qathet Living June 2025

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DID PR VOTE CONSERVATIVE? • PRISMA & K ATHAUMIXW • THE NEW WATERFRONTIER

Help is Here

Feeding Our Community For

Powell River United Church (PRUC) has been hosting Community Pasta Dinners for over 20 years. Offering warm meals and fellowship to residents of all ages.

Traditionally held during the fall, winter and spring months, this long–standing event has become a cherished gathering in the community. In response to the growing need for accessible communal meals, the PRUC is extending the program through the summer. This summer, the dinners will shift to a BBQ format and take place June 16, July 21 and Aug 18, running from 4:30 to 6 pm by donation. These events aim to continue fostering a sense of connection while breaking bread. All are welcome at the table.

Starting in the fall, the Community Pasta Dinners will return in their usual format with a semi-monthly schedule of the first and third Monday of the months. The upcoming fall start up dates are Sept 15 and Oct 6 and will continue with the first and third Mondays of each month. PRUC remains committed to providing meals, building a stronger, more inclusive community through gatherings. Everyone is welcome to attend, enjoy a meal, and connect with others in a welcoming and caring environment.

- Doreen Fraser Email :info@powellriverunitedchurch.org Website: powellriverunitedchurch.org FB: Powell River United Church

Parents Navigating Loss

Friends A support group for bereaved parents meets the 4th Tuesday of each month Refreshments 6:30 pm, meeting at 7 pm For location and more information, please contact powellrivertcf@gmail.com

Sporting chance

Twice in preparation for this month’s magazine, I did something I haven’t done in years — covered sports. It took me back to my early days as a teenaged rookie reporter with the Powell River News. I was better then than now with a camera (faster reflexes and faster feet, I guess), and I worked weekends, so the sports beat was mine.

For this month’s issue, I dredged up what was left of those 30 (ahemplus)-year-old skills, to cover a couple of pretty big deals in the qathet sports world — the provincial mountain bike championships (Page 20) and the 50th anniversary of Otago Rugby Club (Page 15). The mountain bike racers are faster and far more numerous than they used to be, the bikes are a lot better, and the trails are more plentiful. But the passion for the sport is the same. Talking to the coach of the rugby club was even more of a blast from the

past, as I had interviewed Jack Beardmore many times in my newspaper days, and he’s still heading up Otago. Like me, he’s a lot older, and the sport has changed a bit, but his passion and love for the game and the club remains as strong as ever — probably stronger. That passion in a 75-year-old athlete, coupled with the intensity of the teenage bike riders, rekindled my appreciation for why sports is such an important part of our community.

I suspect qL’s fearless leader and editor, Pieta Woolley, knew that would happen when she assigned these projects. She’s been talking about adding a sports section to the magazine, possibly this fall. So expect to see more about sports in the magazine, and yes, expect to see this old guy’s byline on some of it.

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You go out on the pitch and beat the living sh#*! out of each other and when the game is over, you go and buy your opposite number a beer and sing some songs. The score is irrelevant.

- Jack Beardmore, Page 17

A FEW OF JUNE’S CONTRIBUTORS

NOLA POIRIER is hilarious, a genius, and beloved by many friends. Definitely attend any event she recommends. See Nola’s story, The Power of Repair, on Page 55.

ANDY RICE is an arts administrator who juggles his time between Vancouver and Powell River, and is the development and marketing director for PRISMA. See Andy’s story, Mosolov’s Premiere, on Page 13.

”

ASHLENE NAIRN moved to qathet one year ago with her partner and their two children. She is the Academy of Music’s Marketing & Communications Coordinator. See Ashlene’s stories about Kathaumixw, on Pages 8 to 12.

Kathaumixw

450 visiting artists

July 1 to 5

Artist in Residence Choir

•Male ENsemble Philippines

Quezon City, Philippines

All-male ensemble of six, promoting Philippine arts and culture through music.

Guest Choirs

•Young People’s Chorus of New York City New York, USA

Multicultural youth choir renowned for its virtuosity, showmanship, and diversity.

•Toronto Children’s Choir

47-year-old choir that represents Canada in prestigious international competitions.

Kathaumixw Choirs

•Campanella Children’s Choir

Illinois, USA

National Heritage Festival gold winning-choir, sings in multiple languages.

•Coro Femenino Cantate

Heredia, Costa Rica

Many graduates of the Concordia Choral Children’s Choir, skills allow for challenging projects.

•Espiritu Vocal Ensemble

West Vancouver, Canada

Mixed adult choir with an eclectic repetoire from contemporary, jazz, classical Canadian, and folk.

•King’s College Kappella

Auckland, New Zealand

Award-winning mixed voice choir known for excellence and connection with audiences.

•Komorni zbor Megaron

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Mixed voice award-winning choir known for pushing boundaries and ambitious projects.

•Kôr

Vancouver, Canada

A capella ensemble performing in many languages.

•Richmond Singers

Diverse choir of 55 women, representing BC at national and international festivals.

•The Squares

Port Coquitlam, Canada

Competitive barbershop choir of 12 to 20 members.

•Taipei Philharmonic

Youth & Children’s Choir

Taipei, Taiwan

Specializes in performing sacred music, folk and children’s song from Taiwan, China and around the world.

•Yavir Ukrainian

Male Chorus of Edmonton Edmonton, Canada

All-male touring choir celebrating their shared Ukrainian heritage.

•Kathaumixw Festival

Brass Ensemble

Victoria, BC

Paul Beauchesne (tuba), Merrie Klazek (trumpet), Scott MacInnes (trombone), Sam McNally (horn). All are professional performers, educators, adjudicators, and more. Barrie McDonald (trumpet) and Adam Robertson (percussion) from Powell River will join in.

Visiting Clinicians, Adjudicators & Collaborators

•Dr. Zimfira Poloz • Toronto

Adult Common Song Director, Jury

•Elizabeth Nunez • New York

Children’s Choir Common Song Director

Visiting Jury

•Dr Larry Nickle • Vancouver

•Scott Leithead • Edmonton

•Gergana Velinova • Vancouver

PRISMA

23 visiting faculty

June 16 to 28

PRISMA Guest Artists:

•Janet Arms • Flute

NYC, USA

New York City Opera orchestra and on the faculty of The Hartt School.

•Pauline Oostenrijk • Oboe Netherlands

Professor of Oboe at the Prince Claus Conservatoire in Groningen and at the young talent department of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.

•Alain Desgagné • Clarinet

Montreal, Canada

Faculty member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and Associate Professor at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University.

•Richard Ranti • Bassoon Boston, USA

Philadelphia Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, taught at New England Conservatory and at Boston University for decades.

•Oto Carrillo • Horn Chicago, USA

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

•Nikolette Labonte • Horn

Calgary, Canada

Principal Horn of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and an accomplished educator and arranger.

Are you ready to be the host-with-the-most?

Come From Away

•Marcus Goddard • Trumpet

Vancouver, Canada

Composer in Association and Associate Principal Trumpet with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

•Andrew Poirier • Trombone

Vancouver, Canada

Andrew is the Second Trombonist of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. He is also a founding member of the touring Canadian Trombone Quintet iTromboni.

•Gordon Cherry • Trombone Vancouver, Canada

Principal Trombonist of the VSO and the CBC Vancouver Orchestra from 1974 to 2009 and UBC faculty.

•Paul Beauchesne • Tuba Victoria, Canada

Principal Tuba, Victoria Symphony

•Bill Linwood • Percussion

Victoria, Canada

Principal Timpani with the Victoria Symphony and Percussion Instructor at the University of Victoria

•Emily Melendes • Harp

Calgary, Canada

Newly appointed principal harpist of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

•Boson Mo • Violin

Canada

A multi-award-winning musician, Boson has lent his talent to various orchestras and competitions.

•Julianne Lee • Violin

Philidelphia, USA

Named one of the best string quartets of the last 100 years by BBC Music Magazine, Julianne Lee joined the Dover Quartet as its violist in September 2023.

•Robert Uchida • Violin Edmonton, Canada

Robert joined the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra as Concertmaster.

•Laura Veeze • Violin Halifax,Canada

Principal Second Violin positions with the Radio Chamber Philharmonic in the Netherlands and with Symphony Nova Scotia in Canada.

•Keith Hamm •Viola Edmonton, Canada

Principal Violist Keith Hamm joined the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in September of 2019. Previously, he held the same position for eight seasons with the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra.

•Hung-Wei Huang • Viola

Vancouver, Canada

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra as Principal Viola in 2021

•Julie Hereish • Cello

Edmonton, Canada

Edmonton Symphony Orchestra as Assistant Principal Cello

•Brian Yoon • Cello

Victoria, Canada

Principal Cello of the Victoria Symphony

•Dylan Palmer • Bass

Vancouver, Canada

Vancouver Symphony as Principal Double Bass

•Alexandria Le • Piano

Las Vegas, USA

Founded and produced the Las Vegas Wine & Music Festival and oversees several projects including Re-Classified, a ground-breaking series that merges state-of-the-art visual design with popular culture and classical music.

•Emma Parkinson

• Mezzo-Soprano

Victoria, Canada

Roles with the Pacific Opera Victoria, Victoria SO and much more.

PRISMA (June 16 to 28) and Kathaumixw (July 1 to 5) will bring hundreds of talented musicians and singers to qathet this month.

It’s just the beginning of what promises to be one of the biggest visitor seasons on record.

PRISMA

91 visiting students

seal head statues made from soapstone. The carvings will be given to this year’s winning choirs at Kathaumixw. Left and top, these ubiquitous local statues are available at Debra’s Lund gallery, Tug-Guhm, in the Lund Hotel at Kla-ah-men.

Photos by Ashlene Nairn

KATHAUMIXW JULY 1 TO 5

Seeing seals memory for

BY ASHLENE NAIRN

“The connections you make with people when they see you working, it makes the piece of art more special to them,” Debra Bevaart tells me from her gallery and studio space. She is talking about her soapstone carvings, which she creates at a raised table right at the entrance of her Tug-Guhm Gallery & Studio below the Lund Hotel.

Tug-Guhm is a Coast Salish word meaning “a vessel of light.” The name came about 28 years ago when she originally opened the gallery with well-known Tla’amin carver Jackie Timothy.

Before opening Tug-Guhm, Debra sold her carvings in a high-end gallery in Whistler. She was thrilled when the opportunity arose to have her own gallery here in qathet, where she lives and works.

“The vision was to have locally-sourced artists for this gallery with a theme of the West Coast,” Debra says. “Right away it worked out that I was doing much better here.”

“You have to wait for [your work] to sell at that very high market… the galleries in Whistler just make so much more than the artists… they call it 300% +,” referring to the markup.

Her work is more accessible when sold through her own gallery and studio. And her pieces are well sought after. Debra told me she is lucky to have a loyal following, repeat clients, and even people who come into her gallery, eye her work, and come back “six to eight years later,” ready to purchase a carving of their own.

Debra has been carving for almost 45 years. She said she knew right away after working with clay in high school that she enjoyed building three-di-

PRECIOUS PRIZES: Above, artist Debra Bevaart prepares

seals

special for singers

mensionally with her hands, although clay wasn’t quite the right material for her. With soapstone “you have to think what has to come off.”

She loves how, with a big slab of soapstone in front of her, she can envision the shape and chisel it out. Debra gets inspiration from the slab itself; she sees the form within it rather than knowing ahead of time what she’s going to carve. She shows me a carving of a grizzly bear and describes how the original stone was shaped, and how she saw it as a bear.

This is Debra’s fourth year making seal head soapstone carvings for International Choral q̓atᶿaymɩxʷ (Kathaumixw), a project of the Academy of Music. It is a five-day choral festival filled with concerts, common song singing, choral and vocal solo competitions, conductor’s seminars and social events. The festival is so acclaimed that it attracts choirs from around the world. This year, there are choirs coming from Taiwan, Costa Rica, Slovenia, New Zealand, the Philippines, USA, and of course, Canada.

What does a choir festival want with soapstone carvings of seals? These locally made, West Coast-themed pieces of art are the prestigious prizes for the winners of the choral competitions. The seal carvings are highly coveted.

hope to see you there!

Winners get to bring home a hand carved Canadian West Coast artwork  — something that carries the meaning and memory of their experience in qathet.

As Debra explains, “the reaction that I get for every one of my seals … goes to the heart. People see them in the water. It’s an image of the area.”

Musical and organizational powerhouse had a dream to compete in Canada

Coro Femenino Cantate performs July 2 at 3 pm, Evergreen and 7:30 pm James Hall.

Elena Echeverri, 19, is the founder of this choir, and is the head voice for alto 1.

Cantate Female Choir is the most recent project of the Costa Rican Choral Institute, a non-profit organization devoted to promote Choral music in the Central American Country.

Founded in the year 2019, Cantate has quickly gained a choral spotlight in the country for their versatility and energy on stage. Most of its members come from Concordia Coral children’s choir, this allows the singers to work on a very high level of music-making focusing on a varied repertoire: from Renaissance Music to Opera, from Choral Orchestral works to Broadway, Contemporary and Latin American Music. Cantate has approximately 22 members and is conducted by Josué Ramírez, professor at National University where he works for the Choral Department. Luis Diego Gómez is the collaborative pianist of the ensemble

How did you start singing?

Elena • I started singing when I was around seven. I told my mom I really wanted to learn to sing. She knew the director of a children’s choir here in Costa Rica called Concordia Coral. I went and I loved it. Singing in the choir became a very important part of my life, and I kept on doing it.

Why did you decide to join your choir?

Elena • Concordia Coral belongs to an institute here in Costa Rica called Costa Rica Choral Institute. You cannot be in the children’s choir forever, so once you turn 15, if you want to keep singing, you can be a part of any of the other three choirs we have here. I was very excited to sing in the female choir. It was very special for me being able to keep on singing with most of my friends. I liked how the choir was sounding when it was my time to pass on to this choir, which was in 2020.

Meet three Kathaumixw performers

The Academy of Music’s Ashlene Nairn asked three singers to express what they’re looking forward to at Kathaumixw, and where they come from. It’s a personal window into what can be an overwhelming number of voices!

dry season. During dry season it can be very sunny during the day and very hot and warm. During the evening, it starts raining so much. During rainy season, it can be very sunny and randomly start raining or actually can be pretty cold, but never as cold as Canada!

We speak Spanish. Around other parts of the country there are some dialects but that’s the main language, everyone speaks Spanish.

We are blessed with very beautiful green areas, we have lots of mountains, volcanoes, beautiful beaches, rivers, waterfalls. We are from the centre of the country, the central valley; we are far from the beach, so that’s not a usual plan for us. However, we do have a lot of volcanoes and waterfalls nearby, so that is a regular experience or activity people do for fun, especially during the weekends. You go and visit a volcano, you get to see beautiful animals and a lot of flowers and plants. It really helps you to take a break from everyday life.

What is your favourite song that you’ll be performing and why?

Why did your choir choose to come to q̓atᶿaym

Elena • All of us as a choir knew that we were in a very special moment right now, because most of us have been singing together for a long time now, there is a very special bond, the music we’re singing is pretty awesome. Our director came to us with the proposal of participating in a competition and it had been a dream of his to be able to go to this competition, so we all knew that it was our moment, it was time, and we are very excited. We are getting ready.

Tell readers a little bit about where you’re from Elena • We are from Costa Rica. We rehearse in the capital city, San Jose. However, some of us are from another city called Heredia. They’re right next to each other. The country is not very big, there are not that many people. We have around five million population. We have two seasons, the dry season and the rainy season. Right now, we’re during

Elena • This is a tough one. I love the repertoire we’re singing, however, I think my favourite one is called ‘Abril’. The translation is ‘April’. It’s a song that is originally by a Costa Rican band called ‘Malpaís’. They have beautiful music, their lyrics are very special, they really try to capture the Costa Rican essence. This song is about losing a loved one, like heartbreak, and getting over them. I also think the arrangement that Roger Wesby made us is great. It really explores: the altos get to go very low and the sopranos get to go really high. It’s a beautiful piece, amazingly arranged. I’m very excited for you guys to hear that.

What are you looking forward to doing or trying here, besides performing?

Elena • I’m actually a little bit excited about the cold, also a little bit scared and nervous. Here, we’re always in a really warm climate, so I’m excited that maybe I get to see snow. And also, to try some food, I’m not very familiar with Canada cuisine. And obviously also to share with the other choirs, know where they come from, and listen to the pieces they’re preparing.

Design & Build

CANTATE FEMALE CHOIR • COSTA RICA: Elena Echeverri founded this choir, and is looking forward to singing Abril, about heartbreak.

Mabuhay!

We are the Male Ensemble Philippines, a six-member vocal group all the way from the Philippines. Our repertoire spans a wide range of genres—from early period music to contemporary works, including global folk songs, pop, classical, Broadway, and most importantly, our very own Filipino music. We’re passionate about sharing our culture and versatility through the power of the human voice.

I’m the choir’s musical director, Ily Matthew Maniano.

Have you been to q̓atᶿaymɩxʷ before?

Ily

• This is our very first time attending Kathaumixw, and we are truly honoured to have been invited as a guest ensemble. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to perform, connect, and share our music to your wonderful community.

How did you start singing?

Ily • I started singing when I was very young, as music has always been a big part of our life at home. Everyone in my family sings, and it was normal for someone to start singing out of the blue, with the rest of us joining in and harmonizing. Those simple moments made singing feel natural and joyful. Later, I began performing in school, and I realized how much I truly loved it and wanted to keep singing.

Why did you decide to join your choir?

Ily

• During my college years, I had the privilege of singing with the renowned Philippine Madrigal Singers for 11 years. As I prepared to leave the Madz, our executive director invited me, along with some former members and singers from other choral groups, to join a new vocal group he was forming. This invitation opened up a new chapter for me as a member of the Male Ensemble Philippines.

MALE ENSEMBLE PHILIPPINES: Ily Matthew Maniano, the six-member group’s musical director, is looking forward to bringing culture, story, and emotion to qathet stages.

Why did your choir choose to come to q̓atᶿaymɩxʷ?

Ily • Our choir chose to come to q̓atᶿaymɩxʷ because it’s a great opportunity to grow as performers, connect with choirs from around the world, and share our music on a big stage. We’re excited to be part of a global community that shares our love for singing. It’s a chance to learn from others, improve our skills, and proudly represent the culture of the Philippines. More than just performing, it’s about meeting new people, making memories, and being part of something truly special.

Tell readers a little bit about where you’re from. Ily • I am from the Philippines, specifically from Antipolo City, known as the “Pilgrimage Capital” because of its famous cathedral and scenic views from the hills. The climate is tropical, hot and humid, with a rainy season from June to October. We are known for our warmth, family ties, and love for music, especially karaoke! While Filipino is our main language, English is widely spoken, along with many regional languages and dialects. For fun, we enjoy beach trips, family gatherings, dining out, and lively fiestas. Despite challenges like typhoons, we remain resilient and always look on the bright side.

What is your favourite song that you’ll be performing and why?

Ily • While I don’t have one specific favourite, I’m especially proud of the Filipino pieces we’re performing. They feel close to my heart because they show our culture, our stories, and the emotions we want to share. It means a lot to be able to represent the Philippines through music and let others experience a part of who we are.

What are you looking forward to doing or trying here, besides performing?

Ily • Besides performing, I’m really excited to meet people from different backgrounds and experience their cultures through music. I’m also looking forward to exploring Powell River, trying some delicious local Canadian food, and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Most of all, I’m excited to make new friends and create memories that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.

What question didn’t I ask, but should have?

Ily • Probably “What has singing in a choir taught you?” Singing in a choir has taught me the value of teamwork, focus, and support. It has improved my singing and helped me grow as a person. Choir brings us together, allowing us to express emotions beyond words. It has boosted my confidence, given me a sense of belonging, and encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone.

Left on Friday

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KATHAUMIXW

Seal Lullaby and All the Rivers of Canada are

“very stirring”

We are so excited to be returning to Kathaumixw! In 2016, the Richmond Singers enjoyed your warm and welcoming community along with choirs from all over the world.

