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Roads, Roads, and More Roads: Salt Springers Worry About Road Safety
November 22, 2019: Five individuals came to ask question at this, the seventh ASK Salt Spring session. Jessica Harkema, our Chamber’s Chief Executive Officer, was there the entire time, skillfully answering questions from her perspective as Executive Director of the Chamber as well as her life-long experience here as an involved resident. The theme for the day explored concerns about the safety of our roads. Initially, the conversation focused on Leisure Lane and frustration with the high number of fast-moving vehicles (even including semis and contractor vehicles) using this quiet, curvy lane as a shortcut. While this citizen was concerned now, he pointed…
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Logging, Development Permits, and Emergency Preparedness
November 8, 2019: Although only three came to ask questions, there were a total of six Salt Springers who came to ASK Salt Spring during this session, marking the one-month anniversary of this initiative. Those who did not have a question stayed quite a while (one even stayed for the entire three hours) to see what ASK Salt Spring was all about and to listen to the interesting conversations. The first who arrived was looking for a map of designated development permit areas. Although appreciating the aerial photograph of Salt Spring on the table, it was soon recognized that this would not answer his…
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Trustee Laura Patrick Discusses Logging and Environmentally-Conscious Development
November 15, 2019: Twelve came to ask questions during this session of ASK Salt Spring. While the record for this first six weeks of operation is 15 when Adam Olsen was there, 12 is a satisfying trend. As many stayed during much of the conversation, there was a period of over an hour when all seats around the table were taken. (Luckily there were extra seats stored along the walls had they been needed. Laura arrived at 10:00, and we spent the first half hour until our first guest arrived discussing what had been learned from Adam several weeks ago. We discussed…
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MLA Adam Olsen Talks About Early Childhood Education, Health, and Affordable Housing
November 1, 2019: Fifteen islanders came to ASK Salt Spring with a wide variety of questions. Some even came without questions, seeking only to see what ASK Salt Spring is all about and to listen to the questions of others. While at least five came specifically seeking to speak with Adam, most joined happily into the conversation while awaiting Adam’s late arrival at noon. (Two needed to leave before he arrived, but they asked me to follow-up and contact Adam on their behalf.) The questions covered a wide range of issues, and the resulting conversations explored many complex components of each subject. Volunteers were…
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Beaches in Need of Clean-Up, Laundromat Seeking Funds, and a Refugee Support Group
October 25, 2019: Six islanders came, but only four had questions. The other two came briefly to see what we were doing, saying that they would be back another Friday. The Legion is applying for a license to allow them to more easily welcome non-members. This application has taken some time to go through Islands Trust – surprisingly designated as the relevant body to handle this – with approval expected at the November meeting. Unfortunately, this is after the Liquor Board’s deadline, forcing the Legion to begin the process all over again. It was suggested that community groups, as well…
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Special Guest Islands Trustee Peter Grove: Parking, Pathways, and Potholes
October 18, 2019: Five residents came to ASK Salt Spring, all during the time Peter Grove was there. Although no one came to ask questions during the first hour staffed by volunteers, the volunteers, David Norget, Larry Bishop, and Wayne Glover spent the hour getting to know one another and discussing topics as far ranging as mental health, Gary’s Safety initiative, the lack of a refugee support group on Salt Spring, BC Ferries, the need for better, more-accessible mental health services, and the wonderful job Paramedic Chris Griffith is doing in his non-emergency visits to residents. I learned a lot; I…
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Our First ASK Salt Spring Gathering!
October 11, 2019: Guests: 10 (each staying approximately one hour) Special Guest: Gary Holman Summary of Issues: 4 – Senior Services 3 – Completion of North Ganges Transportation Loop 3 – Harbour Walk 1 – Garbage 2 – Speed Limits 1 – Purchase of home (currently for sale) at corner of Lower and Upper Ganges Roads 4 – Ganges Hill 3 – Laundromat 3 – Safety Counter-Referendum (Please note: Numbers reflect those who participated in the discussion, not necessarily the number of folks who came to address the issue.) ASK Salt Spring volunteers learned quite a bit about senior services on…