YAM Magazine - January/February 2020

ISSUE 65 JAN/FEB 2020

yammagazine.com

20 TRENDS FOR 2020

TREND ISSUE

HOME • FASHION • PEOPLE • LIFE • FOOD

MEET THE VOLVO HYBRID FAMILY. Our no-compromise combination of plug-in battery electric power and an efficient petrol engine provides low to zero tailpipe emissions, excellent flexibility, and a powerful driving experience.

Volvo Cars Victoria, the newest addition to the GAIN Group of Companies, is moving home to its original location at 1101 Yates at Cook. Coming this Spring, 2020.

Learn more at volvocarsvictoria.com

VOLVO CARS VICTORIA A DIVISION OF GAIN GROUP

2735 Douglas St, Victoria, BC

250.382.6122 volvocarsvictoria.com

European models may be shown. Features, specifications and equipment may vary in Canada. Visit volvocars.ca for more information on Canadian models and features. Š2020 Volvo Cars Canada Ltd. Always remember to wear your seat belt. DL4891 #41497

Organic Living from Finland Introducing the Monika Sleeper in Queen, Double and Single INTRODUCTORY OFFER: Queen $2,795 | Double $2,595 | Single $1,995 Available for immediate delivery.

Complimentary Design Service 1802 GOVERNMENT STREET

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Trend Issue

CONTENTS 32

URBAN SHOWPIECE

Dramatic things happen when a former hotel condo is transformed into a modern waterfront dream home.

By Danielle Pope

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52

58

62

SPECIAL SECTION

20 TRENDS FOR 2020

COOL & CAFFEINATED

THE JOY OF MISSING OUT

MOTHER AFRICA

West Coast Weddings

From ugly food and CBD skin care to communal living and sound therapy, here are the top trends you’ll be seeing this year.

A fascinating look at our city’s caffeine culture through the eyes of the people who run its trendiest coffee shops.

YAM discovers that sometimes what we say no to is often more powerful than what compels us to say yes.

Chef Castro Boateng cooks up a traditional African feast for family and friends and shares coveted recipes.

By Athena McKenzie

By Julia Dilworth

By Danielle Pope

By Cinda Chavich

Embrace freespirited coastal romance with a boho-inspired dress, locally sourced flowers and a simply elegant cake.

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

41

BRIGGS & STRATTON AND ASSOCIATES

CO N T E N T S in every issue

COVER STORY

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For those with memories to make strattonandbriggs.com

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E DITOR’S NOTE

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HERE + NOW

20

IN PERSON

YAM’s latest finds in home design and décor, fashion, lifestyle and food.

Designer and home stager Josée Lalonde shares her secrets of style.

By Julia Dilworth

32 Nancy Stratton REALTOR® 250.857.5482

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Rebecca Barritt REALTOR® 250.514.9024

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strattonandbriggs.com sothebysrealty.ca Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, Independently Owned and Operated. Not intended to solicit properties already under agreement. E&O.E: This information is from sources which we deem reliable, but must be verified.

A former hotel suite overlooking the harbour is transformed into a chic condo.

By Danielle Pope

Sophia Briggs 250.418.5569

Personal Real Estate Cororation

HOME + LIFESTYLE

STYLE WATCH Force of nature.

Styled by Janine Metcalfe

SCENE The Victoria Symphony goes a bit radical with its take on Frank Zappa.

By David Lennam

74 DO TELL

A Proust-style interview with photographer Simon DesRochers.

By Kerry Slavens

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

32

For those who seek an exceptional life.

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GROW YOUR INVESTMENTS Managing business, family and personal wealth

EDITOR’S NOTE

Pushing the Reset Button

I

f you’re reading this just after New Year’s, maybe you’ve made your resolutions — and perhaps you’ve even broken one already. Not to worry; a fresh start is always possible. You don’t need a special day, week or month for it. You just have to decide it’s time to hit the reset button.

Some people save their reset buttons for really big things in life — when the urge to break free is greater than the fear of change. This is the kind of reset that leads to career changes, relationship breaks and even radical and life-altering events or journeys, like the kind Elizabeth Gilbert wrote about in her memoir Eat Pray Kerry Slavens, Editor-in-Chief Love and Cheryl Strayed wrote about in Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Those are epic resets, something I’ve experienced at least twice in my life. But the truth is, a reset button is just too useful to save for once-in-a lifetime adventures. I The present have often activated my reset button while driving to work changes the past. in the morning. You know those days when you spill coffee Looking back you on your clothes or rip your tights on the way out the door?

Before you know it, you’re running late, hitting every red do not find what light and bullying yourself that you’re a complete screw-up you left behind. who can never do anything right.

Can you relate?

Kiran Desai, The In the past, I’d let those mishaps set me up for a day Inheritance of Loss of negative thinking, but now I simply pause and push a button on my car’s dashboard — the one that never served any actual purpose I could find. It’s now my reset button and it’s useful for what my mother would have called an “attitude adjustment.” I used to have to engage in plenty of self-talk when I pushed the button. I’m okay. No, more than okay.

I’m worthy. I’m a freaking warrior. You get the picture. I’ve been through this so often that now, just recognizing the need for a reset seems to trigger a positive response in me that turns my day around.

My car’s reset button is, of course, a gimmick. You don’t need a button. You just have to say the words. It’s useful in all kinds of situations, including during disagreements when you know things are about to go off the rails. You can sit back and let things escalate (as they do), or you can say, “Can we just take a moment and hit reset?” It’s amazing how often this gets things back on track.

There are other ways of resetting, of course. Some people meditate or immerse themselves in nature. Another one of my ways to reset is simply to spend a day or weekend by myself. Solitude can be a great healer and it’s something we explore on page 58 in Danielle Pope’s feature “The Joy of Missing Out (JOMO).”

But here’s the thing I should warn you about. First, resets are powerful. Second, things will not always shift immediately because — as I’ve discovered through trial and error — a reset button is not a delete or eject button. It doesn’t magically change everything and everyone around you.

The only thing it will change is you. And that’s actually the most powerful thing of all. ____________

fave quote

IAN STOCKDILL Portfolio Manager & Investment Advisor 250-953-8461 or 1-800-799-1175 ian.stockdill@nbc.ca www.ianstockdill.com

National Bank Financial Suite 700, 737 Yates St., Victoria National Bank Financial – Wealth Management (NBFWM) is a division of National Bank Financial Inc. (NBF), as well as a trademark owned by National Bank of Canada (NBC) that is used under licence by NBF. NBF is a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF), and is a whollyowned subsidiary of NBC, a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA).

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

I wish you all good things for 2020, dear readers. Here at Page One, we’re embarking on our second decade of publishing YAM magazine! During the past 10 years, YAM has flourished with the help of you and our amazing advertisers who believe in supporting the highest levels of independent publishing. I also want to acknowledge YAM’s owners and publishers — Georgina Camilleri and Lise Gyorkos — who started the magazine with the belief that Victoria deserved a top-notch lifestyle magazine. They are inspiring women who lead our team every day to be the best we can be — so we can help to inspire you to be the best you can be.

Email me at kslavens @ pageonepublishing.ca

RELAXED & CONTEMPORARY

2655 Douglas St 250.386.7632 www.luxevictoria.ca

“The calm oceanscape art, jute textures, and layered earth and blue tones all come together to create a breezy beach feel in this room. Having spent my whole life here on the west coast, I am drawn to the relaxed and inviting vibe of Coastal Design.”

JANINE LANGE, LUXE DESIGNER

VICTORIA’S LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

PUBLISHERS Lise Gyorkos, Georgina Camilleri EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kerry Slavens DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jeffrey Bosdet PRODUCTION MANAGER Jennifer Kühtz SALES & MARKETING MANAGER Amanda Wilson

LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Janice Hildybrant

DEPUTY EDITOR Athena McKenzie

ASSOCIATE GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Ben Barrett-Forrest, Jo-Ann Loro

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Rebecca Juetten PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Belle White EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Laura Brougham

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Deana Brown, Sharon Davies, Cynthia Hanischuk

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Cinda Chavich, Julia Dilworth, David Lennam, Danielle Pope

CONTRIBUTING FASHION EDITOR Janine Metcalfe

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jeffrey Bosdet, Simon DesRochers, Melanie Furtado, Joshua Lawrence, Ema Peter, Belle White

Sustainable textiles, hand dyed with natural colours from plants.

Made in Canada.

Av a i l a b l e a t

LEG WEAR & NECESSITIES 1032 Fort Street | 250.590.0026 heartandsoleshoes.ca

PROOFREADER Paula Marchese CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES Alamy p.68; Getty Images p.24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31, 41, 46-51; Stocksy p.24, 25, 30, 42, 43, 44, 45, 58, 60 GENERAL INQUIRIES info@yammagazine.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR letters@yammagazine.com TO SUBSCRIBE TO YAM subscriptions@yammagazine.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES sales@yammagazine.com ONLINE yammagazine.com FACEBOOK facebook.com/YAMmagazine TWITTER twitter.com/YAMmagazine INSTAGRAM @yam_magazine ON THE COVER Model Amanda M in an Elloise coat with faux fur collar by Soia & Kyo (Bernstein & Gold) and goggles by Schuss (MEC Victoria). Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet.

See Style Watch on page 46.

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

Printed in Canada by Transcontinental Printing.

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.

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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.

BC 12

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

HERE + NOW

FASHION FORWARD

PHOTO: DAZEY L.A.

Victoria-based design firm ALLELES Design Studio solves challenges through design, creating custom prosthetic covers for clients around the world.

“Diversity, inclusivity, body positivity — they’re all here to stay,” says McCauley Wanner, cofounder and president of ALLELES. “A huge part of this is the Influencer Movement.”

One such influencer is disability advocate and model Cacsmy Brutus (known as Mama Cax), a Haitian-American whose right leg was amputated due to bone cancer when she was 14.

“These regular people have points of view that people gravitate to — they’re actually changing the game in the fashion industry,” Wanner says. “Because of the nature of our company, we get to be part of all that.”

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

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John Shukin (left) and Jordan Campbell of Shape Design House

Local Luxury Made in Italy

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JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE

ach of designer Sheryl Temporao’s bags are inspired by different things, but they all share the same key considerations.

“As a minimalist, I want to ensure [each piece] has that reach-out-andtouch beauty, married with function and versatility ... They’re companions rather than accessories,” Temporao says.

Her line of bags, called LUSHER, is designed in Sidney, then handcrafted in Italy using ethically sourced vintage Italian leather.

Each style, from the functional beauty of the Hero tote to the timely — and timeless — Oscar bag, has its fans among her customers.

One design, the Stardust convertible bag, came out of Temporao’s own need for a bag that would not aggravate an injured shoulder.

“I personally needed a super comfortable, lightweight bag that would provide a lot of room, look stylish in any atmosphere while converting to a more casual hands-free style of a cross-body fold over,” she says.

“I decided on a style that is so unique but so practical, I sometimes wonder why we never see bags just like it. It’s so easy, like a best friend or a sister.”

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Everything is Connected 2

3

4

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At Shape Design House in Victoria, owners Jordan Campbell and John Shukin create objects for everyday use, giving special attention to material detail and esthetic functionality.

“We try to innovate not just with the materials that we’re using, but also with the way that we fabricate,” Campbell says. “We don’t put anything out that’s not perfect, which means we sometimes do 10 iterations of a product.”

From recycled paper coasters and custom lighting to minimalist furniture, their products are inspired by Scandinavian and Japanese design, as well as architectural work — but they are “trying to do our own thing,” Shukin says.

“We want to create something that feels West Coast — not West Coast rustic but West Coast modern.”

1 Herald and Gerald nesting tables have white oak tabletops with solid steel bases in powder-coated black. 2 Raven is a stovetop kettle and tea steeper. 3 The Tea-compression Kit comes with a walnut tray, kettle and an 11 oz. ceramic mug. 4 The Onyx soap holder has grooves to prevent the soap from sliding around.

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

The Stardust bag from the LUSHER line converts from a roomy shoulder bag to a sleek and stylish foldover, cross-body bag.

MAGIC + MEANING

Clockwise: Corvo Necklace; Silver Johnny Angel Hoops; Silver Swan Necklace; Rossa Hoops

Working from her home studio in Victoria, jeweler Shannon Munro creates pieces inspired by the stories of her life.

“All of the pieces connect to people or glimpses in time,” Munro says. “My braided hoop earrings with the heart charm are me remembering my late dad. I have this amazing memory of him braiding my hair when my mom was away. I called the earrings Johnny Angel for him.”

Her recent Swan collection came out of her and her partner’s talks about becoming parents themselves. “The swan popped into my mind — it represents my future baby.”

Working primarily with silver and bronze, Munro creates wax molds to cast her pieces.

