Beacon Magazine - November 2010

November 2010 vol 6 issue 78

Community Living: Fanny Bay to Nanoose

TrekOn! Nymph Falls • 12 Charles Van Sandwyk 11 | Gerry Barnum 35

BOWSER BUILDERS’ SUPPLY Lumber Plywood Mouldings Hardware Paints Tools Plumbing Electrical Insulation Building Packages Special Orders Deliveries

IT’S WORTH THE TRIP TO

~ Serving the Community for 70 Years ~

6887 West Island Hwy Bowser, BC

250.757.8442

Artistic passion and insight from the shores of the Salish Sea

6996 WEST ISLAND HIGHWAY (19 MINUTES NORTH OF QUALICUM BEACH 10 MINUTES SOUTH OF FANNY BAY) GIFT STORE CREDIT UNION DRESS SHOP ART & ARTISAN MARKET LIBRARY FAX / COPY SERVICE HAIRDRESSER ESTHETICIAN GROCERIES COFFEE SHOP & CAFE WOOD WORKERS GAS STATION / AUTO REPAIR FEED & GARDEN SHOP RESTAURANTS ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION #211 LIQUOR STORE / POST OFFICE HARDWARE STORE ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES VIDEO STORE FITNESS CLUB 2

/ November 2010

BOWSER BOW OWSER • New N R Releases l • Great Library Selection • New & previously viewed movies for sale • Machine Rentals - N64, PSX, XBox • Game Rentals - N64, PSX, PS2 XBox & GameCube

250.757.8353

#3-6996 West Island Hwy Bowser, BC V0R 1G0

#110-6996 W. Island Hwy, Bowser insight@salishseamarket.com www.facebook.com/salishseamarket

Pottery Glass Metal Wood Fabric Music Paint Literature Culinary Photography M-F 10-5 & Sat 11-4

778-424-2012

4 EDITORIAL 22

FEATURE

Community By Numbers

8 A Passion for Flemenco

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Biz Banter: What’s up in local business Real Estate LCBA Spotlight Your Money

11 Between Beautiful Worlds: the art of Charles van Sandwyk

5 10 17 27

GREAT OUTDOORS

12 20 28 37

Trek On Through the Seasons Tide Table Into the Garden

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

35

Gerry Barnum: Walkin’ in a Straight Line

8 Tomoni Ozaki: Dancing with Passion 11 Artist: Charles van Sandwyk 3 5 Gerry Barnum: Walkin’ in a Straight Line 38 Reel Reviews

COMMUNITY LIFE

“The Rain Takes a Break” ~ Michael Van der Tol photo

6 Inspired by Community 15 Lawn Bowling Club is Unique 29 The Art of Conscious Living 30 Its Happening in Area H 34 On the Agenda

COMMUNITY PEOPLE

7 16 18 26

Kait Burgan: ‘Know You From Somewhere?

Bread and Honey: A Sweet Story of Success Helping to Organize Nato Veterans Images & Voices – Catherine Grandmont

HEALTH 31 Health & Wellness Matters

THE REGULARS

39 Classifieds 40 In the Stars 41 Business Information Centre 42-43 Community Events 44-46 At Your Service Index & Businesses

Michael caught the pure essence of a mystical West Coast morning as mist rose from the grounds of the Qualicum Beach Memorial Golf Course in September 2010. Read more about photographer Michael Van der Tol and his wife Cindy, in Biz Banter on page 5.

Here are a couple of examples of tickets that are available in our office for events that have come about from inspired people in your community.

by Sharon Waugh

November 2010

VOLUME 6 NO 77 The Beacon is published monthly by EyesOnBC

Main Email: beacon@eyesonbc.com Phone/Fax: 250-757-9914 In Person EyesOnBC at Magnolia Court Box 182, #110-6996 W. Island Hwy. Bowser, British Columbia V0R 1G0 Mon - Fri 10-5 Journalists & Reporters Lisa Verbicky, Nancy Whelan, Rita Levitz, Georgia Nicols, Marilyn Dawson, David Morrison, JoAnne Sales, Harry Sumner & Miriam Shell, Carolyn Walton, Linda Tenney, Sharon Waugh, Shirley Culpin, Laura Busheikin, Susan Urie, Jane E. Burton Volunteer - Cathy Balogh

Subscriptions

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

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

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

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

Linda Tenney co-Publisher tenney@eyesonbc.com

4

/ November 2010

A

s the last edits are being taken care of for this November issue I am looking at our front cover and reflecting back to the moment when Linda and I had a mutual ‘a-ha’ moment around what concise phrase would sum up what this magazine venture would be all about...

Inspired by Community...three small words that are just as grounding and empowering to us, six years later.

Our curiosity about what keeps people engaged in their community aptly fills the editorial on our pages each and every month. We don’t seem to have to go looking for it – it just arrives in all different styles of packages with all ranges of emotions wrapped around it.

What is evident is that we are experiencing evolution in our personal lives, our homes, businesses and communities. Sometimes the changes are so joyful that we just want to embrace the next person that comes along with the good news. Sometimes the changes make us feel like we are fighting a losing battle – to lay down our swords and retreat would feel like the only thing that we can do to keep ourselves intact.

We enjoy the creative actions of individuals and organizations that engage the support of the community through activity. For some it makes sense that if you are going to ask for money to support a cause why not give some tangible return as a ‘thank you’ for the donation.

Sharon Waugh co-Publisher waugh@eyesonbc.com

On Friday November 12th at the Fanny Bay Hall you can enjoy the harvest of local shellfish farmers at the Ocean of Plenty Shellfish Gala Dinner, tickets are $50 each and proceeds go to CoalWatch.

Call 250-702-7113 for more information.

On Saturday November 13th a little craziness is returning to Bowser with the annual Moonlight Madness from 6 – 8pm at Magnolia Court. Monies raised from this fundraising event will support local Christmas food hamper programs and enable Lighthouse community children to participate in local summer camps.

Fireworks end the family festivities at 8pm and the unique Bowser-style “come in your pyjamas” dance at the Bowser Legion starts at 9pm with Pacific Disturbance.

Now, after you’ve had your fill of seafood, and thrown your danced-out pyjamas in the hamper it’s time to join the Qualicum Beach Rotary Sunrise Club for Christmas in Qualicum – Home Tour & Lunch. Your $40 ticket will benefit the BC Cancer Foundation as you enjoy slipping inside six Qualicum homes, dating from the early 1900s, decked out in their vintage holiday season best. Your self-guided tour includes lunch at Thalassa Restaurant at the Qualicum Memorial Golf Club and the chance to win a fabulous door prize.

There’s always benefit in acknowledging the efforts of others regardless if the ‘cause’ is one that you also own, or if it sits on the periphery of what ‘affects’ you.

Our hope is that you allow yourself to recognize the diversity of passion and expression in this issue alone – from flamenco to statistics – we are inspired by community!

LOCALLY OWNED • COMMUNITY INSPIRED

Elizabeth Cudmore Customer Service cudmore@eyesonbc.com

Margaret Reid Contract Distribution

Frank Hladik Advertising 951-8824

By Sharon Waugh A warm welcome to Corinne Roby of Ethereal Splendor Healing who has recently relocated to Bowser from Fort St. John. Through the course of her own healing journey, Corinne was drawn to be of service to others. She spent several years training and gaining certification in several holistic modalities including: Usui Reiki (Master/ Teacher), Karuna Reiki (Master/Teacher), Cranio Sacral Therapy (Upledger Institute – Level II Practitioner) and Somato Emotional Release (Upledger Institute – Level II Practitioner). Corinne has been helping her clients for the past ten years and is honoured to be of service to those who are willing to help themselves live their lives to the fullest with minimal pain or discomfort. “This life is supposed to be fun so free yourself and enjoy all the wonders and gifts that are right there in front of you!” says Corinne.

For appointment information please refer to Corinne’s ad on page 38.

New to Qualicum Beach! The Village Boutique is the brainchild of Susan Leutschaft and Lori Morris. Best friends for over 25 years and originally from Ontario, they decided after many brainstorming sessions to open up a women’s boutique carrying higher end new and gently-used clothing, purses, jewellery, hats, footwear and also offering consignment. Lori tells us that the opening

of this store came from the idea from their love of shopping for bargains and repurposing their passion into a business venture. Community members are invited to bring in their new and gently-used items and receive 40% of the final selling price on their items. Any unsold items will either be returned to the consignee or donated to a local charity for the betterment of our community. The Village Boutique is located at Unit 2 - 211 Second Avenue West, Qualicum Beach. and is open Tuesday thru Saturday from 10 am – 5 pm.

Are you looking for gentle, professional personal care for your pooch? Dog gone Beautiful offers complete grooming services for small dogs in a tranquil setting in Nanoose Bay, taking a maximum of two clients at a time to ensure personal attention and a relaxed grooming experience for your pet. With over 20 years experience, owner Jayne Belanger tells us that she provides outstanding grooming and a standard of care second to none. The salon is located just five minutes south of Parksville at 1559 Arbutus Drive, Nanoose Bay. Hours are by appointment, seven days a week, call 250-821-1983. Please refer to Jayne’s ad on page 45.

New beginnings for Michael and Cindy Van der Tol! “In 2006 we were simply

passing through Qualicum Beach on our way to spend our 25th wedding anniversary in Tofino. I was so infatuated with Qualicum Beach that I told her that we were going to move here one day. Well, the rest is history, as they say, and as of August we now call Qualicum Beach home.”

Michael is currently building his real estate photography business, Island Property Imaging (www.islandpropertyimaging. com), to provide professional imaging services to the property and real estate market. His fine art photography can be found at www.michaelvandertol.com and on the front cover of the November Beacon. “If you see me walking down Qualicum Beach at sunrise and low-tide with camera in tow, stop by and say hello.”

New to the business community in Qualicum Beach is Nancy Consaul, the excited new owner of Complements at #1-180 2nd Avenue. Having recently moved from Victoria, Nancy tells us that she has been very appreciative of the welcoming she has received from her new community.

“We’ll be keeping the store as home decor but adding new lines to include: cards, paper products, tableware and Bauble LuLu charms. Watch for the transformation in early November to Christmas splendor!”

Hours are Mon. – Sat. 10 - 5pm; open Sundays in November and December 12-4 pm. Please refer to Nancy’s ad on page 37. ~

• on Twitter www.twitter.com/BeaconMagazine

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and on our own developing website CHECK www.eyesonbc.com for details and updates

Fleece, Alpaca, Cotton, Wool, Silk & Cashmere

New & Consignment Clothing Located in Bowser’s Magnolia Court 6996 W. Island Highway Tues to Sat • 10am - 5pm

778.424.1000

or by email at lesliegeddie@gmail.com / November 2010 5

Qualicum Community Foundation’s Youth in Philanthropy project.

LEST WE FORGET

Q

ualicum Beach Legion Branch 76 is ready to kick off their annual POPPY CAMPAIGN! This year marks the 84th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion and the Qualicum Beach Branch. Eighty-four years of assisting our veterans and our community and the citizens of Qualicum Beach have supported us all the way.

The Poppy Campaign commences on Friday October 29th at 10am with the flag raising at the Branch Cenotaph. The first poppy will be pinned on Mayor Westbroek by Branch President John Humphrey and immediately after the flag raising our canvassers will take to the streets.

Show your support for our men and women who serve in the Canadian Forces and wear your Poppy proudly!

On November 10th a candlelight ceremony will take place at the Branch Cenotaph at 4pm and anyone wishing to place a candle in memory of a loved one should contact Wilma Stevens at 752-333 to order a candle ($3.50 each). ~

T

his year Bowser’s Kiwanis Lighthouse Community Cupboard (KLCC) is teaming up with our Bowser Legion Branch

211 to provide Christmas hampers from Dashwood to Fanny Bay. Kiwanis is responsible for the food hampers and their delivery, while the Bowser Legion will be providing gift certificates to complete the hampers. As in the past we will ensure strict confidentiality for hamper recipients. To book a hamper or make donations this year please call Sylvia Chaddock (KLCC) at 7578148 or Evelyn Foot (Bowser Legion LA) at 757-9778. The deadline for hamper requests is December 6, and everyone should have their hampers by December 19. Sylvia is taking names of volunteers to assemble and deliver the hampers December 12 to 19. ~

M

ake time/take time on November 11th, Remembrance Day afternoon, 1:30 5:30pm, to attend the MAKING PEACE HEALTH FEST, at Tigh Na Mara Conference Centre in Parksville.

While this is a FUNdraiser primarily for a mission to Peaceful Children’s Home in Cambodia by local women – Sarah Shirley, Marcella Andrews, and Doreen Bakstad (above) – a share of the proceeds will stay locally for the Parksville/

Fun and Fitness, Health and Wellness.

Making a difference. What a great way to celebrate peace! Doreen, a long time bodymind therapist in Oceanside, is calling in favours. She has gathered a team of some of the most skilled and well-loved health and wellness instructors and practitioners in the area to make this day unique and memorable. Attend and partake in aquafit, yoga, laughter yoga, labyrinth walk, chair massage, chair acupressure, EFT, reiki or palmist/ psychic. Bid in the Silent Auction, put your tickets in draws for the Wall of Wine, Cupboard of Food and more. There will be a live Dove Release to wish our adventurers, who depart the second week of November, bon voyage. As well, we will be visited by the dove mascot of the Jane Goodall Roots and Shoots program. If you have more questions, or would like to donate, please call Doreen 250-248-2793 doreenbakstad@hotmail.com or Marcella 250-752-8554 ~

THANKS FOR THE ‘HOWLING’ GOOD TIME!

T

he Lighthouse Country Family Halloween Party was another huge success thanks to the limitless energy and enthusiasm of local volunteers and the generous support of local businesses and community members. “Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something” and that’s exactly what this community did. Thank you from the Lighthouse Recreation Commission!! ~

KAIT BURGAN:

DON’T I KNOW YOU FROM SOMEWHERE?

by Susan Urie

W

hen you first meet Kait Burgan the first thing to pop into your mind is ‘where do I know you from?’. You’re convinced you know her, you’re sure her voice sounds familiar and you are absolutely positive you have seen her before…somewhere. Well, before you chalk it up to your mind playing tricks, rest assured your memory is serving you just fine.

