A regular Salt Spring Exchange interview series with a "Campus" focus carried out by Amaranta MacAllister, a student who resides on Salt Spring Island. This is her first time working with Salt Spring Exchange. She hopes to pursue a career of film and fine art, but for now she regularly attends Gulf Island Secondary School (GISS). Where she caught up with the drama teacher, Mr. Donaldson and asked him a version of our favourite five short questions, and got five slightly longer answers- Q. Describe a defining moment in your life? A. When I was in the eighth grade I was moving between Comox and Vernon and doing my course selection for the new school year. In Comox, I was inspired by my woodworking teacher Mr Owen Leung and wanted to continue this passion. All I knew was that I loved woodwork and I didn’t care what courses I had as long as woodwork was on the top of my list. In Vernon I didn’t click with my new woodworking instructor and so I switched into a Drama class and me…

Community People Profiles is a series on the Salt Spring Exchange featuring local personalities on our dynamic Gulf Island. Our People Profiles are short interviews, with one answer questions to share with you a little about what each of the people we will feature are thinking about as they go about their lives living on Salt Spring Island. This weeks featured (honorary) local people profile is: Elizabeth May Elizabeth May is an environmentalist, writer, activist, lawyer, and leader of the Green Party of Canada. Elizabeth became active in the environmental movement in the 1970s. She is a graduate of Dalhousie Law School and was admitted to the Bar in both Nova Scotia and Ontario. She held the position of Associate General Counsel for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre prior to becoming Senior Policy Advisor to the federal minister of the Environment from 1986 until 1988. Elizabeth became Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada in 1989, a position she held until M…

Community People Profiles is a series on the Salt Spring Exchange featuring local personalities on our dynamic Gulf Island. Our People Profiles are short interviews, with one answer questions to share with you a little about what each of the people we will feature are thinking about as they go about their lives living on Salt Spring Island. This weeks featured local people profile is: Kelly McAree Kelly McAree brought his family from Kelowna in 2010 to be the manager at Hastings House, he has been active in many of the tourism related committees on Island and is often quoted in off island publications telling the world about how wonderful Salt Spring Island is. We caught up with him in the winter season as he juggles a number of hotel duties from greeting guests to stoking the fire, all without missing a beat and asked him our favourite five short questions. Q. What brought you to Salt Spring Island. A. I had the tremendous opportunity to lead Hastings House Country H…

Community People Profiles is a series on the Salt Spring Exchange featuring local personalities on our dynamic Gulf Island. Our People Profiles are short interviews, with one answer questions to share with you a little about what each of the people we will feature are thinking about as they go about their lives living on Salt Spring Island. This weeks featured local people profile is: Celia Duthie Celia Duthie, at times a world traveler, successful entrepreneur, leader of a once BC corner stone "Duthie books" and trail blazer in online virtual stores. All before 1999 when she decamped with husband and 2 kids to the Gulf Islands to start another chapter, opening Salt Spring Woodworks that proceeded to grow in size and reputation, now Duthie Gallery and Outdoor Sculpture Park has become a serious fine art gallery representing many prominent artists. We chatted with her in the sculpture park surrounded by monumental figures and asked her our favourite five short questions. …

Community People Profiles is a series on the Salt Spring Exchange featuring local personalities on our dynamic Gulf Island. Our People Profiles are short interviews, with one answer questions to share with you a little about what each of the people we will feature are thinking about as they go about their lives living on Salt Spring Island. This weeks featured local people profile is: Linda Ramsey Linda Ramsey, a life long Islander and one of the owners of Pharmasave Salt Spring, is currently celebrating the 50 years her family has had a stake in the Pharmacy. Linda joined the Pharmasave team as a partner, along with her husband Gary, in 1997 and loves the creative day to day opportunities and working with her valued customers and team. We caught up with her as she zipped between the downtown and uptown stores and asked her our favourite five short questions. Q. What brought you to Salt Spring Island? A. My parents, Les and Sue Ramsey, moved over to the island from V…

Community People Profiles is a series on the Salt Spring Exchange featuring local personalities on our dynamic Gulf Island. Our People Profiles are short interviews with one answer questions to share with you a little about what each of the people we will feature are thinking about as they go about their lives living on Salt Spring Island. This Weeks Featured Local People Profile is: Lisa Cherneff Lisa Cherneff, businesswoman, mountain runner, islander and billboard star. Born and raised on Salt Spring with a spell in the big city for University and back to the Island to start with Salt Spring Air, when it was not much more than a plane and an idea that flew. Lisa has become the smile that greets tens of thousands of islanders and visitors a year as they enter her office at Salt Spring Air. We caught up with her between scheduling flights and keeping fit by running up a mountain and asked her our favourite five short questions. Q. What brought you to Salt Spring Island…

