Special Features - Oasis Fall 2018

Caring for humans Rosie’s Way

Wanderlust to hip waders With Nana Cook

Custom cob homes on Lasqueti Island

Fall 2018

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PARKSVILLE QUALICUM BEACH LIFE

Fall Edition

W

e still had seven rolls of film to develop from the two years we spent in the UK and Europe many years ago. The film had been moved around with us a million times over the years, and recently, I found them in a box. Since our 10th wedding anniversary was approaching, I decided to surprise my husband by putting them all on a CD so we could view them on the TV. The photos would include both sets of our parents, when they had come to meet us in Amsterdam, Germany and Scotland. With my husband, parents and children together in the living room on the night of our anniversary, I announced I had a surprise. I put the CD in, and instead of pictures of us, some random, shirtless man appeared on the screen. “Ah...who is that?” my husband asked.

Turns out I had been given the wrong CD. Luckily I had also ordered some printed copies, so we passed them around and reminisced. I was able to get my CD of pictures a few days later, but it got me thinking how important old photos are. Some of the places in the pictures I had completely forgotten about, but the image brought the memory back.

Wonderful memories that seem a lifetime ago, where we visited a small farm in the countryside, or an off-the-beatenpath cathedral. The photos were priceless, and I wanted to make sure we would always have them to look back on.

Scanning old photos and putting them on a CD, in a computer, or on a hard drive is a good idea, but they, like printed photos, can be lost or damaged. I decided to put them all in “the cloud”, where I will always, presumably, have access to them, no matter what happens to my stuff. Do you have a plan to preserve your old photos for generations?

Speaking of memories, we have some great stories for you in this issue. Follow local artist Nana Cook as she reveals her memories and her painting journey. Learn about a local dog and the lives she’s touched. And head over to Lasqueti Island with us as we learn about building and making memories in Cob. If you are over 50, you won’t want to miss our Q&A on VIU ElderCollege, if you get hungry consider making something with figs! (our food feature). And be sure to catch Linda Tenney’s thoughtful column on trees. Have a memorable Fall, take lots of pictures, and make sure you keep them safe! www.oasislife.ca ~Lissa Alexander, Editor

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Oasis Magazine Tells The Stories Of The People Who Make This Very Desirable Area Their Home. Oasis Celebrates Our Local Authors, Our Creative Artists, Our Great Food, Our Unique Homes – Our Neighbours.

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FALL 2018

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Contributors Lissa Alexander

An editor, writer and photographer who is passionate about this region.

Contents9

Peter McCully

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

Shirley Culpin Freelance journalist and publisher of VancouverIslandBeyondVictoria.com

Kristi Cox

Freelance writer with a passion for nature, photography and unique human stories.

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Brian Argyle

A local photographer and writer who offers Photography instruction.

Linda Tenney

A local writer, editor, photographer and publisher.

Publisher

Peter McCully: peter.mccully@blackpress.ca

Editor

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Lissa Alexander: oasismag@pqbnews.com

Advertising Steve.Weldon@PQBNews.com Lorie.Nielsen@PQBNews.com Lori.Hague@PQBNews.com Rick.McMorran@PQBNews.com Design & Production

Fall Edition 2018 Stuff 2 Do Great local Fall events in our community.

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Rosie the Dog

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Loco 4 Local

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Nana Cook’s journey

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Custom homes with Cob

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Just Sayin’

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TÊTE À TÊTE

An exceptional therapy dog makes her mark on the community.

Learn to love figs as Shirley visits a local fig “farm”.

Capturing life with paints, from wanderlust to Barkerville to hip waders with Ken Kirkby.

How one man has spent years living in and perfecting his “Fast Cob!” method on Lasqueti Island.

An outlook on life with Linda Tenney, publisher of EyesOnBC Magazine.

Question & Answer with Anne Toby, Board Chair of VIU ElderCollege.

Peggy Sidbeck, Brad Everest

Circulation Michéle Graham circulation@pqbnews.com Cover Photo Brian Argyle FALL 2018

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2A 1209 East Island Hwy, Heritage Centre, Parksville, BC V9P 1R5 Ph: 250-248-4341 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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Stuff Do 1.

