Beacon Magazine Oct 2011

October 2011 vol 6 issue 89

Community Living on Vancouver Island Fanny Bay to Nanoose

Mike Yip: Nature in the Lens • 6 Coastal Moments of the Island Illustrators Society • 35

4 EDITORIAL

FEATURE The Shellfish Connection

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30

– Examining our Relationship to Aquaculture

BUSINESS & FINANCE

ECHO Players ... off and running with their new season.

First up? The classic whodunit “Laura”

5 Biz Banter: What’s up in local business 14 Small Business Sustainability

GREAT

OUTDOORS

12 Waterlogged & Happy: Destiny River Adventures 16 Henry Morgan Park Concept 20 Thru the Seasons: Maize? Maze? Amazing 28 Tide Table 37 Into the Garden

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

9 Ink on the Page: Books to Haunt You Heather Taschuk

30 Off and Running with ECHO Players Dancing her way through life 35 Coastal Moments of the Island Illustrator Society

COMMUNITY LIFE

10 Coombs Museum: A Treasure Trove of Memorabilia 18 Making Progress on Seniors Housing 19 Inspired by Community 28 The Art of Conscious Living 34 On the Agenda

COMMUNITY PEOPLE

6 Mike Yip, Photographer: Nature in the Lens

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7 Hank Mant: Still Farming at 95 8 Out of the Nest: Heather Taschuk 2 6 Images & Voices: Patrick Brownrigg & Beverley Child Mike Yip Nature in the Lens

HEALTH & WELLNESS

17 Dr. Neill Neill 31 Health & Wellness Matters “Last of the Season” by Linda Tenney

Its flowering done, this much-loved bed of hosta begins to droop into the garden, returning to the earth until spring.

39 40 41 4 2-43 44-46

THE REGULARS Classifieds In the Stars Business Information Centre Community Events At Your Service - Local Businesses

www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

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Where did I find these stories?

by Linda Tenney

October 2011

VOLUME 7 NO 89 The Beacon is published monthly by EyesOnBC

Main Email: beacon@eyesonbc.com Phone/Fax: 250-757-9914 In Person EyesOnBC at Magnolia Court Box 182, #110-6996 W. Island Hwy. Bowser, British Columbia V0R 1G0 Mon - Fri 10-5 Journalists & Reporters Lisa Verbicky, Nancy Whelan, Rita Levitz, Georgia Nicols, Marilyn Dawson, David Morrison, JoAnne Sales, Harry Sumner & Miriam Shell, Carolyn Walton, Linda Tenney, Shirley Culpin, Laura Busheikin, Sandra Wahlgren, L.B. Baich, Brenda Timbers, Dr. Neill Neill Subcriptions Canada - 1 yr: $30 incl HST United States - 1 yr: $55 (CDN Funds) Call 250-757-9914 to subscribe.

VISA & MasterCard accepted

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ottom line, the Beacon Magazine is about legacy; preserving stories of our community for future generations, when it will be read as history. And that’s important.

Why? Everyone should have a chance to know where they come from; how they got to be who they are, and part of that journey is genetic.

My own family tree has branches and leaves dipped in ink … my father, my grandfather, a couple of great-grand uncles, and a 5th great-grandfather were all involved in printing, writing and publishing – and it’s those very genes that have guided the direction of my generation … my brother works in the printing industry and … well … you already know what I do.

I’m fascinated by history, and particularly genealogy. At first it was just the thrill of the hunt that spurred my research; simply recording births and deaths that dated back centuries; my tree ‘branches’ back to the 1700s. But after the initial satisfaction of finding when my ancestors lived and died … it was the story of their lives that continued to fuel my quest. It still does.

Libraries and archives are filled with past editions of local newspapers, magazines and journals. Inside those pages is the history of our ancestors. Some of the stories reach directly into their lives to tell tales of who they were, what they did, and sometimes why they did it.

When I read my first published quote from an ancestor, it gave me goose-bumps. Through the pages of print that survived centuries, I heard my 5th great-grandfather speak. Wow! What a thrill.

Each month, The Beacon continues to chronicle the lives of people in our community. Stories that will ‘speak’ to future generations; stories about people like Hank Mant, still farming at age 95 (page 7), Mike Yip, whose has photographed birds you haven’t seen yet (page 6), and Heather Taschuk, who is just starting to dance her way through life. (page 8). All of these stories, once published here, are preserved for the future. We send copies away to the National Library in Ottawa each month and, in future, many of the stories will be archived and indexed on the Internet. Generations from now, Heather’s descendants will read about what motivated her to become a dance teacher.

Perhaps, a broad smile will cross her greatgreat-granddaughter’s lips when she comes to understand her own deep passion for dance.

The Beacon Magazine. We tell stories.

Your stories.

Printed in Canada - ISSN 1712-0918 Articles and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers and published for general information purposes only. Articles are not intended to provide specific advice - the publishers will assume no liability.

Articles and/or data may not be quoted or reproduced, in part or in whole, without permission from the publisher.

Freelance Writers/Photographers: Queries can be directed to Linda Tenney or Sharon Waugh at beacon@eyesonbc.com

Subscribe to The Beacon We know you’re wondering how to subscribe to the Beacon Magazine See page 46 for details.

Tune in LIVE on the 1st Thursday of each month when Dave Graham of 88.5FM The Beach Radio and Linda Tenney talk about what’s going on in Lighthouse Country.

Join them at 8:40am.

And ... catch The Beacon Beat each Thursday morning at approximately 8:10 am for brief updates and news about what’s going on in Lighthouse Country! ~ The Beacon...we keep you informed!

LOCALLY OWNED • COMMUNITY INSPIRED

Linda Tenney co-Publisher tenney@eyesonbc.com

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Sharon Waugh co-Publisher waugh@eyesonbc.com

October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

Elizabeth Cudmore Customer Service cudmore@eyesonbc.com

Margaret Reid Advertising & Distribution margaret@eyesonbc.com

Frank Hladik Advertising 951-8824

WHAT’S UP IN LOCAL BUSINESS

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sland Ground Designs, with 15 years of experience has moved to Lighthouse Country! Dorothy Reis, Owner/Operator of Island Ground Designs is a diplomaed Horticulture Technologist, qualified through the Landscape Design, Installation and Maintenance program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Langley, BC. She has been a Certified Arborist since 1997, through the International Society of Arboriculture – she prunes shrubs and trees to 20 feet in height and is knowledgeable of plant health care. Dorothy designed St. Mary’s Hospital Therapeutic Garden in New Westminster, BC, designed and installed the Therapeutic Garden for Echo Village and the front garden for Kackaamin Family Development Centre, both in Port Alberni, BC, as well as numerous residential properties. Dorothy is passionate about her designs and her favourites remain with those of residential properties, each with its own challenges and rewards. Dorothy is looking forward to serving homeowners from Fanny Bay to Nanoose Bay. Fall and winter are the best times to plan and design beautiful gardens to be installed in the spring. www. islandground.ca (250)240-9005. ~

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ow open in the Bowser Legion is Silver Dollar Cafe. Run by new resident, Anne Marie Wass, the Silver Dollar Cafe provides home-made lunches, dinners and specials. Families are welcome in the Legion Hall between 4 pm and 6 pm. Nightly dinner specials, along with family meal specials, compliment the regular menu. Come join us for a meal on your way to poker, Nascar, crib, pool, darts or a snack while you’re waiting for your number to be drawn for the meat draw. Open Tuesday to Saturday 11:30-2 pm and 4-7:30 pm. You can find information about the Silver Dollar Cafe on the Bowser Legion website at www.rcl211. ca. All the best of success Anne! ~

694 offers a global menu, based on Chef Tony’s favourite recipes from his travels around the world, all created with a focus on local ingredients. Some of his signature dishes include Kashmiri Butter Chicken, Seafood Crepes, Linguini with Slow-Braised Beef Ragu, and Balinese Prawn Curry.Tony is passionate about using local ingredients, and is proud to support Vancouver Island’s many wonderful food producers. Bistro 694 is very much a family business, run by Tony with his wife Nancy; together they have created an intimate, casual fine dining venue with a sophisticated, urban flair. Bistro 694 is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 11:30 – 3pm (lunch) and 5 – 8 pm (dinner).

Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Please call 250 752-0301 for reservations. Tony and Nancy look forward to welcoming you at Bistro 694! ~

T

ara Kelsberg at Bowser Video is announcing that she has expanded her candy selection to include some of your all time favorite vintage candy and soft ice cream. Bowser Video continues to offer new releases, PS2 & X-Box/360 game rentals as well as phone, gift and prepaid credit cards and is open 12-8, 7 days a week. See Bowser Video’s ad on page 45. ~

LIGHTHOUSE

COMMUNITY CENTRE AVAILABLE FOR RENTALS Meetings, Weddings, Dances, Parties, Reunions, Indoor Sports Activities (some restrictions), Tradeshows, Stage productions - the possibilities are endless!

INFORMATION: 250-757-9938 240 LIONS WAY, QUALICUM BAY

WWW.COMMUNITYHALL.CA

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ceanside’s newest dining experience is now open, serving both lunch and dinner! Chef Tony Szeles is excited to announce the opening of his new restaurant, Bistro 694, located at 694 Memorial Avenue in Qualicum Beach (across from Qualicum Foods). A professional chef for over 25 years, Tony was most recently Executive Chef at Butler’s at the Crown Mansion, and has also owned his own restaurant in Vancouver for the past eight years. Bistro www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

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MIKE YIP: PHOTOGRAPHER

NATURE IN THE LENS

by Laura Busheikin

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anoose resident Mike Yip is known to many as “the bird guy” – highly respected for his books of photography, Vancouver Island Birds I, II and III, his twice-monthly birding column in The North Islander, and his photos in national and provincial newspapers. Many Islanders are now looking forward to his new book, Denman and Hornby Nature, which comes out in November.

But until eight years ago, Yip had no special interest in photography or birds. A recently retired teacher, he was quite content with a life dedicated to golf and relaxation – or so he thought.

It was a bird – a Northern Shoveller Duck, to be exact, although Yip didn’t know it at the time – that changed all this and launched him on his current path.

“I happened to spot this weird duck,” says Yip. “And I was fascinated by it. I went home to get my camera to take some pictures. They didn’t turn out. I knew right away I had to learn more about birds, I had to learn how to photograph them, and I had to get the right equipment.

“It really was like an epiphany. Up until then my main interest in birds was getting the robins out of our raspberry patch.”

Yip plunged himself into an intense period of self-led study, learning about birds and how to photograph them. In a matter of months he had gained the knowledge to identify many local species, and he’d also acquired the camera gear necessary to get great close-up photos of them. (He reckons his 300 - 800 mm lens is the biggest on Vancouver Island.) His first book came out the next year.

The new book is a bit of a departure, since it includes plants, landscapes, seascapes, and other animals, as well as the human communities of Denman and Hornby. The accompanying text informs readers about the flora, fauna, history and culture of the Islands. Yip partnered with Denman Conservancy Association, Hornby Conservancy and the Comox Valley Naturalists Society, local non-profits which 6

October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

“It really was like an epiphany. Up until then my main interest in birds was in getting the robins out of our raspberry patch.” ~ Mike Yip Laura Busheikin photo

are selling the book directly and receiving 20% of the proceeds.

Since the beginning of 2011, Yip has been commuting to the Islands about once a week. He says he has really enjoyed learning about the two Islands and working with locals who shared their knowledge and passion. The book is intended to kindle a similar enthusiasm in readers.

“It introduces you to a lot more of the Islands than you might have seen. How many people know that there are over 30 types of wildflower in [Hornby’s] Helliwell Park alone? Or that on Denman Island you can see 28 kinds of butterflies?”

A great deal of work went into the final product. Yip needed to get to know the Islands, and figure out what to photograph at what time of year. Local biologists,

botanists, and deep-sea divers took him under their wing (no pun intended), sharing knowledge and their own photos (the book includes butterfly photos from Jenny Balke and underwater photos from Amanda Zielinski). His trips to the Island included bushwhacking, crawling through the forest on hands and knees, and many hours spent sitting patiently, for hours on end, to get just the right shot.

Wildlife photography, Yip says, is like fishing – lots and lots of waiting, and no guarantee you’ll bring anything home.

He loves it all, and is excited about the results. Although he hesitates to single out a favourite photo, he says he is particularly fond of the hummingbird shots. continued on page 38

RURAL LIFE SUITS HANK MANT JUST FINE

STILL FARMING AT 95

by Shirley Culpin

N

o way! That’s all that occurs to anyone who meets Hank Mant – he of the bright brown eyes, almost-full head of hair and seamless complexion. He who survived a quadruple bypass at the age of 76. There is no way that this man can be 95 years old.

But he well and truly is that age.

Hank (or Henry, as he is also known) is a Qualicum Beach original. Raised on a small acreage adjacent to the current Qualicum Beach airport, Hank has been a farmer pretty much all of his life. His pioneering parents were an integral part of the community, helping with projects such as the construction of the original school in the village, now known as The Old School House, or TOSH. Hank’s career as a farmer began around the age of seven or eight years.

“There were several families who wanted milk for their kids,” he recalls, “so we started with about eight cows, and gradually expanded, buying more cows and a Model T, and eventually I helped with the milk deliveries.”

Every year that the Mants had a little extra money they invested in more property, ultimately ending up with 150 acres. The huge white barn, a landmark on Qualicum Road, housed 53 milking cows and the Mant’s milk delivery operation spread far and wide from Dashwood to Hilliers to Coombs. By 1938 the family had two delivery vehicles on the road to meet the demand.

