Saturday, August 26th: Health Talk – Dealing with Extreme Heat and Smoke

As our summer temperatures rise and wildfires increase, heat and smoke have become major health concerns for Thetis Islanders.  

On Saturday, August 26^th, Dr. Shannon Waters, Medical Health Officer for the Cowichan Valley Region, will be coming to Forbes Hall to speak on the health effects of heat and smoke and how we as a community and as individuals can respond to these extreme events. This is the first in the upcoming “Let’s Talk About Smoke” event series.  

Start time 11:30 am morning talk (approximately an hour), followed by a hosted lunch.

For more information, please contact David Reay 778--899-3216 davidreay@telus.net

Funded through Island Health’s Community Wellness Grant received by Forbes Hall Health Services Group/TICA in partnership with ThINC and SPU. 

Interested in Leading Pre-Schooler Activities?

Your local parents of pre-schoolers are seeking activity leaders for this fall! We are hoping to organize 2-3 "classes" or activities per week and have reserved a couple mornings (9:15-10:30) at the hall starting in September.

Are you an enthusiastic dancer or musician? Would you like to teach some youngsters karate, yoga or simple indoor activities like Simon Says, limbo and sing-alongs? If the outdoors is more your style, perhaps a forest meet-up (mud pies anyone?) would be right up your alley.

And, most importantly, would you like to share your enthusiasm with a group of 2-5-year-olds?

If this sounds like you, please get in touch with Brianna at 250-686-0266 (text or whatsapp is best please) or briannajsloan@gmail.com. 

Thanks!

Metal Detector Needed

We’ve lost a grandmother’s heirloom ring off the dock and are hoping someone has a metal detector we can borrow for an hour or two to use at low tide (dry). It would be greatly appreciated. 

Gary Geddes. Call or email:250-246-8176; gedworks@islandnet.com

ThINC Nature House - Today's Events - Thurs, Aug 17th

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm drop-in
Wild Creatives: Shadow Art with Marcia & Erica (all ages)
Location: The Nature House at The Portal, 254 North Cove Road

During this workshop each participant will make their own flower / plant arrangement, noticing how the shape changes according to the light and shadows; it's a work of observation. With a pen or pencil, they will draw the shadow and then paint it, which can be just black and white, or paint the flowers as they are. Even better, participants can use their imagination and paint something new on top of the shadow of another object. Feel free to bring your own flowers but we will provide them! This particular workshop may be too advanced for younger children, but any age interested is welcome.

6:30 pm start
ThINC Tank: Island of the Sea Wolves - Episode 3: Winter (youth, adults)
Location: The Nature House at The Portal, 254 North Cove Road

It’s the season finale! The seasons have changed once again on Vancouver Island’s north coast. Will the young wolf pups make it to the winter? Will the young eaglet learn to fly? And how will the baby sea otters fare in colder waters once again? Come find out how this stunning and dramatic series ends!

Wanted: Tool Belt

The SPU (Structure Protection Unit, Auxiliary of TIVFD) is looking for a sturdy leather tool belt, suitable for holding impact driver and some screws.
Before shopping on the big Island, thought I'd check if there is a surplus unit on island.

Thanks,
Jim Moloney SPU team leaderjimolo46@gmail.com

Important Update from Coastal Fire Centre

PARKSVILLE – Over the last week in BC, particularly in in the southern half of BC, a high pressure ridge has created extremely hot and dry conditions. Tomorrow a dry cold front is forecast to move into the province creating instability, strong gusting winds, and the potential for dry lightning inland. Early detection of wildfires and public reporting will be crucial increase the potential for initial attack success on new wildfire starts.

The Coastal Fire Centre would like to alert the public of the potential for aggressive fire behavior and high rates of spread during this event. We ask that everyone pay attention to local updates and alerts in your area. The BC Wildfire Service has released the following video describing this situation in more detail: https://youtu.be/DHgrCZDgAE8

Water Conservation Tips

With the ongoing drought everyone’s thoughts are going towards water conservation most of us practise on a regular basis. Please make sure your guests realize the community draws from a limited resource and that they adhere to water conservation practises.

