Boulevard Magazine, Victoria, Feb/Mar 2022

DECEMBER FEBRUARY 2020 / JANUARY I MARCH 2022 2021

VICTORIA LIFE AT ITS FINEST

Colour YOUR WORLD THE INFLUENCERS

SMOOTH MOVE Embark on a smoothiemaking adventure

SLOW FLOWERS Growing sustainability in the floral industry

ME, MYSELF AND I Do a double take on this season’s menswear coats

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CONTENTS 88

82 FEATURES

38 On the Cover

Kyla Dufresne , founder and CEO describes Asian cuisine as the

82

food she could eat over and over again. She’s seen here at Bao in

By Ellie Shortt

126

Do a double take on this season’s menswear coats

Victoria’s Chinatown.

Makeup by Heather Nightingale, MisMacK Cosmetics.

SECRETS AND LIVES AND THE 7 SINS

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ME, MYSELF AND I

SLOW FLOWERS Growing sustainability in the floral industry

By Jane Zatylny

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

FLORIDA TRIPLE- HEADER Hockey, baseball and hospitality

By Bruce Cameron

By Sarah D’Arcey & Lia Crowe

88

SMOOTH MOVE Embark on a smoothie- making adventure

By Angela Cowan

of the Foxy Box wax bar franchise,

8

116

20th-century design meets European simplicity

Photo by Lia Crowe

132

WARM, SIMPLE AND INSPIRED

46

SPECIAL SECTION The Influencers

By Lia Crowe, Don Denton & Sean McIntyre

38

116

46

DEPARTMENTS

10

CONTRIBUTORS

12

EDITOR’S LETTER It’s a wrap

By Susan Lundy

14

Kyla Dufresne

By Kaisha Scofield

By Angela Cowan

134

IN STUDIO

Purple reigns

By David Wylie

30

Mountain love

Michael Warren

By Lia Crowe

GOOD TASTE The icing on the cake: Cakes Etc.

NARRATIVE What’s a little rain?

By Sharon Goldston-Easton

138

WEEKENDER

LIFE.STYLE.ETC.

78

SECRETS AND LIVES

Are we confused yet?

Colour, shape and energy: Rick Bond

By Lia Crowe

18

26

132

WELL AND GOOD

DESIGN NOTES

By Janice Jefferson

16

22

BEHIND THE STORY

By Lia Crowe

BUSINESS CLASS Fighting fit: Chris Smith

By Tess van Straaten

By Jane Mundy

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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

“Strangers’ kindness motivated

SHARON GOLDSTONEASTON

WRITER WHAT’S A LITTLE RAIN?

me to write about the night we were stranded during November’s torrential rain. I knew it the moment someone tapped on our car window to ask if we wanted a hot drink.” Sharon Goldston-Easton has been writing stories since childhood. Until this year she has never shared her writings outside her inner circles. Sharon’s first book, a memoir, Breaking the Silence: Reclaiming My Family’s Jewish History, is due to launch in the spring of 2022.

Her newest project is seeking out and writing community-inspired short stories.

PAGE 134

F E B RUARY | MARC H 2 022

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 ADVERTISING Mario Gedicke

Vicki Clark

“The first time I spoke with Fitness

TESS VAN STRAATEN WRITER FIGHTING FIT

World president and CEO Chris Smith, it was just minutes after the BC government announced in December that gyms would have to close down the next day, for at least a month. To say he was shell-shocked would be an understatement. But he says attitude is everything, and that’s helping him get through such a challenging business environment.” Tess van Straaten is a television journalist and magazine writer who’s interviewed prime ministers, the Royal Family, and even a sky-diving wiener dog.

CONTRIBUTING Bruce Cameron WRITERS Angela Cowan

Lia Crowe Sarah D’Arcey Sharon Goldston-Easton Janice Jefferson Sean McIntyre Jane Mundy Kaisha Scofield Ellie Shortt Tess van Straaten David Wylie Jane Zatylny

ILLUSTRATION Sierra Lundy

CONTRIBUTING Lia Crowe PHOTOGRAPHERS Don Denton

PAGE 78

“Ah, the transformative moments

DAVID WYLIE

WRITER COLOUR, SHAPE AND ENERGY

PAGE 26

of elementary school…we don’t even recognize them until they’re 20-20 hindsight.

Rick Bond told me his first spark for the love of art happened in elementary school through a crayon drawing that he made of an atmospheric cloud over a lake. I can relate; I remember making an Olympic Games scrapbook using newspaper clippings, which I presented to my Grade 2 classmates.

It was so well received that I can’t help but wonder if I’ve been chasing that same rush throughout my writing career.” David is a BC-based journalist and publisher. Over the past two decades, his stories have appeared in newspapers and magazines across Canada.

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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Wrap it up

It was a sign. I mean, it actually was a sign. When “Delicious,” our 2000 Delica—a unique, Japanese-imported van with right-hand drive—shuddered and died in the middle of a small BC town last summer, I looked across the street, where a Tim Hortons sign rose above the buildings: “Wrap up Delicious,” it said.

Indeed, when we bought this vehicle last spring, our decision-making process went like this: Yes! No! No! Maybe? But as we rolled to a dead stop in Clearwater— just as a heatwave and smoke from a blazing forest fire rolled in—I thought, “Yes. It’s time to wrap up life with Delicious.”

Hence, the start to 2022 has included the search for a new vehicle.

When we decided to take Delicious on “just one road trip,” we were in the no-to-maybe part of deciding whether or not to keep her. To be honest, the vehicle was growing on us. A higher-end and more powerful version of the oft-dilapidated Delicas seen chugging around the coast, Delicious had a super comfortable interior. I liked the way the seats fold down into a bed, and initially I saw her as a more reliable (ha!) replacement for our aging VW bus.

My husband Bruce was enamoured from the moment he drove it. He liked the four-wheel drive, the capacity for seven passengers and the way the seats move around, opening up space for his drums (something to think about if you’re considering a relationship with a drummer). So, this was all part of the Yes! decision.

However, as soon as we decided to buy it, my super-alarmed daughter Danica sent me links from all corners of the internet revealing the dangers of right-handdrive vehicles. I followed her down this rabbit hole and, of course, I went even further, eventually googling VW bus crash tests as well, something I would not recommend to anyone who owns one.

So, already aghast after this internet deep dive, I had my first ride in Delicious—a terrifying experience, wherein I sat in Danica’s death seat and hurtled down the centre of the road towards oncoming traffic, with no control of the steering wheel or the ability to swerve out of the way.

My new-found No! to Delicious got a boost from the mechanic who did a pre-purchase review and said it needed significant dollars spent on the frame. By the time we got this news and decided not to purchase her, however, the owner had moved to Quebec and offered her to us for a hugely reduced price. Fine, we’d get the frame fixed (read six of those “thousands”) and then sell it.

But, why not take it on one little road trip first?! She was a good ride and had lots of pluses. No! was edging to Maybe!

We were on a media trip at the time, heading that morning to Sun Peaks, where a five-star hotel awaited us and a full-body massage awaited me. As we turned off the road to pick up coffee before hitting the highway, Delicious stalled, chugged and died. To her credit, I suppose, she gave up the ghost directly in front of an auto shop. But she needed a new battery and an alternator—and these are not easily replaced in a Delica.

Thankfully, my newly crowned favourite mechanic owns T N T Transmission and Automotive and he called all over the world (it seemed), looking for parts.

Once found, ordered and en route, he even agreed to work on a Saturday to get it fixed.

But in the meantime, we were stuck in Clearwater with a dog, sky-high temperatures, thick smoke and no vehicle. Happily, we found a dog-friendly roadside motel with air-conditioning, where, once settled, we opened a bottle of wine that cost about the same as the room, and soon got over the fact there would be no five-star hotel or full-body massage in our imminent future.

Our adventures with Delicious continued the next day and included a heart-stopping bill from the mechanic followed by a heart-racing drive through the heat and smoke to catch a ferry at Tsawwassen. But that’s another story. For now, I needed no additional sign. It was time to wrap up Delicious.

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

Purple reigns

By Janice Jefferson

I

f you know me, you know I love all things purple. From plum to lavender, this is my colour. When Pantone announced the 2022 Colour of the Year as Veri Peri, it wasn’t a surprise: if you follow fashion/design trends, you could see it coming from a mile away.

If you want to add this majestic, empowering colour into your life, but you’re unsure how, I am here to help. Let the purple rain reign!

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Alessi Anna G. Corkscrew Gabriel Ross $85

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Cassina Utretch Chair Gabrial Ross $7,061 *price dependant on fabric choice

Wera Hat by Stand Studio gravitypope $150

Sarus Cranes Wallpaper Mural in edo purple de Gournay *contact for pricing

InWear Falak Cardigan in lavender Hughes Clothing $189

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life.style.etc.

MICHAEL WARREN, DIRECTOR, MADRONA GALLERY WO RDS + PH OTO G RAPHY LIA CROWE

I meet Michael at Madrona Gallery to photograph his unique personal style, which, amusingly, he describes as, “Post-raver, midart-dealer and pre-retirement.”

Originally from Cambridge, Ontario, Michael moved to Victoria in 2001 to study at UVic. “I spent my first few years with more attention in the electronic music community than academics,” Michael tells me. “I failed or had to drop a bunch of classes, but one course that I really loved was History in Art. For me, it connected how society worked.

You see the politics, economy, religion, class structure and so much more represented through art. So I majored in that and did a minor in Arts of Canada.”

From there, after working a few art jobs, Michael found himself working at West End Gallery in Victoria.

“This is when I knew I wanted to work in the gallery business.

It was a great feeling to connect people with art.”

And what aspects of his work get him the most fired up?

“There are two. The art and the people. One needs the other.”

Asked what quality has led to his success, Michael says, “Simply put: just keep going.”

And the best life lesson learned?

“Don’t wait until 4 pm to eat lunch. You will be a better person for it.”

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“Good style lets you communicate your identity while making you feel good.”

STYLE INSPIRATIONS & LIFE Style icon: Peggy Guggenheim.

Favourite artist: Yves Klein.

Piece of art: Janet Cardiff & George Miller’s “The Forty Part Motet,” presented at the Art Gallery of Ontario in the Henry Moore Sculpture Centre.

Favourite musician: Trent Reznor.

Era of time that inspires your style: A mix of the last 60 years.

Film or TV show that inspires your style or that you just love the style of: Gattaca and the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Favourite local restaurant: Bodega.

CLOTHES/GROOMING Favourite denim, brand and cut: Naked & Famous: straight leg from Still Life.

Current go-to clothing item: Underwear.

Currently coveting: Comme des Garçons striped long-sleeve shirt.

Favourite pair of shoes: Fluevogs.

Best new purchase: Paul Betenly suit from Outlooks.

Accessory you spend the most money on: Glasses.

Favourite cocktail or wine: Martini—vodka with twist.

Album on current rotation: Stranger Than Fiction by Bad Religion.

Favourite city to visit: Madrid.

Favourite hotel: Banff Springs.

Favourite app: Globe and Mail.

Favourite place(s) in the whole world: A tie between Whistler and a secret place in the Gulf Islands.

READING MATERIAL What you read online for style: Vice.

Fave print magazine: Inuit Art Quarterly.

Coffee table book/photography book: Canadian Paintings, Prints and Drawings by Anne Newlands.

Favourite work tool: Tape measure.

Sunglasses: Anne & Valentin and L.A.M.B. Scent: Usually a mix of anxiety and coffee.

Necessary indulgence: Video games.

Favourite skincare product: Bar of soap.

Last great read: Bunny by Mona Awad.

Book currently reading: State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny.

Favourite book of all time: Pretty much anything by Mordecai Richler, especially The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz and Barney’s Version.

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good taste

the icing on the cake

Deb Cater is the master baker behind the counter at Cakes Etc. WORDS JANE MUNDY

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X

PHOTOGRAPHY DON DENTON

“I choose the latter— the luscious lemon curd and cream between five layers of the vanilla sponge is amazingly light, almost ethereal. With one bite, visions of sugar plums dance in my head.”

W

alking through the door of Cakes Etc., you’re immediately bathed in the sweet scents of butterscotch and buttercream and vanilla. That gives you a happy feeling and that’s one reason baker/owner Deb Cater is so good at her job.

“It’s satisfying to make nice things for people and be a part of their celebrations,” she says. “I can decorate cakes with notations like ‘Will You Marry Me’ and ‘Happy First Birthday,’ and this past Christmas we made 90 Yule logs—it’s also rewarding to be a part of family traditions.”

And baking is definitely a Cater family tradition, Deb says: “I learned from my mom, and cake is part of my culture—everyone in England eats more cake. Now my husband and I run the bakery, and I am so thankful to my two daughters who have helped make our family affair a success.”

She adds, “I grasped the basic principles of baking as a kid and it’s now ingrained in me. I understand the science of baking soda and baking powder but I couldn’t explain it—I really admire teachers.”

Inspired by her teachers at art school, Deb learned how to create novelty cakes for cash; she was able to “make something that looks and tastes good.” Next up, she moved to Vancouver as a nanny and made cakes for people in upscale Shaughnessy, which led to an apprenticeship with a French pastry chef.

“He was old school,” Deb recalls. “He cracked the whip and threw the rolling pin, but I was determined to learn and I stayed a few years.”

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Deb thought about enrolling in culinary school, but “didn’t want to go by the book.” Instead, she landed a job at a German bakery.

She was soon in charge and could make what she wanted—as long as it sold.

Deb followed her other passion—windsurfing—to Victoria in 1989. At that time there wasn’t a local bakery offering cakes to restaurants so she started knocking on doors.

“I sold cakes from my home kitchen and nobody died so it was okay,” Deb says, laughing. “I met so many people who were supportive and encouraging—like Gilbert. He had a little deli where I worked at night and he charged rent based on what I sold. He made it possible for me to carry on. And it also helped that he knew all the chefs in town who bought my cakes.”

