Purse Found on the Ferry

A clutch bag containing a phone and identification was found on board the ferry Pune'luxutth this morning, August 25th. The bag is still on board.

If this belongs to you, or if you know who it might belong to, please inquire at the vessel.

Mike D

Poor Air Quality: Consider Avoiding/Postponing Outdoor Exercise

The air quality on Thetis is very poor right now (as of 4:30pm the sensor at the Community Hall reads 112 fine particles per cubic meter; a sensor in Chemainus reads 109, and one in Ladysmith reads is 153). When the air is this polluted, deep breathing can trigger Asthma attacks and worsen COPD and other lung diseases, so consider avoiding/postponing exercise or other physical activity until the air quality improves.

See https://map.purpleair.com/ for real time readings, and 

https://firesmoke.ca/forecasts/current for forecasts for the next 7 days.

Jonathan Thornburg

Youth Pickleball Wednesday - August 26

Next Youth Pickleball will be Wednesday August 26 at 9:30 am.

All ages welcome for Drop-In (youth up to age 16).

No sign up required. Equipment provided. No experience necessary.

The Happy Picklers

Thank You for a Wonderful Summer at the Nature House!

And that's a wrap on the 2026 Nature House season!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us this summer - whether you came for Wild Creatives, Tides to Trails, the S4 talks, the Harvest Hours, or simply wandered into the SLC to see what was swimming in the tank.

None of it would have been possible without our extraordinary volunteer team - too many wonderful people to name, but you know who you are. Your time, knowledge, and generosity made the program what it was.

Special thanks to the incredible hosts who opened their spaces to us this summer. To the Porter family at The Portal, Carolyn Askew at the People's Apothecary Garden, the White family at Telegraph Harbour Marina, and the Forbes Hall Community Centre - your generosity in sharing your spaces made the Nature House program what it is. And to the many other Thetis Islanders who welcomed us onto their land and into their homes throughout the season - thank you. This program truly takes a whole island.

We are also deeply grateful to our members, partners, and funders for their continued support, including the Government of Canada, the Government of British Columbia, and the Thetis Island Community Fund.

Thank you to the e-SPOKES team for helping us share our weekly updates and daily reminders all summer long :D

A very special thank you to our incredible summer team - Maya, Zoey and Erica. These three brought boundless energy, creativity, warmth, and expertise to the Nature House this summer, and made the experience truly unforgettable for everyone who crossed their path.

As we look ahead, we'd love to hear your thoughts on the summer. Please take a few minutes to complete our short program survey - your feedback helps us grow, and you might even win a small treat!

Survey Link: https://forms.gle/gQVUPtivd2ZwfTWW9

Survey Deadline: Monday, August 31

Wishing you a wonderful end of summer and do keep an eye out for a few special autumn events coming your way.

With gratitude,

The ThINC Team

Reminder: Member of the Legislative Assembly coming to Thetis on Saturday - August 29

Hello,

What is a parade without a politician? On August 29th, Debra Toporowski will come to Thetis Island to participate in our parade and meet with the community. The times below have been slightly revised to reflect the parade schedule:

11am to 12pm

First, Debra will join the Thetis Island Parade as we celebrate our new Fire Truck and participating community organizations.

12pm (after the parade) to 1pm

Second, Debra will have a table at the Howling Wolf Market.

2pm to 4pm

Finally, Debra will meet with Islanders at Forbes Hall to hear their issues and concerns. Light snacks will be provided.

David Reay

778-899-3216

davidreay@telus.net

Call Out for Thetis Island Calendar (2027) Photo Submissions

Looking forward to seeing this year's collection of fabulous photos!

Photo Submission Information

Requirements and information for submitting your photos.

Meeting these four requirements will help to ensure your photo makes the first cut.

1. Photo file size - minimum of 1.5 MB: if you take photos with your phone, email the photo from your photo app not through another app such as Facebook. Note that photos will be cropped to landscape orientation, edited as needed and enlarged to 8" x10" for printing.

2. People: no identifiable people will be included.

3. Local images: must be of, on or from Thetis.

4. Focus: check that the image is clear and in focus -- if using a phone, enlarge the image to check before sending.

Note: Calendars are landscape-oriented, it is important when a portrait-oriented photo is submitted that the file is large enough to have good definition once cropped to 8.5 x 11 landscape-orientation.

Cut off for submissions is September 14th.

E-mail submissions to info@forbeshall.ca

Subject: Calendar

Include the following in your email:

Your first and last name (not all email addresses let us know who you are).

