Boulevard Magazine, Victoria, Dec 2021/Jan 2022

DECEMBER DECEMBER 2020 2021 I/ JANUARY JANUARY 2022 2021

Levity

VICTORIA LIFE AT ITS FINEST

WHERE TIME STANDS STILL

TO THE HOME, WITH LOVE

NUTCRACKER

Timeless design in this beautiful heritage home

Gift each room of the house with these stand-out pieces

Unshelling a long-loved and versatile ingredient

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CONTENTS 64

118 FEATURES

38

WHERE TIME STANDS STILL

On the Cover Photo by Lia Crowe Model Riza Hoskins, photographed on location at Thomas & Birch Kitchen and Bath Boutique.

Styling by Sarah D’Arcey and Jen Evans. Hair and makeup

by Jen Clark.

FASHION

64

Timeless design preserves character of this beautiful heritage home

By Angela Cowan

64

LEVITY

Fashion’s inner child has come out to play with whimsical detailing

By Sarah D’Arcey & Jen Evans

70

TO THE HOME, WITH LOVE

Gift each room of the house

with one of these stand-out pieces

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By Jane Zatylny

DECEMBER 2021/JANUARY 2 02 2

92

NUTCRACKER

Unshelling a long-loved ingredient

By Ellie Shortt

112 GOODBYE REALITY,

HELLO VEGAS

Explore the city of lights

without stepping into a casino

By Lauren Kramer

48

SPECIAL SECTION

By Sean McIntyre and Don Denton

The Care Awards

38

28

92

DEPARTMENTS

24

WELL AND GOOD

118 SECRETS AND LIVES

Intuitive eating

Curtis Vertefeuille

By Kaisha Scofield

By Angela Cowan

By Susan Lundy

28

IN STUDIO

120 NARRATIVE

16

Sound, silence and space: Samantha Dickie

A very good night

DESIGN NOTES

By Susan Lundy

Dreamy decadence

By Sean McIntyre

By Janice Jefferson

32 WEEKENDER

12

CONTRIBUTORS

14

EDITOR’S LETTER

Life is too short

18 LIFE.STYLE.ETC.

122 BEHIND THE STORY

Victoria’s secrets

Mari O’Meara

By Toby Tannas

By Lia Crowe

58

BUSINESS CLASS

A passion that glitters

By Tess van Straaten

20 GOOD TASTE

Food is love

By Angela Cowan

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By Lia Crowe

DE C E MB E R 2 02 1/JANUARY 2022

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WELCOME HOME HOLIDAYS 2021

Here’s to the joys of holidays at home.

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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 this issue I challenged

JANICE JEFFERSON

myself to enjoy and appreciate a colour I tend to avoid—red.

Much to my surprise, this month’s Design Notes page feels cosy, kind and stylish. Perhaps it’s the hit of magenta?! Either way, it’s good to step out and enjoy a colour that is loved by many and remains a holiday-season staple.” Janice is an interior designer who creates well-functioning spaces with an eye-catching mix of playfulness and refinement.

CURATOR DREAMY DECADENCE

DE C E MB E R 2 02 1 | JANUARY 2022

BLACK PRESS Penny Sakamoto GROUP PUBLISHER

BOULEVARD GROUP Mario Gedicke

PUBLISHER 250.891.5627 info@blvdmag.ca

MANAGING EDITOR Susan Lundy

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lia Crowe

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lily Chan

DESIGN Michelle Gjerde Tammy Robinson Kelsey Boorman

PAGE 16

ADVERTISING Mario Gedicke

Vicki Clark

“For this travel story, I loved

LAUREN KRAMER WRITER GOODBYE REALITY, HELLO VEGAS

navigating the other side of Vegas, a city writhing with music, personality and more than its share of sin. In this gamble-free, no-casinos story, I explored this ‘city of lights’’ intersection of culinary indulgence and whacky, only-inVegas style of entertainment.” A writer with an insatiable appetite for travel, Lauren was born in Cape Town, South Africa, but has been privileged to call the west coast of BC home for almost three decades.

PAGE 112

“I call the Okanagan home

TOBY TANNAS

WRITER VICTORIA’S SECRET

PAGE 32

but spend a lot of time in Victoria with my husband’s family. This was my first opportunity to truly experience BC’s capital city as a tourist. Join me as I experience a weekend at the Castle on the Coast, The Fairmont Empress. From High Tea to outdoor explorations, it’s the classic Victoria that everyone should experience at least once, even if you’re an islander.” Toby is up before dawn every day to host Beach Mornings with Ara & Toby on 103.1 Beach Radio in Kelowna, where she has lived for more than 20 years. She enjoys the Okanagan lifestyle with her husband, two daughters and pups.

CONTRIBUTING Angela Cowan

WRITERS Lia Crowe

Sarah D’Arcey Jen Evans Janice Jefferson Lauren Kramer Susan Lundy Sean McIntyre Kaisha Scofield Ellie Shortt Toby Tannas Tess van Straaten Jane Zatylny

ILLUSTRATION Sierra Lundy / Danica Lundy

CONTRIBUTING Lia Crowe PHOTOGRAPHERS Don Denton

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 info@blvdmag.ca boulevardmagazines.com

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Life is too short

For many, the holiday season ushers in a period of joy centred around the spirit of giving. It is a time of celebration, a time to gather with family and friends, a time to bring light into the darkness of winter.

The glimmering decorations, the gifts, the seasonal stories focussed on redemption, even the once-a-year excesses, all speak to a sense of collective joy.

But for many, it is tough to get wrapped up in the glitter of the season when you’re wearing a cloak of sadness. And that’s how I face the holidays this year with the November death of my ex-husband, the father of my daughters, and still a good friend of mine. It’s hard to reconcile a season that—for those who celebrate Christmas, anyway—honours a birth, when a death has occurred.

So this year, I find myself pensive as the holidays approach and I’m finding it difficult to package it all up in bright paper and bows. The season—so-called the “most wonderful time of the year”—has many platitudes that tend to fall short if you’re not feeling “jolly” and “merry.”

So what to do? How to find the light? Hallmark-style wishes for the season abound, but as I face a period where end-of-life dwells, reflect on what this means, and reconcile with it all, I have my own wishes to add.

Our world seems uncommonly volatile right now; we are polarized, we are angry. Where just a short time ago we came together for the common good to fight a common enemy, we seem to have lost our pandemic patience, devolving into a mess of vitriol. So, this year more than ever, we need compassion. We may strongly disagree with our neighbour, but it’s important to understand that everyone is coming from a place of fear, however different that fear may look from person to person. Life is too short, too precious, to spend it in anger. So I wish for compassion.

Where to find the joy? For our family, as we spent the final few weeks with our loved one, the light shone in unexpected moments of levity.

Laughter in a landscape of sadness feels amazing; it relieves the stress, soothes the tension. And it’s those moments that we’ll weave into a tapestry of precious memories of him. So, I wish for laughter.

“Reconciliation” is sometimes a theme in Christmas stories; Scrooge, for example, reconciles with his family and makes peace with the season.

For anyone experiencing grief or pain, reconciliation is your goal as you move through the journey of this experience. Grief is not something to be “resolved”—it is something to be “reconciled.”

But I’m also thinking about relationships, here. Some relationships simply cannot be reconciled: the crevices are too wide. But, where bridges can be built, life is too short to spend it alienated from someone you love. So, I wish for reconciliation.

Finally, I hope for strength. Strength for my family to join hands with each other—honouring the memory of our beloved friend and father as we walk through these next months—and strength for all those who find themselves at odds with the “joy” of this season.

I hope that armed with compassion, strength and moments of levity, the light of the season can yet embrace us. Joy and pain can co-exist, as can the magic, the beauty, the delight of giving, and the bliss of finally joining once again with loved ones around the table.

Life is too short for anything else.

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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design notes

Dreamy

1.

decadence

By Janice Jefferson While red is not a colour that I typically use around the holidays—instead, I lean into plum and powder blue— these items with the colour of love are pulling me in.

Sinking into a room with this thick, hand-crafted rug, glorious wallpaper and blood-red goblets might make me change my mind! Whatever your decor style, try going in the opposite direction for interest and balance.

(P.S. Sweet gift ideas are included here!)

2.

5.

3.

4.

6.

8.

7.

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9.

1. Bird of Paradise Chandelier, Mclaren Lighting, $3,808 2. Rise 1,000-Piece Puzzle, Inner Piece, Belle General, $54 3. Venus Alter Candle in Midnight (large), Flore Botanical Alchemy, $35 4. Boston Coloured Claret: Red, Villeroy & Boch, $38 each 5. I Like Your Face, Vikki Drummond Art, vikkidrummondart.com, $160 6. Surya Rug—Kodari, Luxe Home Interiors, *sizes and prices vary 7. Heaven Buffet, Monarch Furnishings, $1,999 8. Leaf End Table, Muse & Merchant, $399 9. Arizona Shearling Birkenstock in Light Rose Suede, Footloose Shoes, $205 10. ANDASTRA Wallpaper—Amazonite, House of Hackney, houseofhackney.com, *call for pricing

10.

11. Tribe + True Blanket: Moonstone Coast, CREAM Life + Style, $129

11.

12.

12. Marc O’Polo Classic Stripe Duvet Cover in Warm Earth, ESSENZA HOME, essenzahome.com, *prices vary

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life.style.etc.

MARI O’MEARA, PRINCIPAL DESIGNER, MARI KUSHINO DESIGN (MKD) WO RDS + PH OTO G RAPHY LIA CROWE

I meet Mari at an incredible Ten Mile Point home that she designed, and as we walk around the exterior, she is pleased to see the home now a little more lived in, and the gardens more mature and full.

“The part that gives me a huge boost is walking through the finished home with our clients,” Mari says, when I ask what aspect of her work fires her up the most. “The look on their face is priceless!”

Straightforward and to the point, Mari says that the quality she possesses which has led to her success is “to move on.”

And asked what’s the best life lesson she’s learned, she says, “Life is too short so seize the moment.”

When it comes to style, Mari laughs and says that her personal style is “boring.”

She adds, “I yearn to be elegantly simple, but with a young family and crazy schedule, it would be tastefully casual.”

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FASHION & BEAUTY Uniform: Stretchy dress pants, sneakers and a simple cotton shirt.

All-time favourite piece: Sloan pants by Banana Republic—so versatile!

Favourite pair of shoes: Nike Frees, but apparently you can’t get them anymore.

Favourite day-bag: MEC fanny pack. I pack light. It’s easy to stuff into my work bag.

Favourite work tool: MUJI gel ink pens. I am obsessed.

Favourite jewellery piece or designer: White Garmin golf watch. I don’t use it for golfing, I just like how big the time shows up.

Fashion obsession: Sneakers with EVERYTHING. Accessory you spend the most money on: Sunglasses because most don’t fit my nose.

Moisturizer: Sephora Collection Ultra Glow Serum.

Scent: Herbae par L’Occitane en Provence.

Must-have hair product: Straightener.

Beauty secret: Tallow.

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STYLE INSPIRATIONS & LIFE Style icon: Frank Lloyd Wright.

Favourite artists: My kids.

Favourite fashion designer or brand: Victoria Beckham.

Favourite musician: The Weeknd.

Coffee table book/photography book: Poetry of Place: The New Architecture and Interiors of McAlpine

by Bobby McAlpine and Susan Sully.

Last great read: I recently read the kids the original Winnie-the-Pooh book and just love it!

Book currently reading: Radical Compassion by Tara Brach and Dog Training Revolution by Zak George.

Favourite cocktail or wine: Neither. Daura Damm beer is all I drink. Every day.

Favourite flower: Peonies.

Favourite place in the whole world: Hawaii.

One thing that consistently lifts your spirits during these hard times: Mountain biking.

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good taste

Food

is love

Christina Loucas’s Cyprus Cuisine is a lovingly curated collection of family recipes—and so much more

WORDS ANGELA COWAN

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PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

“It’s its own unique cuisine. It’s a nice mixture of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours. Lots of lemon and olive oil, which I love. It’s comforting and really soothing.”

When Christina Loucas first started researching traditional Cypriot foods and flavours for a cookbook, she hoped to preserve a slice of her family’s history along with the generations-old recipes, and Cyprus Cuisine absolutely accomplishes that—but it’s also so much more.

The cookbook, published earlier this year, is a love letter to the food she grew up with, the family that loved and supported her, and Christina’s own experience with strength, resilience and following her heart.

Though she’s always loved food and grew up in Victoria as a “restaurant kid,” Christina never considered a career in the culinary world, largely due to her father’s insistence. Harry Loucas built and ran the Victoria Harbour House until he sold it in 2006, he built the Beagle Pub (originally the Oxford Arms), he was named Restaurateur of the Year in 1992, and he actively discouraged his kids from going anywhere near the food industry.

“My dad was adamant he didn’t want us to go into the restaurant business! He always said it’s long hours and it kills your family life,” says Christina.

