April 2023 Issue 173

APRIL 2023 ISSUE 173

CELEBRATE EASTER I COWICHAN ARTISANS SPRING TOUR I HAPPY EARTH DAY!

April 2023 Issue 173

Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine

Publisher Richard Badman

Editor Sheila Badman

Contact us at: editor@cowichanvalleyvoice.com

250 746 9319 6514 Wicks Rd, Duncan BC V9L 5V2 Visit us online at www.cowichanvalleyvoice.com

Distribution Proofreader Calendar

Stephanie Sayers Diana Pink Stephanie Sayers

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Next Ad Deadline April 18 for May 2023 Issue 174

*Non Profit Community Ad Rates available please enquire. Community calendar listings are free! Next events deadline April 15 for May 2023 Issue 174

E-mail: Date, Event Title, Time, Location and Cost w/subject “EVENT” to events@cowichanvalleyvoice.com

Please do not include event descriptions - space is limited. Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine reserves the right to omit and/or edit submitted listings due to space limitations

SPECIAL THANKS TO FOLLOWING VALLEY VOICES

Craig Spence, Karen Allen, Arie Vander Reyden, Jennifer Shepherd, Cari Burdett, Diana Durrand, Veronica Scott, Kathy Yewell, Bernie Dinter, Cyndy Dinter, Tamara Dinter, Joanne Sales, Bill Jones, Heather Stannard, Brad Boisvert, Grant Easterbrook, Ricki Weissbach, Allysa Simmons, Guy Johnston, Patty Abbott, Rupert Koyote, Sonia Furstenau, Steph & Krystal, Julika Pape, Kyla Atkinson, Sierra Harvey, Catherine Scanlan, Chris Manley, Tom Rutherford, Alistair MacGregor, Samaya DeLaat, David & Ranji, Icel Dobell, Lindsay Campa, Gina Malkin, Tina Lee Foster, Cynthia Montgomery, Kathryn Lowther, Debbie Wood, Shiloh Badman, The lovely Georgia Nicols, Nicolette Genier, Cindy Jolin, and the Wonderful Staff at the Community Farm Store.

We welcome your story ideas & photo submissions; however Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine reserves the right to omit and/or edit all submissions for space, clarity, content and style. The opinions expressed in Valley Voice Magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, publishers or other contributors. Please send a query email with your suggested topic prior to sending your article as space is limited and may not always be available. Valley Voice Magazine is distributed through 450 + select locations throughout the Cowichan Valley- Malahat, Mill Bay, Shawnigan Lake, Cherry Point, Duncan, Cowichan Bay, Cowichan Lake, Chemainus, Crofton, and Salt Spring Island and to Ladysmith, Victoria and Nanaimo.

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Cover image: Wilma Millette, Humming Along, mixed media, 7”x 7” $75 “The combination of vintage stamps, old letters and maps evoke travel, adventure and fun. This piece features a vintage 1930’s plan of Paris, a purple airmail stamp and handwritten school notes in purple ink. It makes you want to hop on your bike and head off on adventure. ”

Collage Studio 1010 Redcap St, Duncan (Maple Bay).

APRIL EVENTS

Retrospective exhibition Maggie Hazell-Rosen Cowichan Public Art Gallery 125 Ingram St Duncan

15 Whiskey’s Deep high energy classic rock band @ Osborne Bay Pub, 8pm 1534 Joan Av Crofton $15 Tix@eventbrite.ca

Everybody’s Fools Dance; Square & Contra Dance, Doors 7pm Dance 7:30-10pm, The Hub@Cowichan Stn. $10-20 Tix@eventbrite.ca

3Célèbre Ensemble: Francophone women’s Art Show, CVAC Annex, Cowichan Community Centre 2687 James St. Duncan, FREE runs to 4/29

4Ekphrastic Reversed: Art inspired by poetry, opening event 4-6pm CVAC Gallery, 2687 James St. Duncan, FREE runs to 4/29

6Dinter Nursery celebrates 50 years w/ prizes, cake & gardening info. 4-7pm 2205 Phipps Rd. Duncan FREE

Shane Koyczan 7:30pm Cowichan Performing Arts Centre $42.50 250 746-2722

Prime Rib Night at the Farm Table Inn, 6755 Cowichan Lk Rd Reservations 250-932-3205 also 04/13/20/27

Lila Community Choir: Songs for Xpey’(Cedar) All vwelcome 7-8:30pm Reg req’d. .also 13/20/27 www.joythroughmusic.com,

8Hawksley Workman live @ Osborne Bay Pub, 8pm 1534 Joan Av Crofton $39.50 Tix @ gotpopconcerts.com

Tarot Readings w/Celina Lavendar, 11-4pm @ The Community Farm Store, 30 mins$65/30 min $99/1 hr. celina.lavendar@gmail.com

Times They Are A Changing Exhibit, 11-3pm Heritage Museum 2851 Church Way also 4/15/22/29

9The HUB Easter Fair community fundraiser w/ pancakes, egg hunt, live music & more! 9-2pm The HUB @ Cowichan Stn. 2375 Koksilah Rd. Tix on Facebook

Kirtan w/ Loves Triangle to celebrate renewal and rebirth, 2:30-4pm Collective Space 166 Stn St. Duncan, by donation

11A Brush with Art: Art Show with Sierra Acton, Lorna Beecroft, Mark Jackson, Wanda Fraser and Calleigh Quinn CVAC Studio 2687 James St, Duncan FREE runs to 4/25

Trivia with Coop & Math, The Office Edition, Riot Brewing Co. $10 Call to reserve 250-324-7468

12Opening events: A Brush with Art, and Célèbre Ensemble Art Shows, 3-5pm Cowichan Community Centre 2687 James St. Duncan FREE

Warmland Book & Film Collective: A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt 5-7pm online Zoom link: WarmlandBFC@gmail.com

13-15Mrs. Reynolds and the Ruffian by Gary Owen The Mercury Players, 7:30pm Duncan United Church Hall 246 Ingram St, $17-22 250-510-1691 matinee 2:30pm on 04/15 7:30pm shows also on 20/21

14HUB Cafe Fridays Espresso/ Fresh baking/Lunch, 8:30-2pm The HUB @ Cowichan Stn 2375 Koksilah Rd. Duncan also 4/21/28

Cowichan Hospice Speed Advance Care Planning 10-12pm, St. John’s Anglican Church, 486 Jubilee St. Duncan 250-701-4242

15Celebration of Vancouver Island 6 course dinner w/ pairings 5:30pm the Farm Table Inn

6755 Cowichan Lk Rd To reserve 250-932-3205 $150/pp

Brandon Isaak heartfelt roots & blues @ Osborne Bay Pub, 8pm 1534 Joan Av Crofton $20 Tix @ eventbrite.ca

Meet and Greet with Elissa Anthony, 1-4pm, Rainforest Arts 9781 Willow St. Chemainus FREE

16Backyard Sessions: Nature Connection, Ancestral Skills All ages families welcome 9-12pm Reg req’d, www.joythroughmusic.com

New Moon Intention Ceremony walk w/ Dianna Graves 1-3pm, Kinsol Trestle Trail Free for women 40+, Register www.eventbrite.ca

Chemainus Classical Concerts: Soile Stratkauskas baroque flute; Elyssa Lefurgey-Smith baroque violin; Christina Hutten harpsichord, 2pm

St. Michael’s Church $25/$10 Reserved $20, 250-748-8383

16New Moon Sound Journey w/ Adeline Sacred Sound Healing, 5:30-7:30pm, Collective Space 166 Stn St. Duncan, $33 www.adelinewholistichealing.com

17Nature Art for Earth Day: youth Pro-D-day Art workshop, 9-12:30pm CVAC Studio, Cowichan Community Centre 2687 James St. Duncan $35 reg reccowichan.ca

19Earth Art Action youth after-school art workshop, 4-5:30pm, CVAC Studio 2687 James St Duncan $20, reg reccowichan.ca

20Modern Mushroom Medicine w/ Yarrow Willard Community Farm Store, Pre-reg required $10 reg receive a $10 Gift card 250 748-6227

21Freedom Gospel Choir concert “Moving On” 7pm, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 531 Herbert St. Duncan $15 12 & under FREE

21-22Cherry Point Artists Spring Show & Sale 10-5pm, St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Duncan FREE

22Class 7 Waldorf Garage Sale & Bottle Drive fundraiser for a clsss trip 2148 Lakeside Dr, Duncan 10am - 2pm.

Freedom Gospel Choir concert “Moving On” Matinee 2pm, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 531 Herbert St. Duncan $15 12 & under FREE

Shawnigan “Hearts in Action” Earth Day Community Clean Up 10-2pm, Dougan Park 2804 Shawnigan Lk Rd ShawniganRotaryEcoClub.ca

Afternoon Tea w/Syrian Desserts Fundraiser for Yasmin Faris family 2-4pm, Christian Reformed Church, 930 Trunk Rd, Duncan.

22-23Cowichan Artisans Studio Tour, 10-5pm, cowichanartisans.com for locations

Margit Nellemann Ceramics Spring Open Studio 8350 Richards Trail, Westholme 10am-5pm

22&23Mrs. Reynolds and the Ruffian by Gary Owen The Mercury Players, 2:30 pm Duncan United Church Hall 246 Ingram Street, 250.510.1691 $17-22

23Kirtan w/ Loves Triangle and Sacred Chanting w/ Sadie Bartram, 2:30pm Collective Space 166 Stn. St. Duncan, by donation, lovestriangle108@gmail.com

The Basket of Stories 2-5pm Register @eventbrite.ca $20-$40 sliding scale

24Reel Alternatives feature film “Broker” 7pm, CPAC 2687 James St. Duncan $17 250-748-7529

28Gaslight Chemainus Theatre Festival 250-246-9820 boxoffice@chemainustheatre.ca

HUB Film Club feat. “Empire of Light” All welcome, 7pm The HUB @ Cowichan Stn 2375 Koksilah Rd. by donation hubfilmclub@gmail.com

28-30Painting Raptors: 3-day painting workshop w/ Harold Allanson, CVAC Studio $385 cowichanvalleyartscouncil.ca

29Celebrating 30 YearsCustomer Appreciation Day

Demos, giveaways and more! Community Farm Store, 5380 TCH Duncan, 250 748-6227

Glow Raw Food & Juicery 7 Year Anniversary Party! Specials & Samples, 11-4pm #3 5380 Trans Canada Hwy, Duncan

Clay Hub Collective Spring Pottery Sale at the HUB, 10-3pm, 2375 Koksilah Rd. Cowichan Stn

Get Back w/ The Sutcliffs, The Beatles Tribute show @ Osborne Bay Pub, 8pm 1534 Joan Ave Crofton $25 Tix@ eventbrite.ca

Cherry Point Vineyards Winemakers 6 course dinner w/ wine, 5:30pm the Farm Table Inn 6755 Cowichan Lk Rd $145/pp 250-932-3205

Cowichan Valley Garden Club’s Annual Plant Sale 10-2pm, St. John’s Anglican Church, 486 Jubilee St. Duncan www. cowichanvalleygardenclub.com

30Open House at Cowichan Lawn Bowling Club 12-3pm Centennial Park Duncan, FREE

Big, Bold, Beautiful!

Those are just some of the adjectives that describe Elissa Anthony’s Up Close and Personal exhibit on display at the Rainforest Arts gallery in April and May.

This show focuses on her paintings of flowers. But don’t expect classical arrangements in vases and tidy English gardens. Anthony’s portraits explode out of their canvases, landscapes of petals, leaves and stamen that can’t be contained inside their canvas frames.

