P IN LU SP S: IR PO ES W EC E R O CO A U C P TI LE O N
blvdmag.ca | APRIL 2014 | LIFE AT ITS FINEST
SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE
FROM SEA TO SKY
MICROLOFTS AN URBAN LIVING SHIFT
FULL CIRCLE ROBERT KIDD AT WORK
GEODUCKS KING OF THE OCEAN
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Found Money is What Clients Like to Call it
Canada’s Reno Rebate Inc. continues to spread the word about government rebates for newhome purchases, owner built homes and substantial renovations to existing homes during the tenure of the HST throughout Ontario and British Columbia. Happy clients are receiving up to $42,500, which is the upper limit a homeowner can receive for a project. Canada’s Reno Rebate Inc. has already helped homeowners apply for rebates totaling over $4 million through our Victoria office alone. With new offices in Vancouver and Toronto the number of homeowners we are helping is growing exponentially. “There is a misconception that if your home is worth more than $450,000, you are not entitled to any government rebates, but this is just not true,” says Sean. Do I qualify has to be the most frequently asked question my staff get say’s Sean Leitenberg, Manager of the Victoria Office. Each renovation or new build is not exactly the same so we have to determine that the best we can on a case-bycase basis. There are definitely some clear-cut rules though. There is a deadline of 2 years from the time you completed your major renovation or new build to apply though there are a couple exceptions to that rule too. To qualify for a major renovation you must do substantial work to the majority of the inside of your home. If your work was limited to a small portion of your home, such as a bathroom or kitchen, or you just painted or put down new floors, you would not qualify for this rebate. The end result of your renovation should be that your home or condo is like a new home. When it comes to the expenses incurred on the outside of
CANADA’S RENO REBATE INC.
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$42,500
Tax Free Rebate might be on the horizon
your home, you can only claim these amounts if you have first met the requirements on the inside of your home. If you purchased a new home or condo for yourself, the builder has probably claimed the rebate. If you purchased that property as an investment rental property, the builder could not claim the rebate and as the owner of that condo or home you may be entitled to a rental rebate for as much as $42,500 once you have signed a lease with your tenants. If your home is worth more than $450,000, you are not entitled to a federal rebate; however, you may be entitled to a provincial rebate if a portion of the construction took place during the term of HST. If your home is worth less than $450,000 you are entitled to both a federal rebate as well as a provincial rebate for the portion spent during the period of HST. A new home built or renovated for your self, or as a family members’ primary place of residence qualifies if it was completed within the last 2 years. If the home’s value is more than $450,000 then you are only entitled to a rebate for money spent between July 1, 2010 and March 31, 2013. Canada’s Reno Rebate has representatives throughout British Columbia and Ontario who
Vancouver office: C4 770 Terminal Ave. Vancouver, BC V6A 2M5 Toll free: 1-877-724-4624 info@renorebate.ca renorebate.ca
are happy to help clients with the forms that need signing and a brief questionnaire. For the areas where we do not have a representative, or if you would prefer to download the forms for signing right from our website in the comfort of your home and use our free courier service, the time involved is minimal and your rebate could be huge. There is a brief questionnaire on our website which allows you to see if you qualify for the rebate and only takes a few minutes or if you like you can give us a call and in just a few minutes we can determine if you qualify. Everyone seems to know someone who qualifies for this rebate, so if you know someone who might qualify make sure to let them know before they miss their deadline. Canada’s Reno Rebate Inc. handles all the paperwork and follows through with the government until you receive your cheque. Because Sean and his staff know the forms, the processes, and who to call, they efficiently and quickly collect the information and submit exactly what the government agencies need. The company charges no upfront fee and if you don’t receive a rebate, the application costs you nothing. So give us a call or check us out online. What have you got to lose?
Victoria office: 1267 Fairfield Rd. Victoria, BC V8V 3B3 Toll free: 1-877-724-4624 info@renorebate.ca renorebate.ca
CONTENTS April 2014 Issue 04, Volume XXIlI
APRIL FEATURES 14
SUSTAINABILITY POWER COUPLE By Jennifer Blyth
34
ROBERT KIDD CREATING STILL By Lia Crowe
37
THE AGE OF MICRO LIVING By Megan Cole
COLUMNS 12 HAWTHORN Reminiscences of days gone by By Tom Hawthorn
DEPARTMENTS 11
EDITOR’S LETTER
17
FASHION FAVES Pamela Madoff, city councillor By Lia Crowe
18
DESIGN MATTERS Shop local coffee tables By Sarah Reid
20
HOT PROPERTIES Going against the sprawl By Carolyn Heiman
40
TRAVEL FAR Seeking the elusive giant panda By Cinda Chavich
43 HEALTH Foods standing the nutritional test of time By Pamela Durkin 44 FOOD & DRINK Cook up the king of clams By Cinda Chavich 47 48
FOOD & DRINK: BEHIND THE BAR “Ginfully Delicious” at The Mint
51
FRONT ROW Young Frankenstein; soul singer Sharon Jones; artist William Perehudoff; and more By Robert Moyes
TALKING WITH TESS Sandra Richardson, Victoria Foundation By Tess van Straaten
54 SECRETS & LIVES Bill Jones, chef and author By Kate Lautens
e r: cov r A modern home on o u in Oak Bay boasts European lines and sustainable features. Photo by Gary McKinstry.
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Group Publisher Editor Design & Production Coordinator
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Advertising
Pat Brindle Janet Gairdner
Advertising Director
Oliver Sommer
Advertising Manager
Janet Gairdner
Editorial Director Circulation Director Contributing Writers
Contributing Photographers
Kevin Laird Bruce Hogarth Jennifer Blyth, Cinda Chavich, Megan Cole, Lia Crowe, Pamela Durkin, Tom Hawthorn, Carolyn Heiman, Robert Moyes, Sarah Reid, Tess van Straaten Cinda Chavich, Don Denton, Andrew Leong, Gary McKinstry
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advertising feature boulevard business
profiles
BEAUTY SET IN STONE:
T
O SAY SHANE RESTALL has had a life-long passion for creating beautiful outdoor landscapes is no exaggeration. As a youngster he had free rein over his family’s unlandscaped, rural front yard – the perfect blank canvas awaiting his creative designs. “That’s where it all started,” he recalls with a laugh. “Ever since I was five years old, I could envision things coming together in the garden.” Fast-forward 10 years and Shane had finished school, had gained a little experience in both bricklaying and stone masonry, and knew where his passion lay. Following his apprenticeship in Toronto, Shane looked forward to returning to Victoria, where he founded Hard Rock Masonry and Stonescaping and set about bringing timeless designs to the Capital Region’s homes and landscapes. A true family business, Shane’s brother Brent soon joined him, along with son Cory, who has learned the trade on the job, joining the crew fulltime after high school. Each has unique skills and talents that complement the other. “We work very well together, and because of that, we do a lot of great work together,” Shane says. Today, Victoria’s stonework experts are designing and building everything from beautiful backyard living spaces to retaining walls for the region’s most challenging hillside and waterfront sites. With 35 years’ experience, they have earned a deserved reputation not only for the quality of their work, but also their client relationships. Whether it’s help envisioning the ideal
space, or simply the expertise to execute their plans, Hard Rock Masonry and Stonescaping offers the perfect balance of vision, experience and customer service – service that doesn’t end when the job is done. “If a client ever has a concern, they only need to call and we’ll come see what we can do,” Shane explains, taking great pride in a business built on word-of-mouth advertising and customer referrals. “We pride ourselves on our open-door policy and our ability to make our clients’ dreams a FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Shane, Brent, and Cory Restall reality. And with our extensive network of professionals and Shane says. tradesmen, if there’s a question we can’t The breadth of the Hard Rock team’s answer, we know someone who will,” Shane knowledge and experience, complemented notes. by continual upgrading to the most current “Each project we finish is a piece of standards, means clients are confident in a lasting portfolio. Hard Rock’s ability to deliver a quality result We want to ensure on budget and on-time. it continues to look And with so much of the city built on its best and suit the hillsides and waterfront, making the most client’s needs for many of those unique properties is a Hard Rock years to come.” specialty. After all, Shane says, the land is No matter what part yours, why not make the most of it? of the Capital Region “We can really go in and do some fantastic you frequent, there’s things. a good chance you’ve “I love the process of building and enjoyed the results of creating – there’s a wonderful satisfaction in Shane’s work, from seeing people so happy with the end result!” the grand fountain at Uptown to Oak Bay’s stately character homes, Bear Mountain’s beautiful new residences to Uplands originals. From retaining walls, ponds and winding pathways to stone patios, fireplaces and outdoor kitchens, Shane has the vision to help homeowners create the outdoor landscapes of their dreams. 250.380.0550 “More and more, people are wanting to 1295 Hastings St., Victoria use the outdoors as an extension of their living space and we can help them do that,” hardrockstonescaping@gmail.com
“Each project we finish is a piece of a lasting portfolio. We want to ensure it continues to look its best and suit the client’s needs for many years to come.”
www.hardrockmasonry.com
PHOTO BY DON DENTON
Hard Rock Masonry and Stonescaping: creating exceptional spaces for home and outdoor living
EDITOR’S LETTER I LOVE WORMS. I’m not afraid to say it. When I lived in an apartment several years ago, I felt guilty every time I threw out a banana peel. I had to do something — so I went to Fernwood’s Compost Education Centre and bought a worm bin. It was a stealth procedure: they couldn’t sell the worms themselves, but gave me the number of a lady who could. I felt like I was part of a drug ring as I buzzed her apartment and she brought down a yogurt tub. She showed me the goods. I nodded, paid her and went on my way. I see, now, how selling worms could be lucrative — my bin’s packed. While I live in a house, I still use the worm bin for food scraps; it’s an impenetrable fortress against rats, and I’ve grown fond of the red wrigglers and the recycling program they run. This month, we feature people who help make sustainable living easier, whether by building microlofts to counteract urban sprawl or helping ensure the Island can feed itself in an emergency. Look for the Sustainability Check symbol for stories that touch on these important issues. Kate Lautens, Editor Readers weigh in
@rouquinne Nice article in @BoulevardMag about my Uncle Dave, Founder & CEO of @GoodLifeFitness. Shaping a good life. (Shaping a Good Life, March 2014) @artgalleryvic Dancing? Frolicking? Why not? #URBANITE ft. in @BoulevardMag (State of the Arts, March 2014) CORRECTIONS
The owner of Salt Spring Island Sprouts is Jacob Cooper. An incorrect name appeared in A Handful of Spring (March 2014, p. 48). March 2014’s Hot Properties (p. 22) was missing a credit to Brown’s the Florist for the flower arrangements. WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU
We welcome your letters: editor@blvdmag.ca or visit us on Facebook and Twitter for updates and links to featured stories and local events.
