YAM magazine Jan/Feb 2024

ISSUE 88 JAN/FEB 2024

yammagazine.com

Colour

Your World DISCOVER:

The Universe Under Water

How to

Winter

Restorative Ramen

10 WAYS TO MAKE

LIFE MORE COLOURFUL

Style Watch Page 26

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C O LO U R I S S U E

Contents

10 EDITOR’S LETTER

20

13 HERE + NOW

10 Ways to Bring Colour Into Your Life

18 IN PERSON

By YAM Staff

Conservationist Connel Bradwell prepares to ruffle some feathers on The Nature of Things.

By David Lennam

40

26 STYLE WATCH

Winter

The modern gent is stylish in texture, tailoring and a bold new attitude.

How to make the most of the season by bike, blade and your boundless imagination.

Styled by Janine Metcalfe

By Liam Razzell

20

By Melissa Gignac

Pacific Opera Victoria’s Ainadamar brings all the colour and drama of revolutionary Spain to the stage; plus, our Culture Calendar.

By David Lennam

47 FOOD + DRINK

50 T HE MAIN COURSE

By Cinda Chavich

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024

66 PERSPECTIVE

SARA ELLISON

Snorkelling is the best way to discover our underwater world — and winter is the best time to do it.

6

How one couple relocated from Ireland to Sidney and renovated a condo — and their lives.

64 SCENE

Of Sea Slugs & Serenity

Bite into 2024 The pulse(s) of the New Year; new openings; vegan ice cream; Eastern Europe’s culinary comeback.

32 LIFE AT HOME

By Danielle Pope

42

48 TASTES + TRENDS

Pantone’s peachy Colour of the Year; how to prepare for the Year of the Dragon; the most unexpected way to use colour in your home; chic rainy day gear; workouts for better balance; a hug for your head.

13

Banish the boring and basic.

Instead, drench your home, clothes and more in vivid hues.

We

JAN/FEB

Bountiful Bowl Everything you need to know about satisfying, savoury, soul- (and wallet-) pleasing ramen.

By Cinda Chavich

Look closer: Hope blooms along with spring’s crocuses.

42

55 DINING OUT

We Love Our Veggies Where to enjoy Victoria’s best vegforward restaurants.

By Cinda Chavich

By Joanne Sasvari

60 S IPS

Kind of Blue When it comes to cocktails, blue is the coolest colour.

By Joanne Sasvari

61 DESTINATIONS

Tasting Tofino B.C.’s foodiest town is at its delicious best in the off-season.

By Joanne Sasvari

A team you can count on.

This home has benefitted from a complete renovation; what was once dated is now a bright and inviting space. Certain elements of the original home remain, such as the cedar ceilings and teak handrail leading to the upper floor. Custom millwork was introduced to enhance the kitchen and bathrooms, providing efficient yet beautiful looking storage. New oak engineered wood flooring in a lighter tone was selected for that spacious feel. New countertops, paint and tiles were purposely selected to complement the coastal aesthetic. The overall feel of this home was once dark, but now it is a bright and welcoming waterfront retreat.

Photos by Dasha Armstrong

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S OT H E B YS R E A LT Y.C A

EDITOR'S LETTER

A Bright, Colourful New Year

D Unique, contemporary Canadian artworks in painting, sculpture and photography.

430 Campbell Street, Tofino (behind Rhino Coffee) www.TofinoGalleryofContemporaryArt.com Instagram: @TofinoGalleryofContemporaryArt Artwork: Ben Fox ʻLittle Islands 2ʼ

Experience our boutique collective of artfully curated Vacation Rental Homes at Chesterman Beach, Tofino.

on’t you love starting a fresh new calendar with nothing but possibilities ahead? Enter January, the month of potential. Its slow days and moody weather make this the perfect time to curl up with a cup of tea and a notebook and dream about the brighter days to come.

This issue of YAM is filled with great ideas for things to add to your calendar. Perhaps this will be the year you try something new, like snorkelling, or travel to Tofino just to eat all the delicious things, or check out a brand-new opera, or learn to make ramen at home. But mostly this issue is all about colour, and how to add more of it to your life, because who couldn’t use a cheery dopamine hit right around now?

A burst of lilac or scarlet or chartreuse just feels so fresh after years of tasteful black and grey. It also takes a stand for optimism, for a better future and a brighter present, at a time when too many things seem so very bleak.

For a long time, we’ve talked about “pops” of colour in fashion and décor, careful dabs here and there that take no risks amid all that safe grey. This year, colour takes centre stage in everything from makeup to automobiles, handbags to front doors. Pantone may have chosen a sweet, gentle peachy-pink as its Colour of the Year 2024, but there are also plenty of vivid hues around. Wear them head to toe, splash them over your walls or flaunt them on your eyes and lips and fingernails. Go on, be bold!

One colour that keeps, well, popping up is red, which also happens to be the luckiest colour in Chinese culture. You’ll see plenty of it come February when, according to the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Dragon begins.

Dragons, you see, are all about potential — but only if you’re ready for it. So put on your favourite red frock, grab that notebook and get dreaming.

Joanne Sasvari, Editor-in-Chief editor@yammagazine.com

This Sandwich Will be Your Lobster

November 1 to February 28

Tofino Winter Getaway 15% Discount on Three Night Stays

430 Campbell Street, Tofino (behind Rhino Coffee) www.TofinoBeachCollective.com Instagram @TofinoBeachCollective Photo: Storm Season by Owen Perry

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024

JEREMY KORESKI

(excluding Christmas, NY and Family Day Wknd)

Everyone, it seems, is talking about the $45 lobster roll at the new Shuck Taylor’s, and for good reason. Not because of the price, but because the buttery brioche roll is so luxuriously over-stuffed with sweet, tender lobster that it is actually a real bargain — and just so darn good. For more on what to sip and savour around Victoria, check out our Food + Drink section.

“Be uniquely you.

Stand out. Shine.

Be colourful.”

— Amy Leigh Mercree

Beautiful furniture Expert design advice Unparalleled customer service Quality Canadian & U.S. suppliers Locally owned & operated

564 Yates St • 250.386.7632 • luxevictoria.ca

PUBLISHERS Lise Gyorkos, Georgina Camilleri EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joanne Sasvari DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jeffrey Bosdet LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Janice Hildybrant ASSOCIATE GRAPHIC DESIGNER Caroline Segonnes ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Deana Brown, Will Gillis, Cynthia Hanischuk, Brenda Knapik ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR Rebecca Juetten MARKETING CONSULTANT Amanda Wilson DIGITAL MARKETING CO-ORDINATOR Claire Villaraza MARKETING CO-ORDINATOR Lauren Ingle EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Liam Razzell CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Cinda Chavich, Melissa Gignac, David Lennam PROOFREADER Lionel Wild

New Colour at...

CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES Getty Images p. 14, 15, 16, 20,

21, 23, 25, 40, 48, 66

1023 Fort St. Victoria, BC V8V 355 heartandsoleshoes.ca 250-920-7653

GENERAL INQUIRIES info@yammagazine.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR editor@yammagazine.com SUBSCRIBE TO YAM subscriptions@yammagazine.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES sales@yammagazine.com ONLINE yammagazine.com INSTAGRAM @yam_magazine FACEBOOK YAMmagazine

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tug-o-war no more

Our annual winter sale is on now!

X YAMmagazine

ON THE COVER The Modern Gent at the Rifflandia Showroom. Outfit by D.G. Bremner & Co., details page 31. Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet.

Published by PAGE ONE PUBLISHING 580 Ardersier Road, Victoria, B.C. V8Z 1C7 T 250-595-7243 info@pageonepublishing.ca pageonepublishing.ca Printed in British Columbia by Mitchell Press.

Ideas and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Page One Publishing Inc. or its affiliates; no official endorsement should be inferred. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents of any advertisement, and any and all representations or warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertiser and not the publisher. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in all or part, in any form — printed or electronic — without the express permission of the publisher. The publisher cannot be held responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs.

Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #41295544

Have you ever played duvet tug-o-war with your partner? You're not alone!

Until January 14,* enjoy 15% off most

St Genève’s new Euro Twin size was developed to bring peace back to your bed things including with two individual duvets,insothe that store, each sleeper can have pre-paid a good night’s sleep bedding and towel orders! tailored to their needs.

Visit us at Muffet & Louisa, we27 would love help the duvets. th *Store will be closed from Jan to Feb 1stto , and Febyou 19thchoose to March 9thperfect for annual holidays.

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024

ADVERTISE IN YAM MAGAZINE YAM is Victoria’s lifestyle magazine, connecting readers to the distinctive lifestyle and authentic luxury of the West Coast.

For advertising info, please call 250-595-7243 or email sales@yammagazine.com.

HERE + NOW WARM AND (PEACH) FUZZY If you’ve been thinking lately that you could really, really use a hug, the folks at Pantone know just how you feel.

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The global colour experts recently released their Colour of the Year 2024 and, unlike 2023’s bold Viva Magenta or 2022’s exuberant Very Peri, it’s a hue they describe as “gentle,” “heartfelt,” “nurturing,” “calm,” “innocent” and 13-1023 Peach Fuzz “sweet.” PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz is a soft, pale pinkorange that communicates kindness and caring, a versatile, flattering, old-new hue that will work in almost any décor or wardrobe.

More importantly, it is a balm for the turmoil that surrounds us, a colour whose “gentle lightness and airy presence lifts us into the future.”

1 Moooi Colour Dial rug, available from GR Shop; 2 Puff Sling Bag, Anthropologie; 3 OPI nail lacquer in Samoan Sand; 4 Ellen chair, Wazo; 5 Beautiful, Beautiful by Canadian author Brandon Reid; 6 Surya Punta pillow, available from Luxe Home Interiors; 7 Frigidaire Retro Mini Fridge in Coral; 8 Hemp duvet cover and pillow shams in Elegant Pink, Crate & Barrel

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6 YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024 13

HERE + NOW

8

Enter the Dragon

LUCKY WAYS TO CELEBRATE THE LUNAR NEW YEAR

Get ready to welcome a powerful year of change and opportunity.

The Spring Festival is the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar and is marked by ancient traditions, symbols and delicious things to eat. Here are just a few.

I

f you’ve wondered what the heck’s been going on over the past 20 chaotic years, well, Sam Plovie knows — and she has good news for you.

“2024 is not just a new year, it’s the beginning of a 20-year cycle,” explains Plovie, who is an expert in Chinese astrology, feng shui and other metaphysical arts. “We are going into the Year of the Dragon and, of the 12 signs, the dragon is the most forceful.”

In the lunar calendar followed by millions of people the world over, February 10 marks the beginning of the Spring Festival, which lasts until February 24 and is a time to clear out the old and welcome the new. It also ushers in the astrological Year of the Dragon, in this case a Wood Dragon, who brings “power, assertiveness and a desire to reinvent ourselves, our lives, how we see things,” Plovie says.

“The Dragon is going to come along and open everyone’s eyes,” she adds. “The Dragon is going to say, ‘If you open your mind to doing something new, I will help you … If you drag your heels, though, you will be stuck.’ ” At the same time, 2024 marks a new cycle according to feng shui, which Plovie describes as “energy WiFi” for your space. Where the previous 20 years were represented by Gen, a young boy prone to tantrums (sound familiar?), the next two decades are all about Li, the wise middle daughter.

“The future is literally female,” says Plovie, who anticipates that it will be a period of enlightenment, awareness, spirituality and opportunity — if we prepare for it.

“In January, people should be clearing out everything they can.

When the Dragon takes hold, it’s with purpose,” Plovie says. “Clear the decks right now because this year you can move forward without being held back by restraints. If your calendar is full, you can’t take advantage of the opportunities.”

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024

Red Envelopes

Lanterns

It’s traditional to give lucky envelopes with money inside to transfer good fortune (and cash) to the recipient.

The closing event of New Year celebrations is the Lantern Festival, which brings peace, reconciliation and light.

Kumquats

Fish

These citrus fruits look like gold and represent wealth and luck.

Lucky Words

Some people decorate walls, doors or windows with lucky words like “fu,” which means happiness and good fortune, written in calligraphy on red paper.

A punning symbol for “extra” — as in, extra money and luck — fish is also an essential part of any New Year feast, best enjoyed whole and steamed.

Noodles

The longer the noodle, the longer your life, so never cut noodles in case you cut your luck. Combine with foods that have

other symbolic values, such as shrimp (fortune and wealth), roast pork (peace) or tofu (happiness and fortune for the entire family).

Nian Gao

Also known as “rice cake” or “New Year cake,” these sticky glutinous treats are a must for Chinese New Year.

Anything Red

This fiery symbol of joy, celebration, vitality, success and good fortune is the luckiest colour in Chinese culture and is generously used in clothes, décor and food.

Swingin’ in the Rain

GROOVY GROUT

Stylish ways to stay warm and dry no matter what nature throws at us.

The colourful design mood of the moment is popping up in the most unexpected places.

F

LUIS VALDIZON

eeling bored with your kitchen backsplash or bathtub surround, but not up for a full-on renovation?

