ASK Salt Spring

Gary Holman Answers ASK Salt Spring’s Questions

What are the most effective actions that have you taken to address the impact of this pandemic on Salt Spring? This pandemic is unique because the Provincial government and Health Officer have declared it a province-wide emergency, actually precluding local governments from making local declarations. The Province delegated some authority to the CRD and Islands Trust to educate and inform people about Provincial directives and guidance from the Provincial Health Office, but actual enforcement authority rests with the RCMP and Island Health. The primary role of the CRD during the pandemic has been to ensure continuity of essential services. In addition to CRD services, services provided by other organizations (e.g., recycling, library, Artspring, transit) that are funded by the CRD through contribution agreements are managed by these organizations, consistent with Provincial direction. I have focused CRD grant in aid funding to the Salt Spring Foundation’s Emergency Fund an…

ASK Salt Spring Gets Answers from MLA Adam Olsen

This virus has highlighted the imperative of a living space for all. What can we do to encourage the province to support the tiny home model so successful in other communities? The provincial government has recently announced a comprehensive program to provide short-term housing for people in our community that are experiencing homelessness and who need to uphold physical distancing requirements. The BC Green Caucus has advocated for housing-first models, and this is a positive step forward. As the public health emergency passes and we are considering options for the economic recovery, the provincial government will have an important opportunity to develop long-term programs that address housing and the associated supports to provide people the solid foundation they need to build. Tiny homes are a housing solution that I have long advocated. I have met with Hon. Selina Robinson (Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing) to discuss the challenges tiny home advocates are e…

ASK Salt Spring Answers from Emcon and the Chamber of Commerce

Emcon Managers, Andrew Gaetz and Lisa Herschmiller What effect has this pandemic had on your operations? We have had to adjust in a variety of ways including: additional sanitization measures, staggering shifts, minimizing access to our shops and offices, adjusting work practices to meet social distancing guidelines, numerous training exercises and education on personal hygiene, and an increased number of pick ups in our larger yards to facilitate social distancing. We worried when a few staff caught colds and had to follow the protocol for a 14-day quarantine, but we are very proud to report that we are still running a 24/7 operation, and our staff is healthy and working. Despite the good health of our crew, some of these emergency measures have delayed our responses, so we appreciate your patience in these challenging times. When do you think that our roads will be swept and ready for lines to be painted? We now have a sweeper on Salt Spring…

ASK Salt Spring with Salt Spring Islands Trustee Laura Patrick

First, how are you doing during this crisis? Our household is adjusting to the stay home and social distancing norms. We worry about our eldest family members who are most vulnerable. My mother can now answer a FaceTime call, and she appears to be enjoying this form of communication. Can you tell us what the Islands Trust, especially our Local Trust Committee (LTC), is doing to help address this pandemic? On the operations side, Islands Trust has taken clear steps to minimize the transmission of Covid-19. This has included closing our offices to the public, sending most staff home to work, and suspending all site visits to limit off-Island visitors. As we emerge from this situation, the LTC will be eager to engage Salt Springers in a conversation about what regulatory and policy changes are necessary to ensure that our community is as resilient as possible to address future challenges. In addition to Islands Trust business, I am chairing a task force to coordinate o…

ASK Salt Spring with Gary Holman, Salt Spring Island Electoral Area CRD Director

While ASK Salt Spring Friday gatherings at Thrifty’s have been temporarily-suspended, the need for information is still there. . . and is possibly greater than ever. Gary offered these answers to Salt Springers’ questions: First, how are you doing during this crisis? My family and I are well, and we feel grateful to be living in such a beautiful part of the world where governments, health systems, and communities are rising to this challenge. My thanks to everyone in public or private sector organizations who are taking care of our essential needs, particularly our health care providers who are saving lives while putting theirs at risk. What is the hardest part for you to address as our CRD Director? One of the most difficult issues has always been difficult - providing safe shelter and services for the homeless. I have prioritized CRD grants in aid this year to help support the Salt Spring Island Foundation Emergency Fund, as well as organizations like Community S…

ASK Salt Spring with MLA Adam Olsen

Our MLA Adam Olsen was an early enthusiastic supporter of ASK Salt Spring, Neighbours Helping Neighbours Find Answers. And, that enthusiasm has continued with his commitment to come to ASK Salt Spring the first Friday every month. While these gatherings at Thrifty’s have been temporarily postponed, Adam continues to offer us many answers. Concerning Our Current Crisis: The message is simple and clear: Other than essential business, 100% of British Columbians should stay home 100% of the time. If you must go out, maintain physical distance from everyone and. make sure you wash your hands thoroughly and often. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on every aspect of our society. That freedom and liberty that we so cherish have been dramatically restricted. We are forced to recognize the fragility of the systems that we have created. My heart goes out to our frontline medical workers who face incredible challenges each day, including being forced to make hear…

ASK Salt Spring: Emcon Managers Answer The Most Asked Questions About Our Roads

Salt Springers have lots of questions about our roads. While the vast majority of the questions were about sweeping and line painting, the other more specific questions also gained the attention of Emcon, our roads maintenance contractors. With our questions in hand, Emcon and Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) managers recently toured Salt Spring. While some answers emerged, others raised a number of new questions. Stay tuned. . . ASK Salt Spring volunteers will continue to seek answers to those unanswered questions. 1) As debris-free roads make our narrow, winding roads far safer for cyclists, when are our roads going to be swept and how often? MoTI requires Salt Spring’s most-traveled roads (class one and two) be swept this spring before May 15. Also in compliance with MoTI’s mandate, the rest of Salt Spring’s roads will be swept this spring before June 15. To get more frequent sweeping of our roads, MoTI would have to authorize it. The unask…