Boulevard Magazine - July 2014 Issue

J U LY 2 0 1 4

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V I C T O R I A L I F E AT I T S F I N E S T

escape THE GREAT SUMMER

fashion

STATEMENT ON THE GREENS

REMODLING A 1960S

split-level

EXPLORING

creativity IN ITALY

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Island Window Coverings Ltd. 3381 Tennyson Ave., Victoria, BC 250-475-2600 islandwindowcoverings.com

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CONTENTS

Issue 07, Volume XXIlI

JULY 2014

FEATURES 10

10 16

DEPARTMENTS

28

6 EDITOR’S LETTER

Soothing fashion angst

40

24 CATHY SCOTT’S WANDERLUST

By Joanne Blain

9

FASHION FAVES Jo Zambri

By Lia Crowe

28 HISTORICAL GREENS

By Angela Cowan

COLUMNS

16

HOT PROPERTIES Split tricks

By Carolyn Heiman

42 FOOD & DRINK

Strawberry fields

By Cinda Chavich

48 TALKING WITH TESS

Peter Ciceri

By Tess van Straaten

36

DESIGN MATTERS Serving it right

By Sarah Reid

GRAND SLAM FASHION

By Arnold Lim

42

38 HAWTHORN

Loving Canada

By Tom Hawthorn

GROUP PUBLISHER Penny Sakamoto EDITOR Susan Lundy CREATIVE Lily Chan Pip Knott ADVERTISING Pat Brindle Janet Gairdner ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Oliver Sommer ADVERTISING MANAGER Janet Gairdner EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Kevin Laird

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CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Bruce Hogarth CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Joanne Blain, Cinda Chavich, Angela Cowan, Lia Crowe, Laurette Fagnan, Tom Hawthorn, Carolyn Heiman, Robert Moyes, Sarah Reid, Tess van Straaten CONTRIBUTING Joanne Blain, Don PHOTOGRAPHERS Denton, Laurette Fagnan, Arnold Lim, Gary McKinstry

TRAVEL FAR Creative Escape

By Laurette Fagnan

FRONT ROW Moss Street Paint-in, Rock the Shores, BoeingBoeing and more.

By Robert Moyes

54

SECRETS & LIVES Paul Nursey, CEO Victoria Tourism

By Susan Lundy

e r: cov r on ou Cary, Sarah, Mark and Caroline — the stars of Boulevard’s new fashion feature — at The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort and Spa.

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. Canada Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #42109519.

EDITOR’S LETTER

PHOTO BY ARNOLD LIM

Soothing fashion ANGST

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I CONFESS THAT SOMETIMES fashion confounds me.

Take the Calgary Stampede. The first time this west coast baby made plans to join her newish boyfriend at a hoedown, yahoohooting, country-western Stampede party, several trips to her closet confirmed the obvious: gumboots ain’t cowboy boots.

Compounding the issue was the newish BF, whose closet contained a stack of cowboy hats (I don’t do hats), various cowboy boots, a collection of big shiny belt buckles and a row of western shirts. (To be honest, the first time he met me at the airport dressed in Stampede cowboy garb, I covertly checked the departing flights board, wondering how fast I could jet back to the coast.)

My Google search “what to wear to the Calgary Stampede?” provided little relief, nor did the BF, who said breezily, “oh just bring cowboy boots, turquoise jewellery and a plaid shirt” (did I own any of these things?). But I detected in his voice a certain pitch that said: Stampede party wear is Very Important.

This July, I’m attending my fifth Stampede simply because I now own a collection of clothes — like my sequin denim jacket and suede dress with tassels — that I simply cannot wear anywhere else. I like my Stampede wardrobe. (But I have yet to don a cowboy hat: there are limits to my time on the bandwagon — or should that be chuck wagon?)

However, the brain-twisting speed at which Calgary weather fluctuates complicates fashion no matter what goodies you’ve added to the collection. We swelter in the inevitable cowboy boots and jeans or freeze in our cute little denim skirts. One year we all arrived at the annual 7 a.m. Hayes breakfast wearing barelegged country garb to discover it was seven degrees and we could see the whites of our breaths. Luckily the breakfast, like every other Stampede event, starts with vodka and orange juice, so the chilly air warmed quickly.

The good news for Boulevard readers is that fashion angst such as mine, or fashion curiosity in general, can be relieved through a new monthly feature introduced in this edition.

Our inaugural fashion shoot, which took place at The

Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort and Spa, will answer all readers’ questions about style on the golf greens.

Organized by Boulevard sales manager Janet Gairdner (who once worked as a fashion model) and highlighting products from Victoria, the new feature will take readers to a different Victoria locale each month.

Speaking of Victoria locales, this edition of Boulevard also encourages readers to get out and enjoy the summer. Did you know that the Victoria Golf Course is the oldest course in Canada still in its original location (see story, page 28)? Or that specialty tour organizer Cathy Scott travels the world, but considers hometown Victoria her favourite place to show off (page 24)? Victoria Tourism CEO Paul Nursey is the focus of this month’s Secrets & Lives; and a travel-to-Italy story offers further ideas for summer escapes. In addition to our always-fabulous regular columns, we have introduced another monthly feature called Spotlight on Advertisers. Here, readers can gain insight into the faces behind the ads, and help us honour some of our most loyal advertisers.

All in all, July’s Boulevard offers some great reading and awesome fashion advice. (However, if you want to know more about Calgary Stampede wear, contact me.)

Boulevard Buzz in July:  For garden lovers: On July 12, For the Love of Africa Society stages its 8th annual Water Garden Tour, featuring a number of Victoria’s private water gardens. Enjoy creativity, colour, garden art and live music. FMI: www.watergardentour.ca  For sports lovers: Victoria Highlanders take on Glasgow Rangers FC, a 142-year-old Scottish professional soccer team. Rangers are one of the most popular sports teams in the world, with nearly 6.5 million followers. Expect up to 7,000 fans to attend this high profile exhibition match set for July 21 at UVic’s Centennial Stadium. FMI: www.highlandersfc.ca  For music lovers: The third annual Pacific Tattoo, featuring international military bands, massed pipes and drums, and over 500 performers from around the world, takes place at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, July 12 and 13. We went last year — it was amazing!

FMI: www.pacifictattoo.ca 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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LIFE & STYLE

JO ZAMBRI – “I drink too much, I stay up way too late and I probably swear way more than most people,” says Jo. I say, hallelujah!

Jo’s official title is co-owner/operator of Zambri’s & Big Wheel Burger. She describes herself as the “everything woman,” but when I ask Zambri’s employees they simply said, “She’s the boss.”

Typical of someone who works almost completely in the public eye, Jo is intensely private. The place she feels the most herself is at her home, so we meet there and I’m greeted by an incredible Italian oasis right downtown.

Reading material

with

JO ZAMBRI  BY LIA CROWE

With quick pauses to flip the record playing in background, I interview Jo while she prepares beautiful spread involving pistachios and a mango. I notice she smells everything first and isn’t afraid to get her fingers into the food, breaking off bits of delectable cookies and passing them to me to try.

So, first we talk food. “Mostly,” she laughs, “I eat a lot of cold Zambri’s food late at night.”

Other interests? “I read a lot and listen to a lot of different music: blues, jazz. I love reggae, Jimmy Page, classic anything.”

Pretty soon we’re sitting on her living

PHOTO BY LIA CROWE

“I always have one fiction and one nonfiction on the go.” Last great read: American Rust by Philipp Meyer. On Bedside table: Light and Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page by Brad Tolinski and On Looking: A Walker’s Guide to the Art of Observation by Alexandra Horowitz. Food Reading: Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi By Yotam Ottolenghi. Magazine: Lucky Peach Life Favourite cocktail: “If I had to choose; a really, really well made Manhattan.” Local Restaurant (other than the obvious): Sen Zushi. Film: Down

by Law by Jim Jarmusch and Die Hard at Christmas time.

Favourite place in the whole world: Rebecca Spit, Quadra Island and Florence at dusk. Flower: “A deep burgundy peony that is fragrant reminds me of my grandfather so much.” Art/Artist: “I like art in general, having my mind taken somewhere, but I always am the most drawn to photography. I love NY street photographer Weegee from the 1930s to 50s and photojournalist Robert Frank.”

