TAKE 5 October 2021 by Take 5 Print & Digital Media

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Support for All Health Care Workers Now, especially, is the time to show our strong support for those very special people that work in our health care systems. Given that the vast majority of citizens respect and deeply appreciate these very special, committed health care services folks, we really need to make the eﬀort to express to the staﬀ of medical centres our acknowledgement for the jobs they do. Remember when we rang bells and honked horns in the past at 7 p.m. in many areas of the province? Signs of appreciation went up, cards were sent and most of us felt very proud and deeply thankful to these folks. As before, we will feel really good if we let them know how we feel about all of them and the jobs they are doing for all of us. Right now, we personally feel a sense of embarrassment, even shame, for those individuals (yes, they are a slim minority, with loud ugly voices and behaviour) who have actually abused the people that are caring for us, protecting us and serving our health needs. And yet, we know when, and if, one of these abusive “protesters” becomes seriously ill or needs emergency care, they will receive it without question. Maybe that is what it will take for their thinking and behaviour to become rational? To those “protesters” out there, we ask you: How is it “humanly” possible to conduct yourselves in this way? Are you next going to protest laws against drinking and driving? Seat belt requirements? Or wanting the right to speed in school zones? Your unacceptable, unlawful, dangerous behaviour is infringing on all our rights!

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So, to the majority of folks out there, let’s make every eﬀort to try and counter the abuse and negative actions of the few “disconnected” people. Let’s start celebrating all the people on all the front lines: health workers, responders and service sector employees. Any kind of support will help, even a few kind words. Maybe we can counteract the thugs, the haters and their abusive behaviours and that slim minority who were missed during the human evolutionary cycle! And really, what the hell is the big deal with putting a mask on when and in places that required it? So, please, think of those out there trying to do their jobs! Deepest gratitude to all of you out there serving all of us everywhere! We are very grateful and proud of all of you!! — Steve, Myla and Jacob Frankel,

Volunteers pulling ivy at Hemer Park. The event was organized by Yellow Point Ecological Society. Photo: Nikki Toxopeus

Hemer Park Ivy Pull

Delbert’s ruined it!

Here’s one of the pictures of our September 11 to 12 weekend’s ivy pull in Hemer Park, which was a great success thanks to the TAKE 5 publicity. We had people from Duncan to Nanaimo attend, of all generations, and the next day, I met people in Stocking Creek Park who were inspired to remove ivy from that park by TAKE 5. — Nikki Toxopeus

It was with deep regret that I read Delbert Horrock’s latest Slightly Corked column in the Take 5 (re: “The Case of the Organic Carrot”). It was not so much your morality tale involving that orange coloured root vegetable which concerned me; it was that you ended with a wine choice/recommendation of Codici, going so far as to describe it as beautiful, and even disclosing its ridiculously low price in the local LCBC stores. My wife and I “discovered” this wine about six months ago while meandering the isles of the 39th and Cambie liquor store across the Chuck in the aptly named Plague City. Having sampled several bottles of this delectable vintage since then, it has now become our go-to let’s-eat-something-Italian-tonight table wine. In fact, after we first secured a suﬃcient stock for our own misguided gastronomic purposes, we’ve let a few close friends in on the Secret. One couple, who claim Italian ancestry and profess a broad knowledge of wine from the Boot, went so far as to buy a box themselves, thus wiping out our Vancouver supply. We now search shelves on our trips up the Valley to such well-known wine-producing areas as Abbotsford and Chilliwack. Even then, stock is getting damn hard to find! Now you’ve completely blown it for us here in the Ladysmith area, where we try to enjoy the quiet life at our sea-

Re: From the Publisher

While I agree with most of what you wrote, I’d liked to make a point that we all add to this Island’s prosperity. You could single out health care, our police, military, our paramedics, anyone! It takes us all to be safe in one guise or another. To single out FF just because of the local fire is wrong. Many, many people could be thanked, even the mill workers for producing building products. Where do you stop? They chose to go into that job, as does everyone else, and each job has its safety worries. No one is any more diﬃcult than the other. As for your bit about damage to our planet, that’s another massive discussion that needs to be had. We only ever hear one side of the argument due to the media hype and agenda. When the real truth comes out, we will all look like total idiots.As a publisher be more careful of the subject matter you mention. — Keith Danks

side summer home. In fact, given the wide distribution of TAKE 5, I fear that — within a week — there will not be a single bottle of Codici left anywhere on the Island. Thanks a lot! Next time you recommend a wine that we already love and enjoy, could you at least give us fair warning so that we can stock up before the masses rush the front doors of the Orchard Mall liquor store, spurred on by your learned recommendation? — George Bryce

Wrong Little People On page 4, Sept/21 TAKE 5 displays the images of the team members. People love to see all the little people with their smiling faces. However, in the September issue, there was an error and the wrong graphic was run, which included a photograph of me. I am writing to reassure the good people of Ladysmith and area that, in fact, I am not back to work. So, you can relax knowing that I am still retired! Have a great day! — Cindy Damphousse Letters to the editor on community topics and concerns are always welcome. Letters may be edited for length. Opinions represented here are not necessarily those of TAKE 5 or its agents. Email editor@take5.ca

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Fired up BY KERITH WADDINGTON As Vancouver Island’s hottest and driest summer on record comes to an end, now is a good time to reflect on ways we can all support our hard-working local fire departments going forward. First and foremost, new recruits are always welcome! The seven fire departments within the readership area are run by volunteers, who give of their time and trained expertise to keep their communities safe. They answer calls for fire suppression, rescue and medical aid. They provide public education around fire safety. Some local departments are also trained for swift-water rescue and technical rope rescue as well. Volunteer fire fighters have an evening practice once a week year-round, on-duty weekends and Saturday-morning truck checks, and other special practices. Most of the local fire departments have a rotating staﬀ of about 30 individuals, but numbers can vary based upon need. Applications are accepted year-round, although intake and training generally takes place just once a year, during the fall. It is a tremendous honour to be a local fire fighter. But even if people don’t have the physical stamina or free time needed to become a member, “there are still lots of things people can do to stay safe, protect their properties and support their local fire fighters,” says North Oyster Volunteer Fire Department Chief Florian Schulz. He starts with the obvious. “It’s really important that people follow local fire bans and restrictions because most wildfires in our area are human-caused,” he says. “We don’t get much dry lighting

