Boulevard Magazine - July 2013 Issue

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summer wines Mastering

slow BBQ Local

Frozen Treats

A harmonious hot property  Cruising in style  Where the buffalo roam blvdmag.ca JULY 2013

CuStOmer teStImONIal: Craig Gibson, Lake Cowichan, British Columbia As a designer of exceptional homes I understand the value of using the best of materials and manpower. This intimate knowledge helped me and my wife when it came time to research floats for our cottage on Cowichan Lake. Recollections from my sailing exploits and the hundreds of marina’s I have tied up to gave me insight into what materials survive the elements the best. As a good sailing buddy once asked me “ Why do we put the things we love the most in the harshest environment on earth?” That question had a lot to do with the decision my wife and I decided upon.

We decided to go with a concrete float because of durability, longevity and stability but we also liked the fact that with concrete we were not introducing toxic chemicals from treated lumber into the lake. The lake our family and friends swim in and the lake our communities’ drinking water comes from.

The next step was researching manufacturers. It made sense to look locally but there were only a couple of manufacturers doing concrete floats.

The people at Surefloat were very helpful and showed us the entire manufacturing process. Surefloat’s plant has been around for a long time and their personnel were very knowledgeable so we felt comfortable in ordering a float. The float was 10 ft. by 20 ft. and it was going to be light terracotta in colour. We liked it so much that first year we ordered another the following year. When the second float arrived the Surefloat team simply through bolted them together and boom we doubled the size of our float. They explained to us that the floats have been engineered to bolt together many different ways so if we wanted to expand they would be happy to sell us another. You never know!

As we enter our 4th summer on the float all we had to do was wash off the winter, add a few chairs, put up our shade, grab a refreshment and enjoy the warmth of our concrete float. Best thing we ever did!

Craig & Marjorie Gibson Craig Gibson Design

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CONTENTS

July 2013 Issue 07, Volume XXIl

july

20

24

32

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

20 WILD DEUCES RIDE

TO THE CAPITAL REGION

By Glenn Lindsey

13

CONTRIBUTORS

14

EDITOR’S LETTER

15

LETTERS

32

HOT PROPERTIES Country boy and city girl find a beautiful compromise

By Carolyn Heiman

58

BEFORE AND AFTER Geometric beauty for a pair of artists

By Sarah MacNeill

65

HEALTH & WELLNESS I’ll just have one more drink …

By Shannon Moneo

social capital We all scream for … ice cream alternatives

By P. J. Nicholls

70

TRAVEL FAR Lounging in Lake of the Woods

By Carolyn Heiman

24 WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM

By Lauren Kramer 54

VINHO VERDE: A SIP OF SUMMER

By Sharon McLean

COLUMNS

40

16 HAWTHORN Unconditional (doggie) love

By Tom Hawthorn

18

10

STATE OF THE ARTS A fresh troupe of buskers descend on the capital city

By Alisa Gordaneer

44

48

food & wine The long wait: slow barbecue

By Cinda Chavich and Sharon McLean FRONT ROW Ska Festival; Theatre SKAM; Vancouver Island Music Fest; and more

By Robert Moyes

77

44 PERSONAL FINANCE Talking with Tess: Mandy Farmer

By Tess van Straaten

80

WRY EYE Finding “om” when your passport is MIA

By Anne Mullens

82

SECRETS & LIVES Christina Carrières, Wild ARC

By Shannon Moneo

On our cover: The modern beauty of this month’s Royal Oak Hot Property. Photo by Vince Klassen.

Get Canada’s leadinG banks to Compete for YOUR mortGaGe Publisher Geoff Wilcox

Jodie Kristian can help you get the best possible mortgage rate.

Creative Director Sarah Reid

it’s what she does best.

Editor Kate Lautens Fashion Editor Lia Crowe

Give her a call and find out

Production Coordinator Pip Knott

how easy a professional mortgage broker can make

Advertising Pat Brindle Vicki Clark Corlie Sleen Geoff Wilcox

your mortgage negotiations.

Marketplace Programs Scott Simmons Business Manager Janet Murray Contributing Writers Cinda Chavich, Darryl Gittins, Stuart Eastwood, Alisa Gordaneer, Tom Hawthorn, Carolyn Heiman, Anna Kemp, Lauren Kramer, Sarah MacNeill, Sharon McLean, Shannon Moneo, Katherine Palmer Gordon, Robert Moyes, Tess van Straaten

prime Mortgage Works

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Contributing Photographers Dean Azim, Vince Klassen, Gary McKinstry, Leanna Rathkelly

Subscribe Enjoy the convenience of Boulevard delivered to your door each month by subscribing online at blvdmag.ca or email subscribe@blvdmag.ca

simply inspired by nature

Advertise Boulevard Magazine is Victoria’s leading lifestyle magazine, celebrating 23 years of publishing in Greater Victoria.

To advertise or to learn more about advertising opportunities please send us an email at info@blvdmag.ca

info@blvdmag.ca

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Victoria Boulevard ® is a registered trademark of Boulevard Lifestyles Inc. All rights reserved.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the publisher's written permission.

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Ideas and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Boulevard Lifestyles Inc. or its afiliates; no official endorsement should be inferred. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents, both implied or assumed, of any advertisement in this publication.

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Carolyn heiman is a

transplanted Victoria resident who easily joins others in being smug about our oftsnowless winters. But come July she longs for the hot Prairie/Ontario summers and, in particular, cottage life. Those in the know about quintessential summers at the lake will relate to her Travel Far story about Lake of the Woods, even if their own lake is elsewhere. Others may be tempted to temporarily leave our beautiful Island. vince klassen is an award-

winning photographer who has been helping to make Boulevard beautiful for more than 20 years, shooting Hot Property features, portraits, covers and more. He shot the modern Hot Properties house in the Royal Oak area for this issue.

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lauren kramer, a Richmondbased, award-winning freelance writer, was thrilled to swap the city for Fairburn Farm and have her first taste of water buffalo milk.

A passionate writer and mother of four, she spends most of her work hours at her desk and the remainder tied to the kitchen.

“It was great to step briefly into life on the farm and breathe in the fresh, Cowichan-country air!” she says.

A relocated journalist from Ontario with a graduate degree from Brock University, glenn lindsey, 66, now lives and writes in Victoria. Finding and crafting a good story is his passion: some stories become magazine articles; some, screenplays. In July 2010, he discovered 900 street rods parked around the Inner Harbour. That started it all: this latest creative effort for Boulevard, “Deuces Wild.”

Writing it has been a fun ride.

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13

EDITOR’S LETTER Modern love can mean any number of things. When I was growing up, dogs were my family’s true love. We were always a big-dog family; Labradors, to be exact — mostly rescues — and we were almost never without at least one. My siblings and I were certain the dogs received better treatment than we did.

It began with my own birth announcement, crafted by my dear old dad: “Mother, daughter well,” it read. “Father slowly coming to terms with disappointment that it wasn’t a black Lab puppy.” (My mom didn’t show this to me until I was 16. At the time, I was not amused, but also not surprised.)

Then, several years ago, I was visiting my parents on the Mainland and stopped in at the local bank, where, upon seeing my last name, the teller proclaimed, “Oh, you’re Booker’s sister!”

(Booker, of course, was my parents’ old black Lab.) And more recently, my sister, while working at a vet’s clinic, was introduced to a little rescue dog in need of a home. He was a schnauzer-poodle, or “schnoodle,” we were told, with a poufy coat, curly tail, and badly damaged leg that had been run over by a car, causing him to walk on the remaining three legs in a carefully timed hop. My sister insisted my parents take him.

I happened to be in town for the weekend, and my mom and I scoffed at the thought. We were Lab people — my parents couldn’t get a little dog. One look into his big brown eyes, though, and everyone was sold. It really was love at first sight.

It wasn’t a stretch, therefore, for me to relate to Tom Hawthorn’s column this month on his own experiences with dogs. I think all dog lovers will see at least little of themselves somewhere in his tale. While I don’t have a pooch of my own these days, I hope to one day have the chance to look into the eyes of a dog in need and fall in love again.

We share many examples of modern love in this issue: love between a country boy and city girl in Hot Properties; love between a car buff and his or her shiny street rod, like you can read about in Glenn Lindsey’s feature on Northwest Deuce Days; or even love between a Cowichan Valley family and their herd of water buffalo, a love that has endured much heartbreak and triumph over the last 13-odd years.

Or, if you didn’t get enough food in our last issue, savour the long, slow wait with Cinda Chavich as she explains the secrets behind real barbecue. You can also get your fill of healthy-ish ice cream alternatives around town in Social Capital.

It’s summertime, so sit back, relax, and remember to reach out to those you love — human or otherwise.

Kate Lautens, Editor 14

YOUR LETTERS THANKS FOR RECOGNIZING THE RCA Thank you very much for Alisa Gordaneer’s superbly informative article on the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts [State of the Arts, June]. She has really outlined the RCA and the visual world in the context of the Canadian arts. All of our members — 90 attending — were thrilled to be recognized. All received a copy of the June Boulevard at the event.

Carole Sabiston, RCA event organizer

GO ON, TELL US HOW YOU REALLY FEEL [June] was absolutely the best issue so far! Mind you, I love this magazine and wait eagerly for each month’s copy. Being food lovers who are fairly new to Victoria (one very happy year) and still exploring, both my husband and I have devoured this issue. Boulevard is at the top of our list of things we love about Victoria. We always save the past issues for our visitors!

Jo-Ann Zador

GREAT APOCALYPSE TIPS Thank you for highlighting Victoria as the food paradise it is!

Loved the chef roundup in June. Aside from just looking great, the piece was informative and entertaining. Now I know which restaurant I’ll be running to in a zombie apocalypse. (Fiamo.

Pasta is always the right answer.) Keep up the great work!

Kayleigh von Wittgenstein Readers Weigh in OnLine

Nancy Douglas: Loved [the June fashion] piece. It so beautifully set the mood for my Victoria summer.

Stuffers Supply Co.: Very happy for some of our customers in Victoria who were featured in Boulevard magazine — I think it’s time for the boss to take the family for a visit to the Island to check out the food scene!

Roast and the Whole Beast Artisan Salumeria are on the list of stops!

Wendy Wall: Yum, the 2013 CHEF SURVEY! Thanks Boulevard magazine @habitcoffee31: Great looking new @BoulevardMag with the handsome @PeterZambri on the cover. #victoriamagazine @kylekerr115: Loving the new brand design and layout for @BoulevardMag! @graygilmore1m: @BoulevardMag loved the food feature in the June issue. Would love to see more pieces about local food/farm markets! #yyj We welcome your letters: editor@blvdmag.ca or visit us on Facebook, and on Twitter @BoulevardMag. 15

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our daughter was desperate for a dog. By the time her lobbying campaign entered its second year, I’d been lulled into believing my policy of benign neglect was working.

I grew up in apartments back East, so dogs were not part of my childhood. The thought of adding ever more daily duties to an already hectic schedule seemed ridiculous. We were already enslaved to the whims of Hungry, a tabby of haughty disdain.

One sunny afternoon, I arrived at Margaret Jenkins Elementary to walk our daughter home, only to be greeted by several of her classmates and a beaming teacher. Nellie stood with her hands behind her back. With a flourish, she presented a sheet of paper. I anticipated a perfect test score, or an A+ essay. Instead, it was a petition, signed by every kid in class.

It declared Nellie to be worthy of a dog. It also promised she would undoubtedly love and take care of the dog and walk it and blah blah blah. The largest signature was the teacher’s, a bold John Hancock of imprimatur.

I felt like I’d been served papers in a legal case.

What choice did we mere parents have in the face of so concerted an effort on the part of a scheming daughter, her supportive classmates, and a double-dealing teacher?

The search begins Next thing I knew, we were at the Victoria branch of the SPCA on Napier Lane, where we’d been told a smallish dog was ready for adoption.

Meanwhile, I’d warmed somewhat to the idea of adding a canine to our menagerie, which, over the years, had included such critters as the aforementioned Hungry, two rabbits, assorted goldfish, the world’s crankiest — and longest-living —

hamster, and a praying mantis, whose dietary requirements had us live-trapping house flies with our bare hands. At least a dog would be a companion, whether sitting beside the warm hearth, or jogging along at a leisurely pace.

The good folks at the SPCA brought us to a bare patch of asphalt where we would meet our potential new family member.

He had the legs of a bulldog, the nose of a poodle, the sausage body of a dachshund, the bug eyes of a shih tzu, the floppy ears of a terrier, and a tail that curled over his back like a hairy fiddlehead. This was a dog designed by Dr. Seuss.

His coat had been shaved almost to the skin. His head hung low. We rolled a ball past his nose and he barely budged.

I figured we’d come back another day to look at another dog.

My daughter had other ideas.

“Please, daddy, please, daddy, daddy, daddy, please,” she said, her hands pressed together in prayer. Her mother nodded yes, so there was really no other answer.

B UI LDI NG DREA MS SINCE 1969

Pricey, but priceless That was a decade ago. Ol’ Mickey is getting on now in years.

He developed small lumps on his snout and along his spine, so we took him to the vet. Her diagnosis: “You have a warty dog.”