Along with her collections, she creates bespoke, one-of-a-kind pieces — and she’s also hoping to launch a men’s line sometime in the spring.

“So much love goes into these pieces that they wouldn’t work if I was having a bad day when trying to make them,” she says. “Each piece finds its own magic and meaning.”

WAYS TO AVOID Five SINGLE-USE PLASTICS

It’s pretty easy to reduce the plastic waste you produce on a daily basis. Here are five simple (and stylish) reusable items to get you started.

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Millstone Reusable Mesh Produce Bags

3-Tier Stainless Steel Tiffin Set

Reusable totes for groceries are great, but it seems a bit counterintuitive to fill your totes with plastic produce bags. Instead, wrangle your apples and other fruits and veggies into these modern — and washable — drawstring bags.

The metal tiffin — a tiered lunch-box system that hails from India — is lightweight and provides three separate packable compartments. Its lid even doubles as a plate. The self-latching top container gives you the flexibility to pack just one course or indulge in all three.

The original beeswax wrap, Abeego is made right here in Victoria.

Available in four sizes (small, medium, large and giant), it’s made with beeswax, tree resin and organic jojoba oil infused into a hemp and organic cotton cloth.

Find local retailers at millstoneorganics.com

Available at goodplanet.com

Find local retailers at canada.abeego.com

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4

Abeego Beeswax Wrap

Saltspring Soapwork’s Solid Shampoo

5 Boho & Hobo Bamboo Cutlery Set

Forgo all the plastic bottles in your shower. Along with choosing bar soaps over shower gels, consider shampoo bars. These are made by hand and packed with essential oils, fresh ingredients and revitalizing scents.

Plastic cutlery may seem unavoidable when eating on the run, but this bamboo set is packaged in a washable cloth carrying case, making it easy to throw into your bag or lunch kit for those meals on the go.

Available at saltspringsoapworks.com

Available at bohoandhobo.ca

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

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C

eramic artist Michele Lafreniere of Buttata didn’t set out to work with restaurants or chefs, but her stunning tableware can be found around Victoria, in celebrated restaurants, such as OLO Restaurant and Agrius.

“I think because I love food and the chefs can be very creative — they often have a vision of what they’re looking for — there’s an element I really enjoy a lot,” says Lafreniere. ”I like that collaboration.”

This collaborative approach also extends to custom tableware sets for family use, though Lafreniere also loves working on single pieces, like serving bowls or mugs, which she says are the most satisfying to create.

Her business name comes from the Italian verb “buttare,” which means to throw, toss or fling, as each piece is hand thrown on her potter’s wheel.

“Forming by hand definitely adds something to each piece,” Lafreniere says. “I feel it’s the same as cooking — something about you goes into what you’re making. If you look at different potters around town, what they make is all a little bit different. The only thing I can chalk that up to is that creative vision and some element of the creator’s personality is coming through in what we’re making.”

SIMON DESROCHERS

The Personal Touch

More to Love

JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE

(L to R) Al Hasham and Rahim Khudabux at Max Furniture’s new Quadra Street location, with designer Amy McGeachy.

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

When Max Furniture moves from its current location on Bridge Street to its new home at 3460 Quadra Street, its floor space will triple to 9,000 square feet.

“We’ll have more room to showcase all of our lines and give the customer a better hands-on shopping experience,” says Rahim Khudabux, co-owner and general manager. “People love to touch something before they buy it, or have the opportunity to sit on a new chair.”

Designer Amy McGeachy will be operating an outlet of her design shop in the new space, where she can meet with her own clients, as well as collaborating with Max Furniture and its customers.

The extra space also means there will be a much wider range of accessories, including pillows, throws and artwork, for homeowners looking to refresh their décor.

With its stylish furniture and inviting layout, the existing Max Furniture location has become known as an event space, something that will carry over.

“We’re planning on doing a lot more events at the new store,” says co-owner Al Hasham. “We host not-for-profit organizations and charity fundraisers, around six a year right now, letting them use our property without any charge to do a fundraiser. It’s important to be part of the community.”

PHOTOS: BELLE WHITE/YAM MAGAZINE

Consigned clothing, shoes, boots & bags for the fashion savvy woman

Pretty Smart Long before sustainable fashion was the buzzy trend it is today, Not Just Pretty focused on stylish, cutting-edge fashion with a focus on the environment. Founder Pam Skelton opened the eco-boutique in 2005, and almost 15 years later, it’s still a go-to spot for sophisticated attire, accessories and skin care. From the elegant lines of dresses from BODYBAG by Jude and the delicate jewelry from Vancouver-based Pyrrha to the luxurious body washes from John Masters Organics, the offerings at Not Just Pretty prove that sustainability and style go hand in hand.

YAM CONFIDENTIAL

AFTERNOON DELIGHTFUL SHINE Fashion Tea returns to the Fairmont Empress in February to raise funds for BC Children’s Hospital.

This luxe afternoon affair features a pre-tea social mixer in the Palm Court, a Spring 2020 runway fashion show, the hotel’s famous afternoon tea in the Crystal Ballroom and more.

New elements this year include bubbly and mimosa pre-orders and the Rise + SHINE package, which includes a night’s stay at the Empress.

YAM is a proud sponsor of SHINE, which takes place February 2, 2020, noon to 4 p.m. shinefashiontea.com

Keys to the Candy Shop Giveaway Win a once-in-a-lifetime chocolate adventure from Cococo Chocolatiers!

One lucky winner — with seven of their best friends — will spend a funfilled evening at Cococo Chocolatiers (Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut on Broughton Street) sampling awardwinning chocolate delights. This immersive experience includes a history of the art of fine chocolate making as you indulge in the finest creations.

Contest closes February 13. Visit yammagazine.com for all the details.

We also offer ethical and sustainable cosmetics and accessories

by Canadian companies.

1507 Wilmot Place (Oak Bay Village) Tuesday-Saturday, 10a.m.–5p.m.

250-592-1116 alamodeconsignment.com Instagram @alamodeconsignment Locally Owned & Operated Since 2008

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

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TASTES+TRENDS

Make It a Mocktail There are many good reasons to cut back on alcohol consumption — and after an indulgent holiday season, a drier January is always a popular pursuit.

W

hether you’re giving up the wobbly pops for an annual religious fast, a diet or a new baby, it’s never been easier to find low-ABV alternatives in Victoria.

Mocktails are listed on the drinks menu at many local restaurants, and there are other tasty, fermented alternatives to try — like the creative kombucha from Cultured Kombucha at their Vic West brewery and seasonal bucha bar, or the fermented Jun Elixir on tap at Babe’s Honey Farm, both sold in refillable growlers.

Fizzy kombucha is a probiotic beverage and a nice alternative to beer, and the vanilla- and coffee-infused Cultured Kombucha on tap at The Market Garden has all of the dark character of classic stout.

You’ll also find interesting new alternatives to spirits on retail shelves

and back bars. One example is Seedlip, an alcohol-free distillate invented in England. It’s based on an old herbal remedy recipe, and comes in three flavours — warm Spice 94, citrusy Grove 42 and herbaceous Garden 108 — and is meant to be mixed with soda or tonic for an alcohol-free tipple.

Look for artisan ginger beer like Dickie’s Ginger (made in Vancouver) or try local Rootside Ginger Beer Syrup (just add sparkling water).

You can also ask your favourite bartender to shake you up a creative mocktail. At Clive’s Classic Lounge, the menu includes a selection of zero-proof options. Try the Blushing Ginger with black currant syrup, lime and ginger beer or a Chai Milk Punch with almond milk, chai syrup and turmeric elixir.

The bartenders at Sherwood specialize in “low ABV” cocktails — with flavourful

BELLE WHITE/YAM MAGAZINE

By Cinda Chavich

The Odd Dog from Sherwood features their Odd Society Mia Amata, Aperol and grapefruit juice.

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Island Thai

At Nohra Thai Kitchen on stylish Estevan Avenue, Phen Bryan is elevating the classic cooking of Thailand with innovative ideas and Island ingredients.

Dinner starts with the Butterfly Effect cocktail (an exotic combination of Empress 1908 gin, lemongrass, chili bitters and ginger beer) and ends with a fresh mango and sweet sticky rice dessert — both rely on the Asian pea flower to impart that dusty blue hue, so common in Thai cooking.

Bryan offers familiar Thai dishes with her

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own creative spin. Think citrusy green papaya salad with beans and cashews, Dungeness crab cakes with bright cucumber and beet relish and minced turmeric chicken, scented with the floral notes of toasted kaffir lime.

There’s much to explore on this exotic Thai menu, which Bryan says will change with the seasons, offering heartier dishes for winter. It’s all infused with her infectious enthusiasm for the food she learned to cook while growing up in southern Thailand, and her love of her new Vancouver Island home.

“Thailand is a country where food is everything,”

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

Chef Phen Bryan

she says, “so being Thai, I come by my passion for food naturally.”

The restaurant is chic and comfortable, with shimmering gold ceilings, cozy booths and contemporary Thai touches, building on traditions in a modern culinary dance.

BELLE WHITE/YAM MAGAZINE

LOCAL FOOD FINDS

2

Love in a Canoe

Can you fall in love in a canoe?

Chef Kyle Dampsy thinks so.

He’s behind the new menu at Canoe Brewpub and says, “Food can tell a story, evoke emotion and leave a lasting impression.”

Well, that’s enough to start a new relationship, and for Dampsy, it’s what his food is all about — relationships with local food producers expressed on the plate.

Dampsy grew up on Vancouver Island, and a recent menu showcases some of his favourite B.C. ingredients, from organic beef tartare with sweet black garlic purée and a salty shaving of cured egg yolk to Albacore tuna poke with sesame and fried nori, and crispy polenta topped with blistered tomatoes and creamy fromage frais from Little Qualicum Cheeseworks.

There’s plenty of local seafood — Pacific octopus, rock crab, diver scallops — and a rotating list of fresh vegetables, from

additions from house-made syrups to lower-alcohol beverages including beer, sake, sherry, amaro and vermouth. Popular choices include their Odd Dog, with Odd Society Mia Amata, Aperol and grapefruit juice or the house Radler made with light pilsner and rhubarb shrub. Yes, there’s alcohol in their recipes, but they’re high on flavour with less alcohol than boozy martinis and Manhattans.

Lower alcohol beers, like the citrusy Tricycle Grapefruit Radler from Parallel 49 Brewing or Phillips’ First Bjorn, a Norwegian table beer, have just 3.5% alcohol, cutting both alcohol and calories.

And you’re likely to find more alcoholfree or low-alcohol choices on menus, perhaps even alcohol-free premises akin to the new Mindfulbar in Montreal where none of the creative cocktails include booze.

Even as global consumption of alcohol continues to increase — the World Health Organization estimates there are 2.3 billion drinkers globally — many young adults are cutting back, thanks to campaigns from Dry July and Sober October to the Sober Curious movement. It’s all part of a focus on wellness and healthy diets — abstinence as celebrated on social media, in books and blogs.

Call it a mocktail or a placebo cocktail, it’s perfectly cool to hang out at the bar without the booze.

Or just order an Aperol Spritz and party on the light side!

HATTIE ROOT

Chef Kyle Dampsy

Healthy Vitality, Happy Valley Lavender & Herbs, TOPSOIL and City’s Edge farms.

It’s a bold experiment for a 450-seat pub, but Dampsy says he hopes to lead others to make Island sourcing a priority for restaurants of all sizes.

“My goal is to be a champion of local cuisine,” he says, pointing to his “floating page” of suppliers on the menu that changes with seasonal dishes.

“We’re taking what’s fresh and best from local farms and local waters — and trying to build that culture.”

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

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IN PERSON

Ask around Victoria about who has great style and Josée Lalonde’s name tops many lists. The interior designer and co-owner of The Housse seems to live and breathe style, from the way she wears her clothes to her home design sensibility and personality (three kisses, not two!).

She’s Got It!

By Julia Dilworth | Photos by Jeffrey Bosdet

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

F

rom the very first moment you meet Josée Lalonde in person, you know you’re in the presence of someone who just has that “it” factor. From her Panama hat to her blueand-zebra-print peep toe shoes, the interior designer and co-owner of The Housse — a one-stop shop home-staging collective in Victoria — seems effortlessly stylish.

The Franco-Ontarian Lalonde grew up loving fashion and design, but her career in styling actually emerged from a chance encounter. In another province, in another life, Lalonde was a dental assistant working on a military base in Ottawa. When her husband Murray Cuff was reassigned to Victoria, Lalonde helped to stage their house for sale. But when he realtor came in with her own stager, Lalonde says the poor stager felt a bit superfluous. “She looked around and said, ‘OK, well, you can maybe hang this picture here, but I don’t know what to tell you, it’s pretty much done.’ ” The stager suggested Lalonde try staging professionally, and after moving to Victoria with her husband, she did.

Thanks to “bouche-à-oreille,” a delightful French phrase for “word of mouth,” parttime staging eventually grew into full time, and after opening The Housse in 2012 with her husband, the entrepreneur now has her own boutique design firm and three Housse warehouses stacked to the rafters with an inventory of 7,000-plus dining chairs, sofas, lamps, rugs and accessories.

INTERIOR DESIGN VS. HOME STAGING The two businesses are very different, and the saying goes that you “renovate to live, and fix to sell,” says Lalonde.

With staging you have to isolate those special additions that will add value, without spending too much money.

“Staging is about creating that first impression,” she says.

“And thinking about how you want a home buyer to feel.

“Maybe you’re placing your sofa this way because you don’t want the glare of the window on your TV, but if you walk into a living room and see the back of the sofa, it sort of stops your flow. So we’ll put it sideways, so there’s a nice flow and you’re not shuffling around stuff,” she says.

It’s a careful editing process that doesn’t always make sense for everyday living, but can yield interesting results.

“Even when we’re using [clients’] furniture, we’ll move things around and add a piece of art, or we’ll add colour, and then the homeowner will say, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ ” After seven years in the home-staging business, Lalonde has learned (and pioneered) more than a few tricks of the trade. Plants are necessarily faux, silver accessories can be repainted a convincing gold with the right can of spray paint and the beds aren’t really beds at all, but an ingenious puzzle of specially designed PVC piping with a foam topper.

“We’ve created bed skirts that go with it and we dress it up like a real bed,” says Lalonde.

“We have to put little signs on it though, so people don’t sit down.” They’re easy to assemble, easy to store and movers love them for obvious reasons.

FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BOLD If you were to pin down Lalonde’s personal design style, it isn’t farmhouse, or all white or ultra modern. “I like to mix a little bit of the different styles, and I can appreciate elements of every style, but I’m going to say my favourite is more of a classic contemporary with a bit of boldness in there,” she says.

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Her husband plays guitar, and when he set his sights on a white electric Falcon with gold accents, she told him he had to buy it so she could design a whole section of their home around it. Her kitchen and breakfast nook are now navy (so the white guitar hanging on the wall “would totally pop”) with gold pendants over the kitchen island.

“I just get inspired by things like the guitar and work around it,” she says.

Another bold move can be spotted in her living room where her sofa is festooned with 16 cushions in total. In the middle is one cushion decorated with a popular expletive, delicately written in cursive.

In her native French it’s not a swear word, Lalonde explains, and, said phonetically en français, it only means “seal.” But it makes her laugh, and so it stays, even if it does shock the occasional guest.

“I JUST GET INSPIRED BY THINGS LIKE THE GUITAR AND WORK AROUND IT.”

FEARLESS STYLE Even with her personal style, she enjoys taking risks. “I love colour, I’m not afraid of prints, and I can mix patterns as well,” she says while wearing a cream and navy striped shirt with a pair of green camo joggers. “I have red pants, yellow pants, floral pants. I’ll wear a lot of leopard prints too.”

But this daring isn’t without rules: She’ll limit herself to one bold statement piece or one bold accent accessory per outfit.

“So if I have a hat on, I won’t wear earrings or I won’t have a necklace.”

She never goes anywhere without her “I Love You Forever” ring, a heaping blue topaz, a gift from her husband. They’ve never legally married, so she also calls it her “Living in Sin” ring — “I could not live without it,” she says.

Like her blunt fringe, expressive hand gestures and goodbye cheek kisses in triplicate,

CLOSETS • KITCHENS • EURO DOORS

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

Live Life Incredibly

WWW.INCREDIBLEHOME.CA

hats are a Lalonde signature. Her husband even built her a hat wall in their bedroom. It’s covered in boutique-worthy light oak wooden pegs to mount her brown felt Brixtons, fedoras, straw Panama hats, wide-brims, cowboy hat and more.

Her closet is a fashion blogger’s dream, with a full wall of shoe storage and a museum-calibre exhibit of dangling necklaces, vintage cuffs, chunky earrings and plastic costume rings draped and displayed around a glass vanity.

If Lalonde has disappeared in the house, her husband knows she’s off playing in her closet. She’ll take a glass of wine back there, try everything on and, when there’s a good outfit, she’ll record it in a spiral-bound notebook.

“I can’t believe I’m telling you these secrets!” she says. Clothes are arranged by bottoms — pants, dresses or skirts — and what they go with.

“I write everything down so that in the morning, if I don’t feel like thinking about it, I can just go through my list.”

A quick skim starting with “white jeans” turns up recommended tops and accoutrements for every type of weather and season.

FROM DESIGN ...

3D renderings, conceptual planning and permit drawings

RULES OF PLAY “I love dressing up,” she says. “But I buy things that I know I can wear with multiple things in my closet. I’m the same with shoes. If I can wear it with this, this, this and this, then all right! In the shopping bag they go.”

She’s similarly strict with trends. “If it’s trendy, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it suits your body type,” says Lalonde, who loves an A-line, but stays away from long pleated skirts.

Because fit is so important, the designer isn’t a huge fan of online shopping. “I’ve bought some stuff online, some good, mostly not so good, so I have to try everything on.”

Lalonde’s wardrobe is a healthy mix of high and low. (“Hats are high,” she admits in an exasperated whisper.) Her closet features pieces from Bernstein & Gold, Flavour, Amelia Lee — and local designers like Teresa Lindsay. There are even some pieces from Dynamite.

Her favourite piece of clothing? “I have so many favourites! I want to wear it all right now, at the same time, like Joey from Friends,” she laughs.

But perhaps it’s her coveted BCBG dress that sums up her style best: “It’s chiffon, pleated, and A-line with these leather straps in the back.

It has a bit of sweet because it’s a bright coral colour, but it also has a bit of an edge. I always try and have something that is going to catch the eye.”

So what’s Josée Lalonde’s ultimate style secret? “I always feel like I’m overdressed for whatever occasion — but I don’t care!” she says.

“In general, fashion has become a bit more relaxed, more casual, so I always like to zhuzh it up a bit. I’m not going in a crazy ballgown to an event, but I’ll definitely wear a dress or something special, because I feel like we don’t do it as often as we should. It just feels good when you feel good about what you’re wearing.”

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20

JACQUELINE DOWNEY (EAT THE FUTURE)

FROM UGLY FOOD AND CBD SKIN CARE TO COMMUNAL LIVING AND SOUND THERAPY, HERE ARE THE TOP TRENDS YOU’LL BE SEEING IN THE COMING YEAR.

By Athena McKenzie

F

or those who expected 2020 to have flying cars and food pellets, the year’s lifestyle trends may seem comparatively old-fashioned. It seems our high-tech world has sparked a bit of a rebellion, with people looking to community, the natural world and classic comforts — though reimagined with a modern touch. Here are 20 things you can expect to hear a lot about in the year ahead — some of which are really worth trying.

SIPS & BITES A WEE DRAM OF LUXURY Like many lifestyle trends, this one can be traced to the millennials. While people are said to be drinking less alcohol overall (a trend we explored in “Make It a Mocktail,” page 18) a recent Merrill Lynch Global Research survey shows that 41 per cent of millennials prefer liquor and other spirits

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

as their alcoholic beverage of choice. This has caused a spike in whisky sales, with organizations such as the Irish Whiskey Association projecting sales to double from just under 6 million cases in 2010, to more than 12 million cases in 2020.

Here on Vancouver Island, there’s been a mini-whisky boom, with many local craft distillers trying their hand at creating unique flavour profiles. Victoria Caledonian Distillery will release its Caledonian Whisky early in 2020 — the Invermallie is an Island single malt whisky.

insect protein is also sparking interest. A point in its favour over traditional animal protein is that insects can be raised on organic waste, meaning their carbon footprint is negligible.

If eating insects gives you the heebie-jeebies, they do have some culinary cred. At the recent Eat the Future culinary event, chefs Chris Klassen and Brian Tesolin of The Courtney Room presented the entomophagy course, which consisted of handmade cavatelli pasta infused with cricket powder, a sprinkling of the crunchy insects and a topping of microgreens.

FOOD OF THE FUTURE

UGLY DELICIOUS

Alternative proteins are big news right now, with nut-cheeses, almond milk and Beyond Meat a regular grocery purchase. Oat milk has also arrived on the scene to much fanfare, appealing to vegans, the allergy-prone, the lactose intolerant and those who don’t eat dairy. While much of the alternative protein discussion has focused on plant-based options,

In case you haven’t heard, food waste is a major issue. A recent study by consulting firm Value Chain Management International showed more than half the food produced in Canada is wasted and the average kitchen tosses out hundreds of dollars worth of edibles every year. A movement to counter these upsetting numbers is pushing

BISUAL STUDIO/STOCKSY

TRENDS

FOR 2020 consumers to realize that misshapen and bruised — and downright ugly — foods are totally edible. New start-up food companies (like misfitsproduce.ca in Central Canada) send boxes of misshapen fruit and vegetables directly to customers’ homes. Spud.ca also has an Organic Imperfect Produce section.

allowing users to upload quick 15-second to one-minute videos with music and effects.

The fun only grows as followers can respond with their own videos, creating an endless chain of reactions. (Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh targeted younger voters with a clip that went viral.)

SPARKLING RESULTS

HIPSTURBIA

We don’t need the survey from market research group Technavio to tell us that sparkling water is everywhere — health conscious consumers are looking to cut back on sugar but still satisfy that urge for a fizzy drink. Never one to miss a beverage-market opportunity, Sparkmouth (founded by Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.) uses natural fruit essences in its carbonated filtered water.

The term “hipsturbia” was coined by The New York Times back in 2013 in a feature about all the young creatives fleeing Brooklyn’s skyrocketing real estate prices and heading for the suburbs. This millennial migration is now being seen in cities across North America and, while moving to the suburbs to raise kids is nothing new, these “hipsters” are creating a different style of suburb, with all the live-work-play elements of an urban core.

No longer vast acres of cookie-cutter, single family homes, the new burbs have multi-family complexes, boutique shopping, restaurants and entertainment venues — and lots of great coffee shops, of course.

ALL ABOUT LIFESTYLE TIKTOK 101 Haven’t heard of TikTok? It’s one of the most popular social media apps on the planet,

ECOTOURISM Millions have been inspired by Greta Thunberg to start taking action on climate change. The environment has moved from a secondary issue when planning a trip to becoming one of the most important factors — this means responsible travel (with a minimal carbon footprint) to natural areas that conserve the environment, that sustain the wellbeing of the local people and involve interpretation and education. Nearby Port Renfrew is becoming an ecotourism hot spot, renowned for its big ancient trees.

NEXT UP, THOSE FLYING CARS? Driven by demand from eco-conscious consumers, expect to see a full range of new fully electric vehicles (EVs) entering the market in 2020. This spring, for the first time, three major automakers displayed fuel-cell electric vehicles — Hyundai Nexo, Honda Clarity and Toyota Mirai — at the Vancouver International Auto Show.

FROM THE RUNWAY

Highlighter Bright There is nothing like fashion to make what is old new again.

Highlighterinspired neons, Ă la 1990s, are another retro fad having a moment.

These runway tones stand out in a crowd, but their vibrancy makes them daring on an investment piece of clothing, like a coat. Try a fun accessory, like a clutch, paired with black, white or tan.

Arts & Crafts If you’re feeling the 1970s influence in some of these trends, it was readily apparent in the crochet looks seen on Spring 2020 fashion runways. This hand-crafted look is getting a modern update, with ultra-feminine dresses, polished suiting and even evening wear.

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

9:36 AM

STAY POSITIVE As we went to press, there were more than 11 million #bodypositive posts on Instagram, everyone from Hollywood celebrities and beauty brands to the wider online community. But it’s more than just a hashtag.

It’s a global movement that’s gained serious steam over the past decade and is changing fashion, wellness and lifestyle attitudes.

The idea behind it is simple enough, even if it triggers much debate: Body positivity means all bodies are equal — despite the images and ideals we are shown in popular culture — and are deserving of the same love, respect and admiration. U.K.-based swimwear company On the Beach recently launched a body positive campaign. Andrea Tarpey, head of communications, said: “On the Beach’s campaign is designed to bust the myth of ‘beach body readiness’. As far as we’re concerned, all bodies are beach ready.”

Psychedelic, Baby Retro prints brought major colour and pattern to many designer collections this year. Vintage wallpaper and couch prints were channeled on the runway by both Prada and Marc Jacobs.

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ON THE HOME FRONT Hello, Roomie Here’s another case of what is old is new again. People are deciding to live with strangers to save money and maintain a higher standard of living than they might enjoy on their own.

While “co-living” is another trend attributed to the millennials — and tech workers in urban hubs such as San Francisco and New York — it’s actually a lifestyle with advocates in all age groups.

