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Viewpoint: Let’s Make Every Vote Count

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Viewpoint: Let’s Make Every Vote Count

By ANTHONY A. KENNEDY

SSI Returning Officer

I like having people vote. 

In my periodic role in elections and referenda on Salt Spring Island, I regret each spoiled ballot that cannot be counted.

Recent elections using mail-in ballots have attracted far more votes than in-person voting. Unfortunately, while the proportion of valid votes was much higher, many ballots were spoiled.  

The instructions in the “Notice of Referendum on Construction of a New Main Fire Hall” published separately in the Driftwood and on the Salt Spring Exchange are now complete. The intention of this article is to amplify the instructions given in that notice and the mail-in ballot package.         

Ballots were mailed to all eligible voters on June 1. Post office staff shortages may delay some mail deliveries. 

Property owners within the Salt Spring Island Fire Protection District (SSIFPD) who do not receive a ballot in the mail by June 15 can collect a ballot from the Ganges fire hall during office hours, which are Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Despite every effort to ensure the list of eligible voters is complete, there are always a few errors and omissions. When a voter provides documentation showing land ownership, revisions to the voters list can easily be made at the Ganges fire hall and a ballot issued.                              

Tips on how to make your vote count: 

• By following the instructions and completing the ballot package completely and correctly, you will not spoil your ballot. Please be sure to include the name and signature of a witness on the Certification Envelope “B.” 

• You can return your ballot by mail using the stamped return envelope, or deliver it in person to the Ganges fire hall before 4 p.m. on June 30, during the above office hours. There, a locked, secure ballot box is under the independent control of the Deputy Returning Officer. 

 • If for any reason you spoil your ballot, visit the Ganges fire hall during office hours, where a fresh ballot will be exchanged for the spoiled ballot. 

 • Only property owners within the Salt Spring Island Fire Protection District are eligible to vote in the referendum. Renters are not eligible.

  • Each corporation that owns property may cast one vote by designating an individual as their agent to vote. This must be done in writing. Corporate letterhead is helpful.

• Property owners can only vote once, no matter how many pieces of property they may own.  

• If private property is jointly owned by two or more individuals, each is eligible to vote. Every joint or sole owner on the list of voters should receive a ballot package by mail. If property is jointly owned but all owners do not appear on the voters list, the list can easily be amended at the fire hall based on a person showing legal documentation of ownership. 

• Ballots can be marked with either an “X” or a “tick mark” in the box provided. Both are illustrated in the ballot instructions. Any other marks will spoil the ballot. The objective is to maintain ballot secrecy by avoiding marking a ballot in a way that could be identified with an individual.

Fire district agrees to transfer Ganges fire hall to CRD for public market if referendum passes

Driftwood Staff
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Fire district agrees to transfer Ganges fire hall to CRD for public market if referendum passes

The Salt Spring Island Fire Protection District (SSIFPD) announced Tuesday that an agreement has been signed with the Capital Regional District (CRD) to transfer ownership of the Ganges fire hall as part of the plan to build a new fire hall on the north side of town.

In a press release, SSIFPD board chair Rollie Cook said, “This is a win-win for our department and the community. The fire department gets to remain in the building during the construction period, rent free, and the building in the centre of Ganges will still operate as a public asset, which a committee of stakeholders suggested during consultations in 2021, including the Chamber of Commerce, Farmers’ Institute, the CRD, Islands Trust and the Ag Alliance.”

Salt Spring Fire Chief Jamie Holmes pointed out that “we also get a guarantee of retaining a 30,000-gallon water storage tank for fighting fires in the downtown core. It makes good sense operationally and will help reduce insurance rates for both residents and businesses.”

The #1 million gas tax contribution for the fire hall project recently announced by the CRD, along with continued use of the Ganges hall for four years until completion of the new hall, plus availability of the old site for firefighting water storage, will help the fire district to advance the project and achieve important community goals, the district stated.

The new fire hall is estimated to cost $13.7 million to build. Escalation costs of eight per cent, five per cent and five per cent are built into that total cost over the next three years, along with a sizeable 20 per cent contingency fund to deal with possible cost increases.

