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Obituary: Scott Hylands Douglas

Scott Hylands Douglas   February 27, 1943 – July 29, 2026 Scott passed away bravely and peacefully on July 29th, 2026, in Victoria, BC. He was born on February 27th, 1943, in Lethbridge, Alberta. Predeceased by his father, Flight Lieutenant (RCAF 416 Squadron) Walter Norman Douglas (1921-1945), his mother Ruth (White) Douglas (1913-2005), and many other relatives in BC and Ontario. Scott is survived by his loving and devoted wife Veronica, his daughter Rebecca (Keith) Halper, and son Luke. Grandchildren Max and Lucy. Also survived by other relatives in Ontario and BC. Scott was a passionate and professional actor for over 60 years in theatre and film. He was an original founding member of the ACT in San Francisco. His extensive career brought him to many cities all over North America, and abroad. While filming Night Heat in Toronto, he met his wife, Veronica. They married in 1990 and moved to Salt Spring Island, BC where they built their dream home, and raised their…
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The Sky Is Smoky Again. Here's What to Do

If you have looked up at a hazy sky this week or felt that familiar smell in the air, you already know. Salt Spring is in smoke season again, and it is here now.

This is not the same island many of us grew up on or moved here for. As our climate warms, fire seasons are starting earlier, lasting longer and sending smoke our way more often, even from fires burning hundreds of kilometres from here.

We cannot control the fires themselves, but we can control how we protect ourselves and each other while the smoke is here.

Smoke is more than an inconvenience. It carries tiny particles that get deep into your lungs and can affect your whole body.

Anyone can feel the effects, but babies, older adults, pregnant people and anyone with heart or lung trouble need to be extra careful right now. Salt Spring has a lot of older residents, so this matters for many of our neighbours today.

How to Tell if Smoke Is Affecting You

Watch for…

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So You or Your Loved One Want To Age in Place? Lots to Learn. . . .

Twenty-three came to this ASK Salt Spring gathering for the complicated and emotional discussion about the supports needed to allow us to age safely and comfortably in our homes.

Leading this conversation were Valerie Louvet, owner of Homecare Salt Spring, and Cecile Petra, Occupational Therapist and Coordinator of Hospice Home Visits.

For more about our Hospice Society, you may want to re-read the ASK Salt Spring report about its visit with us.

After an Acknowledgement by Constance Gibbs, one of our Hospice volunteers who selected this topic and invited our guests, we each had an opportunity to introduce ourselves.

The group was split into folks who wanted to learn more to better support their parent and those who wanted to begin planning how they could age comfortably and safely in their home.

We soon learned that, unless one is cared for by a loving friend or relative, home care decisions are often forced to strike that ba…

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School Board Trustee Election 2026 | Notice of Nomination

School District No. 64 (Gulf Islands) 2026 GENERAL LOCAL ELECTIONS NOTICE OF NOMINATION Nomination papers for the election of seven (7) School Board Trustees (three (3) Trustees for Salt Spring Island and one (1) Trustee each for Pender, Saturna, Mayne and Galiano Islands) to serve a four-year term commencing on November 4, 2026, will be received by the Chief Election Officer, as follows: By hand, mail, or other delivery service at the offices of School District No. 64 (Gulf Islands) 112 Rainbow Road, Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 2K3 Attention: Chief Election Officer, Jesse Guy By email to: jguy@sd64.org Nomination documents will be received from 9:00 am on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 11, 2026, on business days. Original nomination documents requiring signed (in-person) declaration must be received by the Chief Election Officer by 4:00 pm on Friday, September 11, 2026 Appointments are strongly recommended, pleas…
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What's On this Week on CHIR-FM

The debut of a show featuring new Canadian music, a conversation with Briony Penn, and tributes to Jerry Garcia and Glen Hansard are among the nifty offerings this week on CHIR-FM, the Voice of the Gulf Islands. Tune in to 107.9 FM (or 102.1 FM in the South End) or stream the station online to hear more than 20 unique local programs on your community radio station. Highlights for the coming week include: Tuesday (August 4) 9-10 am. Canada Fresh makes its debut this week featuring new music by Canadian artists. Hosted by David Crouch. Tuesday (August 4) 1-2 p.m. On This Song, That Time, Lesley Grott takes a little musical ramble beginning with the Irish musician and actor Glen Hansard, who tragically died last week. She will begin with his Oscar-winning song and continue with other music that comes to my mind. Show re-airs Thursdays at 1 pm and Saturdays at 1 pm. Tuesday (August 4) 5-6 p.m. On Connections, host David Minkow pays tribute to Jerry Garcia during t…
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Making Every Drop Count

