Boulevard Magazine - April 2015 Issue

APRIL 2015

VICTORIA LIFE AT ITS FINEST

FLOWER POWER

FASHION THAT BURSTS WITH BLOOMS

URBAN GROWTH

FOOD GARDENS FLOURISH IN THE HEART OF THE CITY

ABOVE PAR

Great golf getaways

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CONTENTS

Issue 04, Volume XXIlII

APRIL

2015

FEATURES 11

A RIOT OF PETALS

By Lia Crowe

30 URBAN GROWTH

By Susan Lundy 34 FLORAL MAGIC

By Angela Cowan COLUMNS

11 16 30 GROUP PUBLISHER Penny Sakamoto EDITOR Susan Lundy CREATIVE Lily Chan Lorianne Koch ADVERTISING Janet Gairdner Pat Brindle ASSOCIATE GROUP Oliver Sommer PUBLISHER ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Janet Gairdner 250.480.3251 CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Bruce Hogarth

4

39

54 HAWTHORN

Words worth reading

By Tom Hawthorn DEPARTMENTS 6

EDITOR’S LETTER Basking in the power of flowers

7

OUR CONTRIBUT0RS

8

FASHION FAVES Bianca Bodley

By Lia Crowe

16

HOT PROPERTIES A work of art

By Carolyn Heiman

46 DESIGN MATTERS

Al fresco tabletops

By Sarah Reid 48 FOOD & DRINK

Top-shelf tuna

By Cinda Chavich

CIRCULATION & Miki Speirs DISTRIBUTION 250.480.3277 CONTRIBUTING Jennifer Blyth, Cinda WRITERS Chavich, Angela Cowan, Lia Crowe, Tom Hawthorn, Carolyn Heiman, Robert Moyes, Sarah Reid, Tess van Straaten CONTRIBUTING Don Denton, Lia Crowe, PHOTOGRAPHERS Cathie Ferguson, Arnold Lim, Danica Lundy

58

TALKING WITH TESS Mike Black

By Tess van Straaten

60

FRONT ROW Jazz at the Gallery and more

By Robert Moyes

64 SOCIAL BOULEVARD

Leadership Awards,

Women Making a Difference

By Danica Lundy 66

SECRETS & LIVES Maureen Sawa, CEO, Greater Victoria Library

By Susan Lundy

SPECIAL SECTIONS 39 ABOVE PAR:

GOLF GETAWAYS

By Jen Blyth

Jen Clark wears a leather biker jacket by Elizabeth and James ($1,595), floral tank dress by Nicole Miller ($475) and the “Navette” earrings by Elizabeth Cole ($86) all at Bernstein & Gold; floral stilettos by Hispanitas ($209) at Footloose Shoes.

On location at Verbena Floral Design. Photo by Cathie Ferguson.

ADVERTISE Boulevard Magazine is Victoria’s leading lifestyle magazine, celebrating 24 years of publishing in Greater Victoria.

To advertise or to learn more about advertising opportunities please send us an email at info@blvdmag.ca Mailing Address: 818 Broughton Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 1E4 Tel: 250.381.3484 Fax: 250.386.2624 info@blvdmag.ca blvdmag.ca

Victoria Boulevard ® is a registered trademark of Black Press Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission. Ideas and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Black Press Group Ltd. or its affiliates; 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. Printed in Canada.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Basking in the beauty of flowers  BY SUSAN LUNDY

O

PHOTO BY ARNOLD LIM

NE DAY, when we lived in Calgary, we decided to drive west. We scraped ice off the truck, battled a whiteout on the highway and drove through slush and drifts of snow that swirled like fog on the pavement.

Eventually, we landed in Victoria.

It was early spring — end of March, beginning of April — and we parked in Fernwood, taking some time to meander around the neighbourhood.

We were stunned. Soft sun sat on our shoulders, birds chirped and, most startlingly, the gardens burst with flowers.

Back home, it was deep winter and even the flower shops wouldn’t dare display their wares out of doors. In Calgary, the cars were crusted with thick chunks of gritty snow on the tire wells. Here, the cars were covered in petals that had fallen from trees flushed pink by blossoms.

Every few steps we stopped and iPhone-snapped photo upon photo of these flowers, which bloomed in myriad sizes and shapes, and flourished in a rainbow of colour. We uploaded to Facebook so others back home could share our wonder (actually, to make them seethe with jealousy).

Growing up in Victoria, flowers were no big deal. I took them for granted. It took a few years living in a frozen land to appreciate their glory. These days, we buy flowers to brighten the house in the dark of winter and plant them in the garden, to watch (still with awe) as they burst through the soil in spring.

Flowers and gardens reign in this issue of Boulevard, from tips on creating floral art for interiors (page 34) to a look at outdoor food gardens flourishing in downtown Victoria (page 30). Inside or out — this month’s fashion spread presents a colour-shock of bold and beautiful floral patterns (page 11), aptly modeled by a mother and son duo to the backdrop of even more bursting blooms at Verbena Floral Design.

This month’s Boulevard also introduces a new feature.

Social Boulevard, a monthly snapshot of some of the parties,

fundraisers and other happenings around town, runs on pages 64-65.

Photographed by Danica Lundy, this month’s Social Boulevard records the Victoria Leadership Awards and a Boulevard-hosted event that celebrated Women Making a Difference.

And as always, our regulars bring a host of good reads to the table. So grab your Boulevard and find a good, cozy spot to tuck into it — preferably with a view of all those blooming spring flowers.

Boulevard Buzz: For wine, food and museum lovers: Art‘n Facts of Wine, which celebrates Naramata Bench Wineries Spring Wine Release, takes place at the Crystal Garden, April 28, 6:30-9:00 p.m.

The 19+ event supports the Royal BC Museum Foundation, and features Victoria chefs, charcuteries, cheese shops and bakeries, which will be offering delectable food samples. Check the museum website for more info.

For theatre lovers: UK actor Tayo Aluko brings back his multiple award-winning, one-man show, Call Mr. Robeson, to the Victoria Event Centre, 1415 Broad Street, on April 16. Sold out two years ago, this performance is co-sponsored by Victoria Multi-Cultural Society, Social Environmental Alliance, BC Black History Awareness Society; and several departments at UVic. Tickets are $20/$18 at the door or at eventbrite.ca.

For garden lovers: The Vancouver Island Rock and Alpine Garden Society’s annual Spring Show and Sale runs at Cadboro Bay United Church on April 17, 1-8 p.m. and April 18, 9 a.m. to 3 pm. This is a wonderful show of intriguing rock and alpine garden plants. The hundreds of entries extend over a broad botanical range, exhibiting beautiful plants which are very often challenging to grow and rare to find. As well as show entries to enjoy, there will be plant and seed sales, displays, door prizes, and refreshments.

Entry is by donation.

“IT TOOK A FEW YEARS OF LIVING IN A FROZEN LAND TO APPRECIATE THEIR GLORY.”

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OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Angela Cowan

“I simply adore fresh flowers, and so having the opportunity to interview floral experts about design and care, and just the sheer delight of bringing the garden indoors, was such a treat.” Angela Cowan is a freelance writer, poet and photojournalist.

WRITER, “FLORAL MAGIC” PAGE 34

“The concept of the Food Eco District is a new and exciting one for Victoria. I hope the photographs convey how our urban landscape will be integrated into this project.”

Don Denton is the Photo Supervisor for Black Press Greater Victoria. He has worked as a photographer and Don Denton photo editor for newspapers, magazines and wire services in PHOTOGRAPHER, “URBAN GROWTH” western Canada and in Europe.

PAGE 30

Tess van Straaten WRITER, “TALKING WITH TESS,” PAGE 58

TV newscaster and feature writer Tess van Straaten has fond memories of visiting Capital Iron as a child. There truly is ‘“no store like it,” so Tess couldn’t help but browse before and after her interview with owner Mike Black. Mike shared his passion for the business, as well as his commitment to the community. “We talked about how important it is to give back, which is something we’ve both tried to instill in our children.”

WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU We welcome your letters: editor@blvdmag.ca or visit us on Facebook and Twitter for updates and links to featured stories and local events.

BoulevardMagazine @BoulevardMag

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FASHION FAVES

PHOTO BY LIA CROWE

LIFE & STYLE

 BY LIA CROWE

with

I

BIANCA BODLEY

WAS ACTUALLY A POLICE officer for four years,” Bianca says, laughing at the surprised look on my face.

The owner and principal designer of Biophilia Design Collective says a desire to help people, plus a lifelong interest in design has morphed into her current work.

“Biophilia means that we all have this innate attraction to nature ... I [once] read an article in an architectural journal about how incorporating life into indoor spaces makes humans happier, which has always been a no-brainer to me. But when I read it encapsulated in a

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A designer who incorporates living plant material into indoor and outdoor spaces, and makes humans happier by uniting them with nature.

theory, I knew that it was exactly what I wanted to do.”

Bianca’s work includes designing residential and commercial installations, such as landscapes, living walls, green roofs, furniture and plant art.

“I feel that urban spaces are really what need plant life more than ever because most of us spend so much time indoors, in our workspaces, where typically there is such a lack of plant life. So I’m trying to make that an approachable thing, show that there are responsible ways to do plant installations. ” We visited one of Bianca’s green

walls at the Float House on Herald Street where I photographed her in front of a gorgeous puddle of green textures that pulsed with life force.

Outside of design, Bianca is a passionate surfer. Originally from South Africa where her dad taught her how to surf, she now finds herself “bobbing around in the water,” enjoying the gorgeous coastline near Jordan River, Sombrio Beach and Tofino.

“I love being in the water. I feel very peaceful and really alive; like I’m a part of something powerful. You look back and everything looks small and you feel small, as it should be.”

Reading Material

Online: Design Milk. Print magazine: “Other than the Globe and Mail, the only periodical I read religiously is Dwell.” Art Book: Imperfect Home by Mark and Sally Bailey. “It totally encapsulates my design aesthetic.” Book that changed your life: The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay because it helped teach me as a young adult about the South Africa I didn’t know. Lifechanging book as an adult would be The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs. Favourite author: Barbara Kingsolver.

Fashion/Beauty

“FOR ME IT’S ABOUT FOLLOWING YOUR HEART AND TAKING RISKS EVEN IF IT DOESN’T SEEM LOGICAL. THE MORE I TRUST MY INNER DIRECTION THE BETTER. MAKING THE CHANGE IS NOT SCARY, STAYING IN SOMETHING THAT’S NOT RIGHT IS SCARY.”

(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP) ALECIA MOORE AND DALLAS GREEN, THEGUARDIAN.COM: CHARLIZE THERON PHOTOGRAPHED BY VINCENT PETERS; PERFUME: DOLCE & GABBANA, THE ONE; MOISTURIZER: MARCELLE.COM; SHOES: FLUEVOG.COM; BRACELET: ORBIS STAINLESS COLLECTION, KONZUKSHOP.COM; BOOK: THEHOUSEDIRECTORY.COM; BOOK: CONCERNUSA.ORG

Uniform: “Real classic and simple; dark denim and crisp, white cotton. I like to accessorize with leather, concrete and metal.

If I can’t run down the street in it or give someone a good hug in it, then it’s probably not for me.” Current go-to item: Banana Republic light gray blazer, I like it because it’s not overly feminine.”

