Spring in Sandspit

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

Shingle Bay Update

Community News, Events & Updates

Spring 2023

Welcome!

I adore spring in Sandspit. The place that I grew up is still under piles of hard compacted snow, and everything smells like rotting grass and dog poop that folks have left for their future selves. Every other season is lovely… spring? Not so much.

But in Sandspit? Spring brings rouge daffodils popping up all over town (thanks to community planting by ALM students over the years, I’m told), gray whales migrating through, and nettles galore. While it’s been cool and wet, my plum tree is still covered in beautiful, little white flowers, and the bees are slowly waking up and shaking off the winters rest.

Like the bees, I’m coming out of a hibernation of sorts, having been on maternity leave the past year. I’m (partially) stepping back in to my roles with the Community Society and will be sharing many of the duties with our other team members, but am very much looking forward to writing this newsletter again.

If you happen to have anything to contribute (be it an upcoming event, a notice, a community photo, or perhaps an interesting story about the town from long ago..) please don’t hesitate to reach out!

I can be reached at info@sandspitcommunitysociety.com

Stay safe and well,

Amber

(plus Flavien, Lauren & Heron)

The Sandspit Community Society

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Child Care Resource & Referral Program

The Child Care Resource & Referral Program (CCRR) provides support, resources and referral services for child care providers, parents, and caregivers in all communities on Haida Gwaii.

One on One sessions (Sandspit) - Our local CCRR representative will be available at the Sandspit Library on Fridays from 2-4pm for appointments with parents or as a drop-in if they have questions about services provided. Come by and say hello!

Summer Drop-In (Sandspit) - Beginning July 1, CCRR will be hosting a Tuesday morning drop-in for families in the early years at the Sandspit Community Hall from 10am-12pm. Light snack and tea provided.

Moresby Market

Mark your calendars, the Moresby Market is gearing up for the 2023 season!

Market staff and volunteers are working hard to make this season the best one yet with new partnerships and projects. Read on for more details.

Market times: Sundays 11-1 at ALM School Walkway

First market: Sunday, June 4

Last market: Sunday, September 3 (Labour Day weekend)

*No market on August 13* (EOTW Music Festival)

The market will once again run continuously through the season and be open on long weekends. There will be no market on August 13. This is to give the vendors a well-deserved break and the opportunity to attend the Edge of the World Music Festival in Tlell.

Do you remember the delicious sausages, honey and BBQ sauce last year? We have good news for you! The market has partnered with the Speckled Sow Butchery again this year and they will be attending the market in-person on Sunday, July 2 for the Canada Day long weekend! Be sure to stop by as this will very likely be the ONLY opportunity this year to purchase their products.

And now for some big news!

We have been working hard to come up with a way to bring a reliable source of fresh produce back to the market.

In partnership with Moresby Explorers, who have generously donated space in their greenhouse and garden beds, and the Sandspit Community Society, who will be helping fund the position, we have hired a garden manager to grow and sell salad greens at the market!

We will be growing lettuce and salad mixes exclusively to keep things simple for this trial run and to ensure that there is still plenty of room at the market for other local growers and their produce.

We hope this project will address the lack of fresh produce the market has experienced in recent years and help re-establish the market as the place to go for fresh, local food!

The Moresby Market is always looking for new vendors and there are a variety of ways to get involved!

Annual membership is only $50/year for adults and $25/year for children.
Drop-in fee is $10/table. An affordable option for occasional attendance.
A collective table is available for those who are unable to attend in-person for any reason. Simply drop off your wares at set-up time (10:30-11am) and pick up at closing time (1-1:15pm). Vendors receive 75% of revenue, paid monthly.

Questions and comments can be directed to Kelsey Kricheldorf at moresbymarket@gmail.com.

See you at the market soon!

Vancouver Island Regional Library

There’s a lot happening at the library these days! Stop in and chat with Kelsey, the Circulation Supervisor to find out about local and virtual program offerings. Here are just a few things happening now and in the future.

Check out the new community board, a place to post job opportunities, event information and more.

Craft Night at the library is an on-going, weekly drop-in program for all ages. Thursdays, 5-7pm. Bring your works-in-progress and join this casual crafting group. Don’t have a craft of your own? Embroidery supplies are available, and Kelsey is always happy to share her knowledge.

Craft Night - Vancouver Island Regional Library (virl.bc.ca)

Garden Gatherings is a drop-in event happening every Friday from 11am-12-pm. Gardeners of all experience levels are welcome. Share tips, learn new methods, swap seeds, and discuss the joys and challenges of gardening on the edge of the world.

Craft Night - Vancouver Island Regional Library (virl.bc.ca)

The Children’s Summer Reading Club is getting geared up for another fantastic season! The theme this year is “Journey Through Time”. With lots of fun activities to do and prizes to be won you won’t want to miss it. Keep an eye on the VIRL website and the Sandspit Branch Facebook page for details as the summer draws nearer.

