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Well-Being Fair set for Mahon Hall

Gail Sjuberg
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Well-Being Fair set for Mahon Hall

Getting and staying healthy is a lot like organizing a health and wellness fair: it takes dedication and effort, but the results are so worth it.

Talking to Cindy Clark of the Navigator for Wellness two weeks before the third annual Salt Spring Well-Being Fair runs at Mahon Hall provided some insight into what makes the event special for the community.

“It’s always a ton of work, and I get little exhausted, but I know that as soon as I get there and it all comes together, it’s such a delight just talking with and meeting new people,” she said. “Every year, I meet new people and new practitioners, and I have found my own medicine through these fairs . . . So I’m looking forward to who’s coming this year and who I’m going to meet who I’ve never met before.”

The “absolutely final” list of vendors and participants was not known when we were chatting for this story, although more than 20 were signed up, with room to accommodate a few more people.

“It’s such a variety,” said Clark. “Counsellors, naturopaths — the Madrona Health team — acupuncturists, chair massage people, energy healers, skin therapists, equine therapists, tarot card readers, energy workers — so a whole variety and a good multitude of people.”

Fair-goers can get “taster” treatments and product samples, and ask questions in a warm and convivial atmosphere that includes complimentary tea and cookies.

At least two tarot readers are participating, which Clark said is a popular feature.

“There’s a mystique to it that just gets people really excited, and especially the elders that come in and want their cards read.”

The fair runs Saturday, March 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, March 30 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Entrance is by donation.

Clark and her team have also put more focus on youth this year, with door prizes specifically for younger attendees and a craft table set up for them.

“I want to make it more attractive for more families to come in and just enjoy the fair, so that’s what I’m hoping to build on.”

Lou Ellis of Coco Loco will be serving lunch.

“She did it last year, and her food is so good,” said Clark. “That was such a treat.”

Clark is grateful to local support in providing so many door prizes. She is also pleased the Harbour House Hotel stepped up to be an accommodations partner, offering a deal for people coming to the island to attend the fair, as well as a chance to win a prize for those who have been sharing promotional posts on social media.

Clark said she spent some time attending wellness fairs in other communities in the past year to see what she could learn, and was struck by the contrasts with Salt Spring’s event.

“It was just tables and no privacy and no decorations and no tea. I wanted a cup of tea so badly, I even signed up for a tea-leaf reader, just to get a cup of tea. So I was really appreciating the energy that we put into our fair. I mean, we spend hours decorating the hall that whole Friday night, really creating the space and the energy.”

“I think that speaks to our community — there’s that level of caring, and it’s not just a throw-it-together thing. It really is a labour of love and caring that comes into that hall to make it beautiful and to make it feel great for people.”

For more details, look for the fair’s magazine, which will be available around the island, or visit navigatorforwellness.com.

Order of Canada pianist at ArtSpring

Contributed Article
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Order of Canada pianist at ArtSpring

BY KIRSTEN BOLTON

FOR ARTSPRING

When an artist is described as “one of Canada’s finest gifts to the international piano world,” (Ottawa Citizen) and in terms of mastering Chopin, a reviewer exclaims “none has taken my breath away quite like Fialkowska . . . if you have the chance to hear her, cancel all other appointments,” (The Evening Standard, London) — you know you are in for something special.

Appearing at ArtSpring on March 30 at 2:30 p.m., Canadian concert pianist Janina Fialkowska brings a 50-year reputation of enchanting audiences and critics around the world to Salt Spring Island.

ArtSpring audiences were thrilled by Fialkowska’s previous concerts on the local stage taking place between 2006 and 2020.

She has been praised for her musical integrity, her refreshing, natural approach and her unique piano sound as “one of the Grand Dames of Piano” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.) She is an Officer of the Order of Canada and won the Governor General’s 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award in Classical Music, as well as three honorary doctorates.

Her piano studies started at the age of four with her mother in Montréal. She would go on to Paris, Juilliard in New York, and then her career truly launched in 1974 when the legendary Arthur Rubinstein became her mentor after her prize-winning performance at his inaugural Master Piano Competition, calling her a “born Chopin interpreter” and laying the foundation for her lifelong identification with the composer.

