FISHBOWL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2017

Caleb Hart

& the ROYAL YOUTHS Moby’s Pub August 26

Ken Brudner

SALT SPRING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE August 2017 - FISSUE #108 FREE & EASY

August Calendar

EMBRACING Salt Spring’s GOODNESS • 5

STUFF to DO on the ROCK • 9

Celebrating Canada

Dorothy Price

Salt Spring STORIES • 6

How Free Are You? • 12

www.fishbowlmagazine.com read us online at issuu.com/fishbowlmagazine email us today at thesaltyfishbowl@hotmail.com

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On Our Cover

Caleb Hart & the ROYAL YOUTHS

play Moby’s Pub August 26 REGGAE, FUNK, HIP HOP

FISHBOWL

Scopes Brought to you by our own in-house astrologer who now goes by her numerologically correct name of “Ya Righta.”

^ Aries:

"The sound mastered by these guys is a team effort, plainly displayed in their immaculate performances. It's the combination of heart shared by each member of the band, and a flawless synchronicity of talent, skill, and simply soul."

- Jessy Savage http://www.jessysavage.com/features/ caleb-hart-and-the-royal-youths-road-to-riff "When you can switch between singing reggae to soulful R&B to sounding just like Shaggy seamlessly, you’re going to blow some minds. Just watch his cover of Shaggy and Rayvon’s ‘Angel’. It’s no wonder his set with the Royal Youth’s at Sugar Nightclub won them a performance spot at Rifflandia. Hart also capped off his year winning a Western Canadian Music Award with his other band Tasman Jude. 2017 is already starting off hot as his voice is heavily featured in Illvis Freshly’s song ‘Upside Down’ playing in rotation on The Zone for January 2017’s Band of The Month. Caleb Hart went from someone I didn’t know anything about to being a name that has been practically seen everywhere within four months. This performance for Do250’s ‘Road To Riff Contest Showcase’ is a shining example of Hart’s vocal chops and stage presence."

- Magmazing Music http://victoriamusicscene.com/category/countdown/ Caleb Hart (vocals) The Royal Youths are: Rhett Reilkoff (guitar / backing vox), Liam Mackenzie (drums), Karl Williaume (bass / backing vox) & Andrew Greenwood (saxophone)

Going "wild" does not necessarily mean that you have to remove all your clothing especially on market day. Save that for Blackburn lake.

d Libra: This week is going

to be a series of ups and downs. Mostly downs, but also some ups.

e You're single. So what are you doing reading this when you could be out there having fun? You’re on _ your own this month, we’ve got nothing, Any dreams you have been granted recently will turn out to be unattainable so go! and easily shattered. f The thought of you losing your mind is ` making you lose your mind. If you ever Today might be the day when you get get out of that hole, the chances are that stuck in a hole with a fairy. And you thought a hike up Erskine was going to you're still going to be a neurotic plague of badness. be a good idea. Maybe no mushrooms next time! g

Scorpio:

Taurus:

Gemini:

a Cancer:

The very thought of coming up with a horoscope for you made me laugh.

b Leo:

The number I am thinking of is 12. This is not the number you are thinking of, especially if you are not thinking of a number.

c Virgo:

Any satisfaction you had about not having a criminal record, may be undone today. We told you to stay out of Centennial Park on Thursdays!

Sagittarius:

Capricorn:

Messy hair and bad breath is not the best way to ward off unwanted advances. Although, assuming that is your intention, you are definitely going about it the right way.

h Aquarius: Crossing

your arms, legs and fingers is fine but we can’t guarantee a lottery win. We also aren’t sure you should stay like that for too long….

i Love may be in the air for one lucky person tonight. I'm talking world-wide not here at the Tree House and unfortunately not about you.

Pisces:

GREEN PRINTING & LAYOUT: aD sALES: Deadlines are the 10th of the month IMAGINE THAT GRAPHICS.CA previous to book ad space & submit content. cOLUMNISTS: Lisa Sigurgeirson Maxx Calendar events can be submitted up until the 17th.

John Bateman • Dorothy Price • Ken Brudner Dorothy teaches classes today & retreats Call Genevieve at 250 locally 538 8427&orworldwide. email Vincent • Dr. Brad Dunstan Visit www.santosha-yoga-retreats.com or phone 250.653.4655 Peter Marsha Moreau • Melinda Parks-Divers Visit www.santosha-yoga-retreats.com or phone 250.537.7675 thesaltyfishbowl@hotmail.com for rates & information.

THE FISHBOWL is brought to you by publisher Genevieve Price along with the following local columnists.

Salt Spring Island’s #1 Source for Arts, Entertainment & Culture.

Check Dorothy out our Facebook Twitter teachesand classes & pages. retreats locally & worldwide.

2013 SMALL BUSINESS of the YEAR!

T H E F I S H B O W L - A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 • PA G E F O U R

Price is Right

PRODUCT REVIEWS by: Genevieve Price Sponsored by

Cutex Ultra-Powerful Cutex has been around forever and is known for being a good quality nail polish remover.

They have recently come out with an “ultra-powerful” glitter and dark colour polish remover. This polish is 98% acetone with a small amount of a patented oil blend which may or may not add to the functionality of the product but they sure do improve the smell.

I tried all my bright colours and all my sparkle polishes. I felt it did not wow in the colour removal department, my toes were still a little stained after removing the red.

However, it did reduce the amount of cotton balls and the elbow grease needed to get off 2 coats of sparkly polish.

Is it better than the rest?

I’m undecided on this one.

T H E F I S H B O W L - A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 • PA G E F I V E

My Food Matters

by CHEF KEN BRUDNER

EMBRACING SALT SPRING’S GOODNESS

Now that we are well into our summer season we should stop a minute and remember the harsh winter that has passed and how much we wanted it to end.

It is now time to look around our lovely island and witness once again the bountiful offerings summer brings to us.

