Beacon Magazine - July 2010 by EyesOnBC Publishing

JULY 2010 vol 6 issue 74

TrekOn! All Aboard! â&#x20AC;˘ 14 In Need of Food for Thought 8 | Big Frog in the Wrong Pond 27

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THIS CANNERY? The answer is not as easy as you might think...even for those who may already have discovered it! The first person who provides the correct answer, and there’s only one correct answer, will receive a $25 gift certificate from The Beacon Magazine. Can you figure it out? Nope ... the answer’s not The Beacon, EyesOnBC, or even Bowser. Now we’ve got you thinking! Call or send email with your answer, or feel free to ask for a hint. Watch here next month to see if we have a winner. 250-757-9914 or beacon@eyesonbc.com Contest continues until someone has the correct answer. BUSINESS SERVICES FAX • COPY • PRINT DESIGN

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LOCAL ARTIST GALLERY An eclectic collection of paintings, pottery, candles, glassware, jewellery, furniture, art cards & books.

In Need of Food for Thought

Big Frog in the Wrong Pond

FEATURE In Need of Food for Thought BUSINESS & FINANCE

5 Biz Banter 7 Coal Notes from Denman Island 22 LCBA Business Spotlight

GREAT OUTDOORS

14 27 32 44

Trek On Through the Seasons Tide Table Into the Garden

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Fond of the Tourist Fumble

40 41 42

Reel Reviews Featured Artists – EyesOnBC Gallery Phil Dwyer Music Festival: Let the Music Play!

COMMUNITY LIFE 6 Inspired by Community 10 Fond of the Tourist Fumble 11 The Art of Conscious Living 12 Wait For Our Future 20 On the Agenda 24 It’s Happening in Area H COMMUNITY PEOPLE 16 Meet the Farmer in the Dell 18 Harbour View Bistro 30 Images & Voices 45 Lighthouse Country Grads

Heron Dining Out in Bowser [cover] ▪ Kettle at the Cottage [below]

HEALTH

19 Dog Training For Babies 34 Taking Yoga on Vacation 35 Naturopathic Notes 37 Health & Wellness Matters

THE REGULARS

46 47 48-49 51 52-54

LAURI GWILT PHOTOS

Classifieds In the Stars Community Events Business Information Centre At Your Service Index & Businesses

by Linda Tenney

July 2010 VOLUME 6 NO 74 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 Hours: Mon - Fri 10am-5pm 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, Brenda Timbers, Rachel Allen, Dick Stubbs

intended to write about the ‘hot’ issue of Building Inspections again this month, but the vote by the Regional District of Nanaimo’s Board of Directors on June 22 precluded any further discussion on the issue. That doesn’t mean to say, of course, that the opposing segment of the community has accepted the decision quietly. I suspect that we’ll be hearing more when the proverbial dust settles. For the moment though, the vote has been made, and Building Inspections will be implemented starting October 2010 for new commercial builds, and in April 2011 for new residential builds. Dave Bartram, Regional Director for Area H informed residents via email shortly following the meeting and vote. Below is an excerpt from that email. “Tonight the RDN Board of Directors passed the Region Wide Building Inspection bylaw. Throughout the public consultation process in Electoral Areas A, C, F and H, residents were divided on this issue. 1305 registered voters of the 14630 Electoral Area A, C, F, and H registered voters or 9 % of the registered votes in the four Electoral Areas as of the 22 June 2010 had signed petitions opposing building inspection. Those organizing the opposition to region wide building inspection have claimed more signatures however; hundreds were not on the registered voters list for Electoral Areas A, C, F, and H or were duplicate or multiple signatures by the same person. The feedback from the nine public consultation events outlined five major concerns: Owner builder house construction, Time and Expense; Cost of permits/Impact on property tax; Site cut lumber; Farm Building exemption, and [a worry that it would] Destroy [our] rural quality of life. Each of these concerns was addressed by the RDN Board of Directors in the debate leading to the vote on the Region Wide Building Inspection Bylaw. 1. Extend the permitting time for owner-builders with conditional occupancy and eliminate building permit renewal fees and replace with an administration fee of $100 to cover the cost of administering a permit renewal.

Volunteer - Cathy Balogh

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Canada - 1 yr: $25 incl GST United States - 1 yr: $40 (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

2. Establish a specific exemption for farm buildings from the building regulation bylaw requirements 3. As all lumber must be graded in accordance with the BC Building Code, a provincial law, Staff were directed to investigate and report back to the Board on the RDN providing site cut lumber grading under the building inspection service at a minimal or no additional cost. 4. Building Inspection fees were compared to the Regional Districts and Municipalities surrounding the RDN and they were found to be comparable. This included neighbouring jurisdictions with region wide building inspection such as Regional Districts of Alberni Clayquot and Comox Valley which have similar rural areas and face similar concerns regarding affordability. In addition, the RDN Board of Directors has given direction to ensure that building inspection is based on a user pay funding model, therefore the service is only supported by fees from those requiring permits and would not be supported by a tax requisition from the general population. 5. Many residents throughout the consultation process expressed a fear that the introduction of building inspection would eliminate the rural lifestyle even though the majority of residents would not be affected by the service as it would only apply to new construction and major renovations. A review of Regional Districts surrounding the RDN and others across the province confirmed that with full building inspection in all their electoral areas these regional districts continued to enjoy a vibrant rural lifestyle.” ~ LOCALLY OWNED • COMMUNITY INSPIRED

Linda Tenney co-Publisher tenney@eyesonbc.com

/ July 2010

Sharon Waugh co-Publisher waugh@eyesonbc.com

Jeanette Spibey Customer Service jeanette@eyesonbc.com

Elizabeth Cudmore Customer Service cudmore@eyesonbc.com

Margaret Reid Contract Distribution

Frank Hladik Advertising 951-8824

This will be welcome news to those with a sweet tooth – The Vintage Candy Shop will be opening this month at 119 West 2nd Avenue, Qualicum Beach. Owner Francis Malouin tells us, “As the name suggests, The Vintage Candy Shop will be no average candy store. The shop will be packed full with an assortment of old fashioned candies, foreign candies, chocolates, lollipops, and old fashioned ice-cream. It will have an atmosphere that will take you on a trip down memory lane.” When asked what is the difference with “old fashioned” icecream and todays standard cone, Francis explained, “Our supplier will be providing us with ice-cream made with real cream, no artificial additives or preservatives and made with fresh ingredients. Come visit us at the Vintage Candy Shop for your favourite treat or to treat your favourite ones.” Francis, here’s to a successful launch and a hot summer for ice-cream lovers! Are interested in the health and overall wellbeing of your horse? Then you may want to consider the Natural Balance Barefoot Trim, a service provided by Tina Street of Nature Balance Equine Hoof Care. This specialized trim promotes soundness, better balance, and performance – all while keeping the shoes off. After completing a twoyear apprenticeship and several trimming courses, Tina Street is now a graduate from

A LE

the Colorado School of Equine Lameness Prevention, and is accepting new clients. A special program, offered by Tina, is the “Trim Your Own Horse” seminar – a oneon-one course which will instruct you how to take care of the trimming of your own horse’s feet, giving you a true understanding of the fundamental basics in hoofcare and lameness prevention.Tina can be reached at 250-752-8380. Please refer to her classified ad on page 46. A warm welcome to Melanie Ikeda, the new owner and host of the beautiful Whitley House B&B, located at 478 Village Way, Qualicum Beach. Melanie has been very busy with house renovations and upgrades to the gardens on this private, five acre property, complete with ponds, decks and arbors. Have you been thinking about finding that perfect local spot for a celebration? Weddings, anniversaries and birthdays are welcome and the big tent will be up until the end of September to make the most of our spectacular fall season. Cater it yourself or outside catering arrangements can be also be made. Melanie has already been welcoming guests from all over Canada and Europe; reservations are recommended but drop-in requests are also taken care of based on availability. Melanie is encouraging her community to “stay in touch for upcoming

By Sharon Waugh changes” and invites you to come and view her facility for the accommodation eeds of your visitors and upcoming event planning. Visit www.whitleyhouse.com and/or call 250-752-5811 for more information. All the best of success Melanie! Congratulations to the Curves fundraising team for their $3,914 contribution to The Heart & Stroke Foundation of BC & Yukon. “While we work to improve the lives of the women in the Qualicum Beach area through Curves, we also feel it is important to reach out to others in our community,” said Catherine Morin, owner of Curves of Qualicum Beach. “We are proud to be able to partner with them to help our area as one of our goals is to foster community involvement through charitable efforts.” ~ Oops! We omitted contact information for Expertise Painting from last month’s Lighthouse Country Business Association’s “Business Spotlight” (June 2010, pg 26). Owner Byron Van Horne can be reached at 250-335-1888, cell phone 250-338-3539 and toll-free at 1-866-456-1888. ~

New Local BOOK! Grow up locally with Lawrence and his childhood friends, then go to sea with the crews of various vessels as they sail the waters of North America from the balmy tropics to the frozen seas of Alaska.

CHILD OF THE STORM The Adventures of a West Coast Kid LAWRENCE FOORT

Available at

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* Ship & Shore, Deep Bay * Barnes & Noble * Amazon.com * Trafford Publishing

ALSO AVAILABLE AT THE BEACON IN BOWSER

/ July 2010 5

ALL I NEED AN ORIGINAL POEM BY JENSEN KELTIE - AGE 10, GRADE 4

Don’t need money Or some honey From the buzzing bees In the sycamore tree Got all I Need in the Hobopack A book, some bread, water and cheese Gifts from God and the birds and the beasts No one needs more than a spoonful of love Pinch of emotion Dash of mud ’Cause it hardens round your hopes And strengthens your dreams All gifts from God and the birds and the beasts

“Please tell your organizers that my wife and I drove up from Victoria for this garden tour. We have been on garden tours from Courtenay to Victoria, and this was the best one we have ever attended!”

fter six months of hard work, a comment like the one above makes it all worthwhile. A lot of people want to know how the gardens were chosen. A few were nominated from neighbours and others were found on walking or driving tours of every single street from Deep Bay to Qualicum Bay. There are some pretty impressive gardens in our neck of the woods, but alas understandably, some owners didn’t wish for 350+ people to be wandering around through their labours of love. I had a chance to view some of the gardens in the late afternoon of the tour. Mark Charlinski told me, with a smile on his face “This is insane! I haven’t even had a chance to get something to eat!” His happy garden visitors were busy writing down names of unusual plants and Mark was digging up small dictamnus or gas plants for eager growers. Other popular plants at Barb Bodner’s home were the deep purple

succulent ionium, which lucky gardeners were given slips of and the “wedding cake tree” or variegated dogwood. Artists also had a successful day in the gardens with their paintings being sold after multiple bids at the silent auction which was held during the strawberry tea/ tour wrap up in the Lighthouse Community Centre. On behalf of Sheena McCorquodale, Pat Mclean, Pam Horbay and myself, we would like to thank our wonderful volunteers and of course our amiable and knowledgeable garden hosts.We hope you were inspired enough to think about having your garden on the 2012 tour! ~ Sandra Wahlgren

HANK YOU and welcome to Lee Frederick of Georgia Park Store! I had asked Lee for a box as I was purchasing numerous bottles of wine for the garden tour wrap up. He politely asked what the occasion was, then asked me how many people were coming, the food I was serving and calculated how much wine I needed. Lee then made some wonderful wine suggestions, which did not disappoint! Thanks Lee for all your knowledgeable and affable help! ~ Sandra Wahlgren

COAL NOTES FROM DENMAN ISLAND submitted by Neil Bockman, Denman Island

diverse group of islanders has been meeting about every two weeks ever since the Raven Coal Mine was first proposed in August 2009. We call ourselves – Denman Opposes Coal (D.O.C.). We recognized early on that, most likely, only a concerted and coordinated effort with the other communities within the zone of impact from the proposed mine would have any chance to galvanize opposition successfully against its approval. It is clear that a large percentage of residents from Parksville to Courtenay/Comox are very concerned about this latest assault on our environment. We know what we are up against. The BC Provincial Liberals and the Federal Conservatives are wholly owned subsidiaries of any corporation willing to open their chequebooks for what remains of our natural resources. Today, more and more of those corporations are foreign owned. Our governments (provincial and federal) are following a script that fits more closely with the late 19th century model of use it up and move on to the next resource. Just like that era, our present “leaders” show the same contempt for anyone who dares to speak up for the sanctity and diversity of Nature. Everything is for sale. The only value of the environment is that which translates into dollars. They say that the coal is not being burned here so the question of CO2 emissions is non-existent. Tell that to those communities forced to live with the consequences of coal production and the numerous pollution

issues related to mining. We will be forced to accept immediate and future threats. There could be socio-economic disruptions and devaluations of property values. There are very real threats regarding ground water contamination; air pollution with long term health effects, especially to the elderly and the young; a high likelihood of habitat destruction not only to creeks and estuaries and the aquatic life in those systems, and to Baynes Sound, including the oyster and scallop aquaculture which comprises over half of all of the production in B.C.; and decades of endless 24/7 B-train truck traffic and all of the impacts that come with that activity including elevated noise levels, traffic concerns , and added pollution just from the volume of traffic. Add to that the emissions and potential impacts to the Port Alberni truck route and the ship traffic coming and going up Alberni Inlet. The potential for an accident is high in that narrow passage and one accident in the Inlet or entrance to Barkley Sound could have serious effects on the marine environment. On top of all of these hazards is the high probability of acid leeching which we see nearly everywhere where coal mining interfaces with natural water systems and this effect can last for many decades beyond the actual closing of the operations. And what is their one and only response for this massive negative impact on our fragile coastal environments? Jobs. Haven’t we heard this before? For the “promise” of maybe a couple of hundred jobs, our communities are being told to gamble

everything they cherish and nurture, including the health of their children. As a society we can no longer treat the environment as an endless ATM machine. The principal has been mostly sold off and we are now living on marginal interest rates from our resource base. Cumberland last shut down its coal mines in 1966. At that time the population of Cumberland was about 1300, mostly comprised of miners and their families. Courtenay had a population of only 5,000 and Comox had 2700 residents. But by the mid 1980’s the economies began to change. Fishing, mining, and logging were beginning to drop off. As a result population demographics shifted. Some smaller communities virtually disappeared. Others remained static or witnessed only small percentage growth of 3% or less. But the Comox Valley began to diversify its economies, even as far back as 1965. Agriculture, services, tourism, and waves of retired people began to establish homes there. This series of growth spurts led to increased health care facilities and the arts and recreational services also kept pace. The shellfish industry started earlier than 1965 but its place in the economy was getting stronger by the mid 1980’s. House and business construction has kept pace. Today, Costco is establishing a huge store opposite Home Depot in Courtenay. There may be 130 jobs or more local jobs from this one business – almost as much as the coal mine allegedly claims it will provide. The population of Courtenay in 2009 was CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

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IN NEED OF FOOD FOR THOUGHT

New Bowser Food Bank Supports Local Families Through “Economic Recovery”

