September 2024

Introduction
Upcoming SISKA Events
Upcoming NON-Siska Events
Siska September General Meeting Agenda
Save the Date for Another Classic…Picnic
Seaward Kayaks
Trip Reports
BC Parks Visitor Satisfaction Survey
Tips From The Trips
Camp Cookery
Safety Item
BC Marine Trails News
SISKA’s Kayak Skills Course Partners

Introduction

Thanks to those members who contributed photos and materials. After enjoying a SISKA event or paddle, please consider sending a short (100-150 words) summary article; for more information, contact one of us, newsletter@siska.ca . If you would like to start a regular column, please let us know!

Jane Jacek (SISKA president) and Tony Playfair (editor)

Convenient Links

PS: SISKA on Facebook

PPS: Siska’s Youtube Channel

PPPS: Siska’s Newsletter Archive - Mailchimp or Siska Newsletters Backup

PPPPS: Rocky Point Demolition Blasting Notices

Upcoming SISKA Events

Upcoming NON-Siska Events

Green Shores Level 1 Training
by Jane Jacek

Join the Stewardship Centre for BC for a full-day training to learn how Green Shores nature-based solutions can improve shoreline stability, habitat, and biodiversity while increasing community resilience to the effects of climate change. The Green Shores Level 1 course is Sept 25th in the Colquitz neighborhood; open to the public and all interested community members. See the attached flyer for more information Register here

Paddle For Health
by Jane Jacek

Paddle for Health is a not for-profit team of volunteers dedicated to enhancing the lives of cancer patients and their families through paddle sport events and fundraisers.

We are located in Victoria, British Columbia.

Join our September 7th 2024 FUNdraiser!

Paddle for Health - the annual celebration of strength, community, and spirited paddling in support of Island Kids Cancer Association (IKCA)!

When: September 7 2024 - Please arrive by 8:30AM PST

Where: Willows Beach and Park

The paddling happens from Willows Beach Park to Gyro Beach & back again (about 7km). It is not a race and we travel as one big group.

For more info and to register for this event go to:

https://raceroster.com/events/2024/82775/paddle-for-health

Surf and Splash at Surge Narrows
by Jane Jacek

I hope you’re having a great summer. We are excited to invite SISKA members to join our upcoming “Surf and Splash” program. This is a fantastic opportunity to explore Discovery Island and paddle in iconic kayaking locations like Surge Narrows and Okisollo. Participants will enjoy a stay at the renowned Discovery Island Lodge for the duration of the program and our instructors will provide comprehensive training in surfing and navigating currents.

Date: October 28 - 31, 2024 More information is provided in the attached file. Click here to register for this program.

I really appreciate it if you could share this with SISKA members. Thank you so much for your support.

Warm regards,

Ali Torabidavan
Communications Assistant

Siska September General Meeting Agenda

by Fred Pishalski

Important Meeting Change

The SISKA September 2024 Monthly Meeting has been moved from Wednesday Sept 25th to Monday Sept 23rd, same time - same place

BE SAFE AROUND COLD WATER THIS YEAR!
by Dr Gordon Giesbrecht

Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht (aka Professor Popsicle) of the University of Manitoba and world-renowned expert in hypothermia will host a 2-day Cold-Water workshop in Victoria Sept 23rd-24th.

Cold Water Workshops https://csbc.ca

While in town, he has agreed to do a presentation for SISKA in the evening on Monday Sept 23rd.

Gordon Grant Giesbrecht is a Canadian physiologist who operates the Laboratory for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at the University of Manitoba in Manitoba, Canada. He studies the effects of extreme environments, including cold, heat, hypoxia, and hypobaria on the human body. His laboratory motto is vitas salvantas (saving lives). He was dubbed “Professor Popsicle” in a feature article in Outside Magazine.

Maybe you’re just interested in finding out a little more about how our bodies react to cold water immersion. You may be a first responder wanting to learn more about how to maximize the survival of potentially hypothermic individuals you’re called upon to rescue.

Understanding the myths around cold water immersion
How our bodies react to heat and cold stimuli
4 ways our bodies loose heat
What happens to our bodies when immersed in cold water
Immersion vs submersion in cold water
Cold water survival and protective clothing
Basic first aid response when you are the first one to respond
And more

Our meetings start at 7:00pm however, folks that have gear they wish to sell/swap are invited to show up at 6:00pm to set up, doors open for everyone at 6:30pm. We meet at the Garth Homer Centre, 831 Darwin Avenue, off Saanich Road, near Saanich Municipal Hall.