Mickey has had more serious medical problems. He nearly died from an epileptic seizure, and is now on a regimen of tranquilizers and potassium bromide.

With a We have been to the vet for many other ailments, each entry through flourish, Nellie the door accompanied by the swoosh presented a of another $100 brown Robert Borden sheet of paper. bill disappearing into the ether. (If Tommy Douglas was truly the Greatest I anticipated Canadian, he would have come up with a perfect the medicare for pets.) Our “free” dog test score, or adopted from the SPCA has a price tag an A+ essay. yet to be fully realized.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Instead, it was Dogs are wonderful; the only downside a petition, is the cruelty of their lifespan. We have signed by bade farewell to many of our friends’ every kid in companions — Ty, Port, Rocky, Harry, Luna — each passing marked by extra class. rations served to Mickey.

A few months ago, my partner spotted a Mickey look-alike on the SPCA’s online adoption page. I absentmindedly forwarded the link to my daughter, whose squeal echoed through the house. “He looks like Mickey’s brother,” she pronounced. “We. Don’t. Leave. Family. Behind.”

No need for a petition this time.

Welcome aboard, Pepé.

Turns out the newcomer has issues. He’s a nipper. Daughter says the trainer wants about $700 to teach him not to do so.

Any more free dogs and I’ll be living in the poorhouse.

Tom Hawthorn is a freelance author, newspaper and magazine writer who lives in Victoria.

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17

state of the arts

by alisa gordaneer

Stumbling upon street theatre at

the Buskers Festival Nobody’s making you watch. You haven’t bought a ticket; you haven’t scheduled your dinner reservations around this performance. It’s possible you didn’t even know it was about to happen. Rather, you’ve stumbled upon an event unfolding as you wander on a (hopefully) not-so-chilly summer evening around Victoria’s Inner Harbour.

But now that you’re here, you’re confronted with a performer spinning fire, juggling sparkling clubs, dressed as a giant puppet, or walking on stilts while doing all of the above or more. And you just can’t look away.

That’s the thing with buskers. You don’t usually expect to see them, but when you do, you’ll likely fall into one or another camp: those who scamper away quickly, before the flaming torches get out of hand, or those who join the fun, happy to be entertained for the mere cost of a few dollars tossed into the passed hat.

Street theatre is nothing new. Its roots go back to ancient times, as far as anyone can tell, with travelling minstrels and storytellers bringing entertainment to markets and public squares, making their living from whatever their audiences felt like tossing into the hat.

A longstanding tradition In Victoria, we’ve long had buskers on street corners. They must be licenced, just like they have been in England since the time of King Henry VIII. Here, they pay City Hall $25 a year for the privilege of playing on city sidewalks, but pretty much anyone who wants a licence can get one. To work the busy (and therefore more lucrative) Inner Harbour, buskers need to pay several hundred dollars for a licence, and can only get it after auditioning for the Victoria Harbour Authority, 18

which chooses, and schedules time slots for, a limited number of buskers each year.

The restrictions are partly because buskers can be controversial. Once upon a time, office workers, tired of hearing the same tunes over and over, wanted to ban a bagpiper from his Inner Harbour post (Vancouver lifted its ban on bagpipe busking only recently). And just this May, Vancouver’s Granville Island caused a fuss amongst its street performers by requiring them to pay steeper licence fees and follow tighter regulations.

It’s no wonder buskers from all over the world are flocking to Victoria to perform in the Victoria International Buskers Festival this July. But it’s only been two years that we’ve had an organized festival that celebrates their quirky, creative and often larger-than-life performance style.

John Vickers, the festival’s organizer, explains that the 60 to 80 buskers who will perform this year were chosen from more than 300 applications from 20 countries. Each submitted a YouTube clip of their performance, which made for a marathon of viewing last fall, Vickers says.

“Most of them have to make their selections prior to Christmas,” he explains. Yes, their selections. Because many international buskers work a circuit of festivals that takes them as far as New Zealand, Spain and Japan, they need to book their travel well in advance.

Filling a cultural gap The performers who have deigned to perform here range from giant puppets to breakdancers to acrobats to fire performers.

All of them are new to Victoria, says Vickers, explaining that the festival wanted to mix up the lineup with acts people here haven’t seen before.

While many street performers struggle to rake in the toonies, buskers chosen for the festival’s eight main stages get star treatment. The festival, which runs on an annual budget of $180,000 and spends $5,000 on insurance alone, covers their travel to Victoria, and downtown hotels provide free rooms.

And performers get to keep all the tips they make when they pass the hat at the end of the show — a huge incentive to make sure audiences are as big as possible.

Fortunately for the performers, audience numbers are growing, especially as Victoria has lacked a big multi-day summer event since Folkfest ended in 2006.

The Buskers Festival fills that gap nicely. An economic impact study of last year’s event demonstrated that the 146,000 people who attended over the 10-day event brought in $3.1 million to the city. “This year, we’re shooting for 200,000 spectators,” says Vickers, adding that the festival’s office has already received calls from tourists who want to arrange their visits in order to catch the event. Clearly, there are some folks who do plan to run across buskers when they’re out and about. I’ll bet they’re already smiling at all that entertainment for just a pocketful of toonies, willing to be delighted at every turn.

The Victoria Buskers Festival runs from July 19 to 28 at eight venues downtown. See victoriabuskers.com for more.

19

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20

 by glenn lindsey

STREET RODS RUMBLE TO THE INNER HARBOUR Down at the Inner Harbour, in the warm July sunshine of 2010, the Coho ferry rocked quietly on its keel. Suddenly, from inside its hold came a deep push-rod rumble. Here, 110 street rods waited anxiously to wheel out into the glorious Victoria weather. The pulse of V8 engines grew louder and louder. As each of these rods, all from California, paraded through the ferry’s portside doors, each driver was given a rose, a classy welcome to Northwest Deuce Days.

A quiet, unassuming man stood nearby and smiled anxiously. He loved that sound. Al Clark, 67, organizes this colourful event, which began in 1998 in Victoria’s Kinsman Gorge Park. Following the 2000 show in Oak Bay Village and Chilliwack in 2002, the event took place in the Inner Harbour for the first time in 2004, featuring 127 cars. After

Deuce Days

switching to a tri-annual cycle, two more shows followed in 2007 (the 75th anniversary of the 1932 Ford “Deuce”) and 2010 (when it became a multi-day event). This year, Northwest Deuce Days, North America’s largest Deuce street rod show, will be held July 19-21, again in the Inner Harbour.

Born in England, Clark grew up in Victoria, and is a graduate of Mount Doug Secondary School. Like many young boys, he first tinkered with his bicycle, but soon began helping a beloved older brother work on his 1940 Ford coupé. Nowadays, Clark loves building Deuces and founded Deuces Northwest Street Rods: “It’s somebody’s dream, and when I’m finished, it always puts a smile on his face,” he says.

Vic Edelbrock, chairman of aftermarket car part producer Edelbrock, LLC, is a sponsor of Deuce Days and enjoys

Hot rod/street rod: A hot rod is a (typically) American car hopped up for speed. The term “street rod” can include hot rods, custom cars, and even modern cars with custom paint jobs and interiors, but is not necessarily built for speed. Think Grease (hot rods) or American Graffiti (street rods).

Deuce: The quintessential hot rod is the 1932 Ford coupé, or Deuce, which became the ideal car for “rodders” in the ’40s. With the cars so readily available, rod owners would strip the car, soup it up, and, of course, show it off — a trend that continues today. Very few unmodified ’32s exist as a result.

21

 Thousands of visitors attended the 2010 event in the Inner Harbour.  Al Clark with a ’32 Roadster.

working with Clark. “I think he’s done a heck of a job in promoting this event,” he says. Edelbrock supplies each volunteer with a special event shirt.

RODDERS FROM aROUND THE WORLD On the Deuce Days weekend, a cool and conservatively estimated $70 million* worth of testosterone-laced, horsepower-mad, chrome-gleaming hardware will invade the idyllic paradise of Southern Vancouver Island: close to 1,000 street rods painted in every colour will strut their stuff around Victoria and the Saanich Peninsula. Half of those rods will be the iconic Deuce, both the coupé and roadster versions, but all cars and trucks up to 1951 may register. Overall, the weekend attracts owners of all makes and models to the city.

Deuce Days is an important economic event for Victoria, according to Ken Kelly, president of the Downtown Victoria Business Association. It “brings a very distinct and appealing niche market event to Victoria,” he says. “It’s the best of all worlds because these visitors from across North America and around the world appreciate our community, and our community enjoys their visit.”

Visitors will pack downtown hotels like the Hotel Grand Pacific, which was fully booked by April. “We have a big contingent of Californians who have booked at least 100 rooms, over $125K in room rentals,” says hotel general manager Reid James. It’s not only good business for James; it’s also enjoyable. “These people are fun, and they’re real characters.”

That makes the average car’s value about $50,000–70,000, but some are worth over $1 million.

The average rod owner is probably 60, but there’s one Californian who is 88, and he’s driving his Deuce up Interstate 5 to Victoria. Two aficionados are bringing rods from Sweden, and a rod enthusiast employed by the US Air Force is flying in from Qatar. With rodders from all over the world so keen to join the fun, it’s clear that Clark has done his job.

“Al is one of those people who believes so much in what they’re doing, it’s their passion,” says Robert Gialloreto, president of Tourism Victoria. “They put themselves selflessly into these events, and Tourism Victoria can’t do what we do without people like Al Clark.”

ATTRACTING THE BEST Big names love to visit Victoria on this special weekend. Roy Brizio, owner of the San Francisco-based company Roy Brizio Street Rods, is one of them. He has built over 300 rods in 35 years, and will be coming for his fourth consecutive Deuce Days. “It’s a lot of fun, and the guys in the Bay area enjoy coming up. Al’s a good guy, and he treats everyone really nice,” he says. “That’s why most of us come back.”

Clark has a large community of volunteers — over 100 — who work tirelessly throughout the weekend.

On the Friday, they will help with two

Deuce Days Deuces Northwest Street Rods has built almost 40 chassis (frames) and a dozen complete street rods since Clark founded it in 1998, attracting customers from BC, Washington, Oregon and California.

Poker run: In their hot rods, participants visit seven checkpoints, drawing a playing card at each one. The goal is to have the best poker hand at the end of the run.

Participants are not timed, though there is a time limit, so winning is a matter of chance. First place in the poker run wins $600.

special luncheon visits for rod owners to Butchart Gardens and the Air Museum; on the Saturday, they will help with a poker run around Victoria and the Peninsula.

On Sunday, July 21, Northwest Deuce Days showcases the street rods to the public. Early in the morning, as the sun rises and while the city sleeps, all of the street rods will converge downtown.

Volunteers will direct them to parking spots around the Inner Harbour. Hot coffee, hot rods, and hot sun will soon get everyone’s pulses racing.

An estimated 50,000 people will flood into the city to view these beautiful cars, with countless photographs taken, countless conversations shared, and countless drinks quaffed. Edelbrock, whose company is celebrating its 75th anniversary, smiles happily thinking of Deuce Days. “It took me three years to sober up from the last one,” he says.

Once again, Clark has worked tirelessly to help stage this unique event. “When they all start arriving, it’s pretty exciting,” he says. “Everywhere you look, there are hot rods all around Victoria.”

At last!

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photo credit

pages 22

-23: glenn

lindse y

Hurry in, sale ends July 31st.

 A beautiful example of a ’32 coupé, or Deuce.  An Edelbrock engine powers this red rod.

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23

A water buffalo love 24

 Each water buffalo at Fairburn Farm has a name — and its own distinct personality to match.

t the end of Jackson road in Duncan, the only sound is the chirrup of frogs and the wind, whistling in the trees.

A historic farmhouse stands proudly a few metres from the gate, overlooking lush green fields and meadows that dip below. Not far from the farmhouse, a group of water buffalo calves watch passersby skittishly from the shade, trying to decide if it’s safe to approach.

Each one has a name, a distinct personality and large, gentle eyes that cautiously observe newcomers. There’s Jane, who was a bully until she was dehorned, and Vanessa, a yearling who never fails to pursue a quick scratch.

“They’re like dogs,” laughs Maryann Hartmann, 30, who works Fairburn Farm’s Cowichan buffalo dairy. Along with her husband, Brett Hartmann; brother, Richard Archer; and parents, Anthea and Darrel Archer, Maryann lovingly cares for Canada’s very first water buffalo herd — a commitment that has been both heartbreaking and rewarding.

More like pets than livestock The heartbreak is hopefully behind them.

These days, the family is reaping the fruits of their labour. This summer, they will complete construction of the calf and heifer barns, and welcome a second member of the fourth generation of water buffalo born at Fairburn.

The buffalo enjoy a wonderfully symbiotic relationship with the Archer and Hartmann families. Treated more like pets than like livestock, they relish a good scratch and

story at Fairburn Farm  by Lauren Kramer  photography by dean azim

ďƒĽ Inside the milking parlour, the water buffalo provide 163 litres of milk each day.

