The RCMP’s Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit (VIIMCU) was called to a property at 1502 Fulford-Ganges Rd. owned by lifelong island resident John Bruce Quesnel on Monday afternoon.
Salt Spring RCMP Cpl. Matthew Crist said last evening that the unit was leading the investigation of what he described as a “major incident” at the property.
Crist said any further information about the incident would be released by the VIIMCU.
Updates will be posted on our website.
Salt Spring Parks and Recreation is making headway on increasing child-care spaces available on island after receiving more than $1 million in grant funding.
Earth-moving machines are now at work on the Rainbow Road Pool property in preparation for the utility installation that will connect a new portable building set to arrive this summer. Construction is also slated to begin this year on an extension to the pool building. The portable and the new multipurpose room will provide space for preschool and daycare, with the first option slated to start in the portable this coming September.
Total grant funding received for the multipurpose room project is $832,275, coming through the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development in a program administered by the Union of B.C. Municipalities. The new space will be available for a new or existing non-profit child-care provider to occupy during weekdays and will be open to community groups and recreation programs in the evenings and weekends. It is scheduled to open in September 2021.
The grant includes $75,000 for the purchase of a 24-seat bus that will be used by the child-care operators and other PARC programs, and follows on an earlier grant of $214,000 provided by MCFD for the portable.
“Kudos to government. They really are investing an unprecedented amount of money [in child care],” said Salt Spring’s Capital Regional District director Gary Holman.
Holman gave further credit to the shared space model, with the province encouraging child-care spaces created within recreation and school settings.
Members of the Salt Spring Parks and Recreation Commission meeting via tele-conference last Tuesday voted to change PARC’s five-year capital plan to allow the multipurpose room construction to be completed by 2022, which is a condition of the UBCM grant.
Parks and rec manager Dan Ovington told the commission that in light of recent circumstances, the organization is now seeking to amend its licence to permit full-day daycare for essential service workers and others.
“In the current climate there may be more demand for that right now rather than a recreational half-day program,” Ovington explained.
An interest list for the licensed preschool and licensed daycare is available now. To sign up, call 250-537-1402 or email ssiparc@crd.bc.ca.
Desmond Robert Champion
November 23, 1935 – April 13, 2020
Des died from natural causes in Ganges, B.C. He was born in Vancouver but moved to New Zealand as a baby. He learned his trade as a carpenter in Auckland before moving back to Canada, where he spent many years as an unofficial but much-loved member of the Denton family, both in Vancouver and on Salt Spring Island, where he lived out his final years.
Friends and family described him as a thoughtful and caring person with a lovely smile, a delightful quiet voice, and a witty sense of humour. He loved animals, especially dogs. His many interests included astronomy and other sciences, electronics, photography and wine-making. Des had an endless curiosity about the world and would often jot down perceptive thoughts about what he saw and heard.
He was predeceased by his brother Lawrence and sister Lillias, and survived by his sister-in-law Kathy Champion. Des was also predeceased by his dearly-loved friend Dorinne Denton and survived by his ‘sister’ Lynne Denton (Mark Hughes) and Lynne’s sister Laurie (David Schmidt) and Lynne’s niece Patricia Denton.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the B.C.S.P.C.A. or Lady Minto Hospital, per his wishes.
Robert (Bob) Bell
1929 – 2020
It is with sadness we announce the passing of our husband and father Bob, who passed away peacefully at Lady Minto hospital on April 20, 2020.
Bob was born and raised in the Riverdean suburb of Swift Current., Saskatchewan. He spoke often of his idyllic childhood and for the last three years of his life he returned to his hometown to revisit old memories with his friend Howard Gowan.
Bob joined the Air Cadets in 1943 and started his life-long association in the aviation industry. He flew commercially and instructed aviation students until he earned his Air Mechanics Engineer license. Thereafter, he teamed-up with Mobil Oil Aviation and took his family to Libya for an overseas assignment in the late sixties. Bob was Chief Engineer (Aviation) the last eighteen years of his professional life with Pan Canadian Petroleum, Calgary and West Coast Energy, Vancouver. Upon retiring, he with his dear friend Ted Coombes volunteered their skills at the Air Museum in Sidney. With great enthusiasm he overhauled and maintained three ponies (vintage Mustang cars) and entered them in many Show & Shine venues here on Salt Spring Island and Vancouver Island. A special place in his life was also reserved for his beloved Scottie dogs.
Bob was predeceased by his parents Joe and Georgina Bell and son Cameron. He leaves behind his wife of 66 years Lorraine and son Kenneth, brother Hartley (Joyce), nieces and nephews. A farewell gathering with his family was held at his home with his family and brother and sister-in-law Dawn and Bob Shaak. A Dogwood tree was planted on the acreage as a living memorial to his life. He spoke of great satisfaction of his years on this earth and often said he would do it all over again in the same way.
We thank you for the memories.
Our thanks to the Lady Minto staff for their exemplary care. No service is planned but if a donation to your favorite charity is made, thank you.
Latest Message from the Lady Minto Hospital Medical Staff Association:
Dear Salt Springers,
As you are all aware, many businesses and organizations are re-opening lately. Please be patient with new guidelines and potential wait times – people are doing their best, and we must be compassionate.
Salt Spring medical professionals and hospital staff are working hard to plan for the best possible care of our community members now and in the coming months, taking into consideration the possibility of a second wave. We ask that everyone please head into summer cautiously, taking good care of ourselves and our loved ones, while continuing to social distance. Only “double your bubble” with a few trusted family or friends, and keep things local if possible.
Please take a minute to read this overview of phased re-opening from Doctors of BC.
Thank you!
Viola Mary Stoltzmann
Aug. 3, 1934 – May 13, 2020
On Wednesday May 13th at 10pm, Viola Mary Stoltzmann (nee Bettcher) passed away in Hillside Village in Salmon Arm, B.C. at the age of 85.
Viola was born on a farm on August 3 , 1934 in Saskatchewan. As a child she moved to BC with her family. All her life Viola was involved in church life: youth groups, choirs, board member. Viola was an athletic outdoors person enjoying baseball, skiing, hiking fishing, camping, and sailing. She had a successful career with Shell Canada for over 25 years. Viola met and married Manfred Stoltzmann and they resided in New Westminster until their retirement when they moved to Pender Island where they built a beautiful home together. In her retirement Viola sailed, travelled and learned how to paint. She loved being with family and always enjoyed having visitors to Pender. Her life on Pender included many friends who were like family to her.
Viola is predeceased by her loving husband, Manfred Stoltzmann, father, Walter Bettcher, mother, Pauline Bettcher, and brother inlaws, Siegfred Kammholz and Edward Wiens. She is survived by her sister Loreen Wiens, brother, Lawrence Fred Bettcher (Lynda), sister-law Vera Mash (Gunter) and sister-in-law, Rita Kammholz. Viola is also survived by many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and many friends.
Online condolences may be sent to Viola’s family through her obituary at www.bowersfuneralservice.com
GILLIAN BIANCA FEITELBERG (SHILLINGTON)
Dec. 24, 1949 – May 11, 2020
Gill passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at Lady Minto Hospital on May 11, 2020.
She is survived by David, her loving husband whom she had been with for 53 years, and children Anton (Jaclyn), Bianca (Matt) and grandchildren Henry and Maggie.
Gill was born on December 24, 1949 in Laren, Netherlands and grew up in Durban, South Africa. In 1981, she emigrated to Toronto with her young family. She requalified as a pharmacist and worked in two large hospitals. She found a vibrant community and made lasting friendships.
She and David moved to Salt Spring in 2003 where she volunteered at the library, Art Spring and Island Women Against Violence. She helped found the Salt Spring literacy program and participated in art groups. She had a great love for the arts, books and travel.
Our dear Gilly was warm, laid-back and fun. Always enthused, always saying yes, never worrying about the small stuff. Her personality shone in her handling of the physical challenges she experienced later in life; she faced them with determination, grace and patience. She welcomed everyone with openness and kindness, and always without judgment. Her joie de vivre was infectious. She was loved by all.
We like to believe she is soaring in the trees above her home, free to move as she pleases.
A private family ceremony was held to commemorate her life.
Sidewalks, bike lanes and crosswalks on Lower Ganges and Rainbow roads are on the horizon at last with phase two of the North Ganges Transportation Plan contracted to begin.
The Salt Spring Transportation Commission transacted a major business item last Tuesday when commissioners voted to accept the lowest bid for the construction project, even thoug that bid came in significantly higher than the most recent cost estimate. Don Mann Excavating’s initial bid of $1,827,571 was nearly 23 per cent higher than the $1.49 million estimated by consultants at JE Anderson in April, while a second bid by Sparker Construction was 37 per cent higher at $2.048 million.
CRD staff negotiated a reduced price with Don Mann Excavating that brings it closer to 14 per cent higher than the estimate, for a total contract of $1.696 million.
“It’s expensive and I think we were all in agreement that it feels like a lot of money. We didn’t have any dissenting members, but we did have a lot of discussion about what we possibly could do,” commission chair Gayle Baker said after the meeting.
“It was a more difficult decision than you might think for the commissioners, staff and myself to come to,” said Salt Spring’s CRD director Gary Holman. “I think part of the quandary was, we could delay it but it wasn’t clear at all that we would get a better bid. It’s not clear that construction activity will wane, and in fact as we move through COVID recovery it will likely increase.”
A staff report notes the previous cost estimate of $1.1 million done in 2017 was largely based on figures from 2013, when the first phase of the NGTP was completed. Inflation and COVID-19 factors related to staffing, supply and transportation went into the most recent costing.
