Category: ASK Salt Spring Report

• ASK Salt Spring Bids a Sad Farewell to MLA Adam Olsen

  July 5, 2024: Twenty-six joined this ASK Salt Spring gathering to welcome Laura Parker, Outreach Coordinator, and to bid a sad farewell to MLA Adam Olsen who has decided not to run again. The clear message throughout our time together was our support for his decision to focus his attention on family and personal opportunities as well as…

• Building Community Connections Through Sharing Meals, Grief, and Laughter. . .The Chuan Society Does This and More

  June 28, 2024: Twenty-one gathered to welcome the Chuan Society to this ASK Salt Spring gathering. Special guests included chairperson Kajin Goh, council members Lauren Porter, Jenny McClean, and Stephen Carey, and Gabriel’s Kitchen team members Cheryl Roehlig, Kristin Norget, and Keith Delaney. After his Territorial Acknowledgment (suggesting that Land and People Honouring might be an added term),…

• Learning About the Wonders of HomeSharing

  June 21, 2024: A small group gathered to welcome Max Baron-Veale, Salt Spring’s Housing NOW Coordinator and to learn about HomeSharing. After Max’s moving Territorial Acknowledgement, we each took a few moments to introduce ourselves, most adding the Indigenous-like acknowledgement of our parents and roots. Max then told us what “excited and delighted” him. On his mind was his…

• The One Year Anniversary of Salt Spring’s Local Community Commission: A Focus on Housing

  June 14, 2024: While the gathering welcoming Local Community Commissioners (LCC) Chair Earl Rook and Electoral Director Gary Holman was small, those who participated expressed their appreciation for our housing-focused conversation. After our Territorial Acknowledgement, facilitator Grant Fredrickson asked our guests what “Excited and Delighted” them. Earl began by expressing pleasure that the long, dark days of…

• Local Businesses as Positive Social Change Agents? “Yes!” Says our New Chamber

  June 14, 2024: Eleven (including the fun addition of Jason’s young ones) joined us at this ASK Salt Spring gathering to welcome our Salt Spring Chamber of Commerce’s new Executive Director, Matthew Quetton, and new President, Jason Roy-Allen. After our Territorial Acknowledgement, Jason and Matthew told us a bit about themselves and what “excites and delights”…

• A Better Way to Address Conflict? What About Restorative Justice?

  May 31, 2024: Nine joined us to welcome Laura Dafoe, a Restorative Justice volunteer, to this ASK Salt Spring gathering. We were especially glad to welcome Laura as she was unexpectedly filling in at the last moment for Restorative Justice Program Coordinator, Jessica Terazakis, who was ill. Although she had not planned to be our special guest this…

• OCP? LUB? CCA? Lots of Letters Tell the Story of Some Exciting New Islands Trust Projects for Salt Spring

  May 24, 2024: Nineteen joined the ASK Salt Spring gathering to welcome Islands Trust Planner Jason Youmans, and Trustee Laura Patrick to provide an overview and answer questions about two important Local Trust Committee land use planning initiatives: the Complete Communities Assessment; and updates of the Official Community Plan (OCP) and Land Use Bylaws (LUB). During her Territorial…

• All That You Ever Wanted to Knows About the Spongy Moth. . . and More

  May 10, 2024: This ASK Salt Spring gathering welcomed CRD Local Community Commissioners (LCC) Brian Webster and Gayle Baker. After his Territorial Acknowledgement, Brian, wearing his apple-farming hat, leapt fearlessly into the currently raging spongy moth spraying controversy. Brian brought science into the discussion, warning us against letting fear and assumptions overwhelm science-based conclusions. We learned that the…

• Welcoming MLA Adam Olsen: “Who Do We Think We Are?”

  May 3, 2024: The first ASK Salt Spring gathering in May welcomed MLA Adam Olsen and Constituency Advocate Jerram Gawley for a rich and diverse conversation. Adam used his most recent weekly two-minute speech to the Legislature (https://adamolsen.ca/2024/05/my-duty-to-stand-up-for-the-salish-sea-never-diminishes/) as his Territorial Acknowledgement, speaking of disturbing changes to the waters surrounding us. The site of one of the world’s…

• Firehall Construction Begins!

  April 26, 2024: A total of 13 joined us to welcome Fire Trustee Chair, Rollie Cook, and Chief Administrative Officer, Rodney Dieleman, to this ASK Salt Spring gathering. While the numbers were not large, the conversation was lively and rich. After our Territorial Acknowledgment, we asked our guests what excited and delighted them. Rodney spoke briefly about his joy living…