Boulevard Magazine - June 2013 Issue by Boulevard Magazine

blvdmag.ca JUNE 2013

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CONTENTS

june June 2013 Issue 06, Volume XXIl

32 36

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

18 feast your eyes on victoria’s food culture By Cinda Chavich and Kate Lautens

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR’S LETTER

LETTERS

36 fashion: Simple, sensuous summer style By Lia Crowe COLUMNS

creative minds Kathy and Deon Venter: Partners in life and art By Katherine Palmer Gordon

14 HAWTHORN Root, root rooting for the home team at RAP By Tom Hawthorn

STATE OF THE ARTS Celebrating the lifetime achievements of Canadian artists By Alisa Gordaneer

social capital Victoria’s love affair with brunch By Anna Kemp HOT PROPERTIES A West Coast dream home in the clouds By Carolyn Heiman

BEFORE AND AFTER A 105-year-old farmhouse’s new look By Sarah MacNeill

91 PERSONAL FINANCE Talking with Tess: Graham Barnes By Tess van Straaten

FRONT ROW Jazz Fest; Uncle Vanya; Monteverdi’s Vespers; V.I.C. Fest and more By Robert Moyes

HEALTH & WELLNESS HIIT to get fit By Shannon Moneo

TRAVEL FAR Exploring a hidden art mecca in Brazil By Dianna Drahanchuk

technologia Never get lost again with GPS devices By Darryl Gittins

WRY EYE Camping and car alarms don’t mix! By Paula Johanson

SECRETS & LIVES Mike Murphy, restaurateur By Shannon Moneo

On our cover: Restaurateur Peter Zambri strikes a dashing pose. Photo by Dean Azim.

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Publisher Geoff Wilcox Creative Director Sarah Reid Editor Kate Lautens Fashion Editor Lia Crowe Production Coordinator Pip Knott Advertising Pat Brindle Vicki Clark Corlie Sleen Geoff Wilcox Marketplace Programs Scott Simmons Business Manager Janet Dessureault Contributing Writers Cinda Chavich, Darryl Gittins, Pamela Durkin, Stuart Eastwood, Alisa Gordaneer, Tom Hawthorn, Carolyn Heiman, Anna Kemp, Lauren Kramer, Sarah MacNeill, Sharon McLean, Shannon Moneo, Katherine Palmer Gordon, Robert Moyes, Tess van Straaten Contributing Photographers Dean Azim, Vince Klassen, Gary McKinstry, Leanna Rathkelly

Subscribe Enjoy the convenience of Boulevard delivered to your door each month by subscribing online at blvdmag.ca or email subscribe@blvdmag.ca Advertise Boulevard Magazine is Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading lifestyle magazine, celebrating 23 years of publishing in Greater Victoria. To advertise or to learn more about advertising opportunities please send us an email at info@blvdmag.ca

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Victoria Boulevard ÂŽ is a registered trademark of Boulevard Lifestyles Inc. 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 Boulevard Lifestyles Inc. or its afiliates; 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. $5.95

ISSN 1196-6807

1196 6807 10

Dean Azim is a Victoria-based photographer, photo-journalist and videographer who focuses on portraiture, lifestyle, commercial and human-interest works. Azim, who travels the world to take photos, recently started Cinderbloc Studio with Antonio LaFauci, where they collaborate with other creative people to realize projects that include promotion, film, publication and more. This month, Azim shot Salt Spring artists Kathy and Deon Venter, the fashion feature, and our cover.

A recent import from Alberta, Cinda Chavich is an award-winning food and travel journalist, and Boulevard’s food writer. Author of five bestselling cookbooks, Chavich was CBC radio’s Alberta food columnist and former Calgary Herald food editor. In addition to Boulevard, she also contributes to the Globe and Mail, Canadian Living, Maclean’s, and up! magazine, among others. Read more of her food and travel stories on her blog, TasteReport. com. This month, Chavich took on the movers and shakers in Victoria for our food feature.

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Dianna Drahanchuk, is a first-time

travel writer who has had the travel bug for as long as she can remember. She has visited over 20 countries — some of them, like Brazil, several times. Especially exciting is being one of the first people ever to visit a place that is not yet crowded, allowing a more intimate look. She discovered that learning the local language enriches the travel experience and often creates pleasant surprises. Drahanchuk participated in Boulevard’s first travel seminar this past April. anna kemp is a freelance writer

and small business owner passionate about supporting local business. A regular contributor to Boulevard, Anna heartily enjoyed researching and writing this month’s Social Capital piece on brunching in Victoria. Not only did she sample some fantastic local cuisine, but after each meal, someone else did the dishes.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

My goal is to help you reach yours.

Looking for timely market insights? Consider a complimentary subscription to my monthly Letter to Clients. Roderick MacMillan, B.Comm (Hons) FSCI, CSWP Investment Advisor TD Waterhouse Private Investment Advice 1070 Douglas Street, 5th Floor Victoria, B.C. 250-356-4148 rod.macmillan@td.com www.rodmacmillan.com TD Waterhouse Private Investment Advice is a division of TD Waterhouse Canada Inc., a subsidiary of The Toronto Dominion Bank. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. – Member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund. The TD logo and other trademarks are the property of the Toronto Dominion Bank, as a wholly-owned subsidiary in Canada and/or other countries.

It started with a bet: who could go the longest without eating meat? In Grade 11, I started thinking about going vegetarian. Never much of a steak fan or rib lover, and aware of the ethical, health and environmental effects of consuming animals, I didn’t see it as a difficult lifestyle choice. My best friend Kimie said she’d join me, and when our friends found out, they started making bets on who would “crack” first. It wasn’t a very serious bet — most people threw in quarters and pennies — but we took the challenge seriously, and for a month, we stuck to it. My family decided to try it out, too. At the end of the month, Kimie gave up the diet, but I only added seafood back — and for many years, my family remained pescetarian (although I think a few would admit to eating a Big Mac on occasion). Lucky for me, Victoria has plenty of vegetarian options — just as it does for vegans, celiacs, primal dieters and raw food eaters, along with just about any other food restriction or preference imaginable. For that, we can thank the outstanding restaurateurs and chefs in our great city. I learned all about them while assembling our food feature, “The Toast of the Town.” Our creative, innovative “foodies” (sorry, I know foodies hate that term) are passionate about their work and truly inspiring. And we know you love brunch (who doesn’t?), so whether you seek someplace new or an old classic, we’ve got you covered. Then, learn about restaurateur Mike Murphy, who’s taking farm-to-table to a new level. When you’re full of food, be sure to check out the simple elegance of summer fashion with Lia Crowe, and the Salt Spring couple sharing a life of love and art together. We also have a Travel Far piece about Brazil written by a participant in our successful travel writing seminar, held this past April. The next seminar will be in September, so be sure to sign up early. I remain a pescetarian, over 10 years after I made the decision — yes, accidental consumption has happened, but I didn’t intentionally eat meat until last summer, when I finally made it to the annual Lamb BBQ on Saturna Island, a tradition spanning nearly 65 years. The island-raised lamb, barbequed over an open fire, was something I’d never tried even before my vegetarian days, despite vacationing on Saturna since I was a baby. I had to taste it. I won’t give you a review because as a vegetarian, my opinion on lamb doesn’t count for much. But if you’re wondering how to spend your Canada Day long weekend next month, I highly recommend hopping the ferry to Saturna to taste it for yourself. Kate Lautens, Editor

YOUR LETTERS AQUAPONICS AN ECO-FRIENDLY HIT I really enjoyed reading Alisa Gordaneer’s story, “Hooked on Aquaponics” (May). What a great idea for urban farming! The aquaponics system requires such a small space, yet it is highly productive and 100 per cent organic. Imagine if every household in Victoria had one set up. The system not only increases the food security on Vancouver Island, it reduces carbon footprints and encourages us to go green and eat healthy. Thank you for your eco-friendly article, Boulevard! May Cheung

TWO VIEWS ON THE APRIL ISSUE Tom Hawthorn’s brilliant satirical essay “Oh, the complexities of taking out the garbage” (April) perfectly conveys the many Kafkaesque regulatory absurdities that residential taxpayers in Victoria are now facing. In contrast to his well-founded common sense skepticism, David Leach’s “PCMP my ride” reads like an overcooked piece of sustainability propaganda complementary to the CRD Readers Weigh in OnLine Parks Department’s quiet endorsement of Nature Needs Colleen Hack: Very much Half, a so-called “sustainable enjoyed this month’s strategy” for sequestration of Car Culture article on “at least half” of all land and “Retro Chic,” which was entertaining as well as water resources in the region. informative. Thank you Neither backpackers nor Stuart Eastwood and bicyclists will be allowed BLVD. into the proposed system of Home Style Solutions: off-limits wildlife preserves Two thumbs up on the connected by “wildlife fantastic, joyful spring corridors,” monitored by cover! $100,000 cameras. Line Marie Hack: I LOVE I can’t wait to read what YOUR COVERS! Like Hawthorn has to say about candy for the eyes! spending $275 million for Ken Miner: Looks great! bicycle infrastructure, and Congrats to my shutting out the taxpaying fellow “Photos By” photographers, nice work public from enjoying our own everyone! publicly-owned parks. I am one of the growing number of common sense skeptics of the out-of-control sustainability cult, and condemn such profligate spending. Gregory Hartnell

@ninethreeseven: There’s always something interesting going on at the Mason St. Farm :) Great infographic, btw! @hotelnanaimo: We love your new May Edition! Beautiful happy cover!

We welcome your letters: editor@blvdmag.ca or visit us on Facebook, and on Twitter @BoulevardMag. 13

photo by vince klassen

By Tom Hawthorn

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A pair of high school students in ball caps joshed one another, bragging about who could hit a baseball farther. On a warm June afternoon 14 years ago, these young athletes from Victoria took a moment from training to talk baseball. At 17, Rich Harden’s lean physique hinted he had yet to fill out. His friend, Vince Perkins, born two months earlier, stood four inches taller and had biceps the size of softballs. A few days earlier, Perkins had been installing an amplifier in his car and Harden had been enduring a stupefyingly dreary geography class on glaciation when they received word they had been drafted by a major league baseball team. Both were a long way from their dream. One would make it, only to have his career disrupted by injury. The other would spend years in the pursuit, only to have to abandon the goal. One of baseball’s charms is the infinite possibilities offered with the dawning of a fresh season. Like a teenager facing a sunny future, baseball players approach a new campaign with optimism. Imagination permits the hope, however brief, of a perfect season where all hits are fair, all bounces fortuitous, and the game of inches always breaks your way.

Rooting at Royal Athletic Park Those of us who endure dreary winters by daydreaming about the summer game will soon be joining our brethren in the stands at Royal Athletic Park. The Victoria HarbourCats will be a tenant at the venerable ball yard through the summer. The franchise’s inaugural game is scheduled for June 5. Rain or, preferably, shine, I will be there, root root rooting for the home 14

team, and if they don’t win it’s a shame. The ’Cats are the third baseball team to set up shop in the capital in the past decade. We have had the Victoria Capitals of the Canadian Baseball League and the Victoria Seals of the Golden Baseball League, two professional squads that failed here, but not for lack of enthusiasm by locals. It can be tough to make a dollar in small-town ball. The ’Cats will have fewer expenses than those other teams — these young players earn no salaries, as they need to maintain their amateur status to compete in American college baseball. For some of them, great riches will be their reward when they go on to the big leagues — what the players refer to as “The Show.” Baseball is a game from the countryside. It maintains a pastoral pace, played as it is without a clock. The game’s long pauses offer a chance for contemplation, discussion and heckling. Baseball is cheap entertainment. The game was introduced to Victoria soon after the city was founded. Americans played matches at Beacon Hill Park; an early account in the Daily Colonist includes a description of a dispute resulting in gun play. Perhaps the best to step on the grass in a home uniform at RAP was Gil McDougald, who hit a blistering .344 in 1948. The San Francisco-born infielder went on to enjoy a stellar career with the legendary New York Yankees powerhouses of the 1950s.

The closer’s biggest save

Imagination permits the hope of a perfect season where all hits are fair, all bounces fortuitous, and the game of inches always breaks your way.

Skinny Rich Harden, one of those teenagers drafted 14 years ago this month, made it to the majors, too. His great promise — he had terrific control and a blistering fastball — was betrayed by repeated arm injuries. He pitched well, earned his millions, but never escaped his sore-arm fate. He has had surgery on his right shoulder and is attempting a comeback. His friend Vince Perkins spent a decade in the minors, pitching in small towns in New England and the southern states, without ever once getting the chance to play for a majorleague team. He had been a starting pitcher before converting to a closer, whose job it is to preserve his team’s lead, an accomplishment that earns a pitcher a save. Finally, he abandoned his quest following the 2011 season. He became a firefighter, like his father. Earlier this year, Vince, still on probation in his new job, performed CPR and other techniques to revive a 50-year-old man suffering a heart attack. The patient lived, and Perkins received a Phoenix lifesaving award. It was a save worth every bit as much as any he had ever earned on the baseball diamond. Tom Hawthorn is a freelance author, newspaper and magazine writer who lives in Victoria.

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state of the arts

by alisa gordaneer

Give the RCA a hand

for recognizing our country’s finest artists If you’re a fan of Canadian art, you probably already know that the letters “RCA” behind an artist’s name refer not to a brand of electronics, but to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, the oldest visual arts organization in this country. The letters mean the artist is a member of that organization, and as such has been recognized by their peers as an “established” artist. It’s a big deal to artists, because they’re working in a field where the moments of recognition can be few and far between. But for the rest of us? It doesn’t mean much. I’d heard of the RCA long before I knew what other professional designations, such as PhD or MBA, meant. My artist dad became a member when I was a little kid, and while the significance was lost on me, apparently it was an honour for him. But I’d never given it much further thought until I noticed that the RCA was not only holding its Annual General Assembly in Victoria this month, but also putting on shows of its local members’ works.

Fighting for the arts I asked Barbara Vogel, the Toronto-based current president of the RCA, what the organization does for artists, and the arts, in Canada today. She told me that while the RCA had slipped into the background for a number of years, it’s now becoming more relevant for artists across Canada. Through its foundation, it raises funds to provide grants and scholarships. It works at connecting emerging artists to mentors, and endeavours to promote the work of its members. And overall, it acts as an advocacy group for visual artists, in an era where advocacy is increasingly needed. “We have to believe visual culture, and art, is still very 16

important for the culture of the country and the identity of the country,” says Vogel. “It’s the lifeline of our souls and our spirits. We are not the only ones fighting for it.” The RCA is a national arts service organization, similar to other groups for writers, such as the Writers’ Union of Canada and the League of Canadian Poets; for musicians, such as the Songwriters Association of Canada; and even theatre folks, like the Playwrights Guild of Canada. Each has different criteria for who can be a member, but all do much the same — help promote and develop their members, tell audiences about their genre, and work for political change and more recognition for the arts. “If we don’t, we [as a nation] are going to be very dry and very poor, in a way,” says Vogel, adding that the arts “are not supported from the government side at any level.” As a result, the RCA scrapes by on its membership dues — approximately $200 a year from each of its 790 members. A small budget for a big mandate, as Vogel is well aware.

A measure of success However, what this precarious position means is that there’s never been a better time for corporations and private benefactors to make their name as patrons of the arts. The RCA Foundation is actively soliciting funds, and seems happy to give big recognition. For example, a major scholarship named after a prominent Victoria artist who passed away last year will be announced at the end of this month. While some artists make a good living with their work, far more are struggling, Vogel explains. But in this industry, high wages are “not a measure of success,” she adds. Rather, success comes from the work itself being recognized by other members of the Academy. That process is long and involved: first, an artist must be recommended by current members, who vouch for the quality of their work. After that, they submit portfolios, which are voted on by a jury, and their membership is approved at the annual meeting. They’re not fully inducted until the following year’s annual meeting. As part of the process, artists must demonstrate not only a level of proficiency but a record of exhibitions and other public engagement with their work. That could explain why this is an organization populated with mainly senior artists — it’s only possible to join the organization once an artist has a wellestablished career. The youngest member, guesses Vogel, is over 50. That reality forms the incentive behind a new initiative the RCA plans to launch this month. Through a web-based archive of interviews with senior members, the RCA will document the ideas, practice and lives of its members, to create a visual, publicly-accessible record of the arts in Canada. It’s a glimpse into what’s rarely seen on the canvases and sculptures themselves — and one that might even make “RCA” yet another kind of household name. Robert Moyes writes about the two upcoming RCA shows on page 74 of this issue.

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chef s2013 urvey eve +

from rything food to zom trucks bies

Speaking of local … We asked Victoria’s chefs:

What dish or trend screams “Victoria!”

