Current Entries March 31, 2010. Looking for a great building opportunity or holding property for the future? Here it is, in prestigious Channel Ridge on special Salt Spring Island! On community water and sewer, very sunny (s/sw/w exposures -- sunsets, here!), and with beautiful panoramic ocean, islands, mountain viewscapes! Close to all services and amenities, a paved road right to your lot, and in a neighbourhood of fine homes. A "south of France" ambiance, here, to the land itself...very appealing! Walking/hiking trails, on nearby park reserves, and close to ocean and to lake accesses for summer swimming, fishing, boating pleasures. Salt Spring. like all the Gulf Islands, is governed by the Provincial Government's Islands Trust, which has been in place since 1974, and which has the mandate of "to preserve & protect" the environmental beauties of the Islands, for the benefit of all B.C. residents. Growth, then, is capped on all the Islands, via strict zoning/density bylaws. Ownership on a Gulf Island is a form of "protected investment", as there will always be a limited inventory on these park-like reserve areas. Salt Spring is the only Gulf Island with a stand alone/year round lifestyle community. Here is an opportunity for you, with a purchase of this stellar building lot. Call me, for more information! March 30, 2010. "Use a mirror in difficult times: You will see both cause and resolution." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") March 29, 2010. BBC news reports : US economic growth revised down Times and Sunday Times websites to charge from June Beta-blockers 'cut cancer spread' China steams ahead on clean energy Tiny cube to tackle space debris Sensors turn skin into gadget control pad China faces 'diabetes epidemic', research suggest Final vote approves US healthcare bill Mexican drug gangs 'spread to every region of US' Deadly Iraq blasts ahead of election results US and Russia announce deal to cut nuclear weapons Merkel praises eurozone deal to help Greece March 28, 2010. The fundraising geniuses who fulfill needs at the elementary and middle schools, on Salt Spring, are at it again. The Middle School needs a new sound system, and the budget doesn't cover this outlay. They are looking for people who would be interested in putting up $500, say, and they would then raise funds through all the means open to them (classy castoff garage sales, bake sales, car washes, etc.), to match this donation. Anyone out there? Let me know, and will connect you with the fundraisers. Catch my radio show this Monday, 7 to 9 a.m., PDT, at 107.9 FM or streaming audio at: www.cfsi-fm.com (even Islanders have to listen over the web, as the radio tower doesn't reach all areas!). Another guest spot, with lots of tips! Check out the podcasts of previous interviews, on my website ( www.liread.com/radio.htm) -- my show isn't about real estate, but is about the beauties of the Island, and also about the interesting people who now claim it as "home". Tune in! Remember the Easter Weekend is the 4th Annual Artists Tour, with a special reception on the Saturday evening, at Mahon Hall. Eric Klemm's dramatic fine art photography work will be showcased at Mahon Hall, and all the artists on the tour will be there for the reception. Enjoy! Next sunny day, get out there, pack the picnic, check out the places that tourist rave about and which we all forget to enjoy....Ruckle Park, Mt. Maxwell Park, Burgoyne Bay Park, Drummond Children's Park, Fernwood Dock "walk" on North Beach/Walker's Hook Roads (beachcomb, if tide is out), Vesuvius Beach, Cranberry (Bader's) Beach at end of Collins Road...breathe in Spring, and clear out the cobwebs of Winter! Don't forget, too, that the Saturday Market in the Park also opens on Easter Weekend...that would be April 3rd., of course. Feel like a day trip off Island? Check out the pleasures of the Cowichan Valley....wander towards Cherry Point and Cowichan Bay (vineyards, Cowichan Bay's bakery and cheese shop, ice cream emporium, Rock Bay fish and chips, etc.). Other direction? Chemainus, naturally, town of murals fame! Heading Sidney way? Butchart's Gardens offers those stellar garden walks, and the afternoon tea is a true delight. Vineyards in the Saanich Peninsula area, too. Did you know that the road from Cowichan Lake through to Port Renfrew is now paved? This is an adventure! And your suggestions for a day off island are? Always welcome! March 27, 2010. Here is a very special oceanfront property on special Salt Spring Island, for your discovery and enjoyment! Home is essentially "new"...the recent renovation/rebuild won a B.C. award for the designer/contractors (one of Salt Spring's premier builders). Easy access to low bank deep water oceanfront (dock in place -- keep your boat at home!)...stroll the paved pathway or arrive by golf cart! Sunny decking at oceanside, and warm ocean swimming here, too. Beautiful panoramic ocean, islands and mountain vistas. Sunny (s/sw/w exposures), on community water. Very unique, as the home is positioned on a flat ridge, which delivers both a pastoral view over farm fields in the eastern direction, and dramatic ocean vistas in the south/southwest direction. A gem! Private, easy care landscaping, quiet area of fine homes. Main level offers dramatic living, superb country kitchen (a cook's dream), oceanside dining, library/den off, sep. laundry, mudroom entry, attached double garage, workshop area. Formal entry/foyer. Lovely master suite (steam shower in ensuite). Loft office, too! Oceanviews from all principal rooms...vistas that rest the soul! Lower, garden level offers guest bedrooms/bath, lots of storage, family room. Patio spaces, amazing oceanside deck, window wall opens to the deck from living and dining, to expand summer living pleasures. This beautiful home is ready to just move into and to enjoy! Superlative! March 26, 2010. Lots going on this weekend, on Salt Spring Island! Tonight, catch Gallery 8's "The Shores We Call Home" book launch, with noted artist, Carol Evans in attendance. 