May 2023 Issue 174

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MAY 2023 ISSUE 174 CELEBRATING MOTHERS I COWICHAN CAMP PLANNER I GORGEOUS GARDENS

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MAY EVENTS

VALLEY DENTAL 4 CLINIC

Fine Arts Show Opening Night artists reception, musical guests, snacks and refreshments 7-8:30pm Cowichan Community Ctr. $20, 250.746.1633

Dr. Gordon Levin DMD, AADSM dip.

Dentistry & Dental Sleep Medicine

NEW PATIENTS WELCOME FREE Screening for SLEEP APNEA

Oral Appliance Therapy as an alternative to CPAP when deemed appropriate by your physician

CONTACT US: reception@valleydentalclinic.ca

250-746-9697 #101-321 Festubert Street Duncan, BC, V9L 3T1 4

Lila Community Choir: Songs for Xpey’ (Cedar) all voices welcome 7-8:30pm, $2/drop in www.joythroughmusic.com, also 5/11/19/25 Cowichan Valley Fine 5 Arts Show 11-4pm M-Sat, Cowichan Community Ctr. FREE, runs to 6/2

Sunrise Waldorf School Alumni Day: inviting all former students, lunch provided,11:45am–4pm RSVP admissions@ sunrisewaldorfschool.org Sculpting w/Clay for Pro-D Day 9-12:30pm, Cowichan Community Ctr. 250.748.7529 Tatlo Road Farm 6&13 Spring Plant Sale 10-2pm, 7871 Tatlo Rd. West Mayfest @ Sunrise Waldorf School! Family event w/ music, dancing & more, bring a picnic 10-2pm, cash only 2148 Lakeside Rd, Duncan.

English choral music w/ Michael MacKinnon baritone Cowichan Consort Orchestra & Choir, 7:30pm, Duncan Christian Reformed Church, $20 Tix @ door Comedian Ed Hill Live 8pm, Riot Brewing Co. 3055 Oak St. Chemainus, Tix $27.96 www.eventbrite.com Sustainable Skillshare Saturdays: Fabric arts/ makers space & wellness workshops,1-5pm www.ourecovillage.org also 4/27 Supernatural: Santana Tribute @ Osborne Bay Pub, 8pm, 1534 Joan Av Crofton $25 Tix @ eventbrite.ca Concenti Singers 40th 7 Anniversary Concert 2pm, Duncan United Church, by donation, proceeds to local families in need jsjconcenti@ shaw.ca

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Backyard Sessions: Processing Deer and Salmon, 9am, Lila Music Ctr, $40 sliding scale www. joythroughmusic.com Times They Are A Changing Exhibit 11-3pm, Heritage Museum, 2851 Church Way Mill Bay, by donation www. millbaymalahathistory.com also 5/14/21/28 Maple Bay Rowing Club Fundraiser garage/plant sale & bottle drive 9-12pm, Drop off 05/06 12-4pm 6735 Beaumont Ave, Duncan pamrobb@telus.net Sacred Sound Journey w/ Adeline 5:30-7:30pm, Collective Space166 Station St. Duncan, $33, www. adelinewholistichealing.com

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Warmland Book & Film Collective, discussing the book “Buffalo Is the New Buffalo” by Chelsea Vowel, 5-7pm, Questions or Zoom link: WarmlandBFC@gmail. com

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Crofton Art Group Spring Show & Sale 10-5pm, Crofton Seniors Centre, 1507 Joan Av 13 Mothers’ Day Tea, 2-3:30pm, Cowichan Community Ctr. By donation

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Encore! Women’s Choir Spring Concert 7pm, Duncan Christian Reformed Church, $20/adult $10/ children under 12 Vimy Community Hall Garage Sale Fundraiser 9-2pm, 3968 Gibbins Rd. Duncan $15/table 250-746-1900 Plant Sale, hosted

by Cowichan Valley Rhododendron Society 10-2pm, St. John’s Anglican Church parking lot, 486 Jubilee St. Duncan High Voltage Live, 8pm, Riot Brewing Co. 3055 Oak St, Chemainus FREE Readings w/ Leigh Tarot and intuitive mediumship, 114pm, Community Farm Store, Book: shift123@shaw.ca

Row of Crowz @ Music 101: Voice 13 Osborne Bay Pub, 8pm, 20Technique Workshop 1534 Joan Ave Crofton $15 w/ Cari Burdett, 10-12pm, Tix @ eventbrite.ca

Emandare Vineyard Spring Release Open House w/ Free tastings, 11-5pm, 6798 Norcross Road, Duncan Cowichan Folk Guild presents Daniel Cook Trio, doors 7pm, show 8:30pm, Duncan United Church Hall, 246 Ingram St. $5/members, $10/non www. cowichanfolkguild.ca Mother’s Day Brunch 14 catered by Vancouver Island Event Catering at

Cowichan Golf & Country Club. Ham carvery, waffles and strawberries, smoked salmon bennys, dessert bar and much more! 10:30am & 1pm seatings $39.99 adults/$24.99 children reservations recommended 250 701-8593.

Mother’s Day Long Table Brunch catered by Mensch Kitchen, 10:30am, Keating Farm Orchard $110/adult, $55/child Reserve: https://bit. ly/orchardbrunch Community Kirtan: Call & Response chanting w/ Love’s Triangle 2:30-4pm Collective Space 166 Station St, Duncan, by donation also 5/28 Hike up Mt. Prevost, 9am meetup across from Bings Creek Recycling Ctr

$30-40 sliding scale www. joythroughmusic.com

Kaatza Art Group Show & Sale 1-7pm, Lake Cowichan Centennial Hall also 4/21/22 10 - 4pm FREE The Basket of Stories: 21 completing baskets to giveaway 2-5pm, Lila Music Centre, www. joythroughmusic.com

Art In The Park 21-23 11:11-10:10pm Fuller Lake Park 9279 Poplar Rd. Chemainus FREE

Art Attack 7-9pm, 26 Cowichan Community Ctr. $10, 250.746.1633 Cowichan Valley 27 Garden Club Spring Flower Show 1-4pm, St.

Peters Church Hall, 5800 Church Rd. Duncan $5 www. cowichanvalleygardenclub. com

Adult Harp Ensemble 28 Concert Tea & Silent Auction doors @ 2:30pm

show @ 3pm, St. Peter’s Anglican Church Hall, by donation for Syrian Fundraiser

Reel Alternatives 29 feature film “Buffy Sante-Marie: Carry It On”

7pm, CPAC, 2687 James St Duncan $17, 250-748-7529

Grades Tour: A Everything Apple 2 16 30 wonderful opportunity Question Tech Tea,1to see Waldorf education in 2:15 pm, WestView Learning action. 8:40-9:45am, limited space RSVP admissions@ sunrisewaldorfschool.org Mix & Mingle Chamber Mixer 5:30pm, Cowichan Community Ctr. Registration req’d 250.748.1111 “Mimigewsiwak” the 18 Little People of the Cree and other art by Graham

@ Somenos Community Hall 3248 Cowichan Valley Hwy, $10 www.westviewlearning. ca/adult-classes

100 Women Who Care Cowichan 7pm, Best Western Cowichan Valley Inn, 6457 Norcross Rd, Duncan 100womencowichan. wordpress.com

Pettman 10-4pm Tues-Sat Cowichan Public Art Gallery, 126 Ingram St. Duncan, by donation runs to 6/25

Brass Camel @ Osborne 20 Bay Pub 8pm 1534 Joan Ave Crofton $20 Tix @ eventbrite.ca

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May 2023 Issue 174 Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine Publisher Richard Badman Editor Sheila Badman Contact us at: editor@cowichanvalleyvoice.com 250 746 9319 6514 Wicks Rd, Duncan BC V9L 5V2 Visit us online at www.cowichanvalleyvoice.com Distribution Proofreader Calendar Stephanie Sayers Diana Pink Stephanie Sayers Advertising Enquiries Please contact us at info@cowichanvalleyvoice.com for a rate card, monthly offers and print ad specials.

Next Ad Deadline May 15 for June 2023 Issue 175 *Non Profit Community Ad Rates available please enquire.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR LISTINGS ARE FREE! Next EVENTS DEADLINE May 15 for June 2023 Issue 175 E-mail: Date, Event Title, Time, Location and Cost w/ subject “EVENT” to events@cowichanvalleyvoice.com Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine reserves the right to omit and/or edit submitted listings due to space limitations SPECIAL THANKS TO FOLLOWING VALLEY VOICES Craig Spence, Cari Burdett, Alicia Fall, Cam MacDonald, Chef Brad Boisvert, Grant Easterbrook, Sonia Furstenau, Hilary Abbott, Alistair MacGregor, Bernie Dinter, Niki Strutynski, Robin Round, Chris Mercer, Allysa Simmons, Kyla Atkiinson, David Coulson, Terence Miranda, Kristy Landry, Alan Shivas, Dr. Lyn Pascoe, Gina Malkin, Tina Foster, Amy LuckMacGregor, Ranji & David, Dawn Howlett, Jenni Lewis, Leah Berscheid, Joanne Sales, Angel Jury, Debbie Wood, Shiloh Badman, The lovely Georgia Nicols, Nicolette Genier, Cindy Jolin and the Wonderful Staff at the Community Farm Store.

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 email 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 and Parksville.

Cover image: Good Morning Iris, Acrylic on Canvas, 20” x 20” $780 by Cheryl Painter There is something magical about catching the light first thing in the morning. These backlit Iris evoke that time when a fresh new day is just starting, full of possibilities.

Cheryl Painter Studio 250.510.7899 www.cpainterartist.ca instagram: @cpainterartist

READY TO REACH LOCALS?

Request our 2023 Rate Card!

JUNE Issue ad deadline MAY 18 info@cowichanvalleyvoice.com Text: 250 709-8846 Phone 250 746-9319 6

OUR COMMUNITY May Events 4-5 Thank You to CVACS volunteers 8 Join us for last Basket of Stories session 17 Kelly and Cam Get Hitched! 20 Support local farmers by signing up for CSA 21 Local Mother’s Day Gift Guide 28-31 Musings from Cowichan Bay - Area D 36 Cowichan Summer Camp Planner 58-63 Mayfest at Sunrise Waldorf School 67 Recycling Has Never Been Easier 70 Let’s Talk About Curbside Recycling, Cowichan! 71 Georgia Nicols May Forecasts 77 Directory 78-79 LOCAL FOOD & DRINK Local Foods Just in Time For Mother’s Day 18 Be Part of International Tea Day 19 Spring Release 22 Mother’s Day Charcuterie 24 Recipe: Mother’s Day Grazing Charcuterie 24 Recipe: Chicken & Spinach Pomegranate Salad 25 Mother’s Day Food Ideas 26-27 HOME & GARDEN Vegetable Gardening 38 Planting Heat-loving Crops in an Unpredictable Spring 39 Grow and Go in 2023 41 Garden Pots 42 Growing a Herb Pollinator Meadow 43 Cowichan Valley Family Life Garden Tour 44 A Mid Century Modern Dream Kitchen 47 Custom Cabinetry - JJ Frith 49 Spring Tips for Nurturing Soil Microbes 57 LOCAL ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Downtown Duncan Arts Pages 10-11 CVAC Arts this Month 12-13 Mercury Players Present “The Women of Lockerbie” 14 Brass Camel Comes to Crofton 15 Oonagh Designs at Arthur Vickers Gallery 35 Encore Women’s Choir Spring Concert 46 Bad Comics 69 BODY, MIND & SOUL Alchemy Fashions at Chemainus Health Food Store 32 Botanical Bliss Beauty in a Bottle 40 The Sound of Silence: The Anechoic Chamber 48 Valley Voices: Alan Shivas “The Laos Mud Hole Crew” 50 Women are Amazing Investors 51 The Powers of C60 52 Your Special Event Timeline 53 Getting a Boost 54 Omega Oils: Essentials for Everyone 55 Pacific Pearl Dental Hygiene Clinic 56 Why We Should Watch 64 Why it’s More Important Than Ever to Tackle Our Clutter 65 Don’t Miss Out! 68 Remembering Mom in Spirit 74 PETS, RECREATION & NATURE New Boat Club - Club YOLO 23 Mother Earth 33 Waiting For Big Mama 34 Investing in Our Watershed’s Health 37 How To Stop The Spread Of Scotch Broom 72 Lucky Dog: It’s all in their head 73

COMMUNITY CALL JOIN IN Q’ushintul,, Walking Together Q’ushintul Peacemaking Gathering (June 24 -28) and and Ancestor Walk (June 29 - July 2nd)

WAYS TO VOLUNTEER & CONTRIBUTE • Set Up & Clean Up Crews needed daily (June 22-July 4) • Gift Offerings and Baskets (handmade gifts and homemade preserves) • Offerings of tents, sleeping bags, mattresses for walkers • Family hosts to billet Elders and Visitors (June 24th-June 28 and/or June 29- July 2 (or parts of) • Walking with Elders/Elder Support • Firewood for all 8 nights • Fire Keeping • Gift Cards for gas, food and groceries • Youth Clean up Crew needed after walk (July 3rd and 4th) • Trucks & Van Transportation for Elders & Walkers • First Aid • Wellness Practitioners

The Call to Action comes from the Quw’utsun Elders teachings of Nutsa’ maat Shqwaluwun: One Heart, One Mind.

We are inviting the greater community to work together in contributing and participating to this two part social event, taking place over 8 days. You may participate from one day to all eight of the days.

The first four days is focused on Restorative Justice circles with Elders from many cultures gathering together.

The second segment is a four day walk from T’Sou-ke Territory to Swuq’us/Mount Prevost following the creation story pathway of the Quwut’sun people.

WAYS TO PARTICIPATE: Gift making and Meal prep to cater to those attending Q’ushintul are great ways to volunteer and support.

May 6th & May 27 1 to 5pm Sustainable Skillshare Saturdays: Fabric arts/makers space, earth arts mosaics, wellness workshops. www.ourecovillage.org May 7th 9am start - afternoon Processing Deer and Salmon, Backyard Sessions, Lila Music Centre, www.joythroughmusic.com May 14th Swuq’us/Mt. Prevost Hike & Walk carrying prayers to the waters. Meet at 10am at Bings Creek (across from the dump) May 21st 2 pm - 5pm Completing Weaving Baskets for Giveaway, The Basket of Stories, Lila Music Centre, www.joythroughmusic.com

Sign up to contribute! walktogether@inspiredlearning.ca 236 594 9251 www.ourecovillage.org/peacemakers2023 7

Volunteers grow with their commitment to community

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hy volunteer for the Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society—or for any other community, charitable, or social organization?

Each of us has his or her own reasons for contributing time, skills and energy to further the goals of a non-profit enterprise, but the bottom line is usually: because volunteering makes me feel good about who I am, and the world I live in.

That positive feeling is the heart and soul of volunteerism.

CVCAS volunteers are motivated by the belief that a vibrant local arts scene makes for a more joyful, engaged community—the kind of community they want to live in.

Margot Page

Enamelling on Copper and Steel

“We know there are people out there, who will respond to that call,” says CVCAS Chair Bob Johns. “What we need to do is get the word out, because we’re at a point where we’re going to have to recruit more volunteers to keep our programs and events up and running, and make more possible.”

Vice Chair and Performance Committee Chair Bev Knight said the ever-popular summer Jewelery • Vases • Journals • Guestbooks music series at the bandshell in Frames • Bookmarks • Magnets • Lightswitch Plates Waterwheel Park could not go on without volunteers. They hire Available locally at: Imagine That Artisans the bands, do the set ups, pass Rainforest Arts • Artzi Stuff • Millstone Gallery the hat, MC… carry out all the tasks that make the shows such a quaylecard.indd 1 8/8/2011 3:23:00 success.

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www.margotpage.com

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“We do have a fantastic group of loyal people,” she said, noting that the same volunteer energy runs the Rainforest Arts gallery; presents Valley Voices poets and authors to the community; organizes festivals and special events.

But planning for the future means encouraging more volunteers to sign up. “We certainly do need some freshness and enthusiasm added to our board and volunteer base,” Knight said.

As the COVID era eases its grip, summer approaches, and the pace quickens, the need becomes more pressing.

So the CVCAS and other volunteer driven organizations are hoping people will respond to volunteer call outs—and to the message that volunteering is a fun, fulfilling way to get involved with your community.

Said Knight, “The experience and knowledge of volunteering grows in a person.” For example, she cites: being able to talk in front of large groups as an MC; meeting and greeting complete strangers at events; getting up front and personal with writers, artists and musicians; making friends; growing your skills base; adding depth to your resume.

Find out more about the Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society, and how you can get involved, at CVCAS.ca/connect.

CraigSpenceWriter.ca

Reiki Wellness Services Relax - Balance - Rejuvenate

GASLIGHT CLASSIC THRILLER NOW SHOWING The concept of “gaslighting” — psychologically manipulating another person to the point that they question their sanity — is everywhere in today’s culture. Patrick Hamilton established the concept in his 1938 mystery at the turn of the century in London, where a young wife initially believes that the dimming of the gas lights in her home and eerie knocking sounds in the attic are in her imagination, not signs of something more sinister. This new adaptation of the classic Victorian thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat as you discover the mysteries of the Manningham home.

This new and contemporary adaption by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson offers everything you’d expect in a good mystery - suspense, plot twists, and interpersonal intrigue. How are things going missing? What are the noises coming from the attic every night? Why is Jack at his club every night? Why are the gaslights dimming? It’s hard not to conclude that Bella is crazy and must go to a lunatic asylum. Gaslight by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson, based on the play Angel Street by Patrick Hamilton, is on stage from April 28 – May 28. www.chemainustheatrefestival.ca

BUFFY SAINTEMARIE: CARRY IT ON

Relaxing, balancing, Reiki/chakra alignments, Reiki classes, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Foot detox, Healing touch, Cosmetic Facial Acupuncture, GuaSha, Cupping, TuiNa • Debbie Shkuratoff - Reiki Master Teacher 250 743-8122 • Francoise Moulin - Registered Reflexologist 250 710-0784 • Sara Tillie TCM - Registered Acupuncturist 250 812-9813 Daytime • Evening • Weekend • By Appointment Only #13- Upper Level • Valleyview Centre • Cobble Hill www.reikiwellness.ca • reiki-wellness@shaw.ca

Carry It On features neverbefore-seen archival material, new performance footage and interviews with SainteMarie, Joni Mitchell, Sonia Manzano, John Kay, Robbie Robertson, Jackson Browne and others.

Over a career spanning six decades, Cree musician, artist and activist Buffy Sainte-Marie has used her platform to campaign for Indigenous and women’s rights and inspired multiple generations of musicians, artists and activists. Directed

by Madison Thomas, Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On chronicles Sainte-Marie’s rise in New York’s Greenwich Village folk music scene through her groundbreaking career, featuring interviews with Joni Mitchell (singer, songwriter, artist), Sonia Manzano (Maria on Sesame Street), John Kay (lead singer-songwriter of Steppenwolf, solo artist), Robbie Robertson (musician), Jackson Browne (musician), George Stroumboulopoulos (music journalist), Andrea Warner (author) and more.

May 29th Reel Alternatives feature film Buffy SanteMarie: Carry It On, 7pm, Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, 2687 James St., Duncan $17 250-748-7529

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A Thriving Arts and Cultural Community

NEW ARRIVALS

BY LISA RIEHL AT AQUAMARIS ART GALLERY

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nspired by the beauty of our wild West Coast and infused with her love of the ocean and her passion for the natural world, the newest arrivals by the Vancouver Island artist, Lisa Riehl, take us on a soulful journey into the sunrises and sunsets at iconic places and hidden gems along our shores.

Glowing From Within, Oil on Canvas, 48” x 72” by Lisa Riehl

Seen through the artist’s eyes as seemingly untouched by human

Wide Expanse of Day, Oil on Canvas, 30” x 60” by Lisa Riehl

Set My Soul on Fire, Oil on Canvas, 60” x 20” by Lisa Riehl

Daydreams, Oil on Canavs, 30” x 12” by Lisa Riehl

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presence, and manifested as contemporary representational works of art in oil on canvas, these scenic wonders come alive in flowing, strategically textured brushwork, using warm palette of pastel corals, golden yellows, creamy whites, mauves and purples, as well as the artist’s signature range of vibrant blues and greens. They invite us to marvel at crystalline shallows on a bright day, to bask in the glow of the golden hour from a forested edge above the Pacific Ocean, to delight in the patterns of shadow and light along rocky

shores and expansive sandy beaches, connecting us to the sense of reverence that emanates from them all.