BoulevardMagazine @BoulevardMag
11
BY TOM HAWTHORN
PHOTO BY VINCE KLASSEN
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Victoria’s growth spurt prompts memories
OF DAYS GONE BY
A TUG CHUGGED SLOWLY away from the Inner Harbour, an odd, floating cargo trailing in its wake. The Pacific Undersea Gardens was on the move for the first time in 45 years. Each year, about 83,000 people walked the gangplank onto the floating waterfront attraction berthed at the foot of Belleville Street. It was a floating palace painted white and bedecked with flowerpots. Rows of fluttering Canadian flags lined the roof. Not long after moving to Victoria, we paid the admission to descend five metres below the water’s surface for a peek-a-boo look at sea life.
The age of neon lights The Gardens was an aquatic wonder. Aquariums offered closeup views of sea creatures in all their multihued oddity, including halibut and red snapper. (The proximity to so much fresh seafood had me craving a vinegary plate of fish ’n’ chips.) All these years later, the children best remember touching starfish and anemones. At one end of the vessel, which was about half the length of a football field, we sat in a theatre and watched a diver cavort with sea life, including a creepy wolf eel and Armstrong, the giant Pacific octopus who was the star of the exhibit. The Gardens originally opened at the Oak Bay Marina in 1964 before being moved by tug to the Inner Harbour five years later. That was the same year in which the Royal London Wax Museum opened in the historic Steamship Building. It was an age when the tourism industry thought that while natural wonders might lure visitors, the way to coax money from their pockets was to offer manmade attractions. Victoria began to resemble Niagara Falls, Ont., where downtown streets are lined with the neon-lit come-ons and Olde Tyme Emporiums
offering fudge, ice cream and other carnival foods. Victoria began to look like Blackpool-on-the-Pacific. A few blocks from the harbour sat a classic car museum, while Crystal Garden offered the largest salt-water pool in the Dominion, later becoming a conservation centre with resident monkeys. Farther afield was Fable Cottage (a whimsical private home built by Bernie Rogers in Cordova Bay that became a tourist attraction) and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage (a thatched-roof replica of the original farmhouse in Stratford-Upon-Avon built on a side street in Esquimalt). Today, Crystal Garden sits empty; Fable Cottage has been barged to Denman Island; the classic car museum is a distant memory; the Shakespearean replica seems likely to be demolished; and the residents of the Undersea Gardens have been relocated, the vessel towed away.
Remaking old landmarks Victoria changes slower than other cities, especially Vancouver, where a boom-and-bust mentality seems to completely remake the city each generation. This is one of those times when Victoria is undergoing a growth spurt, with several construction projects underway downtown, some on sites where buildings stood derelict for 20 years. Close to my home, the decrepit two-storey Turner Building, with its unique curved wall facing Richmond Road near Fort Street, nearly collapsed before the city forced the owners to act. Once, the upper floor contained four units known as the Jubilee Apartments, while the ground floor housed a diner, a barber and a shoe-repair shop, all named Jubilee. In the rounded corner, you could find a store called Turner’s, whose stock was proclaimed by a beautiful neon sign: “News. Confectionaries. Magazines.” In the 1950s, a woman named Catherine Turner operated the candy shop while living upstairs. A boy named Gareth Gaudin bought his first comic book in the shop, one of those ordinary but lifealtering experiences, as he later became a cartoonist and creator of This is one of Perogy Cat. He is also co-owner of those times Legends comic-book shop. Mrs. Turner’s son, Ian, would when Victoria later come to operate the coffee is undergoing a shop, whose sign promised “snacks, growth spurt. light lunches.” Ian, who always wore an apron and a hat, made his own delicious donuts. He seemed happiest when serving them to children at one of the eight stools at the counter. Ian’s also offered good eats, cheap. Even in the 1990s you could get a hot cake with a fried egg for $2.95. Ah, nostalgia. The Pacific Undersea Gardens will be more fondly remembered as time passes. Meanwhile, the harbour looks tidier. Tom Hawthorn is the 2014 Harvey S. Southam Lecturer in journalism and nonfiction in the writing department of the University of Victoria.
My goal is to help you reach yours.
Looking for timely market insights? Consider a complimentary subscription to my monthly Letter to Clients. Roderick MacMillan, B.Comm (Hons) FSCI, CSWP Investment Advisor TD Waterhouse Private Investment Advice 1070 Douglas Street, 5th Floor Victoria, B.C. 250-356-4148 rod.macmillan@td.com www.rodmacmillan.com TD Waterhouse Private Investment Advice is a division of TD Waterhouse Canada Inc., a subsidiary of The Toronto Dominion Bank. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. – Member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund. The TD logo and other trademarks are the property of the Toronto Dominion Bank, as a wholly-owned subsidiary in Canada and/or other countries.
13
BY JENNIFER BLYTH
From soil to sky, a sustainability power couple inspires action EARTH’S FUTURE RELIES ON OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT ALL THINGS ARE CONNECTED — THE SOIL GROWING THE FOOD THAT SUSTAINS US, THE ORIGINS OF THE ENERGY POWERING OUR HOMES, EVEN CLIMATE CHANGE’S IMPACT ON THE GLOBAL ECONOMY.
14
I
T’S THIS FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF in the interconnectedness of all things — and in the collaboration required to solve our environmental challenges — that has driven Carolyn Herriot and Guy Dauncey’s work for more than 25 years. This inter-being means “we’re not in this alone, we’re in it together,” Herriot says from the couple’s cozy living room overlooking their West Saanich property. Here, Herriot has inspired readers with her stories of 52 Weeks on the Garden Path and the Zero-Mile Diet. It’s also where Dauncey has spearheaded such initiatives as the Victoria Car Share Cooperative, the BC Sustainable Energy Association and EarthFuture, a blog and sustainability solutions resource. Both born in the UK, they met in 1988 during a rally to preserve BC’s Stein Valley. They soon realized they shared a connection with the Findhorn Foundation, a spiritual community and eco-village founded in Scotland in 1962. While both Herriot and Dauncey seem constantly on the move in their respective fields, “we fully empower each other to do what we do best,” Herriot says, adding with a laugh, “it was a match made in heaven — I take him down to earth and he takes me up to the stars.”
A trained chef, avid gardener, author and businesswoman, Herriot, 61, says her whole life has been about food. “It’s a basic interest to make sure I take care of my body with my food,” she says. Herriot — “one of the best chefs in the city,” Dauncey says — began studying nutrition and the part food plays in health while at university in England. A career in restaurants, hospitality and catering followed, evolving into a role with a health food co-op. She later opened the Garden Path Nursery and Seeds of Victoria, providing organic, open-pollinated and heritage seeds. “I think of myself as Everywoman, and I looked out the window and saw a world that was starting not to make sense to me,” she says. Herriot began wanting to keep her own life simple, but soon, concerns emerged about Vancouver Island’s ability to feed itself in an emergency. “I realized I needed to step up a little more in my personal life, and I started to prioritize food plants over ornamentals,” she says. In just two generations, the Island had lost both the home food garden and many local farmers: “if you consider climate change and global food disruption, this is the worst time in the history of man to have forgotten how to feed ourselves.” Rather than heading for the bunker, Herriot explored how she could help. “For me, it’s all about people becoming proactive,” says the founder of Seedy Saturday, which celebrated its 21st year in February. “I realized I would not be food secure unless all of us were food secure.”
CHALLENGING DECISIONMAKERS
Dauncey’s path came into focus soon after leaving school in the UK in the late 1960s as he reflected upon the reasons why, while people remained in so much conflict, “nature seemed to be harmonious.” While recovering from an accident, Dauncey, now 66, caught the writing bug, publishing the UK bestseller The Unemployment Handbook. The
PHOTO BY DON DENTON
in it TOGETHER
SEEKING FOOD SECURITY
experience led him to start asking bigger questions. “Along the way, I got hijacked by global climate change,” he says. Beginning to envision what the world would look like without fossil fuels, a number of books followed, from 1999’s Earthfuture: Stories from a Sustainable World to 2009’s The Climate Challenge: 101 Solutions to Global Warming. While his writings reflect the magnitude of his belief in renewable energy’s importance, Dauncey’s work is engaging and accessible, reaching across demographics. He emphasizes the importance of visioning, popular with everyone from successful athletes to CEOs. “Every time humans have achieved something great, we’ve had a vision of what we want and we move toward it.” Is Dauncey hopeful? “I am determined. I feel very encouraged by the changes I have seen over the last 25 years,” he says, pointing out that “China is expanding solar faster than any country in the world.” Today, as he continues to write, speak and challenge decision-makers to walk a more sustainable path, and Herriot mulls ideas for a new book and semi-retirement at new digs over the Malahat, it’s likely the next decades have more in store.
We fully empower each other to do what we do best. “Choose your passion,” Dauncey advises. “There are so many things we can do to promote sustainability that we can be selfish and choose those we are really passionate about.” While approaching sustainability from different vantage points, “[Dauncey and I] try to live in the present but have our eye on what’s coming down the pipeline,” Herriot says. “We’re really a perfect match in this respect.” Jennifer Blyth is an award-winning writer, photographer and editor who lives in Saanich with her two teen boys, a cat and a chinchilla.