30%

Raise your glasses to those who make Victoria’s food culture de-lish  words by cinda CHAVICH  stats & quotes curated by kate lautens From our charcuteries and gluten-free bakeries to our food trucks and take-and-bake caterers, our city has an exciting food culture — and it’s getting better all the time. The addition of the new Victoria Public Market at the Hudson gives the city a year-round hub for everything local and fresh. New concepts, such as shared restaurant spaces and lunch-and-learn classes, prove local businesses and chefs are always finding ways to raise the bar.

products available.” Meanwhile, Fiamo’s James Avila says he loves the trend of “making and dissecting old-world classics with an idea of making them better.” Chefs are sick of haute dogs (“enough already!” says Tom Corless of Belmiro’s), fusion (“it seems it mostly turns to confusion,” says Daryl Pope of the Pacific and Mark restaurants), and “the overuse of silly ‘foodie’ terms on a menu that only people in the industry will know the meaning of,” according to Kellan

What makes these great restaurateurs tick? In March, we sent out a call to over 60 chefs in the CRD to weigh in on our food survey. We thank those chefs who took time out of their slicing, grilling, kneading and broiling to respond. Some of the best responses revolved around so-called “trends” — a term that most chefs hate (almost as much as they hate the term “foodie”). “By using this word, we imply an end, as trends always run their course,” says Cory Pelan of the Whole Beast. “If the move towards good, clean and sustainably-grown food ends, we are in trouble.” Nonetheless, chefs in our city have a wide range of views on the best and worst ideas in the food industry these days. According to Andrew Langley of Pizzeria Prima Strada (Cook Street), the good includes “a connection to your food — putting a face to the amazing local

Musseau of the Superior. “Let’s keep the pretentiousness to ourselves.” Our chefs love that Victoria is home to great local food: “We’re lucky to live in a place where we can get so many different types of food,” says Mike Ringland of Bin 4 Burger Lounge. “Meat, dairy, produce and seafood are all so accessible for us, and so many customers enjoy and respect that restaurants use local.” The food culture in Victoria is in good hands — and the next several pages will prove it. Read on to learn about the movers and shakers that make Victoria a great place to eat. -Kate Lautens, Editor

mentioned local food “Small-batch, handmade, artisan products by Island entrepreneurs! Hope this never ends.” – Jena Stewart, Devour

“Open kitchens — people are more interested in who’s cooking their food and how they’re doing it. Connecting with your chef is very Victorian.” – Andrew Langley, Pizzeria Prima Strada Cook Street

“There is such a great mix of cultures here that the infused flavours of them all is what creates our signature ‘West Coast Cuisine,’ and the availability from the local farms year round is a great bonus to us chefs.” – Tom Corless, Belmiro’s

30% mentioned seafood

“Fresh seafood, dungeness crab and spot prawns.” — Kamal Silva, Fairmont Empress Hotel 19

The Chefs

he Movers

Victoria is a small town with a lot of restaurants, thanks to the innovative chefs and cooks who’ve given us everything from famous fish tacos and organic pub food to homegrown charcuterie, amazing artisan breads, sublime French bistros and authentic Italian pizza. Here’s a look at just a few of the movers and shakers who have made our little microcosm of good, local food their mission.

 David Mincey was behind the stoves at award-winning Camille’s restaurant in Bastion Square for 24 years, but he’s not one to sit still. Like a modern-day Jack Horner, Mincey has his fingers in many tasty pies — whether he’s teaching home cooks about canning (and selling his own jars of tasty pickles and chimichurri at farm markets), linking local chefs and farmers as a founding member of the Island Chefs’ Collaborative, promoting a new downtown public market, or championing artisan bean-to-bar chocolate. It’s the latter passion that’s consuming him at the moment and, when we meet, he’s just finished a free chocolate tasting at Cook Culture. the Movers “It’s been my life’s work for several years,” he says, pointing to his “store within a store” display of chocolate bars made from scratch in places like France, Vietnam and Budapest. “There are fewer than 100 bean-to-bar makers in the world, and we have 62 of them here.” That, according to this self-described Canadian chocolate expert, is the largest collection in the country, and he’s now doing professional chocolate-tasting courses for Victoria’s new breed of well-educated chocolate fanatics. So while you might not find this chef behind any restaurant stoves, he’s always cooking up something new for lovers of fresh, ethical and sustainable food. “The customer base really does get it here,” he says. “I can’t think of a more happening place in Canada.”

You could call George Szasz the godfather of charcuterie in Victoria.  When he owned the former Paprika Bistro in Oak Bay, whole hogs routinely arrived at the restaurant, where Szasz taught his kitchen crews to break down the carcasses and make delicious sausages from the trimmings. “At Paprika, we did all of the butchering in house,” Szasz says, “and we always cured our own meats.” It was a skill he learned in his own father’s butcher shop in Vancouver, and one he passed on to younger chefs like Laurie Munn, who carries on the charcuterie tradition at Café Brio, and Jamie Cummins, who is behind the great breakfast sausages at Relish. the Movers As interest in local meats and charcuterie grew, Szasz grew, too, adding Stage wine bar to his list of successful startups before selling the lot to concentrate on the meaty side of the business. Now you’ll find his popular line of Szasz sausages — from classic Hungarian to North African chicken merguez — duck confit, and preserved lemons in better butcher shops and grocery stores. Szasz, who will open Roast (a meaty rotisserie sandwich shop) in the new downtown public market at the Hudson, is excited about the future of food in Victoria. “This market is going to see some things happen that will cause a ripple effect,” Szasz predicts. “To be a chef on this island is really the best place to be.”

george szasz

chef illustrations by pip knott

david mincey

And now, a pronunciation lesson with Tom and Peter

Say it with me: Pho. “Foe show!” – Tom Corless, Belmiro’s

50%

“Meh”

5% 45%

“FUH —

with a question intonation.” – Peter Zambri, Zambri’s

 When chef Peter Zambri and his sister Jo opened their eponymous restaurant in 1999, Victoria diners rushed in for their casual take on Italian cuisine. Peter, who worked the Movers at Sooke Harbour House and credits owner Sinclair Philip as his major mentor, had just returned from a four-year stint in Italy. His first restaurant in Victoria was a little trattoria, blending his love of seasonal, local ingredients with traditional Italian recipes. “Italy was an eye opener. I learned in Italy that food can be loose, not so structured, but still fantastic,” says Peter. “We started as a little sandwich shop, but I had a lot more to show.” The trend He’s still showing his skills as a Peter hates? chef expert in all things Italian, from braised baby octopus to farfalle with broccoli and his house-made sausage. In 2010, the Zambris expanded — taking their little 40-seat eatery, in a Yates Street strip mall, seriously uptown, with a contemporary 120-seat restaurant where Peter has room to bake chewy loaves of Calabrese bread and offer seasonal chef’s table dinners at the bar. The creative force behind other concepts including Big Wheel Burger and the new Guild Freehouse on Wharf Street says Victoria’s food scene is hot. “It’s just been tap dancing for the last couple of years.”

PETER ZAMBRI

“People launching Urban Spoon hate bombs [in] their underwear, sitting in their basement after eating out.”

50%

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Drum roll please ... the most abused foodie term is ...

foodie 30%

of chefs hate hearing this

“What does it even mean?” asks Dan Hayes of the London Chef.

he Shakers

The Chefs Continued

 Dwane MacIsaac has been a chef for 20 years, a caterer cooking for Vancouver’s film industry for much of his career. But since arriving in Victoria, MacIsaac has found a new passion for all things local. President of the Island Chefs’ Collaborative for the past three years, MacIsaac says he expected to semi-retire on the Island, but he’s never been busier, working as a volunteer for a wide variety of food-related causes and events. When we meet, he’s in the midst of planning Victoria’s first spot prawn the Shakers festival, including a long table sustainable seafood dinner with local chefs, and picking up vegetables for his contribution to a Stone Soup supper in Fernwood to help raise money for micro-loans for urban agriculture. “There’s still a bit of a hippy vibe here — we have more restaurants per capita than any place in North America — but a lot of people are really getting back to their roots, too,” he says, scrolling through his contacts and pointing out all of Victoria’s “young, passionate food fighters, interested in food and helping people.” When he’s not volunteering, MacIsaac is running the Island’s first all-local catering business, Passioneat Foods, teaching classes at Cook Culture (the Ethical Carnivore class is popular), and producing his own TV cooking show. “When I realized there was such a good food system here, I fell in love with Victoria,” he says. “Our catering company procures what’s fresh directly from growers — farm-to-table weddings are my specialty.”

dwane macisaac

 Meat — er, meet — Cory Pelan. He’s the chef behind the smokin’ hot new concept, the Whole Beast. It’s a salumeria — that’s the Italian version of French charcuterie — that shares space with the Village Butcher on Oak Bay Avenue. Between the butcher, carving up carcasses on a thick butcher block behind the meat counter, and Pelan’s cases filled with smoky bacon, guanciale, dry salamis and lonzino, this is one meaty little storefront. Pelan was working at La Piola Ristorante when he caught curing fever and began devoting his Sundays off to the smokehouse. the Shakers “It was hard to get good cured meats, so I starting making guanciale and pancetta for the cory's guilty pleasure? restaurant,” he says. A lot of personal study, along with help from Vancouver’s cure king Robert Belcham and Pelan’s new partner Geoff Pinch (a graduate of stages at Vancouver’s Oyama Sausage and smoky JN&Z Deli), helped get the Whole Beast off the ground two years ago. But Pelan’s university degree in biology didn’t hurt. “I have no fear of learning the science behind the art, and I’ve done a lot of research,” he says, launching into an explanation of the “microbiological terroir” that affects the flavour of cured meats around the world. “And, I like the history behind it just as much.”

cory pelan

“Really good chocolate. I'm very excited about all the amazing chocolate available in Victoria right now.”

“Comfort food is the most misused term. All food should be comforting, and unhealthy food is not comfortable.”

“Fusion — this sh-t is everywhere.”

–James Avila, Fiamo

– Oliver Kienast, Wild Mountain

– Daryl Pope, the Pacific and Mark restaurant

tara black

chef illustrations by pip knott

 Tara Black and her partner Marion Neuhauser are longtime friends — and now business partners at Origin Gluten-Free Bakery. While neither have gluten issues, they saw a niche in Victoria’s baking market and joined forces to fill it. It started with a table of gluten-free bread and pastries at a local farmer’s market. Now, the partners operate two 100 per cent gluten-free bakeries in the city. And whether it’s tender scones, chewy baguettes, peanut butter cookies or pizzas to go, Black says she’s committed to creating gluten-free choices that don’t disappoint. “I love chemistry: seeing what I can tinker with to make something that’s appetizing, safe and healthy to eat, without changing the basic construct of the food,” says Black. She started with staples — a pepita bread, a granola bar — and now bakes breads, cookies and cakes (even wedding cakes) that even customers who can consume gluten crave. Several years of baking in top city bakeries didn’t prepare Black for baking without gluten. Her recipes were perfected with lots of research, trial and error, and baking from scratch without master mixes to maximize the flavour and texture of every product on her menu. “From San Francisco to Portland to Vancouver, nobody does what we do or has the range of products we’ve created,” she says.

“Salt. All food benefits from salt. Proper use of salt will elevate your cooking and flavours to the next level.” – Dan Hayes, the London Chef

“Bacon! I know it is a bit of a cop-out, but really, it is so versatile, you can use it for any course.” –Tom Corless, Belmiro’s

“The humble onion.” – Oliver Kienast, Wild Mountain

“Lemon. Brightens everything I cook. I use [it] like salt.” –Jeff Hetherington, Pig BBQ Joint



Chefs weigh in on great and gross ingredients Chefs hate the fakers…

the Shakers

Chefs love the basics…

“Sous-vide. Yawn.”



Others reprimand:

“Commercial bases/ powders (artificial in flavour and insulting to the genuine article).”

“Imitation crab meat.”

–James Marinoff, Bon Bistro + Bar

— Kellan Musseau, the Superior

– Peter Zambri, Zambri’s

“Artificial smoke.”

“Store-bought stocks (tastes like dirty boiled water), canned black olives (tastes like soft metal) and bad/fake parmesan (smells like dirty feet).” – Oliver Kienast, Wild Mountain

trending or passÉ?

Are we done with the kale trend? chefs say no way!

Love it

85% Over it

5% So-so

10%

Meals on Wheels Looking for fast local food? Look no further than the rolling kitchens of Victoria’s creative food truckers.

PUERTO VALLARTA AMIGOS Yates & Wharf, Uptown Mall and Fisherman’s Wharf, 250-514-5362, pvamigos.com This colourful Mexican taco truck has a floating location on Fisherman’s Wharf and two rolling restaurants (trucks) that park downtown at the corner of Yates and Wharf Street and at Uptown Mall. Get authentic quesadillas, tortas, and tacos in many flavours — a fave is the slow-cooked beef barbacoa.

DAIDOCO facebook.com/daidoco Searching for your favourite Japanese restaurant? Naotatsu and Kaori Ito may have closed their popular downtown

deli but they’re back — on wheels. Look for their little trailer, panelled in knotty cedar, on Saturdays at the Moss Street Market this summer. They’re still looking for a permanent weekday location so stay tuned.

HUNGRY ROOSTER 733 Courtney Street, 250-888-5200, hungryrooster.ca This hungry rooster has an Eastern vibe — Polish perogies and sausages are the staples, but you’ll get them served with creative toppings. All homemade and ethically-sourced from organic or natural BC farms, it’s the comfort food on the street. Check online to see exactly where they’re parked today.

TACO JUSTICE LEAGUE 1580 Cook Street, 250-588-5400 tacojustice.com Committed to “fighting hunger, one taco at a time,” the Taco Justice League sets up shop on Cook Street and offers a creative collection of Cali-Mex, Asian Fusion and West Coast-style tacos. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook for menus.

LA TAQUISA 325 Cook Street, 250-889-5803, lataquisa.com This yummy Mexican food can be found in the Cook Street Village outdoor food court or in their new Vic West bricks-and-mortar location. Build your own taco or burritos on their handmade

Boy, was my face red! Chefs share their most embarrassing moments (We promised not to tell. We lied.) “Falling for a classic chef initiation: When I was a newbie, the chef sent me for a souffle pump. I rummaged around in the pastry shop and finally came back with something 15 minutes later. Souffle pumps do not exist.” – Andrew Langley, Pizzeria Prima Strada Cook Street

“I put a coffee energy drink in an onion soup instead of beer.” – Paul Beggs, Pescatores/the Oyster Bar

“Getting cilantro stuck in my teeth at an awards banquet and my wife having to tell me about it in front of everyone.”

“When I was 15, washing dishes in quite a nice place, I saw the chef was making some weird-looking white things in a red sauce. I, being a bit confused, said, ‘are those marshmallows?’ Turns out it was gnocchi ... and the entire kitchen overheard.”

– Cory Pelan, the Whole Beast

– Kellan Musseau, the Superior

“It was when I first started out. I was in culinary school, and was learning how to be a server. I dropped a TRAY of red wine into a woman’s open purse. She was not pleased. It was then I knew ... I wanted to be a chef — tucked in the back.”

“I was making bread pudding, training under my chef at that time. It came out of the oven not looking set. It didn’t rise like it should have. My chef came over and was curious as to why it didn’t turn out, and I said I followed the recipe. He goes to check his recipe to see if it’s the recipe’s fault. After about 20 minutes, I found the eggs sitting on my station that were meant to go into the bread pudding. I didn’t tell the chef. [For weeks], the whole kitchen knew that I left the eggs out but still no one said anything.”

–Jena Stewart, Devour

– Daryl Pope, the Pacific and Mark restaurants

“We have finally somewhat caught up to the rest of the country with regards to portable food. I have been to almost every truck in the city. All of them are a standout.” Peter Zambri

corn tortillas, with fillings ranging from flank steak baked in adobo crispy Baja-style shrimp or mole with cheese, and fresh red or green salsa.

FINEST AT SEA FISH CART 27 Erie Street, 250-383-7760, finestatsea.com Finest At Sea has a rolling kitchen outside its seafood store near Fisherman’s Wharf, serving a hot lunch every day, like BC halibut and salmon burgers, fish and chips, and the Pacific Rim chowder created by their friends down at Red Fish Blue Fish.

AYO EAT 140 – 560 Johnson Street (courtyard, northwest corner), ayoeat.com

Don’t ever tell us that… ...“we’re all healthy hipster yogis.”

Not exactly a truck, but a takeout window all the same, with a permanent residency in the Market Square courtyard. Get your Indonesian chicken satay, nasi goreng and green curry here and head over to the nearest picnic table for lunch.

THE REFINER DINER 1917 Quadra Street, 250-884-5643, refinerdiner.com Victoria’s first bio-diesel food truck, the Refiner Diner is refining street food with their classic Quebec poutine, beefy Philly Cheesesteak and crispy oyster po’ boy sandwiches. Look for the diner sandwich board and don’t miss the handmade beignets.

