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Northwest Passage trek recounted in Keough presentation

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Northwest Passage trek recounted in Keough presentation

By MARGRIET RUURS

for Salt Spring Trail & Nature Club

The Salt Spring Trail and Nature Club (SSTNC) invites everyone to vicariously voyage the Arctic’s fabled Northwest Passage via Pat and Rosemarie Keough’s great stories and stunning photography garnered during three transits and many Arctic adventures.

Their presentation — taking place Saturday, June 13 at 2 p.m. at the Salt Spring Public Library — will touch on topics like people and culture, wildlife and vegetation, geology and ice, history and discoveries, climate change, boundary and waterway disputes and more.

“We are fortunate to have explored many of the world’s remote and majestic places. The Northwest Passage ranks among the most memorable,” said Rosemarie.

Together, the Keoughs have been exploring the world as professional photographers and book publishers for 41 years. Their work has taken them throughout the Arctic and Antarctica as well as to the tropics and points between. Their limited-edition, hand-bound tomes — Antarctica and Labyrinth Sublime — are the apogee of their careers. Prestigious international honours for these works include World’s Best Photography Book, Outstanding Bookarts Craftsmanship, Nature Photographers of the Year and Official Book of POLAR2018. Yale University maintains a comprehensive archive of the Keoughs’ artistry. Pat and Rosemarie are Medalists and Fellows of The Explorers Club, Medalists of Britain’s Royal Geographical Society, Fellows of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and recipients of Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals. 

They share the adventure gene. In his teens, Pat explored the South Pacific where, among many occupations, he had a dive salvage company and constructed a house from 40,000 beer bottles. For several years he sailed a trimaran through much of Polynesia. 

Rosemarie’s early career in corporate finance was balanced by personal time leading canoeing, hiking and skiing outings, all while honing her photographic skills and knowledge of nature. Cultural heritage is another of her interests, especially traditional dance.

 Kindred spirits, the Keoughs met during a 550-km whitewater-canoe expedition down the legendary South Nahanni River in Canada’s subarctic wilderness. Not long after, while photographing elephants and keeping an eye for tigers in the Ghat Mountains of southern India, the newlyweds turned their mutual enjoyment of photography, then a hobby, into an exciting new career. As you can imagine, these long-time Salt Springer Islanders have many great stories to tell. 

The free presentation is hosted by the SSTNC and sponsored by the Salt Spring Public Library.

Level 4 drought declared

Robb Magley
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Level 4 drought declared

Predictions for a hot, dry summer for the Southern Gulf Islands are beginning to materialize, as federal and provincial agencies sharpen their warnings — and island water districts move into seasonal restrictions.

Dry conditions prompted B.C.’s Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship to declare a Level 4 drought Thursday, May 28 for the region that includes eastern Vancouver Island and every Gulf Island; last year, the region escalated to Level 4 in August, and in the previous year on July 18.

The province uses a six-level classification system to assess drought conditions, with no drought occurring at Level 0 and an increasingly common severe drought at Level 5. Data for that assessment are mainly gathered from stream gauges and a network of groundwater observation wells that monitor what the province calls “priority aquifers” — and as of the end of May, about 23 per cent of those wells are measuring below normal, three per cent more than at the same time last year. 

That percentage, representing sufficiently monitored wells sitting below normal for at least two weeks, includes one of three data-rich wells on Salt Spring Island and the only such wells on both Mayne and Saturna islands. 

On Salt Spring, about half of the island’s drinking water is supplied from St. Mary and Maxwell lakes, and water restrictions are triggered largely by lake levels — as with the North Salt Spring Waterworks District’s Level 3 measures enacted June 1. The latest data graphs from that district show lake levels tracking alongside the lowest “curves” since 2009. 

But residents on smaller well-fed systems — and individual well users on every Gulf Island — are watching the aquifers closely. Robin Walsh sits on the board of the Mayne Island Water Systems Society, an umbrella organization for the 10 water districts on the island. Walsh said Mayne Island’s districts are promoting conservation and water use restrictions with signs, local publications and on social media.