By zooming up close, and big—most of the canvases are 36” by 36”—she actually distances her art from more familiar floral representations with sweeping patterns that flow from the very centre of her compositions to the edges, and leave viewers asking for more.

Elissa Anthony Gets Up Close and Personal With Flowers

that she was a very sensual painter,” Anthony recalls.

“But the stuff that really impressed me was the bigger works. She didn’t always paint big, but when she did— boy, they just knocked your socks off!”

from Toronto, where she was working as a graphic designer; to England, where she studied and practised art; then back to Canada, and a home in Nanaimo, where she made ‘a conscious decision to be broke’ by pursuing her career as an artist.

which makes for starry, starry nights—where she found a house with a fantastic studio. It’s been her home for twentyplus years.

Anthony’s preferred medium is oils. “I’m an oil painter, so the paint doesn’t dry quickly. You can sit there and work with it for hours, until you get exactly the look you want, and that’s how I get that movement in pretty much everything that I do.”

She also wants her works to radiate strength and power. “I want my work to be strong, like I’ve had to be in my life, like Georgia O’Keeffe had to be in her life, like a lot of women I know, especially at our age, now,” she said. “They’re beautiful people, they have endured… they may have wrinkles, but they’re more beautiful for those wrinkles and for those imperfections. That’s what I’m trying to convey.”

That inspiration took place before Anthony’s life experiences took her

Two years later, she relocated to Bowser—a community that ‘has no street lights’,

Rainforest Arts is located at 9781 Willow Street. For hours and more info visit RainforestArts.ca or phone 250-246-4861 or email info@rainforestarts.ca.

A seminal moment for Anthony was seeing a Chicago retrospective of Georgia O’keeffe’s works in 1987. “It just blew me away. I was almost in tears, looking at this work. You could see her brush strokes, you could see CraigSpenceWriter.ca

InternationallyAcclaimed Spoken

Word Poet Shane Koyczan

Takes the CPAC Stage

The Cowichan Performing Arts Centre and Gee

Dan Productions are proud to present Shane Koyczan on Thursday, April 6 at 7:30pm. Joining Koyczan’s performance is Canadian spoken word artist and poet, Alessandra Naccarato.

Shane Koyczan is an award-winning Canadian poet, writer, and artist. He is the winner of the US Slam Poetry Championship and the Canadian Spoken Word Olympics and is an extraordinary talent who has blown the dust off of the traditional designation “poet,” known for tackling social and political issues with fierce honesty and tender humanity.

Lauded for his sold-out live performances, Koyczan has carved out his own artistic path and taken his work beyond the conventional. His work has become a staple in schools for both its impact and reach.

The opening act is Alessandra Naccarato, the author of Imminent Domains: Reckoning with the Anthropocene and Re-Origin of Species. She is the recipient of numerous recognitions, including the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award and the CBC Poetry Prize, and her work has appeared widely in various publications. As the founding poetry editor of Write Bloody North Publications, she has toured nationally and internationally as a spoken word artist, and works with emerging authors from across the country.

Tickets to Shane Koyczan are regular $42.50. Tickets can be purchased online, by calling 250-746-CPAC (2722) or by visiting the Ticket Centre. For further show information visit our website at www.cowichanpac.ca.

A Bouquet of Art Options

Francophone creativity and poetry-inspired art are some of the things we are celebrating this month.

Ekphrastic Reversed

April 4-29

Ek what? Ekphrastic means a “description” in Greek, and there are plenty of examples of writers describing art. In this special show, instead of words describing art, we have art describing words. And the words are by 12 well-known poets on Vancouver Island including Lorna Crozier and Richard Osler. Then the artists created pieces inspired by poems. Opening event:

About Us

April 4, 4-6 pm

Célèbre Ensemble

April 3-29

Suzanne Dionne-Coster and 12 -15 women of all ages are celebrating francophone culture and creativity in a show that will feature work by painters, a printmaker, writers, an actor-producer, artisans, and a collage artist.

A Brush with Art

April 11-25

Five artists have come together to display their very different styles: Sierra Acton, Lorna Beecroft, Mark Jackson, Wanda Fraser and Calleigh Quinn.

Cowichan Valley Fine Arts Show Register until April 20

The Cowichan Valley Fine Art Show is the largest open (non-juried) art show on the Island and features over $1,000 in prizes for work by emerging and renowned artists including painting and sculpture, jewelry design, furniture, photography and more. The art show runs from May 5-June 2. Make sure you get tickets for these lively events: Opening Night, Thursday, May 4, 7 – 9:30 pm; Art Attack, Friday, May 26, 7 – 9 pm (a fun and fast-paced art contest). And enjoy tea in the gallery Saturday, May 13 (by donation).

Painting Raptors

April 28-30

For beginner and intermediate painters, CVAC has planned a special painting class that includes a trip behind the scenes at the Raptor Centre. Composing a scene and painting wild animals and birds can be challenging, and artist Harold Allanson will lead the small group on techniques for turning photos into paintings. Step-by-step instruction with lots of demonstrations and support will help students complete a painting in three days. Register on the website.

CVAC operates two community art galleries, hosting up to 30 shows annually at its art space in the Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan. Founded in 1971, CVAC programs workshops for youth and adults in its studio space. 2687 James Street, Duncan www.cowichanvalleyartscouncil.ca

The concept of “gaslighting” — psychologically manipulating another person to the point that they question their sanity — is everywhere in today’s culture.

Patrick Hamilton established the concept in his 1938 mystery at the turn of the century in London, where a young wife initially believes that the dimming of the gas lights in her home and eerie knocking sounds in the attic are in her imagination, not signs of something more sinister. This new adaptation of the classic Victorian thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat as you discover the mysteries of the Manningham home.

Gaslight Opens at Chemainus Theatre Festival

This new and contemporary adaption by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson offers everything you’d expect in a good mystery - suspense, plot twists, and interpersonal intrigue. How are things going missing? What are the noises coming from the attic every night? Why is Jack at his club every night? Why are the gaslights dimming? It’s hard not to conclude that Bella is crazy and must go to a lunatic asylum.

Bella (Nyiri Karakas) loves and trusts her husband and only begins to doubt his sincerity when circumstances force her to do so. As the story progresses, she must accept a new reality and find strength –and cunning – she didn’t know she had. Jack (Ben Sanders) is debonair and charming and the most loving, sympathetic and supportive partner he could be, or so it seems, for most of the play. The dutiful and discreet

Elizabeth (Erin Ormond) is more than willing to attest that Bella is crazy. Nancy (Emily Dallas), the new, sassy, scary and attractive maid, raises more questions and suspicions.

Sarah Rodgers (A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur) keeps us intrigued throughout the play and directs the cast of four masterfully. Hans Saefkow designed the set that is a great representation of the Victorian home we can all imagine. Mark Carter does a skillful lighting design that adds to the intensity of the mystery. Period costumes designed by Crystal Hanson fit the genre and are elaborate in style.

Gaslight by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson, based on the play Angel Street by Patrick Hamilton, is on stage from April 28 – May 28. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Chemainus Theatre, online at www. chemainustheatre.ca or by calling the Box Office at 250-246-9820 or toll-free at 1-800-565-7738.

The Cowichan Public Art Gallery’s first art exhibition in the new gallery space features the work of Maggie Hazell-Rosen. Maggie’s work is distinctly feminine, with a warm colour palette and often displaying a strong sense of humour. Come visit us in our interim home, located at 126 Ingram Street in downtown Duncan.

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Sing Spring Earthling

What is Spring?

Having one in your step is a good indication that it is here.

The Sun has returned. And all life on Earth depends on that brilliant, luminous, enormous ball in the sky. Considering it is about 1.5 million times larger than our Earth, that’s some ball! It is hard to fathom sometimes how huge that is.

A stack of one million loonies will stretch more than two kilometres high. That is 20 football fields long. That is a WOW. So, the size of the sun often inspires us to say WOW.

Spring, like the celebration of Easter, means the Earth is reawakened by the Sun into rebirth and the regeneration of life. And, there is no form of life that isn’t directly or indirectly depending on sunlight for its existence. Not a single living cell can do without the influence and light of the sun. So, no wonder we want our share of it.

And it definitely influences our mood and emotions. We talk about ‘gloomy’ days when we don’t get to see much sun. A colourful sunset we find inspiring, romantic. A brilliant sunrise we find energizing, we take a deep breath and smile. Of course that applies to our climate here on the island. People might think differently when living in the Sahara.

Stevie Wonder paid everyone a huge compliment when he sang to us ‘You are the sunshine of my life’.

When we call someone a ‘ray of sunshine’, we really like that person’s bright personality. And when we say ‘her smile lights up the room’, we very much appreciate that person’s presence.

There are a number of things that create the same energy as the sun. When you sing in the shower it gives you that same wonderful jolt of pleasure as a ray of sunlight. And when you dance until the early hours of the next morning it is often as wonderful as sunning on the beach.

Music has the ability to spark our energy like the sun does after a rainy couple of days. Since we know that, we can then make the choice to sing, dance and listen to inspiring music. Like that ray of sunlight, it will put a smile on your face. You will feel reborn! Find your Dance Temple or Ecstatic Dance group or a local square dance, join in a Kirtan, a community choir, or a chant circle. Indulge in a Sound Journey. The Cowichan Valley and surrounding Islands are a rich resource for your sound discovery!

So, Sing this Spring, Earthling. Contact: lovestriangle108@ gmail.com

Love’s Triangle Karen Allen: Guitar, Autoharp, Frame Drum, Bowls, Arie Vander Reyden: Harmonium, Hand Drum, Jennifer Shepherd: Drums, Percussion

at Osborne Bay Pub

The Sutcliffes began playing together in 2009, and immediately became Victoria’s most popular band. The core of their catalogue is from The Beatles canon, but their performance is anything but a conservative ‘moptop’ tribute. The Sutcliffes approach their material with energy and a stage show that reflects the excitement of the material.

They’re fronted by one of the best lead vocalists in B.C., with charismatic Terry Marshall (a former contestant and first round winner on Canada’s Got Talent) supplying bass and powerhouse vocals. The guitar players (Chuck Simms and Shaun Wilson) provide peerless harmonies and leads. With renowned talents Pedro Arbour and Arman Tesoro (drums and keyboards respectively) the band assays material ranging from Twist and Shout to Abbey Road’s Here Comes the Sun.

They were invited to Liverpool’s prestigious International Beatleweek several consecutive years and played the mainstage as well as the world-famous Cavern. They are regulars at the biggest events and venues on the island and have recently mounted a theatre show (Get Back) that celebrates the Beatles roots and concludes with their famous rooftop concert. April 29, $25

Brandon Isaak is an authentic, heart felt roots and blues songster who always delivers the goods. Be it as his one-man band, his dynamic duo, his hard-hitting trio or even his five piece Saints of Swing all-star group. You always get 100% of this artist.

Born in Whitehorse,Yukon to a family who has always been in the music business. His folks owed a couple of blues clubs. Young Isaak grew up in a bluesy, artistic and musical atmosphere which shaped his identity and future profession. He backed up many blues masters who would take up a three week residency in his family’s clubs. This is where he learned his chops and cut his teeth and begun the journey to the gritty, soulful player he is today. April 15, $20.

Tickets for both shows at eventbrite.ca. Osborne Bay Pub, 1534 Joan Avenue, Crofton. Showtime 8pm. Come for dinner and stay for the show. Reservations Required. 250 324-2245

Gifts from my Father

a mug of beer, Mum a glass of wine, either out on the deck of their Victoria townhouse, or in front of the fireplace in the living room.

The ritual was revived when I arrived, and that’s when bottles of wine began appearing in the liquor cabinet—inexpensive vintages, but part of a routine that gave Fred pleasure.

