On the evening of October 28, 2024, Salt Spring RCMP responded to a report of a pedestrian struck on Rainbow Road. The driver remained on scene and cooperated with investigators. The pedestrian was flown to hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries. There is no criminality involved in this a tragic accident. Out of respect for all those involved, especially the family of the deceased, police will not be releasing any further details. Regards, Sgt. Clive Seabrook Detachment Commander Salt Spring RCMP 401 Lower Ganges Road Salt Spring Island – V8K 2V4 Phone: 250-537-5555 Fax: 250-537-1631

Ten welcomed RCMP’s Sergeant Clive Seabrook to this ASK Salt Spring gathering. After our Territorial Acknowledgement, Clive shared some of what “excites and delights” him. Personally, he was buoyed by his recent 20th wedding anniversary trip to Paris, a phenomenal city. Professionally, he is blessed by a career that continues to excite and intrigue him despite its challenges. After some recent gaps in staffing, he is pleased that the Salt Spring Island Detachment is at full strength, with eight officers including himself, a Corporal, six Constables, and two administrative public service employees who assist the officers with a lot of the administrative workflow and the public with services such as criminal record checks. Clive credits any success in the community to the hard work and dedication of the officers and staff at the Salt Spring detachment – we are blessed with a great team who are often called upon in very difficult circumstances. As many of us know, RCMP off…

At 11;20 on July 22 , 2024 Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue (SSIFR) responded to reports of hydro lines down at 185 Arnell Way. Upon arrival crews met with the owner of the residence and were directed to a large tree that had fallen across their residential service drop. Upon investigation the crews noticed a fire and smoke coming from the roof and eaves. Crews were able to quickly remove the soffits and open up the gable end of the roof gaining access to the fire, extinguishing it and avoiding a serious, fully involved structure fire. 18 firefighters responded to the emergency page-out, 10 were held in reserve in case the emergency escalated or in the event that another emergency was received at the same time and 8 were on scene actioning the fire and doing salvage operations.. Approximately 250 gallons of water was used. There were no injuries and fire, smoke and water damage were kept to a minimum. We would like to thank our crews and BC Hydro for their hard work and assi…

May 31 Nine joined us to welcome Laura Dafoe, a Restorative Justice volunteer, to this ASK Salt Spring gathering. We were especially glad to welcome Laura as she was unexpectedly filling in at the last moment for Restorative Justice Program Coordinator, Jessica Terazakis, who was ill. Although she had not planned to be our special guest this week, Laura led us on a rich journey of learning about Restorative Justice, saying that she was glad to do so in appreciation of all the good things ASK Salt Spring does for our community and for the opportunity to tell us about Restorative Justice. During her Territorial Acknowledgement, we learned that Restorative Justice is a way of looking at the world based upon Indigenous principles. When addressing conflict, Restorative Justice focuses on adhering to the five R values: - Relationship, - Respect, - Responsibility, - Repair, and - Reintegration. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/crime-…

A new state-of-the-art facility in Nanaimo is a significant step forward in advancing correctional services on Vancouver Island and supporting community safety. Located next to the original correctional centre, the new campus-style Nanaimo Correctional Centre (NCC) is architecturally inspired by traditional Coast Salish plank houses and designed to ensure safety and security, while supporting a strong connection to the natural environment and an operational model focused on healing, recovery and change. In addition to expanding remand capacity for Vancouver Island, the new centre includes a unit for women and features modern purpose-built spaces for programs such as the Guthrie program, which combines work, addictions treatment and counselling. The new centre features specialized areas for working with people with complex mental-health needs and a sophisticated health-care centre. “Helping people make meaningful change and take steps to address the root cause of their …

Salt Spring Island Fire responded to a report of an outbuilding on fire in the 300 block of West Eagle Drive on Saturday May 11th. An RV and a nearby storage shed were consumed with flames that extended into the surrounding trees and ground cover. Crews were able to knock down and control the spread of the fire with handline attacks from two apparatus. Water was supplied to the scene using a Tender Shuttle operation that Fire Department members train on regularly. Fifteen Firefighters were on scene with no reported injuries. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

Since 2003, gang-related homicides in British Columbia have risen, climbing from 21% of B.C. homicides to 46% in 2023. Gang-related homicides present unique challenges due to evidence tampering and witness reluctance, making them more time-consuming and resource-intensive to investigate. As of December 2023, IHIT reported 356 unsolved homicides. The establishment of the new Integrated Gang Homicide Team will strengthen investigative capabilities, enabling IHIT to redirect team members to focus on these cases. Under the federal government’s Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence, the B.C. government has received $10.9 million from Public Safety Canada for the 2023-24 fiscal year. The funding will go toward anti-gang and crime initiatives throughout the province, including the Organized Crime Agency of BC, Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers, and the New Westminster Police Department’s Gang Suppression Unit. Significant investments continue for enhanced and …