Based in Richmond, British Columbia, we are a 55 voice women’s choir under the creative directorship of Fabiana Katz. Since 1971, we have sung indoors and outdoors, in all seasons and weather, locally and across Canada. In 1989, members formed the Richmond Singers Ensemble to meet daytime requests and smaller venues, averaging 25 performances a year! Both choirs feature a variety of music from contemporary, jazz, classical, Canadian and World Music traditions.

I am singer Kirsty Gourlay.

How did you start singing?

Kirsty • I originally sang in my school choir in high school. I was not a star performer, but singing has always brought me joy. I kept planning to join a choir, but my own lack of confidence and a busy life held me back.

Why did you decide to join your choir?

Kirsty • When I was approaching retirement, I thought about what my life could be like, and a friend told me to “Do what you love.” The first thing that came into my mind was singing. So, I went to an open house where we could sing with the Richmond Singers, and then sang for our gifted choir leader, Fabiana Katz. That was two and a half years ago, and I have been singing ever since.

Why did your choir choose to come to q̓atᶿaymɩxʷ?

Kirsty • I have been hearing the amazing stories about this festival and the wonderful people of Powell River who support the joy of singing. An application for a return visit was enthusiastically welcomed by the members of our choir who had participated before, and we all cheered our acceptance into the festival.

Tell readers a little bit about where you’re from.

Kirsty • Richmond is an island city made by nature in the arms of the Fraser River. In the Chinese tradition Richmond is the pearl in the mouth of the dragon, enjoying a temperate climate with views of snow-capped mountains all around. A gem of a city that supports a diverse population, Richmond is in the delta of the Fraser River where the salmon rest and build up strength on their way to the open ocean and home to the sturgeon banks.

We cherish our history (London Farm, Britannia Shipyards, Minoru Chapel, Gulf of Georgia Cannery, and Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre). We also revere our natural environment (Richmond Nature Park, and dyke and bike

but says it brings her joy.

trails) and encourage food security and the joy of gardening with multiple community gardens (Terra Nova Rural Park and the Sharing Farm). Sports (the Olympic Oval and community centres), arts centres (Gateway Theatre and Richmond Art Gallery and Museum) round out the family orientation of our community of a quarter of a million culturally diverse people.

What is your favourite song that you’ll be performing and why?

Kirsty • I think my favourite is the Seal Lullaby. It is so evocative of the sea with its rhythms and its lovely seafaring language. In this time of trial with our neighbours to the south, a simpler tune like All the Rivers of Canada also is also very stirring.

What are you looking forward to doing or trying here, besides performing?

Kirsty • Exploring the community of Powell River is definitely one of the things I am looking forward to. I am also really excited to meet and sing with other choirs and to experience the thousand voice choir. As we gather from around the world, which is the theme of this festival, we embody the idea that people can gather in harmony and peace, sharing a love of music.

What question didn’t I ask, but should have?

Kirsty • How will attending the festival affect you and your choir? In our case, the choir is really growing in its musicality under our fearless leader Fabi. Having multiple opportunities to learn from others and present our pieces is going to help us grow. For myself, I am certain I will learn a lot!

RICHMOND SINGERS • CANADA: Kristy Gourlay is travelling from the Lower Mainland with her 55-voice women’s choir. She doesn’t describe herself as a star singer,

BY ANDY RICE

PRISMA’s closing concert is always a triumphant highlight — but this year, it marks a historic moment in global music. On June 27, an audience of 700 in the qathet region will be the first to hear Symphony No. 3 by Russian composer Alexander Mosolov (1900–1973), while the 90 musicians on stage will be the first to perform it. This groundbreaking world premiere is the result of years of musical detective work led by conductor Arthur Arnold (left), PRISMA’s Artistic Director and former Music Director of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. During his decade in Russia before the invasion of Ukraine, Arthur became captivated by Mosolov’s compositional voice — a bold fusion of modernist energy and emotional depth that was

Encounter PRISMA

The 2025 PRISMA Festival runs June 16-28. For tickets and a full schedule of daily events that are open to the public, visit prismafestival.com.

“One extraordinary moment... the librarian on duty, fully aware of the rules, turned her gaze while [Arthur Arnold] photographed every page of the handwritten scores using his phone.”

silenced under Stalin’s regime.

Mosolov was once at the forefront of Soviet experimental music. His 1927 composition Iron Foundry turned the clanging and banging of factory machinery into a revolutionary orchestral sound. But his innovation  — and his refusal to conform  — soon put him at perceived odds with the state. Arrested in 1937 for “anti-Soviet propaganda,” he spent time in a prison camp and was blacklisted for years from Russia’s biggest metropolitan centres, his music largely forgotten compared to peers like Dmitri Shostakovich or Sergei Prokofiev.

WHERE TO HIDE A SYMPHONY: At the Lenin Library in Moscow.

dividual instrumental parts. The resulting symphony is a study in contrast  —  brooding yet joyful, dark yet free. Written over a period of months spanning 1958 and 1959, Symphony No. 3 marks a clear departure from Mosolov’s earlier music while not being as folksy as some of his later works. Interestingly, it also foreshadows some of the themes found in Mosolov’s later compositions — including Symphony No. 5.

Arthur first encountered Mosolov’s lost legacy through his friend, entrepreneur and music philanthropist Max Gutbrod, who himself had been tipped off by the musicologist Inna Barsova. Gutbrod brought Arthur the score of a Mosolov opera, The Hero (1928), and Arthur began to seek out more of the composer’s elusive scores and learn as much as he could about his life.

In 2018, Arthur and the Moscow Symphony premiered and recorded Mosolov’s Harp Concerto and Symphony No. 5 — two works he unearthed in the Glinka Library. The album would go on to win an award for the Naxos label. From there, he dove even deeper into Mosolov’s body of work — and eventually, with the assistance of Gutbrod’s wife, Heide Mehring, paid a visit to the Lenin Library where the manuscripts of Symphony No. 3 and 4 were hidden.

Arthur recalls one extraordinary moment where the librarian on duty, fully aware of the rules, turned her gaze while he photographed every page of the handwritten scores using his phone. Later, he and a colleague digitized them and transcribed all the in-

“It’s like finding a sealed time capsule,” Arthur says. “There is no recording, no reference, no one alive who had ever heard it. I play it on the piano and imagine the sound of the orchestra instruments, but the only way to really know what it sounds like is to play it with an orchestra.”

So that is exactly what will happen later this month when Symphony No. 3 is brought to life at the Evergreen Theatre, some 8,300 kilometres away from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow where it should have had its big unveiling nearly 70 years ago.

Delivering the premiere performance of this 30-minute work will be the PRISMA Festival Orchestra, composed of elite young musicians from over 15 countries who have convened in the qathet region to attend PRISMA’s immersive two-week training program. Max and Heide plan to make the trip from Berlin to witness this historic event.

“Mosolov’s voice was silenced for decades,” Arthur says. “To give him a platform now, through the passion and talent of PRISMA’s young musicians, is incredibly meaningful. We’re not just making music together; we’re continuing the story of a forgotten composer.”

Otago 50 @

PHOTO AND STORY BY SEAN PERCY

“People say they’re going to Powell River to visit the ‘Church of Rugby.”

- Jack Beardmore

Three Historic Otago Teams

1983-84

1986

CHAMPIONS: The 1986 team went 14-1, winning the Island Championships and losing only in the Provincials to a team that had a future national team member.

2024-25

REVITALIZED: After struggling through COVID, the current Otago Rugby Club is gaining members, including a growing group of women. If you’d like to join, just show up at a Thursday evening practice.

Fifty years ago this spring, Jack Beardmore played in his first game with the newly minted Powell River Rugby Club.

Jack knew he’d found his sports passion.

This year, he and the club he helped run for half a century will celebrate with a banquet, a golf tournament, and a series of rugby games at Cranberry Field  — and Jack will be playing.

The club was started in 1975 by Andre Berthume, who had just moved to Powell River from Victoria. He had started playing rugby with the Navy. When he discovered there was no rugby team here, he gathered up a few men, some of whom would go on to play for decades for Powell River, including Stuart Hotston, Bob Flewelling and 25-year-old Jack Beardmore. Like many of the men on the team, he had never played rugby before. Andre organized a game for Powell River against his former team, the Agrarians of Victoria.

“I knew then that I loved this game. I fell in love with the after-game festivities and the singing and all that,” recalls Jack.

The following year, Powell River joined the Vancouver Island Rugby Union second division — and got thoroughly trounced for several years by teams

GETTING BETTER: By the early 80s, the Otago Rugby Club was a force to be reckoned with in the North Island Rugby Union.

Photos courtesy Otago Rugby Football Club

Want to play rugby?

Stop by any practice Thursday nights starting at 5 pm at Cranberry field. Women: there is a special drop-in “Intro to Rugby” event on June 7 at 5 pm.

that used players from higher divisions to form winning second division sides. The fourth year, the club that was then known as Powell River Otago helped form the North Island Rugby Union with Port Alberni, Comox, Nanaimo, and Campbell River. The North Island teams formed a strong third division union. From 1985-87, Otago dominated the division, losing just three games in three years. In 1986, Otago went 13-1, won the Island Championships and went all the way to the BC Finals.

ISLAND ACTION: Otago plays in Saanich in the early 1980s.

During that heyday, Otago fielded four teams, including the senior squad, a second team that played exhibition games, a junior team, and a girls team.

The economic downturn in the late 80s hit the team hard, with many of the top players forced to move away. The squad built back up in the late 90s and went to the North Island finals, but until recently hadn’t been able to regain that glory.

The club came near to collapse during COVID and there was talk about shutting down.

But Jack, who has coached the club on and off for 40 years, says that “as long as my feet are walking on this earth, we’re not folding this club. Hopefully we’ll have a centenary long after I’m gone.”

“The last three years, the club has gained a lot of new players, including some experienced players,” said Jack.

Two of Otago’s female players, Sophie Slakov and Sian Cornwell, play for the Comox Valley Kickers women’s team, which won the provincial Division 2 Championships last month,

Joing

us in welcoming

GARETH JONES to Royal LePage Powell River!

Gareth Jones is a community-focused and adventure-minded man. Having lived on Savary with his wife and three children full time for many years, he came up through the construction world, building and renovating. He quickly joined the island’s volunteer fire department and became the acting Fire Chief before moving to Powell River proper. Over many years of being in town he has taken the occasional getaway to race motorcycles, competing in and finishing the Dakar Rally in 2023. Since being in town he’s shifted his focus to real estate, coaching youth soccer, and his family. Gareth has a degree in design and a keen eye for quality. Moving into real estate has been a natural career progression and he is excited to work with you on finding your next home here on the coast and being a part of this incredible community, thriving together.

Give Gareth a call today at 604-578-8006 or garethjones@royallepage.ca

ARE YOU A LOCAL BUSINESS? USE THIS LOGO!

To help promote locally-owned businesses, qathet Living commissioned a series of logos from local artist Jenny Allen Taves. The logos all include the Canadian Maple Leaf, and two uniquely–local symbols: a harbour seal and the sunset over the Salish Sea.

We welcome anyone to use these logos to promote your own local cred. Put them on your ads. Run them on your social media. Use them on your packaging or your products. You are local – show it!

If you’d like these logos emailed to you, for free, contact sean@qathetliving.ca, or call us at 604-485-0003.

the

at

the

defeating the Vancouver Rowing Club and Kelowna Crows before crushing the Nanaimo Hornet 61-0 in the final.

The two local women are running an introduction to women’s rugby on June 7.

Jack says the club is also benefiting from new head coach Jeff Matheson. Jack says Jeff’s adoption of technology and new coaching methods has made a big difference.

Jack was well into his 60s when he played his last division three games, but he kept coaching until last year. He still plays the occasional old-timers game, and recently played in an old boys game with the Burnaby Twilighters, with which Otago has had a long association.

Jack will also play on June 21, when the Otago anniversary celebration includes an over-60 game.

“It just goes to show you can’t fix stupid,” he laughs.

After the game

Much of the attraction for rugby is the after-thematch activities. In the club’s early days, they used the basement of Lime House on Barnet Avenue as a clubhouse. But by working bingos in the 1980s, the club gathered enough funds to put a down-payment on the old United Church at the corner of Church Street and Manson Avenue.

Twenty-two players and friends of Otago signed payroll deduction forms to help pay the mortgage and the clubhouse is the envy of the Vancouver Island Rugby Union. Stu Hotston still lives in the back of the clubhouse.

“People say they’re going to Powell River to visit the ‘Church of Rugby,’” says Jack.

The clubhouse is vitally important to the sport.

“There’s no comparison with the social aspect to other sports. I tell the young players, ‘This is your

OTAGO 50 CELEBRATIONS

When & Where: Saturday, June 21 at Cranberry Field (by the old school off Manson).

What: Games starting at 12:30 pm at Cranberry Field. Women’s game against Comox Valley Kickers, followed by over 60, over 50, and over 40 games. Feature Game at 3:30 pm, Otago vs Comox Valley Kickers. Everyone welcome to games, with beer gardens and concession.

Etc: For those who were involved with Otago over the decades, the weekend also features a golf tournament and a gala dinner. Contact Jack at 604-414-6142 for more.

club. It’s not just a sport; it’s a lifestyle.’”

“You go out on the pitch and beat the living s#*! out of each other and when the game is over, you go and buy your opposite number a beer and sing some songs. The score is irrelevant,” Jack says.

What’s with the name?

Otago is the name of a region in New Zealand. So how did a Powell River rugby team end up with that name? In 1976, the local rugby squad visited Victoria for a friendly game, where they met and played against crew members of the HMNZS Otago, a New Zealand frigate visiting Esquimalt.

In true rugby fashion, the Powell River visitors were invited back to the ship for after-game refreshments, and the New Zealanders offered their ship’s name to the fledgling club.

“They took the plaque from behind the ship’s bar and gave it to us. It still hangs in the clubhouse,” says longtime Otago coach Jack.

The club name gets frequently mispronounced, Jack says. “It’s uh-TAW-go.”

|| sean@qathetliving.ca

FUTURE AND FANS: Sophie Slakov and Sian Cornwell, members of Otago, played for

Comox Valley Kickers who won the provincials last month. Otago members have travelled

world;

right is Gord Hawkins who travelled with Jack Beardmore to the 1999 World Cup in Wales.

CAMPGROUNDS ARE OPEN

Haywire Bay Park

Open for camping until 1 pm, September 22.

$30 per unit/night. No reservations.

Caretakers: Ryan and Tanya, 604-483-1097

DAY USE PARKS

Shelter Point Park

Open year-round.

$30 per unit/night. No reservations.

Caretakers: Tyler and Sofia, 604-486-7228

Palm Beach Park Open year-round. Tennis courts, bandstand, playground.

Craig Park Open year-round. Tennis courts, 18-hole disc golf, play ground and scenic trails.

Call to book the baseball fields or soccer pitch.

Klah ah men Open year-round. Gazebo with bandstand.

Lund Gazebo Park

Owned and managed by the qathet Regional District

For directions and booking info call 604-485-2260 or visit www.qathet.ca

Fast & strong, local teens among the best in BC

On May 22 and 23, qathet School District hosted 444 athletes for the BC Provincial High School Mountain Biking Championships.

Five Brooks students earned top spots: Eleanor Winchell won “Queen of the Mountain” with a top combined score, fifth in senior girls enduro and second in the all mountain event. Ilse Uhlmann took silver in senior girls enduro.

Tanner Ciarniello came in second in bantam boys enduro and seventh in cross-country (XC). Carter McDowell came in third in junior boys XC. Eli Shostack came in seventh in Senior Boys enduro and 10th in the senior boys XC race.

Athletes came from as far away as Revelstoke and Fort St. James to compete. In total, 19 local teen riders participated in the events — a reflection of the growth in the sport, thanks to investment in trails, and coaching.

ON THE MAP: Above, and far left, 115 senior boys started the cross-country race in the Millennium trails. With 163 athletes, junior boys (left and bottom left) was the single biggest category of racer. About one-quarter of participants were girls (centre left). Centre, below: Matt McDowell sorts timing tags. Below, the finish line at the Brooks field. Bottom, mechanical tune-ups. Below right, qathet’s top racer Eleanor Winchell, who rode in the World Championships in Andorra last year.

Photos by Sean Percy

Rise of qathet’s Conservatives

PIETA WOOLLEY

Just after the April 28 federal election, there was a rumour going around social media that this region had voted strongly in favour of the NDP, and it was Northern Vancouver Island to “blame” for the election of a Conservative MP.

Preliminary numbers reveal that’s not true.

In fact, broken into a two-way race between the two leading parties, the City of Powell River (57%) voted Conservative. Paradise Valley, Cranberry and Van Anda also voted blue. In fact, with nearly 8,000 qathet locals showing up at the polls on April 28, just 30 votes separated the NDP and Conservative candidates.

The region to most strongly favour the NDP candidate over the Conservative was tishosum (Tla’amin). Lund, Townsite and Wildwood also voted NDP, like their north-of-town neighbours.

South of the city was virtually a dead heat.

The conservative rise is not just a phenomenon in federal politics. Poll-by-poll results for the 2024 pro-

vincial election were finally released in April. They, too, revealed that a majority of some neighbourhoods voted Conservative here in the last election. In Powell River-Sunshine Coast, the NDP’s Randene Neill won the MLA seat, with 49.6% of the vote. The Conservatives trailed with 35.7%.

However, two polls where the Conservatives overtook the NDP were in Powell River: at the Recreation Complex and Westview Elementary School.

The other three qathet polls — Kelly Creek Elementary, Northside Recreation and Cousin’s House — selected the NDP’s Randene Neill.

The only other polls to select Conservative Chris Moore over the NDP were the Pender Harbour Legion advance poll; the out of district advance poll; and final voting at the Pender Harbour Legion. What does this all mean?

There are both NDP and Conservative voters in every neighbourhood. And the reasons each person has for choosing either party are probably impressively diverse, and worth IRL conversations.

Powell River

The man behind the myths

MP Aaron Gunn

BY PIETA WOOLLEY

Sitting across from newly-minted MP Aaron Gunn on the Shinglemill patio, I can’t help but think he may be the least-guarded politician I’ve encountered in my 23 years in this career. It seems he will say anything, and answer any question without reserve.

Is it because he’s an astute politician who knows how to work a journalist? Is it because he’s just very frank? Or is it because he’s still idealistic and young, unlike my jaded, older self. And he is very young. Aaron is just 35-year-old. But also, accomplished. Since reaching the age of majority in 2009, he earned a degree in commerce from the University of Victoria, joined the Reserves, travelled, read, learned the ropes at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, created a documentary and media empire with a following larger than any other BC politician’s, moved to Campbell River, founded the conservative advocacy group Common Sense BC, and breathed life back into the BC Conservative Party — enough to nearly win the 2024 provincial election, from near-

death in the 1980s — and now, he’s won the April 28 Federal election for North Island-Powell River — the first non-NDP candidate to do so since the riding was created in 2013.

Indeed, he reports that the largest numbers of new Conservative votes in the riding came from Powell River, nearly doubling since the last election.

Beyond the resumé, though, who is this person who will be representing us in Ottawa?

Aaron grew up in Victoria. His father is an electrical engineer, and his mother is a high school secretary. His little sister is an accountant who works for the provincial government.

Political discussions weren’t part of family life, he said, and his parents weren’t Conservatives. Instead, his political consciousness comes from two origins. Primarily, his grandfather, who grew up in Hungary during WWII, survived the communist revolution there, and came to Canada as a refugee. He drew Aaron into thinking deeply about policy, history, and politics — and continues to do so. Aaron also fell in love with history in university. He still reads

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCKING ON QATHET’S DOOR: MP Aaron Gunn (left, on the Shinglemill patio) attributes his win in Powell River to the strength of his local volunteer team, party leader Pierre Poilievre’s January rally at Dwight Hall (above), and knocking on thousands of doors. Also, the NDP.

GRANDPARENTED: Top, now-MP Aaron Gunn in 2003 with his grandfather a Hungarian refugee. Above, Aaron with both his grandparents (his grandmother grew up impoverished in Casacalenda, Italy) in front of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation debt counter.

history, for joy (see Page 26).