Fairburn Farm at a

1886

Two Englishmen first homestead the land

26

1955

1980

2002

Darrel Archer and his wife take over, using it as a B&B and for mixed farming

Archer family purchases the Farm, using it as a horse rental business and children’s summer camp

Adult water buffalo slaughtered due to BSE fears; when the tests come back negative, the Archers are allowed to continue with the offspring

2000

Archers import a water buffalo herd from Denmark

2006 2007 First water buffalo milking begins

Mozzarella di Bufala first on the market

Enjoying Mozzarella di Bufala:

 Keep it stored in brine in its original container.  The ideal storage temperature is 15°C (60°F), but North American regulations require cheese to be refrigerated.

Before use, remove the packaged mozzarella from the fridge and keep at room temperature for at least 30 minutes; then, immerse it in warm (35–40°C or 95–105°F) water for five minutes.  For Mozzarella di Bufala in a hurry, remove from the fridge and immerse in warm (60°C or 140°F) water for 10 minutes.

compete for the attention of their favourite caregivers.

Close to 900 kg (2,000 lb.) when they reach adulthood, they command a healthy respect for their massive girth and sheer strength. You never turn your back on them, Maryann says. “You get your mean ones, your nice ones, and those that are too friendly — just like humans,” she says. “Some get so relaxed when you scratch them, they just fall over. It’s hilarious to watch!”

In the milking parlour, the herd of 60 buffalo is milked six at a time under Maryann’s careful supervision, twice per day. She feeds them a granolalike mix of oats, molasses and barley, scratching their heads lovingly as they wait patiently for their udders to empty. The dairy delivers 163 litres of buffalo milk a day to Natural Pastures Cheese Company in Courtenay, where it emerges as Mozzarella di Bufala, balls of porcelain white, rich, moist cheese that are heavenly with tomato and basil, or on pizza. The milk of water buffalo contains 58 per cent more calcium than cow’s milk, 40 per cent more protein and 43 per cent less cholesterol. Smooth and rich on the palate, its high milk solids content makes it ideal for production of cheese and yogurt.

“Among the people who “You get your know what Mozzarella di mean ones, Bufala is, it’s very popular,” your nice ones, says Doug Smith, managing director at Natural Pastures. and those “This is a brand new that are too industry for Canada. We’re friendly — just really just starting to figure like humans.” out what we can do with water buffalo milk.” He says they are currently selling a water buffalo paneer that’s really enjoyable in a curry, where its rich flavour and texture shine. “We’re looking at possibly making a brie with buffalo milk later this year, and down the road we may have ricotta and firm cheeses, too,” he adds.

Thanks to their successes, this farming family can heave a cautious sigh of relief; there is hope for the future of their farm today. But it wasn’t always this encouraging.

Udder madness Darrel and Anthea took over the 130-acre farm from Darrel’s parents, who had purchased the property in 1955 and used it as a venue for children’s summer camps. They continued to run the turn-of-the-century farmhouse as guest accommodations. In 2000, they imported a herd of 19 Bulgarian Murrah water buffalo from Denmark, with the intention of starting Canada’s first buffalo dairy. “At the time, my parents were looking for an animal that would eat food grown 27

Fairburn Farm by

130

acres of farmland and forest

60 water buffalo currently at Fairburn Farm

22

163

litres of milk sent from Fairburn Farm to Natural Pastures each day

chickens on the farm

“Some [buffalo] get so relaxed when you scratch them, they just fall over. It’s hilarious to watch!”

 Top: Two of Fairburn’s 60 water buffalo on the move.  Left: Maryann Hartmann gives a friend a good scratch.  Right: Darrel Archer on his bike outside the barn. naturally in the Cowichan Valley,” Maryann recalls, adding the water buffalo seemed a perfect fit. “They have a lower environmental footprint than cattle and they’re not susceptible to foot rot, pink eye and mastitis.”

Shortly after the buffalo arrived, however, a case of BSE, or mad cow disease, was found in a cow in Denmark. The Archers received a letter from Canada’s Food Inspection Agency to say their buffalo would need to be destroyed. The couple remembers being stunned. There had never been a case of BSE in water buffalo — ever. Determined to fight for the lives of their herd, the Archers embarked on a two-year legal battle with the CFIA. Their story hit the global news and donations from members of the public “There was began pouring in.

Ultimately, all of their almost a $80,000 in legal fees were mutiny ... covered by those donations.

They knew But in July 2002, the entire they were herd was transported to killing healthy Lethbridge, Alberta and destroyed, leaving only 30 animals.” calves on the farm.

“Originally, the calves were ordered slaughtered with the older animals, but they were saved by the public outcry against the senseless slaughter of water buffalo, an animal that still has never developed mad cow disease,” Maryann says.

Anthea remembers a call from an employee’s wife at the killing factory. “She told us there was almost a mutiny when our buffalo arrived,” she says, still emotional about the loss. “They knew they were killing healthy animals. And when they checked their brains later, every one of them tested negative for BSE, something we had known all along.”

A new door opens It was difficult to carry on. “We thought about moving to Europe and even got immigration papers from Denmark,” Anthea says. “But farmers don’t give up easily,” Darrel interjects. He had grown up on the farm, worked it every day of his life. He wasn’t about to retreat.

They say when one door closes, another opens.

29

 One member of the youngest generation of Fairburn’s water buffalo.

The family rented out the farmhouse to Mara Jernigan, whose successful culinary school operated from 2002 to 2010. Anthea and Darrel had hoped at least one of their children would step forward, bringing new blood to Fairburn Farm’s future. In 2008, their daughter Maryann did just that, joined by Brett, a software developer eager to leave the office and try something new. Her brother, Richard, joined them, so all five of them live there today.

Today you’ll find the family up from the early hours of the morning, milking, cleaning up, preparing the farmhouse for guests, chopping firewood, and feeding the endearing water buffalo. “It’s non-stop, really,” says Maryann, whose days start at 5:30 am. Between the farm work and the bed and breakfast, which sees a steady flow of 80 visitors each month to its five rooms, she parents Mason, her fearless 22-month-old son, soon to be a brother to an infant arriving in September. When the family takes a few minutes of downtime, it’s in the company of their gentle giants, the water buffalo, cementing a bond of trust, love, companionship and symbiosis.

Visiting Fairburn Farm:  90-minute farm tours are offered between May and September, including tastings of Mozzarella di Bufala. Tours cost $6 for children and $8 for adults.  Guests can experience a farmstay at Fairburn in the spring and summer, when accommodation in the historic farmhouse is available for $120–$165 per night per room, based on double occupancy. There’s also a cottage for rent that can accommodate up to four. Families coming with kids can help at milking time, bottle feed the buffalo calves and fetch eggs from the chicken coop in the mornings. Info: fairburnfarm.bc.ca | 250-746-4637.

30

boulevard business

profiles

handyman connection : a handy way to connect

Simple Promise. Consistent Delivery.

It’s time to remodel the bathroom or finally build a new back deck. Maybe the kitchen backsplash is crying out for replacement or a door needs to be knocked out. For simple to complex jobs, Handyman Connection connects homeowners with reputable craftsmen.

H

andyman Connection is a Victoria business that has almost 30 topnotch, certified tradespeople on its roster. Their skills run the gamut from plumbing and electrical work to drywall and carpentry. When a customer calls with their request, Handyman Connection matches the craftsman to the job, saving the homeowner the worry that they might not be getting a qualified, aboveboard tradesperson.

“We’ve got a good, reliable crew of qualified craftsmen who offer great customer service,” says Alex Campbell, who, with his wife Christina, bought the Victoria Handyman Connection franchise in December.

The couple has a lot of faith in the Handyman Connection brand, a company started in the U.S. in 1991 after a retired carpenter had more work from friends and neighbours than he could handle.

Since 1997, the Campbell family has owned and operated the Calgary Handyman Connection. In 2004, Alex and Christina looked north to Red Deer and started their second outlet. When the Victoria franchise became available, the Campbells couldn’t resist bringing their home improvement know-how west. “We’ve been with Handyman Connection for awhile and we’re very confident in our skills,” Alex says.

Their Calgary operation is the number

one Handyman Connection in Canada and almost 60 per cent of their customers are repeat clients or have recommended Handyman Connection.

With over 16 years in this business, Alex takes customer service seriously. It’s not merely a tagline. Today, customers are worried that the person they hire to rewire a home office or paint the bedrooms may not do the job well or even complete it. “Our focus is on getting great guys who know the business,” Alex says. “We know the strengths of our workers.”

To hammer home that point, all Handyman Connection craftsmen undergo criminal record and reference checks. Work is priced by the job, not by the hour, so no sticker shock at the finish. All work is given a full guarantee. The craftsmen are insured with WorkSafe BC and are covered with a $5 million third-party liability coverage.

Payment is requested only when the job is finished, not at the start. Handyman Connection is also a member of the Better

Business Bureau. “When customers hear those terms, there’s a big sigh of relief,” Alex notes.

The Campbells expect to operate Victoria’s Handyman Connection for the long term, building a strong business and local presence. “We want to get involved in the community and we want to ensure that homeowners get what they need,” Alex says.

“We know we’ll make customers happy.”

Alex Campbell Christina Campbell 598 Head Street, Victoria, BC V9A 5S7 250.384.4969 victoria.handymanconnection.com

HOT PROPERTIES

Concrete and raw-plated steel used for the fireplace was softened, at Tanya’s urging, with ledge stone.

A wood-burning fireplace was top on their list.

country boy meets city girl:  by carolyn heiman  photography by vince klassen

The dining table and buffet are custom made by two different designers and built at different times, but they are, for all intents and purposes, a matched set.

34

Wide-plank white oak flooring came from wood grown in France and milled in Italy.

hen Tanya and Carl Munro first met, they had polar opposite lifestyles. He lived on an Ardmore acreage, and she was decidedly an urban Kitsilano dweller. “He was used to land all around him, and I was in the city with lots of neighbours,� recalls Tanya.

He liked modern architecture, and she leaned towards traditional craftsman-style homes.

By all rights, harmony under the same rooftop should have been elusive. But the two have found the architectural sweet spot in their 3,000-square-foot modern home, given an organic twist with abundant warm fir and oak, and bathed in natural light from floor-to-ceiling glass windows facing the urban forest butting up to their property line.

It was the property itself that offered the olive branch toward a middle ground. Nestled on the edge of a wild stream-fed ravine, yet five minutes to Royal Oak Shopping Centre and less than a half hour to the downtown core, it provides each of them with environmental elements that make them happy. But the property itself, with multiple levels and three protective covenants, was less design-compliant.

35

TOSSING OUT THE PLANS Working with architect Franc D’Ambrosio, they tossed aside the plans that came with the land, which prescribed a predictable home positioned on the extreme front edge of the property.

D'Ambrosio pushed the home back into the forest, stepping it up on the land’s multiple levels and taking advantage of a giant granite rock to provide privacy for the windows and to create a sun-baked, sheltered patio.

Carl in particular has a strong and

well-developed interest in modern architecture and especially architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Arthur Erickson and Alvar Aalto. He had clear ideas of what he wanted in the home, but recognized the importance of not being “too prescriptive, or you won’t end up with a good product.” Tanya, meantime, kept an eye on ensuring it didn’t end up being “all chrome and glass.”

D’Ambrosio, well known for his commercial work in the Selkirk

A small area of cork is inlaid into the kitchen, giving a warmer, softer feeling under feet and increasing the chances that accidentally dropped glasses and dishes survive the fall.

36

waterway and most recently the Atrium downtown, used contemporary vocabulary inspired by Scandinavian modern influences. He juxtaposed horizontal building lines against the vertical trees dominating the landscape.

For colour, he chose a white exterior that “will allow shade and shadows to play on it,” creating its own natural colour as the sun moves across the sky.

Tanya says the terraced approach was a welcome relief, as otherwise, they

imagined they would end up with a “small-tall house” rather than the open floor plan that resulted. And, to her relief, she says the home “feels cozier than I expected it to be.”

The home has four distinctive and large outdoor spaces, adding to the overall terraced appearance and eliminating any need for a lawn mower.

Instead, the spaces connect the residents to the outdoor ravine and gently-flowing stream nearby.

 Naturally strong fir enabled the window mullions to be micro-slim.

Ltd.

Building Beautiful Homes P + 250.857.5349 E info@gtmann.com www.gtmann.com

37

 The white- and wood-coloured home gets splashy, bright touches — lime green, orange and robin’s egg blue — from small, tiled areas in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Supply List

Architect: D’Ambrosio Architecture & Urbanism (Franc D’Ambrosio) Contractor/Builder: Horizon Pacific Contracting (Tim Agar) Interior Designers: Tonia D’Introno Exterior Stucco: DeCicco Bros Cabinetry: Splinters Millworks (David Sheridan) Counters: Valley Countertops Flooring: supplied by builder (Listone Giordano

white oak, Naturplus Elite, Italy) Appliances: Trail Appliances Plumbing Fixtures: The Ensuite Windows: Oakridge Windows & Doors Lighting: Mclaren Lighting Electrical: Amped Electrical Tiles: supplied and installed by Gazzola Tile & Design Floral Design: Brown’s the Florist

Carolyn Heiman explores beautiful Island homes each month for Boulevard. If you know of a gorgeous home you’d like to see profiled she can be contacted at cheiman@shaw.ca.

