Salt Spring Exchange - Local News, Events and Classifieds

IWAV granted $18,500 from collective fundraising network of 100+ Women Who Care

Eighty-two members of the 100+ Women Who Care Salt Spring group gathered via Zoom on a rainy November 17th to hear compelling five-minute presentations from three worthy Island causes. An anonymous vote was cast in real time, revealing the charity of choice who will receive a $18,500 pooled collection is IWAV, or Islanders Working Against Violence. “Our staff are thrilled for this amazing contribution from women in our community to extend our outreach services and support for our second stage residents,” explains IWAV’s Executive Director Kisea Petersen. “These women have left intimate partner violence or other gender-based violence and look to IWAV to help them regain confidence, resiliency, and a healthier future for them and their children.” For almost 30 years IWAV has been providing safety and services for women experiencing violence, abuse, and poverty. With 28 staff and several volunteers, it operates multiple programs and facilities including a 24-hour crisis line…

Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue attends structure fire at 257 Maliview Drive

At 11:57 on Thursday Nov. 25, 2021 Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue was dispatched to a residential structure fire at 257 Maliview Dr. At 12:10 PM, both Engine 1 and Tender 1 from the Ganges Firehall were on scene and found smoke coming from the bottom unit of a fourplex residential structure. With efficient manpower on scene from a fast response, fire crews went offensive on the fire, sending an interior team inside the structure to extinguish the fire. Crews were able to knock down the fire and contain it to the room, and unit, of origin and prevent any extension into the adjacent units. Hydro was shut off to the area to allow crews to complete their work. There was a total of three fire apparatus on scene and sixteen firefighters responded. Emergency Social Services were called to attend to provide services to the occupants that were displaced from the unit where the fire occurred. All other occupants were able to return to their units after a check of each unit was complet…

Salt Spring RCMP Community Report - 2021, 3rd Quarter Statistics

Salt Spring RCMP responded to 886 calls in the 3rd quarter of 2021 (July 1 – September 30) and as of October 1, 2021, have responded to 2,263 calls for service thus far this year. Various investigations undertaken in this quarter include a child pornography distribution file, 31 assaults, 33 sex-related offences and 9 weapons/firearms investigations. There were also multiple COVID-related reports, 36 motor vehicle incidents/collisions (MVI’s) and 144 mental health/check well-being reports. SSI RCMP issued 51 traffic tickets, gave 97 traffic warnings and conducted 340 foot patrols in Centennial Park and other areas; 65 bar walks were also performed and a dozen impaired drivers were taken off the road. Traffic enforcement was conducted all over Salt Spring Island but special attention was made to seatbelt use around Ganges, speed enforcement on Cusheon Lake Road and Long Harbour Road, as well as compliance of school and playground zones. Some of the calls in the last few mo…

Prepare for a series of storms to hit B.C.

The Province is urging people to prepare and be diligent as Environment and Climate Change Canada issues weather alerts for a series of storms with heavy rain, strong winds and snow in some areas. The storms are expected to arrive in B.C. later today, Wednesday, Nov. 25, through to next week. Winter storm, rainfall, wind, snowfall and flood warnings have been issued throughout B.C.’s coastal areas, including the north coast, central coast and Vancouver Island. Special weather statements are in effect for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, Squamish to Whistler and the Sunshine Coast. Flood conditions may arise in the areas over the period of these storms. The River Forecast Centre has issued high streamflow advisories for all regions of the coast. People in these areas are asked to avoid all non-essential road travel during the upcoming storms. For up-to-date public weather alerts, visit Environment and Climate Change Canada's website. People living in thes…

ASK Salt Spring with Islands Trust’s Local Trustee Laura Patrick on climate change, sewage systems, housing and more

Fifteen people came to welcome and ask questions of one of the Islands Trust’s Local Trustees, Laura Patrick, at this ASK Salt Spring gathering. During her Territorial Acknowledgment, Laura described a concept that resulted from a dialogue about incorporating indigenous knowledge into integrated land use planning: We should be thinking in terms of land relationship planning as opposed to land use planning. Laura appreciated that the word relationship evokes human connection and responsibility for the land. Before fielding questions, Laura recognized with pride the large number of islanders who are doing good and caring work within and for the community. While it is easy to focus on what is not getting accomplished, she asked us to acknowledge the amazing work that is largely being done by volunteers and the many energetic nonprofit organizations - day after day enriching all of our lives. With the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) just wrapping up in Glasgow, a…

