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Editorial: Unique Galiano amenity

Driftwood Staff
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Editorial: Unique Galiano amenity

Galiano’s innovative density-benefit deal — transferring land to Penelakut Tribe as a condition for a rezoning on that island — is perhaps more noteworthy for what it reaffirms than for anything it changes.

For a number of reasons it has become important to point out that such arrangements are voluntary by nature — the Islands Trust has no authority to compel the transfer of land from anyone to anyone else. Instead, as the Islands Trust’s current draft of its revised official Policy Statement suggests, it invites a voluntary step into such an arrangement. It urges local trustees to craft a framework for property owners to choose to direct land to Indigenous governing bodies, in part through explicitly categorizing it as an “amenity contribution.” 

Galiano’s LTC has done just this, through authority it already holds.

Many islanders might be familiar with these amenity negotiations, seen as a “community good” trade between a developer and land use regulators — a nod from the latter on density in exchange for a park, for example. What constitutes an amenity has been up to LTCs for years; the opportunity here arose only recently, as B.C.’s Bill 13 gave Indigenous governments the right to hold land title in the name of a First Nation. 

In redefining “amenities,” Galiano’s first-of-its-kind transfer is, at least in structure, not particularly revolutionary; we believe the truly novel part lies in reaffirming our collective definition for “community.”

As much as any of the islands, on Salt Spring we feel our connection to Penelakut Tribe deeply — not merely as adjacent neighbours, but as a part of our island fabric. Overlapping territories notwithstanding, Salt Spring has been traditional Penelakut territory for millennia, and Sampson family reunions at Fernwood have hosted hundreds of attendees. After the “bomb cyclone” of November 2024 slammed Penelakut Island, robbing it of electricity and damaging food stores, Salt Spring Island stepped up immediately to help.

We feel any definition of a “community good” that does not include them falls short, and we look forward to Salt Spring trustees and those in other local Trust areas considering the use of this land use tool. 

Hopefully the celebration on Galiano Island will be the first of many in years to come throughout the Trust Area.

Ostara Project brings celebration of women in jazz and more

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Ostara Project brings celebration of women in jazz and more

BY MEGAN WARREN

For ArtSpring

Just in time for International Women’s Day and to welcome the coming of spring, The Ostara Project takes over ArtSpring from March 10 to 14 for a week-long immersive experience.

Join this groundbreaking all-women musical collective for a week of music, film and community gatherings to celebrate women in jazz.

Salt Springers are likely familiar with The Ostara Project, an all-women, all-star jazz collective named for the Germanic goddess of the spring equinox. This immersive experience is packed with events where our community can connect with these remarkable musicians on a deeper level. The residency kicks off on Tuesday, March 10 with Pecha Kucha, a co-presentation from Ostara and ArtSpring’s RoundTable committee, in which nine accomplished Salt Spring women present their passions “Pecha Kucha style” in 20 slides for 20 seconds each. Ostara runs a school workshop at GISS the next day, followed by an open rehearsal. On Thursday, March 12, community members are invited to groove with Ostara in a jazz jam at Woodley’s Restaurant.

The residency culminates in two key event nights based on Ostara’s The Ancestors’ Project. On Friday, March 13, the Documentary Film Night features a panel discussion and three short films: Change the Tune, a 30-minute documentary about the challenges faced by women in jazz; a short film about the making of Roots & Wings; and Toones, a jazzy animated short film co-produced by Ostara’s manager Lisa Buck.

On Saturday, March 14, the group performs their daring two-album project Roots & Wings, which digs into work that “embodies roots — ancestral connections, personal histories and cultural legacies — and wings — bold creative risk-taking and musical freedom.” As Ostara co-founder Jodi Proznick puts it, the project has “one foot in the past and one wing in the future.”

The Ancestors’ Project began with a conversation among the bandmates about their family backgrounds. This conversation brought to Proznick’s mind the image of a table — a metaphor that she references often when discussing Ostara — and of having a cup of coffee with women from all different backgrounds and experiences.