From the north end to the south, you can find produce stands, local fruit and veg sold in our food shops and of course the ever popular Saturday and Tuesday markets.

As winter faded and the sun finally made an appearance, anticipation of what we would have at our disposal for a little cash is comparable to receiving gifts that when are opened reveal the essence of life on Salt Spring.

Although our farmer’s livelihood relies on weather, circumstances and our participation as customers, they will still encourage us to have our own garden.

I think that is quite admirable.

If you have had the pleasure of tasting some of the catch at the Tuesday and Saturday markets you will surely have passed on your experience to others.

I discussed in an earlier issue how we can adjust our expenditures within a budget to make room for these types of products. If you are one that feels you cannot afford the prices that are attached to these offerings from the farmers, there are ways to allow them into your life. Be assured that the markup for local produce is quite less than what is delivered by truck and ferry.

If you can afford to buy unripened and sprayed strawberries from California in the middle of our summer while the local stuff is abundant then you can find ways to be in that market.

Deena Metzger presents

A Rain of Night Birds Salt Spring Library - Wednesday, Aug 2, 7pm Perhaps never before in the history of humankind has the disparity between Indigenous mind and Western mind been more on the pulse of what we must pay attention to in order to insure our survival. Deena Metzger has written a novel in which two people, who are from each side of this polarity, begin a loving relationship. Sandra Birdswell is a student of climatology with an uncanny ability to sense weather events. Her mother, who died in childbirth, is a mystery to her. Her father, John, is a Reservation doctor who afterwards raises her despite his limitations and obligations. She first meets Terrence, a Native man and a professor of climatology, at her university classes. Years later, they are drawn together by the powerful forces of their love, for the Earth, for each other, and their mutual need to seek out the broken links of their family histories. When the UN report on climate change is released in 2007, the reality of the effects of the Anthropocene era sends a shock wave through both their lives. Their relationship to each other and to the elementals they are so intimate with-lightning, thunder, rain, mountain-brings them deeply and violently into a quest to live their lives in ways that disengage from colonial mind, the same mind that brought devastation to the Native peoples, and now brings all of humanity to the brink of extinction. Through their love of and deeply felt intuitive connection to the Earth, they each go to the brink of death to find their truth, to gain strength and wisdom.

A poet, novelist, essayist, storyteller, teacher, healer and medicine woman who has taught and counseled for over forty years, in the process of which she has developed therapies (Healing Stories) which creatively address life threatening diseases, spiritual and emotional crises, as well as community, political and environmental disintegration. Deena has spent a lifetime investigating Story as a form of knowing and healing. As a writer, she asks: Who do we have to become to find the forms and sacred language with which to meet these times? She conducts training groups on the spiritual, creative, political and ethical aspects of healing and peacemaking, individual, community and global, drawing deeply on alliance with spirit, indigenous teachings and the many wisdom traditions. One focus is on uniting Western medical ways with indigenous medicine traditions.

They say less is more, so have less!! Instead, enjoy the moment and witness the difference. You will then understand that valuing anything depends on its goodness and merits not its volume.

Besides, the nutritional value if you compare the two is not equal. A local carrot has far more healthy attributes than one grown 2000 miles away if you consider not just vitamin content but all aspects like sustainability, time passed after harvest and energy used for transportation, storage and production.

So it makes sense to participate and support what is so close and available. Take advantage of all you can get. Make soups, sauces and anything else that you can freeze and will make you more comfortable during the winter months. It will be well worth it not to mention in the long run, cheaper.

If we continue to support local and encourage others to do the same that alone will reveal our gratefulness for living here. Some of us are here because we visited and decided to stay, others were born here but we all feel much better when we arrive home again after a trip off-island.

There must be a reason for that!

Love What You Cook, Love What You Eat! allmyfoodmatters@gmail.com

Showcase Exhibit: Michael Wall “Homage to Mu ch’i”

August 4th to August 23rd: Friday August 4th sees the 3rd Showcase of the summer take the stage. Long fascinated by Chinese and Japanese calligraphic painting. Michael Wall brings us “Six Persimmons. Homage to Mu Ch’I”The exhibitions comprises a series of photographs inspired by a calligraphic painting by Mu Ch’I, a 13th century Chinese monk. Wall’s obsession started at art school in the 1970s and has continued, culminating in this exhibition. There is an opening celebration on Friday 4th August 6-8pm at Mahon hall. Michael Wall will give an artist talk at 2pm on Sunday 13th August.

Jeannette Sirois has the final showcase of the summer with: “The Still-ness of life” opening on Friday August 25th. Iconic still life images of oversized botanicals have been created using oil and wax sticks on paper. They will fill the stage with colour and ask the viewer to contemplate the speed of life and stillness of nature. Opening from 6-8pm on Friday 25th August with an artist talk on Sunday 10th September.

T H E F I S H B O W L - A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 • PA G E S I X

Celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday

Salt Spring

Stories

by Greg Klassen and Andrea Locke

August 11 to 22, 2017

Stories are central to being human.

Stories are a stepping-stone to truth.

They have the power to inform, and to place in context.

Stories are at the heart of the way we create and communicate meaning.

When Greg first landed on this island, six years ago, he chose to sit down for a tea at TJ Beans. While sitting there he overheard a conversation - actually more of an intense argument - by two old-timers. Much to his surprise, the topic of this active disagreement was the relative merits of competing theories of stellar evolution…

In that moment he knew he wanted to live here!

In a sense that moment also identified the kernel around which germinated the idea of a series of images that spoke to the uniqueness of this place - this ‘argument surrounded by water’.

In 2016 Greg was fortunate enough to receive funding from the Canada Council for the Arts to realize what we have come to see as a personally meaningful and - hopefully - socially relevant approach to telling engaging and visually arresting stories about our new home. Stories that don’t simply capture the history of this Island - such stories are abundant and told far better by others - but stories that engage despite, or perhaps because of, our very newness to the Island, that express a sense of wonder at the connection between this Island’s complex - and not always pleasant - history and everyday realities as we experience them now. Stories that, instead of ‘recounting’ history as something ‘in the past’ place us squarely within our historical context, allow us to experience a ‘sense of history’ while never forgetting the ‘now’.