Don’t change the tiles — change the grout.

Brightly coloured grout in, say, sky blue, brick red, petal pink or seafoam green is having a moment, and it’s an easy and impactful way to update those tired old subway tiles.

White, black and grey grout are versatile classics, but brighter colours can completely change the look of a tiled surface. They can also be a good way to dip your toe into a bolder, more ambitious reno project.

Regrouting existing tile is easier than replacing it. You can call in the pros to tackle the job or do it yourself — you can even use a grout pen, though that won’t last as long as proper regrouting. Just note that colourful grout can require extra upkeep, especially as some cleaning agents make it fade.

For a fresh, bold, contemporary look with little commitment, go for the grout.

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BRITISH CERAMIC TILE

A Better Boot

We love our pretty fashion boots, but when it’s really pelting out there we rely on the same footwear the toughest fishers and boaters do. XTRATUF boots are designed to be 100-per-cent waterproof, flexible, durable, reliable, rough, tough and slipproof. Plus they are available in cute, colourful, easy-to-pull-on ankle styles so you can really kick up your heels. xtratuf.com

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A Dapper Raincoat

Victoria’s Ecologyst makes beautiful, hardwearing clothes designed for our climate and lifestyle, and among them is the versatile waxed organic cotton Ventile Mac Coat for men and, for women, the equally stylish wool Marzotto Trench. They are the perfect outerwear solution for every occasion from business trips to theatre nights to hitting the Moss Street Market on drizzly Saturday mornings. ecologyst.com

A Dashing Umbrella

Lugging an umbrella everywhere is a chore — unless it’s one of the oh-so-chic ones from The Umbrellatorium & Canery in Fan Tan Alley. Scratch that.

One isn’t enough. We need a folding one to carry in our bag, a transparent Fulton like the Royal Family uses when we want to see and be seen, a pagoda style when we want to be fancy, a patterned one when we want to bring bright colour to a gloomy day. theumbrellatorium.com

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024 15

HERE + NOW

Finding Balance Bored with your current workout? Try a fitness regimen that also helps maintain your equilibrium.

VICTORIA FILM FESTIVAL Feb 2 - 11 . 2024

LONG AND LEAN WITH LAGREE

​​YOGA, ANYWHERE, ANY TIME

BOXING FOR FUN AND FITNESS

If you’ve tried Pilates, you know how good it is for strengthening your core.

Lagree takes it a step further by applying techniques used in other types of resistance training, like weightlifting.

As in Pilates, you’ll work on a machine that uses springs for resistance/ assistance, but where Pilates tends to focus on faster movements, you’ll use slow, controlled ones to work multiple muscle groups at a time. Lagree is said to be one of the best ways to build long, lean muscle form, and is an excellent way to improve balance and posture. Try it at the Lagree West studio. lagreewest.com

There’s nothing like perfecting your tree pose for improving your balance, but it can, at times, be challenging to find the right yoga class at the right time. Do Yoga with Me has solved that problem by offering hundreds of yoga classes online, many led by local yogis, many of them free.

It’s owned by brothers David and Sean Procyshyn, who are committed to honouring what yoga is meant to be: “honest, generous, communityfocused, service-oriented and transformative.” Whether you want a beginner class focusing on core strength or an advanced one to improve balance, you’re sure to find it here. doyogawithme.com

You may never want to actually step into the ring and knock someone’s lights out, but throwing a few punches is one of the best all-body workouts there is. Boxing builds strength, improves cardiovascular fitness, burns calories (400 to 500 an hour) and pummels stress. But most of all, because it involves so much fancy footwork, it’s terrific for improving balance, which is why boxing is sometimes recommended for people dealing with Parkinson’s disease or strokes. In Victoria, try your hand at boxing for exercise at, among others, the Island MMA Training Centre (islandmma.com), Island Boxing (islandboxing.ca) or, for a circuit-training experience, 30 Minute Hit (30minutehit.com).

Contest Alert!

Ahhhh, Spa! AN INDULGENT GIVEAWAY FROM VILLA EYRIE RESORT One lucky winner will start the year off right by enjoying a decadent spa package from the Tuscan Spa at beautiful Villa Eyrie Resort overlooking the Malahat Highway.

This $500 prize includes a 90-minute massage for two, plus a $100 gift card for Alpina Restaurant, for a total value of $600.

To enter, visit yammagazine.com or scan the QR code on this page. Contest closes February 29, 2024. Good luck!

www.victoriafilmfestival.com

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024

We’re All WIRTH It

These hats protect your head — and your mind.

Ben Miller knows far too much about how people are struggling emotionally right now. He’s the co-founder of Vancouver-based WIRTH Hats, a company he created to honour his friend Jakob Wirth, who talked a lot about his love of hats, but not enough about his battle with depression.

In 2014, Wirth died by his own hand.

Just two years later, another of Miller’s close friends also committed suicide.

And so the idea for WIRTH came into being: “A social hat company that cares about mental health. Our goal is, onefor-one, with every purchase we pay for someone’s counselling.”

WIRTH produces high-quality tuques (beanies), bucket hats and ball caps, and works in partnership with teams, businesses or other organizations to create custom designs. But it also aims to reduce the stigma around mental illness and make counselling accessible to people who might not otherwise be able to afford it. So far, WIRTH has sponsored more than 6,500 counselling sessions.

Miller calls his hats “a hug for your head,” and honestly, couldn’t we all use one of those? wirthhats.com

Fabulously fun PHARMASAVE BROADMEAD Broadmead Village Shopping Centre 310-777 Royal Oak Drive 250-727-3505 pharmasavebroadmead.com

Introducing Powder UK, a fun and funky yet glamorous line of kimonos, pyjamas, bags, socks and sleep masks!

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IN PERSON

It’s Only Natural From frolicking orcas to gay penguins, local conservationist Connel Bradwell explores queerness in the animal world.

By David Lennam | Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet

L

esbian albatrosses, gay penguins, hermaphrodite banana slugs.

Sexual preference beyond our own species gets scant attention. But a young Victorian conservationist is out to write a new narrative for that.

Cue the David Attenborough voice for timeless authority: Here the lesbian albatross stares down from a rocky cliff to pounding waves, assured of her place in the flock despite her choice of pronouns. And this easily tread-upon slug simply oozes the sort of confidence only a creature who is neither one nor the other — but both — can have.

The penguins, resplendent in their matching tux and tails, like the figures atop a wedding cake, two grooms seemingly aloof as they waddle towards another meal.

OK, that was never Attenborough. But it could be Connel Bradwell, who has landed his own episode of CBCTV’s long-running The Nature of Things, suitably titled “Animal Pride.” (The air date has yet to be announced.)

“It’s on gay animals, queerness, and why that’s important in the context of the world that we live in because it’s very much like, ‘So what?’ ” explains Bradwell, adding that to protect the natural world we need to understand and accept whatever it offers.

“We are basically going around the world looking at how queerness exists in the natural world and how learning about queer wildlife leads to better conservation of species.”

He’s journeyed to Hawaii, England and Antarctica, and discovered some same-sex loving right here on Vancouver Island (that banana slug).

Bradwell seems the perfect choice to create and host the documentary — a pioneering queer wildlife conservationist and educator who’s changing the conversation about what’s too often deemed unnatural.

The 32-year-old has established himself as the sort of go-to queer eye guy to challenge conventions about the “natural” world. Earlier, his work on the CBC’s online series Out & About sought to give a voice to what he refers to as the misrepresented wild kingdom: the LGBTQ+ population of the animal world, every bit as “out” as is the human side of the community.

The episode’s producer, Victoria’s Carolyn Whittaker,

calls him a great science communicator who can digest the complexities and regurgitate them to the rest of us.

Bradwell, she says, is more character than host as he sets out on a journey to explore why, as a scientist, he hasn’t been exposed to queer behaviour in the animal world through biology classes, books and even other documentaries.

Bradwell says the science is all there.

“We’re not debating whether it’s natural. We’re kind of showing people that it is natural. But it’s based around this idea that, as a queer person, you constantly hear that you’re unnatural.”

The idea for the documentary came from the orcas.

The U.K.-born Bradwell did a co-op term here during university, researching our resident killer whales.

“I saw them doing same-sex behaviour and I never really heard that being talked about before,” he says. “In order to conserve something you have to know about it. In a lot of these species, same-sex interactions are very important and if we don’t see it, or we ignore it or we are discriminatory against it, we’re not taking into account a big part of their lifecycle that could actually save them.”

Bradwell is a fluid conversationalist. Our chat is all over the place: on not calling seagulls “sky rats”; where the ducks of Beacon Hill Park fly to at dusk; how, as a child, he had boxes and boxes of toy animals that he would sort into their ecosystems; and how his work puts a new spin on Noah’s Ark. I even mention his resemblance to British actor Ben Whishaw, the latest Q in the Bond films (“Who?” looking him up on his phone, “I usually get comedian Jack Whitehall.”). Oh, and that continuity thing. Being on camera for a year of filming means never changing your look (“Don’t go to the gym too much, don’t get a tan, don’t shave, keep your hair the same length. And the moment someone tells you, ‘Don’t you start to think, well, what if I want to get a big face tattoo now?’ ”) Does he think his research will ruffle some feathers?

He laughs. “Yes, I think I will. I think I’ll ruffle some feathers of the people I want to ruffle the feathers of.

Because it’s a science show we’ll ruffle feathers, but you cannot pick apart the argument that I think we’re putting down. It’s solid. We’re not trying to take the natural world and box it in and make it unnatural.”

“In order to conserve something you have to know about it. In a lot of these species, samesex interactions are very important.”

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FOUR IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR CONNEL BRADWELL What are birds trying to tell us?

“I don’t think they’re trying to tell us anything. I don’t think we’re the centre of their universe. But we can learn and see from them what’s going on in the world.”

Are we doomed?

“We can’t be doomed.

Because I can’t accept that we, as a society and a species, are doomed. I can’t look around and say, ‘Oh, you’ve got no future’ …

Indigenous conservational science is a way forward.

We have a framework of how we can do that and it’s happening.”

Are you an optimist?

“It’s funny to call me an optimist. I don’t think anyone would ever describe me as an optimist. I have a dark English sense of humour. But I’m optimistic in terms of there are solutions and a way out; we just have to actually implement them.”

How do you inspire young people about nature?

“Allow people to have their own connection with nature. Let them go and explore. My thought is if they start to feel comfortable in a natural state, that’s great because maybe one day if it’s threatened they might go, ‘Oh, I really liked that place when I was a kid. Let’s not destroy that.’ They won’t think of it like ‘Oh, that’s where that guy made me do this and that.’ ”

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024 19

10 WAYS TO BRING

COLOUR INTO YOUR LIFE From glossy green lips to tangerine walls, here’s how to make news with the hot hues of spring 2024. By YAM Staff

A

fter more than a decade of tasteful, low-risk, cool-neutral everything, we’re seeing a multihued explosion of colour across all disciplines of design. And that means you have a whole colour wheel of choices for every aspect of your life from what you wear to how you cook to what you drive.

Aside from looking pretty, colour has meaning. We respond to colour biologically (for instance, “seeing red” when we’re angry), culturally (associating green with cleanliness)

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and emotionally, through personal experience. Bright, warm reds, oranges and yellows stimulate energy and happiness, while cool blues, greens and purples soothe and calm.

And it’s not just your mood that’s affected by colour: Chromotherapy is an alternative holistic health treatment based on the idea that different coloured lights can reduce pain, accelerate healing, decrease tension, improve sleep and regulate mood.

Colour is powerful, which is why designers use colour symbolism

in branding, why fast-food chains package food in red and yellow (they’ve found people eat more off red or yellow plates), why psych wards paint their walls blue (because it has a calming effect on patients) and why e-commerce companies use orange in their logos (it inspires impulsive actions like “adding to cart” even when you know you really shouldn’t).

Even if you don’t believe in any of this symbolism and holistic hocus pocus, we can all believe in the power of colour to make this the prettiest spring ever. Here’s how.

PAINT A FEATURE WALL

It’s been a long, long, sterile stretch of grey flooring, white tiling, grey walls and white cabinetry in our homes, but now colour has made a major comeback in interior design and décor. Two trends lead the way — the warm greens, clays and earthy tones of a 1970s-ish back-to-nature movement and the lush, opulent and sophisticated hues of the kind of maximalism we haven’t seen since the 1980s. Meanwhile, here on the West Coast, mid-century modernism never goes out of style, and neither do the optimistic bright pastels of that era.

But painting an entire room in say, Me Decade burgundy or space-age aqua can be a bit overwhelming.

Instead, why not paint a feature wall in one of the season’s trending colours? It makes an impact without going over the top, plus it’s easy to change if you get bored of it.

Consider one of these hues from Pantone’s spring 2024 palette, which are rooted in nostalgia, but with a fresh modern feel: bright, citrusy Orangeade (Pantone 17-1461); refreshingly vibrant Mint (Pantone 16-5938); or Chambray Blue (Pantone 15-4030), a soft, versatile denim-inspired hue.

