Boulevard Magazine - May/June 2009 Issue

BOULEVARD the magazine of urban living theartspeoplefoodhomes may/june 2009

PHOTOS BY CONTEST WINNERS

Talented readers snap to our attention

YOU DO KNOW ART

The eager innocent’s guide to art appreciation

TRAVEL, GROWN-UP STYLE

A trip with your adult kids can be just the ticket

HOT PROPERTIES

An Arts and Crafts grande dame goes green and gorgeous

Salt Spring and Cowichan Valley Our writers unleash their senses in the freshness nearby

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Image: Pablo Picasso, “Patron et sa suite en visite a l’atelier du vieux peintre”, aquatint 7/50, 14.3”x 13”,1968.

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According to MerriamWebster, recreation is defined as “refreshment of strength and spirits after work, by some form of play, amusement, or relaxation.” Note the phrase “after work,” which I assume means the kind of work for which we are paid. But what about the work required to make that “refreshment of strengths and spirit” happen?

I’m thinking here of readying the troops for one of those simple Friday afternoon drives to a weekend getaway spot that becomes an all-Friday-evening affair. Or a season called “spring,” during which we mean to bask in the warming air, but end up digging, planting and watering. Or even a year of planning, financing and building a new feature in our home or garden that is made purely for pleasure. These activities don’t sound like recreation as it’s defined, but can bring a deep feeling of personal satisfaction. Eventually.

This issue brims with people who believe, without hesitation, that their work, paid or not, is worth the effort.

Take, for example, the family that has returned its Arts and Craft home to its former glory and then some, ensuring its high environmental standards. No one suspected that the renovation would be so time- and labour-intensive, reports Alex Van Tol. But it became a labour of love. We also visit a hilltop home near Sooke, where two business people imagined their own al fresco kitchen and then made it happen, creating a beautiful playground for adults. As writer Shannon Moneo explains, many homeowners are finding equally ingenious ways to turn their recreational cooking spaces inside out.

And whether taking photographs for work, school or for pure pleasure, our annual Photos By contest winners show us how worthwhile the results of effort can be. You will see how well they capture high-flying action, the beauty of our natural surroundings or fleeting familial pleasures.

We invite you to take some time “after work” and relax with this issue of Boulevard. We hope you’ll find your spirits refreshed, and perhaps your own definition of recreation, whatever it may be, strengthened.

Victoria Boulevard welcomes your letters. Please include your name, address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for brevity and/or clarity. Write to Letters, 210-612 View Street, Victoria, B.C., V8W 1J5, or you can e-mail us at info@victoriaboulevard.com. Check out our website: victoriaboulevard.com.

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86.

92.

20. PHOTOS BY Readers’ winning photos

By Julie Nixon

4. INK ON PAPER A word with you 8. ART 101 Being savvy about art can happen to anyone

By Julie Nixon

26. CREATIVE MINDS Eric Emde keeps taking the Vic High band higher

By Robert Moyes

16. CULTURE TALKS Look for love in political places

By Chris Creighton-Kelly

33. PUBLIC CITIZEN Overfeeding country mice

By Ross Crockford

20.

44. ON THE BOULEVARD Cool stuff you will love 48. TRAVEL SALT SPRING A nearby paradise struts its spring stuff

By Adrienne Dyer

Photos By entry: A red fox digging for razor clams on the beach at Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, Alaska, by Shahn Torontow.

86. HOT DESIGN Give a barbecue man his al fresco domain

By Shannon Moneo

58. COWICHAN FOOD The Valley shakes off winter to sprout fine farm fare

By Greg Pratt

92. BIG DRUMMER BOY Kelby MacNayr wows with his jazz beat

By Rick Gibbs 99. STATE OF THE ARTS Let’s watch art in the making

By Alisa Gordaneer

contents volume XIX ISUUE 4 may/june 2009

38. TRIPS FOR ADULTS Travelling with grown children? Plan for everyone’s enjoyment

By Alex Van Tol

68. HOT PROPERTIES Arts and Crafts goes green and gorgeous in Fairfield

By Alex Van Tol 81. GREEN HOUSE The nature deficit deflected

By Julie Nixon

58.

104. FRONT ROW A world of treasures from the British Museum at the RBCM; Edo: Arts of Japan’s Last Shogun Age at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria; Fired Up! potters at the Metchosin Community Hall.

Plus theatre, visual arts, ballet, and more

By Julie Nixon 115. IN VINO VERITAS Chalet Estate’s new owners are thinking ‘meritage’

By Robert Moyes 120. ISLAND CHEFS Sweets for an Empress

By Alisa Gordaneer 124. SECRETS AND LIES Dr. Richard Stanwick, on taking risks and boxers versus briefs

ON OUR COVER: Lydia Dagg’s photograph of lilies is a winner in our annual Photos By contest.

104.

46,000 copies of Victoria Boulevard ® are published bimonthly by Boulevard Lifestyles Inc. President: John Simmons VP Finance: Melissa Sands.

Publisher: Sue Hodgson. Associate Publisher: Linda Hensellek. Editor: Vivian Smith. Art Director: Jaki Jefferson. Production: Jaki Graphics, Kelli Brunton. Advertising: Sue Hodgson, Linda Hensellek, Eve Hume, Cynthia Hanischuk and Pat Montgomery-Brindle. Pre-press: Kelli Brunton. Printing: Central Web. Mailing address: 210-612 View Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 1J5. Telephone: 250-598-8111. Fax: 250-598-3183.

E-mail: info@victoriaboulevard.com. Website: victoriaboulevard.com.Victoria Boulevard ® 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. Printed in Canada.

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ARTSMART text and photos By Julie Nixon

Dawn’s Early Light by William “Blu” Smith

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Art is for everyone:

opportunities abound

to learn about it, rent it,

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As soon as the bold, rich abstract painting by B.C. artist Blu Smith went up on the wall, Mica Marsh knew exactly what would happen.

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art rental and sales consultant at the Art Gallery

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of Greater Victoria (AGGV). “The work that’s

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“I had a waiting list for it,” recalls Marsh, the

hanging is the work that gets attention and everyone wants it,” she says.

When it comes to art, Marsh confirms, people do know what they like. But people also like to

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have friendly help understanding art, whether from a curator who decides what to hang where, an artist who describes why she paints with oils rather than acrylics, or a gallery owner who can explain an eye-popping price tag.

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A strong emotional reaction to a piece of art is easy — I just love it! — but getting comfortable with the culture around art may not seem so simple. Complicating our appreciation are the often obscure terms used in the art world, the wide variety of styles and media, and a perception that when it comes actually to buying art, the private galleries only look for a certain kind of customer: the rich ones.

But art should be accessible to everyone, and the stereotypes of the pretentious academic or the well-heeled elite are mostly fictitious, especially in Victoria, according to both public and private art experts.

“Nobody likes to approach something they feel intimidated by, like they feel they have to be an expert to understand it or even to have an opinion,” says Mary Jo Hughes, the chief curator at the AGGV. “We’re trying here at the art gallery to break down those barriers,” says Hughes, “and help people recognize that art is really a part of our lives, and that you don’t have “Art is really a to be a PhD to appreciate it.”

Kerry Mason, an art historian part of our lives and lecturer at the University of Victoria, sees the act of and you don’t exploring and talking about art as an “enlightening experience” have to be a PhD that makes excellent use of a person’s time. She agrees with art consultant and appraiser Nick to appreciate it.”

Tuele, a former chief curator of the AGGV, who says visual art is “a non-verbal way of communicating that can be much more accessible to a broader range of the public.”

As a public gallery, part of the AGGV’s mandate is to provide “art experiences” for people in the community it serves, as well as for visitors to the city. Through programs like Gallery in the School, events like the Moss Street Paint-In, and its collections of contemporary, historical, Asian and decorative arts, the gallery offers many ways to understand and explore art.

Often visitors venture into the rental and sales area, where for $20 to $70 a month they can hang original art or prints on their own walls. “Rental is people-friendly,” says Marsh, who says visitors see what’s displayed, and simply say, “ ‘that’s gorgeous, I want that’.”

But let’s say someone wants to cultivate his or her art appreciation further. Consultant Tuele suggests visiting art galleries and artists’ studios first, then reading a primer on art history to understand why art is always changing. He encourages visits to public galleries, many of which feature prominent contemporary artists. The curators help us make

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sense of the artist’s work and give it context in the modern world. “Talking about art is one way of informing ourselves about the essential meanings that art illuminates,” says Tuele.

Art historian Mason’s recipe for looking at art includes asking basic questions. Who created the piece? Who was it made for? Where and how was it created? And Mason’s favourite question, why was it created? The answers can lead to a better understanding of an artwork, whether it’s a contemporary painting or a soundscape public art piece or a theatrical presentation.

Learning and using a few standard art terms gives people the chance to explore the piece more closely and interpret it in their own way. Better than headscratching, a lively discussion about the style, intention, expression, historical value, technique and medium “There is a real joy in can increase the novice art lover’s understanding and sharing art with firstappreciation.

But what about actually time collectors and owning original art? Heather Wheeler, owner of The finding the first exciting Avenue Gallery in Oak Bay, recommends visiting as many galleries as possible, piece to begin their and keeping an open mind.

“There will be pieces out collections.” of the ordinary that you naturally respond to,” she says. “You should never feel intimidated by the person or the process. There is a real joy in sharing art with first-time collectors and finding the first exciting piece to begin their collections.”

Knowing if a piece is “good” or not isn’t as important as buying art that you like. “That’s a whole layer of appreciation: it’s that kind of instinctive emotional attachment to a work,” says Mason. Wheeler agrees: “I feel that the art you choose should be something that you love: an investment in well-being.” If the artwork grows in value, then think of it as a bonus.

Investing in high-price artworks requires determining fair market value for the piece. Internet sites reveal past auction results and publications like the Canadian Art Sales Index can help with ascertaining value, says Tuele.

According to Wheeler, commercial galleries should have appraisal documentation based on the year of the work and its relationship to other artworks.

A lot of people buy art as an investment, but Tuele offers a caution to novices. “Art can appreciate over time but it is usually the ‘blue chip’ artworks by the Group of

Seven or significant artists of a generation who are deemed eminently collectable by dealers and collectors over a long period of time. Most of this kind of art is beyond the reach of the average starting collector.”

Tuele and Mason suggest that a great way to start an art collection is to invest in the works of emerging artists.

“I really applaud that,” says Mason.

Go with your instincts, and one day it may pay off. If not, that’s okay. You’ve had many years enjoying a beautiful piece of art. And that’s exactly why you bought it in the first place.

A Group of Seven Things To Know About Buying Art

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1. Gallery staffers are happy to discuss an artist or style of work you’re interested in. Ask for more information about the artist, the techniques used and how they are applied.

2. Familiarize yourself with art’s vocabulary, so when you

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3. Have a budget in mind, but don’t fret too much about price. If you find a piece you love, it will give you many years of enjoyment, making the price worth every penny. Some galleries have payment plans.

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4. Carry out due diligence. Research a piece and the artist.

5. Purchasing art at an auction can be rewarding, but it’s

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essential to be familiar with how auctions work. Always view artwork before bidding. Find out the fair market value.

Be cautious about information found on the Internet. That Jackson Pollock “original” on eBay could be a scam.

7. Be a patron of the arts by supporting young artists.

Purchasing their work allows them to continue cultivating their talent. Once they’re famous, you’ll have the joy of knowing you contributed to their success. t

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talks

culture

By Chris Creighton-Kelly

As individuals, we’re wired for love: we feel it, need it, sing of it, thrive on it.

Is a lack of love why politics seems to stunt our growth as a caring society?

Jane Carstens

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It’s Just Lunch Matchmakers

Jacquie Brownridge

Just then, Elton John’s insipid tune came on the radio: “ . . . Love is the opening door, love is what we came here for . . . ” Maybe my friend was right after all. I had told her that I was trying to write a column about love and she laughed out loud. And not gently, either. A real guffaw, punctuated with, “Are you crazy? Love is the problem.

It is what messes us up. It is goopy, romantic, sickening.

Besides, it does not work.”

I guessed that her break-up was not going as well as I had thought. But then, this was cynical of me to see it that way. And I was determined not to be a cynic writing about love. I wanted to find love anew, but not necessarily in the usual places.

My friend was at least partly right. I, too, have had my share of betrayals, backbiting and break-ups. My love has been rejected and I have carelessly spurned the love of others.

It is a messy, goopy business.

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Poets, philosophers, artists have all had a go at fixing on love. “One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that word is love,” said Sophocles. Simone de Beauvoir declared: “The ideal should be to be capable of loving a woman or a man; either, a human being, without feeling fear, restraint, or obligation.”

Gandhi offered: “Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the power derived from fear of punishment.” And here is the American poet, Maya Angelou: “Love is like a virus. It can happen to anybody at any time.”

Those quotes just scratch the surface of history. So much inspiration has come before me. What else can be suggested that has not already been digested? Is talking about love destined to be simply more moribund clichés?

Perhaps poking about in the absence of love, rather than reprising stale platitudes about its presence might yield insights. Love, obviously, is not hate. Nor the conditions in which hate incubates. Fear, abuse, paranoia, loathing.

Reaching out to another human if you feel s/he will bite your hand off is hard. If you cannot trust anyone, you cannot get close enough to love.

These are not simply abstract truisms. Sadly, many folks across our globe live in desperate situations. Social conditions of war, terror, poverty or rape. It is not that love cannot exist in these circumstances — a mother will always love her child — but rather that to nurture love, to cultivate it, to develop it into a social imperative, even a political force, is difficult.

Early childhood education advocates remind us that children need more than food, water and physical health; they need emotional support, love and nurturing. They require environments free from abuse and anxiety to feel safe, to feel comforted in a bonding relationship.

Research shows that feelings of security increase a child’s capacity to learn and to develop mentally and physically.

Babies who do not get enough love are less likely to become fully functioning adults. This is not just psychobabble.

Studies can demonstrate these conclusions biochemically and neurologically. Enough love changes our brain chemistry!

Not to mention giving love. Again, research shows that the warm feeling we get when we give to others is revealed in brain scans. Caring for a sick relative; giving away something valuable simply because someone else needs it; sharing food, shelter and warmth: these demonstrate our humanity and also our “humanness.” We humans need to love.

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Whether it is romantic, familial or a love for strangers (a collective love that we feel for all members of our species) we crave this feeling. I am not the first to suggest that we are not fully human unless we have loved in some way.

Many religions suggest that this craving, these kinds of love combined, compels us to love a god or goddess. Maybe. But I am generally suspicious of this kind of religious rapture. It seems dangerous to take something as complex as love and reduce it to the fidelity of worship. Too much human horror has been perpetrated in the name of “god’s love.”

Still, most folks I have encountered, religious or not, speak of that “one-love,” a fleeting feeling of being at one with the universe, of being right where you need to be in that moment, of being in love with life itself.

Yet many of our social influences do not encourage love.

Schools, corporations, bureaucracies, television, the House of Commons . . . hey, where is the love? How do we expect citizens to love and to love themselves without affirmation of Which politician its importance?

For the last few decades, talking is brave enough about love has not been cool.

Postmodernism, despite its many to make the link liberating aspects, has made a mockery of anything too earnest, between love and a too heartfelt. Irony, sarcasm and political agenda that their crueler cousin — cynicism — have pushed love-talk to the back offers a safer, more burner of the body politic.