This exhibition, presented by ArtSpring as a celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, consists of two main interconnected elements - images and text - designed not just to communicate our sense of wonder and awe at this amazing place but to provide a space for our community to come together and share in the stories of this place and its people and in the making of new stories that will unfold as we continue to move between past and future - always in the present.

Anchoring the experience are the images - composites of past and present. Each image, its structure, its content, is designed to simultaneously engage the viewer in a unique story about the historical context associated with specific sites around the Island and contribute to the overall collective - and ever-evolving - story that is this Island, its people and its larger context in contemporary Canadian society. Structurally,

each image presents three key elements, a site (to date 35 of 50 sites researched have been photographed as panoramic images for inclusion in the project), historical images (for 28 of the sites we have so far incorporated sets of historical images to tell specific, unique and meaningful stories relevant to those locations), a personal context (our daughter, RhiAnnon is included in every image as avatar - encouraging each of us to perceive - reconceive - the stories through another’s eyes).

The accompanying texts, written by Andrea, interpret the images and serve as a jumping-off point for further storytelling based on written and oral histories, the collections of the Salt Spring Historical Society - with special thanks to Usha Rautenbach - and our own experiences.

But during the process of making the series the context of these stories and our goals for the series have evolved and radically expanded. Therefore, the exhibition is no longer just a presentation to an audience nor just a visual telling of our history.

It has become a celebration of, for and by a community that we have adopted, and more importantly, that has adopted us in a way and to an extent that we could not have anticipated or hoped for when we arrived here five years ago. Consequently, this show will involve three additional distinct but connected elements that collectively embody a burgeoning sense of belonging: a speaker series (we are inviting up to ten Salt Spring residents who have a deep connection to this Island to talk about one or more stories of personal importance to them during a lunchtime speaker series; plus one speaker from off-island to help us re-contextualize our vision of ourselves, supported by the Salt Spring Arts Council through the Dialogue with the Arts series), show sitters (in collaboration with the Gulf Islands Families Together Society and thanks to the Salt Spring Island Foundation and the Community Fund for Canada’s 150th, we will be inviting members of the Disability Community of the Island to sit the show. Each sitter will bear a name tag with the line “ask me my Salt Spring Story”); and satellite exhibitions (both the Salt Spring Public Library and Steffich Gallery will be participating in our celebration through collaborative special events).

But the stories do not end with this exhibition…

Starting in 2018, we will be pursuing a much more involved, island-wide exhibition project involving the actual locations explored for this project. The goal is to turn the entire Island into an Augmented Reality Gallery, an open air, interactive exhibition space for viewing and sharing the ever-evolving sense of community as seen through our “Salt Spring Stories”.

Will you tell us your story?

Creation of the work in this exhibition was made possible thanks to grants from the Canada Council for the Arts (Cultivate: Creative Development Grants) and the Salt Spring Arts Council as well as support and archival images from the Salt Spring Island Historical Society. We are grateful to ArtSpring for choosing this project as their Celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday and for donating gallery space and technical support. Many thanks to all the members of GIFTS (Gulf Islands Families Together Society) for their contribution to the success of this program and to Scott Simmons for documenting the project. We are further grateful to the Salt Spring Island Public Library and Steffich Gallery for participating in this celebration. Furthermore, this initiative was made possible by the Community Fund for Canada’s 150th, a collaboration between the Salt Spring Island Foundation, Community Foundations of Canada, the Government of Canada, and extraordinary leaders from coast to coast to coast.

INCORPORATION VOTE set for September 9th

The discussion is heating up between islanders on both sides of the conversation. We encourage you to get educated, ask questions and on September 9th VOTE! Both sides have put together excellent websites with tons of information.

Municipality Under the Islands Trust is Compatible Upon reading his own obituary in the New York Journal, Mark Twain quipped “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated”. I think of this when reading reports of overdevelopment and a compromised future for the Trust if we vote to become a municipality in September.

Islanders should know that neither the Trust nor the Islands Trust Act envision such a future. Trust policy supports the opportunity and right of each community to choose local governance and the Act enshrines the municipal option as a way for communities to self-govern more effectively.

A local council cannot do “just as it pleases”. The framework that defines an island municipality is informed by the Islands Trust Act. It is designed to ensure that a local council will support and have due regard for the "object of the Trust". This has been the case for Bowen Island and it would be on Salt Spring too. There are built in checks and balances to prevent unsustainable development. We should also recognize Salt Spring already has a lot of development provisions in place.

The current system already allows for 2,500 more homes to be built on Salt Spring. That is 40% more than we have now! Channel Ridge and Bullock Lake are just two examples.

The pace has been slow for these existing developments mainly due to economics, not our local Trust Committee (LTC). The Trust doesn’t even approve subdivisions. That job belongs to the Ministry of Transportation, another facet of our diffused current system At current absorption rates it would take many decades for all 2,500 homes to be built. Municipal governance cannot change the law of supply and demand. It also cannot create more development while ignoring the will of the people, the Trust or the marketplace.

True, a municipal council would have several local priorities to balance, but it is mandated to act with regard to, and in a way, that supports the Trust's objective.

Even now there is room for interpretation in how exactly that translates, when trustees don't always see eye to eye, or when trustees may both disagree with the recommendation of Trust planning staff.

The current system is a cause for concern. Land use decisions belong to the local trust committee, water decisions belong to the four water districts, fire services belong to the fire district, other service decisions belong to the CRD. Little wonder we have dysfunction and no coherent vision for our future! Little wonder too, that we have no plan for water resource management and sustainability, no control over taxation, no ability to coordinate solutions, and very limited local decision-making and accountability.