Then came the health conscious, expensive, eighty percent cocoa chocolate bars, and finally the Sharpies, amongst the last assortment of gifts Dad offered before he passed.

Diana Durrand

I just used up the last of the felt markers Dad bought for me. He would have been pleased to know his gifts were still making their marks three years after the fact, their emphatic black strokes outlining elements on my mixed media art canvases.

I had just started on my contemporary portrait series, and Dad noticed I was using the ‘Sharpies’ as part of my artist’s pallet. Even if he couldn’t fully appreciate the works his support was unwavering, and he wanted to show it.

Fred—affectionately known as Poppy to family and friends—was a true gentleman and a gentle man. He lived his life with integrity and loved his family fiercely.

He was on his own for a long time after my mom passed away, and until I moved in with him in 2011. Almost immediately the gift-giving began.

One of my parents’ daily rituals had been ‘Happy Hour’, at four in the afternoon they would indulge, Dad in

Then came the bubble bath—large, colourful bottles lining up, first on the bathroom counter, then stored in a growing collection under the sink.

In 2015 we moved from Victoria to the suburbs of Chemainus, on Cook Street, just down the hill from Wul’aam park. That’s when Dad got into another kind of sauce - Bragg Soy sauce.

Every week or so he’d place the large bottles on our kitchen counter. We couldn’t keep up, and added them to a growing stash in our pantry. Though they were clearly visible to Fred, it made no difference; the bottles still kept coming. We were concerned we wouldn’t be able to use them up by their best before dates.

The Bragg would be stuffed into his green backpack, or one of the two shopping bags which he would lug up the one and a half kilometre grade from the 49th Parallel Grocery to our front door. Check out clerks would marvel. Neighbours would offer him a lift, which he always politely declined, puzzled by their concern.

Still, they must have wondered what kind of layabouts would allow an elder in his mid-90s to haul their groceries home up Old Victoria Road.

Blister packs of five, accumulated by the dozen—because he knew I could use them for my art. The stock of felt pens burgeoned to overflowing, until you could probably draw a continuous line around the equator with my supply of Sharpies.

At least they were light for him to carry and didn’t have a best before date.

Dad passed a month before the COVID era began. Through the following years his Sharpies helped me complete more than fifty mixed media portraits, which will be exhibited this fall in the Lobby Art Gallery of the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre.

The show is titled A Gathering of Women. Dad will attend the opening in spirit. I can honestly say that he has left his mark on my art, and just about everything else I do in my life.

A ‘Sharpie’ sketch of Fred Durrand

Our good friend Ken Broadland has retired, and all of us at Imagine That! are certainly going to miss him.

Ken is an exceptionally gifted wood turner, who has been with us since 1997. As he prepared for retirement, he supplied the shop with a large inventory of his signature bowls, serving spoons, cutting boards, and lidded containers. His work is featured in our store window until April 28. Be sure to drop in and choose one of his pieces for your collection.

Over the years, Ken has become widely known for his ability to transform the natural beauty of a hunk of salvaged wood into a finely crafted piece of functional art. This love of wood developed into a second career in 2002, when he retired from his job as a Conservation Officer.

In reality, Ken started woodworking much earlier. In grade eight, he produced a vase for an Industrial Arts project. He began woodturning in 1991. Since then, Ken estimates he has produced about 10,000 bowls of every size and wood variety. While his specialty is large salad bowls and servers, he has also made kitchen utensils and vessels. Everything Ken has made reflects the natural beauty of the wood. His designs

are simple and practical.

In keeping with his deep commitment to conservation, Ken has salvaged Cowichan Valley trees downed by wind or felled for safety reasons. Most of his woodworking is made from maple – preferred for its interesting figure and colour. Arbutus has also been a favourite due to its hardiness and durability. Ken has also enjoyed working with fruitwoods and softwood burls.

Whatever the type of wood or form, his work has been a popular choice for many. A large map in his studio is full of pins representing the places where Ken’s products have travelled.

It seems fitting that Ken and Jan live in a beautiful, wooded area in a log post-and-beam house – which Ken built. His log studio sits a few yards away from the house. A kind and generous couple, Ken and Jan have always worked closely as a team. Jan managed the business of Heartwood Studio, while Ken turned the wood.

We wish Ken and Jan the very best!

By Veronica Scott

Janice Winfrey

Funeral Director

tel: 250-746-5212 • fax:250-746-7034

sandsfuneral.com/duncan

email:sandsduncan@arbormemorial.com

187 Trunk Road, Duncan, British Columbia V9L 2P1

Cremation & Reception Centre-Duncan by Arbor Memorial

Sands Funeral Chapel

Ken Broadland – Much-Loved Cowichan Valley Wood Turner Retires

It’s a scenario you might easily see in the local paper, headed “Troubled Teen Destroys Senior’s Garden.”

The garden in Mercury Players upcoming production Mrs Reynolds and the Ruffian, by Welsh Playwright Gary Owen, is the lonely senior’s sole raison d’être, where she cultivates roses in a gritty inner city.

THE MERCURY PLAYERS Present Show About Flower Power and Redemption

Jay, the ruffian, is a disaffected, disadvantaged spoiler of gardens, tagger of brick walls and a criminal in the making. When Mrs Reynolds agrees to let him work out his community “payback” by restoring her flowerbeds, neither imagines the unlikely relationship that will develop.

Though it’s a thorny start, Mrs Reynolds is no shrinking violet. She’s not afraid to trump Jay at his own game. He may seem the proverbial bad seed, unwilling to grow flowers or grow up, but his streetwise brand of philosophy and the revelation of his hastly childhood earn him a chance at redemption.

By giving Jay constructive attention, Mrs Reynolds unearths a willing apprentice. Things look promising until Jay’s insular bond with delinquent pal Kieran blights his budding romance with single mom Mel. Both Mel and Mrs Reynolds reveal secrets that force Jay to decide what really matters in life.

While the play is a drama, the differences between the old and young provide fertile

ground for humour. At a meeting with Mrs Reynolds, “Where’d you get her,” scoffs Jay to social worker Cassie, “Antiques Roadshow?”

Playwright Gary Owen pokes gentle fun at official notions of justice, but pulls no punches in depicting the dark side of social welfare.

The cast includes Leslie Sanchez, Connor Lachmanec, Dayna Corbett, Presley Anderson, Ella Dupuy and Julia Lalonde.

Mary Louise Phillips is the director and the producer is Kathy Yewell for The Mercury Players Society.

Warning: Adult themes and strong language.

Tickets are $22 for general admission, students/seniors $17. April 13 Opening Night Special! 2 tickets for only $30. Tickets available online at eventbrite.ca or in person from Ten Old Books, 330 Duncan Street (inside the Duncan Garage) and at the door. Mrs Reynolds and the Ruffian runs April 13, 14, 15, 20 and 21 at 7:30 pm and April 15, 22, and 23 at 2:30 pm at the Duncan United Church Hall at 246 Ingram Street, Duncan.

VOCAL COACHING Improve How You Express Your Self

What is voice coaching?

Is this something you are curious about? The word coaching has become a trendy word and I am guessing each of you reading this will have your own take on what a coach is.

Voice coaching improves your voice, improves how you express your Self. Beyond voice technique people are involved in one-on-one listening and reflection of what is being heard from your voice (we can’t in fact hear our own voice the way that it is heard outside of our heads). It involves breath work and vocal flexibility. It boosts self confidence and helps develop our self expression.

People from all walks of life benefit from developing their voice. Are you someone that relies on your voice for work, either as a vocalist, a lawyer, a speaker, a teacher? Perhaps you are someone who experiences pain in their throat and wants to find ways that the body can support the healing to release this pain. People who have experienced trauma can feel blocked in the throat and voice. Maybe you are a mother who wants to sing lullabies to your children yet feels that you

are unable to hold a tune and want support to learn a few children’s songs and find a new confidence inside yourself that gives yourself permission to sing…

I once had a student who came to me wanting a seemingly simple goal of singing Amazing Grace, and yet shortly after the request which was on zoom during the pandemic, I learnt that she was deaf. Over the course of our time together She was able to meet parts of herself that she has never met before, her listening changed and developed, her idea of sound itself changed, her relationship with her body breath and voice transformed in unbelievable ways for herself and I witnessed a confidence develop over our time. For me this was beautiful journey to witness and to support as she expanded her vocal capacities in diverse ways of expression, creation and musical joy.

I welcome anyone who is curious about voice coaching to be in touch. With all I offer as a vocal coach, I invite playfulness, curiosity to try things you may never have tried before, to expand the possibilities of your vocal potential and to be open to the emotions that rise up when we begin to unveil parts of our vocal production that we haven’t explored before. It is a process of learning and growing.

Cari has studied voice since she was 12 years old and holds a Masters from McGill University and a Masters in Classical Performance Voice, Opera and Pedagogy, from the Royal Academy of Music in London England.

www.cariburdett.com

Dinter Nursery Celebrates 50 Years in the Valley

In 1965 Bernhard and Gertrud

Dinter purchased the land at the corner of Phipps Road and Trans Canada Highway with the idea of developing it into a nursery. Bernhard had apprenticed as a nurseryman in Germany after his grandmother advised him to “do something peaceful and become a gardener”.

Bernhard and Gertrud met in the 1940s at a tree nursery in Germany where Bernhard was completing an apprenticeship, and Gertrud was employed as an administrator. Gertrud was a skilled gardener already herself, having grown up in a family that was largely self-sufficient in fruits and vegetables through their large allotment garden and community fruit tree orchard.

Bernhard and Gertrud immigrated to Canada in 1952, with Bernhard soon finding employment as the gardener at Shawnigan Lake School. Throughout his 20 years spent upgrading the school gardens, Bernhard gained experience with west coast gardening conditions and soon began propagating nursery stock around the family house in Shawnigan. He established a collection of over 400 varieties of shrubs and trees, which were ultimately moved to the

Phipps Road site and among the first to be sold when the business opened.

In 1965, the land at the corner of Phipps was heavily timbered with near impenetrable undergrowth. Gertrud and Bernhard cleared the land by hand, using the timber from the logs to build the shade house. The store was built in 1972 with a lean-to greenhouse and a small residence upstairs. The nursery gates were opened for the first time on April 1, 1973. Bernhard and Gertrud operated the nursery by themselves for the most part with the help of their son Bernie during the summer months. Once Bernie completed his degree in Horticulture at UBC in 1976, he joined the nursery full time and oversaw the building of the first greenhouses. In 1980, the adjoining 6 acre property was purchased and slowly cleared to make room for additional tree, shrub and greenhouse

1971 Gertrud and Bernhard Building the shade roof.

Dinter Nursery Original Sign 1970’s

production facilities. Bernie used his horticultural expertise to further expand the growing capacity, develop infrastructure and administrative processes. In 1992, the main store was renovated into the building it is today.

In the 1970s, Bernhard started up a garden design and landscaping division to bring income for the nursery and support the growth of the business. By the end of his life in 2007, Bernhard (known by then as Mr. D) had drawn up over 800 landscaping plans for sites within the Cowichan Valley. In his later years, Bernhard continued to draw landscape plans, answer customer questions and assist with school tours which were held every spring to introduce students to gardening. He especially liked to show them his kiwi tree on the south side of the store, which is still there and producing well!

Gertrud had a special talent for displaying flowers which she took great pride in. In the early days of the nursery she took care of greenhouse

production and bookkeeping. Today at 95 years of age, Gertrud still takes an active interest in the nursery, regularly asking how the numbers are and checking the greenhouse plants are watered when the weather is warm.