“I’m curious about how we got here, where we came from,” said Aaron, who journeyed to Iceland, Italy, and Hungary at 23 on a mission to find long-lost relatives. “The decisions that were made and how that they impact the present. I want to be part of that influence and impact decisions that will affect where we go in the future as a society and country.”

He’s also just a normal 35-year-old single guy. In his late 20s, Aaron saved up to buy a house. He nearly had enough for a down payment when COVID hit, and real estate prices on the Island went bananas. So, like other millennials, he’s still a renter.

In his own words:

What Aaron heard on doorsteps

I spent a lot of time in Power River over the past two years. We held so many events and coffees and get togethers and door knocked most of this city. There’s no doubt in my mind I’ve

spent the most time here of any candidate. A lot of people are frustrated here with the increase in open air drug use, and homelessness. Some of the public safety issues we’ve seen, that aren’t unique to Powell River, but I think there was no issue here before, so it’s more of a dramatic increase to go from no problem to a problem.

I heard about concerns with young people with cost of living, especially housing. And just trying to bring more good paying jobs here since this was a mill town for a long time and the mill is no longer operating.

Why the NDP got the boot

The NDP used to be the party for you, the proverbial workingman and woman, and I think it’s no longer the party of Jack Layton or Ed Broadbent. It has turned into something else. They pursued a lot of policies that were associated with the decriminalization of hard drugs, for example, and the revolving-door justice system of lowering sentencing for various repeat violent offences.

The NDP voted with the [Liberal]

Why did Aaron Gunn disappear from events during the campaign?

qL asked. MP Gunn responded. Here’s what he said:

“I’ve been asked why I did not participate in local debates during the campaign. The decision to forgo those forums was made by central campaign staff as part of a broader national strategy. While I understand the reasoning behind it, I respectfully disagree and disagreed.

“I believed then—as I do now—that local engagement is vital. That’s why we held a number of public events in Powell River and knocked on thousands of doors to connect directly with residents and hear their concerns firsthand.

“Now, as your elected Member of Parliament, I remain fully committed to openness and accessibility. I will be hosting public town halls, taking part in all available public forums, and welcoming every opportunity for open, respectful dialogue—including future debates.”

government more than 200 times this past term. There’s just the general dissatisfaction, I think, with the cost of living and inflationary spending, and people were frustrated by it.

And I think the NDP has also just transitioned into more of an urban party. They’ve lost pretty much every single one of their non-urban seats.

The big issue: money

Making sure we’re spending taxpayer money judiciously. It’s not my money, it’s not the government’s money,

it’s your money.

There are a billion cool programs that would be great to put money toward. But in my view, the test for me about whether to support funding in a particular project is: a) can I come back to my riding, look constituents in the face and justify why I took money out of their pocket to fund this program, and b) would that money have been better spent on health care?

That is my test.

If money grew on trees, I would fund everything, but would it be better spent on health care and can I justify

taking it out of your pocket? I think that’s a test that as far as I know, I came up with, and I think government spending would be better served if that was the test before announcing every new little thing.

You know, I worked at the Canadian Taxpayer Federation. My job was to run the national debt campaign. I toured this giant debt clock across the country that showed Canada’s federal debt spinning up in real time.

We’ve doubled our national debt in the past 10 years. We’re running a $60 billion deficit, and the Liberal government has campaigned on spending and borrowing even more money. And to be honest, I don’t think that many people are talking about it, maybe this isn’t as front and centre as it should be.

Conservatives will get accused of not supporting X or Y, but you know, money doesn’t grow on trees. You’re taking money out of somebody’s pocket.

Health care is obviously a big challenge. The state of Canada’s military right now is very poor. There’s a huge amount of international pressure, especially from the Americans, to increase our defense spending.

People in Canada, including myself, are very proud of our social programs and our social safety net. But if you don’t pay for those social programs,

and the social safety net, you keep borrowing money, eventually, you’re going to run into very big trouble down the road, and then, you’re going to have to make some very tough decisions.

Were residential schools a genocide?

I’m not here to rehash tweets from six years ago or the definition of words; I’ll leave that to other people. I’m here to try to deliver on the bread and butter issues of constituents: public safety, cost of living, bring good paying jobs back. I mean, I’ve made over 300 videos, 25 short and long documentaries, and probably 4,000 or 5,000 social media posts and tweets and things like that. So this is in reference to one or two tweets.

It’s not why, you know, we knocked on 10,000 doors. There are other issues to discuss.

I think it’s very important to acknowledge what happened: the harm, pain, and suffering that was very real, that many people went through because of not just residential schools, but other elements of colonial policy. I think that’s the important conversation to have. The definition of the word

Family Mediation

Family mediation is a way of helping people resolve issues relating to parenting, support and property division when going through a separation, or in some cases prior to cohabitation. The goal of mediation is to help people identify issues and work out their own solutions in a safe and comfortable setting in a collaborative manner.

has been helping families through separation as a lawyer since 2001 and as a Family Law Mediator since 2008.

Stacey

MP Aaron Gunn’s three favourite books

I really like the author Margaret McMillian. Paris 1919: Six Months that Changed the World (2013) covers the Paris Peace Conference after World War I and how that reshaped the world. It’s a really good example of how the impacts of politics 100 years ago reverberates to this present day.

The Guns of August (1962) by Barbara Tuchman is about the outbreak of World War I and how that spiralled out of control. World War I, to me, wasn’t inev-

itable. It was a series of political decisions that led the world stumbling into war.

That fascinated me from somebody who’s interested in politics and the human agency of our world and civilization.

The third one, maybe a personal favourite, is The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family and Defiance During the Blitz (2020). It’s a really unbelievable book. It follows Churchill through the start of World War II.

SMART. NOT SLICK.

‘genocide’ is not a debate that I think should be the top of my priority list. I think it became a distraction from many of the real issues, and I would argue that that was the intent — for it to become a distraction from the many real issues.

Are you anti-LGBT?

Definitely not. That is definitely not the case, no. I think people, everyone, should be treated the same. Everyone deserves basic human respect and dignity, and everybody should be free to pursue whatever kind of social life in their own time that they would like to pursue. Or be whoever they want to be.

That’s one of the great things about being Canadian, in my view.

Why does 2025 need Aaron?

I’m not afraid to have open and honest conversations about big issues. I think we went years not having the conversation about drugs, crime, and homelessness when we should have been having that conversation. That’s just one example.

One of my frustrations with our political system, and hopefully nobody in Ottawa reads this magazine, is the attempt by parties to control individ-

ual Members of Parliament, instead of allowing them to have an independent voice and represent their constituents.

So obviously, I just got on the job here, but in the medium term, my goal is to make sure that I don’t just come off as another anonymous number in a caucus of a political party, but to be an independent voice who isn’t afraid to break with the party if it’s not in the best interest of my constituents, or if I think that I disagree with something that’s happening.

We will find out if the political system is ready for that.

What’s your advice for the Class of 2025?

You only live once. Try to live with no regrets or as few regrets as possible. Speak your truth and your life will be an adventure.

Never, never stop dreaming. Never stop chasing your potential.

On occasion, which I don’t do enough of, don’t be afraid to stop and smell the roses and take it all in. Just enjoy it because you might be 18 now walking across the stage.

But trust me, blink and you’ll be 35 before you know it.

|| editor@qathetliving.ca

Brace yourselves, BC Ferries

Kim’s going rogue

On Easter weekend, Kim Barton-Bridges’ daughters had a reservation sailing out of Langdale, for the Monday, 3:15 pm ferry to Horseshoe Bay. Instead, the sailing was cancelled due to mechanical problems.

They got stuck in the overflow lot for hours; none of the employees onsite knew how long they’d be waiting. There was no information they could find on the app or website. When they received an email from BC Ferries as reservation holders, they were told their reservation was cancelled and they were offered a free vehicle and driver fare.

So, on teh advice or termal staff, they left the overflow lot, got dinner, checked into a hotel, and missed work the next day.

Kim knows how common situations like this are. Although she is no longer the chair of the qathet Sunshine Coast community Ferry Advisory Committee — the FACs have also been cancelled by BC Ferries — she gets stopped at the grocery store with ter-

rible tales.

“I’m their mom and I can navigate the system because of this background,” Kim said. “I know what BC Ferries will cover if you have a reservation, you’re stuck and have to stay over [due to mechanical problems.] They are supposed to reimburse you for your expenses. But there was nothing about that in the email they sent to my daughter. Evidently if you subscribe to emails from BC Ferries and read them, you’ll know about the policy, and if you don’t it is buried in their website and hard to find, but come on. Who is advocating for people?”

In November, BC Ferries cancelled community Ferry Advisory Committees. Formerly, the committees were a go-between the Crown Corporation and the communities it serves, represented by members of the public and local government. The FACs hosted in-person meetings with ferry users, staff, and BC Ferries executives.

But after a meeting in Gibsons got heated, BC Ferries stopped meeting with local committees. The Corpora-

few

Email kbartonbridges@gmail.com.

tion created a survey asking what kind of public engagement people prefer  — although FACs were not a choice on the survey, Kim pointed out. And, surprise, surprise, the answer didn’t include ferry advisory committees.

“BC Ferries ultimately doesn’t want to hear from you,” said Kim, noting that FACs facilitated real change through public accountability, and the ability to follow up on issues — neither of which are possible via individ-

ual online engagement. What comes next here? Kim is going rogue, and she’s hoping you’ll come with her. The former long-time FAC chair plans to gather a new local group to lobby BC Ferries directly on behalf of this community — outside the BC Ferries mandate.

Enquire about joining the rebel alliance and/or offer community meeting venues by emailing kbartonbridges@ gmail.com.

Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence in Construction

Twenty-five years ago, Wes Brown returned to his hometown and launched WB Contracting in Powell River. His team has been giving homeowners across the region a new look for a quarter century, so in 2025, it was time for the business to have a new look, too. Watch for this new WB Contracting logo out and about in the community. It’s a new look, but the meaning is the same – quality construction you can trust.

MUTINY FROM THE PLANK: Former Powell River Ferry Advisory Committee chairperson Kim Barton-Bridges is looking for a

good pirates to join her rogue, non-sanctioned ferry advisory committee.

New financial pressures on the City, the shut-down at the Mill, Tla’amin Nation’s assertion of its rights to the village site at the mouth of tiskwat: this is some of what’s fomenting what could be once-in-a-century change along Powell River’s waterfront.

While most of this isn’t “news,” taken together, it starts to paint a picture of a very different region.

What else is up at the waterfront?

Let us know: email Pieta Woolley at editor@qathetliving.ca

Map above courtesy of the City of Powell River

1.

The old arena site and the old golf course still belong to the City … for now

Both of these parcels of valuable land are owned by the City of Powell River — one at Willingdon Beach, and one adjacent to the former mill site.

At City Council on April 17, Mayor Ron Woznow moved that the City should “seek expressions of interest” for the former arena site and the old golf course lands. Only Councillor Jim Palm voted in favour of these motions, with Councillors Earl Almeida, Trina Isakson, George Doubt, Rob Southcott, and Cindy Elliott against.

“Simply put, there have been so many changes in the City, I think it’s time we get a variety of expressions of interest,” said the mayor, noting that prior to being elected, he had spearheaded a campaign to create a community foundation to purchase the old golf course lands and use them for a mix of purposes like affordable housing. That was rejected by a previous City Council.

2. The Beach Gardens may become PR’s biggest ever housing development

In April, Beach Gardens owner Jack Barr proposed a zoning change to City Council, that would allow his company to build 215 units of new housing on the seven-acre waterfront property. It includes three, four-story apartment buildings (140 units) plus three rows of townhouses (75 units), in essentially what is currently the parking lot of the hotel.

The 192-page report notes that the proposed complex’s immediate neighbours will have to grapple with much more density and traffic.

Currently, City staff are drafting zoning amendment by-laws for this site, so they can eventually be voted on. Public input via the online survey site “Participate PR” closed in May.

The City’s acting CAO and director of planning services Jason Gow noted, “the City has received quite a bit of correspondence related to the application.”

Indeed, Beach Gardens neighbour Kathryn Hjorleifson has sent several letters to the City, specifically concerned about traffic in the area. A child was killed in traffic within the vicinity of the proposed new complex, and her neighbour was hit by a car that was speeding to catch the ferry, she said.

The New Waterfrontier

In June 2024, Townsite resident Stephen Miller presented Council with a similar proposal — to turn the 80-acres into a land trust — which was referred to staff (but so far, not discussed again).

Ron notes that the City has a significant revenue and taxation challenge, due in part to the closure of the mill and costs associated with new and old infrastructure like the wastewater treatment plant and the recreation complex.

In May, the Mayor introduced a motion to poll taxpayers on whether the City should use City-owned land to generate revenue. The motion to poll citizens was defeated.

None of the neighbours she spoke with were aware of the proposed development, she noted. Kathryn’s requests to speak as a delegate to City Council were refused.

Will the City reach out to neighbours more concretely soon?

“To best support community engagement processes, staff will provide Council with an interim report that will summarize the correspondence received to date,” said Jason. “This will give Council an opportunity to consider whether additional engagement to meet the intent of Section 475 of the Local Government Act should take place.

“If this development goes ahead based on the conceptual design provided by the applicant to support their application, yes, it would be the biggest housing complex in terms of units created on one parcel so far.”

Waterfrontier

3. Tla’amin Nation has re-acquired 120 acres at the former Mill site

The timeline of events leading up to this started about two and a half years ago:

September 2022 • Tla’amin Nation submits a conditional offer to buy the tiskwat (village site) lands, which were owned by Domtar (Paper Excellence).

October 2023 • The Government of Canada agrees to start negotiating Tla’amin Nations’ specific claim for the tiskwat site. Nothing on this file has been announced since then.

October 2023 • BC Premier David Eby visits tiskwat for a ceremony vowing to protect the tiskwat lands with Tla’amin Nation, while the future of the land is settled.

December 2024 • Tla’amin and Domtar sign an Asset Purchase Agreement for the sale of 120 acres of former mill lands at tiskwat.

March 2025 • The final purchase agreement is signed: Tla’amin Nation has bought 120 acres of the former mill site at tiskwat.

The Nation has announced plans for housing, composting, and light industrial activity on the site.

4. Domtar (Paper Excellence) is selling off its remaining Mill land

Domtar is in talks with a potential buyer that is looking to engage in industrial redevelopment of the land — approximately 180 acres of land along the waterfront.

The property was previously listed with Colliers Canada (when it was a 300-acre package, including what now belongs to Tla’amin Nation) but is no longer on that website.

Although the deal is hush-hush for now, the Ontario-based BMI Group could be eyeing this property. BMI Group recently bought a few mills in Ontario, including Domtar’s Espanola Millo, Norampac’s Red Rock paper mill, St. Mary’s Paper mill in Sault Ste. Marie, Abitibi’s Iroquois Falls mill, and EB Eddy Paper/Domtar’s mill in Port Huron, Michigan. BMI owns a roster of former forestry mill properties in

places such as Fort Frances and the Niagara Peninsula.

“From capital to completion The BMI Group is an end-to-end real estate investment and redevelopment company returning social and economic opportunity to industrial and commercial infrastructure that have run their useful life,” according to its website. At press time, BMI had not returned qL’s messages.

5. Parts of the former mill site are likely a gargantuan toxic mess

The provincial Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship is waiting on a second major assessment of Powell River’s former mill site and surrounding lands. It will be submitted very soon. The first one, completed (and updated) by EnviroChem in 2022/23, is newly in qL’s possession.

The 1,200-page document records detailed assessments by independent scientists. Here’s a small sample:

• “Potential sources of contamination were identified related to previous spills, waste disposal, fuel and chemical storage tanks, waste asbestos materials, and past/recurring environmental violations. These potential sources of contamination have all been corroborated by other sources including records reviews, site reconnaissance, and/or interviews.”

• On the mill site, the team identified 41 sites of potential or confirmed environmental concern, from the rail car maintenance pit, to tank farms, to the Wildwood landfill, to a historic diesel leak from underground pipes.

• Some of the to-be-confirmed presence of leaked chemicals into the soil and groundwater include metals, ions, chlorinated phenols, non-chlorinated phenols, methanol, cyanide, dioxins/furans, formaldehyde, glycols, ammonia, and PCB.

What are the wider impacts of these contaminations at the centre of town? Will the site be cleaned before it moves on to other uses? Who is responsible for paying for the clean-up? What will the final bill be?

These are some of the questions qL is working on getting answers to. Watch for much more on the mill’s current state, clean-up, and future in upcoming issues of qL

Inside the June 2025 issue of qathet Living, you will find.

Your Guide to Logger Sports

In addition to the 8,000 copies distributed inside qathet Living, extra copies will be on-site at Logger Sports July 12 to 13.

Thousands of tourists and locals will descend on Loggers Memorial Bowl for the weekend of July 12 & 13.

The guide has the schedule, profiles of the competitors, explanations of the events, historical features, and much more.

Why your business should advertise in the guide:

Everyone going to the show will read this guide

It’s a keepsake

Even many who don’t go to the show will browse the guide

It’s a good event with which to be associated.

Book your spot before June 12

BEHIND THE GATES: Top, remnants of the first paper machine built in the late 1900s. Right, bulk chemical storage area. Far right, leachate collection pond (active). Right, below, creosote-treated rail ties. Centre below, leachate pumping system. Leachate was observed to be leaking out of a pipe. Below, boiler ask lanfilled in the Phase 2 portions of the WIldwood Landfill. Below, bottom, unlabelled empty barrels located in the boneyard. Not present June 19, 2023. Photos and descriptions from the Preliminary Site Investigation, BC Ministry of Lands, 2023.

Remains of the Mill

Since the mill was indefinitely curtailed in late 2021, few people have witnessed the full scope of the state of the waterfront. These photographs are part of the Ministry of Lands’ Preliminary Site Investigation (2022 and 2023). The follow-up report will be released soon (see more on Page 29).

June

12 June 20 June 21 June 22

Found Stone

Permament Jewelry pop-up

Thursday, 2-6

Simply Bronze

Summer Solstice Weekend in the Found Stone Trailer Friday Night Market, 5-9

Springtime

Garden Centre

Saturday, 11-3

Springtime

Garden Centre

Sunday, 11-3

Springtime

Garden Centre

@foundstone_jewelry_art_decor Follow me on Instagram for pop-ups and events schedule Ask about booking a party

“Permanent Jewelry is personal, it tells a story about the person wearing it.”

A GROWING CONCERN

“A lovely lived-in space” in Westview

Dr. Cindy Addison’s family has a long history gardening in and living in this region.

“My maternal grandfather Roy Brett moved his family here from Chilliwack, built the airstrip (he flew a fleet Canuck) and had a logging company at Brew Bay,” she said. “My parents met here, in high school, and my grandfather used to fly us up to visit my dad’s folks.”

Both Cindy and her husband Jeff graduated in Family Medicine in Calgary. They moved here with a new baby in 1988, and practiced medicine for 30 years.

“Jeff still does a day here and there, but we officially retired in 2018,” she said. Their daughter and her new husband were both raised here, and just returned. Her daughter is also a GP and took over Dr. Barry MacDonald’s practice.

How did you start gardening? How did you learn to do it?

Cindy • Childhood memories of my granny’s garden were the inspiration for my own. We bought our house because of the surrounding garden (this was the Donkersley’s property and had been lovingly gardened, and exotic trees planted, in the 1940s). It was covered in blackberries, overgrown with grass, but all the trees and shrubs were in flower in the spring.

I learned to garden from eating my granny’s new potatoes, dug fresh, boiled and buttered … magic. She would tour me around the garden on every visit, explaining the names of the plants.

She picked me 16 different roses for my 16th birthday.

Pre-internet, The Western Garden Book was my bible. I taught my children to plant what they liked to eat: peas, carrots, beans, apples, raspberries, blueberries.