BRINGING IN THE LIGHT Special care has been taken to bring maximum light into the home, which otherwise could be dark because of the towering trees that block the sun. On the west side, floor-to-ceiling tempered glass windows, while not completely private, afford them with an acceptable amount of screening in their public spaces.

Tonia D’Introno, of D’Introno Interior Design, adds that special attention was paid to indoor lighting as well, recognizing that the abundance of natural light would have made it easy to neglect attention to interior lights. “It is full of many windows but ... in evening, it will become black. We wanted lighting that looks good when it is not on, but looks cozy and glows at night.”

With three bedrooms, three baths and a separate family room from the open kitchen, living, and dining area, the home “is as modest as possible yet has everything we wanted. We didn’t want a big house,” says Carl. “We had a bigger home before but we didn’t use it all.”

But that left some unique challenges for storage space and here, clever use of all the available vertical space — for example, to-the-ceiling cupboards and shelves in a generous hallway linking the family room to the main floor bathroom — fills an important functional bill. The area also serves as a library and office that can be closed off if privacy is required.

39

design matters

af ter b e f or e an d

From blank canvas to artistic sophistication

H

omeowner Yvonka Lind-Jager was a longtime fan of local designer Ivan Meade’s internationally popular interior design blog, Meade Design Group, so he was a natural fit for the job of redesigning the Lind-Jagers’ ’70s-era Rockland home. The original home lacked an inviting interior character and a functional distribution of space. This was no resale-driven reno, but rather the long-term home of an artistic couple who viewed their living space as a blank canvas primed for creative touches that would reflect their creative lifestyle.

Meade kept the material selection

limited, a great strategy for maximizing value and achieving design consistency.

A white-on-white concept was employed and rectilinear geometries subtly propagate in various applications, from millwork panelling, to a cluster of three square bathroom skylights, to the horizontal banding appearing in the tile pattern of the foyer walls, window treatments, and shower.

Timeless Carrara marble also chosen for the kitchen countertops makes a striking statement in the master bathroom (formerly a guest bedroom), where it ups the elegance factor. A frosted glass panel atop a pony wall provides a physical

 by sarah macneill

division and privacy screen between the loo and the vanity. Two under-mount sinks are backdropped by an enormous mirror that helps open up the space visually. And what’s not to love about a laundry chute hidden behind one of the vanity’s cupboard doors?

The master bathroom’s clean lines and monochrome palette create an environment of subdued sophistication present throughout the house. The consistent esthetic adapts from room to room without deviating unnaturally.

This evidence of conscientious design is a true testament to Meade’s philosophy and talent.

after

The fireplace was relocated to the exterior wall, and the surrounding built-ins combine millwork and drywall for a costsavvy architectural statement.

before

  photo credit Andrew Schroeder

Modernica light fixtures from Gabriel Ross play up the geometries in the space.

Ivan Meade’s top three interior

design rules: 1 Designer Q&A Q: How and when did you know that you had created your own signature design style?

A: I am against a signature style per se; my clients are my priority and they are the ones living in their space.

I definitely bring my design esthetic to a job, but it is the client’s personality that has to stand out.

and the interiors. Everything reflects the lifestyle experience that is created through branding.

We have designed wallpapers or vinyls for which you need to understand both disciplines — interiors for the applications, and graphics and its processes to print them and make them work.

Q: Your company also offers graphic design services. How would you describe the relationship between graphics and interiors?

A: I think they are actually accomplices as they can really work together. For instance, when we design a restaurant you can see consistency from the logo, the menu, the stationary package, web presence

Q: What was your first experience with design?

A: One Christmas dinner my mother allowed me to set the dining table. I hand drew all the place cards and menus, and collected ornaments from around the house. Everybody was very impressed and they gave me a big applause. The feeling has never left.

Try to understand what the space needs, not what you want to impose in the space.

It is a balance between needs and desires and what can realistically be done in the space. Function is first, design esthetic comes after.

2 Start understanding the lines of the space and how these lines will relate to the design principles.

3 Respect the architecture of the space as much as possible.

after

before

Sleek Carrara marble was used for the countertops.

befor have a e & af you ’ d li ter ke t o sh a Em re A laundry chute is concealed within the vanity.

B ef o a i l u s a r eA n t blvd dAf ter@ m ag .c a

?

Education unlimited:

creating equal access to education for everyone “SCHOLARSHIPS ARE IMPORTANT FOR ALL YOUTH — THEY’RE THE ONLY REASON I’M HERE [AT UVIC]. THE IRVING K BARBER SCHOLARSHIP SOCIETY WANTS YOU TO APPLY; THEY REALLY WANT YOU TO SUCCEED.” – HJALMER WENSTOB, CARVER, THIRD YEAR VISUAL ARTS STUDENT AT UVIC, AND RECIPIENT OF AN ABORIGINAL STUDENT AWARD.

DR. IRVING (IKE) K BARBER, the Society’s namesake, was a founding member of the Society and long-standing member of its Board of Directors. He played an instrumental role in both creating the organization and in managing the expansion of its scholarship and awards programs. Ike was passionate about education and worked tirelessly to inspire young people to pursue post-secondary studies.

He was particularly interested in securing educational opportunities for Aboriginal youth and for students living in remote communities.

Ike understood the potential of post-secondary education for both individual students and the province of BC in which they live. The Society benefited greatly from Ike’s advice and commitment and will continue to be inspired by his vision.

IRVING KEARL BARBER, February 14, 1923 - April 13, 2012

FOR MORE STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY MAKING A DIFFERENCE, WATCH CHEK NEWS AT 5PM EVERY SUNDAY FOR VITAL PEOPLE

42

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

VITAL SIGN: LEARNING THE IRVING K BARBER BRITISH COLUMBIA SCHOLARSHIP SOCIETY WAS FOUNDED IN 2004 WITH THE GOAL OF CREATING EQUAL ACCESS TO EDUCATION FOR ALL BRITISH COLUMBIANS. SINCE THE SOCIETY BEGAN AWARDING SCHOLARSHIPS IN 2006, THEY HAVE GIVEN OVER $5 MILLION TO OVER 1,700 INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS.  ACCESS FOR ALL

Aboriginal people are underrepresented in post-secondary education, even though the desire for that education is growing among Aboriginal communities. “You have a tremendous pent up desire and need for Aboriginal students to go to postsecondary school, particularly if they’re able to then turn that around and help their communities, which very often happens,” says Rory Grewar, Director of Special Funds at the Victoria Foundation, which helps the Society to administer, promote, and award scholarships. The Aboriginal Teacher

Education Award, which was launched in 2012, aims to encourage that positive feedback loop by providing Aboriginal high school students with role models. John Chenoweth, Society board member and Dean of Instruction and Distributed Learning at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, is encouraged by the level of interest they have already seen in this new award. “It’s exciting. If we can play a role in changing the context of this province, we’re glad to jump in and roll up our sleeves,” says Chenoweth.

“On the Society’s board, we’re all there for the same reason: to support the students.”

 SUPPORTING STUDENT GOALS

There are scholarships available for any kind of post-secondary education a student wants to pursue, from a nineweek welding program to a PhD in astrophysics. Though they do receive more applications than they’re able to award, the Society will help the students who apply to identify all the financial resources that are available to them. It all comes back to the goal upon which the Society was formed: supporting students to create a better quality of life for all British Columbians.

IKB SCHOLARSHIPS BC ABORIGINAL STUDENT AWARD

Awards of $1,000–5,000 for Aboriginal students pursuing postsecondary education, from trades certificates to doctoral degrees.

IKE BARBER TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIP

Scholarships of $5,000 for undergraduate students transferring to a BC public degree-granting institution to complete their degrees.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP

Scholarships of $1,000–3,500, or $6,000–10,000 for the Premier’s International Scholarship, for students enrolled at a BC post-secondary institution who will be studying outside North America for a time.

ABORIGINAL TEACHER EDUCATION AWARD

Awards of $5,000 annually for a maximum of four years for Aboriginal students enrolled in a teacher education program.

IKB SCHOLARSHIPS/AWARDS

YEAR

TOTAL RECIPIENTS

TOTAL AMOUNT

‘06 - ‘09

681

$2,111,800

‘10

212

$716,000

‘11

424

$1,125,000

‘12

519

$1,369,050

TOTAL

1,836

$5,321,850

Applications are available at bcscholarship.ca and due in early 2014

VICTORIAFOUNDATION.CA

250.381.5532

43

SOCIAL CAPITAL

 by P. J. Nicholls

44

Each year, Canadians indulge in over a billion dollars’ worth of ice cream. While that statistic might make manufacturers smile, it brings frowns to those concerned with public health. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, many brands of ice cream contain huge amounts of saturated fat and refined sugars — in addition to synthetic ingredients and some questionable food additives. What’s an ice cream lover to do? Rest easy — a select group of local artisans and a handful of savvy manufacturers are now offering alternatives to the highfat, chemically-laden fare that has the CSPI in a tizzy. Here’s a roundup of some of the coolest treats in Victoria.

Gelato (aka Italian ice cream)

Because it is served slightly warmer than commercial ice cream, and contains less air, gelato’s flavour is intense and its texture is silky and creamy, not “icy.” It also boasts significantly less butterfat than regular ice cream. A standard ice cream has to have a minimum of 10 per cent butterfat to be labelled “ice cream,” whereas the average fat content of gelato is four to six per cent. Locally, I love Ottavio’s artisan gelatos, which they create using only organic milk and natural, mostly local ingredients like Island honey and lavender. Available year-round at their Oak Bay location, the flavour offerings change daily to reflect seasonal bests.

I highly recommend the delectable hazelnut and must-taste black tea flavours.  Ottavio Italian Bakery and Delicatessen: 2272 Oak Bay Ave., open Tuesday–Saturday from 8 am–6 pm.  Supermarket option — Salt Spring Gelato. Using almost exclusively organic ingredients, this BC company produces a superb line of heavenly low-fat, low-sugar gelatos. Available at the Market on Yates.

45

Sorbet

Don’t confuse authentic Italian sorbet with the majority of icy-textured nonsense labelled as sorbet in supermarkets. True sorbet is a form of gelato made exclusively from fresh fruit and natural sugars, and its creamy, soft-serve texture belies the fact that it contains virtually no fat. Besides being beachbody friendly, sorbet is chock-full of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that abound in fresh fruit. For the best sorbet in town, head to Cook Street Village for a few scoops of the Tin Roof Deli’s “fruit only” sorbet. Their magical machine whips sun-ripened fruit into silken bowls of yumminess that contain no added sugars — just the pure goodness of fresh fruit.  Tin Roof Market and Deli: 1075 Pendergast St., open Monday–Saturday from 9 am–7 pm and Sunday from 11 am–6 pm.  Supermarket option — Solo-Fruit Sorbet. 100 per cent pure no-fat deliciousness. Available at the Market on Yates.

Non-dairy “ice cream”

Made from a variety of alternative milks like soy, rice and coconut, these treats, often considered more virtuous than traditional ice cream, can actually be full of less-than-healthy ingredients like GMO-sourced maltodextrin.

Victoria’s lactose intolerant crowd needn’t worry — Esquimalt-based Cold Comfort makes the purest, best-tasting non-dairy ice cream I have ever tried. (They make dairy ice cream, too.) Using coconut milk, natural organic sweeteners and natural flavourings, Cold Comfort serves up a confection so delicious, it has dairy lovers switching allegiance. One caveat: though emerging research suggests the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut are beneficial for cardiovascular health, coconut milk is still calorific, so indulge in moderation!  Cold Comfort: 809 Craigflower Rd., open Tuesday–Friday from 9–6 pm; Saturday and Sunday from 9–5 pm; also distributed to various local stores.  Supermarket option — Soy Delicious Premium Decadent line.

Frozen fruit bars

46

Admittedly, most frozen fruit bars do not deliver the creamy decadence of ice cream. However, one local brand manages to combine superlative, soul-satisfying taste with zero fat and cholesterol. Brett Black’s Fruition paletas are made from high-quality, mostly organic, and often locallysourced in-season fruits, plus a light touch of organic sugar — and little else. Heady, intense flavours such as roasted plum and wild blueberry and lemon deliver a cool burst of refreshing taste and antioxidant power — the perfect antidote to a sweltering summer day.  Fruition Paletas: 837 Fisgard St., open Tuesday–Sunday from noon–5:30 pm. (Also available at the Hot and Cold Café in Cook Street Village.)  Supermarket option — DeeBee’s Teapops. Locally handmade, tea-based treats with certified organic, non-GMO ingredients. Available in select stores, including Aubergine Specialty Foods and Demitasse.

Frozen yogurt

Frozen yogurt certainly sounds healthier than ice cream, but it isn’t always the healthier choice.

Many commercial frozen yogurts are loaded with refined sugars and replete with less-than-quality ingredients like polysorbate 80. In addition, few contain the beneficial probiotic bacteria that make yogurt a super-food. Thankfully, there’s an exception: Qoola, a Vancouver-based chain of frozen yogurt parlours, serves up delectable, virtually fatfree frozen yogurt brimming with live, health-promoting probiotics.

