December 15, 2021

CREATING A PLATFORM

Erin Brillon making her mark on media L I F E O F F T H E B E AT E N PAT H

TAKING CENTRE STAGE

The Old Church Theatre is coming back to life

GOING 3D

Building a foundation for makers

COMOX

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CUMBERLAND

WINTER 2021 - comoxvalleyrecord.com

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10 14 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.

22 PUBLISHER ARTUR CIASTKOWSKI publisher@comoxvalleyrecord.com As the year comes to a close, we would like to wish everyone a happy holiday season and look forward to sharing more local content in 2022.

Thank you for your support.

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

Trio is produced by:

CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS

ADVERTISING SALES

ERIN HALUSCHAK Erin.Haluschak@comoxvalleyrecord.com

ALLISON BROWN Allison.Brown@comoxvalleyrecord.com

MIKE CHOUINARD Mike.Chouinard@comoxvalleyrecord.com

JENIKA MARTIN Jenika.Martin@comoxvalleyrecord.com

TERRY FARRELL Terry.Farrell@comoxvalleyrecord.com

PETER DIESPECKER Peter.Diespecker@comoxvalleyrecord.com

SCOTT STANFIELD Scott.Stanfield@comoxvalleyrecord.com

TRACEY LAWRENCE Tracey.Lawrence@comoxvalleyrecord.com

Front cover photo by: Chad Hipolito 4

TR I O M AG A Z IN E | W I N TER 2 02 1

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.

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30 36 WINTER 2021 EDITION 6

GETTING A LEG UP CVSAR K-9 an integral part of rescue team

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MAKING A MARK WITH ART Indigenous artist uses comic book covers to explore Indian Act

14 TAKING CENTRE STAGE

19 INSPIRATION FROM AROUND Comox jewelry maker focuses on nature, reused materials

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RISING THROUGH THE RANKS Comox's Darryl Taylor's legacy in the Canadian Forces

FINDING THEIR JAM Luxury picnics making memories with local food

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SOLDIERING ON Connecting members and veterans through sport and recreation

The Old Church Theatre is coming back to life

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46 CONTENTS

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Thermal cameras added to VIRL's ciruclation

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NOT GETTING BORED Comox gamemaker launches Duel Arena

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NATURAL INSPIRATION Artistic residency program inspires

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GOING 3D Building a foundation for makers

CREATING A PLATFORM Erin Brillon making waves on traditional and social media

A BETTER LOOK AT THE LIBRARY

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10 QUESTIONS WITH ...

Kate Fish

jane@janedenham.com wwww.janedenham.com

WINTER 2021 | TR I O MAG A Z IN E

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GETTING A LEG UP CVSAR K-9 integral part of rescue team

BY SCOTT STANFIELD PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM/SUBMITTED

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TRI O M AG A Z IN E | W I NTER 2 02 1

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omox Valley Search and Rescue comprises of a dedicated team of volunteers — including a few dogs and handlers who comprise the K-9 Rescue.

“We are an important element because we end up contributing to the whole team effort,” said Chris Smith, CVSAR’s lead dog handler, who joined the team in 2008. His dog is a golden retriever named Axl. “This my third search and rescue dog. If you like doing things with your dog, and you can contribute and help the community at the same time, it’s a win-win. Even in sideways rain, it’s still fun to be out with your dog.”

CVSAR has three K-9 teams, two of them qualified and one in training. The two qualified dogs are golden retrievers. The other, which is close to being validated, is a black lab.

Smith said mid- to large-size retrievers, German shepherds, labradors and Belgian malinois are often used for search and rescue operations.

“There are preferred breeds but there’s no real limitation. It’s more about the temperament of the dog than it is about the breed,” said Smith, who is part of the B.C. Search Dog Association. “Not all dogs can be search dogs. To be a working dog in search and rescue, they have to have quite a high drive and high energy level, and be super friendly with people, and willing to please mom or dad. These are some key traits when you’re looking for a search dog.”

Training a dog for search and rescue is typically about a twoyear process, he added.

“We like to start them young, because it’s better to start from square one and not develop bad habits. We have a program that starts with a puppy assessment.”

Axl passed his first validation test at 18 months of age.

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A person’s training starts with learning about search and rescue before becoming a dog handler. Along with obedience, twice-weekly training involves learning how to spend time with, and how to read a dog.

“We expect handlers to be able to read their dogs well enough to say, ‘He might be onto something,’ and understand the difference between a squirrel running up a tree, or possibly a person or article of clothing nearby.”

Another aspect for handlers and dogs is comfort around helicopter noise, considering the need to search backcountry areas.

Teams are validated in the Wilderness Air Scent profile, which involves searching for articles or human scent in the bush. The association is also asking members to learn how to track, which is a different profile.

“Right now, to be a qualified handler in B.C., it’s called air scenting. That means the dog is not as focused on stuff on the ground like tracks and footprints. They’re more interested in the scent given off by articles of clothing or people. This is one of the misconceptions I think that people have where we present the dog with an article of clothing from the subject who’s lost, and that’s not really how it works in B.C. We train the dog to look for things in the bush that smell like humans.”

This could be a heavily scented sweater or a shoe, for instance, that is planted in the bush for at least 24 hours.

