April 19, 2016

Adventures in

Soap Making Loco 4 Local: Mediterranean flavours, local ingredients

Inside the

TINY HOUSE MOVEMENT

Living Life Well in Parksville Qualicum Beach

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PARKSVILLE QUALICUM BEACH LIFE

Spring Edition

H

ouses have become far too large over the last few decades. A report published last year called Small Houses: Innovations in Small-Scale Living from North America states that in 1945 the average size of a home in Canada was 800 sq. feet and typically housed a family of four. Today an average B.C. home is about 2,000 sq. feet and provides shelter for 2.5 individuals. The report states that a demand for smaller forms of housing has been taking shape over the last decade, due to a few reasons.

One, the burgeoning cost of homes (The PQB News recently reported a typical single family home in Parksville is $323,000 and in Qualicum, $399,000). Two, people are looking to reduce their environmental footprint; and three, we have different lifestyle priorities these days. There is a desire to live more simply, use less, sustain ourselves. And that’s why J.R.’s article on Tiny Houses (page 19) is so intriguing. Especially since the reality of purchasing a first home seems to be getting further and further away for many local families, and retirees on fixed incomes seem to be running out of affordable options.

And speaking of trends, the demand for health and wellness-related products has been growing over the last few years, along with demand for locally made products. Many residents already purchase local soap (using natural ingredients), but have you tried making your own, personal, soap!? Candace Wu and I had a great time pouring, mixing and sniffing fragrant oils, herbs and spices at Soak Essentials for her feature on Soap Making (page 10). And along those lines, our guest food columnist Marianne Sadik and her husband make a variety of tasty balsamic vinegars, chutneys, mustards, sauces, tapenades breads and hand-blended spices right in North Qualicum Beach (page 17). Thinking a lot about time, or your lack of it? Take a break and read Linda Tenney’s column on the subject (page 22). And don’t miss the Q&A with a wise and wonderful local artist who has lived around the world (page 30). Please check out our new website! We’d love to hear your story ideas and feedback. www.oasislife.ca – Lissa Alexander

ABOVE & BEYOND PROVIDING THE BEST

IN SELECTION & CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Lissa - this is the correct page size for the Spring 2016 issue.

And this is the correct ad size on the bottom.

- Peg -

Glen MacDonald was very friendly and helpful. I was glad to give him the sale especially after he told me about himself and his start at Joe Cunningham Ford. The overall experience was pleasant.

Glen was both professional and personable to deal with. ~ Eric Wilkins

GLEN MACDONALD Sales and Leasing Consultant glen@joecunninghamford.com

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410 East Island Hwy., Parksville 250.248.2062 • joecunninghamford.com

Buying or Selling? Call Me!

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Bee By The Sea

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Contributors Lissa Alexander

Originally from Qualicum Beach, she completed her journalism training in Calgary.

Contents

Peter McCully

Photographer, publisher & broadcaster who has worked on both coasts.

J.R. Rardon

A local reporter and photographer with 25 years of experience.

Candace Wu

10

A Vancouver Island journalist and photographer.

Spring Edition 2016

9

Stuff 2 Do

10

A Lesson in Soap-Making

14

In Focus

17

Loco 4 Local

19

The Tiny House

22

Just Sayin’

23

Living Life Well

30

TÊTE À TÊTE

Linda Tenney

A local writer, editor, photographer and publisher.

Marianne Sadik

Our Spring Guest Food Columnist.

17

Publisher Peter McCully publisher@pqbnews.com Editor Lissa Alexander oasismag@pqbnews.com Advertising Steve Weldon sweldon@pqbnews.com Design & Production

Great local Spring events around the community Candace Wu gets her hands dirty. Or should we say...clean An image by local photographer, Randy Hall Marianne from Fabulous Focaccia harnesses Mediterranean flavours A local couple joins the movement to live with less space An outlook on life with Linda Tenney, publisher of Eyes on BC Magazine An advertising feature on living a healthy lifestyle Question & Answer with Marcie Gauntlett, a well-traveled, Nanoose Bay Artist

Peggy Sidbeck, Brad Everest

Circulation Laurie Fairbanks circulation@pqbnews.com Cover Photo J.R. Rardon SPRING 2016

6

4-154 Middleton Ave. Parksville BC, V9K 1X3 PH: 250-248-4341 FX: 250-248-4655 Oasis magazine is published quarterly by Black Press. The points of views and opinions expressed herein are those of authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher of Oasis. The contents of Oasis are protected by copywright, including the designed advertising. Reproduction is prohibited without written consent of the publisher.