All time favourite piece: Dark denim, Levi’s straight leg. Best new purchase: “My new Fleuvogs. They are the CBC radio shoes, which is funny because I’m totally addicted to CBC radio.”

Jewelry: “My favourite jewelry line is Konzuk: they mix metal and concretes together.” Daybag: Leather satchel locally made by Rad Juli. Favourite shoes: “Blundstones, I’ve been buying them for close to 10 years; every year I buy a new colour.” Necessary indulgence: “I always want to use products that aren’t harmful to the environment or me.” Moisturizer: Marcelle. Scent: Dolce & Gabbana, The One. Hair: “My favourite thing for my hair is the ocean, salty sea hair is the best.”

Style Inspirations

Celebrity who inspires your style: Charlize Theron. “I think that for me it’s how she comports herself more than what she’s wearing — how she is in her body. I just think she has so much sex appeal and confidence and isn’t afraid to take risks in her roles.” Musician: Feist. “I feel that her music is just honest and beautiful.” Trend that inspires you: Living off the grid. “My goal one day is to build a home off the grid.” Favourite designer: “Calvin Klein has a classic thing that appeals to me.”

Life

Favourite local restaurant: “It would be a picnic on Willows Beach with cured meats from the village butcher and fresh produce from local markets. Definitely my favourite place to dine!” Album on current rotation: rose ave. by folk music duo Dallas Green and Alecia Moore (Pink). Song you sing loudly in the car: “I sing everything loudly in the car.”

Favourite city to visit: Florence. Favourite plant: “I would say a Full Moon Maple; it’s beau-ti-ful” Colour: Green; olive, sage, something on the softer tones. Favourite hotel: Ace in Portland. Favourite place to surf: “Nicaragua for its warm water, perfect offshore winds and untouched areas.” Favourite cocktail: “A Pink Lady which is a gin and tonic with a splash of bitters.”

Fav app: Instagram. Fav place in the whole world: Cape Town

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RIOT OFPETALS  BY LIA CROWE PHOTOS BY CATHIE FERGUSON

“Unikko College” shirt by Marimekka ($139) and wool cowl by Leka Design ($49) both at Leka Clothing.

FASHION FLORALS ARE MORE OF A FIRMLY ESTABLISHED, SEASONAL STAPLE THAN A PASSING TREND, BUT IN THIS SEASON’S BOUQUET, THE BUDS ARE BIGGER, BOLDER AND MORE BOUNTIFUL. FROM ROSES TO RANUNCULUS, FROM MODERN ALOHA TO CONCEPTUAL ART, WHEN THESE NATURAL WONDERS APPEAR, THEY REMIND US THAT EVERY SPRING LIFE IS RENEWED AND THE CYCLE CONTINUES.

On Zen: “Lavato In Capo” tropical print linen shirt by Culturata ($185) at Citizen Clothing; “Carrot” pants by Hentsch Man ($250) at Is this Menswear?

On Jen: Custom one-of-a-kind barkcloth pants, cotton tank ($108) and silk “Ali” jacket ($368), all by Bridget Savard Designs at bridgetsavarddesigns.com.

On Zen: “Lavato In Capo” tropical print linen shirt by Culturata ($185) at Citizen Clothing; “Carrot” pants by Hentsch Man ($250) at Is this Menswear?

On Jen: Floral print dress by 424 Fifth Lord and Taylor ($129); Apricot bag by Coach ($415); “Belle Cora” pump by Coach ($168), all at The Hudson’s Bay Downtown; silk “Ali” jacket by Bridget Savaard Designs ($368) at bridgetsavarddesigns. com

On Jen: Print jacket ($250) and dress ($250) by Animal Pop, both available at W&J Wilson; “Belle Cora” pump

by Coach ($168) at The Hudson’s Bay Downtown. On Zen: Technical Oxford in floral by Eng•lish ($170); White Oxford by Eng•lish ($155); “Carrot” pants by Hentsch Man ($250); all at Is this Menswear?

On Jen: “Gabrielle” jacket in garden green by Diane Von Furstenberg ($486); “Jimmy” skinny, white, destructed jeans

by Paige Denim ($289); silver and gold, jewel bangles by Kala ($189 each) all at Bernstein & Gold; “Korthay” silver and white sandals by Naya ($135) at Footloose Shoes.

HOT PROPERTIES

The outdoor fire pit is solid granite at the new home of Grant and D’arcy Evans.

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A WORK of ART OAK BAY HOME IS SIMPLE, FUNCTIONAL AND BEAUTIFUL  TEXT BY CAROLYN HEIMAN PHOTOS BY GARY MCINSTRY

W

HEN VICTORIA couple D’arcy and Grant Evans found themselves travelling too often in the fast lane, they looked to their home surroundings as a place to slow down.

But first they renovated a 1950s home with small rooms and coved ceilings, “taking it as far as we could,” says D’arcy. Once completed — right down to the cheerful, colourful toss cushions — they surveyed their home where they were raising two busy children and “said this isn’t our lifestyle. Let’s simplify our house.”

They searched for the perfect lot where they could build a home from the ground up and purposefully create an environment with minimal visual noise. An Oak Bay lot, not far from where D’arcy grew up, provided the blank canvas to draw their next home, and immediately they visualized something that would fit the traditional character of the neighbourhood on the outside, but inside reflect their modern lifestyle. This would include open, entertainment-friendly spaces flowing from one end of the home to the other, along with spansive glass, doors and skylights to keep the area sunny on the gloomiest winter days.

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 The main floor of the home has liberal, built-in cabinetry in a combination of hi-gloss white and dark stained walnut wood and soars to a 10-foot ceiling height. Kitchen counters are quartz “Super White” by Chroma.

ELEVATING DESIGN TO ART D’arcy graduated with a degree in fine arts from University of Western Ontario and the results of that foundational education is readily evident in their fourbedroom home. Not surprisingly, the home has a few of her nicely executed paintings modestly showcased in less prominent areas of the home. As well, art by other Canadians, and in particular Victoria artists like Birgit Piskor, Blu Smith, Jimmy Wright, Crystal Heath and Graydon, have clearly been chosen with the benefit of a well-trained eye.

“It was definitely our desire to build a home with niches that were not simply designed to display our art, 18

but that would enhance each piece and our enjoyment and appreciation of it,” says D’arcy.

But going beyond the obvious, the entire home — just shy of 4,000 square feet — suggests a spatial consideration where no opportunity to create great design is forfeited. For example, a chrome wine rack tucked in an empty spot under the stairwell transcends functionality and becomes a pleasurable art object with the systematically organized bottles seemingly suspended in air and back lit to create a captivating wall covering.

The open stairwell, which rises from the basement to the second floor ceiling like a sculpture centred in the home’s heart, carries natural light, flowing from three

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A small exterior garden at the front of the house creates privacy and intrigue.

is really about repeating elements.” Luscious dark walnut cabinetry is contrasted with high gloss white cabinetry in the kitchen and the doors throughout the home.

Extensive use of built-ins minimizes the need for many pieces of furniture, and those that have been chosen fit the contemporary scheme. Vanilla stained white oak, sourced in Germany, creates a warm glow throughout the public areas on the main floor.

skylights 30-plus feet above. This serves to draw dramatic attention to the area, but also keeps it bright for users.

By her own admission, D’arcy “eats, sleeps and reads decorating magazines.” That, combined with her fine arts background and lots of “Googling for ideas,” enabled her to spearhead the home’s design, never feeling daunted, but rather discovering “this is what I should be doing ... I made it my full-time job to research everything.”

Collaborating with her on the project were Citta Group and Zebra Design.

Along the way, she intuitively understood that building a successful, contemporary designed house is “simple ... it 20

A WARM DIVIDE It was a magazine photo of a European-designed Element4 fireplace that propelled her on a mission to find a local distributor. Manufactured in the Netherlands, the three-sided, room-dividing unit could not be found in Victoria, so D’arcy convinced Heatwave Plumbing Ltd. to start distributing the line. The glamorous unit with carerra stones now floats proudly between the living and dining room.

“We wanted our home to be a place where we could display art and everything else would be quiet ... We didn’t want anything that didn’t need to be here to be on display.”

Moreover, she notes, simply designed homes are easier to clean.

“WE WANTED OUR HOME TO BE A PLACE WHERE WE COULD DISPLAY ART AND EVERYTHING ELSE WOULD BE QUIET.”

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“There’s a reason people want homes that are more contemporary.”

Cabinetry is pushed right to the ceilings, leaving no dust trapping ledges. A built-in buffet in the dining room spans a nine-foot length. Visually, these tall and long surfaces build on the home’s design statement, while functionally they add a lot of storage space.

“I’m not going to go out and buy an armoire or any other type of storage furniture,” says D’arcy, adding that the storage areas out of arm’s reach are great for placing items used infrequently. In maximizing storage opportunities, she also ensured there would be no regrets, and she could accept precious sentimental heirlooms, like her mother’s china, into her home if the opportunity arises.

OPEN TO IDEAS Functionality in this high art home has not been abandoned. The mudroom has well-planned storage and a waist-high washing area for their small dog. The upstairs laundry has so much generous sorting and folding countertop space “that I love doing laundry now.”

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extend your family time,

social time, and quiet time

A two-way fireplace between the owner’s en suite and bedroom nurtures the notion of this area being a comfortable retreat.

While open concepts work to create a flow through a home, the absence of walls can also increase noise transfer, so careful consideration was taken to insulate sound. For example, an electrical outlet in a kitchen cupboard allows Grant to blend his morning power drink before heading off the gym without waking the rest of the family.

The lower level, where the guest bedroom offers maximum privacy, also offers the potential for a games area when their children get older. It currently houses a home theatre and comfy sofa where children retreat when adult entertainment is happening on the main floor.

“We can have dinner parties and guests don’t have to feel they have to leave children at home and get a babysitter,” D’arcy notes, further solidifying how their new home has simplified their life.

Carolyn Heiman explores beautiful Victoria-area homes each month for Boulevard magazine. Let her know about a gorgeous home you’d like to see profiled by contacting her at cheiman@shaw.ca

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Furnishings: Studio Y Design Landscape: Demitasse

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WLISA WILLIAMS uPlaNds 3150 tarN Place

$6,388,000 iNcredible WaterfroNt estate located on a private cul-de-sac in the ‘Uplands’, Victoria’s most exclusive neighbourhood! The 7800 sq.ft. home has been beautifully renovated & upgraded with 4-5 bedrms, 6 bths, expansive living, dining, kitchen, family & entertaining areas, plus seaside ‘tea house/ cabana’, gated & manicured property & incredible low-bank frontage w/amazing views & sun all day!

10 Mile PoiNt

480 duNMora ct

$2,748,000

$6,480,000

GorGeous 10 Mile Pt 5 bed/4 bath family home with lovely ocean views and expansive .6 acre sun-drenched property!

Over 4300 sq.ft. w/lovely living/dining rms, open kitchen/family rm, upper level family/ games rms, office nook, deluxe master, tons of storage, and for the car enthusiast, garage parking for 5-6 vehicles!

North saaNich

oaK bay

1825 MariNa Way

518 beach drive

$1,588,000

$1,548,000

GorGeous 5 bed/5 bth, 5800 sq.ft. custom home on upscale Marina Way! Dramatic hi-ceilings, oversized rms, huge windows, incredible master suite w/gorgeous ocean/ marina views. Beautifully manicured s-facing .5 acre property totally private . . . moor your boat at the adjacent marina! Just 5 mins from Sidney & 30 mins to downtown Victoria!