Now years later, Deb still makes what she wants because ev-

erything sells at Cakes Etc. But she spends lot of time on research and development, trial and error. For instance, creating dairy-free Black Forest cake was a challenge: it took two dozen tries until they got it right. Now it’s popular even with dairy lovers; it’s moist and delicious without that (somewhat vaguely vegan) chemical taste.

And how do you come up with something dairy-free that resembles whipping cream? Answer: make a custard from oat milk, whip margarine to incorporate air and combine. The Black Forest cake is proof that it works.

Fifty per cent of Deb’s business is wholesale and it results from quite a production. Pallets are packed five feet high with sacks of flour and oats. Twenty-six dozen vegan cookies (they are way beyond the proverbial baker’s dozen) are spinning inside a floor-toceiling convection oven and another large (and expensive) piece of

LOCALLY HANDCRAFTED DESIGNER KITCHENS

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equipment is the sheeter, which looks like a giant ironing board and rolls dough to make every cookie uniform and speeds up the process.

Lucille Ball wouldn’t get a job here.

At 11 am, a steady stream of customers arrives to pick up their cake orders, and who can resist a whoopie cookie or a pumpkin scone resting on tasteful wood and pewter platters? And everyone— including Starbucks—needs a package of Cakes Etc.’s signature oat bars. The Fruit Symphony cake, towering between coconut mango and Sicilian lemon cakes in the display case, looks too gorgeous to eat.

I choose the latter—the luscious lemon curd and cream between five layers of the vanilla sponge is amazingly light, almost ethereal.

With one bite, visions of sugar plums dance in my head.

Dave and Marion Freeman have been regular customers since 1993, when Cakes Etc. first opened on Esquimalt Road (it’s now located at 2821 Quesnel Street).

“Every Friday afternoon we get two slices of cheesecake—it’s nice that you don’t have to buy a whole cake and that Deb comes up with new recipes,” says Dave. “We’ve tried everything, and our current fave is the chocolate torte. We also love coming here because all the staff are so pleasant—Cakes Etc. is a class act.”

Deb offers up some advice for home bakers, saying, “Jump in the deep end—what is the worst thing that could happen? You try again.”

She adds, “Maybe start with muffins and not puff pastry. Find a recipe that you can make with a spoon rather than a mixer so that you don’t over-mix. And follow the recipe well. Make sure your oven is calibrated and don’t keep opening and slamming the oven door as my daughters do. And check your ingredients for ‘best before’ dates: I made a mistake baking bread with old yeast a few weeks ago.

Above all, have a lot of fun and make a mess!”

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well and good

are we confused yet?

Deciphering nutrient density WORDS KAISHA SCOFIELD 22

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i

f you walk into any grocery store, you are bound to find someone standing in an aisle, staring at the side of a box, trying to decipher the cryptic nutrition label.

Surely a label with all those numbers is important, but can anyone actually make sense of it? We have so many questions. Who are those percentages for? Is a serving the same for an adult male and a small child?

How are those nutrients measured? Figuring out nutritional information can be confusing and frustrating, leading many of us to ignore it altogether.

Nutrition, in general, is the most challenging area of personal care. When compared to personal hygiene, physical exercise, sleep habits, et cetera, nutrition can be baffling. This is partially because nutritional guidelines are constantly changing. Fat was bad, now it’s good—but not too much and only certain types. Carbohydrates are going to kill us; we should only be eating vegetables, but vegetables are carbohydrates. Eat more fruit instead of sugary treats to avoid glucose spikes, but fruit has fructose, which is a type of glucose.

ARE WE CONFUSED YET?

The reason that general nutritional guidelines don’t work is because there is nothing general about nutrition. Every single person on this planet has different nutritional needs. We are all biologically and socially individual, from the diversity of our digestive development, genetics and gut microbiome, to our differences in lifestyle, history and stress levels. To top it off, our dietary needs change drastically throughout our lives; the macronutrient requirements for a baby are much different from those of a middle-aged man.

The varying dietary needs of children versus adults may seem obvious, and yet there is resistance to recognizing the diverse needs of the individual within any cohort or demographic. Perhaps this is because we don’t like to feel different from one another, or because dietary choices are often open to ridicule. In the end, general dietary recommendations are largely ineffective because it is impossible to make effective nutritional recommendations that are applicable to the individual on, say, a little nutritional label on the side of a cereal box.

SO WHAT DO WE DO?

We need a diet rich in nutrient density because we are made up almost entirely of elements—11 to be exact: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, sodium, chlorine and magnesium. All of these elements are found in the food we eat, to varying degrees. Taking the time to learn about the various nutrients we find in our foods can be incredibly beneficial to building a nutrient-rich diet.

VARIETY IS THE KEY

The most effective way to have a nutrient-dense diet is to eat a variety of different foods. It is easy to become stuck in a food cycle, and even if you are eating nutrient-dense foods, you can still be depleted, if the foods you consume are always the same. To mix things up, challenge yourself while grocery shopping to buy things you have never heard of, like cool-looking mushrooms or a fancy seafood that you’ve never tried.

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Choose foods that make you feel good digestively, energetically and emotionally. Yes, our emotional connection to food is important because it affects how your body receives it. A stressed eater leads to a stressed digester. If you aren’t sure how food makes you feel, keep a journal or notes about your meals. Your body can give you signals when certain foods don’t feel good, and you just have to learn how to recognize them. Hint: these signals are usually conveyed through bloating, gas and irritable bowels.

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The reason that general nutritional guidelines don’t work is because there is nothing general about nutrition.

LET YOUR BODY DO THE TALKING

The digestive system is also very efficient at telling the brain what nutrients it needs through cravings. Craving pickles? You could be low in electrolytes. Have a hankering for chocolate during PMS? You could be working through a magnesium deficiency. Foggy in the afternoon? Try hydrating. The brain is, however, also very good at remembering foods that spike energy and serotonin levels, like refined sugar and hyper-palatable packaged treats, food that is delicious but nutritionally vacuous. Our brain signalling system isn’t perfect, so it’s up to us to decipher the cravings.

WATCH FOR NUTRIENT VAMPIRES

Sugar (in all processed forms) is the most notorious nutrient vampire, but many food additives, including nitrates, gums and acids, either deplete nutrients in your body or overfeed harmful gut microbes, bacterias and yeasts. This leads to nutritional depletion and an unbalanced digestive system. Your body can handle a certain amount of these additives, but a diet high in processed foods

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and sugar can quickly stress the digestive system and the overall functioning of the body.

TO SUPPLEMENT OR NOT TO SUPPLEMENT?

If you find yourself feeling depleted, don’t be afraid to add supplements to your regimen. Some vitamins and minerals need a boost, and while it is always best to get your nutrients from food, the occasional supplemental boost can help can help get things back on track.

Most of us need a bit more of the following nutrients available as supplements: vitamin D; vitamin B complex; calcium, magnesium and zinc; essential fatty acids; and probiotics. There are other individual vitamins and minerals that many of us are deficient in (I’m looking at you, iron), but these ranges will be different for everyone and should be assessed by a professional. Not all supplements are created equal, so be diligent in your research and talk to the experts wherever you buy your supplements.

Perhaps the most important way to absorb your nutrients is to make your system happy and ready to receive your nutrients. Sometimes it can feel like no matter how much nutritious food you eat, you are still feeling depleted. The answer isn’t always in the food: when the body is in a stressed or generally depleted state, all systems function poorly. Body system stress can easily transfer from physical stress, from over-training or lack of sleep to emotional or mental stress caused by overwork, or simply by not taking the necessary time to decompress.

These stressors extend to the digestive and hormonal systems in the body, which leads to imbalances and cravings for immediate energy.

And where does the brain think that immediate energy is going to come from? You guessed it, foods that are hyper-palatable and high in sugar, the very foods that deplete us.

Meet our Incredible Team

in studio …

WITH RICK BOND

Colour, shape and energy The art of Rick Bond WORDS DAVID WYLIE

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X

PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN HULL

i

“I started to look at what excited me aesthetically, and that was abstract art, colourful art and unique designs.”

n his early 30s, Rick Bond found himself in a new home with bare walls. The pharmacist had just moved to the Okanagan with his young family.

And so he began to make art to fill the empty space.

“I knew I had to do something creative, but I didn’t know what it was,” he said in a recent interview.

Rick began with illustrations and cartooning for his sons. Then he watched instructional videos and bought paint, laying it out on his kitchen table.

“Something just clicked. I just became absolutely dedicated,” said the Vernon-based artist.

It was a jolt back in time. Born in Victoria, Rick grew up in the Gulf Islands off the BC coast. His first recollection of being excited about art was in elementary school, when he did a crayon drawing of an atmospheric cloud and a boat on the water.

“I can remember so clearly being excited about how it looked like a cloud—and then I went into an artistic stupor for 30 years,” he said.

Rick went to the University of British Columbia in the late 1960s to study pharmacy. From James Island he moved to Burnaby, and then back to Victoria for seven years, before finally settling in the Okanagan.

“I kicked around in my left brain for about three decades,” he said. “It’s the opposite of art. I didn’t really find art until I got to Vernon.”

Living in Coldstream and working at Vernon Jubilee Hospital, Rick found time on weekends or after his shifts to chase his passion. He started out by watching videos from Bill Alexander, creator and host of The Magic of Oil Painting television series. It was easy to follow and learn the technical basics, he said.

Rick started to go to art workshops regularly and all of that learning coalesced into his own unique style, loose and vibrant in a way that could be considered contemporary impressionism.

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“I started to look at what excited me aesthetically, and that was abstract art, colourful art and unique designs,” he said.

Rick joined the Okanagan Artists League—and was encouraged when his work was used to advertise an art show. (He still has that pivotal painting.) During one fateful workshop, fellow artist Brian Atyeo encouraged Rick to leave the “comfort of the nest and fly out on his own,” telling him he needed to go paint for himself.

Rick’s art life even offered up surprises during work hours at the hospital. He recalls being paged over the PA, while he was manager of pharmacy operations, to take a call from a gallery owner who wanted to carry his work. In 2006, Rick left the pharmacy to create art full time.

He’s now painted for more than 40 years, including the illustrations he created for his kids back in the ’70s.

Rick started with oil paints, but over the years he transitioned to other types of paint, over concerns about toxicity. He tried his hand at painting watercolours, which he enjoyed, but they proved expensive to produce because they needed to be framed under glass before being sent to galleries. Some sold and some didn’t.

“It was becoming too costly,” he said.

Using acrylics became a practical solution, as he didn’t have to frame them—rather just send them to the galleries as canvases. But acrylics also suit his style: “I love painting fast. I love painting with a lot of energy,” he said.

Rick’s paintings start off as photos, move into sketches and are then painted on canvas. His subject matter presents a bit of a dichotomy; he paints landscapes as well as musicians.

“I love jazz. It has this abstract quality to it. I love the aesthetic of the instruments,” he said.

The musical paintings have provided a break from landscapes and allowed Rick to explore compositions. He said colour, shape and energy are similar in both genres. Plus, not a lot of people are painting musicians.

BUSINESS COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT Horne Coupar LLP is pleased to welcome Associate Lawyer Clare M. Sparks to the firm.

Clare practices in the areas of family law and estate litigation.

She began her legal career practicing exclusively family law at a boutique firm in Vancouver, where she developed a passion for helping individuals and families navigate some of their most challenging life changes. She moved to Victoria in 2018 and broadened her practice to include estate litigation.

Clare obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Italian Language at the University of King’s College in Nova Scotia, and obtained her J.D. at the University of Victoria.

Clare is a member of the Law Society of BC, the Canadian Bar Association Family Law Section, Wills, Estates, and Trusts Section, and the Women Lawyer’s Forum. In addition, Clare is a mentor with the CBABC WLF Mentoring program.

Clare loves hiking, cooking thin-crust pizza, and exploring the Island’s beaches with her husband and daughter.

Our areas of practice include the following: Wills / Estates / Trusts / Estate Litigation / Real Estate Corporate / Family Law To schedule a virtual or in-office appointment at one of our convenient Downtown, West Shore, or Oak Bay locations, please call 250-388-6631.

www.hornecoupar.com

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Working for decades in pharmacy has given Rick a left-brain/ right-brain harmony, helping him along the road to becoming a professional artist—including his commitment to administration, communications, finances and other behind-the-scenes aspects of the craft.

“The business side of art really came from being disciplined in the pharmacy,” he said. “I’m really grateful to have been exposed to that training.”

Rick also does commissions, including some for major corporations, such as Coca-Cola.

“It’s harder work on the front end. You have to spend quite a bit of time talking to the client so you get a really good idea of what they’re looking for,” he said.

Rick’s paintings are in galleries across Canada, including Alberta, BC, Quebec, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. In the Okanagan, see his work at Hambleton Galleries in Kelowna. His works can also be found at Madrona Gallery in Victoria.

To learn more about Rick Bond, visit rickbondart.com

DESIGN. BUILD. REMODEL.

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weekender

Peter Zambri on the ski lift at Whitewater Ski Resort.

Mountain love Playtime on the Powder Highway WORDS + PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

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Outside is nothing but acres and acres of snow-covered alpine forest, and as the flakes start falling silently from the sky and the day turns to the deep blue of dusk, the words “trip of a lifetime” come to mind.

i

n true romantic style, befitting the moment, Peter and I intertwine arms for the first sip of our sparkling wine, cold and crisp, as our deliciously exhausted, post-ski bodies cuddle in front of a glowing orange wood stove.

With the exception of Jack, our host at the Constella cabins, tucked high in the soaring hills of RED Mountain Resort, we feel like we might be the only people for miles. Outside there is nothing but acres and acres of snow-covered alpine forest. And as the flakes start falling silently from the sky and the day turns to the deep blue of dusk, the words “trip if a lifetime” come to mind.