Pantone 17-1461

BE LOVELY IN LILAC Fashion runways are typically awash in pastels for spring and, although this year saw a surprising amount of acid lime green and cherrystained red, one delicate pale hue stood out: lilac. The serene light purple showed up everywhere from Balmain to Issey Miyake to Carolina Herrera, especially in traditionally feminine silhouettes like silk tunic dresses and voluminous ballgown skirts. If you want to avoid looking like an escaped bridesmaid, though, consider lilac in an oversized jacket, trousers or pullover.

Pantone 15-4030

Wunder Puff long jacket, Lululemon

Pantone 16-5938

CARRY ON, BUT COLOURFULLY One thing is certain: We are always going to have too much stuff to carry, and will need a giant tote to carry it in. At the SS24 ready-to-wear shows, Miu Miu even made this reality a relatable fashion moment, sending models down the runway with oversized bags overflowing with shoes, scarves, wallets and other, you know, stuff. So if you’re going to be lugging a great big bag around anyway, why not make it a colourful one? If you must go neutral, beautiful glossy browns are back in style; otherwise, designers are still having a love affair with red. And we’re smitten with the classic Longchamp Le Pliage recycled canvas tote in cornflower, wheat, forest or tomato (above) — or maybe one of each.

PLANT SOME PRETTY FLOWERS

It may seem like winter will never end, but spring is just around the corner. That makes this a good time to plan your summer garden, so why not make it one filled with colourful flowers? Lushly ruffled garden roses, ranunculi and peonies are expected to be especially popular this year, and come in dozens of beautiful colours. Besides, the more colours in your garden — especially orange, red, yellow, pink and purple — the more pollinators they will attract. We especially love the romantic pink-and-peach hues of ranunculi like the ones to the left.

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024 21

CHOOSE A NEW CHAIR …

Sven Yarrow Gold chair and ottoman from Article

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024

… or other accent pieces. If even a feature wall is too much of a colour investment for you, consider a few throw cushions, an accent chair, an area rug or décor pieces like picture frames, vases and the like to add some pops of colour to your neutral space. Pro tip: Almost everything goes with grey, so it’s impossible to get this one wrong.

MAKE AN ENTRANCE

SEPHORA

Blue Nova 825

One of the lowest-risk, biggest impact ways to make a colourful statement is with a brightly painted front door, especially if your exterior walls are a tasteful white, grey or other neutral. Red is always a wow and yellow adds a warm sunny note, but we’re loving blues right now, especially Benjamin Moore’s Colour of the Year 2024, Blue Nova 825. It’s a saturated, vibrant blend of blue and violet that the brand says “was inspired by the brilliance of a new star formed in space.” What a perfect way to welcome a new year.

OPT FOR A BOLD LIP

The Forget-Me-Not Bracelet “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way.” ― Georgia O’Keefe

Internationally award-winning jewellery designers and makers since 1972 950 Fort Street Victoria BC | 250-383-3414 | www.idar.com | @idarjewellers

Jewellery Designs © 1972 - 2024 IDAR

Risk it All Matte Velvet Lipstick from Sephora

A red lip never goes out of style, but if you really want to capture the bold spirit of spring 2024, go dark, glossy and witchy. At Burberry, models on the runway wore oilslick-shiny lipstick so dark it looked black, but was actually deep emerald green. At Dior, makeup artist Peter Philips applied black lip liner to the centre of the lip and blended it outward.

At Junya Watanabe, models wore inky blue, purple and black. If you go for one of these vampy hues, be sure to apply plenty of gloss to keep from looking like the undead.

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024 23

COOK IN COLOUR

The colourful kitchen is back in style, but blue cupboards, green islands and multi-hued backsplashes may be too bold for those of us used to the clinical cleanliness of floorto-ceiling white. The easy way to add colour without big commitment is through bright cookware, like Le Creuset’s rainbow of enamelled cast iron and stoneware pieces, perhaps in cerise red, agave (pictured here) blue or artichaut green. Still too bold for you? Consider Le Creuset’s shimmery blue-purple iridescent stainless steel knob instead.

618 Broughton Street Victoria, BC 778-406-1600 @bagheera_boutique_victoria

bagheeravictoria.ca

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Porsche Taycan in Ruby Star

DRIVE TO BE SEEN

Look at any parking lot these days and it’s a sea of black, white and grey.

Make your vehicle the one that’s easy to find by choosing one of the cool new colours on the market. Take Hyundai’s Digital Teal, a futuristic metallic green-blue that looks green in the sun and deep ocean blue in the shade. Or BMW’s refined purple Thundernight Metallic, or Toyota’s Electric Lime, or Acura’s retro Long Beach Blue Pearl.

And if you are truly bold and/or not quite over Barbie yet, how about pink?

The Porsche Taycan is available in an eyecatching pinky-red hue called Ruby Star, while Jeep’s Wrangler comes in bright Tuscadero Pink. Now those are what we call hot wheels.

MAKE IT MERMAIDCORE

Move over, all you ballerina wannabes in pretty pale pink. This spring, it’s all about the mermaid, at least when it comes to makeup. Think: a dewy, glowing complexion; aquatic hues for eyes; sexy, wet-look hair; and nails like bedazzled barnacles. Mostly this look is all about the eyes, though, with dramatically winged liner, asymmetrical splashes of eyeshadow (as shown at Anna Sui) or bold streaks of colour swept in the crease in a way we haven’t really seen since the 1960s, all of it in shimmery blue, green and purple. Scaly tails not required.

FEEL GOOD ABOUT PUTTING YOUR BEST FEATURES IN OUR EXPERT HANDS.

We have a passion for science, knowledge and people.

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B A K E R R E J U V E N AT I O N . C O M YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024 25

STYLE WATCH

Fashion Stylist: Janine Metcalfe Photographer: Jeffrey Bosdet

The Modern Gent Welcome 2024 with menswear that is comfortable, stylish and will take you absolutely anywhere you want to go. Here are the season’s essential looks.

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This page: QUINTESSENTIAL CARDY Deep Mint polo shirt and Glitch tartan cardigan, both

by Fred Perry and available at Public Mercantile. Tilley hat in teal Italian corduroy, available at Adventure Clothing. Pete denim by Matinique, available at Moden Men’s. Chambliss cap-toe shoes by Johnston & Murphy, available at Heart & Sole Shoes.

Opposite page: WELL SUITED Grey suit by Pal Zileri, crisp white dress shirt by Eaton, overcoat by Lubiam, black wool tie by Dion, black leather Chelsea boots by Loake. All available at Outlooks for Men.

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This page: CASUAL VIBE Sailor hoodie by Super.Natural and men’s Alpine winter pant

by Royal Robbins, available at Adventure Clothing.

Opposite page: READY FOR ADVENTURE Jeans and Buhr jacket by KÜHL, Baylands fisherman sweater by Royal Robbins and Jasper hat by Tilley, all available at Adventure Clothing. Chambliss cap-toe shoes by Johnston & Murphy, available at Heart & Sole Shoes.

MOODY BLUES George blazer in Blissful Blue, Las Plaid pant in Simply Taupe, black-and-white Flange cardigan and solid white shirt, all by Matinique, all available at Moden Men’s.

TEXTURE & TWEED Mustard check Harris tweed jacket by Peter James, tweed vest by Mucros Weavers and grandfather shirt by Emerald Isle Weaving, all available at Out of Ireland. Baylands fisherman sweater by Royal Robbins, available at Adventure Clothing.

Kerry cap by Mucros Weavers, available at Out of Ireland.

ON THE COVER: Coppley striped wool sport jacket, Briglia windowpane cord pant, crewneck sweater by Robert Barakett, printed cotton sport shirt by R2 and silk knit tie by Dion, all available at D.G. Bremner & Co.

Model: Derrick Yu/Key Model Management Hair and makeup: Anya Ellis/Lizbell Agency Special thanks to Rifflandia for hosting us at their new headquarters, the Rifflandia Showroom.

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LIFE AT HOME

‘Renovating Our Lives’ A relocation from Northern Ireland to Sidney has one couple starting their next chapter with a major condo makeover.

By Danielle Pope Photos by Jeffrey Bosdet

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G

ail Malmo and Jack Foster had a straightforward wish list when they moved to the Island.

They’d spent over a decade in Northern Ireland — Foster, a local; Malmo, a Canadian expat — in a threestorey home on the water. They were ready to downsize and wanted to be closer to family.

“I promised folks we’d be back in a year. We were there for 13 years,” says Malmo. “I never intended to move back permanently, but COVID was the instigating factor. I was separated from my kids and parents. If something happened, I couldn’t get to them.”

They weren’t committed to a location, but an online conversation drew them to their destination.

“We were living in a village of 4,000

people and we didn’t need a big city any more,” says Malmo. “We were chatting with an agent and said, ‘By the way, where are you?’ and she said Sidney, listing all the things she loved. When we hung up I said, ‘I think Sidney.’ It checked all the boxes and looked like New York compared to our little town.”

A LEAP OF FAITH Back to that wish list. Foster wanted a place in a smaller town, close to water.

Malmo craved a newer home with a modern feel, close to the city.

“Life consists of chapters, and our chapter of Northern Ireland was over and it was time to start a new one,” says Foster. “We’d both been to Vancouver Island. I’d never thought of it as a place to live, but we could have a new start.”

Uprooting their lives mid-pandemic, the couple hoped to find something quickly. Friends hosted them to start, and Malmo thought they’d be there a couple of days — which turned into six months. When they heard about a little condo coming available on the water’s edge, it was time to leap.

It didn’t have that modern feel Malmo wanted — the space was uninspired. But the view was spectacular, it was close to town, and it would position them permanently close to their Canadian family. With few other options, they took a chance.

“I had a vision,” says Malmo. “As soon as I walked in, I wanted to knock out a wall — the kitchen was an enclosed galley. But we had no idea if strata would approve, and I knew we needed help.”

Left: The dining area, with its Lykke oval table and Jerreau chairs in grey, offers an intimate space for hosting. The Inuvik pendant above modernizes this space.

Above: The fireplace was repositioned to become a focal point in this room, which is punctuated by a pair of Blythe chairs, a Ventura sofa and Camille bench to add texture.

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024 33

“In a way, we were renovating our lives. Discovering Sidney, and the condo, was inextricably linked to our delight — it exceeded our expectations.”

Homeowner Jack Foster

Foster, who’d hoped for a private study for his writing and books, put it eloquently.

“We liked the condo and the area, but this place would need work,” he says.

“Really, we started with dissatisfaction, but it was like the grit that started the pearl.”

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To help them find their sea legs, the couple hired Josée Lalonde and Melanie Henson, interior designers and coowners of JŌMEL Interior Design Firm.

“They’re such a cute couple, and they wanted to love this space,” says Henson.

“They needed it to be relaxed, though, with room to entertain and have their G+T hour. We needed to update the ’80s façade, open the kitchen and create a new space to do that.”

With strata restrictions and limited space, the pair assumed there was only so much that could change. They were, as Foster put it, wowed.

“Once we connected with Josée and Melanie, this became a project with craftsmanship and artistry,” says Foster.

“In a way, we were renovating our lives.

Discovering Sidney, and the condo, was inextricably linked to our delight — it exceeded our expectations.”

To renew the kitchen, the team demoed the enclosed galley, the ’80s-style cabinetry and orange laminate flooring and replaced it with engineered hardwood floors, white cabinets, oversized quartz counters with seating and stainless steel appliances. An artistic archway was added from the entry to the kitchen for a grand experience that frames the picturesque view, and a closet/pantry brings in more function.

“We took inspiration from their Ireland home, and made space for things from their travels,” says Henson. “We wanted to update that vision with a black-and-white theme and add art for these colourful people.”

READY FOR CHANGE The location of the fireplace was another shift, changing from an angled wall to the centre of the living room.

A feature of vertical poplar panels was added to the angled wall for intrigue.

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“We took inspiration from their Ireland home, and made space for things from their travels. We wanted to update that vision with a blackand-white theme and add art for these colourful people.”

Melanie Henson, JŌMEL Interior Design Firm

BEFORE

The shift from aged condo to modern loft was a dramatic one for this space, starting with the curved entry seen off the kitchen to add a sense of poetry to the home’s architecture. Lincoln pendants hang above the island, where Alibi stools create a perch for two while keeping to the theme in white and black. White oak planks replaced orange laminate flooring in this space, and the living area was transformed by the poplar panel feature wall that covers the previous location of the fireplace. A gallery-style mantel becomes the focal point of this gathering area.

“The sunroom was the biggest transformation, however. People don’t expect it.

You think you’re going out to a patio and it’s a good surprise — a wow factor.

Once you create areas like that, you can see how a place becomes special.”

Josée Lalonde, JŌMEL Interior Design Firm

BEFORE

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The renovated sunroom functions as a reading nook, office space and drink lounge overlooking the water.