Fialkowska now shares her musical experience at her international piano academy in Bavaria, where she resides, and frequently appears as a juror in the world’s most prestigious piano competitions.

Her recently published autobiography A Note in Time has received rave reviews, being called “a mesmerizing memoir.”

Thank you to Mouat’s Clothing for sponsoring this performance.

Tickets are available online at artspring.ca and through the box office: $35 adult, $5 youth, and $15 Theatre Angel Program tickets on request at the box office.

The American girl, her dad and the barbecue . . . .

Contributed Article
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The American girl, her dad and the barbecue . . . .

By CHRIS RIDEOUT

And That Was When columnist

A long time ago, when I was in my teens, there weren’t any barbecues. At least I don’t remember seeing any. I never heard anyone talk about them either.

Now that may be because my parents were communists, but probably it was because barbecues had not been invented in Canada. Canadian bowling alleys were still using pin-boys, for heaven’s sake.

But America was in the air, all around us. Made in the U.S.A. was everywhere because China didn’t exist, at least to us. The cars were American, the popular music was decidedly American and we loved it. We sat in front of the radio at lunch to listen to the new invention — rock and roll. We waited in suspense for the daily Top Ten and cheered or groaned at the ever-changing rankings. We hardly knew that we were Canadians, immersed as we were in American culture. I mean, sure, we sang O Canada in the morning at school, but we didn’t really associate it with us.

The only time we ate outside was when my dad made a little fire in the backyard and we toasted hot dogs and marshmallows. All the families on my street cooked inside in kitchens. So, as I pointed out, barbecues, barbecue coals and barbecue lighter fluid were way in the future and you can’t miss what you’ve never had.

In my title I mention an American girl. This is not meant to overlook all the Canadian girls. No way. Of course there were girls in my school, playing soccer, taking ballet lessons and just being normal, everyday, nice girls. But somehow they weren’t American girls.

Shows like American Bandstand proved this. As I said, there were girls in Canada, but the girls on American Bandstand were, well, American.

Around about that time I joined a so-called “youth group,” which was part of my dad’s church. It wasn’t a communist church, it was Unitarian, which, if you know it, is close. I didn’t want to join, but my dad insisted. What I had not known was that there were girls in the group. Actual girls who were smart and well-dressed. I don’t know why that was important to me, but at the time it seemed to be.

Unitarian in Canada was called Unitarian Universalist in the U.S.A., similar but less communist. Universalists had real churches, with pews and stuff, while Canadian Unitarians held services in abandoned movie theatres and basements. But for me, the best part was that our group got to go on exchange conferences with our American counterparts. I am getting to the American girl, hang on.

Compared to the young people we met in the states, we were innocents. The Americans were cooler, more sophisticated and richer. We kids from Toronto were hopelessly outclassed. They were far more aware of politics, current events and — they had pizza. There was no pizza in Toronto, nor would there be for a few more years. American pizza was just sauce, cheese and 22 round slices of pepperoni. But to us it was wildly exotic and we ate it whenever we could. Sure our group had girls, but the American girls knocked us out with their awareness and sophistication.

One American girl in particular that I met at one of these conferences lived in Ithaca, New York, and her dad was a professor at Cornell University. We wrote heartfelt letters back and forth. Then she surprised me by inviting me to attend her high school graduation. I really wanted to go. My mother couldn’t understand why I would want to go visit a girl in a foreign country. My dad said nothing.

The border guards were startled when I walked across the Peace Bridge to Buffalo, New York, which, if you know it, is long and not really designed for pedestrians. They demanded to know where I thought I was going. I said to see a girl and they nodded. Like my dad. I had to hitch-hike to Ithaca from Buffalo (you could look it up). I often wonder what her parents felt when they saw me. I wasn’t very tall, I was covered in pimples (or that’s how I felt), and I was Canadian.

American high school grads were unlike any we had in Canada. The phase “over the top” comes to mind. Gowns and coloured cassocks, degrees framed like priceless paintings, speeches that went on forever, photographers, well, you get the picture. My newfound friend posed beside her proud parents, with her dad sneaking furtive looks at me, wondering what I was doing there. Had she not told him, I wondered? But back to the barbecue.

