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Locals fear American visitors

Elizabeth Nolan
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Locals fear American visitors

Visitors have started returning to Salt Spring with the restrictions on nonessential travel within British Columbia lifted, but many islanders continue to be concerned about who is coming and what they may be bringing with them.

Fears that Americans may be exploiting the “Alaska loophole” or otherwise skirting border rules continue to loom as pleasure boats flying the United States flag were seen in Ganges Harbour this past weekend.

Glad’s Ice Cream Shoppe owner Frank Normile said tourism has definitely increased over the past couple of weeks, and while he glimpsed more U.S. licence plates during the previous weekend, he’s still concerned about people coming in from areas of infection.

“We have such an elderly population, including myself, on the island — and if we get an outbreak here it’s going to decimate our population because [so many people here] are over 65,” Normile said. 

The Canada-U.S. border remains closed to non-essential travel by mutual agreement until July 21. Canadian law provides for fines of up to $750,000 for those who enter on false pretenses, and those who lie about their destination can also be banned from entering the country for five years. RCMP say no fines have been issued so far in B.C.

Normile is frustrated by the perceived lack of action. He has called the offices of MP Elizabeth May, B.C. Premier John Horgan, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and the Canada Border Services Agency without getting through, and was told local RCMP are not enforcing boaters.

“This is a provincial health issue. There’s no jurisdiction because no one wants to step up to the plate, no authority and no enforcement,” Normile said.

Horgan said Thursday he has spoken with Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland about the issue and requested she work with American officials to stop unlawful tourism.

“Outbreaks in Washington state, California, Arizona, Texas are absolutely unacceptable. We have to maintain our border security so we can protect the progress we’ve made here in British Columbia,” Horgan said during a press conference.

Cpl. Matthew Crist of the Salt Spring RCMP detachment confirmed local police can investigate complaints that Americans are not following CBSA orders, whether those people are travelling by car or by boat. The RCMP is also able to enforce B.C.’s 14-day quarantine requirement and investigate anyone who is reported not to be following it. Crist said the island detachment has not received any reports of either scenario in the past week or so, however.

Regarding the Alaska loophole, he noted Americans going to Alaska must declare their plans to CBSA. They are required to take the most direct route and are allowed to stop for food, fuel and rest only. 

“They should only do what’s necessary and then go away,” Crist said. “They shouldn’t go for a hike on Mount Maxwell while they’re here, and they shouldn’t even shop for non- essentials.”

Crist said there was no conceivable reason a vehicle on the way to Alaska would be on Salt Spring, but there are legitimate reasons someone could have an American licence plate. The vehicle owners could be dual citizens with a car registered in the U.S., or they could be Americans who have entered Canada lawfully and underwent the 14-day quarantine. 

Salt Spring’s Phoenix Lazare and her partner Justin Kelley drove into Canada from Nashville in January and have been on the island for the duration of the pandemic. They are worried about going into Ganges with the car since it sports Tennessee plates and will continue to do so until Kelley’s immigration status changes.

“We’re thinking we should put some Salt Spring bumper stickers on. Anything to get the message across,” Kelley said. 

Crist recommends that anyone who has concerns not jump to conclusions, but report them to RCMP to investigate. The local detachment can be reached at 250-537-5555.

COVID concerns may have contributed to a shoving incident between customers at Country Grocer over the weekend. Crist said police attended and helped de-escalate the situation, but no charges were necessary and no Americans were involved, contrary to a rumour circulating about the incident.

Buzz on Bees: Swarm season

Contributed Article
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Buzz on Bees: Swarm season

By RACHEL HALLIWELL

Buzz on Bees Columnist

Have you ever seen a clump of bees hanging off your neighbour’s tree and thought, “I don’t remember seeing that there yesterday.”

That is a swarm: half of a beekeeper’s precious colony has up and left and is now temporarily trespassing on your neighbour’s property. But what is a swarm? Swarms consist of thousands of worker bees, a handful of drones (male honeybees) and one queen that have left their original home and are in the middle of finding a more suitable location. They are temporarily using your neighbour’s tree as a resting post while sending “scout” bees on the hunt for a more permanent spot. Once the scout bees find a better home, they will let the colony know and within moments, the swarm will leave just as fast as it arrived. Swarms can be waiting in that clump formation anywhere from an hour to a few days.