6 to 8 p.m. at the Gallery 8, in Grace Point Square! If you're lucky/act fast, there might still be some tickets for the annual Gumboot Gala, on the 29th, at Fulford Hall. Check for tickets at Salt Spring Books, Stuff n' Nonsense, & Acoustic Planet. Show starts at 7 p.m., at Fulford Hall. Valdy and Bill Henderson continue as the co-hosts of this great evening. Prizes for the best costumes, of course. The Folk Club supports its major fundraiser of the year with a raffle -- first prize is tickets for the 2010-2011 season. Wave, if you see me! Tomorrow, at ArtSpring, it's a multi-media seminar called 2012 Enlightened with Brad C. Carrigan. Doors at 7:30 p.m., and seminar at 8 p.m. (call ArtSpring for ticket info: 250-537-2102). The Dragon Boat Club's fundraiser is a dance (Sole Music), at Meaden Hall (at the Legion), tomorrow night, with The Relatives, doors open at 7:30 p.m. Have fun! Tonight, at Moby's, live music with The Broken Strings, 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday, it's Donny Brook & the Haymakers, from 8 to 11 p.m. Sunday jazz, of course, 7 to 10 p.m., with QuintEssential. Enjoy! A real treat: Victoria Collegium @ ArtSpring, on Sunday, March 28th, at 2:30 p.m. Hear tomorrow's musical stars today! Wednesday, March 31st, and Thursday April 1st, Friday April 2nd, it's Two One-Act Plays by Hannah Moscovitch. Mexico City and The Russian Play. Show starts at 8 p.m., at ArtSpring. Call for ticket info: 250-537-2102. Special Easter menus at Calvin's Bistro and at Harbour House Hotel. Reservations, please! Book Launch of "Some Encouraging Words" at Bruce's Kitchen, on Monday, March 29th (Raging Grannies in attendance), at 7 p.m. Proceeds to Copper Kettle Community Partnership SSI. Be there, with your support! Hastings House opens on April 2nd with new menu format, plus Easter Sunday Brunch. Must be summer! On Easter Weekend, at Mahon Hall, as part of the 4th Annual Easter Art Tour, enjoy and be inspired by Eric Klemm's work. The Easter Art Tour is sponsored by the Salt Spring Community Arts Council, and is headed this year by Anthony Matthews and Gillian McConnell. (Catch my interview with Anthony, in a podcast of same: www.liread.com/radio.htm -- he speaks about the very important nature of this kind of event, and of theh power of Eric Klemm's photography gift). Meet Eric Klemm and the other artists participating in this year's tour at an opening reception, on Saturday, 6 to 8 p.m., at Mahon Hall. Tonight, join the Driftwood Newspaper at the ArtSpring Gallery, to help celebrate the paper's 50th Anniversary. 5 to 7 p.m. Lots to look back upon, and hear about that elusive thing: the future! Did someone say this was the "off season"? Doesn't sound like it! Lots to do and to see and to enjoy! Did I mention that the Saturday Market in the Park opens for the season, on April 3rd? That does it....where did I put my sun block? Hat?? Summer stuff??? March 25, 2010. I'm lucky to be right across from the Harbour and the Ganges Marina, in the seaside village (there's an "upper village", too, about two blocks up a hill, out of the Harbour one). Back in 1974, the Islands Trust came into being. A Provincial Government body, with the mandate of "to preserve & protect" the environmental beauties of all the Gulf Islands, for the benefit of all B.C. residents, Salt Spring is the one that has evolved into a stand alone community. The Trust controls growth through very strict density controls/bylaws, all of which were put in place in 1974. All that seems to have happened, over the years, is that the various bylaws have been narrowed in their interpretation/scope, so as to totally control all growth. The idea is that population has been capped, for all the Islands, and while there may be a few individual differences, on each Island, the overall Trust document is mostly the same as in those early days. When the sewer came to Ganges Village, back in 1990 (after a 12 year "conversation" between the pro and the anti development sides on the Island), it allowed the building out of things that had been approved by the Trust, back in 1974, which couldn't be built until the sewer was developed. Suddenly, we had townhomes, plus new 'downtown' buildings replacing very old structures. The Village is a very organic thing, though, as it built out slowly, the architecture isn't "uniform", and there is a pleasing "undeveloped'/development" aspect to it all. This aerial shot shows how tiny the actual seaside village is, and its boundaries cannot expand (there's that Trust, again!). More details? Call me! Meantime, I get to look straight out to the Harbour and all its pleasures...kayaking, anyone? March 24, 2010. I love my office, which is in a restored 1916 character home, at the corner of the main road and a busy sidestreet (corner of Lower Ganges and Rainbow Roads, with lots of parking behind, off Rainbow. I mention the parking because it's an issue, in "downtown Ganges", in the season!). There are four offices in this building, a law office, a CRD government office, a space for a seminar provider, and me! Luckily, I get to look out the window and see the Harbour, the marinas, the floatplane dock, the boardwalk and the adjacent park, and I have a side entrance onto a large deck, plus a lawn with a picnic table...you've got it! That's where I'm "doing business" in the summer season! It's very difficult to get street side office space, in Ganges Village. The Islands Trust, which is our form of government on all the Gulf Islands, and which has a "preserve & protect" mandate, which means capped growth, decided that the boundaries of the Village are "fixed in stone" (since 1974, by the way). I'm not the kind of realtor who works from home...I need a place to go to, it seems, and I also think that visitors to this gem of an Island also like to pop into a "real office"....though a Salt Spring version of same. It's not a cityscape! Next time you're on Island, passing by, please drop in -- full real estate information, and coffee is on me. Thank you! How may I help you to discover special Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands? Call me! March 23, 2010. Here's the ferry that connects Fulford Harbour, on Salt Spring Island, to Swartz Bay (Victoria's ferry terminal)...it's a 35 minute trip, and is a very appealing way to "voyage" to Sidney or to Victoria, and makes it a very easy "day trip" opportunity. Some people like to do a "triangular run" and go to Victoria this way, and return to Salt Spring Island via Crofton to Vesuvius (a 20 minute ferry trip). It depends on just where one is going to, as to which route catches the attention...it's about "time", of course. Tour operators, in the summer season, also offer this triangular option -- lunch, say, in Chemainus, on Vancouver Island, the town of murals, and dinner on Salt Spring, or, vice versa, arriving/leaving each way, so it makes a definite day trip experience for a tourist. Fun! This view is taken from Drummond Children's Park, on a very low tide day, looking across to Fulford Village, and the ferry at the dock, being loaded with cars/foot traffic. Just as Ganges Village cannot expand its outward boundaries (no growth sprawl on any Gulf Island, due to the Islands Trust's cap on growth for each one of them), so it's the same for Fulford Village. What you see in this photo is "it"....lovely, then, when one has been away from the Island for a bit, and returns, that one discovers the same wonderful allure of this rural island environment. That, of course, was the whole point in creating the Islands Trust in the first place, by the Provincial Government, back