Salt Spring News

Healthy Ways to Deal with Anxiety with Salt Spring's John Bateman

Join host Elizabeth Heinz and guests Judith Law and Salt Spring Island's John Bateman from Anxiety Canada, to understand what anxiety disorders are and how to recognize when help is needed. https://youtu.be/91no0Qek3Eg Q&A with John Bateman, Anxiety Canada Champion How did you get involved with Anxiety Canada? I met Judith (Anxiety Canada Executive Director) through the Robert Bateman Foundation which I’m Chair. My enthusiasm for mental health and your organization resonated with Judith, so she immediately asked me to be a Champion. How has anxiety impacted your life? I’ve dealt with anxiety my entire life – it started at a young age. At the time, there wasn’t a system in place for anyone – let alone children, but, my mom recognized it and helped me a lot. I started having panic attacks that were brought on by stressful events. I was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder in high school, and I also battled depression. There’s a lot that I blocked out abou…

Student Vote Canada 2019 - How Would/Did They Vote?

More than 1.1 million elementary and secondary school students from 8,000 schools participated in Student Vote Canada 2019. Votes were cast in all 338 ridings. More than 1.1 million elementary and secondary school students participated in Student Vote Canada 2019, coinciding with the 2019 federal election. After learning about the electoral process, researching the parties and platforms, and debating Canada’s future, students cast their ballots for the official candidates running in their school’s riding. 1,181,053 votes were reported from 7,855 schools, with results from 338 federal ridings. The Liberal Party took 22.3% of the popular vote and won 110 seats, forming a minority government. Justin Trudeau won in his riding of Papineau. The NDP will form the official opposition with 24.8% of the popular vote and 99 seats. Jagmeet Singh won his seat in Burnaby South. The Conservative Party took 25.1% of the popular vote and won 94 seats. Andrew Scheer won his s…

May Wins Reelection - 2019 Federal Election Saanich-Gulf Islands Results

Saanich—Gulf Islands is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1988. It is named for its geographical location across the Gulf Islands and Saanich Peninsula in the Vancouver Island region. More than 21 percent of Saanich—Gulf Islands' residents are immigrants, and more than 19 percent are older than 65, making this the riding with the third largest senior population in Canada. The riding has a median age of 48.3, making it the riding with the highest median age in Canada.[2] The average family income is $70,814; unemployment is 5.9 percent. Candidates for the riding this year were Ron Broda, People's Party of Canada; David Busch, Conservative Party of Canada; Elizabeth May, Green Party of Canada; Sabina Singh, New Democratic Party; Ryan Windsor, Liberal Party of Canada Watch the All Candidates Debate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKsa7ANxkWo Riding History The electoral …

2019 Salt Spring National Art Prize Exhibition Exceeds Expectations

Salt Spring National Art Prize organizers are thrilled by the enthusiasm shown by the national and local artists who attended, as well as art lovers who revelled in all three art showcases. Winners were announced at a gala awards night before a packed house at Mahon Hall on October 19. Hailing from Winnipeg, the winner of the Salt Spring Prize (The Joan McConnell Award) is 28-year old artist Luther Konadu. His photograph, Figure as Index, captured the jury and held their attention in a way one juror described as “clever and confrontational; humorous and challenging and expansive in its interrogation of photography as meaning and form,” and another referred to his work as “a slow burn.” Konadu receives $15,000 and a Salt Spring Island artist residency of $5,000. Konadu was not expecting to win the Salt Spring Prize, “It never crossed my mind that it could be me out of the 50 plus finalists. I knew I couldn't attend and I thought there was a lot of great work being shown. …

Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue Recognized With 'WOW' Provincial Inclusion Award

Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue is being recognized with a Widening Our World (WOW) award from Community Living British Columbia (CLBC) for their leadership in championing inclusion in Salt Spring Island communities. Spring Island Fire Rescue has set an example of inclusion by welcoming a CLBC supported individual, CJ, into the “fire hall family” for the past 16 years. Staff and volunteers fully involve CJ in a variety of duties at the fire hall, as well as activities, fundraisers and celebrations in community. For over 16 years, Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue has set an example of inclusion by welcoming CJ into the fire hall family. Every week, fire fighters have CJ test the emergency lights on the engines and other fire vehicles along with the sirens, radios, hoses and other vital equipment. They support him to go out on inspections and equipment testing runs, to change the fire hazard ratings on the signs at the three ferry terminals on the island, and at times,…

