March 2017 VV issue 100 web

owichan

MARCH 2017 ISSUE 100 WILD FOODS I SPRING BREAK I LOCAL ART I FARM GARDENS I CLIMATE CHANGE

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Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Chemainus Theatre Festival Various Showtimes chemainustheatrefestival.ca 1-800-565-7738 runs to 03/25 Dine Cowichan $15 -$45 throughout the Valley.

Runs to March 12 www.duncancc.bc.ca

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Creative Drumming class for 5 weeks www.sacredfiremusic.com Shady Grove Folk Arts Society monthly Square Dance The Hub, Cowichan Stn 7:30 - 9:30 P.M $5 No experience or partners needed. All dances taught. Peter Sussman, Caller For ages 12 and over 250-929-8226

“Eclectic Lens” Photography exhibit 10AM -5PM PORTALS, Island Savings Centre 2687 James St. Runs to 03/09

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Community Acupuncture Wednesdays w/ Frauke McCashin, RAc, 5-8pm #103-44 Queens Road, Duncan 250-710-3581 $15-$45 also 8/15/22/29

Master Gardener Clinic Bring your garden questions. 10-3PM Dinter Nursery

Lila Community Choir 6:30pm - 7:30pm, 3228A Gibbins Rd, Duncan Lila Music Centre, Yurt, By Donation,www.joythroughmusic.com, Come and join the Choir, Sing into Spring also 8/15/22/29 Registration starts for GardenPals--a gardening program twice a month beginning in April--at Jubilee Community Garden--Free to kids and parents 250 748-0580 Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support group. 10 AM-Noon. Duncan. For details call 1-855-474-9777 FREE Meditation Wednesdays 7 PM Nichiren Buddha Center, #4 - 3906 Johnny Bear Rd. Duncan 250 710 7594 by Donation also 8/15/22/29

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Meditation Thursdays 9 AM Nichiren Buddha Center, #4 - 3906 Johnny Bear Rd. Duncan 250 710 7594 by Donation also 9/16/23/30 Community Acupuncture Thursdays w/Frauke McCashin 12-3 pm RAc, #103-44 Queens Road, Duncan 250-710-3581 $15-$45 also 9/16/23/30 Cottage Paint Workshop 10am-3pm everything included Embellilsh,115 Kenneth St, Duncan (250) 746-9809 $125 Also 11/16/25

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“Black, White & Silver” Photography by Suzan Kostiuck, Jewellery by Morgan Saddington. Cowichan Performing Arts Centre Lobby. Artist Reception Thurs. Mar. 9, 7 – 9pm For info 250-732-6686

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Lila Community Choir 9:30am - 10:30am, 3228A Gibbins Rd, Duncan By Donation Come and join the Choir, Sing into Spring Also 10/17/24/31

Sunrise Waldorf School A Morning In Kindergarten Open House 10AM12PM Limted Space RSVP admissions@ sunrisewaldorfschool.org

Diggers Club Show and Sale 8AM - 3PM Chemainus Elementary Garner Rd $3 raffle refreshments and lots to see Latin Fiesta Night with La Familia 8:30-11:30 PM Crofton Pub $13/$25 per couple

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Jay Jennings ‘Swingsation’ - Hot Swing & Gypsy Jazz from Victoria Sunday Jazz Series 2pm 1534 Joan Ave Crofton Pub $15 La Petite Auction House Sunday Auction 1PM 9686 Chenainus Rd To consign 250 701 2902 Cowichan Estuary Yoga Flight & Fundraiser 430-530pm Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre, Cowichan Bay. Sign-up early, space limited. cowichanyogaflight@gmail.com $10 suggested donation Also 12/19/26

cowichanvalleygardenclub.com Chemainus Sketch Group 9:30 AM Meet at Fuller Lake Arena Guest Artist: Kerry Vaughn Erickson, New Members Welcome!

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Reconnecting the Pelvis with Yoga Therapy: Group Yoga Therapy Class in Duncan 10am Matraea Centre, 170 Craig St. Duncan 6 classes $180 Thursdays till April 13

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I Am Woman, Hear Me Laff! Fundraiser for CWAV (Cowichan Women Against Violence), 7:30pm, Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, 2687 James St., Duncan $28

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Sunrise Waldorf School Preschool Open House 10AM-12PM Limted Space RSVP admissions@sunrisewaldorfschool.org Cobble Hill Seedy Saturday Cobble Hill Farmers Institute 3550 Watson Ave 10AM-2PM Free “Faces of Friends” A 15 mos. journey of friends towards a self-portraiture exhibit. 10--5PM PORTALS Island Savings Centre 2687 James St. Runs to 03/31 Cowichan Consort Orchestra’s Featuring Our Youth Concert 7:30 pm Chr. Ref. Church 930 Trunk Road Duncan Adult-$15, Students 17 & under $10- Tickets at the door Ballet Victoria’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 7:30pm, Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, 2687 James St., Duncan, cowichanpac.ca $35

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Chemainus Classical Concerts: Kara Huber, piano. 2pm St. Michael’s Church, Chemainus $20/$5 Adv$17 250-748-8383

Mini-Retreat Sunday 1 - 4 PM Spirit Gate Farm 250- 737 1484 Mindful Meditation, Awakening the Heart Mind $50

One Billion Rising Flash Mob - “Break the Chain” Noon, Duncan City Square Everyone welcome! to share with partners and stakeholders CWAV, CIS, Warmland Transition House, The Moosehide Project, etc. For more details info@matraea.com

Rainbow Coffee Group: monthly meet-up for LGBT adults. Details online: www.meetup.com/Rainbow-Coffee-Group/

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Herbal Ointments And Tinctures Class Learn how to make simple and easy herbal remedies 7-9pm 250-710-1276 $25 Cowichan Valley Co-operative Marketplace (CVCM) celebrates its’ third birthday Annual General Meeting 6PM Clements Centre, 5856 Clements St, Duncan www.cow-op.ca Cowichan Valley Garden Club Monthly Meeting, 7PM. at St. John’s Anglican Church Hall, 486 Jubilee St., Duncan www.

Full Moon Sacred Chant Circle @ Rivendell Yurt 7-8:30pm 5215 Bills Rd (Glenora) by donation sdbartram@gmail.com/250-748-208915 Cowichan Beekeepers Meeting, Bob Liptorot of Tugwell Meadery will be speaking about honey-wine production. 7pm, Providence Farm Chapel, FREE Spring Break Puppet Show: The Three Little Fishes and the Big Bad Shark 3-3:30pm All ages Cowichan Lake library, 250-749-3431 68 Renfrew Ave, Lake Cowichan

For full design/build service, give us a call

p 250.746.5372 • coulsondesign@shaw.ca • www.davidcoulsondesign.com

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Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

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Sample Movement/dance classes & 1/2 Hour Counselling Sessions w/ Diane Brussell Sol Centre, 5350 Trans Canada Hwy. 250 732-6823 call btwn 1- 4PM to book.

Soapmaking Class learn about castille soap making. lye will be used so Adults only please. 7-9pm 250-710-1276 botanicalbliss.ca $25

Spring Forward! Daylight savings time begins at 2:00:00 am turn clocks forward 1 hour.

Seedy Sunday Si’em Lelum Gym 5574 River Rd Duncan, 10am-2pm $2

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Work Party Wednesdays Help build a healing labyrinth at Providence Farm 3:30-5PM All ages welcome! Also 22/29

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May The Sauce Be With You Masala Sauce Cooking Class 5:30-7PM $15 Scoops Natural Foods, Whippletree Junction 778 422 3310

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St Patrick’s Day Dance join our ‘lucky charm’ Sonia and the rest of the Cowichan Malahat BC Green team for a celebration of fun and frivolity. 7PM $20 Hub Cowichan Station www.soniabcgreens.ca Cowichan Pipes & Drums St Patrick’s Celebration Valley Seniors Centre, 198 Government St, Duncan Doors 5:30 pm, dinner 6:30 pm, entertainment to follow $20 Info Bev Braithwaite at baldymtn@shaw.ca “Switch”, Riverside Inn, Lake Cowichan 8pm Dara Data and Mr. Mac - St.Patty’s Day Party with 2 Vibing DJ’s! FREE Live Music 7pm at The River Rock 140 Trans-Canada Hwy, Duncan

Spring Break LEGO 4-5:30pm Best suited to children 6 - 12 years Cowichan Lake library, 250-749-3431 68 Renfrew Ave, Lake Cowichan

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Anxiety and Depression: Riding the Roller Coaster 7- 9 pm Breakthrough Counselling, Chemainus $200 (Super Early Bird for 8 weeks) Nervous system self-regulation. www.breakthroughcounselling.ca/events Sookies Authentic Lentil Dahl Cooking Class 5:30-7PM $15 Scoops Natural Foods, Whippletree Junction 778 422 3310

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HUB FilmClub Movie Night screening “Ernest & Celestine” France 2012 rated PG, 7pm, The HUB Cowichan Station 2375 Koksilah Rd hubfilmclub@gmail.com

Join us for Lunch Wed - Sun. Dinner on the Weekends.

Brunch on Sundays.

CBC Radio’s The Irrelevant Show, 7:30pm, Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, 2687 James St., Duncan, cowichanpac.ca $34

Event Shuttle Available through

Beatlemania tribute “The Deaf Aids”, Duncan Showroom 8pm

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Free Yin Yoga Class w/Nadia, 6-7:30PM, Harmony Yoga Centre 360 Duncan St. FREE

Master Gardener Clinic Bring your garden questions. 10-3PM Dinter Nursery

Sunrise Waldorf School A Morning In Kindergarten Open House 10AM12PM Limted Space RSVP admissions@ sunrisewaldorfschool.org

A Day of Faith - A Day with the Buddha’s 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Nichiren Buddha Center # 4 - 3906 Johnny Bear Rd. Duncan 250 710. 7594 $60

Celebrate Billie Holiday - Vocals by Hannah Brown and Judy Sims with Sweetwater Band Sunday Jazz Series 2pm 1534 Joan Ave Crofton Pub $20 Spanish Shellfish Dinner at Deerholme Farm For reservations call 250 748 7450 www.deerholme.com

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La Petite Auction House Sunday Auction 1PM 9686 Chenainus Rd To consign 250 701 2902

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Red Arrow Brewing Company releases 2017 Heritage River Hefeweizen

VINOTECA AT ZANATTA

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Wild Foods Workshops with Chef Bill Jones Deerholme Farm www.deerholme.com

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Derrick Milton’s Swing Shift Band Sunday Jazz Series 2pm 1534 Joan Ave Crofton Pub $20 Mini-Retreat Sunday 1 - 4 PM Spirit Gate Farm 250- 737 1484 Mindful Meditation, Awakening the Heart Mind $50 Chilliwack with Jesse Roper, 7:30pm, Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, 2687 James St., Duncan, cowichanpac.ca $38

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Reel Alternatives presents Captain Fantastic 7PM Cowichan Performing Arts

vinoteca.ca

5039 Marshall Rd, Duncan I 250 709 2279 Centre, 2687 James St., Duncan, cowichanpac.ca Spring Chakra Yoga Series begins @ Rivendell Yurt 6:30-8:00pm e sdbartram@gmail.com/250748-2089 $15/drop-i 4 session Conscious Aging Course begins, 2-4PM, Islands Savings Centre, $80 250-701-2756 judithmartin@telus.net

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Living Mindfully for Women 7-8:30 pm Seaside Yoga Studio, 9949 Cedar St, Chemainus Early Bird $175 for 6 weeks Movement and Awareness. 250-246-3797

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Climate Change and The Economy, 8:30-5:30PM, Ramada Duncan Preregistration (limited seating) open to the public, admission $15/person contact cerca@shaw.ca

OUT OF TOWN March 18 Haliburton EcoFarm School Open House, noon to 2pm, 741 Haliburton Rd, Victoria, FREE https://haliburtonfarm.org/ education/haliburton-ecofarm-school/

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Issue 100 March 2017 Published by Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine Editors Sheila & Richard Badman Contact us at: editor@cowichanvalleyvoice.com 250 746 9319 www.cowichanvalleyvoice.com Proofreader Diana Pink

Distribution Mike Andringa

Advertising Enquiries Please Contact Adrienne Richards 250 510 6596 e-mail adrienne@cowichanvalleyvoice.com Next Ad Deadline MARCH 15 for APRIL ISSUE 101 *Non Profit Community Ad Rates available please enquire.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR LISTINGS ARE FREE! Next DEADLINE MARCH 12 for APRIL 2017 Issue 101 Please send event all on ONE line in this order: Date, Event Title, Time, Location, Cost Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine reserves the right to omit and/or edit submitted listings due to space limitations SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING VALLEY VOICES Bill Jones, Guy Johnson, Jessica Schacht, Zachary Blake, Tamu Miles, Heather Kaye, Elizabeth Croft, Michelle Vogelgesang, Sheila Badman, Anne Eastman, Chelsea Abbott, Joanne Sales, Karen Denny-Parsons, Morgan Saddington, Lindsay Campa,Ted Leischner, Catherine Macey, Alison Etter, Ilse Sarady, Reed Gary, Derek Crawford, Alicia Loewen, Linda McDaniels, David Krieger, Sonia Furstenau Tracey Hanson, Chantey Dayall, John Scull, Natasha Ayers, Madeleine and Philip Tarrant, Gil Polard, Dr. Goetz Schuerholz, Guy Dauncey, Dr. Andrew Weaver, Simon Pidcock, Alicia Taylor, Veronica Scott, Asrael, Laura Colpitts, Judy Brayden, Rommy Verlaan, Debbie Wood, Michelle Atterby, Lori Iannidinardo, Bill Woollam, David Suzuki, The Wonderful Staff at The Community Farm Store and The Lovely Georgia Nicols.

We welcome your story ideas & photo submissions, however Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine reserves the right to omit and/or edit all submissions for space, clarity, content and style. The opinions expressed in Valley Voice Magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, publishers or other contributors. Please send a query e-mail with your suggested topic prior to sending your article as space is limited and may not always be available.

Valley Voice Magazine is distributed through 450 + select locations throughout the Cowichan Valley- Malahat, Mill Bay, Shawnigan Lake, Cherry Point, Duncan, Cowichan Bay, Crofton, Chemainus and Salt Spring Island and to Cowichan Lake, Ladysmith, Victoria, Tofino, Parksville and Courtenay.

Cover Image: Broken Wing by Penny Maday Ciocchetti Penny is a Vancouver Island Artist who works in acrylics, water colors and mixed media and who uses symbols from nature, ancient cultures and her own inner world to tell a story. www. islandgirlartstudio.com

INCREASE YOUR BUSINESS This Summer WORKS! reach over 30,000 readers each month 6

OUR COMMUNITY March Events 4- 5 Help Build A Healing Labyrinth 27 New Rebates for Clean Cowichan Airt 32 Saving Energy and Getting Money Back 33 SCowichan Pipers and Drummers Society 34 Downtown Duncan 36 - 39 Stand Up for Inclusion 42 Education: Antidote to Alternative Facts 44 Time To Start Afresh with Savvy Sorters 46 Taking The Next Step In Your Marketing Plan 47 Community Farm Store 62-64 Protection Or Punishment 66 Malahat LNG project 67 The Downside Of Liquid Natural Gas To Mill Bay 67 Local Business Directory 68-69 March Forecasts by Georgia Nicols 70 LOCAL FOOD & DRINK Fish Tales from Michelle Rose CSF 8 How to Dine Cowichan 9 Foraging the Cowichan 10 Cowichan-Grown At Your Fingertips 12 Heritage River March Release 21 Moscow Mule 24 Valentine’s Around The Valley 64 -65 FARM, HOME & GARDEN The EcoFarm School 16 Cowichan Valley’s First Hive Share 17 Can It Really Be Spring? 18 Rooting Your Childhood Intentions 19 Preparing and Caring for Honeybee Hives 20 Spring Cleaning in the Garden 22 Planting Heathers In Your Garden 23 Tax Tips for Small-Scale Farmers 35 Why is Women In Weed Such A Compelling Subject? 56 Green Living 57 LOCAL ARTS Pride and Prejudice opens 25th Anniversary Season 13 Black, White and Silver 25 Penny Maday Ciochetti: A life Dedicated to Art 26 Faces Of Friends 57 BODY, MIND & HEALTH A Spring Cleanse Even You Can Do 14 Yoga Therapy for Low Back Pain and Pelvic Recovery 27 Anxiety & Depression 30 The Power of God as Divine Love 48 Springtime is Kapha Time 61 Yoga For Wellness: Journey on the Mat 63 CHILDREN & FAMILY The Freya Sophia Waldorf Store 40 Wilderness Spring Break with Wolf Cowichan 41 Annual Open House at Sunrise Waldorf School 43 Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre 45 BEAUTY Hemp High Fashion 61 PETS, RECREATION & NATURE Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association 49 Climate and the Economy: Beauty and the Beast 50 Symposium on Climate Change and the Economy 51 Diversified Economy 52 South Island Whale Report 53 Other Fabulous Ways to Enjoy A Ski Holiday at the Mountain 54 Old Dogs…Lucky Dogs 59 What Is Mindfulness And How DoesIt Apply To My Life? 59 David Suzuki 71

Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

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Guy Johnson, Michelle Rose CSF michellerosecsf.com 250-715-6647

Fishing with hook and line

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ften I am asked about the fish I catch and how they are caught. I will explain a bit about each different season we fish and some info on how best to prepare them.

The year for us starts in the spring when we head north to fish for prawns, king shrimp and octopus. We catch all these species using traps. We bring the trap up and 1 by 1 and sort each trap as it comes on board. All the bycatch and undersized prawns are put immediately back over the side alive. The prawns, king shrimp and octopus are placed in live tanks while we pull thru a longline of usually 50 traps. We then take the prawns and king shrimp and tail them, rinse them and then weigh them out into 1 lb packages. The packages go straight into the freezer where they are frozen to minus 40 C , before they are placed into the refrigerated fish hold on the boat. One simple recipe for local prawns is to melt some butter with some chopped cloves of garlic at a medium high heat. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon,

Fish Tales from Michelle Rose CSF

Fresh prawns for Michelle Rose CSA customers

then place the shelled tails in the butter and garlic mix and sauté for 20 seconds each side. Serve immediately.

Cook them just until they change colour!

The octopus are dressed when we finish hauling the line of traps and then stored in ziplock bags. Preparing octopus is the opposite. I thaw the octopus and then boil it in water with a whole

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onion for an hour or so until you can stick a fork into it easily (like when you check if a potato is done) if the fork goes in easily the octopus is ready. Let it cool a bit and then pull off the skin. Next cut the octopus in one inch chunks and sauté in garlic butter. Serve hot. Another delicious dish is a simple Spanish seafood stew. Boil some potatoes until almost done, drain the water and

simmer both the potatoes and cut octopus pieces in a pot with a little olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper and some red wine. Let it simmer for a while and serve.

By summer we are headed back up north for Coho and Pink salmon fishing. We troll with hook and line for the salmon and ling cod. Again all our catch is live. We sort the fish alongside the boat.

If they are a species we can’t keep they are released without them ever coming out of the water. The fish we keep are brought on board, dressed and bled. Then put directly on to the freezer rack and taken down to minus 30 for 6 hours, before being placed in the fish hold. The next day the fish are dipped in a bucket of salt water 2 times to cover them with a glaze of sea water, to seal in the freshness.

To prepare salmon - first thaw the fish overnight in the fridge. Rinse the fish under cold water. Lay the fish on tin foil and sprinkle with salt and pepper both inside and out.

Add fresh herbs like tarragon and rosemary. Butter both on top and inside the salmon and add a ½ cup of white wine before sealing up the tin foil.

Place it in the barbeque and close the lid. Cook the fish until the flesh has changed colour and flakes easily, but the core of the fish is not quite fully cooked. As always serve right away and enjoy. www.michellerosecsf.com

Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

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participating restaurants: Black Swan Pub, Boston Pizza, Bridgemans Bistro The Cobblestone, Cowichan Café West Coast Grill, Cowichan Valley Station Pub, Duncan Garage Café & Bakery, Farm Table Inn, Fox & Hounds, Hudson’s On First Genoa Bay Café, How to Dine Cowichan Hudson’s on First, The Lion Rampant ine Cowichan runs to Scottish Pub, Merridale March 12. Twenty-four Cidery The Oak & Carriage restaurants have created Neighbourhood Pub, Odika special menus and sharpened Café, The Old Firehouse their pencils for great pricing.

Wine & Cocktail Bar, This is the perfect time to try Original Joe’s, Owl’s Nest, new restaurants and dishes, Rock Cod Café, Satellite or return to old favourites.

Bar & Grille, Sawmill There’s a dining experience Tap House & Grill, The and a price point for Shipyard, Unsworth Vineyards everyone: pub food, ethnic, Restaurant, Village Chippery farm-to-table, fine dining and So check out www.duncancc. more. Prices range from $15 bc.ca to plan your Dine - $45 per person. It’s easy Cowichan and enjoy as many to participate. Check out the participating restaurants as restaurants and menus online possible by March 12. And or in the Cowichan Valley listen to 89.7 Juice FM for a Citizen. When you arrive, chance to win Dine Cowichan be sure to ask for the Dine prizes too.

Cowichan menu, in addition to the regular menu. Order something wonderful.

Enjoy.

And that’s it! Dine Cowichan is 17 days, but there are 24 restaurants!

Dine Cowichan

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local morels

Foraging the Cowichan Bill Jones is an author, chef and food consultant who can be found at Deerholme.com

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Elk Dogs In Cowichan Bay Get Phil’d Up in Cowichan Bay has added a new item to

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their menu just in time for Spring Break. Elk Dogs are now available made exclusively for the cafe by the Duncan Butcher.

Hardwood smoked with mild Italian seasoning. A healthier option for hot dog lovers. For lighter fare or gluten free diets request it served on a corn tortilla instead of the True Grain bun.

