Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue has sent a replacement team to relieve Firefighters Ponsford and Byrne after an exhausting week battling the fires in northern British Columbia. Firefighters Eric Taylor and Warren Nuyens are the second team to deploy from Salt Spring Island. Ponsford and Byrne are on route home for some well-deserved rest. Ponsford […]
UPDATE: Crews have secured a perimeter around the fire and are now in the process of extinguishing and hand-digging the fire. There is no threat to structures and no need for any evacuations. The fire is classified as “Under-Control” Salt Spring Fire Department has advised us that there is a brush fire on Musgrave Road […]
British Columbia is facing another extreme fire season with over five hundred fires burning in British Columbia. On Aug 15th a provincial state of emergency was declared for the second year in a row. After a request for assistance from the Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC) Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue deployed our reserve […]
It probably started around 12:15 and was out with the boat totally destroyed by about 12:45. Coast Guard and lots of other vessels on hand. Didn’t see the initial fire so don’t know if there was an explosion or not. Of course, have no idea if the occupants got to safety but likely they did […]
(Humanity) is not imprisoned by habit. Great changes in (us) can be wrought by crisis – once that crisis can be recognized and understood. Norman Cousins Glimpsing backwards to discover patterns of adaption For those of us who have gone through hardships in the past, this week we woke up once again to the need […]
Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue responded to 60 Incidents in June 2018. These were: Twenty (20) medical emergencies, One (1) structure fire, Five (5) motor vehicle incidents (MVIs), Eight (8) calls for assistance, Two (2) BC Hydro incidents – one fire and one tree on lines, Thirteen (13) open burns, One (1) animal rescue, Two […]
My story starts with a fluke accident on a water slide that suddenly transformed me from a healthy and happy 20-year-old to a depressed and suicidal young woman suffering from Chronic Back Pain. For two years, I was in constant pain, unable to work, and seldom even able to get up from my couch. Despite […]
During the month of May 2018, the Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue (SSIFR) responded to 62 incidents. These included: 21 medical incidents, 16 open burn incidents, 7 motor vehicle incidents (MVI), 3 brush fires and 2 reports of a suspected brush fire, 4 calls for assistance, 1 structure fire, 1 reported structure fire, 2 alarms […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Response Report – Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue responded to 38 incidents in February, 2018. These included three structure fires (two chimney and one smoke in structure), 20 medical emergencies, two motor vehicle incidents, two BC Hydro incidents – one line down and one tree on fire, two calls for assistance, two commercial and two residential alarms, […]
Election time for the Fire Board is upon us, and I would like to invite you to consider serving your com-munity as a Trustee. The Board generally meets once a month. Trustees also staff the various standing committees along with members of the public. The term of office is three years. The roles of trustees […]
As you may have missed the Fire Trustees’s special Town Hall designed to initiate a series of conversations with the community, you may find a summary of this event interesting. . . . A New Firehall?: At 7:00 p.m., after Chair Per Svendsen welcomed everyone and introductions were made, a member of the public asked […]
Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue responded to 47 Incidents in January 2018. They were: 13 BC Hydro incidents – 2 fires, 6 lines down, and 5 trees on fire; 11 medical responses; 7 requests for assistance; 3 structure fires – 1 commercial and 2 chimney; 3 motor vehicle incidents; 5 alarm bells (4 commercial); 1 […]
When did you come to Salt Spring and what brought you here? My partner and I bought a farm on Bullock Lake about 15 years ago. We fell in love with the landscape here – the coastal rain forest is quite amazing. The island has a great cultural and food scene. Why did you decide […]
When did you come to Salt Spring? And, what bought you here? We wanted to simplify our life, and we fell in love with this island. We had planned to stay for one year, and we are now beginning our ninth year here. One of the main reasons my wife and I had chosen Salt […]
Did you know that the landscaping choices you make can improve your home’s chances of with-standing a wildfire? Before then, would you like to test your FireSmart knowledge? Ground covers – Which three are fire resistant and drought tolerant? Buttercup Dianthus English Ivy Periwinkle Phlox Sedum Perennials – Which […]
During the incorporation debate, one of the most significant liabilities of improvement districts was their inability to compete for federal and provincial grants. Many do not know that this is due to a British Columbia provincial policy and that some other provinces allow their improvement districts to compete for these grants. Last month, Member of […]