Newbies to the Kootenay Rockies area—also known as the home of the Powder Highway due to its numerous adventurepacked ski resorts—we arrived a day earlier with a smooth touchdown at Trail airport, followed by a picturesque drive through the historical town of Rossland, as we made our way to RED Mountain Resort.

Expecting funky, down-home, Kootenay-vibe accommodations, we were thoroughly surprised as we pulled up to the grand entrance of The Josie Hotel with its chic decor and sophisticated atmosphere. Up in our room, a corner suite beautifully furnished and wrapped with mountain views, we settled in for an experience like no other. The Josie Hotel (Autograph Collection) merges high-end luxury with all the charm of a boutique hotel. It has true ski-in, ski-out access, cedar barrel saunas, a ski concierge who takes care of all your equipment, vibrant dining and a stylish apres-ski lounge, where I had one of the best gin martinis of my life.

Soon seated in The Josie’s buzzing Velvet Restaurant, we feasted on melt-in-your-mouth pork belly and truffle risotto, which we washed down with the dark, rustic, raspberry freshness of a Lambrusco—the pairing recommended by executive chef Derek Bendig. The Velvet’s menu highlights local meats, including a to-die-for Kootenay Bison Tartare on roasted bone marrow with cured egg yolk and brioche.

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We sampled buttery Steelhead Trout Rillettes, Squash and Burrata Salad, Crispy Spiced Potatoes and a delicious dessert of perfectly puffy madeleines, all offered with wine pairings that even impressed, my food-and-wine-connoisseur partner, Peter.

The next day, suited up in ski gear expertly selected—based on our ability and preferences—by the friendly staff at the RED Mountain High-Performance Rental Centre, we were ready for first day of skiing, and this is the moment Dieter came into our story.

A fit-looking, moustached man in his 70s, Dieter is a “snowhost” at RED Mountain, a volunteer who guides skiers around the mountain and someone who will remain a highlight of our trip.

With 3,850 acres of pristine skiing (placing the resort in the top 10 size-wise and number one for the most acres per skier in North America) and 110 runs spread across three mountains, RED is all about its terrain, which is vast and varied—hence my appreciation for our guide.

Dieter glided and delicately carved down the slopes and after a couple tips like, “put your weight into your big toe on the downhill side,” Peter and I, intermediate skiers already, are gliding right along behind him as he shows us why after skiing at 100 different resorts Red is the mountain he’s chosen as his home.

RED, he said, has a culture of respectful, high-quality skiers and snowboarders, gorgeous groomed runs, loads of powder, long and winding traverses and magical, tree-skiing runs that are even suitable for intermediates like us.

At the end of the day, Dieter dropped us off at the Paradise Basin, high on Granite Mountain, to experience the Constella cabins and clubhouse for the night: RED’s newest bucket-list experience. Our time spent here, which included a fondue dinner prepared by our host, was truly memorable.

After a few days of skiing and working up an appetite, we ventured off RED Mountain into the nearby town of Rossland,

The lobby of The Josie Hotel at RED Mountain Ski Resort .

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BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., 10th Floor – 730 View Street, Victoria, BC V8W 3Y7

BMO Nesbitt Burns BMO Private Wealth is a brand name for a business group consisting of Bank of Montreal and certain of its affiliates in providing private wealth management products and services. Not all products and services are offered by all legal entities within BMO Private Wealth.

Banking services are offered through Bank of Montreal. Investment management, wealth planning, tax planning, philanthropy planning services are offered through BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. and BMO Private Investment Counsel Inc. Estate, trust, and custodial services are offered through BMO Trust Company. BMO Private Wealth legal entities do not offer tax advice. BMO Trust Company and BMO Bank of Montreal are Members of CDIC. ® Registered trademark of Bank of Montreal, used under license.

BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. is a Member - Canadian Investor Protection Fund. Member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.

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where the main street is lined with historical buildings that house cute shops, cafes, bakeries and specialty food and wine shops. The Rossland Beer Company glowed and buzzed with warmth and activities as we wandered by en route to a local favourite, Gabriella’s Restaurant.

Here, we enjoyed a six-course “trip around Italy” dinner created by chef, owner and native of Italy, Gabriella Pelli-Lapointe. With each course, our server showed us on a map of Italy the place in which each course was inspired; she described the region, gave a little history and explained why Gabriella chose it.

Prosciutto-wrapped dates served over arancini (which are crispy fried risotto balls), inspired by the city of Bologna, and a creamy smoked salmon fettuccine, inspired by the island of Sardinia, were a few of the courses which were all perfectly paired with wines.

By now Peter and I, fully bitten by the ski bug, were ready to round out our Kootenay visit with a day at the next stop on the Powder Highway—Whitewater Ski Resort near Nelson—and we lucked out with a “bluebird day” of cloudless skies and jaw-dropping views.

Whitewater offers a welcoming, down-to-earth community vibe, uncrowded slopes and the day lodge’s famous Fresh Tracks Café, which is consistently referred to as the best mountain food in North America. As we ravenously enjoyed the Glory Bowl and Thai Bowl, we began to see why.

As we fly back to Vancouver Island, feeling supercharged by the mountain air, Peter and I recap the high points of our trip. We concur that this includes experiencing the luxurious Josie, sleeping in a sexy

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little Constella cabin, gliding at high speeds down perfect, uncrowded runs, enjoying so much good food, and snowshoeing at Strawberry Pass.

However, we agree that if we had to choose one highlight, it was most definitely the welcoming vibe and the friendly culture. We were treated so well by everyone we encountered, people who all share a deep love of where they live and work. And as the mountains drop away behind us and the ocean comes into view, our conversation turns to… when are we going back?!?

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

Photo of Lia Crowe

by Peter Zambri.

PHOTO BY IAIN REID STRAWBERRY PASS.

ROSSLAND.

CONSTELLA CABINS.

do.

see.

Take a break from the fast pace of downhill skiing and enjoy the landscape with a day of snowshoeing. Strawberry Pass, located about 15 minutes from RED Mountain Resort, is a quintessential Kootenay gem. Built by locals on crown land, Strawberry Pass is a network of trails dotted with funky day-use cabins, each with a wood stove and firewood.

Pack a bagged lunch to enjoy by a fire and work up a sweat while surrounded by a winter wonderland reminiscent of Dr. Seuss’s Whoville.

The town of Rossland is a small, picture-perfect, historic BC town. We enjoyed walking up and down the main street, looking into shops and learning a bit of the history.

There is a historical walk you can do, and lots of shops and eateries to enjoy, but keep your camera handy because when the clouds drop away and the sun cuts through, you’ll want to capture that postcard moment.

ROSSBERRY HILL BISTRO.

sleep.

eat/drink.

The Constella cabins are RED’s new collection of six overnight cabins and central clubhouse. These cabins are perfectly situated in the aptly named Paradise Basin on Granite Mountain, providing direct, skiable access first thing in the morning to the Paradise chairlift. Snag a reservation on these ecofriendly gems, and the clear Kootenay night sky will be up, above and all around you.

When you spend your days skiing, good food becomes vitally important and Rossberry Hill Bistro is a must-visit at RED Mountain.

A newer addition to the resort village by owner Donald Haddad, Rossberry Hill has a mouth-watering menu and a chill, welcoming vibe. After days of skiing, the loaded breakfast sandwich and perfectly crispy hash browns certainly hit the spot.

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Warm, simple and inspired 20th-century design meets European simplicity in this North Saanich beauty WORDS ANGELA COWAN PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE + DON DENTON

QUICK FACTS: 3,460 square feet, including two-car garage 3 bedrooms 2.5 bathrooms Ocean views

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“I wanted a new old house. We’ve been living in Sweden for so long, and they love minimalistic and functional spaces that feel warm and inviting.”

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uilding a home for the first time is often as exciting as it is stressful, not to mention fraught with a thousand and one decisions, but add in the challenge of doing it from an entirely different continent and time zone, and you have a whole new experience.

For homeowners Emilie and Greg, who spend half the year abroad in Sweden, choosing a builder for their North Saanich home was as much about trust as it was design and construction.

When they spoke to the team at Villamar, it was an instant “yes.”

“Since it was our first time building, we had no idea what to expect,” says Emilie. “They made the process easy and enjoyable, and their team is so approachable and kind.”

The plan was to build a family home that was comfortable, roomy and bright, prioritizing natural light and outdoor living space, as well as the ocean views. The design evolved into an interesting hybrid of styles as Emilie worked with Villamar principal designer Duane Ensing.

“I wanted a new old house,” she says with a laugh. “We’ve been living in Sweden for so long, and they love minimalistic and functional spaces that feel warm and inviting. And my parents’ house was built in 1918, so I grew up in an old home. Lots of the inspiration that wasn’t Scandinavian was inspired by their home.”

Aspects like the smaller four-inch reveal siding, the soffits and exposed roof trusses outside, and the tongue-in-groove ceiling in the living area were directly pulled from Emilie’s childhood home, while the neutral-bright colour scheme, open space and Scandinavian influences were inspired by common design features in Sweden.

“I wanted clean lines, and I wanted to keep it European-Scandi, but have it fit in the neighbourhood,” she adds. “Duane was really helpful and after spending a lot of time planning during the design phase we finally settled on something.”

Plans in hand, they had yet to break ground when Emilie and Greg had to return to Europe.

Though it’s preferable to have clients’ eyes on the actual site, working long-distance isn’t a new occurrence for the team at Villamar. The company uses virtual tools like FaceTime, 3D imaging and screen-sharing software for face-to-face meetings and decisions. But they also find some unexpected solutions, including using a drone to demonstrate the height of the bedrooms on the second floor.

And what was the experience like, building their first home while living an ocean away?

“We trusted them,” Emilie says after a moment. “My husband can’t say enough about Villamar. [Site manager] Kenny [Toews] is just the kindest person. We could ask him the silliest questions and he would just explain everything. And I have to give Deidra [Junghans] a shout-out too. She was so wonderful.”

Emilie also enlisted the help of designer Cydney Hellier Gray, while making the dozens of interior design decisions.

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“She’d bring painted pieces of wood in and show them to me in different rooms and different lights,” says Emilie. “She helped me with a lot of the design decisions.”

The result, after roughly eight months of work, was an open, airy home saturated with natural light that feels both elegant and family-friendly.

Three sets of French doors interspersed with full-length windows stretch the entirety of the main living area, and lead out onto a beautiful interlocking brick patio. It’s the perfect spot to set out a few chairs, throw a blanket around your shoulders and chat to the parade of neighbours and visitors heading down to the beach.

Wide plank oak flooring done in a natural, almost honeyed finish runs through nearly the entire house and creates a foundational warmth to the design, while the bright white colour palette brings a fresh feel.

In the kitchen, the understated, modern-leaning light fixtures, the smooth marble of the counters and backsplashes and the stainless steel appliances are balanced against the more traditional shaker-style cabinet doors with bevelled edges and the large farmhouse sink. Just around the corner through the extra pantry/mudroom is a quaint surprise: a Dutch door leads to the backyard and future home of a hot tub.

Subtle details throughout the main floor reinforce a sense of texture and character without losing the clean lines. That oak flooring, for example, is wonderfully grained, with knots here and there breaking up the sight lines. A gorgeous herringbone tiled floor in the laundry room imbues the utilitarian space with some beauty as well as being practical—stone tiles won’t swell or warp from the high traffic coming in from the garage. And the white wooden spindles on the stairs are, on closer look, gently tapered near the top.

Upstairs, the master en suite immediately catches the eye with its

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inverted colour palette. Here the floor is pale porcelain tile—heated—with naturally finished wood cabinetry. And here again is that balance between early 20th-century design and European-inspired simplicity. The deep soaker tub rests beside a standing shower done in white subway tile, with a penny-tile floor and a rainfall shower head. Quartz counters reflect the natural light streaming in through the windows, even on this cloudy and foggy day.

In the three other bedrooms, wide windowsills and a slight angled roofline lean back into a traditional feel, especially when standing on the street and looking back at the house; the three dormer windows create a symmetry with the French doors below and all of it comes together in a warm, welcoming aesthetic.

Though bits and pieces are still being finished—the last of the patio and driveway, as well as some landscaping—the house is well on its way to becoming a home, just in time for Emilie and Greg to come back and get settled, something they’re very much looking forward to.

“Deep Cove is our community. We really built this as our family home,” says Emilie. “We’re counting the minutes until we can get back there.”

SUPPLIER LIST: Architect/Design: Villamar Design Interior Design: Cydney Hellier Gray Interior Design Construction & Interior Finishing: Villamar Construction Ltd. Interior Drywall: Canaus Drywall Painting: Diamond Coatings Cabinetry & Millwork: Harbour City Kitchens Ceiling Beams: Harrison Design Flooring: Victoria Engineered Stairs (install)/ Hourigan’s Flooring (supply)

Tiling: J.Y Tiling Ltd. (install)/Hourigan’s Flooring (supply) Doors: Slegg Lumber Windows: Milgard Windows & Doors Lighting: Mclaren Lighting Plumbing Fixtures: The Ensuite Countertops: Stone Age Marble/ Colonial Countertops Fireplace Hearth/Stonework: Stone Age Marble Appliances: Lansdowne Appliance Gallery/Trail Appliances Exterior Siding: Image Pro

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The Influencers Meet some of Victoria’s top entrepreneurs as they describe the colour of their world and their dreams for the future.

Boulevard presents: The Influencers

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here was no better place to express the bright and colourful vibrancy of Victoria’s business leaders than amid the lively jungle experience of Victoria Butterfly Gardens.

The warm, humid air and scent of tropical flowers brought life to everyone who walked through the doors. The sounds and colours of the tropical birds and butterflies, which danced around in the air, lifted our spirits. The splendour of nature at the gardens provided a perfect backdrop for the dynamic business leaders of this city, as we asked them to dwell on colour and dreams. Everyone left feeling as though they’d had mini tropical vacation.