We are pleased to meet in-person in the Garth Homer Centre’s spacious auditorium, 813 Darwin Ave, Victoria.

PLEASE NOTE: In keeping with the latest BC public health guidance on Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses currently circulating in the community, face coverings are not required for indoor meetings and events like this. Members are welcome to wear a mask if they wish to do so. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available at the rear of the auditorium near the refreshment counter. For those who are feeling unwell, uncomfortable with indoor meetings or otherwise unable to attend, the presentation will be posted to our YouTube channel following the event

So Where is the Garth Homer Centre? 831 Darwin Avenue, off Saanich Road, near Saanich Municipal Hall. Parking is available beside the building once you pull into the entrance off Darwin Avenue. It is very close to the Lochside Trail which crosses Darwin Avenue close to nearby Saanich City Hall. The nearest bus stop is at Saanich City Hall on Blanshard Street.

Map location: https://bit.ly/35JtONn
Where to park: https://photos.app.goo.gl/97ksKWVnuruKao7d6

Save the Date for Another Classic…Picnic

by Jane Jacek

We hope to see you there!

Saturday September 21, 2024

Cadboro Bay/ Gyro Park 9am - 3pm (rain or shine)

9am-12pm

Gear Swap: Looking to buy or sell kayak gear and/or a kayak? This is the event for you!

Kayak Chat : Visit with your peers, share your summer kayak stories, ask seasoned paddlers your kayak questions.

Deck Lines by Andrew Cusack : Does your kayak need the all important deck lines? Do your deck lines need replacing? Then bring your kayak to this event and Andrew will do his magic and install or update your deck lines. Deck lines supplied by SISKA. This is on a first come basis. Be ready to assist Andrew as needed.

Refreshments: Coffee, tea and goodies will be supplied

12pm-1pm

Lunch: bring your own picnic

1pm-3pm

Light Paddle Cadboro Bay Tour: to register check the SISKA website calendar - https://siska.ca/prod/calendar/view-siska-s-calendar-²⁄₁₆₀₆

Seaward Kayaks

by Jane Jacek

For anyone that owns a Seaward Kayak, or thinking of buying one

The following is posted on Seaward Kayaks FB page:

With a mixture of sadness and gratitude, we would like to announce that after 30 plus years Seaward Kayaks is closing its doors.

We’d like to thank everyone who has supported Seaward through the years – including our loyal customers and hard-working staff. Your dedication contributed overwhelmingly to Seaward’s long-time success.

We are no longer manufacturing kayaks or parts, however, the online store will remain accessible until inventory levels are depleted. We encourage anyone that owns a Seaward kayak and may need replacement parts to order them sooner rather than later. Spare parts that will or may be difficult to replace include: Fiberglass hatch covers, rudders, seats and seat components, button kits, UHMW keel guards and pedals.

Spare parts & accessories are available on our online store. They are priced for quick sale: https://shop.seawardkayaks.ca.

Unfortunately, there is no longer any access to our facility so all items must be shipped.

Once again, we are incredibly grateful for the supportive community that Seaward has enjoyed over decades. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Thank you!

Trip Reports

GIGA bite campout 2024
by Tim Frick

The Gulf Islands Gastronomic Adventure, held July 8-11, was by all accounts a success. A group of 17 SISKA members, a.k.a. the eating club with a paddling problem, enjoyed 4 days of glorious sunshine, 4 incredible gourmet meals, sightseeing, a few hikes, some disc golf and became members of the “hole in the wall” gang.

Day 1 saw the group paddle from the base camp at Port Browning Marina’s Oak Tree group site to St. John Point on Mayne Island for a hike through the arbutus forest along the water’s edge. After a brief visit to Irish Bay on Samuel Island and a quick look at Boat Pass, the group took advantage of Saturna Kayaking’s dock to head up to the Lighthouse Pub. The “Go Nuts” burger got rave reviews as did all other meals, which made the paddle back to base camp pleasant.

