Playing with Fire
INSIDE:
• Pioneer Mall future
• Evergreen’s inclusive outdoors
• Villa Eyrie a romantic getaway
• Through Mill Bay photographer’s eye
Hayes puts the finishing touches on one of his glass mugs. (Chadd Cawson/Connector)
Tyler Hayes explores beauty of glass blowing
Tyler Hayes has been playing with fire and exploring the art and beauty of blowing glass for more than two decades and loves it.
He has been running his family owned and operated glass sculpture business
Hayes Glass Designs out of Cobble Hill for the past 12 years.
Hayes, who is originally from New Brunswick, studied forestry, environmental studies and eco-tourism in Ontario before heading out
west to find employment. It was during a summer of adventure and travelling across the province that Hayes met and befriended glassblower Chris Windsor out of Victoria. To help fund his travels he began selling his pieces
at different festivals across western Canada. Always having been a bit of a firebug, it was this encounter and experience that sparked his interest in having fire at his fingertips.
Tyler
Chadd Cawson
Promising future for Pioneer Mall site
Chadd Cawson
It has been over two years since the former Pioneer Square Mall in Mill Bay became a pile of rubble and ash on May 27, 2022, but the new plans for development continue to be on a slow rise, like a phoenix.
Limona Group, which was first founded in 1981, purchased the Pioneer Square property in 2019, which co-owner Baier said was the final parcel acquired as part of the master plan for their Mill Bay Stonebridge project.
Previous tenants had vacated the former retail centre by the end of 2020 due to the concerns of the Mill Bay Fire Department around the age of the building and the lack of fire suppression. Baier noted that since the fate of the former site was to be developed, at that time it didn’t make financial sense to install a modern fire suppression system in a building that was originally built in the 1970s. Thankfully the firefighters who responded to the arson over two years ago kept the blaze contained.
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Community members can get fired up to know that future plans to develop a new commercial centre are in the works for the vacant site. The size, look, and tenant mix of the future development has been actively under review for some time. Baier said the current development plan includes a new grocer, pharmacy, bakery, restaurants, retailers, a daycare, aswellasamedicalhealth centre with the intent to include two to three new family doctors.
“We have plans for a full commercial village, and are just waiting for CVRD to complete the zoning amendment so that we can proceed,” said Baier. “There has been a positive response from the commercial community to the prospect of bringing new services and more competition to the area. Having greater selection will help reduce the need for residents to leave the area in search of what they need for their families.”
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Editor Andrea Rondeau editor@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
Baier said Limona Group initiated the zoning amendment with the CVRD over a year ago with the hopes they would have broken ground and been building by now. At this point they are hoping for an early 2025 start.
“The entire project is already zoned but CVRD
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staff and ourselves decided to simplify the zoning in order to move and be flexible with changing real estate markets over time as this is a long term project,” said Baier. “We are doing our best, and prospective tenants are already eager to be in Mill Bay.”
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Limona Group co-owner Mike Baier said they are just waiting for the CVRD to complete the zoning amendment to move forward with this project. (Courtesy of Mike Baier)
Celebration of inclusion, world of possibilities
Chadd Cawson
Imagine being a child who felt excluded, or who couldn’t access all areas of their school, or who missed out on engaging opportunities due to limitations beyond their control.
This was the reality for wheelchair user Leila Ruggles who has been a student at Cobble Hill’s Evergreen Independent School for the past 10 years. The historic school building, which was first built in 1914, was not set up for wheelchair accessibility to the second level in the main building where activities and presentations are often held, leaving Leila unable to attend. Leila’s mom Jessica Paige said when she was really little staff would carry her, and her chair up the front stairs separately, but as she grew this was no longer a safe option. Both
Leila, and the school’s core value of inclusion, were an inspiration for the school’s new all accessible Playful Places Project that has been more than three years in the making.
“This year, Leila’s peers who are her age and in the same grade are upstairs and it’s important that Leila also spends time with them, as well as in the younger grades where the activities are a bit more fun,” said Paige. “There has been other children and parents in chairs in the past and it just feels so inviting that the main building and every portable has an accessible ramp. It’s a huge legacy for Leila to leave for anyone that attends the school in the future.”
