Home Blog Page 236

HOLCROFT, Nancy B

Driftwood Obituary
-
0
HOLCROFT, Nancy B

Nancy B. Holcroft
January 21, 1923 – September 1, 2022

It is with profound sadness that we announce the sudden and unexpected passing of Nancy Holcroft at North Island Hospital in Courtenay, BC. She succumbed to complications from a hernia. She will be missed by her son Tom (Char) of Victoria, daughter Anne (Bryne) of Campbell River, as well as several nieces and nephews and good friends. She was predeceased by her husband Ron, parents Norman and Amy, brothers Alf and John, and sister Sylvia.

Nancy was born in the city of Hull in Yorkshire, England. She was a teenager when the Second World War broke out, and was initially evacuated to a village south of York. Shortly afterwards, she moved back to Hull and continued her education. Her first job, in 1940, was at an aerodrome where she graphed the results of wind tunnel tests on different models of airplanes. But she realised that an inactive, indoor job was not for her. Instead, she attended Studley Horticultural College, followed by numerous jobs in market gardens, botanical gardens and nurseries, including two years at Kew Gardens and a year in Denmark. Thus began her love of gardens.

In 1954, she and a friend decided to uproot and move to Canada, settling in Brampton, Ontario. There she met Ron, another recent immigrant from England, when acting in a play together with an amateur theatre company. Nancy kept up this pastime throughout her life, with her last stage performance in 2004. She continued in Readers’ Theatre until 2020 when COVID interfered.

Nancy always loved the outdoors. Walking was a favourite pastime, even as a child, so it was no surprise that she and Ron joined the Trail and Nature Club when they moved to Salt Spring Island in 1986. She was active in numerous other groups, including Sea Capers, Anglican Church, IODE, Daughters of the Nile, Scottish Country Dance Club, Salt Spring Garden Club, ArtSpring, Seniors Services Society, Meals on Wheels…

After several months of ups and downs, Nancy finally hit her stride when she moved to Courtenay in June, enjoying life again. Our thanks go to the staff at Comox Valley Seniors Village for the care and attention they gave Mum, helping to make her last couple of months happy ones.

Memorial service: 2:00 p.m. Friday, October 14th at All Saints by-the-Sea Anglican Church, Ganges, BC.

Donations in Nancy’s memory may be made to Salt Spring Island Conservancy.

GUEDES, Ryon Charles

Driftwood Obituary
-
2
GUEDES, Ryon Charles

RYON CHARLES GUEDES
Born 1952 Nanaimo, BC
Died Sept 28, 2022 Cranbrook, BC
We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Ryon following a long fight with Alzheimer’s disease.
Ryon enjoyed an accomplished career as a newspaper editor, most notably for the Vancouver Province, Nelson Daily News, and Castlegar News.
He was at his happiest smirking at his own jokes, interjecting trivia into conversations, and puttering around the family farm on Salt Spring Island, where he and his wife Judy raised three children: Travis (Sandy), Margot (Rob) and Roger (Rae-Anne).
Ryon was preceded in death by his eldest son, Travis.
Following their retirement, Ryon and Judy moved to Cranbrook, BC to be nearer to their youngest son.
He is survived by his beloved wife Judy Guedes (née Valdez) and the family they loved so much. His daughter Margot (Robert) Knight, and their daughters Mia, Anika and Autumn. His son Roger (Rae-Anne) Guedes, and their sons Gene, Lukas, William and Sawyer. His widowed daughter-in-law Sandy Guedes (now Buckley) and their children, Jupiter and Haylee. His sister Cathie (Philip) Herbert, and his brother Doug (Cheryl) Guedes.
The Guedes family wishes to thank the staff of the FW Green Memorial Home for their kind and compassionate care of Ryon.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, October 15th in Cranbrook. Please contact Roger Guedes for details at 250-421-8313.

Islands Trust, CRD candidate list released

Gail Sjuberg
-
0
Islands Trust, CRD candidate list released

Local elections have attracted a large number of candidates in the Gulf Islands and especially on Salt Spring Island.

A final list of candidates for Capital Regional District (CRD) and Islands Trust positions was released on Friday afternoon following the 4 p.m. nomination deadline.

Eight individuals have put forth their name to fill two Islands Trust trustee seats on Salt Spring Island. They are Ben Corno, Gary Gagne, Jamie Harris, Jennifer Maksymetz, Don Marcotte, Jenny McClean, Laura Patrick (incumbent) and Elissa Poole.

