The Best of Salt Spring Island 2017

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AUGUST 2017

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Authorized by Positively NO, registered sponsor under LECFA themanyislanders@gmail.com 2

THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

S I X T H A N N U A L B E S T O F S A LT S P R I N G I S L A N D

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r photo

After putting together five previous editions of the Best of Salt Spring Island, you’d think we might run out of ideas or start repeating ourselves. Not a chance!

Instead, Driftwood editorial staff have tapped into a seemingly endless vein of cool places, organizations, events and features found only on Salt Spring Island.

Between new ventures grabbing our attention in the previous 12 months, or others that consistently contribute to island culture and character, there’s always lots of material to choose from when working on this publication.

Having a new staffperson on board also brought a fresh perspective to our mission. In just two months on the island, Sean Hitrec had uncovered some impressive horticultural

Gail Sjubeicratgions editor d publ

Drift woo

for the

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VISION

feats, a stunning geological feature in Booth Bay and the sweetest outhouse around, among other treasures.

One topic we have happily revisited is “Best Community Gift,” something that’s been identified in most BOSSI editions. Commemorating the talented late Willard Davies and testifying to community cooperation, it’s featured on Page 25.

And as always, our advertisers have jumped aboard the creative train and made it possible for us to give this particular community gift to our readers. Thank you, everyone!

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THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

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GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD | AUGUST 2017

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SERVICE, SELECTION AND VALUE

The BEST Service

Spring Island on Salt The BEST Value

As our customer you should expect answers and understanding from our knowledgeable staff. Familiar, friendly faces that deliver extensive personal service as well as on site measuring and project collaboration when needed.

We shop for the BEST QUALITY and the BEST PRICE and pass this on to our customers. We are also always on the lookout for mill clearances and deals! From paint to lumber, windows to doors and more!

Our commitment to you is that you receive these standards every time you come through our doors… if you didn’t, then we want to hear from you.

The BEST Selection

With our recent renovation and store expansion, we have added many new product lines based on our customers’ needs right here on Salt Spring.

Salt Spring Island Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Awards: • 2014 Business of the Year • 2006 Business of the Year • Building Supply Industry Association British Columbia Award • 2009 Finishing Store of the Year

- OWNERS KEN MARR AND MIKE STEFANCSIK

Windsor Plywood Store of the Year winner in the chain of stores across Canada and the US: • 2003 Store of the Year • 1996 Store of the Year • 1993 Store of the Year • 1990 Store of the Year • 1989 Store/Entrepreneur of the Year • 1979 Most Improved Store along the Windsor Chain

Advertising and Promotion Award among the Windsor Chain across Canada and the US: • Winner 2015 Advertising and Promotion Award • Winner 2000 Advertising and Promotion Award • Winner 1994 Advertising and Promotion Award

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AUGUST 2017 | GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD

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THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

contents Amber Ogilvie, PUBLISHER

Gail Sjuberg, Managing Editor news@gulfislandsdriftwood.com

Lorraine Sullivan, PRoduction manager

30 Very scary

7 Sound relations

37 Reading the signs

National Aboriginal Day celebrated at Xwaaqw’um.

production@gulfislandsdriftwood.com

Editorial: Elizabeth Nolan, Sean Hitrec Front office: James Burton, Johanna Walkner Advertising: Fiona Foster, Drew Underwood

Spook House a must-see on Halloween night.

Who says islanders don’t know how to drive (or stop)?

12 Likin’ it at the park

Shakespeare and more unfolds in the Mouat meadow.

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DriftwooD gulf islanDs MeDia

328 Lower Ganges Rd., Salt Spring Island, B.C. V8K 2V3 PH: 250-537-9933 | FX: 250-537-2613 Toll Free: 1-877-537-9934 driftwood@gulfislandsdriftwood.com www.gulfislandsdriftwood.com 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday

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6 Fresh sea legs

Salish Eagle and Salish Raven join Gulf Islands ferry routes.

aogilvie@gulfislandsdriftwood.com

DgiM

A few of our Best of Salt Spring Island picks

17 Yes, we have avocados

Jane Squier shares her growing secrets.

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28 CyberScorpions

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GISS team crafts robots with community support.

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“CRACKERJACK” REALTOR

SOUTH END FARM STAND Spring Island on Salt

DgiM

Spring Island on Salt

BestOfSaltSpringRealEstate.com

Susan de Stein*

190 Reynolds Road www.stowellakefarm.com 250-653-4308

MBA, REALTOR®

250-537-7943 susandestein@shaw.ca * Personal Real Estate Corporation

“You’re the Best!”

THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

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GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD | AUGUST 2017

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Addition to the BC Ferries fleet

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any islanders have developed a fondness for the Queen of Nanaimo through long association — after 40 years serving the Gulf Islands, the vessel is like a second home to some BC Ferries crew and commuters. If we had to say good-bye — and the Queen of Nanaimo clearly needed to rest her engines after a second major breakdown this summer — we can’t complain much about the spiffy new Salish class vessels that have come on to serve the route.

Salish Eagle launched June 21 to much acclaim, with crew praising its more efficient systems and passengers happy with spacious seating, a cafeteria with stellar views and magnificent exterior artwork by John Marston of Stz’uminus First Nation.

As the appreciative ship’s master Captain Derek Sweet said from the bridge during the vessel’s first run out of Long Harbour terminal, “I’m really happy with the all-round visibility and the way the ship handles — it handles like a dream.”

While deck crews may still be getting the hang of loading and unloading under a new deck configuration — and unfortunate timing saw both elevators on the Eagle go down in one week — the Salish class’ duel-fuel system economy and double-ended plan have allowed for speedier sailings.

Gulf Islands passengers were fortunate, perhaps, that many of the kinks associated with running the new ferries were worked out when the Salish Orca launched on the Powell River-Comox route in May. They are doubly lucky that the third and final vessel Salish Raven entered service earlier than forecast, jumping into action on Aug. 3.

FIND the

Photos by GAIL SJUBERG

Above, Salish Eagle sails into Long Harbour. Below, part of cafeteria area on the Eagle.

the

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Tzinquaw Dancers enter the site at Xwaaqw’um on June 18, 2017.

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any islanders spent a meaningful Father’s Day this year by participating in Sound Relations — a family-friendly cultural gathering at Xwaaqw’um beach (Burgoyne Bay) held in recognition of National Aboriginal Day. Local community members and First Nations gathered to connect in celebrating and learning about Coast Salish culture and traditions as a way to nurture “sound relations” between settlers and First Nations peoples.

