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L I F E O F F T H E B E AT E N PAT H

FEEDING THE PASSION WITH FOOD Dona Amlani shares her love of food with others

THE INFLUENCERS Meet some of the Comox Valley's top entrepreneurs

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FALL 2021 | TR I O MAG A Z IN E

09 17 EDITOR ERIN HALUSCHAK erin.haluschak@comoxvalleyrecord.com As a full-time journalist at the Comox Valley Record, Erin looks forward to bringing these stories to you in a variety of different ways.

GRAPHIC DESIGN TAMMY ROBINSON tammy.robinson@blvdmag.ca An award-wining full-time graphic designer for Black Press with over 15 years experience.

28 PUBLISHER ARTUR CIASTKOWSKI publisher@comoxvalleyrecord.com As the publisher of the Comox Valley Record and Trio Magazine, Artur is excited upon his return to the Valley, and hopes you enjoy this insightful fall edition of Trio Magazine.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR ALI RODDAM ali.roddam@blackpress.ca An experienced photographer, writer, and entrepreneur based in Black Creek.

Trio is produced by:

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ERIN HALUSCHAK Erin.Haluschak@comoxvalleyrecord.com

ALLISON BROWN Allison.brown@comoxvalleyrecord.com

MIKE CHOUINARD Mike.Chouinard@comoxvalleyrecord.com

KIM COOK Kim.cook@comoxvalleyrecord.com

TERRY FARRELL Terry.Farrell@comoxvalleyrecord.com

PETER DIESPECKER Peter.diespecker@comoxvalleyrecord.com

ALEXANDRA STEPHANSON

TRACEY LAWRENCE Tracey.lawrence@comoxvalleyrecord.com

Front cover photo by: Ali Roddam 4

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a division of

Available online: comoxvalleyrecord.com/e-editions PHONE: 1-250-338-5811 MAILING ADDRESS: 407-D Fifth Street, Courtenay V9N 1J7 Trio magazine is published quarterly by Black Press Media. The points of view or opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher of Trio. The contents of Trio magazine are protected by copyright, including the designed advertising. Reproduction is prohibited without written consent of the publisher. Trio Magazine recognizes and respectfully

acknowledges that it is produced on the traditional unceded lands of the K'ómoks First Nation.

30 38

32 43

CONTENTS

FALL 2021 EDITION 6

HANDS ON

Homesteading and forest fire fighting

CREATING OLYMPIC HISTORY

NIC nursing student discovers her heritage through her return to school for a new career

Valley skateboarding judge participates in inaugral event

FOOD FEAST Courtenay's Garage Food Court transforming the Valley

BEAUTY OF SHAMROCK Shamrock Farm is so much more than pumpkins

FINAL TRANSITION Death doula provides for those dying and their loved ones

GROWING LUSH SPACE

FINDING FLIGHT Comox architect combines passion and experience for aviation history

IN CONTROL OF WILDLIFE The art and science of keeping a runway clear at YQQ

46 35

FEEDING THE PASSION Dona Amlani shares her love of food

LUSH Food Action Society putting down roots for their new home

THE INFLUENCERS Advertorial feature to meet some of the Comox Valley's top entrepreneurs

EXPLORING NEW CHAPTERS

10 QUESTIONS WITH ... The Director of Future Students and Community Engagement at NIC, Diane Naugler

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FALL 2021 | TR I O MAGA Z IN E

“THE MOST INTERESTING FIRE I’VE BEEN ON SO FAR WAS IN BELLA COOLA,” SHE NOTES, WHERE RUGGED TERRAIN SURROUNDED A LIGHTNINGSTRUCK TREE IN AN OLD GROWTH FOREST.

ean’a Willis’ hands are tough.

Her short nails are worn down from hauling heavy forest fire fighting hoses through brush. Dirt has collected in the crevices near her cuticles, from digging in the soil on her 12.5acre homestead property, while planting and harvesting. These hands are sturdy working hands. “I started fighting wildfires in 2014,” she says with a smile at her home in Black Creek. Back then women only represented about one in 20 firefighters. She pauses to think while she holds up her fingers, counting the females in the industry that she knows.