Are local chefs mad about saffron? 40 per cent say no

– Andrew Langley, Pizzeria Prima Strada Cook Street

...“the food scene is young here. It’s been fantastic for quite some time now.”

40% 35% 25%

– Peter Zambri, Zambri’s

... we’re “the hippy, granola-loving city. You have no idea how much baby lamb we sell here.” – Garrett Schack, Chateau Victoria/Vista 18/Clive’s

“You have to be moderate with it or else the dish tastes like a Marlboro cigarette.” -Anthony Hodda, Matisse

35 per cent say yes “saffron is sexy.” -dan hayes, the London Chef

25 per cent say it’s too expensive or too easily overused “I’m mad AT saffron for being so damn expensive!” -cory pelan, the Whole Beast

Here’s a tip from Oliver Kienast of Wild Mountain: “Cheapest saffron in town is at the Oak Bay [Rexall] at Richmond and Fort Streets.”

lesson

Go to your favourite restaurant in a zombie apocalypse. These chefs will take care of you. We asked:

It’s the zombie apocalypse. What tool from the kitchen would you grab to aid your survival?

“Wine crank, without question. There will have to be some civility, and I’m pretty sure I could take out a biter with one.” – Garrett Schack, Chateau Victoria/ Vista 18/Clive’s

“My cleaver, “How better which I to eat don’t even brains than know why to use I have in the trusty a burger immersion lounge.” blender?” – Mike Ringland, Bin 4 Burger Lounge

–Jena Stewart, Devour

“Ravioli maker, because if you’re going to end up dead you might as well do it scarfing foie gras-stuffed pasta with Sauternes.” –James Avila, Fiamo 25

Chintz & Company 1720 Store Street Victoria, BC 250-381-2404 chintz.com Lana Lounsbury Interiors #103 1931 Mount Newton Cross Rd Victoria, BC 250-665-7795 www.llinteriors.ca 26

Design One Stevens 1503 Fell Street Victoria, BC 250-598-5714 info@designone-stevens.com Morganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fabrics & Interiors 2070 Cadboro Bay Rd Victoria, BC 250-598-4011 morgansinteriors@shaw.ca

Hartmann & Company 241 Selby Street, Nanaimo, BC 250-754-2288 1-800-665-2833 hartmannandcompany.com

Slegg Lumber 2901 Sooke Road Victoria, BC 250-478-5509 michellew@slegglumber.com

The Finished Room #5-2353 Bevan Ave. Sidney, BC 778-426-1515 www.thefinishedroom.ca

Eating in:

Take and Bake Many restaurants offer takeout, but Victoria has some fine caterers with retail shops filled with healthy meals to reheat at home. Here’s a taste:

DE’LISH

CHEF ON THE RUN

Another hidden gem of Oak Bay, De’lish is part killer coffee bar, part stylish café and part takeout/catering shop. De’lish attracts dog walkers, cyclists and ladies who lunch, from morning coffee breaks to grab-and-go dining. The place is tiny, but you’ll find a heated patio out front, and a tidy lawn to lounge on during a sunny afternoon with your pooch. Pick up one of their house-baked baguettes or just stop in for a slab of sweet potato quiche. The chocolate croissant is a must and they’re famed for the perfect lemon tart. The tasty soups and spaghetti and meatballs, ready to take home from the fridge or freezer, put mom’s to shame. 677 St. Patrick St. | delishcateringoakbay.ca

Dining solo? Try the simple $8 takeout meals from Chef on the Run. With protein, starch and two veggies (or three if you’re counting carbs) and a menu that changes weekly, it’s an easy, healthy alternative to cooking for one. Try the rotini bolognaise with Italian meatballs in tangy marinara sauce, Thai chicken with brown rice and broccoli, or tenderloin medallions with rhubarb chutney — or go for the comforting pies and quiche. The wall of freezers is loaded with frozen soups and full meals, all available for quick pickup or delivery. 2020 Oak Bay Ave. | chefontherun.ca

DEMITASSE CAFÉ & GARDEN CENTRE The cup is definitely half full at this eclectic hive of enterprise on a neighbourhood street in Oak Bay. Half hidden behind a jungle of potted plants that offer both great browsing for gardeners and a leafy spot to sit outside, this coffee shop offers house-made goodies, from samosas and pizza to freshly-baked bread. Have your fair trade coffee while contemplating which new specimen to add to your garden, try a seasonal wrap for lunch, or pick up your pizza dough to go (with all of the best imported toppings from their deli) to make at home. 2164 McNeil Ave. | demitasse.ca

COOK’S DAY OFF You could easily call this Cook’s Month Off considering all of the tasty stuff available here — both fresh and frozen. Meat-stuffed squash is a fave of one Boulevard staffer but I vote for the lasagna. Whether you go for vegetable, seafood, chicken and artichoke, or spicy sausage lasagna, get a piece and eat in at the counter, or take home a whole frozen pan of your favourite. They also have a full selection of yummy cold and hot hors d‘oeuvres (prosciutto and blue cheese wrapped pears, warm cheesy mushroom ragout, cheeseburger sliders with garlic aioli, or camembert and bacon wontons) — many frozen and ready to pop in the oven to impress guests — plus great desserts, too. 1883 Fort St. | cooksdayoff.ca

What chefs chow down on in their own kitchens

“Panko-crusted snapper, quinoa and steamed broccoli. Even my fouryear-old likes it.” –Jeff Hetherington, Pig BBQ Joint

“Grilled fish with olive oil, lemon and sea salt. Simple and delicious.” – Dan Hayes, the London Chef

“We make our own tortillas for tacos. It’s easy, quick and you can fill it with whatever you want.”

“At home, cooking is simply a means of survival! Hence the perpetual pot of quinoa on the stove.”

– Brad Holmes, ulla

–Jena Stewart, Devour

“Whatever my wife is making. She’s an awesome cook.” – Cory Pelan, the Whole Beast

30% of chefs pick “home” as their favourite place to eat during their downtime.

To Market There’s no doubt that a public market is a public service, and Victorians are about to be served even better when a swanky new downtown market opens this month. After years of pushing and planning, the volunteer-run Victoria Downtown Public Market Society (VDPMS) has found a home in the Hudson, the repurposed historic 1921 Hudson’s Bay retail store. Among the large concrete pillars, where customers once came for ladies’ wear and shoes, the region’s finest farmers and food purveyors are now setting up shop. Imagine, a single spot offering favourite local foods — Salt Spring Island Cheese, Wildfire Bakery bread, Cowichan Bay Seafood and Tortilleria Monterrey Mexican eats, along with local meats, sustainable seafood, and an ever-changing menu of fresh produce from area farms. “This puts everything under one roof,” says Maryanne Carmack, the market’s administrator. “We can grow food here all year round and this will really help to raise

We all have one:

what food is your guilty pleasure?

awareness about local food.” The Victoria Public Market at the Hudson will be open Tuesdays through Sundays, with several fulltime vendors including a permanent greengrocer, bakery, butcher and cheesemonger. Smaller purveyors can rent 100 sq. ft. “micro-business kiosks.” There are day tables for farmers and, in season, an outdoor area for vendors and food trucks. The 18,000 sq. ft. space also includes a central commercial kitchen, where chefs will offer cooking demos and farmers can produce value-added food products. While this isn’t a public market in the strictest sense — there is no public money to subsidize the project or the space — VDPMS is confident that its non-profit model, showcasing local food purveyors and producers, will become Victoria’s local food hub. The group has signed a five-year contract with the Hudson District’s developer, Townline, to manage the market space, while permanent vendors will have three- to five-year leases.

“Peanut butter. I’ll eat a jar with a spoon. Or Cheez Whiz, same deal.”

“Me love cookie.”

– James Marinoff, Bon Bistro + Bar

– Kellan Musseau, the Superior

“We want to create a destination.” Come to shop for fresh farm produce on Wednesdays and Saturdays, or just stop in for a tasty bite. Expect a satellite of the popular Foo Asian Street Food, a Silk Road tea bar, and an outpost of Vikram Vij’s popular Vancouver restaurant. New concepts include Vancouver Island Salt Company’s spice shop, a pie shop, an English “Jacket Potato” vendor, and Roast, a rotisserie offering local Szasz sausages and other roasted meats for sandwiches and takeout. “We want to create a destination,” Carmack says, adding the market will also have a stage featuring local musicians. Sounds like a fun place to be — and a great place to shop.

Opening date: June 22.

– Jeff Hetherington, Pig BBQ Joint

“Pulled pork. It’s just so darn tasty.”

“I never feel guilty when I’m eating.” – Andrew Langley, Pizzeria Prima Strada Cook Street

This Little Piggy There’s no doubt we’ve all gone whole hog for pig: bacon, cracklings, chops and char sui. Here is our ongoing list of yummy porky bits around town:  Rack of tender Island ribs or bacon brittle ice cream at Smoken Bones Cookshack  Pulled pork (in a sandwich or piled on poutine) at Pig BBQ Joint  Ayrshire bacon from Glenwood Meats  Sloping Hill Farm pastured pork hock terrine at Choux Choux Charcuterie  Smoky garlic ham sausage, bacon and hams at Cook ‘n Pan Polish Deli  Local swine burger at the Pink Bicycle  Perfect pancetta and guanciale at the Whole Beast  Szasz third-generation Hungarian garlic and paprika pork sausage  Red Barn Market’s house-smoked bacon  Pork belly with crispy crackling at Ça Va  House-made Taiwanese pork sausages with kimchi at Kulu  Stillmeadow Farm Berkshire pork from the Village Butcher

Most local chefs agree ... that snout-to-tail is the way to be

95%

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say they use it all (or wish they could)

“Skin is my current favourite.” –Jeff Keenliside, Marina Restaurant

“Mmm, ears.” – Kellan Musseau, the Superior

“Long live pork fat!” –Tom Corless, Belmiro’s

“McD’s french fries. All the other “Fresh-baked chefs might deny it, but it’s true. apple fritters. They can’t be beat.” Easily.” – Garrett Schack , Chateau Victoria/Vista 18/Clive’s

– Jena Stewart, Devour

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Creative, New,

Noteworthy Ideas TRADING SPACES The duelling blackboards say it all, but you might have to check your watch — after 4 pm it’s fish and chips with mushy peas; any time earlier, you can tuck into authentic Mexican fare, from breakfast huevos rancheros to handmade tamales. At Gosworth Fish and Chips/Tequila House, two restaurants “timeshare” a single space — a creative way to keep two small businesses busy! 3009 Gosworth Rd.

LEARN AT LUNCH

AMY, INTERIOR DESIGNER

Don’t get stuck at your desk on your lunch hour — take a 45 minute cooking class and have a gourmet lunch, all in an hour, at the London Chef’s Lunch and Learn. You’ll wish you had their stoves! From 12–1 pm. thelondonchef.com

WE OFFER A NO CHARGE SHOP AT HOME SERVICE WITH OUR IN-STORE

INTERIOR DESIGNER Solid Wood Furniture. Locally Owned & Operated. Made to Order. Made in Canada.

OUR PLACE, THEIR PLACE 1-2745 Bridge Street, Victoria, BC 250.590.7133 maxfurniture.ca

Our Place is more than just a soup kitchen — it’s a place to house and help some of Victoria’s neediest citizens. Beyond serving 36,000 nutritious meals a month, they’ve joined the Sooke Animal Food and Rescue Society to offer a food bank for pets, so that homeless and low-income Victorians can hold onto their faithful companions. sookeanimalfoodbank@gmail.com

CYCLE OF LIFE There’s more than enough food to go around in Victoria, and LifeCyles helps spread the joy with volunteer projects like Sharing Backyards, which links people with garden space to those who want to grow, and the Tree Fruit Project, which harvests fruit from private, backyard trees that would otherwise go to waste. These urban agriculture warriors are on the cutting edge of the spade. Join them. lifecyclesproject.ca

BEAUTIFUL FOOD If art imitates life, it’s on the plate at ulla. We eat with our eyes and Chef Brad Holmes has a way with plating — the form, the line, the negative space, the colours — that truly makes his plates works of art. Yes, taste is paramount, but when it comes in such a clean, beautiful package, I like what I see. ulla.ca

WALK ABOUT A great way to explore Victoria’s culinary treasures — and work off all of those yummy sips and noshes — is on foot. Hook up with a food expert on one of the city’s culinary walking tours, where you can Travel with Taste alongside Kathy McAree in the urban jungle (travelwithtaste.com), get the lowdown on all things Asian on a Chinatown tour with chef Heidi Fink (chefheidifink.com), or follow Karma Brophy on her tasty tours through Oak Bay or the new Victoria Downtown Public Market (feastconcierge.ca). 30 south island boulevard ad green h.indd 1

1/7/13 12:12:42 PM

Are blondies the new trend? A blondie is like a brownie, but uses brown sugar instead of cocoa and often has a butterscotch flavour.

Brownies are still the favourite for 45 per cent of chefs.

45% 30%

Neither “Is there meat in either of these things?” -Cory Pelan, the Whole Beast

25% Blondies get 25 per cent of the votes.

Pressure’s on:

Local chefs predict the next big thing

“The meat pie is going to take “Pop-up dinners and Victoria by storm.” gourmet food trucks!” – Garrett Schack, Chateau Victoria/Vista 18/Clive’s

– Oliver Kienast, Wild Mountain

“The replicator, like on Star Trek. ‘Replicator, I would like the same meal that Escoffier offered his guests on June 15, 1893, at the Savoy Hotel, please.’” – Peter Zambri, Zambri’s

“Seeds and ancient grains like quinoa and farro will become more popular as more people try to avoid wheat grains.” –Tom Corless, Belmiro’s

“Actual classic dishes that haven’t been deconstructed or reconstituted or gelified or freeze-dried.” –Jeff Keenliside, Marina Restaurant

“I think the next big thing will be chefs being more involved in cultivating their own food. We are already getting to know our farmers and suppliers and caring more about where food comes from ... the next logical step is for us to get more involved in the process.” – Dan Hayes, the London Chef

[Great prediction, Dan — check out what restaurateur Mike Murphy is up to in Secrets and Lives, page 98]

bring on

brunch Where and why we are willing to wait ď § by anna kemp

While British writer Guy Beringer was the first to coin the word “brunch” in print, arguments about the origin of the meal abound. Some say it grew from England’s lavish pre-hunt breakfasts, and others from the Catholic post-mass Sunday meal. Whatever its beginnings, Victorians have embraced the urban weekend brunch tradition. Here is a roundup of Victoria’s brunching hotspots and their highlights.

