Overview
Salt Spring Island is an unincorporated rural Electoral District under the jurisdiction of the Capital Regional District (CRD). The CRD is responsible for many of the Southern Gulf Islands and a large area of the southern portion of Vancouver Island. The CRD provides many of the local government functions and services normally found in a Municipality or Town, but most of the administrative functions are handled from offices in Victoria.
The Salt Spring Parks and Recreation Commission (SSIPARC) is a local arm of the CRD and is responsible to the CRD Board.
2023 Schedule of Regular Public Meetings
Please note: the CESC has no 2023 meeting dates scheduled at this time. As well, the meetings are only scheduled until April 2023 at this time due to the upcoming Local Community Commission (LCC) election at which time the PARC and TRAN Commissions will dissolve.
Minutes & Agendas
Meeting minutes and agendas from the following Salt Spring Island associations are available online:
The CRD publishes minutes online after a meeting has taken place. Minutes are never official until they have been adopted at the next meeting. The minutes and agendas are available in PDF format.
Authority
The Salt Spring Island Parks and Recreation Service was originally established under Bylaw No. 327 in January 1977. Through Supplementary Letters Patent, authority was delegated advisory powers from the CRD Board to acquire, develop, operate and maintain community parks, and to provide recreational programs within the Electoral Area of Salt Spring Island. In November of 2004, an additional Local Service was established for the purpose of constructing, equipping, maintaining and operating indoor swimming pool facilities and related programming.
Bylaw 3795, a bylaw to regulate the use of community parks and trails within Juan de Fuca and Salt Spring Island Electoral Areas, was adopted in April 2012.
Activities
By contrast with most other CRD services on Salt Spring, the activities of SSIPARC are led by an eight member, locally appointed advisory commission. The local CRD Director (an elected official) also sits on the Commission. SSIPARC members are appointed for two year terms by the CRD Board, upon recommendation of the local Regional Director. Applications are received annually in October. If you would like to be a Commissioner, please fill in an application, and submit it to the SSIPARC office at 145 Vesuvius Bay Road.
SSIPARC is responsible for the establishment, ongoing operation and maintenance of all of the following:
- Community parks and park athletic fields on Salt Spring
- Public trails and linear parks
- Waterfront parks and recreation areas at various locations
- Park reserves
- Provision of tennis courts in public parks
- Market in the Park at Centennial Park
- Camp Colossal children's day camp program
- Operation of Rainbow Road Pool and Recreation Facility
- Park Legacy Program
- Support for community groups
- Planning for future needs and development of community recreation facility
Administration
SSIPARC staff are hired by the CRD to oversee the day-to-day operations of SSIPARC. Staff administer policies which have been created by the Commission.
Funding
The costs for managing, developing, operating and maintaining the various service areas are funded by annual tax requisition, at each area’s respective levy. Where practical, fees and charges are collected.