Treasures galore at Mayfair Henry Moore sculpture among surprise items SEE PAGE 4 Playin’ in the rain Spirits high at Challenge Cup tourney SEE PAGE 40 GULF ISLANDS Wednesday, May 23, 2007 — YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1960 47TH YEAR – ISSUE 21 $ 25 1(incl. GST) ROUND SALT SPRING FIRE Family Sailing race one for the record books fi ghts Wild wind provides ‘big blow’ blaze BY SEAN MCINTYRE DRIFTWOOD STAFF on island For a moment it appeared the Round Salt Spring Race’s 33rd edition would be called off. Lessons learned Not for a lack of wind as in past years, but, rather, for gusts reaching upwards of 30 and 40 from jurisdictional knots, according to some participants. conundrum So mighty were the winds, Jim Ballantyne, the race’s offi cial starter, could barely hold up the BY SEAN MCINTYRE start fl ag for the required four minutes. DRIFTWOOD STAFF “It was a big blow,” said Roger Kibble, a Round Owners of a small island in Salt Spring race veteran. “In the 30 years I’ve Ganges Harbour have some raced, I can’t remember all the boats making it burning questions after get- back before midnight. It was a very challenging ting called into action to extin- race because the wind was constantly moving guish a fire threatening their around.” 60-year-old family getaway. The Round Salt Spring Race’s 42-mile course “We were lucky. If this had means sailors are bound to come across still happened in July, it would conditions at some point. Not this year. have been a disaster,” said Ste- Kibble said steady breezes meant crews phen Best from Vancouver. “In aboard the 108 boats had their hands full. many ways this is a blessing in “When the winds get that high, there are disguise.” many other challenges and many sailors can get Best is concerned with the caught off guard,” he said. degree of confusion after a Boats only slowed as they fought their way passerby first reported the back towards Ganges against a strong current Goat Island blaze on Satur- through Captain Passage. day afternoon. He believes Ole Anderson’s Caliente, skippered by Alex the blaze was set by a group of Fox, took home top honours from Division careless campers on Saturday A, while Ian Collombin aboard Slipper was morning. declared the event’s overall winner. A boater checking her crab “For conservative sailors, it would have been traps noticed the blaze had time to fi nd a safe harbour, but apparently this grown to roughly seven metres edition of the race had no timid crews,” said (25 feet) across by 9 p.m. on sailor Scott Simmons. PHOTO BY JOHN CAMERON Saturday. Light Scout battles wind and waves off Fulford Harbour as the Round Salt Spring race gets into full “There were about three swing last Saturday. The photo was shot from the bow of the Skeena Queen,which had to navigate ROUND SALT SPRING continued on 15 areas of fl ame and some trees through the racers. were involved,” said Sandy OUTSTANDING ISLANDERS Rowley. “I just didn’t want to see the island destroyed.” When Rowley dialled 9-1-1 from her boat, the operator Commitment to humanity honoured assured her the Ganges Coast Award recognizes pair’s rounds at 7 a.m. A typical morning, seven babies even fathom. February 5 was a day so much like Guard had already been noti- born, two die of malaria, fi ve more admitted to every other on the pair’s emotionally charged fi ed. work in Africa the nutrition unit for starving children. Spent journey through Africa. No amount of support But coast guard personnel BY SEAN MCINTYRE the morning doing menial chores in the phar- ever felt like it was enough. say their priority is maritime DRIFTWOOD STAFF macy . .” “We really did invite some of the most medi- rescues, not putting out fi res. Looking over Anna Callegari and Beth Gess- So begins the February 5, 2007 diary entry cally horrifi c experiences I’ve ever seen,” said “You don’t send an ambu- inger’s journal entries from a recent trip to Africa, recounting the pair’s six-week journey to hospi- Callegari. “Driving through the country, it just lance to put out a fi re,” said Ian it’s no wonder the British Columbia Pharmacy tals, schools and orphanages in Malawi, Mozam- hit me that in every little collection of huts along Kyle, local officer-in charge. Association (BCPA) is giving them a prestigious bique, Swaziland and Lesotho. the way, there were probably so many other “There is a common misun- award of excellence at a gala ceremony in Kelow- A month after their return to Salt Spring Island, people who weren’t getting help.” derstanding that we are the na Friday night. the pair are still in the disquieting transition To consider the situation desperate is an local garbage collectors too.” “The morning began early with hospital phase that follows a trip into a world few can JOURNEY TO AFRICA continued on 2 FIRE continued on 2 INSERTS INDEX -/24'!'%15%34)/.3 Health ........................................... 