In April 2018, Salt Spring Fire Rescue responded to 41 incidents including: Three commercial and one residential alarm bell, Three calls for assistance, One beach fire, One chemical spill or leak, One BC Hydro fire, 21 medical assistance calls, Two motor vehicle incidents, Six open burn calls, One rescue, and One chimney fire. Operations Update […]
Selling the idea of interconnectedness and all it entails is one of the toughest pitches environmentally minded people have to make. Most people understand the connection between actions and consequences; not everyone acts upon that understanding. Living on an island fosters an acute sense of community and belonging, which can in turn lead to greater […]
May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada. One of the very few Asian heritage sites on Salt Spring are the two charcoal kilns built by Isaburo Tasaka in the early 1900s in Mouat Park. Besides the two on our island, we have identified thirteen others in the Southern Gulf Islands. A new 68-page booklet published […]
Artificial intelligence (AI) is more and more in the news. Are our cell phones actually becoming ‘smarter’ and will our cars soon be driving themselves? From healthcare to warfare, will robots become our future companions and our future soldiers? How much of the media hype about AI should we believe? Who benefits from the ‘the […]
Directly Affected: Pipeline Under Pressure is a new film with everything you need to know about the Kinder Morgan pipeline battle, written and directed by Vancouver local photographer and filmmaker Zack Embree. Film will be shown at Artspring on Friday, May 25th at 7 pm, followed by a panel discussion with the director, local journalist […]
On May 5 the Salt Spring RCMP responded to a report of a body in the water in Ganges Harbour which had been spotted by a tourist. When officers arrived Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue were on scene and had removed the deceased woman from the water. The initial investigation indicated that the woman’s death […]
Update 2018 May 15: The Salt Spring Island Parks and Recreation Commission (PARC) approved the design of the Salt Spring Lions Commemorative Bike Park at the May 14th PARC meeting. The bike park design is the result of a year long planning process that included extensive site analysis and community consultation. The commission’s approval of […]
This is a letter just sent to Peter Grove after a disappointing shift today, after what seemed like a terrific meeting with Islands Trust staff – Stefan, Toby and Karol – at our site. Hello Peter, I am sort of confused. I just spoke with yet another person I have not met, adding another layer […]
A new nature reserve—a forested 62-acre area near Ford Lake, including small streams flowing into the headwaters of Fulford Creek—is now in the hands of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy. The Howard Horel Nature Reserve has been created largely thanks to a generous anonymous donor, with some grant support from Environment and Climate Change Canada […]
Update 2018 May 09: The boil water advisory issued for Highlands water service area on Salt Spring Island has been lifted/resolved. CRD Integrated Water Services, in consultation with Island Health, advises that the residents of the following area should BOIL their drinking water until further notice: All properties on the Highlands Water Service Area This […]
With the warmth last week and the forecast of another sunny week, you can keep right on planting any and all cool weather crops (peas, lettuce, onions, leeks, all of the cabbage/mustard family, leafy greens, Swiss chard, carrots, beets, turnips, potatoes, etc.). It is still too cool at night in most places to rush warmth-loving […]
I have received numerous calls and e mails from islanders who are concerned about a stop work order on the renovations to the Beachside, formerly Island Escapades, property on the Ganges waterfront. It is a valued business and benefits our community. We would all like to see it succeed. However as in any jurisdiction, whether […]
Birds are nesting, evenings are longer, buds are budding. Hints of summer’s imminent arrival are everywhere, including – of all places – a parking lot. Country Grocer is busy scheduling this season’s array of fundraisers and awareness campaigns. Rob Lowrie, a member of the Community Relations team, says, “it’s a community space as well as […]
It seems we have to cancel reopening Island Escapades, which was to be renamed BEACHSiDE. Islands Trust has told us that we will be subject to fines, etc. if we complete work on our replacement retaining wall, or the back patio, or stairs. They stressed that the permit to replace a wall will take months. […]
I have been writing a column for Fishbowl Magazine for over 9 years. As some of you know, I write in a humorous tone about the quirky island we live on. However, if you are expecting this next piece of writing to be funny, you should surf in another direction. Allow me to start with […]
Clean technology is one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world—and an essential response to climate change. In British Columbia, several First Nations are leaders in the renewable energy sector. By the end of 2016, 30 First Nations had operational solar, run-of-river, geothermal, wind, and biomass projects powering their communities and BC. There are […]
Who doesn’t love progress, especially when it comes to our health and well-being? And targeting school-aged kids is a great place to start. Country Grocer’s latest demonstration of community leadership launches this week – just in time for Earth Day on April 22. The store’s community relations team went into schools through the week of […]
An electrical and mechanical failure at the Ganges Wastewater Treatment Plant on Salt Spring Island resulted in a sewage release from early afternoon April 14 to early afternoon April 15. The sewage entered Ganges Creek and travelled approximately 100 meters prior to discharging into the ocean at the outlet of Ganges Creek. The shoreline affected […]
In March 2018, Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue responded to 45 incidents including: – Three alarms (two residential and one carbon monoxide,) – Five calls for assistance, – Twenty calls for medical assistance, – Two motor vehicle incidents, Six open burns, Five structure fires, Three vehicle fires and One false alarm. With rainfall for both February […]
