Health & Wellness | Salt Spring Exchange

Listen: Changing Our Climate with the Food We Eat

I’m on the Salt Spring Gulf Island Community Radio interviewing people near and far who are making good news on the planet by helping to shift the outcome of our future. These people and companies have created solutions to local and global issues we’re facing at the moment. Sharing the good news that’s happening on the planet is key at this time as there are people out there who are making big changes and we need to see the turning tides. In this episode I’m talking with Dan Jason the owner of Salt Spring Seeds. Dan has a vision to help communities around the world let go of their dependence on the food industry and fulfill their communities grocery needs at home - without compromising the varieties of food we love! He is committed to helping people grow their own food and save their own seeds. In this episode we're exploring how to relate with our future through the foods we choose. We're also diving into: How the design of seeds can effect our longevity on the …

100 Men Who Care Present $10,500 Donation to Greenwoods

In their inaugural meeting this past month, the men who gathered raised $10,500 for the Greenwoods Eldercare Society with funds earmarked for a family communications room where residents can connect with families via video conference. Over eighty men of the 105 members gathered at their first meeting at the Harbour House Hotel to select a local charity to support. The randomly selected nominations were from Greenwoods Elder Care, The Salt Spring Island Rowing Club, and the Salt Spring Island Soccer Association. In a close vote, Greenwoods Elder Care gained the most votes. 100 Men Who Care have now shared those funds with Aletha Humphreys, Executive Director at Greenwoods who accepted the cheque for $10,300 on behalf of the board, staff, and residents of Greenwood’s Elder Care. The money was raised by the newly formed 100 Men Who Care, Salt Spring Island, and will go to refurbishment of the activity room.

Healthy Ways to Deal with Anxiety with Salt Spring's John Bateman

Join host Elizabeth Heinz and guests Judith Law and Salt Spring Island's John Bateman from Anxiety Canada, to understand what anxiety disorders are and how to recognize when help is needed. https://youtu.be/91no0Qek3Eg Q&A with John Bateman, Anxiety Canada Champion How did you get involved with Anxiety Canada? I met Judith (Anxiety Canada Executive Director) through the Robert Bateman Foundation which I’m Chair. My enthusiasm for mental health and your organization resonated with Judith, so she immediately asked me to be a Champion. How has anxiety impacted your life? I’ve dealt with anxiety my entire life – it started at a young age. At the time, there wasn’t a system in place for anyone – let alone children, but, my mom recognized it and helped me a lot. I started having panic attacks that were brought on by stressful events. I was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder in high school, and I also battled depression. There’s a lot that I blocked out abou…

Homeless Shelter to Open Year Round on Salt Spring Island

People experiencing homelessness on Salt Spring Island will have year-round access to shelter and services, following funding from the Province to extend operations. “People experiencing homelessness on Salt Spring deserve to have a safe, warm place to go year-round,” said Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “We are so thankful for our community partners on the island who are working with us to deliver the services people need. This type of partnership is what Homelessness Action Week is all about.” Starting Nov. 1, 2019, the shelter operated by Salt Spring Island Community Services (SSICS) will be open all year, providing people with a warm, safe space to sleep. Located at 268 Fulford-Ganges Rd., the shelter provides 30 overnight beds, access to laundry and showers and two meals a day for shelter guests. The shelter will be open overnight from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. Staff will remain on-site in the morning to connect guests with community resources. …

100 Men Who Care Raise $10,500 for Greenwoods Eldercare Society

100 Men Who Care Salt Spring Island are a group of men who care about their community and want to make an immediate and direct impact with their giving. Three times a year, they meet for one hour to learn about the great work being done by three local registered charities based on the island. By secret ballot, they vote for one of the three member-nominated charities, and the one with the most votes gets a $100 donation from each member. In their inaugural meeting this evening, the men who gathered raised $10,500 for the Greenwoods Eldercare Society with funds earmarked for a family communications room where residents can connect with families via video conference. Over eighty men of the 105 members gathered tonight at the Harbour House Hotel to select a local charity to support. The randomly selected nominations were from Greenwoods Elder Care, The Salt Spring Island Rowing Club, and the Salt Spring Island Soccer Association. In a close vote, Greenwoods Elder Care gained…