Setting the stage with its impressive scale, the largest painting, “Glowing From Within,” commands attention with its arresting beauty as it visually radiates its nearly ethereal light beyond the flat surface of a 48” x 72” canvas.

Enrapturing a beholder with an elevated view over the water that prostrates towards distant shores in splendid stillness, reflecting the sun suspended above it like a golden orb and skies gleaming in pastel hues, “Glowing From Within” evokes the sense of

being there to bear witness to the illuminated spectacle, standing tall among the silhouetted trees in a state of awe and comforting solitude.

Now available for acquisitions through Aquamaris Art Gallery, “Glowing From Within”, Wide Expanse of Day”, “Set My Soul on Fire” and “Daydreams” are proudly showcased in our physical gallery during the month of May, as well as online.

Aquamaris Art Gallery Upstairs in the historic Duncan Garage Building, Suite 202 330 Duncan Street May hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 11 am - 5 pm (250) 597-2798 aquamarisartgallery.com

and masterly carving inspired by native traditions.

Graham grew up in small Alberta, spending time with Cree relatives living in the old ways.

Observing the lifestyle of his grandfather, an herbalist and trapper; Graham saw a man who lived a simple life surrounded by nature right up until his death at nearly one hundred years of age.

Encouraged by a friend and his brother to work in soapstone, he started carving fulltime in 1982. More of Graham’s Cree Burnt Man, Soapstone, 18” high, by background and Native Graham Pettman heritage is depicted with the integration of the symbols that nature displays. His inspiration comes from the existing shape of the stone before he raham Pettman was born commences carving. in 1938 at Fort Vermillion,

The Art of Graham Pettman

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Alberta, to a Cree mother and a British father. Being nomadic most of his life, Graham has been traveling with his work between BC and Alberta. Many of his works end up in sculpture collections outside of Canada, and his work is acknowledged to be the originator of a new style now in common use among many indigenous sculptors, not unlike the indigenous painter, Norval Morrisseau famed for creating the contemporary eastern woodland style of indigenous painting.

This exhibition at the Cowichan Public Art Gallery is about the Mimigewsiwak or the Cree “Little People” which Graham has illustrated in marvelous stone sculpture. Twenty or more “Little People” sculptures will be presented along with other artwork in this powerful exhibition. The exhibition is a master class in observation

Graham feels fortunate to live in an area where he can participate in the Native culture, invigorating, enlivening, and illustrating re-emerging ancient traditions relating to the Creator. He enjoyed sketching as a youngster and met and was influenced by A.Y. Jackson (a founding member of the Group of Seven) as a youth in Yellowknife and was later inspired to attend the Alberta College of Art in 1965.

Graham presently lives in 100 Mile House in the Cariboo region of British Columbia Canada where he enjoys the company of his three children: Demian, Mikara, and Aaron.

SHOP WITH US Tuesday - Friday 11am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 3pm Imagine That! Artisans’ Designs 251 Craig St., Downtown Duncan

imaginethatartisans.com I 250-748-6776

www.cowichangallery.ca Jock Hildebrand, DipFA, is the President of the Cowichan Public Art Gallery

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Last year’s Cowichan Valley Fine Arts Best in Show Winner Devin Watson

Cowichan Valley Fine Arts Show Cowichan Valley Fine Arts Show, May 5 – June 2: Now in its 50th year, the Fine Art Show features the work of 140 artists in every imaginable medium that can possibly be displayed in our galleries! None of the works have exhibited before, all are for sale and admission is free.

Include the Fine Arts Show in your Mothers’ Day plans – for beautiful, one-of-a-kind gifts and a perfect family outing.

Opening Night Fine Arts Show, May 4, 7 pm: We’re kicking off the 2023 Fine Arts Show with an Opening Night. You’ll enjoy strolling the show and connecting with the artists to chat about their work. This is also the night the jurors announce the prize winners.

Artist Demos – Ongoing: We’ll be welcoming artists, with their gear, to demonstrate their techniques.

Art Attack, May 26, 7pm: Ten artists compete in timed sessions & the audience selects finalists for the ultimate “paint off” to determine the winner! It’s tons of fun and participating artists make some pieces available for sale. Audience tickets are $10 & sell out every year -get yours soon.

A “Classy” Invitation: We’re booking artists to give personalized tours to classes … including CVAC’s popular scavenger hunt! Teachers contact CVAC to make arrangements. A nice activity as school wraps up.

Call for Emerging Artists: We’re seeking artists for the “Introducing …” exhibition.

Contributors must have recently completed studies that require studying & producing art - such as a mentorship program or a degree in fine arts or art education. Please share the word – a wonderful opportunity for emerging artists.

Connect with the Cowichan Valley Arts Council for details & registration for these and all our activities. www. cowichanvalleyartscouncil.ca

It’s an opportunity for laypersons and artists for insights into the how and why of the artistic process.

Scheduling underway – watch the website for details.

Mother’s Day Tea, May 13, 2 – 3:30 pm: White linen, fancy crockery, sweets, tea & full service set amongst artworks from throughout our region. A perfect Mother’s Day. Artists will be on hand to chat about their work.

About Us CVAC operates two community art galleries, hosting up to 30 shows annually at its art space in the Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan. Founded in 1971, CVAC programs workshops for youth and adults in its studio space. 2687 James Street, Duncan www.cowichanvalleyartscouncil.ca 12

Cheryl Painter SweetPea Notions, Acrylic on Canvas, 24” x 24” by Cheryl Painter $1152

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heryl Painter was born and raised in the beautiful Cowichan Valley, and yes, as ironic as it may seem, ‘Painter’ really is her surname!

Trained as a graphic designer, Cheryl began her career as a fine artist in North Vancouver.

After relocating to the Cowichan Valley in 2013, Cheryl and her husband opened and operated “Chocolate Pearl”, an artisanal chocolate shop located in Downtown Duncan.

As successful as that venture became, Cheryl decided to step back from chocolate making

to focus full time on her true passion: painting.

Her subject matter is varied and includes landscapes, florals, still life and critters. She strives for a very painterly or impressionistic effect, intentionally showing her brushstrokes and creating more of an experience rather than an exact depiction. “I often try to capture things the eyes can’t see… the wind in the sky, the motion of a bird’s wing or a moment when the light hits the subject just right”.

The painting Sweet Pea Notions was inspired by the sense of nostalgia that sweet peas seem to evoke.

Depicted in the painting are sewing notions, which are a tribute to Cheryl’s mother, who quilts and Grandmother, who sewed. “I haven’t encountered anyone who doesn’t love the scent of sweet peas and the memories they remind us of”.

Iris in Dappled Light was painted in defiance Pink & Orange Bouquet, Acrylic on Canvas, of our long and dark 12” x 12” by Cheryl Painter $288

winters. “One day when my garden was covered in snow I decided to bring to life a cluster of happy irises.”

Pink & Orange Bouquet was also painted to thwart the winter blahs. “It was a joy to work on when the weather outside was terrible.”

Cheryl’s studio is always open by appointment and she has

pieces showing at Excellent Frameworks Gallery in Duncan.

She will also be participating in various summer art fairs including the 4th Annual Shades of Green show, July 8 & 9th.

Cheryl Painter Studio 250.510.7899 www.cpainterartist.ca instagram: @cpainterartist

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BREAKFAST I LUNCH I DINNER PANINIS • SOUPS • SALADS

HOT & COLD BEVERAGES • SMOOTHIES

Dine In, Take Out, Order Online

The Women of Lockerbie

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www.urbanforestbistro.ca

he Mercury Players production of The Women of Lockerbie was set to open on March 19th, 2020. It was postponed, postponed again and then cancelled. Most of the cast has returned for a new and different production of The Women of Lockerbie.

On December 21, 1988 PanAm Flight 103 crashed onto a residential street in Lockerbie, Scotland.

Seven years later “The Women of Lockerbie” are struggling to come to terms with the tragedy. This is a fictional play inspired by the Lockerbie Laundry Ladies who laundered the passengers’ clothing so that it could be returned to the families of the dead. The play is presented with a chorus in the Greek Style of Theatre at the Duncan Showroom, 133 Station Street.

Madeline and Bill travel from New Jersey to Lockerbie, Scotland. Madeline, played

by Megan Bourns, hopes to find some physical piece of evidence that her son died in Lockerbie. Bill, played by Adrian Ingham, tries to cope with the death of his son and his wife’s unending grief.

Madeline and Bill roam the Lockerbie hills where they encounter “The Women of Lockerbie”.

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Jan Ovans is Olive, a spry senior who has come into conflict with the officious American George Jones played by Dan Leckey.

Hattie, a feisty cleaning lady, is played by Lori Appleton.

The Chorus is played by Lisa Read, Bethanny Brooks, Margie Pringle and Shauna Clinging.

Director Sylvia Swift is excited to be working with the Greek Style of theatre where the chorus helps to clarify the story and connect with the audience. To quote a director of the play “Evil only triumphs when you allow it to. The best way to combat it, is with fierce love, great acts of kindness and strength of community.”

Show dates and times: May 26, Friday 7:30pm, May 27 & 28, Saturday & Sunday 2:30pm, Jun 1, 2 & 3, ThursdaySaturday 7:30pm, June 3 & 4, Saturday & Sunday 2:30pm Ticket Info: Ticket Prices: $25 General Admission $20 Seniors/ Students Tickets are available at Ten Old Books or online at eventbrite.ca or www.mercuryplayers.org.

Brass Camel Comes to Crofton

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n Saturday, May 20th, Vancouver’s Brass Camel will be performing at Crofton’s Osborne Bay Pub as part of their first national tour. This will be their first appearance in the Cowichan Valley and the group will be bringing along their full stage production which has contributed to them being a can’t-miss act in Vancouver.

“This Vancouver based triad of musical masterminds have crafted an album which will without failure stand the test of time”. - RED Rock Magazine Brass Camel is a unique rock group who recently released their debut album, mixed by multiple Juno-winner Ben Kaplan. Made up of five experienced twentysomethings whose collective accomplishments include performing at New York’s Apollo Theatre, jamming with guitar icon Les Paul and hundreds of studio sessions, their sound is unique but one can hear the influence of titans such as Supertramp, Rush, Herbie Hancock and Yes. The group’s last three shows in Vancouver, as well as recent performances in Revelstoke and Kamloops, have sold out and last year Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar

named Brass Camel as his favourite Canadian band.

Other highlights include performing two back-toback sold out shows at Vancouver’s HR MacMillan Space Centre’s Omnimax star theatre and organizing/hosting “Floodstock” in December 2021. This charitable fundraiser featured 10 notable Vancouver-based acts and raised money for Fraser Valley flood relief - the event had a total effect of $21,000 in donations to the Canadian Red Cross flood relief initiative. In May/June of 2023 the band is embarking on their first national tour which runs to Montreal and includes an industry showcase performance at Canadian Music Week in Toronto. A second album is planned for early 2024 and Brass Camel looks forward to the relentless pursuit of expanding their audience.

Brass Camel will appear live at Osborne Bay Pub 1534 Joan Avenue, Crofton, on Saturday, May 20th. Show from 8:00-10:30PM. Tickets www.eventbrite. ca/e/brass-camel-liveat-osborne-bay-pubtickets-613555269327

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SENIORS AND SMARTPHONES

DANIEL COOK TRIO SATURDAY, MAY 13

8:30 PM

Duncan United Church Hall 246 Ingram St. Duncan $5 Members / $10 non Members

coffeehouse

DOORS 7pm / 7:30pm Open Mic sign up

www.cowichanfolkguild.ca

Owning a smartphone really is like having a phone, a computer, and a camera all in one device. The camera feature is a great tool for the individual who is finding mobility or eyesight is becoming challenging. Using the smartphone with the camera taking a pic on a timer is a great way to see what is either just below or above your easy reach, easy read range! Practicing phone calls and camera use regularly are the first steps in polishing the ‘new-ness’ off the smartphone and turning it into a useful tool.

Learning to use the contact book to act as a personal ‘assistant’ for future years is another great feature of the digital device. Not only can you store the important address and phone information, but there is a lot of additional information that you can add to help you in later years as your memory and social patterns begin to change. www.westviewlearning.ca 250 701-3359

BACKYARD SESSIONS DEER & SALMON Most grateful for the eight months of Nature Connection gatherings, where families and folk of all ages and skill level, have come together around the fire as a village to learn and connect.

Sunday May 7th, an extended day long event, celebrating our first year of Backyard Session and be of service for the upcoming Community Q’ushintul Gathering.

Local Quw’utsun Elder Robert George and Nature Mentors, will offer knowledge, teachings, stories and skills in preparing, skinning, processing and using all parts of the sacred Deer and Salmon. If you feel inspired, please join us.

May 7th, 9 am start - Potluck Lunch. Lila Music Centre, www.joythroughmusic.com Contact Cari for questions 250 710 4174

Rock I Funk I Blues I Reggae I Latin I Metal

PAUL JUTRAS

DRUM KIT AND HAND PERCUSSION LESSONS 35+ years experience- Private / One 2 One / Customized / Fun

Beginner to advanced - In your home or in my studio in Duncan

250-732-7735 I chopsdrumschool@gmail.com 16

JOIN US FOR BASKET OF STORIES

O

ver the past five months, folk from the region, near and far, have gathered in a fire lit yurt, in the Quw’utsun Village to listen to ancient folk stories and to collectively weave 45 framed baskets from locally harvested plants of Ivy, Cottontail, Willow, Yellow Iris and Crocosmia.

We have one remaining session on May 21st, where we will complete our baskets, listen to a folk story by Tad Hargrave and be guided by Quw’utusun Elder Robert George in a ceremony to prepare these uniquely woven baskets for the Give Away to Elders on July 1st, as part of the upcoming Q’ushin’tul Ancestors Walk.

We are putting a Call Out for anyone from the community, who feels the call, to drop off “Giveaway Gifts” to fill these hand woven baskets with local gifts. A Giveaway Gift, is a traditional offering, made from the host nation to the visitors upon arrival.

Suggested gifts to fill the baskets include: homemade jams, candles, smudges, cans of salmon, dried meats, sausages, earrings, beautiful napkins, pot holders, flowers, plants, gas gift cards, gift cards of $20 for groceries/ eating out, etc.

If you are called to join us for our last session of The Basket of Stories, pre register on Eventbrite:The Basket of Stories. Sunday May 21st , 2pm - 5pm, in the Lila Music Centre Yurt. www.joythroughmusic.com

What is most special about these baskets, is that each one was created by six different people who arrived at the gathering, perhaps not knowing how to weave, nor which basket they would create and wholeheartedly, found a basket and wove with intention, commitment to learning new skills, patience, willingness and an kind heart of offering, knowing that they were contributing to a gift they may never see again, that would be offered in kind to an Elder, filled with gifts.

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Happy Mother’s Day! To the mothers, aunts, sisters, and caretakers in our lives – for all that you do, everyday.

Duncan Office: #101-126 Ingram Street 1-866-609-9998 www.alistairmacgregor.ndp.ca

Boots ‘n’ Roots Permaculture We offer a ‘You choose CSA’with pick up at the Duncan Market.

Veggies also available at the Glenora Store and online at www.cow-op.ca.

www.bootsnrootsfarm.com Crustless Quiche

Courtesy Cowichan Co-operative Marketplace adapted recipe from wellplated.com

Ingredients 6 large eggs 2/3 cup whole milk ½ tsp sea salt ¼ tsp black pepper 1tbp Dijon mustard 1 ½ cups chopped spinach, beet greens or baby kale ½ cup green onions or thinly sliced leeks 2/3 cup grated mozzarella 2/3 cup chopped ham (optional) 3 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs of choice - parsley and thyme are in season now!

Method Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9” pie dish. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, half-and-half, salt, pepper, Dijon.

Fold in vegetables and ham. Pour the egg mixture into the dish. Top with grated cheese and herbs.

Bake until the center is set, about 35 minutes.

Cool for 15 minutes.

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Local Foods, Just in Time for Mother’s Day

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e are lucky that Mother’s Day is in May, because there are a number of wonderful things just coming into season in the Cowichan Valley, including farm fresh bouquets, greens and herbs grown with love by local farmers, and super special local teas.

Let’s show the mothers in our lives how much they mean to us with a Mother’s Day Brunch Celebration! We are thinking: floral bundles of seasonal ranunculus, lupines, and tulips that will make a cheery gift to brighten the table.

Start with a cup of tea - Did you know that May marks the beginning of tea harvesting on Vancouver Island? The Spring

leaves from the evergreen tea shrub (Camellia sinensis) contain a highly sought-after flavour profile that is unique to this time of year. Give mom a tin or gift set of locally grown tea from Canada’s only tea grower, Westholme Tea Farm located in North Cowichan. Return the favour for all the home-cooked meals Mom has made you, and serve up a delicious brunch of quiche using local ingredients, with yogurt from local cows at Promise Valley Creamery, and scrumptious organic pastries from True Grain Bread.

For more great Mother’s Day gift ideas from Cowichan Valley producers, visit www.cow-op.ca.

Sign up for our weekly email for updates on seasonal offerings.

Be Part of International Tea Day Alicia Fall. Writer at Westholme Tea Company, Community Gardener and Tea Ceremonialist

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any associate harvest season with late summer. In the world of tea, spring is the time of greatest abundance.

It is also this time of year when International Tea Day occurs, on May 21st.

However, this day has little to do with bountiful harvests and vibrant green terraces.

While many believe International Tea Day is a day to simply celebrate tea - in truth this day originated to bring attention to a side of the tea industry which is rather undeserving of celebration.

In the early 2000’s, tea farmers and workers in countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Kenya, and Tanzania began organizing and calling for global actions to end injustice and inequitable impacts of the tea industry.

Reflecting on the ripple effects of a cup of tea is something that we do every day at Westholme. Prioritizing the wellbeing of tea farmers is something we bring great care to in our search for teas from

around the world. Quality of tea translates to quality of life for tea farmers. The reverse is often true as well.

Each May, as International Tea Day approaches, our small garden of 800 tea plants (Camellia sinensis) on the slopes at Westholme begins to glow green with fresh tea leaves. As our Team spends increasingly more time in our tea garden, we are humbled.

Standing among the rows of bushes, it becomes clear how the tea we choose to pour in our cup matters.

Our connection to other tea farmers becomes even more apparent at this time of year as we receive fresh spring harvests from all around the world. Our Team gets to taste teas harvested by hands on the other side of the world, alongside the teas harvested by our own hands here.

• RAW & COOKED VEGAN LUNCHES • RAW TREATS • CLEANSES • SMOOTHIES • JUICES & MORE!

At Westholme, we are not just growing tea. We are growing a deeply rooted appreciation for all that goes into a cup of tea.

International Tea Day also marks the beginning of our events season here at Westholme. We invite you to enjoy a cup of fresh tea on the day wherever you are, in honour of tea farmers everywhere.

ORGANIC RAW FOOD EATERY & ORGANIC JUICE BAR I 3 5380, TRANS-CANADA HWY, DUNCAN 250 597-2595 I GLOWJUICERY.CA

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Cowichan Station Creamery “Come taste the difference kindness makes.”

4354 Howie Rd, Duncan I Open 11-5 Fri-Sun www.cowichancream.ca

Kelly and Cam Get Hitched!

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naturally grown, local and delicious

Boots nʻ Roots Permaculture Farm

lettuce, salad mix, mustards, first cut arugula, baby kale, pea shoots, peppercress and more!

Delicious, food grown with love in Glenora Available Saturdays at the Duncan Farmers Market.

LOOKING FOR MICROGREENS?

We grow plenty of them!

A&S MICROGREENS t.250-710-6135 www.asmicrogreens.com 20

ell, professionally speaking, that is. These two farmers have joined forces to make Boots ‘n Roots Permaculture Farm better than ever.

After twelve years of growing organic vegetables in Duncan, Cam retired Ol’ MacDonald Farm to relieve the burden of running his own business; meanwhile across the river in Glenora, Kelly pondered her next twelve years of growing, and realized she needed a helper with knowledge, experience and dedication.

Maybe these two could help each other out...

Kelly thinks Cam is smart, but he really just uses big words. Kelly calls herself an intuitive farmer, and Cam doesn’t really know what that means, but says he finds it “laudable.” But seriously: Cam likes working for Kelly for many reasons,

such as her endless greenhouse space, great for growing heat loving plants and extending the season in spring and fall--a luxury he has never experienced. He also loves the way Kelly sources many soil amendments, in the form of wood chips and horse manure, right there in her Glenora neighbourhood, and marvels at the spadefuls of red wriggler worms and mycorrhizae (big word for fungus) that go into her garden.