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These days, she says, women in firefighting are starting to be a lot more prevalent. “More recently, there was one crew where our crew lead was male, but everyone else was female. It was like a dream team. “The most interesting fire I’ve been on so far was in Bella Coola,” she notes, where rugged terrain surrounded a lightning-struck tree in an old growth forest. Jumping from a hovering helicopter, she held fast to her

HANDS ON: HOMESTEADING AND FOREST FIRE FIGHTING BY ALEXANDRA STEPHANSON PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM/SUBMITTED

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equipment, while the team huffed up the treacherous steep terrain to their target. The initial attack deemed a chainsaw hack appropriate. Saw buzzing and fire hissing, the team hacked the fallen tree to pieces. In swooped the helicopter, dowsing the blaze with bucket after bucket of sea water. Firmly, Willis gripped her tool, chopping adjacent roots, grubbing up the ground, exposing and releasing heat, quenching smouldering nearby embers, until all that was left was smoke and a lingering sense of pride.

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Willis rubs her fingers through the hair of her dog, aptly named Valour.

Every day is hard work, when Willis’ vision is to be self-sufficient.

Here on her property she is calm and relaxed. She reaches up and picks an apple, the literal fruit of her homesteading labour. Pointing out at her garden, she rhymes off some of her crops: “chard, kale, beets, cherries, hazelnuts.”

“It just feels so good to not have to be reliant on outside sources for food, power and water,” she muses.

When she and the others who live on the property arrived, the back was full of invasive ‘elephant grass’ that they communally pulled out to create the garden beds. Chickens run across her path, and ducks quack as they scurry past. “We like having the chickens free roaming. We call the eggs ‘happy eggs,’ because they are happy chickens, and they are happy chickens because they are free.”

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The current goal is to produce and store as much food as possible. Now is the time for action, as it’s both fire season and harvest season. It’s not until winter comes that Willis’ tough and callused hands turn to more delicate work. Her calm watercolour brush strokes reveal the depths of her internal peace during the dark months, when she takes to painting. It is no wonder she needs such healing rejuvenation, so that she can begin it all again when spring comes.

COMOX VALLEY’S OWN

‘GRANVILLE ISLAND’ Courtenay Garage Food Court transforming the area BY TERRY FARRELL PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM

he first summer of activity at the Courtenay Garage Food Court is just wrapping up, and what an evolution it’s been. From two food trucks at its outset, to five food outlets, e-bike and e-scooter rentals, live music and guest artists, the area next to the Courtenay Slough is catching on as a tourist, and locals, destination. The live music has been a real hit for the Garage. “It’s been really well received,” said Courtenay Garage manager Jay Begg, “Outdoor venues, and obviously people haven’t heard live music for quite a while through (the pandemic) it’s been a real draw. We’ve been doing it weekly, just kind of seeing who reaches out to us.” He is also bringing in some art vendors in September, to further diversify the area. Begg said the end of the summer will slow things down a little, but he expects a couple of the trucks to stay throughout the winter months.

FALL 2021 | TR I O MAGA Z IN E

In the meantime, once the summer rush is over, he plans on renovating the area, adding more seating.

One of the latest additions to the Courtenay Garage is the availability of e-bikes and e-scooters to rent.

“I’m going to build a deck that’s going to run the length of the area down to the sea can, so the tables can sit on an elevated deck, with a railing, and maybe even cover it, so we can have outdoor dining year-round.”

“It’s been a couple of weeks now,” said Begg. “The guy we partnered up with is based out of Campbell River… he has a location there, one here, and a location at Pacific Playgrounds. It‘s just one of the joint efforts to get these things out there

T R I O M AG A Z IN E | FA L L 2 02 1

and let people have some fun.” Rob McBride owns the Phat Parrot, one of the original food trucks on the lot, and he loves the set-up. “It’s been great,” he said. “There are still plans of cafes and breweries… it hasn’t happened yet, but… that just takes time.” Local entrepreneur Cameron Yee has a

vision of creating the Comox Valley’s own little ‘Granville Island’ area, combining food, arts and culture along a waterfront setting. What started as a two-truck venture, with the Phat Parrot and Pupuseria Las Gemelas, has evolved into five outlets now, with Jackknife Pizza, Churro, and Respect the Drip - which will be moving from down the street later this month.

“So we will have Respect the Drip, and hopefully at least three food trucks down here throughout the winter,” said Begg.

There is also the building that used to be the car garage, which Begg hopes to develop.

He said that as far as the first summer goes, it was a success.

“Developing this space into something cool for next year, or in the near future, is high on the list,” he said. “We just have to get the proper engineering in (the building) and … make it structurally sound.”

“It brought a lot of exposure to the location, and it was well received by everybody. I think we fared pretty well. Now we are trying to diversify as much as we can.”