Rock & Gem Show: Sept. 29 & 30 at the Parksville Community Centre. Vendors, food, demonstrations, children’s activities, silent auction, information and more. www.pdrockandgem.org

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Tijuana Brass Tribute Band: Sept. 29 at the McMillan Arts Centre.

Dynamic seven-piece re-creation of the chart-topping band. 250-248-8185 or www.mcmillanartscentre.com

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Stephen Fearing Live: Sept. 29 at Smoke n’ Water in Nanoose Bay. Acclaimed Canadian singer, songwriter performs solo in support of his new album. Tickets at Cranky Dog in Parksville. www.vrdpresents.wordpress.com

4.

Nanoose Bay Thanksgiving Studio Tour: Oct. 6, 7 & 8. Explore the studios of artists and artisans in Nanoose Bay at your own pace. For a map and more information visit www.nanoosebaystudiotour.com Echo Players Live Theatre: Enchanted April is the season opener at the Village Theatre in Qualicum Beach. You’ll get humour, romance, love, wisteria and sunshine in this performance, running Oct. 11-28. For tickets call 250-752-3522 or www.echoplayers.ca

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The Harvest of Music: Oct. 12-14 at The Old School House Arts Centre in Qualicum Beach. World class performers fill this popular Fall festival. Call for tickets. 250-752-6133. www.harvestofmusic.com

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Mark Atkinson Trio with Cameron Wilson: Oct. 13 at The Errington Hall. Four of Canada’s very talented musicians end the Guitars by Hand event. erringtonhall.tickit.ca

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Qualicum Acoustic Cafe (QUAC): Award-winning playwright and former CBC broadcaster Tetsuro Shigematsu will give a spoken-word performance on Oct. 5. Open stage performance at 7:30, followed by the feature act. First Friday of every month at the Qualicum Beach Rotary House. Tickets at Covet in Qualicum. 250-752-1162. www.facebook.com/QualicumAcousticCafe

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FALL 2018

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Rosie’s way - Caring for humans Article and photos by Lissa Alexander If you’ve had the pleasure of connecting with Rosie the dog, you’d agree that Man’s Best Friend is an understatement.

FALL 2018

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have helped more than 100 children improve their reading skills over the past four years.

And Rosie’s resume doesn’t end there.

The 11-year-old bilingual Labrador just retired in June from her work at Oceanside Elementary School as a Paws 4 Stories reading companion, part of the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program.

Beth, who is bilingual as well, explains that many children struggle with reading, especially reading in front of their peers. Rosie and Beth’s visits to Madame Bergink’s Grade 2/3 class have helped many children increase their confidence and advance to higher stages of reading.

Rosie and her dog handler, Beth Clarke-Gilman,

“When they sat down and they patted Rosie,

they seemed to relax and were able to read without any feelings of anxiety or pressure,” Beth explains. “And sometimes Rosie would put her paw on their hand or on a book they were reading and they would laugh and say, ‘Oh Rosie must really love this story.”

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE Beth and Rosie’s work has also supported children in other ways, helping them express their feelings, particularly when they were going through a difficult time.

“Rosie is kind of a conduit to those sorts of conversations,” says Beth, revealing that it’s an opportunity for children to share what they are going through outside of the classroom, to someone they trust.

Ashten Black, Community Services Programs and Outreach Team Lead with St. John Ambulance, says that dogs who participate in the Paws 4 Stories program provide unconditional love and support to children. She says science has shown that when you pet a dog, you become more relaxed, but that’s only one of the benefits.

“I just genuinely think they provide that inclusive, non-judgemental environment to allow these children to thrive and excel,” says Black, adding, “They are patient, and dogs don’t have judgement.”

Jill Wurflinger, St. John Ambulance’s Director of Community Services, says she gets to hear stories all the time about what a difference the therapy dogs and their handlers are making in schools.

One recent story that brought her to tears involved an autistic child who never spoke, but began reading to a therapy dog. Other stories have involved children who have a stutter, but read without stuttering to a therapy dog.

“They are patient, and dogs don’t have judgement.”

- Ashten Black, St. John Ambulance

BRINGING CALM TO CLASSES The students in Mme. Bergink’s class agree that Rosie just makes reading better.

“Rosie is really helpful to us when we read, because she’ll calm us down so we can really concentrate on our reading,” explains Sophia.

