JULY 2022 - FISSUE #166
ARTSPRING TREASURE FAIR IS BACK Page 4
WHAT'S ON THE "ROCK"
Page 8
S.K. WELLINGTON & FRIENDS
p ho to cred it no r ma n leo ng p ho to g ra p hy
at the Tree House Café Thursday July 7th page 3
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On Our Cover
S.K. Wellington at the Tree House Café Thursday July 7th
& Friends
Salt Spring Island is known to many as a place of healing. For Sarah Kemmers it offered not only personal healing but a rebirth that brought her back to the joy of creating music. Kemmers is an established songwriter and performer with both indie folk/rock band The Wellington Folk (2011-2017), and folk trio Lighter than Arrows (2015). In 2017, after a long stretch managing both music and a demanding career, Kemmers hit a season of burnout and severe writer’s block. This disruption caused her to hit pause on her musical and professional trajectory and take some time to reset. She took a leave of absence from Calgary, AB and spent three months on Salt Spring Island – taking time to re-discover play, joy, rest, and to re-evaluate her relationship with producing music. Coming out after the hiatus, Kemmers established the solo moniker S.K. Wellington, and released her first solo EP, Where the Earth Meets the Sea. The EP thematically focuses on Salt Spring Island as the location and catalyst for personal recovery and creative renewal. Those who explore the EP will hear references to some of Salt Spring’s landmarks.
S.K. Wellington - Creative Renewal “I might run away tonight, to an island that’s close by breathing seas and dreaming skies, Salt Spring Island in my eyes.” - Salt Spring Island, S.K. Wellington
ph o t o c re d i t norman leong ph o t o g ra p h y
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“That’s where I cradled the purpose I thought I’d left behind. Some things are meant to be buried, but this one’s still alive.” – Salish Sea “Maxwell’s calling me again, come and see things through his eyes. This piece of Salish Sea, is bringing me back to life.” – Moments Bliss “I remember how we witnessed them, saw their shadows and light, no other hands to slight, walking down that Blackburn Road.” – Good Things The island-focused EP has reached beyond Canadian borders with listenership in the States, as well as the UK. Kemmers music has been described as sitting in the perfect pocket of folk, pop, indie, and rock, with song offerings that are reflective, poignant, poetic, and hopeful. Kemmers has a focus on strong lyrical imagery and imagination; refining the balance of personal storytelling while creating a familiar narrative that most listeners can find themselves in. Kemmers original songs have landed her in the Regional Top Ten 3x in CBC’s Searchlight Talent Competition and her music has been featured on CBC and other local Canadian stations. She’s warmed the stage for singer-songwriters Donovan Woods, Dan Mangan, and Sarah MacDougall. S.K. can sometimes be found performing solo, but is often accompanied by a four or five piece band. Since living on Salt Spring Island more full time since 2021, Kemmers can be found playing around the island with other West Coast musicians. “No matter where life takes me, Salt Spring has felt like my heart-home since the minute I first arrived in 2016. I’m forever grateful for the island’s natural beauty, grace, and the incredible community that resides here. This island has held me through some of my greatest heartbreaks and also through some of my most significant healing. And as if that weren’t substantial enough - I will always associate this place with coming back to the joy of making music.” You can next catch S.K. Wellington & friends on-island at the Tree House Café on Thursday July 7th.
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PRODUCT REVIEWS by: Genevieve Price
Maybelline Colossal Curl Bounce Mascara To my amazement this product produced the results it promised. Curl enhancing formula actually lifts the lash as you apply. I had to see it to believe it, honestly. The only reason I am not giving it a complete thumbs up is I do worry about the compound used to make the curl happen…not sure if a healthier choice is still your good ol’ eye lash curler or not. For a girl on the go, this definitely speeds up the process and produces results. Adhesion polymer, PVP, is the component the formula borrows from hairspray, used to aid binding, film forming and fixing the curl in place all day. The high tech memory curl formula also boasts a firstto-market lightweight, wax-free base, all delivered on the new Curl ‘n’ Bounce brush. A combination which the brand says guarantees no clumping, dropping, flaking or smudging.