“Due to the prudent build-up of capital reserves by SSFPID and the recently announced CRD gas tax contribution, borrowing of only $9.7 million is required,” said Cook. “At a guaranteed Provincial rate, borrowing costs can be covered without a tax increase.”

A referendum on the proposal is being held by mail-in ballot in June.

During consultations that SSIFPD initiated, several organizations on Salt Spring recommended the old fire hall be redeployed as a public asset, potentially as a venue for a year-round public market to strengthen food security and enhance tourism opportunities.

Anne Macey, a spokesperson for the Agricultural Alliance on Salt Spring, said, “The members of Salt Spring’s farming and food sector support keeping the old fire hall as a community asset and we look forward to discussing the establishment of a year-round market in that central hub.”

BC Ferries to serve alcohol on three major Vancouver Island to mainland Routes

Emelie Peacock
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BC Ferries to serve alcohol on three major Vancouver Island to mainland Routes

Travellers on three ferry routes between Vancouver Island and the mainland will soon be able to have a glass of wine or a beer with their meal.  

After a trial run serving alcohol at Pacific Buffets between 2019 and 2020, BC Ferries announced Monday it will be introducing alcoholic beverage options in Coastal Cafes by the end of this summer. Alcohol will be available aboard Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay, Tsawwassen – Duke Point, and Horseshoe Bay – Departure Bay routes. 

The ferry corporation stated that there had been no issues with the introduction of wine and beer service in Pacific Buffets, which took place between October 2019 and March 2020. Following this, BC Ferries applied for licences with the province’s Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB). 

The corporation has received an “approval in principle” from the LCRB, subject to a review by inspectors, and will be implementing the beverage service by the end of the summer. 

Introducing alcoholic beverages is “in response to customer feedback,” the ferry corporation stated. Under the licence, customers 19 years and older will be limited to purchasing two drinks, provided they are also getting a meal. The offerings will include “B.C. wine, craft beer, cider and other alcoholic beverages.”

Mondays’ news release did not mention BC Ferries’ zero tolerance policy for passengers under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Under the policy, BC Ferries prohibits the consumption of drugs and personal alcohol aboard its vessels.

“Intoxicated person(s) on a ferry may be arrested and detained if their conduct is disruptive and/or confrontational, or if they pose a potential risk to the safety or security of passengers or crew,” the policy states.

ROODENBURG, Marie Henriette Josephine (nee Courtois)

Driftwood Obituary
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ROODENBURG, Marie Henriette Josephine (nee Courtois)