So instead, she earned a law degree from Oxford University and became an international arbitration lawyer. Not that a law career offers a balanced family life either, she laughs, and despite her best

Design + Build Fine Custom Homes

efforts, food followed her everywhere.

“Even when I was a lawyer and in Singapore going out for lunch with clients, inevitably I’d end up talking about food,” she says.

She practiced law for six years in England and Singapore, and then life threw her a curve ball when she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in her early 30s. When complications from treating the cancer caused her to lose her voice, Christina made some drastic changes.

“It was a wake-up call for me. I knew I’d wanted to make a change,” she says. “The illness was the catalyst to give myself permission to take a year off to heal, but also to pursue this.”

She moved to Cyprus and devoted her days to researching Cypriot cuisine, from the ingredients and flavours to the methods and huge varieties of preparing common dishes.

Christina also took the opportunity to immerse herself in photography, developing her skills and her eye as a way to express herself, especially in the early days when she didn’t know if her voice would return. (It did, within two months.)

Part memoir and part cookbook, Cyprus Cuisine is bursting with gorgeous, full-colour photographs of incredible dishes like the brilliantly red tomato soup with orzo, or the crumbly one-cup sesame orange biscotti. But some of the most beautiful pictures are the

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ones that show off the aged hands of her aunts. A collage of photos on pages 49 and 50, for example, shows her Aunt Evri’s hands as she demonstrates how to roll out Cypriot crepes.

“Her hands are so expressive. It’s like I can hear her telling me how to do it,” Christina says, with a laugh. Her Aunt Evri was the first person Christina started following around and asking questions of when she decided to embark on the cookbook project, but her entire family—and their extended friends and neighbours—eventually got involved too.

And while by their nature, cookbooks are precise in their measurements and instructions, Cyprus Cuisine also includes a sense of flexibility so often common with old family recipes. Christina adapted some recipes to include easier-to-find ingredients and substitutions.

“One of my aims was to make sure you can make Cypriot food no matter where you are in the world,” she says.

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One example—and something Christina prepared when I visited as part of an array of goodies on her table—are the butternut squash pies (page 53). They’re typically made with an enormous, long-necked squash that she’s only ever found in Cyprus. So, for the pies we’re about to snack on, she instead used cubed acorn and kabocha squashes. Similarly, the recipe calls for fine bulgur wheat in the filling (as well as aromatic cinnamon and fennel fronds, shallots, sultana raisins and a touch of brown sugar—yum!) but she suggests cooked quinoa could be a good substitute if bulgur is too hard to find. Many recipes are easily adapted to be vegetarian or vegan as well because so many people in Cyprus fast for religious reasons.

“It’s its own unique cuisine,” says Christina. “It’s a nice mixture of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours. Lots of lemon and olive oil, which I love. It’s comforting and really soothing.”

Comforting seems the right word. The squash pies, with their sweet-savoury flavours and touch of cinnamon, present as quintessentially autumn, and the Easter butter cookies we nibble afterwards are gently sweetened and perfectly flaky. But perhaps another reason it all feels so comforting is the undercurrent of a mother’s touch.

“The person I owe the most amount of gratitude to is my mom,” says Christina. “A lot of the recipes that have been handed down are hers. This cookbook is as much hers as it is mine.”

And indeed, Katherine Loucas is the first person Christina dedicates her book to, the loving text accompanied by a beautiful photograph of her mother. On the opposite page is a picture of Christina’s daughter Clemmie, then five days old.

A lifelong love of food, a major life change and an unwavering dedication to following her passion came together when Christina wrote her cookbook, and preserved a family legacy she can now pass on. As anyone who has spent time in a kitchen with mothers and grandmothers can tell you, food is love. And Cyprus Cuisine is Christina’s heart on the page.

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well and good

intuitive eating healing relationships with food WORDS KAISHA SCOFIELD

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We all know how to feed ourselves, right? All it takes is a trip to the grocery store to pick out a few things here and there, throw it all together and voila, food! But wait, the keto diet says carbs will kill you and vegans say meat will kill the planet and didn’t your cousin swear that we have to eat everything in juice form? Eating is complicated, and if you listen to the endless and ever-changing stream of diet advice, it is nearly impossible. One of the reasons we struggle to feed ourselves is that when it comes to what constitutes food, the rules are constantly changing.

The standard western diet consists of up to 70 per cent processed foods, with 30 per cent of that being ultra processed. This is problematic because increased processing leads to reduced nutrients, the addition of chemical

processes, and additives such as artificial flavours, artificial colours, processed fats, sodium and sugars.

All of this is done to make foods hyper-palatable, meaning that we are much more likely to crave them and binge eat. Highly processed foods are not only nutritionally vacant but also difficult for our bodies to digest, so the more we eat, the harder our system has to work and, at the same time, get less and less nutritional support.

Alongside our dysfunctional food system, we have fitness and diet cultures telling us to eat less and exercise more.

The diet industry is worth a whopping $71 billion and it’s not hard to see why: the average person will try 126 diets in a lifetime, many starting diets as early as primary school and lasting into old age. And yet, despite having diet companies like Weight Watchers (now called WW International) literally crammed down our throats since the 1960s, there is no evidence that diets actually work. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Not only do 95 per cent of all diets fail, but one quarter of diet participants go on to gain more weight than before the diet started.

We are stuck in an impossible cycle and it’s taking a toll.

According to the National Initiative for Eating Disorders, one million Canadians suffer from an eating disorder. Many eating disorders start as early as eight years old; not coincidentally, this is the same age children are being targeted by

dieting apps like Kurbo (founded by WW). We are increasingly becoming undernourished and overwhelmed, but we are also getting fed up and many are rejecting diet culture all together, instead choosing to heal their relationship with food.

As a result, people all over the world are reviving a decades-old practice called Intuitive Eating (IE). Noted celebrities Jennifer Lawrence, Jameela Jamil and Lena Dunham have called it life-changing. Demi Lovato credits the IE practice for their ability to overcome a years-long eating disorder. People from all walks of life are seeing it as a way to heal their dysfunctional relationships with food, while freeing themselves from chronic dieting and disordered eating. In short, it is a way learn how to feed ourselves.

The book that established the practice, titled Intuitive Eating, was written by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in 1995. It is now on its fourth edition, and still on the New York Times bestseller list nearly 26 years after its first edition. Recently an accompanying workbook and card pack have been published as well as a training program that facilitates both lay and counsellor-certified educators. IE has been called a research-backed, anti-diet and pro-health approach to rediscovering the pleasure of eating while making peace with food and becoming free from chronic dieting forever.

At its heart, IE is a series of 10 principles designed to help its practitioners realign themselves with their natural nutritional

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IE has been called a research-backed, anti-diet and pro-health approach to rediscovering the pleasure of eating while making peace with food and becoming free from chronic dieting forever. rhythms. Unlike diet books and meal plans that are heavily structured, detailed and restrictive, IE has principles like “honour your hunger,” “respect your body” and “make peace with food.” These seemingly simplistic instructions are presented alongside examples and exercises that challenge readers to dig deeply into their own food relationships and reject habits of negative self-talk, harmful restrictive patterns and rigid guidelines.

The first step of intuitive eating is to fully reject the diet mentality and make peace with food. For those who have been dieting their entire lives, these first steps will take practice and patience. Accompanying principles like “cope with your emotions with kindness” and “respect your body” help people approach this practice with compassion and love toward themselves, something many of us forget to do.

The most common response to IE is a fear that when restrictions are removed, things will get out of hand. Many people, especially those who have dieted (so, nearly everyone), will struggle to limit

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themselves to just one doughnut, or fear that they will gorge on pizza semi-daily for the rest of their lives. This is a valid concern and one that IE addresses. Quite simply, learning how to eat intuitively is a practice and commitment. Some people will have to experience a binge and that’s okay because, unlike the diet culture that relies on shame, IE encourages curiosity and patience. If binging occurs, IE recommends to simply sit with the feeling of overeating, and rather than engage in self-loathing, acknowledge that, in the end, it simply doesn’t feel good. This is gentle nutrition in action.

Learning how to feed ourselves, trust our bodies and ignite our own self-worth is a radical practice in self-care. It is a practice that can take a lot of time, patience and self-compassion. It will require digging into some feelings and unlocking habits that may feel deeply ingrained, but for those who are willing to do the work, it can be life-changing. And if the alternative is a lifetime of dieting and nothing to show for it other than erratic weight fluctuations, poor self-esteem and nutrient deficiencies, what have we got to lose?

in studio WITH SAMANTHA DICKIE

sound, silence and space

The work of ceramic artist Samantha Dickie WORDS SEAN MCINTYRE

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PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

“My belief that our humanness is essentially rooted in relational dynamics provides the impetus behind using scale and multiples to create large-scale, multicomponent groupings and immersive installations.”

If mention of ceramics stirs images of clay pots, earthen mugs and country craft fairs, the work of Samantha Dickie is sure to provide a refreshingly new perspective.

The Victoria-based ceramic artist aims to recast perceptions of the art form while using the medium to promote a deeper, closer, more intuitive look at human existence and the myriad contrasts that make up the natural world. A tall order, no doubt, but it’s a mission Samantha has masterfully honed over more than two decades by attention to individual forms and how these pieces interact with one another.

During a walk-through of an exhibition called A Moment in Time featured at the Victoria Arts Council Gallery in October, Samantha explained how she seeks to inspire reflection among viewers. She likened it to a walking form of contemplative practice, wherein visitors to the gallery become participants who engage with the installations.

Her work is a study in contrast. Simple forms are cast within multitudes. A Moment in Time comprised four works with a total of more than 4,000 components. In one section of the exhibit, an enclosed closet-like space that was once a bank vault in the building’s previous life contained no fewer than 1,800 hand-shaped ceramic stones. Nearby, hundreds of sand-dollar-sized discs were suspended by translucent filaments of varying lengths to form a giant floating sphere. The cupped-shaped discs sat in opposition to one another like palms held apart in meditative pose.

“The pieces explored that etherealness, contemplation and pause,” she says. “It explored the concepts of spaciousness and how you can feel this inside yourself.”

Samantha explains how this particular installation was meant to highlight the “empty space” in between objects as much as it was a demonstration of the finely moulded ceramic elements.

In much the same way that the philosophical branch of phenomenology aims to identify the essence of natural phenomena

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and experience, Samantha’s work gives viewers the chance to pause and consider the relationships between sound and silence, objects and “empty” space, as well as the distinction between the built landscape and the natural world. It is this distinction and the varying degrees of transition between states, she says, that defines what it is to be human.

“My belief that our humanness is essentially rooted in relational dynamics provides the impetus behind using scale and multiples to create large-scale, multi-component groupings and immersive installations,” she says.

Kegan McFadden, the curator of the A Moment in Time show, encapsulated the power of contrast and extremes in Dickie’s work in her curatorial statement for the October gallery exhibit.

“By playing with perspective and the phenomenological experience of moving through the gallery space, she forces viewers to confront how they observe space and what they perceive, and ultimately to question the way they experience her artwork,” he wrote.

“Dickie’s work becomes cellular and its massive opposite, an elastic time line with no ending or beginning, a stratospheric excavation. It is at once micro and macro. This tension mirrors the reality that the nearly four thousand delicate ceramic components comprising these installations were made in the dangerously extreme, yet controlled, heat of her kiln. This is how pressure brings forth poetry.”

Samantha’s work hasn’t always been rooted in the philosophical, but a look over her career reveals that meaningful exploration of space, time and human existence has perhaps been the inevitable destination.

The artist launched her ceramics career in the late 1990s, soon after completing a degree in both women’s and Indigenous studies at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, and then trained as a technical ceramicist and obtained a Diploma of Ceramics from the Kootenay School of the Arts. An unrelenting curiosity and deep

questioning of human existence, along with further research and reading into the fields of neuroscience, physics and philosophy, offer her the chance to use her passion for ceramics as a venue for deeper exploration of our world and human experience by focusing on abstract expressionism and minimalist sculpture within an installation practice.

“In 1997, my work began on the wheel creating one-of-a-kind functional and decorative pieces, and grew over the years into abstraction, sculpture and installation,” she writes on her website.

“Early sculptural work includes explorations of scale; of gouging and imprinting the clay; of multi-layered textural glazes; and of reduction, smoke and wood firing.”

Samantha’s work has since been exhibited and sold in galleries across Canada and the United States. Her works have been shown under the open Yukon sky and are featured in prestigious retail spaces that include a Louis Vuitton boutique in Boston. As if constructing intricate sculptural works wasn’t complex enough, this fall she was working on the logistics of shipping three six-foot-tall sculptures for permanent display in Hawaii. Amidst the greater awareness of her work in faraway places, Samantha says, it’s been great to be a part of the local scene here in Victoria. Just last year, for example, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria acquired a work titled The Gesture of Grace, one of the gallery’s larger sculptural pieces.

Samantha’s rising profile has included being invited to give an increasing number of online and in-person artist talks and workshops, offering her the chance to share her uniquely modern take on a traditional art form to a wider audience.