North saaNich

2961 sea PoiNt dr.

sPectacular WaterfroNt estate on 5.8 pristine acres complete with private 50’ DEEPWATER DOCK! Gracious & elegant 9300 sq.ft. main res. boasts world-class views from all main rooms, w/luxurious custom features, elevator, sunroom, games/media rms, library & more, PLUS guest cottage, barn & paddock, with WORLD-CLASS BOATING & FISHING right at your fingertips!

North saaNich 955 KaNishay rd

$2,495,000

chic & luxurious ‘as new’ 3-4 bedrm PLUS office home showcasing incredible ocean & Olympic Mt. views from all main rooms! Massive great rm, gourmet kitchen, luxurious master suite, HW & marble flrs, 850 sq.ft. deck & so much more! Sunny s-facing property adjoins Anderson Hill park & across the street from beach; just 5 mins from downtown!

stuNNiNG 7.27 acre property with luxurious brand new 3400 sq.ft. one-level west coast home!

Gorgeous finishing w/open & airy design, beautiful HW flrs, top quality fixtures/appliances & tons of natural light! Extremely private, sunny property includes 275’ x 150’ all-weather riding ring, jumping field, paddocks, 5-stall barn w/tack rm & bath, huge workshop, heated garage, storage areas, green houses & more!

Lisa Williams offers professional & personalized service combined with the BEST INTERNATIONAL MARKETING STRATEGY and a commitment to achieving the BEST RESULTS FOR YOU

c: 250•514•1966 L I K E N O OT H E R sothebysrealty.ca 24

Lisa@lisawilliams.ca

Independently Owned and Operated

www.LisaWilliams.ca

luxuRious 1.24 acRe wateRfRont estate with superb south facing views of Coles Bay. The exceptional private & gated 4556 sq. ft. home has been recently redesigned creating uncompromised elegance, & style. Superb new 23’x23’ Gourmet kitchen with expansive centre island, oversized skylight, Viking Appliances (6 burner induction cooktop), heated marble floors, & pantry. Grand Living room with lofty vaulted ceilings, Hickory wide planked flooring, & F.P., Formal Dining Room, & Family Room all with serene water views. Elegant Master with 6 piece ensuite. $3,250,000

RemaRkable shelteRed southwest facing waterfront home with a dock & boathouse.

Enjoy excellent fishing, or kayak from this beautiful 2007 built West Coast home. Located only 15 minutes to downtown, & 5 minutes to Victoria General Hospital. Quality finishes & panoramic views from all principle rooms. Grand formal living room with gleaming hardwood floors, & energy efficient F.P. Sensational kitchen with center Island, stainless appliances, lofty ceilings, & electric skylights. Adjoining Great Room & dining room. 4 bedrooms up, (Master with 5 pce. ensuite). $1,750,000

wateRfRont lifestyle home, with steps to a sandy beach! Sweeping views of the Ocean to San Juan Island & Mt. Baker beyond.

Pamela Charlesworth design with a $300,000 refurbishment making this home feel like new.

Gorgeous new kitchen with Merlot cabinets, Granite counters, stainless appliances.

Adjoining Family room with Gas F.P. & custom built ins. Formal dining room, luxurious living room with energy efficient F.P. Master with commanding view, and new ensuite. 2nd ensuite bedroom plus guest room up. 4th bedroom on lower walk-out level. $1,629,000

a beautiful tRaditional family home in the prestigious Rockland area. This nicely updated 4 bedroom 3 bathroom home, has a garden level 2 bedroom one bathroom suite. Gorgeous formal living room with feature GAS F.P. & Bay window with window seat & gleaming hardwood floors. Formal separate dining room with French doors. Family room with GAS F.P. adjoining the modern Kitchen with light Maple cabinetry, Granite counter tops, stainless appliances, eating bar, and private deck to enjoy B-B-ques. 17 new windows & on-demand hot water. $1,040,000

sweeping ocean, mountain & city views are yours from this spectacular custom built 4804 sq. ft. level entry Rancher. Beautiful Brazilian Cherry flooring welcomes you into the entertainment sized foyer. Fabulous gourmet kitchen with Granite counter tops, walk-in pantry, and adjoining living & dining room with lofty ceilings. Spacious wrap around deck to enjoy the 180° commanding view. Master on the main with walk-in closet, and 5 pce. en suite. Den/office plus two more bedrooms on the main. The lower walk out level features a self contained two bedroom suite. $998,000

a spectaculaR 90’x180’ south facing waterfront on Esquimalt Lagoon. Sweeping views of the Straits of Juan De Fuca to the Olympic Mts. 3 bedrooms up, spacious Living room with hardwood floors & GAS F.P. In line dining with pass thru to updated kitchen complete with new stainless appliances. Family room/casual dining & sun room beside kitchen.

3 updated bathrooms. Lower walk out level has a recreation room with wet bar, hobby room, workshop, & hot tub area, plus a selfcontained one bedroom suite with separate entrance. $825,000

PROUDLY SERVING VICTORIA FOR 30 YEARS PHONE 250.744.3301 • EMAIL lynne@lynnesager.com WEBSITE www.lynnesager.com Get the results that you desire. Call Lynne for professional representation, when you wish to sell your home.

25

Dallas Sells Victoria/Oak Bay

SO

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Personal real estate CorPoration

“My goal is to find your dream home and ensure that the decision you make stands as a wise investment over the long term.”

WATER VIEWS CORDOVA BAY

SOUTH OAK BAY

10 MILE POINT

HIGHLANDS

CENTRAL SAANICH

SOUTH OAK BAY

You will never tire of watching the passing ships, kayakers, the Olympic Mtns. & even whales from your waterfront home with stairs to the ocean. 3 bedrooms + office + den, including a legal suite. Overlooking beautiful Gonzales Bay, this is a great walking area, close to Cook St. Village & shopping. $1,998,000

Stunning .59 acre waterview property in a prestigious location, private & quiet. Walk 2 minutes to the beach! Launch your kayak from any of 4 nearby beaches. 1,992 sq. ft. with 3 bedrooms up. Live the island lifestyle and build your dream home or restore this wonderful “Grand Old Lady”. $1,095,000

SO

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From the living room, with vaulted ceilings & gas fireplace, you will be drawn to the wonderful ocean & mountain views from all principal rooms of this great family home. $150K has recently been spent on updates. Right on the Lochside Trail for great walking & cycling, walking distance to Matticks Farm shopping & schools. $988,000

A perfect family home! Private 2.35 acres beautifully treed property. 3 BD up plus a family room & another family room on main floor. Extra large 2 car garage added & new front & back decks, fenced lawn & garden plus sheds. 300 ft. well with great pressure. Only 7 km from Costco! $599,900

Beautiful OCEAN VIEW townhome with steps to the beach! Only 20 mins to downtown, 10 mins to Sidney, but you will feel like you are in the country. Fabulous kitchen, glass wall to capture the water views, new 4 pc main bath & new 3 pc down. 2 bedrooms, 3 baths, family room, double garage, pets OK. $549,000.

This gracious Edwardian Tudor home sits majestically on private, 1/3 acre manicured grounds.

4 bedrooms up: perfect for a family. Kitchen & bathrooms renovated, & master bdrm (or fam rm) addition on main floor all in 1999. Fir under carpets, new roof, electrical updated & new drain tile. $1,180,000

Dallas Chapple RE/MAX Camosun • Tel: 250.744.3301 • Toll Free: 1.877.652.4880 www.dallaschapple.com • Email: dallas@dallaschapple.com 26

Distinctive Outdoor Living Spaces • Top-less Rails • Custom Design • Diverse Renovations Check out our “NEW” dynamic web site for great ideas

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250.883.2259 A trusted name since 1989

“why would you care ThaT i lead a real esTaTe Team?”

Our team of two agents and full-time assistant works continually with interested buyers. And we have reach: we tap into our network of buyers and spread the word quickly. In turn, we then use this momentum to maximize a property listing’s exposure.

The righT realTor® makes all The difference beTween an experience ThaT’s excepTional, and one ThaT’s … well, you know.

Andy Rogers, Jason Binab, Ali Crozier

318 irving road 3148015 $775,000

4019 Zinnia road 347431 $750,000

4261 moorpark place 348039 $600,000

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3777 waring place 348047 $1,350,000

403 - 21 erie street 346852 $450,000

967 benvenuto ave 346141 $992,300

• MLS® Gold Award Winner every year since 2006 • Team Leader for #1 Team in Victoria and Vancouver Island ** • Leader of one of Top 100 Teams in Canada ** • Extensive experience in high-end sales **based on RE/MAX Teams 2009-2010

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27

Boulevard magazine supports Southern Vancouver Island's top Realtors representing the region's finest real estate. 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.

$2,895,000 Lisa Williams 250-514-1966 lisawilliams.ca

$1,750,000 Lynne Sager 250-744-3301 lynnesager.com Camosun

Prime 1.15 acre UPLands ProPerty with spacious 5 bedrm/7 bth family home completely re-built in 2000 w/ airy & spacious design, high ceilings, huge skylights, HW floors, all bedrms w/ensuite bths, expansive kitchen w/ breakfast area & adjacent family rm, elegant formal living and dining rooms, library/office, plus full unfinished bsmt with nanny area! totally private & park-like grounds in Victoria’s most exclusive neighbourhood!

waterfront home with a dock & boathouse. enjoy excellent fishing, or kayak from this beautiful 2007 built west Coast home. Located only 15 minutes to downtown, & 5 minutes to Victoria General hospital. Quality finishes & panoramic views from all principle rooms. Grand formal living room with gleaming hardwood floors, & energy efficient f.P. Sensational kitchen with center Island, stainless appliances, lofty ceilings, & electric skylights. 4 bedrooms up, (master with 5 pce. ens, and dual walk-in closets). Situated on a serene sheltered cove.

This RaRe & inCRediBLe BeaChfRonT location is second to none, situated on one of Victoria’s most beautiful sandy beaches; a perfect setting for your fabulous new home! south facing ocean views to the olympics. Walk to starbucks, shops, restaurants, Cadboro Bay Jason Binab Village & Yacht Club from Cell: 250-589-2466 Macdonald Realty Ltd. this quiet & exclusive binabpropertygroup.com location! 3777 Waring Place MLs 348047

Ten Mile PoinT South West facing prime waterfront. Picture building your dream home in this beautiful setting on .84 acres. Picture dropping your kayak or rowboat into the water and setting your crab trap, basking in the all day sun. Then marvel at those fantastic sunsets while enjoying your family and friends. The existing 1972 residence (presently rented) will $2,750,000 be great to use while you create your new dream home. enjoy all Sharen Warde & Larry Sims the local amenities of Cadboro 250-592-4422 Bay Village, the beach, UViC wardesims.com and the nature that surrounds you. This is a great opportunity.

MlS# 347354

$1,188,000 Lisa Williams 250-514-1966 lisawilliams.ca

$515,000 Susanna Crofton Cell: 250-888-6648 Office: 250-370-7788 BCSelectHomes.ca

ChiC South oak Bay designer home completely renovated w/sunny & spacious design.....5-6 bedrms/4 full baths, gourmet kitchen, beautiful hW floors, Great Room w/large windows & feature marble-tiled FP, deluxe master main floor master suite w/gorgeous ensuite & large walk-in closet, huge family/ games rm with full wet bar area, fully fenced yard.....just a short stroll from charming oak Bay Village, schools, parks, & ocean!