This segregation of authority is a very bad thing because it cripples our ability to join together to manage effectively and holistically. A municipality under the Trust addresses this issue while continuing our unique form of governance. It also means greater democracy, ever hopeful, positively empowering, local and fully accountable.

Please consider VOTING YES on September 9th.

Find out more at: yestosaltspringmunicipality.org John Macpherson is a senior editor and a spokesperson for YeSS!

It's all about knowing.

To know is to SAY NO. Trust Betrayed—The Islands Trust is unique. It was formed in 1974 as an all-party response to massive subdivisions on the Gulf Islands. The objective was to preserve these very special, environmentally rich places for all British Columbians. The Islands Trust is the only “green” governance model in Canada. Compared to the 100 plus-yearold municipal model, with its bias towards development and frequently marked by adversarial politics, our current system is better placed to adapt to the limits-to-growth challenges of the 21st century. A key factor is the separation of land use planning decisions—made by the Local Trust Committee—and provision of services, the responsibility of the CRD. This separation means land use decisions are based on the merits of each application, and not on the tax revenue it would generate.

Everything changes if Salt Spring incorporates. The Trust’s planning function on Salt Spring would disappear. Land use decisions would be made by Mayor and Council.

Most importantly for the future of Salt Spring, a municipal council is NOT bound to honour the Preserve and Protect Trust mandate but only "have regard to" that mandate, a bird of a very different colour, legally speaking.

Salt Spring as we know it would not survive incorporation. "Fear mongering," our opponents say, but we are right to be fearful of the erosion of island culture. It all comes down to the money. A Salt Spring municipality will need lots of money, to pay for roads, police, water, sewage, fire protection, and for a town hall and staff. Not to mention funds needed for new projects. The incorporation report says costs will not rise much. This ignores the fact that our infrastructure is aging and massive repair bills are imminent (e.g. $50 million for roads, and $28 million for North Salt Spring Waterworks). Those in favour of incorporation say money will come from grants, but Salt Spring already receives many grants. Any new grants it would be eligible for are not guaranteed. The reliable revenue sources beyond increased property taxes would be: 1. New fees and fines = annual fees for businesses, including farms and home-based businesses, more bylaw enforcement, development cost charges = less affordable.

2. New commercial and high-end development = less rural, and less affordable.

Developers are the largest contributors to municipal elections. Salt Spring is prime BC real estate.

The seeds are well-established within our current system for a sustainable future, one with more affordable housing, that celebrates and protects farmers, artists, and our environment. Incorporation cannot be rolled back, even if—like many Bowen Island residents—you later regret supporting it.

Save Salt Spring and VOTE NO on September 9th.

Find out more at: positivelyno.org Elizabeth White and Patricia Lockie are members of Positively NO's communications team

T H E F I S H B O W L - A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 • PA G E E I G H T

RAY WYLIE

HUBBARD

Monday August 7, 2017 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm Bullock Lake Farm - 360 Upper Ganges Road

the Japanese Garden Society LAUNCHES EXCITING NEW PROJECT

Good news! We are very pleased to announce the launch of an exciting project to conduct research on the Japanese Canadian charcoal kilns of the Gulf Islands. We have received a one-time $24,000 grant from the BC | Canada 150: Celebrating BC Communities and their Contributions to Canada Fund offered by the BC Museums Association, and a one-time $2,500 grant from the Endowment Fund of the National Association of Japanese Canadians.

The project will be conducted with partner organizations on other islands.

On Mayne we will be working with the Mayne Island Lions Club, which is in charge of managing the Japanese Garden there, and on Galiano we will be working with the Galiano Club, which manages the public land where the restored charcoal kilns on that island are located.

The project has three components: 1) Research: conducting research on the historical charcoal kilns and the Japanese Canadian communities on the Southern Gulf Islands 2) Publication: publishing a 60-page booklet about the historical charcoal kilns and pre-war Japanese Canadian communities on the Southern Gulf Islands 3) Interpretive Panels: Creating six interpretive panels (two on each island) and installing them at appropriate locations to acknowledge the Japanese Canadian legacy and to recognize the funding and support from the BC Government.

The research: The team consists of Steve Nemtin from Galiano who is an expert on the historical charcoal kilns built by Japanese Canadians and Brian Smallshaw who is a historian from Salt Spring with extensive knowledge about the Japanese Canadian history. The research began in mid-June and will continue until the end of August.

The publication: It will be a comprehensive booklet about the historical kilns and the Japanese Canadian communities on the Southern Gulf Islands, reflecting the results of the research. It will be written in a style accessible to a wide range of readers, and will be small enough so that people who are visiting the Gulf Islands can bring it with them when visiting the sites.

The interpretive panels: The project aims to create and install two interpretive panels on each island (six in total).

Until now, no research has been done on the historical charcoal kilns and not much has been written about the Japanese Canadian communities on the Gulf Islands. As the Gulf Islands were recognized as a significant place in the Japanese Canadian history and have been included in the BC Register of Historic Places since April 2017, we believe that this project is very timely as well as important to our community.

Ray Wylie Hubbard describes him as a "scrapper poet with the devil-may-care wherewithal" whose "ragged-but-right vocals and lyrical wits continue to get better and better with age." Ray has been performing and writing songs since the '60s. Well known for penning the words to "Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother," made famous by Jerry Jeff Walker, Ray has come from "the wild and wooly cosmic/outlaw Texas country scene of the '70s" to being "one of the most respected artists on the modern Americana scene."

His most recent album, The Ruffian’s Misfortune, picks up right where The Grifter’s Hymnal left off, with Hubbard and his wrecking crew confidently jumping from jagged, wicked-cool roots rock, and riotous Mississippi and Texas blues. The songs themselves are rife with wayward souls worthy of both words in the album’s title — sinners, luckless gamblers, drunks, thieves, and at least one beautiful, fierce woman. As narrator and guide, Hubbard doles out more empathy than judgment for the whole motley lot, but his words sting like grit in open wounds just the same. As he puts it rather ominously in the theme-setting opener, “All Loose Things,”“The gods can’t save us from ourselves.”

