November 2022 Newsletter

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

Shingle Bay Update

Community News, Events & Updates

November 2022

Wow, what a summer!

Visitors were back in large numbers, businesses were operating near max capacity and the weather sure didn’t disappoint! There were challenges to navigate but overall it was invigorating to experience a busy summer like the ones we were used to.

We’re moving into winter now and after an unseasonably warm October (which was quite lovely, especially for those with warm weather plants in their gardens) we’re finally feeling the chill. It’s time to bundle up, get the woodstoves lit and perhaps do some baking with the fruit harvested earlier in the season.

There are plenty of things to keep us busy as we head into winter. Below is a review of some of the successful events this past summer and a few of the local activities and events happening in the coming months.

This Newsletter was put together by Kelsey :)

For The Sandspit Community Society

Directors - Flavien, Lauren, Heron & Amber

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Moresby Market

It was lovely to see a return of visitors to the Moresby Market this year! Our vendors enjoyed seeing new faces and meeting folks from all over the world.

The Market saw some improvements this year in the form of bright, newly painted signs by Jenn Keshavjee in Daajing Giids. Our signs were due for a refresh and she did a fantastic job, we’re looking forward to having a more colorful presence next summer.

The Moresby Market also started a collective table this year for anyone who finds the financial or time commitments a barrier to selling at the market. All forms of handmade, homemade or homegrown goods are welcome at the table. There is no table fee, instead, the Sandspit Community Society collects 25% of sales and pays out vendors the remaining 75% at the end of each month. The money we collect through this arrangement helps to pay the wage of the staff member looking after the table. This year, our new staff member, Jordyn Zarry did a wonderful job managing the collective table, we hope to have her back next year!

We’ll be running the collective table again next year and we’d love to see more folks make use of this new way of participating in this community event.

News from A&A Trading

A&A Trading (Haida Gwaii) Ltd. is replacing our existing Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP) that is due to expire in February, 2023. A FSP is a map-based, landscape-level plan of potential forest development activities that are intended to take place in the plan area. Licensees must prepare, and have approved, a FSP before harvesting or road building activities can begin. The FSP has a term of five years and may be renewed for additional terms.

Part of the FSP approval process is reaching out to local stakeholders and providing them an opportunity to review and comment on the plan. The Sandspit Community Society can find a copy of our draft replacement FSP, available for review and comment, here on our website: https://www.aatrading.com/assets/sustain_aahg_fsp_(july_27_2022.pdf. If you would like to provide comments on our FSP please send them directly to me or reach out anytime to discuss. Malcolm Drake and/or our Operations Manager, Shane Simard are also usually available at our office in Sandspit.

Thanks in advance for participating in the review of our replacement FSP.

Vancouver Island Regional Library

The library saw a great turn out for the Halloween Costumes and Colouring event on October 29! It was so great to see the fun costumes and different decorations that Sandspit families created. Thank you for making this event a spooktacular success!

Craft Night continues every Thursday evening from 6:30-7:30pm. Bring your portable crafts and join us for this casual, social event.

If you’d like to join but don’t have a craft of your own, speak with Kelsey at the branch to arrange for embroidery supplies. Kelsey is an avid embroiderer and has lots of supplies to lend out as well as knowledge to share. Please let her know in advance if you would like to borrow supplies so she can bring them to craft night for you.

Efforts are being made to improve the physical accessibility of the Sandspit Branch. Kelsey is working one section at a time to ensure that items on the highest shelves are reachable from a wheelchair. This process will happen slowly over the next few months and we’re looking forward to the end result. The front desk will also be moved slightly in the near future to allow easier access for wheelchairs, strollers and walkers. Are there any other ways the library could be a more accessible to you or someone you know? Send us an email at sandspit@virl.bc.ca, we’d love to hear your feedback!

Do you have ideas for programming you’d like to see at the library in the future? Let us know by emailing sandspit@virl.bc.ca or speaking with Kelsey in person during open hours. Your ideas are appreciated!

Library hours:

Wednesday 10-2

Thursday 12-4, 5-7

Friday 10-12, 1-5

Saturday 10-2

Winter Lights News

The Sandspit Community Society is once again organizing the Sandspit Winter Lights Festival. This year, the event will be held in honour of Ellen Foster. Ellen volunteered many hours to ensure this event was a success in the past and we want to continue this tradition in her name.

Date: Dec 4, 2022

Time: 5-9pm, tree lighting at 6pm

Location: Sandspit Community Hall and Tennis Court

There will be Christmas trees available to decorate starting on November 19. On December 4 the trees and tennis court will be lit in a spectacular display and will remain lit for the month of December for all to enjoy.

This event will feature an evening craft fair in the community hall and there will be music and hot chocolate provided. Food will be available to purchase from the concession.

We rely on volunteers from the community to run this special event. We will be hosting work bees on Sundays Nov 13, 20 and 27 ahead of the event. Please consider volunteering by providing trees, helping to clean up and prepare the tennis court, or donating indoor or outdoor decorations, you’ll get them back after.

If you would like to volunteer or to sign up as a vendor at the craft fair ($10 table fee) please email admin@sandspitcommunitysociety.com.

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.

Anyone who is keen to run programming can email us!

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

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?

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

Contact us at info@sandspitcommunitysociety.com

Contact us at info@sandspitcommunitysociety.com to submit your community news and updates for the next Newsletter

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