“We eventually became the biggest, or second-biggest, shareholder in Island Farms,” Hank says.

With the acquisition of the extra land, the Mants turned to a mixed-farming model. In his teens Hank looked after 300 chickens, and the family had 20 acres under cultivation. The vegetable and fruit yield during the 1930s and 1940s fed many local families, and required six to eight hired help at all times.

“There wasn’t much to Qualicum Beach in those days,” says Hank. “There were two butcher shops, a clothing and grocery store, Mrs. Marshall had a tea room and there was a hardware store. The mail all came by train…”

Hank Mant and his sheep, who crowd around for a treat Shirley Culpin photo

Hank went to work full-time on the farm after completing Grade 10.

“There was so much to do,” he says, “and it was a life that I loved.”

Eventually though, Hank got around to retiring – sort of. Although he retained possession of the farm and rented it out for many years while he lived in Eaglecrest, he continued to walk or cycle to the old homestead to look after his 20 sheep and a couple of ponies. He and his wife Lynn traveled extensively in their motorhome.

“It’s hard to find a highway in the US that we haven’t been on,” says Hank, “although we did steer clear of New York.”

Over the years much of the farm had been dispersed, but by 1997 the lure of the road and the charm of living on a small property in Eaglecrest had diminished. Hank and Lynn decided to convert the old milking barn to a residence and return to farming, albeit on a smaller scale.

“We had a few beef cattle, and Lynn grew flowers, which people bought from our roadside stand,” says Hank. “Then people started asking for vegetables, and then Thrifty’s came to us and asked us to grow

organic vegetables for them. We were already growing organically anyhow, so we got our certification and went on from there.”

The Mants put five acres under cultivation for Thrifty’s, and grew for the local store until 2005. Upon the cessation of that arrangement Hank and Lynn’s Rainbarrel Farm made its debut at the Qualicum Beach Farmers’ Market, where Lynn can still be found most Saturday mornings when the market is in operation.

Although Hank has geared down a little bit, he is still active on the farm. He continues to do the haying, and tills the two acres used to grow vegetables and flowers for the market. The livestock count has dropped too – his responsibilities include three pigs, seven sheep, two ponies, four old geese, three hens and two roosters. He still mows the lawns.

“People ask me when I’m going to finally retire for good,” he says with a chuckle, “but I don’t have any spare time. What am I going to do if we sell this place? I have animals to feed – it keeps me busy and out of mischief.” ~

www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

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Out of the Nest

Dancing her way through life

by Rita Levitz

C

an you think of something you started doing at three years old that you are still passionate about today? That has become an integral part of your life? For Heather Taschuk, the answer is an easy one – dance. “When I was three my mom gave me the choice between ballet and Highland dancing. I chose ballet and I’ve always loved it.”

HEATHER TASCHUK

Heather did most of her schooling through North Island Distance Education and attended the Performing Arts Program at Linda Klassen’s Parksville Ballet School.

“All aspects of the program – the discipline, the hours and the training – gave me a great foundation. Both my mom and Linda believed in me, gave me support and pushed me when I needed pushing.” Now Heather is taking that inspiration and motivation and passing it on to others.

“When I turned sixteen, I knew I didn’t want to be a professional dancer; I wanted to teach. I get more joy out of teaching Heather Taschuk  photo by Brittany Taschuk, graduate of Prairie View School of Photography someone than out of performing for others.” Heather applied to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Teacher things,” Heather laughs. “I feel like Training Program; the auditioning process took three I’ve combined the best of all the weeks. “I was a bit nervous, but it was a really friendly teachers I‘ve had and found what family-like group at the school, and I was happy to be accepted to be part of it.” It is a comprehensive three-year works best for me, so that I can be caring, tough, giving, understanding program; she danced every morning and took teacherand push the right buttons to make specific classes after lunch. Heather currently teaches at someone a stronger person.”

Evolution Dance Company in Winnipeg.

“The kids I teach range from four to seventeen years old. They are hilarious – they tell you the most random

Part of the challenge of teaching dance rests with the particular

ELECTORAL AREA ‘H’ (BOWSER) PARKS AND OPEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE NOTICE OF MEETING The next Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee meeting will be held at Lighthouse Community Centre, 240 Lions Way, Qualicum Bay, on Wednesday, October 12, 2011, at 9:30am.

For information please contact the RDN Recreation and Parks Department (ph. 250-248-3252), visit the website at www.rdn.bc.ca or email recparks@rdn.bc.ca.

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October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

stresses every dancer faces. “It’s about building up a tolerance to pain, and learning how to deal with it. You have to figure out, and help your students figure out, what’s good and bad pain, differentiating between the pain that comes from developing something and the pain that is harmful to your body.”

Heather is also sharing her knowledge and experience in another important way – she is a counsellor at the RWB School Residence. “Students from the ages of eleven to eighteen come for the year-long professional program. It’s fun, and helps keep me sane, because the kids are crazy, good crazy. They’re away from their own families and we’re the ones helping them grow up, providing them with rules, guidelines and boundaries, telling them ‘yes’ and ‘no’. It’s interesting to see how they grow and change.”

Every passion should be able to do what dance has done for Heather. “It’s given me the freedom to move my body, to find ways to relieve stress and work through problems. It’s given me confidence and belief in myself. I used to be terribly shy. It’s helped me to step out of the box and become my own person.” ~

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INK ON THE PAGE:

Again, there are passages in this book which are difficult to read. But the insights you will gain are worth reading through.

by Sandra Wahlgren

Time Magazine named Ayaan Hirsi Ali one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005. Her words and the story of Little Bee have made an impact on how I think about the more than 17,000,000 people who are living in refugee camps or detention centres around the world.

BOOKS TO HAUNT YOU

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f I were to tell you that the books I am recommending this month focus on immigration and refugees, you would probably wrinkle your nose and move on to the next article. Instead, I will tell you that these stories are about desperation, resilience, courage and unwavering hope.

With so many of the world’s population on the move due to war, climate change and economic hardships, perhaps reading these two books will give you a better understanding on lives we are lucky not to experience first hand. ~

Both were read a couple of years ago, but the story line and characters have taken a back room in my mind and come out to remind me, after watching late night news, that maybe the fictional narration isn’t so make-believe after all.

Little Bee by Chris Cleeve (2009) – Little Bee and her sister witness the genocide of their Nigerian village from men who value oil over human life. Their escape takes them to the coast where a chance encounter with a holidaying British couple, Sarah and Andrew, seal their fates. The British couple barter with the armed men for the lives of the two girls. The horrific events that follow leave Andrew in despair.

During the struggle, Andrew’s wallet is thrown on the beach. Little Bee finds it and in it Andrew and Sarah’s address. She stows away on a boat and lands in England where she is placed in a detention centre.

Chris Cleeves’ description of Little Bee’s wonderment and confusion upon arriving on European soil is laugh-out-loud funny.

Character portrayals of the naiveté of both Sarah and Little Bee are a history of cultural and social economic differences only separated by an ocean but worlds apart.

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (2007) – No doubt you will recognize the author’s name from the political furor she caused in the Netherlands in 2006. Infidel is a chronicle of Ms. Ali’s life. She grew up in Somalia in a tribal home on her mother’s side. Her U.S. educated father was the opposition leader at the time. Her dichotomous life included female circumcision at the age of five (imposed by her grandmother while her father was imprisoned), a fundamentalist education and a love of Nancy Drew mysteries.

When forced to wed her cousin, Ayaan fled to the Netherlands and claimed political asylum. It is interesting to read what life as a political refugee is like. You have chosen to start over in another country, which is the equivalent of you or I moving to Mars. New language, customs and a whole new way of thinking about religion, in particular what other societies think about your faith. And if you are female, the opportunities that were previously denied to you – choice, education, voicing your opinion, are overwhelming. Some refugees are unable to cope and others like Ms. Ali embrace the chance to learn and experience. www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

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COOMBS MUSEUM

A TREASURE TROVE OF MEMORABILIA ow many villages the size of Coombs can boast both a schoolhouse and general store that have been in continual operation for one hundred years? The Coombs Museum has accumulated priceless photos, facts and memorabilia which provide a fascinating peek into the history of Coombs.

Curator, Sharon Cox-Gustavson, assisted by local teacher Marlene Stahely, has put heart and soul over the past 12 years into compiling this history by talking to old timers and gathering photographs and documents. A retired schoolteacher, Sharon returned to live on the homestead in Coombs where she grew up and attended French Creek School. When the school board talked of closing it down, she began her campaign of gathering photos, memorabilia and historical artefacts in anticipation of celebrating the school’s centennial. When Dale Donaldson, owner of the Coombs General Store, offered her the present historic building rent-free, she had a venue in which to provide a social awareness of the community’s history in preparation for the Community Centennial Celebrations to take place on the May long weekend, 2012. Now under the umbrella of ACES (Arrowsmith Community Enhancement Society), the museum opened mid-summer and received some four hundred visitors in August.

Sharon was fortunate to get first person accounts of life back in the early part of the last century. “Bert Topliffe, 94, the eldest living member of the original Salvation Army Family Colonists, lives with his wife Grace in Coombs and has been a rich source of what life was like here in the early days,” Sharon explained. “He said the timbers in the area were comparable to Cathedral Grove.”

Coombs Colony was conceived in London, England in 1891 when William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, envisioned a plan to provide a better life for the London poor, by assessing their skills and assigning them to Canadian farm colonies.

In 1910, General William Booth spoke with Commissioner T.B. Coombs, the Salvationist Territorial Commander of Canada, about establishing one on Vancouver Island.

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October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

Sh aro n Cox-G ust avs on

H

 Ca rol yn Wa lto n ph oto

By Carolyn Walton

The Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railroad, wanting settlements along their new railroad to Cameron Lake, offered land to the Salvation Army. Salvationist Ensign Crego from Ontario, chosen for his knowledge of farming, was sent to establish the new colony on forested land east of French Creek. Pioneer Walter Ford and brother-inlaw John West supervised fifty Sikhs from India in the clearing of land to create 22-acre land parcels for the colonists who arrived in 1910. Walter Ford’s pioneer three-storey log home still stands west of the general store.

In 1911 he built the Coombs Community Store and the first government built school in the district was the present French Creek School, opening in 1912.

Sharon enthusiastically tells a story for each family photo. “Coombs was a logging, farming and major railway centre with spur lines to receive logs for shipping out.” She would like to find railway photos from that era. A scale model of the French Creek School, by Parksville’s Paul Rozek, sits under a large poster of the school and students in early times. A display of Salvation Army memorabilia is a reminder of Coombs’ origins.

Equally fascinating is the back room, containing a scale model of the impressive Cameron Lake Chalet resort, a 10-bedroom log structure built in 1910 by the CPR. Besides the guests who arrived by train from Victoria, it attracted cougar hunters from California and local loggers. Sharon worked here as a teenager and when it was sold, before the building was dismantled, she went up hoping to obtain the piano which she had played many times. Finding that it had been given away, she asked about a bedroom suite and was offered one for $300, a month’s teaching salary.

She has generously donated the rich rosewood dresser and carved headboard to the museum. “This suite would have come from England by way of the horn of South America because the Panama Canal wasn’t finished.” she explained.

Staffed by volunteers, the Coombs Museum, adjacent to the Coombs General Store, is open daily from 12 noon to 4 pm. Winter hours will be adjusted. Entrance is free and visitors can sign a guest book and enter a monthly draw. ~

SMALL BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY

SPECIAL FEATURE

by Martin L. Martens

S

ustainability has become a common word in today’s world.

Unfortunately this concept means many things in many different areas. Community developers talk about sustainable planning, environmentalists discuss sustainable practices, architects and building contractors discuss sustainable design, and businesses talk about products made with sustainable practices. The most common definition used for the concept comes from the 1987 World Commission on Environment and Development - “Sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

Although widely used, that definition lacks clarity. Most people, when discussing sustainability, are often talking about the impact of their activities on the environment. The concept of an environmental or ecological footprint is often a significant part of discussions about sustainability. A focus on the environment often revolves around the notion that we need to reduce our impact on the world. Although this is an important part of the concept, for businesses, sustainability is much broader than a simple focus on the environment.

Operating a sustainable business includes three equally important elements – environmental, financial, and social. Reducing its environmental impact and costs helps a business survive in today’s economy. A business that fails to bring in a sufficient level of revenues above and beyond its costs will not survive long. A business that does not contribute to its community and provide its employees with an engaging workplace is not likely to do well over the long term. These three elements form the notion of a ‘triple bottom line’ as a way to fully measure the success of a business.

While many people use the term sustainability to focus on reducing the environmental impact of business activities, they should also take the time to examine the social impact of business activities. For a business, sustainability requires finding ways to both reduce its environmental impact and increase its social impact.

But why should small business owners care about sustainability?

Small business owners are often already being pressed by a number of different sources such as consumers, large corporations, government regulation, employees, and its local community.

First, customers are becoming more demanding about purchasing sustainable practices. For small businesses, there are two possible groups of customers. The first is the individual consumer who is interested in reducing their own environmental impact by purchasing products made using sustainable practices. The second is the larger corporation that uses a small business as a supplier.

If the large company is going through a sustainability assessment such as ISO 14001, it will require its suppliers to be certified as using sustainable practices. Major corporations are increasingly adopting sustainability assessments as an everyday practice and they require small business suppliers who are also able to document and demonstrate their sustainable practices. Small business owners who continued on page 14

OPEN HOUSE Saturday, October 15, 2011 MAGNOLIA COURT, BOWSER

11:00 am to 4:00 pm

Live Music, Snacks & Coffee • Books • Incense • Candles • Music

Your Body, Mind & Spirit Connection

• Gifts • Jewellery • Psychic/Intuitive /Intuitive Readingss

Corinne Roby

778.424.2228 8

NEW TO BOWSER

Escape to the quiet and tranquil calm of Skincare - facials, micro current, resurfacing treatments, pedicures, reflexology, manicures, gel nails, waxing, tinting and La Stone Therapy.

