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Holland Creek Estuary choked with logs. Photo: Rob Pinkerton
Letters Clean up the beach! Western Forest Products is making a mess of Ladysmith harbour. A walk to Transfer Beach shows the foreshore jammed with logs from the sort across the bay. The Holland Creek estuary is in a similar state. This is not the responsibility of Parks & Recreation. Western Forest Products owned by the huge Jim Pattinson empire should be a good corporate citizen and clean this up. I see a log salvage boat working the harbour, but it seems oblivious to the beach. Perhaps someone on council or at city hall could give them a call. — Rob Pinkerton
Cartoon not funny Given the seriousness of homelessness, I found the “comic” on page 5 about two ladies who found a “home” to be most inappropriate. - Vince Devries
Re: Christmas Trees (Don’t use them) About Sara Mimick’s article page 26 of your Dec publication: Dear Sara: As the owner of a Family Christmas Tree Farm that has been in operation since 1929 I wish to enlighten you of the following facts. Christmas tree farms are near the top as far as the Earth’s health is concerned. You must know that Old Mature trees in the forest have very limited ability to clean the air as their old lungs so to speak are just that OLD. It is the young
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trees that have the energy to clean the air and that is exactly what tree farms do. Not to mention providing Families with an annual chance to get together as is an old and great tradition in our Country. The farms employ many in the community and it aords a safe place for an abundance of creatures including birds to nest. There are holding ponds for irrigation and freshwater for the wild animals and also ours is of a size that aords access to a Forest Service helicopter for quick access and egress to fight local fires both Crown and pri-
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vately owned. Many schools, churches and local charities are involved with us in community fundraising through the sale of the trees. The alternative is a Tree made in China from non-renewable oil products shipped ( think fuel) half way around the world. Maybe you would like a plastic turkey to go with it? I think if you are going to write about something you should take the time to get a few facts in order. I note that you are a naturalist at Wildwood Eco forest, well I think my late Cousin Merve former owner of Wildwood would have
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quite a laugh about your article. For your info, Merve was NEVER against logging but only irresponsible logging. I once logged 10 acres o of his lands and the reforestation we did is coming along very well. I note your heading WILDWOOD RAMBLE with I think ramble being the operative word. Yours in silviculture. -Mike Gogo, Director at Mid Island Woodlot Association
Tooth Fairy Troubles article I just wanted to say thank you for including my article in your December issue. It is very much appreciated. Sales have increased because of it, so thanks again. Always love reading your publication. — Patricia Johnston Letters to the editor on community topics and concerns are welcomed. Opinions represented here are not necessarily those of TAKE 5 or its agents. Please email editor@take5.ca or fax: 250-245-7099 or PO Box 59, Ladysmith, BC V9G 1A1.
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COVID Vaccine is coming BY KERITH WADDINGTON British Columbian’s are breathing a little easier behind their masks these days. That’s because on January 22, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry outlined BC’s mass immunization plan for the first time, and in great detail. For many, this is the first glimpse of light at the end of the proverbial tunnel which has been COVID-19. There are four phases to the plan. Phase 1 and 2 run until February 2021 and target the populations most at risk of serious illness from COVID-19, as well as those who support the health care system. December and January vaccinations targeted residents, staff and essential visitors to long-term care and assisted-living residences, individuals awaiting a long- term care placement, health care workers providing care for COVID-19 patients, and remote and isolated First Nations communities. February vaccinations will target community-based seniors age 80 and above, Indigenous elders and Indigenous seniors age 65 and above, people
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experiencing homelessness and/or using shelters, provincial correctional facilities, adults in group homes or mental health residential care, long- term home support recipients and staff, and hospital staff, community GPs and medical specialists. Contingent on supply, BC will begin a mass vaccination strategy in April based on age stratification in descending fiveyear cohorts after the 80+ population is completed. From April till June, Phase 3 will target people age 79-60 to 79, as well as people with underlying health conditions that make them extremely clinically vulnerable. And the final Fourth Phase runs from July through September, and targets those 18 to 59-18. Health Canada has approved only the Pfizer and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, but the number of approved vaccines is expected to expand during the year. If that happens, the timeline of the different phases being rolled out may change. Of special note: once additional vaccines are approved and become available, people between the ages of 18 and 64 who are front-line essential workers, or who work in specific workplaces or industries, may be included in the later part of Phase 3. No one will miss their chance to get the vaccine. For example, if you are in Phase 2, you can still get vaccinated in Phase 3 or 4. Immunization clinics are being organized in 172 communities province-
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wide and will be overseen by local health authorities. Clinics will be held at large centres, including school gymnasiums, arenas and community halls. Mobile clinics will be available for some rural communities and those who are homebound due to mobility issues. Immunization clinic details will be made available before Phase 3 of BC’’s COVID-19 Immunization Plan. You can pre-register two to four weeks before you are eligible to reserve a vaccine appointment. Eligibility is based on your phase and age, working backwards in five year increments. Pre-registration opens in March;: people can register either online or by phone. And what of the million-dollar question —when can we whip off our masks and go back to normal life? It will take time, acknowledges Dr. Henry. The lifting of restrictions will depend on several factors, including the number of people immunized and level of community immunity, the number of COVID-19 cases in the province, and the health care system capacity. Till then, we must all continue to follow provincial health orders even if we have received the vaccine. Those thoughts may temper our excitement. But with the COVID-19 vaccination program well under way in BC, there’s no doubt that hope – like spring itself – is beginning to blossom. For up-to-date information on BC’s Immunization Plan please visit the BC Disease Control website at (www.bccdc. ca).
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BC Family Day Heritage Treasure Hunt The 2021 BC Heritage Week theme poses the question “Where do you find heritage?” The Ladysmith Maritime Society and Ladysmith & District Historical Society are presenting a family-fun Heritage Treasure Trail game on BC Family Day Feb 15, that attempts to answer that question. The outdoor game will introduce families and individuals to heritage features around Ladysmith. The Heritage Treasure Trail route map, and Heritage Explorer decal can be picked up at the Ladysmith Museum, the Welcome Centre at Ladysmith Community Marina, the Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce, or downloaded from their websites. The route starts at the Ladysmith Museum, where participants will be given a rhymed clue to identify the first heri-
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tage feature. Once found, participants are encouraged to take a photo or selfie at the site to share on social media #heritageladysmith. There will be 10 features to find with clues located sequentially at the sites. The trail goes through the downtown core and to the harbour area, where it ends at the Ladysmith Community Marina. Prizes for trail completion will be awarded, and participants can warm up at the marina’s Welcome Centre with a hot beverage and goodies and visit the display of heritage wooden boats restored by LMS volunteers. So put on your “explorer” hat and join the fun. Heritage slide shows and videos will be available all week on both society’s Facebook and websites to entertain and educate. Please visit lmsmarina.ca and ladysmithhistoricalsociety.ca. For details call Ladysmith Museum at 250-245-0423.
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Seniors Sacks of Care to Cold Weather Shelter For the second year, Bridges Christian Community Church, based at La Rosa Gardens, and residents of La Rosa Gardens Independent Assisted Living donated 20 festive Christmas sacks stuffed full of treats, luxuries and necessities to Ladysmith Cold Weather Shelter this Christmas. According to Pastor Graham, La Rosa knitters worked all year to make scarves and toques, and Ladysmith merchants stepped up to help. Enough supplies were gathered to make Christmas merry for people accessing the shelter. “We are so grateful for Tim Horton’s, Pharmasave and the Dollar Store for their support,” says Pastor Graham. “Special thanks to [Program Director] Jen Gendron for making this happen. The Christmas sacks were funded from the church’s small budget for local missions.” Bridges Christian Community Church has a congregation of approximately twenty people.
