FOLKLIFE Volume 2

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Before enlightenment chop wood, carry water.

After enlightenment chop wood, carry water.

— Zen Proverb

PHOTO BY STASIA GARRAWAY FEATURING ELISA RATHJE

VOLUME 02 – SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR THE DARK SIDE info@folklifemag.ca FOLKLIFEMAG.CA Alina Cerminara Creator + Publisher Patrick Belanger Co-Creator + Art Director Charles Hart Editor Margy Gilmour Editor Contributing Editors

Jesmine Cham Mary Ann Richards

Contributing Writers

Stephanie Artuso, Natalie Arianne Backe, Wendy Burton, Laura Busheikin, Alina Cerminara, Sarah Chiasson, Meg De Jong, Doby Dobrostanski, Adam Dobres, Krysta Furioso, Bill Gaston, Linda Gilkeson, Marcelle Glock, Taylor Haigh, Charles Hart, Kumiko Hawkes, Tammy Hudgeon, Adrian Mack, Heather Macleod, Dianna Maycock, Philip McAdam, Ian Pattenden, Karen Phillips, Rachel Platt, Jay Raichura, Elisa Rathje, Mary Ann Richards, Hannah Rohan, Carrie Sharp, Henny Schnare, Dayna Szyndrowski, Josée Velsen, Trish Weatherall, Terrill Welch, Jessica Wilson All unnamed features prepared by FOLKLIFE

Contributing Photographers

Financials Special thanks to:

Publishing Postmaster

Scott Amling, Stephanie Artuso, Patrick Belanger, Jeremy Bishop, Maggie Jane Chech, Meg De Jong, Julia Dipaolo, Krysta Furioso, Daniel Gardner, Stasia Garraway, Nadie Gelata, Meghan Goertz, Taylor Haigh, Kumiko Hawkes, Jake Irish, Rush Jagoe, Lina Jokubaityte, Shannon Kay, J. Laing, Brette Little, Dwight Makepeace, Nomadbynk, Miguel Oros, Tim Sandik, Hannah Rohan, Hannah Ross, Landon Sarver, Phillip Vannini, Terrill Welch, James Wheeler, Thirza Voysey, Jessica Wilson, Sydney Woodward, Li Yang Office Pro - Joan Harrison Adrian Huysman, Jen Reed-Lewis, Dirk Huysman, Michelle Benjamin, Stasia Garraway, Krysta Furioso, Clementine Doubt, Dylan Doubt, Deb Peña, Miranda Caterer, Thirza Voysey, Hannah Rohan, Shannon Kay, Jessica Wilson, Amanda Soulodre, Rowland Lorimer, Anne Carscallen, Natalie Dalton, Sue Custance FOLKLIFE (ISSN # 2563-0808 Print, 2563-0814 Digital) is published semi-annually.

Subscriptions are $34/year.

Please send address changes to: FOLKLIFE 1718 Tashtego Crescent Gabriola Island, BC Canada V0R1X5 Published by FOLKLIFE Magazine on Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada.

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PHOTO BY @SWEETSEAPHOTOS

What does survival mean to you?

"Perceived freedom. Plus my morning almond milk mocha."

Alina Cerminara Creator + Publisher

"To shed, transform, blossom, and emerge."

Patrick Belanger Co-Creator + Art Director

"Connection, direction, and resilience."

Charles Hart Editor

"Sustaining optimism while wading through uncertain times."

Shannon Kay Contributing Photographer

"Planting a garden inside and outside of myself…tending and loving it."

Thirza Voysey Contributing Photographer

For more, see page 124

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form by any means without prior written permission of the publisher, except non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publishers at the addresses above. All views expressed in FOLKLIFE are those of the respective contributors and not necessarily shared by the company or staff.

COVER PHOTO BY BY STASIA GARRAWAY FEATURING DEB PEÑA

NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

ON SURVIVING THE DARK SIDE To enjoy these sea-locked lands, one must not only revel in sun-drenched beaches but also survive the dark winters that wash in like the tides.

September hovers summer sweet. October is a last-ditch bout of romance, brimming with burnt orange leaves and burnished faces. The crisp air and still-bright skies invite warm drinks, cozy fires, roomy sweaters, and gumboots.

Then November's brittle winds arrive with their ghost-like chill. Patches of drizzle swell into downpours—a wet quilt unfolding. Days of rain stifle extended chats with friends we encounter on our rounds. Purged of garden grime and summer glow, we run, hair-a-frizz, complexions rendered pale, hoods up, heads down, hands in pockets, dodging puddles.

Easy to pretend not to see familiar people.

Easy to escape to our own abodes. Easy for some—the hibernators—to turn inward and all but disappear until March.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE ARTUSO

NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER /

For those with bear-like souls, these inhospitable days are perfect for tucking in, lighting a fire of fir and arbutus logs seasoned over the summer, baking a pie with fallen apples from a neighbour’s yard, and simmering a hearty soup of carrots, potatoes, and leeks.

An introvert’s way.

These and other nesting comforts, however, may not sustain everyone’s bright moods and chipper energy for months on end. Stockpiled food, firewood, blankets, and books may prove insufficient fuel for dispelling the gloom of dark days and long nights, or the unrelenting drizzle of island winters.

Pitch-black evenings render us invisible— insubstantial denizens of these rocks. No street lights. Clouds conceal the moon.

For some, a melancholy descends—a retreat into the sleep of anaesthesia. A significant fraction of life surrendered to the winter blues. Surely the light will return one day. Only 140 sleeps and everything will be fine again.

For others, with eyes fixed on turbulent grey skies, it’s nightly dreams of flying to sunnier locales. An annual migration.

It is the dark side of the year, of the moon, of the day, of the planet, of humanity—a time in which some thrive, some grin and bear it, some barely survive, and the rest manage to depart. Such rhythms of endurance, introspection, escape, and renewal lie at the heart of FOLKLIFE’s second edition. Within these pages, uncommon folk share their tactics for surviving internal and external forces, pursuing activities that energize and illuminate the darker days.

Individually and collectively, we are confronted with our survival as life on earth ruptures. We are challenged, but we hang on—divided or connected—and we support one another.

Our actions in a world on fire continue to shine a light on our frailty, while we try to be kind, be calm, and be safe.

Into the ongoing tumult, the inaugural edition of FOLKLIFE landed—April 25, 2020— to be met by the rays of light it needed to survive. We had no inkling that the first issue’s central theme of ‘home’ would so eerily capture the moment. Who could have predicted that we would all find ourselves so anchored to our abodes? We’d even referred to ourselves as ‘window watchers,’ and published the satirical article Survival Guide for the Non-Hugger.

In such constraining circumstances, the response to FOLKLIFE'S launch has been heartening. We have felt connected and nourished by a growing number of readers, and by writers and other folk willing to share their lives, stories, and expertise. They’ve offered glimpses of how FOLKLIFE has resonated with them and those they gifted it to, how excited their friends were to read it, and what they, themselves, found particularly engaging. Such enthusiasm for our pages— enjoyed in lockdown, in quarantine, in socially-distanced spaces, behind masks and teetering piles of toilet paper rolls—has turned the dream of FOLKLIFE into a reality.

Because of you, we have survived and are well on our way. So, welcome to this second edition: our version of a survival guide for the dark side Enjoy,

ALINA CERMINARA, FOLKLIFE CREATOR & PUBLISHER

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

7

FOLKLIFE CONNECT Readers Respond

“This beautiful read had me teary, awe-inspired, heart-opened, warmed, and laughing so hard I cried (there were witnesses). This tribute to slow, intentional, and art-fill living amongst the BC islands is breathtaking.”

ALANA NEUFELD

“I am so in love with FOLKLIFE. An amazing job, so full of heartfelt love in the photos, the stories, and with love-felt advertisements. Truly a picture capturing time standing still in this moment. Thank you for this light that you carried to our beautiful home. Thank you for bringing our islands so much closer as a community. Looking forward to the next issue and all issues to follow. Your forever follower!”

RHONDA BRUCE

“Wow. FOLKLIFE is the only magazine I have read cover to cover. It is more than a magazine.”

JO-ANNE RETALLICK

"First, the pungent smell as I unwrapped the package. Then the weight and feel of the paper in my hands. The visual satisfaction of the matte finish. The beautiful and evocative photographs. The heartfelt words and soul deep stories. Affirming. Recognizing.

Thank you!!!"

MINDY JOSEPH

“FOLKLIFE is amazing! It is of the highest quality, from its engrossing topics to its excellent writing to its incredible photography to its very being. It feels great to hold, to read, to savour. And your inaugural topic, Home, could not have been more perfect for these times! Yes, our homes can nurture our souls. And so does your magazine. Thank you so much for bringing such grounded pleasure into a time of such uncertainty.”

MAIA LEVINE

“I have read mine three times—the photographs, the content, and the quality of the production—right down to the feel of the paper…just beautiful.”

FIONA FLANAGAN

Big apologies for missing the following FOLKLIFE Kickstarter supporters: IRENE ALLISON, SHERRY DES ROCHES , BRITT LAO, SEAN LEWIS, ANGIE LEWIS, BRENTE SEARLE AND LINDA TOEWS Thank you for helping launch us into being.

PHOTO BY @SALTSHOP.CA

PAPRIKA

PHOTO BY R. JEANETTE MARTIN

A tiny boutique art gallery and silversmithing studio located on beautiful Gabriola Island, featuring fine handcrafted jewellery, ceramics, and art.

See silversmith Nina Turczyn at her jeweller's bench while you browse a stunning collection of work by Canadian fine jewellers and artists.

www.paprikadesign.ca

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folklifemag.ca

FOLKLIFE is a semi-annual print publication inspired by those who live close to the earth, with intention, and creativity.

Evoking fine craftership with its minimalist design, matte aesthetic, poetic editorial, and vibrant photography, FOLKLIFE honours art and agriculture, business and creativity, food and farming, dwellings and nature of those who live on the Gulf Islands throughout the Salish Sea. Each issue offers engaging interviews, stories, photographs, recipes, and artwork. Celebrating life crafted as an art form, FOLKLIFE seeks to introduce and connect those who live simply and sustainably.

FOLKLIFE acknowledges that the Salish Sea and the islands it encompasses are the traditional, unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples of Cowichan, Penelakut, Hwlitsum, BOKEĆEN, Halalt, Homalco, K’ómok, Klahoose, Lyackson, MÁLEXEt, Qualicum, Snuneymuxw, Stz’uminus, Tsawout, CUAN of the WSANEC People, TEKTEKSEN, STA,UTW, SKEUWEWC, and Tla’amin since time immemorial.

PHOTO BY @JAKEIRISH

10

FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

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Get Yours, and remember to slow the FOLK down.

$5.99 at folklifemag.ca

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

11

In this issue

Artistic Intentions

Back to the Land

62

40

BEADWORK AS MEDICINE

BY KRYSTA FURIOSO

64 POSTER BOY A Ride Through the Golden Era of rock WITH BOB MASSE

84 HOW TO FIND CREATIVE SOVEREIGNTY through Free-Expression Journaling

BY TAMMY HUDGEON

THE PANTRY, THE POTAGER, AND THE PRESERVES

BY ELISA RATHJE

96 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH WILDLIFE

BY KUMIKO HAWKES

116 VEGGING IN THE SHADOWS

Six Tips for Year-Round Gardening on the West Coast

BY LINDA GILKESON

104 A FRIVOLOUS TAKE ON ELECTRONIC MUSIC

40

WITH DANIEL GARDNER

114 PRODUCTS WE LOVE

04

124

ON SURVIVING THE DARK SIDE

CONSIDERING KINDNESS

Note From the Publisher

BY MARY ANN RICHARDS

BY ALINA CERMINARA

84

12

06 FOLKLIFE CONNECT

FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

126 MORE VIEWS ON SURVIVAL Readers Wade In

Insight

Business

All At Sea

32

20

12

THE DRESS CODE

BREAD, BREWS, AND BARS

SWIMMING IN THE DARK

Three takes on looking the part

An Inside Look at Three Thriving Cottage Industries

BY LAURA BUSHEIKIN

BY WENDY BURTON

78

108

36

SAILING AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS

CLOTHING AS A TOOL FOR CHANGE

TAROT FOR SELF CARE

BY TAYLOR HAIGH

Your 11 Step Wardrobe Survival Guide

BY HANNAH ROHAN

52

WITH SIMON STILES

92

STRONGHOLDS

CLAM DIGGING AT NIGHT

18 Places That Speak of Magic

BY TRISH WEATHERALL

118 A GIFT ECONOMY Notes from An Intentional Community

BY LAURA BUSHEIKIN

Nourishment

72 ROOTING AROUND FOR SEASONAL FARE Creamy Peanut Parsnip Kohlrabi Soup

BY MEG DE JONG

75 SALAD DAYS IN ALL SEASONS

76

Roasted Roots & Sautéed Cabbage Salad

BY MEG DE JONG

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

13

Swimming

IN THE DARK

BY WENDY BURTON

To qualify for the privilege of swimming the

No,

English Channel, you have to swim for six

Swimming in the dark when I can see nothing

hours in water that’s below 15 degrees Celsius,

below and nothing above is a challenge for

unaided, under the supervision of a qualified

another reason. As the cold and distance

observer. Twice I've tried to qualify. Both efforts

become factors, I’d begin to populate the deep

were failures.

with demons of my own making.

At home on Hornby Island, I plotted the currents

The man in the kayak knew this too.

the

sea

creatures

weren’t

the

issue.

and distance, and determined that swimming in June would be do-able, with the right timing

Just before sunset on a cloudy June evening,

and tides. The difficulty, however, was the swim

I walk into the Salish Sea at Collishaw Point.

would have to start at 8 pm and conclude hours

The water is up to my knees and the well-

before sunrise.

known stony bottom is solid under my bare feet. A qualifying swimmer must wear only a

I would be swimming in the dark.

few ounces of polyester bathing suit, a cap, and goggles. The observer checks to ensure that I’m

The ocean is not terra nullius to me. I know

wearing only one suit and claps his hand on my

the colonies of sea creatures busy with their

shoulder. This will be the last human touch until

lives beneath the surface as I swim. I know the

I emerge from the sea, six hours or more later.

seals who come to investigate and the sea lions

Roger takes up his position in his kayak, staying

who are curious but pose no threat—unless the

a body length behind me. I must lead the way.

herring are about. I know that whales and six-gill

The observer and my team are in a small motor

sharks are possible companions, but I decided

vessel, and they will stay well back until either

long ago to be worried only if and when the

the swim’s conclusion or they hear a shrill blast

time came.

from Roger’s whistle signalling my failure.

PHOTO BY LI YANG

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

15

SWIMMING IN THE DARK /

From Collishaw to Galleon, with the current running with me, I make good progress. The water is 14˚C, a manageable temperature. The steady movement of my arms, legs, and breathing generates the heat I need, as I so often quip that I have a well-padded core, and I waste little energy when I swim. Lights disorient a night swimmer, so I wear glow sticks in both the back of my goggles and the back strap of my suit so my support team can see me. But since I swim low in the water, Roger has told me that these lights, dim at best, are often barely visible. Closing his eyes, Roger could often not hear me in the water, I made so few splashes.