ElEgant & SpaCiOuS describes this 1092 sq.ft. southwest-facing condo by award-winner abstract Developments. as a 6-unit Character conversion, charms of the past are reflected in stained glass, 9’ ceilings, crown molding & wide-plank maple flooring… blending artfully with the modern pleasures of separate dining area, large walk-in closet in the master & French doors to a sun-drenched 14x7 balcony. 2 bed + den, 2 bath. Off-street parking. pet friendly. 2 blocks to Cook Street Village! You will be impressed.

Real life... live it with

STUNNING MACLURE ESTATE on a rare one acre private oasis in Oak Bay! ‘TOR LODGE’ was built in 1908 & is a fine example of an Arts & Crafts American Chalet design. Old world charm is found throughout the home featuring original wood paneling, gorgeous fir floors, “Great Room” two stories tall open to gallery above, seven fireplaces, $2,500,000 leaded mullioned windows and Jeff Bishop characteristic Samuel Maclure Personal Real details. Lovingly restored to Estate Corporation today’s standards, this property 250-477-7291 represents a chance to own part jeffreycbishop.com of Victoria’s rich past.

SO

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UniqUe opportUnity to own a classic ranch-style Cordova Bay home on a level 1.16 acre property. this home features 5 bdrms, 4 baths, vaulted ceilings, 2 fireplaces, a bright open kitchen with island & lovely breakfast nook, a private dining room with French doors & a huge master suite with walk-in closet, full ensuite, stand up shower & soaker tub. partially covered large multi terraced $1,069,000 aggregate patio overlooks the expansive west facing backyard.

Lynn Van de Kamp Double garage plus carport and 250-216-7385 detached garage/workshop. this lynnvandekamp.com property has it all, for privacy and space close to transportation and all amenities.

$385,500 Dallas Chapple PersOnAl reAl esTATe COrPOrATiOn

250-744-3301 dallaschapple.com

This brighT suiTe is one of the largest 1 bedroom plus den suites in The Falls. resort lifestyle with outdoor heated pool, hot tub, and fitness centre. Walk or bike to work. Across from the inner harbour. beautiful italian granite schiffini kitchen, stainless steel appliances, marble bathroom with double sinks. spa-like ensuite with separate walk-in shower and cast iron tub. hardwood in the living/dining room, air conditioning. Pets and rentals OK.

Your Style.

Our Expertise.

Your Style.

Our Expertise. splashesonline.com

20 Victoria • Nanaimo • Campbell River • Courtenay • Parksville • Langford • Duncan SHOWROOMS Vancouver • Surrey • Richmond • Chilliwack • Port Coquitlam • Abbotsford IN BC: Kelowna • Vernon • Penticton • Kamloops • Castlegar • Prince George • Salmon Arm

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Camosun

29

FEATURE STORY

URBAN GROWTH FOOD AND SUSTAINABILITY IN DOWNTOWN VICTORIA  TEXT BY SUSAN LUNDY PHOTOS BY DON DENTON

I

IMAGINE WALKING IN THE 700 block of downtown Victoria’s Yates Street — where the sidewalks are a little wider than most — and plucking edibles from public planters bursting with leafy green produce.

Turn onto Blanshard Street, pass buildings alive with rooftop gardens and a “bike kitchen” (containing tools to repair bicycles), and then sit down at Be Love, where tomatoes used in the ZLT sandwich are grown right outside in an urban planter.

30

These are some of the visions held by members of Victoria’s Food Eco District (FED), who hope that within five years, a six-block area of the city’s downtown will be a unique district focusing on food and sustainability.

“We have big goals for FED,” says project coordinator Heidi Grantner. “Eventually, we envision it as distinct a neighbourhood as Chinatown — full of green space, delicious food and a sense of community.”

FED, a non-profit entity and the first of its kind in

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Alesha Davies holds a large plate of salad greens at her AJ’s Organic Cafe in the Atrium. Davies and her business are part of Victoria’s Food Eco District (FED).

Canada, is built on the eco-district model, which aims to create a physical connection between businesses that share the same values.

“In this area where there’s a high restaurant concentration, we felt there was an opportunity to implement that focus around food,” Grantner says. “It’s a different part of Victoria from Government Street and tourists don’t always move up there.”

She adds: “There is quite a ‘green scene’ in Victoria, but

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 Shane Deveraux holds a coffee at his business — Habit Coffee — a member of FED.

visitors don’t necessarily see that.”

Two blocks wide and three deep, the area is located between the downtown and Cook St. Village. Projects are partly funded by its member restaurants, which include Habit, Zambris, AJ’s Organic Cafe, Fish Hook, Chorizo & Co., Be Love and Yates St. Tap House, plus “satellite” partner Big Wheel Burger, located on Cook Street. It’s also supported by grants from Vancity and Coastal Community Credit Union.

Satellite members are restaurants located outside the district, but which have committed to the same criteria as FED-based businesses. These include meeting a minimum level of sustainability, and being willing to host an infrastructure project such as planters or a rooftop garden.

The goal of the projects, Grantner says, is “to get people more connected to their food.” Big Wheel Burger, for example, plans to create an outdoor green space, installing seating and planters, where it will grow food.

Although FED has been in the works since 2013, its first visible project was launched last summer with the transformation of Fort Realty’s parking lot at Fort and Blanshard into Fort Common, an urban, outdoor food court with lush garden planters and cheerfully painted chairs.

“The vision was for a community space where you could sit and eat lunch and interact with food that was grown there,” say Grantner. “It’s a beautiful spot … a little gem in downtown.”

FED got funding from Oughtred Coffee and Tea and worked in partnership with Fort Realty to build four culinary gardens at Fort Common, supplying herbs and 32

“WE STARTED NOTICING THAT THE URBAN AGRICULTURE MOVEMENT WAS EVERYWHERE, AND THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY FEELING THE NEED TO RE-ENGAGE WITH THEIR FOOD.” other vegetables to nearby member restaurants Be Love, Fish Hook and Chorizo & Co. As JP Oughtred, owner of the island based coffee company, said last year, “Building this garden is about more than providing fresh food for the restaurants; it’s about local businesses working together to create a stronger community.”

Fort Common was a huge success in 2014 and planning for this summer is already underway. Additional projects this year include installation of planter boxes at the Atrium building, as well as the garden/public seating area at Big Wheel Burger.

“We’ll continue to expand the selection of herbs we have growing in the Fort Common, and maybe host a FED launch party in the late spring,” says Grantner. “We’d also like to publish a map of the district, so visitors and locals can tour the area and start to see it as a cohesive community of great local restaurants.”

 Tara Campbell, horticulturalist and urban food designer, fills a planter with soil inside Fort Common.

FED project coordinator Heidi Grantner

Grantner say FED was initially inspired by the ecodistricts in Portland, which have “really demonstrated what’s possible when small businesses work together towards sustainability.”

However, she adds, FED is the first eco-district that has a food focus, and the concept was initiated by local restaurateurs who wanted to encourage sustainability in their industry and advocate for more urban food production.

“Once FED got off the ground, we started noticing that the urban agriculture movement was everywhere, and that people are really feeling the need to re-engage with their food.”

FED, located in the View Street office of the non-profit Synergy Sustainability Institute, is powered by a project team of volunteers who help run the society, recruit members, and plan and build the urban gardens.

Volunteers include a trained horticulturalist, an interior designer, and other volunteers who have experience in the restaurant and food growing business.

“There is also a small FED board. And we’re hoping to attract some new members soon,” says Grantner, who began volunteering with FED last spring after returning from several months in Hawaii, where she worked on an organic farm. “I was very into the idea of taking what I’d learned and applying it in a new urban setting, and so the whole FED concept really resonated with me.”

She’s excited to help take the project into the future, and is exuberant as she talks about the five-year vision: “Some ideas [include] installing bike kitchens, facilitating district energy and district composting, rooftop gardens, a food truck/bio-fuel initiative, and of course growing a bounty of delicious fresh food.”

And a walk along a flourishing, fertile Yates Street?

You bet.

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Natasha W. Crawford at Brown’s The Florist.

FLORAL MAGIC BRINGING THE GARDEN INSIDE  TEXT BY ANGELA COWAN PHOTOS BY ARNOLD LIM

S

PRINGTIME IS INTOXICATING: smiles come a little easier, people meander about in the warmer weather, and even the air lightens with the fragrance of trees bursting into flower and the sweetness of freshly mowed grass.

34

This is the time for fresh starts and hopeful beginnings — and what better way to nurture that feeling of growth than to mirror it by bringing the outdoors into the home, flooding it with flowers or floral art.

“It goes part and parcel with the spring clean,” says Natasha W. Crawford, owner at Brown’s The Florist.

“It sweeps away the dullness and brings in clean energy.”

Fresh flowers, she adds reflectively, “allow your heart and soul to breathe loveliness.”

Crawford herself seems to live in that very state of loveliness. Settled in the back of her shop on Fort Street, she embodies poise and thoughtfulness as her fingers alight on bloom after bloom.

“It brings a certain smile to your face every time you see those flowers,” she continues.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a potted hyacinth, a loose collection of freshly cut cherry blossoms from a tree in the garden, or an exotic orchid or bird of paradise from a florist. What’s important is that the flowers inspire that moment of enjoyment.

The next step is deciding the best place to feature them.

FLOWERS ON THE INSIDE The kitchen is often the most popular spot for a vase of flowers, says Crawford. It’s the heart of the home, and it makes sense to have a bouquet in an area where you’ll see it often. But there are other nooks that welcome a spray of blossoms.

“I personally love to have flowers in my bedroom,” says Crawford. “You see them when you wake up and when you go to sleep. How wonderful to not only have the look, but the fragrance. And … ” she smiles, “flowers can promote romance, they’re sensual.”

A spray of double-bloom freesia, hard to come by, but exquisite in fragrance, turns the bathroom into a luxurious getaway. Imagine settling into a deliciously hot salted bath, candles reflecting off the mirror, and inhaling the flowers’ perfume.

There are no hard and fast rules to placing flowers in your home, adds Crawford: “It’s all about having that sentiment of ‘who are you?’”

Try to find a balance between your personality and that of your home, she advises. Do you love bright colours, or does your decorating follow more neutral shades? Do you want the flowers to make a bold statement as you walk into the room, or would you rather an understated hint of greenery and petals?

There is no “wrong’ way, but practically, there are a few tips to keep in mind. First and above all else, work with flowers you love, says Crawford.

“Go into the garden or flower shop and choose your favourite flower — [find] what speaks to you. And then build the arrangement around that.”

If you’re working with a “face” flower, like a lily or peony, select an odd number of blooms (three, five, or seven usually), and then fill them in with smaller accents.

If you adore small, delicate flowers, like freesia, don’t crowd them out with larger flowers. Instead, go for even

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35

smaller blooms like the star-shaped caspia, flowering heather, or the ever-popular baby’s breath.

And what if, like Crawford herself, you tend more to the “line” flowers, like gladiolas, delphiniums, or the elegant calla lilies?

“Sometimes it’s best just to have a mass of them,” she says.

who designs and teaches the classes.