But the times, they are progressive world? a-changin’. One of the quiet qualities of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign was its antidote-to-irony character. He spoke unabashedly about change, hope, vision. Hope, visually projected in Shepard Fairey’s iconic Obama poster, was on everyone’s tongue. Suddenly, it was cool to hope, to dream and to imagine once again.

And if we can talk about hope, why not love ? Why not make it the basis for a contemporary political movement?

A few years ago, it was said that the first politician who could change public discourse from fear to hope would get a huge electoral response. And along came Barack.

Today’s trying times call out for the first politician who can make the link between love, that most personal, most tender, most compelling of emotions and a political agenda that can nourish love in its most public forms.

Or as Rabbi Michael Lerner puts it, “Make the world safe for love, intimacy and caring . . . that should be at the centre of a spiritual progressive politics.” t Chris Creighton-Kelly is a Canadian artist and writer who lives in the Victoria area.

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photos by julie nixon

Digital photography has unleashed a whole new world in a very short time. It was only a decade ago that meagre two-megapixel cameras were introduced to the consumer market, and yet these days you can buy a quality digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) body and a couple of decent lenses for under $1,000.

At these prices, photography has become more accessible, making it a hobby for many people who crave an artistic outlet that doesn’t take a lifetime to learn.

Others have discovered their love of photography can become a successful career.

Whichever camp we belong to, the digital camera and the images we’re creating allow us to share a little bit of ourselves — and to understand each other better, too.

In the following pages, you’ll read about how the digital camera is used in different ways, but all for the powers of good. From a dedicated humanitarian to a spirited mother recording the lives of her children, this year’s Photos By winners have left their egos at the door to share their personal stories and passion for photography.

Ian Baird After a repetitive stress injury from planting 2,000-plus trees a day each season for six years, Ian Baird was forced to consider other work that didn’t require as much physical movement.

As a self-professed “shy person,” Baird, 27, wanted to challenge himself. His friends and family appreciated his hobby of photography, which played a part in his decision to turn professional.

He attends the Western Academy of Photography in the second-year program, concentrating on portraiture and fine art landscape photography.

“I can see subtle details and beauty in everything and I like to bring that to a different audience,” says Baird. The visual communication of the medium helps him to overcome his shyness, he says.

Baird was on “an adventure with friends” last December when he discovered an old armchair on the beach at Whiffen Spit in Sooke. He set up his camera on a tripod, taking two shots with a polarizer and ND 2 filter. Merging them together with Photoshop allowed Baird to create this sweeping panoramic.

Canon 40D, Canon 16-35mm 2.8L

Ali Rushton After a six-month humanitarian trip with her husband to England and India with the organization Youth with a Mission in the fall of 2005, 24-year-old Ali Rushton was surprised at the calibre of the photos she had taken. The many compliments from

her family and friends boosted her photographic confidence, and thus she began photography as a more serious hobby. “I realized that it went hand in hand with my love of travelling,” says Rushton.

“My photography was a skill I could take everywhere with me; no matter where we ended up living, whatever country, whatever province I could always use a camera, and the visual communication would always be the same even if the language wasn’t.”

Rushton attends the Western Academy of Photography: her intention is to use her photography skills altruistically.

“I’d like to be involved in humanitarian photography — attempting to use the photos that I take to make a difference with causes that I believe in,” says Rushton. “I’m pretty excited to give this a go.”

While in White Rock last winter visiting family, Rushton was working on a school assignment that required her to emulate master photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. Like Cartier-Bresson, she wandered the streets, waiting for that “decisive moment” to capture on film. It was at the public dock when she found it, and she snapped this winning photo — and in a heartbeat, she says, “the moment vanished.”

You can view more of Rushton’s work at www. violetlillyphotography.com.

Canon 5D, 50mm 1.8

Lydia Dagg Sixty-something Lydia Dagg has always been attracted to the visual arts. She studied fine arts in Saskatchewan, worked in tourism marketing, and runs her own small interior design firm.

Last July, however, a lifelong friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer, triggering a transformation in Dagg. She decided to selfpublish a book of her own nature photos, entitled Carol’s Book . . . Searching for the Cure Through the Beauty of Nature. The book’s purpose was threefold: to express her grief; to give her friend, now deceased, something beautiful to enjoy in her last days; and to raise funds towards cancer research. The book is viewable online, where Dagg invites viewers who enjoy it to make a donation to a Canadian cancer organization.

In September 2008, Dagg made a commitment to study photography and to plan a project that uses photography to raise funds for cancer research. While the idea develops, Dagg has snapped over 18,000 photos, joined the Sidney Shutterbugs Camera Club, subscribed to photo magazines, and has worked with her husband and a friend (Wendi Donaldson) to help her understand the mechanics of her camera and the technology of processing digital images on a computer.

Dagg prefers natural light to capture the subtleties and the oft-times ephemeral quality of Mother Nature.

“I try to shoot outside as much as possible. I’ve been known to be out there shooting in the rain,” she laughs softly.

You can e-mail Dagg at lydia-dagg@telus.net for a link to her book.

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSI, Tamron macro 90mm 1:2.8

Sophie Lecavalier “I think every single person has a really strong need to create, no matter what kind of job,” says 33-yearold Sophie Lecavalier. “I think photography is the best I can do for creativity. Just capturing moments and really beautiful things that I wish I could bottle up and keep with me forever.”

Since college, Lecavalier has been dabbling in photography, taking a number of classes to improve her skills. She says her two boys, Benjamin and Gabriel, seen in her winning photo, are growing tired of her chasing them around with her camera. “I use them a lot [as subjects]. Sit there, go there, lift your arm, hug your brother. All quite horrible things for young children to have to do,” she says with a laugh. Lecavalier, her husband and her kids recently spent eight months in the Maldives. Unfortunately, a Canon recall left Lecavalier without a DSLR to artfully record this “vacation” of a lifetime — but she did have her point-andshoot. “It was disappointing, but on the level of tragedies, it’s pretty minimal, so I try to shrug it off,” she says. Once back in Canada and visiting her mother in Quebec, Lecavalier took about 6,000 photos in a mere month.

“I like to steal little moments here and there and everywhere.”

Now that her family is in Victoria to settle for a while, Lecavalier plans to establish a

small photography business taking family and child portraits.

Canon EOS 5D, Tamron 75-300mm tele-macro

Mike Lane After retiring six years ago, Mike Lane went on a cruise with his wife up the coast to Alaska on a freighter. A fellow passenger was taking photos with a digital camera, and Lane was using a film camera. “We took the same photos, but he was able to go into the lounge, upload his photos to his laptop and look at them,” says Lane, 61. After seeing the immediacy of digital, Lane was smitten. “As soon as we got back from that cruise I went right out and bought a digital camera.”

He’s been shooting as a serious hobbyist ever since, three or four days a week. Lane now has a DSLR and has joined an online camera club, a group of “Nikonians” who enjoy sharing and commenting on each other’s work.

His winning photo is a composite made up of four photographs: three of dandelions and one of lichen on a rock, layered together with computer software to reveal different aspects of each image.

Lane explains that he prefers to make his images more like a piece of art rather than photorealistic, using painterly effects and other alternative processes. “I want someone who’s looking at it to see something more imaginative,” says Lane. “So many people have digital, if you want to stand out from a crowd, you have to be good or you have to be different.”

Nikon D40X, AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm VR zoom

Lane Chevrier “If you can capture the emotion of the moment as if you’re taking a snapshot, but with technical expertise,” says digital photographer Lane Chevrier, “I think that that in itself is professionalism.” Flip the coin, and you’ll also find him working with intricately preplanned sets and lighting, creating pieces rife with abstraction. “I work to bypass the concrete sense of realism and bring you into a world that I create.”

Chevrier develops a concept, then uses his photographic skills to give it life. ”I’m also really interested in creating sculpted art using light and shadow and the human body.” His intention is to create images that the viewer will feel and experience on a different level. “I want you to remember what you’ve seen.”

He has moved from his first inspiring photo experience with a disposable camera at age 16, to buying his first point-and-shoot digital camera at 19, to a fully engaged photography education.

Currently attending the Western Academy of Photography, 23-year-old Chevrier is trying out as many different genres and styles of photography as possible. He’s enrolled in every elective at school in order to widen his experience and soak it all in.

“I’m a little overwhelmed, but I’m having fun,” says Chevrier. “It’s definitely an exciting experience.”

View more of Chevrier’s work at www.finalcrit. com/photography/lchevrier/.

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Thanks to Eric Emde, Vic High’s Rhythm and Blues band keeps pumping out

That Sweet Soul Music Talk about a tough crowd. Victoria High School’s famed Rhythm and Blues Band has confidently performed its nightclub-quality soul music at festivals as far away as Denmark, but members wondered if they had over-reached when they wangled an invitation to perform at a Detroit high school a few years ago.

As if bringing their version of Motown music to Motown itself wasn’t nervous-making enough, a surprise awaited them. “I hadn’t realized when I made the arrangements that we’d be playing at an all-black school,” confesses Eric Emde, the music teacher at Vic High who has run the band since the early 1990s.

Although he grins about it now, Emde and his very white

musicians were intimidated — and that was before taking into account that Martha Reeves, the Queen of Motown, would be in the audience. Contacted by Emde a few months earlier, Reeves had readily agreed to give a master class to a couple of dozen lucky kids from Victoria, assuming they survived this trial by fire.

As it turned out, they needn’t have worried. Seconds after the

By Robert Moyes photo by gary mckinstry

band kicked into Smokey Robinson’s The Tears of a Clown, the students from Northwestern leapt to their feet, bodies pumping in rhythmically charged obedience to an exuberant style of music that had been created a couple of decades before either the dancers or the performers were born.

Reeves, the superstar behind such 60s anthems as Dancing in the Streets and Heat Wave, praised the Victoria band effusively. Then she offered to lead them on a pilgrimage to “Hitsville U.S.A.,” the two adjoining buildings, now a museum, where hundreds of Motown songs were recorded.

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“When Martha heard where we were going she insisted on taking us,” says Emde. At the museum, when the Martha and the Vandellas hit Jimmy Mack came over the soundtrack, Reeves started singing along, and the Vic High vocalists spontaneously came in on back-up. “Suddenly, Martha starts showing the original choreography to the girls,” recalls Emde.

“It was an amazing moment . . . electrifying. We will carry those memories forever.”

For Emde, that trip was the ultimate validation for his commitment to spending crazy hours running the acclaimed Vic High band. In existence since the early 1990s, this quasi-professional ensemble of 14- to 18-year-olds delivers nightclub-quality soul music. They perform a slickly choreographed repertoire of classic Motown tunes at up to 40 concerts a year, mostly on the Island but sometimes as far away as Ottawa. In short, these kids are hot. And the man stoking that fire, year after year, is Emde.

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A skilled drummer, Emde, 52, is both a trained jazz musician are chosen to join (he’s played with trumpet legend Clark Terry, among others) and the Vic High R&B Band a university-educated classical percussionist who has performed with the Regina Symphony and the Victoria Symphony.

Mostly, though, he’s a career educator who began teaching band as a young man in Manitoba in 1981, before moving on to Calgary. By 1990 he was hired at Vic High. Emde’s current responsibilities include teaching composition and concert band, as well as running a “pops” choir.

The R&B Band was developed as part of the school system’s “career preparation” initiative and Emde wanted to make the kids as work-ready as possible. “By my second year at Vic High I knew I wanted to do something other than just form the usual jazz band because at that time most of the Many apply but few

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professional gigs available were pop-related,” recalls Emde.

The band currently has 20 students, with a core group of 16 and the rest as substitutes. Run after school, the program allows talented students outside the Vic High district to attend. “A lot of kids apply,” notes Emde. “One year I had 98 auditions.”

Aside from teaching performance, Emde has been fundraising in order to build a recording studio inside the music room at Vic High. “The students need to be taught how to record their own stuff: it’s all part of being able to promote themselves in the age of downloads,” he explains. “The studio will also allow users to score a movie soundtrack, or learn how to be a radio announcer — who knows where this will lead.”

Emde loves talking about the program’s many success stories. One ex-student spent several months in Memphis working in a studio for the man who co-wrote Al Green’s Take Me To The River. Four grads signed a recording contract with Victoria ex-pat David Foster for hundreds of thousands of dollars. And then there’s Sam Dunn, a talented bassist-turnedanthropologist who directed Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey, a Gemini-winning documentary on heavy metal culture.

Another notable graduate is Claire Doyle, who spent three years singing for Emde before moving to Toronto to pursue a musical career. “Eric runs such a great program, partly because it puts you in a professional setting,” says Doyle.

“He treats you like a real musician and not a kid — it makes you more motivated.” Doyle is a member of the Nathaniel Dett Chorale — an “African roots” choir that performed for Barack Obama along the presidential inauguration route in Washington, D.C. “There have been a lot of students like Claire who now perform professionally or pursue further studies at university,” says Emde. “But even those who don’t stick with music get rewarded for their efforts,” he adds. “This is a job and they put in long hours and develop a work ethic — and that will help them succeed at anything.”

Darryl Mar, veteran producer of Victoria’s JazzFest, is a huge fan. “He is the real deal, a fantastic mentor who is very inspiring to his students,” says Mar. “But he’s also a task master and doesn’t put up with a lot of crap. If you don’t make an effort you don’t stay in the band.” For well over a decade Mar has been booking the R&B Band for JazzFest and the Blues Bash that runs Labour Day weekend at the Inner Harbour. “Every year the band is stellar: the kids are disciplined and they are very, very professional,” he adds.

As I finish the interview at Emde’s Oak Bay home, he has already grabbed a pair of drumsticks after feeding his two kids snacks. “I try to practise two hours a day,” he explains.

“I can’t very well expect dedication from my students and not show it myself.” t 30 victoriaboulevard.com

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means despite more people settling in B.C.’s urban areas and their demands for services growing, the hinterland keeps getting more of its unfair share of goodies A friend moved back to the city recently. She came from a farming family in Ontario, and though she worked in Victoria as a consultant economist, she’d always had the dream of raising her son and growing food with her husband, surrounded by nature and real British Columbians. So they bought a small farm up the Cowichan Valley. “Totally gorgeous,” she said. “It was a place that wraps around your heart.” She stood it for two years.

“There was no community,” she confessed. Country folk in other parts of the world live huddled around medieval town squares, but not in B.C. Her neighbours, scattered across the bush, met only at the supermarket parking lot. “There was nothing, nowhere without an automobile.” She kept consulting to earn an income, but the satellite Internet rarely worked, and after a second dark winter she craved a buzz of nearby activity that wasn’t just a backhoe or a chainsaw.

