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Brink Bangers keep noise-making tradition alive

Gail Sjuberg
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Brink Bangers keep noise-making tradition alive

Today, May 12, is International Nurses Day, set to honour the work of nurses around the world. It’s the ideal day to share the activities of a group of residents at Brinkworthy Estates on Salt Spring Island, AKA the Brink Bangers.

The Brink Bangers have continued to bang pots and pans at 7 p.m. each night since the practice was initiated in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic last year to express support for health-care and emergency services workers, initially.

The group ranges in size from two to 20, with the average being six to eight. 

“We started last spring with everyone else across the world as a symbol to express our gratitude, solidarity and support with those on the frontlines and backlines in the fields of health, education, community, business, farming and for volunteers of all sorts,” explained Brinkworthy resident Margaret Benmore. 

“We have not stopped because the situation has not stopped or even slowed down, really. It seems to have deepened into apathy . . . and it is now more complicated as folks in all fields are burning out, exhausted and feeling overwhelmed. Everything is still stressful and exhausting, and everyone is doing their best to keep things going for us on the island.” 

For more on this story, see the May 12, 2021 issue of the Gulf Islands Driftwood newspaper, or subscribe online.

Thirty-two projects get Salt Spring Island Foundation grants

Driftwood Staff
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Thirty-two projects get Salt Spring Island Foundation grants

The Salt Spring Island Foundation has just announced the recipients of the 2021 Neighbourhood Small Grants program.

NSG grants are offered in amounts up to $500 to support projects that fit the grant priorities: respect and celebrate diversity, connect and engage residents to increase community resilience, foster creativity and wellbeing while sharing skills and knowledge, and tackle social isolation.

Descriptions of the 32 projects are available on the foundation’s website.

Invasive wall lizard seen on Salt Spring Island

Elizabeth Nolan
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Invasive wall lizard seen on Salt Spring Island

An invasive lizard species that has over-run gardens from Sidney to Colwood is confirmed to have made landing on Salt Spring, and officials are asking members of the public to help keep tabs on the situation.

Channel Ridge resident Pat Miller discovered the first known instance of the common wall lizard on Salt Spring, which has been confirmed by the Royal BC Museum’s curator of vertebrate zoology, Gavin Hanke. Miller said she first noticed the reptile outside her home last year but thought it might have been a native alligator lizard. When it reappeared this spring, though, she had done some more reading and suspected it was an invasive native to Italy. 

“I’m a retired biologist. I’m just interested in what creatures are out there,” Miller explained.

Miller took a photo of the lizard and posted it to iNaturalist for identification. She also sent photos directly to Hanke, who has written several journal articles on the topic. She’s now trying to capture the lizard to send it to him. 

Common wall lizards were introduced to the Saanich Peninsula in 1967 when a private zoo shut down and the owner released around a dozen of the reptiles into the wild. There are now an estimated 700,000 in the area, and there are known populations in Duncan, Crofton, Nanaimo, Denman Island, Courtenay and Campbell River.

“I kind of expected [them to appear on Salt Spring] since you’re so close to Vancouver Island and they’re super abundant on Vancouver Island. I’ve actually been kind of dreading it,” Hanke said. 

In Hanke’s own neighbourhood, every garden has at least 10 resident wall lizards, and he knows of one neighbour nearby who has something like 200. He said the wall lizard is well-adapted to the local climate since it’s very similar to its native Italy, and Salt Spring is especially ideal because it favours garden structures, rock walls and open sunny areas. 

“This region is just so hospitable. The winters are short and mild and the summers are warm, and with climate change it’s just going to get worse,” he said. 

Although many native species as well as domestic cats prey upon them, wall lizards are such prolific breeders predation can’t keep the population down. Native alligator lizards only hatch young once per year, but wall lizards have at least two clutches and sometimes three, with five or more eggs per clutch. Once hatched, the hatchlings scatter wide to avoid being eaten by their parents.