Photos by Lia Crowe and Don Denton Words by Sean McIntyre

Shot on location at Victoria Butterfly Gardens

My colour is Benjamin Moore 2071-30

Curtis Vertefeuille Benjamin Moore 2071-30 is a peaceful and whimsical colour that promotes creativity. As for dreams for the year to come, I hope to continue pushing boundaries and stepping out of my comfort zone. I strive to continue learning and growing from the many inspiring people around me.

Owner, Moe’s Home Victoria / moeshome.com

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I’d say my world is very colourful overall

Trisha Lees I’m an optimist, and I help companies put their best foot forward to build their reputations, or strengthen them when they face a challenge. In the coming year, I hope to continue to live in full colour, including a trip or two with my partner and family.

Owner, Rep Lab Communications / replab.ca

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My world is many colours – My world is iridescent – Green colours my world

Sara Peddle Many colours…all of them deep and saturated: navy, emerald, violet. These are both energizing and introspective. More is always better when it comes to colour. My dreams and goals for the next year are to provide warmth, laughter and inspiration to everyone around me.

Studio Manager, Western Design+Build

Ann Squires Ferguson Iridescent…colour transforming with the movement of light. Exhilarated by forward momentum, it is the change itself that I find intoxicating. A vision, rather than a dream, to doggedly pursue clarity, to be purpose-driven, and to lift up those around me, building a vibrant community of magnificently fierce and capable women in construction.

CEO, Western Design+Build & Design District

Thuy Girling Green is a colour that instills growth and new opportunities, while being simultaneously calm and nurturing. This year, I hope to constantly evoke these qualities in myself and those around me.

Assistant Studio Manager,

Design District

Western Design+Build and Design District / westerndesignbuild.com / designdistrictvictoria.com

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I must default to the most complete hue, black

Craig Alexander Williams Black contains all the colours in the palette, and it symbolizes sophistication, formality, class and style—all things I find to be most essential in today’s world.

My unwavering hope for the year ahead is to return to some sense of normalcy so we can focus on the things that truly matter: connection, kindness, love and purpose.

Managing Partner, Hughes for Men / hughesclothing.com

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Green is the colour of my world – Blue is the colour of my world

Justin Filuk

Andrew Browne

Green evokes a state of mind that is balanced, creative and optimistic. I dream that we come out of the pandemic as a more resilient and responsive society. For me, that means having a collective and renewed focus on making our towns and cities better places through new housing and improved outdoor spaces, as well as the creation of new opportunities to strengthen our local economy.

Blue skies and a view to the horizon—clear mind and thinking long term. My dream for 2022 is that we begin to take the need to approve and build housing seriously.

This is a need felt in every corner of our community and by every demographic. This is the foundation on which all other work to improve our community rests.

Starlight Developments / starlightinvest.com

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My world is yellow

Hardip Johal Yellow, because I love to see the brightness in the world. When given lemons in a world filled with obstacles, I choose to make lemonade.

Realtor, Britton Real Estate Group - eXp Realty / johalrealty.ca Wedding Decorator, Magical Moments Decorating and Coordinating

magicalmomentsdecorating.ca

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My world is golden – My world is yellow

Dr. Simon Pearson

Ryan Aris

I strive to do my best at everything I do; I aim for gold. In my practice, I help patients who may be seeking gold medals or to age gracefully into their golden years. My dream for 2022 is to see the pandemic’s final golden sunset.

Yellow is the favourite colour of my nine-month-old son, and he is my world. Yellow is warmth and vibrancy, which describes our team. I’m incredibly proud of how they maintain positivity through these challenging times. My dream for 2022 is to continue to find joy, warmth and vibrancy in all people; we need it now more than ever.

Owners, Fix Healthcare / fixhealthcarevictoria.com

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2022 is the year of yellow for me – My world is a mix of hot pink and mustard yellow

Barb Walker

Shara Jawl

Yellow represents friendship and community. Becoming more and more a part of this community through the shop and with events we’ve got planned for the year ahead is a big part of our focus. The warmth and happiness that yellow exudes has always been a part of my life and allows me to elevate the everyday.

We all work towards finding a balance in life between work, family, health and fun. The combo of a sharp pink and cool yellow brings this connection to life. This year, I hope to play a small part in helping friends and family gather around their (proper) table again.

Co-Owners, The Proper Table / thepropertable.ca Makeup by Heather Nightingale & Missy MacKintosh of MisMacK Cosmetics

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Our world is green

Thomas Kala & Courtney Kala Green is a mix of blue from Thomas (dependable, practical and tenacious) and yellow from Courtney (optimistic, friendly and perceptive). Our dream for 2022 is to continue growing together as business partners, husband and wife, mother and father, and active members of our community.

Owners, Personal Real Estate Corporation

Pinnacle Homes Group - eXp Realty / PinnacleHomesGroup.com

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My world is green

Martin Scaia Green is in our name; its connotation to environmentalism connects to our values, mission and vision. My dream for the company this year is to be a leader in innovation, adaptability and inclusivity. We will be using space in innovative ways, we will adapt to evolving economies and we will continue to be a leader in transforming a progressive and inclusive workplace culture.

Director, Green Island Builders / green-island-builders.com

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My world is yellow

Ashley Gordon When I think of yellow I think of new beginnings, optimism and creativity. The colour reminds me of someone who is vibrant and energetic. I try to start every day with that attitude. My dream for 2022 is to inspire other women, especially women of colour, to reach their goals, particularly in environments where no one looks like us.

My world is yellow

Kate Bell Yellow represents adaptability. Whether it be the colour of the sunrise or the moonrise, yellow is always adapting to the earth’s changes. My 2022 goal is to focus more on creativity and making time for creative outlets that I love, like dancing and art.

The colour of my world is rainbow

Shae Zamardi I see myself and everyone around me as a rainbow; we are ever-changing and we bring a different kind of radiance to each day.

My dream for 2022 is to bring my business to a whole new level. I want to continue helping others find what home means to them, while bringing that rainbow light and energy to everyone I meet.

The colour of my world is purple

Robin Wilson To me, purple represents bravery, spirituality, creativity and independence. My dream for this year is to keep building on the changes I’ve made these last few years. Being a mom of three and starting a new career was challenging and fulfilling. I enjoy pushing myself both to grow as a person and to be constantly learning.

Green is the colour of my world

Erin Greenwood Green because when I’m not going full force in real estate, you’ll find me in nature. It’s where I decompress and recharge.

My dream for the year ahead is to complete the renovation of my home, to continue to help my clients find their dream homes, and to find time for balance.

My world’s colour is red

Erica Scheffer Why red? Red makes a statement and fits my spicy, determined, passionate character. My dreams for next year are to continually learn and grow as a real estate agent as well as in my personal life. I am also dreaming of taking some impulse vacations.

Real Estate Agents

The Agency / theagencyre.com/vancouver-island

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I currently view the world as blue

John Coupar Philosophical by nature, I currently view the world as blue. Given the challenges we face in these modern times, blue represents health and positivity. The successes we might embrace in our personal lives mean very little if we are not looking after the big picture. I remain very hopeful for this year and for the future in general.

Partner, HORNE COUPAR LLP Lawyers + Notaries / hornecoupar.com

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My world feels like a rainbow – My colour is yellow

Dr. Bri Budlovsky

Dr. Matt Carere

The colours of the rainbow are a symbol of hope and better times to come, and of diversity and acceptance. The last few years have been a challenge for us all, and for 2022, I dream of sunlight streaming back in through the clouds. With the opening of Philosophy MD, I can’t wait to share my dreams with my community. We are creating a transformative space for empowering self-care experiences. Getting to see fantasy become reality after so many years of hard work and planning is going to make 2022 absolutely exceptional.

These past two years have been hard. They have been filled with dark moments that have tested our resolve. They have also, however, provided a platform where the human spirit’s perseverance has shone through. For this reason, my colour is yellow. To me it signifies a rising sun, an opportunity to be healthier, more present and appreciative of how far we’ve come. My dream for this year is to continue providing excellent, compassionate care. By opening Philosophy MD, we can create a transformative space capable of nurturing body and soul.

Co-Founders, Philosophy MD / philosophymd.com Greta Constantine gown from Wardrobe Apparel. Hair and makeup by Kira Kreativ. Strellson Suit from Outlooks For Men. Socks by Endur Apparel. Hair by Victory Barbers.

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Blue-sky dreams come alive – Colour is my default signature – A project manager loves green

Luke Bradley -Richmond We’d love it if all building and renovation projects could be a case of black and white. In reality, our work requires us to be flexible and adaptable. We help our clients make their blue-sky dreams come alive.

Sherry Willing

Dana Willing

My current love is a kitchen feature wall or backsplash accent in bright spring green. Set against light and dark wood, green creates dramatic contrast.

Colour makes our living spaces come alive. This year, more colour.

Green means progress, achievement and completion in the task-management world.

In renovations, green has implications for being aware of materials, waste, efficiency and achieving results for clients that make their neighbours green with envy!

Designer

Project Manager

Lead Carpenter Designer

Make It Real Design / makeitrealdesign.com

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My colour is vibrant red

Jane Johnston Red is the colour of action! It’s about standing out in my field and being a unique, one-of-a-kind person. This has helped me become a top-50 RE/MAX realtor in Western Canada and the number two in Victoria. I love to celebrate and create community. In 2022, I’ll continue to counsel people about making great decisions in life and in real estate.

M.Ed. PREC* Realtor, The Briar Hill Group at RE/MAX Camosun

BriarHillGroup.com / VancouverIslandTime.com Makeup by Heather Nightingale & Missy MacKintosh of MisMacK Cosmetics

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The colour of our world is green

Michael McMullen & Tammy Marcoux We are blessed to live in such a beautiful part of the country, where we can enjoy the greenery of an abundance of parks and endless walking trails. We love to get out in nature with our spouses and families to enjoy the peacefulness it brings. Our dream for 2022 is to get back to some sense of normalcy.

REALTOR ®s, PREC, McMullen Homes Team / RE/MAX Camosun / McMullenHomes.com

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My entire world is colour

Melodie Reynolds My passion lies in helping people create beauty in their lives. As the founder of a sustainable makeup company, my entire world is colour. My dream for the next year is to thrive and help those around me to flourish and grow.

Founder, CEO, Eluma Beauty Inc. / elatecosmetics.ca

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My world is blue

Chris Lacey I live for blue skies and sunshine. I dream that I can keep advancing my career and business to the next level while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Owner, Bowcey Construction Ltd. / bowcey.ca

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My world is orange – My world is yellow – My world is green

Angela van den Hout Each day is an opportunity for individuals and businesses to practice reconciliation with Indigenous people. My dream for next year is for Malahat Nation to be near completion of its first major development project: the Malahat Business & Innovation Park, with Alexzi Building Solutions as its anchor tenant.

Director of Economic Development,

Malahat Nation / malahatnation.com

Anne E. Tanner

Amber Simpson

I am in a really healthy and happy time in my life and career right now. It feels like the sun is always shining. My dream is to work with Malahat Nation and other Indigenous bands to help them create sustainable, green business parks with commercial tenants. It’s time to make a change in the commercial real estate development and retrofit market.

Green because no matter when, what or where in time I might be, if I’m surrounded by nature I’m happy. And what’s my dream for the next year? To deepen our partnership with Malahat Nation and to build our green manufacturing plant to produce Nexii’s new sustainable, resilient and energy efficient building technology.

Executive VP,Commercial Sales Leasing Division

Royal LePage Commercial, Victoria and Vancouver Island rlp-commercial.ca

CEO

Alexzi Building Solutions Inc. / alexzi.com

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My colour is a true lime green – My colour is orange

Ted Hancock

Shawn Richardson

Lime green like the first green leaves on a willow tree. To me, it represents the new life that comes with Mother Nature’s yearly promise of a new beginning. My vision for 2022 is for a better world, cleaner environment, world peace and good health for all. Will it happen? Not likely, but I will do all I can to work toward that vision in my personal, public and business life.

Without a doubt, the positive power of orange is an important part of my world. Wow, I am a new grandmother, and this has me dreaming of achieving work-life balance in 2022. While my family time is very important, I enjoy the exciting adventure my work provides with my Incredible team and clients.

Owner & President

Incredible Home / incrediblehome.ca

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Sales & Marketing Manager

Pantone 186 – Azure HEX#008ff9 – Prismacolour True Green

Charles Kierulf

Glenn Hill

Rob Whetter

Pantone 186 is the colour that defines “eye-catching”: think London buses, the Scuderia Ferrari, and the dHKa logo.

My dream for 2022 is the end of the pandemic, a return to fully staffed offices with everyone working collaboratively and in-person, and the return of Friday wine-time for all.

Azure HEX#008ff9: the colour is attention-grabbing, peaceful, calming and spacious. For me, it instills a sense of contemplation and purpose.

I have many dreams for 2022. One of these is to seek out opportunities to grow our design firm through thoughtful and creative solutions for clients who have entrusted us with their project visions, and to have fun reaching these goals.

In planning for new developments, Prismacolour True Green is the colour of the most important spaces. My wish for the coming year is continued momentum for our clients and staff through design that enhances the communities and spaces we work in.

Architects, AIBC, dHKarchitects / dhk.ca

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My world is purple

Brenda MacFarlane Besides the fact that it’s my favourite colour, purple represents differences coming together to make something beautiful. It combines the passion of red with the serenity of blue. Purple offers a balance between awareness and peace. My dream for the next year is to see my family, friends and clients (with a special sensitivity for my physician clients) feeling a sense of relief, rejuvenation and hope.

MBA, Financial Consultant, Certified Financial Planner CFP ® Chartered Investment Manager, CIM ®

IG Private Wealth Management (Investors Group Financial Services Inc.) / rawlukprivatewealth.com

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My world is red – My world is yellow

Arjin Dosanjh

Rov Dosanjh

Red is inspired by my favourite athlete, Tiger Woods, who wears this colour for the final round of every tournament he plays. Growing up as an athlete, I learned the mental strength, discipline and consistency required to achieve success. These qualities are vital for the success of everything from achieving personal goals to running a business. My dream for next year is to take more leaps and be less scared of failure; we truly grow when we’re pushed beyond our comfort zones.

