Salt Spring Exchange

The Tomatoes Need Us More Than Your Inbox Does

Business: Products & Services
June 17, 2026

Every summer we make the same decision. We look at the newsletter schedule. We look at the garden. We look back at the newsletter schedule. […]

20 - kids under 12 free

Salon Sundays Return to Stonewell Farm – Sunday, June 28

Events, Events, Concerts & Gatherings
June 17, 2026

Looking for one of those rare afternoons where you arrive intending to stay for an hour and somehow find yourself there until sunset? Salon Sundays […]

Community People Profile: Ethan Wilding

Tell us a bit about your background: I was born and raised in the Yukon, the son of small-business owners. The North gave me two things that stuck: a deep respect for the land, and the habit of finishing what I start. That respect led me to a Ph.D. in Environmental Ethics, which I went on to teach for years, and later to building and running multiple cutting-edge companies. After a few chapters in other cities, I have happily called Salt Spring home since 2020. These days, most people know me as "the FabLab guy." Through the Wilding Foundation, I've fully funded the FabLab for the past five years and pitched in to help plenty of other local programs along the way. Since moving to the island, I met the love of my life, Bahareh. We were recently married here at the maker space where we hold shoe making workshops and host events for local organizations. Fun fact: I made Bahareh’s wedding shoes. And that’s the thing about Salt Spring: it encourages you to be the…

Some Places Still Remember How to Gather

It's easy to forget what community actually feels like. We talk about it all the time. We say we want more of it. We worry that we've lost it. But then, every so often, you wander into a place where community gathers, shares, and enjoys itself a little like "old times." Salon Sundays at Stonewell Farm feels a little like that. If you've never been, it's difficult to describe without making it sound like a festival, because technically it is. There are musicians and workshops and local food and drinks, farm animals wandering about, children with room to be children, shady places to sit, conversations that stretch longer than expected, and enough corners to discover that no two visits feel quite the same. And yet somehow the feeling of the day isn't one of entertainment. It's one of ease. People arrive with blankets and picnic baskets. Kids pulling parents into their adventures. Someone you vaguely know introduces you to someone they've just met. Music uplifts w…

Astrology by Danielle Blackwood: Full Moon MAY 2026 (SAGITTARIUS)

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 Sagittarius! The Full Moon at 9° Sagittarius on May 31st (1:45 am PT) is a Blue Moon, meaning that it is the second Full Moon in a calendar month. This is a rare Full Moon in that it’s free and clear of any hard aspects to other planets. It’s a time to celebrate, kick up our heels and choose our own adventure. It may mark a significant turning point on our journey, lighting a path that leads the way to a new and meaningful quest that rekindles our spark and renews our faith. We may feel a tangible shift, a noticeable quickening. So many o…

Astrology by Danielle Blackwood: Full Moon MAY 2026 (SCORPIO)

Each Full Moon brings its own wisdom, teachings, and medicine through the lens of a particular archetype. The Full Moon will often bring something to fruition and illuminate things that have been hidden. Each month we experience a subtle shift as the Full Moon highlights specific archetypal 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 Scorpio! This year, the month of May is bookended by Full Moons. The first Full Moon coincides with the Gaelic agricultural festival of Beltane, on May 1st at 11° Scorpio (10:23 am). The second lunation of the month lights up the sky on May 31st, and because it is the second Full Moon in a calendar month, is known as a “Blue Moon”. Beltane is a Tairseach Naofa, or “sacred threshold”, signaling a liminal betwixt and between time that heralds the return of summer. Beltane marks the midpoint between spring equinox and …

Astrology by Danielle Blackwood: Full Moon APRIL 2026 (LIBRA)

Each Full Moon brings its own wisdom, teachings, and medicine through the lens of a particular archetype. The Full Moon will often bring something to fruition and illuminate things that have been hidden. Each month we experience a subtle shift as the Full Moon highlights specific archetypal 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 Libra! The first Full Moon of the astrological year lights up the skies at 12° Libra (7:12 pm PT) on April 1st. We’ve just moved through a particularly trying Mercury retrograde and eclipse season and stepped across the seasonal threshold with Spring Equinox and the beginning of Aries. Because this is the beginning of a new Solar year, we can allow this Full Moon to clarify our direction before we hit the ground running. There are currently no retrogrades holding us back, and the energy of April will be full steam ahead.…