Location or identifier: where the photo was taken from, what the photo is showing, etc.

Month photo was taken in.

Limit of eight photos from each photographer, choose wisely! Separate into groups of no more than three per email.

All submitted photos are given with your permission to be edited, used in the calendar, displayed, or used in any other way that benefits Forbes Hall Community Centre. All will include photo credit.

Proceeds benefit TICA and Forbes Hall.

Available in November 2026 for $30.

Once again, we're excited to see Thetis through your eyes!

TICA Board

Are You Having your Gutters Repaired/Replaced?

We need to replace the existing gutters on our cabin with seamless gutters. This is a small job, so it makes sense to coordinate with someone on the island who is retaining a contractor for similar work. If interested, I look forward to hearing from you.

Doug Kelly

250-812-7183

ldkelly@telus.net

Free Upright Propane Patio Heater

Free: Upright patio heater, almost never used. Canopy slightly bent. No propane tank.

Call Liz at 250-210-8886

Fire Danger Rating Drops to "High"

The Fire Danger Class rating on Thetis Island has dropped to HIGH. Early shift high hazard activities are in effect. Cease work by 1 pm and post a fire watch when finishing work. Have a shovel, water and a cell phone at the site. 

Campfires and other outdoor fires are still prohibited. Propane campfire appliances are not restricted.

Thetis Island Vol. Fire Dept.

Chief for a Day Contest Deadline – Tuesday, August 25

The Chief for a Day art contest for 4–12-year-olds who would like a chance to ride in the Fire Engine at the front of the parade next Saturday, closes on Tuesday at 6 pm. A draw from all entries will be held at the firehall Tuesday evening. Artwork with a fire safety or firefighter theme is encouraged. Entries must be on a regular piece of paper with the child's name, age and parent or guardian's contact information on the back. The winning entrant will have their parent or guardian ride with them in the Engine during the parade.

Entries can be dropped in the marked box outside of the front door of the firehall on Mission Road. All artwork will be displayed at the Extinguisher Clinic after the parade.

Thetis Island Vol. Fire Dept.

Chair Yoga Returns

August 24 and 31st, Chair Yoga 10-11 Monday

Start September with a new health habit, we finish with a delicious lay down and guided meditation.

Newcomers are welcome, don't be shy. We play a little light jazz in the background, lively, gentle way to start your week. We are casual, we laugh, we hug, we enjoy the movement.

Monday Morning Gentle Chair yoga is back

10-11 am Forbes Hall

You are invited to come join a gentle class to explore stretching, strengthening, lengthening movements for better balance and skills for healthy aging. Yoga simply yokes the breath to the movement helping with emotional and physical well-being. By donation.

Just a yoga mat, a blanket and we practice with a solid, well-padded chair, wear comfy clothes. Water bottle.

Questions? Concerns - text Dawn at 250.Two10.0826 and set up a time to explore any concerns you have.

Six New Wildfires on Southern Vancouver Island

After all the lightning across Vancouver Island last night, we're now seeing the results.

Six new fires are burning on southern Vancouver Island as of Sunday morning.

The new wildfires appeared on the BC Wildfire Service map following the lightning storm that moved through the Island overnight Saturday.

The lightning map from 9pm Saturday really puts this into perspective. Hundreds of strikes were recorded across the region, including through the same general areas where these new fires are now appearing.

BC Wildfire Service says the storm increased the potential for lightning-caused wildfires, and crews have been assessing affected areas for new starts.

They're also warning that additional lightning-caused wildfires may be identified over the coming hours and days. (Sometimes the lightning causes underground tree roots to smoulder for days after the tree was struck, and eventually ignite)

Some of the areas where these fires are burning are extremely dry right now, so BCWS will be keeping a very close eye on them

The TIVFD was out on Sunday early for several 9-1-1 calls from people on Vancouver Island seeing smoke columns on Thetis. We had one member hike up Burchell Hill and others search different areas for smoke or the smell of smoke. We even put a drone up. Fortunately, nothing was found, but we very much appreciate the support.

We did have several lightning strikes to trees on Thetis Saturday night, but no lasting fires occurred. The downpour helped immensely. We attended a tree strike at the end of Pilkey Point Road at around 11 pm and it was checked again Sunday morning.

If you're anywhere on southern Vancouver Island and you're seeing smoke, let BCWS know roughly where you saw the smoke column. Call *5555 on a cell phone or 9-1-1.

From BC Wildfire Service messaging

Fire Chief J. Caldbeck

Thetis Island Vol. Fire Dept.