UPDATE: January 20, 2021 at 5:28PM - Salt Spring RCMP have confirmed that the device has been destroyed. It was determined not to be explosive. The area is now clear. On January 20, 2021 the Salt Spring RCMP were contacted by a concerned citizen about an item left in Drummond Park. The cylindrical shaped device raised the suspicion of the passerby, and they immediately reported it to the police. Salt Spring RCMP frontline members arrived on scene and could not determine the nature of the device, and contacted the BC RCMP Explosive Disposal Unit (EDU) for their expertise. Through their consultation and reviewing photos of the item, it was determined that the area be made safe by removing anyone nearby while the EDU members make their way to Salt Spring Island to examine and if necessary make it safe. A local resident saw this suspicious device at the north end of Drummond Park, and did the right thing by calling the RCMP immediately said Salt Spring RCMP Detachment C…

As of December 31, 2020, Salt Spring RCMP responded to 2,978 calls this year, averaging 8-9 calls per day. There were 745 calls for service between October 1 2020 and December 31 2020; in addition to these 700+ calls for service, Salt Spring RCMP conducted 127 vehicle stops (violation tickets and warnings), 114 licenced premises checks (bar walks) and 362 foot patrols through Centennial Park and other areas. Statistically, this means that of the 92 days in this 4th quarter period, Salt Spring RCMP conducted 1 bar walk per day, 4 foot patrols per day, 1+ traffic stop per day, and 8-9 calls for service per day. Amongst the 745 calls on Salt Spring in this 4th quarter, there were four (4) sexual assaults, 11 firearms calls and 25 COVID-related calls for police response. There were three (3) separate investigations into child pornography/distribution here on Salt Spring Island. There were 113 mental health calls, accounting for 15% of the total call volume in the 4th quarter.…

On December 14th Salt Spring RCMP officers responded to two incidents in Centennial Park within a few hours of each other. The first incident was reported as a possible fight involving two men. RCMP members arrived on scene and separated the combatants. It was determined that the best resolution was to separate the two. One man was given a ride from the scene by police to another location of their request. The man agreed to stay away from the area, and would cause no further concerns. Approximately 2 hours later another incident was reported near Centennial Park. This time it was reported that a window of a local business had been broken. Upon arrival at the scene, the RCMP member saw two men arguing on the sidewalk. The smashed window of Strong River Studios has been boarded up as a result of the incident. The RCMP member easily identified one of the men as the same man driven from the scene earlier who agreed not to return. Witnesses on scene identified this man as h…

Responding to community interest, Salt Spring RCMP will attempt to provide call volume information at different times throughout the year; this specific news article will include a listing of some investigations and various complaints in the 3rd quarter of 2020. As of October 1 2020, Salt Spring RCMP have responded to over 2,200 calls this year, averaging 8-9 calls per day. Approximately 700 calls were received by Salt Spring RCMP during the July 1 2020 – September 30 2020 3rd quarter period; this number does not include traffic stops, licenced premises checks or park patrols. Some of the calls for this quarter are detailed below: July 2020 Salt Spring RCMP assisted Victoria Police Department with their search for a Missing Person. Salt Spring RCMP entered into an investigation involving multiple sexual assaults that occurred on Salt Spring Island this summer. With the help of Vancouver Island General Investigative Service, the suspects were subsequently arrested …

Local Salt Spring RCMP continue to seek help identifying a suspect who was recorded on security cameras vandalising the ATMs of the Salt Spring Island branch of Island Savings in the early hours of Saturday, September 5th, 2020. The suspect can be seen emptying liquid from containers while wearing a hood, mask and surgical gloves. Local reports at the time of the crime suggested the liquid smelled like urine by those who used the ATMs on the day after the vandalism. Salt Spring RCMP and First Western Credit Union (Island Savings) Corporate Security released videos of the vandalism to the Salt Spring Exchange in an effort to help bring forward information about the as yet unidentified suspect. Three security camera videos captured from different camera angles at the bank's rear and front ATMs were provided. They have been stitched together by the staff at the Exchange into one video for easier viewing. In the videos, the suspect appears to have vandalised the rear ATM at I…

Local RCMP are seeking help identifying a suspect who was captured on security cameras defacing Salt Spring Island Savings ATM machines in the early hours of Saturday, September 5th, 2020. The suspect can be seen emptying liquid from containers while wearing a hood, mask and surgical gloves. Local reports at the time of the crime suggested the liquid smelled like urine. Anyone with information about the person in the photo is being asked to contact Constable Ted Turgeon of the Salt Spring Island RCMP at (250) 537-5555 or Crimestoppers at (800)-222-8477. The incident occurred the same weekend that feces was reportedly smeared on Beachside Cafe.

An aggressive incident was captured on video this evening in Centennial Park with a suspect attempting to assault the CRD By-Law Officer after being asked to leave the park after a separate alleged earlier assault attempt. This was the 2nd incident witnessed with the suspect attempting to assault the By-Law Officer. This video was of the 2nd incident after the suspect left the scene and then returned, attempted to throw a football at the By-Law Officer at full force at short-range but missed, then this incident was captured on video. Community members have been increasingly concerned about large groups of citizens gathering in the park, openly consuming alcohol and leaving significant amounts of trash and garbage in open park areas. At the time of this incident there was a group of 25+ people who appeared to be drinking alcohol in and around park benches, tables, trees and bushes while at the same time other community members were setting up for this evening's open air pe…