Workshop attendees come away with a complete arrangement as well as tips for handling flowers to keep them fresh (cutting the stems on an angle and changing the water every other day are key, she says). They also get a taste of artistic flair to start experimenting with their own ideas.

THE ART OF FLORA

“IT’S LIKE WHEN AN ARTIST PAINTS, YOU LOOK FOR BALANCE, COLOUR, LINE. ALL OF THOSE ELEMENTS THAT ARE TRUE FOR WORKS OF ART, THEY’RE ALSO TRUE FOR FLORAL DESIGN.”

But whether it’s a handpicked bunch of wildflowers or pampered tropical plants, displaying flowers amounts to creating living art.

“It’s all about line and form and structure,” says Mary Jane Posno who, with daughter Andrea Posno-Walker, owns and manages Poppies Floral Art in downtown Victoria.

“It’s like when an artist paints, you look for balance, colour, line. All of those elements that are true for works of art, they’re also true for floral design.”

And like any art, practice and mentorship can make all the difference as to whether or not a creation stands out.

To that end, not only does Poppies offer thoughtful and well-balanced pieces of floral art, it also holds workshops.

“People [discover] they can apply these techniques themselves,” says Posno, giving all the credit to Andrea,

The range of floral art abounds, and Poppies workshops — held until May — cover areas such as creating water garden centrepieces and hand-tied bouquets using European spiral technique; sunken floral designs and decorative wire broaches on magnets.

For those interested in pursuing the floral arts into the

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summer, Posno suggests getting in touch with the Victoria Flower Arrangers Guild, which holds monthly meetings and delves into fascinating topics like Haute Couture floral jewellery and Ikebana.

But no matter which plants you choose or how you decide to display them, bringing a bouquet into the home offers a moment for pure enjoyment. Flowers exist for the purpose of being beautiful, so why not revel in them?

“Treat yourself,”urges Crawford. “In Europe, flowers are part of everyday purchases. In North America, we don’t do that. People buy a coffee or a chocolate for themselves, but they rarely think to get flowers.”

It’s an astonishingly simple way to infuse your home with a little extra beauty and welcome another season of growth. A narrow vase with a handful of tulips can inspire delight for days.

So go ahead, says Crawford with a smile. “It’s good for your health.”

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37

advertising feature boulevard business

profiles

Functional Fitness: The Key To Living WeLL

J

ohanna Booy is the driving force behind the opening of Victoria’s new 55+ fitness studio in Oak Bay. When asked what compelled her to undertake the venture, she smiles cheerfully and gestures at her members.

“It’s simple. Our members needed a nice place to go to keep fit.”

Johanna has worked with older adults for over a decade and bore witness to how vital it is to maintain functional fitness through regular exercise. It impacted every aspect of her members’ lives as they grew older — leading towards graceful aging in some, viciously impeding choice and independence in others.

An avid entrepreneur and Medical Exercise Practitioner, Johanna is now bringing her message and skills to 55+ adults.

“The applications of medical exercise to health conditions is fascinating.

Take diabetes. With a sustained, 40- to 60-minute exercise program, we’ve witnessed positive changes in A1C levels.

We’ve also seen blood pressure lowered.

The benefits are myriad.”

The studio space is a reflection of Johanna’s own personality: calm, informative and social. You won’t be overwhelmed by clanging weights, kettle bells or spandex here.

Walking in, you will find yourself in a comfortable living room environment, featuring the latest equipment. Soothing background music is playing — usually classical or smooth jazz — and the coffee pot is always on. A covered and heated outdoor area is available to sit and visit with friends. Convenient parking and wheelchair accessibility makes this fitness studio a relaxed and friendly destination to visit a few times a week to keep fit.

“I created a space where I myself would enjoy exercising,” says Johanna.

“I wanted to be around people who are the same age as I am. I wanted accessible coaches on the floor who know how to engage with me. An intimate space with sound proof ceilings and state-of-the-art equipment.”

Results are measured differently at this fitness studio. It isn’t about muscling up or quickly losing weight. It’s about helping people feel less pain and more

Johanna Booy aT her neW FiT For LiFe sTudio in oaK Bay.

energy in order to enjoy life. What really sets this centre apart is the dedicated staff and medical focus of the intake process.

Old injuries are taken into account to create a personalized program of specific exercises for specific challenges. Members are encouraged to ask questions, whether it be how to use a piece of equipment or the best approach to dealing with a pinched nerve in the neck. These are services you won’t see at a typical gym.

Functional Fitness

When you hit 50, you become much more aware of your body. Physical activities you took for granted in your youth suddenly require some planning.

“I love to garden,” says Johanna.

“The first day, I want to go-go-go all day long. I lift heavy pots, turn the soil and I’m bent over most of the time. As I got older, I started noticing my back is killing me by the end of the day. I learned I needed to increase and stabilize my core muscles through the winter so that by April, I could enjoy a pain free experience lifting my pots and raking my yard…well, except for the blisters, but that comes with the territory.”

Finding time For Fitness It’s difficult for boomers to find and make the time to exercise, especially

those who are caught up in the growing trend of foregoing retirement well past the age of 65. It’s much more difficult to carve out some time in the day to exercise.But it’s worth the effort.

“Our 50s are our new 40s,” says Johanna. “We work out because we want to be strong, toned and healthy. We want to keep our weight down. Our joints feel better. Our knees and hips feel better.

So many of my members tell me that after a few weeks of working out, their energy levels increase, their confidence increases and their clothes start to fit better.”

Paying attention to fitness now will provide huge dividends to the quality of life going forward.

Visit us at athlone court #202 -2187 oak Bay ave.

250-382-2328 www.fit-4-life.ca

ABOVE PAR Diversity is the name of THE game at BC’s golf courses

W

HILE PRESTIGIOUS GOLF COURSES around the world offer a unique snapshot of their corner of the globe, here in BC, it’s a little bit different. From snow-capped mountains to breathtaking ocean views to arid desert links, BC’s golf courses are as diverse as the landscape.

It’s no wonder that, according to the British Columbia Golf Association (BCGA), BC golf courses are consistently named among the best in the world. In 2007, the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) named BC as the Best Golf Destination in North America. And over the last several years, 10 BC golf courses have made it to the list of “Best New Canadian Golf Courses” as awarded

by ScoreGolf Magazine, including a sweep of the top three in 2010: The Ridge Course at Predator Ridge in Vernon, Shadow Mountain in Cranbrook and Redstone Resort in Rossland.

BCGA is the governing body of amateur golf in the province and represents more than 56,000 members at over 300 clubs across the province.

“There are truly five distinct regions to golf in BC, which makes narrowing down what you want to see the biggest challenge of the trip,” says Michael Zuccolin, General Manager at Nicklaus North Golf Course in Whistler. What there is to do off the course may assist in that decision.

“Some ‘golf destinations’ are just that — golf. BC offers so much more because of what there is to do and experience off the course,” Zuccolin says.

Ward Stouffer, Director of Golf Operations at Fairwinds Golf Club in Nanoose, agrees.

“I have played on golf courses from India to Invermere and from Prince Edward Island to Phuket,” he says. “What I have observed is that all of them have tees, greens and fairways. What sets them apart is the location, the climate and, very often, the culture.

“British Columbia provides a dramatic backdrop for golf.

The rugged beauty is unsurpassed, the clear, clean water and air is extremely desirable and the laid-back culture can only enhance any golfing experience,” Stouffer adds.

“BC OFFERS SO MUCH MORE BECAUSE OF WHAT THERE IS TO DO AND EXPERIENCE OFF THE COURSE.” At Victoria’s Bear Mountain, for example, golfers can choose from two courses with distinct features.

“The views here are unique,” notes Director of Golf Jordan Ray. “We have elevation changes and other unique amenities you won’t find anywhere else.”

And for people looking for a true golfing adventure, the lower Canadian dollar is also having a positive impact.

Golfers who may have been planning a golf getaway south of the border are now looking to the quality and diversity found closer to home.

“The Canadian dollar being at 80 cents or less to the US dollar makes us very attractive our American friends and we are seeing a significant uptick in bookings for 2015, especially from Washington State, California and Texas, among others,” Zuccolin says.

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

spECial aDVErTising sECTion





golf & relax



golf getaways:

- TWo rEnoWnED CoursEs - DEliCious Dining - Trails To ExplorE - spa anD aThlETiC CEnTrE

ViCToria, BC

Victoria’s premier golf experience Victoria golfers are blessed with an abundance of choice, but at Bear Mountain Resort they’re finding something a little different, and truly special.

Bear Mountain has always set itself apart by offering an exceptional golf experience, with green fees that include golf carts with GPS, club valet and other small but important details. Through Bear Mountain’s affiliation with Pacific Links International, its golf members enjoy reciprocal access to more than 100 of the world’s best courses, explains Jordan Ray, Bear Mountain’s director of golf, who recently returned from exploring some of those very courses in Hawaii and Las Vegas.

Here at home, Bear Mountain continues to build on its reputation. Through a new partnership with Landscapes Unlimited, a leader in providing customized solutions for some of the finest courses in the golf industry, Bear Mountain’s maintenance team and management are gearing up to have the course in the best possible shape ever, further enhancing the golfing experience. “It’s something else that will set us apart – our course condition is very important.”

People like the challenge of the course, but also its unique setting, Ray notes. “You have some views from the top that no one else does.” The Valley Course offers a completely different golf experience, a little more user-friendly, with wider fairways bordered by west coast forest.

Bear Mountain recently broke ground on new comfort stations, with the Mountain Course station expected to open in May, complete with washrooms and food service with barbecue.

While Bear Mountain enjoys a reputation amongst serious golfers, its Junior Program has been a bonus for families. “Every membership also includes a junior membership, so we have a lot of families who come out to golf together,” Ray says.

The golf carts make it easy for even the youngest player to join the fun for a few holes, and when teens earn their “N” driver’s license, they’re able to head out on the course on their own. Sure to inspire those young golfers are Bear Mountain’s sponsored professionals – Merritt’s Roger Sloan and Vancouver Island’s very own Riley Wheeldon.

In fact, Bear Mountain community invites both locals and visitors to share in the diverse events and activities hosted throughout the year. Many kilometres of walking and running trails are open to all users, as are a delicious array of dining options, Sante Spa and the fitness centre. Bear Mountain also plays host to premier events like the annual free ride mountain biking competition and the challenging Bear Mountain 10K. With the recent addition of a full-time Director of Events, you can be sure there’s lots more to come. For information about golfing, dining or upcoming events at Bear Mountain Resort, visit www.bearmountain.ca

 Exceptional views from the Mountain Course.

 Dining options are many on the mountain.

 The Valley Course’s tree-lined greens and fairways.

 Enjoy the comforts of the Westin Bear Mountain.

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Coastal Magic

Sea To Sky Golf Trail

Vancouver, Whistler and Pemberton | 1-800-667-3363 | seatoskytrail.com

SPeCiaL adVeRtiSiNG SeCtiON



 

golf & relax - thRee StuNNiNG COuRSeS - exCePtiONaL diNiNG - LuxuRy aCCOmmOdatiONS - WhiStLeR hOSPitaLity



golf getaways: VaNCOuVeR, WhiStLeR aNd PemBeRtON, BC

Golfing the Sea to Sky Trail One of North America’s most remarkable golf trips is just a ferry trip and a short, picturesque drive away.