“We gradually increase the duration and difficulty and challenges for the dog,” Smith said. “But initially, it’s just teaching them how to respond to human scented stuff.”

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UNCOVERING THE TRAUMA OF RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS THROUGH ART

BY TERRY FARRELL PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM

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few years ago, Indigenous artist Damian John left his career as a massage therapist, to concentrate on his art.

“I had 10 or 11 years as a massage therapist, when I just felt that I wanted to devote more time to my creative side, and slowly but surely, did less and less massage, until I decided to give myself over full-time to doing my artistic endeavours, much to the detriment of my bank account,” he quipped.

More recently, John has strayed from the typical path of landscapes and nature, to statement-themed art.

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His current exhibit, Cover Up, which can be seen at Artful: The Gallery in Courtenay, is a glaring example of that.

As described by an Artful release announcing the show, “Cover-Up” comprises a series of comic book covers relating to The Indian Act and eight acrylic mixed media pieces.

John’s comic book covers deal directly with major themes relating to intergenerational trauma among Indigenous peoples in Canada and are part of his efforts to explore and represent, through a variety of media, the legacy of trauma that continues to

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affect Indigenous communities and individuals in Canada today.

“It’s only been in the last two years that I really shifted gears to make statements about the things that are related to Indigenous people, mainly, because that is my wheelhouse,” he said.

Prior to that, John was creating Indigenously-influenced art, but noted the turning point was when he was selected as a B.C. Culture Days ambassador in 2019, and had Indigenous artist Sonny Assu as a mentor.

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John said Cover Up is an attempt to bring clarity to the Indian Act,

WINTE R 2021 | TR I O MAG A Z IN E

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in a way that is more understandable to the masses.

“It (the Indian Act) is government documentation, so it is dry to read, and most people aren’t going to pick up a copy of the Indian Act and go through it, so I wanted to engage with it from a visual perspective and maybe invite some people who didn’t know very much about it into the information about the Indian Act and how it has affected Indigenous people in this country.”

As is the case with most Indigenous people in this country, John’s family has direct experience with the residential school system. He said the lasting trauma of that lived experience has greatly influenced his art.

He explained his father, and many of his aunties and uncles are residential school survivors.

Perhaps surprisingly, although understandably, John did not learn much about the residential school system as a child. His family chose to keep him sheltered from the history.

“Most people don’t want to talk about their trauma and certainly parents and grandparents don’t want to tell their children about their awful traumatic history, so there wasn’t a lot that was spoken about it when I was growing up,” said John, who had to read books and talk to people who aren't related to get into some difficult family conversations.

"It’s so deeply traumatic not many people want to revisit it, and that makes sense to me.

It’s hard enough to encounter it even from the perspective of not having to experience it directly."

As he got older and became more curious, John began to uncover aspects of residential schools that he says are "very, very troublesome."

He wanted to speak to it in a way that highlights while residential schools don’t exist anymore, it doesn’t mean the impacts are not still alive and adding chaos to most Indigenous people’s lives.

"It’s a really difficult pathway to walk, to try to uncover some of it, and to find some of the truth and to realize that many of the people that you loved and cared about have been deeply brutalized by our government and the various churches that were involved in residential schools.”

Cover Up will be on exhibit at Artful: The Gallery, until Dec. 24, 2021. The gallery, located at 526C Cumberland Road is open to the public Wednesdays to Saturdays from noon-5 p.m.

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NEW VIBE COMING TO COURTENAY’S OLD CHURCH Music, art, theatre and more set to take centre stage

BY TERRY FARRELL PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM

T

he Old Church Theatre at Eighth Street and Harmston Avenue is coming back to life, thanks to Doug Cox.

“The lease was finalized last week,” Cox said in a November interview.

Cox said ever since he rented the venue years ago for a few productions, he’s had a desire to manage the facility.

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“I’ve always thought that was a gorgeous room, and I’ve always fantasized about using it for various things,” he said. “It’s just a ‘very right’ time for this to happen.”

The timing is perfect. The Comox Valley has always been a cornucopia of musical and theatric talent, but the pandemic has created a shortage of venues for performers.

“The Cumby (Cumberland Hotel) closed down, the Avalanche closed down, and I realized that there just aren’t any venues around here anymore for music, other than the Sid, which is just simply too big for a lot of things,” said Cox. The Old Church Theatre Society, which owns and runs the building, has entered into a partnership with Cox to run the theatre

and be the artistic director.

The iconic Courtenay landmark has been a music/theatre venue for decades, due in large part to the dedication of Beryl Regier.

Cox said he intends on honouring Regier's legacy.

“She’s involved with the transition, definitely,” said Cox. “If it wasn’t for her, it (Old Church Theatre) wouldn’t be there. And I

WINTER 2021 | TR I O MAGAZ IN E

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want to make sure that people really understand that what we are going to try to do is honour her legacy, and the legacy of it being a community theatre.

“It’s been a joy working with Beryl on this.”

So what can fans expect, once the doors reopen?

Music, theatre, improv, and more, said Cox. “It’s going to be a mix of international touring artists and plays and comedians as well. It’s going to have a mixture of (all those things).

“I’ve always wanted to see theatre here in the Comox Valley - there has always been musical theatre since I have been here, but I’ve never seen alternative theatre, modern theatre, fringe theatre so to speak,” he said.

