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Housing Thoughts

We’ve known about and studied the affordable housing shortfall for at least 13 years and have made no headway, and perhaps gone backwards. As a response we now have an anarchic, subversive culture that thumbs their nose at regulations that don’t represent the will and needs of the population. Non-compliance has become the norm, and it is broadly believed that it is better to beg forgiveness than ask permission. We have a complaint driven, not vision driven policy paradigm Rhonan Heitzmann spoke about how we used to be a beacon for housing solutions. For example, rammed earth in Canada began on SSI.  Straw bale building in the early days was centered on SSI.  SSI milled its own timber, quarried its own building stone, used island sand and gravel for its concrete, and had the skilled tradesman to create remarkable projects.  SSI is no longer the beacon for permitted home building solutions for the rest of the country or the world. So, what would it take to become …
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Working Together on Emergency Training

On November 28 & 29, 2019 a workshop called EOC Essentials (Emergency Operations Centre Essentials) was held at All Saints by the Sea. The workshop was sponsored in a large part by the Salt Spring Island Foundation - covering the cost of the course, books and instructor fees. Without their support we would not have been able to host this course on the island for this many people. Other agencies (SSI Fire Rescue, SSI Search and Rescue and the Emergency program) contributed additional funding for the venue and food. This workshop brought people together from many different agencies on the island  to discuss the operations of our Emergency Centre in the event of an emergency. The instructor was Sybille Sanderson, the recently retired Cowichan Valley Regional District, Emergency Program Coordinator. She brought lots of personal experience to the course including coordinating the Cowichan Valley Regional EOC during the windstorm last December. SSI Fire Rescue (7) Grou…
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Life Safety Teams Work on Coordinated Emergency Event Communications

Last night, December 3, a group of stakeholders met to discuss planning and communication in preparation for any weather events or emergencies on the island this winter. This group was made up of representatives from many different agencies on the island including: Salt Spring Fire Rescue, RCMP, Salt Spring Search and Rescue, BC Ambulance Service, Coast Guard, RCMSAR, Ministry of Transportation, CRD Director Gary Holman, CRD Headquarters, the Salt Spring Island Emergency Program, BC Hydro, Emcon, North Salt Spring Water District, Salt Spring Amateur Radio Society, and others who were unable to attend such as School District 64, telus, Shaw, Harbour Air, SSI Transit and Lady Minto. Brian Bogdanovich, SSI Emergency Program Coordinator has had a key role in working collaboratively to bring all these people together in one place to discuss these issues. This was the second gathering over the past month to discuss communication strategies between the stakeholders and the EOC (…
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Opportunity Portraits: The Pottery Shop + Studio

We're starting off our Opportunity Portraits with "The Pottery Shop + Studio," a new communal pottery studio in Fulford Village,  run by three savvy potters.  So many sectors on Salt Spring are achieving great things and our island entrepreneurs are creative, innovative and award-winning. Read more below in our Q&A Portrait. The Pottery Shop + Studio - Q & A With Erin Morris, Partner What prompted you to open your new venture in Fulford? My time at my last studio was coming to an end and after looking for several months for a decent space (and not finding one) I decided to think outside the box a little and brainstorm some options. In order to grow my business I knew I needed a larger workspace to accommodate the volume of work I want to make. I also knew that I’d been working alone in my studio for many years and was really missing the richness of a shared creative space. Another reason for this venture is that I want to bring more education to the public abou…
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2020 Vision for a Sustainable Community in 2040!

I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore! Nah, well that is true, but I am not going there today….This is a positive opinion to shed light on Housing and Climate solutions that are gaining traction. We have great ideas, and we have great elected leaders who really care and want action and we have great staff who mean well. We need to put it all together in a meaningful way to achieve sustainable results. For those who don’t know me, my name is Rhonan Heitzmann. I first moved to the island in 1983 at 9 years old. Man things have changed since then! I remember selling puzzles and comic books off a card table in the gravel parking lot that is now the Saturday market.  Artisans and farmers lived simply and shared their wares, people often living in small cabins and simple homes that were non-conforming. It was a funky place in the 90’s with lots of music and art and crafts people. Our community was diverse, with hard working creative people who care about the envi…
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Shop Local This Season - BC Shop Local Week