The Sea to Sky Golf Trail is a spectacular tour of golf stretching from the edges of the Pacific Ocean to the mountains of Whistler and Pemberton.

Together, the award-winning courses of Furry Creek, Nicklaus North and Big Sky offer three unique golf experiences and a special three-round, two-night package priced from $339 per person plus taxes that includes three rounds of golf and two nights at the Crystal Lodge and Suites. (For details visit seatoskytrail.com) Your tour starts just north of Vancouver on the Sea to Sky Highway with a stop at one of BC’s most scenic golf courses, Furry Creek Golf & Country Club. Considered one of the most beautifully landscaped courses in the province, Furry Creek delivers an unforgettable experience with its breathtaking beauty, dramatic play and firstclass facilities. This par 72, 18-hole golf course designed by Robert Muir Graves offers panoramic ocean views and abundant wildlife.

Continuing north, and just minutes from Whistler Village, Nicklaus North has easily earned its reputation as one of North America’s great courses. Winding along a scenic valley floor, backdropped by snow-capped Whistler peaks, this award-winning 18-hole, Par 71 course offers the ideal setting to test your golfing skills. No surprise

Nicklaus North has hosted events such as the Skins Game and Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf, welcoming some of the biggest names in the sport.

A short, scenic drive from Whistler takes you to Pemberton and the aptly named Big Sky Golf and Country Club. Designed

by Bob Cupp in 1993, the 18-hole, Par 72 Big Sky has matured into one of Canada’s top courses with numerous accolades to its credit.

At the heart of your tour is Crystal Lodge & Suites, exceptionally located in the centre of Whistler’s pedestrian only stroll.

With a variety of rooms, lofts and suites, the Crystal’s amenities include a heated outdoor pool, hot tub, sauna, complimentary wifi, award-winning service and more. The Beacon Pub & Eatery is the cornerstone of the lodge. Boasting a great village patio, plus pool table, eight HD TV screens and 12 beers on tap, the Beacon is a favourite among both locals and guests.

During your trip, a stop at Nicklaus North’s Table Nineteen Lakeside Eatery is also a must. The year-round restaurant with an expansive lakeside patio offers a sophisticated take on the mountain lodge experience. Savour locally sourced ingredients, excellent service and a welcoming environment, not to mention the best views in town!

 Pemberton’s scenic Big Sky Golf and Country Club.

 Nicklaus North Golf Course, in the Whistler Valley.

 One of BC’s most scenic golf courses, Furry Creek.

 Relax in Crystal Lodge, in the heart of Whistler.

43

Island Escape

3455 Fairwinds Drive, Nanoose Bay, BC | 1.866.468.5957 | fairwinds.ca



special advertising section





GOLF & RELAX



golf getaways:

-

Furber-designed course West coast dining Full service marina trails & Fitness centre

nanoose peninsula, bc

Fairwinds offers unique golf experience On the beautiful Nanoose Peninsula, less than two hours from Victoria, the Les Furber-designed Fairwinds Golf Club offers a golf experience unlike any other.

Tucked onto a spectacular piece of land south of Parksville that boasts sparkling water, dense forest, ocean views and dramatic elevation changes, Furber’s design is a visually striking test of the game that can challenge the most accomplished players but still accommodate the novice.

“It’s a great course for all skill levels; it’s got some challenging holes but they’re also forgiving,” explains Kyla Karakochuk. “It’s a course that will definitely keep you coming back.”

With accolades that have included the 2013 reader-voted Best Golf Course on Vancouver Island in the Best of BC rankings of BCLiving.ca, Fairwinds is also proud to be one of the stops on the Vancouver Island Golf Trail, exploring 11 courses from Victoria to Campbell River.

Surrounding the 18-hole scenic course is a master planned golf community that combines oceanfront living with an array of activities that also includes a private fitness centre, hiking trails, a full service marina and more.

But while the Fairwinds community has been developed

around this celebrated course, it welcomes guests every day from across the Island and further afield, visitors who appreciate the stellar West Coast setting and inviting golf experience, Karakochuk says.

Taking advantage of the latest technology, golfers who book online are rewarded with the best daily rate, while those who know they’ll be in the neighbourhood for more than a few rounds each year will want to take advantage of the Friends of Fairwinds rewards program. For just $129 per year, members receive a free round of golf, plus discounts of up to 35 per cent off green fees, discounts at the driving range and more.

While at Fairwinds, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the smallest member of the grounds crew, Eddie the Eagle. “One of the unique features of Fairwinds is that we have our falconer, Anne, working on-site with a bald eagle to keep the geese away,” Kyla notes.

And whether you’re golfing or just looking to relax with friends over dinner and drinks, Benz Lounge, Patio & Bistro overlooking the ninth green is the perfect place for a snacks or summer cocktails. With the recently launched summer menu, come savour the best of the Island, right in your own backyard.

 Fairwinds offers a visually striking test of the game.

 marina facilities complement the active lifestyle.

 the West coast setting includes beautiful beaches.

 Fairwinds is a vancouver island golf trail stop.

45

Go to your happy place.

This spring, embrace tabletops as brilliant and beautiful as the season.

Combine patterns, textures, brights and bolds for vibrant al fresco feasts with family and friends.

Cheers!

Visit Lotus & Sage Yoga and Meditation Supplies

250.590.1224 Located inside Borton’s

S ALE S • R EPAI R • SER VI CE Locally Owned and Operated For 35 Years 2614 Sooke Road, Victoria 250.478.9808 bortonspas-pools.com

46

Sarah Reid is a designer, creative director and maker living in Victoria, BC.

Sserving set // $38 // Available at Anthropologie 

 By Sarah Reid

DESIGN MATTERS

 Simple succulents pair beautifully with bold tabletops. $60+ // Available at Rook & Rose

 Bursting with striking florals, these coasters liven any table.

 Elegant and chic — metallic cutlery makes a statement. $120/set of 12 // Available at CB2

$16/set of 4 // Available at Rifle Paper Co.

 Juxtapose your bold and brights with a sleek gold leaf decanter. $60 // Available at Chintz & Company

 Keep the party going long after sunset with cozy throws. $49 // Available at Urban Barn

 Mix, match and mingle. Lively tableware is perfect for al fresco dining. $8+/each // Available at West Elm

 Forego matching napkins and opt for bright patterns and colours. $6/each // Available at Anthropologie

47

FOOD & DRINK

KING OF THE SEA TOP-SHELF TUNA

ďƒŁ Cold smoked albacore tuna sandwich from Fol Epi organic bakery on Harbour Road.

48

PHOTO BY DON DENTON

Local cannery produces tuna that’s meaty, sweet and clean  TEXT BY CINDA CHAVICH PHOTOS BY DON DENTON

L

IKE CRAFT BREWERS AND local coffee roasters, locally canned fish is a cut above big commercial brands.

You may remember your grandmother’s juicy albacore tuna or rosy sockeye, canned at home in a jar with a big pressure canner. But unless you’re canning tuna at home, you may never have the chance to taste really good canned tuna.

That’s because most of the tuna on the supermarket shelf today is canned in big commercial canneries halfway around the world, usually in Thailand or the Philippines. It’s fish that is caught in their waters, often by unsustainable means, then precooked before being packed into cans by machine, all of the healthy Omega-3 oils rendered out in the process, often to be resold as supplements.

The result may be cheaper canned tuna, but it’s swimming in water or oil, and has been stripped of much of its natural juices, flavour and nutrients.

It can be difficult to compare products with all of the variables on the store shelf — from skipjack and yellowfin to albacore, packed in water, broth or olive oil, and in cans ranging from 100 to 170 g.

(Only a few brands indicate the “net weight” of fish after the liquid is discarded.) Then there’s the issue of sustainability — according to Greenpeace, most canned tuna comes from fisheries that are vulnerable, threatened or over-fished, often using FADs (fish aggregating devices) that attract tuna and other fish to spots in the open ocean where they can be scooped up by seiners.

Their annual canned tuna ranking traces 14 wellknown brands from ship to shelf.

The bad news is that Canada’s biggest brand, Clover Leaf, ranks lowest on the list, due to its sourcing of tuna from FADs, purse seiners and long liners that damage vulnerable fish stocks and other species.

The good news is that the tuna at the top of the list is canned right here on Vancouver Island at St. Jean’s Cannery & Smokehouse in Nanaimo, the country’s last tuna fish cannery.

Even if you don’t worry about tuna stocks, it’s easy to see why this tuna is superior to all others.

Just open a can and taste it. Meaty, sweet and clean, with just a little natural juice in the can, this firm, pale tuna is perfect to eat straight up, as the centrepiece of a potato, tomato and green bean Nicoise salad or on a gooey tuna melt.

This kind of tuna costs a little bit more, but offers superior flavour, texture, plus the knowledge that it’s coming from a local, sustainable fishery. There are only a few small microcanneries like St. Jean’s left in North America offering this kind of wild-caught, Pacific albacore in a can, a healthy product with five times the Omega-3s of most canned tuna.

“We hand-pack every can with just a little 5 gram piece of the rich belly meat,” says Kim Stockton of Raincoast Trading, the St. Jean’s brand that Greenpeace has named Canada’s most sustainable canned tuna. “We raw pack and then cook once so everything stays in the can. Our tuna is not cheap but in that 150 gram can you’re getting 100 per cent fish.”

A tour of the spotless little cannery in Nanaimo, with its giant replica tin of fish (actually the company boardroom and archive) in the parking

THE TUNA AT THE TOP OF THE LIST IS CANNED RIGHT HERE ON VANCOUVER ISLAND AT ST. JEAN’S CANNERY & SMOKEHOUSE IN NANAIMO, THE COUNTRY’S LAST TUNA FISH CANNERY.

49

Mother’s Day Musical

Garden Tour May 9 & 10

10am - 4pm

Tickets

$30

Now in its 33rd year, this unique two-day, self-guided tour features private gardens and special musical performances by VCM students and faculty.

vcm.bc.ca/victoria-garden-tour Presented by:

Classical Roots • Contemporary Reach • Extraordinary Future Presented by:

Featuring the world premiere of our new piano quintet, surprise guest musicians, and contemporary performances led by Daniel Lapp.

Saturday, May 30th Concert at 7:30pm

Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Avenue Jubilee Reception $85 • 6:30pm General Admission $35 • Doors 6:45pm

Includes champagne receptions & concert.

Limited number available!

On Sa le Complimentary pre-show wine NO w! and cash bar at intermission.

vcm.bc.ca/50th-anniversary 900 Johnson Street 250.386.5311 VCM Funding Partners: We acknowledge the financial assistance of the Province of British Columbia

50

lot, is unlike the massive industrial canneries I’ve seen before. From the small, 12-pound, hook-and-line-caught fish being filleted and packed into cans by a few dozen employees, to the canning line where a pinch of sea salt is added, it’s a simple process.

“We can do about 70 cans per minute,” says Plant Manager Nirmal Sandhu as we watch the tins roll past.

“Big commercial canneries do 800 cans a minute.”

“It’s not a treat, it’s a grocery item,” she adds. “ It’s sustainable, natural tuna, sourced and packaged locally.”

The family-owned operation was founded by Armand St. Jean in the 1950s. A professional wrestler from Quebec, he started his business by smoking oysters in the backyard, and selling them in local bars.