Cox has been in correspondence with Sarah Pocklington, the executive director of Edmonton's Citadel Theatre, as well as other theatre executives across the country, “getting advice on how we can affordably make some things happen here, like touring theatre, and dance and things,” he said. “We will start small, but we are really looking forward to building something special.”

Cox added that the Co-Val Choristers, which hosted the majority of productions in the building in recent history, will continue to have productions in the theatre.

“That’s the production company that put on musicals, and they have a legacy with the theatre as well, so they will continue with that legacy. Whatever they decide to do will be honoured and still happen, as will other groups who have a history with the society.”

One vision Cox has is to incorporate a regular improv theatre community, feeding off the plethora of improv talent discovered and nurtured by the local high school arts programs.

Comox Valley improv teams are consistently shining on the provincial and national stages in student competition, but there is no place for that talent to shine locally, post-high school.

“I would love to do that,” said Cox. “I haven’t spoken to them yet, but that’s one of the things I want to do.”

Cox, who used to spend the last half of the year touring after Vancouver Island MusicFest would wrap up, said the COVID shutdown has led to an appreciation of the home life, and that is one of the big reasons for this project.

“Since I've been home because of the pandemic, where I am usually out on the road for about six months of the year, I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t want to do that anymore,” he said. “I want to tour maybe once or twice a year, but otherwise, I want to be at home. I’m learning to garden, going camping, and doing what normal people do during the summer. It’s been a real revelation.

“So I’ve been looking for something to do here personally, that would work, and as I get older, mentoring and giving back has also become important to me. And this is just such an amazing building. I’m really looking forward to this opportunity.”

Cox expects shows to begin in January.

RISING THROUGH THE MILITARY RANKS Comox’s Darryl Taylor is the Commander of 16 Wing

BY SCOTT STANFIELD | PHOTOS SUBMITTED

A

fter much schooling and several international postings, Col. Darryl Taylor assumed the duties of Commander of 16 Wing in Borden, Ont. last summer in a virtual change of command ceremony.

Born in Prince George but raised in Comox, Taylor attended Co-

mox Elementary School, Robb Road Middle School and Highland Secondary. He joined the Canadian Armed Forces directly out of high school in July of 1989. He had intended to study mechanical engineering at UBC until he and a few friends took a road trip to Victoria.

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His buddies planned to meet with a recruiter, and Taylor decided to tag along.

While there, he sat down with a recruiter and asked what types of engineers they had. Soon thereafter, he had an offer to join the RCAF as an aerospace engineer and to attend Royal Roads Military College in Victoria.

By 1993, he had finished a bachelor in mechanical engineering at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ont. “Without any real original intent of making a full career out of the military, I’ve been presented with inspirational postings, jobs, deployments and career opportunities that have made the past 32-plus years fly past,” said Taylor, who turned 50 on Nov. 24. “I feel incredibly fortunate for the opportunities, trust and confidence offered to me by the RCAF chain of command. I have benefited from some incredible mentorship opportunities.”

He has deployed with a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti, a NATO tour in Afghanistan and summer training in Baden-Solingen, Germany.

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Before assuming command in Borden, he had served as senior aircraft maintenance engineering officer at 408 Sqn. in Edmonton, Commanding Officer of 1 Wing Headquarters in Kingston, and as the technical authority and weapon system manager for the Griffon and Chinook helicopters.

His postings include Cranfield, England; Huntsville, Alabama; Brussels, Belgium; and Washington, D.C. Taylor has completed a technical master of science in thermal power (aerospace propulsion) at Cranfield University, and a master of arts in political science and military affairs while attending the Royal Military Academy of Belgium as part of the Belgian Staff College program. Over the last two summers, he completed a master of science in national resource strategy within the Eisenhower School, which is part of the National Defence University in the U.S. Taylor and his wife of 24 years, Karoline, are on their 11th posting together. Their sons Alex, 20, and Andrew, 18, have gone through school systems in Edmonton, Alabama, Brussels, Kingston and Ottawa.

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“I couldn’t be more proud, and could not have ever expected the support that they have provided through the years,” Taylor said of his family.

DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM SURROUNDINGS Jewelry maker focuses on nature, reused materials

BY MIKE CHOUINARD

K

PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM

iley Granberg didn’t set out to make jewelry.

While the Comox-based artist had been interested in the arts when she was growing up in Alberta, her initial area was on print-making when she entered a program at Red Deer College.

“I kind of fell in love with print-making,” she says.

However, she questioned in the digital age, whether the field was something at which she could still make a living. Though she did do some work in print-making after her school years, she kind of fell into working with metals while taking a class in Calgary.

“It was a bit of love at first sight,” she says.

At that point, she transferred to the program at the Alberta University of the Arts from which she graduated with her BFA. WINTE R 2021 | TR I O MAGAZ IN E

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One of the features of her work is her reliance on reused materials, specifically metals, which she sources from an environmentally-conscious refinery in Virginia.

“There’s not many refineries that offer such high environmental standards,” she says. “The refinery process can be a pretty dirty business.”

Sometimes, she uses found objects like glass.