Community People Profiles is a series on the Salt Spring Exchange featuring local personalities on our dynamic Gulf Island. Our People Profiles are short interviews with one answer questions to share with you a little about what each of the people we will feature are thinking about as they go about their lives living on Salt Spring Island. This Weeks Featured Local People Profile is: Becky Julseth Becky Julseth and husband Neil Cooke-Dallin purchased the old Gulf Islands Brewery on Furness road in 2009 and created Salt Spring Island Ales. Becky is the driving force behind a whole bunch of new hop farms on the island, and is well on the way to having Salt Spring Island Ales become the first Non-GMO certified brewery in North America. We caught up with her in the tasting room with the smell of hops brewing and asked her our favourite five short questions. Q. What brought you to Salt Spring Island? A. My family spent several vacations on St Mary’s Lake when I was a kid, …

Community People Profiles is a series on the Salt Spring Exchange featuring local personalities on our dynamic Gulf Island. Our People Profiles are short interviews with one answer questions to share with you a little about what each of the people we will feature are thinking about as they go about their lives living on Salt Spring Island. This Weeks Featured Local People Profile is: David Wood David Wood, market vendor, farmer, cheesemaker, foodie and island ambassador. Born in Scotland, educated in England, and a businessman in Toronto, from 1984-90 he  founded three speciality food stores in the toniest areas of Toronto, before arriving on the Island and sharing his passion for cheese. In his office on the Salt Spring Cheese farm with goats bleating in the background we asked him our favourite five short questions. Q. What brought you to Salt Spring Island. A. Lady Luck, Serendipity, the high school, hospital and liquor store. Q. What one thing about Salt Spring…

Community People Profiles is a series on the Salt Spring Exchange featuring local personalities on our dynamic Gulf Island. Our People Profiles are short interviews with one answer questions to share with you a little about what each of the people we will feature are thinking about as they go about their lives living on Salt Spring Island. This Weeks Featured Local People Profile is Gary Quiring Gary Quiring, describes himself as being raised on Salt Spring Island by blue collar hippies. Once his hippie raising was complete he left the island to pursue his passion for music, which led to a career in show business for almost 20 years. Before he decided to escape the Rat Race and returned to Salt Spring Island to raise a family and assist the family business. We caught up with him at the Saltspring Soapworks downtown to ask him our favourite five short questions. Q. What brought you to Salt Spring Island. A. My Parents moved us here from the mainland to become hippies i…

Community People Profiles is a new series on the Salt Spring Exchange featuring local personalities on our dynamic local island community. Our People Profiles are short interviews with one answer questions to share with you a little about what each of the people we will feature are thinking about as they go about their lives living on Salt Spring Island. John Cade, Island Resident, family man and local business owner. An Islander for over 20 years, with Salt Spring roots going back to the 60's. Over the years John has done many things on the Island; Owned The Vesuvius Store, started a bus transit company and of course since 2000 his the real estate business at Pemberton holmes. We caught up with him at his office downtown to ask him our favourite five short questions. Q. What brought you to Salt Spring Island. A. My parents bought property in the 60’s. I spent my summers here so it was like coming home. The decision to buy the Vesuvius Store and move the family here was …

Dear Neighbours, It’s hard to believe close to a year has passed since our new Library building opened its doors. Since then, giant steps have been taken toward making our library what we always hoped it would be—the heart of our community. Adequate and well lit display space for the entire collection, local artwork throughout the building, an outstanding children’s collection, a program room heavily used both for library events and by other community groups, all this and so much more. It’s all there because of remarkably dedicated volunteers past and present, because of knowledgeable Chief Librarians, current and previous, and because the taxpayers of Salt Spring overwhelmingly voted to provide the funds needed to match federal and provincial grants. Also, and certainly not to be forgotten, are all the donors who for some years have generously supported a wide variety of the Library’s past “enhancement” and “enrichment” initiatives. But with another year comes another…

