Governance & Politics

Capitol Regional District statement for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

On September 30, known as Orange Shirt Day and now observed as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we pause to remember the profound and painful history of Canada’s Indigenous residential schools. We acknowledge the enduring intergenerational trauma that survivors and their descendants bear to this very day. The removal of Indigenous children from their families and their coerced attendance at residential schools stands as a dark chapter in our history—an act recognized by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as an attempt at cultural genocide. Within our region, children were forcibly taken from their families and sent to these schools where they were subjected to unspeakable abuses. The Kuper Island Indian Residential School, located on Kuper Island (now known as Penelakut Island), operated from 1890 to 1975. According to information obtained from the BC Archives, children who attended this school experienced profound isolation from their communities and …

Local Community Commission Town Hall meeting report for August 31, 2023 - Arts funding, economic development, affordable housing, liquid waste and more

Nearly 70 Salt Springers came to the first ever Salt Spring Island Local Community Commission (LCC) Town Hall offered at 5:00 p.m. Thursday, August 31 in the Lions Hall. Hosted by your newly-elected Local Commissioners, Chair Earl Rook (erook@crd.bc.ca), Electoral Director Gary Holman (directorssi@crd.bc.ca), Brian Webster (bwebster@crd.bc.ca), Ben Corno (bcorno@crd.bc.ca), and Gayle Baker (gbaker@crd.bc.ca), they were supported by Samantha Sanderson who took notes and Country Grocer who generously provided cookies, veggies and fruit. (Thanks Samantha and Country Grocer!) Chair Earl began by outlining the order of the evening, asking participants to limit their comments to two minutes and to speak to the services overseen by the LCC in the following order: Arts and Culture, Economic Development, Parks and Recreation, Liquid Waste, and Transit and Transportation. Differing from the LCC’s authority over the 11 services, the relationship with Arts and Culture (Arts Council, …

Local Community Commission town hall an important community opportunity

On August 31, Salt Spring residents have a chance to help shape the future of the local government services that are the responsibility of our new Local Community Commission (LCC). That day, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Lion’s Hall (103 Bonnet Ave.), Salt Spring’s five elected LCC members will gather with community members to hear residents’ priorities for the coming year. With 2024 budget decision-making about to begin, this is a chance to make your priorities known. The LCC is responsible for funding and/or directly delivering a wide range of local government services on Salt Spring. These include: Active transportation (including sidewalks and bike lanes) Advocacy (on everything from road speed limits to BC Ferry service and more) ArtSpring Community Arts Centre (funding of the Island Arts Centre Society) Bus shelters Centennial Park Economic sustainability (including climate change, local food security/accessibility and more) Grants-in-aid fu…

Opinion: Police Reform

This summer I’ve been engaged in personal and academic inquiry. I’m examining leadership, values, and systems. As an elected official, this is important work. We benefit from critically analyzing ourselves, the groups and teams we are affiliating with, and in service of our constituents, the systems that we create, maintain, and transform. Nowhere on the Elections BC or political party application forms for becoming an MLA does it ask about previous experience in systems thinking. It’s not a prerequisite, and yet it is the basis of our work. However, unless there is an enlightened and clandestine conversation happening in some dark corner of the BC legislature that I am unaware of, there is no useful dialogue about how our political system, affects the myriad of critical systems we are responsible for: housing, health, education, transportation, social services, public safety services, and so on. Consider the fact there are two applications, on…

State of Emergency declared over wildfires by Premier and Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness

Premier David Eby and Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, have released the following statement about the current wildfire situation: “This year, we are facing the worst wildfire season ever in British Columbia. Over the past 24 hours, the situation has evolved rapidly and we are in for an extremely challenging situation in the days ahead. There are numerous fires across the province threatening communities. Thousands of people are under evacuation orders, and tens of thousands more are on evacuation alert. “Given these fast-moving conditions, the Province of British Columbia is declaring a provincial state of emergency, under the authority of the Emergency Program Act, to ensure we are in a position to rapidly access any tools we need to support communities as the situation evolves. “At this time, we’re grateful that people are mostly following our call to not travel to certain areas and to stay out of the way of emergency crews so they …

Opinion: State of the Salish Sea

I am deeply concerned about the health and wellbeing of the Salish Sea. The Government of Canada has proven to be incapable of managing our marine environment. It’s unlikely their intention, but together Environment Canada, Transport Canada, and Department of Fisheries and Oceans are successfully overseeing the demise of the W̱SÁNEĆ territory. Only Parks Canada has shown recently a desire for improvement, transforming episodic consultations into actual relationship building. One of the first big issues I confronted as a Councillor in the District of Central Saanich in 2008 was the multi-jurisdictional swamp that governs the waters around our communities. The province owns the land below the water, and they grant limited power to municipalities to make “land” use decisions. The federal government controls the surface and the water column. First Nations have unrealized inherent rights and jurisdiction. It’s a total mess that often results in finger-pointing and administrati…

Islands Trust: Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee 2023 July update

The LTC held a “Town Hall and Questions” session at Royal Canadian Legion Meaden Hall between 5:00 and 7:00 PM on July 12th. We were grateful for those who came out to ask questions and engage with the trustees. The LTC will hold its next evening “Town Hall and Questions” session on September 13, 2023 at Beaver Point Hall. We held our regular LTC meeting on July 13th and this report summarizes the meeting highlights. For the official record and for more details, please refer to the minutes and/or view recordings of the meetings. At the July 13th meeting the following decisions were made related to a land use applications and referrals. We: Approved issuance of a Development Variance Permit to enable an auxiliary guest cottage to be attached to a storage room and to permit an existing retaining seawall within the setback to the foreshore (38 McKenzie Crescent, Piers Island). Recommended approval of Gulf Island Brewing’s (270 Furness Road) application to the Liq…

Islands Trust: Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee 2023 June update

The Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee (LTC) invites you to join us for an evening Town Hall and Question period on July 12th between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM at the Royal Canadian Legion Meaden Hall – 120 Blain Road. We welcome you to ask questions or provide comments during the meeting. This is one of four special evening town hall meetings planned for this year. We encourage you to attend and engage with your trustees. We held our regular LTC meeting on June 22nd. This report summarizes the meeting highlights. For the official record and for more details, please refer to the minutes and/or view recordings of the meetings. At the June 22nd meeting the following decisions were made related to land use applications and referrals. We: Requested staff to hold a public open house to gather community input on an application from the Harbour House Hotel to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulations Branch (LCRB) to extend their hours of liquor service by two hours, with a propo…

BC NDP reluctant to ensure BC Conservation Service has independent oversight

British Columbians would be shocked to learn that the BC Conservation Service (BCCOS), a small, heavily armed service with no independent oversight, can be directly controlled by the BC NDP government through the Minister of the Environment. The Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act report submitted to the legislature last year recommending the Minister of Public Safety, Hon. Mike Farnworth fix this glaring lack of independent oversight and he has ignored it. The BCCOS website describes Conservation Officers as “highly trained, dedicated individuals responsible for enforcing 33 federal and provincial statutes, they hold Special Provincial Constable Status under the Police Act and have unrestricted appointment to enforce Acts and Statues, and protect the public and preserve the peace. Conservation Officers dress like police, drive police-like cars, use police-like tactics, carry police-like assault rifles, have all the powers of police under section 9 of the Pol…

Opinion: Bylaw 530 – Going for Growth

Proposed Bylaw 530 will affect vast numbers of lots on Salt Spring. We don’t yet know exactly how many because the 5215 figure provided by the Islands Trust apparently needs some adjustment. But we do know that, if the zoning changes proceed as discussed, thousands of additional lots will be allowed to have an Accessory Dwelling Unit - either a secondary suite or detached dwelling. Adding so many potential new densities to the island is a gross violation of our Official Community Plan. Policy B.2.1.2.1 of our OCP states: “Zoning changes should be avoided if they would likely result in a larger island population than is expected under the development potential zoned in 2008. Exceptions to this policy are to be few and minor and only to achieve affordable housing and other objectives of this Plan.” The word “population” signals that the most significant environmental impacts come not from the number of lots, but from the number of people. Adding more dwellings to existing l…

Islands Trust: Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee 2023 May update