15
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LIFE & STYLE
FASHION FAVES
with
PAMELA MADOFF
City councillor for Victoria and authentic esthete
THE LOVELY FRONT GARDEN and veranda of Pamela Madoff’s heritage cottage in James Bay give me a huge dose of visual pleasure as I approach it. “I love what it gives to the street,” says the woman with a passion for urban planning. “Churchill said, ‘We shape our buildings; thereafter, they shape us.” Once I step inside her gorgeously decorated home, it is like a delicious meal for the soul. Fabrics, painted ceramics, beautiful paintings and sculptures fill the house, the overall esthetic broad and reflecting the
Reading Material:
Print: Pamela subscribes to more magazines than she can name, devouring them cover to cover. A few favourites — American Vogue, Town & Country, Vanity Fair, Elle, Elle Decor, Canadian House & Home, Tattler and The World of Interiors. Coveting: The Veruschka book. “I’m inspired by Veruschka as an entity.” Photography book: When Philip Met Isabella. Last good read: Arthur Erickson: An Architect’s Life. Currently on bedside table: Grace: A Memoir by Grace Coddington.
1920s and ’30s. I’m not surprised when she tells me her favourite place to work is from her bed. Her personal style is a reflection of the esthetic and shines brilliantly in a grey pantsuit world. “I could do the power suit thing, but it’s not me ... This is who I am,” she says. “I don’t consider myself a politician,” the community activist turned 20-year city councillor says, laughing. “I am just a very engaged community member.”
BY LIA CROWE
“Being on council, the most important thing is authenticity, whether it’s clothes or language, so you still stay this person who was elected originally.”
Style Inspirations: Person: Isabella Blow. Piece of art: Nancy Cunard photographed by Man Ray. Designer: Alexander McQueen. Film: Out of Africa, “for the hats.” Era: The 20s and 30s. “I’ve always liked to layer Japanese and Chinese textiles.”
Fashion and beauty:
PHOTO BY LIA CROWE
Piece: A Bryn Walker cowl tunic. Uniform: The brand Kaliyana out of Ottawa. “I like clothes that have architectural details.” Coveting: Orange Marimekko wool coat. Jewelry: “I can’t think unless I’m wearing earrings.” Makeup: Bobbi Brown in shades of eggplant. Hair product: Orofluido beauty elixir oil. Who does your hair: Catherine at Zebra Hair Studio. Scent: Tea Rose by Perfumer’s Workshop. Shoes: Fluevogs.
Life faves: Flower: Wisteria. Cocktail: Pimm’s Cup. Local restaurant: Chez Michel. City: New Orleans. Place: My home. Music: Pamela has a huge music collection, but after a bad day, she would play She Drives Me Crazy by Fine Young Cannibals — really loud.
17
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table BY SARAH REID
Coffee tables tend to be the hubs of our living rooms. Over them, great conversations and debates transpire, favourite books and magazines are housed, and yes, mugs of coffee are consumed. From rustic and reclaimed to sleek and modern, these noteworthy tables from around town are guaranteed to add a little panache to your living space— and create a unique backdrop for life’s greatest moments and adornments. Sarah Reid is a designer, creative director and maker living in Victoria, BC.
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Reclaimed wood table. Union Wood Co. // unionwoodco.com
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Local + Sustainable Organic + Unique
Both functional and beautiful, these sustainable tables are made from salvaged teak tree roots. 24" x 17" // $699 Available at Insideout Homestore
Add a rustic edge to your space with a custom reclaimed wood table from the good folks at Union Wood Co. in Vancouver. Pricing available upon request. unionwoodco.com
Glam meets the great outdoors with this tree trunk table cast in silver resin. Phillips Collection // 35" x 10" x17" // $1,898 Available at Chintz & Co.
y
CHECK
Giving new life to old materials, the Trade Roots shop is full of one-of-a-kind finds. Pricing available upon request. Available at Trade Roots
DESIGN MATTERS
n tai ab
Modern meets eco-friendly with this locally handmade table. Christina Hilborne // 35.5" x 35.5" x 13" // $2,688 Available at Gabriel Ross
Let the organic shapes of these teak root tables add a little flair to your living space. 35" to 59" wide // $1,299 Available at Monarch Furniture
Sleek + Modern
IDEAL FOR SMALL SPACES
Go bold with clean lines and brushed stainless steel. Mobital // 39" x 39" x 12" // $959 Available at Parc Modern
Perfect for small rooms, this sleek Italian design converts from coffee table to dining table in seconds. Calligaris // 42" x 28" $2,399 // Available at Studio Y Design
Modern and minimal, this tempered glass table lets your table decor shine. 42" x 23.5" x 15.75" // $399 Available at Urban Barn
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HOT PROPERTIES
BY CAROLYN HEIMAN PHOTOS BY GARY MCKINSTRY
20
West Coast and Scandinavian designs meld for an earthfriendly project
A Vinyl and PVC materials are banned from the interior. Instead, natural materials like oak, fir, slate and travertine increase the sustainability quotient.
NEW HOME, TUCKED GENTLY into an Oak Bay slope and proudly boasting modern European lines, is proof that the tweedy neighbourhood can accommodate estheticism beyond old England. The vision of Oak Bay residents Peter Johannknecht and Chris Foyd, the home is decidedly influenced by Johannknecht’s German architectural training and Foyd’s work in Denmark, where he is registered as an architect. Open, but with space delineated for function, the home’s character speaks to a modern lifestyle where occupants can be together while working independently. For example, a work/office area is visible from the kitchen and perched over the living area, allowing Kellie and Matt, a young couple who spend many evening hours catching up on their work as doctors, to feel connected when the other is in the kitchen or relaxing in the living room.
21
www.westwindhardwood.com
your natural resource 1950 B Oak Bay Ave. 250-361-9243 www.heatwave.me Visit Our Showroom | High Efficiency Natural Gas Fireplaces
IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE! PROVIDING FINE CRAFTSMANSHIP IN VICTORIA FOR 25 YEARS.
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL • WALLPAPER INSTALLATION
250.383.5224 22
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IPE DECKING QUALITY HARDWOOD DOUGLAS FIR SPECIALISTS CUSTOM PLANK FLOORING
Ph. 250 656 0848 10189 McDonald Park Rd., Sidney, BC
ďƒĄ A horizontal window in the kitchen strengthens the connection to the outdoors. Its upclose outlook to bank plantings is a sharp and varied contrast to the vistas seen from the other side of the house. ďƒ&#x; A gas fireplace creates a warm focal point in the master bedroom.
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extend your family time,
Materials in the home, such as the subway tiles, are chosen for their timelessness.
social time, and quiet time
CUSTOM MADE, WEATHER RESISTANT COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL SOLUTIONS FOR OUTDOOR SPACES
PH. 250.361.4714 TF. 1.800.563.5558 2-2745 BRIDGE STREET, VICTORIA PACIFICROLLSHUTTERS.COM
24
The house is one of two built on an extra-large lot, replacing a single house and a swimming pool. Finding effective ways of increasing the number of dwelling spaces within the urban core is essential for curbing regional urban sprawl, the argument being that a little additional density in one area diminishes pressure on larger tracks of undeveloped green space. Kellie and Matt, who grew up in a larger city, appreciate that their home is laid out for living in the 21st century and precludes cookie-cutter predictability. They especially like that they have moved into an established neighbourhood that is peaceful and park-like, yet has all the modern conveniences and design of a new home. And, after viewing dozens of potential homes on the market, it was easy to recognize that quality materials had been used in construction. At 2,300 square feet plus a 750-sq-ft double garage, Kellie and Matt’s home may be small compared to North American averages, but it is in line with the size sought by a growing number of people wanting to put a smaller footprint on Earth.
INFUSING SCANDINAVIAN ESTHETICS Johannknecht calls the design “classic modern and Bauhaus style minus concrete and steel. Extensive use of fir and cedar warmly infuse a sense of West Coast/Scandinavia into the space,” he says. “We had a lot of fun designing and building these houses.” Their vision was to come up with a concept and materials that would last 50 years without being dated.
Foyd and Johannknecht connected in Victoria when they worked on the design of Dockside Green, a development along Victoria’s Inner Harbour that was the trailblazer for sustainable design in Victoria. Johannknecht is a German-trained architect and interior architect, registered in Canada. Foyd, meanwhile, maintains a registration in Denmark where he still has projects. With Geoffrey Wong, the three started 519 Design+Build, a boutique development firm with goals of building homes to the standard “we would love to live in ourselves,” Johannknecht says.
The home feels big, open, bright and clean, yet cozy. Not surprisingly, the exposure at Dockside brought green thinking to the Oak Bay project. For example, energy demands are lowered and comfort increased from a high-efficiency Vaillant gas boiler heating system with radiant in-floor heating, which allows each room to be individually controlled. A heat recovery ventilator system continuously extracts moist, stale air from wet rooms — like the kitchen, bathrooms and utility rooms — and supplies fresh, filtered air to all habitable rooms, like the bedrooms, living room and dining room. Up to 75 per cent of the heat in the extracted air is recovered by the heat exchanger in the unit and used to heat the incoming fresh air. 25
Unique Finds at Fantastic Prices Fine craftsmanship, precise budgeting,and streamlined scheduling are never compromised Winner of 7 2013 CARE Awards
• Antique & New Furniture • Handmade Jewellery • Whale Bone Carvings • Cottage Paints & Much More Open Wednesday – Sunday 10am – 5pm 7925 East Saanich Rd., Saanichton Village • 778.426.1660
t: 250.818.6466
falconheights.ca
www.theoldattic.ca
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THE ORIGINAL HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALISTS
CARPENTRY • PAINTING • DRYWALL • CERAMIC TILE PLUMBING • ELECTRICAL • MUCH MORE! FULLY LICENSED, INSURED AND BONDED CALL NOW FOR A FREE EVALUATION!