“It struck me that this is how we tap into a generosity of spirit with our neighbours, as well as deep empathy for our neighbours. And so that’s what the whole Ancestors’ Project really is: storytelling,  maintaining connection to your family through craft, through art, through song, through storytelling.”

Each participant in The Ancestors’ Project came to the group with a composition connected to their own background. In true jazz fashion, the group improvised and co-created the instrumentation for each song together. The result was Roots, one part of Roots & Wings. Proznick’s song What a Moonlit Night is a Ukrainian folk song in which two weary lovers go for a moonlit walk and notice the light shining on nettles on the ground.

“Essentially, it’s a metaphor saying there are always moments of grace and light, even when things seem very, very dark.”

It reminds her of the grit and tenacity of the Ukrainian people in her family in the face of Russia’s invasion.

“Grit” is a word that Proznick uses a lot, especially when discussing being a woman in jazz. A close second is “lighthouse.” Grit makes sense — only around five per cent of jazz instrumentalists are women, and it takes tenacity to “endure the patriarchy floating around and smacking you in the head and to stay in the game,” as she puts it. “Lighthouses” are the gritty women who do stay in the jazz game and guide other women — they counterbalance the need for grit by lighting the way for women at the beginning of their musical journeys. Proznick sees Ostara as a lighthouse and treasures Ostara’s educational programming. Remembering a young girl who “couldn’t stop staring at Valerie and her drums” and jammed with the group after impromptu lessons, she relishes the idea that for these young people, jazz will be “less like walking into a dark pathway because all of these women are little lights, reaching further along in the past to light up the way.” 

While Roots explores where the Ostara musicians have come from, Wings asks: “Where do we want to go as a collective, as a community?” This aspirational program, which opens with Emily Dickinson’s “Hope is the Thing with Feathers,” emphasizes a hopeful future. “One thing music and art can do is reorder chaos to create songs, artwork and film, and offer these little things to the world to make sense of it all and ground it in form,” says Proznick. “Wings is poetry about where we’re headed.”

The Ostara Project has a “fluid” membership, wherein members can join for an album or a tour when they’re able and can step back when they need. This week’s ensemble consists of Ostara’s co-founders, bassist Proznick and pianist Amanda Tosoff, along with Claire Devlin on saxophone, Rachel Therrien on trumpet, Valérie Lacombe on drums and Kim Zombik on vocals.

For tickets to the documentary film night ($10 youth, $15 adults), the Roots & Wings open rehearsal ($10), or the Roots & Wings concert ($10 youth, $42 adults, $15 Theatre Angel) , visit purchase.artspring.ca. Entry to Pecha Kucha and the jazz jam at Woodley’s is by donation. 

Opinion: More long-term care needed on Salt Spring

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Opinion: More long-term care needed on Salt Spring

By CONSTANCE GIBBS

As a reasonably fit senior it’s easy to not think about something I dread.

What would I do if I lost my ability to live independently? As a hospital volunteer, this question is part of my landscape. All it takes is a fall, an accident, a disease — and freedom can be lost.

My reality also includes a five-year-old granddaughter who pulls me into her magical world of make-believe. I’m making the most of my time with her, playing superheroes and shopkeepers.

Back to my other reality. The Office of the Seniors Advocate just released a report on the state of long-term care in the province. It found that there are not enough beds for an increasing population of seniors who can’t live on their own anymore, often due to loss of mobility, chronic serious disease and/or brain disorders that fall under the umbrella of dementia. Alzheimer’s is the leading type.

At 80, one in five seniors in B.C. will have some type of dementia and the risk keeps climbing with age. Dementia is progressive and incurable. People can live eight to 10 years and longer with Alzheimer’s disease before they die. Years ago I asked my doctor when he thought old age began. He said “80.” The years fly by and 80 no longer seems that far away.

On Salt Spring, we have two facilities that take care of people who can no longer live independently: the Extended Care Unit at Lady Minto Hospital and Greenwoods. The dedicated staff who work in both these aging facilities are under pressure day and night to care for residents.

Lady Minto Hospital’s Extended Care Unit, dating from 1958, has no private bedrooms. There is no designated private space where residents can visit with families and friends or enjoy solitude. Some patients with dementia experience periods of agitation and confusion. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, changing from a noisy, distracting space to a quiet space can calm distress.

The Seniors Advocate reports that only three per cent of public long-term care facilities in B.C. still have dorm-style, multi-bed rooms like our hospital’s Extended Care Unit.

In spite of this, Island Health doesn’t see replacing our substandard ECU for a modern facility, or even a renovation, as a priority. Island Health managers have to operate within budget constraints and economies of scale. In their world, Salt Spring Island, with 11,000 people is small potatoes.

In spite of these obstacles, there are sparks of light in the dark. One is Heartwood House, an inspiring example of the success that can happen with creative thinking and perseverance as shown by the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation. A purpose-built rental property for health care workers is unique in B.C. and possibly Canada. Care aides at Greenwoods and Lady Minto Hospital earn wages that don’t match market-rate housing. Some are finding affordable homes at Heartwood, as are nurses who can better afford the unsubsidized rents. The cheapest units, the studios, are being snapped up.

Other sparks of light are the dedicated staff, the visiting family and friends, and the volunteers who provide compassionate care in these aging facilities.

And then there are the family members, sometimes seniors themselves, who are doing their best to keep loved ones at home and out of institutional care as long as possible. Or they are waiting for a bed to open up. Long-term care operates on a triage basis. It’s not first come, first served, but what situation is most urgent. I can only imagine the stress this puts on everyone, including those working in a crisis-ridden system.

There is a Statement of Residents’ Rights on the Island Health website. The right to live with dignity and the right to receive visitors in private are included. Residents in Lady Minto Extended Care pay 80 per cent of their income to live there, as does everyone in public long-term care, regardless of whether they get a private room or share with three other people.

Shouldn’t Island Health prioritize the three per cent of substandard facilities in the province for new long-term care facilities? Or at least remove bureaucratic hurdles and work with our health care community and Lady Minto Hospital Foundation to find solutions?

Maybe we need more community dialogues about long-term care to find creative solutions. And for sure we need to keep supporting the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation.

In the meantime, if you’re a senior, it’s essential to get serious about advance care planning if you haven’t already. Consider your alternatives should you become too infirm to live independently. Talk to your family even if they’re uncomfortable about discussing the subject. Think about it even if you don’t want to.

Advance care planning information can be found online at www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/seniors/health-safety/advance-care-planning.

Islands Trust finalizing land transfer to First Nation

Robb Magley
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Islands Trust finalizing land transfer to First Nation

First-of-its-kind rezoning condition will give portion of parcel to Penelakut

After several years of discussions between the Galiano Island Local Trust Committee (LTC) and Penelakut Tribe, the Islands Trust’s Executive Committee has approved novel bylaws that will for the first time transfer land to that First Nation as a condition of rezoning a larger parcel.

Penelakut Tribe will be receiving approximately 36 hectares (89 acres) in total once the subdivision is complete, according to Lasqueti Island trustee Tim Peterson, who chairs Galiano’s LTC. The bylaws related to the rezoning were approved by the Executive Committee Wednesday, Feb. 25. Local staff and trustees agreed the process had “strengthened the working relationship and enhanced communication between Penelakut Tribe and the Galiano Island Local Trust Committee.”

“There’s a bit more work to go,” said Peterson on Wednesday. “But I think the final adoption of these bylaws, once they return to the Galiano Local Trust Committee, will be cause for celebration.”

The property at the centre of discussions lies south of Dionisio Point Provincial Park at the north end, where proponents are rezoning a large piece of forest-zoned land into several split zones that will include a site-specific Rural Residential zoning, Park (P), Forest 3 (F3) and Nature Protection (NP).

A condition of the rezoning requires the applicant to register on title both a sustainable forestry management covenant and a Section 219 covenant, the latter of which includes a prescription to shift ownership of much of the property to the Penelakut Tribe.

