Statistically, the Capital Regional District (CRD) is fielding fewer Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) requests than it has in years, officials say — but the amount of work those requests create for staff has reached a new high point. 

The CRD’s Privacy and Information Services Division reported it responded to 255 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests in the 2025 fiscal year, reflecting a downward trend in the number of annual requests since reaching a peak of 284 in 2023. 

But the volume of staff work those requests generated — measured in the number of pages processed — has doubled compared to the previous year, as the regional district tallied an all-time high of more than 22,000 pages of records, mostly related to more than one theme and requiring a response from two or more divisions within the CRD.

“There were multiple requests with page volumes in the thousands,” said Melissa Sexsmith, FOI and privacy manager, who brought the report to the CRD’s Governance and First Nations Relations Committee Wednesday, April 1. “The largest request that we processed in 2025 had over 4,000 pages.”

Requests with large page counts are more complex and resource-intensive, said Sexsmith, requiring substantially more staff time to review, consult and then ultimately release records in compliance with the law. She added that the large-request applicant paid a “substantial fee” that recovered some of the processing costs.

“And many of these requests now say, ‘all records related to’,” said Sexsmith. “And what that means is emails, Teams messages, formal documents and drafts — rather than just a request that might be for the final report.”

The governing FOIPPA requires public entities to respond to requests within 30 business days — a tall order for document-heavy requests that Sexsmith said was nonetheless mostly met.

“In spite of the growth in request size, the CRD responded to 96 per cent of requests within the legislated timelines,” she said, “and on average, in 2025 the CRD took 27 days.”

The most commonly requested records related either to building inspections (64 per cent) or bylaw matters (25 per cent), and were mostly submitted by individual members of the public; 17 per cent of FOI requests were made by realtors, according to CRD figures, with businesses and special interest groups making up nine and four per cent of all requests, respectively. 

A bylaw amendment that came into effect in March is expected to change how some categories of building inspection-related records are accessed — moving responsibility for most of those record requests to the building department itself and hopefully reducing the number of pages handled under FOIPPA.

“I will admit to some extent it’s a bit of a shifting of duties from FOI and Privacy to Building Inspection,” said corporate services general manager Kristen Morley. “But part of that move is to hopefully reduce the workload on FOI and Privacy — so we don’t have to continue to increase our staffing needs.”

The CRD’s Privacy and Information Services Division is also responsible for reporting on data breaches; without going into specifics on privacy breach incidents, the report noted it investigated and remediated 12 “actual or suspected” privacy breaches last year.

As the recently refitted Salish Heron returned to Tsawwassen–Southern Gulf Islands service at the beginning of the month, BC Ferries warned passengers the vessel’s potable water source would not be available for drinking or food preparation.

The announcement came Thursday, April 2 from the ferry company, the latest in a run of poor water conditions reported on vessels — including elevated lead briefly found in the drinking water aboard the Salish Raven and discolouration seen in potable water aboard the Queen of Cumberland. Ferry service will continue as scheduled, BC Ferries said.

“Bottled water will be available on board,” according to a statement, “and full food service will be offered with adjustments in place to ensure food is prepared safely.”

The move came after routine water quality testing identified elevated Total Plate Count (TPC) levels in an initial sample, according to BC Ferries, which noted that while Health Canada’s Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality do not prescribe a limit for TPC, BC Ferries follows “industry best practices” to keep levels low and takes precautionary action when results are flagged. 

“Our approach goes beyond regulatory requirements and reflects our commitment to maintaining high water quality standards,” according to a statement. “We have restricted use of onboard potable water systems while follow-up testing and maintenance are underway.”

Ferry officials said the Salish Heron’s potable water systems will only be returned to normal use once results are confirmed safe, and insisted that despite poor water being found on several ferries, the problems weren’t indicative of a single fleet-wide issue.