Bernie has greatly enjoyed his role at the nursery over the last 47 years. Today, Bernie continues to be involved with overseeing all aspects of the business and answering customer questions. He frequently gives talks on gardening to interested groups around the Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands. Bernie’s daughter, Tamara, grew up at the nursery (which was also her grandparents home), sweeping floors after

school and working in the summers through high school. Her passion for plants was sparked through the joys of community gardening while completing her degree at UVic. She continued to work full seasons at the nursery in between her time at UVic and completing advanced degrees in Agriculture in Europe, before returning to the nursery full time in 2020, and later taking on the role of General Manager.

Fifty years ago the nursery started with junipers, laurel hedging, bedding plants and a number of unusual plants

that Bernhard had collected at UBC. Today, it is a full service Garden Center with annuals, perennials, vegetables, fruit trees, trees, shrubs, water gardening, garden hardware and ornaments.

The nursery would not have continued to operate to this day without the amazing group of people who have worked at the nursery over the last fifty years. The contribution of their talents

and hard work has made the business what it is today. We are also so grateful to all our customers for their support over the past many years. It is a privilege to be a part of the Cowichan Valley community. Thank you.

For more info and pictures see Our Story page at www.dinternursery.ca.

Submitted by Bernie, Cyndy and Tamara Dinter. All images courtesy Dinter Family.

Gertrud in the Greenhouse 1970s.

Bernie and Tamara in the 1980s

Main store in the 1970’s view from Phipps Road, Duncan

Upcoming Events

April 9 & 30 Wild Foods

Cooking Class

April 15 Spring Wild Foods Dinner

BY RESERVATION ONLY

4830 Stelfox Rd, Duncan

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

8 cups Stinging nettles

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup whipping cream (or coconut milk) - optional

Method

1 cup potatoes, diced

1 onion, peeled and diced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

1 tsp curry powder or paste

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the nettles. Cook 1 minute then transfer to a bowl of cold water. When cool, drain, squeeze nettles in a ball and set aside until needed.

Take the drained nettles and squeeze into a ball. With a chef knife, chop the ball into slices and chop the slices into a rough dice. In a large pot, add the stock, potatoes, onion, celery, garlic and curry powder. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are soft. Add the cooked stinging nettles and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Puree with an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and puree. Add cream (or coconut milk) and season well with salt and pepper. Reduce until soup thickens to a nice texture and the colour is still bright green. You may thicken the soup with a little cornstarch, tapioca four or potato starch mixed with a little cold water – whisk over heat until the soup thickens. To serve, ladle soup into a bowl.

Cut Broom in Bloom!

Something We Can Do for The Earth

Scotch broom is BAD news in our bioregion. It is an alien invasive plant and does not belong here. It is hardy and aggressive, and literally runs over our native plants and small trees. It grows huge quickly, forms dense thickets, crowds out our native plants. Broom produces prolific seeds that are viable in the soil for over 30 years. It is toxic to grazing animals and to the soil. A 2021 study by ESSA Tech designated Scotch broom as the single invasive species doing the greatest harm to species at risk in BC. (So much for biodiversity.) Also highly flammable - making wildfires harder to fight. Pretty flowers –but broom is really bad news.

But there is also good news. Broom doesn’t bite, sting or scratch. Seeds only sprout in

the sun. Pulling out the roots is not necessary, and not even advisable, as that disturbs the soil, encouraging seeds to germination. You can kill a mature broom plant by cutting at ground level or below while the plant is in bloom – almost anyone can do it. You can do it!

People ask, “Can I just go out and start cutting on the roads?” No. You need to prearrange broom removal. Broombusters is one way to get help. There are other avenues. Remember, cutting has to be done right or you do more harm than good. Absolute ground level!

There are so many problems on planet earth that we can’t solve. This is one that we can. Many of us feel deep anxiety about the suffering and losses of the Earth. Taking action helps. Cutting broom is fun! Now is the time.

www.broombusters.org.

Curried Stinging Nettle Soup Courtesy Bill Jones, Deerholme Farm

Spring Foraging in the Wild

Wild foods are all around us. Sometimes they are called nasty names like weeds and invasive species (which they can be). They are actually incredibly nutritious and often very tasty. There are two main types in the valley. Native plants are ones that have existed here for many thousands of years like camus bulbs, grand fir needles and huckleberries – to name a few. The other group is a large and imposing group of Introduced plants. Most of the good edible plants were introduced only in the past couple of hundred years or so. This group includes most of the common weeds such as dandelion, pepper cress and oxeye daisy. These were brought to North America by the early settlers as potage (soup) herbs or as medicinal plants. They escaped and thrived everywhere, and I do mean everywhere.

Essentially it takes a lot of plant energy to survive in the wild. This translates to

higher levels of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and something called phytonutrients. These components are becoming more important in maintaining a good healthy immune system and reputed to help fight off disease and in particular cancer. Plus they taste great.

Many of the greens have a peppery and bitter edge to their taste. These elements are very good for promoting circulation and creating a healthy digestive system. This can help you revive your system after a winter spent curled up with a book or perhaps these days an e-book. One of the best spring tonics is the Stinging nettle. Look in many of the ditches around the valley and you will likely see a deep lush green bouquet of nettle lining the bottom. The stinging part comes from the edges of the leaves, which has tiny needle like barbs which inject histamine into your skin. The effect lasts for a few minutes and is not really painful. In fact many folk remedies for arthritis relief (temporary) involves purposefully rubbing the

leaf on infected joints for a beneficial effect. Local First Nations also used the nettles to keep themselves alert and awake for rituals that required their attention for many hours of mediation.

Nettles are also thought to help the kidneys and liver purge themselves of toxins and excess fats. They are eaten in spring as tea, soups and vegetables in many parts of the world. You may be surprised to learn they are a favourite food in Tibet and Northern India, often mixed with wonderful curried spices to form purees and sautéed vegetables.

Closer to home, you can pick nettles that are growing in clean and wild areas,

the farther from civilization the better. Pick them before they have a chance to flower. Local restaurants and businesses also use stinging nettles. The spinach like flavour is wonderful in a number of dishes. Local chef Matt Horn of Cowichan Pasta Company makes a great stinging nettle pasta that is available in a few of the better shops around the valley.

Give these wild foods a chance, try them sauted as vegetables with your evenings meal. You might be surprised how good a weed can taste. On April 15, Deerholme Farm will be holding a special Wild Foods Dinner, featuring many of our amazing wild foods and of course featuring our wonderful Morel Mushrooms. See Deerholme.com for more info.

Bill Jones is a chef, author and food consultant based at Deerholme Farm.

April is BC Wine Month and Nourish Cowichan Donation Month Too!

F or the fourth year in a row, $1 from every bottle of Blue Grouse or Quill wine sold anywhere in British Columbia goes to Nourish Cowichan to feed hungry children. It doesn’t matter where you purchase the wine, go to your local liquor store, favourite restaurant, or the winery itself, it will all count towards our donation.

April is BC Wine Month, so it’s the perfect time for Blue Grouse to celebrate their Island winery and get charitable. Visit the winery to enjoy the spring releases, Quill Frizzante, Ortega, Bacchus, Siegerrebe and Quill Pinot Gris.

The team at Nourish Cowichan prepares hampers and gives food to families that are going through financial insecurity. The donations are divided among those in need including schools in the Cowichan Valley district, the maternity clinic, the Cowichan Valley District Hospital, and many daycares in the area.

You can help families who need support whether through a wine purchase or a straight donation to Nourish Cowichan. Last year, through sales and matching funds, Blue Grouse was able to donate $20,000 to Nourish Cowichan and provide 10,000 meals to families in need! An outstanding result that was only achieved through donations in multiple channels.

To meet or beat 2022, the whole Blue Grouse team is engaged to ask for as many donations as possible through the winery, online, restaurants, and retail stores and this goal is to reach at least $10,000 in 2023.

Order wine online at www.bluegrouse.ca or visit us Wednesday to Sunday from 11-5 pm 2182 Lakeside Road Duncan.

Donate here at https://www. canadahelps.org/en/pages/ help-blue-grouse-wineryfeed-cowichan-families-3/

Local Pairings for Easter Brunch!

Triple Jim’s Juice

Triple Jims is a local British Columbia juice making company that has been located in the Fraser Valley for over 35 years. Started by the Jim “Triple Jim” Henderson in 1979 the company specializes in Organic Apple cider made with local BC grown organic Apples and boasts a product list of 17 locally grown fruit flavours. Their Okanagan Sweet Apple Cider Pressed from firm, ripe, organically grown BC apples. Unsweetened and unclarified, pasteurized and vacuum sealed. Not from concentrate. Available locally at the Community Farm Store, 8350 Trans Canada Highway (by the Brick) or by shopping online at www.communityfarmstore.ca.

$7.59 per 946 ml bottle

Blue Grouse Winery Unsworth Vineyards

This Spring we are celebrating local cheese and wine in the tasting room. For Easter Brunch goat cheese crostini made with True Grain bread, fresh herbs and chevre pairs perfectly with the 2021 Quill Q White.

The Quill White has notes of yellow plum, nectarine and peach, on the palate you will find intensity of citrus, grapefruit and lemon.

After introducing the local goats cheese which has natural fats and acid you may find a stronger intensity of candied stone fruits and citrus in the wine. $20.99 www.bluegrouse.ca

Merridale Cidery

The perfect crisp drink to welcome in the warmer Spring is Merridale’s Cowichan Dry. A refreshing, dry and crisp apple cider crafted in the Cowichan Valley by BC’s oldest craft cidery. Cowichan Dry is fermented from a blend of English & French cider apples, balancing fruitiness, sharpness and dry character with a touch of tannins. It is an incredibly versatile cider which will pair with almost anything. Enjoy it with glazed ham, quiche and local cheese. The clean, effervescent and crisp finish will cut through any richness and help to balance your meal. The result is an enticing Spring pairing that is delicious, refreshing and light on the palate. $6.50 per 743ml can

Charme de l’île Rosé This fruit forward and dry sparkling wine is perfectly pleasing for a weekend brunch. This style of sparkling wine can have a special affinity to soft cheese. Little Qualicum Brie is a perfect counterpart to Charme de l’île Rosé. The bright fruit flavours and effervescence provide the perfect foil to the creamy texture and complex mushroom notes of the Brie. Any sommelier will cringe at the thought of providing the perfect pairing to most egg dishes. In quiche the egg provides the canvas for other flavours. Again this is a pairing of textures. The bubbles can highlight the airy texture of a well-made quiche. If it is a cheese or smoked salmon quiche Charme de l’île Rosé can add a lift and cleansing effect to the pairing. $29.90

“Come taste the difference kindness makes.”

VALLEY DENTAL

Dr. Gordon Levin

Did you know Glow now has ice cream? Our ‘Nice Cream’ is comprised of organic fresh fruit (you choose your flavour) in a coconut-cashew mylk base and is the perfect healthy treat for when you’re craving something sweet. With so many fruity flavours to choose from, our in house ice cream is the way to go when you want a healthy dessert. This new addition to the menu is completely vegan, organic, and gluten free. We use absolutely no preservatives, or GMOs in the making of our ‘Nice Cream’, and add probiotics to make for easier digestion. In addition to this new and improved version of ice cream, we have also added organic blizzard-like desserts with the much loved treats in our cooler. You can now choose from an assortment of different flavors, such as Banana Brownie, Nanaimo bar, and Rose Cardamom. Just in time for Spring and Summer.

Can’t wait to try one? Come on in and pick a flavour! Join us at Glow for a 7 year anniversary party!

