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to how disadvantaged groups or individuals with mental or physical disabilities should be treated. (See Equality Rights.)

Not all of us were born and raised with all of life’s advantages, and we should be more tolerant and supportive of those living homeless in vehicles, boats or camping in the bushes within the town’s limits. The alcohol and drug dependencies common with this group is a symptom, and only one part of the problems facing the most vulnerable persons living here. The Town of Ladysmith needs to step up to the plate and show some leadership and prove it is truly Canada’s best main street to improve the health and welfare of those most at risk to contract this virus. Just remember, most of us with nine months of no employment or government aid could find ourselves in similar circumstance with no access to clean washrooms or a safe dry place to sleep. The last pandemic, as reported in the MAY 2020 Take 5 edition, claims Ladysmith town authorities were very proactive mid October to early December 1918 in order to mitigate the deadly effects of the Spanish flu, which killed 25 residents just over 100 years ago. We can and should do better, and solutions are usually simple and require no political posturing. Action and words are required immediately to keep all community members safe and healthy.

— Garth Crosby

LMS Update The year 2020 is the 35th anniversary of the Ladysmith Maritime Society, which should be a celebration of longevity and accomplishment. Instead we are at home, washing our hands

Letters Help for Homeless Can’t Wait This 2020 Global pandemic is a perfect stress test in terms of our collective tolerance and respect for the disadvantaged people living amongst us in the Town of Ladysmith, which has been referred to as the best main street in Canada. For example, the Town of Ladysmith to date has done very little or almost nothing to offer assistance to the poorest folks living homeless within the town limits. I understand the Province of B.C. has recently assigned generous funding to assist the Cowichan/Ladysmith area to cope with the difficult issues facing our community during the months ahead, especially during the upcoming 20/21 flu season (second wave).

The 1981 Charter of Rights and Freedoms is “very clear” as

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and trying not to touch our faces. I would rather be celebrating!

At our April board meeting, the impact of COVID-19 on operations was reviewed. Decisions were taken to cancel the spring members meeting and to cancel both the Heritage Boat Festival (May 30th) and Kids’ Pirate Day (June 6th). Additionally, we have requested the public to avoid use of the docks and have put in place strict protocols for visiting boaters needing moorage. Safety of our staff, our volunteers and the public were paramount in these decisions.

LMS has become a Gulf Island boating destination, each year attracting over 6,000 visitor nights to the Town of Ladysmith. Almost half this traffic are boaters from the USA, with Vancouver and south Vancouver Island also contributing significantly. With traffic points and marine parks closed, revenue will definitely be reduced.

While being prepared for the worst, we are trying to be optimistic. The Oyster Bay Café will hopefully be able to open, our Harbour Tours may be able to operate and the Sea Life Celebration (August 12th) will hopefully go ahead. We are also hopeful the renovations on the Expo Centre will be completed, and that we can re-open the Harbour Heritage Centre, which was closed last fall after a successful spring student and summer visitor program.

During this time, our priorities will remain the same as we reported to you at the AGM: strong relationships with partners; support by volunteers; state-of-the-art infrastructure and operations; commitment to maritime heritage; and improved public access and security. Please stay safe, and we hope to see you soon on the docks. — Dan Lutz, President, LMS

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Re: Saltair Director Lynne Smith’s Monthly Report for April, 2020 The divisive nature of Lynne Smith’s comments regarding the volunteers and Saltair community members and residents who work hard to maintain and use the centre is disturbing.

The Saltair Community Centre is NOT a “private society” as stated by Ms. Smith. It is a federal not-for-profit corporation, which is the standard for municipally owned buildings. As a not-for-profit, all money raised from rentals is used to service the building.

The purchase of the Saltair Community Centre actually SAVES residents money. If Saltair participated in Regional Recreation fully, the cost to Saltair residents could be up to $100/month or $1000 per year. Providing our own recreation facility is saving us a lot of money. We pay approximately $35/ year for Saltair recreation and approximately $35/year to Frank Jamieson Centre ($70/year rather than the $1000).

Ms. Smith vehemently defends the recreation budget, but not all residents can use the parks and trails. Many people, young ones to elders, need the recreational and cultural activities available at a community centre. The centre is used for a daycare, arts group, quilter’s group, yoga classes, gym/fitness classes, plays, concerts, church groups, family reunions, birthday parties, dog training classes, Christmas fairs, Seedy Sunday, CVRD public presentations, MP Paul Manly public federal updates and many more diverse community meetings.

Saltair Centre is also designated as the emergency gathering place for the community. Emergency preparedness is the responsibility of our local government and director. I believe we should be working to include an emergency power generator and supplies to be accommodated at the centre as well.

I don’t understand why Ms. Smith’s vitriolic attitude continues with respect to this important community asset. What was the alternative? Does she think it should have been sold to a developer instead of our community? It is disheartening to see the continued attacks on volunteers working so hard on our behalf. And it is particularly challenging to read Ms. Smith’s budget complaints in light of the 33 per cent CVRD salary increase she just received.

As per provincial policy, good governance and responsible conduct of locally elected officials includes the following: • providing for the stewardship of communities public assets; • providing services, laws and other matters for community benefit; and • acting in a way that is accountable, transparent, ethical, respectful of the rules of law collaboration, effective and efficient.

I urge Ms. Smith to consider this code of conduct and represent all residents of Saltair with respect to recreation, those who support parks and trails and those who support the centre.

We need both of these important community initiatives.

Given these uncertain times, I believe it is imperative, now more than ever, that we pull together.

— Mary Desprez, Saltair resident Letters to the editor on community topics are welcomed.

Please email editor@take5.ca or fax: 250-245-7099 or PO Box 59, Ladysmith, BC V9G 1A1.

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How are you holding up? We’ve now entered the second month of a provincial state of emergency, and the light at the end of the tunnel appears to be getting bigger and brighter every day thanks to everyone working to flatten the curve.

I know that sticking to the advice of our public health authorities required a new way of doing things at first. Change is hard, even if we know it’s only temporary, but especially when it goes against our daily routines.

We’re social creatures and being apart from our extended family, friends, work colleagues or even not seeing that friendly face at a local business made us realize pretty quickly how we depend on that interaction with each other.

We are a community after all, and it’s the time with others — volunteering with an organization making a difference, going to a local event, meeting an old friend for coffee — that is all part of the fabric that ties us together.

In so many ways though, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought us closer together. It’s been a time to hit pause and reflect.

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We all now look forward to joining our neighbours outside every night to cheer in solidarity for our healthcare workers and first responders.

The cut-out hearts in windows and sidewalk chalk messages are another reminder that small acts of kindness can make a big difference.

We are staying more in our own communities and shopping locally to support small businesses.

Physical distancing and self-isolation were also words we’d never uttered before in our lives until a few short weeks ago. Now, who doesn’t recognize the calming voice of our Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry telling us we’ll get through this if we all just play by the same rules.

Stay home as much as possible, only go out for essentials, physically distance two metres from others — it really is

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that simple. At the same time, I know we’re all feeling the strain and stress of this crisis.

I’m grateful for all of you for stepping up, from our small business owners to our residents, and especially our first responders. You are making Ladysmith and the Cowichan Valley a leading example.

So where do we go from here? What will this change mean for us as residents of Ladysmith and the Cowichan Valley, but also as global citizens as we continue to understand that the linkages that help spread this virus are the same ones that will help us defeat it?

In so many ways, it’s too early to know what will change and what will stay the same beyond COVID-19. The Town of Ladysmith and CVRD are taking steps to be in the best position for economic recovery when people start heading back to work and businesses begin a shift towards normal operations.

For right now, I ask that you focus on the present moment and continue to listen to the advice of our public health officials. We’re all in this together. We just need to stay home and stay apart a little bit longer.

Spring in downtown Ladysmith.

Photo: Nick Longo

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Compendium of Caring

BY DR. QUENTIN GOODBODY We are lucky to live in a community as caring as ours. Just how caring is reflected in a long history of philanthropic organizations in the town. To understand the origin of these organizations, we must understand the social context at the time they were formed.

Before the development of large-scale government and employer health insurance and other financial services in Canada which form the backbone of our social security system (prompted in part by the Great Depression in the 1930s), “‘Friendly Societies” played an important role in many people’s lives as membership provided support in times of unemployment, sickness and bereavement.

An early form of Friendly Societies in Europe were tradesmen’s Guilds set up in the Middle Ages (1100–1500s).

Membership was restricted to persons qualified in and practising the particular activity relating to the guild (i.e., stonemasons involved in building the great cathedrals and castles, or coopers making barrels).