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Tales from an Inuit Storyteller Michael Kusugak joins the Tales for the Telling, Stories for Adults series at the McMillan Arts Centre on April 22, 7:30 p.m. www.mcmillanartscentre.com Rhododendron Bloom: April 21 - May 15 at Milner Gardens & Woodland. Don’t miss this spectacle of colour as these stunning bushes put on their best show. www.viu.ca/milnergardens Echo Players Live Theatre: A Doll’s House is a thought-provoking drama written in 1879, which is still very relevant to today’s modern audiences.

Playing from April 22 - May 8 at the Village Theatre in Qualicum Beach.

250-752-3522 or www.echoplayers.ca

4.

Fire and Ice Street Festival: April 30 in Qualicum Beach. 11 a.m. 3 p.m. Taste samples of chili and other hot foods and vote on your favourite while perusing incredible ice sculptures. www.fireandicestreetfestival.com

5.

Nanoose Bay Spring Showcase: April 30 and May 1 at Nanoose Place.

The Nanoose Bay Studio Tour group will showcase their artwork such as metal art, pottery, glass, jewelry, paintings, photography and more.10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Free entry. www.nanoosebaystudiotour.com

6.

Vancouver Island Tribute Festival: May 27-29 at the Parksville Community & Conference Centre. Renowned tribute acts such as Elvis, Roy Orbison, Patsy Cline and many more. www.islandtributefestival.com

7.

Qualicum Beach Family Day: May 29. This annual event has been running for 40 years in Qualicum Beach.

Come enjoy breakfast, a parade, and tons of activities in the field. 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. www.qbfamilyday.com

8.

Father’s Day Show n’ Shine: June 17-19. A weekend of events including a cruise, poker run, a street dance, and the big Show n’ Shine on Sunday. www.seasidecruizers.com

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MY OWN

SOAP

PERSONAL BRAND OF

It smells like lavender and lemongrass, but it feels like home-economics class.

Kristy Lotzien’s workshop is dotted with spatulas, whisks, thermometers and giant measuring cups brimming with raw slabs of coconut oil and Shea butter.

But she’s not playing in the kitchen — she’s teaching a class how to make soap from scratch.

Lotzien hosts soap-making workshops periodically in the back room of her quaint

SPRING 2016

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Parksville shop, Soak Essentials, nestled along Craig Street. She teaches students everything they need to know about the incredible process of soap-making using all natural ingredients that most people have in their pantry.

In this class, she’s teaching me and a handful of others about “cold process soap-making” as opposed to hot process or melt-and-pour.

Cold process soap-making, Lotzien explains, is the act of mixing fixed fats and oils with lye resulting in saponification. The composition

Article by Candace Wu. Photos by Lissa Alexander and Candace Wu.

of the oils change with the lye and after four weeks of curing, will result in your very own handmade bar of soap.

So, why not just buy soap from the store?

According to Lotzien, commercial soaps often lack glycerin, while they’re heavy on detergent.

Glycerin is a natural product of saponification, she says. It’s a humectant, which means it draws moisture from the air to your skin leaving it moisturized. >>>

is the part where soap-makers handpick their scent.

She explains there are two types of oils you may use to design a scent: essential oils or fragrance oils.

Essential oils are naturally occurring substances found in plants and fruits, such as orange, peppermint, lavender or patchouli.

They are generally distilled and extracted through a complex process resulting in organic aromas that will awaken your senses.

Some are said to have different characteristics which can enhance a person’s mood, alleviate pain or even heighten relaxation.

On the other hand, fragrance oils are manufactured scents. They are artificially created and therefore contain artificial substances that mimic the scents of natural products. The range of fragrance oils is vast including options such as cinnamon oatmeal, sleigh bell and vanilla bean. <<< However, commercial soaps tend to remove glycerin from their soaps and sell it separately in more profitable products like lotions. Detergents are synthetic, often petroleum-based cleansers that will leave your skin dry.

Lotzien says many commercial soaps don’t even brand themselves as soap anymore.

Check your soap labels, you may be surprised.

LIES ABOUT LYE Lotzien says one of the biggest misconceptions with soap-making is about the use of lye. “It is a caustic chemical but when it’s used mindfully there’s no danger,” she said, noting many people believe when lye is in soap it’s harsh on your skin. “When properly made lye isn’t harsh, lye is the limiting reagent… when lye is gone the reaction is over leaving, a gentle, cleansing product.”

Lotzien said for soap to become, well, soap, it needs to saponify. And in order for it to saponify, it needs lye.

“Therefore no lye equals no soap,” she explains.

