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Letter: Time for families to sign up for gift program

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Letter: Time for families to sign up for gift program

Santa’s Workshop 2022 applications will be available online from Nov. 16 until Dec. 2.

If you are a parent or grandparent who might be concerned that you may not be able to provide Christmas to your loved ones, we may be able to help. Santa’s Workshop is open to children age 0-12 on Salt Spring Island. To apply online go to the following link: and fill out the appropriate questions and submit. You will receive a follow-up phone call to discuss the details of the program and arrange a time between Dec. 12 and 17 when you can come and “go shopping” for your children and choose appropriate gifts.

Santa’s Workshop volunteers have come together every year for more than 30 years to help all children on Salt Spring to wake up with beaming faces on Christmas morning. We are very generously supported by the Salt Spring Island Toy Run, Salt Spring Lions Club, Country Grocer, the Driftwood, Salt Spring Women’s Institute and many merchants and individuals on the island.

There are a few simple guidelines we ask our applicants to follow:

• All applicants and their children must live on Salt Spring Island.

• The applicants’ children must be between the age of 0-12 at the time of application.

• Only one applicant can apply for specific children. Be sure that parents, grandparents, godparents, etc. communicate to be aware of this stipulation.

If these guidelines are found not to be followed their current and future application would be in jeopardy.

We look forward to receiving your applications at this link and seeing you for your shopping spree!

Wendy Eggertson,

Head Elf,

Santa’s Workshop

Editorial: Luck and planning in preparing for climate change impacts

Driftwood Staff
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Editorial: Luck and planning in preparing for climate change impacts

It was luck, not advance planning, that caused our “Green Living” special section to print this week almost precisely on the anniversary of last year’s “atmospheric river” weather event. 

Salt Spring Island certainly felt the effects last November with flooded and washed-out roads, but through a little bit of luck — and yes, some advance planning — we were spared most of the tragic brunt of that storm, which took five lives in the province.  

We all saw the flooded homes and farms, washed-out roads, infrastructure damage, and thousands of British Columbians displaced. And we all agreed that, like planting a tree, the best time to prepare is yesterday, and the second best is today. 

This was exemplified in iconic fashion this week with the first opening of the community sandbag filling station, courtesy our Salt Spring Emergency Program. Literally filling sandbags before the storm is the kind of advance planning we are glad to see; program coordinator John Wakefield counted 42 people who took advantage of the event, filling more than 300 sandbags on a clear, rainless day. 

Advance planning can also include setting emergency meeting places for your household members; making grab-and-go bags, in case where you live becomes unsafe and you need to leave quickly; planning an evacuation route; signing up to receive emergency alerts from the CRD public notification system (www.crd.bc.ca/pans); and yes, taking early steps to protect your home and yourself, including keeping nearby storm drainage clear of debris and knowing how — and where — to lay sandbags when the rain comes. 

Marking the atmospheric river’s anniversary, B.C’s Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnsworth noted we must “continue to adjust to the reality” of climate change, and noted work underway at the provincial level for better flood planning and mapping, and increasing funding for communities to mitigate disaster risk.  

On a local level, islanders can (and do) advocate for additional help from the province for emergency preparation, while simultaneously recognizing our collective responsibility to ready ourselves for the next emergency. 

Put another way: we are glad for all the luck we can get, but making our own is equally important. 

Next steps laid out for Ganges Harbour Walk

Gail Sjuberg
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Next steps laid out for Ganges Harbour Walk

The Ganges Harbour Walk project has some spring in its step with a project charter recommended for adoption by its Capital Regional District (CRD) steering committee last week.

The document outlines a process that will hopefully lead to construction of a walkway on the foreshore from Rotary Marine Park to the CRD park area near the intersection of Upper and Lower Ganges roads.

A request for proposals for a consultant to gather public and stakeholder input in order to develop detailed designs and cost estimates is expected to go out in January, said CRD Salt Spring senior manager Karla Campbell at a Nov. 9 meeting. It was the first time the harbour walk committee had met since October of 2020.

The Salt Spring Parks and Recreation Commission (PARC) was set to approve the plan at their Nov. 15 meeting (after the Driftwood went to press) and the transportation commission at their next meeting on Nov. 28.

CRD staff have recommended getting feedback about and designs for upgrading the CRD park at the north end of the project area, the harbour walk structure on the foreshore and a roadside pathway along Lower Ganges Road. The latter was originally envisioned as part of the CRD’s North Ganges Transportation Plan a decade ago.

Campbell said the consultant will look at all of the options, and then work with the community on a vision for the project.