Expansion of Friendly and/or Benevolent Societies occurred in the 1700– 1800s when the Industrial Revolution prompted large scale migration from rural areas to dense urban factory settings where poor housing, disease and hunger were contributing to significant social misery. Some of these societies were religion-based, while others were purely secular. Some were exclusive with regard to membership, while others were more open in their membership policies. In contrast to the very practical reasons for their existence, many had/ have elaborate rites and costumes as a form of “branding,” celebrating their unique identity and providing a sense

Original Masonic Hall on left.

Photo: Ladysmith Archives Below: The Masonic Hall today Photo: Quentin Goodbody

of belonging to the membership. Such societies formed the basis for a considerable number of Ladysmith’s philanthropic organizations.

On Vancouver Island in the late 1890s, when the focus of coal mining changed from Wellington to the Extension area and the settlement to be incorporated in 1904 as the City of Ladysmith came into existence, there were few state social safety nets in place. Workplace safety in

the coal mines — the predominant employer in the town — was poor. Unions were weak and relatively unable to protect the workers. Accidents were common and, at times, disastrous. Early residents sought a measure of security and community through belonging to societies, many of which are still active in our community today; others have died out locally, but are still active elsewhere.

The Masons were an important society in early Ladysmith and continue to be so today. St. John’s Masonic Lodge No. 21 was formed in Wellington in 1893 and moved to Ladysmith in 1901. The Lodge is housed in the St John’s Masonic Temple located at 26 Gatacre Street in downtown Ladysmith. This handsome brick building was constructed in 1913 to replace an earlier wooden building, transferred in 1901 from Wellington, which burned down in 1912. The main principles of Freemasonry insist that each member show tolerance, respect and kindness in his actions toward others, practices charity and care for the community as a whole, and strives to

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achieve high moral standards in his own personal life. Membership of the Masons is restricted to men.

Also present in early Ladysmith was the Order of the Eastern Star, which female relatives of Master Masons could and still may join. Today this order is open to both women and men; boys may join the Order of DeMolay or the Order of the Builders; and girls may join the Order of Job’s Daughters or the Order of the Rainbow. The Ladysmith Museum holds a number of artifacts, which belonged to local members of the Masons and the Order of the Eastern Star.

The philanthropic arm of the Masons is the Shriners. All Shriners are Masons, but not all Masons are Shriners.

To join the Shriners, Mason members must attain the degree of Master Mason. To date, research into the early history of the Shriners in Ladysmith has been unsuccessful. It is not known if a Shriners organization founded in Wellington transferred to Ladysmith along with the Masons or not. If there was no local club, prior to the Cowichan Valley Shrine Club No. 27 being formed in 1964 to which local Shriners now appear to belong, Shriners resident in Ladysmith were likely part of the Nanaimo Shrine Club No. 10.

Mid-Island Shrine Clubs belong to a wider Shriner organization founded in 1870, which provides health care for children via a network of twenty-two hospitals in the U.S., Mexico and Canada without regard to race, colour, creed, sex, sect, disability, national origin or ability of a patient or family to pay.

We in Ladysmith perhaps most readily recognize the Shriners by their wearing Fezes (Turkish style hats) and driving

Ladysmith Opera House with IOOF Hall upstairs. Photo: Ladysmith Archives Below: Oddfellows Rebekahs Memorial, Ladysmith Cemetery. Photo: Quentin Goodbody

their iconic miniature cars during Ladysmith parades.

There are two organizations tied to the Shrine that are for women only: The Ladies’ Oriental Shrine and the Daughters of the Nile. They both support the Shriner Hospitals and promote sociability. Membership in either organization is open to any woman 18 years of age and older who is related to a Shriner or Master Mason by birth or marriage.

The Daughters of the Nile were present in Ladysmith, but little has been found about them at time of submission of this article. Today there are Daughters of the Nile chapters connected to the Cowichan Valley Shrine Club No. 27 and the Nanaimo Shrine Club No. 10.

A society of significant importance in early Ladysmith was the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), the historic command of which is to “visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan.” Evolving from earlier Orders of Odd Fellows first founded in England during the 1700s, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political and nonsectarian co-ed international fraternal order founded in North America 1819.

The Odd Fellows was, in 1851, the first fraternity in the US to include both men and women. The organization is also known as “The Three Link Fraternity,” referring to the Triple Links Logo – containing the letters F, L & T (Friendship, Love and Truth).

IOOF Harmony #6 Lodge was established in Wellington in 1883 and appears to have subsequently transferred to Ladysmith about 1901. The lodge was located on Roberts Street, in the upper story of the Opera House/Movie Theatre. This building burned down in

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1932. The site today is occupied by the Telus building.

Initially designed as the female auxiliary of the IOOF, but now allowing both female and male members, The Rebekahs were also present in Ladysmith.

Laurel Rebekah Lodge No. 9, IOOF, was instituted at Wellington on November 7, 1895; the charter was relocated to Ladysmith on June 12, 1901. The general duties of membership are “To live peaceably, do good unto all, as we have opportunity and especially to obey the Golden Rule: Whatsoever ye would that others should do unto you, do ye even so unto them.”

An impressive OddFellow/Rebekah memorial in Ladysmith Cemetery was consecrated on August 9, 1953. The inscription etched in granite reads “To The Sacred Memory Of All ODDFELLOWS AND REBEKAHS: Erected by Harmony Lodge No. 6 and Laurel Rebekah Lodge No. 9, 1953.” The Oddfellow three ring symbol is at the top centre of the monument: on the north side the letters IOOF and on the south side the letters FLT (standing for Friendship, Love and Truth) are evident.

The Ladysmith Museum was recently gifted a medallion denoting a Rebekah past Grand Noble, but whether this belonged to someone from Ladysmith is not known.

Directly related to the coal mining history of our region is the Ladysmith Healthcare Auxiliary. In 1909 a group of ladies, possibly called “The Miners’ Ladies Auxiliary” gathered to donate their services – likely to provide succor in the aftermath of the Extension Mine Disaster of October 5th of that year in which 32 men died. After construction of the Ladysmith General Hospital in 1911/12 (which was financed by and administered under the Miners Accident and Burial Fund) this group became “The Ladysmith Hospital Auxiliary.”

Subsequent to the change from a full service hospital facility to a community health care centre, the auxiliary in 2006

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Ladysmith’s first hospital.

changed its name to the current Ladysmith Healthcare Auxiliary (LHA).

The LHA makes significant donations of funding for medical equipment to island hospitals now serving Ladysmith citizens. Numerous other entities providing health care services to our community also benefit from LHA funding.

In 2018 the organization donated more than $250,000 to support local healthcare facilities and health and wellness programs. The LHA operates the Thrift Store at the corner of 1st Avenue and French Street and a gift shop now located in the Healthcare Centre. Other LHA activities include Knitters & Crafts, Meals on Wheels, Youth Volunteers, maintenance of the Doris Gallagher Memorial Gardens located behind the Ladysmith Community Health Centre at 4th Avenue and Symonds, provision of High School Bursaries, Patient Comforts and a Senior’s Lifeline service in partnership with Philips Lifeline.

A regionally extant benevolent organization, which was present in early Ladysmith, but is no longer is the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire (IODE). The Order was founded in 1900 in Montreal at the time of the Second Boer War. Steeped in Empire and Patriotism, the IODE soon became an effective means of supplying comforts to the soldiers in the field.

The Order’s first great undertaking after the end of the Boer War was “the search for the graves of those brave Canadians who sleep on the veldts of Af-

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rica.” These graves they marked with fine headstones of Canadian grey granite, and the Order later started a fund to keep the graves green for all time.

Despite the connection between the IODE, the Boer War, the siege of Ladysmith and the naming of our town, it wasn’t until October 8, 1914, that an IODE chapter was formed in Ladysmith in response to the outbreak of the First World War. The 25 founding members chose the motto “strength and honour is Britain’s glory.” This chapter was one of many formed across Canada in a wave of patriotic fervour to aid with the war effort. In addition to assisting the Red Cross with provisioning, attention was focussed on supplying comfort kits containing knitted and sewn articles, jam, candies, cigarettes etc. to soldiers departing for and already in Europe.

Membership of the IODE crossed societal/racial boundaries. Noted in a November 1914 report on IODE activities since the declaration of war “Remarkable among the various groups of women united in this service are the Native Indian Women …. who have contributed the wool used, carded it themselves, and have sent large consignments towards the ‘Field Comforts.’ The Cowichan Indian Women and the Kuper Island Indian Women (who wove their tribal name into each sock) have all associated with this patriotic movement.”