WING'S Take-out RESTAURANT

or eat-in menu Lunch & known for delicious Dinner Buffets oriental cuisine at very Combination reasonable prices dinners for 1 to 8 90

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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

daily

FREE

HO DELI ME VER wit h min

$20 or imum

der

The retro-brunch

The retro-brunch (my term) plays with the image of the American diner, offering classic breakfast items, friendly service and 1950s decor. John’s Place, a local favourite, pioneered this retro-chic style 29 years ago. The portions are huge, the lineups long and the breakfast fare so good they were featured on the Food Network. Floyd’s Diner and Spoons also playfully embrace the diner esthetic in decor and menu. They serve good-sized portions, and if you fancy a flutter with your meal, flip a coin to win or pay double for “the Mahoney” at Floyd’s or “the Prussa” at Spoons.  John’s Place, 723 Pandora Ave., 8 am–4 pm, wait times 10-15 minutes, $5.95–13.95  Floyd’s Diner, 866 Yates St., 8 am–4 pm, wait times 10-20 minutes, $6.95–14.95  Spoons, 2915 Douglas St. (bottom of Super 8 Motel), 7 am–4 pm, wait times 0–15 minutes, $6–13

Brunch = bennies

Eggs Benedict (traditionally, ham and poached egg on an English muffin, topped with hollandaise sauce) features on virtually every local brunch menu. Among the many great bennies to be had in Victoria, the Blue Fox Cafe, over 20 years in the brunch biz, serves a “Moroccan chicken benny” to die for. Shine Cafe also serves brilliant gourmet bennies with 11 varieties on the menu.  The Blue Fox Cafe, 919 Fort St., 8 am–3 pm, wait times 15–30 minutes, $7–13.50  Shine Cafe, 1548 Fort St. and 1320 Blanshard St., 8 am–3 pm, wait times 20–35 minutes, $10.95–13.95 33

Hair of the proverbial dog

Whether taking the edge off a hangover or starting the day with celebratory cheer, drinking with brunch has become a tradition, especially among late-night carousers. Ferris’ serves a wide variety of boozy breakfast cocktails with their delightful brunch meals (Saturday upstairs and Sunday downstairs). Pagliacci’s, one of Victoria’s oldest and best-known restaurants, offers a selection of delectable champagne cocktails and a menu that never disappoints.  Ferris’, 536 Yates St., wait times 5–20 minutes, $6–13  Pagliacci’s, 1001 Broad St. Sundays only, 10 am–3 pm, wait times 5–20 minutes, $10–14

Dim sum

A popular Chinese meal, especially on the weekends, dim sum consists of a wide variety of dumplings, steamed buns and other delicious dishes wheeled by on carts from which you can pick and choose. The Jade Fountain, underneath the Red Lion, outshines its unassuming location with the freshness and variety of the dim sum dishes, but it can get very busy. Golden City Restaurant and Don Mee Seafood Restaurant in Chinatown are also popular. Dim sum is usually charged per dish chosen. Be prepared to spend between $12 and $25 per person.  Jade Fountain, 3366 Douglas St., 10:30 am–2:30 pm  Don Mee Chinese Seafood Restaurant, 538 Fisgard St., 10 am–2:30 pm  Golden City Restaurant, 721 Fisgard St., weekends from 10 am–2:30 pm

Tables for two

Whether bathing in a romantic afterglow, or nervously planning a first date, Lady Marmalade makes a great choice with plenty of double tables, great food and a casual atmosphere. The Clay Pigeon, possibly Victoria’s bestkept brunch secret, is light-filled, relaxed and very romantic. The food is high-quality, creative and beautifully presented.  Lady Marmalade, 608 Johnson St., 8 am–4 pm, wait times 10–30 minutes, $12–15  Clay Pigeon, 1002 Blanshard St., 7:30 am–3 pm, usually no wait, $7–15 34

Gluten-free and vegetarian favourites

While most restaurants have vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, Mo:Lé stands out with its high-end food and many fresh choices. The Village offers lots of gluten-free options, serving their breakfasts with the option of a latke (a potato pancake) instead of bread. Gluten-free does not have to mean low-calorie!  Mo:Lé Restaurant, 554 Pandora Ave., 8 am–4 pm, wait times 10–35 minutes, $10–15  The Village Cafe, 2518 Estevan Ave., 8 am–3 pm, wait times up to 45 minutes, $10–16

Currently trending, and with good reason

Victoria’s most talked-about brunch place right now is Jam Cafe. At peak brunch rush, prepare to wait in line, but Jam is worth the wait. Their menu offers creative twists on traditional items using top-quality ingredients. The decor is intriguing, the portions are generous and the service is friendly.  Jam Cafe, 542 Herald St., 8 am–3 pm, wait times 10–30 minutes, $7–13

All-you-can-eat, with style

One of the fanciest brunches around is the Sunday buffet at the Marina Restaurant in Oak Bay. They serve fresh squeezed juices, traditional breakfast fare, a variety of seafood and more, all with a side of breathtaking ocean views.  The Marina Restaurant, 1327 Beach Dr., Sunday only from 9:30 am, reservations recommended, $30.95 per adult; $25.95 seniors; $15.95 child.

Brunch is cheerful, sociable and inciting. It is talkcompelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week. -Guy Beringer (1895, Hunter’s Weekly, “Brunch: A Plea.”)

Harem-licious — Invite friends over for dinner this summer, but dine while lounging on big cushions on the floor. Look good doing it in any one of this season’s voluminous jumpsuits. Katie: Plenty by Tracey Reese jumpsuit, $225, at Nest & Cradle; Yosi Samra “Ariel” flats, $149, at Public Boutique. Kiah and Jessica: Black Crane “balloon jumper,” $180, at Public Boutique. Mercedes: Michal Negrin jumpsuit, $302; rings, cocktail and vintage style adjustable rings with Swarovski crystals, ranging from $57 to $120; leather pouch, $226; bracelet, $86; necklace, 1940s-inspired “Impassion” necklace with nephrite sunset chain and Swarovski crystals, $515; earrings, $67. All available at Michal Negrin boutique. Shoes, Trotters cognac brown, $125, at Cardino Shoes in Duncan.

Sensuous Simplicity This summer, take time to just sit — to languidly lounge, to experience a happening or to just be — with yourself and with others. The small story for this season’s fashion is maximum volume and oversized shapes: the lengths are long, the widths are wide. But the big story for summer is quite simply Simplicity. Crisp whites, heat-holding blacks and lines as minimal and clean as a Diego Rivera painting create silhouettes that will stand out against summer’s bouquet of bursting life and ripening fruit.  by lia crowe  photography by dean azim

The Midriff — Fashion’s new favourite flash of skin. Mercedes: Milly long easy skirt, $550, at Bernstein & Gold; Bridget Savard white Hadley crop top, $110, contact bridgetsavarddesigns@ gmail.com; A Peace Treaty “Awjila” necklace, $265, at Public Boutique; Saraswati “Muse” brass ring, $42, at Nest & Cradle. Pippa: Josa Tulum black lounge dress, $48, at Verve Fashions; Twoa necklace, $116, at Sunday’s Snowflakes. Kiah and Jessica: Ace & Jig shimmy dress, $169, at Nest & Cradle; Karen Walker “Northern Lights” sunglasses, $265, at Public Boutique.

Up close with Mercedes Bátiz-Benét s a child, Mercedes BátizBenét was very shy. In elementary school, she was called torito — “bull” — because she always had her head down. “I got tired of being like that,” she says. “One day, I realized that I want to be the protagonist in my own life — I need to take charge.” Today, this dark horse runs with two distinct perspectives on the world. Never sitting idle, she is always learning and always grasping at the next creation waiting to be made.

A trusted friend recommended I use Bátiz-Benét as my model for Boulevard’s June fashion shoot, calling her beautiful and also very strong. “She has had a very interesting life,” she added. I met Bátiz-Benét for the first time when she arrived at my house for hair and makeup early on shoot day. The Feist song “Honey Honey” played loudly on the record player. “Okay, let’s get going,” I said, and clapped my hands. She smiled and in her soft voice said, “Sorry, that’s just weird that you’re playing this song. I worked on this [2009 Juno awardwinning] music video with Feist and I haven’t heard it since then.” Since we were on a tight shoot schedule, her words went in one ear and out the other as I ushered her into the makeup chair, only to come back into my head later that night. “What? Feist video? Hmmm.” I had to find out more about this woman. Regretting my shortsightedness at not interviewing her while I had her in my grasp, I tracked down the Mexican-born Bátiz-Benét in Vancouver, where she was prepping

for the Vancouver run of Puente Theatre’s production of El Jinete: The Rider — A Mariachi Opera, written and directed by none other than Bátiz-Benét herself. On the corner of Main Street and 14th, we met over a coffee, four cigarettes and a decent dose of sunshine and inspiring conversation. Bátiz-Benét has been the artistic director of the Victoria-based Puente (which means “bridge” in Spanish) Theatre for the last two years of its 25-year history. The company’s mission is to use theatre as a bridge between cultures. “I love both film and theatre,” says the 35-year-old Victoria resident. “This project ... really merges both.” All of the sets are video projection, she says. “I think theatre needs that these days. Our attention span is so short that you have to give a lot of input to people watching a play.” Bátiz-Benét was inspired to create El Jinete by her love of mariachi music and Mexican cinema. “I realize that in Canada what people here think of mariachi is the really crappy, cheesy trio that they see on holiday to Mexico, but it’s a tradition spanning from the 1600s,” she says. She says that the 1920s to ‘50s in Mexico was “the golden age of Mexican cinema, all told through mariachi music and heroes. I wanted to pay homage to both things.”

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Born in Mexico City, Bátiz-Benét came to Canada to attend university in 1997. “Mexico was getting to be too dangerous for me. In Victoria you can be on the streets and no one will attack you,” she says. “It is so safe that it allowed me to go inward to write and create.” In addition to her role with Puente Theatre, she is also a writer, theatre director, playwright, and cinematographer. She holds BFAs in creative writing in both poetry and drama, with a minor in film studies. She also has an honours BA in philosophy as well as a diploma in film production. “I have been able to do the life that I want here and I’m able to live off my art, which I couldn’t do in Mexico,” she says. What Bátiz-Benét enjoys about creating is “the grasping,” she says. “I never like to feel comfortable. Once I get there with something, I want to start grasping for something else. What I love most in life is to

Waterlily â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Pant legs are in super-wide full bloom. Mercedes: Bridget Savard Hadley crop top, $110, contact bridgetsavarddesigns@gmail.com; Enza Costa wide-legged linen pants, $140, at Nest & Cradle.

Olé! — Don’t let Flamenco dancers have all the fun; feel just as womanly as these divas in a full, voluminous, to-the-ground dress. Mercedes: Eliza Faulkner linen Edwina dress in dove grey, $590, at Still Life for Her; Camper “Right Nina” sandal in tangerine, $130, at Still Life for Her; A Peace Treaty “Awjila” necklace, $265, at Public Boutique.

learn, to figure things out.” I ask Bátiz-Benét about working on the music video for Feist’s “Honey Honey.” She made and operated some of the puppets, while her husband did all the other puppets and wrote the story. Director Anthony Seck and Bátiz-Benét hit it off, so the video led to a further collaboration. When Seck was directing Look at What the Light Did Now, a feature-length documentary on Feist and her process as an artist, he asked her to come along as a cinematographer on the trip across Canada on Feist’s tour bus. “It was awesome. Feist then came down to Mexico City for the Mexican premiere of the film. We toured her around — it was hilarious,” she says. The film won a Juno in 2012.

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Against the odds Life in Canada has not always been easy. Bátiz-Benét suffered a serious back injury in film school when a film camera accidentally fell on her back. “It took a long time to heal. I was paralyzed from the neck down for one year,” she says. “I don’t really like talking about that — it was a dark time.” Then, years later, she was bitten by a tick, contracting Lyme disease as well as other harmful bacteria, sending her on another long healing path. For the first four months, she says she was so sick she didn’t know whether she would live or die. “There was a lot of pain,” she says. “But I had learned from my back injury how to be diligent and get through things.” And Bátiz-Benét has definitely persevered. “All of these difficult things … have hardened me, but also allowed me to relax in life because I’m not afraid of bad things,” she says. “I’ve learned the most about the world and myself through the things that are hard.” Bátiz-Benét reflects on the challenge of being an immigrant. “As an immigrant you can never go back. I will never be purely Mexican again and I will never be fully Canadian,” she says. She loves Canada, which she has made her home. “But I miss Mexico and the passion of the Mexican people. They are ready to die for an idea, which, yes, is extreme. But here people are more on the fence about things.” Most of the time, BátizBenét tells me, she doesn’t really know what

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people here think. “Neither place will ever fully understand me, but that’s fine.” Bátiz-Benét says. “I have two perspectives from which to see the world now. I see everything through a third lens and this third perspective is a present that life has given me.” Concept, Styling and Editorial: Lia Crowe Photography: Dean Azim Makeup: Jen Clark Hair: Ila Meens for Hive Hair and Barber & Fritz Styling Assistant: Dayna Smith Models: Mercedes Bátiz-Benét, Jessica Allerton, Kiah Eccleston, actress Pippa Catling with Jonas the cat, and Katie Twohig with baby Odetta. Flamenco Council: Monique Salez (artistic director and owner of Raino Dance) and dancers Angela Moran, Jasmine Viau, Haida Gouchie, Kemi Craig, and Sahra Kalkan. Special thanks to Abkhazi Gardens for hosting part of our shoot, Bon Macaron Patisserie for an abundance of macarons, Tierre Joline for crafting the beautiful macaron headpieces, and The Mint for Lunch for feeding the troops.

The Boxy Shift — A must-have this season: if you are going to show a lot of leg, then keep it oversized and boxy on top. Mercedes: Part Two tunic dress, $149, at Scala Boutique; A Peace Treaty “Awjila” necklace, $265, at Public Boutique. Dolce Vita shoes in bone wool, $200, at Cardino Shoes in Duncan; Saraswati “Muse” brass rings, $42 and $48, at Nest & Cradle. Kiah and Jessica: Custom headpieces made by local milliner Tierre Joline, tierrejoline.com, made from macarons supplied by Bon Macaron Patisserie; L Space bathing suits, $175 and $195, at Still Life for Her.

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CREATIVE MINDS

“There is an added richness to our work because we developed our careers side-by-side, as partners.” 46

Partners in Fine Art

A Salt Spring couple creates works coveted around the world

 by KATHERINE PALMER GORDON  photography by dean azim

escribing the figurines and paintings that fill Kathy and Deon Venter’s Salt Spring Island gallery as “impressive” is the ultimate in understatement. Sitting, lying, or standing in every corner, Kathy’s life-size ceramic human figures have a warm, vibrant presence, exuding an impression of imminent movement. Deon’s mesmerizing giant canvasses shimmer on the walls behind them, the depicted faces and bodies seeming to constantly shift through multiple layers of paint. They are far more than impressive: they are simply extraordinary. The sheer size of the works gathered in this tiny room should also be overwhelming, but the effect is just the opposite. Instead, they are completely intimate, embracing observers and drawing them effortlessly into the human stories they represent. The couple behind this world-class art is no less remarkable. The Venters met in first-year art school in their native South Africa and have been together ever since. They are also artists who have been committed to a creative partnership for nearly 40 years. “There is an added richness to our work because we developed our careers side-by-side, as partners,” says Kathy, 61, whose work will be on display at Toronto’s Gardiner Museum May 30 to September 15. The whole, adds Deon, 60, is greater than the sum of the two parts: “We’ve always shared our professional lives as well as our personal lives. 47

36 of Kathy’s sculptures will be shown at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto from May 30 to September 15.

We listen to each other’s ideas and are always learning together. As artists, it’s been a very good relationship and a very good process for us both.”

THE VIOLENCE WAS TOO MUCH TO BEAR The couple fled their homeland for Canada in 1989. Politically opposed to South Africa’s apartheid system, Deon had been teaching art at one of the only two black universities in the country. Professionally, he says, the experience was phenomenal. It was also a culturally 48

rich time for the whole family, says Kathy. But there was little indication back then that the system would eventually change, and the increasing chaos and violence around them finally became too much to endure. With three young children in tow the Venters headed to Vancouver, where several galleries had started carrying their work. Just nine months later, the family made another escape: this time from the big-city noise and bustle to the peace and quiet of bucolic Salt Spring Island.

Kathy immediately experienced what she describes as an “explosion” of artistic freedom: “In South Africa, everything I did was very tight and contained. The work was a quiet place to be in the middle of chaos. When we moved here, I suddenly found this very active voice. Being somewhere so peaceful set me free to use it.” That voice manifested itself in the form of her trademark ceramic figures, splattered with polychrome hydrostone (a cement-like plaster) and sandblasted to give them a worn, chipped texture

reminiscent of ancient terra-cotta sculpture. Only a handful of artists are doing similar work in the contemporary art world, and there’s a reason for that: it’s damnably difficult. Each of the hollow sculptures takes about six weeks to make. No internal framework is used for support: “It would be impossible to mould them around a frame, because each piece shrinks by about 15 per cent on firing,” explains Kathy. Instead, she painstakingly manipulates the clay into shape, not unlike a potter using a wheel.

“In some ways, I don’t see the sculptures as individual works. Each piece is connected. That’s the magic of it.”  Above: Kathy Venter works on a the hair of a sculpture in which a woman will be hanging upside-down.  Left: The sculptures headed to the Gardiner Museum must be packaged in custom crates, made by Deon, for the journey. 49

 On the West Coast, portraits of missing women are some of Deon’s most wellknown works.  Deon Venter, in his Salt Spring Island studio.

NOT EVERY ATTEMPT WORKS She isn’t forming a symmetrical vessel, however, but the contours and curves of a human body. Every piece is different, just as every model is different, and she’s had her share of disasters. A sitting sculpture is harder than it sounds; as the feet start to dry and shrink they can literally kick the statue backwards if she hasn’t calculated the effect of the shrinkage accurately. Her first attempt at a prone figure also ended in tears when the weight of the back made the whole piece collapse, wasting weeks of effort.

But these are exceptional moments in a career that has taken off in the past two decades. Kathy’s work is now featured in collections and galleries all over the world. One of her pieces will be included in this year’s Vancouver Biennale and the Gardiner Museum show, entitled Life, will feature 36 sculptures, including some never before seen. Show curator, John Grande, is an avid fan of Kathy’s work: “Kathy takes a classical style of sculpture that’s thousands of years old, and reinvents it to be very natural and contemporary in

“...my objective was to give some respectful, visual expression to [the missing women of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside’s] lives.” feel.” Grande expects the show to be very popular: “Her work is universally appealing,” he says. Deon also enjoys a list of international galleries and collections of his paintings that is pages long. On the West Coast, he has become best known for the work he has created since 2002, documenting the missing women from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and Highway 16, known as the “Highway of Tears.”

