Boulevard Magazine - May 2015 Issue

MAY 2015

VICTORIA LIFE AT ITS FINEST

FLYING HIGH

DECIDELY DENIM

Powering the Sky in Sidney

Upscale apparel that’s oh-so-easy

INSIDE OUT GREAT ROOMS lower IN THE GREAT

CULTIVATORS OF STYLE

OUTDOORS

SLEEK AND SIMPLEFROM NOW

TIMELESS, CLASSICAL TOUCHES IN A FRESH, NEW HOME

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CONTENTS

Issue 05, Volume XXIlII

MAY2015

FEATURES 10 DECIDEDLY DENIM

By Lia Crowe

60 TRAVEL FAR Exclusive Sunnylands 38 BARBERSHOP REVIVAL

By Carolyn Heiman

By Cinda Chavich COLUMNS

16 10

38

58 HAWTHORN

On the clock

By Tom Hawthorn DEPARTMENTS 6

EDITOR’S LETTER Motherhood and all things trendy

7

OUR CONTRIBUT0RS

8

FASHION FAVES Jean Cardno and Eliza Faulkner

By Lia Crowe

16

HOT PROPERTIES Built to order

By Carolyn Heiman

33 AT HOME WITH BOULEVARD

Great rooms outdoors

By Amy McGeachy

60

56 DESIGN MATTERS

Luxe ottomans

By Sarah Reid

GROUP PUBLISHER Penny Sakamoto EDITOR Susan Lundy CREATIVE Lily Chan Lorianne Koch ADVERTISING Janet Gairdner Pat Brindle ASSOCIATE GROUP Oliver Sommer PUBLISHER ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Janet Gairdner 250.480.3251 CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Bruce Hogarth

4

50 FOOD & DRINK

Taco time

By Cinda Chavich

CIRCULATION & Miki Speirs DISTRIBUTION 250.480.3277 CONTRIBUTING Cinda Chavich, Lia WRITERS Crowe, Tom Hawthorn, Carolyn Heiman, Amy McGeachy, Robert Moyes, Sarah Reid, Tess van Straaten CONTRIBUTING Don Denton, Lia Crowe, PHOTOGRAPHERS Cathie Ferguson, Jeremy Koreski, Arnold Lim

64

TALKING WITH TESS Rahim Khudabux

By Tess van Straaten

66

FRONT ROW John Taylor, Uno Fest and more

By Robert Moyes

72 SOCIAL BOULEVARD

By Don Denton 74

SECRETS & LIVES Paul McNair, Land Trust Alliance

By Susan Lundy

“Bacarra” blouse ($145) and “Laura” pants ($125) by Tatum & Olivia, available at their Sidney store; “Caslynn Shae” blue wedge by Clarks ($150) at Cardino Shoes in Duncan; Clutch by BCBGMAXAZRIA ($113) at BCBGMAXAZRIA Uptown. Photo by Cathie Ferguson.

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

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

Victoria Boulevard ® is a registered trademark of Black Press Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission. Ideas and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Black Press Group Ltd. or its affiliates; no official endorsement should be inferred. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents, both implied or assumed, of any advertisement in this publication. Printed in Canada.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Motherhood and all things trendy  BY SUSAN LUNDY

R

PHOTO BY DON DENTON

ECENTLY, I MARVELLED once again at the sublime state of motherhood.

I was driving with my mother who had picked me up from an appointment because I’d lent my car to my daughter. It struck me how very, very blessed I am to have my mother and my daughters in my life. Without a moment’s hesitation, I can say that being a mom is the most rewarding, most life-altering, most important and joyful thing I’ve ever done. The only regret I have is not cherishing even more those fleeting days of childhood that passed in a few blinks of the eye.

This edition of Boulevard is based on “trends” — hence Cinda Chavich’s fascinating story on all things facial hair, and Amy McGeachy’s new column focussing this month on outdoor rooms. May is also a month to celebrate mothers.

I like to think my daughters kept me on the edge of trendy. (Stop smirking, girls.) In those years when I did little else beyond driving them and their friends around, I’d listen carefully to their music and sing out loud little rap phrases to impress their friends in the backseats. (Well, I assumed they were impressed; it’s possible I couldn’t see them that well in the rearview mirror.)

The most fun I had was picking up choice bits of trendy lingo. Way back, when the phrase was just emerging, I mistakenly kicked a ball onto the field at a soccer game, and as Danica ran by, I said, “My bad.” Her face actually blanched; it was a great moment. Eventually, my daughters prohibited their friends saying hip, un-adult phrases in my presence.

Then there were the clothes. Luckily the three of us (and now my step-daughter) ended up around the same size.

Several hip items in my wardrobe consisted of hand-meups, mostly from them, but sometimes from their friends (I couldn’t help it if they left their clothes at my house!).

Often I found myself assessing the clothes my daughters

“OFTEN I FOUND MYSELF ASSESSING THE CLOTHES MY DAUGHTERS WERE ABOUT TO BUY, AND WONDERING HOW THEY’D FIT ONCE THEY LANDED IN MY CLOSET. ”

6

were about to buy, and wondering how they’d fit once they landed in my closet.

Of course no matter what trendy clothes I inherited, I never quite turned out like the fashion-forward men and women featured each month by Boulevard’s Lia Crowe in her two fashion pieces. In this edition, mother-daughter pair Jean Cardno and Eliza Faulkner set a striking image in Fashion Faves (page 8); and Danielle Janess displays trendsetting denim-wear in the beautiful light of Victoria’s waterfront (page 10).

Speaking of trendy, Cinda Chavich’s taco recipes will get readers salivating and Carolyn Heiman’s exploration of California’s Sunnylands is sure to inspire a few trips south.

And there’s a lot more to read by all our other regular hipsters: Tom Hawthorn, Robert Moyes and Tess van Straaten.

Enjoy this months’ edition of Boulevard … and on Mothers’ Day give some special thoughts to your mom. (Or better yet, give her a pair of your cool jeans.)

Boulevard Buzz: For “sensory feast” lovers: Cirque du Soleil presents Varekai — a captivating performance that takes place in a forest inhabited by whimsical and enchanted creatures — at the Save on Foods Memorial Centre from May 27-31. Info and tickets at www.cirquedusoleil.com/varekai.

For art lovers: The Fairfield Artists Studio Tour is set for May 2 and 3. The annual self-guided tour provides art lovers an opportunity to meet local artists, tour their studios and view their work while exploring the beautiful neighbourhood of Fairfield. More info at: www. fairfieldartistsstudiotour.com For Esquimalt High lovers: Esquimalt High School’s 100th Anniversary Reunion takes place May 15-16 at Archie Browning Sports Centre.

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Amy McGeachy WRITER, “INSIDE OUT” PAGE 29

Amy McGeachy is a local interior designer and host of the TV show Trend on CHEK. She specializes in kitchen and bath design. Amy loves sharing the latest products and innovations in design with her clients and readers. She says, “There are so many great ideas out there to turn your house into your dream home … that includes your backyard too!”

Cinda Chavich is a longtime food and travel journalist, Boulevard’s food columnist and author of the new Waste Not, Want Not Cookbook. The taco, she says, is the perfect vehicle for wrapping up your leftovers, whether it’s roast chicken or grilled fish.

Vince Klassen

PHOTOGRAPHER, “HOT PROPERTIES,” PAGE 16

First thought: “Is everyone okay?”

My second thought: “Thankfully, we’ve got Harbord’s High Value policy.”

Cinda Chavich WRITER, “TACO TIME” PAGE 44

Boulevard has been publishing the work of Vince Klassen for over 20 years and the long-standing collaboration continues with this issue’s Hot Properties. He says, “Brian Morris’ masculine architectural design and Leanne McKeachie’s tactile interiors bring attention to detail to a whole new level.

This home not only speaks to the needs of an active family but beautifully accents everyone’s collective interests, and personal aesthetic.”

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

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FASHION FAVES

PHOTO BY LIA CROWE

LIFE & STYLE

JEAN CARDNO and ELIZA FAULKNER with

Define yourself by who you are, not what you think you should be.”

J

EAN CARDNO, OWNER OF CARDINO SHOES in Duncan, is an excellent example of someone who exhibits stunning “advanced style.”

Sharing the page is her daughter — up-and-coming fashion designer Eliza Faulkner — who will one day cause us all to say, “I knew her when…”

I arrived at Jean’s Cowichan Bay townhome to find the two preparing snacks in that seamless and lovely dance around the kitchen that only a mother and daughter can do. (They also produced the best guacamole I’ve ever had.)

Originally from New Zealand, Jean found her way to Duncan where 8

she raised her three children and built a shoe-shopping destination.

“One day I got the notion that this town needed a shoe shop, and within six or eight months Cardino’s was open. I’ve always worked with visuals, textiles and colours. Form and function have always resonated with me.”

Supporting her daughter on her career path has been a “natural progression,” Jean says.

“Fabric and handmade clothes are in her DNA. My mother was a sewer and my father was a weaver in the local woolen mill … everything we had was homemade.”

Best style tip for women in “advanced style” years?

“I’ve got it!” Jean says with her beautiful, sideways smile: “The best style lesson I’ve learned being a mature woman, is to keep the top and the bottom the same colour — do not demarcate the waistline. Play with the footwear, play with the bag, play with your face, but keep the centre of the body the same colour!

A balance of proportion and good fabric.”

Best footwear style tip?

“When it comes to footwear, if I see a woman in a shoe in which she can’t walk properly, [style wise] she’s lost everything. She could wear a little flat shoe that she walks well in .... and then I see that woman, I see her now.”

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Style. Print magazine: American Vogue.

Last great read: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. Fashion/Beauty Uniform: Dresses.

Current go to item: Lipstick. Current favourite is YSL 201.

All time favourite piece: Boots. “I think my Donald J Pliner’s are my favourite right now.” Coveting: Pendant from the Atlas Collection

by Tiffany & Co. Jewelry: “One of my favourites right now is a south sea pearl on a gold chain from Macdonald Jewelry in Victoria. I like the mixture right now of silvers, blues and golds.” Day bag: No-slouch, leather drawstring bag by Kenneth Cole. Current favourite shoes: Pump, mule shoe by the ART shoe company. Necessary indulgence: Good makeup, YSL. Moisturizer: Phytomer. Scent: Singosari by Molton Brown. Beauty secret: Green smoothies.

Hair: Kerastase by L’oreal. Style Inspirations Celebrity who inspires your style: Model Carmen Dell’Orefice. Artist: “I like Richard Roblin. He lives locally now but he’s from back east. I saw his work on Newbury Street in Boston and his sense of style and aesthetic were unbelievable, so we’ve recently purchased a couple of paintings.” Favourite album of all time: Evita soundtrack. Life Favourite local restaurant: The Masthead in Cowichan Bay. Album on current rotation: Classic Brit Awards 2008. Favourite city to visit: London. Colour: Ballet pink.

Favourite flower: Lily of the Valley. Favourite cocktail: Gin martini with olives. Favourite place in the whole world: Hawaii.

Reading Material Blog: Into

the Gloss. Print magazine: The Gentlewoman. Last great read: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. Favourite fashion book: “I have an old Vogue sewing book that has couture sewing techniques, I have it in the studio and if I’m wondering how to do a certain pocket or something I’ll look at that.” Fashion/Beauty Uniform: Jeans, sneakers and linen motorcycle jacket.

Current go to item: Eliza Faulkner linen or denim motorcycle jacket.

All time favourite piece: “I have a pair of slouchy, gold Miu Miu cowboy boots that I got at a vintage store in London.” Day bag: No-slouch, leather drawstring bag by Kenneth Cole. Favourite Shoes: A pair of white platform sneakers. Jewelry designer: Anita Sikma, Vancouver. Necessary indulgence: Nail polish. Moisturizer: Dr. Weil for Origins™ Mega-Mushroom Face Cream.

Beauty secret: “It’s really boring but, exercise.” Style Inspirations Celebrity who inspires your style: “Yasmin Sewell, she’s a fashion consultant in London., I had an interview with her once. It was terrible but I really like her style.”

Artist: Alexander Calder’s mobiles. Musician: Florence + the Machine.