Incumbent Gary Holman faces a challenge from Jesse Brown and Kylie Coates for the Salt Spring CRD director position.

The Southern Gulf Islands CRD director position sees two past Islands Trust representatives vying for the job: Ben McConchie of North Pender Island and Paul Brent from Saturna. Brent has been the acting CRD director since the resignation of Dave Howe earlier this year.

On South Pender Island, Dag Falck, Kristina Peszel and Cameron Thorn (incumbent) are the candidates for two Islands Trust positions.

North Pender incumbent Deb Morrison is running again, along with Aaron Campbell, Barbara Johnston and Mary Beth Rondeau.

Mayne Island incumbents David Maude and Jeanine Dodds face a challenge from Deb Foote.

Galiano Island sees Lisa Gauvreau, Ben Mabberley, John Ronsley and Jane Wolverton (incumbent) in a race for the two seats.

Only Saturna Island’s Trust representatives have been decided by acclamation. Incumbent Lee Middleton will be joined by Mairead Boland.

Gulf Islands candidates for school board positions have not yet been released, and the nomination deadline for a Mayne Island school trustee has been extended to Sept. 12.

General election day is Saturday, Oct. 15.

Friday night Skeena Queen sailings cancelled

Robb Magley
-
0
Friday night Skeena Queen sailings cancelled

BC Ferries has cancelled the last sailings of the day Friday, Sept. 9, between Salt Spring’s Fulford Harbour and Swartz Bay, due to lack of crew availability for the Skeena Queen, according to an afternoon announcement.

BC Ferries has cancelled the last sailings of the day Friday, Sept. 9, between Salt Spring’s Fulford Harbour and Swartz Bay, due to lack of crew availability for the Skeena Queen, according to an afternoon announcement.

Cancelled sailings include the 5:50 p.m. and 7:50 p.m. sailings from Fulford, as well as the 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. sailings departing Swartz Bay.

BC Ferries said the Salish Heron would provide an additional, unscheduled stop at Long Harbour from its 9:50 p.m. sailing from Swartz Bay; space on that vessel will be first-come, first-serve.

Foot passengers are being directed to a free 48-person water taxi that will stand in for the sidelined Skeena Queen at its usual departure and arrival times; the Crofton-Vesuvius Bay route is reportedly unaffected, and provides an alternative route to and from Salt Spring.

Foot passengers can meet the water taxi at the government dock off of Dolphin Road (adjacent to the Swartz Bay terminal), and the public dock adjacent to Fulford Harbour.

Island Health clears Stowel Lake for swimming

Robb Magley
-
0
Island Health clears Stowel Lake for swimming

Island Health reports Stowel Lake is once again safe for swimmers, microbiologically speaking.

Samples taken by the health authority on Aug. 24 and posted this week showed E. Coli bacteria levels back within an acceptable threshold at 10 per 100 ML; a sample taken Aug. 16 showed an abnormally high 495 per 100 ML. Current sampling means Stowel Lake returns to the “green” rating, with no concerning water quality issues.

The “red” warning is triggered when results exceed 400 per 100 mL, or when the most recent five samples show greater than 200. Island Health notes there is significant risk for illness when bacteria levels are this high.

Samples are generally taken starting in May and continuing through late summer, when it is most likely swimmers and other lake users would encounter bacteria that flourish in warmer months.

VANNUS, Sasha

Driftwood Obituary
-
1
VANNUS, Sasha

Sasha
1925 – 2022

Sasha lived a deep rich life.

She touched many people
while she was here.

Sasha danced joyously
all the way home.

Thank you to the people of Salt Spring
for being so good to her.

MULLAN, Wendy

Driftwood Obituary
-
0
MULLAN, Wendy

Wendy Mullan
1957 ~ 2022

It is with the most profound sadness that our family wants to inform her community that Wendy Mullan left us. Daughter of the late John and Patricia Mullan, Wendy was born in Vancouver in 1957 and in 1961 her family moved to Toronto. At eighteen, Wendy visited the island and like most of us fell in love with it and stayed. Long time islanders might remember her as a beautiful young woman waitressing at The Harbour House or at the Kanaka restaurant. At the age of 23 she fell for a nomadic tree planter and (like she would say) made him her guy.

Together they raised a family while managing a silviculture company. With her partner working all over the province and while taking care of her children at home she managed with great effectiveness the office work and, before the prevalence of wireless phones, communications between the field and the outside world. In 1998 they sold their company and Wendy concentrated on her gardening business and her work at fabric stores.

She was kind, smart, funny and humble; late in life she would say that her only goal was to become a better person. She treated her clients’ gardens as her own and many of her customers became lifelong friends. She was a graceful artist that used a variety of mediums to express her inner sense of the beautiful and a master at “l’art du quotidien”.

Left in sorrow are countless friends, her lifelong friend, partner and admirer Claud, daughters Gisele and Sandrine, son Emile, sister Kelly, grandfriends Kaleb, Cohen and Levi and grandchildren Ada, Maeve and Hugh who in his great 8-year-old wisdom knows that “she is still here, we just can’t see her”. She will be forever missed and gladly remembered.

The family wants to express its gratitude to all the health workers involved with Wendy for their dedication and professionalism, and her friends for the love they showed daily during this difficult journey.

If you want to honor her memory, please donate on her behalf to our hospice on Salt Spring or the Victoria Hospice where Wendy spent her last days.

Marine search and rescue group recruiting volunteers

Robb Magley
-
0
Marine search and rescue group recruiting volunteers

Salt Spring’s Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue unit is looking for a few new members.

This fall marks the beginning of a recruitment drive for Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Station 25 (RCMSAR25), a 100 per cent volunteer service that responds to boaters in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The group’s media officer Brad Grindler said it’s a great opportunity to give back to the community and meet like-minded service-oriented people who love being on the water.

“We’ll establish a cohort, a group that will start training this fall,” said Grindler. “We’ll train that cohort together, so they go through all the learning as a group.”

While the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue operates Canada-wide, RCMSAR25 is funded by the non-profit Gulf Islands Marine Rescue Society; the group operates from Gabriola down to Swartz Bay, working together with the Canadian Coast Guard’s Ganges Harbour station.

“Things happen sometimes, no one wants to have a bad day on the water,” said Grindler.

Over the years, he said, Vesuvius-based RCMSAR25 has responded to everything from mechanical failures to boats that have struck logs to overturned kayakers. During a big storm a few years ago, they helped secure unmoored float homes in Maple Bay.

“Sometimes it can be a challenge keeping everything staffed because it is volunteer,” said Grindler, “and we have to have a certain number of crew available for our calls. So we’re always looking for new members. It’s a great opportunity, especially for people who are new to the island.”

No matter how much someone knows about boating and navigation, there’s always something new to learn at the off- and on-water training sessions.

In addition, RCMSAR25 members perform safety checks at local sailing clubs, boating safety programs in schools and host a robust junior crew program in partnership with Gulf Islands Secondary School work experience students.

Anyone interested in committing to regular weekly meetings and on-the-water-trainings — in-person, these days — and who lives within a 25-minute drive of Vesuvius should visit RCMSAR25 members at their booth this weekend at the Salt Spring Fall Fair, or check out the website: www.rcmsar25.com.

New ArtSpring season line-up announced

Contributed Article
-
0
New ArtSpring season line-up announced

SUBMITTED BY ARTSPRING

Who’s ready for a big new season of live music, dance, theatre and art?

ArtSpring Presents, under the direction of Howard Jang, is back to entertain and inspire our island community, with 28 live performances and an international visual art exhibition.

The season gets underway in fine style with the world premiere of Ballet Victoria’s tribute to iconic show tunes, Broadway on Pointe. From one exhilarating dance performance to another – Joshua Beamish returns with a collection of short works, Proximity. Innovative work from composer Caroline Shaw and dancer/choreographer Vanessa Goodman, Graveyards and Gardens, and Tara Cheyenne’s solo piece Body Parts are also program highlights. And in a hybrid performance blending western dance and music with Japanese Noh theatre, Hiromoto Ida brings us Birthday Present for Myself.

The wide-ranging world of classical music is celebrated this season. Leading cellist Elinor Frey directs Accademia De’ Dissonanti, and vocal storytellers Mirror Visions Ensemble set text to the music of much-loved composers. Unique Quebec wind instrument ensemble Pentaèdre brings us original chamber music repertoire, and the captivating Constantinople return with their blend of classical and eastern musical traditions. Much-loved harpsichordist Steven Devine and Victoria Baroque are here in the new year, as well as the always captivating pianist Ian Parker. Two trios present fascinating shows: the Gryphon Trio, with a multimedia collaboration with Indigenous artists, and Percussiano3, featuring the four hands of piano duo Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann and the many percussion instruments of Rod Thomas Squance. The final classical concerts see the Ladom Ensemble pair acoustic chamber music with a global repertoire, and the Elektra Women’s Choir shows why it’s a leader in the choral arts.