She recognizes there is some distance involved in getting the materials, but her source is able to provide her with quality recycled metals, which she then uses to make her jewelry. Much of her work is made from this silver, all by hand. She also does some commission work and sometimes uses white or yellow gold.

Nature provides plenty of inspiration. In fact, it’s part of what brought her to Vancouver Island. As her grandparents had lived here, she was familiar with the area.

Then, when her parents settled in the Comox Valley, she came to help them move.

She recalls seeing the red light silhouetted against the mountains in the distance and felt this was a place from which she could take inspiration. In fact, she already recognized the scenery in her own work, so she moved to the Comox Valley about six years ago, and she and her dad fixed up an old 1974 trailer to serve as her studio.

“I’ve got everything I need in there,” she says.

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In the trailer, she produces pendants, rings and earrings evocative of the world around her. Using positive and negative space in the material, she carves out a chickadee resting on a branch, or a grounds-eye view of a dragonfly in a field of flowers.

At first glance, one ring looks almost like a silver crown, but on closer inspection, it becomes clear it’s a mountain range.

As to how she spreads the word about her work, she does use social media, but she prefers meeting people face to face, and it’s no surprise she gets many of her clients through word of mouth.

As she says on her website, she practises a technique called piercing, using a hand saw and fine blades.

“It is extremely fine,” she says. “The teeth – you can barely see them.”

It’s a slow, demanding process because working with small pieces with fine cutting can push the structural limits of the material.

“It’s hours and hours of practice,” she says.

For the range of images in her work, the common thread is nature, which seems all the more appropriate in light of her devotion to practising her art in as sustainable a manner as she can.

“I do have a large environmental focus,” she says.

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FINDING THEIR

JAM

Luxury picnics making memories with good, local food

BY SCOTT STANFIELD PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM

J

AM & Co. Luxury Picnics is an event company that’s in the business of making memories.

Owner Jodi Kozicki is a certified wedding co-ordinator and consultant. She and husband Steve Klahm have a commercial kitchen and inventory of vintage treasures, tableware, stemware, furniture and decor items. Picnics are customized and personal, designed to celebrate weddings, birthdays, graduations and other events.

The idea behind the ‘pop-up picnic company’ stemmed from a walk Kozicki took with a friend in February 2020. Klahm had been informed that his job in China as an airline pilot was on pause due to COVID-19.

When her friend asked if there’s something the couple could do as a business, Kozicki said they enjoy picnicking. Soon thereafter, pop-up picnics from Australia were showing up on her Instagram feed. She started researching and could find only a handful of pop-up picnics in B.C. and none on Vancouver Island that were an all-inclusive experience.

“We not only set up and take down these stunning designs, but we provide the gourmet charcuterie, and have custom designed

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florals and desserts created to match each event,” said Kozicki, who started JAM & Co. with her friend Tamara as equal partners. The name JAM combines their names. “We do actually have a commercially approved signature salal and rosemary jam.”

They launched in August 2020 after months of sourcing products, and developing a business plan and brand. They shopped locally for a large portion of inventory, imported wool carpets from Turkey and Morocco, hides from Brazil, fine textiles from India and a bell tent from Belgium.

“We carefully selected vintage treasures, and every picnic has an element from our own personal travels included in the decor.”

After the launch, Tamara decided against being a partner but continues to create the charcuterie and jam.

Because the commercial kitchen was not approved until November 2020, Kozicki and Klahm opted to market through photoshoots for the first few months. They packed two cars with inventory and set up on mountaintops, beaches and fields around Vancouver Island. The average picnic for two in their bell tent took more than 90 minutes of hauling and setting up items. It takes 15 carpets to cover the base of the tent.

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By December, Klahm was 10 months into pandemic life with no job and a career that seemed to be slipping away. As the business grew, he jumped in and helped source the charcuterie experience.

“For the most part, the edible art we showcase is the result of his impeccable taste, and love for superb cheeses and meats that are perfectly paired and truly a delight to the palate,” Kozicki said, noting most charcuterie boards and tables are Steve’s creations.

“We are proud to be the only company on Vancouver Island that combines all these outstanding offerings, and include some of the finest, award-winning cheeses from Vancouver Island, namely Natural Pastures.”

Their primary supplier of handmade charcuterie is Jonathan at Bull & Sons in Victoria, who uses animals locally and ethically raised. Jams are from Salt Spring Island, honey from the Comox Valley, and honeycomb from the Lower Mainland. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are sourced from local farmers when available.

“As we enter our second year of business, things have changed somewhat and our business model has adjusted to meet the local demands,” Kozicki said. “The full picnic experience is totally our jam, and we have some truly gifted creators on our team.”

WINTE R 2021 | TR I O MAGAZ IN E

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SOLDIERING ON, TOGETHER Connecting members and veterans through sport and recreation

BY SCOTT STANFIELD

|

PHOTOS BY SUBMITTED

S

oldier On is a charitable program that contributes to the recovery of members of the Canadian Armed Forces through sport, recreation and creative activities.

Recognized for improving quality of life, the program has supported more than 8,800 ill and injured members since 2007.

“Soldier On is credited with saving and changing lives, through its simple yet effective mandate of connecting/reconnecting ill/injured members and veterans of the CAF in a safe but challenging environment to discover new ways of using sport, recreation and creative activities to enhance their recoveries and lives,” said Joe Kiraly, the program’s senior manager. “We note that, apart from the activity itself, it is often the connection that makes such a big difference.