On Oct. 5 staff, students, alumni parents, several community members including
area director Mike Wilson and Paige gathered at the independent school to celebrate inclusion, and a world of possibilities with the ribbon cutting of this vision come to fruition that Leila helped to inspire.
“It’s a really special occasion for this school, as we gather to celebrate the opening of this new inclusive timber framed ramp and play space,” said principal Lucien Power. “This beautiful structure before us represents more than just the wood and the bolts. It embodies our community and our commitment to inclusivity, and the joy and play for all students.”
Students of all abilities like Leila will now be able to let their imaginations run wild as they play on the 100-foot long ramp that leads up to
the second level of the historic school building. Aside from creating access to the upper level of the school, the ramp is also designed to take children on a magical journey from the adventures of the high seas, to treetop explorations though its tree house.
“The timber frame with its natural beauty and strength serves as the perfect metaphor for the resilience and unity of our community,” said Power. “This ramp and play space is designed to ensure that every child regardless of their abilities can access the laughter, the friendships, and developmental benefits that come with play. It’s a testament to our beliefs that no one should be left behind or excluded from the simple joys of childhood.”
Leila’s mother Jessica Paige and school director Mel Findlater get a little emotional as they cut the ribbon on the innovative and inclusive play space that has been three years in the making. (Chadd Cawson/Connector)
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July was a busy month for members of the Timber Framers Guild who worked diligently to bring the project to life. Five instructors along with 40 carpenters, and 35 volunteers worked around the clock, starting the day after school let out for the summer. This project was special for guild president Chris Koehn, who was once the chairman of the board at Evergreen when his own boys attended. Koehn, who has been involved with the guild for four decades, said it was his wife Ruth who is a professional designer that helped the independent school develop a concept that allowed them
to apply for the grant, and win it.
“It was a wonderful experience being able to bring those two worlds together, from the fundraising through the school to the design and engineeringtothecodecompliance it’s been a long journey,” said Koehn. “Both of our boys went to school here many years ago, they are 27 and 23 now. This was a really special project, it has been wonderful to be a part of it, and it really feels full circle for me. I hope this lives up to everything that it was designed to be which is a playful space.”
The Playful Spaces Project, which was funded in
part by the Government of Canada’s Enabling Accessibility Fund, and the Evergreen Independent School society will also see growth over the foreseeable future with the plan to add more play and exploratory stuff including music elements and climbing walls that will be added to it as more funds become available.The ramp, together with the fully accessible community pavilion, will provide a versatile inclusive space for arts, culture and recreation not only in Cobble Hill but also for its surrounding communities.
“As we cut the ribbon today we are not just opening a new facility we are open-
ing the doors to new possibilities, new friendships, new adventures,” said Power. “We’re creating a space where differences are celebrated, where challenges become opportunities and where every child can feel the thrill of independence.”
Evergreen director Mel Findlater, and Paige fought back tears as they cut the ribbon. Sincere gratitude was expressed to all who donated their time, and equipment to make this dream a reality, including Power who gave up much of his own summer vacation to ensure this project was completed in a timely manner. Findlater spoke on
Evergreen School chair James McBride (l), principal Lucien Power, director Mel Findlater, and Timber Framers Guild president Chris Koen pose in the treehouse on the ramp on this momentous occasion. (Chadd Cawson/Connector)
Leila Ruggles, who has been a student at Cobble Hill’s Evergreen Independent School for the past 10 years will now have full access to her school, and all of her peers thanks to the Playful Places Project which was officially unveiled on Oct. 5. (Courtesy of Jessica Paige)
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how over the years many potential solutions were explored such as lifts and traditional ramps, but they ultimately tended to be more exclusivethaninclusive.The concept for Playful Places was inspired by the desire to create something beautiful that would not only embed inclusion into Evergreen’s physical space, but also allow a place for exploration, self-regulation, and connection for years to come.