Scroll down a list of what she’s been up to since graduating in 1994 from the Applied Communications program at Camosun College. Chances are you’ve enjoyed a show she produced for Shaw TV Victoria during her four year stint following graduation. Or caught a live performance from Theatre One Nanaimo, thanks to it being brought to your attention when she handled Publicity and Development. Or recall watching her as the on-air correspondent for Go!Magazine on CH Television, Channel 6. Or perhaps you’re familiar with her work as a columnist and feature writer for the Nanaimo Daily News and Harbour City Star. Maybe you were a loyal follower of her regular column “Kait’s Quirks”. Or last, but certainly not least, you recognize her from her work as a video journalist with Shaw TV Nanaimo.

It was in the Yukon where Kait Burgan was first seen and heard. Born in Whitehorse it

was lucky for us Islanders that she moved soon afterward to Victoria where she was raised and attended school. A year after finishing up at college Kait moved to Nanaimo where she enjoyed the growth she saw happening around her.

and it’s a long way from the bustling city streets of Victoria where Kait was raised.

“I’m still adjusting to life out here,” she says, smiling warmly at her two kids playing at her feet. “These are our country kids, they play in the dirt, drive bobcats around our property, and they love it!”

Becoming a mom, and a country mom at that, has taken Kait on quite a ride both personally and professionally but it’s a ride she quite obviously appreciates. Before having her son, Kait could be seen on Shaw TV hosting “It took about a year after moving to realize the Arts segment of programming; however, that Victoria wasn’t my home anymore,” becoming a mother changed all that and she says. “My career bloomed according to Kait it’s been a positive shift. in Nanaimo “I think I’m a better journalist since having so I was more kids,” she says. “I have a bigger perspective connected now and it makes storytelling more honest, a through my little more compassionate and more fun.” work to the community.”

Having fun with her kids led to her most recent project. Driving to and from Nanaimo Kait enjoyed with two small kids to attend programs and watching Nanaimo grow activities Kait had a brainstorm. as a result of the hard work of people who lived there and felt a real connection to the community.

“I could walk down the Kait Burgan • Susan Urie photo street and people knew me and I knew them and I just liked that,” she explains. “When I came to Nanaimo it was very small and it’s a thriving place now so there’s a sense of pride with that.”

The Oceanside area is now proud to call Kait one of our own when her career, and life, took a turn after giving birth to son David, now three, followed a swift eighteen months later with daughter Emilee. Kait and her partner Dave now call Whisky Creek home

“I thought why am I running back and forth to Nanaimo all the time?” she explains. That night she started a meet-up group on the computer.

That was just over a year ago and that idea has now grown into the hugely popular Oceanside Moms Group (OMG), a website dedicated to bringing families together to experience the community with their kids.

Now boasting 131 members the OMG gives parents a chance to visit and share the stories that come with parenthood.

“I think the group is a huge success,” she says proudly. “The community benefits from us and we benefit from them and that was my whole objective.”

See and hear Kait Burgan regularly on Shaw TV or, if you are an area mom interested in meeting up with other families, hookup with her on the OMG website at www.oceansidemoms-group.com . ~

Welcome To Our New Neighbour 4647 Thompson Clarke Drive E., Bowser

“Hot N Cool Yoga Club” / November 2010 7

TOMOMI OZAKI

FLAMENCO: DANCING WITH PASSION

By Laura Busheikin

N

ot many people know what’s been going on in the basement of the Fanny Bay Trading Company, a popular gift shop and gallery on the old Island Highway. Solid walls have muffled the sounds of rhythmically stamping feet and dramatic Spanish music, but on Saturday, November 6, all will be revealed at the first student recital of the Comox Valley Flamenco Studio.

This show will be held at the Courtenay performance space The Bridge and will feature performances by teacher Tomomi Ozaki and her students, who have been learning and honing their art in a small but well-equipped dance studio beneath the Fanny Bay business Ozaki runs with her partner Gil Campbell.

Flamenco is known for its fire and intensity, its complex rhythms pounded out by the dancers’ feet, and the deep emotion expressed in the music and movements.

Like any worthwhile story, the history of Flamenco has many versions, all of which involve Southern Spain, Gypsies, and defiance. Generally the story traces back to the Spanish Inquisition of the 1500s, when religious persecution created a clandestine community of outcasts, including the Gypsies, Moors (African Muslims), and Jews. Excluded from mainstream society, these groups shared not only their struggles, but also their creativity and culture.

Out of this fertile mix came the unique rhythms and style of Flamenco. Since then, Flamenco has spread around the world, absorbing influences from other cultures, while still maintaining strong roots in Spain.

Ozaki wasn`t thinking of any of this when she signed up for her first Flamenco dance class back in 1994 when she was living in Kyoto. She just thought it might be a fun alternative to aerobics. She quickly realized she’d connected in to a rich and exciting art form, and was hooked. She signed up for more and more classes, performed that year at her school’s student recital, and continued immersing herself in the dance. This was easy to do – after Spain, Japan has the most Flamenco enthusiasts in the world, with many shows, schools, visiting teachers and performers from Spain, and a huge, committed audience.

A couple years later she began teaching and performing regularly – often every weekend, both Friday and Saturday night, all while holding down a full-time job, and of course attending dance classes!

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/ November 2010

Tomomi Ozaki • submitted photo

continued next page

continued from previous page A car accident put a temporary stop to this. Nursing a neck injury, Ozaki had to put Flamenco aside. Instead, she concentrated on her goal of becoming a translator. In 2001 she flew to Lethbridge, Alberta, to study English.

Two years later she moved to Vancouver, and then a year after that came to Fanny Bay to be with Campbell, whom she had met in Lethbridge. Ozaki’s neck had healed by then, but there was no evidence of any Flamenco in the region, and besides, she was busy developing her business.

But about a year later she saw a flyer advertising a Flamenco dance workshop on Denman Island with a visiting teacher. A small group of students at that workshop noticed Ozaki’s skill and asked her to teach them.

Since those early days, Ozaki has picked up a few more students, installed a specialized floor and wall-sized mirror in her studio, made contact with the Victoria Flamenco community, performed at various events both solo and with her students, and helped produce a number of local Flamenco shows. Flamenco is back in her life, in a way that is better than ever, she says.

“Here, I can really go deep and find my own individual Flamenco; I have to,” she says. The closest teacher for Ozaki is in Victoria, so once a month she drives there and back to take a private class with Veronica Maguire, one of BC’s top dancers.

“Between those monthly classes I practice by myself, so it is up to me to think about what kind of movement is right for me. I have to figure out who I am as a dancer. In Japan I just did what my teachers said. It became a routine – go to classes, learn a choreography, perform, again and again. Here it moves slowly and there is time for me to create my own style,” says Ozaki.

And to create her own school. Ozaki teaches two to five classes a week, and these days she is also busy with show organizing and extra rehearsals. She is pleased that The Bridge is a big venue; the roomy stage will allow her to perform in her Bata de Cola, a magnificent dress with a long ruffled train, which becomes part of the dance as she flicks and swishes it expressively.

Also, The Bridge has a large audience capacity, which means no one is likely to be turned away.

“At the last show I organized with my students, featuring [Victoria ensemble] Alma de Espana, the venue only held 55 people and many people did not get in, which was very disappointing,” she says.

To see the flowering of local Flamenco dance, Ozaki invites you to attend Pasion Flamenca – A Student Dance Recital, presented by the Comox Valley Flamenco Studio, Saturday Nov. 6, at The Bridge, #90 – 5th St, Courtenay. Doors open at 8pm; show starts at 8:30pm.

Tickets are $10 in advance at Silhouette Dance in Courtenay/$12 at the door, and can be reserved online at www.thebridgelounge. com. For more information about the show or the Comox Valley Flamenco Studio call 250-335-1475. ~

/ November 2010 9

REAL ESTATE PROMOTION

REAL ESTATE: MAKING IT WORK FOR YOU

By Marc LaCouvée

S

tocks, bonds, gold and oil. As any good advisor will tell you, these can all be part of a balanced investment portfolio. But they are generally intangible and not physically in your possession. That’s just one way real-estate investments are different. Rental property ownership can provide some great tangible benefits in an economic market where hedging your bets is more important that it has ever been.

You can see it and touch it. Your property will probably be an investment within your geographic area. It doesn’t exist simply as a printed statement that comes monthly to your mailbox.

So you made the decision to buy a rental property. You researched the market and talked to your favourite REALTOR®.

You decided on a rate of return you were comfortable with and discussed this decision with your banker. You found a property you liked and presented an offer. That offer was accepted. You have now joined the ranks of thousands of investors and some of the wealthiest people in the world. You are now a Landlord. Congratulations!

As a landlord you have chosen to be your own manager. This can be an exciting time and with some due diligence, you can be firmly in control of your own financial

Hurry Sale Ends November 8TH

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/ November 2010

destiny. There are some key areas that you will have to pay particular attention to so here’s a simple list to start you on your way with a successful real estate venture.

1. This is a business. Develop a system to keep track of the rental and financial processes. You could be audited by the government at any time.

2. Go to the BC Government website to download all the free forms you will need to enter into a residential tenancy agreement. Make sure you read them all and very carefully! http://www.rto.gov.bc.ca/ documents.

3. Verify everything put into the rental application.

4. Thoroughly screen your applicants. Check references and eviction records.

5. Keep the relationship between you and your tenants business-like and treat all tenants with respect.

6. Conduct regular inspections of your property and enforce rules immediately and consistently.

7. Keep good records and document everything. A property specific journal is a great start. If you have a need to record anything, make notes as to time of day, weather, names of parties involved and the

nature of the event. This could be of great benefit to you if a problem ever goes to arbitration.

8. Use www.Craigslist.com or www.Kijiji. com to advertise your rentals. They are free.

9. Educate yourself and continue to seek further training. Become extremely familiar with provincial laws governing the rental process.

10. Know that in this process there will be challenges! Don’t let them take your focus off the long-term goal. This is not a get rich quick scheme but it can generate long-term wealth with due diligence and some work.

Please note that this is not to be considered legal or rental advice in any manner. This is purely intended to be a simple list that can begin to guide you to your real estate objectives. ~ Marc LaCouvée was born and raised on Vancouver Island. He is a REALTOR® and is a Dad. He has spent his lifetime exploring this great paradise. Whether supporting Oceanside Minor Hockey, other local organizations or attending PAC meetings, Marc is committed to community, his family and the area that he and his children live in.

Marc works for RE/MAX Anchor Realty in Qualicum Beach. www.MarcLaCouvee.com Please refer to Marc’s ad on page 29.

ARTIST: CHARLES VAN SANDWYK

BETWEEN BEAUTIFUL WORLDS

W

orld-renowned artist Charles van Sandwyk enjoys working in the wee hours of the morning. At 4am, between night and day, as many creative types know, a door opens to a room stacked with possibility.

“In the twilight of the day, the place between shadow and light, lays the delectable unknown,” says the artist who works in Deep Cove, BC. For him, small, gentle creatures enter through the window of imagination and make their way across the seas of consciousness and onto the pages of his books. His fairies, gnomes, birds, woodland creatures, and decorated storytellers are there to guide us busy grown-ups along an old map, back to our childhoods.

Van Sandwyk’s enchanting paintings, cards and books are imbued with what he says is a deep humanity that draws viewers of all ages to the fantasy and wisdom of the fairy-tale.

“There is no reason why we can’t live in the beauty of childhood,” he says.

“Affairs of the Heart” ~ Charles van Sandwyk

by Lisa Verbicky

Van Sandwyk’s work, with its ornate metallic borders and calligraphy, is often described as old-world. In his books, weathered-looking maps and postcards are tucked into the rough pages of what looks like the tattered travelers journal. You are on a journey when you view one of his pieces.

easily follow them to the edges of the earth and beyond. He links us with something as tangible as a book, such as Animal Wisdom, to the beauty of nature and the mysterious. His images and poetry in books like The Fairy Market, inspired by a local area farmers’ market, connect us to the enormity found in all things small or unseen.

The 44 year-old artist says the deep aesthetic and charm of his work originates in the family home where he grew up in South Africa.

“I’ve always had this world inside of me itching to come out, and now I know that we can all have access to this world.”

“I was very fortunate to be surrounded by a richly decorated interior with beautiful details and antique prints on the walls.”

Van Sandwyk started carving gnomes when he was 13. After moving with his family from Johannesburg, he attended art school at the then Capilano College, where he graduated in 1986. He started his career by creating large, one-off canvases of birds in a style reminiscent of early naturalist drawings. After ten years of moderate success, he chose to go back to his first love of painting, writing and making books.

His work, he says, is more important than ever in our post-modern world minimalism and neutrality.

“There is so much out there with a hard edge. I try to put as much softness and kindness into my work as I can muster.”

Van Sandwyk’s work goes beyond old-worldly to otherworldly. “Birds above, Fish Below, and We are betwixt and between,” he writes in Dream Island of Birds.

He is drawn to birds because of their free-spirited, delicate, gentle, ethereal nature, he says. Their nests symbolize a safe harbour, something that resonates with most human beings, says the artist who himself has spent much of his time between the worlds of Vancouver and Fiji, where he also has a studio.

Van Sandwyk has created such a level of trust in his dear characters, so iconic, that the viewer would

In an era where the printed product is an endangered species, his works are recognized around the globe. His paintings hang in the National Library of Canada, and his illustrations are found in Folio Society editions such as Wind in the Willows.

