Island Parent Family Resource Guide

Island Parent Celebrating

27 Years

The Resource Publication for Vancouver Island Parents

Over 900 Listings from Victoria to Parksville

Family Resource Guide 2014–2015

children’s boutique

CREATE AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE ROUTINE FOR YOUR CHILD(REN), THROUGH SPORTBALL’S 8 HIGH-ENERGY CORE SPORTS!

LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT VICTORIA

FALL COLLECTIONS HAVE ARRIVED! Boots * Coats * Jackets

• Shoes • Clothing • Accessories

Newborn to 12 years

DOWNTOWN

624 Fort St 250 360 2570

BROADMEAD VILLAGE

777 Royal Oak Dr 250 360 2520

Parent & Child (2-3) | Multi-Sport (3-7) Sport-Specific Instruction (3-12) | Fit Kids (6-12) Birthday Parties (2-12) 250.590.4625 | VAN.ISLAND@SPORTBALL.CA

WWW.SPORTBALL.CA

www.scallywags-island.ca

We do baby registries!

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR? Do you know someone who has big dreams but I was aheld bright student struggled academically, feels back evenwho slightly by academic or having social learning difficulties?yet expending extra effort to rely on coping mechanisms continually to make up for my deficits.

“I always had big dreams of what my life would consist of. I had this constant feeling that I had all the parts of the puzzle but my hands didn’t know how to put the puzzle together. This created a lot of frustration and sadness. Through this program I feel that my hands are starting to know where to put the pieces. Building a puzzle seems to feel much better than just carrying it around.”

The atat Eaton Arrowsmith and Eaton Cognitive TheArrowsmith ArrowsmithProgram Program Eaton CognitiveSchool Improvement Centre Victoria Improvement Centre enables with mild, and severe enables students 18Victoria and older with students mild, moderate to moderate severe learning learning diffito culties to identify, intervene and strengthen the weak cognitive difficulties identify, intervene and strengthen the weak cognitive capacities ect rather than accommodating for such deficits. capacitiesthat thataffaff ectlearning learning rather than accommodating for such deficits.

The where students cancan dare to dream again.

Theresult result–-an anindependent independentfuture future where students dare to dream again.

STROLLERS • HIGH CHAIRS • CAR SEATS • SLEEP AIDS CLOTH DIAPERS • TRAVEL BEDS • CARRIERS • SWINGS NATURAL SKINCARE • DIAPER BAGS • AND MORE! Mattick’s Farm #121–5325 Cordova Bay Rd 778-265-5432 momease.ca facebook.com/MomeaseBabyBoutique

Morning, full day programs available for children and adults.

Morning,afternoon afternoonand and full day programs available for adults.

www.eatonarrowsmithschool.com www.eatoncognitive.com www.eatoncognitive.com 200-3200 Shelbourne St., Victoria, BC #200 3200 Shelbourne St, Victoria, BC (250) 370-0046 Contact us at admissions@eatoneducation.com for 250-370-0046 Programs also available onsite for school aged students

more information and to arrange a visit.

via Eaton Arrowsmith School www.eatonarrowsmithschool.com Admissions inquiries: 1-844-264-8327 www.eatonarrowsmithschool.com/eaton-arrowsmith-academy

140900_Eaton_Arrowsmith_MMSept_tl.indd 1

8/13/14 3:28 PM

A Warm Welcome I

t has been a terrific six months since I purchased Island Parent, its group of related publications and the kidsinvictoria. com website from Paul, Anna and Mada on April 1. Now in your hands is the annual Family Resource Guide, which through the efforts of our talented staff, was started nine

years ago. Inside these pages you will find what we and our wonderful partners at so many Island businesses, services, schools, and recreation centres do so well—provide informative articles, calendars, events and advertising that supports parents every day with the care of their children—or

Island Parent Magazine, produced by Island Parent Group Enterprises Ltd., is a monthly publication that honours and supports parents by providing information on resources and businesses for families, and a forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. Letters (max 250 words) should be emailed to the Editor at editor@islandparent.ca. No material herein may be reproduced without the permission of the Editor. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome and should be emailed to editor@ islandparent.ca. Island Parent Magazine is distributed free in selected areas. Subscriptions can be obtained by sending $28.00 (includes GST) with your name and address to the address below. Canada Post: Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement 40051398.

Island Parent Magazine

grandchildren!—in our communities across Vancouver Island.

My thanks to all of our dedicated readers, advertisers and contributors who make all of our publications and the website so vibrant and critical to the lives of those that read them. We owe our success to you all.

Please keep a copy of the Family Resource Guide on-hand all year long and support the fine organizations that appear on its pages.

Thanks again!

Mark Warner, Publisher

830-A Pembroke St, Victoria, BC V8T 1H9 Tel: 250-388-6905 Websites: www.islandparent.ca, www.kidsinvictoria.com Publisher/Owner: Mark Warner Editor: Sue Fast Sales & Marketing: RaeLeigh Buchanan Publisher’s Assistant: Linda Frear Distribution: Ray Cutts, Ted Dawe (Mid-Island) Founders: Jim Holland & Selinde Krayenhoff Production: Eacrett Graphic Design Printed at Black Press, Victoria Cover printed at Hillside Printing ISSN 0838-5505

On the Cover: the Humber family Cover Photo: Michelle Loewen, figandclover.ca

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER facebook.com/IslandParent twitter.com/IslandParent

The Greatest Little Show on Earth!TM In the EMPRESS HOTEL

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Gulliver’s Travels

The Great Canadian Railway circa 1885 Circus World

1670 Olde London Towne

2

www.IslandParent.ca

THE LEGEND RETURNS!

1097 Langford Parkway, Victoria BC 250 - 391 - 7900 www.langfordlanes.com

1097 Langford Parkway, Victoria BC 250 - 920 - 9397 www.gallopinggoosegrille.com

Langford Lanes offers 20 lanes of 10 pin bowling.

Cosmic bowling is available Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 7pm till close.

Come experience glow in the dark bowling!

Birthday Party Packages • 2 hr. bowling • shoe rental • kids’ choice of meal *some restrictions apply

Join Langford Lanes Junior 10 Pin Bowling League. Sign up at leagues@langfordlanes.com

Kids Stamp Card Program: Collect 1 stamp per game purchased & receive free goodies like pop, hot dog or bowling!

The Galloping Goose Grille is Langford Lanes’ premium, casual dining experience offering fresh home made food in a relaxing atmosphere.

We are fully licensed and open daily for brunch, dinner & desserts. Take out available.

Host your next company event, family part or sports team wrap up with us at Langford Lanes. Make us your 1 stop shop for great food and entertainment!

Receive FREE shoe rental

Langford Lanes

*up to 2 pairs per coupon *some restrictions may apply *present coupon at time of purchase *expires July 30th 2015

1 FREE KIDS MEAL with the purchase of 1 adult entree.

Galloping Goose Grille *some restrictions may apply *present coupon to server when ordering *expires July 30th 2015

Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 3

Important Phone Numbers

Child Find BC. . . . . . 1-888-689-3463

Gulf Islands, Westshore, Sooke)

HealthLink BC HealthLinkBC.ca. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1-1

POLICE (NON-EMERGENCY)

Highlands . . . . . . . . . . 250-474-1773

Help Line for Children. 250-310-1234

Central Saanich . . . . . 250-652-4441

Langford. . . . . . . . . . . . 250-478-9555

Kids Help Phone . . . 1-800-668-6868

Sooke (East Sooke, Jordan River, Otter Point, Port Renfrew, Shirley) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-642-5241

Metchosin. . . . . . . . . . 250-478-1307

Poison Control Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-567-8911

Options Pregnancy Centre 4-855 Caledonia Ave. 250-380-6883

South Island (Greater Victoria, Saanich, Sidney,

Esquimalt . . . . . . . . . . 250-995-7654 Oak Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-592-2424 Saanich. . . . . . . . . . . . 250-475-4321 Sidney (includes North Saanich, Willis Point) . . . . . . . . . . 250-656-3931

North Saanich . . . . . . . 250-656-1931 Oak Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-592-9121 Otter Point. . . . . . . . . . 250-642-6211 Saanich. . . . . . . . . . . . 250-475-6111 Sidney . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-656-2121 Sooke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-642-5422

Provinical Eating Disorders Awareness Campaign jessieslegacy.com . . . . 604-988-5281 Sexual Assault Crisis & Information Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-383-3232 The Representative for Children & Youth www.rcybc.ca. . . . . . 1-800-476-3933

Victoria . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-995-7654

Victoria . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-384-1122

Western Communities (Colwood, Highlands, Langford, Metchosin, View Royal) . . . . . . . . . . 250-474-2264

View Royal. . . . . . . . . . 250-479-7322

Vancouver Island Crisis Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-888-494-3888

AMBULANCE (NON-EMERGENCY)

Women’s Transition House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-385-6611

FIRE (NON-EMERGENCY)

All areas . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-727-2400

Central Saanich . . . . . 250-652-4444

OTHER IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Colwood. . . . . . . . . . . . 250-478-8321

Emergency Fire, Police or Ambulance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1-1

East Sooke . . . . . . . . . 250-642-4411 Esquimalt . . . . . . . . . . 250-414-7126

BC Association of Family Resource Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . frpbc.ca

Make sure your children know to call 911 for Emergency Police, Fire or Ambulance

Professional Counselling for relationship issues (all ages) Legal Support Services Group Programs Proudly serving families in Greater Victoria since 1978.

Sliding fee scale available.

899 Fort Street Victoria, BC V8W 1H6

Phone: 250.386.4331 Website: www.bcfit.org

Toll-Free Legal Information Line: 1.877.386.4333 (Mon & Thurs 9am–4pm) 4 www.IslandParent.ca

Contents: Family Resource Guide 2014/15 Listings Important Phone Numbers................................................4 New Parent Resources South Island....................................................................6 Cowichan Valley.............................................................8 Mid-Island......................................................................8 Family Support South Island..................................................................12 Cowichan Valley...........................................................15 Mid-Island....................................................................16 Education South Island..................................................................20 Cowichan Valley...........................................................23 Mid-Island....................................................................24

Family Fun & Entertainment South Island..................................................................56 Cowichan Valley...........................................................58 Mid-Island....................................................................58 Party Planning South Island..................................................................60 Cowichan Valley...........................................................60 Mid-Island....................................................................60 Retail Products South Island..................................................................60 Cowichan Valley...........................................................63 Mid-Island....................................................................63 Family Restaurant & Food Markets South Island..................................................................64 Cowichan Valley...........................................................65 Mid-Island....................................................................65 Residential Camps..........................................................68 Family Travel..................................................................68

Articles

On the Cover: the Humber family.

Photo by Michelle Loewen, figandclover.ca Classes & Programs South Island..................................................................38 Cowichan Valley...........................................................42 Mid-Island....................................................................43 Health & Wellness South Island..................................................................50 Cowichan Valley...........................................................52 Mid-Island....................................................................52 Legal & Financial Services South Island..................................................................52

The Gratitude Effect......................................................10 Power Pose for Super Power..........................................18 Preparing for Baby........................................................26 In Search of the Village..................................................28 I Ching & the Kitchen...................................................30 Poking Around Parksville-Qualicum.............................34 Book Review: Vancouver Island, Imagine......................43 Nipple Rescue...............................................................44 Family Getaways...........................................................46 Slow Down, You Move Too Fast...................................48 The Insincerity of Sorry.................................................51 The Spelling Homework Blues......................................53 Child, Youth & Family Public Health Services..............54 Back to the Classics.......................................................66 Gardening with Kids.....................................................70

Departments Party Directory........................................................32, 33 Annual Family Events...................................................36 Business & Professional Directory.................................71 Family Resource Guide 2014/2015  5

Year-round Getaway on Mayne Island with direct daily ferries from Swartz Bay

New Parent Resources South Island MATERNITY/FERTILITY

9 housekeeping cottages perfect for family getaways

Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit epau.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-592-5633

DIAPER SERVICES Happy Island Diaper Service . . . . . . . . . . happyislanddiapers.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-866-922-7377

DOULAS Birth & Beyond Doula Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-889-6009 Glowing Touch Doula Services glowingtouch.ca . . . . . 250-514-3009

250-539-2463 • 1-877-535-2424 bluevista@bluevistaresort.com www.bluevistaresort.com

Abra-Kid-Abra

Helping Hands Doula Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-595-1938 Island Childbirth IslandChildbirth.com . . 250-889-2760 Natural Birthing and Postpartum Centre . . birthingandpostpartum.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-386-2758 Your Birth Your Way Doula Services yourbirthyourway.ca . . 250-514-1477 Victoria Doula Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . doulasofvictoria.ca VIDA Doulas vidadoulas.ca . . . . . . . 250-661-2544

MIDWIVES

Car Seats, Cribs, Play-n-Pak, High Chairs available for short term rentals • A great selection of books • Dress-up for girls and boys • Shoes…Pedipeds, See Kai Run …and More • Rainwear and rainboots…TUFFO – MUDDYBUDDY, now up to size 5

Now Accepting Winter Consignment New & Used Toys, Clothing & Furniture 2024 Oak Bay Ave • 250 595 1613 6 www.IslandParent.ca

Access Midwifery & Family Care 208–2951 Tillicum Rd . 250-380-6329 Birthways Midwifery Service 2254 Belmont Ave . . . . 250-384-9062 Community Midwifery Care 130 McPhillips Ave, Salt Spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-537-2243 Cook Street Community Midwives 101–1005 Cook St . . . . 250-386-4116 Dandelion Midwifery 709 Connaught Rd . . . 250-590-7770 Midwifery Care 547 Michigan St . . . . . 250-592-5407 The Midwives Collective 107-1120 Yates St . . . . 250-590-7605 Midwifery Services of Victoria 2000 Beach Dr . . . . . . . 250-592-0099

Sooke Midwifery 2050B Townsend Rd . . 778-425-0780 Victoria Midwifery Group 35 Cambridge St . . . . . 250-381-1977 West Coast Midwives 2823 Dysart Rd . . . . . . 250-384-5940 Western Communities Midwifery 287 Stewart Ave . . . . . 250-589-3417

PRENATAL SERVICES Aboriginal Prenatal Support 231 Regina Ave . . . . . . 250-384-3211 Birthright Victoria 516–620 View St . . . . . 250-380-0305 Camosun College . . . 250-370-3550 Mothering Touch Centre 975 Fort St . . . . . . . . . . 250-595-4905 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . motheringtouch.ca Prenatal classes taught by certified childbirth educators. Pre- and postnatal yoga and fitness, breastfeeding education, parenting the newborn, baby groups.

Vancouver Island Naturopathic Clinic Inc. 204-4480 West Saanich Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-881-1806 VIDA Doulas vidadoulas.ca . . . . . . . 250-213-8837 Lamaze certified Childbirth Educators.

VIDA offers fun and informative private and semi-private childbirth classes to suit your individual needs and your personal time constraints. Hospital tours will be arranged as well.

BEST BABIES PROGRAMS Esquimalt Neighbourhood House . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-385-2635 ext. 203 Peninsula Best Babies 2410 Malaview Dr . . . . 250-655-5300 Saanich Neighbourhood Place Best Babies . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-360-1148 Victoria Best Babies 1240 Gladstone Ave . . 250-381-1552 Victoria Native Friendship Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-384-3211

PUBLIC HEALTH (VIHA) Esquimalt 530 Fraser St . . . . . . . . 250-519-5311 Gulf Islands . . . . . . . . 250-539-3099 Peninsula 2170 Mt. Newton X Rd 250-544-2400

Saanich 3995 Quadra St . . . . . . 250-519-5100 Saltspring Island 1-137 Crofton Rd . . . . . 250-538-4880 Sooke 104-2145 Townsend Rd 250-642-5464 Victoria 1947 Cook St . . . . . . . . 250-388-2200 West Shore 345 Wale Rd . . . . . . . . 250-519-3490

BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT Breastfeeding Matters . . . . . . . . . . . breastfeedingmatters.ca Island Breast Pumps Facebook “The Breast Pump Lady” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-514-2265 La Leche League of Greater Victoria . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-727-4384

NEW PARENT SUPPORT Aboriginal Infant Development Program 231 Regina Ave . . . . . . 250-384-3211 BC Association of Family Resource Programs . . . . . . . . . . 604-738-0068

The Cridge Young Parent Outreach Program 1307 Hillside Ave . . . . . 250-995-6421 This dynamic service for young parents, parents-to-be, and their children offers support, mentoring and advocacy to young parents as they endeavor to have healthy babies, develop their parenting skills, and pursue their education and employment goals.

Family Eyecare Centre . . . . . . . . . . familyeyecarecentre.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-383-2411 Greater Victoria Down Syndrome Society . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-479-7450 Infant Development Program 3970 Haro Rd, Victoria . . . . 477-1826 International Nannies & Homecare Ltd. . . . . . . . internationalnannies.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-383-9566 Peninsula Best Babies Program 9860 Third St, Sidney. 250-656-0134 The Savvy Squirrel Coupon Book . . . . . . . . . . squirrelcouponbook.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-589-7192 HappyBaby Sleep Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-857-1408 . . . . . .happybabysleepsolutions.com

Vancouver Island Baby Fair . . . . . . . vancouverislandbabyfair.com Vancouver Island Multiple Birth Association email . . . . . . vimba234@hotmail.com Victoria Pregnancy Centre 4-855 Caledonia Ave. 250-380-6883 Welcome Wagon welcomewagon.ca . . 1-866-518-7287

ADOPTION SUPPORT Adoption Support Program 2400 Arbutus Rd . . . . . 250-721-6751 Choices Adoption & Counselling Services 100–850 Blanshard St . 250-479-9811 Family Services of Greater Vancouver 1616 West 7th Ave . . . . 604-736-7613 Fernwood Foundation bcadopt.com . . . . . . . 1-877-236-7807 Options Pregnancy Centre 4-855 Caledonia Ave. 250-380-6883 Origins Supporting People Separated By Adoption originscanada.org . . . . 250-419-1200

Fall and Winter Classes…

Expand your skills, build your confidence and find the joy in learning • Nationally recognized Level B Academic Assessments • After school remedial learning classes, starting at 3:30 p.m.

• Language arts, mathematics, study skills and higher-level math and science • All READ Teachers are BC Certified Locations: Colwood, Sidney and Victoria Call: 250-388-7225 for information about our services and schedules Check out the website: http://www.readsociety.bc.ca

Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 7

Guided Nature Walks & Hikes, Drop-In Events, Canoeing Most are free, all are fun!

Nature Outings & Events That Pique Your Natural Curiosity For Nature Lovers of All Ages, For Every Season

There is a whole world of natural and cultural history to explore at our nature centres at Witty’s Lagoon, Francis/King and Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Parks.

Cowichan Valley DOULAS Cowichan Birthwise . 250-748-8493 Cowichan Childbirth, Prenatal & Doula cowichanchildbirth.com 250-510-0805

MIDWIVES Cowichan Midwifery Group 164 Station St . . . . . . . 250-709-2040

PRENATAL SERVICES Matraea Centre, Duncan matcentre.ca . . . . . . . . 250-597-0085

PUBLIC HEALTH (VIHA) Duncan 675 Canada Ave . . . . . 250-709-3050 Lake Cowichan Health Unit 58 Cowichan Ave . . . . . 250-749-6878

NEW PARENT SUPPORT Aboriginal Infant Development Program, Duncan 5768 Allenby Rd . . . . . 250-746-6184 Island Mother, Cowichan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 737-1687

Calendar of activities at crd.bc.ca/parks

Margaret Moss Health Centre, Duncan 675 Canada Ave . . . . . 250-709-3050

Capital Regional District | Regional Parks crdparks@crd.bc.ca 250.478.3344

New Mom Centre, PostPartum Support & Education, Duncan newmomcentre.ca . . . . 250-510-2518 Sundrops Centre for Child Development, Duncan 5856 Celemnts St . . . . 250-746-4135 Y Young Moms Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-382-1004

Mid-Island MIDWIVES/DOULAS Born Healthy 630 2nd Ave, Ladysmith250-245-3079 Jennifer Hewko, Registered Midwife 3799 Avolea Dr . . . . . . 250-760-1080

2758 Peatt Road 778-265-5955 or 250-818-9225

www.leapforwardlangford.com info@leapforwardlangford.com 8 www.IslandParent.ca

Mid-Island Midwifery, Nanaimo 2506 Maxey Rd . . . . . . 250-741-1294 or 350 Stewart Ave . . . 250-716-1366

West Coast Doulas, Port Alberni, Parksville, Tofino & Ucluelet . . . . . . . . . . . . .westcoastdoulas.com

Y! A D O T r Registe

PRENATAL SERVICES Crisis Pregnancy Centre of Nanaimo 1717B Kerrisdale Rd . . 250-714-2191

PUBLIC HEALTH (VIHA) Campbell River Public Health 200-1100 Island Hwy . 250-850-2110 Ladysmith Health Unit 224 High St . . . . . . . . . 250-755-3342 Nanaimo Health Unit 1665 Grant Ave . . . . . . 250-755-3342 Nanaimo Princess Royal Family Centre 260 Irwin St . . . . . . . . . 250-755-3342 Parksville Health Unit 249 W. Hirst Ave . . . . . 250-947-8242 Port Alberni Health Unit 4227 6th Ave . . . . . . . . 250-724-1315 Tofino and Ucluelet Public Health and Coastal Family Place 265 First St . . . . . . . . . 250-725-4020

NEW PARENT SUPPORT Aboriginal Infant Development Program, Nanaimo 668B Centre St . . . . . . 250-470-2348 Central Vancouver Island Crisis Society, Nanaimo . . . . 250-754-4447 Family Resource Association 198 Morison Ave, Parksville d69fra.org . . . . . . . . . . 250-752-6766 Hands On Prevention & Education Centre, Gabriola Island 790 North Rd . . . . . . . . 250-247-8730 Healthy Beginnings Ladysmith, Nanaimo . . 250-755-6230 Ladysmith Association of Family & Friends . . . . . . . . . . 250-245-6424 La Leche League, Nanaimo 409 Belmonte Place . . 250-754-5853 La Leche League, Parksville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-954-2922 Nanaimo Infant Development Program 1135 Nelson St . . . . . . 250-753-0251 Welcome Wagon . welcomewagon.ca

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Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 9

Rachel Dunstan Muller

North Island Wildlife RECOVERY CENTRE

A Wildlife Experience for the Whole Family!

Eagles • Owls • Bears Hawks • Falcons • Ferrets Turkey Vultures • and More

Open to Public Viewing 9am–5pm, 7 Days a Week from March Spring Break to Mid-December Guided Tours available for groups of 15 or more.

Advanced booking required.

1240 Leffler Road, Errington 250.248.8534 niwra.org

Gentle Choices for Families Ethical, eco-friendly, family friendly.

A–3148 Barons Rd, Nanaimo

Parking in the numbered stalls accessed by driving behind the building

250-585-5552

huckleberrybabyshop.com 10

www.IslandParent.ca

The Gratitude Effect I

f more s t u f f equalled more happiness, our kids would belong to the most joyful generation in history. They certainly have more possessions than any previous generation. But no matter what the ads that bombard us daily might imply, material affluence and happiness don’t go hand-in-hand. In fact statistics for depression and suicide suggest that it’s the misery index that’s actually rising in North America. Positive psychology researcher Robert Emmons calls this phenomenon “the poverty of affluence.”

In his book Thanks! How The New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, Emmons explains that individuals each have a happiness set-point. A person’s happiness setting can be nudged up or down by circumstance, but inevitably his or her happiness level will return to its original setting. The process is called adaptation, and applies to adults and children alike. Buy your daughter a longed-for pair of shoes, and she might be ecstatic at first. Buy yourself a new car, and your happiness could remain elevated for several months. But eventually we become habituated to our new purchases, and soon we’re craving the next store-bought high.

Scientists have concluded that our genes determine our happiness set-points. That’s the bad news. No matter how much stuff we buy—no matter how cool that stuff is—it won’t increase our happiness more than temporarily. In the face of the marketing promises constantly barraging us, this is a set-up for disappointment.

The good news? There is an antidote to the adaptation phenomenon. According to Emmons’ research, actively practising gratitude can have long-term positive effects on a person’s happiness set-point. Grateful people consciously focus on the good things in their lives, which keeps the satisfaction received from those good things activated. And by fo-

cusi n g on their own blessings, grateful people are less likely to be influenced by what their neighbours have. (This last part makes advertisers nervous, since “upward social comparisons” fuel most of our material cravings.) According to Emmons, grateful people tend to be mindful materialists, with the ability to extract the maximum satisfaction out of every circumstance. Because they appreciate what they have, they take care of their possessions—but they don’t allow those possessions to define their happiness.

The best news in Emmons’ book is that gratitude can be cultivated, no matter what a person’s genetic set-point. The last chapter of Thanks! outlines 10 practical exercises for introducing or increasing gratitude. But be patient: a grateful attitude isn’t something most of us can just switch on. It takes discipline to cultivate a grateful disposition. The results—increased life satisfaction, more satisfying relationships, greater optimism, hope, empathy and self-esteem—are definitely worth the effort.

Shortly after reading Thanks!, I decided to apply my own gratitude exercise to an area where I was feeling some dissatisfaction. For most of our 24-year marriage, my husband and I have shared a single vehicle by choice.

