Boulevard Magazine - July 2015 Issue

JULY 2015

VICTORIA LIFE AT ITS FINEST

FOOD! GLORIOUS FOOD!

Savour summer with Victoria's TOP 25 tasty bites

HEART OF THE HOME Three kitchens that sizzle

FEAST FOR THE EYES Bold, bright fashion for al fresco dining

GOOD TASTE

Delish dining spaces

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Epicure's Amelia Warren

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CONTENTS

Issue 07, Volume XXIlII

JULY 2015

FEATURES

52 TRAVEL FAR

Riding the rails 10 FEAST FOR THE EYES

By Ivan Watson

Fashion al fresco

By Lia Crowe 56 TALKING

WITH TESS

Amelia Warren 30 GOOD TASTE

By Tess van Straaten

Dining by design

By Amy McGeachy 58 FRONT ROW

Toni Onley, OUTstages, 34 FOOD! GLORIOUS

Shakespeare by the FOOD!

Sea and more

Victoria’s top 25

By Robert Moyes

By Cinda Chavich 64

50 HAWTHORN

Ambassadors to the city

By Tom Hawthorn

COLUMNS

10

18

DEPARTMENTS 6

EDITOR’S LETTER Feasting on the flavours of Canada

8

FASHION FAVES Rumon Carter

By Lia Crowe

18

HOT PROPERTIES Heart of the home

By Carolyn Heiman

34 GROUP PUBLISHER Penny Sakamoto EDITOR Susan Lundy CREATIVE Lily Chan Lorianne Koch ADVERTISING Janet Gairdner Pat Brindle

56

48 DESIGN MATTERS

Tabletop textiles

By Sarah Reid

CIRCULATION & Miki Speirs DISTRIBUTION 250.480.3277 CONTRIBUTING Cinda Chavich, Lia Crowe, WRITERS Tom Hawthorn, Carolyn Heiman, Amy McGeachy, Robert Moyes, Sarah Reid, Tess van Straaten, Ivan Watson

SOCIAL BOULEVARD Royal BC Museum’s Gold Rush and Habitat for Humanity Victoria 100k

By Don Denton and Arnold Lim

66 SECRETS & LIVES

Sarina Hoi,

Immigration consultant

By Susan Lundy

Peter Zambri chef/owner at Zambri’s with Sierra Lundy. Sierra is wearing the “Taffy” dress in an ikat print by Diane von Furstenberg ($ 395) and silver and gold jewel bangles

by Kala ($189 each); both at Bernstein & Gold. Photo by Cathie Ferguson.

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

ASSOCIATE GROUP Oliver Sommer PUBLISHER ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Janet Gairdner 250.480.3251

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CONTRIBUTING Lia Crowe, Don Denton, PHOTOGRAPHERS Cathie Ferguson, Arnold Lim

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

Feasting on the flavours of Canada  BY SUSAN LUNDY

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PHOTO BY DON ARNOLD DENTON LIM

FEW SUMMERS AGO, we did a very “teenage thing.” We flew to New Brunswick, picked up our 1978 VW van (driven east a year earlier by my daughter) and drove it back across the country.

We gave ourselves three weeks for the drive and planned several stops … assuming we’d putter along at an average speed of 100 km per hour. In fact, we chugged and sputtered at top speeds of 80 km, and fellow drivers hated us, especially on hills. (In a particularly dimwitted moment, we bought a bumper sticker that read, “We may be slow, but we’re ahead of you” — almost certainly fuelling the road rage that burned behind us.)

Ultimately, we decided to avoid the speedy Trans Canada, bypass big cities and take slower, secondary highways. It was the perfect choice. We motored through sprawling farmland and expansive prairies; small towns with towering church spirals and rural homes with lines of colourful laundry fluttering in the wind. We saw Canada as a living, vibrant tapestry, passing by the rugged, rocky shorelines of Cape Breton, quaint villages in Quebec, luminous lakes in Ontario, and under the vast and ever-changing prairie skies.

We viewed otherworldly rock formations in Alberta’s Badlands; thick, green forests and white-tipped mountains in BC, and stopped when we reached the wild, crashing waves of Tofino’s shoreline. We saw things we would have missed had we sped quickly across the country.

We savoured the landscape of the country, but relished the tastes of Canada too, whether it was regional flavours — like home-harvested oysters in PEI and again in Tofino — or meals made memorable by circumstance.

We ate scallops (pronounced skaw-lops) in Charlottetown and lobster in Nova Scotia. In Quebec, we tasted fresh pie from a sweet-smelling bakery, ice cider and sirop d’erable from a bustling urban market and a

delectable gourmet dinner at a cozy restaurant in Old Quebec City that stayed open an extra hour just for us.

We sipped whiskey at a Nova Scotia distillery; and shared a bottle of bitter mescal with friends, overlooking the still waters of Lake Huron. (No regional affiliation with that bottle of mescal, but I can confirm it did taste better with each round.)

We drank coffee perched on the edge of Canada at the tip of Cape Breton; drank beer at a bar in Longview, Alberta — the home of Ian Tyson — and watched as a true cowboy music jam unfolded. We stopped for breakfast in quintessential Small Town, Saskatchewan, but couldn’t get a seat in the town’s singular — and apparently popular — restaurant. This led to a chance meeting with the town’s mayor (oddly, from Ladysmith, BC), who told us that this small town had produced not one, but three, Stanley Cup champion hockey players.

Food, we discovered is all part of making memories.

In honour of Canada Day, this edition of Boulevard pays homage to this beautiful country (Travel Far, page 52), but mostly, it focuses on all things culinary. Food writer Cinda Chavich provides 25 reasons why Victoria is becoming known as a culinary destination; we hope her list of Victoria’s Top 25 things to eat will become an annual Boulevard event. Also in this edition, we tour three kitchens, including those of a chef and a baker (page 18); check out the latest fashion with some of Victoria’s food producers (page 10); add flavour to mealtimes with design tips by Amy McGeachy (page 30); compare tabletops with Sarah Reid (page 48); and meet one of Victoria’s top food entrepreneurs (page 56).

Add this to our other regulars and you have a tasty read in hand. We hope you enjoy the flavours and take some time to celebrate this glorious country (’78 VW not required).

WE SAVOURED THE LANDSCAPE OF THE COUNTRY, BUT RELISHED THE TASTES OF CANADA TOO.

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OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Ivan Watson WRITER, “TRAVEL FAR” PAGE 52

“Riding the rails across the country is a compelling journey into the soul of Canada. I hope that my story inspires others to experience the unique joys of train travel, where savouring the small moments of adventure en route is more important than reaching the final destination.”

Ivan Watson is a writer, historian, photographer and curious world traveller.

“Front Row aspires to be a diverse, lively and positive look at the cultural scene in this exciting city. From a soaring opera aria to a fado lament, from a Shakespearean soliloquy to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet or a comic book convention, the column celebrates and supports all the arts.” Robert Moyes is an awardwinning writer and author with Robert Moyes WRITER “FRONT ROW” a particular interest in music, PAGE 58 theatre and the visual arts.

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Boulevard Buzz For food and wine lovers: Taste: Victoria’s Festival of Food and Wine is set to take place July 16 - 19 at Hotel Grand Pacific, featuring wine professionals and dedicated chefs leading interactive culinary events. Pure enjoyment – not just for the palate – this festival will entertain and intrigue.

For theatre lovers: With a cast of Victoria’s most talented, young theatre artists, Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre presents Noël Coward’s Private Lives, a revolutionary comedy of manners once labeled too risqué for its time. It runs at 8 p.m. at The Roxy Theatre from July 7 to July 26.

For rockin’ music lovers: On July 18 - 19, Colwood hosts Vancouver Island’s biggest rock event of the summer.

Returning to a two-day format, Rock The Shores plays the lower fields of West Shore Parks & Recreation, hosting some of the biggest names in rock music, including The Black Keys and Jane’s Addiction.

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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

PHOTO BY LIA CROWE

LIFE & STYLE

 BY LIA CROWE

with

T

RUMON CARTER

HE BEST WAY FOR ME to have an effect on change is to support others,” says Rumon. “I can do a lot on my own but I can do more by helping others.”

Environmental conservation and health promotion are the cornerstones of Rumon’s contributions to the world, channeled professionally through his strategic and creative agency, Route 2 Projects, which “helps good people do good things better.”

But personally, his contributions are expressed though a contagious passion for movement through our wild spaces and by sharing stories of their exploration.

When I say he’s contagious, I speak from personal experience. In researching Rumon, I got deliciously pulled in, reading his blog A State of 8

Wildlife biologist, lawyer, storyteller, explorer: Rumon Carter. He’s easy on the eyes and looks great on paper but most importantly, he’s inspiring in spirit.

Wild, a co-creation with his partner in life, Jennie, and a collection of their shared wilderness adventures.

As I poured over photos of incredible mountain views, backcountry cabins, glassy mountain lakes and alpine meadows, every cell in my body yearned to head for the horizon — Merino long underwear and dehydrated food in tow.

“By going outside and expressing ourselves physically, we can go deeper inside to find solidity, clarity and happiness,” Rumon explains, “I think that everybody can find peace, health, clarity and a way forward to the best version of themselves by having similar experiences.”

I photographed Rumon at Clover Point where he finds himself these days, working on “100 Days of Facing

the Coast,” a community art project he helped launch, and through which he’s sharing interview and portraiture stories describing individual’s connections to our coast.

“I think that part of my personal evolution is coming around to the belief in the transformative effect of story. It would make my heart sing to be able to tell more stories — stories of transformation, stories of beauty — and support others to do likewise ... to tap into creativity, to the fire in the belly, and get to their stories out.”

Slightly “tongue in cheek,” Rumon summed up his current state of being in the words of E.B. White: “I get up in the morning with a desire in equal parts to enjoy the world and do good in the world and that makes it hard to plan the day.”

Reading Material Print

Magazine: The Great Discontent.

Online: “The New York Times, though I typically only open it on a Sunday. I go straight to the review section, then I read opinions, then the Sunday Magazine and usually by then I’m out of time.” Last great read: Non-fiction: The Carry Home by Gary Ferguson. “It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve read but it will tear your heart out.” Fiction: The Orenda, by Joseph Boyden. Book that changed your life: Way of the Peaceful Warrior

by Dan Millman. “It was read to me at nine years old at my first backcountry wilderness camp, on the beaches and sandbars during a paddling trip. It was the right book at the right time.” Poet: Mary Oliver.

Photography Book: The Sacred Headwaters by Wade Davis and Mitakuye Oyasin by Aaron Huey Fashion Uniform: “Dark, straight leg jeans, boots and I seem to have a thing for Denham shirts.” Coveting: Schott leather jacket. Shoes: “Dayton Cowboy boots, handmade in Vancouver BC. That matters to me, it matters to me that they were made by somebody’s hands close to where I live.” All Time Favourite Piece: “I’ve always ascribed to the notion that a man’s fashion can be judged by his footwear. I have a pair of To Boot New York, Adam Derrick shoes that I used to wear to court. Wearing them I just felt armed and ready for battle. And I have a 15-year-old pair of Blundstones that I love … they have been resoled twice, they are like slippers and have so much personal history.”

Watch: Suunto for function. Style: “To me where things come from matters, lasting matters, and knowing who is supported by my purchases matters.” Grooming Scent: Cedre & Oranger

by L’Occitane. Face: “Victory Brand beard balm for days when my face is getting a little unruly after too much time in the woods and Steele & Co. Cedar and Fir shave soap for when I return from the woods and need to clean up for the city. Aveda Men after-shave balm.”

“THE GREATEST MEASURE OF STYLE IS CARRIAGE.”

Style Inspirations

Celebrity Whose Style Inspires: “Tom Ford’s. His personal style is fantastic. There’s a consistency, a simplicity and an elegance. Adrien Brody. He’s objectively ugly and yet the things that he does make him beautiful.”Artist: “The photographer JR. His personal style makes me laugh, always his hat, always his dark glasses and I love him for it. I’m incredibly inspired by the man, the artist and the humanitarian. Band: “U2, touring the Joshua Tree album on the Rattle and Hum tour, Bono at that time. I wanted to be that guy so I grew my hair out. I think his style back then was awesome.” Film: A River Runs Through It. “I’m kind of a rural kid so I love the way those kids lived and the style from that era.”

