Trail Day at Christopher Rock
If you’re a Christopher Rock fan, please help on Saturday, April 8, at 9:30 am, behind the hall in the upper parking lot. Cowichan Lake Trail Blazers Society (CLTBS) volunteers will be erecting signposts and working on trail enhancements. The more help on hand, the more we can accomplish. Volunteers will receive a free pair of work gloves, and new members will get a CLTBS patch. No need to bring tools, the CLTBS trailer will be on site. If you can’t volunteer, but want to support this beloved Youbou trail, please consider joining the Society at cowichanlaketrailblazers.com/membership.
Earth Day Project
Clearing invasive species along our lakeshore is good for the environment and is a community priority, according to our recent survey. Celebrate Earth Day on April 22 by joining neighbors to remove the blackberries and weeds from the public access on the Swordfern cul de sac. Meet us at 9:30 am with your favourite blackberry-bashing tools, including weed-eaters, loppers etc. We also welcome pick-up trucks who can haul away the noxious weed to Meade Creek. Wear suitable long pants and sleeves and bring water and snacks. Hopefully, sunscreen will be needed too.
Batter Up!
Time to dust off the ole’ baseball mitt and head to the Little League field. Al Capeling is setting up a Youbou Slowpitch softball team for adults. Practices are at the Little League Park on Wednesdays at 6 pm and Saturdays at 10 am, starting on April 5. Just show up with your mitt and find your spot on the playing field.
Garage Sale and Youbou Clean-Up
Spring cleaning is just around the corner and it’s time for our two most popular community events (as indicated in our recent survey). Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 6, for the annual Youbou Community Garage Sale. Let us know if you’re having a sale by emailing Julia@raedwulf.org. We’ll post a map and distribute balloons so eager shoppers know where to find your treasures.
If you don’t sell everything at the garage sale, or if you have items that need the heave-ho, tote them to Meade Creek on Saturday, May 27, when we’ll be offering our once-a-year deal on tipping fees for Area I residents.
Artistic Inspirations
If spring breezes are awakening your creative spirit, give pottery-making a spin at Cassy’s Coffeehouse on Monday, April 10, and May 1, at 10 am. The Cowichan Lake Arts and Culture Society (CLACS) is offering a two-part class on Primitive Pit Firing. You’ll learn to make a pottery vessel and polish it after firing. The cost is $60 for CLACS members and $80 for nonmembers and includes all supplies. You can register at info@cowichanlakeartsandculture.org.
And for the painters in town, the Youbou Bar and Grill will be offering another paint night on April 15. Check out the Youbou Bar and Grill facebook page for details.
Lakeside Craft Crawl
The truly creative among us have a chance to sell homemade crafts or goods on Saturday, April 29 from 10 am to 3 pm. Crafters and cooks around the lake will be setting up tables outside their homes as part of the CLATCH Lakeside Craft Crawl. Youbou vendors will also be hosting a scavenger hunt and hot dog barbecue. To register as a vendor ($20), go to joyfulbear.ca and fill out the form. Balloons will mark vendors and a list and map will be posted on the web site.
Euchre Play
Youbou hall is again hosting friendly Euchre play on Sunday, April 23, at 1 pm. Beginners and seasoned Euchre players are welcome to join in the fun. Bring a toonie to fund the prize pot and a snack to share. Players met on February 19 and March 19 and had such a good time, they wanted to squeeze in one more card-playing day before garden season begins in earnest.
Indoor Market
Remember: the last Sunday of the month is time to check out winter’s Youbou Indoor Market at Youbou Hall, from 10 am to 2 pm on April 30. To book a table as a vendor, contact Bill and Juanita Stewart at marketyou@gmail.com.
Survey Results
Thanks to everyone who filled out our 2023 survey to suggest how the YCA board should direct our resources and efforts. The response was up from our last survey in 2021, with a total of 85 households responding. Below is your valuable feedback:
Youbou lands
The Youbou lands owner has made a request to tap into the Youbou Water System. We asked how you felt about that: 61% are opposed, 26% are undecided, and 13% favor the idea.
Community improvement
• The top vote-getters for issues needing attention are (with highest interest first): traffic and road safety, emergency preparedness, water quality, and public lake access.
• Of medium interest are trash and junk removal, reducing powerboat speed and noise, and invasive species removal.
• Of lesser interest were park improvements and beautification projects.
• Other comments mentioned as concerns were the elk population, road dust and dirt, speeding, paving more of the road west. While the YCA does not have jurisdiction in these issues, we can elevate these as concerns with our CVRD Area I Director, MOT, and Mosaic (who owns the road past Youbou).
Community events
• Respondents are most interested in attending (with highest interest first): community-wide clean-ups, community yard sales, Octo-beerfest, and Crabfest.
• Of medium interest were the Haunted House and New Year’s Eve Dance.
• Residents were least interested in attending the Christmas Craft Fair concession and tournaments, such as horseshoes, euchre ect.
