Posts

Posts

Local Elections - First Week Polling Results

We've been running our local elections online poll now for one week, with the elections now less than two weeks away. Leading into tonights candidate debates at ArtSpring, we wanted to update everyone on how the polls are shaping up. As people participate in the polls and make decisions about their candidates we've seen an excellent response . As of the writing of this story, 464 people have participated in the School Trustee poll, 455 in the Islands Trustee poll, and 407 in the CRD director poll. Our goal was 500 participants before the election and we're likely to reach and exceed this goal. 500+ voters represents apx. 5% of the 10,000 or so permanent residents of Salt Spring and we believe having this many participants will begin to give good insights into the potential outcome of the election on the 19th. If you're going to tonights candidate debate, and haven't made up your mind, be sure to log your vote once you make your candidate commitment. Here are the individua…
Read more about Local Elections - First Week Polling Results

Salt Spring 'Introvert' Island

Last week we ran a survey asking residents of Salt Spring if they considered themselves to be *mostly* introverted or extroverted. The results are bit a surprising. Our survey closed automatically when we hit 100 responses and of those 100 responses, 79 people identified themselves as *mostly* introverted. Speaking with a colleague via email about this who has a background in Jungian psychology, he shared that in general it is understood that about 40% of the population identify as introverts and that the dominant culture, at least in North America, is extrovertedly oriented. Is it possible that 79% of islanders are mostly introverted at double the average in North America? Is this just another thing that makes Salt Spring special? Should we have gone out and surveyed at a party where all the extroverts are? Should we become the destination for introverts everywhere, or do we need to import some more extroverts to balance this place out?
Read more about Salt Spring 'Introvert' Island

One of the country’s best-kept secrets

A Weekend on: Salt Spring Island by Neal Webster Turnage featured in American Way Magazine One of 225 Canadian Gulf Islands, charming Salt Spring is just a hop, skip and a ferry ride from Vancouver — and one of the country’s best-kept secrets. Despite the fact that the scenery is spectacular, the epicurean possibilities world-class, the cultural highlights significant, and the hotels and inns delightfully rustic to dangerously decadent, Canada’s Salt Spring Island still somehow manages to stay off most travelers’ radars. Maybe it’s because it sleeps in the shadows of its more-celebrated seaside neighbors, Vancouver and Victoria. Or maybe it’s because it’s reachable only by seaplane or ferry. Either way, all this means for you is that the island is an insider’s secret — and we’re here to share it with you.... read the full article on the American Way Magazine site.
Read more about One of the country’s best-kept secrets

Salt Spring Local Elections Poll

Our local elections are coming up on November 19th and just as we did with the federal elections, we're running an informal poll for the Capital Regional District Director and Islands and School Board Trustees. We have another opportunity here to see how Salt Spring might be voting for this years candidates. When you cast your vote you will be able to see results in real-time. You can also monitor results by clicking on the "View Results" link to the right of the "Vote" button on each poll. NOTE: Salt Spring Exchange online election polls are not intended to be scientific and may not reflect actual results. Instead, they are a way for our readers to share their views with fellow site users. Respondents are not randomly selected, but select themselves to vote on a specific question. In addition, while Salt Spring Exchange online polls are designed to allow only one vote per user, savvy users may find ways around this limitation. Who are you voting for CRD Director? Who …
Read more about Salt Spring Local Elections Poll

Are you introverted or extroverted?

I'm conducting a highly un-scientific poll on a subject I've been curious about regarding the dominant nature of island residents. I've been wondering if those who are attracted to living on Salt Spring have a stronger tendency towards introversion or extroversion? In the way I understand this, I would think of introverted people as those who get their energy from spending time alone to recharge and restore themselves, while extroverts would get their energy and relax by being with others in more social settings. There is much more to these labels, but let's find out. What would you say is the dominant nature of Salt Springers?
Read more about Are you introverted or extroverted?

51% of Saanich North and the Islands Vote to Scrap the HST

Final results of the HST vote are in. Saanich North and the Islands 51.35% voted yes to scrap it, 48.65% voted no to keep it. Question Are you in favour of extinguishing the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) and reinstating the PST (Provincial Sales Tax) in conjunction with the GST (Goods and Services Tax)? Yes/No The final results are: % of valid votes voting Yes 54.73% % of valid votes voting No 45.27% Electoral District Yes Votes Yes % No Votes No % Total Valid Votes Abbotsford-Mission 8214 45.37% 9892 54.63% 18106 Abbotsford South 7573 43.28% 9925 56.72% 17498 Abbotsford West 7740 48.54% 8207 51.46% 15947 Alberni-Pacific Rim 10665 63.90% 6024 36.10% 16689 Boundary-Similkameen 9679 59.48% 6593 40.52% 16272 Burnaby-Deer Lake 11097 62.62% 6625 37.38% 17722 Burnaby-Edmonds 11827 64.55% 6494 35.45% 18321 Burnaby-Lougheed 11426 58.77% 8016 41.23% 19442 Burnaby North 12956 60.34% 8516 39.66% 21472 Cariboo-Chilcotin 6361 56.90% 4818 43.10…
Read more about 51% of Saanich North and the Islands Vote to Scrap the HST

Salt Spring Island in an edible little work of art

Salt Spring Island featured on canada.com There are many wonderful things about Salt Spring Island. There is the famous goat cheese, packed so beautifully it is like tiny, edible work of art, and the delicious coffee that is on par with the best out there. And of course it is known for being a hub for artist, attracting talent from across the country. But what finally drew me there was the chance to stay at the historic Hastings House, a beautiful resort that is set on a 22-acre farm. The trip to the island offered a little taste of things to come. It already felt like a holiday once the ferry departed from the Tsawassen ferry terminal. For three hours, it slowly snaked between the Southern Gulf Islands, including Mayne, Pender and Saturna. Salt Spring is the largest of this cluster of islands nestled between Vancouver Island and the mainland. After watching the sun setting leisurely over the inlets, we arrived at the last stop, Long Harbour. From there it was a 10-minute…
Read more about Salt Spring Island in an edible little work of art

Islands Trust Secondary Suites Survey

As part of the udate of Land Use Bylaw 355, Islands Trust is considering the legalization of Secondary Suites. This project responds to the 2008 Salt Spring Island Official Community Plan policies which give direction for the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee to consider the legalization of Secondary Suites within certain criteria. Islands Trust planning staff are looking for broad community input to inform policy drafting for the legalization of secondary suites. This summer, come by and see us at the Islands Trust information kiosk at the Tuesday Market in Centennial Park or invite us to give a presentation to your group or neighbourhood friends. Get informed by exploring the information below. Fill out a questionnaire on the Islands Trust site.
Read more about Islands Trust Secondary Suites Survey

Man’s banishment from Saltspring Island risks setting poor precedent, lawyers warn

Story from the Globe and Mail: A homeless man charged with theft from a grocery store, a dine-and-dash at an inn and assault of an RCMP officer has been banished from Saltspring Island. After a tele-bail hearing on July 17 for the three charges, a judicial justice of the peace told Donovan Seward, 31, to leave the B.C. island and not return until his Aug. 10 circuit court appearance to enter a plea, said RCMP Sergeant George Jenkins of the Saltspring detachment.... Read the full story at the globeandmail.com
Read more about Man’s banishment from Saltspring Island risks setting poor precedent, lawyers warn

Mount Tuam Scottish Tower House

In a 160 acre lot atop Mount Tuam sits this new dwelling. With breathtaking views over the Southern Gulf Islands to the San Juan Islands and Mount Baker beyond, the house is built in the style of a period Scottish tower house, using similar materials and ensuring extraordinary longevity and ease of maintenance. External walls are constructed of very durable metamorphic random rubble ledgestone sourced from Port Renfrew on Vancouver island. All dressings such as quoins, window surrounds, corbels, copestones, etc. are carved from imported yellow sandstone. Seven gargoyles collect rainwater from the roofs and discharge it onto the rock outcrop on which the building perches and the roof itself is clad in Vermont slate with code 6 lead flashings and watergates. Stone is used liberally inside for flooring, wall components, two staircases (one straight and one spiral), fireplaces, balusters and other architectural features. Where rainwater conductors have been used, these …
Read more about Mount Tuam Scottish Tower House

Calling all Salt Spring Bloggers!

Do you write and keep a blog with stories and content that are specific to Salt Spring? Interested in having your content and site promoted and featured on the Salt Spring Exchange? Here's your chance. We'll be implementing a new service that will pull content from Salt Spring Island focused blogs and sites into the Exchange where we will feature a few stories a day or week depending on what comes in. What you get in return is more exposure for your writing, your work, your businesses, etc. We're calling it the Salt Spring Community Stories Network. Here's how it will work. Content for Traffic We pull the content from your site. We feature the first 200-300 words of any post, then include a link to your site to read more. The benefits for you are increased traffic and viewership and the benefits for the Exchange are that the 15,000+ people who use the site each month get more of a range of content to read about something they love; Salt Spring Island. Our goal…
Read more about Calling all Salt Spring Bloggers!

How will you vote in HST referendum?

British Columbians have a very important decision to make. The HST referendum is a chance for you to make a decision that will impact B.C. for years to come. We're taking a poll to learn how Salt Spring will vote in the referendum. Vote below. This is the exact language of the mail in referendum question we will all receive in the mail (someday). To learn more about all aspects of the issue visit HST in BC. [polldaddy poll="5173680"]
Read more about How will you vote in HST referendum?

