Water Interruption Notice for Salt Spring Island – Highland/Fernwood Water Service

Capital Regional District (CRD) Operations staff are actively searching for a water system leak or leaks in the Highland/Fernwood Water Service Area on Salt Spring Island. Until this issue is resolved, some residents may experience a loss of water pressure or be without water for a period. Work will continue until the issue is resolved which may take a day or more. Residents are asked to conserve water during this time.

The CRD will provide follow-up notification when the issue is resolved.

It is also important to note that once work has been completed and services restored, you may experience intermittent discoloured water at your tap for short durations. Should this occur, continue to run your water until it clears. The water remains safe to consume.

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New Specialized Community Paramedic

Salt Spring has a new medical resource – a specialized paramedic who does home visits. Chris Griffiths is a rural advanced care paramedic and part of the provincial Community Paramedic Program. The program, started in 2015, is now in close to 100 rural and remote communities in the province, but only six communities have been selected for advanced care paramedics who have higher levels of training allowing them to specialize in advanced care of medical patients. Griffiths is the first in the province to take on this new position. Community paramedicine is intended primarily for older adults living with chronic conditions such as heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes, or at risk of falls. Patients are referred to the program by their doctor or other health care professionals. The combination of education and regular home visits is intended to keep people comfortable and safe in their homes and to reduce stressful and expensive trips to the em…
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The 2nd Annual Art & Nature Fest is on June 30

Last year, a festival-goer called the Art & Nature Fest “an epic event with something for the whole family.” She then passionately stated that there should be an Art & Nature Fest every year! This year, the Salt Spring Island Conservancy will host its second annual Art & Nature Fest on Saturday, June 30, from 3 to 7 pm. It will an afternoon of performance, play, and picnic! The Art & Nature Fest will connect people and wild places by inviting people to enjoy numerous activities in nature. Festival goers can listen and dance to musical performances by Wesley Hardisty and Andy Meyers, the Ruwadzano Marimba band, Women of Note, and during the community picnic, Lewis Davies. Lorraine Lowry will open and close the fest with her masterful bagpipe playing. Festival goers can take workshops: yoga with Jayne Lloyd-Jones, drawing with Lisa Lipsett, hula hooping with The Gravity Addict, writing with author Claire Sicherman, dancing with Tomoko Yamazaki, or cre…
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Salt Spring Island Foundation Spring Grants Support Youth Recreation Programs

The Salt Spring Island Foundation is pleased to announce over $206,000 in grants for local charities, including $97,000 targeted to youth recreation programs. These grants would not be possible without the support of our many generous donors, who share the Foundation’s vision of a healthy and caring community  Greenwoods Eldercare Society For a fall prevention and balance improvement program for at-risk seniors. Gulf Islands Families Together Society (GIFTS) To improve safety and accessibility at the GIFTS building in Ganges, which also is used by several other organizations assisting people with special needs. Island Women Against Violence (IWAV) For the development of a three-year strategic plan for 2019 to 2022, which will assist in building the capacity and sustainability of IWAV and enhance its work and provision of services to vulnerable people. School District #64 For the Healthy and Connected School Gardens project, which will develop a Gulf …
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Islands Trust Outlines Housing Crisis Initiatives

The Salt Spring Island community has been very clear: we face a housing crisis on Salt Spring. It is a crisis that the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee (SSI LTC) is keenly aware of. The chronic shortage of affordable housing impacts all us, directly or indirectly. The SSI LTC want to thank community members who’ve expressed concern about the state of affordable housing and who continue to work towards solutions for this challenging problem. We hear you and will continue to seek community input for the decisions we make to address affordable housing. For our part, the SSI LTC has taken a three-pronged approach to tackle the issue: 1. In terms of land-use planning measures, the SSI LTC has: Implemented, and subsequently expanded, a secondary suites pilot area; Drafted temporary use permit changes to allow consideration of alternative housing solutions; and Directed staff to draft a land-use bylaw amendment to consider increasing the permitte…
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Film Screening - Directly Affected: Pipeline Under Pressure

