Salt Spring Island Community Services will be discontinuing the operation of THE WALL indoor recreational climbing facility at 268 Fulford-Ganges Road.
THE WALL has been closed for over one year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and will not be re-opening at its current site. The decision to close THE WALL was based on a combination of factors.
1) It has been increasingly more difficult and costlier to secure the proper insurance. It requires extra and specialized insurance that has not been available as part of standard liability coverage.
2) The location of THE WALL has become increasingly less sensible as the main SSICS site has shifted to being a busy central point for adult services such as the Housing First program.
3) The operation of THE WALL is not central to the mission of SSICS. With many other priorities facing SSICS daily, it is felt by SSICS management and Board that the operation of a recreational facility is best left to an organization with the right focus and expertise.
The closing of THE WALL is in no way linked to the value of the program to the community. It is the opposite. Over the past 25 years we have seen the benefits of recreational climbing to many individuals and groups, ranging from dedicated sport climbers to groups and families using climbing as a stimulating social and recreational pursuit. We know there is great potential for the use of an indoor recreational climbing facility to increase. We encourage people in the climbing community, in recreation leadership, and other interested individuals and families to explore possibilities for continuing this activity on Salt Spring. We know there are locations and operational models that can build and improve on where we have been able to bring THE WALL.
We would like to thank all of the people who kept THE WALL going for all of these years, from Jack Rosen who is responsible for its very existence beginning on May 20, 1995, to Chantelle Pohl who has been the diligent volunteer coordinating The Wall activities until COVID hit last year
Yours Sincerely,
Rob Grant
Executive Director
