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Land bank assets change hands

Emelie Peacock
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Land bank assets change hands

While more details will come when the deal is finalized, Salt Spring Island Community Services (SSICS) will be assuming ownership of three affordable housing properties that were recently foreclosed on.

Properties owned by the Salt Spring Land Bank Society are the Brackett Springs affordable housing site at 584 Rainbow Rd., where existing homes were placed years ago, and homes with tenants at 129 Dean Rd. and 384 Fulford-Ganges Rd. 

SSICS has an arrangement with Vancity Credit Union, the mortgage holder on the properties, as well as financing in order. “We will be assuming the debt that the land bank society had with them, and we’re going to see that [purchase] closing probably in the next couple of weeks,” said SSICS executive director Rob Grant last week.

Some people are living in the Dean and Fulford-Ganges Road properties and their tenancies will be secure, Grant confirmed, with no evictions happening.

“We’re not going to do anything to change anyone’s living situation. We’re not going to be moving any new people in yet because we have to do some major renovations of both of the properties,” he said. The renovations will likely start with the house on Dean Road with hundreds of thousands of dollars and several months of work ahead on the two properties. There may be some disruption for tenants, Grant said, yet a strategy is in place to keep everyone housed. 

“It’s just been a lot of work to get there . . . and there was a lot of debt owed on that property too. So we’re taking out a very sizeable mortgage to make this work,” Grant said. Details of the property acquisitions’ cost will be shared when the deal is finalized, he confirmed.

Community Services is “exploring development opportunities” on the Rainbow Road site, with Grant promising more information soon about what this will look like. “We’re acquiring all three knowing that there’s two properties that can be used for housing immediately, and then the third we’re just exploring,” he said. 

As detailed in past Driftwood reporting, the land bank society had originally planned to put 15 units of affordable housing on the 7.75-acre (3.14-hectare) rural-zoned Rainbow Road site, donated to the society by Herbert Brackett. The society submitted its rezoning application in 2008, with approval for up to 10 units coming from the Islands Trust in 2010 in the form of a covenant and a housing agreement administered by the Capital Regional District (CRD).

The project faced delays and $182,000 in grant funding from the CRD was withdrawn in 2015. A CRD staff report noted the project had also acquired $500,000 in grant funding from BC Housing and a $440,000 loan from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Some of the delays came from the project’s plans to use recycled homes from on and off-island, which were to be renovated largely by volunteer labour and recycled materials and then rented out at affordable rates. In 2013 concern arose around construction delays and issues with documentation, which led to BC Housing and CMHC pulling out of the deal. The same CRD report noted the BC Housing grant was largely repaid and CMHC had agreed to write off the loan. 

The society found a new funder in Vancity, yet in 2019 notice was placed on the title of the property amidst expired building permits and the seven homes moved onto the property not renovated to the point of occupancy. A site visit by a CRD building inspector found that one of the buildings appeared to be occupied illegally, and most of the other buildings appeared to be derelict.

In 2018 the property was listed for $1.5 million for three months. The listing was requested by Vancity, land bank society founder Neddy Harris told the Driftwood.

Vancity was in the process of foreclosing on the three properties in late December of 2021, Salt Spring’s CRD director Gary Holman confirmed.

Island youth brings laptops back to life

Emelie Peacock
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Island youth brings laptops back to life

Finnegan Guenther has started a project that combines his passion for computers and his motivation to benefit his community and the environment. 

The 13-year-old Salt Spring Islander has for the past six months spent a lot of his time repairing computers and selling them at affordable rates. He is now looking for donations of old laptops so he can continue his project.

Guenther has always had a passion for computers, which he says is kind of funny as he got virtually no screen time until the age of eight. Yet in his family, he is the one to take on tech challenges like fixing his parents’ smartphone screens. He remembers one early challenge: taking a really, really slow iPhone his mother owned and optimizing it.

“I basically worked obsessively for a month, just optimizing every single setting one by one. And I loved it, it was so much fun.” The result was “still a slow phone, but a marginally less slow phone,” he said. 