FASHION FAVES

room floor, which is scattered with records, a Tom Waits album in her hand. “He’s my pretend husband for the last 20 years, I saw him live and cried.” Both of us originally from Toronto, we talk life, travel and the challenges of living in Victoria, with big city life buried deep in your bones. When asked about style, Jo says she prefers menswear, so is attracted to more androgynous designs.

“But style is really what’s inside of you.

True style is undefined by age, it comes from your soul.”

“We cook Italian food and we are Italian. When I walk by the pasta I just know by looking if it’s over cooked.”

Fashion

Coveting (other than the 1969 blue Chevy Chevette she’s seen parked on her street): Yellow tuxedo jacket and trousers by Fabio Paleari from Each x Other. Go To Item: Navy blazer.

Fashion discovery: “I’ve rediscovered pink, from soft to fuschia and all shades in between.” Designer: 1205: “I love the way people in London dress, the way they push boundaries.” Beauty Scent: “I don’t wear a lot of scent but I like to surround myself with it. I love anything that Daniela at Silk Road has created — her essential oils are magnificent. Bergamot, eucalyptus, rosewood and lavender are my favourites.” Soap: Dr. Bronner’s. Beauty secrets: “Don’t wash your face.” If you walk out the door what one thing do you have to have on: Lipstick. Hair: Cheap shampoo and Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding.

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ON CARY: Sunglasses by Maui Jim “Bamboo Forest” with HT lenses, a golf-specific lens designed to optimally read greens ($249) at ArtSee Eyewear; blue jersey sport coat by Sand Copenhagen ($495) at Outlooks Menswear; shirt by J. Lindeberg ($119.95) at Bear Mountain Golf Shop; Plus 4’s by Galvin Green ($219.95); knee-high socks by Galvin Green ($24.95); blue suede shoes, H by Hudson ($195) at Outlooks Menswear; golf clubs by Bear Mountain Golf Shop. ON SARAH: Sunglasses by Orgreen “Florence” in graphite green ($500) from ArtSee Eyewear; iced coffee ribbon knit sweater

by Gerry Weber ($199) from W& J Wilson’s; white t-shirt with silver stripes by Gerry Weber ($99) from W &J Wilson’s; tri-colour gauze scarf in aqua, soft yellow and light taupe by Gerry Weber ($69); skirt by Puma ($84.95); sandals by Pikolinos in black / onyx ($150) at Head Over Heels.

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Grand Slam  TEXT BY SUSAN LUNDY PHOTOS BY ARNOLD LIM STYLING BY JANET GAIRDNER

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On a crisp sunny morning in June, Cary and Sarah hopped in their flashy, black BMW 428i and zoomed up the Island Highway to The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort and Spa. There, they met Mark and Caroline for a leisurely round of golf, followed by an Italianinspired meal on the patio overlooking the links at Bella Montagna restaurant.

THE FOUR CAST a striking vision, decked out in the latest golf apparel — dressed from trendy shades to classy footwear in hip outfits and accessories — all available from Victoria businesses.

The backdrop for their match was the resort’s Valley Golf Course, which meanders through forests and around lakes, and negotiates creeks and rivers along its 18-hole route.

Views abound on the par 71 course, which measures 6,807 yards from the Golden Bear tees, and features elevated tee boxes and generous fairway widths.

They followed up with lunch and drinks at Bella Montagna. The spread — created with artistic flare by executive chef Mark Wadsworth — included chicken saltimbocca with faro risotto; a masters steak sandwich with sautéed mushrooms on toasted garlic bread; seared Alaskan scallops with cauliflower risotto; West Coast seafood chowder; and mussels, clams and fin fish. The delectable food, fresh mountain air and breathtaking views inspired romantic renderings, and Mark and Caroline took some time out to enjoy each other’s company.

All in all — it marked a day in golfing paradise.

Cary, Sarah, Mark and Caroline are actually Victoria based fashion models participating in Boulevard’s new monthly fashion feature. In fact, their day started in the Bear Mountain Golf Shop, where they met Jordan Ray, director of golf and head pro at Bear Mountain. They learned that golf fashion is going in a new direction with bright colours and fun designs — a change from the more traditional apparel of the past.

Our models: Mark Pavesic, a former model, who now operates his own business, Woodcraft Custom Interiors; Cary Leung, semi-retired from Karsen Leung Financial Services Inc; Sarah Voldeng and Caroline Perreault, both models with Victoria’s Coultish Management.

Our location: The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort and Spa, which offers Canada’s only 36 holes of Nicklaus Design golf. Golfers can choose the Valley Course, or take on the more challenging Mountain Course.

Our photographer: Arnold Lim. 12

ON SARAH: Sweater ($169.99) and shirt ($119.95) by J. Lindeberg; skort by Lija ($99.95); shoes by Ecco ($239.95), all from Bear Mountain Golf Shop; sunglasses by Adidas “Raylor,” with LST golf lenses ($165), engineered for optimal acuity on the links, at ArtSee Eyewear. ON CARY: Cap by Galvin Green ($54.95); cardigan ($169.95) and shirt ($119.95) by J. Lindeberg; shoes by Ecco ($239.95), all from Bear Mountain Golf Shop. ON CAROLINE: Visor by Puma ($34.95); sweater by Puma ($99.95); shirt by Loft 8 ($69.95); skort by Adidas ($79.95); shoes by FJ ($119.95), all from Bear Mountain Golf Shop; bracelet by Pandora from Knickerbocker’s. ON MARK: Sweater and shirt by Galvin Green (both $199.95); pants by Adidas ($99.95); shoes

by Ecco ($239.95), all from Bear Mountain Golf Shop.

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ON CAROLINE: Ash grey

linen platform wedges

by TOMS ($80) from Head Over Heels.

(Below) ON CAROLINE: 100% white linen blazer

by Gerry Weber ($299); fine gage sweatshirt-style sweater in soft grey with silver stitching by Repeat of Germany ($199); black and silver chunky bead bracelet by Gerry Weber ($39), all available at W & J Wilson’s.

Special thanks to: Cheryl Bushby, marketing manager at The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort and Spa. Cindy Mui, marketing director at BMW Victoria for organizing use of the sleek BMW 428i; and all our suppliers — ArtSee Eyewear, Outlooks Menswear, Bear Mountain Golf Shop, W&J Wilson’s, Knickerbocker’s and Head Over Heels.

Enjoy: Boulevard’s new monthly fashion shoot will take readers to various locales around Victoria, providing insight on the latest fashions and accessories (all available locally) via an exciting visual feast.

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HOT PROPERTIES

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 Blending a “surf white” Metal Pro-Lock Single Sheet roofing system with hardi board, corrugated metal, transforms a split level home into a contemporary eye-catcher. Then add carefully-chosen cedar panelling, and this home sits comfortably on the West Coast.

split tricks 1960S HOME GOES “UPTOWN”

 TEXT BY CAROLYN HEIMAN PHOTOS BY GARY MCKINSTRY

I  Artificial flagstone on the mantle makes a striking statement without breaking the bank, in this compact, three-storey home.

T WAS LOCATION, LOCATION, location that attracted Derek and Caroline Lawrence to the “BC box” house for sale near Cadboro Bay. Steps from the house sit a recreational ocean beach playground, great schools and daycare. The Lawrences envisioned summers with their children, Bailey and Lyndon, playing on the nearby beach, the same one where Caroline spent hours and hours of her own childhood.

Caroline, whose passion is flipping through home design magazines, was convinced that with the right amount of creative flare, they could make something of the 1960s split-level house.

And she was right. Resulting from a yearlong renovation is a post-modern home on three storeys that is simultaneously compact (2,600 square feet) and open.

“It’s what I was always hoping it would be,” she says, referring to how the design turned out.

But the best part, she adds, “is seeing our family make the beach our home. It’s not out of the ordinarily in the summer to have our bowl of Cheerios with our feet in the sand before school, and to paddle board in the evening in PJs around the bay after dinner and before bedtime. In the winter months the early evening turns into exploring the beach

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 The roomy six-by-six foot walk-through shower in the master bathroom gets a flood of natural light from towering windows. Two shower heads and a bench seat complete the spa effect.