The gathering included stories from the land, Tzinquaw Dancers from Cowichan, a community potluck with moose stew and barbecued salmon. The event also saw the culmination of a project that brought two First Nations song circles together with a Salt Spring-based (nonIndigenous) women’s choir to explore connecting through music.

“This immersive type of cultural exchange is a wonderful way to celebrate and learn about Indigenous culture in the spirit of reconciliation and healing,” said the project coordinators.

“It can also serve to educate participants about some of the impacts of colonialism and the continued resilience of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people, as they work hard to keep their traditions, languages and cultures alive and integrated into their communities.”

The event was sponsored by the Xwaaqw’um Project Team, Sisters of Mercy Choir, Salt Spring Chamber of Commerce, Salt Spring Island Foundation, Community Fund for Canada’s 150th and Island Women Against

THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

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Canada 150 story

alt Spring resident Ken Lee had to miss out on Canada Day celebrations at home this year, but his connection to Canada 150 events in the small community of Wawa, Ont. sparked national interest for fans of outsized highway attractions.

Lee was a guest of honour at a July 1 ceremony unveiling the latest rendition of the famous Wawa Goose, an 8.5-metre sculpture that looks over the Trans-Canada Highway. Lee was largely responsible for getting the new sculpture’s predecessor installed in 1963 and was invited back to see its replica take its place.

Though Lee has retained fond memories of Wawa and its outsized icon, he never fathomed he would be returning to the small town for Canada’s 150th birthday.

“I didn’t think I’d be alive, to be quite honest. I’m 83 now,” he told the Driftwood before the event took place.

The name Wawa is Ojibwe for Canada goose. The monument takes pride of place alongside northern Ontario icons such as giant nickel, moose and walleye monuments. Lee knew an even earlier version when he was posted to his first math and science teaching position in the Wawa area in the early 1960s. The first goose survived only a few years before its plaster form started to deteriorate.

After being elected to municipal council, Lee convinced his fellow members to go with an idea his wife came up with to

Photo courtesy ken lee

Salt Spring’s Ken Lee, left, gives speech on Canada Day in Wawa. hold a design contest and then replace the sagging goose with a more durable model. A Dutch ironworker from Sault Ste. Marie named Dick van der Cliff won the prize — a whole $50.

This summer Lee and his daughter Jennifer flew to Thunder Bay and then drove the rest of the way to Wawa for the unveiling and Canada Day celebrations. (Jennifer was born in 1963, the same year that contest-winning goose was installed.) The day before the main event, a huge crane removed the two-ton iron Goose II and replaced it with the four-ton stainless steel Goose

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THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

III. It was created as an exact replica otherwise, to respect the tradition of images on Canada Post stamps and other souvenir materials.

Wawa mayor Ron Rody presented Lee with a Michael Cleary painting of Goose II as part of the unveiling ceremony and celebrations. Coincidentally, Rody went to high school in Cobalt, Ont. with Salt Spring’s own “Captain Apple” Harry Burton.

Another local twist involved CBC radio personality Arthur Black interviewing Lee about the statue’s history — years before either man moved to Salt Spring.

Photo courtesy ken lee

Aerial view of the Wawa’s Goose III and the July 1, 2017 scene.

the

HEAR, HEAR

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THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

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GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD | AUGUST 2017

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way to express yourself

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peaking out and sharing one’s wisdom is a positive pastime on Salt Spring Island.

On McPhillips Avenue in Ganges there’s a place where people are encouraged to take chalk in hand, answer a question posted above the board or otherwise contribute thoughts or artwork.

It’s on the outside wall of the co-operative Salt Spring Art Gallery, and mimics a 40-foot-long example set up in Reno by the Blackrock Arts Group.

Co-operative members Dawn Davies and Ken Ketchum spearheaded the art project a few years ago.

“Blackboards such as this are appearing in many communities, opening dialogues, minds and hearts,” said another co-op

Photo by GAIL SJUBERG

Chalkboard on the wall of Salt Spring Gallery in Ganges. artist, Lisa Lipsett. “Chalk is supplied and people passing by are invited to write down or draw ‘what they are grateful for.’ Or when first established the board prompted people to share what is on their bucket list by answering, ‘Before I Die I Want to . . . .’

Lipsett says the prompt changes over the years.

“The board quickly fills to overflowing, spawning sidewalk conversations and cell phone photos.”

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THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

Best The

way to cope with the snow

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Photos courtesy Jessica willow burke

Jessica Willow Burke’s Feb. 2017 igloo.

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he winter of 2016-2017 was hard for delicate Salt Springers. From December through February, it seemed as if the snow and freezing temperatures just kept coming. According to records from the Salt Spring elementary/middle school weather station, temperatures fell below 0 degrees C. on 16 of February’s 28 days and 14 days in January. By contrast, in 2016, only one day in January and February saw a sub-zero temperature, and none at all in 2015.

But some islanders rolled with the persistent snow and cold in February by playing in and getting creative with the white stuff.

Jessica Willow Burke and friends went all out and made a full-featured igloo. It included a couple of individual seats, benches, a built-in table, mats and space for a cooler (for the wine). Lighting was provided by some candles tucked into mini shelves in the walls and a hanging lantern. The igloo was tall enough to stand up in.

“We’re renting it out for $600 a month, but it probably won’t last for a month, so we’ll just do $300 for two weeks,” said Burke in a fun video she shared with the Driftwood on Facebook.

THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

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An Island Family since 1861 working with the community.

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GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD | AUGUST 2017

“Hats off to one and all who made it happen!”

Photos by elizabeth nolan

As You Like It scenes in Mouat Park.

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Outdoor theatre venue

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he Mouat Park meadow is an unassuming place by day, when its main visitors are a few dogs and their owners. On a summer evening, though, the grassy area can transform into any number of fantastic locales, as theatre troupes make use of the natural slope and dark forest backdrop to stage their performances.

The last weekend in July saw an ensemble of international award-winning artists produce “a visually stunning spectacle of dreamlike proportions” in the park space. Presented by Graffiti Theatre, Gift Horse blended traditional vaudeville/ cabaret acts, innovative puppetry and magic illusions in a surrealist physical theatre piece that included human levitation, planetary alignment, a walrus song and fine dining.

The two-night performance followed up on three extended weekends in which Graffiti also had a hand, helping exitStageLeft Productions continue a loose tradition of Shakespeare in the park with As You Like It. Director Jeffrey Renn brought professional flair to the project but stayed true to rural island charms at the same time. His updating of the timeframe to the Mouat Park of 1967 allowed for fun costumes and good music, but didn’t take away from AUGUST 2017 | GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD

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the core story or the exquisite language it’s told in.

