Q. Salt Spring’s Rotary Club is fundraising to send ShelterBoxes to Haiti. What exactly are ShelterBoxes? — Michaela Wells, Salt Spring Island A. At $1,000 apiece, each box provides a tent shelter and other supplies for 10 people. Stepping up to aid in Haiti disaster relief, the international charity ShelterBox has sent 4,100 such...
Read more »
How many babies of Gulf Islands parents were born at home on the island in 2009; at Lady Minto Hospital; or at other hospitals (Vic General, Cowichan)? — GS, Salt Spring Island The challenge for this one is that the B.C. Vital Statistics Agency — the government entity that records B.C. births via birth...
Read more »
Q. Because I live off a road fairly close to town, I’ve always wondered, what is the proper signal to give to the hitchhikers waiting by Embe Bakery, to let them know I am only travelling a short distance (and not going to Fulford)? Usually I gesture with my thumb and first finger, indicating...
Read more »
Q. Does the Salt Spring Recycling Depot take wrapping paper? -J.S., Salt Spring Island A. After the presents have been opened, it can be frightening to stand back and survey the unwrapping aftermath. The cat is in his glory, stalking Christmas guests from beneath his new maze of paper tunnels, but to you, the...
Read more »
Q: When I’m in my car I can only get the new Salt Spring radio station in some areas. Can you find out why this is the case and if there are plans to make reception better in the future? L.S., Salt Spring Island A: Variable island terrain and FM wave emission characteristics are...
Read more »
Instead of a You Asked Q&A this week, here is a follow-up from a previous post that proved popular with our readers (109 views as of Monday on the blog alone). In the Dec. 2 issue of the Driftwood, in “Frozen hummingbird feeders: islanders search for solutions,” a reader’s question was answered about how...
Read more »
Q: Was the Twilight: New Moon movie filmed on Salt Spring Island? — E.H., Salt Spring Island A: No. New Moon was not filmed on Salt Spring. Rumour had it that it was being filmed here, but that myth has since squashed the hearts of “Twi-hards” who drove up and down Mt. Maxwell looking...
Read more »
*This is not a You Asked Q&A, but the Christmas shopping season is upon us. This is a special seasonal addition to the blog. You don’t need to shop in the big city to find unique gifts. Driftwood reporter Amy Geddes tours Salt Spring Island and digs up 10 fresh, homegrown products for sale...
Read more »
Q: What is the correct spelling, Salt Spring or Saltspring? - K.S., Salt Spring Island (the Driftwood spells it as two words) A: A sure way to ignite a local’s adrenaline is to raise this age-old debate. Misspelling the island, it seems, is as taboo as misspelling your new mother-in-law’s name on a Christmas...
Read more »
Q: Why was the gateway to the Japanese peace garden constructed without the upturned roof corners that typify Japanese architecture? — Roger Brunt, Salt Spring Island A: I have passed the garden gate hundreds of times, yet the impulse to question the roof corners never struck me. Your unique query highlights the delicious grab...
Read more »