Marie Henriette Josephine Roodenburg (née Courtois)
MARCH 20, 1940 – JUNE 5, 2022
Known by many as Martie, Mariette was the 8th of nine children born in The Hague, The Netherlands, having survived World War II as a strong and loving family. In 1957, at 17 years of age, Mariette attended the Royal Academy of Arts to study Interior Design, where she met her soul mate and future husband, Robert Roodenburg. They married on December 18, 1959 and went on to have four children: Sabine, Roderick, Vanessa and Robert Jr.
Always living with a sense of adventure, faith in each other and pure determination, she became caretaker of Kasteel de Wittenburg, a castle in Wassenaar, while Rob attended university. Shortly thereafter, Mariette and Rob embarked on a journey changing their lives forever by immigrating to Canada in 1965.
Mariette was a ferocious learner. Continuing her education, she studied Human Anthropology at UBC. At the age of 51 she became a real estate agent in Vancouver for 24 years, a career she excelled in due to her love for truly getting to know people and helping others. Passionate about sustainability, living off the land and giving back to nature, Mariette’s values were easy to see from her love for gardening and her beautiful weavings of tapestries and clothing from her homespun wool that were carefully dyed with naturally sourced plants.
In line with their sense of adventure, Mariette and Rob maintained several homes concurrently: in the Netherlands (de Kleine Pal) and in Vancouver, while always keeping a home-base on Salt Spring Island. Mariette worked side-by-side and hand-in-hand with Rob, designing and building four beautiful homes and restoring countless others from 1970 onwards, with the most recent restoration in Fulford Valley.
With her interior design background and knowledge, Mariette was particularly adept at finding and collecting all means of art from paintings to sculptures, poetry to ceramics. Her deep interest in humanity, human psychology and the historical and artistic relevance of significant items can be found in the books and treasures that surrounded her.
A lifelong designer and artist, Mariette looked for ways to elevate others and their creativity, through art and craft sales at their barn on the mainland, helping artists sell their wares in the 1970’s, to “Christmas sales” and “Gallery days” at the Log Cabin in their current home in the Fulford Valley.
Beyond her passion for the arts, Mariette was a fierce advocate for both women and children. As a pioneer in the women’s movement, she was involved in BC’s first women’s centre, Ishtar Transition House, in 1973. She will be remembered by her children and grandchildren for her ability to create safe spaces, encouraging all to have a voice and reminding everyone that it’s okay to get a little messy. For these qualities, Mariette was known by many more than her own kin as “Oma”.
Mariette passed away in the comfort of her home after she had bid farewell to her friends and family, finding peace with the knowledge that the family will always stay together and keep strong. Mariette is predeceased by her mother Hubanie Emely Goeverneur and father Johannis Gerardus Bernardus Courtois and sisters: Clementine, Jeanne, Tini and brothers: Jan and Leo. She is survived by her sisters: Yvonne and Hubanie and brother: Joop, husband Robert, four children: Sabine, Roderick, Vanessa, Robert Jr., eight grandchildren: Joshua, Tyler, Raquelle, Jesse, Kai, Angelina, Rowan, Luci and great-grandchild: Sienna.
Forever in our hearts, we will miss Mariette, Martie, Oma, Mama, tante, best friend and wife of Robert Roodenburg. We will always heed her advice: “sterkte, moed en kracht.” Her legacy will carry on for generations.

PARKER, John Bryan Reed

Driftwood Obituary
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PARKER, John Bryan Reed

John Bryan Reed Parker
June 11, 1936 ~ May 14, 2022

A memorial service on June 18 at 2 PM at Anglican Parish of Salt Spring Island will be followed by a gathering of friends and family. In lieu of flowers the family welcome donations to the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society International Education Fund www.casief.ca/donate.

CAMPBELL, Anthony (Tony)

Driftwood Obituary
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CAMPBELL, Anthony (Tony)

ANTHONY (TONY) CAMPBELL
June 13, 1941 ~ June 9, 2022

Anthony (Tony) Campbell passed away at his home on Salt Spring Island on June 9, 2022. Tony was born on June 13, 1941, in Surrey, England, an only child to Marjorie Ethel and Edward Augustus Campbell. Both his parents were serving in the British military forces. He lost his father at a very young age. In 1946 he immigrated to Vancouver Island, Canada with his mother, now a war bride married to Bert Beggs. Tony attended school in the Chemainus area. He left school, barely a teenager, and began his working career. His early occupations were manyfold and included heavy equipment operation, logging, truck driving, and insurance adjusting, until eventually focussing on Carmac Enterprises, his own Porsche repair and racing business.

Tony’s racing career began with the purchase of his first Porsche in 1963. The following year he achieved the BC Hillclimb Championship. Over the next few years, he raced and owned many cars including a Porsche RSK and Porsche RS60. In 1968 he won the 1968 Western Canadian Sports Car Championship. The next year he competed in Trans Am races in Washington and California. His career culminated in winning the 1969 Westwood Endurance Race in his Porsche 904. Tony’s racing success and special cars are documented in many books.

In 1972 he moved to Salt Spring Island where he started his final career with BC Ferries. It was at this time, taking a break from cars, that Tony built and lived on a 41’ steel sailboat. He owned several other boats over the following years and even included a sailing and fishing charter business in his pursuits.

Over the next 20 years Tony built three houses and a 6 plex on Salt Spring Island.

With the boating and housebuilding out of his system Tony was back to Porsches again. He imported dozens of Porsches from California and resold them in BC. He also enjoyed racing vintage Porsches up and down the West Coast with his son Gregory.