“We’re going to get cost estimates for different sections and for the whole construction, and you can extract out what the boardwalk will be, what the park construction upgrade is going to be and what the road right-of-way construction is going to be.”

CRD director Gary Holman stressed the importance of contacting upland owners as soon as possible to advise them of the CRD’s plans to proceed.

Once designs and high-level cost estimates are set, grant funding can be applied for, said Campbell. The transportation commission has some — but not all — funds for the roadside pathway. A referendum would likely be required to cover the rest of the costs. First Nations consultation and an archaeological impact assessment will also be done.

Darryl Martin, who represents the Salt Spring Chamber of Commerce on the committee, said the chamber board felt strongly that the harbour walk should continue along the foreshore to Moby’s Pub.

At the very least, he said, the design should anticipate a continuation of the structure beyond the park (which has been known as Peck’s Cove Park and is now being called Ganges Harbour Community Park by the CRD).

Committee members agreed it would be ideal to have that connection at some point in the future, but to not include it in “phase one” of the harbour walk project. Adding another section would just delay the process, said Campbell.

She stressed that what is eventually built will be up to islanders.

“That’s a decision in the future, and how the public wants to fund it, because they’re going to be the ultimate decision makers.”

The project will proceed under the new local community commission once it is established and PARC is dissolved.

The harbour walk — previously known as the Ganges seawalk or boardwalk — was undertaken and partially constructed in the late 1980s. Attempts to revive or complete the project have faced numerous roadblocks over the years.

A project charter can be read in the Nov. 9 Ganges Harbour Walk Project Steering Committee agenda package in the Salt Spring Island Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission section on the crd.bc.ca website under the Agendas & Minutes tab.

GISS senior boys soccer team off to provincials; donations needed for trip costs

Driftwood Staff
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GISS senior boys soccer team off to provincials; donations needed for trip costs

UPDATE: The GISS senior boys finished 13th out of 16 teams at the provincial championships with a 2-2 record. They lost their first two games — 1-0 to Sands and 3-2 to Langley Fundamental — and then beat David Thompson 5-0 and Smithers 4-2.

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Gulf Islands Secondary School’s senior boys Scorpions soccer team has earned a berth at AA provincial championships after placing fourth in the Vancouver Island tournament last week.

According to coach Ciaran Ayton, GISS’ first game at St. Michaels University School in Victoria on Monday, Nov. 7 saw a 0-0 draw with Stelly’s from Saanich.

He said the next game against Mark R. Isfeld secondary from Courtenay was crucial, with both teams needing a win, or at least not a loss, to keep their hopes alive.

“One nil down at half time, the GISS boys played with commitment, skill and determination to seal a 2-1 victory and place themselves in the top two of their pool and just about on the way to provincials in Burnaby,” Ayton said in a game report.

Tuesday morning’s games were repeatedly pushed back as teams waited for Monday evening’s snow to melt, he said.

“With a short warm-up and the injuries piling up, eventual tourney winners Lambrick Park defeated GISS 2-0, but the boys had done enough against Isfeld to qualify. The game for third or fourth place against host St. Michaels University School saw more injuries and a tough loss.  

Ayton said qualifying for provincials is a huge success for the team and marks the first GISS boys team appearance at that level since 2014, when the team finished eighth in B.C.

The provincial tournament will be held at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex West from Nov. 21 to 23 with 16 teams from across the province. The cost of attending provincials before food expenses is approximately $5,000: three nights accommodation, tournament entry fees, ferry fares for the players and the minibus, and fuel costs for the minibus.  

Ayton invites community members to consider a donation to help reduce the cost for players and their families. The tight timeline prohibits organizing and publicizing fundraising activities.

“Lots of small amounts can make a big difference,” he said.

Donations can be e-transferred to jwilson@sd64.org with the title of Senior Boys Soccer Donation.

Cash donations can be brought to the GISS office.

“The group effort of the 21 players involved on and off the field has made for a successful season,” said Ayton. “The boys played through local league play, won north islands and competed at islands to qualify. Players will be recuperating, practising and dreaming as they prepare to represent GISS at the biggest competition of them all.”

Games will be livestreamed at https://bcss.tv/. The provincials championships website is https://bcsssc-com.webs.com/aa-provincial-championships.

BOLTON, Terry James

Driftwood Obituary
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BOLTON, Terry James

(1944 – 2022)

It is with great sadness that Bev and Kirsten Bolton announce the passing of husband and father, Terry James Bolton.

Terry was a wise and well-known presence on Salt Spring, having served as board member, treasurer, and investment chair for 11 years with the Salt Spring Island Foundation. His contributions to Art Spring, Rotary, Liquid Waste Management, his Community Association, and The Lady Minto Auxiliary Thrift Shop were also notable in his more than 25 years of volunteer service. Colleagues, neighbours, and friends often describe him as kind, reassuring, and a generous mentor.

