Boulevard Magazine - January 2015 Issue

JANUARY 2015

VICTORIA LIFE AT ITS FINEST

HIP & HOT

Victoria’s whisky scene catches fire

BOLD & BEAUTIFUL:

Fresh fashion for a fresh year WARMTH ON THE WILD SIDE:

TURN UP THE

HEAT WARMING THE WINTER CHILL

Sumptuous Tofino getaway ONE-DISH WONDERS:

Comfort food for sharing

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ARGILLITE

HISTORIC TO CONTEMPORARY Enquire about our exhibition and sale coming soon

MORE THAN 100 PIECES SPANNING 150 YEARS

• Insurance Appraisals • Collection Evaluations • Custom Framing • Worldwide Crating and Shipping

• Contemporary and Important Canadian and International Historical Art • Contemporary and Historical Northwest Coast Art

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CONTENTS

Issue 01, Volume XXIlII

JANUARY 2015

FEATURES 12

BLACK, WHITE AND A LITTLE BLUE

By Lia Crowe

32 HIGH SPIRITS

By Brian Kieran 36 BUSINESS

BLAST OFF

By Korina Miller

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EDITOR Susan Lundy CREATIVE Lily Chan Pip Knott ADVERTISING Janet Gairdner Pat Brindle ASSOCIATE GROUP Oliver Sommer PUBLISHER ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Janet Gairdner 250.480.3251 CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Bruce Hogarth

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48 MASTERWORKS

By Susan Lundy

COLUMNS 46 HAWTHORN

Defining development

By Tom Hawthorn

40

GROUP PUBLISHER Penny Sakamoto

40 THE BUSH CHEF

AND THE BRIT

By Cinda Chavich

DEPARTMENTS 8 EDITOR’S LETTER

Seeking comfort in January

32

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OUR CONTRIBUTORS

10

FASHION FAVES Khalil Akhtar

By Lia Crowe

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HOT PROPERTIES Eye to Art

By Carolyn Heiman

CIRCULATION & Mellissa Mitchell DISTRIBUTION 250.480.3285 Miki Speirs 250.480.3277 CONTRIBUTING Cinda Chavich, Lia WRITERS Crowe, Tom Hawthorn, Carolyn Heiman, Brian Kieran, Korina Miller, Robert Moyes, Marilyn McCrimmon, Sarah Reid, Tess van Straaten CONTRIBUTING Don Denton, Lia Crowe, PHOTOGRAPHERS Cathie Ferguson, Vince Klassen, Arnold Lim

30 DESIGN MATTERS

Rise and shine

By Sarah Reid 52 TRAVEL NEAR

Winter indulgence

By Susan Lundy 58 FOOD & DRINK

One-dish wonders

By Cinda Chavich 62 TRAVEL FAR

The sound of Hawaii

By Marilyn McCrimmon 66

TALKING WITH TESS Carla Robinson

By Tess van Straaten

69

FRONT ROW International Guitar Night, Steve Michaels, Theatre SKAM and more.

By Robert Moyes

74

SECRETS & LIVES Leslee Farrell, luxury real estate specialist

By Susan Lundy

Angus Denny and Kailie Woods, at Little Jumbo, wearing clothes from Citizen Clothing and Bagheera Boutique. Photo by Arnold Lim; styling by Lia Crowe.

ADVERTISE Boulevard Magazine is Victoria’s leading lifestyle magazine, celebrating 24 years of publishing in Greater Victoria.

To advertise or to learn more about advertising opportunities please send us an email at info@blvdmag.ca Mailing Address: 818 Broughton Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 1E4 Tel: 250.381.3484 Fax: 250.386.2624 info@blvdmag.ca blvdmag.ca

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.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Seeking comfort in January …  BY SUSAN LUNDY

E

PHOTO BY ARNOLD LIM

VERY WINTER, I think, “This is the year I’ll have a big bash of a party in January.” Then, along rolls my birth month, and all I want to do is cocoon: crawl under the covers with a thick novel; schedule a massage; hunker down on the couch, beer in hand, and cheer for the Canucks. These are my winter comforts.

However, this year, it’s inevitable. Party I must, because it’s a Big One. A gazillion years ago, when I turned 30, I wrote a column bemoaning my advancement into a new decade, “where I could suddenly see the rest of my life.”

How ridiculous. As I turn 50, I can really see the rest of my life — and it’s a lot shorter now. No matter which way you view it, 50 seems a decade older than 49.

Things start happening at this age. Weirdly, my husband and I have both noticed that our clothes are shrinking. Shirts, pants, even a favourite belt I’ve worn for years. All shrinking.

And people don’t speak loudly anymore! I’ve been deaf in one ear for years, so I don’t notice it so much. But recently Bruce asked, “Did you turn down the volume on the TV?” I said: “Do you think it’s the TV or all those years you spent drumming without earplugs?” He said, “Pardon?”

Here’s another weird thing: I’ve noticed that rooms heat up without explanation. There I am peeling off layers of clothing and no else even seems to notice the temperature change. Or how about TV commercials? Suddenly, my demographic is no longer the target market for anything but anti-aging creams and Cialis. Who are all these children driving new cars and trying to get stains out of clothing?

When we lived in Calgary, Bruce hung out on Friday evenings with a group of men — mostly ex-journalists and politicos. They’d chat about sports, politics and current events. (Never chatted about women, though, nope; and

never ogled the young servers either.) One night someone started describing in detail his knee surgery; another moaned about a bad back and yet another told the story of a friend with a rare disease. “Enough!” hollered David Gray, in his lovely CBC broadcaster voice. “New rule: just one ailment per meeting.”

By the time my Big One actually happens this January, I’m sure I’ll be ready to embrace it. These are in fact pretty good years, and it’s more how the big Five O sounds than how it feels.

So I’ll do it — I’ll shed the cocoon long enough to celebrate and turn up the heat on winter.

This edition of Boulevard offers lots of ideas for adding some sizzle to the season. You could check out Victoria’s new cooking show Moosemeat & Marmalade (page 40), or read about a little-known chapter of Canadian art history (page 48). January’s annual whisky festival is sold out, but there are lots of other options for getting a taste of Victoria’s burgeoning whisky culture (page 32). Indulge in some onedish wonders (page 58), or travel to Tofino for some winter storming watching. Whatever your winter comfort, we hope you enjoy this edition of Boulevard.

THESE ARE IN FACT PRETTY GOOD YEARS, AND IT’S MORE HOW THE BIG FIVE O SOUNDS THAN HOW IT FEELS.

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Boulevard Buzz: For music lovers: The Galiano Ensemble of Victoria presents an all-English concert with a collection of miniatures from six Great Britain composers. It takes place at UVic’s Phillip T. Young Recital Hall, Jan. 14.

For dance lovers: Dancers from Ballet Victoria join Victoria Conservatory of Music Faculty Artists to perform a diverse selection of music written for dance. Alix Goolden Hall, Jan. 24.

For resort lovers: Congratulations to Victoria’s 5-star, boutique Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa, which was named one of the “Top 15 Resorts in Canada” by Condé Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards 2014.

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Brian Kieran WRITER, “HIGH SPIRITS,” PAGE 32

Journalist Brian Kieran spent years writing for BC newspapers, eventually landing in the Legislature Press Gallery in Victoria. His column “Reliable Sources” was well read for many years. This award-winning journalist says, “Assigning me to write about whisky was a daring move. I humbly report that only half an ounce of Victoria Spirits’ Craigdarroch was consumed in the research phase. A wee dram — or two — of Famous Grouse assisted in the writing.”

A pleasing home is the shared story of the skilled people who build and design its features, and the people who live in it. Carolyn Heiman, a long-time Victoria writer and journalist with a passion for beautiful things, tells those stories for Boulevard readers.

This month she is sharing the story about a Victoria collector of great, mid-century, moderndesigned furniture and First Nations art and the quest for the perfect home to showcase those pieces.

Cathie Ferguson PHOTOGRAPHER , “BLACK, WHITE AND A LITTLE BLUE.” PAGE 12

Carolyn Heiman WRITER , “HOT PROPERTIES” PAGE 18

Shooting fashion requires more than just good photography; many elements must come together, and this month, they all gelled beautifully. “I loved the styling, the makeup, and the model, but the stand out element of this shoot was the location. Walking into Gabriel Ross was like walking into a photographer’s heaven.

Beautiful light poured through gorgeous windows into a huge space filled with incredible furniture. Everywhere I looked I saw beautiful photos.”

WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU We welcome your letters: editor@blvdmag.ca or visit us on Facebook and Twitter for updates and links to featured stories and local events.

BoulevardMagazine @BoulevardMag

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FASHION FAVES

LIFE & STYLE

 BY LIA CROWE

PHOTO BY LIA CROWE

“I GUESS GOOD STYLE TO ME IS SOMEWHERE HALFWAY BETWEEN SUPER PROGRESSIVE AND SUPER CLASSIC.”

A

S THE NATIONAL food columnist for CBC radio and cohost of CBC Victoria’s morning show On the Island, Khalil says, “You know that TV show Frasier from the 90s? Well, I’m like the Roz on Frasier.”

Of Indo-Pakistani descent, Khalil was raised in Moncton, New Brunswick via the UK and for the past six years he’s called Victoria home.

Initially, I suggested I photograph him cooking Indian food, purely for selfish reasons — I’d heard he makes a mean curry. Instead, like an engaged Victorian, he wanted to meet in the Rock Bay area and enjoy its epicurean offerings: “I honestly

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with

KHALIL AKHTAR

think it is the most quickly evolving neighbourhood in town.”

So we had a pour-over coffee at Bows and Arrows Coffee Roasters, strolled down Rock Bay’s lovely urban/industrial streets and then shared pizza at Prima Strada, ‘round the corner.

“For almost as long as I can remember food has been a thing, so I made a pretty conscious effort early in my radio career to specialize a little bit in food.” With his weekly food column, Khalil presents global food stories, trends and issues, instead of “foodie, gourmet obsessed pieces.” He likes eating gourmet food, but says, “I don’t think that’s where the stories are; I think the stories are

much wider.”

Asked about “great life lessons,” Khalil responds, “For years, I thought I would really like to build a wooden boat. I went to a store, bought a book and built a boat in the basement.

So I guess that’s it: if you’re always telling your friends, ‘Oh I’d really like to do this or that,’ either do it or don’t do it. Start, and figure out the next step, when the next step comes. Go, engage and do it.”

He’s a CBC radio journalist with a specialty in food journalism and he rode his bike to our interview, all of which boils down to: good cook, great storyteller and environmentally conscious — it doesn’t get more stylish than that!

Reading Material Online:

Modern Farmer. Print: The New York Times, weekend edition. Last great read: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid. Book that changed your life: “In general, the books of Roald Dahl because as a kid they made me a reader. One specifically, Danny The Champion Of The World.” Book that holds residence on bedside table: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. “It stays there because I feel so guilty that I haven’t read it.” Current favourite cookbook: Pok Pok by Andy Ricker. Fashion/Grooming Uniform: Collared shirt, jeans or “jeanish” pants, jacket. “I often wear a baseball cap ... I like it when people (celebrities do this well) are dressed to the nines but have sneakers and a baseball cap on.” Shirt: Penfield. Best new purchase: Suede green brogues by Shoe the Bear. Coveting: “I would love a pair of Viberg boots.”

Jean brand and cut: Scotch and Soda. “They’re not skinny and they’re not loose, they’re right in the middle.” Hair product: Layrite pomade. Hair: Paul Huxtable at Victory Barber. “I can sit in his chair and I don’t have to tell him anything.”

Style Inspirations

Celebrity: Anthony Bourdain — “I think he kills it, style wise. I like that he will eat anything. In the right context I would literally eat anything, try anything; it’s a point of pride.” Film: Big Night. “It has the best closing scene.”

Food movement that inspires you: “Generally I like the move away from fine dining, chefs opening up small, loud casual places that are just really good. No carpet, no table clothes, no tinkly music. It’s refreshing I think.” Band/Album: The Airplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel. “I think they are pretty instrumental. In a lot of ways, they bridged the 90s with the new millennium and also bridged 1930s/40s culture with 90s lo-fi.” Fashion Designer: John Fluevog. “I like the kind of Fluevogs you can only wear once and a while.”

