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Halfmoon Happenings: What was the commotion at Merry Island?

RCMSAR teams participate in triage training

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful week as the weather continues to be unseasonably warm and very dry. Be careful out there! 

On Saturday, Oct. 8, some of you may have noticed search and rescue boats, Canadian Coast Guard along with Police boats at the Halfmoon Bay Government wharf, Secret Cove Marina and around Merry Island. If you were wondering what all the commotion on the ocean was, it was an amazing multiple agency triage training session with our very own RCMSAR12 Halfmoon Bay. This joint training included RCMSAR14 Gibsons and RCMSAR61 Pender Harbour, two Canadian Coast Guards boats and two Police/RCMP boats. The planning for this training day began in August and was coordinated by the Canadian Coast Guard which also included testing their new Coast Guard Casualty tracking (CASTRACK) system. John Howcroft, coxswain for RCMSAR12 said, “It was  

a fantastic learning opportunity. Although very exhausting for this day long training session, it was one of the best I’ve been a part of.” The training scenario was a plane crash off Merry Island and the teams triaged multiple casualties, finding and locating lost crash victims, along with extraction and transporting the injured to land first responders. What an incredible team effort! Bravo Zulu to everyone involved! 

The “Tom the Turkey” contest last Friday at the Halfmoon Bay Elementary School was a huge success! Twenty turkeys, two for each class, were rewarded to students and their families. Wendy, school coordinator said, “the time and creatively that was put into the turkeys gets better and better every year. Special thanks to Marino’s Independent Grocer who donated five of the turkeys. We are so thankful for their generosity.” 

The Halfmoon Bay branch of the Sunshine Coast Healthcare Auxiliary is holding a special opening at the Sechelt Thrift Store on Sunday, Oct. 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a fundraiser for their branch with special items collected by their members. Hope to see you there! 

The Halfmoon Bay Nursery located at 7820 Fawn Rd will be hosting their first Fall Market on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Michelle says, “We love that this big space has so much potential as part of a community hub in Halfmoon Bay. There will be some great eats onsite from our neighbors at Welcome Woods Market, Fawn’s Road Stand and West Coast Nibbles along with hot apple cider provided by the Halfmoon Bay Community Association (bring your mug).” For the kids, there will be face painting by Caitlyn McEwan (Let it Bee more than honey Farmstand) by donation and loads of sidewalk chalk for kids of all ages to unleash their creativity. Some wonderful vendors are already lined up but there is room for more! If you are interested, please send an email to halfmoonbaynursery@hotmail.com. 

Pickleball at the Halfmoon Bay Elementary School located at 8086 Northwood Rd is off to a respectable start considering the exceptionally nice weather. There were 11 participating last Thursday, a few of which were beginners. Join the fun Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., you’ll be sure to have a great workout! 

If you have any ideas for column content or have a community event or story you would like to share, please send ideas and suggestions to cindy.kisser@telus.net. 

Be safe, be gentle, and always be kind.