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She can joke about her own journey today, but the migration of people from the countryside to the cities is a serious issue, especially here in British Columbia. The 2006 national census revealed that B.C. is actually the most urbanized province in Canada: more than 85 percent of our population already lives in cities or suburbs. That percentage is only A new bridge, even going to increase, because the number of retirees in the Interior is growing and nearly all immigrants to B.C. choose to one to nowhere, live on the south coast. is always a better You wouldn’t know it from our politics, though. Frequently during photo op than the lead-up to this month’s provincial election, the two big parties have a detox clinic. trumpeted the great things they’ve done or will do for B.C.’s heartland. The Liberals declare with TV ads that they’ve made this “The Best Place on Earth,” swooping like Zeus over mountain ranges to anoint a new bridge in Golden, a medical school in Prince George, or a seniors’ home in Salmon Arm. (No price tags are included, a wise move when the camera gets to scenes of the Olympic Games facilities.) Not to be outdone, the NDP has promised to “axe the tax” on gasoline — even though a carbon tax has been backed by everyone from the David Suzuki Foundation to the Canadian

34 victoriaboulevard.com

Association of Petroleum Producers — to aid the good British Columbians who must drive 20 kilometres for a loaf of bread.

Tune into such messages, and it seems that votes in the outback count the most.

As it turns out, they actually do. In 2007, the province’s electoral boundaries commission proposed redrawing the voting map and reducing the number of MLAs from regions that were hemorrhaging citizens. (In 2006, Kitimat, Prince Rupert, Quesnel, Terrace and Williams Lake had the fastest-declining population rates in the country.) Instead, the Liberals, with the NDP approval, jacked the number of well-pensioned MLAs from 77 to 85, with no loss of seats in the hinterland. But inequalities remained: a riding like Stikine has 13,995 eligible voters, while Victoria-Beacon Hill has 40,440. In other words, dear reader, a voter in Dease Lake has nearly three times the electoral influence that you do — and maybe more, if their MLA gets a cabinet appointment to achieve “regional balance”.

The B.C. Civil Liberties Association says this inequality is so severe that it violates the Charter of Rights. But tipping the scales to favour the hinterland isn’t new. Premier W.A.C. Bennett, a former Okanagan hardware dealer, rejigged B.C.’s electoral map in 1956 and 1966 to boost rural areas because it served his Social Credit party. And it’s not unique to this province, or even Canada.

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abandoned “rotten boroughs” — while cities like Manchester had no representation at all — until it passed the Great Reform Act of 1832.

In the early history of every land, politicians have justified this imbalance because the countryside has been the source of the city’s wealth. But today, with the old-growth fir and salmon mostly gone, and the future staked on the urban, high-tech knowledge economy, it often seems they defend the countryside for symbolic reasons. It’s the true north, the amber waves of grain; the cities are Sodom and Gomorrah.

And a new bridge, even one to nowhere, is always a better photo op than a detox clinic.

The effects of this symbolic manipulation are real. While federal and provincial governments sprinkle cash across the land, they simultaneously offload huge problems to cashstarved municipalities — in affordable housing, transit, mental health care, aging sewer lines, and policing. In 2006, only eight cents of every tax dollar Federal and provincial trickled down to municipal governments. When the feds and provinces such as B.C. governments sprinkle were crowing about their huge cash across the land surpluses, cities across the country were posting $500 while they offload huge million in deficits.

Consequently, urban problems to cashadvocates (many of them in starved municipalities. Toronto) are calling for a New Deal for cities. As they point out, Canadian municipalities are still largely governed by rules set out at Confederation. Cities are creations of provincial law and aren’t allowed any sources of revenue beyond property taxes and fees. They often find long-term planning impossible because they must rely on federal and provincial funds, which are primarily designed to serve the needs of the government handing out the dough and can be removed at any time. This month only: $10 million for new city squares!

There are signs of change. The streetwise Barack Obama beat John McCain’s “Country First” campaign for the U.S. presidency, and Obama has since created a new White House Office of Urban Policy to coordinate federal programs for cities. Of course, his cabinet also has a secretary of Housing and Urban Development, a federal position for which Canada has no equivalent. We need the same awareness here.

But first we have to demand it. Four-fifths of Canada’s population lives in urban areas. The economic buzz is in cities, but they’re not a big part of our national identity.

As my friend discovered, the countryside has tremendous emotional appeal, but it’s time we deal with concrete facts, and acknowledge who we really are. t Ross Crockford is a Victoria journalist and commentator.

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Travelling with grown kids and their friends keeps you young, says Debbie Mineault: Clockwise from the top, Chase Stokes, Kristy Mineault, Emily Skey, Willy Mineault, Debbie Mineault, Derek Mineault.

By Alex Van Tol

A vacation with adult children can be bliss,

Travel for Grown-ups but control freaks better stay home

Remember family trips when the kids were little?

Packing everything in triplicate, schlepping toys, sand shovels, water wings and a never-ending supply of snacks and hearing the same words over and over until they seared themselves into your spasming neural networks: “Are we there yet?”

And, of course, it seemed you never were. But somehow you got there; somehow you created the family memories you still cherish.

Perhaps you are even ready to do it again. Just because the kids have grown and moved away doesn’t mean you can’t still travel together. A number of Victoria couples holiday regularly with their adult children, each for the same reason: they like spending time together.

For Barrie Foster, a retired teacher, travelling with the kids and grandkids is enjoyable. “We still really get along,” he says. Having taken numerous trips with his three kids (all in their thirties) and their own families to destinations ranging from Hawaii to Mexico to Cuba, Foster has evolved a preference for all-inclusive resorts. The advantage is that there’s something for everyone. “We never plan,” says Foster.

“We just play it by ear.”

For a small group, playing things by ear is comfortable.

But as the caravan’s size grows, so do logistical requirements.

Over years of multi-generational trips, Bob Plecas and Pauline Rafferty have developed guidelines to give a common structure to their overseas adventures. Every five years, they join all the kids and grandkids for a trip. “That allows [our kids] time to plan and to use their Visa Aerogold to collect points,” says Plecas, a consultant to government.

The group’s last trip to France involved 19 people from six families. Who knows how many they’ll number in 2015, when they head to Africa? victoriaboulevard.com 39

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To house their gamboling party, Plecas and Rafferty rent a many-roomed villa on a sprawling estate, with a pool and acres of running room. “We don’t expect to spend [all our time] together,” says Bob’s daughter, Bobbi Plecas. “And we also don’t expect the grandparents to look after the kids; that’s decided in advance.” Travelling provides a chance for the grandkids to spend time together, she explains. “There’s a sense of freedom when the cousins are together; the older ones look after the younger ones.”

For large family groupings, organization is key. “The more forethought you put into it, the better the trip because everyone knows what to expect,” says Rafferty.

Much is mapped out beforehand, from who cooks with whom and when, to which family will host the special “event” (a talent show, say, or a soccer tournament) on a given day.

Families pursue their own interests during the daytime, but all parties meet back at the estate in the late afternoon to enjoy the daily activity and a “The more long, leisurely supper. “Big family forethought you put dinners have always been a part of our life,” says Rafferty, who is chief executive of the Royal BC into it, the better Museum. “When we go travelling it’s all about enjoying local food the trip because and wine and trying different things.” everyone knows Trying new things is a good fit for Boulevard’s own art director what to expect.”

Jacalin Jefferson, who last year travelled to Europe with her grown daughters Chelsea and Gillian. Although Jefferson organized their transportation, what made the trio’s travels so enjoyable was they didn’t feel like they had to do anything. “One of the reasons we had such a fabulous time was nobody expected anyone else to do everything they wanted to do,” says Jefferson. Travelling with an open agenda leaves room for creating memorable experiences on the fly. “We all went into it with the attitude that it’s those weird things that happen that make the best memories.” Daughter Gillian agrees: “You always learn new things about yourself when you’re travelling. And sometimes it’s more than you bargained for!” Gillian finds travel to be the ultimate test of a relationship’s strength: “If you can travel with someone, you’re good.”

For Café Brio owners Greg Hays and Silvia Marcolini, a recent trip through Italy with their son Liam and nephew Giacomo provided the opportunity to connect the young bucks with Silvia’s family back in the homeland. “One dinner in particular had at least 25 of us around the table,” says

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Hays. Their best memories? “Just getting in the car, with no commitments, no deadlines and heading off to explore hillside towns.” As son Liam explains, the trick to inter-generational travel harmony seems to be compromise: he was agreeable to touring just one! more! cathedral! in return for a guided tour of the Lamborghini factory by none other than the founder’s grandson, Fabio Lamborghini.

Some families even include their kids’ friends. Debbie Mineault and her husband Willy, owners of Stockli Maytag, travelled to Mexico and Europe recently, with their young adult children and a couple of pals in tow. “It’s fun for them,” says Mineault, and “it keeps you young,” she laughs. Despite the language barrier in parts of Italy and having her wallet stolen in Milan (“the worst thing was that every time we went shopping after that, I had to take my husband!”) their experiences together created good memories.

“More than anything,” sums up Hays, “it’s all about the joy of travelling with your kids in situations that are totally different from your normal life, and seeing the looks on their faces as they experience things for the first time.”

Oh, and try to relax. You’re on vacation.

When traveLling with adult offspring: Compromise. Do some things as a group, but recognize that it’s okay to split up and pursue your own interests.

Be at peace with your differences. Or, as one subject delicately suggested: “put up with everyone else’s crap.” None of us sees the world in the same way so try to stay loose.

Delegate. Assign people to specific tasks. For example, one person could be in charge of passports and licences; another can organize accommodations.

Prepare, prepare, prepare. As with the rest of life, it’ll be a smoother ride if you anticipate some of the bumps along the way. Plan as much of your trip as your schedule (and nature) permits. Host a family gathering in advance of the trip, talk about your needs and concerns, and establish rules before you hop on the plane.

Pay your share. The folks we talked to for this article mostly follow a loose pay-according-to-your-stage-in-life rule.

Meaning: the younger the adult child, the less burden s/he bears. While most parents cover big-ticket items like airfare and/or accommodations, kids should be prepared to spring for meals out and activities. Work it out before you go.

Give yourselves space. Rent a place that’s big enough to accommodate all of you. There’s no quicker way to get irritated than to be in one another’s faces 24/7.

Relinquish control. Don’t embark on a cross-generational trip thinking you’ll be able to control everything — or everyone, for that matter. Open yourself up to new experiences and let go of expectations. t

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ON

the boulevard A few good things from our “A” list

HB

HINDS BLINDS

boulevard 04.09.indd 1

30/03/2009 3:44:54 PM

U Shape It Designed for maximum use of materials, the MIO Bendant lamp is made of lasercut, powder-coated steel and ships in a flat package. You supply the globe lightbulb and bend the leaf-like shades in order to create the chandelier. Made in the United States. ($195 at Place Function + Design, 250-381-3488)

Brand new custom build, on offer in Cadboro Bay for $1.39 million

a Victoria builder’s masterful skill Victoria Traditional Homes, builders of quality homes throughout BC and Vancouver Island for over 30 years.

Currently VTH has been working in Fairfield, Cadboro and Cordova Bay. Custom builders of all architectural genres, VTH also specializes in renovations, custom design and construction management.

Victoria Traditional Homes www.victoriatraditionalhomes.com 250.418.1610

44 victoriaboulevard.com

Personal Trainer Use the iPod Sport Kit with an iPod Nano or Touch and Nike+ shoes to track the details of running workouts: time, pace, distance and calories burned.

Then sync the iPod to a Mac or PC to compare the data with other runs, and even other runners at www.nikeplus.com ($39 for iPod Sport Kit at FrontRunners, 250-382-8181; select sporting goods stores; and Apple-authorized dealers)

Like Oil But Water Farrow & Ball’s new low VOC Estate Eggshell paint handles like oil paint but without the smell. It’s made with 70% renewable raw materials and is 75% biodegradable. Perfect for interior woodwork, trim, doors, furniture and radiators. ($35 for 750 ml / $125 for 1 US gallon at Bespoke Design, 250-298-1105)

C

25 Y

elebrating ears . . .

A New Weave for Walls Eco-friendly Durapalm palmwood woven panels snap together for easy installation on walls and other surfaces. Made of plantation-grown coconut palms at the end of their fruit-bearing years. Durapalm plyboard, tambour panelling and flooring is also available. (Prices vary, available at European Flooring, 250-483-0301)

Since 1984, Bart and Laura Griffin of Griffin Design have been one of Vancouver Island’s most reputable kitchen & bath design firms. From custom cabinetry and furniture to kitchen or bathroom renovations, Griffin Design is able to provide the client a complete and comprehensive service.

Let us make your home beautiful . . . simply.

3388 B Tennyson Avenue 250.598.0484 www.griffindesignkitchens.com

victoriaboulevard.com 45

Here, there & everywhere.

ON

the boulevard

Be fashionably protected with

Clearly, A Wake-Up Call

We’ve ordered the best selection, inspired by Hawaii.

What makes the Tivoli Model Three clock radio different is the high-tech tuner that provides clear reception of stations. It features natural wood casing, analog clock, full-feature alarm controls and iPod compatibility. ($300 for metallic taupe/ cherry model at Design House, 250-383-3569)

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A Little Light Reading Carry 350 of your favourite novels with Sony’s Reader Digital Book, a multifunctional device featuring a six-inch touch-screen display, built-in LED reading light, and technology that makes reading easy on the eyes, even in bright sunlight. ($449.99 for PRS-700 model at Sony Style, Mayfair Mall 250-382-2343, and The Bay Centre 250-412-0306)

Celebrating 10 Years A few more good things from our “A” list

SPOT Me Anywhere Wherever you are in the world, SPOT will be there for you. This GPS satellite communication and safety device dispatches emergency help 24/7. You can also keep in touch with contacts, or request help from family and friends. ($169.99 at Capital Iron Marine Dept., 250-385-9703)

Put Some Madagascar in Your Mocha Bolthouse Farms mixes 100% Arabica coffee, highquality cocoa, whey protein and pure vanilla extract from Madagascar with low-fat milk to create their Perfectly Protein Mocha Cappuccino. Just 240 ml provides a generous serving of vitamins C, D, B6 and B12, as well as potassium, iron, calcium and 10 grams of protein. (Available at many local stores including Thrifty Foods, Market On Yates and Country Grocer.

Prices vary.) t

“It’s All About Me!”

“It’s All About Us!” Lisa, Hair Stylist & Derma Spa Client

Rachel, her sister Sarah and mother Alison, Derma Spa Clients

achel visited Derma Spa for a relaxing facial, Sarah had a pedicure and Alison enjoyed a relaxation massage with reflexology. Three beautiful women feeling great inside and out.

Derma Spa is Victoria’s Medical Esthetics Spa Operating under the supervision of well known Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeon Dr. Harlow Hollis.

We offer medical and non-medical spa treatments with a focus on service, quality and experience.

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TRAVEL

Salt Spring: So near and yet so far out

Get into Gulf Island grooves and greenery before the summer hordes descend

In spring, the time is right for local travel.

Summer tourism has not peaked, yet winter disappeared millions of blossoms ago. If you long to unwind, don’t head for the airport.

By Adrienne Dyer photos courtesy of hastings house

IMAGINE... if you had the power to choose whatever look you want. A chair as unique as you are.

A sofa that fits your lifestyle.

Simply pack a weekend bag, drive to the nearest ferry terminal, and pick an island, any island.

Why not start with Salt Spring?

At L没xe Home Interiors you can do just that!

Your ideas. Our designers. Always complementary.

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New patients always welcome.