Salt Spring Health Needs Assessment Confirms Mental Health Services Lacking

Significant Barriers to Accessing Health Care Still Exist for Many Islanders - The Salt Spring Community Health Society has released the results of the Salt Spring Island Community Health Needs Assessment. The report is an analysis of data collected from the community using online and paper surveys, in-person interviews and focus groups. A significant portion of the report is dedicated to the Social Determinants of Health – housing, food, financial, social connections and self-determination. The other two sections of the report focus on access to health services and community health needs. Over 560 Islanders, aged 15 and over, responded to the survey. The Salt Spring Community Health Society commissioned the needs assessment to help determine whether Salt Spring Island needs a community health centre and which programs and services the community needs most. As the survey shows, Salt Spring Islanders are well served by The Lady Minto Hospital, and with the arrival of three n…

Celebrating Active Living: Walk & Wheel Week at Fernwood Elementary

Fernwood Elementary school participated in the 2019 Walk & Wheel to School Week today. The school and organizers were engaging students, teachers and parents in daily health and wellness activities that include walking and riding to school each day. Sean Mulligan, from Outspokin' Bike Shop, Elizabeth FitzZaland from GreenCity Builders and Bob MacKie from Transition Salt Spring, along with many other volunteers were on hand greet all students first thing in the morning. Students had the opportunity to enjoy snacks and treats prepared by the organizers and to sign up for discounted new helmet purchases. Organizers counted 65 bike riders and estimated there were about 40 walkers! Walk and Wheel to School Week (October 7-11, 2019) is a fun and free week-long campaign that celebrates and encourages students and their families to choose active travel for all or part of their usual commute to school. The campaign includes events, travel tracking, resources and support for schoo…

ALERT: Have You Seen High-Risk Missing Man Jericho Labonte?

Victoria Police patrol officers are asking for your help as they work to locate high-risk, missing man Jericho Labonte. Jericho is described as a 31-year-old Caucasian man, standing 6’1” tall with a slim build. Jericho has dark brown curly hair and a full beard, however he recently may have trimmed his hair and beard short. A recent photograph of Jericho is below. If you see Jericho, please call 911 Jericho was last seen in the Oaklands neighbourhood of Victoria, BC on September 30th. He may be headed to Salt Spring Island. The circumstances under Jericho has gone missing are high-risk. Jericho’s family members and officers are deeply worried about him. Jericho is suffering from a health concern and needs to be located safely and quickly. If you see Jericho Labonte, please call 911. If you have any information on where he may be please call (250) 995-7654. To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

100 Men Who Care Launched on Salt Spring Island

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 of us wonder at the difference our individual donation is really making. What if there was a way to multiply our giving tenfold without having to bake anything, join a committee, or attend endless meetings. Well, there is a simple way to multiply our giving, making a huge difference for our Island not for profit organizations. Perhaps you have already heard of the 100 Women Who Care group started here on Salt Spring last fall. This group of dedicated women have single-handedly raised in one year over $49,000 for three Island not for profits. It is my belief that Island men can make a similar difference, providing much need assistance to under-fund…

Transition Salt Spring Leads New Climate Action Plan for Island

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 the climate action planning process. Recommendations in the plan will outline what the three levels of government, businesses, organizations, and residents can do to reduce emissions as well as adapt to a rapidly destabilizing climate. The impacts of climate change are being felt everywhere. For Salt Spring, the impacts are already being seen through more extreme and unpredictable weather patterns including wind and snowstorms, dangerous local fire conditions and smoky air from forest fires in neighbouring jurisdictions. The destabilizing climate is also having a profound impact on everything from the health of our…

London Drugs, Canada Post, Country Grocer, and InDro Robotics Successfully Test Salt Spring Drone Delivery of Emergency Medications

