Gabriola Island, BC

I was with my kids at Gymnastics in Nanaimo tonight and there was a buzz going around about which schools were selected for full day kindergarten beginning in Fall 2010. I checked the School District 68 site when I got home and found a link to Full Day Kindergarten in the news. This sheet also contains answers to frequently asked questions and lists the schools selected.
For parents with children attending kindergarten in Sept. 2010, you should enroll your child soon as registration opened on Jan 4. (Submitted by: Tina Lynch)

A friend of mine just let me know about a new tax credit that the Federal Government has brought in for use of public transportation. The BC Ferries website has information about qualifying your ferry trips for a tax credit and it looks like you will need to have 16 round trips in a 31 day period, which will effect residents on Gabriola that commute to Nanaimo for work. These will need to be paid for using an electronic payment card. You will need to register your BC Ferries experience card online or by phoning the Customer Service Center (1 888 223 3779). Once a card is registered you will be able to obtain a travel history report, this can be printed and will show all the trips taken on the card. For more information about the federal income tax credit for public transit, visit the Canada Revenue Agency Website and talk with your accountant. You may also want to read the full article on the BC Ferry website.

It's that time of year, when I'm rifling through my pockets, purses, drawers and files looking for every last receipt. This year, I'm making sure I set aside a stack that I can use towards the Home Renoation Tax Credit. I wanted to check what I could include towards it, and it was suprisingly more than I had realized.
Canadian homeowners can get up to $1,350 in tax credits for home renovations made between January 27, 2009 and February 1, 2010 (so you have two weeks if you haven't done your home renovations yet).
The HRTC allows families to claim 15 per cent of home improvement expenses, between $1,000 and $10,000, on their 2009 income tax return. This gives families up to $1,350in nonrefundable tax credits, which reduce the total amount of income tax they must pay.

Here's a list of eligible expenses from the Canada Revenue Agency website:

· Renovating a kitchen, bathroom, or basement

· Windows and doors

· New flooring - carpet, linoleum, hardwood, floating laminate, etc.

· New furnace, woodstove, boiler, fireplace, water softener, water heater, or oil tank

· Permanent home ventilation systems

· Central air conditioner

· Permanent reverse osmosis systems

· Septic systems

· Wells

· Electrical wiring in the home (e.g., changing from 100 amp to 200 amp service)

· Home security system (monthly fees do not qualify)

· Solar panels and solar panel trackers

· Painting the interior or exterior of a house

· Building an addition, garage, deck, garden/storage shed, or fence

· Re-shingling a roof

· A new driveway or resurfacing a driveway

· Exterior shutters and awnings

· Permanent swimming pools (in ground and above ground)

· Permanent hot tub and installation costs

· Pool liners

· Solar heaters and heat pumps for pools (does not include solar blankets)

· Landscaping: new sod, perennial shrubs and flowers, trees, large rocks, permanent garden lighting, permanent water fountain, permanent ponds, large permanent garden ornaments

· Retaining wall

· Associated costs such as installation, building plans, permits, professional services, equipment rentals, and incidental expenses

· Fixtures - blinds, shades, shutters, lights, ceiling fans, etc.

I'm going home to add up my receipts and see if I need to complete any more home renovations in the next few weeks, might be a busy month on Gabriola. (Submitted by: Tina Lynch)

Kate Emmings of the Islands Trust Fund was on Gabriola this weekend, to provide information on, “The Natural Area Protection Tax Exemption Program,” which offers an incentive for island landowners to protect natural & geological features of your property while reducing taxes.

Through the program NAPTEP, an island landowner can receive up to 65% property tax exemption on the portion of land of their property which is protected through covenants.

Properties that are eligible may include; relatively undisturbed natural area that is a good example of an important ecosystem, important natural area that provides key habitat to rare native plant or animal species, or naturally occurring special geological features.

A conservation covenant is an agreement between the landowner and conservancy group, in this case the Islands Trust Fund, which sets out specific restrictions or requirements that the landowner will uphold to ensure conservation of the covenanted portion of the land forever. Because these covenants are registered on title, they will be passed along to future homeowners in perpetuity, so once you’re in the program, there is no turning back.

On the Islands Trust Fund website at: http://www.islandstrustfund.bc.ca/, one can obtain information on the program, along with an application guide to calculating some of the costs & benefits of the program. The application deadline is 1 April 2009, in order to see possible property tax relief in 2010.

***There may be legal & potential tax implications – so each applicant is advised to seek independent legal & accounting advice.

With the holiday season upon us, we wanted to share some of "island ideas" & showcase some island businesses, over the next couple of weeks, to help make your holiday shop easier....

New Society Publishers http://www.newsociety.com/
New Society Publishers, is now a 20 year old island company who's mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just society. They employ approx. 12 island residents, including the two owners. They offer a wide variety of books & some fabulous green building books & cookbooks - that we have in our personal collection.

Greenbeans http://www.greenbeans.ca/
This relatively new island online company offers a healthier more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic water bottle & thermos bottles. They also offer hemp bags, everything from market bags to backpacks. We have had opportunity to use the klean kanteens that they offer for sale, and would highly recommend them!

Gabriola Coffee Company e. organiccoffeeongab@shaw.ca
Gabriola Coffee Co. features 100% Certified Organically grown coffee beans, custom roasted and blended to please the most discerning coffee lover. Their roasting process develops the coffee's peak aromatic characteristics resulting in the perfect cup, smooth and rich in flavour and aroma. Email Di for additional information on their variety of offerings - this is a great way to wake up on Christmas morning!

Happy Shopping!