Life Cocktail: Whisky sour. “But honestly I just like whisky, the sour is optional.” Album on current rotation: Lou Reed, lately, and Sharon Van Etten.

Fave city to eat through: Portland. Best work tool: Shun Japanese 8” folded steel chef’s knife.

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FASHION ROBIN’S EGG

“Elizabetta” peplum jacquard pullover ($344) and Nicolas quilted faux-leather pant ($206), both by BCBGMAXAZRIA; earrings by Loren Hope ($80) at Violette Boutique.

BLACK, WHITE & A LITTLE BLUE  BY LIA CROWE PHOTOS BY CATHIE FERGUSON

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WELCOME THE NEW YEAR WITH GRAPHIC, BLACK AND WHITE FASHION THAT IS DEFINITIVELY BOLD, STRUCTURED IN SHAPE AND IN LOVE WITH EVERY HUE OF BLUE.

SKY BLUE

“Abba” earrings by Loren Hope ($68) at Violette Boutique; Merino wool turtleneck by Emu ($90), skirt by Kokomarina ($258), belt, handmade in Toronto, by Brave ($88), all at Sunday’s Snowflakes; slip-on “Boyer” flats by Rachel Comey ($346) at Footloose Shoes.

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TRUE BLUE

Dress by Luisa Cerano ($545) and silk scarf by Luisa Cerano ($325), both at Bagheera Boutique; bangles by Marc by Marc Jacobs ($129) at Violette Boutique; “Bernard” clog by Rachel Comey ($425) at Footloose Shoes.

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WISP OF BLUE SMOKE

“Tulum” short-sleeve, coated faux-fur top ($229), “Ines” coated faux-fur pencil skirt ($229) and suspender harness waist belt ($136), all

by BCBGMAXAZRIA; “Abba” earrings by Loren Hope ($68) at Violette Boutique.

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COBALT

Black and cobalt sport-top by MARC CAIN ($300) and black “Slimpants” by MARC CAIN ($330), both at W&J Wilson; bangles by Marc by Marc Jacobs ($129) and “Leonard II” sunglasses

by Illesteva ($306), both at Violette Boutique.

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ULTRAVIOLET

Black jumpsuit by judith & charles ($495) and vest by Luisa Cerano ($595), both at Bagheera Boutique; “Mini Crosby” crossbody bag in ultraviolet by Rebecca Minkoff ($225) and bangle by Marc by Marc Jacobs ($88), both at Violette Boutique; slip-on “Boyer” flats by Rachel Comey ($346) at Footloose Shoes; Art Bike by Troy Woodburn of Trek Bikes Victoria in collaboration with Gabriel Ross.

CREDITS

MAKEUP & HAIR: Jen Clark, jenclark@shaw.ca MODEL: Amanda Konn at Coultish Management STYLING & PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Hilary Russell Shot on location at the Gabriel Ross Showroom at 2500 Rock Bay Avenue. All furniture and home accessories provided by Gabriel Ross.

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HOT PROPERTIES

ďƒ¤ Art and vintage furniture sits in the perfect setting in this Bauhaus-style, Oak Bay home.

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AN EYE TO ART ECLECTIC DESIGN DRIVES PERSONALITY OF NEW OAK BAY HOME  TEXT BY CAROLYN HEIMAN PHOTOS BY VINCE KLASSEN

I

F FINDING MID-CENTURY MODERN furniture with great pedigrees is getting tough, an Oak Bay electrical engineer might be part of the reason.

Long before it was cool to collect vintage furniture designed by Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl, Arne Jacobsen and other well-known Danish monikers, the 51-year-old was following his instinctual sense of design and buying the beautiful and authentic chairs, tables and lighting fixtures that other homeowners had purged in the spirit of being beyond their “best before” dates.

At the time, about a decade ago, he was one of four or five people in Victoria seriously collecting mid-century modern pieces. Today, enough people are on the prowl for these pieces that auctions reserve them for special sale dates, thrift stores recognize they can charge more for certain items, and the phenomena supports specialty stores like Fabulous Finds on Herald Street.

The pieces collected by the Oak Bay engineer and his wife (who asked that their names not be used) now rest easily in a striking, new, Bauhaus-style home, which they designed. The vintage furniture fits beautifully within its surroundings as if finally stationed in the perfect setting.

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 The exterior’s generous glazing, minimal overhangs and crisp white stucco make a contemporary statement, while cedar soffits and siding soften it. An oversized, pivoting front door, beautifully crafted in fir, appropriately situates this home on the West Coast.

TASTE MAKER Born in Belfast and immigrating to Canada in 1993, his eye for art and design is self-taught and authentically expressed in a collection that spans home furnishings, contemporary paintings, collectible toy art and First Nations artifacts.

Logically considered, the variety of design styles could be incongruent in a single living space, but he has thoughtfully positioned their presentation in every aspect of the home design. Niches and shelving are all sized and shaped with particular pieces in mind. For example, traditional First Nations masks — complex and sophisticated in their designs and colours — are 20

showcased in a long hallway corridor on a wall painted off-white. The effect is gallery-like and, shown together, the pieces demonstrate a continuity of great design over time and culture.

His collection has grown since the 1980s, when he first purchased small pieces of mid-century modern furniture back in Ireland, where he lived. Over the years, he has continued to pursue his passion, often replacing pieces — as he finds them — with those exhibiting even greater design values.

A recently acquired Hans Wegner ox chair has a place of pride in the living and dining area. The design was one of Wegner’s personal favourites, inspired by Picasso, but because it was complex to manufacture, it went out of

production in the early 1960s. Production resumed in the 1980s when new technologies became available.

A vintage Electrohome stereo console with a rollback tambour top also keeps a place of honour between living and dining areas. It is still functional, but equally important is how it serves as a design element and a beautiful piece of furniture within the setting.

“My parents always supported local artists,” he says, noting that he grew up in a home that appreciated art and music.

He’s paying that forward in his own family, making sure his daughter is exposed to the world of galleries and design. She is already attuned to collecting, judging from the display of vinyl Dunny toys in her bedroom.

LUCKY RED HIGHLIGHTS Further examples of his alchemist ability to mix incongruent ideas and designs can be seen driving up to the property. The main house is sheathed in aluminum and fir, but he shunned the idea of a matchy-matchy garage, instead choosing tomato red siding with a sloped aluminum roof. This creates an exclamation point where others might have chosen something more predictable.

“I did have a lot of people wondering what I was doing,” he acknowledges.

Now completed, all doubters can appreciate his approach, which was influenced by his love of the ubiquitous red barn as seen on the horizon of the Canadian Prairie. The standing aluminum seam roof “is a modern take” on the traditional corrugated roof.

“Also, red is a lucky color in Chinese culture,” he says.

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 In the kitchen, a single slab of Vancouver Island marble flows across the surface of the island and down the side, its colour naturally graduating from storm-cloud grey to warm white; the steel structured staircase has three-inch-thick, live-edge fir treads softening a look that is also clean; dots of lucky red — in this case a pendant over the dining table — add heat to a cool design.

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The aluminum-framed windows and garage door create a natural link to the main house.

Builder/contractor Terry Johal says he too occasionally questioned some of the owners’ ideas, such as the inclusion of their many 1970s light fixtures.

“But it worked,” he says. “Everything that went into that house has a story to it ... They appreciated the historical relevance of the elements.”

Inspired by architectural giants such as Richard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler — European-born architects who put their stamp on modernist houses in Southern California — the owners were confident in their choices, and presented Johal with well formulated ideas and rough plans. Everything about the home inside and out is crisp and clean-lined. There are no big eaves or overhangs anywhere, and natural materials are shown to their best effect.

Before construction, the two spent time on the property, aiming to understand how the natural sunlight moved across it. That in turn affected window placement and ensured ample passive light flows through the entire structure.

At the rear of the house, floor-to-ceiling windows and doors open to an enclosed backyard. Clerestory windows emit natural light in private spaces such as the owners’ bedroom and en suite. Glass wraps every corner of the house, again letting in light from every direction.

Johal loves the project (which also used the design services of Zebra Design) so much, he plans to enter it in next year’s Care Awards, which, held by the Victoria

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 A partial wall in the owners’ en suite gives coverage for additional storage space, accessed from behind

Residential Builders Association, recognizes the area’s best builders and designers.

“The homeowners were creative, which allowed me to try different design forms,” Johal says. “The home has industrial elements but is still so cozy. And it has an eclectic theme that really draws off the personality of the owners ... It really worked out.”

“They absolutely had predetermined design philosophy” and it resulted in a modern space that looks like an art gallery with its lighting, warm wood tones and generous glazing.

Carolyn Heiman explores beautiful Victoria-area homes each month for Boulevard magazine. Let her know about a gorgeous home you’d like to see profiled by contacting her at cheiman@shaw.ca

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ďƒŚ Warmboard, a relatively new, radiant heating system on the market, was used for the in-floor hearing system, eliminating the weight of concrete and increasing conductivity.

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PROTECTION & SECURITY FOR YOUR HOME Protect your home from Mother Nature’s harshest elements and secure your home from break-ins at the same time with Talius rollshutters. They provide an energy efficient solution to safeguard against intense sunlight, strong winds, severe storms, as well as creating a solid barrier against broken glass and theft.

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Boulevard magazine supports Southern Vancouver Island's top Realtors representing the region's finest real estate. We hope you will find your next home, whether it is in the listings of the Great Homes/Great Realtors or here in the Boulevard Luxury Real Estate listings.

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SENSATIONAL PRIVATE 1.24 acre waterfront estate with south facing views of Coles Bay. This 4,556 sq. ft. home has been recently transformed, creating elegance, style & panache.

New 23’x23’ gourmet kitchen with heated marble floors & pantry. Grand living room with vaulted ceilings, wide-planked flooring, & F.P., dining room, & family room all with water views.

Master with ensuite, & heated marble floors. Media/recreation rm. with double-sided F.P. & wet bar. 31’ sunroom. Heated pool & hot tub, 3 new heat pumps, garages for 3 cars, security, well for irrigation.

$2,395,000 Lisa Williams 250-514-1966 lisawilliams.ca

$2,698,000 Lisa Williams 250-514-1966 lisawilliams.ca

ELEGANT UPLANDS Spacious & inviting 4 bed/4 bath home beautifully upgraded throughout!

Gorgeous gourmet kitchen, open & airy living areas, deluxe master suite & so much more incl. media/ games rooms, office, studio, large decks & patios, & 2 double garages! Fabulous .73 ac landscaped property is totally private with some ocean views too!

$1,225,000 Dallas Chapple PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION

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$799,800 Jason Binab Cell: 250-589-2466 Macdonald Realty Ltd. binabpropertygroup.com

BEAUTIFUL CUSTOM home in Strawberry Vale. Main level features a large open-concept kitchen/living area, master bedroom and spare bedroom. Lower level consists of one bedroom, one bathroom, media room and private one bedroom suite. Easy care terraced gardens.

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4019 Zinnia Road MLS# 342608

STUNNING 7.27 acre property with luxurious new 3,400 sq. ft. one-level westcoast home! Extremely private, sunny property includes 275’ x 150’ all-weather riding ring, jumping field, paddocks, 5 stall barn with tack room and bath, huge workshop/storage areas, green houses & more.

The gorgeous custom home is just getting the finishing touches and boasts dramatic and luxurious finishing!

WITH STYLE & GRACE, this 4 bedroom Edwardian Tudor home sits majestically on 1/3 acre of private manicured grounds. Kitchen and bathrooms renovated, and master bedroom (or family room) addition on main floor all in 1999. Fir flooring under carpets, 3 fireplaces, brand new roof, electrical updated. Asbestos removed ($14,000) plus all new drain tile ($53,000). This beauty with heritage registry (but not designated) has been sensitively updated & meticulously maintained.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES of yesteryear with original woodwork, stained glass, fir floors & high ceilings. 3 floors plus a lower basement area.