The Ladysmith Museum houses a silver matchbox “presented by Ladysmith IODE for active service, 1919.”

Research to date has failed to come up with information on the later history of the local IODE chapter.

An organization that was in Ladysmith, but about which the author has found little local information, is the Ancient Order of Foresters (AOF). The Order continues to exist, but not locally.

The AOF is one of the oldest of the Friendly Societies. Founded in York-

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shire England in 1790, it was already unequivocally a benefit society by the early nineteenth century and probably was so from its earliest beginnings — stemming from medieval forester guilds.

The Ancient Order of Foresters became a registered Friendly Society in 1834. In 1874 the American and Canadian Foresters seceded from the Ancient Order of Foresters and set up the Independent Order of Foresters, which today is based in Toronto and operates an insurance business under the brand name Foresters Financial.

The AOF flourished in the 19th century, engaging in general charity as well as providing financial support for its members.

Initially restricted to men, in 1892 membership in the Order was opened to women with the formation of female courts (the word “court” is used instead of “lodge”).

Both men and women were entitled to become members provided that they were in work, over the age of eighteen and that their application had been proposed and seconded by a member of the Order. Juvenile Foresters had to be between four and eighteen years of age.

Members paid a monthly contribution which was apportioned to various funds, chiefly the Sick & Funeral Fund, the Management Committee (the salaried administrative body) and the Benevolent Fund. Men who had families or other dependants, and were the main wage earners, could pay a level of contributions which ensured that their families would be supported if they should die or become sick or unemployed.

The presence of the AOF in Ladysmith is indicated by two artifacts in the Museum. A handsome axe, the head of which is painted with “AOF Court 9829” and a completed application form for William John Weaving , a 12-yearold resident of Ladysmith to join Court Quadra No. 4 AOF Juvenile Friendly & Benevolent Society in May 1923. More research is required to put both artifacts in the context of local “courts.” Somewhat enigmatic is that these artifacts refer to the “Ancient” Order, given that the North American Foresters had seceded from the “Ancient” and set up the “Independent” Order in 1874.

Secretive in its rituals and symbolism and somewhat exclusive in its membership policies, The Native Sons of British Columbia (NSBC) was founded in 1899

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“for social and recreative [purposes] and for mutual help.” A copy of the constitution of the NSBC dating from 1928 states the organization “seeks to advance the interest and promote the welfare of British Columbia, Canada and the Empire ... to assist the Native born in establishing themselves and bettering their conditions in their Native Land, to the end that they may successfully perform their inherited duty of carrying on the splendid work commenced by their forefathers; to encourage a greater respect and appreciation of the deeds performed by the discoverers and the pioneers of this Province, and to ensure the emulation of their fortitude and progress in vital questions of the present and future ... this organization is not parochial in its endeavors. It seeks to benefit all and to encourage a co-operation and harmony, which will mean PROSPERITY FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA AND THE EMPIRE” (emphasis theirs).

The society’s image suffered due to an anti Asian stance during the 1920s–40s.

The Ladysmith Douglas Post No.7 of the NSBC was formed in the 1920s and

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was active until 1942. After an hiatus of three years the post reopened, but later closed again — year unknown.

A sister organization with similar objectives, the Native Daughters of British Columbia (NDBC), was founded in 1919. NDBC Dunsmuir Post No. 7 was established in Ladysmith in February 6, 1931, and closed in 2010.

Apart from a focus on preservation and glorification of the pioneer history of the province, the twin societies (NSBC and NDBC) were involved in philanthropic activities, including funding bursaries, contributing to hospitals and other charities. The Daughters for many years held an annual New Years Eve Dance. They published a Centennial Cookbook in 2004. Their hall on First Avenue, purchased by the NSBC in 1931 and taken over by the NDBC in 1942, is now the Eagles Hall. The Museum contains a number of their artifacts.

Our series continues in the June issue. Author Quentin Goodbody is the president of the Ladysmith & District Historical Society

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Community Record of COVID-19 A number of initiatives are currently underway to record the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are living in a time that will be remembered in our history,” says Shirley Blackstaff, who suggested the project to the Ladysmith & District Historical Society. The society is now collecting journals, videos, slide shows, friendship emails, scrapbooks or drawings.

When COVID-19 is over, bring a copy to the Ladysmith Archives as a record of this time (info@ladysmithhistoricalsociety.ca).

Likewise the Nanaimo Museum and Nanaimo Archives have partnered on a large-scale project to collect Nanaimo’s COVID-19 history. The project will unfold in phases to collect stories from our community through an online questionnaire, photos, artifacts and interviews.

“There is considerable urgency to record and preserve what’s going on right now on what may be the most important material we, as organizations, ever collect,” says Christine Muetzner, Manager of the Nanaimo Community Archives.

"She stood in the storm and when the wind did not blow her away, she adjusted her sails. Stay Strong” message written in chalk in doorway. Photo: Rob Johnson

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“The COVID-19 health situation is a significant historical event,” notes Aimee Greenaway, Curator at the Nanaimo Museum, “especially the way community members reacted, adapted and the ways we supported each other.”

You can contribute your stories, photos, thoughts and more through the collection portal on the museum’s website at nanaimomuseum.ca/covid-19-project/.

Another COVID-19 project is making waves — sound waves that is.

The Cedar Sound Project is a digital public art project aimed at fostering a sense of belonging during COVID-19 isolation. The aim is to build community across social distance by inviting residents of Mid-Vancouver Island to submit short audio recordings of their “sound environment” during life in quarantine, according to organizer and composer Jen Yakamovich.

“The project came about through a small community service grant from Youth Rising, and through my connections with some folks who run a music and recording studio in Yellow Point, who have offered to assist with the audio production of the digital sound collage.”

All submissions will then be compiled into a community sound collage audio piece by the youth producing this project. Submissions may be sent via Facebook Messenger to the Cedar Sound

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Project, or emailed to cedarsoundproject@gmail.com. They are collecting audio recordings until May 15, 2020.

Goodbye, Guillermo Ladysmith’s Chief Administrative Officer Guillermo Ferrero will be leaving the Town of Ladysmith to take a new position as CAO with the City of White Rock.

“Ladysmith couldn’t have asked for a better leader and CAO to work with us over these last 4 years,” said Mayor Aaron Stone. “He has worked hard to support our council, community and staff to reach some very lofty goals.

The highlights and achievements really are too many to list but be assured that Guillermo will be greatly missed.”

Ferrero’s last day with the Town of Ladysmith will be May 15th.

“It’s hard to put into words all the positive things I have experienced, and how much I admire our staff and our Council. ” said Ferrero. “ I love this town and am so grateful to the Mayor and Town Council,” who he describes as a progressive a team focussed on infrastructure and maintenance and dealing with the COVID-19 crisis very well.”

Some highlights of his time with Ladysmith include the award-winning Waterfront Area Plan which was developed in partnership with Stz’uminus First Nation, and the Planning Institute of B.C.

Duck Paterson (left) Quentin Goodbody of the Ladysmith & District Historical Society, accepts a cheque for $500 from Mike Sumpter. Ladysmith Kinsmen Club donation will go towards painting the Ladysmith Museum. Photo: Marina Sacht

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Ladysmith Mayor Aaron Stone with outgoing CAO Guillermo Ferrero.

Photo: Town of Ladysmith

2017 Great Street award for 1st Avenue.

Mr. Ferrero also introduced a state-ofthe-art project management system to support the Council’s Strategic Plan.

Ferrero describes Ladysmith as a very hands-on community, at a level I have not seen before, referring to a large number of volunteer-based activity and events.

Council will begin the process of recruiting a new CAO in the coming days.

In the interim, they are working with Mr. Ferrero and senior staff to put a transition plan in place.

While Ladysmith and White Rock may share similar features, there is one thing that Ferrero won’t find there: Old Town Bakery cinnamon buns.

Ladysmith council extends penalty date for property tax payments Ladysmith Council has extended the penalty date for the payment of property taxes until October and approved a budget increase that balances a loss of revenue resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and trims expenditures, while maintaining Town services.

A 1.92 per cent increase to the municipal share of property taxes was approved. The budget was adjusted due to revenues that are not expected to be received as a result of COVID-19 health orders and recommendations.

Additionally, the due date for property taxes will remain unchanged as July 2, but in recognition of the hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, property owners now have until October 1, 2020, to pay their taxes before any penalty is applied.

“Ladysmith Council recognizes that

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everyone’s focus right now should be on the health of their family, not having to worry about finances,” says Ladysmith Mayor Aaron Stone.