Anyhow, after much deliberation I decided on mixing equal parts peppermint and spearmint for that post-dentist squeaky-clean feel.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL You also get to choose the colour of your soap, and in line with the au natural ingredients in the soap itself, our soap master also uses organic dyes.

Lotzien says you can use spices in your cupboard like paprika for a pink-ish red colour, or tumeric for a deep yellow. She also says you can use clays, micas and oxides from minerals.

Furthermore, if you want to add an exfoliant, >>>

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The most time-consuming part of the threehour workshop, Lotzien admits with a laugh,

I have to admit, I kind of felt like a celebrity picking out my signature perfume for some big corporation to market in a box set. I wanted it to really, you know, describe me… as much as a bar of soap can do that. I started thinking about my values and style and how I wanted the world to see me — or at least how I wanted my friends and family to feel when they use my personal brand of soap they receive.

SPRING

PICK YOUR SCENT

You can mix and match essential oils, but you can’t mix essential oils with fragrance oils. After smelling dozens of essential oils and fragrance oils, I got to choose my very own scent.

11

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you can mix in dried orange peel, cranberry seed, oatmeal, ground walnut shells, poppy seeds and even sand from our very own Parksville Beach.

THE FUN PART Once you’ve finally picked out your favourite oils, exfoliants and natural dye, the real fun begins.

Feeling a little like Walter White equipped with my lab goggles and apron, I carefully measured out my sodium hydroxide lye and mixed it into water, watching the exothermic reaction take place right before my eyes. The lye dissolves in the water and causes a dramatic temperature increase and pungent smell that quickly dissipates.

I heated up the base of my soap, a mixture of coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, vegetable shortening and Shea butter.

Following instructions from Lotzien, I waited until both liquid mixtures were around the same temperature before combining them with a hand-blender until the soap had emulsified and was the consistency of pudding.

Vancouver • Qualicum Beach Port Alberni • Gillies Bay • Tofino

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Next, I got to add my personal touches: my peppermint/spearmint essential oils, orange peel exfoliant and mint green mica for colour.

I transferred my three pounds of raw soap into a cardboard box lined with wax paper, and it looked like cake batter ready to go in the oven.

I decorated the top with dried flowers and glitter before boxing it up for 48 hours.

Two days later, I opened it up and sliced my

Want to make your own soap? Join a group at Soak Essentials Marketplace for the beginners soap-making class. You will make 3 lbs of your own custom soap, which cuts into approx. 14 bars. You can also book your own private parties.

Contact Soak Essentials Marketplace by phone: 250-586-3403, email: info@ soakessentials.com or by Facebook at Soak Essentials or drop into the store at #4-180 Craig Street Parksville.

UPCOMING CLASS SCHEDULE: Thursday April 21st • 5-8 pm Saturday April 23rd • 10-1 pm Saturday May 14th • 10-1 pm Thursday May 26th • 5-8 pm

soap into 16 chunks of handmade soap. I felt like a hunter-gatherer, or at least someone crafty enough to make soap from scratch. It was rewarding.

But you have to let your soap bars cure in your closet for four to six weeks before you can use them. The longer they cure, the harder the bars become and the longer they’ll last.

For someone as impatient as me, waiting is probably the hardest part.

However, I’ve since came up with the perfect name for my light green, peppermint/ spearmint smelling, orange peel exfoliating, coconut oil and Shea butter-based soap topped with dried flowers… Floral-print mint.

Photos: page 10, Candace Wu’s finished Floral-print mint soap. Candace mixing, stirring and adding glitter to her soap.

Page 11, Candace adding lye to her mixture. This page, soap sold in the Soak Essentials store on Craig Street.

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Randy Hall is a Vancouver Island photographer specializing in nature photography, whether it is capturing natural settings such as seascapes or forest landscapes or the plants and animals that inhabit this part of British Columbia. Some of Randyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work is currently on display at the Nanaimo Pop-up Store hosted by The Network Hub. Other images are available through Fine Art America and Pictorem.

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It’s a path we all walk some day... let’s share the journey

The communities of Oceanside are served by a range of hospice/palliative services, complementary to medical care offered by community doctors and Island Health staff.

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• 19th Annual Golf Tournament • Saturday August 13 Oceanside Hospice Services Available: Loan and home delivery of equipment Psychosocial, spiritual and practical support Volunteers to provide bedside vigils Facilitated groups for the palliative & grieving Respite and companioning for caregivers Self-care - healing touch, reiki & massage Advance care planning Public education around grief, loss and caregiving Ambassadors & speakers bureau Professional On-Call Counselling Lending Library

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Love at f irst Bite It’s the best of the best Cut from the top 12% of Canada AAA beef. Sterling Silver beef is more richly flavoured than lower grades of beef, providing exceptional tenderness, juiciness and taste in every bite or your money back.