Day 2 involved the circumnavigation of South Pender Island with a stop at Gowlland Point to investigate the new light marker and to do some rock climbing. After a detour into Drummond Bay to meet Dr Bonny Henry (the golden retriever, not the doctor), the gourmet adventure at Poet’s Cove Marina was welcomed. All meals were excellent and the most popular beverage was Hoyne Down Easy which went down, well, rather easy. The evening saw some of the group play disc golf while others swam in the marina pool or relaxed.

The third day started with an exploratory paddle under the Pender bridge and around Medicine Beach reserve. Starvation Bay was passed up in favour of lunch on the beach at Peter Cove.
After rounding Wallace Point in calm conditions, the paddle along the Pender bluffs was exquisite. This particular area is a restricted area due to Orca feeding grounds so the kayaks had to stay within 20m of the bluffs at all times. A rather efficient shuttle system from Thieves Bay was followed by a hike up Mt. Norman to view the paddle route from above. Port Browning marina’s famous “Pender Bender” burger was popular, although all the choices were tasty.

After packing up camp on day 4, the group drove to Mortimer Spit for the ﬁnal escapade. A 2.6nm paddle across to Saturna Beach resulted in a group continuing along the Saturna shoreline past Murder Point to Taylor Point. Taylor Point is the site of a sandstone quarry and the ruins of a stone farmhouse. Sandstone from the site was also used in a number of Victoria buildings in the early 1900’s. The second group landed at Thomson Park and embarked on a rather ambitious hike up Mt. Warburton Pike. The 410m climb featured great views. Both groups were able to observe herds of feral goats, which was rather prophetic as the gourmet meal of the day was at the Sage Hayward Vineyard’s Feral Goat bistro. It’s hard to pick a winning meal or glass of wine as they were all excellent. A few holes of disc golf and a ride on the famed Thomson Park swing preceded a rather speedy paddle back to the Spit and the subsequent ferry ride back to Swartz.

Oh and one more thing, what happens on the GIGA bite tour, stays on the GIGA bite tour.

Newcastle and Protection Islands
by Marika S

Six SISKA members joined trip leader Rod Stiebel on August 15 for a lovely paddle around Newcastle and Protection Islands. We launched at Brechin Street Boat Launch in Nanaimo and finished the day with a delicious lunch and cold drink at the Dinghy Dock pub (a first for some of us!) A short paddle from the pub to the launch point and we were on the road back home. Some highlights of the trip were ferry wake, rock formations, oyster beds, watching Helen and Rich cool off by practicing their rolls, Theresa practicing exiting her kayak at the raised dock, interesting conversation with Karina and various wildlife spotted along the way. It turned out to be a warm day - a bit too warm for drysuits as Michael H discovered.

BC Parks Visitor Satisfaction Survey

by Jane Jacek

Hello,

I am reaching out with a request for your assistance in promoting the BC Parks Visitor Satisfaction Survey.

BC Parks’ Visitor Satisfaction Survey is a tool used to assess how satisfied park visitors are with various services provided in specific parks and in provincial parks generally. The survey is used to identify current strengths and areas for improvement, provide data for decision-making and planning, and inform future work.

The 2024 BC Parks Visitor Satisfaction Survey has launched, and it will be open until late September. This year’s survey has targeted questions for marine users. We are hoping to reach more boaters who may have visited one of our coastal marine-accessible parks to ensure we have heard feedback from a variety of marine park users. The data gathered from the survey will be used to inform how marine parks are managed.

To increase participation rates in the survey, we are asking if you would be willing to share and promote the survey within your organization and among your members in hopes of increasing our reach to marine park users.

Feel free to share the link to the 2024 BC Parks Visitor Satisfaction Survey with your membership. If you are active on social media, we have a recent Instagram post here that can be shared. I’ve also attached a poster that can be printed and displayed.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you for your support,

Nicole Bottoms
Recreation Services
BC Parks | Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy

parkservices@gov.bc.ca

Tips From The Trips

by Debbie Leach

TAKE TAPE! Wrapping tape around a water bottle saves space.

Camp Cookery

by Lynn Baier

Thanks to Jane for spotting this one on the Hiking B.C. facebook page.

From post found at bottom of this: Just thought it would share my method for meals on the trail while I pack for my upcoming backpacking trip.