SSIFR responded to 63 Incidents for the month of December. The final statistics for 2017 ended the year with 701 calls for assistance, making 2017 the district’s 3rd busiest year in Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue history. Operations Update SSIFR finished off the year with a response-heavy December due to an increase in weather related […]
When did you come to Salt Spring? And, what bought you here? My wife and I purchased our offshore sailboat in Brentwood Bay in November of 1999. Sailing around the Salish Sea the following summer, the Farmers Market in Ganges was high on our list of places to visit. Anchoring in the harbor, we rowed […]
Salt Spring Island Fire-Rescue (SSIFR) responded to 45 calls in November 2017 making a total of 642 incidents this year. Firefighter responses this month included seven for assistance, 27 for medical emergencies, three for motor vehicle incidents, two for open burns, two for residential fires, and one for a vehicle fire. On November 4, SSIFR […]
On the first anniversary of becoming Salt Spring Island Fire-Rescue’s eighth Fire Chief, Arjuna George graciously agreed to share some of his story with me. Our Island-raised Chief envisioned a future in customer service in the restaurant industry, hoping to someday become a chef with his own restaurant. When he became a volunteer firefighter in […]
Some weeks have passed since Salt Spring’s divisive referendum and it’s reassuring to see our community again moving forward rather than circling its wagons before firing inward. The Library, the Rainbow Road Pool, ArtSpring, our Conservancy, Salt Spring Literacy and many other local organizations continue to meet various needs. Efforts are again underway to improve […]
I thought that I knew quite a bit about what was happening on Salt Spring. Was I ever wrong! I had absolutely no idea of all the interesting training initiatives the Salt Spring Island Fire-Rescue (SSIFR) team is offering to keep our community safe. Worried about fire protection at home? SSIFR can help you with […]
Please be advised that BC Ferries will be doing maintenance work on the Crofton and Vesuvius trestles. This work will take place from September 23 to November 1, 2019. There will be no impact to operations. Work will include replacement of piles, guardrails, deck boards and other minor items. A barge will be used to […]
Response Report: Salt Spring Island Firefighters responded to 58 calls the month of August. Operations The Ganges Fire Hall suffered two roof leaks over the month with the light summer rain. To rectify this issue before winter arrives a roofer and an engineer are needed. Work has been undertaken to arrange both of these tasks. […]
The early onset of wet, cold, windy fall weather is catching a few late summer crops at a tricky time. Here are some notes on what to do right now, including responses to questions I’ve been asked recently: Seeds: If you are saving some of your own seeds this year and they are still out […]
As we open the menu for Canada’s election, how will Canadians choose the healthiest possibilities? Who looks most appetizing? We really must investigate the ingredients, starting with the one we know best, here in Saanich/Gulf Islands. Elizabeth May lifted a glass to us when she said, “It is the community spirit of our area that […]
Part of being alive is the desire to help others through action. While there are many ways to accomplish this philanthropy, one common way is to give generously of our wealth and abundance. Who hasn’t donated to their favourite charity or not for profit organization? Doing so benefits both our neighbour and ourselves. However, most […]
Friends, neighbours and visitors, welcome to the 2019 edition of the Salt Spring Island Fall Fair, an island tradition since 1896, celebrating the Agricultural Community’s efforts and successes. Our island has a rich and varied agricultural history and tradition that spans more than 150 years, since Confederation. The Salt Spring Island Farmers’ Institute, established in […]
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 […]
Make someone you know a Salty Award winner! – Presenting the Salt Spring Community & Business Awards! Winners will receive a Salty Award and 29 awards will be given out two areas – Business and Community. You can nominate one business or community group/area per session during the nomination process. You will then be able […]
In this series, we share stories from Art Jam participants. Art Jam – a volunteer-run program of the Salt Spring Arts Council – provides a safe, welcoming space for members of our marginalized community, where they can be defined as creators and artists, rather than by the challenges they regularly face. By celebrating their unique […]
Another beautiful celebration of Pride on Salt Spring Island today. Thousands of locals and visitors lined the street to celebrate the 15th annual Pride and the 12th celebration of the Pride Parade all through the streets of Ganges. Few communities the size of Salt Spring can boast of the energy and excitement and pride of […]
Please join us on Saturday, September 7th for a Community Information Meeting regarding Bylaw No. 512 (Affordable Rental Housing – Cottages). This is an opportunity to learn more about the project and discuss the proposed rezoning of approximately 400 properties on Salt Spring Island to permit cottages for full-time residential rental, instead of “seasonal cottages” […]
