Beacon Magazine - August 2011

August 2011 vol 6 issue 87

Community Living on Vancouver Island Fanny Bay to Nanoose

Saving the Harvest • 20 TrekOn! Historic CNPR Trail • 12

4 EDITORIAL 22

7

FEATURE

A Plan For Arts & Culture

A Slow Boat to ...

Bamfield

BUSINESS & FINANCE

5 Biz Banter: What’s up in local business 8 Oceanside Hyperbaric - Breathe Deep

GREAT OUTDOORS

20

7 12 20 28 37

A Slow Boat To...Bamfield TrekOn: The CNPR Historic Trail Through the Seasons: Saving the Harvest Tide Table Into the Garden

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Saving the Harvest

3 It’s Fall Fair Time 9 Fanny Bay Artist: Doug Zilkie 35 Bentley Le Baron & the Great Mother Dragon

COMMUNITY LIFE

6 Small Space Living for the Modern Gypsy 14 Bringing the Past Forward: Part 2 19 Inspired by Community 28 The Art of Conscious Living 30 It’s Happening in Area H 34 On the Agenda

COMMUNITY PEOPLE

6

Small Space Living for the Modern Gypsy

10 Nile Creek Granddaughter Remembers 17 Out of the Nest: Katarina Wilson 26 Images & Voices: Karen Vanderberg

HEALTH

18 Dr. Neill Neill: Who’s in Charge?

31 Health & Wellness Matters

Chrome Island by Cindy Mawle See Cindy’s work at the Salish Sea Market in Bowser and in her own working studio in Qualicum Bay at 5320 West Island Highway.

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THE REGULARS

39 40 41 4 2-43 44-46

Classifieds In the Stars Business Information Centre Community Events At Your Service - Local Businesses

Fall Fair 2010 - Sheena McCorquodale photo

IT’S FALL FAIR TIME! ~ submitted

A

re you counting the days until Lighthouse Country has their 41st Annual Fall Fair on Saturday, September 3rd? We (The Bow Horne Bay Community Club) are and we can’t wait for it! Much planning and organizing has been happening over the past year to make this one the biggest and the best ever Fall Fair. It’s the “Fruits of Our Labours” and we want you and your families to take part in joining us and sharing in the fun.

We are looking for a record number of entries in all the Home Arts Categories such as: painting, wine-making, canning, baking (yummy!), floral (don’t let the deer eat it beforehand!), veggies (they are soooo good for you!) hobbies (wonderful Lego), sewing and crafts, woodworking and many, many, many more categories. There is something for all ages. Check out our Fall Fair Entries and Exhibit Guide found in local businesses or on-line (http://www.communityclub.ca/) for the full list of categories so you can be ready to submit your amazing creations.

Entrance to the Fair and all the attractions are FREE for children under 12. We want to thank all our local businesses, found in our Guide, for helping us by providing donations throughout the year to enable us to make this a fun, family event. Without you we couldn’t do this and we encourage all of our community to support our local businesses.

Again this year we have our new and updated Outdoor Main Stage to showcase our local talent throughout the day. Bardo, the handsome glove-trained owl, courtesy of the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre is back. Who can resist those eyes? Joining him will be the CRK9FX dog team demonstrating the AMAZING sport of Flyball and Agility. As well, look for the 4 Cats Art Studio in the Kids Zone. For a slightly slower pace, one can wander through and dream of other times while gazing fondly on cars supplied by the British Car Club.

We’ve got the Bouncy Castle, petting zoo, pony rides, various organized games and activities – all kinds of ongoing free entertainment for kids. Once the Official Opening happens, we start the entertainment and then the activities begin with a pet and bike parade. In the Indoor Artisans Hall, artists and crafters will be showcasing their work for you to enjoy and/or purchase. The previously judged submissions will be on proud display for all to see and admire. Bring some change to join in the fun in the annual cake walks, raffles and tantalizing silent auction.

We’re working on a few more extra special surprises to make this a special day to remember. We’re looking forward to seeing you there! And, in closing, we’d like to offer a very special thank you to all our volunteers because without you, we wouldn’t be having a Fair. Enjoy the “Fruits of Your Labours.” ~

FIND THE BEACON ONLINE • on Twitter www.twitter.com/BeaconMagazine • on Facebook www.facebook.com/beaconmagazine • on our Blog beaconmagazine.blogspot.com • on our own developing Website at www.eyesonbc.com / August 2011 3

August 2011 VOLUME 7 NO 87 The Beacon is published monthly by EyesOnBC Main Email: beacon@eyesonbc.com Phone/Fax: 250-757-9914 In Person EyesOnBC at Magnolia Court Box 182, #110-6996 W. Island Hwy. Bowser, British Columbia V0R 1G0 Mon - Fri 10-5 Journalists & Reporters Lisa Verbicky, Nancy Whelan, Rita Levitz, Georgia Nicols, Marilyn Dawson, David Morrison, JoAnne Sales, Harry Sumner & Miriam Shell, Carolyn Walton, Linda Tenney, Sharon Waugh, Shirley Culpin, Laura Busheikin, Dr. Neill Neill, Jane Burton Volunteer - Cathy Balogh

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Canada - 1 yr: $30 incl HST United States - 1 yr: $55 (CDN Funds) Call 250-757-9914 to subscribe.

VISA & MasterCard accepted Printed in Canada - ISSN 1712-0918 Articles and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers and published for general information purposes only. Articles are not intended to provide specific advice - the publishers will assume no liability.

Articles and/or data may not be quoted or reproduced, in part or in whole, without permission from the publisher.

Freelance Writers/Photographers: Queries can be directed to Linda Tenney or Sharon Waugh at beacon@eyesonbc.com

Linda Tenney co-Publisher tenney@eyesonbc.com

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/ August 2011

A

s your eyes slide down the Table of Contents of this August issue we hope that you too are reminded of the diversity that makes our area special to those of us that call it home and to the thousands of visitors that are enjoying our communities this summer.

We’d like to tip our hats to our creative, and always ‘on time’, journalists who have the intuitive knack of suggesting just the right topics for each month…it’s similar to saying to a group of friends ‘let’s get together and have a potluck’…there’s an inherent trust, without assignment, that you are going to get just the right mix, enough to take care of everyone’s appetite and that everything will complement each other impeccably…and so it happens each time when we peruse the final menu of articles and place the finishing garnishes.

We say adieu to Dave Bartram, as he completes his last It’s Happening in Area H column, winding down his nine-year community contribution as Area H Regional Director. Thank you Dave for keeping the communication lines open with your reports and taking the initiative to finance your article from your own pocket. We hope that you have more time to spend with Joyce, your daughters and grandchildren...and of course, more adventures on coastal waters.

So what will you find inside this month?

Shirley Culpin takes us on a cruise down the Alberni Canal and out into Barkley Sound on the MV Frances Barkley. If you look over the port side you may catch a glimpse of our trekkers toddling along the historic Canadian National Pacific Railway trail near China Creek.

You will be introduced by Carolyn Walton to Chief Dan George’s granddaughter, Joyce McLellan, as she reminisces about the impact

Sharon Waugh co-Publisher waugh@eyesonbc.com

of her grandfather’s quiet demeanor. At the other end of the Beacon’s reach in Fanny Bay, another humble man, Doug Zilkie, shares the story of his thirty-five foot long carving with journalist Jane Burton and the anticipation of its journey to a new home in New Orleans.

Overseas, Laura Busheikin nearly runs-off with the gypsies as she discovers the inspiration behind Michelle Wilson’s Hornby Island Caravans. Writer David Morrison also chose a ferry ride to Denman Island to enter the magical, mythical world of artist Bentley Le Baron. We’re not sure who had more fun in the exchange of philosophical wit.

Rita Levitz again accurately captures the essence of what lies in the heart and spirit of community leaders – this month honouring Volunteer of the Year, Karen Vanderberg, and her commitment to the Community Meals Program at St. Stephen’s Church in Qualicum Beach.

Well, we didn’t get to every corner of this issue with you but we hope that The Beacon will be tucked under your arm as you head to the beach.

Here is one thought for the road,“People may be said to resemble not the bricks of which a house is built, but the pieces of a picture puzzle, each differing in shape, but matching the rest, and thus bringing out the picture.” ~ F. Adler We join you in the celebration of diversity. ~ Sharon & Linda Tune in LIVE on the 1st Thursday of each month when Dave Graham of 88.5FM The Beach Radio and Linda Tenney talk about what’s going on in Lighthouse Country. Join them at 8:40am.

And ... catch The Beacon Beat each Thursday morning at approximately 8:10 am for brief updates and news about what’s going on in Lighthouse Country! ~ The Beacon...we keep you informed!

LOCALLY OWNED • COMMUNITY INSPIRED

Elizabeth Cudmore Customer Service cudmore@eyesonbc.com

Margaret Reid Advertising & Distribution margaret@eyesonbc.com

Frank Hladik Advertising 951-8824

A.J. Hustins, General Manager of ABC Precast and Ready Mix Ltd., is proud and excited to announce the opening of their second Vancouver Island plant located in Parksville, just off Church Road. The stateof-the-art ready mix concrete plant with their fleet of brand new mixer trucks are servicing Nanoose Bay to Union Bay area. Led by Bob Dean, the drivers and plant personnel have all been actively involved and have lived locally for more than twenty-five years. They know the local market and are determined to provide superior service and products to all their friends and neighbours. Bob is also very pleased to be offering a full range of precast products such as septic tanks, retaining blocks, parking curbs and the redi-rock landscape system. The future looks bright for the Oceanside area and ABC Precast and Ready Mix Ltd. is excited to be a part of it. Contact Bob with any questions at 250-947-5243.

S

usan Voerman, of The Powerhouse Fitness Club in Bowser, is proud to announce her successful completion of the BCRPA Weight Training Leader certification.

This new certification complements the Fitness Leader – Fitness Theory certification Susan achieved the previous year. As a Weight Training Leader, Susan will be teaching effective exercise programs to individuals of all fitness levels. Whether you are a novice

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B

osley’s Pet Food Plus has opened in Parksville! Located in the Thrifty Foods Plaza, on the old Island Highway, Bosley’s is a family-owned and operated franchise with Sue (Mum), Keri and Brianne (sisters/ daughters). “We offer fabulous customer service, all types of pet food and accessories for all your pets needs. We encourage you to bring your pets in for a treat and some TLC. Come and visit our booth every Tuesday night at the Summer By The Sea Market on Craig Street – we have lots of sample products to give away.” Sign up for their VIP program, buy ten bags of cat or dog food and the 11th bag is free…watch for their monthly flyers with great specials.

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new business was launched this month at the Qualicum Beach Farmers’ Market. Marianne and Sadik are introducing Home-baked Focaccia Breads – three types of savoury focaccia; Olive Oil & Rosemary, Black Olive and Hot Pepper, and a sweet Cranberry, Pecan & Maple – great for eating fresh or freezing. See you next Saturday!

G

lenda Neufeld popped in to say that the Thermography Clinic has found a new location in Qualicum Beach to better serve their clients. You will now find the clinic at #12-221 2nd Avenue in Qualicum Beach. Please refer to Glenda’s ad on page 23.

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HORNBY ISLAND CARAVANS

the Modern Gypsy

SMALL SPACE LIVING FOR

by Laura Busheikin

A

h, the romance of the Gypsy caravan!

The fairy-tale charm of curvy lines and hand-crafted details; the compact, cubbyhole coziness it shares with houseboats – and those wheels, with their promise of freedom, their tantalizing suggestion of the untethered, uncluttered, adventurous life that some part of us longs for.

Also, for people facing complex decisions around building a home, addition, guest space or studio, the caravan offers an almost magical solution – instant, easy, beautiful and adaptable.

It’s enough to make you want to run off with the Gypsies, which is exactly what Michelle Wilson did, metaphorically speaking. As founder, proprietor, designer and builder of Hornby Island Caravans, Wilson creates custom-made caravans for clients who are either looking for a practical, innovative solution to a building need, are captivated by the charisma of the Gypsy caravan, or both.

Wilson traces the beginnings of her project to the day she picked up an issue of the British magazine Country Living, and found a photo spread on vardos, the traditional horse-drawn caravans of the British Roma (Gypsy) people.

“I fell completely, madly, deeply...well I really, really liked them a lot,” explains Wilson. “Even the most simple caravans have such charm to them. And so I was hooked.”

At the time, Wilson was happily working as a clay artist with her own studio, Mudpuppy Clayworks. She wasn’t really looking for a new career, although interestingly enough her clay work paralleled what she does now: she specialized in miniature clay “cottages” with whimsical curves and funky shapes, meant to be lit from within by a tea-candle.

“You can see the relation between the little houses and the caravans. To me the caravans are kind of like a larger art project,” says Wilson.

She traces much of her inspiration back to childhood family travels through Europe, visiting castles, cute little villages, museums and cathedrals.

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Quirky and magical, the modern Vardo is functional art on wheels • Michelle Wilson photo “Everywhere I’ve been since then, art and architecture have been a main focus,” she explains.

To make the switch from tiny, purely ornamental, clay candleholders to full-size, wooden, usable caravans, Wilson upgraded her already considerable carpentry skills and researched the design and history of the Vardo. She made decisions about materials and aesthetics, solved engineering conundrums, and developed a set of design standards to capture the warmth and character that first attracted her to the project.

“I want the caravans I build to be beautiful, but even more importantly I want that

certain magical quality that you find in buildings which are made with creativity, attention to detail and an appreciation for the materials being used,” states Wilson.

Every detail of each caravan is hand-crafted

by Wilson, with occasional help from her husband, a professional luthier, and based on close consultation with her client. “If you are getting something custom-made, it should be just the way you want,” she says.

Her first caravan was a studio/guest space, twelve feet long and six feet wide with walls that slant outward to eight feet at the top, creating a roomier interior and allowing for a double bed three feet off the floor (with continued on page 41

MV FRANCES BARKLEY OFFERS A DIFFERENT KIND OF ‘CRUISE’

A SLOW BOAT TO…BAMFIELD

by Shirley Culpin

T

he Alberni Valley seems to have a knack for turning back time, especially when it comes to tourist attractions. The Alberni Pacific Railway steam train and National Historic Site McLean’s Mill have previously been heralded in these pages, but a recent day trip down the Alberni Inlet with Lady Rose Marine Services offers yet another look at what life was like in a slower, gentler era.

The history of the marine transport company stretches back more than fifty years, beginning with the acquisition of the venerable MV Lady Rose, built in 1937 in Glasgow, Scotland for the Union Steamship Company. The stocky little vessel was the first diesel-powered vessel to cross the Atlantic driven by a single propeller, making the 9,800-mile trip in nine weeks with only three stops for food and fuel. For many years the Lady Rose plied the coast on behalf of various operators, until arriving in Port Alberni in 1960. Her final working assignment was as a packet freighter, delivering freight, mail, passengers and other sundries to the isolated communities on the Alberni Inlet and in Barkley Sound.

