ASK Salt Spring

Thirty-six came for this first ever evening gathering of ASK Salt Spring to welcome MLA Rob Botterell and discuss healthcare needs in our community. After our Acknowledgement, we began by giving each participant a chance to introduce themselves. A common theme in these self-introductions was concern about not having a doctor, interest in a team approach to healthcare on Salt Spring, and frustration that things appeared to be changing too slowly. After introductions around the circle, Rob shared his delight at being the very last car to get onto the early morning ferry to Salt Spring. He shared his appreciation for ferry staff who asked two cars to shift slightly to make room for his car, a very tight fit. Rob also expressed his delight that so many had come to share their insights concerning healthcare with him, acknowledging later in the gathering how grounded - as well as not shy - were Salt Springers, consistently confident to express their opinions! Rob began our …

SHARE YOUR HEALTH CARE THOUGHTS WITH ROB BOTTERELL, MLA ASK Salt Spring is hosting Rob Botterell, MLA this Friday for a special ASK meeting. Rob will focus attention on the issue of primary health care in British Columbia and Salt Spring Island. The ASK meeting will be from 5-7 PM on Friday, October 3 at the SSI Multi Space (SIMS) 124 Rainbow Rd. Currently, the BC Ministry of Health is conducting an intensive review of primary health care. Primary health care includes family doctors and nurse practitioners. On a day-to-day basis they are our first point of contact with the BC healthcare system. Currently, BC primary health is organized in variety of ways, including. 1. Doctors and nurse practitioners working from their own offices. 2. Team approach with health and mental health service providers working in a group setting with doctors and nurse practitioners. 3. Community owned, provincially owned and privately owned health centers 4. Virtual service provide…

September 12 Community Circle on Safety and Belonging On September 12, nine community members gathered to explore the theme of community safety and belonging with the Salt Spring Restorative Justice Team. We began our circle with a land acknowledgment and a recognition of the deep harms that have taken place here on Salt Spring and in communities across the world. We reflected on the ongoing impacts of colonization that have disrupted safety and belonging for many, recognizing the importance of committing not only to acknowledgement but also to action, change, and repair. A passage from Chief Robert Joseph’s book Namwayut helped ground our conversation: “Everything is a lesson, every experience of joy, grief, despair, and brokenness. But every one of those experiences is also a chance for us to come together. To emerge from the wilderness, we must be committed to reconciliation on every level of our lived experience. When we are committed and when we are intentional …

Fifteen joined us to welcome BC Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt and Communications Manager Jocelyne Lahaye to this ASK Salt Spring gathering. After our Acknowledgement and a chance for all to introduce themselves, we learned what “excites and delights” Dan. He recalled with pleasure his first trip to Salt Spring on a cycling/camping trip to Ruckle Park in 1985. He savoured an Embe treat those many years ago - and had just enjoyed that guilty pleasure again before our gathering. If you want to know more about Dan, you may enjoy reading: here. He is also delighted to be in a position to guide B.C. toward the plethora of opportunities to better serve our ageing demographic. We learned that one in every five B.C. residents is currently 65 and over. Predictions are that, in 2036, seniors will make up one-quarter of B.C.’s population. While these proportions are high, they are even higher on Salt Spring. Will we be overwhelmed by the unmet care challenges or become leaders impleme…

ASK Salt Spring Report: Listening as a Path to Connection This month’s Restorative Justice Dialogue Circle invited community members into a deep exploration of listening as a core skill for navigating conflict and bridging division. Together, we examined how restorative listening practices can strengthen relationships, support accountability, and contribute to more connected and resilient communities. The circle offered a space for reflection on what it means to truly listen—not to fix, debate, or correct—but to understand. With a focus on practical tools and relational insight, participants explored how listening can serve as an active, healing practice in times of tension or disconnection. Laura began the session by grounding the group with a land acknowledgment and the importance of listening and centering Indigenous voices as part of reconciliation. After introducing the circle team, the group was guided in setting shared agreements to create a space of care, respe…