DOING JUSTICE TO LIVES LOST “I wanted to do justice to the lives of these people,” says Deon, whose searing portraits reproduce the faces of the missing through lines of paint scraped over the canvas, not unlike static on a television screen. “The images have to stand out in their own right as works of art,” he emphasizes. “But my objective was to give some respectful, visual expression to their lives.” After returning recently from a trip to South Africa, Deon is contemplating a landscape series depicting the contemporary sites of battles in the 1899 Anglo-Boer War. “These are very beautiful places with a bizarre history,” he says. “Standing there thinking of the lives that had been lost there, I could feel the hair rising on the back of my neck.” Landscapes in general are occupying his mind; he is also thinking about ways to evoke his adopted coast with the powerful and gritty imagery he believes it deserves. For Kathy, even after two decades, starting a new sculpture still remains an adventure in creativity. She never tires of the process: “In some ways, I don’t see the sculptures as individual works — I always learn something new out of each piece that gets put into the next one. So the process is anything but repetitive. Each piece is connected,” she continues. “That’s the magic of it.” A little like the magic of a couple connected by art and love, perhaps, making extraordinary work and still fulfilling the commitments they made to each other and to their creative lives so many years ago. Kathy Venter’s website is kathyventer.com. Deon Venter’s website is deonventer.com. Their online representative is at robinrelphcontemporary.ch. 52

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Creating a Sea of Resources

FOR MORE STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY MAKING A DIFFERENCE, WATCH CHEK NEWS AT 5PM EVERY SUNDAY FOR VITAL PEOPLE

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

“ORGANIZATIONS HAVE FOUND THAT USING ECO LEARNING HIVE IS A GREAT WAY TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT WHAT THEY DO.” VITAL SIGN: ENVIRONMENT

Engaging youth with their world The South Island is rich with environmental learning opportunities. However, with no central network bringing them all together, audiences were being separated and organizations were missing opportunities to partner.

budget, while parents can find programs to keep their children engaged over the summer. Local environmental educators can add themselves, their programs, and their events to the site.

 CONNECTING EDUCATORS WITH AUDIENCES World Fisheries Trust, a Victoria-based nonprofit organization that works both locally and internationally, has a local focus on supporting hands-on environmental education. In 2009, along with SeaChange Marine Conservation Society, Habitat Acquisition Trust, and Seaquaria in the Schools, they recognized the need for that central educational resource. In 2010, with support and funding from the Victoria Foundation and leadership from World Fisheries Trust, the group established Eco Learning Hive, a network of over 25 local environmental educators providing information on over 40 programs.

 A SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION “Organizations have found that using Eco Learning Hive is a great way to get the word out about what they do,” says Lindsay Cerilli, office manager and projects assistant at World Fisheries Trust. “It’s also creating a spirit of collaboration among the organizations. Instead of competing for the same funding and resources, they’re showcasing the differences between their programs and the niche markets they’ve carved out.” Joachim and Cathy Carolsfeld, Word Fisheries Trust founders, see this network approach as valuable.

Teachers, the main users of the portal, can find field trips that fit their curriculum and

Going forward, Eco Learning Hive hopes to create an even more robust and searchable site, making environmental education on the South Island synergistic and accessible.

Help the Victoria Foundation give Victoria its annual check-up! Take the Vital Signs Survey at: victoriafoundation.ca

Visit the Eco Learning Hive website for a complete list of current environmental education opportunities: ecolearninghive.org

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Castle in the clouds:

An Alberta couple builds their West Coast dream home  by carolyn heiman  photography by leanna rathkelly Just as the moon’s gravitational tug returns the ocean water, and spring propels birds to their nesting grounds, the call of the West Coast was too strong for one transplanted couple to ignore. They built their careers in Alberta but their hearts beat for the Island — especially for Heather, who grew up in Duncan. She forever wanted to move back to the area, so she started the steps in 2007 when she and her husband Bryan purchased a piece of land high on a slope, overlooking a picturesque bay. That began a half-decade design/build journey resulting in a home tailored for entertaining and their visiting adult children. It has also been the catalyst for lasting friendships with their designer and builder.

“This was a real collaborative effort made easier by the fact we all shared a sense of humour along the way,” says Heather about the project, designed by Craig Gibson and built by D’Arcy Beaveridge, owner of Somenos Construction.

Sharing new experiences For Gibson, the chance to work on a large residential project from its inception to the day the keys were turned over was a “once-in-a-lifetime experience,” as designers are often moved off projects once ground is broken. In this case, he stayed onsite for all of the construction, and Beaveridge jests that he had to put a broom in Gibson’s hand “to keep him busy and out of the way.” In truth, the two worked closely, strategizing on ways to make the 7,500-square-foot dream “real” while Heather and Bryan continued to work in Calgary. The couple checked in on progress either online or with periodic visits, staying in a trailer on the site, which added to their appreciation of how the home should be situated. “A lot of my friends and family thought we were crazy building such a big 58

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“A lot of my friends and family thought we were crazy building such a big house, but it doesn’t feel that big to us. It has felt warm and cozy right from the beginning.”

 He likes baths; she likes showers. Neither view is compromised in the spacious ensuite with a floating vanity. A clever pullout shelf built for a hairdryer and iron keeps the counter space tidy.

house, but it doesn’t feel that big to us. It has felt warm and cozy right from the beginning,” says Heather, adding that the configuration of the rooms, and clear separation of public and private spaces, creates the sense of many “hideaway pockets.” Gibson, who trained as a graphic artist, has been designing homes for 22 years. Heather and Bryan threw a number of serious challenges his way, including a complex ceiling design idea which makes deft use of coffering — both square and circular shapes. They got the inspiration from a hotel in Las Vegas. In addition, Bryan wanted the living room to be sunken, something that also adds a sense of rooms to the space. As a bonus, the two steps down improve the view across the bay and add interesting architectural elements to the home; otherwise, the main floor might feel cavernous.

At home in The Spire The couple calls their home “The Spire” after the conical rooms on two levels, one an English-style sports bar where Bryan likes to watch football and one on the main floor that’s an inviting office with a meticulously crafted custom sofa and curved cabinetry. The lower level also features a movie theatre, games room, two bedrooms for children and grandchildren and Heather’s study. Upstairs, in a wing off the main floor’s open space, are a 60

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master bedroom, luxurious ensuite, guest bedroom, home gym, laundry, and powder room. The couple are avid art collectors and that’s reflected in some of the finishing details. Salt Spring glass artist Jerry Ringrose created forged glass doors for wine and china cabinets. The floating bed was designed purposefully to make space for a Montreal artist Stefan Horik painting on the back of a headboard. Two of the couple’s five children are professional cooks and that significantly influenced the spacious kitchen, where many people can comfortably work together. Bryan and Heather enjoy entertaining, evident from their housewarming that saw 70 guests entertained by a three-piece band. “It didn’t at all feel crowded,” says Heather. And it was definitely home. 62

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Supply List

Builder: D'Arcy Beaveridge, Somenos Construction Designer: Craig Gibson Design Interior Design: Leanne McKeachie Painting: Housecalls Painting and Decorating Cabinetry: Creative Woodcraft Ltd. Floor, Wall Coverings: Valley Carpet One Floor & Home Windows: Thermoproof Windows Lighting: Mclaren Lighting, Victoria Plumbing: J.S. Plumbing & Heating Ltd. Rock Mason Work: Cornerstone Castings Floral Design: Leaf & Petal Flower Studio

Carolyn Heiman explores beautiful Island homes each month for Boulevard. If you know of a gorgeous home you’d like to see profiled she can be contacted at cheiman@shaw.ca.

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STUNNING OCEANFRONT. 2.3 acre, 7302 sq. ft. home custom built. Soaring ceilings, marble, hardwood floors. 6 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, kitchen with eating island, pantry, 6 burner stove and granite countertops. Spa-like ensuite baths. Studio suite. Balcony with spectacular view. Close to golf. 425 La Fortune Rd. $2,500,000

SUPERB PARKER AVE. WATERFRONT. Recently refurbished Pamela Charlesworth home will impress even the most discerning buyer. Gleaming Brazilian hardwood floors, soaring vaulted ceilings, & sweeping views of the Ocean to San Juan Island and Mt. Baker’s glowing glacier beyond. Fabulous new kitchen. 4 bedroom, master with commanding views. Private .33 acre lot with patio hot tub, to enjoy the views. Dbl car garage. 5255 Parker Ave., Cordova Bay $1,850,000.00

CONTEMPORARY OCEANFRONT. Stunning architect designed oceanfront home. Unique open floor plan with 9΄ ceilings, & gracious curves and angles. Masterfully updated kitchen with granite counter tops, stainless appliances, & eating bar. Large solarium windows in dining room. Chic living with F.P. & oversized built-ins. 2 spacious bdrms with ens. Loft/office up. Multiple decks. Private street. 317 Bessborough Close. $795,000

SWEEPING OCEAN VIEWS, and ultimate privacy, are yours from this spectacular 5785 sq. ft. West Coast Contemporary home. Situated on a 12 acre private lot, with potential to build three additional homes. Gorgeous entertainment sized rooms, 4 ens. bedrooms plus guest bedroom, 6 baths total. Sensational master suite, with massive deck complete with hot tub. Situated next to a 3200 acre park, close to 3 Marinas, and 2 golf courses and 30 minutes to town. 224 Becher Bay Road. $1,695,000

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.

CAMOSUN

4440 Chatterton Way Victoria mleck@shaw.ca 250.413.7171 margaretleck.com

Spectacular Harbour Front Residence with 9' ceilings. Floor to ceiling windows capturing a panoramic inner harbour view. Covered 240 sq. ft. balcony to enjoy outdoor living all year. Gourmet kitchen for the chef in the family. Open plan perfect for entertaining. 2 master suites for optimum privacy. Separate room with a view for a library, office, TV/family room or dining room that will fit whatever your individual needs are! SHOAL POINT a place you would be proud to call home! $1,150,000 MLS #319327

Sunny, south west facing corner suite overlooks a landscaped courtyard, putting green and waterfalls. Breathtaking views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the snow-capped Olympic Mountains can be viewed from the floor to ceiling windows of this 2 bdrm, 2 1/2 bath plus DEN suite. Bright, spacious plan is great for entertaining. Dream kitchen with custom maple cabinets, granite counter tops, and windows to enjoy the view. Master bdrm/ensuite is separated from the 2nd bdrm/ensuite for maximum privacy. $1,145,000 MLS #318497

SHOAL POINT is one of Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premiere properties and a world class building offering beautiful waterfront living. Walk to the city, stroll along the waterfront, dine out nearby or stay at home and enjoy world class amenities including: 25M lap pool, hot tub, exercise room, putting green, concierge, 24 hr secured entry, guest suites, car wash, work shop and much more! All surrounded by beautiful mature landscaping and waterfalls. Shoal Point, a place youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be proud to call home.

This 1008 sq. ft. condo is perfect for the professional couple or students! The 2 bdrms & 2 bathrooms are separated by the living area, making it easy for a shared lifestyle. 9 ft. ceilings, engineered cherry wood floors, living room with electric fireplace, Master bdrm with walk-in closet & 4 pc ensuite, in-suite laundry. Secured parking & storage locker. Small pets & rentals OK. $349,900 MLS #313027

MILL BAY WATERFRONT 205' of easy access beach front. Includes a two storey beach house on the beach, separate 17' x 11' studio for the artist or guest. The main home can be enjoyed as is, or build you dream home. Minutes to the Mill Bay Marina, or tie up at the buoy out front. $949,000 MLS #305224

Desirable custom built home on Quamichan Lake with dramatic views over the lake and Mount Prevost. Easy access to the lake and your own dock. Low maintenance professionally landscaped .93 acre lot. Oversized double car garage, carport & concrete driveway for additional parking. Level entry ranch style home with fully finished walk-out lower level. From the moment you enter you get a spacious feeling the rooms are large and inviting. Windows, sky lights, and vaulted ceilings make this a very bright home. Fine detail and quality workmanship are evident everywhere. Dream sunlit kitchen with plenty of oak cabinets, centre island, built-in china cabinet, open eating area for family dining or formal dinner parties. Master bedroom/5pc ensuite on main. $895,000

Desirable end unit at PORT ROYAL ESTATE overlooking the development to views of Brentwood Bay and the marina. Adult living. Vault ceilings in the living/dining rm. 200 sq. ft. deck. Large main bdrm & 5 pc. ensuite. Den or 2nd bdrm with private courtyard on main level. Lower level provides guest accom. Attached double garage. $595,000 MLS #321503

design matters

af ter b e f or e an d

after

The countertop selection

Brazilian granite in New Azul Aran informed the other finishes.

Vintage chic

Apron front sinks are especially suitable in vintage homes.

beforehave a & aft you ’d like to shareer Email us B ef o r eAnd at blvdm Af ter@ ag.ca

A Pinteresting restoration:

DIY breathes new life into a tired farmhouse  text and photos by sarah macneill

Grey is the new beige It’s anything but boring. “Museum Piece” by Benjamin Moore creates a calm, contemporary environment.

“T

he serious buyer of this property will have the vision and resources to undertake a task that is not for the faint of heart,” the listing agent’s blurb read. When all other interested buyers wanted to tear down the 1908 McFeely Manor House on six acres in Central Saanich, Jesse Crawford and Tasha Vollo saw restoration potential. This Before & After focuses on the kitchen, but the entire 4,500 sq. ft. house was transformed to match the vintage of the original house, while still feeling very current. The homeowners relied in part on their own talents to bring the farmhouse back from dilapidation — Crawford and his father handled carpentry work, including the floors, walls and roof. Forgoing a designer, Vollo selected interior finishes and colours, curating ideas with the help of a Pinterest board — a resource increasingly relied upon by professionals and design-savvy DIYers.

Sophisticated country elegance

before

What was a dark, musty space with wood panelling, dusty drapes and the previous owner’s hoard is now a stunning, spacious kitchen full of light and sophisticated country elegance. Subdued grey walls and white shaker-style cabinetry reaching the 9’7” ceiling pair beautifully with Brazilian granite countertops. The kitchen island, with a wrapped solid cherry bar top design, has plenty of drawers and cupboards for storage. Corner windows, with a pastoral view of the barn and duck pond, set the scene for an idyllic breakfast nook — a much-improved use of space over the original mud porch. The six-month project is an incredible feat worthy of appreciation. Not long after Crawford and Vollo moved in, an elderly man knocked on their door. “He explained that when he was a boy, he used to deliver the newspaper here to the McFeelys,” says Vollo. “He was happy to see the old house restored to its original character.” No doubt the McFeelys — a family who owned the local hardware store — would agree. If it can be said that the studs are the bones of a house, the wiring its nervous system, the fireplace its heart and the interiors its lungs, this one has definitely had the life breathed back in. Kitchen cabinetry: Thomas Philips Woodworking // Crown mouldings and railings: Point Break Development // Tile: Osmia Enterprises // Lighting: Mclaren // Countertops: Floform // Farmhouse sink: The Ensuite // Doors and knobs: Slegg Lumber 69

FRONT ROW  by robert moyes

ALL THAT JAZZ … AND MORE! Twenty-nine years ago, jazz impresario Darryl Mar cobbled together a weekend jazz festival featuring a dozen artists on a budget of $15,000. These days the hair is a little greyer but the smile has even more wattage, as Mar continues to preside over what has long been one of Victoria’s biggest and most successful cultural extravaganzas. The budget for JazzFest is closing in on $1 million, there will be over 350 musicians hitting 15 different stages, and Mar expects to sell 10,000 tickets — as well as putting on numerous free shows attracting a further 27,000 music lovers to Market Square and the Bay Centre. The festival itself is a lively free-forall of musical styles ranging from cerebral Euro-jazz to blues, hip-hop, world beat, and adult-contemporary pop. “Our philosophy has always been to present established and emerging artists in a range of musical styles,” says Mar. “But Victoria audiences can be a tough sell … they’re not very adventurous in their tastes sometimes.” That concern may not have much relevance this year, thanks to a lineup with lots for purists and partiers alike.

Passionate and authentic, from R&B to Bhangra Mar is really excited about booking soul singer Bettye LaVette, a ‘60s-era veteran whose career stalled for decades but is now riding a comeback as the reigning queen of R&B. “I’ve been trying to book her for five years — she’s incredible,” says Mar. Then there’s iconic jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, who has won 14 Grammys and has almost no equal for his musicality and versatility. At the party end of the spectrum is Red Baraat, an incendiary mash-up of Indian Bhangra music with the horn-driven energy of a New Orleans street band. “Anybody who likes Delhi 2 Dublin will be blown away by these guys,” boasts a beaming Mar. The list of great acts goes on and on, from funky soul veteran Lee Fields to Serena Ryder, from jazz vocalistpianist Patricia Barber to Montreal’s jazz-pop superstar Nikki Yanofsky. “We have lots of fantastic talent this year,” adds Mar. “This is music that’s passionate and authentic.”  Jazz bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding is a budding superstar who shouldn’t be missed at this year’s JazzFest. 70

Running from June 21–30 at 15 venues. For information, see jazzvictoria.ca.

 Blue Bridge Theatre performs Uncle Vanya at the McPherson.

THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING! Considered one of Anton Chekov’s greatest plays, Uncle Vanya still has the power to grab an audience 115 years after it was written. “Russian literature is often seen as long and dreary, but people still find Chekov’s plays extraordinarily engaging and deeply moving experiences,” says Brian Richmond, artistic director of Blue Bridge Theatre. “Chekov started out as a satirist, and his later plays are very interested in the line between comedy and tragedy … they can shift from hilarity to heartbreak in a moment.” Chekov’s characters are usually disappointed idealists, and in Vanya, nine very different people gather on a rural estate where undercurrents of ennui and unrequited love are eventually brought to a crisis. Vanya, a melancholic mood piece as much as a plot-driven drama, feels surprisingly contemporary according to Richmond, especially in the character Astrov’s concerns about the destruction of the environment. “The lives of his characters often seem destined to carry on past the resolution of the play … very much like in real life,” he adds. “Chekov had a great ability to not only observe but capture human nature in his text.” Running from June 4–16 at the McPherson Theatre. For tickets, call 250-386-6121. 71

Billed by executive producer Dylan Willows as “a celebration of everything great on the Island,” V.I.C. Fest is a two-day smorgasbord of premium entertainment washed down with local beer and wine. Sited on the grounds of historic St. Ann’s Academy, the Fest draws a wide array of Victorians, especially in the 18-to-40 demographic. “Last year we attracted a lot of young families with their kids and it really improved the atmosphere,” says Willows, who promises even more family-friendly activities for their third year. Food booths from the likes of Pig BBQ Joint, the Reef, and Pizzeria Prima Strada are complemented by over a dozen breweries and cideries, and almost as many wineries. The full roster of entertainment, appearing on two stages, includes the ever-more-popular Jon and Roy, Vince Vaccaro, and internationally-acclaimed blues duo The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer. “We are expecting up to 4,000 people this year and really don’t want it to get much bigger,” adds Willows. “It’s this perfect escape hidden at the edge of the city.” Running June 21–22 at St. Ann’s Academy. For information, see vicfest.ca.

photo credit: Webmeister Bud

THE GOOD LIFE, VICTORIA STYLE

photo credit: Sam Thom

 V.I.C. Fest celebrates all things local, including folk rock trio Jon and Roy.

THE MEASURE OF MONTEVERDI Known mostly for his madrigals and as the father of opera, Claudio Monteverdi is also cherished for composing Vespers for the Blessed Virgin, 1610. A monumental choral and instrumental masterwork, the Vespers is getting its Victoria debut a mere 400 years after it was first performed in Venice’s San Marco Cathedral. “The work is enormously Venetian in its grandeur,” declares renowned singer and choirmaster Peter Butterfield, at the helm of this ambitious undertaking. The Victoria-raised Butterfield had a brilliant musical career in Europe for many years, and has been a tenor soloist for the Vespers on many occasions. Long the conductor of the 60-voice Victoria Philharmonic Choir, he is augmenting them with seven vocal soloists and more than a dozen specialist performers of Renaissance-era instruments such as sackbuts (early trumpets) and cornetti (rare early flutes). A renowned early music ensemble from Montreal, La Rose Des Vents, will join local experts to provide the needed instrumental finesse. “And it requires as many lutes and guitars as I can lay my hands on,” chuckles Butterfield.

NOW IN VICTORIA!

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A grand performance The spatially elaborate performance splits the choir into two so as to allow antiphonal responses. “There is scope for really imaginative use of space,” he notes. The singing style, dating from the transitional era between the Renaissance and Baroque eras, is arcane, and Butterfield will have been working with his choir for half a year by the performance date. “I think anyone who shows up will experience astonishment at the richness of this music from such a long time ago,” says Butterfield. “The big scale, the virtuosity of the solo and choral singing, the awesome beauty … it’s unlike any other choral work.” Performing June 8, 8 pm, at St. Andrew’s Cathedral (Blanshard and View). Tickets available at Ivy’s, Munro’s and Tanner’s bookstores or at vpchoir.ca.

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A CONVOCATION OF ARTISTS It’s an honour just to be nominated, as the old saying goes, and it’s certainly true when it comes to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, which currently has about 700 of the country’s finest visual artists in its ranks and is set to induct a dozen new members. From founding Ottawa’s National Gallery in 1880 to its ongoing mandate to foster the highest standards in visual arts through a variety of exhibitions and publications, the RCA has had a dramatic impact on Canada. It holds its 133rd Annual General Assembly in Victoria this month, and two separate art shows will give the public an opportunity to appreciate the calibre and breadth of art-making that the RCA currently represents. “There’ll be about 200 active RCA members attending,” says Victoria’s Carole Sabiston, event organizer and an internationally renowned fabric artist whose unique aerial sculptures and tapestries earned her an RCA nod in 1987. According to Sabiston, artists can only join the RCA if they are nominated by their peers, “based on a significant body of work characterized by innovation and excellence.”

The RCA’s finest at Winchester Galleries The 12 newest members — including three First Nations artists — will be showing representative work at Winchester Modern. Simultaneously, the nearby Winchester Galleries Humboldt Valley will feature work by up to 18 Victoria-based members of the RCA. Over 20 different disciplines in the visual arts are recognized by the RCA, from painting and filmmaking to architecture and theatrical set and costume design, and much of that breadth of achievement will be on show. Just a few of the local RCA members to be featured include painters James Gordaneer and Norman Yates; aboriginal carver Richard Hunt; printmaker, photographer, painter, and installation artist Gwen Curry; architect Terry Williams; printmaker Pat Martin Bates; raku innovator Walter Dexter; and UVic’s Phoenix Theatrebased costume and set designer Mary Kerr. “There’s a saying that, unlike with the performing arts, ‘nobody applauds for art,’” notes Sabiston. “This city has an extraordinary number of internationally-recognized artists, and this is a chance for Victorians to give them the applause they deserve,” she says. Running June 7–8 at 758 and 796 Humboldt St. For information, see winchestergalleriesltd.com.

 Landspace #235 (acrylic on canvas, 37.5" x 75.5") by Norman Yates. 74

we also

recommend:

Victoria Stride Walk: Walk 2 or 5 km. Sponsored by Victoria Grandmothers for Africa to support African Grandmothers through the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Registration: 9:30 am ($15.00); walk: 10:30 am. June 8, Centennial Square, bit.ly/StrideVictoria13.

CALENDAR GIRLS: A quirky, poignant and hilarious play about a group of ordinary women who spark a global phenomenon. June 12–29, 8 pm nightly plus matinees June 22 and 29 at 2 pm, Langham Court Theatre, 805 Langham Ct., 250.384.2142, langhamtheatre.ca. Clay Connects: The annual show and sale of the South Vancouver Island Potters Guild includes 33 clay artists. Free admission. June 15, 10 am–3 pm, 1335 Thurlow Rd., next to Moss Street Market, 250.477.7032, victoriapotters.ca. Wild About Whales Derby: Come to the Gorge for the Wild About Whales Derby, a fun, free, family event. “Adopt” your whale by purchasing a raffle ticket. Prizes galore! June 15, 11:30 am–2:30 pm, Esquimalt Gorge Park, 1070 Tillicum Rd., 250.384.9133, bgcvic.org. BC SPCA Victoria Gala: The 1st annual Tuxes & Tails gala fundraiser supports the life-saving work of the BC SPCA Victoria Branch. June 15, 6 pm–midnight, Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel & Marina, 146 Kingston St., 250.507.7380, spca.bc.ca/victoria. Don Pasquale: Fear No Opera, Victoria’s new opera company for emerging artists, presents Gaetano Donizetti’s comic masterpiece. Aging bachelor, arranged marriage ... what could go wrong? June 15, 7:30 pm, Oak Bay High School Theatre, 2101 Cadboro Bay Rd., 250.383.6639, FearNoOpera.com. Mystery Show: At the 2nd Annual Mystery Show, 40 “unsigned” works by top artists sell in a lottery-style draw. All works $295 and 10”x10”. Tickets: $10. Preview June 18–20; Draw June 20, 7:30 pm, Red Art Gallery, 2033 Oak Bay Ave., 250.881.0462, redartgallery.ca. WE ARE FAMILY!: Victoria’s Starlight Pops Choir celebrates its 5th anniversary with a concert of classic hits from ABBA, Ben E. King, Carole King and more. Tickets $18/$20 at the door or online. June 21, 7:30 pm, and June 23, 2:30 pm, St. Aidan’s United Church, 3703 St. Aidan’s St., starlightpopschoir.com. Fernwood Art Stroll: The 7th annual Fernwood Art Stroll includes 21 local artists and artisans who will open their studios to the public. June 22 and 23, 11 am–4 pm, Fernwood, 250.380.6777, fernwoodartstroll.ca. Triathlon of Compassion: ToC is an event to support the Victoria Women’s Sexual Assault Centre. Through pledges, WSAC hopes to reach their goal of raising $20,000. June 30, 7 am, Esquimalt Recreation Centre, 250.383.5545, triofcompassion.com.

Visit our website, blvdmag.ca, to submit arts and culture event details online. Listings for the July issue must be received by June 8 to be considered for inclusion. 75

Vision Accomplished On time. On budget. • Custom homes • Renovations • Kitchens • Sunrooms • Commercial

250-380-4605 horizoncontracting.ca 76

HEALTH & WELLNESS

HIITing the ground running Get fit fast with high-intensity interval training  by Shannon Moneo

someone told you that instead of a 30-minute run or one hour spinning session, you could get the same results in one-third of the time, would you be skeptical? After all, the World Health Organization recommends that people of all ages do three to five hours of endurance training per week to boost health and fitness and prevent chronic diseases. It seems counterintuitive that just 20 or even 10 minutes of daily exercise can do the trick. But yes, scientists from Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States have confirmed that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is the magic bullet. A 2009 study published in The Journal of Physiology, and done at Hamilton’s McMaster University, found that HIIT can produce the same health benefits as moderate long-term endurance training in significantly less time. Reconfirming those results late last year was a British study from the Liverpool John Moores University, also published in The Journal of Physiology, which noted that HIIT is a hit with those who don't like to spend a lot of time exercising. “You can get in and get your workout done in 20 minutes,” says Howie Wenger, professor emeritus at the University of Victoria’s School of Exercise Science.

A BIT ON HIIT HIIT involves doing a number of short bursts of highly intense exercise with recovery breaks in between. HIIT’s also been referred to as sprint interval training. “You challenge yourself for a work period at a level you find difficult, have a rest period, then do it again,” says Chris Hinton, strength and conditioning co-ordinator at Victoria’s Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence. He likens it to a hockey player, who hits the ice, plays at maximum effort for 30 seconds and sits on the bench for 90 seconds. 77

HOW IT’S DONE

High-intensity, maximum-effort bursts can last from 15 seconds to about two minutes. Rest periods can be from 30 seconds to two minutes. But these times can vary, depending on fitness levels. One session usually lasts 10 to 30 minutes. HIIT can follow the one-to-three ratio: 30 seconds of high-intensity activity like a sprint, then 90 seconds of rest or low-intensity movement like walking. But HIIT sessions can follow a 2:1 or even 1:1 ratio. “There is no magic number,” Hinton says. A light jog or casual pedal don’t qualify as high-intensity. “You need explosive movement, using a large amount of muscle mass,” Hinton notes. Running up stairs, skipping, all-out rowing or uphill cycling would qualify. Hinton’s personal regime is done on a treadmill, set at a 15 per cent incline and running at 16 kilometres per hour. He does 15 seconds at high-intensity and 30 seconds of rest for 10 to 15 repetitions, three times a week. And how do you know you’ve given your all? If you’ve just run for 15 seconds but can run for another 15 seconds, you weren’t at your maximum, Hinton says. Maximum means you’re utterly gassed, breathing heavy and at a peak heart rate.

HIIT-ING YOUR GOALS

Squeezing in two or three HIIT sessions is relatively easy to do during busy weekday schedules when 15 or 20 minutes are all you need, Wenger says. To complement HIIT, add low-intensity workouts, such as long, slow runs, cycling or walking on weekends. “You should blend different types of training,” he says.

BENEFITS

HIIT improves oxygen delivery to muscles (known as your VO2 level), improves the delivery of insulin, and boosts the elimination of waste products, said the 2012 British study. It also makes cells more efficient at burning fat, thus boosting metabolism, both during and long after exercise. Studies have said that a 10-minute cardio HIIT session burns more calories than 30 minutes on a treadmill. HIIT also widens blood vessels to muscle cells and increases the number of mitochondria (the part of a cell where respiration and energy production occur), thus lowering risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes.

HIIT CAN HURT

Because the bursts of activity are so intense and swift, HIIT practitioners are more susceptible to injury, notes Wenger, who taught for over 30 years at UVic and was a sport physiology consultant to rowing, skiing, soccer and NHL teams, including the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings. “There’s discomfort. It’s not very appetizing.” When you’re pushing yourself to the max to pedal up a hill, it’s tough to work through the exhaustion. “Professional athletes can feed off of the fatigue. Most of us haven’t developed that ability to push through fatigue,” he says. And fatigue doesn’t discriminate. “Fatigue is not about what’s just happening physically. There’s the mental aspect,” Wenger adds.

BEFORE YOU START

Most people can start some form of HIIT, but Wenger, who in 1971 was the first person in Canada to earn an exercise physiology degree (from the University of Alberta), advises that discussing such a change with your doctor is a good preliminary step. HIIT raises blood pressure and heart rate, and also puts strain on the muscles and connective tissues. People with back injuries, joint problems, pre-diabetes or cardiovascular problems should definitely talk to their doctor. “If you’re just off the couch or recovering from injury, you could be setting yourself up for injury,” Hinton adds. “You want to ease yourself into it. If you haven’t been active, get recreationally active first.” 79

Tr av el

Se 013 m Bo in u l ar e v Pa ard rt ic ip a

TRAVEL FAR

Brazil’s mecca to modern art gaining renown at home and abroad  text and photos by Dianna Drahanchuk

first heard of Inhotim, one of Brazil’s most unusual and remarkable collections of modern art, in the least likely of places: a doctor’s office. I was consulting the medic for a minor complaint while in the city of Belo Horizonte, the capital city of the state of Minas Gerais, in southwest Brazil, when he beckoned me to his computer to enthusiastically show me photos of his family surrounded by lush, exotic 80

plants and in front of interesting-looking buildings. In my limited Portuguese I understood him to say, “You must see this marvelous sculpture garden of Inhotim [pronounced inyo-TCHEEM], just 50 kilometres from the city.” Inhotim? Never heard of it — nor had any of my Brazilian friends. Opened to the general public in 2006, this magical place, according to the doctor, is 25 hectares of beautifully landscaped park

scattered throughout with freestanding sculptures and galleries of large-scale pieces of modern art. Remembering his story, I was determined to find it on my next visit. My resolve convinced a Brazilian friend to hire a private car and driver to take us there. The road wound through scrubby, hilly terrain, passing the small, unattractive mining town of Brumadinho, and eventually became

 The Adriana Varejão pavilion was one of the first pavilions to be built at Inhotim.

two unpaved rural lanes up to the Inhotim entrance, a cobblestone drive bordered by sentinels of tall palm trees leading to the modern glass reception building. A map of the park showed an organic layout of pathways, through the trees and around small lakes, between the outdoor sculptures and 18 galleries (called pavilions). We knew it would be an all-day adventure. Because of his love of nature, mining entrepreneur Bernardo Paz started developing the botanical park with the help of his friend Roberto Burle Marx, a Brazilian landscape architect, in the 1980s. Later, Paz built the pavilions to house his extensive contemporary art collection that now includes about 500 works by Brazilian and international artists on temporary and permanent display. One of the first pavilions that was built is devoted to the art of one of Paz’s ex-wives, Adriana Varejão, a leading contemporary Brazilian artist. Some pavilions contain works by a small number of artists, while others display single installations. Over time, artists themselves have taken on designing their own pavilions.

A Canadian among my favourites Ironically, my favourite permanent exhibit was sound sculpture Forty-Part Motet by Canadian artist Janet Cardiff, a winner of the 2001 National Gallery of Canada’s Millennium Prize. Cardiff, born in Ontario but now living in Berlin, placed 40 floor-mounted speakers through which 40 separately recorded voices are projected into the centre of a large room. Together, the voices sing Thomas Tallis Spem in Alium nunquam habui, a choral work that requires eight choirs of five voices each. Written to celebrate the birthday of Queen Elizabeth I in 1575, it is apparently the most complex song ever created. It gave me goose bumps. When not on tour, this amazing work can also be experienced as part of the National 81

Clockwise from top: Forty-Part Motet by Canadian artist Janet Cardiff; a pond in Inhotim Park; The Invention of Colour Penetrável Magic Square No. 5 — Deluxe by Brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica.

photo credit: Tiberio França

Gallery of Canada’s permanent collection in Ottawa. Another installation piece incorporating sound, made by the viewer moving through it, is by Brazilian artist Cildo Meireles, entitled Through (1983–9/2008). It is contained in a lowly lit, windowless interior, with broken glass crunching under foot (no sandals or flip-flops allowed) as the viewer walks through a labyrinth of suspended opaque and transparent materials, chicken wire, fishing nets, a big, round ball of crumpled cellophane, and a large, thin tropical fish tank. Out by a small lake is Brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica’s building-sized architectural sculpture, The Invention of Colour Penetrável Magic Square No. 5 — Deluxe (1978). Reflecting in the lake, it is an awe-inspiring work that enchants with intense primary colours, as well as transparency, light and shadow. The garden itself is overwhelmingly beautiful, with a collection of more than 1,000 species of palms, and hundreds of species of philedenrons, calla lilies and orchids. After feasting our eyes on the incredible art and scenery, we were famished. We chose

to dine in the posh Restaurante Tamboril where the food and service was superb, with a tempting and delicious buffet for R$49 or about $24 CAD per person. The additional dessert buffet cost R$12 or about $6 CAD. There are other less formal dining options or one can pack a lunch. The park now provides, for an extra R$10, “Transporte Internal,” golf buggies that will ferry you hop-on, hop-off style to most of the sights along two set routes. The bigger loop should take about two to three hours, the smaller about one to two hours (with some fast walking between buggy drops). Named after “Mr Tim,” the man who used to farm the land, Inhotim has gone from being almost obscure as little as five years ago, to now welcoming 250,000 visitors annually at last count. But it is just now gaining renown in the rest of the world. Scrolling through 300 comments about Inhotim on Trip Advisor, less than five per cent of the people commenting were from outside Brazil. Many noted that one does not have to be an art lover to enjoy the sculpture garden. Plans are underway to build hotels and even living quarters on site that will make this extraordinary place more appealing to people from abroad. Now, like the doctor, I too enthusiastically show my pictures of this exceptional place to near strangers. And my Brazilian friends now make a point of visiting several times a year.

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 IF YOU GO A daily bus service to Inhotim runs from the Belo Horizonte rodoviária (bus station). Operated by Saritur, it departs from platform F2 at 9:15 am sharp! Buy tickets (R$27.68 return) at the ticket booth on the concourse level before boarding. The journey takes 1.5 hours with return at 4:30 pm from Inhotim carpark. Entry tickets may be purchased online; however, instructions are only in Portuguese. Entrance fees are R$28 for adults and R$14 for children six to 12 years and seniors over 60 years old. Children under six get in free. Inhotim has a comprehensive website, outlining education and future development plans as well as a visitor map and catalogue of artists and their work. Also included are several lodging and restaurant options in nearby Brumadinho. See inhotim.org.br.

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17 ¼” 26” 7 ½” 6 ¼”

Conception to Completion “working with you every step of the way”

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BOULEVARD REAL ESTATE

$8,488,000 Lisa Williams 250-514-1966 lisawilliams.ca

Boulevard magazine supports Southern Vancouver Island's top Realtors representing the region's finest real estate. In our pages, 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. Both of these monthly advertising features bring you the finest selection of homes and condominiums Victoria has to offer. $7,900,000 Deedrie Ballard 250-744-3301 deedrieballard.com

$5,400,000 Terry Stockus 250-477-1100 century21.ca

Magnificent gated estate on 2 acres w/gracious 11,000sqft residence, sports court & separate games/ entertainment bldg PLUS sep. 3461 sqft fully renovated guest house w/separate title. Enjoy spectacular views & privacy boasting seperate expansive office suite, movie theatre, amazing indoor pool, exercise room, dramatic living, dining & sitting rms, exotic HW flrs, high domed ceilings, expansive patios, boathouse, water features & tons of parking too!

Magnificent Uplands Waterfront home. Luxurious & elegant, this home has been completely updated & is situated on a spectacular secluded bay. Main floor with living room, library, dining room, kitchen with & family room - all with access to the expansive heated patio w/ fireplace that spans the length of the home. The upper floor features the master suite incl. powder room, walk in closet, sitting area including fireplace & balcony to enjoy the views.

This magnificent James Grieve design captures the splendour of the English Cotswolds. The 1.8 acre gated manor comprising of 2 separate land parcels that have been combined since 2002 into an exquisite estate that is extremely rare.. A 5300 sq.ft Main House, 2000 sq.ft Guest house, 2 Boathouses all with ocean views. Enjoy all day sun, decks and 280 feet of shoreline. The finest construction and finishing materials have been used, all executed by local artisans... attention to detail is evident throughout the home.

BOULEVARD LUXURY REAL ESTATE

$3,500,000 Terry Stockus 250-477-1100 century21.ca

Built in 2004, this incredible 3 acre property is a family haven for those looking for the ultimate experience in lakefront living. Crafted by local artisans, the 4,100 sq.ft log home exudes tremendous pride of workmanship. The property is complete with Guest Cottage, suite above garage, RV parking, tennis/ paddleball court and so much more! 3,000 sq.ft of deck and patio space lends itself to fabulous summer entertaining! An extra 2-car garage with 1 bed suite above is ideal for the nanny or young adult.

$2,500,000 Lynne Sager 250-744-3301 lynnesager.com Camosun

Oak Bay Family Estate.

$2,495,000 Julie Rust 250-385-2033 julierust.ca

$2,288,000 Lisa Williams 250-514-1966 lisawilliams.ca

Timeless Oak Bay Family Home... 5 beds/ 6 baths situated on an expansive .78 Acres property high above the rest, in the Heart of Oak Bay. With almost 7000 Sqft, it has been completely renovated to the highest standards by Maximilian Huxley. Be one of the first to see this rare offering. Call Julie to View! www.2290woodlawn.com

LUXURIOUS CUSTOM HM in prestigious Wedgewood Point offering 4 bdrms, 5 baths & a sunny & flexible design sure to impress! Includes 9’, 11’, & 18’ ceilings, massive floor to ceiling windows, beautiful HW floors, fabulous gourmet kitchen w/pantry & huge breakfast area, elegant formal living & dining rms, main floor den/office & family rms, fantastic main level master suite, great billiard and media rms & so much more! Sundrenched pool w/expansive patio, hot tub, & covered outdoor dining area.

Exceptional 2008 custom built executive quality home. Situated on a private 2.3 acre lot with over 200’ of shoreline & sweeping views of Saanich Inlet. Spectacular 25’ two story entry, & Grand living room with floor to ceiling stone F.P. Gleaming marble & Kempas hardwood floors, adorn the first two floors, beautiful custom Kelp bronze balustrades. Massive country kitchen with pantry, center eating Island, Granite counter tops, 6 burner Gas stove, custom fridge, adjoining spacious eating area and family room with F.P.

$2,485,000 Leslee Farrell 250-388-5882 lesleefarrell.com

$1,850,000 Lynne Sager 250-744-3301 lynnesager.com

This executive luxury residence adjoins the Victoria Golf Club greens, enjoyingspectacular ocean views tothe Olympics & Mt. Baker! Masterfully designed, this gem of a home is ideal for a couple or smaller family, offering 3 bedrooms & den. The main flr is designed for entertaining, opening to an impressive patio. The upper flr offers a unique ocean viewmaster suite with his & her closets + separate ensuitebaths, fireplace & balcony! Included is a wine cellar & bonus garden house.

Sensational WATERFRONT LIFESTYLE HOME, WITH STEPS TO A SANDY BEACH! Sweeping views of the Ocean to San Juan Island & Mt. Baker beyond. Pamela Charlesworth design with a $300,000 refurbishment making this home feel like new. Gorgeous new kitchen with Merlot cabinets, Granite counters, stainless appliances. Adjoining new Family room with Gas F.P. & custom built ins. Formal dining Room, energy efficient F.P. in luxurious living room. Master with commanding view, and new ensuite.

Camosun

Stunning Ocean Views.

$1,725,000 Julie Rust 250-385-2033 julierust.ca

An amazing opportunity to live on Beach Drive in South Oak Bay. This 4 Bed+Den “move in ready” home was completely renovated in 2008 by Houston Homes. Features over 4200 Sqft, Beautiful Hardwood Floors & Quality Finishes, Stunning Master Bedroom with Unobstructed Ocean Views & almost a 13,000 sqft Oak Bay Property. Make this your home today!

www.360beachdrive.com

$1,099,900 George Papaloukas 250-888-5335 sothebysrealty.ca

This new 4405 sq/ft, 5 bedroom home boasts quality workmanship and attention to detail - custom kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, quartz countertops, professional Electrolux appliances, 6 burner propane cook top, wall oven, Teak hardwood, heated tile floors and custom Pella windows with built in blinds, 3 fireplaces and pantry. Panoramic views of Victoria, the ocean and the mountains while sitting on the huge main level deck or in your sunken outdoor hot tub on the lower deck This home has it all!

Situated perfectly in North Saanich this 2005 built Custom Home is sure to please. Offering over 5300 sq ft w/ 8 beds, 5 baths, 2 kitchens, 2 propane f/p’s over 3 flrs, it has everything a large/extended family could want. Large master bedrm on main w/ 5 piece ensuite & heated flrs. Downstairs feats 2nd kitchen, 3 bedrooms, & theatre room. Two $984,900 double garages leave plenty of room for the toys, & a .99acre Kyle Kerr lot w/ a heated outdoor pool 250-590-1775 homesalesvictoria.com give you lots of space to play with them. Priced 82K below assesment for a quick sale.

Simply Beautiful Victorian Queen Ann style, legal triplex w/ designated Heritage status. Your main floor features a 2bedroom suite w/ gas f/p., in suite laundry & a garden area, plus funky bachelor’s suite. You will love the fabulous two level owner’s suite that’s been completely redone & features three $949,900 bdrms., formal living & dining rooms, eat-in kitchen w/ cork Kyle Kerr flooring, s/s appliances, its 250-590-1775 own laundry, a private roof homesalesvictoria.com top deck w/Ocean Views & barbecue area. Spectacular!!

Gentlemans Estate on 1.6 acres. Stunning views of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains. Grand entry off wrap around verandah show cases the exquisite features of open vaulted beamed living area with a gourmet kitchen with full premium appliances and wood cooking stove. Feature gas fireplace and elegant dining room. Staircase leads to loft area with generous master suite. Bringing the old and the new fresh built in 2007 from custom designed plan for family living.

Shawnigan Lake Waterfront. This south facing property means all day sun, even in winter! Custom built in 2010, with approximately 2900 sq.ft. on 3 levels. This home has 4 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, and a lower level walkout to the lake. Granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, custom cabinetry, fir floors, and travertine tile within floor heating. Relax and enjoy the views of the lake from the deck, lakeside patio, or the new dock. This home is ready for you to move in and enjoy!

$899,900 Nancy Vieira 250-514-4750 nancyvieira.com For Virtual Floor Plan

$859,000 George Papaloukas 250-888-5335 sothebysrealty.ca

We, the lawyers at Stevenson Doell Law Corporation, have experienced staff that specialize in Real Estate, Wills & Estates, Family Law & ICBC claims. For help, call Bob Doell, Brent Kitzke, Mary McManus, Heather Sweeney & Mark Walton at 250-388-7881.

250.388.7881

BOULEVARD LUXURY REAL ESTATE

$765,000 Melina Boucher 250-385-2033 melinaboucher.ca

AFFORDABLE WATERFRONT! Enchanting property located in a private setting & featuring 2 floors of 2586 sq ft, 4 beds & 3 baths. Breathtaking views of the Gorge waterway where you can launch your kayak straight from your beach! The renovated kitchen, dining and living rooms have oversized windows & french doors that lead onto a beautiful deck. Add to this package suite potential, a double garage, workshop & a completely move-in ready home. Discover what quality truly means with this valuable gem.

Welcome to Fable Beach. This special and well designed 3 bdrm townhouse has a great layout and you will love the Cordova Bay Views from the upper master bedroom & balcony. Features include 9 ft ceilings, wood floors, 3 gas fireplaces, updated kitchen cabinetry with granite counter tops & skylights. Enjoy the walk out back garden, perfect $749,000 for those kitchen BBQ’s. Sharen Warde & Larry Sims Fantastic Cordova Bay Beach at your doorstep. 250-592-4422 MLS# 322189 wardesims.com

$758,800 Ivan Delano P.R.E.C. 250-744-8506 ivandelano.com

PANORAMIC VIEWS of Sooke Basin on 2.56 rocky private acres. •Lindel Cedar home with TWO master bedrooms plus den.

$739,000 Nancy Vieira 250-514-4750 nancyvieira.com For Virtual Tour Floor Plan

$679,900 Under Construction 250-883-2715 200douglas.com

A rare chance to own a stunning suite at 200 Douglas on the park... Beacon Hill Park. This 1240 sf SE 2 bdrm+den/2 bath corner suite is one of just 38 luxurious residences in a 6 storey reinforced concrete building. It boasts floor-toceiling windows, over height ceilings, custom open kitchen, spa inspired bathrooms plus many more exceptional features all in a location that is second to none.

Beautiful NEW home in the middle of the city. Spacious Low maintenance living with all the conveniences are featured in this custom built home w/ a great floor plan, lovely kitchen w/ bar eating area, dining & living room with gas fireplace opening onto a generous private patio for entertaining. Upstairs you’ll find 3 more good bedrooms, laundry, 4 piece bath + a generous master bdm w/ a walk-in closet + exquisite bath. Garage + bonus room above great for kids/office/ or man cave round out this home on a lovely lot.

$644,900 Peter Veri 250-920-6850 peterveri@gmail.com

It all starts here at The Finishing Store. With an extensive selection of floors, moldings, mantels, doors, stairs, closets and windows we’ve got your renos covered!

•Entertainment sized decks with sound system & endless views. •Incredible slate flooring. •Gourmet kitchen. •Solarium overlooking garden.

Exceptional value in upper Sunny Panorama, In an area with no overhead wires to obstruct your enjoyment of the quiet surroundings. This spacious home will appeal to every family member, with surprising privacy! Inviting Living room with Gas FP and soaring vaulted ceiling is sure to impress. Spacious Family Room, offers privacy and gas FP as well. Formal Dining room. Chefs kitchen, with tons of storage and counter space. Cutting edge Stainless Steel appliances.

250.412.3824 www.finishingstore.com

BOULEVARD LUXURY REAL ESTATE

$648,000 Dallas Chapple PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION.

250-744-3301 dallaschapple.com

BRENTWOOD WATERFRONT! You will feel like you are in a boat, you are so close to the water! Stunning waterfront townhome with sunset views over marina & Saanich Inlet. Over 2,600 sq.ft. with living rm, separate dining rm, den & large kitchen on main floor. Down you will find the spacious master with sitting room & fireplace, & guest bedroom with ensuite. Double garage, new roof & balconies. Small pets OK. Developer’s model suite.

$638,000 Ivan Delano P.R.E.C. 250-744-8506 ivandelano.com

NEW Beautiful Show home Ready & waiting for you to enjoy in this enclave of quality custom built residences. Rancher Style Living + Bonus Lower level with loads of extra room & Possibilities - Just outside Victoria and a 20 minute ferry away from Sidney & the Victoria Airport, you’ll find that there are world class schools, golf, boating, lakes near by and some of the best nature and hiking trails around. Executive living in a sub-urban location, worth a closer look, NO HST HERE

Camosun

$599,800 Dallas Chapple PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION.

250-744-3301 dallaschapple.com

Enjoy coffee or cocktails while barbecuing on your private, south-facing deck overlooking a pond and Rithet’s Bog. Maple floors are found throughout this spacious, beautiful townhome. Twoway fireplace, kitchen has new stainless appliances & backsplash tiles & sink. Spacious master with deck has ensuite with new sinks, countertop & flooring. Bonus extra office space or bedroom. Complex has new roof and paint. Close to shopping.

$598,000 Ian Lindsay 250-248-1071 ianlindsay.ca

Lovely mini acreage located across from waterfront and minutes to Qualicum Village Centre. Walk the beaches, visit the nearby estuary or take it easy on your personal 2.47 acres. The West Coast design home offers flexibility. Private master suite upstairs, guest and 3rd bedroom on main. Comfortable living and dining rooms are great for entertaining. Bright kitchen opens to sunny south facing patio and deck area. Added bonus of office or guest suite above garage. Enjoy gardening, the beach and great West Coast living. Call today.

luxury real

Camosun

$559,000 Tara Hearn 250-588-2852 tarahearn.com

DREAM LAND at Silver Spray. One of the last remaining oceanfront lots at Silver Spray Oceanfront Estates! This fabulous Ocean Park Place address offers 95 feet of ocean frontage bordering on East Sooke Park, full southern exposure and exceptional views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the snow-capped Olympic Mountains. Ideal for your luxurious oceanfront dreamhome, the lot is situated in a private enclave where owners have the option to control entry via gated access.