The Local Trust Committee (LTC) invites you to attend either of two upcoming open houses to learn more about the proposed Bylaw 530 (Accessory Dwelling Units). The open houses will be held from 12:00 to 3:00 PM on June 6 at the Salt Spring Public Library (129 McPhillips Ave) and from 12:00 to 3:00 PM on June 10 at the Legion’s Meaden Hall (120 Blain Road). The LTC held a “Town Hall and Questions” session at Fulford Hall Seniors Centre between 5:00 and 7:00 PM on May 17th. We were grateful for those who came out to ask questions and engage with the trustees. The LTC will hold its next evening “Town Hall and Questions” session on July 12, 2023, at Legion’s Meaden Hall. We held our regular LTC meeting on May 18. This report summarizes the meeting highlights. For the official record and for more details, please refer to the minutes and/or view recordings of the meetings. At the May 18th meeting the following decisions were made related to a land use applications and r…

Join the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rob Fleming and MLA Adam Olsen to discuss transportation on Salt Spring Island

I am excited to host Hon. Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, this Friday at ASK Salt Spring to discuss transportation issues on Salt Spring Island. I invited Minister Fleming following a visit from Minister Mike Farnworth earlier this Spring where we discussed public safety on Salt Spring. Transportation was repeatedly raised as a top public safety concern and it remains a high-traffic topic of correspondence to me from Salt Spring residents. We will hear from you about a range of issues including BC Ferries, road maintenance and repairs, and upgrades to the Fulford-Vesuvius corridor to accommodate active transportation like walking and cycling more safely. Minister Fleming has been responsive to our advocacy regarding the needs of Salt Spring Island, and I look forward to his visit so you can raise your ideas and concerns with him directly. A year ago, the Ministry commissioned a cycling safety review of the corridor, and with the recommend…

2023 Salt Spring Island Local Community Commission official election results

Update May 31, 2023, at 11:54: The Capital Regional District (CRD) is pleased to announce the final results for the Salt Spring Island Local Community Commission (LCC) elections, which identify the following four commissioners who will join Gary Holman, Salt Spring Island Electoral Area Director, to form the LCC: Gayle Baker, Brian Webster, Earl Rook and Benjamin Corno Voter turnout statistics for the Salt Spring Island LCC Commissioner race (includes resident and non-resident): Salt Spring Island: 32% (3,262 out of 10,219 registered electors) As part of the official determination of results, the CRD confirmed and verified the accuracy of all ballot accounts, confirmed the calculation of vote tallies from the electronic tabulators and ensured the correct consolidation of total results from across all polling locations including mail ballots. The Salt Spring Island LCC will oversee and advise on economic development, liquid waste disposal, community parks and recreation…

ASK Salt Spring with 10 Local Community Commission candidates discuss upcoming election and CRD issues

Thirty - including 10 Local Community Commission (LCC) candidates - came to this ASK Salt Spring gathering to discuss LCC and CRD issues. Candidates who joined us were: Gayle Baker, Kylie Coates, Ben Corno, David Courtney, Lloyd Cudmore, Nejmah Guermoudi, Eric G. March, Jenny McClean, Earl Rook, and Brian Webster. Ben and Jenny needed to leave for work before 1:00. (Each of these candidates had an opportunity to review the comments attributed to them and edit as needed. They all understand that this ASK Salt Spring report with their comments will be published on the Exchange.) After her Territorial Acknowledgement, our facilitator, Mary Richardson, Alternate CRD Director as well as former chair of the Liquid Waste Commission, began by asking her question: Question #1: If you had to choose one, please identify in which of the LCC services you are most interested? Ben would choose Economic Development as he would like to help keep the good work of Francine Carlin and…

Opinion: Why vote for Gayle Baker?

Who is that behind the smile and curly silver hair? Most of all, I love my adventurous husband, Howard, my adult children, almost-10-year old granddaughter, and amazing Portuguese Water Dog pup, Abby. They ground me, tell me when I am wrong - even pup Abby! - and fill my life with love. I am quirky, celebrating thrift shop treasures with glee, loving stealth camping in our VW Camper, and relishing an odd pleasure from being status-conscious Santa Barbara’s first live aboard Dean. I am tenacious, married for 53 years, and still counting, even though it has been to two different husbands :) I have stamina with humour, living in a tent for five months and then a 200-square foot cottage for seven years while building our Salt Spring home. I am hardworking, to a fault, just ask anyone who knows me. . . . I also bring that beneficial ability to think out of the box to come up with unique solutions. Given the daunting challenges of becoming one of the first four…