“It is what I was always hoping it would be.”

 The kitchen features a long island perfect for end-of-the-day gatherings and re-grouping.

 A low ceiling attic area serves as a secret play fort for kids and a clutter-buster devise for adults wanting toys out of sight.

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 An outdoor shower keeps out the sand.

f Winner o & ld o g multiple 3 1 0 2 silver ards CARE aw

with boots and headlights, and taking in wave-crashing winter storms at their best from the living room windows.”

SPACE FOR THIS AGE Equally important, the home now works effectively and efficiently for the busy working couple and their children because throughout the re-design and renovation process, they kept asking: “Is this the best use of this space?”

Playing with angles on the new roof permitted the creation of a living room and dining room with statement-making vaulted ceilings, while a catwalk from the third-storey loft bedroom area looks over the domain.

Every nook has been turned into hidden storage, supporting Caroline’s desire to keep the home clutter free. They trimmed one bathroom on the main floor, believing an open office/ homework area was a better use for the area. Meanwhile, a bonus outdoor shower keeps out sand from those frequent trips to the beach.

Ltd.

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

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YOU LIVE IN

DESIGN | BUILD | INTERIOR 1161 NEWPORT AVE., VICTORIA, BC V8S 5E6 250.360.2144 INFO@ZEBRAGROUP.CA WWW.ZEBRAGROUP.CA

KA-CHING, KA-CHING

The Lucius Room Divider by

Every renovation, it seems, has a little surprise. For the Lawrences, the surprise was foundational. Homes in the area had been built on piles, and before investing dollars in the ground-up renovation, the Lawrences wanted to ensure the home would stand the test of time. To this end, they installed 32 piles, the cost of which put a bite into what they could spend elsewhere.

“We paid a $1,000 each for those piles so we decided we might as well show them off,” jokes Caroline, pointing to a ground floor area where a glimpse of the exposed piles adds post-industrial flare.

HELPING HANDS

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The couple gives credit to family, friends and neighbours who collaborated on ideas for ways to save both the design and the budget. (One of these happened to be a prominent Victoria architect, who graciously provided guidance as part of his “welcome to the neighbourhood.”)

Caroline’s father, Thomas Hall, was also in the background, using his woodworking skills — refined since retiring — to make wonderful pieces of furniture and custom built-ins.

A testament to his involvement with the Vancouver Island Woodworkers Guild is a glorious nine-foot-long dining room table made from Merbau and Kwila that would not look out of place on the best designer avenues. It’s both a style-setter for the home’s main floor and the centrepiece for family gatherings, homework, crafts, and meals. Other contributions include end tables and, over time, additional custom cabinetry will infuse the home with a sense of originality and family legacy.

 Sleek storage places abound, supporting Caroline’s desire to keep the home clutter free.  A three-storey stairway made of Parallel Strand lumber works well for the contemporary laminate floors.

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The neighbourhood architect provided crucial assistance, helping the couple noodle through a vexing design issue that came up part way into the renovation. They had originally planned the main entryway to be at second level, but the ground floor solution proposed by the architect — not previously contemplated by the Lawrences — proved to solve a number of issues simultaneously.

Other budget savers were the use of Ikea bathroom cabinetry, and a three-storey stairway made of Parallel Strand lumber, which works for the contemporary, and well-chosen laminate floors. The same laminate surprisingly shows up in the kitchen as a cleverly-created backsplash.

The kitchen is the decided heartbeat of the home, featuring a long island perfect for end-of-the-day gatherings and regrouping. Being close to the ocean, the Lawrences wanted the home’s design to bring the outdoors inside, and they longed for a kitchen where patio doors flung open would connect it to the patio. It wasn’t possible with the space constraints, but an ingenious seven-foot equal sliding window over the counter with the sink makes for a suitable compromise.

“I can be at the sink and feel like I’m actually outside,” says Caroline. Even better, as passionate sports fans, they’ve mounted the kitchen TV on a swiveling arm so they can easily watch games from the patio.

They opted to tilt the budget towards the kitchen and include heated tiles flooring.

Says Caroline: “The kids come down in the morning and lie on the kitchen floor in their PJ’s like they are cats in a sunbeam.”

Proof this uptown-looking house is cozy too.

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

SUPPLY LIST Contractor/Builder: Jeff Jefford – Abode Builders House Designer: Peter Eckard – P.J. Drafting and Design Electrical: GP Systems Front Door: John Deny, Aurora Woodwork Geotechnical Engineering: Shane Moore, Ryzuk Geotechnical Helical Pier installation: Active Enterprises Ltd. Exterior/Interior Painting: Kings of Colour Cabinetry: Harbour City Kitchens Tile: Tile Town (installed by New Life Flooring) Plumbing fixtures: Ikea Lighting: Pine Lighting Floral: Brown’s The Florist 23

PHOTO BY DON DENTON

Cathy Scott stands with some of the flowers in Playfair Park, one of Victoria’s hidden treasures, where she often takes visitors.

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wander lust CATHY SCOTT SHOWS OFF VICTORIA AND THE WORLD  BY JOANNE BLAIN

C

ATHY SCOTT HAS SPENT 13 years in the travel industry and wanderlust bubbles in her blood. She’s led tour groups to destinations as far-flung as Africa, Vietnam and Morocco. But her favourite place is still the city she grew up in — Victoria.

So last year when she started her tour company, Niche Travel, Scott was as eager to show off her home town to visitors as she was to continue exploring the world. That’s why she decided to offer tours of Victoria and area that are customtailored to fit any individual’s interests.

“When I travel, I like to meet the locals and see what’s happening in the community,” she says.

And with a lifetime of connections on the island, she’s in a good position to give visitors the kind of unique, personal experiences she values herself as a traveller.

She also knows that just about whatever someone is interested in doing or seeing, they can find it in and around Victoria.

“We have so much going on in the food and wine industry, in the arts industry — you name it, we have it here.”

Scott, a fourth-generation Victorian, was born in the city and grew up in other parts of BC before returning to settle here 20 years ago. Since then, she’s taken advantage of everything the capital has to offer.

“I will do anything outdoors,” she says. “I am an avid runner, I cycle tons, I love to hike. And we have some of the best kayaking in the world here.”

Scott is also a certified apiarist with two hives in her backyard and she loves to garden — something that came in handy last summer when she was asked to put together a weeklong tour for Debra Hartman, an Illinois resident who wasn’t keen on taking a big tour bus to see the sights.

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VICTORIA TOURS CUSTOM MADE Scott arranged a visit to Sooke Harbour House, a whalewatching excursion and afternoon tea at the White Heather Tea Room, to name a few highlights. When she learned Hartman is a master gardener, she used her contacts to set up a tour of Butchart Gardens and several private home gardens in the Uplands neighbourhood with another master gardener. Hartman loved it.

“We went to the most spectacular gardens, and it was absolutely fabulous,” Hartman says.

Niche Travel’s other specialty is women’s tours to destinations around the world. Close to home, she has already put together a sold-out women’s kayaking and camping tour in the northern Gulf Islands and two foodie tours of Oak Bay. And she has women-only trips lined up later this year or in early 2015 to Cambodia and Laos, northern India, New York City and Myanmar.

Jordan, Israel, Belize and South Africa are also on her radar.

Scott came up with the concept of offering tours for women while studying to become a travel agent in 2001, when the world was rattled by 9/11 and security became a priority in the tourism industry. A single mother of three at the time (she has since married Ken Marchtaler, owner of a Victoria martial-arts studio), Scott thought many women would prefer to travel in groups for safety and camaraderie.

FOR WOMEN ONLY Two years later, she brought the idea to life as a marketing strategy with Colleen Johnson, a fellow travel agent. The Women’s Travel Club (later renamed Women’s Travel Connection) started with a handful of travellers and grew to a mailing list of about 1,000 women, and a core group of repeat travellers who have followed Scott to her new company.

PHOTO BY JOANNE BLAIN

Most of her clients are over 40 and have the money and desire to see the world, but often lack partners or friends who share their sense of adventure. Through Scott, they have found a group of other travellers who appreciate things like food, wine, art, history and, of course, shopping.