In 2010 Tony was inducted into the Greater Vancouver Motorsport Pioneers Society.

Tony had a vision for things which would have lasting value. Cars that he once owned here in BC are now treasured by collectors in Germany, Spain, US, and France. His 8 meter classic sailing yacht is now restored and raced in the UK.

Tony was predeceased by two wives, Sandra Sudmant and Moira (Boyle) Campbell and a son Steven Campbell. He is survived by first wife, Catherine (Penner) Whiteley and his children Cheryl (Campbell) Gilbertson, Cowichan Bay; Robert (Campbell) Greenaway, Nanaimo; Gregory Campbell, Salt Spring Island; Morgan Cook, Vancouver; Aaron, Ontario; and Erin Campbell, California.

Tony had a special innate talent and understanding for all things mechanical that more than compensated for his lack of formal training. He will be remembered for his ability to take on new challenges with confidence, particularly when it came to his passions for cars, boats and home construction or indeed, anything mechanical.

The family would like to thank Tony’s caregiver, Cheryl Denaat, for the extraordinary and compassionate time and care she spent with Tony over his last few months.

To honour Tony Campbell’s memory the family extends an open invitation to an Open House on Saturday June 18th from 1 pm to 5 pm at 111 Menhinick Dr., Salt Spring Island.

Five GISS rowers off to national championships

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Five GISS rowers off to national championships

Five rowers from Gulf Islands Secondary School (GISS) have qualified to compete at the Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association (CSSRA) Regatta from June 3 to 5 in St. Catharines, Ont.

Due to Covid this will be the first spring in three years the national championships will take place and it happens to mark the 75th anniversary of the event.

Covid may have held up regattas across the country but it did not keep the GISS rowing team from training on or off the water for long. As soon as the province gave the go-ahead, coaches Stacy Mitchell and Heidi Cowan worked out a plan that would allow all rowers to practise in single sculls, with staggered starts and extensive safety protocols, maintaining their four practices a week on St. Mary Lake during the pandemic.

Coaches’ decisions paid off. Members of the 18-person team from GISS have made their presence known competing at a number of events this spring, including Maple Bay Regatta, Shawnigan Lake School Regatta, Brentwood College Regatta and the Rowing Canada Association’s Small Boat Trials.

Angelica Allen has been rowing since Grade 9 and will compete at nationals in the under-19 women’s double with Maya Wilson as well as the women’s under-19 quad with Zoë Clarke, Quinn Nickels and Wilson.

Nickels, who will be competing in both the under-19 women’s double with Clarke and the women’s under-19 quad, said she is really “proud and excited to be representing Salt Spring Island. We all work so hard together as a small little club.”

Grey Williamson will be rowing in the under-17 single male category and said he is thrilled to be competing at such a high level.

Between handing out pieces of pizza at a school fundraiser on Thursday, Clarke said, “We are just a small club on a small island and we don’t always have all the opportunities other kids do. Now we are going to the national championships. It’s worth all the work and effort.”

The entire team is pitching in to raise money to help offset costs of attending the championships. In addition to a fundraising lunch that raised $400 last Thursday, the team has organized a raffle. Tickets can be bought through Salt Spring Shine or by contacting andria.scanlan@gmail.com. Financial donations are also welcomed.

Results of the CSSRA Regatta can be followed nearly live at http://cssra.ca/results.

Fire hall referendum funding detailed further

Emelie Peacock
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Fire hall referendum funding detailed further

If the referendum to build a new fire hall passes this June, $1 million of the cost of the new building will be supplied from the Capital Regional District (CRD) “gas tax fund.”

A May 16 news release confirmed an agreement in principle had been reached between the CRD and the Salt Spring Island Fire Protection District (SSIFPD) to have $1 million from the CRD’s Community Works Fund — aka federal gas tax monies — go towards the proposed new fire hall. The referendum, to be conducted at the end of June by mail-in ballot, will ask ratepayers if they approve of the department borrowing $9.7 million to build it. 

“This agreement will allow us to reduce the cost for ratepayers of creating a much-needed new fire hall and illustrates how the CRD can work effectively with our fire district in a way that benefits the community,” CRD director for Salt Spring Gary Holman stated.