But a year ago the nature of my husband’s job changed, and a second car became a necessity. Our oldest daughter was moving to Saskatchewan with her new husband, and was happy to give us the 1997 Saturn that my parents had given her and her sisters a few years before.

Being frugal people with other financial priorities, we accepted the vehicle gratefully.

And I was grateful—at first. Until I started comparing our ‘new’ car with the other vehicles in our school parking lot. And in front of my siblings’ homes. And even in my young adult children’s driveways. The

more attention I paid to the shiny SUVs and late-model sedans around me, the more I noticed the decidedly unglamorous nature of our new wheels.

But this little car really does meet our needs at the moment, and I so decided to re-look at it through a lens of gratitude. Emmons argues that it’s most effective to break down what we’re grateful for into multiple components, giving consideration to each element.

That’s what I did, and I was surprised by the length of my gratitude list. The Saturn was free, meaning no monthly car payments, no debt. It’s fuel efficient. It’s been impressively reliable for its age and mileage, requiring nothing but regular maintenance since we started driving it a year ago. It’s allowed our family a whole new level of convenience and freedom, although we still try to keep the miles down for environmental reasons.

It’s concrete evidence that my husband and I are on the same page financially, which is not a small thing. It keeps me ‘real’—there is nothing pretentious about a 17-year-old Saturn! Finally, I’m grateful for my husband’s attitude. He’s the one who drives the Saturn most often, and I’ve never heard him complain about our hand-me-down wheels.

The exercise was extremely effective. By the time I’d finished my list, I was actually feeling affection for the little red car in our driveway.

With all its benefits, a grateful disposition is clearly worth passing on to our kids.

With that in mind, I’ve introduced a new activity to my younger children’s bedtime routine. I’ve turned a spare notebook into a gratitude journal, and every night I invite my six- and eight-year-olds to contribute one or two entries, which I jot down after my own contribution. Their participation is voluntary—I don’t want them to see this exercise as a chore. But so far only my son has declined, and only once. They almost never want to stop at one or two things. In the beginning their entries were general—they were thankful for their house and friends and family—but over time their lists have become more specific. The exercise seems to be working; they’re actively appreciating and remembering the good things in their lives.

It’s a wonderful thing to see. In fact, I think I’ll add it to my gratitude list!

Emmons’ book Thanks! is available through both the Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island library systems.

Rachel Dunstan Muller is the mother of five, and a children’s author. Her previous articles can be found at www.islandparent.ca.

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9/22/2014 11:08:54 AM

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connecting children to nature

Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 11

Family Through Play Support

Learning

South Island ALCOHOL ADDICTION INFORMATION & TREATMENT Al-Anon Family Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-383-4020

COMMUNITY CENTRES Beacon Community Services 9860 Third St, Sidney . 250-655-5313 Blanshard Community Centre 901 Kings Rd . . . . . . . . 250-388-7696 Braefoot Activity Centre 1359 McKenzie Ave . . . 250-721-2244

Victoria Cordova Bay Preschool

cordovabaypreschool.org

Countryside Preschool

countrysidepreschool.org goldstreampreschool.com

Goldstream Preschool Gonzales Preschool

gonzalescooppreschool.com lakehillpreschool.org

Lakehill Preschool Lambrick Park Preschool

lambrickparkpreschool.ca

Lansdowne Preschool

lansdownepreschool.com

Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group 1240 Gladstone Ave . . 250-381-1552 Inter-Cultural Association 930 Balmoral Rd . . . . . 250-388-4728 James Bay Community Project 547 Michigan St . . . . . 250-388-7844 Oaklands Community Association 1-2827 Belmont Ave . . 250-370-9101 Saanich Neighbourhood Place 3100 Tillicum Rd . . . . . 250-360-1148 Victoria Immigrant & Refuge Centre 637 Bay St, 3rd Floor . . 250-361-9433

strawberryvalepreschool.org

Outside Victoria

COUNSELLING

Errington Preschool erringtonhall.bc.ca/preschol.htm

Arbour Counselling Centre 4277 Quadra St . . . . . . 250-479-9912

Gabriola Island Preschool www.gabriolapreschool.org

South Island Centre for Counselling & Training southislandcentre.ca . . 250-472-2851 Vancouver Island Naturopathic Clinic Inc. 204-4480 West Saanich Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-881-1806 Victoria Counselling Service 420-1105 Pandora Ave 250-418-0550 Victoria Group Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-590-7624

Compassionate Friends 1346 Ravens View Dr . 250-478-9270

YM-YWCA of Greater Victoria 880 Courtney St . . . . . 250-386-7511

Strawberry Vale Preschool

Sooke Family Resource Society sfrs.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-642-5152

Esquimalt Neighbourhood House 511 Constance Ave . . . 250-385-2635

Call (250) 655-3333

Sidney Preschool

Men’s Trauma Counselling Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-381-6367

GRIEF SUPPORT

Victoria West Community Association 521 Craigflower Rd . . . 250 590-8922

oakbaypreschool.com

Oak Bay Preschool

Maxine Fisher, M.Ed., RCC, MTA . . . . . . .victoriafamilycounselling.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-686-7582

Burnside/Gorge Community Centre 471 Cecelia Rd . . . . . . 250-388-5251

Fairfield Community Association fairfieldcommunity.ca . 250-382-4604

Discover our parent-operated cooperative preschools where children (and their parents) learn through play.

Island Family Counselling 130–1105 Pandora Ave 250-598-0544

Circle of Friends . . . . 250-384-9133

Living & Learning Through Loss www.teenloss.com . . . 250-413-3114 Origins: Supporting People Separated by Adoption www.originscanada.org 250-419-1200 Rainbows . . . . . . . . . . 250-479-0766 Victoria Hospice Bereavement Services victoriahospice.org . . . 250-370-8868

PARENT EDUCATION Children’s Health & Human Rights Partnership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHHRP.org LIFE Seminars Parenting Programs Dr. Allison Rees . . . . . . 250-595-2649 Niecia A. Dunn hello@nieciadunn.com 778-977-2088 Coaching and Parent Education from trained LIFE Seminars facilitator. Practical and relevant material for all families including blended families and parents of toddlers to teens.

Call (250) 753-1939

Dr. Allison Rees . . . . . 250-595-2649

PARENT SUPPORT

saltspringcooppreschool.com

Esquimalt Neighbourhood House 511 Constance Ave . . . 250-360-0644

www.vicpa.org

Five Directions Counselling Services counsellingvictoria.ca . 250-580-6031

1UP Single Parent Resource Centre 602 Gorge Rd . . . . . . . 250-385-1114 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.1-up.ca.

1Up offers a wide variety of 3- to 8-week personal growth and parent-

Nanaimo Preschool Salt Spring Island Preschool

12 www.IslandParent.ca

ing courses, a mentoring program for single moms, and a single dads’ support group. Courses open to all.

Dr. Allison Rees . . . . . 250-595-2649 BC Families in Transition 899 Fort St . . . . . . . . . . 250-386-4331 Big Brothers Big Sisters 230 Bay St . . . . . . . . . . 250-475-1117 Bridges for Women Society 320–1175 Cook St . . . . 250-385-7410

F.O.R.C.E. Society for Kids Mental Health . . . . . . . . . . . forcesociety.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-818-4810 Foster Parents Support Services 145-735 Goldstream Ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-598-1500

The Representative for Children & Youth www.rcybc.ca. . . . . . 1-800-476-3933

Hulitan Family and Community Services Society. A not for profit urban Aboriginal agency.

902A Caledonia Ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hulitan.ca . . . . . . . . . . . 250-384-9466

Child Abuse Prevention/ Mary Manning Centre 210–1175 Cook St . . . . 250-385-6111

Island Parent Magazine A10–830 Pembroke St 250-388-6905

Child Care Resource and Referral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . islandfamilyinfo.ca Sooke . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-642-5152 Westshore . . . . . . . . . . 250-391-4324 Victoria & Gulf Islands . . 250-382-700 or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-750-1868

Military Family Resource Centre Work Point . . . . . . . . . . 250-363-3443

Family Caregivers’ Network Society 6-3318 Oak St . . . . . . . 250-384-0408 First Metropolitan United Church firstmetvictoria.com . . . 250-388-5188 First Unitarian Church of Victoria 5575 West Saanich Rd 250-744-2665

Parent Support Services Society of BC parentsupportbc.ca . . . 250-384-8042 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-877-345-9777

Sooke Family Resource Society www.sfrs.ca . . . . . . . . . 250-642-5152 Sooke Options for Community Living Association socla.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-642-6364 Communica Dialogue and Resolution Services Society 102-2220 Sooke Rd . . 250-383-4412

Kids In Victoria . . . kidsinvictoria.com

St. Barnabas Anglican Church 1525 Begbie St . . . . . . 250-595-4324

Niecia A. Dunn Coaching & Parent Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 778-977-2088

Success By Six . . . . . . . . . . . . successby6victoria.ca

NIL/TU,O Child & Family Services Society niltuo.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-544-1400

Surrounded by Cedar Child & Family Services 303-3995 Quadra St . . 250-383-2990

Pacific Centre Family Services Association, Colwood & Sooke . . . . . pacificcentrefamilyservices.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-478-8357

TS Consulting . . . . . . . 250-590-4114 UVic Family Centre 39208 Lam Circle . . . . 250-472-4062 Vancouver Island Parenting Consultations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-510-5611

Maxine Fisher M.Ed., RCC, MTA

Counselling for Children, Families & Adults

Over 19 Years Experience (Music Therapy Also Available) Stress & Trauma (Acting Out) • Parenting • Family Transitions Physical & Learning Disabilities • Relationships • Individuals M.Ed. | Registered Clinical Counsellor | Accredited Music Therapist

Call Today for a Complimentary 10 minute phone consultation Call 250-686-7582 maxinefisher@shaw.ca victoriafamilycounselling.com

3-5 yrs Pre-primary School

A gentle learning opportunity for young children: - learning naturally through play

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http://oakandorca.ca 250 383 6609

- nature awareness and respect - compassionate communication - experience with math and science - exposure to books and language arts

Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 13

Victoria Immigrant & Refugee Centre 637 Bay St, 3rd Floor . . 250-361-9433 Victoria Native Friendship Centre 231 Regina Ave . . . . . . 250-384-3211

Ballet Victoria

Victoria Sexual Assault Centre 201-3060 Cedar Hill Rd 250-383-5545 Young Parents Support Network 404–620 View St . . . . . 250-384-0552 WIN Administration Office 812 Cormorant Ave . . . 250-480-4006

SPECIAL NEEDS & DISABILITY SUPPORT Perfect Day Special Needs Store perfectdaystore.com . . 250-216-2445 Autism Services, Community Living Victoria . . . . . 250-477-7231, ext. 237 BC Lions Society for Children with Disabilities . . . . . 250-386-0668 BeConnected Support Services beconsupport.ca . . . . . 250-727-3891

School of Dance Now accepting students from age 3 to adult.

A unique opportunity to be taught by the professional dancers of Ballet Victoria.

Enroll now

balletvictoria.ca 250-380-6063 14 www.IslandParent.ca

Canucks Autism Network canucksautism.ca . . . . 604-685-4049 The Canucks Autism Network is a non-profit organization that provides high-quality, adaptive programs for kids, teens and young adults with autism in a safe and supportive environment.

Child & Family Counselling Association (Autism Program) 5–230 Menzies St . . . . 250-595-4423 Community Options for Children & Families 1595 Bay St . . . . . . . . . 250-380-6363 The Cridge Respitality Service 1307 Hillside Ave . . . . . 250-995-6412 Our unique Respitality program provides parents of a child with a disability a chance to pause and be refreshed with a complimentary overnight stay for two in a hotel or bed-and-breakfast.

The Cridge Respite Resource Service 1307 Hillside Ave . . . . . 250-220-8569 This vital service keeps an up-to-date listing of people able to provide respite care and parents who need respite services for their child. If you are either a parent or a respite care provider, please contact us for more information.

Family Support, Community Living Victoria 3861 Cedar Hill X Rd . . . . . . . . . . . 250-477-7231, ext. 236 Greater Victoria Down Syndrome Society gvdss.ca . . . . . . . . . . . 250-479-7450 HeadWay Victoria Epilepsy & Parkinson’s Centre headwayvictoria.com . 250-475-6677 If epilepsy is in your life, we can help.

Professional consultations, information, classroom education, community awareness puppet project, advocacy, parent workshops, tutoring for schoolaged children, bursaries for Camosun College.

Lifetime Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lifetimenetworks.org Little Steps Therapy Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-386-1171 Monarch House Victoria monarchhouse.ca . . . . 250-220-8999 Mosaic Learning Society Victoria 500 Admirals Rd . . . . . 250-382-0848 Pivot Point Family Growth Centre pivotpoint.ca . . . . . . . . 778-410-2319 Power to Be Adventure Therapy powertobe.ca . . . . . . . 250-385-2363 On a Power To Be Adaptive Recreation program, youth and families living with a disability or barrier can experience the value of being active outside in a supportive environment.

Queen Alexandra Centre For Children’s Health 2400 Arbutus Rd . . . . . 250-477-1826 Ronald McDonald House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .rmhbc.ca Schizophrenia Society, BC Chapter 941 Kings Rd . . . . . . . . 250-384-4225 Special Olympics . . . . . . . victoriaspecialolympics.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-477-7106 Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus Association of BC 4480 Oak St, Vancouver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604-878-7000 Victoria Brain Injury Society D & E, 830 Pembroke St250-598-9339 Victoria Group Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . groupperspectives.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-590-7624

Victoria Society for Children with Autism Box 44106, 2947 Tillicum Rd . . . victoriaautismsociety@gmail.com

Cowichan Valley

GRIEF SUPPORT

COMMUNITY CENTRES

Rainbows, Duncan 371 Festubert St . . . . . 250-746-5521

Westshore Child & Youth Family Centre, 345 Wale Rd . . 250-391-4320

Shawnigan Lake Community Centre 2804 Shawnigan Lk Rd 250-743-1433

PARENT SUPPORT

YOUTH SERVICES Discovery Youth and Family Substance Use Services 2nd Fl-530 Fraser St . . 250-519-5313 Island Sexual Health Society Clinical Services . . . . . 250-592-3479 Community Ed . . . . . . . 250-388-2202 Parents Together Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-384-9133 PFLAG of Greater Victoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-385-9462 Youth Clinic 533 Yates Street . . . . . 250-383-3552 547 Michigan Street . . 250-388-7841 Young Parent Support Network 2541 Empire St . . . . . . 250-384-0052

COUNSELLING Canadian Mental Health Association 371 Festubert St, Duncan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-746-5521 Central Vancouver Island Crisis Society, Cowichan . . . 250-748-1133 Community Options Society, Cowichan 200 Cowichan Way . . . 250-748-0232 Cowichan Family Life 250-748-8281 Duncan Mental Health & Addiction Services . . . . . . . . . . . 250-709-3040 South Vancouver Island Assessment & Resource Service, Duncan 305–394 Duncan St . . . 250-746-6900

Youth Space . . . www.youthspace.ca Victoria Youth Empowerment Society 533 Yates St . . . . . . . . 250-383-3514

Big Brothers Big Sisters #1-60 Ingram St, Duncan bbbscowichan.ca . . . . 250-748-2447 Child Care Resource and Referral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . islandfamilyinfo.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-746-4135 ext. 231 Cowichan Family Life Association 2C–2753 Charlotte Rd . 250-748-8281 Parent Support Circle Shawnigan Lake . . . . . 250-384-8042

SPECIAL NEEDS & DISABILITY SUPPORT BeConnected Support Services beconsupport.ca . . . . . 250-727-3891 Cowichan Therapeutic Riding Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ctra.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-746-1028 Cowichan Valley Association for Community Living 5856 Clements St . . . . 250-746-4135

Journeys of the Heart is a “free-of-charge” 10 month (30 week) cultural early learning program for Aboriginal children ages 2–5 years and their families. Program structure and delivery is designed to provide opportunities to empower and contribute to positive cultural identity within Aboriginal children and their families.

There are spaces available for this coming fall at Quadra and Wishart Elementary schools.

For more information call

Winnie Williams 250-384-9466 ex 251 Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 15

Early Intervention Team 202–394 Duncan St . . . 250-709-9022

Ladysmith Resources Centre Association 721 First Ave . . . . . . . . 250-245-3079

YOUTH SERVICES

Gabriola Community Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-247-9291

Community Options Society 200 Cowichan Way . . . 250-748-0232

GRIEF SUPPORT

Mid-Island

Child & Youth Grief Support, Nanaimo . . . . . nanaimohospice.com 1729 Boundary Ave . . . 250-758-8857

COMMUNITY CENTRES

Rainbows, Nanaimo 2221 Bowen Rd . . . . . . 250-751-7888

Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society, Nanaimo 114-285 Prideaux St . . 250-753-6911

Rainbows, Parksville (4-12 yr olds) 345 N. Pym St . . . . . . . 250-248-3927

Cherry Creek Community Centre, Port Alberni 3720 Moore Rd . . . . . . 250-724-1923

Spectrum, Parksville (13-18 yr olds) 345 N. Pym St . . . . . . . 250-248-3927

Child Development Centre 1135 Nelson St . . . . . . 250-753-3521

PARENT SUPPORT

District 69 Family Resource Assoc.

Qualicum Beach 181 Sunningdale Rd . . 250-752-6766 Ladysmith Parks, Recreation & Culture, Ladysmith 810-6th Ave . . . . . . . . . 250-245-6424

Associated Family & Community Support Services Ltd, Parksville 155 Weld St . . . . . . . . . 250-248-0076 BC Families in Transition 899 Fort St . . . . . . . . . . 250-386-4331 Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Nanaimo #3-2350 Labieux Rd . . 250-756-2447

CONCERTS FOR KIDS

Child Development Centre 1135 Nelson St . . . . . . 250-753-0251 Dr. Shannon Barnsley, Registered Psychologist 204-1125 Dufferin Cres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-591-0702 Family Caregivers’ Network Society 526 Michigan St . . . . . 250-384-0408 Family Resource Association, Qualicum Beach 181 Sunningdale Rd W 250-752-6766 Foster Parent Support Services 3D 132 Roberts St . . . . 250-245-2622 Kw’umut Lelum Child & Family Services, Ladysmith 7973 Chemainus Rd . . 250-246-3336 Nanaimo & Area Resource Services for Families 210–170 Wallace St . . . 250-754-2773 Nanaimo Family Life Association 1070 Townsite Rd . . . . 250-754-3331 Nanaimo Mental Health & Addiction Services . . . . . . . . . . . 250-755-3361 Nanaimo Women’s Centre 285 Selby St . . . . . . . . 250-753-0633

2014 /15 Season!

Fred Penner Singalong november 2 Jack and the Beanstalk january 25

The Mischievous Adventures of Rascally Rhythm march 8 All performances are at the Royal Theatre at 2:30pm.

Come early for the VS Instrument Petting Zoo and other activities starting at 1:30pm. series sponsor

sponsors

Concerts for KIDS

victoriasymphony.ca or call 250.385.6515 16 www.IslandParent.ca

Nanoose First Nations 111 Snaw-Naw-As Rd . 250-390-0003 Nutsumaat Lelum, Ladysmith 3947 Shell Beach Rd . . 250-245-0994

Youth Pass!

PacificCare . . . . . . islandfamilyinfo.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-756-2022 or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-888-480-2273 Parent Support Circles, Nanaimo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-468-9658

BC Transit offers a special pass for youth throughout the year.

Parent Support Circles, Parksville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-468-9658 Parents Together Parents Line 20 5th St . . . . . . . . . . . 250-754-9661

The BC Transit Youth Pass gives riders ages 6 to 18 unlimited travel throughout the Victoria Regional Transit System.

Princess Royal Family Centre 260 Irwin St . . . . . . . . . 250-755-7855 Salvation Army Meal Program 505 8th St . . . . . . . . . . 250-754-2621

Just $35 per month for a minimum of six months.

Snu Ney Muxw First Nations 668 Centre St . . . . . . . 250-740-2300

For details visit www.bctransit.com.

SOS Child Youth & Family Centre, Parksville 245 West Hirst Ave . . . 250-248-2093

IF IT’S GREEN...

The Representative for Children & Youth rcybc.ca . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-476-3933

JUST GO!

Tillicum Lelum Friendship Centre 927 Haliburton St . . . . 250-753-8291

SPECIAL NEEDS & DISABILITY SUPPORT Child Development Centre 1135 Nelson St . . . . . . 250-753-0251 Footholds Therapy Centre, Nanaimo footholds.ca . . . . . . . . . 250-585-4411

Victoria Regional Transit Commission

Island Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre 205-55 Victoria Rd . . . . 250-753-0999 4209

Nanaimo Brain Injury Society 101-55 Victoria Rd . . . . 250-753-5600

www.bctransit.com • 250�382�8181

Nanaimo Unique Kids Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nuko.ca

YOUTH SERVICES ADAPT Society, Nanaimo 206-96 Cavan St . . . . . 250-754-0600 Nanaimo Youth Services 290 Bastion St . . . . . . . 250-754-1989

Vivace Violins Publication

Island Parent

Insertion Date

Sept 24, 2014

Size

4.75 x 6.75”

Approval

paula_smith@bctransit.com

Colour

Colour

Created By

Kirsten_James@bctransit.com

Ship To

250·385·2551

Louise Reid B.Mus. M.Mus. 250-884-9574 www.vivaceviolins.ca vivaceviolins@yahoo.ca

Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 17

Shannon K. Auringer

Power POSE for Super Power I

stood there like Wonder Woman with my feet spread apart and my hands on my hips. I stared straight ahead, with my shoulders rolled back and my most serious face on. I was imagining myself having just saved the planet from total annihilation… until the laughter started, that is. I was then transported back to my living room, where I wasn’t the only person looking silly.

My daughters were doing the Cat Woman and Poison Ivy poses from Batman, while my son was perfecting the Wolverine pose from X-Men. The only rules for what was masquerading as a game, was that the chosen position has to big and powerful, with your arms and legs away from the body. You had to be able to hold it comfortably for 10 minutes. But in fact this wasn’t a game at all, it was actually a family fun way of helping to boost my kids’ self-confidence.

Let’s face it, not all kids are extroverted social butterflies, who seem to have a naturally built-in confidence. Some children are confident all the time, a few when they are in their comfort zone and others second guess themselves into moments of anxiety.

While some things about our personalities are non-negotiable and hardwired, there are others traits that we can alter simply by practice. A child’s confidence level is not a part of their personality, it is a behavior and as such can be learned and unlearned.

Research shows that nonverbal behaviour, more commonly known as body language, can be a major factor in determining one’s success in life. Amy J.C. Cuddy, an associate professor at Harvard Business School (HBS), studied the link between body language and job performance and success. In her 2012 Ted Talk called “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are”, she discusses how being aware of your body language can significantly change your life.

According to Cuddy, our body language says something to those around us. It gives

18 www.IslandParent.ca

people a subconscious perception as to who we are and it also has the ability to change our own body chemistry. When we hold our bodies in closed positions, she says, we actually change the way we perceive ourselves.

The tighter and more protected the position, such as legs crossed, arms close to the body, or touching our neck when we speak, sends messages to the brain of meekness and lack of self-confidence. When others watch this type of body language they can unknowingly lose confidence in our abilities.

Some of us are familiar with the saying, fake it till you make it, but according to Cuddy, you should fake it till you become it. She suggests doing 10 minutes of powerposing every day can help boost your selfconfidence and change your body chemistry.

Practising the ‘Wonder Woman’ stance— standing with hands on hips, legs spread a shoulder width apart, chest pushed up and chin tilted up—can make you feel selfassured and powerful. Her research shows that people who did this everyday had higher levels of testosterone, which helps to give you confidence, and lower levels of cortisol, which is the body chemical responsible for stress. She says that even if you don’t believe it, eventually it will just become who you are, without any conscious effort.

So next time your kids need a quick injection of self-confidence, take 10 minutes and have a super hero moment. Watch them walk away with their head held high, a stronger stride and few giggles that will last throughout the day. Hey, if it worked for the popular Saturday Night Live character, Mary Katherine, in the 1999 slapstick flick Superstar, it could work for you too!

Shannon K. Auringer is a freelance writer who resides in Victoria with her three amazing children and boxer dog. More of her work can be found at www.skauringer. com or follow her on twitter @skauringer

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Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 19

Education South Island PRESCHOOLS, CHILD CARE & OCCASIONAL CARE A Growing Place . . . . 250-391-1133 A Secret Garden Preschool 246 Island Hwy . . . . . . 250-380-8293 Acorntree Preschool . 250-477-1312 Adel’s Play N Discovery House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-655-4888 . . . . . . . . . . . . adelplayndiscovery.ca Almosthome Childcare/Preschool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-590-7666 . . . . . . . . . . . . . almosthomecare.com Arbutus Grove Children’s Centre 3905 Haro Road arbutusgrove.ca . . . . . 250-477-3731 Formerly known as Goosey Gander Kindergarten. Half-day & full-day Preschool Programs. Children’s learning is nurtured and supported through inquiry, exploration, play and creative expression.