1725 Cowichan Bay Rd Open Monday - Friday 7:30AM -5PM, Saturday and Sunday 8AM 5PM. Closed Tuesdays

ne thing that gives me hope for the future of this planet is seeing how resilient it is after we inflict damage on the landscape. Looking at the valley over many years we see how logged forests can regrow, disturbed soil can regenerate and plants can reclaim the soil they were uprooted from. Each spring we see a new cycle of wild plants emerge, many of the plants are edible. Some of these edible plants have been introduced from many parts of the world and have naturalized themselves in our midst. Plants like dandelion and pepper cress are some of the first to spring from the warming soils. In fact in mild winters, like we just experienced, they never really stopped growing. One of the first really good edible plants to sprout in the spring is one of my all-time favourites - Miners Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata).

Look for the small diamond shaped young leaves (turning round when matured) under Douglas Fir trees on the sides of paths and in areas with a good supply of moisture. The greens are mild and delicate and make an outstanding base for a wild salad. Young dandelion leaves make a nice addition adding

bitterness and lots of phytonutrients. Pepper cress adds a subtle bite of mustard-like flavor and blends well with the other two greens.

This year is impacted by the recent winter weather we have experienced. When the snow disappears we will see stinging nettles coming up at the sides of roads and pathways. Near the water, like the Cowichan delta area is always much further ahead on the growing scale. We should also start to see morel mushrooms springing up in the valley sooner than later.

Typically we see morels start to fruit around the last week of March, the season extends until the end of April. Look for southern exposure slopes near a good source of water. One of my favourite areas is an abandoned farm with old cherry and apple trees. The local morels seem to really like this type of habitat.

As an added bonus, you also see lots of stinging nettles mixed into the morel patches. It is one stop shopping for the soup pot.

We will be holding wild foods workshops on the farm Saturday March 25th, April 8th, 15th and the weekend of 28-29th which is our Morel weekend with the wild food forage on Saturday and a Morel cooking class on Sunday. Details can be found at www.deerholme.com

Morel and Stinging Nettle Soup Bill Jones, Deerholme Farm Stinging nettles are a symbol of spring harvests in many parts of the world. The plant is used as a medicinal tonic and is reputed to boost the immune system and purge the body of toxins accumulated after a long winter of relative inactivity. This soup is perfect with morels but any cultivated mushroom will work nicely.

Serves 4 2 oz (60 g) dried morels 4 cups (1 L) fresh stinging nettle tips 4 cups (1L) chicken or vegetable stock 1/2 cups (125 mL) whipping cream (optional) 2 Tbsp (30 mL) garlic, chopped 1 cup (250 mL) sour cream (or yoghurt) ½ lemon, juice 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh chives, chopped sea salt and pepper to taste

Upcoming EVENTS

Soak the morels in warm water for 1 hour. Remove morels, squeeze out the moisture and slice into rounds.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the nettles. Cook for 5 minutes and then strain. Allow to cool and squeeze out all moisture. Chop coarsely.

In a small stock pot over medium high heat, add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the stinging nettles and bring back to a boil. Using an immersion blender, puree the greens until smooth. Alternatively, process in batches in a blender or food processor until the fine puree is obtained. Add the cream and stir to mix. Season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, mix the sour cream, cream and lemon juice. Mix and chill until needed.

Saturday, March 25

Wild Food Foraging Workshop Saturday, March 18

Spanish ShellďŹ sh Dinner

For full details visit www.deerholme.com

BY RESERVATION ONLY

4830 Stelfox Rd, Duncan

For ReservationS 250 748 7450

Eat, Drink and Support Local

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ART e HE illage h t V in Bay ated Loc wichan o of C

Make Get Phil’d Up part of your Spring Break!

NOBODY

Does GREAT Food Better!

•ALL DAY BREAKFAST

OPEN

weekdays 7:30am - 5pm weekends 8am - 5pm Closed TUESDAYS

•Local ELK Hotdogs •Hot Drinks •Nasi Goreng •Jamaican Patties

Delicious food made fresh right HERE!

Cowichan-Grown At Your Fingertips

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arm to plate…with a click!

This is the slogan of the Cowichan Region’s first-ever online farmers’ market, www. cow-op.ca, which brings local farm-fresh foods from Cowichan Valley producers to consumers in a convenient and easy way.

How Does it Work?

Anyone can use the online service. It is open to families, individuals, restaurants, retailers and wholesalers.

There’s no commitment. You can order one week and skip the next, no problem.

The Cow-op market is open weekly between Friday and Tuesday. Consumers browse through a wide selection of seasonal fruits and veg, local meats, preserves, dried goods, baking and more and order online or via a convenient mobile app. Wednesday, the online shop temporarily closes allowing farmers to harvest for Thursday morning delivery to Cowichan Green Community’s commercial kitchen (360 Duncan St.) Orders are prepared and stored in the cooler for pick up later that afternoon by the customer. So easy and so fresh!

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Cow-op History Launched in August of 2015, the online marketplace is the first initiative of the Cowichan Valley Co-operative Marketplace (CVCM), a food producers and processors cooperative for the region.

The CVCM was formed in 2014 following a feasibility study that had determined there was an appetite for a cooperative food hub model in the Valley; Cowichan farmers’ wanted to work together to address their challenges, like land, water and labour access for example, and create opportunities for economic development including increased consumer education around local foods, marketing, and distribution. It was agreed that an online market was the quickest way the co-op could create an economic return to address some of the other issues faced by our local food producers. And so the Cow-op. ca was born!

The CVCM celebrates its’ third birthday at its’ Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, March 8th at 6PM at Clements Centre. Local food producers who are not yet members are encouraged to come and learn about the co-operative. For more info or to shop local, visit www.cow-op.ca.

Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

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Mr. Charles Bingley has arrived to stay in the town’s grand estate, along with his proud, condescending, and even wealthier unmarried friend, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.

While Bingley takes an immediate liking to the eldest Bennet Paul Terry, Amy Lee Newman Pride daughter, Jane, Darcy & Prejudice Photo: Cim MacDonald is disdainful of local society and repeatedly Pride and Prejudice opens clashes with the lively second 25th Anniversary Season­­ Bennets’ daughter, Elizabeth (who is equally wary he first production of of the expectations of The Chemainus Theatre aristocratic society, and of the Festival’s 25th Season is the strange suitors who begin to timeless Jane Austen tale, infiltrate her family).

Pride and Prejudice. The story, originally published “The action of Pride and in 1813, has increasingly Prejudice derives from a series fascinated audiences by virtue of snap judgements” says of its memorable characters, director Julie McIsaac. “Its ironic humour, and dramatic magic is spun from slowthemes. See the five Bennet dawning realizations and I hope sisters search haplessly for you enjoy both its spark, and its love as they confront the ironic enticing, enduring sweetness.” expectations of Regent society, There are all the questions of the incorrigible manners of Mr. romance, morality, education, Darcy, and many other men of and marriage that keep questionable intent. perplexing us today, delivered

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Mrs. Bennet is certain: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” And thus we are rapidly swept into her mission – to see her five daughters married off, preferably to rich men, in order to protect the future of the family estate. The timing couldn’t be better for her plan to be fulfilled. The young, well-to-do, eligible

AN EXCELLENT LUNCH STOP

FEATURING COWICHAN VALLEY WINES & ISLAND CRAFT BEERS

DAYLINERCAFE.COM CLOSED TUESDAY & WEDNESDAYS

in a way that is true to Austen’s charm and elegance.

Pride and Prejudice is an impressive and humorous play that is easy to enjoy even two centuries after it was published.

See the enduring story come to life at evening and matinee shows runs to March 25, 2017.

Reserve a seat by calling the Box Office at 1-800-565-7738, or online at chemainustheatre.ca.

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much in the same way. Glow Juicery has researched specific organic fruit and vegetable blends for each of their juices.

A schedule is provided, based on what our bodies need from morning to night and each blend contains no less than three to six pounds of organic fruits and vegetables in every bottle.

Three to six pounds! Clearly labeled juices are picked up the day before your Day 1 start.

How easy. No mess, no heaping bowls of compost to deal with just all the nourishing tools you need to cleanse. It’s as easy as Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3!

SPRING SUPERFOODS PRAIRIE GRASSES

All-In-One Fermented organic grass blend that is grain free and gluten free, fermented greens to include a synergistic fermented grass blend of highly alkalinizing, organic leafy green grasses of barley, alfalfa, wheat and oats. Prairie Naturals Fermented Grass Blend is a natural food source of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, probiotics, prebiotics, chlorophyll, antioxidants and phytonutrients, amino acids, lignans, fibre, beta glucans, and nucleic acids. This instant ready to use powder is the perfect addition to smoothies, salad dressings, sauces and homemade energy bars.

RED BLEND

A blend of red beet, organic pomegranates, organic goji berries, organic grapeseed, organic carrots, organic blueberries, organic strawberries, organic raspberries and organic cranberries. 9 great and delicious ways to add organic red fruit and vegetables to your diet.

Enjoy the healing, energizing and restorative powers of organic Red Superfoods and truly “Live the Healthy Life.”

Come in and see us at Lynn’s Vitamin Gallery and our knowledgeable staff would be happy to assist you.

Lynn’s

VITAMIN GALLERY

HEALTH FOOD STORE Village Green Mall, 4-180 Central Avenue, Duncan

250 748 4421 www.lynnsvitamingallery.com

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Easy Spring Cleansing

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hrough the cold weather my body craved a heartier menu. Slow cooked stews, denser soups and meat dishes. A noticeable lack of fresh greens.

An overall heavier feel seemed to be mine and everyone’s norm.

But today as the snowdrops poke out with the sun, it’s time to put winter behind and welcome spring with a new vigour. We’ve made it through the cold! There is no better time than when the season’s change for cleansing the body.

Why cleanse? Toxins accumulate in our daily lives from our environment and from the foods we eat. These toxins build up in our bodies, especially through the colder months and slow down the way our brain and bodies function, impeding our ability to be the best that we can be. Most of us accept these sluggish changes as part of the ageing process. For some this may be true- but it doesn’t have to be.

Much like yoga, beginner cleansing is achievable with strong support. Many of us have done our favourite poses for decades, but how many of us practice them on our own at home? The support of our yoga instructor to pace and guide us through our session is what ultimately enables us to complete our practice. $10 - $25 a class - we happily pay to be guided through..

A supported cleanse works

Day 1 - I wake up and refer to my schedule. 7AM Ener-G Glow a dark green elixir of organic pears, spinach, cucumber, celery and chlorophyll. I serve the children yogurt, fruit and toast while sipping my delicious juice. 9AM - Citrus Glow a tantalizing burst of sun kissed energy in my mouth - organic oranges, lemons, ginger and coconut water. I have been working for 2 hours still feeling good. 11AM After Glow – an early lunchtime blend of leafy greens - organic spinach, kale, parsley, cucumber, celery and apple. Lunchtime offers an opportunity for a simple organic salad to “eat”, but I opt to skip it feeling satiated from the juices. On my way out for a one o’clock tea date with Frances, I grab the 2 PM Vitamin G to take along. A mid afternoon blend of organic carrot, cucumber, orange, lemon and ginger. After our lovely visit, I finish it on the car ride home. Home now and feeling great- though a stronger will kicks in with someone making lasagna and garlic bread in the kitchen. Delicious food has always been my former downfall but not this time. I reach for the 4 PM juice - Glow Boost, a refreshing vegetable blend of organic spinach, kale, cucumber, broccoli, mint and pomegranate. Dinnertime with the family is spent sipping an Earthy Glow a beautiful garnet blend of organic beet, ginger, carrot, cucumber and apple. This is the last delicious juice of the day and they truly have all been delicious. Feeling unexpectedly fabulous, I decide to head out for a spontaneous evening yoga class.

Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

Day 2 - Upon waking, I observe an increase of movement through my body. I log onto Glow’s online cleanse support to re read the Beginner Cleanse Instructions. Can it really be this easy? Did I forget something?

Because the juices are so delicious and filling I discover that I had actually forgotten to drink the recommended amount of water. Yes it is listed prominently on the schedule along with the juices. Ten glasses of water per day with organic lemon is recommended.

I fill a large pitcher to remind me. I look up chlorophyll one of the ingredients in the first juice of the day. It is known for 5 major benefits: Helps fight cancer by binding to potential carcinogens and interfere with how they are absorbed within the gastrointestinal tract.

Improves liver detoxification by increasing biotransformation enzymes and promoting optimal liver health and natural elimination. Speeds wound healing by slowing the rate at which harmful bacteria reproduce. Improves metabolism and digestion. Protects the skin with it’s antiviral effects. I’m impressed! Today is a busier day and I grab 3 bottles to take along with me while out and about. It’s that easy. Feeling really strong I embark on an evening grocery shop. A true test. My usual cravings for sugar and salty snacks are dulled even though I haven’t eaten solid food for over 36 hours. There’s no desire for the usual suspects of baked goods, savoury snacks, cured meats... Chocolate has been a part of my daily routine for decades. Nada. I buy what is needed for school lunches the next day and an organic lemon to slice for my water. I return home to enjoy Earthy Glow

before 8PM.

All organic! Cold-Pressed Juices + Juice Cleanses + Smoothies + Elixirs + Raw Food + Bulletproof Coffee

Day 3 - My body feels well

rested and lighter. I hold my morning cup of hot water with less expectation than my usual go-to starter cup of black tea.

I admire the colourful bottles in the fridge - just six left.

Now familiar with the juice repertoire, I feel vigorous and strong like I could carry on for a week. It certainly wasn’t how I expected to feel on day three.

After work I prepare a Mexican supper with no temptations to sample. It is as if my body has spoken to my brain. I am truly amazed at how differently my senses react. I sip my delicious organic Glow Boost juice and serve supper. Saddened by the fact that there is just one juice left till the end.

Try A Glow Cleanse!

Whether it’s to lose weight, get in shape, or to start eating healthy, an Organic Glow Juice Cleanse is a great way to accelerate your health goals.

Post Cleanse - I wake up with a great sense of accomplishment.

Decades of failure in completing a cleanse now wash away into my past. If only Glow’s support had been available then.

By giving my colon and intestine a well deserved break from digesting cooked and processed food, my body received a unique opportunity to absorb only beneficial enzymes and nutrients from each organic juice blend along with the natural proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and water. A kick starter to healing and restoration towards optimum brain function and bodily health.

What surprised me most was my relationship to food afterwards - specifically meat, dairy, sugar and starch. I visit the market on my first day off the cleanse in a bit of a daze. So much on offer, but I cannot pin

Call, come in, or book online at www.glowjuicery.ca. 250 597 2595 3-5380 Trans Canada Hwy, Duncan point what I want. I wander to the sprouts booth and grab a bag of fresh mung beans to snack on.

Ahhh that feels good.

Each Glow Beginner Juice cleanse contains a minimum of eighteen pounds of organic produce each day. Fresh and delicious the juices were full of everything the body needs.

I worked hard and maintained domestic duties without a glitch.

Good cleanses should be valued like intensive weekend yoga workshops. They offer similar benfits for your body and mind.

If you are looking for a great gift of health for yourself to welcome spring. Consider one

of these supported cleanses.

It was awesome. My mind is clearer, and less cluttered. My skin brighter and my overall being lighter and my body more energetic.

A week has passed and my cold weather desire for heavier foods has diminished, paving the way for the healthier options that spring may bring. Already looking forward to my next cleanse. The Glow Beginner Cleanse is available online at www.glowjuicery.ca or by visiting the cafe at5380 Trans Canada Hwy. For more info or to book your juices call 250 597 2595 or email duncan@ glowjuicery.ca.

Your one stop shop for natural products for home and body • more • more • more • more • more

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Come in for great natural products, organic produce and so much more!

• more • more • more • more • more

healthy snacks natural bulk foods cleaning products vitamin selection household for YOU!

PRODUCE SECTION

9738 Willow St, Chemainus 250-246-9838 Hours Mon-Sat 930-530 • Sun 12-4 Closed Stat holidays

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aliburton Farm will launch an EcoFarm School for adults on March 24 2017. The EcoFarm Open House will be held Saturday 18th March from noon to 2pm at the Farm, 741 Haliburton Road, Victoria.

Offering a unique teaching program that includes organic farming, ecological restoration and holistic nutrition, the school will prepare a new generation of farmers for local farming careers.

People usually think that high land costs are what keeps local farmers off the land. But there is another challenge - the shortage of farmers. In Saanich, only 4 people in a thousand actively farm. Plus, farmers are aging - in Saanich most are over 55 and only 4% are under 35. Local food production is at risk, and imported food makes up almost all of what we eat on Vancouver Island.

Biodiversity project tour at Haliburton Farm. Photo credit: Kristen Miskelly

There are local food policies in the works, as well as community gardens, courses, and workshops for gardeners.

But there are desperately few opportunities for people wanting to learn how to farm as a business, and fewer still providing sustainable farming skills that integrate biodiversity, organics and nutrition.

About Haliburton Farm

Haliburton Farm is an educational resource,

Volunteers Needed!

Cowichan Region Better at Home helps seniors to continue to live independently in their own homes.

Volunteers are the core of Better At Home. Our Friendly Visitors and other Volunteers provide services that are invaluable and rewarding to our volunteers as well as the seniors they visit.

“Friendly Visitors” spend time with their senior friend engaging in conversation, shopping together, attending events, reading, walking, and many other activities! It’s all about connecting, caring, and enriching the lives of seniors who may otherwise be isolated, lonely, and not quite able to continue living at home without that helping hand.

If you have a couple of hours each week to share with a senior, we would love to hear from you!

Contact Information: Cathy or Jennifer 250-748-2133 info@crbetterathome.ca #1 Kenneth Place (below Duncan City Hall)

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Native bumble bee pollinating arugula flower at Haliburton farm.

Photo credit: Rhona Abram

The EcoFarm School well-embedded in Vancouver Island’s local farming culture, and a proud winner of the 2016 EcoStar Award for Food Security. The Farm is owned by the District of Saanich and managed by the non-profit Haliburton Community Organic Farm Society. For more than 10 years, this “incubator” farm has provided mentorship and community to farmers learning to earn a living through certified organic farming and ecological stewardship. For more information, please visit: http://haliburtonfarm.org.

About the EcoFarm School

The EcoFarm School offers an extraordinary combination of expertise in certified organic farming methods, ecosystem restoration and biodiversity, and holistic nutrition. The curriculum is tailored to adult learners wishing to learn organic farming within a place-based, ecological context. Coursework includes

a unique mix of classroom instruction and hands-on farming, ecosystem and food handling practices. Special emphasis will be placed on Indigenous food systems and the role of native species in a certified organic farming environment.

The EcoFarm School program is offered through generous support from Vancity and the Victoria Foundation. Registration is limited to 10 students for 2017.

For more information and fees, please visit: http://haliburtonfarm.org/ education/haliburton-ecofarmschool/.

Contact

To learn more about the EcoFarm School, or to register, please contact EcoFarm School Coordinator 741 Haliburton Road, Victoria, Office: (250) 886-1648 ecofarmschool@gmail.com

Dynamic Pathways

Faye Stefan MA, RCC, DHHP Registered Clinical Counsellor and Certified Homeopathic Practitioner

Path to Wellness: Combining counselling with homeopathy for your emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual needs utilizing Heilkunst Sequential Timeline Therapy.

Dynamicpathways.biz | fstefan59@gmail.com | 250-815-5029

Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

Cowichan Valley’s First Hive Share

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ur Hive Shares are for Cowichan Valley residents who want to learn about and experience the local beekeeping season. In 2017, we will be offering a Basic or an Educational share. Each hive share comes with an onsite installation of a hive on your property and monthly hive boxes of fresh honey and hive products.

Part of the challenge to new beekeepers is learning about the specifics of the beekeeping season here in the Cowichan Valley. Our Educational Hive Share takes you through the entire beekeeping season (AprilOctober) and includes a hive relocated to your property, 2 tutorial visits per month, and monthly hive boxes of seasonal honeys and hive products.

This is a great option for the new beekeeper who wants to experience the beekeeping season on their property before investing in a hive of their own.

You don’t need to be a beekeeper to have a love for bees and honey! Our Basic Hive Share (May-September) entails the

installation of a hive on your property and monthly hive maintenance by an experienced beekeeper. You will also receive pollination for your fruit bearing plants, the enjoyment of seeing the ‘bee highway’, and monthly hives boxes with seasonal honeys and hive products.

Our beekeeping values are simple. We support local bee breeders, and queen raisers who produce the best honeybees for our area. We treat our bees organically for pests and disease.

And most importantly, we believe that creating a network of both experienced and new beekeepers is vital to the health of our local honeybees.

For more information about our hive shares visit: www.lenorabee.ca Or e-mail: lenorabee@gmail.com

Chelsea Abbott is the beekeeper of Lenora Bee Apiary. lenorabee@gmail. com www.lenorabee.ca

Farming • Nutrition • Biodiversity Haliburton Community Organic Farm is launching the EcoFarm School - a hands-on mix of adult learning in certified organic farming, managing for biodiversity, and holistic nutrition.

Come tour Haliburton Farm and meet our instructors at:

EcoFarm School Open House

Saturday 18 March Noon - 2pm Haliburton Community Organic Farm 741 Haliburton Rd,Victoria Registration for 2017 is limited. For more details and to register, please contact us at: 250-886-1648 ecofarmschool@gmail.com Check for program updates at http://haliburtonfarm.org

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cotch broom is such an aggressive bully. Soon we’ll see its bright yellow flowers everywhere.

Broom grows quickly and densely, crowds out native plants, takes over farms and meadows, and prevents forests from re-growing. Broom spreads like wildfire and burns like wildfire.

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Can It Really Be Spring?

obble Hill Seedy Saturday invites you to celebrate our seventeenth ‘100 Mile Spring’ with everything a gardener could need - or want! Over 30 vendors will offer a full range of organic and heritage seeds, plant starts, flower bulbs, fruit and nut trees and mason bees to fertilize them - compost, books and even organic salves and soaks for sore gardeners!