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FALL 2021 | TR I O MAGAZ IN E

THE BEAUTY OF SHAMROCK FARM So much more than pumpkins BY ALEXANDRA STEPHANSON

PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM

“S

o the philosophy is, anything here can just come straight out of the ground, and you can eat it,” Mike Farrell of Shamrock Farm, proclaims, husking a fresh ear of sweet corn. It’s unbelievably delicious, as if you can taste the care and thought that’s gone into its growth. Shamrock Farm stands today as a lush, diverse agricultural haven, but it’s taken a long time to cultivate. Shannon Farrell muses as she looks out from her porch. “I always was a city girl who wanted to be in the country.” Mike, on the other hand, grew up on a farm. Once they met, Shannon says, they “got married fairly quickly.” She laughs thinking back on all those years. When they had newly bought the property 28 years ago, Mike and Shannon remember a friend looking at their single garden plot and saying “I dare you to grow more pumpkins,” and so it all began. The farm grew, and so did their family. It wasn’t long before the three Farrell boys were born and found their own ways to engage with the land. Shannon fondly recalls their involvement with the local 4H club. “I remember Jesse had a big white rooster named KFC when he was five or six years old.” The boys have grown up; the flock of chickens has multiplied and the variety of crops has expanded. Shannon pulls out a calendar, where the monthly planting schedule, written out by hand, begins in January. They follow a practice called succession planting, whereby each crop has multiple plant and harvest dates. This

T R I O M AG A Z IN E | FA LL 2 02 1

way, they can sustainably sell all of their products, instead of harvesting hundreds of cauliflowers. With smaller harvests and more diversity, they are able to maximize profits through smaller scale sales, at the farmers’ market, their farm stand at the end of their driveway, and online sales through their website. Everything about the farm is well thought out. “It’s a scale that’s sustainable. Our size

allows us to feasibly maintain the crops with manual labour and machinery,” Mike says. Shannon explains they had a crop of carrots that simply needed too much weeding. In the end it wasn’t going to make sense for the price they could get, so they gave up on them for this year.

She opens a door in the barn to a wafting aroma of her newest pursuit, pumpkin goats’ milk soap, of course made from products found here on the property.

With her “learn from your mistakes” attitude, Shannon is fearless about trying new things.

Further down the hall, laughter can be heard. The hired hands are all gathered around “stripping” fragrant dried lavender buds, for winter distillation. All four workers are female; Erin Hersco stands out.

“Some work and some don’t,” she adds about her refreshing and carefree take on life at the farm.

She’s been at the farm for around eight years. Her ease with her companions and tasks is obvious -they all have tea FALL 2021 | TR I O MAGAZ IN E

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together with Shannon every afternoon. “They are just wonderful and we couldn’t do it without them,” Shannon says. Next she's hopping on a tractor with to Mike, and it’s back to the far field to harvest broccoli before it “bolts” (flowers). Though the employees work hard long hours, Shannon and Mike normally start earlier and work later than everyone. The broccoli is beyond an electric fence (to keep raccoons out), and grows within a smooth black weed-barrier made of compostable material, which also helps minimize watering. So much care and attention to detail has been cultivated over the years. Shannon holds up a broccoli head lovingly admiring the harvest. Though there is no doubt it is hard work, the Farrell’s are wise in their practices, and rich in experience. It is not easy, but it is dreamy, for that little girl who always wanted to be in the country.

A DV E RTO R IA L F E AT U RE

THE

PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM

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A DV E RTO R IA L F E AT U RE

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FALL 2021 | TR I O MAGAZ IN E

CREATING OLYMPIC HISTORY Valley skateboarding judge participates in inaugural event BY TERRY FARRELL

ike Prangnell finally saw his sport debut at the Olympics, and he got to be a part of it, even after retirement. The former professional skateboarder

TR I O M AG A Z IN E | FA LL 2 02 1

PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM/SUBMITTED

was a judge for the men’s and women’s ‘park’ event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, held in August of this year, and he said it was great to see the sport finally reach Olympic recognition.

“It was amazing to be there and be part of it,” he said. “I think they did a really good job of keeping the event a skateboarding event. Even during the finals... they were playing all these old punk rock bands, like

Slayer, and all these obscure bands, and I was thinking ‘we are listening to punk rock music at the Olympics and there are people skateboarding, It was pretty neat. “Everybody I spoke with said they loved it and whether you are a skateboarder or not, I think they kind of connected with it.” Prangnell said due to COVID-19 restrictions, the experience was considerably toned down from what one would expect. It had a definitive ‘all business’ feel to it. “If it would have been a regular Olympic year, it would have been more exciting, with things going on,” he said. “We were essentially in this sort of weird, quarantine bubble, where we stayed in our hotel, took specific cabs to our event, specific shuttle buses, and we weren’t really supposed to be out in the general public. So that certainly limited our experiences as far as checking out the city, or checking out other events. “I arrived a few days before, then we had one day after the event, then we were gone. No closing ceremonies, or going to other Olympic events. It was basically there, working at our events, and leaving.

