MARCUS HONDRO

Staff Contributor

Social apathy may have been a target last Sunday afternoon as the group Bowen Island Ourselves held an Open Space meeting that the group says was intended to contribute to making local governance more open and participatory and less antagonistic.

Open Space is a term used to denote a “meeting methodology,” according to Chris Corrigan, a member of Bowen Island Ourselves. He notes these forms of meetings, and the website and forum the group runs, are places where people can come to express ideas in an environment safe from criticism.

“We want to do regular dialogues on topics that are of interest to islanders,” said Corrigan, who feels viable ideas came out of Sunday’s meeting. “We look to host creative and collaborative conversations on issues, not adversarial ones.”

Attendees ran the meeting, breaking into discussion groups after collectively deciding the topics for discussion, and judging by remarks from those who participated, the gathering was a success.

Some 25 Islanders attended, with many saying afterwards they felt grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it, and that it was extremely productive. Mayor Bob Turner, one of the attendees, said he found the meeting very positive.

Another attendee, Deepak Sahasrabudhe, who lived on Bowen for 15 years but now lives on the mainland, said he came over to take part because “you can’t have a dialogue like this anywhere else.”

In addition to Corrigan, the organizing group includes Rosemary Knight, John Dumbrille, Sue Ellen Fast, Will Husby and Stephen Foster. All of those attended and many of those at the meeting are listed as participants on the group’s website.

One topic at the meeting was the OCP update, which is highlighted on the Bowen Island Ourselves website. The site hosts ongoing discussions about the OCP that include people who sit on the steering committee. Fast, a steering committee member, is a part of these discussions, as are other committee members.

After the meeting, Dumbrille called the website “an on-line platform for engagement.” He also said one of the goals of such meetings and the website is to create open, dynamic discussions and to get everyone involved and eliminate “the backroom deals” which often surround governance.

The website has already posted notes of the meeting’s discussions. The next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 25, again at the Island Pacific School, and one is already planned for November.

Bowen Island Ourselves has also created a Bowen road status map on their website that allows islanders to get information about local road conditions. To participate, simply go to the website at bowenislandourselves.com.