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MEREDITH, Mark

Driftwood Obituary
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MEREDITH, Mark


Apr 8, 1943 – Feb 28, 2026

Mark was born in Vancouver April 8 1943 and was raised on the waterfront in Caulfield, West Vancouver. His life was shaped by a fall from a cliff when he was 8, leaving him unconscious for 6 weeks and giving him brain damage which left him with challenges throughout his life.

After earning a diploma in business at BCIT, he worked in various capacities around Vancouver including promoting Gastown in the early 70’s.

He decided he wanted a product that he could make, market and sell himself. He moved to Victoria and took up pottery, which he mastered.

Salt Spring Island became his home in 1978. He was very active in promoting the arts and crafts scene on Salt Spring and was involved in making the Market in the Park the success that it is today. He loved making pots and having people come to his studio.

Mark loved talking to people and kept in touch with many he’d known throughout his life. He loved helping others and did so whenever he could.

Mark passed away peacefully February 28, 2026 from complications of Parkinson’s. He is survived by his wife Jackie, his sister Leigh, brothers Craig and Drew, nephew Ian, nieces Jill and Alison, stepsons Scot and Ross, and many good and loyal friends.

A celebration of his life will be announced at a later date.

LESLIE, Robert “Bob” Lloyd

Driftwood Obituary
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LESLIE, Robert “Bob” Lloyd

January 2, 1951 — February 3, 2026

It is with great sorrow and heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved Bob on February 3rd, 2026. In his final days, he was surrounded by his wife of 43 years, Terri, and their children, Jennifer and Sean, knowing the love of both his family and friends.

Bob was born as the New Year’s baby in Whitehorse and spent his childhood in Scarborough. His work in wholesale lumber led him to Calgary, where he met Terri, whom he married on November 12th, 1982. They later relocated to Summerland for the next 27 years to raise their children.

Bob was an avid traveler with a passion for scuba diving. He was also deeply involved in the Okanagan sports community, serving as a coach for many soccer and hockey players. His love for mountain biking was evident through his organization of the Action Quest mountain bike race in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Every summer, he would spend time exploring Okanagan Lake on our boat with his family and friends.

After he retired, Bob and Terri settled in the community of Salt Spring Island. In his remaining years, Bob spent his time caring for the Airbnb, listening to music, and reading his favourite authors.

Bob is survived by his loving wife, Terri; his children, Jennifer and Sean; his sisters, Debbie (Tim) and Laura; his in-laws, Kevin (Sandra) and Rosalie (Dave); his nephews and nieces, and many other friends and loved ones.

Bob is predeceased by his father, Lloyd George Leslie; his mother, Marjorie Grace Leslie (née Barrett); his sister, Patricia Kirk (née Leslie); his nephew, William Gilligan; and his in-laws, Clarence Johannes Jockims and Eleanor Katherine Jockims (née Finkbeiner).

A Celebration of Life for Bob will be held on March 21 at 2 pm at Heritage Cidery in Summerland. Friends, neighbors, and community members who knew Bob or Terri are invited to share their memories and condolences with the family. Terri would like to welcome you to her home on March 27th, RSVP should be sent to terri12590@gmail.com for time and address. Your thoughts and stories are deeply appreciated.

Editorial: Difference makers

Driftwood Staff
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Editorial: Difference makers


Another successful Salt Spring land purchase campaign was celebrated on March 5, with Islanders Working Against Violence (IWAV) thanking community partners and donors for their support.

IWAV’s $2.85-million purchase of 210 Norton Road is once again a testament to the impressive human and financial resources that are ignited on the island when the community believes in a vital project.

Recent Salt Spring Film Festival attendees were reminded of one almost-unbelievable effort from 25 years ago with the showing of the late Mort Ransen’s Ah . . . the Money, the Money, the Money — the Battle for Salt Spring film. It documented the wild journey that prevented clear-cutting of Burgoyne Valley lands and led to creation of Burgoyne Bay Provincial Park. In recent years we’ve seen donor-supported purchases of a Creekside Rainforest parcel, Mount Maxwell Community Park, 400 acres at Reginald Hill, and parcels for the Quw’utsun at Xwaaqw’um and the SȾÁUTW̱ in the south end. It really does seem where there’s a will there a way when it comes to securing land for reasons that benefit the community at large.