But above all, Scott says, “they really want an authentic local experience — to be immersed in the culture and not to feel completely like a tourist.”

On a trip she hosted to northern India last November, Scott arranged for her group to get custom-made saris, and had local women show them how to wear them. She also took her charges to an annual camel fair in Pushkar, where 50,000 camels are bought and sold, and to Ranthambore National Park, where they saw wildlife including a rare Bengal tiger.

Sandra Jackman, a financial manager from Victoria, was on board for the northern India trip and has also visited southern India, Morocco, Turkey and Vietnam with Scott.

She likes the no-fuss aspect of travelling to what can be challenging destinations.

“I don’t have to do any of the planning and I know it’s going to be a good trip,” Jackman says. The bonus is being in the company of like-minded women, some of whom have become long-term friends.

“They really want an authentic local experience, to be immersed in the culture and not to feel completely like a tourist.”

When she’s searching for inspiration for upcoming women’s tours, Scott doesn’t have far to look.

“I am my target audience,” she says. “It’s pretty much a nobrainer for me. If I want to do it, I’m pretty sure a dozen other ladies will want to do it.”

Scott’s zeal for seeing the world and showing off Victoria is infectious, says Johnson, who has known Scott for more than a decade.

“She is passionate about finding unique experiences that she can share with other people,” Johnson says. “And she is a very genuine person — you just feel really comfortable around her.”

Even though she’s convinced she’s on the right track with both her women’s trips and her Victoria custom tours, Scott admits she had to muster the courage to start her own business after her senior-management job at another travel company was eliminated late in 2012. But she says the timing was perfect.

“It was almost like I was being kicked,” she says. “I had wanted to do my own thing for years. My youngest child [21-year-old Kiara] left home the same month my job ended. I was just in this place all of a sudden in my life that doors just opened up.

“It’s still terrifying,” she says. “Some days I think ‘oh my god, what am I doing?’ but I know it’s the right thing.”

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TRAVEL NEAR

 Aerial and on-course views of the Victoria Golf Club.

in the groove GOLFING HISTORIC GREENS  TEXT BY ANGELA COWAN PHOTOS BY DON DENTON

A

LTHOUGH IT COULD BE argued that Victoria’s golf season lasts throughout the year, there’s nothing quite as sweet as the hot summer sun on an immaculate course, a ringing ting in the air as driver connects with ball, and a tiny white fleck soaring through a cloudless sky to land tantalizingly close to the hole.

A round of golf is one of the most pleasant ways to spend an afternoon, and in Victoria there’s lots of options for places to hit the greens. But the Victoria Golf Club, located on the waterfront in Oak Bay, also offers an atmosphere rich with over 120 years of history.

Long time Victoria resident Dave Humphries, who has been a member for almost 30 years and seen two of his

children married at the club, says he enjoys it as much now as when he first joined.

“It’s ever-changing. The wind is a factor at our course … it can make as much as 40 yards difference on a hole,” he says.

“But you embrace the wind. It creates a lot of good golfers. It’s a very positive experience.”

Now vibrant with enthusiastic members as young as seven and as old as 96, the Victoria Golf Club started out with small but ambitious beginnings.

A RICH AND COLOURFUL HISTORY The oldest course in Canada on its original location, and second oldest in North America, it was established in 1893 29

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by Englishman Harvey Combe, incumbent registrar of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. He was introduced to the game during a holiday in his homeland, and upon returning to Victoria, he and his son immediately began the search for a prime piece of property to build their own course.

He soon negotiated a parcel of land, roughly 90 acres, from Joseph Despard Pemberton, the former colonial engineer

But you embrace the wind. It creates a lot of good golfers. It’s a very positive experience. and surveyor, and quickly established a group of supporters who were easy converts to the game. Combe attracted some illustrious characters, including Hewitt Bostock, who would become a senator, MLA Forbes Vernon, for whom the Okanagan town was named, and Theodore Davie, BC’s premier from 18871889. Thirteen men sat at the first club meeting on November 7, 1893, “resolving to form themselves into a Golf Club to be styled the Victoria Golf Club.” The carefully framed original document still hangs at the club today.

Though the initial members were some of society’s most prominent, their first clubhouse was more humble. Fashioned from a piano box, six feet wide and barely three feet deep with a sloping roof, it was hardly big enough to hold the gentlemen’s clubs, let alone offer space for a cold drink after a round. It marked a far cry from the building that stands there today, which — with its high ceilings, panelled woodwork, and trophies lining nearly every surface — can only be described as grand.

 Clubhouse at the historic Victoria Golf Club.  Entranceway interior of the “grand” clubhouse, which is a registered Canadian Historic Place, noted for its Tudor-style touches.

Completed in 1928 under the guidance of architect Charles Elwood Watkins, the clubhouse is a registered Canadian Historic Place and has undergone a number of expansions and renovations over the years. Arthur Vernon Macan, described by Canada’s Historic Places website as “the Pacific Northwest’s most prolific golf course designer,” was a member of the club and made numerous changes to the course. The club house features “style details such as mockTudor half timbering, Tudor arches on the verandah, and rusticated stonework.”

Inside, history and memories are displayed everywhere. Dozens of championship boards boast engraved silver plaques with names and dates back to 1895. Trophy cases embellished with fact sheets celebrate Nora Combe and Violet Pooley, two of the club’s most talented golfers — women who managed to equal the aptitude of male golfers while wearing the constraining clothing of the time.

(Nothing like a narrow dress and a girdle to challenge one’s swing!)

And on the main floor, above a resplendent fireplace, a memorial plaque is set into the brick, honouring and remembering the 13 club members who fell fighting for their country in the Great War. Over the last 121 years, the Victoria Golf Club has seen its share of excitement, both good and bad. It was saved from residential development in 1906 by quick-thinking club member Harry Pooley 31

 Plaque placed outside the clubhouse in 1993 honours the Victoria Golf Club’s 100th anniversary.

and a late night loan from James Dunsmuir. It survived two world wars and the Depression, and even gained its own legendary ghost in the mid 1930s. A rather grisly tale of an onthe-greens murder-suicide, the story of the “Lady of the Links” has persisted throughout the decades with numerous “sightings” of the female apparition.

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS … AND WOMEN Infamous ghost aside, a fair number of distinguished guests have visited the course over the years, including famed golfer Ben Hogan in 1942, who, for the first time in his career, putted too exuberantly and rolled out of bounds on the ever-tricky 7th hole. Golf celebrities Joyce Wethered and two-time Olympic gold medalist Mildred “Babe” Didricksen played in 1935 and 1949, respectively. And perhaps most notably, the club was graced with a royal visit in 1928 when the Prince of Wales and Prince George played a few rounds on the links. There have also been visits by numerous celebrities, including Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Wayne Gretzky.

The club has also evolved in terms of equal rights. Lily. M. Philbrick became the first female golfer without a male partner given an honourary membership, after her husband was killed in World War I. In earlier years, women were permitted to play on weekdays only, and it’s just been since the 1990s — under club president Dr. Iain Hadfield — that women could vote on club matters. Humphries, who joined around 1985, was witness to this most recent modernization.

“Women had no vote as members on issues at the golf course,” he says. “It sounds shocking, but that’s the way it was.”

Now, women routinely hold positions of influence on the board, including a current vice-president.

“Our staff joke is that it’s not your grandpa’s club anymore,” says Scott Kolb, general manager. “We pride ourselves on having a socially relevant club for our members, whether it’s for dining, socializing or charity.”

With wind-swept greens, whales breaching on the distant waves, and eagles nesting up by the clubhouse, the Victoria Golf Club merges its historical grandeur with natural island beauty, creating a unique haven for golfers.

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PHOTO BY VINCE KLASSEN

 BY TOM HAWTHORN

A great love for this land

CELEBRATING CANADA ON JULY 1

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MY GRANDFATHER ARRIVED in this land as a third-class passenger aboard SS Minnedosa, a Canadian Pacific ocean liner.

He sailed from his Glasgow birthplace with his 17-year-old sister and his mother, a widow already at 57, who would yet bury another husband.