in 1974. More info? Call me! How may I help you to discover special Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands? Call me! March 22, 2010. To get to Salt Spring Island and the Southern Gulf Islands one has to catch a ferry or come via a floatplane. Salt Spring is lucky to be serviced by three different regularly scheduled ferries, all of which "sleep" on the Island. It's one of the major working opportunities, then, to be hired for the ferries. The photo below shows one of the large ferries that go between Vancouver and Victoria, and is taken from a waterfront home on Salt Spring. Salt Spring is easily reached by ferry from Vancouver, or from Victoria, and also from a mid-Vancouver Island location. If you catch that one, you're only a two hour easy drive on a good highway to exceptional skiing, at Mt. Washington (it was the practice ski area on the run up to the 2010 Winter Olympics). The ferry trips are 20 minutes, 35 minutes, and one hour thirty minutes....sometimes, the longer one extends a little, as it's fondly referred to as the "milk run", and often stops at all the other islands en route to Vancouver. As part of the B.C. highway system, the ferries allow one to read a book, catch up on paperwork, use a computer, daydream as exceptional scenery drifts by the windows...better than a driving commute/rush hour traffic, any day! Floatplanes to Vancouver airport are a 12 minute trip and to downtown Vancouver approximately 25 minutes (three different companies offer regularly scheduled flights). Can also get to Victoria or to mid-Vancouver Island this way, too. So many opportunities to do "day triips", and yet one doesn't "have to". Everything is available on Salt Spring Island...it really is a year round lifestyle, and a stand alone community. More info? Call me! This microclimate gem awaits your discovery! How may I help you to discover special Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands? Call me! March 21, 2010. "Don't go out looking for good deeds to do, But if one comes your way, do not refuse. If you meet someone who is suffering, You must help them." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") March 20, 2010. I love aerial shots...they help us to position ourselves in our "you are here" moment. In this aerial shot of some of the Southern Gulf Islands, it's interesting to know that the two islands on the left, background, are Canadian and the two on the right, background, are in the U.S. The "spine-y" looking island is the first in the San Juan grouping, Stuart Island, and the mountainous one on the horizon is beautiful Orcas Island. You can see how close we are, and why I say that it's diificult to decide just where that dotted line on charts, maps, the space shot posters, actually "is". Islanders are just that...islanders. At Christmas, Santa arrives from Bellingham, thanks to the Lions Club, and floats around the San Juans, before dropping into Salt Spring. That kind of interaction is very common in this island environment. Both the Gulf Islands and the San Juans enjoy a microclimate known as "cool Mediterranean", and it's really true that there are more hours of sunshine/less rainfall than one would expect on the famous "wet coast". The Islands are not at all like Seattle or Vancouver! Gunkholing in the Gulf Islands applies to both sides of this borderless world! The Salish Sea is the historic name for this inner waterway...the best protected boating water in the world. Enjoy! How may I help you to discover special Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands? Call me! March 19, 2010. Here's a gem of a home, awaiting your pleasure. All the best qualities of townhome living...easy care, walk to both the seaside and the upper villages, and to the indoor pool, close to marinas and to golf, theatre...an "urban" ambiance in an appealing rural locale. It's definitely the best of both worlds! Quiet, sunny home...s/sw/w exposures -- and a terrific courtyard "inner garden" area, with fruit trees and sunny patio. The very best of this award winning "rammed earth" design, and a custom home with all the "green" advantages...dramatic foyer/entry, powder room for guests, open plan living/dining, country kitchen off, master/ensuite, plus large studio space (artist? office? home occupation? guest bedroom?) on main level. Upper level (storey and a half concept) offers bedroom, bathroom, lots of storage, sitting area...definitely a space for a guest or inlaw situation. This exceptional design and very conveniently sited home is the perfect retirement choice on special Salt Spring Island! Live the Island lifestyle with flair! March 18, 2010. Well deserved accolades for Richard Murakami...he is among 44 British Columbians receiving the B.C. Community Achievement Award, at an April 28th Gala, in Victoria, at Government House. He was selected as a result of his "selfless acts of generosity, large and small". We are all so lucky to have Richard in our community! The Driftwood newspaper has won 12 awards this year, which is also the 50th Anniversary of the community paper. The Driftwood won first place, most recently, in the 4000 to 6499 circulation class, out of a field of 26 papers from across Canada. Don't forget the Open House celebration at ArtSpring's Gallery, on March 26th. Mark your calendars, too, and be there for Gallery 8's Book Launch for Carol Evans (artist in attendance) and her book: The Shores We Call Home. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on March 26th. "Tongue tied"? Need a script, tailor made for you, but not sure how to write it? Call Gayle Mavor, a very talented writer, who is offering The Write Occasion -- "to convey, through words, the uniqueness of life's significant moments". Gayle can be reached at: 250-537-7465. Ah....Hastings House reopens on Friday, April 2nd! New dinner format this year: 3 or 4 course menus available nightly. Single seating time: 7 p.m. in Spring and Fall. Two seatings 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., during the summer. Two brunches on Sunday, too: Easter Sunday, April 4th and Mother's Day, May 9th. Enjoy! Catch Soul Shakedown at Moby's tonight, from 8 to 11 p.m. Sunday Jazz at Moby's, too, from 7 to 10 p.m. Don't miss Two one-act plays, at ArtSpring, by Hannah Moscovitch, known as "the hottest Canadian playwright on the scene today". Wednesday, March 31st, Thursday, April 1st, and Friday April 2nd., performances at 8 p.m. Mexico City and The Russian Play. Call ArtSpring for ticket info (250-537-2102). See you there! Who's Under Where opens Friday, March 26, at 8 p.m., at Mahon Hall. Additional shows Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday, the 28th, at 2 p.m. Community Theatre's director for this great comedy is Steve Coopman, a very talented director/educator, who is returning to