David Minkow

Reporter at The Discourse

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Articles

Gulf Islands Community Radio Station (finally!) about to Go On-Air

2 weeks ago | saltspringexchange.com | David Minkow

I know from experience how valuable community radio is, so I truly admire the determination and perseverance of those who are nearing the end of a 10-year journey to get a Gulf Islands community radio station on the airwaves. Sometime this summer, at least in Ganges and the North End, you will be able to tune into 107.9 on your FM dial and hear local programming on CHIR-FM (pronounced âcheer!â) emitting from an antenna on Mount Belcher.
Robert Bateman is Delighted to Share his Unexpected Works Next Month at Mahon Hall

2 months ago | saltspringexchange.com | David Minkow

Robert Bateman asks me if I know the expression âroad to Damascus.â Before I get a chance to say Iâm familiar with the term (and that I love a scene in The Wire where a police commissioner has his road to Damascus moment:The famed SSI artist and conservationist tells me the story of Paul the Apostleâs conversion to Christianity while on his way to Damascus, including Saul/Paul purportedly falling off his horse when a post-crucifixion Jesus appears before him.
Pickleball on SSI a Smash Hit

Feb 26, 2025 | saltspringexchange.com | David Minkow

Five years ago, while exploring Mayne Island with my daughter, we decided to check out the community tennis courts and were surprised to see a sign indicating the courts were for tennis only and very explicitly not for pickleball. This was before the conflict on Mayne made headlines and ended up before the BC Supreme Court in 2023, but it was clear there was some serious friction between players of the two racquet sports.
The Fritz Cinema Continues to Reel in Audiences

Feb 14, 2025 | saltspringexchange.com | David Minkow

I was so excited last winter to see my first movie at The Fritz. I had been driving past the cinema and its chalkboard listing of upcoming films for years as a visitor, and it seemed impossibly quaint in an era of multiplexes, IMAX and home streaming.
Yael Wand Reflects on Her Time Leading Salt Spring Arts

Feb 3, 2025 | saltspringexchange.com | David Minkow

One Saturday in 2022, Yael Wand was at the farmerâs market in Ganges and came upon a group of high school students playing music. As a musician herself, Yael knows good music when she hears it, and she thought the band, 19 Strings, was so good that she booked them as an opening act for the annual Summer Concert Series she had created in her role as executive director of Salt Spring Arts. This opportunity âopened a whole bunch of doorsâ for the young musicians, Yael says.
Light and Dark at This Year’s Salt Spring Film Festival

Jan 24, 2025 | saltspringexchange.com | David Minkow

Last year was my first Salt Spring Film Festival, and I was impressed by everything–the stellar quality of the films and the whole vibe of eating delicious food from the Intermission Cafe at group tables in the middle of a Social Justice Bazaar. I had just moved to the island, and it felt very welcoming and reassuring that so many people were into documentary films, one of my passions.
How a news story helped pull the Cow-op out of debt – The Discourse.

Jan 23, 2025 | thediscourse.ca | David Minkow

I became a journalist in large part because I believe in the power of the pen to affect positive change. Yet, most of the time, the impact of my work isn’t very measurable, or at least known to me. Sometimes I hear from readers and interviewees about awareness raised and connections made as the result of one of my articles, but this can be hard to quantify. Plus, such feedback tends to come before any significant outcomes have happened.
Thumbs Up for Hitchhiking on SSI

Jan 13, 2025 | saltspringexchange.com | David Minkow

More than 30 years ago, I wrote a column âDonât Tell Mom, But I Picked Up a Hitchhikerâ when I was a cub reporter at a small town newspaper in Michigan about my first time giving a stranger a ride. By then, hitchhiking already felt like something from a bygone era.
A New Era for Mateada and Owner David Karr

Nov 22, 2024 | saltspringexchange.com | David Minkow

Usually, when a restaurant hits on a winning formula, itâs time to double down. But for Mateada owner David Karr, it was the opposite, a time to shut down. In September, after a successful season pairing South American cuisine with a music lounge based around yerba mate beverages, he pulled the plug on the restaurant and regular event bookings. He had a proven concept that could be replicated elsewhere, which was his original plan.
100 Men and 100 Women Who Care on Salt Spring

Nov 15, 2024 | saltspringexchange.com | David Minkow

I canât get over the elegant simplicity of the 100 Who Care model, where 100 or more people donating $100 each three times a year results in sizeable donations to worthy local charities. It was a revelation last month at my first 100 Men Who Care Salt Spring meeting to see how in an hourâs time a local registered charity can come away with at least $10,000.