He never closes his eyes when I swim in the dark.

Roger is seasoned. He knows my stroking pattern. Knows to watch for glints, like stars, which signify my location. Knows my fears. Knows what lies before me. Knows this is my last attempt to qualify. Even so, Roger can often not trace my progress. It is dark, and I am nearly silent.

The greatest fear of a night swim is losing the swimmer in the dark. Disoriented and suffering from hypothermia, a swimmer can veer off course and simply get lost. Swim away into the unlit ocean. As we were, all of us, far too aware, a drowning long-distance swimmer makes no noise—just drop below the surface without any sound of a struggle. As if a giant hand grabs ahold and pulls the swimmer down. We all feared this risk.

Collishaw to Galleon. Galleon to Hidden Beach. Across the big bay to Tralee Point. Tralee to Whaling Station, the Helliwell traverse around the outside of Flora Island, well out in the channel. Then, with luck and good conditions, I’ll navigate across the top of the two big bays to Dunlop Point, far enough away from the beaches to avoid incoming currents.

It’s colder now. 12˚C and falling. A minor wind has picked up. Cloud cover makes the night—at 2 am—darker than we’d anticipated. I am in the bay. Barely visible. The support team radios their concern to Roger.

Now comes Lynn, down to the shore from her home, carrying an unlit lantern, picking her way over the slippery rocks to stand vigil in the night. Listening. In this deep dark, just before the tide turns. In the hush, as if the sea's breath is inheld, she hears nothing. Sees nothing.

To see better, Lynn stands in her own darkness. To hear better, her breathing is shallow. Her head is tipped to one side. Used to the gusty gulps of sea lions, the commotion of seals, the great announcements of whales, the splash of salmon, the flutter of herring, she hears nothing.

But I am coming. Afraid now, in the dark, unable to see the way, lights flashing in the corner of my left eye that may be the beginning of hallucination. Because if this dark becomes alive with monsters I will falter, lose the favourable tide, and fail.

A sharp whistle tells me to stop. I’m afraid to tread water because giant hands will grab my feet. I wish for the trivial fear of sharks, giant octopus, deadly sea snakes, a python inexplicably acclimatized to the northwest Pacific ocean.

16

FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

I scull on my back. Roger has extinguished his lights. The launch is well behind us, engine off, waiting. He doesn’t ask, “How are you?” because he knows. He extends the feeding pole and I take the gel. I no longer want food or water but if I stop feeding they’ll pull me out. In the basket are two fresh glow sticks. We say little. I do not speak because he might hear the slurring of words, and he will signal that my attempt is over.

My goggles are now sealed to my face. I keep my mind off the pain of removing them when I reach the point. Before I do, though, I may hear the radiophones. The observers will talk to me and then decide. Now I will lie about the cramp in my thigh, the droop on the right side of my mouth, the slow twist of my fingers, the monsters beneath me, waiting.

Roger turns off his light. “On you go,” he says. I know what lies ahead. I swim into the fear. It has joined me. I am so cold.

Lynn has heard the whistle. She’s heard Roger’s voice. She peers into the dark, listening. Is the swimmer in the water? Out

"... if this dark becomes alive with monsters I will falter, lose the favourable tide, and fail."

in the bay? Attempting the headland? If only she could see it. I am coming.

At 5 hours 45 minutes, in 10˚C, I swim.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, breathe. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, breathe. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, breathe.

PHOTO BY JEREMY BISHOP

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

17

SWIMMING IN THE DARK /

I switch to breaststroke, trying to sight the

Yes. The swimmer's in the bay. Swimming

headland. Nothing. Am I lost? Swimming

alone in the dark.

out, heading toward Bowser and certain failure?

Lynn takes up the oil lamp. Lights it. Turns the mantle up. Lifts it into her arms, holding

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, breathe, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, breathe.

it at her centre as high as she can, because she cannot raise it over her head or swing it.

Maybe I will never find it. The tide will turn,

Not anymore.

the current reverse, and I will be lost in the dark. I need to know I’m somewhere.

Barely lifting my face out of the water to

Making headway.

breathe, head down, I do not see it. Roger blows his whistle twice—look ahead. Lynn,

Lynn is listening intently and begins to

sensing this is the moment, somehow

separate the sounds of the sea, the movement

manages to hoist the heavy lamp over her

of the water on the rocks, the low wind. In

head.

there is a rhythm. She hears her swimmer taking breaths. She counts, loses track of the

And this is the miracle. The light cascades

sound, counts some more, hears it.

across the water, illuminating everything, turning the monsters into shadows. Announces dawn hours before it comes. Turns the infinite into less than 60 metres of open water.

"I am, as we so often joke, 'nearly there.'

This time, I really am nearly there."

I am, as we so often joke, “nearly

there.” This time, I really am nearly there.

There will be no exuberant greeting.

A swimmer suffering hypothermia must be met with calm. My crew will be quiet and efficient. The man in the kayak will lower his head to his paddle. I will find my footing on the rocks about five metres from where Lynn is standing. Will walk toward her as the lamp goes out. Will, in the dark of this rocky point, as the crew comes toward me, only whisper.

18

FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

PHOTO BY STASIA GARRAWAY

MARCHLIGHT STUDIO

Transforming salvaged wood into hand-turned vessels with wood-burned drawings.

Watercolour prints. Small sculptures. Greeting cards.

Creating beauty and magic out of the unexpected, artists Mark Huisman and Claire Frances Muir are the dynamic team behind Marchlight Studio on Gabriola Island, B.C. Mark cuts, shapes, and turns the plates, bowls, and boards. Claire finishes the works of art with freehand wood-burned drawings.

Discover the creative magic inspired by Canada’s West Coast.

www.marchlight.com

GREEN CITY BUILDERS

PHOTO BY STASIA GARRAWAY

We are a family-run construction, planning, and project management company based on Salt Spring Island.

Our talented team of craftspeople is committed to working with integrity, caring for Mother Earth, and being accountable to our clients and community. Creating special homes and places with and for fellow islanders is our life’s work.

We hope you can tell how much we enjoy it. We love where we live and what we do.

www.greencitybuilders.ca

BREAD, BREWS, BARS

An inside look at three thriving cottage industries It’s much more than creation, than profit, than ambition—running a business can be a way of incorporating our ethics into all aspects of our lives.

Creating quality consumables that align with our values—a nourishing loaf of bread, a frothy pint of IPA, a luxurious bar of chocolate—can contribute to a sense of resiliency that helps us and others, not only survive, but thrive.

In the snapshots that follow, three islanders frame the vital importance of quality ingredients in their products, their lives, and their indulgences.

PHOTO BY PHILLIP VANNINI

Run Through the Mill

A BAKER’S LIFE WITH PAUL MacEWEN, SLOW RISE BAKERY

“I’d like to talk about flour,” says Paul

does the germ keep the bread we’re eating

MacEwen. His hand-built bakery features

vibrant and alive,” Paul says, “but it does the

log beams, in a generous space framed by

same for me and my work.”

walls of windows.

The Art of Milling There he stands, amid carts and trays and

"Milling was a big change for the bakery,"

ovens and mills and rockin’ loud music. It’s

Paul says, having spent the previous nine

a rural haven for a tattooed, bicycle-riding,

years as a baker purchasing milled flour. But

bread maker who, for the past 15 years, has

his long-time yearning to go deeper into the

spent the wee dark hours immersed in the

bread process—to get more creative with

art of baking the living loaf.

it—meant going in different directions, and moving from four grain varieties to fifteen.

The Vitality of the Whole Kernel “Commercial flour has been stripped of its

“Milling is an art,” Paul says. “It’s a lot of extra

living and beneficial nutrients,” he says.

work. Freshly milled flour is more active, so

“It’s rendered unrecognizable. Think of a

it’s easy for things to go sideways. It delivers

marshmallow toasted over a campfire—

different results and offers a challenge every

perfectly golden on the outside from all the

single day.”

additives. Raw dough on the inside.”

Paul invested in a 42-inch single pass grain “The ‘germ’ is the oily part of the kernel that

mill and dove in to learning how to use it

holds the life,” Paul says, “but it’s also the

from other millers near and far. To keep up

part that goes rancid. By deconstructing

with production, he bought an oven that

the kernel with a commercial roller mill

allowed him to bake twice as many loaves

and taking that important part out, the

as before.

big manufacturers can engineer a product

24

that can sit on the shelf for months. This

Paul showcases the mill proudly, pointing

destroys the vibrancy and the vitality of the

out the various parts and how they work.

grain. Minerals and vitamins even had to be

“Everything goes into the hopper at the

legislated back into flour—which is what

top, is milled between the granite runner

‘enriched’ means,” he explains. “Not only

stone and the bed stone, and comes out the

FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

shoot,” he says. “The germ, bran, and starch

to the grindstone,' listening for the right

all get milled at once. No separation.”

sound. Do you hear that?” He pauses as the mill finishes the last bits of the Durham. “You

“The art of milling is in matching the speed

need to get those factors just right. And try

and distance of the stones to the type of

not to let it get too hot. The cooler the mill

grain. Durham is hard and mills slowly. Spelt

is, the less detriment to the nutrients in the

and soft white mill quickly. We put our ‘nose

flour. This is also why we don’t use yeast.”

PHOTOS BY @EYE_PICTURE_YOU

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

25

RUN THROUGH THE MILL: A BAKER’S LIFE /

Bread Culture

over and over. With bread—the vibrancy,

“There’s this demand for fresh bread, but the

the frustrations, the changes, the variety—

demand should be for what goes into the

it’s what keeps me going, what keeps me

loaf before it’s baked. We actually shouldn’t

challenged, and what keeps me alive.”

be eating warm bread fresh out of the oven.

Fifteen years of 4am starts, and midnight

We need to let it rest and let the steam leave.

starts on Fridays so that islanders can obtain

In days gone by, we would only bake bread

that organic loaf at the Saturday Farmers’

once a week. We’d eat it as a crusty loaf for

Market. First with a business partner, and for

the first three days, then dip it in stews, then

the last six years on his own.

make croutons and puddings, and so on. I now bake three times a week and mill twice

“Bread enabled my family to stay on the

a week,” he says.

island,” he says. “We were trying to find a way to make a living, but we had our ideals too.

26

“I cooked for 25 years before taking up

Paying attention to those values has ended

bread baking and had always thought it

up creating a fulfilling lifestyle and career,

would be boring, but it’s the opposite. Once

all while offering up something whole and

you have cooking down you do it over and

nutritious to our community.”

FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

PHOTO BY @EYE_PICTURE_YOU

A Brewmaster’s

IMPRESSIONS OF WATER

BY IAN PATTENDEN, SALT SPRING ISLAND ALES

Water, water everywhere

and our human impact on its sources. In

Water tells a story. It tells us of its origins, of

effect, we erase water's character.

where it has been, and of how it has, quite literally, been treated.

Rarely do we connect the pint in our hand with the deeper mystery of the water that

Most breweries evaluate a water source

made it. It is this “active mystery, fresh every

from two perspectives: utility and aesthetics.

minute,” to quote Annie Dillard, that renders

Certain

our job as brewers on Salt Spring Island quite

mineral

properties

accentuate

flavour profiles which, historically, older

distinct from most conventional breweries.

breweries have used to their local advantage.

Brewers of generations past found ways to

We are not merely brewers; we also consider

modify their water to make it more suitable

ourselves water stewards. On this island we

for brewing, but they were never able to fully

brew beer with nature, and we allow nature

erase the unwanted elements of its origins.

to tell her story. We listen to what our water tells us about ourselves and where we come

With the advent of the reverse osmosis

from—our water roots us and keeps us local.

system, breweries can now ‘zero out’ their water to achieve a blank slate. They can

In beer, we can, quite literally, taste the

then build their water profiles to their exact

components in the water and the effects

specifications. This can, and often does,

they have on all the ingredients in our pint.

help produce good quality beer. However,

In daily life, water colours our experience.

there are environmental consequences to

So, too, does it colour the characteristics of

consider in terms of energy requirements

a pint.

and the water wasted in this process.

Metals, minerals, organic materials, and salts Even if future reverse osmosis systems

can shift the flavour impression of the beer,

evolve

and

for better or for worse. Punchy hops, smooth

completely energy efficient––and nothing

malts, vibrant esters, delicate mouth feel—

in the beer quality suffers––one still has to

these subtle but profound elements allow

wonder if something is being lost in the

beer that is brewed in a natural way to

process. As we process water, we obscure

connect us with our water on a deeper level.

to

become

‘zero

waste’

both its distinctive, environmental nature,

PHOTO BY BRETTE LITTLE

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

27

The nature of stewardship

28

So how do we operate as stewards of this

up behind the brewery, to connect with our

most precious resource while ensuring

water supply. Here the shining sun slivers

we meet our brewing needs? On a crisp

through the mist and beams through the

island morning, we hike towards the top of

trees. We’re surrounded by vegetation in

Mount Bruce, a 700-metre peak towering

every shade of green.

FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

PHOTO BY BRETTE LITTLE

A BREWMASTER’S IMPRESSIONS OF WATER /

Starting from our water spring box, we descend 450 metres through ferns, shrubs, branches,

and

enormous

fallen

trees,

scanning for breaks or breaches in the long line of tubing that supplies our brewery with this vital ingredient. This monthly—and sometimes weekly—ritual is not something with which most brewers must concern themselves.

Each day we check our filtration and sterilization systems and monitor the flow rate. Is the water flowing with force or slowing down? Are there any breaches in the line? We must also collect and store as much water as we can to meet our needs during dry periods, or at times when falling trees cause catastrophic breaks in the line.

Other breweries might take this essential resource as a given (by literally turning on a tap). But here, we must actively cultivate our water to ensure good supply and quality.

This humbling and magical experience is not how other brewers start their days, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Cheers!

PHOTO BY @SALTSHOP.CA (TOP) BRETTE LITTLE (BOTTOM)

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

29

The Ethical Dynamics of

ORGANIC CHOCOLATE

WITH DANIEL TERRY AND ANIKA HARRER, DENMAN ISLAND CHOCOLATE - PHOTOS BY SWEET SEA PHOTOGRAPHY

Nestled in the woods of a small rural island,

make that interface between the business

a chocolate factory unlike any other lies

and natural world as natural as possible,

hidden, embedded in a nature-inspired

which is what you need to do if you want

building with big windows and a living roof.

to preserve why you come here in the first

The house sits atop a winding hill, with views

place. We’ve got the firs, arbutus, the water.”

through the trees to the churning sea.

Signalling the view, Daniel continues, “It’s high. Our neighbours are God (the United

The place is not easy to find. There’s no sign

Church), and the Queen (Crown land). Great

pointing the way, and would-be visitors

neighbours, right?” He laughs. “It’s a place

can’t just pop in on a whim. Daniel Terry

of historical importance and the trees are

and Anika Harrer, owners of Denman Island

really important to us.”