ArtsCalibre Academy 3220 Cedar Hill Rd . . . 250-382-3533 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ArtsCalibre.ca “The Art of Preschool”—an engaging, comprehensive program infused with music, dance, theatre and visual arts, giving children confidence and the social and academic skills to thrive in kindergarten and beyond. Excellent staff and outstanding facilities within the Cedar Hill Recreation Centre.

Babies to Big Kids Childcare 949 Fullerton Ave . . . . . 250-590-5540 Daycare owner . . . . . . 250-818-9225 . . . . . . . . . . . . . babiestobigkids.com Camosun College Child Care Services camosun.ca/childcare . 250-995-1766 Caring Touch Daycare 250-478-4886 Carrot Seed Preschool 813 Claremont Ave . . . 250-658-2331 . . . . . . . . . .carrotseedpreschool.com Where children can discover, imagine, construct and learn through play.

Wondrous natural playground.

Castleview Child Care . . . . . castleviewchildcarecentre.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-595-5355

20 www.IslandParent.ca

Cedar Daycare . . . . . . 250-479-2032 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cedardaycare.com Christ Church Cathedral Child Care and Junior Kindergarten Program 520 Niagara St . . . . . . . 250-383-5132 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cathedralschool.ca ECE and specialist teachers provide an outstanding all day licensed program for 3 and 4 year-olds in our spacious and welcoming facility in James Bay. Chrysalis Child Care, Saanichton chrysalischildcare.ca . 250-652-0815 CIARA Early Childhood Centre 846 Phoenix St . . . . . . 250-386-7369 Cloverdale Child Care 3427 Quadra St . . . . . . 250-995-1766 . . . . . . . . . . .cloverdalechildcare.com Cordova Bay Preschool . . . . . . . . . .cordovabaypreschool.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-658-3441 Creative Child . . . . . . 778-679-0076 . . . . . . . . . . . creativechildcentre.com The Cridge Childcare Services 1309 Hillside Ave . . . . . 250-995-6419 Our quality daycare, preschool and out-of-school care programs offer an environment that is safe, stimulating, nurturing and responsive to every child.

Downtown Y Child Care Centre 851 Broughton St . . . . 250-413-8869 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .victoriay.com Emmanuel Preschool 2121 Cedar Hill X Rd . . 250-598-0573 Full o’ Beans Preschool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-360-1148 . . . saanichneighbourhoodplace.com Gonzales Co-operative Preschool . . . . . . . . . . . gonzalespreschool.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-727-1003 In the Garden Childcare Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-654-0306 International Nannies & Homecare Ltd. . . . . . . . internationalnannies.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-412-3730 Island Kids Academy 542 Fraser St . . . . . . . . 250-381-2929 286 Island Hwy . . . . . . 250-727-2929 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . islandkids.ca Island Montessori House 5575 West Saanich Rd 250-592-4411 . . . . . . . . . . . . islandmontessori.com Kids & Company Victoria, Uptown . . . . . . . . kidsandcompany.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-866-MYKIDCO

Kindred Spirits Children’s House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-590-6966 . . . kindredspiritschildrenshouse.com Lakehill Co-op Preschool 3821 Cedar Hill X-Rd . . 250-477-4141 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .lakehillpreschool.org Lambrick Park Preschool . . . . . . . . . lambrickparkpreschool.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-477-8131 Langford Montessori Junior Kindergarten 1033 Jenkins Ave . . . . 250-857-5895 . . . . . . . . . . .langfordmontessori.com Lansdowne Co-op Preschool 2801 Henderson Rd . . 250-370-5392 . . . . . . . . . .lansdownepreschool.com La Pre-Maternelle Appletree Preschool 500 Admirals Rd . . . . . 250-479-0292 . . . . . . . .prematernelleappletree.com Leap Forward Childcare 2758 Peatt Rd. . . . . . . . 778-265-5955 or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-818-9225 . . . . . . . . . . leapforwardlangford.com Lexie’s Little Bears’ Child Care Inc. 1931 Millstream Rd . . . 250-590-3603 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lexieslittlebears.com Little Bears Early Education Centre jennslittlebears.ca . . . . 250-478-8999 Little Friends Childcare 40 High St . . . . . . . . . . 250-479-8423 . . . . . . . . . . . . littlefriendschildcare.ca Little Readers Academy oxfordlearning.com . . . 250-477-5550 Little Wonders Preschool (VROSCS) viewroyalosc.com . . . . 250-744-2718 Metchosin Co-op Preschool 4354 Metchosin Rd . . . 250-478-9241 Miles of Smiles Licensed Childcare . . . . . . .naturejuniorkindergarten.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 778-265-4374 Montessori Educare . 250-881-8666 . . . . . . . . . . . montessorieducare.com Moss Rock Preschool fairfieldcommunity.ca . 250-382-2065 Nightingale Preschool and Junior Kindergarten Ltd. 1340 Balmoral Rd . . . . 250-595-7544 . . . . . . . . . nightingalepreschool.com.

Oak Bay Co-op Preschool oakbaypreschool.com . 250-592-1922 Learning through play. Fun Star 1-3 years. Preschool 3 & 4 years. Allergyfriendly classroom (dairy, egg, gluten & nut free).

Oakcrest Preschool 3738 Cedar Hill Rd . . . 250-472-0668 . . . . . . . . . . . . oakcrestpreschool.org Parkdale Early Childhood Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-382-0512 Preschool and daycare emphasizing learning through play with children of various ages in stimulating activities with educational materials. We believe every child is unique and special. Everyone welcome.

Positive Patch Early Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-655-7244 Puddles & Paints Playschool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-658-6573 Quails’ Nest Daycare 18 Camden Ave . . . . . . 250-721-2342 Rainbow Express Daycare 433 Kingston St . . . . . . 250-382-2314 . . . . . . . rainbowexpressdaycare.com Rainbows & Dreams Preschool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-479-1966 Ready Set Grow Preschool heosc.com . . . . . . . . . . 250-472-1530 Recreation Oak Bay 1975 Bee St . . . . . . . . . 250-370-7200 Rogers Child Care Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-744-2343 Simply Fun Childcare Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-881-3958 Sir James Douglas Preschool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-389-0500 St. Christopher’s Montessori School stcmsoakbaybc.com . . 250-595-3213 St. Joseph’s Catholic Preschool 757 Burnside Rd West . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-479-1232 ext. 120 St. Margaret’s Early Learning Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . stmarg.ca 1080 Lucas Ave . . . . . . 250-479-7171 Strawberry Vale Preschool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-479-4213 . . . . . . . strawberryvalepreschool.org Programs for kids 3-4 at “The Little Red Schoolhouse.” An opportunity to be actively involved with your preschooler’s education.

Vancouver Island Co-operative Preschool Association . . . 598-2667 Victoria Montessori 750 Front St . . . . . . . . . 250-380-0534 . . . . . . . . . . . victoriamontessori.com Victoria Nature School . . . . . . . . . . victorianatureschool.com

Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 21

View Royal Preschool 279 Island Hwy . . . . . . . 250-479-8067 West-Mont School 4075 Metchosin Rd . . . 250-474-2626 Wiseways Preschool & Daycare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-477-1312

Irish Dance Classes Offered in Victoria & Nanaimo Ages 4 years to Adults Beginners to Champions Recreational & Competitive

victoriairishdancers.com

alisonpaladini@shaw.ca 250-888-9421 Join the fun of Irish dance classes!

COME AND TRY ONE CLASS FOR FREE

Barnyard & trail rides Visit the Barnyard

Milk a goat, collect the eggs, count the chicks. Free pony ride with admission.

Open Daily 10am–4pm

relax on a trail ride

Ride for 1/2 an hour or more through beautiful forests.

Reservations recommended.

Open Year round Dawn to Dusk.

Located between Parksville & Coombs at

1692 Errington Rd Ph 250-248-2408

www.tigerlilyfarm.ca

22

www.IslandParent.ca

SCHOOL DISTRICTS Conseil scolaire francophone de la Columbie-Britannique #180-10200 Shellbridge Way, Richmond . . . . . . . . . 1-888-715-2200 School District #61 Victoria 556 Boleskine Rd . . . . . 250-475-3212 School District #62 Sooke 3143 Jacklin Rd . . . . . . 250-474-9800 School District #63 Saanich 2125 Keating X-Rd . . . . 250-652-7300 School District #64, Salt Spring 112 Rainbow Rd . . . . . . 250-537-5548

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS ArtsCalibre Academy 2121 Cedar Hill Cross Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-382-3533 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ArtsCalibre .ca Imagine a school where music, dance, theatre and visual arts are infused into all aspects of an outstanding curriculum . Academic excellence is achieved in a dynamic, engaging and safe environment . Small class sizes, individualized education plans, highly skilled and dedicated teachers, excellent facilities and central location .

Christ Church Cathedral School 912 Vancouver St . . . . . 250-383-5125 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cathedralschool .ca CCCS is Victoria’s Anglican Elementary and Middle School for boys and girls . Small classes, enriched programs, after-school care and a welcoming community .

Discovery School 4052 Wilkinson Rd . . . . 250-595-7765 Eaton Arrowsmith School 200-3200 Shelbourne St . . . . . . . eatonarrowsmithschool .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-370-0046 The only school on Vancouver Island focusing on the potential of children with learning disabilities to improve cognitive functioning and benefit from the brain’s ability to change itself .

Come visit us!

Elizabeth Buckley School STEAMschool .ca . . . . . 250-995-6425 Glenlyon-Norfolk School 801 Bank St (Admissions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-370-6801 801 Bank St (Middle Years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-370-6803 801 Bank St (Senior) . . . 250-370-6802 1701 Beach Dr (Primary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-370-6854 Maria Montessori Academy 1841 Fairburn Dr . . . . . 250-479-4746 Oak & Orca Bioregional School 2738 Higgins St . . . . . . 250-383-6609 Pacific Christian School 671 Agnes St (Elementary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-479-9365 654 Agnes St (Secondary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-479-4532 Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . learningstorm .org Salt Spring Centre School 355B Blackburn Rd . . . 250-537-9130 Selkirk Montessori School 2970 Jutland Rd . . . . . . 250-384-3414 South Park Family School 508 Douglas St . . . . . . . 250-382-5234 St. Andrew’s Regional High School 880 McKenzie Ave . . . . 250-479-1414 St. Joseph’s Catholic School 757 West Burnside Rd . 250-479-1232 St. Margaret’s School 1080 Lucas Ave . . . . . . 250-479-7171 . . . . . . . . . . . .admissions@stmarg .ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . stmarg .ca Confident girls . Inspiring women .

Preschool to Grade 12 .

St. Michaels University School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . smus .ca 3400 Richmond Rd . . . . 250-592-2411 Jr . School 820 Victoria . 250-598-3922 St. Patrick’s Elementary School 2368 Trent St . . . . . . . . 250-592-6713 Victoria School for Ideal Education 2820 Belmont Ave . . . . 250-383-6654 West-Mont School 4075 Metchosin Rd . . . 250-474-2626 Westshore Centre for Learning & Training westshorecentre .com . . 250-391-9002

DISTRIBUTED LEARNING E-Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-567-1236 Hands-On Home-Learning for a Sustainable World . . 1-888-383-6619 North Island Distance Education, Courtenay 110–1742 Cliffe Ave . . 1-800-663-7925 South Island Distance Education 4575 Wilkinson Rd . . . . 250-704-4979 SelfDesign . . . . . . . . . selfdesign.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-877-353-3374

LEARNING CENTRES & TUTORS Dyslexia Victoria Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dyslexiavictoria.ca . . . . . 250-815-0950 or 250-715-3034 Irlen Screener . . . . . . . 250-655-3034 . . . . . . . . . khope@dyslexiavictoria.ca KUMON Math & Reading 214-3965 Quadra St . . 250-479-1800 103-721 Station Rd . . . 250-474-4175 10091 Resthaven Dr . . 250-656-6696 Learning Disabilities Association 1524 Fort St . . . . . . . . . 250-370-9513 Oxford Learning 203–1595 McKenzie Ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-477-5550 READ Society Learning Centre 202-990 Hillside Ave . . 250-388-7225 Qualified teachers design individual learning programs that build skills and create confident, capable learners. Parents whose children come to READ tell us that “It works!” For over 37 years, families have been expanding their knowledge and their opportunities by learning with us.

School Is Easy In Home Tutoring schooliseasy.com . . . 1-877-ITSEASY Smart Tutor Referrals . . . . . . . . . . SmartTutorReferrals.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-544-1588 Sylvan Learning Centre 1623 McKenzie Ave . . . 250-477-3212 3145 Jacklin Rd . . . . . . 250-590-6211 Digital tablet technology, innovative teaching techniques, motivational programs and the Sylvan Insight assessment continue to make Sylvan Learning the leader in personalized learning from K-12. Call today to find out more.

Total Learning Services . . . . totallearningservices@gmail.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 778-440-0997 See ad on page 28 Tutor Doctor . . . . . . . . vancouverislandtutors.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-386-9333 Valentus Clinics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . valentusclinics.com

POST SECONDARY EDUCATION Angela Martin Montessori Training Centre 1841 Fairburn Dr . . . . . 250-479-4746 Camosun College camosun.ca . . . . . . . . . 250-370-3550 Canadian College of Performing Arts 1701 Elgin St . . . . . . . . 250-595-9970 Capernwray Harbour Bible School & Conference Centre, Thetis Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . capernwray.ca Open Learning Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-663-1663 Royal Roads University royalroads.ca . . . . . . . . 250-391-2511 Sprott-Shaw Community College 2621 Douglas St . . . . . 250-384-8121 University of Victoria uvic.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-721-7211 Vancouver Island School of Art 2549 Quadra St . . . . . . 250-380-3500

OTHER Mad Science . . . .madscience.org/vancouverisland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-391-1814 Maritime Museum mmbc.bc.ca . . . . . . . . 250-385-4222 Open School BC . openschool.bc.ca Victoria German School . . . . . . . . . . victoriagermanschool.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-886-1420 Victoria Good News Choir . . . . . . . . victoriagoodnewschoir.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-658-1946 Victoria Russian School . . . . . . . . . . victoriarussianschool.org

SCHOLARSHIP & EDUCATION FUNDS Children’s Education Fund Inc. cefi.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-246-1203

Cowichan Valley PRESCHOOLS, CHILD CARE & OCCASIONAL CARE Maple Tree Play House Licensed Family Childcare . . . . 250-746-5060 Queen of Angels Early Learning Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-701-0433 Queen Margaret’s School qms.bc.ca . . . . . . . . . . 250-746-4185 Starchild Centre, Mill Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-929-3240 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . starchildcentre.ca Sunrise Waldorf School, Kindercottage Preschool 2148 Lakeside Rd . . . . 250-743-7253 . . . . . . . . . . sunrisewaldorfschool.org

SCHOOL DISTRICTS School District #79 2557 Beverly St . . . . . . 250-748-0321

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

Brentwood College School 2735 Mt. Baker Rd, Mill Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-743-5521 Dwight International School 2371 East Shawnigan Lake Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-929-0506 Evergreen Independent School 3515 Watson Ave, Cobble Hill evergreen.net . . . . . . . . 250-743-2433 Island Oak High School, Duncan 5814 Banks Rd . . . . . . 250-701-0400 Queen Margaret’s School, Duncan qms.bc.ca . . . . . . . . . . 250-746-4185 Queen of Angels Catholic School 2085 Maple Bay Rd . . . 250-746-5919 Shawnigan Lake School 1975 Renfrew Rd . . . . . 250-743-5516 Sunrise Waldorf School 2148 Lakeside Rd . . . . 250-743-7253 sunrisewaldorfschool.org. A fully certified Waldorf School established in 1980. Our 7 acre rural campus is located in Cowichan Station, just south of Duncan. Programs include Parent & Child mornings, preschool, mixed age kindergartens and Grades 1-8.

Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 23

DISTRIBUTED LEARNING E-Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-567-1236 Hands-On Home-Learning for a Sustainable World 2738 Higgins St . . . . . . 250-383-6619 Individual Learning Centre Broadmead . . . . . . . . . 250-744-1174 Saanichton . . . . . . . . . 250-656-4042 Juan de Fuca Distributed Learning 814 Goldstream Ave . . 250-391-9002 North Island Distance Education, Courtenay nides.bc.ca . . . . . . . . 1-800-663-7925 SelfDesign . . . . . . . . . selfdesign.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-877-353-3374 SIDES Distributed Learning sides.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-704-4979

LEARNING CENTRES & TUTORS Sylvan Learning Centre 215–80 Station St . . . . 250-746-0222 Digital tablet technology, innovative teaching techniques, motivational programs and the Sylvan Insight assessment continue to make Sylvan Learning the leader in personalized learning from K-12. Call today to find out more.

POST SECONDARY EDUCATION

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Mid-Island

Conseil scolaire francophone de la Columbie-Britannique #180-10200 Shellbridge Way, Richmond . . . . . . . . . 1-888-715-2200 School District #68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) 395 Wakesiah Ave . . . . 250-754-5521

PRESCHOOLS & CHILD CARE

School District #69 (Qualicum) 100 Jensen Ave . . . . . . 250-248-4241

Cherry Tree Child Care Centre, Chemainus 10114 View St . . . . . . . 250-246-9195

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

Sprott-Shaw Community College . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-748-2700

Children’s Discovery Centre, Qualicum Beach . . . . . . . . . 250-752-4343 John Paul II Catholic School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-723-0637 Little Star Children’s Centre Qualicum Beach . . . . . 250-752-4554 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . littlestardaycare.ca St Joseph’s Preschool, Chemainus 9735 Elm St . . . . . . . . . 250-246-3191 Thimbleberry Childcare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-752-8342 Vancouver Island Co-operative Preschool Association . . www.vicpa.org

Discover Montessori School 4355 Jinglepot Rd, Nanaimo 1223 Smithers Rd, Parksville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-760-0615 John Paul II Catholic School, Port Alberni 4006 8th Ave . . . . . . . . 250-723-0637 Morning Glory School, Qualicum 861 Hilliers Rd . . . . . . . 250-752-2722 St. Joseph’s Catholic School Chemainus 9735 Elm St . . . . . . . . . 250-246-3191

STEP INTO ANOTHER WORLD & BRING THE KIDS ALONG IMAX Films - fourty-five minutes of fascination, fun and education.

Shows hourly from 10am every day.

Full-length Hollywood feature films play every evening*

250-480-4887 • imaxvictoria.com

K-9 Distributed Learning

*Often rated PG-13, so maybe unsuitable for young children but a great excuse for a date night.

Hands-On Home-Learning for a Sustainable World - expense budget provided

The joy of learning - naturally.

http://oakandorca.ca http://oakandorca.ca 250 383 6619 888 383 6619) 250 383(1 6609 24 www.IslandParent.ca

- unique hands-on learning activities - support from a certified teacher - constructive feedback without grading - children can learn at their natural pace

DISTRIBUTED LEARNING E-Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-567-1236 CEAP School District #69 Home Learning Program . . . . 250-954-3043 Hands-On Home-Learning for a Sustainable World 2738 Higgins St . . . . 1-888-383-6619 North Island Distance Education School, Courtenay navigatenides .com . . . . 250-337-5300

Lion, Witch WardrO be THE

THE

AND THE

ADAPTED FROM THE NOVEL BY C.S. LEWIS

LEARNING CENTRES & TUTORS Kidz-R-Brite . . . . . . . .kidzrbrite .com KUMON Math & Reading 5–6421 Applecross Rd 250-390-2411 Literacy Nanaimo 19 Commercial Dr . . . . . 250-754-8988 School Is Easy In Home Tutoring schooliseasy .com . . . .1-877-ITSEASY Sylvan Learning Centre 3260 Norwell Dr . . . . . . 250-758-1526 Digital tablet technology, innovative teaching techniques, motivational programs and the Sylvan Insight assessment continue to make Sylvan Learning the leader in personalized learning from K-12 . Call today to find out more .

Tutor Doctor vancouverislandtutors .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-802-5256

POST SECONDARY EDUCATION Sprott-Shaw Community College . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-754-9600 Vancouver Island University 900 5th St . . . . . . . . . . . 250-753-3245

OTHER

SPOTLIGHT ON UVIC THEATRE ALUMNI WITH MACK GORDON (BFA’08) KAITLIN WILLIAMS (BFA’09)

OCTOBER

9 – 18, 2014

“You simply cannot miss the magic that is happening on stage here in what is a nearly perfect piece of theatre.”

GAYVANCOUVER.NET

(Recommended for ages 8 and up.)

PHOENIXTHEATRES.CA | 250.721.8000 EVENINGS @ 8PM: TUES. - SAT. | MATINEES @ 2PM: OCT. 11* & 18 (*with SIGN LANGUAGE) Presented by UVic Alumni Association Affinity Partner:

Media Partner:

Chemainus Community Schools’ Association 3172 Garner St . . . . . . . 250-246-3588 Sense of Place Youth Project LTD Childcare, Ladysmith Lower floor, Bethel Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-797-2316

Family Resource Guide 2014/2015

25

Preparing for Baby

O

ne thing you’ll quickly realize about having a baby is there are many things you’ll need to feed, clothe, protect, and amuse him. Before you spend money on things you don’t really need, check the following list of the essentials. You may be able to borrow some items from friends or family, but make sure any second-hand items (especially something like a crib) meet minimum current safety standards. Some products, like car seats, actually have an expiry date on them, beyond which it’s not safe to use them. Health Canada has up-to-date information on product safety at www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/advisories-avis/ index-eng.php.

Furniture & Supplies “Dwight served as a home as well as a school for me, providing a place to feel comfortable and challenged. During my time there, I was given opportunities to grow as a student, leader, and person.” Katie, graduate Sooke BC Students like Katie excel at Dwight, where we offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum — recognized worldwide as the “gold standard” in pre-university preparation.

• • •

Shuttle transport available Average class size: 12 Scholarships available

admissions@dwightcanada.org | 250.929.0506 | www.dwightcanada.org

Back to School: Make this their best year ever with Tutor Doctor.

• Convenient, Comfortable One-to-One Tutoring at Home • Expert, Screened, WellMatched Tutors • Tailor-Made Program for Every Student

CALL (250) 802-5256

vancouverislandtutors.com 26 www.IslandParent.ca

Crib Dresser Change table Rear-facing car seat Stroller and/or baby carrier Baby tub Fitted crib sheet Baby bottles Breast pump (buy, rent, borrow) Vitamin D drops A thermometer for taking your baby’s temperature Infant diapers (cloth or disposable) Baby wipes Petroleum jelly (for diaper rash) Soft washcloths Mild soap and mild laundry detergent Receiving blankets Infant sleepers, hats, and booties, onesies Infant mittens (to cover your baby’s sharp nails) Infant snowsuit or bunting bag (for winter babies) Pacifier First-aid kit

For Mom Vitamin D supplement Nursing bras Nursing pads Lanolin cream for sore or cracked nipples Reprinted with permission from Canadian Paediatric Society. Visit www.caringforkids. cps.ca for more information.

ocean985.com

Family Resource Guide 2014/2015  27

Pregnant?

Pregnancy is a state of health.

Midwives recognize what an extraordinary time this is in your life and we are available to support you through your childbearing year.

Covered by Your BC Health Care BC’s Medical Services Plan pays for midwifery care, including in-home check-ups in labour and after you’ve had your baby. You can self-refer to a midwife.

Quality Care Studies show that midwifery clients have lower rates of episiotomies, infection, Caesarean sections, forceps and vacuum deliveries and newborns that require resuscitation.

Choice of Hospital or Home Birth Continuity of Care Comprehensive Care Breastfeeding Education & Support We would be pleased to schedule an appointment to answer your questions about midwifery care.

www.midwivesinvictoria.ca

Does your child have difficulty reading?

• can’t read words just read earlier • letter reversal • symptoms of dyslexia • “sounds out” words but can not blend them correctly • confuses similar sounding words • avoids reading/poor speller I offer an effective program that works!

Call to arrange your individualized one-on-one tutoring solution.

Brenda Osadchy 778-440-0997

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Mollie Kaye

In Search of the Village W

hen my marriage ended in 2006, I had a toddler and a kindergartener.

Two years earlier, I had arrived in Victoria pregnant, with no extended family nearby.

To provide a “happy life” for my children, I moved us into a lovely, 2,500-square-foot heritage house in Fairfield, on a pristine street with lovely older neighbours who waved at us from their lovely gardens. We were living a picturesque, North American dream. Behind closed doors, though, it was more of a nightmare.

My 13-year marriage had just ended in a stunning blaze of acrimony. Beyond the trauma of that major loss, though, was a deeper malaise: we were suffering from a lack of community, companionship and support. I found it overwhelming to be alone in my house with my two young children, trying to do and be all things for them. Their incessant whining, fighting, and tantrums told me that they found it impossible to get their needs met solely by me and each other.

It just wasn’t working for us, but I tried to be grateful and appreciate my privilege and “nice house.” No matter how nice it was, on some level I understood that we were now isolated in a beautiful box, cut off from what we really needed: community.

In the 2011 documentary Happy, director Roko Belic travels the world looking for the sources of contentment. At one point, he lands in Denmark, which for years has been deemed “The Happiest Country on Earth.” Beyond the perks Danes share with most of their northern European neighbours, (myriad government-funded benefits, high standard of living), the filmmaker finds that “Denmark’s most unique and revealing quality is that it has more of its population living in what are called ‘cohousing communities’ than in any other modern industrialized nation.”