Catherine Copson 250.757.9867 NEW TO BOWSER

BOWSER MASSAGE THERAPY

At Bowser Massage Therapy, we truly believe that Massage Therapy is the best form of preventative and holistic health care available today. So, invest in your most valuable commodity…your health!

Colin Crooks, RMT

250.797.5314

Holistic Treatments • N.A.E.T. Allergy Elimination • Reiki Treatments • Pyramid Treatments • Laser Therapy • Foot Detoxing • Chakra Balancing • Psychic Readings • Scalar Energy Medicine

Beryl & Carter

778.424.7000

Live Music

Coffee provided by:

Qualicum Swing String Artillery from the Summit Guitar School, Playing ‘Gypsy Jazz’ www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

11

Waterlogged and happy with Destiny River Adventures

by Brenda Timbers

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f you love the thrill of shooting a rapid or want to experience the wonder of floating down river watching thousands of spawning salmon heading upstream; it’s right here on our doorstep. After years of heading to the mainland to raft the Fraser and Thompson I was thrilled to have the opportunity to raft the Nimpkish and then float the Campbell River with Jamie Turko of Destiny River Adventures.

This 15 year old Campbell River company, founded

by Jim and Darlene DeHart, recently brought national attention to the Island. On September 10 the company was on NBC’s World of Adventure Sports and a float with the salmon was featured on the September 13 season premiere of the Rick Mercer Report. Turko, a partner and Destiny River Adventures’ river manager, is enthusiastic about the natural wonders of Vancouver Island. “This is my home and my playground; from the river valleys to the mountain peaks. We have it all here, this is one of the most beautiful places in the world.”

Safety is a high priority for Destiny River Adventures.

All the guides are swift water certified and have first aid training and Jamie volunteers with Campbell River Search and Rescue as a swift water specialist and instructor.

When our group went on a raft tour of the lower Nimpkish we were well briefed on hazards and trained in how to stay safe in the current. Our gear was carefully checked by the guides, and no one got near the river without every buckle and strap being tested. Both the rafting and the river snorkelling are activities suitable for people who range broadly in age and fitness with participants in different activities ranging in age from 5 to 95.

We ran adrenalin pumping rapids, and then in some of the quiet Nimpkish stretches, the water guns came into play.

We paused for the brave-of-heart to leap off a ledge into the river, and explorers in the group squeezed through a gleaming white limestone cave that cuts into the river bend. Polar fleece and neoprene kept us comfortable even though we were in and out of the cold river water (by choice) several times through the day. Lunch was served on an upturned raft; a selection of luncheon meats, fillings, rolls, fruits, salads rounded off with beverages and baked goodies.

When you snorkel with the salmon in the Campbell River there is a lot to see; five varieties of salmon, seals following the fish in from the ocean, and eagles swooping down to feed. Jamie comments, “You never get tired of the river, it’s different every time. Even when I’m in the raft guiding, I get pleasure out of the whole experience.”

He keeps a close eye on his group – reminding them to breathe and cautioning ‘don’t stand up’.

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October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

Jamie Turko taking a leap into the Nimpkish, on a rafting trip that combines adventure, fun and serenity.

Photo by Tracey Bennewies

The river has a firm hold on Jamie and a lot of people share his enthusiasm.

“This year 64 percent of our business has been repeat customers. For me it is what I did as a kid, and I’ve come back to it. I’ve got a passion for the place that’s been my home. I want to be on this river for the rest of my life.”

Destiny River Adventures operates on the Nimpkish, Oyster, and Campbell Rivers. As well they offer a variety of multi-day adventures. Check out their website at www.destinyriver.com for more information. ~

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13

continued from page 11 actively demonstrate and promote their sustainability are able to attract and retain highly valued customers.

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Second, current and potential employees are attracted to companies that are actively taking steps to reduce their environmental impact while increasing their positive social impact on the community in which they operate. Additionally, these kinds of employees provide an important source of intellectual capital by helping companies reduce their environmental footprint and increase their community footprint. Employees who lack this awareness can prevent a company from considering and implementing successful sustainability strategies.

Third, many types of suppliers to small business are also pushing owners to adopt sustainable practices. In order to attract high-value consumers, many companies manufacture products that emphasize sustainability. These companies not only look for sustainable suppliers, they seek sustainable wholesalers and retailers who can also attract these customers. Another important small business supplier is their insurance company. Insurance companies are at the leading edge of the movement towards creating a sustainable business environment as they are constantly searching for ways to reduce their exposure to future potential risks. As a result, operating as a sustainable small business has the potential to reduce insurance costs.

Each business operates in a unique situation and sustainability may not be relevant or helpful for all businesses. Fundamentally, a small business owner should consider sustainability only if it will increase revenues or decrease costs. The good news is that the research shows that making changes to become a sustainable business has the strong potential to accomplish both, if the changes are correctly implemented.

A major stumbling block with operating as a sustainable organization is providing customers with genuine evidence that the changes to become sustainable are real. At the moment, there are no barriers from preventing firms from claiming to be sustainable without proof or without making any real changes. Marketing a company as sustainable or environmentally friendly without making real changes is known as greenwashing. Consumers are becoming more sophisticated and wary of false claims about environmental practices. Large corporations will require documented proof of any claims about sustainability. Fortunately, non-profit organizations exist that can provide inexpensive but rigorous third-party sustainability certification for small businesses.

SMEs make up more than 85% of all organizations in Canada.

Making Canada a more sustainable place to operate a business requires the efforts of these socially and economically important organizations.

The author of this article, Dr. Martin L. Martens, is Canada’s leading academic expert on small business sustainability. He has taught several undergraduate and graduate courses on the subject and published conference and scientific journal articles on the topic.

A graduate of University of British Columbia, he has taught at UBC and Concordia University, and currently teaches in the Faculty of Management at Vancouver Island University and lives in Deep Bay, BC.

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October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

PROMOTION

By Carol Plaisier

M

ost people spend the majority of their life accumulating and growing wealth. It takes a change in investment philosophy to go from accumulating and growing your assets to distributing and preserving your assets. You may require a monthly income in your retirement or a lump sum for renovations, travel, a new vehicle or a charitable donation. So, how much do you need in order to be able to maintain your desired lifestyle? It is very important that you know how much income you will be receiving from various sources, in what order to draw upon your different investments and the tax implications.

For example, you may choose to draw more from your RRIF in a given year, but, if OAS is clawed back because of the increase in your income for the year, you may not really be any further ahead. Alternatively, you may choose an investment in your non-registered portfolio that will pay out an income in a tax-efficient manner, resulting in a tax deferral. You may ask what the benefit is if you have to pay the tax eventually, but, you get to make the decision when to pay the tax. This may result in preventing benefit clawbacks and increasing your monthly income now.

The ultimate benefit may be a bigger estate because you reduce the amount that you withdraw from your investment portfolio in order to fund your retirement.

Prior to retirement it can be somewhat daunting to calculate how much income you will have when you retire. Here is a Government of Canada link that will walk you through the various pensions you may expect at a certain age; https:// srv111.services.gc.ca/INT_01.aspx. There is also a list of questions you may have to ask your employer regarding your company pension plan, but, at the end of the exercise, you will have a good idea how much income you will receive.

People are living longer, healthier lives than ever before, which can mean a retirement period of 25 years or more. Many worry that they will outlive their money, and unfortunately, this can be a real risk with poor planning. Your best action is a good financial plan using realistic rates of return, inflation numbers and budgets. You don’t want to spend your golden years worrying about money when you don’t have to, but, you also don’t want to run out of money before you run out of month. Get good advice and follow the plan.

For further information, Carol Plaisier, CFP®, Investment Advisor with DWM Securities Inc., can be reached at the DundeeWealth office in Parksville (250) 248-2399, or by email: cplaisier@dundeewealth.com www.carolplaisier.com.

This article was prepared by Carol Plaisier, CFP®, FMA, AMP (Accredited Mortgage Professional) who is an Investment Advisor with DWM Securities Inc. This is not an official publication of DWM Securities Inc. and the views (including any recommendations) expressed in this article are those of the author alone, and they have not been approved by, and are not necessarily those of DWM Securities Inc. DWM Securities Inc., Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund, is a DundeeWealth Inc. Company.

www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

15

HENRY MORGAN COMMUNITY PARK CONCEPT Submitted by the Area H Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee

T

he Henry Morgan Community Park Concept Plan located at the corner of Esray Road and Henry Morgan received approval of the Electoral Area H Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee (POSAC) on August 24th. Concept development of this park is the culmination of several years of work as part of the community led Bowser Village Centre Plan and recent input received from Area H school children and parents. The POSAC members insisted that Henry Morgan Community Park be designed to meet the social and recreational needs of area children with activities placed in a rural, natural environment.

The park is mostly alder with some mature cedar, hemlock and Douglas Fir. The alder will be removed to make way for the activity centres and the mature cedar, hemlock and Douglas Fir and some native groundcover, such as salal will remain. The natural changes in elevation and drainage areas will be used to support viewing areas and trails. Access to the Community Park can be made off Esray Road, Henry Morgan, or East Thompson Clarke. In the future when Sundry Road is connected to Esray and Henry Morgan, road access will be available across the railroad tracks behind the Bowser Legion.

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October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

Henry Morgan Community Park will be divided into two relatively distinct areas. One area will support a sports court with basketball hoops and street hockey markings and a Pump Track for bicycles, a climbing boulder and a viewing area.

Pump Tracks are low impact dirt tracks without BMX jumps and can be used by all ages of bicyclists. The other area will be for smaller children and include such recreation opportunities as a music grove, play rocks, rock hill scramble, slide, log steppers, wood cookies, willow tunnel, bridge and covered shelter and a picnic area. The Community Park will include a porta-potty regularly serviced under contract.

One of the main advantages in the design of the Henry Morgan Community Park is that many of the structures can be designed and built by local artisans and the natural environment will require minimal maintenance. Also the preparation of the area, the first step in park development, can be accomplished with local contractors. To keep costs down the Community Park will be developed in phases over a number of years and will require the help of many community volunteers or volunteer groups. If you are interested please contact Elaine McCulloch at 1-888828-2069 or 250-248-3252 or email: emcculloch@rdn.bc.ca ~

THE PARADOX OF THE NEED TO CONTROL

by Dr. Neill Neill

W

e acknowledge some people as influential. Often influential people have a kind of wisdom about the way they move and talk.

They tend to be expansive, as if on a mission to create a better world.

We recognize another type of person with a less flattering term: the control freak.

For the person with a high need for control, the dominant characteristic is not wisdom, but fear. They are at war with the reality that surrounds them – their community, their marriage or their workplace. They are forever trying to force these realities to be something they’re not. Their worlds become restricted and small.

As you will see, the need to control is gender neutral, but I’ll use “he” and “him” just to simplify the language. Let me list some typical characteristics of those driven to control.

• The controller sees life as a huge struggle that he will lose if he relaxes his vigilance.

• He sees the world as a dangerous place, so he is permanently on guard.

• Much is done in secret and he expects secrecy of others. (This one is particularly prevalent among those who attempt to control their reality by abusing alcohol.)

Others may see him as • a bully, rather than a leader, • an abusive parent, rather than a parent who cares, • a jailer, rather than a protective parent, • a wife abuser, rather than husband, • a tyrant or dictator, rather than a strong leader, • a petty despot with the poker up his butt, rather than a boss, supervisor or administrator, (I’ve had a couple of those in my career) • a manipulator, rather than a team player.

In the extreme, the tightly-wound controller comes across as paranoid.

The whole controlling effort fails because controlling reality is an illusion. The only thing you might be able to control is yourself and your own emotions. If you are driven to try to control external reality, including other people, you will almost inevitably find yourself fighting a dangerous world populated by unreliable people.

• Emotions are scary.

So what do you do if you find yourself living with a controller? Or worse, what do you do if you realize you are the one with the need to control reality?

• He expects and enforces loyalty and obedience wherever he can get it, even if it’s only from his family.

Are you the controller? Do you find yourself afraid of the discomfort of the world, or a marriage, or a life not of your choosing?

• Everyone else is unreliable.

Are you finding that trying harder is not changing anything, and your need to control is bringing out the worst in you?

The controller is not a free agent. He is under the control of his own irrational need to control. The controller is addicted to control.

So the controller is subject to a double illusion: that he can alter external reality, and that he is a free agent.

If you have been living for any length of time with a controller, you too may be addicted to control. You are at war with the marriage you want to change. You manipulate, adjust, suppress feelings, avoid conflict at all cost and hide the truth, all the while trying to change his attitude towards you, his behaviour and his happiness. How are you doing at changing that reality?

If you weren’t in the control game, you likely would have decided long ago whether you could accept and be at peace with your marriage, or you’d have found a way to leave it. Staying together no matter what is the extreme consequence of the fear-based control illusion.

If you suspect you are controlled by a need to control, then do what you need to do to free yourself of that irrational need. That is one decision you do have control over. ~

Psychologist Dr. Neill Neill maintains an active practice in Qualicum Beach, bringing innovative approaches to fostering healthy relationships and life after addictions. Call 250-752-8684 or visit his website www. neillneill.com. He is the author of the book “Living with a functioning Alcoholic - A Woman’s Survival Guide”.

www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

17

MAKING PROGRESS the AGM of the Bowser Seniors Housing Society on May 3rd, a series of conceptual ON SENIORS Atdrawings was unveiled for our proposed independent-supportive housing for seniors.