It’s beautifully marbled Marbling is the white flecks of fat within the muscle that melt into the meat as it cooks, giving it succulent flavour. Sterling Silver beef is highly marbled for superior taste and texture.

It’s aged just right Sterling Silver cuts are naturally aged no fewer than 21 days to maximize tenderness and richness of flavour.

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Parksville •280 East Island Highway Customer Care 1-800-667-8280 | Visit thriftyfoods.com

LOCO 4 LOCAL Mellow Mango Gourmet SauceFour-ways!

Guest Columnist MARIANNE SADIK

Delicious Dip: Mix some of the sauce with a generous spoonful of Greek yoghurt and mayonnaise to make a delicious dip for potato wedges or raw vegetables. Season the dip or the roasted potatoes with some of our Sicilian Heat spice blend if you want a bit of a kick! A perfect appetizer for sharing.

Roasted Mango Chicken: Marinade Guest columnist Marianne Sadik owns Fabulous Focaccia with her husband. The couple makes all of some chicken breasts in the sauce and their tasty products at their home in North Qualicum.

LISSA ALEXANDER PHOTO roast as usual.

Mango Spinach Salad: Make a spinach salad with some small chunks of brie, fresh mango slices and cashew Please visit our websites www.fabulousfocaccia.com and nuts and use the sauce as a salad dressing. www.essenceoftheisland.com for more recipe ideas Mango Rice with chick peas: Warm up some sauce to pour over and where to find us over the coming months. basmati rice, add chick peas, and decorate with finely cut spring onions.

We look forward to meeting you!

Serve with our sultana and coconut focaccia flatbread and enjoy.

OUR TRAVELLING TASTE BUDS

2016

different combinations of fruits and whole spices, designed for dipping our focaccia bread, salad dressings and marinades. We also use the balsamic vinegar as the base ingredient for all of our products, which include chutneys, mustards, sauces and tapenades. The marrying of flavour fires our imaginations and we hope, inspires our customers to get creative in their own kitchens.

Based at the Qualicum Beach Farmer’s Market every Saturday morning, the connections that we make with our customers are, for us, the icing on the cake.

I love recipe books for their ideas, but our style of cooking is more like concocting and no two suppers have ever been the same. Our products reflect this philosophy and are very versatile, enabling us to encourage our clients to experiment themselves. A splash of this, a generous spoonful of that and a sprinkle of spice!

SPRING

By Marianne Sadik “Where would you like to eat tonight?” is my husband Sadik’s favourite question. He doesn’t mean that we should go out, rather what country’s food should influence his cooking. Through our suppers we have travelled the world, but the flavours that we both truly love are from the Mediterranean, including Greece, Turkey, Spain and, of course, Italy.

Through this love, we have developed our ranges of artisan focaccia breads, complementary balsamic vinegar products and thoughtfully hand-blended spices. Everything is made by ourselves in small artisan batches, using our own unique recipes.

The health benefits of a Mediterranean diet are well documented, but for us it’s all about the flavours! Like Champagne, balsamic vinegar has a protected designation of origin and ours comes from Modena, Italy. Since 2011 we have been infusing it ourselves with

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Large LIVING

in a tiny house

one of the biggest trends in home construction — the tiny house.

When they began dreaming of moving from their small, one-bedroom apartment into their first real house, it’s unlikely Jake Stevenson and Kiva Ganie imagined it would involve downsizing.

“We have been renting our entire adult lives,” says Stevenson, a 30-year-old journeyman electrician. “Regular houses just seemed like something out of our reach, but this tiny house concept seemed really appealing and felt like something we could really achieve.”

But they’re about to do just that when they complete their foray into

>>>

2016

>>>

SPRING

Article and photos by J.R. Rardon

19

ONE MILLION VIEWS Stevenson and Ganie, also 30, opted for a do-it-yourself home build, and turned their tiny house into a gargantuan project by taking their build to the public with a YouTube channel titled The Tiny Nest Project.

Launched in early 2014, before they had even secured the trailer upon which their tiny house would be built, The Tiny Nest project now has more than 13,000 subscribers and 33,000 views from around the world.

<<< Their house, nearing completion on a rural farm owned by Ganie’s parents in Nanoose Bay, is built on the platform of an 8x20-foot custom trailer. Unlike a recreational vehicle, which is designed to reduce weight, the tiny house is made of traditional stud framing and boasts an insulated floor, separate shower and toilet/sink facilities, a kitchen, living room and loft bedroom large enough to accommodate a king-sized mattress, cabinets and an egress window.