FALL 2018

Another student, Sophie, adds that when she reads with excitement, Rosie gets excited and wags her tail. Auraelia says that she would practise at home when she knew she was going to be reading with Rosie, and she credits Rosie with getting her hooked on books. >>>

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FALL 2018

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<<< “It’s a gift that we have,” says Mme. Bergink.

“She just brings calm to the classroom and provides one more reason to practise, because practising is the secret. And how can you not love Rosie?”

CRAMMING OR CRYING Beth says Rosie responds to both French and English commands, which has earned her the bilingual moniker. However, Rosie’s responses may have something to do with Beth’s hand signals, Beth explains with a smile. But who’s keeping track?

Before their time at Oceanside Elementary School, Rosie and Beth brought joy to residents at a number of other locations. They volunteered visiting elderly residents at The Gardens in Qualicum Beach, and they calmed down students during exam time at Vancouver Island University, both through the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog program.

“In my previous life I was a university administrator, so I know how it feels to be stressed out before exams,” says Beth. “Rosie would just take everybody down a notch, particularly the students that were cramming or were crying because of the stress of the situation.”

Photos: Pages 10 & 11 :Rosie and her handler, Beth Clarke-Gilman. Top right, Rosie interacting with students in Madame Bergink’s Grade 2/3 class at Oceanside Elementary School in June.

Below, Auraelia reading with Rosie. Page 12, Rosie ready to serve in her uniform. This page, Mme. Bergink’s Grade 2/3 class last school year.

During Wellness Week on Campus, Beth says they would visit the cafeteria and the students would be so thrilled to see Rosie, some would lie down on the floor with her.

ROSIE’S INTUITION Before Beth began volunteering with Rosie, she was a Hospice volunteer, serving individuals and their families who are facing end-of-life issues. Rosie added another dimension to her volunteer work at Hospice, she explains. Rosie and Beth would sit in the family room, and people would come in and visit them, including patients, their families and staff. “Rosie is very intuitive when it comes to recognizing how people are feeling,” Beth explains, revealing a couple of instances when Rosie has approached people who are having a difficult time, and put her paw on them or sat very close to them.

“Rosie always welcomes folks when they approach her, providing an opportunity for conversation,” Beth explains. “And the staff too really appreciated her because their job is really difficult, so having a happy creature in there really helps them work through what they’re experiencing every day.”

Beth and Rosie have also recently started working with the RCMP Victim Services program and Beth and her husband Andy hope to have Rosie sit with people having to prepare victim impact statements, and in some cases accompanying victims to court. In September she will also be working in a children’s grief program through Nanaimo Hospice.

DOGS NEEDED TO SPREAD JOY Beth says volunteering with the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program has been some of the most rewarding volunteer work she’s done.

“It gives me an opportunity to teach people and

children about dogs and what wonderful creatures they are, and get to know people through the dog,” she says. Beth encourages others to look into volunteering with the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program.

Volunteers can visit various places with their dogs, including hospitals, long term care facilities, palliative care facilities, schools, university and college campuses, or they can do de-stresser days at ambulance dispatch locations, businesses or emergency reception areas, among other places.

“We are always looking to expand this program, it does so much good for so many people, and so we’re always welcoming new dogs and handlers,” says Wurflinger, adding that donations also help keep the programs running.

For information on how to volunteer or donate to the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program, visit www.sja.ca, email NanaimoTDP@SJABCY.ca, or call the Nanaimo location at (250) 729-8889.

FALL 2018

“She seems to know what people need,” she says. Nursing staff have also told Beth how Rosie helped open up conversations with people, discussions that likely wouldn’t have happened

if Rosie wasn’t there.

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FALL 2018

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LOCO 4 LOCAL Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad with Figs (Kathryn and Ed’s favourite FIG treat)

Our B&B guests love this and all our frequent visitors request it.

In a large salad bowl, cut up one or two Romaine lettuce heads.

Stir in Caesar Salad dressing and Parmesan Cheese, to taste.

In a large skillet, stir-fry one chicken breast, half a medium, sliced onion, and 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved.

Top with bread croutons (optional), and add fresh figs cut in half or quarters.

Divide it into two smaller bowls and enjoy!