Today the cannery has carved out a unique niche in the fish-canning world, still hand packing raw tuna for its own brands (Raincoast Trading and St. Jean’s) and custom-canning for other local artisan tuna producers, from Estevan Tuna (offering the only tuna in Canada packed in organic olive oil) to The Fishery and the nonprofit Chefs for Oceans brand.

They also still smoke fish (salmon, tuna, oysters) over hardwood and can them, along with big butter clams and sardines. It’s all easy to buy in local supermarkets or at one of St. Jean’s four retail stores on the island. Order online and they’ll ship it right to your door.

St. Jean’s will can and smoke fish for sport fishers, too, whether you bring in your own catch or it’s sent to them via one of the fishing lodges, from Vancouver Island to Haida Gwaii.

That might be when you get your first taste of oldfashioned, raw-packed, wild BC tuna in a can. And when you do, you’ll never go back.

PASTA WITH TUNA AND ARTICHOKE HEARTS PREP 10 MIN COOK 20-30 MIN SERVES 4

 KITCHENS  VANITIES  CUSTOM MILLWORK

Canned tuna is a household staple — always easy to pack into a tuna salad sandwich or gooey tuna melt. But when you buy quality raw-packed albacore tuna, serve it straight up, on a Nicoise salad with potatoes, green beans and black olives or in a simple pasta dish like this. Use any natural juices in the can, too. ¼ cup (50 ml) pine nuts, toasted 1 pound (450 g) short Italian pasta (penne, fusilli, ziti) 3 Tbsp (40 ml) extra virgin olive oil, divided 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup (250 ml) tomato puree ½ cup (125 ml) grape tomatoes, halved ½ cup (125 ml) water or broth 1 can artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained 1/4 cup (50 ml) air-dried black olives, seeded and chopped 1-150 g/6 oz can raw-packed albacore tuna, broken into chunks ¼ tsp (1 ml) crushed hot chili pepper 2 Tbsp (25 ml) chopped Italian parsley Toast the pine nuts and set aside.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and add the minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute, and then stir in the tomato puree, grape tomatoes, and water. Bring to a simmer.

Quarter the artichoke hearts and add to the sauce along with the olives, tuna and hot chili pepper.

Simmer together for 5-10 minutes while the pasta cooks. Season the sauce to taste with salt and black pepper.

Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water, and add the pasta to the sauce. Turn up the heat to heat everything through, adding some of the reserved cooking water if necessary to loosen the sauce.

When hot, divide between four pasta bowls, drizzle each with a little of the remaining extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley and pine nuts.

PROVIDING QUALITY & CRAFTSMANSHIP IN VICTORIA Island Dream Kitchens was formed with skilled craftsmen and expert installers having extensive experience in the Victoria market.

The commitment to excellence and quality workmanship is of paramount importance to the entire team. They strive to complete each project with the care their customers expect and deliver on their promises.

6660 Butler Crescent, Saanichton, BC 250-686-9987 mbrown@IslandDreamKitchens.com www.islanddreamkitchens.com

51

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Sidney

The Shortest Distance to Far Away

distinctlysidney.ca

Sidney’s boutique shops offer quality goods always with a smile: from the latest in fashions and books to delightful baked goods and flowers; from gift shops to pet shops to super markets, liquor stores and all that’s in between! Sidney brings new meaning to “shop local.” Every effort is made to highlight local and Canadian-made goods with just enough from around the world to add a bit of extra sparkle.

Italian shoes, British clothes, Turkish jewelry, and tea from around the world are just a few of the very special products you’ll enjoy in Sidney.

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52

Spring 2015 Arriving Now!

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distinctlysidney.ca 53

HAWTHORN

WORDS WORTH READING

MEMORIES OF WRITERS PAST  BY TOM HAWTHORN

THE PROPERTY LISTING describes an Arts and Crafts style home in its 90th year on a large, private lot, with stonework and winding paths surrounded by “lush English gardens.” The home itself boasts old-school craftsmanship in and out — bargeboards and half-timbering on the exterior, stained woodwork and built-in cabinetry on the interior.

The property rests on a half-acre lot and the listing price is $710,000. A famous writer once lived here with his wife, two children, his mother and mother-in-law.

“The six inhabitants of the house we had named Rockhome filled it with work, merriment, and friends,” Bruce Hutchison wrote in his 1976 memoir, The Far Side of the Street. “These were the best years of our lives.”

His father had lived there, too, but after his death the family relied solely on the writer’s income, so it is fortunate Hutchison was not only skilled but prolific. A newspaper editor who handled the editorial pages of newspapers a half-continent away from the comfort of his Saanich home, Hutchison also wrote nonfiction books, the odd work of fiction, and a blizzard of articles.

Visitors to his home would find him on his property chopping wood, or tending to his garden. Life at Rockhome often found its way into his copy. While he wrote awardwinning books about Canada (The Unknown Country) and Mackenzie King (The Incredible Canadian), one of his most celebrated pieces was a lament about the death of a 500-year-old Garry oak near his home.

Construction of Rockhome began the year after he married Dorothy McDiarmid, known as Dot, in 1925. It was finished in 1927, with renovations to come, a rustic hearth for a confidant of premiers and prime ministers (as long as they were Liberal), set on 11 bucolic acres on a country lane less than four miles north of Victoria City Hall.

As noted, Hutchison produced. Vaughn Palmer, his worthy successor as a gimlet-eyed observer of politics,

estimated a life output of about 20 million words, “one or two of which (so the joke went) were poorly chosen.”

Hutchison died at his beloved home in 1992, aged 91, nearly as old as the century. The house was never for sale in his lifetime. He had 15 book titles to his credit in a long, full life, the last published a year before his death.

My friend Alicia Priest had but one book to her name, published only months before her death in January. A journalist herself, she started at the Vancouver Sun early in Hutchison’s tenure as editor emeritus. She married fellow reporter Ben Parfitt before the pair bought a modest Oak Bay bungalow, where they raised a daughter, Charlotte.

Three years ago, Alicia was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. She accepted the terrible news with the knowledge she now faced what she called the ultimate deadline. She had a story to tell — about growing up in the Yukon, about a ne’er-do-well father who nearly pulled off the heist of the century, about trust and betrayal, and her mother’s perseverance. A feisty, tough, dogged person before her sickness, those characteristics became ever more evident as the disease progressed. She lost the ability to type and then to talk.

Her memoir, A Rock Fell on the Moon: Dad and the Great Yukon Silver Heist, was published by Harbour in September.

Alicia did newspaper interviews by writing on a white board, while Ben handled radio duties. Charlotte read an excerpt for broadcast by CBC Radio. The book appeared on the BC bestsellers list the week she died, aged 61.

I’ll be reading her book this month, as well as something

by Hutchison. The greatest tribute you can afford any writer is to read their words.

THE GREATEST TRIBUTE YOU CAN AFFORD ANY WRITER IS TO READ THEIR WORDS.

54

Tom Hawthorn is a widely published newspaper and magazine reporter, who has lived with his family in Victoria since 1997. He is the author of “Deadlines.”

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57

TALKING WITH TESS

WITH AN EYE

TO THE FUTURE

 BY TESS VAN STRAATEN

I

featuring

MIKE TOM BENSON BLACK featuring

Co-founder and CEO (Chief Capital Iron CEO Experience Officer) of WildPlay Element Parks 58

T’S SPRING, WHICH MEANS it’s officially barbeque season on Vancouver Island, and Capital Iron owner Mike Black couldn’t be happier.

“The barbeque department has been my baby over the years,” says Black. “I took it from nothing to a business that is several-plus million dollars a year.”

That’s a lot of barbeques. It’s no wonder Capital Iron now has the largest selection of grills on Vancouver Island. For Black, the sizzling success of the department is one of his biggest wins since taking over the iconic Victoria business almost two decades ago.

“It taught me that if there’s a niche for us to get into to sell a product, I want to be there,” the 54 year old says. “We went into hot tubs five years ago and last year we added gas fireplaces, so I think that ability to adapt and look for new opportunities has been my biggest success.”

Black has helped grow a company that started as a scrap metal business in the Inner Harbour more than 80 years ago into a modern-day general store with three locations on the South Island. Yet, surprisingly, Black never planned on a career in retail. After graduating from college, he became a navy officer and it wasn’t until he married his wife, Eveline Black, whose grandfather Morris Greene started Capital Iron in 1934, that Black decided to jump ship.

“A career in the navy meant being away a lot, so my father-in-law said he had a job for me if I wanted it and I told him, ‘I’m in the navy to become a captain of a ship and that would be my same goal if I came to Capital Iron.’”

Black started working at Capital Iron in 1988 and in 1997, he and two senior managers bought the struggling family business, and they embarked on a period of rebuilding with new product lines, a fresh look and offshore buying. The goal was always to buy his partners out, to keep the business in the family, and Black did so in 2011, despite a tough retail market.

“You learn way more in a business when you’re going through tough times than in the good times, because in the good times, sales cover a lot of sins,” says Black. “So when it’s tough you need to hunker down and have a closer look at your business and do what it takes to be successful.”

For Black, that meant not just expanding product lines, but also locations. After two failed openings since the launch of the successful Sidney location in

1988, it was a big risk — but one Black decided was worth taking — to open a new West Shore location last year.

“We’d opened a store there years ago when it was still the Western Communities, but we were a bit ahead of our time and it’s grown so much since then,” Black explains.

“People kept saying, ‘You gotta come out here, you gotta come out here’ and it became apparent people are living and working out there, and there’s a lot of traffic due to the business-friendly environment. So we needed to go to them instead of expecting them to come downtown.”

If the West Shore model works and summer sales numbers are good, Capital Iron may look at moving into the Nanaimo and Courtenay-Comox markets as well.

But Black says his biggest priority is capitalizing on the exploding online market, which continues to pose a major challenge for traditional brick and mortar businesses.

DON’T TRY TO FIX WHAT ISN’T BROKEN BUT MAKE SURE YOU ALWAYS KEEP YOUR HEAD UP SO YOU’RE WATCHING FOR WHAT’S COMING. “We need to get a certain amount of our product online and have it available 24/7 for our customers,” Black says.

“Lots of people go to our website but we don’t officially have anything for sale online so we’re going to put a lot of effort into that this year and hopefully by 2016 we’ll have the vast majority on an e-store.”

It’s a big change for Capital Iron, which prides itself on hands-on service from knowledgeable staff, but Black is looking to the future. One day, he hopes his daughter or son will want to take over the family business. But like Black, they’ll have to work for it.

“We’ve tried to teach them that things are not just handed to you, you have to earn them,” he says. “Down the road, if they’re interested, they’ll be given the opportunity to purchase it.”

And if they do, Black has some very good business advice for them: “Don’t try to fix what isn’t broken but make sure you always keep your head up so you’re watching for what’s coming. And remember, you’re not going to make all the right decisions — you’re going to make some wrong ones, but it’s [all about] how you deal with those wrong ones and move the business forward.”

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

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FRONT ROW  BY ROBERT MOYES

 VocaMe Early Music: Hildegard of Bingen Performing April 25 at Alix Goolden THE MUSIC OF MYSTICISM

RIFFING ON BLUE NOTE RECORDS Blue Note Records released an astonishing number of energetic and influential jazz albums in the 1950s and 60s — an honour roll of superstars such as John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Cannonball Adderley and Dexter Gordon. The style was called hard bop, and codified the various ideas of jazz that had been evolving in America for the preceding several decades.“Blue Note” has long been regarded as a superlative jazz brand, and is the focus of a tribute at the season-capping performance of the Jazz at the Gallery series at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.