Life Favourite local restaurant: Zambri’s. Album on Current Rotation: “Three albums: the new Mumford & Sons, the new Lord Huron and the new Dan Mangan.”

Cocktail: “Whisky neat, but if I’m going to have a cocktail then an Old Fashioned or whiskey sour.” Favourite City: Vancouver or Venice. Fav App: Pocket. Favourite Place in the Whole World: “I’m a backcountry boy so I’m happiest waking up in a backcountry hut with those who are closest to me. The Wheaton hut in Marble Meadows region of Vancouver Island’s Strathcona Provincial Park is a favourite.”

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MASON STREET CITY FARM USES SUSTAINABLE GROWING METHODS TO CHURN OUT A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST. IT SUPPLIES SOME OF VICTORIA’S BEST EATERIES WITH FRESH PRODUCE, GIVING THE PHRASE “FARM TO TABLE” A WHOLE NEW MEANING. MODEL SIERRA LUNDY VISITED THE FARM WITH SOME OF THE LEADERS OF VICTORIA’S LOCAL FOOD SCENE, SHOWING US THAT THE BEST FASHION FOR EATING AL FRESCO IS SIMPLE AND BOLD WITH A BASE NOTE OF FRESH, CRISP WHITE. ALL IN ALL, IT’S A .....

FEAST FOR THE EYES  BY LIA CROWE PHOTOS BY CATHIE FERGUSON

FASHION

Sierra with Mason Street farmer Jesse Brown.

“Brit” top in cotton PK ($178) and “Lois” skirt ($228), both by Bridget Savard Designs at bridgetsavarddesigns.com; crystal earrings by Elizabeth Cole ($325) at Bernstein & Gold; ”Maggie” wedge by COCLICO ($385) at Footloose Shoes.

“The Ice Cream Lady” Autumn Maxwell, owner and ice cream maker at Cold Comfort. Cotton and silk dress by Animale ($204) and earrings by ZZAN ($108), both at Sunday’s Snowflake.

Jamie Cummins, owner and chef at Relish Food.

“Scarlett” dress by 360 SWEATER ($245) and sterling silver necklace by SHEREEN de ROUSSEAU ($400), both at Hughes Clothing.

ďƒĄPeter Zambri, owner and chef at Zambri’s.

Silk and modal tank by Fine Collection ($135), white pants by Velvet ($85) and sterling silver necklace by Karyn Chopik ($730), all available at Bagheera Boutique. Espadrille sandals by Hoss ($250) at Bernstein & Gold.

Mason Street Farm partners Angela Moran and Jesse Brown.

Trim full skirt by Nicole Miller Artelier ($358) and “Manly” A-line blouse by Designers Remix by Charlotte Eskildsen ($138), both at Bernstein & Gold; silk scarf made in Italy by Luisa Cerano ($325) at Bagheera Boutique.

CREDITS Model: Sierra Lundy Makeup: Jen Clark jenclark@shaw.ca Hair: Ila Meens for Barber & Fritz and Hive Hair Production Assistant: Danica Lundy Styling Assistant: Aubrey Grondin-Young

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HOT PROPERTIES

ďƒ By opening an eclipsing window off the dining room to the deck, this Crescent Road kitchen feels like it stretches right across the strait to the Olympic Mountains.

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HEART of THE HOME THREE KITCHENS THAT SIZZLE  TEXT BY CAROLYN HEIMAN PHOTOS BY CATHIE FERGUSON

CARVING KITCHEN SPACE

A

N INTEGRAL COMPONENT of building a fabulous kitchen is consideration of space. And for the designer and owners of a deluxe, Crescent Road home — set on a steep, city-size waterfront lot — creating the look of a spacious kitchen without compromising room left for the remaining areas was top of the design challenge.

So some “smoke and mirrors” were brought into the equation. A mirrored backsplash in a tall, built-in hutch — designed to look like a standalone piece of furniture — creates the illusion of more space. Meanwhile, a double-sided, stone fireplace set between the dining and living room effectively separates the two rooms, but still allows the cozy element of a warm fire in each. These are just a few of the sleight-of-hand design tricks that have been introduced to the house that appears much larger than it really is.

Home designer Rus Collins of ZebraGroup says, “The main thing was trying to find the right balance. We only had so much square footage to work with and [needed] to provide space for an adequate-sized kitchen to cook in, but have enough left over for other rooms.”

He describes the resulting kitchen — which won a 2013 19

Easy-clean, stainless steel countertops were a top choice for a professional chef’s compact home kitchen.

Construction Achievements and Renovation of Excellences (CARE) award for best traditional kitchen under 225 feet — as “neither too big nor too small.”

In building a new home, the owners wanted its style to rift off the traditional and tranquil designs seen in Long Island, New York’s famous seaside residential area, The Hamptons. They like contemporary homes, but wanted a place they’d “never grow tired of.” This meant easy transitional styling that crossed over both modern and traditional looks. For example, a coffered ceiling may be a hallmark in a traditional home, but the form it takes in their dining room has more contemporary, clean lines.

Leaded glass doors line the top of white lacquer and espresso stained cabinetry, offering a place to show off special treasures, while the interior lighting adds a warm glow to the room.

A six-burner Wolf stove ensures this kitchen is made for entertaining; however, it remains functional for dayto-day life by being connected to the garage for quick and easy access around unloading groceries and getting children to and from activities.

THE KITCHEN ESSENTIALS Among the first things owners bought for the kitchen — even before construction started — were three 20

St. Charles mercury pendants from California light designer Jamie Young. They set the stage for adding jewelled accents, such as crystal and shiny chrome pulls on the cabinetry. Nearby, and over the antique dining table, a Swarovski crystal chandelier, called The Wave, adds more bling, and is an apt reminder of the waves lapping beyond the deck.

SUPPLY LIST Home design: ZebraDesigns Cabinetry: Hobson Woodwork Lighting: McLaren Lighting Countertops: Colonial Countertops Flooring: The Finishing Store Appliances: Coast Wholesale Appliances Eclipse door/Hurd windows: Westeck Windows and Doors

THE CHEF AT HOME

Also crucial to kitchen creation is making sure it fits the needs of its head cooks.

Dave Craggs is no stranger to the kitchen. The longtime restaurateur and chef oversees several professional kitchens, including Ferris Grill and Garden Patio, Ferris

Upstairs Seafood and Oyster Bar, and Catalano Restaurant and Cicchetti Bar. The rest of the time he is obsessively (by his own admission) tweaking the restaurants’ lighting and playlists to match the mood of the clientele.

Needless to say, the area that surrounds a great meal is important to Cragg, so it was the kitchen in his 1929 house that he and his wife, Rachael Carroll, tackled first with a renovation.

“It was pretty frustrating to cook in,” Craggs says of the original kitchen. Given that the couple likes to entertain —sometimes having up to 30 guests for fish tacos — they needed the space to allow two people working in a relatively small area.

Increasing the distance between the counters and the overhead cupboards created more head and working space.

Craggs admits some items in the top cupboards are hard to reach, but the trade off for more space when kitchen prep gets underway, makes up for the inconvenience. Stainless steel counters and kick plates add a familiar commercial aura to the kitchen and, most important, makes for no-fuss cleaning.

Chefs are not known for their minimalist use of cooking pots and utensils, and if Craggs had to identify

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Chef Dave Craggs at home in his kitchen.

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ďƒ˘ Modern simplicity lends elegance to a small dining area at chef Craggs’ home.

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one thing he misses from his commercial kitchen, it’s a commercial dishwasher with its mega-efficient, 90-second cycle.

“You’d be able to clean up after a dinner in two seconds,” he muses wishfully.

But their Gaggenau dishwasher meets his high standard for residential use “as I don’t have to rinse a single thing.”

Urbana kitchen designer Justa Kendall admits it was intimidating to work with a professional chef.

“Their knowledge of the different foods, and their use of the many gadgets requires extra space, yet they thrive on efficiency and having no clutter. Craggs is a master at working in limited space and he does not need more space to continue practicing his fabulous talent at home.”

Despite it being a small area, the kitchen design includes three primary work areas: prep, clean up and cooking.

THE ESSENTIAL CHEF — AT HOME • Craggs has never felt the need for two ovens at home, using instead one that is fuelled by gas. He has a DCS

by Fisher & Paykel propane range and oven, which he claims is closest in the domestic market to commercial ruggedness.

• His most used area is a 36 x 30 butcher block immediately beside the stove.

• Next-best to a commercial coffee maker is a Rancilio

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“THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF THE DIFFERENT FOODS, AND THEIR USE OF THE MANY GADGETS REQUIRES EXTRA SPACE, YET THEY THRIVE ON EFFICIENCY AND HAVING NO CLUTTER.”

 Baker Shala Robins’ bright and cheery kitchen.

Silvia Espresso Machine.

• His Spanish terra cotta Cazuelas get a regular workout both on the stovetop and the oven.

• Carroll is the breadmaker and she turns to a cast iron pot and bakes it tartine style for a perfect crust and chewy texture.

SUPPLY LIST Kitchen design and cabinetry: Urbana Kitchens.

Countertop: Silver Fern Stainless.

BAKING BY DESIGN Sour dough bread rises on the counter. Nearby, sits pizza dough — started several days earlier so it can be a thin platform for myriad toppings. There are plans to decorate sugar cookies and a Kransekake tower cake. It’s just another day in Shala Robins’ kitchen.

Robins is crazy about baking: “I am happiest when I am creating something tasty for others to enjoy!” (Even her 24

cats are named Strudel and Fritter.)

Cookies, cupcakes, hot cross buns, cakes with fondant sculpted to perfection. They are delectable, of course.

But Robins rules that first the eye must feast. The North Saanich resident shares many of her creations on her Facebook site www.facebook.com/littlebluepantry And it is right in her little blue pantry — a cozy enclave off of the kitchen painted the colour of a robin’s egg — where Robins wields her spatula as skillfully as a symphony conductor does a baton.

Atarah Humphreys, kitchen designer with Urbana, notes the Robins’ “even brought in an eggshell from their garden as inspiration when we were selecting the perfect shade for the cabinets. The result is so charming.”

Shala and her husband Patrick bought their 1930s home two years ago and have since been renovating it room by room — but always respecting the home’s era. Both of them grew up in character-style homes and continue to be drawn to them.

“I like the feeling you get in an older house. There is a kind of energy,” says Shala, with Patrick adding, “They’re

 Baking and essentials in Shala Robins’ kitchen.

just designed differently … They have higher ceilings…

They have principle rooms and we like that. We talked very briefly about an open-concept but we still like principle rooms.”

When creating the kitchen’s new look, Humphreys dialled back to the original circa 1930s — but added a few modern touches like pot lights and a quartz countertop.

“Space planning and budgetary restraints were our biggest challenges,” says Humphreys. “As Shala is an amazing baker, it was very important to include two full-size ovens in their small space. We decided to divide the kitchen and pantry into work areas, with the kitchen serving as the cooking and baking area, and the pantry as the main washing up area. We moved the pantry sink to the window wall so they could enjoy the garden views, and customized the cabinet depths to make sure there was ample working space and room to open the dishwasher.”

The signature of the 30s era is stamped on the room via iconic objects, including a vintage plug-in clock found on e-Bay, and five gorgeous schoolhouse lamps, purchased from Lund’s Auction. Attention to detail — plate rails, a decorative hood fan, carved cabinet legs, crystal pulls, a hutch-style wine glass cupboard, and even an old-style push button light switch at the pantry doorway — all add to a big, homey look.

They splurged on handmade Columbian subway tiles, which “are a little irregular and more organic looking than 25

mass produced,” says Patrick, who often joins Shala in the kitchen, taking the lead on the cooking end of meals.

THE ESSENTIAL BAKER • Two professionally calibrated ovens: Jenn-Air Gas Oven & Gas Range and DCS by Fisher & Paykel electric oven (like the one used on America’s Test Kitchen).