Did you know it’s BC Shop Local Week!? I’m sure it’s no coincidence that this designated week for shopping local falls at the beginning of December. As we all prepare for the holidays, it is a great reminder to support the local businesses and creators that are here year round supporting our community in so many ways. When you shop local (all the time!) you contribute to the health and vitality of Salt Spring Island. But what does shopping local really mean? In our case, shopping local is more easily defined - Purchasing your goods and services on Salt Spring Island. I think by now, we all understand the economic impact of shopping local as there have been many campaigns around these benefits in recent years. There are additional benefits to shopping local that include but are not limited to environmental sustainability, health, supporting local artisans, creators and farmers, quality personalized service, knowing where the products are sourced etc. I find this quote sa…
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MLA Column: Species at Risk, No Closer to Stand-alone Legislation

Living around the Salish Sea, we are all too familiar with the plight of the Southern Resident Killer Whales. We remember Tahlequah, the orca who carried her dead calf for nearly three weeks in August 2018. It sent a message that captured global attention. The W̱SÁNEĆ people have a very close relationship with the orca whales. They have fished the waters of the Georgia Strait alongside one another for generations. Now these magnificent creatures are at risk of extinction and both the Canadian and U.S. governments have listed them as endangered. The orca is just one of more than 1800 species at risk of extinction in British Columbia. While our province is the most bio-diverse in the country, we are only one of three provinces that does not have species at risk legislation. Unfortunately, as we near the end of 2019, we are no closer to stand-alone legislation to protect the endangered species in the province. While the BC NDP government made the commitment to legislate p…
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Spotlight on Inclusive, Peaceful Communities

Gender-based violence is one of the most pervasive human rights issues today. On November 24, 2019, UN News published an article stating that “a third of all women and girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, half of women killed worldwide were killed by their partners or family, and violence perpetrated against women is as common a cause of death and incapacity for those of reproductive age, as cancer, and a greater cause of ill health than road accidents and malaria combined.” Salt Spring is not immune. In 2017 alone, Islanders Working Against Violence (IWAV) took 464 crisis calls and served 205 women and 35 children fleeing violence on Salt Spring Island. That's an average of more than one call per day. IWAV creates opportunities for life-changing outcomes for people experiencing violence in our community. One successful story is for a client and a young child who came to IWAV's Outreach office after an extremely violent incident with the client’…
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Harbour Air Seaplane to ePlane - First Flight Test Confirmed

Join us in making history. World’s first fully-electric commercial aircraft: We are thrilled to announce, following the successful installation and testing of the magniX propulsion system, our incredible maintenance team along with our partners have reached the next level of critical milestones. Harbour Air and magniX will unveil the world’s first Beaver seaplane retrofitted with a 750 horsepower all-electric magni500 propulsion system for the inaugural test flight on Wednesday, December 11*. The prototype will take flight from our Richmond (YVR South) location. Please see below for a highlight of the work and efforts completed to date as well as next steps to take us to this pivotal moment in aviation history. https://youtu.be/npHDNXOt7PE
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Ruckle Farm's Evolving Story - Mike and Marjorie Lane Stay on as Managers

Ruckle farm continues to evolve, while staying true to its historic roots. Good news abounds from this cherished part of our island. Friends of Ruckle Park Heritage (FRPH) is happy to report several new developments, the most important of which is that BC Parks 20-year-contract to manage and operate the farm has been offered to Mike and Marjorie Lane. For 146 years, four generations of Ruckles ran the farm, the longest of any family farm in B.C. Henry Ruckle started it in 1872, an era that continued until the passing of granddaughter Helen Ruckle in 2018 June. She was one of the four signatories to the agreement that created the park and the last Ruckle, most sadly, with life-tenancy there. Since her death, the Lanes have continued to run the farm, under a permit from BC Parks. Their new contract will begin in 2021 January. It includes their current home, the Norman Ruckle house, as well as the Alfred and Daniel houses, plus numerous other structures. They have new obl…
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