All for less than the cost of a down payment on a traditional $300,000 ranch house.

The tiny house movement has become a sensation across North America in just the last few years, and is spreading around the globe.

A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Three years ago, Nanaimo’s Patrick Whelan could locate little information in Canada in his own effort to build a tiny house.

A year later, he founded Rewild Homes in Nanaimo, and in the last year the business expanded to include a second construction site for Rewild’s custom-built tiny houses.

“I decided I wanted to build a tiny home for myself,” says Whelan, who had been managing a small fishing lodge in Bamfield and thinking about what to do with the rest of his life. “I looked into it and found out there was not a lot going on in Canada. There just weren’t a lot of resources, but I felt this was a growing industry.”

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Once family and friends got wind of his tiny house project, Whelan says, “the wake around me started getting turbulent. Everyone was asking, ‘Can you build me one?’ Having a background in construction, I wondered if there was a business opportunity in this.”

There may be several business opportunities.

The 60-plus video installments uploaded has nearly one million combined views.

The good news: the YouTube channel actually provides the couple with income from its associated online advertising. The bad news: it has seriously cut into their construction time.

“My sister and her husband have a very successful kids’ YouTube channel, called Pancake Manor,” says Stevenson. “They were becoming more successful around the time we were discussing filming our (construction) footage and putting it on YouTube. “She was [like], ‘Of course! Yeah!’ Because that’s her thing.”

Stevenson and Ganie had mixed feelings, worrying that the documentary would cut into the time spent actually building the house. “Of course, we were both right,” Stevenson admits. “She was right that it could become something successful, and I was right in that it’s taken a lot of time away. I spend a lot of time editing video and doing other online tasks. In a way, that’s kind of my more fulltime job.”

Stevenson and Ganie, who works at several area horse stables and at Parksville’s Cormie Farm, may well have stumbled onto a new career through their YouTube video project.

The channel’s videos, spread out over two years, show two people growing more and more comfortable, both with their building skills and with their on-camera presence, and Stevenson has ramped up the quality and special effects of the videos. One comment online, left in response to one of the videos, states: “Great job. You both should think about going into professional video creation and editing.”

“The original purpose of the videos was to have people watch and help us,” says Stevenson. “We had never built before, and when we were researching for this, there was no resource at that time on YouTube.

We thought, if we do it, it’s a niche; it’s a market that’s out there.”

MAN CAVE OR DIVA DEN Whelan said Stevenson and Ganie are a prime example of the demographic looking to build and move into tiny houses. But he says his customer base includes people at all stages of life.

“I have students, people just entering university who have some funding support from their parents…” Whelan explains. “There are also retirees and people just about ready to leave the workforce and people looking to downsize.”

Whelan says the portable, trailer-mounted tiny houses are also becoming popular as supplemental living/working spaces, for people running home-based businesses or who simply want a “man cave or diva den.” >>>

of the property owned by Kiva’s parents. The two have been living in the “big house” while building their tiny house right outside, and say the availability of the property was a major factor in their ability to move forward with the build after they spent much of the previous decade living in an apartment in Victoria.

Motorized Drapery and Blinds Luxurious and Convenient

“We were originally expecting to seek out and make a deal with someone in the Victoria area who had land and who would allow us to build,” says Jake. “That got to be a hot topic within the family.”

Photos: page 19, Kiva Ganie and Jake Stevenson stand in front of their Tiny House in Nanoose Bay. Page 20, Kiva and Jake inside their Tiny House with their dog Ben. This page, Jake and Kiva inside their Tiny House.

<<< Because the houses are portable, like a mobile home or an RV, they can be placed on many lots that would otherwise not permit the building of a second dwelling.

That will be the case for Stevenson and Ganie, whose new home will be placed on the acreage

Ganie’s parents, meanwhile, had put their Nanoose Bay house and property on the market, but it was getting little action and they had decided to rent it out. Following a series of sit-down meetings and discussions between parents and children, it was decided that Stevenson and Ganie would rent the property while they completed their tiny house, then move in while Ganie’s parents returned to reclaim the main house.

“It was an absolute Godsend,” says Stevenson.

“Because of how long this has taken, I don’t know what would have happened with the YouTube videos and stuff.

“And we would have had to carry our tools back and forth every day and set up (in Victoria),” Ganie added. “It’s really easy to just be right beside the house, with a garage for everything.”