From there, Guenther went on to work on his parents’ laptops and newer cell phones. Along the way, he started to learn a lot about the various computer parts and their functions as well as how to maneuver around old operating systems.

“Just so much stuff,” he said of the learning he has been doing, “it’s really hard for me to name something.”

He also has a mentor who brings him computers with specific issues to work on.

Guenther is not usually dealing with computer hardware, although sometimes he will replace a component. Parts are expensive to replace, though, and for old computers the exact parts can be hard to source as they are either discontinued or only available second hand for exorbitant prices. Instead, most of his work is with software.

In addition to the hard skills, Guenther has also learned about pricing.

“I tried to sell a computer for $25 because $25 is really cheap for a computer, but no one asked about it because they assumed it was just a garbage computer,” he recalled. Guenther’s neighbour advised him to up his prices, which he did, and he now walks the line between “having it be affordable and having it be so low that people think it doesn’t work.” 

Over the past six months, Guenther has fixed up and sold a half dozen laptops.

“It is a lot of work, but I love it,” he said.  

The idea started with a special homeschool class project he’s meant to do at the end of the year.

“I was looking for something that could . . . help out people in the community and at the same contribute and not harm the environment but help the environment. As well as doing something that I love.”

The project he came up with is a good combination of his love for anything to do with computers and his interest in problem solving and fixing things. 

Old computers are destined to sit in people’s homes before they are thrown out, he explained, as there is no time or monetary incentive to repair them. Guenther’s project keeps the plastic and various metal components out of the recycling plant or landfill and redirects these devices to people who can make use of them.

“They’re often very happy to get a computer for not $7,000,” he said of the response he has gotten from his clients. 

Guenther is on the lookout for old laptops to keep this project going. Anyone with one to give away can email him at guentherfinnegan@gmail.com. He assures people that as soon as he gets a donated computer, it will be completely wiped so there is no trace of anyone’s personal information left on it.

Anyone who wants to buy a computer can also get in touch and he will let them know what he has on hand.

Items needed for Help Ukraine silent auction

Driftwood Staff
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Items needed for Help Ukraine silent auction

Islanders are being asked to donate high-quality items for the Help Ukraine fundraiser set for Fulford Hall on Saturday, April 30.

Running from 2 to 7 p.m., the event will include a silent auction, items for purchase on grab ‘n’ go tables, live music, and perogies and borscht available for purchase.

A number of beautiful artworks and other goods have already been donated, but more are needed to help raise as much money as possible for humanitarian response in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion. Services are also welcomed as items for the auction.

Wednesday, April 20 from 1 to 5 p.m. has been set as the day and time to drop off donations for the event. People should bring them to the seniors annex on the south side of Fulford Hall.

People needing more information can contact Victoria Olchowecki at 250-537-1528 or Olga Szkabarnicki at 1-613-276-4155 or ursaminor45@gmail.com.

A general email and the one used for e-transfer donations is helpukrainessi@gmail.com.

Painting donated for the April 30 auction by artist Susan Benson, who is also a member of the Order of Canada in recognition of her major contributions to theatrical design.

Fix For Route 6 petition efforts updated

Contributed Article
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Fix For Route 6 petition efforts updated

BY DAVID COURTNEY

Last week signified day 100 for the Fix For Route 6 petition. For the nearly 2,000 petitioners who have taken the time to support the initiative to have two-ferry service on the Vesuvius-Crofton route, a sincere thank you from our small, tight-knit group of dedicated volunteers.

The petition is still alive on Change.Org for those who would like to sign on. It’s a perfect way to keep in touch as we move forward. On Monday, April 4, our MLA Adam Olsen graciously introduced me on behalf of the patrons of Route 6 to the B.C. Legislature and shortly thereafter tabled our petition. We owe Mr. Olsen a debt of gratitude for being so proactive and engaged on behalf of his constituents/petitioners on Salt Spring and in North Sannich. He has been fully committed in raising the awareness of our ferry issues with Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) Rob Fleming and BC Ferries CEO Mark Collins.

