Boulevard Magazine, Victoria, Oct/Nov 2021

DECEMBER OCTOBER 2020I NOVEMBER / JANUARY 2021

VICTORIA LIFE AT ITS FINEST

HERE & NOW

BEYOND THE PALE

Add some colour to your kitchen

LIVE & WORK...TOGETHER A sleek, functional space for work and relaxation

AUTUMN AROMATHERAPY

Celebrate the season with fall-favourite spices

“LIFE IS A DANCE BETWEEN MAKING IT HAPPEN AND LETTING IT HAPPEN.” ARIANNA ARIANNA HUFFINGTON HUFFINGTON

DESIGN + BUILD + ENJOY

office and studio hours 9AM - 5PM Monday to Friday or by appointment 250.818.7235

come in and see what’s new

CUSTOM SOLUTIONS BEYOND THE KITCHEN

1745 BLANSHARD ST, VICTORIA, BC MONDAY—SATURDAY

250.383.2635

URBANAKITCHENS.CA

Outdoor Living makes Life Better

Specializing in hardscape driveways, patios, aristocrat tile systems, outdoor kitchens and fireplaces is what Alliston Stoneworks has taken pride in for over 15 years.

We are Belgard’s first Master Craftsman on Vancouver Island, ICPI certified and aqua pave certified. We have created a trusting and dynamic team of professionals who are attentive and skilled ensuring quality work for every project.

Owner and operator Bryce Alliston has been working in hardscape masonry and outdoor living industry for over 17 years making clients outdoor living dreams come true.

250 885-9138 Allistonstoneworks.com

C I B C WO O D G U N DY ELBERS FINANCIAL GROUP

MANAGED WEALTH Personalized investment strategy to help keep you on the path to achieve your goals Time tested outperformance from high quality companies displaying the strongest dividend growth Direct personal relationship with the Portfolio Manager Start Date: Feb, 2009

Growth of $100,000

Advisor Managed Program Composite Performance Returns (Annualized as at March 31, 2021)

$420,000 $380,000 $340,000 $300,000

3 Years 5 Years 10 Years

Elbers’ Dividend Growth Portfolio

19.0%

10.3%

10.2%

6.9%

11.0%

TSX 60 Index

40.9%

10.7%

10.5%

6.5%

9.3%

$220,000 $180,000 $140,000 $100,000 $60,000

Elbers’ Portfolio $372,159

Since Inception

1 Year

$260,000

TSX 60 Index $307,758

The Elbers Financial Group Adrian Elbers, CFA Portfolio Manager, Investment Advisor 250 361-2283 (Victoria) | 1 800 561-5864

elbersfinancialgroup.ca efg@cibc.ca

“CIBC Private Wealth Management” consists of services provided by CIBC and certain of its subsidiaries, through CIBC Private Banking; CIBC Private Investment Counsel, a division of CIBC Asset Management Inc. (“CAM”); CIBC Trust Corporation; and CIBC Wood Gundy, a division of CIBC World Markets Inc. (“WMI”). CIBC Private Banking provides solutions from CIBC Investor Services Inc. (“ISI”), CAM and credit products. CIBC World Markets Inc. and ISI are both Members of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada. CIBC Private Wealth Management services are available to qualified individuals.

The CIBC logo and “CIBC Private Wealth Management” are registered trademarks of CIBC. If you are currently a CIBC Wood Gundy client, please contact your Investment Advisor. Performance returns are gross of AMA investment management fees, and other expenses, if any. Each individual account’s performance returns will be reduced by these fees and expenses. The indicated rates of return are the historical annual compounded total returns.

Your future is bright at Trillium Communities. Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Long-Term Care that’s safe, engaging, and as unique as you. Come see us today.

Locally Owned & Operated | 250.383.6509 trilliumcommunities.com

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”

— Dr. Seuss

luim “B“eB ttetrtetor tiolluilm nain teate than merely shine.” than to to merely shine.”

— Thomas Aquinas — Thomas Aquinas

Youunique, are unique, is unique, You are your your homehome is unique, and and Luxe is not your typical furniture store.

Luxe is not your typical furniture store.

At Luxe Home Interiors we believe in curating At Luxe Home Interiors we believe in curating an inspiring shopping experience where an inspiring shopping experience where You are unique, your home is unique, and Luxe is not your typical customers can touch see, touch andgreat feel great customers can see, and feel furniture store. treasures that cannot be found anywhere treasures that cannot be found anywhere At Luxe Home Interiors we believe in curating else.

We believe in shopping local, and relish an inspiring shopping else. We believe in shopping local, and relish experience where customers can see, touch and feel great treasures the beautiful human connections that happen the beautiful human connections that happen that cannot be found anywhere else.

We believe in shopping local, with in-person shopping.

All of our sales with in-person shopping. All of our sales and relish the beautiful human connections that happen with in-person people are skilled designers.

Let us help you people are skilled designers. Let us help you shopping.

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Let us help tell your unique story. tell your unique story. you tell your unique story.

Visit our home new home at Yates 564 Yates Street, Visit us at us ouratnew at 564 Street, Visit us at our NEW HOME at 564 Yates conveniently located across from the Bastion conveniently located across from the Bastion Street, conveniently located across from the Bastion Square Parkade (first hour free)!

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564 St 564 Yates 564 Yates Yates St St 250.386.7632 250.386.7632 250.386.7632 luxevictoria.ca luxevictoria.ca luxevictoria.ca

CONTENTS 18

92 FEATURES

42 On the Cover Photo by Darren Hull Model Linsay Willier Kendall photographed on location at Klahoose Wilderness Resort.

Styling by Sarah D’Arcey & Lia Crowe

FASHION

60

10

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LIVE & WORK ...

TOGETHER

92

AUTUMN AROMATHERAPY

A sleek, functional space for work and relaxation

Celebrate the season with fall’s favourite spices

By Angela Cowan

By Ellie Shortt

60

HERE & NOW

102 HISTORY. CULTURE.

Traditional First Nations pieces meet contemporary Indigenous designs

AND THE SHARK TANK.

A weekend full of bonuses in San Jose

By Sarah D’Arcey & Lia Crowe

By Susan Lundy

70

BEYOND THE PALE

Kitchen trends to add colour, warmth and durability

By Lisa Manfield

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 202 1

42

60

70

DEPARTMENTS

26

WELL AND GOOD

Mind your muscles

By Kaisha Scofield

66 SIDETRIP

12

CONTRIBUTORS

14

EDITOR’S LETTER

With a view to view

By Susan Lundy

30

IN STUDIO

16

DESIGN NOTES

Still Standing: Karel Doruyter

Ann Squires Ferguson

Classy Grandma

By Sean McIntyre

By Angela Cowan

By Janice Jefferson

36 WEEKENDER

110

NARRATIVE

Free hugs

By Marcia and Mike Nelson Pedde

18 LIFE.STYLE.ETC.

Katherine Gray, Patrick Hossack

By Lia Crowe

22 GOOD TASTE

Good pasta, good karma

By Jane Zatylny

An experience shared: Klahoose Wilderness Resort

By Lia Crowe

108 SECRETS AND LIVES

Savour the Sunshine Coast

By Susan Lundy

56

BUSINESS CLASS

From ordinary to extraordinary:

Daniel Caicedo

114 BEHIND THE STORY

By Lia Crowe

By Tess van Straaten

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contributors V I C T O R I A L I F E AT I T S F I N E S T

“For me, photography has

DARREN HULL PHOTOGRAPHER HERE & NOW

always been about the opportunities to experience and be exposed to varieties of people and places, with the culture and stories surrounding them. This fashion shoot at Klahoose Wilderness Resort is one I was honoured to be a part of, and I will truly never forget.” Darren Hull is an editorial and commercial photographer, who has earned a reputation as one of Canada’s top image makers, with work informed by a strong sense of storyline.

He is a regular contributor to Boulevard.

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BOULEVARD GROUP Mario Gedicke

PUBLISHER 250.891.5627 info@blvdmag.ca

MANAGING EDITOR Susan Lundy

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lia Crowe

PAGE 60

BLACK PRESS Penny Sakamoto GROUP PUBLISHER

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lily Chan

DESIGN Michelle Gjerde Tammy Robinson Kelsey Boorman

ADVERTISING Mario Gedicke

Vicki Clark

“I, like many other people, have

LISA MANFIELD WRITER BEYOND THE PALE

spent an inordinate amount of time in the kitchen this past year—both feeding my family and undertaking much pandemicfuelled baking. So I could instantly relate to Katerina’s latest kitchen trends with an emphasis on durability and letting personality and warmth shine through.

And a thousand times yes to optimized storage!” Lisa Manfield is a writer, editor and content strategist. She was the founding editor of BC Living Magazine and is a regular contributor to Boulevard and Right Sizing magazines.

PAGE 70

“One thing you learn very quickly

TESS VAN STRAATEN

as a journalist is that everyone has a story to tell. And in the case of the people I get to interview for Boulevard, they’re always amazing, inspirational stories—like the way Daniel Caicedo and his wife, Beatriz Carmona, have built a booming business and a new life for themselves after emigrating here from Colombia.” Tess van Straaten has worked in television and print for more than 20 years, curtsied for Queen of England, and interviewed three of the last four prime ministers.

WRITER FROM ORDINARY TO EXTRAORDINARY

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Sarah D’Arcey Janice Jefferson Lisa Manfield Sean McIntyre Jenny McKinney Marcia & Mike Nelson Pedde Kaisha Scofield Ellie Shortt Tess van Straaten Jane Zatylny

ILLUSTRATION Sierra Lundy

CONTRIBUTING Dasha Armstrong PHOTOGRAPHERS Lia Crowe Don Denton Darren Hull

CIRCULATION & Marilou Pasion

DISTRIBUTION 604.542.7411

Victoria Boulevard® is a registered trademark of Black Press Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission. Ideas and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Black Press Group Ltd. or its affiliates; no official endorsement should be inferred. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents, both implied or assumed, of any advertisement in this publication.

Printed in Canada. Canada Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #42109519.

Tel: 250.381.3484 Fax: 250.386.2624

PAGE 56 12

CONTRIBUTING Angela Cowan

WRITERS Lia Crowe

info@blvdmag.ca boulevardmagazines.com

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 202 1

ELMWOOD SERIES Distinctively creative.

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Design by Nicole Scott x Jason Rolstone

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PHOTO BY LIA CROWE

With a view to view

Revisiting our photo collection from a trip to San Jose, where we attended a Canucks hockey game in January 2020 (see story in this edition of Boulevard), a few curious images emerge.

There I am in one photo, hands in pockets, wandering nonchalantly around the back side of the SAP Center arena. Ho-hum. Just checking out the scenery. And there I am covertly opening the door to the Hotel De Anza. Nothing to see here; just admiring the architecture. Still later, I’m seen sitting in San Pedro Square Market, trying to appear cucumber cool as I carefully eye each passerby. (I’m also captured outside the SAP Center looking grumpily at San Jose Sharks icons, like the large, silver shark fin rising from the pavement near the entrance.)