On the flip side, wall lizards are fearful predators in the own right, and they target everything from native snake and lizard hatchlings to important pollinators. There is concern about local ecosystems due to the large number of insects they eat, and for rare or endangered species like the sharp-tailed snake.

Wall lizards may appear similar to alligator lizards, especially as juveniles when they are a coppery brown. As adults, though (usually around 15cm but up to 21 centimetres from nose to tail), wall lizards are distinct for their green and black patterning and for having scales that are almost too tiny to see with the naked eye. Another difference is that wall lizards scurry away quickly if approached, while alligator lizards tend to let people get closer, and wall lizards like more sun while alligator lizards can tolerate spending a lot of time in the cool forest. 

So far Miller has seen just the one invader, but islanders are being urged to watch out for others.

“My feeling is it would be pretty unlikely that I was the only person on Salt Spring with a wall lizard,” Miller said. 

Hanke encourages people to take photos if they see a lizard. Those photos can be uploaded to iNaturalist and sent to him directly at ghanke@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca. 

Once properly identified, capturing wall lizards may be possible using a noose on the end of a long stick. Hanke recommends people put lizards in a tub in the refrigerator to send them into hibernation and then finish them off in the freezer once they’re asleep. 

Since the B.C. coast is so hospitable to so many species, Hanke additionally urges people never to release pets or fish into the outdoors if they can no longer care for them. They should be re-homed, or if that’s not possible, brought to a vet to be euthanized.

“There’s still a lot of things in the pet trade that could get established here and we’re just lucky they haven’t been released,” Hanke said. “The pet trade is a great vector for exotic species and it’s a great threat.” 

Filmed GISS dance final creates new possibilities

Elizabeth Nolan
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Filmed GISS dance final creates new possibilities

BY ELIZABETH NOLAN

DRIFTWOOD STAFF

Continuing prohibitions against group gatherings have seen performing art companies of all stripes moving to online platforms. 

That scenario is no different for students taking dance at Gulf Islands Secondary School. While their end-of-term project would normally involve creating works and presenting them on stage at ArtSpring, the spring 2021 cohort has produced an unlisted YouTube playlist entitled Dancing In, Dancing Out instead.  

GISS dance teacher Sonia Langer explains in an introduction: “Because the theatres have shuttered us out, we needed to pivot and reinvent. With reinvention comes innovation, and with innovation comes unique challenges. These dancers, aged 14-19, overcame these challenges and produced a wonderful, deeply moving collection of choreographic works.”

“In the end, we’re so proud of what we got. We’ve made some great films,” Langer told the Driftwood. “With no equipment, with no supplies, we figured out how to be filmmakers.”

“It was very special,” said graduating student Amaru Seki, who hopes to go on to study dance at Simon Fraser University. 

COVID rules impacted more than just the medium for sharing the final project, which created both challenges and opportunities. Students were also limited in what types of choreography they could create during the pandemic.

“Everything was different. There wasn’t really anything about dance class or the performance that was what we’ve done in past years at all,” said Chloe Haigh, who is graduating this spring and has taken dance every year since Grade 9. “We wear masks; we had to be apart. We couldn’t create any pieces like duets where you were touching, because we couldn’t touch each other. It was like learning a new language in a way.”

Physical connection was replaced with eye contact, and the choreographers had to find alternatives to dynamic elements like lifts.

“It was so sad, and less energetic. It’s a completely different vibe,” Seki said. 

The mask mandate introduced by the province during the past quarter term additionally impacted students’ physical stamina (being hard on the cardiovascular system) and ability to focus. April’s warm weather was a gift since they could remove their masks outside. 

Filming of the final pieces took place in the dance studio with theatrical lighting but also on the basketball court, in the forest and on the beach, and in downtown Ganges. Students could choreograph and dance in any style from classical ballet to urban/hip hop. 