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As the largest southern Gulf Island and one of Canada’s top arts communities, Salt Spring is home to about 10,000 of the most eclectic mix of folks you’re likely to encounter. On Salt Spring (or Saltspring, depending on your stance in The Great Name Debate), cottage industry abounds and nearly everything is organic. There are three main communities: Fulford (ferry arrival port from Swartz Bay), Vesuvius (on the north-western shore), and Ganges (the island’s central commercial hub) with 180 square kilometres of paradise stretching between.

Last year, BC Ferries delivered 33,000 more passengers to Salt Spring in July and August than in the previous two months, nearly three-quarters of them tourists. With about 200,000 visitors per year, Salt Spring Islanders have adapted into the consummate hosts. Accommodation ranges from high-end spa resorts like Hastings House, to the “shagadelic”

M acdonald R ealty Victoria opens its doors at “The Aria” 755 Humboldt St. Local Brand, Global Reach.

Macdonald Realty has offices in BC and Alberta. Our exclusive membership with the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World™ and Corfac affiliates us with over 700 member firms throughout North America and in over 35 countries around the world.

Luxury Portfolio connects with the affluent Real Estate consumer.

Love Shack cottage, where couples can spend a groovy weekend by the sea all spring and makin’ love instead of war. You can summer also spend a weekend dedicated to your at Hastings House health: Salt Springs Spa Resort pipes mineral waters into your chalet’s hydroon Salt Spring. thermo spa tub, while yoga resorts hold retreats to help you find your inner peace. For accommodation and dining listings visit www.saltspringisland.org or the Salt Spring Chamber of Commerce at www.saltspringtourism.com.

With much to do and see on Salt Spring, it’s helpful to pinpoint your travel style first, and then build a vacation from there. If you love art, consider popping over for “Masterpiece Weekend,” June 19-21 at ArtSpring Island Art Centre in Ganges. Presented by Salt Spring Fine Art, this premier event will feature one “best work” by each of the participating galleries (see www.saltspringfineart.com).

Perhaps you’d enjoy a cycling tour, kayaking adventure, or beachcombing sojourn with a couple of hikes thrown in.

Fernwood Point and Beddis Beach are local favourites, while Southey Point Trail culminates at a gravel/sand beach,

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Facial Rejuvenation Chlorophylle's "Move-on" softshell pants go where you go!

Breathable & ultra-stretchy, this is the ultimate 4-season sport pant.

Try out the "Impulsion" jacket for these same technical characteristics, and take advantage of a sun protection factor of 40 UPF. The Island trails await!

Shop at Chlorophylle’s newest store location in The Bay Centre Mall Downtown Victoria Entrances off Fort Street & also through the Mall

Botox and Facial Fillers Dental Anesthesia for Fillers Various Sedation Techniques Available Free Consultation

Dr. Elizabeth Johnstone

Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon

113 - 877 Goldstream Avenue 250.370.1493

Melanie and Sherry

one to one fitness group For Everybody!

Private or small group sessions that accommodate all fitness levels for maximum results! Let our enthusiasm and experience help you to define and achieve your fitness goals. We’re a high energy, focussed team that offers:

• Cardio Kick Boxing

• Fusion Strength Training

• Indoor Outdoor Boot Camps

• Personal Training in our studio or your home

• Active Rehab Therapy Programs

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results for any age from 20 to 70+

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A Boarding Kennel that loves your pets as much as you do.

• Comfortable, clean & healthy fresh air environment • Quality, nutritious foods • Exercise yards up to one quarter acre • Soft music • Feline “Cuddle Time” • K-9 Playschool course • Personnel on premises 24 hours a day, 7 days a week • All managerial staff “Certified Kennel Technicians” • Active member American Boarding Kennels Association • Recommended by veterinarians • Full grooming services available

2918 Lamont Road, Saanichton, BC 250-652-2301 www.puppylove.ca email: info@puppylove.ca Just minutes from Victoria Airport & BC Ferries Terminal

where you can swim as the tide rises over hot sandbars.

Mt. Erskine’s rigorous trail rewards hikers with viewpoints on the way to the summit. If an edible journey is more your thing, head straight for the Saturday Market, held every week rain or shine from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm in Centennial Park (Ganges). Since each of the 140 participating artisans “make, bake or grow” everything they sell, the market is the best place to introduce your palate to treats ranging from gourmet Italian gelato (www.saltspringgelato.com) to organic produce picked that morning. For complete details, visit www.saltspringmarket.com.

Now that you’ve decided on a theme, close your eyes and picture this: the top is down and warm, salty breezes whip through your hair as your 1967 Austin-Healey 3000 hugs each curve of the sun-baked pavement (yes, I know you drive a minivan, but dream with me a little). Sheep glance up with lazy curiosity as you whiz by, and nearly every bend in the road reveals a glimpse of sparkling sea.

What’s that up ahead? Another organic farm stand? Better stop for some fresh strawberries and goat cheese to tide you over until dinner.

No trip to Salt Spring is complete without a self-guided circumnavigation. Maps are available either online, or at several locations around the island, including the Chamber of Commerce in Ganges. The Salt Spring Island Heritage “Map of Treasures” includes historic sites, scenic roads, parks, beach access points and trailheads (www.islandpathways.ca), while art aficionados can download a free Studio Tour map (www.saltspringstudiotour.com) and visit 34 artists’ studios scattered from Isabella Point to Stonecutters Bay. Where should you start your tour? Instead of heading straight for Ganges when you get off the ferry, jaunt to Ruckle Provincial Park for a picnic atop the meadows of Beaver Point, and then journey back to Fulford and onwards through the Burgoyne Valley. At Garry Oak and Salt Spring Wineries, you can sample their wares and perhaps buy a bottle that pairs well with goat cheese. When it comes to terroir, Tuscany and Bordeaux have met their match. The sweeping vistas from these two Salt Spring vineyards will knock the stress right out of you.

Before you swoop into Ganges, buzz up Mount Maxwell for the best views on Salt Spring. Wave to the friendly locals as you breeze through Ganges on your way out along the shores of the Trincomali Channel to the community of Fernwood. Take care as you drive along this meandering road, for the ocean waves nearly lap the pavement in spots and pedestrians want to share the road, too. Once you round the northern tip and begin to make your way along Sunset Drive to Vesuvius (home of the Crofton ferry), it’s a short jaunt back into Ganges, where you’ll be more than ready for a pint of Salt Spring Golden Ale at Moby’s Pub.

CLEANSE • REPLENISH • REVITALIZE Helping People Attain Optimum Health

Radiant Health Saunas™ the latest far-infrared technology with colour light therapy from Japan, providing the the most relaxing, therapeutic sauna experience.

Triangle Healing Products has the best wellresearched formulas, services and technologies to enhance your well-being. If you want to live longer, feel better, control weight, increase strength, experience more energy and joy — Triangle Healing is the place for you.

We are your one-stop shop for: • Vitamins • Supplements • Saunas • Massage beds chairs • Juicers • Air & water purifiers • Green foods • Dehydrators • Anti-aging, full spectrum lighting • Weighted hula-hoops • Stirwands

The most advanced air purifier in the world. #1 for allergies & asthma.

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Imagine . . .

Life with your own private elevator.

Do you love your home, but not the stairs? Add convenience, value and luxury to your home with Decortec’s affordable home elevator.

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You found your home,

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Karie Seiss, amp Phone 250-213-5480 www.karieseiss.ca

Member Canadian Investor Protection Fund

"Our business is to assist you in securing your financial future".

To help you plan your springtime visit, we’ve listed upcoming events below for the Islands.

Art Earth and Fire Salt Spring Island Potters Guild Annual Spring Show and Sale, May 8-9 at Mahone Hall.

ArtSpring Island Art Centre includes a 265-seat theatre as well as an exhibition/multi-purpose area for plays, concerts and art shows. Visit www.artspring.ca.

ArtCraft in Mahone Hall, downtown Ganges starting mid-June. Visit the Salt Spring Arts Council at www.ssartcouncil.com.

The Salt Spring Island Scottish Country Dancers present “Simply Scottish On Salt Spring,” June 12-14, a weekend of workshops, dancing and dining. For registration information, see www.saltspringscottishdancers.org.

Named in honour of the late beloved resident cat, The Fritz Movie Theatre is not to be missed. For show times and ticket information visit www.thefritz.ca.

Outdoors Round the Island Sail Boat Race, May 15-17.

Contact the Salt Spring Island Sailing Club at www.saltspringsailing.com.

Hiking trails, beaches and cycling opportunities abound on Salt Spring. For more information and maps, visit www.saltspringgreenwise.com.

For kayak rentals and eco-tours, contact Island Escapades at www.islandescapades.com.

Health

Celebrate Mother’s Day with a yoga retreat dedicated to mothers and daughters at Paradise Found Yoga.

For details, see www.paradisefoundyoga.com. The Salt Spring Centre of Yoga is also hosting three-day yoga retreats during May and June. See www.saltspringcentre.com.

7th Annual Salt Spring Lavender Festival, July 5th at Sacred Mountain Lavender. Try a shiatsu massage in the middle of a lavender field. See www.sacredmountainlavender.com.

Taste Salt Spring with an Island Gourmet Safari food art and studio tour. Visit www.islandgourmetsafari.com.

For a complete directory of Salt Spring farms, visit www.saltspringmarket.com.

We have expanded our watch department . . . with three new work stations for watches and small and large clocks. We offer service for: Grandfather, carriage, mantle, wall clocks, Atmos and all others.

We service luxury brands such as Patek Phillippe, Rolex, Jaeger Le-Coultre, Vacheron Constantin and high end brands like Omega, Breitling, Cartier, Bulgari, Tag Hauer and IWC plus all other brands including Tissot, Bulova, Gucci, Longines and Seiko.

We now offer pick up & delivery service for clocks.

When only the best will do . . .

Southern Gulf Islands Saturday Farmers’ Market, Pender Island. See www.penderislands.org.

“The Golf Islands Challenge” presented by the Golf and Country Clubs of Pender, Gabriola, Galiano and Salt Spring Islands, www.gulfislandsgolf.com.

Saturna Island Annual Canada Day Lamb Barbeque at Winter Cove, www.saturnalambbarbeque.com.

Saturna Island Family Estate Winery. Tour the vineyards and lunch at The Bistro, open May through October.

See www.saturnavineyards.com. t

Designers of Fine Jewellery Exclusively hand-crafted on premises

Francis Jewellers Ltd. goldsmith

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Paul Groppe Master Goldsmith Rafal Zebrowski Gemmologist 617 Broughton Street 250-384-7611 www.francisjewellers.ca

victoriaboulevard.com 55

Salt spring and The Gulf Islands

Savour Salt Spring and the Gulf Islands Planning a small escape this spring? From golf to spas, from gelato to galleries, the Gulf Islands have everything you need to unwind and recharge. Stay a few days at your favourite B&B, enjoy a glass of pinot gris or golden ale, sample local goat cheese, shop the artisans or just sleuth out a good book and relax. Whatever your retreat plans, visit us soon and enjoy these eclectic communities close to home.

VISIT SALT SPRING’S MUST-SEE AND MUST-SHOP STOP offering islanders and visitors an outstanding selection of clothing. From edgy Italian designs to kids gumboots, Mouat’s Clothing Co. never fails to delight with the new and totally unexpected. Manager Marnie McAughtrie extends a warm invitation to all visitors to find their way to the historic heart of Ganges and experience this landmark business first hand.

MOUAT’S CLOTHING CO., 1-877-490-5593, 1-250-537-5593 106 Fulford-Ganges Rd., Salt Spring Island

THE UPSTAIRS BEARS IS A TEDDY BEAR BOUTIQUE, unique in Canada. We sell fine antique teddy bears that predate 1930, as well as award-winning artist, handmade and oneof-a-kind teddy bears; all heirloom quality.

This is a boutique for collectors, or for anyone who can still be enchanted by the nostalgia of childhood.

THE UPSTAIRS BEARS 1-250-538-0964 Grace Point Square, 2203-115 Fulford-Ganges Rd. Salt Spring Island, www.theupstairsbears.com

PEGASUS GALLERY IS SALT SPRING’S FINE ART DESTINATION. Since 1972 art lovers have been coming to see our latest Historical and Contemporary Canadian art and museum-quality Native art.

We are proud to be part of the Masterpiece Weekend Exhibition, June 19-21, showcasing world class art on Salt Spring.

PEGASUS GALLERY, 1-800-668-6131, Seaside in the historic Mouat Building, Ganges Village, Salt Spring Island, www.pegasusgallery.ca

OLD SALTY CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF THE ISLAND. Experience the shop’s exceptional seafaring theme. Highlights include nautical treasures, West Coast Native, Salt Spring and Canadian artisans in cozy quarters.

Also, sample a unique buffet of greeting cards. Pamper yourself with the latest in lifestyle products, while enjoying the hottest decorating and gift-giving trends, making Old Salty much more than just a great card store!

MOUAT’S OLD SALTY, 1-250-537-5551, 106 Fulford-Ganges Rd., Salt Spring Island

ORGANIC AND NATURAL CLOTHING FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY, Nordic Natural Woollens brings quality European garments to our online store. Babies, children and adults deserve clothing created in an ecological manner and made of the best materials from nature. 100% organic Merino and Virgin wool, pure silk, bamboo silk, organic cotton and silk/wool blends enhance the body’s natural rhythms and functions.

Great for layering, styles for daily living, versatile for outdoors and ideal for sports performance.

NORDIC NATURAL WOOLLENS 1-877-858-9665, Salt Spring Island www.nordicwoollens.com

DISCOVER THIS LITTLE BIT OF PARADISE IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD, with spectacular 180 degree views overlooking Swanson Channel and Vancouver Island. From high above the bluffs of Pender Island, you can whale watch, star gaze, and see the majestic eagles soar as the sun sets from the privacy of your deck. Each room has a queen bed, fireplace, hot tub, private deck, gourmet breakfast and more. Book your get-away now.

SAHHALI LUXURY OCEANFRONT B & B, 1-888-724-4254, 1-250-629-3756, 5915 Pirates Rd. Pender Island, www.sahhali.ca

ON PENDER ISLAND, NESTLED AMONGST THE ANCIENT MAPLES and cedars, you will discover The Joshua Art Gallery. There you will see paintings and drawings of old souls and distant lands, where costumes and landscapes from history and the imagination are tools of inspiration. Our website displays a wide selection of art styles, along with an online store, where you can purchase limited edition fine art prints year round.

THE JOSHUA ART GALLERY, 1-250-629-2078, 9891 Spalding Rd., S. Pender Island, www.joshuaartgallery.com

YOU DESERVE TO ESCAPE from daily stress by making your visit to Salt Spring Island as deeply relaxing an experience as possible. The soothing fingertips of our spa care experts will help rejuvenate your body and soul. Treat yourself to a massage, a facial, a manicure, a pedicure, or any of our other rejuvenating treatments; all important steps in maintaining your health and balance.

Check our website for daily and monthly specials.

SKIN SENSATIONS, 1-250-537-8807 Grace Point Square, 2102-115 Fulford-Ganges Rd., Salt Spring Island, www.skinsensations.com

COME LIVE, BOAT OR SWIM ON CANADA’S BEAUTIFUL WEST COAST GULF ISLANDS! Call Li Read, Managing Broker, Sea to Sky Premier Properties, (Salt Spring), an affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates. Li offers you wise advice on all real estate matters, and will help you find your dream home!

Visit LiRead.com to learn more about the islands, and to view Li’s extensive selection of fine properties!