From a single house with owners sharing the common spaces to communities of micro-houses with communal amenities and a sharing economy for cars, tools and toys, co-living embodies many forms. One of the main themes at the recent Home Futures exhibit — a collaboration between The Design Museum in London and the IKEA Museum in Sweden — was “living with others,” and featured One Shared House 2030, a project by New York-based designers Anton & Irene and the IKEA-funded future-living lab SPACE10 that explored the potential of communal living.

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Speckled Surfaces Last seen in the 1970s, terrazzo builds on the popularity of marble over the last few years, offering a more colourful, more playful alternative. Created with contemporary colours, modern terrazzo can bring visual interest and texture to countertops and floors, and works as graphic inspiration for fabrics and wallpapers.

The Zero Waste Lifestyle

• Refuse what you do not need.

• Reduce what you do need (and cannot refuse).

It’s no secret that zero waste is one of the biggest trends of the 21st century so far.

Along with food waste, the focus is shifting to the home overall. According to lifestyle blogger Bea Johnson, author of Zero Waste Home, ways to reduce your waste include:

• Reuse what you consume (and cannot refuse or reduce).

• Recycle what you cannot refuse, reduce or reuse.

• Rot (compost) the rest.

Locally, companies like West Coast Refill and The Soap Exchange provide bulk home and cleaning supplies to help you reduce container and plastic waste.

A CLASSIC CHOICE You can’t talk home trends without talking colours of the year. Pantone named Classic Blue as its chosen hue for 2020, describing it as timeless, enduring and elegant in its simplicity.

For a modern twist, Pantone collaborated with a number of sensory experts from the worlds of music, food, fashion, beauty and technology to envision Classic Blue as a sound, smell, taste and feeling.

The mixologists at Empress 1908, made by Victoria Distillers, created the signature cocktail for Pantone’s official Classic Blue launch event.

Island Grown Our mission at Trees Restaurant is to highlight Vancouver Island-grown produce in a sustainable way. We feature a seasonal menu reflecting our passion for fresh ingredients and our love for local food. Everything on the menu is made in-house for you to enjoy. This is a family-oriented space where all are welcome.

Looking for a venue to host your next event? Book your next meeting, workshop or party with Trees Restaurant. Email us at info@treesrestaurant.ca to start planning with our Event Coordinator.

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

The Sleep Prescription

If, for the past few years, it seemed as if every celebrity, your next-door neighbour and your mom was on the keto diet, get ready to hear a lot more about intermittent fasting. It’s poised to be the big wellness trend in 2020.

Fasting is a bit of a misnomer; the most common method is eating only in an eight-hour window every day, and fasting for 16.

“Research says that it can help you to lose weight and may help to improve blood sugar, reduce inflammation, prevent chronic

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disease and preserve memory and learning,” says Dr. Shannon Sarrasin — a naturopathic doctor and co-owner of Flourish Naturopathic — on the clinic’s blog about the subject. She does provide some words of caution: “If you are considering trying intermittent fasting, it is advisable to discuss risk factors with your health care practitioner. It is not recommended for individuals with a history of eating disorders, pregnant women, women who are trying to conceive, or children.”

DANIL NEVSKY/STOCKSY

Intermittent Fasting

ZZZ Z Z

In case you haven’t noticed, getting enough zzzs is cool again. From customized mattresses and gravity blankets to sleep apps and white-noise machines, getting some shut-eye is a major societal focus.

ZZ

Z Z ZZ Z Z Z Z Z ZZZZZZ ZZZZZZ

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THE SOUND OF WELLNESS

JUAN MOYANO/STOCKSY

Similar to meditation’s growing popularity, sound healing, which works in a similar way, is becoming more mainstream. Sound healing uses music to improve your physical and emotional health and well-being. It may involve listening to music, singing along, dancing or playing an instrument.

One form of sound healing is singing bowl therapy, which dates back to the 12th century in Tibetan culture.

The deep, penetrating sound produced by the bowls can relax and repair the mind, with a 2016 study by the California Institute for Human Science showing it reduced stress, anger, depression and fatigue. Locally, Nancy Watters offers sound therapy services at Luminous Tones.

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HOME + LIFESTYLE

URBAN SHOWPIECE A former hotel condo is transformed into a modern waterfront dream home.

By Danielle Pope | Photos by Ema Peter

When Sylvie Rochette arrived at the twostorey penthouse suite listed in a former Victoria hotel, it wasn’t her first time in the suite. As Rochette puts it, half of Victoria likely attended at least one party there in the last 40 years.

The suite was, in fact, one of the most famous gathering spots in the city for celebrations and, in its prime, was frequented by local and international notables. It was the very suite that Sam Bawlf, developer of the building, had kept for himself since the structure went up in the 1980s — and it was reputed for its unparalleled eagle’s-nest views of the city.

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Homeowner Sylvie Rochette worked with designer Bruce Wilkin to transform the former hotel suite’s small nooks into an open living area and brought in a sleek white palette and as much glass as possible.

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Situated between the Gorge and the Inner Harbour, its rooftop terrace was the premium place for experiencing Victoria’s Canada Day, Symphony Splash and New Year’s Eve events. The two-level, 2,300-square-foot unit was on rotation for everything from bachelor parties to executive fundraisers.

VIEWS ACROSS THE WATER When Rochette discovered the suite, it was the only one in the building for sale — and it wasn’t heavily marketed because the building was undergoing a glazing and balcony renovation so was literally shrink wrapped. Though Rochette couldn’t even see the views through plasticized windows, she knew its potential.

“It was just awful when I walked in, but I had been to parties here before, and I knew I wanted it,” says Rochette, who is the founder and president of Epicure. “I wanted a place where I could avoid the commute after dinner parties, and I enjoyed being on the water.”

Above: With porcelain countertops, luminous light and plenty of room for people to gather, the new kitchen is the centre of Rochette’s home and almost double the size of the original. It includes a Sub-Zero wine unit and in-counter steamer, but aside from these luxe touches, Rochette chose relatively standard appliances and items her clients would have in their own homes. That’s because this kitchen is also Before the photo/video studio for her Epicure products. Right: Motifs of light and glass throughout the home include a Bocci chandelier, which adds an airy focal point to the stairwell. Expansive white walls add a gallery esthetic, perfect to showcase Rochette’s art collected from around the world.

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

PHOTOS: BRYNN FEATHER VISUALS

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It might sound like an easy sell, but Rochette had to overlook wrinkled gold carpets, dated popcorn ceilings, heavy Tudorstyle spindles and valances and a big, dark oak staircase. It all had to go.

“When Sylvie called me she said, ‘You might think I’m crazy, but I’ve really got something here,’ ” says designer Bruce Wilkin, who worked with Rochette on her previous home in Deep Cove.

“The most remarkable thing about this condo is its jaw-dropping, panoramic views. You look out across the Gorge, the Empress and the ocean and you look down into water. There’s no other place in the city like it.”

Before

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GLASS & LIGHT To turn the pinwheel-shaped suite into something that could work for Rochette, however, Wilkin had to recover the space’s natural light and strip the interior to the studs. The kitchen would double in size as the centrepiece of the home, and small sitting nooks would be reabsorbed into the design to create a spacious living and dining area on the first level.

The second level’s three bedrooms would transform into an office, guest room and master, though the master’s thin closet would be expanded into a full walk-in closet (complete with windows) and ensuite.

The spectacular painting in the dining room — “Idle No More” by local Kwakwaka’wakw artist Rande Cook — was so large, it was unable to fit through the building’s traditional doors and had to be lifted by crane through the penthouse’s windows. Designer Wilkin set the dining area apart by creating an unusual white oak wraparound wall. Flos pendant lights from Gabriel Ross add visual interest. The before photo shows this room prior to the renovation, when it was used to host executive and wedding parties.

WOOD STOVE CROSTINI

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl combine all ingredients (except baguettes) and marinate 15 – 20 mins. Add oil until feta mixture is covered.

On a medium to hot fire, spread sliced baguette on a cookie sheet to toast one side. Once bread is toasted on bottoms (10 mins or so), flip and spread feta mixture on top of bread. Drizzle olive oil all over the tops. Toast on wood stove until feta mixture is warm.

Serve to friends and family and enjoy around the hearth!

INGREDIENTS:

• 200g Feta cheese • 8 – 10 grape tomatoes quartered • 1 whole avocado • Lime zest and juice to taste • 2 tsp crushed red pepper • Olive oil • 2 baguettes

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“THERE’S NO OTHER PLACE IN THE CITY LIKE IT.”

Above: The master bedroom (one of three bedrooms in the suite) was renovated to add a much-needed walk-in closet (not pictured) complete with windows and a view. A guest room and office makes the home ideal for a work-life balance.

Right: An expansive deck overlooking the Inner Harbour offers Rochette one of the best views in the city. White deck furnishings, pots and planters echo the serene white colour scheme used throughout the home.

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The bathroom includes Garry oak panelling, preserved from a fallen tree as a tribute to Rochette’s former home. The before photo reveals the dramatic changes to this room. The redesign required the team to come up with creative manipulations due to challenges with moving the pre-existing plumbing. The shutter wall in the old “honeymoon” bath was sealed off and a new pedestal tub installed next to the opposite oak wall. An Dornbracht faucet adds elegance to the room and hidden LED lighting creates a soft glow, adding a spa-like feel to the space.

Before

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The master bedroom features a unique upholstered wool statement wall, which both mimics the lines of the drapes in this room, and creates an oversized headboard for the bed. The floating bed and end tables were built from the same Garry oak wood product that was used in the bathroom and enhances the natural beauty of this room.

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

SAPPHIRE DAY SPA

Glass and lightness would become the theme throughout the house, including the glass-paneled staircase, complete with Bocci lights cascading like bubbles through the centre. In the bath, custom Garry oak panelling created a heritage wall feature, saved from a fallen tree from Rochette’s former home. One of the most challenging parts of the project came from an oversized art piece by Rande Cook. Too big to fit through the building’s doors, it had to be craned through topstory windows.

While Wilkin had some set building parameters to work with, the team was able to add a disguised HVAC and air conditioning system, water purification system, full-scale washer and dryer, kitchen appliances — including an incounter steamer for cooking ease — and white lacquered cabinets with durable porcelain countertops for heavy use.

“There is still so much space for people to gather around, to visit, to celebrate — and it’s luminous,” says Rochette. “At night, the suite comes alive with all the Inner Harbour lights, and we love our sunny little breakfast table in the morning.

It’s a space that feels like you can come and go as you want, and that’s perfect.”

BRIDAL TRENDS 2020

West Coast Weddings

Embrace the free-spirited romance of a coastal wedding with a bohoinspired dress, locally sourced flowers and an elegant cake.

O

ne of our favourite wedding themes involves celebrating where we live. And with its dramatic mountain and ocean scenery, beautiful gardens and bohemian vibe, Vancouver Island is an ideal destination for a seriously romantic event — ensuring memories that will last a lifetime.

As it happens, many of the big bridal trends work beautifully with a West Coast-themed wedding. It’s no surprise that sustainable weddings are on the rise, and Vancouver Island offers many vendors who prioritize the

environment. Consider also using upcycled elements (see our dress trends) and finding locally sourced flowers and food. Other West Coast friendly trends include unique venues — from oceanside to barns — local spirits, beer and wine (of which Vancouver Island has a bountiful array) and having your pooch be part of the ceremony, a surefire hit in dog-friendly Victoria.

Happily, the biggest wedding trend is individuality. Instead of cookie-cutter ceremonies and receptions, couples can create an event that uniquely reflects their one-of-a-kind love story.

Say yes to

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the BO H O dress

Each custom-created dress by Victoria-based Reclamation Design Company is made with reclaimed vintage lace.

Wedding dress trends tend to come and go, but 2019’s popular boho style will continue into 2020. It’s easy to see why, with the look’s soft and romantic appeal.

While some brides may assume a bohemian dress means a casual vibe, these wedding dresses come in a variety of styles. Some boho wedding dresses are laid-back, while others suit a more formal affair. What all bohemian dresses have in common is their romantic esthetic — unstructured, flowing lace designs embody the style.

Embellishments such as ruffles, fringing, pearls, earthy colours and drapey sleeves increase their fanciful look, while sleeves that are loose and breezy are another signature of this esthetic. For the ultimate in the boho look, sheer lace dresses make a dramatic statement.

While bohemian wedding dresses suit a variety of wedding themes, they work especially well for a West Coast wedding, and its more natural, rustic setting.

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The Laurel dress from The Signature Collection of Vancouverbased Laudae is a timeless lace gown with a plunging neckline and a deep-V back.

(Available locally through The White Peony.)