April 29th from 11-4pm. Specials, samples. Glow Juicery and Organic Cafe #3- 5380 Trans-Canada Hwy, Duncan 250 597-2595

REEL

ALTERNATIVES BROKER

This is a beautifully crafted and touching movie by renowned Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda. A young woman climbs the stairs to the Busan Family Church, which is home to one of the many “baby boxes” across the nation, where she plans to abandon her baby to complete anonymity. But she is not alone! Two detectives are monitoring the “baby box” in an attempt to crack down on illegal child trafficking. At the receiving end of “the box” two “Brokers” are ready to put the child up for sale to their network of wealthy, would be parents. The girl returns the following day to reclaim the child , complicating the equation. On learning of the sums of money the “brokers” expect to collect she decides the money is more tempting than taking her son back and is persuaded to join in the venture, setting off a road trip that will change all their lives , with the two detectives in tow. Nominated for the “Palme D’Or” at the 2022 Cannes Festival it won for “best actor” and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury. The movie is Korean, with English subtitles.

Reel Alternatives feature film ‘Broker’April 24, 7pm CPAC 2687 James Street, Duncan $17 250-748-7529

What Type Of Smartphone or Tablet is Right for You?

Time has not changed the tendency of people to purchase tech devices far more complex and capable than needed. It is very easy to ‘over buy’ even when your intent is to just meet your needs. But how do you determine what it is you really need versus what friends and family think you need? Researching the answers to these questions would be advisable before you enter a store to start to purchase a smartphone with companion cellular plan.

• In what situations might I need to use a smartphoneor tablet?

• Do you know what are 2 main types/families of smartphone products - and how do they differ?

• Who might you regularly be able to contact should you have a question about your phone? What type of phone do they have?

• Are you expecting to use the smartphone as a phone regularly or just in emergencies?

One key reason tech shy seniors are encouraged to purchase a smartphone is for

‘safety’. There is a certain validity to this argument as there are times in our cars and even in our homes when having a cellular phone at hand is a good safety feature. But key to providing the user with assistance or element of safety is the user’s familiarity with the smartphone in the moment of need. The only way to ensure a device is useful is to use it well enough that when you might be a bit rattled, you don’t have to troubleshoot a phone that has been rarely used. This means a bigger question you need to answer is “Am I willing to put in the time to learn and use this technology more than once a week?”

Learning to use the basic phone function of a smartphone is an achievable goal and a great tool for communicating with family and friends. Reach out to find opportunities in your community to learn and gain hands on experience before purchasing.

Heather Stannard – Owner/ Educator of WestView Learning

with over 40 years’ experience teaching in Cowichan Valley

Scalloped Potatoes

Courtesy Chef Brad Boisvert, Cure Artisan Meat & Cheese

Ingredients

6 russet potatoes peeled sliced thin

3 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons smoked black pepper

3 teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons preserve lemon chopped

3 cups whipping cream

3 eggs

300 grams cave age Gruyere grated

100 grams Pecorino Romano cheese grated

Method

1. Mix all ingredients, except the Pecorino, together in a bowl until well combined.

2. Place in a baking pan.

3. Top with Pecorino cheese.

4. Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender.

THE HUB ANNUAL EASTER FAIR IN THE FOREST

The HUB at Cowichan Station is organising another Easter Eggstravaganza again this year. Come join in the fun on Easter Sunday with egg hunting in the forest, from-scratch pancakes, bouncy castle, face painting, crafts, music and more. This year we’re adding market vendors to the festivities along with play clay, a wood craft and more. “It’s such a wonderful family event that generates huge smiles and community spirit!” Says HUB event organiser, Donna Shaw. To find out more and to get an event map, check out the HUB facebook page. 100% of event profits will go Cowichan Station Area Association to support improvements and programs at The HUB.

This is a free community event from 9am – 2pm on Easter Sunday, April 9th. Fair style tickets will be sold so you can pick and choose your favourite activities. The Hub at Cowichan Station, 2375 Koksilah Road.

PRE-ORDER LOCALLY MADE EASTER BUNNIES & EGGS FROM FOLKLORE CHOCOLATES

Folklore Chocolates was born in 2019 out of Elena Frederick’s love of chocolate. After training in Pastry Arts in Prince Edward Island, Elena returned home to the Cowichan Valley where she worked as a pastry chef and baker before discovering a passion for making chocolates. Folklore Chocolates creates handcrafted, artisan chocolates that combine local flavours and creative designs with high quality Belgian chocolate.

Folklore Chocolates will have an assortment of Easter chocolates available at the Duncan Farmers Market April 1 and 8 and through Cow-op.com, Cowichan Milk Company and Cure Artisan Meat and Cheese. You can also contact Elena directly through Instagram or Facebook or at folklorechocolates@gmail. com

Ham Traditions at Easter

For many years, lamb was the main protein at Easter but hams have quickly become a popular main course for this holiday. In Germany, hams have traditionally been served in the Spring as far back as the sixth century, for a more practical, seasonal reason.

In the Fall, local pigs were in abundance and farmers would butcher, smoke, and hang the meat to dry thru the Winter when it was cold; in Spring when the weather started to warm up households would serve the overwintering hams at big gatherings such as Easter.

Today, we cure hams at Cure Artisan Meat and Cheese to add festivity to local Easter tables. Our cuts are always antibiotic and hormone free BC Pork. To prepare our cuts are carefully brined in a simple salt and sugar solution. Then they are slow smoked to perfection to be ready for you to finish in your oven at home. We prepare these cuts to mimic the traditional methods, minus hanging them in the cold barn.

In our home, our favourite side dish to serve with ham is creamy scallop potatoes. Leftover ham can be served tossed with pasta in a gorgonzola cream sauce. Ham can be glazed while roasting or taste just as good when you leave it as is to retain the smoky flavour. If looking to glaze here is an easy recipe to follow that will be a crowd pleaser. Cooking times may differ from bone in to bone out. I recommend to bake in roasting pan with a 1/2 cup chicken stock or try a strong ginger beer to help keep ham nice and moist during cooking. We are now accepting ham orders until April 4 for Easter weekend. Please call 250 929-2873. Pick up at Cure 5-1400 Cowichan Bay Road, Cobble Hill in Valley View Centre.

Local and imported cheese

Charcuterie boards

Hand made local Easter chocolates

Italian Imports

1. In a bowl combine 200 ml dark stout beer, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup local honey, 4 tablespoons Dijon (or your favourite mustard) and 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

2. With a pastry brush, baste glaze on ham every 10 minutes for last half hour of baking.

Find us at these fine retailers Cure Artisan Meat & Cheese, Unsworth Vineyards, Cowichan Milk Company, Cow-Op Marketplace and at the Duncan Farmer’s Market Saturdays 10-2pm

For pre-orders or enquiries contact us below.

folklorechocolates@gmail.com

Ham Glaze

Courtesy Chef Brad Boisvert, Cure Artisan Meat & Cheese

Locally Made Handcrafted Artisan Easter Chocolate

Chef Brad Boisvert, Cure Artisan Meat and Cheese

CELEBRATE EASTER IN THE COWICHAN VALLEY

Easter hams bone in or boneless call Cure 250-929-2873 to place an order. Order deadline April 4.

Find

CELEBRATE EASTER

Charcuterie,

Boxes and Entertaining Ideas

Easter specialty items are back for a limited time only! Order all your favourites including Hot Cross Buns, Easter bread, challah, centrepieces, and French Croissants! From our family to yours, Happy Easter! In the heart of Cowichan Bay Village order by phone: 250 746-7664 or online at www.truegrain.ca or have it delivered by Cow-Op Marketplace www.cowop.ca Hours Wednesday - Sunday, 8am - 5pm, Easter Sunday: 8am - 3pm

Pickles Pantry in Duncan has you covered! “Let me do the cooking and order your grazing board today for the Easter weekend! Each box or board comprises a variety of Island and imported meats, cheeses, house made pâté and terrine, chutney or jam, olives, pickles and more!” Order at www.picklespantry.ca.

Dine in or take home some specialty desserts from Pizzeria Prima Strada Cobble Hill for your Easter festivities. Try our Mezza Luna - a calzone filled with Nutella. Or bring home one of our delicious house made gelatos, sorbettos and tiramisu. 14-1400 Cowichan

Pre-order your Pickles Pantry Grazing Box

THE COWICHAN VALLEY

IN THE COWICHAN VALLEY

Bay Road, Cobble Hill

Open Wednesday - Sunday. 250 929-4655.

The Farm Table Inn will be offering a special Easter Menu in our Dining Room on Friday, April 7 and Saturday April 8. Four course dinner, including Maple Glazed Ham, $75 per person plus taxes and gratuities.

6755 Cowichan Lake Road at Skutz Falls. Reservations required 250 932-3205

At Little Bird we strive to be your one & done shopping experience for Easter! Choose from a beautiful selection of greeting cards including local art cards, elaborate 3D pop-up cards from England among many others. We carry a delicious

selection of Victoria made Rogers’ Chocolates that come in combinations in decorated tins, Rogers’ gift boxes, singles or bags. Easter decor items include origami paper bunnies, felted ornaments, baskets & much more. 163 Station Street, Downtown Duncan.

Field and Vine can help make gift giving easy! Gift someone special an Easter basket full of local Canadianmade goodies. Local pick up or national shipping at www.fieldandvinegiftco.com or 250 701-1131.

For celebrating Easter & everydayCards, Rogers’ Chocolates, Local Art & Gifts

RAW, VEGAN, NON GLUTEN

At Glow Raw Food Cafe and Juicery, we love creating healthy raw vegan Easter treats each year. Come in for some Easter Donuts, Cashew Easter Pudding cups, Almond Butter filled Chocolate eggs and more. All organic, gluten and dairy free. 3-5380 Trans Canada Hwy, Duncan. 250 597-2595.

bunnies made by Denman Island Chocolate and Galerie au Chocolat. Vegan organic gummy bears and jelly beans from Yum Earth and Gluten Free Hot Cross buns from Laughing Daughters Gluten Free Foods. 9738 Willow Street, Chemainus.

The Chemainus Health Food Store has an assortment of fair trade chocolate and vegan treats to add to your Easter activities including an assortment of fair trade organic chocolate

•

•

•

•

AND VEGETARIAN EASTER

gluten ingredients option available as well). Soft and slightly sweet, cinnamon and spices, and loaded with all organic dried fruit. These hot cross buns will be the best you’ve ever tasted! We’ll also have our adorable and delicious bunny buns, made from the same dough as our famous butter buns. These are a must have at any feast. NGI dinner rolls and focaccia will also be available. For dessert we’ll have wheat pumpkin pies and vegan wheat pies available in apple, strawberry rhubarb and bumbleberry. NGI pies are apple, strawberry rhubarb, bumbleberry, and pumpkin. If cake is what you are looking for try our vanilla strawberry cream cake. This vanilla cake gets covered in

house made local strawberry jam and whipped cream. Our bright and airy NGI lemon raspberry cake is one of our most popular and perfect for spring. All Easter items are available daily, but do sell out fast. To guarantee your bakery requests please call ahead and order 250 748-6223 or come in person. Duncan Garage Cafe & Bakery, 330 Duncan Street, downtown Duncan.

The Easter magic is alive at The Community Farm Store! Fill a Baraka basket with Camino fair trade eggs, Denman Island Chocolate bunnies, new Klean Kanteen and SoYoung reusables, Hammond’s organic lollipops, Lesser Evil popcorn, Yum Earth candies, and more! Multiple basket sizes to choose from. 5380 Trans Canada Highway, Duncan.