But in many cases, raising the money for a purchase is the easy part. Developing management plans, programs or amenities can be the more challenging next step, and building housing certainly tops that list. Fortunately, with zoning for 26 affordable housing units already in place on the land — thanks to Herculean efforts of past property owners Norm and Diane Elliott some 20 years ago — IWAV has a significant advantage. A newly created housing development committee will explore a range of options and funding possibilities in coming months.

At last Thursday’s event, Salt Spring Island Foundation chair Walter Stewart praised IWAV for making “real, tangible differences” to islanders’ quality of life, referring also to people beyond those who benefit directly from IWAV’s transition house, second-stage housing, Croftonbrook affordable housing complex and many other services.

More funds will inevitably be needed to create homes for islanders at Norton Road, so donors will have further opportunities to be part of the difference-making team. In the meantime, a community raffle to top up IWAV coffers is currently underway, with tickets available at Transitions Thrift Store.

Stepping up: Heartwarming volunteer roles with Stockings for Seniors

Driftwood Staff
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Stepping up: Heartwarming volunteer roles with Stockings for Seniors

Stockings for Seniors was initiated in 2022 by islanders Brad Hefferon and Sylvia Andress. The idea was to provide stockings containing small gifts to Salt Spring seniors at Christmas time.

Volunteer extraordinaire Kim Ballantyne then stepped up to handle coordination and now leads a team of welcoming volunteers under the umbrella of the Lady Minto Hospital Auxiliary. Kim tells us about the Stockings for Seniors initiative and her experience as a volunteer in her answers to our questions below.

To find out more or to help with this fun, feel-good program, email Kim Ballantyne at rielly@telus.net.

Q. How long have you been volunteering with Stockings for Seniors?

A. Three years organizing the program and delivering stocking to seniors.

Q. What attracted you to this particular initiative?

A. I was concerned that some seniors on our island may be on their own and all alone over the holidays with nothing to open on Christmas.

Q. What role do you have now and what other roles have you had?

A. I am second vice-president of the Lady Minto Hospital Auxiliary Society, liaison to Greenwoods Eldercare, chair for Stockings for Seniors and have a shift in the auxiliary’s Thrift Shop on Thursday afternoons.

Q. What past experience have you had that has been helpful in this role?

A. I have been on the boards of Salt Spring Literacy, Greenwoods Eldercare Society and Greenwoods Foundation, delivered Meals on Wheels in Calgary, Vancouver and on Salt Spring.

Q. What do you like best about volunteering with Stockings for Seniors?

A. The people: the other volunteers and especially meeting some of the recipients of the stockings. Also knowing that I am giving back to our community and making someone happy at Christmas time.

Q. What is something that has surprised you or you did not expect?

A. How many seniors in our community are completely alone.

Q. Is there an anecdote or memory you have that epitomizes the volunteer experience for you?

A. The one woman who was in tears telling me that this was the only thing that would be under her tree this year.

Q. What are a few traits that would be helpful for potential volunteers to have?

A. Being friendly and wanting to have fun while helping others.

Q. How long have you lived on Salt Spring Island?

A. Full time 15 years, part time 35 years.

Q. How else might islanders know you?

A. From volunteering at Salt Spring Literacy and running the Giant Book Sale as well as volunteering at Greenwoods.

Q. In a nutshell, why would you recommend volunteering with your group?

A. Because it is a great way to volunteer. You will be helping many seniors in our community while having fun and making friends. Where else do you get to wear a Santa hat and play the good elf at Christmas time?

IWAV’s Norton Road purchase success celebrated

Gail Sjuberg
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IWAV’s Norton Road purchase success celebrated

People and organizations involved with the successful fundraising campaign to purchase an 11.8-acre parcel of land zoned for affordable housing on Norton Road gathered to celebrate at ArtSpring on Thursday, March 5.

The property transfer occurred on Feb. 12, following an intense five months of fundraising. Some 120 donors made the purchase possible, including a major contribution from the Salt Spring Island Foundation (SSIF), which provided its largest-ever single donation of $400,000.

“I’m really impressed with how that has happened,” said IWAV executive director Alicia Herbert, “and it shows that really when community comes together over our priorities, that things can really move ahead.”

Herbert thanked all of the donors, and gave particular kudos to SSIF for being a “vital key” to the campaign.