Film: “I love the film Marie Antoinette, not the style but the colour palette.” Favourite new trend: “I’m on the 90s wagon.” Life Favourite local restaurant: Phad Thai or The Garage in Duncan. Album on current rotation: The new Beyoncé album. Favourite city to visit: London. Favourite flower: Light pink peonies.

Colour: Ballet pink. Fav place in the whole world: “Somewhere warm and by the sea but I don’t think I have it yet.”

JEAN

ELIZA

9

FASHION

DECIDEDLY DENIM LIBERATED, UPGRADED AND OH-SO-EASY  BY LIA CROWE PHOTOS BY CATHIE FERGUSON

“Bacarra” blouse ($145) and “Laura” pants ($125) by Tatum & Olivia, available at their Sidney store; Clutch by BCBGMAXAZRIA ($113) at BCBGMAXAZRIA Uptown.

THIS SEASON THE HUMBLE WORK FABRIC GETS ELEVATED TO ELEGANT DAYWEAR, SHARPLY TAILORED WORK-WEAR AND EASY WEEKEND CHIC. FROM DARK, RAW DENIM TO POWDER BLUE CHAMBRAY, MIXED DENIMS OR LAYERED HEAD TO TOE, DRESSING IN A WASH OF OUR MOST BELOVED TRUE BLUE IS THIS SEASON’S NEW BREATH OF FRESH AIR.

“Ornella” draped trench by SOIA & KYO ($265) at Tulipe Noire; “Yasmin” denim culottes by Eliza Faulkner ($240) — Eliza Faulkner’s Spring collection is available at Tulipe Noire; “Misty” wedge by Naya ($195) at Cardino Shoes in Duncan.

“Grayce” contrast trim pencil skirt by BCBGMAXAZRIA ($206) and “Necole” blocked peplum top by BCBGMAXAZRIA ($194) both at BCBGMAXAZRIA Uptown; “Jessica” bracelet in sterling silver by Covet + Keep ($169) and “Angela” bracelet in brass by Covet + Keep ($99) both at Reunion Boutique.

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“Brooke” dress in stretch denim

by Eliza Faulkner ($495) at Hughes Clothing; leather collier by Sarah Pacini ($190) at Hughes Clothing; “Sophia” ring in sterling silver by Covet + Keep ($79) at Reunion Boutique; “Misty” wedge by Naya ($195) at Cardino Shoes in Duncan.

MODEL: Danielle Janess MAKEUP AND HAIR: Jen Clark, jenclark@shaw.ca STYLING AND PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Genevieve Grant FOOD PROVIDED BY: The Mint for Lunch Special thanks to Dan Sharp and Pamela Russell for opening their beautiful Gonzales Bay home for our photo shoot.

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ďƒĄ The light-filled, outdoor space at a new Ten Mile Point home opens up to the views.

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HOT PROPERTIES

BUILT to ORDER A FRESH START HEEDS THE PAST AT TEN MILE POINT HOME  TEXT BY CAROLYN HEIMAN PHOTOS BY VINCE KLASSEN

H

OMEOWNERS WHO ARE HAPPY with their location but want changes to their living space are faced with the vexing decision — renovate or start from scratch?

As Jennifer and Paul Sobkin looked to update their Ten Mile Point home, renovation was top of mind. They loved their rural-like environment where the mournful cry of ravens could be heard above the firs towering over the property. And they liked the feel and coziness of their traditional 1940s home with its crackling wood fireplace and warm staircase to the upstairs.

“There is something about the soul of an old house,” says Jennifer, and Paul shared those feelings. As they interviewed designers and architects looking for a fit for the job, they told each one that they wanted timeless, classical features that for them created a welcoming home space. There was no doubt, however, that the cottage-style house, with pitched roofs and paned windows, needed wide ranging improvements beyond cosmetic.

“There were times in the winter that we went to bed with toques on our heads” as the wind came whistling through the cracks and poorly sealed windows, recalls Paul.

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 An open kitchen invites gatherings.  Natural light floods the main floor near the stairway.  Bright colour warms the family area.

18

Some of the professionals interviewed assured them a renovation would suit. Others put forward considerations for starting anew.

“We were told that at the end of the day a renovation would give us an old house with new rooms,” says Paul. But the old home would never provide them exactly what they wanted, nor would everything be to modern construction standards.

Then came the day they woke after a deluge of rain and found their entire basement flooded, and their belongings floating on the water.

NEW START WINS OVER RENOVATION “We knew then that we were taking the house down,” Paul laughs. Still there were moments they worried whether they were making the right decision.

As cost projections rose, “I freaked out at one point and we put the house on the market,” admits Paul. But before it sold, “I finally got accustomed to the idea” and today there is no looking back.

Brian Morris, the architect they selected to join them on their home creation journey, remembers their struggles.

While it’s not his approach to tell clients what to do, he does have detailed conversations with them about what they hope to accomplish.

Your Style.

Our Expertise.

21 SHOWROOMS IN BC:

 Functionality and art meet over the kitchen island with “Brittany” blooming rose pendant lighting from WAC Lighting Company

Victoria • Langford • Duncan • Nanaimo • Parksville Courtenay • Campbell River • Vancouver • Surrey • Richmond Port Coquitlam • Abbotsford • Chilliwack Kelowna • Vernon • Penticton • Kamloops • Castlegar Salmon Arm • Terrace • Prince George

splashesonline.com 19

Over 30 Years Of Making

HOMe renOvatiOn DreaMs a realitY!

A starting point is to critically evaluate the condition of major components in the existing house. Are big-ticket items like roofing, plumbing and electrical in good condition to be used in the renovated house? Does the layout of the existing house work for the clients? Or will they have to spend money to change it? Does the kitchen need an entire gut and do all the bathrooms need to be re-done? If the costs associated with those changes are mounting up, building new may be a better place to start, says Morris.

For the Sobkins, the decision to build new has allowed them to get the exact home they dreamed about — one with an open floor plan that fits into a neighbourhood of primarily traditional homes.

“We wanted a new house that looked old,” says Jennifer.

That included coffered ceilings, and an office space that had old world charm, reflecting traditional values.

CAREFUL CONSIDERATION AND ZERO REGRETS The house project was a year in planning and another year in building.

“We wanted to take our time,” says Paul. During that time they thought hard about what they wanted. Jennifer kept a scrapbook of ideas she liked and some of those pictures dated back to years before any plans to build were contemplated.

Morris spent time on the property determining how to best capture the ocean glimpses and breezes, and how to maximize light into a house surrounded by firs. He moved the new structure up the slope, away from a creek passing through the property. It created better views and a better turnaround space for vehicles.

Today they have zero regrets about building their 4,100-square-foot, four-bedroom home. In fact, it’s just the opposite. They wish initial cost fears had not held them back from some decisions. They saved about $20,000 in blasting costs by limiting their full-height basement size to

R E N O VAT I O N S ESTABLISHED 1980

“A contractor you can trust” Relationships are the most important thing we build as a company.

We have forged many long lasting relationships with our clients over the years due to our attention to detail, integrity, and the personal service we provide to turn your dreams into reality. Give us a call for your complimentary in-house visit from our kitchen and bath design specialist.

www.macreno.ca 250.412.8012 | 825 Viewfield Road, Victoria, BC

 Benjamin Moore’s soothing “Silver Cloud” blue sets a Parisian mood.

20

ďƒ A warm nostalgic air is present in the owners’ luxurious en suite, which features classic honeycomb tiles and crystal hardware that sparkles.

21

extend your family time,

two-thirds of the house, with the rest a crawl space.

“I hate going into the crawl space and I know that as I get older I will hate it more,” says Paul. “[Saving the money] seemed important at the time.”

When planning their home, much consideration was given to dual functionality. For example, upstairs, an open TV watching area is set among pillars, rather than in a closed room. Morris says the owners wanted a space for their daughters, Saffron and Mira, to imaginatively play without the need to immediately tidy up because it was in the house’s public area.

Located outside the family’s bedrooms, it is also a cozy area for nighttime stories. In the future, it can simply be converted into an extra bedroom. But for now – with the use of drapes — it also serves as an overflow guest sleeping area for large family gatherings.

CREATING SPACE TO MATCH LIFESTYLE A room off the garage will be Jennifer’s office space as she readies herself to open a new nutrition/body image/

social time, and quiet time

Custom made, weather resistant CommerCial & residential solutions for outdoor spaCes

PH. 250.361.4714 TF. 1.800.563.5558 2-2745 BRIDGE STREET, VICTORIA PACIFICROLLSHUTTERS.COM

22

style counselling business called Leap Nutrition & Fabulousness Consulting (leapnow.ca). A registered dietitian, Jennifer wants to help people feel good inside and look great on the outside with workshops and counselling aimed at helping them find their authentic style.

“Fashion is fun and shouldn’t be reserved for supermodels. You have what you have, and you should make the best of it.”

Having fun in life is something the Sobkins build into their lifestyle, and their home needed to nurture that.

Leanne McKeachie, the interior designer who contributed guidance on some of the finishing touches, heard that loud and clear.

“A bonus playhouse from building materials left from construction the main house. They do yoga. The kids like to dance and take ballet lessons. Jennifer loves the disco era and its music … they wanted to create a stage for performing and dancing … but they also wanted to the room to function as a media, dance, and yoga room.”

 Moroccanstyle pendants add drama to a spacious upper landing that borrows light from both skylights and windows.

 KITCHENS  VANITIES  CUSTOM MILLWORK

PROVIDING QUALITY & CRAFTSMANSHIP IN VICTORIA Island Dream Kitchens was formed with skilled craftsmen and expert installers having extensive experience in the Victoria market.

The commitment to excellence and quality workmanship is of paramount importance to the entire team. They strive to complete each project with the care their customers expect and deliver on their promises.

6660 Butler Crescent, Saanichton, BC 250-686-9987 mbrown@IslandDreamKitchens.com www.islanddreamkitchens.com

great homes start with

ZEBRAGROUP  Colour, beauty and functionality combine in all areas of the house.

DESIGN | BUILD | INTERIOR 1161 NEWPORT AVE., VICTORIA, BC V8S 5E6 250.360.2144 INFO@ZEBRAGROUP.CA WWW.ZEBRAGROUP.CA

 A bonus playhouse was built from leftover building materials.

A tall task, but all has been incorporated right down to a performance stage (easily removable), karaoke equipment and a disco ball. Custom wall racks showcase a rotating collection of a 70/80s vinyl — ABBA, Madonna, The Clash, Bee Gees, Grease — because in a house like this you can never tell when you might want to burst out in a chorus of “What A Feeling.”

24

Go to your happy place.

 A French country dining table is crafted from local wood by local furniture makers (Modern Country Interiors in Duncan).

SUPPLY LIST Architect: Brian TW Morris Contractor/Builder: Derby Brothers Construction Interior Designer: Leanne McKeachie Design Electrical: McKinney Electric Plumbing: George Brown Plumbing Exterior/Interior Painting: TKG Painting Tile Work: Linrock Tile and Decora Ceramic Tile & Natural Stone Cabinetry: T Russell Millwork Ltd Counters: Stone Age Marble Ltd. Flooring: The Finishing Store Appliances: Lansdowne Appliances, Sears-Island Home Centre Plumbing fixtures: Andrew Sheret Ltd, EMCO Plumbing & Heating Supplies Windows: Northwest Window and Door Lighting: Mclaren Lighting Hardware: Victoria Speciality Hardware Landscaping: Acacia Landscape Inc. and BC Greenhouse Builders Upholstery: Louise’s Draperies Floral staging: Brown’s The Florist

Visit Lotus & Sage Yoga and Meditation Supplies

250.590.1224 Located inside Borton’s

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

S A LE S • R E PA I R • S E R V I CE Locally Owned and Operated For 35 Years 2614 Sooke Road, Victoria 250.478.9808 bortonspas-pools.com

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RemaRkable shelteRed southwest facing waterfront home with a dock & boathouse.