Sandy David has volunteered with the NOVFD for 35 years. Here he looks over the rescue truck during Saturday morning truck check. Photo: Kerith Waddington

here. Our greatest danger is people: people ignoring burning bans, people tossing out cigarette butts, and people using equipment, like chainsaws and lawnmowers, which can throw sparks. That’s all it takes for a fire to start. And during our dry season, it doesn’t take long for a small fire to become a large one.” Chief Schulz acknowledges that for the most part, people seem to be getting the message around being careful. “With the exception of the Mount Hayes wildfire late this summer, this past season wasn’t too bad for us, especially when one considers the long drought and recurring heat waves we had,” he says. But with warmer and drier summers becoming the norm, he acknowledges

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that it’s imperative for everyone to work together to mitigate wildfire danger. Chief Schulz acknowledges two other ways the public can help their local fire fighters. “Don’t attack and trash us online,” he says. “Your local fire fighters put their lives on the line to keep you safe. They take time away from their families and jobs to help their community. It is not helpful when as a fire fighter, you come home dirty and exhausted only to read insults online. It makes morale really low.” Secondly, if a wildfire does break out, please stay a distance away so firefighters can do their job, says Chief Schulz. The Wildfire Service of BC website — as well as that of your local fire department — are great sources of information for updates. Fire Prevention Week this year is October 3 to 9. Here’s a few tips from firesmartbc.ca • Clean under your deck to remove any combustible material. Establish a 1.5 metre non-combustible zone around your home and deck. • Keep grass and weeds cut below 10 cm. • Download the FireSmart Home Assessment and do a self-assessment of your home and property. • Remember, green stuﬀ doesn’t burn. Plant wildfire-resistant vegetation and deciduous trees, and prevent grass and plants from dying with targeted watering. • Keep your gutters clean and stay on top of fallen debris, such as leaves and needles. Please stay safe!

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What a day at the races! BY QUENTIN GOODBODY We arrived at a busy Kulleet Bay to watch the final day of the annual canoe races on Sept 12. After parking we picked our way through cheery family groups and past a busy food truck to the shore, by chance ending up exactly where the races started. The events of the day commenced with the men’s war canoe race - a gruelling 5 km oblong course out and about Kulleet Bay. Canoes gathered in front of us under the starters call, spaced about 10 meters apart, backing up so their rear paddler could have one leg on shore. 11 paddlers to a boat, crews psyched themselves with deep resonant ‘huuys’ awaiting the signal. The horn sounded, the rear paddler hauled his leg aboard - and they were oﬀ - rapid synchronised paddle strokes piercing the water with powerful sweeps, minimal splash, rocketing the canoes forward. Amazing how fast they pick up speed and become smaller as the distance increases, paddles switching sides at regular intervals. Such co-ordination doesn’t come easy. These crews, from surrounding First Nation communities, train intensively. You have to be fit to paddle hard for five kilometers - and the crew has to be coordinated to get any sort of eﬃciency

Canoe Races at Kulleet Bay. Photo: Bob Burgess

and speed. Ten minutes later we watched the canoes come in, heralded by commentary over the P.A. by Chief Roxanne Harris, paddlers still co-ordinated despite their fatigue. Getting out was a staggered aﬀair to avoid tipping the narrow 15 meter long fragile craft built locally of cedar strip (gone are the days of racing dugouts). There was a winning crew in all the races we watched – men’s, women’s and youth categories, but really all won from renewed friendship, community and continuation of tradition.

Free earthquake talk Earthquake Ladysmith: History, Reason, Risk And Why You Should Prepare talk returns by popular demand this tme via zoom. It examines the record of ‘Big One’ earthquakes on Vancouver Island, discusses the geology behind them, and details the associated risks facing property and people in Ladysmith. Dr. Quentin Goodbody is a geologist and president of the Ladysmith & District Historical Society. Everyone welcome. Free. For information or link, contact the Ladysmith Museum 250-245-0423 or museum@ladysmithhistoricalsociety.ca

Saltair water system upgrade The community of Saltair is receiving approximately $3.9 million in senior government funding to complete a water filtration project required to meet provincial drinking water guidelines. The funding comes from the Government of Canada and Province of British Columbia’s joint Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program’s Green Infrastructure Stream, and represents approximately 70 per cent of the total estimated $5 million cost of the water filtration project. “Our community is so thrilled to receive this contribution to ensure the long-term sustainability of our drinking water,” says Lynne Smith, director of Area G — Saltair/Thetis Island. “On behalf of residents in Saltair, I want to thank our federal and provincial partners for supporting this project and ensuring we can complete this upgrade.” The Saltair Water Treatment Expansion Project will see the installation of two new treatment units to bring the

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water system into compliance with provincial surface water treatment regulations. The project is anticipated to be completed in late 2022.

Business walk in Ladysmith The Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce with the support of Island Coastal Economic Trust is organizing a Business Walk. The information obtained captures the pulse of businesses throughout the community, connects business support agencies to the business community, communicates industry intelligence to multiple civic and business stakeholders and identifies opMillie Stirling portunities for Business Enhancement programming. Business Walks have been used throughout the province effectively over the past 10 years. In the Central Okanagan, their Business Walk program has been recognized as a best practice in the Province of British Columbia’s online Business Attraction (site selection) toolkit as well as being awarded Community Project of the Year from the Economic Development Association of BC (EDABC) The Ladysmith Business Walk continues until Oct.8, 2021. For further details, please contact: Millie Stirling, Economic Recovery Coordinator, Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce

Town receives grant for active transportation The Town of Ladysmith is receiving a BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant of $296,343 to improve pedestrian safety and expand our existing active transportation network. Council previously endorsed the Town contributing up to an additional $127,500 towards the total project budget as a condition of the cost-shared funding delivered by the Province. As a result, the Town will construct a sidewalk along Colonia Drive from Brown Drive Park/Kinsmen Park to Malone Road, as well as along Delcourt Avenue up to Dunsmuir Crescent. Completing the sidewalk will provide important pedestrian connections to the Frank Jameson Community Centre, Ladysmith Secondary, Ladysmith Primary, as well as the Holland Creek Trail. “Creating more sustainable solutions for reaching key destinations in Ladysmith supports Ladysmith Council’s ongoing eﬀorts to mitigate climate change at the community level,” says Mayor Aaron Stone. “The Oﬃcial Community Plan review is similarly focused on ensuring now and in the future, we make the necessary investments so that residents can feel comfortable walking, biking or riding a scooter to their destination.” The provincial funding and Town contributions will also help purchase three e-bike charging stations and bike racks, to be installed downtown, at Brown Drive Park and at Transfer Beach, further expanding our cycling infrastructure. The Town will also complete bike-sharing road markings along Colonia Drive and Delcourt Avenue and install crosswalks in this area to maintain the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. Additionally, the Town will purchase two pedestrian/cyclist counters to monitor the impact of these enhancements. The Town will proceed with tendering the project in the near fu-

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ture. The anticipated start date for construction is spring 2022. Making active transportation more accessible for people is central to Move Commute Connect, BC’s comprehensive strategy to make local transportation safer, greener and more accessible for all British Columbians.

