Gulf Islands Driftwood | Newspaper serving the Gulf Islands since 1960

Local 4-H enrolment opens for fresh season

Island Life

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January 18, 2023

Local 4-H enrolment opens for fresh season

If your child is between the ages of six to 19 years and is interested in animals or meeting new friends, organizers hope you will consider participation in the Salt Spring Island 4-H Community Club.

The year 2023 marks the club’s 42nd year, according to club leader and registrar Loretta Rithaler, who said the return to in-person activities has allowed the club to once again flourish.

“4-H offers opportunities to learn how to become productive, self-assured adults who can make their community — and country — a good place in which to live,” said Rithaler. “We are very proud of our club members’ achievements, at the district, regional, provincial and national levels, earning and gaining recognition with camp/leadership opportunities, bursaries and secondary school course credits.”

The goal of the 4-H program is youth development, with the objectives of knowledge, leadership, citizenship and personal development. This is fostered through project and program work, such as learning and practising animal husbandry, skill development, public speaking, encouraging confidence, and of course making new friends — with the support, encouragement and guidance of volunteer leaders and 4-H alumni from the Salt Spring community.

To inquire about whether the club will be a good fit for your child, send an email to lrithaler@telus.net, subject line “4-H Enrolment Inquiry.”

The annual membership fee is $125, with the possibility for membership fee assistance, according to Rithaler.

New member enrolment is open until Feb. 15.

The club is also seeking volunteer leaders and welcomes inquiries to lrithaler@telus.net with the subject line “4-H Volunteer Inquiry.”

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The following two reports provide an idea of what it’s like to be part of the Salt Spring 4-H group.

2022 President’s Activity Report

BY PARKER PROUDFOOT

I would like to thank you all for coming to our award ceremony! I hope you enjoy yourselves.

This year in 4-H we did a lot! Every month was something new; a new activity, a new event. It was like we got to explore every aspect of 4-H. I believe that through this some of us learned to do new things, or found something that they love to do and will someday lead to a future career. I learned that I like public speaking and, due to that, found my love for theatre and the performing arts.

Back in January my friend and I took a step up and went to Districts for public speaking. I found there that even though I was nervous, I loved being able to tell stories and perform for people. January was just the start of the year and I had already found something I loved; that is when I realized that although we didn’t know it at the time, 4-H will shape the way we live and our future, for the better.

February is when we really started to get to know each other, we got more into how we would run our meetings, our agenda and our pledge, but it was just the start. In March, April and May we took some big trips to Ted and Christine’s houses. It was amazing being in Ted’s garden. We went two times and the difference between March and May was unbelievable. It was like walking into a fairytale.

In April the club visited Christine’s house where they got to see her ducks! I was not able to go to this event but I heard that there was lots of fun with ducklings. July was when we got to see each other’s farms, during a farm check. It was very interesting seeing everyone’s work and accomplishments! August was when we had an early barn cleanup preparing for the fall fair.

In September the fall fair happened. We helped our sponsor Country Grocer with the Spin to Win games and had a poultry show with our friends from Saanich Fowl Creatures and displayed all our projects. October was when we had the election for the coming year as well as a small potluck. We also lent a helping hand to the local food bank with a fundraising event and participated in the Christmas Shoebox project at the Community Gospel Chapel.

Through all of this we helped the community while learning our own skills and interests.

I enjoyed being with my fellow 4-H members and I loved how I got to know them as the year went by. Next year I hope to go even farther with public speaking and exploring new skills by our motto, “Learn to Do by Doing.”

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2022 Awards Event Report

By HANNAH ROWTHORN

The Awards event in 2022 was very exciting. It had many different fun activities, such as the candlelight ceremony, awards, speeches, an appetizing meal, delicious desserts and more.

The event was held in the Community Gospel Chapel next to Portlock Park. Members arrived at around 11 to 11:30 a.m. to help set up.

Many guests were invited from Country Grocer, the Salt Spring Island Women’s Institute and Salt Spring Island Girl Guides, who are our very generous sponsors and volunteer judges. We sat in table groups while having lunch and watching members and sponsors collecting and presenting awards.

I had lots of fun with the other members in this year’s awards event! For me, the funnest activity was looking at the giant cheque from one of our generous sponsors, Country Grocer!

A big thank you to all of the volunteer leaders, sponsors and parents for making it happen!

MP shares inside view of Ottawa happenings

News

Gail Sjuberg

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January 17, 2023

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MP shares inside view of Ottawa happenings

Saanich-Gulf Islands MP Elizabeth May met with about 70 constituents at Fulford Hall on Friday night, near the end of a string of riding-wide community meetings held this month.

May traditionally hosts such in-person meetings twice a year to report on what she has been doing in Ottawa and elsewhere, but COVID-19 threw several of those onto Zoom in recent years.

She stressed the meeting was a non-partisan affair.

“I’m here because I’m your Member of Parliament, and you are, collectively, my boss, or the 120,000 people — roughly speaking — of Saanich-Gulf Islands are my bosses.”

May spoke positively about progress made on a number of fronts, both on some federal legislation and, most remarkably, the United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties (COP) meeting held in Montreal in December. The COP 15 event was originally supposed to take place in September of 2020 in Kunming, China, May explained, was then postponed, and eventually the Canadian government offered to be the physical host instead, though with China still taking the lead role.

Some COP 15 outcomes included agreement to protect 30 per cent of lands and waters on the planet by 2030 and to respect Indigenous peoples and local communities in the process.

As well, May said, “We’re committed to more measures to deal with ocean plastics, we’re committed to cut the use of pesticides everywhere around the world as much as possible, so that we can save insects and pollinators of all kinds. We are committed to doing all of these things in full partnership with Indigenous peoples all around the world; that Indigenous sovereignty be respected. And the final treaty is full of references to Mother Earth. Referencing Mother Earth is not really normal UN language, right?”

She said the forward movement at the Montreal meeting contrasted with the disappointing UN Climate Change Conference (COP 27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt last November.

“I was really surprised and happy that COP 15 succeeded when we really had no good reason to think it would. And I think because Canada hosted, we have more, say, moral suasion, more potential for embarrassing the federal government if they don’t act, because this is kind of our baby — we were at least the midwife — so I think we can push on all the pieces there.”

All countries agreed to COP 15 decisions except for the U.S. and Vatican City.

On the domestic front, despite a number of challenges to getting legislation passed in Ottawa, May said some positive steps were made in the past year. Those included bills to ban conversion therapy by amending the criminal code; to provide emergency rent relief due to COVID-19 impacts; and dental care for children in low-income families.

Still to come is legislation to improve the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission, an amendment to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (Bill S-5), and Bill C-226, which would create a national strategy to address environmental racism and environmental justice. As well, Bill C-22, which aims to help reduce poverty among persons with disabilities in Canada, has received the support it needs to become law.

May said her Green party colleague Mike Morris, the MP for Kitchener Centre, “made [Bill C-22] one of his top priorities and worked really hard, quietly, nicely, twisting arms in all the parties. A Conservative MP from Ontario, Karen Vecchio, decided to really push her caucus to make it unanimous.”

She said a number of details about the bill still need to be worked out, “but we are pleased with the fact it’s moving forward.”

“I have to say as much as I will disagree with various political parties in Canada, as a group of MPs, we seem to be able to get things done every now and then, which is good.”

May included a reminder about the climate crisis for her audience.

“Of course, I’m always fighting against the Trans Mountain Pipeline. I’m always trying to get us to cancel expanding fossil fuels and to live up to our commitments to protect future generations from the worst of the climate crisis. We’re no longer obviously talking about future generations. The climate crisis is here. We see it every day on the news, whether we’re talking about heat domes in British Columbia or what we’re just seeing in the news from California. We know that we’re in a climate emergency and trying to get governments to respond and understand that it is an emergency is I’d have to say one of the top issues I work on in Parliament.”

Islanders at the meeting had questions for May and made comments on a wide range of issues. They included the freighters anchoring in the Gulf Islands, marine-related debris and pollution in Ganges Harbour, RCMP operations locally and nation-wide, logging on Salt Spring and the housing and health-care crises.

May has been Saanich-Gulf Islands MP since 2011. After resigning as the Green Party of Canada leader in 2019, she recently agreed to be co-leader with party member Jonathan Pedneault, a former journalist and human rights investigator.

Quinsam crews schedule drills, cancel sailings

News

Driftwood Staff

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January 17, 2023

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Quinsam crews schedule drills, cancel sailings

BC Ferries announced a handful of scheduled sailings would be cancelled in February and March, as crews on the Vesuvius-Crofton route gear up for drills.

In order to facilitate required operational readiness drills, the Quinsam — which is expected to be back in service — will cancel sailings on Feb. 14th and 21st, as well as March 1 — specifically the 7:55 p.m. departing Crofton and the 8:30 p.m. departing Vesuvius Bay on those days. After the drills are concluded, BC Ferries said sailings are expected to resume as scheduled with the 9 p.m. sailing from Crofton.