Enjoy excellent fishing, or kayak from this beautiful 2007 built West Coast home. Located only 15 minutes to downtown, & 5 minutes to Victoria General Hospital. Quality finishes & panoramic views from all principle rooms. Grand formal living room with gleaming hardwood floors, & energy efficient F.P. Sensational kitchen with center Island, stainless appliances, lofty ceilings, & electric skylights. Adjoining Great Room & dining room. 4 bedrooms up, (Master with 5 pce. ensuite). $1,750,000

wateRfRont lifestyle home, with steps to a sandy beach! Sweeping views of the Ocean to San Juan Island & Mt. Baker beyond.

Pamela Charlesworth design with a $300,000 refurbishment making this home feel like new.

Gorgeous new kitchen with Merlot cabinets, Granite counters, stainless appliances.

Adjoining Family room with Gas F.P. & custom built ins. Formal dining room, luxurious living room with energy efficient F.P. Master with commanding view, and new ensuite. 2nd ensuite bedroom plus guest room up. 4th bedroom on lower walk-out level. $1,629,000

spectaculaR south facing unique Waterfront.

Situated on a private sandy cove with views of the Olympic Mts. & Fisgard Lighthouse. This 2868 sq.ft. home has been substantially renovated.

Bright Maple kitchen with tile flooring, Gas Stove, stainless appliances, & pantry. Spacious living room with wood burning F.P. & adjoining sun room with galvanizing views. Formal dining area.

Master up with F.P., elegant 5 pce. ensuite & walk in closet. 3 bedrooms on the main. In-floor Hot water heating. Separate office and plenty of storage. Boat house/studio at water’s edge.

A rare oasis only 10 minutes to town. $1,398,000

a beautiful tRaditional family home in the prestigious Rockland area. This nicely updated 4 bedroom 3 bathroom home, has a garden level 2 bedroom one bathroom suite. Gorgeous formal living room with feature GAS F.P. & Bay window with window seat & gleaming hardwood floors. Formal separate dining room with French doors. Family room with GAS F.P. adjoining the modern Kitchen with light Maple cabinetry, Granite counter tops, stainless appliances, eating bar, and private deck to enjoy B-B-ques. 17 new windows & on-demand hot water. $1,040,000

sweeping ocean, mountain & city views are yours from this spectacular custom built 4804 sq. ft. level entry Rancher. Beautiful Brazilian Cherry flooring welcomes you into the entertainment sized foyer. Fabulous gourmet kitchen with Granite counter tops, walk-in pantry, and adjoining living & dining room with lofty ceilings. Spacious wrap around deck to enjoy the 180° commanding view. Master on the main with walk-in closet, and 5 pce. en suite. Den/office plus two more bedrooms on the main. The lower walk out level features a self contained two bedroom suite. $998,000

a spectaculaR 90’X180’ south facing waterfront on Esquimalt Lagoon. Sweeping views of the Straits of Juan De Fuca to the Olympic Mts. 3 bedrooms up, spacious Living room with hardwood floors & GAS F.P. In line dining with pass thru to updated kitchen complete with new stainless appliances. Family room/casual dining & sun room beside kitchen.

3 updated bathrooms. Lower walk out level has a recreation room with wet bar, hobby room, workshop, & hot tub area, plus a selfcontained one bedroom suite with separate entrance. $825,000

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

Dallas Sells Victoria/Oak Bay

Personal real estate CorPoration

“My goal is to find your dream home and ensure that the decision you make stands as a wise investment over the long term.”

OAK BAY OCEAN VIEWS

SOUTH OAK BAY

OAK BAY

WATER VIEWS CORDOVA BAY

COBBLE HILL

CENTRAL SAANICH

Beautiful ocean views from this stunning residence in an exclusive enclave of homes.

Open living room with oak floors, elegant kitchen professionally renovated, master on main. Ocean side deck. Luxurious renovated ensuite. Level entry main floor with lower level. $1,295,000

From the living room, with vaulted ceilings & gas fireplace, you will be drawn to the wonderful ocean & mountain views from all principal rooms of this great family home. $150K has recently been spent on updates.

Right on the Lochside Trail for great walking & cycling, walking distance to Matticks Farm & schools. $988,000

Immaculate split level home with spacious master on main. Renovated ensuite, open & bright new kitchen opens to family room. Separate dining room, elegant living room and sunroom. Private woodland garden, new insulation & new roof.

Earthquake secured! $949,900

You can age in place in this beautiful 4 bedroom Arbutus Ridge home with an ELEVATOR! Adult 50+ gated community with excellent lifestyle features. Golf, marina, hobby clubs, rec centre, plus plus plus! 4 bedrooms, master on main, hardwood floors, overlooks golf course & pond. $589,900

LOOKS LIKE A SHOWHOME! No expense has been spared in renovating this character 3 bedroom home. New kitchen, new hardwood floors throughout, new windows, insulation, roof, updated plumbing & electrical, new bathrooms. 1 block to shopping, close to UVIC & Camosun. $749,900

Beautiful OCEAN VIEW townhome with steps to the beach! Only 20 mins to downtown, 10 mins to Sidney, but you will feel like you are in the country. Fabulous kitchen, glass wall to capture the water views, new 4 pc main bath & new 3 pc down. 2 bedrooms, 3 baths, family room, double garage, pets OK. $549,900

Dallas Chapple RE/MAX Camosun • Tel: 250.744.3301 • Toll Free: 1.877.652.4880 www.dallaschapple.com • Email: dallas@dallaschapple.com 27

WLISA WILLIAMS UPLaNdS

UPLaNdS

North SaaNich

3150 tarN PLacE

3150 UPPEr tErracE rd

3275 dUNMora crt

$6,388,000

$2,895,000

$6,480,000

StUNNiNG UPLaNdS WatErFroNt estate in private & exclusive setting! Meticulously maintained inside & out, w/7800 sq.ft., 4-5 bedrooms, 6 baths, and a sunny .89 acre low bank property with seaside tea house and lovely terrace right at the water’s edge!

PriME 1.15 acrE Uplands property with spacious & bright 5 bedrm/8 bth home completely re-built in 2000. Oversized family & entertaining areas, hi-ceilings, all bedrms with ensuite baths, main floor master suite & gorgeous, private park-like property to enjoy!

SPEctacULar WatErFroNt EStatE on 5.8 sunny acres complete w/private 50’ DEEP WATER DOCK! Luxurious & dramatic 9300 sq.ft. residence, plus guest cottage 6-car garage parking, stable & paddock, & world class boating & fishing right at your fingertips!

North SaaNich

10 MiLE PoiNt

SoUth oaK Bay

1825 MariNa Way

3019 McaNaLLy rd

2184 WiNdSor road

$1,588,000

$3,998,000

$1,188,000

GorGEoUS cUStoM hoME on upscale Marina Way! Dramatic & spacious with 5800 sq.ft., 5 bedrms, 5 bths, sumptuous master suite, oversized family/entertaining areas & lovely ocean/marina views! Beautiful & sunny 1/2 acre property & 3-car garage too!

EXcLUSiVE 1.66 acrE ‘private point’ in fabulous setting, with world-class 320 degree views & rare south-west exposure for sun all day! Solid 5 bed/5 bth home awaits your renovation ideas with lots of options to create a truly spectacular waterfront estate!

chic SoUth oaK Bay designer home completely renovated to the highest level!

5-6 bedrms, 4 full bths, lovely guest space w/ sitting area & wet bar, deluxe main floor master suite, & fully fenced back yard . . . walk to Oak Bay Village, schools, parks & more!

Lisa Williams offers professional & personalized service combined with the BEST INTERNATIONAL MARKETING STRATEGY and a commitment to achieving the BEST RESULTS FOR YOU

c: 250•514•1966 L I K E N O OT H E R sothebysrealty.ca

Lisa@lisawilliams.ca

Independently Owned and Operated

www.LisaWilliams.ca

advertising feature boulevard business

profiles

karol power “The Power to Move You!”

S

elling Real Estate for over 20 years has been absolutely amazing! In addition to watching my own personal growth, there’s the great satisfaction of helping my clients realize their personal goals and dreams. Calling beautiful Victoria my home has made it even more special.

Growing up in a military family, I know the excitement and challenges that come with moving.

My customer service is second to none! I will put all your needs first and foremost with great attention to detail.

Listening to all your needs and wants helps me to achieve your goals and makes the buying or selling process so much more enjoyable! I have consistently been in the top 100 for Re/Max of Western Canada, awarded the High Standard of the Re/Max Chairman’s Club for high sales production and obtained the Re/ Max Ultimate Agent Training Program to optimize client contact. I served as a director for many years on the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. I chaired the MLS, Technology and Quality of Life Committees.

Prior to real estate, I owned and operated several businesses, including a ladies clothing shop and flower and gift stores. This has given me excellent administration, strong sales experience and good people skills. I have also staged many of my clients’ homes to be more saleable — but without spending money.

My strong negotiating skills, together with creative problem solving, has given me the high success rate I have maintained throughout my career. This is truly my calling but only comes with hard work, dedication and respect to each and every client, no matter what their affordability is.

TesTimonials from clienTs: I have used the real estate services of Karol Power on a number of transactions over a 10-year period.

While she is an absolute delight to work with, underneath that charming demeanor, lies a razor sharp brain attuned not only to the real estate market, but the economy in general, that has served me so well in any dealings I have had with her.

She would be my “go to” salesperson in any real estate transaction.

— Patrick stayner

My first “realtor” experience with Karol Power started as a tour of potential homes for friends who would soon be returning from overseas. One of the homes viewed that day became mine. That was in 2002.

Since then Karol has worked again with me and several of my friends and colleagues to help us achieve successful conclusions in our real estate transactions. At least a dozen of us at last count.

Karol’s professionalism, her “Above and Beyond” work ethic, her astute understanding of the current market, her always patient explanations and support throughout the transaction process are why I have no hesitation in recommending Karol Power.

Make her your realtor of choice.

— Kathy mooney I’ve been building custom and patio homes in Campbell River for the past 11 years. It wasn’t until the last 5 years that I came across Karol Power. Karol brought forward many great qualities as a realtor.

I found her to be very professional and a very strong asset to my company. If my houses weren’t selling as fast as she and I anticipated, she was quick to add additional advertising and do anything and everything to boost sales. Due to her re-location to Victoria, I’ve had to use another realtor. Even though she’s no longer my realtor I still have contact with her. She still sends statistics showing sales and pricing for Campbell River and gives me advice whenever I need it. I would highly recommend her to any homebuyer, seller and home builder.

— nigel Van Hove, nVH Homes ltd.

Professionalism, Integrity and Honesty make me a great Choice and Outstanding Agent! Getting You the Right price in the Least amount of time is my Goal.

It will be my pleasure to help you find your new home, make an investment or move on. Let’s get together to discuss your next move or to do a Complimentary Market Evaluation of your Home.

karol power “The power to Move you!”

Camosun

250-886-2537 karol@karolsellsvictoria.com KarolSellsVictoria.com Re/Max Camosun Oak Bay 2239 Oak Bay Avenue

$2,998,000 Lynn van de kamp 250-216-7385 lynnvandekamp.com

$1,698,000 Lisa Williams 250-514-1966 lisawilliams.ca

Across from BeAver LAke PArk, this fantastic custom-built home features grand entrance with soaring ceilings, marble floors throughout, double-sided gas fireplace, granite counter tops, top of the line appliances, gourmet chef’s kitchen plus separate spice kitchen, media room with large projection screen and extra sound insulation, 3 heat pumps, a 2 br suite and a student/ bachelor loft. every bedroom has its own bathroom and the three master suites boast walk-in closets, soaker tubs and bidets. entertain in your elegant bar with space for a dance floor or outside on the expansive back patio. viewings by appointment only.

STUNNING MACLURE ESTATE on a rare one acre private oasis in Oak Bay! ‘TOR LODGE’ was built in 1908 & is a fine example of an Arts & Crafts American Chalet design. Old world charm is found throughout the home featuring original wood paneling, gorgeous fir floors, “Great Room” two stories tall open to gallery above, eight fireplaces, $2,500,000 leaded mullioned windows and Jeff Bishop characteristic Samuel Maclure Personal Real details. Lovingly restored to Estate Corporation today’s standards, this property 250-477-7291 represents a chance to own part jeffreycbishop.com of Victoria’s rich past.