UPDATE: 2020 June 2nd - 12:35 PM - Local RCMP were called to a home on Fulford-Ganges Road just before 5 PM yesterday. Officers found a deceased 48-year-old male on the property and a 41-year-old female suffering serious injuries. The female later succumbed to her injuries. Police say no one else was injured or involved in the incident and there is no danger to the public. "Police are not looking for suspects and no charges are anticipated," RCMP Cpl. Chris Manseau said in a statement. UPDATE: 2020 June 2nd - 06:58 AM - Serious incident occurred in our community late yesterday afternoon in the 1500 block of Fulford-Ganges Road. RCMP police investigators have been on site all evening and are still in place as of this morning. Police checkpoints and white tents could be seen on the property. RCMP's Major Crimes Unit is investigating. BC Coroners Service is also investigating. This is an isolated, private incident. There is no active threat for the community according…

The Board and the Advisory Committee are keenly aware of the impact of COVID-19 on the local community and the economy in planning for a replacement for the Ganges Fire Hall – the main hall and operations centre for the Island’s emergency response. We are doing the research necessary to identify actions and options and will continue to inform and engage the community in the process. As recently announced, the community volunteer-based Fire Rescue Advisory Committee and the Board of Trustees reviewed the two detailed technical reports on the status of the Ganges Fire Hall. Both reports provide conclusive evidence that the building nor the physical site are suitable for rebuilding: the site is not seismically sound, it is too small, and it would cost in the millions of dollars to retrofit. As a result, the District is now investigating the Brinkworthy site, a property the District already owns, thanks to a generous donation. Next Steps Additional items discussed at both …

Project Update #3 Regarding Ganges Fire Hall With health and safety top of mind amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board and the Fire Rescue Advisory Committee now meet online to continue to work on the Fire Rescue Needs and Facilities Assessment Project. The Board and the Advisory Committee are deeply committed to creating safe, responsible solutions for fire protection and public safety, recognizing the impact of COVID-19 on our Salt Spring community. Our goal is to continue the leg work, ensure all questions are answered and be ready when the time is right to move forward. We are developing online opportunities for you to learn more and to provide feedback on any proposed options for a new fire hall. Please stay tuned for more details. Reports Recommend New Home for Ganges Fire Hall Two recent reports confirming the status of the Ganges Fire Hall were reviewed by both the Salt Spring Island Fire Protection District Board of Trustees and the Fire Rescue Advisory Co…

There have been drastic and substantial changes in our Fire Department since the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic. We had taken what was viewed at the time as extraordinary measures to be proactive in protecting the health and safety of our membership and community at large. We closed our offices to the public and prohibited all non-essential member traffic to our fire halls. We cancelled all face-to-face group training and meetings, which have since moved online with great success. Staff began multiple daily decontamination protocols of our halls and apparatus. Listing all the measures here is too lengthy for this letter. Suffice it to say, we were a month ahead of recommended government guidelines. By taking measures so early on, we have been able to keep our membership completely healthy and able to respond 24/7. We responded to a structure fire on March 27th in the early hours of the morning and the house was saved. We want you to know that we are here for you, we are heal…

Good day, I am writing to you today to give you an update on what has changed in the Fire Department since the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic. We had taken what was viewed at the time as extraordinary measures to be proactive in protecting the health and safety of our membership and community at large. We closed our offices to the public and prohibited all non-essential member traffic to our fire halls. We cancelled all face-to-face group training and meetings, which have since moved online with great success. Staff began multiple daily decontamination protocols of our halls and apparatus. Listing all the measures here is too lengthy for this letter. Suffice it to say, we were a month ahead of recommended government guidelines. By taking measures so early on, we have been able to keep our membership completely healthy and able to respond 24/7. We had responded to a structure fire on March 27th in the early hours of the morning and the house was saved. We want you to know …

Response Report: Salt Spring Island Firefighters responded to 62 calls for the month of January. Operations The emergency generator project is now complete, and all three fire halls are now equipped with small portable generators for emergency backup. One last detail is the construction of outdoor housing structures for them. These new units will be critical to operating emergencies during mass power outages. The project came in under-budget. The process to replace the Engine from Fire Hall 2 has been initiated. The specifications for the engine and a request for proposal are currently being created by staff. The repurposing of Mini Pumper 1 is complete, with the fire pump and plumbing successfully removed. The apparatus still has the capability to pump water for brush fires, but the overall weight has drastically been reduced. The unit now houses all our technical rescue equipment for rope rescue, hazardous materials, confined space, water and ice rescu…

Vision; A responsive and sustainable fire-rescue service, effectively meeting community needs and valued by those we serve. Mission; Always learning, engaging and adapting to be response ready. Response Report Salt Spring Island Firefighters responded to 44 calls for the month of December. SSIFR finished off the year with 655 calls. Operations December 27th Firefighters responded to a kitchen fire on Richard Flack Road. Before Firefighters arrived on scene RCMP made a quick rescue and stopped the fire spread with a fire extinguisher. The RCMP Constable’s swift action saved the sole occupants life. The Fire was extinguished, and one male occupant taken to Hospital with minor injuries. On behalf of the organization I would like to recognize Constable Hastie for his quick actions. December, Roof repair work was undertaken by an Asbestos remediation company, as one of the steps towards fixing the Hall 1 roof. Following the Asbestos work, an engineer inspe…

Vision A responsive and sustainable fire-rescue service, effectively meeting community needs and valued by those we serve. Mission Always learning, engaging and adapting to be response ready. Response Report Salt Spring Island Firefighters responded to 54 calls for assistance in November. Operations As part of our ongoing community education and outreach SSIFR hosted the 1st series of Salt Spring Island Emergency Resiliency Training (SSERT) for the community organized by the Salt Spring Island Emergency Program.  The first session was a great success with over 20 community members partaking in four nights of resiliency training.  The skills they learned will help them and our community be better prepared for emergencies.  The next series of SSERT will be held in December and registration is already full.  With the success and interest from the community there will be future SSERT classes offered thanks to the support of the Salt Spring Island Em…