FULL FLAVOURED FIGS

Article and photo by Shirley Culpin

When the figs are fresh and in season (a very short time frame in the late summer, with much depending on the weather) Ed and Kathryn sell them fresh at the Errington Farmers Market. Kathryn also produces hundreds of jars of fig jam and candied figs, both for the market and as gifts for friends and guests at their home. Figs go in to cookies, muffins and loaves as well. Fresh figs also become an integral part of salads in the Collins’ home.

“Every day we pick them fresh, then freeze them in egg cartons for later use,” says Kathryn. “But even with everything we do, we still end up offering a lot of them free of charge to our neighbours or anyone else who wants them. It’s impossible to keep up once they start ripening.”

The Collins “farm” came to be when they joined the Coombs Farmers Institute and were listed in the Growers Guide. It’s a bit of a joke with the couple, but they take it all in stride.

Ed and Kathryn have discovered that the variety of fig they grow is called Desert King. It produces a fleshy fruit with a tender green edible skin and soft seeds. Although sweet, the figs are not overwhelmingly so.

The voluptuous flavour floods the palate and leaves a sense of sheer delight in anyone who consumes these beauties.

The Arrowsmith Fig Farm will be out of production during the next two or three years – the giant fig tree is due to undergo major surgery in order to keep it healthy. Doubtless, its 25-foot height and spread will be diminished, but the Collins’ hope is that the pruning will preserve what has become, to them, a treasure.

FALL 2018

Kathryn and Ed Collins have what has to be the smallest, least labourintensive farm on the planet. And it’s smack in the middle of a residential subdivision in the French Creek area.

Listed as Arrowsmith Fig Farm in the local Growers Guide, the Collins’ total agricultural endeavours centre around a single fig tree.

Their harvest season lasts anywhere from 10 days to three weeks each summer, depending on the weather. Once that’s over, there isn’t a lot of work involved other than making use of the 4,000 fresh figs that the tree produces each year.

The massive tree, which is about 20 years old, was just a small planting when the Collins’ purchased their home in 2003.

Once considered an exotic Mediterranean interloper amongst west coast gardeners, fig trees have become increasingly popular features, especially in Vancouver Island gardens. Fifteen years ago though, the Collins’ and many others had no idea what a fig tree was, or the wealth of healthy opportunity that they promised.

“For the first two years we were in the house,” recounts Kathryn, “the figs just kept falling off the tree and we just kept shovelling them up. We had no idea what they were, other than a nuisance.”

It was a friend from Chile who clued the couple in to the treasure in their front yard, and in 2006 Kathryn savoured the gentle sweetness of her first fresh fig. After that, there was no looking back.

As the tree grew and produced an increasing numbers of figs, the Collins’ got to work figuring out what to do with the bounty.

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Picking the perfect Christmas tree , locally

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oasislife.ca

2017-11-16

9:20 AM

Nana Cook

Story by Shirley Culpin Photos by Brian Argyle

T

here has been no lack of adventure in Nana Cook’s life, and it shows in every aspect of her existence. It shows in her beautiful log home, perched on a rock ledge in Nanoose Bay and decorated with intriguing mementos from hither and yon. It reveals itself in her art, which runs the gamut from the natural world to portraits. Even her 2017 marriage to noted local artist Ken Kirkby had its element of surprise.

of regularly packing up her three children and heading for the American southwest from their home in Vancouver. Long road trips and painting expeditions became part of the fabric of all their lives. The travelling bug clearly stuck when it came to Cook – she has returned many times to the area in adulthood, along with taking various trips to other diverse locations.

THE ARBUTUS PROJECT Cook didn’t put paint to canvas until 1997, by which time she was in her 30s. “My mother was an artist...” says Cook, trailing off in to silence.

“But then one morning in 1997 I woke up and

decided I had to paint. My mother took me to an art supply outlet and got me set up with everything I needed and by that evening I was working away. Basically, I taught myself how to paint.”

Although Cook’s painting career was late in starting, her artistic talent had been known and appreciated in other disciplines. While living on Salt Spring Island with her mother and sister, Cook became involved with the arts community. She took up make-up artistry for local theatre productions, and had gone pro by the time she was 15. >>>

FALL 2018

It’s not astonishing that Cook’s wanderlust has played such a dominant role in her life. When she was young, her mother was in the habit

From Wanderlust to Hip Waders

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<<< That work sustained her financially for many years before the urge and courage to paint finally kicked in.