Her next exhibition opens at Victoria’s Fortune Gallery (537 Fisgard Street) on February 17. Her work can also be found locally at the Madrona Gallery or by booking an in-person visit to her studio through her website: samanthadickie.com.

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weekender

Victoria’s secrets Where a holiday staycation will have you seeing the city in a new festive light WORDS TOBY TANNAS

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PHOTOGRAPHY DON DENTON

+ COURTESY THE FAIRMONT EMPRESS

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CERAMIC TILE & NATURAL STONE

While most of Canada hibernates beneath a blanket of white during the winter months, Victoria remains green. That, no doubt, spurns some regional envy, but it also makes BC’s capital city a prime destination for those who want to escape winter’s icy grasp. If you’re lucky enough to call Victoria home, a holiday-season staycation will have you seeing your city’s most famous landmarks in a new festive light.

Holiday charm is on full display at the Inner Harbour, where lights of the Legislature building flank the crown jewel of Government Street: The Fairmont Empress.

The majestic hotel strikes me as the embodiment of Victoria itself. Old world charm standing tall amid the modern world. I’ve been coming to Victoria for years (my husband spends half his time here with work and family commitments), but this is my first stay at the Fairmont Empress.

The Fairmont Empress takes you back in time. I imagine women in petticoats and parasols parading through the grand lobby when the doors first opened 110 years ago. People dress a little differently now but the building seems to inspire a level of sophistication in its guests. The tone is set the moment you step through the front doors.

Let the stunning lobby chandelier draw your eyes up. The massive, multi-tiered installation is the prover- bial cherry on top of a more than $60 million restoration completed in 2017 that has brought a new level of modern luxury, all the while maintaining the hotel’s proud history.

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We are efficiently checked into our Fairmont Gold suite overlooking the harbour. I must mention something about the atmosphere here. It is not stuffy; it’s relaxed but elevated.

This is perhaps punctuated most by the number of dogs I see check- ing in with their owners. Where there are dogs there are smiles, I always say, and the Fairmont Empress has its own four-legged ambassador, Winston. He’s a Labrador Retriever X that failed guide dog school for being too friendly...need I say more?

Our suite is everything you would expect from Fairmont Gold. Spacious with thoughtful touches like small bottles of the famous purple Empress Gin, chocolate truffles and turndown service.

We freshen up and then venture off into the night for a late dinner at local eatery Wind Cries Mary. Walking distance from the Fairmont Empress, it’s a popular subterranean experience tucked into trendy Bastion Square. We splurge and go with the chef ’s menu and I highly recommend this. Four courses selected by the chef and not necessarily all of them are on the regular menu. We oohed and ahhed over every bite.

The next day, we hit the Malahat early bound for a new must-see tourist attraction: the Malahat SkyWalk. We spend just over an hour walking among the tree tops and taking in the incredible views. Keep your eyes peeled for driftwood creations by local artist Tanya Bub hidden amid the landscape.

Re-charged by our immersion into nature, we head back to the Fairmont Empress to take part in a long-standing tradition: Tea at The Empress. Fresh in our velvets and silks, we are seated in wingback chairs in the bright Lobby Lounge. If you book during through the holiday season tea takes on a festive air with holiday-inspired nibbles and Christmas carollers.

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We decide a walk is in order to work up our appetites for a late dinner. We head to Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s a delight for the eyes with its brightly coloured houseboats. We hop in the car and head for Dallas Road to take in the views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We park and meander through the pathways of Beacon Hill Park and then walk the quaint streets of Oak Bay. Sufficiently hungry once again we arrive for dinner at Q at the Empress. Located right next to the Lobby Lounge, this wood panelled restaurant is modernly ornate and grand.

On this night, lovely live music is playing at the adjoining Q Bar. Q’s crafty mixologists have dreamed up some special cocktails for the festive season so you can sip your way into the holiday spirit. Don’t worry about driving home, locals can experience the full luxury of the Fairmont Empress at special holiday rates through December 31.

Our final day is reserved for a visit to The Butchart Gardens. As someone who doesn’t have a garden or a green thumb, I wasn’t sure what to expect. If you live on Vancouver Island, you already know that the first glimpse of The Sunken Garden takes your breath away. If you’ve been once or even 20 times, the holiday season is a beautiful occasion to take the short drive to Brentwood Bay. You’ll delight in the twinkling lights, ornaments and other holiday surprises.

Just like the island it calls home, The Butchart Garden is a delight in all seasons.

In a time when many people are still choosing to stay close to home, Victorians can count themselves lucky to have so many treasures, both historic and modern, right in your island back yard.

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do.

Experience Vancouver Island’s ultimate natural high, the Malahat SkyWalk. Test your gumption by navigating the net floor at the very top. Will you walk the ramps back to solid ground or take the giant metal tube slide? Sip “Tea at the Empress” in the sophisticated Empress Lobby Lounge. This is truly an elevated but far from stuffy experience for all ages. Recognized as one of the Top 10 Gardens of the World, take in the splendour of The Butchart Gardens. Open year round, there is truly something to enjoy in every season.

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see.

Check out Cook Street Village.

The earthy, eclectic five-block corridor has a small-town ambiance and offers a variety of shops and restaurants. Take in the ocean views from Dallas Road or meander through the extensive trail systems of Beacon Hill Park and keep your eye out for a glimpse of one of the park’s magnificent resident peacocks. Fisherman’s Wharf is a colourful floating village bursting with fun restaurants.

Rent sea kayaks (keep your eye out for harbour seals and bald eagles) or book a whale watching excursion.

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You’ll feel like a royal in one of the 464 palatial rooms of the Fairmont Empress. Recognized with numerous international awards including “Top 21 Iconic Hotels in the World” by National Geographic Traveler, the Fairmont Empress is a must visit. Try the Willow Stream Spa for the ultimate in pampering or really spoil yourself by upgrading to a Fairmont Gold suite and experience the elevated services Fairmont Gold has to offer. If you’re lucky enough to visit during the holiday season be sure to explore Fairmont Empress special events at fairmont-empress.com.

Dark, moody and modern.

Dinner at Wind Cries Mary will not disappoint. It takes comfort food to the next level.

Nourish Kitchen & Cafe has a slogan: “Eat with people you love.” Patrons obviously take this to heart as it’s common to see a lineup outside, suggesting this is definitely the spot to be for brunch and lunch. Q at the Empress features gourmet Pacific Northwest cuisine. At the adjoining Q Bar, cocktail culture abounds. Make sure to sample the purple, made-in-Victoria Empress Gin and don’t leave without at least a handful of Q’s signature charcoal popcorn.

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Where time stands still Timeless design preserves character of this beautiful heritage home WORDS ANGELA COWAN PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

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n a quiet street just beyond the end of Oak Bay Avenue, a newly designated heritage home stands tall amid wild drifts of autumn leaves, its full-bodied rain-cloud-grey finish contrasting the oranges and reds. Lush swaths of salvia still in violet bloom stretch from one side of the gardens to the other among rhododendrons and sprawling ferns.

And except for a thin strip of grass parallel to the sidewalk, the front yard is dedicated to a thick and green rain garden, over which stretches a cobbled bridge leading to the home’s curving porch.

First built in 1911, the two-and-a-half-storey house is an attractive example of Dutch Colonial Revival style.

The gambrel roof is reminiscent of traditional barn silhouettes, with a bell-cast flare at the eaves adding character, but there is also a sense of contemporary comfort, a balance between the old and the new that was very much intentional.

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“We felt the inside had to respect the heritage on the outside, and at the end of the day, we really needed it to respect the house,” says homeowner Charlotte Bowman, who undertook a truly monumental transformation of the house several years ago.

Charlotte joined forces with the talent at Zebra Group, enlisting owner and principal designer Rus Collins to completely overhaul the interior layout. And he’s also the reason the house is now a heritage spot.

“The house was a legal non-conforming duplex, but 40 years or more ago a third suite was added in the attic,” he explains.

“I suggested to Charlotte that we apply to Oak Bay Council to enter into a Heritage Revitalization Agreement to allow us to legalize the third suite, and in exchange Charlotte would formally designate the house as heritage.”

It was a huge undertaking, and listening to Charlotte and Martin Whitehead—head of construction at Zebra—the enormity of the work quickly becomes clear.

“It was stripped to the studs,” says Martin.

“The exterior was about 80 per cent intact, but a lot of additions had been done over the years. The overall design had turned into a bit of a mash-up of architectural styles over the decades, and some of the elements hadn’t held up very well.”

He adds: “Once we stripped it out we

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could see what was here, and we took it right back to the 1911 design.”

“The goal was to emulate and highlight classical elements of the home’s original architecture, but to stay away from fussy, ornate details so that the space didn’t feel stuffy or overworked,” explains Lorin Turner, who leads the interior design arm of Zebra. “We wanted the space to be airy and to open each space as much was architecturally feasible.”

To that end, early 1900s-style features—such as the glassed-in library just off the front entrance, the two tiled fireplaces, the windows and the built-in window seats—were balanced by the open-concept living room and spacious kitchen.

A neutral palette of whites and greys runs through the house as well as a continuous wide-plank oak floor, creating an easy flow through the main floor. White subway tiles create a consistent backdrop through the kitchen and both bathrooms for the striking open shelving with its industrial-leaning pipe brackets.

White cabinetry with black hardware and hinges invoke a farmhouse feel.

There is also a wonderful array of textures that keep the newness of the renovation from overwhelming its character, with the gorgeous black soapstone countertop perhaps my favourite.

The kitchen, while as open and spacious as any modern design, also preserves a timeless, early century feeling, and it’s difficult at first to pin down why. But looking around, it hits me.

The refrigerator, freezer and dishwasher are all hidden behind panelled cabinet doors and drawers, leaving only one visible appliance: an exquisite Lacanche oven, enamelled in a deep, serene blue that immediately brings to mind an oversized French estate’s kitchen.

“I love it!” says Charlotte, smiling. “It’s so fantastic. I knew I wanted a coloured enamelled stove.”

Mari O’Meara Principal Interior Designer

250.721.9622 | marikushino.com

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“We felt the inside had to respect the heritage on the outside, and at the end of the day, we really needed it to respect the house.”

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As we continue the tour, it becomes clear just how much of herself Charlotte put into the design, from the Lacanche stove to the thick padded cushions in the window seats, which she sourced through Etsy, and the incredible array of reclaimed and antique light fixtures, the swinging bookshelves that serve as the master suite’s doors, to the most impressive of all: the tiles surrounding the living room fireplace.

Reflecting slivers of the sun just peeking into the living room, the tiles are a smooth bluey-green colour that shifts depending on the light, and each one was handmade.

“My friend is a potter and helped me make the tiles for both fireplaces,” Charlotte explains, and then laughs at my wide-eyed expression.

“It wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t have such an emotional attachment to the house, but it was well worth it,” she says of the entire renovation. “This is the house I was born into, and that my daughter was born into.”

Now entirely rebuilt from floors to ceiling, the home is ready to welcome generations to come, and not just for Charlotte’s family. As well as undertaking the heritage designation, Charlotte worked with city council to legalize the second and third floor suites, renovating them with as much care as the main floor, and taking a small but significant step in an effort to provide safe and affordable rental housing for the community.

We’re able to pop upstairs with Charlotte’s tenant for a quick tour of the attic suite, and emerging from the stairs past the stained glass windows, it is like stepping into a New York loft.

Angled ceilings, low half-moon windows, the exposed brick of the chimney—the space is cosy and bright and feels like you’re tucked high away in the clouds.

Coming back down, we duck around back of the house to

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see the landscaping, and I’m shocked when Charlotte tells me there was nothing on the property save the two oak trees by the road.

Bordered with Killarney strawberry trees full of their brilliant red fruits, a Bodinier beautyberry tree still dripping with clusters of purple berries and so many more plants, the backyard is a green paradise, and yet another testament to the enormous amount of work that went into transforming this property into a spectacular home.

Back at the front entrance, sunlight glints through the antique leaded window set in the door, scattering rainbow fragments up the walls. Charlotte goes to the wide built-in nook at the front window, and with the view of garden beyond it’s the perfect place for a relaxed afternoon of reading (or napping).

“It’s my favourite spot,” she says with a smile. “I sit here all the time. Lorin really hit it out of the park with this.”

LOCALLY HANDCRAFTED DESIGNER KITCHENS

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SUPPLIERS Residential Design: Zebra Design (Rus Collins) Interior Design: Zebra Interiors (Lorin Turner) Construction & Interior Finishing: Zebra Construction (Martin Whitehead) Heritage Consultant: John Dam & Associates Building Conservation Engineering (John Dam) Interior Drywall: Definitive Drywall Inc. Painting: CanTex Painting Cabinetry and Millwork: RG West Coast Woodwork Ceiling Beams: Zebra Construction Flooring: Island Floor Centre Tiling: Island Floor Centre Doors: Caliber Doors Artwork: Tofino Gallery of Contemporary Art (Leah McDiarmid) Windows: Vintage Woodworks Inc. Lighting: Waterglass Studios; Scott Landon Antiques Plumbing Fixtures: Oceanview Mechanical Countertops: Vancouver Island Soapstone and Colonial Countertops Fireplace Hearth/Stonework: handmade tiles by owner (Charlotte Bowman) Appliances: Trail Appliances Landscaping: Rusnak Gallant Ltd Exterior Siding: Zebra Construction Home Automation: Black Box Electric

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Showcasing

EXCELLENCE

THE CARE AWARDS 2021: THE BEST OF VICTORIA HOME BUILDING CARE Awards finalists are selected by a panel of industry professionals who consider criteria such as architectural design, quality workmanship, creative use of space and energy efficiency.