“There were so many pieces that needed to come together, and so many people that played an integral part in making this day possible,” said Findlater. “First to Leila, for giving us the gifts of
empathy, and compassion. You inspire us to do better, and be better every day. May all that play here, feel the love that went into creating it.”
“Evergreen sees the ability and not the disabilities,” said Paige. “My heart is overjoyed with happiness to know that Leila can be a part of all the happenings and that the kids can join her for the adventures on the ramp and help her get to and from her classes safely. I’m incrediblygratefultotheentire team for making this dream a reality and for all of the volunteer hours spent. It has brought a fresh new life to the school and community.”
Timber Framing Guild president Chris Koehn poses in front of the new innovative play space before the ribbon cutting took place on Oct. 5. (Chadd Cawson/Connector)
Villa Eyrie: perfect romantic getaway
The Villa Eyrie Resort, which is celebrating its 40th year, was voted most romantic getaway for the Cowichan Valley Citizen’s best of the valley for 2024.
Guests will be on cloud nine once they get to some higher ground to take in the resort’s spectacular sea and skyline views, making it clear to see why the beautiful hot-spot would be an inspired choice to ignite, or rekindle that spark.
“It feels so great to be voted Best of the Valley,” said resort sales manager Samantha Johnson. “We always like to say that we are the destination for romantic getaways here in the Cowichan Valley. We get a lot of locals
here as well as visitors from Victoria, across the island, the mainland and from far and wide.”
Like any fairy tale location the Villa Eyrie Resort has a storied history. When the original owner Maria Schuster first visited the island in 1984 she fell head over feet for the scenery as the views of the Saanich Inlet reminded her of Lake Como in beautiful Italy, which inspired her decision to retire to the majestic Malahat area. Schuster, who previously owned a hotel in the Bahamas, decided to use her hospitality skills to open a property that would welcome guests from all walks of life while showing off the area.
Seven years later in 1991, Schuster first opened ‘The Aerie’ which was at that time just a regular house that she had converted into a bed and breakfast which now serves as the resort’s main building the Villa Principale. The resort’s original design was inspired by the style elements of European Chateaux with Vancouver Island wood incorporated into the buildings. In fact, Vancouver Island slate carving can still found displayed in the common area of the resort’s Villa Principale building today. Schuster continued to expand on the 85 acres of property, eventually adding a second building known as the Villa Aquila as the ideal
vacation destination began to boast 35 rooms, a tennis court, as well as a gym, spa, and conference room.
In 2004, the romantic retreat reached new heights when they added the Villa Cielo situated 300 feet above the already established resort giving guests views of the Olympic Mountains, Mount Baker and the Saanich Inlet. Villa Cielo features one and two bedroom suites, a junior and full penthouse with a common area and kitchen. The original kitchen was once used by the culinary team to demonstrate cooking classes for resort guests. Enjoy some pie in the sky, or whatever else your taste continued on V7
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buds may be craving, while soaking up the panoramic views of the Saanich Inlet, the Olympic Mountains and Mount Baker from nearly every table inside the resort’s Alpina Restaurant which is open all year round for dine-in, or take-out.
Leaving the restaurant with a doggie bag is welcome and so are your four legged furry friends, as long as arrangements are made in advance as not all rooms are canine friendly — a pet fee of $75 per week will be added to your reservation at the time of booking. The pet fee covers standard deep cleaning costs of the room after your departure. You and your canine companion(s) are sure to have a doggone time walking the several paths on the property that offering stunning and picturesque views.
Reservations came to a halt when the Aerie was shuttered in the winter of 2009 leaving the property vacant until it was purchased by the GAIN Group. By 2015, while the characteristics of the resort’s exterior was well maintained and still held its original charms, time had come for the rooms to be upgraded, and throughout the resort the Villa Cielo is the only villa that still boasts its original Tuscan feel while others have become more modernized over the years, which included the resort adding on a pool and spa.