“The foundation listened to our plans, asked important questions and made sure we’d done our due diligence. Once the foundation decided to support us, they were all in. They stewarded the bulk of our donations and helped us spread the word. They helped us build community confidence in our project.”

SSIF president Walter Stewart also spoke at the celebration. He said once it was made clear that the zoning for affordable housing was in place on the property, he and the rest of his board were keen to support the purchase.

“I give full marks to all the people at IWAV for their foresight, their tenacity and their powerful vision,” he said.

Stewart explained how major bequests to the SSIF in recent years had made it possible to provide such a large donation.

“In 2021 we had $7 million in investments,” he said. “We now have $22 million. When the scope of our investments changed, we resolved that we had to continue to do all we had done, but we also had to be ready to step up to support major projects that would meet vital island needs. That is why we were able to commit $400,000.”

SSIF also managed receipt of community donations totalling $351,041 and a $540,000 contribution from the Salt Spring Island Community Housing and Land Trust Society, an entity first formed more than 20 years ago but recently revived.

Stewart also thanked Herbert, IWAV staff and its board “for the real, tangible differences you make to the quality of life on this island. Not just the quality of life for those whom you serve directly, but to all of us who call Salt Spring home. Your efforts make it possible for us to live in a more just, more balanced, more equitable community, and that is a great service to us all. There is more work to do, God knows. Let us continue to do it together.”

Proceeds from the sale of IWAV-owned property to Country Grocer owners last year was also key to the Norton Road purchase being possible.

Herbert said a plan for the Norton Road property will evolve in the next six to eight months, with a newly formed housing development committee hiring a consultant and gathering information to decide on the best type of affordable housing for the site.

IWAV board chair Natalie Gold acknowledged the work of women in supporting IWAV’s vision of a community that works together to eliminate violence.

“Your leadership, your advocacy and your care continue to move this work forward, but we also know that island women cannot do this work alone,” said Gold. “Real change takes a whole community. That’s why IWAV has grown into islanders working together. So thank you for being here and being a part of it. Real change happens when communities decide they care enough to act.”

Cyber/Scorpions team thrives with community support

Contributed Article
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Cyber/Scorpions team thrives with community support

BY GISS ROBOTICS PROGRAM

In the hallways of  Gulf Islands Secondary School (GISS), the local robotics team, the Cyber/Scorpions, is doing much more than just playing with machines. They are cultivating the next generation of engineers, leaders and critical thinkers right here in our community.

The mission is simple but vital: to ignite a passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) by engaging students in the hands-on challenge of designing and building competitive robots. But what students gain extends far beyond mechanics, circuits and code.

This year, the program has flourished thanks to the generous support of The Wilding Foundation, which provided $10,000 in sponsorship funding. This contribution has been essential to the continued operation of the robotics program at GISS. Quite simply, the program could not thrive at its current level without this vital support.

The funding covered critical VEX Robotics components and materials, allowing students to design, build and refine their robots throughout the year. It also enabled full participation in the competitive season, covering travel costs to six tournaments across Vancouver Island and the purchase of the necessary field elements used to practise game-specific challenges. 

The purchase of the court and field elements also enabled the school to host a regional tournament for the previous four years. The most recent event was hosted on Dec. 9, 2025, which brought the excitement of robotics competition to GISS and was widely supported by community members and local businesses. It gave parents and the broader community a firsthand look at what students are achieving, while also providing students with experience in event organization and management. 

At each tournament this year, Cyber/Scorpions teams of two to five students routinely achieved top 10 finishes in qualification, and brought an armful of new trophies back to Salt Spring.  During the home tournament, the most senior team placed sixth in the qualification matches out of 35 teams and earned the Innovate Award.

Beyond robotics components and travel, funding also allowed the team to invest in a vinyl cutter and heat press. Students now design and produce their own team shirts and hoodies, adding another layer of technical skill development while strengthening team identity and pride.

Through robotics, students learn how to collaborate under pressure, solve real problems and iterate their ideas until they succeed. These are skills that will serve them well beyond high school. The success of the Cyber/Scorpions is a powerful reminder of what can happen when community support meets student curiosity and determination.