The finalists represent Canada’s leaders in West Coast design and construction, showcasing the very best in new homes and renovations.

BY S EAN M CI NT YR E | P O R T R A I T S BY DO N D E NTO N

CARE AWARDS FINALISTS

CARE AWARDS FINALISTS

Award Nomination(s): Best New Home Design > $2M (Magnolia Lane) // Best Outdoor Space (Magnolia Lane) // Best Single Family Detached Home > $2M (Magnolia Lane)

Project: Magnolia Lane >> Well proportioned and well appointed, Magnolia Lane is simultaneously welcoming and elegant. The home's symmetrical design is well proportioned to the street front, while being comfortably situated on a spacious property. Close to the ocean, this sophisticated shinglestyle home is flooded with natural light, including in the large traditional conservatory. It was a great pleasure to work on the design with a well-balanced team. Homeowners with a clear and detailed vision for their home worked in tandem with the talented interior designer, landscape designer and builder.

250-360-2144 / zebragroup.ca

Rus Collins, Lead Designer

ZEBRA DESIGN & INTERIORS GROUP INC.

CARE AWARDS FINALISTS

JENNY MARTIN DESIGN Award Nomination(s): Best Single Family Detached Home > $2M (Hidden Hills) (Magnolia Lane) // Best Outdoor Space (Hidden Hills) (Magnolia Lane) // Best New Home Design > $2M (Magnolia Lane) // Best Innovative Feature (Hidden Hills) // Best Contemporary Kitchen > 250 sq. ft. (Hidden Hills) // Best Master Suite (Hidden Hills) (Magnolia Lane) // Best Interior — Residential (Hidden Hills) (Magnolia Lane) // Best Custom Millwork < 2,000 sq. ft. (Mon Petit Chou) // Best Custom Millwork > 2,000 sq. ft. (Hidden Hills) (Magnolia Lane) // Project of the Year — Single Family (Hidden Hills) (Magnolia Lane) // Best Residential Renovation or Restoration (Mon Petit Chou) // Best Traditional Kitchen (Mon Petit Chou) Project: Hidden Hills >> The main challenge for this home was creating a space that was familiar and warm, yet sculptural and stately. Aiming to differentiate it from typical West Coast Contemporary homes, Hidden Hills integrated a suspended, white oak-clad staircase, which quickly became a sculptural centrepiece.

Senior design team: Julia Etsy, Samantha Ritchie, Jenny Martin and Adrienne Hempstock.

The fireplace's full-height drywalled step and 17 - foot concrete hearth marries perfectly with the beamed tongue-and-groove ceiling overhead. Boasting unobstructed views of Gonzales Bay, this prestigious West Coast Contemporary build challenges norms with a minimalist and impactful aesthetic.

Award Nomination(s): Best Single Family Detached Home $1M — $1.5M (Villa) (Outlook) // Best Single Family Detached Home > $2M (Elevated) // Best Outdoor Space (Elevated) // Best Contemporary Kitchen > 250 sq. ft. (Elevated) // Best Master Suite (Elevated) // Best Custom Millwork > 2,000 sq. ft.

(Elevated) // Project of the Year — Single Family (Elevated)

Project: Elevated >> The skilled and experienced Patriot Homes team gave this scenic Cadboro Bay-area site all the comforts of home. Elevated stands as a unique blend of indoor and outdoor living that's perfectly suited to a West Coast lifestyle. Features include a multi-use sport court for casual hockey, basketball and pickleball matches, as well as a custom outdoor kitchen set amid towering firs that surround the 8,700-square-foot home. Project team members faced a challenging building site and the added hurdle of COVID-19 health precautions. These hurdles were overcome through careful coordination and continual communication between builders and client.

250-217-3080 / patriothomes.ca

Amandeep Gill, Principal

PATRIOT HOMES

CARE AWARDS FINALISTS

JASON GOOD CUSTOM CABINETS INC. Award nominations: Best Contemporary Kitchen > 250 sq. ft. (Flair and Family) Project: Flair and Family >> This family's kitchen consciously brings home the mid-century design intent this home was yearning for. The carefully selected grain-matched walnut is rich in colour and timeless in appeal. Streamlined with built-in appliances and sensible materiality, this kitchen makes up for space in its ability to double in function. It is full of features such as cabinet roll-outs, recycle-centres, filtered hot and cold water. The home is also equipped with an impressive back pantry accommodating a second refrigerator and serving as a home for all the small appliances and gadgets a modern family enjoys.

250-384-4663 / jasongoodcabinets.com Jason Good, Principal

CARE AWARDS FINALISTS

Award Nomination: Best Residential Renovation or Restoration (Castle Rock)

Project: Castle Rock >> Removing a large portion of Castle Rock's rear interior walls, while preserving the home's front end and original proportions, required significant structural work to properly transfer loads across the structure's entire width and down to the basement.

We removed the existing upper-floor dormer, extending it and the inset balcony across the back of the house. The most interesting part of this project was seeing how the crew organized and tackled it.

Everyone on the crew contributed unique skills to accomplish this complex project.

250-812-9743 / green-island-builders.com

Martin Scaia, Director

GREEN ISLAND BUILDERS

CARE AWARDS FINALISTS

RAYN PROPERTIES LTD. Award Nomination(s): Best Entry Level Market Home (Newlyweds) // Best Single Family Detached Home < $1M (Farmhouse) // Best Single Family Detached Home $1M - $1.5M (Piano)

Project: Piano >> Rayn Properties is a family-owned business that prides itself on building exceptional custom homes designed for luxury living. We believe that “highend” does not necessarily mean “high-cost” and, while this is our business, these are our clients’ forever homes.

250-686-5097 / arjin@raynproperties.com 250-661-0465 / rov@raynproperties.com Raynproperties.com

Arjin Dosanjh, Manager Rov Dosanjh, Principal, Lead Designer

CARE AWARDS FINALISTS

Award Nomination(s): Best Commercial Project (NIL TU,O) Project: NIL TU,O >> Outlook Project Management's main objective for the NIL TU,O project was creating a welcoming environment for children and families.

Drawing from Coast Salish inspiration, the design of this cultural centre features a prominent timber basket weave, constructed with custommilled fir and cedar that command attention from all angles. Exterior canopies reduce solar gain and provide protection from the elements, while native plantings, including Garry oak, arbutus, trillium and fiddlehead ferns, complement the overall project goal. From concept to completion, this project presented unique challenges that were met with enthusiasm by everyone involved, producing stunning results.

250-360-7343 / outlookpm.ca

Travis Wilson, Jason Pierik, Principals

OUTLOOK PROJECT MANAGEMENT LTD.

CARE AWARDS FINALISTS

CARLY SANDERSON INTERIORS & INTERACTIVE CONSTRUCTION Award nominations: Best Contemporary Kitchen < 250 sq.ft. (The Hilltop House) // Best Contemporary Bathroom (The Hilltop House) // Best Custom Millwork < 2,000 sq. ft. (The Hilltop House)

Project: The Hilltop House >> The team used flat-grain horizontal black walnut sourced from a single tree to ensure consistency in the wood grain.

To counter balance the black walnut, we used a white quartz countertop and black plumbing fixtures that are matte black.

A clear glass door in the shower leads us to an exterior shower within the garden. An easy to use layout that maximizes the space and makes it feel larger. The dark tiles are really the feature in this space and we wanted to showcase them by going floor to ceiling with them. Even the plumbing were black so that in the shower in particular they did not stand out but rather hid within the tiles. The ultimate goal for Hilltop House was to create a masculine space that was still soft and inviting.

250-634-1753 / csandersoninteriors.com 250-886-3833 / interactiveconstruction.ca Carly Sanderson — Carly Sanderson Interiors , Principal Russ Barry — Interactive Construction , Principal

business class

The Beattie family, from left: Danielle, Geoffery and Chris.

a passion that glitters

The Beattie family and Barclay’s Fine Jewellers WORDS TESS VAN STRAATEN

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PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

Coming soon.

O

ak Bay jewellery store owner and entrepreneur Geoffrey Beattie is quite accustomed to people recognizing his voice, thanks to the distinctive New Zealand accent so many of us have heard on radio ads for Barclay’s Fine Jewellers over the last two decades.

“I’ve had people come in and say, ‘Oh, I feel as though I know you already,’ and I’ve had people come in and say, you’re much older, or taller, or shorter than I thought you were!” laughs Geoffrey, who expanded to television ads on CHEK a few years ago.

“When I came to Canada, I wasn’t sure if my accent would be a positive or negative, but I tried it all the same, and I actually found it’s been a benefit because it’s helped to differentiate me.”

High-end jewellery in exquisite and unique settings has also helped to differentiate Barclay’s Fine Jewellers, which Geoffrey bought in 1999 after moving to Victoria with his Canadian wife, Chris.

“We were taking a big step, deciding where we wanted to live and raise a family,” Geoffrey explains. “We’d been to Victoria several times and I always loved it here. We liked the size of the city. I was ready to open my own store, and this seemed like a good fit.”

Geoffrey initially started his career in a management program with a big New Zealand department store, but jumped at a serendipitous opportunity to train with a jewellery store manager. He’d been working in the jewellery industry for 13 years and was managing stores in Christchurch when they decided to make the leap to Canada and his own store.

“I love dealing with customers—I guess that’s my strength—and being able to relate well with people and figure out what they need or want,” says Geoffrey, who does a lot of the jewellery designing. “There’s a big creative aspect to it and, more and more, our product is a stand-alone product and you can’t get it anywhere else in Victoria.”

On my visit, a glittering $126,000 diamond caught my eye, along with several spectacular rings that you would otherwise only see in big city jewellery stores.

“One of the biggest lessons [I’ve learned] is that a lot of places think they have to keep increasing customers or traffic. But really, for me, it’s not so much the amount of people coming through, but having the right product and appealing to a niche market,” the 56-year-old says. “It’s more about having the right customers come through your door.”

637 Fort Street 250.383.4040 footlooseshoes.com

2536 Beacon Avenue, Sidney 250.656.5676 provenancefinethings.com boulevardmagazines.com |

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GETTING YOU BACK TO

BUSINESS DON’T GET LEFT IN THE DARK THIS WINTER VANCOUVER – NANAIMO IN 18 MINUTES VANCOUVER – VICTORIA IN 35 MINUTES

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BC Licence # 60651 DECEMBER 2021/JANUARY 2 02 2

The design and décor of the store have been taken up a notch, thanks to an extensive renovation that was recently completed.

The boutique-style space, infused with gold and grey tones, exudes luxury. It was created by Victoria designer Ivan Meade.

“This has just been a progression of 22 years of building and aiming towards a desire and a passion to have a beautiful store.

That takes money and that takes time,” Geoffrey says. “I’ve just built things up over the years at a pace that’s comfortable, but there have been challenges at times.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the most recent challenge to navigate, even though the high-end jewellery market hasn’t taken the financial hit that’s impacted the bottom line of many other sectors.

“Our industry, as a whole, has been very fortunate because people haven’t been travelling and [so] they’ve been spending,” Geoffrey explains. “We’ve all had to work within new constraints, but I don’t think I’m alone in saying there are a lot of pluses that have come from it—one of them being that we’ve been able to regulate the flow of traffic in the store with appointments, and that’s been a big benefit because I sometimes feel pulled in all directions.”

Over the years, Geoffrey says, his biggest mistake was worrying too much, since “a lot of what you perceive to be problems are often magnified in your mind.”

“I look back on the times I was worried—my rent went up a lot

anything but standard

furniture • mattresses • décor 758 CLOVERDALE AVENUE | WWW.STANDARDFURNITURE.CA | 250-384-5263

“This has just been a progression of 22 years of building and aiming towards a desire and a passion to have a beautiful store…I’ve just built things up over the years at a pace that’s comfortable, but there have been challenges at times.”

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and that caused me to worry, and then I expanded to two levels instead of one and I was concerned about that. But if I could have not worried as much about the decisions I made and trusted that I was following my gut, I might have not had as much anxiety about the business. Generally, when you follow your gut you get it right.”

Geoffrey says the challenging times have taught him to be resilient, pointing out that you don’t learn as much when the times are good.

“The learning or growing pains or whatever it is—that’s actually what gives you confidence going forward. We’ve had these major events along the way, like the tech crash and 2008, and when you know you were able to get through it and be okay, that just gives you more faith in the future going forward.”