Ladysmith Council Highlights Ladysmith Council met virtually on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, with next steps for looking at repairs to the retaining wall at Ladysmith Community Marina and recommendations from the recent Committee of the Whole meeting among the agenda highlights. The meeting opened with Council adopting the recommendations from the Committee of the Whole meeting held on January 12, 2021, including some of the following: • amendments to wording in the Town’s Bylaw Enforcement Policy; • several items from the Corporate Flag Policy and the existing Park Bench Donation Guidelines Policy; and • directing staff to arrange an electronic meeting between Council and the School District No. 68 Board, including senior staff, to discuss the Board’s long-range facilities plan and to contract Tetra Tech to complete geotechnical drilling at the Ladysmith Community Marina retaining wall. Support was endorsed for the Cowichan Valley Regional District’s proposal to apply for, receive and manage the UBCM Community Emergency Preparedness Fund—Emergency Support Services (ESS) grant funding on behalf of the Town. The CVRD is proposing to modernize emergency reception centre, with a move toward digital registration and reporting. The next meeting of Council is scheduled for February 2, 2021, at 7 p.m. Previous meeting highlights included: • January 5, 2021: A park naming request for Russell Road and a grant application for the culvert replacement on Dogwood Drive and the Holland Creek crossing project. More details on the Holland Creek Local Area Plan, including a list of frequently asked questions can be found on their website (https://news.ladysmith.ca/t/r-l-jukjlio-uimehhuk-j/).
Collapse at St. Philip Anglican Church, Cedar, and Loaves and Fishes reopening BY BRIAN MCCORMACK, CHURCH WARDEN One of the problems one gets with being over 125 years old is that things can begin to go wrong! That was evidenced recently at St. Philip Anglican Church in Cedar. Having served as a gathering place for the Cedar and Ladysmith community over many decades and generations to conduct weddings, funerals,
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Celebrations of Life and many other special occasions, a freaky event occurred. During the past big windstorm, the heavy wooden cross on the west end of the church roof blew down onto the roof and then slid to the ground below. Fortunately, nobody was underneath. On inspection of photos taken by a drone flying above, it became obvious that the cause of the cross falling down was that the post that had secured the white cross to the roof had, over the years, become rotten and had finally split under the stress of the force of the wind. Now, a local benefactor, Grant Ayres of Motorwerx Metal Fabricators, has come forward and manufactured and donated a new replacement cross. The new cross is in the same dimensions as the old one but, this time, fabricated from aluminum and powder coated. However, the installation of the new cross would be significantly difficult. Not only must it be installed over 40 feet up but also 20 feet over, so a cherry picker-type lift would not be able to reach the spot. Instead, it was decided to rent a man-lift with the capability to reach up and over the building to provide a platform for the installation. Deon Gregoire, a licensed operator of the equipment and an employee of Garco Coating Systems was in charge of the installation under direction by Glenn White, the church’s buildings and grounds chief. Glenn supervises the Wednesday Warriors, a group of parishioners who look after routine maintenance and repairs but also keep the grounds looking pristine and tidy through the year. They also devote time and love to maintaining the Memorial Garden and Wall beside the church to commemorate the lives of loved ones.
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l-r: Brian McCormack, Glenn White, Grant Ayres, Lorraine Moxam, Deon Gregoire, David Booth at St. Philip Anglican Church, Cedar. Photo: Marina Sacht
Due to the pandemic, the church hall could no longer act as a satellite location for food distribution by Loaves and Fishes Food Bank. Where before there would be an average of 60 local area clients collecting food every Wednesday afternoon, this could no longer operate. The good news though is that having satisfied the church reopening protocols, Loaves and Fishes will reopen but under a new system, whereby the food will be packed into hampers in the hall by volunteers but delivered to the clients at their homes by the staff. The pandemic also curtailed many other community activities in the hall, such as the preparation of food for the Open Table community in Ladysmith and the Cedar Area Refugee Ef-
fort (CARE) meetings. In addition, the weekly Girl Guides and yoga classes had to be postponed until a vaccine is widely available. It is interesting to know that the church was only ever closed during the devastating Spanish Flu pandemic and the world wars. Otherwise it has remained open for services and social events.
The Unsung Heroes of Cedar Community Hall BY JUSTINE SAUNDERS Have you noticed the many improvements to the Cedar Community Hall over the past eight years? There have been many unsung heroes over the years, but the most recent group includes the new board: Jim Fiddick, Dave Williamson, Wanda Zink, Mayta Ryn, Don Grinnell, Armando dos Santos, Ted Girard, Vonda Croissant and Bruce Rowland. Area A RDN Director Alec McPherson persuaded the RDN to finance the roof and this began a series of muchneeded improvements by the volunteer board members. There is a work party every Tuesday morning, when much of the work is done. The hall is owned by the community and has a tax number to issue receipts. Rentals do not pay for the large budget items, so RDN grants were sought to pay for them. There are people on the current
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Cedar Community Hall has undergone recent improvements thanks to hardworking members. Photo: Anne Fiddick
board who have been very successful in applying for grants to help finance the much-needed improvements. While they also had a community fund raising dinner in the fall of 2019, these events were not available in 2020 due to COVID-19. Regardless, each of the board members has willingly given their time to the many ongoing projects that need to be done. In 1922, a local farmer named Jack McGuire gave the land on Cedar Road for the construction of the community hall, a local gem. Local farmers (Farmers Institute) and their wives (Women’s Institute) volunteered to build and fundraise to sustain this valuable community asset, and it continues to this day. The board includes a financial officer, secretary, rental manager, president, vice-president and board members at large. The funding for projects comes from grants and your tax dollars at work for the community. These improvements cannot be made without these dedicated volunteers. Here’s what has been done: A new roof, generator, hardwood flooring, gas heating system, tables and chairs, interior and exterior paint job, plumbing, renovated kitchen and bathrooms, electrical upgrades, re-designed entrance with expanded foyer, and a paved parking lot Jim Fiddick and Bruce Rowland have worked hundreds of hours on all these projects. Ted and Kate Girard did the essential paperwork for grants and records for the hall. Vonda Croissant looked after the rentals, phone, and email for the hall operations. A security system was installed due to break-and-enter activity some years ago and has to be set properly, otherwise some one has to get up in the middle of the night when the police call to check on it. Testing of the water needs to be done regularly for VIHA, which is also left to the unsung heroes. There is a proposed project underway to have a wheelchair ramp installed and a covered area outside the door for a waiting area. The hall is going to be 100 years old in 2022, which is cause for celebration! Funding from heritage grants is being sought for some of the expense and the community can contribute to find a way to celebrate with pandemic protocols, so that we can have a harvest dinner. Bravo to all the unsung heroes who contribute and make our community a better place to live.
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Winning YES Nature Photo Contest Early in 2020, the Yellow Point Ecological Society (YES) announced a Nature Photo Contest, and in late January they announced the $250 winner: Lynda Stevens, for her photo of a Salmon Fly Cicada resting on an Oregon grape flower. Lynda, who lives in South Nanaimo got seriously into amateur photography when she moved here from Nelson five years ago, starting with her love of birds then moving onto insects. She loves the parks and trails around Cedar and Yellow Point, and she took the photo at the start of the Morden Colliery Regional Trail, in the early spring, using an ordinary “point and shoot” camera – a Sony RX104 with a variable range lens.
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Trailing out Beloved trails under pressure BY KERITH WADDINGTON As towns and cities continue growing at a rapid rate on Vancouver Island, a push-and-pull dynamic between development and conservation is playing out. The wilderness surrounding two beloved area trails — Holland Creek in Ladysmith and Cable Bay in Cedar — is under pressure from immediate development, galvanizing locals in both communities to unite in asking elected officials to protect wilderness treasured by many. In Ladysmith, construction is beginning on a two-lane bridge over Holland Creek from the end of Colonia Drive. In the process, a sizeable area of wilderness is being lost. The developer’s proposed design does include two pedestrian tunnels underneath the roadway that will (l-r) Sign at Holland Creek Trail Photo: Community for Holland Creek FB Nina Rastogi believes existing green spaces and trails should be left within growing communities. Photo: Kerith Waddington Lennon and Jackie Wasyluk with Watson and Harlow on the Cable Bay Trail. Photo: Marina Sacht
connect with the existing trail system. In Cedar, survey tape is hanging off trees on each side of Cable Bay Trail in what is being seen by locals as the second attempt in the last ten years by longtime landowners, Oceanview Golf Resort & Spa Ltd., to begin development. If that goes ahead, the many hikers, local residents and horseback riders who use paths located on these private lands would lose that access. And the serene landscape that currently surrounds the trail would be lost forever. There is no doubt that a large part of the reason people want to live on the Island is its beauty and wilderness. And both Nanaimo and Ladysmith want to be seen as welcoming communities. But what can we do when some of the beauty and wildness that draws people here in the first place gets sacrificed to house, entertain or provide services to those same people? This is a conundrum Nina Rastogi, an
organizer of the Ladysmith Facebook (FB) group “Community for Holland Creek Park,” has struggled with herself. But she believes existing green spaces and trails should be left within growing communities, and parkland should be incorporated into new residential developments to a larger extent than the five per cent currently required. “Our group was created to prevent the construction of a bridge through the sweet spots of the trail on both sides and the cutting of trees,” she says. While the group wasn’t successful in halting the project — trees began to be cleared at the end of Colonia Drive on January 6 of this year — Rastogi hopes the Town has become more aware of how vital natural areas are to the residents of Ladysmith. “If information about potential developments affecting green space in
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Ladysmith is shared more liberally by the Town, a joint public process can happen. Then Council will be better able to identify what the people of Ladysmith need now and how those needs have changed.” Rastogi brings up another point. How can residents protect green spaces when those lands are privately owned? The Town’s head engineer told Rastogi that the best time to protect something is before development plans have been drawn up. But with a large portion of the area surrounding Ladysmith already allocated for development, Rastogi wonders, “How far into the forest do we have to go to find land that hasn’t been urbanized on paper?” The current development in Ladysmith was part of the Holland Creek Local Area Plan (HCLAP) that was adopted in 2003 and updated in 2016 (after widespread public consultation) as part of Ladysmith’s Official Community Plan. The Town of Ladysmith has produced and posted an FAQ on its website in the hopes of clearing up confusion surrounding the project and its timeline. Mayor Aaron Stone acknowledged the community’s concern at the Town’s January 5, 2021, regular council meeting. He points out, however, that back in 2003, “this was a good news story, as it was about the acquiring of the majority of the south side of the creek and establishing the park that we all enjoy today.” Stone adds that from a community planning principle, a northern access point to the lands south of the creek is needed for traffic flow distribution, emergency services and as an evacuation route should that ever become necessary. “The involvement of Council at this point is minimal. We will protect the environment as best we can, reinforce our guidelines around riparian developments, and ensure federal and provincial guidelines are followed.” Gail Reed spearheaded a group to save Holland Creek Trail years ago. She is philosophical about the latest developments. “Do not lose hope. This bridge may be lost, but all is not. There are still several kilometres or more where one can walk or run daily in quiet refreshing contemplation. I thank the town for maintaining the south side of the trail these twenty years in its natural state. Boundaries can be reforested, new properties hold covenants that respect the nature that borders them, and new bylaws protect these woodlands and waterways from lawn chemicals, developmental silt, litter and other pollutants and erosions.” Rastogi believes that “what we really need are progressive policies on the part of governmental bodies, like Nanaimo has just adopted. They have just adopted Doughnut economics, which means it looks at sustainability.” The economic model balances essential human needs with planetary obligations, and not continual growth as optimal. Additionally, they have decided to hire a sustainability manager for the city and allocate funds for active transportation, translating to improved walking and cycling trails and better public transport. Meanwhile in Cedar, resident Jackie Wasyluk started the “Save Cable Bay” FB group after noticing the survey tape alongside the trail. She was shortly thereafter joined in her administrative duties by Tammy Tait, Guy Dauncey and Jain Alcock-White, all of whom have taken on signifi-
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cant roles. Despite being one month young, the group boasts more than 1,000 members. Cable Bay Trail is protected as part of the regional parks system. But just 15 metres to either side of the trail, the land is privately owned by Oceanview Golf Resort & Spa Ltd., which has for years touted the area as a soon-to-be developed recreational destination. The lands west of the trail currently possess a “resort” designation, but the owner has been working with the City to amend that to “industrial.” Currently, 97 acres within the RDN boundaries are awaiting approval of a permit application to harvest the timber. Bill Corsan, director of Community Development for the City of Nanaimo, recently sent an email to a group administrator summarizing a few of the historical issues that have held up Oceanview Golf Resort and Spa. “The City is aware that Oceanview is actively marketing the lands and is aware of the concepts being marketed. None of the concepts have been approved by the City and require rezoning, development permit and subdivision approvals prior to commencement of construction. Approvals would require the developer to identify water and access options. None of these have been approved at this point in time.” Wasyluk acknowledges her concern with the project. “These lands could end up logged and destroyed, and then nothing may ever come of the development, as road and water access has not been established yet.” Tait echoes those sentiments. “A developer’s agenda should not trump the will of the community — this is our home and backyard. This resort plan keeps coming back and is constantly being diluted to fit the zoning. This dream is not an Islanders dream.” The purpose of the Cedar group is public education and action, says Tait. Many of the members have sent letters to Area A representative Keith Wilson, requesting that the RDN purchase these lands prior to logging, as the value is great to the community in its current state. “There is a long list of bankrupted projects that have golf courses attached to them. To us, we see the value of the forest, and to a developer, they see the value in the harvest.” There are numerous examples of the ability of citizens to save green spaces that are important to them: Linley Valley in Nanaimo, Goldstream Park in Victoria and, Clayquot Sound are just a few. Rastogi would encourage everyone to “speak out and up to try and do all we can to help this fragile planet on which we live.” Below: Cartoon by Gord Barney
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LDCU shows leadership and growth BY MARINA SACHT While COVID-19 saw the temporary closure or disruption of retail and service businesses, government offices and educational institutions, the Ladysmith & District Credit Union stayed the course. Following COVID protocols, with safety first, the staff rolled up their collective sleeve and displayed the leadership and commitment to service that has been their hallmark since the credit union was established in 1944. LDCU CEO John de Leeuw couldn’t have been more proud of his team. During a pandemic, you would plan for slowing or negative asset growth, a tighter financial margin, minimal or negative loan growth and higher delinquency, explains de Leeuw. None of that happened thanks to significant government intervention that created immense liquidity, with people saving more money than ever before. “Our best loan growth year was in 2016, and we grew by $12.5 million. It appears that in 2020, we will grow by close to $22 million. In a pandemic, it’s unbelievable,” says de Leeuw. “Our entire asset base is up. We are now just shy of $285 million of assets under administration. We have had a phenomenal year, all aspects of our organization, group assets, deposits, loans. And at the same time, we’re doing it all with probably the best year of operating income that we’ve had in our history.” All this is good news for the community at large as social responsibility is embedded in the very fabric of the credit union and is a contributor to their success, according to de Leeuw. “I can safely say that in the last fifteen years, we’ve given well over a million dollars in donations and sponsorships in our community.” And the past year was no exception. Even before the government was able to help with COVID relief, LDCU had already committed $1 million to their Interest-Free Emergency Relief Term Loans and offered mortgage and loan deferrals to aid their members and the community. When two major events, Ladysmith Light Up and Ladysmith Days, were cancelled, they found other projects to support. The downtown washroom project got $10,000, and the Ladysmith Downtown Business Association received $1,500 to promote local shopping. A $5,000 donation went to the food bank, the Ladysmith Museum got a new big-screen TV, and on it goes. The LDCU is one of two independent credit unions left in BC, while others merged into ever-larger organizations and closed branches. Seventy-six years young, the LDCU is LDCU sponsored a "Virtual Grad" when the event was cancelled in 2020. The LDCU main office on First Avenue in Ladysmith. Photo: Marina Sacht
Ladysmith & District Credit Union CEO John de Leeuw. Photo: LDCU
a vibrant, progressive one-stop financial services centre that can offer anything other financial institutions offer. “And we’re usually cheaper and we do it better,” says de Leeuw. “I can look at what we’ve done in the community over the years and see our ability to maintain our independence and remain financially sound and continue to grow.” “We support the community. We do these things because we believe they’re the right things to do, not because it makes business sense. They’re great memories for families and bring joy and happiness. . . . The residents’ support allows us to support our community. And that’s why our tagline says, ‘Our Community. Your Credit Union.’”
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RDN Area A Cedar I have received a great deal of email about the Cable Bay Trail in the northeast part of Electoral Area A. It is no surprise that people are concerned that the landowner whose parcels surround the trail has applied for timber cutting permits from the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) and the City of Nanaimo. For those unfamiliar with the trail, it starts at the end of Nicola Road and makes its way toward the water in a slight northwest direction. A very small part of the trail is actually in Area A, while the much larger portion lies within the City of Nanaimo. Further, many people believe that it ultimately turns to the east and makes its way to Joan Point Park, which touches on Dodds Narrows. However, they are mistaken. Despite what many trail guides indicate, the trail is approximately two kilometres long and ends at Cable Bay. It does not turn east, as many maps show. Within the RDN, there is approximately 300 metres of the trail. The landowner whose property is located on both sides of the trail has applied to the RDN for a cutting permit for timber on the parcel that lies in the regional district. I believe they have indicated that they will leave a 15-metre buffer alongside the trail. The land is zoned Resource Lands and Open Space, which allows logging as a permitted use. Ultimately, that means that the landowner is within their rights to take timber from the property. It also means that if the landowner fulfills the requirements of the permitting process, the RDN cannot withhold or even slow down the issuance of a cutting permit.
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Some have asked if the RDN could purchase the land to ensure that it would not be logged. I have asked the landowner if they would be interested in selling the lands lying within the regional district, and they have indicated that they are not, but they would consider an offer on the entire parcel. There are many reasons why the RDN would not entertain purchase of the entire parcel, not the least of which is the fact that the land is too expensive. As well, most of the trail is located within the boundaries of the City of Nanaimo, and the RDN would be hard-pressed to purchase parkland for another jurisdiction. It is not going to be particularly popular to say that there is little that I and/ or the RDN can do to prevent or slow down the process that is currently underway, but those are the facts. Current federal and provincial laws allow landowners to do those things that zoning laws say are permitted upon their lands. The only solution I can see would be for a huge fundraising effort to raise the estimated $35 million asking price for the entire property before someone else buys it. And, as most of the trail is located within the City of Nanaimo, those who are adamant that this area remain untouched may want to reach out to the City and see what can be done from that perspective.
CVRD Area H North Oyster/ Diamond At the time of this writing, it has been eight weeks since the by-election and six weeks since taking the oath of office
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on December 8, 2021. I would like to thank my family, team and supporters. I would also like to thank Murray McNab for running and giving voters a choice. He has very deep roots here and showed how much he cares about the community. The day following the oath of office was described as a “baptism by fi re,” as it was a full day of on-going budget meetings. There were so many budget items to consider, and I thank former Alternate Director Colin Haime for providing a smooth transition by dealing with all Area H budget items, with the exception of those related to our Parks and Trails. These items will be considered by the newly formed Parks Advisory Commission (PAC) of Valerie Bresnahan, Shannon Boisvert, Brian Brown, Murray McNab and Pamela Walker. In the middle of December, Guy Dauncey hosted a public Zoom meeting for me that was called “What’s Happening in Area H — What do you want to see on an Area H website?” The Zoom meeting included an update from the CVRD on the Harmonization of the Official Community Plan (HOCP), an update by Mike Fall of the Advisory Planning Commission (ACP) and from Pamela Walker about the Yellow Point Trail. There were also three surveys: • Survey 1 — Where do you get your information? Response: TAKE 5 89 per cent, Ladysmith Chronicle 44 per cent, Facebook 33 per cent • Survey 2 — Main Topics for the Area H website (see below for responses)
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• Survey 3 — Frequency of Town Hall Meetings Response: Most popular was every three months. The responses to Survey 2, and subsequent discussion, led to the framework for the now active website: www. AreaH.ca. The purpose of the website is to share information “About our piece of Paradise,” “Hot Issues,” “Commission Updates,” “Director’s Updates,” “FAQs” and “Events.” It is my hope that the website will act as a useful place to share information amongst community members, helping all feel connected to the larger community. The new year started with the monthly APC meeting, which was held January 11, 2021. It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with this dedicated group made up of Mike Fall (chair), Chris Gerrand (vice chair), John Edwards (secretary), Allison Heikes, Shannon Boisvert and Doug Hoare. Aside from the ongoing work with the HOCP, this group responds to requests from CVRD planning to advise and make recommendations to the CVRD
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Board about rezoning applications and development permit applications. The agenda, minutes and scheduled meetings will be posted on the CVRD website and linked to the AreaH.ca website. On January 12, 2021, the CVRD made an online presentation about the draft 2021 budget. It is posted to the CVRD website (www.cvrd.ca/2016/2021-DraftBudget). It is fairly close to being finalized, and I invite you to take a look if you are interested. At the CVRD Board meeting on January 13, 2021, I was appointed as the board representative to a joint CVRD– RDN committee for the Yellow Point Trail. The trail is a big dream of several local residents, and this is one small but important step to have both regional districts agree to have a joint committee. In between all this activity, I am learning from the community water systems, properties flooding, driveways washing out, and noise from shooting. And one consistent thing I heard was how much Mary Marcotte is respected in the community. Almost to the end. Looking back, I
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think this report has mostly been announcements. So here are the last two: I would like to thank Barry Marcotte for agreeing to be the alternate director for Area H. Barry took the oath of office on January 11, 2021. I would also like to invite you to the first Virtual Town Hall for Area H at 7 p.m. on February 11, 2021 (the link is http://bit.ly/39vqnb2). I hope to see and hear you there. Lastly, please remember being good neighbours is what makes a community great. Reach out and help. During these times, the smallest act of kindness — a hello, a smile, a wave — goes a long way. Be that person and be safe.
CVRD Area G Saltair/Thetis Island A year ago, our lives changed. Area G residents have spent this past year meeting the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hopefully, in 2021, vaccines will allow us to leave our bubbles. I miss the normal interactions: the hugs, snuggling, and just hanging out. Our parks continue to provide a space where we
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can find time to enjoy the amazing area we share. Saltair Water System The AAP response period for up to $3.7 million borrowing bylaw for Saltair’s mandated filtration system ends on February 10. The CVRD’s “Saltair Water System Customer” letter provides background and tells us how to obtain more information and elector response forms. I continue to support the bylaw because the loan repayment will be funded over 20 years. Those who will benefit from an improved water supply will share the cost. If you are in favour of the borrowing bylaw, no action is required. The CVRD’s grant application for our filtration system is still outstanding. The Province should make its decision by the end of January. If approved, the application will go to the federal government for final approval, which will be announced this spring. If the grant application is approved, a loan of about $1.6 million will be required. This reduced cost will be funded by the current borrowing bylaw if it passes. CVRD Draft 2021 Budget (see https://www.cvrd.ca/2016/2021-Draft-Budget) The majority of CVRD budget functions have not been increased. At this point, solid waste has the largest increase. However, the assessed value of managed forest land in Area G has decreased by $1.2 million. This decrease causes a proportional taxation increase. Even if the cost of a budget function has not increased, it can cause a taxation increase. For example, the Area G Community Parks budget has not been increased, but the residential taxation amount will increase to offset the managed forest land value decrease. Saltair Community Parks The condition of the asphalt courts in Saltair Centennial Park have been assessed. The tennis practice area and upper sports court sub-surfaces have failed. The tennis practice court could be repaved for $25,000 or removed for $5,000. The upper sports court could be repaved for $40,000 or removed for $7,000. The Saltair Parks Commission recommends locking off the upper sports court and removing the tennis practice court (because it cannot be locked off ) for public safety. Minor projects for 2021 include crack mitigation in the tennis courts, a crack repair in the lower sports court and Type 2 trail surface upgrades in excessively muddy areas of the main trail in Diana, Princess of Wales Wilderness Park. As a major 2021 project, the southeast forest loop in Saltair Centennial Park will be upgraded to a Type 2 trail, providing a safe trail connection to other trails and Saltair’s commercial area. A group of local pickleball players has investigated adding lines for pickleball to the lower sports court in Saltair Centennial Park. Volunteers are willing to paint the lines and fund portable nets. Local tennis players also support using the lower sports court for pickleball. Thetis Island Wharf In June 2020, a conditional assessment of the Thetis Island Wharf was completed. The wharf was closed to vehicle traffic. The Thetis Island community and others rely on the wharf for medical and emergency transportation, etc. Through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program’s COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream (CVRIS), a grant application for up to a maximum of $275,000 for upgrades to the wooden pier
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structure to enable vehicle access will be filed at the end of January 2021. Cowichan Valley Trail (CVT) At the December 9, 2020, Special Corporate Services meeting, I raised the issue of funding for construction of the undeveloped section of CVT from North Watts Road to the Ladysmith boundary. Only design had been included in the 2021 Budget. I asked to have funding for the project work also included. The other CVRD directors supported this. A five-year, $300,000 loan will now be used to fund the design and project work in 2021. With about 14,000 affected residents, this connection will significantly benefit our communities. This is exciting news. Saltair Davis Lagoon Bridge Our bridge is famous. E.J. Hughes produced a painting of it in 1966. This trestle bridge was built in 1958. It is unique. The deck is planking. In its early years, nearby residents complained about the noise of vehicles travelling over the surface. Eventually, an asphalt surface was installed over the planking. This addressed the noise, but the planks still move when vehicles travel over the surface. This creates cracks in the asphalt. Crews will be working on the bridge from January 18 until February 26, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Please drive safely. So far, 2021 is shaping up to be a busy year. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at lynne.smith@cvrd.bc.ca or 250-701-1407. For more information visit SaltairNews.ca.
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Families of All Forms! BY SARA MIMICK NATURALIST, & VOLUNTEER WILDWOOD ECOFOREST It’s February, and mid-month brings us Family Day, a holiday that puts the spotlight on the family members that make our lives meaningful. Family members come in many different forms, some blood relatives, some not, but often what we share is love and support for each other. This is true not only for human families, but also for non-human families that call our neighbourhoods, parks, forests and waterways home. Recent research has proven that many different animal species feel emotions,
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such as love, joy and grief, towards each other and other species. This month take some time to value the people and pets in your life that you consider family, but also to learn about and appreciate the animal families that live around us. Here are a few of my favourites: River otters. River otters sometimes have an aggressive reputation, especially towards other species, but the love for their family members runs deep. Otter couples are monogamous, staying loyal to each other throughout the course of their lives. Female river otters keep their dens meticulously clean in preparation for the birth of their young. Once the pups arrive, they stay as a family unit for approximately eight months or until the birth of a new litter. During this time, the mother otter is completely dedicated to caring for and protecting her pups. When the big day arrives for the pups to enter and swim in the water for the very first time, mom is there for them every step of the way. She carefully coaxes and supports them into the water. When a new litter arrives, the eldest daughter
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from the previous litter may stay with the family, assisting with territorial defense and socialization of the new pups. The pups, that leave and disperse to find their own territories and dens, will often meet up to visit with their parents and siblings. Canada Geese. Sibling love is the name of the game with Canada Geese. According to Mary Lou Simms, Canada Geese do not partake in sibling rivalry but instead “seem to have grasped the notion that developing a support system with your brothers and sisters forms a healthy basis for future relationships … Brothers and sisters coo to one another with sheer, unabashed affection.” Siblings will often live for many years together as a family until they find a mate. Even after they have found a mate, they may continue to remain in the same family gaggle. Gaggles of geese can reach up to 25 members or more, consisting of parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins. Simms also says “offspring also never, ever disrespect a parent. Such a thing would be unthinkable in geese society.”
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Wolf Spiders. Family life is short but sweet for a wolf spider. The bond between the mother and her young is strong. Once a female has mated and her egg sac has developed, she secures the egg sac to the end of her abdomen with her spinnerets. Even though a mother wolf spider must keep her abdomen constantly raised so the egg sac does not drag on the ground, she carries her unborn young with her everywhere she goes, including to hunt for food. Once the baby spiderlings emerge from the sac, they climb up their mother’s legs onto her back. Mom will then piggy-back up to 100 spiderlings to protect them from predators. While the strategy of carrying for her young on her back only lasts a week or two before the spiderlings disperse and fend for themselves, it is unlike any other parenting technique known to exist among spider species.
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A family of River Otters. Photo: Bob Burgess
Sources: J. Scott Shannon. https://www.otters.net North American River Otter. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/n/ north-american-river-otter/ Mary Lou Simms. 2017, 10 Things You Did Not Know About Canada Geese. Huff Post. https://www.huff post.com/entry/10-things-you-didnt-knowabout-canada-geese_b_8734056 Wolf Spiders. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/ group/wolf-spider/
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A Five Year Vision for Greater Food Security The clock is ticking, and we need to take the load off the planet — fast! I agree with Seth Klein’s new book A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency that says we need a “wartime approach” to climate change. It is structured around lessons from the Second World War — the last time Canada faced an existential threat. Canada’s wartime experience, Klein contends, provides an inspirational reminder that we have done this before. We have mobilized in a common cause across class, race and gender, and entirely retooled
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our economy in the space of a few short years. We just need some unifying direction from the top. “World War II presented the West with an existential crisis for which government institutions, corporations and civil society were utterly unprepared. Yet in astonishingly rapid order, society, government and industry were united in resolve and enabled unprecedented government action and leadership. Read this inspiring book to realize giving up is not an option and ‘can’t be done’ is not an excuse.” — David Suzuki, on Seth Klein’s A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency Imagine how much more food secure we would feel if there was a call to “Dig for Victory.” If we created a vision for five years in the future that looked something like this, we could have a taste of Tuscany right here where we live! “Edible landscaping” has become de rigueur, and the majority of gardeners grow plants they can eat in their gardens. People share backyards and laneways, establish micro-farms with ducks, chickens, geese, and rabbits, and grow food in community allotment gardens.