The two are coordinating their strengths and comparing notes on vegetable varieties and growing practices to maximize the productivity of the farm, and enhancing the soil structure to achieve maximum nutrient density in the farm’s produce. It is naturally grown and typically picked the day before sale so the taste and quality are tough to beat.

Boots ‘n Roots offers farm gate sales and two sizes of CSA; plus a you choose CSA available for pick up in Duncan. With grocery prices rising and many farmers reluctant to raise their own prices too much, the value at the Duncan Farmer’s market is better than ever. Please come and say hello to Kelly-any Saturday market, in front of Pharmasave.

Cam MacDonald

Sign up for a CSA Today

OUR ECOVILLAGE Cooperative FARMER: Trent Berg

OUR Ecovillage is the North American model of “Lawful Permaculture” and demonstration site/research center with 25 acres of ‘field to fork’ integrated/wholistic food systems design. With love and skills background knowledge based in almost 50 years of farming in the Cowichan...this ‘Farm Membership CSA’ is a special CSA ‘Like No Other’. OUR team has created a slow food drive thru (not fast-food!) and your box comes with a full farm membership to bring your family, receive the Intro to Permaculture with Starhawk (in person or online), access to cuttings/ roots/rare breeds, online learning videos with OUR permaculture team, U-pick, AND canning, value-added products, plant starts, eggs, meats/poultry (if you wish), herbs, wild foods, with your usual Veggies/Fruit - you design! CSA runs 20 weeks (late harvest 10 weeks available too) $37+. Payment plans are available 250-7433067 www.ourecovillage.org

FARMSHIP GROWERS CO-OP FARMERS: Farmship Growers Co-op

Farmship is a group of farmers growing cooperatively on a 50 acre family farm in Yellow Point.

We use growing methods that respect the land, the water, our pollinators and other beneficial beings. Good soil, compost, water and sunshine are the main ingredients we use, if our plants need extra nutrition we use OMRI compliant supplements in our fields. We offer varied nutritious locally grown fruits and vegetables for your household. We celebrate 10 years of CSA offering.

We grow 60 different crops from asparagus to zucchini, enough for a varied seasonal diet. Option of 3 free pick-up locations or Delivery for a fee. Summer CSA 14 weeks Fall CSA 14 weeks (28 weeks total) Harvest box $25 per week Bounty Box $35 per week -New $50 Monthly box www.farmship.ca/shop for details.

Alderlea Farm CSA

3390 Glenora Rd, Duncan

$20/week Pay by the week!

Sign up at veggies@alderleafarm.com

SUPPORT LOCAL FARMS

ALDERLEA FARM

FARMERS: Farmer John and Farmer Katy Alderlea Farm had been providing veggies to the community for nearly twenty years. The farm has always followed biodynamic and organic practices. For many years we were certified. Still following the same practices, we offer a great selection of seasonal veggies every week.

Easy, pick-up is Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Located five minutes from Duncan in the heart of Glenora. When you pick-up, you may be tempted to enjoy a delicious feast of food at the farm-totable restaurant located right on the farm! There is no up front payment. Pay $20 by the week. You can really taste the difference! We will have vegetables until the end of November. For more information contact us at veggies@alderleafarm.com www.alderleafarm.com

BOOTS N ROOTS PERMACULTURE FARM FARMER: Kelly Raye

Boots ‘n’ Roots works really hard at building a healthy, vibrant soil with lots of beneficial microbes, resulting in some of the most nutritious food in the Valley. Healthy soil results in healthy plants and healthy people. BNR is one of the few naturally grown market garden farms in the Cowichan Valley that practices true Permaculture techniques. This is a step up from traditional organic, and is the most sustainable and regenerative way to grow our food! We never use tractors or other heavy machinery, and practice a ‘no till’ method, where a lot of effort is put into creating a healthy soil food web - loaded with beneficial micro-organisms, fungi, and minerals. We make all our compost and fertilizers from scratch right here on the farm. We grow over 30 different veggies, herbs and berries Our CSA program is a ‘You Choose’ model, which works like a reloadable card. You get what veggies you want, when you want them! Great for people who would like to have choices.

We grow 12 months a year, so veggies are available year round! www.bootsnrootsfarm.com

FARMSHIP GROWERS COOPERATIVE 2 SEASONS CSA - SUMMER/FALL

FRESH FOOD • JUNE - DECEMBER

More information, recipes and things that inspire us at www.farmship.ca 21

NEW SPRING

RELEASE! Emandare Vineyard 2022 Sauvignon Blanc

Concenti Singers Celebrates 40 Years!

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hen Concenti Women’s Choir celebrates the fortieth Anniversary of Concenti Singers on May 7, it will be the Cowichan Valley’s last opportunity to hear the choir, as director, Sheila Johnson, has announced her retirement.

Concenti Singers have been a fixture in the Cowichan Valley since the choir was started in 1983 by Jim and Sheila Johnson. Both had directed choirs for many years, with Jim having had the Cowichan Chorale in the 1970s.

For many years Concenti was a mixed choir, and there was often a waiting list of women who wanted to sing with the group, but the Johnsons always insisted that there be a balance between sections.

Rehearsals were held twice every week, on Mondays and Wednesdays. In the early years, the choir performed twice a year, both times at the Cowichan Theatre. As Jim was a soloist who had sung in various part of Canada, the US and Europe, he had many connections with jazz musicians with whom he had worked. Each Concenti concert included a professional guest artist to share the programme. Cowichan audiences became familiar with the likes of Elmer Gill, Jerry Bryant, Themba Tana, African Heritage and Karel Rossingh, The husband and wife team shared the directing for many years until Jim 22

became ill and unable to continue. By this time Sheila was the sole director.

Jim passed away in September 2012, and Sheila eventually cut rehearsals down to once a week in 2015.

As it became harder to find enough male singers to balance the sopranos and altos, it finally became Concenti Women’s Choir in 2018.

A truly unique wine to this region and one of our flagships.

Bright refreshing orchard apple and pear meets vine ripened kiwi and mouthing watering citrus zest all tied together with a silk texture. Get it while it lasts! $32

Over the past forty years, Concenti has performed at various venues in Cowichan, Nanaimo, Gabriola, Sidney and Victoria. Throughout all this time they have donated annually to the Salvation Army and the Basket Society.

May 13

Spring Release Open House Taste our new wines! 11am-5pm

Check our website or FB for event updates

250 597-4075 6798 Norcross Rd, Duncan

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ew Boat Club at Mill Bay Marina – Come down and check out the boats!

For many people, the idea of owning a boat is a dream come true. However, the costs of owning and maintaining a boat can be quite prohibitive. This is where Club Yolo comes in - a locally owned and operated boat club that offers an easy, affordable, and flexible way to get out boating.

Club Yolo operates out of Mill Bay Marina and Port Sidney Marina, giving members easy access to the Gulf Islands. The club is membership-based, with a onetime membership fee and an affordable monthly payment.

The model is similar to a golf membership, but instead of access to a golf course, members get access to brand new boats.

The club has three boats available to members: the Bayliner VR5, the Trophy T20CC, and the Beneteau Antares 7. All three boats are brand new and outfitted with top-of-the-line navigation and safety equipment. Members do not have to worry about moorage fees, insurance fees, maintenance, cleaning, or servicing the boats. All of these costs are included in the membership fee.

Club Yolo offers flexible membership payment options

Cowichan Folk Guild Coffeehouse

Club YOLO You Only Live Once! to suit different needs. The single membership option costs $5,000 one-time fee and $500 per month, allowing one member and one designated co-pilot. The shared membership option costs $10,000 one-time fee and $600 per month, split 50/50 between two members, with one designated co-pilot for each member. The group membership option costs $10,000 one-time fee and $1,000 per month, split between up to four members, with one designated co-pilot for each member.

Joining Club Yolo gives members the opportunity to enjoy the boating lifestyle without the hassle and costs of boat ownership. Members can take their friends and family out on the water,

explore the Gulf Islands, and make lasting memories.

Club Yolo is an excellent option for anyone looking to enjoy boating without the costs and responsibilities of boat ownership. So, if you’re looking for an easy and stress-free way to get out on the water, consider joining Club Yolo today. More info at www.clubyolo.ca.

That Daniel Cook trio is an original eclectic roots group from Victoria. With Ryan Rocks funk driven base, Norm Macphersons magical lead guitar and Daniels well crafted song writing These contagious melodys and timeless stories are blended into a tasty mix of Indie, Folk, Funk and Country. Saturday, May 13, DOORS 7pm / 7:30pm Open Mic sign up, Show 8:30pm Duncan United Church Hall 246 Ingram St. Duncan $5 Members / $10 non Members

JOIN US

WEDNESDAY to SATURDAY look for our daily specials on 40 Ingram Street

www.theoldfirehouse.ca

Downtown Duncan

(250) 597-3473

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Local and imported cheese Charcuterie boards Hand made local chocolates Italian Imports

Mother’s Day Charcuterie

C

Mothers Day Grazing Charcuterie

Courtesy Chef Brad Boisvert, Cure Artisan Meat & Cheese

Ingredients

Semi firm Cheese Beemster Gouda 130 grams Hard Cheese Aged Snowdonia Truffle Cheddar 150 grams Soft Brie Cheese Triple cream Delice Cheese 120 grams German Speck sliced 100 grams landjäger Sausage 120 grams Andouille Sausage 200grms Smoked Hard boil eggs 4 Date Pear and cognac chutney 1 jar Smoked nuts 80 grams Dried apricots 80 grams Dried cranberry 80 grams French baguettes 2

Method

1. On your favorite platter, board or plate, place large pieces of cheese.

2. Slice sausage and arrange in a decorative pattern with sliced speck.

3. Place chutney jar on board. I like to leave it in the jar so guests can see what it is.

4. Scatter fruit and nuts.

5. Slice bread in place on board or basket next to your board. *All ingredients can be found at Cure Artisan Meat and Cheese

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elebrate both mom and charcuterie for brunch. You have heard of grazing on charcuterie for lunch, dinner or even in the afternoon but BRUNCH. So, what is Charcuterie for brunch. Well in its simplest form charcuterie is cured, smoked meats. So, what do we associate breakfast with cured smoked meats; bacon, ham, sausage. Well, it can be more than just those few items. A Charcuterie board can contain sausage, ham and even bacon. Let’s explore. Ham style items prosciutto, smoked duck breast, speck.

Bacon- pancetta, maybe even some Guanciale (cured pork jowl). When it comes to sausage the choices are endless, from Toulouse or breakfast sausage you can cook and serve cold or warm, to dried cure sausages like landjäger, smoked andouille, and Mennonite sausages just to name a few. See the brunch charcuterie board is already starting to form. Cheeses are a must as well to go with the meats, harder sharper gouda, aged cheddars have been consumed by Europeans for centuries for breakfast so why not your charcuterie board for brunch. What else that you have for breakfast could make a nice addition to your board? Oh yeah eggs. What about some local farm stand

hard boiled eggs or maybe even step into the gourmet world and add a smoked hard boiled egg. If you do not have a smoker stop into Cure, we have them done for you in the case to grab some. Well maybe some sweets, little cookies, macaroons, or a sweet pecan bourbon smoked chocolate tart you would find on a board if I had one at my brunch. Simple buttery Italian Bella di cerignola olives would also make a great milder olive to accompany all those meats and cheeses.

Oh… and we almost forgot fruit, fresh grapes, apples or dried apricots and cranberries are nice too. These are just to name a few items to go on toast, bread and maybe even a yogurt parfait with granola could be suitable too. Let us assemble one for you or follow this simple recipe as a guild line to prepare your own. Mothers Day Grazing Charcuterie Box, Call or stop in to place your order.

250-929- CURE (2873), 5-1400 Cowichan Bay Road, Cobble Hill (Valley View Centre).

Chef Brad Boisvert, Cure Artisan Meat and Cheese

Chicken & Spinach Pomegranate Salad Courtesy Grant Easterbrook, The Olive Station

Chicken 1 pound chicken breasts 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped finely 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped 1 tablespoons fresh sage chopped Salt to taste Method Prepare the chicken by marinating it in a bowl with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and herbs. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Grill the chicken on a grill pan, about 8 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. Slice chicken.

Vinaigrette 1/4 cup (60ml) Medium Extra Virgin Olive Oil 4 tablespoons Pomegranate Balsamic vinegar Freshly squeezed orange juice – 1 Orange 1 teaspoon dijon mustard salt and pepper to taste Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients until well blended.

Spinach Salad 8-9 ounces baby spinach 3/4 cup pomegranate arils 1/4-1/2 cup (30-60g) feta cheese - Optional candied pecans Toss together all salad ingredients – add chicken and serve. .

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HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

CELEBRATE OUR MOTHERS

Mother’s Day Brunch is back! Come celebrate Mom at the Cowichan Golf and Country Club Catered by Vancouver Island Event Catering on May 14. This fabulous All Day Brunch will include favourites like: Smoked Maple Ham Carving Station, Eggs Benny with Smoked Salmon & Champagne Hollandaise, Hot Waffles with Strawberries & Whipped Cream. An assortment of fresh salads and roasted seasonal vegetables.

Scrumptious dessert and pastries bar and much, much more. Seating times 10:30am, Noon or after Church at 1:30pm. Reservations recommended email viec@ shaw.ca or call 250 701 8593 to book your seats. Catered

by Vancouver Island Event Catering. 4955 Trans Canada Hwy. www.vieventcatering.com

Find us at the Duncan Farmer’s Market on Saturdays!

Charcuterie, Grazing Boxes and Entertaining Ideas

www.picklespantry.ca I 250-266-2464 26

Mother’s Day offerings from Farm Table Foods Shop for Mom’s favourite brunch items from the Farm! Fresh Breads – Sourdough, Banana, Westcoast Bannock - $6 to $8 Pot Pie Quiches - $9, Cabbage Rolls – $19 to $37 Chicken Cacciatore - $17 to $30 Fresh Seafood Chowder $22, Chocolate Mousse $13 and so much more! Pre-orders 250-932-3205 The Farm Store is open Wednesday to Saturdays or visit their farm stand at the Duncan Farmers Market Saturdays from 9am to 2pm. www.farmtableinn.ca Mother’s Day at the Genoa Bay Cafe! This Mother’s Day we are offering a classic Blackstone Benny, a sweet breakfast treat, a Mixed Berry Stuffed French Toast and for a more savoury option we have a Lemon Scallop Risotto.

Refresh yourself with our feature drink, a Paloma. Plan a meal with us before or after a lovely walk around the 3.2km Stoney Hill Trail Loop.

CELEBRATE FAMILY THIS MAY

WITH DELICIOUS MEALS

Treat the mothers in your life to an unforgettable three course long-table brunch prepared by Mensch Kitchen & Catering.

The chefs are crafting an irresistible farm-to-table menu featuring Keating Farm’s seasonal ingredients.

Brunch includes coffee, tea, and apple juice. Mimosas, wine and beer will be offered for an additional charge.

Following brunch, all mothers will receive a special gift to take home and enjoy.

May 14, 10:30 am Keating Farm, 5250 Miller Road, Duncan Cost: Adult $110, Child $55, Children 3 and Under Complimentary *Prices do not include taxes and gratuity. Make your reservation today at https:// bit.ly/orchardbrunch

Neko Ramen - Reward mom this Mother’s Day with an authentic Japanese ramen meal at Neko Ramen! Our cozy and cute pink interior, along with our delicious

dishes like homemade noodles and miso, make for the perfect family outing.

Plus, you can give the gift of Neko Ramen with our gift cards! Come celebrate with mom and enjoy a special meal together. Open Tuesday -Friday 11:30-7pm Saturday 11:30-3pm Sunday and Monday closed. Gift cards available. 171 Canada Ave, Duncan www.nekoramen.net

Cure Artisan Meat and Cheese - Mother’s Day Charcuterie Grazing Box. Our ever popular charcuterie and cheese with the addition of Folklore chocolates and Macaroons. A great addition to brunch or afternoon and before dinner grazing. Call 250-928-2873 to place your order. 5-1400 Cowichan Bay Road Cobble Hil

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HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL OUR

FABULOUS LOCAL own comfrey and calendula steeped in organic olive and grapeseed oils with the intoxicating scent of pure rose essential oil, it is a gift to your skin. Take a moment every day to stop and smell the roses and appreciate the gift of love and healing they bring. Duncan Market every Saturday 9-2, Community Farm Store www.botanicalbliss.ca.

Imagine That!

You’ll find a wonderful variety of wearable art in clothing, accessories, and jewellery at Imagine That! in downtown Duncan. All hand-made by Island artists, each piece would be a muchappreciated gift for Mom. We are located at 251 Craig Street, across from City Hall. Our hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11 am to 4 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 3 pm.

Botanical Bliss - Our new Wild Hip Facial oil is intensely hydrating and smells like heaven. With wild rose hips, rose petals, our

Giving you back the luxury of time and a naturally clean home to enjoy it in!

Providing professional, eco friendly cleaning services.

250 929 8381 www.cleanchoicecleaners.com Licensed - Insured - Bonded 28

Plentifill has a great assortment of handmade Bath and Shower products by BC company Om Naturale. They plant, grow, harvest, dry, infuse, process and create. All their products are packaged in sustainably sourced materials that are refillable or compostable. Mom will love them! 163 Kenneth St, Duncan.

MOTHERS, AUNTIES, SISTERS, GRANDMOTHERS

GIFT IDEAS

Available at Fabrications Pyrrha Jewellery - Handmade and sustainable modern heirlooms all handcrafted at their zero carbon studio in Vancouver. Inspired by antique wax seals, their sustainably handcrafted talismans are rich in symbolism and hold deep personal meaning for those who wear them. 125 Kenneth St, Downtown Duncan. Open Monday - Saturday 10-5pm, Sunday 12-5pm. www.foreverfab.com

Buckerfield’s: Metis Artist Garden Gloves Goatskin gardening gloves featuring prints designed by Kaija Heitland, a member of the Cowichan Valley Métis Nation. These beautiful gloves are durable, lightweight, soft, and breathable and feature a lightly padded palm and hooded leather fingertips to protect nails. 5410 Trans Canada Highway, Duncan 250-748-8171

Chemainus Health Food Store - Individually hand crafted by the women of Sakhi Kunj, each unique laptop bag, backpack or cosmetic case creates empowerment for women in India by providing access to materials, training, and career potential through the creation of beautiful textile products.

Handcrafted from repurposed fabrics gathered from various sources such as discarded temple cloth and Indian sarees, each one of these bags is unique and lovingly stitched by the women of Sakhi Kunj. 9738 Willow St, Chemainus. Open Manday Saturday, 10am - 5pm.

Closed Sundays.

Reflexology I Swedish Massage Lymphatic Release Technique

Enabling your body to heal itself, naturally.

Book online at www.naturalheelingreflexology.com

Call Helga 250-732-7988

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INSPIRING EXPERIENCES

OLD FOREST CAMPGROUND

ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

SALT SPRING ISLAND Where the Cowichan Valley meets the Salish Sea!

Give Mom what she really wants! A night off from cooking and the dishes.

Gift certificates available for a catered family meal.

Barnes & Maracle Food Specialists bring everything needed for a very special 3 or 4 course meal including dishes and the wine pairings! Gift mom the joy of a meal in her home with family on whatever day she chooses. To arrange a gift certificate please call 250 710-1058 barnesandmaracle@ gmail.com

Large Park • Trails • Seaside Walk • Awesome Destination Gallery/Gift Shop • Hardy Plant Nursery • Variety of Campsites

Mid Week Islanders Special MONDAY – WEDNESDAY Stay 2 nights get a 3rd night free

To Reserve call Tyson, our camp host 250-537-4346 gardenfaire@saltspring.com

www.gardenfaire.ca HARMONY WELLNESS EVOLUTION An Evolutionary Approach to Your Health and Happiness

Deborah Carruthers BA, BSW, MA Counsellor and Wellness Practitioner To book a session or view upcoming events and workshops, please visit: www.harmonywellnessevolution.com

250-715-1773 360 Duncan St #103, Duncan 30

A Fresh Start ~ Mind Body Energy Tools and RemedieS Treat yourself and your Mom to a Bach Flower Remedy consultation to discover remedies that soothe your emotional body to create calm and balance. By honouring how we feel and being curious about our emotions, natural remedies can be revealed that help us navigate our difficult emotions and unblock stored trauma.

Discover who you really are!

Gift Certificates available. By appointment Diana Anu Pink @ afreshstart@shaw.ca / 250 597-2102

Looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift that combines adventure, history, and breathtaking scenery?

Look no further than a 3-hour tour on the Tall Ship Providence, the oldest working vessel in BC waters (built in 1903). Departing from Mill Bay Marina or Port Sidney Marina, tours are offered every other weekend this summer. So why not surprise your Mom with a gift that she will never forget?