Plant questions can always be answered by the Master Gardeners, while the permaculture people have many ideas to make your garden more sustainable.

Parents can unleash the kids on the childrens’ activities while they load up their cloth

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bags with wee envelopes of summer’s garden joy.

We’re open from 10 am until 2 pm, so you can enjoy a delicious home-made lunch and absorb the inspiration to propel you into the garden. This extremely popular community event is sponsored by the Shawnigan Cobble Hill Farmers Institute, which continues to blossom from deep roots in our authentic south Cowichan agricultural tradition.

Kiwanis Club cutting broom in bloom.

Cut Broom in Bloom

But if broom is cut at ground level while in bloom – usually April through May - broom will die. No need to pull or dig. “Cut Broom in Bloom.”

So March is the time of year to make plans. Groups from Duncan to Campbell River have been cutting broom from their communities since 2006.

Volunteers in Chemainus and Maple Bay were the first Broombusters in the Cowichan Valley. Join them or start a group near you. A couple interested people can make a huge difference!

Only you can get rid of the broom where you live. Draw the line and say, “The broom stops here!”

March Steps to Take

• Make plans with friends & neighbors.

• Look for partnerships.

• Adopt a piece of road, park or green space.

• Educate yourself about how to successfully cut broom • Make arrangements – before you cut.

Check www.broombusters.org for help. Cut Broom in Bloom!

It works.

Saturday, March 11 10 am - 2 pm Cobble Hill Hall, 3550 Watson Avenue, Cobble Hill Village Free for everyone For more information: Facebook.com/ Cobble-HillSeedy-Saturday Wheelchair accessible & free parking.

Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

apple trees, I grew seeds of inspiration which have taken root alongside the Cowichan Green Community in the ever-fertile Cowichan Valley.

And with that, I invite you to join me in celebrating the last day of winter at Duncan’s Seedy Sunday. The event will be hosted on March 21st at Si’em Lelum Gym (5574 River Road) from 10am-2pm.

Featuring around 35 local seed and garden vendors, community booths, a seed exchange, and activities for kids, this event will satisfy all your gardening needs.

This year’s event will also feature a series of gardening workshops hosted by local experts including: Creating Urban and Rural Pollinator Gardens with Ted Leischner of Plan Bee Now!; Growing Perennial Vegetables with Cyle Serra; and Seed Saving 101 with the Seed Incubator Farm Team.

Admission to this event is $2.00, with proceeds going to fund the event. Cowichan Green Community’s members and children 13 years and under entrance is free. If you are interested in becoming a seed/ plant start vendor at Duncan’s Seedy Sunday please contact Jennifer at 250-748-8506 or jennifer@ cowichangreencommunity.org.

For more information visit: www. cowichangreen

Rooting Your Childhood Intentions

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remember sitting in my back yard as a child, listening to the rusted swing set creak in the breeze. It was a hot day as I took shelter amongst what few shadows I could find. The enormous apple I was eating dripped lazily down my wrist as I thought back to my neighbor spinning tales of apple trees grown from seed. With my free hand I dragged the top soil off to one side and closed in on the apples core.

My mother would teach me of waste and want as she sliced fruit, always taking care to strip all the meat off of the stone, leaving nothing but the seed. Her one-apple-a-day rule taunted me. I thought of her as I placed these tiny seeds in the cool soil, burying them. With my hands resting one atop the other against the disturbed ground, I closed my eyes and dreamt of an abundance of apples. I could almost feel my sweet tooth tickle at the imagined harvest of my very own apple tree. “Take that, mom!” I thought as my mouth watered.

But my forest of apple trees never sprouted. What I didn’t understand was that, like a child coming into their own, the seeds I planted needed love, care, and support. So instead of

Karen DennyParsons Seed Incubator Farm Intern with Cowichan Green Community

(New Service) Jan Stock - Intuitive Massage Therapist

community.org.

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intering bee hives is now full of challenges that were not present when honeybees first come here in 1859 but nevertheless success is quite possible here in the Cowichan Valley but one has to strictly follow the recipe.

I have been overwintering honeybee hives for forty years and there is a solid recipe for success in a climate with winters. Importantly, preparation of bee hives for winter begins in the spring before a winter season so that each colony has time to produce enough bees and accumulate enough stores.

First, however one needs to find a place for your hives in a wind protected south facing location with air movement and sunshine. Each hive needs sufficient bees. This means it will be in two standard 9 or 10-frame Langstroth supers with 30,000-40,000 bees. There are about 3500 bees in one pound i.e. 15 to 20 pounds of bees. I try to ensure that each colony has a new productive queen. I raise a few extra through each season in 4-frame nuc boxes since to buy one cost up to $50.00 and usually means and break in the brood cycle.

I would advise doing this even if you have one or two hives. This practice covers accidental queen loss thru the beekeeping season and allow quick introduction of new

queens using the newspaper method. Every hive needs 50 pounds or 6 to 8 frames of honey stores. I feed sugar syrup made with one part granulated white sugar (not brown sugar) to one part water syrup. Even organic brown sugars are not good feed for bees. Honeybees have the enzymes to change mixed syrup to honey but I am not happy that sugar now is only produced by GM sugar beets or cane so the best feed for bees is fireweed or clover honey not dark honeys but the drought here prevent honey crops and stores for winter so now is a major stressor here in the Cowichan Valley. Bees also need 4 to 5 frames of pollen (protein for brood production). But there are two very important conditions to ensure hive survival and responsible for most overwintering losses in the valley: poor hive ventilation and high mite infestation. Good hive ventilation is possible with a restricted bottom entrance, a dead air space below the hives and a 1 x 3/8th inch upper entrance. Condensation issues can further be prevented by using a shallow box over the hives containing wood shavings from a feed store. These are known as moisture quilt boxes and easily made. My moisture quilt boxes have an 8-mesh

Preparing and Caring for Honeybee Hives Through Winter and Beyond bottom and two screened off one inch holes on two sides.

But the most devastating reason for winter loss is high varroa mite infestation that on the island has caused 70% of hive loss. We have got to get this down to 20% to be able to sustain beekeeping on the islands. Average losses for the mainland are at round 15-20% (C.A.P.A. 2016) so we on the west coast islands have a very serious situation the merits focused attention to bring things under control. We must maintain mite infestations levels no higher than the economic threshold of 3-5 mites per 100 bees. This is only possible says our Provincial Apiarist by doing monthly samples using the sugar shake method and treat hives accordingly to the results. Any hives with infestation levels of

over 3-5 mites per 100 bees will not be able to survive winter here. Any hives not being sample routinely are mite generators threating beekeeping on our west coast islands. Replacement bees now cost over $200 per 2 lb package or 4-frame nuc box. I highly recommend all perspective beekeepers join a local beekeeping club or connect with an experienced successful beekeeper to attain these standards and learn good beekeeping practises hands on to ensure your hives get thru the winter on a sustainable basis.

La Petite Auction House Auction Sunday MARCH 5 & 19 • 1pm

Accepting goods throughout the week

Viewings

WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY 11am- 5pm SATURDAY 1-5pm SAME DAY viewings 10am-1pm To consign email dawngeddie@gmail.com

9686 Chemainus Rd, 250-701-2902 20

Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

Ted Leischner and ALL the pollinators on the west coast islands.

with Whiskey Jacks and other native birds so bold that they would land right on your hand, looking for some tasty hiker snacks. Now, you can watch the embankments slip into the lake, washing out a little more every year, without all the trees and robust forest floor needed to stabilize the area and prevent the erosion.

Heritage River March Release

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s a kid growing up in the Valley, I was very lucky to spend lots of time along the Cowichan River. Now declared a Heritage River provincially—nationally in 2003—the Cowichan River is the life blood of the Valley. I spent countless hours camping in Marble Bay, taking in the beauty of our lush Island flora.

As the years went by, I watched as the mountainside was slowly stripped of vegetation, the cutting block growing and growing, the “selective” logging expanding the dry, lifeless tundra under Bald Mountain, now giving way into Lake Cowichan. The oncescenic trails of the Marble Bay campground took you under the mountain and up the rock face to the summit of the mountain, giving you a spectacular panoramic view of the entire lake. The summit was populated

This far-too-common narrative is endlessly repeated around our lakes and other bodies of water, leading to record low water levels along the precious river. Thankfully, the Land Conservancy has made many recent gains in purchasing parcels of the river corridor to reduce development encroachment, co-holding the covenant with the Cowichan Community Land Trust, all with the noble goal of keeping our majestic bodies of water healthy and flourishing.

As a brewer in this Valley, I make sure to do my part by constantly monitoring our water consumption to reduce our water to beer ratio. We’ve implemented water recycling in our cooling process to recapture a very high ratio of process water and heat (energy) to keep our usage as environmentally sound as possible. The boiler we use is low pressure steam, heated with natural gas. Instead of using direct fire, we indirectly heat steam for our heating process. By utilizing steam, we can benefit from the thermal expansion of water, which increases in volume up to 1000x.

Brewing is a constant balance: with increased production comes a larger carbon footprint.

Environmentally sound practices cost more money, which puts a lot of strain on smaller businesses

looking to do things right. The microbrewing revolution in recent years has increased the consumption of smaller production, localized, artisan beer. Some national brands have, with their long-brewing histories, come under fire for not just their ever-increasing carbon footprint, but also their practices concerning grey water.

SUNDAY AFTERNOONS March 5 • 2PM Jay Jennings ‘Swingsation’ Hot Swing & Gypsy Jazz from Victoria

March 12 • 2PM

Here at Red Arrow, we Craig Henderson are striving to reduce Vocalist our water consumption in order to preserve the March 19 • 2PM ($20) pristine, award-winning Celebrate Billie Holiday water that flows through Vocals by Hannah Brown and our Valley, with which Judy Sims with Sweetwater Band we have the good fortune of brewing our beer. Collaborating with March 26• 2PM ($20) local hop growers and Derrick Milton’s Swing constantly working to Shift Band localize our production Swing music from the big band is helping reduce our carbon footprint with era from Salt Spring Island. every unit of beer we produce. The famous growler (reusable 2 litre jug) has, for many years, kept the craft beer community a step 1534 Joan Avenue Crofton ahead in a greener loop of production and All shows $15 unless otherwise stated in true farm-to-pint form. Nothing is more and plantains—it is best enjoyed precious to us than this beautiful by your favorite body of water.

Valley that we call home and Look for it on store shelves we hope to show that in both beginning March 20! production and presentation. www.redarrowbeer.ca Our Heritage River Hefeweizen Red Arrow brewer is a deliciously sunny and Zachary Blake refreshing brew, taking its name from the beautiful river that is so closely tied to our way of life.

It pours a hazy yellow-orange and has notes of citrus, cloves,

JOIN THE UNITED EATERS & DRINKERS OF MILL BAY

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Every five times you dine at Bridgemans Bistro until Mar 31 2017 gives you an entry in the draw!

Fill up as many cards as you like...the more you fill up, the greater your chances are. FREE to join!

MILL BAY MARINA • 740 HANDY RD • 778-356-3568 www.bridgemans.ca

OPEN MON - FRI 11:30am / SAT & SUN 10am

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MARCH

is the season to plant hardy perennials

-

For those perennials that die back during winter, cutting away dead foliage can be done at any time.

However, be aware that if your soil is clay heavy you might want to wait until it dries out so that you don’t compact it too much.

However, waiting too long will result in trimming through a tangled mess of dead plant tops mixed with fresh spring growth.

Here is an overview of the

Peony four types of perennial growth (Paeonia) patterns to be aware of when

Flowering plants that return year after year

Bleedingheart (Dicentra)

Large selection with fresh plants arriving almost daily.

March 4 & 18 10-3pm

MASTER GARDENER CLINIC Bring your garden questions for a detailed explanation.

Cowichan Valley Master Gardeners

Annual Perennial Exchange on April 8th, look for details in the April issue.

Catalogues Now Available

www.dinternursery.ca

250 748 2023

5km South of Duncan on Hwy 1

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utting back and pruning perennials is one of the first gardening activities to draw the avid gardener out of hibernation.

Pruning helps keep perennials healthy and shaped so that they are aesthetically pleasing. The question is, when is the best time to cut them back? And what is the best way to do so?

it comes to cutting back and pruning.

Tattered or brown leaves can be trimmed back, but leave evergreen perennials alone if they look green and healthy.

Spring flowering perennials such as Arabis, Aubrieta, or perennial Alyssum, should not be cut back until they have finished blooming. At that time plants may be trimmed back to half their height to encourage a dense and bushy habit.

helebore Many perennials just need a quick removal of tired leaves to reveal new growth.

Spring Cleaning in the Garden leave about six inches of the previous year’s growth.

Some examples of woody perennials are: Artemesia, Butterfly Bush, Caryopteris, Fuchsia, St. John’s Wort, and Lavender.

It’s also a good time, once you’ve cleared away the debris left by pruning, to get rid of any early weeds.

Starting early means you can avoid early flowering and self-seeding by these unwanted guests.

If you are looking to divide some of your perennials this year, here’s a simple rule-of-thumb: If plants bloom between early spring and early summer, then fall division/moving is ideal. If the plant blooms mid to late Semi-evergreen perennials summer, then early spring such as Bergenia, Heuchera, Heucherella, Tiarella, and various is ideal. Some exceptions ferns will only need to have some are: Peonies (move/divide in fall only), Oriental Poppies of their more tattered leaves removed at this time.

For perennials that die back in winter but leave a rosette of ground hugging foliage (such as Shasta Daisies, Coreopsis, and Rudbeckia), trimming back the dead upright tops and tidying up any of the ground-hugging foliage is all that is required.

Woody perennials are best left alone until well into mid spring. It’s best not to cut them back to the ground, instead,

(move/divide in August), Bearded Iris: (move/divide in mid to late summer), and True Lilies (move/divide in mid to late fall).

To keep your perennials healthy and vigorous it’s not only important to prune them and weed their beds, but to also provide them with a yearly dose of fertilizer and mulch. When choosing a fertilizer, pick one with a high middle number, such as 12-1612, to promote strong stems and lots of flowers. Sea Soil or fish fertilizer are great mulch choices as they can provide your perennials with the nutrients they need to produce lush growth throughout the growing season.

Tamu Miles, Novelist, blogger, and employee at Dinter Nursery

Custom Garden Design, Outdoor Living Spaces and Chillatoriums for Home and Business

C.A. Linklater I 1 250 709 7114 arborvitaegardendesign.com

Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

Saturday March 25, 2017 VANCOUVER ISLAND HEATHER SOCIETY SPRING HEATHER SALE Cobble Hill Farmers’ Institute

3550 Watson Avenue, Cobble Hill, B.C. 10:00 am – 12 noon (or until sold out) Unusual varieties will be available. Society members and Master Gardeners will be on hand to help to make you and your Heathers Happy.

CASH OR CHECK ONLY

Why You Should Plant Heathers In Your Garden

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here are many reasons why you should consider planting heathers in your garden. Here are just a few of them.

Heathers are workhorse plants that add much interest to the garden. Many varieties change their foliage to very bright colours during the winter while others have beautiful spring tips in the spring. Add to that the fact that with careful planning one can have a collection of heather plants that will flower for your twelve months of the year. Finally, with so many different foliage colours, the palette available to you is very extensive. The foliage colours can include mid green, dark green, grey green, yellow, silver grey, orange gold, bronze green and many shades in between.

Heathers provide great ground cover and will nicely cover a slope or other area in your garden within three to five years.

This will keep the weeds down and, other than pruning for some species, require very little maintenance. Just keep them tidy and well mulched and they will be very happy.

Heathers attract bees. Have you

ever watched the bees working the heathers on a nice sunny day in February? It is a wonderful sight. I also believe that my winter flowering heathers help to feed the hummingbirds during the winter. So, if you want to attract bees, birds and butterflies to your garden, think about planting heathers.

Heathers are relatively deer resistant. When they are first planted, the deer can pull them out as they are very curious animals. However, with careful checking just after you have planted your heather, you can tuck them back in first thing the next morning and they will never know the difference. Yes, deer can nibble heather but it is rare for them to destroy a plant. Once they are established they are relatively resistant to deer.

Heathers make great companion plants. It is never a good idea to have a monoculture in one’s garden. Heather goes very well with a wide variety of plants which together with the heather will add even more interest to your garden. Plants such as Rhodendron, Styrax japonicas, Pieris japonica, Daphne, Hellebores and a variety of

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grasses are some that you may wish to consider.

Last, but not least, heathers really love a slightly acidic soil which is what we are blessed with in this area. The plants mentioned in the last paragraph also enjoy a slightly acidic soil which means that you are well on the way to “right plant; right place”.

To give you a start with establishing healthy heathers in your garden, plan to attend the Vancouver Island Heather Society’s spring sale which will take place on Saturday, March 25 at the Cobble Hill Farmer’s Institute Hall. The sale will begin at 10AM and last until noon or until sold out.

Experienced buyers will advise you that it is essential to get to the hall prior to the sale starting to get the best selection. We always have unusual varieties on hand. In addition, starter kits consisting of ten plants and a planting diagram will be available. Members of the Vancouver Island Heather Society will be on hand to help you make your choices. As well, members of the Victoria Master Gardener Association will be there to answer your general gardening questions.

Submitted by Elaine Scott, Vancouver Island Heather Society

23

History Glass

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he Moscow Mule combines Ginger Beer, Vodka, and fresh lime juice in an icy copper mug. A mint garnish keeps the mix fresh.

Not only is it timeless, it is great in any season. There is something both cozy and refreshing about it, making it an excellent year-round tipple.

• Restaurant • Deli • CAFÉ • Grocery •

This iconic cocktail comes from very a little luck and persistent ingenuity. Like other classic cocktails, it has some disputed origins, but legend has it that the Moscow Mule was invented in 1941 at the Cock’n’Bull Saloon in Hollywood by three people who had products to sell.

Sophie Brzezinkski was a Russian immigrant, whose father had owned a copper factory. Sophie had designed the cups, and came with a briefcase full of cups to pitch.

They were great for keeping things hot or cold, because of copper’s conductivity.

She had a shipping container

Moscow Mule of the cups sent, and her husband had given her an ultimatum to find a buyer for the cups – which were taking over their house.

Jack Morgan, the owner of the Cock’n’Bull, was trying to launch his own ginger beer. His good friend John G. Martin, had recently bought a distillery, which was selling a product that no one was really interested in – vodka. The distillery?

Smirnoff.

So the story goes, the two friends were trying to come up with a drink that would highlight their vodka and ginger beer, drowning their sorrows at the saloon. Into this moment, Sophie – providing the perfect vessel in which to serve the drink. It was a moment in history that resulted in a legendary and delicious drink.

Moscow Mule

2oz Per Se Vodka ½ oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice Top up with ginger beer Pour ingredients into an icefilled mug. Top with crushed ice.

Garnish with mint and lime slice.

1751 Cowichan Bay Road 250 748 0020 croweandappel.ca

Offering fresh seafood, gluten free and paleo friendly menu of soups, broths, pies, jumbo sushi rolls, salads and salad rolls.always wild, pastured and organic.

Join us in Cowichan Bay for some great food events!

Saturday Night Dinners with live music celebration Sunday Brunch with wilderness skills for all the family

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Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

Jessica is a local writer & co-founder of Ampersand Distilling Company.

Morgan Saddington

L

ocal artists, Morgan Saddington (jeweller) and Suzan Kostiuck (visual artist) will be showcasing their artwork dedicated to the theme of “Black, White and Silver”. This classic palette will feature photography, paintings and silver jewellery in a delightful collection featured at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre Gallery throughout March.

Morgan Saddington has her own studio located

Suzan Kostiuck

in Cowichan Station, where she is also a part of the Cowichan Artisans Group. She has an Associated Degree in Visual Arts and continues to increase her knowledge of silversmithing and chain making via courses and workshops.

Suzan Kostiuck works out of her home in Cowichan Station as well. She has a Bachelor’s Degree from Uvic in Visual Arts, studied Indigenous Arts, and also studied Visual Communications from Medicine Hat College.

She is a volunteer board member for the local arts council, and owns Excellent Frameworks – Home of the EJ Hughes Gallery.

Painting by Keith Hiscock

9768 Willow Street, Chemainus 250-324 1395 Open Thursday - Sunday 11- 4 Featuring original art by World Class artists from Vancouver Island, British Columbia and across Canada.

Suzan and Morgan met in 2012 and began working together at the Cowichan Valley Arts Council. Suzan as the PORTALS Coordinator and Office Manager, Morgan as the

Koksilah River View, Photograph, Suzan Kostiuckk

Black, White and Silver

Bound Bracelet, Sterling Silver, patina Morgan Saddington

JEWELLERY BY MORGAN SADDINGTON AND VISUAL ART BY SUZAN KOSTIUCK Fine Art Show Coordinator.

Eventually their careers took different paths as Suzan pursed a career in small business and Morgan continued to hone her arts management skills. In July of 2016, the two joined forces again when Morgan began working with Suzan in her custom framing and gallery business.

Black, White and Silver runs March 2 – 30.

Art Opening: Thursday, March 9, 7pm-9pm Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, CVRD Arts & Culture Division, 2687 James Street, 3rd Floor, Duncan.

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Broken Wing

Penny Maday Ciochetti: A Life Dedicated to Art

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or Nanaimo artist and teacher Penny Maday Ciochetti, art is the source for her inspiration and enthusiasm. An active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, Penny is an accomplished painter in acrylics, water colour, and mixed media.

Penny blends representational images with strong abstract and symbolic forms. Colour, the play of paint, line, the magic between dark and light are all part of her artistic focus. Penny is inspired by themes such as sacredness, love, loss, hope, and transformation, nature and ancient cultures. Her own inner world serves to tell a story.

An exhibition of Penny’s work will be on display at Imagine That Artisans’ Designs in downtown Duncan during the month of March, 2017.