Sponsored by
After almost 60 years of being in the Ramsey family (since 1963), current Pharmasave owners Linda Ramsey and Gary Utter have decided to move on to other endeavours... Long-time pharmacist and employee of the Pharmasave, Christine Steffich, will be taking over the ownership and operation of the business. Pharmasave is a family-oriented, independently owned and operated business. Christine has been with the Salt Spring Pharmasave for over 20 years and is well-known by customers who appreciate her warm attitude and knowledgeable health care. She intends to continue running the store in the same friendly, small town manner. Salt Spring Islanders have come to appreciate the superb customer service that Pharmasave is known for and can expect this to continue on for many years to come.
THE FISHBOWL • JULY 2022 • PAGE 4
Bid high and bid often – ArtSpring Treasure Fair is back Thursday July 14 – Sunday July 17 Indulging in some retail therapy while helping your local arts centre raise vital funds - it’s a win-win for everyone. And you’ll find some wonderful treasures and unique experiences up for grabs at the annual Treasure Fair weekend. A key part of ArtSpring’s fundraising calendar, Treasure Fair offers four days of silent auction excitement. The catalogue has a truly enticing range of items this year, including a car, fine art, furniture, kitchen and dining equipment, jewellery, and vintage collectibles. Plus, gift certificates for some of our best local businesses, and unique experiences round out the eclectic catalogue. Funds raised go to help keep your community performing and visual arts centre open. Our target is $55,000 - we hope you’ll help us achieve that goal. This year’s event is an in-house and online hybrid. The ArtSpring galleries will display the items, with the catalogue available on the Treasure Fair website. Bidding is all online – whether you’re with us in the galleries or not. The catalogue can be previewed from June 29, and you can pre-register to bid too. Bidding opens 10am, July 14, and closes 6pm, July 17. If you donated something to this year’s event, or pre-register as a bidder, you can join us for an invite-only preview event at ArtSpring on July 13, from 4-6pm. Our generous donors, both on and off-island, have outdone themselves yet again with the many wonderful items contributed. The jewel in this year’s catalogue is a 1998 Mercedes SL500 Convertible, lovingly looked after, with only 77,200kms. If you’re a music lover we have instruments, stereo equipment, and concert tickets. If you’re setting up home the selection of modern and antique furniture, beautiful cookware and dinner services, and other décor items will be very tempting. Collectibles include Beatles’ posters, and a vintage music box. Why not book a session with professional photographer Howard Fry, or pamper yourselves with spa goodies? And if you’re looking for a trip off-island we have fantastic accommodation getaways in Vancouver, Victoria, Borrego Springs California, and Silver Star Mountain. We don’t have a live auction this year, but the Treasure Fair concert is back. The Cory Weeds Quartet take to the stage on July 15, for a jazz concert led by one of Canada’s most important jazz impresarios, and the hardest-working man in the business, Cory Weeds. We hope you’ll be part of this fun weekend. Auction catalogue, information, and bidding registration: treasurefair.artspring.ca Salt Spring Painters Guild Summer Show & Sale Friday July 1 - Tuesday July 5 10am-4pm ArtSpring gallery Jeanne Lyons - Explorations Friday July 1 - Friday July 8 10am-4pm ArtSpring lobby
ArtSpring Treasure Fair Thursday July 14 - Sunday July 17 10am-4pm ArtSpring gallery & lobby ArtSpring Presents Cory Weeds Quartet Friday July 15 7:30pm $25 adult | $5 youth
Phöenix Lazare
New Single: Wishbone
Following her 2021 album Gold, Salt Spring Island singer/ songwriter Phöenix Lazare is sharing a new single, “Wishbone,” out Friday, June 24th. Written from the depths of heartache, “Wishbone” encompasses the emptiness that follows unexpected disappointment. The entire song is a metaphor, embodying the gut-wrenching feeling of being let down by someone you never thought would even come close. “The short end of a wishbone / You pulled it and I let go / Stuck with the smallest of the sticks.” Recorded remotely between Nashville and British Columbia, Lazare collaborated with producer & friend Ben Kling and to create a down-to-earth sound that compliments the song’s vulnerability. Sharing the new single on the heels of her debut full-length album release, Lazare’s music has recently been featured at CBC Radio, Ditty TV, The Bluegrass Situation and more. She was also a recipient of RBCxMusic & Prism Prize›s MVP Project, collaborating to create a radiant music video for the album›s title track, «Gold.» Listen to “Wishbone” on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or wherever you find your music.
