Wednesday, February 11, 2026
February 11, 2026
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Salt Spring Island and Gulf Islands news

Teamwork key in rescue and evacuation by sea

A multi-agency response to an injured Ruckle Provincial Park hiker ultimately brought by boat to Ganges and then Lady Minto Hospital was a demonstration...

Eagle-eyed interveners push back on solar rate shift

What appears to have been a major math error may undermine a BC Hydro plan to devalue “homemade” solar energy in its new rate...

‘Red flag’ raised over accessibility, Facebook role in public notification

The Islands Trust Council is preparing a public discussion on plans to shift notice distribution to Facebook and its website, as concerns over accessibility...

Search and Rescue group drone team puts eyes in the skies

BY SALT SPRING ISLAND SEARCH & RESCUE When Salt Spring Island Search and Rescue (SSISAR) first began exploring use of a drone several years ago,...

CRD Transportation Committee bats SSIRT back to CRD Board

Salt Spring’s bucolic reputation may be working to the detriment of local active commuters, as regional officials from Vancouver Island municipalities struggled to recognize...

Weather

Salt Spring Island
broken clouds
4.6 ° C
4.8 °
4.3 °
89 %
2.1kmh
75 %
Wed
7 °
Thu
7 °
Fri
6 °
Sat
5 °
Sun
3 °

Gulf Islands life

Youth climate activism award portal opens

Back in 2019, Salt Spring’s Peter Allan, his wife Lynda Monk and their still-in-school sons Jesse and Jackson had many dining-room table conversations about...

Heritage Week marked with Feb. 16-22 museum opening

SUBMITTED BY SALT SPRING HERITAGE FOUNDATION Each year, Heritage BC celebrates Heritage Week in mid-February. This year the event is focusing attention on food...

Visitor Info Centre volunteers predict busy 2026 tourist season

Fire, floods and Fulford-Ganges Road construction notwithstanding, 2025 brought a bump in visits to the Salt Spring Island Visitor Information Centre (VIC) — a...

One hour per week can make a huge difference

This week in our Stepping Up series we meet Elaine Shaw, who enjoys volunteering in the Extended Care Unit of Lady Minto Hospital. In addition...

Arts & Entertainment

Drinking Habits comedy ready to entertain

Who doesn’t need a laugh after a long, dark winter season — even one that’s been as kind and mild as possible for us,...

Measha Brueggergosman-Lee ArtSpring residency set to thrill

By MEGAN WARREN FOR ARTSPRING ArtSpring is set to become a hub of world-class artistry next week as it welcomes the legendary Measha Brueggergosman-Lee to take...

Brass Roots album creates fresh musical force

I think it’s fair to say anyone attending last summer’s Fill the Cupboard musical fundraiser for the Harvest Food Bank at The Jam Factory...

Subtitle

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

A bumblebee alights on a snowdrop in Centennial Park on Feb. 6. The photo was taken by 10-year-old Freyja Thorwaldson.

Do you have a photo to share for the Photo of the Week space? Send it with caption information to news@gulfislandsdriftwood.com. 

Opinion

Opinion: Affordable, attainable, adequate housing not an unreasonable ask

By ERIC MARCH Adherence to the status quo is hugely problematic for a significant portion of Salt Spring Island’s population, and vilifying those who hope...

Viewpoint: Trust leadership needed to enact mandate

The following forms part of a Galiano resident’s letter to Islands Trust trustees and staff and sent to the Driftwood for publication. By AKASHA FOREST On...

Editorial: Industry standard falls short

The road to hell is almost certainly paved with “best practices.”  We might pick on BC Ferries for rolling out a “what we heard” document...

Obituaries

WTTEWAALL VAN WICKENBURGH, Eileen Alma (neé McGhan)

November 2, 1932 – February 5, 2026 Our Mom passed away peacefully at Berwick House Retirement Home in Victoria, British Columbia, at the age of...

O”DONNELL, Marguerite Victoria “Peggy”

May 14, 1936 - December 31, 2025 Marguerite Victoria “Peggy”, O'Donnell, 89 years of age, passed away after a brief illness on December 31, 2025,...

More Gulf Islands news

CRD Transportation Committee bats SSIRT back to CRD Board

Salt Spring’s bucolic reputation may be working to the detriment of local active commuters, as regional officials from Vancouver Island municipalities struggled to recognize...

NSSWD corrects Maxwell plant estimate difference

If there’s comfort to be had for ratepayers surrounding the high costs for Salt Spring’s planned Maxwell Water Treatment Plant, it’s that at least...

Islands Trust tax increase firms up

As both federal and provincial agencies continue to announce job cuts and other belt-tightening measures, finance-focused officials at the Islands Trust hope they can...

Fire district creates Fulford hall pond

South-end firefighters have a new tool at their disposal: a recently completed 750,000-gallon water supply pond, now in service at the station serving Fulford.  Salt...

TreeFrog Daycare needs post-flood support

TreeFrog Daycare in Fulford has filled a vital community role for more than three decades, facing its share of “character-building” challenges, including its most...

Baker Beach petition against LTC dismissed

Chiding Salt Spring’s Local Trust Committee (LTC) about its process, a B.C. Supreme Court justice nonetheless dismissed a petition for review from three islanders...

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