At his death, Terry and Bev had lived on the Island for over 31 years, moving here to launch and operate a successful B&B for almost a decade as an early retirement project. Prior to that, he enjoyed a respected career with Imperial Oil in Calgary and was posted overseas to Venezuela, England, and Stavanger Norway, which gave him and his family experiences with different cultures, landmark locations, and colourful memories.

While completing his engineering degree at the University of Alberta, he met the love of his life, Bev, who was pursuing nursing. From the first dance, he knew they would marry and have many life adventures together. They were true soul mates. Favourite memories include their 14-month VW camper tour of Europe and Morocco in the early 70s, his skiing trips with son Devon in the Alps, and camping in The Rockies.

Terry loved studying history and engaging in lively debates. He was well read, a natural speaker and storyteller. He relentlessly supported daughter Kirsten as a “second coach” in her high school athletics. He was a sensitive family man who loved his grandchildren, his friends, his dogs, and the simplicity of sitting on the porch with a cold IPA on a sunny Salt Spring afternoon or in the parlour playing Trivial Pursuit next to a roaring fire during the long winter rains.

Terry succumbed to Alzheimer’s and a late stage diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. He had been visited by family and friends, and Bev was by his side when he passed. He is predeceased by his son Devon, and survived by wife Bev, daughter Kirsten, sister Robin (Bruce,) and grandchildren Courtenay (30,) McKenzie (28,) William (9,) and Evelyn (6.)

For those who would like to make a contribution, it would be Terry’s wish to support The Devon James Bolton Mental Health Fund through the Salt Spring Island Foundation. Or, contributions can be directed to Victoria Hospice, who provided such appreciated care and dignity in his final days.

Bev and Terry celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary this July. A Celebration of Life will be planned for next Spring when weather and flowers are more welcoming.

BC Housing assessing Drake Road site for more dwelling units

Robb Magley
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BC Housing assessing Drake Road site for more dwelling units

BC Housing may be planning to expand a supportive housing project on Salt Spring before it’s even begun — potentially increasing the number of units, as the island’s housing crisis shows no signs of ending. 

In a statement provided to the Driftwood last week, BC Housing said it is considering expanding its project at 161 Drake Road, a planned 28-unit purpose-built permanent supportive housing endeavour, to be built on land owned by — and currently leased from — the Capital Regional District (CRD).  

The project had been described by a BC Housing factsheet as being in a “pre-development” stage since its initial announcement in early 2022. 

Now, however, some movement has been noticed on the site, and BC Housing confirmed equipment was in the process of clearing space to allow additional site survey work. The agency also states that the project’s scope may be expanding. 

“We are in the process of completing the necessary due diligence [on the site],” said BC Housing in response to Driftwood queries. “There are 28 units in the proposed Drake Road project, but we are assessing whether there is potential for more units.” 

The announcement gives context to a press release issued in mid-October, announcing BC Housing’s intention to lease the entire property — not just subdivide and use a portion — from the CRD. BC Housing added it would share an update on those plans “soon.”  

Meanwhile, BC Housing said some of the Drake Road project’s intended residents remained somewhat scattered — between the temporary housing complex erected on Kings Lane, and the former Seabreeze Inne on Bittancourt Road.  

“We can confirm that everyone staying at the Seabreeze Inne has been offered a temporary place at Kings Lane and, as of Oct. 28, seven individuals have chosen to relocate there,” said BC Housing last Wednesday. “Conversations with the nine people remaining at the Seabreeze Inne are ongoing.” 

Those conversations are likely complicated; on Oct. 26, a civil suit was filed in B.C.’s Supreme Court, naming — in part — several people thought to have been living at the Seabreeze. Among other remedies, that action, which was brought by the current Seabreeze owner, the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation (LMHF), wants the court to determine whether those remaining are, as it asserts, trespassing.  

In addition, at least two among those still at the Seabreeze have retained legal counsel, in connection to a dispute resolution process sought with B.C.’s Residential Tenancy Branch. That hearing could be forestalled as a matter of process, should the B.C. Supreme Court issue LMHF a writ of possession. 

Salt Spring Pathfinders place poppies on veterans’ headstones

Robb Magley
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Salt Spring Pathfinders place poppies on veterans’ headstones

 A contingent of Salt Spring Island’s Pathfinders joined volunteers identifying and honouring service members’ graves at the Ganges Cemetery on Friday, Nov. 4. 

