Campsites in many BC Parks can be reserved to prepare for the 2025 spring camping season. Campsites can be reserved four months ahead of the desired arrival date. Reservations for the May 2025 long weekend open this week for many BC Parks campgrounds that accept reservations. This year, 60 new campsites located in three BC Parks are being added to the reservation service. This includes: 30 new campsites with power hookups in Fintry Park near Kelowna; 17 new walk-in sites at Rolley Lake Park near Mission; and 13 new sites (eight park-beside for tent camping and five walk-in) at China Beach Campground in Juan de Fuca Park near Victoria. The campgrounds have several facility upgrades to improve the visitor experience. At Fintry Park, new flush toilets, upgraded services centres with a dishwashing station, a potable water tap and garbage/recycling containers are part of the $1.5-million campground upgrades. The new $2-million walk-in campground at Rolley Lake Park ha…

More than 30 years ago, I wrote a column “Don’t Tell Mom, But I Picked Up a Hitchhiker” when I was a cub reporter at a small town newspaper in Michigan about my first time giving a stranger a ride. By then, hitchhiking already felt like something from a bygone era. In most places, the free-spirited 1970s—where Sissy Hankshaw, the protagonist in the Tom Robbins novel “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” could excel as a hitchhiker due to her outsized thumbs—had been replaced by a more fearful society replete with tales of stranger danger. As a result, it came as a welcome surprise to learn before my first visit to BC in 1997 that we didn’t need a car to Salt Spring because hitchhiking was commonplace. The whole visit, including camping in Mouat Park, felt like stepping back in time. Discovering how safe and easy it was to hitchhike on SSI was liberating. Since moving to the island last year, I’ve returned the favour by giving about a dozen rides to hitchhikers, some of whom h…

Hello fellow islanders ... As many know we have been having some issues with the Vesuvius ferry camera. We fixed one issue to now be facing another (Dang it!) ... we have had to bring in some skilled help for this one. We are working on it, fingers crossed it will all be fixed up shortly. Thanks so much for your patience and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause!

A significant fall storm is impacting Vancouver Island. Downed power lines, debris and fallen trees have resulted in multiple highway closures on the island. Drivers are advised to avoid travel for the remainder of Tuesday night, Nov. 19, and into the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. Highways closed include: Highway 4 from Highway 4A (Errington) to Port Alberni, and from Port Alberni to Tofino/Ucluelet junction Highway 14 west of Sooke Highway 18 at Hillcrest Highway 28 from Gold River to Campbell River Pacific Marine Circle Route Drivers can expect additional closures as the storm moves through. Environment Canada warns that strong southeasterly winds will continue throughout the night and into Wednesday morning but should ease late in the day on Wednesday. As soon as its safe to do so, maintenance contractors will begin clearing debris, and BC Hydro is prioritizing repairs to the many power outages across the island. For additional updates, drivers ca…

Congratulations on the opening of the new Emergency Department of the Lady Minto hospital. Why is an EV guy saying that, especially in his EV oriented Driftwood column ? Before I answer that, an update. You may have heard that the Transition Salt Spring - EV Group has completed its missions and closed its doors. True. That is because our mission of education is now being supported by government (including generous purchase incentives), industry (BC Hydro) and many other organizations. EVs are now mainstream. If we look at our other mission of EV charging infrastructure on Salt Spring, there are a host of free public chargers and the long needed pay-for-use DCFC (super high speed) charging is now coming to the new Fire Hall and the Co-op gas station. Those high speed chargers will be available for really busy vehicles like taxis, delivery and emergency vehicles and of course, tourists. That pretty well completes our group missions, so we disbanded. But I do notice th…

Hi Folks! Just a little PSA: Vesuvius Ferry Cams have been down all weekend, we have been working to get them back online - a little blip in the system! Hopefully they will be back up tomorrow, fingers crossed!! We know these are much used service for many of you that take this route regularly, so we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Hopefully we won't see this ominous black "connecting" screen for much longer!