The front glassed-in porch introduces you to the 1,400+ sq. ft main floor; the feature staircase leads you up to the 2nd level of 4 bedrooms. Then a most pleasant surprise - up to the third level offering a studio $775,000 room, office & 2 pc bath, great vistas to the mountains. The Sharen Warde & Larry Sims 7.5 ft basement ceiling could 250-592-4422 support further development. wardesims.com Artfully gardened yard with fruit trees. Ideal location just off Oak Bay Avenue. MLS# 344848

Happy New

you!  BY SARAH REID

Embrace 2015, feeling refreshed and revitalized with simple bedroom updates that pack a big LET US HELP YOU WITH YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS • BOTOX & FILLERS FOR LINES/WRINKLES • COOLSCULPTING FOR FAT REDUCTION • VENUS FREEZE FOR SKIN TIGHTENING • LASER HAIR REMOVAL • IPL TO REDUCE RED & BROWN PIGMENTATION • ACNE THERAPY • MICRODERMABRASION

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punch. From luxurious scents to bold art and modern accessories, these new year indulgences will have you waking on the right side of the bed.

Wishing you a restful (and stylish) 2015!

Sarah Reid is a designer, creative director and maker living in Victoria, BC.

DESIGN MATTERS

 TREAT YOURSELF INDULGE THE SENSES

 Wake to sweet scents in 2015 with a luxurious candle.

You will never regret fresh, bedside blooms; indulge in monthly flower delivery.

$40 // Linnea’s Lights // Violette Boutique

$50+/Month // Rook & Rose

 UPGRADE Update your end tables with modern options; let your tabletop adornments shine.

 GET ORIGINAL Update your walls with bold, original, locally commissioned art.

$799 // Huppe // Parc Modern

$700+ // Lauren Mycroft // laurenmycroft.com

KEEP IT SIMPLE  Create a zen-like space with a minimalist bedframe. $699+ // EQ3 // StudioYDesign

 SPARKLE Put a spring in your morning step with slippers that sparkle. $145 // Jacques Levine // anthropologie.com

 BE GRAPHIC Bold throw pillows instantly update your cozy haven. (left + right) $80/ea // Caitlin Wilson // Chapters (centre) $180/ea // Iván Meade // ivanmeade.com

ILLUMINATE



Set the tone of your space with lighting that makes a statement. $599 // BluDot // Chester Fields

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ďƒ¤ Nate Caudle, bar manager at Little Jumbo, serves fine whisky to Angus Denny and Kailie Woods.

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STYLING BY LIA CROWE

FEATURE STORY

HIGH SPIRITS VICTORIA’S WHISKY CULTURE BREAKS OUT  TEXT BY BRIAN KIERAN PHOTOS BY ARNOLD LIM

I

T ISN’T BONNY SCOTLAND, but the southern lowlands of Vancouver Island are proving to be hallowed ground where the savouring of a wee dram is concerned.

In Greater Victoria, scotch whiskies — single malt and blended — are being promoted, embraced and now distilled with inspired fervour. If the sniffing and sipping of fine malt were an act of religious persuasion, this otherwise barren month of January would be Victoria’s most revered holidays.

The 10th Annual Victoria Whisky Festival, which runs January 15-17, was sold out mere hours after tickets went on sale in November.

One malt maniac stood out in the cold all night in front of the Strathcona Hotel to be first in line. By noon, 475 tickets had been sold for consumer tastings and another 1,100 for 36 classes and the grand tasting events.

Festival vice-president Iain Hooey says the idea for this “boutique” festival took shape in the soft embrace of a whisky-induced fog 12 years ago in the basement of Calgary’s Willow Park Liquor Store, where a similar event was taking place.

“Can we do this in Victoria, we asked ourselves?”

The answer was yes.

The big challenge was finding a venue that would

accept a hard-liquor-only event. Reid James, general manager of the Grand Pacific Hotel, bought in and the hotel has been malt Mecca ever since.

“That first year, 450 whisky enthusiasts attended and we realized that a large part of the Greater Victoria population wanted to learn more about whisky,” Hooey says.

Organizers that first year determined that all net proceeds would go to charity, and over the decade since, $250,000 has supported groups such as Crime Stoppers and TLC for Kids at 100.3 the Q. The festival even put a young girl through school in India.

As well, festival organizers declared “social responsibility to be paramount.” In this faith, only a heretic would drive his or her vehicle to and from a whisky tasting. So everyone gets a ride home if they need it. Last year, 140 scotch-infused believers were delivered from the altar to their mangers.

It’s easy then to appreciate why Jim Murray, UK-based author of The Whisky Bible, has ordained Victoria’s event “the best organized festival in the world.”

The backdrop to this festival is a whisky culture in Victoria that is undergoing generational change. Nate Caudle, bar manager at Little Jumbo at the foot of Fort Street, says whisky appreciation and experimentation is

THIS MONTH’S FESTIVAL WILL BE A COMING OUT PARTY FOR TWO OF VICTORIA’S WHISKY ENTREPRENEURS

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 Victoria’s whisky culture is quickly expanding.

34

shifting profoundly.

“In the 80s and early 90s a select niche enjoyed scotch,” he says. “Since then, it has taken off.”

Little Jumbo — “a big experiment in a little room” — has become a destination whisky bar for “late night cocktail hipsters and the older, ‘Knights-ofColumbus-looking guys,’ who come from the Union Club and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society,” Caudle says.

A new breed of scotch lovers, influenced in part by whisky-drenched TV shows like Mad Men, “wear ratty New Balance sneakers and a windbreaker, and quietly have one of the best collections in the city. The people who are really into whisky … you’d never peg them for whisky drinkers.”

The 28-year-old whisky-savvy bartender puts together flights of scotch for this new breed of malt converts so they can expand and educate their palates. He marvels that some nights he is serving a newbie whisky drinker a $40-a-dram Macallan single malt that was bottled 19 years before he/she was born.

Little Jumbo has the rare privilege of serving very special whiskies supplied by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. The bottles are coded and sometimes contain tasting notes that put to rest the notion that whisky drinking is the domain of humourless snobs.

Caudle pulls out bottle “3.196” (3 denotes the unidentified Scottish distillery, 196 is the number of barrels that have been purchased from that distillery). This one is titled: “A Walk of the Wild Side” and the tasting notes read: “Roadside hotdogs, grilled scallops and baked crab with the wonderful stench of pearled tar.”

This month’s festival will be a coming out party for two of Victoria’s whisky entrepreneurs: Victoria Spirits on Old Saanich Road and Macaloney Distillers, which is poised to announce the location of its planned downtown Victoria Caledonian Distillery.

Victoria Spirits is best known for its flagship gin, but Master Distiller

PHOTO BY DON DENTON

 Peter Hunt at Victoria Spirits, which is releasing 300 bottles of its new Craigdarroch whisky this month.

Peter Hunt says: “We always aspired to make whisky.

We collaborated with Phillips Brewing. They did the fermentation for us, using 100 per cent malted barley, and we did the distilling and aging on site.”

In tandem with the festival, Hunt will release as many as 300 bottles of Craigdarroch (“From the Rock”) Whisky.

This premier single malt-styled whisky has been blessed

by The Whisky Bible and will sell, probably by lottery, for $100.

Graeme Macaloney (“MacMhaol-onfhaidh” in Gaelic), founder of Macaloney Distillers, hopes to announce the location of the Victoria Caledonian Distillery during the festival.

“We have truly world-class scotch whisky makers assisting us with our single malt whisky in the form of Master Distiller Mike Nicolson and Dr. Jim Swan, the world’s foremost whisky maturation expert who helped Amrut (India) and Kavalan (Taiwan) launch three and four-year-old single malt whiskies that have become top 20 rated in the world,” Macaloney says.

The new distillery will be designed as tourist-friendly.

Funding is in place, including $2.4 million from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada and funds from 200 founderowners. Additional founder-owners are welcome, Macaloney says.

Master Distiller Nicolson, who worked in a distillery in Scotland as a lad 36 years ago, says he wants Victoria Caledonian Distillery to produce whiskies that are “light, approachable, a little fruity and, in a perfect world, embody the place from which they come.”

“On the face of it, this is tricky, but it is doable. It is too easy to make a bad whisky.”

This should not be an issue for Nicolson who has distilled single malts for Scotland’s finest distilleries including Glenkinchie, Blair Athol, Islay Caol Ila, Lagavulin and Royal Lochnagar.

Nicolson adds that Victoria Caledonian Distillery whisky should embody an aura of romance. “Being Scottish means being romantic is compulsory.”

Slàinte mhath.

35

FEATURE PROFILE

BUSINESS BLAST OFF NICOLE SMITH’S FLYTOGRAPHY ORBITS THE GLOBE  TEXT BY KORINA MILLER PHOTOS BY CATHIE FERGUSON

I

T’S NOT OFTEN SOMEONE dreams up a completely new business concept. And it’s even more rare to have that concept turn into a viable, thriving company. But that’s exactly what Victoria’s Nicole Smith has accomplished.

Three years ago, Smith took a holiday from her job at Microsoft to meet up with her best friend in Paris.

“I really wanted to capture memories of our time together. You rarely have good photos taken with your best friend, even though it’s one of most important relationships in life,” she says.

They tried taking “selfies” but ended up with images of floating heads. They asked strangers to take photos but the results were blurry. Eventually Smith gave her iPhone to another friend.

“I asked her to take some shots whenever she felt inspired. It was just 20 minutes, but she managed to capture the spirit of our trip in a way we never could have on our own. It was the best souvenir. And I realized I’d want to do it again. I wouldn’t want to settle for bad selfies or stranger shots.”

Smith returned home but couldn’t get the experience out of her mind.

“I often joke that Flytography is like my third child.

There was a nine month gestation period. Every day, the idea would burst out of my chest. I had a good, stable job — I’d reached equilibrium in my life. Yet I couldn’t stop thinking about it. And I realized it was

36

ďƒŁ Victoria’s Nicole Smith has experienced huge success in a short time with her new business, Flytography.

37

 Nicole Smith’s sons, Harrison and Jack, get involved by placing pins on Flytographer locations on a world map.

now or never. So I hired a photographer and did a test shoot of a friend in Paris.”

Smith launched Flytography in March 2013.

The idea is straightforward, but utterly unique.

Through Flytography, travellers are set up with local photographers, who undertake relaxed, half hour photo shoots. The result? Top quality, candid shots with iconic backdrops.

“People are hungry for experiences when they travel.

Memories make the best souvenirs, but often you come home and don’t have any great photos. It can be disappointing. The photos you get through Flytography are beyond anything travellers would get on their own.

It’s a trend away from taking selfies … you can put your phone down and connect with the environment and the locals.”

In less than two years, Flytography has grown from 18 cities with 18 photographers, to 120 cities with over 200 photographers. Recently, it signed a global partnership with Fairmont Raffles Hotels International.

“It’s the biggest thing that’s ever happened to the 38

business. We’re very excited.”

Choosing photographers is a detailed process, Smith says, noting five or six photographers apply daily and they only hire five to eight per cent.

“They need to have great mechanics, be passionate about what they do, have excellent technical skills … but we also do a Skype interview and their personality is a big part of it. We want customers to feel like they’re walking around with a local friend. We have some very high calibre photographers. One shot for Rolling Stone for 15 years.”

While their market is broad — “We target everybody” — their biggest is still North America.

“But we’re growing in other regions, from Saudi Arabia to Japan and Peru. We hear from people all over the world, going all over the world. A couple from Tokyo wanting photos taken in Singapore, or from London going to Melbourne.”

The majority of clients are couples celebrating a special occasion like a honeymoon, engagement or anniversary.

One Ontario couple had Flytography recapture their honeymoon dinner in Rome from 40 years ago. Same restaurant. Same table. Same kiss. The resulting photo was magical.

One woman, who gifted her parents Flytography for their 50th Anniversary, cried when she saw the images, saying, “We just don’t have any photos of our parents like this.”

Flytography also covers a lot of surprise proposals.

“We haven’t had any say no yet – knock on wood,” laughs Smith. “You become part of this amazing moment in people’s lives. We do a Skype call with the groom first.

It’s like a military operation to make sure nothing gets messed up.”

Smith’s passion for her business is evident but there have been challenges too.

“IT’S A TREND AWAY FROM TAKING SELFIES … YOU CAN PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN AND CONNECT WITH THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE LOCALS.” “Everything was hard,” she says. “There is so much learning. This is my first business so I had to school up quickly— accounting, legalities, financials, how to structure it, how to run it. One of the biggest things has been navigating the highs and lows. You need to be really committed in your vision and stick to your vision. This is a new marketplace. There’s nobody else’s blueprint to show me how it’s done. No one has done this precise thing before. I have to trust my gut.”