The future of this successful family business includes Chris, who does the books, and the couple’s daughter, Danielle Beattie, who started working at the store when she was 15 years old. Danielle didn’t think it would be her career but, like her dad, she’s found her passion.

“I really like the connection you get with people and I just love jewellery, too—that’s probably been ingrained into me!” laughs Danielle. “I feel very fortunate that we have the kind of relationship where we’re able to do that because we’re together all the time.”

For Geoffrey, it all comes down to doing what you love.

“I think you have to be very passionate about what you do because you are going to come across times of struggle, and when you know what you’re doing is what you believe in and enjoy, that helps you get through it.”

Happy Holidays!

618 Broughton Street I 778 406 1600 I bagheeravictoria.ca

fashion

Levity

Roswell Noble pink coat ($179.99) by Ayrtight from Turnabout Luxury Resale; bone blade earrings ($79) by Hamimi from ASRI Boutique and Spa. Balloons were provided by Wishes the Party Store (wishesthepartystore.ca) and I Dream in Decor (idreamindecor.com), both in Victoria.

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Emerging from the darkness is a return to playfulness and a spirited lightness of being. Fashion’s inner child has come out to play, and we’re seeing whimsical detailing, such as lively prints, puffed sleeves, oversized bows, ruffles upon ruffles and exaggerated collars. Delight in the lighthearted, express your sense of humour and play with your loved ones wholeheartedly.

PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE STYLING SARAH D’ARCEY + JEN EVANS

DECEMBER 2021/JANUARY 2 02 2

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Alexander McQueen papercut puff sleeve cotton midi dress ($5,470) from Nordstrom Canada.

Dress made from Victoria-based Bast Fibre Technologies, using environmentally sustainable nonwoven fabric by London, England-based fashion designer and artist Anna Stephenson in partnership with Canopy. Dress was made to raise awareness about the environmental impact of the fashion industry (see story, page 122).

On Riza (left): Off-shoulder dress ($59.99) by En Saison from Turnabout Luxury Resale; “Stella” loafer ($329) by Flattered from Still Life Boutique; crochet drop earrings ($79) by Hamimi from ASRI Boutique and Spa; “Ambrosia” necklace in rhyolite ($525) by Ulla Johnson from Bernstein & Gold; socks from Aritzia.

On Ženija: Zimmermann Rhythm Poppy cuout long puff sleeve dress ($2,650) from Nordstrom Canada; Steve Madden Malvern black loafer ($100) from Nordstrom Canada; socks from Aritzia; crochet drop earrings ($79) by Hamimi from ASRI Boutique and Spa.

Dress ($2,930)

by Simone Rocha from Nordstrom Canada.

On Riza (left): “Aidan” cardigan ($889) by Ulla Johnson from Bernstein & Gold; beige fur ankle boots ($249.99)

by Collection Privée from Turnabout Luxury Resale; bone blade earrings ($79) by Hamimi from ASRI Boutique and Spa. On Ženija: “Emmy” cardigan ($645) by Ulla Johnson from Bernstein & Gold; Smythe metallic a-line midi dress ($595) from Nordstrom; Zara sock-style ankle boots ($99).

Makeup and hair by Jen Clark | Models: Riza Hoskins and Ženija Esmits.

Photographed on location at the soon-to-be new home of Thomas & Birch Kitchen.

To the home, with love Gift each room of the house with these stand-out pieces

BY JANE ZATYLNY

These days, we are all spending more time close to home. Show your house a little love this holiday season by updating one room or more with one of these unique home gift suggestions.

Show your house a little love this holiday season by updating one room or more with one of these unique home gift suggestions.

SHOPS AT THE EMPRESS

OFFERING QUALITY GIFTS SINCE 1981

FOR THE DINING ROOM: CH24 Wishbone Chair We’re spending a lot more time around our dining room tables these days. Why not refresh the heart of your home by replacing your dining room chairs?

With its steam-bent tubular top, Y-shaped back and hand-woven seats, the CH24 Wishbone Chair complements any décor and never goes out of style. Designed by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn in Denmark, the chair has been in continuous production since 1950.

More than 100 steps are required to manufacture each of these lightweight chairs, most of which are performed by hand. You can choose from 52 different variations.

Every year, to mark Wegner’s birthday, Carl Hansen also introduces a new CH24 version. This year’s reddish-brown chairs are constructed from sustainably sourced mahogany and given a high gloss finish.

Located in the Fairmont Empress Hotel SHOPSATTHEEMPRESS.COM 250-385-2184

$1,375 per chair // carlhansen.com

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FOR THE LIVING ROOM: The Frame Television

by Samsung Ah, the television. A necessary evil for most of us, but oh so unattractive.

Samsung has a beautiful solution: The Frame television. The Frame looks like a TV when it’s turned on and a piece of art when it’s powered down. You can choose artworks to display from the Samsung Collection (available via subscription) or upload your own artwork. Available in 43-, 50-, 55- , 65- and 75-inch models, The Frame Art Mode 4K Smart TV offers two styles of bezel options in a variety of colours. A magnetic application allows you to easily switch between different colours and styles.

The Frame’s wall mount installation brings it flush against the wall, like a real frame, while a five-metre-long translucent cable provides for uncluttered storage of your TV accessories.

Hidden in plain view, your television will beautifully fade into the background. $1,399 to $3,999 // samsung.ca

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FOR THE KITCHEN:

FOR THE BEDROOM:

Thermomix TM6

Bella Notte Linens

At first glance, you may think, “Big deal.

It’s a blender that makes soup.” And that’s true, the Thermomix TM6 does make soup. The difference is, it all happens right in its sleek, stainless steel blender jar.

The Thermomix chops and sautés vegetables, cooks, then blends your soup with its blade attachment. With its 24 different cooking functions, you can also steam whisk, caramelize, brown, chop, steam, blend, boil, knead, emulsify and much more.

The Thermomix is outfitted with two steamer baskets, a small one that fits inside the blender bowl and a larger one that rests atop its powerful blender. There’s a builtin scale, so you can add ingredients by weight, and an internal processor that powers an online platform of more than 70,000 guided recipes. Each one is preset, step by step, with time, temperature and speed—great for beginners or anyone who wants an extra pair of helping hands in the kitchen. $2,099 // thermomix.ca

Could there be a better time to re-feather your nest? I think not.

These sumptuous Bella Notte bed linens beautifully fit the bill with their understated beauty and luxury. The company responsibly sources its luscious fabrics from around the world and uses low impact, hand-mixed dyes and finishes.

The regal ensemble shown here, new for fall 2021, includes the Ines mid-weight linen queen duvet cover in fig with cotton embroidery; the Luna Queen silk and linen coverlet in fig; the Harlow Deluxe cotton velvet sham in fig with silk charmeuse trim; the Silk Velvet quilted deluxe sham in cenote; the Ines linen standard sham in fig with cotton embroidery; and the Carmen silk velvet deluxe sham in honeycomb (on chair).

As old Hollywood glamorous as they may be, these linens are easy to care for: even the silks and velvets are washable at home.

From $254-$509 for a sham to $1,584 for the coverlet and $1,005 for the duvet cover. // bellanottelinens.com

Mel Lingerie a boutique shop offering high end lingerie and sleepwear.

We are excited to present the following brands: Simone Pérèle Commando | Cosabella Mey | Hanky Panky Journelle | SAXX

778-406-0055 640 Fort Street, Victoria mellingerie.ca

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FOR THE OFFICE: Ergonofis Alive Standing Desk You may have considered bringing a standing desk into your home office.

Trouble is, most of them look like they’re only fit for an office environment.

The Alive model from Quebec company Ergonofis is the exception.

Available in maple or walnut, each of these desks has a beautiful live edge and is assembled from four to nine wood slabs with a solid surface thickness of approximately five centimetres (two inches). The adjustable standing frame has two motors, an inlay touch screen and a 300-pound lifting capacity; heights vary between 58 centimetres (23 inches) to 121 centimetres (48 inches). Choose a work top in a range of sizes and a black or white frame.

A 10-year warranty adds to the appeal of this beautiful standing desk. $2,995-$4,495// ergonofis.com

FOR THE BATHROOM: Native Trails Santorini Bathtub If you’re like me, you often retreat to the bath to relax and unwind. If your traditional tub no longer leads you to nirvana, you may wish to consider installing a free-standing soaking tub like this beauty from California-based Native Trails.

The gleaming, hand-hammered Santorini tub is artisan-crafted following fair-trade practices. Forged from high-quality, recycled copper, the tub was designed with graceful lines and a stunning pedestal base. It measures 1.6 metres (66 inches) long by 82 centimetres (32.5 inches) wide and 61 centimetres (24 inches) deep, and is also available in brushed nickel or antique copper. $14,600 to $21,719 //nativetrailshome.com

Jordan Dunn 250-213-9107 | Cameron Dunn 250-886-1981 dunnbrothersdrywall@gmail.com

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FOR THE GARAGE:

FOR THE WORKSHOP:

Canadian Tire MAXIMUM Tool Cabinet

Lee Valley Sjöbergs Apartment Workbench

With more time at home, perhaps you’ve noticed that your tools are not as organized as they could be. This 10-drawer MAXIMUM cabinet can take care of that.

The chest has a sleek, fingerprint-resistant, stainless steel finish and is covered by a three-centimetre (1.15inch) thick butcher block work surface.

With its two swivel casters with locks, two fixed casters and a side handle, you can roll this chest around your garage with ease. The lockable drawers are fitted with rubber liners to protect your tools and the drawers themselves. The chest is 142 centimetres (56 inches) wide and can support 1,200 pounds; the drawers each hold 100 pounds.

It’s just a beauty of a tool chest that some reviewers are also using as a kitchen island.

Whether you downsized and said “so long” to your workshop or just need a companion to your full-sized bench, this attractive, compact workbench from Lee Valley has you covered.

Made in Sweden from oil-finished European beech, the Sjöbergs Apartment Workbench offers up a work surface that measures 107 centimetres (3.5 feet) long by 49 centimetres (1.5 feet) wide and 2.5 centimetres (one inch) thick.

Small but mighty, the workbench stands 90 centimetres (three feet) tall and is held together solidly with lag bolts. The pair of vises have Acme-threaded screws and double-guide rods to help minimize jaw racking. The bench top has been drilled with a grid pattern of dog holes so you can easily choose how you wish to position your work. Best of all, the Sjöbergs Apartment Workbench is quick to assemble and knock down. $999 // leevalley.com

$1,499.99 // canadiantire.ca

Let’s Build Your Home

Together

250.888.8209 whitewolfhomes.ca

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VICTORIA’S FINEST REAL ESTATE

L U X U R Y AT YO U R D O O R S T E P

546 Taylor Road Metchosin, BC $10,600,000

Luxury Farm Estate on 18 acres of Oceanfront property. Private sanctuary allows a self-sufficient lifestyle. Updated main home is a renovated 1930 farmhouse, offering 4 beds, with an additional 1 bed suite below and a 2 bedroom barn for guests. Outside, resort style living, with 550 feet of low bank shoreline, expansive patios, gardens, walking trails, fruit trees and more. One of a kind opportunity!.

309 Sutil Point Road Cortes Island, BC $7,499,000

This property is the jewel of Cortes Island, with 120 acres of Oceanfront and mature second-growth forest. This unique estate is the embodiment of natural luxury, and offers resort-style living year round. Expansive wrap-around deck, with multiple access points & covered sections. Walls of glass frame sweeping ocean & garden vistas. Private staircase leads to sandy beaches.

Separate 2 bedroom cottage for guests.

1563 Mt Newton Cross Road Victoria, BC $4,900,000

Escape to your 30 acre self-sustainable hobby farm situated in the Saanich Peninsula. This lavish estate is the perfect union of rustic and natural elements with modern comforts. Over 6,000 sq ft of stunning interior space, with outdoor spaces offering patios, fireplace, hot tub and gazebo. Epitome of farm to table living with a large greenhouse, garden beds and Quonset hut allowing for produce production year round.

735 Humboldt Street, Victoria BC, Canada V8W 1B1

The local real estate agent with the international network: vi.evcanada.com Scott Piercy, Private Office Advisor Personal Real Estate Corporation 250-686-7789 scott.piercy@evcanada.com www.luxurybchomes.com victoria.evcanada.com

1004/1005 100 Saghalie Road Victoria, BC $3,100,000

Executive, custom designed penthouse suite in the highly sought after Bayview One. This 3 bed, 3 bath 2,000+ square foot residence is appointed with the highest quality finishings and the most spectacular views of the ocean, mountains and downtown Victoria. Building amenities include a gym, spa, steam rooms, business centre, meeting rooms, outdoor lounge, bbq and firepit and more!

8520 Ballenas Place North Saanich, BC $1,899,000

Stunning North Saanich Estate has been masterfully renovated. Situated in Dean Park on a quiet cul-de-sac.

Designer interior capitalizes on the breathtaking ocean & mountain views.