These days, Cook is best known for her paintings of the native arbutus trees that grace the Pacific Northwest. She has created artworks featuring more than 150 different arbutus – each with its own special characteristics and beauty. The arbutus project began early-on in her painting career, when a mentor advised her to paint 150.

“He said to me, paint 150 of them and you will be taken seriously,” she recounts. The number has long since surpassed that original goal and the demand for Cook’s arbutus paintings continues unabated. They have been shipped all over the world.

“I never tire of painting them,” says Cook. “Each arbutus inspires the next painting.”

PAINTING BARKERVILLE Cook’s works have been exhibited in such diverse locations as Shanghai, China and the Victoria Art Gallery.

Her work, however, isn’t restricted to trees. She finds intriguing subjects everywhere. She has created a series of paintings featuring ravens and seagulls. She especially likes gulls as a subject. “They are so raucous and saucy, and they have those big, rubbery feet,” she says with a chuckle.

“And there is always something going on with them – never a dull moment!”

The vast collection of canvases that fills Cook’s bright upstairs studio also includes paintings from her trips to the American southwest – it’s such an ingrained part of her persona now that it seems that fascination will never cease. A couple of trips to Barkerville, where Cook served as Artist in Residence to a theatre company, have yielded up a series of works featuring the historic Gold Rush town’s structures, as well as some of its characters.

It was the trips to Barkerville that prompted Cook to use oils as well as acrylic paints for her work. “It was impossible to get the details right in the portraits I was doing in Barkerville,” says Cook. “I found that working on them in oil offered more accuracy.”

Today, Cook works in both mediums, at about a 50/50 split depending on her subject. A couple of current projects have had Cook creating finelydetailed paintings of fishing flies for a new book by Mark Hume, along with a series of studies of heritage churches in southern British Columbia.

So her travels continue, although perhaps at a more measured pace than the early days of junkets to the American southwest as a child.

No matter where she travels or her objective, Cook ends up finding additional, unexpected subjects for her work.

“Basically, I will turn my hand to anything,” she says. “Wherever I go, something catches my eye and launches me into another work.”

WOMEN ON THE LOOSE FALL 2018

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Cook’s artist mother, Charlotte Madison, lives next door to her daughter and remains active in the art world despite her advancing years – she is now 87 – and having endured two small strokes. Cook and Madison have collaborated in the past on joint shows, the most notable being their 2003 event, titled ‘Women on the Loose.’ They also produced a self-published

MONET

re

VISITED

Photos: Page 17: Nana Cook at her home studio. Pages 18 from top, Nana at her home studio, below, Nana and her husband, celebrated Canadian artist, Ken Kirkby. This page, Nana at her home studio.

book together chronicling the decade that Madison spent living and working along Route 66 in Arizona.

involved. In essence, we are saying, here is the show - it’s an entire art show in your hands.

Producing it has been so much fun.”

More recent endeavours involving Cook include a new book published by husband Ken Kirkby titled The Watcher. Very high production values have resulted in an impressive publication featuring 50 drawings and 50 paintings done

by Kirkby that incorporate a back view of Cook surveying various landscapes.

As Cook describes The Watcher, it is part of her husband’s world, and part of her own world.

“It’s really about the life we have created together.”

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FALL 2018

“This book is the story of our relationship as it developed,” recounts Cook. “The book is selfpublished, with no grants or anything. We have been giving the book to friends as a promotion for the art. Ken is selling the artwork through this book, so no galleries or art dealers are

There seems little doubt that Cook’s adventures in life will continue. She and Kirkby were married in their hip waders standing in their favourite fishing lake in the Thompson Nicola region. A good omen, if ever there was one, that there will be more discoveries and adventures that prompt Cook to continue adding to her portfolio.

ROBERT HELD

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Carving out a Lasqueti life in cob Photos and Story by Lissa Alexander The concept for Dave Olsen’s dream house was born out of a disaster.

The Cob house that he and his 13-year-old daughter Anicca now live in sits atop a craggy hilltop on Lasqueti Island. It is 900 square feet, built with sand, clay and straw. Lasqueti is off-grid, which means there’s no BC Hydro or other public utilities that take care of your water or sewage.

Life is simpler on Lasqueti, and that’s why Olsen has spent the last 18 years there.

Not only has Olsen built his home and the other structures on his property with his hands, but he’s installed everything else to make life comfortable. He collects, stores and filters his own water, which is heated by solar panels. Electricity is harnessed from the sun and stored in batteries.

He uses a cob oven and a sun oven for baking, and heat is provided by a wood cook stove and a rocket mass heater which has in floor heating ducts...but life wasn’t always this comfortable.

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dogs up a pathway that winds through the thicket. “In the summer it’s naturally cool, because it absorbs the heat out of the air, and makes the interior space cooler than outside,” he explains. “And then in the winter it will suck up the heat from the wood-stove, and when the wood-stove is done for the night, it will release it, maintaining a constant temperature. So it’s easy to live.” Olsen adds that in 10 years, he’s only done 15 minutes of touch-ups to the plaster and no other maintenance on his cob buildings.

Near the bottom of the pathway, Olsen points out one of the scarce flat areas on the property, and explains that he tented there for about eight years, and built the nearby cob outhouse. A few minutes later, as we reach the crest of the trail, a large, rounded earth structure emerges, its wood and metal roof jutting out high above us. As we get closer, a number of smaller cob buildings also come into view, and it’s as if I’ve stepped into another time.

ANCIENT COB

Cob House construction is an ancient technique of building, and many structures are still lived in around the world, some purportedly 300 to 500 years old. Olsen says the buildings will stand for a minimum of 300 years as long as the roof is replaced when necessary.

Olsen took his first cob workshop in 1996, and from that moment, he was hooked. “It’s great all year round,” he explains as we park our bikes at the bottom of his wooded property and follow his daughter and their three

His Lasqueti Island property includes a chicken coop, angled on the steep landscape, which Olsen explains is very easy to clean and doesn’t allow water to pool.

The cob greenhouse is brimming with greenery behind expansive windows and doors. Olsen admits that the greenhouse design was far from perfect, in fact, it was more of an experiment to see how thin he could go with the walls, he explains. Back when he built it, he was still developing his Fast Cob technology, so it was much more time-consuming. A few years after he built it, he was topping a nearby tree when it came crashing down onto the greenhouse. To Olsen’s surprise, the structure held up.

overhang, overlooking the garden but avoiding a babbling brook that rolls through in the winter. Inside it’s small and cozy with a woodstove that Olsen explains can be up against the wall, because cob is fireproof.

The utility shed is a vertical structure, 64 sq. feet in size, that includes a sleeping loft. Olsen lived in it for a number of years and said it’s a wonderful example of a tiny home.

THE BIG CRASH

Finally we get to the their current home, but as we approach, Olsen begins to tell me the disastrous story of what came before this structure. It took him two and a half years to build a 2,000 square foot home, 50 feet wide, and 35 feet deep with 14-foot ceilings. Looking back, he reveals, he made some mistakes.

Next he shows me his guest house, where his mother sleeps when she comes to visit. The exterior is cantilevered so there is a four-feet

“I didn’t think it through, I didn’t design it from the whole picture first, it was like piecemeal,” he says. >>>

“I thought for sure the whole thing was coming down, I had no doubt,” he recalls. “...But not a crack. I just couldn’t believe it, so that really put some big faith into cob for me.”

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<<<

wet cob.

he explains.

He explains that he built a tunnel for the Ondol heating system, which allows heat from wood smoke outside to travel through the tunnel and heat the floor, before it passes through a chimney. He had a couple of apprentices who wanted to build benches, so they decided to put the benches on either side of the tunnel to soak up some of its warmth. Olsen says he thought the benches would act like support buttresses, so the main support wall would work well between them. But that meant having to build the support wall over the tunnel. “Well I thought, it’s never going to get wet, so it’s going to be fine,” he remembers.

“For three days I was in shock. It was two and a half years of my life down the drain. And then I dreamed up this house,” he beams. “And I was so excited.”

His home boasts an open concept kitchen and living room, heated bed platforms and floors, a bathroom with a pedestal sink on natural stone, and the shower, which will have tiles and drainage rock, is almost complete. The spiral staircase leads upstairs, where there are hand carved design elements which hold books and other trinkets, and glass bottles and wood have been incorporated into the wall for hanging items. Large windows bring in plenty of natural light, and a string of tiny lights along the ceiling add to the ambiance.

Two years later, as he’s putting the finishing touches on the house, his metal order to complete the roof is delayed. After being delayed a number of times, a huge storm blows in, inundating the complex with rain.

“Two days later at six in the morning, I heard a crash, because the main support wall was on this tunnel made of cob,” he says. Eventually the rest of the tunnel collapses, and the support wall above it, leaving a huge pile of destroyed,

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DIRT CHEAP Over the 13 years that Olsen has been hosting workshops, he has taught well over 100 people how to build with cob. His technique has evolved over the years, particularly when a Korean man attended and said he didn’t want to do the mixing part anymore.

He came up with a technique to make bricks, and with some fine tuning, Olsen can now build 30 times faster than the technique he was initially taught. Olsen calls his method “Fast Cob!” His current 900 sq foot home only took him five months to complete, and that was working part time for the first couple of months, and doing 80 per cent of the work himself.

“This technique I’ve developed, you don’t need machines and it’s comparable to the speed of conventional building with wood,”

Bob Gates has been living on Lasqueti part time with his young family and took Olsen’s workshop to open up their options.“It’s a neat medium to work with,” he explains. “You don’t have to use any machines, no gas powered tools, it’s completely fossil fuel free.”

Cob is becoming more appealing to people, he explains, because it’s “dirt cheap” among many other benefits. He cites an Airbnb Cob rental house on Mayne Island that was listed as the most sought-after listing in the country in 2017.

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Olsen agrees that the price is a huge factor in the appeal of cob, and says that it’s also rodent and insect proof, low maintenance and is the healthiest choice for building.

“Health-wise, I’m not enveloping the building in plastic and then therefore having to put in ventilation systems to bring fresh air in, it just naturally breaths,” he says, adding that he doesn’t have to worry about the toxins that come with conventional living. “It’s helping me be a healthy being.”

Olsen offers 6-day workshops on Lasqueti Island, and day tours if people are interested in learning more. Visit his website for photos, videos and more information at cob.lasqueti.ca.

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Photos: Page 20: Dave Olsen and his daughter Anicca sit in front of their cob utility shed and greenhouse on Lasqueti Island.

Page 21, Anicca’s bed upstairs in their main house. Pages 22 & 23, from left, inside their cob home, Dave in the foyer of their cob home, demonstrating how to make cob bricks. This page, the spiral staircase in their home, with an A for Anicca.

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23

JUST SAYIN’

“One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, ‘What if I had never seen this before?

What if I knew I would never see it again?’”

- Rachel Carson Column by Linda Tenney

Trees: Rising above our disregard As our forests burned this summer, I thought of the importance of trees and their symbolism throughout our history.

Cultures around the world have revered trees over the centuries. Banyan trees are venerated in India and believed to fulfil wishes. The “Great Banyan” near Kolkata (Calcutta) India is more than 250 years old and is visited by thousands of travellers each year.

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of Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island. Some of them 800 years old! Awestruck by the size of these giants, we look up and up and muse about the number of rings inside their massive trunks.

Whether those trees still live today or are only mythological, they all hold a special place in the narrative of our history. Trees have been an important symbol for thousands of years and it saddens me that we are reckless about their The ancient Bodhi Tree that once stood in care and preservation. Imagine for a moment, a the Gaya district of India is where Siddhartha world without trees. Certainly a sad and barren Gautama, aka the Buddha, is said to have quietly place.

Trees absorb our carbon dioxide, and we meditated until he achieved enlightenment.

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil breathe the oxygen they release. Annually, each allegedly grew in the Garden of Eden and the one of us needs oxygen from about eight trees bite of its forbidden fruit may have ‘fed’ us a bit to stay alive. There are more than eight billion humans on earth, plus the animals. How many more than anticipated. trees do we need?

An ancient grove of olive trees in Bcheale, Lebanon is purported to be 5,000 years old; We pick the branches of trees laden with fruit quite possibly the oldest trees in the world. and nuts to sustain us. We use trees to protect us Named the Sisters Olive Trees of Noah, could from the blazing sun. We use them to build our they be the source of the olive branch from the homes. Do they, in turn, ask us to acknowledge story of Genesis? There are those who believe so. our symbiotic relationship? Do they lament our choice to cut them down to make way for things I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the mammoths that won’t matter in a hundred years?