SPECTACULAR custom home in a quiet, upscale Rockland setting! Dramatic & bright design w/hi ceilings, chic gourmet kitchen, incredible Great room, luxurious main level master suite with luxurious ensuite, gorgeous HW flrs & detailing throughout, plus main level office and two gorgeous bedrms w/ensuites upstairs with access to bonus TV/sitting area!

Fully self-contained suite option, plus games/TV rooms on lower level – tons of options and close to all amenities & downtown!

ParKer aVe. waterfront LIfeStYLe home, with steps to a sandy beach! Sweeping views of the ocean to San Juan Island & mt. Baker beyond.

Pamela Charlesworth design with a $300,000 refurbishment making this home feel like new. Gorgeous new kitchen with merlot cabinets, Granite counters, stainless appliances. adjoining family room with Gas f.P. & custom built ins. formal dining room, luxurious living room with energy efficient f.P. master with commanding view, and new ensuite. 2nd ensuite bedroom plus guest room up.

$1,629,000 Lynne Sager 250-744-3301 lynnesager.com Camosun

StepS to the oak Bay Village on a no thru street. this Charming Character house has been nicely updated, just move your furniture in and welcome to your new home. there is a main floor bedroom and 4 pc bath, upstairs has two bedrooms and a 4 pc bath with stand alone shower & separate tub. the updated kitchen with $685,000 lots of cabinets and central island overlooks the back deck Sharen Warde & Larry Sims and private & pretty back 250-592-4422 garden. this home is a great wardesims.com townhouse alternative with your own garden & no fees in a fantastic location. MlS# 349256

11.73 aCreS of priVaCy welcomes you to this custom west coast designed one owner home in the eastern highlands. as you drive up the winding driveway you leave your City energy behind. the calming water feature at the front door welcomes you. the bedroom level offers 3 bdrms, 1.5 baths & a cozy tV area with propane $650,000 free standing fireplace. enjoy the large Southwest facing deck Sharen Warde & Larry Sims with hot tub. the upper open 250-592-4422 plan living space is great for wardesims.com easy entertaining. enjoy the warm country atmosphere of this home. MlS# 349498

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

$1,948,000 Lisa Williams 250-514-1966 lisawilliams.ca

UPLANDS – Spacious & inviting w/5355sqft, 5-6 bedrms, & a totally private, sunny & manicured .59 acre property!

Located on one of the Uplands nicest streets, the home has undergone some significant renovations with a flexible design great for family & for entertaining. Oversized & elegant living rm, sep. dining rm, kitchen w/breakfast nook & adjacent family rm, media/games rm w/wet bar, exercise rm, office & much more! Expansive patios & fun ‘pool house’ complete with entertaining/food prep area too!

$1,750,000 Lynne Sager 250-744-3301 lynnesager.com Camosun

FantastiC FaMiLy hoMe is located on one of Victoria’s most treasured streets. Despard is sought after for its country lane feel, large trees & charm.

Bright sunny split level home offers 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms w/ 3 bedrooms on upper level. amazing $1,100,000 837 sq foot DetaCheD Jason Binab studio is delightful & Cell: 250-589-2466 Macdonald Realty Ltd. great for many options or binabpropertygroup.com mortgage helper. 1536 Despard ave. MLs 349358

$799,000 Karol power 250-886-2537 KarolsellsVictoria.com

waterfront home with a dock & boathouse. enjoy excellent fishing, or kayak from this beautiful 2007 built west Coast home. Located only 15 minutes to downtown, & 5 minutes to Victoria General hospital. Quality finishes & panoramic views from all principle rooms. Grand formal living room with gleaming hardwood floors, & energy efficient f.P. Sensational kitchen with center Island, stainless appliances, lofty ceilings, & electric skylights. 4 bedrooms up, (master with 5 pce. ens, and dual walk-in closets). Situated on a serene sheltered cove.

The BesT penThouse at Bear Mountain! offering 2400 sq. ft. of elegant living space, 2 Bed plus den, 3 baths, 2 balconies, vaulted ceiling, gourmet Island kitchen and 2 parking stalls.

Concierge, guest suites, squash and tennis courts. fitness room and movie theatre. Westin Resort world class golf course at your door step.

Camosun

$399,900 Dallas Chapple PErSONAl rEAl EStAtE COrPOrAtiON

250-744-3301 dallaschapple.com Camosun

OAK BAY! Enjoy water views from your beautiful remodeled kitchen. Updated electrical, new counters, fridge, hardware, sink, lighting & fixtures. Wall removed to showcase open floor plan & spacious living room. New oak hardwood throughout. New vanities, fixtures & floors in both bthrms. 2 roomy bdrms, 1.5 baths. On bus or walk to shopping. Across from beach & marina. Heat & hot water included in strata fee.

Separate laundry on each flr.

New roof.

$384,900 Susanna Crofton Cell: 250-888-6648 Office: 250-370-7788 BCSelectHomes.ca

AIRY AND BRIGHT describes this immaculately kept 2 bed/2 bath condo in The Julia, built 2007. Rentable, no age restrictions, pet and bbq friendly! Walking distance to UVIC and only 1/2 block from shops, bank, restaurants and grocery store. Hardwood floors, granite countertops, expansive walk-in closet in master. In-suite laundry.

Quiet vistas from private balcony or panoramic views from shared rooftop gazebo.

Secure underground parking, large storage locker & bike storage. A terrific investment opportunity! MLS 348299.

“Why Would you care that i’m a take-charge kinda guy?”

It matters because I seize the iniative and am skilled, tenacious and purposeful in negotations. I administrate the marketing of your property by saturating social media like Facebook, Twitter, Usedvictoria.com, Craigslist, You Tube, Binab Property Property Group and Macdonald Realty websites with your listing details for maximum exposure.

the right realtor® makes all the difference betWeen an experience that’s exceptional, and one that’s … Well, you knoW. t on fr r te ot Wa l

1536 despard avenue 349358 $1,100,000

909-2829 arbutus rd 347330 $600,000

lot 2 katy’s cres.

349373 $750,000

313-405 Quebec st 349244 $429,000

ph6-165 kimta road 341267 $1,200,000

4-910 maltwood terr.

345888 $600,000

• MLS® Gold Award Winner every year since 2006 • Team Leader for #1 Team in Victoria and Vancouver Island ** • Leader of one of Top 100 Teams in Canada ** • Extensive experience in high-end sales **based on RE/MAX Teams 2009-2010

®

®

Where service and quality exceed expectation.

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

32

AT HOME WITH BOULEVARD

INSIDEOUT GREAT ROOMS IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS

PHOTO COURTESY HEATWAVE PLUMBING & HEATING

 BY AMY MCGEACHY

 A gas fireplace that appeals to your style — ­ whether it be modern or traditional — ­ provides a stunning outdoor element.

Available at Heatwave Plumbing & Heating.

O

UR BACKYARD SPACE HAS become an extension of our indoors and an important part of our home.

With our West Coast climate, it’s possible to use our gardens and backyard spaces for the majority of the year. By dividing the yard into key spaces for entertaining, eating and playing, you not only increase the usable square footage of your home, you’re able to go outdoors, take in the beauty of the surroundings and enjoy the fresh air, while having fun doing so.

The outdoor great room is becoming one of the main features of the home, demanding furniture that is

increasingly fashionable and durable. You can chose from options such as sectionals, recliners and loungers to suit your needs. There are pieces for both small and large spaces, very similar to those found indoors.

The difference is mainly the types materials of which they are made. They need to be able to stand up to the elements, such as an extreme downpour, hot sun or visits from the woodland animals like birds and deer.

Choosing pieces that are made with Sunbrella materials, a durable, waterproof, fade-proof fabric will increase the longevity of the products. Outdoor area rugs are also very popular. They can help to hide a 33

PHOTO COURTESY MCLAREN LIGHTING PHOTO COURTESY HEATWAVE PLUMBING & HEATING

 Outdoor accessories that are stylish, but can withstand outdoor elements, are available at Max Furniture.

 Light your path with Hinkley Lighting, available at Mclaren Lighting.

 Gataga fire pit by Rocky Mountain Hot Springs is available at Heatwave Plumbing & Heating.

 From the Luxe Lounge Collection at Canadian Tire, there are many different pieces to choose from.

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worn, ugly surface, while defining the living space.

Fire features are as popular as water features in the backyard. They provide heat, but are also a focal point for the space. From large concrete options, to sleek linear fire tables, there is a style to suit every home. One of my favourites is Jackson Grills, which has all of the components to make an outdoor kitchen fit for a monarch … or a professional chef. With many separate components and appliances to choose from, you can set up a space that will 35

PHOTO COURTESY CAPITAL IRON

 The outdoor kitchen makes entertaining so much fun, with high-end appliances and prep spaces for every chef.

PHOTO COURTESY KOZY HEAT FIREPLACES

offer anything you could ever dream of — from full gas grills, to ice makers and beverage centres.

Outdoor lighting is important for security and safety, necessary for everything from lighting up a path or stairwell, to illuminating a dark corner of the yard. However, with the increasing simplicity of hardwired lighting, homeowners are now using fixtures to help set the mood of their space, highlighting architectural details of decks and gardens or adding decoration and interest with pendants and outdoor chandeliers. Becoming less popular is mobile lighting, such as tiki torches and solar lights, usually used only as an addon to the lighting design.

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PHOTO COURTESY CAPITAL IRON

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37

FEATURE STORY

PHOTO BY ARNOLD LIM

“THESE ARE HIPSTERS — EXPENSIVE HIPPIES — WITH $300 PLAID SHIRTS AND $400 RAW DENIM JEANS. IT IS A KIND OF ANTIESTABLISHMENT LOOK, BUT WITH AN ULTRA MASCULINE APPEARANCE.”

Brushes with handmade handles at The Copper Hat.

38

BARBERSHOP REVIVAL BLADES, BRUSHES AND BEAUTEOUS BEARDS

 TEXT BY CINDA CHAVICH PHOTOS BY ARNOLD LIM AND DON DENTON

N

OT SINCE THE HEYDAY of ZZ Top and Jethro Tull has the beard been such a style statement.

Once the face of a counter-culture — the look for serious rockers, draft dodgers and an unruly, anti-establishment generation — the beard may have skipped a generation, or two, but it’s back. Along with elaborate tattoos, plaid shirts and piercings, the beard is an integral part of the hipster uniform, a look that’s especially popular here on the rugged west coast.

The traditional bearded look may be rooted in our BC lumberjack, fishing and naval culture, but the current beard boom has spawned a new industry devoted to the primping, preening, styling — and even old-fashioned removal — of facial hair.

spots, dedicated to the basic “shave and a haircut” — just add a couple of zeros to the original “two bits” — with a cappuccino or cigar bar on the side.

At Matthew Conrad’s hip Victory Barber & Brand, that means $25 for a cut and another $40 for an old-fashioned, hot, lathery, straight razor shave.

With the vintage chairs, barbers sporting long rugged aprons and lots of reclaimed wood, it’s not quite a scene out of a Norman Rockwell painting, but sitting at the bar, a local Phillips soda in hand, there’s definitely a note of nostalgia.

“It’s not a vintage barbershop, it’s a heritage barbershop with lots of nods to the past,” says Conrad, his wellcurated collection of 1940s radios, typewriters and other memorabilia adding to the vintage vibe. “It’s an expression of my own personality and style.”

A longtime hair stylist and owner of Victoria’s Lab Salon, Conrad says Victory Barber is dedicated to the kind of classic men’s grooming from his dapper grandfather’s day.

“MEN WANT AN INTENTIONAL STYLE FOR THEIR BEARDS, LIKE THEIR HAIR, AND SO STRONG COMMUNICATION IS KEY.”

SHOP TALK Enter the new world of men’s grooming, the modern day barbershop.

Like the neighborhood barbers of old, these are manly

39

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Dlr#30561

PHOTO BY DON DENTON

 Crystal Currie gives a beard trim at modern barber shop Victory Barber & Brand on Blanshard Street, as another customer awaits his turn.

“I wanted a place where guys would feel at home,” he says, “a place where you could get a certain kind of haircut, a masculine style, and a more focused kind of service.”

