It’s a Date
Sept 16: Ladies’ bowling league 7 pm
Sept 17: Free welcome-back bowling 6:30 pm
Sept. 17: Free open gym 6:30 pm
Sept. 18: Youbou Clean-Up 9:30 am
Hall Fun and Fitness
Recreational opportunities are returning to the Youbou Community Hall—bowling, pickleball, Qi Gong, and open gym. Pre-registration is usually needed for hall events and changes do occur, so before heading to the hall, check this link: https://issuu.com/cvrd/docs/cvrd_rec_guide_fall_2021_w_cover?fr=sYmVlODE0NzA0ODM.
Sept 16: Ladies’ Thursday bowling league starts
Sept 17: Free welcome-back bowling 6:30 pm
Sept. 17: Free open gym 6:30 pm
Sept 24: Qi Gong starts
Oct. 17: Mixed bowling league starts
Nov. 2: Mens’ bowling league starts
Fridays: Family bowling
Saturdays: Adult bowling
Note: Pickleball usually doesn’t start indoors until the rains start but is scheduled for weekday mornings except Wednesdays.
BC Vaccine Card in Youbou
By now, you’ve heard about the BC Vaccine Card for those who have been vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus. This will affect our lives in Youbou, so let’s face this new challenge with respect and civility, whether we’re vaccinated or not. Here’s what you need to know:
• The cards are needed only for discretionary activities, such as:
-restaurant indoor and patio dining at the Youbou Pub & Grill and Cassy’s Coffeehouse.
-adult indoor fitness activities, such as pickleball, bowling, and Qi Gong
• The cards are NOT needed for essential activities in Youbou, such as:
-grocery shopping at the Shop & Save
-buying gas at Daly’s Auto Centre.
• The cards are NOT needed for faith-based institutions, such services at the Youbou church.
• The cards do NOT apply to children under 12, who are currently not eligible for a vaccine.
• Cards for those with at least one shot will be needed starting September 13. By October 24, cards for two doses will be required. It is expected that this card system will be in effect at least until January 31, 2022.
Note: Please also understand that until further notice, face masks are required for anyone 12 and older in all indoor public spaces throughout BC. Masks may be removed temporarily in indoor public places to identify the individual wearing the mask, to consume food or beverage at a location designated for this purpose, while participating in a sport or fitness activity in a sport facility, or while receiving a personal or health service that requires the mask to be removed.
Shed Those Summer Pounds
If you’ve found your waistband is getting a bit too snug, consider joining the TOPS Youbou Chapter. Meet the group every Tuesday morning at 10 am at the Youbou Church in the lower hall. No naming and no shaming. Everyone is there to support each other.
Youbou Clean-Up
Let’s give Youbou and Area I a little outdoor spruce-up, postponed from the spring. Join us on Saturday, September 18, at 9:30 am at old sawmill site parking area (overflow at Arbutus Park). We plan to clean up the shore-side slope there, plus other public lakeside sites as needed.
And if you prefer to go it alone, walk around your neighbourhood with a trash bag. Hand sanitizer and garbage bags will be provided. Area I Representative Klaus Kuhn has offered to pay spruce-up garbage tipping fees at the Meade Creek Recycling Centre.
Organizing groups:The Save Our Holmes Society (SOHS) and the Youbou Community Association (YCA) are teaming up to bring this event to life.
Cans and bottles:Any cans and bottles collected by the group will be donated to the Youbou Community Church Society (YCCS), to help maintain the historic community church building. The drop-off is at 10335 Youbou Road.
Consider bringing:gloves, garbage grabbers, and loppers
Household debris:If you live in Area I and would like to dispose of personal items on Youbou Clean-Up Day during the hours of 9:30 to 1:30, the YCA will refund some of your tipping fees. Simply send your receipt to 10461 Youbou Road and we will reimburse you. Sorry, we will not have volunteers coming around to haul away items from private homes this year.
Updates:If September 18 is too soggy, we’ll advise of any changes via the YCA and Youbou Connection facebook pages.
Trash Schedule
The trash pick-up schedule for Youbou and Area I will switch back to collection every other week in October, resuming the same schedule as the blue recycling bins. The last date for weekly trash collection is Friday, October 8. There will no collection on Friday, October 15.