Obituary: Louise Harkema

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Louise Jocelyn Harkema. She left her 64 years on this earth November 10th , after a difficult battle with cancer. Louise was born October 19th, 1957 in Port Alberni, British Columbia to Jan and Louise Harkema. She is survived by her children Elisha (Jordan) and Jocelyn, her granddaughter Piper, siblings Derek, Mary, Andrea, Ellen (Hans), and Harold (Sandy), sister-in-law Dawn and many nieces and nephews who will miss her dearly. She was predeceased by her parents, brother Jan Mark Harkema and niece Darcy Hughes. Louise was an autonomous and ever-evolving person that marched to her own beat. She made many strong connections mentally and spiritually as a Mother, a Sister, an Auntie, a friend, a Therapist and a Teacher. In these connections her loving memory lives on. Though she spent many years building her successful business as a Massage Therapist/ Svroopra yoga Teacher and raising her two children in Calgary, Al…

Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue appointments Jamie Holmes to Fire Chief

The Board of Fire Trustees and Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue are pleased to announce the appointment of Jamie Holmes to Fire Chief. Chief Holmes has been exceptional in his role of Acting Fire Chief since November 14, 2020. A strong leader with a wealth of experience, SSIFR is fortunate to have him at the helm. Chief Holmes has achieved 25 years of exemplary service since joining the department in 1996 as a Paid-on- Call Volunteer. He Joined the career ranks in 2002 and ascended to Deputy Chief in April 2021. Recently, Chief Holmes was awarded the British Columbia Training Officer Association Meritorious Service Medal for his decade of executive service to the association. During his 15-year tenure as training officer, our department successfully trained many volunteer Firefighters that went on to become career professionals, both here and in other departments across the country. Chief Holmes set a benchmark that members be trained to the NFPA 1001 standard, which ensure…

Provincial disaster financial assistance available to Salt Spring Island area residents

BC residents impacted by recent flooding may be eligible for provincial Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA), including those in the Capital Regional District’s Electoral Areas: Salt Spring Island, the Southern Gulf Islands, and Juan de Fuca. This financial assistance is a grant program provided by the province and is in place to help replace or restore uninsurable essential items and property that have been destroyed or damaged. The provincial DFA is available to qualifying home owners, residential tenants, small business owners, farm owners, and charitable organizations who experience property damage due to the rains on November 14 and 15, 2021, where the losses could not be insured or where other programs are not available. Financial assistance is provided for each accepted claim at 80 percent of the amount of total eligible damage that exceeds $1,000, to a maximum claim of $300,000. Applications for the provincial DFA must be submitted by February 12, 2022. Full det…

Winter garden preparation, winter cauliflower seeds

Extreme weather driven by the changing climate is certainly hitting hard these days. We continue to get the wetter, colder weather consistent with a La Niña season, so brace for more of the same until spring. September, in particular, was a cooler than normal month, so you might have noticed that some late crops didn’t grow as much as they should have in the waning days of fall. I am disappointed in the size of my fall cabbages, for example. Hardy vegetables do grow a bit over the winter, however, and will pick up speed in early spring. If they are too small to harvest now, just leave them in the garden. With all this rain, you might also notice that leaves of spinach, lettuce and Swiss chard have developed black blotches and ragged or decomposing leaf edges. The leaves of these plants are more delicate than leaves of cabbage or broccoli, which have waxy, water-repellent leaves. When rain, rain, and more rain, abrades the cuticle of leafy greens, the leaf tissue just breaks …

Fire destroys residential structure on West Eagle Drive

On November 20th 2021, at 15:32 Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue received a call for a residential structure fire at 300 West Eagle Drive. When the first apparatus arrived on scene, an approximate 500 square foot structure was fully involved. Fire crews had some challenges because of the large amount of belongings on the property and inside the structure. SSIFR had 13 members and 7 apparatus on scene to extinguish the fire. It took 10,000 gallons of water and 5 hours from the start of the incident to the end. The cause of the fire is under investigation but believed to be accidental. Ken Akerman Fire Captain