SKIPPING THE QUEUE The idea for their tiny house was born in 2013, after Ganie viewed the documentary We, the Tiny House People while taking classes at the University of Victoria. Until then, the young couple had essentially resigned themselves to a lifetime of apartment living. And that’s when the tiny house opened another door.

“At 22 (years old), we weren’t thinking about a house. At that age you just sort of think it will happen in the natural course of living your life,” says Stevenson. “But now we were almost 30 and didn’t feel we were getting any closer to that.

We thought we could explore this (tiny house) alternative, which would let us skip the queue.”

We have blinds for Tilt & Turn Windows

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2016

www.rewildhomes.com

SPRING

To learn more about Jake and Kiva’s project and to link to their YouTube channel, visit

21

JUST SAYIN’

Column and photo by Linda Tenney

PEBBLES ON THE PATH “Days of no great consequence are just as extraordinary as those judged pivotal. Each twist and shape the future; one is simply more understated than the other.” ~ L. Tenney

I

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our human experience. The pivotal moments Mona Lisa. Who was she really? What thoughts in time, and those that seemed of no great lie behind her subtle smile? Or was it Da Vinci consequence. himself who ‘smiled’ for her? The quest to find When I was 10, and fresh off the high of watching those moments of truth would be an endless H.G. Wells’ “Time Machine”, I took my transistor crusade.

find discussions about time, time travel and radio apart with the intent of rebuilding my own history fascinating, but the ‘truth’ of it all transporter. A glorious machine that would take still confounds me. me back through the centuries at will. Back to What is time? We label it. We measure it. We the exact moment in time when ‘it’ happened ... accept the finite idea of an hour, a day, a month. back to the very ‘truth’ of that future-sculpting Never questioning its reality, because we truly event. It didn’t work. So I tried building a robot. believe it’s real. We assigned a tick on the clock That didn’t work either, so I rebuilt the radio a name to make sense of the shadows moving before my mother found out. across a mountain range. Across the expanse of If I could travel in time, I would visit the great a savanna. Across the contours of a pretty face. plains of Africa to find the Homo erectus But what exactly is it? tribesman who first controlled fire; giving his My enchantment with time is tethered to an tribe warmth from the cold and protection from equal fascination with history, and truth. If I predators. An undisputed pivotal event in our could travel in time, I would set out on a great history, but who was that guy and how did it adventure through history, confirming the happen? I would visit Florence, Italy to seek out events, however subtle, that have been part of Leonardo Da Vinci to answer the enigma of his

I imagine our human journey as a path made of pebbles; each pebble a moment in time formed by the choices we make each day. Pebbles from the past and the present lay side by side; always there to ponder, analyze and learn from. Over time, the path behind us becomes fuzzy, the pebbles obscured by dust, important moments forgotten and the real truth of those moments changed by generations of story-telling.

So what is the real truth buried in the dust? Can we ever know? What would change if we could travel in time, or at least pick up a pebble from the past, and dust it off to reveal the truth of a moment in history?

Something to ponder ... just sayin’

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What is a healthier alternative? Natural Latex for a healthier non toxic sleep is just what the doctor ordered. Natural latex is inherently hypo-allergenic, anti-microbial and dust mite resistant. The perfect mattress for allergy sufferers or anyone wanting to breath the fresh clean air while asleep.

Natural latex is breathable, keeping you warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

Latex conforms dynamically to you, providing superior support and pressure relief. By gently conforming to your every contour, latex provides superior back support and outstanding pressure point relief. Relieving pressure points reduces the tossing and turning that interrupts sleep and brings needed oxygen and nutrients to tired aching muscles.

SLEEP IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT NEEDS IN LIFE!

Longevity Medical Aesthetics & Laser Clinic provides results with no down time Dr. Andy Biro specializes in results-orientated clinical and medical aesthetics and delivers impressive results. He is committed to providing the best possible outcomes with the highest level of care for his clients individual needs with the least possible downtime.

Dr. Andy Biro and his care team at Longevity Medical Aesthetics are passionate about helping you achieve natural and effective results for your skin care needs. We offer services for both men and women using the latest technologies developed for anti aging medicine and skin care. Our desire is to have long-lasting relationships with all of our Vancouver Island clients by providing amazing service and caring for their diverse, unique and evolving skin care needs.

We have created a warm, happy space to cultivate an extraordinary experience. Our state of the art clinic is a union of Island charm & big city style. We offer a wide range of treatments for a variety of skin conditions and concerns using the latest technologies.