Tell us about your current garden

Cindy • My garden is one acre, bordered by a treed strip along Squatter’s Creek in the center of Westview. I have mature fruit, walnut and deciduous trees interspersed with beds of peonies, roses and dahlias, beds for produce and also an area of wildflowers for the bees and birds.

My husband Jeff builds structures and is an exceptional

Five tasks Dr. Cindy Addison will do in her garden in June

1. Plant out seedlings when overnight temps are over 10°C (though peas can go out at the end of March)

2. Mulch around plants with grass clippings

3. Water

4. Weed

5. Stake tall plants

support around the “big digs,” breaking ground for raised beds, and repairing infrastructure.

He also has a lovely appreciation for bringing in forced forsythia in the spring.

What have been your biggest gardening successes? What are you most proud of?

Cindy • I love when people see the garden as a sanctuary. What are your greatest gardening challenges?

Cindy • Shade and tree roots.

What kinds of gardening stuff do you invest in?

Cindy • A good shovel, weed eater, hoe, underground watering system.

What do you do with the things you grow?

Cindy • I make bouquets, eat and store produce, and share with family and friends. We grow small amounts of food organically for our family fruit, vegetables, and walnuts. It has evolved around a habitat for birds , bees and wildlife such as raccoon, bear, and multiple bird species.

Our daughter’s wedding reception was magical in the back yard. It is really just a lovely lived-in space.

Advice for new gardeners?

Cindy • Before buying, make a plan. You need space, the correct light/ exposure , and water appropriate for the particular plant. You must allot time to care for the plants. You will always be learning.

TIDY AND THOUGHTFUL: Previous page, Dr. Cindy Addison in her coffee-in-the-morning nook, and the wisteria patio. Clockwise from top left, bachelor’s button; a bouquet of fancy tulips for a new grand-baby; bear-resistant composters built by Dr. Jeff Addison; the stairs down to Squatters Creek; the potting shed; simple plastic bells protect the tomato plants.

Forum for our Future

US President Donald Trump continues to baffle and terrorize other countries — including this one — with his protectionist trade policy that includes large, unpredictable, and seemingly kneejerk tariffs. Meanwhile, here in qathet, local shop-

and retailers are trying to keep up with the trade situation as it unfolds, while still recovering

from COVID’s supply chain issues.

To help make sense of the situation and a community plan, the PR Chamber of Commerce and Westview Ratepayers Society are jointly hosting a Town Hall June 11 (see right). Here, four panelists and local businesspeople reveal a bit about what they’re encountering on the front lines.

Aaron Mazurek

Terra Nostra Farm

Fresh local organic produce for sale in Powell River.

Current events impacts • While the Buy Canadian/ Local idea will help our business a little, it can also present challenges in sourcing some equipment, supplies, parts, and materials.

Changing customer habits • Our home delivery program was started during Covid and remains popular.

How you buy local • We source a lot of our packaging and consumables locally, machinery and equipment is harder (there is no tractor dealer in town!)

Silver linings • I think it will help bring awareness to our food insecuritity, and hopefully start building resilience in our community.

“Most of our food is shipped into town and much of that from foreign countries.... We lack the knowledge, equipment, infrastructure, and labour to grow our own food.”

- Aaron Mazurek

Jennifer Konopelski

The Nutcracker Market

Specialty foods, kitchen gadgets, custom gift baskets, and local home-based businesses

Current events impacts • Some products will not be on our shelves after the current stock depletes, because with the tariffs and food shortages, we are seeing some products prices are up 65% over previous pricing. Luckily, only about 5-8% of The Nutcracker Market’s products are coming directly from the US.

Changing customer habits • We have noticed that customers are being more cautious as to where the products we are selling come from. And yes, they may pass on products that are originating from the States.

How you buy local • I have always tried to shop/ support local businesses. Even when you can get it cheaper online, there are local families that rely on us to continue supporting them here in our town.

What scares you • That all products, no matter their origin, will continue to rise in pricing. We already live in a time that the “living wage” does not come even close for many of us to have the basics needed for survival.

Silver linings • That local makers and smaller local businesses may become more supported by the local people who live within their home towns.

The Boardwalk Restaurant

“More people are paying attention now than they’ve ever been.”

- Jeremy East

“I make it my business to know what products most local stores carry so that when I need something, I know where to go to get it.”

Jennifer Konopelski

“Canada can come out the other side bigger and bolder and more successful than ever before. It will take time to pivot, but Canada can do it.”

- Karyne Bailey

Oceanside Entertainment provides Powell River with all the fun things to keep entertained, especially during trying times. High Tide Games is a community hub where people can get together, play board games, play video games and/or build puzzles without needing to buy them.

Current event impacts • We are pivoting to acquire more German, Netherlands, UK and Canadian games as we find them. Some of our Collectible Card Games are under a serious supply chain shortage which has caused the prices to skyrocket. We are working hard to source from non-traditional sources in order to help keep the prices more reasonable.

How you buy local • I have started attending the local Farmers’ Market to see if my produce and fruits are there. If not, then I hit the grocery store and look for items there. I make sure to buy BC first, Canadian second, and US only if I must have it for my health and there are no other options.

What scares you • Trump could change his mind on a whim and change the tariffs up and down and create such chaos in the pricing of an item that it would be near impossible to have steady pricing. When pricing gets chaotic, people get cautious with their spending.

“

Silver lining • Locals are learning that if we don’t support local businesses that they will not be here when we want them.

Changing customer habits • Not knowing how the tariffs will directly hit them is causing some slow down in purchasing.

Silver linings • The opportunities are abundant right now. Investors who want to back business owners in projects that will support Canada and the economy will have a plethora of opportunities to invest in.

TOWN HALL

Karyne Bailey

The Powerful Impact of Indigenous Education for All

Indigenous education is woven into classrooms, enriching all students through cultural, social, academic, and emotional learning. To celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day, the District Principal of Indigenous Education, along with team members, students, and allies identified by the Indigenous Education team, share a bit about how this work is happening in our schools, why it matters, and the difference it makes. Their voices highlight the daily impact of Indigenous education — lived, led, and learned from within.

District Principal of Indigenous Education

How are the strengths of Indigenous cultures being leveraged in education?

“In

recent years, there has been a shift away from this work weighing heavily on the shoulders of Indigenous peoples. The recognition that this is collective work spans from individuals right up to the Ministry of Education and Child Care.

To ensure equitable educational outcomes for all Indigenous students, everyone in our system must embrace and take responsibility for their success.”

We asked...

Indigenous cultures offer holistic, relevant ways of knowing that recognize individual gifts and emphasize relationships — with each other and the land.

I’ve been reading Sand Talk by Australian Indigenous scholar Tyson Yunkaporta, and one passage really resonated with me. He writes: Indigenous people are members of a community retaining memories of a life lived sustainably on a land base, as part of that land base. Indigenous knowledge is any application of those memories as living knowledge to improve present and future circumstances.

This captures the strength of Indigenous cultures and the importance of including our knowledges in education if we truly want a better future for all. In qathet School District, this is reflected in how Indigenous worldviews are integrated into classrooms for all students, while sacred knowledge is honoured through Indigenous-centric experiences for Indigenous students. This approach invites us to act with humility and recognize our place in a deeply interconnected web of relationships.

How does the district connect with Indigenous communities and Elders to ensure that education is culturally responsive?

This work takes many meaningful forms. Elders are regularly engaged to share generational knowledge, a core aspect of Indigenous cultures. The Indigenous Education Council (IEC), which reflects the Indigenous population in our schools, guides how targeted funds for Indigenous students are used. With Bill 40, there is province-wide shift, giving all districts a roadmap to engage more meaningfully with local Nations. For us, this means continuing our close collaboration with the Tla’amin Nation.

Shawn James, Čɛpθ (Aunty), Indigenous Education Team

How do you think your work has helped students who didn’t feel represented in the school system?

Children feel safe and develop a sense of belonging when they see themselves reflected in their school environment. By sharing our culture and expressing pride in our identity as Indigenous people, we are modelling by example. As čɛpθtən (Aunties), we have a more intimate, culturally safe relationship that supports and nurtures this connection.

In your experience, how does the integration of Indigenous perspectives enrich the learning environment for all students?

Learning about Indigenous ways of knowing and being from Indigenous peoples’ lived experience is imperative. Our shared history is for ALL students to learn from, to explore, and experience.

In your experience, what barriers do Indigenous students face most in the school system?

Feeling a sense of safety and belonging. Most Indigenous students have developed trust issues due to the fallout from family members who have lived experience with residential schools. They have experienced generational trauma. Many individuals have not had trauma informed training or lived through the history of these places.

We asked...

Willow Dunlop, K-12 Sexual Health Education Coordinator:

What does it mean to be an ally of Indigenous education?

Allyship means listening to Indigenous voices with humility and an open heart, and to remain actively curious each time we listen— even if we think we’ve already learned something. Allies reflect on their own reactions and where their ideas come from. Allies engage directly in acknowledging how people are inequitably impacted by systems shaped by colonialism (e.g. land ownership, inherited wealth, expected social roles and mobility, health care, education, the justice system, etc.). Learning about colonialism’s impacts is never finished or forgotten – we deepen our understandings and empathy to stay motivated to repair ongoing harm. This work strengthens and heals us together. Allyship in education means prioritizing the work it takes to learn about diverse Indigenous peoples - their struggles and celebrations — through authentic sources created by the people themselves or through opportunities to engage directly when they are offered. I’m continually moved by the generosity shown by ɬaʔamɩn qaymixʷ (Tla’amin people) in sharing taʔow (cultural teachings) with nonIndigenous people. Allyship includes reciprocal actions that demonstrate our learning from these opportunities.

We asked...

In your role, is there a specific moment or memorable experience you can recall where you saw Indigenous education making a difference for students (Indigenous or not)?

Amanda Zaikow, Grade 2/3 Teacher and Librarian at James Thomson Elementary

In your role, is there a specific moment or memorable experience you can recall where you saw Indigenous education making a difference for students (Indigenous or not)?

“With the help of students and language speakers, we have created a drum group called ƛasəm taχamay sa saɬtxʷ Strong Cedar Women to empower and suppor t Indigenous Grade 7 girls

As a librarian, I am always introducing students to books that serve as “windows” offering a glimpse into lives or experiences different from their own or as “mirrors” reflecting their own identities and experiences I have been thrilled with the students’ response, from K to Grade 7, to Betty Wilson’s new book, Herring to Huckleberries. All students can connect with the book in so many ways: seeing the familiar views of the coastline, sharing their favourite types of berries, and talking about how they learn from and interact with their grandparents. When I asked if anyone had eaten fish eggs, almost all hands shot up, as JT students have had many oppor tunities to try traditional foods either with their families or through school events featuring traditional offerings We are very honoured to welcome Betty Wilson to share her story with us, to read in the ʔayʔaǰuθəm (ayajuthem) language, and to talk about her experiences - Amanda Zaikow, Grade 2/3 Teacher and Librarian at James Thomson Elementary

As a librarian, I am always introducing students to books that serve as “windows” — offering a glimpse into lives or experiences different from their own — or as “mirrors” — reflecting their own identities and experiences. I have been thrilled with the students’ response, from K to Grade 7, to Betty Wilson’s new book, Herring to Huckleberries All students can connect with the book in so many ways: seeing the familiar views of the coastline, sharing their favourite types of berries, and talking about how they learn from and interact with their grandparents. When I asked if anyone had eaten fish eggs, almost all hands shot up, as JT students have had many opportunities to try traditional foods — either with their families or through school events featuring traditional offerings. We are very honoured to welcome Betty Wilson to share her story with us, to read in the ʔayʔaǰuθəm (ayajuthem) language, and to talk about her experiences.

We asked...

Suppor ting the group and the girls are Čɛpθtən/Aunties

“With the help of students and language speakers, we have created a drum group called ƛasəm taχamay sa saɬtxʷ — Strong Cedar Women — to empower and support Indigenous Grade 7 girls.

Heather Doher ty (James Thomson), Ger t Touchie (James Thomson), Frankie McWade (Edgehill/Henderson), Karina Peters (James Thomson, ʔayʔajuθəm language teacher), Tabatha Berggren (Métis community member), and Amira Abouelalla (Westview) Elder Doreen Point has also joined the circle during visits to James Thomson, grounding and enriching the space with her presence

Supporting the group and the girls are Čɛpθtən/Aunties

Heather Doherty (James Thomson), Gert Touchie (James Thomson), Frankie McWade (Edgehill/Henderson), Karina Peters (James Thomson, ʔayʔajuθəm language teacher), Tabatha Berggren (Métis community member), and Amira Abouelalla (Westview). Elder Doreen Point has also joined the circle during visits to James Thomson, grounding and enriching the space with her presence.

The group has become a safety net for the youth a loving and healing space where they are surrounded by community and Aunties who honour who they are ”

The group has become a safety net for the youth — a loving and healing space where they are surrounded by community and Aunties who honour who they are.”

- The Čɛpθtən (Aunties)

(Aunties)

How do you integrate Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum or classroom, and what impact has it had?

Samantha Christmann, Grade 2 Teacher at Westview Elementary:

Indigenous knowledge and perspectives are integrated daily into my curriculum and classroom This includes using ʔayʔaǰu

How do you integrate Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum or classroom, and what impact has it had?

Indigenous knowledge and perspectives are integrated daily into my curriculum and classroom. This includes using engaging in place-based outdoor learning, and experiential activities. Some ways we honour cultural practices include incorporating a Tla’amin land acknowledgement and land use teachings into classroom projects, reading stories by Indigenous authors and about Indigenous peoples, and currently exploring a Coast Salish village through Minecraft Education! On Orange Shirt Day, a Grade 2 student once wrote, “Every child matters because I love my people.” To me, this beautifully captures why Indigenous education is so important. There was a time in our history when Indigenous learners might not have felt safe or empowered to express their personal and cultural identity so openly. By embedding Indigenous education, we give learners a voice.

m language in lessons, engaging in place-based outdoor learning and experiential activities Some ways we honour cultural practices include incorporating a Tla’amin land acknowledge stories by Indigenous authors and about Indigenous peoples, a Education! On Orange Shirt Day, a grade 2 student once wrot beautifully captures why Indigenous education is so important not have felt safe or empowered to express their personal and we give learners a voice - Samantha Christm

“Indigenous teachings that have been passed down for a long time are really valuable because they have helped me and a lot of people. Being challenged in school through culturally-centric programs made me realize my own strengths. They have made me become resilient and realize that I could do hard things Something that I’d tell younger Indigenous students is to not be less than what you are. Know who you are, know what you’re good at, and you’ ll go fur ther than you thought you could.”

- Kashius, Grade 12 Student

We asked...

Jessica Adam, Teacher-Librarian & Reading Intervention Teacher at Westview Elementary:

How do you help make story part of education?

Currently as a teacher-librarian, I focus on ensuring resources t local publications are accessible to our learning community In through memory, story, and our connections to place and each o core to our library and a par t of the work I love. I aim to create m intergenerational learning, and local teachings, including langua (ayajuthem) Immersion program deepened my commitment to w - Jessica Adam,

Teacher-Librarian and Reading Interventi

As a teacher-librarian, I focus on ensuring resources — traditional stories, historical accounts, and local publications — are accessible to our learning community. Indigenous perspectives emphasize learning through memory, story, and our connections to place and each other. Sharing and learning through story is core to our library and a part of the work I love. I aim to create more space for community involvement, intergenerational learning, and local teachings, including language. A recent workshop on the

(ayajuthem) Immersion program deepened my commitment to weaving language and story into our work.

Pictured from left to right: Braedyn, Tia, and Kashius

&

Dads their Grads 2025

This month, we celebrate both Father’s Day (June 15) and High School Graduation (June 7).

qL is thrilled to present our second annual “Dads & their Grads” round-up of pride and admiration between the generations and reflection on what’s changed from the Kindergarten days to the edge of adulthood.

CONGRATULATIONS

to the Class of 2025!

Enjoy your grad, and please celebrate safely.

Best wishes to all the graduates from Pat and Joanne!

Carl & Ryan Anderson

Godson & Sheila Akhidenor

Dylan & Gino Spahan

Panagiota & Bill Rounis

Konrad & Taryn Thiele

Carl Anderson, 48, is a Biomedical Engineering Technologist at the hospital. He spends his free time focused on his passion for landscape and nature photography.

Ryan Anderson, 17, is an avid gamer, a Lego collector, and a cancer survivor. He has been accepted to Vancouver Island University and wants to pursue a career in Criminology.

Grad to Dad

What do you remember about your dad, from when you were in Kindergarten?

Grad Ryan • He was clean shaven. We went to West Edmonton Mall including playing mini golf.

What’s your best memory of your dad, from your teen years?

Grad Ryan • Catching a Chinook salmon with my dad while fishing on my Uncle Brian’s boat in the ocean.

How is he unlike other dads?

Grad Ryan • He is a biomedical engineering technologist and a Cancer Dad.

Carl and Ryan Anderson

What do you think your dad was like when he was in Grade 12?

Grad Ryan • He was smart, not to imply that he isn’t now. He had a cat named Shadow that later would not like my mom.

What has your dad taught you about life, so far?

Grad Ryan • My dad has taught me how to check the oil in a car and how to make and flip pancakes.

What do you plan to do, over the next five years or so?

Grad Ryan • I plan on attending VIU here in town and take a variety of courses to try and form an actual plan for the future.

How do you plan to keep your dad in your life?

Grad Ryan • Regular communication by texting, calling, and living in the same house.

Dad to Grad

What do you remember most about your grad when they were in Kindergarten?

Dad Carl • Ryan was, and remains, compassionate. I recall going for walks in the rain and Ryan rescuing the worms. His intelligence was obvious. He would pick up new boardgames above his age category and not only learn them, but develop new strategies and challenge his parents.

Which qualities does your grad get from you?

Dad Carl • I like to think Ryan got his intelligence from me even though he often exceeds my own. His sense of humour and quick wit, as well his ability to remember trivial knowledge.

What were you like in Grade 12?

Dad Carl • Smart, but not a driven student, did well without effort, but should have done better. Great group of friends who are still in my life. Long haired child of Lund

hippies who had an idea of what he wanted to do but got talked out of it.

What did you do in the five years following high school graduation?

Dad Carl • UBC, gap year in Southeast Asia, UBC again, met my beautiful wife, got married, finally BCIT to do what I planned to do in high school and still do now.

What do you hope for your grad, over the next five years?

Dad Carl • I hope that he will find a direction for the rest of his life that will make him happy. That he will remain open to finding and trying new things.

What will you miss most about your grad, after they move on to their next stage in life?

Dad Carl • Assuming he leaves home, joking sort of, I will miss his laugh and his ability to find something relatable that he has seen or heard to almost any situation.

For what are you most proud of your grad?

Dad Carl • Ryan has overcome so many challenges. Learning with ADHD, battling leukemia and catching up to graduating with his peers. Most of all, Ryan did it all with courage and resolve.

For Grads & Teachers Gifts

Dylan and Gino Spahan

Gino Spahan, 61, is a member of the Lower Nicola Band in Merritt and grew up in Sidney (Victoria).

Dad Gino works for a company called Healthy Hounds in North Vancouver — it’s a workout, physically! He likes to stay in shape by lifting weights at home.

Dylan Spahan, 17, is a member of the Tla’amin Nation (along with his mother, Judy Mitchell) and is graduating from Carson Graham Secondary in North Vancouver.

This grad has been a member of North Vancouver Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Team for a few years and holds the Gracie Combatives Belt, which allows him to progress to the Masters Cycle. Next on his horizon is the traditional Blue Belt. He was also a member of the Carson Graham Wrestling Team this year.

In his spare time, in the late evenings, Dylan likes to run and sprint around the Lower Lonsdale area (many hills!) He eats his parents out of house-andhome, so he’s been encouraged to get a good job!

Dylan’s after-grad plan is to enter Capilano University’s Kinesiology Program in the Fall 2025 (studying human movement and health promotion).

Grad to Dad

What do you remember about your dad, from when you were in Kindergarten?

Grad Dylan • He was strong and liked to do fun things with me.

What’s your best memory of your dad, from your teen years?