Crafted and compiled in Qualicum Beach, his books, images and cards are currently available to hold in your hand, and take home, from the Salish Sea Market and Uptown Framing. www.cvsfinearts.com for more information on the artist and his work.~ / November 2010 11

a Sharon Waugh & Linda Tenney creation

THE RACY WATERS OF

Nymph Falls

By Sharon Waugh

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/ November 2010

Start: Nymph Falls, Comox Valley Regional District Park Distance: There is a network of trails in this 54 acre park, some pedestrian only, some bike only, some multi-use only...did you know that if you get caught ignoring the only you may be slapped with By-law 2027: a maximum fine of $2,000? Using a combination of the Lower Trail, Midline trail and the Long Loop we managed to squeeze in an hour of relaxed walking on only the trails for bi-peds.

Trailhead Directions: On the Inland Highway north of Courtenay take the Piercy Road exit. Follow Piercy Road for ~1.5km to Forbidden Plateau Road, turn right and follow Forbidden Plateau Road for ~ 3km to the signed Nymph Falls Nature Park on your left.

Maps: www.comoxvalleyrd.ca Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I

t’s the day of The Beacon’s deadline and procrastination has played its hand, yet again, in delaying my action to get out and travel the path of least resistance...ie. getting my trek article in well after the deadline assigned to our diligent core of writers. More often than not, when you leave things to the last moment, it happened to be one of the soggier afternoons left on the calendar to travel up to Courtenay and revisit a small network of trails embracing the banks of the Puntledge River. The question I pose, in reflective hindsight, is did I choose the trail or did the trail choose me? Have you ever thought about it?

Do you find yourself on a path one time that is physically challenging, maybe in duration or intensity...the next it may be more technical and mentally challenging? And always, at the end of the journey you say to yourself, “that was just what I needed!” I think that the wander through the 54 acres of Nymph Falls Park was just what I needed at this time to reconnect with the fall season, the shortening hours of daylight and the movement toward cocooning into the recovery period of winter. A shorter, easier walk was calling to me that it’s okay to slow down, pay attention to the thoughts that come up while the feet are on autopilot on leaf strewn paths; a reminder that trees free flow and know when it is time to ‘let go’.

A visit to Nymph Falls gives a glimpse of the power of the Puntledge River system as it slides by in white foam cascades over the smooth bedrock bottom, rolling in and out of the natural jacuzzi-like potholes of summer soaks and funnelling through the man-made cut of the fishladder – a perfect observation point to catch the upstream migration of spawning fish. We stared long and hard at the ladder this day and thought all was futile until this Kodak moment was ‘orca-strated’...did we get our mushroom identification mixed up again?

Close to a hundred years ago, in 1912, Canadian Collieries recognized the hydroelectric potential of the Puntledge and its headwaters, Comox Lake, to provide electricity for the Cumberland area coal mines. Since the 1950s, the dam and powerhouse was expanded to include output to local communities and the partnership of BC Hydro and Department of Fisheries and Oceans initiated several salmon enhancement projects including the fish ladder.

There’s a bit of an edge to the seemingly idyllic river-side jaunt...the posting of signs warning of your immediate response to the sound of a siren...water releases may occur suddenly without warning, increasing the normal flows up to five times! Fortunately, the scheduled releases are posted at the entrance to the parks.

When you think about it you are in the good company of the memories of past users of the river bed and forest. Downstream lies the 80 million-year-old former sea bed site where the Elasmosaur fossil, the largest marine reptile ever discovered in BC, was uncovered.

Standing tall in the wet reaches are sweeping cedars bearing the well-healed scars of cedar barking and decaying stumps present scorched exteriors of centuries-old wild fires.

A cleansing walk in the woods, a bowl of hot soup on the return home...does it really matter how many things you still have on your plate yet undone? Oh, yes, back to the philosophical question left dangling...do you think that trails choose you? I do. ~

www.longevitymedical.ca / November 2010 13

INDOOR/OUTDOOR: THIS LAWN BOWLING CLUB IS UNIQUE

By Carolyn Walton

A

nyone who has visited the villages of France or Italy will recall watching the men of the town playing boules, petanque or bocce on the grass in the town square.

In Canada both men and women wearing whites can be seen lawn bowling on the greens. But come wintertime as the greens turn white, those fortunate enough to find an indoor facility can play all season long.

Although the game of bowls has been traced to the 13th century, as it grew in popularity it came under the ban of king and parliament, both fearing it might jeopardize the practice of archery, then so important in battle. An act of 1541 in England – which was not repealed until 1845 – stated that artificers, labourers, servants and the like were forbidden to play bowls at any time except Christmas, and then only in their master’s house and presence. And anyone playing outside his own garden or orchard was liable to a fine!

However, it’s 2010, and lawn bowling is alive and well and played year-round in Qualicum Beach Lawn Bowling Club’s unique indoor/outdoor facility, the only one of its kind in North America. On April 27th, 1979 the Qualicum and District Lawn Bowling Club was incorporated as a Society; volunteers built the original club house in 1980 and included a kitchen, washrooms and gathering area, with official opening ceremonies held June 6th, 1981.

The first year there were fifty playing members plus chartered members, today there are some 124 paid members.

In 1985 the club introduced the Visually Impaired Bowling program, offering sight impaired bowlers the opportunity to play twice weekly, directed by sighted volunteers, coaching them and interpreting the position of bowls in play during the game. In 1992 an extension was completed that doubled the size and provided room for two short mats or four carpet bowls mats for indoor bowling.

On the club’s 25th anniversary, construction commenced on a further expansion of the club house and included an Indoor Green.

Completed in the summer of 2007, the new facility includes three regulation-size full length rinks in the indoor green arena. The

All season bowlers indoors and out

Photos compliments of Douglas Ives

total area, including the spectator viewing section is approximately 46m x 16.5m (150 ft. x 54 ft.). In addition, a number of locker, meeting, office, storage, cloak and janitor’s rooms were built. “Actually it’s busier in the winter than in the summer,” club president Darryl Chapman noted. “It’s very similar to curling, which originated from lawn bowling, the bowls are weighted on one side so they actually curve, but no sweeping,” he laughed.

roll the bowl but it has its own agenda and ends up in the wrong direction, far short of the target. Ross’ rolls are too powerful, mine too weak. But victory! My last roll takes the yellow jack right off the green. My joy is short-lived as I learn to my dismay that is not in the game rules! As we are leaving, Dawn Rigg, director of marketing and advertising, asks me if I like my shoes.

Surprised I look down and realize I am trying to walk out with the shoe covers on!

I have always considered lawn bowling to be kids’ play. Just rolling that ball across the grass looks so easy. However, I stand corrected. Darryl recently invited Ross and I to try our luck on the indoor bowling green and easy, it is not! Donning covers over my street shoes I stand on the mat. “Small side up, aim for lane number 3,” Darryl tells me. That will allow the bowl to curve to the left. Aiming for 3 on the far right I plan to get close to that little yellow “jack” on the far left side. Keeping my eyes on lane 3 I

In the winter players come from Courtenay, Port Alberni and Parksville to play on this unique indoor/outdoor facility. There are barbeques in the summer, events such as Rock and Roll Thursdays in the winter.

Members can play open draw seven days a week. A recent open house proved very successful and another will be held in April.

For membership information contact Liz Pendleton at 250-752-9420. ~

/ November 2010 15

Counter staff...clean-up crew...and fabulous cooks - these gals do it all! • Shirley Culpin photo

BREAD AND HONEY: A SWEET STORY OF SUCCESS

By Shirley Culpin

E

ach weekday morning at six o’clock the lights switch on in the kitchen at a tiny, tucked-away café/bistro that has attracted much attention from good-food aficionados in the Oceanside area. In the ten months it has been open the Bread and Honey Food Company has attracted so many fans, in fact, that there are often people lined up out the door at lunch time.

The brainchild of long-time friends Val Sorensen and Laurie Robertson, Bread and Honey came into being when the pair hit the 50-year birthday mark.

“We had thought of a number of business ideas that we tried,” recounts Val. “We thought we might make chairs, but after completing the first one came to the realization that we were never going to make any money doing that. Then we started making specialty clothing – night gowns and tops that wicked away perspiration – for menopausal women. The idea was good, but neither of us are sales people, so that didn’t go either.”

“Then we both hit 50,” Laurie says, “and we decided we needed to do something serious. I love making bread, and Val likes to cook and make desserts, so the idea of a restaurant appealed.”

Although the pair originally planned to open in Qualicum Beach property lease and bureaucratic problems ultimately drove them to Parksville, where they found the vacated Eagle Eye Accounting offices at #4 – 162 Harrison Avenue. Located in a strip mall on a side-street, it isn’t the most high-profile site but Val and Laurie’s prowess in the kitchen, combined with their friendly manner and welcoming atmosphere, have overcome the location issue.

The pair began gutting the original offices within an hour of signing the lease, and a month-and-a-half later, Bread and Honey was ready to open. The café is a charming mix of what Laurie calls ‘part French, part modern’. The knotty fir floors and ten foot-long harvest table constructed of barn 16

/ November 2010

continued next page

continued from previous page board are complemented by smaller bistro-style tables, attractive wall décor and artful seasonal floral arrangements plucked from the farms that Laurie and Val call home. It makes an appealing setting for the most important factor – the marvelous food that comes from the kitchen day after day.

Many of the ingredients for the changing daily menus come from the farms run by Laurie, Val and their husbands.

Chicken and eggs, lamb, herbs and fresh vegetables all originate on the pair’s home turf, ensuring the very best in flavour and freshness. Laurie and Val also utilize the goods of other local producers in an effort to maintain their high standards.

“We make all of our own stocks,” says Laurie, “and our bread is made on-site. Everything in here is made from scratch.”

The ‘from scratch’ factor is a part of what draws customers back to Bread and Honey. However, there can be little doubt that the innovative seasonal and ethnic offerings help to pique diners’ tastebuds and curiousity as well. Items such as roast squash, pecan and sage pasties, celeriac and hazelnut soup and panini featuring portobello mushroom, sweet peppers, baby spinach and Asiago cheese are enough to set anyone’s mouth watering. For those just wanting a beverage and a snack there are always Val’s scones, made with real cream and butter, or a variety of other interesting sweet treats (black pepper cookie, anyone?). Laurie and Val cast a fresh eye at restaurant fare, which makes a tasty and refreshing change for their patrons. They also try to accommodate a broad range of dietary requirements by putting a vegetarian, a gluten-free and a meat-based item on the limited menu each day.

Laurie’s wholesome, hefty breads have become so popular that the loaves are sold on an individual basis. A freezer next to the counter area holds frozen soups and other homemade delicacies such as artisan sausages, chicken pot pies and shepherd’s pie. They are listed on Bread and Honey’s information card as “I’ve slaved over a hot stove all day” take-out meals.

The synergy of Bread and Honey seems a bit wacky at times – Laurie’s cheerful, outgoing personality is nicely complemented by Val’s quieter but nonetheless friendly countenance. Their cooking styles, however, are direct opposites to their personalities.

“I’m the one who sticks strictly to the recipes,” says Laurie.

“Val’s not – she’ll wing it, suggest variations on a recipe, try different things.” Which, no doubt, accounts in part for the interesting menus that grace their blackboard each week – two different personalities and culinary styles melded into a harmonious offering of some of the most interesting restaurant food in Oceanside.

Bread and Honey is open Monday to Friday from 8am – 4pm.

They can be reached by telephone at 250-586-1021. To get a sneak preview of the week’s menus, contact them via e-mail at breadandhoney@shaw.ca ~

/ November 2010 17

FANNY BAY AREA RESIDENT HELPING TO ORGANIZE NATO VETERANS

By Jane E. Burton

M

ystery Beach Road resident Bob Grant has recently become the NATO Veterans’ Organization Director for the Pacific and Territories region. The Organization, formed in 2006, represents both retired and serving Canadian military and RCMP who have served on North American Air Defense (NORAD) or North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) missions. The Organization was created to “support NATO/NORAD veterans and/or their families by recognizing their service to the free world, cherishing their memory and remembering their sacrifices.”

Bob served in the Canadian Air Force for thirty-three years specializing in the field of aerospace engineering. His work took him to air force bases across North America and to Europe where he participated in NATO missions in France and Germany. His association with the Comox Valley began with the first of two postings to CFB Comox in 1959. Two of Bob and Edda Grant’s

three children were born at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Comox. Bob ended his career at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa. He explained their decision to retire to the Island in 1989: “both Edda and I liked the Valley when we were here previously and we’d made some old friends here. And that is why we came back. We came back on a house-hunting trip and took a look around and thought, well, this sure beats Ottawa. Of all the places we’ve been, the Comox Valley is outstanding, there’s no question.” They

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Bob Grant • Jane E. Burton photo first settled in Union Bay where Bob worked hard renovating his home and serving as a Union Bay Improvement District Director.

They moved into their current home in 1994.

Since moving to Mystery Beach Road Bob has kept himself busy doing recreational painting and other art work and mobilizing the community for projects such as the

continued from previous page rejuvenation of Walker Park on the waterfront. Due to projects like this Bob says he earned the nickname the “Mayor of Mystery Beach”.

Bob first joined the NATO Veteran’s Organization in 2007 because, like many of his former colleagues, he did not feel that his NATO work was being recognized: “After the Second World War we served in the cold war in Europe…The cold war veterans, we’re considered veterans now, although we weren’t in a hot war we were in a cold war, which we actually won, we were not recognized for the service that we put in.”

The Organization is non-political with its goals being to provide a vehicle to bring together and support NATO/NORAD veterans, to recognize their service, to do charitable work, to donate literature about Canada’s role in NATO and NORAD to schools and libraries and to work with other veteran’s organizations. They are members of the Veterans’ Ombudsman’s Strategic Council. In this forum they are able to put forward issues of concern to their members that they believe should be presented to the Minister of Veteran’s Affairs for resolution. These primarily relate to issues about veterans’ benefits and the Veterans Charter. Bob is cautiously optimistic: “There are a lot of changes that should be made and probably will be made because of our advocacy, hopefully.”