The Lady Rose was retired in 2008 and is now berthed in Tofino, where she is being converted to a restaurant.

In 1990 the Lady Rose’s new sister ship, the MV Frances Barkley, arrived in Port Alberni after a 51-day sail from Norway, where she had been built in 1958. She is now the sole vessel operated by Lady Rose Marine Services, running alternate days seven days a week through the summer to Bamfield,

The MV Frances Barkley heads down the inlet at Bamfield to drop freight • Shirley Culpin photo Ucluelet and the Broken Group Islands, a collection of about 100 islands and rocks located in Barkley Sound. The ship is a vital link to the Broken Group during the summer months, delivering canoeists and kayakers to various remote campsites, from whence they can explore what is known as the Graveyard of the Pacific. The winter schedule cuts back to three sailings a week to Bamfield and waypoints.

Our trip to Bamfield at the end of June was blessed with good weather and an interesting mix of fellow travelers. A couple from Britain was spellbound by the serene, natural beauty of the inlet; a fellow from Ontario who had made the trip several years ago had so enjoyed it that he was back for a second time. The voyage back from Bamfield included a group of hikers who preferred the idea of a leisurely sail up the inlet to the

prospect of ‘rattling around in a bus’ on the rough gravel road that runs between Bamfield and Port Alberni.

The great thing about these trips is that every single one is different; it all depends on the freight being carried on any given day and the location of its intended recipients. Our journey included the pleasure of watching the Frances Barkley’s deft crew unload everything from a sofa to groceries, canoes, newspapers and other miscellany at a variety of picturesque stopping-off points. For many residents of the isolated communities such as Kildonan and Haggard’s Cove, or the operators at the salmon hatchery at San Mateo Bay, the Frances Barkley is a reliable lifeline.

Once all of the freight is dispatched the ship makes steady headway down the inlet continued on page 41

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PROMOTION

OCEANSIDE HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY

BREATHE DEEP

by Linda Tenney

T

he principle behind hyperbaric oxygen therapy is relatively simple and has been in use for more than a century, most commonly treating decompression sickness (the “bends”) in deep sea divers, and devastating burn injuries suffered by victims of fire. But, until recent years, hyperbaric

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is recognized as an effective treatment by medical professionals for specific conditions like embolism and carbon monoxide poisoning, and also appears to be successful in treating a variety of other conditions including autism, stroke, diabetes, cerebral palsy, sports injuries, immune disorders, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and skin conditions.

It’s a modality that Terry and Tyler have researched extensively and can provide healthfocused clinical trial studies that indicate its effectiveness.

Each and every day, we breathe air that is 21% oxygen. It’s essential for cell metabolism and normal physiological function. HBOT takes this science one step further by delivering a higher concentration of oxygen deep into affected areas of the body. Simply put – you breathe 100% oxygen while in a pressurized chamber; the pressure facilitates increased oxygen Terry Carpenter and Tyler Carpenter • Linda Tenney photo in the blood, which chambers were not generally accessible in turn diffuses in greater concentration to outside medical facilities for elective damaged body tissue to initiate repair. treatment sessions.

Prior to your first session at Oceanside A deep-sea diver, Terry Carpenter well Hyperbaric, you’ll be asked to provide understood the benefits of oxygen therapy comprehensive information about your and felt that Parksville would be an ideal health and condition to determine if location for a treatment centre. Terry’s son hyperbaric oxygen therapy is right for you.

Tyler, a diver since age eleven, was also If there are any concerns, you may be asked intrigued by the centre concept and entered to obtain permission from your own family into partnership with his father at Oceanside doctor.

Hyperbaric in September 2010.

Referred to as a ‘dive’ … Terry and Tyler “The opportunity with my father helped give recommend hour-long treatments, and stress me a new direction. I’m actively broadening that a single treatment is not a cure-all. In my skill set within the health industry, some cases, it might involve a series of and recently took a paramedic course in many treatments to be effective – a longVancouver. The health field is definitely the term commitment that could result in visits direction I want to go from now on,” says to the clinic spanning several months.

Tyler.

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There are two hyperbaric chambers on the premises, each equipped with comfortable seating, books and magazines, and a porthole to watch TV during the treatment if you like. Everyone on the team at Oceanside Hyperbaric is a certified hyperbaric technician and trained to ensure a safe and comfortable treatment session.

What hits home most about this father and son venture is the deep sense of compassion and caring for others. Terry and Tyler’s primary focus is on their clients; ensuring that they have the opportunity to explore the healing properties of oxygen therapy, no matter what the ailment.

“One of the most significant moments for me was when the father of one of our autistic clients told me he was finally able to hold an entire conversation with his son on their drive home from school. The young boy had received numerous treatments here, and it’s incredibly rewarding for me to be part of that breakthrough.” Tyler shared.

Terry and Tyler are proud to bring this valuable therapy to Vancouver Island and when asked about their driving motivation, they simply said, “Because we want to help people get better.”

It’s a noble mission for an innovative business. ~ Contact: Oceanside Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, #10-1009 Allsbrook Road, Parksville, BC. Tel: 250-954-0335, Toll-free: 877-954-0335. www.oceansidehyperbaric.ca.

Did You Know?

• Vancouver General Hospital boasts the largest hyperbaric chamber in Western Canada and uses it to treat decompression sickness, plus 12 other conditions such as carbon monoxide poisoning and diabetic foot wounds.

• Did you know that the air we breathe each day is only 21% oxygen?

• Oxygen was discovered by Karl W. Scheele, a Swedish apothecary, in 1772. Two years later in August 1774, it was independently discovered by Joseph Priestly, an amateur chemist in England. It wasn’t until 1783 that Caillens, a French doctor, first used oxygen therapy as a remedy for a variety of ailments.

Doug Zilkie • Jane Burton photo

FANNY BAY ARTIST’S WORK REACHES NEW HEIGHTS

by Jane E. Burton

F

anny Bay resident Doug Zilkie is currently completing work on the largest private commission he has undertaken in his twentysix years working as a professional artist. The White family totem pole is thirty-five feet long and depicts the family of six from New Orleans utilizing animal characters of each person’s choosing. It is an impressive work of art in size and its stunning beauty.

Doug Zilkie is a quiet spoken man who modestly describes how he came to win the commission. “I don’t know how he got in touch with this particular gallery but he did and so he asked to see examples of several artists work and he picked me for some reason.

I guess he liked what he saw, I don’t know.” Zilkie was born in Comox and has been carving since his childhood when he helped his father to make bowls from burls. He liked First Nations art so much he began to learn how to make it. That led him to a friendship with native artist Don Yeomans whom he credits with being his biggest influence. Doug and Don worked together in Vancouver in the 1980s. During this time Doug also worked with Haida artist Bill Reid. He assisted with a number of projects including Reid’s The Spirit of Haida Gwaii sculpture which is depicted on the twenty dollar bill.

Work on the project began with the design phase last fall. Then months of searching log dumps finally unearthed the right tree. This was followed by an agonizingly long wait for the five foot wide 10,000 pound specimen to travel by log boom to the Dove Creek mill where it was prepped. When we met in May Doug had been carving the pole for nearly four months. The bear figure at the top of the pole represents the youngest child who is named Bear. Doug describes the pole as we walk along it from top to bottom: “most of it is roughed out, the eyes still need to be formed a little better. As you can see most of it has been sanded. He is holding onto the tail of the wolf which is the next figure. This represents another boy and his name is Forest, and he wanted to be a wolf. It is coming along. The wolf’s paws and claws are going through the ears of the next figure which is the eagle. And this is Hunter, the oldest boy in the family, and he wanted to be an eagle so that’s him. After that we have Jane, the only daughter, and she wanted to be a mountain goat for some reason. I still don’t know why. The eagle’s wings are going through the ears of the mountain goat. And the horns touch the legs of the eagle. Terry wanted to be a beaver so the main figure is a beaver and he’s holding a frog which is the nickname of his wife.”

Doug hopes to have it finished by early August and it will likely be shipped in September. Once it gets to Louisiana this magnificent work of art could be raised at the family estate or the Whites are considering more public installations such as the Audubon Nature Institute. ~ Jane E. Burton is a freelance writer who operates her company Memorable Lines from her home in Fanny Bay.

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Doug explains why he was attracted to the combination of three dimensional carving with two dimensional design found in Northwest Coast artwork: “There are definite rules in this style of art, especially the two dimensional design work. The main thing is an ovoid and u-shapes. It is almost like a language, and you have to learn that language before you can, you know, tell a story.”

When Doug and his wife Linda decided to leave Vancouver they took a chance that he would be able to build a successful art career without the big city connections. It is a gamble they are glad they took as they love the Ships Point area where they have lived for the last 16 years raising their sons Taylor and Brennan. Doug works in a small studio in the backyard and his art work is sold on-line and through galleries. Linda takes care of the family and assists with the business organizing such things as how to crate and then ship the huge pole to New Orleans.

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NILE CREEK GRANDDAUGHTER REMEMBERS

By Carolyn Walton

“C

Chief Dan George

ome out and fight. It is a good day to die!” Who can forget the Oscar-nominated performance by Chief Dan George as Old Lodge Skins in the 1970 film “Little Big Man”, starring Dustin Hoffman and Faye Dunaway? Here, for the first time, natives were seen without the stereotypical bias that the film industry had reflected for the first seventy years of its history.

“Pappy George, as I called my grandfather, was a very quiet man unless he had a story to tell or some type of value to pass on,” his granddaughter, Joyce McLellan of Nile Creek, recalls. “As Chief of the Tseil-Waututh Nation on the Burrard Inlet, North Vancouver, he was regarded more as a valued elder. He expected us to respect his word and teachings but wasn’t going to verbally tell everybody what to do.”

Chief Dan George’s mother, who was 104 when she died, didn’t speak any English, “I remember walking in a funeral procession down Dollerton Highway following mass at our little hand-hewn log Catholic church.

My great-grandmother, who was sitting on her porch, started screaming in Squamish ‘stop, stop, shame on you’. As matriarch of the Nation, she asked why they were not including her. So Chief Dan George and his brothers lashed some planks together to form a chair and carried her down the road.”

Joyce says she remembers the pride of Nation displayed by her great-grandmother in her role as the elder of the Nation. “She was an amazing lady!”

Born in 1899, Dan George’s given name was Teswahno, meaning “thunder coming up over the land from the water”. He suffered eleven difficult years in residential school, and at nineteen, in an arranged marriage, he and a sixteen year-old Squamish girl, Amy, were wed – a union which lasted fifty-two years. Father of eight children, Dan George worked as a long-shoreman until a serious accident on the docks in 1947 damaged a hip and leg. In the forties, with his children and a cousin, who billed themselves as Dan George and His Indian Entertainers, he played for dances throughout BC. As Joyce reminisced, she played the CD of her grandfather’s famous speech, ‘The 10

/ August 2011

His granddaughter, Joyce McLellan, recalls that Chief Dan George did everything quietly in life and even when he died in 1981 he died quietly.

“He just sat back in his chair and was gone.

My grandfather was an amazing, quiet man.”

Granddaughter, Joyce McLellan in her Nile Creek garden. Carolyn Walton photo Lament for Confederation’ which gained national recognition in 1967 when read at Centennial Celebrations in Vancouver’s Empire Stadium. I found it to be a profoundly moving experience, surrounded by mementos, paintings and photos of Chief Dan George, while listening to his quiet but powerful voice give a scathing indictment of colonialism’s impact on First Nations people.

Dan George became chief of his band during the fifties. In the early ’60s CBC TV was searching for an actor to play Ol’ Antoine in a new series called “Caribou Country”. Despite no acting experience, Chief Dan George, at age 69, won the part.

During his career he always insisted on playing “good” First Nations characters. As an actor he’s remembered for his brilliant performance in the drama, “The Ecstasy of Rita Joe”. His film career began with the Disney production of “Breaking Smith’s Quarterhorse”, starring Glen Ford and peaked with an Academy award nomination for his portrayal of Old Lodge Skins in “Little Big Man”. He was awarded the Officer of the Order of Canada in 1971.

Joyce’s most vivid memory of her grandfather goes back to when she was five years-old. “My brother, twin sister and I were down at the beach smashing crabs with rocks when Chief Dan George appeared and asked what we were doing. ‘Smashin’ crabs’ we replied. He hunkered down on his haunches and started telling us a story similar to the First Nations “Circle of Life”, how the crab fed the starfish, and so on right up to the killer whale eating the salmon, connecting all levels of ocean life back to this insignificant crab we were killing. He wasn’t finished before we stopped smashing crabs and I’ve never killed a living thing since!”

His granddaughter recalls that Chief Dan George did everything quietly in life and even when he died in 1981 he died quietly.

“He just sat back in his chair and was gone.

My grandfather was an amazing, quiet man.” ~ Editors note: A correction is to be noted to August article “Canadian Composer Makes Beautiful Music in Deep Bay” – the correct website is http://www.musicplanet.com/jmc/ music

FRIENDLY CARE CLOSE AT HAND

PROMOTION

by Jessica Stigant

B

erwick Retirement Communities offers options when caring for a loved one. When walking through the entrance of any Berwick retirement residence, you have a sense of walking into a community; a community of family and friends who care about each other.

That community extends to the welcoming staff in each of our care units.

Jennifer Stanley, Care Unit Team Leader at Berwick House in Victoria says, “At Berwick, caring for our residents is what we do best. We offer supportive care for those needing a little extra assistance.

In addition, we see outside community residents join us for short term stays.

Usually these people are recovering from an illness or coming out of hospital.

Lately, caregiver respite relief has been a popular option for family members

wanting to go away on vacation. Having a family member stay at a Berwick gives them the peace of mind that their loved one is safe and being cared for in a wonderful environment.”

Gordon and Chris Denford are the father and son team behind all of the Berwick communities. They design, build and manage all five BC locations from their head office in Victoria. When the first Berwick was built in 1989, Gordon wanted a residence that allowed seniors to live independently with the option of more care. Chris notes, “The care wing is like an extension of the rest of the building. We always design it to be warm and inviting. Staff is also a key component to creating that welcoming feeling.” Four of the five Berwicks offer Licensed Residential Care within their building.

Each care studio includes professional care staff on duty 24 hours a day to assist with the resident’s needs for daily living.

In addition, three chef prepared meals, daily housekeeping, recreation programs, personal laundry, heat, hydro and cable TV are all included in the monthly rental rate. Respite stays are supported through a daily rate. “Our philosophy is to build a community that we ourselves would want to live in,” Gordon says.

