YOUBOU REGATTA - AUG 12
Loosen your belts and slip on your flip-flops because the Youbou Regatta is happening on Saturday, August 12. The regatta is a long-time Youbou tradition and is our time to shine in the sun. Here is how the day unfolds:
- 8 AM: The Youbou Volunteer Firefighters start serving breakfast at the firehall: pancakes, eggs, sausage, and all the works.
- 10:30 AM: Parade participants assemble for judging at Youbou Hall parking lot.
- 11 AM: Spectators find a comfy spot to watch the world's shortest parade—somewhere between the community hall and Arbutus Park is best.
- 11:15 AM: The regatta fun and games kick off at Arbutus Park, including the Clarence Whittingham Memorial Quarter Mile Swim, swimming races, chalk art contest, games for kids, belly flop and cannonball contests, and live music.
- 11:30 AM to 2 PM: Youbou Community Association lunch concession.
- 11 AM UNTIL: Our Health, Our Community Survey. Community organizations wishing to be involved in the regatta in some way, please contact Danny at danny.lambert@cvrd.bc.ca.
TAKE THE HEALTH SURVEY
Our Cowichan Communities Health Network, in partnership with Island Health, is launching its Our Health, Our Community online survey. The goal of this survey is to capture local data on the health and well-being of Cowichan Valley residents to help shape regional health programs, services, and policies. The team hopes to recruit 4,500+ Cowichan Valley residents, ages 18 and older, to complete the survey. This high level of participation will help generate the quality data needed to respond to demographic shifts and changing health and community needs. You will be asked to provide anonymous feedback about your overall health and life in the Cowichan Valley, and how well you can access local health and community services. Whether you live in Youbou or Area I for a few weeks, a few months, or all year round, you're entitled to take this survey. Representatives will be at the Youbou regatta to answer questions and provide help in taking the survey. The survey will be available online at least until September 19. Click here to take the survey today!
CANADA DAY AT THE CHURCH
Youbou's Community Church was THE place to be on Canada Day. A steady stream of residents and visitors came to celebrate and taste a bite of special patriotic cake. The bake sale did a brisk business, and the curios on the jumble table attracted curious buyers who didn't know they needed that special little thing. Upstairs, a parade of admirers toured the impressive quilt show featuring the masterworks from Youbou quilters, past and present. Above all, we appreciated seeing the updates the church has undergone recently. Thank you to the Youbou Community Church Society for all the hard work and for hosting such a friendly Canada Day. To top off the morning, the members of the Youbou Volunteer Fire Department drove by in shiny red fire trucks to wish bystanders a very happy Canada Day!
FROM MY DESK - By Karen Deck, Area I Director
The recent rain we had was so welcome, putting a spotlight on the importance of water to us and to our environment. The protection of our watersheds, surface and ground water will become more and more important as time goes by. On July 5th, I met with Mosaic Forest Management and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) staff to discuss the perennial issues of speed and dust along Youbou Road. These problems have been exacerbated by the detour of traffic from Port Alberni through our community. Ryan Gerow, our local MOTI area manager, counted 2,500 vehicles traveling through the detour in one day!
MOTI's Shawn Haley requests that your concerns regarding road conditions be directed to him so that he can assess the conditions to determine if the extra sweeping can be done. His email is Shawn.Haley@gov.bc.ca. The current contractual obligations are to sweep once a year. Mosaic staff proposed a solution that would make the biggest impact with fewer sweeps. Also, they suggest sweep trucks should be equipped with a water system to reduce the dust in the air.
Mosaic staff outlined the efforts they have made to reduce dust. They paved 4.2 km of road west of our community. Other entities use the road too, so it is possible that 50% of the traffic belongs to other licensees and forest managers like WFP, BCTS, several First Nations, and the odd private landowner. Mosaic monitors pull-outs and notifies other users which ones are approved and maintain the pullouts with gravel to limit tracking of mud onto roads.