Our first clear win on housing

Folks, it’s been a long and winding road, but today we finally have something to celebrate on housing! After years of pressure from people like you, the Local Trust Committee (LTC) finally passed some significant motions last week that should have a positive impact on our workforce housing crisis. This is a huge win and we need to celebrate success!!! Stepping back for a bit, the Islands Trust itself had written many reports over the past 20 years on things it could do to support affordable and workforce housing. The problem was, few to none of the recommendations were ever implemented. Our group presented a comprehensive list of changes in July 2019 that they could make immediately without changing our Official Community Plan. Two years later, none of these had been implemented. All the while, the pandemic accelerated the trends of unaffordability and lack of housing supply for the working and middle class, creating the breakdown in the community we see today. …

Plan ahead for essential medical appointments on Vancouver Island

Overnight closures of Highway 1 on the Malahat for the next several days have prompted the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to limit the route to essential travel only. Currently, there are no major disruptions to Island Health’s health-care services. If this changes, people with booked appointments for medical care will be contacted to reschedule. More information will be shared if the situation changes. People with essential medical appointments that require a trip over the Malahat should monitor travel advisories and plan for extra travel time in the event there are delays as a result of road repair work. Island Health will work with patients to reschedule non-urgent appointments if that is their preference.

Provincial state of emergency declared as result of widespread damage caused by severe flooding and landslides

The B.C. government is declaring a provincial state of emergency to mitigate impacts on transportation networks and movement of essential goods and supplies, and to support the provincewide response and recovery from the widespread damage caused by severe flooding and landslides in British Columbia. “Provincial, federal and local governments are working with emergency personnel to make sure people and communities get the help they need as they work through yet another natural disaster. This provincial declaration of emergency will ensure the transport of goods, and essential and emergency services,” said Premier John Horgan. “Thank you to everyone for doing what you can to stay safe and to help one another as we work through this catastrophic time.” Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, made the declaration on Nov. 17, 2021, based on the recommendation from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and Emergency Management BC. The declar…

Watch: Salt Spring Island first responders gather to ‘salute’ local health care workers

After more than 20 months of a global pandemic which has seen over 213,000 people infected with the COVID-19 virus across British Columbia, health care workers continue to provide front line support to care for all of those impacted by the virus. In the spirit of this ongoing work being done at our local Lady Minto Hospital and health clinics here on the island led by doctors, nurses, hospital administrators, technicians and support staff, Salt Spring Island emergency first responders, members of the Salt Spring RCMP, Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue, BC Ambulance and Salt Spring Island Search and Rescue gathered today to offer an informal 'salute' to our local health care teams. Emergency vehicles circled the hospital parking lot this afternoon around 3 PM with their lights flashing and the occasional siren to honour those members of our community who have been doing the good work of caring for us all through the ongoing health, social and economic turbulence we've all bee…

ASK Salt Spring with CRD Director Gary Holman on budget, ER expansion, housing, Centennial Park safety and more

Ten Salt Springers gathered in ASK Salt Spring’s new winter location, the Library Program Room, to welcome CRD’s Gary Holman. After the Territorial Acknowledgment, we asked Gary to share what was on his mind. While he was focused on the CRD’s 2022 provisional budget, he also indicated that he is working with the Lady Minto Foundation, which may purchase the SeaBreeze Inne for health worker housing, and other agencies to help secure shelter for those currently living there. Concerning the CRD 2022 proposed budget (details below), we learned that the $7.1 million tax requisition for the Capital Regional District and the Hospital District is an increase of 3.25% over 2021, an increase of an estimated $34 per “average” household to $1,067 in 2022. Our Salt Spring tax requisition is comprised of: A portion of CRD regional services paid by all municipalities and electoral districts. Some expenditures funded by some of the local governments within CRD. (Examples of this …

Boil water advisory for Fulford Water Service

Update as of 2021 November 20: The boil water advisory issued on Nov. 16, 2021 for the Fulford Water Service on Salt Spring Island is now DISCONTINUED. Two consecutive sample sets collected from locations at the watermain break site have been analyzed and indicate that the water is now safe to consume. The CRD, in consultation with Island Health, have rescinded the advisory. Update as of 2021 November 16: The Capital Regional District (CRD) in consultation with Island Health have issued a Boil Water Advisory for residents on Morningside Road and Tahouney Road within the Fulford Water Service Area in the Salt Spring Island Electoral Area (refer to map below). Residents in the impacted area should BOIL their drinking water until further notice. Water quality may have been compromised as a result of a watermain break and system depressurization caused by intense rainfall events on November 14 and 15, 2021. As a precaution, the Boil Water Advisory will be in effect until f…