By Lisa Verbicky

LISA VERBICKY PHOTO

nother dreary “June-uary” day spits down in the parking lot outside Bowser’s new monthly food bank at Wildwood Church. It’s one of those days of melancholy that could meander into weather-induced depression if it weren’t for a warm coffee shop and a routine. The realization that there are people out there without either of these comforts may bring a momentary rush of relief by selfish human comparison, until one witnesses a young family pull in to pick up a food hamper. It’s hard to deny the creeping fear that sets in when volunteers reveal it has been “a busy morning.” I am struck by a bag of mixed messages while sifting through a box of Kraft Dinner, tinned beans, oatmeal, crackers and a one-litre carton of milk, all generously donated to supplement the diet of someone who was ‘just a paycheque or two away’. Today, one can only wonder how much solace there is to be found in media reports on ‘economic recovery’, and how much is found in the hearts of kindly neighbours. The new monthly food bank depot, happening the second Wednesday of each month, was set up after a local resident and member of the Kiwanis Club, Sylvia Chaddock, suggested that there might be a need closer to home. Members of the Kiwanis Club picked up the idea and then L to R: Pastor Paul Budd, Kiwanis Volunteer, Joan Armstrong, and Kiwanis Volunteer, Thomas Sturge joined forces with the Salvation Army to bring it to the church. In one month it has According to Major Rolf Guenther of the Parksville Salvation Army, seen its demand for hampers go from 4 to 21. food bank numbers across Oceanside have gone up here from 191 households consuming a food value of $22,000 in April 2009, to 359 The increase, according to organizers, might simply mean that households consuming almost $40,000 in food by April 2010. those who normally pick-up their hampers in Parksville or Courtenay, are now able to do so locally. The food bank has also seen a dramatic rise in the number of children that are using its services in Oceanside. The number of school lunch “Bowser is not our biggest client, but, we did expect about 20 packs sent out to schools across District 69, says Major Guenther, has families to use the service here,” says Leah LaVallee, Salvation risen from 350 to 630 packs per month. From January to May of 2009, Army Food Bank Supervisor for Oceanside, an area that he says there were also 150 children at home being served. As of April includes food banks in Parksville, Coombs, and Nanoose. 2010 that number has risen to 210. Numbers, however, could go up, says LaVallee, as part of a “The numbers are up everywhere,” says Guenther. province-wide trend that is seeing the number of people using food banks steadily increasing across communities. Kiwanis volunteer and Chair of the Kiwanis Lighthouse Community Cupboard (KLCC), Thomas Sturge, says he is surprised by the age of “Here in Oceanside, we’ve been seeing five new people a week. the people using the food bank. There are definitely more families in need,” says LaVallee. “Some are trying to make it on disability, or are single parents. “Many of them are in their 40’s or 50’s. Some have been laid-off, their Most are the working poor.” EI is running out and they can’t find a good paying job, which may be continued next page 8

/ July 2010

continued from previous page harder to do at their age,” says Sturge. “It seems that a lot of people are falling through the cracks.” According to LaVallee, most people are using monthly hampers to supplement their food supply but, she says it is also possible to come into the head office in Parksville every day to pick up bread if they need it, or they can grab a dented can or less than perfect produce off a “take at your own risk” shelf in the lobby. She is quick to emphasize at this point, however, that all their regular hamper stock is vigorously checked against health and safety standards. The Parksville soup kitchen, currently serving 117 plates per day, is also open every Mon/Wed/Friday from 11am – 1:15pm. Food is donated in large part through Community Food Drives, and through larger grocery stores such as Thrifty’s, Save On Foods and Quality Foods who donate a lot of non-perishables, says LaVallee. “We also buy frozen meat from Schneiders in Victoria, milk for the kids, and produce when we can.” According to LaVallee, the food bank is often very short on fresh fruit and produce. “When we do get produce donated from local gardeners or farmers, it is gone as soon as we get it,” she says. “Farmers who donate more than $50 in value of produce can get a tax receipt for donating ‘goods in kind’.”

For LaVallee, who says that she, herself is one of the ‘working poor’, this is little consolation. “Economic recovery might be something that is happening in the bigger cities, but, not here. I would love to see governments supporting families. Addressing the minimum wage would be a start.” “We need retraining for people who really want to work but have lost their careers,” says Sturge. “We need some good middle-class jobs. We need local industry.” Wildwood Church Pastor, Paul Budd says the need for food banks will never be eradicated, but political will can increase or decrease the overall need. “But, it’s more than that,” he says. “This is a heart issue. This is also about neighbours helping neighbours.” ~ For anyone in need of a hamper from the Bowser Food bank, contact Sylvia Chaddock at 250-757-8148 to book an appointment. All clients are then given a food list to choose from. For more information on Oceanside Food Banks contact Leah LaVallee or Tannis Schaub at 250-248-8794. Parksville/Qualicum MLA Ron Cantelon can be reached at (250) 951-6018 or email, ron.cantelon.mla@leg.bc.ca. and on the following website www.roncantelonmla.bc.ca.

Most of the major grocery stores are unable to donate any bruised or over-ripe non-saleable fruits and vegetables due to liability in terms of health and safety risks. In Bowser, donations of fresh veggies and fruit can be dropped off the morning of each monthly pick-up day, says Sturge. Otherwise, there is a non-perishable food bank drop-off at Tomm’s Food Village in Bowser. In general, all donations are stored at the head office in Parksville and the addition of a walk-in freezer will now permit more storage of frozen, and perishable foods. The increased need for food banks comes in contrast to a recent CBC radio interview with Parksville/Qualicum MLA Ron Cantelon that painted a rather optimistic macro-economic picture of the BC economy. In the interview, and on his website he states that the HST and its tax savings will attract further investment into the province and exports of Canadian products, a boost, he says, that will create more and higher paying jobs. When asked how this translates to the unemployed or the underemployed in mid-Vancouver Island, MLA Cantelon says that with rising pulp prices, the re-opening of mills, and the doubling of forest exports to China in the last year, many unemployed forestry workers will now have a chance to go back to work. His response to increasing and somewhat contradictory numbers at the province’s food banks, he says, “This could be due to a combination of people’s EI running out and the lag time between jobs coming on during the upswing of the economy.” As for economic diversification and retraining, MLA Cantelon says, “Forestry, fishing and mining are our strengths. It is a lot easier to go with our strengths.” / July 2010 9

The Qualicum Visitor Centre sees about 36,000 curious, tired, excited, frantic, and completely discombobulated visitors a year. For tourists, this is the centre of the universe, the place where all roads converge into a great well of knowledge holding the answers to their most secret of questions like, “Are the trees in Cathedral Grove real?” or “What is the elevation here at sea level?” or “Do I have any family in Qualicum Beach, my last name is Jensen?” And, “I saw a flyer that says I could get a rebate on environmentallyfriendly toilets. Do you know how much it will cost?” “One visitor came in asking for maps of Courtenay, Qualicum, and Victoria. So, we offered them a map of Vancouver Island. They responded by saying, “No thanks, I’m not going there,” recalls Mimi Shewchuk, Qualicum Chamber of Commerce Visitor Centre Manager. According to Mimi, the vast majority of ‘interesting’ questions come from visitors who do not come from coastal or temperate rainforest areas and are very much unfamiliar with and in awe of our oceans, islands and forests.

FOND OF THE TOURIST FUMBLE

Linda Tenney photo

By Lisa Verbicky

will never forget my first day in Tokyo. Standing, bug-eyed, knees knocking, my brow furrowed as I searched for the words in Japanese to ask a group of school kids, “Does the train come here?” My question was genuine, even though its utter foolishness from my place on the train platform solicited a riot of giggles and I think, name-calling? Looking back, I can say that I had asked it only because I was so jolted out of my comfort zone by circling Japanese signs, the unfamiliar smell of concrete and noodle soup, and the loud crackle and ping of relentless loudspeakers, that my self-confidence and common sense had gotten lost somewhere in the throngs of Tokyo station. If only I could have made my way to the comfort of an understanding and catering visitor centre…one of those air-conditioned oases that whisk you away from screwed-up hotel reservations and lost bus drivers, and remind you where you have put your cell phone, and that you are on vacation.

/ July 2010

“The vast majority of questions are about the ocean,” she says. “I heard about something called a tide. Is that here in Qualicum Beach or in Parksville?” or “When the tide is going out here, is it coming in in Newfoundland?” or “What’s the name of the big lake?” and, “Is it saltwater all around the Island?” “People come here because it’s the Riviera of BC. They just get swept up in the sights, and they’re out of their element, distracted, unsure. Luckily, we have a large number of volunteers from a variety of backgrounds that can help answer questions.” “What locals call common sense may not be so for visitors,” says Mimi. Despite being bombarded with questions from 300 – 400 visitors a day in high season, Mimi says, “It keeps things light here.” She also reminds us that visitor numbers down 16 percent in the first quarter of 2010, and a little understanding, more information, and a good sense of humour will go a long way to keeping and attracting more tourists in the future. ~

BOUNDARIES, BLAME AND THE HEALING OF EVERYTHING By Joanne Sales

ast March, my husband backed into our son’s neighbour’s car. The blame was placed 100% on my husband. Okay, so he was the sole driver and he backed into a parked car. It’s a simple case of black and white. Right? No, not really. You see, these neighbors know the auto body shop phone number by heart. That’s suspicious. Wouldn’t you begin to wonder about your “right” to park in a spot, after being hit there twice? How about three times? Five times? How about seven times?! Yes! Their car was hit seven times – in the same place. Still, the law was on their side – for the law thinks in black and white. But we’re humans. It’s our job to think in colour – or at least in shades of grey. It’s our job to jump the fence sometimes – in the interest of love. Lots of things jump fences for better or worse. I watched a feral cat disappear into about 12 acres of thick Scotch Broom that had taken over a farm smack dab in the middle of Courtenay. Who owns the problem of forest and farm land gone wrong? The farmer is long ago dead. We know who now owns the land. But who owns the problem? The problem neither starts nor stops inside the boundaries of those twelve acres. Our society is committed to the belief in boundaries and ownership, and many of our problems stem from that belief. It hasn’t been that way everywhere and always. Apparently, the natives of North America gave away their land so freely because they thought it was a joke. No one can own land. You’ve got to be kidding! No, the settlers were not kidding. The concepts of ownership and blame are very sticky, and people spend lifetimes stuck in either or both of them, like flies on fly paper. You’ve heard it all: “It’s someone else’s land and it’s not my fault. He did it. She started it. Talk to the owner. It’s not on my side of the fence.” But sometimes something so huge happens that we forget about ownership and blame. Whether our worldly possessions consist of acres of land or a matchbox car collection, suddenly it pales in significance. The seriousness of the situation forces us to climb out of those two barrels of ownership and blame. There is too much at stake. We care too much. And so it is with the tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico.

Steven Covey coined the phrases Circles of Concern and Circles of Influence. Some people have large Circles of Concern and small Circles of Influence. They aren’t dangerous. The greater problems are created by those who have a large Circle of Influence but a small Circle of Concern. Too many people have influence over things that they could care less about. If there is anything good about the oil spreading through the Gulf of Mexico, it is that it has blown open our tiny Circles of Concern. Blown open our hearts. Of course we need to investigate the case, but the suffering marine life in the Gulf of Mexico doesn’t care who caused the problem. The oil on water knows no boundaries, regardless of who is to blame. The solutions to our collective problems lie beyond the boundaries of our personal property, personal interests, and our immediate Circles of Concern. Some problems simply cannot be solved from one side of the fence. Sometimes in order to solve a problem, we have to forget who owns it. Somebody said, “There is no limit to what we humans can accomplish, if we aren’t concerned with who gets the credit.” I’d like to give credit to the person who said that, but the point is, it doesn’t matter. Thanks to Parksville Qualicum Aero Club, I went up in a small plane recently, scouting out Scotch Broom. It’s amazing to look down at one’s home and neighbourhood, and to see what a tiny piece of earth we occupy. The boundaries which confine and define us are really imaginary, as every single sparrow knows. I’ve been amazed at the boundary-free volunteers in our community, who throw themselves whole-heartedly into projects that have no impact on what they own, but huge impact on what they care about. It sheds a whole new light on the whole concept of ownership. Do we own what we own or do we own what we care about? Some concepts keep us from solving problems. Sometimes focusing on who is at fault prevents us from finding the solution. And sometimes, for the benefit of all, we need to jump the fence. ~ Joanne Sales is an organic blueberry farmer, writer and EFT Counselor living in Qualicum Beach. joanne@glasswing.com

/ July 2010 11

WAIT FOR OUR FUTURE By Dick Stubbs

iving in a temperate rainforest on the wet coast, most residents of Vancouver Island do not believe that the future of our water supply should be a cause for concern and proper planning. But it is time that we woke up! We assume that the well is bottomless…and to a certain extent it was until very recently. We were relatively few in number and our demands were relatively small. Unfortunately this is no longer the case, our previously adequate supply is being threatened by exorbitant demands that if not rationalized and reduced will affect our very existence. On June 11th Leadership BC-Central Vancouver Island and the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance (VIEA) hosted the “Fresh Water Sustainability Dialogue” at the Nanaimo campus of Vancouver Island University. The morning was sponsored by BC Hydro and brought together a diverse group of people; from biologists to politicians, from water managers to authors, from educators to hydrologists, from farmers to concerned citizens, and the purpose was to discuss how Vancouver Island could become a flagship model for water sustainability, to identify the issues, touch on some potential solutions and hopefully inspire some actions going forward…all in one morning! Utilizing a form of improv theatre and prompted by facilitator, Kathy Bishop, the invited water sustainability panel listed their concerns… We need to reintroduce ourselves to water; we have forgotten where it comes from, we must remember that it is sacred to our existence. How do we plan for drought? Climate change promises warmer, wetter winters with higher flows and dryer, hotter summers with lower flows. How do we store enough water to provide for the dry seasons? We need water to generate energy; there are four generation facilities on the island that generate 20% of our power. Storms are becoming more erratic; relying on historical averages for seasonal rainfall may become a thing of the past.

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Are watersheds the logical geographic area for management purposes? Do we understand that water sustainability is similar to living on the interest in one’s bank account? When you start spending the principal (when water levels start to drop), the alarm bells should go off. The ground is our storage and we are lucky to have many intact natural storage areas on Vancouver Island. What are we doing to ensure the preservation of these areas for the future? Do we understand that storm water management is vitally important if we are going to direct adequate amounts of rainfall into our aquifers and not simply send it rushing into the sea? Have we recognized that water for nature must be at the forefront of any water allocations if we are to maintain the biodiversity that we have grown to appreciate as Vancouver Island? The forests are important places that collect moisture, utilize carbon dioxide, and moderate the effects of climate. The forest industry needs boundaries and guidelines to ensure that their business remains viable for generations to come, in a healthy forest that provides a place for streams, lakes, plants, animals, birds, and fish. Do we realize that

/ July 2010

local agriculture will have to play a much larger role and will require a substantial amount of water? Farm management practices need to ensure that fertilizers and pesticides do not contaminate our watersheds or the sea. Wells on the coastal plain must not be stressed to the point that they encourage salt water intrusion.

THAMES CREEK ▪ DICK STUBBS PHOTO

Small group discussions generated more ideas…That we need some overarching policies and direction from senior levels of government; That we need some leadership, that has the strength to bring together all of the participants and direct positive change, with a will and the ability to get things done; That the Living Watersmart program so capably designed, needs to be given adequate funding and the ability to move forward; There are many complex issues that need to be clarified and communicated; That each of us as individuals must be more aware and provided with the facts, in the end we will be the answer and; the necessary changes need to be linked to the many new ideas, not necessarily the status quo. “We have had the guts to start this dialogue, but we will also need bigger guts to complete what we started,” commented Cori Lynn Germiquet, VIEA President. “Part of the process is summarizing what we heard today, inviting people back to the table to talk about what we have determined in that summary, and then putting together a plan of action together for moving forward. When we have that plan in draft format, we will be hosting a breakout session at the State of the Island Summit in October.” ~ The meeting also provided the opportunity to announce the release of “Beyond the Guidebook 2010, Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in British Columbia”. See www.waterbucket.ca for a complete text and for more information regarding the “Fresh Water Sustainability Dialogue”. / July 2010 13

Sharon Waugh photos

ALL ABOARD!