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New Victory Garden posters submitted
Food and fruit trees grow on boulevards and in public gardens, and urban farms produce substantial amounts of organic fruits and vegetables. Farmers markets and farm stands
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thrive as more and more food becomes available, and more and more visitors come to experience the joys of dining on artisanal food. Young farmers would discover that there is a good income to be made from growing food. “Love your farmer” would be the most popular bumper sticker on electric cars, and agriculturists would receive newfound respect and support for feeding us. There would be food gardens in schoolyards, with education on human nutrition and growing food in primary and secondary schools so that children learn and remember the vital connection between diet and health, and also stay connected to nature. Farmers and gardeners would save seeds for future harvests, and community seed banks would spring up to safeguard collective food security. Universities and community colleges would teach sustainable small-scale farming, and institutions and businesses would offer loans and grants to help new farmers get started. “Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” — Japanese proverb The above vision highlights eight themes or action steps we can take today to advance food security in our area: 1. Help people grow their own food. 2.Encourage people to grow food together/communally (garden share, community gardens, church gardens, etc.). 3. Grow food (fruit trees, berry bushes, food forests) in public places like parks and boulevards. 4. Support farmers by shopping locally through farmers markets and community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs. 5. Provide incentives and support to help farmers get started and ensure they can earn a good income. 6.Build food literacy through school gardens and by teaching nutrition in our schools and small scale farming in our universities. 7. Save seeds. 8.Support micro-farms (small scale farms with ducks, chickens, geese, goats, rabbits and other small animals). We are fortunate to enjoy here the mild climate so favoured by gardeners everywhere. Why not grow, buy fresh and local, add to our food security, and the economy while getting fresh air and exercise in the process. Carolyn Herriot is author of The Zero Mile Diet, A Year Round Guide to Growing Organic Food and The Zero Mile Diet Cookbook, Seasonal Recipes for Delicious Homegrown Food (Harbour Publishing) available at your local bookstore.
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Ladysmith Heritage Review BY QUENTIN GOODBODY BC Heritage Week, February 15 to 21, 2021, is an annual celebration that encourages awareness and preservation of heritage in British Columbia. Heritage is “that which is inherited from past and passed to future generations.” It can be natural, such as the landscapes, resources, animals and plants, and cultural, reflecting the built environment (buildings, urban and agricultural landscapes), artifacts (objects, books, pictures, machinery) and intangibles (language, philosophy, value systems, social organization). Art spans the cultural attributes. Sometimes, the heritage that one generation rejects is subsequently revived and revered. Our heritage is a daily reminder of our history. The Town’s motto “Heritage by the Sea” stems from a 1980s marketing initiative using the heritage buildings in the downtown core to attract people to Ladysmith. The connection between heritage and business has recently been emphasized by the Chamber of Commerce’s release of the Ladysmith Heritage and Investment Walking Tour app. The “Community Heritage Register,” last updated in 2018 and available online (hƩp://www.ladysmith.ca/ docs/brochures-other-publications/ community-heritage-register.pdf), provides a list of heritage features, mostly downtown buildings, recognized as important to Ladysmith. Absent, however, are features such as the original grid-iron townscape, with its distinctive extra-wide streets and avenues, the vernacular coal miners’ cottages and the Comox Logging railyard and buildings (other than the iconic Machine Shop), which figured so prominently in the survival of the Town from the 1930s on. The Ladysmith Archives, with its
Now and then view of First Avenue and Roberts Street looking north. Now photo: Quentin Goodbody Before photo: Ladysmith Archives
collections of newspapers, photographs and documents, and the Ladysmith Museum, with its artefact collection, also deserve mention. There are no “intangibles” listed and nothing to do with the Stz'uminus First Nation. The Community Heritage Register needs to be updated and expanded. Ladysmith’s Official Community Plan (OCP) has “preserve heritage and cultural resources” as one of its guiding principles, stating, “Future development will need to acknowledge heritage and cultural considerations so that Ladysmith retains its uniqueness.” Also stated in the OCP is that “the Downtown will continue to be planned and managed in a manner consistent with its heritage character” and that “design guidelines will be completed for the Downtown to promote the heritage character of the area.” Given their economic importance as a
tourist draw, you would think that there are incentives available to encourage the preservation and rehabilitation of heritage buildings by private individuals — and not just within the downtown core. However, a heritage revitalization tax exemption listed in “Ladysmith Downtown Initiatives” is absent from the fees and incentives currently offered online by the Town. The one revitalization tax exemption featured (Bylaw 1807) is not applicable to “projects involving proposals to alter a building listed on the Town of Ladysmith Heritage Register.” The building code provides a set of alternate compliance methods to “make allowances” for buildings on the Heritage Register, but does this lead to any savings? A search for provincial and federal incentives for preservation and rehabilitation of privately owned heritage properties came up empty. Should we not be actively encouraging
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preservation of such iconic buildings as the Traveller’s Hotel, Temperance Hotel, Jones Hotel and the Ladysmith Inn? What would Ladysmith be without them? There are stringent regulations regarding preservation of the heritage character of the downtown core: changes to the exterior of commercial and multi-family residential properties in the “Downtown Specified Area” must be approved through the sign permit and/or development permit process. Application of these regulations has resulted in an attractive and commercially successful downtown, but is what we have “heritage authentic”? In the harbour, only the Comox Logging and Railway Company (CL&RCo) shops building (Machine Shop) and the E&N Railway Station are listed in the Heritage Register. Just as important are other surviving key elements of the CL&RCo depot — the Locomotive Shed (Roundhouse), Car Shop, 1st Aid Shed, Lunchroom/Washroom, Cable Splicing Shed, surviving trackage, rolling stock and machinery. Collectively, they form a unique heritage site and one of significant importance to the Town — which owes its survival to industrial activity here after the closure of the coal mines in the early 1930s. Given the importance of the harbour to the Stz'uminus First Nation, expansion of the register might include discussion regarding what natural and cultural features should be added — with names and descriptions in Hul'qumi'num, accompanied by translation into English. While heritage is clearly a Town priority, it is unclear which civic body manages it. The 2016 Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan contains no reference to the 2008 Heritage Strategic Plan. Perhaps this is because heritage was considered covered by the Heritage Revitalization Advisory Commission (HRAC), established in 1998? HRAC was disbanded in April 2019, being in part replaced by the Community Planning Advisory Committee (CPAC), which, amongst other duties, provides feedback on development or redevelopment of land, buildings or structures that are on the Community Heritage Register. CPAC’s mandate does not include review of the 2008 Heritage Strategic Plan, nor updating/expansion of the Community Heritage Register. The 33 features listed in the Heritage Register lack any legal protection. For this, they have to be “designated” rather than “registered.” This requires enactment by bylaw. Heritage features could also be protected by designation of Heritage Conservation Areas in the OCP, with changes requiring a heritage alteration permit. Ladysmith’s OCP states, “Council may consider heritage designation bylaws, including a historic building management bylaw, and require a heritage conservation management plan regarding heritage building development.” Maybe this should be done? If so, who would decide what heritage assets merit such protection? Two volunteer organizations are directly involved with preserving and showcasing heritage in the Ladysmith District. The Ladysmith & District Historical Society (LDHS) manages the archives and museum through a contract with, and financial support from, the Town. The LDHS, while working with the Town to clarify its role within Heritage Administration, is actively encouraging an update of the Heritage Strategy, expansion of the Community Heritage Register and emplacement of meaningful legal protection for heritage assets. In 2020, the society initiated annual
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Heritage Awards to recognize efforts to preserve our heritage and showcase it to the public. The Ladysmith Maritime Society (LMS), apart from running the Ladysmith Community Marina, protects and promotes Ladysmith’s maritime heritage through restoration of wooden boats, operating the Harbour Heritage Centre and a floating museum, and running festive and educational activities with maritime themes. The joint LMS/LDHS Ladysmith Harbour Heritage Committee is working to advise the Town on harbour heritage matters. Its near term focus is development Phase 1 of the Arts & Heritage Hub located within the Comox Logging Depot on Oyster Bay Drive — for which the Town last year received a $3.3-million grant with activity to commence imminently. The aim is a balance between preservation of the heritage site and its rehabilitation to suit modern purposes. Take some time during Heritage Week to reflect on your personal heritage, the heritage of others and that of our community. Look at the heritage features we have around us and ponder on their history. Think of the cultural and economic importance of our heritage and how this should be protected. If preserved and managed strategically, our district’s heritage can generate wealth, impart a collective sense of place, understanding and pride, be a significant unifier and an important bridge from the past, through the present to the future. For BC Heritage Week events sponsored by the Ladysmith & District Historical Society and Ladysmith Maritime Society please visit their websites or FB pages or call 250-245-0423.