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SHOWROOM: 3205 QUADRA,VICTORIA, BC
TOLMIE
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RETAIL SALES & INSTALLATION
250-384-4969 victoria.handymanconnection.com
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AT HOME IN THE TREES Just a few steps to the ocean and backing onto a park, the lot couldn’t be in a better location. That does not mean it was easy to build on. “We had to spend a lot of time figuring out a design that would respect the site,” Johannknecht says. They especially wanted to preserve some of the Garry oaks, which also contributed to a sustainable project and created a natural privacy screen for neighbours. “We did a lot of site studies, stood on tree stumps, and analyzed various views,” says Johannknecht. “We knew from that exactly where the master bedroom had to be.” Indeed, the view from the master bedroom creates the illusion of practically being right inside the park. “The [builders] called it ‘The Treehouse’ and that really fits it,” Kellie says, adding that many of the rooms won’t need window coverings since they are positioned in a way that affords complete privacy. That positioning, along with corner windows on both floors and a central skylight on the second floor, has multiplied the light coming into the home. For a couple who have left behind the sunny Prairies, the naturally bright home — even on the cloudiest West Coast day — was a significant selling point. “The home feels big, open, bright and clean, yet cozy,” Kellie says. Carolyn Heiman explores beautiful Island homes each month for Boulevard. If you know of a gorgeous home you’d like to see profiled, she can be contacted at cheiman@shaw.ca.
SUPPLY LIST Design: 519 Design+Build Ltd Interior Designers: 519 Design+Build Ltd Builder: Southall’s Construction Plumbing and Heating: Granger Plumbing & Heating Electric: Thomis Electric Cabinetry: Rannala Construction Counters: Pacific Empire Stone
Windows: Pella Landscape/Plants: Demitasse Glass: Allied Glass Stairs: Van Isle Stair Works Drywall: Andy’s Drywall Roofing: Parker Johnston Floral: Brown’s The Florist
Get your copy at the 2014 Home Expo
F
OR WOULD-BE RENOVATORS and homebuilders, inspiration is crucial to a successful project, and homeowners will find get a double dose by visiting the 27th annual spring Home Expo, running April 25–27 at West Shore Parks and Recreation. In addition to exploring the informative booths of the numerous exhibitors, Boulevard readers can also pick up a helpful takeaway — the Boulevard Design Annual, which will be available at the Black Press booth. The hardcover Design Annual, assembled by the staff here at Boulevard magazine, offers 80 full-colour pages of unique homes and the businesses that created them. “The Boulevard Design Annual is a beautiful compilation showcasing the work of talented craftspeople in our communities,” says Penny Sakamoto, Southern Vancouver Island group publisher for Black Press, which is an event sponsor of the Home Expo. The book features 20 of the top builders and suppliers from Greater Victoria to Nanaimo, explains Pat Montgomery-Brindle, Boulevard senior account manager. “It would make a perfect gift for anyone who wants to build a new house or renovate an existing one — or someone who just wants to dream about it.” This year’s Home Expo offers the expertise of builders, designers, suppliers and other professionals who strive to bring the visions for all types of projects to life. Visitors can take in three arenas filled with inspiration and ideas for the $5 admission fee. Homeowners seeking renovation advice, ideas for flooring or the perfect hot tub will find the Home Expo is a place to research, make connections or get started on any upcoming home project. The 2014 Home Expo runs April 25 (1 pm – 9 pm), 26 (9:30 am – 5:30 pm) and 27 (10 am – 4 pm) at West Shore Parks and Recreation, 1767 Island Highway. Boule vard lifesty ma le ma gazine, bring gazin Victor s these you our e for more ia’s premie De r inform pages you sign An than 20 nual. yea Inside rs, for all ative ide will find as en your home and visua gaging, l ins improv emen piration ag .ca t need s.
blv dm
PRIN
Boulevard magazin e, Victoria’s premier lifestyle magazin e for more than 20 years, brings you our Design Annual. Inside these pages you will find engagin g, informative ideas and visual inspirati on home improve ment needs. blvdma g.ca
ARD DES IG N ANN UA L BOU LEVARD DES IGN ANN UAL
Appliances: Coast Wholesale Appliances
BOULEVARD DESIGN ANNUAL
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TED for all your IN CHI NA
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SENSATIONAL WATERFRONT LIFESTYLE home, with steps to a sandy beach! Sweeping views of the ocean to San Juan Island and Mt. Baker beyond. Pamela Charlesworth design with a $300,000 refurbishment making this home feel like new. Gorgeous new kitchen with merlot cabinets, granite counters, stainless appliances. Adjoining new family room with gas F.P. & custom built-ins. Formal dining room, energy efficient F.P. In luxurious living room. Master bedroom with commanding view, and new ensuite. Second ensuite bedroom plus guest room up, plus fourth bedroom down. Great recreation room with F.P. Plus office on lower. Private .33 acre lot with patio and hot tub, to enjoy the views. New roof, new windows. Double car garage. Walk to shops and bistro pub. Incredible lifestyle! 5255 Parker Avenue, Saanich East $1,698,000
A RARE OPPORTUNITY to purchase a waterfront building lot in the much sought after Ten Mile Point area. Sweeping southwestern exposure, including views of the Olympic Mountains, the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, the Uplands lights at night, and the entire curve of Cadboro Bay’s golden sandy beach. Ideally located within strolling distance to Village shopping, pubs and restaurants. This gently sloping .24 acre lot has services available on the street and is set among impressive waterfront estate homes. 2713 Sea View Road, Victoria $1,550,000
UNIQUE AND ELEGANT, West Coast inspired home with soaring ceilings, and gleaming Jatoba flooring. Quality updates include a beautiful new custom kitchen with granite countertops, centre Island, spacious pantry with 2nd fridge, stainless steel Meile built-in oven. Grand 24’ ceilings in formal living room with Gas F.P. Separate dining room, with adjoining sun room. Family room adjacent kitchen with 10’x24’ deck. Superb master suite with gorgeous 5 pce ensuite plus 19’x11’ private lounge complete with gas fireplace. 2nd bedroom with ensuite, third bedroom with a private balcony. Car collectors note the 40’x19’ garage with storage and 2 pce. bath is perfect for you. 5153 Santa Clara Ave., Victoria $769,000
PROUDLY SERVING VICTORIA FOR 30 YEARS PHONE 250.744.3301 • EMAIL lynne@lynnesager.com WEBSITE www.lynnesager.com Get the results that you desire. Call Lynne for professional representation, when you wish to sell your home.
Dallas Sells Victoria/Oak Bay PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION
“My goal is to find your dream home and ensure that the decision you make stands as a wise investment over the long term.”
BRENTWOOD WATERFRONT
BEACH DRIVE
BROADMEAD
JAMES BAY
STRAWBERRY VALE
UPLANDS WATER VIEWS
Fabulous sunset & water views from every principal room. Completely renovated 2 yrs ago with high end finishes. New kitchen with granite counters, 6 burner gas cooktop, heated slate floors, Merbau wood floors. Master retreat with 2 way fireplace to ensuite. 3 decks, 3,800 sq.ft. Moorage buoy included. $1,395,000
Only 110 steps to the waterfront in this heritage half duplex. This is the back half which includes the back yard, a separate studio, & a recently built lower level solid cedar laundry room (or office). $120,000 spent by the current owner. Updated insulation, wiring, plumbing & painting. $489,000
Stunning ocean & mountain views are yours in this new 4 bedroom home. This ¼ acre property backs onto Anderson Park & is completely private. The chef’s “Urbana” kitchen features professional appliances & quartz counters & all bathrooms have heated floors. Great room with fireplace opens to 850 sq. ft. deck. $1,695,000
Looks like a show home! Lovely, private 3 bdrm, 3 bath townhome has only 1 partially adjoining wall on lower level, so it is very quiet. Large modern eat-in kitchen. Living room has sliding doors to patio with gas BBQ hook up & back yard. Spacious ensuite, lots of storage & parking for 2 cars. Small pets OK. $409,900
Beautiful townhome with huge south deck overlooking Rithet’s Bog. Maple floors, 2-way fireplace, many updates including kitchen counters/ backsplash, s/s appliances & ensuite updates. 2 bdrms, 3 baths, plus extra office or bedroom on main floor. Beautiful landscaping & walking trails. $574,900
Wonderful water views, renovate or rebuild on .84 acre. Beautiful terraced gardens. 4 bdrms, 5 baths, 3 fireplaces, 4,719 sq.ft. Gorgeous gardens & former tennis court. This is your opportunity to build your waterview dream home! $1,695,000
Dallas Chapple RE/MAX Camosun • Tel: 250.744.3301 • Toll Free: 1.877.652.4880 www.dallaschapple.com • Email: dallas@dallaschapple.com 30
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Executive Patio Homes designed for elegant and active living.
H -3 N un 12 E P S
14 -6 #7
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The Patio Homes at Latoria Walk offer incredible views towards the Olympic View Golf Course and to the Olympic Mountains beyond. The Patio Homes offer spacious living and superior quality in an exclusive gated community. From the open concept kitchen and great room with overlooking loft, to the relaxing patio areas, no design detail has been overlooked in these splendid homes. Priced from $679,000 with 3,200 square feet of very comfortable living. “The Terraces” feature: • Solid wood exterior doors • Low “E” thermally isolated glazed windows • 20 foot vaulted ceilings (“D” Style Design) • Hardwood and tile flooring • Open concept gourmet kitchens
• Granite countertops with undermount sinks • Double car garages The price of each unit includes: • Forced Air Heating System with High Efficiency Heat Pump • Stainless Steel Appliance Package
Greg Long
greglong@shaw.ca 250.384.8124 #150-805 Cloverdale Avenue, Victoria, BC V8X 2S9
www.greglong.ca
VICTORIA’S LEADING
NATURAL STONE
CONTRACTOR
LOCAL FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1997 free estimates 250-478-3364
#121-937 Dunford Avenue, Victoria, BC www.robtournourmasonry.com Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
BRICK • CONCRETE BLOCK • GLASS BLOCK • NATURAL & MAN-MADE STONE • CHIMNEY RESTORATION • HERITAGE RESTORATION 31
BOULEVARD LUXURY REAL ESTATE
$5,388,000 Lisa Williams 250-514-1966 lisawilliams.ca
Boulevard magazine supports Southern Vancouver Island's top Realtors representing the region's finest real estate. In our pages, we hope you will find your next home, whether it is in the listings of the Great Homes/Great Realtors or here in the Boulevard Luxury Real Estate listings. Both of these monthly advertising features bring you the finest selection of homes and condominiums Victoria has to offer.