his first love, with this production. Tickets at Salt Spring Books or at the door. Don't miss this! Check out the community radio station -- either 107.9 FM or streaming audio on the website (www.cfsi-fm.com) -- the roster of shows continues to build, and the diversity on this Island is certainly caught by all of the choices! You have an idea? Call the station, and present your thought. Lots to do and to see these days...gardeners are out there, prepping the ground for veggies (contact the sustainable farming group and the "let's grow more food on Salt Spring this year" group for tips, if you're a "newbie"!). Galleries are open, new work in place: Gallery 8, Steffich Fine Art Gallery, Salt Spring Gallery of Fine Art, Starfish Gallery, Pegasus Gallery, Jill Louise Campbell Gallery, Off the Waterfront Gallery, Frankly Scarlett, ArtSpring Gallery...and, the new map for the studio tour is out at the tourist centre/chamber office, in Ganges Village. Pick up their new map and the new studio tour brochure/map. It's Daylight Saving time. The weather is warming up dramatically...definitely an early Spring year! Enjoy. March 17, 2010. Happy St. Patrick's Day! Catch some celebrations at Harbour House Hotel, at Moby's, at Treehouse Cafe...all those Irish/Celtic beings...enjoy! March 16, 2010. "Contemplate in the morning, Pull weeds in the afternoon. The joys and labor of a single day Are part of a whole journey." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") March 15, 2010. Salt Spring Island is like a microcosm of a larger rural world. Yes, it's an island, and so it does offer lots of oceanfront opportunities. There are also wonderful aerie style properties, with soaring "eagle vistas" of ocean, islands, mountains (we can see Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, the Olympics in Washington State, and also the Coast Range in B.C.'s Lower Mainland. Farming and equestrian options are also available. There is a long tradition of horse shows, dressage, and the Fall Fair, every September, finds a super meet that involves Victoria/Saanich, Cowichan Valley/Duncan, and Salt Spring Island riders competing for those blue ribbons. The "foodie revolution", with the 10 k if not 100k diet directions, is alive and well on Salt Spring Island, too. In October, it's the annual Apple Festival (the apples for all of B.C., until the 30s, were grown on Salt Spring & Mayne Islands, and there are lots of heirloom trees dotting these islands! Vineyards, people experimenting with kiwi production and olive groves, plus organic blueberries, have joined the more traditional agricultural pursuits, and there are even people interested in nut trees and making Salt Spring a "destination venue" for this production. Artists, home studios, galleries in the Villages, super restaurants with award-winning cuisine, local wines...we are lucky, indeed! Growth is capped/controlled, too, by the Islands Trust (has been in place since 1974), which retains the rural ambiance we all love so much. Enjoy your visit! How may I help you to discover special Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands? Call me! March 14, 2010. BBC news reports : Lehman Brothers' former heads criticised for lapses China's oil demand increase 'astonishing' US retail sales rise boosts recovery hopes HSBC admits Swiss bank data theft Blood pressure fluctuations 'warning sign for stroke' China warns Google to comply with censorship laws Evan Williams says Twitter fundamental to government Eleven rare Siberian tigers die at Chinese zoo Burma election laws a 'setback' for dialogue, says US Russia signs India nuclear reactor deal Chile puts quake damage at $30bn March 13, 2010. In my "wet coast" area, where we seem to have had Spring since the middle of January, the Island I live on has exploded into blossom. The heirloom apple orchards here (all the apples for B.C. were grown on Salt Spring and Mayne Islands, until the early 30s) are all drifting in white and pink blossoms...daffodils and tulips are in full display in gardens...the pruning of the vineyards is well underway...lambs are trotting along with the adult sheep...fawns are following their deer families along forest trails...the meetings about growing more food locally are sprouting with interested audiences....rain, sun, hail, snow, rainbows, all in the same day...it's got an April feel to the light, though....how lucky to be able to live on a Gulf Island, resting in the Salish Sea, no matter the time of year or the weather in play.... How may I help you to discover special Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands? Call me! March 12, 2010. Spring Break continues.... Reminder: yes, it's true, those clocks have to "spring forward" this Saturday night, before you go to bed. When you wake up on Sunday, Daylight Time will be in effect. (Don't know about you, but it always takes me a good week to get my body "in synch" with the clock!). The new medical clinic on King's Lane has received a temporary use permit, which allows it to open on March 29th. This is not a walk-in clinic, though. Transition Salt Spring has begun a project to create Salt Spring as a known nut production area: almonds, butternut, heartnut, hazelnut, pine nut, English walnut, black walnut, and sweet chestnut would grow well on the Island. More info? Call Andrew Haigh. Mark your calendars: in early April, there will be a public open house to review the long-term master plan by B.C. Ferries for the 3 Salt Spring terminals. It's a 20 year plan. There will be another public open house in the Fall, to assess the draft plan, before finalization. Make sure you attend in April. The ferries are important, economically, on the Island. The Driftwood newspaper celebrates 50 years in publication...lots happening on March 26th, in honour of the occasion. Driftwood memorabilia, historical displays from businesses and organizations that have been a part of Salt Spring since 1960, and an open house at ArtSpring Gallery from 10 to 5. (Cash prizes of $50 for the 5 "best dressed" Islanders wearing their copy of the Driftwood to the party!). Tomorrow, at Moby's, it's live music with the terrific Planet Music, 8 to 11 p.m. Sunday, it's jazz/folk with John Charowsky, 7 to 10 p.m. Any Irish? St. Patrick's Day bash, 8 to 11 p.m. Get your tickets to a quintessential Salt Spring experience: Gumboot Gala, with Bill Henderson and Valdy, March 29th, Fulford Hall, show starting at 7 p.m. Tickets at Acoustic Planet, Salt Spring Books, and Stuff and Nonsense. Tree house Cafe live music: tonight it's Richard Cross, tomorrow it's Sharon Bailey, and a St. Patrick's Day celebration on the 17th, with Bruce Everett, Ken Lunn, and Jane Squire. Check out the new Salt Spring Island Craft Bazaar this Saturday, the 13th, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Mahon