Yellow. . .the colour of the sun. It’s a daily reminder of a new day, new opportunities and new possibilities. It tells us to move forward, not dwell on the past or worry about the future, but to make the present count, even if we’ve made mistakes. My dream for this year is to see less division in the world, for the climate crisis to be better addressed, and for people to be more considerate of our beautiful planet.

CFO

Owner

Rayn Properties Ltd. / raynproperties.com

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Our world is a rainbow

Sarah West & Bill Ethier The beautiful array of colours inspires us to smile, be curious, listen to others, have empathy and be inquisitive.

The rainbow is the light at the end of the storm, and to quote Dolly Parton, “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” The last two years have shown us that individuals can make a difference, even when faced with a global pandemic. Our dream is that people can continue to be kind to one another, be empathetic and use the strength they’ve discovered while overcoming the pandemic’s challenges to build safe, healthy communities. We hope 2022 is filled with laughs, smiles, health and more balance.

Realtors,® Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty / propertiesinvictoria.com

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My world is green

Aman Gill I would say it’s green because the outlook in the world is getting better; specifically with COVID-19 restrictions loosening and life returning to “normal.”

My dream for next year is to be able to travel freely and enjoy the world once again.

The pandemic has taught us to take advantage of our time on this earth.

President, Patriot Homes / patriothomes.ca

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My colour is fuchsia – Green is my colour

Missy MacKintosh

Heather Nightingale

Fuchsia is a powerhouse colour that makes me feel like a rebel with a cause. My dream for the coming year is to grow MisMacK and our team by creating empowerment workshops. First up is Youth Empowerment: a way to teach the next generation about using makeup as a tool of empowerment, with a focus on why using clean, toxin-free products is so important for everyone’s health.

Green inspires a sense of growth. In the year ahead, my dream is to inspire and empower all humans to change the world and educate people one ingredient at a time about why “clean beauty” is so essential for the health of all humans and the planet.

Executive Educator / Victoria Store Director

Founder / CEO

MisMacK Clean Cosmetics / mismack.com Jackets from Simply The Best.

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My colour of the world is usually a vibrant mix of all colours

Rick Arora Instead of a mix of colours, at the moment, it’s grey—a very drab and dreary grey. This is because, during the last two years, our economy and public morale has reached its lowest level ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its variants, coupled with ineffective politicians on both the federal and provincial levels. My dream for next year is to see all businesses in Victoria and on Vancouver Island revived and thriving. In that dream, everyone, young and old, is also having high tea at the Fairmont Empress—a very good sign.

Owner, Fifth Avenue Holdings & Madison Avenue Holdings

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My world would be yellow

Rudy Tomazic Yellow is crisp, bright, warm and considered cool. It reminds me of the evening sun coming through the windows, warming yet equally capable of terrifying you by revealing the dust missed while cleaning. I hope and dream for a 2022 during which people can love and celebrate the very simple things in life that we have taken for granted for so long.

Put your phone down when having dinner with the ones you love!

Founder, Friends of Dorothy / fodlounge.com

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My world is painted in the colour red – I absolutely live for green

Kyla Dufresne

Cheryl Laing

I created habits to uplift myself during my dark days. This included wearing bright colours and bright lipsticks to stimulate the senses. When you surround yourself with bright, bold colours and scents, it’s almost impossible for your brain to feel anything but happy. From my business branding to my wardrobe and lip shades, the colour red keeps me feeling powerful and energized.

My dream for next year is to continue to grow professionally and personally in an intrinsically balanced way.

For me, the colour green signifies life and renewal.

I love living on the West Coast, where there are so many different shades of green right at my fingertips. My dream for the year ahead is to find balance between growing our brand and business, and making more time for the outdoors.

CEO & business manager

Founder

Foxy Box Laser + Wax Bars / foxyboxwaxbar.com Makeup by Heather Nightingale & Missy MacKintosh of MisMacK Cosmetics

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business class

fighting fit

Fitness World’s Chris Smith battles pandemic with an overriding passion for the benefits of exercise WORDS TESS VAN STRAATEN

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PHOTOGRAPHY DON DENTON

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s an athlete who played college football and some professional football and who has coached lots of kids’ sports, Fitness World president and CEO Chris Smith is used to taking hits and overcoming setbacks. But the COVID-19 pandemic definitely put him to the test.

“This has been the most challenging business environment I think any of us have ever seen,” says the 47-year-old father of five.

Chris had a pretty good sense of what he was getting into when he decided to buy the company, after Steve Nash Fitness World—of which he was also president and CEO—filed for creditor protection in the early days of the pandemic.

“I had the unfortunate task of terminating thousands of employees in a matter of seven days, which is terrible and one of the worst things I’ve ever had to do,” Chris says. “I don’t know if I needed redemption, but I really felt I needed to get this business back up on its feet, and I just had a strong feeling that if I didn’t find a way to open the business with a new partner, nobody else would take on that risk.

That would have just left me with unfinished business and a sick feeling in my stomach.”

But as the public head of the company, Chris faced a lot of backlash from people who didn’t understand what had happened.

“We were one of the first businesses in the pandemic to publicly face challenges and people were looking for someone to blame,” Chris says. “I didn’t own the business, I wasn’t an owner, but what do you do during the pandemic if someone gives you lemons? You make lemonade and in this case, I got dump trucks full of lemons.”

Chris was convinced the company could re-emerge stronger, bigger and better than before. After talking to thousands of Fitness World members, he and others worked to change everything about the business, from the pricing model to the membership agreement.

“It was a consumer-driven strategy,” Chris explains. “We went and changed everything—literally everything—and I’m really proud of that. We’ve gotten better and we’ve grown the business every single month.”

Chris’s passion for exercise and its benefits began in his youth. His divorced parents didn’t have much money, and playing sports was his salvation.

“Lifting weights, exercise and wellness changed my life,” Chris says. “They provided for me like nothing else could.”

He’s now spent his entire career—close to 27 years—in the fitness industry, after getting into the business as a personal trainer.

SHOPS AT THE EMPRESS A STYLE FOR EVERY STORY

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

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“Lifting weights, exercise and wellness changed my life. They provided for me like nothing else could.”

“I stayed in it because I found something that I love that can truly make people better and something that makes a difference,” says Chris. “That’s what I love—making a difference for others. There’s nothing else I’d want to do with my life.”

In mid-December, the BC government once again announced that all gyms would have to close down the next day, for at least a month, due to rising COVID case counts fuelled by the highly-transmissible Omicron variant.

“We were shocked, along with the rest of the health and wellness industry,” Chris says. “The information that’s available is overwhelmingly supportive of the fact that gyms, fitness centres, and health and wellness facilities should be open. Frankly, you’re in a lot more danger going to a grocery store than a gym.”

Chris was once again faced with laying off staff—this time, more than 500 of Fitness World’s 650 employees. And he struggled with how to explain the government mandate to their 75,000 members across 15 locations when he says there’s been no data to support gym closures.

“I think there’s definitely a lack of understanding around health and wellness, and the role exercise plays in not just physical health, but mental health,” Chris says. “Of all the things that are essential, health and wellness are as essential as it gets. The number one thing you can do to keep yourself healthy overall is to exercise three times a week.”

But despite the setback of a second COVID closure, Chris says he’s still feeling pretty bullish.

“I’ve been operating as a frugal chef for a long time now, and making sound decisions for the business from day one, expecting the unexpected, and always kind of preparing for those worst-case scenarios,” he says. “After the first shutdown, we made strategic decisions to operate the business in a different way and while it’s been very challenging, there have been lots of curve balls thrown at different periods of time, so I’m fortunate to be surrounded by great people. My team is able to react to these situations and find ways to turn negatives into positives.”

Chris says the biggest lesson he’s learned over the years is around attitude and the kind of mindset you choose to have.

“One of the phrases I live by is, ‘your attitude determines your altitude,’” he says. “There have been a lot of times I could have personally given up, and a lot of times where people on my team could have given up, and the consequences of that giving up would have been bad for a lot of people. What I’ve learned through all of this is you have to keep yourself centred, and centred in a place of positivity, because if you don’t—especially as a leader of a business—it’s a slippery slope you don’t want to find yourself on.”

As for whether he’s regretted buying a business during a pandemic, it should come as no surprise Chris has another sports saying for that.

“No risk it, no biscuit.”

Structural Engineers serving Greater Victoria & the Gulf Islands

Pictured: 386 Newport Avenue, Oak Bay, BC

• New Construction

• Structural Assessments

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250–590–4133 | info@seng.ca | skylineengineering.ca

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fashion

Me, myself and I Do a double take on this season’s menswear coats, which stand out with creative details and Crayola-style colours. Create looks purely to delight yourself because it has never been a better time to make friends with the self and revel in one’s own company.

PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE STYLING SARAH D’ARCEY

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Jacket: Comme des Garçons, $4,500.

Pants: Valentino Neon Camo track pants, $1,955.

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Jacket: Valentino Neon Camo puffer jacket, $2,960.

Pants: Valentino Neon Camo track pants, $1,955.

Mesh top: stylist’s own.

Jacket: Balenciaga ultra marine coat, $3,800.

Pants: JW Anderson tapered strawberry fleece joggers, $770.

Hat: Granville Island Hat Shop, $60.

Jacket: Balenciaga logo collar leather jacket with genuine shearling lining, $6,590.

Background: Balenciaga black and red hooded blanket coat, $2,290.

Vest: Amiri hooded down puffer vest, $1,937.

Shorts: Amiri heart-printed swim trunks, $570.

Shoes: Vans, $99.

Socks: Hugo Boss.

Bucket hat: Le 31 from Maison Simons, $19.

Bottega Veneta packable oversize down puffer jacket, $4,270.

Makeup and hair: Jen Clark Model: Zen May All fashion from Nordstrom Canada unless otherwise noted.

Julie Rémy, owner and lead designer of Fleuris Studio & Blooms.

Slow flowers Growing sustainability in the floral industry WORDS JANE ZATYLNY

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he slow-food movement awakened us to the benefits of eating local, seasonal food. Now the same passion is sweeping through the floral industry, and it’s based on a similar principle: sustainability.

“Given the climate change crisis, as well as global social and environmental justice issues, sustainability is here to last—and not just in floristry—but in all aspects of our daily lives,” says Becky Feasby, Canadian ambassador for the Sustainable Floristry Network, a global organization dedicated to sustainable floristry practices.

You may wonder how flowers could possibly be harmful to the environment. After all, aren’t they organic by nature? Well, yes and no. Consider the last floral arrangement that was delivered to your door: more than likely it arrived in a box, with the flowers themselves planted upright in a large block of green floral foam and shielded by layers of cellophane and tissue paper.

In all that excess packaging, those foam bricks are by far the most controversial by-product of traditional floral design. Not only is it non-compostable, the foam is also known to contribute to micro-bead pollution. Then, of course, there are the cellophane and other packaging materials to contend with.

In addition, the flowers in many arrangements, as beautiful as they may be, are sometimes far from carbon neutral. They may have been sprayed with fungicides, imported from South America, flown to Holland and then Seattle, and driven by refrigerated truck to a wholesaler in Vancouver.

PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

“When I worked at a flower shop at the beginning of my career, I saw for myself how much waste was created,” says Kamila Alikhani, owner and creative director of Bloomiér, a zero-waste flower studio in West Vancouver.

“Florists are under a great deal of pressure to keep their stock filled and fresh. If customers don’t see a lot of variety, they might feel that a store’s flowers aren’t fresh.

The result is that many flowers are just thrown away.”

Today, Kamila lives and breathes sustainability in her work, purchasing most of her flowers locally, particularly from River and Sea Flowers, an organic specialty flower farm in Delta.

“I am very cautiously hopeful that there is a trend for local flowers,” she says. “I’m hopeful because we’re starting to see more local flower farmers.”

Julie Rémy has seen that growth close-up. She is a local flower grower as well as the owner and lead designer of Fleuris Studio & Blooms, a small floral design studio in Victoria. Julie is also a member of the Island Flower Growers, a cooperative that offers a wholesale flower market and distribution hub for local florists and floral designers. The cooperative recently expanded to include eight sustainable specialty cut-flower growers and a few casual growers.

“Quite frankly, growing flowers is a lot of work, especially when we also design them,” Julie says. “But knowing that I’m doing something good and I’m giving back to the environment is a great reward.”

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Feminine florals and bold stripes for Spring.

Our latest arrivals from Part Two are now in-store & online.

As it turns out, even the pandemic has contributed to the demand for locally grown flowers, says Becky.

“It’s provided an increased sense of seasonal relativity for both flowers and food. Climate pressures in the global south have also created supply chain issues, which makes locally grown flowers more attractive for many florists.”

Nine ways to go slow and sustainable with your next floral purchase

FORGET THE FOAM

The number one thing that all consumers should do is ask for their floral arrangements to be made without floral foam, says Becky.

“The planet will thank you.”

Floral arrangements can be created instead with bundled chicken wire, old-fashioned pin or glass “frogs” or Agra Wool, a new product resembling floral foam made from biodegradable basalt and sucrose. Using chicken wire allows for more gracious, garden-inspired arrangements, says Julie: “It allows the flowers to dance a lot more.”

JUST SAY NO TO CELLOPHANE 2418 Beacon Ave, Sidney 250.655.0774 @boutiquemoden | modenboutique.com

Be brave, and say no to wasteful packaging like clear cellophane wrapping, says Kamila. Opt instead for kraft paper or tissue paper and fabric ribbons to wrap bouquets.

“Being sustainable doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful or luxurious,” she stresses. “For instance, we had our own tissue paper printed up with beautiful poems.”

BUY IN SEASON

Local flowers are typically available from April through October in BC, although there are many BC flower growers who use heated and precisely lit greenhouses to extend the season, says Julie.