Directly Affected: Pipeline Under Pressure is a new film with everything you need to know about the Kinder Morgan pipeline battle, written and directed by Vancouver local photographer and filmmaker Zack Embree. Film will be shown at Artspring on Friday, May 25th at 7 pm, followed by a panel discussion with the director, local journalist Briony Penn and co-founder of CRED (Conversations for Responsible Economic Development) Tarah Stafford. Directly Affected: Pipeline Under Pressure weaves together the stories of people impacted by the Trans Mountain Pipeline Project, the broken National Energy Board review process used to approve the pipeline, Canada’s commitments at the Paris Climate Talks and the innovators working towards the low-carbon economy. Vancouver filmmaker Zack Embree set out on a mission to understand the impacts of the Kinder Morgan pipeline on local communities and give a voice back to those who had been ignored by the National Energy Board process. He in…
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Salt Spring RCMP respond to body in Ganges Harbour

On May 5 the Salt Spring RCMP responded to a report of a body in the water in Ganges Harbour which had been spotted by a tourist. When officers arrived Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue were on scene and had removed the deceased woman from the water. The initial investigation indicated that the woman's death was not criminal in nature and the file has been turned over to the BC Coroners Service.
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APPROVED! Salt Spring Lions Commemorative Bike Park Concept and Site Map Update

Update 2018 May 15: The Salt Spring Island Parks and Recreation Commission (PARC) approved the design of the Salt Spring Lions Commemorative Bike Park at the May 14th PARC meeting. The bike park design is the result of a year long planning process that included extensive site analysis and community consultation. The commission's approval of the design allows PARC staff and the project team to move forward with tendering the construction work and establishing a schedule for completion. The construction scope includes building three dirt surfaced loop trails in the southeast corner of Mount Park, wooden fencing and a perimeter pedestrian trail, and comprehensive habitat restoration work. The goal is to open the bike trail system to young riders and their families this summer. The habitat restoration work will begin this summer and carry on through the fall. ------- A revised design plan has been created for the Salt Spring Lions Commemorative Bike Park (Bike Park). The …
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Summer Must Be On Its Way

Birds are nesting, evenings are longer, buds are budding. Hints of summer’s imminent arrival are everywhere, including – of all places – a parking lot. Country Grocer is busy scheduling this season’s array of fundraisers and awareness campaigns. Rob Lowrie, a member of the Community Relations team, says, “it’s a community space as well as a parking lot.” The store happily accommodates groups that need a place to host barbeques and car washes, and to promote their causes. Each event lends its unique personality to the store for that day, fosters engagement, and promotes community building. Some of the many activities that have taken place in front of the store include school kids handing out reusable bags; Girl Guides selling cookies; and political parties disseminating information. Here’s what on the near horizon. Information Campaigns Tuesdays in May – Proportional Representation May 3 – Salt Spring Literacy’s book drop begins, and will be open the first Thurs…
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Join Country Grocer in Practicing the 3 Rs

Who doesn’t love progress, especially when it comes to our health and well-being? And targeting school-aged kids is a great place to start. Country Grocer’s latest demonstration of community leadership launches this week - just in time for Earth Day on April 22. The store’s community relations team went into schools through the week of April 16th to hand out 1500 reusable grocery bags to students with the intent of promoting earth-friendly habits. Of the 3 Rs, Country Grocer wants to emphasize REDUCING the number of non-reusable bags leaving the store and heading for ditches, waterways, and landfills. This kind of messaging is increasing in volume and the public is responding in kind. Most people agree that this is a step in the right direction and that everyone needs to do their part. Salt Spring Island joins the small but mighty list of jurisdictions working toward phasing out plastic bags. In 2007 a small town in Manitoba – Leaf Rapids – became the first municipality i…
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RCMP - Break In Suspects Arrested