Ladysmith Lions Club turns 80 The Ladysmith Lions Club was chartered on October 18, 1941. It was founded by a group of local businessmen and likeminded industry individuals and was sponsored by the Victoria Lions Club. The members dedication to the community has left a legacy of projects with many of them still present in Ladysmith today. There are the 41 units of low-cost seniors housing (Lions Villa and Lions Bel Aire Villa), equipment for

Lions Members at Ladysmith raising funds at community events. Photo: Allen McDermid

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the hospital, playgrounds, ball parks, and management and improvements to Aggie Hall. In 1941, the Ladysmith Lions leased the Aggie Hall and field, and under 22 years of management, it was the focal point of many community celebrations, logger sports, kiddies’ sports and more. In 1943, the Ladysmith Lions Club sponsored the #257 Air Cadets Parallel Squadron, who were in the halls lower level and continue to occupy it to this day. In 1963, the club oﬀered Aggie Hall to the Ladysmith Recreation Commission with the condition that the Air Cadets status remain. Ladysmith Lions Club dedicated members are also involved in making wooden toys for children, promoting the Easter Egg Hunt at Transfer Beach and assisting other local service clubs by oﬀering additional funding for many special projects, such as the Spray Park and various playgrounds throughout the community. “Our focus has always been on assisting local seniors, children and people dealing with health problems,” says Lions Club member Jim Masyk (past president and 42-year member). The Ladysmith Lions Club is committed to helping this great town. They also contribute to the Lions Clubs International projects throughout the world. You will probably see the Ladysmith Lions Snack Shack at various community events, like Ladysmith Light Up, Ladysmith Show and Shine, Brits on the Beach and other activities. So, why not grab a burger or hot dog next time you see it and know your money will be invested back into the community. If you would like to become a member of the Ladysmith Lions Club, email ladysmithlions@gmail.com.

Storybook Walk extended The Ladysmith Storybook Walk continues to create beneficial opportunities for local children and families to read and stay active and is being extended until the end of the year. Since launching on Family Day last February as a pilot program between the Town of Ladysmith and the Ladysmith Resources Centre Association (LRCA), the highly successful community-based initiative promoting literacy and physical literacy has inspired hundreds of participants.

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Storyboard at Brown Park. Photo submitted.

The majority of tourists were locals this season. Photo: Ladysmith Tourism.

The LRCA is providing funding to support the continuation of storybook walk at Kinsmen Park/Brown Drive Park until the end of the year. The local installation winds its way around the playground and through the nearby forest trail, where children’s imaginations can come to life.

comed approximately 20 per cent more domestic travellers than in the summer of 2019. Although visitation by British Columbians and Canadians was strong, the absence of most international travellers and an ongoing labour shortage made for a diﬃcult summer for many operators,” he added. Once health restrictions eased on July 1st we started seeing a noticeable increase in foot traﬃc through the town immediately, notes Emily Weeks, Chemainus Visitor Centre. Around 2,600 visitors came through the Centre in June, July and August. While it was a high number compared to the rest of

Summer tourism numbers Despite a pandemic and a slow start, local visitor centres were kept busy this summer, mainly by local visitors, according to Anthony Everett, President & CEO of Tourism Vancouver Island. “This August, Vancouver Island wel-

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the year, it is nowhere near their typical numbers on a normal year (45,000 in 2019). “Until we can welcome tour buses back into our town again, we won’t be servicing the number of visitors we are used to,” she adds. While they did see a handful of Americans when the border opened most people were from the mainland, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. It’s a similar situation at Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Centre where they welcomed 808 people over July and August. “These numbers are slightly up from 2020 but still significantly down from 2019,” explains Jacquie Chellew, Ladysmith Tourism Counsellor. “In saying that, we installed an outdoor Map/Brochure rack which has been frequently used. Even when the Visitor Centre is open some visitors find it to be more convenient and “COVID Safe”. The volume of guides taken indicates many more visitors in town than our stats show. We also have an increased presence through social media and continue to field emails and phone calls as well. This is a new stat that we have been tracking this year and accounts for 229 ‘Alternate Types of Support’.” It’s been a challenging time for the tourism industry, in following changing health orders and keeping up on the day/ hours of local shops and eateries to send visitors to. But the majority of people were kind and understanding and just happy to be able to travel safely, says Chellew. “We’re all taking things day by day and staying positive, but we’re looking forward to a brighter future where tourists from all corners of the world can flood our streets again and businesses are not struggling to keep their doors open,” says Weeks.

Loaves and Fishes food bank reopening at St Philip Anglican Church BY BRIAN MCCORMACK This article is an update to my earlier article in TAKE 5 a few months ago where I explained how the Covid 19 pandemic had shut down the distribution of food to clients in the church hall. This was a huge disappointment to everyone and for a time the only place where food was available was at the Loaves and

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Fishes warehouse location on Farquhar Street in downtown Nanaimo. More recently, as a stop-gap measure, a few volunteers were allowed into the hall where food items were placed into individual plastic bags for delivery by Loaves and Fishes staﬀ to individual clients and families at their homes. Now that a high proportion of individuals have been inoculated, the intent is to allow individual clients to reenter the hall and be able to pick out food items for themselves and their families, under strict guidelines including pre-registration with the Food Bank and being given appointment times to collect the food items. If an individual hopes to access the Food Bank program as a client, they will need to provide some personal details including; name, address, phone number, photo ID, and if appropriate, the names of family members for whom food is being obtained including their individual ID’s. Also it will be important for clients to bring their own grocery bags because Loaves and Fishes will not be providing plastic bags anymore. This is in keeping with concerns over plastic pollution in landfills and the need to “Go Green”. The on-line registration for client appointment times is calendly.com/loavesandfishes/pickup It is the hope of everyone that this new system will work for volunteers and clients alike. The address for the hall is 1797 Cedar Road with parking at the front of the hall. Food distribution will occur on Tuesday afternoons between 3:00 and 4:00 pm. They can only serve clients who have an appointment.

