TAKE 5 Dec-Jan 2021 by Take 5 Print & Digital Media

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Letters Cover girl What a delight to see Rose McCulley’s picture on your front page. I can think of no one in our community that has done more for our district. She is legendary, and thousands love her for her incredible charitable work over the decades. I tried to get her recognized by the City of Nanaimo some years ago, but dealing with those bureaucrats was impossible, as they were dead from the navel in both directions. WELL DONE! Rose you are much loved by many. — Mike Gogo

Tell Me More Contest Not knowing the people in the photo or where it was taken, I can tell you the “what” and “when.” A childhood friend of mine owned this exact car. The vehicle is a 1954 Ford Crestline series Skyliner hardtop with the distinctive green-tinted plastic insert in the roof over the front seat. It would have come with Ford’s, new for 1954, overhead valve V8 engine, putting out 130 horsepower (twenty-five more than the old flathead V8 of the past decades). Being the top trim level, it likely would have several options,

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including the Ford-O-Matic transmission ($184), power steering ($134), radio ($88) and white sidewall tires ($27). The factory price for this model was $2,241 US dollars (which was the same as for the Sunliner convertible). Shipping weight was 3325 pounds, and there were 13,144 units of this particular model built (of 1,165,942 total Fords built in 1954). â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Doug Brown I love the photo of Lorne and Glen Maddin. Lorne and Ron are and were the best of friends from the time they began elementary school. My tall dark handsome boyfriend, Lorne and his best buddy Ron. I remember those times so well. - Verna Hastings 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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Celebrating a great man in a great game — Howie Meeker It was a sad day for hockey fans, as well as the community, when hockey legend Howie Meeker passed away in Nanaimo Hospital on November 9, 2020, at the age of 97. “Marvelous Meeker,” as he has been coined, played in the National Hockey League, was a coach and educator in ice hockey, and a commentator for Hockey Night in Canada. In the NHL, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as best rookie, being one of the few professional players to score five goals in a game, and won four Stanley Cups, all with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He also helped launch Special Olympics Canada and was even a Progressive Conservative MP while playing for the Leafs. In June 1951, Meeker later ran Howie Meeker’s Hockey School from 1973 to 1977. Many kids wanted to attend his hockey school, but they couldn’t aﬀord to pay for it. He covered the tution for at least a quarter to a third of the students who couldn’t pay. He was given the Order of Canada in 2010. Meeker lived with his second wife, Leah, in Parksville. He was a regular sight in our communities, spreading his enthusiasm for youth in hockey.

Leah Meeker, Marla Meeker, Howie Meeker, and Mitch Dogherty celebrating his Order of Canada award. Photo: Ron Maddin

that claims lives,” said Melissa Bond, Program Manager. A temporary outdoor shelter located on Buller and First Avenue was closed when funding ran out. Although the Cold Weather Shelter on 631 First Avenue opened a month earlier than normal,

COVID physical distancing requirements meant that the shelter could accommodate fewer clients. Additionally, the Shelter closed for part of the day, leaving clients nowhere to go. The Daytime Warming Centre will be a valuable addition allowing more cli-

Homeless Cold Weather Shelter “It’s a step in the right direction,” says Allison McCarrick, CAO Town of Ladysmith, about the recent expansion in hours for the Cold Weather Shelter, operated by the Ladysmith Resources Centre Association. The good news is that the LRCA has now received funding approval from BC Housing to operate a Daytime Warming Centre in Ladysmith to compliment the Ladysmith Shelter that operates overnight. “This will allow those who are unhoused or underhoused to have a place to be during the type of weather

10K towards Ladysmith Washroom Project On November 6, the Ladysmith & District Credit Union donated $10,000 towards the Ladysmith Public Washroom Project. A long overdue public facility is badly needed in the downtown area. (right) At the proposed site are Kinsmen Mike Richardson, Duck Paterson and Larry Adair, with LDCU CAO John de Leeuw and Kinsmen Rodney Woods. Photo: Angie Haslam

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ents to use their services. If you would like to help, donations of warm twin-sizes blankets are appreciated as there are currently not enough beds for all those wishing to sleep in the shelter. A small group of individuals have been camping across the street from the shelter raising safety and health concerns. The Town has asked the inhabitants to remove the tent and continues to have conversations with BC Housing and LRCA to address the homeless community during COVID.

Do you have an old barn? The North Oyster and Area Historical Society (NOAHS) is conducting an old barn inventory in our area. In the Ladysmithâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Nanaimo area, the original wood barns

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can be as much as 130 years old, and some of these buildings are still standing. The building materials often came from milling the trees felled when the land was cleared, although lumber and shake and shingle mills were common in the area. Foundations were often sections of logs used to elevate the floor to a level base, with the added bonus of keeping the floor dry. If you have an old wooden barn or know of one, be it large or small, in use or derelict, we would be delighted to hear from you. Our area of interest is Yellow Point, North Oyster, Cedar, Little Valley, Cassidy, South Wellington, Extension, Duke Point and anywhere in between. Once we have collected the information, the results will be compiled and made available to the public. If you would like to participate in this project, please refer

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to the bulletin board on the North Oyster and Area Historical Society website to obtain a questionnaire and instructions (https://northoysterhistoricalsociety.com/bulletin-board/).

CVRD Board adopts strategic plan to guide priorities and focus areas for next two years After more than eighteen months of discussion and deliberation, the Board of Directors for the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) has adopted a strategic plan to guide the duration of their term of oﬃce and support recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CVRD Corporate Strategic Plan 2020–2022 presents a series of strategic objectives chosen by the board to address the challenges facing the regional community. These challenges include the economic impacts of COVID-19, changes to climate, the health of Cowichan ecosystems and water resources, and the need for progressive growth management. Opportunities for reconciliation with First Nations are also reflected in the board’s objectives, as are resident expectations related to meaningful engagement, cost eﬀective services and strong fiscal accountability. “Finalizing this strategic plan has taken us longer than hoped, but our board is confident that the themes and actions we’ve identified will help the region emerge from COVID-19 with greater resiliency and a clear sense of purpose,” says Aaron Stone, Chair of the Board for the Cowichan Valley Regional District. “The interconnected nature of our themes and the need for balance in directing resources towards our objectives are two important aspects of this strategic plan that we trust our residents will recognize and appreciate.” The plan includes both a vision and mission statement for the CVRD, as well as a series of principles and guiding aspirations, all of which collectively shape the five themes and their respective actions. The CVRD Corporate Strategic Plan 2020–2022 was adopted at the regular meeting of the board on October 28, and is now available to the public on the CVRD website (https:// www.cvrd.ca/DocumentCenter/View/98958/CVRD-Corporate-Strategic-Plan-2020-2022).

Central Island 911 transitioning to new Fire Dispatch Service Provider The City of Nanaimo and the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) are transitioning fire dispatch services from Nanaimo FireComm to the City of Surrey. Nanaimo FireComm is operated by the City of Nanaimo, and the decision to transition to a new service provider was made due to the technology upgrades that would be required for the Next Generation 911 platform and rising operational costs. The move is estimated to save $3.5 million in avoided technology upgrades and operating expenses over a five-year period. Retaining the Central Island 911 partnership with the City of Nanaimo and the RDN under a new fire dispatch service provider will ensure this service continues to be delivered in an efficient and cost eﬀective manner. The City of Surrey will have the ability to dispatch multiple agencies and support multijurisdictional incidents that occur within the City of Nanaimo and RDN Electoral Areas A, B and C (South Wellington, Cas-

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sidy, Cedar, Gabriola and surrounding islands, Extension, East Wellington and Pleasant Valley) and the District of Lantzville. “We are pleased to maintain our long-established Central Island 911 partnership with the City of Nanaimo,” says Tyler Brown, RDN Chair. “Together, we are continuing to provide a resilient and eﬀective 911 service to our communities.”