With the help of maps, notes, hammers and hot chocolate, the girls drove bamboo stakes and attached red poppies as a “starting point” for a Remembrance Day research project. The effort for the Pathfinders will culminate in a video presentation, according to Mary Rowles, who organized the poppy placement in partnership with the national No Stone Left Alone campaign. 

“No Stone Left Alone reached out to us,” said Rowles, “and by happy coincidence, they were already doing some work around Remembrance Day.” 

No Stone Left Alone was launched in 2011 to “help ensure an enduring national respect and gratitude for the sacrifice of the Canadian men and women who lost their lives in the service of peace,” according to organizers; the goal around Remembrance Day is to ensure every soldier’s headstone has a poppy placed in their honour. 

“Pathfinders emphasize community service,” said Rowles. “This is a very small exercise, on the way to them being present in the Remembrance Day event next Friday, and talking to their parents, or grandparents or uncles or whoever has any memories — not just about military service, but about how their family was affected by any of the wars in the 20th century.” 

Rowles said as the relatives get older and the history fainter, oral histories are harder to gather; the hope is that the Pathfinders’ projects will help create a more direct line between the girls and the experiences of their elders. 

“Sometimes grandparents didn’t talk about it, as one might expect,” said Rowles. “I think they’re going to be surprised how many stories there are.” 

Letters on cycling/pedestrian safety

Contributed Article
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Letters on cycling/pedestrian safety

Too many near misses

I first learned of the Oct. 26 cyclist/vehicle accident reported in the Driftwood last week while browsing a Facebook thread on the SSI Road and Ferry Report’s page. My initial thought was, “Is it somebody I know?”

I’ve lived on Salt Spring Island since 2012, and I know at least six people who have been hit by a vehicle. Among friends and acquaintances are many near-misses, including incidents I have experienced on foot on local roads.

The crosswalks in Ganges have become more dangerous to use too. A couple of weeks ago, I was in the crosswalk at the Lower-Ganges Road/Purvis Lane intersection, and a woman in a wheelchair was ahead of me. A southbound vehicle was coming fast. Too fast. It looked like the driver was not going to stop, and sure enough, they went right through the crosswalk.

I crossed at the Lower-Ganges and McPhillips intersection a few days ago. A southbound SUV was speeding through town, and once again, I suspected the driver would not stop at the crosswalk, even though I was already halfway through. She narrowly missed me, only turning to look surprised as I raised a hand to give a little wave, wondering if she saw me at all.

Sadly, everyone I talk to seems to have had a close call with drivers who are going too fast, are distracted, or appear aggressive when encountering pedestrians and cyclists.

Every year I write a note to Driftwood readers reminding all those using our roads and pathways to stay safe as we lose the light for another season. Your dark clothes blend into the streets and shadows, especially on a rainy day, but also on bright sunny days with a lot of glare. Please consider adding at least a neon arm or leg band and a flashing light or highly reflective gear that gives drivers a chance to see you from a distance, allowing them time to brake and move over. If you are running or cycling with others, give drivers a break, especially on our notorious blind hills and curves, and single-track instead of riding or running side-by-side.

I hate hearing about another car/human collision on our streets. Without lights, bike paths and a fully connected pedestrian/bike trail system, we must do the best we can, be patient and courteous, and help everyone get to their destination without fear of life-altering accidents.

Susan Gordon,

Salt Spring

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Safer roads needed for all users

What a sad week for cyclist safety (“Cyclist recovering after collision,” Nov. 2 Driftwood). Cyclist Kio Grooms was fortunately not severely injured when a vehicle turned unexpectedly across his path. This is an extreme outcome of near misses regularly faced by cyclists on the narrow road shoulders of Salt Spring, while many vehicles speed by.

In other news, Salt Spring’s quarterly RCMP report included photos of two dramatic accidents where vehicles drove off the road, obviously at high speed. The driver of one of those vehicles was driving fast enough to shear off a hydro pole.

Which brings me to the need for safer roads for ALL users. Improved roadway design and speed management and enforcement are long overdue. These are province of B.C. responsibilities on Salt Spring. It makes me wonder . . . how can we harness the energy of our volunteer community, businesses, schools and elected officials to nudge the province toward action? One way is to join Island Pathways (at www.islandpathways.ca/history.membership/) and select the Cycling interest box.

Steve New,

Whims Road

Funds needed for musical instrument program for youth in Zimbabwe

Contributed Article
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Funds needed for musical instrument program for youth in Zimbabwe

By MELANIE FURMAN

Special to the Driftwood

My 13-year-old son and I recently returned from three and a half months in Zimbabwe and Tanzania, where we were visiting family and friends as well as learning about the rich cultures and extraordinary people. 

