No Burning

The Province has shut down all Open Burning in all High Smoke Sensitivity Zones due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Thetis Island lies within a High Smoke Sensitivity Zone.  Commencing immediately, all yard waste burning, industrial (Category 3) burning, and incinerator burning must cease.  

Here is a link to the Provincial order:  https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/air-land-water/air/advisories/2020-03-26_hssz_open_burning_restrictions_issued.pdf

The TIVFD will not be issuing open burning fire permits in April.

If you require a campfire, please use your propane campfire appliance until further notice.  

Thank you for your cooperation.

TIVFD

Detailed Information about Saturday’s Upcoming TICA Membership Vote & Its Implications

The TICA Board wishes to address some misinformation being circulated about what will happen if the Motion voted on March 28 does not pass.  The Motion asks Members to give the Board permission to pick one construction company to continue construction of the Hall.  

Should the majority of Members vote "No", the Board will have Architect Angela Quek prepare the extensive documentation needed to send out a new invitation for Tender.  Ms. Quek guesstimated, in early March, that it would take 30 working days to prepare the invitation to bid, and that the construction companies would need at least 30 working days to respond. Site visits would be required.  Once the invitation closes, the Board would meet to select a new contractor. 

If the Members vote "Yes", a "Letter of Intent to Engage" will be given to Poirier Custom Homes. Michel Poirier would go to the site and make a detailed assessment of what has been done so far.  An agreement would be reached as to current status of the project. To be clear, the Motion members are voting on involves only the process for selecting a contractor.

Michel Poirier and TICA representatives would determine the priorities going forward.  There are several options.  All options would be based on the current balance of the Hall Expansion Fund. 

A contract would be negotiated with Poirier Custom Homes for a specified phase/staged scope of work.  The contract would likely be "Cost Plus 10%".  This would be the same as recent construction of the Fire Hall. 

Poirier Custom Homes would begin work mid-April 2020. (About one year from J. Lealand Contracting Ltd. start date.)

TICA Board

Brief Facts about Saturday’s TICA Membership Vote

By voting YES: It has been recognized that there will be significant advantages to negotiate a contract with Poirier Custom Homes, Thetis Island’s only General Contractor. By voting for a Sole Source (Single Source) process, the time & expense will be lessened getting to contract, and negotiations can begin with PCH.

Note: Steps will be taken to get the Forbes Hall Expansion project moving, with clear construction phases being determined based on the funds at hand.

The Motion is going ahead as written for Saturday’s vote, and cannot be amended, as 14 days notice of amendment is required. 

Forbes Hall Expansion Committee

Preparing for Your Home Delivery

Today is the first day of our home delivery service!

We expect to deliver your boxes between 4:45-6:45.

Please leave a tote or box at the end of your driveway, so it's easy for us to drop and go.

If you have any special instructions for delivery, please text Elisabeth at 250.415.0101

Wife and Daughter Have Arrived Back in Canada

Ellie and Becky arrived back in Canada this afternoon from Quito.

Thank you to all who signed the petition.

There are still hundreds of Canadians stranded there and elsewhere and according to the government some will not be rescued.

Bill Cobb 

How to Get Medical Help on Vancouver Island During the COVID-19 Crisis

This is an important piece of info for all Thetis island residents.

Gloria

https://www.cheknews.ca/how-to-get-medical-help-on-vancouver-island-during-the-covid-19-crisis-657672/?fbclid=IwAR3d-OtwHUQ5wG8Y4QbA0BTUUjK-tK3cuR6zc6XcD9mYtK_tzuob2pdUvEk

Correction regarding TIVFD/ Capernwray Staff

Capernwray Executive Director, Chris Fordham, had stated that “the Capernwray Harbor(sic) staff presently serving on the Thetis Island volunteer fire department will no longer be available for drills or medical callouts.”. They are not in self-quarantine on their campus as I erroneously reported earlier.  Chris assures me that they will be available for island-wide emergencies.  I apologize for any confusion this may have caused readers.