Note: A caring settler pointed out that the last ASK Salt Spring report should not have welcomed Penelakut Councillor Kurt Irwin and his uncles to their own never-ceeded territory. This report has been changed to read: Fourteen joined us for a conversation with Penelakut Councillor Kurt Irwin, his uncles Ken and Chuck. . . . Thank-you for the opportunity to learn and do better. November 8 Ten joined us to welcome Emcon Operations Manager Andrew Gaetz to this ASK Salt Spring gathering. As most Salt Springers know, Emcon is our roads maintenance contractor. Andrew’s region includes all provincial roads from Chemainus in the north to Victoria, including Port Renfrew, Lake Cowichan, Sooke, and all roads on the six Southern Gulf Islands. With a ten-year contract that began in 2019, we learned that there may also be a five-year extension beyond 2029 to this contract. After our Territorial Acknowledgement, Andrew spoke of his “delight and excitement” that winter is on its wa…

GLOBAL - BC Transit and many local government partners across the province are offering free transit on Saturday, October 19, 2024, for the provincial elections. Offering free transit helps make it easier for residents to get to the polls and cast their ballots. Decisions to offer free transit are made by local government partners in each separate community Take advantage of free transit in the following communities: Comox Valley (includes handyDART) Cowichan Valley – This does not include service on interregional routes 66 and 70. (includes handyDART) Fort St. John (includes handyDART) Kamloops (includes handyDART) Kitimat (includes handyDART) Penticton (includes handyDART) Port Alberni Prince George (includes handyDART) Prince Rupert (includes handyDART) Quesnel (includes handyDART) Regional District of Nanaimo – this does not include service on the 70 Nanaimo-Cowichan Express (includes handyDART) Revelstoke (includes handyDART) Salt Spring Island Skeena Re…

We are pleased to announce that we are now publishing the local bus and ferry schedules on the Exchange! We have also embedded the web cam links for both Vesuvius and Fulford terminals so you can check the schedule and the cams at the same time. https://saltspringexchange.com/bus-ferry-schedules/

We got a call a little while back from our friends at Country Grocer, saying “Hey, we think most people would really appreciate having better eyes on the road work on Fulford-Ganges Hill! Would you guys be up to putting up more web cams? We will pitch in!” “Why yes we would!” We started by trying to figure out where the cams would best be situated. The best location was actually pretty obvious. We called Conrad over at Salt Spring Search and Rescue to see if they would be interested in helping us out. These guys are amazing! Super helpful, excited and really collaborative. Thanks Conrad and the team there especially Bill Griffiths for handling the install. Also a big shout out to Christopher Roy for helping pull all the technical parts together. Christopher and Bill worked tirelessly for the last few days getting these all up and running while upgrading our other cameras so they could stream more clearly on all devices. Super team!! So now you can check out how…

VICTORIA, BC – With the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Thanksgiving long weekends fast approaching, BC Ferries is advising passengers to book in advance due to limited capacity and the risk of being turned away. The 60-year-old Queen of New Westminster is undergoing significant repairs and will be out of service until spring, reducing overall system capacity and making advance travel planning essential. “Both of these long weekends are an important time for families and communities to connect, and we play a key role in facilitating those connections,” said Mel Lucia, Vice President of Customer Experience at BC Ferries. “We’re adding capacity where possible but having one of our major route vessels out of service and no resiliency in our fleet presents a challenge. Passengers are encouraged to book in advance, consider travelling during off-peak times, or walk on board to avoid disruptions during these busy periods.” To manage demand over both long weekends,…

SALT SPRING ISLAND – BC Transit and the Capital Regional District (CRD) are advising customers of a seasonal service change for Salt Spring Island, effective October 1, 2024. Changes will be made to the following routes, to align with ferry schedules: 2 Fulford Harbour 3 Vesuvius 4 Long Harbour There will be a seasonal reduction in trips on Saturdays for route 2 Fulford Harbour. As part of the fall service change, Route 9 Ruckle Park will be seasonally discontinued. Due to construction on Fulford-Ganges Road, there will be some impacts to Route 2 Fulford Harbour and Route 7 Cusheon Lake. For full details on schedules, trip planning, or fares, please visit bctransit.com/salt-spring-island or pick up a copy of the Riders’ Guide.

