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

Firewood Wanted

Hello

My name is Eric I'm married to Amanda, granddaughter of Les Saul. 

We have been isolating at his place on Thetis Island with our 2 little girls for almost 2 weeks now. 

Our firewood supply is running down as we usually are here for a few days once or twice a month. 

I was wondering if I could put a post on here to help us get through. I'm willing to pay or trade for labour. What ever I can do. 

Big thanks

Eric

ericsandberg@live.ca

Human Resilience & Capacity for Joy

Dear Thetis Community:

Some simple proof of human resilience & our shared capacity for joy, even in these strange times:

Please share your own videos of yourself or others, or good reads or poetry, or photos, or anything that keeps you going...

We're all in this together,

Virginia & Jonathan

Why Does TICA Intend to Negotiate a Contract with Poirier Custom Homes?

TICA will negotiate with Poirier Custom Homes if the Membership votes YES on Saturday, to go with a Sole Source process to engage a new General Contractor. 

In yesterday’s e-spokes TICA stated that “The Directors advise that if a majority of the Membership vote "Yes" on the Motion and single source is approved, it is their intention to negotiate with Poirier Custom Homes of Thetis Island to become the General Contractor.”

Here is more information behind TICA’s intention.

Over the past 10 days TICA has had discussions with involved parties about how having Poirier Custom Homes as General Contractor might work.  It became apparent early in these conversations that there would need to be a broad range of professional assistance from the community to ensure budget conscious progress with the project. 

Changes in design that would create cost savings, and other efficiencies, would need to be explored, as well as creating true projections and construction schedules.  It would be more of a community project, getting insight from the public, as required, or desired. 

TICA feels that the advantage, of going with the only General Contractor from Thetis capable of taking it on, is undeniable in this case.  This is why, if the membership votes to proceed with a Single Source contract, TICA will be proceeding to negotiate a contract with Poirier Custom Homes. 

March 28th TICA Membership Motion:

"Be it resolved that the Forbes Hall Expansion Project proceed with a single selection (Sole Source) process to engage a new general contractor.” 

Procedures for Drive-by TICA Vote for Saturday, March 28, 2020

In attempting to set up the vote, we are focused on making this the safest and most inclusive vote possible for everyone in the context of COVID-19.

Given this, here are the basic procedures. Please read them carefully:

1.    Please read the motion below and listed on eSPOKES on March 16, 2020, including the extra information sent out regarding the contractor (March 23, 2020), and the notice from TICA below. 

2.     Questions regarding the particulars of the motion can be directed to and answered by the Forbes Hall Expansion Directors at tica@thetisisland.net 

3.    We will be asking you to vote a simple YES or NO, and will not be answering questions regarding the motion at the vote site, as we are conducting the vote only and want to maintain safe physical distance for everyone’s sake. If you know of a member, who does not receive eSPOKES, please let me know and I will try to get the information to them safely another way.

4.     Create a ballot at home on a blank sheet of paper, close to 4X6 if you can. Write only a YES or NO on the paper. Please use ballpoint pen, dark pencil, or permanent marker. We will be going through a disinfecting process and do not want the ink to potentially run.  Thank you. 

5.     If you are able, please come by car to the Fire Hall to drop off your ballot between 1-4pm. We will have a drive through station where we will first check off your name and then you will drop your ballot or multiple ballots for the number of members in the car into the ballot box through the driver’s side window. Everything in the box will be treated as contaminated, so please don’t touch the box or its contents.

6.     Then drive to the end of the road, turn around, and drive out again. Please try to keep traffic moving.

7.     If you wish to walk, or park and walk, please park by entrance to the community hall or on North Cove Road. Try not to block the flow of traffic with your parking, maintain good physical distance from each other, and please do not linger around the poll area. Thank you. I know, very unusual times.

8.     In an attempt to stagger traffic and prevent significant lines, try to arrive between the times below based on your last name:

•A – G between 1-2pm

•H – O between 2-3pm

•P – Z between 3-4pm

If the above time really doesn’t work for you or you have multiple people, just come when it works best. 

9.     Finally, in an attempt to make the vote as inclusive as possible, if you are unable to drive by due to quarantine, sickness, or transportation issues (we do not want people at higher risk taking unnecessary chances), please contact Michelle Black. We will attempt to do a mobile poll station after 4pm. You will need to be able to receive a phone call and go to the end of your driveway to drop off your vote. This can only be done by prior arrangement. Please reserve a spot by Friday, the 27th. 

Unfortunately, we are not permitted to accept votes online, by phone, or by proxy. You will need to vote in person for yourself. 

Questions about the voting procedure or to register for the mobile poll, please contact Michelle Black at michelleblack@hotmail.com or 250-715-8942 (to call or text).

The motion is:

"Be it resolved that the Forbes Hall Expansion Project proceed with a single selection (sole source) process to engage a new general contractor."

Spring Annuals, Perennial Plants & Veggie Starts

Keep healthy and active during these challenging times by gardening!

Jollity Farm is ramping up our vegetable production and can also provide veggie starts grown with organic & heirloom seed varieties. Not all crops available due to current supply and space in greenhouse, but please write with requests and we'll do our best to meet them. 

We will also be picking up basket stuffers and other spring annuals, plus select perennials and veggie starts upon request. Pick up and drop off will be arranged to be safe for everyone. 

If you'd like basket and pot stuffers, please indicate specific qty, colour and plant preferences, or you can leave it up to our creative gardeners to make something beautiful. If you have hanging baskets or pots that you would like to be planted, you can drop off in either parking lot on our driveway. Please label your container so we know it's yours. 

