Big Wasp Nest on Lawrence Valley Trail

Please avoid the Lawrence Valley Loop Trail below the Fire Hall as there is an enormous nest in blackberry bushes right by the trail and the inhabitants are very aggressive.  

Lynda Poirier has offered to take care of it - for which we are so grateful - and we'll let you know when it's once again safe to travel on the trail.

Trail Committee

ThINC - Nature House Schedule: July 19 – 24

Full details can be found here: https://www.thetisislandnatureconservancy.org/single-post/nature-house-events-week-4-july-19-24
Tuesday, July 19:
9:00 - 11:00 Harvest Hours at the PAG (all ages)

Wednesday, July 20:
9:00 am start: Wednesday Wander at Fairyslipper Forest (all ages)
2:00 pm start: Stinging Nettle Deliciousness at Jollity Farm (all ages)

Thursday, July 21:
9:00 - 11:00 Harvest Hours at the PAG (all ages)
2:00 - 4:00: Seaquarium & Craft Drop-In at the Nature House (all ages)
7:00 pm start: Doc & Talk: Undamming the Elwha River at The Nature House (adult)

Friday, July 22:
10:00 am start: Forage Fish with Alanna Vivanni of MABRRI at the Nature House (all ages)
2:00 pm start: Junior Biologist - Micro-mazing at the Nature House (kids 8 - 12)

Saturday, July 23:
10:00 am start: Glass Sponge Reefs with Sheila Byers at the Nature House (all ages)

Sunday, July 24:
2:00 - 4:00: Family Nature Afternoons at the Nature House (all ages)
Notes:
- The PAG (People's Apothecary Garden) is located at Lot 62, North Cove Road
- The Nature House is located at The Portal, 254 North Cove Road
If you have any questions, please contact Connelly at connelly@thetisislandnatureconservancy.org

Jollity Farm Weekly Order Reminders

DAIRY (milk & yogurt) & TRUE GRAIN BAKERY orders due this morning by 10am.

Grocery pick-up, bagels and produce orders due by Wednesday evening.

Salad (+ dressing), kale or chard bouquets, cabbage, broccoli, radish,
new potatoes, eggs all available for pick up at farmstand on Wednesday
(by request)

Here is our updated availability list and order form for the coming week:
https://www.jollityfarm.ca/order-form

With thanks! Your local farmers
Questions, requests to orders@jollityfarm.ca or text 250.415.0101

Kayak for Sale

Malibu Two - 2 person sit on top kayak. Good condition!
Comes with detachable seats and includes paddles.
$450 or best offer.

Mike
(250) 246 9331 or mjb75@telus.net

Quarterly Deadline – Aug 3

The deadline for the Fall issue of the Thetis Island Quarterly is Thursday August 3rd. Please send articles and ads to:
quarterly@thetisisland.net

Editors

Sunday Library

The library will be open today from 1- 4 with tea and snack being served.

Friends of the library

Agressive Wasps - Lawrence Valley Trail

On 2 different occasions people have been stung and chased by aggressive bees or wasps on the community trail near the grassland on the firehall side.  I’ll try and find the nest.

Best to avoid this area until it’s removed

Lynda Poirier

ThINC Nature House Activities - Sunday, July 17

10:00 am start: Plant Encounters with Steph Cottell at the Nature House, The Portal, 254 North Cove Road (all ages)

Take time to connect with the plants that live around us with Steph Cottell. In this workshop we will practice embodied mindful inquiry, noticing with all our senses the unique details of local plant life to deepen our connection with place and nature. Please bring a notebook, and a pencil or pen, for sketching and writing about your plant encounter.

2:00 - 4:00: Family Nature Afternoons at the Nature House, The Portal, 254 North Cove Road (all ages)

More drop-in time to visit the seaquarium, and hang out with the creatures! We will also do a bug hunt and ID session and maybe some shadow art if the sun comes out!