Learn more at - www.mbmg. ca/tallships Sessions of Reflexology & Reiki Make The Best Mother’s Day Gift! Want your Mother to feel relaxed and pampered? Get her a gift certificate or book her a relaxing and healing session of Reflexology & Reiki From Stephanie Cerins.

Sessions are affordable because there is a sliding donation scale for all pocket books! 250-732-4599, 9279 Poplar Rd. Chemainus.

MAKE MEMORABLE GIFTS

Vegan a nd NGI opt ions available too!

Celebrate Mothers in May! Delicious Cakes, Baked Goods, Brunch items and Takeaway foods to enjoy with all the Moms and Mother figures in our lives...

Is your mom and whale and wildlife lover? Take your mom on a Half Day Whale and Wildlife Adventure on Mother’s Day departing from Cowichan Bay or Parksville and save 20% on your booking! Please contact us to learn more or book your seats for Mother’s Day. Maybe you’ll even meet Big Mama, one of our local Humpback Whales who’s brought 6 calves to our waters since 1997! Ocean Ecoventures Call to book 250 748-3800 www.oceanecoventures.com

Meadow Wren Flower Farm Give the best gift of all this Mother’s Day and support Mother Earth by adding pollinator plants to your garden! Includes 30 minute home garden consultation and customized plant list. Receive 15% off installation if you wish to take it a step further and implement the pollinator plan. $95. Contact meadowwrenflowerfarm@ gmail.com or visit www. meadowwrenflowerfarm.com

Soul Escape Spa If I think of the unconditional love of a mother, I have to say experiencing a Reiki Energy healing session comes the closest. It is comparable to “bathing in pure love”so tender, so settling, yet powerful enough to melt away tension, and everything that is in the way of healing on all levels. 109-2673 Beverly St (Thriftys Plaza) Book one for mom today!

250 748-2056

Pickles Pantry Tomato Jam Made from Cowichan Valley Roma Tomatoes with a teensy touch of spice this jam is not just for charcuterie boards!

Switch it out for ketchup, eat it with eggs, or with a bag of chips. Pair it with Chicken Pâté, with Burnt Honey and Apple Order at www.picklespantry.ca.

Open Monday to Saturday 7:30am-5pm - Closed Sundays

The Neroli Age Corrective Facial with complimentary Enzyme Peel

Prepare your skin for the decadent facial with an enzyme peel that will deeply exfoliate and improve the appearance of fine lines and uneven skin, then this divinely-scented facial will utilize exotic neroli and monoi oils, hydrating coconut and strengthening bamboo to visibly improve the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines Suitable for all skin types. 1 Hour $105

Monday-Friday 9-5pm Saturday, Sunday and Holidays – Closed 109-2673 Beverly St., Duncan (Thrifty’s Plaza) 250 748-2056 www.soulescape.ca 31

Next, in the deserts of Rajasthan, she custom designs cotton prints and exquisite blockprints, all made from organic cotton. Then she spends several days going through thousands of saris to pick out the most beautiful ones for her recycled sari collection (scarves, skirts & kimonos!).

Alchemy Fashions are fairly and ethically made!

Trish has been working with the same small, familyrun businesses in India for over a decade. Their businesses have grown together based on a foundation respect, trust and friendship.

Trish works closely with her pattern makers, tailors, finishers on her annual visit to India. She pays fair, living wages to her workers, often double what other companies pay, and ensures they have bright, safe work environments, regular hours, breaks and holidays.

Alchemy Fashions at Chemainus Health Food Store

E

ach year, BC designer Trish Hinders travels to India, where she creates Alchemy Fashions. Trish is ever-inspired by the people, culture and spirit of India.

Alchemy started in 1992 when she purchased 20 dresses from a small shop in a village in Rajasthan, India. Trish found a way to support her passion for travel and adventure by selling her clothes at summer festivals, and returning to India each Fall. As the years progressed, her collection became more detailed and refined. While she is not formally trained in fashion design, Trish perfected her patterns through years of practice. Her designs are easy-fitting and versatile (dress it up or down), and she hopes to offer something for everyone.

As soon as she arrives in India, Trish travels to the colourful fabric markets. Here she selects her rayons and men’s cotton shirt fabrics.

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Trish also creates an organic cotton leisure-wear collection called Flying Heart. In this line, you will find ultra-soft and comfortable tops, tees, boleros & skirts. These are timeless pieces that you will want to wear every day!

Check out Alchemy’s extensive Spring/Summer Collection at Chemainus Health Food Store, located at 938 Willow Street in Chemainus.

Earth as a goddess, who is to be honoured and respected. In Greek mythology, she is Gaia. In ancient Roman religion, she is Terra. In Hinduism, she is Prithvi – which translates to “the Vast One.” For the Quechua speaking peoples of the Andes, she is Pachamama.

These communities, and many others around the globe, have recognized the importance of honouring our Mother Earth.

In recent centuries, with the exponential growth of capitalism, we’ve seen a fracturing of the ancient human connection to the earth. Profits have taken precedence over both people and planet. With rising emissions, warming oceans, and depleting coral reefs, it can be hard to remember a time when we honoured the earth.

Mother Earth

“K

nowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.” – Robin Wall Kimmerer.

With Mother’s Day approaching, I find myself thinking of this quote from one of my favourite books “Braiding Sweetgrass.” Just as Mother Earth has provided for countless generations, we have a collective responsibility to care for her in return.

Celebrations of Mother Earth have been around for thousands of years. Many ancient religions refer to the personification of

Omnipresent clear cuts, dry river basins, and scorched earth can lead us to believe that we are on a path to destruction. But I maintain hope.

I have hope that, together, we can restore our duty to care for Mother Earth. Organizations in the Cowichan Valley have shown the great work that can be done through collaboration.

The Cowichan Watershed Board and the Cowichan Stewardship Roundtable have

blazed trails for community led governance and stewardship. Cowichan Tribes and their partners developed the first ever Water Sustainability Plan for the Koksilah Watershed.

The Mill Bay Conservation Society has helped thousands of salmon traverse man-made barriers, allowing them to spawn safely in Shawnigan Creek. The Cowichan Green Community has promoted environmental sustainability by growing and supporting local food systems.

These local organizations give me hope that our connection to the earth is not lost.

This Mother’s Day we should recognize the important work being done to protect and honour our Mother Earth. We should remember our collective responsibility to steward the land and waters that give us life.

Through our actions, we must demonstrate our reciprocal love for the earth.

Sonia Furstenau, MLA Cowichan Valley, Elected House Leader BC Green Party

MOTHERS DAY - NEW SPRING FASHIONS

BIG selection of natural products, cosmetics, organic produce, zero waste bar and more!

9738 Willow St, Chemainus 250-246-9838

Hours Mon-Sat 10am-5pm • Closed Sun & Statutory Holidays 33

Waiting For Big Mama

H

umpback whales are known for their impressive size, stunning songs, and majestic movements in the water. Among these magnificent creatures, there is one particular humpback that has caught the attention of researchers and wildlife enthusiasts alike: Big Mama BCY 0324.

LIVE MUSIC SATURDAY NIGHT! 7 Nights a Week Dinner Service 5pm - Close Sat Lunch /Sun Brunch 11 am - 2 pm Appy Hour Fridays at 4-5pm Appy Hour Saturdays & Sundays 3-5pm MOTHER’S DAY FEATURE MENU Sunday, May 14 4 courses $70 I Wine Pairing $25 STARTER CRISPY BRUSSELS SPROUTS lemon, toasted pecans, asiago

2nd COURSE SCALLOP & PEA RISOTTO parmesan, basil sprouts 3rd COURSE PAN SEARED HALIBUT lyonnaise fingerling potato, grilled asparagus, cauliflower puree, lemon caper beurre noisette

4th COURSE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE mascarpone mousse, fresh & macerated strawberries white chocolate shavings, whipped cream

1701 Cowichan Bay Road, Cowichan Bay Reservations (250) 748-3714 www.themastheadrestaurant.com

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taxes and gratuities are not included

Sous Chef – Joel Peck Executive Chef – Patrick Dique

no substitutions, reservations recommended

Big Mama, as she is affectionately known, is a female humpback whale who has become famous for the number of calves she has brought to the Salish Sea. Big Mama was one of the first humpback whales to repopulate the Salish Sea after the whaling era and has been feeding here regularly since 1997. Since 1997 Big Mama has brought 6 calves to feed in the Salish Sea from her mating and calving grounds in Hawaii.

Humpback whales are known for their remarkable longdistance migrations, and one of the most notable is the journey that takes them from their breeding grounds in Hawaii to the feeding grounds in the waters of British Columbia.

Every year, humpback whales make the journey of approximately 3,000 miles, taking them from the warm waters of the Pacific to the cooler, nutrient-rich waters of the north. This migration typically takes place in the late fall and early winter, with the

whales returning to Hawaii in the spring.

During their journey, the humpback whales face many challenges, including navigating through strong currents and avoiding predators.

However, the whales are well adapted to these conditions, and their migration is a vital part of their life cycle. In the waters of British Columbia, the humpback whales feed on a variety of prey, including krill, plankton, and small fish. This allows them to build up the fat reserves they need for the long journey back to Hawaii, where they will mate and give birth before beginning the cycle all over again. The humpback whales’ migration from Hawaii to the waters of British Columbia is an awe-inspiring natural event, and a reminder of the incredible adaptations and endurance of these magnificent creatures.

We are patiently waiting for Big Mama’s spring appearance in the Salish Sea which usually happens within the first week of May. Last year she was first documented on May 2nd travel with a new calf who was identified as a boy on May 4th!

Simon Pidcock Owner, Captain Ocean Ecoventures and Pacific Whale Watch Association Executive 2022

Works of Art

ARTHUR VICKERS

Featuring Oonagh Designs at Arthur Vickers Gallery

M

y

inspirations are endless, and run the gamut from the beauty of the natural world, to the creativity of fashion, and the structural details of architecture.

So many things to capture my inner Raven’s eye, and my curiosity helps keep the creative energy abundant.

A creative spirit revealed itself early on when I started designing clothes for myself and friends. I pushed the conventional boundaries with the use of bold colours and textiles, and reworking vintage pieces, to give them new life.

I turned to jewelry in my 30’s when a good friend asked me to design a ‘show stopping heirloom’ for her wedding day, and I never looked back.

Now I take my love of vintage by using beautifully embossed antique metals, and adorning them with gemstones and pearls. I never know what will emerge from reworking the antique piece, or how it will evolve.

My favourite creations are the Talisman necklaces that are hand wired with an added medallion, or ‘Ageis’, perhaps a carved animal, or Baroque pearl combined. I also love to design a pair of earrings that make a statement. Nothing says Fabulous! like admiring someone with their head held high rocking shoulder dusters.

Cowichan Bay is home for me. The feeling when I walk through this wonderful seaside village is so comforting, and I love that I am a part of the ‘main street’ by having my works available at the Arthur Vickers Gallery.

To see my pieces on display in such a beautiful space, nestled amongst Arthur’s stunning works is an honour.

The Gallery has a warm and welcoming atmosphere for those who discover this Valley gem. Oonagh Designs are available to view by appointment, or by chance at Arthur Vickers Gallery, 1719 Cowichan Bay Road.

250 748-7650.

A SELECTION OF IMPORTANT AND PERSONAL WORKS

Located in the Seaside Village of Cowichan Bay the gallery is a curated collection of the exceptional and the exquisite.

The Arthur Vickers Gallery is a destination to be discovered.

Representing the Artist’s Collection of Works of Art that capture the essence of our coast.

Also showcasing locally created jewellery that is refined & beautiful with a touch of the playful and the whimsical. & Magnificent wooden bowls that are functional beauty. Spectacular and inspiring!

250-748-7650 1719 Cowichan Bay Road Always by appointment... or by chance.

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Around our home, which is a small rural property with many rhododendron plants surrounded by tall fir and cedar trees, there is plenty of yard work.

Spring is also the time I begin to set out on my bicycle.

While I ride around our community, I notice there are many areas that need a good spring cleaning.

Our road networks suffer from the same cold weather winds. Many of the shoulders are covered with forest debris making it a bit of challenge to ride a safe distance from traffic.

I am also amazed at the considerable collection

Musings from Cowichan Bay

A

s I sit to write this note, anticipated warm springlike weather is still around the corner and outdoor activities are starting to take hold.

of discarded coffee cups, food containers and far too numerous returnable beverage containers that make their way into our ditches.

The view from my bicycle seat has me thinking that a great community initiative would be some targeted neigbourhood and/or park clean-up events.

A clean-up event need not be complicated. Chat with your neigbours, come up with a date and plan, spread the word via a notice on your mailbox or your favourite communication tool, consider a social element like a BBQ lunch and tackle putting away a winter’s worth of debris in a fun community event that builds pride in your neigbourhood. It is a great way to get to know your neigbours better and build a communication network, which often comes in handy

I welcome your feedback, your ideas and an invitation to join your neighbours in a clean-up activity. Let’s keep it simple and let’s get started!

Hilary Abbott, recovering cheese maker, now a CVRD Director for Cowichan Bay

ADVENTURE CENTRE

COWICHAN BAY KAYAKING All Levels of Paddling • Birding • Wildlife Tours • Rentals • Lessons • Scheduled and Custom Tours • Sunset and Canoeing Adventures Bioluminescence Tours Youth Programs

for future outreach needs. The same is true with the business communities. I have begun to chat with the merchant community in Cowichan Bay Village to see if a similar clean-up day can be tackled.

I hope to connect with merchants in Koksilah Village to explore possibilities. By the time you read this April and Earth Day will be long gone. Let’s usher in May not only with spring flowers, but also cleaner neighbourhoods.

Wildlife Tours

Kayak, SUP & Canoe Rentals

On the Dock at Bluenose Marina, Cowichan Bay

cowichanbaykayaking.com 250-597-3031 info@cowichanbaykayaking.com 36

Investing in Our Watershed’s Health

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Alistair MacGregor is the NDP Member of Parliament for Cowichan-MalahatLangford, and the NDP’s Critic for Public Safety.

n ecologically healthy and functioning watershed is an important natural resource for our region, and it provides many beneficial services, the most important of which is the slowing, cleaning, filtering, and storing of water. The Cowichan region’s rivers, streams, wetlands, lakes, forests, and groundwater aquifers are all important and vital components of our watershed system.

Unfortunately, our changing climate is putting increased pressure on the overall health of our watershed, as we are seeing an overall trend towards longer and hotter summers and less critical snowpack accumulation during the winter. Combined, these factors amount to less water being able to move through the system, which puts the ecological health of its many components in jeopardy.

A case in point is the Cowichan River, although the Koksilah and Chemainus rivers are also facing their own challenging conditions.

The Cowichan River is fed

by Cowichan Lake, which in turn is fed on all sides by many different streams, carrying water from the nearby mountains and their respective snowpacks. The lake acts as a kind of “bank,” storing vast quantities of water for the river to carry down through the Cowichan Valley and all the way to the ocean in Cowichan Bay. As a

part of the trend brought on by a warming climate, our “bank” is seeing less deposits and more withdrawals on its water storage. The trend for the first few months of this year have already raised concerns on how long adequate flows can be maintained come the summer months.

Many readers will be familiar with weir that is situated at the mouth of the Cowichan River in the community of Lake Cowichan. The weir is used at certain times of the year to reduce the flow into the river to control how much water is emptied from the lake. There are serious efforts in play now to raise the height of the weir so that more lake water supply can be held back and strategically used during the dry summer months to allow for more ecologically healthy flows.

Our region is incredibly lucky to have a significant number of very dedicated people who are working towards a solution to this very real problem. Many of them are involved in the Cowichan Watershed Board and the Cowichan Stewardship Roundtable, and they bring a level of passion, commitment, and expertise that I very truly value.

The federal government has a very real role to play in seeing this vision come to a reality. As the Member of Parliament for this region, I’ve long advocated for this straightforward solution to our water woes, and I look forward to continuing work with constituents to see it through the home stretch.

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Vegetable Gardening Bernie Dinter, Dinter Nursery. Family owned and operated since 1973

H PLANTS FOR A FOOD GARDEN It starts here:

Fruit Trees Fruiting bushes from Blueberries to Saskatoon Berries Fruiting vines from Grapes to Tayberries Exotic fruit: Olives Medlars - Mulberries Vegetable transplants Tomato plants Seeds - large selection Assorted soils - Sea Soil, container mix, bulk Garden Booster Fertilizers of all types Advice is free Catalogues Now Available

www.dinternursery.ca

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ome grown food can be produced in any sunny location. If a garden is not available, growing in containers is an option. Freshly grown food is healthier and gives one a sense of accomplishment.

Successful gardening comes from experience, and it is never too late to start.

You can use any location that receives six hours or more of direct sunlight around the midday period. Good soil is important and if not present, can be brought in to supplement the existing garden beds, fill raised beds or containers on sunny decks. With good soil, water, and sunlight, you can grow food.

Analyze what kind of food you are eating and what can be substituted from the garden. An easy start is salads, with greens such as lettuce, spinach, kale,

mustard greens, mescluns and more. Many of these are hardy and grow well in the cool spring we are currently experiencing. Replanting after each harvest allows one to gather food until early December. This is almost nine months of harvest!

Tomatoes top the list of high value crops but cannot be set out until the heat arrives in May. Get a head start by growing them indoors for setting out in space created by the harvest of early greens. Alternatively, grow tomatoes in 7 or 10 gallon containers.

If you have limited space, look to crops that you would use and rotate through several plantings.

Root crops such as carrots can be seeded twice with the second crop staying in the ground for harvesting over the winter. Potatoes do well in grow bags that free up valuable garden space.

Early planting of peas in cool spring weather can be followed by beans in warm summer temperatures. With careful planning a food garden can put something on your table yearround.

Planting Heat-loving Crops in an Unpredictable Spring

L

ast spring was a tough one for heat-loving crops, such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and squash. And this year’s almanac is forecasting a cooler spring again. This can make garden planning difficult, especially deciding when to plant out those heat-loving crops. The aim is to get them in early so that they have time to ripen in our relatively short summers, but plant too soon and they could struggle in a cooler spring.

So here are some tips for navigating a cool, unpredictable spring.

then you can also construct your own little “cloche” to protect your plants after transplanting using a translucent 4L milk jug with the cap removed and bottom cut out. If your garden site tends to be cooler or shady you may also want to select plants that come in larger pots; this will allow you to keep them in their pots longer so that you can harden them off for a longer period, choosing the most opportune day to plant. Most heat-loving crops prefer outdoor nighttime temperatures of 10 degrees Celsius or higher.

Know your site Here on our farm we grow a wide range of heat-loving crops for our own farm, as well as plants to sell to home gardeners.

These include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and basil. We aim to have these plants ready for early-mid May, but in some springs (like last year) this may be too early for planting in your garden. It really depends on your site: how much sun exposure does your garden have? Is it south facing with full sun, perhaps even with a wall creating a “heat sink” behind it?

Or is it only partial sun? Maybe you live at a higher elevation that is more prone to frost? Perhaps you have a little greenhouse or cold-frame? If you are planting into a greenhouse or cold-frame, this should be enough to protect these crops in the spring. If not,

Harden off plants Hardening off plants means gradually acclimatizing them to outdoor temperatures before you actually plant them. When you bring plants home from the nursery keep them in their pots for a few days at least, putting them outdoors during the day and then bringing them inside (even just into your garage) at night. Do this for a couple days before planting them out, so that when you do plant they are more accustomed to the outdoor temperatures.

Keeping plants healthy in a cool spring Sometimes despite all our efforts to harden off plants and protect them after planting, they can still struggle in a cool wet spring.

After planting heat-loving varieties, make sure not to over water

and avoid getting the leaves wet if possible. Also try keeping the base of the plant clear of debris (i.e. don’t spread mulch around them until later in the spring when the soil is warmer- this will also help with slugs!). If you notice the leaves getting spots or wilting, you can prune off the lowest leaves and give the plants a biological spray such as a compost tea or “E.M.” (available at most garden centers), which can help combat bacterial or fungal leaf infections. This can help get plants through until it warms up.

One last tip is to grow a diversity of crops! When you grow a range of cool weather and heat-loving

vegetables, some are bound to do well even if others do not. And remember to celebrate your successes and enjoy the literal fruits of your labour! Wishing you a happy growing season!

Tatlo Road Farm pring Plant Sale, Saturday May 6 and 13 10am-2pm 7871 Tatlo Road west.

Niki Strutynski, Tatlo Road Farm Niki is the co-owner/ operator of Tatlo Road Farm, an organic vegetable farm in Crofton.