• Two KitchenAid Professional Stand Mixers.

• Two digital scales: Starfrit from Canadian Tire • Seventeen vintage and modern cake stands, cake plates, cupcake stands, an assortment of vintage utensils.

SUPPLY LIST Designer: Atarah Humphreys, Urbana Kitchens.

Tile work: Mobile Tile & Tac-Tile & Stone Ltd. Cabinetry: Urbana Kitchens — Columbia Cabinets.

Counters: Urbana Kitchens — quartz, Colonial.

Appliances: Coast Wholesale Appliances and Sears.

Lighting: Pendants — Lunds Auction then Water Glass Studios Ltd. for restorations. LED under-cabinet lighting — McLaren’s and LED pot-lights — Welling Electric.

Robin egg blue against crisp white subway tiles make a homey pantry.

15.VictoriaBoulevardAd 15-06-23 2:07 PM Page 1

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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sensational south facing 2004 built, 4000 sq. ft. wateRfRont home Deep water moorage for Ocean going vessels at your doorstep. 170’ of shoreline, complete with a drive-in boathouse & elevator lift. 22’ soaring ceilings with Brazilian cherry & Italian slate floors. 3 bedroom 5 bath, 3 gas F.P. Gourmet kitchen with double ovens, Gas cooking & eating bar.

Sumptuous Master with F.P. and 5 pce ens. Family room, office, guest area, gym, Dbl garage & attached carport. Heat pump, hot tub, and Sauna. Unparallelled views,from your 1700 sq.ft. seaside patio.

Gorgeous sheltered cove, with abundant wildlife. Strolling distance to shops, pub, VGH and new Rail Trail for cycling. An exceptional waterfront paradise! $2,898,000

spectaculaR south facing unique Waterfront. Situated on private sandy cove with views of the Olympic Mts. & Fisgard Lighthouse.

This 2868 sq.ft. home has been substantially renovated. Bright Maple kitchen with tile flooring, Gas Stove, stainless appliances, & pantry.

Spacious living room with wood burning F.P. & adjoining sun room with galvanizing views. Formal dining area. Master up with F.P., elegant 5 pce. ensuite & walk in closet. 3 bedrooms on the main. In-floor Hot water heating. Separate office and plenty of storage. Boat house/studio at water’s edge. A rare oasis only 10 minutes to town. $1,398,000

RemaRkable shelteRed southwest facing wateRfRont home with a dock & boathouse. Enjoy excellent fishing, or kayak from this beautiful 2007 built West Coast home. Located only 15 minutes to downtown, & 5 minutes to Victoria General Hospital. Quality finishes & panoramic views from all principle rooms. Grand formal living room with gleaming hardwood floors, & energy efficient F.P. Sensational kitchen with center Island, stainless appliances, lofty ceilings, & electric skylights. Adjoining Great Room & dining room. 4 bedrooms up, (Master with 5 pce. ensuite). $1,675,000

PROUDLY SERVING VICTORIA FOR 30 YEARS PHONE 250.744.3301 • EMAIL lynne@lynnesager.com WEBSITE www.lynnesager.com Get the results that you desire. Call Lynne for professional representation, when you wish to sell your home.

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.

$2,898,000 lynne Sager 250-744-3301 lynnesager.com Camosun

SenSational Waterfront home, 4000 sq.ft. South facing, built in 2004. Deep water moorage for ocean going vessels at your doorstep. 170’ of shoreline, complete with a drive-in boathouse & elevator lift. 22’ soaring ceilings with Brazilian cherry & italian slate floors. 3 bedroom 5 bath, 3 gas f.P. Gourmet kitchen with double ovens, Gas cooking & eating bar.

Sumptuous master with f.P. and 5 pce ens. family room, office, guest area, gym, Dbl garage & attached carport. heat pump, hot tub, and Sauna. Unparallelled views,from your 1700 sq.ft. seaside patio. an exceptional waterfront paradise!

$2,295,000 Jason Binab Cell: 250-589-2466 Macdonald Realty Ltd. binabpropertygroup.com

$659,888 Susanna Crofton RE/MAX Camosun-Oak Bay 250-370-7788 BCSelectHomes.ca

Welcome to Uplands, Over 5000 sq ft, BRAND NEW west coast/Modern home infused with classic elegance & timeless finishings.14,000 sqft lot with SW exposure, perfect for families or executives. 5 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms with a 3 car garage, fully fenced and built by Award Winning Builder.

2760 Lincoln Road MLS 352751

ELEGANT & BRIGHT describes this lovely condo in the vibrant waterfront community of Selkirk.

2 Bedrooms + Den and 2 Baths over 1210 sqft of wellappointed design by Concert Properties. Floor to (over height) windows. Luxuriate in the master suite with spacious walk-in closet & spa-like bathroom with his/her sinks.

Adjacent to Galloping Goose Regional Trail system: walk/ cycle to downtown or kayak/ harbour ferry! Rental & Pet friendly. MLS # 351940.

$2,300,000 Diego Lauricella Sutton Group – West Coast Realty 250-857-2814 diego55@shaw.ca

$1,499,900 Jeff Bishop Personal Real Estate Corporation 250-477-7291 jeffreycbishop.com

Stunning PenthouSe gorgeous 2 Bdr/3 Bth and Den (2240 SF) that has been meticulously renovated by local builder Mike griffin in the much sought after “harbourside”. Views to the olympics, Strait of Juan De Fuca and SW exposure to the inner harbour...Sunrise to Sunset. Featuring Custom Beechwood Kitchen with glass Countertops, Custom Doors and Mahogany engineered Floors throughout...too much too list. Call Diego for your exclusive showing.

EXCLUSIVE, NOT ON MLS® Coming Summer 2015…

4 bed/5 bath Luxury Home with legal suite! Built to perfectly suit the way families live today with open floor plan, stunning grand foyer, 4 fireplaces (3 inside, 1 on patio), chef’s kitchen with topof-the-line appliances & fully wired media room with Smart Home features. Located on the Fairfield/Oak Bay border on a 5095 sqft lot.

806 Foul Bay Road

Welcome to cordova Bay Beach estates. mt. Baker is nicely framed by the living room windows. the thoughtfully designed living room and dining room are spacious & open with plenty of windows to enjoy the ocean views and outdoors. the contemporary kitchen family room is perfect for those cozy mornings with access to the $625,000 glassed in sun room. the quiet and peaceful master suite offers Sharen Warde & Larry Sims king size space with lovely 250-592-4422 ensuite and walk in closet. cB wardesims.com Beach estates offers a separate clubhouse with pool, exercise & a guest suite. mls# 352448

Gorgeous Views of the Water, Trees & Islands Beyond

It’s tIme to LIst The Market is Hot, Hot, Hot!!

$1,275,900 2238 Arbutus Rd

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Re/Max Camosun Oak Bay 2239 Oak Bay Avenue

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11178 Chalet Road 2.47 Acre Lot $2,250,000

2760 Lincoln Road 352751 $2,295,000

1536 Despard Avenue 349358 $1,050,000

LD

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U

10 - 50 Dallas Road 352189 $779,900

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mobILe 250.589.2466

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PH7 - 21 Erie Street June 9, 2015 $1,395,000 ®

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AT HOME WITH BOULEVARD

GOODTASTE

7 TIPS FOR CREATING FABULOUS AND FUNCTIONAL DINING SPACES

NICOLE SCOTT DESIGN INC. PHOTO

 BY AMY MCGEACHY

H

OME IS WHERE THE HEART IS, and the party always happens in the kitchen. But what about the actual hub, where your dinner party or nightly meals occur? The eating space in your home has to be flexible and functional to accommodate both your family and friends. The way people operate in their space is ever changing, and many are using their formal dining rooms less frequently. Here are some tips for creating great dining spaces.

{1}

FAMILY SEATING: A built-in banquet is a

great option. It’s fun for the family, and provides a casual eating nook where you can cram as many as necessary onto the bench seating. It also allows for great storage opportunities. I often include lift-up lids so that small appliances, seasonal décor and items that aren’t used every day can be stowed out of the way. By adding a colourful seat cushion, and various toss cushions, you can create a warm and inviting space. Use removable cushion covers that can easily be thrown in the wash for a quick cleanup after a spill.

TIL NOW UN

JULY 31

ST

2015

AnythingButOrdinary.ca

*with complete pair purchase

OAKBAY BAYVILLAGE VILLAGE -- 250.595.2773 BROADMEADVILLAGE VILLAGE -- 250.881.8252 250.881.8252 OAK 250.595.2773 // BROADMEAD

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS:

{2}

Use the landscape around you to decorate your table. Create a centrepiece of fresh herbs, flowers cut from the garden, or river rocks from one of our many west coast beaches. A dish with sand in the bottom and a candles to burn through the evening also looks spectacular.

31

{3}

ANCHORING THE ISLAND: With small

living spaces becoming a reality for so many, the island in your kitchen may do double duty as prep area and dining table. When this is part of the design, there are some important considerations to factor into the planning stage. First, you’ll want to allow for a slightly larger overhang than normal so that your stools don’t conflict with each other underneath — you want to allow for ample leg room, and be able to push the stools all the way under to get them out of the way when using the counter as a prep space. Make sure to spread out the seating on the island, allowing for an easy flow of conversation. You don’t want to line all of the stools in a row on the backside of the island because it forces people to turn their heads sideways to chat.

Comfortable stools resembling dining chairs are a also must, as you’ll be spending a significant amount of time sitting in them.

{4}

SIDEBOARDS AND BUFFETS: Addition

of a sideboard is a great way to add extra storage to your eating space. They come in a variety of configurations and sizes. Using a refurbished antique adds an interesting piece to the room without making your dining set look too matchy-matchy. The sideboard also acts as another serving surface in the room, which is great for buffet-style dinners or large meals with many courses. Try using a higher-than-normal unit that takes up more vertical space in the room, and yet is at a comfortable work height. Keep in mind that a kitchen countertop — most ideal for meal prep —is 36 inches high.

FOR FORMAL FEASTS:

The light fixture above your dining room table is the focal point of a well-designed space. It can add sparkle or drama while providing just the right amount of ambience during your dinner party. Bigger in size is better. Make a statement by creating a cluster of pendants or lights in different sizes. Think of the lighting as an art application in the room. Make sure to have the table light on a dimmer so that you can choose the desired mood for your meal.

32

{5}

FUNCTIONAL FURNITURE WITH CHARM:

{6} “FLEX” TABLES:

Use a table with one or multiple leaves to accommodate large dinner parties. Some tables even have a self-storage system for the leaf, so you can keep the leaf in the table, safe from being scratched or damaged when not in use.

{7}

A busy family with lots on the go shouldn’t have to worry about getting scratches and knicks in the furniture. For this reason, I love the trend of using furniture with textured, reclaimed wood. It arrives in your home imperfect, with many flaws, cracks, scratches and color variations. Any new, additional dents, stains and dings will only add to the charm. Most of these pieces have many coats of stain or varnish, so they won’t readily stain from food and drink spills.

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1-2745 Bridge Street Victoria, BC 250.590.7133 | www.maxfurniture.ca 33

FEATURE STORY

ďƒĄPizza from Pizzaria Prima Strada.

34

, d o Fo ou s lg ori d! foo  TEXT BY CINDA CHAVICH  PHOTOS BY DON DENTON, ARNOLD LIM AND CINDA CHAVICH

THE TOP 25

SAVOUR SUMMER WITH VICTORIA’S BEST CULINARY DELIGHTS

E

VERY CITY HAS THEM — iconic foods, special ingredients, dynamite dishes that you just can’t get anywhere else.

I’m starting an annual list of my favourite Victoria flavours — the kind of things that bring me back for more.

It wasn’t easy to whittle down the list to 25; in

fact, I had three times that many delicious things on my list — much fodder for future discussions.

So while this collection of tasty items just scratches the surface when it comes to Victoria’s fine food offerings, these are some of the best things I’ve tasted around town this year, in no particular order.