Lions Club support Community Gardens BY TRUDY REYNEN (LADYSMITH COMMUNITY GARDENS) October 31 was a busy day in Ladysmith, and not just because of Halloween. Members of the Community Gardens made their way to High Street Park for their annual fall garden clean up. They arrived with their own tools, gloved and masked, to carry out thorough fall maintenance in all the common areas of the garden. There were many areas needing attention, so social distancing was easy. While the clean up was underway, six representatives of the local chapter of the Ladysmith Lions Club arrived to finalize their complete rebuilding of the LAFF bed, which had been vandalized earlier in the fall. The Lions are much appreciated for their regular support for LAFF, as well as many other projects, large and small, throughout the community. Gardeners and Lions enjoyed the sunny weather and the opportunity to learn more about what makes Ladysmith such a great community. Ideas for further collaboration were identified and explored, and will surely germinate early in the new year. The Ladysmith Community Gardens would also like to acknowledge the support they also receive from the Town of Ladysmith, the Rotary Club of Ladysmith and Sawmill Direct.

Ladysmith Lions members lending a hand at Ladysmith Community Gardens clean up. Photo: Allen McDermid

Cow-Op Online Farmers’ Market Cow-Op has grown into its own this year, as our communities witnessed the benefits of eating nutritious food while supporting our local economy of farmers and food producers. The option of delivery to your front door is just an added bonus, and now one that Cow-Op is oﬀering all the way to Nanaimo. Home delivery has become a way of life, one that helps to keep us and our neighbours safe and to decrease stress in these crazy times. An added bonus is increasing island food security while lowering our dependence on trucks, fossil fuels and food imports that come from oﬀ-island.

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The Cow-Op oﬀers everything from in season vegetables to teas, all produced within or as close to our communities as possible. Get some holiday shopping done at the same time with gift certificates, cookbooks, locally crafted candles and specialty foods, such as charcuterie or locally made gingerbread kits. Visit https://cow-op.ca/

Warm face masks Just in time for the frosty days of winter, locally based High Road Clothing has launched the latest additions to the their line the Merino Bandana and the Merino Smooth Mask. The new Bandana and Smooth masks use the world’s best Merino that is ethically sourced. What makes Merino special? This smart fabric has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that inhibit the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria. Since Merino manages moisture so well, there is no wet environment for bacteria to grow. Merino is soft, strong and sustainable. Our Merino Bandanas and Smooth masks are reusable and washable which lessen the environmental impact of disposables. By using these high quality, machine washable masks, we will keep trash out of our landfills and oceans, says Mary Desperez of High Road Clothing.

LDHS Climate Change talks now online BY QUENTIN GOODBODY Before COVID-19, imminent catastrophe associated with climate change was our big worry. Has this gone away? No, of course not. International attention will return to this subject and

global warming will once again become a “hot” topic. How many of us really understand the issues at hand? What are climate change and global warming? Is there a difference? How do we measure change? What is causing it? What is it causing? And what can we do about it? These are some of the questions addressed at last month’s Climate Change and Global Warming series presented by the Ladysmith & District Historical Society. The series is now available on YouTube so you can understand the terms being bandied about, put the issues into perspective, help you formulate an informed opinion and determine what you need to do about it. Significant effort has been taken to present the information in an unbiased manner, avoiding the rhetoric of “interested” parties — which are many and vociferous! The first talk, “History of Climate Change,” explores the history of climate change on Earth and what causes it. The second talk, “Global Warming: Realities, Causes and Cures,” investigates the recent global warming trend, puts it into perspective against the global history of climate change and examines what we are doing and can do about it. The third talk, “Effects of Global Warming,” looks at the effects of global warming on our environment and their implications on global, national and local scales. Once we have a better understanding of climate change, we need to ask ourselves the question? Are we on a course toward “mass extinction,” and if so, is it climate change that is putting us there? Due to COVOD safety regulations the “Historically Speaking” series is being presented via Zoom.

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The next talk is Prime Predators: Wolves, on Thursday, Dec 12. 6:30pm to 7:30 pm via Zoom. Gary R. Allan presents the The Role of Wolves: the lives of wolves, traits, stories, culture and ecological value as an apex predator. Allan is a wolf educator, and author who operates SWELL Wolf Education. And on Tuesday, Jan 19, 6:30 to 7:30 pm via Zoom, Erik Piikkila presents. On Ecosystems in the Past, Changes, and Today. Eﬀects of railroad logging, Lessons from the past for Climate Change and Forest Management. Piikkila is a Forest & Watershed Ecologist. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom. us/j/81410416877 Meeting ID: 814 1041 6877.

Healthcare Thrift Store expansion BY MARINA SACHT On November 14, 2020, a small group came together to celebrate the oﬃcial opening of the addition to the Ladysmith Healthcare Auxiliary Thrift Store on First Avenue. Pam Fraser, chair of the building committee, gave thanks to the hardworking members. Following the speeches, Fraser, along with Ladysmith Mayor Aaron Stone, cut the ribbon, unveiling a commemorative plaque. President Jennifer Forrest read congratulations from the provincial branch of healthcare auxiliaries to the small gathering. Having adequate space for volunteers to receive, sort and price donations cannot be understated, she read. In 2019, LHCA’s 255 members put in 35,777 hours of volunteer time. They donated or pledged $270,000 in 2019 and $225,000

Ladysmith Thrift Store’s new addition with LHCA members. Photo: Marina Sacht

up to April of 2020. “Projects need leaders,” said Jennifer, thanking the building committee, their architect and MKM builders and Mayor Aaron Stone for helping navigate the many permits required. The building project started May 2016. “It was a roller coaster experience, a steep learning curve,” recalled Fraser, who went on to summarize the experience in keeping with the holiday season. “Ten floorplan changes, nine notary visits, eight engineers, seven council meetings, six hazmat surveys, five town permits, four grants applied for, three architects, two lots combined and a statutory right of way.” Once they were actually ready to start building, however, the pandemic came along.

The 3,500 square-foot $1-million addition to the building bought in 1990 offers lots of natural light, a meeting and lunch room, increased storage and an outdoor patio area. “The best thrift store on the Island is now made even better,” said Fraser. The thrift store not only raises money for community health projects, but creates a service for people that need value. “It’s a double win.” Ed: Note: Just as we were going to press, the LHCA announced that the thrift store would close until Dec. 14 following news that three volunteers had tested positive for COVID-19. If you shopped there between Nov. 16-28, please monitor for COVID symptoms and call 811 if needed to discuss.

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Cannabis grower - a year later BY KERITH WADDINGTON It has long been acknowledged that how things look often depends upon where you stand. Rarely has that adage been as apparent as when one considers the large open-air recreational cannabis grow-op in Cedar. It has been a year since the six-foot high fence topped with barbed wire and infrared security cameras came to 2550 Quennell Road. Cedar Organics CEO Karen Parent describes the first year of the farm as successful. And from a production, job creation and infrastructure support perspective, it certainly has been. But if you ask the neighbours living on the other side of the fence that surrounds the farm if the many concerns they had about the enterprise have been assuaged with time, the answer is a resounding no. “The odour was overwhelming this summer, and we had to live behind closed windows,” says Ashley Richards, who lives directly across the street from the farm. “Both my husband and I experienced breathing problems and were put on inhalers this summer. There has been no consideration for how an operation like this aﬀects a neighbourhood. Our quality of life has been greatly impacted.” Cedar Organics is on the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). When the provincial government classified cannabis production as a farm activity in February of 2019, it became possible for large outdoor grow-ops to set up shop on ALR land without any community input. Decisions as to the ALR reside with the province and Health Canada.