“Mayne doesn’t have lakes or reservoirs,” said Walsh. “We rely completely on groundwater from our aquifers — five of them — which are replenished by rain.”

In April, according to monitoring from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, most of B.C. saw below-normal precipitation, with much of the province receiving under 60 per cent of normal. In the Vancouver Island region, the agency’s “Abnormally Dry” classification for the area expanded due to “continued multi‑month deficits” in rainfall.

Meanwhile, three-month modelling for the region updated Monday, June 1 by Environment Canada now predicts a 96 to 98 per cent likelihood of above-normal temperatures this summer, with likely normal rainfall amounts that typically show little precipitation until September.

Black battalion story highlighted in multi-media performance

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Black battalion story highlighted in multi-media performance

BY SALT SPRING HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND ARCHIVES

Some stories take a long time to return home. This year we are learning that the story of the No. 2 Construction Battalion is one of them.

Authorized on July 5, 1916, the No. 2 Construction Battalion was the first and only all-Black battalion in Canadian military history. They served in France during the First World War building roads, rail lines and infrastructure essential to the war effort, contributions too often left out of Canada’s historical record regardless of racial heritage. 

Twelve of the men who enlisted with the “Black Battalion” came from British Columbia, and of those, three travelled overseas from Salt Spring Island. The youngest was James Douglas Whims, only 18 years old, who did not return.

On Sunday, June 7, we are invited to an evening that shines a light on their service and legacy.

The BC Black History Awareness Society presents The Bugle Called & Forth They Went, a multimedia performance written and performed by B.C. folklorist, playwright, poet and singer Shayna-Adjowa Jones. Drawing on African and Afro-Diasporic oral storytelling traditions, Jones combines history, performance and spoken word to bring these stories vividly to life.

The performance takes place at ArtSpring from 7 to 8:30 p.m., followed by a Q&A.

Admission is by donation ($5 to $15 suggested), with tickets available through the ArtSpring box office.

This event is made possible through the Commemorative Partnership Program of Veterans Affairs Canada and presented by the BC Black History Awareness Society in collaboration with the Salt Spring Island Historical Society & Archives.

Salt Spring history would not be what it is without the contribution of Black pioneer families who arrived here in 1859 among the first colonists to take up land on the island. Some of their names — Stark, Whims, Robinson — are preserved on the roads we travel today. Our archives holds photographs and records of those who enlisted in the First and the Second World Wars, including the sons of our Black pioneers, and we are honoured to help connect this national story to our own community.

We hope islanders will join us for this special evening. The sliding scale price is a gift to the cultural history of Salt Spring Island and we look forward to sharing this with you.

GISS senior girls take 6th spot in B.C.

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GISS senior girls take 6th spot in B.C.

By MARCIA JANSEN

Driftwood Contributor

The Gulf Islands Secondary School (GISS) Scorpions senior girls soccer team returned home on the weekend with a sixth-place finish from the BC AA Girls Soccer Provincial Championships in Kamloops.

The Salt Spring team started the tournament on Thursday, May 28 with two wins, beating Archbishop Carney from Port Coquitlam by a 2-0 score and then host Valleyview from Kamloops 1-0. They ended the group stage on Friday with a 3-0 loss against Windsor from North Vancouver (one of the two tournament finalists), placing second in pool D.

In the second game on Friday, GISS beat Stelly’s from Saanich by a 2-0 score.

“We played with so much energy and desire to win and we didn’t give them an inch,” said coach Ciarán Ayton. “It was nice to beat them after previously losing to them at Islands.”

In the last game on Saturday, playing for fifth place, the Scorpions missed all Grade 12 players — Kadence O’Dwyer, Rosa Lacarte, Donna de Roo and goalkeeper Melody Silva — who left early to make it in time to attend Safe Grad celebrations on Salt Spring Island, and lost 10-0 to Charles Tupper of Vancouver.

“The last game was tough, but sixth place is a fantastic achievement and the best placed soccer finish for a GISS soccer team, boys and girls, since 2013.”

