About Us

For those wondering about the creators of this site, here's a bit on us and how discoversaltspring.com came about.

We are Chad and Michelle Schill, residents on Salt Spring since the summer of 2007, although our connection with the Gulf Islands goes way back...

I (Michelle) was born in Vancouver and moved to Galiano Island with my mom and sister when I was 18 months old. That would have been, let's see... around 1975. Recollection of my childhood years on Galiano comes in flashes of peaceful days, idyllic moments, and a general feeling of wholesomeness.

Then, around 1981, we moved to the city in chilly Alberta and I realized how unaware (and unappreciative) I'd been of my good fortune to have lived in the Gulf Islands.

Chad was raised in Alberta, worked in the oilfield for over a decade and spent more time in his big diesel truck and work coveralls than he did at home.

After we had children, that lifestyle grew tiresome. We wanted a slower pace. And time together, so that our kids could grow up knowing both of their parents.

During that work-focused time, I had evolved my home business (as a hairstylist) into an information website about hairstyling and coloring.

After a few years, much fiddling and tinkering, and a WHOLE lot of learning curves, my humble little website gained ground and went from a 'hobby' to an income generating business.

We'd travelled to Galiano together as a couple a few times before we had kids. From the first time Chad experienced the island, he felt the same pull as I'd always felt to live in this area one day. When we visited Galiano with our boys for the first time, our eldest was six and our youngest just barely three.

They both adored the island. And Chad and I felt that now familiar longing to stay that always grew to its strongest as we were pulling away on the ferry, saying 'goodbye' to the islands.

On this trip though, it was our oldest son who was overcome with sadness as we drifted away from his newly discovered paradise.

We resolved at that point to find a way to return, and stay. Once the decision was made, a shift came about and things fell into place, clearing a path for us to pack up our belongings and make the voyage west. Permanently this time.

After months of researching and planning, we decided on Salt Spring Island rather than Galiano because of the amenities; the hospital, the shopping, and the fact that our kids can go all the way through to grade 12 without leaving the island. (High school students from the smaller islands surrounding SSI travel over by water taxi for school or board here.)

Our first trip to Salt Spring was in April 2007, the week we came to buy a house. Three months later, we were settling in and have been exploring and learning about the island since. And what an incredible, diverse, re-energizing place it is!

So there you have it. A synopsis of how we came to be here. Now we work together on a handful of websites about various topics. It seemed only natural to use this medium to share our discovery of Salt Spring Island with others who are interested in this incredible place we are so fortunate to call 'home!'

We hope you enjoy the site. Bookmark us and return to catch our frequent updates!

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