Pre-show dinner not included in ticket price. Dinner sales begin at 5:30pm.

Tickets: $40

Celebrate CANADA’S 150th BIRTHDAY at the

BLACKBURN LAKE NATURE RESERVE 265 Blackburn Road - FREE ADMISSION August 7, 3pm-9pm

Let wild places guide your creativity and let art invite you deeper into nature!

We invite you to experience a magical union of art and nature at Blackburn Lake Nature Reserve. Festival goers can relax in the lush surroundings at Blackburn Lake Nature Reserve, picnic, go for a walk and enjoy various types of entertainment and activity.

Artists, musicians, dancers, troubadours, children’s performers, buskers, movement instructors, circus performers and others will entertain and engage you and your family.

Experience music, dance, yoga, tai chi, photography workshop, interpretive walks, basket weaving, painting, children's area and activities, a labyrinth, writing workshops, costumed performances, poetry and spoken word, a luminaries parade on August 7th.

The Art & Nature Fest is “Connecting People and Wild Places.” The event will be entertaining, interactive, and educational for adults and children alike. It's the only festival on Salt Spring that offers learning opportunities alongside unique performances and activities while taking a walk in nature.

T H E F I S H B O W L - A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 • PA G E T E N

Bateman Has

Issues starring the most awesome John Bateman

According to local rhetoric, September 9th, 2017 will mark the beginning of the end for Salt Spring Island. That, of course, is the date that a disappointing percentage of Islanders head to the polls to decide whether Salt Spring will become a municipality. This vote will result in one of two possible fates: The first will result in Salt Spring spiraling into a dystopian society reminiscent of Soylent Green. The second will result in Salt Spring spiraling into a dystopian society reminiscent of The Lorax. Let’s pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.

There are 2 sides to this quandary: The “Yes” people and the “No” people. I tried to have a “maybe” option added to the ballot, but in order for that to happen, I would have had to put in an application 3 years before this referendum was approved. Following is a handy primer for “Doomsday 2017.”

In brief, the Yessers, as I just dubbed them, want to turn Salt Spring into a city reminiscent of Hong Kong. They are a sinister bunch that do shady things like running businesses, in some cases for years. They do NOT like farmers and hippies. The Noers, again, as I just dubbed them, are all farmers and old hippies. The island they want is entirely free range and organic with the echoes of children playing in the forest.

They are anti-development to the point that they have a hidden agenda to convert every building in Ganges to rammed-earth by the year 3000.

One of the “hot button” issues in this seemingly endless campaign is roads. As far as I understand both sides are for them. The issue has something to do with who pays for them. This concerns me as well until I go and buy gas because I know for sure I am paying for that.

The Noers are opposed to development. They want everything to stay exactly the way it is right now. This is a strange stance. After doing some research, I discovered that Gasoline Alley and Gracepoint Square haven’t always been here. Yet somehow they still happened under the current form of governance.

Speaking of governance, the Yessers don’t like it as it stands one little bit. I heard from someone, somewhere that if yes prevails, they will systematically disassemble the Island’s Trust and force them to work on a plan for a hydro dam on the Fulford River.

As luck would have it, I am only given 500 words, so I’ll have to wrap this up. For an island that is best known for peace loving hippies, industrious pioneers and being the home to the guy that wrote, “Baby Beluga”, things sure are getting chippy. I know, because I have inadvertently heard both sides of the debate in coffee shops, at the market and at the grocery store. Regardless of the outcome, one thing is guaranteed: Salt Springers will never stop debating, talking, pontificating, soap-boxing, drinking coffee, and ratting on their neighbors. We are unique, just like all the other unique places in the world. As for the way I am voting: Presently I am a fierce, but peace loving, “maybe.”

PETER VINCENT

CITIZEN at LARGE

EVERYDAY DRINKING

One of the clarion memories of my formative years was the daily ritual of my parents’ clock watching - staring at the red kitchen clock waiting for the second hand to sweep past the top, signaling 5:00 pm, signaling the beginning of ‘happy hour.’ It was the sound of cracking ice cube trays, Canadian Club whiskey and Coke, work chatter, the pungent smell of Mom’s DuMaurier cigarettes and my Dad’s ‘Hugh Hefner’ pipe, CBC News, and the clatter of pots and pans. Life began after 5:00 pm. Life was not so much lived as decanted.

Upon reflection, most of my personal heroes have been profligate boozers. Essayist and gadfly Christopher Hitchens, who famously somehow managed a glass of scotch and a cigarette while in the shower, wrote “Alcohol makes other people less tedious.” Hunter S. Thompson, gonzo journalist and renowned abuser of Wild Turkey wrote “I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.” Charles Bukowski, poet and author extraordinaire who never went onstage for a reading without two bottles of red wine, penned “I drink deeply and evenly now/I drink to paradise/and death/and the lie of love."

The flicks are full of hard drinking heroes from the sophistication of James Bond’s ‘shaken not stirred’ dry martinis to Clint Eastwood’s swagger with a cigarillo clenched between his teeth, .45 in one hand, a bottle of rot gut in the other.

Movies like “Barfly” - the iconic cult movie featuring Mickey Rourke playing Charles Bukowski in skid row L.A. or “Leaving Las Vegas,” where Nicholas Cage (in his best performance ever) drinks himself to death simultaneously illustrating the horrors of alcoholism and lionizing The Life Intoxified.

Governments have depended upon the devil’s brew to anaesthetize the great unwashed masses. The Brits did it with gin a couple of hundred years ago.

Presently, the Russians are doing a great job. The cheapest vodka can be had over there for about $1.00 a bottle. What better antidote to feeling blue about your life and your prospects than a paper bag and a park bench? Karl Marx famously said “Religion is the opium of the masses” but given the current godless state of affairs, booze seems to be doing a better job at quashing the unhappy populace.