They were also displayed at the recent, successful Fall Fair at the Lighthouse Community HOUSING Centre. The board had developed a written concept and had hired a local architect (Phillipa Submitted by Sally Barton

Atwood, from Royston) to bring the concept to life in the conceptual drawings.

We are close to acquiring some land in Bowser on which to build seniors housing.

This land is behind the library at Magnolia Court – a wonderful location as it is close to Bowser’s stores and services such as Tomm’s, the Union Bay Credit Union, Bean Counter, EyesOnBC and the Salish Sea Market. It is currently heavily wooded and it is our preference to keep as much of the natural surroundings and rural environment as possible.

We appreciate the help of the Regional District of Nanaimo in getting this Crown Land from the Province.

Our proposed housing would be in keeping with the rural location, with a one-storey building to house about 18-20 seniors in a community setting. We intend to provide Independent-Supportive housing for seniors, with a variety of services such as meals, laundry and activities in addition to the accommodation. We want to offer affordable housing to seniors who do not want to move out of this local area but who are not able to stay in their own homes. The details of the building and services, however, are not finalized and so your input is welcomed during this important planning stage.

In addition to your input we also need donations. We shall be conducting a fundraising campaign soon, but don’t wait! Please show your support for this project by joining the society or by renewing your previous membership (only $5 per year). Membership forms are available at EyesOnBC, in Magnolia Court. For more information call Elizabeth Hieronymi at (250) 757-9360, email to bshs@shaw.ca, or mail to Bowser Seniors Housing Society, Box 155, Bowser BC V0R 1G0. ~

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October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

‘SOJOURN TO INDIA’ 17TH ANNUAL CHILD HAVEN DINNER ~ submitted by Maggie MacLaren

H QUALICUM BAY LIONS HAVE HAD A BUSY SUMMER

W

e ran a concession stand for the Blue Grass Festival and one at the Lighthouse Country Fall Fair, plus a pancake breakfast on August 14, and we thank the volunteers who worked these and the community’s support. We also helped with running the Dog Show from August 19-21. Projects over summer included painting the interior and exterior of our Club House and hall, and we are happy to announce that the ten new units of our seniors housing are complete, and all units have been rented out for October 1. Interested in becoming a Qualicum Bay Lion? Contact Shirley Phillips 250-757-8384 or George Stringer 250-335-2991.

We invite you to visit our website: http://sites.google.com/site/ qualicumbaylionsclub. ~ submitted

Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/beaconmagazine

ave you dreamed of traveling to India? You can do the next best thing. Friday October 28, doors open at 5pm at the Parksville Conference Centre for a reception and Indian Marketplace. Your first taste of India might be a zesty appetizer served by local students adorned in beautiful saris – or maybe the exotic sound of a sitar.

Perhaps your eye will land on the children’s art exhibit – or the stalls featuring an array of authentic artifacts, jewelry and clothing. Saris will also be on sale – carry one home and wear it at next year’s gala.

Founders Bonnie & Fred Cappuccino return to share the Child Haven story. Their many honours include The Order of Canada and Unesco’s Humanitarians of the Year award, in recognition of their work in supporting 1,100 orphaned children and destitute women in India, Nepal, Tibet and Bangladesh, providing a caring environment steeped in Gandhian ideals and philosophy.

Following the reception, bid at the ever-popular silent auction, then savor the Indian buffet dinner, catered by Amrikkos, with additional choices of non-Indian food. Entertainment will be provided. Don’t miss this cultural event of the year. This is usually a sell-out so purchase tickets early.

Friday October 28, 2011 5pm Parksville Conference Centre, 132 E. Jensen, Parksville Adults: $35 (advance) ~ $40 (door) ~ Child (under 13) $5 Limited Seating - Tickets available at The Shoe Inn, 678 Memorial Ave. Qualicum Beach and Fireside Books, 114 Middleton, Parksville.

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MAIZE? MAZE? AMAZING

by Nancy Whelan

T

ake a good-sized field full of maize (corn), carve out of it some convoluted pathways (a maze), and you may have some confusion or bewilderment…but mostly you’ll be having some amazing fun.

So mark on your calendar, Sunday, October 16th from 11am till 3pm – that’s the time for the 4th Annual Harvest Fest at Silver Meadows Farm on Errington Road in Errington.

It will be a day with touches of mystery, maybe a bit of spookiness in keeping with the month, and also a day of discovery and learning and exploration. On top of those pleasures, add the very

Sweet corn - the kind we eat dripping in butter - in a good year can grow to a height of five to seven feet. Silage corn - the kind fed to farm animals, mostly pigs - may reach a height of fourteen feet. At right: Elaine Fox, Silver Meadows Farm.

Nancy Whelan photo

distinct possibility of finding some good farm-fresh food for the dinner table or the winter’s store of frozen goodies, and you have a day not to be missed.

Silver Meadows Farm, spread beneath the benevolent peaks of Mount Arrowsmith, was purchased in 2004, and Jason and Elaine Fox started selling their succulent corn and other produce that very year.

About five years ago Jason and Elaine themselves went to a corn maze and thought it was so much fun

that they determined to try the same thing in their own corn field near the end of the growing season.

A maze is essentially a puzzle, a series of confusing paths, which unlike a labyrinth with its single through path, may have a series of bewildering dead ends and disorienting twists and turns. It is sometimes called a ‘tour puzzle’ which it most certainly is. In early England, large estates featured gardens with mazes of high hedges (often sought out by lovers seeking continued next page

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October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

THROUGH THE SEASONS - CONTINUED some time away from prying eyes!). Today, huge gardens may still feature these intriguing puzzles.

Sweet corn – the kind we eat dripping in butter – in a good year, can grow to a height of five to seven feet. Silage corn – the kind fed to farm animals, mostly pigs – may reach a height of fourteen feet.

With its heavy, stout stalks and abundance of glossy green leaves, seven feet of height is plenty high to cut off the view of the outside world once you’re embarked on the trail of a corn maze.

To make sure that the maze is fun while still providing its purpose of mystery and just enough shivers and thrills, Elaine and Jason always ask that children be accompanied by an adult or two when threading the maze. Besides, you can always trust kids to find the way out when the adults get lost!

Designing and engineering a corn maze is not exactly a piece of cake. Once the pattern of the paths is decided upon, a ride-on lawn tractor pushes its way into a stand of corn to knock over the tall plants; then the stalks must be pulled out by hand to smooth the pathways. It can take a tough yank to pull out those stalks whose roots have been clinging to the ground for these many months.

Depending on one’s orienteering and tracking skills, it takes about ten to fifteen minutes to go through the maze from start to finish.

But having conquered the vagaries of the maze, the day’s fun is far from over. Either before or after their “a-maze-ing” adventure, young folk may want to get their faces painted in the colours and designs they think most fitting for the season and the occasion.

If they are looking ahead to the thrills of Hallowe’en, the kids may want to make a selection from the U-Pick pumpkin patch – the still faceless orbs were yellowing up nicely when I last visited Silver Meadows Farm. And if they’re still feeling pretty swift, there’s the hop and tumble of sack races in which to pit their burlap-shrouded feet against the other competitors. Sack racing can be a strenuous, over-heating sport, and a corner of the farm store sports an ice cream counter for recovery time.

And what would be a day at the farm without some close contact with friendly animals? To add to the joys of a corn maze and races, why not relax afterwards with a wagon ride around the spread or a sedate pony ride around the ring?

This Harvest Fest may sound like a day exclusively for the kids, but you might want to bring along your basket or shopping bags.

Besides those luscious ears of yellow or bi-colour corn, usually on hand from July to the end of October, Silver Meadows Farm offers other pesticide-free fresh fruits and vegetables – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, zucchini, pumpkins…and for the table’s centre, fresh flowers. Also raised on the farm are Jason and Elaine’s own beef, pork, and roasting chickens.

Access to Silver Meadows Farm’s Harvest Fest is by donation, and all the proceeds are donated to the BC Children’s Hospital. Says Elaine, “I have two children of my own, and have needed BCCH in the past. I was ever so grateful that they were there.”

You can’t beat a great farm, great fun, and a great cause. See you on October 16th! ~

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THE SHELLFISH CONNECTION

NEW VIU RESEARCH PROJECT EXAMINES OUR RELATIONSHIP TO AQUACULTURE

by Lisa Verbicky

T

he phone in Barb Bunting’s office at Island Scallops has been ringing off the hook. Apparently, more than a few people noticed a tug boat cutting the glassy waters surrounding the Bowser scallop farm pulling with it a large barge. As if a giant squid suddenly tipped its head at local residents and passersby, Bunting began fielding calls from onlookers of the informative ‘just so you know’ kind, to the curious, concerned, angry, and finally those of the bureaucratic nature from people like DFO and Transport Canada. It would seem that there are more opinions surrounding the ‘goings on’ along our coastline than someone like a take-it-orleave-it-seafood-eater such as myself may have thought.

Just what relationship exists, if any, between human and shellfish-kind in Baynes Sound is the big question on the mind of Vancouver Island University (VIU) researcher, Linda D’Anna. Her up and coming project, SocialEcological Resilience in Baynes Sound, will be looking at how our local communities experience, talk about, perceive, and address social and ecological change as it relates to aquaculture.

“A social-ecological system links humans and nature. The relationship is complex and not always predictable,” she says.

On the ecological side, says D’Anna, natural systems will maintain themselves when conditions change, until a certain point when the system’s connections and feedbacks no

longer work. Humans on the other hand can plan for change.

“In this linked system we can ask how a society adapts to change, or what is its capacity to adapt to change whether ecological, economic, political, etc., so that the community can survive and thrive,” she says.

This capacity to adapt to change is called ‘resilience’.

“It’s pretty abstract,” she says, “you can have resilience at so many different levels, from an individual to a community level, and measuring it is context and place specific.” continued on page 32

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October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

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Saturday 9am to 2pm

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October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

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www.fishtalescafe.com 3336 Island Hwy West, Qualicum Beach www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

25

PATRICK BROWNRIGG & BEVERLEY CHILD

LIFE AS A TEAM

By Rita Levitz

“L

agniappe” – “the little bit extra, the 13th in the Baker’s Dozen”– is the word used by Patrick Brownrigg and Beverley Child to describe the jar of homemade Fore and Aft preserves that guests at the Westerlea Motel in Qualicum Beach find on their pillows. How did those preserves end up on that pillow? Therein lies the story…but first we have to get Patrick and Beverley to Canada from their respective birthplaces in England.

Patrick left England in 1965. “I came to congratulate my sister on her trip across the country on horseback. She left and I stayed.” He had been trained as a house designer and builder and he worked in the Gulf Islands, Victoria and Vancouver, as well as for the CBC. “Being here on the West Coast allows you to pursue whatever you have a passion for. The world is your oyster.”

Beverley’s first work experience in Canada was in 1978, as a nanny in Toronto. “I thought that as long as I’d come this far, I would see the West Coast of Canada too. I got here and never left.”

She subsequently trained as a chef at the Pierre Dubrulle Culinary School in Vancouver.

Beverley Child and Patrick Brownrigg  Rita Levitz photo

The coming together of these two varied backgrounds allowed them the freedom and continued next page

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October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

continued from previous page opportunity to pursue what they loved. “We built the Fore and Aft Cafe at Angler’s Marina in Brentwood Bay. We made our own preserves to serve with meals, but if you make one batch you might as well do more,” explains Patrick. “We ended up shifting the emphasis to catering and launched our own line of preserves, keeping the Fore and Aft branding.” Patrick and Beverley then went on the craft market circuit, making 120,000 jars of preserves a year. “We sold at places like the Granville Market and the Filberg.” Their stint at the Filberg led to running the Teahouse at the Filberg Lodge for five years.

“They have an extraordinary collection of heritage teacups there, and we’d take great pleasure in finding the right one to suit each customer.”

On April Fool’s Day of 1993, Patrick and Beverley bought the old Qualicum Bay Bakery. They took the building back to the walls, built an industrial and approved kitchen, lived in a trailer and created their home, in stages, on the back. “I hope to never live in anything with turn signals again,” Patrick laughs.

Being invited into their home is to see the care, enjoyment and attention to detail they bring to everything they do. Shades of golden and red, both intimate and open spaces, outside doors painted by Mike Keller, collections of miniatures and eggcups from all over the world, the environment is warm, personal, optimistic.

“I do more of the physical work; Beverley is the nurturer. Her emphasis is on presentation, whether a cake or an entire catered dinner. The nature of catering is intense. It’s like being on a movie set – shouting, barking orders, making sure the food is on time and out hot, but the moment you’re outside the kitchen, you have to put your guest face on. We make a pretty good team.”

In 2003 Patrick and Beverley bought the Westerlea Motel in Qualicum Beach and totally rebuilt and redesigned its three units. “It seems like we’re from very different backgrounds, but they both involve using the right tools, knowing what face to put forward and being on time,” says Patrick. They simultaneously create something beautiful, an environment that allows clients to relax and savour.

A long-time member of the Qualicum Beach Chamber of Commerce, Patrick is also on the Lighthouse Hall Board. “We need to be pro-active in bringing people into the community – to not just herald separate businesses but the community as a whole, Qualicum to Deep Bay, in all its uniqueness.”