$1,698,000 Lynne Sager 250-744-3301 lynnesager.com
THIS MAGNIFICENT GATED waterfront estate includes an elegant 5,800 sq. ft. main residence, 3 bdrm guest house, and 2 delightful boathouses... with over 280’ of shoreline, manicured grounds and world-class views! The finest materials were used throughout, with incredible detail, featuring soaring high ceilings, HW floors, massive great rm, gourmet kitchen, glass-roofed grand dining rm, main floor master suite with 8-pce ensuite, and so much more! Totally private setting, and lowbank oceanfront access, tons of sunshine... mins from the airport and 30 mins from downtown!
SUPERB PARKER AVE. WATERFRONT. Recently refurbished Pamela Charlesworth home will impress even the most discerning buyer. Gleaming Brazilian hardwood floors, soaring vaulted ceilings, & sweeping views of the Ocean to San Juan Island and Mt. Baker’s glowing glacier beyond. Fabulous new kitchen. 4 bedroom, master with commanding views. Private .33 acre lot with patio hot tub, to enjoy the views. Dbl car garage. 5255 Parker Ave., Cordova Bay
Camosun
$899,900 Robert Young 250-385-6900 robertyoung.ca Celebrating 30 years of award winning real estate service
FAIRFIELD CHARACTER HOME Beautifully maintained 1913 3-level character home, zoned R1B & legal up/down duplex with suite on basement level. Upper level could be a 1 bed/1 bath suite, or be configured to 3 bdrms for single family home. Main level consists of enclosed porch/sunroom, living room, beamed ceilings & fireplace, inline dining room, modern kitchen with separate breakfast nook & access to sundeck. Lower level consists of a 1 bed suite, shared laundry, and storage room. Situated steps from Dallas Rd. beaches, Cook St. village, Thrifty Foods, Beacon Hill Park and much more! Call Today!
TEN MILE POINT prime location, over 1/3 acre lot, fabulous private gardens, backs & sides onto Konukson Park. Delightful & unique 5 bdrm & den, 3 bath with exposed beam high vaulted living room, separate dining area overlooking living room, a spectacular kitchen with quality wood cabinets & solid surface tops plus a large eating area, both $869,000 with cork floors, that opens onto Wayne & Cindy Garner a large deck & overlooks the back yard, plus fam rm, laund/ 250-881-8111 mud & 2 FP. Close to Cadboro cindygarner.ca Village, UVIC & down town. Excellent location for families!
$499,900 Dallas Chapple PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION
250-744-3301 dallaschapple.com
ONE OF THE BEST 1 level suites in the complex, this townhome has exceptional water views. Entry tile imported especially from Italy. Quartz counters in kitchen, new tile backsplash & new appliances including Miele oven. Spacious master bedroom with GREAT VIEWS! Solar UV film on windows keeps heat inside in the winter & out in the summer. Super deck for barbecuing & enjoying magnificent sunsets. Double garage & driveway too! Small pets OK.
uilt On Service BFOR OVER 35 YEARS
Camosun
$450,000 Dallas Chapple PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION
250-744-3301 dallaschapple.com Camosun
ON THE QUIET SIDE of this extremely well run complex, this pristine townhome is one of the 3 largest; 1,953 sq.ft., 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom. Master on main floor, family room off of kitchen opens to the east facing sunny patio with awning. Upstairs offers guest bedroom, bath, plus a bonus room. Many upgrades include German engineered flooring, low flush toilets, and lighting. Close to shopping, buses & library. 2 parking spots.
Free home delivery and water testing House calls made by spa and pool doctor Large selection of parts and plumbing in stock In-store service of water-tested bench repairs Quick response, no hassle dealer support Pools and hot tubs just right for you Locally owned and operated Visit our showroom 250.478.9808 bortonspas-pools.com 2614 Sooke Road, Victoria 33
ahead
FURNITURE MADE WITH FOUND OBJECTS, SALVAGED MATERIALS AND REPURPOSED PIECES FILL ROBERT KIDD’S STILL DESIGN STUDIO IN ROCK BAY. 34
“You may have a piece that will sit around your studio for years, then all of a sudden, you’ll bring something else into the studio and then — bang — it’s like love at first sight.”
“There was too much to explore in life to delve into just one thing.” TEXT & PHOTOS BY LIA CROWE
“M
Y LOVE IS WITH ART, DESIGN and the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, which is a simplicity and a love of things as they change over time,” Robert Kidd explains. The man himself has changed over time, moving from art gallery owner to clothing store owner to mid-century furniture and art collector to artist himself. Robert is known as someone who does things before they’re cool: he had the first clothing store on Johnson Street, lived in Chinatown before it was trendy and began collecting mid-century furniture and art before it was so sought after. He now designs his own furniture line that ranges from new material slat tables to unique, repurposed pieces. “There was too much to explore in life to delve into just one thing,” Robert says. A draftsman as a young man, Robert feels he has come full circle: he is putting pencil to paper again and says he is finally bringing all of his creativity together in one place. “Now, I’m doing my own work, the repurposing of pieces. Finding a piece that, on its own, is really nothing special, but seeing something you can add to it — that’s fun,” he says. “The joy comes with designing a piece to fit in with my esthetic.” Using his collection of mid-century gems and reworking them with locally salvaged materials, he is making something fresh but still within the esthetic du jour. “It’s a creative process that I’m bringing back to my life. It’s always been there, but now it’s here full time.”
Keeping it simple. “All this stuff
is important to me, but I don’t need it. I would be just as happy in a bare room with a stick leaning against a wall. I know that.”
A perfect marriage. “I saw this
piece of wood up at Cox Bay and thought, ‘well, that’s got to come home with me.’ Then I was up at Gabriel Ross chatting and Ross had this Ray and Charles Eames base and I said, ‘Ross, you should give that to me,’ so he did, and it found that little piece of wood from Cox Bay. I think it’s beautiful.”
Trusting instinct.
“These were beautiful chairs to begin with, but were thrashed a little, and I thought, ‘wouldn’t they be nice with cow skin on them?’ and they turned out to be nice with cow skin on them.”
Find Robert at stilldesign.ca
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victoria’s premier show of the year! Create Your Dream
Home
Ideas, Information, Inspiration
Friday, April 25 m
1:00 pm - 9:00 p
6
Saturday, April 2
m
9:30 am - 5:30 p
Sunday, April 27
pm
Vi t i ’ Victoria’s Largest Building, Renovation and Decor Show!
27th annual spring
HOME
2014
10:00 am - 4:00
EXPO
April 25, 26, 27
ONE LOCATION! 3 ARENAS! 3 BIG DAYS!
Design Theatre featuring: Danisha Drury & Amy McGeachy of CHEK TV’s Design District
PARKIN FREE PARKING! SHUTTLE BUS FREE between arenas!
West Shore Parks & Recreation
sponsored by
1767 Old Island Highway
Admission $5.00
The Q Centre (formerly Bear Mountain Arena) Juan de Fuca Curling Arena produced by y Juan de Fuca Arena www.homeshowtime.com Show information: 1.800.471.1112
Saturday is Dominion Lending Centres Day!
DECORATION • DOORS • FLOORING • GARDENING • HEATING • HOT TUBS • LANDSCAPING • RENOVATIONS • SWIMMING POOLS • WINDOWS 36
PHOTO PROVIDED BY RELIANCE PROPERTIES
URBANIA RISING Micro-lofts encourage downtown living BY MEGAN COLE
A
LINE OF PEOPLE WINDS down Johnson Street in early November 2013. The crowd isn’t waiting for a hot clothing sale or sought-after concert tickets: they’re hoping to drop thousands of dollars on the latest trend to hit Victoria — micro-lofts. The Janion 2013 project, which will bring a taste of Japanese and European living to the capital city, will transform the historic Janion Hotel on Store Street to 100-plus micro-lofts ranging from 330 to 590 sq. ft. While micro-lofts may seem like a fad in architecture, advocates for small living see condos like the Janion as a necessary part of a modern sustainable city.
MAKING AN ISLAND IMPACT
Reliance Properties, the developer behind Janion 2013, has been involved in heritage restoration for years, having developed and restored many
of Vancouver’s heritage buildings. Their first micro-loft project, Burns Block, was unveiled in 2012 after they partnered with the City of Vancouver to create affordable housing paired with heritage preservation. Then, with fewer heritage buildings left in Vancouver to develop, Reliance Properties looked to Victoria. Both the shape and size of the existing Janion Hotel, and its lot, encouraged Reliance to bring sustainable housing to the Island. The popularity of micro-lofts reflects what Reliance president Jon Stovell sees as the rise of urbania. The residents of microlofts are choosing the urban downtown lifestyle, which embraces the amenities and culture of a city, over residential space. “We have tapped into this almost unlimited demand for affordable housing — people had figured out that they didn’t need to use all their own money to create the amenities we conventionally think of in a home,” Stovell says. “Micro-lofts are in
these very rich urban cities where there is so much outside their front door.”
