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Therapeutic riding group launches relocation campaign

Contributed Article
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Therapeutic riding group launches relocation campaign

BY SSTRA

Fourth in a series

For the last three weeks in the Gulf Islands Driftwood newspaper we have shared information about what we do at SSTRA, how we impact individuals and their families, and the value we provide to the community of Salt Spring.

Salt Spring Therapeutic Riding Association members have worked incredibly hard for the last 16 years to improve the lives of individuals who are physically, intellectually or emotionally challenged. During that time, hundreds of individuals from kindergarten age to seniors have benefitted from our program. We believe it is important to continue this absolutely life-changing work and ideally grow the program so we can help even more individuals in the community that need us.   

We are looking for a new home. With that, we are striving to enhance the convenience, comfort and safety of our riders, expand our program and support community equine activities. But there is so much work to be done and so many expenses to cover and we need your help to get things off the ground. By making a special gift today you will not only help set us up for sustained success but also give us the opportunity to expand and continue to offer this much-needed program.

Over 80 per cent of our funding comes from people like you — private individuals, rather than governments or large institutions. Through your generosity and the support of our volunteers we can continue to provide this vital service to the community.

Nov. 28 is Giving Tuesday and the official launch of our Relocation Fundraising Campaign. Your donation is essential to help us move to a new home and continue to improve lives on Salt Spring Island.

Any amount you donate will make a difference. More information is available at www.sstra.ca or by calling Erika Ponsford at 250-653-9925. Thank you for your support.

Scorpions off to volleyball provincials

Gail Sjuberg
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Scorpions off to volleyball provincials

Gulf Islands Secondary School’s senior boys volleyball team is headed to provincial championships in Langley.

The Scorpions will make the trip as the top AA-level team from Vancouver Island, riding an undefeated streak from both North Island and Vancouver Island finals.

“Scorpions volleyball alumni and co-coach Cole Wrigley and I are very proud of these boys,” said coach Kellie Booth on Monday. “They have worked hard to get themselves to provincials.”

The boys’ playoff run got off to a great start with a 4-0 record at the North Island tourney at Mark R. Isfeld Senior Secondary in Comox on Nov. 10 and 11.

At the Vancouver Island tournament held Friday and Saturday at St. Michaels University in Victoria, the Scorpions cruised through round-robin play with straight set wins against SMU and a Timberline team from Campbell River. According to Booth, solid blocking by Atum Beckett and consistent serving by Abe Green proved too much for the Scorpions’ first opponents.

Markus Wenzel was one of several parents at the tournament.

“The toughest challenge came from Lambrick Park, whose star power hitter played for the national team this past summer,” he said. “With very little supporting cast for their star, and great blocking by the Scorpions, Lambrick lost two games to one.”

Wenzel said entering the playoff round, the Scorpions faced a strong Mark Isfeld team.  But anchored by the clever set-and-spike duo of Sander Keil and Logan Wenzel, the team rose to the occasion and prevailed in the semi-finals in straight sets. 

Wenzel and Booth said that stellar blocks from Jared Farias, Noah Jacobsen and Max Temmel assured Isfeld’s offence remained impotent, while clutch serving by Obleo Demandre and pinpoint passing from “cat-quick” Yugo Uemura and Liam Maguire kept the ball off the ground.

The final match of the day featured the number-one-ranked Pacific Christian School taking on the Scorpions. Deep in talent and a legacy as a great volleyball school, the Scorpions were in tough for the gruelling, best-of-five match.

Booth said inspired play by Grade 11 players Nick Van Bakel and Jeffrey Gray provided the offensive depth necessary for the Scorpions to put PCS players constantly on defence.

Their confidence building with every point, the Scorpions hammered their way to three straight set wins to take the championship crown. 

“The crowd was on their feet and hoarse from the cheering,” said Wenzel.

Keil earned tournament MVP honours.

Video clips from the island championships have been posted on YouTube by parent Wolfgang Temmel. 