Most have read the dire predictions for this spring and summer coming from BC Ferries (BCF). The interesting part on Route 6 is that sailing waits, delays and cancellations are nothing new. Being underserved, especially during the peak demand summer season, seems to have become the accepted norm. BCF has elected not to develop more car park containment areas over the last 45 years. Meanwhile our community continues to grow with the need for more service, along with car park containment areas. Yes, the Vesuvius terminal upgrade has been approved for 2027, which will provide 25 more car parking spots, and don’t forget the Crofton terminal upgrade by 2030. Perhaps the change-out of the MV Quinsam in 2035 at the end of its service life will come to pass as well. We simply haven’t kept up with demand and now we have a crisis. Route 6 is especially important because it transports our dangerous goods and a plethora of goods and services each and every day from the big island. 

Where do we go from here? Basically our plea for improved service on both Route 4 and 6 is with Minister Fleming.There is an existing agreement from 1992 between the Islands Trust and MoTI. The concept of BCF creating parking containment areas out of our roadways is not catered to in the agreement. However, it has been a longstanding practice that has never been formally contested by the Islands Trust. Our two trustees have requested Trust staff to engage the Ministry of Transportation on the merits and intent of the agreement.

It’s time and long overdue to either address our parking containment areas or ramp up ferry frequency, or ideally a combination of both. Let’s put vehicles on the ferries instead of creating traffic gridlock and one-way gauntlets to our two ferry terminals as well as the Crofton terminal. The Fix for Route Six does exactly that for Vesuvius Bay and the Crofton ferry terminals, promoting sailing frequency over car park containment areas. The relief is immediate. We have the availability of both ferries currently. The logistical problem for BCF is finding adequate crew to man the second vessel. A tie-up float for use when only one vessel is in use during low demand periods after 7 p.m. would also be needed. This is the only infrastructure cost, if deemed necessary. The Fix For Route 6 is the most cost-effective solution in the inter-island network and mitigates traffic gridlock at all three ferry terminals.

Last June the Salt Spring Island Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) tendered a service request to use the MV Quinitsa on Route 4 — Fulford Harbour to Swartz Bay — to provide extra sailings during June, July and August. The patrons of Route 6 have cordially asked the FAC to consider having BCF take those resources and use them on Route 6 for the same time frame this summer, creating an on the hour sailing at Vesuvius Bay and Crofton. Some say it’s just a hunch that we will siphon off traffic at Fulford Harbour as ferry patrons begin to migrate to Route 6 if there is no compelling reason to use Route 4. We believe this to be case as the data shows it’s currently happening now. If we could migrate 20 vehicles every two hours that means 400 feet less vehicle traffic lined up on the roadway in Fulford.

In January, BC Ferries vice president of strategy and community engagement Brian Anderson tried to quell the petition in an advertisement in the Driftwood. He had very little success as patrons simply didn’t buy into Ferries’ flat-line graph suggesting vessel capacity and demand were matched. Patrons on routes 4 and 6 are simply fed up with our service during peak demand hours at all three terminals. Of the commitments made in January by BCF management, one has been honoured, assuming the MV Quinsam due to arrive on April 13 shows up. This vessel will effectively increase the vehicle capacity by two vehicles over the MV Bowen Queen used for the last two summers. With no substantial changes, stand by for another summer of frustration, discontent from sailing waits and traffic gridlock on Route 6. 

BC Ferries management seems to have their fair share of issues these days. That too will pass. Along with the amendments to the Coastal Ferries Act contained in Bill 7, change is in the air at BC Ferries and with their governance model.

In the interim, let’s keep the momentum going and campaign individually and as a group for improvements to our ferry service to and from Salt Spring Island at every opportunity. A website and social media app is planned in order to convey how our ferry service is impacting businesses, our livelihoods and personal travel this spring and summer.

The writer is a frequent user of Route 6 who has initiated the Fix For Route 6 petition.

ROBERTSON, Gordon Alan

Driftwood Obituary
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ROBERTSON, Gordon Alan

Gordon Alan Robertson
July 10, 1928 ~ April 15, 2022

Alan Robertson was born on July 10, 1928 at Grace Hospital in Vancouver. Along with his older brother Donald and younger sisters Margaret and Joan, he grew up in Vancouver, West Vancouver, Vernon, and Nanaimo.  