Cohousing communities consist of complete, individually-owned homes built around a “common house.” The homes are usually smaller, since the shared amenities

of the common house make a larger home unnecessary. If I had access to guest rooms, a large dining hall, commercial kitchen, workshop, art studio, yoga room, and a huge shared garden, I’d be delighted to live in a smaller home—less to heat, vacuum, and maintain, yet the kids could still spread out and play. And the simple, elegant efficiencies of cohousing are dwarfed by its enormous, life-sustaining psycho-social benefits.

In the documentary, a Danish mother of three living in a cohousing community introduces herself by saying, “When I moved here, I was newly divorced with two little children, not working, and kind of isolated.

If I’d moved into a flat, alone, I would have gone down, become depressed.” She says that cohousing was a “miracle” for her. “It saved me, kind of, to find it, because I needed to be surrounded by other grownups, not only my own small children. I’ve lived here for 12 years, and I’d gladly take 12 more.”

The film includes interviews with a group of Danish children, asking how it is for them, living in cohousing. A 10-year-old girl says: “It’s like a big family here.” Another says, “I have friends at school, and I have friends at home…I have many friends.”

Buddies spontaneously connect on-site.

What a tantalizing alternative to scheduling structured playdates.

Shared meals, a hallmark of cohousing communities, are another blessing for the Danish mom of three. “It helps me a lot to eat together nearly every evening. We cook one or two times a month, each; eating together saves me about two hours each evening,” and that becomes two hours of connection time with her children. Each household has its own kitchen, so those who can’t or don’t want to come to the dining hall can eat separately. But medical researchers have documented that it is the company of others—not necessarily the food—that nourishes us.

The intergenerational relationships that form in cohousing are nourishing as well.

“It’s nice to have grown-ups who are always looking out for us,” says one child. One mother says, “The older people living here are like grandmothers and grandfathers for my children. I feel they love my children as much as I do. It’s a gift, from me to my children, to live here.”

I definitely subscribe to the idea “It takes a village,” yet how many of us live in one?

Cohousing communities may be the closest alternative modern city-dwellers have, and Canadians seem keen on the idea. About two dozen projects dot the country, ranging from those in the earliest planning phases to completed developments. In 1996, Victoria was home to Canada’s first, now-defunct cohousing, which, through its unfortunate missteps, provided those that followed with an invaluable insight: purpose-built structures alone cannot guarantee a cohesive community.

Fernwood Urban Village, a new cohousing project, just got rezoning permission from the City of Victoria and is slated for completion in 2016. Bill McKechnie, original founding member of the multi-generational development says “We’re putting our focus not just on sustainable buildings and gardens, but sustainable relationships among members, learning together the listening and communication skills necessary to support that.” The people taking part in the project have “a very strong shared vision,” adds McKechnie.

Diana Leafe Christian, communitybuilding expert and author of the cohousing book Creating a Life Together, confirms that a strong, shared vision is what the most successful communities have in common.

Inter-dependence is a universal human need, and also a strategy to meet other needs: support, companionship, ease, joy, learning, growth, friendship, and fun. I wonder if there are enough of us parents who can see that raising our kids “alone” in a home, even if we have a partner, is not offering us or the children the richness of life we are craving.

Instead of each of us individually treading water in our own separate pools, maybe we could pool our combined strength and resources to create more cohousing. Like the Danes, and pre-Industrial-Revolution humans generally, Victorians of all ages and stages can then benefit from the many gifts of “village” life.

Mollie Kaye is a Victoria mother and writer.

She is also a founding member of Fernwood Urban Village cohousing, fernwoodurbanvillage.ca.

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29

Kathy Humphrey

I Ching & the Kitchen W

hen the absolute is absolute, it is incomplete; within completeness there is also the relative. When relative is relative, it is not material; even within matter, completeness remains.”

So says the I Ching, the ancient Chinese book of divination, which naturally includes food. It’s an obvious and ancient concept, this Yin/Yang element of being, and the idea has spread through everyday life in vernacular all over the world.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Every cloud has a silver lining. It’s always darkest before the dawn. We would not be able to appreciate swee t if we didn’t know the tang of sour on our tongue any more than we would relish a quiet hour alone after a full day surrounded by the cacophony of fellow human beings.

Balance remains the watchword for a healthy lifestyle—balance and moderation, in everything from exercise to sunbathing to screen time to late nights to water intake. It’s easy to rail against the perceived confines of balance in one’s life, envisioning it as the natural habitat of pastel cardigan-wearing, side-parted conservatives everywhere. However, it’s our natural default setting: we can only go hard for so long before we have to crash, sweat so much before we need hydration, sleep so long before we have to wake up: why mess with the Big Mama?

Canada’s Food Guide, in all of it’s rainbow-hued incarnations, has always urged us to a balance of food groups, defined by these worthies as protein, fruits and vegetables, milk and milk products, and grain products.

We can break this down even further, and

bring our palates into play here as well. By considering the taste properties of the food we are preparing, and how and why those taste sensations evolved, we can add another level of interest to meal preparation (or let’s be honest, we could waste valuable minutes while the mind goes into a million frenzied directions at once, dithering between sweet/ savoury). This is not the idea: when all else fails, sprinkle cheese over top.

Let’s start with sweet, everyone’s evil favourite. Research suggests that the human tongue learned to hone in on sweet because of the sugar hit that brought along calories and energy as well—mother’s little helper for the prehistorical set. Sweet tastes are very easy to identify, likely because Western culture hopped aboard the sugar train generations ago and shows no sign of tiring of the ride. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, and to make it easier, the medicine makers just started adding sugar right to the mix.

I advise the use of sugar in moderation; I do use it in baking, but I bake rarely (an occasional treat), and will substitute other natural sweeteners when possible. Honey is an obvious option and it’s an invert sugar, meaning that it gives the energy boost of sugar without the subsequent crash. Many

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fruits have high sugar levels—oranges and grapes for two—and give a nice pick-me-up with fibre and vitamins added.

Bitter leads me right into Betty Botter and her bit of butter—we’ve dismissed it as a taste and brought it into nursery rhymes instead. Bitter foods, such as rhubarb and many dark leafy greens (arugula and dandelion, among others) can add another layer of complexity to meals. Some nutritional traditions say that bitter foods aid digestion

Bitter foods, such as rhubarb and many dark leafy greens (arugula and dandelion, among others) can add another layer of complexity to meals. by stimulating the production of digestive enzymes. Sprinkle some arugula over top of a salty meat pizza before serving, or over a bowl of pasta with bolognese sauce to complement the salt and savoury flavours.

Stew some of your garden fresh rhubarb with a bit of honey to add to yogurt as a snack—help to bring bitter back.

And then there’s umami. This is the newly identified fifth taste, variously also called savoury, or Japanese, which gives a hint as to its origin. Umami is typified in Western cuisine by Parmesan cheese—the strong, savoury taste that we only need a hint of to appreciate. Mushrooms also contain umami, which goes against the common thinking that the clearest way to umami is through looking for aged, or slow-cooked foods and broths. Obviously this speaks more to meat dishes, such a rich stews and bone soups—tomatoes pack a big umami kick, and there is always nutritional yeast to sprinkle over everything!

Recipes are everywhere, and we all have a favourite stockpile of clippings and saved links that lead us straight to the tried-andtrue classics. I’m not going to add to those with this edition of the Family Resource Guide. My intent is to give some inspiration around some creative add-ons to the things that you and your families already love to eat. Consider balance, consider allowing the material into the absolute in the kitchen, too. Enjoy! And note: sour is coming up, later on!

Kathy Humphrey lives in Victoria with her husband and two children. She tries to see cooking for a family not as a chore but as a creative outlet.

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Poking Around Parksville-Qualicum

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• Indoor facility options for all your bouncy castle and inflatable requirements • Halloween and Christmas events • At home/indoor theme parties, i.e. Teddy Bear stuffing, craft parties • Free gift for birthday child when you mention this ad • Costumed facepainters and balloon twisters, i.e. princesses, pirates, ragdoll style clowns • Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

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Butterfly World & Gardens. The Orchid Garden features over 800 exotic orchids, landscaped in a sanctuary of gardens, paths and a new water garden with waterfalls, streams and ponds. There’s a Big Bug Jungle, an indoor turtle pond, and an Emerging Area where you might see a butterfly emerge from a chrysalis. Stroll among hundreds of butterflies and birds in the indoor tropical jungle. 1080 Winchester Rd, in Coombs, off Hwy 4A. www.butterflyworld.info The Old Country Market. Just down the road from Butterfly World, the Old Country Market is filled with an intriguing array of curios, imported gifts, international foods, in-store baked goods, and ice cream. In the summer, the rides are up and running outside in the courtyard. You’ll also find other shops including an antique store, a surf shop, and various eateries. Be sure to say hi to goats on the sod-covered market roof—if they’re not too busy mowing the lawn! www.oldcountrymarket.com The World Parrot Refuge. This free-flight parrot refuge is home to 960 parrots from more than 50 species. The 23,000-squarefoot refuge is an educational facility that provides a “home for life” to previously owned parrots. Minutes away from the Old Country Market at 2116 Alberni Hwy, in Coombs. Open year round from 10am-4pm daily. www.worldparrotrefuge.org North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre (NIWRC) is a world-class wildlife rehabilitation facility specializing in raptors and black bear. NIWRC assists and aids animals so they can once again be part of their natural environment. View eagles through one-way glass in the largest flight cage of its kind in Canada. See bears, owls, turkey vultures, falcons, hawks, owls and check out the new Magical Field of Stones. Take a self-guided tour or pop by for one of the events including Wildlife Family Days and eagle releases. 1240 Leffler Rd, in Errington. www.niwra.org Tiger Lily Farms provides a hands-on farm experience for the entire family.

Learn to milk a goat, feed the sheep, pet the burro, hold the chickens, ride a pony in the Barnyard, or go out on a trail ride on horseback—from 1/2 hour “test” rides to see if horseback riding is for you, to

full-day trips. Admission to the Barnyard includes one free pony ride for each child.

Open daily year round from 10am-4pm.

1692 Errington Rd, in Errington. www. tigerlilyfarm.ca Parksville Lion’s Venture Land Playground and Waterpark. A landmark in Parksville, Lion’s Venture Land features slides, swings, jungle gyms and a waterpark, complete with water cannons and a small waterslide.

There’s a picnic shelter and gazebo nearby, along with a skateboard park, sports field and ball diamonds, tennis courts, a kite field, and horseshoe pits—not to mention the miles of sandy seashore. www.city. parksville.bc.ca Paradise Adventure Mini-Golf features not only two 18-hole mini-golf courses, a video arcade, bumper boats, and an ice cream parlour, but also the world’s largest garden gnome. Paradise also has an oceanfront RV park and gift shop, and it’s wheelchair accessible. 375 West Island Hwy, in Parksville. www.paradisefunpark.net.

Riptide Lagoon Adventure Mini-Golf offers a challenging 18-hole course amidst “a little fishing village in a snug little harbour in a very remote location”, complete with Wandering Willie’s float plane, monster fish, and a lighthouse. There are also laser tag bumper cars and an arcade. 1000 Resort Dr, in Parksville. www.riptidelagoon.com.

Morningstar Farm & Little Qualicum Cheeseworks. This working heritage dairy farm, located between Parksville and Qualicum, provides “fun for the whole herd.” Pick-up a self-guided tour brochure and wander the farm at your leisure. Meet the animals (calves, pigs, goats, sheep, bunnies and Carl the llama), stroll through the trails, stay for a picnic and watch the milking at 4pm. 403 Lowry’s Rd, in Parksville. www. cheeseworks.ca Milner Gardens & Woodland. Stroll the 10-acre historical seaside garden and the 60-acre old-growth forest. Enjoy afternoon tea alongside tree-framed views of the Georgia Strait and West Coast mountains.

The gardens host special events throughout the year, including Gnome Village by the Sea, guided tours, and Shoots with Roots children and youth programs. Hours and events vary depending upon the season.

2179 West Island Hwy, in Qualicum Beach. www2.viu.ca/MilnerGardens

Parks The Parksville-Qualicum area has dozens of parks, many of which are within minutes of each other. Here are a few suggestions: Englishman River Falls Provincial Park.

Two waterfalls cascade along the descending riverbed into a deep canyon at Englishman River. Set amid an old-growth and secondgrowth forest of Douglas fir, cedar, hemlock and maple, this is an ideal location to explore the diversity of south central Vancouver Island. There’s a day-use area, a campground, and several hiking trails that meander through the forest and along the river.

Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park.

This forested park features waterfalls and views of steep mountain peaks. The falls, lake swimming, shaded riverside trails and picnic facilities make Little Qualicum Falls a popular family destination. Walking trails wind through the park, offering picturesque views and providing access to the upper and lower falls. Nearby Cameron Lake, 10 minutes west on Hwy 4, is an ideal spot for swimming, fishing, and sail boarding.

Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park. Located at the south end of Parksville, off Hwy 19A, Rathtrevor offers over two kilometres of sandy seashore to explore. At low tide the ocean recedes almost a kilometer, revealing sand dollars and starfish. Build a sandcastle, complete with moats and bridges, or any other structure that tickles your fancy.

Bring a skimboard and skim the seemingly endless seashore.

Top Bridge Regional Park is off Hwy 19A near the truck weigh scales off Kaye Road.

The Top Bridge Trail, five kilometres each way, connects Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park on the Strait of Georgia with the Top Bridge Crossing, a pedestrian-cyclist suspension bridge. Cool down with a swim—or catch your breath—at Top Bridge.

MacMillan Provincial Park/Cathedral Grove is one of the most accessible stands of Douglas fir trees on the Island. It is a day-use park located near Cameron Lake just off Hwy 4, about 20 minutes from Parksville. Here you can marvel at some of the largest and oldest trees in B.C., including over 800-year-old giants and lush vegetation on the interpretive trail system that winds through the park.

Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park. Discover the underground world through a variety of caving tours. Everything from gentle explorations right through to adrenalinpumping adventures down the seven-story

Rainbarrel. Climb, crawl, use cable ladders and rappel in a wild cave environment instructed by certified cave guides. Tours are 11⁄2 to 6 hours long. Wear good supportive footwear and a warm coat—the caves are cold and damp. Helmets provided. Horne Lake also offers above-ground activities including rock climbing, canoeing, hiking, swimming, fishing, teepee camping and more. www.hornelake.com.

Museums

Parksville Museum, located in Craig Heritage Park, will take you back in time to a small town recreated with authentic buildings, furnishings and paraphernalia from Parksville’s early days. Check out the Montrose school house, the French Creek post office, McMillan Log House, and the Parksville Fire Hall, along with period clothing and vintage tools. Hours vary depending upon the season. 1245 East Island Hwy, in Parksville. www.parksvillemuseum.ca Qualicum Beach Historical & Museum Society. Take a peek at the past with the Paleontology Exhibit featuring a world-class collection of Vancouver Island fossils. This community-run museum showcases Qualicum Beach’s pioneer history with artifacts, photos and exhibits. There’s a First Nations exhibit, along with pioneer dioramas and interactive displays on the history of communication. 587 Beach Rd, in Qualicum Beach. www.qbmuseum.ca

Where to Stay

Beach Acres Resort, with its two-bedroom self-contained cottages and townhouses— not to mention the indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, tennis courts, badminton area, basketball court, horseshoes and shuffleboard, children’s playground, and laundry facilities—is the ideal spot for families.

Each cottage and townhouse features a fully-equipped kitchen and a wood or gas burning fireplace, forest or ocean views, and miles of sandy beaches just outside your door. beachacresresort.com Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort. Choose from pet-friendly rustic log cottages, spa bungalows, oceanview rooms, or the Jedediah Lodge at this beachfront resort, set among 22 acres of Arbutus and Douglas fir forest. Take advantage of the indoor pool or, if you’re at the nearby beach, the warmest ocean swimming in Canada. There’s a tennis court, basketball hoop, a ping-pong table, a volleyball court and two horseshoe pits—perfect for active families. www.tighna-mara.com• Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 35

2014/2015

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Annual Family Events Visit www.kidsinvictoria.com for updated monthly event listings OCTOBER 2014 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the Phoenix Theatre. Journey through the doors of the wardrobe once again and return to the land of Narnia with Peter and Lucy Pevensie.

Now grown up, they revisit the room where, once upon a time, their magical adventures began. October 14-18.

Toopy and Binoo: Fun and Games. Toopy and Binoo return to the live stage in a brand new theatrical production filled with whimsical exuberance. Dance and sing along with this musical extravaganza. October 15, 6:30pm, Port Theatre, Nanaimo; October 18, 1pm, Cowichan Theatre, Duncan; October 19, 1pm and 4pm, McPherson Playhouse, Victoria. www.paquinentertainment.com.

2nd Annual Nanaimo Child Development Centre Telethon at the Port Theatre, Nanaimo.

Have fun, collect donations, call in, and make a difference to children with developmental needs. Come down for free entertainment all day including Rick Scott, The Kerplunks, and more. October 5. Visit www.nanaimocdc.com for more details.

Symphony Community Day at Port Theatre, Nanaimo. Free family events with the VI Symphony. 11am-noon: Musical Instrument Zoo; 11:45am-12:15pm: Meet conductor Pierre Simard; 12:30-1:30pm: Symphony Rehearsal. Reserve your complimentary tickets by calling 250-754-8550. www.vancouverislandsymphony.com.

Open House at Congregation Emanu-el. Explore Canada’s oldest surviving synagogue.

36 www.IslandParent.ca

Learn about this unique structure’s history, architecture and restoration through stories, melodies, sacred texts and artifacts. Discover how a small, vibrant Jewish Community helped shape Victoria’s destiny. Find out about Victoria’s second mayor, the first Jewish mayor in North America, and the first Jewish boy born here, who became Canada’s first Jewish Judge.

The tour will be led by Canada’s first ordained Maggidah (Jewish Storyteller and Educator) Shoshana Litman. $10/adults; children under 12 free. October 26, 1pm. Email stories@maggidah.com. www.congregationemanuel.ca.

The Addam’s Family at the McPherson Playhouse. They’re creepy, and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky. Everyone’s favourite family comes to spooky and spectacular life in an all new story, based on the bizarre and beloved characters created by Charles Addams.

2pm. October 31, November 1 & 2. 250-3866121. www.kaleidoscope.bc.ca.

NOVEMBER 2014 Fred Penner Singalong at the Royal Theatre.

One of Canada’s leading children’s entertainers joins the Victoria Symphony on stage for a concert of celebrated favourites. Come one hour early for the VS Instrument Petting Zoo and other activities in the lobby. November 2, 2:30pm. 250-385-6515. www.victoriasymphony.ca.

Stinking Fish Studio Tour at West-Mont Montessori School. A wonderful variety of works, perfect for gift giving. 4075 Metchosin Rd (in the gymnasium). November 14 & 15, 10am-5pm.

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol at Chemainus Theatre. After being presumed dead for three years, Sherlock Holmes resurfaces, turning his back on the people who need him most. Three unexpected callers arrive on Christmas Eve, uncovering clues from the detective’s past, present and future.

Can they save Holmes and his world from a devastating conclusion all in one night? Filled with mystery, intrigue and song for the entire family. November 21 to 23. 1-800-565-7738. www.chemainustheatrefestival.ca.

Message in a Bottle at Malaspina Theatre at VIU. An innovative, theatre-style dance production that re-defines what it means to be a Pirate of the 21st, promoting the values of courage, compassion, and curiosity. 1pm, November 22. 250-754-7587. www.theatreone.org.

Island Farms Santa Claus Parade along Government St (from Belleville to Chatham St).

Bring the family to this festive annual parade to celebrate the holiday season. Meet up at the Capital Iron parking lot for delicious free treats courtesy of Island Farms. November 22, 6pm.

DECEMBER 2014 A Christmas Story at the McPherson Playhouse. This classic holiday tale centres on a mischievous, bespectacled boy, Ralphie, who dreams of getting a BB-gun for Christmas. This is the hilarious account of Ralphie’s desperate quest to ensure that this most perfect of gifts ends up under his tree. December 5 to 7. 250386-6121. www.vos.bc.ca.

The Nutcracker at the Royal Theatre. Dance Victoria presents the Winnipeg Ballet’s performance of Nutcracker, a treasured holiday classic. December 5-7. www.rmts.bc.ca.

The Secret Garden at Uptown Shopping Centre, upper level. A dark spell of sorrow and mystery hovers in the air as the young orphan, Mary Lennox, arrives at Misselthwaite Manor.

Mary comes upon a secret walled garden, locket up and shut away from the outside world for over ten years. Inside the manor, another secret lurks. At night, strange, haunting sounds echo down the empty corridors. Is it the wind howling, or a child crying? A powerful story of love, life, and determination. December 6 and 7. 250-754-7587. www.kaleidoscope.ca.

The Nutcracker at the Cowichan Theatre, Duncan. It’s Christmas Eve, a time when dreams may come true. Drosselmeyer, godfather to Clara, brings gifts and magic to her parents’ home for the annual Christmas party.

His special gift to Clara is a large Nutcracker soldier. When she falls asleep, she begins to dream and is transported through the Land of Snow to the Land of Sweets, where she meets the Sugar Plum Fairy and people from far away lands. December 19 and 20. 250-748-7529. www.cowichantheatre.ca.

The Gift at the Royal Theatre. An original, magical Christmas story set to the music of the Nutcracker. Young Pandora befriends a host of new characters, including some inspired

by Frozen. The fusion of classical music with modern pop musical interludes will have your toes tapping and your hands clapping.

December 27 to 29. www.balletvictoria.ca.

250-386-6121.

JANUARY 2015

Y

NIG

H

★

FEBRUARY 2015 Alice in Wonderland at the Metro Studio. Based on the Stories of Lewis Carroll. Everything is normal for Alice until she chases after a white rabbit and tumbles down a rabbit hole. She little expects the fantastical world that greets her at the bottom. February 13 to 15. 250754-7587. www.kaleidoscope.ca.

Cinderella at the Cowichan Theatre, Duncan.

An innovative take on the classic fairy tale.

Jörgen’s choreography takes us through the fortunes and misfortunes of Cinderella and her stepsisters. February 14. 250-748-7529. www.cowichantheatre.ca.

Lion in the Streets at Phoenix Theatre. Isobel, a nine-year-old Portuguese girl, is lost, frightened and desperate to find her way home. She finds herself on the dark side of human experience, witnessing the troubled lives of the people in her community. February 16 to 21. 250-7218000. finearts.uvic.ca/theatre/phoenix/tickets

MARCH 2015 The Mischievous Adventures of the Rascally Rhythm at the Royal Theatre. Maestra Tania needs help in trying to catch an imposter.

You can’t see him, or touch him most of the time, but often you can hear him, and he is very tricky… because he is always changing his disguise. Come one hour early for the VS Instrument Petting Zoo and other activities in the lobby. March 8, 2:30pm. 250-385-6515. www.victoriasymphony.ca.

APRIL 2015 Snow White at Malaspina Theatre at VIU. The retelling of original adaptations of select fairy tales and Shakespearean classics full of wit and

TM

humour. April 12, 1pm. 250-754-7587. www. theatreone.org.

May 2015 Family Theatre Festival. Four of the city’s most dynamic theatre companies take to the mainstage with exciting work for the whole family. Experience the magic of theatre. www. kaleidoscope.bc.ca.

Camp X at Fort Rodd Hill & Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites of Canada.

Immersing young audiences into a historically accurate setting exploring one of Canada’s biggest wartime secrets, CAMP-X will explore the themes of life on the homefront during World War II, the training of agents and early espionage tactics, communications, and Canada’s contribution to war-time efforts. www.kaleidoscope.bc.ca.

July 2015 Canada Day celebrations at various locations on July 1. Check www.kidsinvictoria.com for events listing.

ONGOING Behind the Scenes at the Royal BC Museum.

The museum has turned inside out with a year-long feature exhibition of B.C.’s amazing natural history. Get up close and personal with thousands of specimens you’ve never seen before, a separate virtual exhibition, and activities for the entire family. Free for members and children under 5. www. royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.•

Dinner’s never been so easy!

★

T

AN

Jack and the Beanstalk at the Royal Theatre.

The retelling of this classic tale is sure to delight as the audience follows unlucky Jack.

Come one hour early for the VS Instrument Petting Zoo and other activities in the lobby.

January 25, 2:30pm. 250-385-6515. www. victoriasymphony.ca.

The Little Prince At Malaspina Theatre at VIU. Meet talking roses and foxes. Venture out on interplanetary travel. Learn about true love and loyalty. With puppets, masks, original music and a little theatre magic, the storytelling experts of Monster Theatre capture student’s hearts and funny bones. January 31 at 1pm.

250-754-7587. www.theatreone.org.

TO GO

Customer Care: 1 800 667 8280 www.thriftyfoods.com

Available in the Deli.

Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 37

Classes & Programs South Island ART PROGRAMS 4Cats Arts Academy 2296 Cadboro Bay Rd . 250-598-0300 2285 Bellamy Rd . . . . . 778-430-5422 4500 W. Saanich Rd . . 250-590-7233 Art Gallery of Greater Victoria— Children’s Studio 1040 Moss St . . . . . . . 250-384-4171 Art School Victoria 600 Richmond Ave . . . 250-383-5429

Centrepoint Dance School 1080 Lucas Ave . . . . . . 250-592-4260

CLUBS & ACTIVITIES Boys & Girls Club Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.bgcvic.org 1240 Yates St . . . . . . . 250-384-9133 7162 West Saanich Rd 250-652-3021 410 Macaulay St . . . . . 250-380-9250 830 Pembroke St . . . . . 250-370-5909 626 Hoylake Ave . . . . . 250-478-0721 Girl Guides of Canada 938 Mason St . . . . . . . 250-383-1712

Dance Unlimited danceunlimited.ca . . . . 250-361-3267 dansko Studios Inc. est. 1993 4814 W. Saanich Rd . . 250-475-6606 Leap Forward Dance School 2758 Peatt Rd . . . . . . . 250-818-9225 or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 778-265-5955

Navy League Cadets navyleague.ca . . . . . . . 250-565-3344.

Lighthouse Academy of Dance . . . . lighthouseacademyofdance.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-595-8705

Royal Canadian Air Cadets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89pacific.ca

Maple Leaf School of Ballet mapleleafballet.ca . . . . 778-433-5323

Scouts Canada scouts.ca . . . . . . . . . . 1-888-726-8876

O’Brien School of Irish Dance obrienirishdance.com . 250-340-2370

Victoria Sea Cadets . . 250-363-0864

Pacific Dance Centre 5182 Cordova Bay Rd . 250-477-6114

Artistic Statement Gallery & School of Fine Art 107-2250 Oak Bay Ave 250-383-0566

Victoria Flight Club . . 250-656-2833

Fiddlesticks Studio of Fine Arts for Young Children fiddlestickschild.ca . . . 250-858-7034 Fired Up Ceramics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . firedupceramics.ca Open Space 510 Fort St, 2nd Flr . . . 250-383-8833

Arabesque Dance Studio dancearabesque.ca. . . 250-595-3107 Classical ballet instruction for students aged four to advanced levels.

Ballet examinations are available in the Cechetti Method. Class sizes are limited to ensure personal attention.

DANCE SCHOOLS

Stages Performing Arts School 301 - 1551 Cedar Hill X Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-384-3267 Veselka Ukrainian Dancers 3277 Douglas St . . . . . 250-475-1174 Victoria Academy of Ballet 716 Johnson St . . . . . . 250-590-6751 Victoria School of Irish Dance . . . . . . . . . . .victoriairishdancers.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-888-9421

Send Us Your Stories!

Island Parent is looking for articles for upcoming issues. Some of our best content comes from people just like you—Vancouver Island parents who are passionate about their families and are dealing with the day to day issues of raising children in our community. Share your experiences, your thoughts on a particular issue, your ideas on places to see or projects to do—anything related to parenting.

Check our Writer’s Guidelines at www.islandparent.ca for specific information on submissions.

We’d love to hear from you. Please email submissions to editor@islandparent.ca.

Looking for child care?

Taking care of children?

Child Care

Resource & Referral Your community’s best source of child care information and resources.

38 www.IslandParent.ca

Call your local Child Care Resource & Referral for free referrals and resources.

Victoria & Gulf Islands: 250-382-7000 or 1-800-750-1868 Sooke: 250-642-5152 Westshore: 250-391-4324 Cowichan Valley: 250-746-4135 local 231 PacificCare (Ladysmith north): 250-756-2022 or 1-888-480-2273 Funded by the Province of BC

www.islandfamilyinfo.ca www.ccrr.bc.ca

Wendy Steen Mitchell Dance 2033 Belmont Ave . . . . 250-598-7679 Westcoast Academy of Performing Arts westcoastballet.ca . . . 250-415-1477 Whitespace Dance . . . . . . . . . . . . whitespacedance.com Westshore Zumba westshorezumba.com . 250-413-7213

DAY PROGRAMS (See also “Recreation Centres”) Autism Services, Community Living Victoria . . . . . 250-477-7231, ext. 237 Bear Cub Summer Sports Camp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-391-3758 Boys & Girls Club . . . . 250-384-9133 Byte Camp . . . . . . . . . 250-661-3358 Canadian Forces Sailing cfsa.wordpress.com . . 250-385-8873 Forge Church . . . . . . .TheForgeChurch.com/camps FUN Camps 600 Richmond Ave . . . 778-712-2267 Glenlyon-Norfolk Marine Adventure Program . . . . . . . . . . . 250-370-6852 Hands On Summer Camp . . . . . . . HandsOnSummerCamp.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-995-6425 Kids Klub Centre . . . . 250-881-1223 Christ Church Cathedral School 912 Vancouver St . . . . 250-383-5125 Passion Sports passionsports.ca . . . . . 250-208-2822 Pedalheads pedalheads.com . . . . 1-888-886-6464

Learn why Scouts Canada is the nation’s #1 youth organization

Programs for girls and boys 5-26 years. Try it FREE! Find your nearest group: scouts.ca or 1-888-726-8876

Science Venture . . . . . 250-721-8661 SMUS Education Extension Holiday Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . smus.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-370-6120 Soccertron . . . . . . . . . 250-475-3777 Victoria Academy of Ballet 643 Broughton St . . . . 250-590-6752 YM/YWCA 880 Courtney St . . . . . 250-475-3777

DRAMA PROGRAMS Canadian College of Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . ccpacanada.com Four Seasons Musical Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . fsmtheatre.ca

A Full Service and a La Carte Nanny Agency

Full-time Nannies & Part-time Au Pairs Need flexible and affordable childcare?

Full-time nannies from $395/week (depending on province)

Part-time Au Pairs $200/week

Childcare Dinner started Light housekeeping

Call today for a childcare consultation

Vancouver Island Nanny Line: 250.383.9566 info@internationalnannies.com Review profiles online www.internationalnannies.com Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 39

Kaleidoscope Theatre 3130 Jutland Rd . . . . . . 250-383-8124 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .kaleidoscope .bc .ca Vancouver Island’s resident professional theatre company and theatre school for young people and families .

Offering year-round professional theatre classes, camps and productions for all ages .

Kate Rubin Theatre & Drama Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . katerubintheatre .com katerubin@telus .net . . . 250-386-8593 . . . .facebook .com/KateRubinTheatre Specializes in dramatic training for children, young people and adults, taught by experienced professionals .

Classes, workshops and individual coaching are offered throughout the year .

GYMNASTICS Falcon Gymnastics Centre 208–721 Vanalman Ave 250-479-6424 * Ongoing registration . * Classes for boys and girls . * Ages 20 months and up . * Beginner through advanced . * Teen and adult drop-in . * The best birthday parties in town . * www .falcongymnastics .com .

Island Rhythmic Gymnastics Club 4030 Douglas St . . . . . . 250-514-6761 IRGC provides rhythmic gymnastics classes to girls 3 and up . Nationally certified coaches provide a safe and playfully educational environment to discover the pleasure of dancing with rope, hoop, ball and ribbon .

Saltwater Youth Education 2750 Quadra St . . . . . . 250-888-4982

Lion’s Pride Gymnastics 1060 Henry Eng Place . 250-383-3547

Screen Actor’s Studio 845 Fisgard St . . . . . . . 250-595-1339

Victoria Gymnastics 2051 Store St . . . . . . . . 250-380-2442

StageCoach Langford 250-743-0858 . . . . . stagecoachschools .ca/langford Victoria Academy of Dramatic Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vadarts .com

LIBRARIES Greater Victoria Public Library Bruce Hutchison Branch 4636 Elk Lake Rd . . . . . 250-727-0104 Central Branch 735 Broughton St . . . . . 250-382-7241

Central Saanich Branch 1209 Clarke Rd . . . . . . . 250-652-2013 Emily Carr Branch 3500 Blanshard St . . . . 250-475-6100 Esquimalt Branch 1231 Esquimalt Rd . . . . 250-414-7198 Goudy Branch 119-755 Goldstream Ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-391-5702 Juan de Fuca Branch 1759 Island Hwy . . . . . . 250-391-0653 Nellie McClung Branch 3950 Cedar Hill Rd . . . . 250-477-7111 Oak Bay Branch 1442 Monterey Ave . . . 250-592-2489 Saanich Centennial Branch 3110 Tillicum Rd . . . . . . 250-477-9030 Vancouver Island Regional Library Sidney-North Saanich Branch 10091 Resthaven Rd . . 250-656-0944 Sooke Branch 2065 Anna Marie Rd . . . 250-642-3022

MUSIC BC Registered Music Teachers Association . . . . . . . . . .bcrmta .bc .ca Fiddlesticks Studio of Fine Arts for Young Children fiddlestickschild .ca . . . . 250-858-7034

NEW from October!!!

• 10 week adult courses

– Jazz, Ballet or Tap (beginners and experienced levels) – 30+ lyrical & jazz

• Parent & Tot class 18 mos – 3 yrs • More Preschool classes

COMING SOON

(in time for Christmas shopping)

• Drop & Shop: ‘drop’ your kids with us for fun dancing, crafts and musical theatre while you shop (age 31⁄2 and up).

250.595.8705 info@lighthouseacademyofdance.com www.lighthouseacademyofdance.com 40

www.IslandParent.ca

Girls Rock Camp Victoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . girlsrockvictoria.ca

Cedar Hill Recreation Centre 3220 Cedar Hill Rd . . . 250-475-7121

Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra gvyo.org . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-360-1121

City Centre Park citycentrepark.ca . . . . . 250-391-1738

Guitar in Motion . . . . . 250-217-2316 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .guitarinmotion.com

Crystal Pool & Fitness Centre 2275 Quadra St . . . . . . 250-361-0732 . . . . . . . . . . . . victoria.ca/recservices.

Swimming lessons for all ages and abilities; 50m pool with waterslide, two kids’ pools and sauna/steam rooms; full fitness facilities and wellness programs.

Larsen Music larsenmusic.ca . . . . . . 250-389-1988 Mary Rogers Music Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-744-9049 Music for Young Children® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . myc.com Music Together Victoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-217-2477 . . . . . . . . . musictogethervictoria.com Red Door Studio . . . . 250-472-2590 Tom Lee Music #105-2401D Millstream Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-838-5222 Uminari Taiko . . . . . uminaritaiko.com Victoria Children’s Choir . . . . . . . . . . VictoriaChildrensChoir.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-721-0856 Victoria Conservatory of Music vcm.bc.ca . . . . . . . . . . 250-386-5311 Be part of a musical journey that 4300 students of all ages and abilities currently share with the VCM. World renowned faculty and musical creativity await. Join Today!

Victoria Good News Choir . . . . . . . . victoriagoodnewschoir.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-658-1946 Sing with us for the joy of singing. Experience the gifts of music with your child(ren) in a warm and caring community. No auditions and all ages welcome. Rehearsals Tuesdays, 7:30pm and Saturdays 10am. Choose one or both.

Vivace Violins vivaceviolins.ca . . . . . . 250-884-9574 Viva Youth Choirs 3703 St. Aidan’s St . . . 250-472-2655 Youth Choir 61 cjpor/sd71/bc/ca . . . . . 250-477-5569 School District 61 Honour Choir.

Enrollment fee $40 per term. A fun, rewarding and challenging musical experience for SD61 students 11 to 17 years old.

RECREATION CENTRES Archie Browning Sports Centre 1151 Esquimalt Rd . . . 250-414-7103

CRD Parks Programs 250-478-3344 Friends of Uplands Park friendsofuplandspark.wordpress.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-595-8084

Panorama Recreation Centre panoramarecreation.ca 250-656-7271

Gorge Waterway Nature House Gorge Park . . . . . . . . . 250-380-7585 Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre compost.bc.ca . . . . 250-386-WORM Mad Science . . . . . . . 250-391-1814 . . . .madscience.org/vancouverisland Miniature World 649 Humboldt St . . . . . 250-385-9731 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . miniatureworld.com Go exploring with your friends and family to the ISLE OF MINUTIA—a safe online activity.

Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary 3837 Swan Lake Rd . . 250-479-0211

Pearkes Recreation Centre 3100 Tillicum Rd . . . . . 250-475-5400

SPORTS PROGRAMS

Recreation Oak Bay recreation.oakbay.ca . . 250-595-7946

Boardworks Diving 4636 Elk Lake Dr . . . . . 250-479-0330

Saanich Commonwealth Place 4636 Elk Lake Dr . . . . . 250-475-7600

EKE Academy of Martial Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-216-2801

Salt Spring Island Recreation 145 Vesuvius Bay Rd . . 250-537-4448

Esquimalt Baseball esquimaltbaseball.ca . . 250-385-8518

Save On Foods Memorial Centre 1925 Blanshard St . . . . 250-361-0732 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . victoria.ca/arena Passport to skating lesson programs for all ages and abilities; special events and theme skates; youth and sports programs; rental opportunities for ice/dry floor/meeting rooms.

Hampton Little League Hampton Park . . . . . . . 250-385-0022

SEAPARC Leisure Complex, Sooke 2168 Phillips Rd . . . . . . 250-642-8000

Kenzen Sports Karate . . . . . . . . . .KenzenSportsKarate.com

West Shore Parks & Recreation westshorerecreation.ca 250-478-8384 Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre and Centennial Centre offer a variety of programs for preschoolers, school age and teens, plus drop-in swimming, skating, child minding & more.

Lakehill Soccer Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lakehillsoccer.com Ages 4-18, co-ed, year round soccer

RIDING

Operation Trackshoes 3100 Foul Bay Rd . . . . 250-721-2233

Esquimalt Parks & Recreation 527 Fraser St . . . . . . . . 250-414-8500 Gordon Head Recreation Centre 4100 Lambrick Way . . . 250-475-7100 Henderson Centre 2291 Cedar Hill X Rd . . 250-370-7200

Harrison School of Horsemanship 1570 Wain Rd . . . . . . . 250-544-0737 Westside Stables 6404 Central Saanich . 250-652-1462

SCIENCE/NATURE BC SPCA spca.bc.ca/kids . . . . . . 250-686-1581

Highland Pacific Golf 450 Creed Rd . . . . . . . 250-478-4653 ICE hockey + fitness icevictoria.ca . . . . . . . . 250-590-7811 Island Swimming . . . . 250-479-3909

Oak Bay Figure Skating Club oakbayfsc.ca . . . . . . . . 250-744-6603 Olympic View Golf 643 Latoria Rd . . . . . . . 250-474-3673

PISE (Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence) piseworld.com . . . . . . . 250-220-2510 Pacific Coast Swimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-727-9243 PacificSport Synchro 250-881-1471

Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 41

Racquet Club of Victoria Skating Club . . . . . . racquetclubofvictoria.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-704-0160 Royal Victoria Yacht Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-592-6113 Soccertron . . . . . . . . soccertron.com Sportball sportball.ca . . . . . . . . . 250-590-4625 Victoria Synchro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . victoriasynchro.com Westshore Motocross Assoc. westshoremx.com . . . . 250-590-8088

CLUBS & ACTIVITIES

RECREATION CENTRES

Boys & Girls Club, Duncan 2471 Beverly St . . . . . . 250-748-1171 Girl Guides 321 Cairnsmore St . . . . 250-748-1052

Cowichan Centre, Duncan 2687 James St . . . . . . . 250-746-0450 Cowichan Lake Sports Arena 311 South Shore Rd . . 250-749-6742 Cowichan Sportplex 5847 Chesterfield Ave . 250-746-5666 Kerry Park Recreation Centre 1035 Shawnigan-Mill Bay Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-743-5922 Shawnigan Lake Community Centre 2804 Shawnigan Lk Rd 250-743-1433

DAY CAMPS

BC SPCA . . . . . . . . . . . 250-686-1581 Does your child love animals? Visit www.spca.bc.ca/youth for information on BC SPCA kids’ programs in your community.

LIBRARIES

OTHER Andrea’s Sew Easy . . 250-592-7879 . . . . . . . . . . . . . andreasseweasy.com Victoria German Language School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-886-1420

Vancouver Island Regional Library Cowichan Branch 2687 James St . . . . . . . 250-746-7661 Lake Cowichan Branch 38 King George North . 250-749-3431

MUSIC PROGRAMS

Cowichan Valley ART PROGRAMS 4Cats Art Studio 4Cats.com/Duncan . . . 250-709-2286

Catharina de Beer Piano Studio . . . . . . . catharinadebeer.weebly.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-929-3303 Music for Young Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-828-4334

RIDING Alpine Stables alpinestable.com . . . . . 250-743-6641 Cowichan Therapeutic Riding Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ctra.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-746-1028

SKATING Duncan Skating Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . duncanskating.com

GNS. The advantage starts at ages 3, 4 and 5…

My child can: ✓ Sing over 10 songs in French. ✓ Speak this: 我爱我的家 (I love my family). ✓ Play on the Beach from September to June.

At Glenlyon Norfolk School (GNS), our youngest students are able to enjoy: • Weekly lessons with specialty teachers in Mandarin, French, Music and PE. • A morning a week at Uplands Park exploring nature.

• A classroom just steps away from the ocean.

• The IB Advantage (International Baccalaureate – a leading modern approach to education).

Options for: • Half-day or Full-day classes in Junior Kindergarten.

• Before-school or After-school Care.

To enrol for Fall 2015, please contact: admissions@mygns.ca or 250.370.6801

www.mygns.ca 42 www.IslandParent.ca

•

250.370.6801

Book Review

Vancouver Island

V

imagine

ancouver Island’s spectacular scenery and landscapes aren’t the only reasons why nearly 750,000 of us call the Island home. Another reason is the people.

Vancouver Island Imagine, by Boomer Jerritt and Peter Grant (MacIntyre Purcell Publishing Ltd., 2014), captures both the diverse landscapes and the people that make up Vancouver Island. A collaborative effort between photographer, Jerritt, and writer, Grant, the book is more than just a coffeetable landscape photo album. It weaves the thread of history, identity and culture that makes Vancouver Island and the smaller islands around it a magical place, and it brings the magic into focus.

Mid-Island ART PROGRAMS 4Cats Arts Academy #13-7217 Lantzville Rd 250-390-2724 2002A Comox Ave . . . . 250-941-8444

CLUBS & ACTIVITIES Boys & Girls Club, Chemainus 3172B Garner St . . . . . . 250-246-5421 Boys & Girls Club, Ladysmith 730 3rd Ave . . . . . . . . . 250-245-8921 Boys & Girls Club, Lantzville 7-7221 Lantzville Rd . . . 250-390-4001 Boys & Girls Club, Nanaimo 20 5th St . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-754-3215 Cadets-Navy League of Canada, Port Alberni 4210 Cedarwood St . . . 250-723-7442

DANCE Brigadoon Dance Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-756-3661 Glengarry School of Celtic Dance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-758-0208 O’Brien School of Irish Dance obrienirishdance .com . . 250-340-2370

DAY CAMPS BC SPCA . . . . . . . . . . . 250-686-1581 Does your child love animals? Visit www .spca .bc .ca/youth for information on BC SPCA kids’ programs in your community .

Historical and contemporary photographs provide a visual guide to Island Life and combine with a text that is both informative and engaging. There’s an album of archival images, chapters divided by region and geography, a section on “The Life of the Island”, and a map of Vancouver Island.

The overall feeling is one of “A Day in the Life of a Vancouver Islander”—a sweeping, energetic, colourful, fun-filled day. A lovely keepsake or worthwhile souvenir. , by Boomer Jerritt and Peter Grant (MacIntyre Purcell Publishing Ltd., 2014).

Nanaimo Wellington Branch 3032 Barons Rd . . . . . . 250-758-5544 Parksville Branch 100E Jenson Ave East . 250-248-3841 Port Alberni Branch 4245 Wallace St . . . . . . 250-723-9511 Qualicum Beach Branch #101–660 Primrose St . 250-752-6121

MUSIC PROGRAMS BC Registered Music Teachers Association . . . . . . . 1-866-756-2304 Arbutus Music, Nanaimo 6324 Metral Dr . . . . . . . 250-933-1900 Kindermusic in Nanaimo 4960 Hammond Bay Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-667-8794 Nanaimo Community Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-722-3088 Nanaimo Conservatory of Music ncmusic .ca . . . . . . . . . . 250-754-4611

RECREATION CENTRES Beban Park Social Centre 2300 Bowen Rd . . . . . . 250-756-5200 Bowen Park Complex 500 Bowen Rd . . . . . . . 250-756-5200 Frank Crane Arena 2300 Bowen Rd . . . . . . 250-756-5200 Kinsmen Park Pool 5779 Alderlea St . . . . . . 250-246-3811 Ladysmith Parks, Recreation & Culture, 810-6th Ave 250-245-6424 McGirr Sports Complex 6185 McGirr Rd . . . . . . 250-756-1173

GrandKids University @ Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo viu .ca/grandkids . . . . . . 250-734-6252

Nanaimo Aquatic Centre 741 Third St . . . . . . . . . 250-756-5200

GYMNASTICS Flipside Gymnastics flipsidegymnastics .ca . . 250-756-9102

North Cowichan Parks & Recreation, Chemainus 2876 Fuller Lake Rd . . . 250-246-3811

LIBRARIES

Oliver Woods Community Centre 6000 Oliver Rd . . . . . . . 250-756-5200

Vancouver Island Regional Library Campbell River Branch 1240 Shopper’s Row . . 250-287-3655 Chemainus Branch 2592 Legion St . . . . . . . 250-246-9471 Hornby Island Branch 1765 Sollans Rd . . . . . . 250-335-0044 Ladysmith Branch #3-740 1st Ave . . . . . . . 250-245-2322 Nanaimo Harbourfront Branch 90 Commercial Dr . . . . . 250-753-1154

Nanaimo Ice Centre 750 Third St . . . . . . . . . 250-756-5200

Ravensong Aquatic Centre 737 Jones St . . . . . . . . 250-752-5014

RIDING Cowichan Therapeutic Riding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-746-1028

SCIENCE/NATURE Morell Nature Sanctuary 787 Nanaimo Lakes . . . 250-753-5811 Family Resource Guide 2014/2015

43

Diana Hurschler

Nipple Rescue

O

ver the years of supporting families, I have noticed that one of the most common concerns among new mothers seeking help for breastfeeding is nipple soreness. It is not unusual during the first two weeks of breastfeeding for a mother to have mild nipple pain that resolves as soon as her milk lets down (starts to flow). But anything more than mild pain, or signs of injury to the nipple, indicate that either damage is being done while breastfeeding, or the mother has a condition in need of treatment such as a bacterial or yeast infection. Unfortunately, many mothers who suffer from moderate to severe nipple pain do not seek help because they may mistakenly believe that the pain will subside on its own or that it is a normal part of breastfeeding.

Positioning and latch are the first things that I look at when looking for the cause of moderate to severe nipple soreness in the early weeks of nursing. Sometimes I find only a minor adjustment in these areas is all that is needed. For a detailed written description, please check out Dr. William Sear’s website

www.askdr.sears.com under “Proper Postioning and Latch on Skills”; see videos on correct position and latching technique on Dr. Jack Newman’s website at www.nbci.ca under the “ Information and Video” section.

The key questions to ask are: Is the latch effective is baby transferring milk, gaining weight)?; and is it comfortable? Even if latch and positioning look perfect, pain and/or ineffective milk transfer indicate that there is a problem somewhere. If baby is transferring milk and gaining weight well, and there is no pain, then latch and positioning are good, even if it does not look like the proper latch and positioning that you have seen on the internet or in a handout. If, after conscientious attention to your latch and position, your nipples are no better, do not hesitate to ask for expert help. This help can come from an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), a Certified Breastfeeding Educator, a La Leche League leader, or a public health nurse. The more experience a person has in breastfeeding management, the more likely that person is to locate the

source of the nipple pain and get it resolved.

In the meantime certain measures will make nursing more comfortable for you as your nipples heal: • Warm, moist compresses (clean, wet washcloths work well) often bring relief to nipples, both before and after nursing.

• Open both sides of your bra during the feeding to allow for air flow to both nipples.

• Remember that if you nurse frequently (every two hours or less if you can tolerate), this will ensure that your baby does not become too hungry between feedings causing him to nurse ravenously and aggressively at your breast.

• Before the feeding, hand express or pump for a few minutes. This will elicit your letdown reflex and elongate the nipple for the baby so that he does not nurse so aggressively. Nurse on the least sore side first as this is the side that your baby will nurse more aggressively on. If after 30 seconds of feeding the pain does not subside or at least improve, put your finger into baby’s mouth to break suction, gently withdraw your nipple and try again.

• After feeding, pat dry your nipples and express some breastmilk to rub into them (unless you have thrush as it thrives in milk).

You also may want to apply a pure form of lanolin to your nipples after nursing. Apply

Greater Victoria School District New Kindergarten parents are invited to attend our popular Welcome to School Parent Information Evenings where you will learn about our District’s exciting Kindergarten programs and meet with educators from across the District. For more details, please visit our website at www.sd61.bc.ca/kindergarten.aspx.