THE FISHBOWL • JULY 2022 • PAGE 5
Summer Outdoor Concert Series Salt Spring Arts is excited to present our July lineup for the Summer Outdoor Concert Series. We are delighted to present the 2022 concert season with our Marquee presenter Island Savings, a division of First West Credit Union. Join us every Thursday evening at 6 PM for a concert in Centennial Park highlighting both touring acts and local and regional performers. Bring a picnic and enjoy an evening of live music in the park. July 7 - Big Little Lions with Phöenix Lazare opening Big Little Lions are an award winning duo who were born out of a collaboration that won them a JUNO Award in 2014. Since then they have been cranking out infectious folk pop songs that are jam-packed with emotion and tight harmonies that sound like the product of two people working side-by-side instead of living in different countries. Phöenix Lazare masterfully melds the intimacy of folk music with alluring pop melodies, writing music that reflects her personal journey navigating growth. July 14 - Mystery TBA with opener John Gogo Salt Spring Island folksinger, songwriter and actor John Gogo hails from a large musical family on Vancouver Island. John has carved out a niche for himself with his songs about the people, places and events of Western Canada, the islands and coast in particular. July 21- Veda Hille with Marianne Grittani opening Veda Hille has been writing music, making records, and performing internationally since 1992 and has recently released her 25th album Beach Practice, ten songs written in quarantine. She is a classically trained pianist, art school drop-out, performance curator, self-taught singer, theatre interloper, and independent artist. Marianne Grittani is a seasoned singer, songwriter, and performer whose musical personality is deep and wide. Her wellcrafted songs are filled with intelligence and soul, embracing common themes like love, loss, home, road adventures, and hopes for humanity. July 28 - XL the Band with 11 Odd Fox XL The Band is the Western Canadian Music Award nominated hip hop/ jazz/ alternative fusion side project of 4-time JUNO Award winning Vancouver group Swollen Members. The members of XL have decades of live experience rocking audiences of tens of thousands on festival main stages, playing in orchestras, and winding up jazz clubs. 11 Odd Fox Ashton Bachman is a diverse multi-instrumentalist focused on crafting several genres of music in a variety of projects. He is joined by singer Sarah Robinson in the project "11 Odd Fox" as they work to blend west coast roots and folk music with sultry reggae elements. Both native to Salt Spring, their dynamic harmonies and resonant arrangements paint a soundscape unique to the Island.
THE FISHBOWL • JULY 2022 • PAGE 6
Artcraft presents its second Showcase Exhibition of the season at Mahon Hall with Elaine Potter’s show Abstract Energy opening on July 8. Potter has always focused on an exploration of the environment around her: the seasonal changes that shift the colour, line and texture of her garden, orchard and the surrounding wild corners. Her previous exploration in batik, painting and textile based work focused on a style that although not abstract, but was not purely representational as colour, form and line where exaggerated. Her new body of paintings pushes her interest in abstraction further, removing recognizable forms to focus on colour and line. The work is still grounded in a study of the natural world, but elements are reduced to their essence, out of which a formal vocabulary of shape develops. “Like the environment around me, each work starts unplanned marks and random lines are made, forms develop and colour and line comes in to evoke the energy and mood of the work,” Potter says. “No longer simply a documentation of my garden, these paintings seek to capture the shifting character and mood of this place and the feelings these changes evoke.” An opening reception with Elaine Potter takes place from 6 to 8 pm on Friday, July 8 and she will give an artist talk at 2 pm on Sunday, July 10. The show runs daily to Aug. 1.