32 ASK!RLENE • Kenmore Arts .................................................. 26 Horoscope................................ 46 • Buckerfields Classifieds ................................ 43 ............................................. 9 • Pharmasave Letters • Ganges Village Market Editorials .......................................8 Sports ............................................ 40 • Mark’s Work Wearhouse Ferry Schedules .................. 40 TV Listings .............................. 17 ",/ • Thrifty Foods What’s On................................. 31 *"/ GANGES A year of 10% off Tuesdays ENTER TO WIN ONE OF 7 SETS celebration (some restrictions apply) ILLAGE ARKET including Patio Furniture, Patio Heater V M & Centro 3000 BBQ 100 Closer to the Community Compliments of Saputo & Country Grocer. Contest Closes June 23, 2007 Locally owned and operated OPEN DAILY 8am - 9pm 2 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2007 | GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD CALL GAIL, SEAN OR STACY IF YOU NEWSBEAT SEE NEWS HAPPENING - 250-537-9933 ICBC CLAIMS - PERSONAL INJURY • 25 years successfully representing injured persons • NO FEE until you collect Pair honoured for work in Africa •Free confi dential consultation JOURNEY TO AFRICA and poverty. continued from 1 “Many people in our com- PAUL B. JOYCE munity may not have any Barrister & Solicitor understatement. In Swa- interest about HIV or AIDS (250) 537-4413 (24 hours) ziland, a small landlocked in Africa, but there is malar- country of one million locat- ia, nutritional deficiencies ed northeast of South Africa, and so on,” said Callegari. the average life expectancy “You just can’t make a paral- is 37.5, according to statis- lel between our world and tics from the World Health the African world.” Organization. The estimat- In many clinics, staff “THE LOCAL” ed 38 per cent of HIV-posi- struggle to provide palliative Liquor Store tive adults, including 56 per care patients with blankets cent of all women in their in their fi nal hours of life. late 20s, give the nation the “The amount of assistance world’s highest infection people can give with only Evanda the rate. a small donation is incred- Then there are the work- ible,” said Gessinger. “If we Beer Babe PHOTO CONTRIBUTED ers at a Malawian clinic who Anna Callegari and Beth Gessinger in the fi eld with HIV/AIDS can just provide a little bit says: relied on a crudely fash- of hope, they will cling to ioned bow and arrow to orphans during a six-week African humanitarian mission. anything. Anything can help “You’ve got ward off thieves until it too them get through this hor- was stolen. Spring Organization for Life thing we give out every year, rifi c situation.” the BBQ?... “An awful infection which Improvement and Devel- but we felt the nature of the The team has dedicated We’ve got the necessitated surgery followed opment’s (SOLID) ongoing work they were doing was the award to the efforts of all a visit to a traditional healer, community-to-community very signifi cant, considering their colleagues who remain beer!” who scarred her leg with a efforts to empower resi- the extreme need found in in Africa working to ease the razor to ward off evil spirits, dents in a handful of African those communities.” suffering of so many. resulting in the worst infec- villages. The association fi rst pre- “We are receiving the And congrats to tion I have ever witnessed,” Funds help develop sented the award to the B.C. award, but all those people Johnny Reposo, reads an entry Callegari infrastructure and training Centre for Disease Control are still there right now, per- winner of the penned at that same clinic. for people working on the in 2003 in recognition of its severing under desperate The help Callegari and ground in rural areas over- members’ work in manag- conditions,” Callegari said. BBQ draw! Gessinger provided includ- whelmed by the scourge of ing and containing SARS in For more information on ed their respective medical HIV/AIDS, malaria, water- the province. Sala Hantle and SOLID, visit experience as a pharmacist borne illnesses and chronic Callegari and Gessinger www.solidsaltspring.com, Locally owned and operated • 9 am-11 pm and retired nurse, along with malnutrition. will attend the Kelowna or attend the organization’s In Gasoline Alley 537-WINE (9463) the roughly $50,000 raised “We were very pleased that conference as an example of May 27 AGM where Callegari on Salt Spring for the Sala we were able to give them what can be done in light of and Gessinger will speak of Hantle project. this award,” said Marnie seemingly insurmountable their trip. The AGM starts at Sala Hantle, translated as Mitchell, CEO of the BCPA. odds facing people in a con- 3:30 p.m., followed by pre- STIHL KombiSystem $21995 Stay Well, is a part of the Salt “The award is not some- tinent devastated by illness sentations at 4.