It has been nearly a full year since Chief Chakeenakwaut Pam Jack provided written confirmation to Islands Trust staff that Penelakut Tribe “gratefully” accepted the proposed land donation as presented in the application, according to Trust staff; Jack had attended numerous LTC meetings and spoken in support of both the application and the proposed land transfer to Penelakut Tribe.

The rezoning application would also legalize some existing residential uses in compliance with the Galiano Island Official Community Plan, according to a staff report. The bylaws received first reading this past summer, and second reading in December. A public hearing was held Feb. 10 and the bylaws received third reading at the same meeting. 

Trustees said trust staff intend to post a news release shortly.

This article has been updated since publication to correct acreage figures.

CRD nixes LCC authority expansion

Robb Magley
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CRD nixes LCC authority expansion

Salt Spring officials have revealed a closed-door effort to expand local authority was shut down before it even began, as the Capital Regional District (CRD) Board sent an unsubtle message to the island’s Local Community Commission (LCC): not now, Salt Spring.

Currently overseeing a slate of a dozen locally delivered services that range from pool-and-parks recreation to transit, commissioners have long made little secret of their hopes to eventually grow local responsibility — and accountability — since the LCC’s establishment in 2023. 

But this week, after an hours-long closed meeting held Thursday, Feb. 19, the LCC disclosed that a behind-the-scenes effort to merely gather information on how it might take on more service authority had been met with firm resistance from regional directors meeting in Victoria.

Specifically, commissioners had been investigating a list of possible services to “bring local” that included the five CRD-administered water services — Fulford, Beddis, Cedar Lane, Cedars of Tuam and Highland-Fernwood — and both Ganges’ and Maliview’s sewer systems. The LCC was also mulling local authority over stormwater quality management, building numbering, Community Works funding and the island’s local administrative budget, all of which are today administered by the regional district.

So in December, during a closed meeting at the Salt Spring Island Multi Space (SIMS), the LCC passed a motion requesting staff report back on the “costs, consultation and administrative changes” required to reallocate those services to come under the LCC’s jurisdiction. They also sought information on a funding model to support a referendum on the changes, something they imagined could possibly take place as early as this October.

“This [motion] was passed in a closed session with the LCC in an effort to gain information on these proposals from staff,” said LCC chair Earl Rook Thursday. “However, the CRD Board and senior staff in Victoria determined on their side that this proposal needed to be run past the full CRD Board.”

That discussion took place during a different closed meeting, this time of CRD Board members in Victoria on Jan. 14. Rook said as the LCC chair he was able to make a brief presentation during that meeting, but was not present for directors’ discussions.

The upshot, according to Rook, was that the CRD Board passed a motion stating that it “will not consider the expansion of services under the [LCC’s] jurisdiction during this term.”

The CRD Board rose to report this outcome at its most recent meeting, which Rook said had prompted the LCC to report the outcome of its December closed meeting for context.

“I think this was premature on the part of the board, since we were only asking for information,” said Rook. “Since we have not received it, it makes it difficult for us to even formulate any proposals.”

On Thursday, commissioner Ben Corno suggested the LCC should perhaps consider passing the motion a second time, as it seemed the request for information itself was not explicitly denied.

“We were never asking for them to decide whether or not [to expand service authorities],” said Corno. “This has the potential to be an election issue — an election issue with no numbers to discuss, which is really silly.”

The LCC currently holds delegated authority for 12 services — a number that had been 15 prior to a budget consolidation which did not reduce the services themselves. Under CRD direction, staff within the Salt Spring Island administration department are already responsible for many of the services the LCC had eyed, according to a resources report, including operation of two sewer system plants and management of the five water utilities. 

“This did not occur in the manner we anticipated,” said Rook. “And this subject will return to the agenda of the LCC.”

Trust mulls higher pay for next term’s trustees

Robb Magley
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Trust mulls higher pay for next term’s trustees

The often-thorny issue of remuneration for elected officials will be front and centre at the next Islands Trust Council meeting, with members planning to sort out whether future trustees should see an increase in what they’re paid.

