Transition Salt Spring has been consulting with the North Salt Spring Water District and the Island Trust regarding the NSSWD’s proposal to lift its water moratorium policy. Transition Salt Spring has offered conditional support of this proposal. Our position as posted on the Salt Spring Exchange on October 22, 2024 and our letter to the…

Did you miss the last Repair Cafe in February? Do you still have broken items lying around your house that you don’t want to toss out? The Repair Cafe is a great place to meet new friends, reduce waste and save money. Repair stations this time include: Don’t miss out—join us to help slow down…

Saturday, February 3rd10:30 am – 1:30 pm Salt Spring Public LibraryOur volunteer repair experts can help with textiles, small appliances, electronics, and general repairs.  Ever wondered what to do with that broken toaster, a non-functional lamp, or a sweater that’s seen better days?Our answer: Don’t toss it! Instead, bring it to the Repair Cafe where a team…

As we navigate the aftermath of extreme droughts and wildfires, the question looms—Is Salt Spring Island truly prepared for the climate challenges ahead? Transition Salt Spring has just unveiled the Climate Report Card 2023, assessing our journey since the Climate Action Plan 2.0 launch. From protecting forests to enhancing food security, we’ve made strides, but…

We are starting a Repair Cafe on Salt Spring Island! Repair Cafe is a neighbourhood initiative that promotes repair as an alternative to tossing things out. Folks can bring their broken items to fix them on the spot with the help of voluntary repairers. We are looking for locals with different skills who can be…

Fire risk reduction in the Coastal Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone Read the Full Report here. Introducing a new practitioner’s report focused on reducing fire risk by increasing ecological integrity. Historically, wildfire has been an intermittent but essential disturbance regime in forested ecosystems across the country. In more recent times, the arrival of settlers and the dominance…

FIRE Event- Ruth Waldick presents at Cumberland Community Forest Society Science Pub Series Event by Cumberland Forest Cumberland Masonic Hall Get Tickets Here The CCFS Science Pub Series is BACK! This fall and winter we’ll be exploring the elements – FIRE, WATER, EARTH and AIR – with local and visiting knowledge holders, scientists, storytellers, artists and…

Read the whole article in the May 24th 2023 issue of the Gulf Islands Driftwood. Andria Scanlan won’t ever forget the howling winds and trees that came crashing down around her house that December afternoon in 2018. “We have a long-distance view from Channel Ridge, and I could see and hear the gusts rolling in…

New Local Committee Commission (LCC)All Candidates Forum Salt Spring has decided on an innovative new decision-making body that will give eligible residents a greater voice on a range of issues, from bus service and bikeways to climate action and waste management.  On May 27th, we get to choose four local community commissioners. But first, we need…

Responses From Local Community Commissioner Candidates Following are the responses to a questionnaire developed for the candidates standing for election to the new CRD Local Community Commission approved by voters by referendum last fall. These responses will form the basis for a free online All Candidates Forum May 9th, 2023, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. To…

Why: Ride to show your support for safer walking & wheeling trails on Salt Spring. There will also be bicycle blender smoothies afterwards…  What: The group cycling route will take us on sections of the future Salish Sea Trail Network.  When: Friday, April 21st from 2pm – 4pm. Rally with Adam Olsen at 3:30pm. Where: Starting…

2023 Permaculture Design Course with Nick Jones and GuestsWednesday evenings from 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm April 19th, 2023 – September 27th, 2023 @ Paradise Within Farm, Salt Spring Island Join in a learning community of people, plants and animals to understand nature deeper while becoming more effective designers of life, land and livelihood. COURSE…

​​Transition Salt Spring Launches Updated Wood Smoke Reduction Rebates for 2023 Starting in March, rebates of up to $1000 will be available to Southern Gulf Island residents upgrading an old wood stove to a new EPA-2020 wood stove, insert, or a heat pump. SALT SPRING ISLAND, March 22, 2023 — Transition Salt Spring’s Climate Action…

The Maxwell Creek Watershed Project (AKA the CARL Project) is a collaborative, multidisciplinary forest restoration project based on Salt Spring Island under the leadership of Transition Salt Spring with the support of multiple organizations including Raincoast Conservation Foundation. It aims to create a template for restoring ecological integrity and climate resilience to Coastal Douglas-fir (CDF)…

Federal government bans single-use plastics Effective December 20, 2022, the manufacture and import for sale of the following harmful single-use plastics in Canada will be prohibited: The ban on the manufacture and import of ring carriers will enter into force in June 2023. Recycle BC Program Changes Single-use and packaging-like products are now accepted by Recycle…