Harvesting the cannabis at Cedar Organics. Photo: Kerith Waddington

The fencing and security cameras that are in place at Cedar Organics are the minimum required under federal government regulations. Richards feels that between the smell, the noise, the increased traﬃc, the lights at night, the barbed-wire fencing, the security cameras and the key card access, the operation feels “more like an industrial enterprise than a farming enterprise.” She has seen one young family move from the area as a result of the farm and knows of others who are considering it. She also watched as her property value sank by $86,000. She agrees that farmers and farmland need to be protected, but says, “My problem isn’t with what the farm is growing, but where they are growing it.” On the flip side, Parent believes that Cedar Organics has tried hard to address neighbours’ concerns. “Cedar has long been known for

growing cannabis,” she says. “We have worked and will continue to work with the community and our neighbours to address their concerns. Cedar Organics is a legal cannabis operation licensed and regulated by Health Canada. We have brought employment to the area and hope to remain an integral part of this amazing community” She adds, “We are just hard-working people, managing a farm.” And how did their first year go? Cedar Organics cultivated twenty acres this past year and harvested 8500 plants of fifty diﬀerent varieties. Based on how the plants responded, Parent says they have narrowed the number of cultivar types they will re-plant in 2021 down to less than twenty. What other changes are in the oﬃng? “We will space our plants out more, plant less strains and start the entire stock from clones and not seeds,” says

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Parent. A small crew of people will continue working at Cedar Organics over the winter months to prepare the growing stock for next spring. A much larger number of people work during the short but intense growing and harvesting season, which lasts until late summer. Parent says over 100 people were on the payroll at some point during the year. The way the plants responded to local growing conditions was a pleasant surprise for Parent, who credits the Class 1 soil of Cedar with the speedy growth and health of the plants. Samples of the locally-grown cannabis will get sent to labs approved by Health Canada to be tested prior to being released. Cedar Organics expects to be selling concentrates from its first season crop within the first few months of 2021. This news is cold comfort to neighbours Tom Rothoehler and Donna Laing, both of whom — alongside Richards — have approached the RDN about their concerns. “There is real fear,” says Rothoehler, who is raising a family across the road from Cedar Organics. “We are trying to protect what we have, but we are not NIMBYs. We try to be good neighbours and want to see businesses succeed. But this is not the right place for a large-scale outdoor cannabis operation. The sense of community has changed with its arrival.” Laing describes what’s happening in Cedar on Quennell Road as “a cautionary tale for people living beside or near ALR lands.” “It’s definitely buyer beware. This cannabis farm has aﬀected everyone around it.” For immediate neighbours, there is even more reason to be concerned. Cedar Organics has purchased the neighbouring forty-acre farm, but Parent acknowledges that the farm will not be expanding next spring. Keith Wilson, RDN area director for Cedar, would like to see local and regional government have more say in regulations. Acknowledging that while the development met all of the requirements imposed upon it by local governmental legislation and regulation, Wilson says, “My personal view is that if we allow cannabis growers to buy up good farmland and take it out of production for food, we are making a mistake. We will see if there is any permanent impact once the shine is oﬀ of cannabis production as a viable agricultural commodity.”

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Whadda Woman “A strong woman looks at challenge dead in the eye and gives it a wink.” — Gina Carey Well, it was a toss-up which quote I would start with. The one above or “Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says, ‘Oh crap, she’s up!’” When I read that line, I can only think of one person. I had a visitor, an old friend of ours, who came for a brief albeit “isolating” stay at the farm. Carol reminded me once again of how much I love to be in the company of strong women. Smart, a history of accomplishments, her own successful business, and her own home. Carol is a new world adventurer with a zest for life and for playing polo. And it’s this last piece that brought on a chain of events, compelling me to write this here edition of “Down on the Farm.” Now, you’re probably thinking I’m going to tell you more about Carol, but although she is on my list of amazingly strong woman, she was just the impetus, the push I needed to finally write about my real-life heroine — Jessie James. Yes, her name really is Jessie James.

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And she has worn many, many hats over her 96 years. (Yes, but you’d never be able to tell. Oops, isn’t this one of those things throughout history that women try to hide? Sorry, Jessie. Change subject slightly.) Horses, ponies . . . What is it about girls or women and the equine breed? Is it because of watching The Lone Ranger? Roy Rogers? Or perhaps Dale Evans or Annie Oakley or Liz Taylor or Black Beauty? I have dreamed of having my own horse since I was four years old; it being number one on my Santa list every year. Jessie recalls that when she was two years old, living on the coast of England, there were pony rides on the beach for a mere sixpence. Today, she owns West Abby Farm in Cedar, with fifteen of the most beautiful Welsh ponies imaginable. But that’s a big leap in history, and with limited column space, I must quickly fill you folks in on some of this wonder-woman’s life journey (so far!). Everyone’s world changed with the start of World War II; Jessie’s included. From the tender age of eighteen, she spent the next four years with the CWAC (Canadian Women’s Army Corp), saw overseas service and, with the ending of that nightmare war, was discharged as a disabled army vet. She wanted to become a doctor and spent a couple of years studying at UBC before Veterans Aﬀairs chose her as the first undergrad to send out of Canada to Stanford to finish pre-med. Although she had her eye on medical research, she was assured by three renowned doctors there to pan the research option, saying, “Don’t bother. It’s already been done.” Of course, they couldn’t have been more

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Jessie James and Jackie Moad with Welsh Ponies. Photo: Carol MacLeod

wrong. It was still the 1940s! So Jessie switched to chemistry, came home and started working in a gas lab for BC Electric (precursor to BC Hydro). After two and a half years, she became allergic to the gas and decided to try her hand at education, becoming a high school teacher, then a school psychologist, and then an elementary school principal. In 1957, she decided to take a real estate course and ended up quickly becoming not just a realtor but a broker and formed, yes, her own business, Small World Real Estate, and then Re/Max Saltspring and Re/Max Gulf Islands. In between all this, she also wrote articles for the Vancouver Sun’s magazine section, was a guard at the Okalla Women’s Prison in Burnaby, and worked at the paper mill for a time. But those ponies — those Welsh ponies, with their long bangs and mane and tails touching the earth — they were never far from her thoughts and dreams. I could wax the eloquent about this remarkable woman, but I must go out, hug and groom and give my own two ponies some lovin’. Perhaps I’ll tell the tale another time of how Jessie and Laurie conspired together for more than a year to make my Christmas wish come true. I always know how to make her smile. I’m not sure she believes me, but I speak the truth when I say to her, quite often, “Jessie, when I grow up I want to be just like you!” Jackie Moad remains amazed at her good fortune in knowing some powerful and strong women in the community, setting a great example as she continues farming that twenty-acre organic farm, actively seeking local solutions to global challenges.