And they were long days. I got picked up at 5:45 in the morning and I wasn’t back at the hotel until 7 p.m.”

As for the men, Prangnell was surprised the Americans did not have a better showing.

The park event had competitors perform 45-second runs in a bowl-type course, featuring different transition walls, curves and obstacles.

“I thought the Americans were going to do better - I am not sure why they didn’t,” he said. “When I saw the lineup, there were a few guys from the states I thought were going to be top-five and they didn’t even get into the semifinal. But hey, it’s a skateboard competition. It could be the guy didn’t get a good night’s sleep the night before, it could be anything. There is one aspect that a lot of these skateboarders faced, men and women; this is the first time that they are not just entering a contest for themselves. A lot of these people have been competing for years, but it’s always just been ‘for me’ and all of a sudden, they have their country behind them. Maybe that did add to the pressure.”

The athletes were allowed three runs, with the best score being used for advancement into the semifinals and finals. The runs have to be clean. A fall marks the end of the run, with no score posted. Prangnell said the women’s event was particularly eye-opening. “There were a lot of young girls in this event, and I think with women’s skateboarding specifically, the trajectory of advancement is skyrocketing,” he said. “We are in a situation with the women’s side that if the Olympics had happened a year ago, when it was supposed to happen, these girls would have not been on the podium - it would have been another group altogether. At the next Olympics it might even be another group, because they are rapidly advancing so much.”

Prangnell said while Paris 2024 is still a few years away, he would love the opportunity to judge again. “I’m not really sure what will happen with Paris. We won’t find out whether I will be asked to judge until we are about a year out. But I wouldn’t turn it down. I’d go there. Sure. Why not?”

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PAYING ATTENTION INTO THE FINAL TRANSITION Death doula provides for people who are dying and their loved ones BY MIKE CHOUINARD PHOTO BY ALI RODDAM

T R I O M AG A Z IN E | FALL 2 02 1

hristina Nienaber-Roberts had a background in geology. She was the child of academics and skeptics, and grounded in Newtonian physics when growing up in South Africa. She travelled around the globe for work, but a cancer scare years ago brought on a profound shift in the way she approached life – and death. In her case, it was a voice in a dream telling to get a lump checked. She started looking into Eastern thought, studying illness and how people can heal themselves. In her case, she paid focus to eating, sleeping, yoga, mediation and became conscious of chakras, or energy centres in the body, and their influence. Her health improved, but she understood if that was not her time, the time would come and she needed to be ready. “I needed to find out why people get ill,” she says. “To me, the cancer scare was the best thing that’s happened.” She left her career and began her path as a death doula – a service she offers, along with others including birth doula. “The transitions both into and out of life are very profound,” she says. Beyond her birth and death doula services

at Relax and Feel Radiant, she does other work involving yoga, massage and energy work, which she describes as a blend of practices such as reiki, healing touch, sacred movement – all of which is described on her website.

Roberts works with individuals and their loved ones to help them understand the process and provide comfort.

Regarding being a death doula, she cites the importance of her parents’ deaths and how these affected her. When visiting her mother during her mother’s later years, she learned from others too, particularly in the home where her mother lived. “One of them I really bonded with was a little old Scottish lady who had no family,” she says.

Part of being a death doula, she says, involves interpreting symbolic language, which can take the form of words one who is dying uses or their gestures. Often, this means metaphors, such as speaking about flying or needing a passport, which might suggest the person is nearing death. In her mother’s case, it was wanting her bags packed. Often, the person is trying to resolve something or let their loved ones know it’s OK to let go. “It’s really important to pay attention,” she says. “The more we listen, the more we learn.”

The woman encouraged her to become a death doula when she returned to Canada.

Nienaber-Roberts stresses she works with people at where they are in life – that they do not have to have set of beliefs, and more people are opening up to the transition – facing the inevitable, not out of fear or pain but of acceptance or the chance to address key questions. For her, this work has become the opportunity of a lifetime.