It was the first time in 16 years a GISS senior girls’ soccer team was represented at provincials, and that group finished in 13th place.

Ayton said his team’s excellent result didn’t come as a surprise to him.

“Vancouver Island is one of the strongest regions in B.C.,” he said. “We only lost four games this season, and three of these four teams made it to the AA or AAA provincial final. It has been a great season.”

Another Vancouver Island team — Mark Isfeld from Courtenay — was the AA tournament winner.

Ayton added, “We have a young group — only half of the players are seniors — but the team has been working really hard. The girls represented GISS with a lot of grit, resilience and sportsmanship, and I am not only proud of them for what they have accomplished on the field, but also how they grew together as a group.” Now that provincial championships are in the rear view mirror, Ayton wants to thank everyone who made donations or supported the fundraising efforts that helped cover the expenses for the trip to Kamloops, whether through direct donations are by supporting the girls’ May 23 bake sale.“We are grateful for all the community support. It means a lot.”

Pride Month celebrated with potluck and Queer as Funk dance

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Pride Month celebrated with potluck and Queer as Funk dance

By JANE SHAW

for ArtSpring

“Creating a living room for the community” is how ArtSpring RoundTable chair Lisa Black describes the finale of this season’s events.

On Saturday, June 6, the island community is invited to come together to share a potluck and dance, with Vancouver’s Queer as Funk bringing their irresistible grooves, bold pride and high-energy celebration to the stage.

Supported by TJ Beans and DAISSI – Diverse and Inclusive Salt Spring Island – the all-welcome event marks both Pride month and a hugely successful season of programming by the community-focused RoundTable committee.

Queer as Funk’s mix of powerhouse vocals and a soul-shaking horn section has been described as “uniting community through funk, visibility and radical love,” and turning every event into a joyful dance party, which is at the heart of the RoundTable’s aim of connecting the art of community spirit with the spirit of community art.

Wendy Judith Cutler, who has been instrumental in creating the event, said, “We’re so excited to have Queer As Funk and a community potluck and dance for our queer and supportive island communities. Collaborating with DAISSI is a great way to create connections within our communities and the event is an opportunity for DAISSI to publicize our island Pride on July 17 to 19.” 

“It was a very conscious decision to include the potluck and dance,” said Black, “because it’s all about bringing community together, including those who typically might not come to ArtSpring. The support of TJ Beans and DAISSI also means we’re bringing together local businesses and local organizations with the artistic community.”

“Wendy [Judith Cutler,] who also sits on the RoundTable committee, has been the torch carrier for this event for two and a half years, and we are so appreciative of her drive and help. That makes it even more exciting to see it finally happen.

“We all live on this tiny island,” Black added, “and this is a chance for us to get to know people who we might not normally meet, as well as connect with old friends. That’s what I love about doing this!”

The appetizer community potluck starts at 7 p.m. in the ArtSpring gallery, with Queer As Funk playing from 8 to 10 p.m.

Entry is by donation and this is truly an “all welcome” event.

CRD, schools to partner on ballfield upkeep

Robb Magley
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CRD, schools to partner on ballfield upkeep

Salt Spring’s first regulation girls fastpitch softball field is set to be complete by the end of June, and officials have hammered out a responsibility-sharing agreement that partners the Gulf Islands School District (SD64) with the island’s Capital Regional District (CRD) to maintain it.

The two bodies will partly split mowing duties at the field, with the school district taking over each year from September until January. And school programs will have full access to the field during instructional hours, according to a report from Parks and Recreation manager Kent Bittorf, who laid out the agreement for Salt Spring’s Local Community Commission (LCC) Thursday, May 14.

“As we take it over, we’ll take over the bookings for the fastpitch field,” said Bittorf, “as well as the soccer field and the smaller baseball diamond on the site as well.”

The CRD will receive all revenues from bookings for the new Hydro Field, and will be responsible for repair and maintenance including the field, fencing, spectator seating, players’ dugouts and drainage — as well as operational costs for lighting. Against an estimated $2,500 in revenue from renting the field each year, the LCC approved an annual budget of $17,000.