Grad Dylan • He likes watching hockey and football. He likes watching old shows, like from the 70’s and 80’s. He’s a handyman and fixes a lot of things.

How is he unlike other dads?

Grad Dylan • He is physically strong and has a silent, strong personality. He’s a man of few words, but is always present, lending his support.

What do you think your dad was like when he was in Grade 12?

Grad Dylan • I’d imagine he was ‘too-cool-for-school’.

What has your dad taught you about life, so far?

Grad Dylan • How to take care of myself and be a good person.

What do you plan to do, over the next five years or so?

Grad Dylan • Over the next few years, I’ll be attending Capilano University’s Kinesiology Program. I like that it can take me in many different directions in health care. And working at summer jobs.

How do you plan to keep your dad in your life?

Grad Dylan • By filling him in on everything I’m experiencing in school and travel, and coming to visit his fridge/ freezer for protein!

Dad to Grad

What do you remember most about your grad when they were in Kindergarten?

Dad Gino • He loved going to the park and swimming.

Which qualities does your grad get from you?

Dad Gino • His love of sports and his quick wit/sense of humour.

What were you like in Grade 12?

Dad Gino • I could not wait to get out of school.

What did you do in the five years following high school graduation?

Dad Gino • I found work and hiked the West Coast Trail.

What do you hope for your grad over the next five years?

Dad Gino • That Dylan continues his education and continues his athletics.

What will you miss most about your grad after they move on to their next stage in life?

Dad Gino • I’ll miss his daily sense of humour and laughing around with him.

For what are you most proud of your grad?

Dad Gino • I’m proud that he is graduating and continuing with post-secondary education and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He’s a helpful young man.

Godson Akhidenor is a Nigerian lawyer and a candidate of the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA), under the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, currently in the process of converting his Nigerian legal qualifications to practice law in Canada.

He presently works as a Legal Assistant at the Law Office of Villani and Co. Committed to community service, he actively volunteers with organizations such as Rotary International and serves as a member of the First Credit Union 2025 Impact Donation Committee in BC.

Before relocating to Canada, he founded Act for Human Rights, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of human rights.

Sheila Akhidenor is a Grade 12 student at Brooks. She has been actively involved in various community volunteer initiatives, including Vancouver Coastal Health and the Interact Club. Sheila has received admission to the University of Victoria, where she will begin her studies this September. She aspires to make meaningful contributions to society following her graduation.

Grad to Dad

What do you remember about your dad, from when you were in Kindergarten?

Grad Sheila • I remember my dad always being there for me even when I was upset. He’d always try to help me whenever I got in a tough situation. As a kid, he was like my personal superhero back then.

Godson

What’s your best memory of your dad, from your teen years?

Grad Sheila • I consider every moment with my dad the best memories of my dad.

How is he unlike other dads?

Grad Sheila • He’s not afraid to be real. Like, he can be goofy and funny at times, but he’ll also be honest about life when it’s time. He doesn’t pretend to be perfect, he tries his best, and that makes him stand out.

What do you think your dad was like when he was in Grade 12?

Grad Sheila • I imagine he was probably very stubborn.

What has your dad taught you about life, so far?

Grad Sheila • He’s taught me that life isn’t always fair, but you must keep moving forward anyway. That hard work matters. And that family is something you show up for, no matter what.

What do you plan to do, over the next five years or so?

Grad Sheila • I plan to focus on school, study psychology, and eventually work my

way toward law school. I want to grow into someone who helps others and stands up for what’s right.

How do you plan to keep your dad in your life?

Grad Sheila • I plan to call him often— even if I move away. I want him to be part of every big decision, every success, and even the tough moments. He’s my biggest supporter.

Dad to Grad

What do you remember most about your grad when they were in Kindergarten?

Dad Godson • Sheila is my first child, and every moment with her since birth has been incredibly special. She grew up smart, curious, and full of promise. I still have vivid memories of her early years, her laughter, her questions, her eagerness to learn. She will always hold a special place in my heart.

Which qualities does your grad get from you?

Dad Godson • Sheila is coordinated, witty, and ambitious, qualities I recognize in

myself and take pride in seeing reflected in her.

What were you like in Grade 12?

Dad Godson • My mother passed away when I was in Grade 4, and that loss cast a long shadow over my school years. I faced many struggles throughout both elementary and secondary school. Unlike Sheila, I didn’t have the same opportunities or support. My memories of Grade 12 are filled with hardship and resilience.

What did you do in the five years following high school graduation?

Dad Godson • I went on to pursue a law degree at the university, a decision shaped by my experiences and determination to rise above my challenges.

What do you hope for your grad over the next five years?

Dad Godson • I hope Sheila completes her first degree successfully and gains admission into Law School. I believe she has the discipline and drive to achieve even more.

What will you miss most about your grad after they move on to their next stage in life?

Dad Godson • Honestly, I can’t even imagine what life will be like without her presence at home every day. I will miss her deeply, every hour, every minute.

For what are you most proud of your grad?

Dad Godson • I’m proud to be the father of such a remarkable young woman, ambitious, disciplined, focused, independent, and beautiful. Sheila is everything a parent could hope for in a child, and more.

& Sheila Akhidenor

Panagiota Rounis, 18, is a gifted musician, singer, and accomplished conformation dog handler who is now preparing to begin the pre-veterinary program at Dalhousie University.

Her dream is to become a veterinarian, a goal she’s been steadily working toward through her academic focus and hands-on experience.

She’s the daughter of Bill Rounis, 53, a dedicated school principal in Powell River who also coaches’ volleyball, enjoys fishing, and is known for his love of cooking traditional Greek dishes. Panagiota’s mother, Siona, and younger sister, Anastacia, are central to the close-knit Rounis family, whose values of learning, community, and culture are at the heart of everything they do.

Grad to Dad

What do you remember about your dad, from when you were in Kindergarten?

Grad Panagiota • When I was in Kindergarten my dad signed up to be our Greek school teacher. We would go to whichever school he was working at, and he would teach me and the other Greek kids how to read, speak, and write in Greek. However, my favourite lessons always happened when he would teach us to Greek dance. I remember him being so understanding and patient with us during those lessons and I think he’s what made Greek school so enjoyable.

What’s your best memory of your dad, from your teen years?

Grad Panagiota • When I was 13, I had surgery on my back, and I seemed to need to complain about everything. My biggest thing, however, was I did not want to eat. I asked my dad if he could maybe go to my uncle’s restaurant and get him to make some traditional Greek food since that always seemed to bring back my appetite. My

Panagiota and Bill Rounis

dad drove to the other side of Vancouver just to get it for me. That meant a lot to me, and it still does.

How is he unlike other dads?

Grad Panagiota • My dad’s greatest strength is his ability to be open with me and my sister. You always see these jokes about the stoic, closed-off father, but my dad couldn’t be farther from that description. He is kind and funny and is constantly trying to help out others and support my and my sister’s ambitions, wherever they may lead us.

What do you think your dad was like when he was in Grade 12?

Grad Panagiota • I think he was really outgoing and driven. I think he was definitely a sports geek, and even whilst working at my Papou’s restaurant I believe he was always trying to make time for his friends.

What has your dad taught you about life, so far?

Grad Panagiota • I think the biggest thing my dad has taught me is that it’s okay to

ask for help. It is something I have struggled with for a very long time. But whenever I make a mistake or if I can’t always communicate what I need, my dad has always been there to help me get help.

What do you plan to do, over the next five years or so?

Grad Panagiota • I hope to get my Bachelors of Bioveterinarian Science at Dalhousie University starting this fall, and from there apply to Veterinary School. My end goal is to hopefully be a veterinarian with a focus in genetics and reproduction.

How do you plan to keep your dad in your life?

Grad Panagiota • I think my dad will always be in my life. He is the first person, aside from my mom, I go to when I need to solve a problem. He is the most dependable person I know. I know when I leave it will be harder to hear from him every day, but I also know that he will always be there for me.

Dad to Grad

What do you remember most about your grad when they were in Kindergarten?

Dad Bill • Her boundless curiosity—she was always asking, “What’s in here?” Her infectious laugh, and how she could turn any moment into a performance or a new friendship like a tiny social Spider-Woman swinging into every heart.

Which qualities does your grad get from you?

Dad Bill • Her steady determination, sense of responsibility, and the way she quietly shows up for others—especially when it matters most.

What were you like in Grade 12?

Dad Bill • Focused on sports, working with my dad at his restaurant, and getting ready for university while trying to balance ambition with a growing awareness of the wider world.

What did you do in the five years following high school graduation?

Dad Bill • Attended university, became a teacher, coached volleyball, and started building a life centered on purpose and people.

What do you hope for your grad, over the next five years?

Dad Bill • That she finds joy in the journey, stays true to herself, remembers where she came from, and keeps moving forward with courage and kindness.

What will you miss most about your grad, after they move on to their next stage in life?

Dad Bill • Her music filling the house, her hilarious stories, the random text messages and reels she sends, and the everyday magic of simply having her close.

For what are you most proud of your grad?

Dad Bill • Her strength through scoliosis surgery, her love for animals, and how she proves, “You’re much stronger than you think you are. Trust me.”

Iam Konrad Thiele (dad) and this is Taryn (grad). I am 47 years old and live in Victoria, BC where I am employed as the Director of Finance for the First Peoples’ Cultural Council. Being the dad of four kids (Taryn is the oldest) keeps me busy. I love to explore new places and spend time with family.

Taryn is 17 and just finishing up her final year of school in Powell River. Once she is done, she plans to take a month long tour of Europe and get ready for her upcoming certificate program in Indigenous Language via UVic that starts in September.

Grad to Dad

What do you remember about your dad from when you were in Kindergarten?

Grad Taryn • I don’t remember much, but I always remember him being an awesome dad and always coming to my sports/other activities.

What’s your best memory of your dad from your teen years?

Grad Taryn • Going on trips with him and the rest of my family.

How is he unlike other dads?

Grad Taryn • He has a really great work ethic and he always puts family first.

What do you think your dad was like when he was in grade 12?

Grad Taryn • I think he was a funny guy and always joking around, but also super smart.

What has your dad taught you about life, so far?

Grad Taryn • That it is important to work hard, but also make time for things you love.

What do you plan to do over the next five years or so?

Grad Taryn • I plan to finish school, explore career options, and keep growing into who I want to be.

How to you plan to keep your dad in your life?

Grad Taryn • Keep in contact and involve him in all my milestones that are coming up in my life.

Dad to Grad

What do you remember most about your grad when they were in Kindergarten?

Dad Konrad • I remember Taryn as being such a smart and energetic little girl. She constantly wanted to go to the park and was obsessed with doing cool tricks on the monkey bars. She was also such an early reader and loved books. She was the first in her Kindergarten class to read in full sentences.

What qualities does your grad get from you?

Dad Konrad • Her sarcastic sense of humour.

What were you like in Grade 12?

Dad Konrad • I was a pretty studious grad looking forward to higher education so I could get a job and make lots of money.

What did you do in the five years following high school graduation?

Dad Konrad • I enrolled in college and completed a two-year diploma program in business, majoring in finance. Once that was done I took a year off to work and take a breather from education. After that I enrolled at UNBC where I finished my business degree.

What do you hope for your grad over the next five years?

Dad Konrad • I hope that she finds a path in life that she is super passionate about and rocks it!

What will you miss most about your grad, after they move on to the next stage of their life?

Dad Konrad • I will miss her funny TiK Tok challenges and our competitive matches of Mario Kart.

For what are you most proud of your grad?

Dad Konrad • I am most proud of watching her become a confident, kind, and amazing young person.

Family / La Famille

Grades 1 to 3

First Place

Charlie Jones

Grade 1

Westview Elementary

Family Family

All families are different, All families are magnificent, Families are big or small, Families are short or tall, Some families like to build forts, Some families like to play sports, Some families say hello, Some families say bonjour, I love my family, And my family loves me!

Second Place

Maya Louw

Age 8/Gr.2

École Cote Du Soleil

Ma maman...

Ma maman est ma maman

Mon papa est mon papa

Ma soeur est ma soeur

Ma maman est Pascale

L’amour c’est l’amour.

Ma grand-maman est l’amour

Ma maman, c’est une drôle de fleur

Mon papa c’est un drôle d’arbre

Ma soeur est Chloé

My mother is my mother

My father is my father

My sister is my sister

My mother is Pascale

Love is love.

My grandmother is love

My mother is a funny flower

My father is a funny tree

My sister is Chloe

Third Place

Aliyah Mendoza

Age 8, Grade 3

Henderson Elementary

GOOD family

MY FAMILY IS NICE

HERE IS SOME ADVICE

ENJOY LIFE WITH NO LICE EAT LOTS OF RICE. IS YOUR FAMLIY NICE?

WE LIKE TO ROLL DICE

WE DON’T SLICE RICE

WE LOVE ICE MOST LIKE SPICE FOR ICE IS COLD AND SPICE IS BOLD BUT MOST OF ALL FAMILY IS GOLD

Runner Up

Eben Tshitshi

Age 7 Grade 1

École Cote Du Soleil

Avec mes oncles...

Avec mes oncles, c’est amusant.

Avec mes tantes, c’est relaxant

Mes cousins et mes cousines sont parfois tannants, parfois méchants.

Mes parents sont aimants. -

With my uncles, it’s fun.

With my aunts, it’s relaxing

My boy cousins and girl cousins are sometimes annoying, sometimes nasty.

My parents are loving.

April was National Poetry Month. The Library invited children to celebrate by writing a poem about what Family or la famille means to them.

Entries were accepted in French and English and judged in collaboration with Association francophone de qathet.

The Library received 32 entries this year! Thank you to everyone who participated!

- Sonia Zagwyn

Grades 4 to 6

First Place

Bernadette Williams

Age 11, Grade 5

PIE Homeschool

Pumpkin Filling

Warm hands enclosing a cold heart

There I make my mark

Matted hair

A wooden brush

Gentle hands

Tight fists

Bloody knees

Band-aids

Soothing murmurs

Loving eyes

Cracked heart

Reassuring words

Tears spilling

Pumpkin filling

Warm fire

Damp cheeks

Three hands holding each other

Packed car

Goodbyes

Warm hands enclosing a cold heart

There I make my mark

Second Place

Andreus Mendoza

Age 11, Grade 5

Henderson Elementary

Memories

Memories are like threads

The strongest are with family

Brought together in your head

The strongest last forever

They will never go, no never

Strong memories are there to last Memories are made through thick and thin

They start where you begin

Third Place

Zoe Williamson

Grade 6

Westview Elementary

Families come in many types...

Families come in many types

And in all different sizes

But they all are hype

All their own prizes

Your family may be tall

Or maybe they’re short

Camp in the fall

Have the same snort

But they’re still your family

No matter what

So love them happily

With all your gut

And even if we grow apart

Remember, I love you with all my heart.

New WHL Cougar on the prowl

A member of the provincial champion Powell River U15 hockey team has been drafted by the Western Hockey League’s Prince George Cougars. In the eighth round, forward Kooper Kozmeniuk was drafted 178th overall.

The Cougars used their final pick of the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft to select Kooper, who scored a hat trick to lead his team in the gold-medal game at the Tier 3 provincials. He scored 20 goals in six games at the tournament.

Players eligible for the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft were 2010-born and are eligible to play in the WHL starting in the 2026-27 season.

Cultural centre to open, mortuary poles and masks coming home

The first new Tla’amin cultural centre in at least 100 years will open at tishosum on June 21: National Indigenous People’s Day. The two impressive buildings stand just off Highway 101. The larger of the two includes a feast hall, a museum, and a language lab. The smaller one is a traditional foods processing facility — a place for members of the community to process wild game and fish.

On June 6, Tla’amin representatives are going to Vancouver to reclaim the tiskwat mortuary poles from the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC. They were featured in Abby Francis’ documentary, Path to Reclamation, and in the May 2024 issue of qL magazine. The team will also reclaim two masks and a paddle from MOA, and a mortuary figure and baskets from the Museum of Vancouver.

Raise your glasses (and funds) for the Honduras optician team

In February, my team visited and worked in the mountain region of Comayagua, central Honduras. The people of Powell River contributed over $3,000!

We served six remote communities and helped over 2,000 people to see. Some people had never worn glasses; others just couldn’t afford them. We performed remote vision screening and dispensed thousands of glasses.

It was both a challenging and rewarding week! But what did you pay for with that $3,000?

• Volunteer travel to Honduras, safe accommodation, and local transport to the remote villages.

• Access to quality dry eye products.

• People could work again, attend school or university, and fix their tools/ machinery — families got fed.

• You ensured these people could finally ‘see’ their world.

How can you help for our trip in February 2026? We need resources, equipment, and transport. We need funds for our own bus to ensure we can reach even more remote areas. To donate, visit gofundme.com/gift-the-joy-of-sight

- Helen Whittaker

299,999 coho clipped

It happened: we have clipped the last coho salmon to be done and once again our team smashed more records of efficiency. On May 5 we clipped 29,830 fish with time to spare, but we ran out of fish! The morning crew clocked in 15,454, while the afternoon crew came just short of 6,000 per hour by 21 fish with a total of 5,979, for a final count of 14,376 that would have surely been over 15,000 if fish were still available.

So what all this means is: over three weeks we became a very well-oiled machine of volunteer salmon clippers.

The last coho was released symbolically unclipped, meaning we processed our goal of 300,000 coho. We look forward to seeing these fish return.

-

Terry Peters

Plan for this garbage gap

The Resource Recovery Centre (RRC) Transfer Station will be temporarily closed to the public from June 23 to June 25. The Recycle Depot at the RRC will remain open to the public throughout the maintenance period.

This closure is necessary to facilitate the scheduled maintenance and annual recalibration of the facility’s weigh scales, as well as a range of other infrastructure upgrades, and site maintenance.

There will be no disruption to scheduled curbside collection operations.

By scheduling this mandatory maintenance during the week, the qRD is avoiding significant overtime and additional contractor and supplier costs—saving taxpayers approximately 1.5 times what it would have cost to complete the same work over a weekend. For more information, visit qathet.ca/services/ waste-management

qathet paddleboarder takes third in Oahu State Championships

Sure, I got third place. There were only four of us in that category and one was in a different standup paddleboard grouping. But, that was what I went there to do: race may paddleboard in the Oahu State Championships, a 20-kilometre event that had us wrap around Diamond Head and past Waikiki to fin ish in Magic Island.

Hawaii and qathet waters are very different. It makes it tough competing against the locals.

Even though the race had over 500 people, only four were on paddle boards. Lucky me.

- Arne Gutman

Correction: Rocky story

In the May 2025 issue’s School of Rock story (pages 48 to 50), Raelyn Zakkour was incorrectly credited with choreographing qSD’s production of Annie Raelyn choreographed School of Rock with Charlotte Koopman-Gough, and Charlotte also choreographed Annie with Hayden Mallery.

In addition, acting coach Mitzi Jones was missing from the story.

Celebrate

National Indigenous History Month AT THE LIBRARY

/ Herring to Huckleberries

Saturday, June 14, 2-3 pm

ɬaʔəmɩn elder ošil (Betty Wilson) and artist Prashant Miranda present this beautiful illustrated ʔayʔajuθəm and English book, drawn from ošil’s childhood memoires.

Sea Otter Chiefs author presentation

Saturday, June 21, 2-3 pm

Researcher Michael Robinson presents a powerful narrative record of three leaders from the Nuu-chah-nulth, Tsimshian, and Haida nations (1780-1820).

Everyone is welcome at both these events. For information contact Mark at mmerlino@prpl.ca

Check out the library’s events calendar for more information and activities: prpl.ca/calendar

serviceplan

POWELL RIVER PUBLIC LIBRARY

info@prpl.ca 604-485-4796 prpl.ca

ONLINE AND PAPER SURVEY

JUNE 10–22, 2025

Help shape transit in Powell River

Take the survey and have your say!

BC Transit, the City of Powell River and qathet Regional District are creating a new transit map for Powell River and planning for the future of qathet rural routes.

Share your feedback on a new vision for the city routes. Help us understand your priorities for rural routes 12, 13, and 14.