Audience member and islander Jill Willmott was compelled to write to the Driftwood about the play: “I don’t very often review publicly performances I’ve seen, but last night’s staging of Shakespeare’s As You LIke It in Mouat Park was outstanding! The forest setting was perfect for that play and the 20 actors of several different ages and backgrounds meshed exceedingly well.

“I was amazed at the talent that had been found on this island, and thought the entrances and exits through the trees were perfect and very well timed. Many of the performers had brought their musical instruments, and the singalong of 1960s’ songs that preceded the show — as well as introducing the players — certainly set the period and atmosphere for what followed, and when played again within the performance enhanced it.

“I feel that this event epitomizes the performing arts culture of Salt Spring Island, is a terrific experience for the young people who are interested in theatre, and I am delighted to live here and to have seen it.

“Hats off to one and all who made it happen!”

THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

Best The

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use of duct tape

hilo Zylbergold is one talented islander. He’s an actor, musician, writer, math tutor, garden guru and writes the monthly Nobody Asked Me But . . . column in the Driftwood.

But he also knows how to keep his 1992 cerulean blue Toyota pick-up truck trundling between his Beaver Point home and Ganges. With 600,000 kilometres on the engine, only four of six engine cylinders working and chunks of the body in various states of decay or missing, that’s no easy feat.

Besides relying on just about all of the island’s mechanics from time to time, Shilo employs a Tuck Tape/duct tape combination to slow down the constant erosion of the truck’s metal.

Shilo advises applying a layer of Tuck Tape first, and then adding the duct tape on top. Tuck Tape sticks to the metal bits better, he says.

“I think the duct tape lasts longer than the metal,” he said.

Shilo’s current colour scheme is red Tuck Tape and blue duct tape that’s a bit brighter than the truck’s paint.

One side of the truck’s box bears no rust or duct tape because it’s made of fibreglass. That doesn’t mean it’s undamaged, though. During a windstorm a few years back a branch fell off a tree, hit the truck box and dented the fibreglass.

Other “after-market” items used in the Toyota are a mousetrap to keep the resident vermin numbers in check, part of a coat hanger for the driver’s interior door handle and a snake flashlight clip that holds up the passenger side visor.

The truck also has the requisite extra “habitat” in the form of moss tufts around side windows and the windshield.

the

Photo by gail sjuberg

Shilo Zylbergold gives a thumbs up to his duct and Tuck-taped pick-up truck box .

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Best The

PLACE TO KISS

Determining the best place to kiss on Salt Spring Island is an extremely subjective exercise. It’s more about who you’re with than where you are, right?

Still, we had asked the question of our Facebook friends way back in 2013 but didn’t get to use their suggestions in our Best of SSI publication that year, so posed the question again this year when we realized the most obvious “Best of” topic had not been explored.

Here’s the results of our informal reader “survey.”

• Ruckle Park — with the picnic table at camping spot #76 getting one specific mention.

• Mount Maxwell.

• Burgoyne Bay at sunset.

• Baker Beach.

• End of Fernwood Dock at sunset.

• Churchill Beach.

• Shell beach by the little waterfalls off Isabella Point Rd. • Vesuvius Beach at sunset.

• Grace Point.

Take your pick!

Photo COURTESY MEGHAN HOWCROFT

Nathan Cardinal and Meghan Howcroft kiss at water’s edge in Ruckle Park during their wedding ceremony in 2009 .

the

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THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

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impressive Subaru Symmetrical Full-Time All-Wheel drive, the Forester’s newest title is just another reason to take one out for a test drive. We invite you to learn more at subaru.ca/forester First it was voted AJAC’s Best New Small Utility Vehicle. Now, the 2017 Subaru Forester has taken home the title of Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year, and it’s easy to see why. With its versatile cargo compartment, spacious passenger cabin, available EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology*, and impressive Subaru Symmetrical Full-Time All-Wheel drive, the Forester’s newest title is just another reason to take one out for a test drive. We invite you to learn more at subaru.ca/forester

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CHOICE TO RECYCLE EVERYTHING FROM TIN CANS TO THE KITCHEN SINK! p r S i t ng Island on Sal

Salt Spring Island

protest display

Recycling Depot

Operated by the SSI Community Services Society

Salt Spring Island Recycling Depot Accepted Materials

Photo by sean hitrec

Recycling

Some of the Salt Spring-created orca whales representing actual members of the southern resident population swim through Vancouver streets during a protest in May 2017.

• All beverage containers (tin, glass,Salt plastic,Spring tetra, milk The BEST “Award Winning” Island Recycling cartons, gable top cartons) along with the BEST recycled Depot.

Fully Licensed…

• Cardboard, pizza boxes, boxboard Book & Magazine Exchange • Corks •

W

hen it comes to protests, Salt Spring’s creativity and social and environmental consciousness explodes into brilliant and effective ways of conveying a message.

This was the case during a May 28, 2017 pipeline protest that travelled all the way to the Kinder Morgan plant in Burnaby, B.C. The organization was strong, as people arrived at Grandview Park in Vancouver on buses for the final leg of the march.

It was the Salt Spring props, costumes and delivery that made the march memorable. People carried signs of fish schools and replicas of some of the 78 whales in J, K and L pods that represent the remaining members of the southern resident orca whale population. On either side of the signs were large sheets meant to symbolize water.

The whole display brought passersby into the ocean with the protesters so they could experience what was at stake if the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline is approved.

Salt Springers’ participation in the event formed part of the Orca Soundings project. It is designed to bring attention to the plight of the southern resident orcas and impacts of increased oil tanker traffic on the whales if the Kinder Morgan pipeline is built.

Electronics

ACCEPTED MATERIALS • Glass bottles and jars

• Paper, newsprint, magazines • Large appliances • • All beverage containers (tin,coolers, glass, The Salt Spring Island recycling Fridges, freezers, water air conditioners - $25filmdepot • Plastic bags, tetra, milk cartons, gable top • plastic, Paper, newsprint, magazines • Plastic containers and lids offers extensive recycling options • cartons) Plastic bags, film, yolks • Scrap metal • • Cardboard containers and toPlastic residents oflidsthe Salt• Large Spring Island appliances • • CorksScrap metal • Small appliances Small appliances Electoral Area, and encourages • • Electronics • Styrofoam • Styrofoam • • Glass bottles and jarsincluding tourists, and boaters Tin cans and foil everyone • Tin cans and foil • • Fridges, coolers, Tiresfreezers, (vehicle water and bicycle) • Tires (vehicle and bicycle) to recycle with us. air conditioners – $25 fee • Wooden shakes • Wooden shakes Household Hazardous Waste HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE -by ALWAYS ACCEPTED Our core funding is provided the Capital Regional

for(automotive, the recycling of residential paper, cardboard • District Batteries marine) • Ink and toner cartridges WE ACCEPT THE FOLLOWING: (household and rechargeable) • Paint materials, the andBatteries containers.