CELEBRATE EASTER

Open Good Friday through Easter Monday, Merridale Cidery & Distillery specializes in traditional, socially responsible and sustainable craft cider, spirits, libations and food. Plan a visit to Merridale this Easter with the whole family for an Orchard Fairy Walk and a meal in the Farmhouse Eatery where you will enjoy live music on Saturday and Sunday evenings. Book a private cidery or distillery tour or try our new Orchard To Glass Guided Tasting Experience. info@merridale. ca, 250 743-4293 merridale.ca/visit-the-farm

Shop at Farm Table Foods for all your Easter brunch ingredients! Farm fresh chicken eggs, fresh baked sourdough bread, west coast bannock bread, potato buns,

banana bread, farm raised pork products - bacon, sausages, bratwurst amd ready to serve quiches - bacon quiches, spinach and cheddar quiches, caesar dressing, chicken liver parfait, and house-made desserts such as Nanaimo bars, lemon squares, chocolate mousse and apple pie.

For more details on Farm Store hours and items, please visit www.farmtableinn.ca 6755 Cowichan Lake Road at Skutz Falls or from our booth at the Duncan Farmers Market Saturday April 8th 9am to 2pm.

IN THE COWICHAN VALLEY

Balsamic Glazed Ham

The Freya-Sophia Waldorf Store is filled to the brim with Easter crafts and gifts! Come in and find earth friendly natural egg dye kits for children, paintable and fillable wooden eggs, springtime books, wooden animals, Easter crafting supplies, puppets, hopping chicks, soft bunnies, silks and so many more magical things! Interested in learning Pysanky? - the Ukranian art of egg painting. We stock everything you need to teach yourself beautiful pysanky techniques including info guides, kitskas pens, black beeswax, and colourful dyes in a range of 26 colours! In a hurry? Grab one of the pre made kits with everything you need to start designing and dyeing eggs! Freya-Sophia Waldorf Store 5380 Trans Canada Hwy (by the Brick) 250 597-4763

The Olive Station stocks over 50 flavours of olive oils and vinegars to prepare mains, appetizers, salads, sauces. Gourmet Olives and bruschetta, salts and rubs to add great flavours. As well as local jams and salsas and sauces. Complimentary tastings, our staff is ready to help you. 7-225 Canada Avenue 250 597-8808 www.theolivestation.com

Ingredients

1 - bone-in smoked ham, shank or butt end portion, 6-8 lbs

1/2 cup Maple Dark Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 cup Cinnamon Pear Dark Balsamic Vinegar

2 tablespoons dijon or grainy mustard

Method

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

With a sharp knife, score the fat all over the ham in a diamond pattern. Place the ham, cut side down, in the roasting pan and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, reduce the balsamic to 1/2 cup by gently simmering it in a medium sauce pan set over low heat. This process should be done slowly, taking approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete. When the balsamic has become thick and syrupy and is reduced by half, remove from heat and whisk in the Dijon mustard

After baking for an hour, remove the ham from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 350 F. Using a pastry brush, liberally apply the balsamic glaze all over the ham, paying special attention to working it in to the scored portions. Cover just the shank end with a small piece of foil to prevent it from burning. Return the uncovered ham to the oven and roast for approximately 35 minutes, (Repeat applying the glaze in 15 minutes) or until the glaze has caramelized and the ham is golden brown.

Courtesy Grant Easterbrook, The Olive Station

Easter Toothcare Tips for Your Little Ones

Baby teeth are important!

Baby teeth start coming in as early as 3 months of age and some of them will stay in the mouth until we are 13 years old. They are

essential for lifelong health of your adult teeth and holding the spaces so adult teeth can come in correctly (preventing extensive orthodontics in most cases).

How do cavities form?

Cavities form on the enamel (the bright white area of the tooth) in children, when bacteria that is fed by sugary foods, create acids that attack the teeth.

Dental hygiene habits instilled as a toddler and infant from us reduce tooth decay and loss as our kids grow!

How to prevent decay?

No bottles in bed!

Handle pacifiers, spoons and cups with care- tooth decay causing bacteria can be transferred from your mouth to your babies mouth. And as far as this chocolate filled weekend that is fast approaching make sure that their teeth are cleansed after each meal thoroughly. Brushing and flossing!

It is not the total amount of chocolate that will cause cavities to form but rather the frequency that it is eaten. Giving your children candies every few hours to ‘limit intake’ may actually cause more harm than good. Let them have some every few

days as a dessert after a meal (and then brush and floss before bed to remove any excess sugar). Or…. Let them eat it all at once.

Enjoy the holidays!

From your team at Pacific Pearl Dental Hygiene Clinic info@pacificpearl.ca 250 802-2812

Ricki Weissbach DHP (C) Owner of Pacific Pearl Dental Hygiene Clinic Inc.

Cowichan Family Life is Making a Move!

PSST! We’re moving! And boy are we excited about our fresh new digs. Cowichan Family Life has been a part of the Duncan downtown core since we became a Society in March 1970. Effective May 1, staff, clients, counsellors and the public will no longer be climbing the two flights of stairs to our office. Instead, we will be in a bright new ground level space with ample parking. We will miss the close walk to the amazing eateries. But thrilled for the opportunities that come with this new location.

We continue to offer our affordable counselling services, and add a new group of counsellors, who completed their training in February. They bring amazing depth of knowledge and lived experiences to

support our services and workshops. As well, we are currently running a Healing Anger workshop, and will be doing a Communicating with Confidence, and Financial Literacy program in the next few months.

On top of the work we are doing on the ground, our Garden Tour coordinator is working hard behind the scenes, organizing our upcoming 27th annual Garden Tour fundraiser, coming June 4, 2023. Tina Short is currently recruiting volunteers to be Garden Greeters for the event. Working a four-hour shift gets you a free tour ticket to visit the seven gardens on the Tour this year. If you’re interested, grab a friend, then get in touch with our office or email gardentour@ cowichanfamilylife.org.

Duncan Freedom Gospel Choir

TheDuncan Freedom Gospel Choir, directed by Ann Antonides, is presenting its first concert in three years on Friday, April 21 at 7pm and Saturday, April 22 at 2pm. During the concert, you will hear an eclectic mix of spirituals, hymns, contemporary gospel and African tunes that are sure to uplift your soul and delight your ears.

In-person rehearsals began in the fall and the singers are looking forward to presenting “Moving On”. The last three years have forced all of us to be flexible in various ways as we dealt with the pandemic. The songs are reflective about change and they are joyous. You will hear an arrangement of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come”.

“ I Sing Because I’m Happy”, is a foot tapping gospel arrangement of His Eye Is On The Sparrow. The choir will also be singing the traditional Zulu tune, “Hlonolofatsa” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, a traditional spiritual. These are just a few of the titles that

we will be singing. Join us and leave refreshed.

The choir is accompanied by the talented Tanya Gillespie. Tanya is a multi instrumentalist and will be accompanying with guitar and drums as well as piano during the show.

Concerts will take place at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 531 Herbert Street Duncan.

SOMATICS

Somatics classes on Zoom

Somatic Yoga at Cowichan Community Centre

Individual appointments

Violet Reynolds RMT - teaching since 2008

somayogaviolet@gmail.com

Tickets are $15.00. 12 years and under- free. Tickets are available at Ten Old Books (Duncan Garage), at the door, St. Andrew’s church office and from choir members.

www.freedomgospelchoir.ca

HARMONY WELLNESS EVOLUTION

An Evolutionary Approach to Your Health and Happiness

Deborah Carruthers BA, BSW, MA

Counsellor and Wellness Practitioner

To book a session or view upcoming events and workshops, please visit:

www.harmonywellnessevolution.com

250-715-1773

360 Duncan St #103, Duncan

Spring Plants

Spring is in full swing now, is your garden ready? April is the time of year that your garden starts to come alive. All of the bulbs you planted last year are blooming, you can see previews of what’s to come later in the summer peaking through the soil and some real showstoppers are getting ready to shine.

Putting your plants in garden pots is a great way to emphasize the best that each season has to offer. Once you find your perfect pot, whether it be ceramic glazed, terracotta or even lightweight composite material you can rotate your plants throughout the year to get the most enjoyment out of your space.

There are many great options to choose from at this time of year, including:

Magnolia grandiflora ‘Edith Bogue’. This evergreen magnolia has wonderfully dark green leaves that add interest any time of year.

Fragrant white flowers 8”-12” in diameter appear in the late spring.

Chamaecyparis pistofera Curly Tops. A compact, slow growing false cypress with blue hued foliage that twists and curls revealing soft, lighter coloured needle-like leaves that give this

shrub an eye-catching appeal. Paeonia suffruticosa (Tree Peony). Tree peonies are one of the greatest stunners of a spring garden. With a beautiful fragrance and flowers up to 10” wide this flower will bring a smile to your face every spring.

When planting plants in pots you want to ensure that you have well draining potting soil and compost to ensure proper moisture retention. It’s also important to keep in mind the placement of the pot in regards to the light requirements for each plant. For the best success in any area of your garden it always pays to seek advice from experts, whether this by online or at a local garden shop – asking questions first can ensure healthy and happy plants!

Allysa Simmons Old Farm Garden Center www.oldfarmgardencenter.ca @oldfarmgarden

SPRING TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

tranquility. Together, they create a balance of contrasting qualities, reminding us of the importance of harmony in life. $2465.00

www.wroughtenart.com

Wroughtenart by Travis Rankin This metal art piece depicts the delicate elegance of bamboo and the beauty of a lily flower. The sharp and sturdy lines of the bamboo represent resilience and strength, while the graceful curves of the lily convey softness and

Live Edge Design - A recent commission, this unique cherry wood dining table is luxuriously west coast modern. The warm tones in the wood work well with the cooler west coast palette. The natural lines and features of the wood grain bring the outside in.

www.liveedgedesign.com

COWICHAN ARTISANS SPRING TOUR

April 22 & 23

By Bev Robertson

Spring is here and Cowichan Artisans are growing. Come meet us on our Cowichan Artisans Spring Tour, April 22nd and 23rd. We’ve welcomed new members and welcomed back old members.

We are a group of 16 professional artisans, creating jewelry, fabric/ furniture art, metal sculpture, pottery, paintings, glass art, mixed media, and collage art. Starting in the South at Bev Robertsons’ Shawnigan Lake studio, where she creates bold, floral paintings, seascapes and more. A short distance away in Cobble Hill is Mixed Metal Mimi’s studio. Mimi uses recycled vintage metal serving trays and plates to create one-of-a-kind jewelry. Just down the road, Hayes Glass Designs,will blow you away with Tylers’ glass sculptures, globes, mugs, and custom creations. In nearby Cowichan

Station... Morgan Ann Design is a highly skilled silversmith with her unique silver jewelry designs. Next stop Whippletree Junction, Studio 1867, where Pipi, well known fabric artist/designer and Ruth, a talented furniture designer/upholsterer, team up to create wonderful pieces for your home. Now onto a scenic drive through Cowichan Bay to watercolourist Jennifer Lawson’s studio to view her widely known historical houses and garden works. Practically next door is Catherine Fraser, a world-renowned painter and mixed media artist, whose paintings are thought provoking, vibrant images of home and travels.

Journey on to Live Edge Designs, award winning furniture designers who build and create from salvaged local wood and fallen trees, exposing the story of their life.

Nestled in a quaint neighbourhood of Duncan, Caroline Storie’s mixed media stitches, paints and doodles fun and whimsy into her art.

At Round Woman Studio, Laurel paints stories of village women who will hop, skip, and jump their way into your heart. Get fired up over Cathi Jefferson’s salt fired pottery,

and see a selection of artfully crafted pottery and unique sculptural pieces. In the same area you will discover metal works at Wroughtenart where Travis Rankin makes fabulous iron gates, fire pits and sculptural iron works.

In Westholme you will find Margit Nellemann’s studio (also home of the Westholme Tea Company) Margit specializes in hand built ceramics. One-of-a-kind works for the home; lantern houses, vases, bowls, saucers, cups and decorative ceramics.