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Beauty in a Bottle

T

Robin Round is a Chartered Herbalist. Find her in her gardens or mixing up a new potion in her lab.

Botanical Bliss

he Bliss has something new for Mother’s Day! Our new Botanical Bliss Wild Rose Hip Facial Oil offers intense hydration and skin healing which can help with the signs of ageing, including pigmentation changes, scarring, wrinkles, and unevenness. And it smells like heaven!

I start with wild rose hips picked by my partner and I in northern BC, add organic wild rose petals from India, then our own organic comfrey root and calendula petals grown on our farm. I steep them all in organic olive and grapeseed oils then add pure Rose essential oil from India. Unlike virtually all cosmetic products out there – there are no petroleum, parabens, phthalates or artificial scents here!

Rose hips are recognized as one of the richest plant sources of Vitamin C, which is

SOMATICS Somatics classes on Zoom Somatic Yoga at Cowichan Community Centre Individual appointments

Violet Reynolds RMT - teaching since 2008 somayogaviolet@gmail.com

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Robin Round, President Botanical Bliss sourcing pure rose esssential oil in India.

antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and collagen-building on the skin. Hips also contain Vitamin A, bioflavonoids, vitamin E, minerals and B complex vitamins. Calendula and comfrey are renowned for their ability to strengthen and repair the skin. Rose petals have long symbolized love and are used to help heal a broken heart and find calm after stress, trauma and emotional upheaval.

Rose essential oil is one of the most expensive oils on Earth – it takes up to 10,000 lb of rose petals to make 1 litre of pure rose oil. I went to India and purchased the Rose essential oil directly from the producer after touring the facilities where it is produced. Essential oils can be adulterated and the incentive to do so is highest with the world’s most expensive oils, hence the need to know and trust your suppliers.

Rose oil is known as the Queen of Essential oils – it is powerfully anti-inflammatory, anti-depressive, anti-anxiety, anti-bacterial (fights acne), it heals scars, and may act as an aphrodisiac. The scent is intoxicating!

Rose Hip Facial Oil can be applied morning and night as part of your face care regime or used more frequently for dry or damaged skin. Find Botanical Bliss at the Duncan Market Saturdays – 9 – 2, at the Community Farm Store and online at botanicalbliss.ca.

Take a moment every day to stop and smell the roses and appreciate the gift of love they bring.

guide at www. millbaygardenclub. com/show to discover dozens of classes and a few simple rules for entries.

Go! Help Support Local Charities Looking for something practical?

Or just fun? Bid on exciting products and services donated by local artisans, sponsors, businesses and club members.

The Silent Auction benefits both local charities and the Mill Bay Garden Club bursary, which supports local students aspiring to careers in agricultural and horticultural studies.

Shop at Our Garden Market and Enjoy Yummy Food Stroll through our outdoor market and shop for the bedding plants, flowers and garden paraphernalia you need to take your personal paradise to the next level.

Celebrate spring at the South Cowichan Healthcare Auxiliary Strawberry Tea in support of the Cowichan District Hospital, Cairnsmore Place and hospice.

Grow and Go in 2023

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hether you are a gardening expert or the proud owner of a balcony jungle, the Mill Bay Community Flower and Garden Show will prime you for a season of gardening success. Please join us Saturday, June 03, between 9 and 2 PM at Cobble Hill Hall to celebrate gardening and raise funds for the local charities we support! Entry is just $2 (children free).

Established shortly after the end of WWII, the show brings Mill Bay, Cobble Hill and Shawnigan Lake together to share our common love of gardening and community.

Grow!

Do you have a breathtaking Austin rose? A perfect snap pea? Ready to try your hand at a whimsical flowerarranging challenge such as “Mad Hatter”, “Sunshine” or “Bet Your Boots”? Beginners to experts – all gardeners young and old – are welcome.

Download the exhibitors’

Learn More About Gardening When to plant dahlias? Are fuchsias winter hardy? Is there a yellow rhododendron?

Ask our Master Gardeners any question you may have – from soil to seeds to shrubs.

They have the answers.

Admire the Exhibits Roses, peonies, ferns, hostas and more – the glorious winners will be on display.

Vote for the best and most creative designs to help decide the People’s Choice Award.

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We have one of the largest collections of garden pottery on Vancouver Island! With one of a kind plants, beautiful home and garden decor and friendly, helpful staff. We can help you create the garden of your dreams.

Open Mon - Sat. 9:30-5pm & Sun10-5pm www.oldfarmgarden.ca I @oldfarmgarden

3 Top Trends for Your Garden and Patio this Spring

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arden pots are an easy way to update your garden, deck or patio this season to keep your space feeling fresh. Simply switching out pots of one colour or texture for another can elevate your space from “good enough” to your own personal oasis. It can sometimes be difficult to navigate new trends each year.

Here are my top 3 garden pot trends to consider this season: 1. Natural materials.

This is a major trend in interior and exterior design right now. Using natural materials helps to bring warmth to any aesthetic.

Consider looking for neutral coloured ceramics and clay or opt for terracotta. Terracotta also pairs well with one of the number one garden trends of the year; Mediterranean.

2. Mediterranean inspired.

It seems that everyone is looking to get away on a Mediterranean vacation. If sadly, like me, this is not in your near future, why not

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bring the Mediterranean to you? This trend pairs well with the first that I mentioned, but you can take it a step further and include textured clay pots, as well as glazed ceramics in black, green or blue as accents.

3. Bright colours. Another interior design trend that is making it’s way to garden and patio spaces is maximalism.

Maximalism brings together bright patterns and colours in contrasting and exciting ways.

You can incorporate this in your garden by pairing bright, rich hues of glazed ceramics with beautiful bold coloured flowers.

With so many beautiful trends to choose from it is simple to bring a fresh sense to your outdoor spaces this year.

Follow your personal interests and let that guide you as you make your decisions. As long as you are keeping true to your style your space will shine with personality and charm.

Growing a Herb Pollinator Meadow

T

his spring, make an impact & grow a garden! Creating respite for pollinators & learning how to grow your own food is one of the most beneficial skills you can learn.

Looking for a low maintenance drought tolerant landscape? Try a herb pollinator meadow. This garden is filled with drought tolerant herbs, beneficial native plants & and attracts powerful pollinators to create a biodiverse landscape with depth & purpose.

This beneficial mix of medicinal, aromatic herbs, edible flowers, native & pollinator plants in a soft, natural colour palette, brings an elegant twist to a meadow style garden. All plants in this garden design are drought tolerant once established & can be planted in full sun.

variety, and for French; Goodwin Creek Grey may be the best of them all.

Pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) - Native pollinator plant- Utilized traditionally in Indigenous cultures, this medicinal plant has antibacterial, antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic & antiviral properties.

It is dried and made into tea or steamed to help clear airways.

A wonderful pollinator plant, it is a larva host for the American Lady butterfly. This is a great filler plant in the garden. It helps to create soft cohesive flow if planted throughout and allowed to naturalize.

Top three plants to add: Lavender (Lavandula) Mediterranean herb - Medicinal, edible, aromatic, deer resistant, cut flower, dried flower, pollinator plant. Adding unique varieties of lavender can really elevate the garden.

Echinacea - A beneficial pollinator plant- They come in unique varieties in lovely colors like mellow yellow, hula dancer & white swan.

Only three varieties are medicinal (Echinacea purpurea; Echinacea pallida; and Echinacea angustifolia). This plant is a focal flower in the garden and should be placed in spots where they can be seen and appreciated.

For Spanish lavender, Anouk or Ballerina can be quite impactful.

Alba is a beautiful white English

The plants listed above are summer blooming. For a more detailed plant list with

Meadow Wren Flower Farm & Garden Services

• Sustainable garden design & maintenance • Garden planning & market garden planning • Annual mason bee subscriptions • Cut flower sales for weddings & events • Seed & plant sales • Workshops & more!

Reach out for a free half hour consultation

www.meadowwrenflowerfarm.com

meadowwrenflowerfarm@gmail.com

full seasonal colour, or if you have questions about your own garden, please check out my website or email at meadowwrenflowerfarm@gmail. com

Gardener and conservationist, Kyla strives to make a bigger environmental impact by creating more biodiverse and sustainable landscapes.

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CFLA Garden Tour

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Living your Design teaches Self-Love and trust, in a way that helps you navigate safely through these changing times.

Cathy can show you how you are designed to make clear decisions for less resistance and more ease in life.

crystalclearawakening@gmail.com www.crystalclearawakening.com 44

he Cowichan Family Life Association (CFLA) is excited to announce the 27th Annual Garden Tour to be held on Sunday, June 4. “We are honoured that seven local garden owners have generously opened their gardens for the public tour this year,” says CFLA President Deanna Wrate.

“The tour is a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together to appreciate the beauty of nature while helping community members who are going through difficult times.

These are experiences to which we can all relate.”

Added features this year include a Tea Garden with an artist and musician, and once again the chance to purchase tickets for several raffle prizes made locally or supplied by local businesses.

CFLA provides affordable, if not free, mental health services for individuals and families of the Cowichan

Valley and has done so for more than 50 years. No one is turned away for lack of funds. Programs include training for volunteer peer counsellors, healing anger, seniors services, communicating with confidence, financial freedom and individual counselling.

Other programs are in the process of development as CFLA responds to community needs.

The Garden Tour serves as a major fund raiser for the organization and tickets are now on sale at The Third Addition Toys and Gifts in Mill Bay, Dinter’s Nursery Ltd, Buckerfield’s Supply Store, Volume One Bookstore, Russell Farms Market and Garden Centre.

Tickets are still $25 each and includes a map of the garden locations. Raffle tickets will be available from Tina Short – Garden Tour Coordinator or through the CFLA office and during the garden tour itself at each of the gardens.

CFLA would like to thank the following sponsors who generously donated funds to assist with the Garden Tour promotion: Dinter’s Nursery; Country Grocers; Island Office Equipment; and HSM Insurance. If you or someone you know could benefit from mental health services, please contact Cowichan Family Life Association at 250 748-8281.

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T

Encore Womens Choir Spring Concert

he women of Encore!

Women’s Choir, under the direction of Michelle Weckesser with accompaniment by Eve Daniell, share their love of singing in their spring concert “Sing Me all the Way Home” on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 7:00 pm at the Christian Reformed Church in Duncan.

Comprised of 24 dedicated and wonderful women, Encore! started in 2007.

Choir Director, Michelle Weckesser is well known in the Cowichan Valley’s music scene through her work with the Cowichan Musical Society, Frances Kelsey High School, The Cowichan Valley Vocal Collective and Chalkboard Theatre. She has directed choirs, taught singing to individuals and worked as a solo artist. She comes to Encore! with a Bachelor of Education with a major in Choral Music from the University of Alberta. As she moves into her second year in front of the choir she enthuses “What a delight to work with such a warm and talented group of women!”.

From Bach’s “Suscepit Israel” and Mozart’s “Lacrymosa” to jazzy “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter”,

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she has put together a stimulating program which will delight listeners. She says, “I’ve chosen songs about Singing…how Singing can be with us when we are happy or sad, trepidatious or brave, fun- loving or worshipful.” “Psallite” by Kyle Pederson, “Fa Una Canzona” by Orazio Vecchi, “I Sing Because I’m Happy” arranged by Kenneth Paden and the concert title song, “All the Way Home” by Sarah Quartel reflect the different emotions that singing can bring. The program also features female composers from coast to coast with, “Your One and Only Life” by Novia Scotia’s Susan Crowe and “Possibility” by Encore’s composer-in-residence and choir member Deborah Sumner.

This program is sure to make you smile, to make you ponder, to make you both laugh and cry and maybe even make you sing yourself All the Way Home. Tickets are available from choir members, Volume One Book Store in Duncan, and at the door. For more information visit our website www. encorewomenschoir.com.

A Mid Century Modern Dream Kitchen

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t’s so nice to be in business for over 34 years in Cowichan.

It gives me so many chances to revisit our client’s homes and make long lasting friendships with them.

And this is a perfect example of that relationship and how we get inspired to work with them.

The kitchen was then a no brainer.

When my client wished to have her new home revitalized, it gave me a second chance to work with her again.

It was a whole house reno this time to a bungalow all on one level (my favourite).

When I say favourite, I mean stairs are overrated and as we age, simple and somewhat level is good for the soul and the legs.

And creating sight lines that meander all on one level to me is an adventure I like to repeat.

The project required a completely new kitchen, two complete three-piece baths and hardwood flooring throughout.

The painting was already underway with some daring dashes of deep blue walls in the den and master, contrasted by a soft gallery white throughout the common areas.

I wanted to trash the dark mahogany doors and small bevel trims as they so dated the home, but I knew it would domino

We chose McPherson Cabinetry for this project, and they did not disappoint. into a complete trim package that would result in huge extra expenses for all the existing complicated windows and doors throughout, so I left until last and am so glad. It may even have triggered new windows which was not in the cards at this stage.

I employed my design assistant of many years, Donna Burdulea (look her up under Donna Burdulea Design) to help with many of the myriad of details and finishing items. She was terrific!

The wide plank teak flooring we chose supplied by End of the Roll tied the entire home together in such a warm and inviting way that these dark doors with pencil thin trim appeared simple and elegant like the Danish Modern furniture collection that existed throughout.

Me being tired of the everpopular painted white cabinets, chose to go with that ‘MADMEN’ look of the early 60’s with rift oak in a flat panel and simple pulls.

My client had one request, her father was a renowned potter and she wanted somewhere to display his colourful work in an artful way, so we created open shelving and chose what looks like a handmade subway fashioned back plash with a pop of rich mossy green.

The clean creamy white quartz tops presented a horizontal mirror for all the natural light coming through the existing skylights that lit everything up and put the cook and guests ‘onstage’.

Note one major fix was eliminating the cedar skylight wells that seemed so popular

here in the 80’s but thankfully served their lifespan with a quiet and quick demise.

The ensuite and main bath were both created to have a spa like feel for the two female clients so bamboo vanities and vertically stacked subway again in a textured finish gives a warm and modern look but tips a hat to the style of the era.

All on budget and mostly on time during a pandemic!

Now she is on her own, with her oldest daughter, so this goes out to all those mothers out there who finally get what they want.

Happy Mother’s Day!

All images coutesy Tony Colangelo Photography David Coulson Design has been designing and building in the Valley for 34 years.

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Terence Miranda, AuD, RAUD, RHIP Doctor of Audiology Resonance Hearing Clinic

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hhh, peace and quiet.

Isn’t that something we all crave from time to time?

Well, you may be surprised to learn that true quiet is not peaceful, but rather it is extremely disconcerting.

Much of what we hear is not sound coming directly from the source; it is actually sound that is reflected from various surfaces around us, therefore, if you want a quiet place, you must control not only the sources of sound but you must also eliminate the reflections. At Resonance’s hearing clinics, we have high quality sound proofed booths which, when you walk into one for the first time, feels and sounds

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The Sound of Silence: The Anechoic Chamber as though you have stepped into a recording studio. Our booths pass all standards for hearing testing but as quiet as they are, they are not absolutely ‘soundproof’. For this, one needs to construct an anechoic chamber.

An anechoic chamber is constructed on its own foundation and sits on giant springs to remove vibrations from the outside. The room itself is covered on all sides by triangular sound absorbers. There is no floor! Instead, a metal net sits on top of the sound

absorbers to allow researchers to walk into the room.

When you are in a room with no sound, you become the sound. After a few minutes, you hear your heart beating, your stomach gurgling and your ears ringing. After several minutes in an anechoic chamber, one also has difficulty standing up as one of the ways we orient ourselves is through the echoes we hear when we walk. The experience inside an anechoic chamber is so unsettling that the longest time an individual has been able to withstand being alone inside an anechoic chamber is about 1 hour.

So, the next time you wish for some peace and quiet, be careful not to wish for too much quiet!

CUSTOM CABINET PROJECTS

Sometimes...

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ometimes it’s the way the light comes through the windows, bouncing off the streaks of quartz in the soapstone counter, reminding me of how sunshine shimmers through river water to the rocks below. Sometimes, when I need to take a moment to re-group, it’s how the combination of the greens and the natural fir of the cabinets makes it feel a bit like the actual firs outside are coming in. Where does the kitchen end and the forest begin? It calms my soul.

It’s not just that this new kitchen feels like the surroundings are coming in although that was definitely the intention - it’s knowing that the materials used really

were natural, locally sourced, and crafted by local hands.

From the framing to the wood and the windows, from the stone to the clay plaster molded to the walls, it was a team effort. Forging these local connections was as fun and fulfilling as watching the project itself come together.

From the stage of inception, collaborating on our cabinetry with John of J.J Frith Design was a pleasure. John took the time to sit with us and figure out what was really important.

Given that we were working on our dream kitchen for our forever homestead, getting it right was essential. John held the space for us to move from dream to design, stress-free, through as many thoughtful revisions as it took. His knowledge and extensive experience helped us make decisions that fit our ethos; his sage advice and a couple of fun little surprises along the way topped off the journey from design to installation. John connected us with the right materials and the right craftsmen, and the result is a delight.

Sometimes, with the right team, you can pull off

EXPERT PLANNING PRODUCTION INSTALLATION

JOHN FRITH 250-510-4005

something that you might never have thought was possible. John brings form and function together into something that feels very much like art, and we are so very lucky to be able to live in it every day. If you have an

eye on incorporating nature into your living space and are looking to bring together your own dream kitchen, give him a call.

Submitted by a very happy customer.

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The Laos Mud Hole Crew

Alan Shivas

I love digging and planting; horticulture is a vocation for me.

That’s why I was so happy at my job as supervisor of Rockway Gardens in Kitchener, Ontario—it being a very formal, Victorian garden that provided a wonderful palette for me to conclude my 43 year career, creating living art.

But there was never a lot of work in December or January so l would go live in a different country for two months every winter. That’s how I ended up in a tiny rental bungalow, perched on stilts, overlooked the Nam Song River, in central Laos—a spectacular setting on Mr. T’s Organic Mulberry farm. Its limestone karsts, with sheer 200 metre cliffs, were amazing…

But l missed having my hands in the soil.

So when Mr. T discovered I was a Gardener Without Borders, and invited me on a guided tour of his farm, I was glad to accept. He was especially proud of a new system that harnessed methane from his pig manure tank to power his goat cheese factory.

Fascinating! But as he talked, my attention was drawn to rows of containerized plants behind the factory—Mr T’s propagation nursery.

Many of the shrubs and small trees had burst their black, plastic bag containers and were screaming to be planted.

Excited at the prospect of digging and planting, I offered my services; he gave me the green light.

I located a spade and a wheelbarrow and immediately started digging holes in the designated locations. Fortunately the soil was sandy and l had access to

Adobe Stock / Littlestocker

a huge compost pile. Most of the trees were brugmansia, but there was also hibiscus, oleander and avocado in the mix. Ten days later all the planting was done, and I had used up all the compost.

In my planting frenzy, though, l had overlooked a vital component of a healthy garden. It was the dry season and new transplants required regular watering to get established. My attempt to draw water from the river proved futile as Mr T’s pump wouldn’t work.

What to do?

Where there’s a will, there’s often a way. While reading on the front balcony of my lodgings, l was often entertained by a ragtag gang of young lads who gathered at a large mud hole directly below to catch creatures and engage in furious mud fights. If only I could redirect the exuberant energy of these spirited mud slingers to my purpose, I would have my thirsty trees watered.

The next morning, when the marsh urchins returned, l tossed down about 3 dozen 2 litre plastic pop bottles. Verbal communication wasn’t an option so l climbed down into the muck and demonstrated what l needed done.

Soon we had an efficient bucket brigade in operation. Several boys

filled the bottles and others passed them along up the embankment. I directed the group at the top to my plantings. Each tree received two litres of nutrient rich water, and when the job was complete, each worker collected 5,000 kip. (8,000 kip equals one dollar US).

Later that day I returned to the farm from a hike, and there was my crew waiting impatiently. They had returned for a second shift. I didn’t need a translator to know what they were saying: “ Time’s money, buddy; we haven’t got all day.“ Even if I’d known how to tell them that my trees didn’t require another drink so soon, I wouldn’t have. Obediently, l dashed off to get the bottles. Why risk aggravating them further? They might start demanding overtime and a paid lunch.

I quickly learned to carry a hefty wad a 5,000 kip bills. These trees certainly wouldn’t be getting thirsty on my watch.

Usually I heard my crew long before l saw them. On my final evening at the farm they were on the far bank, whooping and hollering, while working their way upriver, terrorizing every living creature en route. I was happy to see they had taken time from their busy day to pause and enjoy a decent mud fight.

