Conservation project would protect ‘gold’ wetland

A purchase price has been negotiated for the BC Parks Foundation to acquire a remarkable 31-acre parcel on the south end of Salt Spring Island, according to project organizers, who hope to close the deal quickly — and are urgently seeking additional funding. 

The property flanks both sides of undeveloped Lumley Road, which connects Isabella Point Road and Mountain Road, explained Lumley Conservation Project co-coordinator Charles Kahn, adding that the land’s proximity to an 800-acre ecological reserve and a covenanted 76-acre forest reserve provides an opportunity to conserve an almost untouched natural area in the Coastal Douglas Fir (CDF) zone contiguous to currently protected areas — minimizing the fragmentation of forested land in the area. 

Kahn and co-coordinator Elissa Poole have been working for several years to protect the property, he said, most of which comprises mature second growth forest. But there are also about three acres of exceptional wetland — and wetland biologist Robin Annschild said the swamp on the far side of Mountain Road in the ecological reserve, which has been identified as painted turtle habitat, could be extended to include it.  

“This property is gold,” said Annschild, who previously provided the ecological assessments for the Salt Spring Island Conservancy (SSIC). Annschild said the current ponds and swamps hold water all summer, rather than seasonally — and the wetland habitat is enhanced by the presence of huge perimeter trees, mostly “immense” old growth cedar, and several very old, dead snags, a haven for nesting birds. 

“This land has been virtually undisturbed for 50 years,” Kahn said, “except for walkers along the undeveloped road access that bisects the property.” 

It’s also home to over 100 bird species including species of conservation concern — including olive-sided flycatchers, common nighthawks, and a pair of great horned owls which successfully fledged two young this summer.  

“We haven’t been able to do fundraising until we had an agreement in place,” said Kahn. “But the deal is now signed and firm, so we can start raising the money we need.” 

By connecting this acreage with an extensive strip of forest on a contiguous property to the west — Kahn said that owner has agreed to covenant several acres to enhance the viability of this project — the Lumley acreage expands and buffers both the Mt. Tuam Ecological Reserve and the Mountain Meadows covenanted land. He added the owners of a property to the east have also expressed a willingness to covenant a section of their land. 

The Lumley parcel landowner would like to finalize the purchase by the end of April, Kahn said; there is a grant in place from the Salt Spring Island Foundation, and there have been some pledges for funding — but more is needed. 

“We need to raise about $1.2 million,” said Kahn. 

Those interested in contributing can do so through the BC Parks Foundation portal, www.bcparksfoundation.ca/projects/parks-bank/salt-spring-island/ or by calling (604) 343-3975. Please indicate that you are donating to the Lumley Road acquisition.  

Officials on Salt Spring have dropped proactive enforcement against short-term vacation rentals (STVRs), ending a prioritizing policy in place by standing resolution, in one form or another, since 2007. 

As the island’s Local Trust Committee (LTC) rescinded its most recent standing resolution on STVRs Thursday, April 11, trustees lamented “confusing” bylaw regulations surrounding them — and the Islands Trust declined comment on whether future policies will be influenced by a recent adjudicator’s order exonerating a long-time bed-and-breakfast operation. 

According to bylaw compliance and enforcement manager Warren Dingman, staff will default to responding to written complaints on STVRs only — which are infrequent, a report says, as STVRs generate little concern from their neighbours. 

Dingman suggested limited staff resources should be expended on operations that do. 

“The recommendation right now is to rescind the original standing resolution, and basically let us get on to other work,” said Dingman. 

“I believe we’ve done all the work that we can through a proactive campaign for short term vacation rentals.”

Dingman said his records currently showed 83 open enforcement files, with 229 closed since 2007 following an extensive review of online Airbnb and VRBO listings. Moreover, he said, the maximum number of total ads has never exceeded 250, and according to his report the number of confirmed unlawful operations has always been less than 100. 

“We’d be down to a ‘core group’ where a lot of them don’t have owner-operators on the property,” said Dingman. “The ones that are of the most concern, I believe, to the Local Trust Committee and the local community, those files would still be pursued. But any new STVR files would be pursued by a complaint only.” 