250-382-4841 stonesjewelleryvictoria.com Fairmont Empress Tea Lobby

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The Flowers

The eco-wedding trend doesn’t mean forgoing all the pretty touches. More couples are looking to sustainable floristry to help keep bouquets and floral arrangements eco-friendly. To avoid the high carbon footprint of flying in unseasonal blooms, these couples are choosing locally grown, seasonal flowers. Luckily for those on the Island, there are year-round options for adding that local touch to your West Coast wedding.

Statement bouquets almost have a foraged feel, with varied textures and colours.

While the greenery trend is still popular, it’s giving way to the earthier, more neutral tones of dried flowers and grasses such as pampas grass, dried hops and wheat sheaves. Pampas grass is a great addition to your West Coast event, their soft, wispy quality adds instant texture to anything from a bouquet to a ceremony archway.

Dried fruits and branches are ideal

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Featuring a brand new engagement section

A great way to pair the sustainability trend with this look is by finding a bohemian dress made from vintage or reclaimed lace. This makes for a truly unique dress that can be tailored to your ideal style.

While most bohemian dresses are made of lace, not all lace dresses are boho. Lace is a timeless look, and is having a moment in several styles of wedding dresses. For a touch of this delicate material, consider adding a lace half skirt to your dress for the ceremony, which can then be removed for dancing at the reception.

Sheer lace sleeves on a classic biascut silk dress, is an elegant way to give this classic look an updated touch. And for full drama, a tiered lace skirt makes a striking statement.

Another look seeing a resurgence in popularity is the deep plunging neckline. This look can be a little risque, so more traditional brides might prefer a more demure interpretation, with sheer panels or lacey scallops along the edges.

In other popular looks, the plunging V-neckline has evolved into the plunging back. This show-

The Lillian West Fit and Flare Gown with flutter draped sleeves has an elegant, chapel-length train.

(Available locally through Blush Bridal Boutique.)

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KIM LUCIAN/STOCKSY

stopping silhouette makes for a dramatic statement while you’re in front of all your guests exchanging vows, and makes for gorgeous photos of you walking down the aisle or during the first dance.

for winter weddings, and lend that rustic, earthy touch.

Edible flowers are a big wedding reception trend this year. Whether frozen in ice cubes, floating in your signature wedding cocktail, tossed in salads or sprinkled on dessert — or even as a delectable adornment on your cake — blossoms can add a distinctive element beyond just bouquets and centrepieces.

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Set the Mood

WEDDING BACKDROP: @COTTONANDTREE; EVENT PLANNER: @ROCKPAPERDETAILS; PHOTO: @ANARTPHOTO_LA

Nothing personalizes a wedding like the décor, from elegant backdrops and table settings to trendy Instagram walls and mood lighting.

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

SETH MOURRA/STOCKSY

HOUSE OF BOATENG CAFÉ

A decorated archway gives your ceremony an instant upgrade. Frame the moment you exchange vows with an arch that reflects your wedding theme. Some wedding arches have cultural and religious significance — representing protection, divine presence and the home — but they can also simply be a decorative element and a backdrop for photos. For an outdoor West Coast wedding, try draping your arch with flowing fabric for a romantic, bohemian feel. Use linens, lace, local greenery and cascading flowers to add that personal touch.

The bohemian esthetic, so complementary to a West Coast wedding, can carry through many décor elements,

Cake Dreams

by incorporating swaths of lace, crochet details and fringe or tassels. It can even influence your choice of mood lighting, which is another top wedding trend of the year. Whether it’s an indoor or outdoor affair, lighting sets the tone for your reception. For that romantic, boho ambiance, think vintage chandeliers, candelabras, clusters of antiqueinspired lanterns and lots of candles.

HONEY CRUMB CAKE STUDIO

MELISSA IVY PHOTOGRAPHY & MAEFLOUR CAKES

SUSAN FINDLAY/STOCKSY

Your wedding cake is really a blank canvas for expressing your wedding style, whether that’s traditional, modern, fun or rustic — and it can really be a work of art. This is especially evident with watercolour cakes, whose dreamy layers perfectly suit the West Coast bohemian-style wedding.

Flower- and greenery-topped cakes get a fanciful touch with dreamy hand-painted tiers in muted, pastel watercolours. These pretty confections invoke Impressionist paintings with their subtle washes of colour over buttercream or fondant. Just as important is the pedestal to display the edible masterpiece. A marble cake stand makes a lovely keepsake from your special day and can be brought out for all the celebrations in your life together.

Hot in 2020...

Invite the sky, the moon and stars to your wedding with a clear top tent. Add crossback chairs and harvest tables for a classic look!

And visit bwparty.com to see the all new Tidewater Sailcloth tents!

High season 2020 dates are booking up fast!

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

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STYLE WATCH Fashion Stylist: Janine Metcalfe Photos by Jeffrey Bosdet

FORCE of NATURE Dominate the season in fashionforward, ski-inspired outerwear with plenty of faux fur and retro accents.

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

The Cates II Fiesta coat by Baro (Still Life for Her), Minimum Yutte sweater in broken white (Label available at Still Life for Her); Taliana faux fur scarf by Soia & Kyo (Moden Boutique); Pajar mittens (Hudson’s Bay, The Bay Centre).

Hats, model’s own.

Avalanche padded ski jacket, high-waisted ski pants, pink ski gloves and purple goggles, all available at Mountain Warehouse, Mayfair Shopping Centre.

White Nostalgic turtleneck, rouge cashmere leggings, mauve 2 Tone Pom Pom hat, rouge Double Layer 2 Tone gloves, all available at Black Goat Cashmere; grey puffy jacket

by Luisa Cerano (Bagheera Boutique); Helen boots by Cecelia New York (Cardino Shoes).

Jakke faux fur Rita jacket (Moden Boutique); Assembly cream turtleneck (label available at Still Life for Her); Winter Bloom insulated overalls

by Ripzone (Sport Chek); Schuss goggles by Bolle (MEC Victoria); Pajar earmuffs (Hudson’s Bay, Mayfair Shopping Centre).

Tremblant jacket, Ferrata pant, Surprise mitts, Schuss goggles

by Bolle, Alta headband

by Pistil, all available at MEC Victoria.

Model: Amanda M, Lizbell Agency Makeup: Anya Ellis, Lizbell Agency

COOL & CAFFEINATED YAM visits the city’s trendiest coffee shops and chats with coffee-preneurs on the city’s shifting attitudes, culture and trends. By Julia Dilworth The modern coffee shop is a fascinating place, like a desert watering hole that pulls all its surrounding inhabitants together. And the people who create these spaces of refuge are equally interesting. There’s a shared love of coffee, of course, but also a love of people, of being creative, of building that home away from home that is, at times, an office, a place to gather, a refueling pit stop or your only hideout.

HEY HAPPY

You could say Rob Kettner’s coffee career started with a big break. The Winnipeg native moved to Victoria to attend film school with the goal of becoming a filmmaker and videographer — and he was doing it. He worked on film sets, released a short film, shot a documentary in wartorn Afghanistan, landed a job as a videographer at CTV — and then he broke his arm snowboarding.

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BELLE WHITE/YAM MAGAZINE

Rob Kettner, Owner

“I broke my humerus bone, so I couldn’t pick up a camera,” says Kettner. Unable to work, he started spending his days hanging out at his friend’s café.

“There was an old 1936 coffee roaster just sitting here, with a hand crank and everything. [The owner at the time] was quite busy, so I just started to help out. Long story short, I never went back to TV, and we started Fernwood Coffee Company in 2007.”

Tasting and learning about “real coffee” at Fernwood Coffee Company was a game changer for Kettner, who would go on to win Canada’s National Barista Championship in 2010, before branching out on his own to start Hey Happy Coffee on Johnson Street in 2014.

“Hey Happy was a lighthearted name that basically said, ‘We take what we do seriously, but we don’t take ourselves seriously,’” says Kettner.

Attitude accounts for part of the coffee shop’s “it” factor, but Kettner says Hey Happy was one of the first cafés in town to have a multi-roaster system, bringing in the best coffees from around the world. The Barn from Berlin; Heart from Portland, Oregon; and Lüna from Vancouver are samples of what you’ll find on their shelves.

With Hey Happy’s expansion into the space next door almost complete, Kettner was able to expand his vision too. The Bidgood + Co.-designed space has bleachers packed with outlets and USB ports, cozy seating areas and Art Deco livingroom touches that encourage a great “hang-out vibe energy.”

Kettner teamed up with BFF and OLO Restaurant chef Brad Holmes on a menu of simple bites — breakfast burritos, French toast soldiers with crème fraîche and maple dip and potato rushdies with tomato jam.

“I come from a film and TV background, but this is 10 times more creative,” he says. “Being a business owner, [making] decisions from what’s going to be on my menu to what colour the wall is going to be, is awesome.”

His big worry when he left film was that he might never find something as fulfilling. “Being satisfied by something you created and watching people enjoy it is the biggest satisfaction,” says Kettner. “And that’s what I get to do here — to serve somebody a wonderful coffee and get to see their reaction the first time they try something, like the coffee we serve here. I love that.”

“BEING SATISFIED

BY SOMETHING YOU CREATED AND WATCHING PEOPLE ENJOY IT IS THE BIGGEST SATISFACTION.”

ROB’S TREND FORECAST Au Naturel “There’s a huge trend right now towards naturally processed food and drink,” says Kettner.

Homestead basics like fermenting and pickling are big, and wines, beers and coffees are being left to their natural devices with minimal human interaction. “So you’re getting a lot of these wild, huge, fruity, funkier flavours,” he says.

Pop-Ups Gone Rogue While it may not be exactly street legal, Kettner says people are starting their own home “dump ’n drop” food services, making things like dumplings or salsa at home and dropping them off for customers.

We’d tell you who they are, but that info is off-the-record, so ask around and you might find a dump ‘n drop you like.

Return to Comfort Foods Precious dishes with 14 ingredients and high price points are making way for simple, easier comfort foods, says Kettner.

“A fried chicken sandwich, or a bowl of soup with a nice piece of sourdough still goes a long way,” he says. “Burgers and pizza aren’t going anywhere, but someone’s going to have a burger or pizza with a natural wine.”

Part-Time Economy Staffing his coffee shop with full-time employees hasn’t been easy: Everyone wants to work parttime. “I’ve got one barista who’s a photographer and another who’s a potter on the side, trying to start her own business.” The age of working one job for your whole life is over.

Do millennials have a bad work ethic? “I don’t think they’re afraid of hard work,” says Kettner. “I think they’re afraid of boredom more than anything. And I don’t blame them.”

Personal Drink of Choice “I’m a single-origin-filter coffee guy. While espresso is really bold and volatile and big — drip coffee is more subtle, more nuanced.

There’s more going on. You just have to look a little harder to find it, but I think it takes me on more of a complex journey. Drinking a great cup of coffee is based more on where it came from. If I really had to choose, Kenya’s the spot for me. It’s like a big red wine — big bold flavours, stewed fruits, blackberry, very acidic, expensive and beautiful in colour.”

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

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HIDE + SEEK

Jamie Owens, Co-Owner

BELLE WHITE/YAM MAGAZINE

P

eople say it all the time: Life is about timing. And if Jamie Owens and her husband Jesse Owens had opened their café Hide + Seek Coffee when the idea first came to them, “it would have been terrible,” Jamie says.

The couple — both born-and-raised Victorians — met in high school, married shortly thereafter and at age 19 already had big plans about opening their dream business. But before taking the plunge, they decided to test the field. She got a job in a bakery and Jesse started working at Caffe Fantastico. “We were smart not to do it when we really wanted to, when we first got married,” says Jamie. “So we gained the experience before stupidly opening a terrible café.”

The next eight years or so leading up to opening Hide + Seek on Oak Bay Avenue were spent learning everything they could. From that grew their love for baked goods, customer service and the craft of coffee. “I love the coffee. It’s just really exciting. Coffee’s really about exploring and trying new things,” she says.

Then, with the lease signed, they finally set about building their coffee shop, a place people could “hide out” and “seek friends.”

“We wanted to create [the kind of] space we wanted to be in,” says Jamie. “Like, we’re from Victoria, but we’ll never own a house in Victoria. It’s not in the cards for us, at least for a long time.”

So the duo asked themselves: If they could own a house, what would they want it to look like, how would they want to feel in it?

The answer? It would look a lot like Hide + Seek. Bright and airy, with pendant-light drops, woodframed prints from local artists, shelves of florals and coffee-table books.

Add in T-shirts and for-sale totes designed by friends hanging on the wall and cozy seating nooks with places for working, reading and talking.

It’s very “come in, stay a while.”

“We like to bring drinks out to people, to engage as much as we can,” says Jamie.

“That’s the hope, that it feels like a complete atmosphere as opposed to somewhere you’re running into very quickly.”

Hide + Seek also makes its own jam, almond milk, hemp milk and vanilla syrup. Jamie is always trying to add to the craftedin-house roster. (It takes more time, “but it’s worth it,” she says.)