35

1. SERIOUS SANDWICH

1.

There are other meaty sandwiches around town, but for my money, the pulled pork sandwich at Wheelies Motorcycles Café tops the list.

Chef Kai Musseau braises local pork for 15 hours in Phillips root beer, and then piles it onto a perfectly chewy bun from Wildfire Bakery with chimmichurri aioli. Perfection.

2. SOUL IN A BOWL

2. Little Charlie Bowl from Jam Café.

Biscuits, gravy and eggs — oh my! The breakfast offerings at Jam Café are definitely worth the wait in what is a nearly constant line-up.

Topping the chart is The Charlie Bowl of crumbled, house-made biscuits, hash browns, diced ham, cheese and sausage gravy with two eggs on top … The Little Charlie is tons for one.

Lure Restaurant & Bar

Restaurant Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort and Spa name

Lively, Fresh and Local Amidst music, laughter and breathtaking views, the mouth-watering aromas of expertly crafted dishes fill the air at LURE Restaurant and Bar, blending comfort food and creative ingenuity. These include dishes like the Maple Bourbon Pork Ribs, slow roasted to tender perfection and tossed in a sticky bourbon glaze, or the homemade Brown Butter Cocoa Nib Ice Cream Sandwich, drizzled with whisky caramel sauce and finished with sweet pickled cherries.

Local Chef Dan Bain uses only the freshest finds from Vancouver Island’s backyard to create the menu, which features simple and delicious breakfast selections, creative small plates for sharing and a full dinner menu featuring Victoria’s best seafood and regional cuisine.

Lively, fresh and local, LURE Restaurant and Bar is quite simply the best spot to indulge in sun-soaked patios, spectacular views of the Inner Harbour and culinary bliss.

100 Harbour Road Reservations 250.360.5873 lurevictoria.com 36

3. CRISPY COD + CRAFT BEER In a town that specializes in fish and chips, everyone has a fave, but mine is the crispy cod and hand-cut fries from chef Sam Benedetto at The Guild Freehouse. Not only does this pub have a great selection of Vancouver Island’s best craft beer, but the service here is stellar and it’s a carbon neutral watering hole. Everything at this local gastro-pub is made in house — but you had me at the mushy peas.

3.

4. BREAD BOY

4.

Hard to say what I like best at Byron Fry’s Fry’s Bakery in Esquimalt, but let’s just say he does a great job on savoury stuff, whether it’s killer sausage rolls or the weekly Sunday pizzas that come out of his wood-fired bread oven. With grains

stone-milled on the premises and ingredients sourced close to home, Fry is channeling the baking tradition of his great-great grandfather, a baker who once ran a bakery right across the street. Try the fat, salty pretzels.

5. PERFECT PASTA Try a bowl of fresh Cowichan Pasta Co. pasta cooked up by chef Brad Boisvert at Cure, the little gourmet food and charcuterie shop space he shares with artisan pasta maker Matt Horn near Cowichan Bay. The Emer fettuccine with a Bolognese sauce of ground pork, beef and tomatoes makes a perfect lunch when you’re out exploring the Cowichan Valley. Or take it home — dried or frozen — with one of their sauces to go. Available at several small retail grocers in the city, too.

5.

When you love food, you love The Market Stores.

Quality and diversity… local products, international ingredients, traditional brands, organics, natural foods and one of the largest

N E D AN D O PE

Oceanwis

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gluten-free selections in the city.

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Dedicated to freshness from our store to your table.

125-2401C Millstream Rd | 250.391.1110 8 am-11 pm 903 Yates at Quadra | 250.381.6000 7 am-11 pm

www.themarketstores.com 37

6. RUBY ROTISSERIE At The Ruby they do chicken right — rubbed with secret spices and slow roasted on the rotisserie until tender.

Order half a juicy bird, a quarter chicken or even a tasty tortilla topped with pulled rotisserie chicken. The side dishes are also delish — I love the carrot or celery salad with creamy Parmesan dressing that’s served with the crispy duck wings. And there’s real homemade gravy for the hand-cut fries.

6.

7. COFFEE & DONUT

7.

38

The perfect destination for your morning constitutional is coffee and donuts at Second Crack Coffee Lab, where roasting beans to the “second crack” stage produces full-flavoured coffee and fruity espresso. It’s also a chance to indulge in a maple glazed or strawberry cake donut from Empire Donuts, handmade

in Victoria and only available at select coffee shops and grocers.

8. DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE

8.

There’s lots of duck on the menu these days, but my current addiction is the forest mushroom and duck confit risotto at Vis-à-Vis wine bar. It’s all part of the French bistro style menu that runs from fresh oysters to creamy chicken pâté with toasted brioche, Lyonnaise salad and traditional onion Tarte Flambée — all very more-ish. Have a seat at the bar, grab a glass of wine, and watch the kitchen theatre in this busy Oak Bay bouchon.

9. DEEP FRIED SUSHI

9.

“At Aura we like to play with our food,” says the tag on the restaurant’s website, and this is one of those dishes that’s both whimsical and delicious — chef Takashi Ito’s take on sushi is far-flung from

his Japanese traditions but definitely memorable.

Try the deconstructed dish of torched albacore, ponzu poached local side stripe shrimp with togarashi mayo scallops, shiso leaf and tobiko, alongside crunchy fried rice and nori crisps. All completely OceanWise and sustainable, of course.

10. KID SISTER

10.

There are so many tasty treats to work through at Kid Sister, a cute artisan ice cream parlour, but start with the ice cream bars or paletas (Mexican fresh fruit ‘popsicles’). I’m loving the dulce de leche ice cream, with pecans dipped in dark chocolate, or the rhubarb creamsicle, both made with organic milk from Avalon Dairy.

Sitting outside on the eenie, meenie, miney and mo benches in the sunshine, while it drips down your arm, is a must.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE BEST THINGS I’VE TASTED AROUND TOWN THIS YEAR. The eggplant cannelloni at Zambri’s.

Swans Hotel & Brewpub

Restaurant Executive Chef: Jason McMillan Brewmaster: Andrew Tessier name

Heaven of hops There’s nothing quite like that first sip of ice cold beer on a hot summer evening, and when it’s one of Swans Hotel & Brewpub’s award-winning brews, that experience is all the sweeter. Winners of more than 30 Canadian Brewing Awards, Swans Brewpub has nine signature craft beers year round, plus a seasonal offering, expertly crafted on-site by Brewmaster Andrew Tessier to satisfy beer lovers from all backgrounds.

More than a heaven of hops, Swans Brewpub also has a menu of pub-style favourites - including vegetarian and gluten-free options - expertly designed by Executive Chef Jason McMillan and his team, and delicious breakfasts for those leisurely weekend mornings.

And with local bands featured every night and no cover charge, you can dance the night away before retiring to one of the comfortable condo-style suites just upstairs in this stunning heritage building, nestled in the heart of downtown Victoria.

Swans Hotel & Brewpub 506 Pandora Avenue 250.361.3310 swanshotel.com 39

11. PIG OUT

11.

Roast in The Hudson market is the place to go for your porchetta fix. There you’ll find Chef George Szasz’ lean pork roast, rolled with herbs, encased in a rich layer of pork belly, and then cooked to crispy perfection in his rotisserie oven.

Buy it by the pound to serve at home, or just indulge in a porchetta sandwich, complete with loads of crispy cracklings. Yes, I know, it’s pork fat, but you won’t regret it.

12. NEUTRAL TERRITORY

12.

For a burger that’s not only delicious but carbon neutral, head to the greenest fast food joint in town, Big Wheel Burger. Owner Calen McNeil is committed to creating “real fast food” from scratch, using “local, sustainable, environmentally friendly resources.” You can

actually taste all of that good stuff on your cheeseburger — from the all-beef patty made with free-range, antibioticand hormone-free, heritage Angus chuck and brisket (ground fresh in house) to the all-dressed fries tossed with house seasoning salt and Parmesan cheese.

13. BEST BAGUETTE

13.

Arguably, the best baguette in town is from baker Cliff Leir at Fol Epi bakery. He also stacks chunks of this chewy bread with top quality ingredients (try the seared fresh albacore tuna) for some of the best grab-and-go sandwiches you’ll find, while biking the Galloping Goose.

Everything’s local and organic here, and made with flour that’s milled on-site, whether you have a slice of their pizza, a delicate macaroon, or a meaty sausage roll.

give in to

temptation

try our NEW Chophouse steak menu 28 day aged sterling silver steaks starting at just $18

2940 Jutland Rd. Victoria, on the Selkirk Waterway

40

250.385.5643 | glovictoria.com

14. PIZZA PERFECTION The pizza at Pizzaria Prima Strada hits all of the requirements for traditional Neapolitan pizza — imported double zero flour, San Marzano tomatoes, real buffalo mozzarella — and the pizzaiolos firing pies in a woodfired pizza oven. The crust is light and crispy perfection, as are the toppings, but my favourite is the Rucola e Crudo pie, layered with fresh mozzarella and Italian prosciutto di Parma, and then piled with fresh arugula. Bellissimo!

14.

15. EATING ALBACORE

15.

Local Albacore tuna is an OceanWise choice and the fishing folk at Finest at Sea take it one step further by cold smoking the loins until they’re as buttery as fine lox. Thinly sliced, with a dab of wasabi mayo on a seaweed cracker — it makes an instant and impressive appetizer.

16. CORN TORTILLA QUEEN She calls her Mexican deli and take-out spot at Keating Cross Roads The Whole Enchilada, and you’ll get those and more from Mexican food maven Adriana Ramirez.

Try her grilled quesadillas or just take home a stack of her freshly made white corn tortillas, perfect to roll up with fried fish and tomato salsa for traditional fish tacos.

16.

FRESH & LOCAL

17. DOING DOSA Not many Indian restaurants serve masala dosa, that ethereal and crisp crepe from southern climes, but chef Jay Manaza has perfected it at Saaz. Made with a fermented bean flour batter, filled with spicy potatoes, and served with spicy sambar and coconut chutney, this is vegetarian and gluten-free dining at its best.

17.

1286 McKenzie Ave. Victoria, BC. 250.477.9495 41

18. TAMING THE SAVAGE BEAST Nothing is better to slather on a fresh baguette than chicken liver pâté, and Cory Pelan is a pioneer of this local specialty. Get a jar of the Chicken Liver Parfait (aka Paleo Ice Cream) at The Whole Beast, along with his artisan salamis and beautiful smoked hams. It’s the protein you need to picnic in serious style.

19. THAT’S A WRAP

The Falafel, a warm hummus and barley dish at Part and Parcel on Quadra Street.

The portable tuna tacone — a rolled-and-grilled flour tortilla filled with rare grilled albacore tuna and spicy spot prawn mayo — is a staple at Red Fish Blue Fish, Victoria’s iconic harbour-front eatery. All kinds of good, sustainable seafood comes through the take-out window of this restored shipping container kitchen, and you’ll definitely have to line up with hordes of locals and tourists for a taste. Start with a tacone or try

18.

19.

Where service and quality exceed expectation.

Thomas Philips Woodworking Ltd. 8-6809 Kirkpatrick Crescent 778.351.3390 thomasphilipswoodworking.com

42

a great start to

your weekend

try our Venetian 3 course brunch menu

choose from a variety of options starting at just $18.99 250.727.3444 | medgrillroyaloak.com

4512 W Saanich Rd. Victoria, in Royal Oak

Bon Macaron Patisserie Restaurant David Boetti and Yann Fougere

name

Tasty, guilt-free indulgence Bon Macaron Patisserie specializes in bringing the ideal guilt-free indulgence to Victoria with their exquisitely made Macarons, beloved for their light texture and endless flavour possibilities.

A traditional French dessert, Macarons consist of two rounds of meringue layered around buttercream, jam, cream cheese or other delectable fillings.

Crowd favourites Salted Caramel and Chocolate Explosion are two-bite tidbits of dessert perfection, and the tangy lemon-infused Yuzu morsels are perfect for a summer’s afternoon, but Bon Macaron Patisserie doesn’t just cater to those with a sweet tooth. The savory selections are just as mouth-watering, with Goat Cheese and Fig, White Truffle

and Sea Salt, even Bacon, and all of the Macarons are gluten-free, and can be made dairy-free as well.