Although the sight of a mini colony hanging from your neighbour’s tree may seem daunting, swarms are typically quite gentle. Prior to leaving their original hive, the workers filled their stomachs with honey, therefore they are quite full and heavy — reducing their desire to sting innocent bystanders. As well, they do not have any brood (babies) to defend. That being said, they are protecting their queen, so I would suggest giving the swarm some breathing room and admiring them from a safe distance.

Swarms may occur for several reasons but there is one reason, especially around this time of year, that is the most common: insufficient space in the home they currently occupy. This is why routine inspections of your colony is important. Hive inspections will give you an indication if your hive is in need of more room and adding boxes (supers) as needed, giving your queen more room to lay and reducing their desire to swarm.

If a swarm does occur and you discover this hanging basket of bees, there are a few options. You could contact the local bee club. They typically have a swarm catcher list that you could call, and a local beekeeper will take them away.

If you are this lovely beekeeper and want to acquire your first swarm, I would suggest bringing a cardboard box (with ventilation), placing a white sheet on the ground and holding the box underneath the hanging colony. With one forceful bang to the branch, the colony should drop in the box typically without a fuss. The white sheet is a perfect backdrop to search for the queen if she happened to fall to the ground during the commotion. Place the cardboard box on the ground with the lid ajar and allow the rest of the colony, that may have missed the box, to make it back to their family. You can be confident that you have acquired the queen if the colony doesn’t fly back to the branch. Take the box home and relocate them to your standardized equipment.

Good luck and happy swarm catching!

Rachel Halliwell is founder of Home Grown Bee in the Comox Valley, is Bee Master certified and well educated on the world of honeybees. She is passionate about honeybees and believes that education is our strongest tool in spreading awareness about these pollinators and all the wonderful work that they do.

HAYES, Brigitte

Driftwood Obituary
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HAYES, Brigitte

BRIGITTE HAYES
January 10, 1953 – July 13, 2020

It is with a sad heart that we announce the passing of Brigitte beloved, wife, mother, and friend. Brigitte was an inspiration.  She was such a fighter and so determined and creative in charting a course since her cancer diagnosis. She met cancer head on and engaged in every possible way to live her life fully – and against all odds –she biked mountains, hiked waterfalls and championed her love of life every day. With her indomitable sprit, she never gave up.  She never gave up being kind and generous, maintaining a positive outlook, and enjoying nature’s wonders. She will be so dearly missed.

Brigitte and her husband of 35 years, Stephen Young, and son Drew moved from Redmond, WA to Salt Spring in 2012. Bringing with her the knowledge and skills honed over a career spanning over 30 years in marketing management at multiple high-tech companies in both the US and Canada including Fulcrum, Cognos and Microsoft. Her constant good cheer and warm smile brightened every encounter.

In 2017 the Salt Spring Community Economic Development Commission was privileged to contract with Brigitte to help establish the operational components of it’s Rural Business Accelerator Program, designed to support business skills training for local entrepreneurs across all business sectors. Her contributions to the success of the program are ever present.

Brigitte was also an active in our local community and gave rigorous support to the Green Party campaigns of Elizabeth May and Adam Olsen. She had a keen interest in art and the arts community and was quite excited about her work with water colours.

Above all, Brigitte was a woman of generous heart. May she now be at peace.

Day in the Life of Salt Spring Island set for July 10th

Driftwood Staff
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Day in the Life of Salt Spring Island set for July 10th

Pandemic or no pandemic, the Driftwood is running its annual Day in the Life of Salt Spring Island photography project this year. It should be a fun and easy way to create a record of this extraordinary time in history as experienced by islanders.

Here’s the deal:

• Photos must be taken between the hours of 5 a.m. on Friday, July 10 and 5 a.m. on Saturday, July 11.

• Higher-resolution or larger-sized photos are always preferred for print quality purposes, but as long as a photo isn’t less than about 200 kb in size it can usually work for the publication. It’s always nice to have the colour option for post-publication digital projects, but photos will likely be printed in black and white, so either B&W or colour photos can be submitted.

• Send in one photo or up to 25, with caption information and subjects’ first and last names included, as well as the exact (or close to it) time the photos were taken.

• DEADLINE to submit photos is Tuesday, July 21 at 4 p.m. Send them by email to news@gulfislandsdriftwood.com, using an online service like Dropbox or a flash drive.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call Driftwood editor Gail Sjuberg at 250-537-9933, extension 210 or send an email to news@gulfislandsdriftwood.com.