Afterwards head down towards the beach in Maple Bay and discover Creartful Dodger studio. You’re likely to see a whale or at least find one or two in Wilma’s nautical collages. Rounding out the tour, across the road, visit Bev Thompson’s Studio 553. Printmaker, painter, teacher, world traveler, her work is inspired by her travel experiences and the cultures of the world. www.cowichanartisans.com

Duncan

When I was 8, I remember looking at a beautiful blank sheet of manila art paper on my desk. We were asked to paint a vase with flowers. Glancing at my seat partners work, my breath stopped in my chest. Her painting was full of yellow and blue and looked to me like a Van Gogh looks to me today. It was thrilling and emotional and it made me want to make something equally wonderful.

3103 Agira Road, Duncan

LIVE EDGE DESIGN CUSTOM WEST COAST FURNITURE

Duncan

“Live Edge Design is an art furniture experience. Trees tell us their stories. Our job is to relate that story to our customers as beautifully as we can.” Quality is first, quality in how we salvage local wood, quality of each piece of art we create, and the quality of work conditions for our artisans.”

5195 Mearns Road, Duncan

CATHERINE FRASER PAINTER

Duncan

Artworks are created in a series, trusting in the process, with a strong interest in colour and design. Paintings are created using a variety of media including acrylics, watercolours, oils, and photography. The subject matter gives me clues as to how I express it. A sense of place, both real and imaginary is important.

5412 Gore-Langton Road, Duncan

MARGIT NELLEMANN HAND BUILT CERAMICS

Duncan

Margit Nellemann grew up on the small Island of Funen in Denmark. Surrounded by orchards and the sea, nature became an integral part of Margit’s life and inspiration for her work in clay. Using the traditional method of hand-building, each piece is individually formed and finished to create one-of-akind ceramic art.

8350 Richards Trail, Duncan

Duncan

Creative from the core since early childhood, I find my greatest inspiration in the natural world. Shapes, forms, textures, and colours, all inform my play and creations. Details unseen by the casual observer catch my attention, especially when I have my camera in hand. Proportions, frameworks, the relationship between things, and the “bones” of things interest me.

4705K Trans Canada Highway, Duncan

Welcome to the colourful world of mixed-media artist and certified creativity coach, Caroline Storie. Originally from the south of England, Caroline moved to the Cowichan Valley over 18 years ago where the shapes and colours of the water, mountains, and farmlands of the Valley, inspire her to create with paint, canvas and stitch.

1015 Holmes Street, Duncan

Travis has been creating with metal for 20 years. He works closely with his customers commissioning unique west coast work for all parts of their home and property. From gates and railings to fireplaces and wall hanging art. Travis’s passion comes alive when he creates art that reflects nature and geometry in a sacred way.

5648 Riverbottom Road West, Duncan

Duncan

Creative since her beginning, Pipi grew up in an immigrant family of makers and creators who found happiness in the simplicity of handmade tradition. Both her Grandmother and Mother used fabric as their way of expressing themselves. Pipi’s childhood was steeped in Latvian colour, patternmaking, music and ancestral folklore, which still influence her work today. 4705B Trans Canada Highway, Duncan

LAUREL HIBBERT PAINTER

WROUGHTENART TRAVIS RANKIN Metal Art Duncan

CAROLINE STORIE MIXED MEDIA Duncan

STUDIO 1867 RUTH ELAINE DESIGN

PIPI ORIGINAL ART FOR EVERYDAY LIVING

COWICHAN ARTISANS STUDIO TOUR APRIL 22-23

WILD FLOWER ART STUDIO BEV ROBERTSON PAINTER

Shawnigan Lake

Bev paints a diverse range of subjects from seascapes to children but is most recognized for her floral paintings and her way of capturing the light shining on the flowers and sometimes the glass that holds them. When you visit the Wildflower Art Studio you will find a small studio designed to maximize the space but that leaves room for Bev’s creativity.

2152 Wildflower Road, Shawnigan Lake

STUDIO

BEV

Maple Bay

Bev lived in Nepal, developing her etching and printmaking practice at Atelier II of renowned artists Dr. Seema Sharma Shah and Uma Shankar Shah. Since her return to Canada, she has settled on Vancouver Island and has a studio in Victoria and Maple Bay.

6688 Drummond Drive, Maple Bay, Duncan

Maple Bay

Wilma grew up in Chemainus and is a third generation islander. She lives in beautiful Maple Bay where she works from her home studio in a charming, fishing cabin near the beach. Wilma creates curiously creative collage and assemblage artwork featuring original antique papers, maps, and found objects.

1010 Redcap Street. Duncan

JENNIFER LAWSON STUDIO PAINTER Cowichan Bay

Jennifer Lawson is a well-known Canadian artist recognized for her beautiful watercolours of flowering gardens, charming homes, country farms and antiques. Their refreshing impressionism and inviting images are radiant with light and colour.

1516 Khenipsen Road, Duncan

POTTERY

CERAMIC ARTIST

SALT FIRED

STONEWARE

Duncan

Cathi Jefferson creates exquisite salt fired stoneware pottery inspired by the natural environment that surrounds her. Living right on the Cowichan River, her studio is a must see. You will find finely crafted functional pottery as well as beautiful, unique, sculptural piece

5656 West Riverbottom Road, Duncan

HAYES

BOROSILICATE

GLASS ART

Cobble Hill

Tyler is a borosilicate glass blower by trade. He created Hayes Glass Designs in 2014 after combining his 15 year glass jewelry business with his talent and skill for creating larger works of art. Hayes Glass Designs showcases Tyler’s sculptures, globes, mugs and custom cremation pieces, as well as his wearable jewelry art. 3845 Cobble Hill Road, Cobble Hill

MIXED METAL

MIMI

MIMI ROY

JEWELLERY

Cobble Hill

‘Saving the planet one platter at a time’ Mimi Roy has always shared an affinity with the past. Mimi’s process of “old treasure to new trinket” is recycling at its finest. Each discovery Mimi makes is different from the next. As a result, no two pieces of jewelry are alike.

3096 Colman Road, Cobble Hill

STERLING

JEWELLERY

Cowichan Station

Set among the farm fields in rural Cowichan Station and just a ten-minute walk from Bright Angel Regional Park, you will find jewellery designer Morgan Saddington working in her studio-garage. Morgan works primarily in sterling silver and has developed a love of metalsmithing by practicing traditional silversmithing and chain maille techniques for over 20 years.

4480 Koksilah Road, Duncan

WILMA MILLETTE COLLAGE ARTWORK

553

THOMPSON PRINTMAKER

CATHI JEFFERSON

GLASS DESIGNS

MORGAN ANN DESIGNS

SILVER

COWICHAN ARTISANS STUDIO TOUR APRIL 22-23

SPRING TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Caroline Storie Art and Creativity Coaching - “My Calm one” from the current series, “Calm Connections –finding places of peace”. I’m exploring painting abstract landscape shapes and colours with scratched motifs, to create these imagined, aerial views, as if flying through the sky, whilst saving some 2D elements to keep me grounded to the earth. I love life when it’s a happy mix of both. www.stitchedpictures.com

Oil Paintings by Bev Robertson - “Dahlias From My Garden” Oil on canvas 24” x 30”, come see it on my tour. I love to paint simple jars of flowers and people always ask me “How do you paint glass?” My answer is.... I don’t paint the glass. I paint the reflections, the water and its abstract patterns, and the distortion and refractions of the objects inside.

www.bevrobertsonwildflowerartstudio.ca

Japanese concept of wabisabi—the wisdom and beauty of imperfection—Margit uses the traditional method of hand-building and forms and finishes all her works individually by either slab or coiling methods. The raw clay texture and the smooth finish of the glaze balance each other in a beautifully functional fashion. All Margit’s ceramic pieces are created with love and care for every-day enjoyment.FB margit nellemannhandbuiltceramics

Jennifer Lawson - Come and enjoy the garden where this watercolour painting was created during the open studio April 22 & 23rd. The Adirondack chairs were lovingly made by my dad! This is part of my garden series: but as a plein air painter (very interested in local history) - you will recognize many of the local landmarks I’ve painted! Commisssions accepted. Retreat in Poppies 35” x 29” $1250

www.jenniferlawsonart.com

LIVE MUSIC SATURDAY NIGHT!

7 Nights a Week Dinner Service 5pm - Close Sat Lunch /Sun Brunch 11 am - 2 pm

Happy Hour Fridays at 4-5pm

Happy Hour Saturdays & Sundays 2-5pm

APRIL TABLE D’HOTE

Sunday - Thursday 3 courses $48

Wine Pairing 3oz - $15.00 5oz $25.00

vegetarian option available

YELLOW POTATO, LEEK & PEAR SOUP $9

buttermilk cracker

Blue Grouse Pinot Gris – Cowichan, BC

PAN SEARED WILD SOCKEYE SALMON $31

bubble & squeak fingerling potatoes, arugula pesto grilled zucchini spears, citrus dill beurre blanc

Averill Creek White Joue, Cowichan, BC

WHITE CHOCOLATE PANNA COTTA $12

pineapple preserve, pistachio cookie

Stag’s Hollow Icewine, Okanagan, BC

1701 Cowichan Bay Road, Cowichan Bay Reservations (250) 748-3714

www.themastheadrestaurant.com

Explore Cowichan Bay

Spring is the time of year that family and friends get together and start enjoying the outdoors. The weather is usually milder and the days are longer.

be viewed from several different places. There is also a bird viewing station looking back towards Cowichan Bay.

taxes and gratuities not included

1. Coverdale Watson Park is ideally located on upper Wilmot Road. Bring the younger family for a play date of outdoor fun. This park has washrooms and a covered picnic shelter and ample parking.

2. Park and bike from Coverdale Watson Park for younger families is easily accessible by crossing Wilmot Road and taking the gravel path ending at Koksilah Road. The market at Great Greens at the Crossroads Centre is an ideal place to grab a treat for the family. The views from the trail include ocean glimpses and mountain views.

3. Hecate Park in the Village is referred to as the gem of the Bay. The park is located beside the ocean and the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre. The Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre has touch tanks of sea life and is an important educational component of the sea.

4. Hecate Park boasts a nature park with all of its features being natural where you will find willow branches that have been woven together to create natural tunnels and grassy mounds. There is also a two bay kayak launch. The Cowichan Bay Maritime Centre is a fun place for young people with access to their new portal with tables and small boat building.

6. Maple Grove Park if birding is your thing bring some binoculars along and see how many different birds you can count. Followt the trail and it will take you to the man made dike where you will encounter many like minded visitors with their binoculars and long lense cameras. The Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre can supply you with a list of birds. Cowichan Estuary is home to many different species and they can

7. Travelling north from Maple Grove Park will take you to the WestCan Terminal where you will find parking before the yellow gate. There is a lovely trail that follows the road and highlights the many different bird species along the way. The trail will come to an end and you can cross over to the small peninsula for more viewing of water fowls. Please note that this is a working terminal and the road has many large working vehicles during the week but is quiet on the weekends when the gate is closed.

8. Cherry Point Beach off Garnett Road has become a favorite place for nature walks. If you catch the tide just right you will be able to walk long distances. The scenery is spectacular with views of Mount Tzouhalem and a great place to spend time on a sunny day. This is the beach to be if you are looking for seashells and building driftwood forts. Don’t forget to bring a picnic and perhaps a hot dog roast on the beach.

9. Cherry Point main Beach has limited parking but you can easily access the beach a little further down the road. We would recommend searching for Clearwater Road and or Champagne Drive which is in Satellite Park off Aros Road. These two access points have stairs leading you to the beach. Please don’t forget to check the Cowichan Bay tide schedule to make the most of your day.