“The Town is facing a significant challenge of balancing lost revenue and keeping taxes in check all while continuing to provide services, maintain our roads and parks and complete the key work required to allow for a rapid economic recovery. We’re providing what relief we can while maintaining these and other requirements and responsibilities.”

Ladysmith Council only sets the municipal portion of the tax bill, so property owners could see increases depending on the budgets set by other agencis.

Peerless Road hours queried Ladysmith Councillor Duck Paterson brought forward a motion that Mayor Stone send a letter to the Cowichan Valley Regional District requesting an immediate move to summer hours at the Peerless Road Recycling Centre. The facility has remained on winter hours as the CVRD effectively manages staff availability, as well as multiple other factors related to COVID-19, including closures and slowdowns of processing facilities in the United States and the availability of hauling contractors. Access to CVRD recycling centres is currently limited to 10 vehicles on site at a time in order to ensure physical distance requirements that comply with WorkSafeBC and provincial health recommendations. The public is asked to avoid non-essential visits to CVRD recycling facilities at this time and to leave items such as yard waste at home. The reduced hours have been meet with negative public opinion and is causing an increase in illegal dumping along country roads.

Ladysmith council appoints new fire chief Ladysmith Council has confirmed the results of a recent election of officers held by Ladysmith Fire Rescue, and appointed Chris Geiger as the new fire chief.

“On behalf of Ladysmith Council, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to outgoing Fire Chief Ray Delcourt for his tireless service — our town is a safer place because of Ray’s dedication to emergency preparedness, community safety and fire prevention,” says

Ladysmith Volunteer Fire Department's new Fire Chief Chris Geiger

Mayor Aaron Stone.

“He is a hero in the eyes of the community and well respected by young and old alike. We look forward to honouring Ray in a big way after the COVID-19 crisis.”

Geiger’s appointment to fire chief was effective as of April 1.

Geiger is born and raised in Ladysmith and has served with CFB Esquimalt Fire/Rescue since June 2018. He has been a member of Ladysmith Fire Rescue since 2007, serving as lieutenant, captain and most recently holding the position of chief training officer prior to his appointment as fire chief.

“I am honoured to have been elected to lead this exceptional team,” says Geiger.

Walk for Alzheimer’s – online!

For the first time ever, the IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s will be held online and on a single day: Sunday, May 31. The 2020 event, which traditionally takes place in communities across B.C., will assume a different format given COVID-19 need for physical distancing. However, now, more than ever, we need to connect to honour and celebrate people affected by dementia.

The online event will start at 9 am PDT on May 31,2020, and can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. It’s easy to get involved: sign up walkforalzheimers.ca to represent your local community. Funds raised will help fund programs and services to support people living with dementia in your local community.

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LaFF gets a big boost June 2020 marks the 25th anniversary for Ladysmith Family and Friends (LaFF). During this difficult time for everyone LaFF has been presented with an unprecedented opportunity by a generous local couple, Karen and Fred Green, owners of The Jailhouse Brewing Company, which is developing the old Ladysmith RCMP station.

For 25 years, LaFF has been supporting the most vulnerable families of the region through its family resource program providing access to public health services, food security initiatives and by providing opportunities for social inclusion. “Last year LaFF served over 500 local families with children age zero to six accounting for 16,782 visits to our facilities. That’s up 43 per cent since 2016,” says LaFF’s Executive Director Jacqueline Neligan. “But, COVID-19 has changed all that.”

To be sure, the families are still there and still vulnerable, in fact, even more vulnerable. With LaFF’s Aggie Hall facilities closed, LaFF staff and volunteers are scrambling to help these families. Last year, LaFF provided over 15,000 meals and snacks to these families and access to free clothing, to the food pantry for take home supplies and other necessities. But trying to help these families with the doors shut and physical distancing in place seemed impossible. Just when things looked darkest an angel (actually two) called Neligan.

“Karen and Fred Green invited me into their home for a virtual chat. They have been friends of LaFF for years and wanted to know how they could help the families. When our Zoom visit was over, I had a promise of $25,000 so LaFF could purchase the technology to connect the families to LaFF programming and something else I think is unprecedented in philanthropy in B.C. They have also pledged $100,000 in matching funds if LaFF can raise $25,000. That’s a four to one match and a tremendous opportunity for our family resource program,” says Neligan.

In response to the Green’s generous offer, LaFF is introducing the LaFF Community Association. The LaFF Community Association is an opportunity for Ladysmith and surrounding community members, participants, alumni and the many supporters of LaFF to donate and have their donation matched four to one by the Greens.

“This couldn’t have come at a better time,” says Neligan.

“With physical distancing, we have had to cancel some of our

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traditional fundraising activities, which will really hurt LaFF financially making it really difficult to deliver programs to these families. With the Green’s $25,000 donation to help us buy laptops and tablets, we are gearing up for some engaging virtual programming delivering life skills and keeping the families connected to the community.”

Karen Green summed up their feelings: “We genuinely see the benefits of LaFF programs and activities continuing in these times as vital. That is why we want to help as much as possible, and with this donation, we can enable the LaFF facilitators to connect families and continue to create community.”

“We want to be able to give back to the community and assisting LaFF continue their program is a very strong way we believe,” says Fred Green.

Just how does this donation plan work?

E-transfer to ilovetolaff@shaw.ca.

Donate by credit card: go to the LaFF website www.familyandfriends.ca, click on the DONATE button on the bottom of the page and fill out the form.

Mail cash or cheque to LaFF at PO Box 1830, Ladysmith, B.C., V9G 1B4.

Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $20 or more.

An opportunity to raise $150,000 in this fashion does not come often. With the Green’s generous donation and 4:1 matching offer, there is a tremendous opportunity to elevate and transform a valuable community service that reaches thousands of participants each year. What a geat way to celebrate LaFF’s 25th Anniversary.

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COVID-19 Homeless shelters Help for the homeless trying to physically distance and self-isolate during COVID-19 is coming, says John Horn, Executive Director of Cowichan Housing Association.

Ladysmith, Chemainus and Cowichan can expect to see emergency homeless shelters in their communities.

The COVID-19 Vulnerable Population Cowichan Task Force is receiving funding in order to implement phase one of the community emergency response. The Rapid Relief Fund, organized by the Victoria Foundation, Jawl Foundation and Times Colonist is providing $220,000 for Cowichan, and BC Housing is providing $172,000 to Support the Plan.

“These funds will be used to create temporary accommodations for homeless individuals. To provide support services that include peer supports, site maintenance and cleaning, shower facilities, laundry services, security, portable washrooms and hand-washing stations.

This supports the provincial mandate to provide Shelter in Place options in order to adhere to social-distancing guidelines and keep people safe,” says Horn, Task Force Chair.

The plan proposes that people throughout the Cowichan Region will be housed in a variety of ways including, smallscale, “family cluster” serviced outdoor tenting sites housing up to and no more than 12 people per site. None of these will be located in any parks or public green space.

The funding from the Victoria Foundation’s Rapid Relief Fund has enabled the task force to include hotel rooms, and additional funding for outreach workers, food and security.

While the original plan had included and favoured indoor sites, local service providers are not able to provide the level of staffing required due to the impact of COVID-19 on the workforce.

Set up will begin immediately and phase one of the plan is funded until June 30th.

The Town of Ladysmith staff reviewing the feasibility of a downtown site, but have not released the information as of press-time.

Gerry Beltgens from Disaster Canada says they are ready to support shelter with the use of their disaster shelter as

well. “We will do what we can if there is a need.”

Ladysmith Resources Centre Association Executive Director Christy Wood says they are ready to help.

The LRCA is working with the Town to support those most vulnerable. She estimated there are approximately about a dozen homeless people in Ladysmith, who are “what we consider sleeping in the rough.”

Donations of clothing, tents and tarps are welcome, but the best way the community can help is by showing compassion and understanding.

“We forget sometimes how lucky we are to be able to self-isolate in a warm house with all our needs met compared to the disadvantaged.”

Ladysmith’s music history takes the national stage The Board of the Ladysmith & District Historical Society is pleased to announce the LDHS has been chosen by the Virtual Museum of Canada for a $15,000 investment in its project on the history of Music in Ladysmith.

Titled “The Beat Goes On,” the project will feature the rich history of music in Ladysmith and its connection to the evolving community. Ranging from pre-settler First Nations music through the early opera houses and city and coal company brass bands of the early 1900s, the ragtime of the roaring 20s

and the depressed 30s, the big bands of the 40s and the beginnings of rock ʼn’ roll in the 50s and 60s, with the iconic dances in the Aggie Hall featuring greats such as Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis, the beat continues up to the present day lively music scene.