Why keep the islands waiting?

CONTACT LI READ, 1-250-537-8763 or LiRead33@gmail.com www.LiRead.com

COWICHAN

THE VERNAL VALLEY

Cowichan starts its sweetest season

Our own unique

By Greg Pratt photo by phil ives

B L E N D S SINCE 1894, Murchie’s has been combining delicate green teas with bold black teas to create distinctive, perfectly balanced blends.

Driving down country roads, eating fresh-picked strawberries and exploring local treats at farmers’ markets are wonderful ways to spend a day in spring.

Luckily for us, the Cowichan Valley, which contains all of the above, is a short, scenic drive from Victoria and explodes with springtime flavours to discover; indeed, what I’ll mention below is but a brief, random sampling.

The valley itself feels in the midst of a beginning: if you get out of the car on one of those back roads and take a deep breath — uh, turn the car off first — you will smell, in a word, revitalization. Nootka roses blooming along the side of the road and the fence lines, the growing grass and the sweet, resinous poplar are but a few of the smells that springtime in the Valley brings.

“Oh, you can just smell the glory of spring,” says Cowichan Valley farmer Katy Ehrlich. “When people taste the stinging nettle and the fresh greens of spring, it’s definitely renewing. The birds are singing; it’s glorious.”

Katy and her husband John run Alderlea Farms in Duncan on Glenora Road. They practise biodiversity, which means they use no hormones, chemicals or antibiotics, nothing that will harm the Earth. It’s like organic farming, but the soil and plants are sprayed with preparations which themselves are made from plants and animal substances found on the farm. This circle comes complete at the finished product; in Alderlea’s case, their pride and joy is cabbage. “Believe it or not, many farmers do not know how to grow good cabbage,” says John. “We make an awesome sauerkraut — one that your Oma would be proud of.”

Considering the region has had both a borscht and stinging-nettle festival (the latter sounds rather shocking, but stinging nettle tastes kind of like spinach, is versatile and has a lot of nutritional value), it’s tempting to want to dig deep and unearth some really strange foodisms. But you can’t beat the classic seasonal goodies at the farmers’ markets in Crofton and Duncan.

Try our famous No.10 Blend or one of our many other green black selections.

Available as loose leaf or tea bags.

1110 GOVERNMENT STREET 250.383.3112 WWW.MURCHIES.COM

victoriaboulevard.com 59

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The two farmers’ markets in Duncan have rejoined to become one larger market located in the square alongside City Hall and on Craig Street, which is closed during market hours. It boasts anywhere from 100-125 vendors every Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. While there, check out Joen Belanger’s Cowichan Fair-award-winning jams and jellies, such as her popular loganberry and black raspberry jams and cranberry hot pepper jelly.

When talking about produce from Cowichan, everyone seems to mention Dave Wiebe’s strawberries. Wiebe has a certified organic farm in Duncan on Lakes Road, where berries ripen with the arrival of the long, warm days of June.

“Oh, you can just “It’s this heat that gives the berries their full, rich flavour smell the glory and wonderful sweetness,” says Wiebe, “and with the Cowichan of spring,” says Valley’s exceptional climate we are generally able to offer the Cowichan Valley earliest and best berries.”

Wiebe says he consistently farmer Katy Ehrlich. harvests one or two weeks before the Saanich Peninsula “When people and other Valley farms. He sells to Victoria outlets but you might taste the stinging find it worth the drive to get these berries as fresh as possible. nettle and the When the season is in full swing, people can pick their own. fresh greens of In May, at Valhalla Herbs, a organic herb farm run spring, it’s definitely 5-hectare

by Pat and Henri Andersen, the two hot flavours are rhubarb renewing.” marmalade (which I found playfully zesty) and raspberry blend jelly (exciting, bold and strong).

After all those fruit and veggies, it’s time for dessert. Udder Guy’s Ice Cream has made a name for itself with a wide variety of unusual ice cream flavours. And here’s a tip: the Cowichan Bay ice cream parlour, where you can sit in a booth and relax with an ice cream cone while looking out over the bay, will feature a new flavour in May: Udder Chaos. Vanilla-based and “full of stuff,” we’re told, this flavour won’t be available outside of the parlour. Judging from the quality of the company’s other flavours — the Red Wine Grape is particularly memorable, and, yes, nonalcoholic — it could be worth the drive alone.

Continued on page 67

Ready to Learn to Cook Like a Chef with a little help from Thrifty Foods Cooking and Lifestyle Centre Register today and be on your way to cooking like a chef!

Thrifty Foods Cooking and Lifestyle Centre has demonstration and hands on classes taught by renowned local and international chefs.

Learn to prepare delicious new dishes and dine on outstanding cuisine

Visit thriftyfoods.com for a complete class schedule and registration details or call Eva at 250-483-1222.

Thrifty Foods Tuscany Village is located at the intersection of Shelbourne and McKenzie, 1626 McKenzie Ave. victoriaboulevard.com 61

The Cowichan. So close .

A quick half-hour drive over the Malahat, with majestic vistas still swimming in your head, and you’re here.

Far from the busyness of Victoria and ready to be embraced by the warmth of the Cowichan. Step into a saner, calmer world – our cozy villages, quaint downtowns and great outdoors are just what you need.

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Start your escape by visiting with our local farmers, shopkeepers, artisans and craftspeople. Drift through our bookstores and beaches, gourmet cafés and galleries. And then treat yourself to a well-deserved, mellow evening of fine food, world-class music and a night of pure relaxation in one of our many B&Bs.

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The Cowichan: Beyond Ordinary

Whether it’s shopping in our picturesque and historic downtowns, relaxing in our bistros or spas, or flyfishing, golfing, kayaking or otherwise exploring our great outdoors – your experience here will be beyond ordinary. And our slower-paced atmosphere makes everything delightfully relaxing and stress free.

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Visions Art Studio Tour: July 2 – 6, 2009.

Twenty artist studios open their doors and invite you in for five days of extraordinary showings this summer. This self-guided, free tour covers all parts of the Cowichan Valley, taking you to visit painters, carvers, potters, photographers, jewellery makers, weavers, printmakers, and others. visionsarttour.ca

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The world can wait.

Ladysmith – the perfect combination of small town charm, spectacular natural surroundings and world-class

recreational amenities, and over 600 feet of guest moorage at our community marina! Visit our historic downtown, and join us this year for Paddlefest and the Maritime Festival during May. tourismladysmith.ca

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For more information, contact Tourism Ladysmith | TOURIST INFORMATION 1 250 245 2112 | tourismladysmith.ca

Continued from page 61

If you can find time somewhere between the ice cream and the organic berries, check this out: the Cowichan Green Community, an environmental nonprofit group that formed in 2001 and focuses on environmental sustainability in the Valley, especially food-security issues,

People want more of their diet grown locally, but that affects the regional environment. will host the Seeds for Change Conference from June 19 to 21. The conference focuses on increasing awareness about the food people eat, as well as food-related environmental impacts on the Cowichan region.

Over in Shawnigan Lake, Amusé Bistro shines particularly brightly in the spring. They focus on locally grown

ingredients and have their own garden behind the restaurant. Wife-and-husband team Leah Bellerive and Brad Boisvert opened the restaurant in August of 2006. It’s already received praise from media worldwide — London, England’s Sunday Express commended Amusé’s commitment to sustainable farming; Victoria’s Times Colonist gave them a five-star review.

Not bad for a little restaurant tucked away in the Valley.

Boisvert and Bellerive, whose house is on the same property as the restaurant, visit every farm they consider dealing with to ensure it’s run sustainably.

This time of year, the Valley asparagus is near-legendary, especially if you can get your hands on the white variety.

With a sweet, grassy taste and moist flesh, it’s a tender, seasonal treat. “It’s just amazing,” says Boisvert, who stocks up Amusé with asparagus from Pedrosa’s Asparagus Farm in Cowichan Bay. “It’s actually a little hard to come by because they only can produce so much. I usually sit outside the gate, waiting for them to open. I pack a lunch,” he laughs.

Combine that with fava beans grown in their garden, local raspberries, stinging-nettle soup and some emu dishes, and Amusé seems an appropriate place for Victorians to stop for dinner when returning home from a day of exploring the springtime treats the Cowichan Valley holds. t

ahhh . . . asparagus There’s nothing like biting into this year’s first farm fresh stalk of asparagus to signal the first taste of Spring . . . a real delicacy. Whether steamed, grilled, or roasted, these bright green mouthwatering stalks are one of nature’s most perfect foods!

We carry an amazing array of the freshest organic fruits and vegetables, herbs, meats, poultry and seafood — as well as exotic spices, vinegars and oils from around the world.

So if you’re looking for those special and sometimes hard-to-find ingredients, shop at The Market on Yates or The Market on Millstream.

Chances are, it’s the only stop you’ll need to make.

903 Yates Street 250-381-6000 Flower Shop 250-721-1113 2401 Millstream Road 250-391-1110

Fresh local asparagus with a warm shallot/lemon vinaigarette, topped with scallops and two kinds of caviar.

Tableware and linen provided by The Tuscan Kitchen.

victoriaboulevard.com 67

A Grande Dame Restored Arts and Crafts meets sustainable building practices in the heart of Fairfield

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That’s what happened at the home of James and Heather Campbell. Located a stone’s throw from downtown, this Fairfield Arts and Crafts home has been restored to the just-built glory it would have enjoyed around 1910 — and then some.

Not only has the original character been retained, but modern innovations and sustainability measures mean the house operates with a higher EnerGuide rating than most new builds. General contractor David Coulson says most people believe older homes to be inefficient and unlikely candidates for energy retrofits. Not so. “With this project, we’ve demonstrated that we can bring an older house up to standard,” says Coulson. The house’s net environmental footprint? Almost zero.

A serendipitous end result, considering the group didn’t set out to attain such a high degree of ecological invisibility. After months of searching, the Campbells (a pseudonym) bought the house in 2006. It met all their criteria: it was within walking distance of everything, including the ocean and parks; it Every piece of was in Fairfield; and it had a floor plan they liked. Post-purchase, they moulding on the expected to roll on a fresh coat of paint and get on with living. “We walls was taken really didn’t want to do a lot of renovation at all,” says James. But down, labelled, when work began in the basement to stripped and remove a suite, workers discovered the structure had settled poorly. “We replaced, then thought we could preserve as much as possible up here,” says Heather, finished in situ. gesturing around the main floor, “but as they were straightening the house, huge cracks in the plaster developed.” Both storeys had to be taken back to the studs. Though they didn’t know it at the time, James and Heather had waded hip-deep into a project that would last nearly two years.

The Campbells figured as long as the walls were off they might as well upgrade the heating system and do seismic work. Coulson’s crew installed a vapour barrier, insulated the walls, upgraded the plumbing, expanded closets, punched out dormers, built James a home office and rewired the place.

While the structural work was underway, Heather and James had time to ponder their objectives for the house’s interior.

They decided to preserve the Arts and Crafts heritage as much as possible, while still allowing for modern conveniences. The original fir floors were refinished and the badly weathered cork in the kitchen swapped out for new fir. Three original wood-burning fireplaces were switched for natural gas — and surrounded with contemporary Motawi handcrafted tiles reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts period. Damaged windows

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were releaded or replaced.

Every piece of moulding on the walls was taken down, labelled, stripped and replaced, then finished in situ.

Period stained glass windows, designed by Mercer and Schaefer, were installed over

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the dining room’s built-in buffet, in the front hallway and on the stair landing. And (at last!) Heather got her window seat. Two of them, actually: one on the south dining room window and another in the front entrance. “It was one of the first things on my wish list,” she grins.

The couple’s condominium was only a 10-minute walk away, allowing for frequent site visits. Coulson credits the collaborating parties’ constant exchange of learning, expertise and questions for the pleasing result. A small work crew meant no job was rushed; the Campbells had plenty of opportunity to watch the project unfold.

“We got feedback from a lot of people that we worked really well as a team,” says Heather. “I did a lot of the broad research. Once I’d narrowed the questions we needed to figure out, I’d bring James into it. We made decisions quickly and harmoniously. People were often amazed.”

Light fixtures and sconces, if not original, are period reproductions from Waterglass Studios and Illuminations.

A ceiling of pressed tin presides over the raised breakfast

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bar and butcher-block counters in the kitchen. Shaker-style cabinetry, created by KWB Construction, complement period drawer handles from Victoria Speciality Hardware. Right down to the paint and subway tiling, the house is true to its early 20th century roots.

But in a world facing peak oil and the disastrous implications of a changing climate, James and Heather wanted their home to be as energy efficient as possible.

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Classic light fixtures create a relaxing atmosphere in the master bedroom. Bumping out dormers and rearranging closet space make for better floorplans in the bedrooms and upstairs bath.

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The house’s circuits are wired to accommodate future advances in solar collection technology. But beyond preparing their home for the coming rise in energy prices, James and Heather see it as a

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Looking back, no one suspected this would be such a timeand labour-intensive renovation. (And the energy upgrades alone added $92,000 to the bill.) “We didn’t aim for this in the

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The World at Your Feet Anthony Westlake invites you to come in and discover his extraordinary collection of hand-woven carpets from Turkey, India and Nepal. Go anywhere your personality desires, with our traditional, contemporary and transitional carpets. Each carpet is a masterpiece of detail and timeless beauty.

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beginning,” says Coulson, who was originally brought on board just to renovate the basement. But as the project evolved — and grew — the focus turned to efficiency, durability and sustainability, while still the Arts and Crafts aesthetic and heritage characterdefining elements were preserved. “We took it one step at a time,” says Coulson. “We could have planned it to death . . . and not gotten the same results.”

Heather agrees. “Once you get involved with this kind of

SUPPLIERS AND TRADES Contractor/builder/designer is David Coulson Design Ltd.; Window fashions and Farrow & Ball paint supplied by Bespoke Design; Cabinetry, butcher-block maple counters

by KwB Construction and Cabinets; Design and Motawi tiles

by Bullnose Tile and Stone; Appliances by Trail Appliances; Plumbing fixtures by Kitchen & Bath Classics; Flooring by Stone Design; Windows by Vintage Woodworks; Doors by Windsor Plywood; Woodwork by David Coulson Design Ltd., RDF Construction; Lighting by Water Glass Studios, Illuminations Lighting Solutions; Landscaping/garden design by Lo-Ki Landscape Design; Rock/Stone work by StrongBack Contracting; Furnishings by Thomson & Page; Stained glass/glass art by Mercer & Schaefer Glasstudios; Solar system by Solarcrest Innovations Inc.; Geothermal technology by Pro Star Mechanical Technologies Ltd.; Hardware by Victoria Speciality Hardware Ltd.; Tin ceiling by Brian Greer’s Tin Ceiling; Floral design by Poppies, The Island Florist.

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Is your lawn ready for summer?

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Aerate: Punch holes in the lawn with a gardening fork or a powered aerator.

The

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This relieves soil compaction, improving water and air movement into the soil, which increases rooting and greatly improves grass health.

De-thatch: The layer of organic matter that forms between the blades of grass and the soil may not all decompose. This robs grass roots of oxygen and water needed for healthy growth. Call a lawn care professional to remove thatch.

Amend the soil: Aerate, then rake a top dressing of sandy loam or compost evenly over the grass, and let settle.