Hall. March 21st, catch one of Canada's top bluegrass bands at Fulford Hall, show starting at 7 p.m. The Foggy Hogtown Boys! Tickets at: Knotty Threads, Morningside Organic Bakery and Bookstore, Acoustic Planet, and Salt Spring Books. Tonight and tomorrow, Saturday, The Academy Presents Sue Newman and Luc Blanchet in Howard and Mimi. Show starts at 8 p.m., at ArtSpring. Matinee on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. It's a United Kingdom Fringe Report award-winning play -- enjoy! The Point Gallery's Spring show opens Sunday, with a reception for the artists at 2 to 5 p.m. The new season begins with work that addresses the role of art in society. Show runs till April 10th, and showcases the work of Heather Thomas and Deboragh Gainor. Tonight, at Harbour House Hotel, it's live music with Ramesh Meyers (6:30 to 9 p.m.). Saturday, it's Sweetwater and Co. So many things to do/to see! Enjoy early Spring! March 11, 2010. The idea of doing a live radio show, on the new community radio station on Salt Spring Island (www.cfsi-fm.com) was one of those "surprise events". Approached to advertise, I was also asked to do some station id segments, and then asked if I wanted to do a real estate show. I told them I preferred to do a "general" show, with music that appealed to me, updates on community events, and interviews with the many interesting people I've been lucky enough to meet, in my 20 years in the business, here. I love what I do, and am very appreciative of my real estate "life" here, but wanted to showcase the community itself. In many cases, people who have moved here have either reinvented themselves entirely, or have allowed themselves to return to a passion for something that filled an earlier point in their lives...either way, they're up to exciting things! That's what I wanted to bring forward. Every Monday, then, 7 to 9 a.m. (PST), at either 107.9 fm, locally, or via streaming audio off the website (www.cfsi-fm.com), you can catch this. Today, it was Brigitte of the Rendezvous Cafe (those French pastries!), and Noel Elson (a musician and advertising exec from Toronto, now raising Irish wolfhounds, and Shire horses on his equestrian property here) came in to talk about the jingle biz he used to be in (he did the music for that famous Turtles ad that still runs at Christmas). Previously, Rona of the Upstairs Bears shop in town (her collection of teddy bears is amazing!) came by, as did Steve who does food and wine pairings, and also Bruno, who talked about the difference in French wine-making as compared to the "new world" methods, plus Mona who is a publisher and is doing a series on undiscovered B.C. artists...we've also had Jan Rabson who is an early radio show aficianado, and did a voice over business in L.A. before moving to the Island...Garth who spoke about collecting (his passion is textiles)...Celia who runs the Salt Spring Woodworking studio, and she talked about their sculpture garden, there.... An interior designer, West Edge, working to create a "green construction" benchmark for contractors, plus another designer, Lisa, on a mission to share budget conscious tips for those wishing to turn a house into a home...many more, too (Tim, who spoke about emergency preparedness, & the importance of a neighbourhood "pod" of knowledge...Maureen who organized a group of poets/writers to present their writings on their childhood, as a fundraiser for Raffi's Spirit of One campaign, for his Centre...Murray who came with his Scottish lore and jigs and reels, for Robbie Burns Day.... All of them have been very gracious, and agreed to come around 8 a.m., to the studio. The show is "live". I've learned a lot...all those station breaks, slotting in of ads, making smooth transitions between "conversation" and music....it's fun! Sometimes, a change is truly as good as a rest. It's an extra early start on Monday, but after listening to all that super music (yes, I really am still trapped in the 70s/80s!), I'm energized. Ah...I think I just hit on a great idea....music, music, music...maybe it really does feed the soul? Tune in, when you have a moment...appreciated! P.S. Some of the interviews are on my website, as podcasts ( www.liread.com/radio.htm). How may I help you to discover special Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands? Call me! March 10, 2010. Where are you? Your dock is waiting for your boat! Tide's out, beachcomb and swim from this sweep of beach! Sunny (s/sw/w exposures), Salt Spring oceanfront, private, in an area of fine homes, and with an oceanview vista all the way to San Juan Island, on the horizon. The Canadian Southern Gulf Islands are very close to the U.S. San Juans, and that dotted line between the two groupings is certainly there on a chart or a map, but at sea it's all just one wonderful boating experience. This area is known, by mariners, as the best protected boating waters in the world. Pick up a copy of a book called "Gunkholing in the Gulf Islands"....you'll get the drift (no pun intended!). Salt Spring Island is the largest and the best serviced of the Southern Gulf Islands, and between Easter and the Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend (early October), the wonderful Saturday Market in the Park is a reason to add a trip to Salt Spring to your summer itinerary, whether by car/ferry or by private boat. Some other gems to explore, while you're out at sea: Pender Island, Mayne Island, Galiano Island, Saturna Island, and Thetis Island...marinas to welcome you, and summer pleasures to explore (including golf! Salt Spring offers two golf courses, and Pender has one, too). Art galleries, gift shops, restaurants, bakery/coffee stops, specialty offerings, and theatre/music options all summer long (the Treehouse, in Ganges Village, on Salt Spring has live music, nightly, in "the season"). More info? Call me...these Island gems are under the protection of the Provincial Government's Islands Trust (applies to all the Gulf Islands, no matter where located, and to the water access only options as well as to the ferry serviced ones), and so growth has been capped on them all (since 1974) -- the Trust's "preserve & protect" mandate is there to retain the environmental beauties of the Islands, for the benefit of all B.C. residents. Explore...enjoy...you won't be disappointed! The Gulf Islands are unique.... How may I help you to discover special Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands? Call me! March 9, 2010. Looking for a premier oceanview property, with privacy and sun, close to a lovely beach, and with pristine forest? Here it is on tranquil Keats Island! If you still live on the Lower Mainland or on the Sunshine Coast, and are looking for a vacation pleasure and an appreciating holding property, then here it is, just for you. Keats Island is in the Howe Sound area, between West Vancouver and Gibson's on the Sunshine Coast...close to all the city amenities, then, and yet totally serenely "apart". A water access only Gulf Island, it's close to marinas on the mainland, so is easy to get to. A very peaceful opportunity for you to unwind from the city's demands, and yet not have to catch ferries or floatplanes to arrive at your retreat...come and go, easily, under your own steam. A great investment in your future, too. Call me, for details. March 8, 2010. "Imagination, song, the soaring spirit. Separate them to know them as aspects of the whole, Join them to know the mystery of totality." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") March 7, 2010. Another post-Olympic "thought"...and it's not a question of "finders keeper"! I love synchronicity...I think it means that the world is moving in tune with the people involved in the events. Last Tuesday, a client of mine, who lives in Seattle, and who attended the entire Olympic experience, called me to let me know I should watch the local news on Seattle's King T.V. station, that evening. He then went on to share this story with me: Just before the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, he dropped his video camera, without noticing it -- he was searching for his ticket to get into the Opening event. He attended almost all events, so was in Vancouver for the two weeks. When he got back to his Seattle condo, he turned on King T.V. there, to catch the news. He was just in time to see a "human interest" story. Two twenty year olds in Vancouver had found a video camera lying on the sidewalk, and they created a YouTube to see if they could locate the owner that way. The owner sees this, recognizes his camera case, and calls the T.V. station. The next day they send out a camera crew, and tape the owner speaking, via Skype, to the two Canadians back in Vancouver. He offered them the camera, if he could have the contents...his father had passed away, two weeks earlier, and on that camera were the last shots of his father. My client sent me the following link to this story. Mar 2, 2010 Two Canadians use YouTube to find missing camera's owner Bill Manuel of Bainbridge Island thought he had lost his camera for good during the Olympics, but when KING 5 News aired the story of two men who found the camera and created a quirky YouTube video about it, he recognized it immediately. http://www.king5.com/news/local/Two-Canadians-Help-Locate-Owner-of-Missing-Camcorder-86057192.html What I loved about this was that synchronicity...what if he had come in a few minutes earlier or later...he would have missed that T.V. "bit". He might have missed YouTube, but perhaps someone else would have seen this and told him about it. I also liked the fact that the Canadians were trying to find the owner. And that it all had a happy ending almost three weeks after the loss. Seems like the very best of our 21st Century World...yes, we really are a "global village". A nice story, all around! How may I help you to discover special Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands? Call me! March 6, 2010. This entire weekend offers a lot of events...catch them! The Juicy Amazing Goddess Woman Event! has exhibitions, presentations, art, music, theatre, expressive workshops, discussions (FREE child care), both today and tomorrow. Tomorrow night is the special event, with Olympic medalist, Silken Laumann, an internationally known rower. Tickets required for this! March 8th is a community potluck, with a Song Circle honouring the Celebration of International Women's Day. Tonight is a special presentation, too, including a local dance troupe. Men, Women, Children and Families all welcome. Tickets available at Salt Spring Books. More info? Call Leah at: 250-538-8718. Creative Fire Studio is offering their March Break workshops for children: a two week long Spring Break opportunity, with clay classes. It's a hands-on and supportive experience -- call Tracy Harrison, at her studio, 250-538-0144, for more details. Tonight, at Moby's, 8 to 11 p.m., it's the terrific Sunyata, live music for you! Jazz, 7 to 10 p.m., on Sunday, with Preston of Bonkowski. (Did you know that Moby's does breakfast, daily, from 7 to 11 a.m.???). Check out the Community Education courses: complete information on their website (www.ssicommunityed.org). Some choices: Introduction to Word, Excel, or Powerpoint. Digital Photography. Photo Editing for Photographers. Websites for community groups. Introduction to graphic design. Introduction to observational astronomy. Name that bird: Spring birds. Introductory Bridge. Run Away to the Circus. Nurturing children's health. Wine appreciation. Home buying and selling: the contract of purchase and sale. The joy of composting. Women writing memoir: for elder wise women. Remember what the dormouse said: feed your head! It's the beginning of Spring Break...welcome to tourists! Don't forget to catch my live radio show, Mondays, 7 to 9 a.m. (PST), at either 107.9 FM or, streaming audio, at: www.cfsi-fm.com (it's live, not about real estate, and has interviews with the interesting islanders I've been lucky enough to meet, over my 20 years as a Salt Springer. Music and musings...thanks for listening! Check out Gallery 8, in Grace Point Square...new look, new and established artists...upper level space for special presentations/shows. Mark your calendar for Carol Evans' book signing, at the Gallery, on March 17th. While there, be sure to take in Andrea Collins' Starfish Gallery & Studio...Gillean Proctor has now joined the ranks of presenters at Starfish Gallery (which emphasizes fine art photography). While there, check out Steffich Fine Art Gallery, too....Michael Hames is showcased here. Frankly Scarlett, plus Sabine's bookshop, Bocados Bistro and Auntie Pesto's Restaurant offer lunch and dinner, plus the Skin Sensations Day Spa, and Persnickety Children's Shop, and the wonderful Upstairs Bears, round out the opportunities for browsing and enjoyment, in Grace Point Square. Enjoy! An official launch event, for March 21st, at ArtSpring, from 1 to 3 p.m., to welcome the publication of Marilyn Horsdal's first novel (Sweetness from Ashes)...a theme of family relationships with a Salt Spring flavour. Today, at Mahon Hall, it's the special exposition on Grow More Food Locally. Be there! Ah....Spring! March 5, 2010. Here's a terrific opportunity to live the Salt Spring lifestyle, and to enjoy a resort experience. This family enterprise, Cottage Resort, on St. Mary Lake, is now for sale. It is not possible to repeat this zoning (the Islands Trust created all zonings, on all the Gulf Islands, back in 1974). Currently, there are 9 gracious cottages (a studio, one-bedroom units, two-bedroom units, and three-bedroom units), all self-contained and