Besides the obvious such as taking shorter showers, not letting the sink run while brushing teeth, etc., no lawn watering, washing cars, flushing only when necessary ( if its yellow, let it mellow), etc. I am sharing a few tips I have incorporated into my daily routine and would be interested in any other tips people want to share.

Turn shower off while lathering up and washing hair. Turn on to rinse off.

Check regularly for tap or toilet leaks or drips and fix immediately.

Fill small container in basin for face and hand washing, use more than once, dump onto patio plants to water.

Shower with your Rubbermaid. it catches water while waiting for your water to warm up and during showering. Use for watering houseplants or garden, washing floors, etc.

Keep a dishpan in your sink and collect water used to rinse produce. Use for handwashing, then discard in your garden.

Wash full loads of laundry...have switched from regular laundry day to pushing out a few more days to really fill the washer.

Hand-wash an item if needed before regular laundry day rather than running a load for a few items.

Really fill the dishwasher instead of washing routinely once a day. Try and sneak an extra meal or two in before running.  

Carol Swann

Cooling Centre open Wednesday and Looking for Volunteers

Forbes Hall Cooling Centre will be open again Wednesday 1:00-7:00 pm. Come in to relax and cool off.

We are also looking for volunteers to be present during the hours we are open as a cooling centre. Shift lengths are only 2 hours or even just an hour if that’s all the time you can spare. Bonus is that you also get to remain cool! Anyone interested please contact Michelle Sutter acanthurus61@gmail.comso we can develop a list.

Remember to stay hydrated!

Forbes Hall Health Services Group

Family Fun Day – Thank You!

A big thank you to all fellow islanders and visitors who came out to support the Family Fun Day on August 12th! This annual fundraising event hosted by the Thetis Island Community Fund was once again a great success, thanks to the 120+ people who attended.

Our TICF board members were very grateful for the outpouring of support from volunteers. We could not have done it without you! Special thanks to members of the TIVFD Auxiliary and SPU team for all their time and effort providing the drop tank swimming pool and sprinklers. The kids loved the pool!

A fuller recap of the day, along with photos can be found in the upcoming Fall edition of the Quarterly. We welcome your feedback from the event to help us know what worked and what could be improved in the future. Please email us at communityfund@thetisisland.net.

On behalf of the TICF team, our heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers who made this event possible and to all those who attended. We look forward to hosting Family Fun Day again next year!

Tricia Hunter

TICF - President

Lost: Child's Red Spiderman Hat

Our four-year-old grandson from Toronto has lost his red Spiderman hat. It was last seen at the tennis court on Saturday during Family Fun Day. It might have been left near the face painting.

If anyone has found a red Spiderman hat, please call Rick or Nancy at 250-246-4291.

ThINC Nature House - PAG Harvest Hours Cancelled Today

Harvest Hours at the PAG (2-4pm) will be cancelled today due to the heat! Hope to see you at the PAG later this week on Sunday at 10am for a workshop with Marcia and Ian on 'healing plant connections'.
Details here! https://www.thetisislandnatureconservancy.org/single-post/nature-house-week-7-events-aug-16-20

Extreme Fire Danger Reminder

The TIVFD has received several complaints from different neighbourhoods concerning the use of gas powered machinery and metal bladed mowers during the complete shutdown while we are in EXTREME HAZARD.

This may be due to some summer residents not understanding the hazards, and they may not be accessing our ESPOKES communications, checking the TIVFD website, or reading the Hazard Board by the ferry dock for information. A friendly chat with your neighbour about the local conditions here and why we all have to be extra cautious (dryer and windier conditions than Vancouver Island, no mutual aid from other fire departments, suppression water transportation distances, etc.) will help to educate them and lower your neighbourhood’s and the community’s risk for accidental human-caused fire starts.

Thank you, and keep cool.

Fire Chief, TIVFD