Booth said some of her players have had their sights set on making the provincials since their junior season when they played under the direction of coach Erik Perrins, also a Scorpions volleyball program alumni. One of those players is defensive specialist Stuart Hambrook, who was out of action last weekend with a bad cold, but provided excellent support for his team from the bench. 

“He should be back in time for provincials, which is great news because we want all ‘hands on deck’ to make our push through the tournament,” said Booth.

The Scorpions are presently ranked ninth in the province.

The provincial championships run in Langley from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2. 

PARC to explore Portlock Park reconfiguration

Elizabeth Nolan
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PARC to explore Portlock Park reconfiguration

The Salt Spring Parks and Recreation Commission will explore a possible reconfiguration of space at Portlock Park with news that leased ball fields in the Burgoyne Valley might soon be unavailable.

During Monday’s business meeting the commission voted to pursue an accelerated consultation process for Portlock at a projected cost of $10,000. It will take place ahead of or in tandem with a larger strategic planning exercise encompassing the entire island that wraps up at the end of March 2018.

The group has spent more than two decades trying to find land on which to build new baseball fields since the current junior facilities force any competitive players over the age of 12 off-island. As well, parks and recreation manager Dan Ovington reported the fields leased for adult slo-pitch games may soon disappear, since the property is for sale at a price out of reach of parkland acquisition funds.

“I think we know what the facility need is, and there’s potentially even greater pressure with those two fields being lost,” Ovington said. “It’s just a matter of is there potential to reconfigure [Portlock Park] to get more use, and maybe there’s some.”

Commissioners supported the idea, noting some of the space at Portlock is currently not in use, and that a study would not negatively impact the strategic plan.

“I think when we’ve got so little land for this kind of purpose, maybe there is a better way of using this that would achieve some other objectives and save a whole whack-load of money,” said Brian Webster. “For $10,000 I think it’s well worth taking the step of looking at what some of the possibilities may be.”

For more on this story, see the Nov. 22, 2017 issue of the Gulf Islands Driftwood newspaper, or subscribe online.

 

Vessel rescue prevents potential oil spill

Elizabeth Nolan
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Vessel rescue prevents potential oil spill

The Nov. 13 storm that delayed ferry passengers travelling back to the mainland after the long weekend and caused power outages across the Southern Gulf Islands did not spare the boating community, with an estimated 20 vessels pushed up onto the rocks in the area.

Salt Spring-based marine towing and salvage firm Eagle Eye Marine Services pulled 11 of those craft off the rocks once the storm had subsided, including at least one boat that could have produced a dangerous fuel spill in local waters.

Fulford Harbour resident Patricia Baldwin watched in awe that Monday as the winds drove a large sailboat that had been moored near Isabella Point across the water to the edge of her property.

“It was really, really stormy. There were big whitecaps and waves on the harbour and this 50-foot sailboat just came right across,” said Baldwin, who lives near the foot of Reginald Hill. “We’ve lived here for two years. This is the first time we’ve had a boat crash into our door.”

Baldwin said the boat was caught up on the rocks beneath a steep embankment. A neighbour came over with some rope to try to tie the boat down but the approach was too dangerous to continue.

“Your biggest fear is it’s going to hit the ferry or some other boat further down the harbour. And of course my biggest fear was there might be a fuel spill — because that’s really scary,” Baldwin said.

Badlwin called the Coast Guard to report the incident. Nick Boychuck of Eagle Eye Marine Services was called by the Coast Guard and the boat’s owner. He assessed the situation Monday and then called Baldwin to let her know he was putting together a plan to remove the boat at around 2 p.m. the following day.

Baldwin was out that morning but returned just after 1:30 p.m. to find the vessel assist team was already at work.

“It was really windy and stormy again. I never, never thought they could get it out in those kind of waves,” she said.

It turns out Baldwin’s fear about a potential fuel spill wasn’t far off. Boychuk reported the sailboat had around 400 litres of diesel on board when it crashed onto the rocks.