To mark his daughter’s triumphant graduation (it was only high school, for heaven’s sake!) he was going to cook chicken for supper. He was going to cook it on a barbecue. Can you see where this is going? Of course you can. Her dad asked me if I would keep an eye on the chicken. Well, sure, sir.

In the backyard there was a round thing standing on three legs. It was a barbecue, the very early kind. It was heaped with raw chicken. Not only had I never seen a barbecue, I had never cooked anything. But I wanted to be polite to her dad, so I stood there and kept an eye on the chicken.

The heap of chicken began to smoke a bit and I thought, good, it’s cooking. It wasn’t until I saw the flames that I thought maybe something was wrong. Fortunately, her dad made everything alright after he scraped the cinders that had been the first layer of chicken off the grill. And gave me a look I can still remember. I got much the same look from the American girl.

He was a nice man and I really liked his daughter and had a good time there, but after a couple more days he took me aside and offered to drive me to the bus station. It won’t take long, he said. It’s not far.

Editor’s note: The writer emphasizes that he wrote this column long before the advent of the Trump U.S.A.

Editorial: Goverment penny pinchers appreciated

Driftwood Staff
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Editorial: Goverment penny pinchers appreciated

After months of intermittent deliberations, the Gulf Islands’ two major governing bodies have finalized their budgets for the coming year.

The Islands Trust passed an $11.2-million budget last week, for a 5.8 per cent increase over the previous year. For the Capital Regional District (CRD), the Salt Spring Island-wide amount is $8.97 million and a 10.06 per cent hike; the Southern Gulf Islands will see a 5.82 per cent increase from $4.1-million in CRD expenditures.

We’ve recently heard lots about what “democracy” means, but one firm tenet is the connection between voters’ bank accounts and government services. It’s pretty simple: when voters pay for services through taxes, elected officials and staff are accountable to them. That means taxpayers should be treated with respect.

Both the Islands Trust and CRD invite public input on their budgets, and the Trust has in the past included a public survey in its budget-setting process, so that’s one positive sign.

Both bodies also engage in lengthy and highly transparent budget deliberations. (Sometimes it seems elected reps and staff spend more time talking about ensuing budgets than doing the work outlined in them, but that’s obviously not true.)

Some elected officials make efforts to reduce planned expenditures as much as possible, questioning the need for specific line items or the amount listed. Eliminating $10,000 from this or that budget column might seem trivial and not worth the effort, but taking those steps is about more than dollar figures. When elected officials take the time to consider each expenditure and whether or not it really needs to be in the budget this year, they may just want to avoid public flak, but they are also giving due respect to the people who are paying the bills. A $10, $20 or $50 saving may be irrelevant to most Gulf Islands property owners, but when budgets presented for consideration by staff are scrutinized and reduced in considered ways, that is a demonstration of respect and it’s appreciated.

Few people will be happy about property tax bills growing more than the rate of inflation as they will this year — and not just in Islands Trust and CRD realms — but at least in our country there is still an opportunity for the paying public to speak up and be respected.

BC Ferries gets flak due to FAC breakup

Robb Magley
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BC Ferries gets flak due to FAC breakup

As BC Ferries looks to craft its new communications strategy, local and regional officials are clearly still smarting from the unceremonious dissolution of local ferry advisory committees (FACs). 

And some are officially asking the ferry corporation to re-form them for Gulf Islands communities –– or, at a minimum, replace them with something substantively similar. 

On a recommendation from its Electoral Areas Committee, the Capital Regional District (CRD) board voted Wednesday, March 12 to send a letter urging BC Ferries to reinstate the locally organized FACs “or similar engagement opportunities” for Salt Spring and the Southern Gulf Islands.  

And while Salt Spring’s CRD director Gary Holman characterized the likelihood of those committees coming back exactly as they had been previously as “pretty slim,” CRD board members agreed there might be some middle ground between complete reinstatement of the three-decades-old FAC system and current engagement he said was sidelining those with real-world understanding of the ferry system. 

“There may be other opportunities for that direct engagement, where we’re sitting in the same room,” said Holman, “not just elected officials, but other stakeholders in the community –– sharing information with senior BC Ferries staff, as opposed to talking with communications staff.” 