Market opening plan uncertain

Elizabeth Nolan
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Market opening plan uncertain

Plans to reopen Salt Spring’s Market in the Park sometime in July have hit a snag, with the departure of long-time coordinator Rob Pingle leaving a crucial role open.

Salt Spring Parks and Recreation manager Dan Ovington reported Monday that Pingle would be moving on to a new on-island opportunity after 12 years of managing the market for the Capital Regional District.

“We want to thank Rob for all the hard work he’s done over the years working closely with the CRD, with our vendors and our visitors, and all our stakeholders in the downtown core,” Ovington said.

Pingle was not available for comment prior to the Driftwood’s press deadline.

The Salt Spring Parks and Recreation Commission decided only last Tuesday to bring a limited version of the market back to Centennial Park, with start-up hopefully in mid July. Ovington said PARC will now have to post an expression of interest for the coordinator position and then go through the hiring and training process, which could push back the opening date.

Parks staff surveyed market vendors earlier this month to see whether there was enough interest to consider reopening after provincial health orders changed to allow crafts and other goods to be sold at markets along with farmers’ produce. Vendors were also asked whether they would support moving to another location outside of Centennial Park and if they would support a different market day than Saturday.

Based on those responses, staff recommended the market stay in its usual venue, but found Centennial Park was not large enough to implement safe distancing controls with full vendor capacity. A two-day operation with a maximum 50 vendors per day was recommended to take place on Thursdays and Fridays at first.

Vendors demonstrated a marked preference for the original day of Saturday in the consultation period.

“The market has to stay on Saturday,” market vendor and advisory committee member Bree Eagle stated in an email. “We rely on tourists. They account for the vast majority of sales. Without them, there’s no reason to hold the market at all.”

Commissioners and staff said they would like to see the market eventually return to Saturdays as well. The days and mode of operation could change depending on how the community reacts and how the COVID-19 situation changes over the summer. To begin, though, the group wants to see how the test model works.

“I think it’s very important to proceed cautiously to protect our community,” said PARC chair Sonja Collombin. “Everyone who lives in the community is going to be affected by this decision.”

Salt Spring Capital Regional District director Gary Holman said that even though vendors would prefer the Saturday date, he did not believe the rest of the community feels the same way. He spoke against a suggestion from staff to refer the matter back to the market advisory group for comment.

“The policy directive is still ‘proceed with caution.’ That’s the advice we’re getting from the provincial health officer,” Holman said.

In addition to the hiring process, Ovington said parks staff will need to develop a safety plan based on WorkSafeBC guidelines and it will need to be approved by the CRD’s operational health and safety department. Parks staff also hope to work with the Ganges Alley owners on sharing parking lot space on days outside their regular Saturday agreement.

Ovington said Monday the feedback he’s received from vendors since PARC made its decision has been largely positive. Anyone who would like to provide an official comment should email ssiparc@crd.bc.ca.

Park tree cutting error prompts creation of new policy

Elizabeth Nolan
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Park tree cutting error prompts creation of new policy

Salt Spring Parks and Recreation staff will be creating a new policy around tree removal in Capital Regional District properties after work took place without the proper professional guidance earlier this month.

Island residents reported feeling concerned about seeing multiple trees felled in Mouat and Duck Creek parks. Timber from the latter operation, which included 29 trees that were topped or taken down completely, was seen to be impeding water flow in the creek.

“Right away when I saw that I wondered who they talked to in Fisheries [and Oceans Canada] and did they have a riparian plan,” said Cathy Lenihan, who has led educational programming for the Salt Spring Island Conservancy.

Parks and recreation manager Dan Ovington reported staff work with an arborist to assess dangerous trees each spring and complete park maintenance work. All such work near creeks is supposed to be done in consultation with the Island Stream and Salmon Enhancement Society, but the society was only told about the 2020 tree cutting after the fact. Ovington said that was a mis-step.

“While safety of our visitors is our top priority we need to work with a qualified riparian professional when working in riparian zones,” Ovington said, adding the new policy will ensure there are clear guidelines for working in sensitive ecosystems in the future.

Kathy Reimer, the biologist who heads the salmon enhancement society, said riparian regulations were upgraded last year. All qualified riparian professionals were required to upgrade to the new standards at that time, and she said not many people on Salt Spring aside from herself have those qualifications. Tree-cutting took place well within the riparian zone.

“I enjoy working with the CRD. I did three projects for them on Pender last year. But I had no clue this was happening right near my home,” Reimer said.