Old Boys end season on a winning note – The pouring rain on Saturday April 7th complemented the Old Boys mood as only 9 hardy souls arrived at Finlayson Park, Victoria for their opening game in the Annual Bill Drew end of season tournament. Included in the 9 was a return after a 2-season absence of […]
FireSmart is a wildfire safety programme with an economical and common sense approach. The key concept of FireSmart involves removing or reducing the amount of burnable material (think “fire fuel”) from around your home. The area within 10 meters (30 feet) of your home is the “Priority Zone.” If you remove fire fuel from this […]
Why are there so few women in politics? Why is public space, whether in the street or on social media, still so hostile to women? Is the #MeToo movement signalling a real shift in society’s treatment of women? From Hillary Clinton’s failed campaign to the quest for equal pay, and from the transgender movement to […]
Our cold spring continues…with the soil too soggy to work in many gardens, especially after this recent heavy rain. If you squeeze a small handful of soil and it stays together in a compact clod, then it is too wet to handle; it should be moist but still easy to crumble apart after you squeeze […]
Salt Spring Islanders know the importance of healthy oceans. Indeed, many Salt Spring residents are protesting the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion, which if completed will add hundreds of oil tankers to the Salish Sea each year. The threat of oil spills is but one of many challenges facing our oceans. Overfishing, climate change, and plastics […]
As part of its rural development mandate, the Government of British Columbia is providing $39,136 to support community projects in the Cowichan Valley and Gulf Islands, Doug Routley, MLA for Nanaimo-North Cowichan announced today. “The wide range of projects that received grants is a testament to the resourcefulness of the proponents and their commitment to diversifying […]
A community open house for the proposed Salt Spring Lions Commemorative Bike Park in Mouat Park took place on Sunday, March 25 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Salt Spring Island Lions Hall. The event was hosted by the Salt Spring Island Parks and Recreation Commission (PARC) to share information about the project and […]
I’ve learned some things from being arrested at the main Kinder Morgan gate in Burnaby for civil contempt of an injunction to stay at least 5 metres away, important details that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. They might be of interest to others. First, despite being told not to talk to the police, I dared […]
On March 13, 2018, break, enter, and thefts were reported to two businesses on Lower Ganges Rd. Significant damage was done at one of the businesses and numerous tools were taken from both. Through the course of the investigation, a suspect vehicle and general description of one of the suspects was generated. On March 16, […]
“Since the government announced the speculation tax, I heard from many concerned Gulf Islanders who were worried about how this might impact them and I pressed government to make changes,” said Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands. “My office received hundreds of emails, letters and phone calls on the speculation tax. It […]
In April 2018, Salt Spring Fire Rescue responded to 41 incidents including: Three commercial and one residential alarm bell, Three calls for assistance, One beach fire, One chemical spill or leak, One BC Hydro fire, 21 medical assistance calls, Two motor vehicle incidents, Six open burn calls, One rescue, and One chimney fire. Operations Update […]
Selling the idea of interconnectedness and all it entails is one of the toughest pitches environmentally minded people have to make. Most people understand the connection between actions and consequences; not everyone acts upon that understanding. Living on an island fosters an acute sense of community and belonging, which can in turn lead to greater […]
May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada. One of the very few Asian heritage sites on Salt Spring are the two charcoal kilns built by Isaburo Tasaka in the early 1900s in Mouat Park. Besides the two on our island, we have identified thirteen others in the Southern Gulf Islands. A new 68-page booklet published […]
Artificial intelligence (AI) is more and more in the news. Are our cell phones actually becoming ‘smarter’ and will our cars soon be driving themselves? From healthcare to warfare, will robots become our future companions and our future soldiers? How much of the media hype about AI should we believe? Who benefits from the ‘the […]
Directly Affected: Pipeline Under Pressure is a new film with everything you need to know about the Kinder Morgan pipeline battle, written and directed by Vancouver local photographer and filmmaker Zack Embree. Film will be shown at Artspring on Friday, May 25th at 7 pm, followed by a panel discussion with the director, local journalist […]
On May 5 the Salt Spring RCMP responded to a report of a body in the water in Ganges Harbour which had been spotted by a tourist. When officers arrived Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue were on scene and had removed the deceased woman from the water. The initial investigation indicated that the woman’s death […]
Update 2018 May 15: The Salt Spring Island Parks and Recreation Commission (PARC) approved the design of the Salt Spring Lions Commemorative Bike Park at the May 14th PARC meeting. The bike park design is the result of a year long planning process that included extensive site analysis and community consultation. The commission’s approval of […]
This is a letter just sent to Peter Grove after a disappointing shift today, after what seemed like a terrific meeting with Islands Trust staff – Stefan, Toby and Karol – at our site. Hello Peter, I am sort of confused. I just spoke with yet another person I have not met, adding another layer […]
A new nature reserve—a forested 62-acre area near Ford Lake, including small streams flowing into the headwaters of Fulford Creek—is now in the hands of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy. The Howard Horel Nature Reserve has been created largely thanks to a generous anonymous donor, with some grant support from Environment and Climate Change Canada […]