Bob began working in the Director’s role this summer. He volunteers his time to organize the region, to publicize the organization, liaise with other organizations and give advice to the national president. The Pacific and Territories region currently has units in Victoria, Whitehorse and Yellowknife but Bob would like to see units created in Vancouver, Prince George, Kelowna and Inuvik in addition to one that would serve Vancouver Island north of Nanaimo. He feels good about the task he has taken on: “I find this very rewarding. With my knowledge and expertise and experience in the military and living here in the Valley, I think that it’s rewarding to me now that I have a task that I can really get into it, like get my teeth into it.”

He’ll have lots of opportunity to do just that as the Organization has set a goal of doubling its membership from the current 1,000 members nation-wide. Bob invites anyone interested in the NATO Veteran’s Organization to contact him by phone at 250-335-0963 or email leapadip@shaw.ca. ~ Jane E. Burton is a freelance writer who operates her company Memorable Lines from her home in Fanny Bay.

/ November 2010 19

FLOWERS TO REMEMBER

By Nancy Whelan

I

t isn’t native to Canada, it blooms in late spring and early summer, not the fall, but a Canadian brought it to our attention, and it’s most definitely the flower of the month for November. We need no twenty questions to come quickly to the conclusion that this is the poppy.

A sturdy, though fragile appearing bloom, the poppy, of Papaver and related genera, is mostly native to the temperate and subtropical areas of Eurasia and North Africa. The poppy now blooms around the world, due, no doubt to its interesting qualities for baking and medicinal purposes, as well as its beauty and colourful variety.

The poppy of November fame, (Papaver rhoeas), also known as the corn poppy, is related to the opium poppy, the Oriental poppy and Iceland poppy, and over a hundred other species. That little cup of sunshine known as the California poppy is of another genus – Eschscholzia.

No matter the species, most poppies are attractive flowers and widely cultivated as ornamental garden plants. Enclosed in two fuzzy sepals, the petals are tightly packed and crumpled in the bud, giving the blooming flower that crinkly look. As

20

/ November 2010

they age, the blooms become smoother and flatten-out before falling off. The stamens, in a whorl at the bloom’s centre of the corn and Oriental poppy, perhaps the most common garden varieties, are dark blue to purplish black and attract bees as a pollen source.

The poppies we grow in our gardens should not prompt a Lasqueti-like raid to gather the crop and lecture or detain the gardeners.

The growing of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) whose name exudes that

drowsy feeling, is strictly controlled and its seeds won’t grace the shelves of your local nursery…though they are the little black specks in your poppy seed rolls and cookies.

It is the unripe seed capsules of somniferum that produce the sticky, milky substance of the drugs – originally laudanum and paregoric, and more recently those known as heroin, morphine, and codeine. continued next page

Probably the most showy poppy and a favourite of gardeners is the Oriental poppy with its big deep orange or red blooms. In our climate, the Oriental is a perennial, and blooms year after year, producing seed heads each with hundreds of coarsely, ground pepper-size seeds. If you choose to make a cut flower arrangement including poppies, some experts claim that singeing the cut stems with a match before putting them in a vase, will prolong their indoor life.

The California poppy, once in your garden, can become a nuisance, as it re-seeds itself most readily and the long taproot of an established plant does not willingly part with the soil. The Shirley poppy is another opportunist; an offspring of rhoeas, it was cultivated by an English vicar in the 1880s, near Shirley, England.

The poppy is a flower of tradition and its legends are ancient and varied. The seeds have been found in Egyptian tombs going back 3,000 years; the poppy rates a mention in Homer’s Illiad, and is associated with old Greek and Roman gods. Going back to the days of Ghengis Khan and more recently, Napoleon, the bloody, churned-up fields of their battles erupted in poppies.

And this brings us to the history of our own November poppy – the flower of Remembrance. In the second year of World War I (1915), in the fields of Flanders, the poppy made its ultimate debut. On present day maps, this area would be part of Belgium and northern France and include the cities of Dunkerque, Bruges, and Ghent. It was here that a young Canadian field surgeon and poet, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, wrote the immemorial “In Flanders Fields”.

Is there one among us who does not know at least a line or two of that poignant poem?

It was written by McCrae the day after he’d witnessed the death and presided over the burial of a young soldier friend. He apparently scribbled the poem in a notebook, then ripped it out, but it was rescued by a fellow officer, appeared eventually in the British magazine, Punch, and brought the corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas) to the world’s celebrations of remembrance – Remembrance Day in Canada, Memorial Day in the U.S., and so on around the world.

If you look closely at the back of our ten dollar bill, you will see a part of McCrae’s eternal poem.

In Flanders Fields In flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

(John McCrae)

The Village Voices Director Rosemary Lindsay Accompanist John Nelson

Special Guests: The Nanaimo Youth Choir under Direction of Marian Smith Accompanied by Saehae Bae

Sunday November 28th, 2010 at 2:00pm

250-594-5155 833 Poplar Way, Qualicum Beach (Hilliers), BC V9K 1X8 / November 2010 21

by Lisa Verbicky

D

espite information presented to the public by Matrix Planning Consultants, hired by School District 69 (SD69) to forecast student enrollment over the next five to 15 years, Qualicum-based population and migration consultant Warren Munroe is not convinced that proposed area school closures are necessary.

The reason is in the numbers, he says, or in the lack of them.

“I’d like to see all the numbers, their sources, and the methods used to estimate and forecast them, before I make any judgment,” says Munroe, a graduate of Human Geography from Carleton University and former Statistics Canada and BC Statistics Population Analyst.

And so should the public, he says, if we want to make an informed decision.

So much of what happens in our communities is based on population statistics, says Munroe, from transportation funding to municipal insurance, as well as whether to build or close education and health facilities.

“The sources of data in the Matrix presentation were clearly outlined in slide number eight, which can be viewed by the public on the SD69 website,” says SD69 Assistant Superintendent, Rollie Koop.

A look at this slide shows that Matrix Planning used Baragar enrollment information, also used by districts across Canada, as its default base information.

Baragar data is gathered from Revenue Canada Child Tax Credit and Universal Child Care information, birth rates from Vital Statistics, GST refunds, changes in migration (in and out), and cross-boundary transfers, says Koop. Matrix also looked at 22

/ November 2010

CLOSING A SCHOOL: IS IT SIMPLY A NUMBERS GAME?

information from local planning departments Munroe, however, says the data was regarding projected new housing for presented to the public by the school district Qualicum Beach, Parksville, and the in a dumbed-down or over-simplified way.

Regional District of Nanaimo.

In particular, Munroe gave a graph, “I use Baragar information every day for presented to the public by SD69 and Matrix staffing and budget work,” says Koop. “It Planning and then later posted on the front is solid data and has served us well in the page of the PQ News, a failing grade. past. In the province of Saskatchewan, the It was misleading, he says, because it Ministry of Education actually requires that zoomed in on a small section of the overall Baragar data must be looked at before any school closure.” continued on page 32

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do that for them. The achievement belongs to them. Even those who don’t continue on tell me how it has helped them communicate confidently.”

CATHERINE GRANDMONT

A SYMPHONY OF TALENT

By Rita Levitz

W

hether you know her as Catie (Catie’s Hot Dilled Beans) or Cathy (piano teacher extraordinaire) Catherine Grandmont brings dedication, commitment and her lovely laugh to everything she does. Although she has lived here for over thirty years, her Manitoba roots run deep and strong. “The hot dilled bean recipe comes from my mother. Actually, everything comes from her; I wouldn’t be who I am today without her. She was the one behind the piano lessons too.”

Cathy began piano lessons when she was six, “like most people,” she says. “All my sisters took them too.” But not like most people, she started giving piano lessons when she graduated from high school.

She taught at the Charleswood Music Studio in Winnipeg and then had the opportunity to be trained by Yamaha in Toronto.

“When you’re twenty years old, you never know what’s best. It was a fork in the road…who knows what would have happened if I had taken them up on their offer.”

Instead, Cathy moved out Catherine Grandmont ▪ Rita Levitz photo here. “I felt drawn to the West Coast. It started out as an adventure. I was a bit homesick at first, but then I realized it was just that I didn’t have a piano, so I got one, and that fixed it.”

Years later, she inherited her French granny’s piano, which sits proudly in the music studio Cathy’s husband Mike built beside their home.

“Music is the all-around tonic, the medicine for everything. It’s part of me, always has been.” Cathy continued furthering her piano skills and her piano teaching career here, at first mostly to children of her co-workers at Arranglen Lodge. “People would switch shifts with me so I could get home in time to teach kids after school.”

“How many students have I taught?…Oh, hundreds, easily. My former students are signing up their kids; we don’t really want to say that, do we?” Cathy laughs. Her fire to share her passion shines ever so brightly.

“I think I could teach anyone. Some are introverted, some are gifted, for some it’s a hidden talent. Some really surprise you when they give a performance, as they rise to the occasion. Music gives discipline and focus, helps with memory skills – actually, it helps everything, problem solving and developing patience too. Students have to see the practice through and work it out in the end. I can’t 26

/ November 2010

Cathy is a natural teacher; interested not only in what is learned, but in how it is learned. “I always ask, ‘How did you remember that so fast?’ When I give a new piece to a student, I hear how every other student has played that piece.”

“Every piano lesson is part of my own lifelong lesson.

Music is a never-ending lesson. I feel privileged to have known all these kids over the years. How many people get to be a part of so many families and watch their kids grow up?”

And how many people get to order and pick up their hot dilled pickles when they drop their kids off for piano lessons? “Oh yes,” Cathy laughs, “The edible repertoire…” as she takes me into the industrial kitchen Mike built for her six years ago. “Salsa, gourmet pickles, hot pepper jelly…I’ve branched out, but it all started with the hot dilled pickles.

I’d take them to potluck dinners, and everyone just went berserk for them. ‘Don’t bother coming if you don’t bring the beans’ my friends would say.

‘You should sell those things.’”

“I started small, grew the beans and supplied three pubs, before taking it to the next step. My mom had taught me all about food safety and cleanliness too, way back when.” Indeed, the kitchen does sparkle!!

“It’s probably a dying art, the whole pickling thing. For my mom, with six kids, food prep was never-ending.

Mom is eighty-five, and she’s still canning and pickling.

She makes the traditional Christmas meat pies – it goes on for days,” Cathy laughs, drawing out the word “days”.

“Between the piano lessons and the pickling, it seems like I never get a day off.” But music remains the passion, and the tonic. “Sometimes I run out to the studio with my coffee in the morning to get in a few licks on the piano before the school bus goes by. Then after my last student is gone in the evening, I play again…that’s when I feel the most inspired.” ~ Catie’s Hot Dilled Beans, specialty pickles and jellies are available at the Salish Sea Market in Bowser, and the Shady Rest Liquor Store in Qualicum Beach.

PROMOTION

By David Nellist, CFP

The wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator. - Edmund Gibbon

ESTATE PLANNING NIGHTMARE: THE WORST PLAN IS NO PLAN AT ALL

T

he following article is based on a true story – names and some specifics have been changed for privacy purposes.

When we first met the client – let’s call her Ginny – it was too late to implement the estate plan her family truly needed. Ginny’s husband, Frank, unexpectedly passed two months ago, leaving her to raise their three children. Ginny was, and is, trying to be strong for her children’s sake. Frank’s business partner, John, was sympathetic at first, but he also has a business to run on his own and was facing the very real challenge of moving forward without his long-time partner and friend.

For the first month following Frank’s death, John paid Frank’s salary to Ginny directly and was extremely kind. Since then, however, John’s advisors have told him to place the salary into a business account rather than pay her directly, which leaves Ginny and her children without an income.

John has also advised that the value of the business is much lower than Ginny had expected; she will be lucky to receive any benefit at all from the business that John and Frank built. On top of that, the life insurance policy that paid out to the company on Frank’s death will be used for the benefit of the corporation, not Ginny and the children.

Ginny now has to deal with not only the loss of her husband and father of her children, but an uphill battle in the hopes of receiving any benefit from the company that he built.

Estate and Business Succession Gone Wrong While the company owned a life insurance policy on Frank’s life, he died without a Will and without a buy-sell agreement in place, which would have directed payment of the life insurance proceeds. The policy’s $1M (million) death benefit is sitting in a corporate account and John is unwilling to use this as payment to Ginny for what

she believes is fair value of the shares she inherited from Frank. The Operating Company’s accountant claims the business isn’t worth anything – and according to their financial statements, he can make a case for that. The company doesn’t own any hard assets or have any retained earnings. On top of this, last year’s financial statements indicate losses. Ginny feels the accountant is trying to snow her and therefore avoid having the company pay her a fair share. Her sense of trust is utterly destroyed. She has engaged the services of a business evaluator who has provided a preliminary estimate of the company’s value at above $2M. Ginny thinks the company might even be worth $3M, but the belief is not based on any hard facts. She advised that the business evaluator intends to keep the value low for purposes of reducing probate fees. We cautioned her that a low evaluation to save 1.4% (B.C.’s probate rate) could work against her, and advised Ginny to inform the evaluator that the issue of probate is not as important to her as a fair market evaluation.

Estate Planning Disaster #1 – Not Having a Will Without a Will in place to indicate his intentions, Frank is considered to have died “intestate” and the provincial rules (in this case, B.C.) of intestate succession apply. Ginny is therefore entitled to the first $65,000 of Frank’s “net estate”. After this amount, the court will allocate 1/3 of the remainder to Ginny, and split the remaining 2/3 equally between their three daughters.

The eldest daughter is about to turn 19, which means she will have instant access to her share as a legal adult. The other two girls will receive their inheritances in trust at the discretion of a public trustee until they reach the age of majority. At that point, the youngest daughters can choose what to do

with the funds; they own them and may very well choose not to share them with Ginny.

Estate Planning Disaster #2 – No Buy Sell Agreement Not having a buy-sell agreement really puts Frank’s business partner, John, at a disadvantage. Without the buy-sell directing the insurance payout to purchase shares, the proceeds now are a part of the company’s balance sheet.

This means that half of the insurance proceeds belong to Ginny, as John’s new partner. John wanted to be in business Frank, but is not interested in partnering with Ginny. Ginny has no interest in running the company but wants to benefit from the value.