Fire Chief J. Caldbeck

Thetis Island Volunteer Fire Department

Keeping It Clean...Soap

As we hear every time we turn the tv on the best way to fight this disease is stay home and wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands.  Hand made soap are less drying than commercial soaps because they contain natural glycerins that are stripped out of commercial soaps.  

Dancing Dragonfly Soapworks offers a good selection of Island made handsoaps, salves and balms (calendula & dandelion, arnica, skin & body), thieves oil, and a selection of aromatherapy oil blends).

New items include thieves oil and a limited amount of liquid hand soap.

If there is enough interest I will offer additional liquid hand soap and  also hand lotion.  Please let me know asap if you are interested in either of these items so I can order supplies.

Contact Carol at 250-246-3699 or seaspray@telus.net to place an order.

Covid-19 safety: Orders are packed on a freshly disinfected counter using disposable gloves and placed in paper bag with your name on it.  No contact pickup in the box at the bottom of Lot 99.  If you are quarantined due to illness or return from travel, I will do no contact delivery.

If you need soap but cannot afford any or get to town, free Fugly soaps will continue to be available near the drop box on an irregular basis. 

Carol

Hand Sanitizer

Before anyone asks, please note that I will not be making hand sanitizer.  I have the WHO approved recipe for hand sanitizer but cannot get the ingredients I need.

Homemade hand sanitizer recipes are all over the internet but they may give you a false sense of security because the final alcohol percentage in many of those recipes is too low to be effective.

Carol Swann

We all need each other. How can we help?

I was recently listening to a study that compared loneliness's effects on ones health to the effects of smoking a pack of cigarettes per day.

I know I don't enjoy being lonely and I firmly believe loneliness is not good for us. I love my Lord n Saviour Jesus, and in The Bible He indicates that God created Eve so that she and Adam would have each other as suitable life companions.

Although I in and of myself cannot create a companion suitable for your needs as God did for Adam n Eve, He has given me two ears to hear Him and others such as you with(if you have read this far), along with a glimpse of Himself in the wonders of His beautiful creation, a heart of understanding and compassion to share in others sorrows. Do I have all the answers, not a chance, but the ears He has given me to hear Him with, I try to keep attuned to Him to hear the answers He offers to my questions. 

During these unprecedented times Pat n I would like to offer our prayers and assistance for anything that we may be able to help you with, please feel free to reach out with your needs, if we ourselves are not able to personally assist we will endeavour to find others willing and capable of the task at hand.

Once our current need for social distancing is over, we would love to share in your (& you in ours) life's joy, laughter, tears r prayers be they over a fence, coffee, tea... or meal.

Until then

May the Peace of our Sovereign Lord Jesus Comfort & Keep you.

Greg n Pat Gall

TIVFD still Responding

Your fire department is still responding to emergency medical and fire calls during these extraordinary times. We have suspended training other than on-line studying and have strong cleaning protocols in place.  Only fire fighters and the cleaning staff have entry to our building.  Several of our members are in self quarantine and will not be available for medical calls.  Those of us who can respond will have more personal protective equipment (PPE) on than you may be used to.  We will require you to don a mask, even if you are not ill.

Please don’t hesitate to call 911 if you need assistance.  We know that falls and fractures still occur and that chest pains and strokes require timely response.  You will be asked a few more questions by the dispatcher about illnesses, travel, contacts etc. but this will NOT hold up our response.  We need to know the risk to our First Responders so that we can prepare accordingly. 

For minor injuries such as sprains, or shallow cuts that have stopped bleeding but will require a stitch or two plus an updated tetanus shot, please make arrangements to get to the Chemainus clinic in your own vehicle.  But again I want to stress that we will be responding to serious 911 events.  If you are undecided if your issue is more minor or more serious, please call 811 and talk to the Nurse Line.  They will advise you.

Your support in keeping the transmission risk low for us will keep us operational.  We do not wish to curtail our services.  

We are in this together.

Thank you from all of us at the TIVFD.

Fire Chief Jeannine Caldbeck

No Family Doctor?

Shoppers Drug Mart is offering a service until March 31 to consult with a doctor on-line if you don’t already have a family physician.  

Information here:

https://www1.shoppersdrugmart.ca/en/home

TIVFD, Thetis Island Volunteer Fire Department