Inmarine) addition to these • • Batteries (automotive, Cell phones solvents and flammable • • Batteries (householdaand depot accepts wide variety of• Pesticides, items for recycling as • rechargeable) CFL bulbs and fluorescent tubes liquids (gasoline) well as some household hazardous wastes, a complete Inkcameras and toner cartridges • Smoke detectors and carbon • • Digital Paint monoxide alarms listphones of materials accepted is shown on the reverse.

• • Cell Pesticides, and flammable liquids (gasoline) • • CFL bulbs and flsolvents uorescent tubes, • as well Smoke and carbon as alldetectors bulbs & light fixturesmonoxide alarms ALL THIS AT THE BEST PRICE…FREE! (except $25 freon removal fee) Tuesday – Saturday Contact Us 10Contact am – 5 pmUs Phone: (250) 537-1200 349 Rainbow Phone: (250)Road 537-1200 Web: www.saltspringcommunityservices.ca/recycling Web: www.saltspringcommunityservices.ca/recycling Email: recycling@saltspring.com Email: recycling@saltspring.com Mailing Address: c/o Salt Spring Island Community Services 349 Rainbow Road 268 Fulford-Ganges Rd SaltIsland Spring Island Salt Spring BC V8K 2K6

Depot Location

“We committed to pair one human with each and every whale of the resident orca pods, known as J, K, and L Pods. Each human is a spokesperson for their kindred whale, and will interpret their lifeworlds through their chosen medium.” — Orca Soundings

Depot Hours

10.00am - 5.00pm Tuesday to Saturday (NOT OPEN statutory holidays CRD Recycling Hotline: 1-800-663-4425 and long weekends) For 3R information visit www.myrecyclopedia.ca

AUGUST 2017 | GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD

16

THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

Best The

avocados

Photo by sean hitrec

Jane Squier holds an avocado growing in her greenhouse.

I

n the back of Jane Squier’s space-aged greenhouse, behind beautifully organized and growing citrus trees and tropical passion fruit, is a deep green plant that bears ripening avocados.

This is the third season that Squier’s avocado trees have produced edible fruit. Getting an avocado tree to grow fruit is a very difficult and delicate task in the climate of Salt Spring Island. Squier does it with innovative greenhouse techniques that aim for selfsustainability.

She has automated vents that allow air flow but trap colder air in a mud-based insulated wall. In the winter,

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This is the third season that Squier’s avocado trees have produced edible fruit.

Squier pulls a porous and reflective curtain across the upper reaches of her greenhouse. The curtain reduces heat loss by up to 40 per cent, she says. She has an efficient wood gasifier (small furnace) to keep her greenhouse at just the right temperature in the cold.

Hooked up to the furnace is a 4,400-gallon pool that stores the incoming heat, increasing the efficiency of the furnace and moderating humidity.

An anaerobic digester, an efficient and automated composting unit, sits nearby and turns her household and farm waste into fertilizer while capturing gases for cooking.

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Twice a year the hall transforms into a hotbed of commerce

Best The

Photos by jen maclellan

At left, Fabulous Flea Market coordinator Jan Jang. Above, gorgeous resonator guitars; below, checking out some wares.

Flea market fundraiser

F

the table plan and supervises the set-up.

Up to 35 eight-foot tables can be rented by vendors, and there’s room for some four-foot tables too.

Securing a table and in the “best spots” can be quite a competitive affair, said Jang.

“The other day I had someone call me to book a table,” she told the Driftwood in July, although the next flea market is not until Saturday, Nov. 25.

A group of dedicated women and a few male helpers cook up a storm in the hall’s spacious kitchen facilities.

The lunch is the main attraction for some flea market patrons.

“Our food has gone from good to fabulous,” said Jang.

All table rental proceeds and food and beverage sales benefit the Fulford Community Hall Society to help keep the hall in the best shape possible for all islanders to use.

For more information about the Fabulous Flea Market, call Jang at 250-537-5482.

ulford Community Hall is known as the place for concerts, weddings, regular activities like rollerblading, and the home of Salt Spring Gymnastics and the South Salt Spring Seniors.

But twice a year the hall transforms into a hotbed of commerce when it opens its doors to the Fabulous Flea Market.

Jan Jang, who spearheads the biannual fundraiser for the hall, recalls how “Every now and then there was a flea market in Fulford Hall, but it wasn’t a regular thing.”

Then about 12 years ago, hall committee members decided that holding flea markets during a Saturday in March and November, rain or shine, was worth a try.

The group hasn’t missed a beat since.

“Although I operate it, I do it with a lot of help from other people,” said Jang.

Hall volunteers set up the tables and do the cleaning.

Longtime hall committee member Brian Finnemore has

AUGUST 2017 | GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD

18

THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

Photos by sean hitrec

Interior and exterior shots of the Kizmit outhouse.

Best The

I

OUTHOUSE smelling room to do your business in. The semi-opaque bottles in the wall and vaulted ceiling make the user feel as if they are pooping in paradise.

The owner of Kizmit, Carola Heydemann, built the outhouse around four years ago with Doug Rhodes. The goal was to build it without a plan or two by fours.

Afterwards, a nice thorough hand-washing session leads to a feeling of extreme happiness, something lacking in most other outhouse locations around the world.

f anyone has an aversion to outhouses, a trip to the one at Kizmit Galeria and Cafe off Beaver Point Road is a way to overcome it.

After a quick walk across a small parking area, users find themselves on a short trail that leads to a cement wall with delicately placed coloured bottles that refract the sunlight.

The facility consists of two parts. One is a washing station with running water and a little flower in a vase. Venturing further in there’s a sliding wooden door connected to a fine-

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Best The

Volunteer challenge

“I Have my 150” button created by Lady Minto Hospital Auxiliary volunteers.

between Jan. 1 and July 1, 2017, or at least five hours per week.

Janine Fernandes-Hayden, VCR Salt Spring’s administrator, said the program was a great success.

“We found out that not only do many of our island volunteers give well beyond this amount per week, but a lot of them are giving to more than one organization.”

For Volunteer and Community Resources Salt Spring Society, celebrating volunteers and Canada’s 150th anniversary at the same time was a natural fit.

And the national Volinspire group had an ideal plan and template called the Canada 150 for 150 Volunteer Challenge.

