Hearing as often as we do about Salt Spring Island’s inexorable demographic waltz toward our Golden Years, it’s little wonder we rarely think of babies being born here.
In a province that notably has the smallest percentage of its population yet to celebrate a first birthday, we still manage to stand out; our island only narrowly edges out the lower fertility rates of countries like Hong Kong and South Korea.
But every year, several dozen tiny, brand-new islanders do their small part to push down our average age, many of them having even taken their first breath surrounded by our shoreline.
That latter group — to say nothing of their mothers and families — have a very early opportunity to experience the challenges that come with choosing to make a life here. When the medical risks are high enough, there are few options for expecting parents beyond leaving Salt Spring to deliver in hospitals in Duncan, Victoria or even Nanaimo, often requiring weeks of relocation, disruption and financial strain during a time that’s already stressful enough.
But with the support of Salt Spring’s doulas, midwives, nurses and doctors, most mothers continue on to have the birth experience they expect. And fortunately for those who don’t, those tiny, brand-new islanders may also experience their first moments surrounded by an expanded and earnest community of care.
Those caregivers, should they be called upon, will have been planning for baby’s arrival well in advance, possibly even before the family. A story in this issue highlights the efforts of our varied emergency services in practising specifically how to respond to birth emergencies — our search and rescue volunteers, firefighters, paramedics and even the Coast Guard training together and supported by the Rural Obstetrics & Maternity Sustainability Program. Those individuals and groups have been strengthening their professional and personal relationships, sharing skills and building a team of caregivers that reflects well upon our island community.
These local professionals, individually and as a group, are Salt Spring’s wide embracing spirit made manifest, a preview for those newborns — and for their families — of the collaborative, welcoming future we wish for every islander.