Berwick Retirement Communities include Berwick House and Berwick Royal Oak in Victoria, Berwick on the Lake in Nanaimo, Berwick Comox Valley and Berwick on the Park in Kamloops. For more information please visit: www.berwickrc.com

/ August 2011 11

CNPR HISTORIC TRAIL: ALBERNI INLET

By Sharon Waugh Directions: From the Port Alberni Visitors Information Centre take Highway 4A and follow the directional signs to Bamfield. On the Bamfield Road follow the signs to China Creek Marina. The Bamfield road is a welltraveled gravel road and very dusty at this time of the year. Travel with caution as this is a logging truck haul and service mainline.

China Creek Trail-head: turn right off Bamfield Road and look for the first rough, no longer in use, logging road on your left. Pull in here and walk less than five minutes along this grade until you see the trail flagging on your right.

Jan Meads photo

Franklyn River Forest Products Trail-head: continue 5.4 kilometres from the intersection of the China Creek Marina turnoff and the Bamfield Road towards Bamfield.

Turn right following the signage to the Franklyn River Forest Products operation, another 2.6 kilometres. As soon as you see a glimpse of the inlet look for the gravel pit on your right, park here, the trail head is marked by a couple of pieces of flagging with ‘trail’ printed on it. If you have gone too far you’ll end up in the dryland sort...go back up the hill.

There is another trailhead in between these two points on the Underwood Cove Road (see a reference map).

Maps: Alberni Valley Trail Guide (available at the Port Alberni Visitor Information Centre); download the CNPR Inlet Trail Brochure from the Alberni - Clayquot Regional District website (www.acrd.bc.ca/cms.asp?wpID=213) Length: about 2.5 hours of easy walking with one short rope-assisted climb and a couple of short but steep bypasses to access the shoreline and detour a rock slough.

“A railroad is like a lie, you have to keep building it to make it stand.” ~ Mark Twain

B

ig dreams sometimes get stopped in their ‘tracks’ as did the completion of the railway from Lake Cowichan to the Alberni Inlet with the onset of the First World War in the early 1900’s. But dreams often have the opportunity to be repurposed, and now a little over a hundred years later the right-of-way of this northern route of the Canadian Northern Pacific Railway is being ‘polished’ as one of the most exciting new segments of the Alberni Valley trail system.

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/ August 2011

Leonard Frank photo • courtesy BC Archives With a boost of encouragement from Rick Avis, Director of the Alberni Valley Enhancement Association, and directions from the Alberni Valley Trail Guide, we started our exploration of the Alberni Inlet section starting at the Franklyn River Forest Products trail-head – we were sidetracked quite quickly by a field of wild blackberries that would surpass any berry picker’s fantasy and was obviously previously enjoyed by some sweet-toothed, four-legged friends.

The ten kilometre trail to China Creek includes impressive rock cuts, as pictured in the Leonard Frank photo above, with remnants of the construction rail salvaged trail-side. Views of the Alberni Inlet are as spectacular as the moss-covered trees lining the near-level swathe of the railway grade. Keep your eyes open for the MV Frances Barkley as she makes her run thru Barkley Sound.

The next phase of the trail is near completion and will add another seventeen kilometres to connect Port Alberni with the trail at China Creek – an estimated five hour, one-way biking and hiking route of twenty-seven clicks...with signage!

Where to next? There are plans afoot to make a visit to the lightkeepers at Cape Beale...see you on the west coast (and hopefully not the ‘wet coast’) in September! ~

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BRINGING THE PAST FORWARD: PART 2

by Phyllis Chubb M.A., Jyotish Visharada, CVA; Jyotish Kovid, CVA

L

ast month’s series began with the introduction of confirmed knowledge flowing from the Vedas and Puranas of ancient India. The three confirmed concepts verified by modern sciences presented were: The age of the Universe, how the creation began, and the recognition of multiple cycles.

Emphasis this month will be on unseen factors and the Vedic idea of the interconnectedness of all things especially the sun and its activity on our physical health, specifically the heart.

The Vedic teachings emphasize how all our bodies, our families, communities, the world, including the Universe are all intimately connected. Further, they claim, everyone and everything is connected and everything and everyone has the potential of influencing everything else. In the Vedic way of seeing the world the sun is paramount to life, a fact no one would argue.

However, they correlated solar activity to the human heart. Exactly how the Vedic people made that correlation will have to be discussed at another time. Let us focus on what is presently being discovered through modern science.

Prior to 2009 ideas of the Sun controlling life, beyond the production of its heat, were considered ridiculous, at least by the scientific community. However in 2009 through the collaborative efforts of

NASA and International Space Agencies the existence of a direct and consistent energy flow linking the sun to the earth was discovered. This finding was both surprising and confirming. Surprising that such an energy field even existed and confirming as its presence explained deviations in other energy readings. In addition, the discovery of the magnetic belt also validated what has been offered by the ancients. In an attempt to provide a descriptive name for this important discovery they named the flow a ‘Magnetic Belt’.

Since that time other magnetic belts have been discovered, belts linking the planets of our solar system with each other and with earth. In addition, evidence showing effects of solar energy not only on the world at large but on individuals as well is accumulating.

For instance, solar activity has proven to have direct effects on our weather, technology, pipeline flows, high-tech communication, and it can disorient spacecraft and satellite navigation. For more information on the role of solar activity and its effect on the earth and our well-being check out http://www.spaceweather.com/ .

This site will be a valuable starting point.

When it comes to health, evidence showing the effects of solar activity comes from around the world. Russian scientists discovered the relationship between low levels of geomagnetic energy (100hertz) on cellular and chemical processes in living beings. Dr. Franz Halberg, the father of

Phyllis Chubb’s desire to understand the human mind and soul have been the motivating passions of her life. Author, Counselor, Coach and Astrologer – Phyllis uses the discipline of psychology and Vedic Astrology to assist her clients in focusing on their consciousness and increased awareness. www.phyllischubb.com

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/ August 2011

Dr. Halberg’s work was also instrumental in showing the relationship between solar flares, high geomagnetic storms and the occurrence of sudden myocardial infarctions, high blood pressure and other challenges. For numerous articles associated with physical health and solar activity the reader is requested to search the web using either of the following statements: heart rate variability and solar activity or simply solar activity and health.

It is hoped this information will encourage individual research and reflection on many of the things we hear about, especially the things we have been told are impossible.

There is so much around us that we fail to pay attention to, but which is vitally important in our lives. Encouragement to recognize and accept there is more to life than meets the eye is a core instruction throughout all the Vedic teachings. Maybe it is time we started paying attention to the energies we can’t see, as well as the things we can see? ~

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CONSIDERATIONS IN BUYING A “FRACTION INTEREST” IN REAL ESTATE

L

ast month I wrote about what a fractional interest in real estate is and how the owners’ corporation is typically organized. In this month’s article, I will touch briefly on leases, subleases, costs and other considerations for buyers.

By Marc LaCouvée

Marc LaCouvée is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX Anchor Realty in Qualicum Beach. Marc prides himself on offering specialized and complimentary valueadding services that are well-suited to the unique needs of his Oceanside clients, including transaction peace of mind with Tranquilli-T. He is also one of a small number of accredited Seniors Real Estate Specialists® (SRES) in our region. Visit www.

LaCouveeHomes.com to learn more.

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For a resort or condominium complex with fractional interests, the developer will generally lease the property to the owner’s association or corporation for an extended period of time, such as 100 years or more, in order to provide the owner’s association or corporation with control over and possession of the property. The head lease is registered against the title to the property prior to the transfer of the fractional interests to the buyers.

As a result of the head lease, the owner’s association or corporation becomes the tenant of the property.

The owner’s association or corporation then subleases the property to each of the buyers. The sublease establishes the buyer’s rights to the use of the property and the obligations of each buyer regarding the payment of expenses. Each buyer will then be permitted to use the property for some period of time (usually one week) once every four, five, six or ten weeks, depending on the total number of fractional interests in their unit.

Some fractional interest property developers either require buyers to enter into a rental management agreement at the time of purchase. The rental management agreement provides that if the owner chooses to rent the strata lot, the owner will be required to use a particular rental management firm.

Other time share developments prohibit rentals, but permit the owners to make the property available to an unaccompanied guest on a rent-free basis.

Strata corporation expenses arise in relation to common area cleaning, common area utilities, repair and maintenance of common areas, facilities,

furniture, fixtures and equipment, property and liability insurance and contributions to the contingency reserve fund. Additionally, buyers must contribute to the costs of the owner’s association or corporation.

Such costs include in-suite cleaning, maintenance and repairs, utilities, property taxes, administration and staffing, insurance for furnishings and equipment and a contribution to a capital reserve account for the replacement of in-suite furnishings.

When purchasing a fractional interest in a strata development, buyers should consider many of the same issues that they would consider when purchasing the entire interest in a strata lot as a primary residence.

Some specific matters for a buyer to consider are, • Do the bylaws contain restrictions that the buyer cannot live with, such as limits on the number of guests, prohibitions against pets and smoking?

• What is the contingency reserve fund and what major repairs have already occurred? If the fund is low and the building is in need of repair, the buyer should expect a special assessment in the relatively near future.

• Is the common property well maintained?

In addition, there are considerations that arise as a result of the fact that the development is a time share.

Buyers should also consider their ability to access and use the development, their ability to participate in the operation and management of the owner’s association or corporation and their ability to influence costs.

As always, this article is not meant to be any form of legal advice. Please be sure to consult your own team of professionals and do your own due diligence.

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can reach me easily by phone (1-800-668-3622) or email (marc@ realestatequalicum.com).

/ August 2011 15

Shirley Culpin photo

Trudy & Harry Wenngatz • Shirley Culpin photo practice. In 1995 he got his first glimpse of Vancouver Island and from there, there was no looking back.

“We left Calgary and came here for the weather,” recounts Harry. “I retired in the late 1990s and we moved to the Island permanently.”

The couple spent five years living in Errington, then purchased 10 acres in Qualicum Beach. The real quest for their ideal home, however, ended this past December when they moved to Quadra Island.

“We are both enthusiastic divers, and we had always been looking for property that had a dive site right out the front door,” says Harry. “So, after more than a decade living on Vancouver Island, we finally found our dream on Quadra.”

NEW LAW OFFICE OFFERS A MIX OF LEGAL SERVICES

by Shirley Culpin

I

t took a while, but Harry and Trudy Wenngatz seem to have finally settled into the life they dreamed of for many years.

The Wenngatzs are one of the newest additions to the business community in Bowser, having recently opened Lighthouse Law Offices. Their premises are located in a renovated addition at the front of the old Reid house at 6964 West Island Highway, where they have set up shop as a private general law practice. Harry doesn’t practice criminal or personal injury law but he is capable of handling pretty much anything else of a legal nature that Lighthouse Country residents might require. Trudy is his legal assistant, handling all the miscellaneous jobs that go hand-in-hand with the practice of the profession.

Harry’s formal schooling was at the University of Ottawa law school. He was called to the bar in Alberta in 1988, where his refined area was strata law within the real estate and property

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/ August 2011

The Wenngatzs’ commute is a hefty two hours each way – more than many people in major urban centers endure and certainly in excess of anything most Islanders would put up with. But the couple is unfazed by the amount of time they spend getting to and from work. The combination of the ideal home and the ideal community in which to work has resulted in a very happy state of affairs for them. They have set their office hours to accommodate the commute, opening from noon to 5 pm, Monday to Friday. They intend to adjust to winter hours come the fall, and will be opening Tuesday to Friday from 9 or 10 am to 5 pm.

“Bowser is very much a special community,” enthuses Harry, “and we are really looking forward to working with the folks here. We will be covering from Royston to Qualicum Beach.”

It’s clear that the Wenngatzs have already settled into the casual, friendly mode that is Bowser – you won’t see much in the way of formality at all at Lighthouse Law Offices, which bodes well for both the law firm and the community.

To contact the Lighthouse Law Offices, call 778-424-4234 or go to www.llolawyers.com Harry can be reached via e-mail at harry.llolawyers@shaw.ca This business profile is sponsored by the Union Bay Credit Union.

Lighthouse Law Offices is a participant in the Union Bay Credit Union’s Community Partnership Gift Certificate Program.

OUT OF THE NEST KATARINA WILSON

DESIGNING A FUTURE OF INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE

by Rita Levitz

“F

or some people it is an effortless decision to understand what they want to be, but for most of us it is something that we have to discover,” says Katarina (Kat) Wilson (Bowser Elementary School, Qualicum Beach Middle School, Kwalikum Secondary School 2003). It could, however, be due to the diverse nature of her talents and interests.

“When I was in high school, I never would have dreamed myself to be an automotive engineer. I graduated KSS with a background nearly completely in Visual Art. Art is something that I’ll always be passionate about, but after a semester in the Arts Program at VIU, I wasn’t feeling academically challenged enough.”

Switching to Mechanical Engineering at UVic took determination and perseverance.

“It was a tough decision for me to make because I had to complete high school credits in math, physics, and chemistry in order to be accepted into the program.”

Three months after graduating, Kat applied for and got her current job. “I work for Azure Dynamics in Burnaby; we design and manufacture Battery Electric and Hybrid Electric vehicles.

Our most recent contract was with Ford. We designed a Battery Electric version of the Transit Connect, which is currently in production in Detroit for

North American models and in London for European models.”

“Rapid prototyping for automotive engineering is challenging, but very rewarding. Watching your product grow

only adjustment is leaving my pumps at my desk to strap on the steel-toed boots for the shop!”

Kat has certainly not abandoned her passion for art. “Balancing your life is a challenge, so you have to understand your personal priorities. You have time for anything, but not everything.

Because my job is so scientific and logical, I indulge my artistic side after work. I dance ballet a few nights a week and do yoga once a week. I don’t own a TV, so I have a little sketchbook by my nightstand that I draw in every night before I sleep to decompress instead.”

Kat has just returned from six weeks of her first solo travelling in Europe. “I was very fortunate to be able to travel as much as I did throughout my childhood, visiting my grandparents and other relatives in Germany.”

This time Kat visited not only family, but also friends from high Katarina Wilson • submitted photo school and university. “Everyone that you become close friends with will from concept design to a complete, impact the person that you are. I think drivable vehicle is an incredible that the support of my friends and family experience.” cannot be undervalued because that’s The stereotypical view of working in what has given me the strength to get to the automotive industry is of being a where I am now.” woman in a man’s world. “Not so,” says Gratitude and appreciation feature Kat. “Everyone appreciates the different strongly in Kat’s life. “I try not to think backgrounds and experiences that a too far ahead because I feel lucky and mixed team can bring to the table. The blessed to have everything that I do today.” ~

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WHO’S IN CHARGE?

by Dr. Neill Neill

M

y friend Dee was recovering from breast cancer and, to her horror, she discovered there were no hospice services in her region. So she organized a hospice Society, which created a hospice facility.

Then Dee had a recurrence of cancer and was failing. I mumbled something about dying of cancer and she Dr. Neill Neill retorted, “I’m not dying of cancer; I’m living with cancer.” She was saying that while cancer may be a fact of her life, she is in charge of living her life…until it’s over.