EDITING WHAT WE NEED
Designing highly efficient, compact, affordable spaces was the motivation for Small Modern Living, a North Saanich planning, design and development consulting company. Daniel Boot, president and principal designer, says the interest in small homes is due to a lifestyle change happening around the world. “The cost to build a conventional home and to get a conventional mortgage doesn’t make sense to a lot of people anymore,” he says. “A lot of our small homes … could almost be purchased on [a] line of credit.” In 2012, Boot showcased the 37-sq-m unit known as Studio37 at Victoria City Hall in Centennial Square. The prototype house could be lowered into place by a crane, and featured space-conserving features like pocket doors and a wall bed. “There is no wasted space,” Boot says. “People are editing what they need and reevaluating their lifestyle.”
REVERSING THE SPRAWLSCAPE
The rise of urbania and trend towards urban densification are what Nicholas 37
38
PHOTO PROVIDED BY RELIANCE PROPERTIES
A Janion project artist rendering shows the efficiency of the units, which include features like wall beds with integrated dining tables. The previous page shows a rendering of the Janion’s exterior.
Lynch, geography instructor at the University of Victoria, sees as a response to the history of the “sprawlscape.” “The sprawlscapes capture this idea that we should sprawl because we have the space, and we are now in some ways regretting it,” Lynch says. The return to downtown living comes after decades of suburbanization as a result of the industrialization and then post-industrialization of cities. Lynch says this shift has been increasing since the late ’80s. “Industrial production had decentralized and gone elsewhere or shrunk, and the real value or interest in the city shifted to things like culture,” Lynch says. “Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal all started to produce creative economies and are trying to sell their city centres with things like interesting landscapes that are walkable and green, with interesting homes like lofts and condos, and are high-density living with mixed amenities.”
People are editing what they need and re-evaluating their lifestyle. In the future, Lynch sees Victoria moving towards densification, maximizing its diverse heritage properties as options for creative housing. He says the continued trend towards urban living will also see residents abandoning their cars in exchange for walkability and access to the lifestyle and vibrancy of downtown living. “We are in the millennium where we are seeing the rise of urbania,” Stovell says. “All over the world, people are flooding into cities as a place to live.” Megan Cole is an award-winning freelance journalist, obsessed home cook and born-and-raised Victoria resident who also lives half-time on the Sunshine Coast. 39
TRAVEL FAR
PANDA ENCOUNTERS
Seeking an endangered icon
TEXT & PHOTOS BY CINDA CHAVICH
T
HE SUDDEN, PIERCING SCREAM stops us dead on the muddy trail. The ugly confrontation nearby projects gnashing and growling through the impenetrable wall of bamboo. Moments later, the prize we’ve been seeking for days stumbles out of the forest. It’s dirty and bloodstained, fresh from a brutal mating battle, but it’s the real deal — a rare giant panda. We’ve come to the wilds of central China — the Foping Nature Reserve, high in the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi province — for this moment, to photograph giant pandas in their natural habitat. Tom Rivest, a bear-obsessed Canadian expert who helps tourists get up close to grizzlies at his Great Bear Nature Lodge on BC’s West Coast, is our guide. He’s organized this bear-watching expedition for our group of eight wildlife watchers in this restricted area, where only a handful of tourists are allowed each year. Researchers come to the isolated Sanguanmiao Research Station to study wild pandas; an estimated 30 of the rare bears live in the area. But despite our trackers’ best efforts, and the trip’s hefty $5,000 price tag, there is no guarantee we will actually encounter these shy creatures. Still, it’s quite the adventure trying, an indelible experience compared to my previous encounters with captive pandas in China, bus tours to zoos where hand-raised bears munch bamboo and play like fuzzy toddlers on jungle gyms. The loveable face of international wildlife conservation, pandas top the endangered species list. Despite China’s decades of breeding, and ongoing efforts by the World Wildlife Fund, none
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a wood-fired generator, for charging camera batteries. The terrain is beautiful, though sometimes treacherous. Trails through the beautiful but perilous beehive mountains are steep and, with temperatures hovering around 0°C, the ground is muddy and slick beneath the thick layer of leaf litter, or icy and dusted with snow. Our Chinese trackers sprint ahead of us, effortlessly scaling the steep slopes or climbing trees in search of wildlife, while we plod behind, bushwhacking through wet bamboo and teetering across rocky streambeds. Even if we don’t find pandas, the trackers are on the lookout for takin — big mountain bovids related to arctic muskox — and golden snub-nosed monkeys. When our helpful and bilingual guide Yang Liang (aka Rolf) gets an urgent call, we run. The trackers whistle when they see something and we follow, stumbling through dense bamboo as they push us along. “Go, go, panda, run!” tracker Mr. Zhao says, grinning and gesturing up the trail. Perhaps it’s not surprising that a timid panda might be spooked by all this commotion. Though we spend 10 days searching, we usually just glimpse the rare bears. I’m getting used to bringing up the rear, only to arrive to see a far-off white blur or hear the crushing words — “panda gone.”
SHARING AN INTIMATE MOMENT
Clockwise from top: A tracker climbs a tree in search of wildlife; a handful of village families still eke out a living in the region on small subsistence farms; a golden snub-nosed monkey and its semi-wild troop is lured into a park viewing area with apples.
of these cuddly vegetarians have been successfully reintroduced into the wild. Many, reared at Chengdu’s Panda Breeding and Research Centre, are destined for China’s “panda diplomacy” program — rented to zoos in China-friendly countries like Canada for a cool $1 million per year.
SEARCHING FROM TRAILS AND TREES
Though it once roamed across China, the indigenous Asian bear is now found in just a few isolated pockets in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. With two pandas per square kilometre, Sanguanmiao has the highest measured density of wild giant pandas in the world. But it’s not easy to make the trip, or find bears in this rugged terrain once we’re here. Our journey from Bejing to Xi’an continues with a five-hour bus ride into the Qinling mountains and an 8-km hike into the research station. The Chinese government built a kind of hostel here for panda tourists, but conditions are rustic — no heating, lighting or functional bathrooms and only sporadic power, from
It’s the giant panda’s breeding season, a good time to encounter the several males in hot pursuit of a single female. We’ve encountered a battle for supremacy today, the bloodied panda apparently not the victor in this clash. The bear stops at the edge of the rocky streambed that separates us, and sinks into a pool of icy water, panting hoarsely and cooling its wounds. No one moves or speaks, the scene locked into our telephoto lenses. The panda crawls onto a rock, dries itself with a dog-like shake and lumbers slowly toward us. We stand stock still, exposed and unable to frame the perfect shot or change a camera setting. Suddenly, a glimpse or a whiff gives us away and it bolts, a fat furry bottom disappearing into the dense undergrowth. The encounter is over in just five minutes, but it’s truly amazing — one of the world’s last 1,600 or so wild pandas, so close I can almost touch it. It’s exhilarating to know these wild bears are still here, but sad, too, to know their habitat is declining daily as people and industry encroach on forests and dam rivers. It’s not the kind of posh wildlife tour many in this group have encountered before, but the adventure trumps the trials of our trip. We’ve shared a rare experience, observing wild giant pandas and supporting the people who’ve helped us. This type of carefully controlled eco-tourism may help establish more reserves like Foping in rural China, and discourage locals from logging and poaching in areas where wild pandas can still live. Contact Great Bear Nature Tours: greatbeartours.com. 41
50th Jubilee Alumni Concert Saturday, May 31st 2014
Alix Goolden Performance Hall • 907 Pandora Avenue Jubilee Reception • 6:30pm Concert • 7:30pm Featuring internationally-acclaimed VCM alumni artists: Richard Margison, Eve-Lyn de la Haye, Benjamin Butterfield, Jonathan Crowe and more! Jubilee: $85 single/$75 for 2 or more • Includes champagne receptions & concert General: $35 single/$25 for 2 or more • Concert only; no-host bar available Tickets available online, by phone or in person in April
250.386.5311
vcm.bc.ca/50th-anniversary VCM Funding Partners
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We acknowledge the financial assistance of the Province of British Columbia
sidestepping the
superfoods
Despite what marketers would have you believe, food need not be expensive, trendy or come from afar to be healthy BY PAMELA DURKIN, RNC
T
HE FOOD INDUSTRY FREQUENTLY HYPES exotic new “superfoods” capable of curing everything from impotence to cancer. It’s implied these esoteric and often high-priced goodies — like goji berries and chia seeds — are nutritionally superior to more commonplace fare. Don’t be duped. Studies show goji berries, for instance, contain no more vitamin C than an orange. Not convinced? The following standbys have withstood the nutritional test of time and cost mere pennies per serving.
VERSATILE AND NUTTY OATMEAL
They may not be as au courant as quinoa, but few grains can rival oats. What makes them so salubrious? A recent University of Kentucky scientific review suggests that the link between eating oatmeal and reducing harmful LDL cholesterol — a known risk factor for heart disease — is even stronger than previously thought. Other studies show that oats contain unique compounds that can aid in weight management, lower blood pressure, reduce the risk for Type 2 Diabetes and early hardening of the arteries, and quell inflammation. Think oats have a bland taste and mushy texture? Prepared properly, steel-cut or Scottish oats are neither bland nor mushy — search online for innovative recipes that feature oats as the star attraction.
TAKING THE STIGMA OFF CHEESE
Cheese often gets unjustifiably demonized as an unhealthy, fat-laden foe. Detractors, take note: cheese is rich in menaquinone, a unique form of Vitamin K2 shown to kill cancer cells and inhibit tumour growth. German researchers tracked 24,000 people for over a decade; those who ate the most Vitamin K2–rich cheese reduced their risk for fatal cancers by 28 per cent. Vitamin K2 also helps usher calcium into bone rather than into arterial walls, where it can form the plaques that lead to coronary or neurodegenerative disease. Processed cheeses, cottage cheese and most soft cheeses don’t contain menaquinone; renowned cancer researcher Dr. William Li recommends Edam, Emmental, Gouda and Jarlsberg. But don’t overindulge — the participants in the German study consumed about 1½ oz. of cheese per day. Though undeniably healthy, cheese remains (sigh) undeniably calorific.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
GIVING SOME THOUGHT TO VINEGAR
Hippocrates prescribed vinegar to his patients for various ailments, and today, scientific evidence is confirming its health benefits. Studies indicate that daily intake of vinegar can help reduce body weight, waist circumference, visceral fat and triglyceride levels without any diet adjustment. Scientists believe acetic acid — the main component of all vinegars — helps suppress fat accumulation. Further evidence suggests vinegar can help control blood pressure and blood sugar, and help people feel full longer to prevent snacking. To reap vinegar’s health benefits, regular consumption is crucial — so don’t just splash it on your fries. Try it in dressings, sauces, marinades or stews. Avoid mass-produced vinegars — they’re full of colourants and sulphur dioxide. Instead, treat yourself to one of BC’s many delicious artisanal fruit or wine vinegars.