The Trust’s Governance Committee is now in receipt of a recommendation from consultants targeting a “realignment” of remuneration that would essentially set trustee payments at 60 per cent of the median paid to Capital Regional District electoral area directors. That committee had requested a pay review, partly in response to increases in trustee workload and responsibilities since the current pay scheme was first established in 2010.

In the 16 years since, according to Brentwood Advisory Group’s Paul Murray, trustees’ base remuneration — ranging from $9,500 to $37,000 each year, varying based in part on the population of a trustee’s area — has increased to follow inflation through the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and also as a committee per-meeting fee was introduced. But coming at the issue as an independent party, Murray told trustees Feb. 17 that while the current methodology was reasonable, it wasn’t perfect — and has likely fallen out of “market alignment” since it was established, citing a survey of current trustees who suggested “complexity matters more than size, leadership roles are materially heavier and current proxies (folios, population alone) feel misaligned.”

There was also clear communication that remuneration levels were seen as a “barrier to renewal” — experienced trustees don’t feel like the compensation matches the workload, Murray said, and are increasingly opting not to run for office again.

“You have a fairly high turnover, and there’s concern about that continuing in the future,” said Murray. “One of the factors being remuneration, and the ability to juggle this role with all the other life and work commitments that you need to have in order to live in the islands.”

Committee members generally agreed.

“When I was first elected, being the ‘young’ member at 45 years old,” chuckled Lasqueti Island trustee Tim Peterson, “Trust Council skewed heavily toward retired and financially independent folks. That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with those folks, and certainly they should be represented at council, but so should younger voices — and the portions of our populations that may not be financially independent.”

Trustee remuneration currently sits at roughly 35 per cent of the median for electoral area directors; the financial implication of a raise to 60 per cent would increase the Islands Trust budget by roughly $130,000 — the equivalent on its own, according to budget estimates, of a 1.4 per cent tax increase for the Local Trust Areas. 

The draft budget for the Islands Trust currently sits at $11.9 million, supported by a projected tax increase of 9.9 per cent in Local Trust Areas and an 18.1 per cent general increase for Bowen Island — different increases than predicted earlier, partly due to the draft budget having shifted to increase draws from reserves. 

The decision lies with the broader Trust Council, which is expected to take up the issue at its next meeting March 10-12.

Any change to trustee remuneration would be approved by the outgoing Trust Council and would take effect April 1 of the first year of the new council’s term.

Request for Grace Point locking gate denied

Robb Magley
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Request for Grace Point locking gate denied

Salt Spring officials said they are unlikely to sign off on a strata’s request to build a gate and lock off the path to Grace Point, as property owner complaints over loud gatherings, open fires, fights and aggressive dogs reached the Local Community Commission (LCC).

Almost a full year after a formal letter prompted a meeting between elected commissioners, staff and the Grace Point Strata Council, the LCC is now tasking staff to develop detailed designs and costing to address “deficiencies” in the Centennial and Grace Point boardwalk — and plans to erect additional signage indicating the park is closed from dusk until dawn.

But the strata’s chief recommendation — to install a secure gate across the path just before the beginning of the beach — seemed well off the table at the LCC’s meeting Thursday, Feb. 19, despite townhome owners’ worries over public safety and what they called an “unambiguous fall in property values” for three residential units situated directly above.

The Capital Regional District (CRD) obtained a statutory right-of-way in 1993 over a portion of land owned by the strata — likely as part of a park land dedication required for subdivision, according to staff — a 200-metre stretch that includes a boardwalk, sea wall and pedestrian path, as well as a narrow footpath that leads to the viewpoint at the end of Grace Point itself. The CRD is required to maintain the pathway in particular in “as natural a state as possible,” according to parks and recreation manager Kent Bittorf, while balancing safety and public access. 

“There have been complaints from the strata about inappropriate activities,” said Bittorf. “However, following [the strata’s] recommendations would have First Nations implications related to the sensitive archaeology of that site — and social implications, in terms of the challenge of closing down public access to a viewpoint like that.”

Most of the right-of-way overlaps areas of high archaeological potential and/or registered archaeological sites, according to a staff report, meaning any ground-altering works, such as digging for gate posts, would be limited without the permit required by the Heritage Conservation Act.