In late 2023, according to Dingman’s report, more than 50 STVR files were closed and the remaining operations identified as unlawful were issued bylaw violation notices; in the first three months of 2024, seven compliance agreements have been signed by STVR operators. 

“This indicates that the great majority of operators are willing to comply with the regulations in the Land Use Bylaw,” Dingman wrote, “when the evidence is provided that they are unlawful.” 

Current land use regulations prohibit STVRs, but conditionally allow bed-and-breakfast operations in some island zones, subject to several conditions which local operators and the Salt Spring Accommodation Group have said are interpreted unevenly.  

On April 3, an adjudicator upheld a challenge from owners of Salt Spring’s Blue Ewe B&B — disputing their third bylaw violation notice since 2022 — finding the contravention of bylaw had not occurred as alleged by the Islands Trust, and ordering the latest notice be cancelled. 

Blue Ewe had been issued, and had disputed, two similar notices previously, with one ultimately cancelled by a different adjudicator and the second withdrawn prior to the hearing. 

During discussions April 11, Salt Spring Trustee Laura Patrick said she didn’t know if rescinding proactive enforcement “100 per cent” was the solution, or indeed sent the right message, although she ultimately voted in favour of doing so. 

Noting the importance of vacation rental businesses that “help someone stay in their home,” Patrick said she was sympathetic, adding she felt the “confusing” rules were largely to blame for the frustration bylaw enforcement was facing. 

“It’s actually part of our affordable housing approach, where someone needs that income to afford their mortgage,” said Patrick. “The cost of living on the island is really huge, so [these are] really the people that I’m willing to turn a blind eye to right now, while we work out fixing our approach to vacation rentals.” 

Patrick successfully added language to the motion to rescind — over the objections of trustee Jamie Harris — specifically asking staff to report back on “further consideration on proactive management” of STVRs in March 2025.  

While that timing would likely coincide with the LTC’s annual March 31 opportunity to opt into B.C.’s Bill 35 — which would, if taken, establish a provincial role in STVR regulation on Salt Spring Island — Harris said it was “muddying” an otherwise straightforward decision. 

“In a year, if we want to revisit, we can just do that,” said Harris. “The public understands that the LTC can revisit this whenever the heck we want.” 

“There’s a lot of conversation about vacation rentals on this island,” said Patrick. “By putting this deadline in here, this doesn’t commit us to anything, it just helps the optics by saying, ‘we’re paying attention to this too.’” 

Over the years, Salt Spring’s LTC has passed multiple resolutions to guide staff in prioritizing bylaw enforcement when it comes to STVRs “given finite resources available” — although those instructions have evolved, notably in 2017 when the word “proactive” was added to emphasize less reliance on complaints, and in 2019 when “not managed by a person available 24/7 on Salt Spring Island” was removed from the list of characteristics that might trigger a bylaw enforcement action.  

The rescindment April 11, unlike those previous, was not immediately accompanied by a replacement resolution.

The two largest improvement districts on Salt Spring Island are holding elections this month — with three candidates vying for two trustee positions at each. 

For the Salt Spring Island Fire Protection District (SSIFPD), voting will take place by both mail-in ballot and in person; mail-in ballots were out March 26 and must be received at the fire hall in Ganges — 105 Lower Ganges Rd. — by 4 p.m., Thursday, April 25. Advance in-person voting will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 24 at the fire hall, with regular voting at the same time and place Saturday, April 27. 

Similarly, in the North Salt Spring Waterworks District (NSSWD) election, voters can participate in an advance mail-in ballot process or an in-person voting process; voting packages and instructions were mailed to all eligible voters on March 22, and ballots must be received at the district office — 761 Upper Ganges Rd. — by 4:30 p.m. April 30. In person voting on May 2 will begin at the Community Gospel Chapel at 2 p.m. and end at 6 p.m.   

NSSWD’s AGM will begin as soon as voting closes; SSIFPD’s AGM will be held at the fire hall 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 29.  

The Driftwood reached out all six candidates to offer them a chance to introduce (or re-introduce) themselves to voters with a short Q&A. 

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SSIFPD CANDIDATES

Rob Oliver (incumbent)  

What do you bring to the table, and how has that motivated you to run for a trustee position?  