So how does she navigate through it?

“I think if you are really passionate about what you’re doing, you can deal with all of the difficult things that come with running your own business. If you weren’t passionate, the grind would kill you. It’s most rewarding when I feel like it’s making a positive impact —helping customers to create and capture memories — that’s what makes it worth it. Hands down.”

Having studied international business in school, she adds, “I’ve always had a drive to connect with people in different places around the world. We’re helping to create a global community.”

Ultimately, she says, when people hear the term “photo shoot” they think scary or boring.

“I’m looking for a new phrase to replace it. Something that captures what we do.”

But she may have already coined the phrase: “Flytography” is gearing up to be a word that people know and love around the globe.

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FEATURE STORY ďƒŚ British-born chef Dan Hayes, left, and Cree cook, Art Napolean, are the stars of a new TV cooking show filmed in Victoria.

THE BUSH CHEF & THE BRIT 40

MOOSEMEAT, MARMALADE AND AN UNLIKELY PAIR  TEXT BY CINDA CHAVICH PHOTOS BY ARNOLD LIM

C

HEF DAN HAYES rolls his blue eyes as Cree cook Art Napolean slops ingredients across their shared workspace in his pristine white kitchen.

“Good god, Art, not again — you’ve made a huge mess,” moans the British-born Hayes, adding a pithy aside to the camera: “The guy can clearly cook, it’s his style of cooking that alarms me.”

The stars of Moosemeat & Marmalade, a new, locally produced television cooking show that airs this month, may seem like an unlikely pair. But a shared love of fresh, foraged foods offers common ground for this series that takes viewers from the BC bush to the British countryside in search of wild ingredients.

Napolean admits his style of cooking is “completely made up” — a “no recipe style” learned while growing up with his grandmother. But if he is uncomfortable in Hayes’ clean city kitchen, the tables are turned when they head into the former

chief’s traditional territory: the boreal forest of Northern BC. Here, Napolean is right at home, hunkered down behind a hunting blind, stalking a herd of wild bison, while his urban compatriot fidgets and slaps at the mosquitoes, which he says are “huge here, like vampire bats.”

Napolean, who created and co-produces the show, is a talented musician, television/radio performer, and cultural educator, known for his irreverent sense of humour and deep spiritual connection to his Aboriginal roots. Hayes, who honed his culinary skills in London and Spain, working with renowned seafood chef Rick Stein in Cornwall among others, now owns The London Chef cooking school and catering company in Victoria.

Moosemeat & Marmalade is a 13-part documentary series, airing on APTN, as well as Zeste (a food channel) and Evasion (a lifestyles channel) in Quebec.

IT’S DEFINITELY A “TO-MAY-TO/ TO-MAH-TO” KIND OF WORLD, BUT THERE’S A CHEMISTRY BETWEEN THE PAIR ON CAMERA.

41

It’s expected to reach approximately three million viewers every week in Canada.

For the new show, the pair bounces between location shoots in BC and Britain — hunting pheasant with locals in the British countryside and drying moose meat on Napolean’s home smoker. It’s definitely a “to-may-to/tomah-to” kind of world, but there’s chemistry between the pair on camera, and a camaraderie that’s grown since the two Victoria-based cooks began shooting the series last year.

“We’ve gone running together,” says Hayes.

“And hunting,” adds Napoleon.

But they’ve also kept a distance, to guard against a familiarity that could kill their comical on-screen banter.

And it is amusing to watch the loosely scripted episodes, complete with hilarious quips from some of the locals they meet in their quest to bag a beaver or scoop a huge sturgeon from a tank at a BC caviar farm.

“A sharp knife is a safe knife, it cuts where you want it,” Hayes tells a woman who deadpans back, without missing a beat, “especially when it comes to a difficult husband.”

In Britain, the pair visits an upscale estate for a pheasant hunt, snaring their own birds, which Hayes cooks into an elegant risotto after a game of croquet on the lawn.

Locals will recognize Hayes’ modern Fort Street cooking school in Victoria as a main set for the cooking segments, but there is little reference to his Canadian connection in the show. For the purpose of the script, and presumably international audiences, Napolean is identified as a “seasoned hunter and bush cook” from Canada while the London-born Hayes is a “classically trained French chef” from the United Kingdom. The idea is to explore wild and indigenous foods from two unique cooking cultures, highlighting each chef’s unique skills, with some campy comedy thrown in.

To support the episodes there is also a website featuring both chefs in cooking videos with recipes from the shows and a chance to vote for one of the chefs’ creations online.

Today, the pair is riffing on the idea of cooking ground bison — Napoleon with a version of his favourite game burgers re-imagined as party meatballs (substitute venison if you like) and Hayes creating something he might nosh on while hunting his favourite wild boar in Tuscany (crispy fried risotto balls — a.k.a. arancini).

While Hayes is the height of organization, cleanliness and sophistication in the kitchen, and Napolean is more comfortable cooking over a wood fire, both are teachers.

“I’ve learned a lot from Art,” admits Hayes. “Foraging wild food is something modern chefs talk about because it’s in vogue, but Aboriginal people understand these things out of necessity, and love of the land.”

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COOKING WITH BISON:

Art’s bison meatballs with nettle pesto aioli PREP 45 MIN COOK 20 MIN SERVES 8 Art grinds bison meat together with double-smoked bacon to create a juicy mixture for these meatballs (the mix can be used for burgers, too). A chunky nettle pesto and homemade mayo merge into an indigenous aioli to serve alongside for dipping.

PESTO INGREDIENTS: 1 cup (89 g) of nettle leaves ½ cup (20 g) of fresh basil leaves 2 cloves of garlic ¼ cup (60 g) of chopped hazelnuts 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of olive oil A pinch or two of salt MAYO INGREDIENTS: 2 egg yolks A pinch of salt A pinch of dry mustard 2 tsp (10 ml) of vinegar ½ cup (125ml) of olive oil 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of water

until the mixture is frothy (approx. 1 min) then add vinegar. Whisk until creamy then gradually start pouring in olive oil.

When desired consistency is reached, add a few drops of cold water and continue whisking for another minute. The mayo should turn from a yellowish colour to a creamy white colour. To make aioli, simply mix together the pesto and the mayo.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until ready to use.

Cooking Meatballs: Chop up nodding onion, sage leaves and white onion and set aside.

Grind bison chunks intermittently with smoked bacon slices in a manual grinder. (Alternately, finely chop or grind bacon and mix with ground bison meat). Mix the meat mixture until the colours of the bacon and the bison are blended, and then mix in the onions and sage until they are evenly distributed throughout the ground meat. Option: add an egg or a bit of oatmeal to the mixture to help it bind better if you wish. Form into meatballs and fry in an oiled skillet over medium heat until browned on all sides.

Slather a little nettle aioli across the serving plate and place the meatballs on top and serve while hot!

MEATBALL INGREDIENTS: ½ cup (20 g) of fresh sage or 2 Tbsp (16 g) of dried sage A handful of wild nodding onion 1 small white or purple onion 1.5 lbs (675 g) bison (or ground bison) 6 slices of double-smoked bacon 1 cup (40 g) of sorrel 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of Canola oil Preparing Pesto: Blanch approx. 3 nettle plants and remove leaves from stalk. Strain and pat dry between 2 towels and chop finely on a cutting board.

Chop basil and mix in bowl with the nettle. Mix in 2 crushed and chopped garlic cloves and crushed hazelnuts. Add two pinches of salt and pour in olive oil. Mix well.

Preparing Mayo: Separate 3 egg yolks from the whites into a glass or metal bowl and add a pinch each of salt and dry mustard. Begin whisking with an electric whisk 43

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Dan’s Buffalo Arancini PREP 75 MIN COOK 30MIN SERVES 6 FOR APPETIZERS 1 small white onion, finely diced 1 cup (250 ml) ground bison (or wild boar) Small knob butter Splash olive oil 3 cups (750 ml) Arborio rice 1 fresh bay leaf 2 sprigs fresh thyme Splash white wine Pinch saffron 4 cups (1 litre) Homemade or good quality chicken stock, hot Large chunk grano padano cheese 12 small, sugar cube-sized bocconcini (fresh mozzarella cheese) 2 cups (500 ml) AP flour 2 Eggs, whisked with a splash of water 4 cups (1 litre) panko breadcrumbs 2 L Canola oil Sea salt Gently sweat the onion and bison in a high-sided frying pan or saucepan with the butter, olive oil and a pinch of salt. When the onions are soft, add in the rice, bay leaf and thyme. Stir to toast the rice and cover in fat over a medium to high heat Add wine and stir vigorously. Add pinch of saffron. Start adding hot stock, ladle by ladle, stirring all the time in one direction. Add the next ladle when the pan becomes almost dry. Continue this process until the rice is al dente and quite dry — drier than you would make a risotto. You do not need to use all of the stock.

Grate in 1 cup of grano padano and stir to incorporate.

Tip out onto a baking sheet, spread it evenly and allow to cool. Once cool, place on a baking sheet uncovered in the fridge for one hour.

Mold rice mixture to size of a golf ball around each bocconcini. Dredge each ball in flour, then egg wash, and then panko breadcrumbs. Use your hands to mold breadcrumbs into arancini. Place back on baking sheet and put in fridge for one hour.

Carefully heat oil in large saucepan on high heat until the oil is 350-365 degrees. If you do not have a thermometer use the end of a wooden spoon to test the oil — place the tip in the oil and if bubbles come up around it, it’s done. Drop each arancini into hot oil carefully and fry until dark golden on the outside. Arancini should be hot throughout with melted cheese in the middle. Drain on lots of paper towel.

Season generously with sea salt. Enjoy.

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HAWTHORN

T

DEFINING DEVELOPMENT

WE NEED TO TALK  BY TOM HAWTHORN

HE 900-BLOCK of Maddison Street is a quiet road in the Gonzales neighbourhood with a mix of tidy homes. A portable basketball hoop stands on the street, while some lawns are flecked with the bright colours of children’s toys. On the east side of the road, a trio of larger homes was built well back from the curb on quarter-acre lots. They were designed in the Craftsman style, popular on the West Coast during the property boom in the years leading to the First World War. The neighbours called them the Three Sisters.

Two of the houses were in impeccable condition, maintaining their period charm. The third house was a character home, too — if the character was a down-on-herluck dowager. The front porch sagged and for years a sedan covered by a blue tarp was parked on the front lawn.

The residents at 963 Maddison did not attend the annual block party. Sometimes, Old Tom was spotted on his way to a grocery store that stayed open until midnight. A shy man, he was a reluctant conversationalist, but when coaxed to do so, he shared recollections of the street and the neighbourhood from a time fading from living memory.

He talked about Prime Minister Charles Tupper’s granddaughters, who once lived nearby, as did Margaret Middleton, who would earn fame in Hollywood as the exotic beauty Yvonne De Carlo. Old Tom’s own family dated their time on the street from the Second World War years, when his grandparents moved into the home with their daughter, Edith Dorothy Raftery. She married Thomas McVie, a blacksmith who worked in the shipyards. The couple had a daughter and a son, also named Thomas, whom we knew as Old Tom, and who spent 35 years working at the shipyards in Victoria, a proud member of Local 191 of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers.

Old Tom died two years ago, at age 71, just six months after

his mother died on her 99th birthday. In time, the McVie place came on the market — two large, separate, legal lots with a character house that the listing described as uninhabitable.

“Rare development opportunity,” the realty listing stated.

The house was knocked down a few months ago, a twoday process including an overnight when the front of 963 was ripped away, revealing a doll’s house interior of out-of-style wallpaper. Then, just like that, the house was gone, rubble carted away, tress cut down, space cleared for a new foundation, or perhaps two. It is always sad to see an old house come down, but a thriving city exhibits change.

Some current architectural style might be as appreciated a century from now as the Craftsman is today. Besides, density is good for the city and for the environment.

But we need to talk.

When our own home near Maddison underwent renovations, we lived temporarily in a modest rancher on Irving Road near Margaret Jenkins Elementary. Two older houses on the street had been torn down to make way for larger, more modern buildings. Not long after we returned home, our short-lived crash pad also met the wrecker’s ball, as did another house further down the block.