Pa r e n t M eet i n gs: Coastal Kindergarten

General Information

Early French Immersion

Tuesday December 2, 2014

Thursday January 22, 2015

Wednesday December 3, 2014

South Park Family School School Gym

S.J. Willis Education Centre

S.J. Willis Education Centre

6:30–8:00 pm

508 Douglas Street Questions?

Call 250-382-5234 or 250-384-7184

44 www.IslandParent.ca

6:30–8:00 pm

923 Topaz Avenue Questions?

Call 250-475-4220

6:30–8:00 pm

923 Topaz Avenue Questions?

Call 250-475-4189

enough to thoroughly coat the entire nipple/ areola area. Avoid other creams and ointments sold for the treatment of sore nipples as these may actually impede healing by preventing air circulation and drying out the skin. Some of these other preparations may also need to washed off prior to nursing. Over-washing of the nipple area results in a loss of the natural lubricants that protect it and provide it with antibacterial properties.

• Change your nursing pads immediately once they become even slightly damp. Moisture up against your nipples can prolong healing. If your pad sticks to your nipple moisten it with water before attempting to remove it. Avoid nursing pads with plastic linings as they prevent the flow of air which is essential to healthy nipples. Best to stick with 100 per cent cotton pads or reusable cloth pads.

• You may want to take a mild pain reliever such as Tylenol or Advil about 30 minutes prior to nursing until your discomfort lessens or disappears. Both of these drugs are compatible with breastfeeding, but be sure to not take Advil on an empty stomach.

• If your nipples become so sore that you cannot tolerate the pressure of your bra or clothing on them, consider wearing breast shells (note: NOT nipple shields) inside your bra to protect your nipples as they heal.

If you find it impossible to nurse your baby due to nipple soreness, you may opt to feed your baby with an alternative feeding device while your nipples heal. A public health nurse, La Leche League leader, or a lactation consultant can help you with which device would be the best for you to use. Artificial nipples are best avoided due to the risk of nipple confusion, especially if your baby is less than six weeks old. Introducing a bottle may result in having an even more difficult time latching on as your baby will then try to latch on to your breast tissue the same way he does the bottle nipple. If you are taking the baby off both breasts, it is preferable to use a hospital-grade double, electric pump which will maintain your supply more efficiently until your baby is back to nursing.

And please mamas, rest assured that after some determination and extra help, if necessary, you will be well on your way to an enjoyable and pain-free breastfeeding experience with your little one.

Diana Hurschler, RN BscN, childbirth educator, certified breastfeeding counselor has been helping families in their childbearing years and beyond since 1998. Diana is the proud Mama of four little ones. She can be reached at diana@hurschler.com.

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Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 45

Horne Lake Caves for the Explorer in you

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46

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Beach Acres Resort. A relaxing retreat for the whole family at Rathtrevor beach located in Parksville, BC. Our family-friendly, beachfront accomodations offer private cottages, spacious townhouses and majestic ocean views from every window. 25-1051 Resort Drive, Parksville. 1-800-663-7309. www.BeachAcresResort.com.

Bring your family to Blue Vista Resort and start a new tradition. Located steps from Bennett Bay and the Gulf Island National Reserve with its beaches and shoreline walks on Mayne Island, this Tourism BC Approved Accommodation has been catering to families for over three decades. With nine individualized housekeeping cottages to choose from and a quiet lawn with barbecues, picnic tables and a children’s play area, this small family-run resort invites you to join a tradition many families have been enjoying for years. Cabins start at under $100/night. Visit www.bluevistaresort.com for rates and details.

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wide variety of daily activities such as hourly rentals of canoes, kayaks, pedal boats and SUP boards, cave exploring, rock rappelling, and even camping in a family-sized Teepee.

Families love the all-inclusive Adventure Camps with 2 nights, 3 days of meals, guided activities, a teepee and evening campfires.

Or take a winter break with a package from Tigh Na Mara. Horne Lake is located just north of Qualicum Beach, and was voted the “Best Natural Outdoor Site in BC” by Attractions Canada. Online reservations: www.hornelake.com or call 250-703-6051.

Located in the heart of the Salish Sea, Mayne Island offers a special opportunity for a rewarding West Coast experience Both a peaceful and active retreat, Mayne Island offers memorable experiences, year round.

There’s boating, hiking, biking, nature touring, shopping, fine dining, beach combing, and just plain old “chillin” -- all amidst a temperate climate, picturesque seascapes, pastoral farmlands, rich west coast forest, and an equally warm and welcoming population. Stay at a cottage, resort, bed and breakfast or go camping at Mayne Island Campground. For more information, visit www.mayneislandchamber.ca.

Ocean Sands Resort is situated on 4 acres of beautiful oceanfront property overlooking Rathtrevor Beach in Parksville. The resort consists of one- and two-bedroom oceanfront or poolside condominium units.

Each unit has a fully-equipped kitchen, gas fireplace and large balcony either overlooking the ocean or pool. The amenities include a heated outdoor pool, playground, indoor hot tub, sauna and laundry facilities. Come enjoy the miles of sandy beach right at your doorstep. For more info, visit www.oceansandsresort.ca or call 1-877733-5969.

Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Resort. Located in Parksville, Tigh-Na-Mara offers rustic charm in the heart of nature with handcrafted log accommodations surrounded by 22 acres of forest, 3 km of sandy beach and the warmest ocean swimming waters in Canada. With family accommodation, two unique restaurants, award winning Grotto Spa, Free WiFi, indoor pool, fitness facilities and the most extensive seasonal Resort Recreational program on Vancouver Island, Tigh-Na-Mara is the natural choice or your next family getaway.•

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47

Coral Forbes

Slow Down, You Move Too Fast T

Victoria & Vancouver Island 1-866-518-7287 Nanaimo 250-756-9794 Or online at: www.welcomewagon.ca

48 www.IslandParent.ca

ime is a hard concept for children to master. My daughter fluctuates between being completely oblivious to each passing minute, to being strangely obsessed. When she says “Just a sec”, I think she truly believes that she has just created extra seconds in the day. When she realizes she hasn’t, the anger she feels at the clock—usually directed at me—for reaching her bedtime hour is a force to be reckoned with.

So, how do we get on the same timeline as our children? This question had been at the back of my mind for awhile, but, I am embarrassed to admit, it took a children’s movie to make me stop and think about the answers. How do we reconcile the speed of life and its relationship with connecting to nature, connecting to children, and connecting children to nature?

As a naturalist at Swan Lake, I am often invited to speak to parent groups about how to interpret nature to children. For me, it’s all about slowing down. In our fast-paced, multi-tasking world it is easy to spend your entire day rushing from one engagement to another, planning the future, and not really connecting with the present moment.

The natural world, which we are a part of, moves at a different pace than most adults. So do children. Just ask anyone who has had to wait for the germination and eventual flowering of a wildflower, or who has had to rush a child out the door in the morning. Both are frustrating exercises in patience—which I admit is not my strong suit—and demonstrate the different but parallel timelines all around us.

Natural processes cannot be rushed as any butterfly in a chrysalis will teach you.

Or, for a wider perspective, consider trees and mountains, which grow and move over centuries and millennia rather than meager days. However, tardiness because you are living in Tree Time is not a virtue.

Our modern society requires us to attend engagements, meet commitments and generally be “on time.”

But there are a few things you can do to help you slow down and reconnect with your

children and the natural world—hopefully simultaneously. My husband and I purposely chose a house close to our daughter’s elementary school, not only out of convenience and the opportunities for making neighborhood friends, but also so that we could walk there as often as possible. Getting out of your vehicle and walking instead allows for smiles and waves to the neighbors, petting of friendly cats, watching the trees change with the seasons and countless other connections. My daughter has named every cat and dog (and worm!) in every yard along the way, absolutely must have a spin on the tire swing on the boulevard, and knows where all of the most fragrant flowers grow. From the car window, all of these things would simply be a blur.

Moving between destinations involves exploration, perhaps a rest and a snack, and likely one step forward and three steps back. What we would call distractions are actually important connections that kids are making with the world around them.

The three- and four-year-old children that attend the Saanich Nature Preschool here in the sanctuary spend two and three days a week being “distracted” by nature. Frolicking in the forest and lazing by the lake, the preschoolers have developed a unique connection to this place, and their home in nature as a whole, by simply playing outside.

Having a sense of your place in the world helps you feel secure and invested. It also allows for a deeper understanding of your community and the seasonal changes. Citizens are more likely to care about larger issues such as oil pipelines and food security when they have attachments to little things like neighborhood ducks and worms.

Of course, not everyone has the desire or ability to walk their child to school, but how about an after dinner stroll? Or a weekend adventure? My husband and daughter have epic adventures that start with her creating a “map” and navigating while he drives (car or bike) and then end ups…wherever!

These special, child-led times may last only a couple hours, but they add up to a lifetime

of memories. Experiencing the world not only through the eyes of a child but also at their pace means so much to them and can be good for you as well. Being in charge all the time can be exhausting. Relax and let them lead the way once in a while.

I notice that when I give my daughter my undivided attention and immerse myself in her world, if only for a few minutes, she demands less of my attention over the course of the day. After some uninterrupted

Children don’t necessarily need answers, they just want you to share their sense of wonder. quality time she is happy to play alone for a while, knowing that I am nearby. After the initial inspiration of peeking under a log, her imagination goes wild with making the pill bugs mansions and feeding them blades of grass. Pill bugs don’t want mansions or grass, but that doesn’t matter. My daughter is comfortable outside, interacting with all sorts of species, and forging relationships at her pace and in her own way.

Exploring nature requires more imagination than scientific knowledge. While education is a good starting point, it is creativity that will allow for new discoveries. Take the time to watch and make observations such as, “Where is that robin going?”…“Does it seem like the right time of year to build a nest?”…“Hmmm, maybe it’s hungry”…

“Let’s just watch and see what it does next.”

Or, for a more active time, become the animal! Role play is one of our favorite teaching methods at Swan Lake and is a great way to expend built-up energy. Without knowing much at all about an animal, children are happy to re-enact its life cycle. Everything is born, gathers food, drinks, communicates, has babies and on and on. Even “returning to the earth” so that the carbon cycle can continue can be fun.

You do not need a Biology degree to connect to nature. Children don’t necessarily need answers, they just want you to share their sense of wonder. So, slow down, allow for exploration and nurture their sense of curiosity. Ask lots of questions, make some guesses and, most of all, enjoy your time.

Coral Forbes enjoys spending most of her workday at a child’s pace, but still struggles with taking her own advice at home. After reading a draft of this article, her daughter exclaimed “Finally! You’ll stop rushing me!”

& The place online where parents and grandparents get information about their community for their family: Read current and past issues of Island Parent Magazine.

Visit our Marketplace to find businesses, programs and services that cater to the little person in your life.

Looking for that special something you had when you were a kid? Check out our classified ads.

Want to see what’s up today or this weekend?

View our calendar of events.

Whether it’s dance lessons, parenting workshops, fun days and festivals, what’s happening at your local rec centre or community events—Kids In Victoria has it all!

Maybe you are looking for something to engage your mind or perhaps need a little bit of advice. Well we have that too on our community forum.

Receive Island Parent & Kids In Victoria e-newsletter for updates and exclusive contests.

You can also enter our monthly and photo contests.

Come be part of our community at

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Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 49

Health & Wellness Two Locations to Serve You! Comox offers new and consignment clothing NB to preteen, great selection of toys, books and all the latest baby gear.

5th St offers great educational toys, books, workbooks, science and hobby kits, and a selection of clothing Size 5 to 12.

South Island BRAIN TRAINING Brainwave Harmonics . . . . . . . . . brainwave-harmonics.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-701-0360

DENTISTS Saanich Dental Group 119-1591 McKenzie Ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-477-7321 Victoria Pediatric Dental Centre 205-1830 Oak Bay Ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-383-2133

HEALTH CLINICS

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Millstream Medical Clinic 107–2349 Millstream Ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-391-7554 St. Anthony’s Medical Centre 582 Goldstream Ave . . 250-478-6242 Tillicum Mall Medical Clinic 14–3170 Tillicum Rd . . 250-381-8112

MASSAGE THERAPY Vancouver Island Naturopathic Clinic Inc. 204-4480 West Saanich Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-881-1806

Is Your Will Up To Date?

NATUROPATHS Dr. Anke Zimmermann 304-2250 Oak Bay Ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-590-5828 Vancouver Island Naturopathic Clinic Inc. 204-4480 West Saanich Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-881-1806

Services provided for your family: • Real Estate Transactions • Mortgage Refinancing • Wills • Powers of Attorney

Sabrina Hanousek, BA Notary Public

• Travel Consent Letters Member 250-382-8880 sabrina@notariesondouglas.com www.notariesondouglas.com 201–2610 Douglas Street, Victoria

50 www.IslandParent.ca

OPTOMETRISTS BC Association of Optometrists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . absee.ca Cadboro Bay Optometry Clinic 3830 Cadboro Bay Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-360-2229

Dr. Joslin, Dr. Morin & Associates 105-814 Goldstream Ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-747-4567 5-6726 West Coast Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-642-4331 Eye Etiquette Optical Boutique eyeetiquetteoptical.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-474-1941 Eitutis & Associates Optometric Centre 201-3750 Shelbourne St . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-477-7771 Family Eyecare Centre 749 Yates St . . . . . . . . 250-383-2411 Mayfair Optometric 3196 Douglas St . . . . . 250-361-4444

PHARMACIES Cadboro Bay Peoples Compounding Parmacy . . victoriapharmacy.com 3825 Cadboro Bay Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-477-2131 Fairfield Peoples Compounding Drug Mart . . . . victoriapharmacy.com 15-1594 Fairfield Rd . . 250-598-9232 Fairfield Peoples Compounding Pharmacy . . . . victoriapharmacy.com 1282 Fairfield Rd . . . . . 250-595-5997 Shelbourne Plaza Peoples Compounding Pharmacy . . . . . . . . . . . . victoriapharmacy.com 3643 Shelbourne St . . . 250-577-1881 UVic Campus Pharmacy UVic SUB . . . . . victoriapharmacy.com 3800 Finnerty Rd . . . . . 250-721-3400

ACCUPUNCTURE Vancouver Island Naturopathic Clinic Inc. 204-4480 West Saanich Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-881-1806

ALTERNATIVE HEALTH CEDRIC Centre cedriccentre.com . . . . 250-383-0797 Elements of Health Centre #206-1581 Hillside Ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-383-2626 Vancouver Island Naturopathic Clinic Inc. 204-4480 West Saanich Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-881-1806 Victoria Headache Clinic 774 Spruce Ave . . . . . . 250-382-6663

Allison Rees

The Insincerity of Sorry

W

hen two people have a conflict or when a person is triggered by the actions of another, our standard response is to apologize, “Sooorrryyy”, or to demand an apology, “Say you’re sorry!” But sorry doesn’t really do anything—it’s just what we’ve been trained to say and it skirts the more productive behaviour of acknowledging the other person’s feelings and trying to understand what happened. Sorry can seem like a verbal brush to sweep away ownership and accountability. Isn’t sorry supposed to be a feeling? But what does that mean? Do I feel sorry for you? Yuck. Am I supposed to feel sorry for what I’ve done? That might take a little time if I don’t understand how what I’ve done upset you in the first place.

Let’s bring this down to earth with a classic example that parents run into a lot. Two kids fighting, one calls the other a butt head, the so-called butt head cries and an adult intervenes. “Jimmy! It’s not okay to call David a butt head. Now say you’re sorry.” “I’m sorry you’re a butt head, David.” replies Jimmy. “No! Say sorry for calling him a butt head!” “Huh, okay, but ummmn, I’m not sorry, I think he is a butt head.” “Say sorry or take five minutes to yourself and think about what you just said.”

Now we think the child is going to sit on his own and reflect on his wrong doing. Sorry, that isn’t going to happen. (Did I just say sorry?) Actually, in this case, saying sorry will make things worse because Jimmy takes all the blame while David, the so-called butt head, comes out on top. A time-out is useful for separation and to stop behaviour, but it doesn’t teach kindness. With Jimmy and David, what we need is to hear the feelings of each child and what’s bothering them.

Putting ourselves in somebody else’s shoes takes maturity and kids aren’t good at this so an adult can provide the words needed to bring some clarity.

If we step into a conflict between children, we must attack the issue not the person. “I hear name calling.” Or “I see hitting.” State what you see with seriousness, but without directly attacking the child or blaming him.

Often what we see is the tale end of a pattern of behaviour where one child has teased the other and the more explosive child hits or blurts. The explosive child often wears the flack and even if he was being unreasonable, we have to be careful here. This can put

him in the role of ‘bad guy’ and the other child in the role of ‘victim’. So stay neutral and articulate each child’s feelings and why they feel that way without taking sides. This requires tremendous patience and we won’t succeed every time.

So, back to the two kids fighting. One calls the other a butt head, the so-called butt head cries and an adult intervenes with empathy. “David, you’re upset.” “Yeah, Jimmy called me a butt head.” (Turns out David called him a poop head just before that.) Without taking sides the adult says, “It sounds like you don’t like being called a name.” (Stating a limit) Jimmy pipes up and says, “Well, he took the truck I was playing with.” (Often there is far more going on than we know.) The adult just reflects exactly what he heard in his own words, “Oh, so when you are playing with a toy, you don’t like it when somebody takes it. (What is the need?) You look really frustrated that this happened.” This may go on for a bit, but in the end, the problem belongs to the two kids in conflict and they need to be a part of solving the problem. The adult can say, “We have two kids and one truck.

What will we do?” (Hold up the issue).

Sometimes the truck takes a vacation until the kids figure it out. Sometimes the kids are separated until they can play together peacefully. This is not a quick fix, growing kind behaviour takes time.

In order to teach our kids how to argue, we need to figure out what healthy conflict looks like so we can be effective role models.

This will have the most positive impact.

When we are upset, we can time ourselves out to gain calmness and clarity. Instead of blurting out “sorry”, we can get curious about what is going on for the other person. This is called reflective listening.

We can recognize that each person owns and is responsible for his or her feelings.

When blame is eliminated, defenses come down. When we feel caring, we can hear each other’s needs and come up with a plan or some kind of an understanding. This is loving behaviour in action.

LIFE Seminars has two books available, Sidestepping the Power Struggle and The Parent Child Connection. See www.lifeseminars.com.

Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 51

YOGA Fernwood Yoga Den 1311 Gladstone Ave . . 250-590-4664 Iron Butterfly Pilates/Yoga & Pre- Post-Natal Studio ironbutterflypilates.ca . 250-920-8005 Iyengar Yoga 202–919 Fort St . . . . . . 250-386-9642 Moksha Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-385-YOGA Mothering Touch Centre & Birth Services, 975 Fort St . 250-595-4905

OTHER Anaphylaxis Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pactvictoria.com Family Eyecare Centre . . . . . . . . . . familyeyecarecentre.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-383-2411 fit 4 two® fit4two.ca . . . . . . . . . . . 778-977-3612 Life Force Systems Boot Camps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-380-6947 Taoist Tai Chi . . . . . . . . . . pacific.canada.taoist.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-383-4103 Tigh-na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre, Parksville 1155 Resort Dr . . . . . . 250-248-2072 Victoria Pilates Inc. Mattick’s Farm . . . . . . . 250-727-0075 The Vitamin Shop . . . . . . . . CanadianVitaminShop.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-386-1212 UC Baby 3D/4D Ultrasound ucbaby.ca . . . . . . . . . . 250-744-2234 3D/4D Ultrasound Imaging recorded on CD/DVD/USB. Gender determination. Record baby’s heartbeat in a unique heartbeat bear. Gift certificates. Free live broadcasting. Video on demand. Military discount.

Westshore Zumba westshorezumba.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-413-7213

Matraea Centre, Duncan matcentre.ca . . . . . . . . 250-597-0085 Millstream Medical Clinic 107–2349 Millstream Ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-391-7554 Valleyview Treatment Centre #27-1400 Cowichan Bay Rd Cobble Hill . . . . . . . . . . 250-743-9395

PHARMACIES Valleyview Peoples Drug Mart 26-1400 Cowichan Bay Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-743-1448

PHYSIOTHERAPY South Cowichan Physiotherapy 59-1400 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cobble Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-743-3833

Mid-Island NATUROPATHS Arbour Wellness Centre, Nanaimo 2136 Bowen Rd . . . . . . 250-729-4969 Inspired Health Naturopathic Clinic #11-321 Wesley St . . . 250-714-0721

Collaborative Family Law Group . . . . collaborativefamilylawgroup.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-704-2600 Duncan & Faber, Family Law duncanfaber.com . . . . . 250-383-8038 Legal Aid Legal Services Society 200–747 Fort St . . . . . . 250-360-4516 MConnan Bion O’Connor & Peterson mcbop.com . . . . . . . . . 250-385-1383 Scott-Moncrieff & Company 104-9710 Second St, Sidney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-656-0981 Windsor Law Group . . 250-385-6004

MEDIATION BC Parenting Coordinators Roster Society . . . . . . . . . . . bcpcroster.com Rebecca Alleyne, Family Law Mediation victoriamediation.ca . . 250-383-8038 South Island Dispute Resolution Centre . . . . . . disputeresolution.bc.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-383-4412 TS Consulting . . . . . . . 250-590-4114

PSYCHOLOGISTS

NOTARIES

Waterman & Associates 70 Prideaux St . . . . . . . 250-754-8559

Notaries on Douglas 201-2610 Douglas St . . 250-382-8880

Campbell Fairweather Psychology Group, Nanaimo www.cfpsych.ca . . . . . 250-729-8181

The Shipley Group 1551 Pandora Ave . . . . 250-592-4342

FINANCIAL PLANNERS

Legal & Financial Services

Cowichan Valley

South Island

HEALTH CLINICS

CREDIT COUNSELLING

Coleman Medical, Duncan 186 Kenneth St . . . . . . 250-746-4102 Margaret Moss Health Centre, Duncan 675 Canada Ave . . . . . 250-709-3050

Credit Counselling Society nomoredebts.org . . . . 1-888-527-8999

52 www.IslandParent.ca

LAWYERS

Hatch & Muir Certified Financial Planner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-953-8552

REAL ESTATE SERVICES Briar Hill Group at Pemberton Holmes briarhillgroup.com . . . . 250-744-0775 Lawless Brown Mortgage Team Mortgage Depot/Verico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-656-0855

Margot Fedoruk

The Spelling Homework Blues D

o you have a kid that just won’t sit still to do spelling homework? Do you dread homework time each night? Well dread not! Here are a few fresh ideas that will have your kids begging you to pull out their spelling lists.

Buy bathtub crayons. These are relatively inexpensive and come in many colours, and they wipe off the tub fairly easily. The most important rule with tub crayons is that they must only be pulled out for use during practice time—this makes them special. Help your child spell out each word on the inside of the bathtub. Or, for a twist on this theme, let kids use non-toxic body crayons to print their letters on their limbs. Words can be easily washed off with a wash cloth.

Body spelling. Clear out an area in your home so your child can spell out each word with their body. Encourage them to use their legs and arms and ask them say each letter as they are forming them. If the Village People could make a dance out of it, why can’t your seven year old? This is a good one for those kids who like to be active. A warning: words like butterfly take forever, so this is not for the impatient parent. Try spelling your own words with them. It is hard not to enjoy body spelling.

Throw and catch a softball.

Each catch must be accompanied by yelling out a letter of the spelling word. I learned this one while teaching T-ball. For example, kids are learning to spell “pie.” You throw the ball to junior, they catch it, and yell, “P!” Throw the ball again, they catch it, and they belt out “I!” Throw it back, “E!” what does it spell? You both yell “PIE!” If it’s raining, throw a balled up sock to each other from your positions on the couch instead.

1

2

3

4

Whipping cream-on-the-fingers-spelling. This is only for extreme measures. Whip up a bowl of whipping cream and pull out a cookie sheet that can double as a writing surface. Using their index finger, have kids print with the whipping cream. Encourage them to print each letter on the pan. And then spell words. They are allowed to lick their fingers only after they get the word correct!

Sing in the car on the way to school. This is a desperate measure—for the rare time when you were both too tired the night before to study and the test is today.

Turn off the radio while you both sing each letter of the spelling word out to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb or any tune that is easily recognizable. For instance, to Row Row Row Your Boat, B U- TTE-RFLY. This spells butterfly! Oh my, oh my, oh my…

Be inventive together. Let your kids come up with their own fun ways to practice spelling. The sky’s the limit!

You don’t have to just sit on a hard chair in the kitchen scowling at each other over a list of words.

Hmm…what can we do with these long spaghetti noodles? Fridge magnet spelling test, anyone?

Try some of these tricks and you will no longer be singing The Spelling Homework Blues. Parent tested and guaranteed.

5

Celebrating 30 Years!

Gourmet Food Festival

Friday, October 17 4-9pm Beban Park Auditorium

Date Night!

TICKETS $15

IN ADVANCE ONLY

250-754-7587 www.theatreone.org

Island Rhythmic Gymnastics Club

6

Margot Fedoruk has creatively raised two daughters on Gabriola Island while running a small business. She is passionate about feeding her family natural foods and turning off the TV and other devices, to learn things hands on.

Do you have a little girl who likes to dance, jump and juggle?

Register her for a class at Island Rhythmics!

