Let’s Get There Green!
Transportation Solutions for the Gulf Islands
Presented and Recorded on March 31, 2022
For those keen to learn more about transportation issues on Salt Spring, we are please to share the video of our transportation-focused event that took place in March, along with the chat messages – which include responses from the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Rob Fleming on his commitment to complete a full road survey for the Salish Sea Trail by the end of the summer!
Event Video Recording HERE
Full Chat Record and additional answers from Minister Fleming HERE
Transportation is our island’s single biggest source of direct CO2 emissions.
How we get around emits 60,000 tonnes of CO2e per year, or about the same amount of carbon storage a forest one and a half times the size of Salt Spring Island stores in a year. That’s a lot of trees!
Find out what members of government, local transportation experts, and policymakers are going to do to get us moving in the right direction. We need to act now!
Hear from;
- Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) in conversation with Transition chair Bryan Young on transforming transportation at the provincial and local levels
- Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands who is working to close the loop on the Salish Sea Trail with its missing link on Salt Spring
- Gayle Baker, Chair of the CRD Transportation Commission developing a greener transportation future for Salt Spring Island
Along with
- Jean Gelwicks and Bob MacKie from Island Pathways
- Justine Starke, Manager, Southern Gulf Islands Service Delivery at the CRD
- Tristan Ford, Transit Planner for BC Transit
About Our Guests
Rob Fleming is the BC Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. Rob previously served as the Minister of Education. Before his election to the Legislature, Rob served two terms as a Victoria city councillor. He chaired the city’s finance committee and represented Victoria at the Capital Regional District, the Victoria Regional Transit Commission, the Capital Region Housing Corporation and Tourism Victoria.
As a city councillor, Rob was a leading advocate for public transit and affordable housing. He was instrumental in the creation of the Capital Region’s Affordable Housing Trust and the region’s transportation plan.
Adam Olsen (SȾHENEP) is the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saanich North and the Islands and member of the B.C. Green Caucus. As an advocate and facilitator, he is committed to good governance and improving public participation to strengthen all aspects of the community and the province. Adam is also committed to addressing our congested, poorly-built roads, challenging us to identify and implement creative solutions.
Gayle Baker is the Chair of the CRD Transportation Commission and has been for the previous three years. In addition to the completion of two key pathways/sidewalks on SSI, the Commission is working hard to make it easier and safer to “Get there Green.” Gayle has also served on the Board of Transition Salt Spring since 2021.
Jean Gelwicks is a director on the Board of Island Pathways. She is also the chair of the Partners Creating Pathways Committee. Since 2007, she’s spearheaded building nearly $1-million worth of Ganges Village pathway infrastructure, costing local taxpayers about $250,000. These pathways are SSI-CRD community assets. She also spearheaded the Island Pathways’ maps, “Salt Spring Island On Foot,” (Now waterproof and tear-resistant), and a second cycling map, “Salt Spring Island On Wheels.”
Bob MacKie is a Board Member and Bicycle Working Group Chair of Island Pathways. He is also a member of the Salish Sea Trail Network Working Group and of the Islands Trust Ganges Village Planning Working Group. Bob is a BC Representative on Federal Counsel and Past Interim President of the Green Party of Canada.
Justine Starke is a Registered Professional Planner and has worked with the communities of the Southern Gulf Islands and Salt Spring Island since 2007. Before coming to work for the Capital Regional District, Justine focussed on affordable housing and sustainability planning as an Island Planner with Islands Trust. Justine is currently the Manager of Service Delivery for the Southern Gulf Islands and spends as much time as possible with her family on Salt Spring Island.
About the Southern Gulf Island Transportation Integration Plan
The Southern Gulf Island Transportation Integration Plan (SGI TIP) proposes a new transportation function for the Capital Regional District (CRD) to support better mobility in the Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area: Salt Spring, Galiano, Mayne, Saturna, and North & South Pender Islands (SGI). With a new service, the CRD could provide funding for the community buses (public transit), facilitate improvements to active transportation networks (for walking, cycling and rolling), and integrate with opportunities for additional inter-island travel between the islands (beyond BC Ferries). The SGI TIP is an initiative of the Southern Gulf Islands Economic Sustainability Commission for the Capital Regional District.
Also representing the CRD for the SGI will be Paul Brent
Paul is the Chair, SGI Economic Sustainability Commission and Alternate Director for the Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area (in addition to being an Islands Trust trustee for Saturna Island).Tristan Ford is a BC Transit Planner and engineer-in-training with BC Transit. Tristan has a background in transportation planning and engineering in both rail and bus settings. His current focus is on operational service planning as well as modelling transit recovery in the wake of Covid-19.