Home Blog Page 71

Youth sailors compete in New Zealand

Contributed Article
-
0
Youth sailors compete in New Zealand

SUBMITTED BY SSISC JUNIOR SAILING TEAM

Four youth sailors from the Salt Spring Island Sailing Club spent their spring break practising and competing with students from Mount Aspiring College in Wanaka, New Zealand.

Izzi Pugh Aucoin, Malikaa Clement, Maeve FitzZaland and Reuben Sol travelled to New Zealand with their coach John Hillier and parent volunteer Anna Pugh.

In Wanaka, the Salt Spring youth were introduced to a different type of racing using International 420 boats, which are similar to the C420 boats they usually compete in. In Canada, junior sailors usually compete in a fleet race, where several boats compete against one another. In New Zealand, however, the format was “teams racing,” consisting of two teams of three boats each competing on a short course with six to seven “marks” or turns. This changes the tactics, and hones the sailors’ skills in maneuvering around marks and other boats.

Roger North, coach of the Wanaka team, commented that he had not expected the Canadian sailors to be as quick to catch on to the different racing format.

“It was exciting to witness team Canada make four months’ worth of progress in just two weeks,” North said. 

Fresh off a 15-hour flight, the sailors were on the water, practising with the local club on Lake Wanaka and participating over the following days in a small, teams-racing regatta. The warm, freshwater sailing was a nice change from their winter training near Salt Spring. The sailors enjoyed meeting and racing with the local youth, and formed fast friendships with their new teammates. 

Salt Spring sailors in waters off Picton in boats with red and white sails at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships in March.

After a successful first weekend, the team made its way to Picton, a 10-hour drive north of Wanaka, to prepare for the regional high school championships, a regatta which included 16 high school sailing teams from the South Island of New Zealand. The Canadians and three sailors from Wanaka formed a team known at the championships as the Canada Combo.

Over the three-day regatta, the Canada Combo competed in 37 races and finished fourth in the Silver Fleet. All four Canadian sailors were happy with their finish, which was also commented on by organizers and course officials. Many calls of “Go Canada!” were heard from the spectators when the Canada Combo was racing. Lily Grimshaw, the head umpire for the regatta, noted that she always knew when the Canada Combo was sailing. 

“I could tell their victories as a team were beautiful and sweet,” Grimshaw said. “By the end of the regatta, their confidence had [grown by] leaps and bounds.  [They made] amazing progress in one week!”

The youth sailors’ performance was also picked up by Sail Canada, who posted a story to their social media accounts regarding the regatta.

The sailors returned to Canada determined to bring teams racing to Salt Spring and the surrounding sailing community. The team hopes to host an Introduction to Teams Racing session later this year. 

The students and their families would like to thank and acknowledge the vision and enthusiasm of Jill Oakes, whose own trip to Wanaka spurred the connection between the two sailing clubs, as well as the financial generosity of several anonymous donors from the Salt Spring Island Sailing Club and community who made the trip possible.

Centre preps for ‘bumper crop’ of visitors

Robb Magley
-
0
Centre preps for ‘bumper crop’ of visitors

Salt Spring’s central hub for visitor information is spinning up for a summer season with tourist numbers that may eclipse years past. 

With the first Salt Spring Saturday Market of the year on the books, many island businesses are well and truly open for the summer, and many believe the national hesitance to travel to the U.S. — spurred in part by the trade imbroglio with our southern neighbours’ leadership — could make 2025 one of the busiest on record. According to volunteers at the Salt Spring Visitor Information Centre, the island’s businesses have been calling in with updates on extending operating hours — all of which goes onto the ever-expanding “big board” maintained there.  

And it’s looking like a big year for residents’ friends and families to visit and for tourists from far and near, according to centre volunteer Lynne Fraser, who joined in predicting a “bumper crop” of Canadians visiting Salt Spring this year. 

“There have already been people from places like Vancouver Island that didn’t want to travel [south], but wanted a change,” said Fraser. “They’d lived on Vancouver Island all their lives and have never been here!” 