My grandfather was 14, the youngest of 10 children, leaving a homeland where he had contributed to his family’s survival with coins earned as a street bootblack. The trio arrived in Canada in July, 1929. Three months later, the stock market crash initiated a global Depression, which in turn contributed to the rise of dictators in Europe against whom he would fight, signing up to battle the Nazis two days before the House of Commons in Ottawa declared war.

He spent eight years in uniform, serving as a cook while the Fort Garry Horse rolled across the Lowlands, liberating Belgium and Holland. (The family joke is that as a cook he might have inflicted more harm on our side than on the enemy, but that’s another tale.)

The end of the war brought a prosperity that must have been dizzying to those who had endured the poverty of the 1930s and the war rationing of the 1940s. I don’t think he got to enjoy much of the benefits of the peacetime boom, dying young as he did, but Scotty Hawthorn’s son, my father, enrolled in university after his own stint with the Canadian forces. He became a social worker, then a teacher, pulling his own family into the lower middle class. Scotty undoubtedly would have marvelled that

the tiny grandson, who he held just once, would make a living writing stories, mostly about other peoples’ lives.

The Scottish immigrant and his namesake son had a great love for this land, seeing in it a place of opportunity and a safe harbour from the perils of the wider world. My father passed on to me his passion for this land and those things, sometimes subtle, that make us who we are.

Canada Day is a day of celebration (especially in the rest of the country, where July 1 means winter is truly, finally, surely over). In Victoria, we surrender the Inner Harbour and the lawn of the Legislature to musical performances and the alwayspopular Living Flag composed of 1,500 patriots adorned in red and white T-shirts standing together to create a giant, breathing maple leaf banner.

The city’s celebrations are designed for families; Charlotte Diamond entertains the young’uns, while the main stage displays the cultural smorgasbord that is modern Canada. We are a Mulligan Stew of a nation, comprised of people from all over, and this is reflected in the Canada day lineup: Cookeilidh, a local Celtic band (pronounced Cook-kay-lee); Masala, a 15-person percussion ensemble; and Oothéque, the solo project of drummer Francis Mineau of Québec. The Louis Riel Dancers of the Compaigni V’ni Dansi’, a Vancouver company, will perform traditional Métis dances.

Dominion Day was celebrated on Vancouver Island even before the colony of British Columbia joined Confederation. On

July 1, 1871, during the final few weeks of colonial rule, a 100-gun salute was fired at the wharf in Cowichan Bay. In Victoria, the fire department held a popular picnic.

The first Dominion Day celebration after the province joined Confederation once again featured the fire department’s parade and picnic at Medana’s Grove in James Bay, south of the government buildings. Admission cost $1 (ladies and children under 12 free) at a time when that sum could get you room and board for a day in a city hotel. The 1872 event included foot races, long jumps, high jumps and three-leg races. (The top event “… a place of was the 200-yard dash. It cost 50 opportunity and cents to enter as a competitor; the a safe harbour winner received a $10 purse.) The grand finale of the day was billed from the perils as “catching pig by greasy tail,” an of the wider event which cost entrants 25 cents and for which the prize was the pig world.” itself.

My own Canada Day celebrations will also feature pig, cured in some fashion by the artisans at The Whole Beast salumeria. I will feast with friends and family and quaff a fine Hoyne’s Down Easy Pale Ale (or two). I will toast the wisdom of ancestors who settled in a land in which to have been born is to have received a winning lottery ticket in life.

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39

TRAVEL FAR

Writer Laurette Fagnan in Apricale, Liguria, Italy.

creative ESCAPE

PAINTING THE HILLS OF ITALY

 TEXT & PHOTOS BY LAURETTE FAGNAN

With paintbrush in one hand and occasional glass of wine in the other, I let the week unfold in a magical way.

T

HE SAME WARM sunlight that inspired famous painters such as Matisse, Monet and Picasso along the Mediterranean coastline of Italy and France was about to grace my blank canvases — and I couldn’t wait.

With paints and brushes in tow, I escaped in September to the mountaintops of Italy and France for an art workshop: one glorious week with 10 other aspiring artists, painting and drawing at a mountain villa high up in the Ligurian region of the Italian Riviera. It was an hour’s drive from the city of Nice in France, just over the French/Italian border and north of the Mediterranean Sea. My goal for the trip was to be spontaneously creative in this rich cultural setting, free from the obligations of family and my professional interior design practice.

We reached the tastefully modern villa, up a very narrow, twisty mountain road, with our animated local driver honking around each corner. The yellow ochre villa had a casual elegance, with a comfortable mix of antiques and cozy corners with interesting reading material, and many private garden areas. Most of us were paired up in double rooms with private washrooms and personal decks, which overlooked the lovely outdoor pool, the garden, lush mountain valleys, and reliable clear blue skies. I got to

40

The beauty and history of these fascinating sites inspired our assignments — to study and sketch pattern, form, line and detail. enjoy the company of my longtime good friend, Joan, another creative type taking time away from her busy architectural practice.

DELICIOUS DINING Fabulous homemade meals were provided by Marina, our Swiss/Italian host, who had a passion for cooking with ingredients from her garden. Her amiable husband, Roger, a retired British lawyer, assisted in all ways to ensure our comfort. We enjoyed lazy breakfasts and lunches on the terrace scheduled around our outdoor art classes. Dinners were spent laughing around a group table long into the evening, with a range of Italian dishes, plenty of local wine and specialty coffees.

Of the dozens of art courses offered in Italy and France, I chose this one as both instructors, Michelle Miller and Kate Carson, are from Victoria and have taught in Italy each September for the past five years.

Having attended a few of Michelle’s painting classes in the past, I knew her fun, adaptable, informal approach to teaching. Our co-ed group of 10 students came from around the world, ranged in age from 48 to 82, and came with varying skill levels. The opportunity to be present and experiment with new drawing and painting techniques, without the pressures of work deadlines, was the real draw. So, with paintbrush in one hand and an occasional glass of wine in the other, I let the week unfold in a magical way.

We took part in a mixture of drawing and painting classes on the sunny terraces of the villa, mixed with trips to neighbouring historic medieval villages to paint or sketch. A local masseuse was also available and we could casually drift away for a booking if we wished.

During one memorable afternoon, Angela, a happy local with a big red flower in her hair, came to teach us how to prepare tiramisu (an Italian dessert) the

real way. Our challenge as artists was to quickly draw her in motion without really looking at our paper. I still smile when I open my sketchbook to see her big strong arms, holding the bowl and stirring vigorously. Plenty of tiramisu was consumed over the next few days.

VISUAL TREATS Other times, we would be dropped off at a local cemetery, usually located at the most upper reaches of a village, where gravestones and sculptures stretched to over 20 feet high.

The beauty and history of these fascinating sites inspired our assignments — to study and sketch pattern, form, line and detail. The most impressive cemetery was high above the coastal town of Menton in France, where more sketching occurred during a beautiful day trip that culminated with a swim in the sea.

An unexpected highlight was being with a group that really enjoyed outdoor, physical activity. One person knew the mountain trails well, so we hiked with our sketchbook and paints through olive groves and old farmsteads, up or down mountainsides to the nearby Italian villages.

The nearest was Dolceacqua, which boasts a 12th century castle and the arched bridge that Monet painted in varying sunlight conditions. Rather than compete with Monet, a few of us sat on the patio of a local pub, sketching and painting the details of the lovely bell tower across the river. Friendly locals wandered the cobblestone streets and filled the neighbouring seats, making the experience all the more authentic.

The village of Apricale is an impressive architectural feat, dating back to the mid 13th century and perched on the edge of a steep mountain. Another tiny village was the rustic Rocchetta Nervina, where we had lunch in a twisty narrow lane formed by 13th century stone buildings. I wasn’t able to sit for long as the intimate lanes and deserted walkways so intrigued me, and I crawled with my camera around almost all its nooks, capturing one seemingly impossible architectural detail after another. Paying close attention to detail through the lens of the camera kept me intensely aware of my surroundings.

At every twist and turn in the region was something to inspire creativity. The whole experience was a feast for the senses, yet very relaxed. And now, when I stare at my quirky paintings and sketches I can still feel my senses come alive.