Having the opportunity to perform outside presented some logistical challenges, such as the uneven ground at Beddis Beach. Not having the stage setting also made it more difficult at first to include students in the class who have disabilities, but it also added new elements. Presentation of the final pieces changed dramatically from the usual projects, and not just because the on-stage performance at ArtSpring could not take place. Rather than sticking to a single-shot straight recording, students employed creative editing techniques to make things more dynamic. 

Seki edited many of the class pieces and he enjoyed how dance class transformed into a multimedia learning experience. He filmed one scene in the GISS cafeteria after working hard in that kitchen for his 10-week foods course.

For their piece called Eastside, Haigh, Seki, Sarah Weis and Mischa Engel Larrain used the public library’s architecture to frame their dancing. The video scenes then move to locations that are meaningful to each of the dancers. 

“We aren’t performing in front of people, but we still got to make it as cool as we possibly could with what we could deal with,” Haigh observed. 

Haigh and Seki agreed it was difficult to create work that no one might ever see, especially since they are both graduating after being part of the school dance community for many semesters. 

Being able to take dance at all during COVID is something the students greatly appreciated, noting not all schools have offered it. Extra long classes under the quarter system may have been mentally and physically exhausting but they seemed to inspire more collaboration between students, who had the time to work things out together in class instead of creating the choreography at home and coming back to school to teach it the next day. 

“I feel like in the end, as grads, our finished project was very satisfying,” Haigh said. “I feel like in the end it was all necessary, and not one person in our class would regret doing it.”

“Under all these difficult circumstances, in a global pandemic, I’m proud of what they did,” Langer said. “I hope that people watch these pieces and receive the gifts the students have shared.”

Anyone interested in seeing Dancing In, Dancing Out should email slanger@sd64.org to receive the unlisted playlist link. Langer said it would be great to hear back from viewers with their feedback and responses since the students missed the immediate feedback of live performance.  

Free program provides education and support on responsible gambling

Elizabeth Nolan
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Free program provides education and support on responsible gambling

Human beings’ natural instinct for play and the dream of a better future can make gambling an attractive prospect.

Knowing how to take a fun risk without it becoming addictive and potentially ruinous is essential to keeping gambling a positive activity, but many people don’t have the tools required. That’s where the British Columbia Responsible and Problem Gambling Program comes in. In addition to profiting from gambling revenue, the B.C. government provides free information and resources to support informed choices and healthy gambling through the program, which is administered by the Community Supports Division within the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch of the Ministry of Attorney General in 18 different regions of B.C.

Pender Island resident David Nickoli is contracted to provide those free prevention and education services in the southern Gulf Islands, including on Salt Spring. He is a former school principal, has a masters degree in leadership and training, and is also involved with Pender’s Community Justice Program. He got involved with the B.C. Responsible and Problem Gambling Program after receiving a phone call from his niece, who was worried because her husband had come home with flowers and gifts after winning big at the casino.

Although that sounded fine at first, Nickoli, said, “She looked into their bank accounts and found out he’d lost more than he’d won.”

Nickoli set up a meeting with then-director of prevention services, Andre Serzisco, to talk about how the province needed to help people with problem gambling. Serzisco explained they already did that, but getting the word out could be difficult. After several more discussions, Serzisco decided the southern Gulf Islands really needed its own program. They created a part-time position for Nickoli and he completed specialized training to provide prevention and education. 

The B.C. Responsible and Problem Gambling Program takes a gambling neutral position, “recognizing that gambling is an individual choice and is best made with full knowledge of the facts, myths and risks associated with gambling products.” 

Nickoli points out that gambling is a legal and regulated activity in B.C., so the program does not attach any judgement to the activity.

“About 75 per cent of people of legal age in Canada choose to gamble as a form of recreation,” Nickoli said. “And for most of them, it’s not a problem.”