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FIRMA Energywear Intelligent clothing for men and women

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Firma is a specialty line of garments that feature a hightech “Smart Yarn” that is made with active bio-crystals incorporated directly into the fabric. These crystals absorb body heat and reflect it back as far-infrared energy, which stimulate nearby skin and tissues, leading to a host of benefits for the wearer. These include just some of the following: ✔Improved Blood Microcirculation ❑ - perfect for diabetics! ✔Reduced muscle fatigue & increased ❑ muscle recovery - synthesizes lactic acid-quicker recovery/less pain ✔Improved Skin Thermoregulation ❑ - Maintains comfort control ✔Anti-odour properties ❑

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CruisePlus We are not just about cruises CruisePlus is excited to be serving the local community with two locations on Vancouver Island – Lantzville and now Qualicum Beach. Whether your passion is cruising, relaxing on a sandy beach or climbing a mountain, we can help turn your dream vacation into a reality.

Travelling is a perfect way to relax, rejuvenate and escape the everyday - from exploring a new area in our own beautiful province to travelling to an exotic destination, the experience is sure to lift your spirits. Travellers today are looking for authentic experiences to fulfill their passions and wellness travel is one of the fastest growing trends. Try a yoga retreat in India, surfing in Costa Rica or simply doing something new and exciting that you have never done before. Cruise and River ships are promoting wellness, with amazing luxury spas, state of the art fitness centers, more active shore excursions and the newest ‘voluntourism’, combining a land and sea vacation.

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Let Us Plan Your Next VACATION Come and visit Michelle, Marion and Alison!

With over 17 years in the industry and a staff of welltravelled, knowledgeable consultants we are perfectly placed to plan your perfect vacation.

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We are proud to offer full esthetics Qualicum Beach Beauty Bar is a new family business owned and operated by Lindsay Ashby, and located in the heart of Qualicum. After relocating from Alberta, her family decided that Qualicum Beach residents needed a high end, “One Stop Beauty Shop” that could provide them with full services. Lindsay is a licensed Esthetician, who specializes in Eyelash Extensions, Laser, Gel Nails, Chemical Peels, skincare, acne treatments and a Makeup Artist.

Qualicum Beach Beauty Bar Your One Stop Beauty Shop

We have comprised a team of highly skilled technicians, and strive to offer the very best personalized, quality services, premium products, and the highest standard of customer service to our clientele. Our shop offers a warm, friendly, professional environment that fits your whole family’s needs.

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At the beauty bar, we are proud to offer full esthetics, including but not limited to: Manicures, Pedicures Facials, Threading, Waxing, Sugaring, Lash Extensions, Chemical Peels, Lash & Brow Tinting, Gel & Acrylic Nails, Massage Therapy, Hair Stylists, Makeup Consultation & Application RELAX AND BE PAMPERED IN OUR ONE STOP SHOP

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Pacific Dentures Transform Your Life with Implants Hundreds of our patients have improved their quality of life by choosing denture over implant solutions. Dental Implants are a good option for most denture wearers and age should not be a deterrent. There are many different implant treatment options available that are affordable and accessible to most people. Dental implants not only provide secure teeth, they provide the opportunity for beautiful aesthetics, full function and confidence.

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We give relaxation a whole new meaning

The Grotto Spa at Tigh-Na-Mara named No.1 Spa in Canada Spas of America, the No. 1 spa and wellness travel website has unveiled the Top 100 Spas of 2015 including the Top Spas in Canada. With over 500 spas seeking the crown, Vancouver Island’s Grotto Spa at Tigh-Na-Mara in Parksville takes top honours capturing the title as the No.1 Spa in Canada and the No. 5 Spa in the Americas.

The Grotto Spa provides the perfect prescription for rest, relaxation and rejuvenation, offering guest experiences that go beyond the expected. Signature and feature treatments focus on West Coast natural ingredients and the unique endless tapas dining experience is beyond compare. With 20,000 square feet of spa bliss, we give relaxation a whole new meaning. We look forward to welcoming you to the Grotto Spa this season.

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Oceanside Kitchen & Bath

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The Filko family, Dad Drazen, Mom Zeljka, along with children Ian, Frank, and Mark escaped Croatia’s incredibly poor economy and arrived in Canada in 2003.

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With one suitcase of belongings and $200 in his pocket, Drazen was the first to arrive in the country, the rest of the family followed two months later. Four people in a one bedroom house lived on about $30/day!

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3-160 Corfield Street, Corfield Plaza, Parksville 250-248-7605 • filko@shaw.ca

Three years later when everyone had received their citizenship, they started a small granite company operating out of the driveway of their house. In 2006, they moved to a larger property in Errington which allowed them to use the extra space to expand and start up a more comprehensive enterprise… Oceanside Kitchen and Bath.

