Tribute

As a filmmaker, writer, artist and a strong feminist, Sylvia lived according to her strong sense of justice, especially for women. Community and Art were paramount and Nature was her religion, making Salt Spring Island, a community of friendship, art and nature, a perfect fit. She delighted in saying “Sylvia Spring of Salt Spring Island”. It was her final stopping place on a long and varied journey.

She lived and died by her own choices. She never wanted a “job” type of job, and walked out of CBC after two years but stayed freelance with them for decades. (and supported and listened to CBC all her life).

She moved where the fancy took her and everywhere she made her mark. In Vancouver, with “Madeleine Is” she became the first Canadian woman to produce a full-length feature film. In Paris she fell in love with the city. From Galiano Island she was appointed to the Federal Task Force on Sex-Role Stereotyping, which led to her creating MediaWatch to monitor women’s portrayal in the Media, which led to the CRTC laying down a nationwide policy. In Montreal, there was still CBC, plus the NFB, but also CIDA, The Canadian International Development Agency where, commuting to Ottawa, still freelancing, she joined the tribe of women turning the aid programme into an organization which understood women’s roles.

Ottawa (and Sri Lanka) was where she met her life partner Carolyn McAskie. They were together for almost four decades. Sylvia broadcast from the 1995 Beijing UN World Conference on Women; Produced two large projects: An award winning documentary on Women and AIDS in Africa “Breaking the Silence”; and a CBC TV Special tracing women’s progress over the century — “Twentieth Century Gals”, starring Cathy Jones of “This Hour has 22 Minutes”. (Funnily enough she learned after the fact that one year, on International Women’s Day, her film was shown in the SSI Library, with no knowledge that the real Sylvia Spring lived on the island!)

In New York there was one last (yes, award-winning) project. A short feature for the United Nations called “Our Bodies Their Battlegrounds” on sexual assault in conflict. At the UN awards it was the only film which received top marks from every juror.

Then she walked into the Arts Student League of New York and was immediately recognized for her talent as a sculptor. She never looked back but over time moved from wood and stone to felting and ceramics. And Poetry was a constant love.

Before Salt Spring we retired to Wakefield, Quebec and it became our magic place. Carolyn was in New York or Burundi and Sylvia was in New York or Toronto as well as Wakefield. We both managed to be there full time from 2008 to 2019 before leaving for the West coast. Wakefield was a warm close-knit community, but the snow, and the call of west coast families meant a move as we got older.

Salt Spring Island in BC beckoned with friends already established and it became our last destination together away from the snow. With forest walks, friends, yoga and always art it was an inspired choice. Covid hampered the desire to travel and then came the cancer diagnosis. Sylvia faced it with optimism, courage and no complaints.

Sylvia died at home as she lived, by her choice of MAID, surrounded by family and friends. She is buried in the beautiful Salt Spring Natural cemetery under the towering Douglas firs and the cedar. She lived by her art, thrived in community and family and now has come home to nature.