Through a combination of text, video and photographs, interspersed with audio, the story of our community will be told and current artists showcased on an online national stage.

Work on the project is commencing, with the fi nal product due end of 2021.

Volunteers are sought to assist with research, contribute with reminiscences and perform. If interested, contact the society at info@ladysmithhistoricalsociety.ca or phone 250-245-0100.

The Virtual Museum of Canada, managed by the Canadian Museum of History with the fi nancial support of the Government of Canada, is the largest digital source of stories and experiences shared by Canada’s museums and heritage organizations. The Community Stories investment program helps smaller Canadian museums and heritage organizations work with their communities to develop virtual exhibits that engage online audiences in the stories, past and present, of Canada’s communities.

Ladysmith City Band was part of early musical history. Ladysmith Archives

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Positivity in an uncertain time

BY EIKE JORDAN There is so much information from different sides about COVID 19 that it is challenging to decipher true essence or hidden agendas. We don’t want to focus on this here.

The key to our being is deep happiness, as this is what protects and promotes health. Our thoughts create reality — so let’s be positive.

How can we be positive when we have to be distant and are missing our normal routines and social interactions? It is possible! Think back to when you were a little child, when it was fascinating to watch a trail of ants transporting all of their building material to their base, or to watch a bee crawling deep into the flowers to drink nectar. Think back to when you took the time to check out that little bird with such a majestic voice.

Now you can spend that time in nature and see all the buds on the trees open up

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into shiny leaves and smell the blossoms — oh soooo sweet. These moments are happy memories that we are blessed to now have time to relive and feel.

Get even deeper into connecting within yourself and through this with your loved ones. Let’s try a little exercise: Empty your head and focus on your breathing – in – out – in – out – and track how long you are able to just focus on your breathing before your mind wanders off. When you catch yourself distracted, repeat and practise until you reach at least 30 seconds of undisturbed focussed breathing.

Now do a little house cleaning inside your head.

Imagine you are piling up everything in your house, and then a dumpster comes to you, and you get rid of all the garbage, unneeded and unwanted things. Wouldn’t it feel great to have a clean and sorted house again? So, now be in your mind, relax and breathe. Imagine you bring in a dumpster and without even looking through the garbage bags again, you just throw them all out into the dumpster truck. And when you are finished, take another deep breathe, send the truck away and close your door, and look inside your house/your head and feel how great it feels to be in a clean, sparkling, bright and sorted house, a sorted mind.

As you have now space in your house and you can reach and access all the appliances and the heating system again, you can take back control — and this means you can get back control over your physical and emotional body. This is part of what we call 3D-healing. Our thoughts influence the performance of our body.

Since you lived in this house with all the piled up garbage for so long and you had to cope with the circumstances, you might have gotten used to it being a messy dysfunctional place and assume it is the “normal.” It might feel difficult

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or overwhelming to go in and clean up.

However, the 3D-healing team can do the cleaning job for you absolutely pain free and non-invasive.

Once you have space and a sorted household, you will find the phone and you can call your loved ones, and they will be able to feel/hear you as well as you can feel/hear them in your mind and actually with physical sensation. You are no longer in isolation or trapped, you are instead connected, happy and in charge of your-SELF, despite everything that goes on around you.

Another really important factor for happiness and health are foods. Eating lots of raw unprocessed vegetables, some fruit and one to two eggs a day, cutting out sugars and dairy, and reducing animal protein intake, becoming gluten-free will make a big difference.

Getting out into the sunshine to build up Vitamin D, which is a key protector within our physical function, at least an hour every day. Make sure to go out in the morning or evening sun to avoid sunburn.

Every day an hour or more of physical activity to promote circulation and maintain muscles. A good measurement for the right speed of activity is to be able to talk or sing while moving, feeling slightly out of breath, but still being able to keep up the conversation without a problem.

And finally, stop living in fear and get back in control of your own thoughts. Be proud to be in charge of your own body and mind and take on responsibility for your thoughts and actions.

Eike Jordan is Owner & Therapist, CCH, Co-Founder 3-D-Healing and Co-Author #1 Amazon Bestseller ‘Wake Up The Happy Brain’

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Planting The Garden In these days of COVID-19, many of us are heading back to the garden to ensure that we have a plethora of healthy nutritious produce to boost our immune systems throughout the upcoming year.

When establishing a new garden rototilling or deep digging may be needed to incorporate organic amendments into compacted soil. If soil is not compacted, turn soil amendments of compost, leaves, seaweed or manure under with a light forking, so as not to destroy the soil food web.

If soil fertility is in question, when starting a new garden or when revitalizing soil, using granular organic fertilizer blends is recommended. Nutrients in natural-source fertilizers are released slowly to plants as they grow. It’s also recommended to add lime (except in areas where acid-loving plants, such as blueberries, strawberries and potatoes, grow). Dolomite lime adds calcium and magnesium and keeps soil in the neutral pH range favoured by most food plants, especially Brassicas.

If you are super-organized like me, you’ll find sorting seeds into cool weather vegetables, heat lovers and winter vegetables makes life much easier.

Cool-weather vegetables: globe artichokes, lettuces, cress, chard, coriander, radishes, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, summer cabbage, kale, spinach, orach, arugula, beets, peas, onions, leeks, summer mesclun mixes (baby salad greens) and oriental greens.

Heat lovers: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, basil, dill, amaranth, quinoa, corn, squash and beans cannot go outdoors until the soil has warmed up.

Winter Vegetables: lettuce, cress, chard, coriander, favas, radishes, cauliflower, broccoli, winter cabbage, kale, spinach, orach, arugula, beets, onions, winter mesclun mixes, mustards and

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Heat loving beans.

oriental greens.

Root crops: carrots, turnips, parsnips, beets, kohlrabi and celeriac can be direct seeded in spring, once soil begins to warm, but will not germinate until it has.

Heat-loving beans often rot if sown into cold soils. Either wait to direct seed them until June, or get a head start by seeding them into punnets in the greenhouse. Then you will have stout bean seedlings to transplant that will establish very fast, instead of the disappointment of rotted bean seeds.

Hardening off When planting seedlings out don’t just throw your “green babies” from under cover into the cold. They need to be hardened off to acclimatize gradually to cooler growing conditions to avoid shock. Harden young plants off for a period of a week by moving them outside in the day and back inside or protected from frost with a cloche at night.

Hoe A Row in Five!

Established seedlings can be transplanted by a fast method I call “Hoe a row in five.” Following a straight line, make a shallow furrow using a garden hoe. Line the furrow with granular organic fertilizer. Space transplants into the furrow, leaving space to grow. Use the hoe to cover them with some excavated soil. Water them in using a twogallon watering can with three tablespoons of liquid fish fertilizer to help seedlings establish faster. Five minutes is all it takes!

TIP: Squash seedlings resent disturbance. Plant seeds in May in individual two-inch pots. Wait until the soil is warmed up before transplanting the hardened off seedlings outdoors.

Crop Rotations Crop rotation is a pillar of organic gardening because it significantly reduces the buildup of pest and disease problems

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that effect specific families of plants. It’s very straightforward — just don’t plant the same species of plants that are members of the same family in the same place!

TIP: Rotate plants that are heavy feeders (cabbage, corn) with light feeders (peas, beans) to prevent depletion of soil nutrients.

Plant Families Apiaceae: carrots, celeriac, celery, parsnips, parsley Asteraceae: lettuce, endive, chicory, salsify Brassicaceae: cabbages, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, radish, turnips, rutabagas, arugula, kohlrabi, mustard Chenopodiaceae: spinach, chard, beets Cucurbitaceae: squash, cucumber, melons, gourds Fabaceae: beans, favas, peas, soybean, chickpeas, lentils, lima beans Lilliaceae: onions, leeks, shallots, scallions and garlic Poaceae: corn Solanaceae: tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, potatoes Mapping the Garden Keep empty seed packets handy for reference and map plants onto a garden plan. Referring to a garden map makes crop rotations the following year a snap. Even easier, leave plant markers in place until you plant the following crop.

Carolyn Herriot is author of The Zero Mile Diet, A Year Round Guide to Growing Organic Food and The Zero Mile Diet Cookbook, Seasonal Recipes for Delicious Homegrown Food (Harbour Publishing) available at your local bookstore.

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Secret Gardeners

BY MARINA SACHT Two sisters have been quietly working behind the scenes making our communities a much prettier place.

Jennifer Forrest and Joanne Armstrong visit Queen’s Park and the Ladysmith Museum weekly to weed, plant, dress and keep the flower beds looking beautiful — without any fanfare and no remuneration.

They have been volunteering for over 15 years.