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TÊTE-À-TÊTE OASIS

Well-Traveled Artist

Marcie Gauntlett

S

ome people can only dream of the places Marcie Gauntlett has lived and worked.

The 82-year old photographer, writer and crafter is originally from Boston, Massachusetts where she had a “wonderful time growing up in the ‘50s”. Her first stop after graduation was Bermuda, where she met and fell in love with her first husband at the airport. She raised two children back in Massachusetts, spent some more time in Bermuda and eventually headed for Florida. It was there, after her marriage ended and her children were grown up, that a new chapter of her life began, when she got an offer to work in Saudi Arabia.

Today she lives in Nanoose Bay with her husband Jan, whom she met on the Internet in 1999 (Yes, ‘99!). Next to their home, Marcie has created a small and intriguing art studio called Beachcomber Studio. (www.beachcomberstudio.ca) Q: Why did you move to Saudi Arabia?

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A: I got an offer to open up—and this probably sounded crazy in 1982—a $73 million dollar contract with the King Fahad National Hospital.

The first job I had was working for the U.S. Army, they were there to see that we got started. We were there helping the Saudis learn how to run a hospital. And they had spent millions on this gorgeous, white hospital out in the desert. The housing compound was in one area and then you walked down across the desert and there was this sort of mirage of the hospital, it was incredible.

Something like a million dollars in gold in the lobby, just for fun. Anyway, working for the King Fahad Hospital was fascinating. We took trips around Saudi Arabia, and the thing I stress when people ask me, ‘weren’t you scared?’ That was a

Nanoose Bay artist Marcie Gauntlett holds a Saudi Arabian doll that she made while living in that country. Dolls were not allowed in the country, but she and her mother made and sold a number of them to Americans who were working there.

PHOTO: Lissa Alexander

safe time, it was ‘the early ‘80s Q: How long were you in Saudi Arabia for?

A: Three years, and one really exciting thing that happened was when the king came to dedicate the hospital. He roared in with jeeps and limos, guys in red berets, and they roared into the hospital and we were up on our housing compound balconies watching this. That was a riot. It’s still there, the King Fahad National Guard Hospital.

Q: Where did you go after that?

A: I had a 5-year stint in Florida, that was a tough time for me. Because I came home and I was up to about $35,000 [in annual salary] and I had to go down to about $16,000. So I had three jobs to keep myself going. I worked in a deli and I wrote a newspaper column for the seniors, I think that was $50 a week, and I got myself a job with the president of the community college.

Q: What was next after Florida?

A: That’s when I found the foreign service job. I saw it in an international newsletter. They don’t advertise very much but there’s a whole world out there of the foreign service. My first post was in Brussels, I had two years at NATO, which was out of town, and I had two wonderful guys that I worked for. I took care of all the traffic between Washington and their two offices, and there were telegrams, and I kept everything locked up. NATO was very interesting.

That job had to do with most of the traffic during the Gulf War. Colin Powell and Dick Cheney would come storming in, and we just flattened ourselves against the wall as they came running by, “Morning

ladies!” they would scream. That was a two-year post, and then I could bid [on the next post location]. So I bid on Moscow, never expecting to get it, it was one step above my grade. Well they must have thrown a dart at me because I got Moscow and I was thrilled, because ever since reading War and Peace and Dr. Jivago I was hooked.

Just plain interested.

Q: How did that work out?

A: It was absolutely wonderful. The Russian people, the average citizen like you and me, absolutely wonderful. The people who worked in the embassy they became my best friends. They’d say, ‘do you want to go to the symphony?’ ‘Do you want to do see the Chekhov Gallery?’ I had to get a tutor; I had to learn Russian to answer the phone. I didn’t get much beyond that, having little conversations in the shops, but not fluent. My tutor Anna was the most wonderful girl, and then I met her mother, and it turns out she paints! Her mother is well known, famous in Moscow. Gorbachev bought, I don’t know how many of her paintings. But I sort of got her going, by having an exhibit in the embassy and a lot of the people loved her work.

(Editor’s note: Marcie still has a number of those Russian paintings for sale in her home studio).

Q: Where did you go after Russia?

I was posted in Bonn, Germany and that was the capital then. And that was fascinating too, I was in the political military office, so I had a German counterpart running the office. I liked it, but Bonn, it’s a very nice, sweet little town, but it’s rather stuffy. We would go to Octoberfest and that was nice, so I had three years there and I retired in ‘99.

Parksville Denture Clinic

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oasislife.ca

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