the
Sweet Spot
The Quality of Your Life Depends on the Quality of Your Relationships The single-greatest finding of the 85-year Harvard Grant Study, one of the longest-running psychological studies ever conducted is that nothing has a greater impact on the quality of our lives than the quality of our relationships. Those who are socially connected to family, friends and community are happier, healthier, and live longer than those who are not as well-connected. Good relationships are like the sea; they temper the severity of the seasons. In a famous study, researcher Jim Coan told women in an MRI tube they might receive a mild shock. Then he asked them to either hold the hand of their husband or a stranger. If they were happily married and holding their husband’s hand, they registered almost no stress. If they were holding a stranger’s hand, however, their fear centers lit up like wild fires. Coan’s study made the invisible visible: it showed that our loved-ones are the hidden regulators of our emotional and physiological lives; they buffer us from the shocks and stresses of life. But love doesn’t just help us survive; it also helps us thrive. Like a beautiful frame that brings out the colours in a painting, high-quality connections enhance other sources of well-being, like self-esteem and optimism. Negative relationships, in contrast, are bad for our health. A group of researchers asked men with a history of angina if their wives showed their love. Those who responded “No” suffered almost twice as many angina episodes over the next five years. Women who view their marriages as strained have significantly higher blood pressure and heal more slowly than happily married women. Researcher Janice Kiecolt-Glaser gave volunteers small blisters on their hands using a vacuum pump, then had them fight with their husbands. The worse the fight, the longer it took them to heal. Alas, loneliness is even more deadly. One study from the University of York found that people who are isolated or lonely are at a 29% greater
with Seth Shugar
risk of heart disease and a 32% higher risk for stroke. Another study showed that the risk of death increases 26% for those feeling lonely, 29% for those feeling socially isolated, and 32% for those living alone. While loneliness is obviously not the only alternative to being in a relationship, relationships remain the crucial factor in the happiness of singles. Indeed, after reviewing surveys administered in 32 countries from 2002-2016, researcher Elyakim Kislev discovered that married people are on average happier than unmarried people, but unmarried individuals who show the highest levels of social connection are actually happier than the average married person. Epicurus understood this over 2,000 years ago: “Of all the means to ensure happiness throughout the whole life,” he wrote, “by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.” Similarly, when the Buddha’s cousin Ananda remarked, over 2,500 years ago, that good friendship is half of the spiritual life, Gautama responded, “Not so! It is the entire spiritual life.” Paradoxically, however, the more reliable and fulfilling our relationships become, the less we need to rely on them to fulfill us. Why? Perhaps because when we no longer feel the need to seek fulfillment in relationships, the mind finally feels free enough to dissolve into the heart of awareness where it can taste what may be the only truly lasting peace available to us. Seth is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Marital and Family Therapist and Board Certified Life Coach. He works with individuals and couples in private practice. You can reach him at sethshugar@me.com or book a session at www.sethshugar.com
SOCS SUMMER OUTDOOR CONCERT SERIES
THURSDAYS 6 PM CENTENNIAL PARK
SALT SPRING ARTS presents
Four day silent auction fundraiser Thursday July 14 - Sunday July 17 Preview catalogue online and register to bid from 9am, Wednesday June 29 Treasure Fair concert Cory Weeds Quartet
Friday July 15, 7:30pm | $25 adult $5 youth
treasurefair.artspring.ca
JUL 7
BIG LITTLE LIONS PHÖENIX LAZARE
JUL 14 TBA
JOHN GOGO
JUL 21 VEDA HILLE
MARIANNE GRITTANI
JUL 28 XL THE BAND
ASHTON BACHMAN
Sponsored by
IISLAND SAVINGS, A DIVISION OF FIRST WEST CREDIT UNION HARBOUR HOUSE HOTEL & THE GULF ISLAND DRIFTWOOD. WITH FUNDING BY THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
THE FISHBOWL • JULY 2022 • PAGE 7
Jen’ll Tell Ya
Written by Wendy Judith Cutler and Directed by Sue Newman An original play, An UnDutiful Daughter, will premier at Beaver Point Hall on Salt Spring Island on July 1, 2 and 3, 2022, written by Wendy Judith Cutler and Directed by Sue Newman. Drawing from her own journals and family correspondence, Salt Spring Island teacher, author and now playwright, Cutler has melded together truth with some fictional elements to portray the dynamics within an upper-middle class Jewish family as the daughter comes into political and sexual awakening as a lesbian feminist in the turbulent 1970s and 1980s. Cutler combines pathos, humour, pain, tenderness and longing with the magical ingredients of theatre, where nothing is impossible, to create a universal story of bittersweet resilience. This all-Salt Spring production features brilliant director Sue Newman and a stellar cast: Barbara Slater, Kevin Wilkie, Lisa Dahling, Rowan Algoet, Vera Algoet and Wendy Beatty, and is supported by a collaboration of community theatre-makers and friends. Tickets are $25, available at Salt Spring Books and at the door. Advisory: mature themes.