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Winds of Change Art Exhibit Stz’uminus First Nation artist Daniel R. Elliott’s new exhibit explores the impacts of colonization and how healing can be achieved. In Winds of Change, Elliott wants to take people on a healing journey. But first, he’s asking people to confront the history and impact of residential schools head on, and not look away. His paintings are on display in the Malaspina Theatre lobby on Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Nanaimo campus until October 13. They take viewers through a curve of emotions – from beautiful, pre-contact scenes, to the impacts of colonization, to the artist’s vision of how reconciliation can happen. “My art is about helping people forge a new relationship,” says Elliott. “I’ve tempered all this pain and sorrow with hope. That was hard to do. I want to explore how this healing can happen, how we can bridge Canadian educational structures with Indigenous knowledge, how we can find a way to put that together in a good way.” Dr. Sharon Hobenshield, Director of VIU’s Oﬃce of Indigenous Education and Engagement, which is spearheading this initiative, says hosting this exhibit is a tangible way to engage the wider

Daniel R. Elliott, Indigenous artist and descendant of Residential School survivors exhibit Winds of Change is on now at VIU Malaspina’s Theatre lobby. Photo: Casey Elliott

Laila Biali, award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter, pianist will be performing at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre

community in the truth and reconciliation process. Elliott, whose father is from Stz’uminus First Nation and mother is Scottish, has always felt like he was straddling two worlds. In the 1990s, he went through a spiritually transcendent experience in a sweat lodge that allowed him to feel, for the first time, at home with who he is as an Indigenous person of mixed ancestry. “I want to help people to not look away, help people understand. Winds of Change is saying this with a loud voice through colour and texture.” The exhibit can be viewed in the lobby of the Malaspina Theatre (Building 310) at VIU’s Nanaimo campus October 1, 4-8 and 11-13 from 1-4 pm. During these times, the artist will be available to talk about his work and answer questions. Group or school tours hosted by the artist can be booked by emailing indigenous@viu.ca.

Cabaret weekend A cabaret weekend at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre presents Sarah Hagen on Oct. 22, and Laila Biali on Oct. 23. Both cabarets are at 7:30 p.m. Sarah Hagen, classical pianist, is also known as a highly entertaining musical comedian. Cabaret audiences will be treated to both sides of Sarah in a setting very much suited to her style of intimate chat combined with a virtuoso performance. She has collaborated extensively with some of the world’s best musicians and won many accolades. Laila Biali is an award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter, pianist and CBC Music national radio host. She has headlined festivals and venues from around the world. While Laila continues to earn high honours in the jazz world, her signature sound transcends genre. Both Sarah and Laila have built up a rapport with Cowichan audiences, having performed at CPAC in past years. For

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CPAC’s popular cabaret series, the largest stage on Vancouver Island is transformed into a speak-easy style venue with onstage table seating. For Cabaret tickets call 250-746-2722.

New exhibit opens at Ladysmith Museum The Ladysmith Museum’s Octopussy’s Garden closes on October 10, 2021, with a new exhibit opening the following weekend. Starting October 16, 2021, Ménage à Trois is a collection of acrylic paintings, conceptual, mixed media and yard art by artist Lynda Phelan, who studied Fine Arts and Graphic Design at Vancouver Island University. “In Ménage à Trois , I am sharing three diﬀerent views of who I am,” she says of her show. Expect to see acrylic paintings rich with vibrant colours, combined with texture and whispering her innermost thoughts, as well as conceptual works using mixed media, and finally fun yard art that “stretches the walls of your living space to the outside,” she says. Phelan says for her, art is a taking a part of who you are and exposing it to the world. “Letting it all hang out, allowing yourself to be vulnerable and heard. You can release your deepest fears, share your passion, or state your innermost thoughts.” The Ladysmith Museum is open Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Call 250-245-0423 for details.

Sharing the harvest bounty! BY KERITH WADDINGTON Fall is in the air and the harvest well underway! This season’s bounty of fruits and vegetables is being collected by homeowners and farmers alike for canning, preserving and dehydrating so locally-grown goodness can be enjoyed all year long. But what can folks do if they have a bumper crop and end up with more than they can use? Or if they don’t have the time or ability to collect it themselves? Fear not, there are plenty of area organizations that welcome donations of excess produce — some even have volunteers who will come pick it for you! Nothing you have grown need go to waste. The Cowichan Green Community (CGC) is one such organization. Based out of Duncan, they have been running the popular FruitSave Project since 2006. Volunteer gleaners will come pick your fruit trees for free; homeowners are left with a third of the harvest, volunteers can take a third home if they wish, and the rest gets donated to a range of organizations that help the food insecure throughout the community.

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Nathan Harben, supervisor of the CGC’s Community Food Access Project (of which FruitSave is a part), acknowledges that the program helps a lot of people. “Cowichan has a lot of backyard fruit trees,” he says. “The degree to which this program helps people is the motivator to keep it going because the problem of hunger and lack of access to healthy food isn’t going away. We have never had trouble getting rid of the produce we collected.” The FruitSave program targets schools and local foodbanks. Due to the degree of community need, CGC recently teamed with a local fruit presser and cider-maker to create products that generate revenue for the FruitSave Project. McBarley’s presses the wide variety of apples and pears gathered each year to create a local apple juice, which is sold in the CGC’s store. And Valley Cider creates an “unreplicable” hard cider, which is sold in their tasting room, the Beverley Corners liquor store and a few designated liquor stores in Victoria. Known as “Community In-Cider,” all sale proceeds go back to the FruitSave Project. Harben estimates that this year’s haul will come in around 7,000 pounds. Some years have seen as much as 15,000. He laughs when asked how many varieties of apples and pears go into the hard cider. “I stopped counting at 30,” he says. Harben also oversees the CGCs Food Recovery Program, which picks up excess food, including fruits and veggies, from stores, homeowners and farmers

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alike, then redistributes it within hours to the broader community. “Right now, we have more zucchini that I care to look at,” he says jovially. Anyone wishing to donate fresh produce, help harvest or register their fruit tree for harvesting is encouraged to contact the CGC at 250-748-8506. A little further north, the Ladysmith Resources Community Association (LRCA) Food Bank is another potential recipient for excess fruits and veggies. Paula Masyk, Food Security manager for the LRCA, asks that people call 250-245-3079 to make arrangements for fresh produce donations. “We have limited fridge and storage space, so timing is important!” she says. “We like to get fresh food out to our food bank clients as quickly as possible.” The LRCA asks, too, that because they don’t have a hose for washing off produce that donations be dropped off clean. “It is a bit of extra effort but so appreciated,” says Masyk. Nanaimo Foodshare welcomes the public to call the office and see if they are able to make use of produce donations. Typically, they can, but it all depends on which programs they have running at the time, says Jenny Short, office manager. The public can call 250753-9393, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lee Sanmiya is coordinator of the Gleaning Program, which is jointly run by the Nanaimo Community Gardens Society and the Nanaimo Foodshare Society. This program has trained volunteers who harvest produce from fruit