This year I went alcohol free for nine months - a little test to experience Life uncluttered by Chiantis or single malts and to ensure I still had control enough to put the cork back in the bottle. Well, that experiment is happily over. The benefits of a burgeoning bank account and marginally higher self esteem were not enough to convince me that the dry life is for me. I’m not on a park bench and have never found myself counting the seconds to 5:00pm, but I again count the simple pleasure of a cold beer on a hot day indispensable. So, as Bogart put it, speaking for humanity, “Here’s looking at you, kid.”

Open Stage

Sun, April 30th 7 to 11 pm

Old Timey Café

Gather your friends, bring your banjo, guitar and harmonica or just your voice and join young and old on the south end for a fabulous open stage!

Great music and munchies. Alcohol free and everyone welcome. On the last Sunday of every month in the OAPO annex at Fulford Hall.

T H E F I S H B O W L - A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 • PA G E E L E V E N

Marsha’s

MEL it OVER

Book

Reviews

by Melinda Parks-Divers

with Marsha Moreau

The Wanderers

by Meg Howrey If you read my reviews regularly, you’ll remember that I mentioned “The Wanderers” a couple columns back. However, my feelings won’t be hurt if you don’t remember, and I’ll even help you out with a recap.

Apparently this book is a cross between “The Martian” and “Station Eleven”, both of which I loved. It's been on my TBR (to be read) list and I was really looking forward to cracking it open.

“The Wanderers” tells the story of three astronauts who participate in an incredibly realistic simulation of a voyage to Mars. As the prospect of such a journey becomes increasingly likely, an aerospace company wants to observe the effects of isolation on the team and confirm that they are the right people for the job BEFORE they are sent into space. The international trio, Helen from America, Yoshi from Japan, and Sergei from Russia, must prove themselves constantly in control and perpetually with their most positive faces forward. The future of this mission and indeed the possibility of their individual involvement with the actual Mars landing depends on their collective ability to maintain “...this book is a cross a kind of stoic competency. between “The Martian” Seventeen months is a long and “Station Eleven”, time to endure that kind of both of which I loved.” separation from the world without experiencing the thrill that comes from authentic space exploration. They must go through the motions of this mission, in all seriousness, in order to one day have those motions actually mean something.

The author makes an interesting, and ultimately satisfying choice to include chapters from the point of view of not only the astronauts but of their family members, and also one of the company’s employees. This gives us a breadth of experiences that we otherwise wouldn't have access to. So when the astronauts begin to be weighed down with self-examination and doubt, it makes sense within the context of their closest relationships. This novel is written in a very detached style, with descriptions of actions and emotions detailed in a clinical manner. It doesn’t make the story less engaging. Instead, it serves the purpose of keeping us one step removed from the characters, as if we were observing them from afar. The fact is they ARE being observed, and we feel the pressure of that observation in every sentence. But sometimes it takes an external force to encourage self-realization and this book eloquently encourages us all to take that leap.

Getting off the Rock!

We made our way down to the Fulford ferry where we stood excitedly waiting for the cars to disembark before we boarded.

We're getting off the rock and going to the big city of Toronto and the big skies and waters of Georgian Bay to see different and distant friends and family.

Getting off the island feels so good when you haven't left it in a while or your day-to-day has been so consuming!

We feel like free spirits as we board the bus to the airport ready to not be bound by the sea for a while.

Last minute, I grabbed an empty backpack to use as a food bag for the plane. On the way, we make a stop in Sidney and fill it with fresh bread and good things to eat. I contemplate between hummus and olive tapenade. Will they allow either through security? What is threatening about hummus?

I thought I was pretty darn clever when I talked us into all carrying our luggage on. Travel light. No check in luggage!

I am careful to go through the gate organized emptying all our electronics in a bin, our carry on luggage next and the food bag last.

It feels flawless.

I am informed that they need to see inside the food bag. I agree thinking maybe they are hungry?

He pulls the tapenade and announces that I can't take this on the plane. Really? It was sad to see it go. What will we dip our bread in?

Next, to my surprise, he reaches in and pulls a small box cutter that I did not know was in there. I forgot to check the side pocket of the backpack that was last used by whom? Obviously, some psychopathic murderer trying to smuggle their weapons on a domestic flight.

I turn beet red as he examines it closely informing me I can't take this on the plane. "No worries, there will be no boxes to break down on the plane."

He reaches into the pocket and pulls out a giant pair of scissors!

They look like they came from a giant's tool kit as he twirls them in the air in front of me. Why did I not notice that side pocket!

I am in shock! In that moment I am making plans of how I will get my lawyer to bail me out of jail. I'm picturing hubby and son going on, I cuffed and being held back by big strong security guards. "Don't worry about me guys! I'll be ok! Send me bail money. Have a great trip..."

I am jolted back to reality with the security guards voice saying he's keeping them and we're done. I grab my bags quickly before he changes his mind. "OK!" The rest of the trip is a blur of family visits, eating out, biking through the city, sweating in the humidity, chaffing, beaching, sunburns, and laughs!

I was much more careful about checking my bags on our return...

It was nice to be away but do you know what the best part of getting off the island is? Coming back to it!

Writings from the heart and shit. moonshinemamas.ca

T H E F I S H B O W L - A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 • PA G E T W E L V E

For Everyone

with Salt Spring Island teacher Dorothy Price

Yoga

How Free Are You?

Freedom means different things to different people.

For some, it is living in a country without oppression where the lack of freedom is created by outward sources. For others though, the feeling of freedom is felt when they are not being consumed by their worries and responsibilities; here the lack of freedom is created by their own minds.

Someone who wants to wear bright colours or someone who wants to speak up wants “freedom of expression”.

An abused person wants “freedom from the painful memory”. Others want “freedom from guilt or shame”The list goes on and on.