Back in November, FAC members were taken by surprise during a planned conference call, where they expected to hear an update on a report on fleet-wide short-term priorities. Instead, they were told the 13 all-volunteer FACs would be “retired” by the end of April 2025. 

“And that was the last that was heard from BC Ferries in respect to the ferry advisory committees,” said Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area director Paul Brent. “So in terms of engagement with senior staff, so far, that really hasn’t happened.”

I understand [BC Ferries CEO] Nicolas Jimenez is coming to ASK Salt Spring soon, so that might be an opportunity to engage at that level. But so far, there’s only been engagement between [BC Ferries] communication staff and politicians.” 

An email the ferry company sent to FAC members on the day it announced their dissolution in November indicated it had been in conversations with local government representatives to inform its decision, but representatives of Salt Spring or the Southern Gulf Islands were not among them. 

“There was no heads-up,” said Holman. “We were just informed, ‘this is what’s happening’ and it did happen a few hours later. Some FAC members have been involved for over a decade; the way it was undertaken was quite disrespectful.” 

Coincidentally, on the same day last week the CRD board voted to send its letter, the ferry corporation’s community relations team appeared before Islands Trust Council, a planned visit from BC Ferries’ Amy Bronee to update trustees on their process for developing its new engagement framework. That process started with its own six-week community engagement effort that began Feb. 4, Bronee said, in what was characterized as an “exciting period of transition.” 

“It’s also a moment of opportunity, potential and possibility as well,” said Bronee, who presented alongside Zach Bulick, director of engagement at consultants Spur Communication, “to find new ways of staying connected with each other and with communities, to ensure that people who want their input to be considered in decision-making can do that in the ways that work best for them, whether that’s an online discussion, a survey, a ferry terminal tour, a workshop or a meeting like we’re having today.” 

Bronee said the company and her team were doing “small group workshops and discussions” –– one was scheduled for trustees that evening, to be facilitated by Bulick –– and had hosted more than 20 “pop-up events” at terminals and aboard ferries, all while gathering online feedback on BC Ferries’ website.  

Islands Trust Council members expressed worries about losing what Gabriola Island trustee Tobi Elliott called a “central point of contact” for diverse community members on smaller islands with limited internet connectivity –– and concerns that feedback being gathered through BC Ferries’ survey seemed guided toward a predetermined outcome. 

Bronee said feedback on FACs had been “a mix,” with some communities saying they wanted to keep them and “other folks in those same communities telling us that the process didn’t work for them.” 

But trustees, including several who had been on their islands’ FACs until November, took exception with the notion their islands didn’t support the longstanding FAC process. 

“There is literally no question on [the survey] about, ‘do you want the FAC to continue as an engagement method in your community,’” said Elliott. “So there have been questions about whether the survey is sort of leading people to prefer online methods of communication.” 

Denman Island trustee Sam Borthwick echoed the sentiment, lamenting what he said was BC Ferries’ reputation for “very subjective displays of data to support certain things.” 

“It’s challenging to come into this process with a lot of enthusiasm and goodwill,” said Borthwick, “and see pretty much everything that has ever been asked be disregarded.” 

A Feb. 20 pop-up event scheduled to take place at terminals serving Denman and Hornby islands was cancelled the day before, according to Bronee, after making a decision it was not safe for BC Ferries’ community relations team to participate. 

“To get surprised with the cancellation of this process, when we thought we were hearing a totally different message,” said Borthwick. “This has put me in a difficult position representing that back to my community.” 

“Are you going to still consider communities that really do want ferry advisory committees to remain in place?” asked Gabriola Island trustee Susan Yates. 

“We still fully expect to continue to talk to a lot of the same people, right?” said Bronee. “We’ll hear from a lot of the same folks, will still collaborate on a lot of the same topics; it will just be a different model.” 

“I would hope that whatever engagement model you come up with — and I have a totally open mind on this — I would hope you would also consider any of the communities that really do want their ferry advisory committees,” said Yates. 

Bronee told trustees the “active engagement” phase of the project would end March 18, when the “feedback synthesis and reporting” phase would begin, which would include release of all raw data from the community surveys. The new engagement model will be launched in May, Bronee said.

