Spring Dates
This is an update from February as the planning process continues.
Saturdays, April 2, 16, 30: Trail work days, Christopher Rock
Saturday, May 7: Broom Bust at Bald Mountain Trails
Saturday, May 14: Community Garage Sale
Saturday: May 28: Youbou Clean-Up
You’ll be hearing more details about each event as the date gets closer.
Christopher Rock Trail Volunteers
Christopher Rock and Eric’s Bluff hold a special place in the hearts of Youbou residents, however the trail up to these beloved overlooks has become too challenging for many. Last fall, the Cowichan Lake Trail Blazers Society (CLTBS) signed a land-use agreement with Mosaic to improve and maintain this trail. The Master Trail Plan has been approved and we are ready to start work! If you’re interested in working on the Christopher Rock trail, please meet on Saturday, April 2 at 10 am in the upper parking lot behind the Youbou Community Hall (also on April 16 and 30). You’ll be working with the guidance of trained volunteer trail workers. The CLTBS trailer will be on site with tools and free gloves for helpers. If you’d like to bring your own tools, the following could be helpful: loppers, weed-eater, pick axe, garden rakes, and leaf rakes. Dress for the weather and bring water. This year, our work will focus on making the existing trail safer, mainly by adding switchbacks to replace the vertical scree drops and clearing brush and debris. We’ll also be adding signage. Next year, we hope to add an upper loop and work on the path to Eric’s Bluff. Besides pitching in to help, you can also support the work of this volunteer organization, by joining at https://cowichanlaketrailblazers.com/membership/ We hope to see you on April 2, 16 and 30!
Eat, Stay, Play, and Shop Local
Hopefully, you’re taking the Shop Local signs to heart and supporting our Youbou businesses. The Cowichan Lake Chamber of Commerce earned a grant from the British Columbia’s Chamber’s “Shop Local” program and is spreading the word. Besides posting Shop Local signage around the lake, the Chamber has been distributing stickers and shopping bags. Over Valentine’s weekend, the Chamber hosted a Small Business Crawl. Local resident Jean Atkinson won third prize, entitling her to $125 worth of goods and services from local merchants, including the Youbou Bar & Grill. Lucky Jean! The Chamber is also using grant funds to film four videos to promote the Cowichan Lake area—Eat, Stay, Play, and Shop Local.
Elk Celebrity, Season 2
In our last issue, we spotlighted the team of volunteers who are gathering resources to create a carved statue of Bob the elk somewhere in Youbou. This month, the elk fame continues. Vancouver Island CTV News featured Bob the elk, along with friends Wendy Stokes and Monica Ash as part of its feature Sawatsky Sign-Off. The video aired on February 18 and you can see it on the Youbou Connection facebook page as well.
Save Our Holmes AGM
By Karen Deck, President, Save Our Holmes Society
We’re grateful for this opportunity to reach out to the community once more as we continue to seek ways to protect the watersheds and forests on Mts. Holmes and Good. We’ll be meeting with Mosaic representatives in March regarding our request to conserve some forested areas and are hoping for fruitful discussions.
Our neighbourhood forest fills Aquifer 190, the source of our drinking water. The forest above the communities of Youbou and Meade Creek is the best ally we have as the climate emergency worsens; cooling the air in the summer, slowing the flow of rain in the winter. Intact, diverse forests are more resilient against forest fires. Dry clear cuts filled with flammable broom are a fire hazard.
As the BC government ponders changes to forestry laws, your voice matters. Please send your letters of concern to Minister of Forests Katrine Conroy at: FLNR.Minister@gov.bc.ca and Minister of the Environment George Heyman at: ENV.Minister@gov.bc.ca
Save Our Holmes’ Annual General Meeting will be held on Sunday April 10 at 1:00. More details will be available on our Facebook page closer to the day. We want to be flexible in terms of Covid protocols and residents’ comfort levels with in-person meetings. Contact us at save.our.holmes@shaw.ca if you have questions, ideas or if you’d like to help. If you would like to become a member, Save Our Holmes individual memberships are $5 per year.
Are You a YCA Member?
The Youbou Community Association is involved in helping community activities happen, such as the monthly newsletter, holiday decorating, 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. You can also check our web site at youbouyca.com and our Youbou Community Association facebook page for the latest information.
Your YCA Board
Chair: Julia Martinusen
Co-Chair: Lori LaFave
Secretary: Randall Wilson
Treasurer: Steve Watt
Social: Eva Fearon
Garry Fearon
Publicity: Allan Gott
Membership: Cheryl Morgan
At large: Debbie Smith