Chocolate, have clear values built around relationships and mutual respect, and the

He goes back to the beginning, describing

uphill walk is a kind of test for those keen to

how his young family found the island, and

take a look around.

their struggles to make a life where work was hard to find. “I started the business

“It’s always a test,” Daniel says, opening the

with my first wife, Ruth, and it just kind of

door with a welcome wave of chocolatey

happened, as the best things do. We had

sweetness. “You made it up the hill. You

moved to Denman from Vancouver with our

know what I mean?”

two young sons in the hopes that I could do construction, but it turned out that you flip

We’re ushered in to enjoy a mug of hot mint

over a rock and every crab has a tool belt, so

tea, a bar of creamy coconut dark chocolate,

we were scrambling to make a living.”

a gorgeous view, and uninterrupted time to discuss the company that was the first

Behind us, separated from the house

in Canada to produce certified organic

only by a clear plastic curtain, is the small

chocolate.

chocolate factory where three women are packaging the dark chocolate. Daniel takes

30

This is a place where the surrounding natural

up his story again. “Ruth was asked to make

world is just as important as the chocolate

truffles for a community hall event while I

produced within, Daniel says. “We wanted to

was in Vancouver working, and they turned

FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

out to be a success. Our revelation was

So, we thought—bars!”

that taking out the dairy gave them more chocolate flavour, not less. We made them

“There’s this mystique around chocolate,”

for the Christmas craft fair and sold out early

Daniel says. “So yes, I am known as the

on both days so we said, ‘What can we do

chocolate guy but there’s this feeling like

with this?’ Truffles are perishable and don’t

there’s more to us than that. Anika and I

ship well, and we didn’t want preservatives.

are the people who ride bikes. When Ruth

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

31

THE ETHICAL DYNAMICS OF ORGANIC CHOCOLATE /

died of cancer in 2004, I was the guy whose

supported the successful campaign against

wife had died, and whose sons had lost their

Enbridge’s

mother. There are always these kinds of

by including “decals in the bars that you

labels.”

could stick to a loonie and it looked like

Northern

Gateway

pipeline

it had been slicked with oil,” Daniel says.

Daniel and Anika give us a short tour of

“When we did our Grizzly bar with Raincoast

the factory, explaining what each piece

Conservation, we got crazy emails from pro-

of equipment does. “We believe there’s

hunting people up north. You’ll never please

nothing inherently evil about business; we

everybody, but we feel that emphasizing

believe it can be a force for positive change

our ethics is a responsibility.”

in the world. And the way we decided to do that was to make amazing organic

“As an individual running a company, you

chocolate.”

are going to consume more and create more waste,” says Daniel. “Business is the

32

Since its inception, the company has built its

art of compromise and we’re trying to do

reputation on its ethics. It partners creatively

it as responsibly as possible. We’re not the

with environmental organizations such as

100-mile diet because we buy our chocolate

the Georgia Strait Alliance who works to

from Belgium. But the authors of The 100-

protect the endangered southern resident

Mile Diet included exceptions, and Denman

killer

Island Chocolate is one.”

whale

population.

The

FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

business

The chocolate itself is also a statement of

In the chocolate factory, there's a wall filled

ethics. “It would have doubled our sales to

with shiny rolls of paper in every colour

make milk chocolate, but we said no. I’m not

imaginable.

into dairy, and dairy and chocolate together is sticky. We’ve spent the last 12 years

“Can you guess which wrapping is for

sourcing the necessary ingredient to make

which bar?” Another test. From Toasted

coconut milk chocolate, because it has to be

Hazelnut to Espresso Chunk, from Cool Mint

certified organic coconut milk powder.”

to Gingerama—we correctly guess only a handful out of the 15 delicious options.

The decision to make only organic was born from a global commitment to care for

We’re led back into the house to finish our

the health of flora and fauna, and for the

bar and mugs of tea. “Organic was an easy

humans working on the cacao plantations

decision to make at the time,” Daniel says,

and farms. “We do it for the viability of the

looking at Anika. “And it dovetails beautifully

100-year-old trees that shade our factory,

with our personal principles of environmen-

and for the wild lilies that grow around it.

tal responsibility and sustainability.”

It is not the easiest way to run a business,” Daniel says, “but we love it.”

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

33

THE DRESS CODE Three takes on looking the part

BY LAURA BUSHEIKIN

Take I: The Welcome Wagon There was no welcome wagon for newcomers when I moved to the island. No formalities, no rite of passage, nothing like that. But there was this one hitchhiker, a guy whose name I have never known, who (very likely unintentionally) provided me with that one special transitional moment— that “welcome to the island, you belong here” feeling. Here’s how it happened.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

The hitchhiker clicked his seatbelt into place and said, “Downtown.”

“I can take you there,” I said.

“Thanks.”

We drove in silence, ocean views peeking through trees along our right-hand side.

“You know,” I said, a little shyly, “You’re the first hitchhiker I’ve ever picked up.”

“Huh!” he answered.

I chose to read the quiet grunt as encouragement. “I’ve never owned a car before. I bought this one a few days ago.

I’ve hitchhiked lots but never been able to return the favour.”

“Uhuh,” he said.

I interpreted that as friendly interest. “I just moved to the Island yesterday. Before this I always lived in a place with public transit, so I made it this far without a car,” I explained.

34

FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

PHOTO BY @SWEETSEAPHOTOS

It was a 12-year-old silver Hyundai, bought off a used car lot in Vancouver. Owning a car made me feel like I’d finally reached adulthood. I was 36.

We lapsed into silence for a while, but a few kilometres later I felt compelled to add, “I’m pretty excited to be here.”

“Yeah.”

I took that as an invitation to connect. "How long have you been here?” I asked. There were a few beats of silence.

“About six months. No, longer. More like 10 months,” he said.

“How do you like it here?”

“Uh, yeah, it’s pretty good. I’d say I like it.”

“So, what do you like best about the island?” I asked.

There were a few more beats of silence. Then a few more.

Finally he answered with three words: “The dress code.”

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

35

Take III: Socks and Socio-Economics For a moment, I felt bewildered. And daunted. Was there

I told Katrina, someone who has worked with island children

some kind of social code I hadn’t even noticed? Was I

for the last two decades, about the hitchhiker and the dress

missing something? Doing something wrong? This kind of

code.

anxiety was not what I’d been looking for when I chose a remote island as my home. I wanted a place where I didn’t

“Ah, the dress code!” she says. “Indeed. Actually, I can track

have to worry about fitting in. Where I could just be myself.

gentrification by the number of children who show up at school with mismatched socks.”

By then I was turning right into downtown, aka the place with the General Store. I pulled over. Hitchhiker dude unbuckled

I remember my children’s many mismatched socks, and

his seat belt, opened his door, glanced my way with the

my complete lack of concern about them. I briefly wonder

tiniest hint of a smile, said, "Thanks," and sauntered off.

whether I’ve failed to prepare my children for life in the real world, but then remind myself that my island world is as real

I stared at his receding figure. What was he wearing? Faded

as any other.

jeans and a navy blue hoodie. Was that the dress code?

Crossing the street at that moment was a woman with

“So,” I ask, “has the number of mismatched socks gone up or

coiffed hair, a red hip-length sweater, clean black jeans, and

down since you started teaching?”

leopard-print boots. The day before I’d seen someone at the

"Down," she says regretfully. "It mirrors housing prices. As

General Store in what I swear was a bathrobe and pajamas.

they go up, mismatched socks go down."

Wait a minute—wait. Oh, I get it. The dress code. Right.

I mull that over for a bit then look down at my feet. I’m And I knew it then, for sure—I was home.

wearing one grey and one black sock. Doing my bit to keep the endangered Island dress code alive and well.

Take II: Art on the Streets I told my mom, who lives on another island, about the hitchhiker and the dress code. She laughed and nodded.

“Yes! I experience this sometimes when I walk down to the mailboxes," she said to me. "There I am in my gardening gear, with streaks of dirt on my faded jeans, wearing gumboots and an old sweater with holes. I get to the mailboxes and there’s Veronica Graham.” Veronica is an artist and clothing designer who lives in the same neighbourhood as my mom.

“There she’ll be,” says my mom, “gliding along with that regal walk of hers, wearing Victorian-style ankle boots, a silk and velvet dress, a faux-fur stole, elbow-length felted gloves, ornate jewelry, and a fascinator. We meet at the mailboxes and have a little chat, and off she glides. It’s an infusion of art into my day.”

36

FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

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RAVENSKILL ORCHARDS

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www.ravenskill.com

TAROT

FOR SELF-CARE

BY TAYLOR HAIGH OF THE FOX TAROT

The practice of truly caring for myself has run deeper than soaking in the bathtub, taking a sick day, or eating a meal full of greens. In a world where I felt most valued for my productivity, I overwhelmed my schedule and put my own needs last. Over time, keeping up the pace knocked me over, prohibiting me from being the help in the world that I’d hoped to be.

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FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

PHOTO BY @NOMADBYNK, FEATURING @THEFOXTAROT

PHOTO BY @THEFOXTAROT

The pivotal moment came after 10 years working on the front lines of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside—a neighbourhood renowned for drug addiction and for the opening of North America's first safe injection site. When the 2016 opioid crisis hit, my job became even more demanding. Following each chaotic shift, I needed more time to recharge. My stress built until overwhelming anxiety took over. I was no longer able to function, even though the work was so important. I was exhausted.

Normal daily activities were nearly impossible.

I couldn’t sleep or manage my emotions.

A blanket of dread lingered over everything I did and led to a complete mental crash.

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

39

TAROT FOR SELF-CARE /

I was diagnosed with severe compassion

The Tarot originated in 15th century Italy

fatigue, which prohibited my ability to

as a card game. Over time, it developed

empathize

terms

a reputation for use as a mystical fortune-

surfaced, such as burnout and secondary

telling tool. The cards can’t really predict the

traumatic stress—essentially leaving me

future. However, they can be used to support

vicariously traumatized through intense

mental health by acting as an outside party

exposure to the trauma of others.

or counsellor.

In the end I gave up the job I loved to focus

By facilitating a conversation with my

on my own recovery. At the urging of my

subconscious, the Tarot enabled me to take

therapist, I embraced doing nothing. This

the time to slow down and think. I used the

meant slowing down,

cards to prompt thoughts and uncover true

walking in nature, and

feelings, since each card carries a meaning

listening to audio med-

that can be applied to many life situations.

itations. Truly rest and

It encouraged me to look at problems from

reset. And while guilt

angles I had never considered. Even when

ran rampant because

a card initially didn’t seem relevant, I was

of my lack of productivity, I persevered and,

surprised to find new ways of looking at, and

during this time, found the Tarot. It had been

understanding, what was going on within.

with

“It has helped me to feel rested, restored, and illuminated the places I had kept dark.”

others.

Other

a tool I had enjoyed working with in the past.

Now I used it to tackle my thoughts head on.

40

FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

PHOTOS BY @NOMADBYNK AND @THEFOXTAROT

Six Steps

For Trying Your Hand at Tarot

1

Pick a deck you can work with. There’s an immense (and potentially overwhelming) variety of decks both online and in your local metaphysical/new age shops. If you feel drawn to a particular deck, from fairies to foxes to fountains, from colours to patterns to imagery, from size to energy to quality, then that’s the one for you. Go with your intuition! A popular and traditional beginner deck is the Original Rider-Waite Deck, with straightforward and practical imagery. More modern (and local) favourites include The Fox Tarot and The Moonchild Tarot.

2

Before a reading, create a comfortable, private, and safe space, perhaps using a cushion or a cozy arm chair.

3 Take The Five of Cups, for example. The card depicts a figure standing over five cups. The contents of three of the cups are spilled, but the two cups behind the figure's back are still full. The image represents loss, but with something left over that may not yet be apparent. When I applied this to the loss of my job, I was reminded that all is not lost. Perspectives like these provided the optimism and hope that I needed.

Using the Tarot as a neutral guide helps me acknowledge my inner feelings and thoughts. I sit with them. It is a deep practice

Start with single card flips to familiarize yourself with the deck and the meanings of the cards.

Refer to a guidebook (some decks come with one; if not you can buy one separately). Practise until you have committed the keywords to memory. Pull a card in the morning and think about the keywords associated with it over the course of the day.

4

Focus on the feelings the cards evoke and try to observe your reactions without judgement.

For example, if you pull a card that reminds you of a situation that gives rise to anger, try not to suppress or evade the feelings that arise. Let yourself experience them until you are back in a calmer place.

View your emotions with curiosity: were you expecting to feel angry? Are you surprised at your reaction? How would it feel to let go of that anger? Practise this daily to build your memory of the cards and to start reading faster.

5

Once your readings are stronger and more habitual, start doing multiple card spreads and linking the card meanings together. Directions are usually included in guidebooks.

6

Challenge yourself to complete 31 days of quick readings and reflect on what you learn about yourself!

of self-care. It has helped me to feel rested, restored, and illuminated in the places I had kept dark. It has helped me to be me.

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41

THE PANTRY, THE POTAGER,

AND THE PRESERVES

BY ELISA RATHJE PHOTOS BY STASIA GARRAWAY

The pantry is a model of simple living that quietly

Aligned with other good practices that naturally reduce food

reconciles the greatest threats to our ecological stability.

waste—such as supporting small farms in a local economy,

It does so with style and grace, effortlessly countering our

eating more plants, choosing regenerative farming methods

worst environmental offences with a combination of good

that sink carbon, nourish soil, and store water—we can

old-fashioned kitchen skills, local knowledge, and plain

address several climate-offending practices with ease.

and simple efficient design.

Storing away food is primal, gratifying stuff. And slow food— It pairs beautifully with growing a vegetable garden, tending

at once both nutrient dense and flavourful—is decidedly

to fruit and nut trees, foraging, forming relationships with

convenient once the harvests are in.

farmers to put away the harvests in season, and swapping with neighbours. Yes, in a word, community.

Combining those activities with preserving food at home trades shopping for time in the kitchen, plastic packaging for reusable forms such as the potato sack, the canning jar, and the fermenting crock. It trades chemical preservatives and freezing for traditional preservation at its best: jams, jellies,

"Storing away food is primal, gratifying stuff."

butters, salts, cures, vinegars, oils, infusions, tinctures, dried goods, cured goods, and fermentations.

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

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FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

THE PANTRY, THE POTAGER, AND THE PRESERVES /

The Pantry A crisis can lead to panic-buying on the one hand, and

Not everyone has a root cellar. Yet a bin buried in the garden

rationing on the other. But this only amplifies the crisis.

up to its lip and covered can be filled with root vegetables

There's a practical solution that meets a primal need in one

in season. No refrigerator trucks, no last-minute car trips.

classic, simple pattern—the pantry.

Efficiency at its best.

