Author: Gayle Baker

• Roads 101 – a Conversation with our Ministry Area Manager

  September 23, 2022: Fourteen gathered in the United Church Meadow (for the last time: see below for news of our new location!) to welcome our Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) Area Manager, Owen Page. Although he has only been our Area Manager since this spring, he offered us a wealth of information at this ASK Salt Spring gathering. …

• Five Candidates’ Solutions for Weighty Islands Trust Issues

  September 16, 2022: Twenty-five, including five of the seven candidates for Salt Spring’s two Islands Trustee positions, gathered in the United Church Meadow to discuss the Islands Trust and candidates’ plans if they are elected. (Note: Election day is Saturday, October 15, but you also have two advanced polling opportunities on Wednesday, October 5 and 12, 8-8…

• Dramatically Different Perspectives from CRD Candidates Gary Holman and Kylie Coates 

  September 9, 2022: Fifteen joined us for all or part of this ASK Salt Spring conversation with Kylie Coates and Gary Holman, two of the three candidates for CRD Director in our October 15 local election. (Jesse Brown had also just declared as a CRD candidate, but, due to a prior commitment, was unable to join us. All…

• Huge Provincial Challenges, but Closer to Home, Adam Asks “Is our Local Governance Working for Us?”

  September 2, 2022: After our Territorial Acknowledgement, a circle of 16 who stayed for all or part of the conversation welcomed our MLA, Adam Olsen, and his staff, Constituent Advocates William Kelly, and Laura Parker, to this ASK Salt Spring gathering. When asked what was on his mind, Adam began by telling us about the mountain of complaints…

• Bleak News for Workers Seeking Housing on Salt Spring. . .with Some Hope as Well

  August 26, 2022: Sixteen joined this ASK Salt Spring gathering for fascinating discussion of Workforce Housing led by special guests Tami and Fernando dos Santos and Rhonan Heitzmann. After our Territorial Acknowledgement, they began by speaking about their challenges and successes addressing Salt Spring’s dearth of worker housing.  Fernando and Tami have established the not-for-profit Dragonfly Commons (https://dragonflycommons.com)…

• How Can Trust in Islands Trust be Rekindled?

   August 19, 2022: Only eight joined this ASK Salt Spring gathering welcoming Laura Patrick, one of our Salt Spring Island Local Trustees for the Islands Trust. While the circle was small, the low numbers allowed a casual, but very rich, conversation. During her Territorial Acknowledgment, Laura spoke of the journey of Reconciliation, reminding us that Reconciliation begins with…

• CRD Candidates, Kylie Coates and Gary Holman, Square Off on Issues: Housing, Water, and an LCC

   August 12, 2022: A total of 16 came for all or part of this ASK Salt Spring gathering that welcomed our two declared candidates in the October 15, 2022 local election for CRD Electoral Director, current Director, Gary Holman, and Kylie Coates. After our Territorial Acknowledgement, each candidate began by telling us a bit about themselves.  We learned that Kylie is a…

• Alarming Cracks in our Mental Health Systems – and Caring Peer Support Workers Seeking to Fill Them

   August 5, 2022: While we began with a very small circle of participants, during our time together, a total of 15 joined our conversation about mental health in our community. Always seeking to attract youth and young families to these ASK Salt Springgatherings, we hit the jackpot with our 16th – and youngest yet guest – infant…

• Welcoming Our Chamber to the Conversation About Salt Spring’s Most Important Issues

  July 29, 2022: Eleven joined this ASK Salt Spring gathering in the United Church Meadow, welcoming our Chamber’s new Operations Manager, Alexander Fischer-Jean, and its president, Darryl Martin. After our Territorial Acknowledgement questions began, resulting in a rich conversation focused on our local businesses – their challenges and successes. (For all you ever wanted to know about our…

• Culverts 101 and Other Road Maintenance Challenges

   July 22, 2022: Only 11 joined our conversation about roads maintenance at this ASK Salt Spring gathering in the United Church Meadow. A rich and interesting conversation, the low number of participants might lead one to believe that Salt Springers are quite content with the maintenance of our roads. And, listening to this ASK Salt Spring conversation, this supposition was…