She died a few weeks later.

Dee had a big impact on me. I reflected on times in my life when I had felt trapped. I realized that each time I allowed that feeling to persist, I was telling myself I was a victim and not in charge of my life. I was just making excuses for not taking charge and doing something.

Think about it: every time you blame something on a circumstance, your partner, your genes, your age or your addiction, you are making yourself a victim.

The good news is that to lead a meaningful, fulfilling and mostly happy life, you need to take charge of living your life. Being more in charge of your living, however, is not an all-or-nothing thing. You begin with the choice to take charge of something, and then follow that choice with a myriad of further choices.

When young Bill was in high school he heard somewhere that the University computer centre was open for non-university people to use from 2 to 4 am every night.

He chose to set his alarm, sneak out of the house, go to learn by doing in the computer centre every night, sneak back into his room and go to sleep.

(His parents couldn’t understand why he

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was so tired in the daytime.) Bill Gates’s choice to take charge at that young age has affected virtually every home, office and school in North America and in much of the rest of the world. It has also led to the largest charitable donation in human history.

When Michael was a freshman at University in 1984, his parents made a surprise visit to his dorm room. “Where are your books?” his dad queried. Michael admitted he had chosen to spend his book money on computer parts to make computers for other students.

“But don’t you see dad, there is no middleman? In ten years I’ll be bigger than IBM.” His next choice was to leave University. In ten years to the month Michael Dell’s sales surpassed those of IBM. In the worst known case of child abduction and abuse, Jaycee Dugard was abducted at eleven and kept as a sex slave for eighteen years. At thirteen, she gave birth to a daughter. She said in an interview that the birth of her daughter and her choice to be a good mother gave her life meaning and probably saved her life. She wrote, “I don’t think of myself as a victim. I survived.”

If Dee and Jaycee could choose to be in charge of their living, can’t we all? To what extent have you chosen to be in charge of your living? ~

Psychologist Dr. Neill Neill maintains an active practice in Qualicum Beach, bringing innovative approaches to fostering healthy relationships and life after addictions.

Call 250-752-8684 or visit his website www.neillneill. com. He is the author of the book “Living with a functioning Alcoholic - A Woman’s Survival Guide”.

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ndaunted by the prospect of a threeday, 280 kilometre charity bicycle ride from Campbell River to Victoria, Lighthouse Country’s own Maureen Groves has been in serious training mode since last November. On September 9th, she will join a group of twenty-five Island women in their ‘grandmother years’ (which translates to ‘over 50’!), riding to raise funds for Grandmothers For Africa, part of the international Stephen Lewis Foundation.

Because of the scourge of HIV/AIDS, many African grandmothers find themselves caring for their orphaned grandchildren.

Through a wide variety of fund-raising activities the Stephen Lewis Foundation provides counselling and education to combat HIV/AIDS and helps these orphaned and extremely vulnerable children adjust to the loss of their parents. It also provides them access to general education which is their best chance of breaking this tragic cycle.

After leaving Campbell River, the group will be staying the first night in Qualicum Bay and will have an early breakfast with Qualicum Beach Mayor Teunis Westbroek at the Shady Rest the next morning before cycling on to Chemainus for their second night’s stop.

To support Grandmothers For Africa, and Maureen’s commitment to this very special cause, donations can be made online at http://j.mp/moegroves or by calling Maureen at Village Clothing, the Qualicum Beach shop she runs with her husband Ron, at (250) 752-0436, or she can be reached at home (250) 757-9188. ~

Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/beaconmagazine

/ August 2011 19

SAVING THE HARVEST

By Nancy Whelan

T

In the still, dull days of late winter or the lightening mornings of early spring we may have, with the greatest of optimism, tucked a tiny seed beneath a soft covering of damp potting soil. We may have given a yelp of glee when the first fragile cotyledons appeared to reward our faith in the earth’s annual renewal. Or, all year we may have left the growing expertise to others, and haunted the roads, byways, woods, farms, and markets

Linda Tenney photo

his is the fourth article in the current series about locally obtained food.

While it will express general comments on the saving, processing, and storing of food, please be sure to find and follow expert advice on the methods of storage you plan to use.

to seek out naturally grown, nutritious food for our tables. Maybe we did both.

Generally speaking, the kind of fruit or vegetable and its quality and ripeness when we get it, will greatly influence whether or not it’s a keeper. Much But when summer wanes and winter looms we hate of the current information most easily available to give up the flavour and nutrition we’ve come to about the keeping quality and nutrient value of foods enjoy. And we don’t have to. There are multiple ways comes from the Department of Food Science and to save, preserve, and store our favourite foods. The Technology at the University of California, Davis. kind of produce, plus time, method, and conditions, however, have a lot of bearing on the nutrients which In mankind’s earliest days, food was literally a may or may not survive our storage plans. hand-to-mouth existence with no known options for safely putting away the surplus or leftovers. By continued next page

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/ August 2011

THROUGH THE SEASONS - CONTINUED accident or design, some primitive methods of making food last for later were eventually discovered and a few of these are still in use, albeit with more sophisticated and sanitary methods and equipment. No doubt to save some of the mounds of meat attached to a dead mammoth or the succulent flesh of bountiful fish, people found that if well-dried or smoked, the meat would not so quickly go bad, and the art of food storage came into being.

Today we still may dry or smoke extra food, both to give it more flavour and to have it for use when the fresh variety is not available. If we lived on the desert, sun drying would be the most energy-efficient means of preserving some foods, but with our climate so prone to dampness and variable weather conditions, we would use either a layered dryer or a low heat oven powered by electricity to do the job.

Smoking, most often of fish or other seafood, has become increasingly popular and given its followers a rather gourmet image. There is no limit to the books, advice, and array of smokers from adapted old refrigerators and BBQ’s to almost commercial model smokers for home use. Salmon especially, can be either cold or hot smoked, the former for delicate flavour and the latter for keeping and storage qualities as well.

In the early days of its settlement, Canada sported another viable and energy efficient method of storing some foods, especially root vegetables, which gave us the name ‘root cellar’. Essentially an accessible hole or cave-like opening in the ground situated within easy reach of the home, the earth on at least three sides of the cellar insulated the spuds and turnips, etc. from heat and from freezing temperatures. There are still old root cellars visible and in use and new ones being built for the same purpose.

Somewhere along the line, the process of natural fermentation (think sauerkraut) and the preservative qualities of salt, nudged their way into food storage. Meat and fish were salted down and put away to last for months in crocks or barrels, and often carried in the holds of ships, away on long voyages of trade or exploration. Salt and vinegar joined forces and we got longlasting pickles. Then sugar got into the act and we had days over a hot stove making preserves, jams and jellies.

Canning came along too, and a whole new industry was born in the making of jars, lids, canning kettles and pressure cookers… oh yes, and cans…but the word refers more to the method than the container unless you’re really serious and canning fish or meat.

When sizeable home deep freezers became a standard feature in many homes, freezing of available produce became the norm, but not without its costs for bags, containers, the freezer itself and its energy consumption.

Whatever type(s) of food storage you choose, be aware of the time, energy, care and cleanliness that safe food storage requires.

Once food leaves its birthplace it’s open season for spoilage organisms to take over and our job is to keep the spoilers at bay and save as much nutrition as we can, even though the time since picking or digging, and the method we use will naturally account for a certain loss of vitamin and mineral content.

Granted, fresh is best, but winter is long. ~

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mother of invention, and our necessary shift to a more diverse economy is redefining what it means to be an artist, adding that long sought after recognition as shapers of our cultural identity with both social and economic value. So it follows, if we plan for things like parks and recreation, housing, economy, environment, industry, etc., which all attract and keep people and sustain our economy and quality of life, why then should we not plan for arts and culture?

~ henri matisse

A PLAN FOR ARTS & CULTURE

WHY CREATIVITY MIGHT BE THE NEXT BIG INDUSTRY

by Lisa Verbicky It is my contention that creativity is as important as literacy in education and we should treat it with the same status.”

Ken Robinson, Speaker & International Expert on Creativity, Education, & Human Resources.

I

f your idea of the arts is a PIA item on a long list of budget priorities used to support starving bass players and bowl turners, you may need to think again... using the other side of your brain. In 2009, the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance recorded 2,468 estimated jobs regionally in the Arts, Culture and Heritage (ACH) sector, compared to 2,105 in forestry, and 2,440 in construction. According to the B.C. Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts (2009), arts and culture provides about 78,000 jobs adding $5.2 billion each year to

22

/ August 2011

the provincial economy. In 2005, we spent an average of $882 per capita on arts and culture products and services, the second highest of all the provinces. For every dollar invested in arts and culture, $1.36 goes back to provincial treasuries in tax dollars.

What is increasingly being called the ‘creative economy’ is moving higher up the economic agenda in regions that used to rely on traditional resource industries, and is redefining communities and feeding into growing tourism, service, technology, media, and small scale manufacturing sectors.

“Creativity,” says education and human resources expert, Ken Robinson, “is the process of producing original ideas that have value.” Our future as a species, he says, lies in a new concept of human ecology where we acknowledge and support the richness of human creative capacity. Necessity is the

The value of investing in ‘creative capital’ is a question that is popping up in boardrooms and council meetings with increased frequency, including here in Qualicum Beach.

The Town recently launched it’s Making Culture Count! cultural planning project as part of its May 2011 Official Community Plan (OCP) update, which included some discussion around the future sites within town that can be used for arts and culture purposes.

“Discussions throughout the community surrounding the Town’s cultural facilities needs is one of only many reasons, as outlined in 3.1.22 of the May 2011 OCP update, for the Town’s decision to proceed with cultural planning at this time,” said project consultant, Patricia Huntsman.

“One of the key points in this OCP update is an emphasis on Arts and Culture as a way to develop a more vibrant and prosperous community. The Town is now developing a comprehensive Cultural Plan to achieve this goal,” says the project’s consultant Huntsman.

“We don’t have factories or mills in Qualicum Beach, our biggest resource is creative people,” says Corinne James, Executive Director of The Old School House (TOSH). “Arts are fundamental to the character of Qualicum Beach,” she says. continued on page 32

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/ August 2011 23

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KAREN VANDERBERG

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

By Rita Levitz

I

t is the evening of February 16, 2011, Qualicum Beach Chamber of Commerce Dinner. Karen Vanderberg and her family are waiting to hear who will be named Volunteer of the Year. “When they said that one of the things the winner had done was build houses in Mexico, I turned to my husband Garret and said, ‘Oh my goodness, they’re going to call my name!’ It was exciting, a bit surreal, and definitely an honour to be recognized.”

Although Karen, her husband and their sons Travis and Kyle did join the St. Stephen’s Church group to help people build houses in Mexico, it is what Karen does closer to home that truly speaks to her heart.

“We just celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Community Meals Program at St. Stephen’s. We put on a free lunch every Thursday and a supper once a month – and they are open to anyone and everyone. During the school year we get between ninety and one hundred twenty high school students for the lunches and about fifty to eighty other guests.” The focus of the meals is food and fellowship – the social part of the meals is as important as the economic part. continued next page Karen Vanderberg • Rita Levitz photo

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continued from previous page “So many people ask me, ‘Do the kids really need the food?’ We don’t know which ones do, and anyway, there’s a ripple effect.

Just the fact that they come into a church now is important.

They’re very polite, and there are never any problems.” It is a door that is open for the future, if need be. “It’s become a real community in and of itself. I can’t say enough about the awesome group of other volunteers I work with.”

Karen was one of the three initiators and one of the main organizers of the program. “It’s neat to have been involved in something from the ground on up.” She had another idea too, and in typical Karen fashion, it was also transformed into reality.

“For the past three years we’ve had a Moms and Kids Camp at Moorcroft for people who would not otherwise have the opportunity to go to camp. I was asked to organize the fundraising and the camp. I never thought that fundraising was really my area, but when a cause speaks to me and needs money, that’s what I’ve done. However, you can’t do anything without a great group of people around you.”

Some of that support comes from those closest to her. “My parents, Elden and Shirley Davis, have always volunteered. They are very community-minded and are still very involved in many of the same things I am. They’re like my backbone. I suppose that you model what is the norm in your family, and I hope I’m doing that for our sons too, showing them that it’s not all about ‘you’. At the end of the day, though, you can only push them out into the world, and hope.”

Now is a time of transition for Karen. She turned fifty last month, her boys are grown, she and Garret have started floating various retirement ideas, and she is the proud mother of a new puppy! “If you’re close to your children when they’re growing up, you have to pay later,” she laughs. “It’s hard to let go, but it’s getting easier.”

Along with her volunteer work which keeps her feeling needed, she just took on being the representative for “Stampin’ Up” cards and memory albums, and she and Cola, her chocolate Lab, go to dog classes twice a week. “Anyone who knows me just has to laugh. I’d always been so adamant about not having a big dog, never having it in the house, and certainly never on the furniture.

Now look at me, lying on the couch in the evening with the dog, watching TV. I didn’t know how much I would fall in love with this silly dog.”

Actually, anyone who has experienced Karen’s warm and welcoming nature probably would not have been surprised. “I believe everyone has a gift area, and if you’re working outside of that you’re not going to be happy. I also believe that if you’re really good at what you do, then you’ll be successful.” It is this kind of encouragement that she gave her husband when he started his own marine engine repair business and to her sons as they were growing up.

Karen loves being creative and her considerable forte is in organizing. “That is my personality. And I’m happiest when I’m busy.”

There are a lot of people that are very thankful for that, Karen! ~

/ August 2011 27

D

2011

PST Z+8

t

TIDE TABLES

August-août

Day Time

Feet Metres

jour heure pieds mètres

0025 0508 1215 1927

10.5 13.8 2.0 15.7

3.2 1 0036 0548 4.2 0.6 MO 1237 4.8 LU 1927

9.5 14.4 2.6 15.7

2.9 16 4.4 0.8 TU 4.8 MA

0117 0642 1254 1925

7.9 13.1 5.9 15.1

2.4 4.0 1.8 4.6

1 0141 0757 TH 1343 JE 1939

4.6 14.4 7.2 15.7

16

0110 0559 1251 1954

9.8 13.5 3.0 15.7

3.0 2 4.1 0.9 TU 4.8 MA

0122 0646 1316 1955

8.2 14.1 3.9 16.1

2.5 17 0151 4.3 0729 1.2 WE 1322 4.9 ME 1945

7.2 12.8 6.9 15.1

2.2 3.9 2.1 4.6

17 0902 13.5 4.1 0904 14.4PASTS 4.4 OUR CHANGE FR 1432 8.9 2.7 SA 1407 10.5 3.2

0155 0649 1324 2021

9.2 12.8 4.3 15.7

2.8 3 0210 0749 3.9 1.3 WE 1357 4.8 ME 2025

7.2 13.5 5.6 16.1

2.2 4.1 1.7 4.9

18

0226 0819 TH 1350 JE 2006

6.6 12.5 8.2 14.8

2.0 3.8 2.5 4.5

0239 0740 1354 2045

8.5 12.1 5.6 15.4

2.6 3.7 1.7 4.7

4

5.9 13.1 7.2 16.1

1.8 4.0 2.2 4.9

19

0302 0914 FR 1419 VE 2026

6.2 12.1 9.2 14.4

1.9 3.7 2.8 4.4

0324 0835 1422 2109

7.9 11.5 6.9 15.4

2.4 3.5 2.1 4.7

5

4.9 12.8 8.9 15.7

1.5 3.9 2.7 4.8

20

0341 1022 SA 1454 SA 2050

5.9 12.1 10.5 14.1

engraved non-controversial and unchangeable. “This is what 1.1 –20 0511 3.6in stone 1.8 0429 5.2 1.6 5is 4.4 1253 14.4 3.7 13.5 happened, and therefore I 1234 am what I am 4.1 now.”