It urged people to sign on to a special website and track their time spent volunteering with the aim of logging 150 hours the

photo courtesy VCR salt spring

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By the time Canada Day rolled around, some 80 Salt Spring volunteers had completed the challenge. Saanich-Gulf Islands MP Elizabeth May was on hand at Canada Day festivities in Ganges to give participants their official recognition.

Organization with the most volunteers registered in the challenge: Lady Minto Hospital Auxiliary with 19.

Volunteer with the most hours: Loretta Rithaler at 770 with 4H, Early Learning group, Salt Spring Aquatic Society and Salt Spring Wrestling t=eam.

Second most hours: Dorothy Kyle for 650 hours spent with the Lady Minto Hospital Auxiliary.

Number of SSI organizations with challenge volunteers: 34

the

who completed the challenge?

Brittany Allan, Jill Bartle, Sarah Belknap, Charlene Beaudette, Joyce Beckman, Catherine Bennett, Michelle Bennett-Peters, Rasma Bertz, Merryl Cockett, Mary Coombes, Nancy Cote, Ernestine Crawford, Randy Cunningham, Gwen Denluck, Kathy Darling, Marion De la Franiere, Joan Douglas, Catherine Eberle, Irina Floercke, Max Haffner, Anna Haltrecht, Hayden Family Kids, Janet Halliwell, Shari Hambrook, Ellen Hazenboom, Deb Helicar, Roz Hobbs, John Howe, Damian Inwood, Robin Jenkinson, Sandra Hyslop, Dorothy Kyle, Arnica Langevin, Kerry Lee, Marguerite Lee, Sue Lehmann, Liesbeth Leatherbarrow, Dan Logan, Lorinne MacKenzie, Margaret MacKenzie, Peggy MacKenzie, Neil Martin, Bruce Marshall, Wendy McClean, Gwen McDonald, Donald McLennan, Amy MacLeod, Bernadette Mertens-McAllister, Dianne Moir, Gail Muise, Ann Muller, Margaret Monro, Sheryl Munro-Taylor, Melynda Okulitch, Pat O’Neill, Bob Oudenaarden, Stan Peters, Loretta Rithaler, Mark Rithaler, Anna Rithaler, William Rithaler, Paul Roberts, Greg Slakov, Donna Smith, Lois Sprague, Jim Standen, Lu Stevens, Sabine Swierenga, Geri Teagle, John Teagle, Lynne Terry, Sheila Twa, Carolyn Walkner, Judith Wardell, Jean Williams, Rob Wilson, Kay Woodhouse, Victoria Woodman.

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Best The

place to find community support

C

ontrary to what some people in other parts of the province appear to think, Salt Spring Island is not entirely populated by a bunch of wealthy slackers.

When the going gets tough and unforeseen medical tragedy takes away our ability to do our jobs, many of us have required extra financial help to pay the bills and meet other needs. And in many cases, fellow islanders who may also be struggling have dug a little deeper to help however they can.

Online fundraising platforms have provided an easy way to contribute to families undergoing stressful and prolonged medical treatments, and to keep track of their progress when individual reports would be exhausting. In the past year or two, some of the most impressive showings have involved both kids and adults in the community, often exceeding the original fundraising targets.

Fundraising sites for the Billwillers, above, and the Rouger family.

the

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Islanders helped raise nearly $27,000 for the Billwiller family in 2016 when their son Braedyn had a lung removed and received cancer treatments in Vancouver.

The community has donated more than $41,000 to Pierre and Suzanne Rouger since January 2017. Pierre had emergency brain surgery to remove a tumour that resulted in paralysis on the left side of his body and confined him to a wheelchair. Ongoing support is still needed.

The family of Darcy Ross McLean received nearly $18,000 toward a fundraising goal of $8,000 after it was discovered the teen had a rare form of cancer and would need operations to remove tumours from one leg and replace bone from his other. The situation meant multiple appointments and surgery in Vancouver.

Katya Mycyk is still fighting cancer but is recently home from innovative treatment in Vienna. Islanders helped send her there, raising $51,000 toward an ongoing goal of $74,000.

The figures above represent just the online portions of the campaigns and don’t include money raised from events and personal From top, Katya Mycyk and Darcy Ross McLean pages. donations.

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Best The

Boaters destination in B.C.

Photo courtesy bC boating.

Ganges Harbour.

British Columbians have voted and the results are in. Over the summer, hundreds of recreational boaters across the province cast votes for their favourite boating locations.

Ganges Harbour on Salt Spring Island was voted as the top location, followed by Desolation Sound, Shuswap Lake, Princess Louisa Inlet, Sunshine Coast and Gwaii Haanas National Park, Haida Gwaii.

“With its tranquil waters and close proximity to the charming seaside hamlet of Ganges, B.C., Ganges Harbour is a popular destination for recreational boaters from all over the Pacific Northwest and the world,” says Boating BC. In honour of Canada’s 150th birthday, Boating BC provided a list of 150 boating destinations across British Columbia.

The list was narrowed to 10, and boaters voted for their top destination on social media.

“It’s no surprise why British Columbians and visitors from all around the world are flocking to Ganges Harbour,” said Don Prittie, president of Boating BC. “Every location on our list is an amazing representation of what British Columbia has to offer in terms of recreational boating, but Ganges Harbour is a special place and top destination for many boaters.”

AUGUST 2017 | GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD

24

How : they voted arbour, Ganges H land – 24.2% Is Salt Spring 2.1% ound – 2 S n o ti la o Des .4% Lake – 18 Shuswap t, ouisa Inle Princess L .1% 1 ast – 2 o C e in h s Sun ark, National P s a n a a H Gwaii % aii – 6.3 Haida Gw About Boating BC Association: Boating BC Association, the voice of recreational boating in B.C., is comprised of 320 member companies that represent all aspects of the boating industry. More info: www.boatingbc.ca

THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

Best The

community gift

photo by elizabeth nolan

Willard Davies’ Mother and Child sculpture.

T

“Willard was a long-time client. He came and went from Centennial, so we thought he might be happy with that,” Heath said shortly after the sculpture was moved on site.

The artwork features a woman carrying a child on her back and was carved out of a single block of fir, measuring three metres long and weighting 900 kilograms (2,000 pounds).

Clogg said Davies had worked on the carving for at least 14 years. During that time many friends took turns doing a little work on it, and many others helped with moving and storage in various locations.

Davies’ sister Ann Semler lives in North Carolina and was thankful that Clogg and Beck could take up executor duties on her behalf. She last saw Mother and Child in its early days when she visited the island in 1997, but hopes to return to see the memorial to her brother sometime soon.