Valley Voices CVCAS.CA Literature 50

full-time or part-time earn 89 cents for every dollar men earn. The difference is even more stark for racialized women, who make 59 cents for every dollar white men earn.6

Women are Amazing Investors Kristy Landry Financial Advisor Edward Jones

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omen have a track record of achieving higher investment returns, reacting less impulsively to market volatility, and saving more diligently than men.

This could be helpful since women also face significant challenges when it comes to saving for retirement – specifically, they tend to earn less, live longer, and question their investing abilities more than men. Here’s a quick survey of what the data says about women and investing.

Higher returns In 2021, Fidelity looked at the performance of more than five million U.S. clients over 10 years and found women’s returns were 0.4% higher.

That study confirmed a 2018 Warwick Business School study of 2,800 U.K. investors over three years in which

women outperformed men by 1.8%.

Less panic One reason for those higher returns is that women are cooler under pressure, trading less frequently than men. A 2020 Vanguard study found women were 34% less likely to trade than men. Similarly, a 2019 Wells Fargo study found single women were 27% less likely to trade than single men.

Greater longevity Women can expect to live four years longer than men – yet the salary gap contributes to women retiring with 30% less in savings according to a 2021 Mercer Canada report.

Making the most of every dollar can drive good money habits.

Lower confidence However, women report being less comfortable making investment decisions than men – 34% versus 49% in a

2020 study. Women’s skilled investing behavior deserves much more credit than it gets.

Advice adds value Working with a professional advisor can amplify your investing abilities and confidence. Three studies by the CIRANO Institute all confirmed Canadians who worked with a financial advisor ended up with significantly more assets than those who didn’t: 2.7 times more in 2010, 3.9 times more in 2014 and 2.3 times more in 2018.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor Kristy Landry, Edward Jones

More saving Another Fidelity study, conducted in 2017, found women consistently set aside 9.0% of their pay in workplace plans, compared to 8.6% among men. Outside workplace plans, women topped up their account balances by 12.4% versus 11.6% among men.

Lower salaries Higher saving rates are especially impressive given that women who work either

Prioritize your future with a free financial review!

Kristy Landry | Financial Advisor | (250) 743-1259 | Kristy.Landry@edwardjones.com

www.edwardjones.ca

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artificial colours, preservatives, “natural flavors”, processed meats that contain antibiotics.

Inflammation is another way in which our bodies can be out of balance by free radicals.

Oxidative stress can be linked to several diseases such:

The Powers of C60 What Really Causes Aging and Dis-ease A free radical is an unstable atom or molecule that causes damage to the integrity of the cell. Antioxidants protect the cell from free radicals.

Everyone produces some free radicals naturally in their body through processes like exercise or inflammation.

This is normal and part of the body’s intricate system of keeping itself healthy.

Free radicals can be created by toxins. In today’s world it is harder to keep our bodies in balance with the number of toxins that we are exposed to in everyday life. Here are some examples of types of stress we are exposed to.

Hidden Gem Reiki Studio

Judy Johnstone, Reiki Master 250-661-0192 www.hiddengemreiki.com 52

We create emotional toxins including daily stress, lifestyle choices, alcohol, smoking, sun stress and dining out. Chemical toxins are pesticides, herbicides, and antibiotics.

Processed foods, or foods that contain sugar, fructose, corn syrup, gluten,

Alzheimer, Parkinson’s MS, ALS, OCD, migraine, depression, cancers, stroke heart attack, COPD, asthma, cataracts, macular degeneration kidney disease, acne, eczema, wrinkles, psoriasis, dermatitis inflammation, autoimmune disorders, arthritis, diabetes, fatigue and Lyme disease.

C60 can mitigate a variety of environmental toxins in air and water· pollution, chemicals, radiation, molds.

Carbon C60 is a potent antioxidant. C60 can help protect the brain, heart. kidneys, joints, immune system, lungs, and eyes.

Simply taking 1 teaspoon of C60 gets you enough antioxidants to deal with today’s world. Because of the way these C60 bond together, C60 interacts with free radicals in the environment, giving the molecule strong antioxidant properties.

Oxidative stress is thought to play a role in aging! Because it has antioxidant properties, some people take C60 as a supplement.

Available at Soul Comfort Sheepskin, 190 Fourth Street, Duncan 250 737-1281.

Submitted by Aly

Your Special Event Timeline

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Dr. Lyn Pascoe, Viva Medical Aesthetics, Advanced Technology Physician directed medical spa.

reparing for a significant event can be overwhelming! Whether it’s your wedding day, a special vacation, or any other occasion where you want to shine, we have created a comprehensive treatment timeline to help you stay relaxed and organized throughout the preparation process.

3 To 6 Months Before Your Event Start With A Consultation - Discuss a personalized treatment plan that meets your objectives and suits your timeline Ultherapy - Ultrasound technology lifts and tightens skin on your face, eyebrow, neck, and décolleté. The results are gradual and it may take 3 to 6 months to see effects with even more improvement at the 12 months mark.

Fractional Laser Radiofrequency technology helps with fine lines and skin texture. A series of treatments

will yield the best results.

Vascular Laser - Addresses Colour and also helps boost collagen production. Suitable for the treatment of rosacea and pigment. Only able to be delivered to untanned skin.

Microneedling - induces production of collagen and is useful for colour changes in some people. A series 4 to 6 weeks apart will deliver the best results. Prp (platelet rich plasma) can also be added for even better results.

2 To 3 Months Before Your Event dermal Fillers – used to plump up areas of the face, smooth out wrinkles and fine lines and improve the overall texture and tone of the skin.

It can take 2 - 3 weeks for some filler treatments to truly settle in.

Chemical Peels - exfoliates dead or damaged skin cells, revealing healthier and more vibrant skin. Pigment issues can be addressed quite effectively with a series of peels.

4 To 6 Weeks Before Your Event Neuromodulators (Botox

& Dysport) – Reduces the appearance of wrinkles and helps prevent new ones from forming. Neuromodulators require repeat injections every 3 to 5 months.

Less Than 4 Weeks Before Your Event Bela MD- An advanced form of hydra-dermabrasion provides an all-in-one

cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing experience. It can be planned as a glow treatment a few days before an event or as a series of 2 - 3 treatments spaced 2 to 6 weeks apart.

Viva Medical Aesthetics 177 4 Street, Duncan 250 746-6512 53

ASSURED NATURALS ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE

Getting a Boost

T 250-748-4421 4-180 Central Rd, Duncan - Village Green Mall www.lynnsvitamingallery.ca

Traditional Chinese Exercise for Health All Classes in the Cowichan Valley *unless stated Wild Goose Qigong (Chi Gong) Gentle movement • Calms your mind • Heals internal organs • Develops flexibility Mondays 9 -10 am Tuesdays 6 pm - 7 pm (combined Qigong and Chun Yuen) Wednesdays 10-11:15 am Fridays 10-11:15 am (Victoria)*

Northern Shaolin Chun Yuen Quan

Dynamic movement • Improves posture • Increases energy • Strengthens bones Tuesdays 6 pm - 7 pm (combined Qigong and Chun Yuen)* Wednesdays 9 am - 10 am

250 748 4060 rivendellrhythm@shaw.ca

www.WildGooseQigongCentre.com 54

he male body’s ability to produce testosterone starts to decrease somewhere between the ages of thirty and forty years of age, which can begin to have an effect on such things as energy levels and muscle mass, and that is not all. Libido can also begin to recede... Physical intimacy can be an important part of a relationship, and there is actually no reason that cannot continue later into life. There are herbs that can mitigate the effects of this slow-down and improve these symptoms, and Assured Naturals has a good one in Ultimate Performance.

It contains the following herbs, along with some niacin, piperine, and zinc.

Tongkat ali is an herbal supplement that come from the roots of a shrub tree from southeast Asia. It has been used for centuries to raise energy levels, reduce anxiety, improve mood, increase muscle mass, and increase libido and fertility.

Damiana powder was used by the Mayans as a potent aphrodisiac, with the side benefits of boosting and maintaining mental and physical stamina.

It has a soothing effect on the nervous system, supports digestion, and aiding in weight loss.

Epimedium extract, known more colloquially, (and descriptively), as Horny Goat Weed, has a long history of traditional use in Chinese medicine for restoring male sexual function and desire.

It is thought to work through similar channels as Viagra, and there is evidence that it can elevate the body’s production of nitric oxide.

Niacin helps ease atherosclerosis, enabling better blood flow to all regions of the body, and both piperine and zinc have been shown to stimulate testosterone production.

All in all, Ultimate Performance is a product that has excellent credentials to aid in improving testosterone production and libido in men. Interestingly, it also has shown results for increasing libido in women as well, so they are not leaving anyone out!

Ultimate performance and other great products can be found at quality health food stores such as Lynn’s Vitamin Gallery.

Gina Malkin Lynn’s Vitamin Gallery

Omega Oils: Essentials for Everyone Good health to you! Tina Foster, RHN Essential Remedies

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mega 3 fatty acids are essential to health, and must be consumed because the body cannot make them on it’s own.

Benefits include cardiovascular health, eyesight, brain function, immunity, and so much more!

This most potent source is from fatty fish like salmon, mackeral, sardines, and anchovies. You would have to eat these regularly to get a sufficient amount, so it’s a great idea to supplement. For vegetarians, you can get smaller amounts omega 3s from flax, chia, and hemp seeds. These plant type of omega still need to be converted in the body from ALA form into the EPA/DHA form that is ideal for its antiinflammotory benefits, and especially for the brain development and maintenance aspects. Along with eating these wonderfully nutritious seeds, you can take algae oil(which is what the fish eat that actually makes their body so rich in omega3 EPA/DHA).

Fortunately for everyone, there is both a high-quality fish oil or an algae supplement available.

Nature’s way is made in Canada, non-gmo, certified free from heavy-metal checked, and has the ‘Friends of the Sea’ ethical alliance stamp. Contains all natural preservation ingredients like rosemary and green tea extract, and no harmful chemicals or flavourings. They also make a few algae only derived formulas, that are even more bioavailable, eco-friendly, and better for the fishies. Sealicious is another popular Canadian brand that also carries the ‘IFOS’ stamp. All formulas are natural and very potent, so you need only take a small amount daily.

Some of our popular formulas on the shelf:

Duncan Wellness Centre is re opening the Movement Room Home of Somatics in the Valley since 1995...

1. Arthritis - featuring an extra potent fish oil from anchovies.

High EPA for its inflammation fighting benefit, as well as brain essential DHA. Available in softgels.

2. Dry Eye - This is a formula that is a blend of various rich fish oils, along with the beneficial evening primrose oil and borage oil- which are the sources of antiinflammatory GLA fatsexcellent for its skin helping benefit, moisturizing from the inside out, greatly assisting eye health, skin disorders or just dryness of all mucous membranes. Available in liquid or capsules.

3. Sealicious - Raspberry Lemonade, Tropical, or Tangerine Lime liquids, or lemon capsules containing also added vitamin D.

• Being Somatic • Somatic Health Series (Wednesday (Wednesday Evenings) Evenings) • Advanced Somatics & Hatha Yoga • Yoga and Somatics • Classes on Zoom and Recordings available

250-748-6600 www.duncanwellnesscentre.com 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

4. NutraVege - this is the plant-based superstar for all the vegetarians and vegans out there. Derived from the primosource of Omega 3, Algae of the sea. Available in extra-strength orange-cranberry liquid, lemon liquid, or capsules.

5. Prenatal - while all quality fish or algae oil is a must for a developing fetus, this one is particularly geared for pregnancy for its extra-high DHA content (which is the component of Omega3 vital for brain development). and.....this one is also sourced from algae! So it is suitable for all pregnant and breastfeeding women!!

Essential Remedies 141 Craig St, Duncan 250 748-9632 www.essentialremedies.ca

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just want to have their teeth cleaned without the pressure and anxiety that the dental office brings.

Without the huge wait times and extra fees associated with exams and x-rays.”

Professional teeth cleaning is an important step to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

While brushing and flossing every day is key, regular visits with a hygienist are necessary to inspect gums for tarter and plaque build up which can lead to gum disease. When left unchecked, gum disease also known as periodontitis can lead to early tooth loss.

Pacific Pearl Dental Hygiene Clinic

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acific Pearl dental hygiene clinic opened its doors to provide a service that has been long overdue. To help families with a more efficient and affordable way to care for their teeth. “We recognized a need.” shares dental hygienist and coowner Ricki Weissbach “People

This busy clinic located in the heart of Ladysmith has three hygienists on staff to serve you. With almost 30 years of

experience between them, all are licensed with independent licences (degree equivalent plus the dental hygiene diploma).

Their services cater to all ages and they strive to provide gentle and efficient treatment and offer a flexible schedule which includes evenings and weekend appointments. No dental exam needed to book in. “We take all families and can help parents navigate the government subsidies in regards to dental programs for children under 12 years of age (Universal Dental Care).”

“We are essentially a teeth cleaning spa”. smiles Ricki “Experienced dental hygienists doing thorough gentle cleanings.

Cleanings takes place in a low stress environment without the sounds of drills or smells of a dental office.” The fees are lower because Pacific Pearl is only billing for the teeth cleaning, not the exams or x-rays which incur the extra fees. If concerns do come up, they refer their clients to their dentists for

additional check ups. Accepting new patients and all insurance coverage plans. Ask about their senior and student discounts. 740 First Avenue, Ladysmith (above the library) 250 802-2812 www.pacificpearl.ca

NO DENTIST EXAM NEEDED! MINIMAL WAIT TIMES 15% off for Seniors (60+) and Students!

Call or text 250-802-2812

to make an appointment today.

Accepting New Patients and All insurances Dental Hygiene Therapy in a relaxed, calm environment.

#12 -740 First Avenue Ladysmith (above the Library)

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Spring Tips for Nurturing Soil Microbes

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Amy LuckMacGregor Certified Soil Food Web Laboratory Technician

ith the spring warmth comes that sense of shift in energy and vitality, like something inside us is unfurling. Soil microbes also undergo this transformation, emerging from dormancy to partner again with aboveground life. Plants need both energy and nutrients to unfurl themselves - with the sun and air comes that energy, and with the microbes come those nutrients. Nature has a fabulous strategy, but unfortunately most of us are dealing with degraded soils.

How can we help this little micro-herd, and thus our plants? How do we encourage their optimal numbers, balance, and functioning?

Humbly, to begin with, as we expand our knowledge. The main principles mirror those used in regenerative agriculture – a way of growing that enhances and improves soil health versus further degrading it over time, as many current practices do.

1. No till. Tilling/plowing/ digging over the soil chops, slices and dices beneficial fungi and bacteria bloom under these conditions, releasing organic matter and greenhouse gasses. If few microbes are in your soil then perhaps you might find a compost teaming with them and gently rake it in, or till it in one last time (this may be necessary if you are dealing with compaction). Apply a layer of good compost every spring, and plant directly into that.

2. Cover bare soil. Prone to compaction and moisture loss, bare soil is difficult for microbes. They need water and air! Microbes also need fuel, which they get from organic matter (a minimum of 3%) and root exudates.

Maximise living roots with low-growing, perennial (preferably native) ground cover plants with a preference for a fungal to bacterial ratio that is the same as the crop you want to grow. You get year-round soil cover and food for the right microbes! The next best choice would be mulches.

Think about your mulch… do you want to feed the fungi, or

dine in I patio service I take-out

fresh cut kennebec fries • crispy battered fish • delicious tacos • pizzas • poutines • burgers and more!

Sunday- Thursday | 11:00 - 9:00 Friday & Saturday | 11:00 - 10:00 111 jubilee st, duncan I 778 • 422 • 3000 menu online at: freshkennys.com the bacteria? What does your plant need most?

3. Diversity, diversity, diversity! The more diverse the plants in your main crops and your ground cover, the more diverse the microbes who are getting their needs met below,

and the more diverse the nutrients that ultimately make it into you. Research which plants grow well together, and experiment.

Happy unfurling, y’all.

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Cowichan Summer Camp Qwanoes

Adventure is calling at Camp Qwanoes!

Jump into the adventure and let friendship fill each day! Experience a world of discovery all in a spectacular oceanfront setting with a staff team from around the world.

All we need is you!

Endless activity options!

Choose from our giant floating Aqua Park, Airwalk Village, the Triple Biscuit, concrete skate park, wakeboarding, zip lines, archery, outdoor laser tag… Qwanoes Beach, our Challenge Course and Land Activities are ready and waiting.

All star games! Everyday is something wild and new… and everyone’s a star. Prepare for action and a bit of summer craziness…plus our legendary

night games.

Enjoy our band in “Q-Town,” counselors, the Tuck Shop, Ice cream Island, Shave Ice Palace, hanging out at Carpetball, everyday day’s a new adventure.

It all makes for an unforgettable week where kids are accepted for who they are by staff who really care. Experience the best of a Canadian west-coast summer!

For more info call 250-2463014 or www. qwanoes. ca.

Register soon as space is limited.

Camp Qwanoes

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Camp Planner Coastal Bliss Adventures / Cowichan Bay Kayaking Summer Camps

Coastal Bliss Adventures/ Cowichan Bay Kayaking summer kids and youth camps have been running since 2012 in the Cowichan valley, with inspired children returning annually, with some progressing onto leadership rolls as instructors.

Our Day camps provide a mixture of water and landbased activities that include

beach front programs for the younger ages, Paddle Canada instructional programs and journeying for the older groups in: Kayaking, canoeing, Stand-up-paddleboarding, as well as landbased outdoor activities such as shelter building, beach exploration, chart and compass reading and environmental stewardship.

We are once again offering youth multi-day overnight paddle and hiking programs.

Register early online or contact us for more details.

Programs fill up quickly!

Programs are listed on our website Coastal Bliss Adventures Kids Adventures with for various age groups starting at eight years. To book contact Coastal Bliss at 1-800-896-9525 or by email coastalbliss@shaw.ca.

Register online at www.coastalbliss.ca.

Coastal Bliss Adventures / Cowichan Bay Kayaking Summer Camps

Summer Kids Camps

Day Programs & Youth Adventures Register Online Now at coastalbliss.ca

1 800 896 9525

coastalbliss@shaw.ca 59

Cowichan Summer

Kin Park Kids Camp

MAPLE BAY OLD FIRE HALL KIDS I YOUTH I TEEN I ADULT

Yoga, Judo and Jiu Jitsu and Women’s Self Defense Programs

• VINYASA • YIN & SOUND • ASHTANGA FLOW HOT YOGA • PRIVATE 9:30AM SESSIONS Monday Wednesday Friday

Weekdays & Saturdays

JUDO & JIU JITSU Tues & Thurs Kids under 12 5:30-6:15PM Teens & Adult 6:30-8:30PM Saturday Teen & Adult 11AM-1PM Sunday Women’s Only 11AM-1PM

KinPark Kids Camp is excited to bring another fabulous outdoor summer experience for children ages 6 – 10 at KinPark Youth Urban Farm on Alderlea Street downtown Duncan!

Our goal is to teach children how to grow, harvest, and cook healthy food in a fun, hands-on, and engaging way, and provide them with opportunities to expand their physical, social and practical skills in order to live sustainably. These activities include growing, planting,

Kin Park Kids Camp

963 Herd Road I 250-508-6667 www.pacifickodokandojo.com

The Clay Hub Collective

Pottery Classes and Open Studio see website for details www.theclayhubcollective.com 60

Wilderness Kayaking, Maple Bay

harvesting, cooking, building, learning, and much more!

Camp runs from July 3rd to September 1st. Costs are $200/week or $50/day ($180 for week of BC Day), Register in our reFRESH Marketplace on 360 Duncan Street, or go online for our registration form at www. cowichangreencommunity. org/program-directory/.

For more information please call 250-7488506 or email camp@ cowichangreencommunity.org.

Wilderness Kayaking Bring your friends to Maple Bay and try Sea Kayaking, Stand up Paddle Boarding or join in on a Youth kayaking day trip. Kayak Kids Camp ages 6-12 - an introduction to kayaking $145+tax July

Camp Planner

Wilderness Kayaking

Cowichan Estuary Nature and Science Camp

LESSONS • TOURS • RENTALS •

www.wilderness-kayaking.com Summer Youth Programs From Maple Bay KAYAK KIDS - INTRODUCTION TO SEA KAYAKING

July 10-13 Monday - Thursday August 1-4 Tuesday - Friday 9am - 1pm

YOUTH DAY TRIP ADVENTURES – MAPLE BAY

July 14, August 11 Fridays 9am - 3pm Wilderness Kayaking, Maple Bay

10-13; August 1-4. Learn kayak skills and safety, basic weather interpretation, on water games and more…

Youth Day Trips Bring your friends and join us for a guided tour in the Maple

Bay area. Come explore and practice your paddling skills in single and double touring kayaks. $59+tax July 14, August 11 For more information call 250746-0151 or email info@wildernesskayaking.com Cowichan Estuary Nature and Science Day Camp We’re offering our Estuary Nature & Science Day Camps again this July and August!