3.5 TU 1740 12.1 3.2 MO 1804 11.5 3.7 13.5 change.

4.1 MA 2123 12.8 2241 4.3 LUBut 3.9 our pasts

0410 0938 1449 2131

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2.2 3.4 2.5 4.6

6

4.3 12.8 10.5 15.1

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21

0427 1156 SU 1542 DI 2119

5.9 12.1 11.5 13.8

3.9 1.2 0615is nothing 1.8 5.2 Neurons 1.6 are constantly rearranging 0537 static21 in our brains.

6There 1406 14.8 4.5 3.7 1343 13.8 4.2 themselves, changing, forming and dissolving connections. What really 3.4 WE 1914 11.8 3.5 TU 1932 11.2 3.6 five or3.9 fiftyME years2255 ago –12.5 or yesterday?

At best, when asked, we 2357 12.8 4.2 MAhappened 3.8

0457 1103 1517 2155

6.9 10.8 9.5 14.4

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7

0551 1328 SU 1751 DI 2304

3.6 13.5 11.5 14.8

1.1 22 0525 4.1 1339 3.5 MO 1709 4.5 LU 2201

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But14.1 those remembered moments are so few – 14.8that 4.5 1505 for 3.8 4.3 1434 2048 3.7 WEand 10.8of our 3.3past lives. Why those moments?

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0547 1311 1554 2222

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14.1 3.0 14.8 11.8

4.3 24 0735 0.9 1537 4.5 WE 2025 3.6 ME

4.6 13.8 11.8

1.4 4.2 3.6

4.9 12.8 12.5 13.8

1.5 10 0113 0853 3.9 3.8 WE 1635 4.2 ME 2147

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25

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26

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13.5 3.3 14.4 10.5

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12

0322 1034 FR 1748 VE 2324

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27

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14

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9.2 13.5 3.9 15.1

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31 0055 0654 WE 1258 ME 1906

5.6 14.8 5.9 15.7

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0825 1631 2043

0059 0914 1704 2141

0206 0958 1735 2227

0306 1040 1804 2309

0359 1120 1833 2352

0453 1159 1859

28

Our tide table measurements are taken from the Hornby Island substation. For other tides, visit http://www.waterlevels.gc.ca/english/Canada.shtml on the Internet.

LOCAL TIDE

heure pieds mètres

Day Time

0301 0858 TH 1441 JE 2058 0354 1018 FR 1532 VE 2134 0451 1153 SA 1633 SA 2215

/ August 2011

Feet Metres

September-septembre

jour heure pieds mètres

1.4 4.4 2.2 4.8

0140 0812 FR 1330 VE 1907

5.2 13.5 9.5 14.1

1.6 4.1 2.9 4.3

0228

3.6

1.1

0212

5.2

1.6

VE 2016

15.4

4.7

SA 1930

13.8

4.2

2

By Joanne Sales

0318 3.3 1.0 18 0248 4.9 1.5 1016 14.4 4.4 1001 13.5 4.1 10.2 resign 3.1 SU 3.4 victims of their past. The past 1453 11.2 SA 1529 ome people themselves to being 15.1 2056 4.6 1956 13.5 4.1 DIBut SA holds them hostage. as strange as it seems, we actively participate

3

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the creation our 19 past 0333 all the time.

3.3 of1.0 4.9 We 1.5aren’t powerless at all.

4in 0412 1134 14.4 4.4 1113 13.5 4.1

10.8 3.3experience 1639 11.8 3.6 MO 1558is memory of the human scrapbooking. We are such SUPart 14.4 2143 of 13.1 that 4.0 “the past” that we recorded 2030 DImasters the art4.4thatLU often we believe

bring up a few highlights. These remembered moments become our poster

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3.9 merely 0231 12.8 I was 12.8 observer 3.9 0159

9

0922

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29

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30

2.3 15.7 9.2 15.4

0.7 4.8 2.8 4.7

that14.8 moment of the quadrillion other events of that day or year?

4.5outSA 1631 14.8 4.5 1544 FRWhy particular scrapbooks 9.2 reason.

2.8 Our 8.5 are2.6filled with irrelevant, odd, SA 2142 VENo2230 irrational, wildly collaged and disconnected pieces of the whole. Trying to 3.9 25 0307 13.5 4.0 10 0332 12.8 4.1 make story is like trying history from a few torn 4.9 1.5 1010a coherent 1.2 4.9to reconstruct 1.5 0939 of decomposing newspapers.

4.5 SU 1613 1701 14.8 4.3 SAfragments 14.8 4.5 No offense! We cherish our scrapbooks, and they have their place. But it’s 13.1 4.0 26 0426 4.3 of our pasts. The past was 0408in 14.1 11good to acknowledge our role the creation 1051 5.6 1.7 1026 5.2 1.6 it was, we are file clerks, and archivists. We are the MOthe1642 14.8but 4.5 SUwhat 1726 15.1 judges, 4.6 7.5 2.3 2341 5.6 and 1.7frame the events, relationships, LU 2305 DIones who select, interpret, categorize, feelings, motives4.0 and dreams of yesterday.

We work on our scrapbooks 0514 13.1 14.8 4.5 27 0507 12daily.

1126 6.2 1.9 1112 5.9 1.8 continued on next page MO 1748 14.8 4.5 TU 1713 15.4 4.7 LU

15

0116 0804 FR 1335 VE 1859

OK, so what’s the problem?

Well, we’re human. We have agendas and things to prove, and we draw from the memory banks the data that proves what we need to prove. We fill the jury seats with those who agree with us. We are not unbiased observers (although we could learn the art). We keep some memories and throw out others – for reasons we don’t care about or even understand. It is a wise person who questions his own past.

Quantum physicist Fred Alan Wolf in his book, Mind into Matter, points out that we keep little pieces of memory. The dominant universe of memory stays in the forefront. We keep seeing the scenes we have seen before. But through meditation and introspection, we can access less visible memories, which may significantly alter our story.

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We can also alter the mood of our past by learning to reframe.

If we thought a memory was worthy enough to frame in the first place, then it is worthy enough to reframe. What does this mean?

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The first time I saw a successful “reframe” was in a book about pregnancy. The author quoted a science text that stated that the developing fetus takes calcium out of the mother’s bones, often to the mother’s detriment. (The fetus sounds like a skeletal vampire.) The writer gently reframed that “fact” – suggesting that the mother generously offers calcium to the developing baby, even from her own bones. Same information, different viewpoint. A new attitude about the same process. In the same way, we can reframe our memories.

Bad memory: My parents paid no attention to me. Reframe: During my countless hours in the woods, I learned to be happy alone, and developed a passion for nature and reading.

Bad memory: My father died when I was seven. Reframe: Because of my father’s early death, at a young age, I began a passionate search for the meaning of life.

When we reframe, we aren’t denying the events of the past, but changing the lens focus on what happened. Things shift.

Actually, things are shifting all the time in our memory scrapbook. We are constantly refiling our memories as a result of new experiences and insight. We may move some memories from the grudge files to the forgiven files; from active memory to finished and cleared; from stuffed to unstuffed; from infuriating to insignificant. The circular file (i.e. trashcan) becomes a destination point for many “once important” old memories. As we mature, more and more memories get gently placed in the “let it be” file. Does refiling and releasing change our memory? Sometimes it does. Does it change us? Yes. Clinging to the past can be like a ball and chain tied to our feet. It doesn’t matter if that past was good or bad. Clinging to a “good past” can blind us to the good of the moment, and bind us into the fruitless effort of trying to rebuild a collapsed sandcastle. Clinging to a “bad past” keeps us there.

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While our past entrains us into being who we are today, it need not control us. Remember, reframe, refocus, refile, release – and then return to the present.

To remember means to make mindful again. But the key is to be mindful now – in the present, where life is lived and history is made. ~ / August 2011 29

IT’S HAPPENING IN AREA H

FROM THE DESK OF DAVE BARTRAM Email: dwbartram@shaw.ca PH: 757-9737 • FAX: 757-9705 Regional Growth Strategy (RGS): The RGS is a strategic plan mandated by the Province for the purpose of establishing a consistent and coordinated approach across a Regional District. This document is extremely important as the Area H Official Community Plan (OCP) must comply with the RGS and therefore governs all growth in the Region. All RDN residents were asked to respond to an online survey of the new draft RGS. The following are the results of Area H Resident responses.

1. Do you agree that using a boundary to separate areas intended for future urban growth from other areas where urban growth is not supported is an effective way of managing growth in our Region?

Strongly Agree – 31.4%, Agree – 54.3%, Not Sure – 2.9%, Disagree – 11.4%.

2. Do you agree that we need to evaluate which areas should remain as Rural Village Centres? Strongly Agree – 33.3%, Agree – 52.8%, Not Sure – 5.6%, Disagree – 2.8%, Strongly Disagree – 5.6%.

3. Do you support encouraging more people to live in urban and rural village centres in order to increase the opportunities to walk, cycle or take transit? Strongly Agree – 33.3%, Support – 47.2%, No Opinion – 8.3%, Oppose – 11.1%.

4. Rural Village Centres are areas designated for growth in rural Electoral Areas. Do you agree that this will be an effective way to protect our important rural

By Dave Batram, RDN Area H Director

landscapes? Strongly Agree – 36.1%, Agree – 30.6%, Not Sure – 11.1%, Disagree – 16.7%, Strongly Disagree – 5.6% 5. Do you agree that the RDN and its member municipalities should play a larger role in the provision of affordable housing?

Strongly Agree – 44.4%, Agree – 36.1%, Not Sure – 13.9%, Disagree – 5.6%.

6. Do you agree that regional districts and municipalities need to play a larger role in supporting agriculture? Strongly Agree – 63.9%, Agree – 30.6%, Not Sure – 2.8%, Disagree – 2.8% 7. Do you support providing community water and sewer to lands that are inside of Growth Containment Boundaries (Village Centres) while at the same time restricting these services to lands located outside of Growth Containment Boundaries?

Strongly Support – 27.8%, Support – 38.9%, No Opinion – 5.6%, Oppose – 11.1%, Strongly Oppose – 11.1%, Don’t understand the question. – 5.6%.

8. Do you agree that establishing a monitoring and reporting program for the RGS is a priority? Strongly Agree – 25%, Agree – 41.7%, Not Sure – 19.4%, Disagree – 8.3%, Strongly Disagree – 5.6%.

9. The new RGS contains a clear process for making changes to the document. Is this important? Yes – I strongly agree – 75%, No – 11.1%, Not Sure – 11.1%, I don’t understand the question – 2.8% 10. Do you agree with limiting minor amendment to small errors, updating new information and changes resulting from full OCP reviews? Yes, Strongly Agree – 65.4%, No – 7.7%, Not Sure – 26.9%.

Area H resident written comments on the RGS Survey are as follows:

30

/ August 2011

1. Enhancing rural integrity was violated with imposition of building inspection.

2. Why would I travel 35 km to a pool for a one hour swim? Why don’t we have local pools? Why isn’t Qualicum Beach paying for the development of Bowser’s pool? No to rural area central sewage systems. Ramifications of high density even in Containment Boundaries should be better evaluated. There is nothing in RGS requiring the Regional District to prove that there is a sufficient water supply before approving large developments. It is time that the RDN becomes more accountable to rural residents.

3. I am glad to have participated in the OCP. It made me aware of the priorities for our area and the importance of planning ahead to protect the environment.

4. Deep Bay should be designated as a Rural Village Centre.

5. I am not sure that all questions asked are straightforward, therefore allowing the answers to be manipulated.

6. The RDN must find a way to finance community water and sewer systems inside Growth Containment Boundaries (Village Centres).

7. Let’s continue improving our downtown area so that more people will live and shop downtown.

8. RDN needs to cut back on employees.

You are top heavy and waste tax payers money with all your paper work. You think you are important. We do not.

9. I think the Growth Strategy is only a control mechanism of the people not for the people.

Area H Director Comments: The RDN has scheduled two RGS Public Hearings for the 7th Sept in Beban Park Nanaimo and the 8th Sept at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre. This will be the last opportunity for Area H residents to provide input to the RGS before it goes to the Board of Directors for final consideration.

This is my last article in the Beacon as your elected representative to the RDN Board of Directors. As I announced in May, I will not seek re-election during the November 2011 local government elections. It has been my pleasure to represent the residents of Area H the past nine years. Thank you for giving me the opportunity. ~

• LDL Low-Density Lipoprotein • HDL High-Density Lipoprotein • VLDL Very Low-Density Lipoprotein Most cholesterol circulates in the blood as LDL (‘bad cholesterol’) which promotes atherosclerosis by transporting cholesterol into the artery wall. HDL (‘good cholesterol’), is thought to transport cholesterol out of the artery wall. Therefore, high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol are risk factors for CHD. Risk factors that contribute to atherosclerosis include:

CHOLESTEROL MANAGEMENT

by Lucy Churchill RN Qualicum Medicine Centres

• High blood pressure • Cigarette smoking • Sedentary lifestyle • Obesity • Age • Family history of CHD

A

Lifestyle changes can help lower cholesterol:

One of the most important factors affecting the development of atherosclerosis is cholesterol in the blood. Various studies show an increased risk of CHD with elevated cholesterol.

Remember to talk to your healthcare team if you have questions. ~

major cost to our health care system and one of the leading causes of death in Canada is cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease is caused by a narrowing of the arteries to vital organs. When this narrowing occurs in the coronary arteries (that supply the heart) it is called Coronary Heart Disease (CHD).

Narrowing is due to atherosclerosis, caused when fibrous tissue and lipids (fats), particularly cholesterol, build up on the artery wall.

Blood clotting occurs more readily on these surfaces. When a blood clot forms in the narrowed artery a blockage can occur and a heart attack is possible.

• Increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes • Choose leaner meats, fish and poultry • Choose low fat dairy products: skim milk cottage cheese and/or yogurt with 1% milk fat and hard cheese (< than 15% milk fat) • Avoid Trans fats • Get 30 –60 minutes of accumulated exercise on most days • Maintain your ideal weight • If you smoke...quit now • Take any medication prescribed by your doctor

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a necessary component of human cells. It is a waxy fat-like substance found in all animal derived foods (particularly eggs, organ meats, meat fish and dairy products). The human liver is capable of making cholesterol from excess calories, especially from dietary fat. Dietary fat, particularly saturated fat, is a source of elevated levels of blood cholesterol for many people.

Most saturated fats, regardless of their source, increase blood cholesterol. Cholesterol in the blood is surrounded by a protein cover called lipoprotein. Blood cholesterol has three components:

/ August 2011 31

continued from page 22 “It is part of the draw here, and a part of our local economy. When people come for a performance or a show, they shop, eat and stay.

We work together with the merchants. Together is how we attract people.”

Cultural planning developed as a field in the 1960’s as part of European urban regeneration efforts when cities and towns had faced economic and demographic challenges, usually relating to industries shutting down, says Huntsman. These cities and towns incorporated the arts into community planning as a way to revitalize their communities.

A commonly used local example of developing arts and culture as a result of economic shifts is Chemainus, attracting thousands year-round to visit its murals and take in its amazing theatre performances.

The Making Culture Count! cultural planning project will work towards developing a comprehensive cultural plan for the Town of Qualicum Beach.

Cultural planning is about supporting and building on a community’s culture or sense of place, says Huntsman.

“It’s about identifying what counts to our community. It is not about copying what other communities have done, rather, it is about working with what defines the Town, what makes this community unique,” she says. “The more developed and defined sense of Qualicum Beach’s culture there is among residents, the more likely it is to better serve residents, attract new residents, tourists and businesses.”

Check our web-site for residential, recreational and investment properties.

Developing a cultural plan begins with a cultural mapping and scanning process that identifies the Towns’ cultural resources and assets (facilities, activities, events, organizations, individuals, etc.) and then assessing those resources, for instance, what is working and what may need to be improved upon, says Huntsman. The cultural strategy then looks at how to integrate and leverage these resources into community planning and address challenges and opportunities.

The project will unroll over three phases, she says. The project’s first phase started in July with community engagement. This process will reach out to a wide cross-section of residents, community and business leaders and stakeholders. It will begin with a series of in-depth stakeholder interviews, a community-wide cultural survey, online feedback options and a presence at cultural events throughout the month of July 2011.

“Community consultation and participation are vital to successful cultural planning,” says Huntsman.

Next, the early findings will be presented at a Community Cultural Forum in the fall where the community can further participate in the development of a shared vision for a cultural plan for Qualicum Beach and help define concrete actions and priorities.

Finally, the community will have the opportunity to review the initial drafts of the cultural plan, provide further refinement around actions and priorities.

“Consultation is on-going and community ownership is critical to its success. The process could take as long as twenty months, and will put in play strategies for the next five to ten years,” says Huntsman.

“I am looking forward to attending the Farmers’ Market once again this weekend, and will also be present at the Primrose Street

32

/ August 2011

continued next page

Fair and the Artisan’s Market over the next few weekends,” says Huntsman. “I will be there to help answer any questions about the project and gather feedback.

I am enjoying meeting members of the community and the artists, musicians, craftspeople and volunteers. People are very enthusiastic about the project, which is no surprise; Qualicum Beach is an active and engaged pro-culture town.”

A shift towards arts and culture and its potential for economic growth and community stability, has also placed new value on what art means in the context of community culture, spurring debate over what art is, what it means to be an artist, and who art is for. It has also created discussion over the definition of culture. Is culture a common heritage or language? Is it something we shape? Is it a night out at the ballet or the theatre?

“Culture is simply the way we live,” says Vivien Sears, President of TOSH in Qualicum Beach and corporate sponsor for Milner Gardens and TOSH music programmes. “It is not about luxury, or wealth, or superiority of saying ‘I’m a very cultured person’, it’s about who we are as a community.”

Errington; a community she says that offers a sense of freedom to create.

“We are just getting started on the mapping process, which will be ongoing. The cultural map will begin with an initial inventory to identify and record, in a database, the arts, culture and heritage organizations, volunteers and workers (artists, craftspeople, administrators etc.) in the area who participate in the cultural life of Qualicum Beach,” says Huntsman.

“Of course, there are many artists, musicians, and crafts people who live outside the Town’s boundaries yet contribute to our cultural enjoyment. As explained on the project website, we have used Parksville to Bowser as an initial base for the map. If there are cultural workers based in Errington and Nanoose who are actively contributing to the cultural life of Qualicum Beach, they are also welcome to get on the map which can be accessed on the project’s website www.qualicumbeach.com.

In Qualicum Beach, TOSH has been one of the area’s most dynamic arts and culture venues. Its strong arts presentation/promotion efforts include offering studio space to about 30 artists per year, hosting classes for adults, seniors and youth, hosting 25 art shows per year Arts are a part of that identity, a piece of cultural expression. from local, national and international artists, engaging 100 volunteers They are not a luxury we can’t afford, says Sears. “We spend a and welcoming some 30,000 visitors every year. Its 40-show concert disproportionate number of hours constantly analyzing the arts and series draws in residents and visitors year round and contributes a searching for funding, when it is already recognised that there is such significant share of the revenue needed to sustain the operation of the great value in the arts adding to quality of life for human beings. arts centre and support its programming.

“Anything that draws attention to the arts in Oceanside is a positive “We have galleries, a Museum, TOSH, shops, and musical and theatre step,” she says. “I hope that those working on this project get out this performances, all within a couple of blocks,” says Sears. “The arts summer and go to many events, visit with artists and participants, to add immeasurably to the Qualicum experience. We are also fortunate see for themselves what we have to offer.” to have a large resident population of talented people with the time to Sears hopes that the project will address some of the funding and access issues faced by most art organizations, form a framework for collaboration and communication between local arts, recreation, youth, and seniors organizations, and look at the economic and social value of arts to the community.

“It is all about symbiosis to me,” she says. “We need to work together. Take ECHO Players and their welcome willingness to open the Village Theatre to B2B for a summer run. These are the things I’m talking about. It would also be a great asset to have a community-wide arts calendar so that groups can better coordinate their events, and to have existing youth programming supported by provincial coffers through SD69 to ensure the future of arts as part of local cultural identity.”

Sears is also wondering why the project doesn’t extend past Parksville into the Errington and Nanoose areas, especially for

$

“For a long time, there has been some cultural misunderstanding as to the true value of artists,” says painter Patricia Banks. “The artist is often relegated to the margins of society, in part because creativity and art making are often isolated activities away from view of the public, and the creative mind does not necessarily mesh with the business one, so artists also often undervalue themselves and their work. In reality, society significantly relies on all forms of art which have a significant impact across all sectors of society,” she says.

What we are seeing today is a transcendence of art into the broader use of ‘creativity’, in creating healthy outlets for people, connecting community, building economies, and bringing esthetic beauty to everyday life, says Banks.

“I think that planning for arts and culture is very enlightened and leading edge for Qualicum Beach.” ~

WEEKENDS

22

9 HOLES + TAX

18

9 HOLES + TAX

$

donate to the arts,” she points out.

$

3518 HOLES TAX +

TWILIGHT $

28 18 HOLES TAX +

469 Memorial Avenue, Qualicum Beach / August 2011 33

By Marilyn Dawson, Reporter

T

wo major issues that will have a longtime impact on the town were the focus of July’s regular council meeting, water and the high school. Water created the most, sometimes heated discussion over the joint venture agreement with the Arrowsmith Water Service (AWS). First a little history: Several years ago, Qualicum Beach, Parksville and the Regional District of Nanaimo formed the AWS to operate bulk water supply facilities including the Arrowsmith Dam. Not needing the water from the Englishmen River, QB agreed to a 13.7% share. Several weeks ago when the agreement came up for renewal, QB Council voted to reduce its share to 6%, not wanting to be involved in an upcoming huge financial undertaking that essentially supplies much-needed water to Parksville and Nanoose. QB gets its water from aquifers.

This move didn’t sit well with AWS partners, but after some discussion all three came up with an agreement that required Council ratification. The town will still have a 13.7% ownership of the dam, but will not participate in the upcoming capital works project that includes a treatment plant,

Qualicum Beach Town Hall • Linda Tenney photo

reservoir and distribution infrastructure. A consultant report projects the town will not need AWS water for the next 30 years, but even if it does, it has the option to buy in at the purchase price based on construction cost plus any increase in the Consumer Price Index.

While most of Council seemed to consider this a win-win situation, it did not pass without a challenge. Councillor Mary Brouilette said future generations were being short-changed. Paying for it in 2011 dollars over the long term would be cheaper.

Mayor Teunis Westbroek countered that “this was the best possible arrangement, better than I had expected”. Taxpayers would not be burdened with their share of the $50 million project that may never benefit them. The plan calls for water to be taken from the river pumped to a treatment facility in Nanoose and then pumped back to Parksville. The cost to Qualicum Beach, he said, would be huge. He also did not like a total reliance on one source for water. He felt it better to explore the possibility of getting a licence to tap the Little Qualicum River or Cameron Lake and also to look for

more wells in the Berwick field. (In the past, the province has favoured regional water facilities over individual town projects.)

Coun. Brouilette argued that the province won’t support a separate system and there was little hope of getting the Department of Fisheries on side. At this point CAO Mark Brown commented that QB has very good relations with the DFO and is the envy of many communities for its water quality, low rates and usage restrictions. There was no argument on that point.

There was no argument either over Council’s actions to keep Kwalikum Secondary School open by acting on several recommendations from Dr. Doug Player, a consultant hired by the Town. Notably, it gave first reading to rezone the school site so that “public school” is the only permitted use and therefore the land cannot be sold for residential or other uses. “It sends a clear message to the school district that alternative uses are not an option and…the Town controls land use.” There could be other uses for part of the grounds, as long as the public school was upheld. The long-term goal: Keep the school open. ~

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/ August 2011

David Morrison photo

Bentley Le Baron

by David Morrison

S

& the Great Mother Dragon

ince moving here from the UK in 2006 my wife Susan and I have developed quite a relationship with the extraordinarily rich arts scene of this region. This has led to the gradual acquisition, within our means, of a diverse collection of beautiful pieces, often picked up when visiting somewhere new, as a treasured memento of that place.

But within our gallery there is just one local artist represented more than once, being the Denman Island potter, sculptor and painter, Bentley Le Baron.

Like many, we are utterly smitten with this man’s work, but it is little wonder considering the magic that runs through it. Predominantly thematically bound to mythology, the animal kingdom and the natural world, Le Baron’s creations are a joy to gaze upon. This is particularly so when viewing them at his enchanting home studio and “sculpture garden,” a place of true mystical ambience set deep in tranquil Denman Island woods.

Much of the 73-year old Le Baron’s work also possesses glimpses of the wit and mischievous spirit of its creator. When, for example, Susan asked the artist what inspired him to craft his range of ravens with such big, chunky feet, he replied with a cheeky grin that “they would fall over if I made them any smaller.” continued on page 36

/ August 2011 35

continued from page 35 All in all there can be no doubting Le Baron’s distinguished standing in his field(s), a situation neatly reflected in his elegant, aristocratic name. Yet what makes the thirty-two years he has made his living this way so remarkable is that he entered the arena relatively late in life, having taken no formal training. He is creating wonderful art simply because he loves to do it, and because he is blessed with the innate talent to match his drive.

“I was pushing thirty when I first touched clay, in London, England, when doing my doctorate,” he explains. “I was moonlighting at Slade School of Fine Art and hanging around there, I learned to sculpt with clay.

All of my education was academic, but all of the art has come from hanging around artists, in a kind of informal apprenticing.

But I’ve been formally apprenticed to three different potters to learn different skills I wanted to learn, the last one being Gordon Hutchens, here on Denman Island. He’s probably the best in the world.”

When wandering around Le Baron’s studio and garden, as previously mentioned certain thematic threads become apparent in the stunning work of this untrained master.

There are many representations of the female form; figures such as Pan; mounted masks and torsos; creatures real and legendary, and lots of dragons.

And the female figures came from goddess lore, goddess mythology. I was fond of some of the early goddess figures and thought some were so beautiful, instead of being tiny little figurines they deserved to be made larger, so I made them lifesize.”

The artist and one such lifesize goddess figure can be seen in the image presented here, captured in the atmospheric sculpture garden alongside Le Baron’s studio. This is his take on Demeter – the Greek goddess of the harvest, overseer of grains, the seasons, and the fertility of the earth. She is in many ways an apt presence in Le Baron’s corner of the world, considering the lushness of the verdant setting in which she greets visitors.

Le Baron has been resident as an artist and active member of the community on Denman Island for over thirty years, but his background until arriving could hardly have been more different.

“My childhood was ranching in the foothills of Alberta,” he tells me, continuing with a further display of his sense of humour when explaining that his family moved to the “Excited States of America” (specifically Nevada) when he was 11-years old.

“Then on our way back to Canada we had a two or three-year stop in Montana, where we had a little farm, finally coming back to ranching country in Alberta. I went to the University of Alberta to do a four-year degree, then to Wisconsin for a one-year degree, then London for another two years, coming back with a doctorate in Politics and Philosophy. I then taught at Brock University in Ontario for six years and when I decided I’d had enough of that, came out to BC, eventually turning myself into a clayworker. I imagined that I probably couldn’t make a livelihood as a sculptor so I learned to be a potter and made a modest livelihood, but as I couldn’t quit sculpting – especially the dragons – I started selling my sculpture as well as my pottery.”

While best known for his wonderful pottery and sculptures, Le Baron has also been making a mark as a painter in recent years.

Needless to say, he possesses as much natural skill for this discipline as he does for pottery and sculpture.

“Painting and drawing, I’ve done since I was a youngster,” he says. “Maybe I would have tried to make a living as a visual artist, continued on page 38

“The themes developed…came along with the clay,” says Le Baron. “The kiln always seemed like the ‘Great Mother Dragon,’ ‘The Transformer,’ so just hanging out with the kiln got me interested in mythology!

The elementals – earth, air, fire, water – all took me in a kind of Pagan direction and made me interested in those things and themes. Then I started finding imagery from mythology around the world – the sun and the moon, the dragon, the bear, lots of animal creatures that had been sacred to early peoples in different parts of the world.

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36

/ August 2011

250-752-7978

FROM CHORES TO LOVELY LILACS Q: There is a lot of vigorous new growth on my espaliered Peach tree this year.

Can I safely thin out and cut back some of the longer shoots?