Alan was involved in Boy Scouts Canada for decades, starting out as a young Cub in the mid-1930s and finishing in his early forties as District Commissioner for West Vancouver in the late 1960s. He was well-suited for this organization as he loved learning, teaching, comradeship, and always the outdoors. Plus, he looked great in short pants. After graduating from Nanaimo’s John Shaw High School in 1946, Alan studied commerce at UBC but ultimately realized this was not his calling. By way of response, he and a buddy set off to explore western Canada. They worked construction, hitchhiked around BC, rode the freight rails to Calgary, and caught a rough flight to Yellowknife where they dug sewer and water lines to finance their way back to Vancouver. 

In 1949, Alan was offered a position in the engineering department of F. Drexel Co., an industrial supply firm. Here is where his young life took a dramatic turn. One day in 1951 he observed at the front desk a pretty young woman who had arrived to interview for a secretarial job. He quickly phoned down to his office manager and said, “Hire this one, Dunc.” And Dunc did. An office romance followed, and at Christmas—much to the delight of the office staff—the engagement of Alan Robertson and Rita Wheeler was proudly announced.  

Alan and Rita were married at St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Kitsilano in May of 1952. Alan’s work took them north to Prince George, and there they began their new life together. They returned to Vancouver in 1954 with their firstborn, Christine, and subsequently had two more children, Gordon and Kathleen. In 1962 the family moved to West Vancouver. In his professional life, Alan worked as a draughtsman at Columbia Engineering (1955–1957), and draughtsman/project manager at Permasteel Engineering (1957–1985) and McGuire Engineering (1985–1990).  

Alan’s adventurous spirit and curiosity about the world led him and Rita to take many wonderful trips: Britain, Europe, Cuba, the US, and across Canada. Family vacations with their children, however, can be summed up in one word: camping. Throughout the 1960s Alan and family camped extensively in B.C. and twice down the Pacific coast to California. Camping. Always camping. Leave it to Al Robertson to find a campsite in the city of Los Angeles. Now that took some scouting.  

Being involved in his church community was a steadfast theme throughout Alan’s life. In West Vancouver he dedicated himself to St. Stephen’s Anglican Church. He served as People’s Warden and sang in the choir for many years. His love of singing and beautiful bass voice is something that his friends and family will always remember about him. Upon retirement in 1990 Alan and Rita moved to Salt Spring Island, where they were warmly welcomed by the parish of All Saints by-the-Sea. Here, Alan’s draughting and management skills were invaluable in the major project of moving and reconstructing the church. He cherished this project, and it remained a point of great pride for him.

On Salt Spring Island, in the warmth of their parish family, Alan and Rita found a community they were to love for over thirty years. Here, music continued to be a passion in Alan’s life as he joined the Salt Spring Singers, Lost Chords, Salt Spring Quartet, and All Saints’ Church Choir. He delighted in the Trail and Nature Club and Scottish Country Dancing, where he not only danced but also regularly sang The Star of Robbie Burns at the annual Robbie Burns banquet. Alan’s kindness and big heart led him to years of community service: Meals on Wheels, Soup’s On, Choices/Special Olympics, Ometepe Coffee, Greenwoods’ singalongs, Music and Munch, and more. 

A man of many interests and talents, Alan took great pleasure in such activities as gardening (he grew vegetables wherever he had a little land), sketching (his delightful posters and cartoons were legendary), and keeping fit (countless tennis matches on the courts of West Van). He was a great supporter of the arts, especially theatre, and was keenly interested in politics, world affairs, the environment, and soccer.

In the past year, Alan found another community in the loving care of the staff at Greenwoods Eldercare. The care aides, nurses, residents and management fully embraced him as he did them, in mutual love and respect. He found meaningful connections and blessed comfort in the care of those who helped him navigate the last months of his life. The Robertson family would like to express their deepest gratitude to Greenwoods, and to Marjie and Brock Radford, for bringing joy to Alan time and again this past year. 