 Brushes at The Copper Hat.

GOING COASTAL

PHOTO BY DON DENTON

The beard’s popularity has waxed and waned over the centuries but it’s long been a symbol of power and masculinity.

Sampson, the biblical strongman, was defenseless without his beard. Vikings and Gaelic chieftains wore their beards long, announcing their fearlessness, even with the handicap of flowing hair. Henry VIII maintained his royal bearded supremacy by imposing a “beard tax” on others with more than two week’s growth.

In the late 1700s, when the invention of a new steel razor allowed men to shave at home, the style was cleanshaven. But by the mid-19th century, big beards were back, popular among Victorian explorers, poets, politicians and scribes like Charles Dickens.

Yet, despite the counter culture blip of the flower power generation, not until today have beards been so universally in vogue.

So why suddenly shaggy? Steve Bailey, owner of Uomo Modern Barber, says it’s a reaction to the style-conscious “metrosexual” man, a rugged revolt that’s gained traction 41

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here on the west coast where real loggers and brawny fishermen live the look.

“It’s definitely a look here — the faux-hawk moving to this tight cut, an old-school taper fade, with the full beard,” says Bailey. “These are hipsters — expensive hippies — with $300 plaid shirts and $400 raw denim jeans. It is a kind of anti-establishment look, but with an ultra masculine appearance.”

Josh Sparrow, Victory Barber’s manager, says, “Guys like the look of coiffed hair with the beard — it’s both rugged and put together.”

All kinds of men are sporting beards today — DIYers and environmentalists, hip chefs and craft brewers, artists, intellectuals, jocks and yes, even bikers.

Most women say they prefer clean-shaven men (beards make men look older and more aggressive), though some are encouraging their partners to grow beards. There is a whole subculture of pogonophiles (beard lovers) out there, with websites for facial hair fanatics, from bearded dating sites to Instagram collections of sexy bearded selfies.

JUST LAZY — NOT While men admit a beard often begins with sheer laziness, soon it can become integral to their look, even their identity.

Paul Huxtable is a barber at Victory and says he’s had a beard for his entire adult life.

“Without the beard, I have no shape,” he says, running his hand over a close-shaved scalp. “I need the beard to define it.”

Huxtable says his partner was attracted to him because of his beard and shaving it off would be traumatic for both.

“Sixty-five per cent of my customers have beards, and they come to me because I do, too” he adds. “There’s no vanity, like beard vanity. It’s more important than hair.”

In fact, a lot of work goes into maintaining a healthy and attractive beard, whether it’s a perfect Van Dyke or a ratty Vin Diesel. Guys with the full fringe report they wash, condition and blow-dry their facial hair several 42

times a week, relying on skilled stylists to carve unruly beards into tidy shapes, often with close-clipped, high-top haircuts to match.

Crystal Currie, one of the few females in the local barbering business, is in demand for her beard design skills.

“Men want an intentional style for their beards, like their hair, and so strong communication is key,” she says, noting beard styles should flatter the shape of your face, match your height and weight, even your personality.

“A beard can strengthen the jaw line,” adds Sparrow, who has been sporting his bushy beard for 15 years.

“Beards can make men feel good and confident.”

And, like the mythical Sampson, shaving a beard can be depressing.

“Even trimming your beard can lead to a period of mourning and loss,” he says.

For surfer Kiyo Oye, manager of Victoria’s trendy Sitka clothing store, long locks and a heavy handlebar mustache make his own style statement.

“I grew the big beard because I was lazy, but I honestly didn’t like it,” says Oye, sporting a new Motorhead-style stash. “The beard and the $200 haircut, to me that’s a hipster thing. My mustache is for metal.”

While Sitka sells the rugged denim jeans and plaid shirts that are part of the bearded hipster look, Oye says that’s what he’s always worn.

“I grew up in Tofino, my dad was a logger and my grandfather was a fisherman. What else would I look like?”

There’s a whole industry around maintaining the bearded look — beard oils to condition facial hair, beard wax (think hair gel for beards) and beard balm, a scented product with lighter “hold” for more compact beards. And then there’s the shaving side, with natural, artisan-made soaps, badger hair brushes and vintage straight razors designed to help take it all off.

It’s a cutting edge spin on an old classic for the modern man.

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PHOTOS BY DON DENTON + ARNOLD LIM

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BLADE Runners

PHOTO BY ARNOLD LIM

T

HE FLIP SIDE OF BIG BEARDS is facial hair removal, and more men are returning to the fine art of traditional shaving.

Venturing into the world of blades and brushes, I meet Brad Julicher and his wife Kate MacDonald, owners of The Copper Hat, a funky shaving supply shop.

Julicher, whose job demanded he be clean shaven daily, was so frustrated with the cost and quality of “typical drug store shaving supplies,” he tracked down a vintage safety razor and a shaving brush, and perfected the old-fashioned wet shave.

That led to the first incarnation of their shop, tucked into a tiny corner of Fan Tan Alley, and now an expanded location in Market Square.

Not only does he supply the safety razors and reusable blades, Julicher builds the brushes he sells — the handles are miniature works of art that he turns on a lathe, custom made to order from various woods (even salvaged brass and deer antlers) with badger, synthetic and horsehair bristles. His wife, meanwhile, has developed a line of natural shaving soaps for both men and women.  Brad Julicher of The Copper Hat. “When we first started selling this kind of thing, people thought we were crazy, but in the last two years we see people coming into the store who know exactly Be Cheeky shaving cream made with kaolin clay and what they want,” says MacDonald. coconut oil with various fragrances, from coffee and A safety razor, with replaceable blades, costs far less beer to citrus. At The Copper Hat, MacDonald makes her than disposable razors (five blades for $4 vs. five razors Shave Soap with all natural ingredients and essential for $40) and there’s no plastic or aerosol cans dumped oils, in scents like Lumberjack, Bay Rum and Twisted into the garbage, she says.

Lime.

Unfortunately, the ritual of “teaching your son to Victory Barber & Brand has its own line of shaving shave” seems to have skipped a generation and many soaps, razors and brushes, too. men have never tried wet shaving. Luckily, some of the A hot shave costs $35 to $48, and you can expect the city’s barbers now offer a hot shave, sell the supplies and whole, old-fashioned ritual — an hour relaxing in a can even teach you how to shave properly. reclining barber chair, steaming scented towels, handBailey, who revived the practice at Uomo in 2003, says whipped lather and two passes with the straight razor he learned the skill of hot, straight razor shaving from for a super smooth shave. an Italian master barber who once owned his shop. Now It’s the guy’s equivalent of a spa facial, an occasional he has his own line of shaving products, including his treat with a macho spin.

45

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46

Mother’s Day GIFT GUIDE

Discerning gift ideas to celebrate Mom

OH-LA-LA! Saint James French Chic at Baden Baden. If you are looking for a fabulous gift for Mum, please check out our spectacular selection of handbags and/or scarves.

Heart of Gold necklace This Mother’s Day, make a true difference that is sure to make mum proud.

Ann-Louise Jewellers have specially designed this Heart of Gold necklace to represent the special bond between mother and child. With every purchase, between April 25 and May 10, a 25% donation will be made to the BC Children’s Hospital.

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At Tulipe Noire, we continue to bring women the very best in today’s quality casual designer fashion. A nurturing environment where we strive to make dressing smart, comfortable and always sophisticated.

Both locals and visitors to Victoria enjoy the special attention we provide to our customers and being open 7 days a week makes it easy to visit with us at your leisure.

Glorious Garden The bright fresh feeling of Spring is embraced with flowers and brought indoors with this vase arrangement of colourful blooms.

There is nothing quite like flowers to brighten up a room and bring a smile to Mom this Mother’s Day. Brown’s The Florist is open and delivers flowers for all occasions, 7 days a week.

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Mother’s Day GIFT GUIDE

A PASSION FOR PARIS — In this unique blend of memoir, history, and travelogue, David Downie explores the magic and mystery of Paris. (Hardcover, $31.50) And on Saturday June 20th at 7:30 pm, you’re invited to Munro’s Books for a free evening of French treats and travel tips with bestselling author David Downie!

Munro’s Books 1108 Government Street | 250-382-2464 munrobooks.com

Enjoy more than 100 shops and services Hillside has to offer including - Sears, Marshalls, SportChek/ Atmosphere, Shoppers Drug Mart, Bolen Books and Thrifty Foods – plus a bright, spacious new food court – including Tim Hortons, Starbucks, DAVIDs Tea, Booster Juice, Qoola and more!

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Stories so big they have to be sung!

Otello/Verdi – October 2015 The Barber of Seville/Rossini – February 2016 A Midsummer Night’s Dream/ Britten – April 2016

An opera subscription makes a great Mother’s Day gift!

3 operas – all for one great price Subscribe for as little as $63 for the season Call 250.385.0222 or www.pov.bc.ca

Women In Leadership: Creating Your Success Story Investors Group presents a dynamic women’s conference benefiting Bridges for Women. The event features an open forum panel, trade show and reception along with five different workshops to choose from. Featuring Janet Kestin, one of the creators of the Dove Real Beauty campaign; Angela Thurston and Carmen Spagnola.

Open Forum panel speakers include Janet Kestin, Penny Sakamoto and Fran Hunt-Jinnouchi.

May 8 & 9 Camosun College Young Building 3100 Foul Bay Road Tickets at eventbrite.ca

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Give mom the royal treatment with a membership to the Royal BC Museum!

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Ballet Victoria presents Annie’s Rodeo & Other Works, a wonderfully diverse program that showcases the magnificent depth of our local company.

A hauntingly beautiful solo, a primal duet, a passion filled Don Quixote classic and a seriously funny western.

This dance event will leave you breathless.

May 29 & 30 Royal Theatre. Victoria www.balletvictoria.ca 250-386-6121

Hall’s Supreme 86 Greenhouse $995.00 Many things are possible for the gardener who has a greenhouse – like fresh produce year round!

This stylish, yet practical greenhouse with its elegant curves and sturdy aluminum frame, will be appreciated for many years to come. Other sizes and models available. Imported from the UK. Russell Nursery 1370 Wain Rd., North Saanich 250-656-0384 russellnursery@telus.net www.russellnursery.com

FOOD & DRINK

PHOTO BY JEREMY KORESKI

TACO TIME

 Sobo’s Killer Fish Taco with fresh fruit salsa.

PHOTO BY DON DENTON

Fish tacos are a true signature of west coast cuisine  BY CINDA CHAVICH

W

HILE IT MAY SEEM LIKE PERPETUAL spring here in Victoria, the real sign that winter is behind us is the re-emergence of street food, and especially the chance to enjoy a local taco in the sunshine.

Long before I moved to Vancouver Island, I knew about the famous tacos here, and every time I came for a visit, a fish tacone at Red Fish Blue Fish was obligatory. Their OceanWise albacore tuna, wild salmon or tempura cod, rolled into a grilled flour tortilla, is a must-have for both locals and tourists strolling the inner harbour on a sunny afternoon.

And there are many other fine tacos to enjoy here, too. The city’s creative chefs fill their tacos with everything from tender roast chicken and grilled octopus to savoury smoked pork hocks with cabbage.

But it’s the fish taco that is the true signature of the west coast, whether you’re in Mexico, California or here in BC, the classic combination of fried fish, salsa and slaw often takes on an Asian twist.

“It’s the summer heat and being around the ocean — the fish taco comes as second nature,” says Temperance Phair, the chef behind the popular Taco Justice League taco truck parked at the corner of Cook Street and Pandora.

Phair serves a seared ahi tuna topped with pickled Thai chilies and cilantro ginger slaw on his big flour tortillas. It’s all about bold flavour combinations, he says, citing the tacos he tops with Korean bulgogi beef and kimchi, panko-crusted avocado wedges with watercress slaw, or the unctuous, slow-roasted island pork belly that his customers come back for again and again.

“It hits all of the aspects: sweet, savoury, spicy,” says Phair. “Our tacos are really large and messy, but they pack a punch.”

A stroll up Fort Street uncovers more tasty tacos.

Tofino’s famed Tacofino, with its surfside orange

taco truck, now has several restaurants in Vancouver and recently popped up on the strip of small lunch spots along this downtown street.