Nienaber-Roberts also spent 15 years volunteering with the local hospice society, and she credits them for the support they provide for people who are dying and their loved ones. “It’s so enriching, it’s so enlightening,” she says. Her training included palliative massage and working with the body’s energy. Through her own services, Nienaber-

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GROWING INTO THEIR OWN SPACE LUSH Food Action Society putting down roots in their own home BY MIKE CHOUINDARD

T R I O M AG A Z IN E | FA LL 2 02 1

PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM

or LUSH Valley Food Action Society, the last few years have brought growth. With that comes challenges.

The organization has needed a permanent home, and after finalizing financing and getting board approval, the organization was in position this summer to announce it had secured a location in Courtenay’s Tin Town – a place where it can finally grow some roots.

“Our organization is at this crossroads at the moment,” says executive director Maurita Prato. “We’ll need a secure space if we’re going to continue to provide services.” LUSH’s pandemic response has shown they have been able to respond with projects like the Hot Meal Program to changing demands from the community, particularly during a time of uncertainty,

when many people face food insecurity. “We’re growing and showing ourselves capable of running these programs,” Prato says. Just over 20 years ago, the group started, getting some help from the Wachiay Friendship Centre. “We worked out of a small, mobile cooler that year,” Prato says.

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Eventually, they found a 300-squarefoot office space to us, but they have outgrown it. In recent years, they have been using space where they can find it – for example, at the curling club in the summer months when the ice is not in. This has provided room for programs like the Good Food Boxes, through which food is bused to schools and distributed each week to about 800 kids and families. “Our Good Fox Box is now in its third year,” she says.

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Now they have the space to do this work. As of October, the new LUSH home will be in Tin Town, at Rosewall Crescent. The location itself is central to the entire regional district and provides 2,200 square feet in four separate areas: a warehouse space for storing and packing food, office spaces and meeting space, and site of a future commercial kitchen. “We’re going to have to phase into the other spaces,” Prato says. Having a stable home should also help them leverage funding for continued programming, especially when compared with trying to operate of smaller spaces.

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“I think of us as a fairly unique organization,” she says. “If we go back historically, we’re hard to house.”

Yet the space is needed. LUSH has 14 staff members, though this number can fluctuate with seasonal programming, like when summer students positions are filled. “We’ve seen tremendous growth over the last few years,” she says. As well, the organization has about 120 active volunteers who pick food, garden, pack Good Food Boxes and help with Hot Meal programming. In all, she estimates the list of people with some kind of connection to the group is about 400. Part of the LUSH’s success comes from its partnerships, with local governments, businesses, farms and community organizations like Comox Valley Family Services and the Wachiay Friendship Centre. They have been offered temporary homes recently at places like the curling club or Kloverdalen Farm. Running the organization and paying for the new home still costs money though, and they are raising funds, which might mean sending appeals for support, running quilt raffles or hosting events such as a fundraiser dinner at Amara Farms in September. “We’re doing a bunch of things,” Prato says. “We’ll have to continue with the capital campaign.”

MILITARY MUSEUM CURATION An architect’s influence BY ALEXANDRA STEPHANSON

omox Valley architect Tom Dishlevoy, swivels in his chair and peers up at his office ceiling, where a remote control plane hangs as decoration. The space is well designed. A cheerful green accent wall is balanced by a clean white cubbies which hold typical large rolls of architecture paper. The harmony

PHOTOS BY SUBMITTED

between form and function in his mind is evident in every detail. “My dad passed away a couple of years ago, and I was cleaning out the garage with my mom. I opened up a filing cabinet drawer, and there was this box. I opened it up. (It was) all covered in faded brown tissue paper…I pulled it out and there was the first little airplane that I had ever built.”

The far wall is covered entirely by a white board. It is used as a tool used for hive mind projects, community input and workshops. Sharing and developing ideas to their full potential is a critical part of Dishlevoy’s work. While his creative and mathematical mind has long had an interest in planes, it was a passionate community member who

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brought him in on a project with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Years ago, Dave Melon came to him and said “you know that Vampire Jet that has been sitting in the airport for 20 years? We want to do a project, to put it in the (air force museum) airpark.” The Vampire Jet is a single-engine, twin-boom aircraft. In its heyday, from 1948 through to the late 1950s, it was a popular fighter jet with the RCAF because it was considered easy to fly. While the Vampire’s wings, tail and booms are made of metal, the pod is constructed mainly of wood, leaving it susceptible to the elements. Since its acquisition, the Vampire jet at 19 Wing Comox, has been “completely in the way of military operations,” Dishlevoy explains. It is currently being stored in the Wash Hanger, where its vulnerable wood is inadvertently drenched and dried daily. The old relic is overdue for its permanent resting place, where it can be admired by museum goers.