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Winter Food Gratitude Gratitude has been toted as a great way to help us through these crazy headspinning pandemic times. These days, the highlight of my “stay at home” has become “what’s for dinner?” Gratitude is what I focus on as I trudge to the farm where the winter food garden oﬀers a bounty of the freshest, most nutritious produce. This year Farmer Goldie and I planned to grow as much as we could to get us through winter and support our mainly plant-based diet. When the weather turns cold and damp, I turn to warming soups and slow cooker casseroles, roasting vegetables

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for wraps and baking beans for hearty stews. I depend on our stored potatoes (Sieglinde), garlic, bottled tomatoes, dried beans (black turtle and red kidney) and winter squash for recipes. In the freezer, there are green beans, fava beans, shelled peas, corn, peppers, salsa and pesto from the summer garden. To inspire you to grow more food, here are the crops we are growing and suggestions for recipes. Most are growing under a winter floating row cover to protect the vegetables from rain and pest damage. A cloche tunnel also provides winter protection. Bandit leeks are a sturdy overwintering variety that produce tender flavourful leeks from fall to the following April. They are great for heartwarming leek and potato soup and do not need protection. Not the most popular of vegetables, but rutabagas (swedes) are a dependable winter root crop. Their large roots are tasty cubed and steamed, or mashed with potatoes. Sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) are perennial tubers and so easy to grow. They can be dug to order and turned

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into a creamy soup or raw crudités with dip, and they are simply delicious oven roasted. Beets are two vegetables in one, three if you also eat the stalks! The leafy greens are delicious steamed, the roots roasted, fresh grated on salads or turned into a hearty beet borscht. Winterkeeper Lutz has large round roots (great for pickled beets) and fantastic sweet beet greens. For the second year in a row, we are amazed by our crop of fast growing Napoli carrots. From an early fall sowing, protected under floating row cover, we got a dense patch of incredibly sweet carrots, good roasted or for making colelsaw and cream of carrot soup. Cilantro is a herb you either love or hate depending upon your taste buds. I love it in Mexican-themed meals and to make salsa. I use my mandolin for fine grating cabbage for coleslaw. A fresh head of cabbage makes the tastiest slaw, mixed with apples, carrots, raisins and sunflower seeds. I also love stirfried cabbage in wraps. Collards provide huge cabbagey

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Compost bin system. Photo submitted.

leaves that get sweeter after frosts. Cut them chiﬀonade style and steam them for amazing side greens. A trio of hardy winter kales (red Russian, Vates and scarlet) provide us with endless pickings of tender leafy greens all winter, great for green smoothies, steamed greens, stir fries and casseroles. We laughingly say, “Eat your greens!” to help us keep up. Swiss chard has juicy celery-like stalks, as well as succulent greens. These are perfect for stir fries and adding to soups and stews. Chard makes a wonderful veggie lasagna with roasted squash. Bloomsdale savoy spinach is protected from slug damage by a surrounding of crushed eggshells and from the elements by being grown in a poly tunnel. Nothing beats a fresh spinach salad in winter, except maybe an arugula salad. Add walnuts, feta cheese, pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries to hardy young arugula leaves and a tangy vinegarette. If you want to liven things up, add mustard greens to a salad mix. They add a range of flavour from mild (Mizuna) to searingly spicy (Osaka purple). If you want Brussels sprouts in fall, it means they have to be seeded in May/June and planted out by mid-August. This year we grew varieties Gustus and Nautic. If you want them to mature at the same time, cut the tops oﬀ the stalk when the sprouts are starting to mature at the bottom. Two weeks later, they will all have matured. Regular broccoli does not generally overwinter well, but if you grow some for a fall harvest, lots of broccoli sprouts will follow on into the colder weather. It can be helped through winter by covering the plants with a cloche tunnel. All the varieties mentioned in this article are available from West Coast Seeds. My gratitude extends to West Coast Seeds for their generous seed donation to another project I am involved with—the Kiwi Cove Ladysmith Food Bank garden. This year we grew a record 4,152 pounds of food for the food bank using donated seeds. Be grateful for what you have and know that together, we can do this! 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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Essential Trees! BY SARA MIMICK NATURALIST, As quoted by Jack Nicholson, “no issue is more compelling than the air we breathe, be it hot or cold, be it hawk or human.” However, without healthy and mature living trees, the air we breathe would not have one of the most vital elements that we need to live — oxygen! Oxygen is one of the most important gases on the planet. Every living thing on earth needs oxygen to survive. Trees provide us with oxygen as part of an essential and symbiotic relationship we (and other animals) have with

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them. When we breathe in air with oxygen from trees, this activates a biochemical process known as respiration. Respiration helps create the energy for us to be active and a large part of our nutrition. Carbon dioxide is then produced in our bodies as a by-product of respiration and released through our lungs into the air. Trees absorb this carbon dioxide and use it for photosynthesis, the process by which a tree produces sugars for food. Oxygen is created as a byproduct of a tree’s photosynthesis and released from the tree into the air. Thus, humans (and other animals) have a necessary and collaborative partnership with trees that all parties need to survive. It is diﬃcult to measure exactly how much oxygen any one tree, tree species or forest can produce. This varies the amount of leaves, size, age and health. However, as stated by Joanna Mounce Stancil, “it is proposed that one large tree can provide a day’s supply of oxy-

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Trees give us life, consider an alternate to cutting down a tree for Christmas.

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gen for up to four people.” Some families of tree species on Vancouver Island that are thought to produce high levels of oxygen include fir and poplar trees. With the holiday season fast approaching, many fir, spruce and other wondrous evergreen tree species living in the wild and in our forests are susceptible to being cut down as Christmas trees. Thus, this season, we encourage you to consider ways to celebrate without ending the life of one of foremost partners in life, the trees. Options other than cutting down a wild tree to use as a Christmas tree may include: • decorating a potted tree that you can plant in your yard or an appropriate natural area (with permission) after the holiday season; • decorating an existing plant in your home as your Christmas tree; • decorating a tree outside in your yard, community park or natural area (with permission); • creating your own tree out of alternative structures and craft materials, such as a ladder (tree structure), recycled wood, books, wall stickers, wire or felt, to name just a few. The next time you step outside into the crisp and clean holiday air, take in a slow, gentle and deep breathe. Feel the oxygen enter your lungs and revitalize your body. Then remember where this oxygen comes from, our magnificent and reverent partners in life, the trees. Sara Mimick is a Naturalist, Naturalist, Education Committee, Wildwood Ecoforest, Cedar BC

RDN Area A Cedar As the holiday season approaches, it is more appropriate than most years to give thanks for the good things that have come our way in 2020 and to voice our gratitude to those who have kept most of us safe during this very unusual year. For those who suﬀered with COVID-19 or who lost someone close to them, it is a year to reach out and tell them how much they matter to us. All in all, it’s a year to reflect on our quickly changing world and to try to picture better things to come. I am not one to get all mushy, no matter the occasion, but this year seems diﬀerent. Sentiment doesn’t feel indulgent, giving thanks seems mandatory and caring for one another is simply an expectation. Despite the behaviour of

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some folks to the south of us, people appear to be trying to be kind, considerate and keep one another safe. We had climate change, the pandemic, the election in the US, our own failing economy and, for some, loss of jobs and income. But we also had salutes to first responders and health care professionals, BC’s own Dr. Bonnie Henry, dog and cat videos on YouTube and Tik Tok and a strange NHL season. In my world, I had many people give positive reviews to some of the work I have done over the past year. I read a comment this morning from someone in the US who said young people in university who are complaining about the diﬃculties of online learning should be told of the kids in the late ’60s who couldn’t go to university because they were fighting in Vietnam. I guess life’s challenges just depend on your perspective. While its poor form to criticize anyone for their point of view, it doesn’t hurt to remind them of how good we have it compared to those who came before us, those who fought wars so that we didn’t have to and those that don’t have the luxury of living in our little part of the world. For those things, let’s be thankful. What’s the final message for 2020? To all readers, have a great holiday season, keep being kind to one another and let’s get through 2020 to a new and better year! Also, thank you for reading these missives and your comments!

