Filmmakers
Alex Harris was born and raised by the Salish Sea. From a young age, she fostered a deep connection and responsibility to the environment. She first picked up a camera at the age of nine, photographing wildlife and friends, and went on to study Geography at UBC. She sees media as a critical tool to uplift voices, elicit empathy, inspire action, communicate science, and create change. She values ongoing community relationships and is humbled to work alongside dedicated environmental stewards and community leaders.
Miranda MacDougall was born and raised in Windsor, Ontario and now resides between Vancouver and Salt Spring. She holds a BFA in Acting, and has had the privilege of working alongside world-renowned theatre and film makers/creators. She works as an actor in both film and theatre and is also an accomplished film director, writer and producer. She is a new landowner of a forest and section of creek in the Ganges watershed and is looking forward to stewarding it with Callum Gunn, a sixth generation Salt Spring Islander.
Contributors
John Millson is a Salt Spring island resident who is enthralled by its natural world and deeply appreciative of the rich benefits this provides. A geologist and environmentalist, John is passionate about what makes watersheds tick — geologically, hydrologically, and (perhaps) spiritually. In addition to envisioning, developing and promoting this film, John initiated and led the highly successful Freshwater Catalogue project, enlisting dozens of volunteers to gather data and increase our knowledge about Salt Spring's water resources.
Stqeeye' Learning Society is an Indigenous-led non-profit charity supporting the restoration and stewardship of wetlands and the watersheds at Xwaaqw’um (a.k.a. Burgoyne Bay Provincial Park), a traditional Quw'utsun village site and significant spiritual site. This 20 hectare project is aimed at bringing Indigenous food systems and biodiversity back to the land that has supported Quw'utsun peoples for generations. It will also help to store clean water, build climate resilience, and sequester carbon in the wetlands and forests. Maiya Modeste and Tyee Joseph, along with other members of SLS, are shown in the film gathering information to guide this work, and reflecting upon its significance.
Briony Penn, a fifth generation Salt Spring Islander, is a naturalist, writer, educator, and broadcaster well known in BC for her indomitable spirit and tireless devotion to protecting endangered species and sensitive ecosystems. She has been working on environmental education issues for her entire career as an instructor with the University of Victoria Environmental Studies program, as a consultant on a wide range of community environmental education projects and as a volunteer with many environmental NGOs, including the Water Preservation Society.
Quyên Fernandez started volunteering for the Freshwater Catalogue when he was 12 years old, and is shown in this film at age 14. He enjoys opportunities to be out in the field, along with his parents Gabriel Fernandez and Katie Brown, collecting important data each week to monitor Salt Spring Island’s fresh water. They are a family of water stewards with a passion for citizen science! Quyên says he has learned so much about water and the importance of watershed protection through this work.
Funding Partner
Nancy (Grant) Braithwaite was a fourth generation Salt Spring Islander and a lifetime supporter of the Water Preservation Society. Her large bequeath of nearly $6 million dollars to the Salt Spring Foundation resulted in the Nancy Grant Fund which supports environmental and social justice causes on Salt Spring. The money she provided to the WPS for this film, "Freshwater Salt Spring" was her last bequest before her death in 2021.