LCC chair Earl Rook, who commissioners explained has been the primary point of communication between elected officials and the strata council, said Grace Point homeowners favoured the idea of a gate because they felt people engaged in the disruptive behaviour were ignoring the park hours signs already posted there. 

The CRD currently has an agreement with the RCMP, according to a staff report, where police can issue “no go’s” to frequent park offenders — essentially banning them from one, some or all community parks. 

CRD director and LCC member Gary Holman said his understanding was that with an increased presence of both bylaw and RCMP officers, the situation at the well-used community amenity had somewhat improved since last year — noting a staff report pointing out the CRD does not have any jurisdiction below the high tide mark.

“If there’s an event happening on the beach — and my understanding is that a lot of the ruckus is on the little pocket beach there — a gate is not going to deal with that,” said Holman. “You’re on Crown land.”

The additional signage and design work planned will come from $30,000 already included in parks and recreation’s five-year financial plan: $10,000 in reserve funding and $20,000 from Community Works. 

Stepping Up: Ambassadors share goodwill, support

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Stepping Up: Ambassadors share goodwill, support

This week in our Stepping Up series we meet Grant Fredrickson, who does a lot of volunteering on Salt Spring Island, including with the three-year-old Goodwill Ambassador Program (GAP), part of the island’s Mental Wellness Initiative.

“The Goodwill Ambassador Program (GAP) is built on one simple belief: strong communities are created through meaningful human connection,” the group explains. “We welcome people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities — no prior experience is necessary. What matters most is a genuine willingness to connect, listen and engage with others across our diverse community. Through shared conversations, volunteers help foster inclusion, understanding and mutual support. Whether you have two hours per week or more time to give, your presence can make a real difference. Join us in spreading goodwill, strengthening relationships and building a more connected, compassionate community for everyone.”

If you are interesting in learning more about the GAP or how to become a volunteer, contact Vee Egger at ssiambassadors@gmail.com.

Grant Fredrickson, a volunteer with the Goodwill Ambassador Program since its inception in 2023. (Photo courtesy GAP)

Q. How long have you been volunteering with the Goodwill Ambassador Program, Grant?

A. From the very beginning . . . the first walk out!

Q. What attracted you to this particular group?

A. I believe in the importance of a healthy community and this program helps connect people from all parts of the island.

Q. What roles do you have?

A. I walk with a partner in Ganges and help orient new volunteers.

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

A. I’m a pastor, which involves a lot of connecting with people from all backgrounds.

Q. What do you like best about volunteering with this program?

A. I love meeting people from around the island, as well as visitors. I love the opportunity to occasionally offer help in small ways when needed.

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

A. I didn’t realize how little I knew about many of the businesses around town. That’s one aspect I’ve really enjoyed learning about.

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

A. You should have a love for your Salt Spring neighbours and some belief in helping to form healthy community.

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

A. Since the fall of 2017.

Q. How else might islanders know you?

Besides the Ambassador Program with the Mental Wellness Initiative, I also volunteer with the Harvest Food Bank; am a neighbourhood co-leader with the Emergency Services POD program; help host ASK Salt Spring on Friday; coordinate student volunteer teams that help in the community; officiate weddings and funerals, etc.

Q. In a nutshell, why would you recommend volunteering with the Ambassador Program?

A. I believe that the Ambassador Program can significantly help build healthy community on Salt Spring.

Viewpoint: Trust budget bite too large

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Viewpoint: Trust budget bite too large

The following was sent to Islands Trust Council trustees and filed with the Driftwood.

By John Hutchinson

As a taxpayer living on Saturna Island, I’m shocked to be facing a 13+ per cent* increase in the Islands Trust portion of my property taxes. How is this even a serious consideration?

The Islands Trust was created in 1974 by the NDP government to address the problem of rampant development of the Islands. The need was for restrictions to prevent the islands from becoming bedroom communities of Vancouver and Victoria. Serious land use planning was needed but at the same time allowing each island to grow into its own unique community.