Cowichan Estuary Nature and Science Camp

ALSO OFFERING: OFFERING: Harbour Tours, Moonlight

paddling, Bio-Luminescence paddling, Day tours, Multi-day tours, Lessons, rentals (kayaks & SUPS) and more. Call for more info or to reserve.

6683 Beaumont Ave, Maple Bay 250 746-0151 Cell: 250 715 7482

info@wilderness-kayaking.com In our 5-day camps small groups ages 5-7 and 7-9 will explore the clam beds, eelgrass meadows and mudflats of beautiful Cowichan Bay, and learn about pollinators, shoreline plants, inter-tidal species and coastal birds. They’ll practice their discovery skills through creative play, while learning gratitude and respect for self and others. Single day camps available August 8, 9, 10 and 11th. Camp runs 9am - 3pm Monday-Friday. Fee: $245 /

Cowichan Estuary Nature and Science Camp

child. Bursaries available application and registration links on our website: http://www.cowichanestuary. ca/programs/camps/ or contact camps@cowichanestuary.ca.

Five day Summer Camp $245 Register: www.cowichanestuary.ca or email: camps@cowichanestuary.ca Campers will explore the life of pollinators, shoreline plants, inter-tidal species and coastal birds, practice their discovery skills, expression of gratitude, and respect for self and others through play!

We are excited to offer week-long day camps in July and August as well as one day camps on August 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th.

A fun experience for all campers!

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COWICHAN SUMMER CAMP GUIDE

Cowichan Summer

Westview Learning Summer Camps

Summer Camps at WestView Learning are for Ages 6-16. Weather permitting we mix game activities inside, and outside in our field and garden, with camp themes such as coding, Lego, robotics, junior engineers, cooking, and crafting. Campers enjoy an air conditioned environment for their activities, but also have shady outdoor areas to extend their learning space and field and ball court to play in. Kids enjoy using their creativity in each of the camps all the while gaining individual and group problem solving skills. Camps and tutoring sessions run July 4 through August 31st.

Individual tutoring sessions in reading, writing and math are also available throughout the summer months. Our final 2 summer camps, Tech Tangles and Explorers Bootcamp, also provide an experience to continue the play of

summer while reintroducing the reading, writing and arithmetic of the upcoming term with creative tech mixed in! For more information or to register call 250-701-3359 www.westviewlearning.ca

Cowichan Valley Arts Council Arts Camps

The Cowichan Valley Arts Council CVAC partners with the Community Centre for summer art camps.

This year we have a few offerings. Artistic Warm-Up, Ages 5 – 8 Exploring the senses & creativity. Code:

Westview Learning Summer Camps

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COWICHAN SUMMER CAMP GUIDE

Camp Planner Brentwood Summer Camps

57224 Superheroes for a Better World, Ages 10 – 13, Creating comics in multiple materials.

Code: 57225 Drawing & Sculpting Animals, Ages 6 - 10 Code: 57226, Adventures with Cardboard, Ages 8 - 12 Code: 57227, Dig Into Art, Ages 8 – 12, Tricks of the trade from guest artists. Code: 57228 Register via RecCowichan.ca.

Cowichan Valley Arts Council Arts Camps

Set on one kilometre of shoreline in nearby Mill Bay, the Brentwood College School campus is a perfect spot for summer camp experiences that explore arts, sports, language, business, fitness, and culture. More than anything, it’s a great place to make new friends!

Youth Summer Camps at Brentwood always offer something special, but the lineup for 2023 is exceptional—with new programs in multisport strength and conditioning, Mandarin language and cooking, and business literacy complimenting staples like musical theatre and rock band. Choose what works for you, and register at brentwood.ca/camps

LEARN NEW SKILLS, HAVE FUN IN THE SUN, PERFORM ON STAGE & MAKE NEW FRIENDS!

• ROCK BAND JULY 3-7 • SENIOR MUSICAL THEATRE JULY 3-7 • JUNIOR MUSICAL THEATRE JULY 9-14 • STRENGTH & CONDITIONING JULY 10-14 • MANDARIN & CHINESE CULTURE JULY 17-21 • MUSIC ACADEMY FOR STRINGS & PIANO JULY 31-AUGUST 15 • FINANCIAL LITERACY AUGUST 14-18

Brentwood Summer Camps

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experiences can be, there are also touching moments of connection – such as when they tell each other they will be good mothers and when Áila feels Rosie’s pregnant belly – that are interrupted by the rest of the world.

TEN OLD BOOKS

Always something for everyone

Great Selection of Used & New Books • Bestsellers & Award Winners • Classic Novels & Timeless Favourites • BC & Canadian Authors Plus Local Cards • Crafts • Children’s Books • Jewelry • Unique Gift Ideas and More!

102-330 Duncan St 250 -715-1383 Find us inside the historic Duncan Garage

Valley View

Centre So much to offer!

1400 Cowichan Bay Rd Wellness

Food & Drink

Reiki Wellness 250 743-8122

Country Grocer 250 743-5639

Island Hellerwork 250 661-1687

Cure Artisan Meat & Cheese 250 929-2873

Reiki, Foot Detox, Infrared, Acupuncture, Reflexology

Deep Tissue Bodywork, Somatic Transformation

Healthcare Services Cobble Hill Dental 250-743-6698

Friendly, Family Practice We Welcome New Patients!

Island Pharmacy 250 743-1448

Open 7 Days a week for all your pharmacy needs.

Resonance Hearing 250 743-3337 Life Changing Hearing Solutions

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Bakery, Meat, Seafood, Produce, Deli & Floral, Supplements

Charcuterie, Cheese House Made Pates

Pizzeria Prima Strada Cobble Hill 250-929-4655 Wood-fired pizza local wine & craft beer

Liquor Plus 250-929-1999

Wine, beer and spirits on the Upper Level.

Fitness Valley Health and Fitness 250-743-0511

Full service gym/classes

This film gives the viewer a visceral sense of the complexities of who we share which parts of our identity with, especially as women of colour – for being seen, for challenging assumptions, for safety. Anytime you put someone in a box, that has real world implications.

Among other things, the title captures how the world breaks open for each child born; the impact of intergenerational violence during this time of colonialism and capitalism; the various kinds of traumas different bodies carry; and how differently we are treated depending on the skin we are in.

Why We Should Watch

T

his beautiful film, shot from the perspective of two very different Indigenous women, is the work of Blackfoot and Sámi filmmaker, actor, producer, and director Elle-Máijá Apiniskim Tailfeather, and screenwriter and director Kathleen Hepburn. Its grey pallet on a rainy Vancouver afternoon, shot in real time with natural lighting, mirrors the emotional sense of the film, where the apparently more privileged of the two tries to ‘help’ the other who is fleeing domestic violence.

The idea of agency – influence and control in your life – is big. What happens when we see something on the street and stop to help someone more marginalized?

Do we expect them to follow our agenda since we ‘know what is best’? As skillfully illustrated when whitepresenting Áila leaves the room to call shelters for Indigenous-looking Rosie without even asking her what she wants to do, those with privilege are used to setting the ‘reality’ they want.

Showing the broad range of what Indigenous women’s

The Warmland Book & Film Collective – begun in 2018 as a response to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada – explores, celebrates, and learns from Indigenous authors and filmmakers. We are welcoming new members – if you enjoy friendly, spirited, and interesting conversation, email us at WarmlandBFC@ gmail.com for the zoom link. All books we read are available through VIRL. We next meet online May 10 to discuss Buffalo Is the New Buffalo by Chelsea Vowel.

Submitted by Ranji & David, on behalf of the WBFC

have people over? This can be a sign that your home isn’t functioning the way you need it to. Mastering our living spaces will free us up to host our friends and family more regularly.

Dawn is a Professional Organizer in the Cowichan Valley. www. closetstocastles.ca

here are some recent T studies showing that too much clutter in our spaces

affects us negatively. Women in particular are susceptible to feeling stress due to disorganization. These studies uncovered that cortisol levels in our bodies increases when we are immersed in environments that are chaotic and disheveled. At work, mess and junk can make it difficult to concentrate, stay on task and enjoy our work life. Everyone has a different tolerance to clutter and untidiness, but I have yet to meet someone who didn’t feel it negatively in some way.

Here are some of the general ways that clutter impacts us: - lost time looking for everyday items such as keys, purses and paperwork etc.

- difficulty cleaning properly - can contribute to feelings of anxiety or depression - associated with mental fog - can lead to procrastination and lack of motivation - feeling less content in our homes In my experience as an organizer, I’ve seen some powerful benefits once we begin to address the clutter.

Well worth the effort it may take to tackle it. Here are some of my findings: 1. If you are looking to improve your health, such as maintaining an exercise program, cooking nutritious meals or finding ways to destress, then you will prosper in a settled and organized home. It’s much easier to look after ourselves when our homes are working for us rather than against us.

2. I call this next one the Pivot Principle, the ability to make a quick course correction in life, because we aren’t bogged down in disorganization and chaos.

There is something to be said

7. Lastly, taking the time to let go of objects that we are done with helps to create space for the “new” to freely enter our lives. As we are all living longer than any other time in history, this means we can have very different chapters along the way, with potentially varying focuses and activities. Letting go of those items we are finished with is a good practice, and something we will likely do repeatedly throughout our long life.

Why it’s More Important Than Ever to Tackle Our Clutter it is much easier to recycle properly once we’ve downsized and set up a robust system for sorting our returnables.

about that kind of readiness in life. Oprah has a quote that I love and live by, “success happens when opportunity is met with preparedness”. I like to think that our ability to recognize and welcome opportunities, flows when our living spaces are functioning properly.

5. Managing too much stuff takes mental energy, more than we may have to spare.

If we want to free up more space in our minds, we will need to safeguard our mental “bandwidth” by lessening our clutter load at home and work.

6. Are you looking for more connection in your life, yet might feel embarrassed to

At no other time in human existence have we had so much stuff. The effect this is having on our inner and outer lives is still being discovered and understood. What I see clearly working with clients, is their forgotten dreams resurface. A passion project that kept getting put off, finds its legs again. A trip that was too stressful to plan, finds the energy to move forward.

A career change, a new endeavour…all benefit from that clearing energy, and can reignite.

We spend a great deal of time at home, and any effort put into it, is an investment in ourselves. Taking the time to consider what we keep around us and what we let go of, is a powerful way to honour and transform our ever evolving lives.

3. Do you sometimes feel you aren’t living up to your full potential? I firmly believe that in order to put our best selves forward, simplifying and crafting an orderly home will hands down be key to reaching that goal.

4. If we want to do our part for the environment, 65

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Mayfest at Sunrise Waldorf School

A

s the Valley begins to wake up, as the buds open on the trees and the small creatures in the forests around us come out from their winter burrows, the children at Sunrise Waldorf School are busily preparing for one of the most joyous events of the year; Mayfest! They are learning to dance around the tall Maypole, weaving in and out, each with their brightly coloured ribbon until at last they have made a beautiful woven pattern down the pole. They are practicing their instruments and their spring songs, and helping to gather willow fronds and flowers for the flower crowns they will each wear on the special day.

Mayfest is an annual tradition at our school, and always a day of music, laughter, dancing, and games. After a long winter, the children especially are eager to get out into the bright air and enjoy the colours, sights and sounds of a festival that always tells us Spring is officially here.

Starting with Grade 1, the children perform progressively more complex Maypole dances to live music provided by Grade 7, and Grade 8 show off their stilt-walking and circus acts. Island Thyme Morris dancers from Victoria have

become a familiar part of the celebrations, as well as a small handful of local vendors selling handmade trinkets and tasty treats.

We welcome people from the wider community to sit on the grass and enjoy the music and dancing, and perhaps learn a little more about our wonderful little school!

Join us on Saturday May 6 from 10am to 2pm at Sunrise Waldorf School, 2148 Lakeside Road. Bring a picnic. This is a cash only event.

Alumni Day is on May 5. If you’re a former student of Sunrise, let us treat you to pizza, join our students in a favorite recess game (Capture the Flag, anyone?), and step back in time in one of our classes, whether it’s PE, handwork, or a maypole dance practice. At 3pm we’ll host an Open House over refreshments, and welcome former staff and parents to join for a visit. We are looking forward to seeing you there! 11:45am to 4:30pm.

Please visit the event page for more information and to register. sunrisewaldorf.org/ event-details/alumni-day Jenni Lewis, Sunrise Waldorf School Parent and Waldorf alumni.

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with kids with special needs - Work independently and within a supportive team - Enjoy being busy and managing own time and workload - Have interest sensory integration theory and children with ASD, ADHD, DCD, anxiety and more.

Don’t miss out!

Local group of professionals with a passion for pediatrics is growing their team!

We are an understanding team with excellent collaboration, warmth, and a love of life long learning. Our support staff are long standing team members we can count on for tech support, frontline support, and creating resources. We value authenticity, professionalism, and reliability in an applicant.

D

id you know that we are a local small team of passionate people who love playing and learning with kids with special needs? Our staff is growing! We assess and run interventions on site (and Telehealth) in paediatrics.

Occupational Therapists (OT), Speech-language pathologists (SLP), Physiotherapists (PT) are now welcome to join our brightly lit practice at Cobble Hill mountain. We step out to hike or trail run on our breaks. We love sharing our ideas, playing, and diving into self reflective practices to keep growing.

The candidate will: - Feel energized when connecting

I have always enjoyed helping others. I have worked with children, youth and adults in a supportive/helping role for most of my life. Sharpe Occupational Therapy Services Inc. is committed to, and focused on helping/supporting children (and their families) to be able to do the things they need and want to do, at school, home and in the community.

- Martin M, OT at Sharpe Occupational Therapy Services Inc. My work as an Occupational Therapist at Sharpe OT Services Inc is rewarding, challenging, and fulfilling. Working in this private practice offers me the opportunity to apply my 30+ years of knowledge and skills directly and consistently with children and their families. It also challenges and encourages me to continue learning and honing my skills so as to provide the best therapy possible.

- Linda Z, OT at Sharpe Occupational Therapy Services Inc. To join us and provide neurodiversity affirming, clientcentred, evidence based care, contact us. We are dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Inquire by emailing: admin@ sharpeot.com

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SUPERNATURAL SANTANA TRIBUTE BAND A six piece band of incredible performers deliver the experience of a Santana concert with all the energy and musicianship of the real thing. Spanning an over 50 year career the show takes the audience through all of Santana’s greatest hits and modern classics. From his seminal performance at Woodstock to the 1999 smash album “Supernatural” (from which this tribute derives its name) this is an unparalleled career faithfully reproduced by musicians of the highest caliber. Osborne Bay Pub, May 6, 8pm - 10:30 pm, 1534 Joan Avenue, Crofton Tickets at Eventbrite

50% OFF EVERYTHING BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION Crofton Shop & Wash is 7 years old! Come help us celebrate on May 13th & 14th All merchandise in the shop will be 50% off Bring your laundry and receive three free tokens!! New extra large machines in our renovated, much larger laundry space.

1606 Joan Ave, Crofton

TAROT & MEDIUMSHIP READINGS With over 20 years experience as a psychic medium, Leigh has had the great pleasure of helping people with their life paths, connect with those who have crossed over and move stuck energy. Her readings will be a combination of tarot and intuitive mediumship.

Leigh will be offering readings at the Community Farm Store on Saturday May 13, 11am- 4pm. Email shift123@shaw.ca to book www.shift-123.com.

Providing the Cowichan Valley with Raw Cold Press 100% Organic Juices & Nut Mylks NEW Bone Broths with Medicinal Mushrooms!

ART IN THE PARK WITH ROBERT CERINS

Available EVERY DAY at The Community Farm Store or WEEKLY online at cow-op.ca. Direct orders can be placed to hello@euphoricjuicery.com

Bad Comics

by Shiloh Badman

Join Robert Cerins and Friends for merriment, music, and original paintings. Robert is inviting a few artistic friends over on the May long weekend to celebrate. Come to Fuller Lake Park May 21st & 22nd from 11:11am to 10:10pm to buy some art, dance to live music played by The Paradigm Shifters and eat wholesome organic snacks and organic herbal teas! Art In The Park! Sunday & Monday May 21st and 22nd 11:11am to 10:10pm Fuller Lake Park 9279 Poplar Road Chemainus.

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Dawn is a professional organizer who loves to recycle and promote sustainability

I

nspired by Earth Day (with the theme for this year being: Invest in our Planet) many of us are looking to strengthen what we can do to protect and preserve our planet. Island Return It Centres on Vancouver Island are a great resource for those of us looking to dramatically lessen what we put in the garbage. They have been around since 1994, and have regularly added to their roster what they take back to be recycled and reused. That’s a bonus for those of us living

Island Return It is Hiring: Get paid to recycle!

Family owned and operated, they have a lively and growing team, with a few staff having been with them since the beginning. If you are looking for work that is fast paced and enjoy being a part of the recycling solution, they are looking for good people now. Go to Islandreturnit.com and look under About Us/Employment for full details.

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Recycling Has Never Been Easier on the island, where there are 5 handy locations. It feels good to be utilizing the programs that are doing good work to responsibly recycle and reuse raw materials that would otherwise end up in the landfill and our oceans.

It’s important to note that all items (bottles, pop cans, batteries, lightbulbs and ink cartridges, to name a few) can be returned at no cost to us, which isn’t always the case in other communities; and we get paid to recycle bottles, aluminum cans and drink carton containers. Doing our part for the planet has never been easier.

With a bit of planning, we can set up a robust recycling system to organize and precount our refundables and sort

our recycling, so drop off is swift and easy. Island Return It has Bag Buddy racks and plastic bags available for sale, which can help us set up a permanent system in our homes or work places.

Here are a few sorting tips to help at drop off time: 1. Separate bottles from aluminium cans at home, and store cans in clear bags.

Alcohol and non alcohol cans also must be separated 2. Pre-count at home, as it will reduce time at the depot.

3. Have a sticker or clipboard handy to jot down how many items are being adding to the bags, so no need for recounting on delivery day.

Please count accurately.

New Location Update In other news, Island Return It on Salt Spring Island has just recently reopened at their new, more central location, at 251 Fulford Ganges Rd. with more parking to serve you better. This Ganges location only takes back ready to drink cans and bottles, including milk and milk substitute containers.

They are open TuesdaySaturday 9:30 to 4:30pm 4. No liquids inside containers please (leave the lids on).

5. For safety reasons, glass should be delivered in boxes, bins or crates rather than in plastic bags.

6. Soft and crinkle plastic can now be sorted together.

7. Don’t forget to bring broken electronics, small appliances and light bulbs when visiting. Explore the full list on their website.

Thank you for recycling. The planet thanks you too.

Let’s Talk About Curbside Recycling, Cowichan!

H

ave you ever wondered why you can only put certain items in your curbside recycling tote? Is recycling contamination something you’ve heard about but don’t know what it means?

What you put in your curbside tote matters because curbside recycling in British Columbia is unique compared to other provinces, with an emphasis on responsible management of materials within North America.

Curbside recycling in British Columbia Recycle BC, the organization that oversees curbside recycling in British Columbia is funded by businesses, retailers and manufacturers of packaging and paper products to ensure that these producers take responsibility for the collection, processing and recycling of the items they create and sell.

This not only shifts the cost of recycling away from consumers but also creates a consistent, province-wide accepted material list that reduces confusion and streamlines the recycling process. Accepted items include everyday household packaging and paper products such as paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, plastic and metal containers, single-use items, non-hazardous aerosols, and foil. To ensure that the program is successful, these materials are collected by a network of different organizations such as local governments (like the Cowichan Valley Regional District and its member municipalities) that create relevant educational materials that suit each community’s needs.

What is contamination, and why does it matter?

Items that do not belong in the program are called contaminants, as they are outside the producerfunded program and can pose health, safety, and quality control issues impacting the recycling process. Recycle BC has an extensive contamination audit process for all collected materials and requires its collectors to keep contamination at 3% to meet the standards of local processors and end markets. Collectors exceeding this threshold can be fined up to $5,000 per load, meaning we must all come together to keep program costs low.