Co-owner and chef Josh Carlsen says Tacofino’s signature Baja-style fish tacos — chunks of tempura-battered local ling cod with classic tomato salsa fresca, shredded cabbage slaw and creamy chipotle mayo — is a perennial best seller. But there are other creative choices for fish lovers, including the Tuna-ta Taco: seared tataki albacore topped with wasabi ginger mayo, mango salsa and seaweed salad. In the spring spot prawn season, you might even get a taco topped with sweet local shrimp, wrapped in bacon and grilled or enrobed in crispy tempura.

Just around the corner at La Taquisa the focus is “authentic Mexican family recipes,” and here you can build your own taco, choosing a protein cooked in traditional mole sauce, plus one of several salsas, including classic tomato Pico de Gallo or spicy green tomatillo salsa with cilantro and green chilies.

La Taquisa offers beef, chicken and pork chorizo fillings made with local meats, but a favourite is the Fish al Pastor cod taco in adobo sauce, served on handmade corn tortillas.

Many Mexican restaurants feature tacos on wider traditional menus, including Hernande’z or La Cocina de Mamma Oli in the downtown Victoria Public Market, but many city chefs riff on the taco idea too. At North 48, chef Sam Chalmers makes a killer octopus taco appetizer, and at The Ruby, Chef Chris Jones uses pulled chicken from his tender rotisserie birds for chicken tacos, served on tender corn tortillas for just $2 apiece during happy hour.

While several city chefs use flour tortillas instead of the traditional corn tortillas for their tacos (easier to find in Victoria and, some say, sturdier), Jones is adamant that fresh, locally made corn tortillas be on the plate.

OUR TACOS ARE REALLY LARGE AND MESSY, BUT THEY PACK A PUNCH.”

51

His source is Adriana’s The Whole Enchilada on Keating Cross Road in Saanich, where Adriana Ramirez and her husband Wayne Adams turn out the authentic, white corn tortillas she grew up eating on the Baja Peninsula.

“Tacos are the easiest thing to make,” she says, warming one of her fresh corn tortillas on a hot griddle and topping it with spicy ground beef, cheese, shredded lettuce and salsa fresca.

It just takes a minute on the heat to make the corn tortillas soft and pliable — don’t be tempted to skip this step — then you can add any topping you like, she says, from refried beans and cheese to seasoned ground meat, pulled pork or fried fish. Tortillas can also be fried until crisp for tostadas and chips, grilled with cheese for quesadillas, or topped with refried beans, salsa and fried eggs for a hearty breakfast.

Adriana’s tortillas are made using corn flour (masa) and a special machine imported from

PHOTO BY DON DENTON

 Fish taco at the Fort Street location of Tacofino in Victoria.

Mexico that can crank out 1,250 tortillas an hour. You’ll find them at her Mexican deli, along with a take-out menu that includes her popular Taco La Paz, a Bajastyle fish taco, and the ingredients to make your own tacos at home, ranging from her homemade mole sauces and salsas, to an impressive selection of dried Mexican chilies.

Several retail grocers in the city also carry Adriana’s fresh tortillas, so it’s always easy to host a casual taco party. Just set out your favourite toppings and invite your guests to build their own.

“A taco is a taco, it’s the most simple food you can have,” says Ramirez, “and you can eat it any place you want.”

That’s certainly the case in this island city. The taco is the ultimate leveler, loved by all ages and a perfectly portable nosh that, when made with good ingredients, exceeds the sum of its parts.

So with a nod to Mexico’s Cinco de Mayo and the changing seasons, get outside and enjoy a taco, island style!

BAJA FISH TACOS PREP 20 MIN COOK 5 MIN SERVES 4

Use the food processor to whirl up this easy coating for your favourite fish fillets and you’ll be dining in no time. You can also use the food processor for the simple salsa, or chop the ingredients by hand. This recipe is from my new book Waste Not, Want Not: save food, save money and save the planet (Touchwood Editions).

1 cup (250 ml) corn chips (blue corn or regular yellow chips) 1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground cumin 1/4 tsp (1 ml) chipotle chile powder or smoked paprika 2 Tbsp (25 ml) flour 1 lb (450 g) boneless and skinless white fish fillets (cod, halibut, pickerel, sole) cut lengthwise into strips 1/4 cup (50 ml) canola oil for frying

Salsa:

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AM

1 clove garlic, peeled 1 jalapeňo pepper, seeds removed and quartered 2 Tbsp (50 ml) chopped cilantro 2 ripe Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1/4 cup (50 ml) chopped white onion 2 Tbsp (25 ml) fresh lime juice 1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt

Slaw: 2 cups (500 ml) shredded green cabbage 1 tsp (5 ml) salt 2 Tbsp (25 ml) fresh lime juice 1/4 cup (50 ml) chopped cilantro 1 dozen warm corn tortillas Whirl the chips in the food processor until ground to fine crumbs. Add the cumin, chili powder and flour, and pulse to combine. Place the coating on a plate. Cut the fish fillets lengthwise into two-inch wide strips or chunks if large. Roll the fish in the corn chip crumbs. Set aside on a plate.

Heat the oil in a nonstick, sauté pan over high heat and when the oil is very hot, add the fish. Cook quickly, two minutes per side, until the fish is crisp.

Use tongs to turn the fish to keep the coating intact.

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Fresh Fruit Salsa:

Set the cooked fish on a paper-towel-lined plate and place in a 200-degree F oven to keep warm.

Meanwhile, make the salsa. Rinse out the food processor and dry with a paper towel. Place the garlic and jalapeňo in the processor and pulse until finely minced. Add the cilantro, and pulse to combine. Add the tomatoes, chopped onion and lime juice and whirl for a second or two to combine. Place the salsa in a bowl and set aside to allow flavors to meld (you can make this in advance and refrigerate it).

In a separate bowl, toss the shredded cabbage with salt and lime juice to season and wilt it slightly. Then stir in the cilantro and set aside.

Heat the corn tortillas quickly in a hot dry pan, just to warm through and soften, or wrap in a clean damp towel and microwave for 30-60 seconds to steam. Keep warm in a covered serving dish.

To serve, break the fried fish into chunks and wrap up in warm corn tortillas, topped with salsa and cabbage slaw (or shredded iceberg lettuce if you’re strapped for time).

Lay the ingredients out and let your guests build their own tacos.

SOBO’S KILLER FISH TACO PREP 15 MIN COOK 4-6 MIN SERVES 8 The new Sobo Cookbook (Random House), celebrating Tofino’s iconic restaurant, focuses on their beach-friendly dishes, including their famous Killer Fish Tacos with fruity salsa. Chef/owner Lisa Ahier says she serves local salmon and halibut in her tacos in Tofino, but has used snapper and bass with success, too.

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4 kiwi fruits, peeled and diced small 1/2 pineapple, diced small 1 mango, diced small 1 small papaya, diced small 2 avocados, diced small 1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped fresh cilantro

Tacos: 1 lb ( 450 g) wild salmon, boneless and skinless 1 lb (450 g) halibut, boneless and skinless 1 Tbsp (15 ml) salt 1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil 1 cup (250 ml) small-diced red onion 1/2 cup (125 ml) puréed canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce 16 crispy hard taco shells

Prepare the fresh fruit salsa — combine all diced ingredients and refrigerate, covered, until ready to use (keeps for 24 hours).

Meanwhile, cut the salmon and halibut into oneinch cubes and season with salt. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for two to three minutes, until just cooked. Add the chipotle chilies and sauté for two to three minutes. Remove from the heat.

Fill the taco shells halfway with the fish mixture, then top with the fruit salsa.

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HAWTHORN

ON THE CLOCK

RUNNER TAKES BIG STRIDES TOWARDS HER GOALS  BY TOM HAWTHORN

R

ACHEL FRANÇOIS RAN THIS MORNING and she will run again this afternoon. She ran yesterday and she ran the day before yesterday, just as she will run tomorrow and she will run again the day after.

The 22-year-old student lives a life set to the clock and parcelled into packages — a time set aside for sprinting, another time for weight training, still another time for yoga.

She exercises for a set time and she stretches for a set time.

At the University of Victoria, she has qualified for the track and the cross-country varsity teams, a rare runner to display both the force of the sprinter and the endurance of the distance runner. She has been an all-star in both disciplines.

This year, François is dedicated to a goal that seems modest in ambition, but will be challenging in execution. Her best time in the 800 metres is 2 minutes, 2.18 seconds. She wants to shave two whole seconds off that time, as well as the fasterthan-the-blink-of-an-eye fraction of 180 milliseconds. She runs and lifts weights and makes the everyday sacrifices of the world-class athlete — no wild campus partying, no late-night Netflix binges, no solo tubs of ice cream after an exam — with this goal in mind.

When the clock determines so much, “it’s hard not to let your time define you,” she said.

The runner is seeking to trim her time to qualify for three major sporting events. We spoke in early April, precisely 100 days before the opening of the Pan American Games in Toronto. Forty-three days later, the world championships of track and field take place in Beijing. As we talked, we also checked the online counter for the most important event of all — the 2016 Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro. The Opening Ceremonies for those Games were 492 days, 1 hour, 20 minutes and 34 seconds away.

François tries not to dwell too much on looming deadlines, since it is more productive to concentrate on being mentally prepared for the races to come.

Athletes train in near anonymity in the years before an

Olympics is held. Sometimes, you spot them around Victoria, where the weather permits year-round, outdoor workouts. It takes barely a glance to separate a world-class athlete from the rest of us weekend warriors. At 5-foot-7, 128 pounds, François has the look — the erect torso, the motionless head, the legs churning like pistons.

She has been running competitively since she was a little girl, dedicating herself full-time to track while attending Paul Kane Secondary in St. Albert in her native Alberta. A budding soccer star at right midfield, she abandoned the turf for the track in Grade 10. She became a three-time provincial champion at 800 metres with the Paul Kane Blues. Track is her birthright. Her mother, the former Julie Windred, from Sydney, Australia, was a promising junior middle-distance runner until suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon. Her father, André François, was a sprinter who was the first athlete from the Caribbean island nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to qualify for the Olympics.

He raced in the 200-metre sprints at the 1988 Seoul Games, eliminated from competition after one heat. His Olympic Games lasted just 21.88 seconds.

He has told his daughter the race itself was “disappointing.” It is a lesson she appreciates, so she spends her spare time studying film of other 800-metre races, allowing herself to daydream about tactics. Sometimes, she even allows herself to daydream about winning.

Hours after we spoke, François was named the university’s female athlete of the year for the second consecutive year.

The next morning, she was out running yet again. Her goal is clear — to run 800 metres in two minutes. That’s about the time it takes to read this column. Whether she makes it or not, we should cheer her on in the attempt.

“IT’S HARD NOT TO LET YOUR TIME DEFINE YOU.”

58

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

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TRAVEL FAR  The living room of the estate house, which features many original furniture designs by decorator William Haines.

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SUNNYLANDS FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PRESIDENTS AND ROYALTY

60

 BY CAROLYN HEIMAN

PHOTO BY GRAYDON WOOD

 A view into the atrium of the estate house.

T

PHOTO BY GRAYDON WOOD

WICE EVERY MONTH at 9 a.m. California time, people from around the world sit poised at their computers, ready to enter a keyboard race for tickets that will disappear in about 10 minutes. They aren’t racing for rock concert tickets; they’re battling to get inside Sunnylands, the fabled home of Walter and Leonore Annenberg on Bob Hope Drive in Rancho Mirage, California.

About 20,000 people each year score tickets to the stunning mid-century home designed by Los Angeles-based architect A. Quincy Jones and built by the Annenbergs as their vacation retreat, where they entertained U.S. presidents, royal families and Hollywood legends. Leaving at 15-minute intervals, these tours, with a guide and a maximum of seven guests, feel exclusive since one rarely sees any other tour group.

Leonore Annenberg died in 2009, leaving the estate to The Annenberg Foundation Trust to operate as a retreat, a kind of Camp David of the West, where catalytic discussions promoting world peace and international agreement could take place. Last year, President Obama and China’s President Xi Jinping met at Sunnylands, an event viewed as a milestone in the U.S.-China relationship.