I bought these MRE pouches on Amazon to store my own backpacking meals in. I’m super frugal and like to budget throughout the year for my backpacking trips that I take during the summer. I will make maybe 10 of these breakfasts at the beginning of the season and store so I can grab and go as I pack for a trip. Throughout the year I’ll also make and dehydrate a few meals a month for the upcoming season. My favorite is chili mac.

The breakfast I recently made is cinnamon peach oatmeal. I put the following in the bag;

¹⁄₃ cup oatmeal
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp hemp hearts
¹⁄₃ cup walnuts, chopped
1 tbsp brown sugar
¹⁄₂ cup freeze dried peaches (can also use freeze dried apples, berries, mango etc)
1 tbsp dehydrated coconut milk
Sprinkle of cinnamon

I put all of this in an MRE bag along with a packet of peanut butter along with an oxygen absorber (that come with the bags) and store in my pantry.

I buy the dehydrated coconut milk at Superstore
I buy the freeze friend fruits from Dollarama (best price I’ve seen)
I don’t use quick oats cause I don’t like them
Pro tip: you can get packets of peanut butter for free at McDonald’s with a purchase if you go through the app and add them on to whatever you’re buying.

Meals turn out to be 10-20% the cost of meals purchased from MEC etc and taste wayyy better.

Wallaby 1-Gallon Gusset Mylar Bag Bundle - 30x (7.5 Mil - 10” x 14”) Stand-Up Zipper Pouches, 30x 400cc Oxygen Absorbers, 30x Labels - Heat Sealable & Food Safe - Food Storage Solutions - Silver https://a.co/d/29mSt0w

Safety Item

by Sybil Seitzinger

Stay Safe on BC Waters: Cold Water Immersion / Rescue Workshops

As fall approaches, air temperatures are dropping, and water conditions in BC remain cold year-round. Whether you’re an experienced paddler in need of a refresher or new to the sport, it’s essential to know how to avoid and treat hypothermia.

The Canadian Safe Boating Council is hosting two 2-day Cold Water Immersion/Rescue Workshops in September in BC (https://csbc.ca/en/events/cold-water-workshop):

September 23 & 24, 2024 Location: Victoria International Marina

September 26 & 27, 2024 Location: Vancouver Fraser Port Authority Main St. Dock

Workshop Topics Include:

Thermal Protection Realities
Extraction Techniques
Triage of Hypothermic Victims
Re-Warming
And much more

If you can’t attend one of these workshops, the Canadian Safe Boating Council offers additional cold water resources, including the “Cold Water Boot Camp” and “Beyond Cold Water Boot Camp” DVDs, available for purchase here.

BC Marine Trails News

August Newsletter

Hi cross club!

I wanted to touch base with some content for your September newsletters.

1 - Our Gerald Island September ivy pull is on the horizon! We would greatly appreciate it if you were able to alert your members of this (very fun!) volunteer opportunity. Find a blurb below, and photo attached:

Are you seeking an adventure that’s both fun and rewarding? Join us from September 27-30 for an unforgettable experience! We’re on a mission to combat invasive English Ivy at Gerald Island, just a short paddle away from Nanoose Bay, and we need your help.

Whether you’re a returning volunteer or new to the cause, your participation is invaluable. Together, we can make a significant impact on our coastal ecosystem.

Sign up now to be part of a passionate team dedicated to restoring the natural beauty of Gerald Island. Join us for a day, two, or the entire trip — every effort counts!

Registration: https://www.bcmarinetrails.org/event/gerald-island-volunteer-registration-open/

2 - We often get asked what happens to Site Condition Reports (SCRs) upon submission. In response, we have created an overview flow chart to show how information goes from reported -> integrated into the map. See attached for two graphic options — the full flow chart may not work well with certain newsletter platforms, so individual ‘boxes’ may work better. See attached for clarity on options. If attaching, you can either direct members to our reporting page, or to the SCR contest page:

https://www.bcmarinetrails.org/reporting/

https://www.bcmarinetrails.org/site-condition-report-contest/

Have you ever wondered what happens after you hit “Submit” on your Site Condition Report (SCR)? By submitting SCRs, you can actively contribute to the quality of the BC Marine Trails map. With the easy-to-use Survey123 app, reporting is a breeze!

Plus, every SCR submitted until the end of September is an entry to win one of three great prizes from Mustang Survival!