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Local historian Isabelle Ouelette remembered BY ED NICHOLSON Life Member of the Ladysmith & District Historical Society Isabelle Ouelette worked tirelessly to capture the stories that brought history to life. She will be missed greatly by the society and the community. If you have visited the Ladysmith Archives in the past 20 years, you have probably met Isabelle, an experience you are unlikely to forget. I first met Isabelle in the summer of 2009. We had returned to the town where my family had first settled in 1899, and where I had spent part of my childhood. A lover of history and anxious to explore my roots, joining the LDHS was a logical beginning. My cousin Ruth Weeks was a member, so she took me to the Archives to meet Isabelle. Isabelle Ouelette (centre) at the book launch of The Gap. She helped produce a They were old friends and at first Isabelle number of local history books available at the Ladysmith Archives. seemed quite pleased to meet another Nichol- Photo courtesy of Ed Nicholson. son – especially as my Aunt Myrtle had been importance of helping our neighbours to tell their own story. her favourite teacher in Grade 5. Isabelle inIsabelle loved her TV shows but she was also well read. She troduced me to long term residents and say, “This is Ed, one of didn’t consider herself a writer, but in publishing the story of our new volunteers – he’s Miss Nicholson’s Nephew!” the Gap she made sure that the full story was told. I could never At first, I was a little intimidated by Isabelle. Show up for get her to write down her own stories despite her phenomenal your volunteer shift at 9:10 in the morning and you would be memory, or talk into a video camera, but I remember the aftergreeted by “What took you so long?” or, if she was in a better noon when I talked her into taking me on a tour of the town. I mood, “Well, look what the cat dragged in!” would drive for a block and then pull over to the curb so I could But once I got to know her, I discovered that was how she write down the oral history pouring out of her memory banks. greeted lots of people that she regarded as friends, and she had Isabelle, to use her way of saying it, was never one to “Blow a lot of those! As long as you were there to volunteer or to ask her own horn”. She also never “suffered fools gladly” “had time questions you were most welcome at the Archives. for uppity people” or those who “Never knew when to stop Isabelle not only knew a lot of people, she knew a lot about yappin’.” You were also not in her good books if you “screwed the town. She wasn’t one to flaunt her knowledge, but if you up” “slacked off ” or were someone who “was all talk and no asked her a question about Ladysmith, she usually had an anaction.” swer. And if she didn’t, she would pick up the telephone and I am sure that many of her own family could tell us about the call the person who did! I think her many years of working in inherent danger in “crossing swords with grandma.” But I am the town as a telephone operator had given her a basic underequally certain that they had little difficulty seeing the warm standing of how the town was “networked” and loving person just beneath the gruff exterior. The Isabelle I Isabelle also possessed an insatiable curiosity. The desire to came to know had a huge heart, and a wicked sense of humour find out something about the town’s history and then to make expressed with a raucous laugh and smile that could light up certain others learned about it as well resulted in her getting the darkest room. Isabelle could be cranky and stubborn, but this knowledge into print. Isabelle was the major force behind put her in front of a visiting primary students visiting the artwo cookbooks which contain family history, photos and the chives with their teacher and she would melt before your eyes. favourite recipes of more than 160 families. She called, coI can imagine Isabelle reading this and telling me, “That’s a erced and collected the raw material for the books and then load of ‘BS’!” But I will use her own words to prove her wrong. convinced other Society volunteers to help the families with “At one time I could walk down First Avenue and recognize the editing and assembly of their contributions. I think she was nearly everyone I met. Today, there are many new faces and I pleased that nearly all of the stories were written or at least nardo not always recognize the children and the grandchildren of rated by the family members themselves. my fellow residents, let alone the new arrivals. I have lived in Isabelle also had a personal connection and a deep respect Ladysmith for over seventy years, but despite the rapid growth with both the Metis culture and First Nations Traditions. From in recent years, it has managed to retain many of the best qualiIsabelle, I learned the importance of the choice of food offered ties of small town living.” in meals and meetings as well as the role of simple gifts to Isabelle loved her home town – and Ladysmith loved her show respect to their honoured guests. Isabelle was deeply back. concerned about the survival of Stz’uminus history and the
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Splitting Firewood If you live in the country and want to be regarded as a real man, you cut and split your own firewood - something the realtor never told you. It is also considered manly to take wood off your own property. For some reason, these trees are called “windfall,” which is funny, because they only come down on the other side of the swamp where an amphibious vehicle is required to rescue them. Because this article is a work of fiction, we’ll assume the unlikely case of a tree conveniently coming down right next to your woodshed. One end rests on your prized $4000 mountain bike; the other crushes something your wife loves, say her prized rhododendron. Eager to impress the neighbourhood with the chainsaw pants you got for Christmas, you spring into action. Your first assignment is to start your chainsaw, a task made a lot easier for those remembering to adjust the on-off safety switch. After repeated pulls and stretching your pulling arm by six inches, the saw barks into action and branch trimming can begin. What would take a faller two minutes, takes you 20. Zing, zing, zing – the faller’s branches drop like whiskers. Yours look like a beaver has gnawed them off. This seems strange: just last week, your saw cut through dirt
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like butter. Finally, the branches are piled into a massive heap and the pay-off begins. The wood must now be cut into rounds no more than 18 inches long, a task made easier if you could put pencil marks on the tree, but you can’t. Various firewood lengths make for an interesting stacking experience and colourful language when the longer lengths won’t fit into your woodstove. Unfortunately, the tree is bridged between the flattened mountain bike and the deceased rhododendron. The unsupported trunk causes your saw to bind halfway through the first cut. Three hours later, the saw is still stuck and neighbours start showing up with an assortment of wedges and jacks, suppressing laughter at your chainsaw pants, which appear to misrepresent your abilities. Day two, a fresh start, but not before sharpening your chain. This doesn’t make the saw cut more quickly but does cause it to pull so strongly to the right, it now cuts in circles. What should take ten minutes takes half the morning. The other half is spent trying to remember the name of your physiotherapist. Eventually, the rounds are ready for splitting. You look forward to the zing of the axe and the “spoing” of splitting fir. Instead you’re greeted by “twock”: an axe’s way of announcing it is firmly embedded and will remain so for a good ten minutes despite your best backbreaking efforts to remove it. The axe is finally extracted and, as the round of wood continues to smirk, you realize your mistake. More power, Scotty! This time, ignoring your aching back, you give it the full Paul Bunyan. “TWOCK!!!!” And you thought you were stuck before.