Visit engage.bctransit.com/powell-river-tfsp, or scan the QR code to take the online survey.

Visit us to give your feedback at the following locations:

Monday June 16

 Tla'amin Health Centre, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

 Powell River Town Centre, near the transit exchange, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Tuesday June 17

 Powell River Recreation Complex lower lobby, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

 qathet General Hospital, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

 Powell River Town Centre, near the transit exchange, 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

 qathet General Hospital, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

25 words for 2025

Learn these words and more to help celebrate 10 years of the Treaty between Tla’amin Nation, the Province of BC, and the Government of Canada in 2026.

How many of these common ayajuthem words do you already know?

❏ Tla’amin Language • ʔayaǰuθəm • aya-ju-them

❏ Thank you • ʔimot • e-mot

❏ Welcome • čɛčɛhaθɛč • che-che-hath-ech

❏ My name is… • ... kʷət̓ᶿ nan • ... kwuth nun

❏ People • qayumɩxʷ • ka-yo-mew

❏ Tree / Relative • ǰɛǰɛ • jeh-jeh

❏ Elders • ƛaχay • klux-eye

❏ Young • čʊy • chewy

❏ Us • nɛmoɬ • neh-moth

❏ Spring or Chinook Salmon • θat́ᶿəm • thut-thumb

❏ Bear • meχaɬ • meh-hath

❏ Orca • nənqəm • nun-kum

❏ Rain • č̓ɩɬ • chith

❏ Sun • t̓əgəm • tug-ghum

❏ Ocean • sinkʷə • sink-wah

❏ Canoe • nuxʷɛɬ • nook-weth

❏ Gathering Together • qat̓ᶿaymixʷ • kot-thigh-mews

❏ To Bring Together • qat̓ᶿət • kawt-thet

❏ School • tɩwšəmawt̓xʷ • ti-sha-maut

❏ Powell River • tiskʷət • tees-kwat

❏ Milky Waters from Herring Spawn • t̓išosəm • tee-show-sum

❏ Willingdon Beach • ʔahʔǰumɩχʷ • ah-joo-mew

❏ Savary Island • ʔayhos • eye-hos

❏ Lund • Kla-ah-men • kla-ah-men

❏ Saltery Bay • Skelhp • skelp

With Alisha Point, Tla’amin Nation Language Teacher.

Want to learn more words or work on your pronunciation? Check out First Voices to hear Tla’amin elders speak these words and thousands more. firstvoices.com/tlaamin

Bathhouse to Loggers

In 1948, the Powell River Company transferred stewardship of Willingdon Beach to the Lions Club under a long-term lease. Their goal? To transform the area into the region’s premier recreation destination.

One of their earliest projects was the construction of a three-section bathhouse, which quickly became a popular attraction. After a swim in the ocean, visitors could enjoy refreshments sold at the bathhouse like soft drinks and hot dogs.

The bathhouse fell out of use in the 1970s, and in 1988 the Powell River Forestry Museum Society took over the lease and opened the building as a museum for the first time during that year’s Sea Fair.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Inside, visitors were greeted by an array of historic logging equipment and striking black-and-white photographs that captured the grit and determination of Powell River’s early forestry workers—men in overalls, frozen in time amidst towering trees and heavy machinery.

In collaboration with MacMillan Bloedel, the Society also transformed the historic Willingdon Beach Trail into an open-air exhibition of vintage logging machinery. One notable addition came in the early 2000s, when a rusting steam donkey was recovered from a ridge near Haywire Bay and installed as one of the trail’s centerpiece artifacts.

In 2014, the Powell River Forestry Heritage Society (PRFHS) collaborated with the Powell River Historical Museum and Archives Association, now known as the qathet Museum and Archives Society (qMAS), to merge the Forestry Museum’s indoor collection with the larger community museum and archive. Today, qMAS owns and operates the Forestry Museum, continuing its mission of preserving and sharing local logging heritage.

The Forestry Museum at Willingdon Beach remains a living part of our community’s heritage. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers and supporters over the decades, it continues to tell the story of Powell River’s forestry roots.

As we look to another summer season, qMAS welcomes anyone interested in contributing to this legacy by helping to keep the museum open and accessible.

Contact Sean Percy before September 5 to get

free listing in

sean@prliving.ca or 604-485-0003

DEVAN GILLARD

STILL VIBRANT: Top, the Lions Club placing the bathhouse at Willingdon Beach. Middle, Willingdon Beach Bathhouse Opening, 1949. Above, the Forestry Museum front entrance in the summer of 2024

Photos courtesy of the qathet Museum and Archives

Lather, rinse, retail

Lund Soap Company has opened a storefront in Lund. The shop is located in the Lund Hotel, on the lower level (under the pub beside Tug-Guhm Gallery) and is open four days a week, Thursday to Sunday from 11-4. Owner Roberta Biggs says she plans to be open year round. She will no longer attend the Farmers’ Market, although she will pop up at other markets. Roberta started making soap in 2018 and has expanded to produce shampoo and conditioner bars, foaming hand soap, body butter, lip butter, lotions, dish soap, and more. She said she didn’t plan to level up to a brick and mortar space, but was looking to expand into a workspace/ studio “and the spot in Lund had potential for retail so it was a sensible shift.”

Spinal tap-out

Dr. Jeremy Buhay is taking over the clientele of Powell River Chiropractic, with the retirement of Dr. Ted Johnson. Jeremy’s Marine Chiropractic has been sharing space on Marine Avenue with Powell River Chiropractic since Ted sold his Joyce Avenue location three years ago. Ted has been a chiropractor for 31 years, the last 15 in Powell River. He has been working just a day and a half for the last couple of years, but is now wrapping up his business and handing over client records to the chiropractor who gives him adjustments, and that he most recommends, in Jeremy.

Pier Law docks in qathet

Local Lawyer Katya Buck will head the new Pier Law & Mediation office that has opened at #105—4675 Marine Avenue, below the qathet Regional District offices. Kendelle Pollitt, LLB, Q.Med., is the founder of the regional law firm, which also has offices in White Rock, Tsawwassen, and will open a Vancouver office this fall. Kendelle has had her eye on Powell River since her sister Janine Pollitt moved here nearly a decade ago. Kendelle started her firm in White Rock in 2019, just before COVID hit. The pandemic created an opportunity to expand online services, and in 2021, Janine joined as the firm’s manager. Pier Law has been growing ever since. They found another Powell River local, Kiki Meyers, to lead marketing for the firm. “Finding staff can be challenging, and I lucked out in Powell River, finding three great people,” said Kendelle. “We operate as one big firm. Thanks to technology, no matter where our team is based — we have the same access to systems and resources. Our

BUSINESS AFFAIRS

SEAN PERCY

lawyers and staff often travel between locations and collaborate in-person and remotely.” With 20 employees, including a growing team of lawyers, the firm’s locations are fully integrated to offer a wide range of family law and mediation services to clients wherever they are. Katya brings wills and estate planning experience, so Pier is expanding that service across all offices. Learn more at pierfamilylawyers.com or call 604-560-8285 to book an appointment.

Knitter buys the Nest

One of the biggest fans of the Knitter’s Nest is now its new owner. Melody De Flamingh has purchased the store in the Townsite Market. “Knitter’s Nest has had a place in my heart since the day it opened. I am an enthusiastic knitter with a passion for our fibre community. When Amanda told me she was thinking of selling, I just could not let this opportunity pass me,” Melody told qL. She and her husband immigrated from South Africa 14 years ago, first to Provost, Alberta, then to Powell River six years ago  — the year Knitter’s Nest opened. “It brought me joy knowing there was a beautiful yarn store opening its doors as we are arriving. It has always been my happy place in town.” Melody says she will be carrying on with all of the lines currently in the store and adding a few more, as well as hosting knitting classes, workshops, and knit alongs.

Delightful gift shop

Needful Thingz is now open at 4679 Marine Avenue, across from Genki Sushi. The new oddities and gift shop is run by Dee Light, and features her Earth Inspirations Pottery, along with products from many other qathet makers, from soaps to tie dye (including work from the Deadhead himself, Courtenay Pollock), beads, cookies, cards, and more. Dee has also created a pottery space, with a wheel, rentable by the hour, and workshop space for other artists. Dee intends it to be a safe space for those with special needs or any young adults to hang out and work on their art, read, write poetry, journal or just come and chill. Hours are 11-5 except Sunday and Thursday.

“I have very little funds to make this happen, so I have a crowd funding campaign at gofundme.com/ support-some-local-artists,” said Dee. || sean@qathetliving.ca

Paddling for the People

Right in the middle of this month’s very official, very serious holiday lineup National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21); St. Jean Baptiste Day (June 24) and Canada Day (July 1) is one day reserved for this country’s ultimate casual bonding activity: paddling.

National Canoe Day is hosted by the Association francophone de qathet at Mowat Bay. Anyone can join in. It’s free. You can speak any language. Bring your expert or novice skills.

National Canoe Day

June 26

1 pm to 5 pm, Mowat Bay. Diverse paddling groups on site to offer rides on outriggers, dragonboats, etc.

EVENTS

hits the streets Thursday, July 3.

Film • Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning pm, Patricia.

6

Friday

Deadline: 2025

The Skies Photo Competition Visit prpl.ca for details. End of Go By Bike Week

QRCA t-shirt design winner announced.

Fourth Annual Thichum Cup and Community Day: Adult

6th 4 to 8 pm, Tla’amin Waterfront Courts.

TAYLR begins their residency at Noise Machine Studios

Watch for concerts through June 10th. See ad on Page 61.

Film • Karate

Kid Legends

7 pm, Patricia. Karate Kid: Legends unites the iconic martial arts masters of one of the most beloved film franchises of all time to tell a completely new story full of action and heart. Starring Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, and introducing

7

Saturday qSD Grad and Dry Grad

Thichum Cup & Community Day

8 am to 7 pm, Tla’amin Waterfront Courts. Fourth annual adult ball hockey tournament.

BC Trails Day Pond

Peak Hike hosted by the Knuckleheads

9 am to about 3:30 pm. The Knuckleheads are proud to host our second annual BC Trails Day: hike up to Pond Peak with qathet’s famous Knucks Burgers available courtesy of the Knucklehead Winter Recreation Association (KWRA) at Chateau Rotary. Meet at Dixon Rd out front of Lois Lumber at 9 am. Getting back sometime in the afternoon. A more detailed time will be available closer to the date. You’ll need to bring everything you’d normally take on a day hike (day pack, hiking shoes, poles, etc.) except lunch. See KWRA on FB for more.

Powell River Farmers’ Market

10:30 to 12:30, Paradise Exhibition Grounds. Produce and meat, baking, prepared food, artisan vendors, live music, and more.

Lang Bay Market

Noon til 2 pm, Lang Bay Hall. Collectibles, crafts, canning, food and much more.

Ladies Summer Sweeps

Myrtle Point Golf Club

Film • Karate

Kid Legends

7 pm, Patricia.

8

Sunday

PR Garden Club’s annual Garden Tour

Tickets available at Springtime Nursery and Mother Nature, $20.

TAYLR in concert and hosting a PRIDE photo booth at the Farmers’ Market

12:30 to 2:30 pm, Paradise Valley Exhibition Park. Magic the Gathering Commander night

6 pm, High Tide Games. Bring your best Commander deck and be prepared to defend your creatures.

Second Sunday Song Circle

1 to 3 pm, Cranberry Hall. By donation.

Fourth Annual Thichum Cup and Community Day: Youth

10:30 am to 3:30 pm, Tla’amin Waterfront Courts. Ages 5 to 15.

Powell River

Farmers’ Market

12:30 to 2:30 pm, Paradise Exhibition Grounds. Produce and meat, baking, prepared food, artisan vendors, live music, and more. Plus Miniature Railway Rides.

Auditions for The Little Mermaid

Beanstalk Theatre. beanstalktheatrecompany.com

Ladies Summer Sweeps

Myrtle Point Golf Club

Film • Karate

Kid Legends

1:30 matinée and 7 pm, Patricia.

9

Monday

Choral Extravaganza

7 pm, James Hall. Year-end Choral Recital. By donation.

Auditions for The Little Mermaid

Beanstalk Theatre. beanstalktheatrecompany.com

Board Game Night

6 pm , High Tide Games. Use one of High Tide’s or bring your own and play the night away.

TAYLR in concert

7 pm, Townsite Brewing.

Film • Karate Kid Legends 7 pm, Patricia.

10

Tuesday

Film • Karate

Kid Legends 7 pm, Patricia.

11

Wednesday

Tariff Town Hall Chamber of Commerce and Westview Ratepayers hosting. See ad on Page 25 and story on Page 34.

Dungeons & Dragons night Doors at 5:30, games at 6 pm. High Tide GamesCome to watch or start a character and jump right in on the adventure.

Film • Karate Kid Legends 7 pm, Patricia.

12

Thursday

Cinema Politica

• Every Body

7 pm, Patricia. The stories of three individuals who have moved from childhoods marked by shame, secrecy, and non-consensual surgeries to thriving adulthoods. River Gallo, Alicia Roth Weigel, and Sean Saifa Wall are leaders in a fast-growing global movement advocating for greater understanding of the intersex community and an end to unnecessary surgeries. Woven into the story is a stranger-than-fiction case of medical abuse, which helps explain the modern-day treatment of intersex people.

Permanent Jewelry pop-up at Simply Bronze 2 pm to 6 pm. See ad on Page 31.

Film • Karate Kid Legends 7 pm, Patricia.

13

Friday

Bus passes

Deadline to apply for a 2025-2026 school year bus pass. sd47.bc.ca

KODAE release: TAYLR and Noise Machine Records See ad on Page 61.

14

Saturday Repair Café

11 am - 2 pm, Townsite Market. Bring your clothing, gear, bikes, small appliances, and musical instruments for a free assessment and repair! If you are interested in being a skilled volunteer for the day, email qathetVoices@ gmail.com. See story on Page 55.

Powell River Farmers’ Market

10:30 to 12:30, Paradise Exhibition Grounds. Produce and meat, baking, prepared food, artisan vendors, live music and more.

Opening Day: Central Farmers’ Market

10 am to 1 pm, Willingdon Beach. Local and organic produce, meat, flowers, ice cream, and more.

open! Homemade baked goods and non-alcoholic beverages. See ad below.

Men’s Scottish Cup

15 Sunday Father’s Day

er deck and be prepared to defend your creatures.

Tink Cup Myrtle Point Golf Club

16

Monday

Community

PRISMA • Masterclass, Bass 3:15 to 4:15 pm, Evergreen. PRISMA • Limelight Concert, Pauline Oostenrijk, Oboe 4:30 to 5 pm, Evergreen. Board Game Night 6 pm, High Tide Games. Use one of High Tide’s or bring your own and play the night away.

17

Tuesday

PRISMA • Limelight Concert, Boson Mo, Violin 1:30 to 2 pm, Evergreen. PRISMA • Masterclass, Violin 2 to 3 pm, Evergreen. PRISMA • Masterclass, Harp 3:15 to 4:15 pm, Evergreen.

JUNE EVENTS

18

Wednesday

PRISMA • Masterclass, Conducting 1:30 to 3 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Concerto Competition, Students in the Spotlight 7:30 pm, Evergreen. Ten outstanding students compete for the chance to take centre stage as soloists with the PRISMA Festival Orchestra. By donation.

Dungeons & Dragons night

Doors at 5:30, games at 6 pm. High Tide Games. Come to watch or start a character and jump right in on the adventure.

19

Thursday

Artique Gallery Summer Salon — ‘Now and Then’ 7 to 9 pm, Artique. In addition to new work, an intriguing selection of early art from member artists will be featured as well as music, refreshments, and guest artists.

PRISMA • Limelight Concert, Candide Quartet

1:30 to 2 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Masterclass, String Quartet 2 to 3 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Masterclass, Oboe 3:15 to 4:15 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Limelight Concert, Rachel McClellan, Violin 4:30 to 5 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Gala Opening Concert, Premiers in Paris 7:30 pm, Evergreen. Immerse yourself in the heart of French musical brilliance. $30.

20

Friday

Longest Day

Sun rises at 5:09 am & sets at 9:30 pm.

New Summer Solstice Late Night Market 5 to 9 pm, Springtime Garden Centre. See ad on Page 55.

Célébrations francophones du solstice d’été 5 pm to 10 pm, French Club on Manson. Live music, lawn games, and food. Everyone is welcome. Free entry.

PRISMA • Limelight Concert, Garneau String Quartet 1:30 to 2 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Masterclass, Viola 2 to 3 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Masterclass, Cello 3:15 to 4:15 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Limelight Concert, Alexandria Le, Piano 4:30 to 5 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Symphony Concert, Darkness into Dawn 7:30 pm, Evergreen. Experience the emotional depth of Gustav Mahler’s “Kindertotenlieder”, seamlessly intertwined with the raw intensity of his Symphony No.6. $30 .

MUSIC AND PRIDE: Calgary’s TAYLR is releasing their first album this month, KODAE, under Sophia Sanford’s qathet label: Noise Machine. Check them out at the Farmers’ Market Sunday June 8, where they’ll be singing and also hosting a photo booth for PRIDE. TAYLR, who brings together a crew of Calgary musicians for the KODAE collaboration, will also perform solo at Townsite Brewing at 7 pm, June 9. See ad on Page 61.

Brice Tabish Band

21

Saturday

National Indigenous People’s Day

Otago Rugby

50th anniversary celebration

Games starting at 12:30 pm at Cranberry Field Women’s game against Comox Valley Kickers, followed by over 60, over 50 and over 40 games. Feature game at 3:30 pm Otago vs Cowichan Valley Kickers. Everyone welcome to games, with beer gardens and concession. See more on Page 15.

Central Farmers’ Market

10 am to 1 pm, Willingdon Beach. Local and organic produce, meat, flowers, ice cream, and more.

Repair Café

1 to 2 pm, Townsite Market. Bring your clothing, gear, bikes, small appliances, and musical instruments for a free assessment and repair! If you are interested in being a skilled volunteer for the day, email: qathetVoices@gmail.com. See Page 55 for more.

Reading: Sea Otter Chiefs

2 pm, Library. Michael Robinson presents the lives of three leaders from the Nuu-chah-nulth, Tsimshian, and Haida nations (1780-1820). For information contact Mark at mmerlino@prpl.ca

Sail to the Symphony, PRISMA Festival Orchestra, Darkness into Dawn 1:30 pm, reprise of the June 20 evening. Welcome 300+ Vancouver Island concert-goers. $30.

22

7 pm, Legion Urban Sketch

2 pm @ 32 Lakes Cafe Summer Solstice Market

11 am to 3 pm, Springtime Garden Centre. See ad on Page 55.

Men’s Malaspina

Myrtle Point Golf Club Powell River Farmers’ Market

10:30 to 12:30, Paradise Exhibition Grounds. Produce and meat, baking, prepared food, artisan vendors, live music, and more.

Sunday

Summer Solstice Market

11 am to 3 pm, Springtime Garden Centre. See ad on Page 55.

Magic the Gathering Commander night

6 pm, High Tide Games. Bring your best Commander deck and be prepared to defend your creatures.

Powell River Farmers’ Market

12:30 to 2:30 pm, Paradise Exhibition Grounds. Produce and meat, baking, prepared food, artisan vendors, live music, and more. Plus miniature railway rides.

Texada Island Farmers’ Market

Noon to 1:30 pm, ball field in Gillies Bay. Sweet and savoury prepared food, produce, meat, jewelry, artisans, live music, and more.

Men’s Malaspina Myrtle Point Golf Club tournament.

23

Monday

Garbage closed at the RRC

Through June 25, for maintenance. Recycle depot at the RRC remains open.

PRISMA • Limelight Concert, Richard Ranti, Bassoon 1:30 to 2 pm, Evergreen. PRISMA • Masterclass, Bassoon 2 to 3 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Masterclass, Flute 3:15 to 4:15 pm, Evergreen. PRISMA • Limelight Concert, Janet Arms, Flute 4:30 to 5 pm, Evergreen. Board Game Night 6 pm , High Tide Games. Use one of High Tide’s or bring your own and play the night away.