 The writer’s friend Joan’s sketch amid aother artwork in a group art show in Liguria.  Lunch in Rocchetta Nervina in Liguria, Italy.

IF YOU GO:  The next EAT, PAINT, LOVE in Italy is offered September 10-17, 2014. The cost is $1740 CAD shared or $2040 CAD single and includes accommodation for seven nights, all meals plus some wine, transfer to and from Nice airport and the art program. Does not include airfare, insurance and art supplies. For more information see artschoolvictoria.com, and for other options, simply Google “art courses in Italy.”

41

Satnam Dheenshaw with strawberries from Gobind Farms.

PHOTO BY DON DENTON

FOOD & DRINK

 BY CINDA CHAVICH

strawberry fields forever Indulging in a luscious fresh fruit 42

D

URING MY FIRST summer on Vancouver Island, I encountered something I hadn’t tasted in years — perfectly-ripe, sweet strawberries, still warm from the field.

The juicy fruits became an addiction. My regular commute led me past Galey Farms’ roadside stand in the Blenkinsop Valley and I could never resist stopping for a basket. Every week we indulged in luscious, fresh strawberries — from the

I can think of nothing better in summer than a bowl of beautiful berries. first pickings in June to the last of the crop in October.

It’s just one more example of why living close to your food sources, and buying fresh and seasonal food, is a “no brainer.”

Watermelons may survive modern transportation, but delicate berries are best when picked ripe and eaten close to home.

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PHOTO BY DON DENTON

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 Strawberries are an important component of Lure Resaurant and Bar’s beautiful Summer Sangria Squeeze — seen here outside on the restaurant’s waterfront patio.

them at farm markets or head to the source — for example, Pedersen Berry Farm and Rosemeade Farm offer U-pick opportunities, and at Oldfield Orchard & Bakery, fresh berries are baked into pies and scones.

I can think of nothing better in summer than a bowl of beautiful berries, passed around to enjoy in the summer sunshine.

But you can also make classic desserts, like towering strawberry shortcakes or pretty Lemon Pavlova — crispy meringues filled with lemon curd and topped with fresh fruit.

Buy a bushel to whirl into lemonade or strawberry daiquiris, simmer into strawberry jam or mix with rhubarb for pie. Try swapping strawberries for tomatoes in savoury recipes — think strawberry salsa with seafood and strawberry vinaigrette for spinach salad — or freeze whole berries for winter smoothies and dessert sauces.

Don’t even think about serving strawberries in the offseason.

Buy them now, from an island grower, and enjoy everything a strawberry should be — a farm-to-table, summer treat.

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STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE PREP 30 mins COOK 15 mins SERVES 6 With a nutty whole grain biscuit base, fresh berries and whipped cream, this is a hearty version of the classic summer dessert. From The Wild West Cookbook by Cinda Chavich (Robert Rose).

2 pounds fresh, sliced strawberries (or a mixture of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, saskatoons): about 8 cups (2L) in total ¼ cup apple juice, brandy or berry liqueur ¼ cup granulated sugar Biscuit: ½ cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour ½ cup (125 mL) whole wheat flour ¼ cup (60 mL) ground pecans or walnuts ½ cup (125 mL) brown sugar ½ teaspoon (2 mL) salt 2 teaspoons (10 mL) baking powder 1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking soda ¼ cup (60 mL) butter ½ cup (125 mL) plain yogurt ½ teaspoon (2 mL) vanilla 1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream, whipped with a touch of sugar (or vanilla yogurt) In a bowl, combine the fruit with juice and sugar and let stand at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. In another bowl, stir together the flours, pecans, brown sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter to form coarse crumbs (or combine everything in a food processor and pulse until crumbly).

Add the yogurt and vanilla and stir, just to combine.

Gather the biscuit dough together (handle it lightly) and place on a lightly floured surface. Pat into a round, about one inch thick. Cut into six wedges, or use a glass or cutter to make two-inch rounds. Brush each biscuit with a little milk and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set the biscuits on the sheet, about one inch apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden.

Cool slightly on a rack.

Cut the biscuits in half horizontally. Place the bottom half of each biscuit on a dessert plate. Top with some of the berry mixture and some of the whipped cream or yogurt.

Place the second half of the biscuit over top and garnish with more berries and cream.

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

GET OUT AND ENJOY!

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spotlight on ADVERTISERS BARBARA HUBBARD’S FLOURISHING career in the retail world started 30 years ago when she opened Baden-Baden Boutique on Fort Street in downtown Victoria. Over the years, her legacy grew and so did her clothing business, which now includes three stores: Baden-Baden, which carries high-quality European brands, Barbara’s Boutique, which sells both casual and festive garments and Barbara’s Showroom, open for wardrobe consultation by appointment. All three shops are now located in downtown Sidney, which she says is becoming a “Mecca” for daylong shopping outings. Hubbard, a fashionista of German heritage, believes she has “arrived at the perfect combination of stores each focusing on different designers,” enabling her to blend and complement fashions, thus giving her a broader palette from which to serve her clientele.

With quality, fit and comfort in mind, Hubbard makes annual visits to showrooms in Europe to find “classic [clothes] with a modern twist.” She has been advertising regularly in Boulevard since 1987.

Barbara “It is fun to be an ‘independent.’ We’ve got room to do what we think best, to bring in Hubbard what people want and use our flexibility and creativity to satisfy our customers.” of Baden-Baden Boutique Baden-Baden Boutique 250 655 7118 | badenbadenboutiques.com

BASED IN VICTORIA and comprised of a talented trio of consultants, the Dyson Wealth Advisory Group offers an array of wealth management services, including investment, retirement and estate planning. It provides a complete suite of products, such as fixed income, equities and managed account programs. Beginning his wealth management career in Victoria in 1992, Dwayne Dyson says his team aims to understand clients’ unique needs and life goals so it can “present financial solutions relevant to clients’ individual circumstances.” He adds, “We take the complexity and mystery out of investing and bring clarity to the financial decision-making process.” The group emphasizes the importance of relationships with individuals and families, who trust in their investment discipline and wealth management process. Dyson Wealth Advisory Group has been advertising in Boulevard for 15 years.

“Our team can help clients access the world’s preeminent institutional investment Dwayne Dyson of managers through our proprietary Architect Managed Account program, the first of The Dyson Wealth its kind in Canada.”

Advisory Group 250 361 2413 | dwayne.dyson@nbpcd.com | dwaynedyson.com

RELAX THE BACK is in the business of comfort. The retail shop, which offers “back health products” such as pillows, mattresses and office chairs, has been open in Victoria for 18 years and is run by owners Astrid and Erin Frayne. “People of all ages [need] to find solutions for comfort and relief from injury and chronic pain in order to resume responsibilities of daily life,” say Erin and Astrid.

They stress that resting in a recovery position — such as in a Zero Gravity recliner, a properly supported mattress or a properlyfitted office chair — is as important as physical therapy or body strengthening. Clients are encouraged to designate several areas in their homes to comfortable surfaces, providing space for the body to “ease into a state of healing and recovery.” Relax the Back has been advertising with Boulevard for close to 18 years.

“We provide health solutions for around the clock comfort for individuals.”

250 592 1974 | relaxtheback@shaw.ca | relaxtheback.com

PHOTO BY DON DENTON

TALKING WITH TESS PETER CICERI featuring

 BY TESS VAN STRAATEN

VICTORIA BUSINESSMAN PETER CICERI is starting a new job this month, taking the helm of Oak Bay Marine Group to help navigate the company to a brighter future. But Ciceri’s career path has been anything but typical. After 25 years as a CEO and globe-trotting business executive, Ciceri left the business world to become a therapist and career coach. The 58 year old, who headed up Compaq Canada and worked in more than 30 countries, was soon enticed back to the corporate world for a four-year stint at Custom House, which saw him quadruple the company’s value and sell it to Western Union for $370 million. Now, he’s closing his private practice for good to focus on his new role. Just what do therapy and being a CEO have in common? For Ciceri, the answer is simple: being a good listener.

Tess van Straaten listened as this business dynamo explained the secret to his success.