Our hearts are fuller and our lives are richer for having known and loved Alan Robertson. He was an inspiration to all who knew him. He is predeceased by his mother, Edith Fenton Robertson; his father, Gordon Stuart Struan Robertson; his brother, Donald Robertson; his sister, Margaret Robertson; his grandson, David Edmond Hall; and his great-granddaughter, Mila Kate Russell. This wonderful husband, brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather is survived by his wife, Rita; sister Joan McKay; daughter Christine Hall (Ron); son Gordon Robertson; daughter Kathleen Stockner (Todd); grandchildren Alexander Hall (Andria), Kimberley Hall, Stephanie Schollen (Erin), Hannah Stockner, Simon Stockner, Nathalie Robertson (Pat); and great-grandchildren Isla Hall, Miranda Schollen, Noah Hall, John Schollen and Liam Russell.

A memorial service will be held at All Saints by-the-Sea Anglican Church on Friday, May 6 at 2:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Greenwoods Eldercare Society or Salt Spring Island Community Services. 

ROBERTSON, Patricia

Driftwood Obituary
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ROBERTSON, Patricia

Patricia Robertson

Patricia “Pat” Robertson, long time Salt Spring resident and employee at Lady Minto, passed away peacefully on April 18th, with her goddaughter Alicia at her side.

Met on the other side by her husband Herb Burnett who preceded her in 2018.

Many thanks to the staff at Greenwoods and her close friends who cared for her in her final years.

A Celebration of Life will be celebrated this summer.

CURTIS, Michael Glyn

Driftwood Obituary
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CURTIS, Michael Glyn

Michael Glyn Curtis
Jan. 28, 1939 ~ March 21, 2022

Michael passed over gently at Lady Minto Hospital. He is survived by April, his wife of 54 years, his daughter Malindi Curtis and his grandson Gabriel.

Born in Britain during WWII and raised in London, he later followed family tradition and joined the RAF. This started his interest traveling the world as he was sent into the Malayan conflict. After his service, he eventually became a British Steel export sales rep and was sent to Libya, Kenya, Spain Shanghai, America and finally, Thailand. While he was working in Bangkok, he met April and they married two months later.

They returned to England via Katmandu, Nepal and a year later moved to the Monterey Peninsula in California. Finally, they traveled north to Canada where they found their forever home above Weston Lake on South Salt Spring Island where he lived for 45 years.

He was an author, artist, actor, athlete, artisan, and amigo. Life with Michael was always an adventure. He wrote the following poem about 3 months before his passage into a new form of existence.

High on Harmony Hill Hummingbirds hover
Thrusting their beaks into the hearts of heavenly blossoms
Raccoons roam in search of anything
As a gentle doe grazes knowingly in the garden

While robins eat the last of this season’s cherries
Rats in the attic gnaw on my guitar case
Waiting for night to plunder the breadbasket

In bed, Bella teaches April the secret language of cats
Oblivious of the mice scavenging the bread crumbs
left by the rats
It’s another lovely day on Salt Spring

Michael was laid to rest with music, songs, and love by a circle of longtime friends in the Natural Cemetery in the heart of the Fulford Valley.

NSSWD candidates Q&A

Contributed Article
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NSSWD candidates Q&A

Property owners eligible to vote in the North Salt Spring Waterworks District should be receiving ballots and detailed directions for a trustees’ election in the mail imminently if they haven’t already done so. Five candidates are running for two vacant seats. They have answered some Driftwood questions in the space below, as published in the April 6, 2022 issue of the Gulf Islands Driftwood newspaper.

LEIGH LARGE

Q. Tell us a bit about yourself.

A. My involvement on Salt Spring Island goes back 50 years to when our family purchased Ben’s Lucky Dollar, which over the years has morphed into Country Grocer. My career has been oriented around our family business — primarily grocery, liquor, and real estate. People and community have always been our focus. I have a son and daughter who are involved in our businesses and three grandchildren.

Q. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the NSSWD in the next five years?

A. We face some big challenges on Salt Spring in terms of building more affordable housing, for the homeless as well as the workforce. Lack of access to water is at the root of that problem. I’ve seen firsthand the challenges of finding homes for our workers at Country Grocer.