CRD launches AAP for new region-wide transportation service

Robb Magley
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CRD launches AAP for new region-wide transportation service

Opposition grew among Capital Regional District (CRD) directors, if only slightly, to a now-launched plan to seek voter approval to establish a new regional transportation service that would max out to a nearly $100 annual tax hike for average Salt Spring Island property owners –– with “little to no benefit” for the island, according to Salt Spring’s CRD director Gary Holman. 

The CRD board voted Wednesday, March 12 to kick off a regional alternative approval process (AAP) for the service, intended to address transportation needs within the regional district, including the development of “transportation policies, plans, projects and studies related to public transit, active transportation, mobility hubs, demand management and road and trail safety,” according to staff reports.  

And as some directors expressed concerns surrounding the AAP process itself –– where a measure succeeds by having not enough signatures from voters who are against it –– or whether the service was too far of an expansion beyond the CRD’s core services mission, Holman took the opportunity to remind the board how elected officials on Salt Spring specifically asked to be excluded from the service. 

“We have our own transit service,” said Holman. “We got approval from local voters in 2007 for a standalone system –– and we had to get approval of the CRD board –– deliberately because we didn’t want to be included in a regional service.” 

Holman argued that aside from the collaborative function, the only investments Salt Spring might see from the new service are trails or pathways –– already possible, he noted, through the existing regional trails service. 

“So I can’t support a service where Salt Spring will get little to no benefit,” Holman told the board, who was joined by four other CRD directors –– View Royal’s Sid Tobias, North Saanich’s Peter Jones, Juan de Fuca director Al Wickham and Colwood director Doug Kobayashi — in minority opposition.  

The AAP allows the board to adopt the service-establishing bylaw if less than 10 per cent, or fewer than 33,191 electors within the CRD, join the counter petition. With 9,500 registered voters on Salt Spring Island, Holman has noted, even if all of them signed in opposition, the counter petition would fail anyway. 

In response to a question from Kobayashi, CRD staff individually said they hadn’t seen a regional AAP fail for at least nine years.  

An online information session about the new service is taking place Tuesday, April 1, from 5 to 7 p.m.; for more information or to register, visit crd.ca. 

Critical thinking muscles flexed at science fair

Gail Sjuberg
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Critical thinking muscles flexed at science fair

Salt Spring Elementary School (SSES) was buzzing with the results of scientific inquiry on the morning of Wednesday, March 12 as the school hosted the second annual grades 6-7 science fair.

More than 140 students in eight classes from SSES, Fulford and Fernwood elementary schools came together for the event that filled the school’s gymnasium.

Report topics ranged from weather phenomena to earthquakes, from botanical mysteries to answering questions about how airplanes fly and how reticulated pythons can consume such large prey. Students explained their projects and the experiments undertaken to judges, their peers, and visiting family and community members.

Local scientists and retired teachers filled the important role of judges, interviewing each student, explained Fulford teacher Kate Richer, who instigated the fair idea last year.

“They were highly impressed with the original ideas, ability to communicate and scientific knowledge of the students,” she said. 

Biologist/ecologist Susan Hannon was one of the judges.

“It was fun and interesting to be a judge at the science fair — the energy was palpable,” she said. “The children were enthusiastic and eager to explain their projects, and I learned a lot too!”

Retired science teacher David Astill also enjoyed the opportunity to engage with young people.

“I was really impressed by their ability to communicate in a clear, meaningful way regarding their subject matter,” he said, adding, “This is just the type of activity that promotes real thinking. In a time when science is often questioned by the public, these students showed a deep understanding of the process of science. I hope these students continue to ask questions and apply some of the skills they have learned in a time when they are exposed to so much disinformation.”

Retired teacher Deborah Miller also enjoyed participating for the second year.

“l love doing it partly because I like to think that kids are getting a chance to do some critical thinking about the processes involved in scientific facts versus personal beliefs, and partly because it is fun to speak to students who are passionate about the discoveries they have made themselves, following a particular procedure, collecting data and making conclusions.

“Many students are just learning these processes so they may have some trouble adjusting their thinking and expectations. Some easily follow the pattern of thought and work required and get excited about what they are doing.”

Miller pointed to Aurelia Lukow’s project about hummingbirds as an example of “one of many great projects.”