For the most up-to-date sailing and departure information, visit www.bcferries.com.

Gymnastics group makes move to SIMS in merger with circus program

Sports & Recreation

Driftwood Staff

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January 12, 2023

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Gymnastics group makes move to SIMS in merger with circus program

Members of the Salt Spring Gymnastics group had a busy Sunday moving equipment from their longstanding home at Fulford Community Hall to the Salt Spring Island Multi Space gymnasium.

They documented the transition with photos throughout the day, as seen in gallery images provided by Salt Spring Circus and Gymnastics.

The island’s gymnastics and circus programs have now merged and will share the space where Tsunami Circus originated as a school program.

“It was a bittersweet move,” said gymnastics and circus parent Michelle Bennett. “Fulford Hall has been the home of Salt Spring Gymnastics for many years, and thousands of island youth have trained in the hall.”

Classes began Jan. 11 and run until the end of April. Four-week workshops begin next week, and space is still available in several classes. People should visit www.ssicircusandgymnastics.com for more information and details on how to register.

Coach Sarah Robinson in the equipment storage area at Fulford Hall, where she has taught gymnastics for 9 years.

Lady Minto staff shortage startles patients

News

Robb Magley

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January 11, 2023

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Lady Minto staff shortage startles patients

When Salt Spring’s Lady Minto Hospital opened its doors in the summer of 1914, patients could expect one nurse on duty — and on Friday night, that level of staffing seems to have returned, albeit briefly.

During a period from Friday, Jan. 6 until 7 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, Island Health asked patients with non-urgent concerns to return to Lady Minto “when our staffing levels improve,” noting that the emergency department remained open for urgent cases and emergencies. A notice posted on the door further directed anyone uncertain as to whether they required a visit to the emergency room to call HealthLink BC (811) for advice from a registered nurse.

Community reports indicated there was just one nurse on duty during this period, and while Island Health did confirm the emergency room remained open all night, officials could not confirm how many staff were on duty before press time, noting a statement was being prepared in response to Driftwood queries.

On Tuesday, Island Health issued a statement acknowledging the hospital had experienced an “unforeseen short notice limited staff availability,” adding that — contrary to reports — there was “more than one nurse on” at the hospital overnight, along with “allied health provider support.” Island Health did not characterize either the number of patients under care, nor elaborate on how many nursing staff were considered adequate for Lady Minto, saying only that overnight baseline staffing numbers are “prioritized to meet the needs of the community” and noting the on-call availability of additional staff.

Saanich North and the Islands MLA Adam Olsen said word from his constituents and advocates had been that Lady Minto’s situation had been difficult for at least a number of months, adding that the reported level of staffing was “dangerous.”

“We know that anything over four patients per nurse is a very, very dangerous situation for the nurse, and an exceptionally dangerous situation for the patients,” said Olsen. “And it’s really wearing on the staff. It creates a situation where the stress and trauma of showing up to work puts people off the job — and then the situation becomes more acute. The longer it takes for Island Health to address the situation, the more acute it will become, and the more pressure it puts on the staff who are left.”

Medical staff shortages have long been part of Gulf Islands life, but recent troubles have been markedly more worrying for residents. Two summers ago, patients were temporarily diverted during part of July from Lady Minto to Saanich Peninsula Hospital due to staff shortages. Although Island Health did not share the reason for low staffing, the costs for transfers were absorbed by the provincial Patient Transfer Network.

And last summer, even as construction began on a $12.8-million emergency department expansion project, the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation reported more than 35 staff vacancies at the hospital, and Island Health said it would transfer — when medically safe to do so — any woman on Salt Spring who went into labour elsewhere, advising women in their late terms to move closer to other hospitals to give birth.

Olsen meanwhile said his office had submitted an urgent request to meet with Island Health to determine how the decision was made to keep the hospital open with so few staff, rather than — as has been seen recently at other Island Health hospitals — issuing a closure notice and diverting patients.

“We’ve got a health-care system that relies on health-care workers to make ethical decisions about the health and wellbeing of the people they’re treating,” said Olsen. “Is it ethical to continue to receive patients, knowing that you’re not able to staff a full complement? We really put our health-care workers in a moral dilemma when government and health authorities are not providing them the resources or the responses that let them feel that they’re being valued and being heard.”

First electric school bus on Salt Spring roads

News

Robb Magley

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January 11, 2023

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First electric school bus on Salt Spring roads

The bus fleet at Gulf Islands School District (SD64) officially began its transition to electrification after the winter break, as driver Rick Neufeld safely delivered the first students to Gulf Islands Secondary School at 8:37 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, on SD64’s new fully electric school bus.