On March 13, 2018, break, enter, and thefts were reported to two businesses on Lower Ganges Rd. Significant damage was done at one of the businesses and numerous tools were taken from both. Through the course of the investigation, a suspect vehicle and general description of one of the suspects was generated. On March 16, the suspect vehicle, with two occupants, was located at the south end of the Island. Michael Ingram, 44 years of Nanaimo, and Ernest Stolarchuk, 43 years also of Nanaimo, are currently under several charges related to possession of stolen property. They are currently in custody and are appearing in Duncan Provincial court on March 19. Anyone with information related to these thefts is asked to contact the Salt Spring RCMP or Crimestoppers. Sgt. Ryan Netzer Detachment Commander Salt Spring RCMP
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Proposed Speculation Tax Now Excludes Salt Spring and The Gulf Islands

To help make housing in overheated markets more affordable and available, the B.C. government is targeting property speculators, while making sure that over 99% of British Columbians will not pay the speculation tax. Carole James, Minister of Finance, made the announcement while releasing details of the new tax on speculators, which was announced in the February budget. “Our government wants to make sure people who live and work here are able to find and afford a good home in their community,” said James. “For too long, this housing crisis was allowed to escalate, and it has hurt working families, renters, students, seniors and others around the province. With this new tax, we’re targeting speculation in the housing market and freeing up vacant housing to be homes for British Columbians.” The tax details released today contain a series of thresholds, exemptions and geographic refinements that serve to focus their reach on people who own multiple homes left empty in ove…
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Islanders Get First Look at Proposed Bike Park Concept

The Salt Spring community received its first look at the proposed children's bike park today at a community open house designed to solicit feedback on the proposed park. The heavily attended event offered participants a chance to review the project background, conceptual design plan as well as the opportunity to meet with project co-ordinators, landscape architect and park staff to share feedback and express any concerns. Dozens of local families brought their children whom also shared feedback on the design to ensure the young people who might use the park also had an opportunity to get heard about their ideas for using the space. The project co-ordinators collected feedback from dozens of participants and will release a summary of the feedback later this week. Review All the Open House Boards - Click Boards for Larger View Review All the Open House Boards - In PDF Format View Concept Plan - Clic…
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Salt Spring Locals Arrested at Kinder Morgan Protest

Numerous Salt Spring locals were part of the mass protests and arrests this weekend in Burnaby protesting the expansion of the Kinder Morgan Pipeline. Those who stood in opposition to the pipeline and were taken into custody for civil disobedience were Jan Slakov, Tommy Mitchell, Marcelle Roy, Murray Reiss, Jean Wilkinson, Lucille Lamarche, Myna Lee Johnstone, Brenda Guiled and Briony Penn. All have been summoned to court for June 14 and 15th, 2018.
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Young Trailblazing Scientists at Salt Spring Forum

Few events are equally fascinating for adults and students, but the Salt Spring Forum is presenting one of those few next Tuesday. The forum has partnered with the GISS student council to bring Dr. Jennifer Gardy to Salt Spring. Dr. Gardy is a scientist at the BC Centre for Disease Control whose job is to predict when the next big outbreak of disease will happen and to help prevent pandemics. But Dr. Gardy is much more than a scientist in a white lab coat. As far as scientists go, she is a multi-talented trailblazer. She’s known for her ability to communicate science in a way that is creative and compelling; she has even been a guest host of The Nature of Things, and The Globe and Mail has dubbed her as “the new Suzuki.” You can get a sense of how she presents ideas by exploring her ingenious website. What’s going to make March 13 even more interesting, though, is that it’s going to be moderated by a GISS alumni, Madlen Nash. After graduating from GISS, Madlen earned an H…
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2018 Salt Spring Island Home & Garden Show