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 You’ve gone from being a high-powered CEO to a therapist and now back to a CEO. On the surface the jobs seem very different; how are the core skills the same? I think the ability to understand the human condition and ask the right questions is huge. The effectiveness of therapists is all in the power of the questions they ask. And to a certain degree, the power of CEOs is also in the questions they ask. If you want to get a business or an employee to move, you have to ask the right questions. What are your goals?

What are you going to accomplish this quarter? That’s how you get the most out of somebody. You need to get everyone on the same bus with the same vision. To do that, you have to ask the right questions and you have to listen. Too often, managers are too “directive” and want to solve other people’s problems.  What’s the biggest mistake business leaders make? Business is run by people for people. To get the most out of your people, you have to manage them effectively. People want to feel attached to a business or organization. But over half the population doesn’t feel attachment to their work and that’s

a great, great waste. If employees feel their work is worth something, and that the company they’re working for is worth something, they’ll go to great lengths to do great work. Business leaders too often think people are the “soft stuff,” but really, they are the most important thing. It’s a huge un-tapped resource and it’s how you get the most out of a business. If you don’t pay attention to that, it’s like running a race, dragging dead weight.  How does mental health impact leadership? We bring our “whole person” to the office, so if someone is going through some really significant problems, he/she can’t just partition that off. People aren’t machines. Unfortunately, the stigma around mental health is still strong. If someone comes to work and is suffering, he/she thinks it should be hidden because it’s seen as a weakness. But no one regards getting physically ill as a weakness, so it’s wrong to see emotional challenges as a weakness. That’s got to change.

BEING

sun smart NEVER LOOKED SO

good

 What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? The best advice I ever received was to take a chance. Take a risk. You can’t grow without risk. You can’t have reward without risk. It needs to be well thought out and approached with due diligence, but you have to take a risk. Trust your gut. When I’ve followed my gut, it’s always been the right decision. And if the motivation for doing something or not doing something stems from fear, that’s a very negative thing. When it’s fear-based there’s a good chance it’s the wrong decision.  What’s been your biggest win? The biggest win for me was probably saying “yes” to Custom House. When I left my private coaching practice, I had a lot to lose. I’d just spent four years gearing myself up for private practice and being certified as a coach and psychotherapist, but I felt a real gut pull towards Custom House. Saying “yes” took a lot of courage but it was probably the smartest thing I’ve done. It takes self-awareness and courage to listen to yourself and to do the right thing.  What was your best money lesson? Don’t do something solely for the money. Money’s important because it pays the bills, but don’t let money control you. And understand the value of money in terms of how, why, and where you spend it.  You’ve had quite a career — what’s the most important thing you’ve learned? I’ve learned that your life is one great learning lesson and you need to approach it that way. Every time you make a mistake, you learn something, and as I say to my kids, if I didn’t forgive myself just about every day for making small mistakes, I’d go crazy. Learning is a life-long pursuit and it comes in many forms and many fashions, and you’re always a better person for learning.

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

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LOVE TO SHOP Over 15 shops and boutiques to choose from, make shopping fabulous.

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FRONT ROW  BY ROBERT MOYES

A CONVERSATION OF MUSICAL FRIENDS

“It’s like the musicians are having a conversation, one that’s very spontaneous, dynamic, and exciting,” explains renowned Canadian pianist Arthur Rowe as he talks about the particular joys of chamber music. And according to Rowe, the musical conversations will be exceptionally compelling when the Victoria Summer Music  Pianist Arthur Rowe, artistic director of Festival launches its 19th the Victoria Summer Music Festival. season at UVic. Comprising six performances over two weeks, the VSMF offers classical music played by stellar musicians in an intimate setting. “There’s no theme this year, just an interesting variety of performers,” says Rowe, who teaches at UVic and has been the VSMF artistic director for over a decade. He is particularly excited about booking the Dover String Quartet, who last August won the Banff International String Quartet Competition, probably the most prestigious contest of its kind in the world. “We are very fortunate to be presenting them,” Rowe states. As is tradition, the festival opens with the unique Basses Loaded performance by worldrenowned double bassist Gary Karr accompanied by 16 graduate students from all over the world. “It’s wonderful to hear the hall resonate with those deep tones,” says Rowe. Another sure-to-sellout show features UVic’s revered Lafayette String Quartet in a program of Beethoven, Britten, Adaskin, and Haydn. The festival closes with a return visit from BC-born, violin superstar Jonathan Crow. Rowe, who will be playing both the Prokofiev and Franck violin sonatas with Crow, has intense admiration for his artistry. “In an age when we are drawn to overt technical virtuosity, Jonathan has an emotional depth … the music comes first with him,” says Rowe.

Performing at UVic in the School of Music’s Phillip T. Young recital hall, from July 22 to August 5. For information, please see vsmf.org.

FLAMENCO FIRE

Flamenco in Victoria comes down to one name: Alma de España, the dance company and school founded in 1991 by Veronica Maguire and her husband, Harry Owen. The self-taught Owen was one of the most brilliant flamenco guitarists in Canada and when he died unexpectedly in 2010, Maguire was challenged

like never before. Efforts to reinvent herself as a flamenco dancer took several years, and the process forms the subject of Pasajes, a performance at the Royal Theatre featuring a half-dozen of Spain’s most notable flamenco artists.

The show’s title means “passages” in Spanish — a mild description of Maguire’s gruelling journey, which saw her return repeatedly to Jerez, birthplace of flamenco, to relearn her craft and travel  Spanish dancer Maria deeper into it than ever before.

Bermúdez.

“It took me a couple of years to get back into dancing after Harry died,” admits Maguire. “To want to dance, to get back into shape, to become good again.”

That from-death-to-rebirth narrative forms the core of Pasajes, a partly autobiographical story ballet that stars Maguire’s renowned Spanish dance mentors Maria Bermúdez and Domingo Ortega as allegorical characters. The show also features guitarist Jesús Alvarez, singers Miguel Rosendo and Coral de los Reyes, and percussionist Luis de la Tota. Rounding out the cast is a handful of Victoria’s best dancers, guitarist Gareth Owen (Maguire’s ferociously talented son), violist Mieka Michaux, and poet Garth Martens. “This is going to be my last big show and I want it to be really special,” says Maguire.

Performing July 12 at the Royal Theatre. For tickets and information, see www.pasajes.ca.

 The Wallflowers, one of the acts at Rock The Shores.

ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK

“Classic rock, indie rock, alternative rock … this is a rock festival all the way,” declares event organizer Nick Blasko of Rock The Shores, unquestionably Vancouver Island’s largest — and loudest — event of its kind. Shores is getting even bigger in this, its third year, as it expands from two to three days. “We’re going to have 24 bands in total, eight per day,” says Blasko. Expecting a sellout, Blasko is confident the lineup will delight the 12,500 fans onsite each day. With headliners including veteran punk rockers Billy Talent, post-grunge superstars Our Lady Peace, alt-rockers 54-40, 51

and legendary Calgary rockers Loverboy, there truly is something for headbangers of every stripe. With a budget just north of a million dollars, Shores isn’t trying to compete with the megafests in Squamish or Pemberton. “We’re into blending the age groups with a mix of classic Canadian rock put up alongside contemporary indierock,” explains Blasko, who’s especially excited about sponsoring the Canadian debut of South Africa’s Kongos. “They’ve got a hard, bluesy, accordion-driven sound that really gets the crowd going.”

This event takes its booking cues from the area’s two leading radio stations, The Q and The Zone. The goal is to have great festival artists who will rock the crowd with confident ease, as well as bands with huge radio hits that whip audiences into a swaying, chanting frenzy. “We love that familiarity…and we love all the singalongs,” Blasko admits with a huge smile.

Happening July 11-13 at Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre. For tickets, see rocktheshores.com.

A FARCICAL RETURN

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In many ways Toshik Bukowiecki is the embodiment of community theatre: he started at Langham Court more than four decades ago and has performed the roles of actor, director and set designer many times over the years. He undertakes his 62nd production this month with Boeing-Boeing, an immensely popular 1960s bedroom farce by French playwright Marc Camoletti.