The resort’s Tuscan spa offers its guests a deep dive into a world of relaxation, rejuvenation, and tranquility. Their professional practitioners curate personalized programs to cater to your specific needs — from
therapeutic massages to rejuvenating facials. They offer services to all, so one doesn’t need to commit to staying at the resort to take advantage of them giving you some TLC.
After the resort saw a lot of its own TLC in the way of renovations they re-branded with a re-grand opening as Villa Eyrie Resort on Oct. 28, 2016. The resort continued to expand, and in 2018 acquired the former Prancing Horse Bed & Breakfast which is now known as the the Villa Vista which is the home of the resort’s Tuscan spa, and three beautiful guest suites.
The sky is the limit at this resort nestled in the peaceful wilderness of Vancouver Island that offers breathtaking views of the great blue yonder with eagles flying overhead.Their suites merge Italian architecture and modern interiors such as soaker tubs, and in-suite fireplaces making it not only the perfect place for a romantic getaway, but the perfect getaway for a romantic I Do.
Put that fairy tale touch on your special day, as couples are invited to commemorate their love at one of the most romantic and picturesque destinations in Canada in a unique and custom way. The Villa Eyrie Resort is only able to facilitate weddings between the months of September to June with a maximum capacity of 60 guests; July and August weddings are also welcome but due to their busy tourist season will be limited to Monday to Thursday availability.
All reception packages are available exclusively at Alpina Restaurant, for more information visit villaeyrie. com or by emailing info@ villaeyrie.com.
In 2004, the romantic Villa Eyrie resort reached new heights when they added the Villa Cielo which is situated 300 feet above their already established resort giving guests views of the Olympic Mountains, Mount Baker and the Saanich Inlet. (Chadd Cawson/Connector)
Creating meaningful connections through camera lens
Chadd Cawson
Craig Richards has spent a lifetime capturing true beauty, and creating real connections through the lens of his camera.
Richards, who is originally from Edmonton and has lived in Mill Bay for the past eight years, said he was always drawn to the camera as awaytousehisuniquevoice to capture the beauty around us, and was just 17 when he picked up his first one.
“Photography is drawing with light, it’s all about light,” said Richards.
While his parents tried to push him onto the path of what they considered a real job, Richards pursued photography, and in 1978 at the age of 23 he embarked on an adventure to South America for nine months to cap-
ture landscapes, which took a sudden shift to capturing portraits of people. When it comes to his photography Richards has always been one to see things in black and white.
“Everything we see and do is in colour so what I have been able to do in the landscapes is transform it into something a bit abstract because it’s in black and white,” said Richards. “By using filters I can take the blue sky and make it darker, or bring out the yellow that is in the mountains with different tonalities, I use colour filters to draw out, and subdue contrasts. To me, capturing portraits in black and white to me is real simple. Instead of being overwhelmed by colour, it draws
you into the person’s face, and eyes first — everything else becomes a part of who they are.”
By his mid-20s Richards had accepted an opportunity at Banff’s Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies where he started as a photo tech, eventually working his way up to curator during the span of his 37 year career with them.
“It was a win-win, because I had this job where I curated exhibitions of photographers from around the world, not to mention some of the finest in Canada which also afforded me the opportunity to do my own projects all over the world,” said Richards. “By the mid-80s I realized I am not trying to show people where I’ve been with the
camera, but how I feel.”
Years after meeting his wife Linda while working on an Edmonton magazine together, Richards felt compelled to take a solo trip back to Guatemala, and admits that it was here that his love for portraits really blossomed. What initially was going to be a trip of capturing landscapes and volcanoes suddenly shifted to people as the opportunity to make real connections arose. He continued to travel back to Guatemala at least once a year for the next 17 years to capture photos of the people from different areas of the country.
“I hope that when people see my work, they start looking at landscapes differently
Photographer Craig Richards stands inside his Mill Bay home in front of some of the portraits he captured while in Guatemala. (Chadd Cawson/Connector)
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and really feeling it,” said Richards. “I’ve had people viewmyexhibitontheCanadian Rockies, and then come up to me afterwards and say I have never seen the mountains like that, and that they can’t wait to go out and see them with their own heart.”