A: Yes, summer pruning season has started and it is time to prune your espaliered trees (those trained on an arbour) as well as all fruit bearing trees. Cut out any old stubs, and damaged or crossed limbs. Remove all water sprouts and sucker growth to their bases. Leave no stubs! Remember, this is actually the second best time to prune your trees, so if any are overlooked because of all the foliage, you’ll be able to get them in the winter pruning. By the way, this is also the right time to prune your broadleaf (Skimmia, Pieris, Buxus, and Prunus) and coniferous evergreens (Thuja, Taxus, and Cupressocyparis leylandii).

Q: It was a nice, cool spring so I didn’t have to water much and everything seemed to grow, but now we’re on water restrictions and I can’t tell if I’m watering too much or too little. How can I know exactly how much, and when, to water?

A: Many things influence how much water your gardens need. Soil type is one.

Organic matter in the soil contributes to increased moisture retention, while coarse, gravelly soil will dry out quickly. Another influence is the amount of exposure to wind which also removes moisture from soil and plants’ leaves. Don’t think that because it is a cloudy day, no moisture is lost. In fact, it’s leaving your soil and plants in the wind. Finally, some garden beds are simply

sheltered from rain by trees or structures like buildings and fences, and you should be aware of that.

powdery mildew, purple fall colour, and its compact, upright, rounded form, the Miss Kim is perfect for small gardens.

Most people are wise to rely on meters that are designed to give you accurate readings of what’s going on in the soil. These moisture and pH meters are your “eyes into the soil” and are highly recommended tools. Check the soil’s moisture before and after watering to find out how deeply your watering penetrated. The depth of the root zone of your plants determines how deeply you need to water. It’s also necessary to know your various plants’ water requirements. Some like to be kept moist all the time, while others prefer a short dry period between watering. Planning your beds and grouping plants with similar needs is a gardening skill well worth developing.

Another suggestion is the Meyer Lilac (Syringa meyeri) which is more compact, smaller than Miss Kim. New leaves are edged purple and followed by dense clusters of violet-purple flowers in late spring. Both of these lilacs are fully hardy plants that grow in similar conditions. They tolerate a variety of soil types; need full sun, and regular watering. The Meyer can tolerate some shade. Whichever you choose, you will surely enjoy either of these lovely small lilacs suitable for our area. ~

Seasoned long-time gardeners walk their gardens frequently, and are on the constant lookout for any signs of distress, be it moisture or pest related. You can gain this sense or awareness by spending time in your garden using your moisture meter. You will soon get to know the watering needs of your individual beds.

Harry Sumner is a certified arborist & garden coach. Gardening questions are welcome at 250-248-4512 or shellms@telus. net.

Q: We recently moved into a patio home and we’d love to have a lilac again. Which variety do you recommend for our small space garden?

A: Originally from Korea, the late flowering Miss Kim Lilac (Syringa patula ‘Miss Kim’) is quite popular, and for good reason. Valued for its very fragrant and abundant orchidpink flowers, its resistance to insects and

Drop by!

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4558 Crosley Road, Bowser

250.757.8724 / August 2011 37

• Art Exhibition Show & Sale • Ongoing Workshops • Entertainment • Great Food • Awesome Door Prizes

2011 Lighthouse Community Centre, 240 Lions Way, Qualicum Bay, BC (6 kms. south of Bowser)

For a complete list of Workshops and to register, please go to:

“I don’t really get blocks,” he says. “Some things come easier than others and I sometimes struggle with a painting or a sculpture, but it doesn’t discourage me from wanting to do it. There are always unfinished projects, so I have the choice of starting something new or working on something that’s underway already. I always have something on the go, always.”

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I know…when the words will not come I’ll go take a good look at the lovely Bentley Le Baron works we own; they are bound to get my creative juices flowing! Yes, that’s the answer! ~

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but probably didn’t have enough confidence to think that I could do it, so went to do academic studies instead. It is actually the reason I tended to hang out with art students and at art departments. I was interested in painting and wanted to paint. I figured I could take some time off to paint once the mortgage was paid and the kids were raised, so that’s when I started painting enough to put shows together, only about ten years ago.”

I can only stand back and admire people like Bentley Le Baron, those for whom their creative gifts flow effortlessly.

Too often I find myself staring at my PC monitor or with pen in hand at a piece of paper, scrambling for words to effectively convey what in my mind are the simplest of concepts. But will they come? No, they will not! I suppose it could be said that, at least with magazine work, I am handcuffed by the parameters of my subject matter, while Le Baron is limited only by the outer reaches of his imagination, but for him the creative process moves along with little strain, regardless.

Sat. Nov. 5th & Sun. Nov. 6th 10:00 - 4:00 Daily

VILLAGE GARAGE

continued from page 36 • Bentley Le Baron & the Great Mother Dragon

Until August 9 “Voluptas”, an exhibition of Bentley Le Baron’s Georgia O’Keefe-inspired, flower-themed acrylic paintings, is showing at the Summer Art Gallery above the Senior’s Hall in Denman Village. Bentley’s sculpture and painting can also be discovered at the Salish Sea Market in Bowser. Bentley Le Baron’s studio is situated at 4200 Beaver Drive, Denman Island.

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PICK-UP AND DELIVERY – Tune-ups and repairs to riding lawnmowers and all small engines. Buy and sell used equipment. Call Ron 250-240-1971 e-mail: ronmorrison100@gmail.com SEMI-FURNISHED ROOM – for mature, working female. NS, NP. Someone interested in keeping a clean and comfortable setting. $450/month plus half utilities. Available Sept 1. Please call 250-927-2221.

ANTIQUES - SUMMER SALE Priced to clear - oak & pine country furniture, selected prints, tapestries & books 50% off. Traditional furniture 25% off, Royal Doulton figures 50% off BONUS: Free hollyhock seeds & mint plants. Mildred’s Memorabilia, 3215 Brooklin Lane, Hilliers (located on Hilliers Road South, 6 km west of Qualicum Beach). Open Wed to Sun 11-4 (or by appointment) ph. 250-752-1700.

WEB SITE & SOCIAL MEDIA – Do you need a Web Site or Social Media presence? Perhaps you would like to learn how to use social media and how it can help you promote your product or business. I can help AND I use local products and services! Reasonable rates, experienced with references. FMI Call (250) 240-5535.

RAW FOODS BY DEBORAW – Interested in learning how to transition into a healthy lifestyle incorporating Raw Foods? I can help! Private or Group courses offered. Inquiries welcome. FMI email deborahbtobin@gmail.com.

PERENNIALS FOR SALE – $5 a gallon pail all summer! FMI Call 250-757-9901 GODDESS ESSENTIALS HAIR STUDIO & MOBILE SERVICES – Master Colourist/Barber/Stylist. 20+ years of expertise. Eco-friendly services for the whole family. Organic & Natural based products. PPD & Ammonia-free hair colour. Go Green! Linda 250-5868323 www.goddessessentials.com LEARN TO PLAY PIANO/KEYBOARD – EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN! All ages, formal or just for fun. In home/studio.

First lesson free! Inquiries welcome. FMI Call Gina at “Music Land” (250) 9273005.

FOOTCARE – HYGIENE Soaking feet, cutting nails, filing calluses, treating dry skin – fingernails too. Reflexology – 1 hour sessions. Services offered from Nanoose to Union Bay. Please call Vikki @ 250-757-9244 DON’S HOME REPAIR – plumbing repairs and installations, complete renovations, no job too small. Call Don @ 250-757-8757 or cell 250- 951-8757 MEMORABLE LINES writing and memoir service can solve all your business and personal writing puzzles.

Call 250-335-1157 or 888-330-8366 for a free estimate. For a detailed list of services see www.memorablelines.com.

TIME TO GET ORGANIZED! Call the man with a truck! 250-757-9182 THE CANADIAN SOCIETY OF QUESTERS – No meeting in August.

Next meeting will be held Mon, Sept. 26, 2011. FMI Call Chris (250) 752-1419.

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COAL CREEK FARM – on MacArtney Drive in Fanny Bay has naturally fed, free range duck, chicken, turkey and goose meat available various times of the year. Please call for availability – ask for Paul or Christine (250) 335-1322.

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Home visits are available. Release your body’s self-healing ability through deep relaxation. Please call Marie at (250) 335-0850.

We know you’re thinking about a subscription to The Beacon Magazine See page 46 for details

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Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 am 757-8136 / August 2011 39

Aries (March 21-April 19) This month is party city for your sign! This is a fabulous time for vacations, romance, love affairs, parties and social events, as well as exploring the arts. Since many of you are performers and artisans, you’ll love this chance to express your creativity. Not only are you in a fun-loving mood, fiery Mars now boosts your communication skills. (Since partnerships are so challenging now, what a welcome relief.) Hallelujah!

will you feel lighter and more enthusiastic about life, you will inexplicably attract favourable circumstances and important people to you. Yay! It’s like magic.

Mercury is also in your sign and Venus will join it very soon. This combination makes you talkative, curious about everything and oh so charming and diplomatic. (Sweet!) Friends and partners will enjoy your company. New relationships can begin for some of you.

you want to broaden your horizons. Ideally of course, any Sagittarius will choose travel first. But if you can’t travel, you can explore the world through books, classes, education, talking to people from other countries and different backgrounds, film and even just being a tourist in your own town. The point is to do something different! (If you want something you’ve never had – you gotta do something you’ve never done.)

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You’re focused on home, family and domestic matters. Many of you are re-decorating and finding treasures for your home. Furthermore, since you have such amazing financial savvy, very often your purchases turn out to be investments! (Which is why you’re so hip to television’s Antiques Roadshow. Some of you have likely been on it!) Family gatherings might help with home repairs. Not a bad idea. Many hands make light work.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Each year, this is the time just before the Sun is about to enter your sign. (The Sun will energize you and thrust you to centre stage!)

Therefore, prior to this flashy moment – you need to mentally, physically and psychologically re-group. You need time to think about what you want your new year (birthday to birthday) to be all about. Therefore, this is the time to look back over your shoulder at the last year. How well are you doing at the art of living?

How do you want your next year to be different?

Hmmm?

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Right now, Mars is making you work hard to the point of delegating to others. (Bark!) Venus is beautifully paving the way for you with partners and friends. And both Mercury and the Sun now offer you an opportunity to delve deep into your psyche. You don’t want to just “know” things – you want to “feel” them at the deepest level. You’re hungry to learn in an experiential way. From a mundane point of view, you’re also concerned with taxes, inheritances, shared property and insurance matters. And on top of all this, you’re moving into a self-improvement kick. Wow.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) This month your desire to communicate with others will increase. Many of you will take short trips and spend more time with siblings, neighbours and relatives. The pace of your days will accelerate as you run around talking to everyone, crossing off errands on your To Do list. (“I’m done!”) You love to be busy, as long as it’s your kind of busy. That means fun busy! Even hectic busy is not too bad. But insane busy is terrible.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Money, money, money.

Some of you are looking for work or a better job.

Some of you are trying to improve your current job or get a raise. Some of you are contemplating major purchases and checking out your cash-flow scene.

No matter what your apparent focus on money is all about – the underlying theme in your life right now is actually all about your basic values. You want to know what really matters! You don’t want to be 85 years old one day, looking in the mirror and thinking, “Kid – you blew it.”

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Ah ha! The Sun is back in your sign for the next month, re-juvenating your energy and giving you a wonderful boost. Not only

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Get out your fancy clothes and your dancing shoes because you’re headed into a very busy social month– probably longer. Suddenly, everyone wants to see your face! By all means, accept all invitations. Now is the time to join clubs, groups, classes or professional organizations. You’ll enjoy schmoozing with others, not only for the social hit and the fun enthusiasm this generates within you, but also because these contacts can help you!

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) The Sun is at the top of your chart. This happens only once a year. It indicates that others notice you now, especially bosses, parents and people in authority. (By the way, this includes the police.) Obviously, this is your chance to make the most of it. If you have the attention of powerful people – use it to your advantage. Ironically, not only do they notice you – they see you in a very favourable light. You look competent, capable and successful.

Milk it for all it’s worth! Accept offers of increased responsibilities. You will shine!

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Romance, fun times and vacations appeal to you now. Nevertheless, fiery Mars is stirring up your desire to renovate and make changes at home. And the Sun is urging you to get better organized. That’s why you’re going to go through closets, desk drawers and cupboards. You’ll be turfing what you don’t need and recycling stuff.

You’ll love yourself when it’s all done. You’ll feel proud of your digs and more in charge of your life.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Life is getting exciting Yes! (This is what you want.) ~ because the heavens now urge you to travel. Basically,

FAX • COPY • PRINT

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Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) This week the Sun moves directly opposite your sign. This happens only once a year but when it does, it’s an indication you will be low-energy. In fact, you’re going to need more sleep. Respect your need for more rest. Another thing this opposition of the Sun does is focus your energy on partnerships and close friendships. Expect to be absorbed with a relationship and wondering where you stand? How do others view you? Are you giving them what they want? What is really going on?

Continued from page 7 - Slow Boat to Bamfield and in to Barkley Sound, docking first at West Bamfield to drop off day-trippers and freight, then proceeding on to East Bamfield, across a serene inlet that trails through the midst of the tiny community. We had just over an hour to explore the charming nooks and crannies of this tucked-away gem, then it was back on to the boat for the laid-back, three-hour reverse journey up the Alberni Inlet. Travelers were treated to black bear and eagle sightings; whales are not an unusual attraction on these trips either. One new passenger joined us in mid-channel, part-way up the inlet via delivery by skiff to the Frances Barkley – just one more example of the accommodating and friendly ‘can-do’ attitude of the ship’s crew.

Those contemplating this leisurely day trip would be well-advised to dress in layers. Be sure to pack your camera and binoculars. All

sailings leave Port Alberni’s waterfront at 8 am; if you don’t have time or the inclination for breakfast before leaving home the galley on the ship offers a respectable, reasonablypriced menu of hot dishes throughout the day.

Further information on reservations, sailing schedules and routes, and passenger fares can be obtained by going to www. ladyrosemarine.com or phone toll-free 1-800-663-7192. Reservations are especially advised during the busy summer season.

Information on Bamfield’s many attractions, accommodations and activities can be found at www.bamfieldchamber.com or by phone at 250-728-3351, which is the Bamfield General Store/Chamber of Commerce contact point. ~

BUSINESS INFORMATION CENTRE Our Advertisers

Category............. Ad Page

EyesOnBC Business Centre............................ 29 Arrowsmith Automotive Automotive Services.......................29 Dominion Lending Centres, Elaine Peligren Business & Financial Services.........45 Jennifer Hubbard, Solicitor, Notary Public Business & Financial Services.........40 NR Insurance Services Business & Financial Services.........47 Wisdom is Within Coaching Business & Personal Coaching........21 Medicine Centre Health Services...............................31 Thermography Clinic Vancouver Island Health Services...............................23 Gemini Technical Services (Appliances) Home & Garden Services................46 Horne Lake Electric Home & Garden Services................45 King Renovations Home & Garden Services................45 Lighthouse Trucking Ltd. Home & Garden Services................45 NorthPacific Window Home & Garden Services................19 Qualicum Bay Custom Carpentry Home & Garden Services................44 Witte Construction Home & Garden Services................45 Handy Sandy Services Maintenance Services.....................44 ReMax First Realty - Setter & Assoc.

Real Estate......................................23 Royal LePage - Carol Gregson Real Estate......................................32 Arrowsmith Golf & Country Club Sports & Leisure..............................14 Peter Mason Land Surveyor Surveying & Land Information........45 The advertisers listed here also have their business cards and brochures racked with us at The Beacon office in our Community Information Centre. If you require further information about any of the businesses noted above, please feel free to call or stop by our office. We support local business and firmly believe in the power of networking.

Continued from page 6 Small Space Living for the Modern Gypsy built-in storage below). It features a Dutch door made from a reclaimed window and door, solid wood curved beams, locally milled spalted Alder tongue-and-groove flooring, a built-in table, bench, and set of drawers, and a cozy little front porch, all set on top of a four-wheel hay-wagon type chassis. It’s clad in cedar shakes and includes a base-board heater and light fixtures.

This summer, Wilson is building her first live-in caravan, which will be her biggest yet (10 feet wide x 26 feet long) and will include a kitchen and plumbing.

The idea of actually living in such a small space may strike some people as unlikely, but Wilson points out that there is a widespread “small home movement” which her caravans fit right into. In fact, her business was recently featured on the Tiny House Blog, sharing space with Javanese Joglo cottages and picturesque tree houses.

Working on tiny spaces lets Wilson indulge her passion for fine craftsmanship, natural materials, and eco-friendly building techniques.

“When you have a small space, you can afford to create beautiful, healthy spaces, using high-quality materials instead of having Melamine everywhere and materials that are off-gassing into your environment,” she says. As well, living small makes sense environmentally (fewer materials, smaller footprint, less resources used for heat, etc), and economically.

“To not have a huge mortgage over your head gives you so much more freedom,” comments Wilson.

Freedom – no doubt that’s one reason people love these caravans. Wilson’s garnered rave reviews from people who have bought her creations, and has a number of clients lined up for the future. It seems Hornby Island Caravans has found itself at the crossroads where the ancient Gypsy archetype meets contemporary directions in eco-living, artisanal craftsmanship and downsized budgets – the perfect parking spot for this up-and-coming small business.

More info: www.hornbyislandcaravans.com

/ August 2011 41

Community Events LIGHTHOUSE COMMUNITY CENTRE (LCC) Qualicum Bay - INFO: LOIS NELSON: 757-9938 Pancake Breakfast, Flea Market, Live Music, Veggies, Poultry & Small Animal Swap, Master Gardeners: – Sun Aug 14th, 8am-noon.

The Qualicum Bay Lions will be cooking up breakfast this morning.

The Perfect Mortgage takes you where you want to be...

CreditMaster Ask how you can have one today!

Lighthouse Seniors #152 – Annual picnic Aug 24th from 11-4pm. Next meeting Sept 13th.

For more info call Shirley at 757-2384 Lighthouse Floor Curlers – Summer curling begins June 6th to Sept 12. Mondays 1 pm at the Lions Rec Hall, Qualicum Bay. Drop in $2.

FMI Call Dennis Leach 250-757-8218 or Tillie Murray 250-757-9218.

AA Lightkeepers: every Fri. 8pm. Info: 250-7578347 Bridge at LCC Nordin Room – 1-4pm Friday afternoons. Call Ann: 250-757-8194 Taoist Tai Chi Society Classes at LCC and Fanny Bay OAP Hall. FMI Susan @ 757-2097 Lighthouse Trails Group needs your help. Val Weismiller: 757-9667

Belly Dancing – Mondays at 7pm at the Bowser Legion. Inquiries welcome. FMI Email bowserbrynn@yahoo.ca LIGHTHOUSE RECREATION INFO PATTY: 757-8366 shipshore@shaw.ca Bowser Tennis Club (Bowser Legion Courts): Adult novice 6:30pm Mondays; Adult club doubles drop-in, Wed 6:30pm. FMI Phone Bob 250-757-8307 or steelehunt@ shaw.ca RDN ACTIVE LIVING GUIDE Drop by EyesOnBC in mid-August to pick up the Fall and Winter Active Living Guide. New and favourite programs are featured for all ages, held close to home at either Bowser Elementary School or the Lighthouse Community Centre.

Please contact Lighthouse Recreation Programmer Chrissie Finnie at 250-757-8118 or cfinnie@rdn.bc.ca for further information.

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS & CLUBS The Lighthouse Country Fall Fair exhibit guide is available online – start planning your entries now! www.communityclub.ca Fall Fair is September 3rd!

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Fanny Bay Community Garage Sale/Junk-in-yourTrunk on Aug. 6th at the Fanny Bay Hall from 9 am to 1 pm. Bring your treasures to sell. For table rentals and information please call 250-335-3282.

Parksville Career Centre: Beyond the Postings – Finding Work in Oceanside: 80% of jobs are not advertised. Learn the tolls you need to successfully access this hidden job market. Gain an understanding of the local economy and find work faster. Wednesday, August 10 or August 24, 9:30am-12:30pm. FMI Call – 250-248-3205 or visit www.careercentre.org Parksville Career Centre : Resumes and Cover Letters: Learn how to identify your transferable skills as well as learn how to create, organize and effectively communicate your experience to employers. Monday August 8 or August 22, 9:30am-12:30pm. FMI Call – 250-248-3205 or visit www.careercentre.org Round Dance Beginner Lessons – Two Step & Waltz with Lorna and Carmen Corbet. Starting Sept. 8th, running Thursdays 7 – 9 pm at the O.A.P. Hall in Fanny Bay. FMI Call 250-702-2191.

54th Annual, Qualicum Beach Ocean Mile Swim – Sunday, August 21st at the boat ramp. Free Registration from 12 to 2:30pm, Swim at 3 pm. A “fun” event for the whole family with 7 age groups in 9 categories and 13 awards. FMI Call @ 250-752-5014 MEGA Sports Camp for kids ages 5 – 12: 9 – 12 noon August 22 – 26 at the Qualicum Bay Lions Hall.

Join us for lots of fun activities including sports, group games, snacks, stories and more! Choose between field sports and highland dancing. To register call Lynda at 947-5736. $20 suggested donation. Put on by Wildwood Community Church Summertime Boogie Time with Malloomba! @ the Coombs Big Dance 4U! Sat August 20, 8 - 12pm Coombs Community Hall (rodeo grounds) All Tix $15 @ Shoe Inn (QB), Coombs General Store, Back Road Java (Errngtn), Cranky Dog Music (PV) @ at the door, if not sold out. Sorry no minors. Free overnight camping more info ph Doug 250-752-8505 Chess Tournament 2011 Third Bishops of Bowser Open Sunday August 14 – Bowser Legion Hall The Bishops of Bowser supply all equipment and clocks for the tournament. This tournament will be four rounds, game in 45 with 5 second increments. Prizes will be quality tournament chess equipment. Ties will be settled by a five minute blitz round.Pre-registration

by August 7 – $20. Pre-registration after August 7 before August 14 –$25. Registration at the door –$30.

Send cheque or money order: Bishops of Bowser, c/o 7445 Island Hwy W, Bowser BC V0R 1GO. Details at

August 2011 bowserchess.pbworks.com or phone Robert at 250 757-8709.

Sponsored by: Regional District of Nanaimo, Irly Builders Supply and TOMM’s Food Village

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN AUGUST!

The Qualicum Bay Lions meet from September to June on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month. We have a dinner at 6 pm and meetings start at 7 pm. Our meeting hall is just behind the Light House Community Hall on Lions Way. We are a volunteer group that helps our community in many ways. If you are interested in joining our club, contact Shirley Phillips at 757-8384 or George Stringer at 335-299

www.rcl211.ca

Aug 23 • Branch 211 Executive Meeting

“Like” BowHorneBay Community Club on facebook and stay up to date on community events in Lighthouse Country!

We’re also online – view our website at www.communityclub. ca. Looking for a place to get involved in your community?

Come join the club and meet great people! FMI call Sheena @ 757-9991

Hall Rentals 250-757-9222 • Mon to Fri 9:00 am - 12 noon

Aug 1 • BC Day Salmon BBQ........................................4:00 pm Aug 7 • No Junk Garage Sale.................. 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Aug 14 • Chess Tournament.......................9:00 am to 5:00 pm Aug 21 • 211 Indy Lawnmower Derby.... (registration @ 11am)

Lighthouse Country Scrapbookers – August Crop cancelled.

Next Crop Sat. Sept. 17th. More information call Jorgie (250) 757-8358 or Shirley (250) 757-8384 Lighthouse Spinners – Every Tues. 10:30-2:30pm in the Community Centre Board Room. New members welcome. FMI Jo 250-757-8402

Horseshoes Belly Dancing Mixed Darts

Dance To Timberline Band – Free, live old-time Country & Rock’n Roll music. Every Wed. 7:30 -10:30pm Parksville Legion, 146 West Hirst St., Parksville. All welcome.

Living with Cancer Support Group – 1st Thurs of month, Gardens at Qualicum Beach from 1:30 to 3:30pm. This group is not only open to cancer patients but also to their caregiver. FMI Rosemary at 250-951-2167.

Sundays..........................................1:00 pm Mondays.........................................7:00 pm Fridays............................................7:30 pm

Now open Sundays from 1 to 5 pm

Kiwanis Club of Parksville/Qualicum Beach meets on the 1st and 3rd Tues. at the Kiwanis Village 250 West First Ave. QB at 7:15pm. 19 plus are welcome if you wish to assist seniors and children in need in our Community. FMI Call Thomas at 250-7527424.

Oceanside Dementia Education DVD presentations: Where: The Gardens at Qualicum Beach, Theatre Room When: The fourth Tuesday of every month, from 2pm-4pm FREE. Register by calling 250.752.2818, ext. 0 to reserve your seat. Hope to see you there!

Old Time Fiddle Jamboree: Music and Dancing hosted by the Coombs Old Time Fiddlers – Sat., Sept. 17th at the Coombs Rodeo Grounds. Open Stage - 1 pm. Afternoon Admission: $5.

No charge for performers and children under 12. Featured Performer: Sarah Tradewell. Dance from 7:30 to 10 pm. Evening Admission: $5.

Dry overnight camping available, FMI Call Roy: (250) 752-3636 or Nell (250) 752-4185.

We welcome submissions from non-profit and charitable organizations to our Event Calendar. Please send them by email to us prior to the 15th of each month. Thank you. beacon@eyesonbc.com

Fall 2011/Winter 2012 Active Living Guide

Bowser Office 250-757-8118

New and favourite programs to keep all members of your family active!

Oceanside Place 250-248-3252 Ravensong Aquatic Centre 250-752-5014 Register online at:

www.rdn.bc.ca

Look for it in the mail August 12 or pick one up at the Bowser office at Eyes on BC For registrationandinformation, contactChrissieFinnie,RecreationProgrammerattheBowseroffice

Find The Beacon Magazine on Twitter and Facebook www.facebook.com/beaconmagazine www.twitter.com/beaconmagazine / August 2011 43

Certified Septic System Specialist Sand & Gravel Topsoil Bark Mulch Septic Systems Driveway Chips Water Lines

Culverts Drain Problems

Accommodation

Septic Installation

We encourage you to “think local” when looking for products or services

Monthly Rentals Available September to April

Call Lauren & Save

Horse, General Farm & Wildlife Electric Fence & Nets 430 Grovehill Road • Qualicum Beach 250-757-9677

Cranial Sacral Therapy

Fencing

FERRIS FENCING

Home Improvement

(250) 757-8156 or (250) 954-8716

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Military Surplus Pellet Fuel Sales

Drywall

Sewing Services Home Repairs

Signs

Electrical Services

Picture Framing

Custom Carpentry

www.ferrisfencing.com • info@ferrisfencing.com

Darlene St Jacques RCST R Registered Cranial Sacral Therapist

Heart Hands Mind Body in Motion 250.752.5842 250

email: craniosacral11@gmail.com www.mycranialsacral.com

Nature’s Own Medical Clinic

Ph 250.248.5959 • Toll Free 1-888-842-5959 www.completewindows.ca

Your Local Entertainment Centre

. New Releases . Great Library Selection . New & previously viewed movies for sale . Machine Rentals - N64, PSX & XBox . Game Rentals - N64, PSX, PS2 XBox & GameCube

Ask our Staff for your hard-to-find titles Reservations Accepted

757-8353

#3 - 6996 West Island Hwy, Bowser

drywall Drywall

Excavating

2003 Kobelco SK160Lc Excavator for Hire

778-427-2606

1 hr. stimulating

250 • 240 • 7778 tjfarrell@shaw.ca

Plumbing

the foot sanctuary reflexology $ 22 foot massage Pedicures $ 25

T.J. Farrell

Serving Bowser & Deep Bay

ED KING

Cabinets & Woodworking • Custom•Kitchen Entertainment Centers • Spray Booth Painting & Lacquering

Phone: 250-738-0462 Cell: 250-927-0590 e-mail: kingreno@telus.net Qualicum Beach

Mortgage Lending

Call Trish 757.8030 tomandtrish@shaw.ca

Sand - Gravel - Topsoil

Custom Renovations

ph. 757-9713 c. 927-2157 e. shaun.witte@gmail.com

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL ALTERNATE ENERGY

Est. 1985

Heating & Cooling

WCB & Insured Shaun Witte Owner/Journeyman

Electrician

Construction

LTD

Foot Care

Specializing in Drywall Finishing Commercial • Residential Free Quotes

Brandy Kosiancic

Witte Construction

House Painting

Heating

BOWSER

Land Surveying

#7-1176 Franklin’s Gull Rd, Parksville, BC

Movie & Game Rental

Windows & Doors

RENOVATIONS • WINDOWS DOORS • SUNROOMS

105 Islewood Dr. Bowser, BC V0R 1G0

/ August 2011 45

Barber Services

Philip Brown

Enviro Products

INSTALLATION SERVICE & REPAIRS

250-240-4902 • 250-757-8077 EVENINGS

Appliance Repair

Plumbing Gas Heating

Yoga Classes Hearing Services

PLUMBING • GAS • HEATING

.. Biodegradable Free .. Solvent Concentrated Phosphate Free

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Plumbing & Gas Services

Tree Service

Chimney Cleaning

Parts Store Open Mon to Fri 9-4

Join us for worship, prayer and fellowship with others from the community

ROASTED FRESH DAILY

Roastery and Coffee Shop COOMBS JUNCTION 2701 Alberni Hwy.

Sunday Worship 10:00 am