Fire chief Jamie Holmes added that by working with the CRD to get access to federal funding through the gas tax, the SSIFPD can build a new fire hall “without increasing property taxes.” 

The proposed replacement of Hall #1 in Ganges would be built at 455 Lower Ganges Rd., on land donated by the owners of Brinkworthy Place. The hall has an estimated price tag of $13.7-million, yet the fire board assures its construction will not result in a higher tax requisition. With the district placing $600,000 per year of its annual property tax requisition into reserve funds over the past few years, it has already saved $3 million for the project.

At a May 16 fire board meeting, trustees gave two readings to a bylaw allowing the board to borrow up to $9.7 million with a maximum term of 25 years, to fund the construction should the referendum be successful. 

In a report about the referendum process, the SSIFPD addressed the question of why the price tag is at $13.7 million. The proposed hall, as the centrepiece of the island’s emergency response network, must be built to “exacting post-emergency standards” and has to align with 21 separate codes. The work of the fire department has also become more complex over time, a Q&A document stated, with crews now using specialized equipment for calls ranging from structure fires to medical calls and car accidents. They respond to storms, floods and wildfires, and must be ready for potential earthquakes. The average price of these kinds of buildings in B.C., the Q&A document stated, is $1,300 per square foot. 

The size of the proposed fire hall has decreased 36 per cent from the 2013 proposal, which was rejected by 61 per cent of voters. The SSIFPD noted that the firm S2 Architecture took into account “budget sensitivity and value for . . . residents” as well as needs of the fire service when designing the proposed hall. 

Holmes stated in the May 16 release that Ganges Hall #1 is no longer fit for its purpose. In operation since 1959, the building is in pressing need of an upgrade, according to a 2018 FireWise Consulting report to the fire board. The report stated the current hall could face partial collapse in the case of a significant seismic event, and cited concerns around member health and safety as it relates to contamination potentially brought back from calls or trainings. The hall does not have adequate space to protect self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) each firefighter carries and also doesn’t have a “clearly defined ‘clean’ area within the building,” the report noted.   

At an ASK Salt Spring meeting May 20, both MLA for Saanich North and the Islands Adam Olsen and Holman expressed support for building the new fire hall. 

“The community does have to keep in its mind the reality that the longer this conversation goes, the more expensive it goes,” said Olsen, noting that in his experience as a former Central Saanich councillor, project costs can grow exponentially. The cost of building a new fire hall on Salt Spring has more than doubled from the $6.5-million proposal of 2013.

“And the community is not in a great position when it comes to being able to respond to the emergencies that we’ve seen,” Olsen added, referencing the December 2018 windstorm.

Bruce Cameron, president of the research and strategy firm Return on Insight, who is coordinating the referendum campaign, said it is now in its third phase. The focus is informing the public about the election process. 

Ballots will be mailed out early June, and have to be received at the Ganges fire hall by June 30. Property owners on Salt Spring Island who are 18 years or older, Canadian citizens and residents of B.C. can vote.

In addition to mailing them in, voters will be able to drop their ballots in a secure box at the hall. New property owners who don’t receive a ballot in the mail can register for the election at the fire hall, with details to follow in advertising from the fire department.

Mail-in elections will result in “more enfranchisement,” or more voters, Cameron said. The SSIFPD report referenced North Salt Spring Waterworks District (NSSWD)’s 3.8 per cent turnout in the 2019 in-person trustees’ election and 23.3 per cent rate for the 2020 mail-in ballot election. 

Cameron said the fire hall campaign is keeping in mind the recent NSSWD 2022 trustees election, where 95 ballots were rejected or spoiled. Trustees noted to Cameron that voting information needs to be clearly shared ahead of time and on the ballots themselves.

Board chair Rollie Cook said the campaign had done “a good job so far and we’ve avoided the drama of past campaigns. So let’s continue doing that.”

Photofest celebrates photographic arts in June

Driftwood Staff
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Photofest celebrates photographic arts in June

Salt Spring Photofest is just around the corner, with photography exhibited in the island’s major galleries and several other venues from June 3 to 17.