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Apples galore. Photo: Cowichan Green Community

trees in backyards in Nanaimo and area and also from some local farms; the number for the Gleaning Program is 250-8164769. The produce that is harvested is distributed widely in the community. Any produce that they can’t distribute is left at the Harvest Exchange Table beside Nanaimo Foodshare at 271 Pine Street, an open-air, covered area where community members can access produce to take with them or drop off fruit or vegetables from their yards. Sanmiya acknowledges that while the Gleaning Program does like to donate to those in need, the primary focus of the program is to reduce food waste. “Our volunteers sometimes take produce to the Salvation Army food kitchen, the 7-10 Club, and Loaves and Fishes. But we know that while lots of people access these programs, there are many people having trouble making ends meet who do not.” Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank in Nanaimo accepts fresh produce as well. People are welcome to drop off their donation to the warehouse at 210 Fry Street anytime Monday to Friday, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. If there are fruits and veggies that are not suitable for human consumption, they will be distributed to area farms to feed livestock. The Salvation Army New Hope Centre in Nanaimo also accepts fresh produce donations. Please call them at 250-7141142 and ask for the kitchen or simply drop by 19 Nicol Street. Also, in the spirit of giving, RASTA Sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals has a drop-off area at their front gate in Chemainus. “We ask that all donations be labelled with a name and phone number, be unsprayed, organic and still human grade quality,” says Director of Operations Andrew Hill. “The Sanctuary can also be contacted through our social media pages.” Nanaimo’s 7-10 Club also accepts fruit donations: the fresh produce becomes part of their enhanced bag lunches which get handed out to the community. Call 250.714.0917 or visit them on Facebook for more information. With so many donation options, community members of all kinds can give thanks this harvest season.

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The Forest as a Reflection of Humans and Family Life BY H. FROST, ECOFORESTRY INSTITUTE NATURALIST For much of forestry’s history, professionals believed that plants were in competition with each other in our forests, for things like water, light and nutrients. But thanks to brave pioneers, like Suzanne Simard, the world’s leading forest ecologist and professor at UBC, we are rediscovering that plants actually work together in order for the collective to thrive. This is not new knowledge,

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of course, as Indigenous people have understood for thousands of years the interconnectedness of the forest, animals and humans. This kincentric ecology view is when humans see all life surrounding them as kin. We now have scientific evidence that trees and forests function more like our own bodies and our society than ever thought possible. I was recently gifted Simard’s new book Finding the Mother Tree, an exploration of the incomparable value of old trees in a forest ecosystem and documentation of the author’s journey discovering that trees in a forest are linked by a web and that they are interdependent. Forest trees can perceive, reMother tree in Koksilah Ancient Forest. Photo: H. Frost

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Oyster mushrooms on a decaying Alder trunk in Askew Creek Park, Chemainus Photo: H. Frost

late and connect to each other. For example, “mother trees” are capable of discerning which young seedlings are their own and they provide them with food and water, just as human parents do for their own children. The interactions between trees happen when they emit chemical signals to each other. Simard was especially surprised to find that these chemicals are identical to our own neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in our body). Have you ever seen the whitish web in a forest, just under the layer of decaying leaves and debris? Did you perhaps think it was a spider web or that it looked just like one? Those were my

thoughts when I first saw mycelium. But that web is really the fungal network that reaches billions of mineral particles contained in soil and helps trees reach them too. Chemical signals in the forest are created by ions passing through the membranes of the fungus underground. The intricate, lacey web of hyphae helps trees reach further for nutrients and water and absorb them better. Mother trees have large, deep systems of roots, which reach groundwater in times of drought. Their wealth of water becomes accessible to younger trees with smaller root systems thanks to the spongy mycelium that connects them. In return for the service, trees provide the fungus with the sugars it produces during photosynthesis. Because, as amazing as fungus is, it cannot turn sunlight into food for itself. Only green plants can perform that miracle! And yet, trees of some species would die if not for their relationships with certain ectomycorrhizal fungi (fungus species that form relationships with trees that benefit both partners). The world of fungus is mysterious, and we have yet to learn most of the secrets: there are more than a million species of fungus on Earth, which is about six times the number of plant species on Earth. And only about ten per cent of fungi have been identified so far. Realigning our thinking of forests to a more complex, cooperative view could guide us in the way we harvest timber. When we know that the trees we plant after cutting a block would survive much better if they had the help of a mother tree, we have an incentive to alter the way we log and secure the integrity of the forest — and the future profitability of young forest plots.

RDN Area A Cedar The Regional District of Nanaimo relies on the advice of many subject matter experts. In the area of climate change, the Climate Action Technical Advisory Committee (“CATAC”) is providing guidance to the RDN Board so that it can respond eﬀectively to the climate crisis that we all are familiar with. That committee is comprised of three RDN directors and seven technical experts. Its terms of reference outline its task: to provide advice and recommendations to the RDN Board on specific issues emerging or foreseen as having potential local impacts on global climate change. CATAC members met through 2020– 2021 and developed a shortlist of top priority climate adaptation and mitigation actions that it recommended for immediate implementation. Four priorities were discussed in the committee’s draft report presented at the September 7, 2021, board meeting. Those priorities were water resilience, natural asset management, standards and policy review and home energy retrofits. I have touched on water resilience in a prior column, so I would like to have a look at natural asset management this time around. CATAC’s specific recommendation was to “protect natural assets through

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incorporation into formal asset management.” For this discussion, the definition of municipal natural assets is “the stock of natural resources or ecosystems that is relied upon, managed or could be managed by a municipality, regional district, or other form of local government for the sustainable provision of one or more municipal services.” In the words of the report, the goal of this priority is to improve the protection and health of natural areas and systems within the RDN. The report adds, “Functional natural systems provide effective and low cost means of buﬀering against the eﬀects of climate change, improve adaptive capacity and underlie delivery of many RDN services (e.g., flood management, potable water, etc.).” The report says that the RDN can protect natural assets through: • development permit areas (currently, limited ability to protect forests outside of specific areas like flood plains or other hazard areas); • land acquisition (high cost but potentially shared with NGOs/province, good payback, co-benefits, and permanence; RDN has existing parcel tax for acquisition that could be increased); •ecosystem-services-focused outreach through existing RDN programs to promote restoration/protection on private lands (e.g., DWWP, long-range planning, emergency services, etc.);

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• development of incentive programs for protection of ecosystem services on private lands (may require change to provincial legislation); and • promotion of external incentive/ NGO programs to residents (e.g., land conservancy programs, carbon credit systems). In its summary, CATAC’s draft report says, “Protecting natural assets is a cost-eﬀective means of reducing emissions and maintaining regional capacity to adapt to climate change. Natural asset management will likely lead to some incremental protection of natural areas and a greater likelihood that key natural assets will be managed and protected. This can deliver low-cost greenhouse gas mitigation and improved capacity for adaptation, but the magnitude of effects may be low in the near term unless the RDN can successfully motivate conservation on private lands through appropriately designed incentives and collaborative approaches. The cost and risk of this approach to the RDN is relatively low and the RDN will at the very least reduce risk to its existing asset base and service delivery, and have a better likelihood of implementing low-cost, lowemission nature-based approaches for service delivery.” You can find the report in the agenda package for the September 7, 2021, board of directors meeting on the RDN

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website. Please go and have a look at it and provide me with your comments and opinions. The actions outlined in the report could have various eﬀects on how the RDN views development, land protection and permitted uses on rural lands. Let your opinions be heard.

