*AMENDED* - Summer Newsletter

A non-profit working to build a vibrant, resilient, and sustainable Sandspit.

Shingle Bay Update

Community News, Events & Updates

Summer 2021

Welcome!

We hope everyone has been enjoying the summer season on Haida Gwaii! It’s certainly uplifting to see some familiar (and unfamiliar) faces returning to town!

We’ve certainly been appreciating the return of the Moresby Market, as well as the excellent course conditions at the Willows Golf Course! Did you know the Visitor Centre is also reopened on flight days, and is well stocked with local artisan goods?

Below you’ll also find a sneak peek of the scaled-back Wild Harvest Festival dinner planned for September, so be sure to read on!

Stay safe and well,

Amber, Flavien, Lauren, Ellen & Heron

The Sandspit Community Society

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Sandspit Recreation

BIKES - A reminder to teens if they wish to borrow a bike for the day, maybe need an extra one if they have friends or relatives over, see Audrey P or phone 7782603441.

NEW BASKETBALL COURT - Copper Bay Concrete will pour cement this week and wish to have the job complete by school return in September. Sandspit Rec has a dozen new basketballs just waiting to be bounced!

GYM PROGRAMS - We are very optimistic about being able to offer our evening gym programs in the fall for both youth and adults. We are also eager to recruit new volunteer helpers to make these programs run smoothly. Sandspit Rec is very happy to pay first aiders who wish to be part of our program.

Vancouver Island Regional Library

Vancouver Island Regional Library is currently offering a Small Business Skills Builder Program. This free, virtual program is for anyone who either currently runs a small business or who dreams of starting one.

Running now until the end of November, each month of the program is dedicated to a different skill. Participants will watch a short video course on their own time and at the end of the month we’ll get together to chat about the topic, share ideas and create a supportive community of small business owners. This is a flexible program and there’s no obligation to participate every month. Watch the videos that interest you and skip the ones that don’t, no pressure!

Topics covered include both hard and soft skills. From bookkeeping to social media marketing, from the basics of spreadsheets to strategies for taming your inner critic, there’s something for everyone.

If this program sounds interesting to you, email sp1@virl.bc.ca or phone the branch at 250-637-2247 to sign up.

A&A TRADING (HAIDA GWAII) LTD.

Public Information Sharing 2021-2022+ Operational Plan

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 A&A conducted our annual public engagement virtually. We received positive feedback from the community on this approach and have decided to maintain online operational maps for the community to access. A&A will provide notice in the SCS newsletter when a periodic update to our maps has occurred. Please note that A&A will continue to host in-person annual public engagement sessions for folks who prefer to engage that way.

A&A invites you to view our 2021-2022+ operational plan maps for Tree Farm License 58 and Forest License A16870 at this link https://www.aatrading.com/operations.html#operations_publicsharing.

All questions, comments or requests for more information, including hard copies of A&A’s operational plan maps, can be forwarded to Shane Simard, Operations Manager at ssimard@aatrading.com or by phone at (250) 637-2391.

Road Update

In late August, A&A will be restricting access on the South Bay Mainline at 33 km for about 7 days to allow for bridge maintenance activities to occur. Signage will be posted at the beginning of the South Bay and Copper Bay Mainline making all road users aware of the activity. This will restrict road user’s ability to complete the loop from Copper Bay to South Bay. The roads up to the bridge site and access to Gray Bay via Copper Bay Mainline will remain open during bridge maintenance activities.

Hauling will start from blocks on roads off of Spur-20 (Gray Bay Mainline) to South Bay Dryland Sort in September.

All questions can be forwarded to Shane Simard, Operations Manager at ssimard@aatrading.com or by phone at (250) 637-2391.

Visitor Centre Hours

The Visitor Centre will be open daily in August 12-4.

Stay tuned to our facebook page for September hours!

Come check out the wonderful stock, including lots of work from local artisans and makers!

Moresby Market

The Moresby Market continues to run every Sunday (excluding long weekends) from 11-1 at the ALM covered walkway!

The last market of the year will be September 12.

For more information, contact moresbymarket@gmail.com

The Sandspit Golf Course Society has welcomed golfers back to the Willows Golf Course!

Check out their webpage for rates and more information

The Baran’s have been spearheading a Kids’ Golf Program (with support from Haida Gwaii Recreation)!

Check the facebook page for days/times.

Haida Gwaii Recreation

A reminder that the Moresby Island Travel fund is available for residents! You can use it for things like crossing over to rent kayaks from Green Coast Kayaking for the day, attending community soccer league, going over to the Masset golf course, etc!

Click here for more information.

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We are still waiting for updates on when the schools will reopen to the public, but those interested in leading drop-in sports can submit a request now to HG Rec (info@hgrec.com to receive the registration form). Once schools are open to the public, we’ll get the schedule sorted.

Anyone who is keen to run programming in the fall can email us!

We’re hoping to find individuals willing to lead cooking classes, dance, seniors yoga, and more.

Meals On Wheels - New Coordinator Needed

The Sandspit Meals on Wheels Program has been serving up meals to local seniors for well over a year now. The main goal of the programs is to help keep our most vulnerable population safe & fed while isolating, but it has also been a way to keep supporting our local food vendors and businesses.

Current coordinator Brenna has done a fabulous job of setting up and maintaining this program, however due to other commitments, she will soon no longer be able to continue with the project.

So we are seeking a new volunteer coordinator to take over, and help this important project continue!

This volunteer position would require approximately 8 hours per month:

Weekly - about 1 hour of preparing labels/paperwork

Monthly - about 3/4hours of accounting, menu planning, and data input.

Knowledge of Excel is essential for proper bookkeeping and records for vendors.

Feel free to reach out to Brenna, or the SCS with questions or for more details.

Wild Harvest Festival

With the still somewhat precarious and ever-changing pandemic situation, as well as our main coordinator being away, we’ve decided to not run the usual, large-scale Harvest Festival this year.

We are excited to say that a Harvest Festival Dinner is currently in the works for Saturday, September 11th with local chef Giulio Piccioli!

So mark your calendars, and stay tuned to our facebook page and website for more details!

Do you have a great idea for a project in our community (that fits with our focus areas? Are you interested in helping us with one of our projects, perhaps as a volunteer, or committee member? Contact us at info@sandspitcommunitysociety.com

Do you have an upcoming event or information that you’d like included in the next newsletter?

Email us at info@sandspitcommunitysociety.com

This newsletter is put together by the Sandspit Community Society, a BC-registered, not-for-profit Society incorporated since 2011, that operates for the benefit of the community of Sandspit.

The SCS is run by a volunteer Board of residents,

who wish to sustain the economic and social well-being of our community.

Thank you for your support!

www.sandspitcommunitysociety.com