CBC One Day on Salt Spring Video

CBC One Day on Salt Spring video by Rob Lowrie About the project 1 Day. 24 Hours. 34 Million Lives. On any ordinary day in Canada, extraordinary things happen. Canadians have remarkable stories to tell. And for the past 75 years, the CBC has enabled us to share those stories with each other. This year, we celebrate this rich heritage with 1 Day, a special CBC/Radio Canada documentary and online project that invites all Canadians to help create a unique 24 hour portrait of Canada, from midnight to 11:59, coast to coast. The two hour documentary, to be filmed on April 30th, 2011, is a joint project – between us and you. For 24 hours, our crews will span the country. We'll follow some of Canada’s most fascinating figures as their day unfolds – from emergency physicians to cops, cultural icons to sports stars. But 1 Day will also draw on videos and photos sent in by Canadians who seize this unique opportunity to provide a glimpse into their lives, their famili…
Read more about CBC One Day on Salt Spring Video

Salt Spring Cabin Architecture and Design

Cabins are an integral part of Canadian culture. Spending summers on a dock or in the woods is a rite of passage for our neighbors to the north, who even mark the return of warmer weather with an unofficial but widely celebrated weekend holiday (May Two-Four) to kick off cottage season. On a four-acre site on Salt Spring Island, just southwest of Vancouver, Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects crafted a cabin—modest in size yet bold in design—on the site where another cottage once stood. Inside the walls of rammed earth and steel, the 191-square-foot space is a cozy nook warmed by the caramel colors of the cedar on the floor and ceiling, which was milled from salvaged timbers, as well as the heat produced by the wood-burning stove. “The small size creates an intimate, protected refuge within a larger landscape,” architect Tom Kundig says. “It forces you to engage with the bigger landscape yet still provides a sanctuary from the elements.” Read more at Dwell.com:
Read more about Salt Spring Cabin Architecture and Design

Linear House (Villa Klaathem) by Patkau Architects

A sixteen acre farm located on Salt Spring Island, an island in the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, the site of this house is bisected from east to west by a long row of mature Douglas fir trees. There is a gentle slope falling across the site from south to north. The south half of the property is an orchard containing a variety of fruit trees; the north half of the property is a hay field. There was an existing cottage on the site which has been sold and relocated to a neighbouring property. The existing barn, garage and studio buildings remain. The new house, called Villa Klaathem by the owners, extends 276 feet in a straight line along the south side of the fir trees. The orchard has been made more regular with the addition of further fruit trees so that the clarity of the juxtaposition of cultural landscape to the south, and natural landscape to the north of the new house is reinforced. Full story and photos at Daily Ic…
Read more about Linear House (Villa Klaathem) by Patkau Architects

Salt Spring Gathers to Bear Witness with Tribes

Numerous Salt Spring Island residents gathered early this morning to bear witness with the Cowichan Tribes during the removal of remains of at least 5 people in a burial area located in town. Elders from the tribe were on hand with contracted archeological services to remove the remains before new construction begins at the same location. Residents gathered after an appeal went out last evening on the Exchange from Tania Aquila who helped facilitate support for the respectful removal. Here are photos from this morning. Removal is on-going throughout the day. Consider visting town to show your support and consideration.

Read more about Salt Spring Gathers to Bear Witness with Tribes

Elizabeth May wins Saanich-Gulf Islands

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May has won her B.C. riding, earning her party's first elected seat in Parliament and unseating a longtime incumbent Conservative. May defeated former cabinet minister Gary Lunn by more than 7,000 votes in the riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands, capturing 46 per cent of the vote share. "Today we proved that Canadians want change in politics," May said during a victory speech from her riding. "I will never shrink from speaking truth to power nor will I embrace the politics of spin. We need hope over fear, we need compassion over competition, we need to recognize that Canadians deserve a government where 308 MPs figure out how to work together. "Whether a majority or a minority, we are 308 MPs and we are elected to serve the people of Canada, not any one political ideology." - CBC News

 

Poll Poll Poll Vote Party Candidate 07-Apr 23-Apr 3…
Read more about Elizabeth May wins Saanich-Gulf Islands

Final Federal Election Poll Results

The results are in from our final federal election poll. Elizabeth May's Greens increased their lead by almost 5% over the 3 polls taking most of their support away from the Liberals and NDP. The Greens averaged 80.51% of the vote across all 3 polls. Support for Gary Lunn's Conservatives increased a modest 1% with an average of 6.99%. Support for the Liberal candidate all but disappeared in the last polling round since the all candidates meeting here on Salt Spring. Based on these results, if Salt Spring had its own riding, or accounted for more of the Saanich - Gulf Islands voting base, the voting results on Monday would likely be overwhelmingly for the Greens. That we know of, this is the largest sample of Salt Spring specific election polling that has ever been done. An average of 275 people voted in the 3 polls that we ran over the month of April. The polling system we use permits only one submission per user. We detected no obvious vote fraud based on data analysis in o…
Read more about Final Federal Election Poll Results