“Any amount of fuel in the water over about half a cup is a lot of fuel,” Boychuk explained. “If the boat stayed there and got blown around by the other storm, it would have been all over Fulford Harbour.”

Boychuk and his crew towed the boat to Sidney. Three pumps needed to be running the entire time to keep the water out.

Baldwin remains impressed that Boychuk’s team was able to retrieve the boat and get it out during last Tuesday’s continuing poor conditions.

“He’s the kind of guy that followed through on what he said he was going to do,” Baldwin said.

HARROWER, Agnes Emily (Holloway)

Driftwood Obituary
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HARROWER, Agnes Emily (Holloway)

AGNES EMILY (HOLLOWAY) HARROWER
DEC. 27, 1917—NOV. 5, 2017

Agnes died peacefully at Greenwoods Eldercare in Ganges on Salt Spring Island after a short battle with pneumonia, following a long and hard battle with dementia, which she endured with bravery and grace.

Our mother was the last surviving member of her generation. She leaves behind her beloved children Rozanne (Peter Hynard), Peter (Barbara), Michael, Penny, Nancy (Brian Stasiuk), and Stephen (Amanda) as well as her dear goddaughter Jane (Kurys), fifteen grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild, and eight nieces and nephews. She was the devoted wife of George Harrower who predeceased her in 2015.

Agnes was a woman of great natural beauty.  She was a graduate nurse of the Hamilton General and a female university graduate (McMaster Class of ’40) in a time when that was rare. She married the man of her dreams and bravely transported their young family on her own to many destinations around the world to join him. We remember her among the lupins in Kashmir and at the wheel of “the bus” in Belize which she drove to and around Central America and then back to Canada. We had some great adventures with her and she will be remembered with great affection.

Donations to The Canadian Dementia Action Network (http://www.cdan.ca/getinvolved.html) would be welcomed.

Condolences may be left at www.firstmemorialfuneral.com

KER, David Nation

Driftwood Obituary
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KER, David Nation

David Nation Ker
July 4th, 1929 – November 15, 2017
(Born in Victoria, British Columbia)

David passed away peacefully in Victoria General Hospital at age 88. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Lis, his sons Robert (Tasia) and John, his grandsons David and Phillip, his sister Elspeth (Jim) Helmcken.

David attended Royal Canadian Naval College from 1945 to graduation in 1947. Thereafter he graduated with an MBA from The University of British Columbia and articled with Price Waterhouse. In 1955 he qualified as a Chartered Accountant. He then worked in accounting at CP Air from 1955 to 1974 whereupon he continued in private practice until his retirement in 1987.

In the spirit of Service Above Self, David joined Vancouver South Rotary Club in 1977, was President (1987/88) and went on to become Rotary District Governor of District 5040 (1996/97). He worked with Rotary District 5010 (Alaska, Yukon, Siberia) to promote Rotary in Russia (esp. Siberia). During this period the David and Lis Ker Endowed Scholarship Fund for Russian students was established. Later they became members of the Arch. C. Klumph Society.

Among David’s greatest pleasures were his worldwide travels, time spent in the air as a recreational pilot and in particular air races in Europe in the 1950s. He also took great pleasure in time spent with family and friends, especially on Salt Spring Island and in Denmark.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Rotary Foundation at www.Rotary.org/donate.

A Memorial Service is to be held at St. Mary’s Kerrisdale, 2490 W 37th Ave, Vancouver, BC on December 30, 2017 at 2PM.

Island women plan Inside Passage trip

Elizabeth Nolan
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Island women plan Inside Passage trip

Two young women from Salt Spring are spending the fall and winter solidifying preparations for a trip that will take them all the way to Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska under their own arm-power next year.

Paddling North: Voices of the Inside Passage is the name of the project being mounted by Rebecca Grim and Leonie Mahlke. Set to launch from Southey Point on May 15, 2018, their epic adventure will see them paddling kayaks for 2,000 kilometres over four and a half months. Stops are planned at research centres and communities along the way to hear from the people living and working on the coast. The goal is to raise awareness of the threats to local wildlife, ecosystems and communities, and ultimately, to help reduce or prevent those threats from doing harm.