The Hall Board maintains and operates the Hall (aka Lighthouse Community Centre). “Our meetings are truly fun, and a bit off the wall – we’re such a varied group, but we definitely need more members, especially someone with expertise in promotional work. I’d like to see the Hall as a focal point for the community, as the venue for many diverse activities: a philosopher’s café, photo share, travel forum, memory bank…”

And the lagniappe, that little bit extra? From the individually painted labels on the Fore and Aft preserves to the flower baskets at the Westerlea, from the pot to the plate, the lagniappe brings forth a smile, and is evident in who they are, what they do, and in how Patrick and Beverley approach life. ~

Saturday October 22, 2011 10am to 4pm Featuring hands on workshops/demos on everything from cottage cheese making to weaving/spinning, candle dipping and more!

Bring the kids for some old-fashioned fun and games, and grab lunch at our Healthy Harvest Cafe.

Adults $5, Kids 12 and under FREE

Morning Glory School 861 Hilliers Road, Qualicum Beach

For more information or to share your knowledge, call: 250-757-8840, email mgs@shawcable.com, or visit www.morninggloryschool.ca

Go Back ReLearn ReSkill www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

27

2011

TABLE DES MARÉES

October-octobre Day Time

LOCAL TIDE Our tide table measurements are taken from the Hornby Island substation. For other tides, visit http://www.waterlevels.gc.ca/english/Canada.shtml on the Internet.

November-novembre

jour heure pieds mètres

1

2.0 15.7 10.2 14.8

0.6 4.8 3.1 4.5

16

0139 0859 SU 1410 DI 1842

4.3 14.8 11.5 13.1

1.3 1 4.5 3.5 TU 4.0 MA

0313 1041 1654 2114

3.0 16.4 10.5 12.5

2

0249 1006 SU 1535 DI 2029

2.3 15.7 10.5 14.1

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4.3

1.3

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0.9 18 4.7 3.3 TU 4.0 MA

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4.6 14.4 11.8 12.5

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4

3.9 15.4 10.5 12.5

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6

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0106 0814 SA 1325 SA 1816

0225 0948 MO 1538 LU 2010

October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

Day Time

Feet Metres

December-décemb

Feet Metres

0201 0904 SA 1431 SA 1942

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HORNBY ISLAND

jour heure pieds mètres

0.9 16 0236 5.0 1017 3.2 WE 1625 3.8 ME 1957

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4.9 15.4 4.7 1059 YOU 1126 16.1 4.9 1043 THE 16.1 MYTH ARE UNIMPORTANT 9.8 3.0 THAT TH 1738 10.5 3.2 FR 1847 7.9 2.4 SA 1748

By Joanne Sales

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something in our community, we just complain. That occasional time 14.8 4.5 26 0700 we 16.7 pick 5.1up a11 0711 15.7 4.8 0725 volunteer, when take action, write a letter, shovel, or even 26 0016 3.5decision, 1203 a 11.5 1229 make concrete things11.2 shift. 3.4 SU 1231 12.1 3.7 MO 0735

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31

0326 1020 SA 1744 SA 2327

the fate of our community every day. It matters where we shop, what we buy, whether or not we support local businesses and farms. We like to tell ourselves, “It’s just me. It doesn’t matter what I do.” But it is never “just you”. You’re pulling a team behind you.

Our wealth is not always in the form of money. Our more valuable resources are our time, our hearts and our minds. We are feeding the community mind. Just as all the neurons of our brain are connected, likewise, our thought and energy fields are connected. Again, like it or not, you and I are pulling the mule team up or down.

I asked a friend what she thought about the myth of our individual unimportance. She said, “When everyone is following their passion, the energy of a community is electric. You can feel it!”

Many of us will complain that we have too many obstacles – jobs, limitations of health and wealth, responsibilities to our families, and never ending earthwork. We aren’t free to spend our time and resources “using our power”.

Here is where the topic gets tricky. Even if we don’t think we have any power, we are still using our power. Our influence on the whole – and the whole on us – is a continuous, moment-tomoment interaction. We don’t have to go out and get famous to have an impact on the course of events. We are having an impact even if we don’t know it.

“The old women praying in the back of the church have had more impact on the course of history than all the politicians combined.” An interesting thought about the power of thought.

We are not visitors to our own life. We stay within our homes, families, jobs and communities for the long term. Our influence on the atmosphere of our lives is constant. We are bringing it up or down with each breath and each thought.

Brown’s Contracting Steve Brown

Kitchen Installations Interior Finishing Decks Small renovations Tile & flooring

Phone: 250.240.6966 Fax: 250.752.1681 Email: brownscontracting@live.ca

A smile is a powerful instrument for good! This is not to encourage us to be phonies and to pretend to be happy – to plaster a false smile on our faces to keep the place looking good.

Rather this calls for deep inner work, to actually find the best, the inspired, and the highest places within ourselves – and to live there!

When we fall into a ho-hum mindset, lounging around in our unimportance, it is good to remember that even if we were unimportant, the times are important. These are very critical, decisive times. The decisions we as individuals, communities and countries make are critical to the future – immediate and long range. We aren’t living in a stable period when the future is unchangeably mapped out for us. We might look on this period of history as a game of fruit basket upset, except that it isn’t a game.

What kind of people and country are we? What do we value?

What heritage are we leaving our children? How do we treat each other, the “least among us”, oceans, the forests, and the earth? The soul of generations is decided one individual at a time. You count. Everybody can’t do everything, but everyone can do something. ~ “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead Joanne Sales is a farmer, writer and EFT/BodyTalk Practitioner.

She invites your comments: joanne@glasswing.com

ARROWSMITH AUTO & TOWING LTD

Diesel Repairs

OFF AND RUNNING WITH ECHO PLAYERS

by L.B. Baich

L to R Colin Partridge, Samantha Bau (seated) and Brian Lecky.

T

hey’re back! October 13th marks the kick-off for the ECHO Players 2011/2012 season and to rev things up after the summer is Vera Caspary and George Sklar’s murder-mystery play titled Laura. Set in 1949 the story’s rich plot takes the audience through twists and turns as it works to solve this surprise – ending whodunit.

At the centre of the story is Laura a complex and challenging character tackled by Samantha Bau who offers that Laura “captures the heart of all sorts of different men, and while there is a different dynamic with each relationship, there is at the same time a common thread with all of them too.” This American detective genre play “is a great script”, enthuses the play’s director, Werner Koch.

“It’s a play reminiscent of the old ‘40s plays with the hard-boiled detective solving murders and getting the girl in the end. Plus this play is set in a very interesting time, a very prosperous time for theatre and movies when everyone was celebrating their success,” says Koch.

However, despite the celebratory times Koch adds that “people shouldn’t expect a brightly lit set with no pools of dark; there are lots of colours and plenty of moody atmospheres to enjoy in this technically challenging play.”

L.B. Baich photo

Adding to the technical challenges of this play are the twists and turns in the plot and the dynamic and complex characters who navigate their way through the coils and kinks. Guiding the audience through the maze of possible solutions to this whodunit is Detective Mark McPherson played by Colin Partridge. Having played mostly “bad guys” in the past, Partridge welcomes the chance to be the good guy and describes his character as “a man’s man who’s straight up and direct which makes him a fun character to play”.

Another fun character is the “flamboyant and larger than life” Waldo Lydecker played by Brian Lecky who relishes this challenging role because “it gives me the chance to be all the things that I’m never allowed to be at home,” says Lecky.

For fellow actor Scott Murray the chance to try a role other than a comedy or a musical is a welcome change as well. Murray who gets the nod to play Shelby Carpenter says he “delights in the fact that this play has action with a couple of punch-ups and slaps interwoven throughout this interesting story”.

“The community will love this play says,” veteran actor Murray because “it’s a classic.” “The great variety in characters, the mystery and the drama make this a hit,” adds Lecky.

30

October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

So, think you can crack this case before the final curtain falls? Come down and put your whodunit skills to the test and enjoy an evening of action, drama, and mystery as the ECHO Players welcome the 2011/2012 season with Laura.

Bring your eye for detail to the Village Theatre in Qualicum Beach between October 13th and October 30th to try to solve this murder-mystery and set the season off with a win! ~

 Skin discoloration  Dermatitis (skin problems)  Dry or weeping eczema  Venous leg ulcer Venous leg ulcer is an open wound that usually forms near the ankle due to chronic poor circulation. Venous leg ulcers are usually very slow to heal.

LEGS, LEGS, LEGS HOW HEALTHY ARE YOUR LEGS? prepared by Lucy Churchill RN Qualicum Medicine Centre Pharmacy

A

pproximately 80% of leg disorders originate within the veins. If you have tired, aching, swollen legs, or if you see the beginning of varicose veins, compression stockings may prevent further damage.

Graduated compression therapy can often help with all of the above conditions by acting as a layer of muscle and gently squeezing the stretched vein walls together allowing the valves to close. To be most effective the stockings should be put on at the start of the day and removed before going to bed. Although not everyone should wear compression stockings, for most it is important for the prevention and treatment of varicose veins and other circulatory problems. ~

For Your Legs

Causes and risk factors for venous problems:  Long distance travel  Age over 40  Pregnancy  Sedentary lifestyle  Infectious disease

 Heredity  Prolonged sitting or standing  Obesity  Surgery or trauma  Use of hormone medication

Compression Stockings/Socks are beneficial for many leg conditions

COMMON SYMPTOMS In most cases, venous problems exhibit typical warning signs such as:  Heavy, tired or aching legs  A feeling of tension, cramps or fatigue  Swollen ankles  Spider veins  Initial signs of varicose veins

VENOUS CONDITIONS Spider veins are small superficial blood vessels that appear red or blue in the skin.

Varicose veins are visibly enlarged veins that are often bluish in colour and often appear twisted. They are caused by pooling of blood in a damaged vein and can sometimes be painful.

Phlebitis is inflammation of a vein wall and is the most common problem associated with varicose veins. Symptoms can include swelling, redness, warmth and pain in the affected area.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in one of the deep veins. About 25% of DVT’S move away from the deep vein and travel through the bloodstream into the lungs. This is known as a pulmonary embolism and can have life-threatening consequences.

Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) is a collective term used to describe a long-standing condition involving impaired return in varying degrees of severity.

Symptoms include  Edema (swelling)  Feeling of heaviness in the legs  Pain or cramps in the calf

Tired, Aching Legs, Swollen Ankles Spider Veins, Varicose Veins Phlebitis, Deep Vein Thrombosis Chronic Vein Insufficient Venous Leg Ulcers

Compression Therapy is available for mild graduated compression without a prescription and higher graduated compression by prescription.

Talk to your Medicine Centre Team to find out if you would benefit from Compression Therapy.

Free with purchase! during October 2011 only

2 ounce Sigvaris Washing Solution with each pair of mild compression socks/stockings 16 ounce Sigvaris Washing Solution with each pair of prescription grade compression socks/stockings

Nanoose Medicine Centre #4-2451 Collins Cres., Nanoose Bay phone: 250-468-9921 Memorial Compounding Medicine Centre 699 Memorial Ave, Qualicum Beach phone: 250-752-9976 Qualicum Medicine Centre #2-219 Fern Rd. West, Qualicum Beach phone: 250-752-9911

www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

31

continued from page 22 Social resilience can take a variety of forms such as increased flexibility among interest groups, improved economic diversity, expanded sources of knowledge, to increased opportunities for conversation and decision-making, says D’Anna.

Her research here in Baynes Sound is focused on what role the growing aquaculture industry plays in the community, if any, how important it is, and who it is important to, in order to get a picture of the area’s long-term resilience.

The project itself will begin with a number of interviews with key businesses, workers, organizations, groups and government departments directly tied to the industry, and then move into a survey of the broader community. The project will also be documented through photographic data collection, she says.

“We are not looking at this as pro or anti-aquaculture,” stresses D’Anna. “We are researching the whole picture.”

Her research will be looking at what the local knowledge, experience, and values are around aquaculture, the ecological interactions between industry and environment, the history of aquaculture in the area, as well as social-cultural feedback with a view towards economy and governance, she says.

While the concept of social-ecological resilience may be theoretical, learning about it can bring very real results.

“If we get a picture of how people relate to the industry, what their concerns and thoughts are, we can see if, or where, separate interests intersect, if there is common ground,” says D’Anna.

“Finding overlaps in interests, if there are any, allows the community to make better decisions together.”

“Whatever we learn, will be reflected back to the community to use,” she says.

Check our web-site for residential, recreational and investment properties.

Now, only a couple of months into the project, D’Anna’s interview list is likely beginning to look as big as that barge.

If the number and type of calls coming through Bunting’s office are any indication, there is a fair amount of buzz on the beach over aquaculture in Baynes Sound. And, according to Bunting, some of that is courtesy of your typical small town rumour mill, general misinformation, and competing interests.

Contrary to what some people assumed, says Bunting, the activities of the said tug and barge were not an expansion of the Bowser scallop farm but the continued development of the originally designated 125 ha, only partially completed since beginning work in 2008.

“I can see why people may have been taken aback,” says Bunting, “It was a clear and calm day and people were outside enjoying the sun when it came through, so it was much more noticeable than if it had been rainy.”

The ominous barge as it turns out was simply a time and cost efficient way to precisely drop several of the heavy anchors needed to ground the lines of the developing farm, she says.

The farm itself is not particularly visible, hanging 30 feet below the surface allowing enough clearance for pretty much anything other than an oceanliner to skim across, says Bunting. continued next page

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October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

In the end, the only changes most people will likely see, she says, will be more yellow markers, some with lights, as per Transport Canada regulations.

Island Scallops, says Bunting, employes 45 people of all ages contributing to local economic spin-off while its reliance on clean water promotes environmental stewardship.

But, common complaints from other groups over the years have been about the industry’s potential to leave debris, and interfere with the natural balance of ocean habitat.

As for the additional yellow buoys? Depending on how you look at them, they are either an eyesore, a cultural point of interest for visitors, a kind of symbiotic guarantee of coastal health, a measure of monetary or economic wealth, a nostalgic call to our coastal past, an environmental or transportation hazard, a potential dinner, or a convenient turn around point for nautical races.

For D’Anna, such diverse points of view around aquaculture are not unexpected.

While completing her graduate studies at the University of North Carolina on oyster restoration along the Atlantic Coast, she says she began to notice an increase in attention and awareness around oyster restoration coming from groups other than the government fisheries agency charged with managing the oyster fishery.

“I realized that there was a social-cultural piece to oyster restoration that was not being addressed. Suddenly, there were diverse interests, goals, and projects emerging between fisheries management, business, and various environmental groups, and I thought, how is this going to play out?”

A new, alternative, and interdisciplinary way of talking about oysters on the North Carolina Coast began to develop, with different goals and projects, she says.

“I suddenly found myself becoming more of a social scientist. I began looking at what the distinctions were between these groups, how they thought about oysters, what oysters meant to each of them.”

Aquaculture is a rapidly growing industry world-wide, says D’Anna, and it is important to understand how it affects us and what it means for resilience in Baynes Sound as well as around the world.

General community surveys in the Baynes Sound area will be made available sometime in the next few months. Stay tuned. ~

MEET US AT “LET’S EAT LOCAL” Wednesday October 12, 2011  4pm to 7pm Parksville Community & Conference Centre Discover local ... Join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/IslandEdibles www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

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Qualicum Beach Town Hall • Linda Tenney photo

By Marilyn Dawson, Reporter t may not have been intentional, but marching toward the future was the thrust of the September meeting of the Qualicum Beach Council before a standing room only crowd. The future involved the use of an area that once was the home of school buses, the development of property at the west end of town, and saving DL10 from logging.

Acquiring the school bus lot has been a longtime ambition of the Town. And why not! A prime piece of real estate smack dab in the middle of downtown used as a school bus lot? After long-time talks, Qualicum Beach finally has acquired the property from the school board; now the question is, what next. The Town owns TOSH and the property around the old schoolhouse, which it rents to Qualicum Foods for parking, so it could be assumed there is wiggle room when it comes to development. What to do with that space was one of the topics during the extensive review of the Official Community Plan when residents brought forth several suggestions. Some of them were presented

by CAO Mark Brown at the meeting, including a public square, pub, offices, galleries, hotel, a performing arts centre, a

movie theatre and parking. The public gets another chance to weigh-in on the subject at a special meeting at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre on October 24 at 7 pm.

felt there was more work to be done before the development satisfied goals outlined in the OCP, particularly with regard to lot size and affordable housing.

Council appeared to favor some sort of performing arts building on the 2.6 acre site, but it’s a long way to decision-time.

Outgoing Councillor Jack Wilson said a performing art centre could be a venue for a film festival and a “wonderful enhancement for the town.” While he agreed with Coun. Wilson, Mayor Teunis Westbroek cautioned that it was important to keep the public involved and that whatever was built, a lot of thought had to be given to the affordability of the project and the cost of subsequent maintenance.

In an unrelated presentation, Annette Tanner of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee showed a sure-fire way to get everyone’s attention by introducing Portia Miller, aged five, to save the trees from being logged along the Little Qualicum River. There were goofy grins throughout the room as the cute little blonde showed her artwork and offered to cut her hair, which grows fast, rather than trees, which don’t.

If everyone donates $10, the trees will be saved, she said. No official announcement at press time, but the Town is saving the trees.

Another area of development interest is the west end of town, specifically the 10-acre parcel on the corner of Claymore and Laburnum near Qualicum Beach Middle School. Nigel Gray, representing a numbered development company, presented a detailed plan for a subdivision of 58 homes and a neighborhood commercial site; he stressed that he was willing to work with the Town. A good thing, because Council

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What is the purpose of the test project involving organic fertilizer? “Is it all about happy nematodes?

What do we expect to find?” asked Coun.

Wilson. The year-long project will study the cost effectiveness and viability of a compost tea compared to current town usage.

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October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

Apparently the mental health of nematodes is not the issue. ~

Marketing & Advertising

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A few spots are still available in the Beacon Magazine’s

At Your Service Directory Call 757-9914 for more information.

It’s where locals and visitors find their service people!

to breathe, thereby lending an even deeper appreciation of it.

Former IIS Vice President and Victoriabased commercial digital artist Greg Glover was the man entrusted with the task of piecing Coastal Moments together, and he has done a spectacular job of it.

As Glover explains, while the rationale behind the project did not reflect Tallerino and Randall’s aesthetics, there was an aim to present something representative, with durability and the opportunity for personal expression.

“We’d done calendars in the past, but with them there’s a best-before date, and after that you can’t sell them,” Glover begins.

“We thought if we go with something that is undated, we can put more than twelve images in it; we can give space for someone to write in; and we can make it into more of a book. We wanted to create something useful, as well as something that could be considered a coffee table book. It has no expiry date, so you can take as long as you like to fill it up. You can add your own thoughts or sketches or keep returning to the images and words that are already there, so there’s always a reason to pick this up.”

There are many reasons to return to Coastal Moments, to keep picking it up. The visual and literary content throughout is wonderful, OLD BONES BY LINDA HESLOP in the main uncannily aligned to my own taste in art, but when flicking through its luxurious pages for the first time there were four illustrations in particular that really spoke to me: Kirsten Miller’s extraordinary Embrace depicts an old woman with a weathered face, kindly eyes and gravestone teeth, clutching a laughing infant; Bryony Wynne-Jones’ delightful ink and watercolour crow, Edgar in Blue; Iris Churcher’s pencil drawing, 6 Wasps, is exactly that, showing the miraculous construction of the summer pest’s nest. Then there’s Coastal Moments’ final, joyously whimsical image, Tea for Two, from Pender Island’s Ron Finnen. I won’t spoil your experience by revealing it here, instead imploring you to seek it and Although not intentionally created in the book out for yourselves! the same spirit, the same could certainly be said of Coastal Moments, a beautiful But presenting these personal favourites journal-style book recently published (by is akin to recommending four particular Oolichan Books in Fernie) to celebrate the strawberries from a barrelful. It is simply a 25th Anniversary of the Island Illustrators deeply satisfying, thoughtfully considered Society (IIS). Containing gorgeous examples collection of art and poetry, which lead me of the work of forty-four IIS members, to wonder exactly how Coastal Moments amplified further by the words of noted BC was conceived, assembled and curated. poets, Coastal Moments is completed by As Greg Glover tells me, the book and his plenty of blank pages. This approach to its involvement in its development has been in design not only offers the owner adequate the IIS crosshairs for many years. space to sketch or write – in order, if you will, to ‘complete’ the book at leisure in his continued on page 36 or her own way – but also room for the art

COASTAL MOMENTS OF THE ISLAND ILLUSTRATORS SOCIETY

by David Morrison “If we, citizens, do not support our artists, then we sacrifice our imaginations on the altar of crude reality and we end up believing in nothing and having worthless dreams.” ~ Yann Martel

F

or April’s issue of your favourite monthly I wrote about John Tallerino and Marc Randall of Dragonfly Knoll Gallery on Denman Island. In their respective fields of shrine-making and handmade books these artists share a philosophy, being that their creations are not complete until added to in some way by the purchaser. I like that.

www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

35

continued from page 35 “I helped it go all the way from concept, from ‘we should do this,’ to a book,” he says. “The idea went on and off over the years, then finally with (former IIS President) Joanne Thomson’s driving force behind it, it began to come to fruition. I collected the images from the artists, and with the help of the publisher, who sent over some different bindings and stuff, we picked the look and feel that this would have; what kind of a cover it would have; what kind of paper we would use. We also decided how many images it would have, and how many blank pages. We recruited as many Island Illustrators as possible to submit work for this book, getting everybody to submit three images each, of which we would somehow choose one. We had a jury committee of three, who would go through each artist’s works and decide which one we would use. After the images were selected and a prototype of the book was put together, there was always the intention we would put poetry in it as well. The publisher (Randal Macnair), having lived on Vancouver Island for a long time, and being a poet himself, collected together poetry that his publishing house handles, and picked out various bits of poems for some of the images.”

Coastal Moments is an art book that, even considering the blank pages, flows naturally. Yet when idly turning the pages and admiring the lovely images and excerpts of poetry, it may not seem immediately apparent why this is. A closer look, however, reveals that the art is thematically clustered.

This was entirely deliberate.

“When I did the layout and was thinking about the order the images should go in, I grouped them into concepts,” Glover explains. “West Coast landscapes, interactions between people, something imaginary…and after grouping them together, I thought it best to start the book with what’s expected, being the landscapes.

Then we start to zoom in on things, like leaves, rocks and trees, then flowers. Then we move onto creatures, some real and some from the imagination. Each section is divided from the others by a spread, a scan of some kind of handmade paper, like marbled paper.”

Coastal Moments is a fitting and triumphant tribute to twenty-five years of the IIS, and remembering that Christmas is just around the corner, a perfect gift to give or receive.

Yet the quarter-century celebrations will not be stopping with this book, as there is another on the way and an exciting event to launch it.

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36

October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

“There’s another publication coming out for the Island Illustrators very soon,” Glover reveals, “with photographs of past and present members, in their studios, with write-ups for each artist.” This title comes from IIS member, visual artist/ photographer Ray St. Arnaud, and will be officially launched at the 25th Anniversary exhibition, “Celebrate Success: 25 Years of the Island Illustrators Society,” at Cedar Hill Recreation Centre in Victoria, between October 25 and November 27. The opening reception takes place on October 27, from 7:00 to 9:00pm. Further information can be found at the IIS website (URL below).

Looking through Coastal Moments once more it is, of course, impossible not to be repeatedly reminded of the creative genius, fertile imaginations and senses of humour of so many good people in this beautiful corner of the world. We are truly blessed. It is one of those aforementioned reasons to keep picking it up, an inspirational reason, so serving as the best possible commendation for the great work of all involved with the Island Illustrators Society. Here’s to their half-century mark! ~ Further information about Coastal Moments, the Island Illustrators Society and their forthcoming events is available by visiting www.islandillustrators.org, or by emailing contact@islandillustrators.org.

We encourage you to “shop local” whenever possible. Our advertisers represent a variety of local businesses that offer services and products for your personal and professional needs. Tell them you saw their listing or ad in The Beacon.

And, if you use and can recommend a local business or service, we ask you to share the news with your neighbours, friends and family. Your positive referrals will ensure a strong economy in your community. And that’s important!

BROADLEAF EVERGREENS FOR WINTER INTEREST

A: Many people have part sun conditions in their gardens. Buildings and trees are two more common reasons for this. Sometimes buildings are erected unexpectedly, and often people overlook the fact that conifers and deciduous trees grow, creating increasing shade in the yard each year. Part sun to shade conditions means that half the day or less will be sunny. (Full sun to part sun means that more than half the day will be sunny.) A full shade condition means dappled sunlight at best. Both the plants you mention, Philadelphus lewisii and Viburnum trilobum, are perfect deciduous shrubs for those conditions, but they do lose their leaves producing a bare look.

Broadleaf evergreens are an excellent choice for part sun to full shade areas because they provide year-round foliage to add greenery in winter. You can choose from many textures and sizes of leaves according to your preferences and space. Some, like Skimmia, form berry-like buds in the fall that can be enjoyed until early spring flowers re-appear. Broadleaf evergreens often have a very long flowering period, earlier and later

Open during October Wednesday to Sunday

than most deciduous shrubs, which adds to their advantages.

Sarcoccoca is well-suited for shady spots being one of the earliest, long flowering shrubs, with very fragrant small, white flowers emerging from late December to the end of February. One variety of this plant, Sarcococca hookeriana ‘var. humilis’, does well in a shady doorway entrance as a potted plant.

To add colour in your part sun to shade areas, Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ plants are an excellent choice, being one of the few broadleaf evergreens that retains golden leaf colour accents without receiving much sun. You can find many shapes of leaf with a variety of speckles, spots, or stripes of yellow to choose from. Aucuba can be seen all over our community in those low light areas, grown either as an individual specimen plant or as a showy hedge that can grow to six feet high or more.

Abelia is appreciated for its long fall flowering period, (from mid-summer to fall’s frosts). You’ll see abundant delicate, pink-tinged white, fragrant flowers. Small, dark, glossy green leaves are also attractive in part sun conditions. Abelia x grandiflora ‘Confetti’ offers a compact variety with small, pink, cream, and green leaves and fragrant white flowers.

Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’

Q: I’m looking for suggestions for appropriate plants that will do well in part sun to shade areas. I have a mock orange and high bush cranberry that are doing well, but we want more to look at in winter.

Another popular broadleaf evergreen with showy flower clusters into the fall, Escallonia tolerates salty, ocean winds, and all types of soil, and once established can be drought tolerant. This plant tolerates growing in shade, but requires some sunlight throughout the day to grow best.

When thinking of winter approaching, consider the added interest broadleaf evergreens can bring to your yard. ~ Harry Sumner is a certified arborist & garden coach. Gardening questions are welcome at 250-248-4512 or shellms@telus. net.