 I was elected three years ago as a trustee. In those three years we researched how to manage and have a business plan. We put that to the community in a referendum. 75 per cent voted in favour of our plan. We then chose an architect, contractor and owners’ representative. We have begun tendering contracts and equipment will be visible later this month. Concrete will be poured this summer and steel will be up in the fall.  

What is the biggest challenge facing the district, and how do you plan to face it?  

Resiliency. The job of a trustee is to ensure our training, staffing and equipment to respond is adequate and remains within budget. About 60 per cent of our calls are rescue medical and/or assistance. Our firefighters are trained first responders Level III (highest level). Some also have Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) training. Firefighters are called out at the same time as BC Ambulance. With two BC Ambulances on island one may be doing a patient transfer and the other may be busy. Often it is a fully qualified firefighter who is there first. It was the fire department working with BC Hydro that cleared trees off roads in the windstorm of 2015. It was firefighters who helped with rehabbing of Fulford Ganges road during the atmospheric river. Firefighters are our emergency response.  

At the end of a future term as trustee, what accomplishment would you hope to look back upon as a success?  

Completing the Firehall is Job #1. Bringing it in on time and on budget. Having fully trained firefighters with the equipment to respond.  

Jenny McClean  

What do you bring to the table, and how has that motivated you to run for a trustee position?  

I am familiar with local politics, and I know a lot of people. I am interested in forest fire mitigation from an ecological lens. I am a good communicator and reach a lot of people in my daily travels. I hope to be able to use my communication skills to speak with people about the goals of the fire board and to bridge any communication gaps as things roll out for the new fire hall. I am interested in the Fire Smart program and other public service educational programs run by the fire department. I know the community of school aged parents well and would like to be a part of community outreach. I am a mother and I feel it is a good to have a mix of women and men serving on the fire board. It is also a good idea to have new people at the table.  

What is the biggest challenge facing the district, and how do you plan to face it?  

I think the biggest challenge facing the district is how to build a new fire hall that has the least impact on the neighbourhood in terms of noise and also drainage issues. To house a new fire hall is significant for the residential community and I see that to be well accepted it should have the most ability to merge with the surrounding area and also keeping with the residential character of the neighbourhood in a way that is acceptable to those living close by.  

At the end of a future term as trustee, what accomplishment would you hope to look back upon as a success?  

I would feel very successful to have been able to learn from the fire board in terms of how they serve the community of Salt Spring. There is a lot to learn and the fire board does a good job and I would like to learn from them.  

Dennis Lucarelli  

The candidate chose to respond to all questions with a single statement. 

For eight years I was Director for Transition Salt Spring, including three as Secretary and two as President. I also served two years as the founding Secretary for Stqeeye’ Learning Society. I’m running for Trustee as I value and respect our Fire/Rescue employees and volunteers for all that they have achieved.  

After earning my law degree (California Berkeley, 1977) I spent a decade abroad including five years in Tokyo, where I worked on maritime finance contacts, patent/trademark agreements, and real estate partnerships. In 1999 I earned my PMP certification (Project Management Professional) and taught workshops for the next 18 years, to project managers at an electric utility, various government offices (including one whose staff who referred to their workplace as “the Agency”), and at a micro-chip maker’s corporate campuses across North America, Europe, and Asia.    

If elected I will join the push for completing the new Fire Hall on-time and under budget, which I hope is a prelude to upgrading both the south end Fire/Rescue Training Facility (it needs earthquake-proofing and other upgrades) and the Central fire hall which, if north-islanders agree, could feasibly be moved further north, closer to more homes for faster emergency response.  

My primary aim would be that the Trustees, firefighters, emergency personnel and volunteers alike, will continue to enjoy the trust and respect that I share with so very many Islanders. If we’re also able to accomplish future safety and structural upgrades, so much the better. 

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NSSWD CANDIDATES

Bryce Chapman

What do you bring to the table, and how has that motivated you to run for a trustee position? 

I bring 45 years experience in large project management, infrastructure planning and rebuilds. Years of both board and management activities. I have worn both hats. I am hoping that my years of experience will be of use dealing with the water district’s many challenges, specifically, funding. 

What is the biggest challenge facing the district, and how do you plan to face it? 