On Monday, September 16th, I watched extensive television coverage of the natural disasters associated with flooding both in Mexico and in Colorado. And, of course, that coverage brought the recent flooding in Southern Alberta back to mind. I next went off to that evening’s Fire Board meeting where our elected Trustees took the next steps necessary for holding a referendum on funding a new Fire Hall/Emergency Operations Centre. There’s been a great deal of “sound and fury” about that Hall. But, as currently designed and for about a dollar a week for the average home owner, a building that will meet Salt Spring’s needs for the next fifty years seems like the biggest bargain in town. With such a Hall, we would be as prepared as we could be for any emergency, be it fire, flood or earthquake. The plans have now been finalized, and a cost of $5,000,000 to the community established. The use of the project manager system will maximize the amount of construction work down by the…

Thank you to Samantha Walrafen and everyone who organized and participated in last night's candlelight vigil for crash victim Kilaya Singh, her family, van driver Darren Linnell and all of the first responders who served those affected. It was a beautiful evening to honour the loss of this child, for the Singh family to know they are supported here on Salt Spring Island and for all those impacted by this accident. On online donation fund has now also been setup for van driver Darren Linnell whom has also been deeply impacted by the accident. Consider donating to help Darren. Donations for both the Singh Family and Darren Linnell can also be made at Island Savings. Online donations are still also being accepted for the Singh Family. Here are some photos from the evening.

Memorial service arrangements for Lt. Travis Guedes of Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue and IAFF Local 4467. Brother Travis Guedes , 35, was diagnosed with Brain Cancer in November, 2012. Unfortunately, after a courageous battle with the illness, he passed away on Wednesday, April 17, 2013. Travis was in the fire service for 9 years. He was a dedicated firefighter and loving husband and father. He is survived by his wife, Sandy, and two daughters, Abigail, 8, and Haylee, 6. We invite you to attend the memorial service which will take place on Sunday April 28th at 1:00pm at 232 Rainbow Road (GISS), Salt Spring Island. There will be a reception immediately following the service at 351 Rainbow Rd (FARMER’S INSTITUTE). Road Closure Notice On Sunday April 28, 2013, Rainbow Rd. will be closed to traffic between GISS and Lower Ganges Rd. The path marked in the map below is closed during the funeral procession for deceased firefighter Lt. Travis Guedes. We recommend that …

Is it a transition or a trend? Shaw TV's Sucheta Singh investigates why multiple businesses on Saltspring Island are closing their doors. Either way, this is the message out there in the world right now about our community. This needs to change.

Fourteen-year old alto saxophone player Daniel Hunter is the winner of the 2013 Salt Spring Concert Band Solo Competition and will be guest soloist in the upcoming SSCB concert ‘Music for the Heart and Soul’ on April 27th. Daniel is a Grade 9 student at GISS, and also a member of the Gulf Island School of Performing Arts. Playing alto sax since the age of eight, Daniel developed his musical skills under the guidance of Wendy Milton of Island Winds Studio. Bruce Smith is currently his music teacher at GISS and his mentor with GISPA. Daniel is a multi-talented student who also plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and drums. He is a singer and composer, and regularly plays in the Salt Spring Concert Band, the Swing Shift Big Band, and in his own alternative rock group ‘ The Resistance.’ The group recently released a CD ‘Dive’, and Daniel has also released a short album of electronic music. For his solo in the concert, Daniel will be playing the jazz classic ‘Harlem Noc…

The view of Ganges Harbour on Salt Spring Island from one of Salt Spring Air's deHavilland DHC-2 Beavers. On April 1st, Salt Spring Air did a memorial fly-over of the visitors centre on Salt Spring Island for the late Jack Fraser. Edited by Eric Peterson ( ewpeterson.com ) Specials thanks to pilot Harold ( saltspringair.com )

We wanted to share some important news about recent changes here at the Salt Spring Exchange. Suzanne Little, who has tirelessly supported and helped grow the Exchange into what is today, is onto her next challenge and is no longer actively working on the service. Suzanne moderated the list early in the morning, late at night, on holidays and even rink side at her son's hockey games so islanders could buy roosters, find lost goats, alpacas, cats and dogs. She helped guide the early days of the Exchange, helped people trade manure for hot stone massages, posted forest fire alerts, helped write stories, published videos and photos and helped innumerable people promote and grow their local businesses. Suzanne is an invaluable member of this community and brought all that passion and focus to her work here on the Exchange. We hope she isn't going anywhere, she's agreed to stay on as advisor for a time, continuing to put her communications and journalism expertise to work for the…