Strategically placed Solar roller shades prevent the sunlight from becoming too blinding during the brightest part of the day. The lounger creates a transitional link to the blue found throughout the home, and natural wood appears throughout — from the bar to furniture touches — to connect the space to its surroundings.

The team even figured out how to create additional living quarters by transforming the closed-in patio with drywall and plank flooring. It would become a space for Foster to write and showcase his collection of books, complete with a niche bar so the couple could enjoy sunsets with a view of the water.

“When we removed the floor, there were two layers of linoleum so you could see how many times it had changed,” says Lalonde. “The sunroom was the biggest transformation, however. People don’t expect it. You think you’re going out to a patio and it’s a good surprise — a wow factor. Once you create areas like that, you can see how a place becomes special.”

Foster acknowledges it as his favourite room in their home. For Malmo, it’s sitting in the blue chairs by the fireplace, with artistic reminders of Ireland everywhere.

“I always thought of a reno as moving stuff around, and I was amazed how people could look at a small apartment and see a new space,” she says. “There’s nostalgia for where we lived all around us and, for me, there was a breakthrough during this reno. I had to trust the process and be prepared for something new.”

PROJECT SUPPORT Design: JŌMEL Interior Design Firm Plumbing: Joe Reimer, Breakwater Plumbing Electrical: Doug Lewis, Elevated Electric

COMPLETE EYE EXAMINATIONS BY

DR. JASON MAYCOCK DR. TOBY VALLANCE DR. MANDY LETKEMANN DR. NICHOLAS CATCHUK OPTOMETRISTS

Countertops: FloForm Countertops Kitchen: Kevin King, Innovative Kitchens & Bath Flooring: End of the Roll Doors: Lumberworld Carpentry: Willy Egeland and Tyler Morris, Footprint Custom Carpentry

1318 Blanshard Street 250.384.4175 maycockeyecare.com

CLIENT: MAYCOCK EYECARE YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024 37 PUBLICATION: YAM MAGAZINE SHIPPING DATE: SEP 2023; AD SIZE: 4.94” x 9.58”

BUSINESS PROFILE

COSGRAVE CONSTRUCTION Let’s Build Amazing Things

VINCE KLASSEN

JODY BECK

I

n 2013, Paul Cosgrave founded Cosgrave Construction, a custom home builder and full-service construction company that offers general contracting, project management and consulting for homeowners considering builds or renovations. Since then, Cosgrave Construction has become an awardwinning builder with successes in the areas of passive houses, multi-residential and custom home markets. “Ideas and solutions come quickly to us and it has always been one of the more enjoyable parts of doing custom homes,” says Paul. “We focus on efficiency and scopes so we can plan ahead and drive our schedules. We are proficient at shifting gears and thinking outside the box in order to find solutions and fine-tune our ideas quickly and effectively.”

Cosgrave Construction understands the importance of defining expectations and doing what it takes to meet and exceed them. “We embrace the design build process from the very beginning to ensure the project is designed within your wants, needs, schedule and budget,” says Paul.

“We prefer to begin by engaging with clients at the conception stage because there is a lot to be gained by going through the stages with your contractor from the very beginning. When budget is a prime factor, it’s imperative that the design has taken it

into consideration to avoid the final design instead being what determines the budget.

It’s our practice to consider both along the way because that allows clients to have a clear understanding of what they’re getting into without any shocks or surprises, except for how much they’ll love their new space, of course. So, our pre-construction process

is invaluable because it can really make your project a lot more predictable.”

Cosgrave Construction is a team made up of certified carpenters and apprentices who have also made it a priority to develop strong relationships with some of Victoria’s best trades and suppliers. In addition, Paul can bring in excellent local architects and interior designers to create the team that brings your dream home to a reality, and to a number that you’re expecting.

Says Paul, “Completing each house should be like winning a championship game. Combine hard work, discipline, strategy, care and attention and we should be celebrating each win as a reward for achieving the high level we are shooting for.

Every day we work to arrange all the pieces needed to build you a beautiful space, in a way you’d expect.”

Custom Homes | Renovations | General Contracting | Project Management | Consulting COSGRAVE.CA | 250-886-1361

BUSINESS PROFILE

ALIBI CATERING Victoria’s New Premier Catering Company

A

libi Catering managed its first event as the backstage caterers for Rock the Shores back in 2014.

It continued to serve a limited number of specific events while its owners Chris Jones and Josh Goyert, also the owners of Jones Bar B Que and The Ruby, grew those highly popular establishments to four locations (two of each) and eventually, in 2018, Alibi launched to the public. After a tremendous eighteen months serving weddings and corporate events, the pandemic forced its closure in the spring of 2020. Fast forward to today and Jones and Goyert have brought on their longtime in-house General Manager Tanja Lindquist as a partner in Alibi to create an exciting new team! They are proud to announce that it is finally time to relaunch Alibi Catering and get back to their passion

of high-end, custom catering.

From office catering, social events and bar services to weddings and corporate events, Alibi is here to bring your vision to life. “We are very excited to be able to once again deliver on our mission,” says Chris Jones, “which is to curate unforgettable culinary experiences by blending the artistry of bespoke menus with our passion for ‘sophisticated-yet-warm’ service. We strive to create moments that transcend the ordinary and set the stage for extraordinary celebrations on the West Coast.”

A couple of ways Alibi is poised to deliver on that promise is through their Vancouver Island Tasting Menu and anticipated 2024 Summer Backyard Menu. The former, for example, is a meticulously crafted ninecourse tasting menu which pays homage to the rich bounty of the West Coast and

ALIBICATERING.COM | 250-516-2109

Vancouver Island. Alibi takes pride in sourcing the exceptional ingredients that our coastal landscapes provide, from freshly caught Dungeness crab to the robust flavours of locally raised, expertly prepared meats.

As Alibi has a long history and partnership with Rifflandia Festival, Alibi Catering will be working closely with Rifflandia Entertainment Company at their new headquarters, the former site of Gabriel Ross, situated in Victoria’s Arts & Innovation District in the heart of Rock Bay. The property includes a uniquely beautiful space, dubbed the Rifflandia Showroom, which will host a diverse range of special events and distinct gatherings that thoughtfully consider arts, food, music and community.

Learn more at alibicatering.com

If you hate winter, you’re just doing it wrong. Here are five great ways to make the most of the frostiest months of the year. By Liam Razzell

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WINTER

The chilly days of January and February tempt us to stay inside, binge Netflix and hibernate until the weather perks up — or fly off to some warmer locale. But the Island’s colder months can be just as beautiful as the warmer ones, and have just as much to offer. Here are five great activities that will inspire you to get out of the house.

Cycle in the Snow

We love our bikes — in fact, a third of trips in and around this city are done by walking, cycling or rolling, one of the highest rates in Canada. But have you tried cycling in the snow?

So-called “fat biking” is one of the newest activities at Mount Washington, a worldclass alpine resort a three-hour drive north of Victoria that also offers winter activities including cross-country and downhill skiing, snowboarding, tubing, hiking and snowshoeing. A fat bike is an off-road bicycle fitted with four- to five-inch-wide tires that increase friction, which in turn improves grip in snowy conditions. It’s a great workout and one of the best ways to climb high enough in the snow-covered hills to enjoy the stunning views of the Comox Valley and Strait of Georgia.

Ride the Waves

The best time to surf Vancouver Island is when the waves are the biggest, and that just happens to be in the coldest months. So now is the time to grab a board and catch a few waves.

Tofino, with its world-renowned waves, 35 kilometres of sandy beaches, pro shops and surf schools, is undeniably the Island’s surfing hub. Closer to Victoria, you can surf at Jordan River, a mere 90-minute drive west of downtown, or at the wilder, less crowded Sombrio Beach another 30 kilometres up Highway 14. Need gear? Sports Rent Coastal Ski + Sport in downtown Victoria rents everything you need to catch waves: wetsuits, booties, gloves, hoods and, of course, surfboards. sportsrentbc.com

Lace Up Your Skates

Victorians may enjoy Canada’s warmest climate, but that doesn’t mean we can’t experience the kind of winter activities our friends do in chillier regions.

So bundle up, grab your skates and head to the rink for an afternoon of crossovers, spins or just trying to stop before you crash into the boards. You can find ice rinks at a number

of local community centres, which also offer rentals and lessons, making this a fun event for the whole family. (To find a rink close to you, just Google “ice skating” followed by your municipality.) Don’t forget to bring a Thermos of hot chocolate.

Be Artful

Lean into Victoria’s vibrant, creative energy by signing up for an art course. Post-secondary schools like Camosun College and UVic offer numerous programs that can lead to a degree, but even if you’re not planning on a career in the visual arts, you can still take a workshop for your own enjoyment.

Vancouver Island School of Art offers a rainbow of single- and multi-day courses in drawing, painting, photography and creating collages. vancouverislandschoolart.com Hands On Clay Collective spins the potter’s wheel with a variety of workshops for students who want to make mugs, planters and other pottery creations. handsoncollective.ca And over at the Paintbox School of Art, the littles can dabble with pencils and paint while grownups try their hands at mediums like artful journaling. thepaintbox-victoria.com

Return to Old Town Nothing saves a rainy or snowy day like a trip to a museum or gallery, and luckily Victoria has plenty of both to choose from.

One of the city’s long-time favourites is the Royal BC Museum, founded in 1886. Several exhibitions are wrapping up in January, so take advantage while you can. Among them is SUE: The T. Rex Experience, which features the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever found. But if you miss SUE, you can still step back into the more recent past at the Old Town, New Approach exhibit, which adds context (and much-needed diversity) to the popular old-timey installation. Check out newly added stories like the one about the sleeping car porters at the Port Moody train station, created in partnership with the BC Black History Awareness Society. royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024 41

Of Sea Slugs & Serenity Snorkelling isn’t just for tropical destinations. There’s a colourful world teeming with life just beneath Vancouver Island’s waters and winter is the best time to discover it — along with a sense of inner peace.

SARA ELLISON

By Melissa Gignac

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WHAT LURKS BENEATH I mentioned my encounter with Wall, and my newfound interest in snorkelling, to my colleague Tara Abraham. Somehow always in the know, Tara asked if I’d seen University of Victoria physics and astronomy professor Sara Ellison’s new book?

Seemed a little off-topic, but Tara went on to explain that Ellison had literally written the book on local snorkelling.

JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE

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Above: Through snorkelling, writer Melissa Gignac has discovered a brilliant world beneath the waves. Left: A nudibranch (sea slug) captured by UVic professor Sara Ellison. Opposite page: Colourful anemones and other local underwater denizens discovered by Ellison on her snorkelling adventures.

Ellison’s engaging guide, Snorkelling Adventures Around Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands (Harbour Publishing), was soon in my hands, and down the underwater rabbit hole I went. Exploring the pages of Ellison’s book, I was delighted to learn of the diversity of creatures and abundance of locations to explore within a short drive of home.

My interest was cemented at a talk Ellison gave a few weeks later, her enthusiasm evident as she walked us through her snorkelling journey. I was all in.

Shortly after, armed with Ellison’s book, I headed to Ogden Point with Tara, anticipating the delight of re-engaging with my childhood sense of wonder at what lurks beneath. What I didn’t expect to find was a deep, profound sense of peace.

Our trip did not have a fortuitous start. From SARA ELLISON

rowing up on Vancouver Island, I was never far from the ocean.

My childhood playgrounds were the shores of Sidney. First, the barnacled outcrops down a little pathway aptly named Memory Lane at the end of Shoreacres Road, and later the rocky ridges and pebbled swath framing the flip-flop-stealing muck of Roberts Bay. I spent countless hours exploring the tide pools, exhilarated by the darting sculpins, clusters of anemones that turned themselves into squishy belly buttons at the slightest touch, and shore crabs waving their pincers like tiny, angry fists.

Though I grew up well aware of the wonders contained in the teeming tide pools, it is only recently that I began to understand, and explore, the rich world of sea life animating Vancouver Island’s intertidal zone.

It was a chance encounter at Telegraph Bay that sparked my interest. Returning to the bay on my paddleboard, I noticed a wetsuited figure bobbing at the surface, a snorkel breaching the surface like a tiny periscope. As I finished lashing my board to the roof racks on my car, I glanced up to see a woman emerging from the water, cameras in hand. Intrigued, I approached to ask what she was doing.

The snorkeller was Karolle Wall. She explained that she was photographing nudibranchs — sea slugs. “OK,” I thought, “that’s … weird.”

Upon returning home I Googled Wall’s website, and was stunned by her incredible photos of these flamboyant, alien-like creatures. To my mind, they are the drag queens of the ocean, and it turns out they have something of a cult following. There’s even a blog, Bowiebranchia, that compares species of nudibranchs to David Bowie’s ostentatious outfits.

It is surprisingly, and comically, accurate.

How had I lived most of my life on the Island, yet had no idea that these spunky slugs existed? What other underwater denizens lurked beyond the lapping waves? And how could it have never occurred to me that their world could be explored without the expense and equipment of scuba diving?

above, tourists ogled while I struggled into my unchristened surfing wetsuit on the exposed lower level. Rifling through the pile of black neoprene in my rubber bin I realized that I’d forgotten one of my boots. No matter, I could brave icy ankles. Minutes later I was cursing my oversight as barnacles nipped into the exposed skin of my tender arches. Slipping into the water I snagged my suit and my mask clouded with fog.