“I think it really is wonderful. We wondered what was happening to it,” Semler said.

he Ganges village environs seem to regularly benefit from unsolicited community gifts — occasions in which someone has unobtrusively dropped off a piano, a busking seat or a set of hitchhiking signs for public enjoyment have all been marked in past Best of Salt Spring publications.

This year our nomination for Best Community Gift goes to the executors of Willard Davies’ estate and the Harbour Authority of Salt Spring Island for bringing an impressive piece of artwork to Ganges Harbour. Davies’ massive wood sculpture called Mother and Child was installed outside the HASSI office at the head of Centennial Wharf in July, thanks to a suggestion from the artist’s friends Don Clogg and Dave Beck, and enthusiastic uptake by harbour manager Jim Heath.

It’s a great addition to the space, as well as a fitting tribute to the quiet but personable “wharf rat” who had many friends on the waterfront before his unfortunate death in 2016.

THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

25

GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD | AUGUST 2017

TRY TO CUT BEFORE THE SEED PODS BEGIN TO FORM . . . .

Best The

way to Control broom Photo by JEN MACLELLAN

From left, Jane Petch, Richard Dick and Donna Martin at a May 2017 Invasive Plant Drop-off Day .

S

shifted over the years, but the Salt Spring Island Conservancy has the latest “what to do” information in a Q&A based on recent research on its saltspringconservancy. ca website. The Conservancy folks were happy to share their info with our readers.

cotch broom is an invasive species that if left unchecked has a variety of negative impacts.

According to Jean Wilkinson of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy’s stewardship committee, broom (and gorse) “contain volatile oils and create a serious fire hazard wherever they grow. They out-compete native species in sunny locations, and prevent the growth of nearby plants by releasing toxins into the soil, thus reducing plant biodiversity and forage for wildlife.

They can form dense, impenetrable thickets which reduce access for recreation, impact Garry oak woodlands and limit movement of large wild and domestic animals.

They invade pastures and replace forage plants, and can impair forest regeneration in logged areas.”

How to reduce the number of broom plants on one’s property is a conundrum for many islanders. Recommendations about the best methods of attack have

AUGUST 2017 | GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD

Should I cut or pull broom?

Pull broom plants when the stem of the broom is smaller than a pencil.

Cut them when the stem is larger than a pencil or when the broom is growing in rocky areas. In rocky areas with shallow soil, pulling out the roots usually disturbs too much soil.

When should I cut broom?

You can cut broom any time of the year, but the best time is when the plant starts blooming. Cutting during 26

THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

Photo by GAIL SJUBERG

Lone blooming broom plant on a mossy bluff before being cut.

the

flowering stresses the plant and discourages regrowth.

Cut at, or just below, soil level and cover the stump with soil or a rock, if possible. Try to cut before the seed pods begin to form to avoid spreading more seeds.

PLACE TO CUT A RUG Spring Island on Salt

it

When should I pull broom?

The wet months are the best time of year. Once rains fall, the ground loosens up and pulling broom roots becomes much easier and causes the least disturbance to the soil. Minimizing soil disturbance is important because the soil contains thousands of broom seeds. When they are exposed to the sun in the disturbed soil they are stimulated to germinate.

A

Disposal Small amounts of broom without seeds can be scattered on site, or piled in a shady spot. Large amounts can be chipped on site and piled in a shady spot.

Note that the Blackburn Road garbage transfer station does not take any invasive species.

On Salt Spring, in May and June, Scotch broom can be responsibly disposed of as goat fodder – contact Jan Steinman to set up a drop off time: 250-653-2024 or jan@ ecoreality.org.

As well, keep your eyes out for advertising of Invasive Plant Drop-off events!

THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

All welcome! Members discounts for events!

Come early...stay late!

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27

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GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD | AUGUST 2017

Best The

ROBOT BUILDERS

Photos by jen maclellan

At left, CyberScorpion Alexandria Delaney-LeBlanc working on a robot (rising in the above photo) at GISS. Next page: Thomas Boland at work.

A

new kind of team took Gulf Islands Secondary School by storm in the last school year.

The CyberScorpions robotics team turned out to be a force to be reckoned with during the FIRST® Steamworks Robotics Competition.

At a kickoff event at BCIT in January, the GISS team was the first to create a fully functioning robot within the allotted time. Then at the western Canadian regional competition in Calgary in April, the CyberScorpions faced off against teams from 49 countries.

“The team placed fourth in the western regional competition, far beyond the expectations for a rookie team, and were the first rookie team from B.C. to ever make the final round,” reported GISS work experience teacher Shari Hambrook.

AUGUST 2017 | GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD

What was the competition’s challenge?

“Two alliances of three robots each prepare for a longdistance airship race by collecting fuel to build steam pressure, installing gears to engage rotors and climbing aboard for lift off. The airship best prepared for flight when the launch timer reaches zero wins.”

Students on the 2017 team: Thomas Boland, Alexandria Delaney-LeBlanc, Andrew Chan, Patrick Little, Wyatt Sawchuck, Cyrus Andress, Sophia Fava, Jaysen Williams Peel, Emily Adam-Oro, Duncan Bucknum, Jeremy Lakes-Gardner, Alex Matthews, Noah Jacobsen, Aidan James, Cyrus Miller, Diego Soto Licona, Marcus Lee, Aramis St. Gelais, Jasper Garratt.

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THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

And how many people in a community does it take to send a robotics team to a western regional championships? Lots! Several skilled people helped the students achieve their goals; many funds and goods in kind were provided; and GISS staff were on board all the way.

Team mentors from the community Greg Slakov, Jon Scott, Doug Chapman, Mark Fraser, Liam Johnson, Dave Roberts, Todd Brett.

Teacher sponsors Rachel FitzZaland, leader, and Shari Hambrook, Mike Divell, Brien Anderson, Brad Bunyan, Maria Soto.

Community sponsors Island Marine Construction, Windsor Plywood, Bellavance Welding, Celebrity Accents, Country Grocer, Moby’s Pub, Uptown Pizza, GISS Parent Advisory Council, GISS Teaching Kitchen, SSI Firefighters Association, Mouat’s Home Hardware.

The team also received a $10,000 Microsoft Canada startup grant, and a FIRST® Robotics $4,000 rookie grant.

In addition, many individuals in the community donated to the team’s FundRazr page and helped the team raise funds needed to travel to Calgary and take along 14 members of the team, including mentors.

The CyberScorpions are set to send a team to the 2018 western regional competition, which they hope will be hosted closer to home.