In my view the main challenges for the NSSWD board over the next five years start with listening. We need to gain the understanding and support of staff and ratepayers. We have to settle long-outstanding litigation issues and resolve the water moratorium. Saying no is not the long-term answer. In the years ahead, we need to lay out a go-forward platform that is viable, cost effective and responsive to the needs of ratepayers.

Q. How will your experience and perspective benefit the NSSWD and its ratepayers if you are elected to the board?

A. I approach things with a business perspective and a “yes” mentality. With that in mind I look forward to working with my fellow trustees and the community, so together we can build on the many achievements of staff and trustees, past and present. Drawing on my business and people skills I want to address NSSWD challenges in a cooperative, pragmatic, transparent and realistic manner, to plan for the uncertain future we all face.

The first thing I would do is listen to all the points of view. People are tired of inaction and water moratoriums. By listening and understanding the pros and cons, we will be in a good position to develop a workable plan that can be supported by the whole community. Most importantly, I know a deal can be structured that can be paid for without raising the rates of ratepayers. It can be done, and if elected, I will focus on that.

MICHAEL MCALLISTER

Q. Tell us a bit about yourself.

A. I am a lawyer, specializing in local government law. I have been a trustee at NSSWD for the past five years and chair of the board of trustees the last three years. I have lived on Salt Spring since 1993.

Q. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the NSSWD in the next five years?

A. There are many challenges that NSSWD is currently facing, but in my opinion, the biggest three challenges we will face over the next five years are: (1) governance (decisions about Salt Spring should be made on Salt Spring); (2) water availability/water shortage/ moratorium on new water connections; and (3) the settlement of various pending legal actions.

These three key challenges are refinements on the answers I gave three years ago during the election campaign. Over the last three years, significant progress has been made on the first two challenges.  As to the pending litigation all I can say is that it is never far from our minds.

Q. How will your experience and perspective benefit the NSSWD and its ratepayers if you are elected to the board?

A. My experience as a municipal lawyer for the past 34 years has been and will continue to be a benefit to NSSWD and our ratepayers as I understand the ins and outs of local governments and its interactions with the provincial government and its various ministries.

I am proud of being given the opportunity by my colleagues to be elected as the chair of the board of trustees at NSSWD for each of the last three years. I say this because the board is comprised of very different personalities and also because of what we have manage to accomplish, generally with all board members being in agreement.

Finally, as to my perspective, I believe in finishing any job that I start. While I had not originally planned to run for a third term, I was asked by members of our community to reconsider and run again. In deciding to run for a third term, I am hopeful that we, as a board, will be focused on delivering tangible results on these three challenges for the benefit of our ratepayers.

We still have much work to do on all three challenges over the coming years.

RICHARD SWANN

Q. Tell us a bit about yourself.

A. I am a retired technology CEO with a masters degree in business administration and a technology diploma. I have successfully lead engineering teams working on complex, multidisciplinary projects for government and the private sector, including the software for the Canadarm 2 on the International Space Station.

I volunteer with the Salt Spring Literacy Society, am on the executive of the local chapter of Rotary International and a board member of the Salt Spring Island Public Library Association.

My wife and I have lived on Salt Spring for just under two years.

Q. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the NSSWD in the next five years?

A. There are two main challenges and they are related.

As this year has so vividly demonstrated, climate change presents a serious risk to infrastructure that was designed for different weather. NSSWD needs to make an assessment of the probable impact and develop an action plan to mitigate the risks of not being able to meet the needs of their customers.

In conjunction with the CRD, NSSWD needs to be aware of trends impacting water availability on Salt Spring in general. How will climate change likely affect residents on wells and catchment systems? While the primary responsibility is to existing customers, as a good corporate citizen in control of a resource necessary for life there needs to some thought given to what assistance can be provided to other island residents should it be required.

Q. How will your experience and perspective benefit the NSSWD and its ratepayers if you are elected to the board?

A. I have been successful empowering engineering teams to find innovative solutions to complex problems and delivering projects on time and on budget. I believe these skills will be of use to NSSWD.