Can We Handle the Climate Challenges Coming Our Way? From the Driftwood Sept 20 2023 TSS just wrapped up the Climate Report Card 2023, an update on how we’re doing with the Salt Spring Island Climate Action Plan 2.0 that came out in 2021. The plan’s goal is to cut greenhouse gas emissions by half…

December Biochar Workshop: presented by Brian Smallshaw Changed from Saturday, Dec 10 to SUNDAY, 11 December 2022 1-4pm Geri Alton’s horse paddock, 125 Stevens Road South end: Beaver Point Road, past Beaver Point Hall, turn right on King, left on Stevens – Geri’s place is the first property on the left. Workshop location is the horse…

Exerpt from: https://www.raincoast.org/2022/08/maxwell-creek-watershed-project-field-files-part-2-developing-surveying-methodologies/ Andrew Simon shares about the methodologies used in the Maxwell Creek Watershed project. By Shauna Doll, Gulf Islands Forest Project Coordinator August 5, 2022 The project takes a watershed-wide scope to improve understanding of both existing and historical ecological conditions. The first question we aim to answer is: how has modification via forestry,…

Maxwell Lake, along with the watershed, provides water for about half of Salt Spring Island and the team is taking a look at how to protect this crucial freshwater source. We are so proud of this team and the work they are doing for our community! If you’d like to learn more check out the…

Ruth Waldick Wins the Islands Trust 2022 Community Stewardship Awards! Congratulations to our very own Ruth Waldick who won the Islands Trust 2022 Community Stewardship Awards! The Islands Trust Council recognized six individuals and one organization for work that supports the Islands Trust’s mandate to protect and preserve. The Community Stewardship Awards celebrate and acknowledge…

Intern Simona Taronna Writes an Update from the Field 9:00 am and the little parking lot by the “No Trespassing” North Salt Spring Waterworks District sign on Maxwell Road is packed. There is excitement in the air as an eclectic group of ecologists, foresters, restoration experts, technicians, students and volunteers gather in the field. It…

By Shauna Doll, Gulf Islands Forest Project Coordinator A watershed-level restoration initiative focusing on improving ecological integrity within local forests Transition Salt Spring has partnered with experts and organizations from across the Coastal Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone, including Raincoast Conservation Foundation, to provide a model for on-the-ground, multidisciplinary, multisectoral, and collaborative climate action.  Gulf Islands Forest…

People have relied on what we call Maxwell Lake and the surrounding watershed for thousands of years, for water, food, and other resources provided by the forests. These forests support a range of wildlife, cougars, bears, songbirds, waterfowl, amphibians, fish and beavers. The tall crowns of coastal Douglas-fir trees reach for the sky with large,…

On Monday, June 13th, the Native Plant Stewardship working group, and a few community members, led by Dr. Catherine Tarasoff, removed some yellow flag iris at a site on Miles Road off Beddis. Yellow flag iris can displace native plants and dry out wetlands, altering the local ecosystem and reducing the habitat available for native…

Rainwater Harvesting Rebate Program Want to save money on a sustainable water solution? Transition Salt Spring is pleased to offer a second round of rebates to help residents of the Southern Gulf Islands (Salt Spring, Galiano, Mayne, Saturna and the Penders). This program will help save you money on the cost of a cistern, tank,…

An Interview with Jean Wilkinson from the Native Plant Stewardship Group At the heart of our organisation are five dedicated board members and five part-time staff and extending out from this heart are a TON of volunteers forming committees and working groups. The Native Plant Stewardship Group is one of many TSS working groups. This…

On March 2nd, some of the members of the TSS Maxwell Watershed Project Team including Ruth Waldick (TSS), Pierre Mineau (SSIC photographer), Sandra Ungerson (NSSWD Director and wetland expert), and Gary Gagné (NSSWD Director) were onsite documenting and mapping wetlands and surface water flow as a first step in understanding the hydrology of the Maxwell…

World Water Day – March 22nd, 2022 For Release March 16, 2022, authored by SSIWPA World Water Day reminds us we live at the intersection of climate change and elevated concern about our aWorld Water Day reminds us we live at the intersection of climate change and elevated concern about our ability to manage freshwater…

From CBC News · Posted: Oct 30, 2021 8:00 AM PT | Last Updated: October 30, 2021 A non-profit organization in Salt Spring Island, B.C., dedicated to fighting climate change is encouraging residents to take advantage of the rain this fall by installing a rainwater collection system. Transition Salt Spring (TSS), with the help of the Capital Regional District,…

We held our AGM on Tuesday Feb 22 at 7pm. Read our annual report here: