O A K B AY L I V I N G
TWEED SPRING 2016
Culinary indulgence OAK BAY EATERIES DISH UP DIVINITY
Queen of the Rumrunners A PEEK AT OAK BAY’S CRIMINAL PAST
Spirals of energy FRACTALS, OPTICS, MOLECULAR STRUCTURE INSPIRE LOCAL PAINTER
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TWEED Spring 2016
Volume 4 | Issue 1
inside 10 Cover Story
Enjoy a culinary indulgence on an Oak Bay food tour. DEPARTMENTS
17
28
18
Historic Oak Bay
Photographer Don Denton captures the cute, the cuddly and the gangly in Oak Bay canines.
20
Oak Bay Insider
Tea with
Tweed editor Susan Lundy chats with Oak Bay councillor Kevin Murdoch.
Writer Ivan Watson explores the history of rumrunning in Oak Bay.
Dogs on the Avenue
10 TELL
TWEED!
Tweed Magazine welcomes your Oak Bay suggestions for the next edition. So, do tell! Email editor Susan Lundy at: lundys@shaw.ca
22
25
The long road to the “Penny” with Christopher Causton.
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March 31, options, duties and taxes are extra. lien registration and lien registering agent scredit feeTLX are due at time of available delivery. $1,000 Driving Perfection Event credit includes applicable sales taxes. $3,500 insurance, registration and payment taxes are extra. Limited time lease offer based onTech a new 2016 Acura (UB1F3GJ) through Acura Financial Services on approved Representative lease Acura, division of Honda Canada Inc. Customer Cash Rebate (CCR) is available onanew 2016 Acura TLX fee SH-AWD® Tech V6 (UB3F5GKN), and SH-AWD ® Elite V6 (UB3F7GKN) models when registered and delivered before March 31, other select 2016 TLX models Event $2,650 down 2016. Total incentives consist of: (i) $2,000 that cannot be combined with lease/finance offers; and (ii) $1,500 that can be combined with lease/finance offers. 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Offers end March 31, 2016 and are 2016. Total incentives consist of: (i) $2,000 that cannot be combined lease/finance offers; and (ii) $1,500 that can be combined with lease/finance offers. All incentives will be deducted from th e 3347 OAK STREET *Selling price is $37,425 on a new 2016 TLX (UB1F3GJ) Selling includes $1,995 freight and PDI, EHF tires ($29), EHF filters ($1), air conditioning fee ($100) and OMVIC fee ($10). License, is $20,314. Offer includes EHF tires ($29), EHF filters ($1), air conditioning fee ($100), OMVIC fee ($10), PPSA ($37) and Driving Perfection Event credit ($1,000). License, insurance, registration Lease the 2016 TLX from may be necessary. Whilethrough quantities last. Visit your Acura dealer for details. subject tonegotiated change or selling cancellation without notice. Dealer may sell/lease for less. Dealer order/trade price after taxes. 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Some terms/conditions apply. Model shown for illustration purp oses only. Certain features are only available on certain trims. Offers end March 31, 2016 and are Customer Cash Rebate (CCR) is available on new 2016 Acura TLX SH-AWD® Tech V6 (UB3F5GKN), and SH-AWD ® Elite V6 (UB3F7GKN) models when registered and delivered before March 31, subject to change or cancellation without notice. Dealer may sell/lease for less. Dealer order/trade may be necessary. While with quantities last. Visit acuragta.ca or your dealer details. © 2016 2016. Total incentives consist of: (i) $2,000 that cannot be combined with lease/finance offers; and (ii) $1,500 that can be combined lease/finance offers. All incentives will beAcura deducted fromforthe 48-month lease monthly Acura, a division of Honda Canada Inc. negotiated selling price after taxes. Some terms/conditions apply. Model shown for illustration purposes only. Certain features are only available on certain trims. 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TALK of the TOWN ! • Tweed history writer Ivan Watson received some interesting feedback on his story about Rudyard Kipling’s visit to Oak Bay, including a note from Lunds Auctioneers in Victoria, which was preparing to sell the desk used by Kipling and mentioned in Watson’s article. In part, the note said, “My great-uncle built the apartment building ‘The Rudyard Kipling’ and retained the desk within his family. They have decided to sell the desk in our Antique & Art auction February 16, 2016.” The email included an image of the desk with the commentary: “Below is an image of the 18th century inlaid desk — it is lovely, but large!”
ON NOW UNTIL MAY 23. 2016
• For over a century, Victoria Sketch Club artists have gathered weekly to paint or sketch. From March 15-20,
the club will be displaying its work at Glenlyon Norfolk School in Oak Bay. The club’s long history began in 1909, with the formation of the Island Arts and Crafts Society with 56 charter members, including Samuel Maclure and Emily Carr. Later, it included artists such as Max Maynard, Jack Shadbolt and Ina Uhthoff. By 1935 the arts society was the largest in Canada, and in 1952, the Island Arts and Crafts Society became known as the Victoria Sketch Club. Now, the oldest art group west of Ontario, the club takes pride in its history both to maintain its traditions and bring in new energy, ideas and artistic styles. A notable addition in recent years was Oak Bay artist, the late Ted Harrison. Admission to event is free. Cont. on page 10
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Enter the unexpected world of watercolours! Not often recognized as an experimental medium, we'll explore the groundbreaking work of known and not so well known artists who pushed watercolour boundaries, spanning over 200 years.
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EDITOR'S LETTER
A bit of a passion
O
nce I mistakenly wandered into a back room at a restaurant where a dozen men sat intently around a table. One guy looked up and said disdainfully, “It’s a hockey draft.” He might as well have added, “So shoo, little girl.” Thing is, I know a lot about hockey and I probably could have crushed all those boys in any old hockey pool. Now that my children have left the nest, I have an expanse of available time called “evening.” This translates into hockey watching, hockey Googling and hockey reading. I can spout off Vancouver Canucks player and team stats, trade rumours and injury updates. I follow several Canucks on Instagram, get alerts on my phone and media releases sent directly to my inbox. It’s a bit of a passion. My husband, Bruce, is also a rabid hockey fan and mostly this works well. Two or three nights a week, we hunker down on the couch with Sportsnet or CBC or TSN, and a few times a year, we venture over to Vancouver for the real thing. Problem is, the Canucks take second place in Bruce’s hockey heart; foremost, he’s a Toronto Maple Leafs fan. So twice a year we’re on opposing sides of the ice. Last month when the Leafs came to town, we donned our respective hockey jerseys and travelled to Rogers Arena, where — inexplicably — the hapless Leafs hammered the Canucks in what should have been an easy two points for Vancouver. My mood darkened as the game progressed, made even worse by the jumping, cheering, hooting Leafs fan to my right. (I’m quite certain he knocked over my Corona amid one of his annoying whoops, although he denies it, saying Leafs fans are very careful with their beer.) After the game, someone noted our opposing jerseys and asked if we were married. Bruce said, “Yes … happily married before tonight.” There aren’t any other hockey stories in this edition of Tweed (other than a small reference to the Stanley Cup from our Oak Bay Insider); however, such passion rings strong.
Artist Gillian Redwood (Painting the invisible, page 22) has been transfixed by paints and pencils all her life, while 97-year-old Margarete Gilstein continues to indulge her lifelong passion for gardening — and other endeavours — every single day (A riot of colour, page 25). Tweed writer Barrie Moen reveals his passion for a good yarn (Remittance man, page 14), and columnist Christopher Causton’s love of a good pint undoubtedly sits at the core of his piece about the pub-passionate MacNeils (Cheers … here’s to the Penny, page 20). It’s a story that somehow fits nicely with Ivan Watson’s recounting of rumrunners in historic Oak Bay (page 18). Fast forward to the present and writer Angela Cowan — who had the enviable opportunity to taste her way around Oak Bay — reveals some delicious eats and drinks offered up by local food-providers. Personally, I can’t wait to grab this issue of Tweed, settle into the couch and read it cover to cover. That is — unless there’s a hockey game on.
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Serving Oak Bay for over 30 Years
Susan Lundy EDITOR
Born and raised in Victoria, Susan Lundy has worked as a journalist, editor and freelance writer for over 25 years. Her stories have appeared in many newspapers and magazines. Her first book — Heritage Apples: A New Sensation — was published in 2013.
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more talk of the town Cont. from page 8 • Eclectic Gallery is offering a unique exhibit through the month of March, featuring West Coast artist Dan MacDougall’s Sea Wall Project. MacDougall’s project arises from photographs taken on walks along Dallas Road. He uses the images to create sketches for paintings, which are then re-photographed and printed on fabric. These are then manipulated into three-dimensional Publisher and advertising inquiries
Janet Gairdner jgairdner@blackpress.ca 250-480-3251
Group Publisher
Penny Sakamoto psakamoto@blackpress.ca 250-480-3204
sculptures encased in bell jars, reminiscent of the way in which museums might preserve fragments of nature. Showing concurrently is a collection of encaustic paintings by Alanna Sparanese. In creating her artwork, Sparanese uses an ancient encaustic process, combining beeswax, resin, pigment and photo transfer, fused by blowtorch, rendering subtle dreamlike images.
Editor
Susan Lundy lundys@shaw.ca
Distribution
250-480-3285
Cover Photo: Don Denton
www.oakbaynews.com 207A-2187 Oak Bay Ave. Victoria, BC V8R 1G1 Phone 250-598-4123
TWEED magazine is published quarterly by Black Press. The points of view or opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher of Tweed. The contents of Tweed magazine are protected by copyright, including the designed advertising. Reproduction is prohibited without written consent of the publisher.
Penthouse, Oak Bay Ave. $1,060,000
■ 2 bedroom/2 bathroom ■ 1209 sq. ft. of living area ■ 3 sets of French doors lead to 412 sqft patio ■ High ceilings with large windows ■ Skylights and air conditioning ■ MLS 359864 – Visit owen-flood.com for floor plan LD
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■ MLS 360351 – Visit owen-flood.com for floor plan
Considering your Real Estate Options in Oak Bay? Is this a good time to purchase or sell Real Estate? Call Marc directly on his mobile at 250-920-8006 and schedule a meeting to discuss market trends, review market changes, receive a free market evaluation for your home, or explore your real estate goals. Confidentiality and discretion assured.
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TWEED
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Flavour Trail
Culinary indulgence in Oak Bay
By ANGELA COWAN Photos by DON DENTON
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shop for cheese the way some women shop for shoes; the sight of a perfectly grilled steak and double-stuffed potato can give me goose bumps; and I count down the days to blueberry season every summer with as much excitement as a child to her birthday. In short, I adore food, and so when I was offered a spot on this year’s culinary tour put on by Oak Bay Tourism, I leapt at the opportunity to explore new venues in one of my favourite neighbourhoods. With anticipation whetting my already healthy appetite, I happily joined Oak Bay councillor Hazel Braithwaite and a half dozen other folks from media and tourism in a threehour tour of culinary indulgence. Our tour kicked off at Vis-à-Vis wine and charcuterie bar, with chef Will Gress bringing out a tray of Chawan Mushi amuse-bouches. Chawan Mushi is a type of Japanese lobster and egg custard, whipped to a smooth texture and topped with a firm and slightly chewy lobster tartar. Gress added his 10
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own twist by layering in a pea and avocado puree, and serving it all in an eggshell for a bite-size delight. Our bartender passed around samplers of espresso vodka from Courtenay’s Wayward Distillery and a sweet vermouth from The Odd Society to cleanse our palates. Then the smell of deep-fried batter hit us as three orders of the ever-popular cauliflower beignets were set down on the bar. Offering a substantial texture, the beignets were served with a lightly curried aioli dip, are perfect for snacking, and a sure crowd pleaser whether it’s a table of vegetarians or die-hard carnivores. Licking our fingers, we headed next to The Whole Beast, an artisan salumeria that sits right next door to The Village Butcher. A cool, salty smell lingered in the air as we piled into the small shop and listened as owner Cory Pelan described the samples of cured meats. To start, there was thinly sliced coppa — a whole muscle cure from the shoulder of the pig, spiced and aged for three months. Next, slices of a lemon and fennel salami, and crisp toasts smeared with chicken liver parfait, a blended mixture of chicken liver paté and a heavy helping of butter. Finally, a
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At left: Jamie Owens pours espresso at Hide & Seek, during a food tour of Oak Bay. Above: Canadian cheese at Ottavio’s.
Moroccan lamb sausage and hot salami. With spice heating the backs of our throats, we ventured to Hide & Seek Coffee. A fixture on the avenue for only a few months, it’s clearly already a favourite for those seeking an indulgent bean experience, and owners Jesse and Jamie Owens are clearly passionate about their craft. As well as serving its proprietary house blend from Café Fantastico, the café offers up a new, rotating feature every week. Our group of foodies was lucky enough to sample an Ethiopian Lomi Tasha, manually brewed, with a plate of snickerdoodles and house-made “pop tarts” alongside. “The dream is to get your pour right every time,” said Jesse, as he carefully spiralled a thin stream of just-boiled water over the grounds. Manually brewing is perfect for the Lomi Tasha, he said, as it highlights the tangy top notes of blueberry, and offers an unparalleled clarity of flavour. Just around the corner we moved from bitter to sweet as we stepped into Sweet Delights at the rear corner of Athlone Court. Owners Barb and Ken Marquardt have built a haven for candy lovers in their shop, with a nostalgic “back in time” section and treats brought in from around the world. Everything from Dubble Bubble gum to jelly babies, licorice pipes to Mike & Ikes, Popeye candy sticks to Big League Chew is neatly lined up. Boxes of authentic British Turkish Delight await those reliving their childhood Narnia memories, and a literal wall of black licorice worldwide options are sure to please any anise aficionado. Ottavio’s Italian Bakery was our last walking stop, a pure heavenly experience for anyone obsessed with food. From
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From left: Cured meats at The Whole Beast; Humboldt squid at Oak Bay Marina Restaurant; and cocktails with Victoria Gin steeped with dill and juniper, plus ling cod cakes at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel.
the fresh olive bar to the mouth-watering array of Canadian and international cheeses, everything at the deli counter begged to come home with me. “Their big business mantra is quality,” said Laura Peterson, of owners Monica Pozzolo and Andrew Moyer. “They put a lot of time and effort and research into everything they bring in.” That quality is evident in the top-drawer cheeses laid before
us, their aromas rising off the slate dish and making everyone’s mouth water. Peterson, the knowledgeable cheese manager, barely had time to describe each choice before hands start reaching in with slices of baguette: we noshed on a Bleu Ermite from Quebec, a Swiss Vacherin Fribourgeois (a “semi-stinky” cheese), and this foodie’s favourite, the smooth and rich Ro-
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biola Caprini, a soft goat cheese that melts on your tongue and makes you thankful to the first person who ever milked a goat. The last two stops on our tour offered a near meal to each in our group, and panoramic views as delectable as the ocean-inspired dishes. The Marina Restaurant’s chef John Waller brought out plates of perfectly grilled “Shawarma” Humboldt squid, served on grilled kale with crispy chickpeas and a swirl of hummus. With its firm texture and lingering spices that fuse West Coast with North African tastes, it was no surprise when the table fell silent but for the clinking of cutlery as each of us concentrated on bringing the next bite to our lips. Served with a 2014 Syrah Rosé from Marichel Vineyards and a house-made crackly cherry macaroon for dessert, it was a sublime blend of flavours. We came at last to rest at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel, greeted by food and beverage manager Christian Sealey and a brilliantly made cocktail concoction: Victoria Gin steeped with dill and juniper, with ginseng bitters and fresh citrus. Executive chef Craig Graham presented steaming hot ling cod cakes, certified Oceanwise and blended with islandgrown Kennebec potatoes. “We’re really focusing on sustainability,” said Graham, adding that the hotel has recently partnered with Oceanwise for the first time, with every seafood menu item getting the organization’s stamp of approval. Thoroughly stuffed, I sat, looking out over the ocean, and
Chef Will Gress at Vis-a-Vis with drinks and a tray of Chawan Mushi amuse-bouches.
listened to the satiated murmurings of the rest of the group. My favourite spots in Oak Bay are perpetual loves, but now I have a handful of new spots to grow into, new menus to explore, and new recommendations for my other foodie pals. And I can’t wait to go back.
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Remittance man Charles, Salty and the Oak Bay boathouse By BARRIE MOEN Photo by DON DENTON
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Charles “Dudley” Cullamore Seaborne and “Salty.”
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ak Bay has had its share of eccentrics and characters over the years. In fact, it doesn’t take long sitting with a cup of coffee on Oak Bay Avenue to determine there isn’t a shortage even today. However, historical buildings and iconic landmarks are another matter. Some have been hammered away in controversy, while others disappeared with barely a whisper. Researching the archives in hope of finding evidence of an Agatha Christie-like murder story associated with Oak Bay, Jean Sparks — my intrepid source at the Oak Bay Archives — dropped onto the desk in front of me a photo of a man with a rifle, a dead deer flopped around his neck and his dog “Salty” acting as security, “Whoa!” I said, looking up at her. “Surely the term murder in Oak Bay hasn’t reached these connotations?” Taken in 1914, the photo featured Charles “Dudley” Cullamore Seaborne. From 1914 until 1917, he operated the old Oak Bay boathouse at the base of the Turkey Head Walkway, right where the buildings that comprise the Oak Bay Marina are located today. The boathouse was built in 1908 by the original developer of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel, John Virtue. It looked like a barn on piles. Famous Victoria architect Samuel Maclure, whose waterfront house
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looked towards the ramshackle boathouse, was assigned the task of “tarting” it up and soon the building looked like a church on piles. Topped with a glorious cupola, it quickly became an Oak Bay landmark. It began as the Oak Bay Boat Club but when that folded in 1912, it was leased to private interests. Seaborne took over the operation of the boathouse, three years after leaving his aristocratic family in Southampton to try his hand at mining in central BC. He also speculated on property in Oak Bay, with records indicating he invested $20,000 under the name of Seaborne and Co. Some of the homes he sold included 1226 Hampshire Road with a resell price of $3,000 and 2056 Granite Street at $2,700. As Sparks pointed out, Oak Bay at this time was considered a rural area, though the trolley line from Victoria, completed in 1896, was making the existing farms and woods attractive to developers. Seaborne was quick to establish his presence and apparently quick on the draw as well. On September 29, 1914, a local newspaper reported that “Mr. C. Seaborne,” noticing a strange boat pulled alongside a local yacht whose owner had earlier reported an incident of theft, challenged the two men aboard the suspicious craft. When they failed to answer, he grabbed a rifle and began firing rounds in their direction. The article quotes, “the visiting boat took to her heels.” Two years later, concerned about a rental rowboat that had not been returned to the boathouse, he became suspicious and his quick actions helped thwart an attempted suicide on Mary Todd Island. At the end of 1915, curious about his son’s new venture and
bogged down by the gloomy news from the First World War trenches in France, Seaborne’s father, Charles Edward Seaborne travelled from Southampton to Victoria for a visit. He was accompanied by Seaborne’s sister, Hilda Mary Seaborne, and her friend — and Seaborne’s future wife — Alice Florence Lisle. The two women, being “proper English ladies,” brought chests of china, art Being “proper and house accessories, including a cast iron stove, to English ladies,” they make their stay in the wilds brought chests of of Canada more comfortable. They adapted well. One can china, art and house imagine a menu of roasted accessories... to make venison, fried rockfish, fresh their stay in the wilds garden potatoes and herbs eaten on Royal Doulton of Canada more service beneath the light of comfortable. kerosene lamps. Alice Lisle was an experienced photographer, artist and jeweller and with her camera captured the joy the ladies experienced embracing their new lifestyle. They stayed a year and eventually returned to England so Seaborne could fulfill his military obligation, but not before leaving a significant historical mark on Oak Bay.
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The Tankards, from left, Roger Skillings, Ken Gower, Les Pickell, Eric Earl, Gary Price and Reg Dunkley
The Tankards respond
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Promising a coffee at the Marina Café, I recruited some friends who have recently retired to Oak Bay to share my thoughts on the boathouse story. They are members of a goodwill ambassadors group known as The Tankards, so I thought it a safe bet they would only have good things to say. I showed them the photos and walked them through the basic points of the story. “There was a bit of an Oak Bay uproar when the boathouse was to be demolished to make way for the proposed marina in 1964,” I informed them, explaining that the cupola was of particular interest. Council turned down a request to move it to a local park. Fenwick Lansdowne, the renowned bird painter, offered to move and install the 15-foot-high spire in his backyard at 743 Newport. He hoped to set up an old-fashioned garden tearoom but the idea was shelved when it became apparent the structure was too large for him to handle. (I found this notation oddly vague and wondered — was he expected to carry it?) Sadly, the following dramatic newspaper quote describes its fate: “Axes, cranes and fire did what time and storms had been unable to do.” “So, what do you think?” I asked my volunteer advisors, as I watched the steam rise from their coffee cups and listened to the clanging of halyards on mainsail masts. “Does the story work?” “What about the dog?” “What?” I replied. “Salty, the dog,” they persisted. “Did he go back to England?” “I don’t know, I couldn’t find his memoirs,” I answered. “Look Moen,” they chorused, “One cannot just erase a dog from a story that involves Oak Bay.” Doggone, they were right, I realized. Note to self for future reference: in Oak Bay, remember, no dog — no story. Charles Dudley and Alice Seaborne never returned to Oak Bay. Despite this, they left an intimate portrait of Oak Bay in their photographs. No stereotype of a vain and foppish remittance man ever applied to Dudley Seaborne. Missing Canada, they did later return to take up farming in Courtenay, where Alice Seaborne died 1958 and Dudley two years later. An exhibit of the Oak Bay boathouse during Seaborne’s occupancy is on display in the foyer of Oak Bay’s Municipal Hall.
Kevin Murdoch CLAIM TO FAME IN OAK BAY: Councillor since 2011, current Chair of Greater Victoria Public Library
WHAT HAS YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS BEEN AS A COUNCILLOR? Chairing the website redevelopment committee, chairing the Floor Area Review working group, and chairing the Greater Victoria Public Library have all been roles I’ve enjoyed and been proud of the results. Overall, I’m proud of the hard work I put in to every meeting and every issue to make sure I make the best decision. Whether it’s a small building variance or a multi-million dollar community project, I aim to be prepared. Kevin Murdoch and Tweed editor Susan Lundy at the Oak Bay Marina, which Murdoch’s grandfather helped get off the ground in the mid-1900s. Photo DON DENTON
Tea With Kevin Murdoch Were you born here and have you always lived in Oak Bay? While I was born at the Royal Jubilee Hospital, I grew up in small towns along the coast — places such as Bella Coola, Port McNeil, Prince Rupert and Campbell River. Oak Bay was home to my grandparents, however, so it was often my home during Christmas and summer vacations. My family moved to Victoria when I was 15. Who is your family? My wife, Elizabeth, is a cardiologist at the Jubilee, and I have a son, 8, and daughter, 6. My parents, now retired, live in the Oak Bay home that was once my grandparents. I have one sister living in Toronto. Your family has been in Oak Bay for over 100 years … My grandfather, George Murdoch, worked as an electrician, wiring up many of the buildings downtown and in Oak Bay from 1908 onwards, including hanging lights on the legislature building. My grandparents built their home in Oak Bay in 1939, and my grandfather was elected to council in 1946. His council legacies include: getting the Willows Park Kiwanis Tea Room built, working out a lease agreement with Bob Wright to open Oak Bay Marina, and starting the first Oak Bay Tea Party. I think he had the largest community impact by getting the old horse racing track removed at Carnarvon. Did your grandfather’s legacy inspire you to jump into municipal politics yourself? In many ways, yes. He was viewed as a very pragmatic,
capable and hardworking councillor, to which I also aspire. So many things he worked on still make a difference in the community, and that long-term positive impact has inspired me to manage the community in a positive way. What are the biggest challenges facing Oak Bay Council? There are two: First, keeping a lid on costs while bringing our infrastructure up to date. Second is keeping Oak Bay a great place to live through inevitable change. What is your professional background? I worked in networking, security and communications technologies for most of my career, both in engineering and management, although now have my own company in video streaming. I enjoy the challenge of constant change that is the reality of high tech. What are your hobbies? Triathlons, golf, photography and reading. Of course, nowadays “my” hobbies tend to be whatever activities my children are active in. Who is your hero/who do you admire? My father. He gave up his pension and job security to give my sister and me a life-changing travel adventure – I think taking a risk to make your children’s lives better is a great legacy. What brings you joy? An evening with my wife. My children laughing. Doing work I’m proud of. SPRING 2016
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At left: Discovery Island lighthouse. Below: Boats moored off Oak Bay. At right: Oak Bay boathouse, all circa 1916.
Oak Bay’s Criminal Past
Discovery Island and “Queen of the Rumrunners” By IVAN WATSON Photos Courtesy Oak Bay Archives
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ensely wooded with a foreboding, rocky shoreline, Discovery Island lies three kilometres off the coast of Oak Bay, northeast of Gonzales Point. Beyond its shores, the broad expanses of Juan de Fuca and Haro straits stretch out into open ocean with glimpses of the American San Juan Islands to the east. In 1886, the Dominion government built a lighthouse on the island at “Sea Bird Point.” Staffed until automation in 1996, the lighthouse was an essential link in the chain of search and rescue and marine navigation stations serving the Pacific Northwest. The first lighthouse keeper was Richard Brinn, an older man appointed mainly for his political connections. Frustrated local mariners often complained that his inexperience and perpetual ill health were putting lives at risk. Living onsite, Brinn’s daughter Mary Anne Croft began to assume her father’s duties. She gained a reputation as a skilled and conscientious lightkeeper. After Brinn’s death in 1901, the federal authorities ap-
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pointed Croft as “senior keeper” — despite grumblings over her gender — and she made history as the first woman in Canada to run a lighthouse. The work was arduous. Her job included chopping firewood, packing and shovelling coal, maintaining the building and grounds, pumping and loading fuel tanks and sharing a 24-hour watch with her assistant. She also raised and educated her two daughters alone. Contemplating retirement in 1919, she wrote to the government to enquire about her pension and was shocked to learn that superannuation privileges for lightkeepers had been withdrawn years before. After three decades of dedicated service, Croft faced the prospect of enduring her twilight years with no pension at all. Luckily, fate intervened on her behalf. By 1919, British Columbia was nearing the end of its short-lived experiment in prohibition. In 1917, the production, distribution and consumption of alcohol in public had been banned. In October 1920, the public voted to end prohibition in British Columbia, just as national prohibition was starting in the United States, providing a window of opportunity for entrepreneurial Canadians that would last until 1933.
HISTORIC OAK BAY This was the golden era of the rumrunners. They were mostly young men who risked their lives to shuttle booze across the border. I first learned of their legend on a school paddling trip to Jimmy Chicken Island when I was 12 years old. After a barbecue, I wandered off and stumbled across an old wooden and metal hatch partially hidden by brush. This strange discovery attracted the attention of my classmates and teacher, who gathered around to peer into the dark cavity that was revealed when the hatch was lifted. “Perhaps this has something to do with the smugglers of years ago,” my teacher speculated. “But you’d better close it up. It doesn’t look safe.” My interest in Oak Bay’s criminal past was piqued. An archival search for “rumrunners” provides scant evidence about the characters that shaped the municipality’s period of infamy. For rumrunners, maintaining a code of silence was a matter of life and death, as summed up in their alleged motto: “don’t never tell nothin’ to nobody, nohow.” Fortunately, there was one notable exception. Fifty years after his smuggling days ended, Johnny Schnarr dictated his life story to his niece, who compiled his memories into a book. It highlights the kinds of derring-do usually reserved for Hollywood films. It all began in November 1921, when Schnarr — who by day ran the docks at the Empress Hotel —made his first whisky run to a beach in Oregon. Caught by American agents, he spent the night in jail. Undeterred, he was persuaded by his friend Fred Kohse, the former head waiter at the Empress, to try again. Encouraged by success on his second attempt, Schnarr experimented with different tactics and types of boats. His first purpose-built vessel was called Moonbeam, which he outfitted with an automobile engine that could reach a speed of 18 knots, exceeding the 12 knots managed by American coast guard vessels. The advantage proved decisive when Schnarr came under gunfire from the sluggish coast guard cutter Arcata. Frustrated by the smugglers’ ingenuity, the Americans developed a fleet of fast and heavily armed “rum chasers.” After the Moonbeam was caught by U.S. authorities, Schnarr innovated again. He installed two 300-horsepower Fiat aircraft engines in his new boat, the 48-foot Miss Victoria and when even that proved inadequate, he developed a larger and speedier craft, the Kitnayakwa, powered by two
massive 400-horsepower Liberty aircraft engines. Initially, Schnarr and his fellow rumrunners loaded their cargo in broad daylight at the inner harbour wharves. Their activities were legal in Canada, where custom authorities benefited from the export duty charged on each case of booze. As pressure from American authorities grew, the operations were pushed underground and that’s when Oak Bay’s shores and islands took centre stage. The smugglers had determined that they could evade capture from the Americans if they stayed within international waters at three miles (later extended to 12 miles) off the border in Haro Strait. Known as “rumrunners row,” dozens of boats met there to transfer contraband cargo. Discovery Island was ideally situated to serve as the main rendezvous point. Croft, still reeling from her pension injustice, saw an opportunity to earn extra money aiding the rumrunners by relaying messages, offering navigational advice and providing a safe harbour for refuelling and restocking. The authorities turned a blind eye to her activities, and the police nicknamed her the “Queen of the rumrunners.” Over 12 years, Schnarr completed 400 successful runs worth over $4 million. The rumrunners made vast fortunes. Several of them acquired an aura of respectability by purchasing stately homes in the new Uplands development, which was struggling during the Depression years to attract buyers. Schnarr built a home at Telegraph Bay, where he could keep an eye on his boat tied up on the shore below. Oak Bay residents helped the smugglers. Johnny Bowker used his prominent position as head of the boathouse (now the Oak Bay Marina site), to obtain a cut for himself. Rusted metal rings, once used by rumrunners to tie up their boats, remain near the Bowker family farmhouse on Greatford Place. The aristocratic Beaumonts of Discovery Island even provided home cooked meals to the rumrunners. When American prohibition ended in 1933, the rumrunning business dried up overnight. Croft retired in 1932 after 46 years at the lighthouse. She fought for and eventually won a miniscule pension of $43 per month. No wonder she turned to the rumrunners for extra income — even the authorities of the day considered her treatment by the government to be the greater crime. Do you know more about Oak Bay’s rumrunners? Tel: 250-418-0700 / Email: watsoni@yahoo.com / Twitter: @watsonivan
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OAK BAY INSIDER
Cheers… here’s to the Penny
I Christopher Causton was Mayor of Oak Bay for 15 years. He is now the Goodwill Ambassador and a Captain with Victoria Harbour Ferries. He is the former owner of Rattenbury’s Restaurant where his landlord was the Provincial Capital Commission.
t all started with a knock on the door. Matt and Wendy MacNeil had just moved to Victoria and rented a house on Orchard Street when a guest at the front door interrupted Matt, who was watching a Sunday afternoon football game. Who he initially thought was an Oak Bay News courier, turned out to be the mayor on one of his Sunday missions to greet new residents. In the conversation that followed, Matt complained that there was nowhere to go in Oak Bay, other than the Snug, to get a pint of beer. Matt and the mayor agreed to discuss it further over coffee. Matt and Wendy had moved from Whistler and were still running the Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub there. However, the business was up for sale and their hearts were now in Oak Bay. As Matt outlined his thoughts over coffee, the mayor provided some historical context on the subject. This included a tale about plans for a pub called the “George and Dragon” at what is now the Glenlyon Norfolk School campus on Beach Drive, but was then the home of famed architect Francis Rattenbury. He also described a more recent — but similarly unsuccessful — attempt to convert the old theatre building on Oak Bay Avenue into a pub. The coffee meeting concluded with one piece of advice: show the residents of Oak Bay what you want to build and let them kick the tires! Matt took the advice to heart. The plan was to relocate Rogers’ Chocolates and take over that area plus space used by a charity card shop and a tailor. A complete replica pub was built in the card shop and the wannabe publican held an open house every day so that residents could ask him questions. The beer taps looked so real, many people peered under the bar to see if they were connected, wondering if perhaps they could actually get a brew. Next, a name was found. Jack Leonard had for years led the Tea Party Parade riding his Penny Farthing Bike, and the image from the 1870s of whimsy,
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style, character and adventure perfectly captured what the pub was trying to become. But next came the blood sport! Some say that watching a good public hearing in Oak Bay can be great entertainment, but Jim Kirk didn’t think so. The actual owner of the building in question was scheduled for back surgery on the same day. And as he quipped, “it was far less painful to undergo back surgery than attend a public hearing!” But the hearing went well for the applicant, and council approved the rezoning. Construction was an entirely different matter. The publican and the tailor couldn’t agree on terms, but council agreed that the pub could be built in stages. Hence, today you’ll find the kitchen in the basement — whereas it was originally planned for the main level. If you go into the pub today, there is a large area with an inside/ outside patio just past the bathroom stairs. This area was completed at a later time after the tailor moved out. The original pub stopped just past the stairs. The pub neared completion in the spring of 2001 and on May 25 at precisely 5:10 p.m., Matt and Wendy MacNeil proudly swung open the doors. And good luck followed. Who opens a business and has the Stanley Cup turn up? But that happened as former NHL hockey players Geoff and Russ Courtnall managed to secure the arrival of the cup in Oak Bay on exactly the same day as the pub opened. Earlier, a celebration had been held across from the site of the historic Patrick Arena, where in 1925 the Victoria Cougars beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 in the final game of the Stanley Cup series. To everyone’s amazement, the cup found its way to a perch on the bar of the brand new pub. The “Penny” looks like it has been in the village forever, but on May 25 at 5:10 p.m. it will be precisely 15 years old. The pub was built exactly as promised and has become the social centre of the village. Cheers to friends and acquaintances and many more good years!
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Spirals of energy in Oak Bay artist’s work By KORINA MILLER Photos by DON DENTON
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aze upon one of Gillian Redwood’s large, luminous paintings and you’ll most likely find people. But don’t be fooled. These are not portraits — Redwood paints what’s invisible to the naked eye. Redwood focuses her work more on what she feels that what she can see. “What the mind creates for us to observe is very different from what is actually there,” she explains, adding that her paintings aim to capture the energy between people and in their movements. “I paint energetic structure.” Redwood, who has studied Chinese holistic medicine and scientific theory of light and movement, notes that her understanding of science and molecular structures is so acute now, it guides her creative work. “I’m fascinated by fractals and molecular structures and optics,” she says, mischievously. This isn’t merely a flight of fancy. Redwood’s paintings nearly vibrate with energy. It’s almost like watching a play rather than seeing a still canvas. Movement and force parade across the surface in bold strokes, while energy flows in ribbons of colour, connecting one person to the next and to the world around them. “I became interested in science because I understand that every object is full of molecules of energy. And I’m fascinated by the meridians of energy from Chinese medicine that’s been understood for thousands of years. I’m aware of the knowledge behind it, but I also feel
it,” explains Redwood. “I wanted to be able to paint those unseen forces and have a semitransparent aspect to the figures.” These forces are often portrayed on her canvases with vivid strokes of gold and red acrylic. “I use colours that I feel are sympathetic to the feelings I want to express,” she adds. “It’s intuitive.” Describing her view of the world as holistic, she says, “I like to believe that our bodies are totally sufficient and selfhealing because of these creative energy systems happening within us. I’m in line with Chinese medicine in that respect. I look at the complete energetic figure. Beyond the figure, we’re connecting with universal energies as well.” Redwood shows these relationships between people and their environment with a spiralling effect. The spirals extend beyond the figures and often to other figures, showing people “connecting or having intention.” One of the most interesting examples of this connection can “I look at the be seen in Lido, a large canvas that originated from sketches complete energetic Redwood made of a woman on figure. Beyond a beach in Italy. The spirals of energy and the bold, red lines the figure, we’re stretch out to Redwood herself as she draws the woman, pulling connecting with the viewer into the energy of the universal energies painting. The movement in her painting as well.” is heightened by the 3D quality of images that wrap around the sides of the canvas. Redwood paints the canvases flat before stretching them onto frames. “From an angle, you see painting going around the side, which I like,” she says. Her inspiration comes from many avenues: “Sometimes I bring models together to dance or move or interact and then I draw them.” Other times it’s less planned. “Once, I was riding through Victoria on bus number 3. I was watching these young children interact. I had to do some very quick drawing. I had to come right back and paint.” The results are spirited, with lively cherub faces and golden light spiralling and cascading between them. Redwood became a full-time artist in 2003. “I was working in a management job, and I’m really a terrible manager,” she laughs. “It wasn’t working out. I was wanting to be creative. And so I just decided that if I was ever going to do it, I was going to do it now.” In reality, Redwood has been drawing and painting all her life. “My dad gave me a set of pastels when I was seven. They inspired me. I still have a few left. When I finished school, I
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went to art school. Although I wasn’t painting professionally, I was painting in the background. I was always painting.” Her focus on energetic structure has taken root over the past decade and has pushed her forward with as much force as the energy in her paintings. “Because my style is so different, I’m finding a lot of time I’m on my own with what I’m doing. For me, it’s an exploring process.” Nevertheless, she’s found support in Oak Bay, where she’s lived for the past two years. “I really like the area,” she says. “It’s beautiful and there are a lot of artists and creativity.” Redwood also teaches at the Monterey Centre, which she feels is an excellent place for connecting with students and artists. “People don’t want to be isolated in their studios. It’s important to get out there and meet and chat about your art.” Redwood is also involved in Oak Bay’s Gage Gallery Arts Collective, a group of 18 artists who came together a year and a half ago to share gallery space with a rotation of shows. “It’s an interesting development,” she says and it’s impossible to miss the excitement in her voice. Gillian Redwood’s own energy is easily felt, and it will fascinating to watch as it continues to unfold across her canvases. To experience more of Redwood’s work, visit her website (www.gillianredwood.com) or see her upcoming solo exhibition at Gage Gallery from mid-June (www.gagegallery.ca; 2031 Oak Bay Avenue).
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A riot of
COLOUR
Margarete Gilstein’s backyard is a delight with flowers, rock walls and a miniature village.
Flowers are the stars of Hollywood Crescent home Story and photos by PIRJO RAITS
E Margarete gardens for the health of both her spirit and her body.
very morning 97-year-old Margarete Gilstein (Sather) grabs her clippers and garden tools and tends to her garden. She wants to ensure all is at its very best — all the dead buds removed, plants watered and pests under control. Her Hollywood Crescent garden, located just outside the border of Oak Bay, tends to make people stop in their tracks. It could be the dinner-plate-sized dahlias, or the profusion of begonias and geraniums, or it just might be the stone garage. The yard is a riot of colour, with each piece carefully chosen — much like an artist’s palette. In 1957, when the Gilsteins purchased their Hollywood Crescent home, it was a basic, 1930s house on a barren lot. The couple had been buying, fixing up and sell-
ing houses for years and this house was to be their last. Throughout the 1960s, they gathered palm-sized flat rocks from Esquimalt Lagoon and stacked them up along the walls of the garage they built. Bucket by bucket, the rocks went into the trunk of the car then onto the garage. The garage was one project; the walls and water features were next. Then there were the flowers and the garden. Margarete was born and raised on a farm in Saskatchewan and was used to hard work. Her garden is her passion and her salvation. In 2011 she suffered a stroke and was paralyzed on one side. As she lay in her hospital bed she slowly but surely got her fingers and toes working. “I never do what I’m told,” said Margarete, smiling. “I just wanted to get better and you’re not going to get better in bed. I’m different, I’m still gardening and at 97 you don’t care.” She has suffered back injuries since then but that hasn’t stopped her from tending to her plants. And while her passion for gardening is one thing, there are other ways in which Margarete is not your usual senior. Up SPRING 2016
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THE
AVENUE
GALLERY
Illustrator 10 (Windows) Top versions require fonts if used in Illustrator.. Fonts used are Bitstream Galliard BT Roman, Adobe Myriad Roman, Minion Ornaments and are included with files. Bottom versions have been converted to outlines.
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until recently, she danced, went lawn bowling, played bridge at the Monterey Centre, sang at the Oak Bay Lodge and belonged to the Norwegian Eidsvold Lodge. She and her husband Andy taught Norwegian dancing for more than 30 years and she continued dancing with her second husband. All the while, she raised three children. She still shops for herself — often in Oak Bay Village where she can be spotted on her scooter. She was independent in her earlier years and is independent now. Margarete also paints in oils, does traditional Norwegian rosemaling (a form of decorative folk art) and needlework. She cooks and cleans and doesn’t wear eyeglasses or hearing aids. “I’m going to get back to oil painting this year,” she said. “And I may start watercolours.” All throughout her home are examples of her artistry: rosemaling on wooden plates and chests, needlework and scenic oil paintings. This is a woman who never stands still. “I do everything I can possibly do,” she said. In early August, her gardens are at their very best. Shortly afterwards, she divides up the begonias and stores the geraniums. Her beautiful dahlias are spilt and she keeps two off each plant and sells the rest. People come to her door regularly to ask if she will sell her plants. She takes their names and numbers and calls when they are ready for planting in the spring. “I’ve gardened all my life,” she said. “I’m a farmer.” And her home is a beautiful testament to all that hard work.
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Stones gathered from Esquimalt Lagoon in the 1950s cover the garage and comprise the stone walls of Margarete Gilstein’s home.
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My favourite sound is my best friend’s laugh
My favourite sound is my best friend’s laugh
My favourite sound is my best friend’s laugh
Don’t cards spend another day My favorite sound is shuffling
without your favourite sound Victoria 250-370-2833 Don’t spendDon’t another day spend another day Sidney 250-656-2218 without yourwithout favourite your sound favourite sound
I’m Louis and I love the way cards sound when being shuffled. Over the years I learned that poker is the easiest way to get my friends together for a good laugh. And if I get to beat them at a hand or two, well hey, even better. With my hearing aids, I’m all in.
Call for a free hearing assessment. Lorem ipsum dolor amet consectetur. Dolores elios hearing ipsum ateute. 1-800-555-5555
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DOGS ON THE AVENUE
LOVE MY DOG!
Dogs [dawgs, dogs] 1. The best friend of men, women and children, bred in many sizes and shapes. The Avenue [thuh av-uh-nyoo, -noo] 1. A popular destination for those seeking funky eateries, awesome art galleries and trendy stores in Oak Bay.
Photos by DON DENTON
Clockwise from top left: Jack Russell Milo (submitted by Megan Knowlton); Lily, a Wheaton poodle; Quincy; Watson, seen after a swim at Willows Beach and a roll in the mud (submitted by Felicity); and black labs at Windsor Park (from left): Liffey, Lir, Coco, Piper, Cassie (submitted by Karen Hanneson).
TELL
TWEED!
Some say that Oak Bay loves dogs so much, that canines are actually considered honorary citizens. If you agree, tell Tweed! Send photographs of your “Dogs on the Avenue� to: lundys@shaw.ca
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MEET OUR ADVERTISERS MARC OWEN-FLOOD PREC –
OAK BAY VOLUNTEER SERVICES.
MILES TAKACS has called Victoria home for more than 30 years. He knows the city well; from sought after waterfront luxury to quaint English charm he will find the right home for you. When time & money matter call Miles! See ad on page 20
ATHLONE TRAVEL
OAK BAY HEARING CLINIC
With her doctorate in audiology & 17 years’ experience, Dr. Wright is well suited to improve your hearing, even in the most difficult listening situations. See ad on page 24
THE AVENUE GALLERY A premiere
is a full service locally owned travel agency – serving the community since 1986. Our experienced team would be delighted to assist with all of your travel needs. See our ad on page 27
Don Wuest, owner at WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED, wants you to have the best bird feeding experience possible. After all, it’s the most relaxing, fulfilling, educational & exciting hobby that everyone can enjoy. See our ad on page 28
CHERYL’S GOURMET PANTRY
Trudi and Kay are the partners of
Marc is a long-time Oak Bay resident and an award winning realtor. For over 27 years Marc has specialized in Oak Bay and he has enjoyed sharing his knowledge and expertise with those who chose to make Oak Bay their home. See ad on page 9
Mandu Goebl has worked in the Victoria auto industry for over 10 years & is proud to raise his family here. He is delighted to offer quality vehicles to CAMPUS ACURA customers. See ad on page 5
We provide one-to-one direct volunteer support to individuals of all ages in Oak Bay. Drives, visits, repairs, etc. See ad on page 20
Cheryl has been providing gourmet take out, catering services & picnic baskets for over 25 years in Oak Bay. Personal favourite: Roast Chicken dinner. See ad on page 26
JULIE RUST
is a realtor at Newport Realty, born and raised in Victoria, and specializes in the Oak Bay, Victoria, Eaanich Reast Real Estate Market. If you are considering buying or selling, contact her for competent and trusted real estate service. See ad on page 16
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DR. PAUL NEATE is an experienced dentist who believes in your health and comfort above all else. Offering comprehensive family dentistry. See ad on page 24
CASSIE KANGAS
As a lifetime resident of Oak Bay, I am your neighbour & an
OAK BAY REAL ESTATE EXPERT who you can trust to sell
boutique gallery in Victoria, The Avenue Gallery has been showcasing contemporary Canadian paintings, sculpture, ceramics, glass, and jewellery since 2002. See ad on page 26
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where the focus is family law. Together they have over 50 years of experience resolving family law matters. See ad on page 12
BRENDA RUSSELL, ROYAL LE PAGE Raised in Oak Bay. For more than
25 years she’s successfully matched people and properties. Her commitment to friendly, personalized service has earned her the Lifetime Award of Excellence. See ad on page 28
SMILES BY DESIGN
Dr. Michael Lowe is passionate about giving people healthy, beautiful smiles with the use of innovative techniques and the SMILES BY DESIGN Providing dental to enhance latestcomplete technology andcare training. your smile and your life. See ad 9 9 Seeonadpage on page
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CARLTON HOUSE OF OAK BAY satisfies expectations
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DR.JULIAN HANCOCK Oak Bay resident Dermatologist recently opened FAIRFIELD SKIN CLINIC specializing in: skin rejuvenation, skin cancer prevention, Botox, Juvederm, CO2 Laser, Metvix PDT & the NEW Venus Viva. See ad on page 4
OAK BAY SENIORCARE
MCNEILL AUDIOLOGY
“Our award-winning home support services are customized to fit your needs at any time.” See ad on page 3
the highest quality of plumbing, heating and gas installations since 1996. See ad on page 26
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JASON BINAB Understands people and Real Estate. He enjoys working with his wife Amber at the Binab Group. Together they have two sons, Benson and Jamison and one dog Lily. Jason has lived in Oak Bay for over 25 years and specializes in Oak Bay. See ad on page 14
FOUL BAY PHYSIOTHERAPY has been serving Oak Bay for over 25 years. The team includes Ian Catchpole & Gerry Illmayer with over 35 years combined experience, joined by Lisa, Terri & Jaymie. See ad on page 8
Our professional audiologists provide the best possible hearing care. We are celebrating over twenty years of providing better hearing in the Oak Bay community. See our ad on page 27
MEET OUR ADVERTISERS red art gallery is the fun, small & unpretentious gallery where
colour rules! Featuring contemporary, original art from award winning Canadian artists. Owners Bobb & Marion will help you find a work that will rejuvenate your living space. See ad on page 16
Geoffrey Beattie, has owned BARCLAY’S FINE CUSTOM JEWELLERS for the past 15 years. BARCLAYS carries a range of exclusive & fine pieces of beautiful jewellery as well as specializing in both creating custom pieces & re-designs. See ad on page 11
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“Continuing to deliver exceptional service and mortgage expertise, Debra Wright can help you realize your dreams of home ownership with a Mortgage tailored to your specific needs. For personalized mortgage planning call Debra and find the best mortgage for you.” See ad on page 8 With over 18 years investment experience, Paul Holmes & his pre-eminent wealth management team at HOLMES WEALTH MANAGEMENT GROUP deliver strong, risk-adjusted returns together with the highest level of personalized client service. See ad on page 2
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Best Recipes Start With Us
Get the right measure of quality and value with every dish At the heart of every meal, fresh, quality ingredients are brought together to bring joy to your table. Here at Pepper’s we have personal ties to local farmers and artisans, enabling us to bring you the freshest produce and carefully crafted goods as soon as they come available. From hand crafted crackers to farm raised eggs to bright red Saanich tomatoes, this spring you will find Pepper’s shelves bursting with local goodness. Visit us today and taste the difference local makes.
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