CVRD Area H North Oyster/ Diamond As of press time the preliminary results of the Cowichan Valley Regional District By-election for Area H, North Oyster/Diamond was 293 for candidate Ben Maartmen, and 288 votes for Murray McNab, The oﬃcial results will be released shortly. Congratulations to both candidates for running and showing how much they care about our community.

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CVRD Area G Saltair/Thetis Island I wish Saltair and Gulf Islands residents the quiet beauty of a peaceful holiday season. Moving into the holiday season, there will be new challenges as we celebrate our first holiday season during a pandemic. I encourage you to support locally made items and to donate to the Food Bank. Are you aware of someone in your neighbourhood who could use a hand, a food basket, company or an IOU? Please reach out to them. These can make a great gift or stocking stuffer. 2020 has been an incredibly challenging year. 2021 promises to provide a vaccine. Until then, let’s continue to protect ourselves and each other while remaining optimistic. Saltair Water System (SWS) Filtration In November, the CVRD board will select an electoral assent process for the $3.7-million loan needed for filtration. I anticipate staff will recommend an AAP (Alternate Approval Process), as this is, particularly now, the least expensive and most appropriate option. You will soon receive a letter about this from the CVRD. SWS Distribution System In 2012, Saltair taxpayers asked the CVRD to increase our taxation by approximately $356 per year to upgrade our aging distribution system. The petition was to raise $4.5 million over fifteen years ($300,000 per year for fifteen years). The SWS Service Bylaw did not include an end date for this increase or otherwise note the increase was only for fifteen years. For the past five years, I have been trying to get this time limit included in the bylaw. I am pleased to report it is now included in Bylaw 4344. The additional $300,000 will be removed from our taxation collection as of December 31, 2027. If additional work and funding are required, CVRD staff will make a new proposal then. Dog off Leash On October 18, a dog off-leash in

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Stocking Creek Park caused a horrendous event involving a Saltair resident who was walking his two dogs on-leash, across the bridge. Multiple fractures, surgery and possibly additional surgeries will be required. This resident faces a long road to recovery and costs for care. CVRD Bylaw 738 requires dogs to be on-leash in our community parks and on the CVT. There are other locations for walking dogs oﬀ-leash. I can only express my frustration with those who continue to use these trails without having their dogs on a leash. When you step onto a CVRD property, you are accepting the bylaw regulations. It is all about public safety. Traﬃc Speeds in Saltair The provincial government regulates the speeds on roads that are not within a municipality. The speed limit on Chemainus Road within Saltair is set by the MOTI. Our speed limit on Chemainus Road is 60 km/h, not 80 or 90 km/h. The Lagoon Bridge surface can be extremely slippery. MOTI signage is in place. Saltair residents want all drivers on Saltair roads to respect the posted speed limit and speed recommendations. Our roads are narrow. They can be windy and icy with limited or no shoulders for cyclists and pedestrians. Please slow down and pay attention to the speed limit, speed recommendations and weather conditions. Saltair Market Keep your eyes on the Saltair Market location as changes are happening inside and out. Soon we will have a corner store back in Saltair. Emergency Preparedness Do you have all your items ready for the winter season of 2020/2021? See www.cvrd.ca/231/Emergency-Preparedness. Saltair Association for Local Teamwork (SALT) This non-profit society was created in 2019 to take over hosting events in Saltair Centennial Park from the Community Parks Advisory Commission. When the commission was told it could no longer host events, a group of Saltair residents stepped forward to fill the gap. Easter and Halloween events are a tradition in Saltair. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, SALT was unable to host these events in 2020. However, SALT looks forward to hosting these and new events in the future. CVRD 2021 Budget The CVRD is drafting its 2021 budget. There are 178 individual budgets. The November 12 Corporate Services Committee Meeting included a 2021 Budget Overview. Video of the Overview starts at 4.23 at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=kVALZUsLITQ. CVRD Corporate Strategic Plan 2020–2022 “Finalizing this strategic plan has taken us longer than hoped, but our board is confident that the themes and actions we’ve identified will help the region emerge from COVID 19 with greater resiliency and a clear sense of purpose,” said Aaron Stone, Chair. For more information, see: https://www.cvrd.ca/DocumentCenter/View/98959/News-Release---Strategic-Plan-Adoption and https://www.cvrd.ca/DocumentCenter/View/98958/ CVRD-Corporate-Strategic-Plan-2020-2022 If you have any questions and/or comments, please contact me at lynne.smith@cvrd.bc.ca or 250-701-1407. Additional articles and information can be found on the Saltair News and Views website (www.SaltairNews.ca).

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Ladysmith Little Theatre – Radio Plays Podcast BY MARINA SACHT The pandemic may have temporarily dropped the curtain on the Ladysmith Little Theatre, but plans are underway to bring theatre directly to their audience. “Picture this,” says Bruce Ormond, theatre manager. “Sitting by the fire in your living room, a glass of wine in hand” as you are transported away to another time and place. With Grant-in-Aid funding from The Town of Ladysmith, LLT is presenting a podcast of radio plays. Four radio plays by award-winning playwright Brian D’Eon will be launched, starting with Triple Triple, a comedy, on January 4, 2021, and followed up by three more radio plays, release dates February 1, March 1 and April 5, 2021. The radio play podcasts will allow the group to maintain engagement of their audience and members. “We’re all just biting at the bit to get back and do things. Unfortunately, it’s very diﬃcult to have live performances during COVID-19,” said president Dave Ehrismann. Reaction to podcasts has been enthusiastic. Once popular in the 1940s and 1950s, radio plays are making a comeback as new technologies make broadcast aﬀordable and accessible. The plays will be available on YouTube or a podcast app, explains Ehrismann. The format gives people an opportunity to perform without some of the stress and anxiety of being on stage. “We narrowed it down to four pieces that we’re starting with and see how it goes from there,” said Ormond. In the future, podcasts may be joining Improv and regular stage performances to give more actors and crew a larger audience to participate in the performing arts. Once it is safe, the group will reopen with live performances. The theatre has been dark since March 6, 2020. In the meantime, the radio plays are bringing the stage back to life — even if it is virtual for now. Please visit ladysmiththeatre.com.

Radio play playwright Brian D’Eon

Local book fare This is the season to curl up on the sofa with a cup of tea, your favourite throw and a good read. Here’s some books with a local flare. Tooth Fairy Troubles Patricia (Trish) Johnston, a proud resident of Cedar since 1992, is a former kindergarten teacher and mother of three. She is a co-founder of COCO Café and Catering, an award-winning social enterprise that opened June 2011 in Cedar, B.C. The café provides employment and socialization opportunities for persons with diﬀering abilities (www.cococafe.ca). Her daughter Carolyn, who has Down syndrome, is an employee at the café. Trish believes in the importance of caring, inclusive communities and has tried to improve her own community with her eﬀorts. She has written a whimsical, rhyming children’s story, called Tooth Fairy Troubles, that, at its core, is a story about community, neighbours helping neighbours in times of need — a very timely theme in 2020. Tooth Fairy Troubles is centred around spunky seven-year-old Lily who loses a tooth. Tooth Fairy Trina, who lives in a beautiful fir tree in the park, gets the flu and cannot deliver her coins that night. Trina’s fir tree critter friends all work together through the night to make sure Lily finds a surprise under her pillow the next morning. Tooth Fairy Troubles is a beautifully illustrated hard cover book, featuring

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ed above. It is also available for sale for $22.95 at COCO Café (1840 Cedar Road, Cedar), in Ladysmith at Salamander Books, Rita’s Apron, and Neck of the Woods, and other local outlets. Tooth Fairy Troubles would be a wonderful gift for little ones in your life!