The ills of a pandemic are exacerbated by overbuying, and

Not everyone has a deep freeze, but many could choose to

by repeatedly returning to the store for trickles of supplies,

revive basic skills such as preserving fruit in jars, fermenting

risking multiple exposures. Like fast food—half-eaten,

vegetables in brines, pressing apples for cider, dehydrating,

tossed,

more

packaging

than

curing, and immersing produce in oil or

nourishment, at once too much

in alcohol. While a few folk still practise

and too little—our goods circulate in wasteful, clotted bursts. Yet we have traditional models that could stabilize this crisis and mitigate the next as climate emergency

"...the skills of food storage are deceptively simple and revolutionary in their potential."

this basic, liberating knowledge, most of us can access, even in isolation, books, sites, and videos teaching these enduring traditions.

redoubles every hazard. The pantry

When it’s time to sow seeds, forage, and

is that model.

support local farmers, we can stock up in a noble, yet humble fashion. Generosity springs from self-

Just as kitchen skills liberate us from costly reliance on the

reliance, met needs, and community hardiness—a virtuous

pre-packaged, and just as gardening skills open a world

cycle of sufficiency. With foresight, and drawing on the

of flavour, nourishment, and resilience, the skills of food

local bounty, we're reviving a long heritage of adaptability.

storage are deceptively simple and revolutionary in their

The circulation of what’s needed smooths into a steadying,

potential. Tried and true, and transformative.

nourishing flow.

Not everyone has a built-in pantry. Yet a cool, dry closet or

Then we can stay home, because home is a source of

cupboard can host a store of dried goods. A sack of dried

strength and resilience.

beans for example, or whole grains bought in good times, can keep for years and sustain us.

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THE PANTRY, THE POTAGER, AND THE PRESERVES /

The Potager Whether we’re feeling daunted by the state of the world or

The winter garden, like the pantry, the cold-room, and

hopeful for a future vividly regenerated, we are sustained

the root cellar, releases us from dependence on armies of

by the foundational act of trudging out to the potager—the

refrigerator trucks and ships, and on bags of four-day-old

kitchen garden—in any weather and any season to harvest

vegetables soon to be thrown out of shops and left to fester.

vegetables for a steadying soup.

Not to mention streams of pesticides and fertilisers washing deadened soils out to sea.

The winter potager is particularly invigorating, though it looks so unassuming. The primal delights of pulling carrots

There’s no need for tractors here, where peace abounds.

or digging parsnips reveals their sweet stores, rooted down

No noise but that of little birds perched on handmade

and ready. The satisfaction of a leek popping loose from the

frames and fence posts. The energy required for this richly

soil, scenting our hands as it emerges, microbial inhalation

productive endeavour is the sort we have a little too much

like a laughing gas in the soil clustered round its roots. The

of anyway. The sort that loves to potter about in fresh air,

tenderness of choosing a cabbage, sweet babies standing

face in the leaves, crouched in pathways, fingernails dirty,

contentedly in the garden. These plain, humble vegetables

picking ingredients for the table.

lend a richness we cannot buy.

Now we turn inwards, to wintry nights, warmed by a stout The potager itself, and every variant upon it, has a long,

soup. We thumb through seed catalogues and pencil

rich history. It seems that at this moment—at the turn

sketches in notebooks, designing not only another year in

of a decade that will decide whether we ourselves are

the potager, but crafting our plan for living in harmony with

creative, cooperative, and resilient enough to preserve some

life itself.

fundamental equilibrium on the earth—the kitchen garden holds one of the keys.

As a model, it reappears in times of trouble, revived. If we picture the elements that support all of life, the simple act of harvesting vegetables from the kitchen garden, grown, tended, and prepared with our own hands, is rudimentary.

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47

"Preserving food is such a fine poster child for living in harmony with the planet."

50

FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

THE PANTRY, THE POTAGER, AND THE PRESERVES /

The Preserves Most people were growing and preserving at home, with

When we step away from the ways of living that fossil-fuelled

their own hands, in one form or another up until the heights

industry has perpetuated for a brief, brutal period, we step

of the industrial revolution. Taking it up again by the tens of

back into rhythm with the way things are done when our

millions during wartime. Reviving it whenever crisis called, as it surely is today. Transforming the fresh into the stable creates a reliable store of deep nutrition to draw on when times are tough.

priorities and energies are well-aligned.

"Transforming the fresh into the stable creates a reliable store of deep nutrition."

It seems a great indicator that we

Who doesn’t relish, then, selecting a pot of homemade jelly, whether it be crab apple or pear, from a row on the pantry shelf, or cracking open a jar of blackberry jam in deep winter, or savouring your own briny pickles or some other canned

possess both the collective wisdom and an ancient heritage

delicacy at any time of year? Preserving food is such a fine

of getting the critical things done with our own hands. This

poster child for living in harmony with the planet.

inherent resilience is as powerful as the ills it remedies.

appleturnover.tv

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

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STRONGHOLDS

18 PLACES THAT SPEAK OF MAGIC

Each of us has a special place—a physical space we claim or an imaginary nest we construct—enabling us to focus on the things that really matter. A place where each element is thoughtfully chosen to bring out the best in us, if only for a moment.

What are the places you need for survival?

1

A Place to Escape My 1952 semi-restored wooden fishing trawler is the place I use to escape. Running my own businesses means that my thoughts are

often filled with to-do lists. But the moment I’m floating on my boat, my mind goes quiet. There is nothing I can do to solve a work problem. I'm not going anywhere fast, so I may as well just slow down and enjoy the moment.

It's heaven.

JESSICA WILSON, SALT SPRING ISLAND

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

55

18 PLACES THAT SPEAK OF MAGIC /

2

A Place to Paint Early

morning

across

Reef

light

Bay,

sweeps

hugging

the

westerly coast of the Strait of Georgia.

My brush moves swiftly between palette and gessobord, and a quick acrylic sketch emerges. It may later serve as a reference for larger studio oil paintings of the Gulf Islands.

Songbirds chorus in a rare patch of island poplar trees. A seal surfaces then slides back into the Salish Sea. Ten minutes go by, then 20, and finally 45 minutes have passed. I need the directness of our landscape to bring this unfiltered exchange to my work.

TERRILL WELCH, MAYNE ISLAND

3

A Place to Heal I moved from LA to Salt Spring a year and a half ago to heal from burnout and trauma.

4

A Place to Farm Our farm faces southwest. It is undeniably quiet here under the gaze of a near-

I grew up in Ottawa and after nearly two decades in

constant sun. Even the winds are less intense, broken

the US, I knew it was time to come home. I followed

by tall, protective firs on all sides of our land. Life is in

my intuition and body’s guidance to this place. In

tune with the rate at which our organic crops grow—

August I signed a lease for a sweet little cottage with

unhurried. After 30 years our soils have responded

a garden that, especially in these pandemic times,

tenfold to our nurturing. We work from a philosophy

has become the sanctuary I was seeking. Arbutus on

of careful crop-family rotations, always putting back

one side, Douglas firs on the other. I never imagined

in more than we take out. There's a glory in growing

that after big city life this would suit me so well, but it

this food for market: my salads, Thomas's corn and

feels like I’m finding the ‘me’ I’d forgotten.

potatoes, bunches upon bunches of basil whose

NATALIE ARIANNE BACKE, SALT SPRING ISLAND

aroma overwhelms my tiny car, and a lot more we’re proud of. I can't wait for island-dwellers to know these tastes, to create and to cook with them, and to nourish their families. This land is much-loved and is a quite extraordinary place to farm.

HENNY SCHNARE, GALIANO ISLAND

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PHOTO BY TERRILL WELCH (LEFT), MAGGIE JANE CHECH (RIGHT)

5

A place to record In my cozy clay-walled recording studio, I sit and hold my guitar. It is the deep silence

that I am entranced by, only broken by songbirds’ melodies, an occasional chorus of frogs, and the distant knocking of woodpeckers. I close my eyes and I dream. I create and I play. My solo instrumental compositions are expressions of the depth of wonder and mystery of life. These melodies express feelings I struggle to put Into words. Like weaving a basket, my fingers work as one with my guitar, weaving together a sonic tapestry to feed the soul.

ADAM DOBRES, PENDER ISLAND

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6

A Place to Fly Every flight is an adventure. Every time I climb into that cockpit and review my

checklist prior to takeoff, something unpredictable begins. Runway conditions are always different, the weather shifts, the people in the air around me are never the same, the clouds are capricious. And so your fascination with flight grows. Flying is an art you can continue to perfect. I learned to fly in gliders: fast or slow, up or down, sideways, or in a roll. The combinations are like a ballet in the air. The physics, the energy, the wonderful ingenuity of humankind to assemble a bunch of metal, rubber, and glass— put some fire to it and away it goes. Amazing!

DOBY DOBROSTANSKI, TEXADA ISLAND

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A Place to Dance A barn-style studio with a perfect maple floor, an airy loft space, and big windows

that look out to tall trees on all sides—this is the stuff of which a dancer's dreams are made. Mornings are best. The early sun creates puddles of light on the floor. The bright wood-filled interior perfectly contrasts the weight of the lavish green forest exterior, the magic of the space brought to life by the skills of John Parfitt. Nothing is better for losing track of time than being in this space: to move, to dance, to make music, to practise, to be still, to be silent.

DAYNA SZYNDROWSKI, GALIANO ISLAND

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A Place to Paddle The magic of the Salish Sea is captured in every stroke we take. In the early morning

paddle. The sunset paddle. The multi-day paddle to other islands. It’s as though these glassy waters were specifically designed for fun, for endless escapades, and for family—magic is in the air everywhere we explore. I am blessed that my family shares this attitude of adventure, helping us to find our place in the Salish Sea.

This yurt has been given a new life, inspired

by

Vancouver’s

Bloedel

Conservatory. With a little love and a lot of work, it has been transformed into a West Coast tropical garden, growing fresh veggies and

JAY RAICHURA, PENDER ISLAND

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9

A Place to Reconstruct

FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

tropical plants all year round.

PHOTOS BY THIRZA VOYSEY

18 PLACES THAT SPEAK OF MAGIC /

10

A Place to Sleep You might think I’m weird, or maybe just slightly odd, but this is how I spend

my dark third. Pillows and more pillows are a must.

I like to build a nest around me, and not with just any old pillows. I like a feather one on either side of me, and a special memory foam neck pillow under my head. Oh, and don’t forget the skinny foam one between my knees. That one is essential for a good night’s sleep. Then there are the blankets. Lots of heavy blankets, especially as I sleep with my window open year-round. It’s a bit like returning to the womb.

All those boundaries create a sense of safety and security. I like to call it my ‘bedwomb’ (instead of my bedroom). It’s a sanctuary, complete with altar, meditation cushion, and yoga mat. And books. I always have a stack of partially read books beside the bed to suit my ever-changing mood. And I ALWAYS make my bed in the morning so that my bedwomb is ready to embrace me again that night.

KAREN PHILLIPS, GABRIOLA ISLAND

Fixed up with reclaimed wood and pallets, it is one of the many functional beautiful spaces on my half-acre property which I’ve constructed with just a little money and a bit more time.

Creativity can go a long way. It’s a lovely place to relax, and a second living space for me to work or share dinner with friends.

SARAH CHIASSON, GABRIOLA ISLAND

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18 PLACES THAT SPEAK OF MAGIC /

11

A Place to Create My cordwood/stack wall studio is a place for me to play. It’s also a place where I

display my art and nurture my passion for wellness.

The walls are fashioned from beach logs—collected and built by my family—and held together with mixed

earth

and

concrete,

interspersed

with

colourful bottles. This space was for a storage shed, but one day I said to myself, ”This is going to be my space!” There is something about the feeling of the round logs and the earthy smell that is calming and

12

A Place to Drink When I need to put it all aside and spend some time with my friend, Jack

timeless for me. It’s a place where I can be alone and

Daniels, there are two choices. The nearest pub is 10

listen to my creativity.

kilometres away and I don’t drive. So my preferred option is the private outdoor bar we built in our

I tend to dislike being run by the clock and being

front yard. Colloquially known as “the Wayl-Inn” —

alone is an important part of my life. After healing

an enormous portrait of Waylon Jennings hangs on

from breast cancer nearly 20 years ago, I know the

the far wall— this Pacific Northwest-style juke joint is

importance of self-connection. Being here is my

where locals join us for happy hour. It’s also where my

time to connect with the sacred source, allowing my

creative partner, Bradley, and I cooked up the idea of

imagination to flow from my heart. It’s where I feel

our podcast—the Escapists. At night we watch the

freedom and joy because, in this space, I can dive

slugs trying to make their way into the taps. Slugs

deeply into what I’m doing. It’s also a place where

love beer.

I connect with others, but only when I feel like it. I love sharing the process of how I create a medicinal

ADRIAN MACK, SALT SPRING ISLAND

product, and it’s often the longer visits that offer the greatest connection for me. There is an upper level here as well, where I dry herbs and sometimes just sit and enjoy.

JOSÉE VELSEN, GABRIOLA ISLAND

PHOTO BY THIRZA VOYSEY (LEFT), BRETTE LITTLE (RIGHT)

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A Place to Bathe Eating, drinking coffee, and especially bathing—everything is better outdoors. The more time I spend outside, the more connected I feel to my environment. My roots intertwine and I am grounded. I want

to pass this deep appreciation on to my daughter so that she hears the calling to protect all there is in nature.

STEPHANIE ARTUSO, GABRIOLA ISLAND

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE ARTUSO

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18 PLACES THAT SPEAK OF MAGIC /

14

A Place to Write I can write here because there aren’t so many effing

15

A Place to Mother A rooster crowing at sunrise breaks the all-encompassing silence that surrounds

people. Friendly folks abound, and I know

us on Thetis Island. The older children learn patience

where to find them, but from our place,

and responsibility, not only in caring for their little

you can’t see a neighbour, and that’s why

sisters but also on our growing farm. Their morning

we moved here. Our place is beautiful:

chores ground them, teaching them lessons that

an orchard, a pond, and surrounding

are different from those they learn at the one-room

magnificent trees with ravens sharing

schoolhouse our tiny community cherishes. A day

secrets—some of them about you—in

of caring for farm and family leaves our bodies tired,

several different languages. But to write

but our hearts full.

I go downstairs, to a windowless room where I face a blank wall, which is more

CARRIE SHARP, THETIS ISLAND

conducive to fruitful dreams.

BILL GASTON, GABRIOLA ISLAND

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A Place to Sweat I climb on, push down on the pedals, and the bike jumps into life. In this moment,

I am filled with joy, rolling effortlessly along with the air streaming by. The wind catching me and tossing me across the road as I round onto Brickyard bay. The pleasure of the dry sweat and the physical exertion of crawling up a steep incline. Or holding to my line, no brakes, wheeling down the Ferne hill. The freedom of being able to follow my heart wherever it directs.

The peaceful solitude of an empty mind, spinning down the quiet decline of the Gabriola Tunnel. The meditative headspace that follows, everything is perfect.

PHILIP MCADAM, GABRIOLA ISLAND

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PHOTOS BY THIRZA VOYSEY

17-18

A Place to Gather and to Release Gather At the base of a tall cliff, huge maple limbs reach out over a shore of smooth black rocks and eroded sandstone. The sea birds are loud, but the sea lions’ belches and barks are even louder—all in celebration of abundance. Deer wander the beaches of this lush, magnetic place. I feel high on oxygen as I gather shellfish, berries, seaweed, and other seasonal foods in this perfectly secluded setting. Wildcrafting for gourmet sustenance is a privilege I approach with reverent humility. As an uninvited guest on a Salish Sea island, I watch for signs of permission to participate in nature's tradition of vital nourishment.