Financing. The ability to manage the ever rising costs of aging infrastructure. This starts with open communication with all the stakeholders and by searching out creative solutions as North Salt Spring Water District is not the only district that has ever faced these problems. If someone has already invented a better wheel, let’s be humble enough to take their advice. 

What are the advantages/disadvantages of operating as an improvement district? 

Advantages – simplistic structure.  

Disadvantages – government funding support.  

Currently, we are very fortunate to have an impressive Board and the best management team I have ever seen since I moved to Salt Spring Island.  As a board member, our task is to give this team sound objectives, and the support to accomplish them. As a board member, we are tasked with listening to the needs of the stakeholders. I take that responsibility seriously and I would be honoured with your support.

David Courtney  

What do you bring to the table, and how has that motivated you to run for a trustee position?   

Throughout my career I’ve had the amazing opportunity to travel the globe and witness how other cultures solve their governance Issues. Since I’ve been semi-retired, I began to advocate for the last 28 months on behalf of 2200 Petitioners on “The Fix For Route 6” (Vesuvius to Crofton) and for 550 Petitioners on “The Fix for Fulford.” With the support of MLA Adam Olsen, I’ve engaged the B.C. Legislature in presenting our petition, engaged the CEO and the various VPs of BC Ferries, BC Ferries Commissioner, the Board of Directors, Mayor Rob Douglas of the Municipality of North Cowichan and finally Minister Fleming.   

I currently sit as a Fire Board Trustee at the SSIFD. I’ve advocated along with a number of other volunteers in reducing the speed limit through Ganges Village to 30 km in the name of public safety.   

What is the biggest challenge facing the district, and how do you plan to face it?   

The current NSSWD team has been diligently dealing with the 10-year water moratorium and the ongoing $40 million lawsuit over the last year for a positive way forward.   

Looking beyond this serious challenge is the pending costs for the mandated Lake Maxwell treatment plant upgrade and the ongoing upgrade of water pipes. I am concerned about the rising costs to the NSSWD Ratepayers.    

With the $10 million grant to raise the weir and other enhancements, in my opinion the government has opened the door for improvement districts to receive equal funding when it comes to the effects of climate change.   

What are the advantages/disadvantages of operating as an improvement district?   

There are advantages in having the community looking after its own affairs and the current NSSWD team over the past year have done that job very well.  

The disadvantage is the lack of funding for infrastructure projects. I will do my best to be a voice in advocating for more government funding for the NSSWD ratepayers. 

Brian Pyper (incumbent) 

What do you bring to the table, and how has that motivated you to run for a trustee position?   

First, as an environmental scientist for over 25 years, I want objective, defensible decision-making to guide NSSWD. Second, as a trustee and current chair, I strive for a respectful and collaborative board approach that is focussed on our mandate – to serve our ratepayers through the effective and efficient delivery of potable water. The better our board-staff relationships, the more likely we are to get important work done.    

What is the biggest challenge facing the district, and how do you plan to face it?   

I can’t pick just one. We’ve recently faced several challenges and each is most pressing at the time.  

First, recruiting and keeping excellent staff, which allows us to advance key initiatives (how: offer competitive salaries, a supportive workplace, and temporary housing). Second, building the provincially-mandated Maxwell Treatment Plant, which will require ratepayer support via a funding referendum (how: clear communication regarding the benefits for water quality and supply). And third, moving beyond our Moratorium policy toward a sustainable connection policy that is guided by transparent, science-based management of our limited water supply in the face of climate change, affordable housing concerns, and Channel Ridge litigation (how: integrating our supply and infrastructure studies, and working with other agencies and ratepayers to prioritize, where legally possible, any additional connection capacity).    

What are the advantages/disadvantages of operating as an improvement district?   

The main disadvantage: current provincial policy denies improvement districts access to infrastructure grants. Without incorporation on SSI, the only option for NSSWD to access grant funding is to convert to a CRD service, which means handing over roughly $90 million in assets and the elected autonomy of our ratepayers.  

While I appreciate many CRD services on SSI, their track record with respect to conversion of water districts has been discouraging overall. So, the advantages of maintaining NSSWD as an improvement district: keeping our elected autonomy as ratepayers, having local control over decision-making, and long-term (as evidence on SSI suggests), a more effective and affordable system.