Victoria does not yet face a horror show as has happened in Kerrisdale and other leafy neighbourhoods in Vancouver, where pleasing streetscapes with mature trees have been replaced by cookie-cutter mansions. Out-of-control development was a major issue in the municipal elections there. Victoria needs to address this issue — how much development is too much and what kind do we want? — before it becomes a crisis. We owe it to the two surviving Sister houses and to the memory of Old Tom.

IT IS ALWAYS SAD TO SEE AN OLD HOUSE COME DOWN, BUT A THRIVING CITY EXHIBITS CHANGE.

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Tom Hawthorn is a widely published newspaper and magazine reporter, who has lived with his family in Victoria since 1997. He is the author of “Deadlines.”

FEATURE STORY

MASTERWORKS

NEW BOOK REVEALS STUNNING ART PROJECT THAT PUT CANADA ON THE MAP

 Algonquin Lake by Charles Comfort is among the 117 images included in the SampsonMatthews silkscreen project.

T

HE SCENES RADIATE with familiarity. There’s the autumn-hued forest; a cluster of people emerging from a red brick schoolhouse; a steamship at rest in the harbour; farmers with horses tilling the land under a big prairie sky; snow-tipped grain elevators; and bustling, dock-side activity.

The paintings that line the walls and lay stacked in the corners of Canadian art expert Ian Sigvaldason’s home feel like they are part of Canada’s cultural DNA — and in a way, they are. These are the images that hung in Canadian libraries, hospitals, banks and schools throughout the 1950s, 48

PHOTO BY DAVID BORROWMAN

 TEXT BY SUSAN LUNDY

60s and later. But before that, they were part of a massive art undertaking that sent images of Canadian life overseas to wartime mess halls and barracks, and reminded troops of the sprawling landscapes they’d left behind.

“It was the largest Canadian art project that ever took place,” says Sigvaldason, co-author of Art for War and Peace: How a Great Public Art Project Helped Canada Define Itself, a new book that documents for the first time, this astounding venture. “The project branded the country,” Sigvaldason says. “Before this, we had little sense of national identity.”

the Group of Seven, plus earlier masterworks from Tom Thomson, J.W. Morrice and Clarence Gagnon.

It was supervised at Sampson-Matthews by Group of Seven member A.J. Casson, whose signature can been seen on many of the prints above the artists’ names. It finally wound down in the mid-1960s, as the next wave of national-identity building culminated in the development of Canada’s new flag.

“It was the most expensive art project ever created by the federal government,” says Sigvaldason. “It lasted 22 years and cost tens of millions of dollars in today’s currency.”

At its height, the project employed up to 50 people, including many of the country’s best commercial printers, designers and artists. They worked full-time to create these exquisite silkscreen prints, using a process that is an art form in itself.

PHOTO BY DAVID BORROWMAN

A COMPLEX PROCESS

 Ian Sigvaldason with two of his Sampson-Matthews silkscreens, both by Charles Comfort.

ART THAT INSPIRED A NATION

S i gva lda s o n / steedman

The struggles of the Depression helped launch the make-work initiative, which, under the guidance of the National Art Gallery of Canada and with support from the “The silk screen s made during the war wegreatest federal government, living artists re by far the best publicit saw Canada’s y Canadian art ever eived.” creating art as their contributionrecto the war effort. The project employed the country’s best printer — SampsonMatthews of Toronto — to “translate” these paintings into large silkscreen prints. They were then shipped to every military unit, government office, consulate and mess hall involved in the war.

“These prints are to be found in every corner of the Allied World,” noted the National Gallery’s annual report in 1944-45. “It is difficult to overemphasize the value of this publicity for Canada.”

Ultimately, the project was so popular, it continued on into peacetime, spreading the art to Canadian banks, schools and libraries. It produced 117 different images and involved 27 artists — including such well-known names as David Milne, Charles Comfort, Emily Carr, B.C. Binning, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson and four other artists from

Standing in his home gallery on Salt Spring Island, Sigvaldason — owner of Pegasus Gallery of Canadian Art — exuberantly shows off his collection of prints.

“What I’ve found, I’ve tried to buy, in the whole country,” he says. Having scrutinized 30 years worth of art auctions, he knows none of the prints have ever shown up in Europe and only a rare few have surfaced for sale.

“By the laws of physics in the silk-screening process, we can guess how many were made — but we have no idea how few survived.”

While collectors are beginning to realize the works’ significance, the prints remain affordable — in the range of $5,000. But as the value of the original paintings rise, so does the value of the prints, Sigvaldason says, “however,

A.Y. Jack son, Grou p of Seve n pain ter

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a rt fo r w a r a n d pe a c e

The Samp sonMatt hews print program was the public art project largest in Canadian histor y. A grand comin together of cultur g e, commerce and patriotism, it began as wartime propa ganda but lasted into the 1960 s, still shapes Cana and dians’ ideas about art—and their vast homeland.

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I don’t think they‘ll go up overnight.” Part of the issue is society’s “vilification” of making prints — a process that can mass-produce copies of original art. However, the very nature of the procedure used to create the SampsonMatthews silkscreens renders each of them “original.” As an example, Sigvaldason holds two of his duplicate prints side-by-side, and indeed, colours and even some details differ.

“It’s a complex process,” he says. “The artists could have painted many paintings in the time it took to do the silkscreens.”

Produced with oil paint and using the very top technology of the time, the reproductions “portray the originals in a painterly way, complete with little dabs of colour as might be attained by the artist using a brush,” Sigvaldason explains. “Making a translation of the painting, cutting the silks and running them through the oil pigments was labour intensive … it was so complicated, they only produced three or four prints a year.”

Among his collection is a real prize: two copies of Indian Church, the only print Emily Carr ever allowed of her work. The original of this piece is in the Art Gallery of Ontario, and worth millions of dollars; but the only original silkscreen print made by A.J. Casson for Emily Carr during her lifetime can be purchased for a fraction of that cost.

ART FOR EVERYONE, AND A BOOK FOR EVERYONE By the time the project was in full swing, the SampsonMatthews prints were selling at Eatons, the National Gallery gift shop and through a colour catalogue.

“The thinking was, ‘People can’t afford to buy these paintings so let’s make the highest quality reproductions ever attempted, and bring art to the people,’” Sigvaldason says. “For many Canadians, this was a first look at the work of many Canadian artists … Baby boomers will remember these prints from their school days.”

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spotlight on ADVERTISERS

CATHY THORNICROFT

of St. Margaret’s School

 Emily Carr’s Indian Church — the only print of her work she ever allowed.  Clarence Gagnon’s Laurentian Village.

Published by Red Leaf, Sigvaldason’s book includes beautiful images of 112 of the prints, several essays by experts such Sam Carter, professor emeritus at Emily Carr University; Ian Thom, senior curator at the Vancouver Art Gallery and author/artist Douglas Coupland, among others. Co-authored by Scott Steedman, a professor in publishing at Simon Fraser University, the book has been four years in the making.

“It took a community to make the art, and a community to make the book,” Sigvaldason smiles, noting that the research was extensive. “Every single art book that I read would have snippets of info, but no one had the whole story — it was a bit of a treasure hunt … If people don’t know about Canadian art, it’s one of those books for ‘Mr. and Mrs. Everybody’ — a little bit about history in Canada, the Depression, then the War, and how everything tied together.”

Ultimately, the book and the art project shine a light on artwork that helped a nation discover its identity and then share it with the world.

With decades of experience in both public and private education — from time in the classroom to seven years as an Area Superintendent — Cathy Thornicroft is passionate about the possibilities of education.

Today, as Head of School for St. Margaret’s School, a premier independent school, Cathy is thrilled to work with girls who share the same passion.

Cathy moved to the island from Vancouver five years ago to join the St. Margaret’s family. Established in 1908, St. Margaret’s provides empowering education for girls from junior kindergarten to Grade 12, with boarding available in grades 7 to 12.

“I was excited about taking on this new role simply because I had the opportunity to shape the future of this school — not just in telling its unique story, but actually playing a part in its legacy going forward,” she says, encouraging parents to visit the Saanich campus and let their daughters sample the possibilities awaiting at St. Margaret’s. “The privilege of focusing specifically on the needs of girls has created multiple possibilities. St. Margaret’s is about more than creating equal opportunity; girls here get every opportunity to lead, engage, gain experience and make a difference.

“Every day, I get to go to work and ... share in (the girls’) successes, push them to believe in themselves and to empower them to own and use their voices to influence the world of tomorrow. You can’t get a better job than that!”

St. Margaret’s School | 250 479 7171 | stmarg.ca

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TRAVEL NEAR

 Side-by-side treatment room, Cedar Sanctuary at the Wickaninnish Inn’s Ancient Cedars Spa.

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PHOTO BY VINCE KLASSEN

 The Great Room at Long Beach Lodge Resort: fine dining on the ocean’s edge.

WINTER INDULGENCE STORMS AND SPLENDOUR AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD  BY SUSAN LUNDY

I

T’S TOUGH TO DECIDE which scene better captures the essence of winter storm watching in Tofino: sitting in a steaming tub, glass of wine in hand, looking out at the crashing surf on the rocks below; or walking on the beach, huddled into a warm, waterproof jacket, wind snapping in your hair, the sound of waves roaring over the sand.

Whatever your preference, “winter storm watching” has become a season of its own in Tofino, which is located on the western edge of Vancouver Island, about a 4.5-hour drive from Victoria. High-end accommodations like Long Beach Lodge Resort at Cox Bay are seeing a steady increase in winter visitors, and storm watching

at the sumptuous Wickaninnish Inn on Chesterman’s Beach has been designated a “Canadian signature experience.”

At the end of November, my husband and I hopped into the truck with our two dogs and escaped to Tofino for three relaxing, invigorating and even surprising days.

Tofino has transformed dramatically over the decades from an isolated, resource-dependent community to an internationally renowned tourist destination and world-class surfers’ haven. And, of course, the clincher: it has miles and miles of sandy, surf-pounding beaches.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is how this small community of

2,000 has upped its game again, now offering a fabulous culinary experience. We ate boat-to-table, fresh seafood and slurped Tofino oysters (called Clayoquot Climax) at The Oyster Bar; sank our teeth into sweet and savoury delights at the funky Common Loaf Bake Shop; and relished a dazzling array of flavours at the trend-setting Wolf in the Fog, recently named best new restaurant in Canada by Air Canada’s enRoute magazine.

RAIN GEAR: PRIORITY ONE Our winter storm-watching trip began with an “essentials” packing list: Prosecco, cribbage board, reading

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PHOTO BY CHRIS POUGET

 Wolf in the Fog’s delicious Block Party Share Plate.

material … and most importantly, rain gear. To fully enjoy the experience, you really need to nestle into a thick, warm, water resistant coat, boots and even rain pants. On our first day, the clouds unleashed torrents of rain that hit the pavement with stunning force. And just when we thought it couldn’t rain any harder, it did. So rain gear. Check.

 The Pointe Restaurant on the rocks at Wickaninnish Inn.

PHOTO BY IVAN HUNTER

PERHAPS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE IS HOW THIS SMALL COMMUNITY OF 2,000 HAS UPPED ITS GAME AGAIN, NOW OFFERING A FABULOUS CULINARY EXPERIENCE.

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Missed on the packing list was swim gear for use in the sauna and “rainforest” hot tub at Long Beach Lodge.

No matter: each of the lodge’s 1,000-square-foot cottages comes with its own, private hot tub, and our ground level, walk-out-the-door-and-onto-the-beach room in the lodge had a deep, two-person soaker tub.

Tofino is big on dogs, and both places offered pet-

friendly rooms with welcoming packages of dog bowls, mats, toys and treats.

Dog-on-leash signs seem blissfully ignored on the beaches, but doggy bags are abundantly available and dutifully employed. The freely frolicking dogs appear to be having so much fun, reports Samantha Hackett, director of operations at Long Beach Lodge, some guests have actually enquired about “dogs for rent.”