If 75 per cent sounds high, that’s because the definition of gambling includes anything in which a person puts up money or something else of value and there’s an element of chance that allows them to win or lose. That extends to lottery tickets, bingo and even 50/50 draws. Nickoli said most people gamble by playing Keno or buying lottery tickets, but internet gambling is also popular and has become even more so during COVID-19. The closure of casinos, race tracks and church halls has seen even more gambling migrate online.

BC Lottery hosts its own online gaming site at PlayNow.com, which allows people to set spending limits. Nickoli said there is “a plethora” of non-regulated sites that are just as easy to find, though, and it’s easy for people to spend too long and too much. He knows of stories on every one of the Gulf Islands where someone has lost everything they had — their home, their life savings and their relationships. 

An estimated 160,000 people in British Columbia are considered to have a gambling problem, and Nickoli said a high percentage of them will attempt suicide at some point.  

Part of his work in trying to prevent those situations is building gambling literacy.

“Research shows if we can teach people to play responsibly, hopefully folks won’t get into trouble, so we need to increase gambling literacy in the general population,” Nickoli said. “We’re not opposed to gambling. But if people choose to gamble we want them to do it with their eyes wide open so they can make good decisions.”

One of the most basic platforms in gambling literacy is “the house always wins.” Nickoli said people tend to get into trouble when they invest in the mythology they can come out ahead. Some people may look at gambling as a career. People in a lower socio-economic brackett may be looking for a way to escape their financial hardship. 

The losses always outweigh the gains, so a good approach is to set a budget for how much one can afford to lose and to stop when that limit is reached. Nickoli encourages people to keep accurate records that show every win and every loss, along with the dollar amounts. Setting a limit on how much time one will spend gambling in a day or a week is also a good idea.

Gambling literacy can and should start at a young age. Children encounter the same type of psychological impact of “intermittent reward” as gambling through social media and gaming. The aim for kids is to build capacity for critical thinking, self-regulation and healthy ways of finding happiness. Nickoli has created programs for children as young as three years old such as a themed StoryWalk that is now in use in all 18 districts, and has given workshops with fun games and activities at places like Fernwood Elementary School. 

He also gives presentations and workshops for youth and adults. 

Outreach support for people who believe they may have a gambling problem, or that someone close to them does, is provided locally by a woman who lives in Ladysmith.  She responds to phone calls within 48 hours and can help people decide whether they wish to get help, and can refer them to counselling or treatment programs from there.

Being open and honest about one’s gambling, both with oneself and with others, is a key indicator of whether the practice is healthy. Denying losses is a sign of potential trouble, Nickoli said. Other indications can be gambling every day, and gambling in lots of different formats.  

Fill out the online request form to access free prevention, treatment and support services, or contact the multilingual Gambling Support Line (24/7, toll free) at 1-888-795-6111. Contact David Nickoli about prevention and education services at david.nickoli@gmail.com, through the website BuildingHealthyCommunities.ca or the Building Healthy Communities: Southern Gulf Islands, BC page on Facebook.

More online resources are available at ChoicesAndChances.ca and
bcresponsiblegambling.ca. 

Viewpoint: Death by a thousand cuts

Contributed Article
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Viewpoint: Death by a thousand cuts

By FRANTS ATTORP

At the March 9 Islands Trust Council meeting, eight trustees voted to make the natural environment the top priority in the Trust Policy Statement by removing reference to housing, and by defining the Trust area’s unique amenities as including the environment.

North Pender Trustee Benjamin McConchie put their case succinctly: “Why is there no focus on the environment? We are losing the environmental battle slowly, a death by a thousand cuts.”

Unfortunately, the three members of Salt Spring’s Local Trust Committee all helped defeat the motions. Trustee Laura Patrick shared the view of several others that the interpretation of the Trust mandate be kept “as broad as possible.”

Those four words have far-reaching implications for the entire Trust Area as they give trustees enormous latitude in implementing social, economic and environmental goals. Prioritizing everything is the same as prioritizing nothing, and the result of such unanchored policies is apparent in the urban sprawl that surrounds the Gulf Islands.