Reimer explained that according to the Fisheries Act, the window for such work is from July 1 to the end of September. The riparian regulation also requires that trees near creeks are topped, not taken down completely.

“The creek is now full of salmon and trout fry and there must be measures in place to ensure there are no further impacts to them,” Reimer said.

While PARC said no bird nests were detected in the trees cut down at Duck Creek Park, Reimer noted because of the migratory bird legislation, tree cutting was not permitted until after July 31 at one of a consulting projects she did on Pender.

Without access to the arborist’s report, concerned residents have been baffled by some of the decisions for tree removal. Rot is clearly visible in some of the downed trunks and stumps, but others appear perfectly healthy — including a massive hemlock in Mouat Park that is estimated to be around 250 years old and was still bearing fresh needles and cones.

Reimer believes PARC should be more transparent about the work they are doing in parks, which are managed by the CRD but she says actually belong to the community.

“We’ve got all these bright people on the island who care,” Reimer said. “I’d like to see some improvement in the public consultation process.”

She suggests reviving  Friends of Salt Spring Parks, which was an umbrella group representing multiple community organizations and  active during the Burgoyne Bay parkland acquisition. That way, not just one or two people would be contributing to important decisions, she said.

The practice of taking down entire trees is another concern. Lenihan observed wildlife makes use of rotting trees and natural decay is an important part of the forest’s regenerative cycle. Ovington said the draft tree removal policy will include information on wildlife trees.

 

Face mask sales benefit food bank

Gail Sjuberg
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Face mask sales benefit food bank

A Salt Spring woman is using her sewing skills and compassionate heart to create quality face masks, while also raising funds for the Salt Spring Food Bank.

“It’s really astonishing,” said Toby Fouks on Friday, noting that just over $1,900 had already been amassed from the project, which sees $15 donated from every $20 mask sale.

Fouks started making masks just to give them to Salt Spring Island Community Services for staff, volunteers and clients, but once enough masks were made for that purpose she didn’t want to stop, so she shifted her focus to benefit the food bank.

She recently stipulated that funds should be dispensed through the farmers market coupon program. That means food bank users can access healthy, locally grown food, which also benefits island food producers.

Fouks’ washable masks are fitted in the “Olson style,” and have a copper wire in the seam so it can be shaped around the nose and prevent eyeglass fogging. The inside of the mask has a pocket for an included washable filter made from viscose bamboo. Fouks says that material has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties and is hypo-allergenic.

Some of the masks have elastic loops that slip over the wearer’s ears, while others use ties, which she says facilitates better snugness adjustment.

Fouks is grateful to Charlotte Thompson, Joy Longley and Donna Johnstone for donations of fabric and elastic.

“I’ve gone through a huge amount of fabric,” she said.

If people want to purchase a face mask made by Fouks to benefit the food bank they should email Community Services at connect@ssics.ca.

“I do think that as things open up and people travel more they will see a need to wear masks,” she said.

Fouks also has fabric printed withs paws and bones, which she uses to make bandannas for dogs and cats and sells in the Saturday market along with her gourmet pet treats. She is considering using that fabric for mask making and directing the proceeds from those sales to the Salt Spring branch of the BC SPCA.

Viewpoint: Let’s create something better for everyone

Contributed Article
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Viewpoint: Let’s create something better for everyone

By SHARYN CARROLL

We have had two rallies for Black, Indigenous, people of colour (BIPOC) in Ganges. This movement has brought out the richness that ties our community together.

I see allies showing up to help educate themselves and each other, helping with logistics and inviting each other into discussions around equity. People are beginning to see the connection between racism and the climate crisis, which is at the very heart of this issue. Black and brown bodies pay the heaviest price not just in the developing world but also in our world, which tends to have brown people inhabiting places where there is no clean drinking water; ancestral hunting grounds are destroyed in the name of “progress;” lakes and rivers are full of toxic waste, and polluted air is causing illness in adults and children alike. The BLM struggle is also connected to housing insecurity, food insecurity, LGBTQ2S rights, mental health, violence and safety.

Of course there will always be people who resist. Resistance may take many forms. Some of it will be subtle. It may show up as nostalgia for race-insensitive branding, and some of us may feel defensive when we are being called out.

Other times it is going to be more direct: doubling down and retreating into defensive aggression, hate mail and making threats of bodily harm or worse. This is what is occurring here on Salt Spring right now.

Those of us who are working hard, within the movement, to create positive change in our community, while sometimes letting family life and work responsibilities slide, are now having to think a little harder about our own safety.