Penny’s exhibition will include

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large scale acrylic paintings (from the ‘Nest Series’), water colours, and ‘art lights.’

While Penny’s primary focus is painting and mixed media, she is experienced in more unusual genres including en caustic, glass fuse, and sandblasting. She has even studied hand painting and airbrush designs for automotive and commercial applications.

“These ideas, techniques, and materials fuel my creativity and are finding their way into my art,” she explains.

I Fell For You

art instruction to schools across central Vancouver Island.

In addition to all of this, Penny works and teaches from her own studio – Island Girl Art Studio – in Nanaimo. She welcomes students at all levels of ability.

“We believe that everyone is an artist. As someone famous once

said: “Art is simply a way of seeing. What you see and what someone else sees, even while looking at the same thing, may be completely different.”

Her work can be seen on her website, at www. islandgirlartstudio.com.

Don’t miss the exhibition!

Penny is an experienced art teacher with more than thirty years of combined experience teaching in private, public, outreach, and First Nation schools. She provides art curriculum for community agencies. She is also a member of the Nanaimo Art Gallery’s Artist in the Schools Program where she designs and delivers

Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

Help Build A Healing Labyrinth

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rovidence Farm has been working for nearly 40 years to build programing and a community that supports indviduals with mental health or developmental challenges. We believe that caring for the land is healing and therapuetic, and through efforts like horticultural therapy we are able to design and build gardens that are accessible and healthful.

With great thanks to the Victoria Foundation, we are embarking on a truly wondrous project of building a healing garden in the form of a living labyrinth.

Landscapes and architecture that heals is not a new venture. From traditional medicine wheels, to small monastery gardens of the Benedictine monks, the use of plants and gardens for benefiting health is a long tradition, as is the design of space and buildings.

And so the tradition continues here at Providence Farm.

In our work on the farm, we

recognize the simple benefit of a well-placed bench overlooking the inspiring Mt Tzouhalem and washed over with sounds of a trickling creek and mother birds.

Or the positive affect of a raised garden bed made accessible to our many therapeutic participants.

And now we seek to delve deeper into positive affect of nature and design on health, by using the design of a labyrinth, known for its contemplative and health benefits, in a garden designed specifically to bring about positive affect.

With the helping hands of participants and volunteers from the community, we aim to build a labyrinth that is accessible, and heaing. We are looking for volunteers intersted to learn, share their skills and get their hands in the soil! Work parties will happen each wednesday, from 3:30-5:00.

All ages welcome. To sign up for volunteering please send an email to communityrelations@ providence.bc.ca or call 250.746.4204

2017 Call for Entries On-line and in person registration April 5-8, 2017 Details at: www.cowichanvalleyartscouncil.ca Email : cvartscouncil@shaw.ca Phone: 250 746 1633

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Yoga Therapy for Low Back Pain and Pelvic Recovery

Reconnecting The Pelvis With Yoga Therapy Personalized instruction in a small group setting for women experiencing pain since child bearing.

March 9 to April 13 Thursday 10am Matraea Centre, 170 Craig St. Duncan 6 classes $180 If you have back pain, pelvic pain or hip pain associated with child bearing or birth, this educational and experiential group class can help by providing simple, gentle and effective movements to decrease pain and improve stability of the pelvis and surrounding structures. It is common for the ligaments and joints in the pelvis to be affected by pregnancy and birth and can cause short or long term back pain.Yoga therapy is a professional discipline offering the gentle, and safe application of yoga with the intent to help heal from specific injury or illness. Classes educational are pre-registration only. Upon registration you will be asked to complete a confidential health history form used to tailor the class to best suit your needs.

For questions or to register contact Lindsay Campa Registered Massage Therapist and Yoga Therapist

250-466-4607 lindsay.campa@gmail.com www.thehealingbody.ca

I

n my practice as a Massage Therapist, I treat many people with ’general’ low back pain, some of whom have been suffering without resolve for decades.

For many women, back pain had persisted since the time of their pregnancies, whether recent or 20 years ago.

Upon further exploration, the ‘root cause’ of the pain seemed to be originating in the pelvis, specifically in the joints in the pelvis.

The timing of pregnancy and the origin of back pain was synonymous, although most women did not readily connect the two.

Women and the postnatal pelvis

When a woman becomes pregnant, her body produces

Lindsay Campa

the hormone relaxin, which acts to loosen the ligaments, allowing the pelvis to widen for childbirth.

The joints in the pelvis, (3 joints- the pubic symphysis at the front and 2 SI or sacroiliac joints at the back) are comprised of cartilage and ligaments as opposed to muscles.

Similar to the ankle joints, the ligaments can be stretched

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Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

beyond their usual capacity, and can take time to repair.

They can also be prone to injury and sprain.

The joints can also become ‘stuck’, which can be quite painful, and would compromise the integrity of the pelvis, leading to muscular compensations around the area.

Regaining stability and integrity of the pelvis can be an important step towards relieving pain.

The pelvis is an important and central structure; informing how we walk and move, balance, transfer weight, and support the spine in our everyday lives.

The position and ‘ability’ of the pelvis is key in improving posture and relieving pain in the low back and surrounding areas.

Yoga Therapy invites healing through the guiding principles of Rest, Recover, Repair .

Resting when we have an injury is a vital first step; its sets the template for successful recovery.

Recovery from injury is best approached using safe and gentle exercises that promote structural support for pain

Reconnecting the Pelvis with Yoga Therapy: Group Yoga Therapy Class in Duncan If you have back pain, pelvic pain or hip pain associated with child bearing or birth, this educational and experiential group class can help by providing simple, gentle and effective movements to decrease pain and improve stability of the pelvis and surrounding structures. It is common for the ligaments and joints in the pelvis to be affected by pregnancy and birth and can cause short or long term back pain.Yoga therapy is a professional discipline offering the gentle, and safe application of yoga with the intent to help heal from specific injury or illness.

Classes educational are pre-registration only. Upon registration you will be asked to complete a confidential health history form used to tailor the class to best suit your needs. March 9 to April 13 Thursday 10am Matraea Centre, 170 Craig St. Duncan 6 classes $180 Lindsay Campa is a Registered Massage Therapist and Yoga Therapist 250-466-4607

lindsay.campa@gmail.com www.thehealingbody.ca

Gift Certificates Available

free movement.

It can be just as important learning what not to do, as well as what we can do, so that we.

Spring Special

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Lori Austein, C.C.H.T., C.C.T.

Helping you create personal transformation •Certified Council Trainer & Facilitator •Certified Heart-Centered Hypnotherapist® •Transpersonal Life Coach Individual Hypnotherapy, Coaching Sessions & Workshops to Create Healthy New Patterns For Your Life: • Improve Relationships • Resolve Anxiety • Increase Self-esteem

• Heal Trauma • Get Unstuck • End Emotional Eating

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Anxiety & Depression

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nxiety and Depression are two sides of the same coin of nervous system dysregulation - with anxiety being at extreme high activation, and depression at extreme low activation – shut down. People with high activation (anxiety) will continually be on edge: jittery, hypervigilant, unable to relax. They will often have trouble sleeping or suffer panic attacks. With depression, people will feel fatigued, unmotivated and an emotional deadness. This is because the system can only handle the high intensity for so long and depression is like an emergency brake, shutting everything down. Often there is a flipping from one extreme to the other.

But what causes the nervous system to become so out of whack?

Anxiety, simply put, is a nameless fear that could be characterized by excessive apprehension, nervousness and worrying. For society as a whole, this fear has escalated based on increasing instability in the world and lack of opportunities, coupled with a decline in the ability to trust in something higher. In other words, many of us fear our worlds are sinking and there is no life raft to hold on to.

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Most people will do anything to avoid feeling the anxiety that ensues. However, when you try to shove it out the door, you will find that it always creeps back in through the window. In order to try to neutralize the anxiety, many will choose shopping, workaholism, over-eating, or numbing out either in front of the screen or through the use of drugs or alcohol. These are all forms of ‘self-medication’ and when we habitually reach for them, they become an addiction. An addiction is simply anything outside of ourselves which we continually use to try to gain happiness.

As the saying goes, ‘If you keep doing what you have always done, you will continue to get what you’ve always got.’ So if you don’t want to continue to be controlled by anxiety, try something different - more

counter-intuitive - turn the wheel in the direction of the skid. In other words, instead of fighting the anxiety, turn towards it. Invite it in. Be curious. Where in my body does the anxiety reside? What exactly are the sensations that I am labeling ‘anxiety’? What is the relationship between anxiety and my thoughts? What happened just before I felt compelled to take that drink, binge eat or turn on the TV? Alcohol, sugar and addictive drugs latch on to receptor sites that positive neurotransmitters, like serotonin and dopamine, need in order to send ‘good feeling’ messages from one cell to another. The artificially created good feelings don’t last long and we spiral out of control trying to recreate the high. The way to get off the roller coaster is to become aware of these cycles and interrupt them with healthier choices while fostering self-compassion and nonjudgment.

Anxiety and Depression: Riding the Roller Coaster is an affordable 8 week course teaching you step by step how to take control of anxiety and depression by learning to self-regulate the nervous system.

This course will teach you the physiology of the nervous system and how thoughts, emotions, diet and exercise affect its balance and regulation. You will learn how to regulate the system using techniques such as tapping, mindfulness and meditation to help counter the wide mood swings of anxiety and depression. Group discussion, buddy support, home assignments, and daily journaling will help to anchor new approaches into everyday practice.

The class will meet for 8 twohour sessions starting March 23 at Breakthrough Counselling in Chemainus. Your instructor, Alison Etter, is a certified teacher and Registered Professional Counsellor in private therapeutic practice. For more information call 250-324-3040 or visit www. breakthroughcounselling.ca/events.

Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

Alison Etter is a Therapistr living in Chemainus.

250-324-3040

s

Calling For Singers Natural Remedies Workshops Join Chartered Herbalist Robin Round on Wednesday, March 8 for our herbal Ointments and tinctures class. You will learn how to make simple and easy herbal remedies for you and your family. You will take home ointments scented with essential oils as well. On Tuesday, March 21 Robin will host a Soap Making class. Robin will demonstrate the process of castile soap making and will share the results of her soap making experiences over the last five years. Soap making involves the use of lye, so this is an adults ONLY class. All participants take home some soap and recipes too!

Call to register 250-710-1276 or register online at www.botanicalbliss.ca. The classes are $25 plus tax each and are held at Botanical Bliss in Duncan.

What could be better then bringing in the Spring with Singing? Joining a choir has lasting positive effects on your well being. Come and meet the Lila Music Centre’s Community Choir and join us for this season of Singing For Water, 2017.

Director, Cari Burdett, values building community through music and creating safe and nourishing environments, where people of all ages, cultural backgrounds, ethnicity, and religious dedication and diversity can come together through song, play and joy. This season we will partner with the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre and the Cowichan Land Trust. Together we will create a community event on April 30th and a percentage of concert proceeds will go directlyto the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre, a project of the Cowichan Land Trust. The Nature Centre delivers educational programs for over 1300 students annually at Hecate Park in Cowichan Bay Village. All ages and stages - anyone who wants to sing is welcome. Rehearsals: Wed 6:30-7:30pm and/or Fri 9:3010:30am Cost is by Donation Sing For Water Concert: April 30th with special guests. 3228A Gibbins Rd, Lila Music Centre. www.joythroughmusic.com

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250 715 6174

New Rebates for Clean Cowichan Air

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o support better air quality and cleaner home heating, the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) provides a Woodstove Exchange Program with funding from the BC Lung Association and the Ministry of Environment. The program offers a $300 rebate plus a $50 retailer discount to help residents replace smoky, old (pre-1994) woodstoves with modern, cleaner gas, pellet and wood heating appliances.

As of January 2017, heat pumps now also qualify as a woodstove replacement option.

Program began in 2009, over 800 Cowichan Valley residents have used the rebate program to make the leap toward cleaner air by replacing their old woodstoves with new, EPAcertified heating appliances.

Rebates are offered on firstcome, first-serve basis. Don’t wait too long to apply for a rebate as rebates always run out when the cool fall weather reminds us of our need for clean and efficient home heating.

Learn more about the Woodstove Exchange Program at cleartheaircowichan.ca.

Since the CVRD Woodstove Exchange

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Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

Submitted by Ilse Sarady

Saving Energy and Getting Money Back - Rebates, Grants and Offers Reed Gary, Owner 360 Comfort Systems Inc. Proudly Providing Comfort with Integrity

C

urrently for Cowichan Valley residents there are several rebates, grants, and offers available through different sources such as BC Hydro, Fortis Gas, Cowichan Valley Regional District, and others. Some of these offers can be as much as $1700 and some of them can be combined together for maximum dollars back to you. I will list a few of the major rebates below explaining how these will benefit you.

HERO rebate (Home Energy Rebate Offer) At 360 Comfort Systems we fill out the paperwork for this grant quite often as it is quite a popular one. The HERO program is offering $800 to homeowners that would like to upgrade from electric heat to a ductless heat pump. To qualify for this rebate you will need to have used 10,000 kWh in the last year and have used electric heat as your primary heat source. Not only will he ductless heat pump lower your heating costs but they generally make your living space feel more comfortable. In this rebate, there is much more than just the heat pump offer.

There is rebates for windows, doors, bathroom fans, woodstove upgrades and several more home upgrades that qualify for money back.

Switch n Shrink from FortisBC This is a great offer if you are in the fortis natural gas service area. If you currently heat your home with oil, wood, or propane then you should be eligible for this grant of $1000 towards the installation of a qualifying natural gas furnace. When considering that FortisBC is giving you $1000 towards the purchase of a natural gas furnace, the ratio of cost vs rebate is very appealing.

Oiltoheatpump.ca If you have an oil furnace and are considering switching to a heat pump, this might be what gives you with a little extra push to get it done. With $1700 on the table, this makes the cost of switching very appealing indeed. With the savings in heating costs that will be had over the next many years and the benefit of not having to fill and look at that unsightly oil tank, this really is the best time to switch from oil to heat pump.

Clean Cowichan Air In an effort to support better air-quality in the valley and cleaner home heating in your home the Cowichan Valley Regional District has introduced a Woodstove Exchange Program.

This program is funded by the BC long association and the Ministry of environment. The program offers a $300 rebate to Cowichan Valley residents who replace their pre-1994 wood stoves with a cleaner form of healing. A heat pump now qualifies under the woodstove exchange program and therefore is a very appealing option. These

rebates are offered on a first come first served basis so don’t wait too long.

There are more offers available that are not covered in the short

article but if you would like more information please feel free to stop by our show room and talk to any of our friendly staff.

AMOS (H)EARTHWORKS masonry heaters, rocket stoves and ovens cob, adobe, light-clay natural building education, workshops and consulting facebook:partick.amos.140/photos_albums

250 748 2089 33

Tax Tips for Small-Scale Farmers

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iving in the Cowichan Valley has so many benefits, but my favourite is the abundance of farm fresh products available.

The Eat Local movement is strong here, and the farmers who produce this delicious bounty are a passionate and dedicated people. As a smallscale farmer myself, and a self-employed accountant, I thought I would share my 3 best tips for self-employed farmers as the next tax season approaches.

JOIN US FOR

LUNCH + DINNER

OPEN Tuesday to Saturday

look for our daily specials on 40 Ingram Street

34

www.theoldfirehouse.ca

Downtown Duncan

(250) 597-3473

Register for GST - Farms are different than other businesses because the sale of farm products is not GST taxable. However, a farm business that has a GST account can claim back the GST they paid on expenses (Input Tax Credits or ITCs).

This results in a GST refund for the farm!

Get Organized - Treat your farm operation as a legitimate business. Save your receipts and get a plan in place for bookkeeping. Open a business bank account and keep your business and personal expenses separated.

Write receipts for your farm sales. This will all help to legitimize your business should you ever face an audit.

Don’t call yourself a “Hobby Farmer” - The CRA defines a hobby farmer as someone who farms purely for personal use, with no expectation of profit, and so the expenses incurred are not tax deductible. Even if your farm business is not making a profit, if you are selling farm products to the public and trying to make a profit, you are not a hobby farmer. Depending on your employment situation, a farm loss can be fully or partially deductible against your other income. Talk with your accountant to determine the best tax treatment of your farm business. Find the full 10-point version of this article on the Coastal Tax blog at coastaltax.ca!

Alicia Loewen operates Coastal Tax and Accounting Services on her 5-acre farm in North Cowichan.

Rob Patterson and the RCMP Musical Ride.

Cowichan Pipers and Drummers Spanish Bay Golf Course at Monterey, California

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Cowichan Pipers and Drummers Society

he Cowichan Pipers and Drummers Society, the fundraising and administrative arm of the Cowichan Pipes and Drums Band, was incorporated under the Society Act of British Columbia in 1996. Its aims are to promote Scottish music and culture, provide musical education and appreciation of great highland bagpiping and drumming, promote physical fitness, and to entertain and represent local groups and communities at civic events. In doing so, we create educational

opportunities for persons of all ages to play the bagpipes or drums, both within the Band and outside. Band members begin training as early as their pre-teens and we have members in their 80’s. We can boast up to 35 active playing and marching members at any given time.

In addition to traditional pipe & drum music, our band incorporates other instruments such as electric guitars, keyboards, various drums and others for a more modern style.

The Band is led by Pipe Major Dr. Gordon Pollock.

As a wholly volunteer community-based group, financial support comes from a wide range of individuals, business, and organizations, as well as from fundraising activities such as the upcoming St Patrick’s Celebration on March 17th, a Beer ‘n Burger ‘n Bagpipe Bash in August, and our annual Robert Burns Dinner in January.

In addition to annual participation in such events as Remembrance Day, the Duncan Daze Parade, Chemainus Parade, Lake Days Parade, Canada Day at the BC Forest Discovery Centre, Cobble Hill Fair, Maple Bay Polar Bear Swim, Tour de Rock, the Victoria Tartan Parade and Cowichan Exhibition, the band also takes part in special events like the recent memorial service for Malahat Fire Chief

The Band has represented Canada and the Cowichan Valley at the Shanghai Tourism Festival in September 2015 and the Monterey (California) Highland Games in 2013.

This year, we have been invited to the Kimberley (BC) Pipe Band 90th Anniversary Military Tattoo in July as their headline band. Plans are also underway for a trip to Scotland in 2018 to compete at the World Pipe Band Championships. We meet weekly on Thursday evenings in the Valley Seniors Organization Centre, 198 Government St, Duncan.

Piping and drumming instruction for students begins at 7pm, with a full band practice following.

New members are always welcome, with or without experience – enthusiasm is a must, though.

For more information, see our website at cowichanpipesanddrums@ shaw.ca. And we are also on Facebook!

Join the Cowichan Pipes and Drums on Friday, March 17, for a St Patrick’s Celebration at Valley Seniors Centre at 198 Government St. Entertainment and Dancing for everyone.Doors 5:30pm/ Irish Dinner 6:30pm Tickets: $20 each, contact Bev Braithwaite at baldymtn@ shaw.ca Submitted by Derek Crawford, President Cowichan Pipers and Drummers Society

“Building furniture while building lives”

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Wo o d w o r k s

rom pens to kitchens, the Providence Farm woodworking program is eager to design and craft a one of a kind piece for your home or office. We use a blend of traditional and modern building techniques to meet our high quality standards, so that your furniture can be enjoyed for generations.

Our commissions directly fund therapeutic programming, providing our participants with materials, tools and machinery, and high quality artisanal instruction.

Contact: woodwork@providence.bc.ca 250-746-4204 ext.27

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Downtown Duncan – for kids of all ages!

At Forte School of Music (122 Station) spring break camps include: • Glee Camp • Music Masters (3-5 years) • Disney Heroes • Composing Camp • Theory Crash Course for Beginners Full day, half day or 2 hour camps available for a variety of ages.

Check out their Forte School of Music website or call and talk to any of Forte’s ith spring break on the enthusiastic and talented horizon, are you looking teachers: Christina, Vicky or for things for the kids to do?

Stephanie.

Check out these great camps available downtown from For the budding artist, 4Cats March 13th – 24th: Arts Studio (139 Station) has 2, 3 or 5 day camps for

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“Live the Island Dream” Nick Brown

Realtor/Associate Broker Pemberton Holmes 23 Queens Rd, Duncan, BC 250-710-3732 nickbrownrealestate@shaw.ca

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5-8 years and 8-12 years with either half or full day options available offering painting, printmaking, crafts, drawing, sculpting, mixed media and more. They even have a camp called Kittens which provides 2-4 year olds an opportunity for fun, mess, movement, artistic surprises and beautiful creations. Did you know

that 4Cats also has volunteer opportunities for teens that love art, love kids and want to gain volunteer hours while working on their leadership skills? See their website for more information about “curators-in-training”.

Here’s an interesting camp offered for the first time

downtown – the newly opened Cowichan Valley Training Centre (169 Craig) is offering a 2-day Kids camp for ages 11 and up on March 14th & 15th. Day one will include “LifeSaver” first aid and the “Home Alone” program and Day 2 will cover a “Babysitter Basics” course. Cost is $125.

Call 250-746-4058 for more info.

And it’s not only the 2 weeks of spring break in March that 4Cats Studio offer kids something fun to do downtown. can enjoy dance lessons in Downtown is full of talented ballet, jazz, hip-hop and tap teachers and instructors who and explore classes in the love to share their knowledge performing arts including and passion for dance, music musical theatre, piano, voice, and art year-round. guitar & mandolin. For Highland dance, local teacher New to Sweet Art Gallery Shelley Cassidy has been & Studio (131 Jubilee) are teaching for over 25 years; the art lessons for kids (8-13yrs) Shelley Cassidy School of and they’ve just introduced a Dance is located at 141 Jubilee new series of lessons designed Street. specifically for this age range.