Mosaic has implemented measures to monitor log truck speed through GPS and promptly address any violations. They will regularly remind their staff and contractors to respect speed limits in Youbou and other areas. MOTI has committed to installing Black Cat speed trackers and making the reports available to interested parties. They will also investigate drainage structures in areas where fine silt accumulates, such as concrete/asphalt curbs or other artificial drainage structures. While updating drainage/ditch structures is challenging and expensive, regular sweeping and maintenance will be a more feasible and cost-effective solution.
To address speed concerns, I will continue to seek volunteers for Speed Watch, working in partnership with ICBC and the RCMP. If you have any concerns or questions, please contact me at 250-252-6526 or email Karen.Deck@cvrd.bc.ca.
LEVEL 3 WATER RESTRICTIONS
Currently, Cowichan Valley is under Level 3 Water Restriction, subject to change. For the latest information, please refer to the CVRD website. Under Level 3 restrictions, sprinkling lawns is prohibited. However, micro or drip irrigation and hand-watering of food gardens are allowed for up to 2 hours a day, while ornamental gardens can be watered for up to 1 hour daily. Filling pools and hot tubs is not permitted. Washing vehicles, boats, driveways, houses, and sidewalks may be allowed under certain circumstances. Residential washing of driveways, houses, or sidewalks is only permitted during Stages 2 and 3 for specific purposes like applying paints, preservatives, or pouring concrete. Commercial enterprises requiring water for normal business activities may be exempt from some Stage 2 and 3 water restrictions.
HALL DANCE ON SEPTEMBER 30
Join us at Youbou Hall on Saturday, September 30 for a lively evening of live music and dancing. The doors open at 7:30 pm, and beer, wine, and light snacks will be served. Tickets will be available in town for $30.
YOUBOU INDOOR MARKET
The Youbou Market will be taking a break starting from the end of July. For more information, please email marketyoubou@gmail.com.
SWIMMING AT ARBUTUS PARK
The CVRD is offering swim lessons this summer, and you can still register for the last two sessions: C (July 31 to August 10) and D (August 14 to 24). To register, call 250-749-6742. Lifeguards will be on duty at the park until August 27, from 10 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday, and from noon to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
SUMMER BOWLING
Enjoy some fun at Youbou's historic bowling alley throughout August. Rock 'n Glow takes place on Saturday nights from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. The last Family Funday Matinee will be on August 26 from 1 to 3 pm.
GOT NEWS?
If you have news about a public event happening (or not happening) in or around Youbou and Area I, please send the details about the date, time, and place to julia@raedwulf.org. You can also check our website at youbouyca.com and our Facebook page for the latest information.
ARE YOU A MEMBER?
The Youbou Community Association plays a vital role in supporting community activities, including the monthly newsletter, holiday decorating, and other events throughout the year. While we appreciate our Facebook friends, becoming an official family lifetime member of the organization is only $10 and involves filling out a form. It provides you with key information about what's happening in Youbou and grants you voting rights at our annual meetings. You will also receive our colorful community newsletter via email every month. To join, please reach out to cherylmtutor@gmail.com.
SECOND ANNUAL CRABFEST
The Youbou Community Association hosted the second annual Crabfest at Youbou Hall, which was a sellout event. Attendees enjoyed plates of crab, baked potatoes, salad, rolls, dessert, and more. Thank you to everyone who supported the event. The 50/50 draw raised $212.50 for Pam Palliser of Lake Cowichan. Many individuals contributed to the success of the event, including the crab-cracking-and-cooking team, greeters, cooks, servers, and those handling drink tickets and bar sales. Bruce Bunting provided the tunes, and the community spirit was evident as everyone helped with clean-up.
DATES
- August 12: Youbou Regatta, 8 am until
- August 26: Family bowling at the bowling alley, 1 to 3 pm
- September 30: Hall Dance
- Saturdays: Bowling from 6:30 to 9:30 pm