Astrology by Danielle Blackwood: Full Moon MARCH 2026 (VIRGO)

Each Full Moon brings its own wisdom, teachings, and medicine through the lens of a particular archetype. The Full Moon will often bring something to fruition and illuminate things that have been hidden. Each month we experience a subtle shift as the Full Moon highlights specific archetypal 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 and Eclipse in Virgo! The Full Moon at 12° Virgo (3:38 am PT) is accompanied by a total lunar eclipse, in this case a “Blood Moon”, due to its reddish hue as sunlight is refracted through the earth’s atmosphere. Depending on clear skies, this eclipse will be visible from most of North America. On Salt Spring we can see the eclipse starting at 12:44 am with the total eclipse starting around 3:04 am. This Lunar South Node eclipse is the third in a series of Virgo eclipses (the first was in March 2025, the second in Septem…

Obituary: Michel Jutras

Michel Louis Jutras September 10, 1946–December 10, 2025 Michel Louis Jutras passed away on Dec. 10, 2025, at his home in Qualicum Beach, B.C. He was born Sept. 10, 1946, to Cyrille Jutras and Bernadette Lepage in Saint-Cyrille-de-Wendover, Que. After attending seminary as a teenager, Michel ventured across Canada and discovered a taste for life out west. He later explored central Canada, the east coast and Central America, finding adventure both on land and at sea, before returning to B.C. in the late 1960s. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in anthropology and French literature from The University of British Columbia. Initially on track for an academic career, the call of the ocean proved irresistible. Michel spent the next 40 years fishing B.C. coastal waters while living in West Vancouver, Tsawwassen, Victoria and Salt Spring Island, where he settled in 1979. He moved to Qualicum Beach in early 2025. Michel was happiest on his boats — Blue…

Astrology by Danielle Blackwood: Full Moon FEBRUARY 2026 (LEO)

Each Full Moon brings its own wisdom, teachings, and medicine through the lens of a particular archetype. The Full Moon will often bring something to fruition and illuminate things that have been hidden. Each month we experience a subtle shift as the Full Moon highlights specific archetypal 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 Leo! Like a lantern in the dark illuminating a winter’s night, the Full Moon at 13° Leo shines light on our next steps on February 1st at 2:09 pm. Falling on Imbolc, the Snow Moon marks the midpoint between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Imbolc is the Gaelic cross quarter festival sacred to the saint and goddess Brigid that has long been considered a time of inspiration and hope, the harbinger of spring. The days are now growing visibly longer, as we consider the future and contemplate the seeds we’d like to pla…

Astrology by Danielle Blackwood: FIRST Full Moon January 2026 (CANCER)

The first Full Moon of the year lights up the sky at 2:03 am (PT) on January 3rd at 13° Cancer. It reminds us of the importance of tending to our deepest roots and asking what truly nourishes us. We can use this first Full Moon of 2026 as a touchstone, a sanctuary that calls us back to what we belong to, so no matter how accelerated the next few years, we remember the way home. For those who have been wandering for a long time, this can be a homecoming - balm for the soul that nurtures and protects, that softens the rough edges and welcomes us back into the embrace of belonging. Welcome home, dear traveller. Cancer symbolism is intimately connected to the ocean, the waxing and waning of the tides moving from receptivity to emotional fullness and introspective retreat. The shifting internal ebbs and flows of our unconscious, as well as our connection to our greater human inheritance. Unfathomably deep, connected to ancestral memory, and the roots of the subconscious,…

2026 in a Nutshell from Danielle Blackwood

This year gives us reason for hope. Although every year brings its blessings and challenges, many wisdom traditions are heralding 2026 as a definitive step across an optimistic new threshold. Below you’ll find some of the highlights for the year ahead. In numerology, 2025 was a Universal Year 9 which brought completion, culmination, and closure. As a Universal Year 1, 2026 initiates a whole new nine-year cycle, indicating new beginnings and fresh starts. And while 2025 was also a deeply reflective Hermit Year, 2026 signals a Wheel of Fortune Year, auguring a turn of the tide and a time to embrace change, evolution, and movement. And if all of this isn’t enough, on February 17th the Lunar New Year ushers us out of the Year of the Wood Snake and into the Year of the Fire Horse for the first time in 60 years. Fire Horse Years are said to awaken passion, enthusiasm, energy and self-determination. In other words, Wood Snake to Fire Horse marks a momentous change from hid…