Of course micro-aggressions and the constant teaching of non-POC can be frustrating and take up a lot of time but nothing can compare to the threats of physical harm we are receiving on social media. Is it seeing images of protesters being beaten in the U.S. that is perceived as giving licence to this behaviour? Every threat we receive is reported to the RCMP and we are working closely with them to ensure that all threats are taken seriously. We will not be intimidated nor distracted from our struggle.

The many different movements fighting against social injustices in our society seem to be coalescing behind Black Lives Matter right now. Let’s hope we all emerge from this tsunami of activism and consciousness-raising to find that, even though the landscape is somewhat different, we all know we can depend on each other to create something better, for everyone.

This writer has lived on Salt Spring for 19 years and is a feminist activist and community organizer.

Editor’s note: Threatening comments were made on the Driftwood’s Facebook page by an individual in response to a post made by Driftwood staff from the June 20 BIPOC rally in Ganges. An RCMP file was opened as a result. The Driftwood reminds Facebook users that we do not tolerate any form of hate speech or personal threats on our page. Comments that contain such language will be removed. People who make such comments will be blocked and reported to Facebook and the appropriate authorities.

Editorial: Finding the balance

Driftwood Staff
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Editorial: Finding the balance

As Salt Spring joins the rest of the province in tentatively “opening up,” what to do with the Saturday market brings conflicting views into focus.

Last Tuesday the Salt Spring Parks and Recreation Commission announced it will try organizing a market that would be limited to a maximum of 50 vendors but be held on Thursdays and Fridays rather than on Saturday. The logic is that holding the market on Saturday would attract too many visitors, which would make the general community uncomfortable due to an increased risk in transmission of the coronavirus. Few vendors responding to a survey wanted the market on different days, and they note that a market without many tourists is not worth the trouble.  The question arises from this scenario: Who is the market really for, or mostly designed to benefit? While the Capital Regional District benefits by collecting vendor fees, that income is somewhat offset by increased park maintenance and market management costs. Residents who purchase items from the market and especially fresh farm produce like the market. Tourists obviously enjoy the experience. Other merchants benefit if visitors come to the island specifically for the market and end up spending money elsewhere too.

But the vendors clearly benefit the most. Conversely, they also have the most to lose if a Thursday-Friday experiment is not successful. Beyond time spent on making products, so much work goes into market set-up and take-down, and those CRD fees must be paid regardless of sales made that day. Ultimately it’s the vendors who will determine and decide if shifting from the Saturday norm this year makes any sense at all.

For some people whose livelihoods do not rely on visitors, no tourism may be the only kind of good tourism this year. But shutting down the island is not realistic. We need to find some kind of balance, which PARC is trying to do with the market example.

Island residents need to adjust — as we do every summer anyway — and up our individual safety game with increased precautions of hand-washing, sanitizing and mask use. As islander Neva Hohn suggests in this week’s paper, some kind of prominent signage reminding visitors that all possible COVID-19 safety precautions should be taken is also a good idea.

And through it all, we must heed Dr. Bonnie Henry’s mantra to “Be calm, be kind, be safe.”

THOMPSON, Brian Charles

Driftwood Obituary
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THOMPSON, Brian Charles

Brian Charles THOMPSON
November 8, 1936 – July 7, 2020

Brian Charles (Chuck) Thompson, born in London, England, passed away at his home on Salt Spring Island, BC on Tuesday, July 7, 2020 at the age of 83 years.

He will be lovingly remembered by children: Adam Thompson (Andrea), Nancy Thompson (Steve McNaughton), Marcy Thompson (James Blake); four grandchildren: Reece, Emma, Grace, Jared as well as by his loving companion, Juanita ‘Katalina’ Parry. Brian was predeceased by his wife Marjorie Lynn (nee Stewardson) in 1983.

A very special thank you to all the staff of Lady Minto Hospital, the Home Care Nursing team on Salt Spring Island, the staff of Braehaven Assisted Living, and Dr. Daniel Kalf. Together, with their care and support for Brian, we were able to honour his wish to be with his family and closest companion for his final days. Fair winds, Dad.

Memorial donations in Brian’s name may be made directly to the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation (http://ladymintofoundation.com, 135 Crofton Rd, Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 1T1) or the Salt Spring Island Public Library (129 McPhillips Road, Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 2T6).

A private family service will be held at Cedar Valley Memorial Gardens.

Condolences may be offered online at www.sandsduncan.ca. • 250-746-5212

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