Yes, the narrowing of the mandate’s interpretation would put more constraints on local trustees, especially when considering rezoning applications, but isn’t that exactly what’s needed at this juncture? Last year’s State of the Islands Report showed that the natural environment of the islands is in trouble — even before all existing lots have been developed!

Warnings about the unsustainability of development on Salt Spring go back to at least 2007 when the Islands Trust commissioned an ecosystem health review by David Rapport, a local resident who is a renowned expert on assessing the impacts of human activities on ecosystems.

Rapport made 10 recommendations, the very first of which is “that the Islands Trust mandate be directed first and foremost towards preserving and protecting the health of Salt Spring‘s ecosystems,” and that “the OCP be amended to reflect the primacy of this goal.”

His second recommendation was to amend the level of build-out in the OCP: “If, with the current island population at half the build-out, we are already experiencing problems associated with damaged ecosystems, then we are already at or past build-out for maintaining healthy ecosystems.”

His third recommendation called for “a hold on further development that may compromise the health of ecosystems.” He even indicated down-zoning (removing already approved densities) may be necessary in some areas to protect watersheds.

Rapport also recommended a scientific assessment to establish the current state of health of local ecosystems and the collective impacts of existing land-use practices and other human activities. He emphasized the importance of restoring ecosystems that have already been damaged.

In light of this report and other information currently available, it is astounding that our trustees voted the way they did. How can the Gulf Islands possibly survive as a protected area without a commitment to the environment?

The good news is that the review of the Policy Statement is still ongoing. I encourage all island residents to write to Trust Council (execadmin@islandstrust.bc.ca) asking that protection of the natural environment be prioritized in the Policy Statement. The correspondence deadline for the June meeting is May 20.

 The writer is a Salt Spring resident.

One Cool Island: Initiatives aim to boost homegrown food supply

Contributed Article
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One Cool Island: Initiatives aim to boost homegrown food supply

By ANDREA PALFRAMAN

Transition Salt Spring

On any sunny Sunday, especially now, town can seem so quiet. It wouldn’t seem out of place to see tumbleweed rolling down Fulford-Ganges Road. Visitors might be wondering, “Where is everybody?” 

Well, you’d find a lot of us in the garden. From community gardens on Rainbow Road, in the Fulford Valley and at every school on the island, to the hundreds of backyard veggie patches, and homesteads aiming for self-sufficiency, small-scale agriculture is in full flower on the rock. 

The explosion in home gardening is a nationwide phenomenon, and Salt Spring is no exception. Call it an unexpected positive outcome of an otherwise horrible pandemic. Nursery operators at Chorus Frog Farm report a surge in sales of one-third over their best year ever. Eagle Ridge Seed maven Marsha Goldberg has tripled her retail and mail-order seed business. And many Salt Spring CSAs — farms providing food box programs — are entirely subscribed. 

Part of the phenomenon is simply organic. But part of it also comes from people starting to connect the dots on what we can do with spades and trowels to respond to climate change. 

Many people might be surprised that here on Salt Spring — as net importers of food — between 20 and 37 per cent of our island carbon footprint comes from what we put on our plates. From petrochemical-based fertilizers to the lengthy journeys from field to plate, agricultural practices are responsible for over 70 megatonnes of carbon emissions annually in Canada. That’s a whopping 10 per cent of the annual total. While that’s a staggering number, it’s one that we have the power to change.

According to the Salt Spring Climate Action Plan, transitioning to local food resilience is one simple, powerful way we can break free from fossil fuel dependency and adapt to a changing climate. We can foster food security for everyone by building inter-reliance in our community, so that more of us can produce and enjoy local food, regardless of where we live. 

Healthy and equitable food systems also require affordable housing, and it’s here that the links between climate action, food, agriculture and social justice stand out. For example, due to the housing crunch, it’s extremely challenging for growers to retain skilled field workers to keep farms and market gardens viable; that has consequences for us all. 