“We have sustainable flowers available the rest of the year to a certain degree, but just a few varieties here and there, and not necessarily in the abundance required to create amazing bouquets and arrangements without having to rely on unsustainably grown flowers, local or not.”

By buying in season, we can learn to anticipate them much like local produce.

“There is a season for each of them, which makes you appreciate them that much more. We don’t have dahlias in the spring, but we do have ranunculus,” says Julie, adding that it’s like buying farm-grown fresh strawberries, for example. “You know at the end of the season that you’ll have to wait until next year.”

Lighten things up with lingerie

by Montelle.

New colours for Spring available now.

CONSIDER A FLOWER SUBSCRIPTION

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Flower subscriptions are a great way to bring flowers into your life in a very sustainable way. Florists typically provide you with the vase for your first order and often offer or sell pin or glass frogs.

“A monthly, bi-weekly and weekly flower service allows us to source the flowers needed for each set of arrangements. And, with no extra stock on hand, there are no unused flowers to throw away,” says Kamila.

PHOTO BY HÉLÈNE CYR.

Our goal is to build quality homes for families and individuals that shape neighbourhoods and we take pride in creating homes with our signature: Built by Conforti Homes Ltd.

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Flowers are about bringing nature into people’s lives: “They’re about celebrating nature and helping the bees and the butterflies and the birds and the environment as much as we can.”

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

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Ruby & Diamond Stacking Band

Aquamarine & Diamond Halo Ring

2.18ctw Diamond Engagement Ring

Amethyst & White Sapphire Ring

Amethyst & Diamond Ring

Men’s Diamond Band

ASK YOUR FLORISTS QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR FLOWERS

Ask where your flowers are coming from, advises Becky.

“Florists should know the place of origin for all of their flowers and should be able to convey this information to their customers.”

CHOOSE FRESH OR NATURALLY DRIED FLOWERS OVER BLEACHED AND DYED

Trendy bleached and dyed flowers are often portrayed as sustainable but are anything but, says Kamila.

“Once you bleach the natural stem and dye the flowers, they cannot be composted,” she explains. “When you don’t want them anymore, they have to be thrown away.”

Dried flowers, however, can be an important part of slow floristry, says Julie.

“It is a great way to extend the season sustainably. Some flowers dry beautifully and retain vibrant colours while others can be ‘bleached’ naturally by the sun, instead of using harmful chemicals.

Properly dried flowers can add a beautiful texture or pop of colour in a holiday wreath, for example, just when local sustainably grown flowers are harder to come by.”

BUY LOCAL FROM SMALLER GROWERS WHO SUPPORT FARM-TO-TABLE FLOWERS

Flowers that have been grown locally by a smaller grower who is interested in sustainability have a lot more movement and grace to them, says Julie.

“They’re fresher; they haven’t been shipped all around the world before they came here. They may be more delicate, but they have this amazing romantic look. The stems are freer; it’s not all been standardized for the wholesalers.”

Located inside the Fairmont Empress Tea Lobby stonesjewelleryvictoria.com 250-382-4841 Family operated since 1972

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WORK WITH AND TRUST YOUR FLORIST

Florists know what flowers are in season and how to work with your style.

“I like to understand a bit about who my clients are and how these flowers will make their lives more beautiful,” says Julie. “For one client, everything should be white. Another may be going for a memory or a feeling; for example, they want to recall a trip to Mexico with a bold-coloured arrangement.”

Kamila agrees: “My clients trust me to choose flowers for them. They just say, ‘You choose. They’re all beautiful.’”

CELEBRATE AND SUPPORT THE NATURAL WORLD

Flowers are about bringing nature into people’s lives, concludes Julie.

“They’re about celebrating nature and helping the bees and the butterflies and the birds and the environment as much as we can…Flowers are one of the best ways we can do that.”

PHOTOS BY JULIE RÉMY.

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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 wraparound 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.

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

2368 Esplanade

902 4009 Rainbow Hill Lane

Oak Bay, BC $3,299,000

Victoria, BC $1,700,000

Malibu-style Beach House, steps from the Ocean! This luxurious 4 bed, 3 bath home has recently undergone a complete renovation & showcases superior finishings throughout. Designer interior is the perfect balance of style & comfort, offering sweeping water views and an ocean facing deck.

Enviable outdoor living space, including a covered balcony & sprawling patio allows for year round entertaining. Prestigious location with nearby parks, beaches & amenities

Chic modern Penthouse in the Lyra Residences, complete with over 1600+ sq ft of private Terraces. The beautifully designed interior is flooded with light provided by walls of glass that frame sweeping views of downtown Victoria, Swan Lake & the Olympic Mountains. Enviable outdoor living year-round with a South and West Terrace - soak in your hot tub or host a BBQ at your outdoor fire pit - the possibilities are endless!

Stunning 2 bed, 2 bath Penthouse in the highly sought-after Lyra Residences. Designer interior is bright & flooded with natural light with walls of glass & expansive views. Desirable open plan living, with over-height ceilings & rich engineered hardwood flooring throughout.

Enjoy the sprawling open-air balcony offering panoramic vistas. Centrally located on Christmas Hill, with easy access to walking trails, amenities and transit.

214 456 Pandora

1004/1005 100 Saghalie Road

404 455 Sitkum Road

Victoria, BC $1.095,000

Executive suite in the distinguished Janion.

Designer interior enhanced with walls of glass framing sweeping ocean & harbour views.

Modern & stylish living space with over height ceilings & rich wide plank oak flooring throughout. Primary suite generously sized with spa-inspired 3pc ensuite. 2nd bedroom features a built-in murphy bed/couch.Building amenities include: flexible ownership & short-term rentals allowed, rooftop deck, gym, kayak launch & meeting room. Urban living at it’s finest!

214 456 Pandora

Victoria, BC $3,100,000 Custom-designed penthouse suite in the prestigious Bayview One. Offering over 2000 sq ft, with 3 beds,3 baths, and spectacular ocean views from all principal rooms. With a gourmet kitchen, warm and inviting living areas and a formal dining room - this unit is perfect for entertaining friends and family. Expansive patios extend the length of the suite, providing ample space to relax and enjoy the fresh air and spectacular water views

804 4011 Rainbow Hill Lane Victoria, BC $1,199,900

Victoria, BC $1,089,000

Gorgeous 2 story penthouse in Vic West, offering unparalleled views of the city and harbour. Polished concrete floors contrast artfully with warm exposed beams. A stunning living/ dining area is perfect for entertaining. Elegant staircase to upper floor offers a loft bedroom, walk-in and 5 piece bath, with access to rooftop terrace. Unit comes with 2 parking stalls, and allows for rentals & pets.

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

OVER

$178 Million SOLD IN 2021 OVER

$1 Billion CAREER SALES

$2,130,842 AVERAGE SALE PRICE

37 AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET

JASON BINAB

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Urban Oasis

1239 B Tattersall Drive, Victoria, BC $2,495,000 Authentic French country design near the heart of Victoria. The inviting exterior of this 3,394 sq.ft. custom home combines substantial stone, wrought iron & concrete detailing to give the impression of timelessness. Exposed beams and an oversized gas fireplace make the great room very appealing with polished concrete floors highlighted by multiple, over-sized bespoke double doors. A contemporary layout ideal for empty nesters.

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Deluxe Estate Home

Captivating Views

1700 Mt. Newton Cross Road, Victoria, BC $7,900,000

4035 Locarno Lane, Victoria, BC $8,880,000

554 Beach Drive, Oak Bay, BC $3,200,000

Perched high above the coveted Mount Newton Valley, Belvoir Hall offers stunning westerly views from its magical 20-acre vantage point. Custom built in 2003, 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.

This incredible 6,044 sq.ft. custom home snugs the rocky shoreline sending sounds of the ocean lapping the shore & refreshing breezes across its bow. It offers 300 degrees of uninterrupted ocean & island vistas from a private gated 1 acre. Five substantial ensuite bedrooms are located across 2 wings for privacy.

Overlooking McNeil Bay, this residence boasts one of Victoria’s most picturesque settings. An entertainer’s delight, the 3,026 sq.ft. home has 3 gas fireplaces and includes an elevator for ease of access from the spacious street level double garage to the primary bedroom with its far-reaching views.

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

MACLEOD GROUP Kirsten MacLeod

Shaelyn Mattix

Glynis MacLeod

Sales Associate

Sales Associate

Personal Real Estate Corporation

250.686.3385

250.908.0184

250.661.7232

macleod-group.com

macleodgroup@sothebysrealty.ca

sothebysrealty.ca

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.

1144 Fort Street, Victoria, BC

Personal Real Estate Corporation

PE

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The Value of Experience

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2753 Somass Drive | $6,495,000

407 – 521 Courtney Street | $2,688,000

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2651 Currie Road | Coming Soon

Waterfront | South Oak Bay

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377 SEYM O U R H E I GH TS, SA LT S P R I N G I S L A N D, BC $ 1 1 , 9 75, 000 | 7 B ED S | 8 B A TH S | 7 , 3 2 4 S Q F T Zauberberg Ranch | 71 acres of European-inspired alpine living looking east over the Gulf Islands to the Cascade Range. The estate’s 7300sqft French Country Manor sits 350m above sea level, backed by Mt Maxwell Provincial Park’s 1100 hectares of old-growth. This serene landscape of over 300 tree species, meadows of wildflowers, and statue-guarded trails is the ultimate in seclusion and immersion into nature. As a private residence or retreat, Zauberberg is superbly equipped. All bedrooms feature ensuite bathrooms, while the primary suite sits aboves a medical wing with office, 2 treatment rooms, and a private entrance. Power and water are assured by a new well/ UV system with 2,000 gallon cistern, as well as a backup generator and 5000L propane tank. To the west, a pagoda-inspired sauna sits amongst the trees adjacent one of 3 serene ponds. Gardens and horse facilities including 3 paddocks, 2 horse stables and pasture to the north are complemented by a timber-frame barn with RV hookup.

Dean Innes SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES REAL ESTATE ADVISOR

c 250.686.0279 t 250.380.3933 dinnes@sothebysrealty.ca Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office is Independently Owned And Operated.

Helping you make the right decision.

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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

wg Neistin L

417-21 Dallas Road, James Bay 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms $1,499,000 Beautiful Shoal Point corner unit over looking Fisherman’s Wharf & a park with inner harbour and city views. This warm, welcoming home features Brazilian Cherry floors throughout. The spacious kitchen, with granite countertops, gas cooktop and wall oven adjoins a lovely sitting area w/ gas fireplace, the perfect place to watch the activity of the inner harbour.

The sprawling living/dining area also has a gas fireplace and entry onto the covered balcony with a natural gas connection and hose bib. The large primary bedroom features a 3rd gas fireplace, balcony with park views, walk-in closet, and 5 piece ensuite with heated floors. The second bedroom with 3 pce bath is ideal for overnight guests. This unit also comes with 2 parking spaces and A/C. Enjoy the many amenities exclusive to Shoal Point: 25m lap pool, gym, steam, sauna, concierge, guest suites, putting green, bike & kayak storage.

2249 Oak Bay Avenue, Victoria, BC V8R 1G4 • Office +1 778-433-8885

The Neal Estate Group’s 2021 Year in Review If you’re feeling like many of our clients right now, you want to make a move, but with the Pandemic, you’ve been concerned about your health and safety, and with the lack of selection.

Being able to find somewhere new to call home is a real issue. You don’t want to sell and have nowhere to go!

We have strategies and solutions that will enable you to move safely and stress-free! We will help you find and secure your new home BEFORE selling and then we will GUARANTEE to sell your home within 30 days! (or we will sell it for free) In 2021 we sold our client’s homes in an average of 21 days for an average of 3% more than our asking price.

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27

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AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET

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Specializing in the municipalities of Oak Bay, Victoria and Saanich Let’s Work Together

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The Real Estate Team You Trust for Life info@propertiesinvictoria.com | 250.920.7000 | propertiesinvictoria.com

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RECENTLY SOLD

COMNG SOON

COMING SOON

139-3640 Propeller Place 3 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms $956,138

301-1120 Fairfield Road 2 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms Coming soon!

307-10461 Resthaven Drive 2 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms Coming soon!

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

DYNAMIC BROTHER SISTER REALTOR® TEAM

Hossack + Gray Real Estate Kind Words

“

We feel so fortunate to have worked with Patrick and Kate on the purchase of a new home. As professionals, they are organized, efficient, knowledgeable, and accessible. As people, they are lovely to work with, always supportive, receptive, lighthearted, and good-natured. Highly recommend!

Let’s Work Together

2630 ORCH A RD AV E | $ 3, 473,000 5 BEDS | 5 BAT HS | 3,722 SQ . F T.

”

PATRICK HOSSACK

PATRICK.HOSSACK@THE AGENCYRE.COM 778.535.7972

K ATHERINE GR AY

K ATHERINE.GR AY@THE AGENCYRE.COM 250.516.4563 HOSSACKGR AYRE ALESTATE.COM

767 BYNG S T REE T | $ 2,500,000 4 BEDS | 4 BAT HS | 2,306 SQ . F T. AN INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED LICENSEE OF UMRO REALTY CORP.

BUYING WITH RYAN

RYAN MESSER, REALTOR® 250-938-5609

Providing his clients with guidance to make the experience as seamless as possible, Ryan is a certified expert and skillful negotiator with the confidence to excel in multiple offer situations. Ryan loves working with a diverse background of people, from young families to first-time homebuyers, older couples, and individuals seeking investment opportunities. He treats everyone with equal respect and effort no matter their price point may be. Ryan goes above and beyond the call of duty for each and every one of his clients, maintaining comfortability and confidence throughout the entire purchase process. From start to finish, Ryan articulates the details surrounding the actual purchase with clarity and transparency, always keeping clients informed every step of the way.