By Sharon Waugh

“ T

The light at the end of the tunnel is just the light of an oncoming train.” ~ Robert Lowell

here is something intriguing about trains and their past, present and future role on Vancouver Island. As I crack open Robert Turner’s book Vancouver Island Railroads the history of the Island railroads come to life with archived photos of vintage passenger, coal mining and logging trains from the 1860s to the remnants of current operations. For those of us living near the E&N tracks between Victoria and Courtenay we can set our clocks to the twice daily whistle of the Dayliner as it adheres to its rigid routine...a schedule which hasn’t changed for close to 50 years! As it was when we were kids and as it remains today, the first whistle of the train approaching the highway crossing in Bowser meant it was

/ July 2010

12:10 and on the backhaul 1:50 pm...the first call defined “it’s lunch time” and for those still in school the second call jumpstarted anticipation of the afternoon release from another school day. At the turn of this century, there were three locations on the Island where the public could experience first-hand a ride on a train powered by one of the former workhorse steam locomotives on yesteryear’s logging railway lines – BC Forest Discovery Centre (Duncan), the Alberni Pacific Railway and the Englewood Railway in the Nimpkish Valley. Today, of the three, only the Alberni and Forest Discovery Centre are still operational as public venues, and both are connected to heritage sites which immerse their visitors with vivid storytelling of the working history of the Island’s forest industry. Having ridden on both the Englewood continued next page

Railway, out of Woss, and the train at the Forest Centre, the Alberni Pacific was now fair game to complete the trio. When I read the intinerary included a stop at the only Canadian winery serviced by a steam train, the deal was clinched. The point of departure is the Alberni Pacific Railway Train Station located at 3100 Kingsway (and Argyle St.) in Port Alberni – a 1912 CPR station lovingly restored by the Western Vancouver Island Industrial Heritage Society twenty years ago, along with the 1929 Baldwin 2-8-2T, the “No.7” which pulls the passenger cars to the McLean Mill National Heritage Site, 35 minutes down the track. If you want to include a stroll through the vineyards of the Chase & Warren Estate Winery, sip a glass of chilled Pinot Gris or savour the blackcherry undertones of their Cabernet Sauvignon, you simply need to buy a ticket at the steam train office, request the stop either on the way to, or from the McLean’s Mill, and if you need a ride back to your vehicle transportation can be provided by the winery for a small fee of $3. Yes, time travel is possible... seated in an open-air passenger car with the sun on your face, the soothing sounds of the chugging locomotive “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can”, listening to humerous injections from a well-versed conductor guiding you past the changing face of Alberni’s industrial waterfront and transitioning your travel through the wooded valley, over trestle crossings, building an historial preface for STEAM DONKEY AT McLEAN MILL, PORT ALBERNI your arrival at the site of the former R.B. McLean Lumber Company. Here is where your trek begins with a self-guided walking tour of this National Heritage Site. Located on 12.8 hectares with 35 buildings and structures, you will step back into camp life as experienced between 1926 - 1965 as you explore the restored logging, milling and marketing operations. To extend your walking time a quick walk past the pond and the recently restored steam donkey will have you join up with the Log Train Trail (see June 2009 Beacon – there’s 22 kilometres to have at ‘er! (see June 2009 Beacon). For further information, and to make reservations please contact: Train Station (3100 Kingsway) 723-2118, McLean Mill (5633 Smith Road) 723-1376, or the Chase & Warren Estate Winery (6253 Drinkwater Road) 724-4906. Websites: www.alberniheritage.com & www.chaseandwarren.ca

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TRAIL UPDATES - Here we go loopty-loo, here we go loopty-li! Yes, the local trail busters have been busy breaking trail in the Wilson Woodlot, Qualicum Bay. A new log bridge crossing over Nile Creek, below the Inland Highway, now joins the Nile Creek trail (see December 2006 Beacon) and the newly created trail in the Old Growth Management Reserve in the woodlot (see March 2010 Beacon). Keep your eyes open for the small white square hiker directional signs to help with the finding the connector turns. The extension of the Black Brook trail (see June 2007 Beacon) at the south-west end of the woodlot now completes another loop combination of trail and access roads. And...we’ve seen evidence of ‘serious’ surveying on the Lighthouse Country Trail which means that, hopefully, the bridge crossings of both Ridgewell and Nash Creeks will be in place this summer! What will we do without our rainy season wades through these areas? ~ / July 2010 15

MEET THE FARMER IN THE DELL AT PINERIDGE FARM MARKET

he farmer’s in the dell at PineRidge Farm Market and what a beautiful dell it is, nestled in a hollow in the Spider Lake area between Bowser and Qualicum Beach. An artistically-crafted sign, displaying their signature lone pine, welcomes us as a curved lane lined with twenty heritage apple trees leads us down to the charming rough-sawn board and batten farm market building, constructed of wood off the property. In the distance the magnificent snowcapped peaks of Mount Arrowsmith provide the perfect background for this pastoral piece of paradise.

Carolyn Walton photos

By Carolyn Walton

Paul Christensen and his wife, Kris Masson, proudly point out rows of blueberries, Duke, Blue Crop and Elliot varieties, some six hundred in all, which they plan to set up as a U-Pick operation over the next few years. Lettuce, beets, turnips, parsnips and Swiss chard join some twenty-five hundred Red Russian garlic Paul Christensen & Kris Masson plants thriving in the rich soil of what was once a glacial lakebed. In the middle of the field a mighty lone pine tree stands as a sentinel guarding the land. In a large

/ July 2010

solar greenhouse we find heirloom tomato plants all started from seed, peppers, herbs, cukes and eggplants. Along the hill up to the gate berry canes: raspberry, boysenberry, thornless blackberry, marion berry, (a hybrid blackberry) and tayberry, a large, sweet cross between a blackberry and red raspberry, all thrive. Everything on the farm is grown organically and as Paul cleared the land himself he knows there have never been chemicals used here. An artesian spring on the property provides a bountiful water supply. “We stopped counting at thirty gallons a minute,” Paul says, “but I believe in preserving and being the least wasteful as possible.” Over the past 10 years since Paul and Kris purchased 70 acres of land here, they have gradually quit corporate jobs. Kris, a graphic artist, now works from home but Paul is full-time farming. “During my twenty-four years in the retail end of the business with Save On Foods in Nanaimo I learned so much that it is a perfect blend as I love the retail side of the business and the growing

as well. Our dream is to create a farm market that is 100% local and I think it would be so beneficial for the area to have such a market,” Paul says. “To start the business and open the market we will be bringing in outside sources of organically-produced vegetables to get us up and running.” He urges anyone in the area who has a plot of land where they can grow garlic or similar produce, would like to get rid of it but don’t want to have to go to a farmer’s market to sell, to contact him, as he would buy it as long as it has been grown using organic practices. “The more people we have supplying our market with local products, it’s so much better for customers than bringing in off-island products.” As well as offering local vegetables, PineRidge Farm Market sells eggs from their own twenty-four chickens, fruit, icecream, their own blend of Qualicum Coffee and a variety of popular herbal bulk teas. “It’s a trial by error venture,” Paul admits. “I’ve always liked gardening and growing things and with my background in retail, it just made sense to marry the two once I left my job.” ~ PineRidge Farm Market 2715 Turnbull Road, via Horne Lake & Spider Lake roads 250-619-8047 www.pineridgefarm.ca Please refer to PineRidge Farm Market’s below.

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER ...

2009-10

Lighthouse Country Grade 5 Graduates - Bowser Elementary School

Left to Right – Front Row: Will Atwood, Isaac Voerman, Mark Eremko, Rachel Heo, Jessica Kerr, Andrew Nesterov, Olivia McCartney, Violet Hardy-Williams, Marissa Weir, Amanda Kerr Left to Right – Back Row: Nick Poulsen, Spencer Stauffer, Tyler Suits, Kennady Clarke, Rowan Loutit, Colton Castle, Callum Jasinski, Tiana Ashton, Chelsea Klaassen Missing: Freya Caldwell-Mueller, Oliver Mihalj, Caleb Stature

Everyone at The Beacon Magazine wishes you success as you continue your educational journey ~

CONGRATULATIONS / July 2010 17

A GEM IN UNION BAY

AN ISLAND PROFILE

HARBOUR VIEW BISTRO By Shirley Culpin

t may not look like much from the outside, but the culinary masterpieces that appear out of the tiny kitchen at the Harbour View Bistro more than compensate for the establishment’s distinctly unsophisticated exterior. Tucked back on an access road along Union Bay’s waterfront, the Harbour View Bistro is housed in what used to be a single-wide mobile home. Over the years it has been in operation it has acquired a faithful following of local and international fans. In an industry where failure is all too common, this tiny restaurant is a revelation. The principals behind the Harbour View Bistro are Sam and Astrid, a charming couple who have diverse backgrounds but a common dedication to producing beautiful, delicious food. They are the owners and the two ‘employees’ at the bistro, which operates only two days a week, serving dinners only. They accept only cash for payment, never advertise, don’t have a web site – in other words, they fly in the face of all that is supposed to make a restaurant successful these days.

Shirley Culpin photos

Sam’s extensive background in the culinary field and Astrid’s natural ability to make people feel comfortable makes for a happy melding of great meals in an intimate setting. Originally trained as a chef in Belgium, Sam worked for the Hyatt Regency hotel chain for many years before immigrating to Canada in 1980. His first job was in Ottawa, where he was responsible for helping to feed many of Canada’s political luminaries when they patronized the private club where he was employed. Subsequently he worked as the chef for a Venezuelan ambassador to Canada. Sam eventually ended up in Whistler where he worked the winter seasons at Blackcomb Mountain. It was there that he met Astrid, who had wended her way from Munich to Vancouver to the now-famous ski resort. During the summers Sam would work as a chef at remote, high-end fishing resorts along the BC coast, which ultimately is what led the couple to Union Bay. “We fell in love with the Island,” recounts Astrid, “and had dreams of opening a restaurant in the Comox area, but that didn’t

/ July 2010

Sam ... the man behind the food at Harbour View Bistro, Union Bay work out. We would go through Union Bay all the time, and one day in 1995 when we were passing through we saw this trailer with a little ‘For Sale’ sign in the window. We called the phone number on the sign from a phone booth, looked at the place and signed the papers that same afternoon. We had no building inspection, nothing.” It would take another two years before the mobile home-turned-restaurant opened its doors. Sam and Astrid had to apply for rezoning, install a washroom accessible to the handicapped, get a liquor license and install a wide range of commercial kitchen equipment in what had been a back bedroom. Sam continued to work as a chef; Astrid was the organizational force behind

the bistro, scouring flea markets, thrift shops and antique stores for furnishings and fittings for their new venture. In November of 1997 the Harbour View Bistro officially welcomed the public, and Sam realized the dream of so many chefs – to own and run his own establishment. The only publicity came in the form of about 30 flyers that Astrid distributed by hand throughout the area just prior to their opening. “We just wanted to do our little thing and let people talk about us, and it has worked,” says Astrid. “All of our business comes to continued on page 31

DOG TRAINING FOR BABIES By Rachel Allen

hen I was pregnant last year with my first child, I teased about how I would raise my baby like a dog. “This baby’s going to be clicker trained and responding to hand commands before he can speak,” I would joke. Now freshly into the job of new motherhood the joke is on me, as I find myself responding to baby and dog in a similar way. A fly on the wall in our house would have a hard time knowing if I am talking to Sam (the baby) or Max (the dog). So I examined my techniques closely and this is what I discovered. I believe that both are intelligent beings with a profound ability to communicate. It is my job to figure out how to communicate with them. When I do, a wonderful harmony exists. When Sam communicates his needs to me and I understand him, he has no need to cry. When I can communicate to Max what I expect of him, he has good behaviour. Let’s look closer at exactly how this happens. I ask for and visualize what I want before the event occurs, as opposed to responding to the unwanted behaviour after. As adults, we are experts at knowing what we don’t want, but how often do we actually ask for what we do want in a positive way? For example, I say, “Sammy, I need you to suck your soother while Mommy has dinner, and then I will pick you up.” I imagine him sucking and waiting quietly. Then he does it. At the dog park before we start our walks I say, “Max, I want you to show me your best behaviour with the other dogs. Whatever happens, you can handle it.” Then he does it. Calming tools are an essential component of success. In the nervous systems of humans and animals, stress and excitement activate the sympathetic nervous system which leads to responses such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, tightening of muscles and the inability to calm oneself. Calming tools trigger a parasympathetic response of the nervous system which leads to relaxation. With babies, tight swaddling, white noise, bouncy movement and sucking will help a fussy infant be calm. With dogs I use gentle touch, The Wrap, the Calming Band and leashing techniques that facilitate a calmer state in which learning can occur.

COAL ▪ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 22,533, Comox was 13,008, and Cumberland 2,881.

The concept of ‘small chunks’ was drilled into me when I taught swimming lessons years ago. To learn front crawl you must first blow bubbles, then float, then glide with a kick and so on. I use this concept with Sammy for getting him accustomed to the baby carrier, the car seat, for breastfeeding and for using the potty. Break the skill down into as many components as possible. Then begin with short sessions and slowly increase the time. When I work with dogs, breaking skills into small chunks allows for many smaller successes. Praise is a powerful method for shaping behaviour. Not only does it feel good to give, but it works. Praise is most effective when it is prompt, simple and not clouded with emotion. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of the word YES. You can communicate the phrase ‘that is correct’ by saying YES while making eye contact, nodding your head and giving a small smile, all in a fraction of a second. So what about hand commands for baby? Signing is becoming increasingly popular with new parents. I have heard of babies having a vocabulary of 80 words before they can speak. To top it off, I infuse everything I do with love and gentleness. It’s a perfect recipe for success with babies and dogs. ~ Rachel Allen is a Reiki Practitioner and facilitator of the Tellington TTouch Method, currently residing in Victoria.

To consider a coal mine where there are now thriving communities looking to diversify and creatively face new challenges is an insult to what the majority of people on this section of east Vancouver Island want. “Our” government has no vision of how to create a sustainable economy. Fish and forest resources have been managed for the shortterm benefit of large corporate interests, and the result has been resource depletion, industry-wide decline and loss of jobs. Salmon farming has been encouraged to the further detriment of depleted wild salmon resources. Science has been ignored for yet more short term corporate profit. Now, the BC and Federal governments are trying to defend their policies regardless of published scientific work that lays the blame directly on their shoulders. As recently as 20 years ago it was still possible, though greatly reduced, to make a living from these gifts of the land and the sea. Those jobs sustained small communities up and down the coasts of British Columbia. There are remedies to help resurrect these economies but the choices need to be made now. Today there are small scale lumber mills that provide quality custom milling to nearby communities. If supported, local furniture makers can form cooperatives and sell their distinct BC styles with native woods. The same goes for CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

/ July 2010 19

By Marilyn Dawson, Reporter

regular feature at the monthly meetings of the Qualicum Beach Council is the delegation. Sometimes it’s a delegation of one; more often a few supporters will accompany the person chosen to deliver the message, which can be for information only, or a request for action on some topic or other. The presentations, usually limited to 10 minutes, may be well-thoughtout arguments, occasionally witty, and sometimes mind-numbingly dull. Throughout the presentations, the Mayor and Council listen carefully, no fidgeting or twirling pencils or looking at the ceiling. The delegates, who represent a wide spectrum of interests, are treated with great respect; after all, some of them are voters. Typically, if the delegate is making a request, it will be noted, but not acted on until a later date, giving staff and Council a chance to consider it carefully. So it was that at the June regular meeting the packed gallery got to hear from six delegations, some of them, like the Regional District of Nanaimo’s two-pronged effort on water smart initiatives and food and yard waste, for information only. Others had special requests: Mac Fraser, chair of the Saving Small Towns Conference, headquartered in Cumberland, asked that Qualicum Beach be Host Partner for the 2011 conference. Council had obviously been given a heads-up on this;

members agreed to host the event June 2324 at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre. Richard Carnegie, who lives on Memorial, presented charts and petitions to show the need to lower the speed on Memorial Avenue to 40 kmh. Campbell Connor, of Fanny Bay, representing CoalWatch Comox Valley sought Council’s support in urging an independent federal panel be established to review the proposed Fanny Bay coal mine at a full public hearing. Frank Pluta and Veronica Von Conruhds, principles for the Kris Kringle Craft Market, told Council they were moving the craft fair to Parksville, because it was more userfriendly and cost-efficient. The fair has been a November fixture for the past 16 years. Council received the information without comment. Those presentations were the beginning of a long night that saw Mark Brown, Chief Administrative Officer honoured with a plaque for his 30 years of service, a great benefit to the town, as Mayor Teunis Westbroek noted. Indeed at almost every Council meeting, Mr. Brown is asked for his expertise on a variety of subjects. This night he turned down a request for a speech. “No time,” he said, “long agenda.” Later, as a preamble to his monthly report, he said

he was pleased to be part of the Qualicum Beach team, working with staff, volunteers and various councils over the years. “The volunteerism in this town is second to none.” OTHER BUSINESS: Noting the success of the Artisans’ Market held last year next to TOSH on Friday evenings through the summer, the Downtown Merchants’ Association made a bid for a street market on Second Avenue for 10 consecutive Fridays, which would necessitate closing the street to vehicular traffic. After considering the logistics of barricades, signage and the required extra staff, as well as the expected traffic problems, Council denied the request, but agreed to a Friday night market in the area between Coastal Community Credit Union and the downtown Chamber of Commerce which would require no street closure. At last, 532 Memorial, aka Qualicum Beach Resort Hotel, is losing its status as No. 1 Eyesore. John Marsh, chief financial officer, told Council that once staff was authorized to clean up the area, the owner himself took action and was in the process of fully meeting the town’s demands. A drive-by shows an area no longer scruffy, just a tired old building that will eventually come down... ~

WWW.EYESONBC.COM 20

/ July 2010

TWO COUNTRY FAIRS CELEBRATE THE BEST OF RURAL LIFE By Brenda Timbers

ighthouse Country Fall Fair and Coombs Fair typify the best of rural life: a strong sense of fun and community combined with a celebration of creativity and the importance of local food production.