With more than 30 creations, Bon Macaron Patisserie has something in store to satisfy every craving and every occasion.

So go ahead, try a few!

Bon Macaron Patisserie 1012 Broad Street 778.265.0850 bonmacaronpatisserie.com

43

the tempura salmon and chips with mushy edamame.

20. TASTY PARCEL An unassuming little eatery in the Quadra Street Village called Part and Parcel turns out some of the best food in the city, but it’s hard to put your finger on a specific dish because the menu is always changing.

Order at the counter from the chalkboard menu and be prepared for fresh, local ingredients treated with rare finesse for such a simple operation. If you arrive when the warm hummus and barley salad is on the menu, it’s a keeper, as is the fluffy gnocchi with lamb ragu.

20.

22. DON RIGHT If you’re serious about your Japanese food — and seeking an outstanding $10 lunch — get to Uchida Eatery / Shokudo, a hidden little Japanese eatery downtown. So small, and so committed to serving the freshest fish, chicken, pork and locally grown vegetables, this family-

run spot is only open weekdays for lunch, for a few short hours (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.). When they sell out, they close. Get there early, wait in line for the daily special donburi (like the amazing Seafood Don, pictured), and prepare to be wowed.

23. CHOCOLATE + CARAMEL This is a match made in heaven, and whether you like your caramel brittle or chewy, Rogers’ Chocolates has it. Enjoy individually wrapped dark or milk chocolate almond brittle, a square of crunchy nut-studded caramel covered in chocolate, $30 for 10, the Empress Square Soft English caramel or roasted salted almonds delicately dipped in rich dark chocolate.

24. ITALIAN RENAISSANCE

LOCALLY HANDCRAFTED DESIGNER KITCHENS

44

22.

23.

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Sau m& Par c sle e y Now available at Thrifty Foods.

Visit thriftyfoods.com/recipes for great chicken recipes.

PARTNER SINCE

2014

Jordan Spitter Oranya Farm s s

Oranya Farms Abbotsford, BC

Customer Care: 250.544.1234 • 1.800.667.8280 | thriftyfoods.com

“THESE ARE SOME OF THE BEST THINGS I’VE TASTED AROUND TOWN THIS YEAR.” I never tire of the comforting Italian food at Zambri’s — the greenest place in town to get your carb fix. Chef Peter Zambri is legendary for his savvy-yet-rustic take on classic Italian specialties and, with sister Jo, offers great service and wine in a chic spot.

It’s hard to choose a favourite dish, though the Eggplant “Cannoli” is inspired and the simple Tagliatelle with Meat Sauce never disappoints.

24.

You may know this as an awesome bike trail, but if you ride far enough you’ll find the Galloping Goose Sausage Co. (They also grill up their sausages every Saturday at the Moss Street Market.) This sausage-making family has roots in South Africa so they know their fresh sausages and their dried sausages, too. Try the Moroccan chicken, rosemary lamb sausages, and the traditional Boerewors, dried and chewy and perfect to haul along on a hike. Lekker!

25.

25. GALLOPING GOOSE

WING’S RESTAURANT known for delicious oriental cuisine at very reasonable prices

90

46

gorge road west

250-385-5564

 Take-out or eat-in menu  Lunch & dinner buffets  Combination dinners for 1 to 8  Seafood & deluxe dishes licensed premises

open

11am - 10pm

Free

Ho Deli me ver wit h min im

$20 o

um rder

daily

y

Helping people attain optimum health.

Who shops at Triangle? People who want to transform their health

Patented Insoles

Earthing Mat

Products Mar14_Layout 1 2/17/14 1:30 PM Page 1

Triangle Healing Products June13_Layout 1 5/18/13 12:08 PM Page 1

ADVERTISEMENT Radiant Focus presents: Weighted Acu Triangle Healing Health Sauna Hula Hoops®

ORTANT: IMMEDIATE ATTENTION

High quality water is vital for optimum health

FOCUS

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tructured water is the ultimate health food. Diane Regan, owner of Triangle Healing Products, compares it to water that is tumbling down a waterfall— if you can capture a glass and drink it, you feel invigorated.

“Our tap water is dead. It sits in a holding tank and is then forced through old iane Regan, owner of Triangle Healing Products, researches alternative healthpipes in order to get into our homes. Structured water is the most impressive thing and then she markets cutting-edge products to help people attain optimumI have found, after four decades in the business,” says Diane. health. The Swiss-made IQAir HealthPro Plus is one such product.

Natural Action Water units are easy to use in your shower, under your sink, in IQAir has received more #1 product reviews than any other air purifier on the your garden or at your house’s water main inlet. The most popular is the handmarket. It is endorsed by the American Lung Association, trusted by hospitals (the held portable unit. Simply pour your water into the unit, where it tumbles through only one powerful enough to be used in the SARS outbreak), clinically proven as effective for allergic asthma and is 100 percent ozone-free. The filters are not cleaned—theygeometrically-designed balls, becoming structured along the way, mimicking the are replaced. Diane says, “So many air cleaners make a lot of noise and they justway water moves in a waterfall. The water itself is the only thing that moves— 24 HOUR moveREPLY the air. ThisREQUESTED one really cleans the air.” She gets emails from customers whothere are no mechanical parts and tell her that someone in the family is breathing better for the first time.

Triangle Healing Products April13_Layout 1 3/18/13 1:57 PM nothing to replace.

SE CHECKPMCAREFULLY, reminds us thatINCLUDING both air and water quality play vital roles in our every 10/16/13 4:09Diane Page 1 When water is “structured” in this day well-being.

For a simple and effective means of achieving balanced water, the CONTACT INFORMATION. Kenrico Forever Alkaline Water Stick Purifier is a “magic wand that lasts forever.”way, all its “negative memories” are ADVERTISEMENT erased, allowing it to return to its natural Place this stick into your water bottle, Focus presents: Triangle Healing thermos or water pitcher in the fridge, state of perfect balance. Anything unsupIMPORTANT: IMMEDIATE ATTENTION and it will transform regular water into Bellicon Rebounder: healthy, safe and portive to life (such as chloramine) becomes TE ATTENTION fun! alkaline water. benign, its harmful effects neutralized, Triangle also offers Natural Action all beneficial mineral activity is philosophy at Triangle Healing Products is: You will never and regret buying Water units, which will transformhetap Bellicon and more easily absorbed. quality. Hand assembled and individually tested, the German-made enhanced water into energized pH-balanced Rebounder is an example of that quality.

Positive effects are numerous. Structured water. This maintenance-freeSowater much more than the mini trampoline it appears to be, the Bellicon Rebounder is the result of extensive research by an engineer, a metallurgist, lymphologists, structuring system works without chemwater prevents and removes corrosion kinesiologists. Together they created a rebounder that not only gives very icals, filters, salts, electricity or and magnets. of pipes; effective lymphatic drainage, but also generates a profoundly life-giving electro improves crop and garden You will find that you use less soapfield when used. Simply stated, users find that the up and down movemagnetic growth; coffee tastes better; cut flowers ment—more when washing; that coffee and juices like toe raises than jumping—will trigger every cell in the body into last longer; pets and livestock are healthier; life-producing mode, effectively opening up the lymphatic system.

Triangle Healing taste better; flowers last longer; and 24 HOUR REPLY REQUESTED Products owner Diane Regan confirms, “It is one of the healthiest and safest and fish tanks are cleaner. People find UESTED pets and fish tanks are healthier. things one can do.”

PLEASE CHECK CAREFULLY, INCLUDING Part of maintaining optimumAvailable health in five different weight that they drink more water yet make CONTACT INFORMATION. Y, INCLUDING classes, up to 440 pounds, the rejufewer trips to the bathroom.This is because ATION. is finding a way to detoxify and Bellicon Rebounder also comes venate in order to deal with every day structured water is properly absorbed by with folding or screw-in legs to stresses in life. allow you to easily roll it away the cells within your body, making it a “People don’t do enoughbetween today to uses. A stabilizing support truly effective hydrator. Athletes love it. barDiane. is available for those with create a good sweat,” states balance issues, and an accompaDiane invites you to visit Triangle Radiant Health Saunas are a new genernying workout DVD will get you ation of infrared saunas, designed to invites you to come Healing Health to taste a glass of struc- Top: Kenrico Ion Shower Head started. Diane help you detox; relieve chronic to thepain store andClockwise try one out. from top: Kenrico Water Stick; tured water, while you check out the Bottom: (r) Portable Natural Action there, check out Sauna; IQ Air purifier Health conditions; lose weight; andWhile relax,you areRadiant large leafy plant whose sparse branches Water unit; (l) Kenrico Water Purifier the Urban Cultivator. “People who without exposing you to excess eleclike having their own garden tromagnetic radiation. If your only experience withthose a sauna is at the gym, you areand thick rubbery leaves have been indoors year round, and wholists like fresh greens, are fans in for a pleasant surprise. Diane the differences in aofRadiant Health Sauna: “Thedramatically transformed to plentiful branches covered with dark green soft the Urbanand Cultivator,” Diane. air is cooler, you can stay in longer, you cansays even read a book.” leaves. Plants, notes Diane, are immune to the placebo effect!

And with the option of either a If you don’t have the spacebuilt-in for a model sauna,that consider an Amethyst Bio-Mat to achieve On the topic of water, Triangle also offers the Kenrico Ion Shower Head, a fully will fit under Radiant Health Sauna the same therapeutic benefits. produces high quality yourItcounter in a dishwasher size infrared rays by means of transparent showerhead filled with natural quartz, citrines crystals and rare are 638 muscles the human body slot or a standalone modelbought that There super fiberCarbonFlow™ and natural amethyst.

One woman a Bio-Mat with aingift With latest rebounder hot spring minerals. This unique showerhead promises to refresh, is heating, available withthe a variety of coun- and bouncing on a Bellicon® certificate she had received from work colleagues.

When she reported her first goodJapanese tertops,from you willJapan be able to grow engages all of them. far-infrared technology at night’s sleep in years, Diane high says,quality “Guess whoand came in and bought some?” Dianereinvigorate and revitalize as it soothes away stress, stimulates blood circulaherbs microprice“The lower most competitors. tion and even treats certain disease symptoms—all with a lifetime warranty. saysasimply, Biothan Mat sells itself.”

Come in to Triangle for ayou complementary greens year round in your own kitchen. And, are in control—no pesticides, Everything you could want in a juicer and with CarbonFlow™ no chemicals no waste. session one of their treatment rooms.and Kenrico also makes the Forever Alkaline Water Stick Purifier often referred to more. It can handle wheatgrass, pasta and ared technology from inLow monthly payments OAC If you are looking for a smaller investment, consider the Freshlife 3000 to grow without destructive heat.

Watch for the Bellicon Rebounder and the Urban Cultivator to be featured in an most competitors. as “Asystem Magic Wand that lasts for a lifetime.” Not only does it transform regular baby foods...all fresh sprouts on demand. This easy to use model has an automatic watering Triangle Healing Products ments OAC upcoming issues. and will fit into a corner of your kitchen. water into alkaline water; it also adds magnesium and purifies water by reducing 770 Spruce Avenue g Products Your fresh sprouts or greens can be used to make fresh juice from your new www.trianglehealing.com • 250-370-1818 • 250-370-1818 bacteria Slowstar Slow Juicer and Mincer, another quality product available at Triangle.and other contaminants. The mini cylinder can be used with your water Triangle Simple toHealing use and with aProducts small footprint on your counter, the Slowstar rapidly cuts bottle, thermos and other containers. It too comes with a lifetime warranty. www.trianglehealing.com and juices your produce into a high yield of juice with a reduced amount of 770 Spruce Avenue, Victoria, BC Spring you like sorbets, nut butters or pâté, or you like to experiment with sauces, is a fantastic time to cleanse and renew your body. Come to Triangle Healing 770 Spruce Avenuepulp.