It was his work in Guatamala that piqued the interest of National Geographic, which offered him the opportunity to travel the globe and capture the portraits of 32 mountaineers in 2000, which became an exhibit in 60 countries across the world.
The original idea was a book with photo essays that revolved around adventure, where Richards would photograph some of the most famous mountain climbers such as Reinhold Messner
and Sir Edmund Hilary, who was the first to scale Mount Everest. Having a different vision, Richards bought a backdrop and sent an email to all his subjects asking them to bring a personal item from their mountaineering world so that he could take it to another level. Halfway though the project, unsure how his idea would fly, he received a call from the publisher singing his praises that his portraits changed the entire concept of the book. Richards flew to London, England to meet the biggest name in mountaineering industry — Sir Edmund Hillary who was number 32.
After waiting patiently but withexcitement,Richardsfinally met the legend who he described as quite big, and
dressedtotheninesinathree piece suit. Richards began to show the famous mountain man the 31 portraits he had captured before him. Suddenly feeling sheepish, Sir Hilary was disappointed that he was not appropriately dressed, and had left all of his mountaineering items back in Nepal.
So, Sir Hilary went up to his room and returned wearing a fleece coat, and a thin walking stick that had his name etched into it.
Richards wasted no time in sharing how impressed he was with all of the climber’s humanitarian work in Nepal in the form of hospitals and schools. Unsure what Richards was going to do with what he had to work with, he had the famous climber
sit at a nearby table, and the light supplied a reflection of his arms on the table that tied everything together.
“Tome,thisrepresentedthe full circle of giving back,” said Richards. “After taking some photos, I then showed him a Polaroid I took, and asked him what he thought, and his eyes went right to the reflection of light, and asked me if I saw it too, and I said Ed, that is the full circle of what you have done, and getting a little emotional his response was — it’s beautiful.”
Richards was given many opportunities to travel the world including working on 15 projects for Museum Nazionale della Montagna in Turin, Italy. His favourite was being sent to north and
Mill Bay resident and photographer Craig Richards has a photo exhibit of Indigenous Elders currently on display on the third floor of the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre. The exhibit features Elders from both the Cowichan Tribes as well as from Cowichan Valley Métis Nation. (Chadd Cawson/Connector)
This is a portrait of Ana Nebaj, which was one of the many captured while in El Quiche, Guatemala.
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south Bolivia for the challenge of photographing music.
“I had this 23-year-old vision in my mind of what I encountered in Bolivia, and now I’m 60 years old and I’m different, and it’s different,” said Richards. “Beyond my work in Guatemala it became one of my most significant bodies of work.”
Photographer Craig Richards stands inside his Mill Bay home as he shows off a portrait that one of his former students captured of her grandmother.
(Chadd Cawson/Connector)
her the 11th participant one year, when he only normally chose 10. It was a beautiful picture of her grandmother that stole the show, and the hearts of those who attended it. Richards also said he recently received a text from another former student who felt gratitude for noticing howbeautifulthelighthithis girlfriend while they sat in a Montreal cafe — the message to his former instructor simply read “thank you for showing me the light”.
Richards was based out of Canmore for 42 years, and from 1997 to 2017 he taught more than 700 high school students from Canmore, Banff, as well as the First Nation of Morley through a museum outreach program called Through the Lens. He still stays in touch with hundreds of them still to this day. Out of the hundreds one sticks out, a student named Leanne Baracetti who was labelled as a difficult student. He decided to make
It was also during this time that he met Peter Poole, who owns the Juniper Hotel in Banff, which happens to be located on a sacred site where First Nation trading took place. Poole became well known for hosting an annual event called the ‘Elder’s Gathering’ where Indigenous Elders from across
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the country would be invited. In 2018, Poole made an offer to Richards that he couldn’t refuse that allowed him to work with a myriad of First Nations, which all began with capturing five generations of the Eugene family who live in the Columbia Valley, Alberta, and B.C. This project has been five years in the making and will culminate in a book that will be produced and given to the Eugene family, as well as put into museums and archives across the country.
