LISTEN HERE! July 21, 2019 Gaianna Sophia interviews people who share inspirational stories of change, new technologies, consciousness pioneers, & people who are making a practical difference to our future. Are you ready to be inspired? **Subscribe and receive future episodes Today I’m talking with an organization that is helping with reducing our community’s dependence…

We had the pleasure of having a phone call with Mike Stefancsik, assistant manager and co-owner with Ken Marr of Windsor Plywood on Salt Spring Island. Windsor is a Presenting Sponsor of the 2019 Eco Living and Home Tour, but it’s certainly not their first year as a sponsor of this event! If you’re a…

During this busy and beautiful summer month, we were fortunate to speak with Roy Berentsen, Sales Manager at Harris Kia in Nanaimo. We are grateful to have Harris Kia as one of the Presenting Sponsors for the 2019 Eco Living and Home Tour! Harris Kia was one of the early adopters of electric vehicles (EVs)…

The Eco Living and Home Tour is thrilled that Green City Builders sponsored the tour again this year, but this time as one of its Presenting Sponsors! We connected with general manager Sam FitzZaland during the busy building season to ask him some questions about his contracting business. Green City Builders is a general contracting…

We are grateful that Slegg Building Materials is a Presenting Sponsor for the 2019 Eco Living and Home Tour! Slegg’s General Manager on Salt Spring, Curtiss Maude, and local Slegg employee Julian Diggins answered our questions about green building. You’ll enjoy their interesting responses! What kinds of trends in the green building industry do you…

The Eco Living and Home Tour is grateful to have Bearfoot Renewables as one of its Presenting Sponsors. We connected with owner Jeff Chamberland by phone to ask him some questions about his business. Jeff’s journey to being a Salt Spring Island business owner with three electricians on staff began with becoming a journeyman electrician…

One of the Presenting Sponsors of the 2019 Eco Living and Home Tour is Motorize ─ Your EV Store. Talking to owner Julian Sale is a great education! If you’re in the market for an electric vehicle, here are a few facts that could help you in your search. Do you think that you have…

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Passionate owner-builders. Innovative designs. Lush, locavore landscapes. See all this and more at Transition Salt Spring’s biannual eco-living and home tour. This short film is a snapshot into this great event, happening next in July 2019. Join Transition Salt Spring to get first notice of tickets on sale!

Passive solar house and organic farm. Owner design-build. The site The land is a reclaimed old rock quarry and the house is sited in a south-facing bowl overlooking a pond and meadow. An adjacent wetland is protected by conservation covenant. The owner is an experienced organic grower and the land is now supporting a small…

Four repurposed shipping containers provide a compact super-insulated hideaway overlooking the ocean. Heat pump and heat recovery ventilator (HRV). The site The site is ecologically sensitive and has a steep drop off to the ocean. The container home minimized site work and ecological damage. Design Designed and supplied by Honomobo, the house is a standard…

Old house with various additions was completely remodeled in 2012 and now includes ductless heat pump, grid-tied PV system, rainwater catchment, both fenced and unfenced deer-proof permaculture gardens, and Salt Spring’s first Chevy Bolt. History The original house was built by the Beddis brothers in 1921 as a wedding gift for their eldest brother. An…

Made by Website-ssitinyhomes.com email-info@ssitinyhomes.com This Tiny House under construction will have all the comforts of home packed into a 10’x 19’ footprint. Tiny House Size affects a home’s affordability and its environmental footprint. Hence the increasing popularity of very small homes. This Tiny House was designed by journeyman carpenter Colin Crystal to showcase his new business, Salt Spring Island Tiny Homes. The…

New net-zero 600 sq. ft. super-insulated office, showroom and storage space designed for environmental sustainability, low maintenance and low operating costs. Located in Ganges village to reduce travel and related GHG emissions. Designed and built by Green City Builders for their expanding business. Design The layout includes meeting space and workstations, washroom and an outdoor storage…

Farm to Cafeteria project at Gulf Islands Secondary School. Greenhouse with hydroponics and aquaponics growing systems and Tilapia, rainwater collection, worm composting and composting systems, and garden. Objectives To provide students with advanced culinary skills; to make the direct connection between farm and table; and to transform the student-run school cafeteria menu to provide healthy…

Owner-built small passive solar home with grid-tied PV system, heat pump, HRV and underground rainwater harvesting tanks for micro-drip garden irrigation. Design A passive solar design from a permaculture magazine and stock floor plan were adapted for this compact 1152 sq ft home. The small size and simple building form with shed roof reduced construction costs. The…

The Glass Foundry uses super-efficient furnace design and recycled glass. Philosophy The Glass Foundry is all about recycling, responsible energy use, ecology and art. Owner Mark Laukner has redesigned the traditional glass furnace to eliminate much of the heat loss and inefficiencies associated with artisanal glass production and he has made his designs available to glass artisans around the world. The business started…

Unique 6,000 sq. ft. greenhouse with hyperadobe heat storage wall, high efficiency wood gasifier furnace and water storage cistern, experimental anaerobic digester, rainwater harvesting, commercial hydroponic lettuce production and subtropical fruit production. Concept Jane Squier is a horticulturist interested in appropriate technology and organic growing, and has been a commercial hydroponic lettuce producer for thirty years.…

Off-grid straw bale home: Andrew & Adina 1350 sq. ft home; water catchment system, greywater systems, passive solar design, solar panels for electricity, solar hot water panels for radiant floor heating. Plus yurt and permaculture gardens. Close to Ganges for easy commuting. Yurt Temporary lightweight shelter with a wood floor on a platform on 20 concrete footing…

Biogas Digester Off-Grid Gas and Fertilizers, Kealan Gell info@offgridgas.org Builders Green City Builders, Sam FitzZaland 250-537-6296 www.greencitybuilders.ca Container homes Honomobo www.honomobo.com Electricians Bearfoot Renewables, Jeff Chamberland 250-538-7523 www.bearfootrenewables.ca Glass Furnace The Glass Foundry, Mark Lauckner 250-537-9200 www.theglassfoundry.com Insulated Concrete Forms Quad-Lock www.quadlock.com Living Roof Brock White Construction Materials www.brockwhite.com Mechanical Systems Fresco Refrigeration, Graham Outerbridge…

Windsor Plywood is a proud sponsor of this year’s Transition Salt Spring Eco Living and Home Tour. Here are just some of the ways Windsor supports green building on the island, by offering expertise and sourcing local, green, and renewable products for sustainable living. Insulation – Windsor is the only shop on the island offering…

BE Design Works is an Interior Finishes Showroom with a wide range of products.  We are proud that a large portion of our products are highly rated green products and were possible, we supply materials which are as local as possible.  Our extreme green products include, but are not limited to: Colorhouse Paint – an…

An interview with farmer Jane Squier by Dennis Lucarelli In her large greenhouse on Salt Spring Island Jane Squier grows subtropical fruit trees for herself and hydroponic ‘living lettuce’, basil and greens for local supermarkets. Her 6,000 sq.ft. (557.4 square meter) greenhouse is heated by an earth-friendly system that includes: a 90%-efficiency wood gasifier furnace,…