24

Tuesday

St. Jean Baptiste Day Garden Club: Lang Creek Native Plant Garden Doors 6:30 pm, meeting at 7 pm at Cranberry Seniors Centre. Featuring Wendy Cocksedge who will present on the native plant garden that was formerly

EYE CANDY: Artist and Brooks teacher Darren Bennet is showing at qathet Art + Wares this month. He says, “The eye candy on the walls is simply the documentation of our experiential learning. Art has the power to inspire people, mobilize communities, change culture and develop subversive paradigm shifts which transform outdated governing systems into new dynamic sustainable living models. I believe in a DIY punk rock ethos and am always inspired by the philosophy of cultivating empathy in action through the vehicle of art!”

ART SHOWS

Through June

Darren Bennet qathet Art + Wares

Ongoing

New Works: my Canada | The Light on Our Land Ron Smid, Stillwater Gallery by appointment. ronsmid.com.

To September

Candace Parker Recent Works: Life is a Garden At the Library, through summer.

at Lang Creek hatchery. but was recently moved to Brooks Secondary School.

Garbage closed at the RRC

Through June 25, for maintenance. Recycle depot at the RRC remains open, Compassionate Friends Meeting For parents navigating loss. See ad on Page 2.

PRISMA • Limelight Concert, Alain Desgagné, Clarinet 1:30 to 2 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Masterclass, Clarinet 2 to 3 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Masterclass, Tuba & Trombone

3:15 to 4:15 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Limelight Concert, Student Brass Ensemble 4:30 to 5 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Showcase Concert, No Strings Attached

6:30 pm, Classical music at a relaxed performance specially curated for kids and kids at heart. By donation.

25

Wednesday

PRISMA • Limelight Concert, Student String Quartet

1:30 to 2 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Masterclass, Viola 2 to 3 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Masterclass, Percussion 3:15 to 4:15 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Limelight Concert, Student Strings Ensemble 4:30 to 5 pm, Evergreen.

Dungeons & Dragons night Doors at 5:30, games at 6 pm. High Tide Games. Come to watch or start a character and jump right in on the adventure.

Garbage closed at the RRC Last day, for maintenance. Recycle depot at the RRC remains open.

26

Thursday

Artist Trading Cards 5:30 pm at The Alley (Westview Bowling/Strikers.)

National Canoe Day 1 pm to 5 pm, Mowat Bay. Diverse paddling groups on site to offer rides on outriggers, dragonboats, etc.

PRISMA • Limelight Concert

Student Wind Ensemble 1:30 to 2 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Masterclass, Horn 2 to 3 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Masterclass, Trumpet 3:15 to 4:15 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Chamber Music Concert, Vienna Through Time 7:30 pm, Evergreen. Guest artists and students with unique and intimate musical collaborations. $30.

27

Friday

PRISMA • Limelight Concert

Student Ensemble 1:30 to 2 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Masterclass, Violin 2 to 3 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Masterclass, Cello 3:15 to 4:15 pm, Evergreen.

PRISMA • Symphony Concert, Shadows Lifting 7:30 pm, Evergreen. 2025 Concerto Competition winners and world premiere of Mosolov’s Symphony No. 3 (See Page 13) $30.

28

Saturday

PRISMA on the Beach: Cultural Connections

6 to 8 pm, Willingdon Beach. A family-friendly free event at the beach featuring food and craft vendors, Tla’amin Nation singers and drummers and the PRISMA Festival Orchestra.

No pop bottles were hurt making Pollen Sweaters. You’ll be helping sheep stay cool in summer. e pure wool stays warm even when wet. Non-itchy, and soft enough to wear next to sensitive skin. Machine washable and dryer safe at moderate temperature. We put the label on the inside where it belongs. Designed to layer smoothly under or over other garments. No o shore sweatshops. Ours is here at home. If it ever wears out compost it. Makes you 50 to 90% more handsome. (results may vary)

Everything you love about Pollen Sweaters (warmth, washability, durability, local manufacturing, and all that goodness) with an extra pinch of national pride!

Open 10-4 Tuesday-Sunday 604 483-4401 • pollensweaters.com

Pollen Sweaters Inc.

JUNE EVENTS

Powell River

Farmers’ Market

10:30 to 12:30, Paradise Exhibition Grounds. Produce and meat, baking, prepared food, artisan vendors, live music, and more.

Central Farmers’ Market

10 am to 1 pm, Willingdon Beach. Local and organic produce, meat, flowers, ice cream, and more.

29 Sunday

Powell River Farmers’ Market

12:30 to 2:30 pm, Paradise Exhibition Grounds. Produce and meat, baking, prepared food, artisan vendors, live music and more. Plus Miniature Railway Rides.

Magic the Gathering Commander night

6 pm, High Tide Games. Bring your best Commander deck and be prepared to defend your creatures.

Texada Island Farmers’ Market

Noon to 1:30 pm, ball field in Gillies Bay. Sweet and savoury prepared food, produce, meat, jewelry, artisans, live music, and more.

Rainbow Mixed Scramble

Myrtle Point Golf Club.

30

Monday

Board Game Night

6 pm, High Tide Games. Use one of High Tide’s or bring your own and play the night away.

A PEEK AHEAD TO JULY

Tuesday, July 1

Canada Day Celebrations and Fireworks

3 to 10 pm, Willingdon Beach. Live, local music and entertainment, bouncy castles, jouster, face painting, local food and sales vendors, games, activities, and more.

Kathaumixw Gala Opening Concert

7:30 pm, Great Hall (Rec Complex). Parade of choirs, international Choral Spotlights, and the q̓at̓ᶿaymɩxʷ Festival Brass Ensemble and q̓at̓ᶿaymɩxʷ Festival Chorus. $35. Tickets at kathaumixw.org.

Wednesday, July 2

Kathaumixw Concert 2

3 pm, Evergreen Theatre. Powell River Chorus, Kôr, Canada, The Squares, Canada, Coro Femenino Cantate, Costa Rica. $25. Tickets at kathaumixw.org.

Kathaumixw Concert 3

3 pm, Max Cameron. Komorni zbor MEGARON, Slovenia, Espiritu Vocal Ensemble, Canada, Brooks Chamber Choir, Toronto Children’s Chorus. $25. Tickets at kathaumixw.org.

Kathaumixw Concert 4

3 pm, James Hall. Richmond Singers, Canada, Campanella Children’s Choir, USA, Taipei Philharmonic Youth & Children’s Choir, Taiwan. $25. Tickets at kathaumixw.org.

Kathaumixw Concert 5

7:30 pm, Evergreen. The Squares, Canada, Male Ensemble, Philippines, Toronto Children’s Chorus, King’s College Kappella, New Zealand. $25. Tickets at kathaumixw.org.

Kathaumixw Concert 6

7:30 pm, Max Cameron. Kôr, Canada, Richmond Singers, Canada, Yavir Ukrainian Male Chrus of Edmonton, Canada, Young People’s Chorus of New York City, USA. $25. Tickets at kathaumixw.org.

Kathaumixw Concert 7

7:30 pm, James Hall. Espiritu Vocal Ensemble, Canada, Coro Femenino Cantate, Costa Rica, Komorni zbor MEGARON, Slovenia. $25. Tickets at kathaumixw.org.

Thursday, July 3

Film presented by Cinema Politica • Beautiful Boy a 2018 American biographical drama film directed by Felix van Groeningen from a screenplay by Luke Davies and van Groeningen and based on the 2008 memoirs Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff and Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff. It stars Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney, and Amy Ryan. In the film, the father-son relationship between David Sheff (Carell) and Nic Sheff (Chalamet) becomes increasingly strained by the latter’s drug addiction.

Kathaumixw Concert 8

3 pm, Evergreen Theatre. Kôr, Canada, King’s College Kappella, New Zealand, Taipei Philharmonic Youth & Children’s Choir, Taiwan, Young People’s Chorus of New York City, USA. $25. Tickets at kathaumixw.org.

Kathaumixw Concert 9

3 pm, Max Cameron Theatre. Campanella Children’s Choir, USA, Male Ensemble, Philippines, Komorni zbor MEGARON, Slovenia. $25. Tickets at kathaumixw.org.

2025 Summer Planner

June 16 to 28 • PRISMA

July 1 • Canada Day

July 1 to 5 • Kathaumixw

July 9 to 13 • Logger Sports

July 19 • Pride Parade

July 19 • Showtime & Shine

July 23 to 26 • Texada Aerospace Camp

July 26 • Townsite Garage Sale July 26

July 26 & 27 • Texada Fly-In and Fling

July 26 & 27 • Slo-Pitch Year-End Tourney

August 2 & 3 • Texada Blues and Roots Fest

August 9 & 10 • Texada Sandcastle Contest

August 15 • Blackberry Street Party

August 22 & 23 • Loud qathet Punk & Metal Fest

August 23 & 24 • qathet Studio Tour

August 30 & 31 • Sunshine Music Festival

September 6 & 7 • Powell River Fall Fair

Kathaumixw Concert 10

3 pm, James Hall. Academy Apprentice Choir. Powell River Academy Singers, Canada, Chor Musica, Canada, Yavir Ukrainian Male Chrus of Edmonton, Canada. $25. Tickets at kathaumixw.org.

Kathaumixw Choral Showcase

7:30 pm, Great Hall (Rec Complex). Toronto Children’s Choir, Young People’s Chorus of New York City, USA, Male Ensemble, Philippines, Academy Chamber Choir. $35. Tickets at kathaumixw.org.

Friday, July 4

Kathaumixw Concert 12

3 pm, Evergreen Theatre. Richmond Singers, Canada, Male Ensemble, Philippines, Taipei Philharmonic Youth & Children’s Choir, Taiwan, The Squares, Canada. $25. Tickets at kathaumixw.org.

Kathaumixw Concert 13

3 pm, Max Cameron. King’s College Kappella, New Zealand, Yavir Ukrainian Male Chrus of Edmonton, Canada, Espiritu Vocal Ensemble, Canada, Campanella Children’s Choir, USA. $25. Tickets at kathaumixw.org.

Kathaumixw Concert 14

3 pm, James Hall. Academy Chamber Choir, Canada, Brooks Chamber Choir, Canada, Young People’s Chorus of New York City, USA. $25. Tickets at kathaumixw.org.

Kathaumixw Awards Concert

7:30 pm, Great Hall. Performances by choral and solo competition winners. $35. Tickets at kathaumixw.org.

Saturday, July 5

Kathaumixw Closing Gala

7:30 pm, Great Hall. q̓at̓ᶿaymɩxʷ Anthem, Winner of Best Performance of a Canadian Composition, q̓at̓ᶿaymɩxʷ 2025 Children’s & SSA Youth Choir, Choral Spotlights, Choir of the World at q̓at̓ᶿaymɩxʷ, q̓at̓ᶿaymɩxʷ 2025 Adult Choir, q̓at̓ᶿaymɩxʷ 2025 Thousand-Voice Choir. $35. Tickets at kathaumixw.org.

July 9 to 13

Powell River Logger Sports

Chainsaw carving contest, sanctioned sports with national and international championships, food vendors, beer garden and much more.

July 14

Black Mountain & Heavy Trip

8 pm, Carlson Club Loft. Tickets at Full Bug Records.

July 19

Pride Parade and Pride in the Park

Details TBA.

Fourth Annual Showtime & Shine

10:30 am start. Vintage Vehicle Event, Patricia Theatre. This year’s theme is “ Tribute to Vehicles on the Big (and Small) Screen.“ 10:30 to 12:30 show & shine, 12:30 to 1 pm, prizes and awards, 1:30 pm feature movie. Food trucks on site. To register your vehicle, contact Paul at reelcars@shaw.ca.

July 23 to 26

Texada Aerospace Camp

Immersion for youth aged 10 to 15 in the basics of aviation and aerospace engineering. texaero2023.wixsite.com

July 26

Townsite Garage Sale

Details TBA

July 26 & 27

Texada Fly-In and Fling

The Fly-In Fling will be held Saturday, July 26, at the Branch 232 of the Royal Canadian Legion, burgers, music, and more. The Texada Annual Fly-In starts with a traditional pancake breakfast, followed by a BBQ lunch, contests, car, plane and bike show and shine, flight demonstrations, skydivers, and just plain old fun …. all day.

Slo-Pitch Year-End Tourney

Details TBA.

The Power of Repair: Why fixing things matters

BY NOLA POIRIER

There’s a book called Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, adapted from an old Yiddish folk song. It follows Joseph, who has an overcoat that becomes too worn to wear, so he turns it into a jacket. When the jacket wears out, he makes it into a vest, then a scarf, a necktie, a handkerchief, and a button. When he loses the button, he turns it all into a story. To me that tale perfectly captures the spirit of repair: the creativity, resourcefulness and added value in giving things new life.

We’re so surrounded by mes sages that tell us “newer is better” that it’s easy to forget how much goes into making the things we use every day: the materials, energy, and waste. So making a choice to repair what we have is a small act with big impact.

I’m lucky to live with someone who can fix just about anything—bi cycles, toasters, kettles, zippers, tents, cupboards. I am not nearly as skilled, but I love the act of repairing. It’s sat isfying to sit down with a frayed seam or broken chair and figure out how

REPAIR CAFÉ

When & Where: Saturday, June 21, 11 am to 2 pm. Townsite Market.

What: Bring your clothing, gear, bikes, small appliances, and musical instruments for a free assessment and repair! If you are interested in being a skilled volunteer for the day, email us: qathetVoices@gmail.com.

About repair cafes

Repair Cafés are free meeting places, run by volunteers with repair skills, who work with visitors to repair things (together). Repair Cafés have tools and materials to help you make any repairs you need (e.g., clothes, furniture, electrical appliances, bicycles, crockery, appliances, toys, etc.)

Visitors bring their broken items from home, and with the volunteer specialists, they start making their repairs in the Repair Café. It’s an ongoing learning process. The most popular items at Repair Cafés include: lamps, bicycles, pants, vacuums, coats, irons, sewing machines, laptops, and clocks.

to make it work again. Very often repairing things, especially clothing and furniture, makes them even better than the original.

There are many examples across cultures of fixing things in ways that add to their beauty or strength: visible mending techniques such as beading, or kantha and boro stitching; ceramic repair such as the Japanese art of kintsugi, in which ceramics are mended with lacquer and gold; or stories of battle shields repaired with leather stitches that made the shields stronger.

We are in the midst of a global waste crisis, and household waste is projected to double by 2050. Fixing instead of buying not only reduces waste and saves money, it’s key to reshaping cultural values and mindsets. The United Nations’ Interconnected Disaster Risks 2025 report lists “rethink waste” as one of the five fundamental acts that will create transformative societal change.

City of Powell River 2024

And fixing is getting easier. There are new “right to repair” regulations in Canada. This means you can bypass software restrictions and access previously unavailable parts and instructions for maintenance and repair.

Locally, qathet Community Voices is organizing our first official Repair Café at the Townsite Public Market on June 21.

Whether you want to fix something yourself or get help from someone else, this is a chance to repair your items—and change the world.

Many happy 101st birthday wishes to Vilma Baker who celebrated her special day on May 25, 2025. Congratulations!!

Our Lives •

In qL’s Our Lives section, anyone can share important news from their loved ones’ lives: Births Graduations Weddings Job Changes

Anniversaries

Retirements Obituaries

‘In Memoriam’ Notices & More

Because sharing this kind of news is so important in a community, qL offers free small notices for births, weddings and obituaries: a 1/18th size, for locals, when the event happened in the three months previous to publication.

Bigger sizes and other announcements:

150 words & photo: $150

300 words & photo: $300

600 words & photo: $500

750 words & photos: $750

Send your info to ourlives@qathetliving.ca, call 604-485-0003, or drop in to 7053E Glacier Street.

A Prophet in our Midst

Anglican Archdeacon Ian Mackenzie

Aspecial memorial service was held at St David and St Paul Anglican Church, on May 13, for the Venerable former Anglican Archdeacon of Caledonia, John (Ian) Mackenzie, who passed away peacefully on April 8, at the age of 90 years.

Four members of the Nisga’a Lisims Government made the trip from the Nass Valley to attend the cultural ritual in their language, sending Ian on his way.

Few of his friends and acquaintances knew of Ian’s background in the forefront of the movement towards Canadian reconciliation with Indigenous nations and peoples. According to the retired Anglican Dean, Peter Elliott, during Ian Mackenzie’s long career as a priest, he was an “Anglican Prophet,” not foretelling the future, but in the biblical tradition, advocating for Indigenous self-determination throughout his ministry.

Internationally, Ian has been recognized historically as an “Indigenous ally” in the Christian tradition of Bartolomé de las Casas, the Spanish Dominican friar who gave up his privilege and actively documented and critiqued the Spanish conquest of the Americas.

Although ordained an Anglican minister, archdeacon, and a member of the National Executive Council (Council of the General Synod) of the Anglican Church of Canada, Ian spent most of his ministry living with and learning from Indigenous peoples.

Growing up a mine manager’s son in the Northern Ontario-Quebec woods, Ian learned early to hunt and fish, and loved to play hockey, especially the rough and tumble “English vs Quebecois” hockey of the northern woods. Sent south in the late 1950s, Ian graduated from Dalhousie University and received his divinity degree at King’s College in Halifax. Seeking a master’s degree, Ian enrolled in the Union Theological Seminary in New York City and soon found himself gravitating to Harlem during the great civil rights movement of the 1960s. Here, he heard the call of Reverend Martin Luther King to mobilize

the oppressed in the name of the Lord.

Returning to Canada, committed to social justice, Ian was hired to teach Religious Knowledge at Trinity College, a prestigious Toronto theological school. Influenced by the general climate of resistance (the anti-war and the civil rights movements) and the awakening activism of Indigenous youth on the “Indian Reserves,” Ian encouraged his students to encounter this wide world. Seeing religious faith as a calling, Ian sent his students out into the world to be catalysts for social change.

In 1965, Ian and his students began planning a student-led conference on the Canadian Indian to delve into Aboriginal issues. While Ian formed an executive committee, the students signed up for various posts, raising money and awareness. Ian’s primary purpose in holding the conference was to “inform students of the possibility of responding to and addressing some of the problems facing Canada’s Indigenous peoples.”

The “Trinity Conference” was a great success. At a time when there were fewer than 100 Indigenous students attending university in all of Canada, “Trinity” brought over 20 of these students together with First Nation leaders, artists, entertainers, and social activists to listen to and learn from each other. Later, Ian wrote that the conference “began a process of supporting or making a base for native people to be put in a position where they were teaching rather than the recipient.”

As a progressive thinker and doer, with the mainstream universities caught up in student unrest, Ian was interested in freeing education from the shackles of conformity. In 1968, he was a founding director of Rochdale College, an experimental, student-run, and free university that was absorbed into the University of Toronto in 1975. Spurred on by Ian, Rochdale College, located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe (as well as other Indigenous nations), brought future First Nations leaders together to dis-

JUSTICE-SEEKING PRIEST: Above, from left, Secretary, Friends of Louis Riel Society, David Doyle, with Ian Mackenzie, spouse Rev. Paula Sampson, and former qathet Métis president Russell Brewer. Ian Mackenzie was also a member of the Blueberry Commons Farm Cooperative and the executive of qathet Climate Action. Right, Raven Mask presented to Ian Mackenzie in 2007 by Wilxobskwhi Nisga’a on the occasion of receiving an honorary doctorate from the Vancouver School of Theology (Trinity College photo). To view a video about Ian Mackenzie’s career and his connection to the origin of National Indigenous People’s Day, use the QR code at right.

cuss strategies and tactics to deal with the Canadian government, which was determined to end the “Indian Problem” once and for all.

In 1969, Minister of Indian Affairs Jean Chrétien formally tabled a White Paper Statement of the Government of Canada on Indian Policy. It was Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s master plan to solve the “Indian Problem” by assimilating Indigenous peoples into mainstream Canadian society. The “White Paper” called for the abolition of the Indian Act, dissolving the Department of Indian Affairs, and ultimately eliminating legal distinctions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.