The Eugene project, which will wrap in March 2025, wasaprecursortohiscurrent project ‘All Our Relations: Portraits from The Elders Gatherings, which features 36 portraits of Indigenous Elders from across Canada. It’s on display inside the gallery on the 3rd floor of the Cowichan Performing Arts
Centre until Nov. 12.
“My favourite part of this opportunity and journey has been connecting with people,” said Richards. “The gallery is such a breathtaking space, with wonderful lighting and the layout of the walls lends itself to a journey. What’s nice about the portraits are the bios, because its not solely about a portrait, but about a life that comes to life. I think an exhibit like this is long overdue and that it is the perfect time to have this up here.”
When Poole approached Richards to embark on an Elders Exhibit he decided to once again incorporate that personal touch, having his subjects bring something personal with them, while using his backdrop yet again in different locations such as the banks of Lac Ste. Anne, downtown Calgary and Ed-
monton, the Juniper Hotel, and on the land of Cowichan Tribes, to name a few. He’s kept it consistent with that same black and white feel while rising to the challenge of creating a portrait that truly embodies each person.
“In the making of a portrait, there is always a giveand-take between the photographer and the subject,” said Richards. “The goal is to capture that elusive element that makes each person an individual. My greatest task was to capture the essence of these individuals, and to allow the walls we all put up to come down. I requestedthateachElderbring something that embodied his or her experience. I felt that by incorporating a personal memento, something evocative could be captured through their connection with the item.”
Richards connected with Chief Cindy Daniels of Cowichan Tribes who was honoured to be a part of the exhibit and provided him with the contacts for elders Albie CharlieandDoreenPeter.He then took the same approach with Cowichan Valley Métis Nation and was connected with elders Bruce Dumont and Rick Lewis who are all part of the display ‘Indigenous Elders from the east to west coast’. It was during a night out with his wife on Sept. 21, that he was able to be a fly on the wall and see people take in his exhibit.
“Iwasjustwatchingpeople and they were so enthralled, not just with the photos but also with the bios,” said Richards. “There was this onecouplewholiterallyread everything. I had the opportunity to speak with him
Arbutus Ridge art club member Jackie Read shows off some of the paintings she had on display for the festivities. Read will also have some of her paintings
year’s art show that will be open to the public. (Chadd Cawson/Connector)
on the third floor of the
the Cowichan Tribes as well as from Cowichan Valley Métis Nation.
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before the show, and he said thank you, thank you so much for this work, it’s really making me think about everything.”
The Royal Canadian Geographic Society has expressed interest in permanently housing his Elder Exhibit in Ottawa, and touring it across the country — he has now taken 45 elder portraits to date. He has also been photographing sacred Indigenous sites throughout western Canada that he hopes to intermix into the future Ottawa exhibit, which he believes will give greater meaning to both the people, and the sites.
To see Richards body of work visit his site at www. craigrichardsphotography. com
“I’m hoping people will acknowledge, and make a connection with all of the people in my portraits, and leave with a greater understanding of who they are, and how connected they all are, and hopefully we can all connect with that.
I’m not trying to show people where I’ve been with my photography, I’m trying to show them what I feel about where I’m at. Inmanywaysit’sthesame way in a portrait, because you have to connect with your subject, and they have to connect with you, they need to feel relaxed, andthewallsneedtocome down.” said Richards.
“You need to be able to look into their heart, through your own heart, and your mind.”
Mill Bay resident and photographer Craig Richards has a photo exhibit of Indigenous Elders currently on display
Cowichan Performing Arts Centre. The exhibit features Elders from both
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“When I first saw it being done, the chance to play with fire and melt things is what really drew me in,” said Hayes. “Once I became interested in it, I just sort of went for it.”
He took some beginner demonstration classes, and befriended other glassblowers in the community who set him on the right path, but admits he is primarily self taught.
“That helped a lot but the best way to learn is to just get on the torch and try it,” said Hayes. “If you have the time, experimenting is the best thing to do, and the funding we received that first year really allowed us to do so.”