T R I O M AG A Z IN E | FALL 2 02 1

Melon is determined to see it there. Together, the pair started working off of Melon’s preliminary sketches and ideas for the shelter. Dishlevoy pulls up digital

“MY DAD PASSED AWAY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND I WAS CLEANING OUT THE GARAGE WITH MY MOM. I OPENED UP A FILING CABINET DRAWER, AND THERE WAS THIS BOX. I OPENED IT UP. (IT WAS) ALL COVERED IN FADED BROWN TISSUE PAPER…I PULLED IT OUT AND THERE WAS THE FIRST LITTLE AIRPLANE THAT I HAD EVER BUILT.”

storyboard files dating back to 2011. The inspirational image that pops up on his screen is a glass UBC building, which houses and displays an old coach wagon. There has been much debate on the look of the pavilion between Melon, Dishlevoy, the museum and base. One idea put forward utilized pre-engineered steel with only a couple of tiny windows. Another involved heavy timber trusses and big wood posts, with local materials Dishlevoy explains, but the mental picture he had was of something “modern and lightweight.” Idea evolution is key to his work. He gives space for his own and others’ considerations around materials, layout, size, feel and most importantly utility.

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“We’re now going all steel, so that it can be skinny and light. I want the roof to disappear, to seem to be floating over top, and then glass all the way around.”

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Dishlevoy moves his hands, augmenting his description. Construction should begin soon, and like all of his projects, it is bound to be well thought out, simple and sophisticated in its design.

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NURSING STUDENT EXPLORING NEW CAREER AND CREE HERITAGE BY SUSANNE JOLLY PHOTOS BY LEE SIMMONS

or NIC Practical Nursing student Joni Schootstra, COVID-19 was the push she needed to go back to school and start a new career. “I have always felt that I have a sort of natural knack for nursing,” said Schootstra. “My mother has had a variety of health care needs. I was the one to perform all the care for her. She didn’t feel comfortable having anyone else caring for her and so I learned how to do what was needed.” Schootstra is currently in her first year of the Practical Nursing program. She has found the program to be rewarding and challenging. “The program is challenging, but the instructors are supportive and understanding,” she explained. “The students are also really supportive of one another. Our cohort has a real team-like atmosphere.”

TR I O M AG A Z IN E | FALL 2 02 1

The transition back to being a student wasn’t always smooth, but thanks to NIC’s instructors and additional educational supports, Schootstra learned to navigate the challenges of the program. “I knew to expect that standards would be high. It’s good that standards are high because I want to rise up to that as a nurse,” said Schootstra. Along with learning about nursing, she also is learning more about her Indigenous heritage. It was only recently that she began learning more about her mother’s heritage and her own identity. “My family is Cree, members of the Peepeekisis First Nation in Saskatchewan. Recently I met three cousins and a second auntie for the first time, and I’m learning a lot about the connections, and where they are now. My grandmother spent eight years in

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FEEDING THE PASSION WITH COOKING BY TERRY FARRELL PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM

T R I O M AG A Z IN E | FA LL 2 02 1

ona Amlani’s passion for cooking comes from her rural upbringing, on her homestead farm in Langley. “I’ve always been passionately in love with food and everything to do with food,” said the spry 70-year-old Comox Valley resident. “I came from a big family, was raised on a farm, and dinnertime was always ‘the’ time. That’s the time that you sat together and you enjoyed the harvest of your work. My dad and mom were both passionate about food… so there was a lot of love in my family kitchen. You’d wake up in the morning and smell breakfast, then lunch, dinner, and bread in the oven.” Much of Almani’s working life has surrounded cooking in some form or another. As a teen, she travelled up north to cook for a camp in the oilfields. She said the best part of that job was the ability to get creative with her cooking. “The men are going to eat it regardless, so I could do a lot,” she said. “And I really love the whole idea, the satisfaction of working so hard, then seeing people really feel good about my food. “I always loved it, but never thought about it being a career. That being said, my first trip to Europe on my own, I worked in quite a few restaurants and I experienced all those cuisines…. But I never imagined it to bring me a living. But I could never get tired of the awe of it all.” Amlani’s passion for food is perhaps only surpassed by her passion for sharing her food. She ‘caters’ to the staff at the family business, Sure Copy, once a week. Many long-time Comox Valley residents will remember the family restaurant, Aladdin’s House of Tandoori in Courtenay (where Yiamas Greek Taverna is located). “We did that for a short period of time, but running both businesses proved to be quite a challenge, logistically,” said her son, Adil. “But it was a wonderful experience,” noted Dona. “I had moved up here from Victoria to retire… and the boys were trying to find something to satisfy me. They worked so hard on that restaurant, and the energy that the family put in… that was so satisfying, but the wear and tear was too great.” She also spent many years sharing her recipes with the schools her boys were attending in the Lower Mainland. Dona has many specialty dishes, but