Wed - Fri 9:30-4 Saturday 10-4 Sunday 10-3:30 www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

37

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38

October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

continued from page 6 “I do love this one on the cover – with its gorget all aflame reflecting all the light. And I love the pictures of the eagle nest on the Boyle Point cliff, with the parent flying in with fish for the babies,” he says.

Although he enjoyed expanding his range, Yip still finds birds endlessly fascinating and looks forward to doing more bird photography. “There is so much variety.

There are approximately 450 different species that pass through our area. Even if you bird-watch regularly, you’ll never see all of them in your lifetime.”

He published his books mainly to inspire this sort of wonder and appreciation in others.

“A lot of people don’t realize how important nature is to them. I hear from people that my books open their eyes to what exists around them. They’ve already seen it, maybe lots of times, but not really noticed it,” he says. “If I can do something to raise awareness of the beauty of the natural world around us, that’s great.” ~ See Mike Yip’s bird photos at vancouverislandbirds.com. To order Denman and Hornby Nature, contact Susan Marie (250-335-0253) from the Denman Conservancy Association, Amanda Zielinski (amanda@hornbyislanddiving.com) from the Hornby Conservancy, or Dave Lacelle (250-337-5909) from the Comox Valley Naturalists Society.

BRUSH DANCE – Art Lessons.

Watercolour, pastel and drawing.

Free-up your creativity. Coaching and mentoring for artists. $40 - 1 1/2 hour lesson. Contact Debra Wapple 250-5943350 waapplemail@gmail.com SEMI-FURNISHED ROOM – for mature,working female. NS, NP. Someone interested in keeping a clean and comfortable setting. $450/month plus half utilities. Available Oct 1. Please call 250-927-2221 HOUSE SITTING POSITION WANTED – Healthy senior couple (with references & experience) will care for your home plus any pets. We are available from November 1st to end of April. Our areas of interest are Duncan, Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Chemainus, Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Bowser, Deep Bay, Courtenay, Comox. We require an internet connection. Our Services are Free. Contact Gord & Millie via e-mail: gmack4@hotmail.com DEBRA’S HELPING HANDS – for Seniors. Downsizing for moves or organizing to enlarge your living space.

Light housekeeping to free-up your time. Nutritious meal preparation.

Accompaniment - walks, museums, galleries, appointments, writing or editing memoirs. 2 hour minimum $20/ hour. Debra Wapple 250-594-3350 waapplemail@gmail.com PICK-UP AND DELIVERY – Tune-ups and repairs to riding lawnmowers and all small engines. Buy and sell used equipment. Call Ron 250-240-1971 e-mail: ronmorrison100@gmail.com THERAPEUTIC FOOT REFLEXOLOGY – Sessions $50 for 75 mins in my home.

Home visits are available. Release your body’s self-healing ability through deep relaxation. Please call Marie at (250) 335-0850.

SAY YOU SAW THEIR AD IN THE BEACON!

WEB SITE & SOCIAL MEDIA – Do you need a Web Site or Social Media presence? Perhaps you would like to learn how to use social media and how it can help you promote your product or business. I can help AND I use local products and services! Reasonable rates, experienced with references. FMI Call (250) 240-5535.

RAW FOODS BY DEBORAW – Interested in learning how to transition into a healthy lifestyle incorporating Raw Foods? I can help! Private or Group courses offered. Inquiries welcome. FMI email deborahbtobin@gmail.com.

TUTORING/HOMESCHOOLING – over 12 years teaching experience.

Enthusiastic BC certified teacher, who loves to teach. Specialist in motivation and learning disabilities. $35/lesson.

250-594-3350 waapplemail@gmail.com FOOTCARE – HYGIENE Soaking feet, cutting nails, filing calluses, treating dry skin – fingernails too. Reflexology – 1 hour sessions. Services offered from Nanoose to Union Bay. Please call Vikki @ 250-757-9244 DON’S HOME REPAIR – plumbing repairs and installations, complete renovations, no job too small. Call Don @ 250-757-8757 or cell 250- 951-8757 MEMORABLE LINES Preserve your favourite stories and photos in a personal history book or keep the voices of friends and family forever with an oral history CD. See www.memorablelines. com for details of the memoir and writing services available. Call 250-335-1157 or 888-330-8366 for a free estimate.

TIME TO GET ORGANIZED! Call the man with a truck! 250-757-9182 THE FIX-IT SHOP – Closed for the season, see you in the New Year.

WILDWOOD COMMUNITY CHURCH 113 McColl Road, Bowser

Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 am 757-8136

FIRST RATE MASONRY – Over 13 years experience providing first rate, creative workmanship within budget and on time. Old brick restoration. All stone and tile work. Fireplace facing. Retaining walls and pavers. Chimney construction, cleaning and repairs. FMI Call Jason Buxton (250) 802-5515 COAL CREEK FARM – on MacArtney Drive in Fanny Bay has naturally fed, free range duck, chicken, turkey and goose meat available various times of the year. *Don’t forget to order your Thanksgiving turkey! Please call for availability – ask for Paul or Christine (250) 335-1322.

QUESTERS GROUP WELCOMES MAUREEN ST. GERMAIN IN OCTOBER Maureen J. St. Germain, a devoted Flower of Life course facilitator trained

by Drunvalo Melchizedek in 1994, leads dolphin swims and has a very special connection with dolphins, Angels, Hathors and Ascended Masters. She has studied the Edgar Cayce material, the teachings of Ascended Masters, practiced Alchemy for 30 years, and is a master numerologist who has been leading groups and classes in esoteric studies since 1976. As well as joining us for our Questers Meeting at the Lighthouse Community Centre in Qualicum Bay on October 31st at 7pm, Maureen will also be teaching a 3-session workshop in Qualicum Beach on October 27-29. For information about the workshop or the next Questers meeting, please contact Chris at 250752-1419 or Helen at 250-752-7274.

NELSON'S MUSIC STUDIO Piano/Theory Lessons Parksville/Qualicum Area Beginners to Advanced Your Home or Ours John/Margaret 250-954-5895 www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

39

Aries (March 21-April 19) It’s important to get more sleep this month because you’ll need it. The Sun is your source of energy and it is opposite your sign, which is as far away from you as it gets all year.

You need the rest! Expect to focus on partnerships and friendships more than usual. Meanwhile, both Venus and Mars are promoting romance, love affairs, parties, sports events, social occasions and playful times with children. (When doing the dance of life – keep looking into the eyes of your partner.)

and quicker to defend their rights and the rights of others. You eager for short trips, conversations with everyone, exploring ideas, meeting new people and spending increased time with siblings and neighbours.

Many will read, write and study more. The month ahead will be fast-paced, fun-loving and fascinating!

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Money, money, money.

You’re dreaming up ways to earn more money and many are looking for a job. This focus on money also leads to spending more. Fortunately, you’ve got lots Taurus (April 20-May 20) You’re keen to get better of moneymaking ideas. Some of you will work alone organized! You’re sorting, packing, cleaning, painting, more than usual. (Actually, this working alone thang polishing and pulling together your belongings. could lead to a secret love affair. Hmmm.) Since travel (“Let’s get this done!”) This is a challenge because looks so sweet in the year ahead, money will come most of you are collectors. Fortunately, you have the in handy, won’t it? (And if you’re starting to look like energy and drive right now! (Lucky you.) Many are your passport photo, you need the trip.) re-decorating and tweaking your digs. You’re shoving furniture around or doing renovations. But hey – you Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) It’s your turn to recharge your batteries for the rest of the year. It’s also the love a beautiful home. Without you, antique stores perfect time to energize your surroundings and attract would fold. auspicious opportunities and important people to Gemini (May 21-June 20) Dear, playful Gemini! you. Fair Venus and mighty Mars urge you to socialize Pull out your dancing shoes because you’re in with others, especially in group situations. Join clubs party mode. Slip away on vacation, flirt, schmooze, and classes. Mingle. Sit up and be the Libran you truly socialize, plan parties, enjoy the theatre, see musical are. If you share dreams for the future with others, performances and delight in playful activities with they will give you helpful feedback. (To quote my fav children. The heavens urge you to have fun! Work Libran, Oscar Wilde: “To love oneself is the beginning to give yourself time off to enjoy this fabulous of a life-long romance.”) influence. Drink, eat and be merry. Do not resist temptation – it might not come your way again. (But Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Your ambition is so strong– you need to pace yourself. You can’t be all don’t risk something solid for a mere bonbon.) things, to all people, all the time. Therefore, work Cancer (June 21-July 22) It’s time to feather your behind the scenes and grab a breather. Because your nest. Focus on family, home and domestic activities. birthday is just a month away, this is the perfect Family discussions will be significant, especially with time to strategize what you want your new year to be parents. Tackle home repairs, but expect to spend about. After all, the more specifically you define your money than you anticipated. (Gadgets, electronics goals, the more likely they will materialize! That’s how and high-tech toys.) Be on the lookout for sudden life works. (Admittedly, I live the way I type – fast and opportunities to make money that are “different,” with lots of mistakes.) possibly high-tech and beyond the ken of your Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Popular you! experience. Take note: if a chance for new earnings Everyone wants to see your face. This month is the appears – act quickly, because your window of perfect time to mingle with groups and boost your opportunity will be brief. knowledge, by listening to what others have to say, Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) For the first time since the as well as sharing your own knowledge. You’ll find spring of 2010, fiery Mars is in your sign, boosting whatever information you exchange with others will your energy. All Leos will be more assertive, direct

40

October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

modify your goals for the future. You’re also keen to travel, especially for pleasure. Many of you want to learn more and discover adventure. “I want it all!”

Get out and schmooze. Remember Bruce Willis in Die Hard? “Come out to the coast. We’ll get together – have a few laughs.” Bwa-ha-ha.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) The Sun is now at the top of your chart, acting like a spotlight on you. Naturally, this makes others notice you more than usual, and this great lighting makes you look fabulous! People will offer you increased responsibilities. Say yes because you don’t have to be an action hero to do the job. Discussions with bosses, parents, teachers and authority figures will benefit you. That’s why this is a wonderful time to discuss how to share or divide things, especially inheritances. You’ll be laughing all the way to the bank.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You’re restless. You want to get outta Dodge. You want adventure, learning and fun, fresh experiences! This is the perfect time to go to school, sign up for a course, travel or do anything that allows you to explore new philosophies and ideas or meet new people from other cultures and different backgrounds.

Partnerships are tricky in the month ahead. Fair Venus will pave the way, making things mutually gracious and diplomatic. However, fiery Mars makes you react quickly reaction because you’re easily annoyed with others. (Oops.) Tread carefully.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Suddenly, you’re passionately intense about everything in life (yes, including sex). This passion will also channel your focus to bills, insurance matters, inheritances, taxes, debt and settling anything you own jointly with others. You’ll be good at this because Mercury will help you plus fiery Mars has really light a fire under you, so you’re keen to work hard and get better organized. (You’re busy delegating to others.) Praise or even a raise could be possible! Some of you could encounter a romance on the job. (Sweet.) Anything might happen. (There are no answers – only crossreferences.)

CELEBRATING 5 YEARS IN THE COMMUNITY

O

n this our fifth anniversary of owning and operating Bowser Builders, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank our customers for the tremendous support they have shown us. It’s been five years of learning, growth and hard work , with many laughs along the way , but our goal remains: to offer desirable products at competitive prices with friendly knowledgeable service. Thanks also to our staff: Jim, Tom, Janet, Luc, Ed, Sam and Jack and Fran for your dedication and for being so enjoyable to work with. ~ Thank you, Mac and Betsy

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Real Estate......................................14 Royal LePage - Carol Gregson Real Estate......................................32 ReMax First Realty - Tom Whitfield Real Estate......................................15 Arrowsmith Golf & Country Club Sports & Leisure..............................14 Peter Mason Land Surveyor Surveying & Land Information........45 The advertisers listed here also have their business cards and brochures racked with us at The Beacon office in our Community Information Centre. If you require further information about any of the businesses noted above, please feel free to call or stop by our office. We support local business and firmly believe in the power of networking.

Tune in LIVE on the 1st Thursday of each month when Dave Graham of 88.5FM The Beach Radio and Linda Tenney talk about what’s going on in Lighthouse Country. Join them at 8:40am. ______________ And ... catch The Beacon Beat every Thursday morning at approximately 8:10 am for brief updates and news about what’s going on in Lighthouse Country! ~ The Beacon...we keep you informed!

KEEP IT LOCAL We encourage you to “shop local” whenever possible. The list of local businesses on the left offer a variety of services and products for your personal and professional needs. Tell them you saw their listing or ad in The Beacon. And, if you use and can recommend a local business or service, we ask you to share the news with your neighbours, friends and family. Your positive referrals will ensure a strong economy in your community. And that’s important!

www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

41

Community Event Calendar LIGHTHOUSE COMMUNITY CENTRE (LCC) Qualicum Bay - INFO: LOIS NELSON: 757-9938 Pancake Breakfast, Flea Market, Live Music, Veggies, Poultry & Small Animal Swap, Master Gardeners: – Sun Oct. 9th, 8am-noon. The Hall Board will be cooking up breakfast this morning.

Come into your Local Branch during

CREDIT UNION DAY & CO-OP WEEK …and see how we can make a World of Difference!

Lighthouse Seniors #152 – Next meeting Oct. 3rd at noon. We are having a Hallowe’en potluck so dress-up and come and have fun.

For more info call Shirley at 757-2384 Carpet Bowling at LCC: Oct 4th - April, 12:45 to 3:15pm. Tues & Thurs. Everyone welcome, exercise and fun, come out and meet your neighbours. FMI call Layne 250-757-8217.