Many of the projects I have worked on have involved government agencies so I understand the complexities that brings.

SANDRA UNGERSON

Q. Tell us a bit about yourself.

It has been an honour to represent the ratepayers of the NSSWD for the past three years. As a water scientist with a master of science degree from the University of Calgary, researcher and integrated water specialist I’ve been involved in many aspects of water collection, treatment, delivery, and research on Salt Spring Island. I have directly cooperated with and/or contributed research and information to the Community Alliance, Salt Spring Island Watershed Protection Alliance, other small water systems and licence holders on Salt Spring, Transition Salt Spring and the CRD Liquid Waste Commission. I am the NSSWD board vice chair.

Q. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the NSSWD in the next five years?

A. There are so many pressures on our water resources: from watershed degradation to climate change, human activities and legacy decisions related to roads and development — all impacting the quality and quantity of water our utility is able to provide.

The biggest challenges facing NSSWD in the next five years are, in no particular order:

• Facing the Channel Ridge litigation issue;

• developing a plan to increase our opportunities for funding in innovative ways, not controlled by the Province;

• working on the restoration of the Maxwell watershed in cooperation with our land partners;

• having a specific plan for dealing with climate emergencies related to water supply delivery, and;

• reducing the energy footprint of how we contribute to the island’s greenhouse gas emissions. One example of this that is currently being put together is a centrate recovery pilot, so we don’t have to pay shipping fees for our St. Mary Lake dissolved air flotation plant effluent.

Thank you for your support and continued enthusiasm for improving the quantity and quality of the water resources in this district.

DAVID WARDLAW

Q. Tell us a bit about yourself.

A. I am a professional geophysicist with an honours degree in geophysics from the University of Calgary (1988). I have been living with my family on Salt Spring since September 2020, however, we have been vacationing here for over 20 years. We fell in love with the island and decided to make the move during Covid. I have a daughter attending the dance program at GISPA and another daughter enrolled at UVic. My wife is a part-time bookkeeper and offers qigong classes and women’s circles through Zoom.

I have previously been on the board of directors of Pro Musica Society in Calgary and acted as an executive for a TSX-listed junior company. I enjoy hiking, kayaking, biking and am a member of the island’s golf club. I also run an artisan granola business in Vesuvius and sell in the Saturday market in Ganges.

Q. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the NSSWD in the next five years?

A. The biggest challenge facing NSSWD over the next five years will be the effects of climate change to hotter, drier summers balanced against an ever-increasing population demand for west coast living.

There are many divergent interests and opinions on the use of water and whether the supply should be rationed or increased to allow for more housing on Salt Spring. I will listen to the ratepayers from both sides of this complex problem.

Q. How will your experience and perspective benefit the NSSWD and its ratepayers if you are elected to the board?

A. I have an extensive background and understanding of surface and subsurface geological processes and their relationship to water reservoirs. I have worked in private business where a combination of data analysis, communication and decision-making skills are vital.

I am data driven and will use my science background to gain a better understanding of all the variables affecting the water supply for Salt Spring residents. Having a supply of potable water is the most essential resource for living here.

I believe we need to look at creative ways to capture more of the water that is in the ecosystem during the wet season so that we can be better prepared for the dry season.

Delivering a stable and cost-effective supply of water to current and future Salt Spring residents should be the goal.

Let’s Pick It Up, Salt Spring campaign kicks off

Gail Sjuberg
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Let’s Pick It Up, Salt Spring campaign kicks off

The 2022 Let’s Pick It Up, Salt Spring campaign is now underway, with community members and groups invited to clear island roads and beaches of trash and other debris through the month of April.

Now in its fourth year — we started in 2018 but skipped 2020 due to Covid-19 — more and more people and groups have joined in each time. You don’t need to tackle a huge area to have an impact: every little bit counts! Watch this space in coming weeks to see which roads and beaches people have committed to cleaning up, and we hope you will be inspired to add your name to the list. Just give us a call at the Driftwood office — 250-537-9933 — email to news@gulfislandsdriftwood.com, or drop in to see us at 241 Fulford-Ganges Rd., Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Once again our campaign sponsor Laurie’s Garbage and Recycling is providing bags and covering garbage disposal costs for those who want to use that benefit. And TJ Beans is offering a complimentary coffee, tea or hot chocolate to participants. After registering through the Driftwood office, just drop by to get the required coupons to present to Laurie’s and TJ Beans. (People are asked to not include their own household garbage in the bags taken to Laurie’s.)