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SSICS and ed a conta Country Grocer have iner is being kept into a refrigeration convertAvenue. The at the Core Inn on unit that McPhillips Salt Spring program aims to help make more food ficient by secure and redistributi self-sufwould otherw ng ise end up good food that off-island. being comp osted “Distributio n channels programs will includ throughout e meal community, the organ

BY SEAN HITRE ization and innovative as well as a number C DRIFTWOO of new and ways of gettin D S TA F F homes,” SSISC g food direct Elevator breakd still out of wrote in a ly service.

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PAINTING

family-friend BY THE RULES: Sebastian Fieldin ly event that grew from g checks out being a Salt the “comm Spring Co-op unity mural BC FERRIES Preschool BBQ rules” PHOTO BY JEN MACLELLA in 2009 celebr at CranFest VII held N over the weeke ates arts, music nd. The and comm unity.

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Place to get spooked

Photos by JEN MACLELLAN

Above, House of Dolls actors in the Spook House. Top right, another haunted house character.

or people who love to be frightened, Salt Spring Island has a heart-stopping Spook House that’s set up each Halloween.

Historic Mahon Hall provides the perfect location for Gulf Islands Secondary School junior improv team coach Bob Twaites to lead his merry band of volunteers in creating a delightful haunted house. In 2016 some 40 people were involved in creating the sets and special effects, participating as “spooks” on Halloween night and tearing down the whole thing afterwards.

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The set design varies from year to year, but a built-in escape route for smaller kids or anyone who might get overly scared is included each year.

A mix of animatronic creations and live actors, both student-aged and adults, are employed.

The Oct. 31 event is traditionally a fundraiser for the Salt Spring Festival of Fools clown extravaganza and for GISS’ junior and senior improv teams. In 2017 the GISS senior improv team proved itself the best in Canada when it won the Canadian Improv Games in Ottawa.

Photo by JEN MACLELLAN

Spook House leader Bob Twaites and student Amanda Poystila at the 2016 edition.

Salt Spring Island Ghost Walks & History Tours is a new summertime island venture with guided tours “telling tantalizing tales and horrific hardships of pre-Salt Spring Island life.”

Search for it on Facebook.

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Best The

place to sing your heart out

Photo by jen maclellan

Marcie MacLellan, a visitor from England, gets into the SongJam spirit.

I

f you’re sitting at Moby’s Pub on a Wednesday night and suddenly find yourself surrounded by people singing at the top of their lungs, don’t be alarmed — join in!

Wednesday nights are when island musician, director and teacher Wendy Milton leads SongJam, a casual community singalong to popular songs from the last six decades.

“Wendy does a great job of choosing songs and encouraging us along,” said Sally and Charles Bazzard, who are regular attendees.

“We love being able to sing out from ‘the soundtrack of our lives’ without the need to be accurate. It’s a great confidence booster.”

Milton initiated SongJam in the winter of 2014, modelling it on the informal Choir! Choir! Choir! group in Toronto. At SongJam, recorded versions of well-known songs are played, song words

are provided, as are percussion instruments, and everyone can sing along with as much gusto as they like.

“After many years of teaching and learning music, I’ve come to believe most people can sing — even when they think they can’t,” Milton said when she started SongJam. “More often it’s just a lack of doing it in the right environment that affects everyone’s judgement on this.”

Ian Ludke is one of SongJam’s regulars who has attended since 2014.

While he was never one to hang out in a pub, the camaraderie and fun of singing with a group is now a regular part of his life.

“It’s a really pleasant thing to do every week.”

Ludke said he’s been surprised by how much he can enjoy singing songs that may not be favourites, or newer ones from the last 15 years.

“Never in my mind did I think I would enjoy singing Tom Jones songs, but whenever Wendy’s mother comes, we always sing Delilah.” People love to do hand motions to that one and several other tunes, he said.

“What is really neat about it is people come to Moby’s and have no idea what is going to happen . . . and then they end up staying right until 10 o’clock and have such a blast.”

Sometimes off-islanders will even make a special trip to the island to attend SongJam. The Bazzards said it is also interesting to observe the reactions of pub patrons who are not expecting SongJam to occur.

“It’s amazing how a drink loosens them up. We ask where they are from and celebrate it.”

AUGUST 2017 | GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD

Photo by jen maclellan

SongJam ‘jockey’ Wendy Milton with a tambourine.

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THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

Best The

T

Photo by gail sjuberg

DOWNTOWN MAKEOVER

Part of Ganges Alley with bright new colour scheme.

The strategy is not only attractive but appears to meet at least one objective of Salt Spring’s Official Community Plan. A section on development in island villages states in part: “Buildings with extensive street frontage should avoid long homogenous facades. They should have a scale, size, massing, shape, roof line and exterior finish that is sufficiently varied and articulated as to give the impression of separate small units, rather than a large mass.”

We say: Mission accomplished.

he former Gasoline Alley has made great strides in its new identity as Ganges Alley, which has shifted from an unremarkable complex into an inviting shopping destination. Putting in paving stone pathways around the harbour side of the building was the first step. More recently, the addition of different shades of bright paint to each storefront has erased any notion of “strip mall”and replaced it with the homey village character that Salt Spring strives to maintain.

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he Salt Spring Music and Garlic Festival held in 2015 and 2016 proved there’s nothing like hearing live bands play in a farm setting, and the festival site at the south-end’s Paradise Within Farm was the perfect location to do it.

Sadly, the festival did not take place in 2017, but hopefully it will regenerate itself and come back in a future year.

In the meantime, island residents and visitors can indulge their love of music in a farm setting in a few other places.

Pitchfork Social launched last summer at a new purposebuilt barn at organic Bullock Lake Farm. It is the follow-up to David and Nadia Youngson’s previous Southend Grooveyard venue.

In addition to hosting world-class Americana and roots acts, Pitchfork Social events include an optional chef’s dinner before the show and traditional lawn games like badminton and bocce. Shows run through September, with Sarah Potenza closing out the 2017 season on Oct. 13.

The Salt Spring Fall Fair organizers have long recognized that live music is the perfect way to celebrate the harvest season. Diverse local groups rotate across the fall fair stage throughout the annual two-day event, which always runs on the third weekend of September.

he Salt Spring Community Economic Development Commission has made great use of provincial funding to help grow business capacity for local entrepreneurs.

Commissioners Holly MacDonald, Francine Carlin and Darryl Martin came up with the proposal that secured a $72,080 Rural Accelerator grant. The resulting program was divided into three four-month terms taking place in 2017, with the first set of graduates earning their business stripes in May. “Here on Salt Spring, we knew we had a great history of entrepreneurialism. However, many entrepreneurs know that it’s hard to operate a great business and strategically grow the business as well,” information from the CEDC website explains.

