As intentional stewards in a forest home on what is called Trincomali Heights in Penelakut territory, Pam Tarr and Jon Cooksey have been actively designing for a climate-ready future. Right away, they explain the very first thing they wanted to accomplish after moving in to a home with a metal roof was a fully-functional rainwater storage and filtration system for their food forest and potable use. Taking the load off the fractured-rock aquifers on the island was top priority for them. “We figured we’d need at least 21,000 US gallons per year (seven 3,000 gallon tanks) for the level of food production we envisioned so we set out with Matt Nowell and his team to do a full rainwater system design and install.”
After four of the tanks had arrived months into the project, the well was drilled, the trench with electrical and piping was in place to pump water both down to the house and back up to the tanks, Pam and Jon were itching to start building the filtration and treatment part of their water system, which was to be installed in their basement. As with most future-proof home design, at each turn they discovered other very expensive and very urgent matters. Around the time some of the tanks were delivered they met Damien Barstead, and invested in solar panels which required them to completely re-roof due to snow damage, so that re-roofing expenses became top priority before the collection system could be up and running.
“By this point [after the re-roof], we’d spent every last penny we’d saved for the water system,” they exclaimed.
With a Climate Action Loan of $5,000 from Salt Spring Loans for the majority of the cost of the water treatment system, including an extra-large UV lamp, they were almost able to fully install one common system integrating both well water and rainwater treatment.
Tarr and Cooksey continue in their project as funds become available, and they recommend Climate Action Loans to everyone. “The Climate Action Loans are the essence of how our community can directly invest in itself; they allow climate resilient dreams to be realized and community-minded design where costs would otherwise be prohibitive.”
Created by Salt Spring Loans Director Shannon Cowan in June 2025 from an interview with Pam Tarr and Jon Cooksey.