“It was something the Ladysmith Saltair Garden Club and the Town of Ladysmith had arranged,” explains Forrest.

Many years ago, former club president David Mitchell, along with Sandy Wood, initiated the volunteer program when they noticed that the park’s flower beds were looking a little neglected. The Town didn’t have the budget, so the club offered to help with Queen’s Park. Garden members supported this proposal and got to work. The sisters took over from previous members.

“The town does the lawns, we maintain the flower beds and the shrubs,” says Forrest. “Mostly we make it presentable.”

Beautiful Queen’s Park now includes a herb garden, along with lovely tulips, bachelor buttons and a climbing hydrangea.

It's in the family! Sisters Joanne Armstrong and Jennifer Forrest are Ladysmith Saltair Garden Club volunteers making public spaces prettier. Photo: Marina Sacht.

“We don’t put in things that are too pretty because they tend to disappear,” says Forrest.

The Town donates a load of compost, and the club covers any expenses. Members grow extra seeds and donate plants.

Sadly, the Ladysmith Saltair Garden Club’s popular annual plant sale was cancelled this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“We started doing the Ladysmith Museum when then-manager Maureen Martin asked us to give the garden some TLC.” Later this month, the Ladysmith & District Historical Society will be posting a sign on the garden bench, acknowledging the club’s contribution.

The next time you’re walking by First

Avenue look up at Queen’s Park or, better yet, take a stroll Access is from 1st Avenue or Baden Powell Street. Or savour a quiet moment at the museum’s flower garden and enjoy the labours of these two dedicated sisters.

“Our members share the wealth,” she laughs. And we are all richer for it.

Plantings seeds for growing need Vancouver Island University (VIU) has joined with others to meet anticipated demand for affordable food during the COVID-19 pandemic.

VIU’s G.R. Paine Horticultural Training Centre has made space in its greenhouses to grow more seedlings for transplanting into the fertile fields that

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Nanaimo Foodshare Society uses for vegetable production.

Nanaimo Foodshare grows fruits and vegetables at the City of Nanaimo’s Five Acres Farm in Harewood and the Cline Agri-health Centre near the Millstone River. Since 1997, the society has worked with partners to address hunger in the community, build food growing skills and bring the community together to share resources. Executive Director Jen Cody expects more people will be applying to receive fresh produce at an affordable price through the society’s Good Food Box program, which brings affordable fresh fruits and vegetables to community members. The program recently expanded to twice a month in response to increased demand in the community, due to COVID-19.

“The pandemic has spotlighted the importance of food security in our community,” says Cody.

The society is preparing more land for planting at the Cline Centre to increase production. More land means more veggie starters will be needed and quickly, which is where VIU’s Horticulture program is offering its expertise. Through the new partnership, the Nanaimo Foodshare Society will provide the seeds, growing media and pots, while VIU will provide the growing environment and labour needed to tend to the vegetable starters.

“The current COVID-19 pandemic is putting lives and livelihoods at risk,” says Jessica Gemella, Chair of VIU’s Horticulture program. “The pandemic’s impacts on global food systems is uncertain, but we can take steps locally. This is an opportunity for VIU to support local food production to help the most vulnerable members of our community.”

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RDN Area A Cedar As we all know, we are living in a very different world just slightly more than one month into the COVID-19 distancing requirement. I can’t recall ever having such an abrupt and all-encompassing change to everyday life. There have been comparisons to the 2008 economic crisis, the 2001 World Trade Centre bombing, World War II and World War I, but none of these events was triggered by a unique, unknown enemy. Our world was changed in a matter of days by a threat that none of us could even see.

From a local government perspective, the pandemic changed just about everything. Service delivery changed, interaction between the public and staff changed and the methods of communication between all parties changed dramatically. More significantly, demands for service continued, and many sources of revenue to pay for the services actually diminished. For example, to prevent the spread of infection, transit changed procedures allowing less people to ride on a bus, and those that rode entered the bus by the back door to improve safety for the driver. As there are no fare boxes at the back door, fares are not being collected. The cost of running the bus is not offset by fares.

At the solid waste facility in Cedar, commercial haulers disappeared. As they are not an essential service, these haulers are not working, which means they are

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not bringing waste to the facility. Again, the landfill stays open to handle residential waste, but the resulting revenues are not enough to cover the usual contribution to the cost of operation.

Recreation facilities are closed so income from those facilities and programs has also disappeared. Increased use of RDN parks and trails by people not at work or school means increases in maintenance and upkeep costs on those amenities.

Bylaw enforcement departments were asked by the Province to assist in monitoring compliance with pandemic restrictions. In the RDN, this has meant a ramping up of staff and hours with no source of revenue identified to cover these costs.

While the actual costs of the pandemic to RDN operations are still unknown, what is known is that there is going to be a financial hit taken in 2020.

The amount will not be known until we have some certainty about when operations can return to “normal.” The best scenario would be for the federal and provincial governments to provide some assistance to local government to offset a large portion of the losses. Otherwise, we know where those costs will appear: on your tax bills in the years ahead.

What really stands out is that all levels of government need to recognize that this was not as unique an event as we would like to believe. Planning

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needs to be undertaken to better shield local governments (and their taxpayers) from significant upsets like COVID-19, wildfires, sea level rise and other unforeseen challenges to our “normal” way of life.

CVRD Area H North Oyster/ Diamond As I write this, the Area H world is in the grips of the COVID 19 physical distancing and self isolating processes. I am impressed and heartened by the willingness and cooperation of people both in terms of adapting to new behavior, but also the tolerance of most individuals to others. A great example of “Think Globally, Act Locally.”

CVRD Board & Committee meetings As a result of the directives of the BC Provincial Health Officer for creating the need to physical distance, the CVRD board has been working to adapt processes and procedures.

The CVRD board and related committees are conducting meetings online using the WebEx platform, and it is streamed to YouTube at the same time (Google “CVRD Youtube”). The challenge is how to incorporate public input and questions into the meeting process.

Currently, the CVRD Board invites members of the public to submit input/ questions related to scheduled meeting topics through emails to legislativeser-

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vices@cvrd.bc.ca. The chair of the meeting will read out the submissions as part of the recorded meeting and, if it is a question, will respond as part of the meeting. The emails can even be sent during the meeting. You can access the meeting agendas at www.cvrd.bc.ca/993/Agendas-Minutes-Video.

If you are an Area H resident please “cc” me in the email (colin.haime@cvrd.bc.ca), and I will ensure the chair addresses your submission at the meeting.

Fire/First Responders Our community continues to be protected by these individuals who take time away from family to make our community safe. Members take measures to protect themselves in light of their entrance into homes/businesses where there could be a risk of infection. We owe a debt of gratitude to the chief, officers and all members. Thank you!

Peerless Recycling Facility COVID 19 has created some challenges with the operation of the recycling facilities in the CVRD. The combination of springtime and individual self isolating at home has resulted in people working in their yards and doing general cleanup.

People then want to dispose of items at Peerless.

The requirement for physical distancing creates limits for the number of vehicles onsite at any one time to 10, and the staffing has been a challenge, as individuals wish to remain at home and possibly be better off financially claiming the federal government’s CERB payment. This has resulted in traffic backups at Peerless.

At the time of writing, the Peerless Recycling Facility continues with its winter schedule of being open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, from 9 am to 5 pm. As soon as able, CVRD operations will change to the summer schedule. In the meantime, please be patient and attempt to limit visits to Peerless to essential trips only.

CVRD Parks and Trails At the time of this writing, CVRD Parks and Trails remain open. I believe that this is important for both the physical and mental well-being of the residents. The main concern is physical distancing and maintenance of the facilities. The portapotties and the picnic shelter at Blue Heron Park are currently closed.

Building Permits and New Home Construction The Area H construction stats for January to March 2020.

Total Building Permits: 9, New Single Family Dwellings: 1, Secondary/Separate Suite Permits: 2, Total Value of Area H Building Permits: $884,055, Total Value of CVRD Building

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Permits: $9,097,265 CVRD is accepting new building and development applications despite the limitations. However, any applications that will require a public hearing, such as OCP/zoning amendments, may be delayed until an alternative process is in place to guarantee residents’ right to participate in the process. This is one of the priorities of the CVRD planning department.

Closing Thoughts: Food/Supplies Security One thing that recent events have reinforced is the need for communities to be more self-sufficient and rely less on off island suppliers. Food security is one area that Area H has historically been a part of, but the economics of land within the region make encouragement of production difficult. Going forward as a community, we can all play a part.

Start by increasing demand for fruits, vegetables and meat locally wherever possible by buying at the farm gate, encouraging local stores to carry more local produce and eating at restaurants that both utilize and promote local growers. Individuals can work together to grow specific fruits and vegetables and share with neighbours to provide variety and community building. Contact me with any issues, concerns or comments that you may have at Colin.Haime@cvrd.bc.ca

CVRD Area G Saltair/Gulf Islands Thank you to all those that continue to carry on with our essential services. Our communities are changing daily, and we are all working to adapt to these changes. Our lives in Area G Saltair/Gulf Islands may appear normal, but when we look carefully, there are many changes in our communities.

Thank you to all those that continue to follow the BC Health guidelines on physical distancing, hand washing and staying at home.

The federal and provincial governments continue to make changes that are assisting with the many needs of many Saltair residents and businesses. There continues to be gaps and one that I see is the lack of financial assistance for seniors.

CVRD As of April 8, all CVRD meetings have moved into the tech world of electronic meetings — a bit of a learning curve with all of us joining from our homes.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, CVRD Board and Committee meetings will be held electronically. Community input on CVRD business is valued and submissions for Public Input Period and Question Period may be emailed to: legislativeservices@cvrd.bc.ca.

The CVRD has created a link for recent updates, helpful resources, news releases about COVID-19: www.cvrd. bc.ca/3267/COVID-19-Coronavirus-Information. The CVRD continues to operate essential services, some land use services and parks and trails.

Saltair Community Parks and Trails CVRD Parks & Trails continue to remain open. Stocking Creek Park has recently had damaged caused along the Huckleberry Trail, with people riding their horses in this park. Horses are not permitted in Stocking Creek Park, and the CVRD will be posting signage for those exiting the Cowichan Valley Trail into our Saltair Community Stocking Creek Park. The Cowichan Valley Trail allows horses.

Jollity Farms on Thetis has started a service for Thetis Island

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Sunrise over Thetis Island. Photo: Quentin Goodbody

residents to keep them safe. They are picking up orders from 49th Grocery Store, and every week keep adding additional businesses to their pick up list for Thetis Island residents. Kudos to all those on Thetis Island that continue to show how important it is to keep our families, neighbours and friends safe during this unprecedented time.

Daily, I walk or cycle Saltair streets to check on Saltair residents. Lots of good conversations that involve physical distancing. Checking in on each other is an important part of getting through this together. Being patient and showing kindness.

FaceTime and other technology that allows us to interact with each other is a great opportunity for us to stay connected.

We are all in this together. It is important that we continue to support each other and work to flatten the curve. We are all waiting for the days ahead that have us hugging the ones we love and miss. Stay safe, Stay healthy, Shop local C ome O ver V irtually I ‘m D istancing 19 – 19:00/7 pm bang your pots, ring bells, honk your car horn and say THANK YOU! If you have any questions and/or comments, please contact me at lynne.smith@cvrd.bc.ca or 250-701-1407. Additional articles and information can be found on Saltair News and Views website (www.Saltairnews.ca).

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Pileated Woodpeckers: The Forest’s Essential Workers

BY SASHA MARK Have you ever wondered what makes a woodpecker peck? I have. Especially when I hear them drumming away on something that they wouldn’t find in the forest, like a metal drainpipe or the side of my house. When I first heard the rata-tat-tat of a woodpecker drumming on metal poles, chimneys, houses and other man-made materials, I thought that woodpecker was a few feathers short of a bird. It turns out, there is a perfectly good reason for woodpeckers to choose unconventional places to drill. While

Pileated Woodpeckers.

Photo: Shenandoah National Park.

some birds sing to claim their territory and let potential mates know they’re there, woodpeckers use the loudest tool at their disposal: the sound of their bill hammering against a hard surface.

Sometimes a metal surface is the loudest instrument available.

At Merv Wilkinson’s Wildwood Ecoforest, it’s impossible to miss the signs and sounds of woodpeckers. The slow, deep, rolling drums of pileated woodpeckers calling a mate bounce off the towering trees while the high, clear, piping calls ring like laughter through the air. Occasionally they give a warning call “wuk wuk!” to raise the alarm.

Merv learned early on that pileated woodpeckers play an important role in the forest when he realised that they eat

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carpenter ants and are superb pest control. He made sure to encourage their habitation by leaving dead trees standing for them to nest in. With a healthy pileated woodpecker population keeping pests in check, Merv was then able to avoid using pesticides, which are commonly used on woodlots that don’t boast a balanced ecosystem.

Eighty years later, signs of a robust woodpecker population are evident today in the dead trees that Merv fondly called “wildlife hotels.” Rectangular holes mark where pileated woodpeckers have chipped out their nest cavities or where they have foraged for carpenter ants, termites and woodboring beetles. They will also excavate stumps and logs lying on the ground for insects to eat. Nowadays, these snags are called “wildlife trees,” and pileated woodpeckers are recognized as primary cavity dwellers, excavating nest holes that can later be used by owls, squirrels, bats and even raccoons.

Since they are the second largest woodpecker in North America, their nest cavities are big enough (25–60-cm deep) for these larger animals to use once the woodpeckers have moved out. Every year they build a new nest cavity, hammering their bills into the soft wood and chipping out a dwelling for themselves and future inhabitants. They work hard to keep the balance in the forest, eating insects and building homes.

You could even say they are essential workers in our Coastal Douglas-fir forests.

If you and your family would like to learn more about these essential workers at home, sign up for our FREE, kid-friendly, weekly nature activities at www.ecoforestry.ca/education.

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Metric Disaster Looming Periodically, like snowfall warnings, the Slightly Corked editorial staff — that would be me and, when he’s not outside harvesting birds, my cat — feel compelled to issue economic warnings when we spot trouble brewing.

Remember, we’re the ones who warned you to sell your Harley Davidson shares because any day now 1.93 million Harley owners, all aged 66 and over, will discover that creaky hips prevent them from swinging a leg over anything higher than a skateboard. This will result in 1.93 million barely broken-in Harleys on the market. The resulting glut will make it impossible to sell a new bike, putting an end to the company that made Milwaukee famous. Or was that Schlitz?

Whatever, when it happens, just remember where you heard it first. Well, we’ve spotted another economic pitfall of direct concern to the never-ending glut of aging baby boomers. We’re talking about our government’s ill-fated attempt to change over our system of weights and measures from imperial to metric. They say the quickest way to destroy a country is to inflate the currency, but changing a person’s bathroom scale from pounds to kilos can do even more damage. That’s why every second guy my age is staring at his scales asking, “If it says 138, the same as I weighed in high school, how come these jeans don’t fit?”

Metrification was Pierre Trudeau’s brainchild. One day in the early 70s, he

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grew tired of hearing complaints that Canada was a dull country and thought, “If two official languages are good, two official systems of weights and measures is surely better. Why not have a little fun with the country. Think how exciting flying will be if the ground crew is uncertain whether to fill the tanks with litres or gallons. And if the planes run out of fuel, they’re only so many kilometers from the nearest runway — they can glide!” Always thinking, those Trudeaus, always thinking and hatching plans. Even more exciting was Pierre’s “Own the Highway” initiative where there would be two official sides of the road to drive on.

Fortunately, Mulroney’s Conservatives got in and put a stop to that, as well as stalling the metrification drive. As Mulroney, no mental slouch himself, put it, “Canadians like to stand on their own two feet, not on their own two metres.

If God had wanted us to go metric, He’d have made sure the French defeated the English on the Plains of Abraham.”

The transition to metric was predicted to supercharge our economy because expensive consumer items, like beef tenderloin, fish, and recreational drugs, could be sold by the gram, which seemed more affordable. This backfired, of course, because consumers like to know the real price. And for people of my generation, that means pounds.

Fortunately, converting from metric to imperial measure is easy. Just multiply the 100-gram price by 10, divide by 2.2, factor in the number of grams per pound and you’ve got … wait a minute, that’s my postal code.

If the Canadian Government thinks we were slow to embrace the gun registry, that was nothing compared to our reluctance to adopt the metric system.

Forty years later, I’m still 5’9” tall, weigh 135 pounds, eat quarter pounders, drink a pint a night, borrow a cup of sugar from the neighbours, cook my chicken in a 350-degree F oven, drive

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a one-and-a half-ton car that goes from zero to 60 mph in eight seconds, and gets 37 mpg. What did I miss? Oh yeah, my dream girl measures 36–24–36, not 900–600–900.

You need go no further than your neighbourhood pub to appreciate the mess Trudeau caused. There you can order a sleeve or a pint of beer, a oneouce shot, a 26-ounce bottle of wine, or if that’s too much, a five-ounce glass.