John now has to figure out how to buy out Ginny’s shares with the corporation’s funds and his own capital or debt.

The disadvantage to Ginny is the turmoil of valuating the business at a time when she is emotionally drained. She’s concerned that John could use the insurance proceeds to operate the business, rather than building up its values – making the business less valuable on paper and reducing the buy-out that Ginny could receive from John. John’s son has already quit his day job and joined his Dad to run the company and this concerns Ginny, as this is an added cost to the company that could reduce the total valuation.

Ginny’s situation has created such strife that it may be unlikely that John, a long-time supporter and family friend, will continue to be a part of her family’s life. Both John and Ginny have lost Frank. Their grief is now doubled, as they’ve lost each other as well.

Ginny understands that her husband wasn’t planning on dying – and certainly not this young. She wishes that they had both put some thought into the worst-case scenario, as

continued next page / November 2010 27

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.

continued from previous page

NOVEMBER 2010

she is now living that reality. Ginny also wishes there had been personal insurance in place to ensure that she and the children were will-cared for when Frank passed on. The tax-free benefit from a personal policy would have bought her the time and the freedom to put up a good fight for a fair stake in the business, if the buy-sell agreement remained unwritten and unfunded.

It is in both your business partner’s and your family’s best interest to own insurance personally to provide an estate benefit to your family as well as protection until a buy-sell agreement and funding is in place. This gives a company’s owners an incentive to complete the agreement as soon as possible – they can now see that their partner’s spouse will have the money to fight them for the company – and set up the funding so that any payout can be made with corporate dollars.

With a new and painful understanding of the importance of planning, Ginny is in the process of purchasing a $1,000,000 life insurance policy on her own life for the benefit of her children.

She is seeking professional counselling to help her manage her grief and that of her children. Ginny will also locate her own independent accountant to navigate the jungle of intestate succession and the financial statements for the corporation in which she is now a partner. We’ll be getting in touch when she receives the final business evaluation so we can map out the next steps in unwinding this tangle.

Ginny’s situation reinforces the truth for both surviving spouses and surviving business partners that when you have to sell anything in a hurry, you often don’t get the best price. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst. As a responsible spouse and business partner, put your Will and Buy-Sell Agreement in place to provide the best possible future for everyone you care for. ~ Our mission at Raymond James Qualicum Beach is to provide a destination for people to delegate their financial needs, so they can live in financial harmony in an uncertain world.

Raymond James Ltd. Independent Financial Services 103-193 Second Avenue West • Qualicum Beach, BC • V9K 2N5 Tel: 250-752-8184 • Toll Free: 1-888-752-8184 • Fax: 250-752-8154 • www.raymondjames.ca/qualicum This newsletter has been prepared by David Nellist and expresses the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of Raymond James Ltd. (RJL). Statistics and factual data and other information in this newsletter are from sources RJL believes to be reliable but their accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

It is for information purposes only and is not to be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities.

It is not meant to provide legal or tax advice; as each situation is different, individuals should seek advice based on their circumstances. This newsletter is intended for distribution only in those jurisdictions where RJL and the authors are registered.

Securities-related products and services are offered through Raymond James Ltd., member CIPF. Financial planning and insurance products and services are offered through Raymond James Financial Planning Ltd., which is not a member CIPF. See their ad on page 30 of this edition of The Beacon.

28

/ November 2010

THE FINE ART OF MESSING AROUND

By Joanne Sales

C

hildren often ask adults to fix or make something, with full confidence that the adults know what they are doing. Ha! We often have to do something without the slightest idea of how. How do we do it? We experiment.

Fiddle with it. Improvise. Try this and that. We mess around.

Messing around is one of humanity’s greatest creative tools, and one of the main secrets of how we learn, fix, make and create things. The great masters of messing around can’t see in the dark; their secret is that they don’t mind the dark. They keep at it anyway.

The first time I observed the potential of messing around was when I watched an eight year-old classmate untangle the chain of her necklace. She just rubbed the tangled necklace between her fingertips, looked at it and did it again. Oh my. So that is how you untangle a necklace? I was amazed.

Some people love to mess around. My fatherin-law was always tinkering with broken clocks, and had boxes full of springs and mystery parts. A recent guest was in a creative frenzy, adding avocado, seeds, an orange, squash and a bit of this and that into a blender, the same way a painter will add a flash of bright green to a painting. How do you solve a Sudoku puzzle? Same method. Just get in and mess around. Many of the discoveries of science and finest works of art happened by messing around. It probably stands in impor-

tance right next to the “scientific method” but sadly, “messing around” has never been given an equally dignified name.

It’s not mindless at all, but it does require that we suspend our judging and planning mind, and be willing to float a bit – much like the art of play. A young child wanders into a room with no particular plan, climbs under the table, where she finds a dead dragonfly which she puts in the back of a toy truck which she drives across the window sill and into the house plants. There is no planning, but energetic, flexible and intelligent response – to both outer and inner influences, forces and events.

The same creative child can suddenly panic when she thinks she is supposed to know how to do something. My six year-old granddaughter is having anxiety about learning to read. Hey, don’t worry about it, I tell her. Did you know how to learn to ride a bike? No. Same thing. Don’t panic. Reading will just happen. Just get in the middle of it and mess around. Eventually you’ll figure it out.

Messing around is not always fun. Several decades ago, on a cold autumn night, I was standing in front of a gushing, broken hot water tank in the unfinished basement of the old farmhouse where I grew up. It had been my mother’s house, but she was upstairs paralyzed from a stroke. So now the hot water heater was mine. My problem. I didn’t have

the faintest idea what to do. First I did what any mature adult would do in my situation. I burst into tears. Then I began to mess around.

Unplug this, heat up water on the stove, make a phone call, mop up the water. Improvise. A little of this and a little of that.

Sometimes we have an intention – like we need hot water! Other times we don’t know what we are looking for, but nevertheless, we wander into a library, forest, conversation, or liberal arts education with an openness to find something…and something shows up.

No matter what our age or situation, we need to mess around – and to leave the door open for intuition and improvisation. Everything is not under our control. We can’t plan our way through to the end of our lives and beyond.

Sometimes over the years, we lose a job, a friend or our meaning in life, and we have to admit – we don’t know what to do. We can’t plan our way out of this one.

Kindly, the universe has supplied us with inner intelligence, or intuition, or the power of healing, or the grace of God – whatever we choose to call it. For some reason, if we stay open, and keep trying, if we pry open the doors (or at least the windows) and keep messing around, something turns up. We may have to turn over some unfamiliar rocks, adjust this, appreciate that, bend here, and take odd books off the shelves. We may have to wait, work, ask questions, and try new things. But eventually, we get to a new plateau, and from that position, we can say – this too is good.

How did we get here? We don’t know. ~ Joanne is an organic blueberry farmer, writer and EFT Counselor living in Qualicum Beach. joanne@glasswing.com

/ November 2010 29

IT’S HAPPENING IN AREA H

By Dave Batram RDN Area H Director Email: dwbartram@shaw.ca PH: 757-9737 • FAX: 757-9705 Proposed Closure of Kwalikum Secondary School (KSS) in Qualicum Beach: I have emailed the District 69 School Board of Trustees stating that I oppose the current plan to close KSS as I believe a decision based on a reduced number of students over a relatively short period of time is a shortsighted view for our community.

I have encouraged the School Board Trustees to form a committee of local government, provincial government, School Board, PAC and concerned citizens with a mandate to look at all options to keep KSS open.

Proposed Corcan Road Interchange with Hwy 19: The RDN has advised the Corcan/Meadowood Residents Association that the OCPs for Electoral Areas F, G, and H do not contain any goals, objectives, or policies that are inconsistent with the conceptual Corcan Road Interchange.

Fire Services Committee: The RDN provides fire protection and rescue services exclusively through operating contracts with Societies or other municipal members. In Electoral Area H this applies to the Dashwood and Bowhorn Bay Fire Departments.

Over the past year there has been concern expressed by some of the Societies regarding the administrative capability in some departments and

30

/ November 2010

the RDN has been approached to examine the concept of a committee to address these subjects. The Board therefore approved the establishment and terms of reference for a Fire Services Committee composed of the Electoral Area Directors, the Chair or Vice Chairperson of each operating Society, the Chief or Deputy Chief of each operating fire department and the RDN General Manager of Financial and Information Services.

This committee is intended to provide a forum to exchange information and coordinate approaches to administrative and operational aspects of fire services.

Of particular interest are those areas where cooperation and coordination could lead to reduced taxpayer costs for equipment.

Glass Drop-off Options: The drop-off locations for Non-Deposit container glass will be provided at the Church Road Transfer Station, the Parksville Bottle & Recycling Depot, the Nanaimo Recycling Exchange, the Gabriola Island Recycling Organization and the Regional Land Fill. This glass will be ground up and reused.

For Electoral Area H residents, the most convenient locations will be the Parksville Bottle and Recycling Depot where you can also bring your glass deposit containers, paint cans and unwanted electronics.

Street Lighting Services: Rather than the RDN staff developing a policy applicable only to Village Centres, the Board directed staff to develop a Servicing Standards Bylaw which would direct a requirement for only street lights that are energy efficient and have ‘dark sky’ features. This way residents or developers who want street lighting would be able to apply anywhere within RDN jurisdiction but the street lighting would be restricted to street lighting that is energy efficient and have “dark sky features”.

Applications would then be handled by the Board with an opportunity for public input.

Development Permit Applications: The Board approved a Development Permit to permit the addition of fill on a property at 2618 East Side Road to construct a retaining wall along the waterfront of Horne Lake. ~ Looking for a copy of the NEW 2010-11 RDN Food Waste, Garbage & Recycling Schedule?

Visit www.rdn.bc.ca Missed collection or questions on scheduling call: 1-866-999-8227

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DIABETES

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ovember is Diabetes Awareness Month and November 14 is World Diabetes Day. More than three million Canadians have diabetes. There are three main types of diabetes. Type 1, usually diagnosed in children and adolescents, occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin. Type 2 occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body does not use the insulin efficiently. Gestational diabetes is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy.

What is Diabetes? Diabetes happens when the system that controls the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood is not working properly. The normal process: • Glucose gets into the body from the foods we eat and the amount of glucose in the blood goes up • In response to this increase, the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin, which carries the glucose into the cells and lowers your blood glucose levels When the pancreas is working properly, your blood glucose stays within an acceptable range. When you have diabetes, your pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the insulin does not work very well and your blood glucose levels remain high (hyperglycemia).

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The warning signs of diabetes are: • Frequent urination • Excessive thirst • Increased hunger • Weight loss • Tiredness • Lack of interest & concentration • Vomiting and stomach pain (often mistaken as the flu) • A tingling sensation or numbness in the hands or feet • Blurred vision • Frequent infections • Slow healing wounds The above symptoms can be mild or absent in people who may have Type 2 diabetes. If you have any of the above signs you should seek medical advice.

Risk factors for Type 2 diabetes may include: • Obesity and overweight, Lack of exercise • Previously identified glucose intolerance • Unhealthy diet • Increased age • A family history of diabetes • High blood pressure and high cholesterol • A history of gestational diabetes • Ethnicity – higher rates of diabetes have been reported in Asians, Hispanics, Indigenous people (USA, Canada and Australia) and African Americans Can you prevent diabetes? Research shows that lifestyle changes can help prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes. A healthy meal plan, weight control and regular physical activity are important prevention steps.

Take control now and find out if you might be someone who may have diabetes and not even know. ~

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continued from page 22 enrollment picture, making the decrease in student numbers seem more dramatic.

It would have been more accurate to show the entire picture, starting at zero, than an overall picture starting at 3,800 students, he says.

A graph like this should also document the margin of error, show high, medium, and low projections, have titles, and show more than two historical points along a time line, he says.

“They present the numbers, and then we’re supposed to react,” says Munroe.

One reaction, he says, is to look at ways to close schools instead of at ways to keep them open.

“An informed community makes better decisions,” he says. “We should be teaching our kids how to think critically about statistics in high school.”

One of the first things people need to understand, is that even the best data contains some degree of error, says Munroe.

There is also a difference in the quality and timing of data, he says.

“Statistics Canada data, for example, collected with the five-year census, is the highest quality population information available. The last census was in 2006, therefore the post-censal estimates are less and less reliable. The population estimates since 2006 will be adjusted to reflect the findings in the next census in 2011.”

For migration estimates, he says, we benefit from the information collected from the 20% of Canadians that fill out the now-cancelled long-form census.

Statistics Canada data, for example, collected with the five-year census, is considered by most to be high quality information.

Even better, he says, is the information collected from the 20% of Canadians that filled out the former long-form census.

Interim census indicators used by BC Statistics such as hydro and telephone are less reliable, he says, because these numbers alone do not allow for multi-family households and cell phone use.

Matrix sited BC Statistics information in Slide 9 and Slide 13 of their presentation. However, says Koop, the figures were used purely for historical reference and comparison.

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“When it comes to statistics, we have to remain skeptical, but, not cynical,” says Munroe. “Verification is fundamental and should be described in any report.”

In the case of the proposed closure of Kwalikum Secondary School (KSS), Munroe says that the community would make more informed decisions if all the information gathered by the consultants were made available throughout the process.

“All of the consultant’s demographic information we have at the school board has been presented to the public in the slide show,” says Koop.

Matrix, will be providing more detailed information in the final report due to be received by the Board in December.

“The current information is there for those who want to scrutinize it, as will be the case when the final report is released.”

continued from previous page Both Koop and Munroe agree that enrollment numbers have been declining and will at some point recover.

Declining student numbers in middle and secondary schools are part of a much bigger picture that includes a failure to provide the incentive for families to move and stay in the district.

Faced with the closure of our schools, people are now starting to ask the right questions, says Koop. Questions, he says, like “How do we continue to provide opportunities for quality education for all students and community vibrancy for people of any age while faced with a decline in the number of school-aged children and barriers to both development and the in-migration of young families to the area?”

