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Bus and Ferry Schedules now LIVE on the Exchange!

We are pleased to announce that we are now publishing the local bus and ferry schedules on the Exchange! We have also embedded the web cam links for both Vesuvius and Fulford terminals so you can check the schedule and the cams at the same time. https://saltspringexchange.com/bus-ferry-schedules/
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NEW Web Cams for SSI - Road Work on Fulford-Ganges Hill

We got a call a little while back from our friends at Country Grocer, saying “Hey, we think most people would really appreciate having better eyes on the road work on Fulford-Ganges Hill! Would you guys be up to putting up more web cams? We will pitch in!” “Why yes we would!” We started by trying to figure out where the cams would best be situated. The best location was actually pretty obvious. We called Conrad over at Salt Spring Search and Rescue to see if they would be interested in helping us out. These guys are amazing! Super helpful, excited and really collaborative. Thanks Conrad and the team there especially Bill Griffiths for handling the install. Also a big shout out to Christopher Roy for helping pull all the technical parts together. Christopher and Bill worked tirelessly for the last few days getting these all up and running while upgrading our other cameras so they could stream more clearly on all devices. Super team!! So now you can check out how…
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ASK Salt Spring Discusses the Proposed 2025 CRD Budget

September 27 NOTE: Those of you who are watching carefully may wonder why Electoral Director/Local Community Commissioner (LCC) Gary Holman is often our ASK Salt Spring special guest. This is a result of circumstances: Chair Earl Rook has been on a family holiday in Europe, Ben Corno’s work schedule has interfered, and Brian Webster is in the midst of apple harvesting. (And I, Gayle, am busy taking notes in preparation for the writing of this report.) That will change as Earl is due back soon, Ben’s work schedule has changed, and Brian’s apples will soon be harvested. So, please plan to welcome a varying combination of two Local Commissioners the second week of every month, beginning Friday, October 11. (Gary has been a consistent guest of ASK Salt Spring since it began fall 2019. If you want to check out reports of his visits - as well those of other special guests - nearly 200 searchable reports! - please check out our brand new website: asksaltspring.com.) This gath…
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Local Trust Committee September Update

This report relates to the business of the Salt Spring Local Trust Committee (LTC), which is made up of the two local trustees and an appointed chair. The LTC’s responsibilities include regulating the development and use of land within the Salt Spring Local Trust Area, which includes Salt Spring Island and more than 25 associated islands including Prevost, Secret, and Piers islands. The LTC will hold a special electronic meeting on October 1st beginning at 1:30 PM to address several business items. As with all of our meetings, it is open to the public and the meeting link and agenda are available on the Islands Trust website. Our next regular meeting will be on October 10th beginning at 9:30 AM. This will also be an electronic meeting that is open to the public, and a meeting link and agenda will be available on October 4th on the Islands Trust website. Office staff are available to help should you have questions about getting to our meetings or viewing them on-line. P…
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2024 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with the Penelakut Tribe and Coastal Blood Singers

The community of Salt Spring Island gathered together today with elders and members of the Penelakut Tribe who hosted an open invitation event in honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process. Spune’luxutth elders shared personal stories of residential school and the harm the experience caused them, their families and their communities. They also spoke about the need for reconciliation and the importance of re-securing lands on Salt Spring Island to support the protection and preservation of their culture. Penelakut Costal Blood Singers opened and closed the gathering from the end of Fernwood Dock with man…
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A Little Tour Through Apple Festival 2024

Like Apple Fest's of past, we try to do it all but end up having so much fun with all the sweet folks that we cannot see it all!! Here are a few of the people and moments we got to enjoy ... It all started at Fulford Hall with these fine folks, greeting us with Bangin’ Masala Chai - one of the best Chai tea's I think I may have ever tasted, Katherine and Adam are pretty darn sweet too!! As we walked through all the apples we bumped in to this fine fellow, he proceeded to share about all the magic the elve's have been up to in all these years. Did you know they have written over 14,000 letters?? My daughter got one about 8 years ago - it was a really exciting moment for her. If your kiddo's haven't done it, there is a mailbox at Vesuvius - make a trip over one day - it's a memory they will adore. Thanks to Roger Brunt, or The Fairy Door Man, for bringing so much magic to this island and helping to care for the Elve's or maybe they care for him?! We …
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Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) was created through a legal settlement between Residential Schools Survivors, the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit representatives and the parties responsible for creation and operation of the schools: the federal government and the church bodies. The TRC’s mandate was to inform all Canadians about what happened in residential schools. The TRC documented the truth of Survivors, their families, communities and anyone personally affected by the residential school experience. This included First Nations, Inuit and MĂ©tis former residential school students, their families, communities, the churches, former school employees, government officials and other Canadians. The TRC concluded its mandate in 2015 and transferred its records to the safekeeping of National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR). Work of the TRC The TRC carried out extensive research, including hearing from Residential Survivors, their f…
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CRD Statement for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30, known as Orange Shirt Day and now observed as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is a time for reflection, education, and action. This day honors the survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities, and recognizes the ongoing impacts of these institutions on Indigenous Peoples across Canada. The CRD is committed to fostering a community that respects and upholds the rights and cultures of Indigenous Peoples. We acknowledge the profound harm inflicted upon Indigenous peoples by Canada's residential schools and the ongoing impacts and intergenerational trauma that persist within Indigenous communities. The Kuper Island Indian Residential School, located on Kuper Island (now known as Penelakut Island), operated from 1890 to 1975. According to information obtained from the BC Archives, children who attended this school experienced profound isolation from their communities and traumatic separation from their families. They were forbi…
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BC Ferries Urges Long Weekend Passengers to Book Early Amid Limited Capacity

VICTORIA, BC – With the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Thanksgiving long weekends fast approaching, BC Ferries is advising passengers to book in advance due to limited capacity and the risk of being turned away. The 60-year-old Queen of New Westminster is undergoing significant repairs and will be out of service until spring, reducing overall system capacity and making advance travel planning essential. “Both of these long weekends are an important time for families and communities to connect, and we play a key role in facilitating those connections,” said Mel Lucia, Vice President of Customer Experience at BC Ferries. “We’re adding capacity where possible but having one of our major route vessels out of service and no resiliency in our fleet presents a challenge. Passengers are encouraged to book in advance, consider travelling during off-peak times, or walk on board to avoid disruptions during these busy periods.” To manage demand over both long weekends,…
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Conservatives, Greens Inconsistent on Affordable Housing Plans

If housing affordability is a big issue for you, the upcoming provincial election should be good as all three parties are talking a lot about it. I’ve been working on housing issues on Salt Spring with many others for a while now, and wanted to dig deeper behind the slogans to see which parties might make the most difference for us. Housing is a crisis in many communities across Canada, but the conditions making it so bad on Salt Spring are unique. Living in a conservation zone dominated by tourist and retirement economies, and with no local government able to build its own projects or drive change at the local level, means a lot of the big ticket funding, province wide policy changes, or other programs won’t apply here. But looking ahead to the election, let’s see what the parties have to offer. Conservatives seem to be making a play for working class voters, running on a platform of fixing how unaffordable life has gotten. The BC Conservative website is mostly big emoti…
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