July Offerings
Star of the Sea Centre for Spiritual Living and Practice is beginning to offer once again in-person events at St. Mary’s Church in Fulford, opposite Fulford Hall. In addition, some events will continue to be presented online on Zoom. Please check with each individual listing or at our website www.staroftheseassi.ca
Beginning on Wednesday, July 6 Insight Meditation
7:00 to 8:30 pm at St. Mary’s Church, Fulford As part of the Star of the Sea Centre, the Salt Spring Insight Meditation Community will offer a regular drop-in Wednesday evening meditation from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm, beginning on July 6th. This will be a silent meditation with some guidance, followed by a dharma talk. This is an open group and everyone is welcome.
Tuesday, July 12
Poetry from Sacred Texts
Online on Zoom 7:00 to 8:30 pm The texts of many religious traditions include poetry and poetic imagery, using poetry as a means to approach, imagine and express the Divine. Join us for an evening of poetry from the texts of various spiritual traditions. Bring a piece of sacred poetry to share or just listen and respond to poetry brought by others. The evening will be facilitated by Salt Spring poet Brian Day. Please register at staroftheseassi@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link for this poetry evening. Donations for participation in all events are welcome.
Featuring Jen Redpath & Jessica Terezakis
Syphilis Hey Salty, It’s sexual health quiz time! What do Henry the VIII, Al Capone, Columbus,Shakespeare, Napoleon, Van Gogh, Tolstoy, and Blackbeard, all have in common? Syphilis! Did you know that when left untreated Syphilis can affect organs like our brain as well as our genitals? In its later stages syphilis can cause mania, depression, psychosis, delirium, personality changes, and dementia, which might explain (but certainly not excuse) some of the wacky behaviours of the famous people listed. For us sex ed nerds Syphilis is a pretty fascinating STI. It is a multisystem chronic infection that is spread by a bacteria through direct skin to skin or mucous membrane contact. It travels fast! Once it is in the bloodstream it can enter the nervous system and damage any organs including our brains. Yikes! Syphilis is characterized by 3 stages. The primary stage is usually associated with a chancre, a non painful ulcer (wound) found on the penis, labia or vagina - but it can be found on any mucous membrane, like the inside of the nose or mouth. As it works its way through our bodies it leaves signs of inflammation, which is known as secondary stage syphilis. The inflammation could be anywhere, which is why Syphilis was known as the ‘great pretender’. Many people will have no discernable or memorable symptoms, or the inflammation comes and goes and syphilis isn’t identified. The danger to our brain starts in the tertiary phase, in which the inflammation does damage that can be irreversible, it can also damage the heart and connective tissue like bone! Good news: it’s fully treatable! Amazingly it is one bacteria that is incredibly susceptible to penicillin! One decent dose and most people are cured. The not so good news: newer strains of syphilis have started to speed up the process from primary to tertiary. Where it used to take years to progress to the 2nd and 3rd stage it can now take months! Also, it’s on the rise! The 80’s and 90’s are now considered to have had the lowest rates of infection, and we are now seeing an increase throughout the population. Sadly, syphilis has also been used in atrocious crimes in the name of science, specifically targeting black men experiencing poverty. The best way to know if you have been exposed is a simple blood test from your primary care provider, or the Options for Sexual Health Clinic here on the Island. If you want to know more check out This Podcast Will Kill you, season 3, episode 36.
