About North Saanich Currents
Rooted in Place, Carried by Stories
Who We Are
North Saanich Currents is a community-led, non-profit publishing society created by and for the residents of North Saanich. Our mission is to nurture connection, celebrate local stories, and strengthen the bonds that tie us to one another and to this beautiful place we call home.
We believe that every voice has value. From long-time residents to new arrivals, from farmers to artists, from volunteers to entrepreneurs — North Saanich is shaped by diverse experiences, and we aim to share those perspectives in an inclusive and respectful way.
Rooted in Place
Our name reflects the unique “currents” of North Saanich — the literal currents of the Salish Sea, the cultural currents of our community, and the currents of change that shape our shared future. We acknowledge that we are living on the unceded ancestral territories of the W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations: BOḰEĆEN (Pauquachin), W̱SIḴEM (Tseycum), W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip), SȾÁUTW̱ (Tsawout), and MÁLEXEŁ (Malahat). We are honoured to live on this land and are committed to respectfully working toward (re)conciliation and to building relationships in our communities.
Carried by Stories
Through our digital and print publications, North Saanich Currents provides a platform for local news, resources, and stories that matter. We publish quarterly issues featuring articles, interviews, and creative works, highlighting topics such as sustainability, food sovereignty, local histories, trails and recreation, and the arts. In addition, our website offers a growing directory of resources, including farm stalls and shops, volunteer opportunities, sports facilities, and trails & parks.
Our Values
Community
Building bridges through storytelling and shared knowledge
Sustainability
Promoting practices that protect and celebrate the land and waters
Respect
Honouring the traditions, voices, and contributions of all who live here
Creativity
Showcasing the talents of local writers, artists, and makers
Why It Matters
We believe local stories create belonging. Whether it’s highlighting community initiatives, exploring our local trails, honouring histories, celebrating a farmer’s legacy, or sharing art and poetry, your voice is part of the current that carries us forward.
Meet the Co-Editors and Governance Board
Sheila Bailin lived in North Saanich in the 1970’s and returned to the family property after 40 years away. She has worked with numerous non-profit agencies and community initiatives. She participated in various projects, including violence prevention, educational initiatives, and cross cultural and interfaith relationships. Her current involvements include the North Saanich Residents Association and the North Saanich Farm Market. At home she enjoys working on her property, encouraging the growth of native plants and pollinator flowers and stewarding the forested area that is registered under a Conservation Covenant. She enjoys overseas travel adventures but always looks forward to returning to this special part of the world.
Meenal Shrivastava was born and raised in India and spent her mid 20s and 30s in South Africa. Since 2006, she is a professor of political economy and global studies at Athabasca University. After spending nine years in Edmonton, she has called North Saanich home since 2015. Her research on the historical, gendered, and ecological aspects of globalization continue to drive her research, writing, and teaching. Meenal is an author of three books, too many dry academic papers, and tentative forays into creative non-fiction. Having family on three continents has been a great excuse for extensive traveling. Since moving to the island, she has discovered the joys of cooking, food processing, and gardening. In her limited spare time, she learns to paint with watercolours and wishes for more time for creative writing projects.
Jillian Buriak‘s fondest memories of the area are as a child, sneaking out her mother’s family home in Cowichan Bay before dawn to fish off the local public dock. She now lives 9.5 km away as the crow flies, in Deep Cove. Jillian is professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Alberta, where her research was focused in the areas of nanoscience and materials chemistry, with emphasis on renewable energy (solar, wind, battery technologies). She has been an editor of scientific journals since 2004 and continues to teach chemistry online. Since returning to the area, her obsessions are native plants and ecosystems, and learning their names in SENĆOŦEN, as well as biking, running, or walking every trail on the peninsula and trying every single farm stand along the way.
The North Saanich Currents Publishing Society Governance Board
Meenal Shrivastava
President
Jillian Buriak
Vice-president
Sheila Bailin
Secretary
Michael Barer
Treasurer