The fact that a Soldier On member can SEE that they are not alone, and they do not need to recover alone is powerful in its own right.”

The program offers an array of events and activities that aim to promote a healthy, active lifestyle, and encourage well-being. Some events are introductory. Others are high-performance competitions, such as the Invictus Games and Warrior Games. Registered members can receive grant funding to obtain equipment to help them stay active.

Last summer, Comox hosted a yoga series and a golf camp.

Open water diver certification was also held in Comox in October. Other events around B.C. included a sailing camp and silversmith workshop — both held in Victoria — virtual guitar lessons, a doodle and design workshop and an archery camp in Vancouver.

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“The goal is to inspire ill/injured members and veterans of the community to participate,” Kiraly said. “By doing so, we aim to enable and empower them to foster lifelong connections with not only the activities they have been exposed to, but also the peers that they have met.”

Soldier On is funded by a mix of public funds and donations. Kiraly said much of the program’s overhead and infrastructure is provided through public funding as part of the Canadian Armed Forces commitment to the care of the ill and injured.

Last summer, Glacier Greens Golf Club in Comox raised $1,120 for the program.

“Without the grassroots support of donations and third-party fundraisers, such as the Glacier Greens Golf Club, we would not be able to meet our mandate so effectively,” Kiraly said. “We owe them, and Canadians everywhere who support the Soldier On Fund, an enormous debt of gratitude.”

The first step to become involved is for eligible personnel to register. There is no cost. Once a person is registered, he or she is eligible for programming. Most opportunities are no or low cost for members.

Friends and family can support the program through outreach, becoming a corporate partner or by organizing a fundraiser.

For more information, visit soldieron.ca, click Get Support, Register Now. WINTE R 2021 | TR I O MAGAZ IN E

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GROWING A LEGACY ON ALL PLATFORMS Erin Brillon is making waves on social and traditional media

BY ERIN HALUSCHAK PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM AND CHAD HIPOLITO

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T

hree words of advice encouraged Erin Brillon to continue navigating social media and the vast world of content creation.

The Haida/Cree designer, entrepreneur and creator, who is part of the team behind Totem Design House at 3250 Comox Rd. (which produces and sells Indigenous-designed clothing, home decor and jewelry), has been growing her social media accounts - particularly TikTok - organically when she hit a bit of a roadblock.

A member of Brillon’s family encouraged her to “just keep posting” and creating content.

Photo by Chad Hipolito

The advice paid off, as Brillon is now part of an accelerator program for Indigenous creators, presented by TikTok Canada and the National Screen Institute.

“It’s a full course to navigate and share stories, and the camaraderie is great; you get connected with people across different territories in Canada,” she notes.

Her account, @totemdesign, has more than 7,000 followers and nearly 30,000 likes, and Brillion shares stories not only about the studio and products, but speaks and calls out non-Indigenous designers and artists who profit off of Indigenous culture.

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“WHAT WE MAKE IS TOTALLY APPROPRIATE FOR ANYONE … PEOPLE ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT OVERSTEPPING, BUT I’M SO GLAD ABOUT THE SHIFT IN AWARENESS.”

Photos by Chad Hipolito 3 2

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“The biggest challenge is non-Indigenous people who take our culture, use it and commodify it,” says Brillon, who adds both through her work and the work of other Indigenous artists and creators, the conversation of appreciation versus appropriation is truly at the forefront.

There are many issues and nuances about Indigenous culture that many people want to know about whether they are making the right choices, she explains.

“What we make is totally appropriate for anyone … people are more concerned about overstepping, but I’m so glad about the shift in awareness.”

While exploring social media content creation, Brillon recently launched her podcast/YouTube series, Together We Rise, a weekly podcast featuring Indigenous women of influence.

The podcast, which she films from her home/studio, features a variety of guests including entrepreneur Patrice Mousseau of Satya Organic Skin Care; artist and cultural empowerment facilitator Avis O’Brien and Rena Soutar, a reconciliation planner for the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.

The idea for a podcast came from wanting to lift up the legacy of Indigenous women while also working to heal from intergenerational trauma.

women I want to feature who are changing our communities while doing amazing work.”

She notes there needs to be more camaraderie and more celebrating of each other’s successes and reflects on how Indigenous women, by sharing their own stories, can help and inspire those who may not be ready to take that next step.

If juggling TikTok, a podcast and Totem Design House wasn’t enough, Brillon was one of three business owners recently selected for a partnership between Coastal First Nations and Rogers Communications. The initiative between the two organizations will support new opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs from Coastal First Nations communities to have their products featured on Today’s Shopping Choice (formerly The Shopping Channel).

At first, Brillon admits she was apprehensive about the partnership, as she didn’t want her culture to be commodified.

“Everyone has truly been so genuine and are very invested in creating a partnership with Indigenous businesses. While we’ll get training for on-camera from (Rogers), they wanted us to tell them about us - to explain the full history of our brands and our people and to ensure they were doing everything appropriately.”