Stay Sexy Salty! THE FISHBOWL • JULY 2022 • PAGE 9
Mid-Summer Roundup 2022
Mishka’s
Book
Once again it’s time for me to share some of the best things I’ve read with Mishka Campbell and not yet reviewed. “The Mercies” by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, is based on true events; a storm that drowned 40 fisherman from the tiny Norwegian town of Vardø and the ensuing witch trials that took place in 1620. Apparently widowed women can only take care of themselves (sans menfolk) by using witchcraft…insert eye roll here. “Mirrorland” by Carole Johnstone, is one of those unique books that straddles the intersection of mystery, thriller and horror. It’s not for the faint of heart. This is a pretty dark read, with so many twists and turns that you will not be able to guess where it ends up. You won’t be able to stop thinking about it. But in like, a creepy way! “Butter Honey Pig Bread”, by Francesca Ekwuyasi, is a lyrical debut novel that transports you. An intergenerational story of 3 Nigerian women that is at once about forgiveness, and trauma, the painful and the exquisite. This is one to savour. “Strange Flowers”, by Donal Ryan, is a gorgeous, poetic story set in Ireland, rife with misunderstandings and heartbreak. I treasured every word of this poignant novel and am so grateful it introduced me to such a brilliant author. “The Promise” by Damon Galgut, won the Booker prize in 2021. It’s a novel rich in drama, set in South Africa in the years around Apartheid. It concerns a promise made, in a conversation overheard. This family’s selfish and prejudiced choices take them further and further away from fulfilling the promise, while their youngest child struggles with being their (nagging) conscience. “The Dictionary of Lost Words”, by Pip Williams is a joyous delight for anyone who loves words or the collecting of words or really anything to do with language and its hold on us all. This is such a lovely novel, I think I was expecting a rather fluffy read, but found myself wiping away tears more than once. Read it and weep. But in like, a good way! “Sea of Tranquility”, by Emily St. John Mandel, might be the most perfectly written novel ever. It’s not necessarily my favourite. I’m just saying it is immaculate. If you’ve read her other books, you’ll recognize her recurring themes, but you can absolutely enjoy this one on its own. And please, please do, it’s a thing of beauty.
Reviews
THE FISHBOWL • JULY 2022 • PAGE 10
Scopes Brought to you by our own in-house astrologer who now goes by her numerologically correct name of “Ya Righta”
Aries
Any joke you have to seriously think about today is just not worth ‘getting’.
Taurus
Be careful how you handle yourself today - others may be more tense than usual.
Gemini
As the fella once said, ain’t that a kick in the head. Not that
Libra Your lack of modesty will cause you problems today.
Scorpio The Nigerian bank that is holding
your
email-friend’s
money does not exist. You need a better spam filter.
Sagittarius A masterplan is forming inside
you’ll be kicked in the head, it’s
your head and you’ll be ready to
a metaphor.
put it into action any day now.
Cancer
Capricorn
Overspending will find you slightly less well off this week.
It’s just going to be tip-top from here-on-in and the smile on
Leo
your face is going to bug the
mistakes is to stand up, take
Aquarius
The best way to undo your a good look around, and then shout “Sorry chaps!
Virgo
Just as small peppers are
living hell out of everyone.
Today is not your lucky day. It’s tomorrow instead!
Pisces
supposed to be the hottest,
Act daft today, help people
there may be a small person
close to you smile, and feel the
who’s ready to heat up your life.
healing power of laughter.
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