Giving back
Should the YCA have excess funds to donate to a worthy cause, your top three designations would be to contribute to emergency preparedness, support community clean-ups, and enable lake access efforts. Significant interest was also expressed in funding the eradication of invasive species and helping needy families. Less interest was noted in financing park improvements and historic building maintenance.
Our response
We appreciate everyone who expressed their thoughts and are thankful for your support and participation in our various projects throughout the year. We’ll be contacting those who’ve expressed an interest in volunteering. We have also noted your concerns regarding infrastructure issues and will elevate them to the proper authorities.
Area I Community Plan
Representatives from the CVRD came to Youbou on February 23 to share the Official Community Plan for Area I (Youbou/Meade Creek). About 80 people attended during the evening, with about 50 residents staying for the presentation. Poster boards for 8 topics were mounted around the room with opportunities for residents to add comments:
Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Crises: water storage, smoke, increasing heat and storms, emergency preparedness
Manage Infrastructure Responsibly: groundwater sources, pipes, waste disposal, sewage (roads and drainage are Ministry of Transports’ responsibility)
Make Distinct Complete Communities: housing, diverse, all ages, support occupations
Expand Mobility Options: transit, trails, biking, road safety
Protect and Restore Natural Assets: invasive species control, wildlife protection and management
Stengthen and Support local food and agriculture: buy local
To see the zoning for the Area I Community Plan, go to cvrd.ca and click on the Plan Your Cowichan tab.
Area I Update
By Karen deck, Area I CVRD Director
Speeding was one of the biggest concerns expressed by residents of Area I (Youbou/Meade Creek) as I knocked on doors during the electoral campaign. Living along Youbou Road, I share those concerns. I made a commitment to bring Speed Watch to our area and am now pleased to report that opportunities for Speed Watch volunteers will be coming soon!
I had the privilege of spending some time with the Lake Cowichan RCMP Detachment Commander a while ago. Sergeant Lita Watson takes the responsibility of maintaining public safety very seriously and values the support that community volunteers provide. She was pleased to hear that the Speed Watch program is coming back.
A small group of dedicated volunteers ran it a few years ago along Youbou Road. I know that, with enough volunteers and community support, this program can be a success throughout Area I. Look for information in the media from ICBC with instructions on how to apply. Training, equipment and support is provided. Please join your friends and neighbours as we work together to keep our communities safe!
Please contact me at Karen.Deck@cvrd.bc.ca regarding this or other questions or concerns you may have.
YCA Board Update
Thanks to those who attended the Youbou Community Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday, February 12. Randall Wilson shared the results of the 2023 Survey, asprinted in this newsletter. Chair Julia Martinusen reviewed the past year’s activities and Treasurer Steve Watt shared the financials. We thanked Eva and Garry Fearon for their five years of dedicated service to the board and welcomed Pat Miller back to the board. A complete list of the current serving board members is on the front page. The board is now busy making plans for 2023, based on your survey feedback. Check out the web site youbouyca.com to see the Events calendar.
Are You a YCA Member?
The Youbou Community Association is involved in helping community activities happen, such as the monthly newsletter, crab fest, New Year’s Eve, and other events throughout the year. While we love our facebook friends, an official family lifetime membership in the organization is just $10 and involves filling out a form. It is a key to knowing what’s going on around Youbou as well as giving you a vote at our annual meetings. We’ll email you our colourful community newsletter every month. To join, reach out to cherylmtutor@gmail.com
Got News?
If you’d like to contribute news for the newsletter about a public event happening (or not happening) in or around Youbou and Area I, please send particulars about date, time and place to julia@raedwulf.org, by the 20th of the month, please. You can also check our web site at youbouyca.com and our Youbou Community Association facebook page for the latest information.
Dates
April 5: Youbou adult softball practice, 6 pm, Little League Park
April 8: Christopher Rock Trail work, 9:30 am, Hall
April 10, May 1: Pit Firing Class, 10 am, Cassy’s
April 15: Paint Night, Pub
April 22: Swordfern Access Clean-Up, 9:30 am
April 22: Monte and the Pythons, Pub
April 23: Euchre Play, 1 pm, Hall
April 29: Lakeside Craft Crawl, 10 am to 3 pm
April 30: Youbou Indoor Market, 10 am to 2 pm, Youbou Hall
May 6: Youbou Community Garage Sale, 9:30 to 2 pm
May 27: Youbou Clean-Up
Mondays: Rivernotes Singers, 2 to 4 pm, Church
Tuesdays: TOPS: 10:30 am, Church
Wednesdays: Adult softball practice, 6 pm, Little League Park
Saturdays: Adult softball practice, 10 am, Little League Park
Your YCA Board
Chair: Julia Martinusen
Secretary: Randall Wilson
Treasurer: Steve Watt
Membership: Cheryl Morgan
At large:
Monica Ash
Joelle Belanger
Sandra McAfee
Pat Miller
Debbie Smith
Joe Tatham