COME HORSE AROUND AT THE COOMBS FAIR In 1913 the Coombs Fair opened and became the first fair on Vancouver Island. This year the fair takes place on August 14 and 15; from 8 to 6 pm on Saturday, and 8 to 5 pm on Sunday. Over the years the fair has become stronger, now boasting over 200 4-H competitors. This is a true agricultural fair and this years’ theme revolves around the horse, celebrated with a catchy tagline: “Come horse around at the Coombs Fair.” Janet Boley, Coombs Fair Coordinator and a member of its sponsor, the Arrowsmith Agricultural Association, has been attending the Coombs Fair as long as she Goat milking is just one of the 4-H competitions can remember. at the Coombs Country Fair “It has always been a part of my life. I’ve been an exhibitor since I was a child,” Janet explains. “Becoming a coordinator was a natural progression. I’ve been doing this for over thirty years and when people ask me why, I say ‘The Coombs Fair is the last thing I’d give up. It’s part of me, I enjoy it a lot and it’s so rewarding.” Exhibitors and fun-filled activities make the Coombs Fair an event to remember. Decorate a wacky garden hat, enter the ladies nail driving contest or cheer on your favourite chicken as it races to the finish line. To reach the fair, drive to Coombs and park at the rodeo grounds and take the shuttle to Ford Road in downtown Coombs (behind the Coombs General Store). To find more information, volunteer to help at the fair, or for online entry forms, check out the website at www. coombsfair.com or contact Janet Boley at 250 752-9757.

LIGHTHOUSE COUNTRY FALL FAIR HERITAGE BREEDS & SEEDS On Saturday, September 4, the Lighthouse Country 40th Annual Fall Fair takes place at the Lighthouse Community Centre, Lions Road in Qualicum Bay. Sponsored by the Bow Horne Bay Community Club, this years’ theme is Heritage Breeds and Seeds. The fair is agriculturally-based and family-oriented, with attention focused on the importance of small scale individual food production.

Sheena McCorquodale, the Lighthouse Country Fair Chair, enjoys the friendly and inclusive atmosphere of the fair. To encourage families to attend adult admission is $5, and kids 12 and under are free. Once inside the gate all the activities are free of charge, from the ‘Merry Go Swings’ to the pony rides and hamster ball races. “There will be a bouncy castle and petting zoo,” Sheena says, “there is really something for everyone. There are exhibits of antique tractors, fabric arts and exhibitions for animal lovers with fly ball and agility; it’s a great show. We have a section called Soil to Table that starts with a worm garden and takes food to the table and beyond. Exhibitors will display examples Volunteer Catherine Coulson puts the finishing of different touches on the decorations at the 2009 Lighthouse kinds of food Country Fall Fair processing. Another exhibit called Fleece to Fabric is especially fascinating for kids.” “At the Lions Hall we feature a wonderful artist group, and outside the hall there is a variety of vendors with wildly creative goods. My favourite thing about the fair is the community activity and the ongoing expression of creativity that comes through the door.” Cloggers, fiddlers and many other local musicians provide wonderful entertainment. Sheena notes, “It’s fun to watch the kids enjoy a day like this. I have a wonderful memory of last year’s cloggers turning a rainy day into liquid sunshine. With the crowd clapping along they kept dancing in the rain, and sure enough the sun came out.” “I enjoy working with other people in the community.” Sheena praises the importance of volunteer energy and commitment. “When you are working with volunteers you meet astonishing people with many skills. If you are interested in volunteering for the Lighthouse Country Fall Fair please contact our volunteer coordinator Pat at 250 757-8806. We are always looking for new members from Dashwood to Deep Bay.” ~ For more information, a site map and entry forms for the fair check out the website at www.countryclub.ca or call Sheena at 250 757-9991. ~

/ July 2010 21

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QUALICUM CLOTHWORKS

hat is Qualicum Clothworks? Many people have wondered this as they drive by the home-based studio/workshop located at 2918 Leon Road (off Horne Lake Road) in Qualicum Bay. It is here that a line of women’s clothing is designed, manufactured and sold to the public, and to retail stores. Who are they? Qualicum Clothworks has been in business for 18 years and is owned and operated by Roxanne Rose-Bouchard. Roxanne designs the fashions, makes the patterns and prints, and does much of the sewing herself. Roxanne has an Associate in Fashion Design & Clothing Technology from Kwantlen College. What do they do? Qualicum Clothworks makes clothing that creates a unique combination of casual comfort with contemporary flair as well as classic styling. All of the styles are in sizes small to 3X (and some 4X). They use mainly natural fibres including cotton, linen, and bamboo. Most contain spandex for ease of movement and shape retention. They preshrink all of their fabrics. Many garments are hand-printed and painted. Roxanne creates print blocks by handcarving them from linoleum and other materials. Each motif is individually printed and they are completely washable. Are you tired of wandering through malls? Do you have trouble finding clothes that fit your body? At Qualicum Clothworks, you can special order your clothes according to your own taste and have them fitted at the same price as off-the-rack! That’s right...no extra charge! You might think this sounds expensive, but there is a wide range of price points as well as many sale items. They even sell fabrics from as little as $1 per metre.

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The public is invited to shop at the studio Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Qualicum Clothworks is occasionally open on weekends, but it’s best to phone first on those days. ~ Please refer to Qualicum Clothworks ad on page 52. Qualicum Clothworks, 2918 Leon Road (off Horne Lake Rd) Qualicum Bay, 250-757-8052. Email: qcworks@shaw.ca. Web: www.qualicumclothworks.com Space for this Business Spotlight is generously provided by EyesOnBC.

/ July 2010

BIG FROG IN THE WRONG POND By Nancy Whelan

hey say that a weed is just a plant growing in the wrong place, so it follows that the bullfrog is just an amphibian in the wrong province.

water source to another – ponds, puddle, or stream – until they reach a suitable area. In a week a mature bullfrog can hop up to six miles.

Bullfrogs were a big part of my summer days (trying to catch them) and a bass lullaby for my summer nights on a northern Ontario lake so I’m rather sad to see that the bullfrog is an unwelcome species here. But as I no longer have the desire to repeatedly fall in the lake trying to capture them, I can admit that bullfrogs have made a menace of themselves on the Island and elsewhere in BC.

In mating season the male bullfrog sports a yellow throat, while the female’s is white, and his “br-wum” or “jug-o-rum” bellow for a mate can be heard up to quarter mile away. The bullfrog’s relatively long life span, from six to nine years, and its tendency to live longer in warmer climates adds to its invasiveness on Vancouver Island.

The bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) is North Amercia’s largest frog, an adult reaching six or more inches in length and sometimes weighing two pounds or more. And talk about prolific – a female bullfrog can lay up to 20,000 or more eggs in a kind of floating white sheet on the water. If you are acquainted with the much smaller native frogs (tree frog, red-legged frog, etc.) on the Island you can see that sheer size and numbers can be a serious problem when it comes to bullfrogs moving in. And how did they get here, so far from their natural Eastern range? Back in the 30’s people brought them – to raise for the expected gourmet frog-leg market (they didn’t make a hit) or as an attraction in their garden pools (they escaped). With size on their side, bullfrogs are seldom challenged, and unfortunately they have no natural predators here (can you imagine even a blue heron moving an adult bullfrog from beak to gullet?). But bullfrogs, carnivorous and aggressive, will prey on anything they can get into their big, wide mouths – insects, small mammals, birds, fish, other frog species, and even other bullfrogs. There is a major concern that bullfrogs are supplanting our native frogs.

Frog eggs of course, turn into tadpoles, and even these youngsters seem to have an edge on survival because our fish are averse to their undesirable taste. With bullfrogs having a long breeding season, their surviving eggs hatching within a few days, and the tadpoles living in the water for up to a year, the species’ survival rate is pretty good. After a year living in the water and feeding exclusively on water plants and algae, large numbers of tadpoles can have a significant impact on a small pond’s or lake’s aquatic community, leaving less food for other species. Once a tadpole has grown legs, its tail begins to shorten as it is absorbed by the body, and it trades in its little gills for lungs, but still it lives in the water. In its next stage it may be called a froglet, can breathe oxygen, and can hop about on land, though it still has a vestige of its tail. In two to three years, the whole transformation is complete and the bullfrog can live on land.

With water features becoming a popular trend in gardening circles, bullfrogs can make use of these small “water holes” during their wandering and searching for a pond of their own. “The Bullfrog Project” asks that if you see or hear bullfrogs that you let them know (bcfrogwatch@victoria1.gov.bc.ca) Already the bullfrog invasion is moving ahead by leaps and bounds in lakes and ponds from Victoria to Oceanside and the bullfrog has finally become the prey of some who make it their business to seek them out by night with Zodiac, spotlights, electro-shocker devices and net. The trouble is though, that it is very difficult to eradicate the bullfrogs faster than they can reproduce. One suggestion is that if you see bullfrogs on your property, don’t let them escape! Taken seriously, that warning could well lead to some interesting leaps, hops, and bounds by flashlight-wielding humans. ~ For more information and photo comparison of native bullfrogs see web.uvic.ca/bullfrogs

Groups of frogs are called armies, and with the bullfrog’s cannibalistic tendencies they will not hang around together for too long. And so they set out to find their own range, resting by day near the water’s edge, and hunting after dark. To get away from other bullfrogs, the frog will move from one small / July 2010 23

IT’S HAPPENING IN AREA H By Dave Bartram

RDN Area H Director Email: dwbartram@shaw.ca PH: 757-9737 • FAX: 757-9705 Bowser Village Centre Plan: The Provincial Minister of Community and Rural Development approved the Bowser Village Centre Plan and RDN Board approved fourth and final reading. The Bowser Village Centre Plan is now an official part of the Electoral Area H OCP. Grants in Aid & D69 Recreation Grants: The RDN Board has approved $800 for the Bow Horne Bay Community Club, $1,500 for the Lighthouse Country Marine Rescue Society and $1,000 for the Wildwood Community Church. BC Transit Study: Last month I reported the RDN initiative to have BC Transit do a transportation study in Area H. BC Transit has stated that when they go to look at service feasibility in Area H, they will consider fixed route and handyDART services. They will consider what the needs are in the area, will consult with the locals, look at population, car ownership, density, distances involved and other factors. BC Transit states that the research study will be initiated over the summer with a projected report completion date by the end of December 2010. Henry Morgan Park Concept Plan: The Area H Parks and Opens Space Advisory Committee directed the RDN Parks Staff to develop a Henry Morgan Park concept plan for the community’s consideration. The proposal is expected to be brought forward to the Advisory Committee in the fall. Deep Bay Creek Park: An Evergreen/Home Depot Grant Application was completed and submitted by park staff on behalf of the Deep Bay Park & Trail Volunteers for native planting along an entrance to Deep Bay Creek Community Park. The grant amount of $5,000 is to be used for the purchase of soil, tools and plants for communityCONTINUED ON PAGE 25

/ July 2010

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 based projects. Grant applicants will be notified in July if successful and the work is to be completed by October. Burning Restrictions: the provincial Ministry of Forests and Ranges for the Coastal Fire Zone has prohibited backyard burning from May 15 to Oct 15. Restrictions refer to: • Waste, slash or other material, piled or unpiled, that is larger than a half-metre in height and a half-metre in width, but smaller than two metres in height and three metres wide. • Stubble of grass that is being burned over an area greater than 2,000 square metres. • The ban does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or to open fires, including campfires, that are a half-metre by half-metre or smaller. • For fires larger than two metres by two metres, a registration number is required. • The use of burn barrels will be considered a medium open-sized fire and is restricted. • Registered large land clearing piles are permitted, depending on assessed Fire Danger Ratings. Those found in contravention of the ban are subject to a fine of $345 or may be held responsible for suppression costs. In terms of enforcement, forest protection officials can issue tickets at the time of the offense. ~

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#11 • 221 Second Ave (Chilham Village), Qualicum Beach, BC Hours: Monday to Saturday • 9:30am to 4:30pm / July 2010 25

ADVERTORIAL

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN

rown Mansion is a colonial revival estate, originally constructed in 1914 by a famous fisherman and revered British soldier General Noel Money. The Mansion has seen an extensive restoration and evolution into a fully-equipped boutique hotel with a luxurious Villa condominium addition seamlessly attached. Interestingly enough, the Hotel was what the Mansion was originally intended to be; General Money constructed it with the vision of hosting travelling fisherman as they plied the waters of Vancouver Island. He himself was a very accomplished fly-fisher, and probably felt that the project was viable as a result of the incredible fishing that the local area offered.