A newly renovated gourmet kitchen and adjacent dining/living room accommodates large gatherings. 3 large bedrooms, with the primary having its own private balcony. 0.35 acre property is beautifully landscaped with multiple decks.

1103 777 Herald Street Victoria, BC $1,095,000

Epitome of luxury urban living! Walls of glass frame ocean, mountain & city views in this 2 bed, 2 bath unit in the prestigious Hudson One. Desirable open living plan with overheight ceilings and high-end designer finishes throughout. Sun-drenched balcony offers sweeping harbour & city skylines.

Building amenities at the Hudson One include indoor/outdoor lounges, games room, guest suite, fitness centre and more!

2249 Oak Bay Avenue, Victoria BC, Canada V8R 1G4

The local real estate agent with the international network: vi.evcanada.com James LeBlanc, Private Office Advisor Personal Real Estate Corporation 250-812-7212 james.leblanc@evcanada.com www.luxurybchomes.com victoria.evcanada.com

4823 MA JOR ROAD SE C ORDOVA BAY | $ 8,688,000 7 BEDS | 8 BAT HS | 7,896 SQ . F T. | 37,026 SQ . F T. LOT

3350 WE ALD ROAD OB UPL A NDS | $ 5, 4 85,000

7 BEDS | 8 BAT HS | 5,705 SQ . F T. | 17,727 SQ . F T. LOT

JASON BINAB

JASON.BINAB@THE AGENCYRE.COM 778.265.5552 PERSONAL RE AL ES TATE C ORP OR ATION

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4948 NAGLE ROAD | SK E A S T SOOK E | $ 3,500,000 4 BEDS | 7 B AT HS | 6, 294 SQ . F T. | 2.92 ACRE LOT

3605 CA DB ORO BAY ROA D | OB UPL A NDS | $ 3,500,000 5 BEDS | 7 B AT HS | 6,827 SQ . F T. | 18,182 SQ . F T. LOT

1702-989 JOHNSON S TREE T | VI DOW N TOW N | $1,995,000

2201-2829 ARBUTUS RD | SE T EN MIL E P OIN T | $1, 275,000

3 BEDS | 3 B AT HS | 1,807 SQ . F T.

PENDING

2 BEDS | 2 B AT HS | 2,135 SQ . F T.

PENDING

835 PEMBER TON ROAD | VI ROCK L A ND OFFERED AT $ 4, 295,000

127 BARKLE Y TERR ACE | OB GONZ ALES OFFERED AT $ 3,500,000

SOLD

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2279 DALHOUSIE S TREE T | OB HENDERSON SOL D FOR $ 2, 400,000

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1205 HE WLE T T PL ACE | OB SOU T H OA K B AY SOL D FOR $ 2,700,000

THE AGENCYRE.COM/BC 101-960 YATES STREE T, VICTORIA BRITISH COLUMBIA V8V 3M3 AN INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED LICENSEE OF UMRO REALTY CORP

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Deluxe Estate Home Deluxe Estate Home

1700 Mt. Newton Cross Road, Victoria, BC $8,900,000 1700 Cross Mount Road, Victoria, PerchedMt. highNewton above the coveted Newton Valley, BC Belvoir $8,900,000 Hall offers stunning westerly views from its magical 20-acre vantage point. Custom built in 2003, this Regency-style offers more than 17,000 sq. ft.Belvoir of European luxury design.westerly The partially property itself perfectly to future wine-growing, Perched high abovehome the coveted Mount Newton Valley, Hall offers stunning viewssloping from its magicallends 20-acre vantage point.

Custom built in 2003, agri-tourism or spectacular equestrian estate. this Regency-style home offers more than 17,000 sq. ft. of European luxury design. The partially sloping property lends itself perfectly to future wine-growing, agri-tourism or spectacular equestrian estate.

554 Beach Drive, Oak Bay, BC

Captivating Views Captivating Views $3,300,000

554 Beach Drive, Oakresidence Bay, BC $3,300,000 Overlooking McNeil Bay, this boasts one of Victoria’s most picturesque settings. An McNeil entertainer’s delight, the 3,026 sq.ft. has 3 gas fireplaces and Overlooking Bay, this residence boasts onehome of Victoria’s most picturesque includes An an entertainer’s elevator for ease of access from thehome spacious level double settings. delight, the 3,026 sq.ft. has 3street gas fireplaces and garage toan theelevator primaryfor bedroom its far-reaching views. street level double includes ease ofwith access from the spacious garage to the primary bedroom with its far-reaching views.

4035 Locarno Lane, Victoria, BC 4035 Locarno Lane, Victoria, BC This incredible 6,044 sq.ft. custom home snugs

Oceanfront Oasis Oceanfront Oasis $8,880,000

$8,880,000 the rocky shoreline sending sounds of the ocean the shore & refreshing across itssending bow. It This incredible 6,044lapping sq.ft. custom home snugs thebreezes rocky shoreline offers 300 degrees uninterrupted ocean & island vistas from a private gated sounds of the oceanoflapping the shore & refreshing breezes across its bow.

It 1 acre. Five ensuite bedrooms are&located acrossfrom 2 wings for privacy. offers 300 substantial degrees of uninterrupted ocean island vistas a private gated 1 acre. Five substantial ensuite bedrooms are located across 2 wings for privacy.

“We believe every home is “We believe every home is a mansion regardless of a mansion regardless of size, location or price.” size, location or price.”

Kirsten Kirsten MacLeod Sales Associate MacLeod

Shaelyn Shaelyn Mattix Sales Associate Mattix

Glynis Glynis MacLeod Personal Real Estate Corporation MacLeod

Sales Associate

Sales Associate

Personal Real Estate Corporation

250.686.3385 250.686.3385

250.908.0184 250.908.0184

250.661.7232 250.661.7232

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MACLEOD-GROUP.COM SOTHEBYSREALTY.CA/MACLEOD-GROUP MACLEOD-GROUP.COM SOTHEBYSREALTY.CA/MACLEOD-GROUP Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, Independently Owned and Operated. E.&O.E.: This information is from sources which we deem reliable, but must be verified by prospective Purchasers and may be subject to change or withdrawal. Not intended to solicit properties already under agreement.

Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, Independently Owned and Operated. E.&O.E.: This information is from sources which we deem reliable, but must be verified by prospective Purchasers and may be subject to change or withdrawal. Not intended to solicit properties already under agreement.

KRISTA V AND MARK G TEAM

Krista Voitchovsky, Real Estate Advisor 250-888-3256 | krista@kristav.ca

Mark Gutknecht, Real Estate Advisor 250-880-1000 | mark.gutknecht@engelvoelkers.com www.kristavmarkg.ca

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Our team strives to provide outstanding customer service from the outset of every client relationship. Our clients are our business, and since every client has unique needs, we tailor our services on the individual level to ensure their needs are met. This is all done with complete Passion, Competence, and Exclusivity. Here is what some of our happy clients had to say:

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‘We had the good fortune of retaining Krista Voitchovsky and her son Mark, with Engel and Voelkers to professionally guide us through the sale of a home very special to us. A great deal of attention was paid to the listing composition which resulted in many showings for a niche market home. We highly recommend consideration of their services.’

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Happy New Year Here’s to a Peaceful Holiday Season and a Brighter, Healthier New Year Ahead.

It’s been a year like no other –

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P E N D I N G

food and feast

Nutcracker Unshelling a long-loved ingredient WORDS ELLIE SHORTT PHOTOGRAPHY DON DENTON

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M

y sincere apologies to all the readers with nut allergies, but I’m taking a deeper dive into one of my favourite ingredients. Not only are nuts nutritional powerhouses, they’re eternally versatile, providing unparalleled texture, flavour and nuance to any number of dishes.

Salads, stuffing, meatloaves, cookies, crumbles, cakes and muffins are all enhanced by a nutty crunch. Nuts can be made into non-dairy “milk” and “cheese,” and blend beautifully into buttery spreads. You can finely grind them for a moist and flavourful flour option, or elevate an otherwise tiresome cut of meat or slab of fish with an elegant nut-based crust. Even just cosying up with a blanket on a dark and stormy evening as you crack open shelled nuts offers the most satisfying wintertime activity.

Nuts have been a staple in the human diet for centuries. A recent archeological dig in Israel found evidence that nuts were a major part of the human diet as far back as 780,000 years ago. Seven varieties of nuts, including almond, water chestnut, acorn and pistachio, as well as stone tools to crack open the nuts, were found buried deep in a bog.

Fascinatingly, the varieties of pistachios and water chestnuts discovered are similar to those grown in the Middle East and Northern Europe today. Even more interesting is that the practices of making nut flours and butters seem to have been popular in these ancient times throughout the world.

The Greeks and Romans were fond of the walnut, considered food for the gods. Walnuts were also used for oil and sometimes powdered into a thickening ingredient, used like cornstarch is today.

The pecan, which is native to North America, was a staple of Indigenous diets. In fact, remains of pecans along with human artifacts dating back to 6100 BCE were found in archeological excavations in Texas.

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Many of us associate the macadamia nut with Hawaii, but it actually originated in the rain forests of Australia, and was brought to Hawaii in the late 19th century. Similarly, the cashew nut is native to Brazil but has been widely cultivated in India and Africa since the 16th century. The Brazil nut is in fact native to South America. Brazil nuts are actually large seeds with 15 to 30 pieces arranged in a pod much like the sections of an orange. The first written reference of the Brazil nut dates to 1569 when a Spanish colonial officer collected thousands to feed his troops.

Written documentation of the hazelnut goes back much farther than that. A manuscript found in China from the year 2838 BCE places the hazelnut among the five sacred nourishments God bestowed on humans. Perhaps the oldest nut variety is almonds, mentioned in the Torah as one of the earliest cultivated foods.

One thing I’m always aware of, though, when thinking about, eating and cooking with nuts, is how easily accessible they now are, yet many of us are disconnected with how they arrive on our plate. If we had to cultivate, collect and shell every single nut ourselves (let alone grind it into flour or blend it into butter), it’s likely I wouldn’t be writing an entire piece on cooking with nuts.

Each nut packs such a punch that from a nutritional perspective, we don’t need to be gobbling them down by the bucketful to reap the benefits. And when it comes to making special dishes like some of the ones shown here, keep in mind that they ought to be just that—special. Make them, enjoy them, share them with friends and family, but simultaneously think about where in the world these ingredients were grown.

Reflect on the fact that a tough shell encapsulated their beautiful flavours, brilliant textures and bountiful nutritional benefits, and then had to be cracked open without ruining the jewel within. Marvel over how many nuts it took to make that cup of flour or litre of milk. And as you do, smile at the fact that humans have been honouring and enjoying nuts in these many forms and uses for hundreds of thousands of years.

No wonder they’re one of my favourite ingredients; it seems it’s in my DNA.

Winter Salad with Pomegranates and Maple Candied Walnuts This salad can be served as a seasonal side, but is also special enough to be enjoyed as a feature dish. If you have a time crunch (no pun intended), you can of course skip candying the walnuts, and simply toss them on raw—I promise it’s (almost) just as good!

Prep time: 15 minutes Makes 4 servings Ingredients 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp pure maple syrup Cinnamon, clove and ginger (just a pinch of each) Sea salt (also just a pinch) 1 cup raw walnuts 2-3 medium oranges, sliced (I used a combination of blood and navel) ½ cup pomegranate seeds 1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced 94

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Winter Salad.

½ cup crumbled goat feta 3 loose cups baby arugula 3 loose cups baby kale

water?

For the balsamic fig dressing…

1 ⁄3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice (I prefer to use the blood orange for this) 1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tsp fig preserve 1 tbsp shallot, finely minced 1 loose tbsp fresh thyme leaves Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions Heat a small pan on low heat and add in 1 tbsp of olive oil, followed by the maple syrup, spices, salt and walnuts. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from heat and let the walnuts sit for another few minutes while they cool and harden, and then set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients (this can also be done in a small blender) and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, toss the kale, arugula and fennel in the dressing (add the dressing bit by bit until it’s to your liking) and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Artfully arrange the orange slices, top with the pomegranate seeds, followed by the feta and finally the walnuts.

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Sweet & Savoury Spiced Nuts This is my favourite holiday gift go-to. I make up big batches, divvy it out into jars and adorn the jars with festive trimmings.

It’s always a hit, and friends and family say how much they love having it on hand to offer guests, dress up their charcuterie boards, crumble onto salads or just munch on throughout the cold wintry months.

Prep time: 2 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Makes 2 ½ cups Ingredients 1 large egg white ¼ cup cane sugar ½ tsp sea salt ½ tsp chili powder ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper ¼ tsp ground allspice 1 tsp ground cinnamon 2 ½ cups assorted nuts (shown here with macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios and almonds) Unsalted butter or olive oil for greasing Directions Preheat oven to 300 F and lightly grease a baking sheet. Beat the egg white until soft and foamy.

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Sweet & Savoury Spiced Nuts.