While schools in smaller communities may be considered a duplication of soft services in municipal planning models, they are also often the focal point for community, says VIU Geography Professor, Don Alexander.

Communities, he says, could look at creating affordable housing for young families and an economic development strategy that attracts young professionals, as well as options for expanding facility use to the greater community.

The consequences of losing a school could be significant, as illustrated by Qualicum Beach resident and owner of Geeks on the Beach, Jonathan Michaels.

In his Nerd Blog post “Closing KSS – We’ll Never Know What We’ve Missed” Michaels says he would not be in Qualicum Beach if KSS did not exist.

He also documents the experience of his grandparents who spent 30 years in a retirement complex in Florida.

Today, he says, his grandmother is now in her 90’s and the vibrant retirement community she moved to in her 60’s has gone, leaving behind a decrepit swimming pool, tennis courts, and business district.

A ghost town he calls it, where no young family, or even senior today would want to live.

Due diligence has to be taken to ensure we have adequate and good quality information, says Munroe, in order to move forward no matter the outcome. ~

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6920 W. Island Hwy. Bowser, BC / November 2010 33

THE SAGA OF THE OLD COLLEGE INN THE NEXT INSTALLMENT

By Marilyn Dawson, Reporter

S

oon after the September meeting saw Qualicum Beach Council vote to go back to second reading, Councillor Kent Becker unexpectedly supplied tapes of conversations he had with Ainslie Foster, the representative of the numbered company that seeks to develop the old College Inn site; it became apparent he had discussed with her how he would vote on the very day of the public hearing. There was one condition; he favoured the development unless he heard something that night that would change his mind. As it turned out, he voted against the project, but it was that caveat that held him in good stead when the wrath of the residents of the College Inn area descended on him at the regular October meeting.

When Council convened that night, it was to a packed house, overflowing into the hall.

Both neighbours of the site and residents in general came with one purpose in mind; they wanted Kent Becker’s head served up on a platter for his secret conversations with Ms Foster. “Councillor Becker should resign from Council or at the very least recuse himself from further discussion and voting on the college inn development. By

any reasonable standard, the taped secret conversations reveal a lack of impartiality”, said a statement by the North Qualicum Beach Homeowners’ Association which was to have been presented by Paul Kyba.

That delegation was cancelled by the Town because the association had hired a lawyer.

Town administrator Trudy Coates said at that point, the Town ends all communication and lets the lawyers talk. While this is a recognized procedure in other jurisdictions, it did not sit well with the gallery.

Although the tape discussion was curiously left off the agenda, Councillor Becker then offered up his abject apology, admitting he hadn’t handled the phone calls very well, but he hadn’t done anything illegal.

“I received no personal benefit from any of this and did not compromise myself,” he said. He would not recuse himself from the development issue, nor, on the advice of lawyers, would he resign. Boos and cries of “shame” and “what about ethics” followed.

Ms Coates said the Vancouver law firm that gave an opinion on the tapes cited a previous Supreme Court of Canada decision that found a councillor who stated he did not have a closed mind on a given subject

would not taint future proceedings. “In our view Councillor Becker should continue to perform his duties as a councillor, including voting…at public hearings,” because he had indicated an open mind in his taped conversations.

That said, Mayor Teunis Westbroek accepted the apology and urged everyone to move on.

Later that night, after Ms Foster presented revised plans lowering the height of the buildings somewhat and increasing the setback from the slope, Council passed second reading of the bylaw with several amendments, including a $100,000 security payment to the Town to ensure the heritage building is maintained to a specified standard. Also, the owners must waive their rights to demand compensation for the heritage designation. A third public hearing and another Council meeting followed later.

Finally, the bylaws passed third reading; Councillors Jack Wilson, Mary Brouilette and Becker favoured the new plan, Councillor Barry Avis and the Mayor opposed. Thus ended a long drawn out debate, but the bitterness it engendered will likely last a long time. ~

IF YOU MISSED OUR OPEN HOUSE IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO DISCOVER VERAS, THE NEWEST TECHNOLOGY IN DIGITAL HEARING AIDS. Call to book your FREE hearing evaluation.

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/ November 2010

Dennis Woodske photo

GERRY BARNUM

WALKIN’ IN A STRAIGHT LINE

By David Morrison 2010 has seen me rather preoccupied with time. While some folks have (quite rightly) dismissed this obsession as ridiculous – telling me it’s just a number – others of a certain age have offered empathy when I say this is because I am about to hit 50. Fifty!

Wow, how’d that happen? It’s obviously not like this has crept up on me but, well, sheesh…

My vain concern at reaching this age comes into sharp focus when realizing that it has been almost three years since I first wrote for The Beacon about local roots/blues hero, Gerry Barnum. In my head it seems like we last chatted (at least in the course of promoting his music) only a few months back. But it was indeed at the tail end of 2007, in the wake of his last studio album, Stand By Me. With the milestones of a musician’s life most conveniently marked by the release

of their recorded offerings to the world, my catching up with Barnum this time concerned the imminent arrival of his latest collection of work. As we nattered about it, he too mulled on how time zooms on by and how we can do not the slightest thing about it. In fact, he’s written a song about this very thought. This life goes by / Blink twice / Time flies, sings Barnum on This Life, which will appear on the hotly anticipated forthcoming disc, Step On In. Recorded in the last week of October, the new collection sees the respected singer-songwriter backed by a veritable all-star band. “I’ve got Doug Elliott and Pat Steward from Colin James and Odds fame,” boasts Barnum, clearly delighted by the company his reputation can attract.

“There’s also a guy by the name of Darcy Phillips, a keyboard player from Nanaimo.

His bio reads pretty nice, too. He was Jann

Arden’s keyboardist for, oh, I don’t know how many years.” (It was around 12 if I’m not mistaken). “Yeah, there’s some heavy hitters, even though the hitting isn’t so hard!” he laughs in respect of the laidback sound they have collectively crafted.

In the three-plus years since Stand By Me, much has happened in Barnum’s life, not least of which were his marriage and the death of his father. Needless to say, these big events and the effect they have had on his general outlook on life have contributed to the lyrical content of Step On In. “It’s always been life and experience, the journey of life, that’s shaped my songs more than anything else,” he says. “My dad passed away a couple of years back and I was there as a witness. It’s a life-changing continued on page 36 / November 2010 35

continued from page 35 thing, and I got married a couple of years ago, so the album is more reflective of where I’m at maturitywise, you know? It’s all about growth and change, renewal and understanding, and appreciating this life.”

Indeed, concerning the appreciation of life, it seems Barnum has taken a few steps back to take stock, pondering mortality in the wake of losing his father, and emerging with a new philosophy, a new approach.

“I made a conscious decision last fall after I’d had my busiest summer professionally,” he explains. “It was time for a new tack on things. Rather than take it all as it comes and fly by the seat of my pants – as I don’t have that kind of energy anymore! – I thought I’d plot the course a little bit more, take my time at what really counts and what’s really important, you know?” This appears to be reflected in the lyrics to the new CD’s title track: Too many steps in the wrong direction / Too much time spent on once upon a time / Tired and dizzy goin’ round and round / Feel like walkin’ in a straight line.

With this new modus operandi in place, Barnum has decided to forge ahead in his efforts to grapple with an area of the music industry he readily admits to finding overwhelming and intimidating: the digital revolution. With the release of Step On In he will be making his back catalogue available as MP3 downloads for the first time.

REMEMBRANCE...

“I’ve had a lot of people ask me if I’m on iTunes, and I haven’t been,” he says.

“So I’m going to do everything at once, with all my CDs, including the new one, which of course is the one I want to focus on. I’ve got a couple of people on board now, not management as such, but people that are going to help me administer some of these things, because I do get bogged down in it!

Jumping through the hoops online, you miss one little step and there’s no mercy, right?”

As I discovered when asking the eminently likeable Barnum if his tried-and-true bluesy sonic approach has experienced a shift since the last CD, other changes are also afoot.

“Absolutely! Definitely, yeah!” he announces with unabashed enthusiasm.

“Without sounding ‘cocktail loungey’ at all, there’s definitely a jazzier influence on a few of the tunes. This is something I’ve been wanting to explore for a while. I’ve always admired jazz guitar, so I’ve tried to emulate a little bit of that kind of flavour into it. Some of the tunes are ones I wrote a few years ago that never made it onto other CDs, and there are new ones I’ve just written this year. There’s one song I’ve been playing for a while but hadn’t recorded, called Get Back Home – it was the last song I wrote as a single guy! And there are a couple of instrumentals I’m really proud of – one is a tribute to my dear mother, and the other is inspired by my wife, Sarah.”

Another new venture for Barnum was the Kids Music Summer Camp he

the heart-beat of Christian faith

hosted in Qualicum Beach in August alongside 12-year-old violin prodigy, Serena Jack. “It went phenomenally well,” he says, then starts laughing.

“Haha! I called it a ‘musical M.A.S.H. unit,’ as the range of ages was 4 to 12, so it was like, ‘I dropped my pick in my guitar again!’ ‘Where’s the bathroom?’

‘When’s snack time?’ It was definitely a success but I was a little bit overwhelmed because so many kids turned up and the age range was wider than we originally anticipated! I hope we can do it every year. The template is set now so I think it’s going to be easier next year, or at least that’s what I keep telling myself!”

At the time of going to press there was no fixed release date for Step On In, but rest assured it will be with you very soon. It has been and remains a labour of love for the assiduous Barnum, so once he is happy with every detail, the world will receive the fruits of his labours. “I’ve taken my time with this whole project and I don’t want to rush it right at the end,” he says.

As a fellow perfectionist I totally understand, but I am hoping it’s not another three years before the next Gerry Barnum CD arrives. By then I’ll be, oh my, 53. Fifty-three! Sheesh… ~ Gerry Barnum will be playing a Bluebird North event at The Roundhouse in Vancouver on Tuesday November 16. Please visit www. gerrybarnum.com for more news about upcoming local shows and the release of Step On In.

Come enjoy the harbour with us!

YES! We serve breakfast on weekends!

Winter Hours: Monday to Friday ~ 11am to 3pm Saturday & Sunday ~ 8am to 3pm 1077 Lee Road, French Creek Harbour

36

/ November 2010

Under New Ownership FROM KIWI TO COMPOST TEA Q: A male and female fuzzy skin kiwi (Actinida deliciosa or A. chinensis) were planted in our yard and we’ve waited three years for fruiting. What’s happening and are there other cultivars?

A: Kiwi is an excellent fruiting plant choice for our area for those willing to wait for its slow start. It is quite natural for it to take four or five years to produce its first crop and you are correct to have planted at least one male with your female plant. Once Kiwi starts, it will produce good yield for years.

They are hardy enough for our climate and grow in all types of soil. If you can keep them reasonably moist throughout the year, they will produce their highest yield in full sun, though they will tolerate light shade. To be happy, Kiwi enjoys growing on a large arbour since it is a spreading vine.

Those of you who have a smaller yard and/ or prefer a less vigorous vine might consider growing the Hardy Kiwi (Actinida arguta) which grows somewhat smaller, requiring a smaller arbour. This cultivar is very hardy growing into Zone 4 producing smaller, sweeter fruit with smooth, edible skin. You will still need both a male and female plant with this variety. To plant just one plant of this cultivar, use the variety Actinida argua ‘Issai’ (self fertile). The fruit will be the same.

Q: I have a very small compost bin and have heard that compost tea is a good way to make compost go further. Is this true and is it as complicated as I’ve read? Is it a good idea?

A: Compost tea is not a new thing; it’s been around for centuries and yes, it does make compost go further and it is a good idea.

It delivers a fast, potent dose of beneficial bacteria and fungi to the roots and leaves and it is much more therapeutic than slower acting compost mulch. Although indeed what you read about how to make it sounds

like a complicated procedure, it’s actually less complicated than brewing beer, is faster, and has many benefits. Years ago, people didn’t know the slurry needed to be aerated in order to work and they often inadvertently created an anaerobic (unoxygenated), toxic solution. Modern compost tea is an aerobic mixture, actively aerated to produce friendly beneficials. In fact, it will multiply them up to four times what you put in.

You can buy compost tea brewers commercially or you can make your own with a five gallon bucket and a large aquarium air pump. There are many recipes for starting your compost tea both in books and online. For a five gallon bucket put the following mixture in a stocking to make a ‘tea bag’: 3 cups of well matured compost, 2 tablespoons of sugar such as unsulfured molasses or cane or maple syrup, 2 tablespoons of seaweed or fish emulsion, and 2 tablespoons of papaya or kiwi, mashed. Add this to your prepared 5 gallon pail. Fill with dechlorinated water weighing down the aerating end of tubing at the bottom so that big bubbles will perk through your tea bag from the bottom. There will be some foaming so the bucket cannot be too full. Let it work for 24 to 36 hours at room temperature out of the sunlight. If it gets too hot, add ice. It has a very short shelf life so use it as soon as you stop bubbling air through it. To read and learn more, visit http://www.simplici-tea.com/about_us.htm and http://www.beginner-gardening.com/ compost-tea.html. ~ Harry Sumner is a certified arborist and garden coach. Gardening questions are welcome at 250-248-4512 or shellms@telus. net.

Money is like manure: It’s not worth anything unless you spread it around. ~ Author Unknown

New Lines Arriving Now! Newest Arrival: Bauble LuLu! Beads & Charms Fits all popular bracelets

Now Open Sundays

November & December #1-180 2nd Ave W Qualicum Beach

BOWSER VIDEO SHOWC ASE

LEXANDER

BY JORGIE A

HOW TO TRAIN OUR DRAGON – IN STORE NOW This was a great family movie; everyone in my family LOVED it!!!

The story takes place in a mythical Viking world where a young Viking teenager named Hiccup aspires to follow his tribe’s tradition of becoming a dragon slayer. After finally capturing his first dragon, and with his chance at finally gaining the tribe’s acceptance, he finds that he no longer has the desire to kill it and instead befriends it.