Lighthouse Floor Curlers – Curling Sept May, Mondays and Fridays 1pm at the Lions Rec Hall, Qualicum Bay. Drop in $2. FMI call Dennis Leach 250-757-8218 or Tillie Murray 250-757-9218.

AA Lightkeepers: every Fri. 8pm. Info: 250-7578347 Bridge at LCC Nordin Room – 1-4pm Friday afternoons. Call Sheila Steele 250-757-8307 Taoist Tai Chi Society Classes at LCC and Fanny Bay OAP Hall. FMI Susan @ 757-2097 Lighthouse Trails Group needs your help. Val Weismiller: 757-9667 Belly Dancing – Mondays at 7pm at the Bowser Legion. Inquiries welcome. FMI Email bowserbrynn@yahoo.ca LIGHTHOUSE RECREATION INFO PATTY: 757-8366 shipshore@shaw.ca Lighthouse Country Family Halloween Party at the LCC on Saturday, October 29 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Fun family event. Costumes, games, prizes and more! Volunteers needed. For more information contact Gonda Lekx at rglekx@shaw.ca.

Youth and Adult Badminton – Mondays at 7pm, Bowser Elementary School, beginners welcome, racquets available. Fee $3 adult, $1 for students, age 14 yrs+, starting Oct. 3rd. info ph. (250) 757-8307, email - steelehunt@shaw.ca

RDN PROGRAMS ADULT Hatha Yoga –Use principles of breath, alignment and space to balance softness and strength in 42

October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

this gently guided class. This program is suitable for beginners and beyond. $71/8 classes. Mon. or Thurs. evenings 6-7:15pm. Instructor: Brandy Kosiancic Tues 9:15-10:30am. Instructor: Fiona Mackey Nia® – Love Your Body. Love Your Life. Use the power of martial arts, the grace of dance, and the wisdom of the body to strengthen and enliven body, mind and spirit.

Wed. 9:30-10:45am Oct 12-Nov 16 $56/6 CHILDREN Bowser’s Got Talent 6-11yrs – Join your friends in the search for talent in Lighthouse Country! Each day you will try something new: dancing, “singing”, making humongous art projects, or completing a challenge.

Come to this class with enthusiasm; ready to try something new and to showcase your own unique talents! Bowser Elementary School, Mon. 3-4:30pm $44.30/6 Oct 17-Nov 21 Lighthouse Race 6-11yrs – Get over the obstacles, complete the challenges, and work cooperatively to complete the Lighthouse Race! Each day will feature new challenges, new groups to work with, and new fun to be had. Bowser Elementary School Wed. 3-4:30pm $44.30/6 Oct 12-Nov 16 Lighthouse Sports for Shorts 3-5yrs – Try keeping up with your child as they learn different sports and games! Emphasis is on fun and introducing the fundamental movement skills of running, jumping, throwing. Parent participation is required. Bowser Elementary School, Sat Oct 15-Nov 19 $34/6 9:1510:00am 3-4yrs: 10:15-11am 4-5yrs Sports Jam 6-9yrs – Burn off energy! Enjoy 3 sports over 6 weeks including: floor hockey, soccer, and basketball. Girls and guys are welcome in this fun non-competitive program. Parents are encouraged to play too! Bowser Elementary School, Sat Oct 15-Nov 19 $34/6 11:15am-12pm Please contact Area H RDN programmer, Chrissie Finnie at 250-757-8118 or cfinnie@rdn.bc.ca for detailed program and registration information.

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS & CLUBS Eaglecrest, Oceanside’s Garden Club, meets 7.30pm, Oct. 19th, in Q.B. Civic Centre. Featured speaker Harry Wright will give a talk on the subject “Four Seasons at Haida Gold Gardens, Courtenay”. Everyone welcome. Info 250-7525315 Don’t Dress for Dinner, a farce, plays at the Bailey Studio in Nanaimo October 6-22, $16-18, www.nanaimotheatregroup.com

October 2011 Dance To Timberline Band Free, live, old-time Country & Rock ‘n Roll music every Wednesday, 7:30 to 10:30 pm Parksville Legion, 146 West Hirst St., Parksville. All adults welcome.

Fanny Bay Parents & Tots Play Group runs every Tuesday from 10:00-11:30 at the Fanny Bay Hall. For children 0-5 years old and a caregiver. Join us for songs, stories, early literacy activities, games, gym time, parent resources and a snack. This is a free event, supported by the Comox Valley Family Services Association and the Fanny Bay Community Association. FMI contact Evelyn 250-335-9022 Kiwanis Club of Parksville/Qualicum Beach meets on the 1st and 3rd Tues. at the Kiwanis Village 250 West First Ave. QB at 7:15pm. 19 plus are welcome. if you wish to assist seniors and children in need in our Community. FMI Call Thomas at 250-752-7424.

En-Kata Choir – An African Maasai Choir, is coming to the Island Gospel Centre on Wed., Oct. 5 at 7pm. The public is invited to hear this dynamic, inspirational group. A free-will offering will be received for the choir. FMI Call Colin (250) 594-8299.

Corcan-Meadowood Residents’ Association (CMRA) AGM. Sat., Oct. 22, 2011 Registration - 9am. Meeting 10am at the Lighthouse Community Centre. Items on the agenda will include: Election of Officers, Update on the proposed Highway Bypass, Update on the proposed Area Park, Emergency Preparation and Meeting the Area Candidates. FMI call Elaine 250-752-4179 The Qualicum Bay Lions meet from September to June on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month. Dinner at 6 pm and meetings start at 7 pm. Our meeting hall is just behind the Light House Community Hall on Lions Way. We are a volunteer group that helps our community in many ways. If you are interested in joining our club, contact Shirley Phillips at (250) 757-8384 or George Stringer at (250) 335-2991.

Lighthouse Country Scrapbookers – meet third Saturday monthly at the Lions Den, Qualicum Bay, 9:30am - 4:30pm, $10. Door prizes.

More information call Jorgie (250) 757-8358 or Shirley (250) 7578384 Lighthouse Spinners – Every Tues. 10:30-2:30pm in the Community Centre Board Room. New members welcome. FMI Jo 250-757-8402 Qualicum Beach Family History Society will be hosting an allday workshop on October 22nd, 8:30-4:30pm at the Quality Resort Bayside, Parksville. FMI see page 18 of this issue or visit www.qbfhs. ca Oceanside Dementia Education DVD presentations – Where: The Gardens at Qualicum Beach, Theatre Room. When: The fourth Tuesday of every month, from 2pm-4pm FREE. Register by calling 250.752.2818, ext. 0 to reserve your seat. Hope to see you there! .

Oceanside Photographers – Meets the first Wednesday of the month at the QB Civic Centre at 7 pm. FMI to go www.oceansidephotographers.ca Art Exhibition and Sale of Federation of Canadian Artists, Arrowsmith Chapter –Oct 11 - November 5, 10-4:30pm Tues – Sat.; 12-4 Mon. Reception Wed Oct 12, 7-9pm; free draw @The Old School House (TOSH) Art’s Center, 122 Fern Road West

Originals Only Art Show and Sale Fall Show 2011 Comox Recreation Centre 855 Noel Ave, Comox. Sat & Sun Nov 5th & 6th 10am to 4:00pm Admission: Free. http://www.originalsonly.ca/index.html The Arrowsmith Needle Arts Guild meets on the third Thursday of each month from 9:30 – 2pm at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre at 747 Jones St. There are other regular embroidery sessions and classes. Contact 250-758-6783 or email keberta@shaw.ca for more information.

Comox Valley Farmers’ Market – Saturdays 9-12 at the CV Exhibition Grounds on Headquarters Rd until October 15. From October 22, 9-12 at the Native Sons Hall in Courtenay. This month’s entertainment: Oct. 1 Celtic Cargo Cult, Oct. 8 Todd Butler, Oct. 15 Ralph Barrat, Oct. 22 Helen Austin, Oct. 29 Corwin Fox. Come for the freshness, stay for the fun! FMI: Mkt. Mgr. Vickey 250.218-0321 or www. comoxvalleyfarmersmarket.com & keep in touch on Facebook.

The Echo Players’ Society is pleased to announce that the 7th annual Vancouver Island Juried One Act Play Festival will be held in the Village Theatre in Qualicum Beach from Tuesday, November, 1, 2011 to Sunday, November, 6, 2011. Based on the decision of three jurors, awards will be presented following the matinee on Sunday, November 6, 2011. Curtain - 7:30 P.M. and 2:00 P.M. (Sun. mat), Tickets - $12 adults $10 seniors & students. Enquiries - 752-0593 or 951-2124.

www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

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Certified Septic System Specialist Sand & Gravel Topsoil Bark Mulch Septic Systems Driveway Chips Water Lines

Culverts Drain Problems

Accommodation

Septic Installation

We encourage you to “think local” when looking for products or services

Monthly Rentals Available September to April

Call Lauren & Save

Home Improvement 430 Grovehill Road • Qualicum Beach 250-757-9677

Darlene St Jacques RCST R Registered Cranial Sacral Therapist

Heart Hands Mind Body in Motion 250.752.5842 250

email: craniosacral11@gmail.com www.mycranialsacral.com

Nature’s Own Medical Clinic

Drywall

Horse, General Farm & Wildlife Electric Fence & Nets

Custom Carpentry

Lawn Services

FERRIS FENCING Fencing

Cranial Sacral Therapy

(250) 757-8156 or (250) 954-8716

www.ferrisfencing.com • info@ferrisfencing.com

with Certified Master Dog Trainer

SCARLETT LUKE

 Fitness Classes with you and your dog  Conventional Group Training Classes  Private Behaviour Consultations  Pet Sitting Your best friend deserves the best! A NO-TREAT training method that makes you the pack leader.

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Dog Training

Picture Framing

PACK LEADER FITNESS

DOG TRAINING FOR FUN AND FUNCTION

PackLeaderFitness.com (250) 607-PETS (7387)

Pellet Fuel Sales

Home Repairs

Electrical Services

Book a consultation or register for a class today!

$5.50/bag Heating Pellets $5.20/bag Animal Bedding Wood Pellets & Shavings

WE DELIVER 757-9232

Located in Qualicum Bay 44

October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

Heating Hairdresser

2003 Kobelco SK160Lc Excavator for Hire

Witte Construction

ED KING

Cabinets & Woodworking • Custom•Kitchen Entertainment Centers • Spray Booth Painting & Lacquering

Phone: 250-738-0462 Cell: 250-927-0590 e-mail: kingreno@telus.net Qualicum Beach

Heating & Cooling

Call 250-757-9914 for more information

250 • 240 • 7778

Plumbing

This advertising spot could be yours

T.J. Farrell

tjfarrell@shaw.ca

Sand - Gravel - Topsoil

House Painting

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ph. 757-9713 c. 927-2157 e. shaun.witte@gmail.com

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL ALTERNATE ENERGY

Est. 1985

Mortgage Lending

WCB & Insured Shaun Witte Owner/Journeyman

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Ph 250.248.5959 • Toll Free 1-888-842-5959 www.completewindows.ca

Land Surveying

Windows & Doors

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105 Islewood Dr. Bowser, BC V0R 1G0

www.eyesonbc.com / October 2011

45

Philip Brown

Advertising

INSTALLATION SERVICE & REPAIRS

This advertising spot could be yours Call 250-757-9914 for more information

250-240-4902 • 250-757-8077 EVENINGS

Appliance Repair

Barber Services

Plumbing Gas Heating

Yoga Classes Hearing Services

250.594.0108 www.oceansideyoga.com

PLUMBING • GAS • HEATING

46

October 2011 / www eyesonbc.com

Plumbing & Gas Services

Tree Service

Chimney Cleaning

Parts Store Open Mon to Fri 9-4

ROASTED FRESH DAILY

Roastery and Coffee Shop COOMBS JUNCTION 2701 Alberni Hwy.

Mon-Fri 10-5  Sat 11-4

Sunday Worship 10:00 am

Historical, Charming and Elegant….

The Crown Mansion in Qualicum Beach offers luxurious accommodations within the fully renovated boutique hotel which keeps to its original grace of 1912, an era of rich tradition. This stately home once entertained celebrities and royalty such as Bing Crosby, John Wayne and the King of Siam! Exquisite details used throughout the mansion include rare wood paneling, elaborate crystal chandeliers, heritage fireplaces and sweeping staircases, making it a perfect relaxing getaway, or a wonderful venue for weddings, business meetings or family receptions.

Luxury Boutique Hotel

Explore the village, seashore and heritage forests of Qualicum Beach, unwind in our cozy lounge, enjoy a gourmet dinner at our restaurant, then retire to your ocean or garden view suite for a relaxing soak in your jetted slipper tub, and a restful night’s sleep in your giant king-size four poster bed. A complimentary continental breakfast awaits you in the dining room in the morning. Crown Mansion is the perfect place to create extraordinary memories. Book your getaway today!

Real Estate Villa Ownership from $359,900 The Villa Units at Crown Mansion offer a solid investment opportunity. Enjoy full time residency in a historical Mansion setting with all of the modern amenities. This upscale real estate development is redefining condo living in the Qualicum Beach area.

“A Time Honoured Classic”

Restaurant & Catering: Butlers Restaurant is situated on the main floor of the original Mansion.

The cuisine is a reflection of the elegance that surrounds the patrons of our classic and stylish eatery.

Locally sourced and Chef prepared foods are the focus of our complete menu. Perfect for hosting major events, lavish weddings, or as an intimate meeting space.

292 Crescent Rd., E, Qualicum Beach, B.C. V9K OA5 • 250.752.5776 • 1.800.378.6811 • www.crownmansion.com