Dedicated teams on both sides of the border have been hard at work on creating the upcoming Hands Across the Water event since May, which will include many fun events for both visiting Americans and Salt Springers: concerts, tastings, soccer game, harbour cruises and much more. And it’ll be an important boost to the Salt Spring economy in the shoulder season when tourism is tapering off. But the real purpose of the event runs much deeper: improving our regional resilience in shaky times.
“From the beginning we’ve been working on setting up ‘sistering’ conversations between people and organizations on Salt Spring and their counterparts on Orcas.” Chamber of Commerce President Jason Roy-Allen recalls. “And there will be a number of sidebar conversations between our museums and historical societies, our community foundations, our churches and individuals who want to share knowledge and culture. But the centrepiece is our conversations about regional resilience.”
Those conversations are taking shape now - specifically 3 one-hour community discussions that are being scheduled from 9 a.m. to Noon on Saturday September 20th in Centennial park. Event organizers Pam Tarr and Jon Cooksey have been working with Orcas organizer Ross Newport to put together the discussions, which will take the form of presentations, panel discussions, and one-on-one conversations.
“We felt like the three most pressing topics for building regional resilience were strategies for developing affordable housing, protecting our shared natural environment and strengthening Indigenous relationships,” says Cooksey. “There are a lot of other critical components, from food security to governance to international relations, but we’ll try to create an opportunity to bring up those topics while still keeping the event apolitical. We’re all aware of what’s happening between Canada and the US, but we want this to be about what we islanders, who all live in the same Salish Sea, can do to work together and help one another.”
The focus on resilience made Transition Salt Spring (and its counterpart across the border, the Orcas Community Resource Center) a natural fit as the designated charities for the weekend event. Tarr serves as Advocacy Lead for TSS: “Transition has had some regional relationships in the San Juan Islands, but this is a unique opportunity to strengthen those connections on a number of fronts, from climate action to our recent work on housing and community resilience with the Common Ground Summit.”
The housing conversation will feature Lisa Byers, the Executive Director of OPAL Community Land Trust, which has been successful in both creating a large amount of affordable housing and raising financing from the community to make it happen. CRD Director Gary Holman will join this discussion, to be moderated by Jon Cooksey, organizer of the recent Common Ground Summit. Topics will include how a non-profit housing association could benefit Salt Spring, raising community financing, and strategies for creating affordable housing.
Salt Spring naturalist Briony Penn will join Cindy Elliser from the Salish Sea Institute in Bellingham as part of the conversation on our shared natural environment, moderated by incoming TSS Chair Tisha Boulter, and Indigenous guests are being invited for a discussion of shared history and present-day issues for Indigenous peoples in the Salish Sea. For more information, check the event schedule on the Chamber of Commerce website, which will be updated as the event approaches.
The site will also list other discussions and events open to the public. As just one example, the Reverend Juli Mallett, Rector at Salt Spring’s Anglican Parish, is in conversation with a liaison of Emmanuel Episcopal Parish on Orcas about the possibility of a special service during the event.
“We hope that Salt Springers will come for the fun, the sea shanties and concerts, the car show and regatta, and all the rest of it,” adds Roy-Allen. “But what we’re really doing here is bringing people together for new friendships that will bind our islands together and help us work together and meet the challenges of our shared future.” So check out the event schedule on the Chamber website, buy tickets or make a donation, and get involved! We look forward to seeing you there!