Patricia (Trish) Johnston with her book

the incredible watercolour artwork of Nanaimo Illustrator Laura Timmermans. There is an original Tooth Fairy Celebration song included in this book and to view it online visit www.forestmagic.ca and click on the video link. Tooth Fairy Troubles can be purchased online at the Forest Magic website list-

The Tyee Smelter Ladysmith & District Historical Society’s new release is The Tyee Smelter: A core element of Ladysmith’s Industrial heritage by Barrie McDonald. As a geologist, Barrie McDonald specialized in the study of glacial history and recent sediments. A number of years with the Geological Survey of Canada were devoted to field studies across Canada, from coast to coast and to the Arctic. He and his wife, Peggy, retired to Ladysmith in 1997 where he has been active with the Ladysmith Maritime Society and the Ladysmith & District Historical Society. In 2013 Barrie was awarded a Community Legacy Award for contributions to Ladysmith. The Tyee Smelter: A core element of Ladysmith’s industrial heritage is a valuable source of information about

Ladysmith’s “Tyee” copper smelter. The story involves a staking rush on Mt. Sicker, a mining town on Mt. Sicker that peaked at about 1,700 people, Dunsmuir family rivalries, smelters being constructed the same year in both Crofton and Ladysmith, and huge construction projects completed within astonishingly short timeframes. It was also an activity doomed by poor business judgments to last no longer than about

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a decade. The smelter was dogged by health concerns, not only air quality in the community while the smelter was in operation, but also in the form of concentrations of cadmium in sediments of Ladysmith Harbour at levels that are cause for concern even today. The Tyee Smelter is available on the LDHS website or phone 250-245-0100. All proceeds go towards funding heritage work by the society. Cowichan Kid: Hijinks at Stratfords Crossing near Duncan, B.C., in the Fifties “Ah, the gift of poverty. We didn’t feel poor; we just didn’t have any money.” — David Foster Thus begins Joy Sheldon’s new memoir, Cowichan Kid: Hijinks at Stratfords Crossing near Duncan, B.C., in the Fifties. Wringer washers, sad irons ’n hog jowls! The book explores life on a small truck farm in Cowichan and covers everything from bucksawing a huge maple tree to digging a basement with a stoneboat. This look back shows just how vastly diﬀerent chores and lifestyle were from what kids experience today. Sheldon shows a hard-working life interspersed with the antics of Stratfords Crossing residents — from dysfunctional neighbours to local hermits. Sheldon explores the past with bottlediving in the Chemainus River, school days, yummy treats and historical sites, such as the Old Crossing House, Chinatown, the architect-designed Duncan Elementary, Tyee and Lenora mine, Russell Farm Market and Captain Groves’ Mansion. The large print, coﬀee-table size

Potter Mary Fox shares her art in new book. Photo Submitted.

Mary Fox: My Life as a Potter: Stories and Techniques

book is available at local bookstores for $24.95 and on Amazon for $17.39; a colour version is also available. Both versions have over seventeen historical sepia and colour photos and artist drawings and contain old song, poetry and skipping rhyme references. Joy Sheldon is a retired Cowichan teacher and librarian, a member of the B.C. Federation of Writers. Other works of hers can be found at Amazon include Whoopee, I’m A GRG!; Santa and Bumble, the Bumbling Elf; and The Story of Roger Hardfoot, A Canadian Wilderness Adventure, 1891 (juvenile fiction).

BY DEBORAH GRAHAM Mary Fox’s stunning new book is an unusual portrait of an artist. Sure to fascinate potters and ceramic artists, it will also appeal to artists and art lovers of all kinds, entrepreneurs and anyone interested in the life stories of people passionately engaged in the pursuit of excellence. Fox was thirteen when clay claimed her. Now an internationally recognized ceramic artist and long-time resident of Ladysmith, she tells the story of her development as a potter, shares her techniques and expresses her philosophy of art and life. Fox’s unpretentious writing

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style and personable voice quickly engages the reader in her stories and make the discussions of pottery techniques in the second section of the book interesting and accessible to the layperson. Anecdotes from Fox’s early years as a potter reveal her immersed in the study and practice of her craft, and full of gutsy determination. Working in the art room at school and at her family home in Victoria, she was selling her work to the Victoria Art Gallery and teaching pottery to adults while still a teenager. She then spent years working in make-shift studios in rental accommodations, developing her craft. A later, brief stint at the Banﬀ School of Fine Arts was hugely inspirational for Fox; for the most part, however, she has been self-taught, learning from books, from studying the work of other potters and through experimentation. From the outset, Fox was aware of the need to structure her time, so that she could balance her need to support herself through the sale of functional ware with her desire to do more experimental and creative work. This practical streak, combined with her ability to stay creatively engaged and open, is a recurring theme in her story. Similarly, time and again, we see her curiosity and persistence in solving technical problems, leading to experimentation and new creative paths. Her character is also revealed in the way she rebuilt her strength and stepped back into the creative flow of her work after a debilitating illness rendered her unable to work for five years, and in how she navigated the devastating decline and loss of her life partner. Along with the purity and precision of her lines, it is perhaps Fox’s innovative glazes and glazing techniques that create the impression of what might be called her style. The textures, patterns and colours of Fox’s glazes evoke the natural processes of Earth, sea and sky — and sometimes the mysteries of space. Fox is appreciative of those who have helped and inspired her along the way. In the chapter devoted to her legacy project, she details her plan to leave her studio and home to be used as a residency for new potters after she is gone. She wants to give future potters what would have helped her when she was starting out: a place to live, work and

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sell, all in one. In one of the loveliest chapters of this book, Fox describes how she works and lives according to the rhythms of the seasons. Of the aesthetic that inspires her, she writes, “Beauty has permeated my life, spreading through it like a lovely vine, shaping and influencing, not just my creations but everything about how I live.” Mary Fox: My Life as a Potter: Stories and Techniques is available at Salamander Books in Ladysmith and at her studio.

Winter Art Show Start oﬀ the season with a little art! You can look forward to finding some inspiration this winter at a new exhibit. The public is invited to Skye Skagfeld and Dennis Brown’s show “Landscape is Forever — Winter Solstice” at St Joseph’s Artist Studios Gallery, 9735 Elm Street, Chemainus. The exhibit runs Dec. 18 to 21 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. or by appointment. Email SkyeSkagfeld@hotmail.com or call 250-668-6880.

Historic Coal Cart No 521 BY MARINA SACHT A small group stood under the shelter at the Miners Memorial Park in Extension, on Nov. 26, 2020. They had braved the cold damp day to see the installation of Coal Car No. 521 marking the completion of a year-long restoration. “This is one of only two cars left in Canada,” says Murray Ahl one of the Extension group interested in seeing the car saved. The turn of the century No. 521 rail car that once worked for Dunsmuir has a long history that includes hauling coal from the Extension mine out to Ladysmith harbor where it would be loaded onto sailing ships, and in later years, working at a variety of jobs before ending its days with Comox Logging & Rail Co in the late seventies. Bob and Bruce Adams knew the significance of the car and made sure that the Extension Group had the means to

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rescue this relic before releasing it to their care. A set of plans were drawn up and there were frequent visits to the second car to determine exactly how it was put together. After a hundred years of rain and mold and mildew in the woods, it had basically disintegrated. The whole car had to be rebuilt, said, Ahl who helped find the lumber. Mother nature was on their side when a wind storm knocked down several old-growth trees at Yellow Point Lodge. Owners Richard and Sandy Hill donated the timber. Chuck and Linda Addison oﬀered space on their property, Gogo Sawmill helped with milling. Maureen Young, RDN Area C Director has followed the progress of the car with keen interest. “This is a historic event for the community of Extension,” she said. “The car that ran the rails between Extension and Ladysmith has come back to be at the Number One Mine Entrance at the Miners Park. Thanks to community support and the dedication of one individual, the derelict remainder of the Car No.