Dogs may not be part of the accommodation package, but everything else is, and we were astounded by the many small details in the rooms, especially at the Wickaninnish. According to managing director Charles McDiarmid, creating a flow between interior and exterior is one of the inn’s themes; hence you’ll see chairs made of driftwood, tabletops resting on tree stumps, and wave-like textures carved into cabinetry. The Wick features so much art, visitors should plan to spend some viewing time. Another must-see is the carving shack of the late Henry Nola, whose history is lovingly interwoven with that of the Wickaninnish Inn. Owned by the McDiarmids, a longtime Tofino family, and built in 1996, the Wickaninnish paved the way for other luxury resorts in Tofino. It was honoured,

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just one year after opening, as one of a handful of Relais & Châteaux properties in Canada, and it is truly an exquisite place to stay.

CULINARY KUDOS Dining at both the Wick’s The Pointe Restaurant and Long Beach Lodge’s The Great Room were experiences in themselves, with both restaurants beautifully positioned at the ocean’s edge and offering artful west coast ambiance.

At The Pointe, we feasted on a delicious, creatively presented tasting menu, paired with the best red, white and bubbly.

Dinner included specialties such as chilled venison and beetroot, and a smoked West Pacific sablefish. Situated right out on the rocks, it is cozy at nighttime but absolutely spectacular in daylight.

The Great Room at Long Beach Lodge also served up an amazing array of fresh seafood and side dishes, such as Kusshi oysters, alder-smoked salmon and togarashi tempura roll. It was like chef Ian Riddick telepathically accessed my brain ahead of time to offer my very favourite foods.

Dinner at Wolf in the Fog — so named by the owners who once spotted a wolf emerging from the fog on the 56

PHOTO BY ANTHONY REDPATH

 The interior of The Pointe Restaurant at Wickaninnish Inn.

very spot the restaurant now sits — is also highly recommended.

With a mantra of “fish, forage, feast” amid an upbeat west coast atmosphere (décor includes a sculpture made from broken surf boards and a huge, driftwood wolf), the restaurant produces locally inspired, seasonal dishes that are both artful and accessible. For example, you could go for Bamfield seaweed salad and braised Humboldt squid, or you could order a burger and fries.

For me, nothing has ever matched the flavour of Wolf in the Fog’s potato crusted oysters. I won’t try to describe it, but I would drive all the way back to Tofino to taste it again.

Did we get in any storm watching amid all this eating?

Indeed. We watched a dark storm roll in over the ocean from the warmth of our room at Wickaninnish and took in some windy walks on the beach.

I also listened to stormy sounds from a massage table at the Wickaninnish’s Ancient Cedars Spa, and we had a good look at the rain as we dashed between eateries, shops and the must-see Eagle Aerie Gallery, featuring renowned artist Roy Henry Vickers, in downtown Tofino.

There is no one particular scene that sums up the essence of storm watching in Tofino — as it turns out; it’s a treat for all the senses.

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profiles

ST. MARGARET’S SCHOOL: Confident Girls, Inspiring Women

girls has created multiple “Because I went to an all-girls school, possibilities. St. Margaret’s it never occurred to me that women is about more than creating couldn’t do anything.” equal opportunity; girls here That simple yet powerful observation get every opportunity to lead,

by St. Margaret’s School alumna Karen engage, gain experience and Clark Cole, CEO of Blink UX and make a difference. founder of the Girls Can Do event series, The school’s vision, perfectly encapsulates the goal of the St. “Confident Girls – Inspiring Margaret’s experience.

Women,” drives its Strategic A premier independent school and Plan and shapes how teaching an international centre for girls’ learning and learning occurs at St. and leadership since 1908, Saanich’s St. Margaret’s. “Seeing daily the Margaret’s School today celebrates more success of these educational than a century of providing empowering principles as girls stand up, education for girls from junior voice their perspective with kindergarten to Grade 12, including confidence and lead their boarding in grades 7 to 12. peers is truly rewarding,” Leading the way is Vancouver-raised Cathy reflects.

Head of School Cathy Thornicroft, Research shows the St. Margaret’s who brings 35 years of public and model of a supportive, all-girl education private school experience and a passion is how girls for leadership development, “Girls who graduate from learn best, and without added student St. Margaret’s know what social pressures engagement, the they want, and have the from the co-ed study of ethics and helping people find confidence and skills to go environment they are free to discover their voice – not out in the world and chase themselves and only for themselves shake off traditional but also for those their dreams.” gender roles and without the expectations, Cathy explains. opportunity to speak for themselves.

“Girls who graduate from here are “This wealth of experience in more likely to pursue leadership roles, both public and independent sectors report higher confidence and choose has allowed me the privilege and the STEM fields (science, technology, confidence to lead this wonderful engineering and math) in higher school,” says Cathy, entering her fifth numbers than their co-ed peers. But year at St. Margaret’s, where she is most importantly, girls who graduate actively engaged in helping the girls from here know what they want, and see the possibilities of what they can have the confidence and skills to go out achieve.

“I was excited to have the opportunity in the world and chase their dreams.”

For St. Margaret’s staff and students, to shape the future of this school, the goal is a well-rounded approach not just in telling its unique story but that targets much more than academic actually playing a part in its legacy going excellence and volunteer hours with forward,” she explains. “The privilege an eye to successful post-secondary of focusing specifically on the needs of

placements.

“Developing a girl’s self-knowledge of her interests and confidence in her abilities is of equal importance to prepare her for the next steps on her path, not to mention the balance of important ‘soft-skills’ like cultural fluency, empathy, interpersonal skills, health and wellness, and critical thinking, to name a few,” explains Jennifer van Hardenberg, the school’s Communications Coordinator.

“Success at university is quite a short term goal for our girls; success as individuals for life is what we’re really working towards.”

Prospective parents and students are encouraged to visit St. Margaret’s and spend time with some of the 350 students, Jennifer says, noting the new year is a good time to visit. New students are welcome throughout the year, but the school’s scholarships and bursaries are awarded in early April.

For more information, visit www.stmarg.ca or call 250-479-7171 57

FOOD & DRINK

COMFORT

CASSEROLES WHEN YOU HAVE LEFTOVERS, DON’T WASTE THEM. TAKE A WARM WINTER MEAL TO A FRIEND OR A NEIGHBOUR.

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ONE-DISH WONDERS TO SAVOUR AND SHARE  BY CINDA CHAVICH

PHOTO BY DON DENTON, STYLING BY PIP KNOTT. SHOT ON LOCATION AT COOK CULTURE.

W

HEN I THINK OF CASSEROLES, I think of food to share — families, potluck dinners — and comforting food offered in times

of need.

These one-pot wonders are simple, homey, forgiving when reheated, and perfectly portable, which is why they are toted around to all manner of events, and great to have ready in the fridge or freezer.

According to my dictionary, a casserole is both a one-dish meal (like lasagna, shepherd’s pie or cassoulet) and the deep dish vessel in which it’s baked. And although the first casserole was apparently invented by a French Canadian immigrant to New Hampshire (so says Wiki), it was the 1950s when the casserole really met its heyday.

But everything old is new again and the casserole is making a comeback. Whether it’s upscale lobster mac and cheese with your cocktails at Veneto or classic cassoulet with duck confit at Ca Va Bistro Moderne, this old-fashioned comfort food stands the test of time.

And at Cook’s Day Off, a popular spot for take-out meals, there’s a complete casserole menu, featuring several different kinds of lasagna, seafood and chicken tortilla casseroles, savoury tarts and pot pies.

During my research, I also discovered a cool casserole-sharing scheme — devised

in the UK but now spread to cities in Australia (and hopefully soon to a Canadian city near you). Dubbed the Casserole Club, it’s a brilliant way to keep that extra portion of food from becoming a science experiment in the back of your fridge. It’s a simple idea, organized online, that connects those who love to cook with neighbours who would love their leftovers, often seniors or students. There are already more than 4,000 cooks in the UK sharing meals through the Casserole Club (casseroleclub. com), which has had the happy spin-off of reducing loneliness for singles and building stronger communities.

It reminds me of something we once did for a friend who was struggling through art school. We bought a supply of TV-dinner-like plastic containers and, when there was an extra portion of food leftover after dinner, we packaged it up, labeled it and popped in the freezer. We then presented her with a cooler full of our homemade, heat-and-eat dinners — a welcome gift to a friend in need.

So pull out your casserole dishes, fire up the oven, and bake something sharable today. When you have leftovers, don’t waste them. Take a warm winter meal to a friend or a neighbour.

You never know when you might need a comforting casserole coming back your way!

BUT EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN AND THE CASSEROLE IS MAKING A COMEBACK.

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BURGOO BUTTER CHICKEN PREP 20 MIN COOK 70 MIN SERVES 8 (with leftovers) In Vancouver, Burgoo has built a small chain of popular neighbourhood bistros by focusing on hearty stews and casseroles, from the meaty namesake stew (one that originates in Kentucky) to classic Beef Bourguignon and its own version of butter chicken.

With potatoes in the pot, it makes a meal in a bowl, or you can serve it with basmati rice or warm naan bread.

This recipe is from the new cookbook, Burgoo, by owners Justin Joyce and Stephen MacIntyre, which includes many of the restaurant’s most popular recipes.

6-8 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts 8 Tbsp (100 ml) butter, softened 8 Tbsp (100 ml) garam masala Sea salt 1 medium white onion, minced 2-inch knob of fresh ginger, minced 4-5 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp (15 ml) ground turmeric 4-5 whole curry leaves (optional) 1 large pinch fenugreek leaves (look for them at Indian grocers) 2 cups (500 ml) good quality chicken stock 2 cans each, 19 oz/540 ml each, crushed tomatoes Honey to taste 4-5 medium yellow fleshed potatoes, diced 1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream 1 large handful fresh spinach 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped 1 lime, in wedges, for garnish Rub chicken with 2 tablespoon of butter, half of the garam masala and a pinch of sea salt. Place in a bowl and marinate for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat remaining butter in a large, heavy pot and sautĂŠ onions, ginger and garlic on medium heat until brown, about 8 minutes. Add the remaining garam masala, turmeric, curry and fenugreek leaves and

cook for a minute to release flavours. Add the chicken stock, then the tomatoes, honey and potatoes. Season with sea salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook 1 hour or until potatoes are tender and sauce is thickened.

While the stew simmers, sear the chicken on a heavy pan or grill, 5-6 minutes per side, until nicely charred and juices run clear (alternately, grill on the barbecue).

Cool, and then cut into large dice.

After the sauce has cooked for an hour, stir in the diced chicken, cream, spinach and half the cilantro. Simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt or more of the other spices. Even better the next day!

QUICK CASSOULET PREP 20 MIN COOK 1 HOUR SERVES 4-6 This is an easy take on a French classic using supermarket ingredients (instead of the usual duck confit). You can also use pork tenderloin or boneless chops to replace the chicken.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed (about 1.5 lb/750 g) 2 tsp (10 ml) chopped fresh thyme 2 tsp (10 ml) chopped fresh rosemary 2 tsp (10 ml) chopped fresh parsley 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 fresh Italian sausages (mild with fennel or spicy with chilies) 1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped 2 Tbsp (25 ml) tomato paste 1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground cloves Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 10-oz/284 ml can chicken broth, undiluted 2 19-oz/540-ml cans white beans, rinsed and drained TOPPING: 1 cup (250 ml) breadcrumbs 2 Tbsp (25 ml) olive oil

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2 Tbsp (25 ml) chopped fresh parsley 1 tsp (5 ml) minced rosemary 2 cloves garlic, minced Freshly ground black pepper Cut the chicken into large chunks and mix with the chopped thyme, rosemary, parsley and garlic, combining to coat the chicken with herbs. Set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Slice the skin on the fresh sausages lengthwise and crumble the sausage meat into a large sauté pan. Cook over medium high heat until the sausage begins to brown.

Add the olive oil and chicken cubes to the pan and continue to cook until the chicken is browned. Add the chopped onion and fry until it begins to brown.

Stir in the roma tomatoes, tomato paste, cloves, pepper and broth. Simmer together for 10 minutes.

Dump the canned beans into a sieve and rinse under the tap until the water runs clear. Drain well.

In an oven-proof casserole dish, layer one third of the beans with one half of the chicken and sausage mixture. Repeat, ending with a layer of beans.

In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, olive oil, parsley, rosemary, minced garlic and pepper and sprinkle evenly over the cassoulet.

Bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 30-45 minutes, until brown and bubbly. Serve immediately.

CHICKEN & CORN TORTILLA CASSEROLE PREP 30 MIN COOK 50 MIN SERVES 4-6 This is sort of a south-of-the-border lasagna made with chicken and day-old corn tortillas. You can even use leftover roast chicken or turkey and recycle two items at once. Just be sure you start with good-quality corn tortillas. Look for them at authentic Mexican markets. For a vegetarian version, substitute a big can of black beans, drained and rinsed, for the chicken.

SPEEDY SALSA: 1 (14 oz/398 ml) can Roma tomatoes 1 (4 oz/85 ml) can jalapeño chilies, drained 1 teaspoon (5 ml) minced or pressed garlic 1/2 medium onion, chopped 1 teaspoon (5 ml) each: salt, ground cumin, ground

oregano, chili powder Hot pepper sauce or Asian chili paste, to taste (optional) TORTILLA CASSEROLE: 1 Tbsp (15 ml) Canola oil 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 2 cups (500 ml) chopped onion 1 1/2 lb (750 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed (or substitute leftover roast chicken or turkey) 1/2 cup (125 ml) pitted black olives, chopped 1 to 2 Tbsp (15-25 ml) chopped cilantro 12 corn tortillas 2 cups (500 ml) shredded mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or medium cheddar cheese OPTIONAL GARNISHES: Sour cream Shredded lettuce Chopped tomatoes To make the salsa, combine the tomatoes, jalapeños, garlic, onion, salt, cumin, oregano, and chili powder in a blender or food processor and whirl into a chunky purée. Taste the salsa. If it’s not spicy enough for you, add some hot sauce. Set aside.

In a sauté pan over medium, heat the oil, add the bell pepper, onion, and chicken, and sauté for 10 minutes, until the chicken is browned. Stir in the salsa and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the olives and cilantro.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with olive oil and arrange 4 of the tortillas in the dish in a single layer, cutting 1 or 2 in half if necessary to fill the space. Top with one-third of the sauce and one-third of the cheese. Repeat the layers twice, ending with cheese.

Cover the casserole with foil. Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes before cutting. If desired, garnish with sour cream, shredded lettuce, and chopped tomatoes.

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TRAVEL FAR

THE SOUND OF

HAWAII

THERE’S MAGIC IN THE MUSIC

 A woman performs hula in Waikiki — just one of many musical and visual opportunities in Hawaii.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY (HTA) / TOR JOHNSON

 BY MARILYN MCCRIMMON

H

AWAIIAN MUSIC IS the unmistakable pluck of ukulele strings, the chime of a Hawaiian steel guitar and the lush mellow tones of a slack key guitar, all played by musicians dressed in colourful aloha shirts and dresses, with leis draped around their necks.

Middle-aged (and older) musicians are referred to by the respectful titles of auntie and uncle. Proud of their culture, Hawaiian musicians celebrate their heritage through their music in a way that is inclusive for the audience, the true embodiment of the “Aloha Spirit.”

Honolulu is a city of contrasts, and that, flavoured with boundless friendliness in Hawaii’s capital city, draws me back. Upon arrival each spring, my husband and I are welcomed like returning family at our two storey, 60-year-old hotel, an oasis of old Hawaii in Waikiki.

My early morning run route might pass through the wild, lush vegetation of Diamond Head, or take me along the seashore on the paved paths of Ala Moana Park. After the run, the quiet sanctuary of the small hotel pool beckons, but so does the promise of being bounced about in the warm surf a mere half block walk away. Lunch presents such choices as a bowl of fresh papaya and pineapple eaten poolside or on our private lanai, or a pub-style meal at a bustling

beachside, barefoot bar. Afternoons offer trips by city bus to downtown Honolulu where historic sites await exploring, or a stroll along Luxury Row in Waikiki, to admire designer store window displays, or a visit to the expansive Honolulu Zoo. Happy hour is a mug of local beer at a nearby pub or an elegant umbrella drink sipped in a beachside lounge in a fancy hotel.

And then it’s time for an evening of music. After more than 30 visits to Waikiki, my husband (also a musician) and I have developed a love of and appreciation for beautiful Hawaiian music. It’s played outdoors under banyan trees, on pool decks and hotel terraces, in open-air bars and restaurants, and almost always free of charge, though tipping or buying a CD is encouraged. Here are a few of our favourite places and acts.

CYRIL PAHINUI AT THE KANI KA PILA GRILLE Kani Ka Pila, which is Hawaiian for “let’s make music,” features musicians every night of the week. And every Wednesday night finds Cyril Pahinui (son of the late Gabby Pahinui who was featured on the soundtrack of The Descendants), crooning on stage. He is a distinctive vocalist and one of the world’s foremost Hawaiian slack key guitar players.

Joined by Jeff Au Hoy on the steel guitar 63

and Peter Wook Moon on the ukulele, Pahinui’s trio offers their versions of traditional Hawaiian songs layered with spontaneous pa’ani, or improvised instrumental solos, much like jazz players. Pahinui is so well known for his improvisations that we can always tell who the musicians are in the crowd as they focus on Cyril’s fingers flying over the strings of his guitar during solos, hoping to learn his skill.

Kani Ka Pila Grille - Outrigger Reef on the Beach – is located at 2169 Kalia Road, Waikiki.

STEPHEN INGLIS AT THE BAREFOOT BAR Imagine sitting at a table on a large patio, with only a low hedge and a paved walkway separating the patio from an expansive sandy beach in front of Fort DeRussy Park in Waikiki, where the waves of the warm Pacific Ocean gently lap at the shore.

Welcome to Barefoot Bar. We often join friends at one of the large, round tables offering a direct view of virtuoso guitar player and singer Stephen Inglis, who perches on a stool under an umbrella in one corner of the patio, his 64

acoustic guitar in hand.

Inglis has a warm, multi-ranged voice, and while he performs some cover tunes, his own slack key Hawaiian compositions show off the range of his voice. He easily reaches the high notes of the distinctive Hawaiian falsetto, a sound similar to yodeling, but much more mellow. Inglis is at the Barefoot Bar every Wednesday night, missing only for occasional mainland gigs.

Barefoot Bar is located on the beach at Fort DeRussy Beach Park, in front of the Hale Koa Hotel, Waikiki.

WHEN MANDY SUSTAINS THE HIGH NOTES IN HER FALSETTO, JUST AS HER GRANDMOTHER DID, IT SPARKS ROUNDS OF SPONTANEOUS APPLAUSE. KEAWE ‘OHANA AT THE MOANA TERRACE, WAIKIKI BEACH MARRIOTT The Keawe ‘Ohana (family), is a legendary group in Hawaii, with a strong faithful following of friends and family.

It wasn’t long ago that the late Auntie Genoa Keawe, in her 90s, still played with her band, and dazzled the audiences with her falsetto and her ukulele playing.

The band honours her memory with its continued  The beautiful colours of dusk on Waikiki.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY (HTA) / TOR JOHNSON

PHOTO COURTESY OF HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY (HTA) / TOR JOHNSON

 Royal Guards at Iolani Palace in Honolulu.

excellence. Her son, Gary Keawe Aiko, is a bass player who croons in a beautiful tenor voice. Her sister-in-law, Momi Kahawaiola’a, nimbly plays electric guitar. Her granddaughter, Pomaika’i Keawe Lyman, or Mandy, is an extremely talented falsetto singer, who plays ukulele. Band leader Alan Akaka expertly moves his fingers over the strings of his steel guitar.

Together they perform well-known and traditional Hawaiian songs every Thursday night at this location.

When Mandy sustains the high notes in her falsetto, just as her grandmother did, it sparks rounds of spontaneous applause from the audience.

Moana Terrace, Waikiki Beach Marriott, 2552 Kalakaua, Waikiki.

LEDWARD KA’APANA AT THE KONA BREWING COMPANY AND BREW PUB The Kona Brewing Company is a little way outside of Waikiki, but the trip is well worth it to listen to the spectacular fingerpicking of slack key guitar player, Led Ka’apana, who plays every Sunday night, and is one of the best in his genre.

Led has a shy, lighthearted manner, and giggles a lot when he chats between songs, but when his nimble fingers are plucking the strings on that guitar, there is no doubting his ability to headline shows when he travels

footloose Victoria’s Ultimate Shoe Destination

abroad. We are always swept away.

As he finishes each song, he seems almost surprised at the sounds he has just produced, which endears him to his audience, and explains why he always has a large following at his shows.

Kona Brewing Company, Koko Marina Centre, Hawaii Kai. ROYAL HAWAIIAN BAND AT THE IOLANI PALACE The Royal Hawaiian Band has a long and proud history.

Founded in 1836 by the order of King Kamehameha III, this concert band continues to celebrate Hawaii’s musical heritage by performing traditional music along with current and classical selections.

The band plays at many of Hawaii’s celebratory events, but our favourite venue occurs every Friday at noon on the lawns of the Iolani Palace. Folding chairs are available for the audience, at what feels more like a family gathering than a formal concert.

Vocalists accompany the band as it opens with the Hawaii’s state song, Hawai’i Pono’i, written by King Kalakaua. Aloha ‘Oe, a song of farewell written by Queen Lili’uokalani, ends the concert. Locals, who always outnumber the tourists in the audience, sing along to the traditional tunes they know. Hawaiians know what a treasure they have in this band.

Iolani Palace, North King Street, downtown Honolulu.

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TALKING WITH TESS

CLIMBING THE LADDER  BY TESS VAN STRAATEN

W

HEN CARLA ROBINSON STARTED OUT in the banking sector almost four decades ago, it was most certainly a man’s world. But that didn’t stop Robinson from quickly climbing the career ladder and shattering the glass ceiling. She became the first woman at a senior management level at ATB Financial, and remained so for quite some time.

Robinson then took on senior executive positions in the equally male-dominated oil and gas sector.

But despite her success, Robinson left all that behind to become an award-winning executive coach. Tess van Straaten sat down with Robinson at her waterfront Victoria condo to talk about challenging the status quo and knowing when to make a change.

What was it like working in such male-dominated fields as banking and oil and gas? At times it was kind of lonely to not have other women at the same level, at least initially. But we all put our pants on the same way and we’re all here for the same reason — to push the agenda forward.

featuring

CARLA ROBINSON 66

PHOTO BY DON DENTON

Did you find people treated you differently? At the bank, all the other senior managers were men and when we got together to discuss priorities they would call each other by their last names, but they would just call me Carla. So I said you can call me ‘Ms. Campbell’ (Robinson’s maiden name). I challenged them on it. If you’re sitting at the table you have a right to be treated as an equal.

Why do you think a lot of women don’t challenge things like that? I think sometimes it’s fear — fear of reprisal of some sort. It’s also a lack of confidence and failing to realize that you’re there for a reason and you need to give yourself permission to participate fully. I think sometimes women get in their own way, telling themselves they can’t do something, but I also think organizations don’t make it easy for women. I would have thought that by 2015, we’d be farther ahead in that regard. We have moved forward but it’s not as far ahead as it ought to be.

What’s the biggest mistake you see executives making in the business world? Not listening and not recognizing that all the perspectives need to be heard. That doesn’t mean you have to agree with them, but it’s important to get them out on the table.

What’s the best advice you give your coaching clients? I tell them to listen to their intuition, honour their core values, recognize what inner voices they’re listening to, and to make a choice and move forward. Once you make a decision, you have to believe it’s the right decision and commit to it. Don’t second guess yourself because if you’re doing what honours your core values, then what you’re doing is going to be the right thing. Always ask yourself what your intention is and try to find a mentor.

Observe other leaders to see what you like and don’t like.

Sometimes you actually learn a lot from what you see leaders doing that you don’t like.

It must have been a big risk to behind leave a senior position at TransCanada Pipelines to start your own coaching business (LCR & Associates Inc.). Why did you decide to make that change? I was at a point in my life where I was ready for a change. I was always intrigued about having my own business and I wanted to have a bit more flexibility in my life. I thought, I’ll give it a try and see what happens because if you don’t try, you’ll never know.