Release My rough-built outhouse is set under a coastal rainforest canopy. Thick bright moss and woodland flowers

carpet

the

space

between

sandstone

boulders and giant ferns. There is neither a door nor screen to block the enchanting view from the comfort of the seat. Songbirds have been known to land on a branch and serenade a delighted crapper.

This is more than a peaceful place to evacuate, however. It's where resentment, complaints, and outdated beliefs are discarded and released to make room for new, enlightened ideas.

MARCELLE GLOCK, MUDGE ISLAND

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BEADWORK AS MEDICINE WORDS AND PHOTOS BY KRYSTA FURIOSO

The islands may be where people come to get away, but they also inspire people to tap into their creative energy. Allowing a craft to take over your life here doesn’t make you lazy, whimsical, or idealistic. It makes you a local.

As a creative, I clicked right into place when we moved from the city, but my embryonic status as an Islander was laid bare every time I answered one simple question: “What do you do?” My response was the same as it had been for the last 20 years: “I’m a graphic designer.”

Seeing that statement greeted with a blank look was at first confusing, but I soon came to learn that when someone asks what you do, they mean “What do you paint, sculpt, draw, build, carve, dye, weave, write, or bake?”

So my new answer is: “I bead.”

I’ve been a beadweaver for more than 30 years, but this craft that I love had never been much more than a hobby or, at most, a side-hustle.

Now suddenly, this beloved art form defines who I am, and where I fit into my community: I am The Beader. Koo koo kachoo.

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Now, every day begins and ends with

From the Saturday Market to VW van

design ideas. For a beadweaver, bringing

pop-up shops, from stealth drop missions

such ideas to life means hours of

delivering emergency gifts for special

meticulous work with tiny objects, but the

occasions to what might just be the world’s

moment of finally weaving in your thread

first beadwork farm stand, I do my best to

and holding a new creation in your hands is

keep our paradise as beaded as possible.

what it’s all about.

That this bead arrangement might end up adorning someone for purposes of beauty and cultural connection is thrilling.

And there's no denying that my tether and connection to community is a strong, intricately woven, beaded thread.

As an Anishinaabekwe, beadwork is the medicine I’ve been gifted. I strive to not only create beauty, but also to strengthen, protect, and be a responsible steward for this craft as it’s brought into the modern world. Pop culture is often at violent odds with the efforts of Indigenous People to reclaim and maintain autonomy over our own identity. Art has always been a stronghold of Indigenous culture, and through it we connect the Ancestors with our children. It’s a responsibility to be a link in that chain.

Beadweaving now supports my family, and I’m able to share my work both near and far from our home in this mini hub of West Coast art. A glimpse of my work being worn in the grocery store or adorning a stranger walking through town is a humbling reminder of the reciprocity that exists between craft and maker and wearer, and how such intimate arrangements keep little places like this alive and thriving.

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WITH BOB MASSE

He moved to Salt Spring Island for the meandering roads, perfect for breezy motorcycle rides, far from city noise. Twenty years on, those early attractions continue to exert their charm. It’s a far cry from his days bound-up in the rock 'n' roll revelry of the ‘60s and ‘70s perhaps, but his work is still pulling him away from his island studio where he slots his funky, vivid, iconic prints into tubes for yet another spin to the post office.

He is Bob Masse, now 75, still producing artwork for music legends, past and present, from his quiet island home. You might be a country fan or a classical music junkie. You might be 20 or pushing 80. No matter where you land on the age/music spectrum, you’ll likely recognize Masse’s work, particularly his stuff from the early days of folk rock. His quintessential designs conjure up images of psychedelia and San Francisco’s hippy Haight-Ashbury era. More recently, Masse has been creating posters featuring David Bowie and Pink Floyd.

PHOTO BY PATRICK BELANGER

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

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When he tells the stories that trace his evolution from his Burnaby roots to art student, to in-demand poster artist to backstage

fixture—hanging

out

in

San

Francisco and LA in the ‘60s and ‘70s with the likes of The Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison—it’s easy to feel a rise of envy, knowing that those days are long gone. “I get a lot of young people really pissed off,” Masse says. “’Goddamn, you had all the fun!’”

As a Vancouver art student looking for work experience in 1964, Masse hung out in local music clubs. “You come up to someone and say, ‘I’ll do a couple dollars of artwork for free,’

“I even spelled his bloody name wrong.”

and I got all the work I’d ever want for a free pass,” he says. “Early on I wandered over to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and said I’d do a free poster for Bob Dylan. I didn’t know much about him—I even spelled his bloody name wrong!” Masse recalls with a laugh. “But the funny thing is I got away with it because no one complained about free work. They just took it.”

“And really, I didn’t need art school. I always drew, my whole life. It came easy for me.” The poster inspiration, though, came from the art nouveau world. “Art nouveau and Edwardian periods were what was being done in San Francisco at that time,” he says. “English guys with ruffled fronts, like Cream, all wearing turn of the century garb. Art nouveau is a feminine art style, and Alphonse Mucha was my main guy.”

Much later, Masse would find inspiration down the Google tunnel in art deco, art nouveau, European architecture, and even sign painting. “There was a book I found called The Art of Lettering and Sign Painter's Manual, which was used as a sort of template on how to make a decorative sign. This was like a bible to me.”

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ARTWORK BY BOB MASSE

A RIDE THROUGH THE GOLDEN ERA OF ROCK /

Establishing himself as a fixture in

Such connections held Masse in LA for

Vancouver’s

Masse

a time—preferring LA to San Francisco

moved where the scene moved, from

for the green and the forests. He moved

hootenannies to hangouts for beatniks—

to Laurel Canyon where all the stars,

where all the major folk acts were at the

including Joni, lived. Setting up base in

time. “It was when all these bands in San

Errol Flynn’s garage, Masse worked for

Fran started to merge rock 'n' roll and

whiskey and passes to shows, creating

folk,” he said.

posters for bands like The Birds, hanging

music

venues,

out backstage with Jim Morrison and Masse started joining The Bunkhouse

Janis Joplin. “To me she was nobody,”

venue owner on monthly road trips

he says. “Drinking her Southern Comfort

to San Francisco to book bands. “The

then. You couldn’t get near the Rolling

streets were ablaze with colour!” Masse

Stones or the Beatles, but everyone else

says. “Catching people’s eyes with all this

was just like regular folk at that time.

advertising art.”

When you hear about it in hindsight, people are like, ‘Nooooo!’ But to me they

And as the only guy with a VW van,

were just a bunch of long hairs.”

Masse began ferrying booked acts from the border. “I remember

Working without a green card and with

picking up The Grateful

the Vietnam War deepening, Masse

Dead: tight pants with

says paranoia got the better of him and

stripes,

tight

Beatle

he headed home to Vancouver. Having

boots. Crazy long hair.

made a name for himself south of the

We’d never seen hair

border, he continued with his trade once

like that before. The

back on home turf, doing work for Alanis

border made sure they

Morrisette, the Red Hot Chili Peppers,

promised to play the

and Stevie Nicks, among others. “The

weekend then leave as

‘90s posters are still the ones that sell

soon as they were done. Who

the most,” he says. “My most famous and

would have thought they’d get as

popular piece is of The Grateful Dead.

big as they did?”

Then a Pink Floyd piece. All these bands are timeless, and young folks are still

“It all became so much more than designing

posters,”

Masse

discovering them.”

observes,

speaking of hitching a ride to the bright

“I often look back at what I did and

streets

Warner

think, 'What the hell?'—I produced some

Brothers took him on because they were

really strange things. But in those days,

“intrigued by the ‘psychedelic art stuff.’

someone would say, ‘Steve Miller’s coming

The head director was like, ‘wait, you’re

to town, have it ready in a couple days’

from Canada? There’s someone here you

and that was it. There was no questioning,

should say hello to.’ This little blonde girl

and I did whatever mood I was in. I’d see

comes up. Tiny, a mouth full of teeth, and

a picture somewhere and say ‘this would

from the Prairies. ‘This is Joni Mitchell.’”

make a nice poster.’”

of

California

where

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A RIDE THROUGH THE GOLDEN ERA OF ROCK /

Bob and his wife lived in Vancouver for another decade until the city clamour got to be too much. “It’s nice living on the island because I’m into slowing down and doing my art,” he says. “And the work is easier now, with technology. In the ‘90s it was incredibly time consuming. Now I’m exposed to an enormous number of images and that keeps me interested.

Pinterest is my big one. Although in those days, I just did whatever the hell I wanted. My customer base now is a lot fussier. I guess it’s because we weren’t being paid much then, or anything at all…”

Fifty years on and Masse’s still busy making the kind of posters that became his trademark. Bands commission him directly, and he also creates designs on spec, for which he secures licences.

At 75, Masse admits he’s settled into a

"The art is what keeps me going."

more semi-retired perspective on life.

“Semi-retired, meaning I sleep in. I’ve actually become a master of sleep. Get up at 10, go to sleep at 10.” Meanwhile, this lifelong poster boy keeps on making his art, cutting cardboard for shipping, rolling up his finished pieces, and heading out on his beloved motorbike.

Forever trailing behind him are memories of an explosive and revolutionary era of music whose influences continue to reverberate deeply today. “I can’t see myself fully retiring,” he says. “The art is what keeps me going.”

ARTWORK BY BOB MASSE PHOTO BY PATRICK BELANGER

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How we spend our days is how we spend our lives — Annie Dillard, The Writing Life

PHOTO BY JAMES WHEELER

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PHOTO BY @SYDWOODWARD_

FOLKLIFE RECIPES /

ROOTING AROUND FOR SEASONAL FARE

BY MEG DE JONG

Hearty Soup Before I became a gardener, I had no

Parsnips

clue why anyone would want to cook

slightly less sweet and more starchy in

with obscure vegetables such as kohlrabi

texture. They hold a special place in my

or parsnips. It seemed like unnecessary

heart as they are extremely hardy and

work and yet they always appear on the

nourishing—they can be harvested from

farm stands.

midsummer right through to early spring

are

similar

to

carrots,

but

of the following year. I’ve even harvested After starting to grow my own food,

them during a blizzard! Parsnips baked

however, I discovered how fun it can be

as fries or blended into a soup are hard to

to experiment with new types of seasonal

beat!

veg! Kohlrabi and parsnips are super fun to grow, prepare, or find at farmers markets,

The soup recipe that follows is everything

and they’re available most of the year on

you could wish for: it’s thick, creamy,

the west coast of Canada.

savoury, and delicately sweet, with a touch of peanut butter for extra goodness.

Kohlrabi is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family, consisting of a round bulb attached to a long leafy stem. It tastes like a mix of potato, turnip, and cabbage, and its uses in the kitchen are almost endless! Kohlrabi makes tasty, albeit unusual, fries or fritters, but you can

"Parsnips baked as fries or blended into a soup are hard to beat!"

also bake it, purée it into soup, or even eat it raw! In the coastal region, kohlrabi can be harvested from late May (when grown in a greenhouse) through until late September.

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FOLKLIFE RECIPES /

Creamy Peanut Parsnip Kohlrabi Soup Serves 2 people as a main or 4 people as a side dish 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 inch knob fresh ginger, grated 1 medium white onion, finely chopped 1 tsp curry powder 1 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp cardamom powder 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/4 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp sea salt 1/2 a medium size kohlrabi, skin removed, cubed (approx. 2 cups) 2 medium parsnips, chopped into disks (approx. 2 cups) 1/3 cup all-natural peanut butter 4 cups water (or more, depending on desired thickness)

Preheat oven to 350F. Place parsnip disks on a cookie tray. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until parsnips are fork tender. Heat the remaining Tbsp of olive oil in a large pot. Add garlic, onion, and ginger, and sauté until lightly browned. Add all spices and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add water and chopped kohlrabi to the pot.

Cover with lid and let come to a boil, then remove lid and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Once kohlrabi is cooked (poke with a fork), add ovenbaked parsnips and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.

Add peanut butter to the mixture until melted, then remove soup from heat. Let cool until you can safely transfer to a blender (you may have to blend in 2 to 3 batches). Blend until soup is smooth and creamy. Add a touch more water if you prefer a more liquefied texture, then reheat.

Serve and garnish with chopped radish and a fresh herb of your choice (cilantro, dill, parsley, or thyme are great options). Sprinkle with additional sea salt and pepper and serve. I enjoy this soup with a slice of sourdough bread or some baked parsnip fries (chop parsnips into fry-shape pieces, drizzle with olive oil, and bake alongside the parsnips intended for the soup).

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FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

PHOTO BY @MEGDEJONG.NUTRITION

SALAD DAYS IN ALL SEASONS What is it about certain combinations

In this recipe, the cabbage, onions, and

of food? I could eat this simple, yet

root veg cover all the veggie bases, the

incredibly flavourful dish for breakfast,

baked yams (or potatoes) act as highly

lunch, and dinner pretty well any day

versatile, complex carbohydrates, and the

of the week! I created this recipe by

tahini sauce drizzled on top adds healthy

merging a selection of my favourite

fats. Adding chickpeas to the mix provides

ingredients, the ones I seem to have

a nourishing protein source and some

on hand at all times of the year: onions,

extra-soluble fibre.

cabbage, yams, carrots, and tahini.

I believe cooking should never be too complicated. I love to create simple, full-bodied dishes that come together in less than 30 minutes, using minimal ingredients. As a holistic nutritionist and regenerative gardener, I try to incorporate lots of vegetables and include nourishing

"I believe cooking should never be too complicated."

proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats to help promote balanced blood sugars in every dish.

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FOLKLIFE RECIPES /

Roasted Roots & Sautéed Cabbage Salad Serves 2 people as a main or 4 people as a side dish 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 small clove garlic, minced 1/2 head of green cabbage, finely chopped (approx. 3 cups) 1 medium white onion 3 medium yams or potatoes, diced (2 cups) 3 large carrots, diced (1 cup) 1 cup cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, rinsed and drained) 2 Tbsp Tamari (aka gluten-free soy sauce) 1/2 tsp rice vinegar Garnish: a sprinkle of sesame seeds or hemp hearts

Tahini Sauce 1/4 cup tahini 1 Tbsp maple syrup 2 Tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F.

2 Tbsp warm water (plus more for thinning if needed) 1/4 tsp sea salt

Chop yams into bite-size cubes and carrots into thin disks. Place them on a cookie tray, generously drizzling with oil, and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes (until fork tender).

Finely chop the cabbage and onions and mince the garlic.

Preheat a pan on medium heat with a generous drizzle of oil. Add the garlic and onions and sauté until lightly browned. Add the cabbage, Tamari, and rice vinegar and continue to sauté.

With the various veggies underway, prepare the tahini sauce in a small bowl. Mix all ingredients until well blended. The sauce should be thick yet runny enough to drizzle. Add more water as needed. Sample the sauce to ensure it’s to your taste. Add more of any ingredient to suit your preference.