The fact is, the Canucks are in town and I’m determined to spot them.

At the SAP Center, I’d seen a promising-looking bus (team bus?!) motor into a garage around the back of the arena; regarding the Hotel De Anza, I’d read visiting hockey teams sometimes stay there; and sitting in the square’s market seemed like a logical place to spot players enjoying a little pre-game R&R. Why do I care? Well, it’s a good question. It’s not like if I see one of my hockey heroes I’m about ask for an autograph or a photo. No way.

My go-to response would be to eye them calmly with a brisk nod that says, “I know who you are and I’m cool with that.” It’s my journalism background: the hunt to get the story; the detective work behind the sightings. (I mean, theoretically, I’m in media; I could likely pick up the phone and arrange an interview...But where is the fun in that?)

It worked out in Edmonton, where we sat in the lobby of the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald and watched visiting Maple Leafs players wander by.

And it worked in Seattle a few years later, when we travelled there for a Blue Jays-Mariners baseball game and spotted a number of Jays players, as well as star Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez. (I gave them all my calm, cool nod.)

Exciting? No? I agree the whole thing is a bit weird. In fact, if someone asked me which Canucks player I’d like to invite over for dinner, I’d draw a blank.

The average Canucks player is younger than my daughters. What would we talk about?

“So Elias,” I’d probably end up saying to the team’s young star, “What is your mom up to these days?“ The coach might be an interesting dinner guest—closer in age anyway. But to really get to the interesting stories, I think it’s the team journalists or broadcasters like John Garrett and John Shorthouse who would make excellent dinner guests.

Back in San Jose, now on a tour of the SAP Center with the arena’s general manager, we do indeed walk smack into a wall of Canucks players tossing a ball around in a pre-game warm-up. Unfortunately, we are whisked away so quickly, I have no time to give them my calm, cool nod. Then Canucks GM Jim Benning brushes past us on the catwalk and, taken by surprise, I stutter, “Oh! Hi, Jim.” But no worries, just minutes later I have the chance to try out my brisk nod as we approach the media centre and there are John and John. It doesn’t help, I suppose, that I’m still feeling the effects of dinner’s bottle of bubbles, but somehow I completely forget my calm, cool nod and pretty much swoon and gush as soon as I spot them.

Oh dear. And then I call for a photo. But it is a great photo, I must say. And it sits proudly among all the others.

Susan Lundy Editor Susan Lundy is a former journalist who now works as an editor, author and freelance writer. Her latest book, Home on the Strange, was released earlier this year via Heritage House Publishing.

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New Showroom Opening Soon in Victoria

design notes

1.

C

Classy GRANDMA

BY JANICE JEFFEERSON, MODHAUS DESIGNS

elebrate vibrant flower power this fall: updated, silly and striking, over-the-top grandma style. I want to enjoy a chai latte in a room with these design elements. All things grandma-classy.

2.

3.

4.

6.

7.

5.

10.

8.

11.

9.

1. Charlotte’s Locks No. 268 Farrow & Ball, Bespoke Design, *prices vary by product/size. 2. Day-Date 40 Watch Rolex, Lugaro, $46,350. 3. Sharon The Frog Velvetopia Cushion Cover, Smoking Lily, $42. 4. Hibiscus Wall Sconce, Mclaren Lighting, $1,306. 5. Artemis Wallpaper in AmaranthPink, House of Hackney, houseofhackney.com, *email for pricing. 6. SVANSELE Mirror, IKEA $40. 7. Hi-Turn Chair by Bensen. Chester Fields, *prices vary by fabric. 8. Euphoria Ceramic in Margaritaville, Sonoma Tilemakers, Decora Tile, *prices vary by size/shape. 9. Drippy Pots Latte Mug in Coral,Luna Collective $55. 10. Iittala Kartta Glass Sculpture, Gabriel Ross, $1,005. 11. Moooi Ripples Carpet, Gabriel Ross, $4,829 12. Cartwheeling, Sharon Montgomery Art, sharonmontgomery.net $350.

12.

Dive into the beauty of the season with new home linen colors.

Travel in

style & security this winter L I V E

W E L L

W I T H

with baggallini and pacsafe products at Pharmasave Broadmead!

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pacsafe was established in 1998 17 boulevardmagazines.com | OC TOB E R/ NOV E MBby E R two 2021‘Aussie’ friends who’ve visited more than 80 countries.

life.style.etc.

KATHERINE GRAY AND PATRICK HOSSACK, REALTORS, HOSSACK + GRAY REAL ESTATE, THE AGENCY WO RDS + PH OTO G RAPHY LIA CROWE

I meet Kate and Patrick at Bear & Joey Cafe to sip on oat-milk coffee drinks and chat life, style and what it is that makes this brother-and-sister team tick. While they both thrive on the connections they make with people through the process of real estate, Kate loves the interior design side of it—seeing the potential in homes—and Patrick finds the satisfaction of receiving positive feedback from happy clients really pumps his tires.

Recognizing the benefits of working as a team, I ask how they complement each other.

“We’re both social and we like connecting with people,” says Patrick, “but Kate is more of a big picture, creative, outside-thebox thinker than I am.”

And according to them both, Patrick excels at the necessary details of the business, making sure the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed.

Kate and Patrick grew up together and it’s pretty evident there’s a lot of laughter and the kind of inside-joke fun that only siblings can share. But it’s also clear there is a lot of mutual care and support as they talk about the life lessons they have both learned.

“I’ve really stopped comparing myself to other people and feeling the need to be doing more and more,” Kate says. “The best lesson has been to slow down.

The reality is I have two kids and I’m doing really well for where I’m at. We will grow our business and there’s time for that, but there is also time to enjoy where we are at now.”

When it comes to style, Patrick likes to always wear at least one dressy element, and he believes fit is also important. For Kate, it’s all about comfort and trends, and she laughs, saying, “I am very much a ‘screenshoot Instagram outfits and try to recreate them’ person.”

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Kate…

COMPLETE EYE EXAMINATIONS BY

DR. JASON MAYCOCK DR. TOBY VALLANCE DR. MANDY LETKEMANN DR. NICK CATCHUK

FASHION & BEAUTY Uniform: Casual and clean.

Favourite denim, brand and cut: Denim Forum high-waisted skinny jeans.

Current go-to clothing item: Daily uniform is jeans and a white button-up shirt.

OPTOMETRISTS

Best new purchase: Cream cowboy boots.

Favourite day bag: Louis Vuitton Neverfull.

Accessory you spend the most money on: My bag (Louis Vuitton Neverfull).

Favourite work tool: My laptop; it goes everywhere with me.

Sunglasses: Black aviators.

Scent: BYREDO Bal d’Afrique.

Favourite skincare product: ZO Exfoliating Polish.

Favourite hair product: Olaplex shampoo.

STYLE INSPIRATIONS & LIFE Favourite musician: Can I say Justin Bieber?

Favourite local restaurant: Stage Wine Bar. Favourite city to visit: Buenos Aires.

Favourite app: Instagram.

Favourite place in the whole world: Home.

1318 Blanshard St. | 250-384-4175 | maycockeyecare.com

CLIENT: MAYCOCK EYECARE PUBLICATION: BOULEVARD MAGAZINE SHIPPING DATE: APRIL 2021; AD SIZE: 3.5” x 4.75” PRODUCED BY FORM CREATIVE T: (250) 589 5966

READING MATERIAL What you read online for style: I get 99 per cent of my style inspo from Instagram.

Fave print magazine: Architectural Digest.

Coffee table book/photography book: Live Beautiful by Athena Calderone.

Book currently reading: Fear Is Just a Four-Letter Word by Tracy Tutor.

637 Fort Street 250.383.4040 footlooseshoes.com

see next page for Patrick’s faves… boulevardmagazines.com |

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Patrick…

CLOTHES/GROOMING Uniform: Currently...black denim from Oxford on Johnson Street.

Favourite denim, brand and cut: Slim, light-wash from Oxford.

Current go-to clothing item: Jersey cotton button-ups by Desoto from Outlooks.

Favourite pair of shoes: Cole Haan navy cloth shoe.

Favourite day bag: Leather computer bag from Oxford in black.

Accessory you spend the most money on: Nomos Tangente Watch.

Sunglasses: Persol.

READING MATERIAL Last great read: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris.

Book currently reading: The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt.

Favourite book of all time: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn.

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STYLE INSPIRATIONS & LIFE Favourite fashion designer or brand: Lululemon.

Favourite local restaurant: The Tapa Bar. Favourite cocktail or wine: Old Fashion, Pinot Noir (especially love the Oregon region).

Favourite city to visit: Budapest.

Favourite place in the whole world: Byron Bay.

618 Broughton Street I 778 406 1600 I bagheeravictoria.ca

good taste

good pasta, good karma Lot 1 Pasta Bar changes the game WORDS JANE ZATYLNY

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X

PHOTOGRAPHY DON DENTON

A

s I pull into the Saanich shopping centre dominated by HomeSense and Designer Shoe Warehouse, I find Lot 1 Pasta Bar beside a hair salon called Kharma. That’s got to be a good sign for a business, I think, as I enter the casually sophisticated space.

Owned and operated by the folks behind the Bin 4 Burger Lounge empire, Lot 1 opened at this location in the Island Home Centre in 2016 and has a similar, think-outside-the-box mission.

Bin 4 invites British Columbians to “rethink your burger,” while Lot 1’s concept reimagines traditional Italian recipes.

“We saw an opportunity in the Saanich area for great pasta and shared plates,” says Chef Michael Ringland, who defines his approach as simple but creative. “We wanted to bring something different with the pasta we make daily, and to pair it with ingredients and sauces that we also make in house, whether they be classic dishes or something we’ve put a twist on,” he says.

The Moroccan chicken rigatoni most definitely falls into the latter category.

Design + Build Fine Custom Homes

“We wanted options that weren’t just Italian,” explains Michael.

The dish is a fusion of flavours and textures and reminds me of a Moroccan chicken tagine, with its traditional spices, such as cumin, ginger, cinnamon and coriander.

The fresh rigatoni is served in a sauce of coconut milk with softened onion, red-pepper ribbons, free-range chicken and chopped cashew pieces.

“We use coconut milk instead of whipping cream, so the dish can be made vegan if the chicken is removed,” says Michael.

These gorgeous glossy noodles take on a pale yellow hue from the spices and are served perfectly al dente, while the chicken pieces are lightly scented, moist and flavourful. The soft red pepper strips offer a flash of colour to the dish, while the cashews add a pleasing crunch to every forkful.

“I tried to bring a little bit of ethnicity to this menu, whether it’s from the Moroccan chicken pasta or the pork belly appetizer with sriracha aioli and fennel slaw, or simply putting a little twist on a classic pasta like carbonara,” says Michael. “I do love the simplicity of Italian cuisine, but hopefully people can appreciate the twists I like to incorporate into the menu.”