District director of facilities, capital projects and transportation Colin Whyte said the bus would continue to run Route 6, which serves high school, Salt Spring Elementary and Phoenix Elementary students and runs chiefly along Long Harbour and Mansell roads. Once the district’s second electric bus is in service, it would pick up and deliver students on Route 2.

“We’re still working on the big charger installs,” said Whyte, who said they were waiting on parts to have the charging system fully operational. “Once we get that installed we can run both buses. But we can run one to start, and we won’t have to burn any more diesel — at least for one route.”

A feasibility study done in 2019 estimated a full transition to electric school buses would eventually save the district some $50,000 each year in fuel and maintenance costs. To facilitate the shift from diesel, the district is installing 20-kilowatt “Level 3” DC fast chargers; these will generally be charging buses during the day in between runs, as well as overnight.

“It’s got enough kick to keep the buses charged, even if we bring them down to almost nothing,” said Whyte.

In addition to not burning fossil fuels — or emitting exhaust — the buses are significantly quieter than the diesel vehicles they’re replacing. But Whyte said the new bus wouldn’t be sneaking up on any unsuspecting pedestrians.

“Below 30 kilometres per hour, it has a noisemaker on it, so people can hear it coming,” said Whyte. “It turns off above 30 because the tires are making enough noise to be heard.”

SD64 has said the district plans to gradually replace its diesel bus fleet with electric buses as existing vehicles age beyond service requirements.

“Seeing students riding the first electric bus in the SD64 bus fleet is heartening,” said superintendent Scott Benwell. “It shows the district’s commitment to a reduced carbon footprint and is but one step in the overall adjustments to operations that will be necessary in the years to come.”

GISS murder mystery entertains crowds

Arts & Entertainment

Gail Sjuberg

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January 11, 2023

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Gulf Islands Secondary School performing arts programs have suffered along with the rest of the live entertainment field due to COVID-19 restrictions in the past few years.

So it’s no wonder the students in grades 10-12 appeared to be having so much fun on the ArtSpring stage in front of a full house last Thursday night for their production of Murder on the Orient Express.

Adapted from Agatha Christie’s novel for stage by Ken Ludwig, this was a technically complex show, with lots of scene and lighting changes, background music and sound effects, and a highly effective use of screens and rolling images to illustrate snow falling outside the train’s windows. The props and costumes instantly transported us back to 1934 in Europe. The technical crew deserves accolades for putting together such a visual and aural feast throughout. Some students also had both behind-the-scenes and on-stage roles.

If I had seen any film versions based on Christie’s famous story in the past, I had certainly forgotten the “who actually did it” part of the story. That let me thoroughly enjoy letting my imagination follow along with famous detective Hercule Poirot and the train’s passengers and crew as the complicated story unfolds. We are certainly as suspicious as Poirot, who finds himself drowning in clues after the murder of Samuel Ratchett (played by Luisa McCarvill-Russo), puzzled by which ones are useful for solving the crime.

Tadhag White played Hercule Poirot, with an unemotional and logical demeanour that worked beautifully and contrasted effectively with some of his high-strung or even hysterical trainmates. (They were, notably, Olivia Das, playing Mary Debenham, Sonja Reynolds as Greta Ohlsson and Olive Goddard as Helen Hubbard, who raised tensions in a split second with a scream or hyperbolic statement or gesture.)

White’s closing monologue, where he ponders the ethical impacts of his decision to not turn in the murderous gang, was particularly effective. By then we really knew his character and how difficult a dilemma it would be for him.

The play also had a number of funny moments, such as Monsieur Bouc (Nick Rankin) having to repeatedly correct declarations that Poirot was a “Frenchman” when he is actually from Belgium.

The international flavour of the story also came through well with the actors using various accents convincingly. And kudos to Clara Wardlaw for executing the role of Hector MacQueen when Makenna Taylor was unable to take the stage as planned.

Friday night’s show was also sold out.

GISS dancers present their term-end show tonight (Jan. 11) and Thursday night at ArtSpring at 7:30 p.m. The high school’s music students then take the stage next Wednesday-Thursday (Jan. 18-19), also at 7:30 p.m.

Letter: Isabella Point Road damage concerning

Opinion

Contributed Article

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January 11, 2023

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Letter: Isabella Point Road damage concerning

A neighbour recently told me about the damage done to the work on Isabella Point Road because of the wind and rain at the end of December.

The photo by Frants Attorp in the Jan. 4 Driftwood looks a great deal different than what I observed before going to Seattle during the period of those storms.