My ankles and face reddened and numbed with cold as, fighting frustration, I followed Tara’s fins.

But within minutes vexation turned to glee as I heard Tara excitedly holler “Melissa! A sea slug!” Nestled next to a spiky sea urchin was a textured white blob, later identified by Ellison as a yellow margin dorid. Not one of nature’s spicier nudis, but delightful nonetheless.

Later, bobbing through the chiaroscuro light penetrating the thick forest of kelp, I realized this was the first time in ages I’d felt at peace in my body. As an interloper in intertidal waters I was weightless, focused solely on the lively pops of

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024 43

KAROLLE WALL

colour adorning the rockscape beneath me. My corporeal awareness reduced to the rhythm of my breath rising and falling through my snorkel.

For someone embattled with depression and anxiety, and a perniciously adversarial relationship with my body, it was a revelation.

A LESS HARRIED WORLD

SARA ELLISON

In the months that followed, I connected with snorkel enthusiasts and continued to explore our shores. I met former scuba divers who had turned to snorkelling after blowing eardrums on dives, and people with health and mobility issues who embraced the accessibility of easing into the waves with minimal equipment. People who, like Above: Hermissenda Crassicornis, also known as me, craved the tranquility of slipping into a less a Horned Nudibranch. Below: A Red-Eyed Medusa hurried, less harried, world. jellyfish hangs out in local waters.

At Saxe Point, the clip securing my snorkel to my mask snapped, so I flipped skyward and watched as a wake of vultures dipped in and out of view, ravaging the bloated corpse of a seal.

In East Sooke’s Iron Mine Bay, I delighted in the Seussian billows of feather duster tube worms undulating with the waves, bobbed leisurely alongside a fried egg jellyfish, and marvelled at a translucent hooded nudibranch appearing apparition-like in the shallows.

For my birthday at the end of September, I planned a triple-header with friends. Joined by Michelle Zhou, Tara and I explored the rusted hulls of Royston’s breakwater of decommissioned ships until the setting sun forced us back to shore. The next day we marvelled at the thickets AGGV_11814_AnnualAppeal_Ad_YAM_Jan_Feb_7.5x4.7_X1a.pdf 1 2023-12-04 1:56 PM of stout white anemones encasing the pilings of

Campbell River’s Argonaut Wharf and observed legions of gangly kelp crabs clinging to the swaying bull kelp. Emerging from the cold, we threw towels on my car seats and, still in our wetsuits, relocated to the river to snorkel with the salmon returning upstream to spawn.

I could have stayed indefinitely, heavier and less buoyant in the cool river water than I was accustomed to in the ocean, so mesmerized was I by the thousands of salmon flashing silver, fighting the current to continue their lineage before succumbing to the effort like their compatriots already decaying at the surface.

JUST LIKE MEDITATION As I write this, I’m on Costa Rica’s west coast, my first time in a tropical climate and snorkelling in bath-warm water. Perhaps I went in with expectations too high that I’d be rubbing fins with a crayon box of little Nemos, but I’ve been underwhelmed. Chunks of white bleached coral, a few schools of Pacific sergeant majors and the odd angelfish are all I’ve seen through the sediment clouds delivered daily by wet season rains.

I’m here at the wrong time, and as my trip comes to a close I’m itching to get back to faunarich home waters.

Winter is prime snorkelling time around the Island. Colder waters are less encumbered by the abundant vegetation that obscures intertidal critters in the warmer months. Winter waters will mean either shorter spells submerged, or an upgrade from my 5/4mm surf wetsuit to a two-

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piece 7mm freediving suit. East 2 West Freediving owner Frederic Lapierre assures me that, with the right suit, “You can spend an hour or two in freezing water ― freezing plus one degree.” It’s a challenge I look forward to taking on as I plan trips further up Island, hopefully eventually to revel in Ellison’s beloved basket stars, and delve into the depths of freediving.

But even dips that don’t divulge new (to me) species are a gift ― one of calm, and a sense of harmony with the ocean that encircles us.

Lapierre’s partner, Laurie Feist, perfectly sums it up.

“When you’re lying in the water, it’s just like meditation,” she says. “And at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how deep you dive or how long you hold your breath, as long as you’re in the water and you’re having a good time. That’s all that matters.” I heartily concur.

GEARING UP AND GETTING OUT Gear > You don’t need specialized gear to dip your toes into snorkelling. If you have a 5/4mm surf wetsuit and a generic snorkel, mask and fin set you can get in the water for a short spell.

“When people get hooked and they want to be in the water for longer, that’s when they start getting more specialized gear,” says Frederic Lapierre, owner of East 2 West Freediving. But when you’re starting out, he notes, “If you’re in the water you’re winning.”

When you do get hooked (and I suspect you will) it’s well worth investing the time shopping for gear in person rather than ordering it online. With masks and wetsuits, fit is essential, and as the open cell suits preferred for snorkelling and freediving require lube to get into, slipping into the wrong-sized suit can be an expensive error.

That’s why East 2 West has sample suits for shoppers to try — it ensures customers are able to buy once, and buy right.

Community > I’ve found the local

MELISSA GIGNAC

snorkelling community to be incredibly generous with their time, advice and encouragement. Facebook groups such as Snorkellers of BC and Vancouver Island Women Underwater are excellent sources of information, and, importantly, snorkel buddies.

Remember: The ocean is always in charge, so snorkel with a friend, or at least a shore spotter.

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Food+Drink 47 IN SEASON

Consider the Oyster

48 TASTES + TRENDS

Bite into 2024

50 THE MAIN COURSE

The Bountiful Bowl

55 DINING OUT

We Love Our Veggies

60 SIPS

Kind of Blue

61

IN SEASON

Consider the Oyster Here on the West Coast, oysters are at their best from October to May, but the colder the water, the better, making January the very peak of peak season. (There’s good reason why oysters are a traditional NYE nibble.)

In winter, the bivalve’s texture is firmer, its flavour cleaner and sweeter. But at any time our oysters tend to be smaller and milder than their Atlantic cousins, often with delicate notes of mint, cucumber or melon, and pair well with bubbles and crisp white wines. Sadly, the last few years have seen local oyster harvests reduced by a labour shortage and a changing climate; as a result, costs have soared and “buck-a-shuck” specials are a thing of the past. Still, that’s not stopping us from slurping down these irresistible little bites of the sea. One of the best places to try them is at Shuck Taylor’s (pictured on this page).

Read more about oyster guy Jess Taylor’s new bivalve bistro on page 48.

DESTINATIONS

Tasting Tofino RECIPES

48 Roasted Lentil Snacks 51 Quick Shoyu Ramen 59 Yam and Pepita Quesadillas

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Food+Drink

TASTES + TRENDS

BITE INTO 2024 Where to go and what to eat right now.

By Cinda Chavich

TAKE YOUR PULSE

A

nother year, another trend in the food world — and 2024 looks like a great year for lentil lovers.

With the plant-based movement continuing to grow, these fibre- and protein-rich pulses are finding new fans seeking out lentil snack foods, freeze-dried instant lentils for emergency kits or whole lentils for soups, salads and pilafs.

Canada is the world’s biggest producer and exporter of lentils. Most are grown on the Prairies, but you’ll also find bags of Island-grown lentils from Saanichton Farm in local markets.

Lentils come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including the classic green lentil, smaller French and black lentils that hold their shape when cooked, and tiny red lentils that simmer down to a natural purée for thickening soups and Indian dal.

Look for new lentil-based products, including dried soup mixes from Michell’s Soups in Duncan or the Saskatchewan-made Three Farmers Crunchy Little Lentils snacks, available in classic Canadian flavours like barbecue or salt and vinegar.

TRY THIS: Make your own roasted lentil snacks. Drain and rinse a can of lentils, then dry them on paper towels, toss with olive oil, salt and spices, and roast in a 325°F oven for about 40 minutes until crisp.

VEGAN ICE CREAM

I

TEGAN MCMARTIN

t may seem like an oxymoron, but vegan ice cream is finding devoted fans — especially when it comes in a pint from local 49 Below Craft Ice Cream.

Already known for sweetly sustainable dairy-based ice cream flavours like cinnamon crunch and Vietnamese coffee, the local makers have turned their talents to frozen desserts made with coconut milk.

Try the vegan chocolate (made with fine Belgian Callebaut chocolate) and vegan honeycomb (filled with sponge toffee bits), available at local markets or their scoop shop on Cadboro Bay Road, along with add-ons like their moreish caramel and chocolate sauces. 49below.ca

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024

Openings TOMBO’S TEAM Chef Grant Gard and charcuterie chef Paul Van Trigt are part of the new team at Tombo, the takeout bakery/lunch bar and restaurant in the downtown space that was once Agrius, where owner Tom Moore (a.k.a. Tombo), the chef behind the popular Crust Bakery, returns to his restaurant roots.

Enjoy a mini-Tombo takeout pop-up on Government Street while renovations continue on the main Pandora location, opening in January. tomboeats.com

RAISING THE BAR Victoria has some great new watering holes to tempt bar hoppers, including Tourist Wine Bar (for natural wines) and cozy Humboldt Bar. But for a journey into the deep, with a menu to match, check out Fathom in the Hotel Grand Pacific.

Head bartender Patrick Woo’s extensive cocktail menu takes a deep dive from the fathomable to the unfathomable. Adorned with line drawings created by a local tattoo artist, it reads like a story into the depths of the sea, plunging from lighter drinks in the “Sunlight Zone” at the surface to deep, intense sips in “The Abyss.” Or you could just enjoy a dram of Fathom’s Spirit of the Deep whisky from local DEVINE Distillery. fathomvictoria.com

AW, SHUCKS If nothing makes you happier than a big platter of fresh oysters on ice, there’s a new spot in town devoted to the mollusks and crustaceans of the world. Shuck Taylor’s is the new bricks-andmortar destination for Jess Taylor’s long-time mobile shellfish biz, The Wandering Mollusk. The local shucker is expanding his horizons with a menu that includes juicy lobster rolls, fat mussels and skinny fries, caviar flights and, of course, chowdah! Belly up — the oyster bar is open! wanderingmollusk.com

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SCHNITZEL AND STRUDEL

A

ccording to international trend watchers, 2024 will see more authentic Eastern European foods on the menu, with Polish, Hungarian and Romanian dishes growing in popularity.

Think beet-based borscht soups, popular perogies and even “loaded” pretzels topped pizzastyle with sliced sausage, crispy onions, cheddar cheese and hot sauce.

Around town you can dip into cozy European cuisine with freshly baked pretzels at Fry’s Bakery, a pork schnitzel dinner at Eva Schnitzelhaus or a bag of Hungry Rooster perogies, made in Nanaimo and found in supermarket freezers around town.

Or Google your way to comforting recipes like Hungarian gulyás (goulash) or chicken paprikash or Romanian meatballs served in a sour cream and dill sauce. There are several new cookbooks focused on this part of the world, too.

Macedonia, a new cookbook by Toronto-born chef and caterer Katerina Nitsou (Interlink/Thomas Allen), traces her family’s Balkan culinary heritage and won a silver Taste Canada Award. And Carpathia, Food from the Heart of Romania, by Irina Georgescu, a Romanian food writer and cooking instructor in the U.K., “takes the reader roaming through Romania from Transylvania to the Danube Delta while introducing dozens of satisfying recipes that express the landscape, culture and joys of traditional The new cookbook Macedonia traces author Katerina Nitsou’s Balkan heritage Romanian hospitality.” through food.

Her followup, Tava, explores Eastern European baking “from Romania and beyond” and won the 2023 James Beard Award for Best Baking and Dessert book. It includes recipes for Armenian pakhlava, Saxon plum pies, Swabian poppyseed crescents, Jewish fritters and Hungarian lángos, alongside placinta pies, strudels and fruit dumplings.

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Crispy breaded schnitzel is always on the menu at Eva Schnitzelhaus — and growing in popularity elsewhere.

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Food+Drink

THE MAIN COURSE

Bountiful Bowl FROM FAST FOOD TO CULT CUISINE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RAMEN.

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By Cinda Chavich

The Quick Shoyu Ramen by chef Yoshimune Arima of Kizuna Ramen is rich with chewy noodles and savoury goodness. (Recipe on opposite page.)

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C

heap, cheerful, nourishing and restorative — Japanese ramen is perhaps the finest example of a big, slurpable meal in a soup

bowl.

This everyday staple has gained a kind of cult status, with celebrity chefs around the world weighing in on the perfect way to construct a bowl of ramen and TV shows like Midnight Diner offering the steamy soup as a panacea to our daily dilemmas.