For my second dish, I turned to the beloved Italian classic—gloriously rich carbonara pasta. Here, the changes to the classic recipe

christopherdevelopments.com boulevardmagazines.com |

|

250.882.1895

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“We wanted to bring something different with the pasta we make daily, and to pair it with ingredients and sauces that we also make in house, whether they be classic dishes or something we’ve put a twist on.”

Lot 1 Pasta Bar owner/operator Dan Blackmore.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 202 1

are subtle but significant: “Traditionally, carbonara wouldn’t have the onions, chili flakes or prawns in it,” says Michael. “We’ve also been able to source a very good pancetta from Two Rivers Meats.”

The onions are cooked slowly to order with olive oil, butter, the pancetta and its rendered fat, he says: “We flavour the sauce with a bit of white wine, add fresh prawns, then finish the dish with the traditional egg yolk and fresh Italian parsley and basil.”

Served over freshly made spaghetti, the dish is again cooked to perfection and very, very flavourful.

Aside from its pasta dishes, Lot 1 also features several dishes to share, like the peppercorn-crusted Wagyu carpaccio with fried capers, the Salt Spring Island mussels with local chorizo, white wine and sun-dried tomatoes, and the Little Qualicum Cheeseworks baked brie plate.

“We want our dining room to be comfortable and inviting, whether guests are coming in to enjoy a glass of wine and an appetizer or two or a family coming in for a pasta dinner,” says Michael.

These dishes are so generously portioned, I thought, “Great— there is enough here for my dinner and my lunch tomorrow.” Nope.

I just couldn’t manage to save a portion with either dish—they were that good.

I pass along my comments to Michael and ask him what sort of feedback he likes to hear from his customers.

“The simple answer would be for everyone to think that my food tastes great, but it’s not only about that,” he says. “For me the best compliment would be for someone to appreciate the thought and care that is put into each and every dish that we put on our menus, whether it’s about the ingredients we use, the presentation of the dish or of course the flavour.”

I would say he’s succeeded on all three points. There’s nothing but good karma here.

Executive chef Mike Ringland.

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well and good

mind your muscles A moving body is a happy body WORDS KAISHA SCOFIELD

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You’re getting older. I’m sorry, it’s nothing personal.

Every body is fully developed by the late teens to early 20s.

Soon after, at around age 25, the rate at which the cells are regenerated is surpassed by the rate at which they decline.

From there, your body starts the slow process of degeneration, or what we like to call aging. I know, it doesn’t seem fair that, biologically, we peak before we’ve even finished university.

Aging is, of course, unavoidable, but you may have noticed that some of us age more gently than others. The appearance of wrinkles and grey hair, and changes in skin and body composition, are largely determined by genetics, but the extent of these changes can be altered by how well we look after ourselves.

Discover something new to inspire the everyday.

A great way to support the aging body is to eat nutrient-dense foods, stay hydrated, devote time to sleep, combat stress and maintain physical activity. These practices will guarantee an improved quality of life and greatly ease the aging process. In fact, the sooner these practices are made a part of your daily life, the more effective they will be.

People typically manage a consistent commitment to eating well, sleeping decently and remembering to hydrate, but stress management and physical activity are where we often falter. We can be resistant to exercise because it is often represented as either a punishment for eating too many cookies or as a quick fix for abs of steel.

However, when we approach exercise with food-associated guilt on our minds, or feel discouraged because the five-minute, belly-blaster workout isn’t producing the promised six-pack abs, we feel discouraged and convinced that we aren’t doing it right.

Lack of results or unreasonable expectations are the main reasons people avoid exercise. This has led to a disconnect between movement for fun, physical expression and overall improvement of physical and mental health and wellbeing.

A moving body is a happy body. Exercise improves physical strength, mental function, cardiovascular health, coordination, tissue health, digestion and, of course, it slows aging. We are not just talking about a leisurely dog walk or a bedtime yoga class. Yes, all movement is useful, but all too often we associate aging with slowing down and limited movement, but this is simply not necessary. We want to be dancing, running, jumping, playing, working muscles, getting sweaty and training the cardiovascular system for as long as we are able.

Engaging in higher intensity, strength-based and sweat-producing movement is extremely important for people in mid-life and beyond. Mobility for the the aging population is crucial because our muscles begin their decline as early as age 30. From there we lose three to five per cent of our muscle mass per decade until age 60 when muscle declines at a much faster rate.

This is due to a condition called sarcopenia—the involuntary loss of muscle mass, strength and function, and it leads to frailty, loss of mobility and limited physical independence.

Muscle wasting, lack of mobility and frailty affect women more than men. Many factors play into this: genetics, active history, nutrition, hormones, etc. Active history is important for both men and women because movement levels throughout life affect physical abilities, but men are more often encouraged to engage in sports through childhood and into adulthood.

Also, women tend to have higher rates of nutrient deficiencies because they are more likely to engage in long-term restrictive diets. Men also have a physical advantage with their higher testosterone levels, and they build muscle faster than women.

However, on the flip side, men also tend to lose muscle more quickly.

Men are 25 per cent more likely than women to lift weights at the gym. Because of society’s unreasonable beauty standards, women typically limit themselves to cardio-based movement and engage in exercise that promotes leanness over strength.

Women often fear that lifting weights will cause them to “bulk

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Now offering SUSA, established in 1859, made in Europe, and specializing in wire-free styles with maximum support and comfort.

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Exercise improves physical strength, mental function, cardiovascular health, coordination, tissue health, digestion and, of course, it slows aging. up” or look too “manly.” As a result, gyms are not generally designed to welcome women into the weightlifting area, an area that is frequently dominated by large men.

Weight lifting is, or should be, for every body. Trainers like Victoria’s Adrian Toderan, who works primarily with female clients, says women are as strong as, if not stronger than, the men he works with (don’t worry, Adrian, we won’t tell the guys). Adrian trains a variety of clients from people in their mid-20s up to those in their mid-60s.

This is an impressive age range, considering Adrian works out of a CrossFit gym, a movement style that is notorious for its gruelling workouts and deep commitment.

When working with older clients, Adrian notices that “they come to the gym with purpose, looking beyond a desire to change body composition; they are more interested in the deeper changes that lead to improving their health and wellbeing. They also show up ready to work.”

He sees many clients who “come in motivated and interested in movement, who are already strong but have never been shown how to properly move their body in a way that allows them to express their strength.”

When asked how women can get into into weight training, Adrian stresses the importance of doing your research and choosing a quality coach.

He says, “Be sure to take the time to pick a trainer who knows

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what they’re doing and is experienced working with female clients.

When new clients arrive nervous or inexperienced, it is important for a trainer to take the time to educate them about how to move their body and why. Often, understanding the reasons behind movements helps clients to shift their perspective, gain confidence and make real progress.”

As for getting bulky, Adrian says, “It’s not that easy. Women may worry about it at first, but they quickly realize that bulking up is a lot of work. People see bodybuilders and don’t understand the sheer amount of work it takes for people to look that way. The rate at which anyone builds muscle, of course, depends on the person; some people have that body type, or an athletic history. But you’re not going to get bulky unless you really work at it. It doesn’t happen by accident.”

He also says that female beauty standards are shifting and “bulk is awesome.”

And what he would say to anyone who thinks they are too old to weight train?

‘That’s simply not true. I’ve seen people compete in CrossFit at age 60, 70, 80 and even 90 years old. There are countless studies that show the benefits strength training has on bone density, tissue health, et cetera. It’s important to start now so that you’re not dependent when you’re older. You want to maintain function because once you’ve lost that, it’s too late. If you don’t use it, you lose it.”

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“I’m getting old and I’m still standing. But the show also had to do with what we are losing.

I am painting trees and animals, and they are threatened but they are still standing.”

In spite of what he may tell you, Karel Doruyter’s high school years were anything but typical.

Working tirelessly in his home-constructed chemistry lab, the teen built hydrogen-filled balloons to which he attached messages and launched on journeys of hundreds or sometimes thousands of kilometres. He also built rockets, one of which may or may not have caused damage to the front window of his principal’s house. Then, there was the time he produced a beaker filled with nitroglycerine, a potent concoction that required assistance from local RCMP officers, who set off the fiery substance in the Quesnel River near his childhood home in the BC interior. He also adopted a pair of orphaned bear cubs destined to be destroyed by a local conservation officer. Karel arranged to have the bears adopted by an animal park in Holland, where their offspring live to this day.

“I was probably a bit of a rebel that joined forces with a few other like-minded students,” he says.

Karel’s anything-but-typical childhood invariably led to a career trajectory that has been far from conformist. The 79-year-old Nanaimo-based painter’s curiosity, courage to experiment and seemingly innate problem-solving ability have served him well in a life that has seen him explore the world in both mind and body since he graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1968.

Regarding the most recent exhibition of his work, Still Standing, which ran this fall at Victoria’s Madrona Gallery (606 View Street), Karel jokingly says that the show’s theme was as much about himself as it was about the awe-inspiring landscapes and scenes he captures on canvas.

“I’m getting old and I’m still standing,” he smiles. “But the show also had to do with what we are losing. I am painting trees and animals, and they are threatened but they are still standing.”

An interest in boat design and building has enabled him to make at least 50 trips along the BC coast. He has lived and worked on Haida Gwaii, spent time in Australia and Tasmania, and travelled to the Arctic and farthest reaches of South America. Whether his paintings convey the lush grandeur of a coastal rainforest or the stark isolation of a rocky arctic mountain-scape, the size and

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impact of Karel’s work transport the viewer, uniting us with a world of fleeting beauty.

Flipping through a collection of photographs, Karel explains how most of his works incorporate components of the landscapes he has seen on his various journeys. He’ll take a grove of Douglas firs from one scene, combine it with distinctive rock formations from another and sprinkle in a dash of mist or twilight to complete the image.

“I still go out, and hiking around here has inspired a number of arbutus tree paintings, which have been a great hit, but I would say

Cliff Dwellers, 30 x 40 inches, acrylic on canvas.

that 80 per cent of [my paintings] are composites,” he says.

Three-dimensionality is the most striking aspect of Karel’s paintings, a technique he’s refined over the past 20 years or so. It was through experimentation that Karel happened upon the perfect combination of ingredients to form the plaster compound used to build up the low-relief profile. Once layers are applied and left to harden, Karel attacks the plaster with sanding paper, chisels and cutting tools, digging into the material to give his landscapes their signature texture and added dimension. After this initial sculpting of the canvas, he applies a coat of gesso followed by acrylic paint.

Karel says the technique was inspired by his time working on a government study on health-care delivery for Indigenous and non-Indigenous seniors on Haida Gwaii. He says the close relationships he developed with the region’s Haida residents opened his eyes to the legacy of trauma and ongoing suffering experienced by many Indigenous Canadians. This powerful experience inspired exploration beyond his traditional two-dimensional approach as a way to convey the magnitude of this topic.

“I thought it needed to have more impact to convey the emotion and gravitas of the topic,” he says. “It took about 30 or 35 tries of different mixtures to see what would work, and then I discovered a secret ingredient, and it worked.”