As you can see from the photos on this page, some people have already started and/or finished the area they chose.

Claire Sicherman and her family are passionate about getting various chunks of debris — much of it from broken-up floats — off of Baker Beach. They spent a few hours cleaning up on Saturday. One piece of debris they cannot deal with on their own is an old float or dock that washed up a year or two ago and is slowly deteriorating, with the bits of styrofoam spreading across a wide area.

“I reported it last year to the government but they said apparently nothing can be done about it. So it’s still sadly sitting there on the west side of Baker Beach spreading styrofoam everywhere,” said Sicherman.

She wonders if anyone on the island would be able and willing to help remove and dispose of it.

Susannah Devitt and Linda Dares volunteered to pick up the trash on Robinson Road again this year and didn’t hesitate in getting the job done last weekend.

Linda Dares and Susannah Devitt with their trash-collecting wagon on Robinson Road last weekend. The pair have signed on to the Driftwood’s Let’s Pick It Up, Salt Spring campaign that sees islanders pledge to clean up specific road and beach areas on the island.

We encourage people to send us photos of themselves in action and their trash haul for publishing in the paper and on our Instagram page @driftwoodnews. You can post photos on Instagram with a #letspickitupsaltspring22 hashtag (and tag us, please!) or we can post for you on our Instagram page if you email photos to us.

Check out the list below to see what areas have been pledged so far. Duplication of areas is not discouraged, since more trash will likely accumulate throughout the month.

Thanks in advance to everyone who participates in the campaign and to our sponsors.

• Sicherman family — Baker Beach.

• Linda Dares & Susannah Devitt — Robinson Road. 

• Krista & Brent Lefler — Ross Road, Walker’s Hook Road from Ross Road to Grantville Street and lower Grantville Street to the water. 

• Elizabeth Nolan — North End Road from Whims Road to North Beach.

• Amanda McLeod – North End Road from North Beach Road to Southey Point Road. 

• Salt Spring Sneakers — Walker’s Hook Road and North Beach Road – exact area TBD. 

• John Howe — Cusheon Lake Road from Fulford-Ganges Road to Stewart Road. 

• Nancy Johnson — Fulford-Ganges Road from the Driftwood office to Charlesworth Road.

• Angie Bailey — Maliview Drive & Whims Road. 

• Gail Sjuberg — Cranberry Road from Fulford-Ganges Road to Blackburn Road.

Hackergal virtual girls coding club offered through library

Driftwood Staff
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Hackergal virtual girls coding club offered through library

Girls aged 12 to 18 are invited to participate in a virtual girls coding club led by Hackergal ambassador Jessica Young.

Sessions organized by the Salt Spring Public Library will run via Zoom on Mondays from April 11 through May 9 from 7 to 8 p.m.

Young, who is a nationally trained youth ambassador, will teach attendees how to code fun projects on Lynx, which is Hackergal’s official platform for beginners. No previous coding experience is required.

According to the Hackergal website, the program is designed to encourage learners to achieve their full potential through acquiring “future-ready competencies” of critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, growth mindset and global citizenship.

“This club also prepares girls for the annual national Hackathon from May 25 to June 1, which brings girls together from all over the country to compete and have fun coding solutions to challenges together,” explains information about the group.

“Learning to code and making a difference through technology goes beyond programming knowledge and skills. That’s why these core competencies equip girls with the ability to meet the complex demands of diverse contexts and be successful in their everyday lives and in their future.”

The sessions are co-hosted by teen programs librarian Amy Trepanier, who said the idea behind the program is to increase the number of young women entering the field of technology.

Girls can register by sending an email to atrepanier@saltspringlibrary.com.

More information is also available through hackergal.org.

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