Hide + Seek is not a roaster, but they source coffee from their favourites, like Vancouver’s Lüna and Creston’s Lark. Even their tea is curated, from JagaSilk, a local company.

“ IT’S A SCARY TIME AND IT’S AN EXCITING TIME TO BE A PART OF THIS INDUSTRY.”

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“They think about tea the way we think about coffee, which is pretty exciting,” Jamie says. The Earl Grey, for example, is a custom blend of cardamom and bergamot created by JagaSilk for Hide + Seek.

When Jamie’s knitting instructor needed a place to teach, Jamie said, “I’ve got one.” Now Hide + Seek hosts classes along with public knitting nights. “That’s the beauty of owning your own space,” she says.

It’s hard to believe the couple, who have two young kids, also found time in 2018 to open a restaurant, Sunday’s Child, with their friends from Ruth & Dean. “We’re still in that first-year crunch at Sunday’s Child, so life is stressful,” Jamie laughs. She says she wouldn’t mind if things were to settle down a bit. “I’d love to have weekends again, so I’m not thinking about starting any new things for a long time — my mental capacity is spent.”

JAMIE’S TREND FORECAST Engagement Isn’t Dead “I find there’s a lot of reflection in this space and community building. We have a mix of people coming in here, and what I love is the intergenerational play that happens, that people are really open to chatting with people around them and learning from elders and youths. People are always on their phones, but they’re still open to take a break from that.”

Fashion Flashbacks “It was a bit of a shock to come from being a 90s kid to seeing the 90s come back. That’s a wild ride! Seeing things that I dreamed I could wear as a youth, but that I wasn’t allowed to.

Or men having mushroom cuts is a real thing!

They’re pulling it off though. They look cool.”

An Emergence of Dialogue “I feel like people are really open to having conversations that are trickier — conversations that make them feel a little uncomfortable.

Those things, oddly enough, come up a lot in a café. For example, we’ve always closed on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, June 21. The first few years we got a lot of push back. This year we stayed open, but we did a fundraiser for the Native Friendship Centre. The first year there was kind of anger associated with it. People approached us and were like, ‘Why would you do this?’ But what I found really striking was that I had a couple conversations with people the second year we did it, that weren’t as standoffish. I was working on the bar and having real conversations about the realities of reconciliation. We were disagreeing, but discussion was happening still. Those people still come in, and I think that’s pretty exciting.”

A World Less Opaque “There’s a shift to more transparency, industry-wise. That is getting exponentially better,” says Jamie. “It’s a scary time and it’s an exciting time to be a part of this industry.”

For instance, she says, “Coffee is dying, climate change is killing coffee. And people aren’t ready to pay what coffee is worth.

Coffee is already grossly under-priced: A latte should cost $12. Someone hand-picked that one bean, and you need about 20 at least for a cup of coffee. And then somebody washed it, somebody dried it, somebody imported it, somebody exported it and roasted it and then shipped it to us, and then our baristas made it for you and presented it to you, plus all the other things like milk and cups. It’s just that realization of the special quality that is this drink. Like, if it was wine you wouldn’t blink an eye at paying $19 for a glass — and [those grapes are] grown in B.C.”

PRESENTS

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Personal Drink of Choice “I am a single cappuccino or latte person,” she says. “I love the sweetness in a single drink, because you just get so much flavour from it.

And I like milk. I’m not one of those people that likes alternatives. They exist and I’m happy people drink them, but I like dairy.”

250.589.3444 Saanichton tetleymd.com YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

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BELLE WHITE/YAM MAGAZINE

2% JAZZ

Sam Jones, Owner

L

ike many students putting themselves through university, Sam Jones was working as much as he could: Sometimes three jobs at once, but always at least two, to avoid student

loans.

Bitten by the coffee bug early on, one of his favourite gigs was running the outdoor coffee kiosk outside the Times Colonist building, so when it came up for sale, he bought it, even though he was still in school.

“It was just a small little kiosk, but what I found was, I had bought myself my dream job,” says Jones.

After seven years of post-secondary study, taking everything from cartography to biochemistry, he quit school to run the kiosk full time.

“I never took any business courses,” says 56

YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

Jones. “Out of everything I did, I avoided the business sector as much as possible actually — I never wanted to be ‘The Man.’” This kiosk was the start of 2% Jazz Coffee, which now includes two coffee shops and a brand of in-house coffee sold all over the Island.

“I love working with people,” says Jones.

“When I bought the business, I knew that my café had to be a place where people felt good.”

A visit to 2% Jazz should be a “syncopation” or “funky break” in people’s workdays, he says.

The idea is to break people out of their regular habits, give them some great in-house roasted coffee, sourced from countries of origin; good service (that’s a must) and then they can continue on with their day with more of a bounce in their step.

It’s a jazzy ethos that starts with the name — 2% Jazz — which comes from a Maceo Parker quote. Jones explains that Parker, “master of the funky saxophone,” calls his brand of music 2 per cent jazz, 98 per cent funky stuff.

“He always says that style of music is more about how the music makes you feel,” says

Jones. “He believes firmly that if you have an ailment, say you have a sore elbow or a broken arm, you put it up against the speaker, let the music flow through and heal you with the vibrations.”

Jones had to track Parker down by phone (this was before the age of the internet) to get his blessing. “I told him my plan about opening up a café that was more about having a good feeling, so everyone who walks in my door feels better just by being there,” says Jones.

“I really took those cues from his style of music, his approach to life, and he agreed.”

And when you walk into a 2% Jazz, that’s exactly how you feel. Everyone is friendly and welcoming, (we can overhear the barista ask if a customer would like their banana bread grilled) and, fittingly, Jones’ coffee shops play 2 per cent jazz, 98 per cent funky stuff.

“We strive to be the people’s coffee shop, and we wanted to feel like everyone’s home,” says Jones. “We don’t want people to feel out of place; we want them to feel like they’re in a place they love to be.”

FITTINGLY, JONES’ COFFEE SHOPS PLAY 2% JAZZ, 98% FUNKY STUFF

SAM’S TREND FORECAST Follow the Leader With globalization comes the formation of little tribes, with some kind of influencer at their head, explains Jones. “Uncoordinated coordination” is an emerging trend, with groups dressing outside of the norm. You can’t predict what the fashion trends are going to be, because they’ll be picked by the heads of these little fashion tribes, “telling their own stories and expressing themselves as independents,” he says. “And that really goes back to hip-hop culture, and it really brings high fashion to the streets.

Fashion has really become mainstream.

Like if you go to a place like the Four Horsemen, you’re going to see high-end fashion streetwear. Maybe cargo pants and Air Force 1s will never — and have never — gone out of fashion, and maybe they should never go out of fashion.”

The Future is Healthy “I think people’s attitudes towards life and themselves are becoming a lot healthier ... people treating themselves more healthily but also having a healthier outlook on life.”

The Upside of Social Media “People can be who they want to be so much more freely today. You can express yourself and project that in so many different ways through social media, more than you ever could before. I think people are really grabbing onto that fact and embracing that fact. That’s who they are, and to be able to push that out to the world is exciting.”

Endless Creativity Thanks to the internet, people have so many more opportunities at their disposal to be creative, to express themselves through art of any kind, from drawing to photography to videography. “And we get to see all of this in real time. It perpetuates cultures, it enhances everyone’s daily life.

You can see it anytime you want to. You couldn’t do that 10 years ago. We had to go to an art gallery.”

Ownership and Empowerment Jones says a big emerging trend is the empowered grower. “You have the power — you’re not being dependent on other means. People are taking their lives into their own hands, growing their own food or projecting their own fashions and their own cultural statements to the world. People are taking ownership of who they are.”

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2020

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o j y MISSING OUT THE

OF

Research shows that doing less can give us more.

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LYUBA BURAKOVA/STOCKSY

By Danielle Pope

H

eidi Sherwood was celebrating her birthday weekend away with friends when she realized she needed to slow down her life. It was a theme everyone around her was sharing: Days so packed, lives are so full, there’s barely room for rest, let alone time to consider the moment.

“My birthday is often when I take space to get clear on what I need, and I was feeling really unsatisfied with the fact that, even as a health practitioner, I haven’t been able to unpack this whole work-life balance thing,” says Sherwood, CEO and owner of Sapphire Day Spa and Sattva Spa. “There’s always so much to do and not enough time to do it. I needed that to stop. I needed to reconnect to myself.”

Sherwood was in the midst of experiencing a phenomenon Danish psychologist Svend Brinkmann calls JOMO: joy of missing out.

While passing up opportunities may not, at first, seem like a laudable goal, it’s one Brinkmann has dedicated his life’s research to in an effort to show the value of finding contentment with what we have — not what we feel we must do.

were literally going up in smoke, I was suddenly aware of how much I had taken on as our model expanded, and I had to get clear on why I was doing this,” she says.

“Overdoing anything creates fragmentation and, as I tell my clients, when life is becoming a routine of tasks, you’re not really living anymore. Until you can connect to yourself again, you’re not going to be able to connect to anything else.”

MOVING AWAY FROM “MORE” Kristin Schnurr was also looking for a life that aligned more deeply with what she wanted. She and her partner were constantly seeking time in nature, but with busy jobs, dizzying schedules and a newborn, “play” was getting harder to reach.

Schnurr, a naturopathic physician, decided to move her family, and her downtown practice, to a farm deep in the heart of West Saanich — risking her client base and her connection to the community she loved. Yet missing out on the faster pace offered her a chance to raise her family, her business and her food in a space that supported her values and wellness.

“We wanted to simplify things, and we knew immediately we’d made the right decision,” says Schnurr, who often sees clients seeking their own relief from chronic overwhelm.

“Life out here is still really full. We have two little girls, land that requires tending and a full-time business. Yet saying no to what we didn’t want, and yes to what we did, allowed for some spaciousness. Part of finding that spaciousness is realizing it’s there internally, even when life wants to pull you in other directions.”

Brinkmann says what we say “no” to is often as powerful as what compels us to say “yes.” The act of disengaging to focus on what really brings us joy is key to our wellness and true growth.

“Generally speaking, most people understand the beauty of dropping the intricate and complex, and focusing instead on the simple,” he says. “[But] we must choose to opt out — to miss out on most things — in order to be able to see something.”

What we say no to is often as powerful as what compels us to say

MISSING THE BIG PICTURE

yes.

In a society running itself ragged with tasks, to-do’s, bucket lists and endless social media feeds to validate it all, actively missing out is a counter-culture movement to the popularized FOMO (fear of missing out), and it’s harder than it sounds.

Brinkmann writes in his book The Joy of Missing Out: The Art of Self-Restraint in an Age of Excess, that not doing things rubs against our cultural norms — and our very nature.

“We are all supposed to be proactive, assertive and constantly self-developing, reading self-help books and taking selfdevelopment courses,” says Brinkmann, emphasizing the dire impact this has on both our planetary and internal ecosystems.

“In recent times, however, there have been few philosophical or scientific studies of the ethical value of moderation.”

Caught up in the swirl of productivity, Sherwood was given her own stark wakeup call in May 2019, when her recently established Sattva Spa was badly damaged by the Plaza Hotel fire, which crippled multiple downtown businesses. It wasn’t in the plan, she says, but it forced her to re-evaluate what she was doing.

“In that moment, realizing my dreams

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Brinkmann’s work could be taken as a call for mindful behaviour, but he also believes that living in a largely secular society, with a YOLO (you only live once) mentality, forces people into anxious states as they desperately try to fit in all the options life has to offer.

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LYUBA BURAKOVA/STOCKSY

Andrea Minter feels lucky her career was never an overwhelming choice. Minter is the co-owner of Victoria’s Russell Books — a literary treasure trove packed floorto-ceiling with thousands of titles. Minter comes from a long line of booklovers who weren’t always judicious. It was Minter’s grandfather, Reg Russell, who started the bookstore in Montreal when his wife would no longer allow their home to be overrun with books.

When Russell opened his first store in the 50s, filled with hand-picked titles, it quickly became a new-and-used trading hub for readers as fanatical as the bibliophile himself. Fast forward to today, and Russell’s Victoria store has expanded four times to meet its ever-growing selection and client base. Still, Minter says part of the magic of the store is finding that one special book amidst the masses.

“There’s a real joy in this work, because all day long we’re surrounded by people finding the exact thing they were looking for, or discovering one they didn’t expect,” she says.

One thing Minter has always been clear on was her own mission. From the time she was little, she knew she wanted to carry on the family store. She says having that singular focus has brought her a great deal of happiness in the work she’s doing today.

“The problem is not so much that we are not always happy … but that we think we should be happy all the time.”