You can sample their delicious flavours, mixing and matching at your whim, at any of their three Victoria locations.  Qoola: Uptown shopping centre, Westshore Town Centre, and 550 Yates St., open Sun–Thursday from 11 am–9 pm; Friday–Saturday from 11 am–10 pm.  Supermarket option — Mapleton’s Organic Frozen Yogurt.

This brand also contains live bacteria. Available at Lifestyle Markets and the Market on Yates.

Organic ice cream

When you’re screaming for the real thing and nothing else will do, make sure it is the real thing. The majority of supermarket ice creams consist of “modified milk ingredients” and any one of 25 different additives that, legally, do not have to be included on the label. In stark contrast is the organic, all-natural, and relatively low-fat soft-serve on offer at Fol Epi. Lovingly handmade with organic milk and 100 per cent natural flavourings, this velvety ice cream will silence the “scream” and certainly pass muster with the folks at the CSPI.  Fol Epi: 101-398 Harbour Rd., open Tuesday–Saturday from 7:30 am–5 pm.  Supermarket Option — Mapleton’s Organic Ice Cream.

The Ginger flavour is a particular winner. Available at Lifestyle Markets and the Market on Yates.

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FOOD & WINE

Master the art of authentic barbecue this summer

Photo Credit: cinda chavich

ď § by cinda CHAVICH

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I

’m not sure exactly when pulled pork became so ubiquitous on Canadian restaurant menus, but thanks to precooked pork products from meat processing giants like Maple Leaf Foods, you’ll find “pulled pork” piled on everything these days — nachos, pizza, poutine, and even strewn across meaty salads.

It’s nothing like the authentic pulled pork I’ve been hooked on since my first encounter with a Kansas City pit master — an OMG food moment that sent me on a quest to discover the regional nuances of true barbecue, from Texas to the Carolinas, and learn how to create it at home.

Here in Canada, we talk about heading out to the backyard to “barbecue” a steak, but that’s actually “grilling.”

In the nomenclature of regional American cuisine, “barbecue” is a noun, and in any state east of the Mississippi, barbecue is pork, cooked low and slow over smoky, charcoal fires.

Sure, you can cook a shoulder roast with barbecue sauce in the slow cooker or steam it in an oven until it falls apart, but authentic pulled pork is a function of charcoal, wood smoke and time. Once you’ve had the real thing, pulled hot from the pit at a barbecue joint in the American south, these pale imitations just don’t cut it.

But you don’t need to take a diners-and-dives road trip to experience this classic regional American cuisine. Thanks to some of the great new home smokers on the market, real barbecue can be as close as your own backyard.

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I’ve tried several different setups — or rigs — over the years. You can use any covered charcoal barbecue with good results.

The classic starter kit for home barbecue chefs is the Weber Kettle Grill, that spherical charcoal unit with the domed top that’s been around since the days of Don Draper. First built in 1952, and dubbed Sputnik by some, it’s perfect for indirect smoking and often used in barbecue competitions.

If you get hooked, like I did, you might graduate to a dedicated smoker. I started with a cheap hardware store model, a bullet-shaped smoker I dubbed R2-D2. Though it worked alright, the thin metal of the unit didn’t hold the heat well and I was always feeding it with more charcoal.

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While there are higher-quality bullet-shaped smokers that are more efficient, I’ve always wanted an egg-shaped ceramic kamado smoker, the Cadillac rig of the slow barbecue set.

Perfect for cooking low and slow, the thick ceramic exterior holds the heat steady and low, reducing fuel consumption. But the kamado can take high heat, too, making it akin to a woodburning pizza oven or tandoor when you stoke it up.

The Big Green Egg was the first kamado grill to gain popularity, but its high price ($1,500+) made it too expensive for this home cook. Now, knockoff egg smokers have hit the market — from the Vision Grills and Kamado Joe ceramic units to the Big Green Keg, with its khaki green metal exterior, reminiscent of a beer keg.

All work well for both slow smoking and high-heat cooking.

Simply adjust the airflow to control the temperature.

1 tbsp (15 ml) salt ¼ cup (60 ml) white sugar 2 tbsp (30 ml) each: brown sugar, ground cumin, ground ginger, chili powder, black pepper, garlic powder ¼ cup (60 ml) sweet Hungarian paprika 1 tbsp (15 ml) dry mustard Combine ingredients well and store in a jar.

[continued on next page] 50

Photo Credit: cinda chavich

From The Guy Can’t Cook by Cinda Chavich (Whitecap Books). Don’t be tempted to buy a more expensive leg of pork for pulled pork — pork shoulder (aka butt) is the perfect cut, with plenty of intramuscular fat to keep the meat moist and juicy for hours on the smoker. pork: 1 pork butt or shoulder, bone in, about 3 lbs/1.5 kg (leg is too lean for this process) ¼ cup (50 mL) regular ballpark mustard such as French’s Dry Rub *

Mustard Sauce: 1 tbsp (15 ml) mayonnaise ¼ cup (60 ml) mustard 1 tbsp (15 ml) ketchup 2 tbsp (30 ml) honey 1 tbsp (15 ml) cider vinegar 1 tsp (5 ml) Tabasco sauce 1 clove garlic, pressed

6-8 crusty rolls Rub pork with mustard to coat on all sides. Combine dry rub ingredients and massage generously into pork. Leave the pork at room temperature for 10 minutes, allowing the rub to get tacky. The salt will draw some of the moisture out of the meat, forming a crust as it cooks that will seal in the juices.

On a smoker: Preheat the smoker and place the pork above the coals on a rack. Toss on some pre-soaked apple or mesquite wood chips to generate some smoke.

On a gas grill: Turn one burner off and place the roast on the unlit side of the grill. Put pre-soaked apple or mesquite wood chips into a metal smoking box or a pouch of heavy foil, punched with holes, and set it right on top of the fire bricks.

Keep heat constant and low, about 200–225°F (93–107°C), and cook pork until the internal temperature reaches 180–190°F (82–88°C). The pork should be tender and falling apart, easy to “pull” into shreds with a fork. This will take 6–8 hours.

Combine the mustard sauce ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk together until warm.

Pile the pulled pork on crusty rolls, and then drizzle with mustard sauce. Serve the sandwiches with coleslaw, on the side or piled on the sandwich. [Serves 6] NOTE: Pork is safe to eat at an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C). At this point, the pork will be cooked and sliceable; for pulled pork, however, you must cook the meat to the “falling apart” stage.

You can also use the same rub for ribs — just make sure to peel of the thin skin or “fell” from the back of each rack (loosen then grab with a paper towel and pull off in one piece). The ribs will be smoky and tender if you cook them low and slow for 3–4 hours.

I learned about barbecue from a couple of competition chefs from the US, the kind of guys that look like they’ve sat around too many barbecue pits drinking too many beers. But they taught me a secret that I use whether I barbecue pork butt, ribs or chicken on my smoker: slather the meat with ballpark mustard, and then sprinkle it heavily with barbecue rub* to get a tasty crust that will season your meat and keep the juices inside.

Don’t be tempted to use fancy Dijon (there’s not enough sugar) and make sure your rub has both salt and sugar. My basic rub is on page 50 — use it as a base and add any other seasonings you like.

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The secret to great barbecue — whether you’re cooking a pork shoulder, beef brisket or chicken — is low, indirect heat. Keep the temperature between 175 and 225°F (80 and 107°C) and plan to tend your rig for hours (six to eight for pulled pork, and up to 12 hours or more for beef brisket).

Cook with hardwood charcoal (not chemical-infused briquettes) and add soaked wood chips or chunks (apple, cherry, hickory, mesquite) for a blast of flavourful smoke.

While it’s not as flavourful, you can even approximate barbecue on a gas grill. Just make sure you have more than one burner for indirect cooking, and keep the heat low. (Wrap wet wood chips in a perforated foil package and set over the gas burners, adding authentic smoke flavour.)

Low-temperature cooking breaks down the collagen, renders the fat and gives delicious, tender, smoky results. When you pull your meat off it should be falling apart and juicy, with a deep burgundy red ring — the smoke ring — permeating the top layer.

Just be careful. I’ve seen friends and chefs get positively hooked on this hobby. They buy fancier rigs, enter contests, and travel to slow barbecue competitions across North America. They talk mops and rubs, search for perfect racks, inject butts with secret marinades, and babysit their pits for hours — spending every Sunday at the “Church of Barbecue.”

It’s easy to do, because the taste of smoky barbecue is truly addictive. Yes, it’s pulled pork — but it’s the real deal.

Smoke and spice and everything nice

By Sharon McLean

Pork isn’t a big meat on its own, but the dry rub, the sauce and the long, slow smoke cranks up the intensity and adds a host of flavours that have to be matched by the wine. A juicy Grenachebased wine, a spicy Syrah, or a high-octane Zinfandel are good choices. The 2010 Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache from Barossa, Australia ($24.99 at BCLDB) is a very supple wine with rich, ripe plums, hints of floral notes and white pepper. Or, try the 2009 Seven Deadly Zins, from Lodi in California, with its typical red berry, black pepper and spice notes. Both deliver great value at $25 at BCLDB stores.

Rieslings and Pinot Gris are traditionally paired with pork dishes in Alsace and would work well here for those who prefer white wines. Choose a wine that is slightly off-dry to match with the touch of sweetness in the sauce. The 2011 Zinck Pinot Gris from Alsace offers peaches, apricots and spice and is a killer deal at $19 from BCLDB stores.

If you switch up the sauce and add a higher proportion of vinegar, be careful with the red wine pairings — it could make them seem thin and astringent. You may want to choose an Italian red, such as a Chianti or a Montepulciano — or stick with beer!

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Say hello to summer with Portuguese wines 54

ď § by sharon mclean

The promise of summer has me eagerly looking through my summer wine wardrobe. Big, heavy, warming reds are being eschewed for light, bright whites that are perfect for picnics and patios. The wines of Vinho Verde have long been a summer favourite, but a recent trip to Portugal allowed me to see that there’s more to Vinho Verde than neutral, slightly spritzy whites.

Where is Vinho Verde?

Vinho Verde lies in the northwest of Portugal, stretching from Porto and the Douro River in the south to the border with Spain and the Minho River in the north. Proximity to the Atlantic gives the region a cool, rainy climate and a lush, green countryside. Indeed, some claim that the “Verde” (green) comes from the verdant vegetation, while others say it reflects the wines’ freshness and youthfulness. Either way, the climate gives all the wines their hallmark crisp acidity.

Few Vinho Verdes currently make it to BC. There’s no other way to experience Vinho Verdes in all their varieties than to hop on a plane and head to Portugal.

The grapes! Ah, the grapes!

Guaranteed to set any oenophile’s heart aflutter is the list of white grape varieties: aromatic Alvarinho, full-bodied Avesso, floral Loureiro, minerally Arinto, steely Trajadura.

Not a Chardonnay or a Pinot Grigio in sight.

Alvarinho is perhaps the most famous. In Spain, it is known as Albariño and has built a reputation for producing beautifully aromatic white wines in Rias Baixas. It’s little surprise that the best Alvarinhos in Vinho Verde are found directly south of Rias Baixas across the Minho River in the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço. These Alvarinhos have distinct peachy, apricot and floral notes and bright acidity.

The reds are equally, if not more, obscure: Amaral, Borraçal, Espadeiro, Padeiro and Vinhão. Given the cool climate, it’s hard to ripen these black grapes fully and depth of colour can be hard to achieve. Many of the producers I visited produce red wines, but they are largely targeted at the local market — apparently they pair well with local sardines!

Sparkling delights No surprise to those who know me, but I couldn’t resist trying the fully sparkling wines, which are growing in popularity and quality. I was impressed, and a bottle of the sparkling Alvarhino from Quinta de Soalheiro made its way back to Canada in my suitcase: beautiful peaches, flowers and ginger.

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Get serious with Vinho Verde Quinta de Soalheiro is one of the most famous producers in the Monção and Melgaço sub-region. In the tasting room overlooking some of the vines, Luis Cerdeira, the winemaker and owner, led us through a vertical tasting of classic Alvarinhos from 2004 to 2010. The myth that Vinho Verdes have to be consumed in their youth is false; these wines had aged beautifully. Another surprise was the perfect pairing of the oak-aged Soalheiro Reserva Alvarinho with incredible charcuterie, made by Luis’ sister, Maria. Outstanding.

Anselmo Mendes is another producer at the top of his game. We didn’t make it to the winery in Monção and Melgaço, but tasted his wines at two of the larger-format tastings.

One of them was held at the delightfully named “Paço do Alvarinho” (Palace of Alvarinho) in the town of Monção.

Some of my favourites were the 2009 Parcela Unica, a barrelfermented Alvarinho, and the 2010 Contacto, an Alvarinho that sees six to 12 hours of skin contact that give a savoury, mineral character to the wine. Both are serious wines loaded with complexity and character.

No blends here The Vinho Verde wines found most often on our market tend to be blends, and visiting the region provides a wonderful opportunity to taste each variety on its own. Quinta de Gomeriz, in the Vale do Ave sub-region just north of Porto, is a modern producer that offers a range of single varietal wines — all clean and true to the grapes. Their Avesso stood out for its fuller body and gentle aromatics.