The addition of the Hydro Field will also require an increase in staff resources to support booking requests.

“Our island benefits from having it, but it does cost money,” said LCC member Brian Webster. “We have to be willing to pay when we want something good.”

The $700,000 project at 160 Rainbow Road has been funded partially through capital reserve dollars and community works funds, but also thanks to a $300,000 anonymous donation received last year for the purpose. 

Salt Spring senior CRD manager Dan Ovington said feedback on the adjacent soccer field has consistently noted it is in “extremely poor condition,” and after talking to island sports groups the goal would be to continue improvements there — a “phase two” for the property once the ballfield improvements are complete and additional funding is sourced.

Lions Club volunteers continue tradition of service

Gail Sjuberg
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Lions Club volunteers continue tradition of service

Salt Spring’s Lions Club has been around since 1958, and has done a huge amount of good since its inception, as described in our March/April 2026 Aqua story written by club member Val Neaves. Some high-profile activities are the fundraising Lions Directory, published each year, the Friday-Saturday garage sale at Lions Hall on Bonnet Avenue and barbecues held at community events. Funds raised are then disbursed to a wide range of projects in the community, such as Portlock Park, the Centennial Park playground, Kanaka Skate Park, bike park in Mouat Park, Santa Ship and many more. The following story is part of our Stepping Up volunteer profile series to encourage islanders to donate some time to a group that could use some extra helping hands.

Sandy Harkema has been a member of the Lions Club of Salt Spring Island for about 11 years now, but she also belonged to the “Leos” — the junior equivalent — when she was a young person on the island.

Harkema worked at Island Savings for part of her working life, and did the books for her husband’s Harold Harkema Repairs automotive repair shop before he retired, so having the treasurer role for the club is a natural fit. She has also been the secretary in the past. 

Harkema enjoys seeing familiar faces at community events, like the recent Ruckle Heritage Farm Day barbecue the club held there. Having lived on the island for 59 years and raising five daughters here, she knows a ton of people.

“Volunteering with the Lions is good,” she said. “I like doing it. It gives me purpose.” 

Harkema appreciates that the club consists of a diverse group of people and is not a special interest group with a singular focus. Everything they do is geared to raising money for the broader community, or supporting events by providing food and beverages and/or volunteer labour. 

Global projects like sending water purification tablets to Guatemala or providing disaster relief throughout the world are also supported through Lions Club International, which interests Harkema. The local club has even bought vision scanners to check children’s eyes in Mexico, with island members going to that country to facilitate. A Lions vision scanner is also used to check students’ eyes in School District 64. 

Another aspect of volunteering with the Lions Harkema appreciates is that “you give whatever time you have.” 

“Some people come to meetings. Some people don’t. They might want to only help out at the garage sale, or with these cooking events where they actually get out in the community. It’s kind of pick and choose, and nobody’s there saying, ‘You didn’t come to a meeting.’”

With such a wide variety of activities to choose from, there’s likely something of interest for almost everyone.

Like all Salt Spring groups that rely on volunteers, the average age of members seems to keep getting older.

“It would be nice if there were younger people involved in it, but that’s a little hard, because younger people with families are already usually busy supporting all the different groups that kids have at that age, which is what I did.”

Harkema’s favourite annual Lions activity is probably the Seniors Christmas Dinner, where club members cook dinner for seniors who are on their own and Valdy comes by and sings.

“It’s probably the most feel-good event that I do. There’s 20 of us volunteering, we’re all together, it’s Christmas, and some of the people don’t have family, so they look forward to getting together because it might be the only time of the year they see each other.”

To learn more from Harkema about her volunteer experience with the Lions and to consider joining the club — at whatever level might work for you — email treasurersaltspringlions@gmail.com.

Artcraft’s new season opens on musical note

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Artcraft’s new season opens on musical note

BY ELIZABETH NOLAN

Artcraft Manager

The Artcraft Gallery will offer a distinctly musical experience when it opens this June, with photography celebrating Salt Spring’s live music scene and a series of performances all set to appear on the Mahon Hall stage.