Svend Brinkmann, The Joy of Missing Out

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LETTING GO OF THE REST Minter’s experience isn’t a common one, Brinkmann may argue, but he would agree that focus makes a big difference.

“The problem is not so much that we are not always happy … but that we think we should be happy all the time, and constantly chase new ideas and concepts to make us more and more happy,” says Brinkmann. “We may even achieve some degree of momentary happiness, but it is amazing how soon we grow accustomed to it and find ourselves again yearning for more.”

In his research, he looked into something psychology scientists have described as “hedonic adaptation” — or “the hedonic treadmill” — an experience where people get so used to good and bad things, they gradually cease to consider them good or bad. In other words, we’ve slowly lost focus on what a normal level of life achievement may look like because we’re constantly bombarded with ideals of overachievement: We strive to be the best in a culture that idolizes success.

So how can we step off the treadmill?

Schnurr says tuning into our bodies and the intuitive messages they send us is an important first step.

“We’ve fallen into a culture of overwork, and I think many people are approaching max capacity — which can show up as fatigue, overwhelm, anxiety, immune issues,” says Schnurr. “In order to heal, we need to bring our bodies from an activated, sympathetic (stressed) state to a parasympathetic state: our rest, relax response. That comes from doing less.”

Brinkmann believes that experiencing JOMO requires disciplining our wills. To do that, he pulled tips from fellow psychologist Barry Schwartz who, like Brinkmann, believes in the power of discernment.

He suggests the following practices for strengthening willpower: •D ecide when to make a choice (not everything needs to be debated).

•C onvince yourself the idea that “only the best is good enough” is nonsense.

•M ake your decision irreversible (commit, and let that be that).

• Practice gratitude.

•E xpect to be hooked (there will always be things to sway you).

• Resist the urge to compare.

• Learn to live with limitations.

Of course, these principals aren’t easy, but the side effect is worth it for people like Sherwood.

“A question I’ve been asking is, ‘How do we show up authentically?’ To me, that means being really honest with yourself and detangling what’s actually important from what’s just filling up your time,” she says.

“Maybe we don’t have to get groceries or run all those errands today. If my true goal is to have energy and feel happy, maybe all I need to do is take the pressure off.”

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MOTHE R

AFRICA Castro Boateng, named Chef of the Year at YAM’s 2019 Restaurant Awards, cooks up a traditional African feast for family and friends — and shares some coveted recipes.

By Cinda Chavich

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Photos by Belle White

“Akwaaba — Welcome to our home.”

These are the words that Chef Castro Boateng uses to greet diners at his Langford café and, as he gathers friends and family for a special dinner celebrating his African heritage, that warm welcome is palpable.

When Boateng was a kid growing up in Toronto, he was surrounded by a big Ghanaian community. He could walk down Jane Street or Wilson Avenue and duck into local African food shops filled with the aromas of spicy kebabs, okra and eggplant stew or jollof rice, the kind of hearty dishes his mother and aunts cooked for their big family dinners. Tonight he is channeling that memory, his long table draped in colourful kente cloth and laden with traditional foods.

Though Victoria’s African community is definitely smaller than Toronto’s, it is mighty. Beyond Boateng himself — the chef behind the award-winning House of Boateng — tonight’s guests include acclaimed Victoria writer Esi Edugyan, author of two Giller prizewinning novels; Troy Wilson, owner of Status Barbershop and Mary Scheer, proprietor of Victoria’s Island Afrikan Supermarket, the source of many of tonight’s authentic ingredients.

“This is a celebration of our black history and there are many successful people here,” said Boateng, welcoming his guests with his wife Charlotte, mother Felicia Amponsem and brother Isaac at his side.

“I am very proud to call you my family and friends — you all encourage me to be better every day.”

African food is all about communal dining, cooking and eating with a large, extended family, Boateng explains.

“African food is always built on family and getting together,” he says. “It’s always about the meal. We can turn anything into a party.”

And this is a party. What began as an idea to share a family-style dinner with a few friends has grown, in typical Boateng style, into an extravaganza of colours and flavours, with more than a dozen dishes,

both strictly traditional recipes and some with his own Afro-Canadian spin.

Tonight Boateng has invited his mother Felicia to share in the cooking. The two converse in their Ghanaian Twi dialect as she tends to pots of her savoury soups and stews simmering on the stove. “I didn’t cook when I was a kid at all,” admits the chef. You’d never guess it now.

The aromas emanating from his catering kitchen a few hours before guests arrive are intoxicating. As his mother peels big cocoyams and grinds tomatoes, habaneros and onions into a spicy relish by hand in a traditional asanka, Boateng readies starchy plantains for the fryer.

The spread is impressive — the Ghanaian red rice and beans dish known as Waakye (waachay), creamy chicken and peanut soup, okra stew, ruddy palm and goat soup, spinach stew with foraged Island mushrooms and Red Red (bean stew), all alongside the requisite African starchy staples, boiled and fried yams, fried plantains, omo tuo (rice balls) and banku, lightly fermented corn and cassava dumplings.

Edugyan recalls her mother making the red beans and crispy plantains when she was growing up in Calgary, flavours that are both memorable and addictive. I am particularly taken with the banku, served with a rustic okra stew. And Wilson, recalling his blended Caribbean and Nigerian family in Nova Scotia, admits the spicy jollof rice is a personal favourite.

These are all accessible and comforting dishes, part of the African tradition of sharing time around the table.

“African food is always built on family and getting together.

It’s always about the meal. We can turn anything into a party.”

Though Boateng doesn’t serve many traditional Ghanian dishes like this on his regular House of Boateng menu, he’s developed a unique style that combines his classical chef’s training with the culinary muscle memory that comes from childhood experiences. For Boateng, that means an African melting pot of ingredients and inspirations — a love of Jamaican jerk and crispy little bofrot doughnuts, the subtle sweetness of young coconut and the fiery kick of scotch bonnet peppers.

Whether it’s the Taste of Africa food station at his catered events (think spiced and battered African fish with cassava BOFROT chips and (African Doughnuts) preserved These little round doughnuts lemon, are delicious rolled in sugar Ghanaian-style and cinnamon or drizzled arancini, and with melted milk chocolate. sweet roasted They’re always on the menu plantains with at House of Boateng. roasted pork • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour belly and smoked shrimp • 3/4 cup sugar aioli), or the • 1 tsp baking powder casual House • 1 Tbsp ground nutmeg of Boateng • 1/2 orange (juice plus zest) menu with his • 3 whole eggs African bowl • 7 oz milk of jollof rice and scrambled eggs, or his famous • 1 tsp vanilla extract mango and habanero salsa, there’s a little exotic • Vegetable oil for frying African flavour on every plate.

• 1 cup granulated sugar, But tonight it’s all about tradition — a taste of for dusting black history and heritage, to share with his new • 3 Tbsp cinnamon, for dusting extended family, right here on Vancouver Island.

Whisk together dry ingredients. Add orange juice and zest.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mixing with a wooden spoon until combined.

Batter should be thick but spoonable.

Pour oil into fryer. Heat fryer to 350˚F, drop batter into the hot oil, one tablespoon at a time, forming small balls that puff up as they fry. Fry for 2 minutes, gently turn each ball over with slotted spoon, and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Remove the doughnuts from the oil and toss into the sugar mixture to coat.

Serve at room temperature or warm in the oven before serving.

Makes 15 to 20 doughnuts.

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900

0

WOOD-FIRED PIZZERIA

JOLLOF RICE WITH SHRIMP AND CHICKEN SAUSAGE • 1 large onion, peeled and diced • 1/4 cup vegetable oil or palm oil • 1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger • 2 tsp ground coriander • 1 Tbsp curry powder • 1 tsp chili flakes • 2 Tbsp paprika • 2 cups chopped whole tomatoes, canned or fresh • 1 habanero pepper, finely chopped • 1/4 cup tomato paste • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock • salt and pepper to taste • 2 cups long-grain rice • 3 raw chicken sausage links, sliced • 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined • 1 cup fresh peas • 3 scallions, thinly sliced

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In a medium saucepan, sauté onion in vegetable oil over medium heat. Lower the heat, then add the ginger, coriander, curry powder, chili flakes and paprika. Keep stirring to prevent the spices from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add the chopped tomatoes, chopped habanero pepper and tomato paste and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the stock.

Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the spiced sauce for 40 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to about 4 cups.

Meanwhile, rinse the rice in cold water a few times to remove some of the starch. Stir the rice into the sauce, then add the sausage. Bring the pot back to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.

Use a fork to fluff the rice. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, then add the shrimp and peas to the rice, place the lid back on the pot for 5 minutes to allow the shrimp and peas to cook. Serve the rice garnished with scallions.

Serves 8.

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BOILED YAM WITH SPINACH STEW AND FORAGED MUSHROOMS (Ghanaian-Style Spinach Stew) Castro says his mother always made this classic Ghanaian stew with two large smoked mackerels (about one pound) — deboned and shredded into the mixture. But he’s upgraded to modern tastes with mushrooms — chopped fresh chanterelles for this fall feast that have been sautéed until tender and browned in butter. Egusi seeds are a kind of melon seed used in West African cuisine. They add a nut-like flavour and help to thicken the stew.

• 1 pound fresh wild or cultivated mushrooms (chanterelles, oyster mushrooms, brown mushrooms, etc.)

• 2 red onions, peeled and sliced • 1 cup of vegetable oil or palm oil • 1 tsp of cayenne • 1 Tbsp ginger, chopped • 4 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped • salt & pepper to taste • 1 1/2 cups (200g) egusi seeds (if you can’t find egusi seeds, you can substitute pumpkin seeds) • 3 lbs fresh spinach leaves or frozen spinach, chopped Accompaniments: • 5 avocados, peeled and sliced

blend until puréed to the consistency of whipping cream. Add the egusi mixture to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

Blanch the spinach in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Chill in ice cold water and then squeeze to remove excess water.

Roughly chop the blanched spinach and add to the sauce.

Simmer for 10 minutes for all the flavours to combine.

Meanwhile, sautée the remaining sliced mushrooms in a little oil until browned (to garnish the stew).

Serve the spinach stew in a wide serving bowl garnished with sautéed mushrooms, sliced avocado, hard-boiled eggs and yam pieces.

Serves 10.

• 5 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

AFRICAN YAM (Cocoyam)

• boiled cocoyam (see recipe on this page)

This is a large, long white yam with a dark, rough skin. It can be boiled to serve like boiled potatoes or deep-fried like French fries.

Clean the mushrooms. Chop half of them and slice half of them.

In a saucepan, sauté sliced onion in oil until softened. Add chopped mushrooms, cayenne, ginger, tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, add enough water to cover the egusi, then place in a blender and

• 1 kg cocoyam • salt to taste Peel yam and cut into mediumsize pieces. Place yam in salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well.

CHICKEN AND PEANUT SOUP (Nkatie Kwan) with OMO TUO Serve this rich and savoury chicken soup with omo tuo (steamed rice balls), boiled yam, plantains or fufu. This is a family favourite for kids and adults alike.

• 2 kg bone-in chicken pieces, legs and thighs • salt and pepper • 1/2 Tbsp cayenne pepper • 4 Tbsp sliced fresh ginger, divided • 3 garlic cloves, sliced and divided • 2 medium onions, chopped • 796 ml can diced plum tomatoes, divided • 1 habanero • 1 cup natural peanut butter • 8 1/2 cups chicken stock or water, divided • 8 fresh okra, chopped (optional) Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, cayenne, half of the ginger, half of the garlic and set aside in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.

Heat a large pot over medium heat, then add chicken.

Add half of the onions and 1/4 of the tomatoes, cover the pot and steam for 20 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, combine the remaining onions, reserved tomatoes, rest of the ginger and garlic, habanero, peanut butter and 2 cups of the stock or water and blend until smooth.

Pour the mixture into a separate pot and simmer for 30 minutes or until the mixture thickens.

Add the nut mixture to the chicken. Add the remaining stock or water and bring to a boil.

Season the soup and simmer on low heat for another 45 minutes or until the meat falls off the bones and the soup has thickened.

Meanwhile, cover the okra with water and season with salt. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve the okra with the soup.

Serves 8 to 10.

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THE AFRICAN PANTRY At Island Afrikan Supermarket on Quadra Street, proprietor Mary Scheer offers a wide variety of African groceries and artwork from her native Ghana and other countries across the continent. You’ll find palm products, cassava and semolina flour from West and East Africa, stewing chicken and goat meat, South African Boerewors sausage and rooibos tea, Jamaican ackees, jerk seasoning and more. Chef Boateng shops for tropical ingredients like young coconuts and plantains at local grocery stores, including Fairway, Superstore and Thrifty Foods. But for authentic African foods, Island Afrikan Supermarket is his go-to destination.

Edible palm The pulpy red fruit and oil from the African oil palm adds colour and rich flavour to many traditional African dishes. You’ll find bottles of palm oil and cans of palm fruit to add to soups and stews.