Beginning with those paintings in a genocide series, the earliest of his three-dimensional tableaus were based on heavy masonite board.

He lightened the pieces considerably by experimenting with wooden backboards and eventually discovered a way to marry the weight of his 3-D plaster with the lightness of canvas surfaces.

“I tried canvas and all of a sudden it worked,” he says.

Karel has long since expanded use of the technique to capture the grandeur and isolation of his landscapes, be they rooted in geographic or emotional space. The results have fostered an international clientele who have snapped up his works through galleries

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Dialogue (diptych), 48 x 72 inches, acrylic on canvas.

across Western Canada. The past year and a half, he says, has seen demand for his work reach even loftier heights. He wonders if it could be a lockdown longing for epic scenes of the great outdoors or a desire to enliven the indoor spaces to which we have been bound. Though he’s not sure how to explain the pandemic art boom, he knows the works’ popularity is a sure sign that his life of exploration and experimentation isn’t yet complete.

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Forget Us Not, 36 x 60 inches, acrylic on canvas.

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Savour the Sunshine Coast This beautiful, laid-back part of the BC coast is worthy of any celebratory occasion 34

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t’s our wedding anniversary and as we sit outdoors on the west-facing patio of our villa, the scene before us is worthy of the occasion. Below, boats glimmer in the sun as they rock gently in a harbour ringed by a rolling, tree-dotted hillside. A grassy lawn spreads before us, separating our patio from the resort’s pool area, and the quiet of the evening is punctuated only by the hoot of an owl.

Yesterday we checked into Painted Boat Spa Resort & Marina in Madeira Park on BC’s Sunshine Coast.

A lavish-looking restaurant, perched above the water, sits just steps away, but unfortunately it’s booked up tonight. No matter, a few hours earlier we stopped at the nearby Oak Tree Market and stocked up on fresh fish—smoked Alaskan cod for an appetizer and halibut for the main—nugget potatoes and vegetables. Bruce has cooked up a tasty meal and, alongside the orangey hue of the Louis Roederer Champagne in our wine flutes, this is a feast fit for royalty. boulevardmagazines.com |

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Indeed, we felt a bit like royalty as we checked in to our spacious two-bedroom villa at Painted Boat. From the two-person tub in the master en suite to the full kitchen and two outdoor patio dining areas, this is a place where you check in and don’t want to leave.

Luckily, by the time we arrived at the resort, we’d already spent a few days exploring the area. The Sunshine Coast—accessed by ferry from Comox to Powell River at the northern end or from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to Langdale at the south end—is 180 kilometres long, boasts a total population of about 30,000 (2016 census) and has four main centres: Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Sechelt and Powell River. Many of the residential areas follow the contours of seemingly endless peninsulas, bays and inlets, and boats of all shapes and sizes bob dockside at dozens of marinas.

The area offers year-round activities such as sea kayaking, mountain biking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, scuba diving, and fresh and saltwater fishing. Hiking is also big here, with numerous options, including the trail to Skookumchuck Narrows (see below), Francis Point Provincial Park (we did the first part—it’s beautiful!), Mount Daniel, Pender Hill and, of course, the renowned 180-kilometre-long Sunshine Coast Trail, which offers Canada’s longest hut-to-hut hike.

But even now, as we visit in the peak of summer, the area maintains a laid-back, island-style atmosphere.

Beginning our exploration in Gibsons, we strolled a sun-soaked waterfront walkway, starting at Molly’s Reach restaurant, noteworthy as a “star” in the The Beachcombers—a popular 1970s television show that was filmed here. We meandered along a long public dock that ends

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in a gazebo-like lookout and a restaurant called Smoke on the Water BBQ , from which wafted savoury scents.

We checked out the Gibsons Public Market, also on the waterfront, and took a drive to Banditry Cider, where we sampled three delicious flavours, enjoyed a charcuterie-box lunch and picked up some ciders to take home.

The Banditry Cider purchases were soon joined in the back seat of the truck by two additional bottles—rhubarb gin and haskap liqueur—from Bruinwood Estate Distillery in Roberts Creek—also worth a visit.

The next day, we explored the shops in downtown Sechelt before wandering along a beautiful oceanfront walkway, where a gentle ocean breeze tempered the heat and a slow summer-morning pace allowed for a full-body exhale.

After a leisurely lunch at Beachside Kitchen Bar, right on the waterfront, we decided to add to our stock of back-seat purchases by checking out The Bricker Cider Company, a well-established cidery with multiple cider flavours, a varied food menu and a large grassy patio with picnic tables, all set beside a flourishing orchard. Indeed, additional off-sales found their way to the back seat of the truck.

On our final day, we headed north, boarded a ferry and landed in Powell River, the largest town on the Sunshine Coast. Here we wandered through the area’s historic “Townsite” area, where, in addition to a collection of preserved commercial buildings, the roads are lined with beautifully restored, early-1900s homes.

With a few bottles of craft beer from Townsite Brewing onboard, we turned the truck towards home, happy in the understanding our anniversary was celebrated in style.

SKOOKUMCHUCK NARROWS. PHOTO BY KELLY FUNK PHOTOGRAPHY

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TOWNSITE BREWING

SKOOKUMCHUCK NARROWS

do.

Visit Powell River’s Townsite, designated as a National Historic District of Canada in 1995, one of only seven in Canada.

The area has over 400 original buildings contained within the borders of the 1910 town plan, and is worth a visit just to wander around and gawk at the buildings. It is also the home of the Townsite Public Market, located in the newly renovated Powell River Company mill stores building, and home to an eclectic collection of community-focused and artisan-based businesses. This is also the place to find Townsite Brewing, an award-winning craft brewery, featuring BC’s only Belgian brewmaster at the helm.

see.

Drive to the tiny town of Egmont, and hike out to the Skookumchuck Narrows, described as “one of the greatest natural spectacles” in BC. Here, twice a day, the flow of saltwater switches, reversing the direction of the turbulent rapids.The difference in water levels between one side of the rapids and the other can exceed nine feet in height, with 200 billion gallons of water flowing through the Skookumchuck Narrows, which connects Sechelt and Jervis inlets.

The area is famous for its spectacular whirlpools and, for extreme kayakers and divers, “Skook” is one of the great whitewater wonders of the world. The hike out to the narrows is a fairly easy, mostly level, eight-kilometre roundtrip, and near the start, buried in the forest is the renowned Skookumchuck Bakery.

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The Painted Boat Spa Resort & Marina features 31 spacious waterfront villas, designed to immerse guests in nature, while offering sleek, modern amenities. Each villa includes comfortable, upscale furnishings, a large patio or balcony equipped with a propane barbecue and outdoor furniture, plus spacious, bright bathrooms and a fully-loaded kitchen. The open-concept living spaces feature a fireplace and spacious sitting and dining areas. All 31 villas have waterfront views. Our pet-friendly, ground-floor, corner villa was extremely private and set beside a grassy walking area—perfect for walking our pup.

From locally harvested caviar to an entire festival celebrating blackberries, there are plenty of ways to eat and drink your way around the Sunshine Coast. At Gibsons, try Molly’s Reach of The Beachcombers fame for a step back into historical popular culture, or stop by Peresphone Brewing for a taste of craft beer. Although we’d already left Sechelt by the time these recommendations came in, a social media post drew the following comment: “Sechelt Pizza Co. makes the best pizza, and go to Savour Sechelt for brunch!”

We’re also giving a shout out to Mama’s Japanese Kitchen at Madeira Park, where, seated in an unassuming curb-side setting, we were stunned to feast on some of the best sushi around.

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or years YouTube personality and Instagram influencer Justin Tse ran his business out of his home, filming videos in his living room and making do with the space he had. But last year his team had grown enough that he decided they needed a dedicated work space, and a monthslong search finally ended at a loft-style condo in the heart of downtown Victoria.

“It was an option between leasing a space or purchasing a residential space in an area that had work/live zoning,” he explains. “I didn’t need a co-working space, and I also didn’t want to commit to a three-, five- or potentially 10-year lease.”

The condo, with its central location, two-car locked garage space and loft, layout proved ideal. Being a residential property, it retained a comfortable and informal feel usually lacking in more commercial spaces, and the high ceilings and large windows afforded a level of space and natural light that would be virtually impossible to find in a newer building.

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“The loft setup was something I really liked, and what I was hoping for,” says Justin. “I liked how we could have the four desks on the second level to do the editing and the administrative stuff, and then the filming takes place on the bottom floor where the ceilings are much higher and the lighting is easier.”

But while the condo had “good bones,” Justin quickly realized the space needed a complete overhaul.

“Pretty much everything got taken apart and redone,” he says with a laugh. “In the beginning I thought we’d do a phased renovation, or do a lot of it ourselves. It did take a lot longer than I expected.”

Overall, the project took about six months from start to finish, but it was the demolition and restructuring near the beginning that took the longest. In the original design, the kitchen was cluttered with concrete pillars, steel cross bars, a hanging pot rack and a scattered collection of cupboard sizes and finishes; there was a fireplace in the main living area and another that loomed over the kitchen from the upstairs bedroom; and a large standing shower took over a corner of the bedroom.

They gutted the space right down to the concrete floors and primed it for the bold, modern aesthetic Justin wanted.

One of the biggest changes visually is the kitchen design, for which Justin worked closely with Sarah Honour of Thomas and Birch Kitchen and Bath Boutique. The sink, which had previously sat in the middle of the peninsula, was moved to a side counter beneath the upper cupboards, and a three-centime-

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Being a residential property, it retained a comfortable and informal feel usually lacking in more commercial spaces, and the high ceilings and large windows afforded a level of space and natural light that would be virtually impossible to find in a newer building. tre, charcoal-toned quartz countertop with a waterfall edge was installed. The resulting expanse of length and uninterrupted space works well for either food prep or for having several people working at the counter on their laptops. On the other side, beneath the counter’s edge, is a stretch of tongue-and-groove panelling bracketed by tall, black walnut cabinets, which add detail and character.

A full-height lightly toned backsplash wraps around both walls right up to the edge of a foundational concrete slab, creating a uniform, clean look with a hint of visual texture in the marble-like grain. Above, simplified cabinets are finished in matte black with horizontal grain black walnut accents, while a custom-milled matte black hood fan creates an elegant and subtle anchor over the open gas range.

“It’s not a huge space, and we wanted to make it functional

and keep that masculine aesthetic,” says Thomas & Birch owner Jonathan Poppitt, who installed all the cabinetry in the loft.

While Justin is the first to admit—with a laugh—that he’s short on culinary skills, keeping a functional kitchen was important to the overall design, not only for potential resale down the road, but also so that he and his team had a casual place to get together, snack or dish up their takeout.

“First, it’s official space for filming,” says Justin, “but I didn’t want to make it too production or work focused. I wanted to make it a hybrid.”

The YouTube lifestyle is more “life adapted to work,” rather than the other way around, he explains, and Justin wanted a place where he and his team could film a series of videos and go hard on the editing and post-production side of things, but

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also where they could hang out and watch a hockey game in the living room.