Exquisite living at the Crown Mansion

Shortly after the General had completed construction of the Mansion in 1915 he was called back to Britain to rejoin his regiment and take part in WW1. At that point the Hotel was converted into a convalescent hospital for wounded officers. Sometime after the end of the war, Money returned, a Brigadier General, to become manager of a new company that ran the hotel and golf course and sold residential lots. The 30’s were a difficult time for the hotel, the golf course, and for the whole village, including the Moneys. When General Money died in 1939 the Hotel was sold to his neighbour, Major Jim Lowery. Major Lowery was founder of the Calgary-based Home Oil Company. In 1925, it was the largest independent oil company of its time. R.A. (Bobby) Brown Jr. engineered a takeover of Home Oil and subsequently purchased the Mansion and property in 1952 as a summer and weekend home. The Brown family enjoyed the property for over forty years. The Browns entertained extensively at the Mansion and hosted many a celebrity, including Shirley Temple, Bing Crosby, John Wayne and the King of Siam. Early in the new millennium Ron Coulson and Rick Jackson, owners of the Silverado Land Corporation and the principals behind Courtenay’s Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community, purchased the Mansion with the vision of returning it to its original status in the community. 26

/ July 2010

The Mansion has been converted to a six-room boutique hotel that evokes the ambiance of yesteryear. Many of the striking original features of the structure remain – among them the spectacular zebra wood in the hotel’s card room, imposing fireplaces with decorative mantels and an intimate dining room. The Silverado plan also included a small real estate development, which is known as The Villas at Crown Mansion. Sixteen modern condominiums have been seamlessly added to the original structure. From the exterior the condos appear to be part of the original building, sharing the same architectural elegance. The interiors of the units offer all the modern conveniences found in today’s upscale real estate market, tempered with

period fixtures that define the term “classics revisited.” The style could be considered “New Traditional;” the Villas offer an optional furniture package that is familiar yet chic. The period architecture that graces the Mansion of yesterday is continued throughout the common areas of The Villas. Exacting attention to detail has reproduced the wainscoting in the hallways, and the carpeting reflects the style and feel of the early twentieth century. Visitors are graciously welcome to tour the Crown Mansion and Villas. We hope that you will take advantage of this opportunity and also visit the website www.CrownMansion.com. ~

/ July 2010 27

Do you like a particular restaurant? Tell your friends, tell your neighbours... tell anyone who eats! Then tell us too and they could be featured in our next edition.

/ July 2010 28

July is Rib Mon

Feel like staying in for dinner? Don’t miss our Saturday morning farmers’ markets for local ingredients with that unmistakable just-picked flavour! See Qualicum Beach Farmers’ Market (above) and the Errington Farmers’ Market (page 11) for location, market dates and entertainment information.

th!

Delicious Juicy Traditional M eaty “BBQ Baby Bac k Ribs” with Baked Po tato & Coleslaw ½ RACk $11.95 Full RACK $19.95

Visit these fine restaurants on the Internet for a peek at their complete menus and more ...

Fanny Bay Inn

www.fannybayinn.com

Giovanni’s Ristorante

www.giovannisqualicum.com

Deez Bar & Grill

www.deezbarandgrill.com

est

sh Fre

Old Dutch Inn The Windmill

www.olddutchinn.com

Fish Tales

www.fishtalescafe.com

Gary’s Bistro

www.zapbc.com/garysbistro/

* / July 2010 29

DORA DAVIES

TIME TRAVELLER By Rita Levitz

Rita Levitz photo

hysicist Stephen Hawking theorizes that for time travel to become a reality it is necessary to attain a velocity close to the speed of light – time aboard the spacecraft slows, while time on earth continues at its usual pace. Yet, as I sat with centenarian Dora Davies in her room at the Gardens in Qualicum Beach, I realized I was in the presence of a true time traveler. Just imagine all the living that could be packed into the hundred years between June 21st, 1910, and now. “I was born on the longest day,’’ Dora quips. “I must like short nights! My family was from England, but my sister Molly, who was twelve years older than me, had a spot on her lung. My parents were told they’d lose her if they didn’t get out of that climate, so they pulled up stakes and moved to Lloydminster, Alberta, where I was born.’’ “Molly was a real girl, but when this one arrived,” Dora points to herself, “Dad had his boy. I was always into his tools; they couldn’t keep me still enough to put my hair up in rags – that’s what they used to do, like curlers – like my sister’s.” Typical of Dora was the way she hurt her arm and her attitude about the injury. “I was pitching hay with the best of the boys. When they took me to the doctor he said I’d never be able to use that arm again. ‘Oh yes I will,’ I replied.” Although she has not been able to raise her right arm above shoulder height for the last sixty years, it never curtailed her activities. “Any sport going, I would be there, but my horse was the most important to me.” Horses played an significant role in Dora’s life and in the life of her family – her parents and grandparents rode, she and her sister rode, as do some of her great-grandnieces and great-grandchildren. Dora spent many of her riding years in Chilliwack. “I was used to just going down to the pasture and jumping on a horse bareback. When I came up to a puddle, there was no going around it – we could sit there for two days until the horse went over it!”

“Last year, my first great-greatgrandson was in his mother’s arms, just looking me up and down, up and down, and then it’s like he said to himself – ‘Well, the old girl is pretty nice, I’ll just take a leap into her arms,’ and he flew himself at me.” ~ Dora Davies

Dora moved to Little Qualicum in 1959. Her sister Molly had Sherwood Riding Camp and Stable, just above the Little Qualicum River estuary. Dora and her sister spent many happy hours riding out on the flats. Dora worked in Dr. MacDonald’s Qualicum Beach and Parksville office for nearly two decades. “When the Qualicum Curling Rink was built, the doctors in the office invited Molly and me to give it a try. ‘I’m too old,’ I said, but it was lots of fun, and you can see quite a few trophies around here. I played badminton too. Oh, I was good; I liked the trickiness of it.” It is easy to think that such feistiness and verve are the natural accompaniments to a life without pain, disappointment or hardship, but it is actually the reverse. One of Dora’s sons needed to be institutionalized – “nowadays they would have been able to do something for him” – and she has watched people she loved die. She has had to contend with broken bones – “all my accidents were horsey, but I was never bucked off!” – two bouts of cancer – “when continued next page

/ July 2010

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE the doctor told me, I said, ‘So, what are we going to do about it?’” – and two strokes. “I’ve been here at the Gardens for about a year now. You couldn’t ask for better care. The nurses are so good to me; I think they like me. They say I’m a real character.” Dora credits her longevity to hard work. “I also don’t ask too many questions and I don’t tell all I know. Sometimes I have to stop to think of something. I don’t have it all written down – it’s all up here,” she says, pointing to her head. “I think my good memory comes from all the reading I do.” Dora’s grandniece April had an Open House for Dora’s 100th birthday in June. In July, her son Darby and his wife are hosting a gathering of nearly fifty family members to celebrate the occasion. Included in the birthday party will be the newest time travelers, her three great-great grandchildren. “Last year, my first great-great-grandson was in his mother’s arms, just looking me up and down, up and down, and then it’s like he said to himself – ‘Well, the old girl is pretty nice, I’ll just take a leap into her arms,’ and he flew himself at me.” You can hardly blame him, can you? ~ Ed. ~ We wish you a very Happy Birthday, Dora! You’re an amazing woman, and we’re honoured to celebrate this milestone in your life in the pages of The Beacon. Thank you for allowing us to interview you. continued from page 18 • us by word-of-mouth. Everyone comes back because of our consistency – for almost thirteen years it has been the same hands in the kitchen, so the quality has remained very high and meets peoples’ expectations every time they come.” One of the secrets to that consistency is very careful timing for reservations, which allows Sam to create individual orders one at a time, rather than attempting to juggle a number of different dishes simultaneously. The couple is exceptionally careful about sourcing all of their ingredients to ensure the freshest and best meals available. Sam makes all the breads, stocks and desserts from scratch, and grows his own herbs in a small garden at the back of the restaurant. Astrid spends many hours each week visiting local farms, farmer’s markets and grocers to gather up the ingredients that will ultimately become one of Sam’s beautifully-presented, tantalizing dishes. Thirteen years on, Sam and Astrid’s dream continues to thrive. Their comfortable little four-table restaurant, furnished with a charming mix of memorabilia, a cozy wood stove and candle light, is a favourite of local diners as well as travelers who are lucky enough to know about the Harbour View Bisto. It is truly a hidden gem. ~ Reservations at the Harbour View Bistro are required and need to be arranged well in advance. Sam and Astrid can be reached at 250-335-3277. / July 2010 31

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

JULY 2010

/ July 2010

OLD FAIR – NEW OUTLOOK

38TH ANNUAL

Submitted by Suzanne Adkins

here was a time when a church needed money, they held a bake sale and the parishioners responded to support it. So it was, almost 40 years ago, when St. Mark’s Church in Qualicum Beach needed a new roof, the men and women baked and built and put together a fine sale that brought in several hundred dollars. The success of the 1972 event prompted its re-run for the next 38 years! Although St. Mark’s still has its own bake table and white elephant display, most of the 130 plus vendors are local artist and small niche marketers from all over the Island and mainland. Many of them return each year to enjoy the excitement of Fair Day in Qualicum Beach. The Fair has grown to be one of the largest on the Island drawing crowds of 10,000 to this beautiful seaside village. Visitors stay in local hotels, eat at local restaurants and shop in our many businesses. Recognizing the importance of the event to the economy of the town, Qualicum Beach has made the area around the Community Centre, Veteran’s Way, St. Stephen’s Church, the Qualicum Beach Curling Club, and Royal Canadian Legion #76 available to the Fair on this special day which has usually fallen on the fourth Saturday of July – a day that has had rain only once in all those 38 years! St. Mark’s Fair has gradually Volunteers hard at work making delicious pies for the Fair changed over the years from an event which served the church, to one that now serves the community. It has grown to encompass community partners who participate in the organizing and delivery of the products, food, and entertainment. The volunteers who donate time and work are proud that their efforts support services in the Oceanside area. Last year the entire profit made by St. Mark’s (plus more) was donated to worthy local community causes and it is the aim of the organization to continue with this commitment. Monies raised through stall rentals to exhibitors and vendors are donated to community programs for youth and seniors. In addition, all of St. Mark’s venues, including the bake table with the famous Holy Roller Pies, the rare and used book display, the jewellery, Country Market, New to You Clothing, drinks and food stalls also donate their profits to community projects. In the last three years Fair proceeds have been used to purchase a blanket warmer, and a chair that converts to a bed for visitors in the palliative care ward, plus other welcome equipment for Eagle Park. Recently, the Fair has been a supporter of the lunch program in Qualicum Beach Middle School and of a youth worker in the middle and high schools. St. Mark’s Fair is a Qualicum Beach Community Fair and we welcome you to share in the fun and bargains from 8:30 to 3pm Saturday July 24th. ~ Please refer to the St. Mark’s Fair ad on this page.

A Great Family Affair! 4

Entertainment, Antiques & Collectibles, Quality Crafts, Jewellery, Books, Clothing, Furniture, Kids' Stuff, Unique Gifts & Specialty Foods.

One of the Island's Largest Fairs With Over 130 Vendors A community event brought to you by St. Mark's Anglican Church, St. Stephen's United Church, the Qualicum Beach Curling Club and the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 76 Sponsored by Consider the planet and bring your own re-usable bag

More information: 752-5414 qbstmarksfair@shaw.ca

MINDI'S FARM

Locally grown fruits & vegetables

Fresh Picks!

This popular Fair is attended by thousands each year Basil Fox photos

Fresh Strawberries New Potatoes Fresh Peas Beets Spinach Romaine Lettuce and more... Raspberries 797 Qualicum Road  752-9221 Farm Gate Sales & Qualicum Beach Farmers Market

/ July 2010 33

TAKING YOGA ON VACATION

It was a radically new perspective for me, and it made sense (although it in no way dampened the fun of my wonderful Europe trip).

By Laura Busheikin

Well, here is another radical new perspective: if you want to see the world, look inward.

ust who would volunteer to spend their summer holidays doing yoga?

Lots of people, it turns out – from dedicated yoga enthusiasts eager to take their practice to new depths, to total beginners ready to try something new. Over the past ten years or so, yoga retreat centres have been springing up all over the world, and mainstream resorts are also adding yoga to their programs. You can take a yoga vacation just about anywhere, from the rainforests of BC to the beaches of Bali. You can combine yoga with hiking in the Himalayas, swimming with dolphins in the Bahamas, or communicating with a wolf pack in Northern Ontario. A more interesting question might be, “Just why are all these people spending their holidays doing yoga?” How people spend their vacations tells us a lot about our society. Yoga holidays are part of a larger movement away from conventional vacations, towards ones that offer more meaning and a sense of authenticity (admittedly a hard quality to define – but you know it when you feel it). Hooked up as we are in multiple ways to our many communication devices, disconnected as we often are to the source of our food, water, and just about everything else, our connection to tangible reality – our bodies, the earth, other people – starts to fray. No wonder the travel industry is abuzz with terms such as spiritual tourism, eco-tourism, cultural tourism, and adventure tourism. We need to reconnect – and, no, I’m not talking about WiFi in your hotel room. We need experiences that engage us fully, meaningfully, and deeply – that we can’t navigate away from with a click of our mouse. A yoga vacation, obviously, is a fantastic way to un-plug and de-stress. But it can also be considered a type of adventure travel. I will explain. Years ago, I went backpacking around Europe. The day before my departure from Canada, I met someone who clearly appreciated my state of excitement. A veteran traveller, he listed about 20 countries he had visited; I was cheerfully jealous. But then he said, “I’m glad I did all that, but these days, if I want to see the world, I’ll go into my backyard and turn over a rock.”

/ July 2010

Our inner world – the complex interplay between body, mind and heart – is a fascinating unmapped territory. A yoga vacation can be as dramatic and transformative as climbing a mountain or kayaking up the Amazon. I remember well the very first yoga retreat I went to: a weekend at a Czech mountain resort, with 15 hours of yoga instruction spaced over three days. Sometime during the Saturday afternoon session I hit a wall. I just couldn’t do more. My body was desperately tired of performing yoga poses and of processing the myriad feelings they aroused; my mind was rebelling against the unfamiliar demands of staying so acutely focused. I was overwhelmed by the intensity of the encounter with myself; I longed for distraction. What’s more, I was sure everyone else was more ‘yogic’ than me, that the teacher hated me, and that if she made me meditate again I’d go crazy – perhaps literally. “Once we finish this pose, I’m walking out and going home,” I said to myself. But somehow, I stayed. I laugh about it now, but at the time I felt lost. I had come face-toface with my own limitations. Sunday morning I woke up feeling distinctly weird, as if my body wasn’t mine, and as if my inner space had been scrubbed out. My sanity survived the morning meditation, and as we began to move through poses, something shifted. Each pose became a revelation: oooh, I can feel this tall, this strong, this mobile, …this free. I marvelled at how long and supple my spine was, how easily my shoulders and hips moved, how tingly and alive I felt. “Oh my God,” I thought, “I have a new body! And I feel more at home in it than ever before.” It was as good as climbing a mountain. Not all yoga retreats are that intense, but based on my experiences both attending and teaching retreats, I’d say the feeling of transformation is surprisingly common. A student of mine described her experience attending a resort-style yoga retreat – easy on the yoga, heavy on the sipping-wine-in-thehot-tub. “It was a lovely week, but the most amazing part was when I got home – I was so relaxed, I felt like a new person. Life seemed more manageable, and more enjoyable, too. I felt renewed passion for my work, and even my kids commented on how nice I was being!” There are plenty of great yoga retreats on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, not to mention all over the world. To find one, ask your yoga friends and teachers or go, um, on-line. ~ Laura Busheikin teaches yoga on Denman Island and Vancouver Island, yogawithlaura@telus.net or 250-335-2089.