At its most basic, ramen is a bowl of chewy wheat noodles and savoury broth, a fast meal to be enjoyed at a tiny ramen shop or street-side stall. The broth should be rich and salty, shot with umami and filled with golden noodles. But there are many variations on the theme, from those ubiquitous packets of instant noodles that have kept many a starving student sated to the

beautiful bowls of brothy fresh noodles crafted from scratch by a devoted ramen master.

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In Japan, where ramen has its roots, there are variations of ramen in every corner of the country, based on each region’s broth and tare or kaeshi (seasoning sauce).

But there are some basic styles: shio ramen is a clear broth seasoned with salt; shoyu ramen is darker clear broth with soy sauce; tonkotsu is a rich, creamy pork broth (also called hakata ramen); paitan is a cloudy chicken broth; opaque miso ramen has fermented miso paste.

Ramen broth can be made from pork, chicken or fish bones, or dried mushrooms. Pork is the most popular, with bones simmered for many hours, even days to provide the collagen

Quick Shoyu Ramen CHEF YOSHIMUNE ARIMA OF KIZUNA RAMEN OFFERS THIS SIMPLIFIED RECIPE FOR RAMEN MADE WITH A FAST, LIGHT SHOYU (SOY SAUCE) BROTH. Broth: • 6 cups water • 4 pieces dried kombu (Japanese kelp), about 2 x 3 inches each • 2 dried shiitake mushrooms • 2/3 lb ground pork • ½ lb ground chicken • 2 green onions • 3 slices ginger • 6 Tbsp bonito flakes or dried anchovy (in tea bag or strainer) • Salt to taste Kaeshi: • 7 Tbsp cooking sake or rice wine • 3 Tbsp mirin • 7 Tbsp light Usukuchi soy sauce To make the broth, place water into a large pot and add kombu, shiitake, ground pork, ground chicken, green onion and ginger. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to mediumlow and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove kombu and discard. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes.

Strain the broth. Reserve the meats, ginger and mushrooms.

Chop mushrooms and ginger and set aside. Discard green onion.

Return the broth to the pot and heat to simmer. Add the bonito flakes in a tea bag or tea ball so you can remove them easily, and remove broth from heat. Steep for 5 minutes

To Serve: • 2 Tbsp oil • Reserved ground meats, mushrooms and ginger • 1 clove garlic, chopped • 2 Tbsp oyster sauce or hoisin sauce • 3 portions fresh or frozen ramen noodles, preferably medium Tokyo-style • 2 to 3 baby bok choy, halved (optional) • 2 to 3 green onions, sliced • Soft-boiled eggs, halved (optional) • Chili oil to finish (optional)

and remove the bonito flakes.

Season broth to taste with a little salt. The broth can be prepared a day ahead to this point.

To make the kaeshi or tare, combine sake and mirin in a saucepan and bring to a boil just to burn off the alcohol. Add the soy sauce and simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Set aside.

Prepare the toppings: In a skillet or frypan, heat the 2 Tbsp of oil and brown the reserved ground meats, shiitake and ginger along with the chopped garlic. Season with oyster sauce or hoisin sauce, cooking together until nicely glazed.

Bring a pot of water to a

boil, add the noodles and cook according to the instructions on the package. If using bok choy, add it to the water with the noodles just before they’re ready; blanch slightly then remove with a slotted spoon or spider.

Meanwhile, heat the broth.

Divide it between two or three large soup bowls and add a tablespoon or two of kaeshi to each bowl. Add the cooked noodles and top with reserved meat/mushroom mixture, as well as bok choy (if using), green onions and halved softboiled eggs (if using), or other toppings to your liking. For a spicier dish, drizzle with chili oil to finish. Serves 2 to 3.

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that melts into the broth and imparts the richness, fat and gelatinous mouth feel of a truly slow-simmered soup, says Greg Masuda, chef of Nikkei Ramen-ya in Courtenay, which is partnered with Ghost Ramen here in Victoria.

At home, Masuda says, you can use pork hocks and a home pressure cooker to extract the most pork flavour, or make rich chicken broth with meaty chicken carcasses. As any chef (and grandmother) knows, fat carries flavour, so the best ramen broth has a fair amount of fat. You can also add a little dashi (a broth of dried seaweed and bonito flakes) for a boost of umami.

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Ramen noodles are wheat noodles made simply with flour, water, salt and sometimes eggs, plus the alkaline ingredient called kansui (potassium carbonate and/or sodium carbonate). Kansui gives the noodles their slippery but chewy texture and yellow colour, thanks to a reaction with components of the flour.

Some ramen noodles are cut fine and straight, but others (like instant ramen) are curly. They come in a variety of thicknesses, too — chefs choose the appropriate noodle size to match their own broth recipes.

Because the noodles are so labour-intensive, most ramen restaurants purchase them from specialists like Yamachan Ramen, a California custom noodle maker with a branch in

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Chef Greg Masuda of Nikkei Ramen-ya in Courtney makes noodles and broth, from scratch, every week for Ghost Ramen in Victoria. Each bowl is packed with noodles and other savoury toppings.

Vancouver. Chef Masuda, however, makes his artisan noodles from scratch, shipping 1,500 to 2,000 deconstructed bowls (noodles and broth) to Ghost Ramen every week. He has also recently expanded his production to supply his Nikkei Ramen kits to Thrifty Foods and other larger grocers so home cooks can enjoy them, too.

Home cooks can also find frozen ramen noodles and broth concentrates from Japanese commercial brands like Sun Noodles and Myojo at Fujiya and Fairway markets, as well as the cheap, dry, instant noodles. Just note that most instant noodles are deep fried before drying; steamed and air-dried instant noodles are a healthier choice.

When making ramen, it’s essential not to overcook the noodles or leave them in hot broth before you eat them. (That’s why many ramen restaurants package noodles and broth/toppings separately for delivery.)

Instead, bring lots of water to a rolling boil and add the noodles, stirring to loosen them into separate strands, and cook according to directions. Drain well, add to steaming hot broth in a bowl, and serve immediately.

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“Ramen in Japan is what the chef wants to make.”

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

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Beyond beautiful broth and bouncy noodles, a great bowl of ramen comes with toppings including soft-cooked eggs, pork belly chashu so tender it collapses under your soup spoon and vegetables like bok choy or spinach.

You might also find slivered nori (seaweed), sweet corn, shiitake mushrooms or pink-and-white coins of fish cake garnishing your ramen and, in Korea, spicy kimchi. Green onion, toasted sesame seeds or Japanese furikake (a combo of sesame seeds and seaweed), and a splash of sesame or chili oil make a grand finish.

At Kizuna Ramen, a takeout- and delivery-only ramen business based in a Victoria commissary kitchen, chef Yoshimune Arima carefully matches noodles with the broth using a “concentration meter” to test the density of his slow-cooked, creamy pork tonkotsu broth and vegan aged miso broth. He then tops with braised pork belly chashu (or marinated tofu chashu), ajitama egg, braised black mushroom, fermented bamboo shoots, koji stir-fried vegetables and secret spicy sauce.

Ajitama eggs are soft-boiled and marinated with soy sauce, mirin, sake or rice wine, and dashi. Chashu is pork belly or shoulder slowly braised in soy sauce, mirin, ginger and garlic. Find a recipe for similarly flavoured Pork Tenderloin with Hoisin Glaze at yammagazine.com.

EVERYDAY GOODNESS

Strellson overcoat paired with a Harley of Scotland sweater over Matinique pants, gloves by Hestra and scarf by Dawnte.

534 Yates St. 250-384-2848 Uptown Blvd. 778-432-2848 outlooksformen.com

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024

With all of the hype around ramen restaurants these days, and some even getting the Michelin nod, it’s easy to forget that ramen is a simple dish, designed for everyday eating.

But as Allan Nichols, owner of Banffbased Ramen Arashi, reminds me, there are literally thousands of iterations of this Japanese “salaryman’s” meal.

“Ramen in Japan is what the chef wants to make,” he says, flipping to the Instagram feed of @ramenguidejapan, and scrolling through hundreds of iterations of the famous dish. “Our ramen is modelled after Yokahama-style ramen, but even there you will find lots of variations. Every ramen chef will create something that’s unique.”

Which is another reason that exploring the world of ramen is always intriguing.

Whether visiting your favourite ramen shop or perfecting your stock-making skills at home, slurping a big bowl of ramen is a wonderful way to celebrate soup season.

Food+Drink

DINING OUT

We Love Our Veggies JANUARY IS A GOOD TIME TO ADD MORE PLANT-BASED FOODS TO YOUR DIET. THESE RESTAURANTS MAKE IT EASY — AND DELICIOUS.

JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE

By Cinda Chavich

Cheerful and welcoming, Rebar dishes up tempting soups, salads, burgers and more, 35 years after it opened as Victoria’s vegetarian pioneer.

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024 55

N

ot fully vegetarian or vegan, “vegetableforward” cuisine is a new way of cooking — a plant-based focus that puts vegetables at the centre of the plate, with animal protein reduced to a garnish or replaced by legumes and other protein alternatives.

Whether it’s your doctor advocating for a plantbased diet for better control of heart disease and diabetes, or a top chef riffing on all of the fresh, local produce and vegan ingredients around the Island, vegetables are having their moment.

And that means both vegetarians and omnivores have a lot more options when they choose meatless meals.

VEG-FORWARD RESTAURANTS

MATT URQUHAR

With so many local growers, farm stands and markets offering Island ingredients, there’s always something fresh from the plant world to inspire city chefs, so it’s not surprising that Victoria has a long history of vegetarian and vegan dining.

Rebar is the grand mammy of Victoria’s vegetarian scene, opened in 1988 and still going strong with its fresh juice bar and veg-forward favourites. Original owners Audrey Alsterberg and chef Wanda Urbanowicz even published The Rebar Modern Food Cookbook in 2001, detailing their

Right: At Be Love, the idea is that plants and health go hand in hand with tasty dishes like this walnut tart shell stuffed with autumn vegetables.

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DEVAN HEAD

BRETT ANDERSON LILLIE LOUISE

Above, left to right: Sprouting brassicas with cashew hollandaise at Nourish Kitchen & Cafe; a dairy-free soft-serve sundae at Softys; Fern Cafe and Bakery owners Tamara and Braden Parks.

journey as vegetarian pioneers. Today, 35 years after opening, Anil and Neha Dangra continue their legacy.

Be Love is another long-time local haunt for vegetarian fare. Co-owned by siblings Heather and Joe Cunliffe, Be Love grew out of their original raw food and juice bar and still champions the idea that plants and health go hand in hand, with organic plant-based ingredients at the heart of the menu. Recently, Joe branched out again, partnering with his long-time chef Mat Clarke to open end dive, a locally driven eatery that features mostly seafood and vegetable-forward dishes, and celebrates local community connections in the farm and beverage world.

Nourish Kitchen & Cafe offers creative vegetarian cuisine, too, with meat options for omnivores. New chef-owner Maxime Durand emphasizes seasonal ingredients in his brunch and dinner fare, whether it’s the wild nettle and asparagus frittata, meal-sized kale salad with creamy house Engevita yeast dressing, or roasted cauliflower and cashew hollandaise.

By contrast, popular Fern Cafe and Bakery is fully vegan, featuring mostly breakfast and lunch dishes, home-style baking and lattes that eschew all animal products. Think: giant vegan cinnamon buns or crispy fried “chickun” burgers.

Vancouver-based vegan restaurants, including Virtuous Pie and Meet, have expanded into the Victoria market, too, while Green Cuisine, a long-time vegan restaurant in Market Square, makes its own organic tofu, tempeh, mochi, vegan gelato and brown rice milk Mochirella “cheese” shreds — all products sold direct and through city retailers.

On the sweet side, Softys is bringing its locally made vegan soft-serve cones and sundaes to customers in Victoria and Mill Bay and Frickin’ Delights Donuts sells a wide variety of freshly baked vegan doughnuts from its downtown coffee shop, with 12 different flavours featured each week.

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MANDY WOYTKIW

Frickin’ Delights Donuts contain no animal products, but plenty of sweet flavour.

PLANT-BASED AT HOME Whether your interest in a plant-based diet is ethical, environmental, economic or health focused, January is a good time to think about getting more vegetables onto your plate.

A veg-forward stir fry or hearty vegetable soup is a fine way to clear out the refrigerator at the end of the week. Even if you remain a committed omnivore, eating more vegetables and whole foods can be healthy on many levels. It’s a way to walk softly on the planet and give your body — and your bank account — a break, too!

Still, it’s great to have new resources and inspiration.

In his new book, Farmhouse Vegetables, Chef Michael Smith celebrates the many vegetables growing on his farm at the Inn at Bay Fortune in P.E.I. Smith is a farm-to-table pioneer, but this book puts plants first. He describes the “vegetable-meat spectrum” and suggests a paradigm shift from serving “meat and vegetables” to “vegetables and meats” — dishes centred on plants, “with meat as a secondary component or flavourful condiment.”

In The Vegan Bridge, a new book from Toronto-based Romain Avril and Richelle Tablang, the French-trained chefs remind readers that vegan food can shine in fine dining as well as home cooking. As omnivores, they offer a “bridge” for others to “delve into the world of veganism, without having to commit completely to a meat-free life.”