It’s highly saturated and rich in carotenes and Vitamin E.

Cocoyam African yams (a.k.a. cocoyams) are not like the usual orange or white sweet potatoes and yams we find at the supermarket.

They’re large and long roots, with a dark

brown, craggy skin, white on the inside and very starchy.

Peel, cut and soak in cold water to remove excess starch before boiling or frying.

boiled and mashed.

Unripe plantain is delicious when deep fried, and makes a popular side dish to many African meals.

Egusi

Cassava, manioc or yuca is a starchy root and the source of tapioca starch. In African cooking, the long brown root is peeled and boiled like a potato or grated and cooked in palm oil.

Egusi is a melon seed that’s ground into a powder and used to thicken soups and stews.

Plantain This starchy relative of the banana is eaten when it’s unripe, ripe and even overly ripe in different African dishes. They can be fried, roasted or

Cassava

Fufu mix Fufu is a starchy staple served alongside soups and stews in West Africa.

The large, soft ball is traditionally made with a sticky dough of boiled cocoyam, plantain and/or cassava. It’s mashed and kneaded together, and used to scoop up the saucy bits on your plate. The fufu mix combines cassava flour and plantain flour which speeds up the process of making dough. Or look for premade, frozen fufu products.

Banku flour mix Banku is a lightly fermented dumpling, traditionally made with ground maize and grated cassava root. The mix of cornmeal and cassava flour makes it faster and easier to make this Ghanaian staple, which can be boiled or wrapped in leaves and steamed like tamales.

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SCENE

ICONOCLAST MEETS COLOSSUS Not your grandparents’ symphony

Maestro Christian Kluxen and the Victoria Symphony take on the irreverent work of two of music’s biggest non-conformists, Frank Zappa and Edgard Varèse.

By David Lennam Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet

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F

rank Zappa and Edgard Varèse.

Who do you know less about?

That’s the musical question Maestro Christian Kluxen might be asking as the Victoria Symphony tackles two experimental modern heavyweights who were considered brilliant enigmas, virtual titans in the pantheon of classical composers challenging the norm and creating their own sounds.

For Kluxen Confronts Zappa, part of the symphony’s provocative Explorations series, the programme includes Zappa’s The Dog Breath Variations: Uncle Meat/Dog Meat and Be-Bop Tango. To frame that in an orchestral context, they’ll play selections by Zappa’s idol, the Frenchborn composer Varèse, including Intégrales, his percussive and jarringly modern signature piece.

There’s a great story of a 15-year-old Zappa obsessively tracking down the 73-year-old Varèse and, as a birthday present, he was allowed to put in a long-distance call to the old master. A correspondence ensued. Both shared a spirit of opposing the norm, following their own voices.

“That’s what I like about Zappa,” says Kluxen.

“There’s no limit, no stylistic square where you have to say he is of that school or this school, just one big music mash-up of everything. He’s one of the most interesting composers in the 20th century because he broke all these limits.”

Zappa’s music isn’t for everyone. It requires a little ear sweat. But for others, well, it’s just music to their ears.

Wiseman, who teaches writing at Royal Roads University, has an encyclopedic knowledge of his idol.

“Let me just say this, Frank was my Elvis.”

To them, Zappa was a brilliant genius and probably the best guitarist ever.

“At that point, Port Alberni was absolutely a Creedence Clearwater bilge-water Revival town,” continues Wiseman. “Every cover band played Creedence and every mill worker with a hot car and a polyester shirt and flares was

listening to this absolute shit and we couldn’t stand it.

“We were the anti-in-crowd. We became real aesthetes.”

The pair of teens understood that you never put a Frank Zappa album on as background music.

“You have to like music that makes you think and think and think,” says Dahlquist.

“Realistically, most people don’t have the bandwidth.”

TWO TITANS THAT MATTER The writer Henry Miller described Varèse as “The stratospheric Colossus of Sound.”

Zappa, the self-taught iconoclast, shares equal billing. He’s been called a monolith of modern musical talent. Misunderstood, ignored by the mainstream, he was a prodigious monster who released 62 albums during his 52 years (he died in 1993 from cancer), while another 50 albums have been released posthumously.

He was a multi-instrumentalist, bandleader and composer of work that was hard to categorize. He was rock, pop, jazz, fusion and at the same time full of orchestral experiments employing the musique concrète form, the mixing of recorded sounds.

Zappa’s classical oeuvre is not to be overlooked, suggests Kluxen.

“When I listen to it, I hear what you would describe as a really great classical composer, a really inventive, and I would not say traditional, contemporary classical composer, but you don’t hear, like, this is a rock-fusion guy who suddenly decided to do this.”

Zappa’s music isn’t for everyone. It requires a little ear sweat. But for others, well, it’s just music to their ears.

Growing up in Port Alberni, Les Wiseman and Randy Dahlquist used to drive around town singing along to Zappa.

“Yeah,” says Wiseman, “other people would be dating cheerleaders. We’d be listening to the Mothers of Invention, reading National Lampoon and smoking dope.”

It was the beginning of an almost fanatical devotion to Zappa.

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If you’re familiar only with the god of comedy rock’s scatalogical references, dirty lyrics and straight-up parody material, you might be overlooking the orchestral music Zappa wrote and recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, or that celebrated conductors have recorded Zappa albums with full orchestras.

Wiseman agrees.

“It’s complex. It requires work to listen to Frank Zappa.”

But the payoff is digging into sophisticated motifs, convoluted rhythms, ripping guitar riffs and the introduction and repetition and variation on melodic themes — more like symphonic music than arena rock.

And if you’re familiar only with the god of comedy rock’s scatalogical references, dirty lyrics and straight-up parody material, you might be overlooking the orchestral music he wrote and recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, or that celebrated conductors like Pierre Boulez and Kent Nagano have recorded albums of Zappa with full orchestras.

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250-217-8862

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A CONCERT FOR WHOM, EXACTLY? The Victoria Symphony’s principal flute, Richard Volet, is excited to play the music by an artist of whom he’s so fond.

“It’s a once in a lifetime experience. Uncle Meat is from a double album from 1969 that I’ve been listening to since it came out when I was 15 years old. The album is a great mixture of Zappa’s different styles: rock songs with his satirical humour, jazz/rock improvisation and his written out ‘classical’ compositions.”

Volet is aware that Zappa was a stickler in the studio, an absolute perfectionist whether he was leading the Mothers or a full orchestra. No pressure there on the Victoria Symphony, right?

“I saw an interview where Zappa talked about his experience hiring and recording with the London Symphony,” says Volet. “I think he said they got about 75 per cent of it, and he didn’t seem thrilled with it.”

Kluxen appreciates that Zappa’s goal was to break rules and says he did more of what his colleagues and contemporaries should have done, “break this confinement, take all your knowledge and trust that you have and do something new. It’s like he was almost obsessed in going a different direction than everyone else.”

One can’t help but feel that an orchestral evening of Zappa and Varèse, going in that direction, might be an acquired taste.

Just who will be there to listen?

Kluxen laughs. Perhaps he knows something.

“Everyone who either grew up in the 70s or 80s, anyone who considers themselves cool, everyone who considers themselves hip, anyone who considers themselves an old hipster or anyone who has an open ear,” is his answer, with a coda, “It’s certainly not for conservative people.”

Perhaps the last word should be Zappa’s.

He probably wouldn’t care who shows up.

“I don’t want to spend my life explaining myself,” he famously said. “You either get it, or you don’t.”

Why Zappa Matters •F reak Out!, his debut release with The Mothers of Invention, was rock’s first double album.

• Zappa became a symbol of counterculture in Prague during the Velvet Revolution. Václav Havel even offered to appoint him the new Czech culture minister.

• In 1992 Guitar Player magazine’s editor remarked that Zappa was: “The most important composer to come out of modern popular music.”

• In a 1983 issue of Guitar World magazine, Jon Swenson declared: “The fact of the matter is that [Zappa] is one of the greatest guitarists we have and is sorely unappreciated as such.”

• He was a pioneer of multi-channel sound and quite possibly invented the genre of fusion with his 1969 album Hot Rats.

• Zappa once played a bicycle on Steve Allen’s TV show in 1963.

• He was a vocal opponent of censorship.

Kluxen Confronts Zappa, February 8 8 to 10 p.m., Dave Dunnet Community Theatre (Oak Bay)

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CULTURE X4

YAM’S top picks for what’s new in music, on stage and in film

Watson’s Next Wave Canadian singer-songwriter Patrick Watson and his eponymously named Montreal-based art-rock quartet exploded onto the Canadian and global scene in the last decade with their experimental sound, which has been compared to Rufus Wainwright, Andrew Bird and Pink Floyd. Their 2015 album Love Songs for Robots is considered a synthy indie classic. Now, with a new album, Wave, released this fall, the Polaris-Prize-winners have taken their sound on the road, all the way to Victoria.

MCPHERSON PLAYHOUSE January 15 rmts.bc.ca

Some Kind of Wonderful Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the inspiring true story of Carole King’s rise to stardom, from the chart-topping legend’s early life as Carol Klein, a Brooklyn girl with passion and chutzpah, to a flourishing career as a singer/songwriter who not only created her own best-selling album, Tapestry, but wrote songs for some of the biggest acts in rock. Despite King’s great talent, it wasn’t until her personal life began to crack that she found her true voice. Her songs are the soundtrack of several generations: I Feel the Earth Move, (You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman, Will You Love Me Tomorrow?, One Fine Day and Some Kind of Wonderful.

ROYAL THEATRE January 31 to February 2 rmts.bc.ca

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Rethinking Redemption In 1950 in the deserts of Southern California, evangelist Brother Cain has a booming tent revival show that moves from town to town, fleecing crowds desperate for something to believe in. When he discovers Mary, a Nlaka’pamux woman from the Nicola Valley, reading The Bible, he puts her onstage, renames her Grace, and displays her as a miracle: An “Indian” who can read. This is The Ministry of Grace, a play Belfry artistic director Michael Shamata describes as “encountering hypocrisy and evil, while clinging to the beliefs that guide you.” Produced by the Belfry, the play is created by an all-Indigenous team, including designer Andy Moro and writer/director Tara Beagan, one of Canada’s leading playwrights.

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Investing for Generations Heads Up, Film Fans February means it’s time to celebrate your love of film at the Victoria Film Festival (VFF). This year, along with showing dozens of feature films, docs and shorts, VFF has partnered with UVic and Victoria Makerspace to bring you a genre of literature called Interactive Fiction.

The stories can be experienced in your web browser or, even better, on your cell phone where they use your location as an element in the stories, creating a simple form of augmented reality. You can even author your own stories! Visit vicstories.ca. And do plan to plan to take part in the festival on Valentine’s Day when VFF will host an erotic-themed short program called Sizzle at The Vic Theatre. Add in a scavenger hunt for erotic toys, sizzling cocktails, oysters and tips on making your own erotic short.

VICTORIA FILM FESTIVAL February 7 to 16 victoriafilmfestival.com

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DO TELL

A Photographer in Paris Long-time YAM photographer Simon DesRochers is finding new inspiration in Paris, a city that celebrates photography.

By Kerry Slavens

S

imon DesRochers has been an important part of Victoria’s photography scene for so long it’s been too easy to assume he somehow belonged to us. But in 2017, DesRochers and his partner, sculptor Melanie Furtado, decided to try Paris on for size.

It’s a sabbatical that has turned out so well that DesRochers, who grew up in the south of France, is setting up a photography studio there with a focus on portraits, fashion and architecture. “I’ve always liked the idea of living in Paris. It’s a cultural center with a

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Ice cream, a box of film and a bag full of cash.

What is your greatest fear?

Germs.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I would like to learn Japanese.

Which living person do you most admire?

Bill Murray for his improvisational approach to life.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Definitely camera gear.

What’s the most overrated virtue?

Moderation.

On what occasion do you lie?

When I am asked a silly question.

What quality do you value most in your friends?

Their integrity and their creativity.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Don’t move!

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

What: photography; who: my girlfriend.

When and where were you happiest?

In the studio.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

I had a dream of a black panther that made a deep impression on me, so I’d say a panther.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Irving Penn because of his vision and individualistic compositional style of photography.

How would you like to die?

Going out with a bang.

What is your motto?

Never give up, never surrender.

PHOTO BY SIMON DESROCHERS & MELANIE FURTADO

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rich history of art and photography,” says DesRochers, now artistand host-in-residence at Break’ Art Mix (BAM). What does he love most about Paris? “Parisians,” he says. That and how they value the printed image as a real art form, with entire bookstores dedicated just to photography art books. “This support for the medium as an artistic expression,” he says, “has inspired me to return to analog film photography and to start thinking about producing some printed art books.” Click.

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