In 2002, Hayes set up his first studio with another business partner under the name Mystic Creations
which at that time specialized in unique hand sculpted wearable art.
“Having a business partner, we just put our heads together and started playing around with glass and exploring all the possibilities,” said Hayes “We received a government grant when we first started out, and for a year we received monthly payments which really helped us get the business going. It was great, because with that grant I really didn’t have to work, so it allowed me to just focus on what we were doing.”
Hayes said he first started off with a very small setup and every year bought more equipment to make it a healthier and safer environment. Hayes said the biggest part of glassblowing is having the right tools, and being
safe about it. This includes having proper ventilation and eye wear, which is extremely important as Borosilicate glass, which what Hayes works with, melts at a higher temperature and is really bright. Wearing Didymium safety glasses is a must to prevent eye damage.
“I love being able to take something solid, then put it into a liquid form, and then back to solid again,” said Hayes. “When glass is in that molten state, it feels more alive, and you can feel the energies throughout it. Once complete, the art alwayslooksreallyniceinsolid form, but I always enjoy it the most when it’s blowing — it has a bright orange colour going throughout it, which is always really cool.”
Hayes said when he first dove into glassblowing 22
years ago, Borosilicate glass, which is a hard glass that is dishwasher,oven,andmicrowave safe, was mostly only used for scientific applications, and was still relatively new as an art form. Glass colours weren’t invented until the late 1980s and early 1990s. Hayes said the colour palate for Borosilicate glass keeps growing today while soft glass goes back hundred and hundreds of years. All of the clear glass he works with comes from the Czech Republic as they make the highest quality of the Borosilicate glass, and he orders all his coloured glass from the Portland and Oregon area in the United States. Hayes also uses an array of hand torches for his creations that are also made in the U.S.
Playing with fire, Tyler Hayes turns up the heat as he makes a handle for one of his glass mugs. (Chadd Cawson/Connector)
“With the torch I use you have the ratio of four oxygen to two propane, so by having thatyouhaveflamesassmall as two millimetres to flames as big as a light sabre,” said Hayes. “Those large light sabre flames is what you do all yourreallybigblowingwith.
I can turn on and off the big flames with a foot pedal, which makes it a lot easier, and frees up your hands so that you can keep working through multiple flames by clicking on and off the foot pedal. I just love being able to get the glass nice and hot and to melt it into liquid and just play with it. When working with Borosilicate glass you will start off with different preps to get what you want, a lot of glass work is definitely making your preps first and then going to assembleit, and then making it into your creations.”
It was after two years of building Mystic Creations in Sooke that Hayes first met his wife Leah, who is originally from Mill Bay. The
couple eventually made their way back to the valley, and for the past 12 years have raised their family in Cobble Hill where Hayes works out of his shop under Hayes Glass Designs. He says on a typical day he can be in his shop for up to 12 hours at a time, but he absolutely loves being self-employed as it gives him the flexibility to work around different people’s schedules and to take time out for himself for a mid-day bike ride, or other opportunities that may present themselves.
Hayes is not one to pass up good opportunities.
Hayesgottobringhisbackground in environmental studies and eco-tourism full circle when he and his wife embarked on the journey of making glass straws under their incorporated company Enviro Glass Straws in 2012, which all began when a friend requested some, and from there it began to gain momentum.
“It was just a better en-
vironmental option,” said Hayes. “They were made from laboratory glass so you are working with the strongest glass out there and we would give a five-year warranty with them. You could drink both hot and cold through them, plus they are dishwasher safe. It was one of those things that we saw an opportunity to make something that can be reusable and help the earth.”
