January is a time for new beginnings, whether it be a new exercise routine, a new hobby or class, a change in diet, or, in my case, an opportunity to write a monthly food column for the pleasure of your perusal. It is certainly a time to reflect on the past year and a time to look ahead to what’s to come. It’s also when we can sometimes wish we hadn’t eaten quite so much over the holidays. I think it’s best to accept your seasonal indulgences with great vigor and no remorse. Out with the old, in with the new! For many people who wish to reinvent themselves in the new beginning of the year, exercise is the starting point. I think physical fitness is important and everyone owes it to themselves to be responsible for taking care of their body. Along with physical conditioning, diet plays a vital role in the levels of success you can achieve. I am by no means a calorie counter; in fact, I do not restrict my food choices in any way to appease a dietary regime. My first and …

Active transportation: cycling, walking, running, using a mobility aid. Because May 26 – June 1 is “Bike to Work” week, but any time is a good time to get out of your car and get to where you’re going under your own steam. Bike to Work Week serves to raise awareness and provides an ideal time for people to try active transportation for their first time. To register, go to www.biketowork.ca . Under “communities” choose “Salt Spring and other Gulf Islands” and follow the prompts from there. Any problems or ideas: just get in touch with Jan (local BtWW coordinator) at janslakov@shaw.ca . There are lots of ways to participate even if you don’t use active transportation. For instance, come to the “Happy Pathday” appreciation event for the new pathway along Lower Ganges Road: Saturday, May 24, 11 AM at the bus stop across from Country Grocer. Instead of driving around Ganges looking for a spot to park, leave your car where there’s more parking and enjoy the walk into town…

Rotarians around the world, including the Salt Spring Island Rotary Club, have all worked hard and been very good this year. We deserve lots and lots of presents. We only want one gift, dear Santa; help to prevent all children in the world from suffering from polio. Santa, you know we have worked hard to stop polio since 1985 and we have been 99 % successful! We saved more than 10 million children from crippling paralysis. We immunised over 2.5 billion children. We eradicated polio in all but 3 countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria & Pakistan. Our progress to the end goal, though, is at risk when the polio virus in these countries is imported to formerly polio free countries. Imagine, Santa, our horror with the news on October 24th, 2013, World Polio Day, when we learned of the outbreak of polio in Syria. Syria had been polio free since 1999. The civil war in Syria meant many children under the age of 2 were not vaccinated against polio. Now the polio virus is …

Wanted everyone to know about a new project here at Salt Spring Exchange. Over the coming weeks and months we will be launching a series of maps so that our community and visitors are aware of the locations of key community resources. We have a bunch of really great maps planned but here is the launch of our first. This one we're calling Health & Emergency Services map and it contains all locations of our local firehalls, police station and most importantly, locations of all our automated external defibrillators in the event of heart attack emergency. Take a look at the interactive map and click on the icons for additional information. Have a safe and happy weekend: Christopher Roy Founder | Account Director Salt Spring Exchange

As you would likely have heard by now, there was a devastating accident yesterday that claimed the life of a local child. Her mother and sister are still listed in critical condition. The Singh Family Trust has been established at Island Savings Credit Union in downtown Ganges to support the family following yesterday’s devastating automobile accident. The trust will aid in supporting the family during this time of loss and healing. Thank you for your generous contributions. In addition, you can now donate online using the services of local crowdsourcing service ShareSpring. This is our opportunity to step in as a community and ensure that at least they might not have to worry about their finances and the considerable costs of recovery. We do not know if a fund has been setup for the other driver involved in this accident at this time, but we will share information as we learn more about how to support him as well. Also, we graciously thank all those emergency respo…

The attached Advisory Notice has been issued by VIHA on March 7th, 2013, indicating that toxic algae may be present within St. Mary's Lake. Please read the notice and for further information contact www.viha.ca. VIHA informed resorts that beaches will be posted due to microcystin exceeding 20 micrograms/liter mostly directed at the boating and fishing community because swimming season will not commence for a few months.