Watch: Some of Salt Spring Island's First Settlers Were Former Slaves

In this episode of BC Was Awesome host Bob Kronbauer travels to Salt Spring Island and visits with Naidine Sims, a descendent of some of the first African-Americans to settle in British Columbia after escaping slavery down south. Naidine tells the Starks' harrowing tale, reflecting on her family's past and offering hope for the future. https://youtu.be/FMoiEWQ929U BC Was Awesome is a multiple Leo Award-nominated series documenting the sometimes offbeat stories of the history of British Columbia. It's a co-production of Vancouver Is Awesome and Artaban Productions. Sylvia Stark was born into slavery in Clay County, Missouri, in about 1839. She was the youngest of three children of Hannah and Howard Estes. As was the custom for those who were slaves, Howard took the name of his owner, Tom Estes. He lived apart from his wife and children who resided with another family, the Leopolds. Howard Estes bought himself and his family out of slavery at a cost of over $4000, an …

Watch: 2019 Federal Election All Candidates Debate Video

Watch the video of the all candidates debate for the 2019 Federal Election hosted at Gulf Islands Secondary School (GISS) on October 16th, 2019. Saanich—Gulf Islands is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1988. It is named for its geographical location across the Gulf Islands and Saanich Peninsula in the Vancouver Island region. Major party candidates for the riding are Elizabeth May, Green Party, Ryan Windsor, Liberal Party, David Busch, Conservative Party, Sabina Singh, New Democratic Party and Ron Broda, People's Party of Canada https://youtu.be/rKsa7ANxkWo

Homeless Shelter to Open Year Round on Salt Spring Island

People experiencing homelessness on Salt Spring Island will have year-round access to shelter and services, following funding from the Province to extend operations. “People experiencing homelessness on Salt Spring deserve to have a safe, warm place to go year-round,” said Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “We are so thankful for our community partners on the island who are working with us to deliver the services people need. This type of partnership is what Homelessness Action Week is all about.” Starting Nov. 1, 2019, the shelter operated by Salt Spring Island Community Services (SSICS) will be open all year, providing people with a warm, safe space to sleep. Located at 268 Fulford-Ganges Rd., the shelter provides 30 overnight beds, access to laundry and showers and two meals a day for shelter guests. The shelter will be open overnight from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. Staff will remain on-site in the morning to connect guests with community resources. …

Salt Spring Health Needs Assessment Confirms Mental Health Services Lacking

Significant Barriers to Accessing Health Care Still Exist for Many Islanders - The Salt Spring Community Health Society has released the results of the Salt Spring Island Community Health Needs Assessment. The report is an analysis of data collected from the community using online and paper surveys, in-person interviews and focus groups. A significant portion of the report is dedicated to the Social Determinants of Health – housing, food, financial, social connections and self-determination. The other two sections of the report focus on access to health services and community health needs. Over 560 Islanders, aged 15 and over, responded to the survey. The Salt Spring Community Health Society commissioned the needs assessment to help determine whether Salt Spring Island needs a community health centre and which programs and services the community needs most. As the survey shows, Salt Spring Islanders are well served by The Lady Minto Hospital, and with the arrival of three n…

Salt Spring Filmmakers Screen 'Raven People Rising' to Sold Out VIFF Crowd

A film by a Salt Spring Island trio that had its world premiere at the Salt Spring Film Festival last spring was just screened at a sold-out, gala red-carpet screening at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Directed by Andrea Palframan, shot and edited by Gary McNutt and Alex Harris, the film chronicles the Heiltsuk Nation as they fought to push Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline off of B.C.’s coast. Just a few weeks after that victory, the Nation suffered a devastating loss: the Nathan E. Stewart ran aground and spilled diesel and lubricants into one of the maritime community’s most important fishing grounds. The Salt Spring filmmakers travelled to Bella Bella in the aftermath of the spill. They found that, though the community was reeling from the fallout of a mis-managed spill response, they were also working to revitalize Indigenous legal frameworks, engaging youth in deep cultural and language immersion programs, and honing a vision of the future grounded …

2019 Salty Awards: The Nominations Are In, Let the Voting Begin!

The Salt Spring Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that voting for the 2019 Salty Awards is open now until October 25, 2019. Nominations were held at saltspringchamber.com between September 12 and October 2, 2019, yielding a record-breaking number of nominations. Over 475 entries were received for 20 Business award categories, with a total of 1055 unique nominations received. For the 9 Community awards, we received 213 entries for a total of 339 unique nominations. It appears that excellence is abundant on Salt Spring, with 58 nominations for young entrepreneurs, and over 60 nominations for our new category for entrepreneurs over 40 ! Ninety‐eight businesses were nominated for excellent customer service and 109 nominations were received for Greatest Tradesperson. 45 restaurants and food trucks were nominated, along with almost one hundred favourite menu items. There are over 60 businesses to choose from for Greatest Business overall. For the third year in a row…

Watch: GISS Improv Team Featured in CBC Documentary

Here’s a CBC Canadian Improv Games documentary featuring GISS Improv, the 2019 National Champs. CBC Gem is streaming this amazing documentary series on the Canadian Improv Games hosted by Andrew Phung. .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }

Free Salt Spring Transit on Election Day

BC Transit and eight local government partners across the province will be offering free transit on federal election day, Monday, October 21, 2019. The free transit will help make it easier for residents to get to the polls and cast their ballots. Take advantage of free transit in the following communities: Cowichan Valley – including handyDART but does not apply to commuter routes (44 Victoria/Duncan, 66 Duncan Commuter, and 99 Shawnigan Lake Commuter) Comox Valley – including handyDART Fort St. John – including handyDART for customers heading to vote Kamloops – scheduled routes only Kimberley – available on route 24 Kimberley Local only (on-request service) between 8:00am and 4:00pm. Please call the day prior to book Kitimat – including handyDART City of Nelson – on routes 1 Uphill, 2 Fairview, 3 Rosemont and 4 Nelson Airport only Port Alberni – including handyDART Prince George – available all day on all routes Quesnel – available all day o…

ALERT: Have You Seen High-Risk Missing Man Jericho Labonte?

Victoria Police patrol officers are asking for your help as they work to locate high-risk, missing man Jericho Labonte. Jericho is described as a 31-year-old Caucasian man, standing 6’1” tall with a slim build. Jericho has dark brown curly hair and a full beard, however he recently may have trimmed his hair and beard short. A recent photograph of Jericho is below. If you see Jericho, please call 911 Jericho was last seen in the Oaklands neighbourhood of Victoria, BC on September 30th. He may be headed to Salt Spring Island. The circumstances under Jericho has gone missing are high-risk. Jericho’s family members and officers are deeply worried about him. Jericho is suffering from a health concern and needs to be located safely and quickly. If you see Jericho Labonte, please call 911. If you have any information on where he may be please call (250) 995-7654. To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Partnerships Working to Create More Child Care Spaces on Salt Spring and Across BC

Families throughout British Columbia will have better access to closer-to-home child care, thanks to new provincial guidelines that allow local governments to pair funding programs and purchase land to create new child care spaces. Municipalities and regional districts can now apply for up to $4 million to buy land for child care centres and create new licensed child care spaces in their communities. Previously, the maximum funding available was $1 million and local governments had only one fund to draw from, leaving them to cover the costs of land purchases and additional spaces for new child care projects. “We recognize this government is making historic investments in child care in B.C., and on behalf of the Capital Regional District and Salt Spring Island, I want to express our gratitude for the project funding we received through the first intake. We look forward to pursuing further opportunities resulting from this exciting announcement today.” - Gary Holman, e…

Transition Salt Spring Leads New Climate Action Plan for Island

The Climate Action Group, a project of Transition Salt Spring, is developing a citizen-led climate action plan to address the climate emergency. The plan, due to be released Spring 2020, will focus on the island’s transportation, food systems, land use, buildings and infrastructure and natural systems. This past August, they formed a steering committee to guide the climate action planning process. Recommendations in the plan will outline what the three levels of government, businesses, organizations, and residents can do to reduce emissions as well as adapt to a rapidly destabilizing climate. The impacts of climate change are being felt everywhere. For Salt Spring, the impacts are already being seen through more extreme and unpredictable weather patterns including wind and snowstorms, dangerous local fire conditions and smoky air from forest fires in neighbouring jurisdictions. The destabilizing climate is also having a profound impact on everything from the health of our…