The cost for 10 lessons of 1 What about yoga for the hour each is $170. kids? Yoga is a great way for youngsters to boost their selfAt Adage Studio (126 esteem and self-confidence and Government), your child contributes to a happy, healthy development. Plus, it’s a lot of fun.

Contact Harmony Yoga (360 Duncan), the Matraea Centre (170 Craig) or Sukha Studio (259 Craig) for more information on their yoga classes for children.

Adage Studio

For daily entertainment, the Caprice Cinemas (404 Duncan) show a great selection of movies and the Duncan Showroom (133 Station) is a non-alcoholic venue

for all ages to experience and enjoy live music in an intimate setting.

During spring break or yearround – there’s lots going on in Downtown Duncan for kids… of all ages.

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C

Palmer Leslie CPA’s Welcomes Tavish Annis

owichan Valley’s largest, locally-owned accounting firm, Palmer Leslie CPA’s, is pleased to welcome their newest partner, Tavish Annis.

Born and raised on Vancouver Island, Tavish grew up in Campbell River and has been a Cowichan Valley resident since 2014. Tavish holds a Chartered Professional Accounting Designation with an Honours Degree in Commerce.

With 13 years of public and private sector accounting experience, Tavish brings significant expertise in assisting clients with managing their day to day operations, tax planning and longer term goal setting. He is extremely knowledgeable about corporations, proprietorships, trusts, and personal taxes and believes in making accounting work for his clients.

Spring Painting Workshops

March 2, 11,16 25, 10am - 3pm $125.00 Learn everything you need to know to give your furniture new life!

Call Embellish! to register 250 746 9809

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“It is great to become Palmer Leslie CPA’s newest partner helping local individuals and businesses retain more of their hard-earned profits and savings by minimizing their tax liabilities and helping them plan for future growth.”

Tavish notes. “I knew I’d

joined the right firm when I read the Palmer Leslie slogan: Because meeting with your accountant should never be a taxing experience! This is a great group of people who take pride in what they do and work hard to get you results, while maintaining a sense of humour and making accounting more relatable.”

Palmer Leslie CPA’s is a full-service accounting firm based in the Cowichan Valley offering a diverse set of skills to assist you with your accounting needs so you can run your business, enjoy your family, realize your dreams, and live your life to the fullest.

With two offices located in Duncan and Ladysmith, Palmer Leslie CPA’s offer you convenience no matter where you live.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call 250-748-1426, email: tannis@plcpa.ca; or visit the Duncan office location at Suite 301-394 Duncan Street.

business?

MP: The shop has been open for 20 years.

My parents owned a sign shop in Nanaimo (30 years ago) where I helped out at and then when I moved to Duncan, I decided to open my own sign shop.

DDBIA: How many employees do you have?

MP: Three fulltime.

Mark Paetz

DDBIA: What’s your favourite part of your job?

MP: I like helping customers and taking their hand drawings & ideas and being able to turn them into signage. I enjoy doing vehicle graphics too.

Q&A with Mark Paetz of Mark’s Instant Sign Shop DDBIA: Tell us a little about yourself - how long have you lived in the Cowichan Valley?

MP: I’ve lived in Duncan for 25 years. The first years were a challenge to be known and given a chance to show people what we could do. We are a family based business - when Maureen lost her job at the hospital, she came on full time 13 years ago. Jamie started working when he was 13, and still in school, digging holes for installation.

After graduating, he started working fulltime doing graphics design and setup.

DDBIA: How long has the sign shop been around and how did you get into the

Embracing wellness, family and community

DDBIA: Is there anything people are surprised to find out that you produce?

MP: We do vehicle / trailer www.matraea.com graphics and have full installation services.

DDBIA: What is the trickiest installation you’ve ever done?

MP: My first large install at Good Neighbours on York Rd. The 3’ x 40’ sign is still there today with original graphics.

DDBIA: Anything about your business people don’t know, but should?

MP: We can supply you with graphics for your block wall, custom printed wallpaper and floor graphics.

DDBIA: What do you like

170 Craig St. Duncan, B.C. 1 844 MATRAEA (628 7232) www.matcentre.ca

Acupuncture Birth Shop Counselling Massage Midwifery Naturopathy Tax Accounting LIFT Resource Centre

Find us at 306 Duncan St. nestled bet ween the Duncan Garage and Rayʻs Antiques, One of a kind, Clothing, Accessories and gifts for the whole family.

Each piece is handcrafted with love by artists from around the corner and across BC. For more info or to register call 778-455-4888 best about your Downtown Duncan location?

MP: We feel we are part of the community being downtown and

enjoy being a part of different events and functions. We love it when people stop in just to say hi while out for a walk.

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Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

Fynn making a burning bowl.

youth interested in immersing themselves in nature. These camps will help foster both practicalities and passion for the wilderness that they will carry with them for life.

The 5 days will be fully experiential practical and fun Wilderness Spring Break filled program with Wolf Cowichan learning and playing, exploring, having olf Cowichan is a adventures and making friends.

Montessori-style At the same time the students wilderness based alternative will learn lifelong skills and educational program offered year create memories of adventure, round in the Cowichan Valley. fun and connection to the natural We are pleased to offer spring worlds and good friends. break camps for children and

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Day 1 & 2 – Lost proofing and wilderness survival – through games and activities • How to be safe in the great outdoors • How not to get lost and what to do if it happens • Practice the ‘sacred order of survival’ – shelter, water, fire, food – even if you have no equipment (make a survival shelter and clothes, purify and find clean water, make fire by friction, find and prepare food in the wild) • Create a survival pack to always take when you go into the wilderness

• Plan and design shelters, clothes, tools and food sources • Preserve and prepare food • Working together acknowledging all contributions and skills of each community member Day 5 – Celebration and feast – preparing a celebration and meal for parents and family to take place on Friday night Please register by emailing dovredfox@hotmail.com or calling 250 732 1175 or 250 748 0020

Day 3 & 4- Creating a natural village community – through games and adventures • Create a long term camp in the natural world

Limited space in two groups .

Ages 7-10 and Ages 11-14 $150 per week. Two weeks for $275. The second week students go deeper into the skiils and to the next level. www.wolfcowichan.com

Robot Building on Spring Break

Youth Horsemanship Spirit Gate Farm

Spring Break Reading Around the corner comes Spring Break and an opportunity to get kids active. Here are some inspiring titles that will help: 1.The Danish Way of Parenting: What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Capable Kids. Get aboard the latest craze for all things Danish!

2.The Big Book of Nature Activities: A Year-Round Guide to Outdoor Learning. Chalk-full of ideas for nature study with the young ones in your life.

3.Let Them Eat Dirt: Saving Your Child from an Oversanitized World. Educates about the microbes kids need for health.

4.Yoga Bunny. For 2-7 year olds, complete with animals in the forest doing yoga and lots of poses.

5.Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt. A gardening primer for children with lists of vegetables and animals but told as a story, too.

6.Atlas of Oddities: Discover the Amazing and Diverse World We Live In. Trivia and geography to interest 6 to 96 year-olds!

Books above are available at Volume One Books, 149 Kenneth St, Duncan 250 748-1533

Camp Pringle Spring Break On a gorgeous 22-acre property on the shores of Shawnigan Lake , Camp Pringle provide opportunities for campers of all ages to experience God’s love in close relationship with other people and the natural environment. Activities include: Rock climbing, highropes, low ropes, canoeing, wide games, faith quest, skits, hikes and campfires. Accommodation is provided in our dormitory building with electricity, in-door washrooms/shower and is fully heated. Ages 8-17yrsFrom 7pm Sunday, March 19 Until 3:00pm Friday, March 24 Cost: $460 +gst Register at www.camppringle.com

WestView Learning is offering two Spring Break Camps at Island Savings Centre. During the week of March 13-20th, students build, program and remote control Lego¹s EV3 robots through a series of course designed and built by the students. March 23rd-27th is an opportunity for boys and girls to learn basic sewing, felting, weaving, and hooking skills as they work through a variety of projects. Ongoing at WestView Learning is after school programming classes in programs like Scratch, Hippani, Swift and HTML5. We are looking forward to the addition of Daniel Martins to our staff. He will be posting classes/courses for youth/ adults in music production and composition forTV and movies.

For more information call 250 701-3359 or visit www.westviewlearning.ca

Spirit Gate Farm Youth Horsemanship Certificate Program Level 1 Learn how to communicate effectively with horses, starting with foundational skills on the ground. Learn the importance of body language, and basics of holistic horse health. Play interactive games with horses.

Our focus is on life skills coaching for kids: body awareness and emotional intelligence, building trust in relationships, while safely playing with horses. Youth ages 8 - 12 years March 20 24, 9 - 2 pm Cost $300 Spirit Gate Farm 2541 Herd rd, Duncan to register contact michelle@spiritgate.ca

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Stand Up for Inclusion

O

n a global, national, and local scale we are seeing a rise in discrimination, unjust practices, violence, and hateful behaviors that are targeted towards people based on differences such as race, faith, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and economic circumstances. There is no time more relevant than now to seek ways to stand up, and stand

together, so we can address these divisive and distressing issues.

The Cowichan Intercultural Society is working in collaboration with other local organizations, who have committed, as part of Organizing to Address Racism and Hate in the Cowichan Valley, to develop the Stand Up

for Inclusion initiative.

Creating a community where all individuals are healthy (in body and spirit), safe, respected, valued, supported and included might seem like a daunting task however, the Cowichan Valley has been working towards this for decades. It has not been an easy task and yet we have made great strides towards reconciliation and inclusion of diverse identities because of the many efforts, both past and present, that organizations, schools, institutions, businesses, and community members have given. The goal of Stand Up for Inclusion is to bring these champions together, to identify our strengths and assets, and working collaboratively, to build on this foundation by finding innovative ways to Stand UP For Inclusion in these challenging times.

Currently, represent from various organizations and identities are participating in trainings and development sessions. The resulting plan will be revealed as part of a

workshop/dialogue session in mid April.

How can you become involved with this new initiative?

Stay tuned to the Cowichan Intercultural Society’s webpage where updates and opportunities to engage will be posted (www. cis-iwc.org).

We will also be launching an internet-based survey as part of gathering base line data and information about the assets and strengths in our community, the places, spaces and people who are champions for inclusion and who welcome people from all identities every day. And, to be able to report discriminatory practices, normalized behaviors that are unjust, and incidents of discrimination and racism in our community.

You can also contact Linda directly with any questions and/or to sign up today to get involved linda@cis-iwc.org or 250-748-3112. submitted by Linda McDaniels, Cowichan Intercultural Society

FREE LANGUAGE CLASSES, EMPLOYMENT AND SETTLEMENT SERVICES FOR ELIGIBLE NEWCOMERS

WHERE CULTURES CONNECT

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www.cis-iwc.org

250-748-3112

OPEN HOUSE Inside a Sunrise Waldorf Kindergarten Classroom

welcome you and your family. The Sunrise Waldorf School community are a dedicated group of teachers, administrators, parents, and families striving towards an education that is holistic, integrated and meaningful.

In the ECE, Waldorf education is one that emphasizes the development of imagination and play.

It is rich with artistic and creative activities, and is imbued with life and joy. Our students spend time in nature everyday while playing and observing their surroundings and the rhythms of the seasons. Festivals, class plays, handwork, drawing, singing, and gardening are just some of the creative ways that children learn and grow in our ECE classrooms.

Annual Open House at Sunrise Waldorf School

P

lease join us for one of the many Open House events being hosted in our Early Childhood Education (ECE) Classrooms this spring. The Open House is an opportunity for your child to explore the beauty and wonder of our Kindergarten and Pre-school classrooms.

Parents can meet the teachers and learn more about Waldorf Early Childhood Education and philosophy.

Our Kindergarten and Preschool teachers will be there to answer questions and to

A Morning in the Preschool Saturday March 11

The Open House 10 am - 12 pm events will be A Morning in the hosted by the ECE teachers and Kindergarten the Director of Saturday March 4 Admissions. We Saturday March 25 look forward to 10 am - 12 pm meeting you and to answering your Space is limited - Please RSVP questions about admissions@sunrisewaldorfschool how our school and or call 250.743.7253 community could be www.sunrisewaldorfschool.org a fit for your family.

In order to offer a personal experience, space is limited for each of the events.

Please RSVP to admissions@sunrisewaldorfschool.org if you would like to attend.

Visit us for delicious and healthy treats during

SPRING BREAK

Outdoor play with creative imagination.

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misinformation and “alternative facts”.

Education: Antidote to Alternative Facts

E

ven a few years ago, it would have been hard to predict that the terms “posttruth” and “alternative facts” would come to dominate the political world we live in today.

While recent and distant history provides many examples and instances of politicians being less than honest or manipulating facts, the recent shift that we’ve seen towards a factindependent administration in the US is beyond what most of us would consider reasonable or acceptable.

I recently listened with incredulity to a BBC interview with Scott Pruitt, the new head of the US Environmental Protection Agency, who repeatedly

dismissed the science of climate change. His argument was to say that because Americans elected Trump, who does not believe in human-caused climate change, then climate change is not an issue. This is a common logical fallacy – just because one statement of the argument may be true (Trump was elected), it does not make the second part of the argument true (therefore climate change is not real).

To be armed against the volumes of misinformation coming at us requires critical thinking and a strong foundation of understanding of the world around us. High quality public education is a key to ensuring that citizens have the skills and knowledge to reject

WELCOME AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT INTO YOUR HOME

We have long term and short term winter, spring and summer hosting opportunities. Families are paid $800 per month.

To find out more about our program email:blanglois@sd79.bc.ca or Call our office at 250-746 0744 or visit our website at http://isp.sd79.bc.ca

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Investment in education – from early education to post-secondary and graduate studies – is one of the important things a government can do to safeguard a vibrant democracy. Education expands our worlds, helps us develop empathy for others as we see things from different perspectives, and gives us the capacity to be critical thinkers who form opinions based on verifiable facts. Countries that make education a priority by investing in it, valuing teachers, and ensuring that curriculum helps students to develop the ability to critically analyze the world around them benefit from having citizens who are more engaged and a higher voter turnout.

Education is the single greatest form of empowerment of individuals. As a teacher, I have watched students develop a passion for learning and a recognition of the many opportunities their education provides them – and I have witnessed them move out of high school and into the world with hope and confidence. Access to education means access to unlimited possibilities, and the ability to shape our own futures according to our passions, talents, and skills.

My father arrived in Canada in the mid-1950s, having escaped

with his family from East Germany. He completed high school in Sidney, and then went on to graduate from UVic’s first graduating class in 1963. He then pursued graduate studies in Alberta, and earned a PhD in Psychology. He taught as Grant McEwan college, and later was the architect of the University Transfer Program.

In the late 1990s, he moved to the Cowichan Valley and began teaching at Malaspina. As a refugee from East Germany and a new immigrant to Canada, access to public school and affordable post-secondary education gave my father the ability to make a significant contribution to his new society.

Education needs to be a top priority of our government.

Investing in education safeguards our democracy, creates unlimited opportunities for our children and youth, and helps create a vibrant, thriving society. We need to ensure that all children have access to the highest quality public education, that teachers are valued and supported, and that post-secondary education is not so unaffordable as to be inaccessible to many, or even most, young people. We all benefit when we invest in education.

Sonia Furstenau is a CVRD Area Director, BC Greens MLA candidate, and a former school teacher.

school programs that fit with the learning objectives of the BC school curriculum, and in the summer months we offer week-long Marine Biology Summer Camps.

T

The Centre is managed by a committee of the Cowichan Land Trust which includes representatives from the Land Trust Board of Directors, the Area D Parks Commission, and the Cowichan Valley Naturalists. The Nature Centre is kept open to the public by a team of volunteer docents and programs are led by professional nature interpreters assisted by docents. The Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre is a member of the Nature Cowichan network.

BEADS BEADS BEADS

Etc!

9752c Willow St

Chemainus

250 324 2227 Open 7 days a week

Best prices on the island • HUGE Selection • Workshops & Classes Beading I Kumihimo I Bead Weaving I Viking Knit I Herringbone and more!

COWICHAN ESTUARY YOGA FLIGHT

Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre

he Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre is an interpretive centre overlooking the Cowichan Estuary, a 400 hectare estuarine ecosystem in the unceded territory of the Quw’utsun people which provides vital habitat for resident and migratory birds, Pacific salmon, shellfish and and a diversity of inter-tidal life.

We offer interactive opportunities for all ages to learn about the estuary, its watershed, marine life, and natural and cultural history.

Visitors can see and touch marine and intertidal creatures in our aquarium and touch tank; use our microscopes, telescopes and interactive displays, and enjoy wildlife and bird watching along our ocean front interpretive trail and from our viewing tower.

Throughout the year we offer

Open 9am to 9pm!

DAILY 1606 Joan Avenue 250-324-2249

Visit the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre in Cowichan Bay during Spring break. The beautiful setting in Hecate Park features a viewing tower and beach access. Activities at the Nature Centre include two aquaria, a touch tank, microscopes, informative displays about the watershed and the estuary, and craft activities. Maps to walks in the Cowichan Estuary are available. The Nature Centre is open from 12 to 4, Wednesday through Sunday.

Admission is by donation.

1845 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cowichan Bay www.cowichanestuary.ca Submitted by John Scull

S

ay goodbye to Winter and welcome in Spring with a flight of yoga classes in Cowichan Bay! Local yoga and nature enthusiasts are coming together with the goals of fundraising to support the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre, heightening local awareness of the Centre, promoting enjoyment and appreciation of the estuary, and strengthening community networking in general.

Running March and April, Sundays from 430-530, classes will be held in the beautiful Cowichan Estuary Nature Center. Each Sunday will be hosted by a different yoga teacher, an excellent opportunity to sample the different styles of our Valley´s yoginis. Classes are suitable

for all levels, beginners very welcome! Sign-up is recommended as space is limited. Suggested donation $10/class. All proceeds to support the Nature Center - a community gem! Information and sign-up is available through the Cowichan Estuary Yoga Flight Facebook page, or via email to cowichanyogaflight@gmail. com Join us on Sundays March 5, 12, 19 ,26 Cowichan Estuary Yoga Flight & Fundraiser. 430-530pm.

Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre, Cowichan Bay. $10 suggested donation. Beautiful setting, excellent teachers!

Sign-up early, space limited. cowichanyogaflight@gmail. com Submitted by Natasha Ayers

All new high efficiency machines!

DOUBLE, TRIPLE & QUAD front load washer extractors Oversize gas dryers

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COWICHAN BUSINESS

Organize don’t agonize call Savvy Sorters now!

Time To Start Afresh

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZING SERVICES:

Reorganize your life with our help!

Including downsizing, decluttering, preparation for moving and so much more!

you do your spring-clean?

Do one room at a time and focus on de-cluttering before doing the cleaning: five marked boxes: one box for goodwill, one box for next month’s garage sale, one box trash, one box seasonal stuff for storage and one for keepsakes.

Madeleine & Philip Tarrant I 250-732-3354 www.savvysorters.ca I savvysorters@gmail.com

#301- 394 Duncan Street Duncan, BC V9L 3W4 250 748-1426 Fax: 250 748 2805 PO Box 1396 #101-626 First Avenue Ladysmith, BC V9G 1A9 250 245-1429 Fax: 250 245-1421 1-800-818-5703 www.palmerleslie.ca

Sands Funeral Chapel

Cremation & Reception Centre-Duncan

by Arbor Memorial

Janice Winfrey Funeral Director

tel: 250-746-5212 • fax:250-746-7034 sandsfuneral.com/duncan email:sandsduncan@arbormemorial.com 187 Trunk Road, Duncan, British Columbia V9L 2P1

Dave Shortill

“Saving Friends and Family since 1987” Insurance • Savings • Advice Call for free financial check up

250-732-5355

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W

hether the groundhog saw his shadow or not is controversial this year, however, Spring will arrive whether there is snow on the ground or not.!!!

Time to spring clean before our thoughts turn to enjoying the great outdoors that Vancouver Island has to offer.

The thought of springcleaning may be daunting, but, if done right, it can be liberating – the act of clearing away dirt and clutter can clear away mental stress and set us up for a positive year.

Make yourself a list of what needs to be done. There are lots of online lists to chose from. (I like the one on FreebieFindingMom.com.)

Go into each room and, (yes, the garage and basement too); try to imagine that you are seeing your home for the first time. Is there generally too much ‘stuff’ in there? What do you need in that room and what would you like to get rid of?

Are you thinking of selling your home and moving on?

Should you take that into account as

Then, and only then, start to clean from high to low.

We all live busy lives these days and your time is precious. So be savvy about it, don’t be embarrassed to ask for professional help; from housekeeping to professional organizers, such as ourselves.

Having a clean, organized home can make life so much sweeter, giving you room to breathe and relax. Time to start afresh!

For monthly organizing tips visit our blog www. savvysorters.ca Madeleine and Philip Tarrant Philip have a background in teaching and youth & family work. Madeleine has been a social worker, therapist and counsellor. They bring their “caring” experience to help you organize. Savvy Sorters Organize don’t agonize.

Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

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FOR BUSINESS Taking The Next Step In Your Marketing Plan WHAT REALLY HAPPENS WHEN YOU HIRE A MARKETING AGENCY

I

f you don’t have customers, you don’t really have a business, that’s why marketing is just as important as sales.

Marketing is how you get sales, by spreading the word about your products and services to the appropriate audiences. After all, if you don’t spread your message, how will anyone ever hear it?

will need to invest time and resources towards training and management of the new hires.

Working with an agency saves you needing to pay payroll taxes or benefits like dental and you don’t need to provide office space or equipment. You also gain access and support from a team of experts with a proven track record.

For many small businesses active marketing often takes a backseat to other, seemingly more pressing issues like running the business! It can be difficult to carve out time in our already busy days to think strategically about taking your product to market in the first place. Website design and maintenance, buying ad space, designing graphics and writing copy for ads, social media or blog posts can feel like a full time job - because it really is! Then you throw in concepts such as Relationship Marketing, Social Media Engagement, Content Marketing or Email Marketing and what is a small business owner to do? No wonder marketing takes a back seat, we get it.