How is it that in 1998, 30 staff and a budget of $2.8 million were able to accomplish land use planning while at the same time preserving and protecting for future generations? Today there are 70 staff and a whopping $10.8 million budget and still you want to hire three more positions and extend a temporary position of a “policy advisor” for a total of four new hires.

I’ve heard of budget creep, but your proposal is what I call “budget chomp,” which is akin to feeding a Komodo dragon, ripping and tearing the financial flesh off the taxpayers year after year to feed its enormous appetite. We hear a lot of platitudes about affordable housing, but I ask, how is 13+ per cent [or 9.9 per cent] budget chomp not a huge part of the problem? We hear that seven to eight per cent of the proposal is a fixed cost to maintain the negotiated higher wages, rent and the loss of the usual sources of grant money so there is no way to avoid this chomp. I do not accept this because in my opinion this simply means we have been spending more than we can afford. So it’s time to cut back through attrition of vacant positions, non renewal of temporary positions and yes, even layoffs if necessary, and a stop to this hiring binge.

How is it possible to give our youth a positive belief for their future?  What about the future of our families and their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews? When I was young (65+years ago) I had a dream! To travel — I did it; a good paying job that I loved — I found it; and the hope of owning my own home — I have it.  I consider myself a blessed, lucky and fulfilled person. I strongly believe and support that we owe it to those who follow that with hard work their dreams can come true as well.

Our two Saturna Island trustees understand this and I ask that all trustees support a return back to the basics of land use planning and a stop to duplicating services that are properly and already the jurisdiction of the provincial and federal governments.

The proposed draft policy statement was not supported by Saturna Island for a number of reasons, one of which, if approved, would require an even bigger hiring binge for all the extra necessary administration. A cost of living (two per cent) increase is appropriate.

*Editor’s note: The latest recommendation to Islands Trust Council is for a 9.9 per cent budget increase, but that amount could rise again before the final budget is adopted.

Groups collaborate for 2026 International Women’s Day events

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Groups collaborate for 2026 International Women’s Day events

BY THE CIRCLE EDUCATION

March 8th marks International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, and a call to action for accelerating gender equality. Come celebrate International Women’s Day next week with three inspiring events on Salt Spring Island.

March 6: Between the Mountain and the Sky

The Circle Education is cooperating with the Salt Spring Film Festival with the showing of Between the Mountain and the Sky at ArtSpring (Friday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m.).

This astonishing true story about Maggie Doyne, who started an orphanage in Nepal at age 19, reflects this year’s International Women’s Day theme (“Give to Gain”), illustrating how acts of care, courage and generosity — both from and for women — can transform lives and communities.

Salt Spring filmmaker Piet Suess, who edited Between the Mountain and the Sky, will be in attendance and answering questions after the showing.

Tickets ($15) are available through ArtSpring.

March 7: The Nest

The Canadian Federation of University Women and the Salt Spring Public Library will screen the film The Nest on Saturday, March 7 (2 p.m.) at the library. The Nest, a documentary by Chase Joynt, was made in collaboration with Julietta Singh and The National Film Board of Canada. In a house full of secrets, centuries of forgotten matriarchs emerge to reveal untold stories of resistance and resilience.

At the end of her mother’s life, decolonial writer Singh returns to say goodbye to her childhood home. As she digs into the history of the house, she uncovers 140 years of forgotten matriarchs and political history she never knew. In this genre-defying, cross-community collaboration, a single home is transformed from a place of siloed stories into a site of radical potential. Free.

March 10: Pecha Kucha Storytelling

Join a Pecha Kucha presentation, a Japanese form of storytelling, at ArtSpring on Tuesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. Nine accomplished women from Salt Spring Island and beyond have six minutes and 20 seconds each (20 slides x 20 seconds each) to give a prepared presentation on something they’re passionate about. Celebrate International Women’s Day by celebrating the ideas, wisdom and experience of a group of powerful local women.

The event is hosted by Kate Nash, program manager at The Circle Education and presented in partnership with The Ostara Project’s Immersive Experience. Entry by donation.

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