London Drugs, Canada Post, Country Grocer, and InDro Robotics Successfully Test Salt Spring Drone Delivery of Emergency Medications

On August 19, 2019, Canada Post, in partnership with London Drugs and InDro Robotics, successfully completed Canada’s first-ever Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) flight carrying pharmaceuticals via Drone from a London Drugs pharmacy to Salt Spring Island. Canada Post was selected along with InDro Robotics in 2018 to participate in Transport Canada’s BVLOS Drone Trials. The proposal focused on testing BVLOS capabilities over open water and partnering to test the delivery of prescription medications to remote areas. There were three parts to the August 19 trials including the delivery of an Epi pen (Epinephrine) and Narcan, leaving London Drugs’ mobile facility in Duncan, B.C. to the local Country Grocer on Salt Spring Island as well as direct, pin-pointed delivery to a patient’s home on Salt Spring Island. “We are proud to have been selected to participate in the first trial of a Drone delivery of this kind in Canada,” said Chris Chiew, general manager of Pharmacy, L…

Salt Spring Island LTC Takes Legal Action on Unlawful STVR

The Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee (SSI LTC) has authorized legal action be taken against the owner of an unlawful short-term vacation rental (STVR) located on an Upper Ganges Road property. The SSI LTC is seeking a court order stopping the use of the property as a STVR, which is contrary to the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee Land Use Bylaw. In response to the ongoing housing crisis on Salt Spring, the SSI LTC has taken a proactive approach on unlawful STVRs, which are potentially removing accommodation from the long-term housing market. “Islands Trust has heard from the public about growing concerns over the impacts of STVRs on their lives and the community at large,” said Peter Luckham, Chair of the Salt Spring Island LTC. “In addition to the very real concerns that these unlawful STVRs are affecting the amount of long-term rental housing available for island residents, we’ve also heard about increased noise, problems with traffic and parking, and …

Salt Spring Island Parks and Recreation Commission Releases 10-Year Strategic Plan

Salt Spring Island Parks and Recreation Commission (PARC) has released the Salt Spring Island Parks and Recreation 2019-2029 Strategic Plan. The Plan outlines strategies, actions and priorities that guide opportunities for parks and recreation, seek community and stakeholder input and explore the long-term program and facility needs for the community. The following strategic priorities have been identified: Provide a diverse mix of outdoor athletic facilities; Create more and enhance existing access to our lakes and oceans; Create, enhance and maintain our community parks; Plan and develop an interconnected network of exceptional trails across the island; Provide a diverse range of indoor recreation facilities; Provide engaging recreation programs; Invest in our capacity to deliver excellent service; Communicate with our residents; Minimize barriers to participation The mission of the Salt Spring Island Parks and Recreation Commission is to provide access to quality, safe…

Salt Spring National Art Prize Announces Five Salt Spring Artists 2019/20 Finalists

Five Salt Spring artists have been named as finalists for the Salt Spring National Art Prize (SSNAP). They are among the fifty or so artists from across Canada to have their work eligible to win one of nine awards, six selected by jurors and three selected by public vote. Local artists are also in the running to take home the prestigious Salt Spring Prize (Joan McConnell Award) of $20,000 as chosen by an independent jury. SSNAP provides both emerging and established artists an amazing opportunity to be part of the same Canadian artistic dialogue. With over 1,200 artists submitting original, two and three-dimensional works from coast to coast, here’s the list of Salt Spring artists selected as finalists: Bronwyn Austin Josephine Fletcher Krysta Furioso John David James Carol Narod Salt Spring’s John David James is the only Canadian artist to be a finalist in all three SSNAP exhibitions. He says he’s thrilled to be able to push the boundaries of his work and c…

Notice to Bus Riders - Detours on Route 5 and 6

Effective July 22 to August 30, 2019 - Please be advised that Walker’s Hook Road will be closed for repairs between Fort Street and Hedger Road beginning July 22 until August 30, 2019. This closure will be in effect 24 hours a day during these dates. During this time period please note that routes 5 Fernwood and 6 SS Connector, that travel along Walker’s Hook Road, will be operating with a detour. For specific information about the 5 Fernwood detour schedule and routing, click here. For specific information about the 6 SS Connector detour schedule and routing, click here. To review the updated Rider’s Guide for valid transit information during this time period, click here.