I had lived and worked in Zimbabwe for a local NGO 15 years ago, so this was also time for me to check in with Kufunda Learning Village and reunite and volunteer with my old friends in their community-building and land-restoration work.

I was welcomed back as if no time had passed. The community has grown strong. A Kindergarten to Grade 7 Waldorf-inspired school is busy with 40 or so students, and the biodynamic gardens are flourishing, feeding the community and selling food baskets (including local honey, jams, soap, sauerkraut, raw cows’ milk, herbal teas and sourdough bread). The leadership team is now teaching resiliency and leadership skills to more than 20 communities, and the teens that were babies when I lived there are now teaching their own youth-empowerment workshops to their peers. 

And all this in the face of a military coup in 2017 setting the stage for a new dictator, one of the highest inflation rates in the world for a record 18 years, high levels of corruption, and years of drought due to climate catastrophe. 

The connections and adaptive strategies Kufunda teach and practise not only shine within the community but in the land as well. Where there once was scraggly fields of sand for soil, there is now large Msasa trees, inhabited by a diversity of birds and butterflies, grass for the dairy cows, and bushbabies and squirrels enjoying shade.

My greatest joy was connecting with the children, whose parents I have been friends with for over 15 years. One day we went to a children’s cultural festival where they and about 15 other schools performed dance, music and theatre. When the kids observed the traditional dances and music, mainly marimba and mbira (a 24-key thumb piano traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe), the Kufunda kids went wild with excitement, wanting to learn and play themselves. I told them I play mbira and our destinies were set.

They would come to my small hut every day after school to learn. Especially Owen, Natalie and Chiedza. Thanks to funds donated by the Salt Spring Marimba Band, I commissioned three small mbiras to be made for the school. They told me no one at Kufunda knows how to play mbira. It felt awkward being a foreigner teaching the kids part of the heritage, but the adults encouraged me, knowing how vital their traditions and culture are.

Due to the continued passion of these kids to keep their traditions alive, Kufunda is hiring an mbira teacher to continue teaching them. He will come to the school and teach each class once a week.

We are now looking for funding for them to continue for at least a year. This is a cost of $2,500. It’s not much for the kids to carry on the traditions, something we in Canada have way more access to due to the Shona people sharing their music so generously with us in Canada for decades now.

If you would like to contribute, receiving a charitable tax receipt, please contact me at singmeanimage@yahoo.ca. I have also set up a GoFundMe page.

Bach on the Rock presents Mozart and Cherubini requiems in concert

Gail Sjuberg
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Bach on the Rock presents Mozart and Cherubini requiems in concert

When the term “requiem” arises in conversations about music, the first piece that often springs to mind is Mozart’s Requiem in D minor, K. 626.

The brilliant composer’s last work — which was actually not completed when he died at age 35 in December of 1791 and some of his contemporaries were charged with that task — is renowned for its impact and beauty, and the mysteries that surround its creation and completion.

But 200 years ago the most prized and oft-heard requiem would have been Luigi Cherubini’s Requiem in C minor, which debuted in 1817. The work was widely admired by those who heard it and by Cherubini’s fellow composers. Beethoven was reportedly a big fan of the piece and it was even performed at the monumental composer’s funeral in 1827.

Jean-Sébastien Lévesque is Bach on the Rock’s new artistic director, who has been working with the chamber orchestra and choir on both the Mozart and Cherubini requiems for a concert called Two Requiems on Saturday, Nov. 19 at Fulford Hall.

He said the reason he chose this program for his first concert with the group “is mostly about having THE most known/respected/played requiem paired with what used to be THE most known/respected/played requiem 200 years ago. Both works are also some of the best to work on for ensemble cohesion and, as a conductor, it is always the first thing to work on when we start working with an ensemble.”

Lévesque moved to Vancouver from Montreal in 2019, where he was the director of Ensemble Choral Saint-Eustache, conductor/founder of the choir at Orchestre Philharmonique des Musiciens de Montréal and founder/artistic director of Chanteurs du Brouhaha. He is also an accomplished pianist, accompanist and teacher, has a masters degree in music from the Université de Montréal, and was mentored by Jean Saulnier and André Laplante, among others.

Bach on the Rock, now in its 18th season, is comprised of high-level amateur singers and musicians, as well as some professionals from both on and off Salt Spring.

For the Two Requiems concert, four professional Victoria vocalists will perform the solos. They are Gwen Jamieson, soprano; Deanna Sills, mezzo-soprano; Adam Dyjach, tenor; and Louis Dhillon, bass.

The Nov. 19 concert begins at 7 p.m.

Tickets are available in advance online at bachontherock.com or at the door.

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