Through some online research, he quickly realized thatatthattimetheywerethe only ones in Canada making them to sell. Business was booming at a time when there was talk of getting rid of plastic straws altogether before COVID reared its ugly head. Before the pandemic, Enviro Glass Straws had four employees with the hopes that they could eventually run the show, giving Hayes the time to focus on larger scale art pieces such as lighting and chandeliers. Their innovative glass strawshavebeensoldworld-
wide including places like the Carribean, Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Dubai where thy became a popular item in fancy restaurants and cocktail bars. The distributors they had in Vancouver, the U.S. and Dubai helped make this venture such a success, and during its peak Hayes took a hiatus from his art to ensure everything was going off without a hitch. It wasn’t long after that other Canadian and Chinese companies began jumping on the bandwagon to create similar products.
“Once what we were doing found its way into the media it just took off,” said Hayes. “China works with third grade Borosilicate glass which has a different chemical compound, so that is what keeps us different even though they all look the same. It was great to have this opportunity, I knew if I didn’t jump on it I would have kicked myself down the line.”
Tyler Hayes puts the finishing touches on one of his glass mugs. (Chadd Cawson/Connector)
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COVID presented some setbacks once reusable options came to a halt, which allowed Hayes to once again focus on his art. Enviro Glass Straws can be found at some local stores, or purchased online at www.enviroglassstraw.ca.
When it comes to his art, Hayes most enjoys creating his glass globes and nautical pieces such as octopuses, where he makes all the pieces separately and then assembles them. The octopuses can take up to 12 hours to make and sell for $950.
“I just love the different optics you can get with both the glass marbles and globes because they are under so much more magnification,” said Hayes. I love doing the universe ones, it is something that I have been playingaroundwithforyearsand years now, and something I really enjoy experimenting with the pattern work inside of them.”
Hayes also makes an array of mugs which are both microwave and dishwasher safe, and has recently been experimenting with vibrant glass colours such as tequila sunrise, and apricot, and notes that the colour will often change throughout the piece, and will reflect the weather outside.
“I love when the pieces are complete and you get to see some sunlight on the glass, it just becomes so much more alive,” said Hayes.
Over the past 10 years Hayes has honed his skills at creating meaningful and special pieces where he infuses the ashes of a loved one into molten glass, and encases it with layers of glass for a unique custom creation to forever honour
a person’s memory. Hayes found himself on this path after one of his close friends died, and was asked by his wife if he could create something unique and special to honour his memory.
“He was from Holland and it worked out that she was able to take some keepsakes back there for his family and relatives,” said Hayes. “From there, it slowly grew but over the last six years I have had a lot more people reach out to me to inquire about it.”
Hayes has brochures that go into more detail about this unique keepsake which he hands out at markets and shows, and also works with some local funeral homes and crematoriums in the valley as well as Langford who help spread the word about this service as well. Hayes will sit down with clients to come up with the perfect designforapendantorglobein multiple designs and colours using just a teaspoon of a loved one’s ashes to make these lasting memories — he’s currently working on a special design for a woman from Nanaimo.
“I show them the design I have made in the past but everything is mostly custom,” said Hayes. “Last week I did a really neat globe, the mom liked hummingbirds, and the dad like owls so I actually have these little images I can putontheback,andthenIdo etching,” said Hayes. “It’s a privilege to be able to make these pieces and give people something that they enjoy and honours their loved one. It definitely touches them in a different way, then when you make an art piece for some one.”
Hayesisalreadygearingup
fortheChristmasseason,and will be selling his glass work atsomeupcomingChristmas markets closer to home, with one at the Shawnigan Lake Community Centre on Nov. 30, followed by another at Providence Farm in North Cowichan on Dec. 7 where he will be be selling mugs, globes, pendants, sculptures, and Christmas ornaments, as well as some Enviro Glass Straws which are perfect for a loved one’s stocking. To learn more more, or to purchase your unique glass creationtodayvisitHayesGlass Designs at www.hayesglassdesigns.ca
Tyler Hayes shows off some of the memorial glass pendants he makes using the ashes of a loved one, which he encapsulates into the glass. (Chadd Cawson/Connector)
Tyler Hayes of Hayes Glass Designs has been blowing glass for more than two decades. He loves making nautical pieces such as these octopuses that take 12 hours to make and sell for $950. (Chadd Cawson/Connector)