I beg to differ with Emcon operations manager Andrew Gaetz, who was quoted as saying that “the newly constructed portion of the road [as pictured] had little to-no deformation or sliding, and held up really well.”

I stopped and looked at the slide yesterday, which was easily 50 feet long. You could see where a large tree had washed down the precipice, taking a huge amount of fortifying base rock and tarps and forming a shelf below. I noted an area about eight-feet-square that was marked out with orange boundary marks ready to slide at the far end of the area.

Neighbours I have talked to and who have followed the construction are quite concerned that little major work has been done in the last week to prohibit more sliding both now and in the future. Mr. Gaetz’s comment that the project would need “further geotechnical reviews and design” applied to this failing cliff is an understatement. It appears that the slide is undermining the newly built-up “wall.”

Daniel Dickmeyer,

Roland Road

Food industry experts lead Farmland Trust series workshops

Island Life

Contributed Article

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January 11, 2023

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Food industry experts lead Farmland Trust series workshops

SUBMITTED BY SSI FARMLAND TRUST

Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust kicked off its new Knowledge Series of community seminars and workshops this past Sunday with an almost two-hour Zoom presentation and Q&A with master gardener Linda Gilkeson, which was attended by almost 100 participants.

Next up on the January schedule are two highly anticipated two-day workshops led by industry experts for those interested in how to create a business plan for, operate, brand and understand the health regulations behind launching a commercial food or beverage business.

“These workshops are perfect for farms looking to add value to their agricultural products through processing, farm stands who want to up their game and small-to-medium-sized food entrepreneurs in any stage of development who want to bring their products to the wider marketplace,” said Sheila Dobie, co-chair of Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust.

“Salt Spring is not only renowned for its farming community, but increasingly for its food culture and food products,” adds Kirsten Bolton, who handles communications and community outreach for the trust. “From artisanal cheeses, organic coffee and cookies to packaged preserves, salt and ciders, there have been many successful food brands emerge from the island that now sell provincially, nationally or across North America. There is a definite appetite here to share Salt Spring’s unique taste of place.”

First up on Jan. 17-18 at Lions Hall is the Ag-Food Business Planning workshop led by Greg McLaren, who claims to have “one foot in a dress shoe, and one in a gumboot.”

McLaren is the managing director and chief strategist of the Vancouver-based market research, brand marketing and business consulting firm FARM FOOD DRINK, which specializes in growing local and regional food economies, producers and farm businesses throughout B.C.

Participants will delve into such topics as components of a food and drink business plan, market channels and distribution, pricing, operation and financial plans.

The second workshop on Jan. 23-24 at the Salt Spring Island Farmers’ Institute meeting room is BC HACCP Planning for Commercial Food Processing, led by food scientist, food consultant and UBC faculty member Nancy Ross, who has assisted the owners of many micro- and small-scale food processors. Ross also helped design the Commissary Connect Laurel Street facility, which is B.C.’s first regional full-scale food innovation and processing hub.

Her workshop will tackle Canadian and B.C. health regulations, handling, commercial kitchens, labelling, allergies, cross-contamination and ensuring your packaged products are safe.

Courses run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. Fee is by donation, which can start for as little as $10 with the help of the Rural Dividend Fund and the Small Scale Food Processors Association.

The Farmland Trust stewards the farms and community plots at Burgoyne Community Farm and is launching Salt Spring’s first official food hub The Root, with commercial kitchen, cold storage, seed bank, regenerative gardens, equipment rentals, education and events. Its mission is to help create a more viable, secure, sustainable and prosperous local food community.

People can register for the by-donation workshops at www.ssifarmlandtrust.org/news-blog.

UPDATE: Quinsam return delayed even further

News

Driftwood Staff

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January 11, 2023

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UPDATE: Quinsam return delayed even further

The Quinsam is still not ready to return to the Vesuvius-Crofton ferry route as scheduled, but BC Ferries has now stated it will be back on the route on Thursday, Jan. 26.

Until then the smaller Quinitsa vessel will remain in service on the route.

“Unfortunately the Quinsam’s refit is delayed due to supply chain issues associated with equipment to complete the work,” explained BC Ferries communications manager Dan McIntosh on Friday. “We are awaiting a replacement turbo charger. “

“We certainly apologize to our customers for any inconvenience caused by overloads,” he said.

The 40-year-old Quinsam was originally estimated to return on Dec. 12. It was taken off the route for refit purposes on Oct. 24. On Dec. 16, BC Ferries said the work should be completed and the ferry back in service by Jan. 11.