Despite some light rains and cooler temperatures in July we continue to slip deeper into drought. As gardeners we must get creative in finding alternate water sources for our gardens. One of my favourite approaches is to find ways to use the same drop of water twice.The kitchen is an excellent source on "untapped" grey water. Keep a container in your sink at all times to catch water from hand washing, cleaning fruit & veggies, soaking dry beans, rinsing rice, grains any number of things, water used for cooking vegetables or leftover tea, you get the idea. An added bonus, this water contains nutrients that are beneficial for the garden.I keep two tubs in the kitchen one for washing dishes the other for rinsing, all of that water can be recycled into the garden.Two watering cans are kept near the door to keep my tubs empty for the next opportunity.I avoid using water with soap on my acid loving plants as it is alkaline and could create discontent with plants like Rhododendron.…
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Rain Changes Everything

Rain!! Last Thursday, as I was picking out a silky summer skirt to wear to the theatre, I heard the unmistakable plop of a raindrop, hitting the deck. I thought it would pass, just another midsummer tease, but after a few moments the clouds let loose a proper peppering, that grew into a juicy fat rainstorm. Though i feel your pain, wedding planners and market vendors: is there anything quite as sweet as a July downpour? Because it has been hoooooooot. Hot enough to have us lingering by the freezer section at Country Grocer just to catch some chill. So hot that people get road rage trying to find parking at the lake. Hot enough that dogs refused to chase sticks. Thanks to this week’s rain: we’re on the other side of sweltering. Everything green and growing is looking a whole lot perkier. There are little pools of water in the petioles — that’s the place where leaf meets stem — that make tiny swimming ponds for treefrogs. The day after a drenching, with raindrops b…
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Culture of Care #5 (Summer 2026): New Community Wellness Survey, Local Stories & Mental Health Updates

The Summer 2026 edition of Culture of Care, the newsletter of the Salt Spring Island Mental Wellness Initiative (MWI), is now available. This issue highlights community-led projects, celebrates local partnerships, shares stories of connection and belonging, and invites residents to help shape the future of mental wellness on Salt Spring Island. Help Shape Community Health One of the featured announcements is the launch of a new community survey asking: "What does community health mean to me?" The survey encourages islanders to reflect on questions such as: - What is the current state of mental wellness in our community? - Who is thriving, and who is struggling? - What strengths already support wellbeing? - What barriers prevent people from seeking support? - What would a mentally healthy community look like if we could design it together? The Mental Wellness Initiative hopes these conversations will help identify community priorities and guide future work th…
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What's On this Week on CHIR-FM

Interviews with Harry Manx, Pharis & Jason Romero, plus a show on dragon boating, a celebration of the Buck Moon, and a musical tour of the alleys of East Vancouver from 2000-2016 are among the exciting things on tap way this week on CHIR-FM, the Voice of the Gulf Islands. Tune in to 107.9 FM (or 102.1 FM in the South End) or stream the station online to hear more than 20 unique local programs on your community radio station. Highlights for the coming week include: Tuesday (July 28) 10-11 a.m: With TRUpreneur on vacation until August, host David Crouch will continue his look at the music and events of the second Summer of Love from 1989 that was centred in England and brought raves to the foreground. Tuesday (July 28) 1-2 p.m. On This Song, That Time, Lesley Grott celebrates dragon boating with music to paddle to, short interviews with members of the Spirit Point Dragons dragon boating team as well as information about the sport. Show re-airs Thursdays at 1 pm and Sa…
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Astrology by Danielle Blackwood: Full Moon JULY 2026 (AQUARIUS)

Each Full Moon brings its own wisdom, teachings, and medicine through the lens of a particular archetype. The Full Moon often brings something to fruition and illuminates what has been hidden. Each month we experience a subtle shift as the Full Moon highlights specific themes, emotions, and feelings. For many, the Full Moon amplifies the way we interpret and experience both our inner world and the world around us. Happy Full Moon in Aquarius! The Full Moon at 6° Aquarius on July 29th at 7:36 am (PT) is the biggest Full Moon of 2026. Not only is it conjunct Pluto (the planet of death and rebirth) bringing themes of power, control, and deep psychological transformation (as well as the emergence of Shadow material) it also coincides with Jupiter cazimi, an Arabic word meaning ‘in the heart of the sun’. The archetypal signature of the so called ‘Barbault’s Basket’ is still very much with us and will be for some time to come. This Full Moon taps into that once in a lifeti…
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