With the low sofa and pair of arm chairs set out in front of the big screen, the space definitely has a “hang out” vibe, balancing the line between professional and personal. The polished concrete floors keep it clean and smooth, building on the modern, quasi-industrial feel of the black and dark walnut, the cool-toned quartz and the black railings and stairs.

Warmer, more textured touches come with touches like the squishy leather arm chair, the exquisite Buster & Punch whiskey cabinet with built-in vintage-style bulb, and that same vintage-style bulb in marble-backed Buster and Punch light fixtures that lead upstairs. By far

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the biggest feature that leans away from modern and fully into West Coast design is the bulkhead that dominates the front half of the loft; it’s slatted with deep strips of black walnut all the way to the 15-foot ceiling.

Snugged up beside the full-height windows, the grain and tones of the wood warm the space considerably, and contribute to a casual, more homey vibe.

Though Justin had previously undertaken renovations on his personal condo and other smaller projects, this was the first renovation of this magnitude he’d taken on. He filmed the entire project in a series of videos released on his YouTube channel, to great interest.

“It was very much a lounge style, very bold and monochromatic,” says Justin. “The [YouTube] audience really responded to it, and for the intention of the office, it’s exactly as I’d envisioned it.”

SUPPLIER LIST: Architect/Design: Justin Tse with input from Bidgood + Co Interior Design: Justin Tse Painting: Tri City Finishing Cabinetry and Millwork: Thomas and Birch Kitchen and Bath Boutique Lighting: Buster & Punch Countertops: Silestone by Cosentino, Fabrication by FloForm Home Automation: Justin Tse

Thomas & Birch owner Jonathan Poppitt and Justin Tse.

Nanaimo · Victoria · Courtenay la-z-boyvi.com

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from ordinary to extraordinary Daniel Caicedo’s work in tadelakt and Venetian plaster transforms spaces WORDS TESS VAN STRAATEN

For Daniel Caicedo and his wife, Beatriz Carmona, Victoria is a long way from their native Colombia, and their flourishing Victoria Restorations business is something they never could have envisioned when they immigrated to Canada 16 years ago looking for a better life.

“My wife was pregnant with our first child when we came to Canada,” Daniel says. “We were facing all the odds of being newcomers with no English, no family, no friends and

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PHOTOGRAPHY DON DENTON

no money—and then opening a business in a foreign land.”

Specializing in Venetian plastering, concrete finishing, heritage restoration and the application of tadelakt (limestone) imported from Marrakesh, Daniel and the Victoria Restorations team are now sought after by some of Vancouver Island’s top builders and designers. It’s all the more impressive given that Daniel had no construction experience before moving to Canada, and never thought he would work in the construction industry.

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“It’s handapplied and very artistic and every one we do is unique,” he says. “We like creation and we love it when people see the final product and they’re like, ‘wow!’”

PHOTO COURTESY A.G.C. CONTRUCTION

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Jennifer takes an empathetic approach to all her client interactions, recognizing the discomfort that many may have in dealing with two of life’s certainties – death and taxes.

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“I was working for 14 years in two of the biggest newspapers in Colombia as a graphic designer,” Daniel explains. “I was quite good and thought that’s what I would do here. But there were no doors open to me. I knocked on the door many times at [a local newspaper] and was expecting to work there, but nothing happened.”

To earn a living, Daniel accepted a job in construction and admits the adjustment was quite hard initially—especially physically.

“The funny thing is at the beginning, my hands looked like I was a computer guy,” he says with a laugh. “Soft and I had no calluses.

After starting construction, I had calluses and blisters, and now I can work with anything and they never show up.”

After learning the concrete finishing trade and getting valuable experience, Daniel decided to branch out on his own in 2008 with Beatriz’s help. An accountant and self-described “enterprising woman since her university years,” Beatriz keeps things running smoothly as the company’s administrative director.

“We weren’t able to do a lot of marketing at the beginning, but through friends at the church who used to own companies that did construction, we started working,” explains Beatriz. “They really appreciated the quality of the work and requested more, and word spread.”

Friends told the couple—who now have three children—that it would be very hard and cautioned them against starting a business.

But they did it anyway, guided by their strong sense of faith and a willingness to put in all the hard work and effort to make it a success.

“We have learned perseverance, discipline, optimism and patience,” Daniel says. “We’ve learned how to read the client’s needs so we can come up with a solution. But the most important thing we have learned is to trust in God.” In 2017, Daniel and Beatriz took another leap of faith—ven-

turing into the application of both tadelakt and Venetian plaster imported from Italy.

“Venetian plaster is something very popular in Colombia, but when we asked about it here, it was not well known,” Daniel explains. “They would bring people in from Vancouver or California, so we got curious about offering it as a plus for our clients to give them something unique and a more high-end look and finish.”

Travelling to Italy, England and Morocco for training, and to Colombia to learn about gold/silver leaf applications, Daniel discovered his passion.

“It’s hand-applied and very artistic and every one we do is unique,” he says. “We like creation and we love it when people see the final product and they’re like, ‘wow!’”

Whether it’s a feature wall, fireplace, shower, steam room or even an entire house, Daniel creates pieces of art and transforms ordinary spaces into extraordinary spaces. He’s travelled to the Lower Mainland to work on luxury projects and to other parts of Vancouver Island, including Nanoose Bay and Ladysmith, and undertook a massive project on one of the Gulf Islands that took three months to complete.

“It’s exciting to know we are getting to do some of the most luxury projects on the island and to have the opportunity to do unique works for each one, and to see the faces of our customers happy and thankful for the beautiful look of their special space,” he says.

As word of mouth spreads, and the business continues to grow, Daniel and Beatriz hope to expand even further.

“We are eager to transcend geography,” Daniel says. “Our plan is to continue serving the province and go pretty much wherever our customers need us.”

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fashion

Red cape and dress, Ay Lelum; boots, Manitobah Mukluks; rings, Inner Wolf Jewelry; beaded ring, ONLY CHILD Handicrafts; turquoise ring, Vintage; cedar crown: traditional piece loaned by artist Rande Cook.

here&now

Boulevard visits Klahoose Wilderness Resort, deep in Desolation Sound, to highlight local, Indigenous fashion designers and jewellery makers. Mixing traditional pieces from coastal First Nations with contemporary Indigenous designs, we celebrate the richness of the past with the vibrancy of Indigenous culture today against the backdrop of the breathtaking Klahoose land.

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PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN HULL STYLING SARAH D’ARCEY CREATIVE DIRECTION LIA CROWE MAKEUP JENNY MCKINNEY MODEL LINSAY WILLIER KENDALL, REPRESENTED BY MODE MODELS

Jacket, Sugiit Lukxs Designs

by Yolonda Skelton; eagle headdress, traditional piece loaned by artist Rande Cook; earrings, Giggy’s Beads Boutique.

Dress, Ay Lelum earrings, Giggy’s Beads Boutique.

Top, Sugiit Lukxs Designs by Yolonda Skelton; button blanket and feathers, collaboration by Mona Elliot and artist Rande Cooke, combining a traditional button blanket with a feathered over skirt; boots, Manitobah Mukluks; choker, Giggy’s Beads Boutique.

On Randy Louise Tunic, traditional piece loaned by artist Rande Cook.

Sweater, Ecologyst; pin, Moose Hide Campaign; dress, Ay Lelum; boots, Manitobah Mukluks; earrings, Giggy’s Beads Boutique .

Dress, Ay Lelum; earrings, Coastal Beads Collective; sweater, Ecologyst; boots, Manitobah Mukluks.

sidetrip

Lia Crowe making cedar roses with Annita Noble of the Klahoose First Nation.

an experience shared

Honour and beauty at Klahoose Wilderness Resort WORDS LIA CROWE

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PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN HULL

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“We’re going to stay calm and quiet and tread lightly.”

I hear myself nervously repeating the instructions of our grizzly guide through clenched teeth as I address the fashion team, which, under normal circumstances, is loud and energetic.

We have just entered grizzly country—wild, big and eerily quiet—by way of a 30-minute boat ride from our accommodation at Klahoose Wilderness Resort.

From the boat, skippered by our trusty captain Leon Timothy, we step onto land at the end of Toba Inlet and are greeted

by Cheyanne Hackett, a guide and cultural interpreter from the Homalco First Nation, a close neighbour to the Klahoose First Nation. Dressed in traditional clothing, she welcomes us in her her ancestral ayʔaǰuθɛm language against a backdrop of steep, mist-laden, dark green hills that drop straight into the waters of Desolation Sound.

Klahoose Wilderness Resort is 100 per cent Indigenous-owned; it’s a remote, off-grid, luxury eco-resort set in the absolutely breathtaking wilderness of the traditional territory of the Klahoose First Nation. It has a rustic feel, with a row of cabins and a big lodge containing guest rooms, a dining room, a glowing wood-burning fireplace and the luxury of comfort, quiet and peace that allows one to unwind.

For this issue of Boulevard, the fashion team had the honour of experiencing the resort while shooting fashion that celebrates local Indigenous designers. The team, including photographer Darren Hull, makeup artist Jenny McKinney, stylist Sarah D’Arcey, model Linsay Willier Kendall, and me, as creative director, arrived in our typical flurry of activity, carrying an impressive amount of bags and equipment.

We got right to it, unloading, asking a million questions and Instagramming every moment of it, until we were asked to come into the main area of the lodge to meet cultural ambassador Klemqwateki (Randy) Louie. Randy started by telling us a little about himself and then honoured our group with a welcome song composed by Drew Blaney of the Tla’amin (Sliammon) Nation. As his voice rang out to the beat of his drum, our busyness turned to calm and we dropped deep into the richness of sharing—and the real magic of our experience began…

“Look!” our guides, Leon and Cheyanne, say in hushed voices sharp with excitement. Our team is focused on setting up our first fashion shot in the grizzly bear viewing tower, so I look where they are pointing. Adrenaline jolts through my body and every hair stands on end as I see a dark shape

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As his voice rang out to the beat of his drum, our busyness turned to calm as we dropped deep into the richness of sharing—and the real magic of our experience began…

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emerge from the trees to become a large female grizzly that splashes towards us through the salmon-filled shallows of the river.

That night at the lodge, we gathered around the dinner table. Randy joined us, our cheeks were reddened from a day on the boat, our bellies were full and the conversation was lively after the excitement of the day. We were lucky enough to see a grizzly in the wild, a few humpback whales and several sweet little porpoises. We visited a raging waterfall that charged down the mountainside directly into the sea and bathed in the mist. We had the opportunity to make cedar roses with the gracious and patient Annita Noble of the Klahoose First Nation, jump off the dock into the ocean to an audience of resident seals, and tour the trails of surrounding mossy forest.

The nature and wildlife was nothing short of majestic, but the real take away from the whole experience was the depth of sharing honoured upon us from our hosts.