Stop brush cuts: Mow grass using a sharp blade 50 to 65 mm (2 - 2.5 inches) high. Don’t mow if it is very dry or wet. Grass clippings add vital nutrients back into the soil.

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If you teach kids about the great outdoors, and give them lots of time to play in it, they’ll shape a world that

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honours what is wild.

This past February, changes that had been made to the Oxford Junior Dictionary made major news headlines.

Oxford University Press had dropped a range of nature words like minnow, nectarine, buttercup, raven and blackberry.

Technology-related terms like MP3 player, voicemail and blog were added, as were biodegradable and endangered.

But the modifications left respected naturalists like Robert Bateman shaking their heads. “This move will only help to alienate children from their wild neighbours. It’s taking a step in the totally wrong direction,” said Bateman through Get To Know Your Wild Neighbours, a program he started that connects children with nature. “If kids don’t know the name of something, they won’t care about it or think about it.”

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Could these revisions be symptomatic of a much larger condition?

While studies demonstrate that children need direct exposure in the natural environment for both physical and emotional health, it was Richard Louv’s bestselling book, Last Child in the Woods, that spearheaded a movement in communities worldwide to get kids off the couches and outside to play.

Louv spoke with thousands Families can avoid of parents, children, educators, “nature-deficit disorder” scientists, religious leaders, researchers and environmentalists, and what he found was a culture by taking in the bees, in the midst of a harmful change.

Instead of spending time outside, birds and bugs at children were too often indoors, playing video games, watching places like Swan Lake TV or surfing the Internet. Louv’s investigations validated what most Nature Sanctuary. of us already know: that these sedentary activities, along with poor eating habits, compromise children’s long-term health. He dubbed this phenomenon “nature-deficit disorder.”

“One of the biggest issues facing families today,” explains Margaret Lidkea, program manager at the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, “is that they are usually too busy, too afraid to allow their children to go outside.” As children’s program organizer

for Swan Lake, Lidkea sees how important it is for parents to initiate outdoor family activities.

Swan Lake, a non-profit organization formed in 1975, offers school programs that support the required curriculum, as well as family and kids programs that are designed to be fun, from learning about birds to butterflies to bees and other bugs.

“We try to develop the best programs we possibly can, that are very child-directed and allow them to experience joyful activities,” explains Lidkea. She says their programs work well because the small groups encourage interaction, and this helps the kids connect on an emotional level to the natural world they’re exploring. The result? Those children are more likely to treat nature with respect.

“That is one of our most important goals,” says Lidkea.

For many kids, the key to learning is to capture their imagination. Lidkea suggests having children help with gardening tasks, like growing vegetables or even composting, as these responsibilities offer opportunities for them to learn a variety of skills. “These are things a kid can do that are more positive and lasting than having them buy a green-washed product,” says Lidkea.

Having a “sense of place” is crucial during childhood. Louv explains that nature provides children “an environment where they can easily contemplate infinite and eternity,” like gazing at the stars on a clear, dark night. “Immersion in the natural environment . . . exposes the young directly and immediately to the very elements

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from which humans evolved: earth, water, air, and other living kin, large and small,” writes Louv. If kids aren’t • Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature experiencing nature on Sanctuary a regular basis, they can 250-479-0211, www.swanlake.bc.ca lose their sense of place.

• CRD Parks, www.crd.bc.ca/parks/ But exploring the natural world shouldn’t • Victoria Natural History Society’s come strictly from Connecting Children with Nature outdoor educational www.vicnhs.bc.ca activities. Extensive • Robert Bateman Get to Know Program research has shown that 250-861-9474 , www.gettoknow.ca “free play” has a range of • Rivers to Ocean Week health-giving benefits for June 7-13, www.riverstooceansweek.ca young ones. “Kids who have at least an hour of • Canadian Environment Week unstructured play time May 31 to June 6, www.ec.gc.ca/cew outside with friends are children that have increased happiness, confidence, team-playing abilities and leadership skills, and they also have increased observational skills,” says Lidkea.

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Exploring natural spaces on their own time and under their own rules helps kids develop a healthy balance of physical, cognitive, emotional and social skills. They manage stress better and adapt to change easier. Research even shows that free play (not organized sports) in an environment of trees, plants, rocks and uneven ground helps kids improve balance and agility. That type of play uses both parts of the peripheral nervous system: the sympathetic, which is the “fight or flight” response that sharpens our awareness, and the parasympathetic, a relaxed state, with the senses open.

Nature offers so much to us at all ages: its nurturing solitude and healing qualities activate creativity, fuel imagination and inspire humility. “Reducing the deficit — healing the broken bond between our young and nature — is in our self-interest,” says Louv, “not only because aesthetics or justice demands it, but also because our mental, physical and spiritual health depends on it.”

Young people are shaping our world and adults are responsible for teaching children the importance of caring for our planet. In 1968, Baba Dioum, a Senegalese poet and environmentalist, said: “In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.”

Over 30 years later, Dioum’s words still ring true. t Julie Nixon writes about the environment and other topics from her home in Sooke.

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A man likes to be master of his outdoor cooking domain: she likes the curling up part

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So 16 months ago, the semi-retired consultant and his wife, Signy, a financial advisor, settled into their hilltop home west of Sooke and the two businesspeople struck one more deal.

“If you get your hot tub, I get the kitchen,” is how Doug says he leveraged his al fresco kitchen with Signy. The generous hot tub beckons at ground level while the upperdeck, al fresco kitchen is fired up about three times a week in winter and almost every day in summer. Jaw-dropping views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains compete with the food at their parties, as will happen again in May, when the couple hosts a second annual Swiftsure bash. Last year, guests feasted while scanning the Strait for the racing sailboats. “It’s a great party area,” Signy says.

Inspired by outdoor dining experiences on visits to Provence and Tuscany, the couple has imported the ethos to Canada’s version of the Mediterranean. But in al fresco à la Vancouver Island, Signy is relegated to sous chef, while Doug takes charge. “People visit and want to see the house, but this is the first place I take them. It’s my little kingdom. My 88 victoriaboulevard.com

little domain,” says Doug, a former pharmaceutical company vice-president. A voracious reader of cookbooks who leans toward seafood and meat, he creates with a libation in hand and seasonings at hand. When the party’s over, Doug cleans his playground.

“Typically, it’s the male who asks for it. He wants his outdoor kitchen,” says Dale Dziwenka, who, since 1993, has headed Waterform Design, a Victoria-based landscape design and project management business. Men do the bulk of barbecuing: with an al fresco set-up, the cook is the centre of the party.

At Waterform, al fresco kitchens have become one of the main courses. “It starts with an outdoor barbecue and we try to make it fit with the indoor design,” says Dziwenka, who got his start designing water features in Hawaii. Projects, he says, often involve a tussle between male and female tastes.

Capital Iron co-owner Mike Black has seen demand for al fresco kitchens go from smouldering to hot since early 2008. “A lot of folks have renovated the house and then they look into the backyard.” At-home entertaining, part of the ongoing cocooning phenomenon, leads homeowners to turn living space inside out, adding square feet and value to their property.

“It’s been a big trend in the U.S., California, Arizona, Florida for years and the last couple years in Minnesota and the Eastern Seaboard, New York. Now it’s making its way into Canada,” says Black. The trend has also been stirred by home-makeover shows.

Doug and Signy were Capital In his outdoor Iron’s primo al fresco kitchen customers. At almost 600 square kingdom, Doug is feet, their outdoor area is an “L” shape. Both the covered seating area in front of the particularly fond of fireplace and the cooking space face east, while the uncovered the stainless steel dining area faces south.

Original plans had the space on the other side of the house, components. but prevailing winds, which can easily hit 80 kilometres per hour, would have whipped up more than intended.

Access is off the kitchen, where a boat hook ensures the door can be securely kept in place as food is ferried out.

A couch and two chairs face the outdoor wood-burning fireplace with its specialty slate tiling that can withstand the elements, bought at Mattonella Tile in Sidney.

On a rainy day, Signy curls up in a blanket, book in hand, in front of the fire, listening to nature’s beat, while nearby, Doug prepares filet with blue cheese sauce or grilled salmon with mustard/maple glaze. The pungent cooking

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smells, which can linger in a home, waft away, perhaps enticing the neighbourhood bear or cougar. Last summer, in fact, a bear wandered near the hot tub following a grilled steak feast. The motion lights served their purpose, spooking the omnivore.

Flooring is the standard vinyl decking or indoor/outdoor carpet. The kitchen area consists of a 3.7-metre-long, four-section stainless steel counter built with a metal frame encased with fireproof HardiPlank, a fibre cement siding. The countertop, with backsplash, uses easy-cleaning ceramic tile, while slate is fitted on vertical sections.

Doug handles surf, turf and mounds of vegetables at the two-burner, propane gas cooktop and the 1.2-metre-long grill.

A sink doubles as an ice bucket. Five drawers in two sections store utensils and tableware. “I love the stainless steel draws, they glide beautifully,” Doug says. Two electrical outlets, plenty of lighting, including a sky light, and the home sound system with built-in speakers all but erase those dark Markham days. The table, steps away from Doug’s culinary universe, completes the al fresco scene.

“We can do everything out here,” he says.

The two are particularly fond of the stainless steel components, which were manufactured in Duncan by Jackson Grills.

They haven’t yet warmed to heat lamps, since their fireplace throws heat that is trapped under the overhanging metal ceiling.

But Black maintains that it’s key to have outdoor heating because

in Victoria the evening temperature drops considerably. Tower or wall-mounted heaters or a fire pit are recommended. Outdoor chefs who cook in less temperate climes typically install verandas or enclosures, which can be raised or lowered. Protection from the rain is “We love the key, Dziwenka adds.

Black is building his own outdoors and we al fresco kitchen featuring a metrewide pizza oven with chimney. As love convenience. he says, only two limitations arise when it comes to masterminding an al fresco cooking space: imagination The outdoor kitchen and your wallet.

In Colwood’s Royal Bay, a combines the two,” homeowner spent about $3,000 for a built-in grill, cabinets and says Signy. tiling, while an Oak Bay resident dished out $45,000, which paid for a deluxe grill with side burners, fridge, cocktail station, trash centre and patio heaters, Black says.

Most al fresco kitchens are in the $20,000 range. Doug’s was a midrange expenditure.

“We love the outdoors and we love convenience. The outdoor kitchen combines the two,” Signy says. t

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DRUM ARTIST Happy in any genre, Kelby MacNayr loves the place where his beat and his audience connect

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Those wide-open ears, along with his fine musicianship and legendary versatility, make McNayr a drummer-in-demand in Victoria and beyond. Known primarily as a highly skilled jazz player who has shared a bandstand with many of the best musicians in Canada, including saxophonist Phil Dwyer, multiinstrumentalist Don Thompson and trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, MacNayr is equally at home working with dance troupes and theatre companies because his interests and abilities range from jazz and classical to world and pop.

The Kelby MacNayr Quintet is his focus these days, but you’ll see him with the contemporary standards band Gnu Standards, fado singer Sara Marreiros, indie folk/pop group Elephant Island, Irish singer Paul O’Brien, and the genrebending Anne Schaefer Group, to name just a few.

Schaefer, like many Victoria musicians, holds MacNayr in high regard. “Kelby is a very, very special person and musician,” she tells me, and “an uncharacteristically sensitive drummer.” Saxophonist Roy Styffe compares him to players like Miles Davis and Keith Jarrett, who don’t simply revisit the past but create something new in their work. “With him there’s “I just want to play the always this expectation that I have to play more deeply music for people. I don’t inside myself or play more true to myself,” says Styffe. want to play for only jazz “It’s interesting. I don’t know how he does that, but he sort of brings that out of people.” fans or ‘sophisticated’ Meeting the 29-year-old MacNayr for the first time audiences.” one morning at his home in Fairfield — the house he was born in — I’m struck by his grace, warmth, and sense of humour. He shares the house with his mother, art historian Linda MacNayr, and his three cats. He invites me into the kitchen, where he warms fresh cinnamon buns he’s bought for the occasion.

The buns are worthy of conversation, but even more notable is MacNayr’s free-ranging, enthusiastic exploration of all things musical and artistic. He shifts as effortlessly among ideas on painting, dance, and literature as he moves from snare, to tom tom, to cymbal in a drum solo. To demonstrate one idea, he leaps up and discusses one of his mother’s paintings on the wall. Foremost is his deep desire to communicate. For MacNayr, music offers “a way of working through the events and challenges and beautiful moments and expressing your life in your art form.” He says that having the opportunity to connect those experiences with other people is “the really beautiful thing about this music.” These aren’t just words. Pianist George McFetridge, who plays with MacNayr in the Inscape Trio and has worked with no less a drummer than Buddy Rich, confirms

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his remarkable ability to communicate. “He’s so much what we used to call a people person — it’s just a wonderful asset. He’s able to bring music right up to people and make people really get into it and enjoy it.”

Desiring connection, MacNayr rejects elitism. “I just want to play the music for people. I don’t want to play for only jazz fans or ‘sophisticated’ audiences. I’m sure it’s the same for everyone — I’m sure great painters don’t want their work to be only viewed by curators and high-falutin’ dudes,” he remarks. He plays everywhere, including jazz clubs, pubs, restaurants, and churches, and one gets the sense he would happily set up his drum kit, which he carts around on a bike trailer, under a tree and play for (or with) the birds. In fact, a cat he owned when he was growing up used to sleep inside his bass drum while he The Kelby MacNayr Quintet played. MacNayr says it helped appears May 8 and June 13 him develop a soft touch on at Hermann’s, 8 pm. the foot pedal.

Developing his musical knowledge is important, too.

The Anne Schaefer Group plays He studied jazz for two years May 9 at The Superior, 10 pm. at Esquimalt Secondary and for a year at the University The Art of the Trio takes place of Toronto. He returned to June 20 at Hermann’s, 8 pm.

Victoria to take a degree in classical percussion at UVic. Since then he’s worked with players in different genres, studied with jazz drummer Alan Jones in Portland, and travelled to Cuba to learn something of the traditional music of that country. He also ensures that his ongoing projects include plenty of selfeducation. One such undertaking is his Art of the Trio series, which features MacNayr playing with master bass and piano players and drawing from a shared repertoire of jazz standards.

He hopes to launch a Past Masters Living Composers series, which will explore jazz giants of yesterday like Duke Ellington and greats of today like Kenny Wheeler. He also learns by arranging and composing. His original compositions are the primary focus of his quintet these days.

Many people think of the drums as just a rhythm instrument that keeps time, but for MacNayr they are much more. “The palette of colours that you have in a drum set — you have the whole orchestra at your fingertips, the same as a great piano player does,” he explains.

His fellow musicians say they appreciate this approach. Bassist Joey Smith, who has played with MacNayr for a decade, says he “has the sensitivity to do the right thing” in any musical setting.

But what MacNayr’s peers appreciate most is that who he is and what he plays are one and the same thing. Nothing separates person from the musician. He is a true artist of the drums, a percussionist extraordinaire, open not just to pepper grinders, but to all that life and music have to offer. t

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Toronto has Harbourfront, Vancouver has Granville Island.

Victoria has, well, no place to showcase our artists at work.