A must-do add-on While you are in Porto, make time to cross the Douro River and visit the port houses in Vila Nova de Gaia. The port vineyards are two to three hours up the Douro, but you will find all the lodges, where the ports are aged, in Gaia. A definite change of pace from the predominately white wines of Vinho Verde.

Vinho Verde back home The region is dominated by small producers, with the average vineyard plot less than three acres, but there are a few very large producers with high volume brands. Two that are available on our market are Gazela ($11) and Casal Garcia ($12). Both are relatively simple, and perhaps more typical of what springs to mind when you think “Vinho Verde.” Gazela is my “hello to summer” wine. Its light body, gentle spritz, neutral profile and low alcohol (around 9% abv) are just perfect for the patio. And at $11, life is good.

Another wine available here is the Quinta do Ameal, Loureiro.

Available at BCLDB stores ($17), it offers a fresh profile of light lemon, herbal and mineral notes.

Enjoy Gazela and Casal Garcia on the patio, but search out the other, more serious wines on your travels. Portugal has much to offer in terms of variety, and the revitalized commitment to quality makes this an exciting region to watch and taste.

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FRONT ROW  by robert moyes

 Renowned singersongwriter John Hiatt performs at this year’s Vancouver Island MusicFest.

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MUSICAL MIGRATION

One of the area’s greatest migrations occurs every July when a couple thousand Victorians head to Courtenay for Vancouver Island MusicFest, a roots/folk/blues extravaganza. The 19-year-old festival gets its share of headliners, and this year’s marquee talent includes legendary country “outlaw” Kris Kristofferson and renowned singer-songwriter John Hiatt. “I just saw Hiatt at a festival in Nashville and he’s touring with a killer band,” says producer Doug Cox. Other stars include the Wailin’ Jennys, the Indigo Girls, and a “Guitar Heroes” super-session featuring Amos Garrett, Albert Lee, James Burton, and David Wilcox. “This is exclusive to our festival,” says Cox proudly. “The guys were hired separately and are flying in early to work on their mainstage presentation.” Asked to list some “don’t miss” unknowns, Cox instantly mentions Walk Off The Earth (“a young acoustic-pop band from Canada that has gone viral with 300 million hits

on YouTube”), Nomadic Massive (“a high-energy funk and hip-hop band from Montreal”), Dave Kelly (“a superb blues guitarist and slide player from England”), and Martha Redbone (“she’s an unusual but totally authentic mix of First Nations, Appalachian folk and Piedmont blues … and looks good to be the next superstar of Americana”).

Regulars know that the heart of the festival is the daytime programming at the intimate smaller stages when unique combinations of musicians are put together. Add in the bucolic riverside setting and a pint or two of beer and it’s as much fun as the ’60s … but with shorter guitar solos and much better sound.

Running from July 12–14 at the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds. Although the festival often sells out early, a late-release of day passes should show up on the VIM website. Also, check out their Facebook page for people selling tickets privately.

For information, see islandmusicfest.com.

DREAD DELIGHTS

With a mother from Antigua, Victoria-born Dane Roberts stands out a bit in a crowd. He was in his final year at UVic earning a degree in education when, for a final work term for the Service Administration part of Phys Ed, he cobbled together a weekend “ska fest” at Market Square on a $20,000 budget. Fourteen years later, while some of his UVic peers are running swim programs at public recreation facilities, Roberts presides over the Victoria Ska Festival, one of Canada’s biggest showcases of the propulsive dance music that originated in Jamaica in the 1950s but became crazy-popular in the 1980s. “We now have a budget of $250,000 and are bringing in acts from as far away as New Zealand, Ghana, and Colombia,” grins Roberts. “It’s a nice addition to Victoria’s musical scene.” The festival runs for five days, with five to seven bands playing daily. Most of the action happens at Ship Point down at the Inner Harbour, where up to 2,100 people can groove to a heady mix of ska, 2 tone, and rocksteady sounds. Performances will also be happening at nightclubs such as Sugar and Club 9ONE9. There are free shows on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday, but Dane recommends that newbies intrigued by ska should also consider buying tickets to one of the headliners, such as the Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, California’s The Debonaires, Ghana’s Blitz the Ambassador, or Montreal’s Planet Smashers. “That way, they’ll experience the cutting edge of this wonderful, ever-evolving music.”

Running from July 9–13 at Ship Point. For information, see victoriaskafest.ca.

 SkaFest features New Zealand reggae group Katchafire.

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 Zopyra Theatre will perform along the Galloping Goose Trail for Bike Ride.

ALL THE COLOURS OF SUMMER

“We approach this as our most important show of the year … it’s a chance to highlight the best of what the gallery has to offer, to a very broad audience.” So says Madrona Gallery co-owner Michael Warren of Colours of Summer, which features approximately 50 paintings and pieces of sculpture rotating throughout the summer, with special events every two weeks. Up to 30 of the gallery’s artists will be represented, ranging from locals like Nancy Ruhl to nationally celebrated painters such as Karel Doruyter, whose landscapes look like photo-realist art from a distance but actually feature such heavy layers of acrylic that they almost become works in relief. Warren is also impressed with painter Meghan Hildebrand, an “exceptional talent” whose dreamlike canvases are getting international attention. Although Madrona Gallery originally focused on landscape paintings and Inuit art, three years on, they have broadened their mandate to present provocative abstract work, including modern sculpture. “We’ve really grown as a gallery and now receive artists’ submissions from all across the country,” says Warren. “Our goal is to give voice to the full diversity of the visual arts in Canada.”

Running from July 1–August 31 at 604 View Street. For information, see madronagallery.com.

 Tree Debris (acrylic on canvas, 30" x

SKAM ARTISTS

With an 18th birthday just behind them, Theatre SKAM has long been one of the most celebrated forces on Victoria’s cultural scene. They especially made a name for themselves with sitespecific performances such as George F. Walker’s Zastrozzi performed in the back of a loading dock, and have latterly created an annual tradition with Bike Ride, comprising a dozen 10-minute works performed at various spots along the Galloping Goose Trail. “It’s five years old and the training wheels are off,” boasts SKAM’s artistic producer Matthew Payne. “We’ve doubled attendance and the festival has started to pay for itself.” Word is out about Bike Ride, and this winter Payne found himself curating 36 submissions from across the country. A few of the local groups that got the nod include cabaret performers Gotta Getta Gimmick, who mostly do musical comedy but are shifting gears (sorry) towards sketch comedy with Bug Out, the story of two incompetent campers who have the further challenge of avoiding a zombie plague. Then there’s sketch comedy regulars Launch Pad, whose Chain Drive is a punk rock musical that turns bike parts into instruments during the show. As before, Ride runs Saturday and Sunday afternoons on two successive weekends. The staging area is based at Cecelia Ravine Park, just north of the Selkirk trestle bridge, with groups of 12 being dispatched to see three shows at a go. “It starts at 3:30 and runs for about four hours each day,” adds Payne.

Running July 6–7 and 13–14, at Cecelia Ravine Park. Advance tickets available at skam.ca or ticketrocket.org.

36") by Karel Doruyter.

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GARDENS THAT MAKE A SPLASH

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Nine years ago, Karen Hughes was one of 14 Victorians who went to Tanzania to build a school. It proved to be a lifechanging experience, and 12 of those 14 went on to found the charitable For the Love of Africa Society, which supports educational and irrigation projects in that impoverished country. Their major fundraiser is the Water Garden Tour, now in its seventh year. A self-guided tour of 10 sites, it offers unique access to a wide range of beautiful private gardens with water features. “For $20, it’s a great opportunity to experience what can be done when you incorporate water into a garden,” says Hughes, who adds that five of the gardens were designed by professionals who will be onsite to answer questions. There are pocket gardens as well as elaborate acreages, including one with seating areas throughout the grounds and an elaborately terraced water feature that flows down several drops of up to five feet. “The soothing peacefulness of a water garden can be remarkable,” adds Hughes. “It’s maybe not surprising that our tour gets more popular each year.”

Running July 13 at various venues. Tickets are on sale at most large gardening shops. For information, see watergardentour.ca.

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ARTISHOW 2013: Plein Air events on the Fairmont Empress lawn, Sundays from June 30 through September 1.

Artists in Residence in hotels May through October, 10 am– 5pm, Wednesdays–Fridays, Fairmont Empress, Inn at Laurel Point, Hotel Grand Pacific, Coast Victoria Harbourside, Grand Pacific, Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe, Oak Bay Beach Hotel, Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa, artishowvictoria.ca.

Core Samples — Visual Arts Faculty 1963-1: This exhibition presents the history of the University of Victoria’s Visual Arts department. June 19–August 28, Wednesdays to Saturdays, 10 am–4 pm, Legacy Art Gallery, 250.721.6562, uvac.uvic.ca.

Gorge on Art: Stroll along the scenic Gorge Waterway this Canada Day and enjoy professional and emerging artists exhibiting their work. Meet the artists, watch them work, and take in live music through the day. July 1, 9 am–5 pm, Gorge Waterway Park, between Colquitz and Adelaide, 250.475.5557, saanich.ca/parkrec/recreation/arts/ ArtsEvents.html.

LINKS TO CHANGE: Victoria Golf Club’s three-day golf and gala. Event proceeds support Transition House and Pacific Centre Family Services. Raised $120,000 in 2012. July 11-13, Victoria Golf Club, 250.598.4321, vgccharity.com.

DRUMHAND: DRUMHAND’s Summer 2013 Cheer on the Sun Tour debuts their unique blending of the circuitous rhythms of West Africa, Cuba, India, and Brazil with the uplifting spirit of American roots music and jazz. July 17, 8 pm, Hermann’s Jazz Club, followed by shows in Duncan, Quadra Island, Port Alberni and Sointula, drumhand.ca.

Sooke Fine Arts Show: This show features 375 pieces of juried artwork by BC’s coastal island artists. It’s the region’s premier art show and sale, with live music, artist demonstrations and special events. July 25–August 5, open 10 am daily, SEAPARC Leisure Centre, 250.642.7256, sookefinearts.com.

Oliver’s BIG MACHINE: Jaron Freeman-Fox joins Oliver Swain, Emily Braden and Quinn Bachand for a night of Americana and Folk-Noir. Winner of the 2012 TC music award “best roots artist,” Swain is also a Juno and WCMA nominee.

July 26, 8 pm, Upstairs Cabaret, oliverswainmusic.com.

Lavenderfest: A fun-filled family day at a working lavender farm. Essential oil distillation, Lavender 101, farm tours, U-pick lavender, crafts, food and music. A fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society. July 27, 10 am–4pm, Damali Lavender & Winery, 250.743.4100, damali.ca.

Colwood Rotary Art & Wine Festival: Enjoy a fun day of art, wine, food, music. Browse the works of local artists. Sample Vancouver Island wines and appetizing bites from local chefs. Proceeds to community projects. $40 per ticket. July 28, 11 am–4 pm, Fort Rodd Hill National Historic site, rotaryfestival.yolasite.com.

Visit our website, blvdmag.ca, to submit arts and culture event details online. Listings for the August issue must be received by July 8 to be considered for inclusion.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Just one more glass why women are drinking more alcohol than ever

You may know her or have seen her — the in-control woman who religiously attends yoga classes, eats organic foods, does breast cancer runs, doesn’t smoke and takes daily supplements.

She’s also fond of the vine, proud of her skill at pairing red or white wine with the good food she eats, enjoying a couple of glasses each day with dinner.

Out with friends, one cocktail leads to two or three more. It’s okay.

Tomorrow, she’ll add 30 minutes at the gym.  by shannon moneo

Go to your happy place.

Visit Lotus & Sage

elcome to the 21st century, where women have achieved emancipation and educational equality with their male counterparts. Well-educated women, with more disposable income and freedom than ever before, do plenty to care for their health.

So, why such a paradox? Why are college graduates now drinking during pregnancy? And why are British women in their 20s dying of cirrhosis, asks Ann Dowsett Johnston, a multi-award winning journalist who spent one year investigating and writing stories about women and alcohol. In October, her book Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol will be released by Harper Collins. “Women feel entitled to drink,” she says from Toronto. While men usually drink to be social, women indulge as a way to deal with stress, be it from family or job obligations, she says.

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MORE WEALTH, MORE DRINKING Ready money also plays a role. “In societies with more what is wealth, people drink “one drink”? more,” says Tim Stockwell, director A standard drink in of the Centre for Canada is normally Addictions Research defined as of BC, based at the  one 12 oz (341ml) can University of Victoria. or bottle of 5% beer, In the last three cider or cooler decades, women  one 5 oz (142 ml) glass in North America of 12% wine have pretty well  one 1.5 oz (43 ml) shot matched men’s alcohol of 40% distilled spirits consumption, he says.

Each contains 13.45 g or Each year, 17.05 ml of pure alcohol.

Canadians over age 15 drink 8.2 litres of pure alcohol per person, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). That’s about 470 alcoholic drinks each year (or nine drinks per week). Our consumption is more than 50 per cent above the world average. More than 80 per cent of Canadians consume alcohol.

So, what is a safe level to drink? Stockwell concedes that a daily half drink for women or one drink for men may be beneficial. Meanwhile, risky drinking — four or more drinks at one sitting for women (five or more for men) — is on the rise, Johnston says. A November 2012 study from the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse found that

an estimated 20 per cent of all female drinkers and 30 per cent of all male drinkers report engaging in risky alcohol consumption on at least a monthly basis.