CVRD Area H North Oyster/ Diamond I would like to express my regret in having to cancel the in-person Town Hall for September 16, 2021. There are times when, even though it is “permitted,” it is just not a good decision when the health of others could be impacted. Before making this decision, I did speak with my alternate and others in the community — and all agreed that it was best to postpone. The new date for the Town Hall is Thursday, October 14, 2021, at 7 p.m. We will be using Zoom and this link https://bit.ly/3nHq2dN. The agenda will be an update on the OCP, Commission updates, and a shortlist of ideas for Gas Tax funding. Please send me any topics you would like addressed. I hope you can make it. Next, I would like to discuss the Mount

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Hayes wildfire that started on August 19. There was an immediate response with provincial wildfire resources and local fire departments, including the North Oyster Fire Department (NOFD). The NOFD was deployed to the Mount Hayes Liquid Natural Gas storage facility. A local state of emergency was declared very quickly, and the CVRD and RDN set up respective Regional Emergency Operations Centers (REOC). This opened the oﬃcial channels for communications and support. Meanwhile, the community responded quickly. Horse trailers, lined up to evacuate livestock from the locations close to the fire, were loaded up and headed out to nearby farms. The next day, after an evacuation alert was in place, more trailers were up to help move livestock and horses from farms in the area. My neighbour Erica and I were up there with our trailers. Loading cows is never an easy task — even more diﬃcult from an open field. But with a dozen or so people, the cows were gradually surrounded and herded into a corner where the trailer was the only place to go. No toes stomped on, but a few stepped in fresh cow pies — a

rookie mistake. The people I spoke to in the affected area had sleepless nights, wondering if they would be required to leave at a moment’s notice. All had been contacted, not just by friends offering help, but by strangers that had space for animals and rooms for people. It meant so much to them to have that generosity — and knowing these folks, I’m sure they would do the same if the circumstances were reversed. It was a tense time, and my thanks to all the members of the NOFD, the fire departments from the surrounding area, the RCMP, the Provincial Wildfire Service, the staff at the CVRD who set up and ran the REOC, the contractors that provided assistance, such as traffic control, and the Town of Ladysmith for providing support. What have I learned?! There was an overwhelming sense of an effective community response. No one is immune from a fire, and being prepared is critical. It is essential to have consistent, clear and accurate communication. We need to be kept up to date and focused on what we need to

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think about. And, that preparation for wildfires needs to start now and continue over the winter. Preparation requires expertise and resources. It is just one part of emergency management planning (identifying hazard, risks and vulnerabilities comes first, followed by risk mitigation, then preparedness). Emergency management planning is done by the CVRD, and it needs to be improved. Up to now, each town and municipality in the CVRD has been doing their own planning. However, just recently the CVRD Board approved the full regionalization of the Emergency Program Services and the establishment of a single regional Emergency Management Organization to deliver a comprehensive emergency management program for the whole of the CVRD (electoral areas and municipalities). The cost for this is an increase in 2022 requisition from $3.41 to $4.70 per hundred thousand of property assessment. There is a lot of work required by the CVRD, the community and by all of us. Watch for opportunities to take steps and be involved in community preparedness events. Meanwhile, one of the key first steps is to know your neighbours and how to get in touch with them. The inability to get the word out during the heat dome in June was a huge problem for many areas. This emphasized how important it is for neighbours to help neighbours — as they did during the Mount Hayes wildfire. Your fire department is there for you, but until they can get to you, we need to be prepared to help each other. Lastly, please be cautious as we go through the fourth wave of COVID. We all want this over, but we are so much better oﬀ than last year. We know more, and we have a vaccine. Take care, be safe and be patient.

CVRD Area G Saltair/Gulf Islands Do you lock your doors? This year, troubling things have happened within the Saltair community. Keeping your eyes open to those coming and going can assist the RCMP. I keep a pen and paper beside my kitchen window. If I see someone or something even slightly suspicious, I note the time, date and description. Illegal drug distribution

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should be reported to the RCMP. In Saltair, we have some corners that have vegetation/soil on private property that is blocking driver/cyclist/pedestrian visibility. Please proceed with caution in these locations. Halloween Event Halloween is just around the corner. Last year, I put up decorations at the front door, with goody bags clipped to a line across the entrance. What ideas will we come up with this year? Our SALT (Saltair Association for Local Teamwork) directors have been following the COVID numbers and recognize those under 12 are not vaccinated. They have decided the safest way forward is to not hold the Halloween Event this year. Earlier in the year, pumpkin seeds were handed out for Saltair children to grow their own pumpkins. Hopefully, those that have been grown will be placed at our young gardeners’ front doors for everyone to enjoy. Dog On-Leash Signage and Public Safety This signage is for everyone with a dog. It means dogs must be on a leash under CVRD Bylaw 738. You might wonder why I am constantly pushing this requirement. In October 2020, a Saltair resident was walking his two dogs on leashes in Stocking Creek Park when an off-leash dog attacked his dogs. He sustained multiple fractures and shoulder damage. He was operated on and told he would likely need to have his shoulder replaced. Recently, he had surgery to remove the original plate and screws. Unfortunately, during an assessment, his humerus cracked and elbow was dislocated. He is hoping to have his shoulder replacement surgery this winter. “I’m stuck at home and not able to do much while the owner of the dog that caused all this gets off.” He also has additional medical costs that he must cover. His life will never be the same and all because someone had their dog off leash. You might feel your dog is the bestbehaved dog out there, but I have seen best-behaved dogs bite people, jump up on them and even knock them over. The trails are used by many recovering from surgery, other health issues and many with mobility issues. There are parks and trails that allow dogs off leash. I recommend you look them up and give