“While this is more than we would typically expect to see in a short period, these cases have involved different types of test results and are not believed to be related,” according to BC Ferries. “In all of the other recent cases, follow-up testing confirmed water quality was safe, and there is no indication of a broader system issue at this time.”

Elsewhere in the fleet last month, drinking water tested aboard the Salish Orca and Queen of Alberni indicated the presence of E. coli bacteria on March 19, prompting water shutoffs. Subsequent testing came back negative for bacteria, and water service on those vessels was reinstated on March 24.

The election to fill three trustee seats on the Salt Spring Island Fire Protection District (SSIFPD) board takes place Saturday, April 11, with an advance voting day on Wednesday, April 8.

Five candidates have been nominated: incumbents Rollie Cook, David Courtney and Mary Lynn Hetherington, and Darryl Martin and Jenny McClean.

Rollie Cook was first elected to the fire board in 2017 and has been its chair since the end of 2021. Cook said he, Hetherington and Martin are running as a slate because they believe teamwork is essential to a well-functioning fire board.

“I’m respectfully asking people to not just vote for me, but to vote for the three on the team, and then we’ll deliver the results we need,” Cook said.

Cook has lived on Salt Spring since 2002 and is a sheep and poultry farmer at his Redwing Farm. He was among those working to establish the island’s abattoir and the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust and served on boards for both bodies. He also served as an MLA in the Alberta Legislature from 1979 to 1986. 

Cook said he is running for trustee again because while the current board has accomplished a lot, citing the successful fire hall project and Fulford fire hall reservoir pond as two examples, “I want to see it through to make sure that everything works out well.” 

Finding an appropriate spot for and building a new north-end fire hall and seismically upgrading the Fulford hall are two important upcoming projects for Cook. He also aims to keep tax increases to a minimum as the department slowly replenishes its coffers. 

“I think a steady as she goes approach, keeping finances under control, but making sure we deliver on what we’ve done is the mandate for the next three years.”

David Courtney, a retired commercial airline pilot who has owned property on the island since 1999, joined the fire board three years ago. He said his campaign platform is based on the acronym FIRE: F-Fiscally Responsible. 2. I – Integrity and Credibility. 3. R – Respect for Transparency. 4. Experience. He is separately in the third year of his first term as a North Salt Spring Waterworks District (NSSWD) trustee. 

“My time at both SSIFID and NSSWD has proven insightful as to how we function — or don’t at times — as improvement districts, within our current governance model.”

For Courtney, the most important issue facing the district in the next five years is “creation of a new cost-effective satellite fire hall on Sunset Drive, now that Central Hall No. 3 will become redundant at the end of May. This will provide 172 ratepayers fire protection within eight kilometres of a fire hall and reduce dramatically fire insurance premiums for those north of the 1100 block on Sunset Drive.” He said the offer of a parcel of land for that purpose should be pursued. 

“The cost will be borne by the sale of the Central Hall facility funding the new fire hall, hopefully as cost effective as possible, providing a cost-neutral option for all ratepayers and negating a funding referendum.”

Mary Lynn Hetherington, a retired nurse, has lived on Salt Spring since 2000 and served on the SSIFPD board for nine and a half years. In that time she has sat on several committees: health and safety, finance, strategic planning, and facilities and physical plant. She also chaired the communications and marketing committee that brought about the successful referendum for the island’s new fire hall. 

Locally she has served on the boards of the Legion Branch 92, Croftonbrook, Lions Club, the Greater Victoria Labour Relations Board and volunteered as an Emergency Social Services emergency reception centre manager. In Ontario, she was a nurses’ union local president, a legislature rep at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill and a Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario president. 

“I grew up around fire halls and firefighters as Grandpa was a firefighter for 32 years and my father-in-law was a fire hall president,” she said.

Hetherington says the most important issues faced by the SSIFPD are ensuring islanders become more resilient through FireSmart practices for hotter, drier summers; continuing to build firefighting capacity through measures like the new Fulford Hall reservoir; keeping taxes low; and planning prudently and frugally for a new satellite fire hall in the North End.