Classes for girls 3 and up

www.islandrhythmics.com 250-514-6761

Family Resource Guide 2014/2015

53

Vancouver Island Health Authority

Healthy Families, Happy Families

Child, Youth & Family Public Health South Island Health Units Esquimalt Gulf Islands

250-519-5311 250-539-3099

(toll-free number for office in Saanichton)

Peninsula Saanich Saltspring Island Sooke Victoria West Shore

250-544-2400 250-519-5100 250-538-4880 250-642-5464 250-388-2200 250-519-3490

Central Island Health Units Duncan 250-709-3050 Ladysmith 250-755-3342 Lake Cowichan 250-749-6878 Nanaimo 250-755-3342 Nanaimo Princess Royal 250-755-3342 Parksville/Qualicum 250-947-8242 Port Alberni 250-731-1315 Tofino 250-725-4020

North Island Health Units Campbell River Courtenay Kyuquot Health Ctr ‘Namgis Health Ctr Port Hardy

250-850-2110 250-331-8520 250-332-5289 250-974-5522 250-902-6071

www.viha.ca/prevention_services/

54 www.IslandParent.ca

Child, Youth & Family Public Health Services

T

he Child, Youth and Family Public Health program of Island Health is a multidisciplinary team whose focus is on disease prevention and health promotion.

Island Health’s primary goal is the improved health and wellness of residents of the Vancouver Island region. To reach this goal, Island Health helps support residents by working with community partners to protect and promote health and prevent injury and illness.

The Child, Youth and Family Public Health program supports the health and wellness of Island residents by providing speech, hearing, nutrition, dental and nursing services to individuals, families and communities. These programs are available free of charge throughout Vancouver Island.

Community Nutrition Program Community Nutritionists are Registered Dietitians who work toward creating healthy communities where all people have access to healthy food, accurate nutrition information, and services. The team partners with schools, organizations within the community and other health professionals to promote, protect and improve nutritional health, and support healthy food environments.

Dental Services Dental disease, even in baby teeth, can impact a child’s ability to eat, sleep, grow, concentrate and learn. The Dental Program offers a range of services to support children’s good oral health. Services vary depending on the community but can include education and skill building for groups and individuals, resources for professionals working with children, youth and their families, oral health counseling and preventive services for some families, and screening of kindergarten children for tooth decay. The Dental Program has created teaching kits, which are available for loan to schools, preschools and parenting groups. In addition, dental hygienist support is available to adults and children with developmental disabilities.

Hearing Services The Hearing Program offers services to children from birth to 19 years of age and to people with developmental disabilities with a variety of programs to support healthy hearing. Audiologists test hearing for babies and children, work together with schools and preschools to offer direct student support, and answer general questions on hearing and hearing services. The Hearing Program also offers hearing screening for all newborns and all children in kindergarten.

Nursing Support Services The Nursing Support Services program assists parents and caregivers to help children from birth to 19 years of age with special health care needs to lead active, healthy lives in their communities. Service is provided in schools, preschools, child-care facilities, and homes. Children who need specialized health care such as diabetes support, tube feeding, and tracheotomy care can be referred to Nursing Support Services.

Public Health Nursing Services Public Health Nursing offers services to women, children and families to support healthy growth and development. Nurses contact all parents of new babies to provide education on infant care and feeding, growth and development, and postpartum depression. Many health units offer Breastfeeding Support Clinics in addition to parenting programs such as Baby Talk and Toddler Talk. Public Health Nursing also partners with community agencies to provide perinatal education and support.

Public Health Nurses prevent disease and promote health by offering Child Health Clinics where infants and children are immunized against a variety of life threatening illnesses. Nurses provide School Based Immunization Clinics in all schools to protect Grade 6 students from Hepatitis B, Meningococcal C, Varicella (chickenpox), and Human Papillomavirus diseases and to protect Grade 9 students from Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis and Human Papillomavirus diseases. In addition, Public Health

Nursing offers influenza clinics both in health units and in community facilities to members of the public who are eligible for publicly funded influenza vaccines.

Building on many years of partnership, Public Health staff continue to work with elementary schools and parents to provide kindergarten vision and hearing screening and follow-up. Earlier identification of vision and hearing concerns can result in better treatment outcome for children.

Nurses contact all parents of new babies to provide education on infant care and feeding, growth and development, and postpartum depression.

Professionals from Public Health Nursing, Dental and Nutrition provide service and support within the Comprehensive School Health model to both public and independent schools. Members of the team work with students, parents/guardians, school staff and community groups to identify the priority health needs of the school populations.

Speech-Language Services Speech-Language services are available for preschool children. Assessment and treatment is provided for preschool-aged children with speech and language disorders.

Children needing additional services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychological assessment, social work and support for hearing impairment should be referred to Queen Alexandra Centre for Children’s Health where their speech and language therapy is provided in conjunction with their other services.

Vancouver Island residents are well supported by Island Health’s Child, Youth and Family Community Health program.

Services in Central and Northern Vancouver Island may vary slightly from those in this article; please call your local health unit for local information. Contact information can be found on page 54 or online at www. viha.ca/children.

Cynthia Powell (Speech), Niki Timar (Audiology), Janelle Hatch (Nutrition), Dorthy Rosenberg (Dental), Lorna Garrison (Nursing Support Services), & Hilary Planden (Clinical Coordinator, Public Health Nursing).

Strawberry Vale Preschool Play Based Preschool Programs for Kids 3–4

Join Our Great Preschool Community!

www.strawberryvalepreschool.org Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 55

1670 Olde London Towne

A People Attraction – Unique – Extraordinaire!

Nothing Short of...MINIATURETASTIC! RATED “GEM ATTRACTION” BY THE AAA®!

OPEN DAILY, 649 Humboldt St.,

Victoria, BC Canada, V8W 1A7 Ph: (250) 385-9731 Fax: (250) 385-2835

The Greatest Little Show on Earth!TM

E-mail: 3859731@miniatureworld.com Web: www.miniatureworld.com

Enchanted Valley of Castles

Family Fun & Entertainment South Island

Circus World

FAMILY FUN Affordable Hot Tubs & Saunas Ltd 4649 West Saanich Rd 778-433-6786

THE LEGEND RETURNS!

All Fun Karts, Cages, Clubs & Camping at Western Speedway allfun .bc .ca . . . . . . . . . . 250-474-1961

WE HAVE EXPANDED FOR OUR LATEST, GREATEST EXHIBIT – THREE YEARS TO CREATE

Community Living Victoria

250-477-7231

City Centre Park, Playzone 1089 Langford Pkwy . . 250-391-1738

If you are a person with a developmental disability or have a family member with developmental disabilities, we can connect you to the resources, information and services that meet your needs and reflect your wishes!

Great Pacific Adventures . . . . . . . . greatpacificadventures .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-386-2277

To learn more about Autism Services’ camps, social skills groups, and 1:1 support for children and youth aged 6 through 18, call 250-477-7231, extension 237.

Hatley Park National Historic Site 2005 Sooke Rd . . . . . . . 250-391-2666 Highland Pacific Golf . . . . . . . . . . . highlandpacificgolf .com 450 Creed Rd . . . . . . . . 250-478-4653

Visit www.communitylivingvictoria.ca to learn more about our wide range of services for children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities, and their families.

Pre-K to Grade 12 Grammar

Reading Study Skills

Langford Lanes . . . . . . 250-391-7900 Mattick’s Farm Mini Golf 5325 Cordova Bay Rd . 250-658-4053 Writing Homework

Math French

Reading is to learning what breathing is to living Call today, or visit oxfordlearning.com Victoria 203-1595 McKenzie Ave. Victoria, BC, V8N 1A4

250.477.5550

victoria@oxfordlearning.com

Miniature World at the Empress Hotel miniatureworld .com . . . 250-385-9731 Tumblebums Play Centre & Toy Shop 133-735 Goldstream Ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-474-PLAY WildPlay Element Parks wildplay .com . . . . . . . . . 250-595-2251

FESTIVALS & FAIRS Creatively United for the Planet Festival . . CreativelyUnitedForThePlanet .com Festival de la francophonie francocentre .com . . . . . 250-388-7350 Fringe Festival . . . . . . . 250-383-2663 Luxton Pro Rodeo . . . . 250-478-4250 Pacific Rim Whale Festival . . . . . . . . pacificrimwhalefestival .com Saanich Fair 1528 Stellys X Rd . . . . . 250-652-3314 Victoria Dragon Boat Festival 3651 Shelbourne St . . . 250-704-2500 Victoria Film Festival 1215 Blanshard St . . . . 250-389-0444

56

www.IslandParent.ca

MUSEUMS BC Aviation Museum, Sidney 1910 Norseman Rd . . . 250-655-3300

The Greatest Little Show on Earth!TM

In the EMPRESS HOTEL Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum, 1050 Joan Cres thecastle .ca . . . . . . . . . 250-592-5323

Gulliver’s Travels

Craigflower Schoolhouse & Manor 2790 Shoreline Dr . . . . . 250-383-4627

The Great Canadian Railway circa 1885

Fort Rodd Hill & Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites of Canada 603 Fort Rodd Hill Rd . . 250-478-5849 . . . . . .parkscanada .gc .ca/fortroddhill Come run, climb and go underground at Fort Rodd Hill . Then steer a ship, sound the fog horn and master the games inside Fisgard Lighthouse .

Circus World

Miniature World at the Empress Hotel miniatureworld .com . . . 250-385-9731

THE LEGEND RETURNS!

1670 Olde London Towne

Royal BC Museum 675 Belleville St . . . . . . 250-356-7226 Saanich Historical Artifacts Society 7321 Lochside Dr . . . . . 250-652-5522

NATURE CRD Parks crd .bc .ca/parks . . . . . . 250-478-3344 Galey Farms Corn Maze & Market 4150 Blenkinsop Rd . . . 250-477-4450 Goldstream Park Nature House . . . . . . . goldstream@naturehouse .ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-478-9414 Gorge Waterway Discovery Centre Gorge Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-7585 Gulf Islands National Park Reserve 2220 Harbour Rd . . . . . 250-654-4000 Horticultural Centre of the Pacific 505 Quayle Rd . . . . . . . 250-479-6162

©Fresh Air Photography by Janis Morrison

Witty’s Lagoon: Just One of West-Mont’s Classrooms Not many schools are fortunate to have a backyard like West-Mont Montessori School. We offer innovative, personalised, fully Montessori instruction in a beautiful natural environment for students in Preschool to Grade 8. Visit our website for details about our programs, or stop by our campus and feel what it’s like to be part of a community devoted to the development of the whole child.

4075 Metchosin Rd - Victoria t: 250.474.2626 e: info@west-mont.ca web: west-mont.ca

Christ Church Cathedral School

Parks Canada . . . parkscanada .gc .ca Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre 9811 Seaport Pl . . . . . . 250-665-7511 Victoria Butterfly Gardens 1461 Benvenuto Ave . . 250-652-3822

THEATRE & ART Art Gallery of Greater Victoria 1040 Moss St . . . . . . . . 250-384-4101 Cinecenta, Student Union Building @ UVic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-721-8365 Dance Victoria . . . . . . . 250-595-1829 Four Seasons Musical Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-478-0329 Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra www .gvyo .org . . . . . . . . 250-360-1121

Jr. Kindergarten (ages 3 - 5) | K - Grade 8

Spaces available for Jr. K, gr. 1 , 6 & 8

An affordable independent school with exceptional results     

Small classes Outstanding Fine Arts & Athletic programs Proven academic record Before and after school care Downtown location

Call us to arrange your personal tour

250-383-5125 | 912 Vancouver Street | www.cathedralschool.ca Family Resource Guide 2014/2015

57

Intrepid Theatre Company #2-1609 Blanshard St . 250-383-2663

OTHER

THEATRE & ART

Kaleidoscope Theatre 3130 Jutland Rd . . . . . 250-383-8124

Navy Run, CFB Esquimalt navyrunesquimalt.com 250-363-1008

Chemainus Theatre 9737 Chemainus Rd . 1-800-565-7738

IMAX® Victoria in the Royal BC Museum 675 Belleville St . . . . . . 250-480-4887

Victoria Good News Choir . . . . . . . . victoriagoodnewschoir.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-658-1946

Cowichan Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cowichantheatre.ca 2687 James St . . . . . . . 250-748-7529

Cowichan Valley

Mid-Island

FAMILY FUN

FAMILY FUN

The Tube Shack cowichanriver.com . . . 250-510-RIDE

Jumping Jiminy’s Playland & Café 2980 Island Hwy . . . . . 250-729-0999 Romper Room Indoor Climbing 4835B Boban Dr . . . . . 250-751-7625 Tiger Lily Farms Barnyard & Trail Rides 1692 Errington Rd . . . . 250-248-2408 WildPlay Element Parks, Nanaimo 35 Nanaimo River Rd 1-888-716-7374 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WildPlay.com

Pacific Opera Society pov.bc.ca . . . . . . . . . . . 250-382-4944 TheatreSKAM skam.ca . . . . . . . . . . . 250-FUN-SKAM Victoria Operatic Society #10-744 Fairview Rd . . 250-381-1021 Victoria Symphony #610-620 View St . . . . 250-385-6515

ZOOS Beacon Hill Children’s Farm Beacon Hill Park . . . . . 250-381-2532 Victoria Bug Zoo victoriabugzoo.com . 250-384-BUGS Welcome to the amazing world of insects and arachnids! It’s fun, educational and interactive for “kids” of all ages. Open year round.

FESTIVALS & FAIRS Islands Folk Festival Duncan . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-248-8975

MUSEUMS BC Forest Discovery Centre 2892 Drinkwater Rd . . . 250-715-1113

NATURE The Raptors, Duncan 1877 Herd Rd . . . . . . . 250-746-0372

FESTIVALS & FAIRS Filberg Festival Comox Valley . . . . . . . 1-866-898-8499

Our shop welcomes

Shop Matraea’s birth kits, organic teas and skincare at

Tea Tasting Sept 29 – Oct 4

www.BelliesInBloomMaternity.com 250.479.0803 58 www.IslandParent.ca

MUSEUMS Alberni Valley Museum 4255 Wallace St . . . . . . 250-723-2181 Black Nugget Museum, Ladysmith 12 Gatacre St . . . . . . . 250-245-4846 Comox Air Force Museum 19 Wing Rd . . . . . . . . . 250-339-8162 Courtenay Museum . . 250-334-0686 McLean Mill National Historic Site 5633 Smith Rd . . . . . . . 250-723-1376 Nanaimo Museum 100 Museum Way . . . . 250-753-1821

NATURE Butterfly World 1080 Winchester Rd . . 250-248-7026 Filberg Heritage Park 61 Filberg Rd . . . . . . . . 250-339-2715 Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park Qualicum Beach . . . . . 250-248-7829 Morrell Nature Sanctuary 787 Nanaimo Lk Rd . . . 250-753-5811 North Island Wildlife Recovery 1240 Leffler, Errington . 250-248-8534 Pacific Rainforest Adventure Tours . . . . . . . . . rainforestnaturehikes.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-248-3667 Seaview Game Farm, Black Creek 1392 Seaview Rd . . . . . 250-337-5182 Tiger Lily Farm 1692 Errington Rd . . . . 250-248-2408 World Parrot Refuge, Coombs 2116 Alberni Hwy . . . . 250-248-5194 Yellow Point Cranberries, Ladysmith . . . . yellowpointcranberries@shaw.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-245-5283

THEATRE & ART Chemainus Theatre 9737 Chemainus Rd . . 250-246-9800 Nanaimo Theatre Group 2373 Rosstown Rd . . . 250-758-7224 Port Theatre, Nanaimo 125 Front St . . . . . . . . . 250-754-8550 Theatre One www.theatreone.org . . 250-754-7587

OTHER

Help Trust Support Direction

BC PARENTING COORDINATORS ROSTER SOCIET Y

WHY CHOOSE PARENTING COORDINATION? BECAUSE FAMILIES MATTER • Highly trained professionals coach families through post separation challenges.

• Parenting Coordinators can help separated parents get unstuck and reduce stress.

• Whether court ordered or by agreement, PCs can help separated parents make cost effective and durable agreements.

Helping families focus on the kids, not the conflict

www.bcpcroster.com

Royal BC Museum Kids’ Club Members get all the perks!

• Unlimited access to galleries, exhibitions and Wonder Sundays • Access to our Weekly Afternoon Exploration Program Discover local partners, like the Robert Bateman Centre, the Maritime Museum and the Compost Education Centre, learn new skills and enjoy a new theme every month!

• 10% discount on events and camps • What’s inSight Kids eMagazine Subscription • Club Card to collect stamps and earn cool prizes

Mount Washington . . . . . . . . . . . . . mountwashington.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-888-231-1499

Join today for just $30.95 per year royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/kidsclub

Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 59

Party Planning South Island ACTIVE PARTY PLACES Falcon Gymnastics 208–721 Vanalman Ave 250-479-6424 Games2U g2u.com . . . . . . . . . . . 250-661-2219 Lion’s Pride . . . . . . . . . 250-383-FLIP Recreation Oak Bay recreation.oakbay.ca . . 250-595-7946 The Makehouse themakehouse.ca . . . . 778-432-2294 Miniature World at the Empress Hotel miniatureworld.com . . . 250-385-9731 Coming soon to Miniature World, the Mini People’s Party Place.

Victoria Gymnastics 2051 Store St . . . . . . . . 250-380-2442

ENTERTAINERS & CLOWNS Donald Dunphy’s Professional Magic Entertainment DonaldDunphy.com . . . 250-727-6505 The Maritime Museum of BC mmbc.bc.ca . . . . . . . . 250-385-4222

Lizzy Lee & Me 3655 Shelbourne St . . . 250-590-5568 Par-T-Perfect par-t-perfect.com . . . . 250-386-5867

Momease Baby Boutique 121-5325 Cordova Bay Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 778-265-5432

Cowichan

TJ’s The Kiddies Store 3045C Douglas St . . . . 250-386-2229

PARTY SUPPLIES/PLANNING

BEDDING

Horse Play Parties, Duncan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-701-9116

Heirloom Linens #380-777 Royal Oak Dr 250-744-1717

Mid-Island

BICYCLES

ACTIVE PARTY PLACES Jumping Jiminy’s Playland #400-2980 Island Hwy 250-729-0999

SCIENCE/NATURE Mad Science Vancouver Island . . . . vancouverisland.madscience.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-391-1814

PARTY SUPPLIES/PLANNING Funtime Inflatables (Victoria) 656 Caleb Pike Rd . . . . 250-474-0556

The Puppet Booth . . . 250-472-3546 . . . . . . puppetbooth.homestead.com

Retail Products

MUSEUM/MOVIE

South Island

IMAX® Victoria in the Royal BC Museum 675 Belleville St . . . . . . 250-480-4887 Miniature World at the Empress Hotel miniatureworld.com . . . 250-385-9731 SilverCity 3130 Tillicum Rd . . . 1-888-3FAMOUS

SCIENCE/NATURE Mad Science Vancouver Island . . . . vancouverisland.madscience.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-391-1814 Victoria Bug Zoo 631 Courtney St . . . . 250-384-BUGS

PARTY SUPPLIES/PLANNING Funtime Inflatables . . 250-474-0597 Island DJ Services island-dj-services.com 250-686-2038

60 www.IslandParent.ca

ART & CRAFT STORES Color Me Mine . . . . . . . . . victoria.colormemine.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-727-2789 Danielle’s Paint Your Own Pottery and Glass Fusing Studio 129-735 Goldstream Ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-590-7949 Island Blue Print 905 Fort St . . . . . . . . . . 250-385-9786 Knotty by Nature Fibre Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kbnfibres.ca

AUTOMOBILES Campus Honda 506 Finlayson St . . . . . 250-388-6921

BABY SUPPLIES Bellies in Bloom Maternity 104-4489 Viewmont Ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-479-0803

Mothering Touch Centre & Birth Services, 975 Fort St . 250-595-4905

Fairfield Bicycle Shop 1275 Oscar St . . . . . . .

North Park Cycle 1725 Quadra St . . . . . .

Oak Bay Bicycles 1990 Oak Bay Ave . . . .

Recyclistas 25 Crease Ave . . . . . . .

250-381-2453 250-386-2453 250-598-4111 250-418-8867

BOOKS Bolen Books 111–1644 Hillside Ave . 250-595-4232 Chapters 1212 Douglas St . . . . . 250-380-9009 Children’s Bookshop 2442 Beacon, Sidney . 250-656-4449 School House Teaching Supplies & Children’s Bookstore . . . . . . . . . schoolhouseteaching.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-385-9032

CLOTHING Abby Sprouts 3011 Gosworth Rd . . . 250-294-8978 Abra Kid Abra 2024 Oak Bay Ave . . . . 250-595-1613 Baja Rosi’s Consignment Cabana bajarosis.com . . . . . . . 250-391-6033 Hip Baby 104A-560 Johnson St . 250-385-8020 Jamie Lemi Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .jamielemi.com JamTots Baby & More Store 748 Goldstream Ave . . 250-478-1737 Mothering Touch Centre & Birth Services, 975 Fort St . 250-595-4905 Persnickety For Kids, Salt Spring PersnicketyKids.ca . . . 250-931-0091 Sailor Jack Family Consignment Store 424 Craigflower Rd . . . 250-382-5225

Scallywags . . . . . . . . . www.scallywags-island.ca 624 Fort St . . . . . . . . . . 250-360-2570 777 Royal Oak Dr . . . . 250-360-2520 TJ’s The Kiddies Store 3045C Douglas St . . . . 250-386-2229 Victoria Kids Consignment . . . . . . . . victoriakidsconsignment.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-514-4080 WIN Resale Shops 1803 Cook St . . . . . . . . 250-389-2203 785 Pandora Ave . . . . . 250-361-9303 174-160 Wilson St . . . . 250-412-0369

COMPUTERS

STAGES Performing Arts School since 1980

Come Dance With Us

• Offering classes in Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Tap. Hip Hop & Musical Theatre in a non- competitive atmosphere.

• Not sure which class to take?

Try a Drop-In: No hassle, No Obligation ses Clas l o ho .. e -S c angels. r P e t im ittle Day or the l f

Restart Computers 847 Yates St . . . . . . . . 250-995-3020 Mac Zen . . . . . . . . . . . 250-999-0036

DANCE SUPPLIES

For more information Call 250-384-3267 Email us at: stagesdance@shaw.ca Or visit our website: www.stagesdance.com

Toes ’n Taps 1733 Cook St . . . . . . . . 250-480-0017

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS/SAFETY Beesafe Solutions Ltd. beesafe.ca . . . . . . . . . 1-855-838-0788

Even the littlest angel can dance

HAIR SALONS

Lizzy Lee & Me 3655 Shelbourne St. . . . 250-590-5568

HOME DECOR/FURNITURE TJ’s The Kiddies Store 3045C Douglas St . . . . 250-386-2229

HOME RENOVATION Habitat for Humanity Victoria ReStore . . . . . . . . . . habitatvictoria.com 849 Orono Ave . . . . . . . 250-386-7867

MATERNITY Bellies in Bloom Maternity . . . . . . . BelliesInBloomMaternity.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-479-0803 Mothering Touch Centre & Birth Services, 975 Fort St . 250-595-4905

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Gliders & Furniture Evolving With Your Family Needs

G70 HearthGate

For All Your Your Baby Baby Needs…

Needs… New, We Also Do&Rentals!

For Used Rentals Serving the Infants • Toddlers • Youth • Parents & Grandparents of Victoria

The Kiddies Store

St.

3045–C Douglas St. (Rear) 386-2229 www.tjskids.com

Finlayson St. s Dougla

Larsen Music 1808 Cook St . . . . . . . . 250-389-1988 Tom Lee Music #105-2401D Millstream Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-838-5222

Offering a wide selection of pressure/hardware mount gates and safety locking devices.

Larch St.

T.J.’S

(Under Sleep Country in the REAR)

Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 61

TOYS Buddies Toys 2533 Estevan Rd . . . . . 250-595-6501 2496 Beacon Ave, Sidney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-655-7171 Discovery Toys toylady.ca . . . . . . . . . . 250-477-9891 Kaboodles Toy Store 1320 Government St . . 250-383-0931 KinderSpiel 1113 langley St . . . . . . 778-406-2102 Science Works 1889 Oak Bay Ave . . . . 250-595-6033 Timeless Toys . . . . . . 250-598-TOYS Tumblebums Play Centre & Toy Shop 133-735 Goldstream Ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-474-PLAY

PHOTOGRAPHERS Bright Idea Photography . . . . . . . .BrightIdeaPhotography.com fotoart Photography fotoartphotography.net 250-216-9824 Jennifer Jonker Photography . . . . . jenniferjonkerphotography.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-859-6280

Jody Wiger Photography . . . . . . . . jodywigerphotography.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-588-4101 The Light Within Photography . . . . . . . . . . . thelightwithinphoto.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-589-2534 Rebecca Wellman Photography . . . . . . . . . rwellmanphotography.com Roy’s Photography roysphoto.com . . . . . . 250-590-3506 Sarah Booth Photography . . . . . . . sarahboothphotography.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-882-0172

Uptown . . . . . . . . . . . shopuptown.ca Westside Village Shopping Centre 172 Wilson St WestShore Centre 2945 Jacklin Rd . . . . . . 250-474-3269

SHOPPING CENTRES

Better Business Bureau 220–1175 Cook St . . . . 250-386-6348 Lalabee Bathworks . . . . . . . . . . . . lalabeebathworks.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-508-8495 My Funkins™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . myfunkins.com Qoola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . qoola.com The Savvy Squirrel Coupon Book . . . . . . . . . SquirrelCouponBook.com

Broadmead Village Shopping Centre 777 Royal Oak Dr . . . . . . . . . . . . . broadmeadvillage.ca Hillside Shopping Centre 1644 Hillside Ave . . . . . 250-595-7154 Mattick’s Farm 5325 Cordova Bay Rd Mayfair Shopping Centre 3147 Douglas St . . . . . 250-383-0541 Tillicum Centre 3170 Tillicum Rd . . . . . 250-381-7123

SPECIALTY STORES Christmas Village 1323 Government St . . 250-380-7522 Soccerworld 831 Vernon Ave . . . . . . 250-475-3777

OTHER

LEARNING, NATURALLY Discover what happens when children create insightful solutions through purposeful playtime.