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521 has now been restored to its glory.” That individual, who worked five days a week for almost a year, wishes to remain anonymous. Sometimes satisfaction is not about getting credit, but saving history. The moment had finally arrived. The group watched quietly as a flatbed truck and a crane gently manovered the car onto its train, marking the completion of a restoration project that had started one day short of a year ago today. Coal Car No. 521 is back home, joining the other artifacts at the Miners Memorial Park, telling the story of a bygone era, and honouring the miners and the families that lived here. The Memorial Park came about when in 1998 when Wayne Hamilton, Harry May, Chuck and Linda Addison (Scannel Creek) purchased the approximately 50 acres. “We all agreed that the mine entrance would be preserved as a park. The Miners Park became a donation to the RDN as a condition of subdivision as well as $3000 that was earmarked for the coal car which went towards the rebuilding,” said Linda Addison.

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Coal Car No. 521 installation in Extension, Photo: Marina Sacht

The Park was developed with many volunteers from the Extension area, added Wayne. The coal car will remain under tarp for protection until an overhead shelter is erected in the spring by the Regional District of Nanaimo. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was very pleased with the work,â&#x20AC;? said Adams who continues to safe-guard the relic of No. 519, silently waiting for another happy restoration.

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COVID Comfort Food During this pandemic, many have turned to the kitchen in search consolation or a feeling of well-being, typically associated with childhood or home cooking meals. This month’s featured recipe is Cathy Gilroy. Here is her story. My personal approach to “keeping my stick on the ice” during the COVID crisis is to challenge myself to learn something new every day. The other day, while walking around in the cold and rain, I suddenly got peckish for a slice of warming tourtière! I grew up in and around Montreal and Ottawa, where this dish is served everywhere. It dawned on me that I have never actually made tourtière, so voila! Challenge accepted! While every grand-mère will have her own beloved version, after referencing a few trusted Quebecois chefs and food writers, I cobbled together this recipe, capturing my childhood recollections to recreate this lovely, simple, dish. A rustic Canadian Classic! Enjoy and santé!

Tourtière Hint: The dough and filling should be made a day ahead and assembled just before baking. (Cold filling and dough means no need to blind bake the crust!) Crust: You will need pie dough for a deep-dish pie plate. Use the most flaky and sturdy crust recipe you have. Mine is made with lard, but butter would work well. If you don’t make pie dough, purchase two frozen deep-dish pie shells. Filling: Amounts are not precise, but if you make too much you will want to freeze the meat mixture for handheld pies or mini tourtière tarts.

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Tourtière Photo: Cathy Gilroy

1 package lean ground beef 1 package meatloaf mix (beef, pork, and veal 1 med onion 2 small russet potatoes Splash of maple syrup Beef stock (carton) 1 egg, beaten with a tbsp of water 3 x 1” strips of foil Seasonings: pinch each of nutmeg, cloves, allspice, dried oregano, savory, a splash of Worcestershire and liquid Beef Bovril (optional). Lots of fresh ground pepper and salt. How to: Brown the meat in a little oil over medium heat, drain oﬀ the oil. Peel and boil the potatoes, drain, save the liquid and roughly mash. Add the onions to the meat and cook over low heat until the onions are translucent. Fold in the potatoes, syrup, and seasonings, using the potato water and stock to loosen the mixture. Let this simmer and bubble away for a few hours, adding stock to keep it loose. Refrigerate over night. Preheat the oven to 400F. Roll the dough and drape into the pie shell, then load in the meat filling. Brush the edges with the beaten egg wash, drape the top pie shell and seal the edges with your fingers, then crimp the edges. Cut air vents into the top. Put the foil strips all around the edges to avoid over browning while the pie is cooking. Slide a cookie sheet on the lower rack in case it drips! Cook for ten minutes, then drop the heat to 350F and bake until the crust is browned and the filling is steaming. Around 1.5 hours. Stand for at least an hour; best served warm. Serve with leafy salad and a bun. So what’s your COVID comfort food? editor@take5.ca

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A Galapagos Christmas BY ANDREW W. GUNSON We departed Chiapas, Mexico, sailing our fifty-two-foot ketch, the SV Maiatla, across 1000 miles of open ocean, a sea equally blessed by calms and tormented by tropical gales. We were a long way from home in Cedar, headed to the Galapagos Islands. The sailboat’s home port was normally Ladysmith Marina, but for the last nine years, it has been making its way south. On board was my old friend Mark Taylor, from Nanaimo, Nick Longo, from Ladysmith, and Marina Sacht, editor of TAKE 5. My wife, Janet, along with Teri, Mark’s wife, would meet us in San Cristobol to continue exploring the Galapagos Islands before sailing to Panama. Nick and Marina would leave us to return to work. After voyaging eleven days and despite suﬀering the loss of the ship’s engine, we anchored safely on Isla San Cristóbal. The rugged volcanic oasis is one of 127 islands comprising the enchanted Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. The crew were delighted to test their shore-legs as we staggered down the dock and also excited, as we arrived just in time for Pase del Niño (Child’s Pass) or better known as Christmas. The tourist and fishing harbour of Puerto Baquerizo is the second largest city in the Islands, with its friendly, 7,000 human inhabitants mingling with the 3000 precocious Galapagos sea lions, countless marine iguanas, blue-

Blue-footed boobies. Photo submitted

footed boobies and, of course, giant tortoises, many of which were roaming here decades before we were born. Three days before Christmas, we found a festive atmosphere gripping the Islanders. In Ecuador, the holiday season starts in early December, running through January and reaching a joyous crescendo during the Christmas and New Year’s week. Exploring the colourful city in the tropical heat left our brows dripping and shirts soaked with rain every time a quick rain shower struck. Still the tropical heat did little to deter us or the locals from enjoying the festive season. I was thankful the beach was nearby for a cooling dip after shopping the markets. Shops and hotels were painted in bright, pastel colours, typical of Latin countries. On the waterfront, docile sea lions as long as a pickup truck (Toyota) rested along the docks and boardwalks where spitting black marine iguanas struggled to ignore the lumbering beasts. If you wanted to rest on a park bench, you usually had to wait for a sunning sea lion to vacate. Even the roadside parking stalls were often reserved by these enormous creatures. And in the Galapagos, the animals come first — a rule closely adhered. Always in search of a handout, bluefooted boobies, red-throated frigates and laughing gulls, from their perches upon black lava outcropping’s, wharf piles and roof tops, displayed no fear or shame while