“The student was interested to find out if hummingbirds truly choose red nectar over other colours,” said Miller. “Interestingly her results showed a preference for blue nectar.

“Another project tested a variety of kinds of potato chips for their caloric content by burning the chips and measuring the temperature and duration of burning period. They repeated  the experiment several times and averaged the results.”

Jesse Dietschi Trio performs

Contributed Article
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Jesse Dietschi Trio performs

SUBMITTED ARTICLE

Toronto bassist, composer and bandleader Jesse Dietschi will be bringing his critically acclaimed trio to Salt Spring Island next week as part of their Western Canadian tour celebrating their debut album, Gradient.

Achieving rave reviews from renowned publications like DownBeat and The WholeNote, the Jesse Dietschi Trio’s music places themselves on a sliding scale between modern jazz and contemporary classical music, constantly adjusting their position as they navigate compositions that balance the two styles.

Joined by pianist Ewen Farncombe and drummer Ethan Ardelli, the Jesse Dietschi Trio will perform at the Salt Spring Island United Church on Tuesday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Called a “virtuoso” by Downbeat Magazine and a “musical contrabassist” by The WholeNote, Winnipeg-born Jesse Dietschi performs internationally as both a freelance jazz musician and orchestral bassist. He has performed, recorded and toured with a spectrum of artists, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company, Andrea Bocelli, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Headstones and Mirvish musical theatre productions. These wide-ranging influences can be heard throughout the compositions on Gradient and will be showcased at the Salt Spring show.

Doors open upstairs at the church at 7 p.m. for the 7:30 performance start time.

Advance tickets can be purchased by visiting jessedietschi.com/2025tour.

Trust passes $11.2-million budget

Robb Magley
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Trust passes $11.2-million budget

Despite efforts that successfully trimmed planned spending to a growth rate below inflation, the Islands Trust’s approved budget of $11.2 million for 2025/26 — up from just under $11 million last year — will require a 5.8 per cent increase to the existing Local Trust Area tax base, with an additional 2.5 per cent tax revenue expected from new construction and development. 

Last year’s increase to the Local Trust Area tax base was 5.9 per cent, with an additional 0.5 per cent expected from construction and development. On Bowen Island, the new tax levy is slated to grow by 16.4 per cent, according to budget documents, with an additional 1.2 per cent expected from new construction and development. That compares to last year’s growth there of 12 and 1.1 per cent, respectively.  

“Sensing the challenging times, staff and the Financial Planning Committee (FPC) put a great deal of work into reducing the proposed budget ahead of Trust Council’s meeting,” wrote newly elected Trust Council chair Laura Patrick. According to early planning documents, that committee squared off against a draft budget with a 7.1 per cent tax increase. 

“The approved budget supports the ongoing work directed to the well-being of the Trust Area,” wrote Patrick, “while minimizing the impact on taxpayers.”  

Eleventh-hour efforts to further trim the budget by $225,000 fell short during March’s Islands Trust Council meeting Wednesday, March 12, and the only amendment adopted by trustees in fact raised planned expenditures by $67,500. 

With that amendment — another rebuke of the FPC’s recommendation to halve the number of in-person Trust Council meetings, in favour of substantially less costly electronic ones — and with a warning from staff that the following year’s tax increase is projected to be even bigger at 8.5 per cent, the approved budget was passed by trustees with a 15-8 vote. 

Of the $11.2 million in total planned spending, $10.2 million is directed to operations, with $704,000 to special projects and $261,100 to capital spending.  

Trustees who voted against the budget largely did so out of concerns more cuts were needed. During deliberations, Galiano Island trustee Ben Mabberley praised staff and committee members for cutting as much as they did — “to the bone,” as Gabriola Island trustee Tobi Elliott put it — particularly when measured against other jurisdictions. But Mabberley echoed other trustees’ worries it still wasn’t enough, pointing to the possibility of a significant national recession. 

“You know, these are exceptional times,” said Mabberley. “And you don’t carry on as usual in exceptional times. I know personally, layoffs are already beginning in the forest industry. A lot of people are going to lose their jobs.” 