DESIGNED FOR PLAY. GEARED FOR LEARNING.

Visit Victoria’s newest store for developing minds, featuring fun, sensible, high quality European toys and learning resources for your family. Now open in downtown Victoria at 1113 Langley Street, behind Murchies.

KINDERSPIEL.CA

Maritime Museum Birthday Parties Let our pirates or mermaids come to you and make your child’s birthday extra special $185 up to 10 kids $225 for up to 15 kids

For more info or to book, contact khumble@mmbc.bc.ca 62 www.IslandParent.ca

Outreach with the Maritime

Looking for something new for your group or class?

E MASLANYCREATIVE@TELUS.NET | PH AMANDA 250-885-9443 Our programmers will come to you with educational programs that are fun and hands on!

New this year: Maritime Music & In the Navy More information available at mmbc.bc.ca or by contacting khumble@mmbc.bc.ca or 250-385-4222 ext 112

Cowichan Valley CLOTHING Giggle Gear, Duncan gigglegearclothing.com 250-748-4445 Kinderbeez, Duncan 2755 Beverly St . . . . . . 250-748-2345 Matraea Mercantile, Duncan 170 Craig St . . . . . . . . . 250-597-0085 Trendy Tots, Duncan 151 Craig St . . . . . . . . . 250-701-4240

Nanaimo's downtown destination for Children’s Toys and Books

MATERNITY

Specializing in books for babies, toddlers, easy to read and kids to 12 years!

Playmobil, Brio & Thomas Trains, Folkmanis Puppets, Puzzles, Craft & Science Kits, Toys from Baby to Tween!

Matraea Mercantile, Duncan matraea.com . . . . . . . . 250-422-3003

PHOTOGRAPHERS McKinnon Photography . . . . . . . . mckinnonphotography.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-890-9222 Tony Colangelo Photography tcphotography.ca . . . . 778-422-1422

TOYS Red Balloon Toyshop, Duncan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . theredballoon.ca 158 Craig St . . . . . . . . . 250-748-5545

306 – 60 Commercial Street, Nanaimo 250-714-0026 childtreehouse@hotmail.com FREE PARKING, under the convention centre. Spots #80–91 for our customers.

Mid-Island CLOTHING Huckleberry Baby Shop A-3148 Barons Rd . . . . 250-585-5552 Indigo Children’s Consignment 436 1st St, Ladysmith . 250-245-2042 Kit n’ Caboodle, Nanaimo 36-1925 Bowen Rd . . . 250-585-KIDS Planet Kids 1743B Comox Ave . . . 250-339-3422 308-5th St, Courtenay . 250-871-7771 Pumpkin Pie Kids Wear 411A Fitzwilliam St . . . 250-754-3933

KNOWLEDGE.

EXPERIENCE.

CO N FI D E N C E .

MUSIC STORES Tom Lee Music #10-6894 Island Hwy N 250-390-2626

PHOTOGRAPHERS Erin Wallis Photography, Campbell River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . erinwallis.com

OPEN TO ALL YOUTH, AGES 12 TO 18 When joining air cadets, your child will gain experience in aviation through familiarization flights and tours, and survival camps.

Also offered is the opportunity to participate in exceptional extracurricular activities including band, effective speaking, biathlon, and marksmanship. All training and equipment is provided.

89 Pacific Squadron: Armouries at 715 Bay Street, Victoria | 89pacific-aircadets.ca

Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 63

SHOPPING CENTRES Woodgrove Centre, Nanaimo 6631 Island Hwy North . . . . . . . . . . . . woodgrovecentre.com

TOYS/EDUCATIONAL SUPPLIES Bamboletta Dolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bamboletta.com Kool & Child, Nanaimo koolandchild.com . . . . 250-585-1778 The Children’s Treehouse 306-60 Commercial St 250-714-0026

Family Restaurants & Food Markets South Island HOME DELIVERY Island Farms . . . . . . . 250-360-5222

64 www.IslandParent.ca

Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . spud.ca The Apple Box 1725 Cook St . . . . . . . . 250-590-6257

MARKETS Country Grocer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . countrygrocer.com Goldstream Station Market May-October . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . goldstreamstationmarket.ca James Bay Community Market May-Oct . . . . . jamesbaymarket.com Lifestyles Market #180-2950 Douglas St 250-384-3388 343 Cook St . . . . . . . . . 250-381-5450 9769 5th St, Sidney . . . 250-656-2326 The Market On Yates, 903 Yates St 250-381-6000 On Millstream, 2401 Millstream Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-391-1110 Save On Foods . . . saveonfoods.com Mt. Tolmie Market Unit A, 3517 Richmond Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-590-8460 Thrifty Foods thriftyfoods.com . . . . . 250-544-1234

RESTAURANTS/COFFEE SHOPS ABC Country Restaurant 2900 Douglas St . . . . . 250-995-1200 Crumsby’s Café 2509 Estevan Ave . . . . 250-595-2221 Pizzeria Prima Strada . . . . . . . . . . pizzeriaprimastrada.com 230 Cook St . . . . . . . . . 250-590-8595 2960 Bridge St . . . . . . . 250-590-4380 Red Robin 800 Tolmie Ave . . . . . . 250-386-4440 Romeo’s Restaurant 1703 Blanshard . . . . . . 250-383-2121 1581 Hillside Ave . . . . . . . . . 250-0212 1945 Jacklin Rd . . . . . . . . . . 250-2121 777 Royal Oak Dr . . . . 250-744-1177 The Roost 9100 E Saanich Rd . . . 250-655-0075 Serious Coffee . . . seriouscoffee.com Smitty’s 2306 Beacon Ave . . . . 250-656-2423 Wendy’s Restaurants . . . .wendys.ca

Cowichan Valley

The Lighthouse Parent

MARKETS Country Grocer, Cobble Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . countrygrocer.com Save On Foods . . . saveonfoods.com The Old Farm Market, Duncan 5164 Francis St . . . . . . 250-748-7141

An innovative program for parents who want to learn how their child’s brain develops from the womb to 18 years.

Find out what the latest research says about attachment theory, brain plasticity and how you can joyfully connect with your child at every age and stage.

Thrifty Foods Mill Bay Centre . . . . . 1-800-667-8280

For information on our wide range of courses visit www.1-up.ca 250 385 1114 info@1-up.ca

RESTAURANTS/COFFEE SHOPS

602 Gorge Rd East, Victoria BC V8T 2W6

Catrina’s Grill Mill Bay Centre . . . . . . 250-743-7277

Generously funded by

Pioneer House Restaurant Whippletree Junction . . 250-746-5848 Romeo’s Restaurant 180 Trans Canada Hwy 250-746-9944 Serious Coffee . . . seriouscoffee.com Wendy’s Restaurant . . . . wendys.ca

Ladies Night Packages

250-474-5105

Mid-Island MARKETS Country Grocer . . countrygrocer.com Thrifty Foods Nanaimo 650 Terminal Ave . . . . . 250-754-6273 5801 Turner Rd . . . . . . 250-729-4950 Parksville 280 E. Island Hwy . . . . 250-248-8823 Courtenay . . . . . . . . . . 250-338-1383 Campbell River . . . . . . 250-850-3581 Chemainus Health Food Store 9738B Willow St . . . . . 250-246-9838 Lantzville Market 7201 Lantzville Rd . . . . 250-390-4232 Save On Foods . . . saveonfoods.com

RESTAURANTS/COFFEE SHOPS

Limousine Services www.alpinegrouplimo.com

St. Joseph’s Elementary School 757 West Burnside Road 250 479 1232 www.stjosephschool.ca

ABC Country Restaurant 6671 Mary Ellen Way . . 250-390-4064 809 Island Hwy . . . . . . 250-754-8171 St. Joseph’s Elementary School has limited space in all Serious Coffee . . . seriouscoffee.com St. Josephʼs Early Learning Centre grades (K–7), as well as space in our licensed Group Day Care Wendy’s Restaurant . . . . wendys.ca

and Preschool Program. Applications are available on-line or 785 W. Burnside Rd. 250-479-1237

from the school office. St. Joseph’s offers a rigorous academic www.stjosephschool.ca program in a Catholic Christian atmosphere.

We are pleased to announce that our Early Learning Centre is now open! We are offering full time daycare for children who are 3 andUs! 4 Come Grow With years of age. Applications are available on-line or from the Early Learning Centre office. St. Josephʼs offers an excellent program in aGuide 2014/2015 Family Resource Catholic Christian atmosphere.

65

Island Parent Celebrating

27

on for Vancouver Island

The Resource Publicati

Years

Parents

Over 900 Listings from Victoria to Parksville

Guide Family Resource –2 14 015 20

is

GROWING! We’ve recently expanded our free distribution into additional outlets!

Please visit any of our valued partners to pick up your latest copy of Island Parent.

We welcome and thank our newest partner…

Save-On-Foods

(six Greater Victoria locations) plus GREATER VICTORIA Greater Victoria Public Libraries Vancouver Island Regional Libraries Greater Victoria Recreation Centres Thrifty Foods All 25 Serious Coffee locations Island-wide Victoria Gymnastics Country Grocer Chapters Vitamin Shop The Bay Centre (info booth) Scallywags Royal BC Museum Buddies Toys Crumsby’s Market on Yates Market on Millstream Victoria Conservatory JamTots Lifestyle Market Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre

DUNCAN Duncan Mall (centre court) Indigo Red Balloon Cowichan Recreation Centre Cowichan Aquatics Centre Kinderbeez Duncan Tourist Information CHEMAINUS Chemainus Theatre SHAWNIGAN LAKE Community Centre LADYSMITH Ladysmith Recreation Centre NANAIMO Nanaimo Aquatic Centre Quality Foods Country Club Mall Regional Library – Boban Fairway Market Island Natural Health Foods Woodgrove Centre

For a complete list of where you can find a copy of Island Parent Magazine, go to

www.islandparent.ca 250-388-6905 66

www.IslandParent.ca

Paisley Aiken

Back to the Classics

A

s my kids have grown we have, at different ages and stages, pulled out a classic and given it a read. Despite wanting to love them, I found that some of them just sent us to sleep, usually because the language or the story was too complex and drawn out. We tried Treasure Island and Moby Dick, but, not to discourage anyone, they were tough.

Even Alice in Wonderland was surprisingly tricky. The vocabulary can be challenging and the story in many of the classics can be drawn out and slow moving. Sometimes, with some success, we have read abridged versions of the classics. Other times, we have read—and loved—originals. So, don’t turn your back on classics; keep trying different ones. When you find one that resonates, it can stay with your child for life. And, to go one step further, a good book can help shape who our kids become. The following are some choice classics, in no particular order, that should be read before childhood ends…and then again as adults!

1. Little House on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, (1932), is perhaps one of the most-read classics. I read it to my kids a little out of nostalgia for my own childhood. I remembered loving the romance around Laura, as she fell in love with the farmboy and then became a teacher. The earlier books, however, are quite different, covering pioneer history and Wilder’s own experience being raised in Wisconsin.

They describe bitter cold winters, storms of grasshoppers destroying crops, fire, wild animals, building wells (far more complex than I ever imagined) and the complex relationship between settlers and Native Americans. Little House on the Prairie is marketed at young girls, but it is suitable

for boys, even the rough and tumble ones.

2. Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie, (1904) can be tricky; a few bits may need either summarizing or skipping, if reading to very young readers. However, the story is captivating.

There are battles, and villains and heroes and heroines, something for every child to identify with. The story has a dreamy feel to it that will make you never want to wake up and is referenced so much it seems unfair not to read it! We own a beautiful copy (Blue Heron Books, 2004), with stunning illustrations, that belongs somewhere in every child’s library.

3. The Lion the Witch and the Warddrobe,

by C.S. Lewis, (1950), is an absolute treasure, easy to read and gripping throughout the entire series. If your children have enjoyed Harry Potter or The Hobbit they will love the Narnia series. The battle scenes are ferocious. The characters are wonderfully drawn, with their strengths and imperfections. Girls will find a strong, wise mentor in Susan, an able fighter with her bow and arrow, who is also logical and kind. There are so many layers in the Narnia epic and it deserves several reads throughout life.

4. The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkein, (1932), is often familiar to kids because of the movie, but even if they have seen it, they should read it, too. The Lord of the Rings, which was written after the success of The Hobbit, is a more difficult read, but young readers will still enjoy The Hobbit. Heroism, personal growth and adventure are the major themes of the story. The book won awards when it was first released and continues to be cherished generation after generation.

5. The Incredible Journey, by Sheila Burnford, (1960), is a Canadian classic that sees

three pets—two dogs and a cat—trying to survive the wilderness of northwestern Ontario and find their way back home. Despite the lack of dialogue, the story is gripping, heartwarming and emphasizes teamwork. It seems realistic in its telling and description of the animals’ amazing escapades through the great Canadian wilderness. A great story for any animal lovers or wilderness explorers.

6. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,

by Roald Dahl, (1964), is deeply silly and doesn’t quite fit the typical ‘classic’ story that might be studied in a literature class, but it is an essential of childhood and can be read in a few short sessions to the enjoyment of everyone, regardless of age. The story was inspired by Cadbury’s tradition of bringing school children into the factory to test products during the 1920s. Just like smooth, delectable chocolate, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is scrumptious.

7. Pippi Longstockings, by Astrid Lindgren, (1945), was initially rejected when submitted for publication, but now the spunky, fun-loving, mischevious heroine has become one of the most recognizable characters of all time. Who wouldn’t adore this playful character, the joyful redhead who hesitates at nothing and believes in getting the most out of life.

8. Swallows and Amazon, by Arthur Ransome, (1930), is the perfect read for kids longing for independence and who romance the idea of surviving in the wild.

Author Arthur Ransome taught some of his friends’ children how to sail and the experience inspired him to write this classic. The title comes from the names of two boats that the children of two families use to have all kinds of outdoor adventures and mishaps.

Hallowe’en Howl FREE - All Ages

Greenglade Community Centre, 2151 Lannon Way Wednesday, October 29, 4:30pm - 6pm

Witches, Goblins, and Ghosts, Oh My! Bring the whole family and enjoy a terror-ific Halloween carnival including themed games, crafts, face painting, family entertainment and of course our giant inflatable obstacle course. Don’t forget to wear your BOO-tiful costume!

Stelly’s School, 1627 Stelly’s Cross RRoad Thursday, October 30, 4:30pm - 6pm

Carnival of games provided by Panorama Recreation and students of Stelly’s Secondary School.

250.656.7271 Visit www.panoramarecreation.ca for more events.

Paisley Aiken reads extensively to her three energetic young boys. She is founder of The Story Studio Writing Society, a charity that grows kids’ relationship with literacy.

Focusing on your future, rather than the fight Resolving your family law case through mediation is the sensible and affordable decision for the future of your family. I provide legal information and practical guidance to simplify the process of separation and divorce, so you can focus on what really matters.

Duncan & Faber Barristers and Solicitors

302 - 852 Fort Street ! 250-383-8038 ! www.victoriamediation.ca Family Resource Guide 2014/2015

67

Residential Camps BC Camping Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bccamping.org Information on summer day camps and residential camps for children.

Boys & Girls Clubs Wilderness Camp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-384-9133 Camp Barnard . . adventurecamps.ca Photo: Camp Qwanoes

Camp in the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . antikipper.com Camp Imadene Mesachie Lake . . . . . 1-800-445-7575 Camp Narnia . . . . . campnarnia.com Camp Pringle, Shawnigan Lake camppringle.com . . . . 250-743-2189

UVic Vikes govikesgo.com . . . . . . 250-721-8406

HOTELS

CanAdventure Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . canadventure.ca

Family Travel

Howard Johnson . hojonanaimo.com

Capernwray Harbour Bible School & Conference Centre, Thetis Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . capernwray.ca

CAMPGROUNDS

Camp Qwanoes Crofton . . . . . . . 1-888-99-QWANOES Camp Thunderbird . . 250-418-1840

Gulf Islands Centre for Ecological Learning . . . . . . . . . . . 250-539-0619 Gulf Island Film and Television School, Galiano Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-813-9993 O.U.R. Ecovillage ourecovillage.org . . . . . 250-743-3067 Outward Bound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . outwardbound.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-888-688-9273

Living Forest Campground, Nanaimo 6 Maki Rd . . . . . . . . . . 250-755-1755

Tigh-na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre, Parksville 1155 Resort Dr . . . . . . 250-248-2072 Tigh-Na-Mara offers rustic charm in the heart of nature with the most extensive Resort Recreational programs on Vancouver Island. Reconnect and discover the natural choice for your next family getaway!

Pacific Playgrounds, Black Creek 9082 Clarkson Dr . . . . . 877-239-5600

Travelodge travelodge.com . . . . . 1-800-578-7878

Park Sands Beach Resort www.parksands.com . . 250-248-3171

YWCA Hotel, Vancouver 733 Beatty St . . . . . . . 1-800-663-1424

Horne Lake Campground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-248-1134

Weir’s Beach RV Resort 5191 William Head Rd . 250-478-3323

Pioneer Pacific Camp Thetis Island . . . . . . . 1-800-784-1415

Science Works For Kids • Educational Toys • Science Kits • Kites • Stomp Rockets 68 www.IslandParent.ca

Accent Inns Toll free . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-663-0298

RESORTS Alert Bay Lodge . . . . 1-800-255-5057

Victoria’s Hands-On Science & Nature Store For Adults • Telescopes • Guide Books • Microscopes • Crystals

Hundreds of Gift Items for Science & Nature Lovers of All Ages

1889 Oak Bay Ave 250-595-6033 Open 10am–5:30pm Tuesday–Saturday

Beach Acres Resort, Parksville 1051 Resort Dr . . . . . 1-800-663-7309 Blue Vista Resort, Mayne Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bluevistaresort.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-877-535-2424 Capernwray Harbour Bible School & Conference Centre, Thetis Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . capernwray.ca Kye Bay Guest Lodge, Comox kyebay.com . . . . . . . . 1-866-658-6131

Island Business & Professional Directory

Move to the head of the class.

One Tutor

One Student Your Home

Malahat Farm Heritage Retreat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . malahatfarm.com

Tired of hotels or ‘glamping?’

Ocean Sands Resort oceansandsresort.ca . 1-877-733-5969

Best Holiday Stays offers family-friendly holiday homes on Vancouver Island and beyond. Book your getaway today.

Pacific Sands, Tofino Cox Bay . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-565-2322 SeaScape Resort, Quadra Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-888-893-1626

Smart Tutor Referrals.com

Strathcona Park Lodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-286-3122

Call 250-544-1588 to learn more.

The Beach Club Resort, Parksville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-888-760-2008 The Haven haven.ca . . . . . . 250-1-877-247-9238 Tigh-na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre, Parksville 1155 Resort Dr . . . . . . 250-248-2072 Tigh-Na-Mara offers rustic charm in the heart of nature with the most extensive Resort Recreational programs on Vancouver Island. Reconnect and discover the natural choice for your next family getaway!

NATURE Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-248-7829 Raincoast Interpretive Centre, Tofino 451 Main St . . . . . . . . . 250-725-2560 The Land Conservancy of BC conservancy.bc.ca . . 1-888-738-0533 Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre, Tofino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250-726-7721

OTHER Best Holiday Stays bestholidaystays.com . 778-679-0376 Mayne Island Community Chamber of Commerce . . . . . . . . . . . mayneislandchamber.ca Tourism Tofino 1426 Pacific Rim Highway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-888-720-3414

Professional In-Home Tutorial Support

www.bestholidaystays.com

778-679-0376 info@bestholidaystays.com

Rogers !

30 years Piano Lessons Mary of teaching

BMus, ARCT, BCRMT!

!

excellence 30 years of teaching excellence !

Enthusiastic, Enthusiastic, flexible lessons !

flexible

Music from Mozart to Harry Potter

!lessons

All ages and levels welcome!

!Music from

Mozart to Harry Potter!

mrogersmusicstudio@shaw.ca !

UVic-area studio, 250-744-9049 Frozen

Mary Rogers BMus, ARCT, BCRMT mrogersmusicstudio@shaw.ca UVic-area studio 250-744-9049

Farm Fresh Meals To Go Easy healthy prepared meals for busy families Budget friendly Food Boxes & Packages Available In store

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Family Resource Guide 2014/2015 69

Claire Hatcher

Gardening with Kids N

ow, believe me, I’m no gardening expert.

Prior to last year, all I’d ever attempted to grow was basil in a pot from Thrifty’s.

But suddenly, with a three-year-old in tow, and too many hours to fill, spending time

2. A better title would be: “How to get any gardening done with a kid around.”

3. Gardening with children is like doing anything else with small people: peaks of

his back in the grass to watch the clouds glide past. And, in between his adventures, I planted a few seeds. By the end of August, we even harvested a whole week’s worth of veggies from our own backyard.

This is what we learned: • Don’t actually expect your child to do any gardening.

• Neither you, nor your child, should wear anything that either of you minds getting completely ruined.

• Make sure your child has a “safe” patch of garden to dig (without digging anything else up), to water (without drowning anything), and to eat (without digitalis).

• Focus on edible plants.

• Aim low, breathe deep, and practise non-attachment to the whole process.

With a little preparation, a little luck and a lot of patience, the gardening magic will happen. From our experience last summer, here are five of the most kid-friendly plants to share with your child. All of the following plants can be grown in a vegetable patch or in containers.

Peas. Easy for little fingers to grasp, fun to soak and sprout, then simple to plop in the earth, cover, water and wait. A week later, tiny little shoots appear. A few more weeks, fairy flowers appear, followed by pods which, if your child is anything like mine, will be plucked and munched immediately. And, if you manage to save a few, you even have seeds to store and plant for next year.

Chives. Another simple choice for preschoolers.

Chives grow easily from seed, can withstand any amount of tugging and nibbling—a full-blown haircut is even beneficial and offers great scissor practice—and they will, apparently, grow

1

in the garden, digging and watering and (hopefully) picking things to eat, seemed a useful summer-accessory to my sanity.

So, armed with half a library of “Gardening with Kids” books, a pair of undersized/ overpriced ladybug gardening gloves and a set of miniature plastic tools, Atti and I headed for the backyard.

This is what the books neglected to say: 1. Gardening with kids books are written by gardeners without kids.

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great joy interspersed with extreme frustration—not necessarily for both parties at the same time.

4. Adult tools are inherently more attractive to small hands.

5. It is amazing what an adult can achieve with a half-pint watering can.

In spite of these challenges, we had enormous fun. Atti got dirty, he got wet. He dug and planted and picked and breathed in hours of fresh air. He uprooted flowers, battered bushes with sticks and laid flat on

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forever without taking over your yard. They also look pretty if left to flower. And the flowers are edible too.

Tomatoes. According to Atti, sun-warmed cherry tomatoes straight from the vine taste even better than candy. Of course, I have no idea how he knows what candy tastes like. You can grow them from seed or, as we did last year, take the short-cut and buy a few seedlings from your local grocery for less than you’d pay for a punnet of produce. Just make sure that your plant variety won’t outgrow its container or allotted spot in the yard and that you have adequate staking available. Homemade bamboo teepees are a cheap, fun solution.

Then water the plants every other day and pray for sun. Apparently, green fly can be lured away by growing Calendula in the same pot, or somewhere nearby in the garden. Or, if desperate, give the infested plant a good blast with the hose—one of Atti’s very favourite jobs. And, in the fall, you can take cuttings for next year’s crop.

Calendula. Not only bright, beautiful and useful (see tomatoes and green fly, above), Calendula tastes good too—no accidental poisoning worries here. It doesn’t seem to mind how it’s sown, it grows quickly, in full-sun or partial shade, and needs very little water, although it will withstand an occasional over-zealous flood; the perfect preschooler’s flower. And, like our peas, although we bought seeds last year, this season we’re sowing from seed collected from our final bloom of fall flowers.

Strawberries. We planted young strawberry plants last year, purchased from our local garden centre for a handful of coins, and we weren’t disappointed with the harvest.

This year, we have a ready-made strawberry patch, thanks to the new generation of runners—with a fascinating discussion about reproduction thrown in for free.

So, grab a shovel and a packet of seeds and start digging. Hope you have as much fun as we did.

3

4

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Claire Hatcher, originally from the UK, lives in Victoria with her husband, her son, her father-in-law and her father-in-law’s cat. She can be reached at cehatcher@hotmail.com

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