year round options. Beautiful 5 + acres, with perhaps half the property still in forest and meadow, with the current cottages clustered around a sweep of lawn, leading to the lakefront. A lovely "English Country" ambiance! St. Mary Lake is the largest lake on Salt Spring Island, and is stocked with fish (trout and small mouth bass -- this aspect of the lake could be highlighted by the resort, if desired. One can arrive by floatplane, too, right to the dock at lakeside, if guests prefer this arrival option. Close to theatre (first run films!), to tennis, to soccer field, to galleries, restaurants, all amenities/services, and yet in a quiet and sunny rural atmosphere (s/sw/w exposures), this gem could easily be expanded (zoned for 21 cottages, in total). One might also consider a "strata resort" option, which allows for the sale of cottages, and they would remain in a managed rental pool, when not owner occupied. Call me about this potential. A great family lifestyle opportunity, too (which is how the current owners have enjoyed their time as the family welcoming guests to the Cottage Resort). If you prefer, you could keep this very valuable zoning, and build a home, here -- lakefront acreage is very rare, too. So many choices...you decide! March 4, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler just hosted the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. At the closing ceremony, it had become clear that this was the best organized and the most supported, by the local population, Games. Canadians tend to be a quiet and observant nation. We also are known as a caring and supportive group of people. We enjoy a multicultural society, and each region of the country has specific strengths/supportive community feeling. It's not often that we describe ourselves, publicly anyway, as Canadians. Usually it's about being a Quebecois, with that French flair, or an Albertan, with the oil and cowboy background, and those phenomenal Rockies. In B.C., we're known as the Coast by the rest of the country (even when we live in the Interior!). Those who organized the Olympic Games, though, did an inspired thing. The Torch arrived from Greece, right to Victoria, the capital city of B.C., and from there it was part of a relay throughout Canada. The Northwest Territories, all 10 Canadian Provinces, and many different communities within those areas. The enthusiasm of each region was palpable. The Olympics this year were like any good Greek play...it began with tragedy, and the very very sad news of the death of the Georgian luge competitor, in a practice run, just before the Opening Ceremony. There were glitches with some of the hydrolics involved, in an Opening Ceremony display. A competitor's mother died, arriving in Vancouver, to watch her daughter skate. Those who threatened to disrupt the Games, as they were not "for" the Olympics, turned up from all over, just as they had promised they would. Suddenly, though, it all dissipated, and was completely swallowed up by the welcoming embrace of the locals in both Vancouver and in Whistler. I have to say, it seemed a very strange Canadian thing to paint the maple leaf flag on cheekbones, but there they were, in all age groups, smiling at the cameras panning the streets. There was triumph and disappointment at the Games, as always. The euphoria of the Quebec moguls athlete, with his brother, afflicted with Cerebral Palsy, at his side (as he always was), when he won Gold for Canada. The girl who fell, coming down the slope at Cypress Mountain, who got up, got back onto her skis, and finished her course....she wanted to make that last trick element on the last jump, and did it! Now there was a message! The man who won Silver, who said he was just stunned to be at the Olympics in the first place, and silver was terrific. The Gold Medal slider who strode through the streets of Whistler (he was from Manitoba), accepted the beer, and ended up on the interview with his entire family, and did some sample auctioneering (his day job?). He summed it up best by saying it was great to compete, in friendly rivalry, with the best of the best in the world. It seemed like the entire population erupted in that spirit of friendly competition, and the Closing Ceremony certainly reminded us of the value of sport. The head of the Vancouver Olympic Committee thanked the volunteers, and the city residents, and reminded us all that peace had reigned during this sports competition. The message of the Olympics seemed to be about participation, about committment, about perseverence (four years of training, lack of funds in many cases, dark cold mornings of training, of accidents en route, of keeping on keeping on, of not forgetting the overall goal, of accepting the support of one's nearest and dearest...definitely a script for those in real estate sales, in what has been a troubling two year period, to date). To be passionate about what one "does", to "go for it", to not lose heart, to be in the moment, and to remember those who help us, so we can pass it on when it's our turn to be a mentor. So many lessons! Did this have a spinoff into real estate land, especially in the luxury segment offered in Vancouver (San Francisco of the north?) and in Whistler (an Aspen kind of address)? I think what happened was a "discovery moment", generally. The entire city, which is known as one of the most beautiful and also one of the most liveable cities in the world, welcomed the world during this Olympics period. Even when one wasn't there in person, but watching on t.v. or via the Web, that population response was clearly evident. Canada as a whole reached out to the world. Although fun was made of the very early Spring that the Coast experienced, this coverage certainly made sure that the world knew we're not the land of ice and snow on this thin ribbon of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Vancouver's very cosmopolitan ambiance, with a population from all over the world, now calling Vancouver home, and the same with the eclectic and international population in Whistler, was also a message of invitation to the world. Come...check us out....this may see return visits within a 3 to 5 month period. Sea to Sky is also the name of the highway linking Vancouver and Whistler. This description really captures the essence of the entire coastal region, though...Vancouver Island, Victoria, Gulf Islands (including Salt Spring Island), Sunshine Coast on the Lower Mainland, Vancouver and its environs, Whistler....did you know you can ski in the morning and sail in the afternoon, here? Where else in the world can one offer that? Whether it's a result of topography (this thin ribbon of coast lies between the sea and significant mountain ranges) or community bylaws capping growth, there is a limited inventory of useable land