On Sunday, March 10 at 2 am, most Canadians will move their clocks forward an hour as we transition from Standard Time to Daylight Time. Although it means a lost hour of sleep, it's also a sign that the spring season is near. This change in time was first implemented as a way to save energy. By moving the clock ahead by one hour in the spring, it changes a person's daily schedule and allows them to use less power and light during the evening hours. With increasing darkness during the fall and winter months, areas return to Standard Time at 2 am on the first Sunday of November. Since the late 1960's Saskatchewan has not observed Daylight Time and remains on Standard Time all year round. As you move your clock ahead one hour, officials say it's best to change your smoke alarm batteries at the same time. “Smoke alarms double your chances of surviving a fire," says Carol Heller, a home fire safety specialist. "That's why it's so important to never tamper with the bat…

The Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee welcomes feedback about the new Salt Spring Riparian Areas video exploring: What is a riparian area? Why are riparian areas important? And, How are riparian areas currently protected on Salt Spring Island?

While we've been beavering away here this winter on new projects like the Salt Spring Calendar, the Exchange quietly passed another fan milestone on Facebook. Eight thousand+ people are now following the journey of stories, news, events, listings and photos that are published on Facebook. In celebration, we're sharing a photo from one our fans. Just one beautiful image of this beautiful island in thank you for being part of the Salt Spring Exchange. Thank you to our 8,000+ fans, who now join the 4,000 people who use the Exchange every day. Under the clouds, the sunrise - Photo by Susan Edison.

If the industrial revolution evokes images of coal and iron, factories and railways, what does the “green industrial revolution” bring to mind? Marc Lee, Senior Economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) will discuss just that, at a Salt Spring Forum event on Feb. 15th at ArtSpring. Salt Spring Islanders will have heard Marc Lee on CBC Radio’s Early Edition as part of the regular business panel. Or read his frequent articles in the Vancouver Sun and Victoria Times Colomnist. Or studied the literally 100s of research reports that he has produced during his fourteen years with the CCPA, where he tracks budgets and economic trends and analyzes core policy policy issues, ranging from poverty, to globalization, to energy, tax and transportation. They might even know him as the Chair of the Progressive Economics Forum, or the co-Chair of the Climate Justice Project, a $1 million research partnership between the CCPA and UBC. Marc Lee’s approach will c…

Salt Spring Island – The Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee has been working since 2010 to comply with BC legislation aimed at protecting and restoring BC’s fish habitat, improving riparian protection and enhancement, and providing stronger local government powers in environmental planning. Within this legislation is the Riparian Areas Regulation (RAR) under which local governments are required to protect the features, functions, and conditions that are vital in the natural maintenance of stream health and productivity for fish habitat, potential fish habitat, and streams that carry water to them. In short, compliance with the RAR is contingent upon the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee amending their bylaws to include riparian area protection provisions. The implementation of the RAR in the Trust Area had been delayed principally due to issues with identifying watercourses that are subject to the RAR and in accurately mapping those watercourses. The Islands Tru…

CTV News video report about the first day of smart meter installations on Salt Spring Island.

The Salt Spring Tennis Association (SSTA) is proud to announce that the construction of a permanent indoor tennis facility “Centre Court” is now complete. We invite everyone to the Open House on Saturday August 18th from 3:00 – 5:00 pm at 805 Lower Ganges Rd, behind the driving range at the Salt Spring Island Golf and Country Club (SSIGC). We will be celebrating with cake and refreshments and everyone wearing the appropriate, non-marking, footwear will have an opportunity to go on the tennis court and hits balls against the ball machine. We are truly proud of this new island facility - open to everyone at equal cost. We could not have accomplished it without the support of many local individuals and businesses. We look forward to formally thanking all of you that contributed to our success. At this time we want to thank the executive of the SSIGC as well as Norm Elliott, owner of Permasteel, and Ken Byron of Ken Byron Excavating. After the Open House, the facility will be…

Good news. VIHA has lifted the beach advisory yesterday for St. Mary's lake.  We have been advised that it is now safe to swim in the lake. Elizabeth Salt Spring Island Emergency Co-ordinator

An evening talk on Salt Spring Island for friends, families, parents and grandparents about the need for eldership, not just retirees. June 4th, 7-9 PM at the United Church. "If you get to something like old age and if you don’t retire, you are one sure thing in a storm tossed life, and an old tree that could give shade for the young ones to rest beneath." - Stephen Jenkinson Young people need and deserve real recognition of their worth and purpose in life, and a living example of enduring discernment and courage for the hard and often empty times that are upon us all. The esteem of parents and friends can only go so far: elders must bring the rest. Grandparents must be grand not only for their children’s children, but for all the young ones coming into the world now. Their status as grand people comes from having wrangled wisdom from experience, and from having become elders more than senior citizens. Grandparents must now be elders even – especially – when no one asks i…