The centre is stocking up on printed things like schedules and brochures, volunteers said, but have increasingly found visitors opting to instead take a picture on their cell phones and bring that with them — capturing images of maps, the “big board” and other information from local websites they are now able to pull up quickly, thanks to a just-donated laptop computer courtesy Country Grocer.  

“The Visitor Centre is such a valuable resource for Salt Spring,” said Country Grocer’s community relations manager Robert Steinbach, who stopped by to drop off the laptop and fresh flowers for the front desk. “It helps every industry on the island, so of course we want to help speed things up for the volunteers here.” 

The centre is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and closed Sundays. 

Donations welcomed for StageCoach Legacy Fund

Gail Sjuberg
-
0
Donations welcomed for StageCoach Legacy Fund

StageCoach Theatre School is celebrating its 25th anniversary this spring, with a six-show run of Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical JR., a gala event on April 28 and the launching of a legacy fund.

According to StageCoach artistic director Christina Penhale, the aim is to raise at least $5,000 and hopefully closer to $25,000 for an endowed fund through the Salt Spring Island Foundation (SSIF), which will provide a steady source of income for the Salt Spring organization currently serving 150 youth in musical theatre, dance, improv and camp programs.

“Our sort of tagline is ‘If 500 people gave $50, we’d have the $25,000,’ so that’s what we’re going for,” said Penhale.

Stagecoach has been able to create the fund with as little as $5,000 due to a recent SSIF policy change. The “Donor Advised” fund entry level for organizations has been lowered to $5,000 from $25,000, making it easier for small organizations to create an endowment.

“The foundation is keen to make Donor Advised funds more accessible to the community,” said SSIF communications and marketing manager Mary Kastle. “StageCoach is the first organization that has been able to start one at this lower threshold and take advantage of the policy change.”

Other local Donor Advised funds are Transition Salt Spring’s Climate Action Fund, the Salt Spring Arts Council Fund, Salt Spring National Art Prize (SSNAP) Endowment Fund, SSNAP Operating Fund and the Rotary Club Fund.

Kastle noted that while annual foundation grants are project-based — so not used for operations purposes — income created by legacy funds has no strings attached.

“For an organization to come and start their own fund and build up that capital to then have a continuous stream of income every year that they can draw from is really powerful,” said Kastle.

Penhale said foundation team members have been extremely helpful and supportive.

“They’ve been really really great in developing what is the right path for our organization,” said Penhale.

“The foundation’s mission is to make creating a fund accessible and also to work with each donor individually — whether it’s an organization or an individual — to try and help them realize their vision,” said Kastle.

As with so many charitable organizations on Salt Spring, there was already a relationship between the foundation and StageCoach, with grants provided for specific projects at various times since 2001.

But Penhale said the long-term viability of the school became a concern after it suffered a big financial blow due to the pandemic. When she became artistic director in 2023, how to secure StageCoach for the future became an important question, with the SSIF endowed fund providing an answer.

Connecting it to 25th anniversary celebrations just made sense.

“I think a great way to commemorate the anniversary is to go, ‘Okay, let’s secure the future for the next 25 years.’”

The StageCoach Legacy Fund drive will continue until May 3 (although donations will be accepted at any time after that as well). To donate, find the link on stagecoachtheatre.ca.

See next week’s Driftwood for more on the Matilda show and anniversary event.

Editorial: Oppose new CRD transportation service and tax

Driftwood Staff
-
0
Editorial: Oppose new CRD transportation service and tax

No one likes to pay for something they don’t need.

For Salt Spring Islanders, the Capital Regional District (CRD) proposed Bylaw 4630 falls into that category.

Residents of the Greater Victoria area might need or want the proposed $20-million regional transportation service being proposed by the CRD. The CRD says the service will help pay for “the development of transportation policies, plans, projects and studies related to public transit, active transportation, mobility hubs, demand management and road and trail safety,” requiring an increase in the tax requisition of up to $20 million per year.

But Salt Spring property taxpayers already have and pay for their own transportation and transit service, and voted to do so back in 2007. This year Salt Spring taxpayers will fork over $526,000 for that purpose. If the CRD’s Bylaw 4630 passes, we will initially be taxed a further $339,000 per year, and up to almost twice that amount if the full $20 million in funding is tapped. It’s highly unlikely much or any of that money will be spent on Salt Spring Island.

What that means for the owner of an average-assessed residential property on Salt Spring is an extra $51 per year at first, and potentially rising to almost $100. For comparison, the owner of an average-assessed residential property on Salt Spring will pay $1,360 for all CRD services this year. The new transportation service is no small potatoes at a CRD taxation feast.

Salt Spring Island could have skipped the buffet — our elected officials asked to be left out of the areas being taxed for the service — but the CRD board rejected our requests to be excluded.

That said, the new service and its tax obligations are not a given. If at least 33,127 of the CRD’s electors sign and return “elector response forms” stating they are opposed to the proposal, the bylaw will fail and the CRD will have to return to the drawing board. The deadline to return forms to the CRD is 4:30 p.m. on May 16.

The form can be found at this link, with instructions attached. Forms can also be picked up or signed at the CRD office in the Creekside building on McPhillips Avenue, for faxing to CRD Legislative Services in Victoria. The Salt Spring Public Library has also agreed to make the forms available.

Remember, Salt Springers won’t be the only ones opposed, so it’s definitely worth a try — even if just to make the point: a better case must be made for every tax increase.

‘Four little words’ — marking World Parkinson’s Day April 11

Contributed Article
-
0
‘Four little words’ — marking World Parkinson’s Day April 11

BY LINDA STARKE

“You have Parkinson’s Disease.” Four words that no one wants to hear. And quite often, a diagnosis that is a complete surprise to the person receiving it. It is a life-changing diagnosis, but not a life-threatening one.

Many people are shocked for some time after getting this news. The doctor who said I had Parkinson’s told me to go home, read all about it, and come back to see him in one year. One year! He nearly patted me on the head and said, “There’s a good girl,” as I stumbled from his office. One year? Surely I could do something about this sooner than that.

So I quickly found a monthly support group in Sidney. Comparing diagnoses, symptoms, medications and reliable information sources was a reassuring start down the Parkinson’s road. And I got the name of a highly recommended movement disorder specialist, so I never saw Dr. Condescending again.

In June 2019 someone on Salt Spring called to see if there were enough Parkys, so to speak, to start a support group here. About 25 people showed up for the initial meeting, and I volunteered to coordinate the group. Ellie Parks of Island Health has helpfully identified local professionals willing to meet with us.

The Salt Spring Parkinson’s Support Group is nearly six years old. We meet nine months of the year (skipping the summer and December), and the mailing list now has 40 names, although some people have not yet been to a meeting. But February set a new record, 19 attendees.

The meetings are for anyone living with Parkinson’s — people who have the disease as well as those who care for them. The group includes people who got diagnosed a month ago as well as a woman who was diagnosed 30 years ago. It also includes author Kathy Page, whose new book will be published by Penguin Random House in September. In This Faulty Machine is a memoir of loss and transformation due to this disease.

At our monthly meetings we share as much info as we can for newcomers. In an email entitled Gratitude, a new member just wrote to say that “the level of compassion I felt coming from the group towards me was like nothing I had felt before and that’s a lot of years. It carried me all the way home and then some.”

At the moment there is no cure for Parkinson’s, but rigorous exercise has been shown to slow the progression of the disease. One nearby group that can help with that is the nonprofit Parkinson Wellness Projects (PWP) in Victoria. PWP offers 25 in-person and Zoom exercise classes a week, counselling, education and emotional support. Classes are free, as the group is supported by donations and from grants and contributions from local businesses and foundations.

For a bigger picture, plenty of organizations, foundations and government bodies have websites full of information. The Michael J. Fox Foundation is probably the best known source. Others helping people grapple with a new diagnosis are the Parkinson Society British Columbia, the Parkinson’s Foundation and the Davis Phinney Foundation.

One of the most interesting and humorously named sources is moversandshakerspodcast.com, which started in London a few years ago. Six well-known Brits — minor celebrities, they say — got together to trade experiences with their Parkinson’s. Several of them had extensive media experience in the BBC. Also involved was a retired high court judge. They agreed to meet once a week at a pub in western London and to start a podcast with guest experts. They have already proposed a Charter for Parkinson’s Disease, which they hand-delivered to 10 Downing Street with much media attention.

The next big event for movers and shakers everywhere is World Parkinson’s Day on Friday, April 11 — the birthday of Dr. James Parkinson, who wrote about “Shaking Palsy” in 1817. Various groups will hold special events on that day and throughout April to raise awareness of the disease. This in turn should make people feel less alone when they hear those four life-changing words: “You have Parkinson’s Disease.”

Viewpoint: Balanced view essential 

Contributed Article
-
0
Viewpoint: Balanced view essential 

By ERIC MARCH

In MLA Rob Botterell’s inaugural monthly column, “Original Islands Trust Mandate is paramount,” he dives right into the deep end of Islands Trust politics by sharing his opinion on the Trust Policy Statement and letting us know that he believes preservation of the natural environment of the Islands Trust is paramount. 

While our MLA may believe that “the original mandate of the Islands Trust is even more valid now than it was 50 years ago,” that belief could not be farther from reality. The Islands Trust of 50 years ago has successfully protected the Trust Area from overdevelopment, while failing to protect the Trust Area from gentrification. I, like so many others, see gentrification as one of the biggest threats to the Trust Area. However, MLA Botterell has joined those stuck in 1974 afraid of Magic Lake Estates Two: Electric Boogaloo. Our current Trust Policy Statement has allowed the proliferation of waterfront mansions, numerous swimming pools and tennis courts, a few private helicopter landing pads, and even a private golf course attached to a vacation home. At the same time that Trust Policy Statement has largely prevented workforce housing and affordable housing from being built. Brazilian environmentalist Chico Mendes once said that “environmentalism without class struggle is just gardening,” and MLA Botterell’s column seems to show that as our MLA, he is intent on being a gardener rather than an environmentalist. 

Unfortunately, MLA Botterell seems to believe there is some sort of preservation vs. development spectrum that folks in the Gulf Islands fall on. Perhaps our MLA should take a closer look and realize that the spectrum is more realistically folks who believe in preservation at the expense of workforce housing vs. folks that think we should balance workforce housing with preservation. The “effort to re-interpret the mandate of the Islands Trust to cover land use planning issues that are not unique to the Trust Area” is an effort from the Islands Trust to modernize the Trust Policy Statement to fit the needs of the 21st century. 

Look at Ucluelet, where a private developer working with BC Housing and the Municipality of Ucluelet have worked together to create affordable workforce ownership housing. The developer built the houses, and the purchase cost will be subsidized by the BC Housing Affordable Home Ownership Program, but the most important piece of the puzzle was the land use planning provided by the municipality. Right in the zoning bylaws it states that these houses are for folks who live in and around Ucluelet and work in Ucluelet. If someone wanted to build a similar development within the Trust Area it would be the Islands Trust providing those zoning bylaws. 

The Trust Area can no longer afford an Islands Trust that claims to prioritize preservation while allowing waterfront mansions and hindering workforce housing. Our elected officials must recognize which people are suffering most and work to help them. We must have a balanced Trust Policy Statement, and balanced government policy in general in the Gulf Islands, that appreciates both the needs of our working-class residents, their livelihoods, and their ability to be housed, alongside that of the natural environment. 

Dog altercation leads to injuries and arrest

Driftwood Staff
-
0
Dog altercation leads to injuries and arrest

Salt Spring RCMP are investigating after two men and their dogs suffered non-life-threatening injuries or wounds from either dog bites or a knife during an altercation on Sunday, April 6.

According to an RCMP news release from Staff Sergeant Kris Clark of the Surrey-based BC RCMP, RCMP received a report of a weapons complaint at Ruckle Park at about 4:30 p.m. that day.

“A 46-year-old Salt Spring man called to advise that he had allegedly cut another dog owner by accident after he and his own dog were apparently attacked by another dog that had broken away from its leash. According to the 46-year-old, he was bitten by the other dog, which then latched onto his dog. He apparently drew a small knife to stop the attack. The other dog owner, a 51-year-old Salt Spring man, quickly arrived to assist; however, when both dogs were separated it was discovered that he and his dog had both suffered cuts. The off-leash dog was taken to a veterinary clinic by friends, while the 51-year-old man went to hospital.”

The 46-year-old man was arrested in relation to weapons offences and the knife seized. He was subsequently released to appear in court at a later date, pending charge approval.

The investigation is ongoing.  

Where People Care: Salt Spring Seniors Centre

Contributed Article
-
0
Where People Care: Salt Spring Seniors Centre

By GAIL NEUMANN

Special to the Driftwood

When I retired, I drove right past the Seniors Centre because I thought, “I’m not old enough for that.” Little did I know that the Salt Spring Seniors Services Society is quite relevant for both old and young seniors.

Like a clubhouse with all sorts of activities, learning opportunities and mutual support, it’s a place where “everybody knows your name.” I invite readers not to wait. The centre has lots to offer, and new members are often pleasantly surprised at how many friends they find there, both old and new.

For me, the ice breaker came when my friend’s 80-something neighbour invited her to help cook and serve lunches for the Thursday gatherings. She loved it! She relayed comical tales of serving and she laughed at herself and others. She loves to cook and it gave her a chance to make new friends, experiment with new recipes and see others enjoying her work. She flourished and it was enticing. Her husband joined the team and helped by setting up tables and serving.

A mutual friend decided to check it out. She and her husband became regular lunch-goers. She invited me to join them and I couldn’t see the harm in going out for lunch with friends, even at a seniors centre. There, I found other friends and acquaintances and saw people of my own age enjoying life. Soon, I dropped my objections and I too, became a regular. Other friends followed.

Lunches and coffee groups may seem at first to be the most enticing events at the centre, but there are many more ways to become involved.

Thursday lunch attendees.

Seniors gather for interest groups of almost every hobby or skill imaginable. Artsy seniors bring their own projects, and each works individually while they chat. It’s a social afternoon where encouragement and tips are welcome. A knowledgeable calligraphy instructor leads another group. The Lost Chords and Women of Note choirs and a recorder group meet at the centre.

From no-partner dancing to games such as mah jong and bridge or Italian studies, the clubhouse hums through the week. Check with the receptionist to be sure drop-ins are welcome. If someone has an interest and wishes to lead a gathering, there is most likely space for them too.

Community partnerships are important at the Salt Spring Seniors Centre. On Friday mornings, a large group meets for coffee and socializing. Thanks to a partnership with Gulf Islands Families Together Society, they enjoy fresh goodies with hot coffee served every Friday by a couple of young volunteers.

Salt Spring Literacy partners with the Seniors Centre by providing a volunteer to help with members’ phones or computers. It’s friendly and it’s free. They also link the centre with programs such as cooking classes for seniors.

Hudson and Woodward, a wonderful pair of homeschoolers, do gardening, seasonal decorating and give general assistance. The centre looks much more attractive with their help.

The South Salt Spring Community Gathering Place, formerly known as the Fulford Seniors, is a new partner. We open our programs to each other’s members, and our boards keep in touch.

Support groups meet at the centre, to help caregivers, and those impacted by Parkinson’s disease. As other issues arise, and mentors become available, new groups are invited to use the centre. Just speak to the receptionist to be connected with the programs committee.

New members are welcome to step up beside our established volunteers. Volunteerism is the backbone of the Seniors Centre. Volunteering is a great way to make new friends and to stay relevant in the community.

Salt Spring Seniors Services Society board of directors after the 2024 AGM.

I was asked to help produce a newsletter. I had written newsletters for years in my former career, so it was a good fit. I met some great new people and I like the feeling of helping others. If you come with skills, you too would be welcome to sign up, and if you’d rather do something completely different, we’ll still take you.

The front reception desk is the hub of the organization. Volunteers answer the phone, offer information and direct newcomers to services or recreation activities as requested. Under the watchful eye of our front coordinator, Andrea, and our new office coordinator, Rebecca, the hub is organized and efficient.

Year-round, volunteers step up to drive seniors to medical appointments. The Seniors Centre has partnered with Island Health to provide transportation to medical appointments. Members can phone 1-844-940-6617 to request a ride and Island Health will pass the request to our volunteers at the drivers’ desk. This is a vital service to seniors who are no longer able to drive.

Another important service is income tax preparation. Our volunteers are trained to file simple income tax forms for our members. This is a free service.

As we and our friends age it becomes apparent that at some time we too will need help, whether with the mundane tasks of daily life or larger issues. Being connected at the Seniors Centre opens doors for opportunities to serve now and to find help later. Our website banner showcases our slogan, “Where People Care About Each Other.”

Whatever your stage of life, please consider joining the Salt Spring Seniors Services Society and meet others who care.

saltspringseniorscentre.ca

Salt Spring Seniors Centre on Lower Ganges Road, across from Country Grocer.

Historic church listed for sale

Robb Magley
-
0
Historic church listed for sale

At a time when construction lumber moved across Salt Spring by ox-team, it took three years and the combined efforts of many industrious islanders to build St. Mark’s Church in the 1890s. 

And more than a century later, it was very nearly a three-year process to get the property ready to sell after being deconsecrated in 2022, according to Anglican Parish of Salt Spring Island building renewal lay leader Walter Stewart. 

But it was just a matter of days –– for the sake of a tidy narrative, we’ll call it three –– before word spread across the island and beyond that the historic structure at 961 North End Rd. was available for sale for $599,000. 

“When we listed it, we had no idea whether it would sell in a couple of weeks or a couple of years,” said Stewart. “Someone has to have an interest in the historic property and be ready to make an investment. But you’re never going to have immediate neighbours; you’re always going to have a bucolic outlook!” 

Tucked in an island of rural zoning surrounded by a sea of Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) properties, the three-quarter-acre parcel where St. Mark’s sits was originally carved from a 90-acre farm owned by early island settler Henry Stevens, donated for the church in 1889. Construction was done by Samuel Beddis and his eldest son Charles, a few days at a time and in between farm work, with the help of residents from in and around the settlement at Central –– including “Anglicans, Methodists and Presbyterians,” according to a church history. 

St. Mark’s Church was consecrated in the spring of 1892 by the Right Reverend George Hills, the first bishop of the then-new Anglican Diocese of British Columbia, shortly before he resigned that summer owing to ill health. Hills had been appointed to the diocese by Queen Victoria in 1859. 

Stewart noted that while it had been some time since the church was officially deconsecrated –– after 130 years of service –– he emphasized there had been no delays stemming from the diocese, which owns the property as is typically the case within the Anglican Church. The obstacles, likely relatable to many islanders, were a little more mundane. 

“A difficulty was that we discovered the survey lines were very different from what had appeared,” chuckled Stewart. “One more case of flaws in 19th-century surveying.” 

Indeed, Stewart said, it turned out the property didn’t have its own driveway within its boundaries, so one needed to be constructed for future owners’ access before putting the church on the market. And, he added, an updated survey revealed that North End Road itself runs through a little bit of the parcel.  

Jokes about a parish fundraiser involving charging tolls aside, Stewart said church officials expected a significant portion, if not all of the proceeds from the sale will be invested in the All Saints by-the-Sea church building on Park Drive in Ganges. That building is 30 years old, he said, “and there are things that just don’t last much more than that” –– pointing to items like double-glazed windows or plumbing fixtures. 

“It’s important to recognize that while All Saints is extremely important to us as Anglicans on the island, it also is used very heavily by community groups,” said Stewart. “So, we need to keep it up, so it remains that kind of resource for the community.” 

Hearth group hopes to build on hub’s success

Gail Sjuberg
-
0
Hearth group hopes to build on hub’s success

Co-creators of The Hearth community hub gathered Saturday afternoon to celebrate the success of their four-month trial run and express hope it could continue in an expanded form. 

In December, a 946-square-foot portable building at the former Phoenix Elementary School site on Drake Road was leased to the nonprofit Chuan Society until March 31 by the Capital Regional District (CRD), which has a five-year lease for the property with School District 64. The Hearth resulted from a few years of urging that a “warming space” be established in Ganges during winter months for island residents without secure housing.

“Over our months of operation, The Hearth has helped numerous people to establish a place of belonging and connection,” explains a Change.org petition site supporting the next Chuan aspiration. “It has grown as a place which supports wellness, and has also activated our imaginations about what is possible with collective spaces. We have had film screenings, community circles, ceremonies, countless discussions, leather-making workshops, open-mics, community acupuncture, and regular community meals and potlucks during our time at the Phoenix portable, where we have also hosted Gabriel’s Kitchen this season.”

Gabriel’s Kitchen is a weekly meal and gathering that originated as Stone Soup served in Peace Park by Gabriel Bonga, who died in a boating accident in 2020. The event was most recently held at All Saints by-the-Sea Anglican Church until a renovation project there was announced. 

The Phoenix portable and lower level of the former school building will be used by CRD parks maintenance staff and for equipment storage while a new facility is created for that purpose on a Kanaka Road lot owned by the CRD. 

Kajin Goh, chair of the Chuan Society, said group members felt sad to close up over the weekend, but are applying to lease other parts of the property coming available. The school’s top floor, children’s playground and community garden are envisioned by Chuan as an intergenerational neighbourhood house called Phoenix Landing. It would allow for wider community involvement, more arts and culture activities, gardening, workshops, health and wellness activities, including counselling, and more sharing of food. 

Goh points out that the location is ideal with its proximity to Ganges and the BC Housing supportive housing complex now under construction next door.

“We’re hoping [Phoenix Landing] will be connected to the neighbourhood and Salt Spring in general, because the island doesn’t have a community centre point. We don’t have a neighbourhood house or a friendship house.” 

At Saturday’s closing circle, people who have used the space and helped run it shared some thoughts about The Hearth. 

Longtime islanders Maggie Ziegler and Phil Vernon continued their participation in Gabriel’s Kitchen when it moved to The Hearth.

“I haven’t been here as much as I wish I could have been,” said Ziegler, “but every time I’m here, I have a really good feeling about this community and deep appreciation for the people I’ve had a chance to meet and talk to, and I feel a lot of gratitude for all of the organizing energy that’s gone into creating this, so thank you all.”

Keith Delaney described himself as a recovering alcoholic with culinary skills who found a purpose in cooking for Gabriel’s Kitchen. 

“It’s done something for me that I really needed, which was to not just drink and waste my life away. I could look forward to doing groceries and coming up with some soup to make, which I love, because I love cooking . . . this whole place helps my sanity and my sobriety.”

The Hearth was open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.

As a morning person, Jimbo Slice opened up the space most mornings, except when Jade Mercado beat him to the punch.

“I’m actually pretty proud of how things ran pretty smoothly,” said Slice. “Like, we can kind of self-police ourselves and just have things run just by people from the community. You don’t need to go and hire anybody to have something like this run.”

“I’ve seen so much magic happen here over the last four months,” said Stephen Carey. “The self-governing and the defence of the safety of this place has just been amazing. The amount of beautiful laughter and camaraderie and unity in this room — I can’t overstate how amazing this has been.”

Brian Webster, a CRD Local Community Commission elected commissioner, also attended Saturday’s event.

“I think the way it’s gone over the last few months has been a pleasant surprise to those who are paying attention, who doubted it would work out well, and that’s a huge positive. What the future holds, I’m not sure. But the accomplishment of operating this and having the community come together and meet a real need is something that people have noticed.”

Following the closing circle, people enjoyed creamy chicken mulligatawny and Tuscan white bean soups, made by Delaney and volunteer Penelope Stephenson, followed by barbecued burgers, and with exotic Turkish coffee made by Ulas Ozturk and sweet treats offered through the afternoon. 

People wanting to support the Chuan Society’s application to lease the Phoenix school property can sign an online petition at change.org. Search for “Support the continuation of The Hearth at Phoenix School.”

Letters of support for Phoenix Landing and grant applications are welcomed at chuansociety@gmail.com, which is also the email for e-transfers. (Specify “Hearth” in the memo and “warmth” as the password.)

1...707172...608Page 71 of 608