If we did, both townsfolk and

Forget calling Victoria the City of Gardens — I’d like to believe the real reason thousands upon thousands of tourists descend upon our city each year is to get a glimpse of our equally flourishing arts scene.

After all, we have been recognized as an official Cultural Capital by the Canadian government, partly because Victoria and the surrounding area are home to thousands of artists of all sorts.

You can barely stand in line at your local garden centre without spotting a poet, potter, painter or performer. The cracks in downtown’s sidewalks fairly ooze with artistic genius, and did I hear a plan is afoot to bottle our water to sell to artists suffering creative blocks in less fortunate towns?

No, I didn’t think so. Apparently, tourists come to whale watch and have afternoon tea, rather than to soak up the local arts culture. For those who spend a quick vacation in our pretty

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city, particularly in the summer, it’s easy to see how the city’s real arts scene might be, well, not that easy to see.

Think about it — in high tourist season, what art can visitors really enjoy? Local theatres are mostly dark. Most music and readings series are dormant until fall. Sure, visitors might catch a glimpse of the city’s working artists if they happen to be lucky enough to visit during a one-day event like the Moss Street Paint-In, or the Symphony Splash, when they might even discover that the orchestra playing on the barge is actually comprised of our own hard-working local musicians, and wasn’t rented for the evening from a Hollywood extras website.

They might see a certain artistic stillness in the monuments to public art committees past, with inscrutable sculptures in front of various Important Buildings. And perhaps they visit the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s Emily Carr collection (or the Carr house itself), to glimpse the city’s past. Maybe they notice some of the many First Nations carvings around the Inner Harbour. But a sense of Victoria as a living, working arts community?

I rather doubt it.

“Victoria is a Just for a minute, compare Victoria with cities like Toronto, capital city, and with its Harbourfront and Distillery areas, or Vancouver’s Granville the only capital Island. There, visitors can see artists going about their work every day of city in Canada that the week. Such places certainly had an initial financial and infrastructure doesn’t really have boost, but they’ve evolved into tourist destinations because of the artists who create and present their an arts centre.” works there, and because of the arts scene those artists have nurtured.

But here? I asked Paul Scrivener, director of the Community Arts Council Gallery, what one place tourists might happen to find local artists’ work at pretty much any time of year. “Victoria is a capital city, and the only capital city in Canada that doesn’t really have an arts centre,” he replied.

True enough. If I were a politician, I’d want to make sure we had something artsy going on before the world turns its focus to British Columbia when the Olympics happen next year.

So, what can Victoria do to ensure the local arts community is not just recognized, but supported enough so that people will notice it in the first place?

Maybe not by commissioning more public art sculptures, as the living, breathing artists are rarely found standing next to them. And maybe not with temporary exhibits designed to impress Olympic spillover, because afterwards, we’ll be left with more of . . . not much.

“Victoria’s unusual. We have a lot of talent, but we need more facilities, more street-level access, more funding to city

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arts organizations,” says Scrivener, who has quite a few suggestions, as it turns out. They boil down to the need for the local arts scene to be visible, whether by presenting a range of public shows and events, or by creating a cultural precinct, like Vancouver’s Granville Island. Such a precinct, possibly anchored by public galleries or by theatres, arts studios and venues, would be where the arts can happen as a daily thing instead of a special event. As Scrivener says, “The purpose of art isn’t to cater to tourists, but tourists aren’t necessarily looking to be catered to. They want to be educated.”

And then, if such a place existed, the next step would be to encourage participation: don’t just display artists like monkeys in cages, but encourage visitors and locals alike to get involved. “People are looking for more than to be entertained,” “People are looking says Scrivener. “They want to participate in creative events.”

I think that goes for those of for more than to be us who live here, just as much as those who visit. Witness the entertained. They success of events like the Moss Street Paint-In, which is certainly as much community gathering want to participate as tourist draw. More events that bring together artists and their local and visiting audiences in creative events.” can only strengthen our arts community. Scrivener suggests a “cultural highway” that would stretch from the legislature to the museum, past the library and Centennial Square, and on to some as-yet-designated cultural facility at the Hudson’s Bay building, and beyond. He even envisions a free trolley to shuttle people among venues.

Or, let’s go one further — why not take the existing (and popular) neighbourhood art tours, and extend them through the year? Artists could charge admission to their studios, or a tour bus company could make an art-in-action package deal. Theatre companies could do fringe-style performances at some of the stops, and the city’s various art schools could give visitors a quick lesson in watercolours or life drawing in venues along the way. And why stop at that? How about an all-local-writers reading series, where visitors and locals alike could listen to stories and poems under the stars at the harbour?

It’s time to start capitalizing on this city’s arts culture, because it’ll help both the arts and tourism — and for locals and local arts creators alike, it might just be a reason to stay in town. t Alisa Gordaneer would love to hear about your favourite local artsy stuff. Email her at artstatevictoria@gmail.com.

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FRONT ROW

By Julie Nixon

Top Row: Standing Buddha: Ancient Gandhara, Pakistan; AD 100s. Egyptian coffin: Akhmim, Egypt; Ptolemaic period, 330 - 305 BC. Headdress: Ur, southern Iraq; Early Dynastic period, ca 2600 BC. Middle Row: Statue of Dionysos: Cyrene, Libya; 2nd century AD. Chess piece: Found on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland; probably made in Norway, ca AD 1150 - 1200. Christ Presented to the People: Rembrandt van Rijn (AD 1606 - 1669); the Netherlands, AD 1655. Bottom Row: Hand axe: Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania; early Stone Age 1.6 - 1.4 million BC. Inlaid bowl: Solomon Islands; early 20th century. Double-headed figure: Society Islands, central Pacific Ocean; early 1800s. All images Š The Trustees of the British Museum.

We’ve Got A Whole World of Treasures In Our Hands Now it is possible for Victorians and area visitors to see — and even hold in our own hands — artifacts from the British Museum that tell nothing less than the story of civilization, across many cultures and through millennia.

Running from May 1 to Sept. 30, the North American premier of Treasures: The World’s Cultures from the British Museum, has begun at the Royal British Columbia Museum, with more than 300 rare historical artifacts of immeasurable value on display. They range from Paleolithic hand axes found in Africa that are up to 1.6 million years old, to a letter written from the king of Babylon to the king of Egypt, to masterpieces

by Picasso, Renoir and Rembrandt.

“This exhibition explores nations and civilizations that have shaped our world for more than one and a half million years,” said museum CEO Pauline Rafferty.

Supplementing the exhibit are interactive activities and an artifacts-handling program — real treasures to touch.

Treasures: The World’s Cultures from the British Museum runs May 1 to September 30 at the Royal BC Museum. For tickets or information, visit www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or call 250-356-7226.

Tokyo, When It Floated This summer the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria exhibits the spirited history of Japan’s Edo Period (1603-1868). Edo, Tokyo’s name before it became the imperial capital in 1868, also refers to the 250-year military reign of Japan by the Tokugawa shogunate. Through paintings, ceramics, textiles, samurai effects and particularly woodblock prints, the exhibition unveils the vitality of urban life during the Edo Period.

The city of Edo began as a small village of fishers, growing quickly into a large metropolis with a dynamic culture formed

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Previous Page: The Tokugawa General Sakai Tadatsugu, woodblock print, AGGV Collection.

This Page: Takuma Genbanojo Morimasu, woodblock print, AGGV Collection / Gift of Ruth McCuaig.

by intellects, artists, courtesans, actors and a thriving middle class. The urban lifestyle is depicted in the dominant artistic genre of Japan during this period, woodblock printing.

Specifically, the Ukiyo-e, which means “pictures of the floating world,” are prints that portray a pleasure-seeking culture that was, despite being within a caste society, mostly left to its own devices.

The AGGV exhibition includes lectures and film screenings, as well as a performance of songs from the Edo Period (May 28). See www.aggv.bc.ca for more information.

Edo: Arts of Japan’s Last Shogun Age (1603-1868) runs until Aug. 2 at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, 250-384-4101.

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Chemainus Theatre Offers Classic Americana Until May 23, the Chemainus Theatre Festival presents the comedy Ah, Wilderness! by Eugene O’Neill. In this American coming-of-age story, 17-year-old Richard Miller is thwarted by his father and forbidden from reading his valedictorian speech because of its anti-capitalist overtones. Then, after sending love poems to his sweetheart, Muriel McComber, he is forbidden by her father to see her again. Devastated and bent on rebelling against the middle-class conventions of life in 1906 America, Richard drinks himself into a stupor at a local tavern with a temptress named Belle. But the next day offers redemption.

Also set in 1906 is the ever-popular Oklahoma!, which opens June 4 and runs to Aug. 29. The story takes place near the town of Claremore, Oklahoma, when life was hard and work was back-breaking. But cowboy Curly McLain is in love, and “all the sounds of the Earth are like music,” as he sings in the title song. But love is never simple as Curly vies with evil Jud Fry for the affection of Laurey Williams.

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Water and light inspire artist Aylward

Pacific Storm Series, Ucluelet, 48”x 80”, 2009

In June, Oak Bay’s Winchester Galleries exhibits the recent works of artist Gary Aylward. The paintings in Water: Natural Icons of the Pacific Northwest explore our oceans, rivers and mountains. How water is able to move our souls, and how light appears at a particular time of day or year, rouse a strong sense of meaning in Aylward’s work. He explains that, in nature, abstractions of light and its effect on shape and texture captivate him, rather than the physical place.

The technique Aylward employs mirrors his artistic intentions. He applies thin, transparent layers of paint to build up the underpainting, and follows with glazing overtop. Glazing provides form and depth, allowing a painter to create dramatic, luminous layers that rise delicately from within. This appearance of an inner light produces paintings that seem to hover with an intensity, complexity and brilliance.

Water: Natural Icons of the Pacific Northwest exhibits at Winchester Galleries, June 14 to 30, with an opening reception with the artist in attendance on June 14. Located at 2260 Oak Bay Ave, 250-595-2777.

The Playbill Dining Room is open before every matinee and evening show. Call the box office for tickets: 250-246-9820 or 1-800-565-7738. See www.chemainustheatrefestival.ca for more information.

Each year the Canadian Pacific Ballet writes and performs a new work in the romantic, classical style. “The creation of a new work, using this movement and theatre language that is classical ballet, allows the language itself to remain alive and remembered,” says co-artistic director Graham McMonagle.

It also gives Victoria audiences the occasion to see new, full-length, classical ballets.

In celebration of Victoria Day, the organization presents Victoria and Albert, created by co-artistic directors Roberta Taylor and McMonagle. A love story between a powerful female monarch and her intelligent prince consort, the ballet begins with their meeting. Historically referenced and traditionally written, the ballet includes a theatrical interlude and an extravagant court scene, or “a ballet within a ballet”, which both monarchs attend. This artistic device offers an opportunity for an extended metaphor, a fictional inner story used to reveal a truth in the main story.

As a non-profit performing arts organization, the Canadian Pacific Ballet is mandated to perpetuate the style of romantic and classical ballet through performance, the creation of new works and education.

Victoria and Albert will be performed at the McPherson Playhouse, May 16, 2 pm and 8 pm and May 17, 2 pm. For tickets, call the box office at 250-386-6121.

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R E N ATO M U C C I L L O APPARITIONS OF THE NARROWS Exhibition and Sale May 10th to 23rd Preview day May 9th 10:00 am - 5:30 pm Artist’s reception and presentation May 10th 12 – 4 pm

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Still Fired Up About Clay After All These Years The Fired Up! show was created to illustrate and educate, through demonstrations, lectures and display, that clay is a diverse and interesting artistic medium.

After 25 years, it continues to send that message. The show also gives potters a chance to connect and inspire one another, and to promote their art to the public. This year, 20 artists will participate, including nine past members as well as the 11 present core members.

“Because of the consistency of the artists, the high quality of the product, the continued growth of each artist over the past 25 years, the Fired Up! group has become the standard in B.C. for excellence in the ceramics area,” says spokesperson Tobias Tomlinson.

In celebration of these 25 years, this spring’s Fired Up! anniversary will involve two additional shows in Ontario. victoriaboulevard.com 109

WILL a life of art•1942 - 2006 JULSING the first showing of remaining major works since his passing

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As well, a newly published book documenting the achievements of this grassroots collective will be available for purchase at the exhibition.

Fired Up! takes place at the Metchosin Community Hall, 4401 William Head Rd. in Metchosin. Friday-night opening, May 29, 6:30 pm to 9 pm (reception, mini lectures and sale); Saturday and Sunday, May 30-31, 10 am to 4 pm.

See www.firedup.ca for more information.

Meg Burgess’ graceful plate will be part of the 25th Fired Up! exhibition in Metchosin.

American alto saxophonist David Sanborn will be a JazzFest headliner.

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Happy 25th Birthday, Jazzfest!

This summer JazzFest International is a cool 25 years old, and on the schedule for this first-class celebration are some free performances by top-notch musicians. The Victoria Jazz Society has stayed hip over the years with its high-quality jazz program that includes two large festivals (the other being the Vancouver Island Blues Bash), a student outreach program that brings jazz into local schools, the Darryl Mar Music Scholarship, a variety of workshops and a year-round program of musical presentations.

“We really are building music for the future,” says spokesperson Glenn Parfitt. “Those things keep it growing, bringing in new young faces and exposing them to the art and giving them the chance to embrace it.”

In the past few years, JazzFest has been so successful because of its diversity of musicians, Parfitt says. All types of jazz are offered, including gypsy, Latin, Afro-Cuban, modern and swing. Other musical styles are represented, like blues, R&B, world beat, soul and ethnic folk.

This year, musicians include headliner David Sanborn, the renowned American alto saxophonist; Al Di Meola, a world-music guitarist whose music has an exotic tango flavour; and King Sunny Adé, the “undisputed king of jùjú”, a style of Nigerian music that Adé and his band fuses with Western pop.

Also on the schedule are noontime concerts in Centennial Square; ticketed evening shows; the popular student performance day; and an assemblage of archival photos,

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media and other information that illustrates the history of jazz music in Victoria.

JazzFest runs June 26 to July 5. For schedule information, call 250-388-4423 or visit www.jazzvictoria.ca.

Weekend Immersion in Photography and Art Painter’s Lodge in Campbell River is the venue for two celebrations, one for photographers and the other for artists.

The fourth annual Photographers at Painter’s is a weekend of discussions, workshops and demonstrations on photography techniques. The event covers a variety of genres, including travel, photojournalism, fine art, wedding, wildlife, landscape and more. A wine and cheese reception offers a chance to chitchat with attending photographers.

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Now in its 15th year, Painters at Painter’s Celebration of Art by the seascape draws over 1,000 guests and up to 30 Artists in Residence for at Painter’s Lodge a weekend of celebration and learning. Painters share their artist gathering knowledge and passion with art lovers and budding artists at this rare gathering.

The event begins with brunch at the Legends Dining Room and Tyee Pub, with workshops, panel discussions, slide shows, demonstrations and critiques to choose from during the weekend. Some artists paint outside in the resort gardens, giving attendees a chance to watch, talk and learn.

Photographers at Painter’s takes place May 15-17 and Painters at Painter’s Celebration of Art on May 23-24.