Introducing the Salt Spring Island Home & Garden Show presented by Mouat’s Trading! March 17th and 18th - what a great weekend to be on Salt Spring Island as we host the Salt Spring Home & Garden Show. If you are a fan of HGTV, you will want to be at this great event showcasing local designers, landscapers, construction and trades professionals, along with service and recreation providers. Admission to the event is FREE and attendees could win some great prizes. All events are at the Salt Spring Farmers Institute. Friday Evening, March 16th from 5pm-8pm - You are invited to a Salt Spring Home & Garden Show Welcome Reception and cash bar pre-show gathering. There will be a fun, festive atmosphere with music and free food. Meet with the local trades, construction, home services, landscape companies and home décor vendors and mingle with fellow attendees. The Welcome Reception is sponsored by Windsor Plywood. Saturday, March 17th from 9am-4pm and Sunday, March 18th from 10a…
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Butterflies, Bees, and Other Pollinators with Linda Gilkeson

Join Linda Gilkeson on Friday, February 23, at 7pm for a factual and entertaining presentation about butterflies, bees, even pollinator flies, and the plants they visit. Linda has a PhD in entomology and is a gardening expert, author, and trainer who has a particular interest in pollinators. According to Linda, over 85% of flowering plants rely on pollinators, mostly insects, to be able to reproduce. Without pollinators, much of the food that humans and wildlife rely on would disappear and ecosystems throughout the world would be in trouble. Even more interestingly, some plants have coevolved with certain pollinating insects, and they can be pollinated only by that insect. If that insect population is threatened, then the plant that relies on that insect for survival is also affected. In her presentation, Linda will also talk about this year’s citizen science project at the Salt Spring Island Conservancy. Last year, Linda trained ten people to become butterfly citizen …
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Proposed Bike Park Project Update

As was recently announced, Salt Spring Island Parks and Recreation Commission (PARC) has received a donation of $150,000 from the Salt Spring Island Lions Club towards the construction of a family bike park. The donation is made to the Salt Spring community in celebration of the club’s 60th anniversary. The Salt Spring Island Lions Club has a history of providing the community with quality recreational facilities and welcomes the opportunity to help create a much needed family oriented bike park. The proposed park is being called Salt Spring Island Lions Club Commemorative Bike Park. Here is an update from PARC on the project: Recent tree felling in the park occurred independently of the Bike Park project to remove dead and dying trees that were assessed as dangerous. There is not yet a Conceptual Design Plan for the Bike Park. The Design Team is waiting on the completion of all of the environmental and professional assessments before creating a draft Conceptual Desi…
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2018 Salt Spring Film Festival: Lund - End of the Road Filmmaker with Tai Uhlmann

The following article was written by Jennifer Cikaluk as part of a series of articles about filmmakers coming to the Salt Spring Film Festival on March 2-4, 2018. Filmmaker Tai Uhlmann along with Co-Director Theo Angell will be attending the festival and leading a discussion about the film following the screening. The Filmmaker series is sponsored by: Stonehouse B&B, Harbour House Hotel and Hastings House. LUND – End of the Road: Interview with Co-Director/Producer Tai Uhlmann Flash back to the sixties: the counterculture social revolution and a time of rebellion against the conservative norm. Youth were seeking greater individual freedom and exploring new expressions through music, drugs, clothing, and their sexuality. Many were politically disenfranchised and mistrusting of the government, bringing rise to the anti-Vietnam war movement in the United States. “It was a very hard time to be in America at the time. The feeling was either we had to get involved and tr…
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Show Us Your Love: Valentine’s Day Photo Contest!

Every season is the season for love. Let’s face it: Love is trending 365 days a year. But Valentine’s Day adds a dash of spice and invokes romance. It reminds some of us to do something different and extra special, perhaps with a bit more flair or creativity, to say, “Thank you for being so amazing.” If you you’re the kind of couple who loves to do that with fine food and wine then you may want to try to win our dinner for two at Auntie Pesto’s (gift card valued at $150)! To earn a chance to win this dinner, all you have to do is upload a photo with you and your sweetheart. Show us your love! (Your “clothed” love, of course!) Whether you’re young and ecstatically in love or in your 90's with a twinkle in your eye whenever you see each other, whether you’ve taken your “flirt” down a few notches over the years or you’ve taken your flirt up a few notches, we want to see your love. Here are the guidelines for the Valentine’s photo draw: Please submit only one pho…
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