“Howling wolves, grizzly bears, soaring eagles and killer whales are becoming drowned out by increasing marine traffic and expanding industries powered by urban demands,” project material explains. “The people here, whose lives depend so directly upon nature, have become first-hand witnesses to the irreversible changes being wrought upon both their own communities and the ecosystem they are so reliant on.”

The trip started with an idea planted in 2015 in the very place where they will set forth next spring. Grim and Mahlke were at Southey Point when Grim casually mentioned that she’d like to paddle to Alaska one day. Planning for the eventuality started the very next week when Mahlke announced she would like to join that trip.

Though they have different professional backgrounds, each part of the duo is passionate about the marine environment and creating positive change in the world. Mahlke is a biologist who has worked with the Alaska Whale Foundation and Cetacea Lab in the Great Bear Rainforest during the past few years. Grim is a yoga teacher and avid hiker who designed her own tiny house. In the past year the friends have been involved in community initiatives such as forming a coastal clean-up group to collect and dispose of marine garbage (for which they received a Salty community award nomination), created a “ban the bag” campaign and participated in Pull Together rallies to support First Nations legal challenges to pipeline expansions.

T-shirt purchases supporting the trip and direct donations can be made through the website paddlingnorth.com. The website will also have more detailed routing and the names of “voices” to be interviewed as the women develop their contacts.

For more, see the paddlingnorth sites on Instagram and Facebook.   

For more on this story, see the Nov. 15, 2017 issue of the Gulf Islands Driftwood newspaper, or subscribe online.

Scorpions take fourth at island finals

Driftwood Staff
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Scorpions take fourth at island finals

Gulf Islands Secondary School’s senior boys soccer team finished fourth at island championships last week, narrowly missing out on making provincial finals.

“The boys had a fantastic tournament, tying top-seed Carihi 0-0 in the first game, before beating Stelly’s 1-0 with a wonderfully taken goal by Drayke Young in the second,” said coach Ciaran Ayton. “In the final pool game against Brooks, the boys hit the crossbar twice and were unable to eke out the win to finish top in the pool. The boys then faced a powerful, mostly Grade 12 Brentwood team in the game for third place. Brentwood took it, but the boys can be proud of a very successful season.”

Player of the tournament was Bradon Nordine, who is in Grade 10. He was the key man in a defence that conceded no goals in the first three games. Grade 12 athletes Brennan Shaver, Ty Davies, Yashua Love and Ryland Donaldson all played their last tournament for GISS and played with much heart and pride, said Ayton.

“They will be missed next year.”

However, he said, the 2018 team also looks promising, with many current Grade 10 players having had the experience of being so close to a provincial berth.

“The boys would like to thank Mike Brown for our wonderful school fields,” Ayton added.

Behind the scenes of Giant Book Sale prep

Gail Sjuberg
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Behind the scenes of Giant Book Sale prep

By GAIL SJUBERG

After several years of being involved with the Giant Book Sale in one way or another, I sometimes feel I could write a book about it.

Every year it’s a fascinating process from start to finish. First there’s the collecting of donations, mainly through bins at Salt Spring’s three financial institutions. Then the books are given some TLC at our sorting depot. They are cleaned inside and out, any discount stickers are removed by various means, and personal notes and bookmarks gently extracted. Then they are placed in one of about 40 categories and expertly packed in labelled boxes — about 1,000 of them this year. It takes a solid group of dedicated volunteers to do a lot of heavy lifting and not-so-glamourous work for the cause.

Doors open for the Giant Book Sale at the Farmers’ Institute hall at 10 a.m. this Friday, Nov. 17 and stay that way until 4 p.m. The sale continues on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For the third year running, the Jewels for Literacy Sale of affordable, mostly used jewellery will take place at the same time in one beautifully adorned part of the hall. A small but mighty group of volunteers does all of the work for the JFL sale.