Astrology by Danielle Blackwood: This Full Moon December 2025 (GEMINI)

Each Full Moon brings its own wisdom, teachings, and medicine through the lens of a particular archetype. The Full Moon will often bring something to fruition and illuminate things that have been hidden. Each month we experience a subtle shift as the Full Moon highlights specific archetypal 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 Gemini! The last Full Moon of the year is a Supermoon arriving at 13° Gemini, shining across the cosmos on Thursday, December 4th at 3:14 pm. 2025 is a Universal Year 9 in numerology, bringing completion, culmination, healing, and closure, as we prepare the ground for a whole new cycle in 2026, which is a Universal 1 year. Universal 1 years indicate new beginnings, fresh starts, and initiation. So, approach this Full Moon with an eye to letting go of the past and beginning a whole new 10-year chapter with a clean slate.…

Astrology by Danielle Blackwood: This Full Moon November 2025 (TAURUS)

Each Full Moon brings its own wisdom, teachings, and medicine through the lens of a particular archetype. The Full Moon will often bring something to fruition and illuminate things that have been hidden. Each month we experience a subtle shift as the Full Moon highlights specific archetypal 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 Taurus! This month the Full Moon arrives at 13° Taurus, illuminating the sky on Wednesday November 5th at 5:19 am. As with every Full Moon, the Sun is in the opposite sign, highlighting a sacred polarity that plays out in the collective as well as in our personal lives. Astronomical or ‘true’ Samhain occurs within the engagement range of this Full Moon - November 6th at 8:04 pm - this is the exact mathematical midpoint between autumn equinox and the winter solstice, and a powerful moment for magic. During this time…

Astrology by Danielle Blackwood: This Full Moon September 2025 (ARIES)

Each Full Moon brings its own wisdom, teachings, and medicine through the lens of a particular archetype. The Full Moon will often bring something to fruition and illuminate things that have been hidden. Each month we experience a subtle shift as the Full Moon highlights specific archetypal 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 Aries! This month the Moon is full at 14° Aries, lighting up the sky on October 6 th at 8:48 pm. This lunation brings an official end to a particularly eventful eclipse season. Many of us have come to a crossroad in some area of our life, depending on where these recent eclipses landed in our chart. Some have reached turning points that have offered more questions than answers. As Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, this Full Moon is an invitation to begin again. To wrap up an old chapter and prepare to write a new story…

Community Invitation: Honouring National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at Fernwood Dock

Tomorrow (Tuesday, September 30) from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Fernwood Dock, the community of Salt Spring Island is invited to gather with Elders and members of the Spune’luxutth (Penelakut) Tribe to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Penelakut Chief Ch uh’ keen n uh’kwaut Jack and her husband Guy have already raised their hands to thank the children who took part in a walk on Monday, expressing appreciation for their remembering. Chief Jack said she looks forward to seeing everyone at the dock for Tuesday’s gathering.

Organizer Kurt Irwin, Councilor of the Penelakut Tribe, together with the Coastal Blood Singers, will host the event. Kurt has confirmed that the Penálaxeth’ boat will arrive carrying up to 20 Elders, and that there will be multiple speakers throughout the afternoon. Jason Roy Allen, Chamber of Commerce President and owner of Feast restaurant, has been involve…

Waterfront Gift Brings Opportunity — 1.5 Acres Donated for Salt Spring Community Park

Salt Spring will soon welcome a new community park thanks to the donation of about 1.5 acres of waterfront land near Fulford. The property includes open viewpoints, a pocket of beach, and rare direct ocean access — exactly the kind of shoreline connection identified as a priority in the island’s 2019 Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan. The land comes as a gift from the family of the late Ruth Baldwin, who lived on the property until her passing in 2009. Her family shared that she cared deeply for the place and would have been delighted to know it will now be enjoyed as a public park. A covenant will be added to the title to ensure the land remains protected for community use into the future. Local representatives with the Capital Regional District (CRD) described the donation as a rare chance to protect shoreline for public benefit at a time when waterfront properties are increasingly scarce. They noted that the new park will safeguard both access and natural beauty for …