for development on the Coast. We are so close to Seattle...a two hour drive and you're here, if you're coming out of Washington State/the Seattle area. Bellingham is even closer. It's a two hour flight from San Francisco. The welcome mat is out, and I think the world found our Canadian attitudes rather "interesting". We really do say "eh" at the end of a sentence. We really are polite. We really do want to do our best for others. It really is important to us that harmony reigns. A Seattle attendee at the Olympics dropped his video camera on the street, while looking for his tickets to an event. Two Canadians found it, put a Youtube up to find the owner, who saw it on a Seattle t.v. story, and got his camera back. There's a message, too! See News Story On King5.com Beauty, a welcoming population, a stable country economically and politically....a limited inventory in real estate offerings....hmmm....I would say something started at the Olympics, and it's just begun. How may I help you to discover special Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands? Call me! March 3, 2010. Some local concerns...perhaps also experienced in other secondary home/discretionary regions. The Gulf Islands (all of them, even the water access only choices), are governed by a Provincial Government body called the Islands Trust. This has been in place since 1974. It was a response to unchecked development, that occurred on two different ferry accessed islands, and the government in power, at that time, brought in two different land use measures -- one was the Islands Trust. Its mandate is: "to preserve and protect, for the benefit of all B.C. residents, the environmental beauties of the Gulf Islands area". This is achieved by strict zoning/density bylaws, that effectively "capped" growth on all the Islands. Today, then, after all these years of creating what was allowed, since 1974, many of the Islands are "developed to max". Infill development is still going on (a building lot never developed), plus replacement development (a 60s cabin on nice property is torn down/new dwelling constructed), but the approved areas for subdivision development have all been accomplished. Salt Spring Island (the one Island with a year round and stand alone community lifestyle) and the Southern Gulf Islands, then, can be viewed as being pretty much as they will always exist. They are not municipalities, but protected preserve areas, under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Government. The zoning/bylaws in place are guarded protectively by the various trustees (an elected position -- each Island has two trustees, elected every three years, during the provincial civic elections, and they administer the Trust bylaws for the island they represent). Back in 1974, the move was to protect the beauty of the Islands, to preserve the forests, the rural way of life, the ecological treasures that these Islands represent. In doing so, and the Trust was very successful at this, over this long period of time between 1974 and 2010, some inadequacies have come into play. Affordable housing is a large one. Assisted living for an aging population is another. In not being a municipal structure, and with severe guidelines in place to do with land use bylaws, the Trust cannot really act on these issues. The people most affected often don't realize that the reason for the 'genrtification' of the Islands can really be laid at the Trust's door. Yes, the Internet did erase both time and geography. Between 2000 and 2007, a very low Canadian Dollar against the Euro, the Pound, and the U.S. Dollar, along with historically low mortgage interest rates, had many people, globally, seeking to purchase Canadian real estate. Resort based areas, whether in Tofino/Uclulet, or on Salt Spring Island, in B.C., or in the Muskokas of Ontario, all saw a huge influx of non-local buyers. These areas, all capped in growth, either topographically or by serious municiipal or Trust 'caps' on development, were seen as both enjoyable and also as a protected investment. Low inventory plus high demand always ends up with price escalation. Don't they call that Economics 101? On Salt Spring in particular, which is a stand alone community (many other of the Gulf Islands are "tied' to a nearby Vancouver Island community for services/amenities), this lack of foresight re affordable housing and an aging population has created an unease in the community. I would suggest that the Trust does have the power to "massage" their own bylaws somewhat. For years, various groups who have worked to amend Official Community Plans have recommended that the Trust allow tenants in suites in homes, in seasonal cottages, in studios. This might bring on a good 500 opportunities for a tenant...someone who works in the retail or service sectors, who might work on the ferries, who might be on contract at the hospital or in the health services, or with the school system...these are renters not buyers. Without relaxing some of the requirements for subdivision, or number of dwellings per property, I don't know that much can occur re increasing development. That really would change the Trust document. Lifestyle is an important component of the health of any community. I've been lucky to have been here since 1989, and at that point "everyone" was here...it really was a microcosm of our larger world. I hope the Trust will listen, and will allow an easing of the rental situation. It would be a beginning! And your thoughts are? Always welcome! How may I help you to discover special Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands? Call me! March 2, 2010. Here's a treasure for your immediate pleasure! Beautifully upgraded/renovated country home, on sunny acreage...wood floors, custom windows, spa style bathrooms, cook's dream kitchen...could be 4 bed/2 bath, or, like the current owner, one bedroom can be a media space and the other can remain a great office retreat. This home would suit a family or a professional couple working from home, or, enjoy a B & B lifestyle -- there's a lovely self-contained one bedroom guest/inlaw suite, at garden level, with private entrance (sauna, too!). The plus? Separate studio space...artist? Home occupation? Another plus? Approximately an acre and a half is in vineyard production...call for details on this. Very sunny property, private, close to all amenities, and yet in a serene Valley location, close to Burgoyne Bay Park. An opportunity to enjoy the best of the Salt Spring lifestyle awaits you! March 1, 2010. "People think they don't have to learn, Because there is so much information available. But knowledge is more than possessing information. Only the wise move fast enough." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations")

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