We’re thrilled to have New York based jazz pianist Michael Weiss join us with Vancouver saxophonist Cory Weeds. And another brilliant jazz musician, bassist Jodi Proznick, is part of a unique collaboration with members of the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble, Jasmine Jazz. An exciting blues double bill features Australian guitarist Lloyd Spiegel and the gorgeous vocals and guitar work of Niagara’s Suzie Vinnick. Folk music is represented by mandolin master, John Reischman, and The Slocan Ramblers, heralded as Canada’s bluegrass band to watch. Andrew Allen — singer/songwriter and multi-top-ten hitmaker — rounds out our contemporary music program.

Diverse theatre performances see Salt Spring’s Nayana Fielkov inviting us to stay at Hotel Vortruba, Japanese-Canadian history under the spotlight in Mark Kunji Ikeda’s Sansei: The Storyteller, and Axis Theatre entertains family audiences with Th’owxiya: the Hungry Feast Dish.

Young performers also take their place in the line-up, with end-of-term concerts from ArtSpring’s Makana Youth Choir, and Victoria’s Conservatory of Music showcases some of the best musicians from its Young Artists Collegium Program.

In our first international art exhibition ArtSpring collaborates with Salt Spring Arts and the San Juan Islands Museum of Art for Archipelago: Contemporary Art of the Salish Sea. Six of the finest visual artists working in the San Juan Islands will feature in our gallery.

We couldn’t run our season without the generous support of our sponsors. And this year we welcome a new season partner – Island Savings Wealth Management, a division of FW Wealth Management Ltd.

We hope you’re as excited for the new season as we are. Ticket sales began on Sept. 6 for members and begin Tuesday, Sept. 13 for general sales.

Viewpoint: Local Community Commission will make a positive difference

Contributed Article
-
0
Viewpoint: Local Community Commission will make a positive difference

By BRIAN WEBSTER

We’re just a few weeks away from a chance to significantly change local government on Salt Spring Island. On Oct. 15, island residents will vote on whether to establish a local community commission (LCC). 

But what does that actually mean?

An LCC is a locally elected body that — if we vote to create it — will have authority over 14 of our current local government services. It would replace four existing unelected Capital Regional District (CRD) advisory commissions with one elected body that would have full administrative powers over 11 of those services. That means the power to make all decisions on these services up to — but not including — final approval of bylaws. 

For these services — everything from parks and transportation to economic development and recreation — the Salt Spring LCC will set priorities and policies. It will also establish the annual budget, which will then get sent on to the CRD board for its sign-off. 

In the past, some members of our community expressed doubts about whether the CRD would agree to delegate meaningful decision-making authority to Salt Springers. Those doubts were answered in July when the CRD board voted to approve two bylaws that will give a Salt Spring LCC significant powers over a range of services if we vote YES on Oct. 15. And once established, an LCC could take the lead in working toward further consolidation.

An LCC will increase democratic representation on Salt Spring by bringing more elected voices to the decision-making table. It will improve coordination of services by giving one elected body responsibility for a variety of services, streamlining our current patchwork of commissions and other decision-making bodies.

An LCC will open up local government decision-making and make it more accountable by requiring decisions currently made behind closed doors by a single elected person (the electoral area director) or by the CRD board in Victoria to instead be made on Salt Spring at regularly scheduled meetings open to the public.

Establishing an LCC will address concerns Salt Springers have had about local government and it will do so without reopening past divisive incorporation debates.

Would a Salt Spring LCC instantly solve all of our community’s problems? Of course not. But it would be a big step in the right direction. 

Creating an LCC does not affect the Islands Trust or its role. Like every other community in southern B.C., we would remain in a regional district. It would neither block nor further the aspirations of some island residents who want our island to someday incorporate as a municipality. It would not automatically create any new services or eliminate existing ones. But it would create a single locally-elected council with meaningful power over a range of government services and with a mandate to look broadly at what Salt Spring needs and make sure we have the local government services we need, delivered effectively and efficiently.

Ultimately, voters get to decide on Oct. 15 whether to carry on with the status quo or say YES to an LCC and take a positive step toward better coordination of local government decision-making, increased accountability and more diverse elected voices at the table to make decisions on our behalf.

The writer is a Salt Spring resident, farmer and business owner who helped develop the LCC discussion paper.

1...235236237...609Page 236 of 609