Birds Spared for Now — What the Ostrich Cull Pause Means for Our Community

Why Salt Spring should be paying attention. Canada's Supreme Court issued a temporary stay on September 24, 2025, halting a federal order to cull more than 400 ostriches at a Kootenay farm after an H5N1 avian influenza outbreak. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) insists that depopulation is essential to stop the virus, while the farm argues that no birds have died since January and that survivors should be retested. The ruling brought a wave of relief to many across the province. Supporters who had camped outside the farm for weeks felt hope that the ostriches might be spared, and the pause also drew attention to the enormous emotional strain placed on families working day and night to protect their animals. For Salt Spring, the story feels closer than it might seem. Avian influenza has already been detected in the region, including a backyard flock in Saanichton last year, and the lessons of the ostrich case speak directly to our island’s small farms and hous…

Friendship Across Borders in Uncertain Times

Last weekend, Salt Spring Islanders and our neighbours from across the U.S. gathered for Hands Across the Water—a three-day celebration that reminded us of what’s possible when we choose connection over division. Guests travelled from many parts of the United States, though the kinship with Orcas Island shone especially bright. Together, we ate, danced, laughed, and shared ideas about how to face the future side by side. It was more than a party. While national headlines often portray Canada–U.S. relations through the lens of conflict—trade disputes, politics, and division—the lived experience here was the opposite. When communities only hear stories of tension, it breeds fear, mistrust, and a sense of “us versus them.” Events like Hands Across the Water help undo that harm by showing that ordinary people on both sides of the border are eager to cooperate, support one another, and find joy together. The weekend began Friday with more than two dozen U.S. bo…

Astrology by Danielle Blackwood: This Full Moon SEPTEMBER 2025 (Pisces)

Each Full Moon brings its own wisdom, teachings, and medicine through the lens of a particular archetype. The Full Moon will often bring something to fruition and illuminate things that have been hidden. Each month we experience a subtle shift as the Full Moon highlights specific archetypal 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 Pisces! This month’s Full Moon in Pisces (September 7th) is accompanied by a potent lunar eclipse that can deliver accelerated change as well as an interweaving of endings and new beginnings. Something may be revealed which can bring necessary release so a new story can begin. Watch for plot twists, synchronicity and intuitive hits. With Saturn in the final degree of Pisces, a significant chapter closes and puts paid to old karmic debts. We may find ourselves feeling more emotional or nostalgic, and our dreams can ca…

RCMP Seize Suspected Cocaine in Salt Spring Drug Trafficking Investigation

Local RCMP executed multiple search warrants August 14th in connection with a drug trafficking investigation underway on the island. The operation, conducted with support from Island District RCMP, led to the seizure of what police describe as a “significant quantity” of illicit drugs, suspected cocaine, along with other items consistent with drug trafficking. According to Salt Spring RCMP Detachment Commander Sgt. Clive Seabrook, the action reflects a broader effort to keep harmful substances out of the community and reduce the exploitation of vulnerable individuals. “We want to ensure the community is aware of our proactive steps towards targeting those individuals who prey on the vulnerability of others and by removing drugs off the street,” said Seabrook. No arrests have been announced at this time. RCMP say the case remains active and a formal report has been forwarded to Crown Counsel for review and potential criminal charges. RCMP Encouraging Public Tips …

Help the Hancocks Heal From Serious Car Accident

Dear family, friends and community. We are saddened to share that Allan, Taryn and their daughter, Sage were involved in a very serious car accident on Saturday night, Aug 2/25. All three are alive, but were immediately transferred to the Trauma unit of the Victoria General Hospital where they remain. What was to be a fun, family weekend in Lake Cowichan with extended family and their son Ezra quickly changed when a Eastbound vehicle crossed into their lane causing a head on collision. This accident has turned their world upside down. All three are receiving critical care, and their recovery will require extended hospital stays, medical treatments and rehabilitation. The Hancock family is facing a long recovery, with no known Discharge plans at this time. We have launched this GoFundMe to help cover living expenses and any ongoing care needs while they navigate this difficult time. Your donations, big or small, will ease their financial burden and help them f…

Astrology by Danielle Blackwood: This Full Moon August 2025 (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. The influence of the Full Moon is typically felt three days before and three days after the exact date. Happy Full Moon in Aquarius! Although we still have over a month left of summer, twilight now falls a little earlier each night, reminding us that harvest has already begun. The Full Moon at 17° Aquarius on August 9th (12:55 am PT) illuminates the sky, bringing themes of freedom, authenticity, individuality, revelation, self-discovery and sudden insight. And because there is so much going on astrologically in conjunction with this complicated and dynamic Fu…