KARATE KID – IN STORE NOW Okay, I will admit I thought, “Why remake a movie that was so great to begin with?” I am very happy to tell you that I thought this was a great movie. Jackie Chan, I’ve always liked him and Jaden Smith, well, he’s definitely a star. As someone pointed out to me today…“Jaden Smith is Will Smith but with a little more attitude.”

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When Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) and his mother (Taraji P. Henson) move from Detroit to China, Dre feels lost in a world very different from what he knows. Bullied and beaten up by some fellow students in his school, Dre is rescued by his apartment building handyman, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), a man who is mourning a devastating loss. Mr. Han takes pity on Dre and agrees to teach him kung fu to defend himself.

Training together, teacher and student learn to trust each other, and ultimately form a friendship that heals them both.

LETTERS TO JULIET – IN STORE NOW

I loved this movie. I watched it twice in a row. Imagine, finding your one true love after 50 years, very romantic!

In Verona, Italy – the beautiful city where Romeo first met Juliet – there is a place where the heartbroken leave notes asking Juliet for her help. It’s there that aspiring writer Sophie finds a 50 year-old letter that

will change her life forever. As she sets off on a romantic journey of the heart with the letter’s author, Claire, now a grandmother, and her handsome grandson, all three will discover that sometimes the greatest love story ever told is your own.

Come on in and check out some great new Releases. Splice for those Sci Fi lovers; the Girl who Played with Fire – you can’t miss this sequel to the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; for Sex and the City fans comes Sex and the City 2; and a thriller, Winter’s Bone – just to name a few.

NOVEMBER NEW RELEASES: Some great family movies: Toy Story 3, Grown Ups, Ramona and Beezus, Cats & Dogs Revenge of Kitty Galore and the Last Airbender. Don’t forget those Christmas movies: A Christmas Carole with Jim Carrey, The Search for Santa Paws and Mrs. Miracle. Here are some other great movies: Love & Distrust, Love Ranch, The Kids are All Right, Eat Pray Love and the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. See you in the Store. ~

CLEANING LADY HAS SPACES AVAILABLE – Minimum 2 hours. Also yard work, driving and errands. Honest, hardworking and reliable. Please call 250-752-1774.

PAINTING CLASS – Wed. afternoons, 1-4 at the Fanny Bay OAP Hall. It is a ‘paint what you like’ format with friendly guidance, demos and advice.

All levels. Oil or acrylics. $125 for 8 weeks, or $20 drop-in. Call instructor Teresa Knight to register. 250-335-3234. www.teresaknight.com LOOKING FOR A HOUSEKEEPER? I am hard working, honest, punctual and reliable with good references. I provide my own cleaning supplies. Call Louise at 250-757-9901.

RELOCATING TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL AREA! Looking for land to build a quality home & shop. Minimum size of one usable acre in Qualicum Bay or Bowser. Call Duane @ 250-701-3454 WANT TO INCREASE YOUR FINANCIAL IQ? CashFlow is a game designed to help you do just that in a fun, friendly way! Interested? Call Colin or Lynda at 250-757-9596.

QUALICUM BAY – 3 bdrm, 1 Bath.

Upper suite with a beautiful ocean view and large private deck. $1000/month + utilities. FMI Call 250-757-8765 BOWSER BOTANICAL FARMS – Yardwork, fall clean-up. Pruning and trimming. Perennials for sale. Call John & Louise 250-757-9901 BAREFOOT HOOF TRIMMING A correct barefoot trim can improve your horses overall health and well being.

Certified trimmer now accepting new clients. Reasonable rates and discounts offered. FMI Call 250-752-8380.

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

FIREWOOD – Legally obtained, dried firewood. Custom cut. Discount for local seniors. Call 250-757-8006 or 778-4242276 COAL CREEK FARM on MacArtney Drive in Fanny Bay has naturally fed, free range duck, chicken, turkey and goose meat available various times of the year. *Don’t forget to order your CHRISTMAS Turkey.* Please call for availability – ask for Paul or Christine (250) 335-1322.

THERAPEUTIC FOOT REFLEXOLOGY – Sessions $40 for 75 mins my home or yours. Release your body’s self-healing ability through deep relaxation. Please call Marie at (250) 335-0850.

THE CANADIAN SOCIETY OF QUESTERS – Next meeting Monday, November 29th, 7pm. Paul Colver will present “Reversing Aging. An Ayurvedic Approach to Wellness & Vitality” FMI call Chris at 250-752-1419 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 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

IN DOWNTOWN BOWSER

at Magnolia Court

SATURDAY NOV 13TH • 6-8PM Fireworks & Bonfire Holiday Carolling Chats with Santa Hot Dogs & Drinks by donation Holiday specials from Bowser Merchants’ Madness Pyjama Dance & fund-raising draws at the Bowser Legion, featuring the music of “Pacific Disturbance”

A NIGHT OF FUN FOR EVERYONE! Watch for your Moonlight Madness flyer coming to your mailbox the week of November 8th.

This is a community fund-raising event

WILDWOOD COMMUNITY CHURCH 113 McColl Road, Bowser

Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 am 757-8136 ANTIQUES SPECIAL Pre-Christmas gift and tableware sale. Big discounts on china silverware and tableware – all the things to make your holiday entertaining a success. Sale ends December 12th.

Mildred’s Memorabilia, ph. 250-7521700, 3215 Brooklin Lane, Hilliers, Qualicum Beach located on Hilliers Road South (off Hwy 4, 3 km West of Qualicum Beach). Open Wed to Sun 11-4 (or by appointment - 250-7521700).

STAMP COLLECTIONS/ ACCUMULATIONS WANTED – Mint or used, will take all, cash or consignment, top prices paid. Call Russ at 1-250-3141021 or email at ingruss@telus.net / November 2010 39

Aries (March 21-April 19) The intensity and collected focus that affects everyone feels this month will be double for your sign! “Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!” You will feel intense about everything – including sex. You will also be passionately involved in discussions about shared property, inheritances, taxes, debt and insurance matters. But in the bigger picture, you’ll have a strong desire to improve yourself. You want to become a better person. You want to become the best you can be, no matter how old you are, or where you live, or what you do.

about being yourself.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) It’s unusual to have a bunch of planets opposite your sign. This opposition draws your focus to partnerships and close friendships.

Basically two things are taking place: (1) You’ll need more sleep than usual in the next month because you feel easily exhausted (that’s because the Sun is as far away from you as it gets all year, and the Sun is your source of energy). (2) Co-operate with others!

Form working units. All kinds of partnerships can help you. Experts can help you get a better grasp on your relationships. Be receptive to others because their feedback will benefit you.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Time to get busy! Short trips, reading, writing and studying, increased time with siblings and relatives, plus running mucho errands and, all the while, talking to everyone keeps you on the run for the next month. Your daily pace is accelerating! Just accept this. Don’t fight it. Get your rest. There is an upside to all this activity. For starters, you are confident and unusually assertive. In addition, it’s awfully sweet to discover how much beauty, and indeed love, there is in your daily world. People really care for you!

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) This month you’re more involved with family. Visits with relatives are par for the course. Naturally, this creates increased activity at home. Some of this chaos is due to decorating and renovating, while some of this bustle is due to family businesses as well as family get-togethers. Not only is this an ideal time to exchange ideas, it’s a good time to discuss home repairs. And yes, conflict will arise as well.

Bummer. (George Burns was right: “Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.”)

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) You’re thinking more about money, cash flow, earnings, future savings Gemini (May 21-June 20) You’re on a getand security plus your possessions, including major organized kick! You want things to run more smoothly expenditures and future purchases. Wise Librans are at home and at work. In fact, you will enjoy trying your setting intentions about attracting wealth and attracting hardest to make this happen in your life because, money. (“Bring it on!”) I think this is an excellent idea after all, who benefits more than you? Start by giving because our beliefs about things affect how they yourself the best possible chance to do this. Get manifest in our life. And anyhow, at this stage in cleaning supplies, tools, paint, shelving, file folders or your life, you’re setting off on a whole new journey of whatever it is you need to do a great job. After all, since reinventing yourself! So, why not raise the bar with your you’re motivated to do this in the next month, why not financial expectations? get the best results? Romance with someone at work Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Well, it’s all about you, will begin for some of you. dear Scorpio. Because the Sun, Mercury and Venus are Cancer (June 21-July 22) Time to par-tay! The all in your sign, this is an unusually powerful time for next month is all about love affairs, romance, parties, you! Furthermore, a celestial fluke puts Venus in your vacations, movies, sports, the theatre, and any fun sign (with the exception of a few weeks) until January diversion. “Vegas!” Make sure you set aside time to next year. Major bonus! This is a wonderful time to socialize with others. If you’re romantically interested contemplate and evaluate what really matters to you. in someone, go ahead and make the first move. If You will arrive at a keener appreciation of your value you’re already in a partnership, do something romantic system, and not only what things are important to you to rejuvenate the relationship. Chocolates, pistachio but also what people are important to you as well. nuts, flowers – whatever. Show your main squeeze that you’re thinking about them and you care. Sports events will be hot! The bottom line is this: This month is all

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Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Different influences are occurring right now that trigger selfintrospection, spiritual exploration, and an appreciation of your own solitude, especially outdoors. Essentially, you’re looking for some inner truth. Things at home and where you live are pretty good. It’s true, you’re doing a bit of a balancing act between the demands of others and your own time. But what you really need is a chance to pursue self-discovery. Ironically, for some of you this will attract a secret love affair.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Friends, as well as groups, clubs and organizations plus sports and athletic get-togethers all want a piece of you. In one way, this is flattering. But it’s also exhausting. You don’t like to be hounded. The upside is that a friend could become a lover. Tension with someone is also likely. (Bummer.) This influence will last for at least six weeks, but your romantic influence will last until January of next year! This is a good time to think about your hopes and dreams for the future. Share these ideas with others to get their feedback.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) This concentration of planets in Scorpio is a bit at odds with your sign.

The result is you are easily annoyed with others and a bit quick to dig in your heels. If you’re aware of this, it won’t consume you. In fact, the same energy that makes you impatient with others can also rev your engines and make you feverishly attack anything you want to achieve. Make it work for you instead of against you. In other words, use it to help yourself.

Romance with a boss or someone older, richer, or more worldly is also likely.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) You so want to get out of town. If you can travel anywhere this month, by all means do so! This same desire to expand your world applies to your need to get a better education and learn something new. You want an adventure!

Sign up for a course. Go back to school. Talk to people from different backgrounds and other countries. Do whatever you can to broaden your experience of the world. Romance with someone from another culture is likely...Relax – some thrills and chills are sure to come your way in the month ahead. ~

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 EyesOnBC........................................................... 757-9914..................................................................... The Beacon Magazine / Business Centre.. 23 Arrowsmith Automotive........................................ 752-1662..................................................................... Automotive Services....................................18 Qualicum Auto & Marine Supply Ltd.................... 250-752-5621............................................................. Auto & Marine Supplies...............................45 Career Centre...................................................... 248-3205..................................................................... Business & Education..................................45 Jennifer Hubbard, Solicitor, Notary Public........... 752-6951..................................................................... Business & Financial Services.....................40 NR Insurance Services........................................ 752-3086..................................................................... Business & Financial Services.....................14 Wisdom is Within Coaching................................. 757-9794..................................................................... Business & Personal Coaching....................20 Handy Sandy Services........................................ 250-240-3122............................................................. Maintenance Services.................................44 Ethereal Splendor Healing................................... 250-947-5231............................................................. Health Services............................................38 Medicine Centre.................................................. Fern Rd 752-9911....Memorial Ave 752-9976............. Health Services............................................31 Jonathan Martin CCST, CRRP............................ 250-586-3316............................................................. Health Services............................................20 Nurse Next Door, Peter Coulter........................... 250-752-2597............................................................. Health Services............................................38 Tracy Hebert R.M.T............................................. cell 927-1471.............................................................. Health Services............................................46 Bowser Roofing................................................... 757-9827.........................248-1633............................. Home & Garden Services............................14 Camelot Electric..........................................................................................250-752-7999...................... Home & Garden Services.........................9,46 Camelot Excavating.....................................................................................250-752-7909...................... Home & Garden Servies..........................9, 46 Camelot Homes...........................................................................................250-752-7909...................... Home & Garden Service................................9 Gemini Technical Services (Appliances)............. 752-6871..................................................................... Home & Garden Services............................46 Horne Lake Electric............................................. 250-240-7778............................................................. Home & Garden Services............................45 Lighthouse Trucking Ltd...................................... 757-2047.........................cell 927-7577....................... Home & Garden Services............................45 Northpacific Window............................................ 752-5312..................................................................... Home & Garden Services............................18 Qualicum Bay Custom Carpentry........................ 250-757-8996.................cell 250-954-7700............... Home & Garden Services............................46 Witte Construction............................................... 757-9713.........................927-2157............................. Home & Garden Services............................45 EyesOnBC (in Bowser)........................................ 757-9914..................................................................... Copy / Fax / Office Services........................47 Re/Max First Realty - Tom Whitfield.................... 248-1071.........................1-888-243-1071................... Real Estate..................................................19 Arrowsmith Golf & Country Club.......................... 752-9727..................................................................... Sports & Leisure..........................................40 Peter Mason Land Surveyor................................ 757-8788.........................1-800-350-5394................... Surveying & Land Information......................45

SERVICE DIRECTORY LISTING A-Company Military Surplus

& Adventure Clothing........................ 44 Action Tank, Septic Services............ 44 Advanced Hypnosis.......................... 44 All in One Bobcat.............................. 44 Arrowsmith Heating.......................... 45 Biscotti di Notte................................. 46 Blue Star Trucking............................ 45 Bondy and Sons Heating & Cooling.45 Bowser Video Showcase.................. 45 Browns Plumbing & Gas................... 46 C.F. McLean Pellet Sales................. 44

Page 44-46

Camelot Electric............................... 46 Camelot Excavating.......................... 46 Career Centre................................... 45 DIY Helper & Handyman Services... 44 Deja~Vu Decor................................. 45 Dynamic Drywall............................... 45 Ed & Willems - House Painting......... 45 Evelyn’s Barber Shop....................... 46 Gabriels’ Attic.................................... 46 Gemini Appliance Repair.................. 46 Handy Sandy Services..................... 44 Horne Lake Electric.......................... 45

Island Scallops................................. 44 Kerry’s Sewing Basket...................... 44 Level 6 Drywall Contracting.............. 44 Lighthouse Trucking......................... 45 Master Lawn Maintenance............... 46 Mr. Land Clearing & Septic Ltd......... 46 Oceanside Yoga............................... 46 PC Plumbing & Gas.......................... 44 Peter Mason Land Surveyor............. 45 Powerwise Electric........................... 44 Qualicum Auto & Marine................... 45 Qualicum Bay Custom Carpentry..... 46

Qualicum Bay Plumbing................... 45 Qualicum Clothworks........................ 44 Shaklee - Sharon Waugh................. 46 Tracy Hebert, Massage Therapist.... 46 Wilson Exteriors................................ 44 Witte Construction Ltd...................... 45 NEW THIS MONTH! Dog gone Beautiful Grooming.......... 45 “Do” or “Dye” Hair Salon................... 46 Eagle Stove & Sweep....................... 46

/ November 2010 41

Community Events LIGHTHOUSE COMMUNITY CENTRE (LCC) Qualicum Bay - INFO: LOIS NELSON: 757-9938 Pancake Breakfast, Flea Market, Live Music, Veggies, Poultry & Small Animal Swap, Master Gardeners: – Sunday Nov. 14th, 8am-noon. The Coast Guard Aux. will be cooking up breakfast this morning.