To further confuse the issue, wine can also be ordered by the litre, but only the crappy stuff, and if you order the five litre size, you might end up in the driver’s seat of a new Ford Mustang by mistake, that being the size of the Mustang’s motor.

We are, however, after 44 years, making progress, and here’s where the trouble comes in. The baby boomers’ grandchildren are coming of working age, and their education has been entirely in metric. They have been sent into an imperial world armed only with the metric system. This makes for some awkward conversation at the Thrifty Foods meat counter where I was dealing with a young metric butcher in training.

I asked if she could cut a 20-ounce rib steak for me because I wanted something thicker than was on display. “No,” she replied. “I don’t know what twenty ounces means. I only know grams and kilograms.”

“It’s about this big,” I said, making universally-recognized hand signals for a 20-ounce steak.

“Oh, you want a kilo.”

“Good heavens no. I haven’t smoked up since college.”

I explained the history of the pound to her, how ten pounds represent the amount of weight the average person could expect to gain over Christmas or on an Alaskan cruise. And that 16 is the number of ounces in a pound because that is the age the average person obtains a driver’s license. When you think about it, just common sense.

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Thanks to my highly-developed communication skills, we sorted it all out. And that’s how I ended up coming back from town with half a dozen new potatoes, a few spears of asparagus, and 15 pounds of rib eye steak.

As I said, it’s an economic disaster waiting to happen.

A good wine to practice your social isolating with is Santa Cristina, Italian. And at $16.95 a bottle, you won’t mind being alone.

Follow Delbert at Slightlycorkedandmore.wordpress.com or pick up his book at Mahle House, CoCo Cafe or TAKE 5 when open again.

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“Music has charms to soothe a savage breast.”

— William Congreve, English author

Singing & Dancing I’ve always loved dancing and music and come by it quite honestly. Dad sang all the time, performing in musicals like the Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado and South Pacific. We had all the albums so he could practise. My folks were also really suave dancers, winning trophies for jiving and the jitterbug. Mom taught us girls (Sharon, Sandy and I) all the cool jiving moves, and the four of us danced at home to the ever-present music.

My Laurie didn’t dance when we first met and used to say that he had two left

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feet and couldn’t keep a beat. So began my mission — teach this man to jive.

And so it happened as time passed that the moves became smooooth, and after 42 years, we could trip the light fantastic, everywhere, but especially in the kitchen in the farmhouse. With the tunes jacked up on high volume, the dogs would join right in the merry times.

I would catch him dancing around the kitchen with the pups pretty often. One time, I came through the front door, and there he was up on the island with all the dogs below barking and bouncing and waggy-tail running about.

All of that changed after he was gone. I couldn’t listen to music. It brought back too many of all the good times I’d never have again. The car radio was made silent, the kitchen radio dial was set to CBC to hear news and our traditional Sunday morning program. For about a year and a half.

And then something strange happened to change all that, bringing in some brightness, and perhaps a wee bit of peace of mind.

It was Sunday morning, and I went into the kitchen, taking note of the four col-

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lies laying silently on the floor. I stepped over two of them to switch on the radio.

Somehow (and I’ll always wonder how) the station was not on CBC, but on a music station and what came out loud and clear was a favourite dance song of Laurie’s ... and the pups. “You spin me round, like a record” by Dead or Alive.

Immediately, all four canine heads

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lifted off the floor, and they stood up in unison.

My heart sank. I looked at their tails wagging with anticipation. How could I have deprived them this long? Didn’t I know that maybe, just maybe, their hearts were hurting from their loss too? How selfish I had been.

So I started to dance, and those sweet dogs went CRAZY, running around the island, racing between my legs, like they used to do with both of us as we grooved to the tunes. I never did turn that station back to CBC. And you know what? Something lifted off my chest that morning; it’s hard to explain the “pressure release” feeling.

I’ve been listening, singing and dancing to music ever since that day. Sometimes, it has been at the Frank Jameson Community Centre swimming pool, working out to music in aquafit classes; sometimes in the orchard while I’m pruning, planting, weeding or just running away from wasps. But most often I sing and dance on my own private dance floor (the kitchen), with my four-legged dance partners and my wonderful sweet memories.

I came across a saying by Nelson Mandela the other day: “It is music and dancing that makes me at peace with the world.”

Well, maybe, someday. It gives me something to strive for and dance towards. Feet, don’t fail me now!!

Jackie Moad has started to step up the pace, with a little song ʼn’ dance along the way, while continuing to work that 20-acre organic farm, actively seeking local solutions to global challenges.

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ALL ACRES TREE SERVICE providing all aspects of tree work. Pruning, falling, hedging, dangerous tree removal. Fully insured. Professional work at reasonable rates. Call 250-246-1265.

WANTED VOLUNTEERS needed to help with historical research, photography, fundraising, promotions.

Work from home. Call 250-245-0100 or email info@ladysmithhistoricalsociety.ca.

FOR SALE We have 9 adorable Nigerian Dwarf Baby Goats for sale. Great lawnmowers and the best milk. 2 doelings and 5 wethers available in Ladysmith.

Call Tony 250-668-2838 for info.

TWO 12FT MAHOGANY KAYAKS. Custom made, beautifully painted, epoxyed bottoms.

Each with 2 cargo hatches, paddle, PFD, spray skirt, towline, safety & waterproof accessories. $1000. each. Contact Marguerite 250-722-2258 BUSINESS CONCRETE RESULTS. Contracting, fullservice forming and finishing, walls, walks, patios, drives. 35 years experience. Call Gord 250-753-4024.

EXPERIENCED HOUSESITTER Now offering Senior Companionship, Respite Care and Concierge Services. Peaceofmindcare. wordpress.com. Kathleen 250-619-0786 or email kgrcoaching@gmail.com.

TAKE 6 ADS WORK! Get them working for you. Call 250-245-7015 info@take5.ca I CAN EDIT. Copy editing, proofreading, structural editing and more. Fiction or nonfiction, web content and eBook prep.

For more information, email editican@gmail. com.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS TAI CHI for mental & physical health. Beginner classes start Sept. & Jan., Mondays, at Cedar Heritage Centre. On-going class Wednesdays at North Oyster Community Centre. Both classes 10am–noon, www.taichinanaimo.org. Call Sara 250-245-1466.

HOME & YARD MAKE IT NICE qualified, experienced gardener available for private, residential gardens. Please call 250-754-9346 KB HANDYMAN AND YARDWORKS SERVICES. Minor carpentry work, decks, fences, gutter cleaning, power washing, tree pruning, yard clean up, lawn fertilizing, mowing. Seniors discount. Contact Karl kbhandymanandyardworks@gmail.com or 250-714-2738.

HEART LAKE ROOFING for all your roofing repairs 250-668-9195.

DARRELL ESSAR RENOVATIONS. Over 30 years’ experience, certified journeyman carpenter. No Job is too small, from fences, decks, tile work, hardwood flooring, painting, drywall etc. For free estimate, call Darrell 250-714-3823.

ISLAND PRUNING. Professional tree care from large scale orchards to budding new trees. I can meet any pruning need. Shrubs, vines and ornamental. Large and small clean ups. Call Darcy Belcourt 250-323-1260.

ARE YOU BUYING OR SELLING A HOME? Curb appeal, re-design or new design, www. islandgardenscapes.ca or 250-802-0461.

PETS PROFESSIONAL PET CARE SERVICE “leash’em & walk’em” with Marlena & Babs. I am bonded, have Animal First Aid and CPR. My service for all pet includes dog walking, home care visits, overnight in your home and much more. As my love is yours! Call 250.246.3394

GARDEN RENOVATION AND LANDSCAPING. Are you thinking of a garden renovation or landscaping project? Excellent quality and knowledge. We are happy to assist you with any landscaping or gardening work you need. Estimates are always free.

Give Sandpiper a call! 250-246-2421.

THE PET NANNY. Let us pamper and love your pets at your home or ours. References are available. Contact Shanon or Bill at sburchard@ hotmail.ca or 250-924-8809.

QUALITY RENOVATIONS. Big or small. 25 yrs. exp/journeyman, affordable. For free estimate, call Lars 250-616-1800.

LYNN’S SENIORS CARE HOME. High quality personalized care. Warm caring environment.

Great food and snacks. Family events. Couples and pets welcome. Ocean views, gardens. North of Ladysmith. www.lynnsseniorcare.com. Call 250245-3391.

SENIORS

GRANNYS ON THE GO COMPANION SERVICES. Are you looking for someone that can help you with an active senior family member? Well look no further than Janet Bowman at janetmb@shaw.ca or 250-924-1515.

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