DONA’S COCONUT CHICKEN CURRY ( serves 4-6) 1 kg Chicken Breast cut into 1 inch cubes 1 - 15oz Thick Coconut Milk or Coconut Cream 1 - 13oz Crushed Tomatoes 4 Tbsp. Cooking Oil Olive, Canola, or Vegetable 1 Tsp. Butter I Medium Onion minced 2.5 Tbsp. Garlic Puree 2 Tbsp. Ginger Paste use fresh Ginger if possible 2 Tsp. Sea Salt 1 Tsp. Paprika, Cumin, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala, Turmeric, Red Chili Pepper. If you desire a stronger flavour you can add a bit more turmeric and red chilli powder at the end of your cooking 2-3 Tsp. Lemon Juice 2-3 Tbsp. Sugar ½ Cup Chopped Cilantro omit if desired 1 Red Bell Pepper Diced 1 Cup Frozen Green Peas optional In a pot or saucepan add oil and butter, sauté onions until slightly golden, add ginger and garlic puree. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix all the spices with salt, sugar, lemon, add a little bit of water to make a smooth paste, add to saucepan and saute for a few minutes. Add chicken breast to mixture and cook on medium high for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomato purée and cook covered on medium heat for 15-20 minutes until chicken is nice and tender (mixture will become thick). If it appears to be too thick, add a touch of water. Add coconut milk, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cilantro, bell pepper and frozen peas (Optional) Season to taste with fresh lemon and sea salt Serve with basmati rice or saffron Basmati rice with a scoop of yogurt and fresh cilantro to garnish. The true art to curry is flavour. Once you learn how the spices together, you can add or take away the amount of spice that suit your palate.

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if there was one dish to be labelled her signature dish, Adil said it has to be her ground beef and potato curry. “My brother, Adam, and I were talking about this… that is probably one of the first curries she learned to cook, and she used to come into our classes, when we were growing up in Surrey. Back in those days there really weren’t a lot of East Indian communities, so she offered to come and cook for our class. She would bring in all the ingredients and she would cook this ground beef and potato curry and serve it in these little Styrofoam cups, to everyone in the class. Of course it smelled so good in the hallways, all the teachers would come by, and everybody was fascinated with these smells they had never smelled before. So that became a tradition. She did that with me, did that for my brother, for my sister, and my oldest daughter and my youngest daughter, in their schools. “That was probably the one I always cooked because the palate, the taste, was smooth enough for kids that had never tried it before,” said Dona. She has also shared her cuisine talents with the Comox Valley community at large, not only catering functions, but also as a feature auction item at such major events as the YANA Big Love Banquet. “That was fun, the dinner was for 16 people. Adil signed me up for that one,” said Dona, laughing. “I like to keep her busy,” quipped Adil. And what advice does Dona have for fledgling chefs? “Take chances. Explore. And work with someone who has a passion for food,” said Dona. “And remember, there’s no such thing as failure.”

ANIMAL TRAINING

IN WILDLIFE CONTROL

The art and science of how to keep an airport runway clear BY ALEXANDRA STEPHANSON PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM

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The idea of a ‘wildlife-free’ runway is something that never crosses the minds of air travel passengers at the Comox Valley Airport, but for Ken Spakeen, his son Ryan and their co-worker Jordan Olberg, it is always top of mind. “Most people jump on the airplane and have no idea that someone was right in front of them moving a bunch of birds,” Ryan explains.

Work starts at 5 a.m. for Ryan. He works 12 hour shifts, seven days a week. All three of them work on contract at CFB Comox under the business name of West Coast Wildlife Control Services and think of their work as conservation; they are protecting humans and animals. Wildlife that they have seen on the base that has the potential to interfere with air traffic includes deer, raccoons, hawks, falcons, starlings, bears and seagulls. In the past, Ken says “three or four thou-

sand seagulls” would typically stop in the Comox Valley during their migration, to feed on the salmon runs. They started to linger, alternately feasting on waste from the dump and the worms that pop out on the air fields after the rain. Ken has been doing this for years, so he understands the process. “Our busy season is from about October to March. That’s when all the birds migrate … and they require two things: somewhere to eat, and some type of open water.