• If250-370-1818 250-370-1818 • you www.trianglehealingproducts.com will love the mincing attachment of the Slowstar. “You can not only make Products and find out more about how water is a vital part of your healthful journey.

Triangle Healing Products, its owner, its employees do notare provide treatment. things that freshmedical all theadvice time,orbut what They you provide make isinformation better forand you and tastes

Helping people attain optimum health

MARCH 2014 Edition

D

US

3 Edition

T

Kenrico Lifetime Ion Shower Head

Forever Alkaline Water Stick Purifier

OOF

Springless Mini Trampoline

S

JUNE 2013 Edition

AD PROOF 24 HOUR REPLY REQUESTED

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Structured Water Units

Getting the mo

FOCUS

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Focus presents: Triangle Healing

Focus presents: Tria

The IMPORTANT: IMMEDIATE ATTENTION Real Champion of Juicers

PLEASE CHECK CAREFULLY, INCLUDING CONTACT INFORMATION.

Page 1

New Designer Series Blender

FOCUS APRIL 2013 Edition

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cleanse•replenish•revitalize

Focus presents: Triangle Healing

ADVERTISEMENT

Tips to prepare for your 10K experience

I

n Victoria, April means training for many. This year will mark the 24th year that Victoria’s running enthusiasts have taken to the streets in what has become one of the most popular running weekends in North America. The TC 10K and Thrifty Foods Family Fun Run will be held on April 28th this year with an expected 12,000 people taking part.

Whether you’re a runner, or a walker—and whether you’re competing or not— taking good care of your body so it will perform how and when you want it to is essential. “Hydrate, suit-up, warm-up, challenge yourself–but don’t over-do it, warmdown, and then pamper,” advises Regan.

Triangle can help every step of the way.

“Pure, dynamically-enhanced structured water hydrates faster and more effiThe new Designer Series Blendtec Blender makes ciently than tap water alone, and is ice so much better for yousmoothies, then high-fructose bread dough, cream, soups, fresh corn syrup laced sports drinks,” saysmore.

Regan. 10-year warranty; easy to clean. juice and Triangle carries water purification Triangle Healing Products systems for the home, the tap, or even 770 Spruce Avenue single water bottles. They also carry www.trianglehealing.com • 250-370-1818 a wide range of water supplements such as the healing Double Helix Water or ASEA, a life-changing heath aid that provides superior support to athletes.And coming soon is the Kenrico Alkaline Water Stick Purifier with a lifetime guarantee.

Getting your feet into shape is essential for any kind of exercise. With Barefoot Science, you can correct the issues like plantar fasciitis, fallen arches, and bunions—instead of attempting to simply comfort damaged feet. And you can do it for a fraction of the cost of expensive orthotics or specialized running shoes. Barefoot Science’s patented insoles actually Teeter Hang-Ups Inversion Table heal and strengthen feet so that pain is permanently eliminated.

This one you know: Take care of your back. “So many people are suffering needlessly from back pain and taking painkillers just to walk, never mind run,” says Regan.

“There’s a better way—a Teeter Hang-Ups Inversion Table. In just a few minutes on the table, the body decompresses, naturally using your body weight and gravity so soft tissue in the joints can hydrate and decompress.”You’ll quickly understand why people rely on this ancient therapy to relieve back pain, stress and improve their quality of life.

And finally: Pamper yourself every night—not just race night—with an exceptionally comfortable and supportive mattress. Triangle’s latex mattresses are all-natural, so contain no harmful gasses or compounds, and they balance support and comfort like no other product on the market—and they are guaranteed for 25 years not to hammock.

You really have to experience these amazing products to fully appreciate them.

Stop into Triangle and try out the Teeter Hang-Ups Inversion Table and have a lay down on a latex mattress. You won’t believe how comfy and relaxing getting into shape can be!

Happy running!

Teeter Hang Ups

ummer is here and while the Island about the season that is not. We k off our shoes, we’ll be more active The sunshine is an amazing elixir, bu way to protect your eyes from the sun’s and definition than Eagle Eye High Perfor nology began at NASA’s Jet Propulsion L solar radiation is serious business. Eag approved by the Space Foundation. Trian for men, women, and children.

We’re discovering that essential to ac is having a regular connection to the Earth with the Earth's surface, electrons rising from its soil enter our bodies and counteract free radicals and inflammation.

And while summer is the best time to kick-off those shoes and get your toes in the sand, we can’t always do that— but the right footwear can. Juil footwear uses copper conductors from the outsole through the foot bed to connect you directly to the Earth, and it does it with style. Triangle carries a wide range of Juil styles for both men and woman.

Staying active throughout the summer requires pacing yourself and listening to your body. The summer may seem endless in June, but it gets short fast if you injure yourself.Warming up before your work-out or run is essential.Two great options for your warm-up (and work-out) are the Bellicon Rebounder and the popular Acu Hoop weighted hula hoop. Both add fun to your routine while getting you started at a reasonable pace. If you have overdone it, Phiten Titanium body supports work with your body’s energy system to alleviate discomfort, heal quickly, and relieve fatigue—in a 100 percent non-medicated way. Triangle Healing carries a full line of Phiten products includ body supports and joint supports.

Optimum health requires good hydra is with structured water. Structured wate Natural Action Water has created a sys all the benefits that nature’s structure release of and the absorption of vitami tants and chemicals.

Protect your eyes, keep fit, and hydra hope will be a great summer ahead.

Triangle Hea 770 Spruce Ave 250-370-1818 • www.tri

Triangle Healing Products, its owner, its employees do not pro products that you may choose after evaluating your health nee

250.370.1818 l 1.888.370.1818 l 770 Spruce Avenue, Victoria l www.trianglehealing.com

Triangle Healing offers an amazing range of well-researched products that enhance well-being!

Triangle Healing Products 770 Spruce Avenue, Victoria, BC 250-370-1818 • www.trianglehealingproducts.com

products that you may choose after evaluating your health consultation with health professionals of your choosing. better, so youneeds can and getinexcited about getting optimum health,” reports Diane. Drop

in for a demo and see for yourself.

Full spectrum lamps and titanium cookware will be featured next month.

Triangle Healing Products 770 Spruce Avenue, Victoria, BC Triangle Healing Products, its owner, its employees do not provide medical advice or treatment. They provide information and 250-370-1818 • www.trianglehealingproducts.com

products that Triangle Healing Products, its owner, its employees do not provide medical advice or treatment. They provide information andyou may choose after evaluating your health needs and in consultation with health professionals of your choosing.

Triangle Healing Products 770 Spruce Avenue, Victoria, BC 250-370-1818 • www.trianglehealingproducts.com Triangle Healing Products, its owner, its employees do not provide medical advice or treatment. They provide information and products that you may choose after evaluating your health needs and in consultation with health professionals of your choosing.

47

Catering, picnic baskets, & gourmet cuisine

Summer picnic baskets for the perfect al fresco lunch Gourmet catering for breakfast, lunch, dinner and more!

Delicious deli items available fresh in-store every day

tabletop textiles Eclectic napkins for summer dining  By Sarah Reid

Instantly update your tabletop this summer

NO

BRA REQUIRED

with dramatic textiles in an array of prints, patterns and textures.

From classic stripes

Comfortable, supportive cami in orchid, aqua, black and white.

Sizes 8-20.

to whimsical florals and bold graphics, this month we’re rounding up nine napkins guaranteed to add a little flair to your table.

Bon appétit!

Suite 210-2250 Oak Bay Ave. 250 384 1791

48

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

Clambake Cocktail Napkin // $6/ea // Available at Anthropologie 

250.595.3212 cherylsgourmetpantry.com info@cherylsgourmetpantry.com 2007 Cadboro Bay Road

DESIGN MATTERS

 Update your cocktail hour with bold organic linens. $28/set of 4 //

 Eclectic handprinted patterns liven any tabletop. $32/set of 4 // Available

Available at Nest & Cradle

 Go nautical with classic stripes or chic anchors.

STRIPES: $21/set of 4 //

at GrayMarketDesign.com

Available at Paboom ANCHORS: $32/set of 4 // Available at West Elm

 Delicate florals pair beautifully with leisurely afternoon tea. $8/ea // Available at Anthropologie

 Lively painted dots and stripes make for a dynamic duo. $28/set of 2 // Available at BoutiqueTextiles.com

 Add a little vibrance to your table with modern, airy prints. $7/ea // Available at Chapters

 Mix and match block-printed monochromatic textiles. $25/set of 4 // Available at CB2

49

HAWTHORN

AMBASSADORS TO THE CITY

A NEW FLEET FOR VICTORIA  BY TOM HAWTHORN

V

ENDORS IN BASTION SQUARE hawk their wares.

On Government Street, a man offers palm readings.

Nearby, a woman coaxes coins from the pockets of passers-by by playing the fiddle while a baby sleeps in a stroller beside her. Along the causeway, artisans display their crafts. Dave Harris, the oneman band and king of the buskers, bashes out some old blues on his guitars, mouth harp, foot drum and fotdella. The downtown scene has a carnival aspect, part entertainment, part hustle.

Adding to the colourful scene this summer is a handful of people dressed somewhat like we might imagine a British bobby — wearing a high-collar tunic with copper buttons and an instantly recognizable custodian helmet.

These coppers are volunteers engaged in an outreach program on behalf of the Victoria Police department. The bobbies, “armed only with a smile,” will offer tourists and locals alike historical tidbits, as well as tips on crime prevention.

The bobbies are billed as community ambassadors, the latest cornball promotion to sell Victoria as a bit of Old Blighty. A segment of the city’s leadership seems keen to present a Disneyfied version of Merry Olde England to the rubes from the cruise ships, even though it rings false.

After all, Victoria is undergoing a transformation as a tech centre with young local entrepreneurs reviving the food, beverage and entertainment scene.

It is churlish to criticize a volunteer program intended only to put forward a friendly face, so instead, let’s offer a vision of some other community ambassadors who might join the bogus bobbies in giving visitors a fuller flavour of this great city.

Wearing overalls and floppy hats while chewing on a piece of straw, Urban Farmers will accost passers-by with enthusiastic recitations of how planting native foodstuffs on traffic islands will end world hunger and bring global peace.

Stroking their beards like Father Time contemplating

eternity, Hipster Brewers will praise the merits of artisanal fermentation. They will apply dollops of good, old-fashioned fertilizer when debating the merits of India pale Ale hoppiness. Remember, it’s the beer talking.

The Nimbys will offer opposition to change of any kind, whether the cutting down of a weeping sequoia, or the replacement of a century-old bridge. The Cycling Chief Magistrates will weave in and out of traffic, roll through stop signs, and buzz pedestrians in crosswalks as a reminder that two wheels, good, four wheels, bad.

Their counterparts, the Colwood Crawlers, will crowd downtown streets with gas-guzzling, single-occupant vehicles, whiling away the hours stuck in congestion by performing a cacophony of discordant horn honking.

Many will already be familiar with the unsmiling, robotic presence of the Commissionaires, whose ticket-writing mania will bring a smile when they start ticketing one another for double parking while issuing tickets.

Unwary tourists will be accosted by Blue Boxers, who will berate them for not knowing that a paper hot dog wrapper goes in the compost bin. No, correct that, in the recycling bin. Uh, no, maybe the trash. Never mind.

There will be no escaping the Babbling Pundits, who will pontificate on any and all topics under the sun. You can spot them on the lawn of the Legislature. The Dr. Feelgoods will hand out samples of British Columbia’s No. One cash crop while guiding folks to the nearest “medical” marijuana dispensary.

Finally, you’ve got to hand it to Victoria’s original community ambassador, Mr. Floatie, whose punning, scatology campaign for sewage treatment has been flushed with success.

LET’S OFFER A VISION OF SOME OTHER COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS.

50

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.”

COMMUNITY NEWS + INFORMATION FROM

THE VICTORIA FOUNDATION

SUMMER 2015

FAMILY VALUES at the

HEART GENERATIONS COME TOGETHER FOR COMMUNITY SUPPORT

IT’S HERE!