“A great vegan meal can dazzle with complex flavours and can be as refined as any meat-based dish,” they write. “The world is changing, cuisine is evolving and we feel there is an important need to build a bridge between the vegan and omnivore realms.”

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Yam and Pepita Quesadillas

side down, on your work surface.

Spread a thin layer of honey chipotle sauce over the tortilla, to the edges, then sprinkle with a quarter of the grated cheese, chopped scallions and the toasted pumpkin seeds.

Spoon a quarter of the roasted yams over the bottom half of the tortilla, then fold it over to form a half moon and set in the hot pan.

Heat through until the cheese melts and the tortilla crisps, then flip to brown the second side. Slide onto a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Prepare the remaining quesadillas.

Slice each quesadilla into 3 or 4 wedges and serve hot. Serves 4.

The Rebar Modern Food Cookbook by Audrey Alsterberg and Wanda Urbanowicz is a Canadian classic, filled with the recipes that have made this pioneering local vegetarian restaurant a fan favourite for more than three decades. Here’s one of their most popular quesadilla combinations — feel free to add other roasted vegetables or black beans to boost the protein. If you like, serve with sour cream (or a vegan substitute made with coconut milk) on the side.

• 2 large yams

HONEY CHIPOTLE SAUCE • 4 Tbsp tomato paste • 1 Tbsp chipotle purée (canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce) • 1 tsp lime juice • 1 Tbsp honey (see note) • 2 Tbsp water Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Can be stored in a refrigerator for about two weeks. Makes about ½ cup.

Note: Many vegans will not eat honey because it is made by bees, making it an animal product. If you are avoiding honey, you can use agave or maple syrup instead.

• 1 tsp vegetable oil • ¼ tsp salt • 1 bunch scallions (green onions), chopped • ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds • 2 cups grated Monterey Jack or vegan cheese • 4 whole wheat tortillas • cup honey-chipotle sauce (see recipe on this page) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Peel the yams and quarter them lengthwise.

Slice each quarter into ¼- to ½-inch-thick pieces. In a small bowl, toss the yams with the oil and salt.

Spread them out on a parchment-lined or lightly oiled baking sheet and roast until tender and golden, about 20 minutes. Remove yams from the oven and reduce temperature to 200°F. For the quesadillas: Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Brush one side of each tortilla lightly with oil and place, oiled

THAI CURRY HALIBUT WITH RICE VERMICELLI Serves 2 • 2x 200g pieces wild B.C. halibut • 2 Tbsp grapeseed oil, divided • 1 shallot, sliced • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 Tbsp chopped ginger • 1 Tbsp fish sauce • 1 Tbsp red Thai curry paste • 1 can coconut milk • 1 cup water • 125g rice vermicelli • ½ cup bamboo shoots • ½ of a lemongrass stalk • ½ red bell pepper, sliced • 2 sprigs Thai basil, plus more sliced for garnish • 4x baby bok choy • 2 tsp kosher salt, divided • 1 green onion, sliced, for garnish

JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE

In a medium sauce pan sauté the shallots in 1 Tbsp of oil until soft. Add garlic and ginger and cook another minute. Add curry paste, fish sauce, water, coconut milk, bamboo shoots, red peppers, lemongrass, Thai basil and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a gentle boil and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes to marry the flavours.

While the sauce simmers, cut the bok choy in half and drizzle with remaining oil and salt. Heat a barbecue or grill pan to high.

Cook the bok choy on the hot grill until it is charred on both sides.

Soak vermicelli in hot tap water for a few minutes to soften.

Place vermicelli and halibut in the broth and cover. Allow the fish to simmer for 6-8 minutes, flipping once halfway through if it’s not submerged in the broth.

Serve hot with charred bok choy and garnished with green onion and more Thai basil.

Like the sound of this but don’t have time to make it?

Swing down to Finest at Sea and grab it already made from our frozen meal section!

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024 59

Food+Drink

SIPS

Kind of Blue TRADITIONALLY THE COLOUR OF QUESTIONABLE COCKTAIL CHOICES, SHADES OF BLUE ARE NOW THE COOLEST HUE.

By Joanne Sasvari

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024

ANDRÉA CONFORTI

I

t’s a bold decision to make a blue drink the signature cocktail of your fancy new lounge. But that’s just what Brant Porter has done at the Humboldt Bar. “I like how our house cocktail is blue, which is kind of fun,” says the bar manager of the stylishly cozy downtown hideaway. The citrusy, slightly floral, foam-topped drink is called the Cyanometer, and Porter explains: “This was a clever device created by a Swiss man [Horace-Bénédict de Sauserre], but popularized by Humboldt, which measures the blueness of the sky.”

The bar is named for Alexander von Humboldt, the 19th-century German naturalist, geographer, world explorer and polymath who had an outsize impact on our world. Among other things, he was arguably the world’s first environmentalist, or as Porter calls him, “the David Attenborough of his age,” and the type of capital-R Romantic who would want to define celestial levels of cyan.

Blue in the sky is caused by nitrogen and oxygen particles, water droplets and ice crystals; blue in cocktails requires other ingredients, usually blue curaçao, an orange-flavoured liqueur tinted azure. It can also be achieved through food colouring, some algaes or butterfly pea blossom, whose unstable pH shifts from indigo to violet, lavender to pink, depending on its contact with acidity.

In the case of the Cyanometer, the blue comes from North Van’s Sons of Vancouver blue curaçao. Over at the Fairmont Empress, the Lavender Haze cocktail gets its hue from Empress 1908 Indigo Gin, which is infused with butterfly pea blossom and has one very powerful fan.

“Empress 1908 Indigo Gin went viral on social media as Taylor Swift fans started using it to create ‘Lavender Haze’ cocktails in celebration of her hit song,” explains Lisa McPhail, director of public relations for the hotel. “The drink of choice quickly topped the fans’ charts — becoming the hit elixir for fans celebrating one of history’s most famous sold-out tours.”

It seemed only natural that the hotel’s Q Bar would rename its Lavender Lemonade for the popular song, too.

The blue in the Lavender Lemonade/ Lavender Haze is a float that transitions to purple, pink and gold; similarly, the blue of the Salish Seabreeze at The Courtney Room is also a float, in this case the SoV blue curaçao, that sits atop a tropical-meets-Pacific-Northwest blend of several kinds of rum, cream of coconut, San Juan kelp tincture, charred orange juice and pineapple star anise.

A kiss of ocean air, it’s just one of Find the recipe for Lavender the exciting and complex drinks bar Haze at yammagazine.com manager Anton Wilson has crafted with ingredients found by local forager Lance Staples and illustrated by artist Cate Webb, each paired with a thoughtful anecdote.

After all, as Porter says, “Every cocktail has a story.” And sometimes that story is kind of blue.

Cyanometer Cocktail Recipe courtesy of Brant Porter at the Humboldt Bar. • ¾ oz Sheringham Raincoast Gin • ¾ oz El Gobernador Chilean Pisco • ¾ oz Oolong Tea Syrup (see recipe below) • ½ oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice • ¼ oz fresh-squeezed lime juice • 1 tsp blue curaçao • 1 egg white • Garnish: Blue Bitters (see note) Combine all ingredients (minus the bitters) in a cocktail shaker without ice and shake for 10 seconds to create a foam. Add ice, then shake hard for another 10 to 15 seconds, until the shaker is cold and the cocktail is well aerated. Use a cocktail strainer to strain the cocktail into a chilled Martini glass or cocktail coupe, then garnish with 3 drops of Blue Bitters on top of the foam. Enjoy immediately. Serves 1.

Note: To make Blue Bitters, add a drop of blue food colouring to a bottle of Scrappy’s Seville Orange Bitters (or any high-quality orange bitters).

OOLONG TEA SYRUP • 2 ¼ cups filtered water • 1 tsp Silk Road Iron Goddess Tea or other high quality Chinese oolong tea leaves • 2 cups granulated sugar Bring water to a boil then transfer to a heat-proof container (such as a teapot) and add tea leaves. Steep for 5 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh strainer. You should have 2 cups of tea; discard any extra or add more water if needed. Add sugar and stir until fully dissolved. Cool, transfer to a non-reactive container and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Food+Drink

DESTINATIONS

Tasting Tofino IT’S WORTH MAKING THE JOURNEY TO THE EDGE OF THE WORLD TO SAMPLE ALL THE DELICIOUS THINGS IN B.C.’S FOODIEST VILLAGE. By Joanne Sasvari

I

JEREMY KORESKI

f you are thinking of making the trek to Tofino this winter — and you really should, because the off-season is the best season here — you’d better pack the stretchy pants. You should probably also start planning what and where you’re going to eat, because there are just so darn many delicious choices in this fishing village that’s as famous for its food scene as its surf culture and breathtaking natural beauty.

There are, of course, all the chowders and crab boils you’d expect to find on Vancouver Island’s west coast. But there are also perfectly laminated croissants, fat little panko-crusted oysters, towering stacks of albacore tuna tartare, handmade chocolates stuffed with local blackberry buttercream, the most delicate Korean dumplings you’ve ever tasted and some of the finest high-end dining in the province.

And that’s just for starters.

Hungry yet? Us, too.

TASTY BEGINNINGS Somewhere along the winding bends of Highway 4, the rain eased off, the clouds parted and by the time we were rolling slowly up Osprey Lane to the Wickaninnish Inn, the sunshine was gleaming through the Chef Clayton Fontaine towering trees and sparkling over the waves rolling restlessly along Chesterman Beach.

The Inn is not just one of the renowned for attracting most storied resort hotels in the top culinary talents like province, a Relais & Châteaux Warren Barr, now running property that is regularly Pluvio Restaurant + Rooms recognized among the world’s in Ucluelet, or Nick Nutting, best by the likes of Condé Nast who is foraging and cooking Traveler and Travel + Leisure. It is At the Wickaninnish Inn, chef at Tofino’s Wolf in the Fog, also the birthplace of this coast’s Clayton Fontaine elevates local just two of the dozens of great renowned culinary scene and is ingredients to exquisite new heights. independent restaurants that still the region’s premier dining have followed the Wick’s lead. destination.

The latest chef to take over the Inn’s Before 1996, diners-out in Tofino could find demanding kitchen is Clayton Fontaine, who little more than the excellent fish ‘n’ chips at The previously cooked at some of Canada’s most Schooner (which, remarkably, has been operating highly regarded restaurants, places like Canoe from its berth on Campbell Street since 1949) or in Toronto and Model Milk in Calgary. He has fresh Dungeness crab at the cozy shack on the brought a meticulous, flavourful expressiveness edge of town. to the plate. Think plump, almost architectural Then the Wickaninnish Inn flung open its tortellini stuffed with Port Alberni-raised hand-carved doors, chef Rob Butters cooked up venison and bathed in savoury mushroom dashi his West Coast-style bouillabaisse and visitors or charcoal-grilled sablefish garnished prettily started coming to Tofino just for the food.

In the nearly 30 years since, the Inn has been with seaweed chips from local NAAS Foods.

JEREMY KORESKI

“We get very small seasons of very niche things. It’s a challenge, and it’s lots of fun.”

“I think a lot of it for me is obviously what Vancouver Island has, and what the coast has, and educating people about that bounty,” Fontaine says. “We get very small seasons of very niche things. It’s a challenge, and it’s lots of fun.”

BOUNTY FROM THE SEA But before Fontaine can assemble that beautiful sablefish dish, Stevie Dennis has to head out to his seaweed farm in Clayoquot Sound. Dennis is the co-founder and owner of NAAS Foods, an Ahousaht member of the Keltsmaht First Nation and the best kind of storyteller to find behind the wheel of a fishing boat.

“There’s so much you can do with kelp,” he says as we arc through the glass-smooth water.

“The thing with the kelp on the B.C. coast is it’s supposed to be the richest and highest quality kelp in the world. It ticks all the boxes of being sustainable and eco-friendly and versatile.”

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024 61

JOANNE SASVARI

Dennis comes from a family of commercial fishers, and his team processes fish caught by sports fishers and sells local halibut, salmon, crab, oysters and prawns. But recently they’ve shifted their focus to harvesting, farming and processing seaweed. (The umami-rich NAAS Foods kelp seasonings are a must for professional and home cooks alike.) He sees limitless opportunity in seaweed and, besides, it lets him do his favourite thing.

“Any day on the water is a good day,” he says with a laugh. “The kelp forests are just beautiful.

It’s wild, the amount of sea life in the forests. We have very, very healthy water here.”

WORLD OF FLAVOURS Back on dry land, we head down to the very end of Tofino’s main road, to the shipping container that houses Ouest Artisan Patisserie.

Here Jessyca Fulsom and pastry chef Stephen Nason offer some of the prettiest French pastries we’ve ever seen. We manage to grab the very last, shatteringly flaky chocolate-almond croissant, and leave behind only crumbs.

Then, as a soft rain starts to fall, we meander past Tofino’s galleries and cafés, surf shops and whale-watching operations, and stumble into one of the best meals of our lives.