Across Canada, grassroots actions, such as sit-ins, blockades and caravans took place.

Coming out of relationships, including those established at gatherings at Trinity and Rochdale, Indigenous leaders rallied together. One of the participants at the Trinity Conference, Cree Chief Harold Cardinal, responded to the “White Paper” with a “Red Paper,” outlining the grievances of the Indigenous peoples with the Canadian government. The resistance was massive. Faced with ongoing actions and opposition from across Canada, the Trudeau government was forced to withdraw the White Paper.

It was at this time, with Indigenous issues coming to the fore across Canada, that the Anglican Church released the Hendry Report, Beyond Traplines: Does the Church Really Care?

Assessing the Church’s relations with Indigenous peoples, Ian Mackenzie was appointed the national church’s consultant for implementing the recommendations of Beyond Traplines. In this role, Ian was responsible for strengthening communications between the Church and Indigenous organizations and examining ways to incorporate Indigenous perspectives in ministry and education. Visiting reserves and meeting “urban Indians,” Ian identified a patriarchal relationship with disdain for Indigenous spirituality and harmful to Indigenous families. Recognizing the

divisive role of the Christian churches in dividing reserves and denying native spirituality, Ian sought to bring Christians and traditional Indigenous spiritual leaders from across Turtle Island together in an Indian Ecumenical Movement.

Starting with a gathering of six, then 100, then 10,000 in 1971, a National Indian Day of Prayer was declared for June 21. Since that time, the Day of Prayer has evolved and is now officially recognized as National Indigenous Peoples’ Day to recognize and celebrate the history, heritage, resilience, and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.

Through the great awakening to Indigenous issues, where Ian was often at the forefront, Ian’s quiet integrity and ability to relate to all built a trust that, over a period of decades, led to a significant shift in the life and practices of the Anglican Church and its adherents.

In 1983, after undergoing a lengthy and painful reassessment of its role in running the Residential Schools, the last of the Anglican-run Residential Schools was closed.

In 1993, the Anglican Church issued an apology to the survivors of the Residential School experience for its cultural and spiritual arrogance that caused harm to Indigenous Peoples.

Over the decades, Ian Mackenzie continued working as an Anglican priest ministering to congregations in various dioceses across Canada. He was posted in the Maritimes and worked as a consultant with the Dene in the Northwest Territories before moving to British Columbia. As the Anglican priest to the Nisga’a Nation in Northern British Columbia, Ian became a trusted member of the community. Adopted into the Nisga’a Nation, where he was a voting member of the Nisga’a Tribal Council, Ian worked alongside legendary chief Frank Calder and others for 21 years during the negotiations for the Nisga’a Final Agreement or Nisga’a Treaty. In 2000, they reached a watershed agreement between the Nisga’a Nation

and the B.C. and federal governments that marked the first modern-day treaty in B.C.

Eva Clayton, president of the Nisga’a Lisims Government, and one of the Nisga’a government delegates who came to Ian’s memorial service, remembered Ian “being really kind, respectful, and never displaying his anger or even just being upset … He was a very respected man within the Nisga’a Nation … and he had a really good rapport with the people.”

As part of his ministry, Ian was also adopted into the Haida Nation on Haida Gwaii, where he administered to the community and helped those forming the Council of the Haida Nation in their struggles to defend and claim sovereignty over their lands and seas.

Through all these changes, Ian was an educator. He was the founding director of the Nishnawbe Institute in Toronto and later the Native Ministries Program, now known as the Indigenous Studies Centre, at Vancouver School of Theology, which continues to offer a Master of Divinity degree for students pursuing ministry in Indigenous communities. Ian was also, president of Wilp Wilxo’oskwhl Nisga’a, a post-secondary institute in the Nisga’a Nation.

In 2007, Ian received an Honorary Doctorate from the Vancouver School of Theology in recognition of his work as an educator.

Truly a “prophet,” Ian Mackenzie was an amazing man. Living with and serving Indigenous peoples as an Anglican priest and archdeacon, his career spanned seven decades and was entirely shaped by Indigenous justice activism. As Jim Fulton, former Skeena riding MP and executive director of the Suzuki Foundation, wrote to Ian: “There are few individuals who have worked so hard with such focus to support the title and rights of Canada’s First Nations. You have poured your life, energy, and spirit into the greater cause of justice on Earth.”

Luisa (Commisso) Ius

Born September 9, 1940 in Coidropo, Italy

Died April 22, 2025, in Powell River, BC

Luisa was born in the tower of Villa Manin of Passariano, Coidropo where her family worked for the Counts Manin. She started school when she was six.

Luisa worked in a mill in her teens, spinning silk.

She met Luigi in 1957, but Luigi followed an uncle and went to work in Canada when he was young. Her friends kept telling her there was this nice boy she should meet but he lived in Canada. Luisa said she was too young to get married and move away leaving her family.

But in 1960 Luigi returned to Italy to claim her as his wife and they were married November 5, 1960 in the mountains of Castelmonte, Italy.

The day after the wedding, they left family and friends for Canada, but not before sleeping outside the passport office that night waiting to get their passports. The song Time to Say Goodbye was played for them when they left.

Luisa arrived in Canada not speaking a word of English and not knowing anyone. She boarded a boat in Vancouver that delivered paper from their destination...Ocean Falls.

Luisa made friends quickly, some of whom she had remained

close with till her passing. There seems to be a tight bond between people from Ocean Falls, including Luisa’s good friends Olive Milan, Ada Lucato and their families, who also moved to Powell River.

Here, Luisa and Luigi started a family, having first Liana and Roberto followed. They returned to Italy with their young family in 1969 and then went just themselves twice more.

They spent 12 years in Ocean Falls before the mill there closed down. Luigi asked Luisa, “Do we stay here in Canada or go back to Italy?” They both agreed to stay in Canada and that sent Luigi on a mission to find another job. After some searching, he found one. They arrived in Powell River in 1973, settled down in their home on Strathcona Avenue and lived 50 happy years there together raising kids, and producing amazing fruit and vegetables to feed the family and many friends. In 2010, Luigi and Luisa made a final trip to visit Italy. When they returned, Luigi became ill with a bad cough and by the time he was diagnosed it was too late. One week after being admitted to the hospital he was gone. Luisa was now a widow. She was strong, though, and kept up the garden, even with her recent health is-

COIDROPO, ITALY: Above, Villa Manin in the unique North-Eastern Italian agricultural region where Luisa Commisso was born. Left, view a video about where Luisa and Luigi Ius were married, by using the QR code.

sues, and took great pride in taking care of Luigi’s grapevine.

One of her favourite things was knitting with all “the girls,” Purina Canil, Mary Murphy, Adelia Del Negro (to name a few) at Assumption Church on Tuesdays.

In March of 2023, Luisa became ill herself and was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Luisa kicked cancer’s butt and returned to her garden immediately after getting home from Vancouver and surgery; she loved her garden and couldn’t wait to get it all planted. She was doing fantastically, amazing doctors and surgeons with her strong will and determination until last June when we were given the terrible news that cancer had returned. “Que Sera Sera,” she would say. She fought so hard and on her own terms. Never complaining.

Unfortunately, on April 22, 2025, she lost the battle. Surrounded by family, she peacefully left us.

Luisa loved to brag about her children and grandchildren. She will be missed by Liana (Brian) and Roberto (Leslie). She was blessed with eight grandchildren and is going to be missed by Kile, Lance, Tyler, Courtney, Braylon, Cayden, and Kaden as well as her great-grandchildren Maddox, Samuel, and Phoenix. She loved to talk about all of them and was proud of all their accomplishments from hockey to speed skating to anything they were involved with. She loved receiving photos from them on her photo screen, always excited to share the pictures to the rest of the family.

She will also be missed by her brother Gino (Lucia), nephew Gianpiero and sister-in-law Vanna, her extended family, Bill and Gayle Evans, Jason Evans, Sue and Norm Evans and many many more cousins and relatives from BC to Ontario to Italy.

The family would like to thank all of those that helped her through this

A golden heart stopped beating Hard working hands at rest It broke our hearts to see you go God only takes the best

They say that memories are golden Well maybe that is true

But we never wanted memories We only wanted you

Your life was love and labour

Your love for your family true

You did your best for all of us

We will always remember you

We sat beside your bedside

Our hearts were crushed and sore

We did our duty to the end ‘Til we could do no more

In tears we watched you sinking We watched you fade away And though are hearts were breaking

We knew you could not stay

Our lips cannot speak how we loved you

Our hearts cannot tell what to say

But only God knows how we miss you

In our home that is lonely today - We love you Mom

journey, including the doctors at the Cancer Clinic in Vancouver, the doctors and nurses in oncology here in Powell River, and the amazing nurses on the fourth floor that cared for her with such compassion and dignity. Your kindness will never be forgotten.

A very special thank you to our friend Terri Schofield for giving her face, hand, arm, and foot massages.

You made her final days comfortable with your love and care.

une brings us the longest day of the year, Summer Solstice, right as we tend to kick into full swing. Gardens are abundant, kids burst from classrooms, there’s a flurry of projects, plans, and activity while the weather is good and before dog day heat sets in.

If we aren’t careful, these sorts of pinnacles can fly by without much recognition beyond the ‘daily do’  or daily scramble as may be.

Entire years, can easily blur into a whirlwind of memories and impressions. Keeping traditions and marking time with ceremony or celebration helps us bring not only a sense of structure to guide the movement, but opportunities for grounded reflection to anchor our current experience.

It’s much easier to remember how we felt on a 40th birthday or that Blackberry Fest with a first crush than it is to remember any given Tuesday last March. Why? Because we observed the day. Even if it’s in thought rather than deed.

Returning again and again to annual ways of noting time passing can bring a sense of order to whatever chaos may be occurring. Antidotes like sipping tea while observing exactly where the sun sets every June 20th (or 21st) offers a sort of predictable assurance.

Taking family holiday photos creates a way to see slower shifts otherwise missed.

Camping in the same spot brings rhythm and draws our attention to subtleties; in the environment and ourselves.

It makes for good stuff to look forward to. Traditions, celebrations, rituals, and ceremony all offer unique solace.

In keeping with the height of Summer sunshine, however you might choose to mark time, expressions of fullness, dreams made manifest, abundance, warmth, community, and expansion are great themes to lean into. It needn’t be of spiritual nature, although it certainly can be with drum circles, sol-

stice ceremonies, and sacred gatherings, we also have events like PRISMA as a celebration of musical talent and community, graduation ceremonies are always a moving experience, Father’s Day pancake breakfasts are great for honouring the good dads we know.

For those of us who prefer more introverted or quieter ways to mark time, annually walking a local labyrinth, re-reading a comforting book each June, or maybe traveling to a dear friend make soul-filling rituals.

If you’d like to read more; archives, books, and guides can be found at juliettejarvis.com or subscribe to juliettejarvis.substack.com

TAKE A BREAK

CAN YOU FIND THESE WORDS FROM THIS ISSUE IN THE PUZZLE ABOVE?

ARCHDEACON

AYAJUTHEM

BARBECUE

BATHHOUSE

CANOE

CHIROPRACTOR

CHORUS

CINEMA

COHO CONSERVATIVE ENDURO FAMILY

FORESTRY GRADUATION

GUNN HERITAGE

HONDURAS

HUCKLEBERRY INDUSTRIAL

KARATE

KATHAUMIXW

KNITTER

MEDIATION

MERMAID MORTUARY

OTAGO

PADDLE

PIER

POTTERY

PRISMA

QATHET

REPAIR

RUGBY SOAP

SOLSTICE SUNSHINE

TARIFF THICHUM

TISKWAT

VILLAGE WATERFRONT

WILLINGDON

NOISE MACHINE presents: TAYLR, singer songwriter, in residency at Noise Machine Studios June 6-10th. They will play a couple acoustic sets during their time in the area. Their project “KODAE” is out on Noise Machine Records June 13th! Find out more about the talented TAYLR & their upcoming visit at www.noisemachine.studio

Need a lift? Is it big and heavy and you need help moving it from point A to point B? We specialize in craning and moving: sea cans • hot tubs • sheds • lumber We even move delicate statues and art. Powell River’s only private flat deck crane truck and service with a smile!

Will someone please explain to me what it means to be “progressive?”

Help, I am losing the narrative.

On May 29, The Tyee (generally considered to be at the forefront of progressive journalism in BC) published two stories that caught my attention. One was, “Have the Doors Closed on New BC Supportive Housing?” by Jen St. Denis, which recounts Kitsilano’s successful opposition to one housing project, and asks if that represents the end for the model elsewhere, too. The other is, “BC Won’t Require Measles Vaccination for Schools: As outbreaks grow, that’s the wrong strategy… one retired doctor says,” by Michelle Gamage.

Both of these could be considered “progressive” stories. Supportive housing was widely expended under the provincial NDP starting in 2017, part of the government’s “Rapid Response to Homelessness” framework. And vaccination has become one of those hot issues that divides the left from the right, especially in the wake of COVID.

Examine both these stories through a libertarian lens, though, and the “progressive” label falls apart for me. Back in the early 1990s, BC started emptying Riverview and other institutions that housed people living with mental health challenges, brain injury, developmental disabilities and more. The progressive vision at that time was about autonomy: rights-centred community living with strong social supports, rather than institutionalization. Of course, the strong social supports were never strong enough. Supportive housing is one new support, and autonomy — people making their own choices about their own lives - remains the ideal.

So why does “progressive” apply to some people who want control over their own lives (those who would have been institutionalized throughout much of the 20th century) — but not to others (parents who want to decide whether or not to vaccinate their children)?

YOU CAN’T STOP PROGRESS: This still from the 1994 film Muriel’s Wedding shows the running-gag slogan for the anti-hero’s campaign.

I like to identify as “progressive.”

Who wouldn’t want to be progressive?

Especially when the alternative is “regressive.”

But the meaning of “progressive” is crumbling for me, because no one knows what we’re progressing to, or whether that’s a good thing. In the past, “progressive” meant journeying away from old-world class, race, and gender stratification, and towards equality. Now, I’m not sure anymore what it means.

In one of my favourite movies, the 1994 Australian coming-of-age comedy Muriel’s Wedding, Muriel’s slimy father Bill Heslop runs for Porpoise Spit’s City Council. His slogan is, “You Can’t Stop Progress.”

The cheating, abusive character is about as far away from anything anyone would like to progress to, that the “You can’t stop progress” slogan is a running gag in the film. Progress, to Bill Heslop, is indistinguishable from profi — lining his own pockets and leveling up his status.

Certainly, you can’t stop the future from coming. But progress? Moving forward on a shared project of equality? What does that even look like in 2025?

Here are some examples.

The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), an NDP-Liberal project from the last federal term, extends at least some dental coverage to all Canadians. If “progressive” means equality, this is obviously a progressive project (and also, so necessary, and it’s about time). Except, the way it is structured lets businesses off the hook for paying for benefits for their employees. I am in the bizarre position now of paying for dental benefits as a small business owner — and also paying taxes to fund the CDCP, which covers dental care for the employees of often-large businesses who refuse to pay for benefits (you know who you are).

LAST WORD

PIETA WOOLLEY

Is this structure progressive? Or just facilitating the further abandonment of labour by business?

Two other progressive programs under the Liberals have the same problems, and others.

The biggest one, the Canada Child Benefit, grants payments to parents of up to $649 per month, per child (the Conservatives started these payments in 2006 at $100 per child to age 6; the Liberals changed the program so the more you earn, the less cash you receive; increased the dollars available for less-wealthy families; and extended the payments to age 18). Trickling out over 18 years, $649 a month is enough to pull many families out of immediate poverty.

But offered as a lump sum, that money would be enough for all families to start compiling intergenerational wealth. If two-child families could opt to receive the $280,386 all at once, that’s a healthy down-payment on a home, or an investment in an income fund that will earn about $1,200 a month in interest, compounded forever.

The current drawn-out payment system is socialist. A lump-sum is quasi-capitalist.

Which one is more progressive?

Similarly, the Canada-wide Childcare Plan is a massive federal investment in regulated, group care for young children, costing about $9 billion per year. It builds a system that is aiming towards equality — an affordable space for each child. But there’s no flexibility for families about where that money can be spent. Not on grandparents, who might also teach their grandchildren family languages (and might benefit from some extra cash). Or on neighbours, who might foster

close-knit crews of kids from the same block. Or, most poignantly, on families who would prefer to use that money to afford to keep one parent at home, and do their own childcare.

Would a voucher system have been more progressive — as in, make the money available to each family in a way they can use it best? Would autonomy be better here, too?

Typically, progressives have been against vouchers: the US school voucher system where parents can choose to take their kids’ per-capita spending and choose public or private schools is a particular sore spot. But for childcare? That seems different. Is it?

Progressives love to hate on former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, but one of his first initiatives, back in 2006, was the one of the most “progressive” things I’ve witnessed a government do. He orchestrated several federal ministries to work together on a program called The Challenge, which systematically evaluated about 200 everyday chemicals that were imported into Canada for decades but not vetted: in furniture, cleaning products, food, packaging and more. It became the Canada Chemical Plan.

At the time it was announced, I’d just had baby #1, so environmental health was at the top of my mind. Because of The Challenge, Canada became the first country in the world to ban the plastic softener bisphenol A, then commonly used in baby bottles. The Challenge continues even now, 19 years later. In the fall of 2024, the Liberals released the newest 30 chemicals to be assessed, which includes some that are found in film, sunscreen, and dye.

To me, this work represents the best of government: foundational research and regulation work that should never be trusted to business.

Is The Challenge progressive?

Maybe. Evaluating chemicals strongly promotes equality by ensuring that all of our products are safe — rather than just for those who can afford to buy organic or local. But it was initiated by someone universally considered the opposite of progressive: Harper.

Progressivism has to be more than an identity then.

Is it about equality, in 2025?

Or autonomy?

Or, something else?

You can’t stop progress, but maybe we can ditch the word “progressive.” As our governments plough ahead in addressing all of the pressures of 2025, “progressive” seems too simple a word to describe anything well, in this bizarre and nuanced era.

Book of the Month:

(Oceanside Entertainment Location)

My Magical Experiences as a Small-Town Boy

By Colin Eckstrand

Oceanside Entertainment

High Tide Games

Local author Colin Eckstrand shares his magical experiences as a small-town boy, growing up in Powell River, BC. Eckstrand shares his youth in athletics, playing in six different sports.

Eckstrand shares insights into these joyous events and experiences, and why they continue to occur throughout his life--to this very day. The magic happened in all aspects of his life and included highlights of a grace that has continually visited him and his family.

Birthday Parties at High Tide Games

High Tide Games is now hosting birthday parties for kids of ALL ages!!

Whether you want to play video games or board games, we have everything you need to have a seriously great gaming time.

Saturday & Sunday morning parties are a private event with the space fully reserved for your party. Evening parties may be available. Call to inquire: 604-208-6169.

Wednesday-Sunday 12pm-6pm 7030 Glacier new phone number 604-208-6169

New!

Board Game of the Month:

(High Tide Games Location)

Elestrals

Elestrals is a brand new trading card game from the mind of Dan “aDrive” Clap.

In a game of Elestrals, your Spirit cards are your health and fuel when playing cards and attacking your opponent! Knowing when to use your Spirits and when to save them is a key strategy.

There are five types of Spirits. Most decks have a mix of different types, and the Elestrals and Runes that you Cast will often need specific Spirits or even combinations of them!

You can look through your own Spirit Deck any time you like and ask your opponent how many cards are left in their Spirit Deck. But you never get to look through your opponent’s decks, so you won’t know exactly which Spirits they have left.

In-Store

Game Playing at High Tide Games

Want to play board games or video games with your buddies?

We have the space for that now. Eight video game stations with 16 consoles including an N64, an Atari 2600 (on a CRT), Wiis, Xbox consoles and a PS5!!

Loads of games in stock to choose from. Over 250 different board games to choose from and play in the store. Online gaming is:

• $10/hour for non-members

• $8/hour for Level 1 members

• $6/hour for Level 2 members.