Since the first Climate Action Plan in 2005, here’s what our community has achieved: 

• A new Farmland Trust program pairs new farmers with landowners to bring underused farmland under cultivation.

• An allotment garden for home gardeners, a Community Services community farm, and food gardens at all local schools.

• The birth of the Salt Spring Abattoir (2012) and The Root (2020) — local food storage and processing facilities.

• The addition of a Tuesday Farmers’ Market. 

• Harvest Kitchen farmers market coupon program and distribution of the harvest from Burgoyne Valley Community Farm to low income folks and families.

The recent recognition of the farmers market as an essential service is one of many signs of cultural shifts — like the blossoming of Indigenous learning and stewardship of wild plants and sustainable wild harvesting taking place at Xwaaqw’um (“Burgoyne Bay Provincial Park”).

We’ve done a lot, but because we still import about 90 per cent of our food, Salt Spring’s access to food is highly vulnerable to external shocks. Our dependency on food from California means that what happens to the climate there impacts cupboards here at home. 

Building a food system that can handle higher temperatures and disruptions to rainfall patterns includes planting more diverse crops, integrating livestock together with crop production, growing varieties that tolerate variable weather, and collecting, conserving and storing back-up water. 

The Salt Spring Climate Action Plan recommends developing a community composting facility — turning food waste into fertilizer — which is likely to become a reality thanks to the folks at the Farmland Trust. To conserve ever precious water supplies, the plan also recommends widespread rainwater catchment in ponds, restored marshland, and water storage tanks, and removing barriers to using greywater for gardens. We currently ship most of our septic system and treatment plant biosolids to Vancouver Island by diesel truck. Instead, we could join other communities, like Sun Peaks, who compost theirs to create a valuable fertilizer. Scores of municipalities across the country turn biosolids into an organic fertilizer for everything from food to forests. 

If you want to help expand support for increased on-island agriculture and local food production, join Transition Salt Spring. We are dedicated to advocating to the government for the changes we need to grow an island-wide, robust local food system that reduces emissions, fosters social justice and builds the kind of community inter-relatedness that is essential to surviving — and thriving — in challenging times.

Check out these upcoming free One Cool Island events: 

• Let’s Beef up our (Food) Security: Building a Healthy Abundant Food System for a Low Carbon Future (Wednesday, May 19, 7 to 8:30 p.m.): Join three Salt Spring agri-food leaders to discuss solutions to lowering Salt Spring’s carbon footprint through improved food and agricultural systems. Sign up to attend this free by donation event here: www.tinyurl.com/SSIAgriculture

• Let’s Grow Together! Victory Gardens for Climate Resilience (Wednesday, June 7, 7 to 9 p.m.): Come hear from the island’s best and brightest green thumbs to help us all grow more food in ways that are nourishing for body, soul, pocketbook and planet.  Sign up to attend this free or by-donation event here: www.tinyurl.com/SSgrowsfood 

Check out these directories for our local farmers and farm stands on Salt Spring: 

• www.saltspringmeats.com: Where and how to purchase locally grown meats.

• ssifi.org/farm-directory: Organic farmers of Salt Spring.

• saltspringmarket.com/farms-stands-studios-map: Farm Stands and Studio Maps.

One Cool Island is a regular series produced by Transition Salt Spring on how we can all respond to the climate crisis, together. Andrea Palframan is a TSS director and communications lead. More information: transitionsaltspring.com.

Editorial: Seek support for mental health challenges

Driftwood Staff
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Editorial: Seek support for mental health challenges

Last week was Mental Health Week in Canada, and there’s never been a more appropriate time to seek help or at least open the door to the idea. 

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals’ mental health has been widely acknowledged. One measure, an Ipsos poll conducted earlier this year, found 60 per cent of Canadians reporting that they were experiencing mental health issues.

