BY JON COOKSEY
Board Member, SSI Farmland Trust
On behalf of the many people who stepped up to help with the emergency food drive for the Penelakut people last week, I wanted to report in on the results and say thank you, but also mark the significance of that burst of generosity from so many on Salt Spring, and others around the region and the country.
The “bomb cyclone” hit Penelakut Island hard on Tuesday, Nov. 19, knocking out power to the many home freezers where the Penelakut people had stored the elk, fish and other meat that they had hunted and caught to stockpile for the winter. It was four long days until BC Hydro restored power on Saturday, and since many people there can’t afford generators, their frozen food was lost. Hundreds of people had no stored food for the winter.
A week later, on the 23rd, Penelakut councillor Kurt Irwin had lunch with Jason Roy-Allen of the Hen & Hound Feast. Because they’re friends, Kurt shared with Jason that the lost meat was an emergency for his people, and though they’re reluctant to ask for help, Kurt felt they needed it. Jason and I are friends, so he texted me to see what we could do, and I sent out emails to some of my friends, including local and regional food folks, community organizers and others. We suggested a food drop-off at Country Grocer to replace the lost meat on an upcoming weekend, spreading the word through our networks, finding out what we could do to help. Jason started a GoFundMe with a goal of $5,000, promoted it through the Feast and started some social media. Our expectations were modest.
Within a few days, the response was overwhelming. Sandra Crandall at Thrifty’s said they were in, quickly followed by Robert Steinbach at Country Grocer. Sheila Dobie and Shannon Farmer volunteered to create a page on the Farmland Trust website to accept tax-deductible donations for a longer-term solution, a community freezer with backup power. Darlene Gage and Natasha Kong at Transition Salt Spring jumped in to help with logistics and amplifying social media, and talked to a donor who was willing to match funds donated for a fossil-free generator. David and Kirsten Marshall at WAWWE volunteered the use of their cooler van to transport the food to Penelakut Island. Cheryl McLay, a regional manager at the BC Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, made sure that the emergency response folks at the province were in touch with their Penelakut Tribe counterpart.
The folks in media stepped in just as quickly. Colin How and Leslie Ash at the Salt Spring Exchange asked how they could help, and ran an ad with both fundraising links. Bryan Young contacted Robb Magley and Gail Sjuberg at the Driftwood, who interviewed Kurt for an article. The Times Colonist got in touch with Kurt, then CTV News called Natasha. Regional people started food drives on other islands, and set up a drop-off at the Penelakut-owned Salish Sea Market in Chemainus. This was all within five days of the word first getting out. By day nine, donations were already past $10,000.
Kurt and Jason made a plan to be outside the two grocery stores from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on this past Saturday, Dec. 7. I knew Jason had recently torn a ligament in his knee, so Natasha put out a call for volunteers, and more than a dozen showed up to help outside the stores and then sort the food into individual bags for Penelakut Islanders at the end of the day.
Leigh Large wanted Country Grocer to go beyond their usual generosity, so Robert brought in Rob Lowrie for social media and the store donated three carts full of food and water. As of the writing of this article, Kurt, Jason and Dave Marshall are driving the WAWWE van and Kurt’s truck up to Penelakut Island, both packed with food. Donations on day 14 of this drive are over $40,000.
I’m naming all these people not because they’re more special than the names of the many, many other people who re-posted and volunteered and donated (maybe you included), but as a reminder that in the end it isn’t organizations or governments that make things happen: it’s people. It’s us. We heard that our neighbours were in trouble and we responded in a way that blew past anyone’s expectations. I stood outside our grocery stores on Saturday and watched people ask what was going on, light up at a chance to help, hand over cash or return with food and never ask whether it was tax deductible. It was like being in the happy part of It’s a Wonderful Life — everything you could possibly want community to be.
And that’s what I really wanted to mark with these few words. We’re entering tougher times. Outside the store, I heard that the Centre School has closed. The climate is clearly going to make our lives more difficult. Our farmers are struggling. Nurses are living in hotels and teachers are living on boats. The era of the “argument surrounded by water,” as much as we took a perverse pride in it, is passing. Salt Spring is evolving into something new, and much more beautiful. Friends surrounded by water, working together for the good of all.
Thanks to all who participated in this food drive, and who are part of this evolution.