I asked my nine-year-old grandson what freedom meant to him. I wasn't sure if he had a concept of freedom yet, but he answered without hesitation; “freedom is when I'm running around outside playing instead of being on my (electronic) devices”. Wow, that was an eye-opener. He was aware of the addictive draw of these devices that kept him chained to them, and he noticed the freedom he felt when he was away from them. (Note to all parents!)

“We create our own bondage." ~ Baba Hari Dass How do we attain freedom?

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev says: “If you want to become free, you should never think of freedom. Only look at the ropes which bind you. Look at what binds you now, and see how to transcend this. This is growth.”

Most people don't realize that we create our own bonds, or ropes, through “attachments”.

Attachments to objects, outcomes, past experiences, fears of the future, fear of rejection, or a compulsion to change “what is”. These bonds (ropes) are all created by the mind and can be dissolved by the mind.

First, we need awareness of what the “ropes” are; the worries, the responsibilities, the painful memories, the guilt, the shame, the addictions (including electronic devices), the inability to speak up or dress how we want, the negative self-body image or the unhappiness in our limited body.

Awareness is key. Once you are aware, then you can work at getting free. There may be many ropes to cut.

“I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Here is an effective way of freeing yourself from your attachments.

This is my meditation of choice right now.

• Sit quietly and upright as for meditation. Observe your subtle breathing.

• Relax your shoulders more and more with each exhale.

• Identify how you are feeling. You might be feeling anxious, worried, frustrated or fearful. With each, exhale feel these feelings (ropes) dissolve away.

• Hold your attention at the center of your head behind the brow center and silently repeat the word ”free” or “freedom” as you visualize these feelings fall away. You may feel as if you are rising above them, transcending them, feeling the true sense of the word freedom.

All of it is a choice. Our choice. And in choosing, we find freedom.

Freedom is a gift only you can give yourself.

See you on the mat! ~ Dorothy Dorothy teaches yoga classes, pranayama, meditation & retreats locally & worldwide.

Visit www.santosha-yoga-retreats.com or phone 250-537-7675

T H E F I S H B O W L - A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 • PA G E T H I R T E E N

NATURAL HEALTH NOTES with Dr. Brad Dunstan ND

Lisa Sigurgeirson Maxx, ECE

Nurturing, empowering & educating families for over 30 years *amma = grandmother in Icelandic

Dear Singing Amma, As someone who seems to have a lot of good ideas about natural remedies for common childhood/family conditions and situations, can you give us some ideas for things directly related to summer –mosquito bites, sun protection, bee stings, sun stroke – that sort of thing? Thanks!

Signed, Wanting to Walk the Healthy Road Parents Dear Healthy Walking Ones, I am delighted for the opportunity to give you some food for thought and to share some experience in these areas as I am a strong advocate for the less chemical toxins we put on or in our bodies - and the bodies of our growing children - the better for us all, and for the environment and the tender, ecological balance of this beautiful planet Earth we get to call home. (I will also say here that I am not a doctor, a scientist, nor a registered health practitioner so follow up with your own research, as you deem appropriate.)

First, let’s take a deeper look at why “natural” solutions are important. Think about it: if we use chemically-derived products those products caused some level of environmental stress in their production, in the plastics and (often excessive) packaging used to market them, and in the pollution caused by shipping them around the world to a supermarket near you.

Then there is the potential negative impact on our bodies, as well as to our immediate surroundings when and where these chemicals are applied. Think spraying on toxic bug-repellant. The air around us gets polluted - ask anybody with chemical sensitivities. We get (sometimes severe) headaches; our eyes get red, itchy, runny and irritated; we sneeze - just by being in close proximity to such every day, casual-use substances. Our bodies, of course, then absorb the toxins – our skin being the largest of our body’s organs and an eager consumer of everything we expose it too! There are many easy-to-make and effective natural bug repellant recipes on the Internet using common herbs or essential oils.

Another common, current-day occurrence to think more deeply about applying sunscreen and then swimming/playing in natural bodies of water: what are the toxins in chemical sun blocks doing to the sensitive, ecological balance of our lakes and oceans, let alone our own bodies?

Use natural and human-made shade - beach umbrellas; sarongs draped over logs or beach-chairs create a fun “fort” and cool shade option; sit in the shade. Wear lightweight long sleeves, sarongs draped loosely over exposed skin, and sun hats.

Avoid sun exposure between 11AM and 4PM. For bee/wasp stings I carry the homeopathic remedy “Apis” with me. (30 potency.

Easily purchased at any health food shop.) Give remedy under child’s tongue immediately after a sting. I have amazing personal experience with this remedy and my youngest grandchild!

Keep the whole family well hydrated during the hot days of summer. Water is best.

Lots. If over-exposure happens mix coconut water, pure maple syrup and sea salt to help rebalance electrolytes. Again, some great, easy recipes online.

Send your parenting questions to: singingamma@gmail.com or www.facebook.com/thesingingamma Visit: www.thesingingamma.com

The Lost Art of Label Reading One of the first homework assignments I give to my new patients, is to bring in a list, or better yet, a bag, with all their current medications and vitamins. On one hand, of course I need to know what you're taking – but there is a secondary benefit, as it's a great opportunity to learn what to look out for in our medicines. I like to believe people leave feeling empowered with the knowledge about what should, and should not, be in their medicine. The art of label reading is an ever-changing challenge, and it's up to the consumer to know...

What to look for: • Dosage – because taking 20 capsules of a single product to get a meaningful dose is silly.

• The best absorbed formulation (eg. magnesium bisglycinate vs magnesium oxide).

• Source of ingredients (because I have trust issues with Chinese quality control) • Certified third party testing - to ensure that’s what's claimed on the label is true, and the absence of things like mercury, lead, or kryptonite.

• Organic, local ingredients, when practical.

What to avoid: • Unnecessary 'non-medicinal ingredients' such as: • Talc. Yes, talc, a fairly common additive, and no, it's not good for you.