Once the veggies are ready, place all the ingredients on a serving dish. Drizzle with tahini sauce and sprinkle with some sesame seeds or hemp hearts for a final flourish and extra goodness.

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FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

PHOTO BY @MEGDEJONG.NUTRITION

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SAILING AWAY

FROM FOSSIL FUELS WITH SIMON STILES PHOTOS BY JULIEN GIRARDOT

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Simon Stiles is a man born for adventure.

Six years ago he quit his job, moved from an apartment into a campervan, then on to a motorcycle. He sold everything to travel the roads of North America. The road eventually ran out, so Simon bought, sight unseen, a dilapidated 47-foot catamaran on Canada’s western shores. He turned his hand to rebuilding that boat and making it seaworthy once again.

Simon’s now more than two years into the project, buoyed by a ‘sink or swim’ mentality.

He lives aboard while he doggedly pursues his vision for a fossil-fuel free existence. FOLKLIFE got the chance to catch up with this Ottawaborn 31-year-old YouTube vlogger and former landlubber, intrigued by his epic undertaking.

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"I don’t see a future where I’m on fossil fuels forever. "

How does it feel to no longer be living a nomadic existence?

This phase of my life means investing in my future, nesting, and building something. I’m very much a millennial, and I don’t see a future where I’m on fossil fuels forever. Selling my campervan and buying a sailboat was the fossil fuel free solution I needed, because spending a minimum of $1,200 a month on gas was not a long-term solution. Water and wind is a cheaper way to travel.

How did you come to these decisions?

The only plan I’ve had in this six-year adventure from the motorhome to the motorcycle to the boat is, ‘I’ll just figure out what to do when I get there.' It’s a one-step-ata-time process—do one thing you don’t know how to do, and then go on to the next thing. I’d never been aboard a boat until three months before I bought this one.

Why do you put yourself into situations where you don’t really know what you’re doing?

Well, when I first set out in my campervan, I had some money saved up. I had never really gone anywhere, but I just figured if worse comes to worst, I can always turn around and drive back to Ottawa. Every step of my road trip, I learned more about how to fix engines, how to camp wild, and to do things I previously had no idea how to do. This just felt like the next logical step to me.

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SAILING AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS /

What was it like buying this boat sight

goal is for this boat to be a self-sustaining

unseen?

little island where it makes its own fuel,

It was both worse and better than I

makes its own water, and where I can grow

thought. A sunken barge that hadn’t

food on board. I’d like to be able to have

moved from the same spot in 17 years,

everything on one system. I like closed-loop

touching bottom every single day—it’s

systems—something I can build on and

a complete top to bottom rebuild. Its

perfect to become self-sustaining.

keels were rotting, its fiberglass was delaminating, the decks had 150 holes in

What keeps you motivated?

them. Total wood rot. It just kept getting

I want to show people what’s possible,

worse the more I dug. It was a nightmare.

because I’m not wealthy. I didn’t come at

The hulls, at least, were good, so there was

this with a lot of money. Every solar electric

a skeleton there I could start with, but I just

boat I’ve seen out there is a weird concept

didn’t realize how much work was involved.

boat that was funded with like, two and a half million dollars. I don’t have that. I

Have you ever felt like walking away?

earn less than a minimum wage making

Had I known then what I know now, I

videos on YouTube. And that’s been my

wouldn’t have continued, but I needed

income. That’s what’s been rebuilding my

to learn all these skills I now have and,

boat. I think by the time it’s done I’ll be

unfortunately, you can’t do that aimlessly.

about $40,000 in, which is pretty cheap,

And I don’t like quitting. That’s probably

considering.

the biggest thing that has kept me going.

It’s tough to rationalize because it’s still a

Do you hope to be cruising her for many

slog, especially when it’s been raining for

years to come?

four days straight! Then I can’t help but ask

I’m starting to see the effects of global

myself, ”Why am I doing this?” I guess one

warming, seeing storms like we’ve had

day I’ll look back on all of it and be like, “Oh

lately, one after the other after the other.

I learned so much. I built this crazy home

They’re not that bad, but a future where

that no one else in the world has.” And I’ll

you’re in a delicate little sailboat out there

feel proud of it. Till then, here I am, over

in all those storms doesn’t sound so great.

two years in and the boat still looks like

So I’m really eyeing up submarines. I would

garbage. But a lot has been done and I’m

love to buy a hydrogen fuel cell submarine

now living fossil fuel free on it.

because I could still go fossil fuel free. I just have to figure out how to store the

Do you see any big drawbacks ahead?

hydrogen, which is a little tricky. I might do

Everything about my boat is unproven,

a small test on my boat eventually, just to

and there’s no shortage of people online

perfect a DIY system to see if it’s feasible.

telling me it will never go anywhere. I’m

I think my next boat—because there will

guessing these naysayers are people who

be a next boat—will not be less than forty

don’t take risks, so everything’s too scary.

thousand dollars. I don’t want to rebuild

Never crossing that first hurdle means all

ever again. I’ve learned enough now.

these other hurdles seem impossible. My

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HOW TO FIND

CREATIVE SOVEREIGNTY THROUGH JOURNALING

BY TAMMY HUDGEON PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE ARTUSO

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HOW TO FIND CREATIVE SOVEREIGNTY THROUGH FREE-EXPRESSION JOURNALING /

I had been actively creating art for a decade

place to delve into new artistic ideas, to

before I began to keep a visual journal.

get thoughts out of my head, to express

Before then I’d been intimidated by the

myself without fear or self-consciousness.

idea, mistakenly believing that I needed to

I free write, stream-of-consciousness style,

be a proficient sketcher or watercolourist,

sometimes surprised by what arises. I might

a writer or poet, to make use of a practice

make a point of noting the date and where

like journaling.

I happen to be, alongside a rough and tumble sketch of something that’s piqued

I thought I needed to have something

my interest in that moment. Then I’ll add

important to say, and it turns out that I

layers of colour, collage, and random mark-

did. I’ve since filled to bursting more than

making.

20 journals of every shape and size. We all

"I thought I needed to have something important to say, and it turns out that I did."

have a story, no matter how

My visual journal is my sanctuary, a place to

mundane we may falsely

find myself, to connect and reconnect, to

believe our story to be. My

reveal what wants to be seen, acknowledged,

visual journal is reserved for

and nourished within me. It’s also a place

me alone. A sacred space for

of pure play for the simple enjoyment of

my eyes, hands, and heart

experimenting with colour, shape, and

to explore and create—any time, any place.

texture.

In my home, waiting for a ferry, travelling around locally, or far from home.

One of my missions is to demystify the creative process, to encourage, and to

Having my journal with me, always open,

inspire others. Remember this:

receiving, willing to be my steady confidante and playmate, is a gift to my soul. It’s a

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We are ALL creative beings.

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A Way to Begin with Free-Expression Journaling At home, I like to start by lighting a candle, and maybe some incense. I pour a steamy cup of intensely dark chocolate into my favourite ceramic mug (I have many of these locally handmade treasures). In the cool months I like to cozy up by the fireside.

Mmmmmm……

First here are the rules: there are no rules! Gather together some or all of the following, and don’t let the idea that you don’t have “proper” materials get in the way.

•

Art journal or notebook—does not have to be fancy, in fact I like them decidedly unfancy

•

Soft, dark pencil for mark making (try using your non-dominant hand)

•

Assortment of pens, pencils, pencil crayons, and/or child’s crayons

•

Small watercolour set

•

Any art supplies you (or your child) have on hand

•

White school glue or glue stick

•

Old gift wrap, newspaper, photos, postcards, greeting cards for use in collage

I like to place a larger piece of paper or cardboard underneath, to serve as a sort of tablecloth. This makes it easier to go over the edge without worrying about making a mess.

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Begin with free writing using a prompt, such as: •

My favourite way to spend the day is…

•

30 things that make me smile are…

•

Something I’ll never forget is…

•

The words I’d like to live by are…

•

What I wish others knew about me…

Add some splashes of watered-down paint to your page.

Write some more. Glue random bits and pieces of paper: tea bag labels, old gift wrap, cards you’ve been saving (this is the reason you’ve been holding on to them!). Repeat. Add layers. Flip to the next page and start from the beginning again.

Colour, paint, express. There is no “right” way to do this.

It’s all yours. You get to decide.

Creativity is our birthright. You are a creative sovereign. tammyhudgeon.com

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"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about."

— Albert Einstein

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PHOTO BY SCOTT AMLING

FINDING ENTHUSIASM EAST POINT SATURNA ISLAND, BRITISH COLUMBIA

@KNIGHTJPHOTOGRAPHY

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CLAM DIGGING

BY TRISH WEATHERALL PHOTOS BY SWEET SEA PHOTOGRAPHY

AT

Night

CLAM DIGGING AT NIGHT /

My headlamp cuts a three-metre path through the briny air then fades to black. It’s 11:30 on a cloud-covered November night. This area produces about half of BC’s cultured shellfish and it’s my first time working alongside a commercial clam digger.

West Coast clam digging sounds like a laid-back way to spend a sunny afternoon on the beach. That may be true from May through August but, during the winter months, the lowest tides here occur at night, so the clam beds are under water during daylight hours.

It’s 8˚C tonight. Rain is in the air and the chill can seep into your bones quickly when you’re sitting on the soggy ocean floor. I’m dressed in multi-layers of cotton and fleece, plus a full rain suit, rubber boots, gardening gloves, and a toque. Our equipment is simple: two clamming rakes, two ice cream buckets, a few mesh bags, and a bottle of water each.

We venture out into the darkness and slosh along through dips and tidal pools, boots crunching over barnacle-encrusted rocks, craggy oysters, and a variety of empty shells littered over gravelly sand. There is no wind tonight and the stillness is broken only by the occasional squawks of nearby Canada geese, or by random, mysterious, squishy-slurpy sounds.

Outside my headlamp’s swath of light, a murky blackness looms, but for a few points of light across the Sound. Behind us on shore, there’s a handful of houses, gone dark for the night.

About 75 metres from the high-tide line my partner scratches the ground and finds what we are looking for—Manila clams—about four inches below the surface. This area is also rich in littleneck, butter, and razor clams, but Manilas are favoured commercially for their sweetness, attractive shell, and shorter cooking time. They earn more per pound and fetch even higher prices in winter when fewer commercial diggers are willing to brave the weather.

I set to work breaking up the crusty surface with my rake, pulling the top inch toward me, then raking back and forth and deeper until I feel the clunk of a clam. I analyze it for size (minimum 78mm) and species, then drop it into the pail. Repeat. Shuffle forward. Repeat.

At ground level there is an almost imperceptible but continual sound, like the crackling and snapping of Rice Krispies. Tiny crabs—mosscoloured, grey, black, none bigger than a quarter—dart away from

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my rake. After a while, I don’t even notice them. Mostly we are quiet and concentrated on our task. There is a meditative quality to the repetition and focus that’s required. All I’m thinking is, “Where is the next clam, is it a Manila, is it big enough to harvest?”

Sometimes I hit the jackpot, and can pick out three, four, and even five clams within a few seconds. Some areas I comb through for a minute or more and come up emptyhanded.

Absorbed in this way I don’t realize it’s started to rain until I look up and see the sparkles illuminated by my headlamp. But I’m warm and dry. I feel rugged, connected, and peaceful working like this—foraging food, scratching the ocean floor in the middle of the night on my knees.

I think about the generations before me that may have raked up shellfish in this very spot.

For more than 100 years, settlers have been digging along these shorelines to feed their families or for trade. Local First Nations have been harvesting clams here for thousands of years.

In just under two hours, the tide chases us back to shore. We have collected 36 kg of fine Manila clams. We trudge back to the truck where I peel off my muddy outer layer and climb in for the short drive home along the unlit roads. Inside once again, I feel a sense of satisfaction, accomplishment, and body fatigue. The fire now stoked in the wood stove, I relish sinking into my cozy bed.

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PHOTOS BY DWIGHT MAKEPEACE

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

Wildlife WITH

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY KUMIKO HAWKES

As you stroll along these island shorelines, ornately sculpted over millennia by wind and tides, or wander through sword fern, sedge, and salal along rainforest trails, you may chance upon a solitary figure, motionless as a sculpture, gazing into the distance through a mighty telephoto lens. This is Kumiko Hawkes, intrepid photographer, renowned for her stunning images of coastal wildlife and the natural world. If you see her in your travels, say hello. She’s a reserved presence in the field, but always ready with a quiet word and a friendly smile.

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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH WILDLIFE /

Cormorants, Eagles, and Peregrine Falcons It’s a beautiful West Coast summer day. A warm breeze

a high, shrieking sound. It’s a Peregrine falcon, the fastest

carries the salty aroma of the ocean. The sky is bright blue

bird in the world, known to have reached speeds up to 390

and dotted with puffy white clouds. Whale-watching boats

kilometres per hour. I’ve seen this particular falcon many

drift by and kayaks skim along effortlessly. I feel at peace as

times on the island, but this is my first time seeing it hunt,

I sit with my camera.

drawing on the full potential of its incredible speed.

Every year, hundreds of cormorants and gulls make their

It rises high into the sky, then strikes like a bolt of lightning,

nests along the wall of the cliffs here. From the ferry, it’s easy

knocking a young cormorant right out of its nest. With

to see their long white streaks on the rock face, a testament

the eagle and the falcon on the attack, the hundreds of

to years of habitation. The top of the cliff sits at least 50m

cormorants and gulls panic, scattering in all directions,

above the ocean, and there’s a small place to perch at the

some so close I fear I may be hit by their wings.

end of a public access trail. There are no barriers or fences at the edge of the cliff; it would not be a good place for

My heart pounds even harder and I find I’m struggling for

someone with a fear of heights. I, on the other hand, love it.

breath. I just can’t believe what I’m seeing. I feel completely

Sitting here, I feel like I am one of the birds.

alive and at one with this majestic natural scene. It’s all I can do to calm myself and come back into my own body. I

A massive flock of cormorants now flies in from a distance,

keep repeating to myself: “I have to truly see this. I have to

like something exploding. It approaches along the cliffs, in

remember this clearly.” So I stop taking photos and, instead,

what seems like slow motion, then bursts into a cacophony

just sit there and watch, steeping this moment into my

of screaming. I can’t see what’s causing the panic, but my

memory.

heart starts beating fast. Finally, I see a bald eagle flying in, closer to the cliffs.

I head back to this spot over the next few days, hoping for another glimpse of what I’d witnessed, but there is no repeat

The eagle’s not rushing. Now only about six metres away, it

performance. I’ve never understood why, since it ought to

glides in slowly, like a kite with its string being pulled from

be easy for birds of prey to hunt for cormorants, whose nests

the ocean below. I can see its eyes scouting the cormorant

are there for the taking. It’s as if these predators have secret

nests, searching for the best meal. Its vision locks on a target

knowledge of how much they can harvest without tipping

and it quickly shifts direction, swooping toward the cliff.

the balance.