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beyond the pale Kitchen trends that add colour, warmth and durability to your space WORDS LISA MANFIELD

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S

pending more time at home over the past year has inspired many homeowners to invest in revamping their kitchen space. And that has led to a host of trends that are making the heart of the home more functional and fun.

Katerina Vastardis of Designs by KS gave us the scoop on what’s hot in kitchen designs this year. And while the modern white kitchen isn’t going out of style anytime soon, she noted that many of the latest trends are adding character, visual interest and more functionality to today’s kitchens.

Katerina recently designed her own kitchen, and bringing in some warmth was one of her goals.

“I don’t want a stark house,” she says. “I used a mixture of materials and textures so it’s not cold but still contemporary.

It’s modern but with character.”

To achieve that sense of warmth, Katerina mixed oak and walnut in the same space and installed black cabinets to cool the brown hues.

“There’s not too much white in my kitchen,” she says. “The only white is the walls.”

To introduce even more texture, Katerina added ceiling slats leading into the laundry room, and created open shelving instead of upper cabinets to display her cookbooks and canisters.

Because she’s an avid cook and entertainer, she also bulked up functionality with an oversized five-foot sink and double dishwashers.

“One is full size and the other is a dishwasher drawer, which carries over whatever the initial dishwasher couldn’t handle—wine glasses, for example.”

Whatever your kitchen style and goals, this year’s trends have got something for everyone. Here are four common trends Katerina is seeing in kitchens this year.

OPTIMIZED STORAGE There’s something to be said about the notion of “a place for everything, and everything in its place.” Especially in a busy kitchen.

That could explain why Katerina is seeing more and more people opt for enhanced organization systems, such as interior cabinet accessories, uniform storage units and appliance garages, which hide all the small appliances you use on a regular basis, while keeping them easily accessible.

“The appliance garage is a built-in cabinet with a door that covers your small appliances, but when you move the door out of the way, your mixer or blender or toaster is still at counter height,” she says. “You can use a mechanism called a servo drive so that the door opens with the touch of your hand.”

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Interior cabinets are also getting a makeover, with accessories such as pantry pullouts to organize items like oils and spices that are used daily. “With the COVID-19 pandemic, people took home organization to the next level,” Katerina says. “Now, everything is labelled and stored in same-size containers. I’ve got all my oils labelled, and baskets and bins to hold everything for easy pull-out.”

And bonus: easy access and hideaway storage mean more space for prep and less time cleaning up.

COLOURFUL AND TEXTURED FINISHES If you’ve been waiting for a chance to colour your world, the time is now as white cabinets make way for colourful millwork.

“Colours are coming back in,” Katerina says. “For years we were only seeing accent pieces, for example, just the island in a colour like blue. Now we’re seeing people use colour as an overall look; a whole blue or green kitchen.”

Earth tones tend to be the favoured hues, but Katerina is currently doing an apartment with a pink kitchen. And it’s not just coloured millwork.

“In my house, in my daughter’s bathroom, the tiles are pink!” she says.

If colour isn’t your thing, texture might be an option for a creative finish. Quartz has been a kitchen countertop mainstay for a while, and now, wood grains are making a return to cabinets and accents to warm up the space.

Backsplash tiles are another great way to add texture to your kitchen tableau.

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COOKTOPS, STEAM OVENS AND PANELLED APPLIANCES Separating your cooking surface from your oven is a great way to create a more continuous countertop space, which not only looks sleeker but is also easier to clean.

“Many of my clients are opting for a cooktop stacked on top of a wall oven, instead of a slide-in range, as it gives you a more builtin look,” Katerina says.

She’s also seeing many clients foregoing microwaves in favour of steam ovens. “They’re a healthier option and offer a richer flavour profile.”

FINALLY, THINK PANELLING, PANELLING, PANELLING. “Almost everything is panelled in my house,” Katerina says. “Off the kitchen is the pantry area and there’s a freestanding fridge; it’s all panelled. My freezer is also panelled, and my wine fridge is as well. Panelling your appliances offers minimal lines instead of stainless steel as a feature.”

And it helps to make small spaces look bigger, so it’s a great option for condos in particular. Another added bonus to panelling?

It’s an opportunity to bring in more colour.

RESILIENT SURFACES

Silvie Pantsios (left) and Katerina Vastardis of Designs by KS.

This year, kitchens are becoming more vivid, more organized and more resilient than ever as designers amp up the functionality and fun.

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Hardwood floors will always be a classic design, but they’re not only expensive, they’re also less resilient than an engineered product.

“Man-made materials are getting better,” Katerina says. “We’re seeing a trend toward vinyl plank, which is waterproof, stain-proof and scratch-resistant”—qualities that are especially valuable in the kitchen.

Similarly, the kitchen island quartz waterfall leg, an extended slab that runs both horizontally as well as the vertical length of the island to the floor, is still going strong and adds a pop of durable continuity to an area that often takes a bit of a beating.

Tile is gaining momentum as well, Katerina says, with its durability and fun design options for kitchen backsplashes and countertops.

“It’s durable and waterproof, and we’re seeing more patterns, shapes and colours come through. People are not hesitating to take that plunge and amp up the interest in their home.”

If a kitchen upgrade is on your to-do list, this year’s trends offer a perfect recipe for letting your personality shine through. So go ahead and cook up a kitchen design that’s uniquely you.

Come journey through our store and be inspired to define your own distinct style. Our passion is all about exploring the four corners of the world, and bringing back to our customers quality furniture and accessories that will enhance their lives and make dream homes become a reality.

Visit one of our 5 locations or browse our website and discover everything we have to offer.

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food and feast

Golden Beet and Carrot Soup

Autumn aromatherapy Celebrate the season with fall-favourite spices

WORDS ELLIE SHORTT PHOTOGRAPHY DON DENTON

My body seems to intuitively crave these classic autumnal spices that boost immune function during cold and flu season, aid in digestion for those heartier fall feasts and balance blood sugar for those abundant baking sessions.

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here’s no denying that each season has its scent. It may be merely a trace quality in the air, intangible yet evident like the gentle whisper of new life at the start of spring. Sometimes it’s more distinct and specific, like the aroma of sun-soaked blackberries ripening in the late summer heat. More often than not, it evokes a swirl of emotions, a swelling of the heart, a sweet smile of the soul, as familiar as the fragrance of firewood smoke climbing out of the chimney on a snowy mid-winter day.

But for me, there’s no greater sense of olfactory nostalgia than the aromas of fall. They first arrive on cooler winds, send me back to the excitement of a new school year, embrace me with the celebratory sweetness of Rosh Hashanah and settle in fully as warming aromas emanate from my oven. Often at this time of year my kitchen is awash with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove and cardamom in both sweet and savoury creations.

My body seems to intuitively crave these classic autumnal spices that boost immune function during cold and flu season, aid in digestion for those heartier fall feasts and balance blood sugar for those abundant baking sessions.

Yes, these beloved fall flavours do all that! In fact, for many cultures and practices, spices have been employed for medicinal purposes, among many other uses, and we have now seen the benefits of those ancestral practices supported by contemporary research. boulevardmagazines.com |

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Bahārāt spice mix

These healing marvels primarily originated in the Spice Islands (also known as the Maluku Islands), hidden away in east and southeast Asia, but, of course, expanded into nearby regions and then found their way into European households, as kings, queens and aristocratic benefactors learned of the therapeutic benefits plus their remarkable taste potential. In fact, at one time, spices became the world’s most treasured commodity of any type, beyond precious metals and gems.

The intricate and complicated network of exchange begat what history refers to as the spice trade and subsequently shaped much of the world as we know it today. Seeking fame, fortune and glory (or by the orders of their monarchs), explorers set sail into previously undiscovered corners of the world, bringing with them disease, war and colonization. It’s humbling to think as I rummage through my spice cabinet, sorting mindlessly through forgotten flavourings and then casually sprinkling cinnamon into a pie, that a teaspoon of these seasonings were once a desired rarity beyond our modern comprehension, and were subsequently the source of much extraordinary exploration, as well as heartbreaking devastation, as a result.

So with those wellness benefits and historical gravity in mind and heart, I offer four of my favourite feel-good fall recipes that highlight and showcase these crown-jewel spices of the culinary world in all their glory. And as they simmer, roast and bake away, I hope you too breathe in the undeniable perfumes and feelings of the arrival of autumn.

Bahārāt Roasted Cauliflower with Chickpeas, Pine Nuts and Parsley Bahārāt is an essential Middle Eastern blend made by combining many of the spices highlighted here. Of course, there are endless combinations and versions of bahārāt, but this basic blend has been my go-to for years. It is a staple in my kitchen for seasoning soups, grilling meat and poultry and roasting veggies, as shown here. This particular dish makes for a great side drizzled with Greek yogurt, and I love using leftovers as a salad topper.

DOES HE LOOK LIKE

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Makes about 4 servings

HE NEEDS AN EYE EXAM?

To make the bahārāt (about ¼ cup’s worth)…

Ingredients 2 tsp paprika 1 tsp ground nutmeg 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground clove 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper ¼ tsp ground cardamom

DOCTORS OF OPTOMETRY

Directions Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an air-tight jar or other container.

Ingredients 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets or small wedges 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced 1 can (425g) chickpeas, rinsed 1 ⁄3 cup olive oil 4 tsp bahārāt 1 tsp sea salt (or to taste) ¼ cup pine nuts 1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped Optional drizzle of Greek yogurt

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Directions Preheat your oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower, chickpeas and onion in olive oil, salt and bahārāt, and spread evenly on the baking sheet.

Roast for about 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is starting to become tender. Add the pine nuts and toss the cauliflower (for a more even cook).

Roast everything for another 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is starting to char slightly on the edges, and the chickpeas are crispy. Remove from the oven, add any additional salt or bahārāt to your liking, sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with yogurt or any other garnishes.

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Gingery Golden Beet and Carrot Soup with Honey Clove Candied Hazelnuts This soup is bursting with immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory benefits, especially with the addition of that super spice, turmeric! Of course, it’s great on its own, but I love serving it with candied hazelnuts for a special treat, as well as a drizzle of Greek yogurt and a sprinkling of fresh thyme as shown on page 92.

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 30-40 minutes Makes about 6 cups of soup Ingredients For the soup…

2 cups beets, peeled and roughly chopped 2 cups carrots, peeled and roughly chopped 3 cloves of garlic ¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for sautéing 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced 1 large apple, peeled and sliced 2 tsp honey 1 tsp turmeric ¼ tsp pepper 1 cups plain broth (plus extra if desired) * I use chicken bone broth 1.5 cup coconut milk (full fat in a can) Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

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For the hazelnuts…

165 grams hazelnuts, roughly chopped 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp honey Pinch of sea salt Dash of ground clove Directions For the soup…

Preheat your oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, toss the beets, carrots and garlic cloves with olive oil and spread evenly on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until fork tender, and set aside (you will also want to remove the garlic cloves from their peels at this point). Sauté the onions on medium-to-low heat with a bit of olive oil until soft and translucent. Add in the apple slices and a bit more olive oil and continue sautéing until they’re soft and starting to brown slightly.

In a high-powered blender or food processor, combine the roasted beets and carrots plus the sautéed apple and onion with the remaining ingredients, and puree until smooth and creamy.

Reheat on stovetop, adding any additional broth or even some water for your preferred consistency, and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

For the hazelnuts…

Preheat your oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the hazelnuts with the butter, honey, sea salt and clove and spread evenly on the baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes, remove and set aside to cool.

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Cardamom Plum Clafoutis

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Cardamom Plum Clafoutis For those not familiar with this rustic French dessert, it’s a moist, eggy, custardy, cake-like creation with loose similarities to a Dutch baby. Traditionally made with whole cherries, the pits were thought to give the dessert a light almond-y essence. As exquisite as this is, many (myself included) find navigating cherry pits tedious when enjoying sweet treats, so using almond flour in the mix has been a go-to of mine and many other more experimental chefs’. I also find it provides a delightfully nuanced texture that plain flour doesn’t offer on its own. If you’d like to make this fully wheat free, I suggest using tapioca starch instead. Similarly, I combine both regular dairy and coconut milk for a creamy complement to the cardamom, but offer a fully dairy-free option for those that need (or want) it. As you can see, this incredibly simple, elegantly effortless and fabulously foolproof dessert is pretty hard to mess up even when subbing and swapping and messing around. While some might argue the Julia Child recipe is the gold standard, you might find this to be a fun alternative that offers lots of room for creativity and adaptation when it comes to certain dietary considerations.

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes Makes about 6 servings Ingredients 4 large eggs ½ cup coconut milk (full fat from a can) ½ cup half-and-half cream (sub with more canned coconut milk for a dairy-free option) 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or paste

¼ cup cane sugar 1 cup extra fine almond flour 3 tbsp all purpose flour (sub with tapioca starch for a wheat-free option) 1 tsp cardamom ½ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp sea salt 2 tbsp butter (sub with coconut oil for a dairy-free option) About 10 prune plums, sliced in half and pitted Directions Preheat your oven to 350 F and melt the butter in a 9-inch baking dish (round, square or even a cast-iron pan) until the bottom is fully coated. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flours, spices and salt, and set aside. Either by hand, in an electric mixer or even in a blender, combine the eggs, coconut milk, cream, vanilla and sugar until frothy (this may take a minute or two, so be patient). Stir or pulse in the dry mix until fully integrated and smooth. Pour the batter into the warmed baking dish, arrange the plums to your liking and bake for about 40 minutes until the edges are golden and the middle is set (the middle should be wobbly but not wet).

Clafoutis can be served warm or cold and is shown here with powdered sugar and honey clove candied hazelnuts (see recipe above). *Notes: The clafoutis will start to deflate when you remove it from the oven— this is normal, so don’t panic. The moisture of the clafoutis will quickly absorb the powdered sugar garnish, so add it only right before serving. You can store the clafoutis covered in your fridge for up to a week.

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Slow-Cooked Apple and Pear Cider This is pure autumnal aromatherapy at its best! I’ve been brewing multiple pots of this potion all season to simply keep my house smelling like fall harvest heaven and the delicious cider I’ve been sipping on daily is simply a bonus. Plus it’s a great way to use up excess apples and pears for those who have a fertile fruit tree in your garden as the cider freezes wonderfully.

Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 2 hours Makes about 1.5 litres of cider

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Ingredients 6 large apples (I use a combination like McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, etc.)

4 large pears (I like Bartlett for this recipe) 1 L water 1 vanilla bean 3 cinnamon sticks

Slow-Cooked Apple and Pear Cider

6 whole cloves 1 large nutmeg seed 1-2 tbsp maple syrup Directions Quarter the apples, removing the cores and stems. Place into a large pot and add the water, vanilla bean, cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg and maple syrup (start with 1 tbsp and add more later if needed). Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 30 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so. Turn off the heat and let cool.

Remove the spices and vanilla bean (as best as you can— it can be hard to get all the cloves out). Carefully strain the mixture through a mesh strainer (you can discard the apple-pear mush, but I like to save mine to spread on toast or use in baking). You may want to strain the cider one more time to remove any pulp.

Taste and adjust the maple syrup to your liking and serve warm or cold. Cider will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge.

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Five Wounds Portuguese National Parish is among the historic buildings in San Jose..

PHOTOS COURTESY VISIT SAN JOSE.

History. Culture. And the Shark Tank.

A weekend full of bonuses in San Jose WORDS SUSAN LUNDY

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Our day-two itinerary includes checking out the area around the SAP Center, including the San Pedro Square Market, followed by dinner at Hotel De Anza (where, tantalizingly, I wonder if the Canucks might be staying).

i

t’s the end of January and we’re out and about in light sweaters because it’s San Jose, California and the temperature today is around 17 degrees. So that’s a bonus. It’s also 2020 and although there are hints of what’s to come, at this point, we’re still enjoying being in crowded places and sitting indoors without masks, blissfully unaware of what’s just around the corner. That’s bonus number two.

Also a bonus is the swanky Hotel Valencia—located in the equally chichi Santana Row—where we’ve checked into a lovely room after driving here in our rental car from the airport in San Francisco—a short, albeit traffic-riddled journey.

And yet another bonus? Tomorrow night the Vancouver Canucks hockey team will blaze into the SAP Center (aka the Shark Tank) and battle the San Jose Sharks—and my husband Bruce and I will be there. Like many Canucks fans from across BC, we’ve planned this trip to coincide with a Canucks California swing, where they typically play games in San Jose, LA and/or Anaheim.

This is our first trip to San Jose and we’re already loving it.

The Spanish-influenced Hotel Valencia is the only hotel in Santana Row, one of two shopping areas in this part of town.

Lifestyle-focussed Santana Row, with its luxury apartments

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lining the street above the shops, has upscale gyms and athletics apparel, tech and gadget shops (check out the Tesla store), entertainment options, including a sizzling outdoor nightlife, and some 30 restaurants, offering everything from Singapore-inspired cuisine to Italian and Asian fusion, steak, sushi, pizza and burgers. By crossing nearby Stevens Creek Boulevard, people can access the upscale shopping and dining at Westfield Valley Fair, which recently underwent a $1 billion renovation. These two areas merge to create a shoppers’ haven.

On our second night we particularly enjoy a pre-hockeygame happy hour at Santana Row’s EMC Seafood and Raw Bar, sitting at a sidewalk table (outside in January!). Eating delicious food, drinking sake, and looking across the way at a middle-of-the-street courtyard and a wine bar created to mimic a chapel, it feels a bit like dining out in Europe.

Our hotel room, comfortable and spacious, overlooks an urban street setting. The hotel, entered via a three-story rotunda with dramatic wrought iron lattice, is set around a courtyard with a lush indoor/outdoor dining area, a rooftop bar with views over the city and Santa Cruz Mountains, and an outdoor pool and hot tub on the fifth floor.

San Jose offers a wealth of things to do and sights to see, like

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the Winchester Mystery House, San Jose Museum of Art, The Tech Museum of Innovation (we are, after all, in the cultural, financial and political centre of the Silicon Valley!), a zoo, an aquarium, five roller coasters at California’s Great America and the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, to name a few. If only we had more time!

Our day-two itinerary includes checking out the area around

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The “Shark Tank” at the SAP Center.

the SAP Center, including the San Pedro Square Market, followed by dinner at Hotel De Anza (where, tantalizingly, I wonder if the Canucks might be staying).

But first, a personal matter. In a bizarre twist, San Jose is home to a Lundy Avenue and a Sierra Road. Since my youngest daughter is named Sierra Lundy, it seems imperative to visit the intersection and snap a photo of the two street signs sitting side by side. Once that mission is complete, we’re off to explore.

San Jose is the third most populated city in California (after LA and San Diego) and the 10th largest in the US, and covers an area of 468 square kilometres. It’s known for its tech innovation and its affluence—as of last June, the city had the highest percentage of million-dollar (or more) homes in the United States. It has also had more patents issued than any other city in US history. Because the area is in the flight path of the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, there’s a height limit on buildings in the downtown, so there are very few of the tall towers you see in many American cities. Most of San Jose’s historic buildings were demolished in the latter half of the last century as new development occurred. The exception is the Downtown Historic District, where we land after snapping the street signs.

This district has been listed on the US’s National Register of Historic Places and contains buildings of six different architectural styles, including Italianate, Romanesque Revival, Victorian, Edwardian, Neoclassical, Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival. It is here we visit the city’s oldest building, the Peralta Adobe, built in 1797.

The district is also home to San Pedro Square Market, with its array of food options, a massive lounge and coffee area with a bar, as well as indoor and outdoor seating. Bruce decides to visit The Barber Bar (mostly, I think, because it offers a pint of beer with its

barbering), while I stalk the square, hoping to spot a Canucks player or two. (Little does Bruce know as he sits in the barber’s chair that a pandemic lockdown is just a few weeks away and this will be his last haircut for months to come…)

As a nightlife destination in walking-distance proximity to the SAP Center, San Pedro Market Square is also set up as a celebration of the Sharks hockey team. We meet some Canucks fans who tell us jokingly that the doorman wasn’t going to let them in wearing their jerseys. I later ask Bruce to photograph me giving the “thumbs down” sign in front of one of the many massive Sharks-celebrating posters. (Boo!) Also located in this historic district is the Hotel De Anza, where we enjoy a pre-game dinner in The Hedley Club Lounge. At 10 storeys high, the De Anza was the tallest hotel in the San Jose business district before construction of hotels like the Hilton and Marriott. Today, it is renowned as one of San Jose’s few Zigzag Moderne (Art Deco) buildings. As we settle in for dinner, we gape at its rich interior, highlighted by soaring ceilings, a massive chandelier, sumptuous drapes and large paintings that all add an other-era air to the experience. The California-produced bottle of Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut that we order pairs beautifully with what might be the very best, melt-in-your-mouth salmon I’ve ever eaten. And that’s coming from a lifelong west coast gal.

Our pre-game experience continues after dinner with a tour of the SAP Center—an enlightening, behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Shark Tank’s inner workings. The tour, led by Jim Sparaco (the San Jose Sharks’ director of PR and business operations), takes us through the underbelly of the arena, into the truck-contained control centres and then across a sky-high catwalk to the media centre.

It’s eye-opening to see all that goes on behind the workings of a hockey game. And as Jim points out, the San Jose Sharks’ entrance

GREATER VICTORIA’S 2021 ANNUAL CHECK-UP

Silicon Valley sunset.

into the NHL in 1991 gave the city a real identity to rally around, so there is a lot of pride in that work.

Finally it’s game time, which, in the Shark Tank, always starts with the lowering of a mammoth shark head, through which the local players skate onto the ice. We join with other Canucks fans cheering on our boys.

The game ends like hockey games everywhere: in an outpouring of people from the arena and a merging of opposing-team jerseys on the streets, many heading to bars and restaurants for late-night commiserating or celebrating. And for us, tonight? It’s another bonus: a Canucks win has definitely capped our trip.