Jollity Self-Serve Sunday Gate is open 10-1

Picked fresh Sat. morning and still available today:
Salad mixes
+ 2 types of dressing
Radishes
Arugula
Broccoli
Potatoes
Cabbage
Kale
Chard
San Marzano Tomatoes
+
Eggs
Coffee
Dumplings
Baby Cucumbers
Kombucha

If you'd like an order left down at the farm stand, send us your requests:
orders@jollityfarm.ca or text/call 250.415.0101

2nd Notice of TIRRA General Members Meeting TIRRA (Thetis Island Residents' and Ratepayers' Association)

Notice to Property Owners and TIRRA members of Important General Meeting
Forbes Hall: Saturday, July 23rd, 3PM

In addition to normal updates provided at TIRRA General Membership Meetings, there is a call to all voters (TIRRA members and property owners) to attend.

At the April GM, Paul Duncan presented a report on Solid Waste (Garbage and Recycling). Paul concluded in his report that islanders would need to decide the future of the yard through consideration of 3 scenarios.

Scenario 1: Restart recycling with less products, a review of hours of operation, and a review of higher garbage fee revenue.

Scenario 2: Seek long-term solutions with MOTI & CVRD & invest in infrastructure (electricity, water, sewage, and permanent structures).

Scenario 3: Current situation. Take our recycling to CVRD & Return-It and wind-up Centre recycling.

A motion was made at the GM for the TIRRA Executive to proceed as soon as can be done with Scenario 1 while pursuing longer term sustainability via Scenario 2. 

This motion was approved by attending members.

Following the AGM vote, the TIRRA Solid Waste Committee has continued to challenge CVRD and Recycle BC for solutions not involving incremental costs: we do not qualify for any assistance as our census population is less than 1000.  After determining no assistance forthcoming, we sought pricing from GFL. We have concluded our research and information is available to all via the two links below.  

The bottom line is two-fold:

Re-starting a recycle service will require incremental funding from either property owners (taxpayers) or users.

Types of materials accepted will be restricted to "curbside" only. Many items previously accepted will need to be taken to CVRD sites by islanders.

Now that details have been published on the Community website, a decision is needed by TIRRA members and Thetis Property Owners, If we move forward with Scenario 1 and 2, how will we pay for these services: either user pay or via parcel tax.

If you have questions or suggestions, please share via email by July 17th to tirra@thetisisland.net.

We will try to consolidate the information and post for all to consider, by July 20th.

TIRRA Executive

Reference documents (information sheet and cost analysis) are posted on thetisisland.net under Community partition: Waste Management
https://www.thetisisland.net/tica-tirra/2022-07-10_TIRRA_Recycle_Information_Sheet.docx
https://www.thetisisland.net/tica-tirra/2022-07-10_Recycle_Costing_Analysis.docx

Update on INTERNET

Thank you everyone for sharing your challenges and success stories with us!

We also appreciate the update from Peter Luckham of Island Trust, that:
- The Fibre optic project is still in stream and is waiting on funding
- The program is still on the table and the province has committed to fund all the projects that came in
- There were delays last summer with running the underwater fiber from Rupert to Victoria
- The project has resumed and hopes are it will be completed this year (yay!)

We have received very positive reviews about Beacon Wireless, who are based on Saltspring Island.
Service will be based upon your location, and a site visit is required to ensure you can get full reception.
Thus far, we have been really impressed with their responsiveness and the pricing is very reasonable.
We hear that Starlink is another option, but we'd prefer to put $$ in the pocket of a local, gulf island business.

They are scheduling their technicians to make a trip over to Thetis very soon, so if you'd like to get on the list, here is their info.
admin@beaconwireless.ca / https://www.beaconwireless.ca/

Locally made natural INSECT (Mosquito) REPELLENT

We are putting in an order with E3 Naturals for another case of their farm-made Emu oil essential essence insect repellent.

We'll get a box for humans and a box of the pet spray (without tea tree oil)

It may not work for everyone, but it has helped us, our dogs and goats for many years.
More info here: https://e3naturals.com/

Please let us know if you are interested.
info@jollityfarm.ca or text/call 250.415.0101