“It’s the gold standard for jazz, an amazingly fertile period,” declares Dave Keen, a veteran tenor sax player whose quartet will perform. “I often say that I studied at the University of Blue Note . . . and listening to Joe Henderson was the turning point for me.” The Englishborn Keen started out on clarinet but eventually found his way to the tenor sax, and has been a fixture on the Victoria jazz scene for over 40 years. Although Keen 60

describes himself as “semi-pro,” it isn’t a comment on his abilities, but rather an acknowledgement that it’s his real estate job that allows him to play serious jazz in a town with a small live-music scene. “The songs will be swinging and melodic, more so than an overly intellectualized bebop workout,” promises Keen. He’ll be performing alongside longtime colleague Tony Genge on piano, with the ubiquitous Joey Smith on bass and James Birkett holding down the drum kit.

“It’s a good quartet,” says Keen happily.

Performing April 26 at the AGGV. Tickets and information are available by calling 250-384-4171 ext 1.

A MONSTER PLAY “It’s a monster . . . but it’s a wonderful monster,” declares veteran theatre director Keith Digby in reference to August: Osage County, the Pulitzer Prize-winner about an epically dysfunctional family in brawling disarray. “I agree with the critics who say that Osage is the first great American

play of the 21st century … it ranks up there with the Arthur Millers.” Digby will once again be co-directing with his life and creative partner, Cynthia Pronick, who together have been helming productions at Langham Court for the last decade. With a cast of 13 and a runtime of nearly three hours, Osage presents obvious challenges for a community theatre where the actors have day jobs and rehearse in the evenings.

“It’s a small stage to put on such a big play, but we have enough strong actors to cast it well,” says Pronick. The story involves a once-famous poet, now an alcoholic, who goes missing. His wife is an abrasive pill-popper prone to paranoia and mood swings.

Amidst fears the dad has committed suicide, various siblings, along with their partners and children, have returned to the family home. They squabble ferociously amongst each other and with their mother, in a reopening of old wounds that ultimately leads to shocking revelations … and riveting theatrical fireworks. “There is rich, dark humour alongside the drama and the play has incredible forward energy,” says Digby. According to Pronick, Osage is so hugely engrossing because it taps into universal emotions.

“The audience will have lots to talk about when it’s over,” he says.

Running from April 22 to May 9. For tickets, see Langham Court Theatre.

ON THE ROAD FOR COMEDY Called “the funniest man in Canada” by Rick Mercer, Derek Edwards is a well-travelled comedy veteran by anyone’s measure. He’s been a regular at Montreal’s Just For Laughs festival for nearly two decades, a consistent nominee and winner as the Best Standup Comic at the Canadian Comedy Awards, and boasts a number of appearances on everything from CBC Radio’s Madly Off in All Directions to The New Red Green Show. His current tour, Baloney and Wine, has been going through Ontario and Eastern Canada for several months and is now heading west. Reached by phone at his getaway cabin in Ontario, and with his snowshoeing and wood chopping done for the day, Edwards was amiable and self-deprecating about the wry, observational comedy that has made him famous. “I peel back the cover on things, and make comments that are irreverent and silly … and occasionally brush up against poignant without knocking it over,” he quips. A fan of masters such as George Carlin and Chris Rock, Edwards researched his current tour by walking the streets of Toronto looking for human quirkiness that made his funny bone start to tickle.

“People are weird — and that includes me,” he admits. His current show is largely scripted, but kept loose enough that there’s room for improvisation if he gets on a roll.

“Some nights, with people involuntarily doubled over and

61

crying with laughter, it’s ridiculous how much fun it is to do standup,” grins Edwards. “But you really re-think your life choices if you’re bombing.”

Performing April 17 at the McPherson Playhouse.

For tickets, call 250-386-6121.

COLOUR COMMENTARY Annabelle Marquis studied both fine and graphic arts at Quebec’s St. Laurent College before going on to forge an almost immediately successful career as a painter. Now an award-winning artist who has exhibited widely in Europe, the Montreal-based Marquis is returning to Victoria’s West End Gallery for her first solo exhibition here in three years.

“She’s very much in demand at galleries across the country — we had to book her well in advance for this show,” says assistant manager Amy Boyle. Marquis combines collage with paint, creating mixed-media works that are often finished with touches of gold leaf. The results, bold and colourful, are never less than eye catching. “Annabelle rips parts of pages out of high-end magazines, then layers and blends paint over the torn edges,” explains Boyle. “You don’t see many artists working in collage, and her talent is extraordinary — even as she begins tearing the pages she is working out how the painting is going to go.” Marquis’ canvases are mostly abstract, although there are sometimes

figurative aspects, from a lion’s head to graceful koi.

Those vivid colours have impact, but it’s when they’re combined with her sophisticated compositional style — one that is both crystalline and organic — that the paintings attain their power. “Whenever we hang her work it’s a showstopper,” says Boyle. “People will come in off the street and ask who the artist is.” There will be 15 to 20 canvases in the show, with prices ranging from $1,000 to $8,000. “There are a lot of different people who collect her work,” adds Boyle.

Running from April 25 to May 7 at 1203 Broad Street.

For information, see West End Gallery.

THE MUSIC OF MYSTICISM Medieval music seems remote and exotic to many people, but the one composer from that era with broad name recognition is Hildegard of Bingen. A mystic, poet, saint and visionary, Hildegard was a revered figure who became the confidant of popes and kings. Most famous now for her soaring and melodic compositions — chants that were written for the nuns in her convent — Hildegard wrote music of a mystical purity still capable of transporting audiences back to the 12th Century. An opportunity for that aural time travel is offered by VocaMe, a European ensemble that will be performing Songs and Visions, a program of Hildegard’s sublime music. Comprising four female singers and an artistic director who offers subtle musical accompaniment on harps, vielles, dulcimers and flutes, VocaMe are acclaimed medieval specialists.

“We’re focusing on several main themes of Hildegard’s mystical way of thinking, from her interest in natural philosophy to her compassion for unborn or early deceased children,” says Sarah Newman, one of VocaMe’s singers. According to Newman, performing this music is akin to a spiritual experience. “Hildegard was an extremely charismatic personality, with a huge range of interests that relate to the concerns of modern spirituality,” she adds. “Every time we sing together we find something new in the music.”

Performing April 25 at Alix Goolden. For tickets, call 250-386-6121.

DURANG DOES CHEKOV

 R.H. THOMPSON in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at the Belfry Theatre.

62

Although American playwright Christopher Durang (Beyond Therapy) had his heyday a few decades back, this master of absurdist comedy was the toast of Broadway in 2012 with the Tony Awardwinning Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. A cheekily affectionate homage to Chekov — but one that doesn’t require any familiarity with the Russian dramatist — Vanya focuses on the sometimes-fraught relationships of three middle-aged siblings. Sonia

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 Annabelle Marquis Showing at West End Gallery COLOUR COMMENTARY

and Vanya live together in the family home out in the country, and find their rural bliss shattered by the arrival of sister Masha, an aging actress who has disturbing plans for everyone’s future. And then there’s her new boy toy, the sexy but dim Spike, who provokes an earthier form of chaos. “I saw it on Broadway and loved it,” says Belfry artistic director Michael Shamata. “It’s very, very funny and then it surprises you with unexpected emotion. It’s a fantastic comedy but it’s also about something.” In true Chekovian fashion, these are people looking back on their choices in life with a mixture of sadness, regret, and contentment. “This is the most satisfying of Durang’s plays,” says Shamata. “They’re always clever, but usually there’s no ‘take away’ at the end,” he adds. “This is a knock-down hilarious comedy that actually reveals its intelligence. By the end it’s surprisingly moving.”

Running from April 14 to May 17 at the Belfry Theatre.

For tickets, call 250-385-6815.

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SOCIAL BOULEVARD  BY DANICA LUNDY

The Victoria Leadership Awards gala took place Feb. 19 at the glorious Crystal Garden. Master carver Clarence “Butch” Dick received a lifetime achievement award, and the glitzy event honoured several other winners as well.

Social Boulevard photographer Danica Lundy is a Victoria artist who loves meeting people.

 Ted Hughes, Helen Hughes

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 Dwane Ford, Jennifer Willard, James Darke

64

 Ravinder Dodd, Gordy Dodd

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 Leadership Victoria board member Kate Mansell

 Award recipient Maureen Sawa with Kevin Murdoch

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very much enjoyed connecting people with ideas and information. I saw firsthand that libraries have the capacity to transform people’s lives so I went on to obtain my Masters of Information Studies at the University of Toronto.

SECRETS & LIVES

How did you get to the position of CEO at the Greater Victoria Public Library? Upon my son’s graduation from university, I was able to take some time to consider new beginnings. As a single mom, it had been a priority for me to maintain proximity to familiar surroundings and family. The opportunity to relocate to Victoria was not only a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity, but fulfilled my lifelong dream of living on the coast.

You were recently honoured with an award from Leadership Victoria. How did that come about?

Receiving the “United Way of Greater Victoria Award for Collaboration and Partnership” at the 2015 Victoria Leadership Awards was a wonderful recognition of the essential role public libraries play in building strong and vibrant communities. This award is really a testament to the strategic vision of the Library Board and the dedication of GVPL staff, which has led to the library establishing ongoing relationships with a multitude of individuals and agencies to build community capacity.

with

CEO Greater Victoria Public Library  BY SUSAN LUNDY

Nice to meet you, Maureen Sawa. Where are you from and how did you get to Victoria? I was born in Kitchener,

Can you name three books that have impacted your life (and why or how)? There are so many! I would PHOTO BY DON DENTON

MAUREEN SAWA

have to say that the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis had a great impact on me as a child — full of magic and also profound truth. I am drawn to biographies and memoirs, and I regard Alice Munro as a special favourite.

What hobbies do you enjoy? I love to travel. And,

since coming to Victoria, I have taken advantage of walking paths and trails in the area because I love to walk.

A friend introduced me to deep-sea fishing and that is something that I would like to get better at. However, I did manage to catch a 150 lb marlin in Cabo San Lucas.

What drove you to become a librarian? My parents were

Where do you turn for advice? When making any decision, I first look to the facts. Being a librarian, I know where to look for and how to assess information, and look to the experts in the profession and in the community. Mentors and friends who know me well are invaluable. My son, Jake, often has some of the greatest insights when I am faced with significant decisions. Seeing the world through the eyes of a 20-something is quite liberating.

both newspaper reporters, so I grew up with a great appreciation of the value of a good story and the importance of accurate information. I spent much of my childhood in the library, reading, dreaming and looking things up. My primary focus was music in my undergraduate studies, but I worked part-time in the public library and

What has life taught you? That we make our luck and when opportunity knocks, answer the door. No matter how minor the task, do everything to your best ability. Be curious. And most importantly, I do believe that when a door closes, a window will always open.

Ontario, which is where I spent most of my life and where I raised my son. I was Director of Public Service for the Hamilton Public Library for eight years before moving to Victoria in 2010 to take on the position of CEO for the Greater Victoria Public Library.

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