$489,000 Melina Boucher 250-385-2033 melinaboucher.ca

Be romanced by one of the most charming homes on the market! Original character abounds with a formal entryway, original wood staircase, stained glass, and a sunny country kitchen. Upper floor has 3 bedrooms and a back deck to enjoy morning coffee. Enjoy the large south facing back yard, perfect for kids who like to run & climb. Gardeners will love the lovely weeping willow & fruit trees. Entertain off the back deck. Exceptional curb appeal!

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This spacious townhouse neighbours Uplands Golf Course. Enjoy the sanctity of this controlled-entry, lowdensity, community. There is an easy flow from room-toroom and the major living spaces are bathed in natural light. Both large bedrooms offer balconies overlooking the fabulous gardens and $479,000 manicured grounds of Uplands Estates. A large, Charles Murray two-car garage & lots of 250-812-8983 storage await the family charlesmurrayrealestate.com treasures.

BOULEVARD REAL ESTATE

Thank you to these sponsors for their continued support of showcasing great Vancouver Island real estate. boulevARd ReAl estAte

estate Thinking of selling your home? Here’s a few reasons wHy a realtor Helps: • You’ll likely get a higher price and sell faster • Your home will get wider exposure • A Realtor knows how to market your home and show it at its best • A Realtor knows various financing options • A Realtor can write legally binding contracts tips for selling your Home: • Keep the garden tidy and the lawn trim • Paint or freshen the exterior and repair anything broken • Give the home a thorough cleaning and remove all clutter inside • Make kitchens and bathrooms especially clutter-free, bright and spotless • Air the home well

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JAGUAR VICTORIA 90

3351 Douglas Street, Victoria • Tel. 250.475.3313 • jaguarvictoria.com Monday-Thursday 9:00 am - 7:00 pm Friday-Saturday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm CALL SHANE MOSS (General Sales Manager) TODAY!

PERSONAL FINANCE

with

by Tess van Straaten

 illustrations by pip knott

featuring Graham Barnes

hen Graham Barnes came to Canada in 1967 as a 20-year-old, he had to borrow $150 from his Dad to get here because he’d lost all his money gambling. The industrial engineer swore off gambling and went on to become a successful entrepreneur. Launching his own insurance marketing company, Graham Barnes & Associates, he grew the businesses to almost $300 million before selling last year. Now 65, Barnes is on a five-figure monthly retainer just to provide advice. Tess van Straaten sat down with the high roller at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel.

 How do you go from nothing to being so successful? You have to have a game plan and you have to work your plan. You have to be able to overcome obstacles, because they will come up, and you have to involve the people you work with. The more you involve people in the decisionmaking process, the more they buy into what you do.

 Would that be the biggest thing you attribute to your success? It would be, but I’ve also mentored a lot of people. I believe success in business is passing along what you know to other people and allowing them to benefit. At least six people I’ve worked with have become self-made millionaires. Quite frankly, if anyone asked me what was most pleasing about my career in the insurance business, it wasn’t the money — that was nice — but the biggest thing was helping shape people. I’m a big believer in regeneration. I’m also a believer in recognizing your strengths

and weaknesses, and wherever you have weaknesses, you bring in people to shore them up. For example, my big weakness is technology. I understand what it can do, but I’ve never really embraced it, so I always brought people on board that embraced technology and could anticipate my wants and needs in the uses of technology.

 What do you think has been your biggest mistake? Honestly? Not spending enough time with my family and not paying enough attention to my wife and daughter. Big mistake!  What’s been your biggest money mistake? I lost a lot of money in the tech meltdown in the ‘90s. I had too much in one basket and I lost a significant amount of money.

Having said that, I also made back a lot of money investing in the tech buildup when it started to go up again. I went back into Nortel when it was $0.76 and then I sold when it was over $11 a share. I just had a gut feeling about it and I’ve learned to trust my gut. I also felt those prices were so cheap that if started to drop, it wouldn’t be that much of a loss.

 What’s your advice for other investors? Get professional advice. I’ve made it a habit to not only use professional advice, but also to use the large investment houses because I feel more secure with a large institution. I don’t always pick the stocks; we allow our broker to do that because I’m not as knowledgeable about investing in various companies. My other

“As far as I’m concerned, there’s still a lot of room to make lots of money in technology, especially with all the great tech startups here on Vancouver Island.” 91

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advice to people investing is to draw a line — what we call the top and bottom line — so if you buy a stock for $1, you sell if it drops to $0.80, and if it hits $1.25, you make a decision about whether to sell the whole position or part of it. A lot of people don’t do that and get greedy. But if you become too greedy, you miss the high point and start selling back on the downgrade. I made a promise to myself when I lost all my money gambling that I would never do it again.

[Arthur Johnson] also told me there was a time in life when you have to stop taking and start giving, because you get out of life what you put into it.

 Where do you see the economy right now? It’s levelling out. It’s a little on the flat side but it will pick up. Probably not this year, but I see things picking up significantly in 2014 and 2015.

 How would you invest $100,000? Very carefully! I’d probably invest in myself in some kind of business I had a passion for. I think there are a multitude of opportunities today that are very exciting, especially in technology. As far as I’m concerned, there’s still a lot of room to make lots of money in technology, especially with all the great tech startups here on Vancouver Island. But really, I’d rather invest where I’m involved in the business because I know I can make a go of it.  What’s the best advice you were ever given? Very early on, one of my mentors, Max Kantor, said to me, “Young man, you are no good working for anyone else — you have to work for yourself.” What he meant was that I wasn’t very good at taking orders from other people. I would bang heads. When I was fired from the Chamber of Commerce in 1982, I decided I’d never work for anyone else again. The other great advice I got was from another mentor, [insurance giant] Arthur Johnson, who said, “When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” I’ve never forgotten that. He also told me there was a time in life when you have to stop taking and start giving, because you get out of life what you put into it. This interview has been condensed and edited. Tess van Straaten is an award-winning journalist, television personality and fourthgeneration Victoria native. 93

TECHNOLOGIA

Duelling Devices

CHOOSING THE GPS TO GET YOU OUT THERE  By Darryl Gittins Last summer, my wife and I dragged two kids and a 30foot RV over the Rockies to visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller. The last thing we wanted to do on a trip like that was to make a wrong turn. We did that once with the RV and found ourselves trapped on an ever-narrowing gravel road with little hope of finding a place to turn around. A global positioning system (GPS) navigator can help. Anyone that drives (or hikes) should try one. They can quickly pay for themselves in saved fuel costs and frustration. Some dismiss them as yet another roadway distraction, but used properly, they can actually reduce distractions. Most GPS devices can provide spoken turn-by-turn directions, so you can focus on driving instead of where to turn next. Some provide Bluetooth hands-free communication with your cell phone, or real-time traffic information to help you avoid snarls in the big city. We had several GPS devices running on the road to Drumheller, and it was quite entertaining to watch them bicker about which was the best route. They often disagreed. Why would that be? The answer is that all GPS are not created equal. They use different technologies, and you need to determine which is best for your purpose.

The Battle Royale begins

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For our trip, we had an in-dash navigation system in our 2008 Ford Lariat, a portable Garmin nüvi 765 Navigator, cell phones with navigation apps, and a handheld outdoor Magellan eXplorist 210 receiver. The in-dash system was reasonably convenient, but the least accurate. It uses map data on a DVD that was published in 2008. The roads have changed a lot since then. It’s led me to a dead end more than once. I could buy an updated DVD, but they run about $130 — more than you’d pay for a new portable device from Garmin, Magellan or TomTom. I also found the in-dash’s features lacking, compared with the Garmin. Saving addresses is very difficult and it will only remember about a dozen at a time. The

interface is just plain dumb. The portable Garmin was far better, with smart, easy-toaccess features on a colourful screen. Mounting kits attach portable devices to the dash or the windshield, which is not as neat and tidy as an in-dash, especially with the dangling power cables. They also make tempting targets for a break-in, which we found out the hard way with our first Garmin. (Lesson learned — always hide it away after you park.) If you buy one, consider paying a bit extra for lifetime map updates and get the biggest screen you can afford. Ironically, the most accurate navigator was not a dedicated GPS unit, but rather a cell phone using the free Google Maps app. Google updates their map data regularly, so it is always very accurate. Using a cell phone for navigation gives you a lot of options, as there are so many navigation-based apps. They can integrate with other services like Google Places and Zagat ratings for hours, reviews, contact information, and even photos of destinations. Some apps such as Waze use the power of social networking: Waze users upload data (automatically or manually) to the Waze servers about accidents or traffic jams, and the servers then provide real-time route corrections to help you and other Waze users avoid the hazards.

Keep in mind Using a cell phone or a tablet does have its limitations: you have to download the map data on the fly, which can eat into your data plan. Also, if you lose your data signal, the map will no longer be available. You could get around this by downloading the map data in advance when you are on a Wi-Fi connection. Search for “Google offline maps” for tips on how to do this in Google Maps. There are also paid apps that provide offline mapping. Check out CoPilot GPS for Android ($10), City Maps 2Go for iPhone ($2), or more expensive apps like Navigon ($50) that have the most full-featured navigation options. Note that not all cell phones or tablets have actual GPS receivers. Some use “Wi-Fi positioning” instead, which only works if you are in range of a Wi-Fi hotspot. That won’t work in your car. Most GPS navigators have a “pedestrian” mode, which is great for walking around the city, but if you’re planning to hike into the middle of nowhere, battery life becomes the big issue. Automotive GPS units will only run a couple of hours when unplugged, and GPS navigation on a cell phone will kill your battery faster than anything. A dedicated GPS receiver provides position feedback on a small, low-power screen. It doesn’t offer navigation, so you can expect about 20 hours of battery life. These outdoor units are built to take a beating and are typically water-resistant. They’re of little use for automotive navigation, but with practice, they can be a lifesaver in the backwoods. Everyone loves a treasure hunt. Check out geocaching, where you play a game of hide-and-seek with hidden treasures or “geocaches” (geocaching.com/guide). Or, try a GPS watch made for runners with a heart rate monitor built in. How about a dedicated golf GPS with a built-in range finder? Navigating in any environment has never been so much fun.

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WRY EYE

Turn off that bleeping

car alarm you idiot

 By Paula Johanson  ILLUSTRATION SHELLEY DAVIES

Gravel roads from the Island Highway to Horne Lake, just outside Qualicum Beach, are good for the first several miles. The last mile to the campground, however, is dreadful. When my family went there three summers ago, the final halfmile to Horne Lake Provincial Park was a mess of deep ruts and potholes full of rainwater. It was a relief to set up our two tents and inflate my kayak. My adult daughter took her camera and tripod to the river, and my husband unloaded the newspaper, a book, and a pound of red licorice. I paddled on Horne Lake with great pleasure, marvelling at the cliff hanging over the lake. We were all tired, and got into our sleeping bags early that evening.

Ready to turn in ... or not We’d been asleep for an hour when we learned the worst thing about car camping — car alarms. At 11 pm, close by, someone’s car alarm went off. Honk, went the horn. Honk. Honk. 96

We lay in our sleeping bags, waiting for the owner to turn off the alarm. After a while, my husband whispered, “Who the hell sets their car alarm on a camping trip?” “Someone who doesn’t want raccoons to break in to their food or who has something valuable?” I posed. Honk. “What good is a car alarm going to do?” Honk. “Somebody’s going to be unpopular tomorrow. Everybody in the campground must be awake,” I guessed. “Why the hell haven’t they turned off the alarm?” he whispered. Honk. “Maybe they can’t find the keys.” Honk. “Don’t need keys,” he said. “Give me your pocket knife and a rock.” Honk. “Shhhh. You can’t just break into someone’s car and cut the wires,” I said. Honk. “We’d do it together, and talk so the neighbours know we’re not stealing the car.” Honk. “The neighbours are certainly awake,” he said. Honk. “Maybe the car owner is in Qualicum Beach, having a beer.” Honk. “He’d better be in town, having a beer,” whispered my husband. Honk. “If he’s sitting here listening to this racket, I’d kill him.” Honk. “You’d have a dozen witnesses willing to swear an alibi that he was hit by a meteor.” Honk. “And we’d have help throwing the body into the river, too,” he whispered. Honk. “You know, I can hear you,” our daughter said from inside her own little tent. “Don’t say any more. I need some deniability.” Honk. “But we’d still need some handyman with a toolbox to cut the wires and shut off that alarm!” Honk.

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Relief at last At that point, we heard that unmistakable sound of an ancient Datsun hatchback bumping along the potholed road. I know the rough, rusty sound of the car because I used to own one. The evening cacophony now went: Honk. Rrmmm. Sploosh! Honk. The car halted in the campground near us. We heard three big goons get out, like clowns at a circus. They bumbled around for a few minutes, dropping things and running into each other, muttering among themselves and laughing before they finally managed to shut off the infernal car alarm. Silence returned at last. Well, nearly silence, with plenty of drunken shushing and giggling for a while. Next morning, I was up early, carrying my kayak to the water. I passed the neighbour’s campsite where an ancient Datsun hatchback was parked. It was right next to our little sedan. Our hood was up and — yes — cut wires were trailing from our engine.

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SECRETS & LIVES

By shannon moneo photo by gary mckinstry

 What are you producing at the Farm for your three restaurants? We have 10 acres, an orchard, greenhouses. We recycle food from our restaurants, do our own composting. I bought the Farm because the CRD was telling us we had to compost through them. We’ve got vegetables, berries and fruits — lemons, currants, fig, quince, mulberry, kiwi, grapes. We hope to put a pond on the property to raise ducks. We’ll probably have milking goats. I’ve got three fulltime staff now. I can see adding more.

processing vegetables within an hour of us having them out of the ground. The quality difference is amazing. We’re in the certified organic program for our produce. Our animals are pastured, ethically-raised, no hormones, but not organic.

 How was the first year of production? We learned a lot. It won’t be anywhere near finished for four or more years, if ever, but that’s part of the fun. No complaints from the neighbours about the compost; in fact, it smells fantastic. Our salad greens were outstanding. One thing we learned is when vegetables come on, you get more than you can use. This year, we’re doing a lot more staggering to extend the season. The biggest disappointment last year was tomatoes. The greenhouse got so hot. By last August, you couldn’t grow anything other than eggplants because it was up to 105°F, so we put in bigger fans. All harvesting is done before the sun rises. The produce is downtown in the restaurants by 9 am, so my chefs are

 Your restaurants feature seafood. How’s fishing? In Victoria, we cannot buy fish that was caught that day. Almost all our fish is caught by commercial fishing licences. They’re out there for five, seven days. Very few boats go in and out every day. If you get salmon that was caught that morning, it’s a different fish. We’ll pay premium, $11 a pound for quality halibut or $9 for salmon. If fishermen could catch 200 pounds of fish a day, that’s worth $2,000. It would be worth their while. They’re making a sustainable living and we’re getting fresh fish.

 How much time do you spend there? Two nights a week, I’ll stay in town. The rest, I’ll stay at the Farm, come into town during the day. I prefer the Farm. As I get older, I like the peacefulness.

steaks to the Albertans wasn’t going to fly. I came back and went to UVic. After two years of university, a fellow I had worked with opened Tommy Tuckers. He talked me into being in charge of all the kitchens on the Island. Then he talked me into buying a franchise. I was 27. That’s when I said, “If I’m doing this business, I gotta get good at it.” So I bought the first franchise in Nanaimo, then another one in Victoria. By the mid-’80s I had Cecconi’s.  You and former partners, the Gudgeons [Shellie is his sister], were behind many of Victoria’s iconic restaurants, including Il Terrazzo, Cecconi’s and Fifth Street Bar & Grill. Which are you most proud of? It’s gonna be the new Bon — the swan song that will incorporate the Farm. I want to bring food from the Farm downtown to a market where I can sell my flowers, eggs, extra produce and encourage epicure-tourism.

 Do you have a favourite food? No. When I cook at home, I tend to do meatloaf, very basic. When I go out, I’d  When did you know you wanted to rather order three or four small plates. be a restaurateur? When I needed I’m so fussy on pasta. I’ll test it five a job to buy a car when I was 15. times before I take it out of the pot. Before I knew it, I was managing a Mr. Mikes while I was still in Grade  The last thing you do before bed? 12. As soon as I graduated from I don’t say my prayers, but I brush Oak Bay High in ’76, they sent me my teeth. to Medicine Hat. I got out there and realized that selling Mr. Mikes’

MICHAEL MURPHY, 55

VICTORIA RESTAURATEUR PESCATORES; BON BISTRO + BAR; THE OYSTER BAR