It is also a place for leaders in education, philanthropy, arts and culture, science and medicine to further their work. This year, for example, the estate hosted a writers’ festival, film festival directors meeting, and a gathering of experts focused on the looming crisis around rising ocean levels.

It is accommodating these activities — which are at the core of the trust’s mandate — that restricts public access to the house and limits how far in advance tickets can be sold, says Janice Lyle, Director of Sunnylands Center & Gardens. Hence the challenge of getting tickets.

PEEKING BEHIND THE PINK WALL The house and grounds were opened to the public in 2012.

“We always believed there was a pent up interest in what was happening behind the pink wall,” says Lyle, referring to the impervious stuccoed wall that surrounds the property.

But even she is a bit surprised by the “continued interest there is in people actually seeing for themselves what the house and grounds look like.”

You can look at photos, but you can never really experience the home through those 61

PHOTO BY THE OFFICE OF JAMES BURNETT

PHOTO BY THE OFFICE OF JAMES BURNETT

PHOTO BY MARK DAVIDSON

 View of the Grand Hall.

 A view of the gardens, with the agave plants in bloom.

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 cutline goes here

Reflecting pools with Palo Verde trees in bloom.

images, she adds. And that view is reflected in the comments they receive from guests.

“People are always telling us that the experience was so much more than they thought it would be. There is an element of surprise about the quality of space, art and how it works together.”

Lyle is not using hyperbole.

From the moment we turned into the wide and winding driveway leading to the home, it was evident we were entering an exclusive enclave. A line of olive trees and grand statues (including Birds of Welcome by Canadian sculptor Art Price) set an auspicious tone. As we approached, the 17,000-square foot home spread out on the horizon, its pink Mayan-influenced centred chimney pointing to the clear, blue, dessert sky and the purple peaks of the San Jacinto Mountains. Walking under the front entrance’s generous overhanging roof bordered by bromides, I considered the many talented and influential people who had taken the same steps: eight US presidents, Queen Elizabeth, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Stewart, Ginger Rogers and many others. President Ronald Reagan had very close friendships with the Annenbergs and spent

every New Years on the property during his presidency.

(While not a Canadian household name, the Annenbergs were recognized as great philanthropists and a US power couple. It’s believed they donated $2 billion to educational establishments and art galleries.

Walter took over the family businesses, which included The Philadelphia Inquirer, and further expanded the empire with the launch of magazines like TV Guide and Seventeen. Under President Richard M. Nixon, he served as ambassador to the United Kingdom’s Court of St. James’s and for a few years Leonore served as President Ronald Reagan’s chief of protocol.)

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Fear of driving can have many causes – something

While categorized as a mid-century home, Sunnylands is far from a purist’s ideal. Inside an eclectic mix of styles exist side by side but in aesthetic harmony.

Chinese antiquities rest easily among Hollywood regency furnishings. Decorative arts pieces mix with reproductions of Post-Impressionist paintings.

Lyle notes that the room of memories fascinates most visitors with its documents that reveal the political and social connections of the Annenbergs.

“The personalized quality of the documents shows they were friends with deep relationships.” In one guestbook entry, former President Richard Nixon, who visited Sunnylands after he was granted a pardon related to the Watergate scandal, wrote: “When you’re down you find out who your real friends are. We shall always be grateful for your kindness and your loyal friendship.”

The tour also includes a golf cart ride around the private nine-hole golf course — played as 18 holes — and designed by Vic Wilson. President Obama has played it three times. Of note to British Columbians, there is a familiar object on the fifth fairway of the golf course: a 30-foot Kwakwaka’wakw-style totem pole carved by BC’s Henry Hunt — ­ and more recently restored by his son Stanley — helps golfers take aim.

TIPS FOR VISITING • Sunnylands is open to the public from the end of September to the end of June.

For specific details on opening hours, how to get tickets, and details on the house tour, public programs, and access to the centre and gardens, see sunnylands.org.

• For visitors who show up at Sunnylands unaware that house tour tickets will most likely be sold out, the trust offers 45-minute garden tours for $20 US. Lyle says the tour emphasizes different themes and explores the issues of sustainability in the context of preservation. How does an organization tasked with preservation of a property built in an era of water and resource consumption do its work in the context of sustainability?

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cycle of life your donations can transform a woman’s life

We have an URGENT NEED FOR DONATIONS TODAY. Clothing • Accessories • Household Items • Toys • Books • Furniture Donate your gently used items to the WIN Donation Centres at:

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PHOTO BY DON DENTON

 Rahim Khudabux of Max Furniture

TALKING WITH TESS

HARD WORK & HUMILITY  BY TESS VAN STRAATEN

GROWING UP, Rahim Khudabux thought he might become a lawyer or a doctor. But this young “mover and shaker” was bitten by the business bug while he was in university, and he hasn’t looked back.

“I was really drawn to business and when I met my mentor, he really opened my eyes up to the fact that I could go into business even though I didn’t have a ton of money,” says Khudabux, co-owner of Max Furniture.

That mentor was successful Victoria businessman Al Hasham, who owns courier company Maximum Express.

Hasham took Khudabux under his wing and helped him launch his first business, a small wholesale company, after he graduated from university with a degree in social justice in 2006.

“My family thought I was crazy and my dad, who’s an academic, really didn’t want me to do it,” Khudabux explains. “It was all on me to make it or break it.”

Make it, he did, and two years later — when he was just 25 years old — Khudabux co-founded Maximum Furniture

64

with his mentor. The first store was just 800 square feet of “cheap and cheerful” furniture and it was a big gamble.

“We opened in 2008, right when economy was going through that big roller coaster ride and downturn, so it was a big risk,” he says. “I didn’t have a lot of capital on the line to start with but I put in a lot of sweat equity.”

Over the past seven years, Khudabux has grown the business to a 3,500-square-foot store and a 1,500-squarefoot warehouse. Re-branded as Max Furniture, the store now sells good quality, solid wood and customizable pieces that are mostly made in Western Canada.

“We’re seeing sales increase month after month and year after year and we’re now looking at expanding again,” the 32 year old says. “Business is really good and we’re finding we need a bigger footprint.”

It’s a far cry from when Khudabux started out. Without any money for a marketing budget, he posted items for sale on Used Victoria. Khudabux also didn’t take a salary for the first couple years, something he later realized was a mistake.

“After about two years I realized that if I can’t take a proper wage, this business isn’t for me,” he says. “The business had to start producing, and ever since I made that decision I’ve collected a wage, but it really taught me an important lesson about setting time lines.”

The two most important business lessons Khudabux has learned, however, are about hard work and humility.

He credits Hasham with teaching him that there’s no big mystery to business success — it all comes down to how hard you work and how well you treat people.

“It’s really pretty simple: work hard, be efficient and be good to people and you’ll see it come back to you,” Khudabux says.

“People always say you should ‘work smart, not hard’ but I completely disagree. You have to work smart and work even harder and if you can do that, and be humble about your success, you can go far in business.”

It’s a formula that seems to be working for Khudabux, who spends six days a week at his furniture store. He’s one of the 2015 recipients of the Top 20 Under 40 award, which is given to young entrepreneurs who excel in business and community achievements. And while retail giants like Target and Future Shop are faltering and failing, this local success story is gaining market share.

“We didn’t want to take on more than we could handle because trying to grow too quickly can hurt your business,” he says. “We’ve seen that with small companies and even big companies like Target — if you expand too quickly and you’re not ready for it, you can easily shut down.”

That’s why Khudabux, who sold his wholesale business in 2012 and now owns a small bookkeeping business and a DJ and photo booth rental company, is making sure growth at Max Furniture is measured and sustainable. But one of the big challenges in the retail sector is finding and retaining a strong team.

“It’s a big issue so we’ve found that flexibility is our biggest aid in retaining staff,” explains Khudabux. “If they need a day off or they need to go do something that’s important to them, we recognize that and work with them because I believe if you’re paying people well and making sure they’re doing well, the business does well and it’s a win-win.”

For Khudabux, who’s packed a lot of wisdom into a business career that’s less than a decade old, the best advice is to have patience — and persevere.

“If you work hard and believe in what you’re doing, I truly believe there’s very little you can’t do.”

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

65

FRONT ROW  BY ROBERT MOYES

 Fylm at Uno Festival.

ONE OF A KIND Although solo performers are fairly common at fringe festivals, there are only about 10 festivals worldwide that focus exclusively on the genre of one-person performance.

And Victoria’s Uno Fest, which is returning for its 18th season, is the longest-running such festival in North America and probably the world. “When we started it, the idea was just to present some fringe-ish stuff,” explains Uno producer Janet Munsil. “We never thought it would catch on like this.” Munsil, who has long run Intrepid Theatre, the group that also produces Fringe Festival, says that Uno Fest has given Intrepid a national profile. They received over 100 applications for this year’s Uno, of which 15 shows were chosen. “I look at a lot of videos,” says Munsil with a wry laugh. “And it’s exciting when I find a new form or approach I haven’t seen before.” One intriguing show, Fylm, is by an English performer who never physically appears on stage, but rather uses the camera from his 66

laptop to project both himself and some animation onto a screen — a live-action film in real time. And then there’s Dissolve, a stark and powerful treatment of a college girl who is sexually assaulted. Emmelia Gordon, who used to be with Fringe faves the Shameless Hussies, won a Jessie in Vancouver for this show. “In the last few years Uno has come to be seen as a legitimate national showcase,” notes Munsil. “Some presenters will come here to check out new work, and if a play has been shown at Uno that is widely seen as a badge of distinction.” Mostly, though, it’s a forum for excellent and provocative non-mainstream theatre.

Running from May 7-24 at the Metro Studio and the Intrepid Theatre Club. Tickets available from ticket rocket or by calling 250-590-6291.

THE ARCHITECTURE OF PHOTOGRAPHY Port Alberni-born John Taylor has been a professional

photographer for 40 years, starting when he was hired to develop and teach a photography-based course at New Brunswick’s Mount Allison University. “After two years I realized I should be out doing rather than talking about those who do,” says Taylor, who knew early on that architecture would be his primary field of interest.

“Architecture is one of the most significant achievements of man … it’s one of the strongest representations of our culture, and we inhabit it,” Taylor adds. Although much of his work involves commercial assignments, he has always brought an artistic and even philosophical approach to his image making. Aside from working extensively for prestige clients like the NASA Space Center, Taylor has also undertaken his own projects such as the Great Domes of Italy, where 10 years of intermittent research followed by four months of on-location shooting culminated in a touring exhibition of 70 prints — all of which were ultimately purchased by the National Gallery of Ottawa. After moving to Victoria in 1987, Taylor was soon photographing — and meditating on — such projects as the Eaton Centre, the tearing down of the Memorial Arena, and the restoration of St. Ann’s Academy. “I worked on St. Ann’s for two years,” Taylor says. “It’s like writing a book, with various themes and chapters — I really like to dig in when I do something.” On May 16, Taylor will be in Montreal to be inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts — a profound gesture of respect that can only be proffered to an artist by his peers in the RCA. “I was thrilled to help nominate John for this richly deserved honour,” says Victoria’s internationally renowned textile artist Carole Sabiston. “The quality of

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Tania Miller, Music Director  Overland by John Taylor.

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his work is astonishing … he not only has great technical skill but is particularly good at engaging the viewer’s mind.” A close friend convinced the self-effacing Taylor, who is well known on the local art scene as the owner of Eclectic Gallery, into putting on a show at his own gallery.

John Taylor Retrospective: 1975-2015 will feature 30 diverse photographs, including many of local interest. His collagelike Deconstruction of Memory, derived from the Memorial Arena, is more than a mere record of fact. “I decided to interpret the tearing down of the arena as an artistic event,” says Taylor. “From rock concerts to the Ice Capades, that building touched everyone’s life. So the photograph reflects more than just a physical space, but suggests elements of memory and time.” And Taylor’s metaphysical side is reflected in eerily atmospheric shots of ancient statues set amidst Roman ruins. “Photography was a livelihood for me,” Taylor adds, “and it was always about making my commercial work indivisible from my artistic impulses.”