A NEW BOOK

Combine all remaining ingredients, except for the nuts, and whisk together with the egg white. Stir the mixture with the nuts until well coated, and spread it in a single layer onto the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from the oven. Toss, stir and separate the nuts.

Bake again until lightly browned, about 10 more minutes.

Remove from oven, toss and stir again, and place the baking sheet on wire rack to cool (they will crisp as they cool).

by Boulevard Editor Susan Lundy

Pistachio Crusted Lamb Chops Crusting your meat, poultry or fish is a fantastic way to take it up a notch for a little dinner party with friends. While this dish seems fancy, don’t be intimidated. It’s actually quite easy and even saves you the step of making a mint sauce or something similar to serve with the lamb, as the crust provides all the additional flavour and flair you’ll need!

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Makes 4 servings Ingredients 2 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for greasing) 1 tsp sea salt ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

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Pistachio Crusted Lamb Chops.

with olive oil. Combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, mustard, parsley, mint and garlic in a food processor and pulse until everything is thoroughly combined. Add in the pistachios and pulse until they’re finely chopped. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg whites. Pat each lamb chop dry, dip one in the egg mixture, shake off the excess and then coat it with the pistachio mixture before transferring it to the wired rack. Repeat with all the remaining lamb chops. Roast for about 15 minutes until the pistachio crust is just starting to brown and the meat is medium or medium-rare (remember that it will keep cooking slightly as it sets).

1 tsp grainy mustard ¼ cup parsley leaves ¼ cup mint leaves 1 clove of garlic ½ cup raw pistachios 2 large egg whites 8 lamb chops Directions Preheat your oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place a wired rack on top of it and lightly brush it

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Kelowna

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• Nanaimo • Courtenay • Campbell • Nelson • Courtenay • Campbell • Port Kamloops River Victoria •• Victoria Nanaimo River Hardy

Cashew Nut Nog Thick, fluffy, creamy and rich—even if you enjoy the traditional nog ingredients of eggs and cream, you still might find this option preferable simply for the fact that it’s so easy and quick to make. Add in a shot or two of rum for some festive cheer or steam it into a luxurious latte.

Ingredients 1 cup raw cashews 1 400-ml can full fat coconut milk 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground nutmeg ¼ tsp ground ginger 1 ⁄8 tsp ground star anise Directions Soak the cashews overnight in a sealable glass container with some warm water and a pinch of sea salt.

In the morning, drain, thoroughly rinse and combine in a blender with the other ingredients. Blend on high until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as you go. This may take a few minutes, so be patient. Top with a bit of freshly grated nutmeg and enjoy! * Can be stored in the fridge for up to a week

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Chocolate Hazelnut Pear Cake This may be one of my favourite cakes. It’s light yet moist, decadent but not overly rich, and it can feel homey and rustic or special and sophisticated, depending on how you present and serve it. I know the separation of whites and yolks can feel a bit fussy, but I promise it’s worth it. And as with most of my recipes, it can also be adapted; for example, there’s such a small amount of traditional flour, you can easily sub it with your go-to gluten-free blend.

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 30-40 minutes Makes about 6 servings Ingredients ½ cup butter (plus extra for greasing) ½ cup dark chocolate chips 1 tbsp brandy 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup finely ground hazelnuts (or store-bought hazelnut flour) ¼ cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ tsp sea salt 3 large eggs, separated 1 ⁄3 cup maple syrup 2 ripe pears, thinly sliced ¼ cup roughly chopped hazelnuts Icing sugar and whipped cream, for topping Directions In a small saucepan on low heat, melt the butter and add in the chocolate chips, stirring constantly until fully melted. Set aside, allowing to cool before stirring in the brandy and vanilla extract.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a 9-inch spring- form pan with parchment paper, and grease the edges with butter. In a large bowl, combine the ground hazelnuts, flour, baking pow- der, baking soda and salt. Using an electric mixer or by hand, beat together the egg yolks and maple syrup until the mixture is light, smooth and somewhat thickened (1-2 minutes), then stir in the chocolate mix and set aside.

Using an electric mixer or by hand (with a clean bowl and whisk), beat the egg whites until peaks start to form,

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Chocolate Hazelnut Pear Cake.

but it’s not overly stiff. Fold the chocolate mix into the dry mix until fully integrated. Then fold in the egg whites, until they too are integrated (keep in mind you don’t want to over-mix here).

Transfer the batter to your prepared pan, gently smoothing out the surface with a spatula, artfully arrange the pear slices and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts.

Place it in the oven (I personally like to put it on a baking sheet as well, as it’s easier to grasp), and bake for 30-40 minutes (a knife or toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean).

Allow the cake to cool fully before removing it from the springform pan.

Dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream.

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Chace Whitson

is on Track Fundraising is hard work.

Asking for money and staying positive is challenging, unless you’re passionate about a project.

Fortunately for Parkland Secondary School and the Saanich Peninsula community, Chace Whitson is passionate about replacing the school track.

BY JANE MUNDY | PHOTOS BY DON DENTON

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THE PARKLAND TRACK CAMPAIGN A STATEMENT FROM LIZANNE CHICANOT, former principal at Parkland Secondary School The Saanich Peninsula Memorial Park Society, in collaboration with the Saanich School District and Parkland Secondary School, has been working for the past five years in support of a plan to replace the deteriorating Parkland track which was installed in 1986.

The track is situated on land owned by the Memorial Park Society and leased by the Saanich School District. It is used regularly by both the school and community for multiple events.

We are very grateful for the support of the Memorial Park Society board and the Saanich Board of Education, without which we could not have undertaken this project. We are also very heartened and grateful for the support of the Town of Sidney and the District of North Saanich, which has helped make this a true community project. Many community members have also recognized the significance of this facility and have contributed to our fundraising effort.

Every donation, no matter the amount, has helped us get to where we are today. This past spring, local businessperson Chace Whitson (a Parkland graduate) joined our fundraising team and encouraged many of his business colleagues to make contributions resulting in this project getting even closer to its fundraising goal. What an inspiration he has been! We are very excited to be on our way towards our fundraising goal and are so thankful for all the support we have received.

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ON TRACK FOR A NEW TRACK Chace Whitson knows first-hand the satisfaction of reaching a goal, not to mention the impact it can have on both family and community. So using his many connections as a realtor in the Peninsula, he decided to organize a fundraising drive to replace the track at Parkland Secondary School.

“It feels good to give back and set an example for my kids. I’m proud of this opportunity to raise funds for the track,” says Chace.

Having grown up on the Saanich Peninsula, he participated in Peninsula Track and Field before enrolling at Parkland. For many years, Chace ran on the track—which was installed in1986—that he is now helping to replace.

“I taught my three kids to ride their bikes on this track and here their training wheels came off,” he quips. “Now we go there together—they play and I run the loop.”

A six-lane rubber track doesn’t last forever. As it started to deteriorate, the rubber chipped away and holes developed. Rather than continuously patching

DECEMBER 2021/JANUARY 2 02 2

it, Chace says, the entire track will be excavated and removed, clearing the way for a new layer of asphalt and rubber on top. As well, the field inside the track will have new drainage. The price tag is $600,000.

Cha-ching. Chace knew what he was getting into before embarking on his fundraising campaign, and he also knew that stakeholders had a long way to go.

He noticed previous fundraising plans weren’t gaining much momentum and realized that he could help by reaching out to his extensive network.

“I took the initiative and expressed to the school principal my interest in partnering with the Saanich Peninsula Memorial Park Society, the Saanich School District and Parkland Secondary School,” says Chace.

Chace’s passion rubs off on people.

“I express to my associates—all of whom are actively conducting business on the Saanich Peninsula—what this project means to the community,” he says. “Nobody has asked, ‘What is in it for me?’ Instead, everyone has been selfless in their contributions.”

CHALLENGES Community and school budgets often get cut, sometimes resulting in going without or participating in activities that were once available but are now pared down. And fundraising often falls on teachers and community volunteers, who face a steep learning curve without experience.

“We started this never-ending project about 15 years ago but couldn’t get the ball rolling,” says Lizanne Chicanot, former principal at Parkland.

At first, they aimed to raise over $800,000 to build an eight-lane track, but that amount of money wasn’t feasible.

Six lanes was more realistic.

Lizanne explains other challenges emerged, such as the land itself: the track is situated on property owned by the Memorial Park Society and leased by the Saanich School District. As well, the Saanich Peninsula Memorial Park Society, in collaboration with the Saanich School District and Parkland Secondary School, has been working for the past five years in support of a plan to replace the deteriorating track—and dealing with multiple boards can be complicated.

And then COVID-19 hit.

But the pandemic brought more people to the track; they wanted to be safe and active outside. Many elderly people use the track and others go there to walk and jog at the same time every day. As well, athletes in the area train there—only about 50 per cent of users are from Parkland so it really is about community.

CAMPAIGN GETS TRACTION “We planned student fundraising concerts and other events, but rather than put the track on the back burner we decided to forge ahead with marketing and advertising plans and the school district committed $300,000—so we did get some traction—pun intended,” says Lizanne, laughing.

Officially launched in October 2020, the campaign saw slow and steady progress—until Chace came on board and kicked it into high gear.

“When Chace first asked me and Lizanne if we needed help it was so uplifting and heartening,” says Brad Edgett, executive director with the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney.

“Chace wanted to donate money but more importantly, he galvanized support.”

Brad adds: “We had already contacted some people but it’s not easy without a personal connection or familiarity with the project—and Chace had both; he was able to reach people that weren’t on our radar. The momentum he brought to the project was critical.

“Chace is genuine. He articulates well the benefits of the project and adds credibility and that’s why he is successful—both as a realtor and as a fundraiser.”

Chace says this project has been a great opportunity to teach his kids the importance of giving. And raising funds for the track has allowed his kids and everyone who uses the track to feel a sense of ownership.

“Growing up here, I have a really great understanding of the communities, the amenities, the beaches, the parks, the school system and I’ve always loved it,” Chace says. “I’ll never leave! The Peninsula has everything.”

The Parkland track campaign is slated to finish by the end of 2021 and the organizers expect to break ground in the spring of 2022.

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Meet some of the donors:

Rendering courtesy Harris Dodge

CRAIG SABOURIN of Harris Dodge “This project is personal for me. I was born and raised on the Peninsula and have many memories of track meets as a kid. From a business standpoint, we are fortunate to serve a community that comprises our employees and their families and a large portion of our customer base, so when Chace asked me to donate I said, ‘You can absolutely count on us.’ My family has used this track for many years and now it will be used by generations to come.”

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KYLE VELIKOVSKY of White Wolf Homes Ltd. “We live and do business on the Peninsula, so it’s important to give back to the community that supports us. Personally, I was a competitive athlete—I raced triathlon from 2014 until 2019.

So as my kids get older (they are ages five and six), I spend more time with them running or biking around the track.

Whether they attend a track meet and/or Parkland school, I think they will also benefit from the new track.

“I’ve known Chace for many years and I know he is doing this solely for those who will benefit from the track.

And having this exposure puts faces to supporters— hopefully it will motivate more people to donate.”

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EMREH ERDEM of Erdem Excavating Ltd. “I was born and raised on the Peninsula and went to Parkland Secondary School.

My company does a lot of work in North Saanich, so giving back is a big deal. Being part of this community means a lot and it’s a big deal for both my family and company to rally together because sports and athletics are part of our core values. It looks like my kids will be following the same path as I did—they will use the track along with their friends and generations to come.”

Emreh is donating-in-kind by bringing in equipment to excavate and haul away the old track. He figures it will take four guys working from seven to 10 days to make a blank slate for the new surface.

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GREG DICKINSON of Van Isle Marina “One of our corporate values is to be active partners in our community.

Contributing towards new infrastructure is important to us because it can benefit people in the local community for many, many years. We strongly believe in our social responsibility, and the marina is pleased to help support the campaign to replace the track.”

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GRAEME MANN of GT Mann Contracting Ltd. “GT Mann has been building homes on the Saanich Peninsula for 12 years; it is a beautiful place and we feel fortunate to work in this community. I also feel fortunate to call the Saanich Peninsula home.

I have always had a passion for sports, and my wife and I strongly believe in the positive impact that sports has on kids. So we are thankful for the opportunity to give back to such a good cause. We are looking forward to seeing this take shape!”

A special thanks to all who have donated to the Parkland Track Campaign.

For more information, or to donate, please visit: parklandtrack2021.com 110

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Goodbye reality, hello Vegas Explore this city of lights without even stepping into a casino

BY LAUREN KRAMER

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Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart.

If there’s one city that’s always finding new ways to be risqué and outrageously provocative, it’s Las Vegas, a place that reinvents itself almost as fast as the coins that slip through its slot machines. Writhing with visitors, bright lights, shows and restaurants, money moves quickly in this town, especially in its casinos.

But there are many ways to “do Vegas” without setting foot in the smoky gambling halls. Need a reprieve from the grey, cold rain blanketing BC this winter? A quick flight to the desert may be your answer. Here are our top picks—without casinos—for this sexy, sleepless city.

PHOTO BY KATE RUSSELL

travel

PHOTO BY KATE RUSSELL

Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart.

OMEGA MART

Vegas’ newest family attraction, Meow Wolf ’s Omega Mart is a massive off-strip building that opened in February and invites visitors into a netherworld where nothing is predictable and everything is turned on its head.

It starts in a parodied grocery store that mocks consumer culture

with products that satirize the familiar concepts we know so well.

There’s nut-free salted peanuts claiming to be 100 per cent salt, cat “gruel” called pigeon mousse, avocado-flavoured French fries, laundry detergent called Plausible Deniability, advertisements for “vegan goat pus” and a meat case containing “romantic steak cakes” and “premium right lungs.”

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Visitors are invited to become instant trainee employees at Omega Mart, and the fun begins in the nooks, crannies and secret doors that lead behind the scenes into a cavernous, multi-level space filled with chambers, slides and themed micro spaces. Each one is more bizarre than the next, with strobe lights, mirrors and desks containing cryptic notes about the secrets inside Dramcorp, the family-owned business.

Exploring Omega Mart is like stepping inside a sci-fi novel and becoming a character yourself. It’s full of bizarre surprises, fun and humour and, like Vegas itself, is completely unpredictable.

Info: omegamart.com / $45-$49 USD per person

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Eating out in Vegas can be an exercise in frustration, with every restaurant claiming top ratings and most requiring long waits for tables. The Lipsmacking Foodie Tours narrow the playing field by whisking guests to the top eateries with no table waits, ordering delays or bills to pay, and having those restaurants’ signature dishes ready as soon as guests walk in the door.

The company offers several tours, some on-strip and some off-strip. We joined an on-strip Afternoon Culinary Adventure, savouring close to four hours of gastronomic delight. The carefully curated stops included Smith & Wollensky, a famous steakhouse, Sugarcane, a Southeast Asian restaurant, and Milos, a Greek eatery with origins in Montreal.

The food was fabulous and our energetic guide, Thomas Svoboda, offered lots of fun facts about the restaurants and Vegas in general along the way. Easily offering a day’s worth of meals crammed into four hours, the foodie tours are a fun way to interact with other visitors while sampling top-class cuisine.

Info: lipsmackingfoodietours.com / $125-$199 USD per person

SUPERFRICO

Vegas always has at least one restaurant that’s the talk of the town—brand new, edgy, sexy and promising the ultimate dining experience.

This winter, it’s Superfrico, the Italian-American dining concept at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. An intimate eatery with several themed bars, lounges and dining rooms, it features a sumptuous menu of pastas, flatbread, steaks and fish.

In one room, a deejay plays disco music from vinyl LPs, in

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another, technicolour art fills the walls. Superfrico sits shoulder to shoulder with the theatre where Opium, the newest Spiegelworld production, is staged. The fully dressed actors move between the theatre, the restaurant and their change rooms freely, blurring the boundaries between those spaces and treating diners to some unexpected—and frequently provocative—acting, mid-course.

During our meal, a couple doing magic tricks moved between the tables and an adult dressed as a gorilla skulked in the shadows. It’s fair to say that the Superfrico experience goes far beyond an ordinary meal. We stayed for the early performance of Opium, where a mix of entertainers showed acrobatic agility and magic supplemented by adult-only humour best enjoyed with a libation in hand. Like most entertainment in Vegas, Opium is provocative and naughty, and it would be considered highly inappropriate anywhere else.

Info: superfrico.com

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Topgolf, Las Vegas.

TOPGOLF

A driving range on steroids, Topgolf has more than 120 hitting bays on four floors, some of which are family-friendly, and others are for adults only, with bars, VIP cabanas and pools.

We took the kids and settled into a family-friendly bay to try the signature game, Topgolf, where players hit microchipped balls at a variety of targets and score points based on their shot’s distance and direction. When we tired of that, we played Angry Birds,

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where players’ golf balls cause virtual destruction that’s displayed on a screen, and gain points based on how much they destroy.

In between games, we noshed on nachos, wings and other barstyle food from the venue’s full kitchen. This is a fun family outing that allows serious golfers and those who’ve never held a club to come together in a single bay and play with as much—or as little— competition as they desire.

Info: topgolf.com / prices vary according to the day and time

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Real Bodies’ exhibit.

REAL BODIES

The Real Bodies exhibit has been circulating for several years now, but if you’ve never seen it, it’s well worth a visit.

Real Bodies delivers a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of the human body, using actual human specimens to show and tell. The exhibit explores all the systems in the body—circulatory, respiratory, digestive, skeletal, muscular, nervous and reproductive systems. It displays fetuses in various stages of development, and explores how various anatomical systems work together to create the human experience.

Best of all, it accomplishes this feat in an accessible, easily understandable way.

Recent updates to the exhibit include information about COVID-19—how it works, how it can disrupt the body’s functioning, and what the science reveals. This exhibit is a great place to learn about the body in an inspiring way and to come away with new respect for the miraculous and highly complex inner workings of the bodies we all inhabit.

Info: realbodiesatballys.com / $19.50-$29.50 USD

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secrets and lives —

AND THE 7 SINS with CURTIS VERTEFEUILLE

WORDS ANGELA COWAN

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PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

W

hen Curtis Vertefeuille left Vancouver for the island five years ago, he’d been looking forward to a more relaxed lifestyle and to opening his own furniture shop against the gorgeous backdrop of Victoria. One thing he didn’t anticipate was spearheading an entirely new expansion arm of the company he’d been with for nearly a decade.

“I’d worked for Moe’s [Home Collection] in Vancouver off and on for 10 years,” he explains.

His daughter had just graduated high school, and the family had decided to cross the pond, with Curtis opening his own store but still using Moe’s Home as a wholesaler.

“Literally a week before I was leaving, Moe said, ‘Why don’t you open it up as a Moe’s?’”

The flagship franchise store was launched to great success, and new franchise stores quickly followed.

“I think we’re up to 12 or 13 franchise stores now,” says Curtis, whose own shop has done extremely well. Moe’s Home Victoria recently moved into the large brick building on Swift Street (former location of Ocean River Sports).

“The space is incredible,” he says. “Wood beams, brick walls, lots of windows.”

It’s all about creating a vibe, he says, through music, scents and the flow of the furniture.

“The biggest compliment is when people walk through and say what a beautiful store it is,” he says. “I try to create a cohesive feeling so when you walk into the store it all makes sense, and it gives you a sense of good design. I love merchandising.

It’s my favourite part of my job now. I love being there late at night, flipping the store. It’s such a creative outlet,” he adds.

And as of March of next year, he’ll have double the space in which to play with his creativity; Moe’s Home Victoria is opening a second location in Langford.

“Our range is so big, this gives us the opportunity to bring in things we couldn’t before,” he says.

“We’re going to try and bring the same vibe over there, but it’s a living, ever-changing thing. It’s going to be a completely different line. It’s almost like having a 10,000-square-foot store now.”

The 7 Sins ENVY:

Whose shoes would you like to walk in?

P!nk. My daughter and I went to see her last concert and it was life-changing. Alongside her incredible talent, all of her amazing feminist uplifting and empowerment vibes—her energy is so contagious!

GLUTTONY:

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

I have quite the sweet tooth, so I’ll have to say anything sweet!

Cinnamon buns, chocolate…I love going to La Roux Patisserie on Fisgard for an almond croissant.

GREED:

You’re given $1 million that you have to spend selfishly.

What would you spend it on?

A luxurious getaway just for me. I would hop on a plane to stay at the Overwater Bungalows in Bora Bora. I’ve always wanted to go there and just spend my time hanging out, lounging on the beach, indulging in everything.

WRATH:

Pet peeves?

Oh, the wrath. When pictures are hung too high, when you bite into a popsicle with your front teeth, when cupboard doors are left open. I also have to say a poorly designed or merchandized store and unsatisfactory customer service.

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

Sorry, I don’t understand this question. What do you mean doing nothing? I’m rarely seen doing nothing. I have too much energy!

PRIDE:

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

I’m proud of not taking life too seriously and taking pride in the little things that present themselves every day. There will always be ups and downs, but I recognize that I am very fortunate and blessed in so many aspects of my life. When things go wrong, I do my best to take responsibility and learn from it. Life is short, you’ve got to enjoy it.

LUST: What makes your heart beat faster?

All the exercise! But in all seriousness, I love walking into a freshly painted room or a newly built house, or just seeing well-thought-out design in general. I love all the sensorial, the see, touch, taste, all of that.

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narrative

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WORDS SUSAN LUNDY

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ILLUSTRATION DANICA & SIERRA LUNDY

DECEMBER 2021/JANUARY 2 02 2

A VERY GOOD NIGHT It’s the night before Christmas and all through the bedroom it’s complete chaos and utter bedlam Ma in her ‘kerchief tries to pull in the reins, while sugar courses through her children’s veins.

The stockings are hung with moderate care— only one eggnog stain and a tiny tear.

Five cookies set out with Santa’s snack Have gently been nibbled and put right back.

The carpet is tangled with tinsel and cat hair, a candy cane forgotten sticks fast to a chair.

But finally the moon rises over the lawn.

The children slow and start to yawn.

Once tucked into bed, the coast is clear.

And Ma brings out the Christmas gear.

Boxes, bows, ribbons and bags, wrapping paper, tape, Christmas tags.

It covers the table, the carpet, her toes.

Wrap, wrap, snip, snip, on and on it goes.

Ma peeks at the clock and then looks away.

It’s getting late, tomorrow’s a big day.

Finally the boxes are under the tree, Ma’s so tired she can hardly see.

It’s time for bed, yes, it’s really near.

Then in walks Dad, wanting his Christmas cheer.

Now it’s even later but Ma’s finally in bed, sugar plums bump and crash in her head.

Then there’s a cry, a shriek, a scream.

It’s two o’clock and one’s having a dream.

Ma pulls herself up, stumbles into the night, pats a small back until all is all right.

Then back to sleep, no more than an hour, the other child calls, her belly is “sour.”

Finally, it’s quiet all through the house ’til the dog starts scratching and the cat finds a mouse.

And now dawn’s fingers paint the sky.

The children stir and start to sigh.

“Wake up, wake up,” they bounce on the bed.

Mom lifts her eyes, they feel like lead.

She grabs those girls and snuggles in tight and they fall back to sleep until it’s daylight!

What better gift than an hour’s shut eye; it adds new meaning to St. Nick’s cry— “Happy holidays to all!”—and he’s so right when he adds, “And to all, a very good night.”

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behind the story

The Boulevard fashion team was excited this issue to feature a unique dress brought to our attention by Victoria-based company Bast Fibre Technologies (BFT), which utilizes premium hemp and specialty linen fibre for “nonwovens.” What are “nonwovens?” As explained to our team, nonwoven fabric is used in many disposable products, such as cleaning and wet wipes, diapers, makeup wipes and even masks, and currently, the vast majority of these items are manufactured from around 80 per cent plastic. BFT has developed comparable products for the marketplace using fibres that are 100 per cent plastic- and tree-free. This nonwoven fabric

by BFT was used to create this dress by Canopy, a nonprofit that has a mission to protect the world’s forests, species and climate, and to help advance Indigenous communities’ rights, in a campaign called Circular Chic. This campaign raises awareness to address the over 3.2 billion trees cut down every year for paper packaging and fashion fabrics like rayon. This special dress was designed by London, England-based fashion designer and artist Anna Stephenson, whose goal was to showcase fashion solutions that can be adopted and scaled today to save forests and to address the interconnected crises of climate and biodiversity loss. So with our “Levity” fashion story, we explore a playfulness and lightness of being that is reflected in the playful design of the dress as well as a lighter impact on the environment.

PHOTO BY LIA CROWE

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Best Wishes for the New Year.

Womenswear 104-2187 Oak Bay Ave. Menswear 113-2187 Oak Bay Ave. victoria bc Shop online at: hughesclothing.com 250-381-4405

The Forget-Me-Not Bracelet A superb piece of hand-crafted jewellery is very special. The care, thought, and craftsmanship that goes into an idar piece makes the final creation incredibly personal and beautiful. That is exactly what Idar Jewellers has been doing for more than 45 years.

The Calla Lily Ring

Idar’s vision is to create distinctive lines of jewellery that are exceptionally designed and made by hand, using time-honoured techniques and intended for a lifetime of everyday use. That original idea and inspiration lives on in every piece he produces.

To ensure you are purchasing an original work of art, Idar’s signature bee trademark is stamped on the inside of each piece. At idar, the piece of jewellery you buy today becomes the heirloom of tomorrow one to be treasured for years to come.

The Botanical Series INTERNATIONAL AWARD WINNING JEWELLERY DESIGNERS • SINCE 1972 250-383-3414 • www.idar.com • 950 Fort St, Victoria, BC

Jewellery Designs © 1972 - 2021 IDAR

Located in the heart of Fort Street in Victoria, idar serves as the retail showcase and working studio of award-winning master goldsmith and nationally renowned jeweller Idar Bergseth.