Working with pros actually makes you more productive.

You don’t need to take timeout from the 5 other critical roles you play in your company to write website copy. The pros will handle that.

Most companies understand the need for a well planned and executed marketing strategy.

The reality however, is that unless you have a dedicated person or team handling things, this task can be overwhelming.

For small businesses having a dedicated person isn’t always the most cost effective route you can go. That’s where MAC5 comes in.

Save $$’s and Time Going the agency route can save you quite a bit of money. Look at it this way: When you hire in-house you

Need a new graphic for your flash sale? Done! Want to redesign the online store? No problem, we’re on it! Can’t find the time for social media?

We can! Have no idea if your efforts are really working? We can provide regular easy to read reports to show you which messages work and which ones flop. Have lots of ideas but need someone to talk to about strategy or tactics to grow your business? Now you’re talking!

Let’s grab coffee and you can bend our ears, we love talking shop.

Ask the Right Questions We can start with a simple, informal conversation – there’s no charge, no obligation and no expectations. We love to help clients get a personalized idea of how our digital marketing services can benefit their business. We pride ourselves in challenging the tech world around us and luckily get to work with some of the brightest minds in the business every day.

• • • • •

Website Design & Development Social Media Solutions Search Engine Optimization Internet Marketing & PPC Consulting & Training

250-732-2937 We recommend that you take a moment to jot down some questions before the meeting. It’s important that you understand what services are offered and how they will be implemented. Here is a list of questions you should always ask : 1) What is Your Communication Style?

You want to find someone who is a good fit, whom you will enjoy working with. It’s important to know what kind of communication you expect, be it daily, weekly, infrequently, or instantaneous.

2) How Much Education Do You Want?

Do you want to learn how the pros are doing it so that you can eventually do it on your own? Would you prefer to do what you do best - running your empire - while they do their thing?

3) What are Your Expectations?

If there are specific duties you expect an agency to fulfill, you must be upfront about it.

In some cases, agencies might

info@MAC5.ca www.MAC5.ca @MAC5WebDesign

1- 855-622-5932 not be prepared to meet your expectations and you want to know that long before you sign any contracts.

4) Are You Able to Meet Deadlines?

This is a really important aspect to successful marketing.

Your marketers will need information, some in-house art, approvals, answers to questions all in a timely manner in order to run campaigns. If you think you might have trouble providing these things you need to be upfront about it so that we can work around your needs.

At MAC5, we’re a different kind of company that very much enjoys what we do and are a polar opposite to the Corporate World. Even if you have little or no real “tech” experience it’s really not a problem. At the end of the day, we’re Small Business owners – just like you – and with a phone and an internet connection or Skype we can solve almost any problem.

Get in touch with us today and let’s see how we can help! www.MAC5.ca

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You are invited to a free public lecture

by Jose de Dios Mata CSB

Divine Love:

the answer to universal health

Come and explore the power of God’s love to heal.

Saturday April 1st 11:00am

Island Savings Centre (Koksilah Room)

2687 James St., Duncan

Sponsored by: Christian Science Society Duncan

For more information call 250 597 7554 or email: christianscienceduncan@gmail.com Keep it GREEN for March! SEAFLORA products 20% off.

PH balanced skin is very important now, with our unfamiliar extreme weather conditions, which can cause Eczema type issues

C

hristian Science, as a religion and health care system, has been practiced in the Valley for over a hundred years.

The first formal location was the heritage building at the corner of Ingram and Jubilee Street as well as a community outreach called a ‘Reading Room’ on Kenneth St. In the 70’s the church was relocated to the building on Lane Road, which includes the Reading Room.

Part of our mission is to sponsor free lectures in the community. These lectures are intended to inform those interested in Christian Science and its practice. A lecture entitled, “Divine Love: the answer to universal health”, is to be held at the Island Savings Centre on April 1st at 11:00 am.

The Power of God as Divine Love

This lecture is about the power of God as divine Love and the direct influence for good it can have on lives individually and collectively when spiritually understood.

It explores the Biblical basis of God as divine Love whose law Christ Jesus taught and practiced in his healing and teaching ministry. It brings out the relevance of his command “to love your neighbor as yourself” and the

worldwide healing impact this can have.

The lecturer, José de Dios Mata, was introduced to Christian Science after losing most of his hearing due to a congenital lesion. Although he was told surgery was required to avoid deafness, he chose to explore this system of spiritual healing.

His hearing was quickly and completely restored solely through reading the textbook of this religion, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.

The spiritual understanding he had achieved due to this enabled him to heal others. As a result, he entered the public practice of Christian Science in 1989 and became a teacher of Christian Science in 2009.

He is presently a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship and lectures worldwide.

MARGOT PAGE

Enamelling on Copper and Steel

REPAIR ,HYDRATE, MOISTURIZE & PROTECT

your skin with our freshly infused lavender & camomile ingredients.

Contours Aesthetics 3515 Cobble Hill Rd • 250-715-7935

www.contoursaesthetics.com

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Studio Visits by Appointment 250-746-8446 7113 Osborne Bay Rd, Duncan I www.margotpage.com

Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

Nature Trail Open Air Classroom

The Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association

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he “Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association ---CERCA” is registered under the BC Society Act as a charitable Non-Profit Organization. CERCA’s members are mostly citizens of the Cowichan Valley concerned about the Cowichan-Koksilah Estuary’s environmental health and ecological integrity which continues to be threatened by noncompatible uses. Founded in 2012, CERCA builds on the work of its predecessor, the “Cowichan Estuary Society” created in 1975 in response to the alarming adverse impacts on the estuary’s ecological integrity through forestry-related activities, agriculture, urbanization and contamination at the time. CERCA has adopted a holistic approach for its

Mission and long-term Vision. It addresses the Cowichan and Koksilah River Watersheds, their common floodplain and marshes, and the corresponding Cowichan – Koksilah Estuary as one single ecological entity.

CERCA’s Vision is a rehabilitated Estuary zoned for biodiversity conservation, compatible recreation, and sustainable traditional use of renewable resources, an estuary that is free of harmful industrial, agricultural and residential activities.

Reason for protection needs: Estuaries are recognized as one of the most productive ecosystems on earth, aptly referred to as the “cradle of life”. They are home to most edible marine fish species.

The Cowichan-Koksilah is the fourth largest and one

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of the ecologically most important estuaries of BC (493 ha). It provides critical fish rearing-, shellfish- and Key bird winter habitat, and is of significant economic and ecological importance to four of the Pacific salmon species. Marine biologists estimate that about 50% of the estuary is in need of restoration as a result of past and current non-compatible use. It has turned into a prime tourist destination for wildlife viewing, sea-kayaking and other nature-based activities.

The Cowichan Bay’s very high life quality and pleasant climate continues to attract people from across Canada to settle here.

CERCA’s major completed projects include inter alia (a) breaching the artificial causeway in the center of the estuary re-enabling salmon spawn to access southern portion of the estuary; (b)

re-habilitation of 30 has of salt marsh on Mariners Island by removing 10 000 logs and large woody debris washed up over decades; (c) International Symposium on “Expected Impacts of Climate Change on Coastal Communities”; (d) jointly with Royal BC Museum elaboration of a mobile estuary exhibition; (e) jointly with UVIC perception poll of Cowichan Bay residents; and (f) construction of the Cowichan Estuary Nature Trail-Open air classroom. Total costs of projects to date are approximately $400K. CERCA continues to lobby for its vision shared

by Cowichan Tribes, the Official Community Plan and the Cowichan Estuary Environmental Management Plan. www.cowichanestuary.com Submitted by Dr. Goetz Schuerholz Conservation Ecologist, Chair of CERCA

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Guy Dauncey Author of Journey to the Future: A Better World is Possible, and The Climate Challenge: 101 Solutions to Global Warming.

or ten thousand years, Earth’s climate allowed us to lead a pleasant life where we could develop agriculture and grow food.

This is Beauty, who blesses us with her existence.

Then two hundred years ago a savage beast took over our economy, devouring fossil fuels and in so doing enabling our ancestors to achieve incredible things, lifting all our living standards, but at a terrible cost, the greatest of which is the climate crisis.

The Beast now runs the global economy, feeding on fossil fuels and making globally important decisions based on selfishness and greed, including the decisions to continue to extract, sell and burn fossil fuels and to clearcut forests long after we know how much harm these activities cause, and the tragedies they will unleash on our children and grandchildren.

The Beast has taken Beauty captive, and without her calming influence the climate has been infected with the Beast’s anger, warming and

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acidifying the oceans, melting the world’s ice, and hurling droughts, floods, heat waves and forest fires onto hapless communities.

Can we rid Earth of the Beast, and restore Beauty’s abilities to calm the climate? The economy is fundamentally a cooperative activity, but the Beast has turned it into a ravaging monster. If we can build a new cooperative economy, and constrain capitalism’s key features, it will be like kissing the Beast many times, releasing the kind, charming man who has been locked away inside him for so long, due to a nasty ancient spell.

Specifically, what will these kisses involve? They will involve talking to many people and politicians, to persuade them how they can help. They will involve forming renewable energy cooperatives, to deliver solar and wind energy in place of electricity from coal and gas.

They will involve building safe, separated bike lanes like never before, and weakening the power of the oil industry by buying electric buses, trucks, cars and bikes. They will involve making a huge cooperative effort to retrofit our homes and buildings so that they no longer need fossil fuels for heat. They

will involve a massive increase in organic farming, holistic ranching and sustainable forest management, to sequestrate carbon from the atmosphere.

And they will involve accepting a higher level of carbon taxes, to incentivize and encourage the change.

Climate and the Economy: Beauty and the Beast

In the fairy tale, wen the girl declares her love for the Beast and kisses him, he turns back into the handsome prince he was, before the nasty spell. But where our world differs from fairy tale is that we cannot rely on just one girl to do it. We must all kiss the Beast together, by working to restore kindness to the economy, and enabling him to feed on clean renewable energy in place of the relentless consumption of fossil fuels. Once we have

done this, and persuaded others to do the same all around the world, the Beast will be no more, Beauty will marry, and calm will return to the Earth.

Guy Dauncey will be a key speaker at the Symposium for Climate Change and Economy hosted by the Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association March 31at Ramada Duncan.

Symposium on Climate Change and the Economy

C

ERCA and Island Savings are pleased to invite you to the one-day Symposium on: “Climate Change and the Economy”. The central theme of the Symposium is a timely and perfect fit reflecting the long term goals of the CVRD and the immediate actions to be taken to be prepared for expected impacts of climate change on the local environment and economy.

In view of the challenges ahead caused by expected impacts of climate change it is essential to urgently “modernize” and adapt our economy. This applies to all sectors including manufacturing and other industry, crafts, agriculture, forestry, resource use, and services. There is an urgent need for change in the way we traditionally looked at the economy in order to reduce our environmental footprint and adapt to the impacts of climate change which are sure to come. It appears obvious that unless timely action is taken, water shortages, desertification, natural catastrophes, and wars will cause increasing upheaval and mayhem. If we do not accept the need for dramatic changes in the way we do business, entire industries may become ineffective and obsolete in the future eliminating large numbers of jobs. The already overwhelming mostly climate change related refugee crisis world-wide may become a problem that cannot be solved.

Both the early conversion to a sustainable economy as well as the necessary adaptation to climate change with predictable changes in the supply of water

JODIE MCDONALD, MSW RSW 250-580-2252 jodie@livingandbreathing.ca

and resources promise a better potential for a stable and quality economy providing new jobs. It is hoped that a modern economy, socially and environmentally oriented, can influence and endure climate change.

We have assembled a group of internationally known scientists and practitioners who will present and discuss these risks and opportunities at our symposium. Some of the key speakers include world-reknown climatologist Prof. Dr. Andrew Weaver, BC’s Leader of the Green Party; worldre-known economist Prof.

Dr. Peter Hennicke, a leader on energy change and longtime Head of the ‘Wuppertal Institute’, Germany’s Think Tank on Climate Change and Energy; atmospheric scientist Geoff Strong providing us with a global overview on climate change and impacts; successful book author and climate and sustainable economy advocate Guy Dauncey; ecologist Dr. Rupert Downing talking about practical solutions to sustainable community development; international award winning Beate Weber-Schuerholz, former Mayor of the city of Heidelberg and Member of the European Parliament where she led the “Commission of the Environment” showing us how to convert a city to benefit from a sustainable economy; Robert Walker, Vice President of Ethical Funds and Environmental, Social and Governance Services of the

NEI talking about financing a green economy; Eli Enns, Co-founder of the Ha’uukmin Tribal Park in the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve on Vancouver Island talking about climate Change and Re-conciliation; and Robert Douglas speaking on economic development strategies proposed for the CVRD. The afternoon session of the Symposium is allocated to a panel discussion discussing what all this means for the Cowichan Valley regional District. Panel members include Kate Miller (CVRD), John Lefebure (Mayor North Cowichan), Lori Iannidinardo (CVRD Director), Amy

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Melmock (CVRD Economic Development Cowichan), Sonia Furstenau (CVRD Director), Brandy Gallagher (Eco-Village), and Julie Scurr (President Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce). Moderator Susan Down. This exciting symposium brings together a wide-ranging degree of expertise to address the issues related to the overall theme of this event. We would be delighted to welcome you to the Symposium.

Climate Change and the Economy, Friday, March 31, Ramada Duncan, 8:30AM-5:30 PM, For pre-registration contact cerca@shaw.ca. Symposium is open to the public, admission $15/person. (limited seating)

SYBILLE WEBB, MEd 250-715-6957 sybillewebb@shaw.ca

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true 21st century economy is marked by a focus on developing diversified industries that provide local, high-paying and sustainable employment over the longterm. Rather than relying on a single industry in one part of the province to provide prosperity for British Columbia’s future, true leadership demands an approach that develops varied opportunities across the province.

First and foremost, leadership requires developing a better approach to how we work with this province’s First Nations that is grounded in respect and in line with recent rulings like the Tsilhqot’in decision. While the full implications of this ruling are still being discussed, I believe it is critical that we view it as an opportunity to explore an unheralded age of partnership with First Nations.

We must move from any notion of “accommodation” to one that embraces the rights of First Nations in British Columbia.

We must accept the challenge laid out by Justice McLachlin in the ruling when she wrote: “the governing ethos is not one of competing interests but of reconciliation”. Only if we take seriously this opportunity for cooperation can we move forward with trust in this important relationship.

This same leadership will also require an honest conversation about how to develop a diversified, low carbon economy.

Let me give an example.

We know that the returns to investment will be highest for those who seize the opportunities of the 21st century—not the 20th century economy. Windfalls will be enjoyed by those who move first with vision, not latecomers to a developed market. We are far too late to be significant players in the LNG export market—that ship has sailed. Instead, we should be identifying and seizing BC’s competitive advantages.

One area of the economy in which BC possesses an enormous competitive advantage, if nurtured, is in clean technology.

This competitive advantage is shared with other jurisdictions in

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the region, and our neighbours to the south are already distinguishing themselves as leaders in the 21st century economy, reaping the benefits that this will provide.

California is embracing the changes to their electrical grid that are necessary to prepare for a massive influx of renewable energy that will flood the grid by 2020. And it’s not solely out of concern about climate change either — they know that this is crucial for making responsible investments of taxpayer dollars into the grid and that they need to be embarking on this strategic planning now.

Washington is joining California in leading the push for increased cost-effective energy storage capacity to improve the efficiency of off-peak energy producers like wind. Washington is also using policy tools to craft win-win situations in which both the consumer and the utility can benefit from installing clean technologies like rooftop solar and small scale wind — making it economically attractive for the utility and affordable for the consumer to install them.

For example, on May 4, 2009, Governor Christine Gregoire created the Clean Energy Leadership Council tasked with developing strategies which would accelerate the state’s transition away from fossil fuels to create a “21st century economy”.

These strategies would accomplish this goal by building on Washington’s competitive advantages in clean tech to attract new investment, create new partnerships all with a focus on creating green jobs in the state.

Washington’s approach was based on a very clear idea — one that arguably used to be present here in BC — Washington aligned both public and private sector efforts in order to develop “market leading clean energy solutions that [could] be replicated not only in Washington but beyond its borders”.

The Council focused on determining, and building on

Diversified Economy

Washington’s competitive advantages so that it could accelerate the funding and deployment of “market driver initiatives” in these areas.

Each competitive advantage area was addressed with a parallel action plan: Align Clean Energy Policy and Regulation Accelerate High Profile Clean Energy Development Create a Focal Point for Clean Energy Economic Development Their approach is working.

Recently, the Canadian Geothermal Energy Association released a report outlining the extent of the opportunity that BC has to produce geothermal energy.

Looking at only a portion of BC, this study clearly shows that we are missing a massive opportunity to tap a renewable resource. In fact, BC is the only jurisdiction in the Pacific Rim’s ring of fire that is not producing geothermal energy.

We stand to gain by building on the expertise that our neighbours have already developed in these areas. And yet, there is still so much room to grow in this sector, to improve upon current technologies and policy innovations. We need to learn from what has worked for our neighbours, and craft them into a “made in BC approach” that respects the unique characteristics of our economy, our environment and our energy needs. A “made in BC approach” will require bold leadership to

bring industry leaders, academics and government to the table to lay out a new vision for the energy system that a diversified, sustainable 21st century economy will require.

This vision will also require a serious look at the mandate of BC Hydro. Its scope should be expanded to allow for the production of geothermal power.

Its role could also be expanded to facilitate the partnering of industries with clean energy producers, both existing and new, that want access to long term stable pricing for their electricity needs. In BC we have what many others do not. These are our legacy dams — the rechargeable batteries of the 21st century energy grid that can be drawn upon when other intermittent sources are not producing electricity.

In essence, the same leadership, innovation and natural advantages that could provide us with the opportunity to become North America’s centre for clean tech can be harnessed to develop new opportunities including those within our traditional industries like forestry.

Dr. Andrew Weaver will be a key speaker at the Symposium for Climate Change and Economy hosted by the Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association March 31at Ramada Duncan.

Dr. Andrew Weaver is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and Order of British Columbia recipient and a BC Green Party MLA.

y

Granny - J2 traveling up Swanson Channel, we will miss you granny...

Image Simon Pidcock, Ocean EcoVentures

South Island Whale Report

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e are excited to be gearing up for another whale watching and wildlife viewing season on the Salish Sea. Our boats are currently undergoing their annual maintenance and are ready to get out there.

The winter whale and wildlife sightings have been excellent this year; we’ve never seen so much whale activity in the Salish Sea so early in the season! Hopefully, that’s a sign of what’s in store for us in the coming spring and summer months.

We’ve been seeing multiple Bigg’s Killer Whale families and have documented two new calves as well as multiple sighting of J Pod from our Southern Resident Killer Whale community.

There have also been overwintering Humpback Whales that decided to stay in our waters instead of migrating to Hawaii or Mexico for the winter.

We can’t wait to sharing another wonderful season of epic whale and wildlife encounters with all of our friends and family!

As many have already heard we lost Granny J2, the matriarch of J Pod from our Southern Resident Killer Whale community this winter. Granny was the oldest documented killer whale in the world and was estimated to be 105 years old. While we

at Ocean EcoVentures feel like we have lost an old friend we are choosing to celebrate her life. All Orcas should have the chance to live as long as Granny did.

The biggest plight for our resident orcas is the lack of Chinook salmon. In 2016 Ocean EcoVentures started donating $2 for every guest that came out on one of our tours to salmon restoration and whale and wildlife conservation in our area.

We want to take this time to thank all of you for directly helping with whale and wildlife conservation in the Salish Sea. Please check out Center for Whale Research for more information how you can make a difference for the Southern Resident Killer Whales.

We look forward to sharing another amazing whale watching season with you and your family and friends in 2017. We are running a 20% discount for locals, friends and family right now check out facebook to receive a 20% discount on your booking!

Simon Pidcock is Owner/ Operator of Ocean Ecoventures in Cowichan Bay

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Not A Skier? There’s More Than Snow at Mount Washington To Enjoy

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ecently I took advantage of some ME time while on a family holiday to Mount Washington. The plan revolved around enrolling the children in ski school leaving me with a full day to enjoy the slopes, have lunch and indulge in a new discovery - a massage on the hill. A great resource for non skiers, Nurture Therapies is located right on the mountain opposite the Raven Lodge in the Mountain Centre. Jennifer specializes in Thai Massage an ancient healing modality that combines acupressure, Ayurveda and assisted yoga postures. It is gentle for you, yet physical for the practitioner whose trained hands seek your pressure points needing release or attention. Instead of rubbing like a Swedish massage, she compresses, pulls and rocks different parts of the body to release all over tension. Jennifer finds areas with blocked energy/ problem spots and shakes, stretches and presses out your pain rhythmically and systematically. Your only role is to relax, breathe and become putty in her hands.

A trained yoga teacher, Jennifer’s expertise with the poses brings her special insight for what her clients need. She is the go-to-practitioner for chronic pain both on the hill and at her studio in Courtenay.

Her clients include Olympic athletes, fellow practitioners

and full roster of regulars to the mountain. She came highly recommended and wasn’t disappointed. t came out of her studio feeling renewed, relaxed and lighter in body and spirit. I felt like I had just done a yoga class without any of the physical work. Her Thai Massage helped bring me back to centre, physically, mentally and emotionally. My appointment ended on time and I was still able to enjoy the snow and sunshine before collecting the boys from their lesson. A great way to spend 60 minutes on the hill if you feel deserving of a little body rejuvenation.

Staying in town? Another great idea to help make the family ski trip feel just a little bit more like a getaway. Oh Spa at the Old House Hotel in Courtenay is a full service spa with a range of esthetics and body treatments.

