ferry, we need people at the table.

I would go to BC Ferries and ask some straightforward questions.

Do you already have a feasibility study or business case? What would an electric vessel cost? What would Bowen and Horseshoe Bay need to do to make it work? What charging infrastructure would we need? And, most importantly, how much could it reduce our greenhouse gas emissions?

Then we have to talk about money. Where could the funding come from? Could there be federal or provincial funding, the Canada Infrastructure Bank, green infrastructure programs, public-private partnerships or private investment?

I don’t know the answer to all of that yet—and I’m not going to pretend I do.

What I do know is that I’ve spent years sitting around government tables. As an elected Park Board Commissioner and Chair, I learned how to work across governments, build relationships, understand budgets and bring people together to get things done.

I’d want to talk to our neighbouring islands. They may be looking at opportunities, and we can work together.

I’m going to be really honest about this one.

The thought of significantly more tanker traffic moving through Howe Sound makes me nervous. These are our waters, and I care deeply about the safety of Bowen residents, our marine environment and our community.

This is an issue I would need to do my homework on. I don’t want to pretend I already know all the answers, because I don’t.

My first step would be to understand the facts. What tanker traffic is there today? What would a doubling or tripling of Woodfibre LNG mean? What are the actual risks? What emergency plans are in place? And are Bowen’s emergency responders properly equipped and prepared?

I would want to talk with the people who know this best including our own staff —Transport Canada, the Coast Guard , marine safety experts, our emergency responders, Indigenous partners including the Squamish Nation, Woodfibre LNG, and our neighbouring Islands.,

I would insist that Bowen has a strong  confident voice at that table.

I’ve spent years working across governments and sitting around public-policy tables. I know how to ask questions, bring people together and keep digging until I understand an issue. I worked very closely with the Vancouver Coast Guard when the Feds wanted to shut her down. It was  brutal confrontation some days but alas the feds found the resources and acknowledged the risks so it was restored and it now services Vancouver. Kits, English Bay and surrounding Stanley Park waters. WE WON!

I absolutely want tourism on Bowen...even though I tend to stay close to home and avoid the cove if possible during the busy season. Tourism brings much needed revenue and supports our local businesses. But I also think we have to be honest that tourism comes with pressures. Some visitors are incredibly respectful, and others leave garbage, bottles and waste behind or put pressure on our roads, ferries, trails and fragile ecosystems.

I spent 15 years working in the tourism industry, including at Storyeum and the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, where I worked in operations and marketing. So I’ve seen firsthand how tourism can affect a community.

For Bowen, I would want to start with the facts. When are our busiest times? Where are the pressure points? Can our transportation, waste management, washrooms, trails and ecosystems handle more visitors?

Then I’d bring residents, businesses, environmental experts and the appropriate government and service providers together to find practical solutions.

I also think education and enforcement have a role. Visitors should know what is expected of them when they come to Bowen, and our community shouldn’t be left carrying the costs when people don’t respect our island.

I want Bowen to welcome visitors—but I also want visitors to respect Bowen.

This is one I feel I can speak to from experience because, as a Park Board Commissioner and Chair, I dealt with these climate risks—intense storms, landslides, coastal erosion, wildfire, drought and extreme heat.

I remember standing in Stanley Park after the devastating windstorm. I was there in boots, a hard hat and big work gloves, stepping over enormous trees that had stood for generations. Seeing the massive Western Red cedar estimated to be 1000 years-old collaped and down was devastating. The saplings underneath were bent and broken. It was heartbreaking, but it was also reality—and we had to deal with it.

That experience taught me that resilience isn’t just about what you do after a disaster. It’s about preparing before it happens.

On Bowen, I would start by looking at our vulnerabilities and existing plans. Where are the gaps? Are our roads, drainage, shorelines, forests and other infrastructure prepared? Do our emergency responders have the equipment, training and resources they need? Do we have strong evacuation and communication plans?

I would bring together our emergency responders, staff, climate and environmental experts, Indigenous partners, residents and the appropriate levels of government to build practical plans for these risks.

And I would absolutely use my Park Board experience. I have a Rolodex full of people I can call who have dealt with these challenges—and I would reach out for guidance.

I’ve seen what climate events can do. I don’t want Bowen scrambling if tragedy strikes!