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ryan.messer@theagencyre.com

theagencyre.com 960 Yates St #101, Victoria, BC 778.265.5552

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Your home is more important than ever…

We want you to

l ove

your home!

RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL Gautam Arora

Licenced Realtor, Pemberton Holmes

NICOLE BURGESS 250-384-8124

nicole@nicoleburgess.com

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Established 1887

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

Gautam Arora Personal Realestate Corporation 250.384.8124 | Arorarealty.org

505-327 MAITLAND STREET | OFFERED AT $549,000 | 2 BD 1 BA | 868 SQ FT

P E N D I N G

413-5120 CORDOVA BAY ROAD | SOLD FOR $799,900 | 2 BD 2 BA | 1,143 SQ FT

S O L D

304-5120 CORDOVA BAY ROAD | SOLD FOR $959,000 | 2 BD 2 BA | 1,282 SQ FT

Nancy Stratton

250.857.5482 | Nancy.Stratton@TheAgencyRE.com | REALTOR®

Sophia Briggs

250.418.5569 | Sophia.Briggs@TheAgencyRE.com | PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION

S O L D

Rebecca Barritt

250.514.9024 | Rebecca.Barritt@TheAgencyRE.com | REALTOR®

607-646 MICHIGAN STREET | SOLD FOR $770,000 | 2 BD 2 BA | 872 SQ FT

250.592.1042 | BRIGGSANDSTRATTONREALTORS.COM

ANDREW WADE

Mortgage Broker

CELL 250.886.1956 Andrew@modernmortagegroup.ca FAX 250.590.3519 FindMeAMortgage.ca

S O L D

food and feast

Smooth move

Embark on a smoothie-making adventure to create a glass of goodness WORDS ELLIE SHORTT PHOTOGRAPHY DON DENTON

B

reakfast in a bottle? Over-hyped health fad?

An excuse to drink a grown-up milkshake? What, you might be asking, is the purpose of a smoothie? And why, you might be wondering, did I dedicate an entire story to this?

Good questions and valid thoughts, especially if you’re someone who hasn’t yet dabbled in the subtle art of smoothie making.

For those who are well-practiced in this culinary offshoot, you already know the most obvious answer: you can pack a number of nutritious ingredients, boosters and other accoutrements into one vibrant glass of goodness—nutrients that you might otherwise not so readily sprinkle on your dinner.

But just as importantly, they can (and should) be a delicious treat to enjoy whenever the mood strikes, whether it’s looking for a super-powered start to your day, a satisfying slurp-able snack, or even a decadent yet nutrient-dense dessert.

As both a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and a recipe developer, it is of the utmost importance to me that food tastes as good as it makes you feel. And that goes for body, mind and soul. You’re not going to drink more smoothies if they taste like swamp water, and you’ll likely better assimilate the nutrients if you ingest them with a smile. So let me take the stress out of smoothie assembly, and offer some of my top tips for making—and enjoying—more blended beverages (and bowls) in your day-to-day experience.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED To start your smoothie-making adventure you’ll need a really good blender. You can use a low-powered blender, but the frustration you’ll experience and the limitations you’ll run boulevardmagazines.com |

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into will almost assuredly make this a short-lived endeavour. It is marvellously satisfying to push a button and watch a half dozen widely differing ingredients whir together in swirling synchronicity and within minutes present as the perfect puree. If your blender is low-powered or the blades are dull, this will take many tries and more steps to get the desired outcome. It can be an investment, but a good quality blender is also a fantastic kitchen tool in general for making sauces, soups and even your own nut milks.

Of course, the crown jewel is the Vitamix, although I have a KitchenAid. I’ve had it for years and it has stood by my side through nearly daily smoothies, almost weekly soups and dozens of cooking class demonstrations.

HOW TO BUILD IT There is no right or wrong way to make a smoothie. In fact, if you ever see a smoothie “recipe” (like the ones presented here) use 118

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it as a loose guideline, take as much creative license as pleases, and work with what you already have in the kitchen.

For a well-balanced smoothie, I like incorporating something earthy or spicy, something creamy or smooth and, of course, something sweet to take the edge off.

Earthy/spicy could be fresh ginger, ground cinnamon, kale, spinach, mint, cilantro, beet or carrot. Creamy/smooth is avocado (it also works for earthy), tropical fruits like banana, mango, and papaya (they also work for sweet), thick coconut cream, yogurt, chia seeds (which gelatinize when mixed with moisture), etc. For sweet, I usually let fruit do the heavy lifting (berries, cherries, apple, peach, pear, etc.), but on occasion will rely on some soft Medjool dates or even some raw honey to help out a bit.

Depending on the flavour profile you’re working with, it’s likely you’ll want to include something acidic to balance it out: something like orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit or pineapple. And then, of course, your liquid of choice will either be cold water, juice or milk

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You can pack a number of nutritious ingredients, boosters into one vibrant glass of goodness. (coconut, almond, cow, goat, etc.).

Exactly how much liquid to use is difficult to say, and it will partially depend on whether you’re enjoying the smoothie in a cup or bowl (more on that later). The great thing is, you can start with a modest amount of moisture, and keep adding more in until you’re happy with the viscosity.

250.361.4714 | PacificAwnings.ca info@PacificAwnings.ca Visit Our Showroom M-F, 9:00am-5:00pm 2745 Bridge Street, Victoria, BC boulevardmagazines.com |

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HOW TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

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Now that you have the basics, let your smoothie work a bit harder for you with some nutrient-dense boosters. Spirulina, acai and camu camu powder are some of my personal favourites for additional immune support and antioxidant boosts. I also enjoy tossing in some flax seeds and psyllium husk for a little extra fibre.

A good quality protein powder is key if you’re wanting more satiating substance. I personally stick to a neutral flavoured simple collagen powder as there aren’t any additional ingredients to mess with the taste, or my body. Not only is one scoop equal to about 13 grams of protein, but multiple studies show that dietary collagen is important for healthy hair, skin and nail growth, and may even improve digestive function as well.

If you’d really like your smoothie to stay with you a little longer, I suggest trying a stick-to-your-ribs “smoothie bowl.”

Take whatever recipe (guideline) you’re working with, and add a bit more of the creamy and a lot less of the liquid, until you have a pudding-like consistency. Transfer this thick mix to a bowl, and top with nuts, seeds, dried fruit, fresh berries, your favourite granola, a dollop of yogurt, a drizzle of honey—the sky’s the limit. Bonus points for artful assembly, which always seems to get extra “likes” on social media—the internet loves a good smoothie bowl!

And that’s the basic anatomy, assembly and art of making a smoothie.

My final tip? Try not to slurp it up too fast or you’ll be left with a potential brain-freeze or bloated belly.

Purple Power Introducing your antioxidant artillery! The regal hue of this magenta marvel is no doubt pleasing to the eye, but the super-powered ingredients within are also pleasing to your immune system, digestive function and even sleep. Plants pigmented with deep reds, purples and blues are often rich in something called anthocyanins and another phytochemical called quercetin, found to help slow cancer growth and aid in liver repair. Cherries, specifically, contain natural melatonin, assisting in restful sleep, as well as diminishment of systemic inflammation and associated oxidative stress. Not only do the chia seeds provide a hearty thickness to this smoothie, but they’re rich in anti-inflammatory fatty acids, are full of fibre and have been shown in some cases to improve digestive function.

Ingredients ½ heaping cup red beets, peeled and chopped 1 heaping cup cherries (frozen works best here) 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen) 1 cup coconut milk (unsweetened) 2 tbsp chia seeds Directions Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend for a minute or two until smooth. Let sit for a few minutes as the chia seeds expand and gelatinize, and then blend again for a minute or two more. *Note: to make it a smoothie bowl, substitute the coconut milk for plain coconut yogurt, or the thick coconut cream that you find on the top of a can after separation.

250.516.1353 | info@carsaconstruction.ca

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So Fresh and So Green An apple a day may not necessarily keep the doctor away, but if you add in folate-rich kale, digestively soothing mint and immune-boosting pineapple, your odds are likely increased. Not to mention the fact that avocado is packed with calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium zinc, vitamins C, B6, B12, A, D, K, E, and are a great source of dietary fibre. Shall I go on, or are you ready to try this gorgeous green glass of goodness yet?

Ingredients 1 medium green apple, cut and cored 2 cups loose baby kale ½ cup loose fresh mint leaves ½ cup pineapple, trimmed, cored and cubed ½ avocado 1 ½ cups cold water Directions Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (about two minutes). *Note: to make it a smoothie bowl, leave out the water and, if you want, add in another half avocado to make it extra thick.

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Good Morning Sunshine One sip of this tropically inspired treat, and you’ll feel like the sun’s golden rays are radiating out of you. Bursting with vitamin C and probiotics, each golden gulp makes your immune system smile, while fresh ginger and papaya soothe and nourish your digestive tract. If you’re sensitive to dairy, try a plain fermented coconut yogurt—my personal favourite is by the brand Yoggu based in Vancouver.

Ingredients ½ heaping cup mango, peeled and cubed ½ heaping cup papaya, peeled and cubed 2 tbsp ginger, peeled and chopped Juice of 1 lime ½ cup plain yogurt ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (about two minutes). *Note: to make it a smoothie bowl, leave out the orange juice and, if you wish, add in another half a cup of yogurt to make it extra thick.

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CocoNana Once you try this decadent dream, you won’t believe that it’s good for you. Without even touching on the nutritional bounty of bananas, almond butter and cinnamon, the raw cocoa is full of magnesium and antioxidant-rich flavonoids and, when consumed, may improve blood flow, reduce plaque buildup on artery walls, and potentially diminish the effects of oxidative damage (cancer, aging, degenerative diseases). In fact, a study from Cornell University found that raw cacao powder contains nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine, and up to three times the antioxidants found in green tea! Note that I keep saying and suggesting “raw” cocoa powder. While Dutch-processed is ideal for baking, it’s alkalinized, leaving you with a smooth-tasting ingredient, but one that doesn’t pack as much of a punch nutritionally speaking.

Ingredients 2 heaping tbsp raw almond butter 4 heaping tbsp raw cocoa powder 1 banana, peeled and roughly chopped 1 tbsp cinnamon 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (about one minute). *Note: to make it a smoothie bowl, leave out the almond milk, and you can even add in another half banana to make it extra thick.

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Ybor City is a historic CubanAmerican neighborhood in Tampa. Cigars and coffee and the Columbia Restaurant have been icons here for more than 100 years.

PHOTO COURTESY VISIT FLORIDA.

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Florida triple-header

CREATING YOUR PERFECT STAYCATION | ESTABLISHED IN 1980 |

Hockey, baseball and hospitality combine for the win in spring travel

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WORDS BRUCE CAMERON

f you’re a sports fan, a visit to Florida in March scores big time, with options for a doubleheader vacation that can take you from the wintery arena to the spring ball field in a matter of hours. Add in some genuine Florida hospitality— and you’ve got a triple-header experience.

My brother’s February birthday provided the perfect opportunity for the sports-crazed Cameron clan—me and my brothers Jim and Craig—to leave our winter-chilled homes in Canada to meet in Tampa Bay for an NHL hockey game, and then travel together to Dunedin for Blue Jays spring training in what’s called the “Grapefruit League.”

The week-long trip provided the perfect mix of sports-watching and brother-bonding—especially considering that it took place in late February 2020 and, as it turned out, would mark the last time in years that we could meet in person.

My brothers and I set out initially for the baseball—the Toronto Blue Jays had recently opened a great new spring training stadium, TD Ballpark. The fact that our hockey team (the Toronto Maple Leafs, sorry, Canucks fans) happened to be playing the Tampa Bay Lightning was pure, wonderful happenstance.

Why go to spring training, you ask? For anyone who is a diehard baseball fan, spring training is like a sneak preview of the upcoming season. It includes a series of practices and exhibition games, a chance to watch new players try out for rosters and position spots, and a season-first look at established players getting ready for competitive play.

The atmosphere is lighthearted and fun, the crowds are much smaller and intimate than in regular season play; the event draws numerous media personalties—we chatted with renowned Blue Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez—and generally allows for an up-close and personal look at the team.

So, we knew the sports-watching would be great. But as it turned out, we became captivated by so many other things the Tampa Bay and Dunedin regions had to offer.

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Being Canadians, the prospect of being in a place where we could once again wear shorts and T-shirts, while watching two of our favourite sports teams play, was reason enough to venture down from the frozen north. I had further to travel, from here on the west coast (a 14-hour journey, including a brief stop at Toronto Pearson Airport), and my two Toronto-based brothers met me there and we ventured forth together to sample Florida’s hospitality.

Our first stop was in Tampa itself, where the downtown area near Amalie Arena—home base for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning— has undergone a rapid transformation over the past decade. Our hotel was on the trolley line and across from the elegant Marriott Hotel, which has a lovely outside lounge, where patrons can keep an eye on their yachts tied up along the harbour wall. The lobby has a Roman feel, with its faux marble columns and soaring ceilings.

The trolley line just outside the hotel extends all the way up to Ybor City, a fascinating enclave of Hispanic and Italian culture, complete with a New Orleans-like architectural feel, and shops where seasoned workers hand roll cigars in the windows. Most shops and restaurants tolerate and some even encourage cigar smoking, a strangely foreign thing to Canadians accustomed to stringent anti-smoking laws.

The history of Ybor City, like much of Florida, has an unbroken link you can trace back to the time when Spain, not America, ruled this land. Yet Ybor City has a more American sensibility, derived from the various types of taverns, shops and restaurants found here.

And the presence of Italian churches and shops that first sprang up in the 1800s is a reminder of all the waves of immigration that ultimately built America.

For hockey lovers seeking sunshine, there are bars and restaurants to get ready for the game. One such watering hole is a hockey-themed American tavern called Hattricks, located not far from

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the arena, and where you can expect to find signed framed jerseys and a lot of local Tampa Bay Lightning hockey fans. More impressive was the surprise we received after the game, when we accepted an invitation from a few local fans we befriended, and joined them on an expansive outdoor patio which wraps around the outside of Amelie Arena. Here, those in the know can have a beer or two after the game rather than fight the exiting crowds.