Quiet Water
While it’s been a subdued summer around the lake, it may not have been so silent on the lake. If you’ve been troubled by excessively loud boats, you can do something to alleviate the noise. The Decibel Coalition is asking interested citizens to sign a national petition to deal with excessively noisy boats. If you wish to sign, go to https://www.change.org/p/rbosomworth-gmail-com-excessively-loud-boats-driving-you-crazy
Additionally, The Decibel Coalition will be compiling an across-Canada selection of video clips to show to Transport Canada the impact of excessively noisy boats. If you’d like to participate, use your phone, in landscape mode, to capture video and sound of a loud boat. Upload your videos by October 15 to: https://spaces.hightail.com/uplink/eltonInput your name and email and note the lake name, approximate distance from boat, and type/size of boat.
Weir Design Finalized
The Cowichan Lake weir design was shared at a public meeting in July. The proposed new weir will be 70 cm higher than the old one, offering the ability to hold more water in the lake during drought seasons. This plan is still subject to an ongoing shoreline assessment that is due to finish by March 2022. For more information, visit www.cowichanlakewier.ca
Milfoil Alert
An unwanted visitor is taking hold in our lake—Eurasian Milfoil has been hitch-hiking on boats and is getting established at beaches around the lake. This nuisance invasive species can really tangle with boaters and bathers alike. If you notice this weed along the shoreline, please remove it and put it in your trash. And, if you transport any kind of boat (including stand-up paddleboards and kayaks) between different bodies of water, be sure to wash the boat hulls with sponge and bucket before launching.
Vote at the Hall
Remember to vote in the federal election on Monday, September 20. You can vote at Youbou Hall from 7 am to 7 pm. You can also vote early on September 10, 11, 12, and 13 in Lake Cowichan in the lower Centennial Hall or by mail, if you apply before September 14 at 6 pm.
Billeting Kraken Players
The Lake Cowichan Kraken team players are looking for homes. If you have a room to spare for the hockey season, think about billeting one of these teens. Hosts will receive $600 per month, plus 2 season tickets. For more information, contact LakeCowichanKraken@gmail.com.
Mile 77 Thanks
If you’ve walked the dog or had a picnic at Mile 77 park lately, you’ve noticed some big improvements, thanks to local supporters. Greg Adams, owner of Laketown Ranch, donated the new picnic shelter. The Cowichan Lake Community Forest Co-op funded the enhancements of the beaches. If you’d like to show your appreciation, come to Mile 77 Park on September 2 at 2:30 pm to share our thanks with Greg and Lorne Scheffer, who is representing the Forest Co-op.
Logging Mt. Holmes
In June, Mosaic held a zoom call with about 50 Youbou residents to share logging plans for the area, then sent information packets to all Youbou households by post. On August 15, the Save Our Holmes Society held an in-person meeting at Yount School to share concerns about logging the slope behind the community. About 50 people attended. If you have questions about Mosaic’s plans, you can contact Pam Jorgensen at Pam.Jorgenson@MosaicForests.com. If you wish to see the Save Our Holmes Society’s concerns, please email: save.our.holmes@shaw.ca
Summer 2021 Review
Since the newsletter took a break in July and August, we thought we’d look back at our fairly uneventful summer in Youbou, just in case you were away on vacation too.
Canada Day: Mourning over the unmarked graves at residential schools meant Canada Day celebrations were subdued. Sadly, the Youbou Church wound up cancelling its annual Canada Day activities. The Youbou Volunteer Fire Department did drive through town with shiny red trucks and flags. Thanks for that patriotic salute.
Cancellations:For the second year in a row, concerns about Covid 19 meant we could not have our annual regatta. Laketown Ranch also cancelled its summer concerts. Next year for sure!
Heat:It was hot. Fire bans and water restrictions kicked in early and stayed all summer as locals turned to the lake to keep cool.
And the Band Played On:Thanks to the locals who shared live music from the lake or lakeshore. On August 6, one group played a free concert from a houseboat in the bay by the old sawmill. Despite the threat of rain, they hit all the high notes and pulled it off swimmingly.
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.comand our 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: Spencer Day
At large: Debbie Smith