As part of its 2026 summer programming, the Salt Spring Arts Council will present four Showcase Exhibitions during the Artcraft season. The opener is a new take on the local music scene by documentarian Andy Doyle-Linden. In conjunction with his Groove Noir exhibit, the arts council will also be presenting music by special guests Wood Land for three consecutive Friday evenings on the Mahon Hall stage. Music events begin with the Artcraft and Showcase opening reception on June 5 and continue with two full concerts on June 12 and 19.

Doyle-Linden is a Salt Spring Island photographer whose work centres on live music, portraiture, and the connection between subject and viewer. He is the founder of Salt Spring Groove, a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to celebrating, elevating and amplifying the island’s music culture. His Groove Noir series is an exploration of musicians performing on Salt Spring Island in 2025 and 2026, but presented in a moody black and white style reminiscent of Film Noir – a shift from Doyle-Linden’s usual action portraiture. 

The photos were taken in small and intimate venues, which Doyle-Linden notes creates very little physical and emotional distance between performer and audience. 

“True to my broader work, I take you into that space without intruding on the comfort of the musician. In these settings, lighting is often imperfect and unpredictable, and performers move continually between brightness and darkness. Within those shifting conditions, a musician can briefly separate from the surroundings, revealing something private within the performance,” he says in his artist statement.

Over the past two years, Doyle-Linden has developed a substantial body of work through regular engagement with local musicians, performances and venues, building a photographic record shaped as much by community as by performance. His live-action work has been informed to some degree by his background as an amateur sports photographer, and typically, he captures moments of live performance that are associated with shared excitement and joy. For this series, however, his artistic selection has moved in a different direction, “toward moments of reflection, inward thought and quiet satisfaction.”

“They suggest those brief instants in performance when energy gives way to awareness, and the musician seems wholly present within the music, the room, and the feeling being shared,” Doyle-Linden states.

His specific use of light in the Groove Noir series belongs to a long visual tradition, specifically the atmosphere associated with Film Noir. Darkness works as a compositional element. Figures emerge partially from shadow, expressions appear and disappear, and the image holds only what needs to be seen. Context falls away and the subject seems almost suspended in space.

Adding live music to a Showcase exhibition is a new but natural innovation, suggested by the arts council and embraced by Doyle-Linden. Two “house concert” style performances by Wood Land on the Mahon Hall stage will in fact mark the pilot for a new Salt Spring Arts Council program dubbed Modulations: Music at Mahon, with future concerts expected at other times of the year.

Everyone is invited to Artcraft’s and Groove Noir’s joint opening celebration on Friday, June 5, 6 to 8 p.m., where members of Wood Land will perform as a trio. Wood Land will then return for a concert on Friday, June 12 from 7 to 9 p.m. The show will include the full line up comprising Atom Lazare, Justin Kelley, Simon Millerd and Alex Pinto, plus special guest, pianist Chris Gestrin. A final event featuring the classic Wood Land four-piece will take place the following Friday, June 19. Tickets are at the door, with a suggested donation of $10. 

See artcraft.saltspringarts.com for the full list of this summer’s participating artists. 

Audiences can expect to hear unique material at each of the three evenings.

Other upcoming events include an artist talk with Doyle-Linden on Sunday, June 7 at 2 p.m. The Artcraft Gallery is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm through Sept. 20. 

GISS performances showcase teamwork, solo acts

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GISS performances showcase teamwork, solo acts

Three upcoming performances from Salt Spring’s student dancers are set to shine brightly on the ArtSpring theatre stage.

At 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 3 and Thursday, June 4, “Ignite!” presents each of the grade 9-12 dancers in this collection of new choreography from the studio at GISS Dance. 