Check your mailbox for the Summer 2015 Naz Rayani sits near the Beacon Hill bandshell, sitenow! of past World issue of pulse magazine, available Partnership Walk celebrations. victoriafoundation.ca WELCOME GARDENS! // YOUTH IN TRANSITION // FUNDING THE FUTURE

51

TRAVEL FAR

RIDING the RAILS VISIONS OF CANADA BY TRAIN  TEXT BY IVAN WATSON PHOTOS BY JOHN WATSON

T

HE CARRIAGE ATTENDANT offered a glass of champagne and a friendly smile to welcome me aboard VIA Rail’s Canadian train — an iconic 1950s masterpiece of chrome and stainless steel. It was the perfect start to my 4,466-kilometre rail adventure from Vancouver to Toronto.

Riding the rails across country is a quintessentially Canadian rite of passage, steeped in national mythology and historical resonance. It retains the elegance of a bygone era — those days when taking the time to enjoy the journey between departure and arrival points was as important as reaching your final destination.

In February 1938, my globetrotting, English grandfather John Watson travelled across much of Canada by train, after arriving in Vancouver on the Empress of Russia steamship.

Inspired by his photographs, I set out nearly eight decades later to follow in his footsteps.

The modern journey takes three nights and four days.

From the friendly “all aboard” during check-in at Vancouver’s Pacific Central station, the VIA staff was polite and helpful. I booked in “sleeper plus,” which included three full meals daily and shower facilities.

On the first evening, Linda, our carriage attendant, rushed over with outstretched hands.

“I forgot to put a chocolate on your pillow, so I’ve brought extra.”

As we chatted, she asked if I’d heard about the train’s “flag stops.”

“Did you know the train will stop anywhere to pick up passengers? We tell them to hang a yellow bucket on a tree branch and the engineer will spot them.”

52

 Train speeding though Western Canada. Photo courtesy of VIA Rail

ďƒŁ Photographs taken by the writer’s grandfather, John Watson, during his crossCanada train journey in 1938 53

PHOTOS COURTESY VIA RAIL

MAKING FAST FRIENDS

 VIA Rail train interiors include (clockwise from top): bedroom for two (daytime); Prestige Park Dome Car; chef cooking; bedroom for two (nighttime).

54

The Canadian train journey is one of the world’s greatest, and passengers are often hooked after their first trip.

“It has a way of bringing people together,” said Linda. “My favourite story is about two couples, one in the upper and one in the lower berth who hit it off and made a tradition of taking an annual trip by train together. That was 20 years ago and they’re still doing it.”

Conversations with strangers feel natural on a train. The rhythm of passing scenery casts a spell that encourages spontaneous friendship as people eagerly discuss the journey and commiserate over blurred photographs after memorable imagery whizzes by.

The lounge cars are stocked with board games and snacks, and the magnificent glass dome cars provide endless spellbinding views. The diversity of Canadian geography offers a passing cavalcade of thrills — from a herd of moose crossing a shallow river to the iconic snowcapped peaks of Mount Robson and the famous wheat fields of the prairies — and by journey’s end there is a sense of accomplishment having travelled through, rather than over, the monumental Canadian landscape.

Meals are served in formal dining cars. The head server seats passengers and each meal brings an opportunity to meet a new dining companion. The food is delicious, locally sourced from stops en route and served on gleaming china over white tablecloths.

During lunch, I met the irrepressible Monique, an elderly Parisian, who insisted that we meet each day for language lessons.

“You’ve got to learn French and I’m going to teach you,” she proclaimed rather optimistically.

I befriended Barry and Donna, a charming couple from Chilliwack, who were train enthusiasts by birth and by choice.

“My dad worked for CN Rail for 40

years,” Barry recalled over dinner as majestic mountains and dense forests paraded by our window, lit by a glowing sunset.

“It just grabs you and it’s always been a hobby, a passion; and historically, the railways are what built this country.”

Donna’s grandfather was a cook on the Canadian Pacific when King George VI toured Canada in 1939. During the King’s visit, she said, “He actually got to serve him.”

Barry and I also chatted about the thousands of decommissioned telegraph polls that line the track.

“Did you see the insulators on top? Those are very collectable. We passed some rare purple ones. I wanted to stop the train,” he said half-jokingly.

ARTISTS ON BOARD The camaraderie among passengers reached a high point during evening concerts. VIA’s “Artists on Board” program provides complimentary fares for travelling musicians. I had the good fortune to meet Archie Pateman and Jack Roland. Known as the Cumberland Brothers, they specialize in old-time, brother-harmony country music played on a guitar, banjo and fiddle. Their charismatic banter and foot-stomping rhythms kept the audiences smiling long into the night.

Throughout the journey, the train makes brief stops.

Arriving late to Winnipeg, I stepped into the magnificent rotunda of Union Station and admired the mosaic floors,

which still feature cracks caused by the boots of soldiers returning from the Second World War. In the dome car, I met Shima, an Iranian-Canadian recently graduated from university. “People say Canada is beautiful, but without taking this trip, you don’t really know how beautiful it is. I’ve never seen Canada like this.”

She showed me her sketchbook with drawings of scenery and wildlife.

“I just got the idea, four days ago, and then, I got my ticket, packed and it’s awesome!”

She suggested that all new Canadians should experience the country by train.

Arriving at Toronto’s Union Station, I felt nostalgic.

After four days sharing meals and stories, I had made many new friends. I thought about my grandfather and his journey decades earlier. Experiencing the country by train had made such a strong impression, that in 1954, it contributed to his decision to move his family from England to Canada.

Staring up at blue skies framing Toronto’s CN Tower it occurred to me that I might not be Canadian today, were it not for the “Canadian” train.

Ivan Watson is an avid traveller, historian and newly inspired train enthusiast. You can contact him by email at: watsoni@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter using @watsonivan

55

CLIENT: MAYCOCK EYECARE

TALKING WITH TESS

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS  BY TESS VAN STRAATEN

F featuring

AMELIA WARREN Epicure CEO

featuring

MIKE TOM BENSON BLACK Co-founder and CEO (Chief Capital Iron CEO Experience Officer) of WildPlay Element Parks 56

PHOTO BY DON DENTON

featuring

OR THE CEO OF EPICURE, Canada’s fastestgrowing direct sales company, the phrase “you are what you eat” says it all.

“I believe passionately that what we eat, we become, and what children are served, they become,” says Epicure’s Amelia Warren. “Food is the fuel that enables us to become who we are on the planet and if we eat good food, we can all live better.”

Warren’s on a mission to get people cooking and eating healthy food, after taking the helm of her mother’s North Saanich-based culinary company back in 2009 when she was just 24 years old.

“What my age has allowed me to do is be really curious and be in a position to be learning, which has really served me well,” says Warren, now 30. “At times when I question whether or not I should be here, what I say is, ‘who else is going to do it? It might as well be me.’”

Warren’s mother, Sylvie Rochette, started the company in the early 1990s, selling her herb and spice blends at craft fairs and trade shows. Rochette, who continues to have a hands-on role, transitioned the business to a direct sales party plan model in 1997 and went from $300,000 to $1 million in sales the first year.

“What my mom found was that if she could get you to taste the product and share recipes and tips on how to use the product, it was phenomenally effective in getting people to buy the product and create additional value,” explains Warren.

“Our tasting party model brings people together to share ideas and get excited about what they can make with the product, which leads to more sales. It’s enabled us to expand in ways I don’t think would be possible had we chosen a traditional retail route.”

Epicure has grown to 15,000 sales people across the country selling more than 300 different products, from spice blends to cookware. Last year, the company dished up more than $50 million in sales and with a U.S. expansion in the works, Warren says, they hope to double that number in the next year or two.

“I still have moments where I pinch myself, but we’ve been very modest about the business and we’ve really tried to keep things under the radar,” admits Warren. “That’s started to change because as part of the ‘Good food. Real fast’ movement, we want to shout from the rooftops to get the word out.”

A self-proclaimed “ambassador” of good food, Epicure launched the movement last year to get

people eating better and cooking at home more, instead of falling back on unhealthy habits.

“We’ve really put a stake in the ground and said we have this commitment to healthy eating,” Warren explains.

“Cooking healthy sounds simple, but most people aren’t doing it because they either don’t know how or they think it takes too long.”

To help consumers create healthy meals, Epicure’s just re-launched nearly its entire product line in new packaging. The company’s also committed to using only clean ingredients (no additives or MSG) and it’s the first direct sales firm and one of the first food companies to take part in the non-GMO verification project, a timeconsuming process that verifies items don’t contain genetically modified organisms.

“WE’VE REALLY PUT A STAKE IN THE GROUND AND SAID WE HAVE THIS COMMITMENT TO HEALTHY EATING.” “We’re seeing a lot more about the role of food and how it’s related to illness,” Warren says. “Eighty per cent of lifestyle-related illnesses can be prevented through good diet and nutrition and we believe we have an opportunity — and a responsibility — to be a major player in transforming the way people eat.”

It’s a lofty goal, and Warren is the first to admit she’s made some mistakes — and learned some important lessons — as she tries to grow not only a successful business, but also raise awareness.

“One of the biggest lessons was prioritization,” says Warren. “When you’re an entrepreneur or a businessperson you want to take on the world, but you can’t do everything.

So a big mistake for me was trying to do too many things at the same time.”

Warren says the best advice she’s received is to keep moving forward, and she’s embraced the idea of “failing forward,” a concept that uses failure as a stepping stone.

“There are things that can be awesome and there are things that can go sideways and it’s easy to get stuck. But you have to take what you’ve learned and keep moving forward,” she says.

It’s a recipe for success that Warren hopes will serve not only the business, but also her cause.

“I’ve really developed a passion for the role business can play in transforming the world and it’s really about how we can grow the business to expand our mark on the world.”

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

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FRONT ROW  BY ROBERT MOYES

Toni Onley watercolour called Manghold Head, Isle of Man, 2002.

TONI ONLEY’S REMARKABLE RETROSPECTIVE Even though painter and printmaker Toni Onley died in a plane crash 11 years ago, enthusiasm for his body of work only continues to grow. A recipient of the Order of Canada, the British-born Onley emigrated to Canada in 1948 where his burgeoning art career ranged from abstract work to the moody, often minimalist landscapes with which he is most associated. Winchester Gallery is clearing the walls for a dramatic retrospective of his output — much of it from the artist’s estate and never seen before. “This is really good work that the artist held back for himself,” 58

explains Winchester gallerist Elizabeth Levinson.

Dating from the 1940s to his last works, the pieces include mixed media, magazine collages and serigraphs, as well as acrylic, oil and watercolour paintings. “There will never be an Onley exhibit on this scale again,” adds Levinson, who expects that there will be national and even international interest. Strongly influenced by the Japanese and Chinese traditions of calligraphy, Onley was a master of landscape who had an uncanny ability to capture light and weather and a sense of place. And notwithstanding his deep immersion into abstraction — the Tate Gallery in London has his celebrated Polar #1 in its permanent collection — Onley kept returning

to the landscape tradition, albeit with a strong spirit of abstraction. The results were both subtle and sublime.

He even earned a pilot’s licence so he could fly into the remotest, most pristine areas of BC for inspiration. “He was our eyes and ears … every painting was a gem,” notes Levinson.

Showing from July 2-22 at 2260 Oak Bay Avenue. For information, see Winchester Gallery.

OUT AND ABOUT Although Intrepid Theatre has programmed gaythemed material in the past, it is presenting its — and Victoria’s — first-ever festival of queer theatre this month. Featuring four plays as well as a late night cabaret, a pop-up party and other fun events, OUTstages promises to be the best kind of outrageous. “The shows are interesting and are all really accessible,” says festival curator Sean Guist, who’s a freelance director when not working at Intrepid. “The content is queer, but this is still cutting edge theatre of a very high calibre.”