Victoria, BC - BC Ferries is taking a major step forward in its New Major Vessels (NMV) project, marking a critical milestone in the company’s largest capital investment ever. To address projected population growth, replace aging vessels, and meet customer expectations, BC Ferries is now continuing the procurement process for the first five of seven new vessels needed for its busiest routes, with the remaining two new vessels to be built in a later phase. Additionally, work will be planned to extend the operational life of two existing C-Class vessels, the Queen of Surrey and the Queen of Oak Bay, through local shipyards and contractors. “Our customers have been clear – they expect reliable service and affordable fares, and this approach directly addresses both,” says Nicolas Jimenez, President and CEO of BC Ferries. “By adopting a phased strategy, we can responsibly increase capacity and resilience while carefully managing our investments to minimize fare pressures for …

GANGES – BC Transit has launched NextRide, its Automatic Vehicle Location technology, in the Salt Spring Island Regional Transit System. Transit riders can now use smart mobile devices and desktop services to see the real-time location of their bus along its route and the predicted arrival times at identified stops. Onboard, automated announcements call out stop names to customers, which increases comfort and convenience, while also improving the overall accessibility for many using transit. NextRide uses Automatic Vehicle Location technology to report real-time data. This bus location information is provided to mobility providers like Transit App, so customers can track and monitor bus routes using an application that works best for them. It is recommended that customers use NextRide in one of the following ways: Transit App (mobile only); Google Maps (desktop and mobile); BC Transit Website; Their own favorite trip planning app; or Refer to the rider’s guide. …

People who live on and visit Salt Spring Island can expect smoother, safer travel as significant improvements are coming to a major segment of the island’s highway system. Improvements to Fulford-Ganges Road starting this summer will improve sight lines and access for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. New paving infrastructure will extend the life of the roadway, while new markings, crosswalks, speed-reader boards and refuge areas will enhance safety. The work includes pulverizing and rebuilding the road base entirely, resurfacing and grading to introduce new, paved shoulders on both sides of Fulford-Ganges Road, and adding additional enhancements for safety and active transportation, such as signage, paint markings, crosswalks and refuge areas for cyclists. The project will also include a new underground storm-sewer drainage system for the length of the project to support long-term environmental viability, as well as a staging area to install a large culvert at Cran…

This week has been marked by several fatal motor vehicle incidents on highways throughout British Columbia. Between Friday, July 5, and Wednesday, July 10, 2024, there were 19 accidental motor-vehicle-related deaths reported to the BC Coroners Service (BCCS). Twelve of those deaths occurred during three incidents reported in the Interior Health Authority. Collisions reported to the Coroners Service include single-vehicle incidents, as well as multi-vehicle crashes. In the wake of these incidents, BCCS is urging residents and visitors to take extra care while planning road trips. “We extend our condolences to all affected by these tragedies. We know there are far-reaching impacts, as family and friends across the province, and beyond, mourn the loss of their loved ones,” said John McNamee, acting chief coroner. “While so many of us look forward to summer trips, unfortunately, statistics show the risk of deadly motor-vehicle crashes is much greater in July, August and Se…

Harbour Air, North America’s leading seaplane airline, has launched a new flight route between Salt Spring Island and Victoria, available from June 1st until September 30th, 2024. Harbour Air’s new Salt Spring Island-Victoria / Victoria-Salt Spring Island route will help connect both regions by providing people with fast and convenient 20-minute flights, and low fares starting from just $91 one way. This new route is in addition to other Harbour Air flights between Salt Spring Island and Vancouver or Richmond (YVR South), which gives island residents and visitors even more travel options throughout the summer season. Travelers booking this route will enjoy stunning panoramic views as they depart from Victoria or Salt Spring Island (Ganges Harbour), soar above the Gulf Islands, and arrive at their destination after a brief 20-minute flight. With multiple scheduled flights per day from Monday and Wednesday to Sunday, the route offers a quick and easy way for people in Sal…

BC Transit and the Capital Regional District are informing transit users of an upcoming change to the Salt Spring Island Transit System effective June 26, 2024. Changes are being made to routes that will better align with the BC Ferries’ schedule. In addition, Route 9 service to Ruckle Park will be reintroduced for the summer season. You can find all the trip time changes in the most recent Rider’s Guide. For more information on trip planning, fares or to sign up for customer alerts, please visit bctransit.com/salt-spring-island