They are open late, so you can enjoy a full day at the hill and come back to the hotel in time for some pampering. For the rest of the family, included in your stay is a fun swim in the heated outdoor pool. A great way to end a long snow filled day. I ventured in my robe to the spa located in the main building. A last minute add on - I booked treatments on the same night we booked into the

Thai Massage with Jennifer

Nurture Therapies is located in the Mountain Centre

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Outdoor heated pool and hot tub, Old House Village Hotel

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hotel so my options were limited to two mini appointments. A mini pedicure and a mini back massage. Desiree greeted me in the spa lounge and walked me to the esthetics room where a big massage chair and hot foot bath awaited. The chair gently nudged my back with a variety of rollers while she swiftly worked pampering my feet, lower legs and every toe. We chatted about things to do around town and I was impressed with how much she could get done within this mini pedi appointment. My feet transformed from tough and callused to soft, tidy and exfoliated. Next up - mini back massage. A cheerful Tara led me to her warm treatment room where I chose from a selection of 3 oil blends for my massage - relaxing, energizing and uplifting. I lay on my stomach and after a quick assessment of my back she began to apply medium pressure to all my sore spots noticeably increasing

my circulation and easing the pain out of my tense and tired muscles. This season has been a great one for boarding and every inch of my body has been worked in one way or another. Strong and efficient, Tara intuitively uses every part of her hands, palms, fingers, arms to work diligently on my troublesome areas. She hones in on my neck and shoulders sore from spending hours each day at the computer. Her intuitive and unique set of strokes sets her apart from other body workers, fine tuning pressure in tender spots and working hard on knots where she somehow knew she could. It was like my body was speaking to her throughout the massage. Time drew slowly and the treatment worked deeply. These mini treatments are perfect for those looking to squeeze in some indulgence, however for me, I will be sure to prepare and book in advance to feel truly pampered. Mini Massage with Tara was great but I am looking forward to having her for a full hour on my next visit to Oh Spa. Two great options for those that don’t ski or snowboard or an idea just for you on the next family ski trip.

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to act as healers.

Women have known for literally centuries, how useful cannabis is in alleviating pain from menstruation and childbirth, migraines, swollen breasts and in its application as an aphrodisiac.

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ver the past couple of years cannabis has been in the media quite a bit, both in Canada and in the United States, in mainstream media and counter culture publications.

With prohibition coming to an end, more and more people are discovering just how fascinating cannabis really is; Whether it’s changing societal attitudes, understanding how cannabinoids work synergistically with our endocannabinoid systems, or the business of Big Cannabis there is a lot of attention on this plant right now and, interestingly, on the women who work in the industry.

Women in weed is such a hot topic that industry outlets such as Viceland and Lift cover women’s contributions to the cannabis industry but so do mainstream media outlets like elle.com, inc. com, Chatelaine, and Newsweek.

Readers are gobbling it all up and retweeting the stories with a seemingly boundless enthusiasm.

Women in the Cannabis Industry is a trending topic for sure, but why, exactly?

Who Are The Women Working in The Cannabis Industry?

They come from all walks of life and work as growers, budtenders, bakers, activists, regulators, policy makers, entrepreneurs, executives, quality assurance managers, marketers, event planners, scientists, investors, politicians, and more. Positions in cannabis are far reaching and can encompass many, many different skill sets which means that the opportunities abound.

Historically it would appear that men have dominated the cultivation, distribution and culture of weed but thats not entirely accurate. Early societies known for forging often relied on women to gather herbs and

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In more recent years men have taken a front and centre role in cannabis - at least it would appear that way. Due to the underground nature of cannabis farming, precise data is difficult to come by. California’s Board of Equalization, the state tax agency, estimates the state is home to over 53,000 pot farms, many of which are run by women. Apart from the illegality itself of the business there are other, peripheral concerns that women have faced.

In particular the threat of having their children taken away has meant that mothers who work with cannabis develop a strong sense of secrecy about their work.

“There’s an incredible amount of misogyny in both the political movement and the industry,” says Sara Arnold, co-founder of Family Law & Cannabis Alliance, which helps mothers in the United States who have had their children taken away by CPS due to an association with medical marijuana.

With prohibition coming to an end there is very little left to prevent mothers and other women from coming out of the cannabis closet.

In fact, Troy Dayton, the CEO of ArcView Group an investment platform that finances cannabisrelated businesses says he’s seen a flood of women in the marijuana industry over the past year, and adds that it’s also “become very unfashionable very quickly to have scantily clad women repping products at B2B trade shows.”

Why are women so enthusiastic about the industry?

“Health Canada’s most recent numbers on women and weed date back to 2013, when 7 percent (around one million females) admitted to smoking in the past year — though that number is likely low, given many women don’t confess.” - Chatelaine, The Pinking of Pot, Jun 22, 2016.

Why is Women In Weed Such A Compelling Subject?

AN EXPLORATION OF A TRENDING TOPIC Women are one of the fastest growing cannabis consumer demographics and in Canada, women account for up to 80% of household spending - including health care so it only makes sense for brands to target them in their marketing messages. As Jazmine Hupp, co-founder of Women Grow, an international networking group for women in the cannabis industry points out: “You’re going to be going through the mothers of this country to have cannabis in your households.” Essentially what she is saying is that it is the 40 something mother who will decide if cannabis based wellness products succeed. Amanda Reiman, manager of marijuana law and policy at the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) adds “Women are uniquely qualified to lead an industry that seeks to heal its consumers physically, emotionally and spiritually.”

Genifer Murray, a scientist who runs a Colorado cannabis testing facility called CannLabs insists that women are better suited for the cannabis industry and will keep flocking to it. “This is a compassionate industry, for the most part, especially if you’re dealing with the medical side.

The medical patients need time and consideration, and women are usually the better gender for that.

The industry is flat-out geared for women.”

jobs as their male counterparts, a brand new industry offers us the opportunities to start fresh without the burden of a glass ceiling or entrenched misogyny that we find in other older industries. Right now, the notion of gender equality is still a possibility in this field.

According to Marijuana Business Daily, women make up about 36 percent of executives in the legalmarijuana industry, compared to about 22 percent of senior managers in other industries.

Women hold just 4.2 percent of the CEO positions at S&P 500 companies. At tech companies like Google and Twitter, disproportionately few executives and engineers are women. When Jane West, founder of Women Grow and Edible Events CO. was asked why women were eager to get into cannabis she said “Cannabis has more female entrepreneurs because it’s nascent.

We’re working with a blank slate.

Most of these companies didn’t exist five years ago, so there isn’t a patriarchy and nepotism like other industries.”

The allure of helping to shape a post-legalization landscape and to break old, outdated and harmful traditions is hard to resist. It’s not everyday that a new industry is born and this is for many, a once in a lifetime opportunity.

As we all know, women are typically paid less for the same

Gill Polard is the founding chairwoman of Women Grow; Vancouver Island.

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Bathrooms:

Spring Forward

Faces Of Friends SELF-PORTRAITURE AS A MEDIUM OF and challenging. During the SELF-DISCOVERY aces Of Friends began as F a one-off, fifteen-month commitment to group process, with the goal of sharing expertise and content. Local artists, writers, and thespians: Judy Brayden, Sandra Carr, Joanne Circle, Melanie Circle, Gloria Daly, Brigette Furlonger, Nan Goodship, Rebecca Hazell, Peter Spohn, Wendy Robison, Carrie Whitney-Brown and Yuko Yamamoto will share the culmination of this work in a group show from March 13th to 31st at PORTALS – The CVAC Centre of Arts, Culture and Heritage, 2687 James Street, Duncan. During the nine group meetings, the FACES prepared workshops and shared events with the group with the goal that these collective risks would create coalescences, bonds and bridges, as the relationship between “self-portraiture” and the authentic self of the creator was examined. Meet the FACES at the official show opening, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., Saturday, March 18th.

Performance art became the “big” takeaway. Local artist, Yuko Yamamoto, treated the FACES to this form of art-making that was both new

upcoming show, the public too can learn about this art form. On Thursday, March 30th (2:00 p.m. to 4:30) join some of the FACES in a two-hour performance art workshop and presentation at PORTALS. Register at judybrayden@shaw.ca attention Performance Art. Nominal charge.

Another remarkable, creative outcome was `Priscilla the Poetry Fridge``. Seen around the valley in the summer, this brilliant idea was the brainchild of FACES cofounders, Brigette Furlonger, Kelsea Moore and fridge fabricator, Jo Ludwig.

Co-founder, Wendy Robison, describes FACES of FRIENDS as a gift of creative intimacy, explored with grace and daring among a circle of artists. ``I’ve felt my self, my voice and my body safely held and valued, and resonant with the private joys and subtle terrors of our shared masked personae. Truly, an illumination of friends.`` PORTALS hours: 10:00 – 5:00 daily and 10:00 – 1:00 on Saturdays

With summer on the horizon the outdoors will be calling us and our indoor spaces tend to get neglected. Last fall I offered a list of bi-annual tasks to get ready for winter, when the clocks spring forward in March it’s a great reminder to take care of many of these items again.

Living areas:

- replace the batteries in the smoke detectors and CO2 detectors - clean blinds and draperies - clean carpets and upholstered furniture - vacuum the undersides of furniture for cobwebs - dust books and bookshelves as well as other hard to reach places

Bedrooms:

- vacuum mattresses and then flip and rotate - air out or launder pillows and duvets - rotate winter and summer clothing – yay!

Kitchen:

- pull appliances out and clean behind

- clean out drawers and cupboards discarding anything expired - deep scrub grout in shower surround and floor tiles - take down the shower curtain and launder according to instructions

All rooms:

- clean window tracks to clear the winter’s moisture - clean windows to let in the season’s light I’m not necessarily a big fan of structure but I sure do find that schedules and lists help to keep things on track.

Keeping a house and raising a family there is certainly lots to do. Spending a little time and attention now allows us to enjoy the season knowing we’ve taken care of things in advance. No need to get everything done all at once and guess what? Clocks go forward March 12th this year so if you’ve got kids they’ll be on spring break and can help out!

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ur dogs age. Some of us adopt older dogs. Things change.

Things like mobility, eyesight, hearing, and sometimes our old dogs just don’t feel like doing everything we want them to at a moments notice.

An old dog’s world gets smaller because of these things. Stairs, car rides, walkies, and even a beloved chair can become difficult to manage with sore joints and weaker muscles. Ramps and softer beds, slower walks and longer naps are part of the new routine. Slow walks are especially nice because your dog’s nose works well right until the end even when the hearing and vision are failing.

Going for a gentle stroll in different areas will help keep her world open and fresh.

The time to help your dog through her retirement is when she’s middle aged. Plan for aging. Keeping your dog as active as she can be and providing the best food you can find will set a foundation for an easier retirement.

Aging takes time and most of us adapt as it happens.

Supplements based on your dog’s individual needs will also change. You will need advice from professionals.

Some dogs have behavior changes as they age that will need to be looked into, as the dog could be in pain.

Dementia happens in dogs. A

diagnosis from a Veterinarian may be order.

Once a diagnosis has been made, there are many options to investigate. Massage, chiropractic, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, and energy therapies all have their advantages depending on your situation. Many of these can be used with traditional modalities that your Veterinarian recommends. You are your dog’s only advocate, ask questions, get other opinions.

Think about your dog aging before she ages and you’ll be better set emotionally to deal with hard decisions about palliative care. Euthanasia isn’t the only option for your very aged dog. Veterinarian Ella Bittel has several articles regarding end of life care and dying naturally. Google her name and also look at the “Spirits in Transition” website for information before you need it. There are plenty of things to consider.

Blessings come with age. I had a barky Labrador that became quieter as he lost his hearing.

There will be less demand for extensive hikes and more quiet time napping. And just knowing each other so well from a lifetime of hanging out is something that only comes with age. Every dog deserves compassion and comfort in her retirement. She’s earned it.

Debbie Wood is a certified Small Animal Naturopath and can be reached at 250-597-7DOG.

Doug Marsh Custom Carpentry 250 737-1852 doug_marsh@icloud.com

Gates, Fences, Sheds, Garden Beds, Tables, Shelving, Arbours, Pergolas, Chicken Coops, Greenhouses and more!

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Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

A Model of Practice

• Intention is central to Mindfulness practice and lays the foundation. Intention is the quiet reminder of why we want to practice in the first place.

• Paying Attention means observing our internal states and our responses to what happens around us. Consistent attention brings insight and deeper selfknowledge, beyond our more usual superficial awareness.

• Attitude of open-hearted affection includes the qualities of curiosity, acceptance and love.

Applications of Mindfulness Practice

Quiet stillness, mindful awareness, the horses show us the way.

What Is Mindfulness And How Does It Apply To My Life?

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indfulness practice is based on a few simple and powerful principles. Effects range from physical, mental and emotional well being to how we perceive and interact with the world around us.

Mindfulness can be described as paying attention to one’s

immediate experience with care and discernment. This means noticing what’s happening in your body, thoughts, feelings and actions, moment by moment––the positive, negative and neutral, in an open, receptive way.

Mindfulness Practice brings about freedom from wishing for things to be different. We learn to see clearly what is right here, right now, rather than resisting or suppressing the truth. When we see through our conditioned, unconscious ways of perceiving and interpreting our experience, then change is possible. We have more choice.

The formal practice of Mindfulness involves sitting meditation, body scan and walking meditation in regular daily periods. The informal practice is applying mindfulness skills in whatever we do through the day. Intentionally bringing an open, receptive and discerning attention to whatever happens through our day, leads to a shift in perspective about one’s experience. For example, rather than being caught up in personal or interpersonal drama, we are able to take a step back and simply witness it.

Research suggests that regular Mindfulness practice can help alleviate stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, even addictions, ADHD, pain, and generalized fears. Mindfulness practice can help stabilize our emotional reactivity, and create peace of mind.

Mindfulness Practice with Horses Intention, Attention and Attitude are the foundations of our Mindfulness Practice with horses. Horses allow us to be naturally more open because they do not judge, criticize or shame.

They guide us in making positive changes, to shift from being distracted and uncomfortable with ourselves or others, to becoming more and more present with whatever we are experiencing. Horses give us the emotional safety to stay present with our deeper experience, allowing self-care acceptance and compassion to arise in us.

Michelle Atterby, Spirit Gate Farm, experiential learning programs for adults and children. www.spiritgate.ca

Life and Leadership Coaching…

Inspired by Horses • Experiential Learning with Horses • Corporate and Personal Programming • Developing Horsemanship Skills • Centered Riding Lessons • Equine Behaviour Consulting • Mindfulness Retreats • Youth and Adults

www.spiritgate.ca michelle@spiritgate.ca 250 737 1484

“With equality for all we share the Spiritual Pathway to Health and Happiness”

March 12 & 26 Spirit Gate Farm - Mini -Retreat Mindful Meditation - Awakening Our Heart-Mind

Meditation Wed 7PM - Thurs 9 AM - Txt.&Ph. 250.710.7594

Nichiren Buddha Center

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Kara Huber in Chemainus American pianist Kara Huber has made numerous solo appearances at the Kennedy Center, the Piano Virtuoso Series at the Canadian Opera Company, and the Rising Stars Piano Series in Southampton, New York. The 2016-2017 season will feature her Carnegie Hall debut in Weill Recital Hall. Often included as a recitalist for her inventive and creative programming that all audiences enjoy, Ms. Huber has performed across North America, Europe, and Australia. Ms. Huber began private lessons at the age of five.

At sixteen, she was admitted to the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. She spent two years there and made her orchestral debut with the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra. Currently based in Toronto, she most recently completed an Artist Diploma degree at the Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music with John Perry and Leon Fleisher.

Dynamic and captivating American pianist Kara Huber performs exciting works by American composers Joan Tower and David Rakowski, including his athleticEtudes “Fists of Fury” and “Absofunkinlutely.” Lauded by Washington Post for her “mature vision,” Huber will conclude her program with Rachmaninoff’s epic Preludes Op.32. Sunday March 5, 2:00 pm at St Michael’s Church, Chemainus. Tickets: At the door $20. Under 18: $5 In advance: $17. Available at: Owl’s Nest Bistro, Chemainus; Ten Old Books, Duncan; Salamander Books, Ladysmith; and Chemainus Inn. Or by phoning 250-748-8383 chemainusclassicalconcerts.ca

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Celebrating Billie Holiday I am Woman, Hear Me Laff!

Get ready to laugh as the standup extravaganza I Am Woman, Hear Me Laff! returns to the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, March 10 at 7:30pm for a third rib-tickling year with a stellar comedic line-up led by veteran stand-up comedian Laurie Elliott leading the charge of this farcical collection of incredible talent that includes Katie-Ellen Humphries, Christine Lippa and Alicia Tobin.

It’s a funny show raising funds for a serious cause. I am Woman, Hear Me Laff, is an annual fundraiser for Cowichan Women Against Violence (CWAV).

This year’s line-up includes headliner Laurie Elliott, joined by returning host Katie-Ellen Humphries along with Alicia Tobin and Christine Lippa.

Without a doubt, these are some of Canada’s funniest women coming together for another ‘herlarious’ evening of female comedy, wit and empowerment.

“As an annual fundraiser, this event is extremely important to CWAV not just for the funds it raises to support our work on behalf of women, children and families who’ve experienced violence,” says Jane Sterk, Executive Director of CWAV, but is also shows that women can be whatever they want and do whatever they have the desire and talent to do. I Am Woman, Hear Me Laff! Friday, March 10, 2017 / 7:30pm Cowichan Performing Arts Centre Adult $28 / Student $24 Cowichan Ticket Centre, 2687 James St., by phone (250) 7487529 or online at cowichanpac.ca

The songs that you will hear on March 19th, at Crofton are not from Tin Pan Alley.

She chose, instead, songs that related to her life and the life of her friends. Although many of these are about loving and losing, and although Billie could be described, in part, as a tortured soul, she was not a weak and pathetic victim. She was a strong, passionate and interesting woman who chose difficult pathways on which to travel.

Judy Sims, (her family, the Starks, are Saltspring Island legends) has been singin’ and swingin’ jazz since the ripe old age of seven! The dulcet tones of Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, and Dinah Washington, are some of the vocalists Judy listened to endlessly to as a child. She’s proud to bring her talented quintet “Sweetwater” to the Crofton Hotel. For more than ten years she and her band Sweetwater have delighted audiences. Judy has brought her dusky alto voice and unique styling to a host of favourite jazz classics, Accompanying Judy and Hannah will be some very fine musicians John Moore, tenor sax;Karen Arney, piano; Alan Wardroper, bass; Jim Shultz, guitar;Dave Milutinovic,drums.

Admission is $20 at the door March 19, Crofton Pub 1534 Joan Avenue, Crofton.

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Buy Art Feed Kids in Chemainus Now you can buy exquisit works

by Chemainus artist Diana Durrand and, at the same time, support a daily breakfast program that provides Chemainus community school students their ‘most important meal of the day’.

Durrand is the first local artist to participate in a social initiative called Buy Art Feed Kids (BAFK), recently launched

by Sunshine Coast artist Dana Caple. At BuyArtFeedKids.com visitors can view and purchase online works by Durrand and nine other artists. Forty per cent of the purchase price will help feed kids in the community the artist is from; an equal amount will go to the contributing artist; 20 per cent will be used to cover administrative costs.

The Chemainus Community Schools Association runs a daily free breakfast program, providing nutritious and tasty meals, because “hungry kids can’t learn.” It’s an essential initiative for student success in the Cowichan Valley, which has one of the highest child poverty rates in B.C. If you want your contribution to stay in the Chemainus, visit the BAFK’s online gallery of Gallus Domesticus (chicken) exhibit.

These elegant works have been exhibited in Victoria and the Cowichan Valley. You can also call Diana and view the prints in her Chemainus studio. Call 250210-0921 to arrange a viewing.

For more information about Buy Art Feed Kids email BuyArtFeedKids@gmail.com.

H m e i i r a c w

H f n e p a d s

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Hemp High Fashion

emp was the first plant used for textiles, and has been grown since 8000 BC! Hemp is one of the strongest, most durable, and most ecologically friendly fabrics. It is naturally resistant to mold, and it blocks out the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Hemp clothing insulates and breathes! helping you stay cool in summer, and warm in winter!

Hemp is an annual plant, grown from seed. It grows well in northern climates and is an extremely fast growing crop, producing more fibre yield per acre than any other source! It’s deep root system helps to prevent soil erosion, removes toxins, and

aerates the soil. Hemp plants shed their leaves all through the growing season, adding rich organic matter to the topsoil, helping it retain moisture. A first crop of hemp literally prepares the ground for the next!

Hemp fibers are similar to flax, jute and ramie, excelling in length, strength, durability, absorbency, antimildew and antimicrobial properties.

Hemp’s long fibers are spun and woven to a fine, crisp, linen-like fabric, and hemp was traditionally used as an industrial fiber. It’s strength made it useful for ship sails; and it’s coarseness for canvas, sacks and rope.

Hemp fibers are also cut to shorter lengths and spun with wool, cotton, or linen, maintaining its excellent qualities when mixed with softer fibres,

making hemp-blended fabrics durable, but also comfortable to wear and feel.

Garments made with hemp simply outlast other garments!

Not only is hemp strong, but it holds its shape, as hemp fibres stretch less than any other natural fiber. Also, the more hemp garments are worn and washed, the softer they get! So, “hemp doesn’t wear out, it just wears in!”

Brenda Laine, of Cowichan Station, is now designing and manufacturing garments in hemp/organic cotton blend jersey and canvas. Prudence Organics at 155 Craig St, Duncan, carries some of Brenda Laine’s hemp garments alongside her Merino wool and bamboo/cotton jersey designs. Brenda Laine’s hemp line can also be viewed at: www.hemphighfashion.ca

Hemp Jersey Lettuce Wrap by Brenda Laine

Springtime is Kapha Time

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t’s that magical time of the year again, when the earth starts to awaken, and the potential of growth is everywhere. In Ayurveda this is Kapha Season- wet and earthy, when out of balance it can feel a little muddy and thick. Kapha is the building blocks of our immunity, the strength of our physical body and the vibrancy of youth and new beginnings.

