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Sophisticated fraud hits island

Elizabeth Nolan
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Sophisticated fraud hits island

Salt Spring Islanders are reporting a barrage of attempted and successful fraud aimed at the island in recent months, as electronic methods of theft get more sophisticated and diversified.

Bernadette Mertens-McAllister is one of the most recent to fall prey to a convincing hoax in which scam artists made it look like her credit card had been compromised, and then drained thousands from her bank account through iTunes purchases.

“It is upsetting, but I got a good lesson out of it,” Mertens-McAllister said Monday.

Other cases of recent activity on Salt Spring include a local dentist’s office whose email database was somehow infiltrated, leading to the possibility that fraudulent invoices could be sent out. And local restaurant owners were warned this spring after a spate of purchases were made with fraudulent credit cards, including both meals and high-value gift certificates. 

Salt Spring resident Jordan Reigh pled guilty in provincial court to the restaurant-related charges in May and received a four-month conditional sentence plus 24 months probation. His conditions include not attending Auntie Pesto’s Cafe and a curfew of 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Reigh cannot possess mail, credit cards, debit cards or documents in the name of Evan James Shotropa.

For more on this story, see the June 20, 2018 issue of the Gulf Islands Driftwood newspaper, or subscribe online.

Masters of oil show new works

Elizabeth Nolan
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Masters of oil show new works

With a plethora of exciting art shows opening over the past weekend, two shows located side by side happened to offer some interesting points of connection and departure from the vantage of oil painting.

John Macdonald is showing his Backwoods series at Fault Lines Projects, while Deon Venter has new smaller figurative paintings at Venter Gallery. The two spaces share a wall and a propensity for exhibiting some of the island’s most serious artwork. Both Macdonald and Venter have made names on the international scene, and both favour thick layers of oil paint that obscure as much as present an image, with a mixture of abstraction and representation that puts paint and the practice of painting into focus. 

Of course, despite the many similarities in approach, every artist is an individual and expresses art through a perspective unique to themselves. Works produced under seemingly similar circumstances wind up being in no way similar at all.

Macdonald often paints the people and landscapes around him, but the elements are abstracted and hence transformed to a somewhat mythic level. His Backwoods paintings are pulsing with energy, vibrant both in paint colour and application, yet with hints of darkness that produce depth and nuance. Old trucks and vans are nestled in the forest, more solid than the figures that ghost in here and there.

While his paintings are not fully representational, Macdonald doesn’t go completely abstract either. Images are built up with thick slathers of paint using palette knives and then worked through with the brush. Layers are added, elements obscured and then broken down over long periods of time.

“For me the image is one thing. It’s more about the paint,” he explained at Friday’s opening.

Next door at the Venter Gallery, which Kathy and Deon Venter opened earlier this spring, a celebrated pair of artists has been enjoying the freedom to experiment with some smaller works, while their Merchant Mews studio is still home to her life-sized figurative sculptures and his more massive paintings.

Like Macdonald, Deon Venter is also deeply concerned with the paint, and likes to work in liminal places. He blurs the line between abstract and representational to allow a deeper truth to work through the threshold, while the rigid sculptural oil paint retains a sense of fluidity.

Humanity’s place in an interconnected world, myth and shamanism are additional influences to his approach. His current works under the collective title Hakeme/Head riff on a textured Japanese ceramics finish.

“It’s almost like a memory — it’s like you recall something rather than imitate it,” he said of his new paintings, which are based on heads and faces but can’t really be called portraits.

For more on this story, see the June 20, 2018 issue of the Gulf Islands Driftwood newspaper, or subscribe online.

Carbon-neutral shipping project gets boost

Gail Sjuberg
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Carbon-neutral shipping project gets boost

A carbon-neutral cargo ship project based in Costa Rica is getting a little help from Salt Spring Island.

Steve Abbott, a local investor in the project, will be sending a crate filled with donated hand tools, a bandsaw mill and a giant ship saw to the site on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The mill and ship saw were both procured in the Gulf Islands, and Abbott is looking for any donations of usable wood and metalworking tools to send along.

“We’re hoping the shipment will go off in a couple of weeks. With these two sawmills it’ll be a 20-foot container,” Abbott said. “I’m going to send my wood lathe, which I haven’t used for a couple of years now. I’m anxious to invite people to send along any equipment that they have, be it woodworking or metal-working equipment that they feel might be useful down there, and we could add to that container.”

The ship, named Ceiba, will be built entirely using green practices. It is being constructed by Sail Cargo Inc. as the flagship for a line of carbon-neutral marine freight ships based in Central America. The timbers will be sourced from properly permitted logging — which is much more stringent in Costa Rica — and trees will be replanted as they are cut. The team also hopes to use as much windfall as possible, and will only use non-endangered tree species for the construction.

When finished, it will be 45 metres long with three large masts. The ship will resemble a traditional sailing ship, but it will also have modern additions to make travelling easier and more environmentally friendly.

“This is essentially a conventional tall ship with the modern conveniences added,” he said.

Those interested in donating tools for the ship are asked to phone Abbott at 250-931-7189. In addition to tools, they are looking for volunteers to help with construction and logistics of the project. Sail Cargo is also selling shares of the ship, which are available through their sailcargo.org website.

For more on this story, see the June 20, 2018 issue of the Gulf Islands Driftwood newspaper, or subscribe online.

ROBERTSON, Earle

Driftwood Obituary
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ROBERTSON, Earle

EARLE ROBERTSON
November 22, 1941 – February 3, 2018

It is with profound sadness that the family of Earle Robertson announce his accidental death on February 3, 2018. He is lovingly remembered by his wife of 53 years, Sharon; daughter Terese (Michael) de Carle, Calgary AB; son Steven (Kristen) and precious granddaughter Kayella Robertson; brother Robert (Maureen) Richmond, BC and family; sisters-in-law Vera and Marilyn Robertson; and numerous nieces and nephews. Earle was predeceased by his mother Louella, sister Donna Hnatiw, brothers Gordon, Kenneth and Gerry; and in-laws Steven and Jean Maradyn. Earle was born in Prince Albert, SK on November 22, 1941. Upon moving to Saskatoon, he attended Caswell School and Bedford Road Collegiate. After graduating Earle was accepted into the Regular Officer’s Training Plan in the Royal Canadian Air Force. His military training included study at the University of Saskatchewan, where he received a B.A. and B.A. Honours in Physics. As an engineering officer he was posted in North Bay, ON, Saint Jean and Senneterre, QC, and he received an honourable discharge from the military as a Flight Lieutenant. Earle returned to the U of S completing his B.Ed. He then joined the Saskatoon Public Board of Education as a physics and mathematics teacher at Bedford Road and then Evan Hardy. In 1975 he won the Hilroy Fellowship for “An Alternatives Approach to Teaching Physics”. He served as vice-principal of Evan Hardy, assistant principal of Walter Murray and Mount Royal and principal of Bedford Road and Aden Bowman Collegiates. In 1980, as Acting Superintendent of Secondary Schools, he developed the first ever “Educational Plan for a New High School” that was Marion Graham Collegiate. In 1984 Earle chose to return to his first love, the teaching of Physics and Math and taught at Marion Graham for 16 years. Earle was very active in the Saskatoon Teacher’s Association where he served as councillor, executive member, vice-president and executive assistant. He was on the Stirling McDowell Foundation Board, later becoming a consultant for this board. He was a member of the Board of Directors for both the Teacher’s Credit Union and Science West. In 2002, the Saskatchewan Science Teacher’s Society honored Earle with an award for “Dedication to Science Education”. In 2005, he was the recipient of the Arbos Award for Contributions to Education and the Teaching Profession. Earle’s students often expressed their gratitude for his dedication and efforts to help them succeed in their academic endeavours. Earle’s final teaching assignment was instructor in the Adult Academic Education program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. In Earle’s own words: “It is with deep gratitude and pride that I can say unequivocally that I would do it all again.” Earle was an ardent fisherman, an avid reader, enjoyed gardening and collecting rocks and pinecones on his daily walks. He had a keen sense of humour, a twinkle in his eye and a ready smile. He also always had an answer. Earle had a positive attitude throughout life and always stated he was a happy man. Earle truly loved his family. He married his high school sweetheart Sharon Maradyn, August 8, 1964. They were blessed with two children Terese and Steven and were delighted to welcome son-in-law Michael and daughter-in-law Kristen into their family. They were further blessed and overjoyed with the birth of their granddaughter Kayella Robertson. Earle and Sharon loved family get-togethers and visiting with friends, eating out and travelling. Earle’s favourite spots of destination were Hawaii, Saltspring Island and Waskesiu. He will be dearly missed and forever in our hearts. The family wishes to thank Dr. Cyprian Enweani for his care and friendship and the doctors and staff of the ICU at Royal University Hospital for their care and compassion. The family also extends a heartfelt thank you to everyone for their overwhelming support during this time. A Life Celebration for Earle will take place at the Sheraton Cavalier Hotel on Friday, June 22, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. followed by a reception. Condolences may be left for the family at www.saskatoonfuneralhome.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Saskatoon Funeral Home 306-244-5577

DOUCET, Joseph Bernard George

Driftwood Obituary
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DOUCET, Joseph Bernard George

Joseph Bernard George Doucet
AUGUST 27, 1927 – JUNE 8, 2018

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Bernard Doucet (affectionately known as Bernie) on June 8, 2018, on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, where he died peacefully surrounded by family.

Bernie spent his formative years in Bathurst, New Brunswick, where he forged a deep bond with his siblings and lifelong friends. He left his beloved hometown as a young adult to join the federal government, working for a number of ministries and eventually becoming a leading expert in the field of employee compensation.

Bernie was fiercely proud of his East Coast roots and service to the Canadian Armed Forces. He was blessed with an active mind — an avid reader with an encyclopedic memory and a gifted storyteller with an insatiable thirst for knowledge and intellectual pursuits.

He could build or fix practically anything, from houses to car engines, skills he patiently taught his two sons. He was a well-respected hockey coach and could beat the pants off anyone who challenged him to a game of cards.
But most of all, Bernie was a loving father, brother, and friend. He’ll be remembered as a funny, joyful, and kind man with a big heart whose glass was always half full — even in his final days. He will be sadly missed.

Bernie is predeceased by his daughter Denise (Rocco Ciancio). He leaves behind the love of his life — his wife, Valerie — his sister Jean (John Cormier) and five children: Louise (Doug Motherwell), Suzanne (Hulber Gagliardini), Carol-Anne (Randy Chambers), Joey, and Paul. Also mourning his loss are his grandchildren Claire, Jesson, Nicholas, Chloe, Jacob, Jean-Philippe, Matthew, Christopher, sister-in-law Norma Doucet, many nephews and nieces, and extended family members.

Besides his parents, George and Frances (Branch) Doucet, Bernie is predeceased by his sisters Marion Quinn, Loretta Quinn, and Lois McGregor, brother Clarence Doucet, and stepbrother Earl Doucet.

The family thanks Dr. Reznick, the staff at Lady Minto Hospital, and the staff and residents of Meadowbrook for their kind support. A celebration of Bernie’s life will be held in Bathurst, New Brunswick, at the end of July. In lieu of flowers, donation to the Gulf Islands Families Together Society are gratefully accepted.

Maliview sewage enters Trincomali waters

Driftwood Staff
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Maliview sewage enters Trincomali waters

A mechanical failure at the Maliview Wastewater Treatment Plant resulted in approximately two cubic metres of untreated sewage entering the marine environment through the discharge outfall pipe on Tuesday afternoon.

The Capital Regional District issued a press release about the incident on Tuesday evening.

“The area impacted is in the vicinity of the Maliview Wastewater Treatment Plant outfall pipe at the intersection of Maliview Drive and Walkers Hook Road on the northeast part of Salt Spring Island,” states the CRD.

“As a result of this discharge, residents are advised to avoid entering the waters along the affected shorelines as the wastewater may pose a health risk.

“As a precaution and in consultation with Island Health, the beach within the affected area will be posted with public health advisory signs until sample results indicate enterococci levels are below the 70CFU/100mL recreational limit.”

The untreated sewage release commenced at 3:30 p.m. and was responded to immediately, says the CRD. Normal operation resumed at 4:10 p.m.

RCMP make arrest near library

Gail Sjuberg
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RCMP make arrest near library

A man was arrested by RCMP in front of the Salt Spring Public Library after CRD bylaw enforcement staff tried to issue him a ticket on Thursday afternoon.

The man allegedly attacked CRD officer Lance Hurrell as he and another officer were trying to issue the ticket related to drinking in nearby Peace Park.

“Myself and the other officer just simply wanted to enforce the bylaw by issuing the individual a ticket,” Hurrell said. 

CRD has partnered with the RCMP to do extra monitoring of Peace Park after hearing complaints of open liquor and smoking, CRD PARC manager Dan Ovington explained.

“We’ve gone in several times with education and warnings,” Ovington said. “Today when people still weren’t in compliance, [bylaw officers] were issuing tickets.”

The man’s name was not released.

Editorial: Opening the gate for affordable housing

Driftwood Staff
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Editorial: Opening the gate for affordable housing

When it comes to matters like affordable housing, the Islands Trust is really only a “gatekeeper.”

At least that’s how Salt Spring trustee George Grams explained the situation at Thursday’s Trust committee meeting when talking about a rezoning bylaw needed to allow Island Women Against Violence’s Croftonbrook expansion. The Trust can’t be proactive and create housing developments, he said. They can only halt or minimize the impact of someone else’s project, or open the gate for others to make housing happen.

Rezoning Croftonbrook property will allow construction of 34 units of affordable housing adjacent to the existing 20-unit affordable housing complex. A further 20 units can already be built under existing zoning.

Construction will be noisy and disruptive for the neighbourhood, and traffic will no doubt increase on Corbett Road. Adding up to 54 units and 78 individuals to that area will change it forever. But no location is ideal for any development. As envisioned by the Salt Spring Official Community Plan, though, the north Ganges area, close to other multi-family complexes and services, is the right place for more dense and affordable developments.

Not surprisingly, the question of an adequate supply of water has arisen. While IWAV has been assured on several fronts that the quality and quantity is what is needed for 54 new units, the form of that assurance was not available in an expected format from Island Health by last Thursday. Croftonbrook project is in uncharted waters when it comes to the provision of water, relying on a mix of groundwater and rainwater sources.

If trustees Grams and Peter Grove did not support in principle the Croftonbrook expansion, they could have effectively closed the gate and killed it by not giving proposed Bylaw 507 second reading last week because of wording around the water issue. Instead, they wisely determined that they could eventually adopt the rezoning bylaw as long as they were satisfied that the project had adequate water, with evidence coming from BC Housing and other funders and government agencies.

Kudos go to the Salt Spring LTC for at least “opening the gate” to allow the next steps to be taken for this much-needed project.

Viewpoint: Stand-up event energizes crowd

Contributed Article
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Viewpoint: Stand-up event energizes crowd

By JUDI

I’ve just had the pleasure and honour of working with some great people — event organizers, speakers, performers, and legions of wonderful helpers — on a fundraiser for some other great people: the Salt Spring Nine.

The Nine, along with several hundred other British Columbians, were arrested in March on Burnaby Mountain. That’s where the tank farm is, where petroleum products which have come by pipeline from Alberta are stored before shipment to the U.S. or transportation by truck to sites in B.C.

Yes, I mean the Trans Mountain pipeline, once owned by the Kinder Morgan corporation, now apparently owned by Justin Trudeau. (Oh wait, those owners now would be us . . . .)

Meet Salt Spring’s Nine: Brenda Guiled, Briony Penn, Jan Slakov, Jean Wilkinson, Marcelle Roy, Murray Reiss, Myna Lee Johnstone, Ron Ada and Tom Mitchell. Hats off to them! Throw those hats in the air!

The Stand Up Salt Spring fundraiser at Fulford Hall was standing room only. We heard from MP Elizabeth May who shared not only her experience of being arrested (along with NDP MP Kennedy Stewart), but also her insights as a lawyer on some of the cases against the pipeline that are before the courts. There are a lot of them. Elizabeth believes that they make it a certainty that this pipeline will never get built. (Tumultuous applause!)

Another off-island guest, Romilly Cavanaugh, has a less familiar name but is also an expert in her field, which is environmental engineering. She shared her expertise in the cleanup of bitumen spills in salt water. The Salish Sea comes to mind.

At best, she told us, under ideal conditions (like in a bathtub on dry land), only 10 per cent of a bitumen spill could ever be collected or adequately dispersed. Not 100 per cent. Not even 50 per cent or 25 per cent. Just 10 per cent at best.

A third expert, elder Mavis Underwood from the WSANEC First Nation, whose lands we co-habit, impressed us with stories of the riches of the ocean on which her ancestors lived for centuries before ours arrived. Only a fraction remains, and 90 per cent of it would be suffocating in oil if there’s a spill.

Her welcome to us, since this is the unceded territory of her ancestors, included a song in the WSANEC language, sung by her nine-year-old granddaughter Grace.

But the speakers who brought the community out to Fulford Hall on a Saturday night, with their desserts to share in one hand and their cheque books open in the other, were the Salt Spring Nine themselves. Every one spoke their truth. Every one was brilliant.

I can’t do them justice in this small space, so let me encourage you to watch Bill Warriner’s footage of their “1 minute talks” at https://vimeo.com/user32828627. Really, you’ll just want to give them all thanks and hugs (and maybe money).

Then there were the musical performers and poets: Phil Vernon accompanied by a chorus of musical friends, as well as Bill Henderson, Luke Wallace, Bob Bossin (on tape) and Murray Reiss. Their unquenchable energy raised ours, and brought the Fulford Hall crowd into complete, determined agreement: we’re stopping that black snake spitting heavy oil at us from the tar sands!

To donate to the cause, deposit a cheque at Island Savings made out to Stand Up Salt Spring, account #2650109. You can also still contribute through https://ca.gofundme.com/saltspringnine. For more information, visit standupsaltspring.wordpress.com.

The writer is part of the Stand Up Salt Spring campaign.

Rowing team earns strong national results

Gail Sjuberg
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Rowing team earns strong national results

The GISS rowing team had a successful weekend at St. Catharines, Ont., where they competed in the Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association national regatta from May 31 to June 2.

The team sent 13 scullers to the competition. Three boats qualified for semi-finals, and one advanced to the finals. The senior women’s single, junior women’s double and senior women’s quad boats made it to semis, and the senior women’s quad advanced to the finals. It was the first time a boat from Salt Spring Island advanced to the finals at national championships. Team members Bonnie Reynolds, Zoey Johnson, Linnea Barrett and Bronte Mah came in fifth place in their final race, missing fourth by only two seconds.

“What was incredible about this group is the final race was their sixth time in a boat together, showing the powerhouse that our Salt Spring Island rowers really are,” said coach Stacy Mitchell.

Reynolds and Johnson were also in the other boats competing in the semi-finals. Reynolds competed in the women’s single, coming fourth in her semi. Johnson was in the women’s double with Cheyenne Sawchuck. They placed fifth in their semi-final race.

Many of the rowers had not been to the competition before, and being able to row against other top athletes in the country further committed them to the sport. Because they were exposed to a higher level of competition, they pushed themselves harder than they had before and were able to see the results of that.

“It was probably the most intense rowing experience I’ve ever had. I almost blacked out at the end,” Reynolds said about her singles race. “I really wanted to put everything I possibly could into it. I didn’t see not making semi-finals as an option.”

“We just wanted to race as hard as we possibly could,” said Johnson. “When we found out that we made the semis it was mind blowing that we were in the top 16 in Canada. That’s insane.”

Johnson, a Grade 9 student, plans to keep rowing through high school and hopes to row at the university level some day. Reynolds graduates this year and has been recruited by the rowing team at Brock University in St. Catharines.

“For me that means I’ll be rowing at least six days per week with 5 a.m. rows for possibly the next four years,” Reynolds said. “That’s a major transformation in terms of the future I saw within the sport.”

“I feel like I have a new level of commitment to actually feel the pain within the sport. I’m more willing to push myself and I can see the results,” she added.

Both Johnson and Reynolds were in the women’s quad boat that made the finals. Their first race was very strong and saw them come in second place after battling in the last quarter of the race for the position.

“We had power from the beginning, all the way through the end. We crossed the finish line and were neck and neck with one of the other boats. We passed in the last 500 metres,” Johnson said.

The students needed to raise money to get to St. Catharines and would like to thank the community for their support.

The rowing team is now preparing for the Salt Spring Island Race on the Rock regatta, which will be held on Saturday, June 23 on Long Harbour. More than 100 athletes are expected to attend. Racing will begin with longer distances at 10 a.m., and sprints for qualifiers should start at about 1:30 p.m.   

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