SHEDDING PRUNES’ DOWDY IMAGE
Reacquaint yourself with the wrinkled fruit: researchers at Tufts University discovered that prunes contain more diseasefighting antioxidants than cultivated blueberries. What’s more, studies show prunes’ unique mix of antioxidants helps prevent colorectal, lung and prostate cancer. Prunes aren’t just teeming with the type of fibre that keeps you regular — they also contain ample amounts of soluble fibre, the type that lowers cholesterol and, with it, the risk for heart disease. Further, several new studies show regular consumption can help stave off osteoporosis. Can high-priced acai or goji berries do all that? 43
FOOD & DRINK
Dig deep
A
T LOW TIDE, THE BEACH looks rocky and muddy, but it’s alive with food — the white shells of sea-tumbled oysters littered across forests of barnacles, giant moon snails and thousands of depressions where clams lay buried. “The First Nations have an expression — ‘when the tide is out, the table is set,’” says Brian Kingzett, plunging his shovel into the muck. We are at the end of Baynes Sound, the channel separating Vancouver Island from nearby Denman Island. Here, the oyster industry has flourished for decades in tiny towns like Mud Bay, Deep Bay and Fanny Bay. And here, coastal people came to live and harvest clams: deep layers of discarded clamshells called middens, hidden just beneath the surface, are evidence of more than 4,000 years of human habitation. Now, this is also the site of the Deep Bay Marine Field Station, where scientists like Kingzett study shellfish, especially the native geoduck clam, Panopea generosa, the largest clam in the world. “Half of all the shellfish in BC come
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from this area — it’s the same reason the Coast Salish were here,” he says. The prized geoducks (pronounced gooey-ducks) are the most valuable species of clam on Canada’s West Coast. They were dubbed gweduc — “dig deep” — by coastal First Nations. With a wrinkled, phallic neck (or siphon) protruding from its flat shell, the geoduck is extremely odd-looking — some say ugly — and virtually unknown beyond this market; more than 90 per cent of the harvest goes to China and Japan. Yet it tastes divine when properly presented, especially as sashimi.
SERVING IT RIGHT “I am inspired by its amazing flavour,” says Takashi Ito, executive chef at Victoria’s AURA restaurant at the Inn at Laurel Point. In an effort to elevate the big clam’s profile, Ito prepared geoduck three ways at a recent BC Shellfish Festival to illustrate the clam’s versatility. He put geoduck on his summer menu and dubbed it the “king clam” to make
The Seafood Watch program lists geoducks as sustainable; in fact, like little necks, razor and cherrystone clams, they’re a “green light” choice among wild clams.
PHOTO BY BRIAN KINGZETT
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The geoduck is among the longest living animals on earth: specimens as old as 146 years have been recorded, and the clam may survive much longer, hungry humans being its only real predator. it easier for customers to pronounce, and to reflect the clam’s quality and high price — more than $25 a pound and double that in Hong Kong restaurants. You can buy geoduck live from tanks at Asian markets. It’s important to get a live clam for the best flavour — wrapped in a damp cloth, it will keep for a few days in the fridge. The recipe on the next page explores how to prepare it as sashimi or for flash-cooking, like calamari, for Chinese-style soups, hot pots and stir-fries. The siphon meat can be ground for fritters or added to chowder with smaller clams. So what’s in a name? You may find this big clam called mirugai at a sushi spot and long neck clam or elephant trunk clam in a Chinese market. For his work at Baynes Sound, Kingzett prefers to stick with the First Nations name, gweduc, to honour its history. And on Ito’s menu, it’s king clam. But whatever you call this unique delicacy, a clam by any other name would smell — and taste — as sweet. 45
SPICY KING CLAM POKE
Nourishment To Your Door Victoria’s Organic Food Delivery
starting at $25 – free delivery locally owned and operated
PREP 20 mins CHILL 1 hr SERVES 6–8 Takashi Ito, executive chef at the Inn at Laurel Point’s AURA restaurant, serves this very spicy Hawaiian-style poke made with the local geoduck clam as an appetizer in the summertime.
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2 lb (1 kg) king clam (about 1 clam), cleaned ½ small onion, finely diced 6 green onions, finely chopped 2 tsp (10 ml) grated fresh ginger 2 tsp (10 ml) white sesame seeds, toasted 2 tsp (10 ml) paprika ¼ tsp (1 ml) dried red chili pepper flakes ½ cup (125 ml) Kikkoman soy sauce 1 tbsp (15 ml) sesame oil 1 tbsp (15 ml) honey salt and black pepper
to an
Unforgettable Eric Charman Gala
USE a sharp, short-bladed knife to cut along the inside of each shell to release the clam. Remove the round ball (the viscera) and discard. You will be left with the long siphon with a tongue-shaped piece of interior meat attached. Remove the interior meat and set aside. (The most tender part of the clam, it is good for stir-fried dishes.) PLACE the siphon portion in a large bowl of very hot water for a minute or so — the skin will begin to wrinkle and loosen, making it easy to peel back and remove in one piece. Cut the siphon into two pieces, lengthwise, and rinse out any sand or grit. Place the meat flat on the table and, using a sharp knife, slice thin pieces at a sharp angle. Note: For simple sashimi, arrange the pieces on a platter with soy sauce and wasabi for dipping. Or, continue recipe to make poke. CHOP the clam meat into small cubes and combine with remaining ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Cover and chill in refrigerator for a least 1 hour before serving.
SUNDAY, APRIL 13TH, 2014 AT 6:00 PM THE FAIRMONT EMPRESS HOTEL
The Gala Evening will consist of a fabulous tapas and wine reception with intriguing silent auction packages. Then join the Victoria Symphony and soloists from Pacific Opera’s The Marriage of Figaro in the Crystal Ballroom to witness a stunning concert of Mozart arias and overtures. Then enjoy a post-performance reception with delectable desserts. TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS
Eric Charman encourages you to make a fully tax-deductible donation as he has arranged for every dollar to be matched by the Egon Baumann Music Foundation and two anonymous donors. All funds raised will benefit the Youth and Education programs of the Symphony and the Opera. BLACK TIE PREFERRED $250 per person, includes a generous tax receipt MEDIA SPONSOR
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PHOTO BY CINDA CHAVICH
PLEASE TELEPHONE LORRAINE TANNER AT 250.412.1980 OR MAUREEN WOODALL AT 250.382.1641
FOOD & DRINK
behind t he bar APRIL’S LIBATION
“GINFULLY DELICIOUS” DIFFICULTY LEVEL
PHOTO OF KEEGAN BY COOK AND OSCAR PHOTOGRAPHY
We asked The Mint’s Keegan Coates to make us something creative using a local ingredient. What do you love about Ginfully Delicious? “The brightness of the scent of basil hits you immediately, followed by the tart yet sweet initial taste — like Cherry Blasters from your childhood. The freshness of the lemon juice carries you through to the finish of an almost pleasant tingle of allspice.” What is your favourite aspect of Victoria Gin? “The uniqueness of the flavour profile you get — it has a good flavour depth that can be fun to play with.” What’s the most challenging part of inventing a drink? “Coming up with a name. The name is the trigger for whether or not people will consider ordering it.” how-to INGREDIENTS 1 oz (30 ml) Victoria Gin ½ oz (15 ml) Pimm’s No. 1 ½ oz (15 ml) Giffard Pink Grapefruit Liqueur ¼ oz (8 ml) Chartreuse ½ oz (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 small sprig of basil ASSEMBLY In a mixing glass, pour gin, Pimm’s, liqueur, Chartreuse and lemon juice. Add ice, stir for 15–20 seconds and strain with a hawthorn into a coupe glass. Flatten the basil leaves, rubbing them between your fingers a few times, and float the sprig on top.
TIP: Always stir, never shake.
Visit The Mint at 1414 Douglas Street during the month of April to try locally inspired Ginfully Delicious for yourself. 47
PHOTO BY DON DENTON
TALKING WITHSANDRA TESSRICHARDSON featuring
BY TESS VAN STRAATEN NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK IS CELEBRATED every April and with more than 85,000 registered charities in Canada, giving is big business. There’s more competition than ever for donor dollars — a challenge Sandra Richardson knows all too well. As the head of the Victoria Foundation, Canada’s second oldest community foundation, Richardson connects donors with local causes that matter to them. The foundation has granted more than $130 million since 1936 and it’s thrived under Richardson’s leadership. Tess van Straaten sat down with this community dynamo to talk about making a difference. You gave out more than $12 million last year. What’s the biggest challenge of managing such a large budget? Making sure the granting process is fair. The staff have no vote. You don’t want organizations pulling them aside to try and influence a decision. You want people from the community and board members making these tough decisions on which programs to fund. It has to be a crystal clear process that’s above reproach.
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With more competition and the economic downtown, has it been harder to raise funds? There are over 1,000 registered charities in this community alone. We have a very generous and giving community, but there’s only so much people can give. Because there’s so much demand, donors are looking for more accountability — “I’ve given you this, what impact will it make?” How do you stay competitive? Our goal is to connect people who care with causes that matter. One of the ways we do that is with Vital Signs (an annual report on community issues). We go to the community and ask what people’s perceptions are of what’s happening, where do they see need? Donors use Vital Signs as a guide to giving and all grants we make align with it, so we’re making an impact where it matters most. What’s been your biggest success since taking over in 2001? The Vital Signs report, which we started eight years ago. It’s helped us use philanthropy in a more meaningful way.