Part of the surge could be due to the mixed messages we get about alcohol. The good-for-yourheart red wine diet continues to draw followers, just as winery tours in bucolic surroundings do. But there’s another element.

RISE OF THE “ALCOPOP” It started in the late ’90s, when the alcohol industry was in the doldrums. Beer sales were flat, so women became the target, giving birth to the “alcopop” how to keep industry. Sweet, brightlythe booze at bay coloured rum- or vodkabased drinks hit the  Set limits for yourself market, Johnston says. and abide by them.

Wines were branded  Drink slowly. Have no with women-friendly more than two drinks names or touted as lowin any three hours. calorie beverages. The  For every drink of “pinking” of the industry alcohol, have one had begun, Johnston non-alcoholic drink. says. Television shows  Find drinks you like like Sex and the City with a low alcohol featured drinking as part content. of a successful woman’s  Eat before and while life. It’s no wonder that you are drinking. women bought into a  Have complete days lifestyle with a death off from drinking sentence. every week.

The “Girls’ Night Out  Always consider your Wines” website says: age, body weight and “When women get health problems that together, curious things might suggest lower happen. We talk, we laugh, limits. we eat and we drink,  Don’t mix alcohol but we also support, with medication or encourage, applaud and other drugs. share. Whether you’re  Avoid drinking before going out to meet with driving, operating your book club, having a machinery and potluck dinner, getting engaging in any ready for a night out on physically risky the town, or staying in to activities. watch a DVD, Girls’ Night Out goes with anything.”

And from the “Mommy Juice Wines” website: “Being a mom is a constant juggling act. Whether it’s playdates and homework, diapers and burp cloths, or finding that perfect balance between work and home, Moms everywhere deserve a break. So tuck your kids into

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bed, sit down and have a glass of Mommy Juice — because you deserve it!” As Johnston says, “Do you consider yourself to be a pawn of the alcohol market?”

WHERE TO LAY BLAME Johnston says that the media hasn’t done enough to warn women, and men, about the long list of diseases that could be caused by just one glass of booze every day. “We know about trans fats and tanning beds, but we’re very unaware of the problems with alcohol,” she says. “Our values are very clear on tobacco, but not on alcohol.” That slick marketing of alcohol, which sanitizes the bad effects, has worked. “We hear what we want to hear,” Johnston says.

Stockwell lays some of the blame on provincial governments, who regulate the price and sale of alcohol.

They’ve given into pressure from the powerful alcohol industry. “If you say anything negative in Canada, you get a backlash,” Stockwell says. “People don’t want information on the bad effects.” Yet there are plenty. “The risk of a whole range of cancers starts with one drink per day: throat, mouth, liver, colon. There are 230 diseases caused by alcohol,” Stockwell says. Recent information shows an enormous connection between breast cancer and alcohol, Johnston adds.

In March, Johnston organized and hosted the National Roundtable on Girls, Women and Alcohol. The gathering left her hopeful that in the next few years, there will be a change in how women think about alcohol. Perhaps pouring Merlot at the book club or sucking back multiple coolers while doing yard work will be rare happenings — not everyday occurrences.

help outside the bottle Take the AUDIT Test (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test): cbc.ca/north/features/alcohol/ quiz/ Greater Victoria Intergroup Alcoholics Anonymous Central Office #8–2020 Douglas Street, Victoria Business Line: 250-383-0415 24-Hour Help Line: 250-383-7744 vicintgpco@shaw.ca aavictoria.ca Vancouver Island Health Authority’s Addictions Outpatient Treatment 2nd floor–1250 Quadra Street, Victoria Phone: 250-519-3544 viha.ca/mhas

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TRAVEL FAR

The water is an inky black sheet. A full moon silhouettes the island across the channel, highlighting its towering and jagged white pines that geographically situate this place in the Northern shield, where the Group of Seven found their muse.

I quietly breaststroke alongside a 15-metre granite cliff, the glow from the boathouse sauna holding my bearing. The air is warm, even at pitch dark. I am in heaven. Although I live on the beautiful West Coast, I wonder why I am not spending every summer here at the Lake of the Woods.

A dip in cottage country: downtime at the Lake of the Woods ď § by carolyn heiman

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“Ah, those mosquitoes,” I imagine the reader’s taunt. Hardly one has been seen — often the case in August, when days and days of 30-degree weather have evaporated damp breeding puddles. Do locals invent the swarming insect stories to keep the human hordes away, I wonder?

Geography unlimited For the past 20-odd years, we have been the lucky guests of family at a cottage on the Lake of the Woods. “Where is that?”

British Columbians often ask me, their grade school geography lessons clearly forgotten.

Its jiggy-jaggy, 105,000-km coastline would rank as the longest of any Canadian lake, except it’s knocked out of the record book by its disqualifying portion that spreads into Minnesota. Boaters are ill-advised to travel without navigational charts, lest they get lost among its 14,500 islands. This is iconic cottage country.

Tourists have found their way to the area that budges the Manitoba border since 1869, and by the 1880s, the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway widened its appeal.

Victoria’s The Colonist published the following maudlin but true statement in 1896: “We have come to the conclusion that on the Lake of the Woods can be found more fairyland beauty, more real isolation from the bustle of life and more roaming over nature in her primitive beauty, untouched by the hand of man with less trouble and inconvenience, than can be found in any other locality in North America and we say in the world at large.”

No wonder man had to find an easier means to get here. By 1922 the railway opened a lodge. By the 1930s the Trans Canada opened the area to vehicles. Today, the lake is two hours from the Winnipeg airport. Many arrivals are heading to cottages passed on from generation to generation. There is a reason.

Did I mention it is hot here? On this day it is forecasted to be 30° C, but a light breeze and no humidity makes it divine. I check the Victoria temperature and see that it remains at 18°C, the same as when we left — the temperature that teases you into thinking that summer must be just around the corner. But real summer never really arrives. We never admit that. Instead, we begin a process of rationalization. We say: This is worth not having to shovel snow; we don’t have mosquitoes. I wonder about this while I am taking in the heat from the Adirondack lounger.

18 holes and a shore lunch The guys left early in the morning to do 18 holes on the Falcon Lake Golf course, designed by the renowned Stanley Thompson.

Books and university theses have been written about him.

Diehard golf aficionados make pilgrimages to his courses dotted across Canada, many in national parks. There is even a small movement focused on restoring his famed courses. I am not a serious golfer but can attest that the course here is cut among lush forest and the facility is staffed by friendly Prairie folk ensuring everyone has an enjoyable day. There are no pretenses.

But here, mosquito repellent is recommended.

When the golfers return, we jump in the boat for a 15-km, hairtangling ride to Wiley Point for the ubiquitous shore lunch:

pan-fried pickerel, baked beans and hash browns. Today, even a muskrat gets the drill. The normally shy creature has sneaked onto the dock for scraps, hardly paying attention to the stream of fishermen tying up to the dock for their shore lunch, too.

This is serious walleye fishing territory, with no shortage of outfitters and fishing lodges to point beginners in the right direction.

Town trip and more dips Another diversion is a trip to Kenora; one of my priorities is finding consumables not readily available at home. This is the heartland for the wild rice harvest; I never leave without buying the premium grade. And while thimble-size blueberries can be purchased anywhere in Canada, the miniscule ones found here carry a mega taste punch. Every Wednesday morning, vendors at the farmer’s market merchandise true authenticity: moss berry jam, elk salami, and wild rice sausages. Your grandmother would find the prices reasonable.

Back at the cottage, an afternoon dip is in order. I did mention that it was hot. Wonderfully hot. There is no West Coast goose-bump-inducing breeze.

As the days of the vacation drift, routine settles. Morning coffee in the sunroom. Reading — three books in three days, and now I turn to the well-stocked cottage library. (Hardcore readers should bring e-readers; you’ll read more, not less, than you originally thought.) Another dip. Play fetch with the dogs.

Maybe a paddle into the nearby lily-padded bay is in order, driven by no more purpose than to see if a turtle can be spotted on a log. Late afternoon cocktails. At dusk the resident loons call forlornly. At dark, dinner is served with a chorus of frogs singing from the forest shadows. Still time for a few hands of bridge. A late night sauna. And a swim in the inky black lake.

Did I mention it can be hot? Pack at least two swimsuits.

If you go: If you’re not fortunate to have a family/friend connection at Lake of the Woods, there are lots of accommodation options, including houseboat rentals, camping, fishing lodges and hotels, although the latter can’t possibly give you a sense of cottage culture.

Houseboat rentals:  lowhouseboats.com  houseboatadventures.com Cabin rental:  vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/ canada/ontario/lake-of-thewoods  lowdpoa.com

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BOULEVARD REAL ESTATE

Boulevard magazine supports Southern Vancouver Island's top Realtors representing the region's finest real estate. In our pages, we hope you will find your next home, whether it is in the listings of the Great Homes/Great Realtors or here in the Boulevard Luxury Real Estate listings. Both of these monthly advertising features bring you the finest selection of homes and condominiums Victoria has to offer.

$2,500,000 Lynne Sager 250-744-3301 lynnesager.com

Exceptional 2008 custom built executive quality home.

Situated on a private 2.3 acre lot with over 200’ of shoreline & sweeping views of Saanich Inlet.

Spectacular 25’ two story entry, & Grand living room with floor to ceiling stone F.P. Gleaming marble & Kempas hardwood floors, adorn the first two floors, beautiful custom Kelp bronze balustrades. Massive country kitchen with pantry, center eating Island, Granite counter tops, 6 burner Gas stove, custom fridge, adjoining spacious eating area and family room with F.P.

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$2,148,000 Lisa Williams 250-514-1966 lisawilliams.ca

LUXURIOUS CUSTOM HM in prestigious Wedgewood Point offering 4 bdrms, 5 baths & a sunny & flexible design sure to impress! Includes 9’, 11’, & 18’ ceilings, massive floor to ceiling windows, beautiful HW floors, fabulous gourmet kitchen w/pantry & huge breakfast area, elegant formal living & dining rms, main floor den/office & family rms, fantastic main level master suite, great billiard and media rms & so much more! Sundrenched pool w/expansive patio, hot tub, & covered outdoor dining area.

Situated perfectly in North Saanich this 2005 built Custom Home is sure to please.

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Downstairs feats 2nd kitchen, 3 bedrooms, & theatre room. Two $984,900 double garages leave plenty of room for the toys, & a .99acre Kyle Kerr lot w/ a heated outdoor pool 250-590-1775 homesalesvictoria.com give you lots of space to play with them. Priced 82K below assesment for a quick sale.

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$839,000 Dallas Chapple PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION.

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This immaculate Oak Bay home has many upgrades including a Stevens Interiors kitchen with granite counters, gas cook-top, hardwood flrs & new bathrooms. You’ll love the eat-in kitchen opening to the sunny deck, patio & manicured private gardens, complete with pond & bridge!

Upstairs are 2 bdrms & the stylish main bathroom. The bdrm on the main makes a great den! 1 bdrm down.

Don’t miss this super family home close to shops, schools, & the beach!

$789,000 Alan Wiggins 250-507-2759 alanwiggins.com

Step from the tree lined boulevard into the gated private garden of a unique residence. Built by the developer of Crystalview Estates for his family, using only the finest materials, it has been meticulously maintained. The 3800 sq.ft. home features Oak inlaid floors, panelling, windows and doors; Squamish granite in kitchens and bathrooms; glass French doors; gas fired AGA cooker; and a vault, to name a few. Truly a ‘one of’ Classic!

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Sharen Warde & Larry Sims Fantastic Cordova Bay Beach at your doorstep.

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This spacious townhouse neighbours Uplands Golf Course. Enjoy the sanctity of this controlled-entry, lowdensity, community. There is an easy flow from room-toroom and the major living spaces are bathed in natural light. Both large bedrooms offer balconies overlooking the fabulous gardens and $479,000 manicured grounds of Uplands Estates. A large, Charles Murray two-car garage & lots of 250-812-8983 storage await the family charlesmurrayrealestate.com treasures.

$679,900 Rare Opportunity 250-883-2715 200douglas.com

$399,900 Alan Wiggins 250-507-2759 alanwiggins.com

Stylish living in James Bay on Beacon Hill Park.

This 1240 sf SE 2 bdrm+den/2 bath corner suite is one of just 38 luxurious residences in a 6 storey reinforced concrete building. It boasts floor-toceiling windows, over height ceilings, custom open kitchen, spa inspired bathrooms plus many more exceptional features all in a location that is second to none.

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A Quality, Convenient, and Comfortable home in a European style village setting. This is TUSCANY VILLAGE. Settle in and enjoy the ambiance and lifestyle.

Granite counters, Gourmet Kitchen with S/S appliances, Wood floors, 9’ ceilings, In suite laundry, Secure U/G parking and Separate Storage. Located on major bus routes, with 3 grocery plazas, restaurants, University 4 cinema, all within one block. Come and see! You will want to stay!