Head west from Tampa toward the Gulf Coast and you encounter dozens of shallow bays and towns that cater to water sports, fishing, dining and drinking. Because this area is so flat, it may eventually be vulnerable to climate-caused sea rise, but for now it is perfect for walking, and most communities along this coastline have excellent walking and cycling trails.

Perhaps the best-known of these is the Pinellas Trail, which extends from the high-rise hotels, white sand and beach-front restaurants of Clearwater in the south, through Dunedin to the interesting town of Tarpon Springs in the north. This Greek community holds fast to its culinary traditions and its history as the sponge capital of America—and it’s a great place to visit.

Make time in Tarpon Springs to dine in one of the many authentic Greek restaurants and walk along the waterfront, where working sponge boats still ply their trade. You can even take a cruise with divers, who collect the sponges just off the coast.

Along the trail through Pinellas County, which we traversed twice on rental bikes, there is an assortment of shops, restaurants and bars to explore. In downtown Dunedin itself, the choice of restaurants and shopping is impressive, from the stately Fenway Hotel, which offers breathtaking views of the sunset, to more informal spots like Rosie’s Tavern of Dunedin (named after the owner’s dog—Dunedin is a very dog friendly place for those thinking of travelling with their pets).

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PHOTO COURTESY VISIT TAMPA. PHOTO COURTESY VISIT FLORIDA

The atmosphere is lighthearted and fun, the [ baseball] crowds are much smaller and intimate than in regular season play; the event draws numerous media personalties and generally allows for an up-close and personal look at the team.

A vintage trolley line connects Tampa’s downtown with the Channelside district, which includes Amalie Arena and and Ybor City.

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For a refined dining experience, make a reservation at Parts of Paris Bistro & Bar in Safety Harbor, between Tampa and Dunedin.

Exquisite French cuisine and an excellent wine cellar make this spot worth the detour. While in Safety Harbour, you can visit the spa and pools of the Safety Harbor Resort, a sprawling complex of buildings and rooms with a strange-but-compelling history as a sanatorium in the early part of the last century.

For night owls, the entertainment spots and bars in Dunedin are quite welcoming of Canadians. The businesses operate on slightly different schedules, seemingly rotating so each can get a share of the business.

Our favourite spot was definitely the Dunedin Brewery, Florida’s oldest micro-brewery, which serves up a casual vibe, friendly staff, great beer and a fantastic live music scene. To top it off, Dunedin Brewery proudly embraces its Scottish heritage, which was just perfect for the three Cameron brothers from Canada.

We headed back to Canada, pleased that the triple combination of ice hockey, Grapefruit League baseball and a warm and welcoming hospitality made for a winning sports vacation.

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AND THE 7 SINS with KYLA DUFRESNE

Founder and CEO of Foxy Box wax bar Kyla Dufresne is an ambitious businesswoman, philanthropist and selfproclaimed “hustler.” And to say that she’s driven is a wild understatement.

The 34-year-old powered through a number of careers in her late teens and early 20s—from mental health worker to creating a clothing line and bartending—but she ultimately followed a lifelong love of the beauty industry when she created Foxy Box, and simultaneously filled a need in the market for affordable, inclusive and straight-forward hair removal.

Kyla celebrates 10 years in business this year, and has big plans to grow her empire.

“Our goal is to award 20 franchises this year,” says Kyla, and she’s confident they’ll achieve it.

With nine stores already in operation and another three under construction, Foxy Box has spread out across the country, including locations in Victoria, Port Coquitlam, Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto.

Makeup by Heather Nightingale, MisMacK Cosmetics.

WORDS ANGELA COWAN

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PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

With a straight-forward and fun approach to hair removal, Foxy Box has become wildly popular over the last decade, in part because of its unique business model (which offers 10-packs and memberships, similar to a gym) but also because of the brand itself.

“We’re just so big on community impact and giving back,” says Kyla. She describes “Foxy Fest,” an annual event that’s been raising money for various charitable causes, held each year on International Women’s Day. PreCOVID-19 pandemic, the festival hosted musicians, spoken word poets, comedians and more, all of whom volunteered their time so that the revenue from ticket sales went to the non-profits. The last two years the event has been virtual, but no less successful, with support going to the BC Society of Transition Houses, which helps women transitioning out of abusive situations.

Kyla’s intense passion for supporting women is deeply rooted, and it’s what fuels her ambition to see Foxy Box in the hands of more franchisees.

“My mom had a bakery, and she worked all the time,” she says. “Seeing her work so hard and just killing herself to make ends meet… when I found a recipe with Foxy Box to make money and enjoy being a business owner, all I wanted to do was give that opportunity to other women.”

GREED:

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

This is easy. I’d pile all my girlfriends into the Tahoe and head on a road trip to visit all the greatest consignment stores. As the youngest of three girls, I always wore hand-me-down tights and oversized sweaters, and on his visits home, my father used to take me to Value Village and tell me, “You can get anything you want for $20.” I got to create my own style and rock clothes that I chose for myself, and as an adult, it’s my favourite way to shop.

WRATH:

Pet peeves?

My brain literally can’t function unless my space is organized and clean. A messy space actually impacts my whole mood. If I come home and a bomb has gone off in the kitchen—which with my step-kids happens very often!—the first thing I must do is clean it immediately so I can relax.

SLOTH:

Where would you spend a long time doing nothing?

The 7 Sins

Bed. Since I was a baby I’ve always loved to sleep.

I love relaxing in bed, whether it’s reading a book, listening to a meditation or just lying with my thoughts, a cosy bed is literally heaven to me.

ENVY:

PRIDE:

If I had to pick just one, I’d pick Adele. I am so far from being talented in anything music-related, so to experience firsthand the influence an artist holds would be a cool day for me. To first be blessed with the courage and confidence to walk onto a stage in front of thousands of humans and then magnetically shift the entire energy of a stadium is a feeling I would love to be able to give to the world.

Overcoming depression was the biggest personal win for me. I don’t talk about it in depth very often, but my younger years were a pretty dark time for me. I think that’s why I’m such a happy person as an adult, because once I made the necessary shifts to be happy, I recognized that I never want to go back to that place.

Whose shoes would you like to walk in?

GLUTTONY:

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

I could live off of any Asian cuisine! I don’t think I can narrow it down to just one thing! Thai curries, Vietnamese pho soups, fresh papaya salads, sushi rolls wrapped with fresh fish, avocado and mango...I’m drooling just thinking of what I’m going to eat next.

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

LUST:

What makes your heart beat faster?

Laughing with my loved ones. I’m not a doctor but I do know that laughter is always, in fact, the best medicine. I say it all the time, if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry. Oh, and also my dog. I’m literally obsessed with him!

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narrative

WORDS SHARON GOLDSTON-EASTON

X

ILLUSTRATION SIERRA LUNDY

WHAT’S A LITTLE RAIN?

“W

hat’s a little rain?” my husband asks as we pack our suitcases. We’re leaving Nanaimo on Vancouver Island for my birthday weekend in Victoria. The COVID-19 pandemic stopped all our earlier travel plans, so I’m anxious to get away.

It’s a wonderful weekend. We love meeting up with old friends and wandering the city, checking out coffee shops and restaurants and even doing a little shopping—a rarity during our off-and-on lockdowns. Chuck upgrades our room at the Grand Pacific Hotel to a beautiful suite.

We’re booked to leave on Monday morning, November 15. This is the day of the torrential rainstorm that will cause chaos and damage on BC highways. Seeing the pounding rain from our patio suite, we linger a bit hoping it will stop. Check-out time is 11 am and we’re packed and at the front desk by 10:59 am. We’re pleased with our timing because the rain has stopped by the time we get into our car.

Instead of listening to the weather reports, we play my newest ABBA CD. We stop quickly at my favourite bakery, and then make a last-minute decision to get a pizza that will serve as brunch.

As we make our way out of town and head for Nanaimo, my husband turns on the news. The rain is bad on the mountainous Malahat Drive; in fact, the highway is flooded. We’re not far out of town when we get caught in heavy traffic. Soon we’re bumper-to-bumper and we’re not moving! It’s 1:30 pm. I know we’re in for the long haul when I notice people up ahead running to the side of the highway looking for a private place to relieve themselves. We discover the Malahat is not only flooded, but damaged too. At 4:30 pm the traffic starts to move.

“Finally,” we sigh with relief.

We move forward slowly but steadily and we believe the problems are fixed.

We’ll be home for a late dinner. However, by 5 pm we realize the police are moving the traffic up to a turnaround point and sending everyone back into Victoria!

We call our friends and they invite us over for dinner. By the time we arrive, I’m concerned about making my medical appointment in Nanaimo the next morning at 9:30 am. Our friends suggest we take the ferry to Tsawwassen, avoiding the chaos on the island. We could then drive to Horseshoe Bay, and take the last ferry to Nanaimo. We quickly check the ferry schedules, realize we can make the connections, and run out the front door, yelling our “good-byes” as we jump in the car.

We arrive at the ferry terminal at 6:30 pm hoping for the 7 pm boat. As we’re about to pay for the tickets, I ask the cashier to confirm that we’ll be on the next ferry. As she reaches for my husband’s Visa card, she says, “Yes, you’ll get on the ferry, but they’re all two hours late!”

He quickly pulls back his card. The Vancouver plan is off the table that fast.

We turn the car around and the radio informs us the Brentwood Bay ferry service is offering round-trip crossings every hour and 10 minutes throughout the night.

We head for the Brentwood Bay ferry terminal and arrive around 7:30 pm in the dark and cold. I use my GPS to check the distance from our car in the lineup to the terminal—we’re 1.3 kilometres away. It has already been a long day, and it’s going to be longer!

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GETTING YOU BACK TO

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A NEW BOOK by Boulevard Editor Susan Lundy

“A delightful big-hearted book full of wit and wisdom that had me bursting into laughter every other page.”

— Amy Chua, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

Available in bookstores, more info: heritagehouse.ca 136

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About an hour later, a young family comes up to our car window towing a wagon lit up with tiny white lights; they’re offering homemade cookies and hot chocolate. Thinking of their kindness brings tears to my eyes. Next comes a woman with water, then a couple with more water and snacks. We hear that the community centre is opened, equipped with drinks, snacks and pleasant smiles. Time passes and we discover washrooms are open at the top and bottom of the Brentwood Bay hill. The hikes up and down the hill feel good.

A police officer is walking towards us and we call out to her, “Do you know what’s happening?”

“There are a hundred cars and large trucks ahead of you.

The ferry capacity is 20 vehicles tops so you’re here for another five or six hours, maybe more.”

We’re prepared. We watch movies on Netflix via cellphone, we eat half a loaf of fresh sourdough bread, which is stored in the backseat, and share the remains of a chocolate bar found in my purse. We have our e-readers and a few magazines, and I have my knitting. We had tossed a number of coats for every type of weather into the backseat, along with hats and mitts, which keep us toasty warm.

Around 2 am, a woman comes by with McDonald’s burgers and extra water. An emergency team is going from car to car confirming that we’re all OK, asking if we need anything and offering us warm blankets. There is no time to sleep—we have to move our car forward every 45 minutes. But we are well taken care of by all these generous volunteers.

The 6:30 am ferry arrives and we’re close to the front of the line. Two women drive off the ferry with Tim Hortons hot coffee. We are thrilled! But I feel sorry for the long lineup of vehicle lining up the Brentwood Bay hill, and extending beyond several corners, much further than the 1.3 kilometres we have just endured.

I call the medical office and leave a message: I have to cancel.

Minutes later, the office calls back to say they’ve heard about the troubles on the Malahat and have fit me in for next week.

At 9:30 am, Tuesday morning, we’re on the Brentwood Bay ferry bypassing the dangerous Malahat. We stop at the Garage Café in Duncan for coffee and the best breakfast sandwich ever.

We arrive home, safe and sound, at 11:30 am—24.5 hours after we left the hotel; 24.5 hours living in the car! Normally, we would have been home in one and a half or two hours.

But there is no time to recoup.

Our grandson, Josh, calls to say, “If you need any grocery supplies or fuel for the vehicle, go now because we hear they’re selling out on the island.”

We don’t believe in stockpiling, but we do need several things and a few extras are likely wise. Later that day, a bath, hot homemade soup from our freezer with fresh bread and cheese, the last bit of my birthday cake and a Christmas movie in front of the fireplace conclude my beautiful weekend celebration.

Thank-you to all the volunteers, businesses and BC ferry staff who worked throughout the night of November 15. And an extra warm and loving thank-you to the Brentwood Bay residents who came out to offer their caring hospitality. We never once felt alone, sad, hungry or cold. Despite the horrors on the late-night news broadcasts, there is still so much kindness and so many wonderful people in this world.

Do you have a good story to tell—and the ability to write it? Boulevard readers are invited to submit stories for consideration and publication in the Narrative section. Stories should be 800 to 1,200 words long and sent to managing editor Susan Lundy at lundys@shaw.ca. Please place the word “Narrative” in the subject line.

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behind the story

This edition of Boulevard features a unique fashion story that uses double exposures. Boulevard photographer Lia Crowe describes the story behind the shoot: “As 2022 approached and we were facing another wave of increased COVID-19 cases and further restrictions on social gatherings, I decided to explore the idea of time spent alone, and the notion of finding companionship in ourselves. So I went out with my colleague, fellow Black Press photographer Don Denton, ahead of our fashion shoot to test out different ways to illustrate this idea with photography. Using a mix of double exposures, splicing images together and shooting through a kaleidoscope, we came up with some fun ways to tell this story. Playing with the lighter side of solitude, our fashion team reflected on what it means to get to know ourselves better and have some fun with the constant companion we find in ourselves.”

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PHOTO BY LIA CROWE

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