On August 19, 2019, Canada Post, in partnership with London Drugs and InDro Robotics, successfully completed Canada’s first-ever Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) flight carrying pharmaceuticals via Drone from a London Drugs pharmacy to Salt Spring Island. Canada Post was selected along with InDro Robotics in 2018 to participate in Transport Canada’s BVLOS Drone Trials. The proposal focused on testing BVLOS capabilities over open water and partnering to test the delivery of prescription medications to remote areas. There were three parts to the August 19 trials including the delivery of an Epi pen (Epinephrine) and Narcan, leaving London Drugs’ mobile facility in Duncan, B.C. to the local Country Grocer on Salt Spring Island as well as direct, pin-pointed delivery to a patient’s home on Salt Spring Island. “We are proud to have been selected to participate in the first trial of a Drone delivery of this kind in Canada,” said Chris Chiew, general manager of Pharmacy, L…

Win Discounted Tickets to 'Time Piece' with Country Grocer

Here's your chance to win a voucher to purchase a $10 ticket to 'Time Piece', a locally produced thematic rock concert with dialogue while also helping to support Dawn and Cindy, two former Country Grocer employees, each going through challenging times. 'Time Piece' is a thematic rock concert featuring a wide variety of music from artists such as Pink Floyd, Sting, Barenaked Ladies, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Cyndi Lauper, Neil Young and more brought to you by the people who produced “Peter on the Brink” - Disclaimer: there will be a fog machine and loud music! Win a voucher that will get you into the show for just $10 for the Friday, September 13th or Saturday, September 14th performances and while you save on money on your ticket, the proceeds of the savings will go to Dawn and Cindy. We have 50 vouchers to give away for each night. Enter soon before they run out! There are two nights and two ways to get discounted tickets. For the Friday, September 13th show: G…

Islanders Health and Safety at Risk Without Clear Communications

Reliable and effective emergency communications are vital. The island’s Emergency Program debriefs conducted after last winter’s storms identified the serious and potentially disastrous inadequacies of the current system. Salt Spring Fire Rescue together with the other emergency services knows very well how critical clear communications are to their ability to respond. A new antenna that would deliver state of the art, reliable telecommunications for all of our emergency services have been proposed for a site situated between Lady Minto, the RCMP offices and (one day) Salt Spring’s Fire Rescue Department. It is for communications only among emergency services and is a critical element in a regional network. So, why would our politicians stymie this critically needed installation? It seems that a small group is fearful of electromagnetic fields (EMF) despite the findings of Health Canada and the World Health Organization and has made the politicians shy of making a stra…

Salt Spring Island Parks and Recreation Commission Releases 10-Year Strategic Plan

Salt Spring Island Parks and Recreation Commission (PARC) has released the Salt Spring Island Parks and Recreation 2019-2029 Strategic Plan. The Plan outlines strategies, actions and priorities that guide opportunities for parks and recreation, seek community and stakeholder input and explore the long-term program and facility needs for the community. The following strategic priorities have been identified: Provide a diverse mix of outdoor athletic facilities; Create more and enhance existing access to our lakes and oceans; Create, enhance and maintain our community parks; Plan and develop an interconnected network of exceptional trails across the island; Provide a diverse range of indoor recreation facilities; Provide engaging recreation programs; Invest in our capacity to deliver excellent service; Communicate with our residents; Minimize barriers to participation The mission of the Salt Spring Island Parks and Recreation Commission is to provide access to quality, safe…

Podcast: The Tiny Home on Wheel's Revolution

I’m on the Salt Spring Gulf Island Community Radio interviewing people near and far who are making good news on the planet by helping to shift the outcome of our future. These people and companies have created solutions to local and global issues we’re facing at the moment. Sharing the good news that’s happening on the planet is key at this time as there are people out there who are making big changes and we need to see the turning tides. One of those local issues is, of course, having affordable housing on our island. In this 7th episode I’m interviewing Colin Crystal about who is a Tiny House on Wheels Builder about: * Why people choose to design mobile tiny homes to live in * The unexpected benefits that come along with it, feeling more integrated in community and nature * How the relative low cost of tiny homes makes it possible for people to ground into spaces they love * How tiny houses could be a viable solution to our Salt Spring Island housing crisis …

Minister Seeking Input on Private Managed Forest Land Program

Minister wants your input on future of British Columbia forests - On May 28, 2019, the provincial government announced a review of the Private Managed Forest Land Program. They have invited British Columbians to add your voice to the program review. The province is accepting public comments until July 22, 2019. Over the past few months there has been a flood of correspondence to my office. My constituents on the Southern Gulf Islands, residents on Southern Vancouver Island and in the Kootenays, are raising substantial concerns about the impact of logging practices on privately owned forest lands. The City of Nelson and the Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Governments have recently added their voices asking the province to tighten restrictions of logging on private land. There are a range of issues that we need to address. These include water supply (watersheds and aquifers) and slope stability, to name a couple. There are others and the province wants to hear from …

BC’s Rural Islands Launch Economic Forum to Build Resilient Partnerships

For the first time BC’s rural islands have launched an initiative to cultivate rural island economic partnerships. The Rural Islands Economic Forum (RIEF), a two day event, will bring together leaders from rural island communities to focus on advancing local and regional, sustainable, economic capacity building. The Forum gets underway on Pender Island on November 7 – 8, 2019, and prioritizes actions related to economic well-being, the sharing of best practices, and how partnerships can be fostered across the islands. Communities include – Bowen, Cormorant, Cortes, Denman, Gabriola, Galiano, Hornby, Malcom, Mayne, Pender, Quadra, Salt Spring, San Juan, Saturna, Texada, and Thetis Island.

Spearheaded by the Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) of Salt Spring Island, CEDC Chair, Francine Carlin says there’s enthusiastic support for the program, “There’s considerable interest in creating a conference that f…

Salt Spring Foundation Announces 2019 Neighbourhood Small Grants

The Salt Spring Island Foundation, in partnership with Salt Spring Island Community Services, is pleased to announce the recipients of our 2019 Neighbourhood Small Grants. The Neighbourhood Small Grants program offers grants of $50 to $500 to support projects that bring people together, share skills and knowledge, build a sense of community belonging and responsibility, and respect and celebrate diversity. First offered in the fall of 2018, the grants have supported many fun and creative events that have proved to be extremely popular. Bard on the Ridge This Eagle Ridge event brings neighbours of all ages together to perform a shortened version of one of Shakespeare’s plays through a staged reading with music. A dessert potluck follows the family event. Canvasback Neighbours Barbecue To be held in August, this event for the Canvasback Place neighbourhood will provide an opportunity for residents to meet, socialize and participate in discussions about emergency plann…

Island Youth Soccer Association to Build New All Weather Synthetic Turf Field

Salt Spring Island Youth Soccer Association (SSIYSA) is excited to announce that School District #64 (SD64) has agreed to partner with the SSIYSA to build a brand-new all-weather turf field with lights at the Gulf Islands Secondary School (GISS) lower field. An All Weather Field Feasibility Study was presented to the SD64 school board yesterday by the SSIYSA Field Improvement Committee and was approved given the significant advantages it provides to the school board, the environment and most importantly the soccer community and school district youth who will have access to this field. “The advantages to the youth who are part of this extensive soccer community here on Salt Spring are the main drivers of this project,” commented Sean Norgard, Treasurer and Chair of the SSIYSA Field Improvement Committee. “A synthetic turf playing field with lighting can provide four times the amount of use over a sand-based natural grass playing field. Add to this the water savings, health an…

Salt Spring Island Foundation Announces Spring 2019 Grants

The Salt Spring Island Foundation is pleased to announce over $148,000 in spring grants for local charities, including $30,000 targeted to youth recreation programs. The Foundation thanks the many generous donors who make these grants possible. BC Parks/Friends of Ruckle Park Heritage To create and install six new interpretive signs for Ruckle Provincial Park to increase the appreciation of Ruckle heritage farm, the oldest operating family farm in BC and a living link to Salt Spring Island history. Graffiti Theatre Company For a secure and permanent storage container for the theatre company’s technical equipment, props and costumes. Towards a feasibility study for a multi-use performing arts education and recreation centre. Gulf Islands Seniors Residence Association For updated computers and a new phone system to increase the organization’s capacity and communications efficiency. IWAV For new computers in order to securely and effectively carry ou…

Watch: "The Pharmacy"a Silent Comedy!

Country Grocer tells a slapstick accounting of how they merged with a neighbouring pharmacy! .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }