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SPRAGUE, Lois J. B.Sc., B.Ed.

Lois J. Sprague B.Sc., B.Ed.
1930 Dec 24 – 2020 Mar 20

Lois was a fifth-generation Canadian born and raised in Windsor Ontario. She died rapidly in Lady Minto hospital from severe secondary effects of a long-standing heart problem. Husband John was at her side and appreciates excellent care by the hospital staff. Lois and John were married for 66 years, and for four years previously they were lab partners at university. Lois leaves 5 children, 5 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren. She kept life-long loving contact with all the children.

After raising that family, Lois was a public school teacher for 20 years. She loved horses and in middle life enjoyed weekly riding sessions in Ontario, then in Nanaimo while on sabbatical, and went on trail-rides in the Alberta mountains. She also loved swimming, used the pools in Guelph, Nanaimo and Victoria, and later was faithful at aquafit in the Ganges pool. Lois and John lived in three provinces, coast to coast, and travelled to every province and territory, as well as five continents. They spent one year on their sailboat, wintering in the Gulf of Mexico. The picture shows Lois at age 50 in Rio de Janeiro.

Lois was a very active volunteer during 25 years on Salt Spring. She worked for about a decade each as volunteer teacher’s assistant in the elementary school, in the Resources facility of Salt Spring Seniors, then as Secretary of Seniors, as a Senior Peer Counsellor, and in the Salt Spring library. She was an active proponent and supporter of peace and environmental issues (Chair of the first and early recycling program in Guelph Ontario, Voice of Women, Canadian Peace Research Institute and many others). She was a Raging Granny in Ontario and Salt Spring. In later years she enjoyed quilting, and placed colourful quilts with all the family, with friends and friends-of-friends in every province and territory, and in England and U.S.A.

Messages may be left with Haywards Funeral Services
(contact@haywardsfuneral.com)

We all have the potential to save a life

March 28 Lady Minto Hospital Medical Staff Association COVID-19 Update

Every single person on Salt Spring has the potential to save a life by practising physical distancing. Never before have any of us been able to have such an incredible impact by such a small change in behaviour. Simply staying home and maintaining a physical distance from others is the single most effective measure to control and stop this pandemic. 

The address by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry yesterday gave us a glimmer of hope, but as many know, statistics can be interpreted in many different ways. Now is NOT the time to relax any of the containment measures. Rather, it is crucial that we hold the course we are on, continue to practice physical distancing, stay home, and wash our hands.  

The coming days will reveal if we are truly “flattening the curve” of new cases.

Lady Minto Hospital remains open with restrictions on visitors and all the recommended infection control measures in place. We continue to be ready and able to care for you. 

We will not post tomorrow and plan to move to twice-weekly posts because the doctors who write these have to focus their thinking and work in other directions. If there is a need for an urgent update we will post more frequently. Stay tuned! 

For now, we hope that the early indicators of slowing the infection rate in B.C. prove to be a true reflection of the course of this pandemic in our province.  

Fantastic work, Salt Springers!  

Here are practical pieces of advice on stress management during this crisis.

Some degree of anxiety, of course, is only normal. Humans developed into social creatures to survive, so isolation can be an uncomfortable state for many. Overall, the long-term negative effects of physical isolation should be considerably lessened by the knowledge that everyone is experiencing them. Keep in contact with others by every means possible while maintaining physical distance.

It is important to keep busy. Do not spend the whole day on social media but instead, establish a routine that gives structure to your days. You can do a lot at home. Daily to-do lists can be helpful in making small, achievable goals. 

Keeping active, both physically and mentally, is also vitally important. Try to get outside, go for a walk or hike, work in your garden, or do some cardio or stretching in your home. Too much information can be anxiety-inducing, while not knowing anything at all can also make us feel anxious. Read the news, preferably just once per day, from a reliable source of information so you feel empowered and knowledgeable about the Covid situation. 

While we are social creatures by nature, we also need our space at times, so there are bound to be tensions within households. Make sure to let everyone have some time alone each day if they need it. Everyone’s a little anxious, and it might not take much for people to get upset or angry. Talk to your family members openly, and be gentle with one another. This is especially important with children.

For more on living in self-isolation, please see this delightful video by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmhRTDKYpHc

Acknowledgments to the Guardian Newspaper for some of the above stress-management ideas.

Friday COVID-19 roundup: Next two weeks a critical time, says provincial health officer

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B.C.’s provincial health officer is cautiously optimistic that the physical distancing and other measures being taken are helping to slow the spread of COVID-19 in B.C.

But rather than suggest any current restrictions should be eased, Dr. Bonnie Henry said Friday that people need to continue heeding strict directives on self-isolation whether sick or returning from travelling, social/physical distancing for others and stellar hand hygiene for all.  

The present rate of COVID-19 infection in B.C. is estimated at 130 people per million. Without restrictions in place that number could be 215 per million, the government says.

“I hope this is motivation for people to double-down on what we are doing,” she said at the regular media briefing. “If we do this . . . this is what is going to save us. The next two weeks in particular are our critical time . . . .”

The event also included modelling data and other information that shows B.C.’s trajectory at the moment shows us closer to South Korea’s experience than northern Italy’s. The latter would be the worst-case scenario.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said that 17 hospitals in the province have been designated primary COVID-19 care sites. In the Island Health region those are Royal Jubilee and Nanaimo General hospitals. Dix and Henry said their staff are trying hard to obtain more personal protective equipment for health-care workers and other needed supplies.

As Lady Minto Hospital chief of staff Holly Slakov reconfirmed with the Driftwood last week, no Salt Spring residents requiring ventilation due to COVID-19 would be treated at Lady Minto Hospital. The local hospital has the capacity to ventilate a patient for a short time only while waiting for a transfer to an intensive care unit off-island.

With School District 64 students completing their spring break period today, district superintendent Scott Benwell issued a letter to parents today confirming that while schools will not open on Monday as per the provincial government’s March 17 directive, “our staff will be finding ways to connect with students and families remotely. We are going to need some time to set this up and to find innovative ways to keep students engaged and inspired. As usual, our dedicated teachers, principals and vice-principals will be the primary contact for students and families.”

Updates will be posted on the www.sd64.bc.ca website.

The B.C. government has also created a Keep Learning BC website for parents.

On Friday the federal government announced further additions to its Economic Response Plan to help bolster the economy due to the devastating impacts of COVID-19. Those included upping wage subsidies for qualifying businesses to 75 per cent from the initial 10 per cent announced last week, providing loans of up to $40,000 to some businesses and allowing deferment of sales-tax remittances and import duties, among other measures.

Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz also announced an interest rate cut to 0.25 per cent, described as “its effective lower bound” in order to “provide support to the Canadian financial system and the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Local medical staff address patient confidentiality; offer new resources

March 27 Lady Minto Hospital Medical Staff Association COVID-19 Update:

A gentle reminder to people who have been asking whether there are cases on Salt Spring: We are committed to the confidentiality of our patients and will not disclose any more than the information you are receiving from the Medical Officer of Health. Our regulatory body, The College of Physicians and Surgeons has said:

“. . . Dr. [Bonnie] Henry is taking great care to ensure the privacy of individuals who are affected, which of course is of utmost importance. The College has recently learned of instances where information has been posted on social media or provided to the press about individual patient cases and test results, including the identification of certain smaller communities. This is not acceptable. Physicians must not disclose information about individual patients in any setting, including stories shared directly with other people, even if patient identities are not revealed. The risk of a privacy breach is too great.” 

We are also aware that there is a time lag between the arrival of the virus in a community and the identification of individual cases. The fact that a community has not had an identified case should not be interpreted as meaning that the virus is not present. For that reason, we should all assume that the virus is present and continue to maintain social distancing to break the chain of communicability.

Lady Minto Hospital and your family doctors’ offices are functioning in the same way as other BC hospitals and physician offices — taking the highest degree of infection precautions to prevent a local outbreak.        

There has also been some confusion around 10 and 14 days of isolation. There are two factors at play here:

One is the incubation period, which refers to the time between exposure to infection and appearance of first symptoms. Those who have travelled or been in contact with a known COVID-19 case need to self-isolate for 14 days to see if they are incubating the infection. If they have the coronavirus, symptoms will appear within 14 days. The incubation period is believed to be two to 14 days with a median of five days.

The other is the period of communicability, which refers to the time period during which the virus can pass from host to host. For those who have known respiratory symptoms, the period of communicability is considered to be 10 days after onset of symptoms. Those with respiratory symptoms that can be managed at home can return to their routine activities after 10 days if temperature is normal and they feel better. Coughing may persist for several weeks and does not mean the individual is infectious and must self-isolate.  

If you are unsure please call your family doctor.

Today, we offer a few resources that we hope are useful to the community:

• BC’s 211 service, which provides free information and referral regarding community, government, and social services, has expanded their program to connect seniors to local volunteer assistance during the COVID-19 crisis. If you are in need of non-medical help, or would like to volunteer to help, you can register on their website: http://www.bc211.ca/safe-seniors-strong-communities/

• The Child and Youth Mental Health & Substance Use Community of Practice offers this resource for families dealing with stress and anxiety around COVID-9. Please note this is a PDF file: http://www.sharedcarebc.ca/sites/default/files/CYMHSU%20CoP%20-%20Managing%20Anxiety%20and%20Stress%20in%20Families%20with%20Children%20and%20Youth_COVID-19%20(ID%20322929).pdf

• To see how social distancing is working in B.C., watch this address by Dr. Bonnie Henry from CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/covid-19-bc-modelling-numbers-dr-bonnie-henry-1.5512269

Salt Spring Foundation sets up Emergency Prep and Relief Fund

The Salt Spring Island Foundation has established the COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Relief Fund in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Foundation is making an initial contribution of $20,000 and will also be receiving a CRD Grant-in-Aid of $5,000 for the fund. In addition, Country Grocer will be partnering with the Foundation to support the fund. 

The Foundation is appealing to the community for donations to help us boost the fund to $100,000. Donations may be made online at ssifoundation.ca or by mail to: Salt Spring Island Foundation, Box 244, Ganges PO, Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 2V9. Please indicate on your cheque that the donation is to be directed to the COVID-19 Emergency Fund.

Grants from the fund will focus on community health-care preparedness, relief or assistance for vulnerable people in our community, such as seniors, or other pressing community needs as they emerge.

Foundation board chair Brian Lawson says, “As Salt Spring faces this unprecedented challenge, the Foundation is committed to helping the charities and not-for-profit organizations that are on the front lines of this fight to assist those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Islanders have always been incredibly caring and generous to others in times of need, and we appeal for their help now.“

The Foundation is inviting immediate applications from charities acting on their own behalf or on behalf of a not-for-profit organization. The fund will operate on the basis of urgency and flexibility over the coming weeks but will also assist charities as long as need remains, even beyond the peak of the crisis. The application process has been streamlined in order to get the funds working in the community as soon as possible.

Qualified applicants are invited to make a short written (email preferred) request explaining the need and use for the funds. Please include a clear contact name, email, postal address, telephone number and organization name.  The written request should be addressed to the Foundation’s operations director, Shannon Cowan, at shannon@ssifoundation.ca.

The Foundation also encourages community members to support the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation directly through its emergency fund. Lawson says, “The Salt Spring Island Foundation intends to assist those with needs in the wider community and will engage and work with other community partners going forward.”

The Foundation’s offices have been closed to the public in accordance with public health guidelines, but staff will still be working and responding to inquiries from the community.

Harbour Air joins Seair in cancelling regularly scheduled flights

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Harbour Air has temporarily suspended all regularly scheduled flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a release issued Thursday night, the company said that “with safety as our top value at Harbour Air, we have decided that it is in the best interest of our employees and our customers to cease all Harbour Air scheduled service flight operations.”

The company’s current plan is to resume regular flights on May 4.

“We understand the impact that this decision has on the communities we service, and because we don’t want to leave anyone stranded, as we are deemed an essential service in the province, we will continue to offer charter services which will include private flights, freight and government support services as required. For the safety of our flight crew and private flight passengers, these flights will be completed utilizing our larger DeHavilland Otter aircraft, which will allow for on- board distancing. We will continue to follow the stringent cleaning and sanitation protocols in place.”

The company added: “To all of Harbour Air’s guests, neighbours, partners and friends, we are thinking of you. Through everyone’s help and support, we will get through this and get back to doing what we love.”

Seair Seaplanes, which also serves the Gulf Islands, suspended its services, except for charters, as of March 22. Company president Peter Clarke stated last week that Seair hopes to resume regular flights on April 30.

“Once again, I would like to remind all our passengers, this is TEMPORARY and we will continue to monitor the situation daily and provide details via the COVID-19 (coronavirus) page on our website. In the meantime, stay safe and take care of one another. We will miss you and look forward to flying you again soon.”

 

March 26 Lady Minto Hospital Medical Staff Association COVID-19 Update

Message from the Lady Minto Hospital Medical Staff Association for March 26:

We are in the calm before the storm and it is what we do right now that will determine the severity of the coming storm.

We want to thank all the residents and businesses of Salt Spring who are doing an incredible job of physical distancing and thus literally saving lives. So many people are helping in all sorts of different ways it would be impossible to mention them all, but thank you. Every day we delay the storm is a precious gift to everyone as more protective gear and ventilators are organized and information and treatments are developed.

Today, we’d like to provide some links to more support resources and the latest news on Covid-19 as it relates to our Salt Spring community.

Many people ask how long the virus can live on surfaces. The short answer is, it depends on the surface: 

  • up to 3 days on smooth surfaces such as glass, plastic and metal

  • up to 24 hours on cardboard

  • about 4 hours on copper, which has inherent disinfectant properties

  • rough surfaces such as clothing do not hold the virus as long as smooth ones

  • indoor surfaces are more likely to remain infectious for longer.

Please see this comprehensive article on CBC News for more information and how best to disinfect:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/covid-19-surfaces-1.5509619

There is a provincial burning ban effectively immediately until April 15 to curb respiratory damage in vulnerable persons during the COVID-19 crisis. From the SSI Fire Department: “The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy in collaboration with provincial public health partners has issued open burning restrictions for all High Smoke Sensitivity Zones across the province until Wednesday April 15th, 2020. No new fires may be initiated and no additional material may be added to existing fires. This includes backyard burning and machine land clearing only. Campfires are still permitted with a valid fire permit.”

This morning, social distancing has become law in BC: 

  • People who ignore public health orders can now be jailed or fined

  • Reselling food or cleaning materials is prohibited

Click here to find out how and why these measures have been taken: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/covid-19-bc-state-of-emergency-orders-1.5510677

And, if you come across people who are not taking seriously the need to isolate, here are some tips for explaining how this can save lives: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/coronavirus-people-defying-officials-1.5507061

Lack of housing security continues to be an issue on Salt Spring. Fortunately, the Province has listened to citizens in need and put a freeze on evictions and rent increases for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis. See here for more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/covid-19-bc-renter-landlord-financial-help-1.5509636

For parents and caregivers isolating at home with children, there is a free session on the Zoom videoconferencing platform by psychologist Dr. Nicole Racine tomorrow, March 27 at 11am PST: Join Dr. Nicole Racine and parents across the country in a discussion about coping and resilience for children and parents during COVID-19. Nicole will address common stress responses in children resulting from social distancing and home isolation, provide resources, and respond to your questions about reducing stress and promoting mental well-being – for yourself and your children.

Sign up here: https://www.forourkids.ca/session_1

Again, thank you to our amazing community who continue to do their part in stopping the spread of COVID-19. We are so grateful for your distancing efforts and caring for each other during this difficult, stressful time.

All images courtesy of Kalispell Regional Healthcare

Province increases powers to safeguard supply chains and enforce health officer’s orders

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The B.C. Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth announced this morning that the government is enacting extraordinary powers under a state of provincial emergency in response to novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

“We are at a critical stage in our fight against COVID-19,” said Farnworth. “How we act today will determine our future.”

He added that while most people are following the orders of provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, municipal bylaw officers will now be enabled to enforce Dr. Henry’s orders for non-essential businesses to close and a ban on gatherings of 50-plus people. Fines of more than $25,000 or jail time can be levied for violations. 

The province has compiled a list of essential services and businesses.

Other orders include:

• Supply chain: Establishing a new Provincial Supply Chain Coordination Unit to co-ordinate goods and services distribution; taking a more active role in co-ordinating essential goods and services movement by land, air, marine and rail; and suspending any bylaws that restrict goods delivery at any time of day.

• Protecting consumers: Banning the secondary resale of food, medical supplies, personal protective equipment, cleaning and other essential supplies; and restricting quantities of items purchased at point of sale.

• Travel: Ensuring all passenger and car-ferry services provide minimum service levels and priority access for residents, and essential goods and workers.

• Protecting B.C.’s most vulnerable: Making it easier to support critical services for vulnerable people, like food banks and shelters.

• Co-ordination: Suspending local states of emergency specific to the COVID-19 pandemic, except for the City of Vancouver; giving municipal councils the ability to hold more flexible meetings to expedite decisions; and co-ordinating potential use of local publicly owned facilities, like community centres, for self-isolation, testing, medical care, warehousing and distribution.

Farnworth declared a provincial state of emergency on March 18, after the provincial health officer declared a public health emergency on March 17. The Province previously declared states of emergency in 1998, 2003, 2017 and 2018 — all related to wildfires. In each of those previous declarations, necessary actions were able to be taken without issuing minister’s orders under the Emergency Program Act.

A summary of all provincial programs related to COVID-19 is online

Open burning ban in effect until April 15

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All open burning has been banned in the Gulf Islands and other high smoke sensitivity zones across B.C. for the next few weeks due to COVID-19.

The ban comes into effect today (March 26) and will continue until Wednesday, April 15.

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy in collaboration with provincial public health partners has declared the restriction in several areas of the province.

The ban means no new fires to burn outdoor or land-clearing debris may be initiated and no additional material may be added to existing fires.

“As cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in B.C. continue to increase, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control recommends implementing measures that help to reduce excess air pollution in populated airsheds across the province,” states a government press release. “There is strong evidence that exposure to air pollution increases susceptibility to respiratory viral infections by decreasing immune function. This means that:

• Deterioration in air quality may lead to more COVID-19 infections overall,

• Deterioration in air quality may lead to more cases of severe COVID-19 infections, adding further demand to our healthcare system, and

• Improvements to air quality may help to protect the whole population from COVID-19 and its potentially severe effects.

Ask Salt Spring service continues via email and Driftwood

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Like all public events, ASK Salt Spring Friday gatherings at Thrifty’s have been suspended, but organizers say the need for answers is as great, or even greater, than ever before. 

That’s why Gayle Baker of ASK Salt Spring is inviting people to continue to send their questions about any island matter to asksaltspring@gmail.com and to expect an emailed response.

Additionally, elected officials will still address questions — but via email — on the Friday when they would normally visit ASK Salt Spring. The schedule is: MLA Adam Olsen on the first Friday of the month; CRD director Gary Holman on the second Friday; Islands Trust trustee Laura Patrick on the third; Chamber of Commerce executive director Jessica Harkema and an Emcon roads maintenance rep on the fourth Friday. Questions should be sent to asksaltspring@gmail.com by 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before their scheduled visit. Although an answer will be emailed to the individual, ASK Salt Spring will select some questions and answers for an article that will be published in the Driftwood the following Wednesday.

ASK Salt Spring is also willing to accept COVID-19 questions and find answers for people.

The Upcoming Weekly Guest Schedule:
Adam Olsen:
Questions to asksaltspring@gmail by Tuesday, March 31 at 5:00 p.m.
His answers in article in the Driftwood on Wednesday, April 8.

Gary Holman:
Questions to asksaltspring@gmail by Tuesday, April 7 at 5:00 p.m.
His answers in article in the Driftwood on Wednesday, April 15.

Laura Patrick:
Questions to asksaltspring@gmail by Tuesday, April 14 at 5:00 p.m.
Her answers in article in the Driftwood – Wednesday, April 22.

Jessica Harkema:
Questions to asksaltspring@gmail by Tuesday, April 21 at 5:00 p.m.
His answers in article in the Driftwood on Wednesday, April 29.