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secrets and lives —

AND THE 7 SINS with ANN SQUIRES FERGUSON

WORDS ANGELA COWAN

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PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

D

riven, ambitious, sharply intelligent and radically dedicated to inclusivity and equal opportunity, Ann Squires Ferguson is reshaping the foundation of the construction and design industries in Victoria and beyond.

Just this fall, she became sole owner of Western Design+Build in addition to her positions as CEO and senior interior designer, the latest on a long list of accomplishments in a career she came to by “an indirect path.”

Prior to going back to school for interior design, Ann finished out her service with the Navy as an electromechanical engineer specializing in weapons, and signed on with an audio engineering company that worked with musicians and performing artists around the world.

She watched her colleagues get pumped about their projects, and soon realized “there had to be something that I would be that passionate about.”

She says, “To discover interior design took a lot of exploration and evening classes. I learned that it was far more than paint chips and pillows. You’re interfacing with architects and engineers, and it was that technicality and coming together at the apex of design that really appealed to me.”

She had a job before she graduated, and worked with Victoria’s “godfather of design” JC Scott for a decade before joining the ranks at Western Design+Build.

While it’s common for residential firms to handle both design and construction, “Western is very unique because it’s a design+build company on the commercial side,” says Ann. This brings up one of their other unique features: they’re entirely female-owned and operated.

“We have a kick-ass group of women, which is pretty rock ’n’ roll in the construction industry. There’s a lot of attitude and there’s a lot of tattoos,” she says with a laugh.

“But they’re able to serve the clients in a really caring and devoted way, and then go and interface with the trades and earn their complete respect on the construction sites.”

She adds, “What I’m most proud of there is making the construction industry a more inclusive place.”

She loves that sense of breaking the mould.

“I don’t look like a contractor and neither do my staff,” she says. “There are a lot of people who don’t fit the mould and yet they’re fantastic at what they do.”

Ann also recently purchased Design District Access, and is poised to make some big changes there too.

“If we can open up the construction industry to women and the LGBTQ and Indigenous communities, and there’s a path there, then what’s the next step on the residential side? Interior design is often seen as a luxury, or there’s an exclusivity to it, so now we’re opening it up to literally everyone,” she says.

The 7 Sins ENVY:

Whose shoes would you like to walk in?

Six-year-old Annie’s bare feet, making mud pies and plucking wildflowers on the banks of the Stikine River in northern BC. I grew up in a log cabin, deep in the forest with no electricity or running water, and yet somehow with everything to stoke an imagination full of beauty and adventure! To be able to go back to that idyllic place, running free under the big sky, is true freedom.

GLUTTONY:

What is the food you could eat over and over again?

Ice cream. That delicious shiver with the creamy sweetness of pralines and crème, the luscious bitterness of double dark chocolate, the sharp edge of lime, the crunch of maple walnut.

GREED:

You’re given $1 million that you have to spend selfishly. What would you spend it on?

Fresh flowers in every room, every day for the rest of my life. I worked as a florist for a year, long before my Navy and interior design careers, and I have never forgotten that feeling of being bathed in blooms—the earth’s way of laughing.

WRATH:

Pet peeves?

Lack of courtesy. It costs us nothing to be kind to one another, to be accommodating and gracious, to smile at a stranger, to use our manners, to clear our plates, to tidy that counter or wipe that spill. Small kindnesses every day make this world so much more bearable for all of us.

SLOTH: Where would you spend a long time doing nothing?

The tub. My baths are my sanctuary, where no one dares interrupt, where I while away the hours frivolously. It is the one place I give myself permission to cease striving and not justify my existence in any way.

PRIDE:

What is the one thing you’re secretly proud of ?

To have raised two kids who are kind, intelligent, articulate and capable. Our 11-year-old twins amaze me every day with their creativity, insight and humour, and to have any small part in enabling their journey of self-creation is at times both overwhelming and the greatest honour.

LUST: What makes your heart beat faster?

Being the object of desire. My husband learned long ago that those long slow kisses, while dancing, swaying to the groove together, is the way to transport me to another universe of sensuality and passion.

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narrative

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WORDS MARCIA AND MIKE NELSON PEDDE

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ILLUSTRATION SIERRA LUNDY

FREE HUGS

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s with many things, it all began with a simple idea.

It was 2010 and, after a quick trip to the office supply store for some blank business card stock, we used our home printer to make our very first “hug certificates.” On the back of each one is a message to share it along, and a link to a post on our blog with a template so that others can print and share their own.

Emboldened by this idea, we began doing just that. We gave certificates to strangers whom we saw hugging each other (when they welcomed them), left them anonymously on café tables or tucked into a returned library book…even mailed a few packets to friends in other parts of Canada and the world. In exchange we heard a few stories, including someone who encountered an individual really needing a hug that day, and another who had received a certificate from a woman on a bus while off-island.

One day, while searching online, we discovered a video about a man who went by the pseudonym Juan Mann.

After having his life turned upside down in England, he flew home to Sydney, Australia. There was no one to greet him at the airport, no friends or family to welcome him, so he found a piece of cardboard and a marker and wrote “FREE HUGS” in big letters. Then he went to the busiest pedestrian area in town. After 15 minutes, his first shared hug was with a woman whose dog had died that morning.

She needed that hug. There’s more to his story, but it’s not ours to tell. Suffice to say, that single act of shared kindness sparked what has become a movement around the world.

Pick your favourite search engine, type in “free hugs” and be amazed. We were hooked! Or so we thought…

On June 8, 2010, posters in hand, we were on the lower causeway near the corner of Government and Belleville streets in downtown Victoria. We were, in a word, terrified.

After what seemed like an interminably long time, a little girl, maybe eight years old, saw us and came running over to share in our first ever Free Hugs campaign. She literally broke the ice that had been surrounding our hearts. We shared many hugs that day (including one with the security guard who had been sent over to see what we were protesting). But our most memorable hugs for the day came from two stand-up paddle boarders, who paddled over to the edge of the harbour, climbed up the ladder, came running over for hugs then retraced their steps back across the harbour again.

For our next campaign we moved slightly north to the Homecoming Statue on Victoria’s waterfront Wharf Street.

The statue is of a naval officer crouching down to welcome his daughter as she runs into his arms. It was a perfect spot for us. As well, the area around the memorial meant that we could stand away from the sidewalk and not inhibit traffic.

Three seconds of connection is the minimum you get from us. We’ll wave, smile, wish you a wonderful day. Those who are interested must come to us and we’re so very glad when they do. We share hugs, air hugs, waves and car honks, handshakes, fist bumps and high fives, and we offer smiles to those who aren’t interested in connecting. Hugging is an intimate affair, and not everyone can go there. Sometimes people stop to chat, offering stories about their lives, their homes, their travels…those are cherished too.

In 11 years, we’ve shared hugs with locals and visitors from (at least) 88 countries. Every hug is unique and special.

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Sharing hugs is a great equalizer. We’ve hugged toddlers, octogenarians and people of every age in between. We’ve shared hugs with millionaires and street people on the same day, with people of every faith and from all parts of the world. Everyone is welcome. We’ve shared hugs with police officers, ambulance drivers, bus drivers, garbage collectors, pedi-cab drivers (and passengers), taxi drivers, hop-on-hop-off bus passengers, a bridal party, lawyers, mothers, grandfathers…you name it.

We’ve shared hugs in joy (the young woman whose father pulled over so she could jump out and get a hug on her birthday) and we’ve hugged people in sorrow (“My house burnt down this morning.”). One woman shared a hug with Marcia, stood back, looked at her and said, “Good-bye, Mom. It’s time.” We shared hugs with one gentleman, who could speak about two words of English: “Thank you” and “Iran.” That’s two more words of English than we know of his language. For those who don’t read English, we have learned how to say “free hugs” in a few languages, including French, Portugese, Spanish, Italian and Cambodian.

Open arms work well as a translation too.

Probably the most frequently asked question is, “Why are you doing this?”

The answer is simple: we do it for kindness. It makes them feel better, it makes us feel better and, even for just this moment, it makes the world a little better of a place. When asked if we’re affiliated with any religious group, the answer is no. It’s just us.

The only claim we might have is an affiliation with everyone else who has ever shared a hug with a stranger or a loved one.

On occasion we’ve been offered money. We always refuse. The

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hugs are free. We encourage those who are generous to pay it forward in whatever way they feel is appropriate. We’ve also been asked how many hugs we’ve shared. We have absolutely no idea.

An average session involves around 200 hugs, give or take. Someone suggested maybe 40,000 hugs, but even if it was one quarter of that, it’s almost beyond comprehension for us.

Over the years we’ve shared hugs with so very many people.

We’ve had some regulars—usually locals—but we’ve also reconnected with a few people who met us at the same time on a previous visit to our fair city. We once shared a hug with someone whom we had hugged eight years previously! We’ve also shared hugs with any number of dogs, and there have been some hugs with other creatures as well. These include Velma the Velociraptor, a Storm Trooper (Star Wars), two bearded dragons (lizards), a Snow Princess, a Chinese Lion and Hitchbot, the hitchhiking robot.

Our first hugging campaign for 2020 began on January 24.

Our last campaign was on March 1. After that we did a two-week self-isolation. We were fine (hugging is great medicine). But since on any given day we can meet and share hugs with people from several different countries, for this moment at least, hugging strangers is not part of the world we live in.

We miss it every day, but we still share air hugs and virtual hugs where we can, and we find new ways to spread kindness. We all share one planet, and if the current pandemic has taught us anything it’s that we’re all connected to each other. Hug someone you love today, even if it’s only screen to screen. You’ll both feel better for it.

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behind the story

The Boulevard fashion team, who had the opportunity to visit Klahoose Wilderness Resort for this issue’s photo shoot, will agree that meeting cultural ambassador Randy Louie was a real highlight. Klemqwateki (Randy) Louie, cultural interpreter at Klahoose Wilderness Resort, was born in 1973 in the Quw’utsun (Cowichan) nation to a Malahat mother.

Klemqwateki found his ƛoʔos (Klahoose) father in 1988, prompting him to move home to Cortes Island. Klemqwateki was given his paternal grandfather Francis Louie’s Klahoose name in 1988. His grandfather was a canoe-maker and fisherman. His grandmother was Xwémalhkwu (Homalco), born at Muushkin (Old Church House) and was later moved to Aupe (New Church House) at the mouth of Bute Inlet. Klemqwateki learned about his rich heritage, lineage and family history later in life through oral tradition and immersion into his new community. Today, through these teachings, it is something he values deeply. He honours his culture with his carvings, drumming, stories and songs. Klemqwateki is considered one of the community’s cultural leaders, sharing all his teachings. He has been recognized as “a genuine spirit and gift to the resort, tourism and his community of Klahoose.”

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Photographer Darren Hull with Klemqwateki (Randy) Louie who is wearing a traditional Kwakwaka’wakw tunic loaned by artist Rande Cook.

PHOTO BY LIA CROWE

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