Running from May 4 to June 6 at 2170 Oak Bay Avenue. For information, see Eclectic Gallery.

BC’S GOLDEN MEMORIES

 Mining on the Thompson River.

Both a massive treasure hunt and a social convulsion that irrevocably altered the history of this province, the legendary Gold Rush that started in 1858 in the Fraser Canyon and soon spread north to the Klondike, had global implications. “It was a pivotal moment,” states Kathryn Bridge of the Royal BC Museum. “It was BC’s first step towards joining Canada — otherwise we might have been grabbed by American expansionism.” That’s just part of the drama conveyed by Gold Rush! El Dorado in British Columbia, the newest blockbuster at the RBCM. Literally hundreds of thousands of gold-seeking hopefuls poured into our nascent province, a multicultural river that profoundly shaped BC. Dozens of museum staff have been working on Gold Rush! for two years, and even these experts in our history have been amazed to discover what hasn’t been taught about the Gold Rush. “The variety of human stories is amazing,” says Bridge. “The lives of ‘ordinary’ people caught up in these events are so compelling.” From a little-known but bloody war between American gold miners in conflict with First Nations 69

conducting their salmon harvest along the Fraser River to vivid tales of wild times in Barkerville, this is history that is both epic and intimate. And illustrating that engrossing narrative are several hundred artifacts spread over five galleries. Further context is provided by the Allure of Gold, an astonishing exhibit of hundreds of pieces of pre-Columbian gold art on loan from the Museo del Oro in Bogota representing El Dorado – the original Gold Rush.

Running from May 13 to October 31. For information, see Royal BC Museum.

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Classical Roots • Contemporary Reach • Extraordinary Future Featuring the world premiere of our new piano quintet, surprise guest musicians, and contemporary performances led by Daniel Lapp.

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Saturday, May 30th Concert at 7:30pm

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Complimentary pre-show wine and cash bar at intermission.

250.386.5311

Ticke on sa ts NOWle !

vcm.bc.ca/50th-anniversary VCM Funding Partners:

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We acknowledge the financial assistance of the Province of British Columbia

There have been many requiems composed over the years, but none of those musical settings of the Roman Catholic funeral mass can match the power of Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da Requiem that debuted in Milan in 1874. Initially controversial — some critics rebuked it as “an opera in ecclesiastical robes” — Verdi’s Requiem was nonetheless hailed as a masterwork, notable for its dazzling and profound musical theatrics. This epic work is getting a suitably grand treatment at the hands of renowned singer and choirmaster Peter Butterfield, who is augmenting his own Victoria Philharmonic Choir with a large number of other local choristers — and several more coming from Vancouver. In all, there will be 160 singers combined with 80 musicians drawn from the Civic Orchestra and the Victoria Chamber Orchestra. “The sheer scale of the work is incredibly exciting,” says Butterfield.

“But the beauty of the melodies is equally impressive.

This is a late Romantic work of true brilliance.” Butterfield is proud that this performance, the biggest he has ever organized, is truly a community effort where 10 weeks of unstinting rehearsal will meld amateur forces into the equivalent of a professional ensemble. That said, the challenging Requiem requires soloists of international stature. His dream team consists of soprano Ingrid Attrot, mezzo soprano Sarah Fryer, bass Andrew Greenwood, and legendary tenor Richard Margison, who was eager to perform in his hometown. “Both Margison and Fryer have sung at La Scala and breathed in the dust of Verdi,” he says. “For this work, you need singers who are mature and experienced.”

Performing May 24 at UVic’s Farquhar Auditorium. Tickets available from the UVic Ticket Centre, either online, in person, or by phoning 250-721-8480.

GUITAR STAR If Eric Clapton calls you “the best guitarist I have ever heard,” you’re clearly doing something right! Australia’s Tommy Emmanuel hails originally from bush country and looks like a jovial mechanic, but in fact he’s a

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 Tommy Emmanuel.

virtuosos fingerpicker who makes magic on an acoustic guitar. When he was a young boy he started a band with his older brother. But living on a farm they’d never seen a live band, only heard records, so Emmanuel just assumed that he should be playing both the bass and the rhythm guitar parts. These days, he’s even more selfsufficient: Emmanuel is usually a solo act, deftly playing simultaneous bass, rhythm and lead with jaw-dropping panache. Despite being a mainstream melodicist justly famed for his Beatles medley, he also has an energetic and highly percussive approach that literally wears guitars out. Plus, he’s a born entertainer, regaling the audience with hilarious anecdotes in between unleashing his Chet Atkins-style pyrotechnics. “He’s really, really good,” says local guitarist Rod McCrimmon, who adds that Emmanuel’s debut last year was even more impressive than expected. “All the serious guitarists in town were there to check him out — and they were all gob-smacked.”

Performing May 15 at the McPherson Theatre. For tickets, call 250-386-6121.

Coming up

 Acupuncture and much more…

Traditional Chinese Medicine www.drfeiyang.ca

Let go of the old & welcome the new

The Mousetrap

By Agatha Christie

Apr 24 - May 30

Twist & Shout

Conceived & Written by Alex Mustakas Orchestrations & Vocal Arrangements by Robert Foster

Jun 12 - Aug 29

Jeeves Intervenes From the stories of P.G. Wodehouse Adapted by Margaret Raether

Sep 11 - Oct 3

Luxurious Theatre Getaways

theatre, dinner & breakfast with accommodation at the Best Western Plus Chemainus Inn

from $128 per person

1.800.565.7738

| chemainustheatre.ca 71

SOCIAL BOULEVARD

DO YOU HAVE AN EVENT? CONTACT: EDITOR@VICTORIABOULEVARD.COM

 BY DON DENTON

Social Boulevard’s Don Denton dropped by three Victoria events this past month, including the United Way SpiritFest announcement of nominees at the Delta Ocean Pointe Hotel; the Spirit Awards at the Fairmont Empress Hotel; and the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce’s Industry Tour at BMW-Mini Victoria.  Ann Reeves and Julie Wright from the Inn at Laurel Point.

 Malcom Barker, Victoria Shipyards, and Nils Jensen, Oak Bay mayor.

 Dawn Gibbons, RBC Dominion Securities, Darlene Hollstein, Bay Centre and Rose Arsenault, Talentcor.

 Louise Hartland and Andrew Johnson, from CTV. 72

 Frank Bourree, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Chair, Patricia Jelinski, Chief Executive Officer of United Way Greater Victoria, and Bruce Williams, 2015 Campaign Chair.

 Scott Kerr, General Manager BMW Victoria, and Bruce Carter, CEO Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce.

ce Rfoa r Kids TM

AN URBAN ADVENTURE RACE YOU T WON'T WAN TO MISS!

www.bgcvic.org

checkpoints g in g n e ll a h c & in 10 themed te e p m o d to -focus the c e l n il ig w s r e u d fo re f a o Teams . Checkpoints ave a blast! h to m a c te e ra r th in a e body, and fo th e g n e ll a h c mind,

ected!

e unexp th is t c e p x e n u ca e only thing yo t

Th

SATURDAY

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/victoria raceforkids.ca

Bullen Park, Esquimalt Race Starts: 3:00 pm Registration: 1:30 pm $10/participant registration fee $360 fundraising minimum per team

By participating in this year's Capital One Race for Kids™, you will be supporting our Community Clubs which provide a safe place for kids to go after-school. These clubs in Esquimalt, VicWest, Central Saanich, Langford and Colwood offer fun, safe and affordable out of school programs for children and teens delivered by professional child care staff to help kids unleash their potential.

Top individual fundraiser wins a WestJet travel voucher for two to travel anywhere the !

Contact Kate Mansell 250.384.9133 ext 115 kmansell@bgcvic.org Prizes for Best Team Spirit and Best Team Name!

Prizes for Best Team Spirit and Best Team Name!

NATIONAL SPONSORS

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MEDIA SPONSORS

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SECRETS & LIVES

You’ve also been a director of over 30 organizations.

What are some of the other “hats” you wear in Victoria? I’ve just finished a six-year term as a trustee of the Greater Victoria Public Library, and have also been involved with the Vancity Community Advisory Board for Victoria. My main focus right now is as President of Dance Victoria, which brings the very best dance companies from around the world to our city. We also commission works, host world-class dancers and choreographers and operate studios for the local community. Our 2015-16 season is an all-Canadian program which is very exciting.

You’ve won a lot of awards. Do any stand out as particularly meaningful to you? Yes, definitely.

Receiving the Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals in the same year that my parents were awarded the Caring Canadian Award from the Governor General. My parents instilled in me a sense of community and giving.

After having travelled all over the world, what are your favourite places to visit? Italy hands down for countries. I also go to New York annually and I try to get to Art Basel in Miami every second year. One satisfies my love for theatre and the other my addiction to art.

PAUL MCNAIR

Land Trust Alliance of BC

 BY SUSAN LUNDY

Nice to meet you, Paul McNair. Where are you from and how did you get to Victoria? Halifax — with many stops in between. Victoria is now home. There are simply no more moves left in me!

You are the executive director of BC’s Land Trust Alliance. How did you get to that position? After 34 years in the charitable sector, I saw the job with the Land Trust Alliance and was intrigued that 33 land trusts in BC work to protect private lands. It’s such a tangible way to conserve our environment and protect forests, shorelines and species at risk. We have one chance to get life right, and when I see the rainforest disappearing, elephants being killed for ivory and countries with uncontrollable pollution, I understand can’t solve those issues, but I can contribute, in some small way, locally.

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PHOTO BY DON DENTON

with

What are your hobbies? I love to travel and explore and I am obsessed with art. In addition to visiting galleries and art shows to collect, for the past five years, I have been painting myself. It’s given me a real insight to the extraordinary talent that artists have and the techniques involved in creating a work. Until you pick up a brush, it’s difficult to understand why a painting is both valuable and technically proficient. I so admire what artists can do, how their minds work and the creative process.

What do you love most about living in Victoria? I open my front door [in Chinatown] and can go to the bank, drop off my dry-cleaning, pick up my coffee and be at work in under 20 minutes. I always meet someone I know. Living and working downtown is great because every day is different. I’d like the city to have more of a long term vision but I sense that is developing. It’s a spectacular place to live.

Where do you turn to for advice? I have a very small circle of close friends. I trust them and their judgement. And they don’t talk. I treasure “secrecy,” which makes me wonder why we are talking!

What has life taught you? Twenty-five years ago one of my best friends died. Then 11 years ago doctors told me I had weeks to live. Along the way life sends you very important messages. My mantra is tomorrow may never come; today has to be a really great day.

PhotograPhed at jim Pattison lexus victoria BY garY mcKinstrY

2015 Lexus Nx 200T: AN ‘AduLT cAr’ wiTh LoTs of exTrAs Judy Everson enjoyed an extra-special Christmas this year, thanks to her daughter’s generous gift of a new car from Jim Pattison Lexus. Though Judy test drove several other luxury brands prior to making her choice, her eyes settled on the 2015 Lexus NX 200T when she arrived at the dealership. “We looked it over and I said if I ever was going to own a new car, that would be the one,” Judy recalls. As promised and several days before the holidays, Judy took delivery of her new Lexus NX 200T along with a big, red holiday bow draped across the front of the car.

A sophisticated slate gray four-door that’s slightly lower for easier access and with plenty of room for Judy and her friends, “it’s an adult car,” she explains. Judy is one of the first owner’s in Canada of the new 2015 Lexus NX 200T.

Equally ideal for zipping around town or enjoying painting road trips to Tofino, the NX 200T provides ample storage, smooth handling and good fuel economy. The quiet ride allows Judy easy conversation with passengers or enjoyment of her favourite music accessed from her iPhone and presented by the excellent sound system.

And with safety features she’s come to expect from Lexus, Judy feels safe wherever she’s driving, thanks to 10 airbags, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Monitor and Lane Departure Alert.

“I wouldn’t drive anything other than a Lexus,” Judy says, commending everything from the attention to detail on the car itself to the exceptional service at the dealership.

2015 Lexus Nx 200T Nicely equipped from $43,070

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the Pursuit of Perfection

623 FiNLAySoN STReeT, ViCToRiA 250-386-3516