Often as we move into springtime after a long, cold winter we can feel stagnant, stuck and even disconnected

from our physical body. There can be a sense of sluggishness, and heaviness in our bodies and those winter colds may be lingering.

To create balance at this time of year we want to encourage the energy of springtime to awaken within, and to invite the congestion to flow.

Here are some great ways to stay energized, active and in balance this spring season Exercise- This is perhaps the most important practice we

can introduce at this time of year. Movement allows kapha to move. Get outside, go for a brisk walk, try a strengthening or flowing yoga practice, lean towards practices that may be invigorating. Invite yourself to move a little faster, to feel the fire of the sun awakening within you, burning off any cold, heavy energy.

Warm Foods With A Little Spice- Eat warm, easy to digest foods (well cooked), and even add a little spice to them (fresh grated ginger, cumin, turmeric, black pepper). Eat enough at meal times, so that you snack less during the day. You may even try a lighter breakfaststewed apples are one of my favourites. Bitter greens, like kale, spinach and fresh salad greens are also great at this time of year. I encourage you to eat them cooked,they are easier to digest.

Sweetness- Be sweet to yourself, give your body some love- especially that belly.

Place your hands on it, give it a gentle massage in a clockwise direction, feel the life force that is held there. This is the space of our 2nd chakra, which is a water element, and with gentle attention will move stuck emotions and energy. Honey is also great at this time of year if you have a sweet tooth. It is astringent and will dry out the excess kapha, it’s great with a warm lemon water in the morning, and the best sweetener to use during the spring season.

Most of all in this spring season have fun, notice the seeds that are growing in you, and step outside and awaken in alignment with the nature that surrounds you.

Visit www.ayurvedicbliss.com to see more about Ayurveda and its reflection in you.

Asrael Zemenick is an Ayurvedic Practitioner, Coach and Healer in Cowichan Bay. ayurvedicbliss.com

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Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

YOGA FOR WELLNESS THE JOURNEY ON THE MAT

Asrael is an Ayurvedic Practitioner/Coach/Yoga Teacher in the Cowichan Valley. Her deepest joy is supporting others as they grow and evolve into the fullness of their being. Visit her website to see more about Ayurveda and its reflection in you. www. ayurvedicbliss.com

W

hen we step onto our mat for our yoga practice we seem to step into a different world.

A world where time can stand still and a place that our normal patterns don’t exist. It doesn’t matter what kind of practice we have, strong and physical, or soft and restorative, when we arrive on the mat we open the door to a more conscious way of being.

Have you noticed that when you enter the sacred space of your practice, worries melt away? It often begins as we sit or lie down on the mat at the beginning of class.

You may notice that your monkey mind just settles

on its own accord, and that there is a deeper con-nection to what is resonating within.

As the breath deepens, the connection to this larger flow of energy takes over and deep peace is felt. This shift in perception becomes even more potent as we move into our asana practice. I love to feel my body move as I warm up, aware of the creaks and the crunches that are there, noticing that there is no judgement of the sounds or sensations in my body. I don’t need to be more flexible or stronger, there is no place for that belief here. Even as class starts to heat up and I settle into a more challenging position (dragon in Yin, or warrior 1 in Hatha), I am reminded to soften, to let go of trying to control the situation and make it better or easier. What would it be like to fully allow this challenge to be ok? What would it be like to know I was doing the best I can and I didn’t need to struggle? And if I get seperated from my self I always come back to the

breath. Breathing makes everything better. And my favourite part: Savasana, where I am a held and supported vessel for life to move through. Perhaps the most important reminder of all.

DOWNTOWN

DUNCAN

With my regular practice, I notice when I step off the mat, that these insights often integrate into my daily life and the peace and energy radiates brightly from within.

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O

ne area that is of a growing concern for many of us who live in this wonderful valley, is how some of our most vulnerable children, are being displaced by the Ministry of Children and Families.

We have all read the stories of how things have gone fatally wrong for children who have been in care. I think most of us understand difficult decisions have to be made and sometimes with the best of intentions things can go still go wrong.

I would like to shine a light on something that is happening in our community that is quite different than the best of intentions. Instead a system that has gone astray with unbridled power, losing sight of the ultimate best outcome for the children they are aiming to protect.

Children love their parents, no matter what they do. It is true that a few children would be safer and better cared for by others. However let us not assume that when a child is taken from their Mother, and put into care that they will always be taken care of better, then by their own Mother. There are far too many stories of children in care that have been sexually molested, beaten and neglected, none of which would have happened had they been with their Mothers.

People who are given children into their care are paid to take them, and are assumed capable of creating a safe and nourishing environment for the children.

Women whose children are taken from them, quite often live in poverty, have experienced abuse or trauma, and, are assumed not capable of creating a safe and nourishing environment for their children.

Many of these women have had partners, the father of the children or a boyfriend. More

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often then not the children are taken away because of the actions of the father or boyfriend, anything from sexual abuse, physical harm, or participation in alcohol, drugs or other illicit activity and/or violence towards the Mother.

The Mother has quite often gone to the police or Ministry for help, only to have her children removed from the home, and put into care. Finding herself, charged with “Failure to Protect”. (Something they were doing when they asked for help).

Getting their children back can take 6 months to years.

Feeling punished for circumstances that were out of her control, never, having personally done any harm to their own children.

We can all imagine that the Mom is feeling pretty powerless at this point.

However, what are the children thinking/feeling? Living now with strangers, having 1 hour a week (if lucky) visits with their Mothers, looking for answers she can’t give them, uncertain when, or if they will be with their Mothers again.

Sometimes, the fathers, boyfriends who created the situation are getting more visitation rights than the Mothers, creating fear and confusion for the children.

Mothers, who speak out to workers for the wellbeing of their children, can be seen as problematic or as having mental health issues.

I would like to shine a light for a moment on the women who have made strides to make positive changes in their lives.

Women who have gone for counseling, gone to groups to learn how to transform their lives, learned how to make better choices in partners and lifestyles. Women who have got jobs, are working on getting an education, women who have jumped through all the hoops

Protection Or Punishment that the Ministry has thrown at them and are still not getting their children back, learning that the intention was never there for them to get them back, and now find themselves making deals with the already waiting adoptive parents.

How Can We Make a Difference?

All people who find themselves in positions of power, having to make these life altering decisions for struggling vulnerable women and children in this community can help create better outcomes.

First by thinking twice about making the decision to remove and keep children from their Mothers, and instead ask, “How can we support you to make a better situation for you and your children?

Find out if the Moms have actually ever harmed their children, if not support them to make changes making the time without their children the least amount possible, if any.

Mothers will make positive choices knowing they have been supported rather than having their children’s return dangling like a carrot in front of them, forever needing to jump through hoops with no hope in sight.

that reuniting Mom and child be swift, knowing that time away is traumatic for the children. Do not judge the Moms on money, race, past experiences, but who they are right now.

Duncan has some of the best support services for Women anywhere. “Horizons”, a 4 month Self Esteem building, Life transforming, preemployment program for women who have experienced abuse or trauma; Advocacy through the legal system,; Crisis counseling,; and Support for Children who have Witnessed Abuse; Homeless Prevention Out reach Program.

If you are an employer and would like to support a woman who has completed the Horizons Program, by hiring or training her please call 250748-7000 ext. 232.

If you would like to donate financially to the Horizons program, supporting Women to transform their lives call: 250748-7000 ext. 232 If you, or anyone knows of someone struggling with any of these issues, there is support, contact CWAV, Cowichan Women Against Violence.

250-748-7000

If you are a Lawyer or Judge find out if Mom has ever harmed her children if not, insist

Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

Rommy Verlaan has supported women to make positive changes for 20 years.

Malahat LNG project is expensive, irresponsible, and destructive

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he potential approval of the Steelhead LNG project is weighing heavily on my mind these days. This proposed natural gas liquefaction terminal will liquefy 6 million tonnes of gas per year, fill a new tanker every 3-5 days, and be serviced by a 128km pipeline from Sumas Washington. The scope and size of this project are immense, and it is all set to happen in the narrow waters of our beloved Saanich Inlet.

populated areas around it. The pipeline route is set to cross through the ecological reserve in Satellite Channel, the only subtidal reserve in BC. Every time a tanker arrives for loading, it will stay at the terminal for 24 hours, polluting our communities with noise, light, and smoke. All of this, along with already existing ferry traffic, commercial fishing, recreational boating, and airport runways, is just too much for the Inlet to bear.

The negative social, economic, and environmental impacts of the Steelhead LNG project will be massive. The project’s lifetime is 25-30 years, which directly contradicts our need to immediately adopt renewable energy technologies. This is not the direction we need to be going in at a time when environmental degradation and health issues due to pollution are at all-time highs.

The Steelhead LNG project is proposed to sit on a sacred First Nations site, and despite what many believe, this project has NOT been approved by all W̱SÁNEĆ people. While Steelhead has partnered with the Malahat First Nation on this project, there are several other W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations who are in strong opposition to it.

Steelhead has ignored those other Nations and failed to gain proper consent for this project.

The LNG terminal will require 3 floating gas liquefaction plants, all emitting flammable and explosive vapour into the highly

I spoke recently with a local realtor who has already noticed a

THE DOWNSIDE OF BRINGING A PIPELINE AND LIQUID NATURAL GAS TERMINAL TO MILL BAY

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was attending a weekly Men’s Talking Circle at the HUB in Cowichan Station last Wednesday evening. A fellow and I were making plans to attend the information session on the proposed Liquid Fracked Gas terminal slated for Mill Bay. He said it makes sense that Vancouver Island citizens become aware of the devastation to the inlet sealife that will arise from such a project.

So, here is what I found out from a researcher named Owen Finn regarding the proposed LNG terminal in Brentwood Bay.

worry southern Vancouver Island residents, we must also consider the huge tanker ships, about the length of three football fields, that would pick up the liquified fracked gas”, Finn said.

“It is not only the Steelhead plant itself — which would be the first floating LNG terminal in the world (meaning this has never been done before) — that should

So i discovered there is 30 thousand gallons of seawater that has been heated in the process, by 10 degrees, being poured back into the inlet every hour.

The process to cool the gas into a liquid would suck in 30,000 gallons of seawater every hour... which means phytoplankton and small fish are also sucked in... then they release that heated seawater and, because they don’t want anything fouling the pipes of their very expensive ship they add a little biocide into it.”

decrease in property values since the original announcement of this project in 2015. For those in our community needing work, the liquefied natural gas industry is a very expensive one with a bad record of job creation. A typical LNG plant will create a few hundred jobs during the planning phase, a few thousand during the construction phase, and then a few hundred for operation.

From a long-term perspective, this incredibly expensive, environmentally destructive, and socially irresponsible project might employ a few hundred people.

On top of this, the economic benefits for our province are uncertain. There are many reports stating that BC has vastly less gas reserves to sell than what was originally claimed, and that much of the LNG industry is subsidized through taxpayers anyway, through road infrastructure and drilling credits. Because none of the proposed LNG projects have actually proceeded to construction, we have no way of knowing how they will benefit our wallets. What we do know, however, is that the Steelhead LNG project will systematically destroy our natural environment That is like filling an Olympic size swimming pool every 18 hours with warm, toxic seawater.

“That means 50,000 tonnes of hypochlorited hot water poured into the Inlet every year, making it into a marine desert,” Finn told us.

Saanich Inlet, a glacially-carved fjord with deep water that is oxygen-depleted for much of the year, has been studied by scientists for 80 years becuause of the rare ecosystem that produces phytoplankton blooms.

It is home to shellfish, herring, salmon and many other species and houses the Ocean Networks Canada VENUS (Victoria Experimental Network Under the Sea) cabled undersea laboratory.

And this is only one downside to the 4 ft diameter gas pipeline to come into Brentwood Bay...some

and a First Nations sacred site, massively increase noise and light pollution, decrease local property values, and be very costly to taxpayers all across BC. Because of all this, some may believe the Steelhead LNG terminal in the Saanich Inlet will never happen. To them I say, do not let the absurdity of this project convince you it won’t be approved. Christy Clark and the BC Liberals are determined to see 20 LNG projects approved across BC as soon as possible.

Thank you to everyone who has fought tirelessly against this project; from public demonstrations, to documentary filmmaking, to challenging government representatives.

I stand with you against this expensive, irresponsible, and damaging project that does not further our goal of economic prosperity and environmental protection. I hope others will join me.

Lori Iannidinardo CVRD Director for Cowichan Bay and BC NDP MLA Candidate for the Cowichan Valley

gas to be cooling into liquid to feed tanker ships and some gas to be piped forward along another route past Duncan, west to Lake Cowichan, and on to the West Coast where another cooling facility and shipping facility is to be housed.

The entire sea route of LNG tanker traffic, and the fracked gas pipeline route itself, is fraught with potential disaster points.

This threatens hundreds, or thousands, of lives depending on where those disasters occur. And we know disasters eventually do occur.

Mature, concerned adults need to start demanding answers. We need to weed through the sales pitch of well-paid corporate executives who are selling us a barrel of rotten fish.

Submitted by Bill Woollam

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DIRECTORY OF LOCAL SERVICES

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Deadline March 12 for April 2017 Issue 101 Bookkeeping

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Natural Food

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Gluten Free/Organic Pasta’s, Organic Meat, Homemade Sausage, International Foods.

The Duncan Butcher 430 Trans Canada Hwy 250 748 -6377 • Bulk Natural Foods • Bosch Kitchen Centre • Workshops • Take Out Dahl & Rice WHIPPLETREE JUNCTION 778 422 3310

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Mt. Sicker Family Farm

We supply these local companies • e3 Naturals: Sensitive Skin Therapy • Buddies Natural Pet Food

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Garden Design

Arborvitae Garden Design

Custom Garden Design, Outdoor Living Spaces and Chillatoriums for Home & Business

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Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

Health and Healing Customizable Organic Mattresses, Pillows, Linens Locally made Platform Beds and Furniture 126 Station St. 250-597-REST (7378) www.resthouse.ca

Acute or Chronic conditions • Substance dependency • Facial Rejuvenation • MSP & extended health coverage if applicable Wu Wei Acupuncture & Acupressure Clinic Frauke McCashin, R.Ac., Dipl.TCM 1 - (250) 710 3581 Mill Bay & Duncan www.worldwuwei.com

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and started to call your own shots. The problem with this is existing partnerships are challenged by your new approach. This year you will either commit or cut bait.

Aries (March 21-April 19) This month, you are strong and aggressive with Mars in your sign. Fortunately, Venus softens this strident energy with diplomacy and charm.

Shop for wardrobe items for yourself. Conversations with younger people are likely.

This is a wonderful year for Aries to marry or explore new partnerships. And it is also your year to get performance ready for big things awaiting you in 2018. (Thinking a summer wedding?) Start picking out china patterns.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) This month you want to travel. You need a change of scenery. You’re hungry to learn! Meanwhile, relationships with bosses and parents are excellent even though you are ambitious.

Please note: The biggest opportunity you have in 2017 is your chance to create your dream home. Fix up where you are or buy or rent something better. It’s your luckiest year for real estate in over a decade. Fortunately, because you are working so hard this year – you will get results.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You’re entering a popular month! This is the perfect time to talk to bosses, employers and anyone who can help you advance in your job. Consider what is working and what is not. And lo! Your major luck this year is that you can improve your job and how you earn your money to pay your bills. Work-related travel will increase. Stand on your strong Taurus feet. Bully for you!

Gemini (May 21-June 20) 2017 is your year for a vacation! It’s the best year in over a decade for Geminis to party, explore the arts, enjoy romance, sports events and playful times with children.

Meanwhile, you have been busting your buns since 2012.

However, since 2015, you took the bit in your mouth

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) You want to talk to close friends and partners because Mercury is opposite your sign this month. Meanwhile, your current focus is on shared property, inheritances, taxes and debt. You gave up a lot during 2003-05; and this year, your optimism for your future is your greatest strength.

Make big plans. Travel for pleasure appeals now, so get out of town! (“Scenery is here! Wish you were beautiful.”)

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) This month the Sun is opposite your sign, which means you will need more sleep. Factoid. Your sex drive is strong now because of Venus and Mars. (Oh yeah.)

Venus will also help you

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to get money and goodies from others. Good time to ask for a loan or a mortgage.

Admittedly, disputes about shared property might occur.

Continue to look for ways to boost your income or get a better paying job this year because they exist.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Your focus is on your health and ways to improve your job this month because you want to improve every aspect of your life and get better organized. Venus opposite your sign makes relations with others smooth as honey; but Mars makes you annoyed with someone. (Admittedly, they are annoying.) You want to establish a firm anchor for yourself in the world.

Something nice. No more shabby chic. (What about a new sofa? A davenport? A chesterfield?)

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Lucky you! This month is full of parties, vacations, romance, love affairs, sports events and playful times with children. (Yay me!) Accept invitations to party. Enjoy schmoozing with others. It’s also a very creative time for you. (Go do that voodoo that you do so well.) In many ways, this year is a time of preparation for you because for the first time since 2006, lucky Jupiter will enter your sign in October. You must get ready! “Shops must be visited.

Money must be spent!” What will I wear to the ball?

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) You have a strong focus on home, family and dealing with a parent this month.

You might cocoon at home more than usual because it feels good. Nevertheless, both Venus and Mars want you to party! They will attract romance and social outings to you. This is not surprising because the theme for Sagittarians this year is popularity. What is most important to know is that not only will you enjoy schmoozing with others, all

MARCH FORECAST your interactions with others will benefit you as well.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Around 2010-2011 you were on top of your game. This year, once again, despite the fact that circumstances have changed, you are again on top of your game because this year you can put your name up in lights! Meanwhile, this month is busy with short trips, errands, reading, writing and studying. Plus you have home redecorating plans. So much to do – so little money.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) This is a powerful month for you; and it’s a powerful year.

Ironically, it’s even going to be an even better year next year! (Mom always liked you best.) This month your focus is on money, cash flow, earnings as well as major expenditures and dealing with the stuff you own. Take an inventory. Be in control of your wealth, assets and possessions. Continue to look for opportunities to travel because this will be your theme for 2017. Who feels more at home in an airport than you?

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) This month is all about you, dear Pisces because the Sun is giving you a chance to recharge your batteries for the rest of the year. This means you will replenish and restore yourself. It also means you will magically attract favourable situations and people to you. Look for ways to boost your earnings because you can. Remember that throughout the year, you have the advantage when it comes to dividing something or dealing with shared property or inheritances.

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Valley Voice Magazine - Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley

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R s m p i o

the predicament. Some news outlets implied the study showed countries such as Canada and the U.K. would benefit from increasingly frequent “mild weather days” brought on by climate change. Many failed to convey the true take-home message: Climate change will have devastating consequences for human civilization.

Understanding climate change means reading beyond headlines

S

eeing terms like “post-truth” and “alternative facts” gain traction in the news convinces me that politicians, media workers and readers could benefit from a refresher course in how science helps us understand the world. Reporting on science is difficult at the best of times.

Trying to communicate complex ideas and distil entire studies into eye-catching headlines and brief stories can open the door to misinformation and limited understanding.

Recent headlines about a climate study, “Shifting patterns of mild weather in response to projected radiative forcing”, in the February 2017 issue of Climatic Change illustrate

Just ask the study’s author, Karin van der Wiel, research scientist at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. She studied the frequency of mild weather days as a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory.

She found a few countries, mostly in the mid-latitudes, will experience slightly more frequent mild weather — defined as days between 18 and 30 C with less than one millimetre of rain and dew point temperature not exceeding 20 C. But that’s not the whole story.

“The climate is changing in many places over the world and these changes are ongoing now,” Van der Wiel said in an email. “Globally, mild weather is decreasing and in many locations summers are going to be increasingly too hot and too humid to be considered mild.

These are not desirable changes.”

Van der Wiel chose to examine climate change and mild weather rather than extreme events such as floods, wildfires and drought to make it easier for people to

relate to the issue and inspire them to learn more.

“I am happy the research was picked up so widely; that way more people hopefully will learn that climate is changing the weather near them and in the coming decades,” she said, adding, “mild weather is not the only important thing in climate change, and therefore the other, more alarming, aspects of climate change should not be forgotten.”

Van der Wiel points out that mild weather isn’t necessarily good, as it can also create negative conditions.

“If there are projected changes in mild weather, that means there are changes in temperature, precipitation and/or humidity,” she said, noting that although mild weather could create more opportunities for things such as outdoor recreation, it could also have negative consequences like changing snowmelt patterns and threatening water resources.

Mild weather at the wrong time and place can be disastrous. The wildfire that devastated Fort McMurray last year reached city limits on a mild weather day, with an average temperature of 22.1 C and no precipitation, after several weeks of unseasonably warm and dry weather.

“Mild weather is not good for everything,” Van der Wiel wrote.

“If you like skiing, increasing mild weather is bad. We haven’t investigated the coincidence of wild fires with mild weather, but such a link might exist and

would indicate again that climate change is something the global community should try to mitigate as much as possible.”

This research is an important piece of emerging narrative about the impacts of climate change, but we must consider it in the context of all the work on climate. Prior to her work on mild weather, Van der Wiel studied extreme precipitation and flooding in the U.S. She has since moved to a project investigating climatic conditions that could negatively affect agriculture, to determine if it’s possible to warn farmers and communities in advance of bad crop years.

Science is the most useful tool we have to adapt to climate change and avoid its worst outcomes. But it requires critical thinking and a big-picture perspective to ensure we consider all available evidence. With so many people scrolling through social media feeds for news rather than reading entire articles, facts and clarity can become elusive. It’s up to us all — media and consumers alike — to dig deeper for the full story.

David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and cofounder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Climate Change and Energy Policy Analyst Steve Kux. Learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org.

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