Culture, Entertainment and Activities

Every season brings a festival or a special event of some kind on Salt Spring Island. The New Year kicks in with the entertaining polar bear swim. Spring brings the around-the-island sailboat race. Then there is ARTSPRING'S Sizzling Summer Nights festival, Canada Day celebrations, the Fibre festival, the Festival of the Arts and an outdoor 'paint-in' over the Labour Day weekend. Autumn gives us the annual Fall Fair, drawing out the local community in droves to taste award-winning pies, admire livestock and equestrian competition and to be engaged by talented entertainers like VALDY. The Apple Festival follows at APPLELUSCIOUS ORGANIC ORCHARDS. Winter brings us the Guilds of Christmas, the Saltspring Singers, the annual light-up contest and the Santa Ship.

In 1999, a splendid arts centre was built to accommodate our diverse visual and performing arts community, and continues to provide pleasure to residents and guests with its concerts, theatre and exhibitions. Within 12,000 sq. ft., ARTSPRING houses an exhibition area and a 265-seat theatre and welcomes world-class performers as well as fine local talent. Several local, world-renowned artists, such as Robert Bateman and entertainers like Valdy, Randy Bachman and Harry Manx as well as local artists and musicians showcase their talents at Artspring. Furthermore, a number of recording and film studios are active on the island.

Excellent galleries, like the PEGASUS GALLERY , STEFFICH FINE ART and JILL LOUISE CAMPBELL ART GALLERY showcase the superb works of local artists. These artists include, among many others, Robert Bateman, Diana Dean, Jill Louise Campbell, Julia Lucich, Stephanie Denz, Libby Jutras and Amarah Gabriel.

Music is an important part of the Salt Spring Island culture, as demonstrated by the talents of Alan Miceli, Donn Tarris, Alan Moberg, Lisa Maxx, Peter Prince, Sunyata, Tom Hooper and our much-loved Valdy. Many of their works can be sampled on the website www.saltspringmusic.com.

Theatre is a welcome part of the Salt Spring Island community and there is an abundance of choice for those who wish to engage. Youth partake in theatre productions with STAGECOACH THEATRE, while adults are involved in GRAFFITTI THEATRE. In addition, we are privileged to have the heritage Central Hall as our cinema, THE FRITZ which offers current movies for our enjoyment.

A strong drawing card to Salt Spring Island is our famous SATURDAY MARKET, where vendors sell their wares and are committed to 'make it, bake it or grow it'. Set up on the grounds of Centennial Park, the market is a bustling scene of visitors mingling with locals, sampling the delicious foods, absorbing the soft music and delightful scents, admiring the pottery, wood carvings, jewellery and fabric art and engaging in informative conversations with the merchants.

Saltspringers spend a lot of time outdoors, so recreation is an important aspect of life on Salt Spring Island. Locals and visitors enjoy a broad variety of recreational activity. Hiking and cycling are very popular activities throughout the island roads, trails and mountains. The book, 'Hiking in the Gulf Islands', by local author Charles Kahn, is a very popular and helpful book for outdoor enthusiasts. Camping alongside the ocean is popular in RUCKLE PROVINCIAL PARK and there are private campsites on the island as well.

The ocean shorelines and lakes are scenes of much summer activity for swimmers, beachcombers, boaters, fishers and kayakers. Kayak rentals and lessons are available from several places, including ISLAND ESCAPADES, which also offers popular excursions throughout the Gulf Islands.

Swimmers also enjoy the warm local lakes, and islanders are happy to welcome the new RAINBOW ROAD POOL, the indoor swimming pool complex. Youngsters can also participate in skateboarding at the skateboard park or wall climbing at the Community Centre.

Horses are a passion of many locals and horseback riding has gained a devout following. Trail rides and boarding are offered, in addition to first-class training facilities and a THERAPEUTIC RIDING ASSOCIATION.

Recreation in summer months always includes both gardening and golf. Gardening is a serious preoccupation for novice and specialist alike. Several excellent garden nurseries, including the PLANT FARM, Fraser's Thimble Farm and Foxglove Farm and Garden Supply, as well as the Garden Club provide the supplies, information and support that gardeners need. 

Year round golfing can be enjoyed on either of 2 excellent golf courses on Salt Spring Island. The SALT SPRING ISLAND GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB offers a 9-hole, par-36 course and BLACKBURN MEADOWS is proud to be the first organic golf course in Canada, maintaining a beautiful green without pesticides!

As if all this activity wasn't enough, locals also enjoy a good workout at one of the local gyms, or participate in yoga, tai chi or karate.

In addition, the high school has an outstanding sports program that includes excellent training in soccer and basketball, and many of its students have achieved several provincial and national awards.

Most recent census figures show a highly educated population on Salt Spring Island, and some say that Salt Spring Island has enough former academics to staff a university!& Furthermore, there are countless skills and trades, contributing to the richness of this community and a thirst for knowledge, a fact that inspired a group of individuals to recently set up the SALT SPRING ISLAND SOCIETY FOR COMMUNITY EDUCATION. At least twice a year, a slate of courses is offered to the public to enhance knowledge and skill and to provide opportunities for the sheer pleasure of lifelong learning. Local residents participate in learning anything from Microsoft Word to Basic Plumbing, from Writing Your Life History to learning about the history of the First Nations in the Gulf Islands.

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