Packages, day passes (includes brunch and a catalogue) and walk-in passes are available. Call 1-800-663-7090 or visit www.painterslodge.com for more information. t Mike Svob is inspired

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The new owners of Chalet Estate hope to put the meritorious in a new line of “meritage” wines. They’re also blending long experience and a work ethic to make it happen.

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“We didn’t want to come in like brash Americans, so our plan was to listen and learn before we made any changes,” explains Jane Ellmann, new co-owner of Chalet Estate Winery in North Saanich. Less than a year ago, Jane and Peter Ellmann, long-time Texans but latterly of Edmonton, took possession of Chalet Estate, a boutique operation with sales of 2,500 cases annually.

Now, having absorbed local knowledge from neighbouring vineyards and retained the original owner, Michael Betts, as their winemaker, Peter says their major focus will be to develop “meritage” wines, adding them to the portfolio of what is already produced. The winery name will also change from Chalet Estate to Muse, in honour of how Jane inspires her husband.

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Originally an American term, “meritage” refers to premium, limited-release wines blended from cherished Bordeaux varietals, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Although an informal designation, meritage is only conferred on a winery’s flagship wines.

Peter’s most recent wine job was vice-president and director of sales for Napa’s Folie à Deux winery, taking them from sales of 2,500 to 35,000 cases in two years. Before that Peter was a longtime distributor and broker for some of the most prestigious wineries in California, including Mondavi, Ridge, Beringer and Freemark Abbey.

Before dropping $2.49 million on Chalet Estate, the Ellmanns flew up California winemaker Kent Rosenblum, of Rosenblum Winery fame, to taste all the wines. Although Rosenblum readily gave them the thumbs up, he “After a day of pitchforking, had some bad news when Peter asked for suggestions on making what he calls still covered in mud, I lit a “big dogs” — the fleshy, deeply flavoured and broad-shouldered reds that bonfire, opened a bottle are his favourite.

“Kent said, ‘You can’t of Pinot Noir to share make big dogs out of Chihuahuas’,” recalls Peter with a hearty laugh. “So with Jane, and just gaped that’s why I’m so interested in buying premium fruit for up at the stars. It was so meritage wines.”

Their wines are priced in the $15-$25 range, with peaceful we could have one-sixth of the bottles bearing the Chalet Estate been in heaven.” label coming from the vineyard surrounding the winery, mostly white wines made from Ortega, Siegerrebe, Pinot Gris, and Schönburger.

They also grow Maréchal Foch, an earthy red hybrid that does well in cooler climates.

Like other Island winemakers, the Ellmanns buy the bulk of their red wine grapes from the Okanagan. “We inherited Michael’s contracts with some of the best grape-growers, and last summer we purchased 55 tons of fantastic fruit, including Pinot Noir, Syrah, and the Bordeaux varietals Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc,” says Peter.

After being crushed and fermented, and currently slumbering in dozens of expensive French oak barrels, that juvenile wine will be blended in a couple of years, as Chalet Estate officially moves into its more ambitious phase. “I’ll fly

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in a consultant to help with the blending,” says Peter. “I know a lot of winemakers.”

Peter is the vineyard dogsbody and wine salesman, making deliveries to restaurants on his rebuilt 1979 Moto Guzzi motorbike. Jane runs the tasting room, gift shop and the 40-seat patio, the last offering artisan goodies such as savoury onion tarts, Texas-style smoked ribs from a recipe of Peter’s, a plate of local charcuterie and home-smoked salmon.

Jane also organizes special events such as winemaker dinners and on-site art shows. She’s planning their participation in the first-ever Grape and Graze event at Sidney’s Mary Winspear Centre this fall, a wine and food showcase for producers from the Peninsula and Gulf Islands.

“Peter and I have two daughters, plus a mother and daughter pair of dogs, and brother and sister cats that we rescued from the pound to catch mice in the winery,” says Jane. “I guess you’d have to say we really are a family operation.”

Standing guard on a shelf behind the tasting room bar are 35 award-winning bottles of Chalet Estate wine, medals hanging proudly from their necks. Down below, Peter’s cellar reflects his history in the wine world, everything from massive bottles given as birthday presents from winery owners to collector Zinfandels (his favourite varietal) whose labels are personalized with scribbled best wishes from the winemaker.

To undercut the glamour a bit he talks about his earliest days, as a rep for Gallo wine, when he had to schlep their bottom-tier plonk, including a belch-worthy sparkling wine named Totts. As Peter recounts, Gallo had a contest that involved coming up with a catchy slogan. Well-endowed with stripper bars on his sales route — and because strip joints are awash in cheap “champagne” with which customers are encouraged to impress the dancers — Peter got inspired and came up a winner. His cheeky catchphrase “Show Us Your Totts” won him notoriety — and a cheque for $5,000.

Happily, Peter’s wines and his sales style are both classier these days.

Chalet Estate fully occupies the time of its proud owners, who say they feel lucky to be part of a supportive local community — especially at harvest time, when 40 volunteer pickers fill the buckets in exchange for a vineyard “party” that includes great food and an open bar.

“This is the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life . . . and I love it,” grins Peter. “In January after a day of pitchforking, still covered in mud, I lit a bonfire, opened a bottle of Pinot Noir to share with Jane, and just gaped up at the stars. It was so peaceful we could have been in heaven.” t

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Chalet Estate Winery is located at 11195 Chalet Estate Road Hours: May to October, 11 am – 5 pm; closed Mondays.

Contact: 250-656-2552 or visit www.chaletestatevineyard.ca victoriaboulevard.com 119

IslandCHEFS

By Alisa Gordaneer Photos by Vince Klassen

Sweets for an Empress Mr. Christie, you make good cookies. And pastries. And pudding.

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Christie back to his childhood in Kingston, Jamaica, and helping his mother Gloria in the kitchen. “She’d give me the wooden spoon to lick,” Christie says, remembering how he helped her prepare cookies, coconut tarts and English-style fruitcakes, sharing a joy of baking that his three siblings just didn’t get.

Best of all the treats were cocoa pods from his grandfather’s trees. After letting the pods ferment in the sun, his grandmother would roast them, then crush the beans to separate the cocoa powder and cocoa butter before beating the chocolate in a mortar and forming it into balls. Hot chocolate, made by grating the balls into warm milk with sugar and cinnamon, shapes one of Christie’s strongest memories, one that still influences him today at age 43, as the Fairmont Empress Hotel’s executive pastry chef.

“I love working with chocolate — anything chocolate,” he says, showing elaborate white and dark chocolate orcas, molded truffle cups and sculpted chocolate totems.

In the hotel’s basement, Christie presides over vast walk-in storerooms of chocolate chips, chunks and bars, and endless cakes, sticky puddings, truffles and tea treats that bake in an oven the size of a storage locker. Its shelves rotate like a Ferris wheel to ensure each tray of shortbread, scones or tarts is baked to its ideal golden state.

On a busy day, such as when flocks of summer tourists take afternoon tea, Christie and his staff of 10 to 12 prepare desserts for more than a thousand diners at various Empress venues.

Providing picture-perfect desserts on this scale would stymie the best project planners. Ice cream has to stay frozen, fruit must stay fresh, whipped cream and meringue toppings need to stay perky. Christie’s math, science

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and management skills come into play every day, as do his cooking skills, which he developed through culinary school at Toronto’s George Brown College, apprenticeship at Toronto’s King Edward Hotel, and a stint as an experimental baker for Sara Lee Foods, where he developed a fat-free carrot cake recipe, before joining the Fairmont chain in 1993.

Those skills, particularly his ability to whip up something new and different, shine when a special request comes in.

Diners with gluten, dairy or nut allergies can have difficulties safely enjoying dessert, so Christie personally prepares and presents desserts free of ingredients the diner must avoid.

For all his successful experimentation, Christie’s a purist at heart. “I want to make something somebody can eat, that they can recognize and identify with,” he says. “I like the smell of a cookie coming out of the oven. I like to make dough, and pinch a piece of the dough and eat some.”

Maple Date Sticky Pudding (12 servings) This recipe originated in England, and is made at the Fairmont Empress for special occasions such as weddings or conferences. Measurements have been reduced from the original, which serves 50.

Executive pastry chef D’oyen Christie recommends serving it with a glass of Cowichan blackberry port from Cherry Point Vineyards or organic blackberry port from Salt Spring Vineyards.

1 lb pitted dates 2 1/3 cup water 2 1/3 tablespoons baking soda ¾ cup maple sugar ¾ cup sugar ½ cup butter scant cup pastry flour 1 ½ tsp baking powder 5 eggs Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Boil the dates, water and baking soda together for 10 minutes. Puree with hand blender.

Cream butter and sugar together, adding the eggs slowly in three parts. Scrape down the bowl often.

Sift flour and baking powder together, add to butter mixture.

Stir in the date mixture to the above.

Pour into 12 buttered ramekins, or into a buttered loaf pan.

Sprinkle the surface with sugar, if desired.

Place the ramekins or loaf pan into a larger pan, and pour water into the larger pan until it’s about halfway up the sides of the ramekins or loaf pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (note — loaf pan may take longer) until set.

Serve plain, or with your favourite caramel sauce. t

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Your plan to ban minors from using tanning beds is on hold for the moment. Tell us about your first sunburn.

It was as an early teen, at Grand Beach (near Winnipeg). It’s forever etched in my memory. In May. It was a glorious 25 (degrees). The sun’s rays were probably as strong as in mid-July. I got a bad burn to the back. I still remember the smell of Noxzema.

How long did you date your future wife Nancy before you kissed her?

Probably about a month. I was 19. Nancy and I met in university.

She was studying history and French. I was in pre-med. Almost everyone wanted to be in premed. It was a great pickup line.

If you had to pick another career, what would it be?

In my field, I have done a fair bit related to law. It strikes me as a profession that shapes public policy. I’d maybe do consumer law or litigating tobacco companies.

What was the most thoughtprovoking comment a smoker has ever blown your way?

An individual who worked in the hospitality industry knew that what he was doing was hurting himself more than the average smoker. He had Type 2 diabetes. Smoking made it worse. He had insight into the power of addiction. This person felt it was inappropriate for me to make him face his addiction at the workplace.

What do you do to stay healthy?

Moderation. I like ice cream from time to time, some version of chocolate. My wife and I certainly get our fruits and vegetables. Since moving here from Winnipeg, we eat less red meat, more seafood.

On weekends, I park the car (a 10-year-old Lexus) on Friday evening. We get out to the library in Oak Bay or downtown. It’s all done on foot. We think nothing of going on a six-, seven-hour walk.

In your role as Chief Medical Health Officer, you try to protect the public from health risks. What’s the riskiest thing you’ve ever done?

Passing the non-smoking Clean Air Bylaw in 1999. Victoria became the first jurisdiction in Canada to have a ban on

secrets

&lies

By shannon moneo photo by gary mckinstry

Dr. Richard Stanwick

Vancouver Island Health Authority’s

Chief Medical Health Officer

David Dare 250-883-5763 www.roadsend.ca

indoor smoking. I got death threats, 2 am calls. Twice I required a police escort out of the CRD building. I can’t say I’ve done bungee-jumping.

are an endangered species.

I know many horse-lovers and they would absolutely never speak to me if I ate horse meat.

What do you think you’ll die of?

In terms of probabilities, in the next five years cancer will surpass heart disease (as a cause of death). As a male, it’s a toss-up between cancer and heart disease. I don’t think I’ll drive through a drug store window.

Should we on Vancouver Island fret about possible world-wide epidemics such as SARs or bird flu? If not, what should we fret about?

This speaks to the idea of the global village. The healthier the world is, the better. I had a fair bit to do with SARs. We had 40 people quarantined on the Island. But we shouldn’t be paralyzed by our fears.

Now we’re plugged in. We follow outbreaks as they occur on site.

Locally, emergency preparedness. We live on a fairly active fault line. Have a 72-hours or longer supply of food and water. It’s not going to be firefighters or police who dig you out. It’s going to be your neighbour.

What’s the most recent book you’ve read?

The Great Deluge by Douglas Brinkley. It’s about what happened with Hurricane Katrina. It just speaks to what happens if we don’t prepare, and if we don’t prepare and respond badly.

Which are healthier, boxers or briefs? Which do you wear?

Very good question. It probably isn’t what you’re wearing. That’s not as critical as to what your occupation is.

There’s a concern, largely for males like long-haul truckers, sitting for long periods.

I have both and I have no specific preference.

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If you were in a restaurant and had to choose between sushi, shark fin soup or horse meat, what would you order?

I had the privilege of being a visiting professor to China for five weeks. I ate some very exotic fare. I would probably try the shark fin soup once, with the caveat that sharks 126 victoriaboulevard.com

You’ve been harshly criticized by smokers, tobacco retailers and sewage treatment proponents. How do you feel about having the power to affect such aspects of public life?

It’s a very significant responsibility that I have knowingly taken on. It’s important that I’m right rather than liked. It’s not about ego or politics. My role is to make sure the best available evidence is given to the elected officials. At the end of the day, the elected officials make the decisions. I’m probably as much a marketer of our ideas as a scientist. t

European model shown. “Audi”, “A5”, “S5”, “FSI”, “quattro”, “Vorsprung durch Technik”, and the four rings emblem are registered trademarks of AUDI AG. © 2008 Audi Canada.

RAC ING BR ED PERFORMANC E SINC E 19 53

3329 Douglas Street Victoria 250-475-2415 www.speedway-motors.com

Familiar Faces, Familiar Places

Photographed at Bayview residences by Gary McKinstry

This is CARSON

LIM, OWNER OF WEALTHY AFFILIATE

There’s much more to Carson Lim than first meets the eye. Born and raised on Vancouver Island, Lim grew up in Sidney and attended Parkland Secondary School. Soon after graduation he travelled to Australia and the Philippines, where he worked as a model and as an MTV host. When Carson returned to Victoria, he graduated from the Computer Science program at Camosun College, then he and a school colleague started an Internet marketing company. Wealthy Affiliate has grown to be one of the largest online business development communities in the online world, training individuals and offline business owners how to harness the power of the Internet. “We have the most elaborate set of training tools, resources, and development systems available to people wanting to step away from a typical job and test their skills in the online world,” says Lim. Besides being an inspiring young entrepreneur, Carson is an avid basketball player and enjoys travelling. He also can’t

2009 Lexus IS F Very well equipped from $67,195.00 Includes freight and pre-delivery inspection

with HIS Lexus

IS F

get enough of his new Lexus IS F. He bought his first Lexus IS 350 two years ago, and instantly fell in love with the comfort and raw power of the car. Soon after, Lexus came out with the IS F, with over 416 horsepower. “An IS 350 on steroids,” say Lim. After walking into Lexus one sunny afternoon to get an oil change, he walked out with his new IS F. “Every aspect of this car is dialled in, from the suspension and stabilization controls, to the acceleration and beefy exhaust system, to the sleek lowered look. The IS F keeps my adrenaline pumping.

At the same time, the soft interior and pure drivability in everyday conditions make it a perfect car for me.”

Carson has great things to say about the folks at Lexus as well. “They bend over backwards to keep their customers happy and I can’t say enough about the entire team. I was treated just like someone who has been a Lexus customer for 40 years,” says Lim. “The staff at Lexus really do help make you a Lexus customer for life.”

lexus victoria

More than just a dealership the pursuit of perfection

Douglas at Finlayson, Victoria 250-386-3516