Opinion: Why young, working, Salt Springers should vote in the LCC election

My name is Maddy Smith. I am a 33 year old apprentice plumber, maintenance worker, and farmer. I have been living on Salt Spring Island for two years now. I work two jobs and regularly take on side work during my weekends. I started visiting Salt Spring seven years ago, and was charmed by the copious farm stands, amazing parks, beautiful beaches, quirky shops, fairy doors, and smiling people. I thought the story of my friend’s co-worker living out of her car after paying $500 a month to live on a tent pad she had to build herself was an isolated situation, so when given an opportunity to move here, I jumped on it. I have since been able to see the side of Salt Spring that tourists don’t see, and that the tent pad situation was extremely commonplace. I have seen friends overworked because their employers have been unable to hire enough staff, with staff they do manage to hire leaving due to unlivable conditions where they rent and having nowhere else to go. I have seen lifelong …

Opinion: BC NDP are investing a lot of money in fulfilling a 2017 housing promise and not being driven by data

The housing crisis has been growing since before the 2017 election. In 2018 and 2019, as part of their 30-point plan, the BC NDP tightened rules on reno/demo-victions, capped rent increases, introduced the speculation and vacancy tax, and the multi-billion dollar Housing Hub. Following that the BC NDP required local governments to keep an updated housing needs assessment, then last fall they introduced the Housing Supply Act, which gives the provincial government additional powers to ensure local governments are making decisions to create supply to meet the housing demand. This fall we are expecting legislation that overrides local zoning bylaws -- effectively turning single family zones into multi-family zones. Recently, I had an hour in budget estimates with Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon. I asked Minister Kahlon how many housing units existed in the province. I noted that the province has been collecting data and should have a sense of the profile of our housing sto…

Watch: 2023 Salt Spring Local Community Commission All-Candidates Debate

Candidates offered their ideas and perspectives as prospective Local Community Commissioners and answered questions from the audience. The debate was co-sponsored by the Gulf Islands Driftwood and Salt Spring Chamber of Commerce. https://youtu.be/qDfnkA_S8V8

Opinion: How our new LCC could enhance Ganges

During the campaign to elect four new Local Community Commissioners for Salt Spring, a frequent topic of discussion has been the current condition of downtown Ganges. Some candidates have raised this as an issue without offering much in terms of solutions. And there’s barely been a mention of the positive things that have happened over the years, from the construction of sidewalks and pathways to Peace Park improvements and from the addition of transit to the construction of the library. Ganges is not all bad news, for sure. But, still, it’s understandable that candidates are focusing on what needs to be done, not just celebrating past successes. Are there things our LCC can do to help make Ganges a healthier ‘urban’ core? Definitely yes. But before we talk solutions, let’s get clear on the problems. The Challenges In my view, many of the challenges Ganges currently faces fall into five interconnected categories: incomplete or failing public facilities, lack of downtow…

Local Community Commission candidates offer their perspectives on arts and culture in collaboration with ArtSpring, Salt Spring Arts and the Salt Spring Island Library

ArtSpring, Salt Spring Arts and the Salt Spring Island Library work independently and collaboratively to enhance our community through arts and culture. Together these organizations developed five questions for candidates standing for election for the new CRD Local Community Commission (LCC). The intention is to provide eligible voters with an opportunity to learn more about each of the candidates standing for election this month. The LCC will oversee Salt Spring Island-wide services such as parks and recreation, transportation, economic development, and liquid waste disposal. The LCC will also administer certain local services currently overseen by staff and the Electoral Area Director; these include the provision of arts and library contribution services funded by the CRD. Together, the SSI Library, Salt Spring Arts and ArtSpring would like to thank members of our community that have put their names forward as LCC candidates and that are fully engaging in strengthening …

Where, how and why you should vote in the 2023 Local Community Commission elections

Voting in local elections is an essential way to actively participate in the democratic process and have a direct impact on your community. Here are several reasons why voting in local elections is important, especially as we introduce a new Local Community Commission (LCC) governance structure here on Salt Spring Island: Influence on local policies Local elections determine the individuals who will make decisions on matters that directly affect your community, such as education, infrastructure, public transportation, zoning regulations, local taxes, and more. By voting, you have a say in shaping these policies and can help elect candidates who align with your values and priorities. Representation and voice Local elections allow you to elect representatives who will be your voice in local government. By casting your vote, you can ensure that your community's interests, concerns, and perspectives are represented by officials who understand the needs of the area and w…