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your dog a good run there. Saltair Water Filtration Treatment Expansion Project Funding This is the latest breakdown: • Federal government — $2,142,400 • Provincial government — $1,785,154 • Saltair Water System (taxpayers) — $1,428,446 Emergency Planning Our rainy and windy winter season is just around the corner. Have you started to plan for a power outage? The conventional wisdom is we should prepare for the possibility of being without power for up to a week. CVRD Burning Bylaw 3716 (w w w.c v r d .c a / D o c u m e n t C e n t e r / View/84462/3716-?bidId=) Open burning is permitted from March 15 through April 15 and from October 15 through November 15 only. Open burning may occur only when the Ventilation Index, as reported by the Meteorological Service of Environment Canada’s Ventilation Index, is rated as “good.” Please read all the open burning regulations under Bylaw 3716. The CVRD solid waste facilities, Peerless, Bing Creek and Meades Creek take garden waste and pruned branches for free. This is recycled into soil. It does not go up in smoke. Let’s keep those with breathing issues safe and able to spend time outdoors. Wildfire Safety FireSmart Canada provides information and free courses to make our homes and neighbourhoods safer. Moreover, neighbourhoods can earn FireSmart neighbourhood recognition by creating a local FireSmart committee and engaging a wildland/urban interface specialist to assess and create a plan that identifies locally agreed-upon solutions that the neighbourhood can implement. I urge every Area G resident to visit www.firesmartcanada.ca/programsand-education/neighbourhood-recognition-program/ and firesmartbc.ca to find the valuable information and courses we need for a safer future. The CVRD also provides information and resources. Please see www.cvrd.ca/2517/ FireSmart-Information. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at lynne. smith@cvrd.bc.ca or 250-701-1407. Additional articles and information may be found at SaltairNews.ca.

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The ups and downs of falling leaves BY PAMELA WALKER AND CAROLYN HERRIOT Soil, on which all life outside the ocean depends, has been created in part by thousands of years of falling leaves. As they fall down, life rises up. It’s the perennial gift that keeps on giving, but a resource that is often overlooked. After a year of drought, we should all be stockpiling leaves to use as a protective mulch for next year’s garden. Broken down leaf mould can hold 300 to 500 per cent of its weight in water. Rich topsoil, by comparison, holds about 60 per cent. Leaf mulch holds in moisture, adds organic matter to the soil and provides nutrients to plants. It’s as precious as bullion to plants and beneficial to insects, so whatever you do, don’t burn leaves or throw them away in a large plastic bag! What colour is a leaf? Most would say green, but green is actually the colour of chlorophyll, the pigment that enables leaves to change light into energy. A leaf’s true colour is yel-

Leaves on forest path. Photo: Nikki Toxopeus

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low, red, orange or gold. Are leaves good for composting? Some leaves are better than others. Large trees, such as oaks, maples, sycamores and chestnuts, are wonderful sources of nutrient-rich leaves, which will easily break down into compressed leaf mould, high in humus, worm castings and plant nutrients. Maple leaves are fantastic, being high in calcium and potassium, and our area abounds with native big leaf maple trees, with masses of large leaves shedding each year. Holly and arbutus leaves have a waxy cuticle, which means they take longer to break down, so it’s best not to base a leaf mulch on them. If you have pine or fir trees, compost these needles separately. They produce an acidic leaf mould that is excellent for ericaceous (acid-loving) plants, such as azaleas, rhododendrons, pieris, hydrangeas, blueberries, heathers and camellias. Walnut and cedar leaves should be avoided since they release chemicals that suppress the growth of other plants. Don’t save leaves (fruit trees are especially prone) showing signs of disease, such as rust, black spot or mildew, since pathogens present may survive. Tip: Dig a hole and bury them in the garden, where microbes will get to work destroying them. What is the best way to collect leaves? The dream way is for the wind blow them into a corner. A heap of leaves will break down into a pile of rich, crumbly leaf mulch in one year (faster if you turn the pile). Shallow- rooted plants, such as

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rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas, pieris, skimmia and heathers just love leaf mulch. Leaf blowers are horrible to crawling and flying insects. Just grab a good old garden rake and get a good aerating workout! It’s satisfying work, and using a tarp makes moving a big pile of leaves easy. Reduce a pile of leaves by spreading them out on the driveway or lawn and running your lawn mower over the pile, on the highest setting. This reduces the pile to a tenth of its volume, and it can then be sprinkled onto beds, where it quickly breaks down to feed the soil, without blowing away. Don’t position leaf piles under trees or hedges where fibrous roots will grow into the pile. If you must, put landscape fabric down first as a barrier. Tip: Store dry leaves in bags or wire cages and use for layering into compost throughout the year. A circular cage of fencing wire or four posts wrapped with chicken wire is a simple space-saving way to store leaves. Leave a portion of your property unraked. Mother Nature loves a bit of messiness. Caterpillars will crawl under the leaves to form their cocoons, while ants and other crawlies will lay their eggs, providing food for the birds. Worms spend the winter under a shallow mulch of leaves, adding worm castings to the soil and improving soil aeration. This fall the Ladysmith Food Bank garden at Kiwi Cove Lodge needs lots of garden leaves to improve the garden soil. If you have bagged oak, maple or chestnut leaves please drop them oﬀ at the garden behind the lodge. If you would like someone to collect your bagged leaves, email the Yellow Point Ecological Society at yellowpoint2020@gmail.com.

Pursophobia Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m afraid to delve into my wife’s purse. Like all fears - fear of four-barrel carburetors for instance – pursophobia is irrational. Fortunately, it’s not a big problem. So far, there are no pursophobia crisis centres or help lines, but if you’re willing to spring for the beer, we can share experiences. But sometimes a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. Like last month, for instance, when I was asked to organize a search party to retrieve the wife’s car keys. They had gone missing in the purse’s northeast quadrant. It was like scuba diving in the hull of that sunken Italian cruise ship. Without knowing the proper search and rescue techniques, she would never have found them. A woman’s relationship to her purse is diﬀerent than a man’s relationship to his wallet. For one thing, a woman knows where all ten of her purses are. A man, on the other hand, is lucky to know where his wallet is and might only go through two or three wallets in a lifetime, all of them Christmas gifts.