All book and jewellery proceeds benefit the Salt Spring Literacy Society, which offers a variety of free learning programs for adults and children.

No fundraiser would be complete without a certain amount of tension. For the book sale, what should and should not be kept as salable goods is the only contentious part of preparations. How individuals value books is a highly subjective business, and it shows in what volunteers put into and take out of the reject pile.

On two occasions I was asked if we should keep or reject a slim, dated volume on the topic of LSD. Both times the consensus was that someone out there will want to buy that little piece of ephemera for a buck. Assuming it didn’t get turfed after I left the building, I’m suggesting that whoever buys it should be given a free book of their choosing.

One of the best parts of the Giant Book Sale is the serendipity that seems to surround it. On more than one occasion I have needed a certain obscure book and it has appeared magically before me at some point on the collecting, sorting and sale spectrum. It happened just last week. Thinking my spouse had no further use for a novel called Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, I donated it to the sale early this year. A couple of months later, he wanted to lend it to someone. Uh oh! With sorting and packing of books well underway at that point, there was no way to track it down.

However, contained in one of four boxes of last-minute donations I happened to receive was a pristine copy of that book.

For more information about the book and jewellery sales and the preview event for Salt Spring Literacy Society members, see the book sale section of the SSLS website.

The Salt Spring Island Rotary Club has for the second year stepped up to sponsor the sale with a $2,500 donation. That amount pretty much covers the sale’s expenses, and club members will be participating in the event as well.

Thank you to Rotary, our many other sponsors and supporters, and the cheerful, indefatigable volunteers.

The writer is the Gulf Islands Driftwood editor and chair of the Salt Spring Literacy Society.

NSSWD seeks funding options

Elizabeth Nolan
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NSSWD seeks funding options

North Salt Spring Waterworks District is looking ahead at climbing costs related to its infrastructure needs, with increases to parcel taxes and the capital construction surcharge coming to ratepayers in 2018.

A long-awaited construction project for a new water treatment plant on St. Mary Lake is now underway and ahead of schedule, thanks in part to October’s good weather. The district’s board of trustees is still working out how to finance its needs without over-burdening its client base, however, since improvement districts are not eligible for the provincial grants that municipal-based water infrastructure projects receive.

As the district’s November newsletter released this week explains, “the NSSWD is larger and more complex than all other water systems on Salt Spring Island combined, serving an estimated year-round population of 5,500, which is greater than 87 of the 102 municipalities in B.C.”

The 2,087 properties currently on the district’s parcel tax roll must fund all projects and operating costs by themselves. There is no mechanism for cost sharing with islanders living outside the district, or tourists and visitors who create an additional demand on the water supply.

With long-term debt repayment for the new plant scheduled to begin in 2018, the base unit Capital Construction Surcharge on parcel tax invoices will increase to $280 next year. As well, parcel tax rates will increase by 2.5 per cent. The newsletter reports the district will continue to phase in increases to commercial class rates over the next three years. A review of toll rates and miscellaneous charges will be done in 2018 before making any further rate changes.

Since islanders voted against incorporation in the September referendum, the board is planning discussions with the Capital Regional District to investigate the possibility of converting to a CRD service area, which would open eligibility for provincial grants. 

“Conversion is a highly complex issue and careful and extensive study will be necessary to determine what this change would mean to the district before any recommendation can be made to ratepayers,” the board reports.

In addition, the board is hoping to change senior government policy to make things more equitable.

“A meeting has been scheduled later this month with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to inform them of our needs and strongly advocate for a change, or at least an exception, to ministry policy. It is hoped that with the recent change of government, the current policy will be reviewed,” the newsletter states.

The board is seeking the active support of Saanich and the Islands MLA Adam Olsen as a catalyst for such change. A meeting with him has been scheduled for December that will include the Salt Spring Fire Protection District and other affected bodies.

The next regularly scheduled NSSWD public board meeting takes place on Nov. 23.

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