Even with my heart beating hard I feel serene and calm,

I feel very honoured to have experienced this spectacular

and this beautiful day becomes even more special. I track

sight. It has deepened my appreciation of nature.

the eagle through my camera lens as it hunts. Then I hear

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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH WILDLIFE /

Cedar Waxwings One of my favourite things to do is to sit next to a river, lake, or marsh, early in the morning in the middle of summer. When the first of the morning light breaks above the horizon, with its orange glow, it accentuates the quiet. As the gentle light illuminates the scene, I focus on enjoying the rich aroma of the vegetation and water in silence. The first watch.

When a morning fog hangs above the water, they may reveal themselves first by their calls, like tiny ringing bells.

They—the Cedar Waxwings—often feed on insects at Coats Marsh during the summer months. These masked birds usually flock together and emit high whistling sounds akin to a gentle morning alarm. By the time the entire marsh is bathed in sunlight, I sometimes hear their distinctive sounds echoing throughout the surrounding woods.

Turning to breakfast, the Waxwings demonstrate their flight prowess by circling and trapping insects in the air. Seeing an earful of Waxwings feeding is like watching a squadron of pastel-pink paper airplanes flitting around the marsh. Their morning chimes are a joyful way to start my summer days.

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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH WILDLIFE /

Kingfisher and River Otter Foggy days are truly special to me. Fog—especially thick

When he finally notices me, he retreats to a nearby beach,

fog—is rare in Japan. On fall mornings when I awake to deep

singing out with his usual staccato calls. I follow him and

fog outside my bedroom window, I feel a rush of excitement,

sit down on a log to listen. After a while, the gentle, delicate

jump out of bed, dress in a hurry, and dash out the door.

sound of waves on the otherwise calm ocean captures my attention. The rippling is not far away, and it’s coming closer.

On one such deep, foggy morning I arrived at the beach to

The fog obscures whatever is headed my way.

be greeted by a soft, hazy view of the water. I breathed in the cool, humid air—its essence a blend of the salty sea and the

I wait a long time for my curiosity to be satisfied. A form

earthy forest. Usually, the beach is silent on a foggy day, and

finally takes shape—it’s a river otter. He’s caught a crab for

sometimes the fog is so thick I can’t see anything farther

breakfast and is now settling down to eat, just a metre from

than a metre or so away.

me. I start photographing him. The sound of my shutter startles him and he looks right at me but quickly turns his

On the lookout for a Kingfisher, I move stealthily along

attention back to his breakfast.

the beach in a whiteout world. I’ve always been intrigued by these adept fishers, bedecked in their stylish blue-grey

In that moment there is only the otter and me in that

tuxedos. Kingfishers are among the most reclusive of birds,

magical misty world. I feel incredibly clear and focussed. The

however, so I normally have to content myself with spying

only sounds are my camera shutter and the small crunching

on them from a distance. On a foggy day, though, I’m

sounds of the otter chewing his crab. Soon breakfast is done

sometimes able to remain undercover from the Kingfisher’s

and the otter slips back into the ocean and vanishes into

phenomenal vision.

the fog. For some time afterwards, I can still hear the gentle lapping of his wake as he glides through the ocean.

So when I chance upon him—a striking male—he doesn’t notice me, even though I am so close. Observing this

Much as I love the sunshine, my solo excursions on these

Kingfisher perched on an Arbutus branch, then flying across

haunting foggy days have resulted in some of my most

the surface of the flat ocean in the fog, is like being in a

memorable moments with wildlife.

painting, gradations of blue and grey colouring the world.

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A FRIVOLOUS TAKE ON ELECTRONIC MUSIC WITH DANIEL GARDNER

After touring the globe, Daniel Gardner, better known as Frivolous, brought his extraordinary electronic sound to the islands. His live shows were heralded for their energy, originality, and ingenuity. With more than 40 releases under his belt, Daniel turned to exploring the junction between city sound and rural downbeat, making an unconventional home for himself in the island forests.

His DIY aesthetic—using such homemade devices as the "Frivolous Patented Electromagnetic Knife," the "BrokenRuler Music Box," and the “Double Cable-Tub Bass”—crosses into realms of fantasy and imagination rarely heard in modern electronic dance music.

After a day working on his cabin in the woods, Daniel sat down with FOLKLIFE to discuss his devotion to music, to change, and to the urban/rural balance.

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Why devote your life to music, and more specifically, electronic music?

It’s hard to see it as devotion, although maybe it’s devoted itself to ME? No, I suppose you’re right, I am devoted. I just don’t see it as work these days, even as I’m about to take it in an academic direction.

What do you mean?

I was, for a period, obsessed with room acoustics, thinking it was a magic key of knowledge to how sound functioned and existed in the real world. But I now believe music should be more of a mindless preoccupation, maybe like knitting.

Something you just do, until you get into a scene where the work begins to be influenced by the other knitters, and you get more ambitious.

What do you like most about being a DJ? Well, I’m not so much a DJ. I mean I do it, but I’m not into DJ politics and profile building. I’m more a music producer focussed on writing music. And then there’s the live performance using digital instruments like synthesizers or MIDI controllers. DJing gives me a chance to try new songs, watch a dance-floor react to them (or not), and use that feedback to make changes to the production the next day. That’s what I love.

PHOTO BY DANIEL GARDNER

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Does Frivolous have a signature style?

becomes how to shape this into the best

One critic in the scene says I helped

thing it can be. That’s important to me,

spawn “micro-house.” But, like, what’s

and probably why I have been able to

micro-house? I make sounds that are

make a career of it—focussing on that

as much house and techno as jazz and

last part of polishing and then

folk. Sometimes I make sonic landscape

presenting it live.

paintings —imaginary scenarios that you can eavesdrop on. I see the word

What’s been the biggest learning curve in

“Sampledelic” being used now in art

making music professionally?

and music. I suppose it implies a kind

It’s probably these recent years on

of kaleidoscope of samples and historic

the island as I became obsessed with

snapshots. But again, that’s maybe

perfecting the tools of the process. These

too much.

things are important, but what goes into the process is just as important. Imagine

What’s the essence of what you do?

George Martin’s engineering genius

I make music that attempts to balance

without the chemistry of those goofy kids

many things. First and foremost, weight. So

he produced. Did we go, “Wow, that Peter

it should groove and make you happy—not

Sellers comedy record was a work of art!”?

melt your face or try to reference a panicky

Not really. We needed the whole package,

emotion. That being said, everything can

including the ideas and the energy.

be juxtaposed. For the most part, it’s soul music—just really contemporary. Some

How did you come up with the name

people are partial to different periods of

Frivolous?

my work. Some aren’t. There were albums

It was a disguise I used in Vancouver, back

that went in a jazzy direction like “Midnight

in the early 2000s when the scene wasn’t

Black Indulgence” and then more dark

that into hearing “intelligent” music. I was

murky stuff in recent times, like my

trying to get gigs and the disguise became

latest “Release Paralysis” or its precursor

a satire. And then it stuck.

“Meteorology.”

How is your approach shaped by the local Is innovation key?

environment, the one in which you were

Electronic music is driven by technological

raised and where you continue to live?

innovation, and the underground nature

It’s been a dissociated existence—my

of it means innovation is in the hands

upbringing out in the Fraser Valley and

of the curious and the brave—those

the last years here. The development that

who aren’t afraid to take chances and

happens in this more isolated space sets

make statements. I try to bend as many

you up with different tools and tendencies

genres within “electronic” music as I can.

than what’s common in “the world out

I also build my own strange instruments

there.” But for me, that must be balanced.

which are sound-sculptures or robots or

It’s important for an artist to make art

adaptations of folk instruments, like a

that’s relevant. Otherwise it’s not art—it is

washtub bass mutation.

more a personal therapy. It doesn’t have to be aesthetically appealing even, but it

How do you know what will work?

should be a reaction or a continuum of

If you feel strongly about an idea, it’s

current social circumstances.

almost certainly good. Then the challenge

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A FRIVOLOUS TAKE ON ELECTRONIC MUSIC /

What drew you to a rural island?

Gulf Island fetish! As reflected in certain publications which make Gulf Island porn!

"Kiss ass or play the stats?

If you can do both, you’re gonna slay it."

… I do think I need to focus on a market for my music outside of the Islands, but this place can afford some great resources in terms of time to develop ideas, and that can be used to great effect.

What is an unusual habit or absurd thing that you love?

Making something out of garbage, or salvaged material of any kind. #GIRO If you had a motto, what would it be?

Don’t bring a compressorhead to an air party!

What advice would you give to a student about to enter the real world?

Kiss ass or play the stats? If you can do both, you’re gonna slay it.

So what’s next?

From my current perspective, after more than half a decade of being here full-time, I know now that I must use my time here wisely. I mean, just really appreciating being here is a good use of your time, but I think I must return to the city for a while and “take care of business” before I can do such a lengthy stint again. Those who can realize great projects here are my idols, but I must have the city sometimes. It's a sobering realization.

If you weren’t a DJ, what would you be?

I’m interested in a lot of things, like building, but usually the methods are like my music, which is unconventional. Now I’m going to do a Masters of Arts in Berlin, and that may take me head-long into the contemporary art world, or…where…?

I don’t know. I’m really excited about what comes next.

PHOTOS BY LANDON SARVER (TOP), TIM SANDIK (BOTTOM)

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CLOTHING AS A TOOL FOR CHANGE Imagining a Future of Truly Sustainable Fashion

BY HANNAH ROHAN OF HONEYSUCKLE GATHERING

During dark days, supplies can begin to dry up. The million

towns and communities. Many of the items we still use and

little hands that once made up the line of production

love today were invented to meet needs in the context of

retreat and hold each other, resting. In their stead we are

limited resources—things like wool sweaters, leather shoes,

invited to use our own hands, just as we did in former

straw hats, down comforters, baskets, quilts, brickwork,

times. A reimagining of the past is the resiliency we need

woodwork, yurts, tiles, cob houses, pottery, and many

if we are to flourish during crisis and onward.

cuisines. The advent of global resources and technologies has opened up incredible opportunities, but some of our greatest

In our hyper-globalized world, it’s hard to imagine a life

creations have proliferated in the face of scarcity. The skill

sustained by a micro economy, yet this is our history—using

and creativity involved in resourcing vs outsourcing has been

only what was accessible to us within the scope of our local

especially relevant during the harder times in our past.

PHOTO BY JULIE DIPAOLO

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"Reframing our value system to favour fewer, intentional, quality products is an act of defiance. It’s revolutionary."

Fashion is no exception. Innovative resourcing doesn’t

On a practical level, up-cycling textiles looks like inverting

always mean harvesting locally from the earth. It means

the creation process to innovate designs using what we

using what we have, and textiles are something we have

already have—not only settling for buying organic cottons

in grotesque excess all over the world. There are no large-

and linens. Because recycled fabrics are always different and

scale, commercially available methods for recycling textiles.

available in limited quantities, it means we get to experience

Despite efforts by individuals and companies, much of it

the novelty of creating and owning one-of-a-kind clothing. It

ends up rotting in landfills or being incinerated. To build a

also means spending time curating materials from vintage

future of truly sustainable fashion, we have to slow down

markets, thrift stores, fabric-recycling non-profits, dead-

and close the loop on a deadly linear production model.

stock dealers, and our mother’s tablecloth collection. It looks like slowing down and embracing the specific kind of

I work in textile up-cycling and slow fashion, with pieces

creativity that transforming textiles fosters.

that are both inspired by nature and that protect nature. I’ve learned that this work requires not only shifts in practice,

We talk about reclaiming modes of production in the

but also shifts in paradigm. We are a society steeped in

context of agriculture and food security, but clothing and

corporate values like cheap, quick, abundant, and disposable.

textiles are just as relevant and just as political. In times

Reframing our value system to favour fewer, intentional,

of scarcity, when many producers face challenges in their

quality products is an act of defiance. It’s revolutionary. And

supply chains, I have continued to sew. I have continued to

it’s exactly what we need.

sell. I have continued to gain support, and I have even fallen into more of a routine than before.

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PHOTO BY HANNAH ROHAN

CLOTHING AS A TOOL FOR CHANGE /

Recognizing the anomaly of this, it has struck me that this way of operating doesn’t just represent a business structure seen in lofty fantasies of our economic future, it’s proven a resilient business model during crisis. It is a reimagining of the past. It is an invitation. It is an empowering opportunity to exercise our values.

We exist in a crucial moment of immense choice and consequence. Embracing up-cycling solutions can reroute our global fashion trajectory. It is an essential part of bringing our future back into our own hands.

With this in mind, I’ve put together a Wardrobe Survival Guide in the hopes of helping you regain stability and maintain style with your own hands. Have fun! honeysucklegathering.com

PHOTOS BY JULIA DIPAOLO (TOP) HANNAH ROSS (BOTTOM)

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

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CLOTHING AS A TOOL FOR CHANGE /

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FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

PHOTOS BY HANNAH ROSS AND HANNAH ROHAN (BOTTOM RIGHT)

6

Learn some simple sewing You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how far even a tiny

bit of sewing knowledge will take you in expanding your wardrobe potential. Start off with a few small

Your 11-Step

Wardrobe Survival Guide

sewing projects to gain confidence and basic skills.

Turn to the internet for help and advice.

7

Take care of your clothes Avoid over washing. Use only gentle detergents.

Hang to dry. Fold along seams. Patch or mend tears.

Your clothes will reward you.

8 Swap Organize a clothing swap. Host a few friends at 1

home or hold a community event. Swaps can be fun Shop local

social gatherings as well as a great way to freshen up

Support a local consignment or thrift store, small

your wardrobe. For free!

shop, or local maker. Strengthen and empower your community by keeping your money within it.

9

2

Quality over quantity

you're excited to support. Save up for that special

Make it fun Find businesses that align with your values that

Minimize your wardrobe while focussing on the

something—it makes it even better when you finally

quality of your garments. This demands less from the

get to wear it. Challenge yourself to see how many

planet, supports more ethical workplace practices,

ways you can style a piece rather than worrying about

and is more economical over the long term. Buy one

repeat outfits.

$150 shirt that lasts you eight years instead of 10 shirts for $15 that might last you three months each.

3

in doubt about a piece, trace its origins 10 IfDraw an imaginary map of where, how, and who

Embrace second hand, reuse

may have been involved in the creation of a piece

Choose vintage, thrifted, or swapped. Keep

of clothing. Considerations might be raw materials,

existing materials in rotation and out of the landfill for

harvesting, dying, manufacturing, labour practices,

as long as possible.

use of animal products or animal testing, distribution,

4 All

what you know about the manufacturing company,

Choose clothes that make your heart sing

the brand itself, third party retailer if applicable, what

clothing deserves to be loved and used,

owning this item would entail, and what you’d do with

regardless of how sustainably you sourced it. If your

it once you are finished. It’s a lot to think about, but

wardrobe houses unworn clothing, consider passing it

not knowing the answers is often the answer itself.

along. Key tip: try the “one in, one out” rule.

5

Choose natural over synthetic

11

Don’t be hard on yourself!

Set realistic expectations. Focus on maintaining

Even though natural fabrics such as wool, cotton,

consistent effort. Don’t worry if you slip up. Remember

linen, and silk all biodegrade eventually, they also tend

that everything is a process, and slow, steady work is

to last much longer. Win win.

how real change happens.