What about your biggest mistake? Sometimes, we try to do too much. I hate to admit it, but we can’t do everything for everybody. What it’s taught us is the benefits of partnerships. It’s also important to look at other options: what can we do if the funds aren’t there? We surveyed our charities and asked them, “If we can’t give you money, what else would be useful?” Some are small organizations with staff who wear many hats, so we brought in experts from the community on everything from how to write a media release to financial literacy. We found there are many ways we can act as a catalyst for change. What has been your most important money lesson? Accountability! I’ve learned to question everything, whether it’s the inflow of gifts or the outflow of grants. We have so many people who want to invest the foundation money for us, we have to make sure we make the best decisions. If I gave you $100,000 to invest outside the Victoria Foundation, what would you do? I would invest it in things I’m passionate about. I love gardening and cooking. My dream would be to have a little kitchen store of my own. I have so many gadgets in my kitchen, I could almost open one now! I’d also like to look into investing in community gardens. What’s the worst advice you’ve ever been given? When I was considering coming to the Victoria Foundation, someone told me not to, saying it’s too small and people don’t invest in community foundations. But that bad advice led to some of the best advice, which came from Murray Farmer, the incoming board chair at the time. He told me it would be like waking up a sleeping giant. The foundation was well run, but conservative and quiet. Murray said we could wake it up and make it into so much more. That really stuck with me because it comes down to attitude. Tell me it can’t be done and I will take on that challenge.
We found there are many ways we can act as a catalyst for change. Any parting advice? We live in such a vibrant community: look at how you can give back. There are so many ways we can all make a difference. This interview has been condensed and edited. Tess van Straaten is an award-winning journalist, television personality and fourth-generation Victoria native.
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FRONT ROW BY ROBERT MOYES
THE QUEEN AND KINGS OF FUNKY SOUL
It’s quite a jump from corrections officer to soul singer. But late-blooming Sharon Jones has become the star of a movement interested in making funk and soul music evocative of its heyday in the 1960s and ’70s. Originally a backup singer for one such project spearheaded by Daptone Records in 1996, Jones was so impressive that before long, she was fronting the label’s house band, the Dap-Kings. Several albums later, the award-winning Jones is a superstar renowned for her electrifying live shows. “When she and the Dap-Kings were last here two years ago, it was an incendiary performance,” says Dimitri Demers, co-owner of Atomique Productions. “Her music is timeless and incredibly passionate.” And expect Jones, who cancelled her 2013 tours to fight a nasty battle with cancer, to sing even more fervently than usual. James Hunter, the equally exciting opening act, is an English soul man and Grammy-nominated singer-guitarist whose horn-driven sextet delivers Motownstyled songs with impeccable musicality and intense charm. “Sharon is absolutely at the top of her game,” notes Demers. “Add James Hunter to the mix and you have the makings of quite a legendary evening.” Performing April 4 at the Alix Goolden Performance Hall, 907 Pandora Ave. For information, see atomiqueproductions.com. Funk and soul singer Sharon Jones evokes the sounds of the 1960s and ‘70s with her passionate performances.
KING OF COLOUR
William Perehudoff was a young Doukhobor farmer from Saskatchewan in the 1940s with a hobbyist’s interest in painting landscapes. After winning top honours at a Saskatoon art show, Perehudoff was inspired to get serious and eventually went on to become an abstract painter of international stature. He died a year ago at age 94, and an important retrospective of his never-before-seen work is coming to Victoria. “Perehudoff is probably the most significant colourist and abstract painter from Western Canada,” says Winchester Modern gallerist Elizabeth Levinson. “I think he’s the most daring and successful colourist that Canada has ever produced. He always gives you something surprising … and riveting.” Perehudoff often executed large-format paintings, using the vividness of acrylic to best express his love of colour. Winchester Modern has represented Perehudoff for the last decade, and is one of about six galleries chosen by the artist’s estate to exhibit him posthumously. “Demand for his work is at a fever pitch,” explains Levinson, adding that they were allowed to cherry pick two-dozen canvases from the artist’s studio. “These are so-called ‘fresh to market’ paintings from the 1970s to the ’90s that have never been shown. They are coming to us as rolled canvases and we’ll frame them up.” Collectors from all over Canada — and even some from the United States — will be lining up to pay as much as $40,000 for these resonant and commanding “colour field” abstractions. “This will be the only exhibition of his work anywhere in 2014,” adds Levinson. “We’re pretty excited.” Running from April 5 to May 26 at 758 Humboldt St. For information, see winchestergalleriesltd.com. Perehudoff named his paintings like catalogue numbers. AC-92005 (acrylic, 60" x 50", 1992) demonstrates the vividness of his large-format works. 51
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MONSTROUSLY FUN ENTERTAINMENT Mel Brooks knows a thing or three about entertainment. Two of his movies, The Producers and Young Frankenstein, are not just comedic masterworks but were also subsequently adapted for Broadway and achieved great renown. The rights for the musical version of Young Frankenstein just became available, and the Canadian College of the Performing Arts lost no time in picking it for their spring gala. “I saw it on Broadway four years ago and it was fantastic,” says Darold Roles, artistic and education director for the Victoria-based CCPA, one of the best performing arts colleges in Canada. “Brooks did his own adaptation, writing the music as well, and the songs flow brilliantly from the storyline,” he explains. “They’re hilarious and amazingly hummable.” According to Roles, another reason they chose Frankenstein was because there are several leading parts and not just one or two starring roles. Because the CCPA has about 80 students, this show has been double cast, with about 50 students in each of the two alternating ensembles. That kind of on-stage experience is invaluable for their students, over 80 per cent of whom go on to have careers in theatre, film and TV. (Juno award winner Carly Rae Jepsen, recently hired to star in the Broadway production of Disney’s Cinderella, is just one of the CCPA’s many high-profile success stories.) “This is going to be a real treat for the audience,” says Roles. “The climax of the musical, The Transylvania Mania, is a showstopper.” Running from April 24–26 at the McPherson Playhouse. For tickets, call 250-386-6121.
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The rights to the musical version of Young Frankenstein just became available, and the Canadian College of the Performing Arts picked it up for their spring gala, April 24–26.
Now in its third year, Creatively United for the Planet will offer 150 musicians, 125 green exhibitors and more.
PLANETARY CONVERGENCE
When the David Suzuki Foundation’s executive director dubs you “Canada’s best Earth Week festival,” you’re obviously doing something right. That’s the happy boast of Creatively United for the Planet, a free event making its third annual appearance. “It’s an all-ages community celebration that focuses on where we live, eat, work and play,” says founder Frances Litman. “We live in paradise here, and we take too much for granted … we need to keep Victoria healthy and resilient.” The fast-growing CUP, which expects to attract up to 5,000 people, combines the pleasures of a music and arts festival with a strong educational component. Aside from 150 musicians, there will be 125 “green” exhibitors and values-based businesses such as Clean Air Yard Care, which powers the event with solar energy. “We try for a ‘village’ feel, and just get people involved,” says Litman. Aside from art displays, there will be lectures and workshops on everything from gardening to ecology to alternative energy, as well as an all-ages dance party, random yoga classes, and talks by renowned wildlife artist/activist Robert Bateman and celebrated writer/artist Nick Bantock. The intent is to be very grassroots and participatory, with Litman soliciting a range of contributions, from school kids all the way up to the politicians shaping this city. “The environment isn’t separate from our community, it is our community,” insists Litman. “And this is a chance to bring your kids and have a great time with a whole lot of incredible people.” Happening April 25–26 at St Ann’s Academy, 835 Humboldt St. For information, see creativelyunitedfortheplanet.org.
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PHOTO BY ANDREW LEONG
SECRETS & LIVES BY KATE LAUTENS
Who are you, Bill Jones? The chef and owner of Deerholme Farm. I’m probably best known for my wild food and mushroom activities, but I am a passionate supporter of our entire local food system. I am also the author of 12 cookbooks.
What excites you about local food? It’s the ultimate ingredient. Wild food takes it up another notch. It is packed with nutrients and contains the thrill of learning about varieties, the thrill of the hunt and the lurking danger of the unknown.
Who is your mentor? James Barber, the late Urban Peasant. He had a love of life and food that was infectious. I had the pleasure of getting to know him well and my life is richer for it.
What is one of your most significant childhood memories? I grew up in Nova Scotia and my dad was a great cook. I remember most fondly the lobster feasts we had in the backyard. New potatoes, cobs of corn, fresh lobster and lots of butter!
If you were to die and could come back as any person or thing, who or what would you choose? In my youth, I spent a lot of time hiking in the Rocky Mountains. I was always awed and excited to see grizzlies — majestic, powerful and just a little threatening. Plus, catching jumping salmon in a river looks like fun.
What talent would you most like to have? I wish I had the patience to spend more time practising guitar. My guitar hero is Neil Young and I would be thrilled to play an acoustic guitar like Neil. 54
BILL JONES, 54 with
CHEF AND AUTHOR
What quality do you value most in your friends? Honesty. We all have moments that must be forgiven, overlooked or occasionally discouraged. Only your good friends can tell you the truth when you might not want it.
If you could cook for anyone, living or dead, who would it be and what would you make? One of my earliest heroes was Euell Gibbons, author and wild foods specialist. I would make Euell a dinner from the forests and seashore of Vancouver Island, influenced by the amazing First Nations culture of the region. If I could have
company, I would bring Albert Einstein, Joe Strummer, the Dalai Lama and Salvador Dali, just to make sure the conversation was lively and a little eccentric.
What are you most looking forward to this year? Publishing a new cookbook this spring, the Deerholme Foraging Book (Touchwood Editions). I hope my curiosity and lust for sharing food knowledge comes through.
What food would you die without? Variety is the spice of life — but if I had only one choice, it would be garlic. This interview has been condensed and edited.
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