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PERSONAL FINANCE

with

by Tess van Straaten

Y

 illustrations by pip knott

featuring Mandy Farmer

ou might say the hotel business is in Mandy Farmer’s blood. She’s the third generation in her family to run the business. As president and CEO of Accent Inns, Farmer’s grown the company in a tough economy and seen her chain of six hotels ranked one of the best places to work in BC. It’s no wonder she’s one of Profit magazine’s Top 100 Canadian Women Entrepreneurs. But this mom of two young children — who earned her Executive MBA while

working full time — isn’t your typical executive. Tess van Straaten sat down with the down-to-earth leader who has “CEO” crossed off her business card and “Bike Lover” written in.

 You’ve been at the helm for five years now. How has that been?

When I took over in July 2008, our revenues had never been higher. It was smooth sailing for a good two months and then the economy tanked and that really shook our businesses. I felt like I was thrown into the fire, but to be honest, it was great for my leadership.

Had it been easy, I don’t think I’d be the leader I am today.

 How do you make money in a down economy?

We’re seeing a lot of rate wars right now, but that’s not good for your brand. If I dropped our price to $50/night we’d look like a fleabag motel. I believe how you make money in a down market is to be really good at what you do. Guests come back because they feel a connection and, ultimately, people vote with their wallet and support businesses they believe in. We want to be a business people believe in.

 What’s been your best business move?

The best move was to shake up the brand. We had great customer feedback but we were seeing declining revenues and a market share loss, so what was going on? We found out from a focus group that people who didn’t know us thought we were a bottom-of-the-barrel American chain, so we changed the look of our hotels and tweaked our brand so we came across as local, fun, friendly and different — in a good way.

 What do you consider your biggest win?

Being named one of the best companies in BC to work for — that was monumental.

Another winner was a video game maker;

I’ve got housekeepers cleaning toilets and they voted for us as the best place to work? That was powerful. For us to achieve that, that was totally the best day of my career.

 Is it harder or easier to come from a successful family?

It was really daunting at first because my dad’s a great guy, an excellent business leader, and I had these big shoes to fill. But I just decided I wasn’t going to fill his shoes; I was going to wear my own shoes, and my shoes are very different from his shoes, as you can see. [Mandy’s rocking a pair of yellow platform boots.]

 What has your dad, Terry Farmer, taught you?

To be a gentleman — as funny as that sounds! He’s charismatic and he’s an astute business leader, but he’s mindful of other people. Whether it’s a housekeeper or Bill Gates, he treats everyone with respect.

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INFO@BLVDMAG.CA

 What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

Have an outsider take an objective opinion of your business and be open to that criticism because you’ll get a really clear image of what your company is. The people in the company are often too close to see it, so if you can get outside, objective criticism, it can be very valuable.

If you’re not having fun, other people won’t be having fun.

Business can be tough, but if we don’t enjoy our jobs, what are we doing?

 What’s the biggest money mistake you’ve made?

Two years ago, we put all our money into developing high-end spec homes, and then the housing market crashed.

But it’s hard to describe that as a mistake because my husband found his passion.  Has it been profitable?

No. We took a risk on the housing market and it turned. We sure learned from it, and he’s still doing it and loving it. Going back, I think we’d still do it but we’d do things differently.

 What do you wish you’d known about money when you were younger?

That it’s ok to take risks and to just go for it, especially when you’re in your 20s. Once you’ve got a mortgage and kids, it’s harder to take risks. I’d love to have taken $10,000 and plunked it down and seen what happened.  If you could invest in anything, what would it be?

I’m so hotel-focused, I’d put my money in a funky boutique because that’s what I love to do. It’s probably not what my investment advisor would tell me to do, but I guess I follow my heart.

 What keeps you up at night?

Really good ideas keep me up — I try not to read business books before bed because I get excited about all the things we can do. We’re looking at expanding, so that keeps me up. It’s a big investment and you do wonder, in this market, is it the right time to expand? I believe it is, but you’re always going to have that little niggling feeling because you don’t have a crystal ball.

“Moving from Calgary was a big step in itself; custom building a home as well seemed like a lot to tackle! Thankfully, we saw some of Chris’s past work, reviewed his website and knew we had found our partner for this project. Chris worked with us to fully utilize the land we had, design a house for our needs, and construct the home of our dreams.”

TED & JOY KOLSUN – HOMEOWNERS

 You’ve come a long way from your first job cleaning rooms.

Any advice?

Take a risk and set up a business. Worst case scenario, you’re going to get a great learning experience. Treat it like your MBA. The other thing is to really have fun, especially as the leader of the company. If you’re not having fun, other people won’t be having fun. That means not getting stressed so much.

Business can be tough, but if we don’t enjoy our jobs, what are we doing?

DESIGN BUILD INSPIRE

This interview has been condensed and edited.

Tess van Straaten is an award-winning journalist, television personality and fourth-generation Victoria native.

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the secret to life, the universe and everything else is...  By

anne mullens

 ILLUSTRATION by SHELLEY DAVIES

you know the sayings. Be in the moment. Don’t label any event in life as good or bad. Accept what is. Buddha called it the secret of success and happiness, being “one with life.” It’s not easy to do, but I think he may be on to something.

I am on a whirlwind research trip. I’ve been to six cities in 12 days: Toronto, Hamilton, New York, Baltimore, Washington and finally Boston. I am travelling fast and light with a small rolling suitcase, a briefcase and a purse. The suitcase’s weight is such that, standing just so, I can clean and jerk it into an overhead bin without conking another passenger on the head.

On my last day, I finish my interviews in Boston. I get to the airport for a 5 pm flight to Toronto, anticipating a late dinner with friends, a nice hotel and the plane home the next morning.

“Passport, please,” says the check-in clerk.

It is not in my purse. I have shown it dozens of times the last two weeks, used it the night before to board a flight from Washington, but it is not in the zippered pocket. I search everything, opening my luggage and tossing out underwear and dirty knee-highs like a hyperventilating juggler. Nada.

Don’t panic Oh my god, I am going to miss my flights. This is going to cost me hundreds of dollars. This is a @#$%!& disaster. I am fighting back tears of anxious frustration.

Wait, don’t label. It is as it is.

“You can’t board,” says the clerk, who hands me the card of the Canadian Consular Services. I dial the after-hours number and get the attaché at a diplomatic function. It’s a Wednesday night and she says it could take three business days to get a new passport.

“Be at our offices at 9 am sharp with all your documentation,” she says. She might be able to do it in two. Otherwise, I’ll be stuck in Boston until Monday. A huge expense.

One of my interviewees, whom I call to see if my passport fell out in her office, kindly offers to put me up in her guest room for the night. We have a lovely evening.

I get up very early and try my damnedest to get to the consulate by 9 am. Buses full of commuters pass me by, refusing to pick me up. I walk, smiling, on a beautiful fall day, some five kilometres to the nearest MTA stop. Then the subway train breaks down during rush hour and officials order hundreds of us off into shuttle buses, resulting in me getting lost. I am laughing. Accept what is!

Time is an illusion “You’re late,” says the attaché when I walk in at 10:25 am. “It doesn’t look good for getting this done in two days.”

I am filling out forms in the waiting room while the attaché is in a back room about to void my passport, when a woman knocks on the receptionist’s glass window.

“Excuse me,” she says. “The strangest thing has happened.

Somehow I have another woman’s passport.”

“Is it Anne Mullens’?” I pipe up from across the room.

“Why, yes!” she says.

“JOSIE, DON’T CANCEL THE PASSPORT!!” yells the receptionist at the top of her lungs into the back room.

Turns out, the woman was in the row ahead of me on the Washington-Boston flight. When I heaved my bag into the overhead compartment, my passport flopped out of my purse onto her seat. She looked down, saw the Canadian emblem, assumed it was hers, picked it up. All in an instant.

We laugh at the weird coincidence; if I had arrived by 9 am my passport would have been cancelled long before she arrived.

“You are so lucky,” says the attaché.

As I am walking out, chuckling, my cell phone rings. It is a PR friend-of-a-friend offering me a free night at the four-star Fairmont Copley Plaza — a gorgeous hotel. “I heard you were stuck in Boston,” she says.

I had a delightful two days exploring wonderful Beantown. The airline reservation clerk laughs when I tell him why I’d missed my planes. “Let’s see what we can do,” he says, putting me on flights to Toronto, then home the next day, waiving any penalties.

In all, the temporary loss of my passport turned into a 48-hour gift, filled with laughter and good people.

Indeed, maybe there is something to saying Yes to what is.

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SECRETS & LIVES

By shannon moneo photo by gary mckinstry

 How did you come to work at Wild ARC? About 10 years ago, I moved from Montreal, where I was born. I did my animal health technician course in Sherbrooke. I moved here to do a double major in biology and environmental studies at the University of Victoria. I did a two-month internship at Wild ARC in 2006, then was hired as casual, then parttime, then full-time. I just never left.

 The biggest threats to wild animals?

Cats. Feral and domestic cats kill billions of birds each year. They also impact small rodents, amphibians and small reptiles.

Close to 15 per cent of animals we get are due to cat attacks. Windows are also a big threat for birds. We encourage people to bring the birds to us. Sometimes the effect of the trauma happens a couple of days after. The last threat is vehicles.

 You’re an animal health technician.

 What mistakes do humans make

What’s that? It’s the equivalent of a nurse in the human medical field. In a clinic setting, you’re responsible for doing anesthesia of animals, x-rays, dentistry, administering medication and explaining care to clients. At Wild ARC, we care for orphaned or injured wild animals — birds, deer, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, otters.

 How do you deal with wild animal deaths at Wild ARC? It always hits me hard, even when you have to euthanize an animal. Releasing it from suffering is also a type of rehabilitation. We do care for animals that normally wouldn’t be handled, so when we manage to catch them, that means either they are so far gone there’s nothing we can do, or if we can release them, we have to make sure they are close to perfect health.

regarding wild animals? Wild animals have a specialized diet. Even though they go for bread, it doesn’t benefit them. You also create habituation and an environment where they can have more young, but you’re increasing competition. Feeding wildlife is really more for us than them.  In 2011, you planned the first oiled wildlife spill response course for the public. Why? It’s first responders’ training, organized by Oiled Wildlife Society of BC. Because we have a very large coastal area, with shipping of goods worldwide — and especially with discussions about tar sands oil potentially being shipped around the world — the chance of oil spills is quite high. Having people aware, trained and able to respond to an oil spill is really important to care for affected animals.  Do you still work Saturdays at the Juan

de Fuca Veterinary Clinic? Yes. I work six days per week. I’m a technician there — it allows me to keep up with the techniques.

Caring for wildlife is very different; what we do for pets is not really applicable.

 What is it like to volunteer with Vets for Pets? Vets for Pets provides basic healthcare for low-income and homeless people’s pets, once a month at Our Place.

We provide vaccines, physical exams, anti-parasitics. Working with the people made me realize how much they care about their animals. It’s quite amazing, especially considering their situation.  What do you think of zoos? I worked in a zoo. Even though we had an elaborate training program, freedom can’t be reproduced in captivity. It often gives a wrong impression of their true nature. Too often, the animals suffer from boredom and develop stereotyped behaviour.  Do you have pets? I had cats, mice and hamsters as a child. Now, I have animals I’ve rescued over the years: a dog, four cats, two snakes, three degus.  A favourite animal? Otters, saw-whet

owls and hummingbirds. I find something unique about every single animal, even insects. We often use the term “pests” too loosely. It’s based on how we feel about them trying to survive. We could consider ourselves pests.  What do you do in your spare time? I

like to hike, discover new places. I’m fortunate to live almost in the forest. My dog Nella is certainly a bush girl. I play piano, draw, dive if I can.  If you were reincarnated as an animal, which would it be? A hummingbird, not because I want to, but it’s best for my personality. Small, busy ... they’re tough, feisty little guys.

This interview has been condensed and edited.

Christina Carrières, 32 Senior Wildlife Rehabilitator BC SPCA Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (Wild ARC)

FAMILIAR FACES, FAMILIAR PLACES

THIS IS

PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE DELTA OCEAN POINT RESORT SPA BY GARY MCKINSTRY

DEBBIE LUO

WITH HER

In her fourth year as a real estate agent with Pemberton Holmes, Debbie Luo spends a lot of time in her car. She works mostly with clients coming from overseas, often driving them to the properties she believes they may be interested in, and so she is acutely aware of her responsibility for their first impression of Victoria. “What really gets my clients is that, wherever you go, you’re close to the water,” says Luo. “I’m always sure to take the scenic route.” How better to display that scenery than through the windows of a Lexus IS 250?

Luo needed a car that would suit her needs in life and in business.

After looking at all the comparables (“That’s what you do in real estate,” quips Luo), the IS 250 was the clear choice. A performance

2012 LEXUS IS 250 RWD vehicle with a smooth and comfortable ride, the IS 250 also looks fantastic, inside and out. It has those little details that make everyday ownership that much better: it has a keyless start system, it’s easy to clean, and it fits Luo’s open house signs.

Luo’s family moved to Victoria from China when she was four years old, and growing up here, she’s seen friends and family deal with Metro Lexus many times. “After you buy a car, you want to know you can take care of it,” says Luo. With the exceptional service from Metro Lexus and the internationally respected reliability of the Lexus brand, she need not worry. “It sells itself,” says Luo.

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THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION

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