Indigenous food knowledge explored through Tea Creek film and panel

Contributed Article
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Indigenous food knowledge explored through Tea Creek film and panel

BY SSI FARMLAND TRUST

The Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust is putting on a free screening of the documentary Tea Creek, which tells the story of Indigenous food sovereignty activist Jacob Beaton.

In three short years, Beaton has transformed his family farm into Tea Creek, an Indigenous food sovereignty training centre near the village of Kitwanga in northwestern B.C., with a mission to revive the abundance that once defined Turtle Island, the Indigenous name for North America. 

The film shows how Indigenous expertise historically outperformed colonial agriculture practices, until that knowledge was erased by colonial systems and residential schools. But it also shows how Beaton is reintegrating traditional agricultural knowledge with his vision for change, healing and abundance.

The free screening will be held at Mahon Hall on Saturday, March 21. Doors open at 1:30 p.m., with the film starting at 2 p.m., followed by an Indigenous panel discussion featuring Kurt Irwin, Spune’luxutth’ (Penelakut) councillor and fisherman, along with Ken Thomas, Spune’luxutth’ head of fisheries, wildlife and natural resources, to talk about marine foods, and Farmland Trust board member Paz Q. Rainville (Métis), to talk about farming on Salt Spring.

Seating is limited, so people should reserve a spot now at storymoneyimpact.com/saltspring, where a film trailer can also be seen, or contact the Farmland Trust.

Canadian powerhouse acts perform

Contributed Article
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Canadian powerhouse acts perform

BY MEGAN WARREN

For ArtSpring

Spring is almost upon us, and ArtSpring’s March program is blooming right along with the snowdrops!

After this week’s jam-packed immersive experience with The Ostara Project, we’re welcoming two powerhouse acts that define the Canadian musical landscape, albeit in very different ways. Perennial Salt Spring favourite Michael Kaeshammer boogies his way onstage on March 19, followed by the highly anticipated visit of The Arrogant Worms on March 21. With tickets vanishing fast, these two nights promise to be the high-energy spark that shakes off the last of winter.

Michael Kaeshammer

If you’ve experienced a Michael Kaeshammer concert before, you know it’s something special. With a dynamite original repertoire that spans boogie-woogie, pop, jazz and a wholly original fusion of all three and more, this keyboard sensation refuses to be put in a box. 

Given how quickly this concert sold out, Salt Springers are hungry for more Kaeshammer — and for good reason. In addition to a voracious global fan base, this piano man has won a Juno award and been nominated for six more. His tours have taken him to three Olympics and around the world, including nine resounding tours across China. This time, he’s touring hits from his most recent album Turn It Up, which he released in 2024. 

As with his previous albums, Turn It Up is shot through with buoyant riffs and kaleidoscopic melodies dancing around an unwaveringly joyful lyrical base. For example, “(The track) ‘Turn It Up’ is about making the best out of a situation and coming out stronger on the other side,” says Kaeshammer. “My girlfriend and I hang out in the kitchen, forget about the day, and let the music take over. This is a song for people to do that to.”

From croony original tunes like “It Will Always Be You” (written for his partner Josephine) to explosive covers of beloved songs like Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” Turn It Up is a glittering example of Kaeshammer soaring past the role of “piano player” and landing somewhere closer to “piano whisperer.” As anyone who has seen him perform can attest, when Kaeshammer works the keys, even the air shimmies and shakes. We won’t need to ask him to turn it up.

The curtain goes up at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 19. To the first-time Kaeshammer listeners in the audience, trust us — you’ll never see a piano the same way again. 

The Arrogant Worms

Thirty years in, Canada’s undisputed kings of musical comedy are still “singing songs and yammering on!” The Arrogant Worms are on the road west, and Salt Springers can experience their legendary wit at ArtSpring on Sunday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m.

While many millennials grew up on the cult-classic absurdity of “Carrot Juice is Murder” and “The Last Saskatchewan Pirate,” this trio is far from a nostalgia act. Mike McCormick, Trevor Strong and Chris Patterson have never stopped joyfully skewering our “big, dumb world” through song, maintaining a relentless creative pace that includes a new song every single month for their global fan base. 

The Arrogant Worms made their humble beginnings in 1991 as a comedy troupe performing sketches and songs on the Queens University campus radio station. As they put it, “The early feedback on the live shows was clear: lose the sketches.” Over 13 albums and thousands of performances later, the Worms have achieved what they call “the mildest form of famous” — a career that has earned them the adoration of everyone from literary icon Margaret Atwood (who once told an interviewer that “Canada’s Really Big” is our national anthem) to astronaut Chris Hadfield (who appeared in their concert DVD with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra).

