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Will Islands Trust Housing Bylaw Equal More Rental Housing?
April 15, 2022: Six Salt Springers joined this ASK Salt Spring gathering at the Library to welcome Laura Patrick, one of our two local Islands Trust elected officials. While the holiday may have been a factor in the the lower than normal participation, rising COVID numbers has convinced us to return to Zoom. The link for ASK Salt Spring gatherings each Friday through May is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89745830131?pwd=S0dUUUtuZ0pTOU9haDBNMnhaR1M5dz09 After her Territorial Acknowledgment, Laura spoke about the upcoming Local Trust Committee (LTC) meeting on April 19. She suggested that we would be interested in the four staff reports concerning LTC planning projects in the agenda for this meeting:…
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After Such Progress, Do We Face Big Shelter Challenges?
April 8, 2022: Only nine joined us to welcome CRD’s Gary Holman to this ASK Salt Spring gathering in the Library Program Room. While it is likely that it was the unpredicted sunny weather that enticed folks away, could it be interpreted as Salt Springers’ contentment with CRD-related issues? After our Territorial Acknowledgement, Gary took some time to discuss some of the issues that are on his mind. He spoke of the fast-approaching Firehall referendum, expected to be a mail-in ballot with a currently proposed deadline by the end of June. Gary reiterated what we learned when the fire folks were our ASK Salt Spring guests(https://www.saltspringcommunityalliance.org/post/want-to-talk-about-a-new-firehall-for-salt-spring),…
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Should We Fear the Slippery Slope of a Tiered Healthcare System?
April 1, 2022: After a moving Territorial Acknowledgement, the 19 who gathered in the Library Program Room welcomed our special guest, MLA Adam Olsen. Adam was accompanied by his constituency advocate, William Kelly, and two legislative interns Rose Williams and Jerram Gawley. He began by sharing something this week that – while emotional – had excited and delighted him: he had spoken to the Legislative Assembly’s release of its Declaration Act Action Plan outlining 89 specific actions that ministries are directed to take to create a better province for Indigenous Peoples in B.C: (https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022IRR0018-000457). When Adam spoke of this action plan, (https://adamolsen.ca/2022/04/response-to-ministerial-statement-on-declaration-act-action-plan/), he issued…
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Want to Talk About a New Firehall for Salt Spring?
March 25, 2022: Surprisingly, only nine came to this ASK Salt Spring gathering in the Library Program Room – and three of them were our special guests: Fire Chief Jamie Holmes, Fire Trustee Chair, Rollie Cook, and local consultant, Bruce Cameron! We thought that Salt Springers were interested in the proposed new firehall. Were we wrong? Despite the small number, the conversation was rich and, as the first of many outreach events before the firehall referendum, it was a good soft launch for the upcoming events. Each of these community engagement opportunities have been designed to make sure that all Salt Springers…
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Islands Trust Challenges: Laura is Listening
March 18, 2022: Fourteen joined us to welcome Laura Patrick, one of our two local trustees for the Islands Trust, to this ASK Salt Spring gathering in the Library Program Room. While we shivered with the open wall of glass doors, we were happy to be together in person again. After a Territorial Acknowledgement, Laura encouraged each of us to take steps to open our hearts to Reconciliation. A participant, holding a copy of the recently completed Islands Trust Governance Review: ((https://islandstrust.bc.ca/document/governance-review-final-report-february-2022/, asked a series of questions about the report’s findings and recommendations. Laura agreed that change is needed and that the…
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Whatever is a Warming Space?
March 11, 2022: A total of 26 joined us for all or part of the time at this ASK Salt Spring Zoom gathering welcoming CRD’s Gary Holman. After the Territorial Acknowledgement, Gary began by giving us some unfortunate budget news: Because our BC property assessments have increased far more than the CRD average, Salt Spring taxpayers will now pay a larger percentage for our regional services, like parks, administration, and health facilities. Gary reminded us that we also benefit from these CRD services, including the $3 million recently provided by the CRD Regional Hospital District (CRHD) to help fund our new Lady…
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Planning for Our Village’s Future
March 4, 2022: Thirteen joined us via Zoom for this ASK Salt Spring gathering that welcomed the Chair of the Islands Trust Ganges Village Plan task force, Jenny MacClean. After her heartfelt Territorial Acknowledgment, she began by telling us why Ganges needs another plan despite several excellent ones in 1995 ( https://www.crd.bc.ca/docs/default-source/salt-spring-island-ea-pdf/cedc/ganges_ocp_95.pdf?sfvrsn=2)and 2007 (https://www.crd.bc.ca/docs/default-source/salt-spring-island-ea-pdf/cedc/ganges.pdf?sfvrsn=2). The reasons supporting this new plan include: Jenny reminded us of Ganges’s rich archeological heritage, a heritage that she believes needs to be both protected and honoured through better community information about the development processes of these sites as well as historical signage. It is Jenny’s hope that this…
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Some of the ABCs of an LCC
February 25, 2025: Twenty-two attended this initial discussion about the possibilities and challenges of a Local Community Commission (LCC). After our Territorial Acknowledgement, CRD Director, Gary Holman, one of our three special guests, began this gathering by offering some basic information about what an LCC could and could not accomplish. During our two hours together, our other special guests, Linda Adams and Brian Webster, also fielded a number of questions, and the three of them led an interesting conversation about the possibilities of improving our local governance. We learned that the provincial legislation is permissive, allowing local communities a high degree…
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A Glimpse into Complex Islands Trust Decisions
February 18, 2022: After a territorial acknowledgement, one of our two locally-elected Island Trust trustees, Laura Patrick, began by telling the 14 people who had gathered that housing is foremost in her mind. In her opinion, we need a wide spectrum of housing options for a diverse and healthy community. The housing options we need are less about accommodating a growing population and more about housing the people who are already here or are having to leave — the folks who work in our shops and restaurants, BC Ferries, our tradespeople, artists, young families, and seniors. She believes that we all…
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A Battle Between Bureaucracy and Humanity?
February 11, 2022:Thirteen joined us on a lovely almost-spring day to engage with CRD Director Gary Holman on some of the issues that mean the most to us. After our First Nations Territorial Acknowledgement, we asked Gary to tell us what was on his mind. While housing concerns are paramount for him, he began by speaking of some other projects. Gary is pleased that the Fire Trustees and CRD have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreeing, in principle, to allow the Ganges Firehall to remain in public hands and repurposing it for a year-round food market. The MOU also…