“Teamwork will help keep us safe,” she said. “We need trustees who can work together to meet the challenges ahead.”

Darryl Martin has a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Alberta and held engineering and management positions in the manufacturing industry in Edmonton before becoming the owner and manager of recycling companies. 

After enjoying holiday times spent at their Salt Spring cottage, he and his wife moved to the island full time in 2013.

Martin has chaired the Salt Spring Community Economic Development Commission and served as alternate Capital Regional District director to past director Wayne McIntyre. He has also chaired Transition Salt Spring, whose comprehensive climate action plan detailed the serious challenges that climate change will bring for fire and emergency response agencies.

“I seek election to the SSIFPD board of trustees because with climate change, population and financial pressures bringing increased challenges, my background with professional engineering and financial management will be crucial because structures and mechanical equipment play essential roles in the function of the fire service.” 

He cited the Fulford satellite fire hall’s needs for extensive modification or a complete rebuild to withstand  a serious earthquake. 

“I can bring cost-effective ways to achieve that,” he said.

“Last and most importantly I respect the current board and am committed to working as a constructive member of a strong collaborative team toward goals of safety, reducing islanders’ insurance costs and keeping taxes under control.”

Jenny McClean was born and raised in Ganges and said she would be happy to serve the community she knows so well.

She has been on a SSIFPD committee for more than a year, has served on the Gulf Islands Secondary School Parent Advisory Council and is a board member for both Island Community Services and the Chuan Society.

“My father Jim McClean was a volunteer firefighter from 1969 to 1972,” said McClean. “He recalls when a siren would be sounded and if you could hear it, you would show up for service. I like to visit with Dad around safety issues for Salt Spring.”

McClean cited one example of when storms occur on the island “and roads can be blocked by fallen trees and that may be the only way to get to emergencies is by that one road. There is need for better protection north of Central.”

She said islanders are also concerned about runaway costs and that is also important to consider.

“In terms of the issues in the future, the most important would be the need for recruitment,”said McClean. “Firefighters can get stretched to the limit in their own communities and also help in other communities with fighting fires.”

Another important issue is education, she said. 

“Salt Spring faces unique challenges for firefighting due to roads that can be difficult to access, trees that fall on power lines, need for education for the year-round community and visitors around fire safety and increasing dryness and dangers.” 

Salt Spring’s Special Olympic athletes like a true challenge. 

In recent years that has seen swimming and bocce teams train and travel to attend competitions at provincial and national levels, often returning home with medals in hand. 

Without those opportunities available this year, six local swim team members decided to create an original substitute challenge: tracking their swimming distances in the pool and matching them to how far they would travel if swimming in the ocean around Salt Spring Island. 

“In January we started adding up the collective kilometres they did,” said Jill Schulze, who coaches the swimmers alongside fellow volunteer Rob Wiltzen. 

Until their season ended March 12, the swimmers had tallied 24.2 kilometres from their one-hour Thursday swim sessions.

“As a group of six, that is pretty impressive,” said Schulze. “It’s roughly the distance from Ganges to Fulford. They still have a goal of going all the way around the island, but that might take us all of next year.”

The group estimates a complete circumnavigation would take 133 kilometres worth of strokes. Athletes will resume their journey when swim season begins again in September.

“They’ve been working really hard at their endurance,” said Schulze. “They like to be challenged that way.”

The swimmers are Carlos Manzano, Debbie McNaughton, Jason Newport, Dawn Hadler, Claire Motherwell and Pam MacDonald.

Group secretary Carol Newmeyer said more volunteers are always needed to support Special Olympics athletes and programs. Restarting both the golf and Club Fit programs and initiating a new one called Fundamental Youth, for kids aged seven to 12, are among the local group’s goals that depend on getting enough committed volunteers, she said. People can contact volunteer coordinator Lisa Foster at saltspring.volunteer@specialolympics.bc.ca for more information about how to help out.