SSITC had allocated $2.026 million for the project according to the five-year capital plan approved in 2018. That amount was changed to somewhat over $1.3 million in the five-year plan approved in 2020, so commissioners had to amend the plan at the May 26 meeting to account for $955,614 in extra spending this year.
Project funding comes partly through a $1-million special tax requisition that was collected over four years, of which $870,000 still remains in the project’s reserve fund. The fund generated another $85,000 in interest that will be used for the project. Previous CRD director Wayne McIntyre allocated an additional $685,000 in gas tax funds to the project. More than $258,000 has already been spent on designs, archeological permits, project management and property acquisition.
Improvements are expected to be done by the end of the year, barring any delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
For more on this story, see the June 3 issue of the Driftwood.
The reasons people seem to be fleeing the city for island life is the subject of a fascinating new podcast called The Escapists, produced on Salt Spring by Bradley Damsgaard and Adrian Mack.
The new-ish community members are media professionals who first worked together on The Nerve magazine in Vancouver, which Damsgaard founded and where Mack served as film editor before moving on to The Georgia Straight.
Damsgaard went on to work for social media management firm Hootsuite and currently runs his own consulting agency, Republic Digital. Mack transitioned his position with The Straight into a remote one when he and his family moved to Salt Spring a few years ago. After Damsgaard and his partner made their own escape from Vancouver in May 2019, the two friends started meeting regularly to talk about doing some sort of project together. They had also started bumping into more city friends in Ganges and realized there was an interesting phenomenon taking place.
“It occurred to Brad and I that something was happening and that there was a growing interest in leaving the city and trying to live a quote-unquote more authentic life,” Mack said.
The Escapists explores people’s reasons for leaving the city and the often surprising reality of living in a rural community, with Mack serving as chief interviewer and Damsgaard as cohost and producer. They ground their discussions with guests in their own experiences as urbanites who are “at the bottom end of a very very steep learning curve” when it comes to things like septic systems, chainsaws and decentralized government.
“I’m really at sea out here; I’m very lost at this way of life, but I’m enchanted by it,” Mack said. “And I’m very convinced that urban life, especially now, is going to become much more difficult and much less gratifying for people.”
“I see what we’re doing as having many different audiences,” Damsgaard said. “For someone who’s thinking about what we’re doing we want to dispel the myths or bring the truth about the hard realities.”
Rather than being a warning against leaving the city, Damsgaard explained the podcast could be useful for those who want to escape but have been making excuses about why they can’t, by showing how others have done it and made it work. It’s also aimed at people who have recently made the move, to help them adjust.
“It’s building a community of escapists but also talking to the fringe who are closet escapists, maybe,” Damsgaard said.
Episodes are around an hour long and have a conversational format. Season one’s five episodes feature interviews that were done in pre-pandemic times. The very first subject was Chris Arnett, who moved to the island in the 1980s despite a successful music career in Vancouver. (Mack now plays drums in Arnett’s band Salt Spring Underground.) His story was so fascinating it warranted two episodes. Season two will have a slightly different tone as subjects will be speaking post COVID-19, which has served to underline why city living may not be the best choice.
Common to the first season’s subjects is the fact most have kept their jobs in Vancouver but found a way to do the work remotely or to commute less frequently. Work has come up as a common theme in the podcast and is one of the difficulties in making a move. As Damsgaard points out, island-based jobs may not be high-paying and may be only seasonal, so people often need to have several different streams of income. Work based off-island also has drawbacks, though.
“Having your financial ties to the city is something you will have to deal with eventually,” Mack said. “It’s the thing that might get you out of the city, because we can work remotely now. But especially in a post-COVID-19 world, I think it becomes pretty apparent pretty quickly that you need to re-establish your financial security here rather than there … I expect that will come up more in future episodes and I think it was always the subtext of the first season.”
So far the focus has been on people who came to Salt Spring from Vancouver because that is who and what the producers know. Going forward they would like to expand their subject base to other islands and into northern areas like the territories.
The Escapists podcast can be found at escapists.ca, where listeners can hear the full first season and choose to subscribe. It’s also available to download from platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Spotify.
The team is looking for new interview suggestions and feedback on what they’ve done so far — both good and bad. Emails can be sent to escapistforlife@gmail.com.
Removal of a crashed stolen van from the side of Lower Ganges Road just past Booth Canal Road proved challenging on the morning of Saturday, May 23. Because the vehicle was severed by a fir tree the previous evening, the tree needed to be removed before the van could be towed away by personnel from Johnson’s Automotive Services Ltd. Thomas Brainerd of Thomas Brainerd Tree Service took care of that task.
South-bound traffic on Lower Ganges Road was rerouted down Booth Canal Road while the removal operation took place, and delays also occurred for north-bound travellers for a short time.
Salt Spring RCMP said the female driver suffered no serious injuries due to the crash.
(Click on photos to enlarge them and scroll through with the Next button.)
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