The Salt Spring Photography Club’s annual Eclectic Visions will show images of 27 photographers in Gallery 8 for that period and will host an artists in attendance opening from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 3. Regular gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Photosynthesis group will show work by members and guests at ArtSpring, with hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Pierre Mineau is chair of the Photofest committee.

“Even though we have found it necessary to scale down our previous activities from the 2019 Photofest, we hope many people will join us this year in appreciating our local photographers and their artistic accomplishments,” he said in a press release.

In addition to the Eclectic Visions and Photosynthesis exhibits, photography will be seen at the Salt Spring Gallery (Julianna Slomka’s It’s About Time fine art and photography show), Salt Spring Public Library, Steffich Fine Art, TJ Beans, Del Vecchio Pasta Fresca, Pod Contemporary, The Laundr-O-Mat, Salt Spring Books, Artcraft, SSI Mobile Electronic Repair and Country Grocer’s Roasters Cafe.

Salt Spring Photography Club president Judy McPhee says, “It’s great that the club can show our photos in person this year; the pandemic disrupted so many public events world wide. Our members have been busy photographing and selecting new works for this year’s eclectic visual expression, and look forward to the opportunity to share them with audiences this June.”

Razali May, owner of Gallery 8, concurs, saying, “It has been challenging these last two years, with the pandemic keeping many people home, not travelling or coming out to galleries.”

This is the sixth year he has hosted Eclectic Visions.

“I’m very happy to see the photography club back in the gallery during June. I believe their show will be a great boost to our traffic. They always have very interesting and creative work.”

June 2019 saw the first iteration of Photofest on Salt Spring Island. It was an island-wide event with work of more than 75 local photographers seen at some 30 different venues, plus evening lectures, daytime talks and workshops offered.

The COVID pandemic prevented repeat Photofests in 2020 and 2021, and the 2022 version is obviously smaller than the 2019 event.

For more information, see saltspringphotofest.com.

Community Resilience Hub makes connections

Emelie Peacock
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Community Resilience Hub makes connections

After entering through the back gate at 133 McPhillips Avenue in Ganges and climbing down a set of stairs, visitors are greeted by two armchairs in the shape of human hands — one blue and one purple.  

Raising your eyes from these really cool chairs, there is a lot to take in at the Salt Spring Island Community Resilience Hub and MakerSpace. Along one purple wall with vibrant bluish purple trim, a row of sewing machines are assembled beside mounds of fabric and craft supplies. Much of the wall space is adorned with artwork of all kinds, and a weaving machine, a mannequin adorned in hand-sewn dress, a crafting table and kitchen space have also found a home here. In the back room there’s a kiln for pottery, which hasn’t been fired yet, and a burgeoning tool library. 

As the space itself is busy with all sorts of arts, crafts and human connections, organizer and creative force behind it Nejmah Guermoudi is also bursting with ideas for what comes next.

“It just feels like things move really quickly on the grassroots. Frontline stuff is really fun and exciting. It feels like every day is a new fun adventure,” said the self-defined “clownsellor” who left her role in social services on the island to bring this space to life. She still does this kind of work through The Purpose Project, where she works with individuals on finding purpose rather than simply going through the motions of getting a job. 

The resilience hub used to be a bike shop with a massively overgrown backyard, whose landlord was intrigued by Guermoudi and her goal of creating a place for people to make art and be crafty. 

Back to the hand-shaped chairs, which came here as a donation early on in the life of the project. The impetus behind the resilience hub connects back to one’s hands, Guermoudi explained, as providing the opportunity for people to keep their hands busy through creative work is powerful.

“Self-creation leads to self-generation, and then it’s something that they truly feel is theirs,” said Guermoudi, whose belief is that the way to wellness is empowering people to make choices for themselves. 

“I definitely feel like we’re filling a gap as far as creating some access to tools, art, community supports that maybe they wouldn’t have had normally,” she added. 