By definition, an accelerator is an intensive business program, which includes mentorship, educational components, networking and aims at growing a business rapidly.

The CEDC says accelerators are common in the technology sector, and can be found in creative industries.

To assist local entrepreneurs with achieving sustainable levels of growth, the Rural Business Accelerator offers training through online webinars, workshops, panel discussions with local experts, mentoring and coaching, and a custommade workbook. Participants commit to around 10 hours of work per month during their term.

The CEDC chose to focus on certain established sectors of island business that had the potential for growth. The first term was reserved for food and beverage producers, followed by green services this summer. The craft and lifestyle sector is the focus of the fall term.

“Long known for our artists and artisans, we will support the range of products that might fit in this sector, such as body products, craft objects, home décor items, clothing or other artisan products,” the commission explains.

More information and applications for fall program participants and mentors can be found on the commission’s website at opportunitysaltspring.ca.

Photo above by JEN MACLELLAN; photo at top courtesy pitchfork social

Above, Suzanne and Tom Little sing at the Salt Spring Fall Fair. At top, Darlingside performs at Pitchfork Social.

THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

Photo courtesy SSICEDC

A CEDC Rural Business Accelerator class at Lions Hall.

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GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD | AUGUST 2017

Photo COURTESY SALT SPRING CFUW

From left, Salt Spring CFUW members Victoria Olchowecki (current president), Barb DuMoulin, Sharon Farquharson (founder), Irene Wright and Emily Hepburn at the club’s 20th anniversary party in July.

Best The

T

Support for female education

he Canadian Federation of University Women has a long and rich history in Canada.

“Education in all its phases was declared to be the first interest of the new federation,” according to a website summary of the organization that was established in 1919.

Education continues to be the group’s primary focus.

Salt Spring’s CFUW chapter celebrated its 20th year of operation with a special event in July of 2017. It was an ideal time to look back at all of the scholarships and bursaries given to Gulf Islands Secondary School graduates, to the winners of the Second Chance Bursary and the beneficiaries of the Hope Project.

Between 2001 and 2010 the local CFUW gave both a scholarship and a bursary to female GISS grads entering a degree-granting program. Since 2011 a bursary has been awarded. Celina MedranoMiller was the 2017 GISS bursary winner. She is headed to UBC this fall.

Previous winners have earned university degrees in fields ranging from engineering to medicine to political science.

AUGUST 2017 | GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD

Second Chance Bursary

The Second Chance Bursary of $3,000 is for Gulf Islands women who have been out of secondary school for at least one year. They must be returning to school for post-secondary studies or training leading toward credentials recognized by a profession or trade. Preference is given to a woman who is supporting a dependent child or children.

Winner of the Second Chance Bursary in 2017 was Susie Johnson, who is working towards a master’s degree in education at UBC.

Hope Project

Salt Spring’s CFUW chapter initiated the Hope Project in 2005, sponsoring three girls’ education in developing countries.

Since then, 154 girls have received education funding through the project, including 34 from Uganda, Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, Malawi, Belize, Guyana, India, Rwanda and Jamaica who have been sponsored in 2017.

“As young women, they have gone on to work in spheres such as teaching, nursing, accountancy, engineering, tourism and many more,” states the CFUW website. “All have benefited personally from their education and in turn are able to help their families, communities and countries.”

For more information about the Salt Spring CFUW, see cfuwssi.ca.

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THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

Best The

Four-way stop

Photos by sean hitrec

Two of the four stop signs at the island’s Central intersection.

N

o other place on Salt Spring Island has such a chummy group of stop signs directing traffic.

Connecting the northern part of the island and a ferry terminal to the rest of the rock, the signs at the corner of Lower Ganges Road, Upper Ganges Road, North End Road and Vesuvius Bay Road see a lot of use.

Sometimes people choose to remain stopped near the signs to enjoy a sports game, go to a movie, a fire hall or to hang out at the North Salt Spring Waterworks District head office.

From the intersection, people can loop around the northern part of the island, head to Vesuvius Bay or Long Harbour ferry terminals, take a dip in St. Mary Lake, head into downtown Ganges, or continue on to the south side of the island.

It must also be said that the four-way stop is one of a kind on Salt Spring. There’s no other like it because it’s the only one on the island.

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Paul Zolob REALTOR ®

If you’re a home seller, it is important to select the right real estate agent. Sometimes renovating to increase your property value and sell faster may be important. You must have good pricing strategies, prepare your home for presentation to potential buyers, and make sure you have a solid marketing plan.

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GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD | AUGUST 2017

Best The

BEACH WALL

Many people enjoy the view of the water and skyline, the items left on a beach in low tide and gentle crash of the waves, but there’s more to beaches than what’s in front of you.

Photos by sean hitrec

Various images of the wall at Baker Beach in Booth Bay.

AUGUST 2017 | GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD

The best beach wall on Salt Spring in 2017 is a small section of approximately eight-foot-tall faces at Baker Beach in Booth Bay. The ancient sedimentary layers that have been flipped 90 degrees to be on their side creates what at first glance could be part of a miniature Minecraft biome. Squares layered upon squares create a natural pattern of geometric beauty. The compositions of the different layers erode at different rates, creating depth that, continue onto the beach and into the ocean.

“The steep ‘walls’ of the outcrop are original surfaces of deposition and tend to flake off in slabs parallel to the sedimentary layers. On some of the bedding surfaces you can see a network of fractures that give a sort of checkerboard appearance, and these are likely shrinkage cracks in the original sediment having formed shortly after deposition or possibly during deep burial of the sediment,” said Hugh Greenwood, a former professor and department head of geology at UBC who now lives on Salt Spring.

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THE BEST OF SALT SPRING ISLAND

the the

PLACE TO FIND WATER CONSERVATION TIPS

Spring Island on Salt

Be Water Savvy Use Only What You Need WATER CONSERVING STRATEGIES FOR ISLANDERS • Respect the Conservation Levels outlined in District Bylaw 274.

• Use low-flush toilets. Flush less often.

• Keep showers short. Use low-flow shower heads. If bathing, try 1/4 tub only.

• Fix all leaks. Dripping taps can waste 250 liters a day (13,000 a year)! A hose left on can • Catch rainfall and store for dry weather for deliver up to 27 litres per minute, 39,278 litres outside use, such as gardens. per day.

• Inform guests from the mainland of our • Run only full loads in dishwashers and limited lakes on the island, and to be aware of washing machines. keeping consumption down.

• Shut off the tap while brushing teeth, shaving, • Let lawns go “golden” in the summer. or washing up hands or dishes.

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GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD | AUGUST 2017

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