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T FORGET TO SUPPORT YOUR POOR LIVER By Dr. Terrie Van Alstyne, ND

he liver is the one organ that takes the brunt of dealing with all of the toxic metabolites in the body. These toxins come into the body from many sources including: airborne pollution, pollutants in our water such as chlorine, heavy metals, drugs, pesticides, chemicals sprayed on or injected into our food, prescription and over-the-counter medications as well as chemicals in our typical hair, skin and oral hygiene products. Supported by Biofeedback analysis most people have a liver enzyme imbalance which indicates that the liver needs support. Symptoms of the liver being over-taxed include: fatigue, gas and bloating, excess weight, food allergies, impaired digestion, irritability, mood swings, bad breath and foul-smelling stools, frequent colds, recurring headaches, chronic constipation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), protruding belly, food cravings, skin problems, rashes, hemorrhoids, Candida yeast causing vaginal discharge, itchy anus and/or sugar or carbohydrate cravings among other symptoms. Dandelion, Milk thistle, Ginseng and Eleuthrococcus are potent herbs that enhance detoxification by supporting the liver and other major organs involved in toxin metabolism and release from the body. These herbs are available at our clinic in teas, homeopathic oral drops formulas and in oral capsules. A poultice on the liver of warm hexane-free castor oil on a natural flannel cloth soaks through the skin into the organ and makes it function more efficiently. A vegetable juice/ broth or water fast

lasting from one to ten days followed by seven days of whole grains and organic vegetables is an excellent dietary method of supporting the liver and should be done in combination with one or more of the above detoxification methods. Juice fasting gives the digestive tract a break from using much of the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy to digest food so that the energy can be used for cellular detoxification. Cruciferous vegetables, fruits and dark berries contain glutathione which is an important nutrient for the liver. Other liver enhancing foods include beets, carrots, asparagus and bitter greens like rapini. Half a lemon juiced in warm water before breakfast is a simple way to jump start the liver. A Platinum Energy Systems foot/body detoxification bath is an extremely effective way to draw heavy metals and other toxins out of the cells and organs. Patients with arthritis, diabetes, circulation problems and gout have experienced immediate relief after each session. Have fun this summer but please try to incorporate one or more of these liver enhancing ideas into your life and your liver will thank you. You will experience improved energy, mood, digestion, hormone balance and general sense of well-being. ~ Please refer to Qualicum Naturopathic Clinic ad on this page for their contact information.

Foot Detox Bath Special for July $45.00

WWW.EYESONBC.COM

/ July 2010 35

ADVERTORIAL

WHEN IS A SALE ... NOT A SALE By Lotar Maurer, CGA

o that’s not a misprint. It’s another example of where sometimes our tax laws have complexities that ordinary folks in ordinary situations don’t realize – and might ignore to their peril.

deemed sale is deemed to be zero because of the principal residence exemption rules), and there is a change in use of the other property from income-producing to principal residence – which does have tax consequences.

Most taxpayers realize that when they sell their property, real estate or investment products, there are income or capital gains or losses issues that need to be reported. What many taxpayers don’t realize is that certain transactions or even certain life events result in what are called “deemed dispositions and/ or acquisitions” – the tax rules act as if there had been a sale, even when there wasn’t really one.

There are rules, under certain conditions and time limits, for opting out (“electing”) of these particular consequences; see your professional advisor for details.

Ignore these, and you run the risk of misstating your income, of under-reporting your capital gains (and facing a nasty tax surprise when it’s eventually discovered, which it inevitably will be), or of underreporting your capital losses (and losing out on some tax savings). Each year, I encounter taxpayers who have been in situations such as the following, and didn’t understand, or even know there were, tax implications. Changing the use of a residential property from principal residence to rental property, or vice versa: Sometimes taxpayers own two residential properties, live in one and rent the other. And sometimes they move from one to the other and start renting the one they used to live in. When such a move takes place, for tax purposes, each of the two properties is deemed to have been sold and immediately reacquired at the fair market value of the property at the time of the move. Technically, there is a change in use of one property from principal residence to incomeproducing (and the capital gain or loss on the

Emigrating from Canada: When a taxpayer changes their residency from Canada to another country (meaning a move to live in another country, not just wintering in sunnier climes), almost everything they own (with one exception) is deemed sold and tax reporting is required. The actual rules are complex, but in practical terms and in most circumstances, all portfolio (stock, mutual fund, etc) investments are included, but most real estate is not. See a professional advisor to discuss “taxable Canadian property” if you are moving from Canada. Transfer of portfolio investment products from a non-registered investment account to a registered (RRSP, TFSA) account: Sometimes taxpayers make their RRSP (or TFSA) contributions, not by contributing “new” money to their RRSP, but by transferring existing investments held in their regular investment account to their RRSP. And despite the fact that the banks and investment dealers should and do know better, sometimes taxpayers don’t hear or understand the consequences, or ignore them, and get a rude surprise when they discover that their transfer has resulted in tax consequences. Transfers within a TFSA: This is a very recent problem, and is related to, although not the same as, the issue of deemed sale

THE BEACON’S ONLINE AT WWW.EYESONBC.COM 36

/ July 2010

situations. If you have a TFSA, you are likely aware that there are annual contribution limits, with some pretty stiff penalties for over-contributing. An internal transfer from one investment type to another within the TFSA should not constitute a withdrawal (deemed disposition) and recontribution. However, there have been some recent reports where such activity has been reported (in error) by the financial institution as a withdrawal /recontribution, resulting in apparent overcontributions being reported to, and penalized by, CRA. This apparently is more likely to occur in cases of self-directed TFSAs. If you receive a TFSA penalty tax notice from CRA for such a, or similar, situation, see your professional advisor for advice on dealing with this problem. ~ Please refer to Lotar Maurer’s ad on this page for his contact information.

Lotar Maurer CGA

Full Service Financial Management . . . for your business . . . for yourself 752.9223 1.866.352.9223 lotar.maurer@islandcga.c0m www.islandcga.com 107 663 Beach Road, Qualicum Beach, BC

Certified Financial Planner

any people neglect to look after their feet. Life is not always easy on your feet. Each day they take you where you are going and support your entire body weight. That is why NURSING FOOT CARE you should take good care of them and keep them healthy by with Bridie Fairhurst R.N. S.C.M. introducing simple and effective habits into your daily routine. A well pedicured callus-free, smooth-looking, well-moisturized foot with clipped toenails looks great in any season. Pamper your feet and keep an eye on them – they will thank you for it. Diabetic Feet: People with diabetes require regular foot care and assessment. According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, once every 30 seconds, or 2,880 times per day, worldwide, a lower limb or leg is amputated due to diabetes-related complications. It is surprising how common neglect of foot care is in persons with diabetes. Diabetes-related foot complications are often predictable which means that they are potentially preventable. People with diabetes are at risk for complications due to reduced blood flow/circulation and this poor circulation can cause dry skin, cracked heels, changes in nail growth and slow healing. A person with diabetes may have diabetic nerve disease known as diabetic neuropathy, which means they may not feel if something is too hot, too cold or when injuries occur. Minor problems may go unnoticed, and if left untreated can result in serious complications, e.g. infection or gangrene. Diabetes may make you more susceptible to infection because of the preceding two factors plus high blood sugar supports bacterial and fungal growth.

Barbara Rady RMT Registered Massage Therapist

Safety Tips to Protect Your Feet: 1) Inspect your feet daily for cuts, blister or sores 2) Use a mirror to check your feet 3) See your doctor or foot care professional if something is wrong 4) Check inside your shoes for pebbles, rough seams or other possible irritants 5) Protect your feet from heat 6) Don’t use heating pads or hot water bottles 7) Use sunscreen on the tops of your feet 8) Change socks daily and wear socks that are not too tight or have seams inside (you can wear your socks inside out to avoid the seam rubbing). Other foot conditions that would benefit from nursing footcare include: Athlete’s foot, bunions, corns, calluses, dry cracked skin, thickened toenails, ingrown toenails, fungal nails, hammer and claw toes. ~ A foot care nurse is an experienced health practitioner with advanced training in foot care, registered with the BC College of Registered Nurses, complies with all the requirements of annual registration and provides non-invasive foot care adapted to suit each client.

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250.752.2732 / July 2010 37

COAL â&#x2013;Ş CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 agricultural and animal husbandry small farms. These too should be given incentives. The demand for health care workers is growing. Many of you have ideas that are just waiting for a government that shows courage and vision. We can use the great creative abilities of Canadians to make these changes. It is obvious that we need to create an energy policy that emphasizes renewable sources. Solar power has tremendous potential in parts of Canada, as does wind and tidal energies. And these technologies can be manufactured in Canada. Why not? Even China has more foresight than Canada when it comes to investment in renewable energy. In the larger picture, economic policy needs to move back towards bioregional models where each region can provide their particular goods and services that can be sold within Canada. In this way a more balanced economy that includes domestic producers can offset the current reliance on foreign imports. If we do not face this challenge then surely a collapse will occur. The Gulf oil disaster, still out of control, is revealing the failure of our current policies. We are committing ecocide on an enormous scale. This scenario is less than 150 years in the making â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a mere blink in the long planetary history that has seen the evolution of the species. Canada in this past year has actually stripped safety measures from deep water drilling. The time to say NO to this drive for short term corporate profit at the expense of all of us and the environment (of which we are a part, like it or not) is NOW! Write your MLA and MP and tell them that they are not representing your view. Write the editors of your local newspapers and ask them to publish your letter. Talk to your neighbors. Go to council meetings and speak your mind. Talk to your school parent groups and do this for your children. Everybody needs to step forward, no matter how small your contribution, and insist that we end this madness NOW! Hopefully, we can stop this coal mine and fight off this takeover of our very lives and true leaders will step forward to re-organize and reset our course of living. ~

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FROM PARIS WITH LOVE IN STORE NOW For the Action lovers out there take a look at this movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but who doesn’t love John Travolta! A personal aide to U.S. Ambassador in France, James Reece (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) has an enviable life in Paris and a beautiful French girlfriend, but his real passion is his side job as a low-level operative for the CIA. All James wants is to become a bonafide agent and see some real action. So when he’s offered his first senior-level assignment, he can’t believe his good luck until he meets his new partner, special agent Charlie Wax (John Travolta) – a trigger-happy, wisecracking, loose cannon who’s been sent to Paris to stop a terrorist attack. Wax leads James on a white-knuckle shooting spree through the Parisian underworld that has James praying for his desk job.

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This Drama/Mystery will keep you guessing through the whole movie. It’s 1954; US Marshal Teddy Danniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a patient from Boston’s Shutter Island Ashcliffe Hospital. Teddy’s shrewd investigating skills soon provide a promising lead, but the hospital refuses him access to records he suspects would break the case wide open.

NEW DAUGHTER IN STORE NOW This Horror/Thriller kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole movie! John James (Kevin Costner) is a writer; his wife has left him. He moves his two middle-school children Louisa (Ivana Baquero) and Sam (Gattlin Griffith) to an isolated house off a dirt road in South Carolina. The property has an Indian burial mound which fascinates his daughter Louisa. Strange things start happening, noises on the roof and in the woods, the cat missing, Louisa sleepwalking clutching a straw doll that no one’s seen before. Is the ancient Indian burial mound responsible for all the unexplained happenings? Watch and find out. New Releases: Wolfman, Book of Eli, Monty Python’s: Not the Messiah and Sons of Anarchy Season 1 just to name a few. Come on in and check out all the other great movies in the store. July New Releases: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (a great family movie); Matt Damon in Green Zone; She’s Out of My League for the romantic comedy lovers, and Remember Me.

The

Celebrating LOCAL ARTS

Gallery @

EyesOnBC atThe

OPEN Monday to Friday 10 am to 5 pm

JOAN BISHOP - JUNE 28TH – JULY 16TH

self-inspired artist born in Newcastle, England, Joan Bishop’s art ranges from watercolour, mixed media and acrylic. Joan has a unique way of seeing the beauty of the world and translating what she sees into bold earth tones in her abstract and non-objective work. Joan has received several awards including ‘Award of Excellence’ and ‘Honorable Mentions’. She is a Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, Arrowsmith Chapter.

SILKE SPODZIEJA - JULY 19 – JULY 30TH

y first artist kit, given to me at the tender age of seven, sealed my fate. I was hooked and knew from that day forward a career in the arts was in my future. I obtained my Art and Design Diploma in 1989 and my Graphic Design Diploma in 1992. I don’t think of my paintings as subjects, but as colours and shapes. I draw all of my inspiration from the natural environment around me and living here at the coast the creative well never runs dry. When I paint a landscape I don’t aspire to simply copy the scene that presents itself in front of me. I hope to engage the viewer with colour and texture so that they can draw their own experiences or feelings from my paintings, may it be landscapes or abstracts. I love to jump from abstract to landscape. After I do a detailed landscape I need to change the pace and loosen up. Sometimes I combine elements from a landscape into an abstract. Either way I love the creative process – I start with one stroke and let it lead the way into the unknown.

/ July 2010 41

The Qualicum Beach Village Theatre will indeed be the centre of most of the action, with a baker’s dozen of shows promising some wonderful music. Jazz is high on the agenda, of course. Two of the aforementioned morning faculty shows will be taking place on July 20 and 22. The PDAMCA Intermediate Jazz Students occupy the evening slot at a concert to show off their chops on July 23, while Daniels’ Vocal Students will turn in an afternoon performance on July 30. The remaining PDAMCA shows will be an evening Adult Students performance on August 6 and two morning sets from the PDAMCA Jazz Combo on August 10 and 12.

By David Morrison

urrah and huzzah, the festival season is upon us once again! And you know what that means: the musical shenanigans start here! I’m pleased to report that most of this region’s established staples are scheduled as normal, but bolstering an already stellar collective array of local, national and international talent is a brand new event with a fresh approach to the festival format. Rather than straddling a long weekend or taking place on a single day, the Phil Dwyer Music Festival occupies an entire month! Running July 18 – August 15 and catering to a wide range of tastes, this addition to summer 2010’s festival options has been,

At the same venue, the Scott White Quartet are set to blow minds on July 24, while just six dollars presents the opportunity to witness veteran trombonist Ian McDougall’s trio in intimate surroundings on August 5. Finally in respect of jazz, at least for the Qualicum Beach Village Theatre, the BRAD TURNER

PHIL DWYER MUSIC FESTIVAL: LET THE MUSIC PLAY! as its banner may imply, organized by the Qualicum Beach jazz hero and his wife, Theresa. The calibre of talent throughout the month is as you would expect from a musician of Dwyer’s standing and connections, but particularly notable is that this is a budget conscious festival delivering top drawer shows of extraordinary value.

“I’ve had a music camp going for the last five years and the last couple of years we’ve started tacking on some concerts. Last year we had the (Qualicum Beach) Village Theatre for part of the time, and a series of concerts at 11:00 in the morning, and something every day for a week. For this year Theresa said why don’t we just call it a festival. Anyways, we’d struck “Yes, our top ticket price is only $20 and up a friendship with the people at Little there are shows, for example, like on Qualicum Cheeseworks and I got them some Tuesday July 20, when, at eleven o’clock in bands for their concert, and we’ve also been the morning, you can hear two multi Juno deeply involved in Jazz in the Garden at Award-winning jazz artists – myself and Milner Gardens. So we had all these things Ingrid Jensen – play for six bucks!” Dwyer sort of happening around the same time that confirms. There will be several shows on hadn’t quite been pulled together. This year offer at this low cover, meaning that when we managed to get on the case a little bit including one free show and two Milner earlier and secure the lease on the theatre for Gardens & Woodland events at $30 (nona month straight. All of our student concerts members), the average ticket price for the will be happening there; there’s a wind-up Phil Dwyer Music Festival is just under $11. concert for each of our different school As he explains, this month of music events, and the faculty will be doing some evolved out of Dwyer’s school - the Phil daytime concerts. Some of the faculty will Dwyer Academy of Music & Culinary Arts also be doing night-time concerts, like the (PDAMCA) – and as a logical amalgamation great jazz singer Dee Daniels, who will be of separate local events in which the Dwyers teaching for me this summer.” were in various ways involved:

/ July 2010

MARK FEWER awesome Dee Daniels will be exhibiting exactly what scat singing is all about with a hotly anticipated evening performance on July 29. This is a rare Vancouver Island show for the Californian star, so don’t dally in snapping up your tickets. CONTINUED ON PAGE 50

/ July 2010 43

FIND US HERE...