Did you know that a library card gives you access to more than just books? With your library card you can do all this and more:

Stream movies and TV shows for free with Kanopy.
Stream and download music for free with Freegal.
Submit files for 3D printing and have the finished object mailed to your local branch.
Access LinkedIn Learning, a platform with tons of interesting video courses on subjects such as marketing, photography, graphic design, and accounting.
Learn new languages with Mango Languages and the First Voices Language Archive.
Save money on magazine subscriptions with PressReader, our free digital magazine and newspaper collection.
For a complete list of all library databases visit All Databases - Vancouver Island Regional Library (virl.bc.ca)

Library cards are free! Stop by the Sandspit Branch (or any other VIRL Branch location) and sign up today!

Sandspit Visitor Centre

May Hours

Monday to Sunday, 1-4pm

Stay tuned to our facebook page for any changes, updates, new products, and specials!

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

Sandspit Recreation

We had a blast with the Northern Adapted Sports Association visit! It was a fantastic turnout of all ages.. Big thanks to HG Rec and Mrs. Putterill for coordinating, and to the SCS for splitting the cost of pizza with Sandspit Recreation.

Sandspit Recreation is always looking for volunteers to join our group!

If you have ideas for programs or have expertise in an area and would like to share or run a program please feel free to contact us.

We are dedicated to programs that get everyone moving and participating!

Donations to pay first aiders and some instructors would also be gratefully received.

Most of our equipment is bought with the help of Gwaii Trust grants - If you wish to write a grant on behalf of Sandspit Recreation we would be more than happy to give you some info on how to go about it!

Haida Gwaii Recreation

Two educational courses coming in May and June:

BC Trappers Education Course in Tlell - expensive but residents eligible for $750 to cover costs.

https://hgrec.com/event/bc-trappers-education-course-may-2023/2023-05-20/

And another PAL course coming to Sandspit in June:

https://hgrec.com/event/canadian-firearms-safety-course-pal-2/2023-06-09/

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The K’il Kun Kids program is starting up again in May, with free dance classes on Monday’s with Alison Keery! Exact dates to come (to be announced by the school, and on the Sandspit Peeps page).

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Summer Camp registration will go LIVE on May 1st at www.hgrec.com/camps/

For HG Rec, there will be 2 weeks in Sandspit this year, but the last 2 weeks of July instead. Both are centered on themes around active living and community action and travel. Ages 5 - 12 can participate in our camps.

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Science Al!ve will have registration online as well and we’ll also send forms to the schools. Details below and their contact is Madison at: fascoord@sfu.ca

Science Al!ve camp dates are:
- Skidegate- July 31- Aug. 4
- K’il Kun – Sandspit- Aug. 8-11
- ‘Wáan Kún – Port Clements- Aug 14-18
- Masset – Aug 21-25
THEME THIS YEAR is Body Systems & Digital Skills
Age(s): Grades 4 – 7
Cost: FREE, space limited (10 online), registration will open May 1st

Science Al!ve, c/o Simon Fraser University’s Faculty of Applied Sciences, aims to dispel stereotypes in the field of science and engineering and work towards achieving diversity and inclusion. Our programs create a safe space for participants to explore experiential STEAM education and develop an understanding of how STEAM is all around us. In each session, participants will be faced with a ‘challenge’ that they work together and solve, all while exploring a concept within STEAM and directly applying it.

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A reminder that the Moresby Island Travel Fund is available for residents! You can use it for things like attending community soccer league, going over to the Masset golf course, etc!

You can also now just send photos via email of receipts and will receive payment in return as an etransfer!

Click here for more information.

Lord of Life Church

Senior's Potluck - Every Wednesday at 6:00pm

Church services - every Sunday at 10:30am

A&A Trading (Haida Gwaii) Ltd.

AAHG invites you to view our public information sharing maps for Tree Farm License 58 and Forest License A16870 online https://www.aatrading.com/operations.html#operations_publicsharing or in person during normal business hours at our Sandspit office (453 Beach Road, Sandspit).

Road update: Sometime over the next month when weather permits, AAHG will be grading the Copper Mainline to Copper Bay in anticipation of sockeye season.

Planting update: AAHG’s 2023 planting program is now complete. About 210, 000 Sitka spruce and western red cedar trees were planted across 242 ha. All blocks adjacent to the community have now been planted, including burn piles.

AAHG will host a booth at the Sandspit Logger Sports again this year. We hope to see you there!

Thank you / Haawa

BC Timber Sales

Who is BCTS? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJDLHYyGVg8

BCTS Haida Gwaii information Sharing website(All proposed blocks will be posted for info share on the website for 60days for public reviews and comments): https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/bc-timber-sales/fsp/haida-gwaii

BCTS`s Sales Schedule for Fiscal 2024: https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/ftp/tch/external/!publish/sales_schedule/

How to Register with BCTS to bid on Timber Sale Licenses (TSLs): https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/bc-timber-sales/tsl

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