Stewart Legere performs his Let’s Not Beat Each Other to Death, which is an electro-pop dance party that deals with the real-life gay bashings that happened recently in his hometown of Halifax. There’s a local angle to A Quiet Sip of Coffee, a complicated tale of a true-life and self-proclaimed “gay-straight best friend duo” who attended a church-based, pray-the-gay-away conversion

therapy camp in rural BC in 2004. What started out as a prank caused a years-long rupture between the two that ultimately led to this theatrical reconciliation. Toronto’s Catherine Hernandez, a queer woman of colour, performs The Femme Playlist, which uses music to chronicle her sassy and eye-opening journey from “queer hatchling [to a] sexy and proud, slutty and loud” lesbian. And from New York comes Revenge of the Poppinjay, a “sexily disturbing” play that combines rap music, horror movie motifs and postmodern theatrical tropes. “This festival is for all people who love the exciting, adventurous work that Intrepid is known for,” says Guist.

Running July 5-12 at the Metro Studio and the Intrepid Theatre Club. For info, see intrepidtheatre.com

MAKING A SPLASH For more than a decade Victoria’s For the Love of Africa society has been doing important charity work in Africa, from building primary schools to establishing medical dispensaries. The volunteers pay all their own expenses when they travel to Africa, and fundraise locally to ensure their projects have a real impact. For nine years, their primary fundraiser has been their Water Garden Tour, which attracts upwards of 400 people on a self-guided tour of a dozen of Victoria’s most beautiful gardens. “It’s amazing how we keep discovering new — and gorgeous — gardens to put on

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 One of the private water gardens featured in this year’s tour.

the tour,” says FLA executive Karen Hughes. “This year’s tour ranges from Deep Cove to Fairfield, and can be done easily in a day.” According to Hughes, the gardens are half owner-created, and half the work of professional designers such as Shibusa Pond & Landscape Services

(whose beautiful Songhees Wellness Centre is opening especially for the tour). One garden features bridges, waterfalls and streams — “it’s amazing,” says Hughes. And another in Broadmead showcases an ex-swimming pool that has been marvelously reconceived as a pond fed by waterfalls. “There’s something delightful about the sight and sound of water features that can so easily enhance a garden,” notes Hughes.

The FLA is currently fundraising for a trade school in the Dodoma region of Tanzania. “There will be four large classrooms, the first one of which opens this January,” Hughes says. “There are few employment opportunities for those with just a regular education,” she adds. “But there are jobs for people who know how to sew or do electrical work.”

The tour happens on Saturday, July 11. For tickets and information, see Water Garden Tour 2015.

 Hamlet (Matt Mathiason) gets broody, contemplating the skull of Yorick.

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It’s the fourth season for Shakespeare by the Sea and organizers are feeling more confident than ever. “Things are going very well,” says event founder Robert Light. “Our audience has doubled to 2,000 and we are getting lots of great feedback and repeat business.” His festival has been at Clover Point for the last two years, and the setting, with its backdrop of mountains and ocean, is hard to beat. “Last year when we were doing Macbeth the clouds were red as blood during the murder of Duncan … it was incredible,” recalls Light. Performing outdoors is a challenge, from building the stage and setting the lights to arranging for 24-hour security. “You have to do everything, and it’s hard work,” concedes Light, an ex-Vancouverite who has worked in theatre for over 30 years. This year he’s looking forward to tackling Hamlet and The Tempest. “It’s a family tragedy of murder, deception and delusion paired with a tale of reconciliation by forgiveness,” says Light, who directs both plays. After playing at Clover Point, the actors take a month off, and then do a four-day run at Sidney’s Clamshell Park, followed by performances the following weekend in Nanaimo. “We’re close to achieving critical mass,” notes Light. “The plan is to expand to a two-month run in a year or two.”

Running from July 2 to August 2 at Clover Point. For tickets, see Ticketrocket.org.

HERE COMES THE WEEKEND(ER)!

If anyone asks how your weekend went, you’ll have quite the story if you snag tickets for the Phillips Backyard Weekender. This will be the third time round for the annual musical extravaganza presented by Atomique Productions in the party-hearty “backyard” of Phillips Brewery. Kind of a mini-Rifflandia, there will be 15 bands playing over three nights, with 3,000 expected to attend the likely-tosell-out event each evening. “This should be a great urban festival experience,” says Atomique’s Dimitri Demers. “It tends to attract a younger crowd and it’s fairly laid back — a good time, with a rambunctious edge to it.” And with hip bands hailing from New York, New Orleans and even Australia, Demers is confident this year’s Weekender will match or surpass the two previous ones. There is rock, hip-hop, soul and reggae on offer, from the likes of Bliss n Eso, BadBadNotGood and the Easy Star All-Stars. And even though it is standard for music festivals to have a beer garden, there aren’t many festivals that happen at an award-winning brewery. According to Demers, there will be up to 10 beers on tap, as well as libations from Merridale Cidery (for gluten-averse partiers). And carefully chosen food trucks such as the Taco Justice League, The Fish Shack and L’Authentique Poutine and Burger will make sure that

Coming up

HAMLET DOTH TO CLOVER POINT GO

Twist & Shout

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James and the Giant Peach

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Confessions of a Paperboy

By Doug Curtis

Aug 19 - 29

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Boulevard offers a taste of the good life this summer.

Get out and enjoy!

 Judy McLaren’s Flip Flops

no one dances on an empty stomach. “This is all about people having a good time,” adds Demers. “It’s an awesome event for music and beer lovers.”

Running from July 24-26 at 2010 Government Street. For info or tickets, see Phillips Backyard Weekender.

THE SAVOUR OF SUMMER From paddle boarders to bikini-clad sunbathers, people surrendering to the hot and sweaty pleasures of July and August are the subjects of painter Judy McLaren’s Summer Heat show at Eclectic Gallery. A figurative artist for over 30 years, the award-winning McLaren studied at the Ontario College of Art in the late 1970s and is a bold colourist who seeks psychological depth beneath the painterly surface of her oil-on-panel works. Her paintings are loosely interpreted from photos, with the beach and ocean backgrounds remaining abstract, while the human subjects are rendered with poignant realism. “These are just ordinary people, accepted in their summer casualness,”says Eclectic coowner John Taylor. “Judy’s not attempting to do formal portraits.” According to Taylor, McLaren gets intrigued by some gesture a person makes, and then, in her mind, becomes engaged with that person and what they could be thinking as she interprets the scene in her studio. “And there’s an energy that she puts through the brush while applying paint,” notes Taylor. “As an artist, she’s very vital and in the moment.” McLaren recently became a cancer survivor, and that experience has put an added urgency into her painting. “She has immersed herself in her work,” adds Taylor. “She wants to make the most of her time.”

Continuing at 2170 Oak Bay Avenue until August 15. For information, see Eclectic Gallery.

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SOCIAL BOULEVARD  BY DON DENTON AND ARNOLD LIM

Social Boulevard visited two gala events recently, including The Royal British Columbia Museum’s opening of Gold Rush! El Dorado in British Columbia (top half of the page) and the Habitat for Humanity Victoria 100k campaign party.

 Sandra Hudson and Deirdre Campbell.

 David Turpin.

 Angela Cote and Linda Gourlay.

 Amanda Bown,Yolanda Meijer, Tess van Straaten and Sybil Verch.

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 Rosario Clopatofsky, Jairo Clopatofsky and Jack Loman.

 Lorne Hammond and Stephen Point.

 Peter Hunt from Victoria Spirits.

 Tannis Wightman and  Katherine Black and Janet Rolstone.

Linda Gower.  Susan Froher Joe, Cheryl Woolley, Susanna Crofton and Sandy McManus.

DO YOU HAVE AN EVENT FOR SOCIAL BOULEVARD? CONTACT EDITOR@VICTORIABOULEVARD.COM

White was “the new black” at Victoria’s Inner Harbour on June 25 as 2,000 people — dressed entirely in white — enjoyed the annual Dîner en Blanc.

Boulevard photographer Don Denton was there.

Steve Pohl, Rebecca Bickham and Jody Dick.

Jan Kaban, Jamie Kaban, Leah Campbell and Wes Kaban.

Melissa Anstice and Kelly Ketcheson.

Isaiah Bell and Christina Thomson.

Jamie Kaban, Tyson Villeneuve, Jordan Kallman and Aidan Henry.

Alison Looysen and Tracy Zeisberger.

Ron Wilson.

Cathy Curti and Leah Merceronni.

Darren Campbell.

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SECRETS & LIVES

who want to move to Canada permanently or stay temporarily with programs that work for them. It can be very rewarding, as immigrating to Canada can change people’s lives. For example, for those who are struggling in their own countries where there is political unrest or safety concerns, coming to Canada can provide a better life for them and their families.

What motivated you to get into this line of work?

Years ago, I came to Canada as an international student and independent immigrant. Later, I also sponsored my family to Victoria, BC. I felt that I could relate to my clients and understand their concerns. Immigration is a long process. Assisting clients to achieve their dreams and uniting them with their families is satisfying.

How did you come to speak four languages?

Growing up at home, my grandparents and parents spoke our county dialect “Kai Ping.” In Hong Kong, English was our second language and Cantonese is my native language. For Mandarin, I just picked it up gradually as I studied piano with a Beijing teacher, and I have many Mandarin speaking friends. I also studied some French and basic German at university.

SARINA HOI Immigration Consultant

 BY SUSAN LUNDY

Nice to meet you, Sarina Hoi. Where are you from and how did you get to Victoria? I am from Hong Kong. I first came to Canada to attend high school in a small town in Alberta. Then, I went to Huddersfield, England to study music. During that time, I travelled extensively to many places. However, I liked Canada the most, and I heard that Victoria, BC was a beautiful city. So, when I finished my studies, I visited Victoria and fell in love with the city and knew that this was the place for me.

What does your work as an immigration consultant entail? I match people from anywhere in the world 66

PHOTO BY DON DENTON

with

You’re also an accomplished musician. What are your most memorable moments? I was very fortunate

to have received excellent instruction in all aspects of music. My first instrument was piano. I also studied composition. The most memorable moment must be the time when my composition The Dream was performed at the Royal Theatre in 2008 for the 150 Years in Golden Mountain event. The Dream is a string quintet in which I combined Western and Chinese instruments.

You paint as well! How does your artistic side complement your current occupation? Perhaps

because of my artistic side, I am quite meticulous. I assess clients’ eligibility seriously before accepting their files. This carries over to the work where I am particular on the accuracy of my clients’ information and documents.

What boards and associations do you belong to? I am a member of the Rotary Club of Victoria, the president of the Victoria Chinese Commerce Association, board member of the Orbus Business Networks and the Victoria Hoi Ping Association.

What are your hobbies? Besides music and painting, I like travelling, swimming and watching movies. I am also a “foodie.”

Where do you turn to for advice? Just to name a few — my father, my husband and previous professors for their knowledge, experience and insight. I also spend time researching.

What has life taught you? I think it is important to have an open mind and appreciate that all people can have different points of view. Then, it is important to be thankful for what you have and be ready to lend a hand to others.

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2015 Lexus rc 350 AWD f sport series 2: Hit tHe roAD iN stYLe Victoria’s Ken and Margaret Ainslie will be enjoying their road trips in style this summer, cruising through the BC Interior in their new Lexus RC 350 AWD F Sport Series 2.

In fact, whether it’s the nimble handling for trips around town or the comfort and safety of longer journeys, the Lexus takes to the road with features that make each trip a pleasure.

The brand just keeps getting better, says Ken, a retired health education consultant with Vancouver Island health Authority, who is driving his seventh Lexus.

“I’ve had just about every line they produce,” he reflects.

“My RC 350 AWD F Sport Series 2 is the perfect marriage of Lexus luxury comfort and style with the driving thrill of an exotic sports car. I love how the sculptured lines flow from the front to the rear of the vehicle —no matter what

angle you look at it, you fall in love all over again.”

In addition to its trademark Lexus style, Ken appreciates the company’s continuing efforts to improve not only the performance, but also safety features, like the Blind Spot Monitor system, brake assist and smart stop technology.

“There are so many fantastic features, it’s hard to choose a favourite.”

The knowledge and professionalism of the Lexus sales and service teams are the perfect complement to the exceptional quality of the vehicles themselves.

“The dealership is all about teamwork, from management, the sales team and right through to the service department. When you’re there, you make long-term friends.”

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