People come and go as she speaks to the Driftwood in the main room of the hub. Some stay to talk and listen, others are working on art projects and come to find tools to open lids or sew things. She’s seen huge transformations in people who spend an hour a day on their creative practice here.

“It’s generated discipline in a space to just feel like they can just be themselves and they’re not trying to conform.” 

The hub is also for people who don’t have a spot to make or store artwork as they may be living on boats, in vehicles or other small spaces. 

“We are very much underground, but coming above ground,” Guermoudi said of the physical space as well as the “alternative, underground, hippie” subculture that is drawn here.

“I think it’s really symbolic, actually, what it is to be a subculture and then also to be able to have stuff outside of our fence on the above ground.”  

It’s an eclectic group of people who come to spend time, make arts and crafts and connect with community here. Among them are children, artists, “young hippie WWOOFers (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms workers) and Fairy Creekers.” The culture is also one that’s very much a part of and has been nurtured on Salt Spring, Guermoudi said, the difference being in the 1990s you could rent a farmhouse together and live the hippie life while now the island is facing a deepening housing crisis. 

Guermoudi herself arrived here as a 16-year-old and “the continuity of care between services like that, for youth like me, there wasn’t anything there,” she recalled. “So I think, “Well, what did I need? What did I need that wasn’t here?” 

The answer brings her to the goodness and positivity she saw in the creative space called Alchemi Living Arts, which she was involved in founding together with friends, including the late Indigo Matiko.

“I didn’t have the tools at that time to really understand even what we were trying to do, as far as what it was to create a community space and operate it,” she said. 

Guermoudi returned to Salt Spring after Matiko passed away in January of last year. Back for the funeral of her dear friend, Guermoudi said she witnessed the community more fragmented than when she was last there and knew it was time to come back. 

“He was just one of those playful creatures who was very neurodivergent and also found his place here. He was very at home here. So I think about how we can support people to not feel so isolated, so they can just be nurtured to be creative,” she said. “Nothing we can do can bring Matiko back, but he’s definitely very with us as far as the spirit goes. I feel very connected with him.” 

The hub is also a harm reduction space. People who come are welcomed and accepted and the focus is on behaviour, ensuring all those gathered feel safe in the space. 

Guermoudi wants to make clear that the space is low-barrier, yet there is a strict no drug and alcohol policy. “Just by accepting people, meeting them where they’re at, and giving them something to do whether it be a tool or a pen or whatever, we’re reducing harm. That it is a safe space is the actual really important piece.”

If people are too intoxicated they’re offered a ride to somewhere to rest, as the focus is also on making this a safe space for elders, children and people who may be in recovery.  

Settling in with neighbours and educating the wider community about who they are and what they do has been part of the work these first few months. It’s about connecting out as well, working on restoration of the creek behind the library, as well as beautifying and gardening in their outdoor space with the help of a Salt Spring Arts grant. Guermoudi is facilitating a sewing clinic at the library this Thursday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. On June 3, the hub will host MLA for Saanich North and the Islands Adam Olsen, and a night market is in the works for the late-June Tour Des Îles. 

Weaving the community together here builds resilience, which in essence is “when you’re actually all able to face adversity because there’s a strong network, there’s a strong net that catches everyone.”

Guermoudi is applying to all kinds of grants, has a Patreon set up and is seeking donations of art supplies, tools, funds, as well as people who want to facilitate workshops. To really run the program well would require a few employees, she added. 

Eight months since it launched, the resilience hub is thriving and is looking forward to huge changes come Aug. 1. On that date, they’ll move into a 1,000-square-foot classroom and storage space at the Salt Spring Island Middle School (SIMS) set to house arts, sewing, tinkering and DIY stations, a puppet theatre and a tool library. Partners on the SIMS expansion are longtime supporter Lynne Johnson and Art Jam, as well as the Chuan Society, which will likely be involved with the tool library.

The space on McPhillips will transform into more of a calm place for people to engage in music, media, work, board games, crafts, as well as a harm reduction space in the evenings. 

The SSI Community Resilience Hub operates as an outreach project of the Green Ground Community Design Society. To learn more, search “SSI Community Resilience Hub” on Facebook. 

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