Many years ago, I made friends with an old willow that dominated the front yard of my country cottage. Its branches hung to the ground creating a hidden enclave where I could lay on a blanket in privacy. With a distinctive swish across the grass, the willow’s branches swayed in the summer breeze. I thought of the swish as the subtle language of nature ... a language I still don’t understand. That willow and I spent many days together that summer; a friendship with moments I still cherish almost five decades later. I wonder if it’s still there. I hope it is.

While the cause of many wildfires this year was ultimately attributed to lightening, a human hand undoubtedly ignited the remainder.

Perhaps a cigarette carelessly tossed from a moving car. Perhaps the errant spark of a chainsaw; its tiny glow unnoticed among the dry leaves of a thirsty blackberry patch until it burst into flame. So many of our trees were taken this year. Our forests are smaller. Will our breathing become more shallow?

The trees still whispering softly in the wind may be telling us something. But sadly, I think we have stopped listening.

Just sayin’

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TÊTE-À-TÊTE OASIS

25 years of VIU ElderCollege Board Chair and Instructor, Anne Toby Article and photo by Kristi Cox

T

he local 50-plus crowd is flocking to VIU ElderCollege, and for good reason.

With a course catalogue offering everything from art to astronomy, politics to meditation and classic literature to safety, residents with all interests can expand their minds and make meaningful connections. The organization is volunteer-driven, including its many talented instructors, and is administered through Vancouver Island University (VIU).

VIU ElderCollege got off to a strong start back in 1993 with eight courses and 75 attendees. Now, in its 25 anniversary year, VIU ElderCollege offers 91 courses and has almost 1,000 members. The organization has a vision: To be an outstanding source for vibrant and engaging lifelong learning.

Board Chair, Anne Toby, embodies that vision, and brings it to the courses she teaches with VIU ElderCollege.

Q: What do you think has made VIU ElderCollege so successful?

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A: Word of mouth is a lot of it. I find that students travel in pods – that’s the biologist in me. They will take courses and meet each other, and then they’ll travel to different courses together. We’ve stayed away from computer-based courses because the interaction for senior people is so important. They become very good friends.

This community is rich in knowledge and in experience and we have instructors at our fingertips if we can get them interested.

Q: What drew you to become involved with VIU ElderCollege?

A: I’ve always been passionate about teaching.

I have my PhD in genetics. I did research for a while and then I was the coordinator of cooperative education in the faculty of science at Simon Fraser (University). My other passion was teaching citizen science - the ‘gee whiz’ science for people who have no science background.

It’s really a challenge to take something complex and make it simple, but accurate.

What drew me to VIU ElderCollege was being able to do that with older people. It’s nice to teach people who are there because they really want to learn, not because they want to get into medical school. They are very interactive and enthusiastic.

Q: Who are your volunteer instructors?

A: Most are retired from academia, but we do have some with interests in varying areas who are just passionate about what they do.

It’s not necessary that they be a teacher. They have to be knowledgeable about what they’re talking about, and passionate. Passion is huge, and passion draws the students. You can tell because you start to see the enrollments climb in those particular people’s courses.

Q: What would you say to someone who is considering signing up with VIU ElderCollege?

A: Don’t be scared off by thinking you have to have a degree to take these courses. The courses are designed for people with wide varieties of backgrounds, so you’re not expected to be an expert. You come in because you want to learn

Anne Toby, VIU ElderCollege Board Chair and Instructor.

something. A lot of people look at it and think, “Oh Doctor So and So is teaching this course, it’s way beyond me.” It’s not. It’s designed for the lay person who wants to get more information.

It gives people the chance to try it out. There are no exams. There’s nothing that’s going to be put on paper that says you failed this or passed that.

Q: Does VIU ElderCollege provide programming beyond the courses?

A: The Saturday Speakers series runs four to six times per year. The idea is, it’s a way for the University to become part of the community.

VIU ElderCollege hosts it, and it’s open to the community, not just members. We try to bring in people with international reputations if we can. Again, they volunteer their time. It’s amazing. We bring in a wide variety of people with backgrounds that are pretty impressive.

It runs through the spring and fall. They are becoming very popular.

Q: How is VIU ElderCollege Celebrating 25 years?

A: We have a wonderful promotions committee that’s doing this. We’re having an afternoon celebration at Nanoose Place Community Center for members’ only. It’s a celebration of 25 years of success.

Visit viu.ca/eldercollege for more information on offerings and volunteer opportunities.

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