• FD&C (reds in particular). Really, who was the marketing genius who decided prenatal vitamins needed fake color to make them pink? Many of these colors are known carcinogens, and none are ever necessary.

• Titanium dioxide. A pill whitener, because some folks think medicine needs to be white. Pretty sure that's racist, and toxic.

• Sugars, artificial sweeteners (especially aspartame, acesulfame, etc). None of these have any place whatsoever in medicine.

• “proprietary formula”. I translate this to: “we won't tell you what’s in the medicine we're selling you”, or worse “we’re not entirely sure what's in the medicine we're selling you”, or “we know you probably wouldn't buy this if you knew how little of what matters is actually in here”. There are (rare) exceptions to this – where a company has legitimately invested millions into clinical research on a specific formulation, showing it's superiority to the competition. In such a case, a company would reasonably want to protect that investment – but most 'proprietary blends' are not backed up by any kind of conclusive evidence, despite claims by salespeople.

I want to know what I'm taking, how much of it, and in what form. Hiding that crucial information is simply not acceptable.

Shopping for supplements can be confusing, expensive, and it's all too easy to walk out of the store with hundreds of dollars of pills that may or may not help, and might even be making things worse. Choosing wisely can make the difference between illness and health, and learning how to make better choices for ourselves is extremely empowering. So get out that magnifying glass, read the fine print, and learn more about what you're taking- or fill up a bag and book an appointment!

Dr. Brad Dunstan, ND, is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, with additional certifications in Allergy Desensitization, Acupuncture, Prescribing Authority, IV Therapies, and Prolotherapy. He graduated from UBC in 1999, and from BINM in 2009. He has a special focus on digestive health, chronic pain, hormone balancing, and pediatrics.

He can be reached by phone at 250 537 0035, or by email at DrDunstanND@gmail.com.

CMYK Colour

T H E F I S H B O W L - A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 • PA G E F O U R T E E N

The 2017 Salt Spring National Art Prize is hosting an incredible series of events CMYK: 100M coinciding with the 2017 SSNAP Finalist Exhibition which runs from

September 22 to October 22, 2017.

Midsummer Nights Screen MOVIES UNDER the STARS in CENTENNIAL PARK

CMYK: 75K Stay tuned for the announcement of SSNAP's 2017 Finalists!

Admission by donation - please bring a blanket/chair

CALENDAR OF EVENTS SSNAP Opening Gala Fri. September 22 | 6:00pm Mahon Hall $10 Gala opening of the 2017 Finalists’ Exhibition SSNAP 2017 Finalists’ Exhibition Sat. September 23 - Sun. October 22 10:00am - 5:00pm Mahon Hall Fifty artists from across Canada will feature in this jury-selected exhibition Single entry to exhibition $5, $10 for multiple entries, children free SSNAP Parallel Art Show Fri. September 29 - Sun. October 22 10:00am - 5:00pm ArtSpring Galleries - Free Featuring local Salt Spring Island artists

SSNAP Panel Event Sat. October 14 | 7:30pm ArtSpring Theatre The Creative Mind: Creativity in the Arts & Sciences with three panelists from the world of arts and science.

Tickets $25 at http://tinyurl.com/ SSNAP2017TheCreativeMind SSNAP Awards Night & Closing Gala Sat. October 21 | 6:00pm Mahon Hall Presentation of eight awards and the SSNAP 2017 closing celebration.

Stay tuned for the calendar of finalist artist talks taking place throughout the exhibition.

Artist talks are free with admission.

For more detailed information, please visit our events page found at http://saltspringartprize.ca/category/events/

Join the Quest for the Holy Grail!

ExitStageLeft presents the hilarious musical Monty Python’s Spamalot!

It is “affectionately ripped off ” from the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but Eric Idle and John du Prez added riotous send-ups of musical theatre for a night of “naughty bits” and fun.

Thirsty Islanders wine/beer truck and medieval snacks will be available before the show and at intermission.

Aug. 25, 26, 30, 31, Sept. 1, 2 at 7:30 at ArtSpring.

PG13 for bawdiness/swearing.

Tickets at www.artspring.ca or box office $25 adult/$20 youth except Sept. 2 $28/$22.

Opening night special through box office only: 2 for $40/2 for $30.

E.T

The Fly

Wed. Aug 9 - after sunset (8:45pm)

Wed. Aug 23 - after sunset (8:30pm)

A Night of Pure Reggae Music, Culture, Food & Drinks.

CONCERT SERIES 2017

August 25 at Beaver Point Hall, 7pm

From Roots Reggae of the Legendary hall of fame EARL ZERO. Jamaican Dub Poet from St. Ann Jamaica: RAS TAKURA. Also joining us on stage to spice up the vibes to a high energy level the first Jamaica Magnum King of Dancehall: SINGER JAH. One of the Elders of reggae music in Canada who has being doing reggae music for the last 30 years internationally and coast to coast, with a voice that will make you feel the sweet vibes of reggae music: OMOLARA. From Montreal and new BC resident with originality and power one of the really solid DJ out there last but none the less: Selecta MELO. This year’s concert series is really proud to bring on tour with us the finger licking good, Caribbean food from RIDDIM & SPICE RESTAURANT from Vancouver BC. Riddim & Spice has been nominated the best Caribbean Restaurant for 14 years in the lower main land.

What would reggae music be without the RASTAFARIAN FAITH...

Yes, folks the SANCTUARY of the RASTAFARIAN ORDER who is also a representative of the Maroon Nation in Jamaica will be on tour with us. For all your questions about the Rastafarian Faith and the Jamaican culture and more.

August 25 SALT SPRING ISLAND BC August 26 DENMAN ISLAND BC August 27 QUADRA ISLAND BC August 29 VANCOUVER BC Advance tickets are only 20$.25$@ DOOR, food not included in the price of the ticket FOR ALL INFO, TICKETS & OUTLETS https://www.vancouverreggaefest.com/tickets WWW.VANCOUVERREGGAEFEST.COM

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