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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 week, Laura led us on a rich journey of learning about Restorative Justice, saying that she was glad to do so in appreciation of all the good things ASK Salt Spring does for our community and for the opportunity to tell us about Restorative Justice. During her…
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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 Acknowledgment, Laura spoke briefly about her own personal journey learning about reconciliation and referenced Culturally Connected as a good resource. (You can learn more about Culturally Connected and reconciliation here: (https://www.culturallyconnected.ca/). When asked what “excites and delights” him, Jason told us that, personally, he loves the return of…
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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 spongy moth, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymantria_dispar) is, in the first phase of its life cycle, an invasive leaf-eating caterpillar that defoliates trees. Trees that are already stressed due to climate change and other challenges, can die from this defoliation. While all deciduous trees are at risk, of particular…
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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 most biodiverse regions, this once-rich region has become noisy and polluted. Local fishing, once our First Nations’ economic foundation, is now only a pastime. This Acknowledgement of a marine environment that was once far richer led us to a discussion of our local harbours. Adam…
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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 on Salt Spring and all the new opportunities awaiting him. Having just purchased a boat, he is looking forward to exploring our coast and learning entirely new ways of fishing. A world quite different from the rivers of his former Alberta home, he is looking…
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Want to Learn More About Salt Spring’s Roads? Owen Page, MoTi Area Manager, Offers Answers as Well as Listening
April 19, 2024: Fifteen joined us for all or part of our time together at this ASK Salt Spring gathering that welcomed our Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) Area Manager Owen Page. After our Territorial Acknowledgement, we asked Owen what excites and delights him. Personally, he was looking forward to watching a great basketball playoff while enjoying a beer that evening. Professionally, he loves spending time in the communities for which he is responsible, always listening, learning, and seeking the best use of the resources he has been allocated. Later ,when asked if the number of Salt Spring emails were a bit overwhelming, he…
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Local Commissioners Learn About Liveaboards’ Needs
April 12, 2024: Ten welcomed two of your Local Community Commissioners, Ben Corno and Gayle Baker, to this ASK Salt Spring gathering. While the numbers were small, the conversation was rich, masterfully facilitated by Ron Cooke. We began with a Territorial Acknowledgement from Ben, introducing himself in the Indigenous way of also recognizing his parents. When asked what excites and delights us, Gayle responded that she was delighted to be happily home after an amazing trip that began in Brazil and ended in Rome. She spoke briefly about her satisfaction with small projects that are moving along toward completion, like the new bus shelter next to the Visitors’…
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Road Maintenance Trials and Triumphs: Welcoming Emcon’s Operations Manager, Andrew
March 1, 2024: Fifteen joined this ASK Salt Spring gathering to welcome Andrew Gaetz, Operations Manager for Emcon, our road maintenance contractor. After our Territorial Acknowledgement, we asked Andrew what excited and delighted him. He immediately responded that he was very pleased that the recent vacuum sweeping of Ganges had gone so well, with only a few parked cars impeding the much-needed sweeping of our village streets. Also swept was an area of grave concern for cyclists: The barriers along the curves of Lower Ganges Road north of Booth Canal Road. Emcon is contracted to sweep all major Salt Spring streets by May 15 and…
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Welcoming Sergeant Clive Seabrook and Learning About RCMP Successes and Challenges on Salt Spring
February 23, 2024: Eighteen joined us for all or part of our time together at this ASK Salt Spring gathering welcoming RCMP Sergeant Clive Seabrook. After our Territorial Acknowledgement, Clive told us what excites and delights him: Living and working on Salt Spring! Already into his fourth year with us, he continues to love working in our community, feeling the same excitement he felt upon his arrival. He credited the support he gets from Salt Springers as an important part of his continued delight working here. As you may know, Salt Spring is classified as a community requiring officers to be relocated every four years.…
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$$$$. . . Funders Discuss Funding Opportunities for Local Initiatives. . . $$$
February 16, 2024: Thirty-two joined this ASK Salt Spring gathering to welcome Nora Layard, Chair of Transition Salt Spring Enterprise Coop – TSSEC (tssenterprisecoop@gmail.com); Shannon Cowan, Executive Director of the Salt Spring Island Foundation (shannon@ssifoundation,ca); Robert Steinbach, Country Grocer’s Community Relations and Business Development (robert@saltspringcountrygrocer.com); and Julie Kemble, Chair of the Arts Council (chair@ssartscouncil.com). They joined us to discuss their role funding local initiatives as well as partnering in multi-organisation collaborations to support more complex local initiatives. After our Territorial Acknowledgement, each of our guests were asked what excited and delighted them. Julie began, sharing her enthusiasm for our topic of funding local projects, especially support for…