This end-of-semester show will include a wide spectrum of emotional and artistic expression. The students study Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz and Hip Hop techniques to support their artistic endeavours; the performance will display the work done this semester. Highlights include senior solos by graduating dancers who will celebrate their years with GISS Dance: Miya deRoos will perform a lyrical Contemporary piece to the song ‘So Low’ by Will Swinton; Sabrina Floritto will perform an upbeat, Hip Hop inspired piece to the song ‘Déjà Vu’ by Taemin; Quynn Tetreault will perform a Contemporary solo to Billy Joel’s ‘Vienna’.

The teamwork of the 16 hard-working teens of GISS Dance is evident in the full-group piece choreographed by teacher Sonia Langer to the song “Cosmic Rain” by Illogical Post which highlights shapes, formations, and a group flow. Also by Langer, “Do It Like This” by Daphne Willis, features quick and energetic movements from the Jazz repertoire, and is a lively and moving piece of choreography.  Each student choreographer is working hard to prepare their work for the stage in small group, duo and solo pieces. 

On Friday, June 5, the GISS Dance program presents “A Community Dance Performance!” We’ve invited our dance friends to climb up onto the stage with us! The show will include dance pieces from Jen Soo’s award-winning Salt Spring Island Ballet competitive dance program, as well as soloists from her Studio North Dance Academy in Campbell River. Also included will be Langer’s Children’s Dance program presenting Ballet, Jazz and Tap dance pieces with kids ages 6-10.  

In the pieces from Langer’s children’s dance program, the children will demonstrate an increased vocabulary and confidence in dance and even a lively game of ‘Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar!!’ GISS Dance alumnus Amaru Seki, currently studying Dance at Simon Fraser University will also join us with a new solo piece entitled “Dawn.” The roster will include our favourite GISS dance pieces and a remounted piece from the GISPA dancers to Cellomano’s “Compassion.” The show will offer a variety of dance styles, emotional qualities and music styles. Please come to support Dance on Salt Spring!

Society to unveil Japanese Canadian Memorial Story Project at Peace Park

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Society to unveil Japanese Canadian Memorial Story Project at Peace Park

This weekend marks the unveiling of a project that hopes to illuminate a largely invisible part of island history, as the community is invited to join in commemorating the contributions, resilience and displacement of the pre-war Japanese Canadian community on Salt Spring and the Southern Gulf Islands.

The Japanese Garden Society will host the unveiling of the new Japanese Canadian Memorial Story Project interpretive structure at Heiwa Garden on Sunday, May 31, encouraging reflection on the consequences of exclusion, racism and forced displacement.

“The purpose of this project is not only to remember the past,” according to the project team, “but also to create opportunities for reconciliation, learning, dialogue and community connection.”

The new interpretive structure installed in Heiwa Garden is the heart of the project, inspired by traditional Japanese-style joinery and woodwork. 

The structure houses four interpretive panels sharing stories of Japanese Canadian working life, family life and community-building on Salt Spring Island from the late 1800s onward.

The project also includes the installation of a new interpretive panel near the corner of Lower Ganges Road and Wildwood Crescent, recognizing the pre-war Japanese Canadian farming community that once thrived there, as well as revisions to the existing historical charcoal kiln panel in Mouat Park.

Organizers said the unveiling celebration will take place in two parts, the first being a space-limited invitation-only gathering from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. at ArtSpring. 

The second part, a public community gathering open to everyone, will take place from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Heiwa Garden in Peace Park.

The gathering will feature remarks from community members, representatives of pre-war Japanese Canadian families and local elected officials, along with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and musical performances.

The event will open with a land acknowledgement and remarks by J,SINTEN John Elliott, respected Elder and SENĆOŦEN Language Knowledge Holder of the Tsartlip, W̱SÁNEĆ Nation.

Members of five pre-war Salt Spring Island Japanese Canadian families will attend the gathering. 

Before the Second World War, according to the society, eleven Japanese Canadian families lived on Salt Spring Island; following wartime uprooting, dispossession and displacement under government policies that did not support cultural diversity, only one family — the Murakamis — returned to live on the island after the war.

The Japanese Canadian Legacies Society is supporting 29 heritage projects across British Columbia to recognize and preserve the history and legacies of Japanese Canadians in the province. For information visit saltspringjapanesegarden.com.

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