That deaths caused by use of illicit drugs from a toxic supply do not abate despite public  awareness campaigns and other policy shifts is another huge mental health-related concern. In March 2021, about 5.1 overdose deaths per day occurred in B.C. From January to March, 69 per cent of those dying were aged 30 to 59, with males accounting for 80 per cent of all individuals dying due to toxic drugs in the first three months of this year.

But even without the additional stress and social isolation caused by the pandemic, many people are reluctant to seek help for depression, anxiety, manic behaviour, or unhealthy coping mechanisms like drug and alcohol use or gambling addictions.  

The Ipsos poll found that 54 per cent of the people suffering in some way had not sought medical or psychological support. Affordability and stigma were the two main barriers cited.

Increasing access to counselling services through the public health-care system is a step that is long overdue and one which would address the huge affordability barrier. Provincial and federal governments have been promoting some programs that provide free phone and online access to assistance. One of those, a web portal called Wellness Together Canada, had 1.2 million users in the first year. The newest one on the block in B.C. is an app for youth aged 12 to 24 called Foundry BC, with access to virtual counselling appointments and support groups. More sites are listed on page 7 of this issue of the paper. 

Stigma is not something that can be easily eliminated with funds or access to specific services. But the simple fact of realizing that so many people are suffering should make it easier to take the steps they need to stay alive and be as mentally healthy as possible in these extra-challenging times.

Mental health supports upped during COVID

Elizabeth Nolan
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Mental health supports upped during COVID

BY ELIZABETH NOLAN

DRIFTWOOD STAFF

Recognition of mental health as a serious issue in need of more resources has become prominent in public discourse over the past several years, and studies show COVID-19 has increased anxiety and depression. 

Provincial and federal government agencies have been responding with advice and new online resources and by spreading awareness. For this year’s Mental Health Week, which ran last week from May 3 to 9, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) introduced the campaign “Get real about how you feel. Name it. Don’t numb it.”

“Now more than ever, we need to be proactive in maintaining and supporting our mental health,” a statement from the agency explained. “During these challenging times, many of us may be struggling with difficult feelings like fear, loneliness, anger and grief. This year’s Mental Health Week theme tells us that focusing on intense emotions doesn’t make them worse. In fact, one of the best ways to quiet our emotions is to give them a voice.”

According to PHAC, naming emotions precisely can help people feel calmer and help others understand what they’re going through, which can improve relationships. 

“When we slow down and give ourselves time to figure how we’re really feeling, it can help us feel better and communicate better with those around us,” PHAC states.

The agency notes that intense feelings can be overwhelming, particularly when people don’t have access to supports and coping tools. This can have negative impacts on mental health and increased use of substances, like alcohol and drugs. 

“If your emotions feel overwhelming, are long-lasting or are starting to interfere with your daily life, it’s important to seek support.” 

The Government of Canada’s Wellness Together Canada portal is one place where people of all ages can access free mental health and substance use supports 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are a broad range of resources available, from information and practical tools to help people feel better, to self-guided programs and peer-to-peer support to confidential sessions with social workers, psychologists and other professionals. Supports are provided online as well as by phone and text for those without internet access. 

Learn more about Wellness Together Canada by visiting wellnesstogether.ca, or simply text the word WELLNESS to 686868 for youth or 741741 for adults. Frontline workers should text the word FRONTLINE to 741741.

Also last week, the B.C. Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions introduced a new app designed to give youth faster and easier access to mental health and substance use services and support. The Foundry BC app allows youth and their caregivers to access a virtual counselling appointment, find peer support or join a youth group or caregiver group. These services are accessible through virtual drop-in or by scheduling an appointment. The program also includes a library of tools and resources.

See foundrybc.ca for more information on how to download the app or create an account to access services.

Tips for managing anxiety due to COVID-19

The Canadian Mental Health Association – British Columbia Division says anxiety is a normal reaction to uncertainty and potential danger, but having too much anxiety can itself be harmful. 

