Saturday, January 24, 2026
January 24, 2026
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Salt Spring Island and Gulf Islands news

Maxwell water plant cost jumps 14 per cent

A multi-million dollar jump in the expected price of a new treatment plant vexed trustees and sent North Salt Spring Waterworks District (NSSWD) staff...

BCF waves off local traffic boarding priority

BC Ferries has released a “what we heard” report summarizing the company’s Salt Spring Island engagement for the Crofton and Vesuvius terminal upgrade projects...

CRD simplifies island building permit process

Permitting for construction projects within the electoral areas will soon be more straightforward, according to Capital Regional District (CRD) officials, but projects valued at...

Commissioners punt on Baker Beach interpretive signs

Salt Spring’s Local Community Commission (LCC) is steering clear of an advocacy group’s proposal to place interpretive signage at an island beach that has...

Policy Statement session draws crowd

A standing-room-only crowd filled the Crofton Room at the Harbour House Hotel last Tuesday night to learn more about the Islands Trust Policy Statement...

Weather

Salt Spring Island
scattered clouds
1.7 ° C
2.8 °
1.4 °
86 %
1kmh
40 %
Sun
2 °
Mon
4 °
Tue
4 °
Wed
5 °
Thu
5 °

Gulf Islands life

Island volunteer series makes debut

This week marks the first instalment of the Driftwood’s Stepping Up focus on island volunteers and groups who need more of them.  So many not-for-profit...

Fitness after 60: taking the first step pays off

I’m sure I heard warnings about what would happen to my body after I turned 60, but like any such grim predictions, it didn’t...

Island’s ‘foodways’ explored in two-part series

BY ANDREA PALFRAMAN Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust Salt Spring Island’s foodways have sustained people for thousands of years. Yet today, the majority of the food...

Veteran broadcaster launches sleep aid program

If gentle meditations, “rainsong” on rooftops or whispered storytelling aren’t your thing for falling asleep to, a former national news anchor living on Salt...

Arts & Entertainment

Concert, film, workshop form unique experience

BY MEGAN WARREN FOR ARTSPRING ArtSpring is set to host a profound immersive experience this month, welcoming multi-hyphenate extraordinaire Corey Payette for a weekend of film,...

Candy Roberts shares lovable hoser Larry in comedy show

Everyone has a “Larry,” agreed Candy Roberts; hers dropped by one day down from Campbell River, put his feet up, made himself at home...

Victoria Baroque and The Fretless on tap

SUBMITTED BY ARTSPRING ArtSpring’s January lineup is all about breathing new life into classic musical traditions, and Victoria Baroque and The Fretless are kicking off...

Photo of the Week

Subtitle

HAPPY 100TH!: Kit Lewis blows out the candles on a beautiful birthday cake at her 100th birthday party held at Meadowbrook on Jan. 14.

Photo by Sofya Raginsky

Do you have a photo to share for the Photo of the Week space? Send it with caption information to news@gulfislandsdriftwood.com. 

Opinion

Editorial: Work with the draft

Please — let’s not have déjà vu all over again.  Hearing calls for the seven-year Trust Policy Statement (TPS) process to be halted at this...

Viewpoint: Mandate non-negotiable

By ROB BOTTERELL MLA, Saanich North and the Islands At an Islands Trust information meeting on Jan. 13, I joined over 100 Salt Spring Islanders to...

Viewpoint: Current OCP housing policy works

BY MAXINE LEICHTER I wish to comment on Laura Patrick’s article in last week’s Driftwood that mentions the review of the Salt Spring Island Official...

Obituaries

VAN PELT, Amos Jr.

February 27, 1947 – December 24, 2025 Amos Van Pelt Jr., 78, of Salt Spring Island, passed away peacefully at home on December 24, 2025. A...

TWA, Heidi May

Dec. 4, 1968 - Nov. 7, 2025 Heidi May Twa passed away after a long hard journey with Huntington’s Disease. Born on Salt Spring Island, Heidi...

More Gulf Islands news

New submarine cable to improve islands’ hydro connection

Work will begin this spring on overhead power line upgrades that will support a new underwater cable connecting Salt Spring and North Pender Island,...

Crews readying for winter shutdown at Cusheon Creek project

Two-way traffic across Salt Spring Island’s newest bridge will have to wait a few more weeks, according to officials, while crews complete final safety...

Southern Gulf Islands Tourism Partnership Society looks back and to the future

The Southern Gulf Islands Tourism Partnership Society (SGITP) has operated for several years, but raised its profile in the last year with the release...

‘Lifetime’ boat licences expiring soon

The new year marks the beginning of the end for so-called “lifetime” licences for pleasure boats, with many owners in the Gulf Islands now...

LCC chair, CRD director share provisional 2026 budget details

By EARL ROOK, SSI LCC CHAIR & GARY HOLMAN, SSI CRD director The Capital Regional District (CRD) Board approved the 2026 provisional budget, including that of the Salt Spring Island Local...

Islander Raffi promoted within Order of Canada

Salt Spring Island’s most celebrated children’s entertainer is being promoted within the Order of Canada, according to a New Year’s Eve announcement from the...

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