Please email Elisabeth at info@jollityfarm.ca or call 250.415.0101 with order requests

Ferries Update

Please see below an update on ferries activities from Darin Guenette, Manager, Strategy & Community Affairs.

Material bits of info that you may wish to have related to our COVID-19 responses/communications, etc.

1.    At this time, we don’t have any plans to reduce service on FAC (minor) Routes. However, we are looking at contingency options if/when it is determined to reduce service (Commissioner, Ministry, etc) and/or we get to a point where we are unable to crew our vessels to the minimum crewing levels due to illness.

2.    We are posting a travel advisory with new/stronger messaging around: encouraging essential traffic only, follow social/physical distancing recommendations, please only e-payments (credit/debit) only…unless cash is your only option. This advisory will be accessible on a yellow tab found at the top of our homepage: bcferries.com…likely within a day or so.

3.    We are also working at posting links to the various community postings, calling on non-resident/non-essential customers not to come to their community, in the “Information and Resources” section of our COVID-19 page (see: https://www.bcferries.com/about/projects/covid-19.html?utm_campaign=COVID-19&utm_medium=web&utm_source=bcfhome ). I suspect this will be live in the next day or so…and I’ll try and let you know.

On the ferries/at terminals.

-      We are working at getting new signage up (bright colours to stand out from our regular ‘BCF blue-and-white’ standard) in applicable places; they will be focused on reminders around: social/physical distancing, staying in vehicles, no cash payments, etc. This should also take a couple of days or so.

-      We have now completely stopped food/beverage and baggage services on all routes except the Northern routes (due to time of sailings), including pre-packaged foods that we were still offering. There is a para on this in the current Travel Advisory tab.

-      Some lounge areas are being closed on ships, with a focus on keeping enough space open to allow distancing, while allowing us to not contaminate other lounges. Employees on board have top level cleaning supplies to fight viruses, etc.

-      Traffic yesterday was down approximately 65+% (passengers)/55+% (vehicles) down across all inter-island routes in our network. It was down on the Major routes (between V.Island/Sunshine Coast and Metro VCR) closer to 80% (pass) and 65% (veh). These are all compared to the same time in 2019.

Keith Rush

Route 20 FAC

Cell: 250-732-2766

keithrush17@gmail.com

Thetis Island Grocery Delivery Service

In an effort to help islanders stay home & stay safe, Habitat Farm Co-op is launching our new grocery delivery service. One of our priorities will be picking up farm fresh products from other Vancouver Island food producers and farmers, as they need our support right now. This will be a professional delivery service we want you to count on, but please be patient as we are launching in rather a hurry. We will start small this Thursday, March 26 and you can look forward to new items and options being added each week. We are in the process of building a website ordering system, so stay tuned for a link....coming soon.

We are working with experienced food providers who are following all safety protocols, and there will be no contact during pick up. We will also be practicing utmost care and cleanliness in handling of orders.

Some of the local items you can look forward to in the coming weeks:

Coffee (Drumroaster or Fantastico) until Pot of Gold is open again

Free Range Eggs (Habitat Farm & Lockwood Farms)

Meat & Cheese (Farm & Field Butcher)

Milk (Cowichan Milk Company)

Baking (Wild Fire & True Grain)

Grains & pulses (Nootka Rose Milling)

Veggies (Jollity Farm, Longview & Saanich Organics)

Veggie Starts & Plants (Jollity Farm)

Sausages & Cured Meats (Habitat Farm)

THIS THURSDAY:

Thanks to Bill Cobb and others who have been seeking options for grocery order and collection. We will pick up your grocery orders from either Thrifty Foods in Duncan or 49th Parallel in Chemainus this Thursday afternoon.

http://www.the49th.com/

Phone 250 246 3551

The above is a link to 49th Parallel Grocery with an online form to order groceries and a phone number to order by phone. If you are under 65 yrs tell them you are in quarantine, if they ask. Note that minimum order is $50. Please ask them to label with your Name and Lot number. 

Thrifty's online order-for-pick-up service has currently been overloaded, although they are opening up new spots on their website today (Tuesday morning). 

We can also pick up or drop off other important essentials you require in Victoria or Duncan (within reason), eg. Prescriptions, Vitamins, Garden Supplies, Pet Food, Cleaning Supplies etc. 

Suggested contribution per family/order is $10 to help cover transportation costs. No order will be turned away from anyone in need of assistance. Your health & well being is of utmost importance to us!

Cut off time for requests and/or order confirmation is Wednesday @ 4pm.

Please email Elisabeth at info@jollityfarm.ca. Phone call requests/text also accepted at 250.415.0101

Free Satellite Dish

We have cancelled our Xplornet contract.  

The dish and mounting hardware but without radio unit are available free to anyone who can use it.  

Graeme

250-246-1509

For sale: Apple TV

3rd Gen.

with box and remote

USB cable included

$80

250-252-0699

Thetis Island Marina & Pub

Due to the ongoing situation with the Corona virus the hours of all services at Thetis Island Resorts are changing constantly.

Fuel services are still running but we prefer that you come in the morning for fuel.

The general store and liquor store are closing earlier so please call for availability.

The Post Office still runs from 12:30 to 5 but changes can be implemented at any time.

For Sale: Rain Water Reservoirs

1000 litre water reservoirs for rain water collection.   $225 delivered.  

Totes are food safe, start collecting your rain water now before the drought.

Email telwestconsulting@gmail.com

Adam