Are your Savings “Falling” behind?

ASK YOUR CREDIT UNION PROFESSIONAL TODAY...

THEY CAN HELP!

Lighthouse Seniors #152 – Monday Nov 1st 11:30am at the LCC. Soup and Sandwich. New members welcome. FMI contact Layne 250-7578217 Lighthouse Floor Curlers – Curling every Mon. & Fri. at 1 pm at the Lions Rec Hall in Qualicum Bay. New members welcome. FMI call Dennis Leach 250757-8218 or Tillie Murray 250-757-9218.

Carpet Bowling at LCC: Oct – April 12:45 to 3:15pm. Tues. and Thurs. Everyone welcome, exercise and fun, come out and meet your neighbours. FMI Call Layne 250-757-8217.

AA Lightkeepers: every Fri. 8pm.

Info: 240-757-8347 Bridge at LCC Nordin Room - starts again in September. Call Ann: 250-757-8194 Taoist Tai Chi Society Classes at LCC and Fanny Bay OAP Hall. FMI Susan @ 757-2097 Lighthouse Trails Group needs your help. Val Weismiller: 757-9667 LIGHTHOUSE RECREATION INFO PATTY: 757-8366 shipshore@shaw.ca Men’s Drop in Floor Hockey – Tues. evenings from 7:00 – 9:00 pm at Bowser School. FMI Call Kevin Bull @ 757-8423 Adult and Teen Badminton (13+) – Bowser school gym Thur evenings, 7-9 pm. Drop-in fee: adult $3, students $1 racquets available, beginners welcome. Info: 250-757-8307, steelehunt@shaw.ca

RDN PROGRAMS (It’s not too late to join in!

Fees will be pro-rated)

Bowser Buddies 0-5yrs Oct 14-Dec 9 Thu 9:3011:00am Lighthouse CC $44/8 Sports for Shorts 3-5yrs Oct 16-Nov 27 Sat 9:3010:15am Bowser Elementary $38/7 Girls Just Want to Have Fun 6-11yrs Oct 18-Dec 6 Mon 3-4:30pm Bowser Elementary $52/8 Heartbeat for Active Kids 6-11yrs Thus Nov 18 3-4:30pm Bowser Elementary $12/1 Family Night Volleyball 13yrs+ Oct 18-Dec 6 Mon 42

/ November 2010

6:30-8pm Bowser Elementary $39/8 + HST Hatha Yoga 16yrs+ Thur 6-7:15pm Oct 7-Dec 2 Bowser School $68/8 +HST Focus on Fitness 16yrs+ Nov 3-Dec 8 Wed 10:3011:30am Lighthouse CC $48/6 +HST Run/Walk the Lighthouse Country Regional Trail Sun Nov 14 9-10:30am $4.30/1 + HST If eight friends are interested in participating in a fitness, yoga or Pilates program please contact me to discuss the possibility of setting up a program to suit your time and dates.

Please contact Area H RDN programmer, Kim Longmuir at 250-757-8118 or klongmuir@rdn.bc.ca for detailed program and registration information. All programs must be pre-registered.

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS & CLUBS Celtic Chaos Coming to Lighthouse Country!

All ages, young and old, are welcome to come out to the Lighthouse Community Centre on Sat., Nov. 27, 7-8:30pm, for an evening of toe-tapping music and dance with Celtic Chaos. The Bowser School PAC will be hosting a concession. Tickets are $5 per person or $15 for a family of five and can be purchased at the door or at The Salish Sea Market/ EyesOnBC, located next door to the Bowser Library.

Qualicum Weavers and Spinners Elegant Threads: 14th annual fibre art show & sale Nov 26 - 28th, Fri 12 – 8, Sat 10 - 5, Sun 10 - 4 at the Rotary House, Qualicum Beach. Free Admission, Door Prize, Silent Auction & Refreshments Annual World Craft Bazaar – Nov 6 10 am - 3 pm at Knox United Church, Parksville. Sponsored by KAIROS Christmas is coming! Don’t forget that the Fanny Bay Quilters will be at the Christmas Craft Fair on Nov 20 & 21 from 10-3pm at the Fanny Bay Community Hall. A perfect time to get in some early Christmas shopping.

Fanny Bay Parents & Tots Play Group runs every Monday from 10:15-11:45am at the Fanny Bay Hall. For children 0-5 years and a caregiver. Join us for songs, stories, early literacy activities, games, gym time, parent resources and a snack. This is a free event, supported by the Comox Valley Family Services Association and the Fanny Bay Community Association. FMI contact Evelyn 250-335-9022 Lighthouse Spinners – Every Tues. 10:302:30pm in the Community Centre Board Room. New members are welcome. FMI contact Jo 250-757-8402

November 2010 Dance To Timberline Band – Free, live old-time Country & Rock’n Roll music. Every Wed. 7:30 –10:30 pm Parksville Legion, 146 West Hirst St., Parksville. All welcome.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN NOVEMBER!

Beta Sigma Phi – an International Women’s Group promoting Life, Learning & Friendship. In the Oceanside area there are 7 chapters holding bi-monthly, day or evening meetings. Inquiries can be made to: Margie Healey, 250-7579125 “Living with Cancer Support Group” – 1st Thurs of the month at the Gardens at Qualicum Beach from 1:30 to 3:30pm. This group is not only open to cancer patients but also to their care giver. FMI Call contact Rosemary at 250-951-2167.

Qualicum Beach Probus Club meets at St.Stephens Church hall at 9am on the first Tues. of each month. Nov. speaker will be Shirley Maxwell, President of Somass Toastmasters in Port Alberni who will talk about her organization and different styles of communication. Visitors welcome.

A Winter Victorian Tea – The Old School House Arts Centre and the Qualicum Beach Historical and Museum Society invite you to revisit the charming tradition of tea in the afternoon. Delicate finger sandwiches, tender scones, rich cakes, fancy pastries and the finest teas are all lavishly presented using vintage and antique tableware including delicate teacups, fine linens and silverware. Quiet piano background music playing seasonal tunes will round out the experience. We are offering two sittings daily 1:00 and 3:00 on Friday, November 26 and Saturday, November 27. Be it a genteel ladies affair, a work Christmas gathering or other special event, we will create a blissful afternoon tea experience. Consider us for your special Christmas event.

Reservations are recommended and tables for four or more are available, tickets are $15 each. Phone TOSH for reservations, 250-752-6133 ECHO Players’ Society is pleased to announce that they will be hosting the 6th annual Vancouver Island Juried One Act Play Festival at the Village theatre in Qualicum Beach from Wednesday, November 3 to Sunday November 7. Eight entries from Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands will perform and be judged by a panel of three jurors. Awards will be presented following the Sunday matinee. Curtain at 7:30pm and 2pm (Sunday) Tickets $12 adults and $10 for seniors and students. Three and five day packages available. Enquiries call 250-752-3522.

Christmas in Qualicum – Saturday, November 27 – The Qualicum Beach Rotary Club Sunrise is teaming up with the BC Cancer Foundation to sponsor a Christmas Tour of six, Oceanside homes decorated for the festive season.

The homes date from the early 1900’s and volunteer interior designers have created holiday season decoration themes to match the age of each residence.

This year, Rotary Club will share the proceeds from ticket sales with the BC Cancer Foundation helping them to continue their good work in research and support activities. The Club will use its portion of the proceeds to extend its service activities in the community.

There are 2 separate start times for the tour and the purchase of a ticket is your passport to a self-guided tour through all six homes, a lunch at the Thalassa Restaurant at Memorial Golf Club and entry for a fabulous door prize.

CLOSED SUNDAYS Nov 4 • LA Meeting ..........................................2: 00 to 4:00 pm Nov 11 • Remembrance Day Nov 16 • Executive Meeting...............................7:00 pm Nov 23 • General Meeting and Elections ...........7:00 pm Nov 25 • LA Executive Meeting..........................2:00 pm

Hall Rentals 250-757-9222 • Mon to Fri 9:00 am - 12 noon Poppy Campaign from October 29 to November 11 Nov 13 • Moonlight Madness Dance - Tickets $10.............8:30 pm Nov 21 • Ukrainian Dinner ............................................... 6:00 pm

(Bar Open at 5:00 pm / Tickets $20 each)

Nov 28 • Grey Cup Party - LA Serving Chili Belly Dancing Men’s Pool Ladies Pool Crib Texas Hold’em Darts

Monday.............................................. 7:00 pm Monday.............................................. 7:00 pm Wednesday........................................ 5:00 pm Wednesday........................................ 7:00 pm Thursday............................................ 7:30 pm Friday................................................. 7:30 pm

Nov 4 • LA General Meeting.......................................... 1:30 pm Nov 25 • General Meeting............................................... 7:30 pm

• Poppy Canvassing Wind-up Dance .................. 2-5 pm Entrance by donation • Dance to “Bridging the Gap” Nov 19 • Pasta Night (after the Meat Draw) $6/pp...........7:30 pm Nov 27 • British Pub Night (after the Meat Draw)............6:30 pm Bangers & Mash $8/pp Nov 6

Crib Ladies Pool Texas Hold’em Birthday Celebration Mexican Train Meat Draw

Monday........................................... 7:00 pm Monday............................... 1:00 to 4:00 pm Tuesday.......................................... 7:00 pm 2nd Wednesday.............................. 4:00 pm Thursday......................................... 1:30 pm Friday & Saturday........................... 4:00 pm

Tickets are $40 and are available at The Beacon in Magnolia Court in Bowser.

To ensure your spot on this festive tour, pick up your ticket(s) today as there are only 200 available! FMI call 250-752-6753 or 250-752-1946 / November 2010 43

Certified Septic System Specialist

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

Culverts Drain Problems

Designer Clothes

Septic Installation

For alphabetical service listing, see page 41

Call Lauren & Save

44

/ November 2010

Plumbing & Gas Services

Military Surplus Pellet Fuel Sales

Drywall

Sewing Services Home Repairs

Handyman Services

Septic Services

Hypnotherapy

Electrical Services

Local Seafood

Home Improvement

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

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

Taping House Painting

tjfarrell@shaw.ca

105 Islewood Dr. Bowser, BC V0R 1G0

Career Counselling

WCB & Insured Shaun Witte Owner/Journeyman

Electrician

Construction

LTD

Dog Grooming

Witte Construction

/ November 2010 45

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/ November 2010

Philip Brown

250-240-4902 • 250-757-8077

Furniture Refinishing

INSTALLATION SERVICE & REPAIRS

Construction

Lawn Services

Locally Made Cookies!

Electrical Services

Excavating & Septic

EVENINGS

Appliance Repair

#2-1343 Port Alberni Hwy 250.586.2266 Pine Tree Centre

Barber Services

Plumbing Gas Heating

STYLIST

Excavating Services

Fitness Classes Enviro Products Hair Styling

Chimney Cleaning

Healthcare

.. Biodegradable Free .. Solvent Concentrated Phosphate Free

PLUMBING • GAS • HEATING

Affordable Custom Furniture Paint Service Island Cottage*Shabby Chic* *French Country Styles* Have Your Own Furnishings Redone in Colour Gabriels' Attic on Facebook *Estimates * Pick up* *Est *Es *Delivery Arranged* *D De Buckley Bay 6689 Island Hwy South 6 Call 250.335.1428

IN DOWNTOWN BOWSER

at Magnolia Court

SATURDAY NOV 13TH • 6-8PM Fireworks & Bonfire Holiday Carolling Chats with Santa Hot Dogs & Drinks by donation Holiday specials from Bowser Merchants’ Madness Pyjama Dance & fund-raising draws at the Bowser Legion, featuring the music of “Pacific Disturbance”

A NIGHT OF FUN FOR EVERYONE! Watch for your Moonlight Madness flyer coming to your mailbox the week of November 8th.

This is a community fund-raising event

/ November 2010 47

TEA & GIFT SHOP

• Tea • Tea Accessories • Jewellery • Crystals • Handbags • Scarves • Soy Candles

• Roger’s Chocolate • Napkins • Greeting Cards • Body, Home • Puzzles • Incense ...and lots more!

w w w.bluequill.ca 702 Memorial Ave Unit #C Qualicum Beach 250.594.8898

122 A Craig Street Parksville 250.586.8806

HOME HARDWARE

HOME EXPRESSIONS

250.752.9833

250.752.5439

701 Primrose St.

165 West 2nd Ave.

QUALICUM BEACH