STILL LOTS TO DO IN JULY

Q: These are lazy summer days. What are some common gardening tasks for July? • on Twitter www.twitter.com/BeaconMagazine • on Facebook Search for us as EyesOnBC • on our Blog beaconmagazine.blogspot.com • on our own developing Website at www.eyesonbc.com

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/ July 2010

A: While July may make you feel lazy it is a great time in the garden with lots to do if you love gardening. First, simply enjoy the beauty and abundance that you have helped produce. It is a time to harvest fruits and vegetables as well as cut flowers. It is also time to plan and then plant for your fall harvest. Maintenance during the summer months can be crucial, especially if weather is hot and dry. It’s quite important to monitor water supply, ensuring adequate amounts especially for tubs and containers. If weather is quite wet, be careful not to over water; adjust your habits and/or watering system. Weed control is another gardening constant that must be maintained. Mulching again with compost will have many benefits: it will help control weeds, keep the ground cool, retain moisture, and nourish your plants. Mulching adds a nice look to your beds, too, as does cutting back and dead heading spent flowers. Doing this allows plants to put energy into preparing for next year’s growth. In addition, several shrubs enjoy summer pruning: Wigelia, Mock Orange (Philadelphus), Beauty Bush (Kolkwitzia), Deutzia, and Wisteria are some. Finally, all water sprouts or sucker growth on any fruit trees ought to be removed this month to keep it controlled, and so that the tree will put energy into its fruit. Q: Is it okay to cut off the leaves of my bulbs once they finish flowering? Other things are coming up and I don’t like the messy look of the bulb leaves. A: As bothersome as they may seem to you, the leaves of all bulbs are actually serving a very important purpose in the life of the plant as a whole. The leaves are busy working to replenish the bulb with nutrients that were depleted during the flowering period. They must be left on in order for the plant to produce offsets and new flowers for next season. Don’t worry about other plants coming up. It shouldn’t matter and may even help to hide the bulbs’ leaves until they go brown. Q: We love lilies and we’ve noticed little baby bulbs at the base of each leaf of one of our collection. We’ve just been letting them fall off and grow, but can we do anything differently to have more success with propagation? They don’t seem to be flowering. A: Only a few select species of Lily have these little bulbils or bulblets form. Our well known Tiger Lily – L. tigrinum (lancifolium) is a prime example. These bulbils are not seeds but are clones of the plant like cuttings or divisions which will grow true to the parent. If you want to multiply your lilies and have some fun, these cute little bulbils can be removed after the flowers have faded but before they naturally drop to the ground. While on the plant, bulbils are growing and developing so don’t rush to remove them. Place them in a nursery bed in partial shade or in their own individual pots with the tip of the bulb just below the surface of the ground. Keep them cool over the winter. Pots can even be heeled into the ground. The first year, they will produce one leaf, and the second year, you can plant the babies into your beds. To get new flowers, you will need patience since they take three or four years of growth before being ready to flower. Harry Sumner is a certified arborist and garden coach. Gardening questions are welcome at 250-248-4512 or shellms@telus.net.

2009-10

THE GREAT ADVENTURE BEGINS ...

Lighthouse Country Graduates - Kwalikum Secondary School, Pass/Woodwinds & Brentwood College

Steve Acton

Joel Adamson

Derek Biggs

Kevin Board

Sean Courtney

Aaron Foulds

Marie Franklin

Amber Garrow

Alex Hegg

Chelsea Henley

Kigen Ikeda

Nicole LeBlanc

Mercedes MacDougall

Amanda Martinson

Sarah McLauchlan

Connor McLeod

Stephen Osborne

Francis Recalma

Thomas Reid

Steven Rich

Ryan Stevens

Philip Tchernov

Harry Taeyoon Lee

Bijorn Quint

Everyone at The Beacon Magazine wishes you a lifetime of happiness and continued success ~

Travis Vanderberg

Daniel Wahlgren

Maggie Walsh

Kyle Warrington

Dylan Wasney

and David Debad No photo available

CONGRATULATIONS / July 2010 45

NATURE BALANCE EQUINE HOOF CARE – Bare foot trimming for a naturally healthy horse. Accepting new clients. Call 250-752-8380

LET ME PUT YOUR JUNK IN MY TRUCK – I clean out any room or pile. I recycle and run on natural gas. Fast, friendly, honest. Call Gary 250-937-7879

FOUND WOODEN SIGN – 28’ x 5’, engraved “Nancy & Gizy” found by Qualicum Bay Resort. Call 250-7579914 or email beacon@eyesonbc.com

COAL CREEK FARM in Fanny Bay has sm. to med. fresh young heritage turkeys, processed in a licensed facility $4/lb. Free-run chicken & duck eggs $3/ doz. Taking orders for fresh duck – $4/ lb for Aug delivery. Christine 250-3351322.

2 BRM/$900 PRIVATE PATIO SUITE (DEEP BAY) – Private like-new 2 bedroom semi-detached patio suite. Cathedral ceiling in open-concept living/ dining area. Energy-efficient woodstove. Laundry and storage. Fenced yard with garden space. Suit professional or retired couple. In picturesque Deep Bay between Qualicum Beach and Courtenay/Comox. Golf, boating, fishing, hiking, kayaking, marina. Library, grocery stores, post office, bank, spa nearby. Quiet neighbourhood. Available July 1st. NS NP. References, lease required. $900 monthly plus utilities. Call 778-424-6249 HERITAGE MEADOWS FARM – Will have fresh organically fed pastured chickens processed in a licensed facility available June 30th $4/lb. Organically fed pastured heritage turkeys available at Christmas. “Taste the difference”. Call 250-752-1774

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SORT IT – SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE! Help is at hand. Errands, organizing. Declutter your home and wardrobe. Look good for less. Live beautifully. Call 250-757-8996, lv msg.

EyesOnBC Community Info Centre A few spots are still available in the EyesOnBC / Beacon Magazine In-house Community Info Centre for racking your business cards, rack cards or flyers! Call 757-9914 for more information. FROM $10/MONTH

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/ July 2010

FIREWOOD – Legally obtained, seasonally dried firewood. $180/cord for dry fir, $160 mixed. Custom cut. Tax inc. discount for local seniors. Call 250-7578006 or 250-240-2533 PICK-UP AND DELIVERY – Tune-ups and repairs to riding lawnmowers, all small engines and related equipment. Call Ron 250-240-1971 e-mail: ronmorrison100@gmail.com WANTED – 2 entrepreneur-minded individuals to work with expanding established business. 250-954-0074 THERAPEUTIC FOOT REFLEXOLOGY – Sessions 75 mins my home or yours. Release your body’s self-healing ability through deep relaxation. Please call Marie @ 250-335-0850. WRITING SERVICES – Get help for all your business writing needs such as brochures, ads, newsletters, product descriptions, press releases, reports & websites. Or, tell your story with a print, audio or video memoir. Call Jane 250335-1157 www.memorablelines.com AD-SAFE – reliable transportation to appointments, shopping, errands, outings. Ferry and airport service as well. Call Marilee at 250-757-9967 or 250-954-9925 YOU CALL…I HAUL – small loads, garden waste, construction debris, unwanted misc. junk, small moves, prompt service. Call Ron 250-757-2094 or cell 250-228-1320

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New home? Renovation? For your safe and quality wiring needs, the shortest circuit is to call Tim 250-240-4105. Licensed and Bonded.

DESIGN & DRAFTING SERVICES. Residential – Commercial – Renovations Project Manager. Full Service Drafting Services from concept to completion. Call Deb Nicol. nicolde@shaw.ca 250607-7038 FOOTCARE – HYGIENE Soaking feet, cutting nails, filing callouses, treating dry skin – fingernails too. Reflexology – 1 hour sessions. Home visits. 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 THE CANADIAN SOCIETY OF QUESTERS – No meeting July & August. Next meeting Monday, September 27, 2010. FMI Call Chris 250-752-1419 FOR SALE – 1995 7.5 hp 4 stroke Honda Outboard; runs fine. $500. Call 250-757-8950

Aries (March 21-April 19) This month is all about home, family, and domestic matters. Some will have family members visiting, others will tackle renovations or redecorating projects. Conversations with family members will be significant. Perhaps your focus on family business or something you do from your home will be stronger. This month is also an excellent time to seek out quiet time at home. You need to “hide” order to relax, and catch your breath. Life has been happening just too fast lately! This is your chance to regroup. Taurus (April 20-May 20) Some of you are taking short trips, while others are more involved with relatives and neighbours. Many will read, write and study more than usual. One thing is certain: your daily pace is accelerating with mucho errands and activities! You have a strong need to enlighten someone about something, perhaps about children or sports. All the arts including the entertainment world are a big focus as well. Meanwhile, romance is hot! New flirtations are exciting and playful. Life is fun and busy! Gemini (May 21-June 20) Money, money, money! This is the month to respect your moneymaking ideas. You can be quite successful in thinking up ways to generate income, or get a different job, or make selective beneficial purchases because you are giving so much thought to your cash flow scene. While this financial focus is taking place, Mars will likely stir up tension at home or within your family. Your best bet is channel this fiery energy into renovating or fixing things. (Make it work for you instead of causing trouble.) Cancer (June 21-July 22) It’s your turn to recharge your batteries for the rest of the year. (This is a wonderful time for Cancer!) You feel energized, fortunate, and to be sure, all kinds of opportunities and people are attracted to you now because the entire world is having a bigger Cancer focus. You have a strong need to communicate to others, especially partners and close friends. Travel opportunities plus higher education, publishing, and the media look sweet. You are persuasive, convincing and unusually charismatic right now. Enjoy our good fortune!

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Because your birthday is about a month away, it’s your turn to lie in the weeds, and do some serious pondering about your new year ahead. Let’s face it, your personal here (birthday to birthday) is about to blossom! You can either meander in to this new year, and just respond by default to whatever happens. (Management by crisis.) Or you can set clear goals, which help you steer your course of action, and increase your chances of having the year you really want! What’s to lose by trying this? Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You’re hitting your stride! Expect a popular month ahead! Many of you will be more involved with others, especially in group settings like classes, conferences, meetings and conventions. It’s your time now to schmooze with others, and let them know about your hopes and dreams for the future because their feedback will very likely help you. Mars in your sign makes you energetic and forthright. Venus promises a secret love affair. Nevertheless, partnerships and close friendships are upbeat. You’re gutsy and bold right now. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) This is the only time all year when the Sun is high in your chart acting like spotlight on you. Naturally, this makes others notice you more than usual, particularly bosses, parents, teachers, and VIPs. (Incidentally, this also includes the police. So do be aware of this.) The wonderful thing however, is this great “lighting” makes you look super competent in the eyes of others, which is why you will be asked to take on increased responsibilities. Just say yes because you’ll do fine. Truly. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Because you want excitement and stimulation, do whatever you can to explore new turf. Travel anywhere. Go places you’ve never been to before. Be a tourist in your own city. Publishing, higher education, and the media are all areas that intrigue you. Some are involved in medicine and the law. You want to push the boundaries of your daily existence. You don’t want to go stale. Quite the opposite, you want to do whatever it takes to stay fresh! It’s a big world out there – go out and grab new experiences. It’s all up to you. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Suddenly, mucho activity is taking place in a part of your chart

about the wealth of others, including whatever you share with others. This involves taxes, debt, mortgages, shared property, and anything that is jointly held with someone else. This is also the part of your chart that is passionate and sexual! This is why you’ll feel unusually intense about issues. Fortunately, travel for pleasure is on the horizon. (You can make this happen because your ambition is aroused.) “Saddle up. Lock and load!” Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) This is the only time all year when the Sun is opposite your sign, which means it’s as far away as it gets all year. Since the Sun is your source of energy, you will easily feel tired and bushed. Try to get more sleep. Nevertheless, travel plans, and matters dealing with higher education, medicine, the law, publishing, and the media demand more attention than usual. You have a strong desire to push the sides of the envelope and broaden your horizons through travel and learning. You feel happy about something. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You are gung ho to work, and your standards are high. You want to be organized, productive, efficient, and effective! You want everything in its place, and you want to get a terrific amount done. Don’t waste this precious motivation! Act on it while you have this strong urge. Figure out what you want to get done, and give yourself the right tools to do a great job. Focus on improving your health as well. After all, you’re on a big reform campaign, aren’t you? You’ve decided to clean up your act so you can take it on the road! Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Party city for you! This month is about vacations, fun times, the arts, playful activities with children, and increased interest in sports. Basically, you want some fun! You also feel creative and willing to explore artistic adventures. This is a wonderful time for romance! Some of you could meet new love. Others will rekindle what is already simmering on the back burner. Nevertheless, Mars opposite your sign, makes it easy to feel irritated with partners and close friends. Just hang in there because by the end of July -- Mars moves on. Cut people some slack. ~

"As your RBC mobile mortgage specialist, I am always ready to provide you with the free professional advice you need to finance your home purchase or refinance your home. I will help you build the best combination of features and options based on your budget & need. My aim is to help you customize your mortgage so that it fits both your current financial situation and your long term goals." / July 2010 47

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: – Sunday July 11th, 8amnoon. The Qualicum Bay Lions will be cooking up breakfast this morning.

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Giant Garage Sale & Pancake Breakfast July 1st at Lighthouse Community Centre: 8am -12 noon. Proceeds to benefit the hall. Lighthouse Seniors #152 – Have a great summer from OAP 152 Bowser. Summer Floor Curling – Mondays only, to mid-September at the Lions Rec Centre. New members welcome. FMI phone Tillie 250-7579218 or Dennis 250-757-8218. AA Lightkeepers: every Fri. 8pm. Info: 240-757-8347 Bridge at LCC Nordin Room - starts again in September. Taoist Tai Chi Society Classes at LCC and Fanny Bay OAP Hall. FMI Susan @ 757-2097 or Chris @ 752-1419 Lighthouse Trails Group needs your help. Val Weismiller: 757-9667 RDN PROGRAMS Bowser Breeze Camps – Day camps, 8am - 5pm for children ages 6-12 years, July 12-16 and August 16-20 at Bowser Elementary School. Cost: $121 Are you interested in morning yoga and cardio fitness programs at the Lighthouse Community Centre in the fall? If you would like to be placed on a contact list, please call RDN programmer, Kim Longmuir at 250-7578118 or klongmuir@rdn.bc.ca NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS & CLUBS “Living with Cancer” Support Group Meetings – Every 1st Thursday of the month from 1:30 to 3:00 pm at the Gardens in Qualicum Beach. For further information please contact Rosemary Fontenla 250-9512167. TOTAM – Wed. & Thurs from 9:15 – 11:15 am. This program provides opportunities for parents and caregivers to meet and participate in activities, like Tae Aerobics or listening to guest speakers, while their infants, toddlers or pre-

/ July 2010

schoolers engage in age appropriate supervised creative play! SOS Child, Youth and Family Centre, 245 West Hirst Avenue, Parksville. For more information call 250-248-2093 ext 238. Kiwanis Club of Parksville/Qualicum Beach meets 1st and 3rd Tues at The Kiwanis Village 250 West First Ave QB 7:15pm. 19+ are welcome if you wish to assist seniors and children in need in our community.FMI contact Thomas at 250-752-7424 Skeet Shooting – Are you ready for some fun. Test your hand/eye coordination. give Trap and Skeet shooting a try. Men, Women and children over age 12 (accompanied by an adult). Sun. 10am and ‘even numbered” Wed. at noon. Location: The Dorman Road Range off Baylis Road – a member of the Parksville Qualicum Fish & Game Club. FMI: Diane Upper, 250-757-8320. Get the support you need to lose weight and keep it off. TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets weekly at the Seniors Hall on Ships Point Road. Weigh In starts at 9:30am. Meetings at 10am. Milner Gardens Art & Photography in the Garden July 17th & 18th 10am to 5:00pm (last entry at 4:30pm) Meet, mingle and be inspired by local artists at work, painting, sketching, carving and photographing the beauty of this Artist’s Garden. Bonsai artists, potters, and live music. Artwork silent auction in support of the Gardens. Hand stamp allows re-entry Sunday. Tea Room opens early from 11am to 4pm for homemade soups and scones. FMI 250-752-6153 or www.milnergardens.org “I Want to Be Fat Like You” – Fall 2010 Kindness in Action Volunteer Program. Doreen Bakstad and Len Walker will be guiding the Nov 15 - Dec 15 program to Cambodia for those who wish to participate. What can you contribute to a group of kids in rural Cambodia? Find out and join us! www.KindnessinAction.ca Dance To Timberline Band – Free, live old-time Country & Rock’n Roll music. Every Wednesday, 7:30 to 10:30 pm Parksville Legion, 146 West Hirst St., Parksville. Every Sunday, 2 – 5 pm, Eagles Hall, 264 Pioneer Crescent, Parksville. Everyone welcome The Mid Island Floral Art Club will meet on Thursday, July 8 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Church Hall, 150 Village Way, Qualicum Beach. Workshop: design challenge. All welcome. Call 250-248-2976 or 250-752-2179 for more info. www.mifac.org Bow-Horne-Bay Community Club Fall Fair – September 4, 2010 Fall Fair is going to be a GOLDEN opportunity for our community

July 2010 members to show off their skills. It’s also a chance to participate personally in the happenings of the 40th Fall Fair, by taking on a volunteer position within the fair. The character of our community, as it is with any local event, will be on display. The Fall Fair is very similar to a huge workshop where everyone is given a chance to participate personally in some respect. It’s time to start your personal project that you wish to enter into the fair and also the time to contact the Bow-HorneBay Community Club and ask, “How can I help out at the 40th Fall Fair?” For additional information, phone 250-757-9991 or email Pat at jmclean01@shaw.ca Qualicum Beach Artists Market at TOSH every Friday evening starting July 2nd through to August 27th from 3 to 8 pm you can meet local professional artisans and be entertained by local musicians. From outstanding pottery to sparkling glass work, antler carvings to wood carvings, paintings to jewellery, there is something for every taste. Local musicians range from celebrated blues artist, Gerry Barnum, to the up-beat Latin inspired music of “Ask Alice” to jazz, country and folk. It’s here! The Fall Fair Guide Books Are Ready – what are you entering this year?? Watch for the guide books around the community or go online and check it out there! www.communityclub.ca Seaquest Kids’ Camp – “Diving for God’s Treasure” St. Stephen’s United Church invites kids ages 5 – 12 to join us for a Great Adventure this summer at Kids’ Camp: August 16th – 20th 9am to noon. 150 Village Way, Qualicum Beach. Free. Please call 250-752-9831 to register or visit us at www.ststephensucqualicum.ca Qualicum Beach Probus Club on Tuesday 6th July the guest speaker will be Dr. Marty Spencer, an Opthalmologis, talking about SEVA, an organization which helps restore eyesight and prevent blindness to people in developing countries.The meeting is held at St.Stephens Church hall at 9 am. Visitors are welcome. Fanny Bay Community is having a Garage Sale August 7th, at the Community Hall, from 9 am to 3 pm. You know those treasures you have been hanging onto, or hidden away, and now you would like to earn a little extra money, here is your chance. For renting tables or more information call 250-335-3282. Knox Summer Choir – Visitors to Oceanside are invited to sing with the “Knox Summer Choir”, Rehearsal at 9 am for service at 10am, Sundays June 27th to September 19th, inclusive. Come once or all season. Knox United Church, 345 Pym St., Parksville. FMI call 250-248-3927. Originals Only Art Show and Sale – Marina Park, Comox. August 7 & 8th, 10am to 4pm: 60+ artists will be displaying original work that has been prepared for this, the Valley’s premiere art show. Typically these area artists, who will all be in attendance, bring works that people will display in their homes. This show is in its 9th year and is an established event you will not want to miss and best of all, admission is free! ~

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 42

discs he spins, but also about Forbes the man. The Kerplunks, on the other hand, are all about educational fun! The Juno-nominated four-piece have just released their third CD of upbeat pop songs for kids, entitled Number 3, and have been termed “Canada’s hippest new children’s entertainers.” Expect a riotous evening with the emphasis on audience participation to get the little ones fully involved.

ROY FORBES To round off the stunning programme of events at the QBVT, folk legend Roy Forbes, children’s favourites The Kerplunks and Celtic Chaos are in town on July 31, August 1 and 7 respectively. Forbes has been releasing albums for 35 years and is one of Canada’s greatest ever storytelling singer-songwriters, so uninitiated fans of Canadiana should consider this unmissable. An avid music collector and darned nice fellow, the Dawson Creek-born troubadour also hosts his own excellent radio show, Roy’s Record Room, on the CKUA radio network every Tuesday. It’s an experience that educates the listener not only on the

Celtic Chaos should need no introduction in this neck of the woods. Joyce Beaton’s energetic outfit trade in traditional dance music and balladry from Scotland, Ireland, Cape Breton, Appalachia and Northern Europe, with jigs and reels to the fore. Don’t forget your dance slippers and ghillies, as there is no way you’ll be able to keep still at this one! Milner Gardens & Woodland is the perfect setting for the final two events of the Phil Dwyer Music Festival. Classical Music in the Garden features A Touch of Brass, Rosemary Lindsay and the Music in the Garden Chamber Players on August 14. The following afternoon sees the entire festival wind up with Jazz in the Garden, the classy bill including a PDAMCA Student Ensemble, Dwyer’s own Bridge Quartet, Vancouver’s piano/vocal sensation, Jillian Lebeck and the brilliant trumpet player, Brad Turner.

Kicking off the festival on July 18, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks presents Jazz, Tea & Cheesecake at Morningstar Farm (403 Lowry’s Road, Parksville). The entertainment will be very special in featuring the Brian Tate/Michael Creber Duo and Bria’s Hot Five with the rather gorgeous, Chilliwack-born trumpeter/singer, Bria Skonberg. At just 26-years old she is a startling talent and rising star set for greatness. Finally, falling at the end of the first week, there is a free show that I mention last in respect of underlining Dwyer’s intention to keep this festival as financially accessible to all-comers as possible. Afro Mumanzi is a young quintet “bridging western and African music by playing instruments from both traditions,” and sure to lay down some irresistible rhythms at Smithfords on July 25. So, there you have it. This is going to be very cool indeed, and hopefully the first of many Phil Dwyer Music Festivals to come. It is Dwyer’s goal for this to be an annual event, but that will of course depend on how well supported 2010’s turns out to be. But with the line-up he has assembled and the superb value ticket prices attached to it, I’m imagining it’ll be standing room only. It sure deserves to be. ~ For full information about the Phil Dwyer Music Festival, including schedule and timings, ticket prices and outlets, please visit www.phildwyer.com .

Marketing & Advertising

Listen to The Beacon Beat on 88.5FM The Beach radio, Thursday mornings at approximately 8:10 am for updates and news about what’s going on in Lighthouse Country! ~ The Beacon...we keep you informed!

/ July 2010

EyesOnBC Community Info Centre A few spots are still available in the EyesOnBC in-house Community Information Centre for racking your business cards, rack cards or flyers! Call 757-9914 for more information. From $10/month It’s where locals and visitors find their service people!

BUSINESS INFORMATION CENTRE We encourage you to “shop local” whenever possible. Below is a list of local businesses that offer a variety of services and products for your personal and professional needs. Tell them you saw their listing or ad in The Beacon. And, if you use and can recommend a local business or service, we ask you to share the news with your neighbours, friends and family. Your positive referrals will ensure a strong economy in your community. And that’s important! The advertisers listed here also have their business cards and brochures racked with us at EyesOnBC 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.

Our Advertisers.............................Contact....................................................... Category................. Ad Page Gallery at EyesOnBC.......................................... 757-9914..................................................................... Art & Gift Gallery / Business Centre.............24 Arrowsmith Automotive........................................ 752-1662..................................................................... Automotive Services....................................26 Qualicum Auto & Marine Supply Ltd.................... 250-752-5621............................................................. Auto & Marine Supplies...............................53 Career Centre...................................................... 248-3205..................................................................... Business & Education..................................54 Invis, Carol Plaisier, Mortgage Consultant........... 250-248-5997............................................................. Business & Financial Services.....................53 Jennifer Hubbard, Solicitor, Notary Public........... 752-6951..................................................................... Business & Financial Services.....................47 Lotar Maurer, CGA............................................... 752-9223..................................................................... Business & Financial Services.....................36 NR Insurance Services........................................ 752-3086..................................................................... Business & Financial Services......inside front Dennis Ponto, Accountant................................... 757-8581..................................................................... Business & Financial Services.....................54 RBC Mortgages - Cathie Kanani......................... 752-7461..................................................................... Business & Financial Services.....................47 Wisdom is Within Coaching................................. 757-9794..................................................................... Business & Personal Coaching....................35 Handy Sandy Services........................................ 757-9599..................................................................... Maintenance Services.................................52 Rodger’s Maintenance Services.......................... 757-2048..................................................................... Maintenance Services.................................40 Medicine Centre.................................................. Fern Rd 752-9911....Memorial Ave 752-9976............. Health Services............................................37 Tracy Hebert R.M.T............................................. cell 927-1471.............................................................. Health Services............................................54 Bowser Roofing................................................... 757-9827.........................248-1633............................. Home & Garden Services............................13 Camelot Electric..........................................................................................250-752-7999...................... Home & Garden Services............................54 Camelot Excavating.....................................................................................250-752-7909...................... Home & Garden Servies..............................54 Camelot Homes...........................................................................................250-752-7909...................... Home & Garden Service Gemini Technical Services (Appliances)............. 752-6871..................................................................... Home & Garden Services............................54 Horne Lake Electric............................................. 250-240-7778............................................................. Home & Garden Services............................53 Lighthouse Trucking Ltd...................................... 757-2047.........................cell 927-7577....................... Home & Garden Services............................53 Northpacific Window............................................ 752-5312..................................................................... Home & Garden Services............................25 Qualicum Bay Custom Carpentry........................ 250-757-8996.................cell 250-954-7700............... Home & Garden Services............................54 Witte Construction............................................... 757-9713.........................927-2157............................. Home & Garden Services............................53 EyesOnBC (in Bowser)........................................ 757-9914..................................................................... Copy / Fax / Office Services.........Inside Front Re/Max First Realty - Carol Gregson.................. 954-8817.........................1-888-243-1071................... Real Estate....................................................9 Re/Max First Realty - Tom Whitfield.................... 248-1071.........................1-888-243-1071................... Real Estate..................................................12 Arrowsmith Golf & Country Club.......................... 752-9727..................................................................... Sports & Leisure..........................................26 Peter Mason Land Surveyor................................ 757-8788.........................1-800-350-5394................... Surveying & Land Information......................53

SERVICE DIRECTORY LISTING A-Company Military Surplus

& Adventure Clothing........................ 52 Action Tank, Septic Services............ 52 Advanced Hypnosis.......................... 52 All in One Bobcat.............................. 52 Alpine Cedar..................................... 53 Arrowsmith Heating.......................... 53 Biscotti di Notti.................................. 52 Blue Star Trucking............................ 53 Bondy and Sons Heating & Cooling.53 Bowser Video Showcase.................. 53 C.F. McLean Pellet Sales................. 52

Camelot Electric............................... 54 Camelot Excavating.......................... 54 Career Centre................................... 54 DIY Helper & Handyman Services... 52 Deja~Vu Decor................................. 53 Dennis Ponto, Professional Accounting................... 54 Ed & Willems - House Painting......... 53 Evelyn’s Barber Shop....................... 54 Firewood (Dale Wilson).................... 54 Gemini Appliance Repair.................. 54 Handy Sandy Services..................... 52

Horne Lake Electric.......................... 53 Invis, Carol Plaisier Mortgage Consultant........................ 53 Jim’s Mowing.................................... 53 Level 6 Drywall Contracting.............. 52 Lighthouse Feed & Garden.............. 54 Lighthouse Trucking......................... 53 Master Lawn Maintenance............... 54 Mr. Land Clearing & Septic Ltd......... 54 Oceanside Yoga............................... 54

Qualicum Auto & Marine................... 53 Qualicum Bay Custom Carpentry..... 54 Qualicum Bay Plumbing................... 53 Qualicum Clothworks........................ 52 Tracy Hebert, Massage Therapist.... 54 Wilson Exteriors................................ 52 Witte Construction Ltd...................... 53

NEW THIS MONTH! Powerwise Electric........................... 52 PC Plumbing & Gas.......................... 52 Studio Salon..................................... 54 Peter Mason Land Surveyor............. 53 Island Scallops................................. 52 The Foot Sanctuary.......................... 54

/ July 2010 51

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

Culverts Drain Problems

Designer Clothes

Septic Installation

For alphabetical service listing, see page 51

Certified Septic System Specialist

Call Lauren & Save

P.C. Plumbing 01.07.eps

Plumbing & Gas Services

Plumbing Service Drywall Repairs 30 Years Experience Licensed & Bonded PETER CHAPMAN

(250)240-1415

Baked Goods

Military Surplus

Home Repairs

Pellet Fuel Sales

Drywall

Septic Service Handyman Services

Hypnotherapy

Electrical Services

Local Seafood

Home Improvement

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

Heating Pellets Animal Bedding Wood Pellets & Shavings

WE DELIVER 757-9232

Located in Qualicum Bay / July 2010

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

Heating

Movie & Game Rental

Auto & Marine

BOWSER

XBox & GameCube

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

757-8353

Excavating

Land Surveying

Interior Decorating

#3 - 6996 West Island Hwy, Bowser

2003 Kobelco SK160Lc Excavator for Hire

DEJA~VU DECOR CUSTOM DECOR & WINDOW COVERINGS

Call

250-752-8772

Convenient In Home Appointments

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

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL ALTERNATE ENERGY

T.J. Farrell

250 • 240 • 7778

Plumbing Sand - Gravel - Topsoil

Heating & Cooling

Lawn Services House Painting

tjfarrell@shaw.ca

Mortgages

WCB & Insured Shaun Witte Owner/Journeyman

Electrician

Construction

LTD

Fencing / Timber

Witte Construction

105 Islewood Dr. Bowser, BC V0R 1G0

/ July 2010 53

/ July 2010

Construction

Lawn Services

Electrical Services

Healthcare

DALE WILSON 250-757-9276

Firewood

Excavating & Septic

Barber Services

For Your Fuel Wood Needs Call

Foot Care

Accounting Services

Firewood, a renewable carbon neutral resource

Appliance Repair

Excavating Services

Hair Services

GREEN ENERGY Pet Food Supplies

Career Counselling

Fitness Classes

www.kdair.com info@kdair.com

DAILY SERVICE TO VANCOUVER Call Call for for schedules schedules & & reservations reservations

/ July 2010 55

Just 5 minutes from Qualicum Beach on the Alberni Highway

DESTINATION

Old Country Market “Goats on the Roof”

SHOPPING & ATTRACTIONS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Surrounding the market is a variety of gift and souvenir shops, local craft and art galleries, antique stores, clothing and jewellery boutiques, restaurant, ice cream stand, bar and liquor store...and more A Home for Life for previously-owned parrots OPEN 10am to 4pm 7 days a week

248 .7026

www.butterflyworld.info

10am - 5pm daily

WORLD & GARDENS Coombs, BC

BRITISH COLUMBIA

ORCHID GARDENS

800 PARROTS

W NO N E OP

New & Used Gift Store

All proceedss from m ou ou store sales go directly to our centre our to rescue, rehabilitate, h bili ffeedd andd house our birds.

The Big Bug Jungle & Turtle Town n

2116 Alberni Hwy - Coombs, B.C.

951-1166

Raven’s Nest

Baubles, Bangles, Books & Such Unique Gifts Crystals Elk Hide Drums and other Aboriginal Art Local Woodwork Photography Jewelery

liquor store & more

funbugz@shaw.ca www.vw-museum.com