Jeju is a tiny, family-run Korean restaurant, the first in Tofino. In summer, crowds lined up for hours to try chef and co-owner Dylan (Yunyoung)

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At Jeju, discover fresh, fragrant Korean flavours in the steamed pork dumplings and KFC lettuce wraps.

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024

Stevie Dennis, owner of NAAS Foods, has shifted his focus to sustainable seaweed farming and processing.

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SHELTER FROM THE STORM Yet we still manage one more stop on our way back to the Inn, at the new Shelter, which has risen from the ashes since its original location burned to the ground a year ago. Now relocated to the shuttered, and completely transformed, 1909 Kitchen/Hatch Pub at Tofino Resort + Marina, it combines a casual pub and slightly fancier restaurant with a new café, event space and acres and acres of patio seating with spectacular views overlooking Clayoquot Sound.

“One of the intentions with the space was to create a more elevated dining experience,” says Matty Kane, Shelter’s executive chef and chief operating officer. Beyond adding breakfast in the café, he’s not planning to change the culinary offerings much — after all, Shelter developed its loyal following for a reason. “But the wine menu is changing substantially. We have a massive cage now so we have thousands of bottles.”

We make a note to self: Plan a speedy return.

After all, we didn’t have time to try the housemade charcuterie at Picnic, the craft beers at Tuff City Brewing, the pork carnitas at Tacofino, the boat-to-bowl takeout at Wildside Grill — those oysters! — and so, so many other things. But we’ll be back soon, and we’ll bring our appetites, and those stretchy pants, with us.

IF YOU GO The Wickaninnish Inn, perched dramatically above Chesterman Beach, is still the destination resort on this coast, a Relais & Châteaux property with all the elevated service and attention to detail that entails. wickinn.com But there are also dozens of other accommodation options; to find those, as well as places to dine, beaches for surfing and other travel information, visit the Tourism Tofino website. tourismtofino.com

Paris au * printemps!

Scan to learn more about the trip

May 7 to 13, 2024

Escape to enchanting Paris on a 7-day adventure with Colleen and Cathy as we celebrate 20 years creating amazing women’s tours!

Get ready to be swept away by the perfect blend of culture, history, art, and, of course, the finest wines the City of Light has to offer! s Colleen

Your host

BC Reg. 63139

Kim’s profoundly flavourful food. On a wintry Wednesday, though, we stroll right in and feast on tangy, yuzumarinated scallops, crispy seaweed spring rolls, crunchy “KFC” (Korean fried chicken) in lettuce wraps and dumplings with whisper-thin wrappers hugging savoury pork filling. We follow that with japchae, chewy noodles tossed with a rainbow of vegetables, as well as chili-infused soup, bibimbap that is all the things and the dish we’re still dreaming about, fall-apart-tender baby back ribs with a garlicky barbecue sauce slow-cooked to a caramel lacquer.

All vivid colour and flavour, it’s as perfect a counterpoint to the grey day as the Kim family’s warm hospitality. We are replete.

y. and Cath

*Paris in the Spring!

1889 Oak Bay Avenue, Victoria | 250-480-0008 | nichewomenstours.ca

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024 63

SCENE

Lorca, Flamenco and the Spanish Civil War Pacific Opera Victoria steps into lush new territory with the foot-stomping, genderbending Ainadamar.

By David Lennam

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SPAI

H

ow do you follow up on one of the all-time heavyweights of opera?

By presenting one few people have heard of.

Pacific Opera Victoria opened its season in October with an epic, five-hour staging of Wagner’s Die Walküre — complete with its “Ride of the Valkyries,” thunderous score and all that inspiration for a Bugs Bunny cartoon.

From February 21 to 27, they’re producing Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar.

This contemporary work (first staged in 2003), from an Argentinian composer who only wrote one opera, features none of the classical oomph or that Game of Thrones esthetic of Walküre and clocks in at just over 80 minutes (less than the second act of Walküre). But it’s an opera that comes in as something of a dark horse in a season bookended by standards.

The design of an opera season to include the expected and unexpected is part of the legacy of founding artistic director Timothy Vernon, who just retired after guiding the small opera company through most of its first 48 years and 150 shows. For every Carmen there was a Flight.

For every La Bohème there was an Erewhon, a Rattenbury or a Missing.

Vernon’s template is well known to incoming artistic director Brenna Corner and it’s one she’s excited to build on.

“Some audiences,” she says, “don’t want to go on those adventuresome journeys, so it’s very exciting for me to be coming into a company

Ainadamar tells the tragic story of Spanish playwright Garciá Lorca and his muse, Margarita Xirgu, pictured here in August 1935.

where that’s already established.”

The POV’s newly crowned principal conductor has also seen the willingness of Victoria audiences to embrace works well beyond the classics.

Giuseppe (Joey) Pietraroia, in his 20th year with the company, says locals are hungry for the new and the neglected.

“Opera is 400 years old. We can’t just keep playing the same Top 10 all the time,” he says.

“As you build your audience, and your trust in an audience, you can take them on a journey.”

For those unfamiliar with Ainadamar (and that’s pretty well all of us), it is the story of Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca and his

muse, an actress named Margarita Xirgu, which unravels in reverse through flashbacks and ends tragically with Lorca’s violent death at the hands of the fascists in the Spanish Civil War. Pietraroia points out that while it’s about Lorca, the libretto by American David Henry Hwang puts the emphasis on the couple’s relationship. “It’s her reminiscence of his life and her guilt in not convincing him to leave Spain,” he says.

Pietraroia, who spent marathon sessions in the pit conducting Walküre, says Ainadamar presents its own novelty and challenges. A technical monster of a production, it’s the first POV offering to be sung in Spanish. It’s also the first to feature music that’s flamenco-heavy, with all the percussive instruments (and two guitars in the orchestra) that drive the rhythms of Spanish dance — dance that takes a major role here.

He says it resides somewhere between opera and a passion play, with the artistic martyrdom of Lorca.

And look for Polish mezzo-soprano Hanna Hipp singing the role of Lorca. Pietraroia explains this “trouser role,” as it’s referred to when a role is performed by a player of the opposite sex, is not a completely uncommon one. “It’s very similar with what Mozart did with Cherubino in Marriage of Figaro.”

Which is how POV will end its season in April.

Ainadamar will take place February 21, 23, 25 and 27 at the Royal Theatre. For tickets and info, visit pacificopera.ca or rmts.bc.ca.

CULTURE CALENDAR These are some of the events we’re most excited about as the new year begins.

Jesus Christ Superstar: 50th Anniversary Tour

Victoria Film Festival

A rock opera that shook the world when it debuted on Broadway in 1971, Andrew Lloyd Weber’s epic, award-winning show is back five decades later to tell the tale of Jesus Christ’s last few weeks of life through Judas’s eyes and unforgettable songs including “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” “Gethsemane” and, of course, “Superstar.” rmts.bc.ca

For 30 years, VFF has been bringing exciting new voices and visions in cinema to the Island, and this February is no different. The 10-day fest will feature films by both established and emerging directors sharing provocative ideas from all corners of the world. Don’t forget the popcorn! victoriafilmfestival.com

Corteo

January 11 to14, Save-On Foods Memorial Centre Prepare to be charmed by Cirque du Soleil’s most enchanting arena production, and one that has dazzled over 10 million people in 20 countries. Corteo is a joyous procession that combines acrobatic feats, comedy and acting to plunge spectators into a carnival-like world suspended between heaven and earth. sofmc.com

Snowed In Comedy Tour January 20, Royal Theatre

Who doesn’t need a good laugh in the doldrums of January? These four international comedians are sure to keep you in stitches: Just for Laughs winner Dan Quinn; the Great Canadian Laugh Off winner Paul Myrehaug; six-time Canadian Comedian of the Year nominee Pete Zedlacher; and Erica Sigurdson, who has appeared on CBC’s The Debaters more than 70 times. A rare international success story, now celebrating its 15th year, this small Canadian comedy tour is surely having the last laugh. rmts.bc.ca

Victoria In Love

January 27 and 28, Royal Theatre Love is in the air with dances and romances performed by the Victoria Symphony and Broadway vocalist Lizzie Klemperer. Follow the story of Romeo and Juliet, as told through the music of Bernstein, Mancini, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and more. rmts.bc.ca

Aaron Pritchett: The Liquored Up

February 2 to 11, The Vic Theatre

As Above by Christine Quintana February 6 to March 3, The Belfry Theatre

This moving celebration of Compagnie Hervé Koubi: The Barbarian Nights hope was commissioned by The Belfry and written by the Jessie and Dora Award-winning B.C. from the past, the clues lead to a miscarriage playwright Christine Quintana. Set in Victoria, it of justice — and the murderer might be (much) follows a woman, a former botanical researcher, closer than they think. langhamtheatre.ca eight years sober and on a quest to rebuild the life she destroyed. belfry.bc.ca

Alan Doyle: Welcome Home Tour

Compagnie Hervé Koubi: The Barbarian Nights February 2 and 3, Royal Theatre

Street dancers from Algeria, Morocco, France and Burkina Faso evoke the humanity of the early settlers of the Mediterranean basin, in dazzling crystal headdresses and whirling dark skirts, against a musical backdrop of Mozart, Fauré and traditional Algerian melodies. rmts.bc.ca

Feist

February 11, Royal Theatre Singer, songwriter, guitarist, solo artist, member of the indie rock group Broken Social Scene and 11time Juno Award winner Leslie Feist performs songs from her new album, Multitudes, in the round with 360-degree immersive sound. rmts.bc.ca

Tour with special guests Cory Marks and Matt Lang

Murder Weekend

February 1, Mary Winspear Centre

February 21 to March 10, Langham Court Theatre

Celebrating the launch of their party-hardy new single, “Liquored Up,” these three diverse, awardwinning country talents bring their down-home style to Sidney. Grab your boots and hat, and get ready to kick up your heels! marywinspear.ca

In this classic whodunnit by Frank Williams (better known as the dithering vicar on the classic British sitcom Dad’s Army), a country house hotel hosts its first guests, participants in a murder weekend. As they re-enact a true crime

with special guest Adam Baldwin February 22, McPherson Playhouse

From one coast to the other, Newfoundland’s Alan Doyle and his Beautiful Beautiful Band bring their rollicking, Celtic-y party tunes to town as part of their North American tour to launch his new album, Welcome Home. Doyle, previously a member of Great Big Sea and now an internationally acclaimed solo artist, writer and actor-producer, is one of Canada’s most popular performers, and way-hey-hey, this won’t be just an ordinary day. rmts.bc.ca

The Drowsy Chaperone

February 9 to 17, Canadian College of Performing Arts This sweet, funny and utterly delightful Tony Award-winning musical farce blends nostalgia with toe-tapping tunes when a die-hard theatre fan plays his favourite cast album and the characters come to life in one show-stopping number after another. It’s part of a terrific lineup of performances as celebrated alumni return to help the Victoriabased CCPA celebrate its 25th anniversary. Also on the calendar: the all-alumni Anne of Green Gables — The Musical, April 19 to 27, 2024. ccpacanada.com

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024 65

FRÉDÉRIC DE FAVERNEY

January 2 to 7, Royal Theatre

PERSPECTIVE

A Hopeful Sign of Spring

By Joanne Sasvari

I

f hope had a colour, it would be royal purple, or maybe saffron yellow, pale lavender, snowy cream or white.

Those are the hues of the crocuses that peek so shyly from what’s left of last season’s withered leaves, the first sign of spring and the warmer, sunnier, more optimistic days ahead.

Here in Victoria, crocuses start blooming in February, before pretty much anywhere else in Canada. While our friends in Calgary and Toronto are still shovelling snow, we’re gathering these pretty flowers in bud vases, knowing that the whole bouquet of spring blossoms — the tulips, irises, daffodils, magnolias and ornamental cherries — is not far behind.

There are actually two types of crocus that bloom here in February and March. The first are the snow crocuses, also known as botanical crocuses, which have small, neat flowers and grow in tidy clusters. They’re followed a couple of weeks later by the larger, singleblossom Dutch crocuses.

Both are grown from corms that are planted in fall, and if you have crocuses in your garden this February, you should thank past you for your forethought.

As with tulips, it was the Dutch who popularized these flowers. It’s likely that crocuses originated in Asia, or maybe the eastern Mediterranean; in any case, they arrived in the Netherlands in the 1500s, made their way across Europe and were one of the first bulbs brought to the New World. Today there are some 80 species of crocus, including hybrids, around the world.

And the crocus is more than a pretty face. Its name comes from the Greek word “krokos,” which means “saffron,” and yes, the world’s most expensive spice is painstakingly harvested from the stigmas of the autumn-blooming Crocus sativus.

We love crocuses. They are bright when we are weary of the dark, colourful when things seem grey and bleak, optimistic when we feel discouraged by the state of the world.

And isn’t that just what we need most right now?

66

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2024

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Compagnie Hervé KOUBI in Les nuits barbares. Photo © Pierangela Flisi

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