With the start of a new year, lots of people make resolutions and re-evaluate their lives. What’s your advice to anyone who might be looking to make a career or a life change? You need to ask yourself, what are the things that intrigue or excite you, and how can you incorporate that into the role that you’re in? Basically, how do you re-design the role that you’re in to allow you to contribute at the level you want? And if that’s not possible, see if there are other areas in your life you can get that from. If you can’t, then that says maybe it’s time to look for something else. A really good question to ask yourself is, if money and resources were no issue and you could do anything, what would you want to do?

I think a lot of people feel stuck, but the more they feel that way, the less confidence they have to actually make a change. People feel like they don’t have a choice but it’s important to recognize that you always have a choice.

Tess van Straaten is an award-winning journalist, television personality and fourth–generation Victoria native.

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 BY ROBERT MOYES

 Award-winning Maneli Jamal is one of four stars at this year’s International Guitar Night.

GUITARS A GO-GO International Guitar Night first showed up here a bit more than a decade ago in a small Saanich church with maybe 50 people in attendance; it now attracts an audience 10 times that size at UVic’s Farquhar Auditorium. It’s a showcase of six-string virtuosity, featuring four guitar stars from all over the world who perform both solo and collaboratively. The only constant is IGN founder Brian Gore, who is considered a poetical romanticist with superlative technique. This year’s lineup is less far-flung than in previous years, but will still enchant guitar lovers. The most exotic catch is Brazil’s Diego Figueiredo, a multiple award winner with 19 CDs to his credit who plays an innovative blend of jazz, bossa nova and classical.

More mainstream but equally accomplished, is Andrew York, who earned a Grammy during his 16-year stint with the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet before undertaking an expansive solo career that, among other accomplishments,

has seen him master jazz guitar and perform with such funky guitar luminaries as Albert Lee and Doc Watson.

Rounding out the line-up is Iranian-Canadian Maneli Jamal, a musical nomad who has won numerous musical contests around the world. He draws on folk, flamenco and Persian traditions to create a uniquely soulful fusion of east-meets-west musicality. “This is a chance to hear some amazing players,” says Rod McCrimmon, a professional musician and a guitarist who hasn’t missed a single IGN show. “They’re only playing eight dates in Canada, so Victoria is really lucky to get them.”

Performing January 18 at UVic’s Farquhar Auditorium. For tickets, call 250-721-8480.

RAISING SOME THEATRICAL CAIN English-raised Tony Cain was brought up in Liverpool, and was a staunchly working-class lad, whose grandparents owned a dairy. He marched with fellow 69

revive her personal fortunes by renting out the joint for a pornographic film shoot. At its heart, the play ponders how the real England has been lost as its history is gussied up and marketed like a Downton Abbey fantasy.

“Bennett is also worried about the divide between the ever-richer and the burgeoning ranks of the poor,” says Cain. “People shows both sides of the argument, and my hope is that the play stimulates debate.”

Running from January 14-31 at Langham Court. For tickets, call 250-384-2142.

KEEPING ELVIS ALIVE

 Elvis tribute artist Steve Michaels.

students in the 1980s in opposition to the right wing policies of Margaret Thatcher, and went on to have a decades-long career in theatre as an actor and director. Currently “retired” in Victoria — which hasn’t stopped him from being the artistic director of Target Theatre — Cain seems the perfect choice to direct Langham Court’s production of People, the latest from left-leaning English playwright Alan Bennett. Most celebrated for History Boys and The Madness of King George, Bennett famously collaborated with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore in the Beyond The Fringe satirical revue in the early ‘60s, and never lost his sense of the mischievous. His talent as a droll provocateur should be on full display in People, getting its North American debut right here in Victoria. It’s a comedy set in the decaying mansion of a penniless aristocrat who can’t decide whether to place the house in the hands of the well-meaning National Trust or try to 70

In 2001, Steve Michaels entered the famed Elvis Presley impersonator competition in Memphis, but experienced a hiccup when the photo he submitted with his application was rejected: rules stipulate that you can’t use an actual Elvis image in any press materials.

Turns out that the photo was of Michaels. It also turned out that his uncanny resemblance to the King wasn’t just skin deep — thanks to a passionate, note-perfect performance, he was crowned world champion that year. Michaels never looked back, going on to become a globetrotting Elvis tribute artist (they hate being called impersonators) probably without equal. (Check him out on YouTube and you’ll see why Elvis fans go crazy over him, including those who travel from city to city to catch every show of a two-week tour, or write him near-hysterical, six-page emails.) “Steve’s mom was a diehard Elvis fan and he’s been listening to the guy since  Pines As Night Closes In by Mark Brennan: part of Eclectic Gallery exhibit.

he was three years old,” says manager-agent Mark Erwin, who adds that Michaels is both an artist and a scholar when it comes to channelling Elvis. “There is absolute authenticity … he has every nuance, every move, and there isn’t a song he doesn’t know,” says Erwin. And Michaels is also impressive in how he captures the full arc of Elvis’ career, from his hip-swivelling rockabilly days to the shiny costumes of the Vegas era. And if that rumoured Broadway production comes through, this may be your only chance to catch Michaels and his 10-piece band. “If there’s an ounce of Elvis fan in your body, then this will be a once-ina-lifetime show,” says Erwin.

The McPherson Theatre is rocking January 8. For tickets, call 250-386-6121.

THE SPIRIT OF NATURE In order to get maximum use out of wall space — and more exposure for his many artists — Eclectic Gallery owner John Taylor is moving towards “Salon” style exhibitions, where several gallery artists show simultaneously, for periods of two months. “This is the first one, and we’ll have about a dozen artists up, with three to seven works per artist,” says Taylor. “And depending on what has sold, up to 50 per cent of the show will have changed by the end of January.” The Spirit of Nature in Paint is mostly works of plein air, meaning that they are produced out of doors and in the moment.

Taylor chose artists whose reaction to the natural world was particularly impressive: “They respond to something real that their eye sees, but that then inspires a fluid, interpretative response,” he explains. The artists include Lisa Riehl, whose strong design elements fragment into Pointillism; Jim McFarland, whose formal style is complemented by a highly emotive colour sense; Desiree Bond, considered by Taylor to be a master of light; and Halifax-based Mark Brennan, who experiences wild places very deeply (he also does nature-based sound recordings, sometimes for CBC). “The West Coast landscape is almost a cliché, yet it’s what draws so many artists here,” says Taylor. “There is a ‘feel’ to certain places and it’s important to get beneath what you initially see — to grasp the energy that resides below the ‘pretty picture’ aspect of it,” he adds.

“These artists are having a profound experience.”

Showing from January 5 to March 7 at 2170 Oak Bay Avenue. For information, see Eclectic Gallery.

A THEATRICAL BIRTHDAY Theatre SKAM is celebrating its 20th birthday party this month, but these cheeky theatrical provocateurs are still buzzing with youthful energy. Their annual fundraising “Birthday BASH” moves to the Atrium this year, and includes door prizes and a silent auction — “it’s stuff people actually want,” quips SKAM co-founder and 71

PHOTO BY PAMELA BETHEL

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current artistic producer Matthew Payne. There will also be a live band; Luxbooth, a portable photo studio that broadcasts an ever-growing loop of people portraits into the room; and random acts of entertainment such as stilt walkers, opera singers warbling from the mezzanine, and pop-up theatre vignettes. It’s all a bouncy launching pad for the theatre’s action-packed season, which focuses on second productions or re-imaginings of earlier SKAM works. It begins in late January with Ballet Victoria’s adaptation of Aerwacol, which is akin to a road movie, but is set on one of those hand-pumped railway speeders. The SKAM canon will be the inspiration for the six “mini-plays” popping up amid regular shows at the Belfry Theatre’s SPARK Festival in March. Then it’s the second coming of Fashion Machine, wherein talented, young kids armed with sewing machines totally — and permanently! — transform the clothing of brave volunteers. And SKAM’s popular Bike Ride, while still sited on the Galloping Goose, is now called Summer Festival and has been retooled to include pedestrians, skateboarders and motorized scooters for the mobility impaired. And that’s just part of the fun Payne has planned.

The Birthday BASH happens January 17 at the Atrium (Blanshard and Yates). For dates and locations of their 10 other events, see skam.ca.

PRINCE OF THE JAZZ PIANO For a jazz pianist whose primary focus is the stride era of the 1920s and ‘30s, keyboard marvel Marcus Roberts is surprisingly contemporary. So much so, that Wynton Marsalis has called him “the genius of the modern piano.”

Rooted in the past, but boldly innovative and musically inquisitive, Roberts is considered one of greatest virtuosos of jazz. “Marcus takes a new look at old stuff … and his modern pieces are really quite adventurous,” declares local jazz piano master Karel Roessingh. Blind

since the age of five, the initially self-taught Roberts studied classical piano at university before being hired

by Wynton Marsalis at age 21. Six years later, he founded his own trio, and has gone on to record 15 CDs as leader; over the years he has won numerous awards and become recognized as a profound interpreter of Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington. Roberts has also been a pioneer in the format of the piano trio by bringing the bass and drums forward from supporting to leading roles. “He’s not alone in that, but it is still unusual to foreground the rhythm section in such a manner,” explains Roessingh.

“He really is brilliant.”

Roberts performs January 30 at First Metropolitan Church, 932 Balmoral. For tickets, see Victoria Jazz Society.

PHOTO BY JOHN DOUGLAS

 Keyboardist Marcus Roberts with his trio.

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SECRETS & LIVES

What do you love most about your work? I love meeting people, communicating and embracing solutions, staying abreast of all the legal and technological changes, and yet understanding — deeply — the great importance homes have in people’s lives.

You specialize in waterfront homes. Has this market held steady over the past decade? Yes I do specialize in all waterfront and luxury homes, primarily stemming from my love of the ocean. When you love something it’s easier to sell it, and also easier to learn the fine nuances of waterfront marketing.

Waterfront value, as all real estate investments, adjusted downward from 2008 following the global economic crisis; however, it is now stabilizing. There are presently, as I write, 103 waterfront properties available in all municipalities from Sidney to Sooke. That is a much lower inventory than 2009/2010. If you look back 10 years, yes, prices have not only held steady, but are now higher overall. In my opinion, waterfront land is one of the world’s most secure investments.

PHOTO BY DON DENTON

What do you love most about living in Victoria? I love the oceanside community and all the bounty that it brings.

We are blessed with an unbelievable lifestyle. We have incredible local food, fresh fish, fine art galleries, a full complement of the arts and outstanding theatre. If you need to get away, we have an international airport and ferry system, float planes and helicopters. I could go on, but suffice it to say we are spoiled. It certainly is a realtor’s dream: beauty everywhere and no real traffic.

Leslee Farrell

What do you do on a day off? I love reading, music and cooking to share with friends. Walks in the great outdoors … I loved to run until my knees refused. My greatest challenge is making myself take time off. I still love my job.

Luxury Real Estate Specialist

Where do you turn for advice? I have mentors and best friends who I totally trust and value — which one I pick, of course, depends on the problem!

 BY SUSAN LUNDY

Nice to meet you, Leslee. Where are you from and how did you get to Victoria? I came to Victoria in 1979 from Vancouver where I was born and raised. I‘d sailed around Vancouver Island several summers in a row, ending each trip in Victoria. I fell in love with the city then. As a single mother, I felt Victoria would be a beautiful and safe place to raise my son.

Plus, I love the ocean.

How long have you been involved in real estate in Victoria, and what drew you to the job? I have been licensed for 35 years, and with a teaching and psychology background, I felt real estate would be a good fit. Since I had a young son, I wanted to be able to earn what we needed, yet be free if he needed me. Your schedule is your own as an agent, although at times it doesn’t feel like it! I embraced real estate and approximately nine years ago, my son joined me in the field.

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What book are you reading right now? I’m reading A Cook’s Tour by Anthony Bourdain and You Are Here by Chris Hadfield.

What has life taught you? Like everyone, I’ve had my share of ups and downs, but life has always shown me that positive thinking can overcome almost anything, and that if I am to be happy, it is up to me.

Is there anything else we should know about Leslee Farrell? I am very involved in fundraising in the city and have been for decades. I believe giving back is one of the best gifts in life. I have recently finished as both the co-chair and the chair of the Victoria Hospital Foundation’s $25-million fundraising campaign. Currently, I am on the board of the Conservatory of Music and chairing their capital campaign. It has been a great pleasure to be part of all of these exciting commitments.