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steeling a fish oﬀ a line or a burger from your plate. Street venders, with hibachis roasted whole chickens spayed on skewers and roasted corn on the cob dripping with butter and rolled in grated cheddar cheese, lined the streets. Some of the best places were merely tiny alcoves with a pair of battered barstools, fronted by kindly, weathered folks, serving tasty meals at a cost that made it pointless to cook on the Maiatla. The national dish of roasted guinea pig was nowhere to be found — thankfully. When Christmas Eve arrived, the town blossomed with decorations. A bandstand on the malecón hosted dancers and singers of all ages. The streets were crowded with revelers, with the town’s central attraction being the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, the Catholic Church. The bleached edifice was boldly lit, illuminating the lawn’s nativity scene. Priests in gilded robes greeted the faithful as they entered the cathedral. Riotous music and songs spilled through the archways and stained glass windows. The cathedral seemed to glow and rejoice as it pronounced, “God and angels reside within.” Elsewhere in town, Santa Claus belly-laughed his way about. Adults and children alike dressed as biblical characters, danced and sang as they paraded up streets and alleyways. As we wandered about, a little girl dressed as an angel released her mother’s hand, ran to me and, with a grin, pressed a tiny candy cane into my hand before giggling as she ran oﬀ. While seated at an open café, we watched as a group of young men, gaudy with makeup and dressed as women, moved from table to table seeking donations for the church. The “Boys in Drag” are a long-held tradition, bringing joy and laughter. Another strange sight was the many

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S.V. Maiatla II on anchor in San Cristobol. Photo submitted.

people toting life-size, human effigies with photographs of real people for faces. At first, I thought the dolls represented friends and family members lost or simply missed. I was shocked when I learned the effigies were of people they simply wanted to be rid of. The tradition holds that at midnight on New Year’s Eve, the dolls were put to the torch, hence ridding themselves of the undesirables. While Christmas in the Galapagos was so very different from back at home on the Island, the spirit of joy and good will was the same. With the holidays over, we were free to spend the following two months exploring the remaining major islands. There were many sailing highlights on this voyage, becoming “shellbacks” for crossing the equator was a milestone worthy of a tattoo. Engineless, battling frequent gales and strong crosscurrent determined to drive us deep into the Great Pacific, taxed our sailing skills. More adventures with pilot whales and pirates awaited as Maiatla continued on her journey but we will never forget this Christmas in the Galapagos. You are invited to hear more as Andrew Gunson presents a free talk and slide show on Zoom, Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. Sponsored by Ladysmith Maritime Society and TAKE 5. (See ad top right.)

Pursophobia 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. Few purses are noticed by men. You’ll never hear a guy say, “Check out the

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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. “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 that 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 twelve-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 neighbour likes adventure, but why rub it in and bring a passport? The ten pounds of makeup? One never knows when a water main might burst necessitating a complete face rebuild.

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These purses are so large, they trip waiters who navigate 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 thirteen 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. 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. Fre-

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quently, 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. Open a bottle of Codici to celebrate your victory — Italian and drinking nicely at $15. 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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FOR SALE SIGNATURE MODEL CARS. 1/32 Scale 1933 Cadillac Fleetwood Four Door, 1935 Auburn 851 Two Door, 1935 Duesenberg SSJ, 1933 Cadillac Town Car. Priced to sell at $30 each, CASH OBO. Contact Arvo 250-758-5814 (Nanaimo).

HEALTH & WELLNESS

2 OLD ARMY TRENCH SHOVELS with 30” long adjustable handle, well used, good for gardening a small area. $10 each. Contact Arvo 250-7585814 (Nanaimo).

MOBILE FOOT CARE NURSE. Corns, callus, fungus, diabetes. Contact Carol Hollett, LPN/ Foot Care Nurse at ghollett99@hotmail.com or 250-210-1191.

15 VOLT QUARTZ HALOGEN HANDHELD SPOTLIGHT. Can be used with vehicle. $25 OBO. Contact Arvo 250-758-5814 (Nanaimo).

TAI CHI for mental & physical health. Beginner classes start Sept. & Jan., Mondays; ongoing class Wednesdays. Both classes 10am-noon at the Cedar Hall, 2388 Cedar Road. More information: www.taichinanaimo.org or call Sara 250-245-1466.

JUST RITE ELECTRIC HEAD LATERN. 4 cell use 4 flashlight batteries. Contact Arvo 250-7585814 (Nanaimo). IRONMAN INVERSION TABLE , $100 250-7568892 WANTED CLEANING LADY wanted weekly. Call Shirley 250-245-8973. BUSINESS EXPERIENCED HOUSESITTER Now offering senior companionship, respite care and concierge services. Peaceofmindcare. wordpress.com. Kathleen email kgrcoaching@gmail.com or call 250-6190786. 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. LEAVE A LEGACY. Memoirs, family cookbooks, we can help you, book, eBook or video format. Over 25 years experience.. editor@take5.ca or call 250-245-7015.

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. CONCRETE RESULTS. Contracting, fullservice forming and finishing, walls, walks, patios, drives. 35 years experience. Call Gord 250-753-4024. 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. HEART LAKE ROOFING for all your roofing repairs 250-668-9195. 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.

DEC/JAN 2021

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. QUALITY RENOVATIONS. Big or small. 25 yrs. exp/journeyman, affordable. For free estimate, call Lars 250-616-1800. PETS 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. THE PET NANNY. Let us pamper and love your pets. References are available. Contact Shanon or Bill at sburchard@hotmail.ca or 250-9248809. SENIORS HIRED HAND for independent elder: odd jobs, companionship, meal prep, etc! Valid First Aid/CPR, clean driver’s record, Level 2 Foodsafe, gardner and handywoman. Call Marilyn at 250-606-7069. GRANNY’S ON THE GO COMPANION SERVICES covering Cedar, Ladysmith, Chemainus. Clean drivers abstract, Food Safe, 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.

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Wagon Wheel house wows with lights display BY MARINA SACHT One of the joys of the holiday season is admiring the lights of downtown Ladysmith. Although we didn’t get to enjoy Light Up this year, the downtown area is looking prettier than ever. The light displays, of course, do not stop there. There are amazing light displays happening in neighbourhoods up and down the Island. You won’t have to go far to find one of this year’s brightest light displays. Located in the quiet countryside of North Oyster is the home of the Giesbrechts. When I had pulled up to the corner lot at 13565 Wagon Wheel Drive, I found Kelly, his wife, Carrie, and son, Victor, warming in front of a fire. “Wait another thirteen minutes,” Kelly had said, checking his watch, and the countdown to the Giesbrecht’s Christmas show began. At exactly 5 p.m., the large lot came alive, with thousands of lights, in shapes and contortions that defy description. I could see “Sputnik,” the “tarantula,” a Canadian flag, shooting stars, a waterfall cascading into a pool, igloos with penguins, “Olaf,” Victor’s favourite, and Mr. Christmas antics. Wherever I looked, there was something to arrest my attention. Over the exclamations of “Oooh” and “Ahhh” was a hissing sound as nine inflatables filled with air. Victor, nine years old, was on the job making sure all the inflatables had taken their assigned positions. This is truly a family aﬀair. Kelly was inspired by his father and shares the fun with Carrie and Victor. They have been doing it here for six years. What’s truly unique is that many of the installations are designed by Carrie and Victor, and then built by Kelly. Decorating starts at Halloween, and every year the display changes. “We buy a lot of lights,” Kelly said, laughing, though using LED means their hydro bill is a scant $30 a month. The display has garnered them first place in the past two years on the Crazy House Lights from Shawnigan to Ladysmith Facebook group — and it has also inspired some of the neighbours to add more lights. The house is also featured on the Vancouver Island Christmas Lights Display Facebook group that publishes a map of light displays. For Carrie, who is an avid gardener and misses the sunlight of summer, it’s a way of pushing back the dark. For Victor, it’s fun.

Carrie, Victor and Kelly Giesbrecht’s amazing light display. Photo: Marina Sacht/TAKE 5

People are invited to park their cars on the street and walk through their driveway. “We love seeing the smiles and hearing the squeals of joy and amazement. It just feels good.”