“This was the first play I ever directed for Langham Court,” says Bukowiecki, “and I’m going to keep doing it every 40 years till I get it right!” The play’s protagonist is Bernard, a “swinging bachelor,” who loves all women but especially stewardesses — so much so that he is currently engaged to three of them. Thanks to their rigidly separate flight schedules, the women all believe they are Bernard’s one and only. But then Boeing comes out with a much faster jet, schedules get disrupted, and Bernard suddenly finds himself desperately trying to keep his trio of lovers from tripping over each other. “This is a classic bedroom farce, with lots of doors opening and closing and all sorts of near misses,” explains Bukowiecki. “To be successful, the play requires split-second timing at the same time as the actors have to be busy doing stuff, so that all adds to the sense of energy, pace and chaos.” Recently revived in London and on Broadway, Boeing won awards and delighted sold-out audiences. “I just want people to have a great night of fun and laughter,” Bukowiecki says. “This is definitely not a think piece.”

Running from July 24 to August 2 at Langham Court. For tickets, call 250-384-2142.

It all started 27 years ago when the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s “art rental and sales” office organized a small outdoor show featuring premier artists such as Toni Onley and Flemming Jorgensen. That innovative approach to showcasing art-makers was an instant hit, one that saw the Moss Street Paint-In become an ever-more-popular annual event. Eventually the city was forced to shut down Moss Street to vehicle traffic so that up to 35,000 art fans could safely stroll from Fort Street down to Dallas Road, taking in up to 180 art stations en route, as painters, potters, and

PHOTO BY PAULA GRAYTON

printmakers interacted with the eager public.

“It’s like the artists bring their gallery to the street,” says longtime event organizer Maryellen Threadkell.

“We put a lot  Artist at work on Moss Street. of emphasis on demonstration, and there will be printmakers with printing presses, potters with potting wheels … even a life-drawing class.”

Although some artists have made sales of up to $10,000, it’s really an opportunity for them to connect with art lovers who may want to plan a later studio visit. “We’ve got so many phenomenal artists participating, from Jim Gordaneer and Andy Wooldridge to Richard Hunt and Maarten Schaddelee,” adds Threadkell. “And we’ve never been rained out!”

Happening on July 19. For information, see TD Art Gallery Paint-In.

A REAL JUGGLING ACT

Fire jugglers, acrobats, magicians, contortionists…they’re all coming to animate downtown as part of the fourth annual Victoria International Buskers Festival. “The first year there were 70,000 people attending, and last year we drew 200,000,” says festival organizer John Vickers. “This has become the best-attended event on Vancouver Island.” Indeed, when it comes to bringing great family fun to the Inner Harbour and the downtown  Gymnast Reuben Dot core, nobody stands taller than Dot Dot. Vickers, the driving force behind BuskerFest (and also the Chalk Art Festival — as though he wasn’t busy enough). Vickers fielded so many “why didn’t you bring back so-and-so?” queries that he has organized an All Stars show: 11 returning groups who were “people’s choice” winners, plus three new-to-the-festival acts drawn from over 400 YouTube-based applications. The marquee talent includes Flame Oz, rated the finest fire act on the circuit; Japan’s Funny Bones, who combines comedy and voice percussion with gigantic puppets; and Argentina’s Victor Rubilar, whose juggling exploits have earned him four Guinness World Records. “We also have a music stage on the steps at Bastion Square plus a dozen “busk stops” stretching up Government Street for local performers,” adds Vickers. “In all, we’ve programmed over 1,200 hours of free entertainment.”

Running from July 18-27 at various downtown stages. For information, see victoriabuskers.com.

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SECRETS & LIVES  BY SUSAN LUNDY

Nice to meet you, Paul Nursey. Where are you from and how did you get to Victoria? I grew up in Tsawwassen, did some travelling overseas, started university (including a short stint at UVic) and then got really serious about university in 1993 at Simon Fraser. My career was largely headquartered in Vancouver, although work has taken me all over the world. Most recently I was Vice President, Strategy & Corporate Communications at the Canadian Tourism Commission, which is headquartered in Vancouver. You get a great perspective on how wonderful British Columbia and Victoria are when you travel.

Who is your family? My wife Michelle and two miniature poodles: Henry and 2U.

What drew you to Victoria Tourism? I was drawn by the business and community development opportunity that is just waiting to grasp. Greater Victoria has done so well, but the business of travel is growing rapidly. It’s also evolving rapidly to be more experientially based, more community based. Tourism Victoria has an opportunity to drive meaningful change and growth if we execute our strategy effectively.

What do you love most about your work?

“Destination marketing” is a highly specialized discipline. Everyone thinks they can do it because they have travelled, but few have put in the years to understand its intricacies. I love bringing together the diverse business priorities of our community with the tourism opportunity, developing these into a coherent strategy and then executing that strategy powerfully. We are already strong and improving every day at Tourism Victoria. That is very rewarding.

What do you love most about living in Victoria? The weather and the local foodie scene.

What do you on a rainy day off? How about a sunny day off? On rainy days I like to read — mostly research, business journals and about leadership. Right now, on sunny days off, I’m exploring the different neighbourhoods in Victoria and getting to know each of their unique charms.

and Montie Brewer, past president and CEO of Air Canada, an expert in scenario development and a true contrarian, who adds a lot of value to strategic thinking.

What book are you reading right now?

David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

What has life taught you? Perseverance is the most important quality. Life will certainly knock you down. It’s all about how you get back up and move forward. Also to relax and laugh at the small stuff. There is joy all around if you look for it.

Is there anything else we should know about you? My door is always open. To employees, stakeholders and members.

I will always make decisions through a strategy filter and what we feel is in the best interest of the destination.

This interview has been condensed and edited.

Where do you turn for advice? Michele McKenzie, past president and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission, a tremendous transformational leader, who is not afraid of making the hard decision;

What do people need to know about Victoria? It is such a unique place, and

PHOTO BY DON DENTON

our business opportunity involves boiling that down to an effective communications proposition and then communicating it powerfully. To me, it’s all about the vitality of Victoria, which is driven by the people and the small businesses. We speak of “new world experiences” layered in with “old world charm.” That is a real differentiator.

Where is your favourite spot to travel?

Within Canada, my favourite place to travel is Greater Victoria, and outside of Canada, it’s Instanbul, Turkey, followed closely by London, England.

PAUL NURSEY, 42 CEO, VICTORIA TOURISM

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PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE INNER HARBOUR ( END OF LOWER WALKWAY) BY GARY MCKINSTRY

FAMILIAR FACES, FAMILIAR PLACES For those who love driving, summer is all about road trips. It’s a chance to enjoy the destination, and more importantly, experience all the fun you’ll have getting there.

Just ask Dominic Leclerc, new owner of a 2014 Lexus IS 350. The IS 350’s road hugging, rear wheel drive, and sporty style is a perfect fit for Leclerc, who is an Avionic technician with Victoria’s 443 Squadron. This is his first Lexus, and he’s loving it.

During a recent three-day tour of the Olympic Peninsula, Leclerc travelled 1,200 kilometres, sitting in the elegant, ergonomic cabin of his IS 350. He describes it as a dynamic driving experience, enhanced by the lower seating position and eight-speed Super ECT Direct Shift Automatic with Paddle Shifters that provides the responsive, sporty experience of a manual transmission.

Reliability is also key, and Leclerc remains impressed with the

reputation the Lexus brand enjoys among car owners, both for performance and safety, with features like the blind spot monitor, vehicle distance control and rear cross-traffic alert. Plus, with 60/40 split-folding seats and a roomy trunk, there’s plenty of luggage space for those longer getaways. Lexus owners also like the many options available to customize cars to their individual preferences.

Leclerc’s Lexus IS 350’s navigation system let him cruise Washington’s picturesque roads in confidence, while its bluetooth connectivity and 15-speaker sound system made on-road entertainment a breeze.

Appreciating the service that accompanied the sale, Leclerc noted that the dealership was “fantastic to deal with.”

“Every time I had a question or something to deal with, they were always very accommodating.”

2014 Lexus IS 350 Nicely equipped from $46,620

Includes Freight and Pre-Delivery Inspection.

THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION

DOUGLAS AT FINLAYSON, VICTORIA 250-386-3516