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The Joys of Local Community Media
Twelve joined this ASK Salt Spring gathering to welcome our local media. Joining us were Colin How and Leslie Ash, new owners of the Salt Spring Exchange; Gail Sjuberg, Gulf Islands Driftwood editor; and Damian Inwood, President of our soon-to-be-live local radio station, CHiR.fm. After our Territorial Acknowledgement offered by Damian, we asked each of our guests what “excited and delighted” them. Damian began by giving us an update on CHiR.fm‘s progress going live. Currently, CHiR.fm has nearly completed its month long live test from its tower on Mt. Belcher. Broadcasting for 24 hour broadcasts, in five-hour repeating segments per day. The purpose of this four-week test is to make sure that…
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Welcoming Copper Kettle/Wagon Wheel’s Cherie – a Local Heroine!
November 15 Nine joined this ASK Salt Spring gathering to welcome Cherie Geauvreau, the heart and soul of the Copper Kettle/Wagon Wheel team. After offering a loving Penelakut greeting as our Territorial Acknowledgement, we began learning about the work of the Copper Kettle/Wagon Wheel Housing Society (https://saltspringexchange.com/2016/07/19/copper-kettle-cooks-for-a-community-cause/). When asked what “excited and delighted” her, Cherie did not pause: writing poetry gives her great joy, proud of the poetry book she published (https://abcbookworld.com/writer/geauvreau-cheri/). Also “excited and delighted” by connecting Salt Springers, she and her team have been serving those in need for nearly a quarter of a century. Since 2002 when Copper Kettle Community…
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Trials and Triumphs of our Road Maintenance
November 8 Ten joined us to welcome Emcon Operations Manager Andrew Gaetz to this ASK Salt Spring gathering. As most Salt Springers know, Emcon (https://www.emconservices.ca/bc-contract-areas/) is our roads maintenance contractor. Andrew’s region includes all provincial roads from Chemainus in the north to Victoria, including Port Renfrew, Lake Cowichan, Sooke, and all roads on the six Southern Gulf Islands. With a ten-year contract that began in 2019, we learned that there may also be a five-year extension beyond 2029 to this contract. After our Territorial Acknowledgement, Andrew spoke of his “delight and excitement” that winter is on its way with trucks…
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Welcoming Penelakut Councillor Kurt to Discuss a Reconciled Salt Spring
November 1 Fourteen joined us for a conversation with Penelakut ((https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Penelkut&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8) Councillor Kurt Irwin, his uncles Ken and Chuck, and Archive volunteer managers Christina Marshall and Ceridwen Ross Collins. A unique and fun ASK Salt Spring, all seemed to enjoy a fascinating glimpse at our past as well as a future Salt Spring rich with First Nations partnerships. Kurt began by offering a heartfelt and very personal Territorial Acknowledgement sharing his rediscovery of his Indigenous roots. It all began almost exactly a decade ago when he offered an Indigenous funeral service for his Penelakut mother, Lil Sampson Irwin, on October…
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Learning All About the Southern Gulf Islands Tourism Partnership
October 25 Ten came to this ASK Salt Spring gathering to welcome the new Executive Director of the Southern Gulf Islands Tourism Partnership, Jamie Sterling. After her Territorial Acknowledgement, she told us that she was “excited and delighted” as well as being a bit shocked to know that, after recently adopting a senior rescue cat, she had become a totally cat person. On that fun note, we began learning about the Southern Gulf Islands Tourism Partnership (SGIPT): https://southerngulfislands.com/about-us/). A Destination Management Organisation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destination_marketing_organization), SGITP is focused on managing tourism so that it benefits our communities. A registered society, SGITP is…
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What is Functional Zero Homelessness?
October 18 Nine joined this ASK Salt Spring conversation with the Alliance to End Homelessness in the Capital Region CEO Sylvia Ceacero and Michelle Vanchu-Orosco, Director of Research and Data Analysis. This organisation (https://victoriahomelessness.ca/) was established in 2007 by the mayor of Victoria and other local leaders. Its mission is to arrive at functional-zero homelessness by 2030 as agreed with community through the 2025-2030 Community Plan. Functional-Zero is described as experiences of homelessness being rare, brief, and non-recurring which implies that there are sufficient wrap -arounds to ensure people entering homelessness will safely and rapidly transition out of homelessness to never…
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Budget Talk: Welcoming Local Commissioners Ben and Earl
October 11 October 11 With only a few gathering to welcome Local Community Commissioners Ben Corno and Earl Rook, this ASK Salt Spring conversation was casual. This informal format allowed participants to get to know these two Local Commissioners, better understanding their perspectives on a wide range of issues. Chair Earl Rook offered us our Territorial Acknowledgment. He began by telling us about a recent play he attended at ArtSpring, “Much Ado About Nothing,” that explored the too-frequent hollowness of our Territorial Acknowledgements. Earl acknowledged Islands Trust Local Chair Tim Peterson for his recent heartfelt Acknowledgement, committing himself to avoid…
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Getting to Know All Four of our MLA Candidates
October 4 We had four very special guests at this ASK Salt Spring gathering – all of our MLA candidates (in alphabetical order): Rob Botterell (Green): vote.botterell.ca, David Busch (Conservative): https://www.conservativebc.ca/busch, Amy Haysom (Independent): https://www.aimforamy.ca/, and Sarah Riddell (NDP): https://sarahriddell.bcndp.ca/. Need to learn more? These candidates will be debating this Wednesday, October 9, 5:00-6:30 at ArtSpring in an event sponsored by the Salt Spring Forum and the Gulf Islands Driftwood (https://artspring.ca/event/ss-forum-2024-provincial-election-candidates-debate/). And, when and where can I vote? The election is Saturday, October 19 with advance polling on October 10-13 and October 15-16. Read all the details at: https://elections.bc.ca/2024-provincial-election/. With…
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Struggling With a Double Digit 2025 CRD Budget Increase
September 27 NOTE: Those of you who are watching carefully may wonder why Electoral Director/Local Community Commissioner (LCC) Gary Holman is often our ASK Salt Spring special guest. This is a result of circumstances: Chair Earl Rook has been on a family holiday in Europe, Ben Corno’s work schedule has interfered, and Brian Webster is in the midst of apple harvesting. (And I, Gayle, am busy taking notes in preparation for the writing of this report.) That will change as Earl is due back soon, Ben’s work schedule has changed, and Brian’s apples will soon be harvested. So, please plan…
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“Why Not Simply Borrow Creative Housing Solutions from Other Communities?”
September 20, 2024: A small group gathered to welcome Electoral Director/Local Community Commissioner (LCC), Gary Holman, as well as LCC member Gayle Baker. After a lovely Territorial Acknowledgement by notetaker Sheila Dobie, facilitator Grant Fredrickson asked guests what “excites and delights” them. While, with a wry smile, Gary said that he is simply not the “excited and delighted” type, he proceeded to congratulate the North Salt Spring Waterworks District (NSSWD) for its intention to relax the water moratorium to allow for some additional hookups in the area served by Mount Maxwell Lake. Gary acknowledged the staff and trustees of NSSWD for…