An Arrogant Worms show is a high-octane hybrid: part folk concert, part chaotic stand-up comedy and 100 per cent Canadian folly. ArtSpring audiences can expect a raucous, family-friendly evening of satirical earworms, brilliant banter and their signature “tuneful and silly escapism” which, in an era that feels increasingly nonsensical, seems less like a luxury and more like a public service.

As of Monday this performance was almost sold out, so book your seats while you can! Tickets are available at purchase.artspring.ca or our box office.

Salt Spring ‘living wage’ tops $28/hr

Robb Magley
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Salt Spring ‘living wage’ tops $28/hr

For the fourth time in a row, the hourly wage needed to cover living expenses on Salt Spring Island is trending higher, according to a comparative tool released by Living Wage BC and the Salt Spring Island Foundation (SSIF).

An increase in childcare costs drove much of the 2025 Living Wage’s 8.4 per cent rise to $28.45, according to the report, which by themselves have risen 5.2 per cent. SSIF executive director Shannon Cowan said the calculation is a standardized approach, vetted by Living Wage BC and endorsed by BC Policy Solutions and Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

“This report aims to enable comparisons of costs facing islanders within our community,” said Cowan, “and also to compare cost of living across Canada using an ‘apples to apples’ method.”

The wage figure this year is built around a set of assumptions for three different family types: a family of four, a single parent family and a single person. The final figure is a weighted average of a living wage for those, according to the foundation, with new adjustments accounting for a higher number of ferry trips and moderate increases in food, shelter and childcare.

The driving force behind the report, according to SSIF board chair Water Stewart, is the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of poverty alleviation around the world. 

“It’s an important tool to inspire community reflection on the many ways islanders’ cost of living needs can be met,” said Stewart.

The 2024 report from the foundation indicated a living wage of $26.25 per hour; in 2022, the figure was $24.36 and in 2018 it was $20.95.

The full report can be read on the foundation’s website.

Derelict docks pulled from Ganges Harbour

Robb Magley
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Derelict docks pulled from Ganges Harbour

A flurry of work that swiftly removed several barely afloat docks from Ganges Harbour last week was a surprise to local elected officials, they said — but a good one.

Transport Canada confirmed the harbour clean-up work was completed through the federal Navigation Protection Program (NPP), telling the Driftwood a total of 10 derelict docks were removed from Salt Spring Island’s busiest waterway on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Several local companies — including Eagle Eye Marine, Health Cooper Trucking, Island Marine Construction and Salt Spring Garbage & Recycling — were seen taking part in a coordinated effort to tow in, lift out, load up and haul away the poor-condition docks, all of which had been tagged by the federal agency.

“The docks were in disrepair and non-compliant with the Canadian Navigable Waters Act,” according to a statement from Transport Canada, “and due to their condition had the potential to pose a risk to navigation for vessels in the area.”

Among its responsibilities, the NPP manages obstructions in navigable waters, both enforcing regulations for private buoys and authorizing salvage, removal or disposal of abandoned boats.

By coincidence, during a joint meeting just two days later, trustees on Salt Spring’s Local Trust Committee and members of the island’s Local Community Commission (LCC) discussed the latter’s plans to host another workshop on the future of Salt Spring’s harbours, similar to the roundtable held last year — and tentatively scheduled for Thursday, April 16.

Almost 40 people attended the 2025 workshop, which saw representation from First Nations, the Islands Trust, the Harbour Authority of Salt Spring Island, commercial marine operators, environmental stewards, community interest groups and residents of boats living in Ganges Harbour.

Absent from that gathering were representatives from both provincial and federal agencies holding jurisdiction over many harbour issues.

This time, commissioners are hoping for the participation of senior government officials — including elected representatives, who will shortly be receiving early invitations, according to staff. The LCC also indicated while the derelict dock work was “welcome and encouraging,” being notified it was going to take place beforehand would’ve been equally so.

“I think it came as a surprise across the board,” said LCC chair Earl Rook at Thursday’s joint LCC/LTC meeting, to nods of agreement. “I hope they can attend our session in April.”

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