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

115

PRODUCTS

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Vegging in the Shadows Six Tips for Year-Round Gardening on the West Coast

BY LINDA GILKESON

When I moved to western Canada in 1986, I was amazed at the potential for harvesting food all year round in my new garden. After years of market gardening in the east, I already knew some vegetables were surprisingly hardy, so that got me started trying to see how much I could harvest over the winter on this coast. The more I learned about gardening here, the more I saw how unique this climate is. Rather than being finished in September, our gardens— whether urban or rural—can be living refrigerators, full of vegetables for harvest through the winter.

Rather than planting everything at once in May, we can sow over a six-month season. Root cellars don’t work here (the winters are too warm) but leaving root crops in the garden works beautifully. And when overwintered plants start growing in February and March it is astonishing how much a local garden produces when gardens elsewhere are empty.

As I kept meeting people who were still gardening on the same timetable they learned when they lived elsewhere, I discovered an evident need for local information. I wrote gardening articles and gave talks, which eventually led to developing year-round gardening courses, and to write books specifically for coastal British Columbia. My goal continues to be encouraging experienced gardeners to reach out and help those new to gardening here. It is amazing how much one can produce!

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PHOTOS BY J.LAING (TOP) AND @RUSHJAGOE FROM @STOWELLAKEFARM (LEFT AND RIGHT)

Getting Started 1

Start small You can grow a surprising amount in a small space

because your garden can produce food all year round (looking at you, urban gardeners!). Get one or two beds going first and add more after you have those established. There are still things we can sow in June, July, and as late as the last week of August.

2

Relax Shifting to a year-round schedule takes the

urgency out of spring planting. You could still be eating leeks, carrots, beets, and other roots from your garden, as well as kale, lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, and other hardy greens. From March onward, winter broccoli and cauliflower plants that spent the winter in the garden start to produce heads. Our cool spring means that you still can’t plant tomatoes, squash, and corn until May, but with all of the other vegetables still in the garden, the only things I am in a hurry to plant are peas and potatoes.

3

Don’t sow too early

5

Plant at the right time Vegetables for winter harvests have to be sown

There’s no need to rush and sow seeds in cold,

early enough in the growing season to reach full size

wet soil. Many things can go wrong for seedlings in

by the end of October. Nothing grows much in the

early spring, from frostbite to being eaten by slugs

short days and low temperatures of winter, so aim to

and climbing cutworms (which feed on plants until

have a garden of fully mature crops (good sized leeks,

the end of April). The harder you work to get plants in

carrots, heads of cabbage, etc.) ready to be harvested

the garden early, the more risk there is that biennial

on nice days from your living refrigerator.

vegetables, such as onion, leeks, Swiss chard, and kale may flower prematurely. For biennials (plants that flower in their second summer if left in the garden

6

Watch the weather It was easier to garden in this region in the 1980s

over winter), a period of cold is the cue that tells them

than it is now because climate change has brought us

they are in the second season. If seeds are started very

more extreme and variable weather (plus we have new

early and the young plants experience cool weather

diseases and pests that have arrived since then). Keep

in April, some or all may produce flower stalks in mid-

an eye on the forecast and take simple precautions

summer, rather than the crop you expected.

to protect plants. Have shade cloth or lattice screens ready to shade young plants in heat waves. Stockpile

4 Choose the right varieties

plastic sheets or floating row covers to protect tender

suited to each season, whether for summer or winter

strong, wind-resistant trellises for staked plants.

Read variety descriptions and choose those

plants if unusually cold weather threatens. Build

harvests. For example, some lettuces tolerate hot weather without going to flower too early and other varieties survive being frozen in the garden in the

Visit lindagilkeson.ca for more information

winter without harm. Broccoli and cauliflower for

including planting schedules.

overwintering are not the same varieties as those for summer season harvests.

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

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A GIFT ECONOMY

Stories from CoHo Landing, a 15-household land cooperative on Denman Island

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LITTLE HOUSE ON THE ISLAND COOPERATIVE

NOTES FROM AN INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY

BY LAURA BUSHEIKIN - PHOTOS BY SWEET SEA PHOTOGRAPHY

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Every now and then I wonder if our land cooperative

cluster. That’s $90 an hour they’re charging!” ISC loves

is fulfilling our original (perhaps idealistic) goals: co-

counting and comparing and concluded that these kids

operation, generosity, and connection. The launch of

needed to learn something about pricing if they were

CoHo Delivery gives me hope that yes, it’s working.

going to get anywhere in business.

Here’s how it started.

In the meantime, three hopeful faces continued to look up at me expectantly. “That’s pretty much the price of the

There was an unexpected knock on my door one Thursday

yogurt,” I said. “Thanks, but I can walk over there later and

afternoon. Standing outside, a metre apart, were Breah,

deliver it myself.”

Ruben, and Akai, three CoHo Landing kids ranging from seven to 11 years old who often run as a pack. Each was

Shy smiles faded away. Now three glum faces were

looking at me with the same shy-but-proud smile.

looking up.

Before I could say anything, Breah spoke up with solemn

The train of negative thoughts switched tracks abruptly,

formality, “We’re here to introduce the first-ever CoHo

and my ISC emitted a little “poof” sound and was gone.

business: CoHo Delivery. Do you have something you’d like delivered?” Her smile brightened as she completed

“Actually, I have a good idea,” I told them. “Matta

her invitation.

mentioned she’s low on vegetables, and I have so many. I’ll make a package. That will make it worthwhile.” The smiles

As it happens, I did have a tub of yogurt I’d been planning

came back. A few minutes later I handed them a bag of

to take over to Matta’s, because I’d ended up with too

goodies for Matta, and off they went.

much in my grocery order that day.

Not 10 minutes later, the budding entrepreneurs were back “How much?” I asked. I was brought up to be a savvy

with a book I’d lent Phillippa a few months ago. Since then

consumer.

I’ve received ceviche, garlic, earrings, a pot of thyme, and numerous baking ingredients via CoHo Delivery, and I’ve

“Three dollars,” came the reply. This unleashed a fast-

shipped out columbines, cake, basil seeds, and more.

moving train of negative thoughts from my Inner Savvy Consumer (ISC). “That’s way too much,” ISC squawked. “It

When I sent Rosie and Yolande a container of muffins, they

only takes about two minutes to walk across the housing

sent it back full of cookies with a note that read,

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LITTLE HOUSE ON THE ISLAND COOPERATIVE /

“I was brought up to believe you should never return a container empty.” That started a tradition of mutuality between our two households. Now, no container ever returns empty. More baking—and more work for CoHo Delivery—has ensued.

Deliveries can be pre-arranged, but sometimes the crew will drop in unannounced, knock on the back door, and ask if we’ve anything to deliver. It’s hard to say no, but not always easy to come up with something.

“It kind of feels like extortion—the mafia coming around for their pay-off,” observed my husband half-jokingly one day when we were feeling bad about sending the delivery team away empty-handed. “How many things have we sent people that we weren’t planning to give away?” “Yeah, but instead of guns, they have cuteness,” I replied, laughing. “Hopefully they’ll get some work from someone else this time.”

And they did, returning a short time later with a bottle of cold Czech beer from our neighbour Vali, accompanied by a note, “For Tomas. Happy belated birthday.” Tomas’ birthday was in early March. This was late April, and Vali didn’t usually give Tomas birthday presents. He wouldn’t have made this gift if CoHo Delivery hadn’t knocked on his door. Needless to say, Tomas was thrilled and sat down to enjoy the beer.

That’s when I got it—what CoHo Delivery is actually doing. In their wanderings from house to house, these kids are inviting us to practise a gift economy. This is no small thing. It’s a cultural shift, away from businessas-usual towards open-hearted generosity. Away from individual gain towards community connection and relationship-building as the organizing principles for how and why we exchange goods.

I imagine the delivery kids as seen from above, tracing a zig zag from house to house, connecting us all. Weaving a basket to hold us all, a safety net to catch us if we fall, a tapestry of gifts and gratitude.

Is it just chance that these children—the first generation to be growing up in our land cooperative—came up with a business that so perfectly embodied the (perhaps idealistic) values of our project? I like to think it isn’t.

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LITTLE HOUSE ON THE ISLAND COOPERATIVE /

And is it just coincidence that all this took place in the

Related or not, CoHo Delivery embodies a teaching for

first couple of months of the global COVID-19 pandemic,

our times. This fun, childish project has opened up new

when the world was being forced to radically rethink the

pathways for generosity and relationship-building in our

relationship between the individual and the collective?

little 15-household community.

A time when our national economy was redistributing money—sharing—as never before? When concepts such

Children know things adults don’t. Let’s follow their lead.

as “the public interest” and “the common good” were

How can we, as adults, create new structures that embed

challenging the old paradigms of private advantage and

a gift economy in our own lives, our communities, our

economic competition? When progressive thinkers the

countries—all over the world? There are probably infinite

world over were saying this could be a time to rebuild an

answers to this question. Let’s make a start.

economy and a culture that are more caring, more sharing, more sustainable?

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Let’s follow the children.

FOLKLIFE MAGAZINE

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CONSIDERING KINDNESS

BY MARY ANN RICHARDS

For some, the past months have been dark times: disrupting lives, raising anxiety, threatening the safety and security of family and community. Not so much for me. I am a privileged, hetero cisgender female settler woman living a safe life here by the Salish Sea in Snuneymuxw territory. We have been urged to “Be Kind, Be Calm, Stay Safe.” In my fortunate life, none of those charges seems difficult to fulfill.

I know that others have been more challenged. Elderly family members are especially vulnerable.

‘Frontline workers,’ whether health care professionals or grocery store clerks, face risk. Businesses may never recover. The world we know has had its foundations shaken. Speculation about the future surrounds us, and while some have risen to the challenges with great generosity of spirit, others find it very difficult to remain calm.

I watch and wonder what these times show us about who we are. While humanity can demonstrate great generosity of spirit, it can also embody hatred, racism, and oppression. The stories we tell reflect this dichotomy. On the one hand, there is praise for welcoming a god (or God) as a stranger in need. Greek, Hindu-Buddhist, Judeo-Christian, Islam religious parables like ‘The Good Samaritan’ remind us of our responsibility to others. On the other hand, monsters lurk. Grimm’s grim stories detail monstrous threats to well-being when we step off the well-travelled path, resist the rules, or let the unknown other in. I wonder how these contradictory tales influence us as we make choices and act. Do we view the stranger at the door as a welcome guest, god in disguise, or as a potential threat, a possible monster?

Community, such as the one I am grateful to be a part of, can provide both security and welcome. Yet our concern for safety from external threat can also foster exclusion, and its attendant othering, rejection, racism. Here on my island community, the Salish Sea surrounds and protects; no walls or gates are needed. How do we balance the call for safety with the call for kindness?

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PHOTO BY MIGUEL OROS

FOLKLIFE LETTERS /

I think of the ‘bystander effect,’ the well-studied tendency of people to turn away from those in need.

Of eyes that slide away from persons sitting on the sidewalks we walk. Of strangers who ignored Kitty Genovese’s and George Floyd’s cries for help. Of my reluctance to step in front of taunts to a young man on a city bus. Is a failure of kindness inspired by fear for ourselves, or a lack of connection to an ‘other’ human being?

The call to “Be Kind, Be Calm, Stay Safe” seems deliberately constructed to speak to humanity and its failings. Our chief medical officer has made a career of attempting to control infectious diseases as they rampage through populations. I imagine the fear, exclusion, condemnation, and confrontations that she has seen, leading her to remind us to be kind on a daily basis. To calm our fears. That individual and societal safety depend on our care for one another.

I am inspired by the kindness shown by those who step out of their circles of safety to extend a hand to a stranger in need. I am concerned by calls to close our gates to others. I understand the desire to protect ourselves and those we love. I ask myself how I can overcome fear and reticence as I strive to be more kind. As humanity considers its survival in these ‘interesting times,’ I hope that I can hold on to kindness and calm in the face of the future.

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MORE VIEWS ON SURVIVAL READERS WADE IN

“Progress. I always feel best when I’m walking

“How do I survive the deepest darkest dampest

my path moving forward, whether it be projects,

days and longest nights of winter?

personal growth, or life aspirations!”

JESSICA WILSON, SALT SPRING ISLAND

My birthday falls five days before winter solstice.

It kicks off the descent into an annual phase of

“There is surviving and there is living!! This came

minimalist living, or torpor. Torpor, a less extreme

to my attention from a fellow sailor who pointed

version of hibernation, has become my response-

this out when I was looking at a passage in rough

of-least-resistance to nature's physical depression.

weather that could be waited out. She said “Yes,

Time slows, the blood thickens, energy drops.

you will survive, but it’s better to LIVE!” We waited

Sleep is allowed in unlimited quantities on no

for calmer winds and seas and had a beautiful sail.

particular schedule. Embracing the theme need

Essentially, air, water, food to survive, but to LIVE,

not translate into emotional depression. However,

gets more complicated and possibly laughter has

it is a perfect time to process old grief and listen to

a key component in that.”

country music. I prepare for seasonal acceptance

RACHEL PLATT, HORNBY ISLAND

by stocking up on food, supplies, and of course, plenty of firewood. I pay all bills and plan ahead

“We live off grid on our mountain on Lasqueti…

so I can disregard clocks and calendars for at least

we take down trees/buck/split/stack/dry six cords

a month.

of wood every year to get us through the winter.

It's a MUST. It not only heats our cabin, it cooks

I've come to realize over years of trying to perfect

our food, boils our water for dishes, showering,

a practice of human torpor that it might not be

and laundry. We collect/store rainwater for all our

darkness and rain influencing a common winter

water needs and love growing our own food. The

sadness, rather the discord of artificial lights—

work here is hard and there is no ‘easy’ or ‘quick

too bright for too many hours—combined with

fix’ for anything. And I absolutely love this life.”

an effort to keep a ‘regular’ schedule. A lack of

DIANNA MAYCOCK, LASQUETI ISLAND

outdoor covered space might also contribute to mental difficulties. It's important to be outside,

“It is the ability to absorb the griefs and losses of life

comfortably dry. There's an old saying that I just

and have them become the stairway up to a wider

adore: ‘no bad weather, just bad clothing.’

view. Funny, I tend to think of surviving in a more internal way. How am I managing emotionally

To live as an animal casually aligned with rhythms

after a particularly damaging relationship? How

of nature, and arranging life for it, is how I survive

am I converting deep loss from the death of

the relatively mild winter conditions that make

a dear one into good soul compost for the next

coastal rainforests so beautiful.

garden that will feed my heart? Surviving means

MARCELLE GLOCK, MUDGE ISLAND

cultivating a resilient psyche.”

HEATHER MACLEOD, GABRIOLA ISLAND

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PHOTO BY STASIA GARRAWAY

FOLKLIFE LETTERS /

"Surviving is seeing what's before you, wading through it, and coming out the other side intact, and maybe improved."

— Krysta Furioso , Salt Spring Island

FOLKLIFEMAG.CA / ISSUE 02. 2020/21

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