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Few purses are noticed by men. You’ll never hear a guy say, “Check out the purse on that one.” Statistically, they’re better oﬀ if they notice her shoes. If we do notice, it’s usually because of the size. “What is she carrying – a dog house?” The current fashion leans toward increasingly large purses, purses so large the SUV was developed to transport them. These jumbo bags used to be called “totes” but have been upgraded to “caravans” because some are large and heavy enough to require wheels. Like creeping obesity, these bags can cause problems which call for a new set of solutions. Occupancy signs on public washrooms, for instance, now limit the number of monster totes allowed. On Italian cruise ships, they make you book two lifeboat seats - one for the passenger, one for the purse - either of which the captain might pre-empt. I’m not sure what’s in my wife’s purse. That’s between her and the chiropractor who repairs her shoulder. I know there’s a cell phone because we hear it ringing, not that she can get to it in time. There’s enough makeup to do a Broadway show. Our passports are in there somewhere in case she takes a wrong turn on the way home from work and ends up in Seattle. And there’s enough spare change to feed a squadron of street people or provide ballast for a 12-metre yacht. If she leaves the property, the purse goes with her, even if it’s only across the road to the neighbour’s. Yes, the neighbor likes adventure, but why rub it in

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and bring a passport? The ten pounds of makeup? One never knows when a water main might burst necessitating a complete face rebuild. These purses are so large, they trip up waiters who navigate behind tables in darkened restaurants. There, along known waiter pathways, the purses are deployed like leg-hold traps. This explains why purse kicking is always the most popular event at the Waiter’s Olympics. Men’s wallets are an entirely different phenomenon. Men, without trying, collect credit cards like baseball cards. If you want a pristine card from Eaton’s department store, which went broke 13 years ago, or a Sears card, now defunct, I’m your man. We also collect useless receipts that come in handy should someone inquire about the going rate for newspapers or muffins. By the time a man is 35, he has acquired enough credit cards and receipts to prevent his wallet from folding past the ninety-degree mark, which precludes using the back pocket for storage. This has a lot to do with jeans fitting like Saran Wrap around a bowling ball thanks to blueberry muffins and weekly enchilada feasts. Where, then, do we keep our wallets, guys? There’s always the fanny pack solution, but who wants to look like a visitor from Planet Arkansas? Instead, I keep mine in my hand, under the driver’s seat of my car, in a coat pocket, or any room I’ve visited in the last week.

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That’s why, around this stage of life, a smart man turns to his wife and says, “Mind keeping this in your purse?” I might as well lose it there as anywhere else. For the record, I have never lost my wallet. It has, however, been misplaced for most of the last half century. Frequently, my wallet goes on extended holidays only to show up reliably with a good tan after a week or ten days. This leaves me driving without a license, which is against the law. “What if a policeman stops you?” my wife asks. Easy. Just say, “It’s in my wife’s purse. She usually keeps it for me…. Damn, she’s not here right now. Guess I screwed up!” This usually gets you oﬀ scot-free, even if the cop is a Brit. Cops, both male and female, understand these things. Wine choice: In a courageous attempt to keep our wine expenditures under the GNP of at least Mexico, my wife and I conducted a mini wine tasting of Argentinian Malbecs, both on sale, both dangerously inexpensive. The Los Cardos was the overall winner, and for $8.99 the cheapest. The Tribu, as far as I could determine, is Argentinian for bubble gum, lots of it. 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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HELP WANTED VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. Ladysmith & District Historical Society seeks volunteer assistants for operating Ladysmith Museum, & Archives, call 250-245-0423. FOR SALE FISH FISH FISH. Buy direct from the guy who caught it! High quality salmon, lingcod, rockfish. All fish blast frozen at sea. Satisfaction guaranteed! Contact Jim at oceandancer.wallace@gmail.com or 250-245-5957/250-739-1123. BUSINESS 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 com.and more. Fiction or nonfiction, web content and eBook prep. For more information, email editican@gmail. HEALTH & WELLNESS TAI CHI for mental & physical health. Beginner class starts Monday morning, Sept. 13. Ongoing class every Wed. morning. For exact class times and locations and more information, visit www. taichinanaimo.org or call Sara 250-245-1466. HOME & YARD PAINTER. Certified journeyman. Clean, efficient, respectful, punctual, responsible. 20+ years’ experience. WCB coverage. Enhance your enjoyment of the home you love. Call Howard, 245-2751. HEART LAKE ROOFING for all your roofing repairs 250-668-9195.

INTO THE POND – Maintenance & Revitalization, division of Into the Garden Landscaping Services. Cleaning, maintenance, consultations. Really love your pond! Call for free estimate, 250-466-9339. KB HANDYMAN AND YARDWORKS SERVICES. Minor carpentry work, decks, fences, gutter cleaning, power washing, tree pruning, yard clean up, lawn fertilizing, mowing. Seniors’ discount. Contact Karl kbhandymanandyardworks@gmail.com or 250-714-2738. QUALITY RENOVATIONS. Big or small. 25 years’ 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.

OCTOBER 2021 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. PETS PROFESSIONAL PET CARE SERVICE “leash ’em & walk ’em” with Marlena. I have Animal First Aid, CPR and criminal record check. 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 drivers abstract, FOODSAFE, First Aid/CPR, Gerontology Based Therapeutic Recreation Certificate 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. TAKE 5 ads work!. Book yours now. 245-7015.

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Putting the fun back into bottle drives You may have seen them, too. Perhaps while driving down a back road, you’ve noticed a retired couple walking, one on each side of the road, each carrying a plastic bag as they stare intently into the blackberries at the edge of the road. Or perhaps while driving down a quiet street in town in the pre-dawn hours, you’ve recognized a respected citizen carrying a single beer can while sporting a satisfied grin. You may have been asked if you really wanted all those bags of cans and bottles in the back of your truck. Or maybe you’ve noticed your generally quiet neighbour seems to always have bags of cans and bottles in the driveway and you’ve wondered, is something going on? Yes, something is going on. A small group of Ladysmith citizens has committed to helping a Syrian family in Nanaimo reunite with the husband’s father, adult sister and brother, who are stranded in Jordan. In order to do that, they need to raise $48,000, one half of it before the application can be formally submitted. Fundraising during a pandemic isn’t easy. Initially, the goal was modest. If they could raise $100 per month for the next two years, they reasoned, that would be wonderful. They have already passed the $2,100 mark. That’s more than 21,000 cans and bottles; only 125,000 more before they can file that important application. Not all of the cans and bottles come from scavenging. They have loyal supporters who donate their household or business refundables on a regular basis, including people in other parts of BC who donate through Return-it Express. If you want to join in the fun, you can take your refundable containers to Junction Bottle Depot in Ladysmith and direct the refund to account number 499. Or you can take advantage of Refund-it Express at any kiosk in BC. The account number is 250-944-1146. If you have any questions, or if you would like them to come to your house to pick up a quantity of cans and bottles, email Ayash3project@shaw.ca. And yes, they do accept cash donations. Meanwhile, when you see the bulging bags of cans and bottles, you’ll know where the money is going.

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