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We’ve got both … and the more they have to eat, the more of them stay. So they have been building and building and building at the landfills, and on wet, windy rainy days, the easier food is at the airport … you have thousands of worms come out of the ground and go out onto the runways.” The simple answer of “I train them,” is what Ken gives to the question of how to deal with so many birds. His technique has been honed since his first contract started locally 18 years ago. He boasts more than 40 years of experience in wildlife management, including 18 years as a conservation officer in Manitoba and Alberta, which followed a two-year diploma in Environmental Sciences.

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“In the beginning, I would not let them sit,” he says of his relentless conditioning of the birds. “Then you follow that up by going all over the property, because they’ll sit anywhere.” He needs to ensure the responses are not situation-specific. During the operant conditioning phase, “we use lots of pyrotechnics,” he notes. When necessity dictates shooting a bird, the incident is used to

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train the flock. The team capitalizes on what is already a mesmerizing moment for the birds, by maximizing its conspicuousness. “If you do shoot something, it’s out you get (from the truck). They’re all there flying around looking at what you’re doing. You get out the laser. You shine it on the bird as you’re walking up to it. You get up to it. You shake it around. Then you fire a pyro off.” Henceforth, the birds associate the “pyro” with death, in what animal psychologists call positive punishment. This means that the stimulus (the “pyro” in this case) decreases the behaviour (sitting). Eventually the birds become attuned to the “pyro” being paired with other signals. The laser, and ultimately just the sight of the truck, become closely enough associated with death, that they alone evoke the desired response, in what is called “stimulus substitution,” or “second-and-third-level conditioning.” For Ken, the process is simple. “I just have to deal with their habits, and dealing with their habits is pretty easy,” he says with a smile.

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10 QUESTIONS WITH DIANE NAUGLER PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM

Diane Naugler of Courtenay is the new Director of Future Students and Community Engagement at North Island College. They have been living in the Comox Valley and employed at NIC for the past five years. Originally from the Maritimes, Diane has taken to Vancouver Island life. Along with George (a six-year-old French Bulldog cross) they are regulars along the Rotary Airpark Trail, Kye Bay and Saratoga beaches. “My family and I are so happy to call Courtenay home,” Diane says. “Working at NIC gives me the opportunity to contribute to the growth and vibrancy of our region on a daily basis.” What is something you’re really proud of? My wonderful marriage to my partner Kate. When I was younger, I couldn’t imagine that we would even be able to get married. All that changed in B.C. in 2003 and I’m grateful every day. What is a random fact about you that few people might know? Well, I’m pretty much a collection of random facts. I can read upside down. I didn’t get my driver’s licence until I was 42. I could go on… What is a skill you’d like to learn and why? Stand-up comedy. Making people laugh is always fun. Someday it would be great to see if total strangers would enjoy my sense of humour. What is the most rewarding part of your job? Well, I don’t think that I know yet. I’m really looking forward to helping to showcase the incredible stories of accomplishment and transformation that happen every day at NIC. And I love bringing people together. As part of my new role I will be leading the development of a new college-wide alumni association and am excited to connect with our alumni. If you could only keep five possessions, what would they be? My wedding rings. A gel ink pen and a sketchbook. My sense of self, I’ve fought hard for it and I don’t want to lose it anytime soon.

It’s still a pandemic. Coffee, tea or other what is your go-to drink? Tea. A black tea/lemonade blend, usually in an NIC travel cup. Where would you spend a long time doing nothing (or relaxing)? Anywhere by water, especially the ocean. That’s really my favourite part of living in the Comox Valley: access to the ocean. The saltwater tinge in the air, the sounds, the wildlife. Gets me every time. If you could teach at one post-secondary school anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. My time there as an undergrad changed my life. It’s where I realized that I wanted to teach. I would love the chance to be part of that learning community again. You have lived on both the east and west coasts in Canada - where is the best place for storm watching? That’s tough. Don’t make me choose. One of my most vivid childhood memories is of watching lightning strikes over the ocean at night on Prince Edward Island. And, of course, the whole Ucluelet/ Long Beach storm experience is just majestic. What makes your heart beat faster? Kate. The start of a new school year. Approaching the high score on a pinball game. FALL 2021 | TR I O MAGA Z IN E

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