So are you a born and raised Canadian? Your parents?
Just asking as Salt Spring is known for its draft dodgers.....just asking as a vet.
Thread drift warning
The above comment, apparently misdirected, got me wondering. Is my beloved Saltspring Island actually "known for its draft dodgers?
That statement took me by surprise, as I haven't been here long enough to know if any of the current residents are, or are descendants of, actual draft dodgers. I grew up in Burnaby, where I did know and work along side actual draft dodgers. I attended UBC, where again I studied along side actual draft dodgers.
I Googled "Saltspring draft dodgers" and found a couple of references to same, without attribution, so I can't say whether the statement has any actual reliability, or whether its origins are more of a curiosity. Since I have been a Saltspring frequent visitor, 40 yrs, property owner, 27 yrs, part-time resident, 19 yrs, full time resident, 6 yrs, I still haven't met a person I know to be, or to be related to, an actual draft dodger on Saltspring Island.
References to a "hippy population" are common, and indeed, if one examines the mode of dress of frequent vendors at the Saturday Market in Ganges, one would believe there is still a thriving community of "Hippies". That too, may be explained in other ways.
I did come across an article with an actual look at the deomographics:
https://www.crd.bc.ca/docs/default-..._cedc2014reportand2015actionplan.pdf?sfvrsn=2
I am also aware of the approximate population of Saltspring during the Draft dodging years, approximately 2500, having grown slowly over the previous century, and during the following decades. When my father moved to Saltspring in the 80s, the population was approximately 5000, and now the population is approximately 10500. There doesn't seem to have been a spike due to the arrival of draft dodgers, or did an equal number of other residents leave?
There are some homes that are owned by seasonal residents who haven't turned up this year, as they are not getting admitted to Canada from the US or other countries due to Covid-19, though those are not numerous.
I also turned up a number of references to "Notable Residents". Thankfully my own name is not reported. Those whose names are mentioned are perhaps "notable" in that they are NOT known to frequent this island, despite being on a list that suggests they are. The only celebrity that can actually be found, if you want to go looking, is Raffi, of "Baby Beluga" and other Children's songs fame. Randy Bachman has a home here, though how frequently he occupies it, rather than his LA home, would only be speculation. The artist John Bateman, Valdi, Burt Cummings, may also reside here, others on the celebrity list likely own, but aren't here when their other digs are more comfy.