Among the largest spending increases next year for the Islands Trust are staff salaries, which as a budget line is set to increase by a half million dollars — an amount that will support existing staff, according to financial and employee services director Julia Mobbs, as well as cover non-discretionary wage increases and fund a new information services co-op student and a one-year temporary policy advisor position.  

Another notable jump was in the Islands Trust’s legal budget, due primarily to high costs incurred for bylaw enforcement property clean-up on Thetis Island and “for litigation advancing claims on Gabriola Island, Galiano Island and Salt Spring Island,” according to a staff report. Last year, Mobbs noted, trustees voted to under-budget legal expenses to reduce tax increases, with the expectation that overages would be funded from surplus. 

“This year, we have seen over-spending in legal,” Mobbs told trustees. “And we have been using our surplus to pay for that; consequently, we are unable to take that same approach next year.” 

Mobbs explained the 2025/26 tax increase is a product of two elements: planned spending, and estimated revenue sources. While trustees can arguably affect spending, revenue is less under their direct control. Investment income, revenue from application fees and revenue from grants are all decreasing next year, said Mobbs, and at the same time the organization needs to reduce the amount pulled from surplus and reserves. 

“When you’ve got reductions in external revenue sources, and reductions in internal revenue sources, we are forced to make up for that by increasing taxation,” said Mobbs. 

The approved budget assumes that the Islands Trust will maintain its existing land use planning service levels, as well as support ongoing major projects and initiatives, according to a press release, including several islands’ official community plan and land use bylaw reviews; continued coordination of implementation of the Salt Spring Island Watershed Protection Plan; Hornby Island Local Trust Committee’s relationship-building with K’ómoks First Nation; the broader Islands Trust Policy Statement Review and Amendment; the stewardship education program; history and heritage conservation grants-in-aid program; the Reconciliation Action Plan update and implementation; administrative support to regional coordination groups, such as the Southern Gulf Islands Forum and the Howe Sound Community Forum; the Species at Risk Protection Program through the Islands Trust Conservancy; and improvements to bylaw compliance and enforcement services. 

More information about the budget is available at islandstrust.bc.ca. 

Dock Talk Column: HASSI ready for spring

Contributed Article
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Dock Talk Column: HASSI ready for spring

By PER SVENDSEN

for Harbour Authority ofSalt Spring Island

Finally it looks like the weather might be in our favour. As the days get longer it is time to prepare our boats for the season.

When I look out my window I see a tarp-covered grey hulk that somewhat resembles a boat. Yep, it’s been tarped up all winter and now beckons me to come hither to remove the tarp and have a good look at how it’s sustained the winter rains and snows. I’m looking forward to a great boating season with friends and family.

Your harbour authority has been watching and keeping an eye on the many boats that are tied up at our facilities during the last season. It looks like all have survived and are ready for the fishing season or just for the recreational end of things.

Work has been done on the Burgoyne Bay docks as they were damaged due to high tides and some loose logs. Also there will be some improvements to the Kanaka docks in the form of upgraded floats this summer. You may also see some construction work being done on the main office building as the roof is being replaced due to water leakage and such.

The Harbour Authority of Salt Spring Island (HASSI) is constantly monitoring dock safety and is aware of some ongoing issues such as the load restrictions on the main dock at the Coast Guard office. This is a paramount issue as it deals with the loading and unloading of cargo that is essential to all fishermen and to the community. We are working with Small Craft Harbours officials to see how this can best be remedied.

We are still working with the Capital Regional District in regards to assisting them in their ongoing work with the harbour liveaboard community and their use and responsibility to the community of Ganges.

As you may be aware, there is a temporary dinghy dock at Centennial that the harbour authority installed and is monitoring and regulating the use of. Many of our community workers need or desire to live on their boats as they work in the community and contribute to its wellbeing. As community members and local government agencies continue to work on a permanent solution with those who are forced into on-the-water housing, HASSI looks forward to providing input in this area and contributing to a healthy community for all.

Let’s get those boats ready for a great season, whether they are used for fishing or recreating or working. There are several outlets on-island that will help with repairs and have maintenance supplies available. Also, a reminder to be safe while on the water . . . wear those life jackets or PFDs at all times while out there. See you on the water.

The writer serves in the community relations position on the Harbour Authority of Salt Spring Island board.

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