CMHA-BC offers the following tips for decreasing pandemic-related anxiety:

• Take action to protect yourself and others in the community by following public health orders and advice; 

• Take care of yourself: eat as well as possible, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, and make time for hobbies;

• Stay connected with family and friends by phone, text or video call even if it’s not possible to see each other in person; 

• Help others if you can with chores they may have difficulty accomplishing and checking in regularly; 

• Cut back on the amount of time you spend on social media and the news;

• Explore self-management strategies like mindfulness, yoga, meditation, art or exercise to manage anxious thoughts;

• Have a plan for and have supplies ready in the event that self-isolation is required. B.C. residents should keep two weeks of food, household products, prescription medications, over-the-counter medications on hand in case quarantine becomes necessary; 

• Seek extra help or support when you need it. Signs you might benefit from extra help and support include being unable to think about anything other than coronavirus or the COVID-19 illness; finding anxiety interferes in your daily life such as going to work or being in public spaces even when the risk is very low; self-isolation when it isn’t necessary; feeling hopeless or angry about the situation; having a hard time eating or sleeping well; and/or experiencing physical symptoms like frequent headaches or an upset stomach.

People needing help can learn more and find resources at www.heretohelp.bc.ca. Family doctors’ offices may also offer tele-health or e-health services. Those who need more information about local services or just need someone supportive to talk to can call the BC Mental Health Support Line at 310-6789 (no area code) at any time.

More information about mental health and anxiety support during COVID-19 can be found online at:

• www.bouncebackbc.ca 

• www.anxietycanada.com

•www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/about-covid-19/mental-well-being-during-covid-19

• https://ca.edubirdie.com/blog/where-to-find-mental-health-support-during-covid-pandemic

de BOER, Edward

Driftwood Obituary
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de BOER, Edward

Edward de Boer
December 23, 1942 – May 5, 2021

Ed de Boer passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of May 5th 2021 
on his cherished Salt Spring Island where he resided for over 20 years. He fought many medical challenges over the past few years and passing away on Cinco de Mayo was truly appropriate due to his love of his time on the beaches of Sayulita.

Ed leaves behind his loving wife Margaret, of over 40 years. His beloved children Camilla (Eric), Oliver (Nikki) and Amanda (Cable) and his adoring 8 grandchildren will all miss his amazing stories and infinite wisdom. He also leaves his sister Marjo (Derk), brother Ronald and nieces and nephews in Holland. He was preceded in death by his parents Maria and Sjoerd and his beloved son Joris.

Ed was truly a man of the world, from his childhood to the end of his days he traveled the globe over. Ed was born in Hilversum, Holland and grew up in post war Europe where he learned how to be tough and self-reliant. He spent his formative years in Holland and Venezuela as a child, eventually immigrating to Canada in the summer of 1966 with his young family after earning his degree in Engineering. In the early 80’s he moved to the U.S. as his successful business career continued to grow. His job as CEO at Fortune 500 companies took him around the world where he was respected and admired for his intellect and hard work. The stories he could tell from his travels were spell bounding.

After retiring from corporate life and moving to Salt Spring Ed decided to become an entrepreneur owning Orca Electronics and Barnyard Grafix. This was a rewarding experience for Ed. Ed designed and helped build his house on Salt Spring with logs from his property. He also developed a love for horses. In the last couple of years Ed enjoyed volunteering at the Visitor’s Centre in Ganges and his daily trips to the local coffee shops to read his paper.

Other than his family his other true love was the ocean. Ed was an avid sailor and always had a boat one way or another. In recent years his happiest times were spent on the beaches of Sayulita with his toes in the sand or body surfing the waves of the Pacific Ocean.

He lived an incredibly full life and we are all better for being a part of it.

Our family is sincerely grateful to Dr. Gummeson, and all his caregivers at Lady Minto Hospital for the extraordinary care provided to him over the years and particularly the last few months. Thank you to Hayward’s for their incredible support.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the B.C. Kidney Foundation or Lady Minto Hospital Foundation.

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