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Time to bring out the maul, a fatheaded axe on steroids used to pound your axe still further into the wood. If you have any luck – so far, you haven’t or you’d be living in the city – you will split that smirking piece of Douglas fir in two. We interrupt this story to remind you about the First Law of Carpentry: “A thumb will always be struck within the first five blows of the hammer.” The corollary, now discovered: “A maul’s handle will always break within the first five swings, especially when trying to extract an embedded axe.” After returning from Canadian Tire with the new maul handle, you face another extraction problem: how to get the shattered handle out of the friggin’ maul head. Swearing doesn’t help - it must be burned out. Which is why you reserved the fir branches. As you soon discover, setting a big pile of wet branches alight isn’t easy. Do you use the tires from your crushed mountain bike as an accelerant? Of course, you do! No one is looking. After two hours performing as a human bellows, you get the fire going. Thanks to the bike tires, you’ve generated enough smoke to attract NASA’s attention. And the notice of Mrs. Gisborn next door who is hollering something about the white laundry on her clothes line not appreciating the smoke, you idiot. Meanwhile, you’ve got the maul fixed and are taking out your frustration by pounding your axe head through the resistant fir. Just as you’re throwing your shoulder out of joint, your other neighbour, Bob “Calculator” Weiser, the retired engineer, shows up. “I’ve been counting,” he says. “You’ve got 57 blows into that piece of wood. If we multiply the fulcrum arm times the mass, times the velocity, we get the number of ergs.” Out comes the calculator from his jacket pocket. “Which translated to heat units comes out to 85.” I wait patiently, catching my breath. “Now, if we go to the Wood Chopper’s Handbook, which I happen to have right here, it says there’s 24 heat units in a block of fir that size if it’s perfectly dry. Factor in that you’re not organized enough to use dry wood, so you’ll burn it wet and generate maybe 6 heat units. 85 heat units of labour to produce 6 units
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of heat - can’t say it adds up.” What does add up is the cost: saw repair when you forgot to add oil to the mix, gas, axe handle, maul handle, numerous physio sessions, court costs for assault of Bob, and all new linen for Mrs. Gisborn, tallies up to $1352.46. The same amount of wood - split, delivered and stacked - would cost $350. No one said being a real man is cheap. Wine recommendation: Codici. From Sicily, Fifteen bucks. Invite me over. You can follow Delbert at Slightlycorkedandmore.wordpress.com or pick up his book at Mahle House, Co-Co Cafe, TAKE 5 office or throughout the community for just $20.
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HEART LAKE ROOFING for all your roofing repairs 250-668-9195.
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PETS HOME & YARD PLUMBER FOR HIRE. Journeyman Red Seal Plumber with over 30 years experience for repairs, leaks, installations or renovations, free estimates, reasonable rates. Call Joe (leave message) or text 250-246-5883.
LADYSMIITH MUSEUM has volunteer opportunities as greeters, researchers and helpers. 250-245-0423
CONCRETE RESULTS. Contracting, fullservice forming and finishing, walls, walks, patios, drives. 35 years experience. Call Gord 250-753-4024.
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EXPERIENCED HOUSESITTER Now offering Senior Companionship, Respite Care and Concierge Services. Peaceofmindcare. wordpress.com. Contact Kathleen at kgrcoaching@gmail.com or 250-619-0786. I CAN EDIT. Copy editing, proofreading, structural editing and more. Fiction or nonfiction, web content and eBook prep. For more information, email editican@gmail. com. VIDEO PRODUCTION services, from script to screen, edited and ready to post on YouTube, Facebook or your website. Experienced, friendly, professional, and yet affordable service. Contact editor@take5.ca or phone 250-245-7015. HEALTH & WELLNESS TAI CHI for mental & physical health. Beginner classes start Sept. & Jan., Mondays; ongoing class Wednesdays. Both classes 10 am–noon at the Cedar Hall, 2388 Cedar Road. More information: www.taichinanaimo.org or call Sara 250-245-1466.
FEB 2021
QUALITY RENOVATIONS. Big or small. 25 yrs. exp/journeyman, affordable. For free estimate, call Lars 250-616-1800. ALL ACRES TREE SERVICE providing all aspects of tree work. Pruning, falling, hedging, dangerous tree removal. Fully insured. Professional work at reasonable rates. Call 250-246-1265. DARRELL ESSAR RENOVATIONS. Over 30 years’ experience, certified journeyman carpenter. No job is too small, from fences, decks, tile work, hardwood flooring, painting, drywall, etc. For free estimate, call Darrell 250-714-3823. ISLAND PRUNING. Professional tree care from large scale orchards to budding new trees. I can meet any pruning need. Shrubs, vines and ornamental. Large and small clean ups. Call Darcy Belcourt 250-323-1260.
PROFESSIONAL PET CARE SERVICE “leash ’em & walk ’em” with Marlena & Babs. I am bonded, have Animal First Aid and CPR. My service for all pet includes dog walking, home care visits, overnight in your home and much more. As my love is yours! Call 250-246-3394. SENIORS HIRED HAND FOR INDEPENDENT ELDER. Odd jobs, companionship, meal prep, etc.! Valid First Aid/ CPR, clean driver’s record, Level 2 FOODSAFE, gardener and handywoman. Call Marilyn at 250606-7069. GRANNY’S ON THE GO COMPANION SERVICES, covering Cedar, Ladysmith, Chemainus. Clean driver’s abstract, FOODSAFE, First Aid, CPR, Gerontology-Based Therapeutic Recreation Certificate from Kwantlen University, Osteo Fit, Pool Assist & JAVA programs certificates. Working with active seniors that are not quite ready to stop the adventures. COVID-19 guidelines in place when out and about in public. At your service, Janet Bowman janetmb@shaw.ca or 250-924-1515. LEAVE A LEGACY. Memoirs, family cookbooks, personal histories, we can help get your project ready to press. Available in print and eBook format or as a video production. Professional publishing services for corporate or individuals. editor@take5. ca or call 250-245-7015. SENIORS WANTED - There are many opportunities for seniors to get involved with their community. The Ladysmith & District Historical Society is looking for help on a number of community projects. If you have some free time, and would like to commit to a meaningful project, please call us to discuss volunteer options. Call the Ladysmith Museum at 250-245-0423 or the Ladysmith Archives at 250245-0100 museum@ladysmithhistoricalsociety.ca
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Staying strong BY MARINA SACHT Besides following BC health orders and COVID-19 protocols, there is something more you can do while you wait for your COVID vaccine shots. You can strengthen your health by boosting your immune system. We already know that eating well, exercising, practising good hygiene and getting enough sleep are important factors that affect how your immune system functions. But stress brought on by worry plays havoc with your health. Psychologists in the field of “psychoneuroimmunology” have shown that state of mind affects your state of health. Reducing your stress during a pandemic is not easy. Many of us are working twice as hard for half the money. Work and school schedules and even daily responsibilities can leave us frazzled, leading to increased levels of cortisol. This stress hormone stimulates chronic inflammation of a host of organs, which in turn fatigues our immune system. Research has shown there are ways to lower your cortisol. 1. Be happy. Laughter decreases cortisol, which then reduces stress. An optimistic outlook has been linked to a healthier immune system, according to a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2. Let it all out. Say what you mean, even if it is negative. Suppressing emotions can produce more pro-inflammatory cytokines, molecules that signal to other cells that there is a threat. 3. Don’t drink or smoke. Alcohol disrupts the balance of normal microorganisms that live in your body, leading to increased inflammation. Smoking not only harms your immune system but is especially risky during the pandemic. 4. Be social. Reach out to your friends and broaden your social network — even if it just by phone or on Zoom. 5. Don’t worry, take action. Reach out to an expert and get some advice. Improving your immune system function will improve your health and give you strength to take on any problems.
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