Curbside contamination in the Cowichan Valley According to Recycle BC audits, the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) currently has an average contamination rate of 8.5%, with the residents in Youbou, Sahtlam, and Cobble Hill contributing to the highest rates of not-accepted curbside material in the region. In order to gather more in-depth information about what items residents are misplacing in their curbside recycling totes, the CVRD has been performing curbside audits since 2019 and began an in-house audit program in 2021 where staff collect, sort, and track curbside recycling samples. As a result of this program, staff uncovered the top 5 contamination categories placed in CVRD Recycling totes: 1. Household Garbage and Personal Hygiene Waste: masks, dryer sheets, lint, dental floss; 2. Glass: clear or coloured glass bottles and jars, ceramics, glassware; 3. Hard and Soft Cover Books; 4. Hard Plastic Products: plastic toys, kitchenware, storage containers; and, 5. Electronics and Hazardous

Waste: propane canisters, batteries, flammable or explosive items.

Curbside Recycling Resources Knowing what belongs in your curbside recycling tote can seem confusing, so when in doubt, remember that the curbside recycling program accepts packaging, not products. This means that the packaging around the product you purchased is included in the program, rather than the product itself. For example, the packaging around batteries can be placed in your curbside tote, but the batteries themselves must be taken to a Recycling Centre for proper handling at the end of their useful life.

Putting the right items in your curbside recycling tote results in successful recycling and ensures that the funds collected for the program are used as intended – to recycle the materials!

To learn what’s accepted in the program and recycling options for hundreds of items, download the Cowichan Recycles app or visit https://www.cvrd.ca/2584/ Recyclopedia.

For more details about the curbside program, accepted material list and additional recycling resources, visit https:// www.cvrd.ca/3381/Recycling Leah Berscheid (she/her) Environmental Technologist Recycling & Waste Management Division

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We can stop the spread of Scotch broom. Here’s how.

Cohousing Living Cohousing is a unique and progressive form of housing offering the best of both privacy and community by incorporating full ownership of one’s home AND commonly owned spaces like workshops, exercise rooms, guest rooms, studios, playgrounds, craft rooms, party rooms, storage and so much more!

Tailoring each project to the needs and wants of future residents, cohousing promotes creativity, welcoming initial investors to contribute to the design process of the property, the homes and the shared spaces.

For more information on Vancouver Island cohousing opportunities email friends@ amisto.ca For all other real estate inquiries email brianhorwitzrealty@gmail. com

When Broombusters started in 2006, the word on the street was that there was no way to stop Scotch broom. That is because people were using the wrong methods. A lifelong railroad man gave Broombusters the key: cut broom while it was blooming.

Sounds simple enough. But it must be done right.

This month, we want to share the details of how to cut Scotch broom properly, so the plant actually dies, and the seeds remain dormant in the soil.

Best practices depend on size of plant, circumstance, season, surrounding ground cover, your tools, strength and time.

Let’s start with a common question: Why not pull out the roots?

Scotch broom spreads almost exclusively by seeds – not from roots. A mature broom plant produces 18,000 seeds which survive in the soil for over 30 years. If you pull out a mature plant, it will disturb the soil, and the previously dormant seeds will be exposed to sunlight and sprout. Often hundreds of them!

So, you exchange one big plant for a multitude. We want to keep the grass and groundcover intact, to suppress the seeds.

• Cut at ground level or below. Using loppers. Cut it once and then look again. If there is any bit of stem above ground level, cut again. Tap soil,

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grass or leaves over the top.

• Small broom. Smaller than a pencil. Pull these small ones in the wet season. If pulling causes any disturbance of the soil, don’t pull. You might decide to leave small ones until the winter rains.

• Big broom. If the stem is too big for your loppers, or your strength, just cut all the green and manageable branches off. If there is nothing but a thick stem left standing, the plant will dry out and die in the summer’s heat.

Leave enough standing so people don’t trip on it – sometimes 1-3 feet. Peeling the bark back like a banana peel increases the stress on the plant (and its easy and fun.)

• Multiple Stalks. If broom has been cut poorly, mowed or mangled before, it will produce multiple stalks, making it harder to find the single stem that goes into the ground. Dig around the stalks with your finger or a garden tool to find the single stem that goes into the ground.

Cut there.

• You can’t find the single root or it is too big to cut? Use a hatchet and mangle it. Expose as much as you can to the sun. It will be unhappy and may die. If not, you’ll get it next year.

• Mowing? Excavating?

Chain saws? Mowing just creates a lawn of low broom, which will bloom again and again. Cutting with a chain saw or weed whacker leaves a stem, so the plant revives. However, rough cutting does prevent the plant from going to seed, and you can go back and cut the stem at ground level later that summer.

In summer’s heat, the plant will die.

How to take care of Loppers: Loppers are great tools, but they have their limits.

Only cut the appropriate size branches. You may be strong and able to cut through huge branches, but you’ll ruin the tool.

Use a hand saw! If the lopper gets stuck in the stem, open carefully – do NOT wiggle.

Why cut in bloom? The roots of broom are weakest while in bloom because the energy is above the ground producing flowers and seeds. The cut is then exposed to the dry heat of summer, which makes it harder to revive. The stems of Scotch broom are photosynthetic, so the plant can grow all winter.

Plan disposal before you cut. Take to the transfer station, chip, compost or burn when appropriate. If you become part of Broombusters or another organized group, you may get help with disposal. Some municipalities help. But you must arrange before you cut!

Other Tips: Wear sturdy shoes, gloves, sunhat, long sleeves and pants.

Check for ticks when you get home. In natural areas, be very careful not to step on native plants or disturb nesting birds.

Warning: Cutting broom is fun, and even addicting. Ask Jim G. of Parksville who cut broom for 199 hours last year! Join current local groups in Chemainus, Stony Hill and Lake Cowichan.

Also, it’s easy to start a new group where you live. Contact Broombusters. www.broombusters.org.

Cut Broom in Bloom!

Joanne Sales, Executive Director & Founder of Broombusters Invasive Plant Society.

LUCKY DOG It’s all in their head…

O

Debbie Wood owns Lucky Dog U-Bath.

She can be found on trails in the Cowichan Valley with her BF, Bonnie.

ur dogs have a rich inner life. They have a brain that needs stimulation and feedback.

There is more going on in that sweet head than thoughts of cookies.

Dogs are observing our movements. This is how they seem to predict a car ride or a trip to the vet. They see the patterns and remember them. And most of us are predictable. If you think your spouse knows you, they do not know you like your dog knows you. Your dog sees you when you’re not around other people and still seems to like you.

But when a dog isn’t paying attention to you, they are checking out the world. They smell the air,

hear the birds, feel the ground, and taste disgusting things.

When you are sitting quietly with your dog outside, and you’re both awake, watch how your dog observes the world. They will squint their eyes as they sniff the air. Their ears rotate and lift at sounds that we may not hear. They adjust their bodies for comfort. What is going on in that head? Do they have streams of voice thoughts like we do?

Are they remembering another time? Or are they considering the future? We don’t know.

It’s easy to anthropomorphize and put words in their brains, but I think it’s more respectful to ponder what they may be thinking and give them their privacy.

We don’t know what our spouse is thinking, either, but we don’t tell our loved one what they’re thinking. That would be rude.

It’s important that your dog has some down time for their brain.

Not just sleep, but relaxing brain time. Some houses are very busy and noisy and your dog may need some consideration to have time to chill without kids yanking their ears or the music cranked in the car.

Down time is when lessons are allowed to sink in and stay in the

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U Bath or WE Bath

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brain. At the Lucky Dog Daycare I can observe how the dogs all play for a while, then they all rest for a while. This isn’t just their bodies telling them to pace: the brain needs a rest as well. Brain work can be exhausting. Rest is a natural and necessary thing for all our brains.

Stimulation is a great thing for keeping the brain motivated.

Take your dog to new places.

Bring home new things to sniff.

Take a different route. Go to a new park. Try a new sport. A tired dog is a good dog, and brain work helps tire your dog out.

And then let them rest.

Your dog is a self-thinking sentient being. We do our best to modify their behavior, but their thoughts are their own and that’s a nice thing.

CVRS PLANT SALE The Cowichan Valley Rhododendron Society organizes this annual event.

Excellent rhododendrons and many other plants are reasonably priced, expert information is available, and entry is free. May 13, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at St. John’s Anglican Church parking lot, 486 Jubilee Street, Duncan.

Collectibles Eclectibles Estates & More!

• Affordable Drop Off Services OPEN: 9am to 7pm! Closed on Wednesdays • Large Capacity Machines • Ask About Pick Up Service

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Come Snoop Around!

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Angel Jury, a modern oracle, soul aligner and professional spiritual advisor Sacred Silence

M

om is the first word any woman, with children, hears when there is a time of need in their child’s life. This privilege carries a treasure of gifts and challenges. I’m one of the fortunate ones whose mother still walks this earth.

She’s my best friend, foundation, and internal guidance that I am thankful to have. With Mother’s Day right around the corner, I openly acknowledge that some people are not as fortunate as I am.

Losing this role model can change who we are, leaving a huge void that can carry a lot of emotional upset, especially after

we realize she is only accessible by prayer.

Grieving is love that has nowhere to go.

When parents, loved ones, friends, and even pets pass away, they generally cross over and transition to the other side without any problems. The only issues are the ones that exist with the loved ones left behind to do the grieving, coping, and accepting.

Over the past years, I have worked with people seeking guidance, reassurance, and closure from their loved ones in spirit, especially their mothers. I feel privileged when this divine, nurturing, and motherly energy makes her presence known.

Her energy, in spirit, is always presented as gentle, loving, and embracing. It feels like the biggest energetic hug that vibrates at the speed of excitement when loved ones arrive at my studio. Such a therapeutic connection that offers healing for all.

We all deal with the loss of loved ones differently. I’ve witnessed people cry uncontrollably, become withdrawn and act as if nothing happened, while others head down the path of selfdestruction, using drugs, alcohol, and reckless behaviour to numb the pain. We’re all different in our coping mechanisms and should never judge others for how they choose to grieve.

Modern Day Oracle * Spiritual Mediumship * Energy Healing

* Card Readings * Empowerment Sessions

Call Sacred Silence 250-710-5287 www.sacredsilence.net or facebook: Sacred Silence

Remembering Mom in Spirit

If your mother is in spirit, know she is still with you and resides in your heart center, never leaving your side, doing her best to reconnect with you by sending signs that only an open heart can receive. She only wants what is best for you and will help, in spirit, to align you with your soul’s purpose.

The funniest reading I had was from a very bossy mother. While I was channelling for her daughter, this mother was overtalking and trying to control our session. My client mentioned that her mom was aggressive and controlling, known by the family as the “boss” She then permitted me to ask her mom to leave our session. Proving that even in spirit our loved ones do not change their ways.

Grieving is a very permissionbased process, and also a very lonely job. This Mother’s Day, permit yourself to anticipate the day by planning something special to celebrate your mom’s legacy.

Below are listed a few suggestions you can do Mother’s Day for your mom in spirit. She’s the reason you are here, giving you life force

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and it may be time to honour that by doing one of the following: • Write a letter expressing how much you miss and love her. Put the letter in an envelope, and burn it to symbolize the power of letting go of the pain that may still be there.

• Buy flowers and set them afloat in a stream, symbolizing the flow of life.

• Plant a flowering vine to symbolize the growth you are experiencing while dealing with her passing.

• Sew a quilt from her favourite clothes and cuddle her.

• Go for supper to her favourite restaurant or cook her favourite meal.

• Play her favourite music all day long and dance.

• Create a playlist of her favourite songs on a music app and share it with the family.

• Visit her favourite places and have a private conversation with her at each location.

However you decide, know she is only a “Mom” shout away.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the beautiful women, single mothers, and men who have stepped into this role for their children! www.sacredsilence.net

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Georgia Nicols M.A. Georgia’s book, You and Your Future is a best seller with international printings in 3 languages. georgianicols.com

Aries (March 21-April 19) Expect a heightened focus on money this month; plus, you’ll be more concerned about your possessions, as well. Past issues are probably back to haunt you again.

Certainly, increased chaos and activity on the home front will keep you on your toes. Fortunately, Venus will smooth your communications with others at this time; and of course, with lucky Jupiter in your sign, you have divine protection! You’re laughing.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) This month the Sun is in your sign, which happens only once a year. This empowers you! It’s your chance to recharge your batteries for the rest of year; and you will attract people and favourable situations to you as well as gifts and goodies. With Venus in your Money House, expect money and wealth to come your way. Meanwhile, you’re buying beautiful things. You’re direct and forceful in your communications. Mars will keep you busy with short trips, appointments and an ambitious schedule. No moss growing on you!

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You might feel a limbo-like quality this month because the Sun is hiding in your chart. Accept this and be happy to take a backseat.

Enjoy times of solitude.

Choose to work alone or behind the scenes. This is actually the perfect window to define some goals for your “new year” after your birthday arrives. What do you want to achieve in your coming year?

Goals help you focus; plus, they make future decisionmaking easier. Meanwhile, enjoy your increased popularity! Treat yourself to some wardrobe items so that you feel great about how you look.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) This month the Sun will be boosting your popularity!

Go with what’s happening.

Make an effort to see friends,

especially old friends.

Not only will you enjoy schmoozing with your pals, you will enjoy increased activity with clubs and professional organizations.

Mars in your sign makes you more confident and boosts your energy and drive, which is why you will create a great impression on everyone. You da bomb!

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Once a year, the Sun is at the top of your chart. Get ready for some great press, because when the Sun is acting like a flattering spotlight on you, people notice you more, and they admire you! (Even if you don’t do anything special.) Obviously, since this advantage occurs only once a year – use it! Go after what you want, especially if you need to make an impression on someone, or make your pitch or ask for permission.

Enjoy schmoozing with creative friends. Romance is promising!

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You want a change of scenery this month. If you can’t travel on a long trip, then get away for a weekend. Take a day trip. Be a tourist in your own city. Go to new places or restaurants, parks and museums. Hike outdoors. Do something that makes you feel more alive! You also want to learn something new and thought-provoking. Venus, at the top of your chart, makes you look attractive and charming to everyone.

Someone will ask for your advice about how to improve something.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) This month the Sun will highlight the resources of others, taxes, debt,

inheritances, wills, estates and shared property. This is the perfect time to wrap up old business in these areas. (You’ll be surprised at how swiftly you will do this.) Your ambition is aroused. (Oh yes, you’re pro-ative!) Nevertheless, if you can travel for pleasure, you will. Meanwhile, with lucky Jupiter opposite your sign, partnerships and close friendships will be more meaningful and important to you. They will also be a source of joy.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) This month the Sun is opposite your sign, which happens once a year. You will need more sleep because your energy will lag. (Take cat naps.) In addition, this polarized position of the Sun will magnify your focus on partners, spouses and close friends, giving you more objectivity and the ability to see your role in these relationships. This new objectivity will help you to see how you act in your closest relationships – giving you a chance to improve your style of relating to others.

Expect improvements in your job and your health. Romance is affectionate.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) You’ll work hard to be efficient and productive this month. Nevertheless, Mercury retrograde will dog your steps with silly mistakes. Cut yourself some slack. Fortunately, with Venus opposite your sign, all your relationships are smooth because there is less ego involved. You are less judgmental and more forgiving, which certainly makes you happier, and others as well. Money

disputes or arguments about inheritances might arise.

Fortunately, Jupiter will bring lots of opportunities for pleasure and fun!

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) This month is perfect for vacations, increased socializing and exploring the arts. Enjoy musical performances, the theatre and movies as well as sports events. Get out and have fun!

Plan an exciting getaway.

Have a picnic. Do something that makes you feel you’re giving yourself a treat. Old flames might be back in your world, which can be tricky.

Sometimes this is exciting but generally, it’s unnerving.

(When you go out, dress sharp because living well is the best revenge.)

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Your focus on home and family will be highlighted this month. You might be dealing with a parent more than usual? Certainly, relatives you haven’t seen for a while are back on the scene.

Fortunately, the placement of both Venus and Mars will mean you’re ready to work hard and party hard! Not only will you have the energy to accomplish what you want to do; at the same time, you’ll enjoy entertaining diversions, social outings and playful times with kids. Basically, your outlook is more optimistic! Have you noticed this? It’s easy to be happy and not realize it.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) This month the pace of your days will accelerate in a fun, busy way. You will have more outings, more appointments, and increased contact with siblings, relatives and neighbours. You might take short trips. You will have more tasks and errands to run that will create a busy schedule. But hey, it will be fun busy! You’ll enjoy seeing new places and meeting new faces. Many of you will redecorate or tweak your digs because you will entertain at home. Romance will sizzle as well because you’re up for a good time! A boost in your income will please. www.georgianicols.com

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DIRECTORY

A great way to discover local services and businesses.

2 sizes of ad space are available to suit every business message and budget. Affordable, stylish and straight to the point.

OF LOCAL SERVICES

Directory Size A - 1 logo + 8-12 word listing Full Colour 1 X $63 6X $53 12X $43 Black & White 1 X $52 6X $42 12X $32 Contact us at sales@cowichanvalleyvoice.com for more information about print ads or to book a directory listing for the next issue. Deadline May 15 for June Issue 175

Happy Mother’s Day “When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.”

—Sophia Loren Art Classes

The Clay Hub Collective

GLASS ART SUPPLIES GLASS ART CLASSES STUDIO DROP IN KILN RENTAL 566 David Street, Victoria I 250-382-9554

Pottery Classes and Open Studio see website for details www.theclayhubcollective.com

www.vicartglass.com I www.glasscampus.com

Beauty

Advertising

Prudence

Natural Skincare & Cosmetics

Monthly Print Advertising Reach the locals!

Contact us at

• 155 Craig Street, Downtown Duncan

info@cowichanvalleyvoice.com

Open: Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm Sundays 12 - 4pm www.prudencenaturalbeauty.ca

Consulting

Dog Grooming

Collaborative design towards ethical sustainability • workshops • consulting • grant writing terraethics@gmail.com

Lucky Dog U-Bath, Duncan Now accepting new grooming clients.

Book online www.luckydogubath.ca Or call 250-597-7364

Food More than a Meat Shop Gluten Free/Organic Pasta’s, Organic Meat, Homemade Sausage, International Foods.

The Duncan Butcher 430 Trans Canada Hwy 250 748 -6377

Now Hiring

Do you have a GREAT dad?

CLEAN CHOICE ECO-FRIENDLY CLEANERS Join our team!

Flexible shifts, all supplies provided, paid training, competitive wages, medical and dental benefits.

Contact Tracey at tracey@cleanchoicecleaners.com to apply

Share a photo of your fabulous father along with 15-25 words about why he’s great and why you love him and we will include him in next month’s Fabulous Fathers page. Please send your info and image to: info@cowichanvalleyvoice.com by May 18.

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Holistic Health and Healing BIOMAGNETISM & ENERGY HEALER Recover your health & well-being focus on root cause of illness Pets and Remote Sessions offered Kathryn Lowther 250-891-5138 www.biomagcanada.ca

Reflexology I Swedish Massage Lymphatic Release Technique

Enabling your body to heal itself, naturally.

Book online at www.naturalheelingreflexology.com

Call Helga 250-732-7988

Hidden Gem Reiki Studio

3 Sessions for $150

Foot Reflexology • Reiki • PEMF Therapy

Reflexology & Chi Wellness by Terri 250-701-8962

GIFT

MOTHER’S DAY SPECIAL

CERTIFICATES

Judy Johnstone, Reiki Master 250-661-0192 www.hiddengemreiki.com

Reflexology by Joy

Relax and rejuvenate each and every part of your body, including the glands and organs.

specializing in toes•calves•lower legs• knees jstalinski@shaw.ca I 250 246 1401

Thank you WHERE DO WE STAND for all that you do to keep our community informed and for helping to nurture and protect our Six Mountain Community Forest for generations to come.

www.wheredowestand.ca

Nutrition •Functional Medicine and Nutrition Consultations •Lab Assessments/Education •Individualized Lifestyle and Wellness Plans 250-931-0012 sageheartnutrition@gmail.com www.sageheartnutrition.wordpress.com

Psychic

Sacred Silence - Modern-Day Oracle * Soul Alignment Specialist * Spiritual Medium and Intuitive * Private/Couple Sessions * Professional Card Reader

C: 250-710-5287 W: Sacredsilence.net FB: Sacred Silence - Angel Jury

Wanted for Q’ushintul, Walking Together Event - June 24-July 2 Gift Offerings for Elders Baskets - homemade preserves - handmade gifts

- Firewood for 8 nights - Lodging for Elders - Gas Cards - Grocery Food Cards - Restaurant Gift Cards

If you would like to contribute and support the visiting Elders Please contact walktogether@inspiredlearning.ca 236 594-9251 79

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