She is working with the Rogers team to determine which products will be featured on the channel in order to launch in the new year, but is currently considering products such as silver jewelry, “I know so many incredible Indigenous women and we need to showcase more of our role models. I want to highlight those wom- glassware and a possible collaboration with Valerie Lamirande of en on the ground, those not looking for attention. These are the RavenSong Soap & Candle from Campbell River.

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Music creates energy and happiness, and more often than not, finger or toe tapping. Harmonized voices singing together brings smiles to many faces. With Christmas jingles around the corner? Bring on the music and let’s share the joy!

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GETTING A BETTER LOOK INTO THE LIBRARY

“I’M REALLY HAPPY (GETTING THE CAMERAS INTO CIRCULATION) AND I’M HOPING WE CAN CONTINUE

VIRL adds thermal cameras into circulation

TO BUILD ON THAT.”

BY ERIN HALUSCHAK PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM

W

hile books, magazines and DVDs are the usual items that come to mind for library offerings, the Vancouver Island Regional Library branches in the Comox Valley are set to put a hot item into circulation.

Anyone with a valid VIRL card is now able to check out a thermal imagining camera through their home branch - one of five available from either the Courtenay, Cumberland, Comox or Hornby Island branches.

The idea to bring the cameras into circulation was brought forth from a member of the Valley community who collected donations for the cameras, explained Jessica Humphries, customer services librarian, adult services at the Courtenay branch.

Because it was a Valley resident who came up with the idea, VIRL decided to use the area’s libraries as home branches, but the cameras can be checked out anywhere across VIRL’s region from Sooke to Haida Gwaii and many places in between.

“Often people need thermal imaging cameras for one-time projects like home renovations, HVAC problems, water damage or climate issues and they don’t need it every day,” said Humphries. “This way, someone can borrow it for a few weeks and bring it back once they’re done.”

The cameras work by plugging into a smartphone - there are two that work with iPhones and three with Android phones - and can help in a variety of places around the home: to identify heat loss, areas with water damage or electrical panels.

The cameras are small - about the size of a smartphone - and users can watch a series on YouTube for instructions on how to use the cameras, noted Humphries.

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Worth about $300 each, the cameras have entered into circulation into VIRL’s system and can be put on hold through the website, something Humphries recommends due to popularity.

“With COVID, it’s got us thinking about how to better meet the needs of our customers and reach people who may not engage with the library - this might be one way to connect with people,” she said.

“I’m really happy (getting the cameras into circulation) and I’m hoping we can continue to build on that.”

Humphries added currently libraries offer a variety of non-traditional services including computer and internet access, programming and digital resources. She sees thermal cameras as one of many non-traditional items libraries can offer to the public.

“In Terrace, they have the Library of Things and some libraries you can check out snowshoes, canning machines and a variety of games. In some U.S. libraries, you can even check out musical instruments. I do hope to continue to expand on our collection, but we have to take into consideration storage space and longevity.”

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NOT GETTING BORED WITH GAMES Comox gamemaker delving into fantasy with Duel Arena

BY MIKE CHOUINARD PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM

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A

favourite pastime for Jordan Benson when he was young was family game night.

Over the years, the 23-year-old from Comox has become an avid player. Now, he’s decided to create his own board game.

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It’s a role-playing medieval fantasy board game called Duel Arena, in which characters with various powers and limitations square off in one-on-one duels in a gladiatorial arena.

“The last player wins. It’s a free for all,” he says.

The characters include a Barbarian, Wraith, Priest, Noble, Guardian, Blacksmith and Pirate, among others.

Kathi Cameron, MA, RCC

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“There are 12 heroes you can choose from,” he says.

The players move around the board where, depending on the space, they might face a number of outcomes. For example, landing on a “Repair” square might give a player the chance to fix or restore his character’s power, while “Heal” will boost health in order to help the player prolong their lifespan in the game. The goal is to accumulate gold on “Bounty” squares or other assets while avoiding the loss of health points. Players are out of the game when their life gets down to zero.

“The point of the game is you go around the board strategically picking up items,” he says.

The real showdown comes from the duels. Despite the range of attributes of the dozen characters, Benson designed the game so that any player can defeat another. Think rock-paper-scissors, and you get the idea.

There are also curses, portals for quick movement around the board and two lairs – the Dragon’s Lair and the Mystic Grotto – where players face possible big rewards or damages.

Since graduating from École Au coeur de l'île in Comox, Benson started university where he was studying computer science, but he didn’t really enjoy the technical side, so he returned home to work – and began his project.

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For Duel Arena, he started sketching out ideas during the summer of 2019, eventually making paper or cardboard prototypes without any pictures. As he worked out the characters, various scenarios and other details, he played with friends and family in order to tweak it. He estimates he’s probably played it hundreds of times.

The game board and pieces are colourful, with art work done by a designer named Laurent Duhamel from Quebec. He even worked in a birds-eye view on the game board showing spectators sitting in the arena to watch the duels unfold, a touch that Benson loves.

Duhamel worked on the game’s look for about six months, and after that, Benson worked with a graphic designer at Sure Copy in Courtenay on design. From there, he found a Canadian maker, Panda Games Manufacturing, to produce Duel Arena.

“I reached out to a few factories that produce games,” he says.

He estimates the game should take anywhere from one to three hours to play depending on the number of players.