Heavy rain causes partially treated wastewater discharge into Ganges Creek

High intensity rain events on November 14 and 15, 2021 caused combined stormwater and partially treated wastewater flows to exit the Ganges Wastewater Treatment Plant and enter the storm water system and discharge to the ocean at the outlet of Ganges Creek. The shoreline affected is in the vicinity of Gasoline Alley and Beachside Cafe in the Village of Ganges on Salt Spring Island. As a result of these discharges, residents are advised to avoid entering the waters along the affected shoreline, as the wastewater may pose a health risk. As a precaution and in consultation with Island Health, beaches within the affected areas will be posted with public health advisory signs until sample results indicate enterococci levels are below the 70CFU/100mL recreational limit.

Watch: Landslide closes North End Road in both directions

Heavy rains from last night's rain has caused extensive damage around the island. It now appears that one of the areas most impacted is in the 1200 block of North End Road. The road is closed in both directions due to a landslide that has come down from the West side of Trincomali Ridge onto the road bringing trees and debris across the center lane. The force of the slide was strong enough to displace the concrete median protecting the road from the steep rock face along that section of the road. Emcon does not have an estimate date or time for the reopening and motorists are advised to avoid the area. You can see the extent of the damage in the video and photos below. https://youtu.be/7tOHnA5skwU

Heavy rain causes untreated discharge from Maliview wastewater plant

High intensity rain events caused combined stormwater, treated and untreated wastewater flows entering the marine environment through the discharge outfall pipe from Maliview Estates Wastewater Treatment Plant on November 14 and 15, 2021. The shoreline impacted is in the vicinity of the Treatment Plant outfall pipe at the intersection of Maliview Drive and Walkers Hook Road on the northeast part of Salt Spring Island. As a result of these discharges, residents are advised to avoid entering the waters along the affected shoreline, as the wastewater may pose a health risk. As a precaution and in consultation with Island Health and the local municipalities, beaches within the affected areas will be posted with public health advisory signs until sample results indicate enterococci levels are below the 70CFU/100mL recreational limit.

Watch: Heavy rains wreak havoc on Salt Spring Island

Salt Spring Island major road events update as of 2021 November 19 at 4:00 PM: Five days after an 'atmospheric river' blew across British Columbia and left a wake of damaged infrastructure, loss of life and livestock, a number of main roads on Salt Spring Island are still either closed or partial closed to traffic. Here are current photos and video from the main roads of Fulford-Ganges Road and North End Road. Some community members continue to willfully ignore closed road signage and requests from EMCON and Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue not to go around or remove barriers. At the washout area between Blackburn Road and Horel Road on Fulford-Ganges Road numerous vehicles were observed to be driving around closed road signs to make their way past the still very high waters of Blackburn Lake. It appeared the caution tape had been torn down, the barrier moved and the Road Closed sign had been driven over and bent out of shape before it was put back up by a passerby who had to unb…

Salt Spring Coffee Celebrates 25 Years of Roasting Sustainable Coffee

It was in 1996 that Salt Spring Coffee first opened the doors to its roastery café on McPhillips Avenue in Ganges. Now, a quarter century later, the company is still going strong with a recently renovated café and kitchen and a well-deserved reputation for brewing some of the best coffee on the West Coast. To mark its 25th anniversary and, in keeping with its focus on sustainability, the company is launching a limited-edition collection of single-origin coffees grown using regenerative organic agricultural practices. Each coffee in the collection is produced from the same beans, but processed differently allowing coffee drinkers to appreciate how each method influences the coffee’s flavour. “To celebrate our 25th anniversary, we wanted to put together a collection that exemplifies Salt Spring Coffee’s dedication to producing coffee of the highest quality and acting as a force for positive environmental change,” says Mickey McLeod, Co-Founder and CEO of Salt Spring Coffe…