While Duel Arena is the first one he’s seen through to production, Benson has been coming up with different games since he was young. He’s pretty sure he was about five or six when he designed his first game.

For him, board games remain a favourite over digital games, and a big reason points back to those family game nights because the “social aspect” gives him a chance to sit down with his friends to play.

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As to what’s next, he’s already planning another game and spending his time spreading the word about Duel Arena through his website at soulbindinggames.com.

“I’m still taking an active role in selling it,” Benson says. “I’d like to make it my full-time job.”

FINDING NATURAL INSPIRATION Residency program hopes to inspire artists and writers

BY MIKE CHOUINARD PHOTOS SUBMITTED

F

rom the Romantic poets to Impressionist painters, many artists have found in nature, for lack of a better term, a “natural” source of inspiration to create.

Appropriately, the McLoughlin Gardens has offered refuge to writers and artists. For about five years now, the McLoughlin Gardens Society has run a residency program for writers and artists

to come to the Comox Valley’s seaside garden, which offers a cabin and studio space.

“We’ve started from scratch really,” says Christina Dickinson, one of the society’s directors.

The Brian and Sarah McLoughlin Park, itself, is an 11-acre regional park in the Comox Valley Regional District system.

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Like many things since COVID-19 started, the society faced the reality they could not bring in visitors, so they offered up their cabin space for the program to locals to come work on their own projects.

“We like our new program that benefits the local writer so much,” says Bernice Friesen, also one of the directors.

The society would like to see this opportunity continue, even as they get back to their regular residency program.

The site is located on the water near Williams Beach. The area, which belonged to the McLoughlin family, is now in a covenant, part of the park system for the Comox Valley Regional District.

Through this, the McLoughlin Gardens Society leases back the cabin and its surroundings for its programs.

For other artists’ residencies, beyond the writers, the society works with the Comox Valley Art Gallery, which selects its candidates.

“We host them here,” says Dickinson.

For writers, however, the society itself oversees who is coming.

As with other residency programs, the visitors come for periods to work on their own projects, but they also offer outreach to aspiring creators in the community. This can take the form of readings, or workshops, or one-on-one consultations.

“We’ve got some really nice feedback from these writers,” says Dickinson.

The society is pleased it has been able to land some top talent over the years. At the outset, they were able to get Griffin Poetry

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Prize winner Anne Simpson as the first writer in residence. More recently, the program has brought Marcus Youssef, Maleea Acker and Arleen Paré.

The writers themselves have offered some kind words on the program. As 2021 writer-in-residence Jennifer Manuel said, “I can’t say enough about how inspiring it was to work at McLoughlin cottage. The view of the water from the living room and the front deck was incredibly conducive to imagining. The table on the front deck was not only perfect for my own writing, but all the writers who came for consultations seemed to enjoy the environment from the deck.”

Lately, the society has been holding workshops, using online technology, with Campbell River author Jeanette Taylor and Margo McLoughlin of the McLoughlin family, who is an integral part of the society.

The society is also hoping to attract more in the way of sponsorships that can allow them to offer more scholarships to cover costs for people to attend.

Over the next decade, the society not only wants to expand the program but, as it grows, make more diverse its roster of residencies and the offerings they can provide, and already they have some things lined up for the near future.

For 2022, the McLoughlin Gardens Society has announced that Newfoundland artist Marlene Creates will be in residence and joined for part of her tenure by her partner, Canadian poet Don McKay. “It’s pretty exciting this coming year,” says Friesen.

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MAKER: a person who experiments with creating, constructing, modifying, or repairing objects especially as a hobby.

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3D PRINTING CLUB A STROKE OF ZENIUS Building a foundation for future makers

BY TERRY FARRELL

|

A

fter reading the definition of the word, it’s logical that those who use 3D printing machines are called ‘makers.’

But did you know there is a teen makers club in the Comox Valley?

Zenius Labs is a student makers club, whose members meet every Tuesday afternoon at Highland Secondary.

The club is open to all Comox Valley students aged 15 and up.

“I named it Zenius because it’s a mash of Generation Z, and the word ‘genius,’” said club founder Sophia Vaillant.

PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM

Thier role with the club is to create collaborative experiences with STEAM - science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

Vaillant said her purpose in creating Zenius is to give STEAM participants more options in extracurricular activities.

“The only way to engage with STEAM (prior to this year) was with the VEX Robotics club, which is great, it’s awesome, it’s super cool, and I did it for a couple of years, but it wasn’t my jam,” said Vaillant.

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challenge every year, where participants build robots capable of completing certain tasks, then compete against other VEX teams.

Local teams compete in a regional challenge, with the top teams advancing to provincial, national and world championships.

Zenius Labs offers STEAM students another outlet for practical engineering and problem-solving.

“The same way you would have more than one kind of sports team for people who are into sports, we have to have more than one way to engage in STEAM,” said Vaillant. “So this club allows us to engage in STEAM in a different way.”

For Zenius Labs’ first season, the club reached out to younger members of the STEAM program, to serve as ‘clients.’ Those clients invented and designed solutions to a prepared list of problems, and returned to Zenius Labs with their solutions.

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From there, the makers turn the concepts into actual prototypes.

On the day of this interview, Grade 4 student Anika Creech was presenting her project to the club - a ‘soft’ robot.

“It can hug you, sing you songs, and read you books when you are feeling sad or anxious, to help you calm down,” said Vaillant. “As someone who suffers from anxiety, I think this idea is really cute.”

Another project that has been pitched for this season is expandable shoes that elevate up to 19” via a scissor lift, to reach high places - then retract back to regular size.

Vaillant credits her parents for introducing her to 3D printing.

“My parents are big nerds - BIG nerds - so for their 10-year anniversary, several years ago now, they went to a 3D printing conference in California. They were like ‘this is the coolest thing

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in the world’ so they got a 3D printer for the family for Christmas in 2015. So I have been surrounded by this kind of technology forever.”

Zenius Labs has six members in its first season. Vaillant is hopeful that the program can build a solid foundation, and be her lasting legacy to the school district and the STEAM program.

“Hopefully, by next year we will be able to get more people into the heart of the program, who will be able to sustain it after I graduate,” she said.

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Any student interested in joining Zenius Labs can contact Vaillant at hellosophiav@gmail.com “As long as they have a willingness to participate, a growth mindset, a willingness to learn, and a cool attitude about it… they would be welcome,” she said.

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10

QUESTIONS W I T H K AT E F I S H

BY ERIN HALUSCHAK PHOTOS BY ALI RODDAM

Kate Fish (she/her) identifies as a queer, disabled, fat, white person, and is the founder of Fat Besties - a community dedicated to fat activism.

A

fter completing a degree in social work from the University of British Columbia - Okanagan, Fish moved to the Comox Valley with her partner in July 2018.

Almost a year later, big life changes granted her the ability (the privilege) to have the drive, time and energy to dedicate to fat activism.

With her social work background, the world of systems change, stigma, advocacy and value of community building was very familiar.

“I figured that I could keep complaining about not having community or I could do something,” she explained.

“Fat Besties was started in May 2019 as a Facebook page and an Instagram account. The

What is something you’re really proud of?

Seeing the lightbulb turn on or a person's facial expression when I’m able to help bust a myth or make a connection that debunked a stigma or stereotype someone was holding. You can see them move through the thought process in real time!

What is a skill you’d like to learn and why?

Right now I’m learning how to draw comics and will be doing an intensive graphic novel course in the new year. I think comics and graphic novels are really engaging ways of storytelling, sharing information, and even rallying for social change--while also being creative.

What is the most rewarding part of operating Fatbesties?

Helping people connect with or advocate for healthcare, health information, or services that are safe(r) and provides dignity and care to fat people. Fat people are much less likely to seek healthcare or receive adequate healthcare due to weight bias, which leads to poor health outcomes and potentially early, preventable death.

If you could only keep five possessions, what would they be?

Five possessions I’d like to keep around for as long as possible are a wedding quilt made for my partner and I by my aunt, a ring made out of my late father's wedding ring, my favourite mug by potters up in Hazelton, a handful of mementos like letters and love notes from my parents and drawings from my sister, and... my MacBook!

What is a random fact about you that few people might know?

I was voted class clown in high school and one of my favourite hobbies is quilting.

focus at first was just on the Comox Valley as I didn’t anticipate a great deal of interest. I was wrong. Today Fat Besties is a community that spans Vancouver Island and Canada. Now our community space is a Discord server and over time we have run all sorts of events from inperson clothing swaps to an online introduction to fat rollerskating.”

Fish said the next steps of Fat Besties is undetermined, as peoples’ capacity to organize and meet ebbs and flows; she added there are many areas of advocacy and intersectional causes to explore, but this isn’t fast work.

“For now, we’ll continue to exist in our online spaces and show up for one another as best we can.”

It’s still a pandemic. Coffee, tea or other what is your go-to drink?

I’m a coffee drinker and these days I’m drinking coffee with eggnog! I love a great iced coffee or latte, too, maybe with some lavender simple syrup.

You have a background in social work; if there is one place other than the Comox Valley where you could work, where would it be and why?

With social work it isn’t as much as a location thing for me, rather areas of practice. Most of my social work background is in blood-borne infections, housing (or lack thereof) and harm reduction with lots of frontline and facilitation experience.

These days I’m exploring things like the digital divide and the intersection of tech and social justice, as well as disability activism. Right now I’m working for the Disability Without Poverty movement as a Community Organizer, working on the creation of a Canada Disability Benefit made with meaningful input from people with disabilities. I’m curious about horticulture therapy, I think that could be really interesting.

Where would you spend a long time doing nothing (or relaxing)?

Anywhere along BC’s coastline or maybe in the back of the cave at Ainsworth Hot Springs in the Kootenays.

What makes you happy?

Going to the library and walking out with 10 or 15 book picks to peruse and read while curled up at home under a quilt next to my partner while listening to Chillhop. A warm drink and some snacks, ideally homemade (I love cooking), are key. We’ve got houseplants all around, and it’s either a full-on storm outside or maybe there's a nice sunbeam to lounge in. Swap this to the deck version for summer warm weather. Also, being a system disrupter. Finally, spotting seals and sea lions.

What makes your heart beat faster?

Good music and kitchen dancing or a playing rousing board game! And anxiety, of course.

WINTE R 2021 | TR I O MAGAZ IN E

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