Make a day of it and enjoy shopping and eating at many of the small local businesses in Cowichan Bay.

Love where we live.

Patty Abbott, nature lover and avid outdoor person.

Pacific Great Blue Herons are the largest wading bird in North America. They are about 1 meter in height, and their wingspan can be up to 2 meters.

The Herons (Smuqw’a) are Back!

Look to the sky and you’ll note the return of our majestic, prehistoric looking birds we know as Pacific Great Blue Heron, indicating Spring is truly on its way. Although these herons are non-migratory, when they gather for nesting season it is a sight to behold.

With their arrival, Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre will be activating our heron camera which is carefully nestled high on a pole at the edge of the rookery - the largest rookery on Vancouver Island! You’ll want to look sooner than later, as once the big leaf maple trees leaf out, visibility is a little trickier.

“Our” herons primarily use maple, alder & conifer trees for nesting, resting, and nest building/ repairs. One tree has 16+ nests occupying its limbs. Watching the acquisition of one stick from their “building supply store”, then the delicate art of negotiating their 5’ wingspan, stick in beak, through the forest is an absolute wonder. Did you know that herons have an amazing array of vocalizations? From the beak clacking, barking and cooing of meet & greet mating season to the squawking, grawking, shrieking and screaming at hungry predators, they’ve got a sound for all reasons. Velociraptors unite! And baby herons do look a little dinosaur-

like, particularly when they first hatch.

Curious about the continuous low key “grawwk, grawwk” sound coming from the rookery? It’s their inner heat regulation system. By vibrating their throats herons regulate their body temperature.

Aside from being an essential part of the Cowichan Estuary ecosystem, this particular subspecies of Great Blue Heron, Pacifica, is also a blue listed species - considered vulnerable to disturbance by humans and bald eagles. Protecting habitat for nesting and foraging sites is critical. Their habitat ranges from salt and freshwater marshes, streams and lakes, to backyard ponds and open fields where frogs and other small amphibians are available.

Tune in to our web cam at cowichanestuary.ca to watch nesting activity, or come to Hecate Park for a picnic to observe them “real time”....low tide is especially good timing to observe them forage in the mud flats.

Grrawwwkkk!

www.cowichanestuary.ca

Submitted by Kerrie Talbot and Madeline Southern

Image Credit: Barry Hetschko

Fisheries for Communities

Gathering Calls for Owner Operator

Licensing in BC’s Fishery

My name is Guy Johnston and I run Michelle Rose Community Supported Fishery from my fishing boat down in Cowichan Bay. I recently was able to attend a really fascinating conference down in Victoria of the Fisheries for Communities Network. This is a grassroots movement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous fish harvesters, small businesses, fishmongers, chefs, restaurateurs, fishing families, and community organizations. We are united by our connection to fisheries and the abundant social, cultural, and economic benefits that come from harvesting and sharing food from the places we call home.

The two-day gathering provided space for the diverse interests in the room to examine the problems we’re experiencing in commercial fisheries on the West Coast, and to share ideas for solutions on how we can address the issues. For me as a life long fisherman it was really interesting to be able to sit down with fishermen from all

Sustainably Harvested Seafood from

over the coast and all different communities and get into the nitty gritty of our challenges and solutions going forward . We had speakers from Alaska and Slow fish Europe sharing their experience and different solutions they had tried, some that worked and others not so much. Small scale fishermen from all over the world are facing many of the same problems with the privatization of access to fish in the water and the corporate control of our fisheries.

Many older fishermen like me own our own boats and licenses, so we and our crew share the full value of our catch. As independent Owner Operators we can sell directly to the public. Most younger fishermen have to lease their licenses from non-fishermen license investors (slipper skippers) or fishing companies who use this as a way to gain more fish to their plant. The young fishermen takes the risks both physical and financial while the slipper skipper takes most of the profit. The next generation of women and men in the fishery are put in a very hard place. The network agreed that for the seafood sector to move forward building positive outcomes, we need to adopt an owner-operator policy with an equitable, transparent, and comprehensive transition process. Coastal First Nations representing

BREAKFAST I LUNCH I DINNER PANINIS • SOUPS • SALADS HOT & COLD BEVERAGES • SMOOTHIES

Minister of Fisheries Joyce Murray, stating their support for Owner Operators (O/O). The Fisherman’s Union- Unifor and many other fishermen’s organization have come out in support of O/O. The all-party federal standing committee on Fisheries has also put out a report calling for O/O operator legislation on the West Coast as there is on the east coast of Canada . There are a series of meetings with the Minister of Fisheries that all participants are hopeful will bring about

Please take the time to contact your MP to let them know that the benefits of the BC fishery need to go to coastal communities not investors with no boots on the deck. Tell them that BC ‘s fishery needs owner operator licensing to bring benefits to those who actually catch your seafood.

Brian Waddams a Namgis elder and fisherman from Alert Bay Photo Credit Hannah Fiegenbaum

Guy Johnston Michelle Rose Fishing CSF Cowichan Bay MichelleRoseCSF. com

Sustainable Ado’s

Edible Landscapes

Yard Maintenance & Organic Garden Care

Ado Grimwood-Adam

Ado is an organic gardener, foodie and father of three living in the Cowichan Valley. He holds a Certificate in Permaculture from Langara College, and is passionate about sustainability, food security, climate change and organic gardening.

Whether you need yard maintenance, or want to establish Edible Landscapes, Ado is a reliable, friendly and helpful person to work with.

Services offered include:

~ Edible Landscapes

~ Yard Maintenance

~ Organic Garden Care

Call or text for a free on-site consultation!

250.815.5789

Make Everyday Earth Day

Wildflowers and Forest Bathing

One of our favourite places to walk and see the wildflowers is Somenos Conservation Area. It is home to many rare wildflowers, especially the pink fawn lily and the rare deep soiled Garry Oaks. This area is home to deer, river otters, racoons and over 200 types of birds. Travel to Trillium Terrace off Lakes Road and left on York Road.

Bright Angel Park in Cowichan Station minutes from Duncan on the Koksilah River is a pleasant way to spend the day with friends and family. It boasts several picnic shelters and natural tree climbing structures as well as some accessible pathways for walkers and wheelchairs. There are an abundance of trilliums and fawn lilies along the inner trails going down to the Koksilah River as well as many other species.

Stoney Hill Regional Park in Maple Bay is a 3.2 kilometre loop and a perfect place to appreciate Earth Day and any other day with its incredible views of Sansum Narrows and Saltspring Island. Hike through sections of Garry Oak Trees and beautiful displays of Arbutus Trees. There is a small marshland area that has a unique display of lupines

and colorful foxgloves and many more. This is one of our favourite hikes. To get there follow Maple Bay Road to Genoa Bay Road and look for signs to Stoney Hill Road. Parking is limited.

Honeymoon Bay Ecological Reserve is a favourite, located on the South Shore Road in Honeymoon Bay approximately 2.5 kilometres west of the village. The reserve is a mere 15 acres and home to one of the largest displays of the rare pink fawn lily. Many other species can also be found such as wild bleeding heart, California tea-wild ginger Trilliums, Solomon Seal and many more. There are many local walks in the area and a great opportunity to view different wildlife.

Ladysmith Ecological Bog Reserve - a 380 -acre reserve location is northeast of Ladysmith There are several trails and we recommend the Yellow Point Park loop which is 5.3 kilometres long. This is an easy trail and features many different wildflowers and a great place to view different bird species and other types of wildlife. Wildflowers can be found from March to late May in the Cowichan Valley and are usually found along streams and creeks as well as alpine meadows. They come in a variety of shapes and colours in the spring. The Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre has a selection of hiking and walking books as well as a good selection of wildflower books.

Come for a visit at The Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre located at 2896 Drinkwater Road Duncan.

Patty Abbott Visitor Centre Coordinator

EVERY DAY IS EARTH DAY!

With the approach of Earth Day, bicycling weather returns, and so do pre-booked e-bike rental opportunities and weekend e-biking hours at Broomstick Bikes!

One of the preferred Valley e-biking destinations is Glenora Trails Head Park. Amenities at the Trailhead include washrooms, picnic tables, a picnic shelter, a playground, and an ample parking area. The expansive mulit-use parking area provides a great staging area to unload bikes, and ensure your mount is properly tuned and adjusted. The area is open enough that it also makes a great place to get a feel for an e-bike for first-timers.

Celebrate Earth Day With an E-Bike Adventure

“Falls Falls.”

The CVRD’s Trails Head Park links trail access to the TransCanada Trail in two directions: South and East to the worldrenowned Kinsol Trestle, and Shawnigan Lake environs beyond, or heading West along the trail it parallels the south shore of the Quw’utsun’ Stalo (Cowichan River) to the vertigoinducing trestle crossing the River at Mile 66, and on towards “Skutz Falls” and Cowichan Lake beyond.

Noteworthy aside: Skutz is Hul’q’umi’num’ for “falls,” and a site of long historical use by First Nations. Many settlers unwittingly continue to redundantly refer to this site as

From Skutz, a short ride north up the hill on Mayo Rd. connects to the Cowichan Valley Trail, which links the town of Lake Cowichan and Duncan, terminating near Duncan in the vicinity of Berkey’s corner---with a spur paralleling Somenos Rd. along a section of the waterline easement connecting the Cowichan River to Crofton.

Cycling remains a great way to spend time with friends, old or new. Whether you have friends visiting from out of town and want to share the beauty of the Cowichan, or are looking for an opportunity to explore more of the Valley yourself, consider getting out on the trails this Earth Day. And if your Earth Day aim is to get your garden going, get started early and plan

an e-bike ride for the afternoon! (Broomstick’s rides have thumbthrottles, so you can choose how much work you want to do--and you can base it on how much work you did already!) With two models of upright style bikes, spinning into the breeze may help you work out the kinks from a morning’s double-digging.

Centrally located in the Cowichan, Broomstick Bicycles delivers e-bike rentals to the Glenora Trails Head parking lot, and will happily meet and equip your group of riders. E-bike rentals are for adults 19 years

or older, requiring the signature of a waiver and the use of an approved cycling helmet.

We Deliver! Bikes delivered to destinations across the Cowichan Region. $100 charge within 15 km of our centrally located Home-base at Shawl Farm, on Gibbins Road, near the Cowichan River. Large group prices negotiable.

Rupert Koyote is a cycling and sustainability-nut with a farming problem.

Downtown Duncan

Earth Day Celebrations

Join us for the 2023 Day For Earth event in Downtown Duncan on April 22 from 10 am to 3 pm at Craig and Station Streets to celebrate our planet with purpose! Together, we can make small changes that will have a big impact on our environment. The Day For Earth event will feature a host of educational programs focused on current environmental challenges and ways for individuals to contribute positively to our planet.

Enjoy an afternoon of musical performances on the community stage at Station Street Park sponsored by Ironworks Cafe & Creperie. Bring any old, unwanted electronics with you to reduce electronic waste by having it recycled responsibly in the E-Waste Recycling tent hosted by Technology Solutions.

Connect with local non-profit organizations and businesses that are committed to sustainability to learn about their initiatives and services.

Kids, too, will have a variety of fun activities such as making seed bombs, fabric weaving, and seed starting to keep them engaged.

Don’t forget to bring along up to four gently used, clean clothing items to trade at the Women’s Clothing Swap tent, sponsored by Redefined Clothing Boutique. Update your wardrobe while you exchange and recycle gently used clothing items in a fun and sustainable fashion. And come hungry! There will be a Food Trail throughout downtown Duncan with each participating restaurant destination offering a unique, sustainable snack for $5 or less, and of course, once hungry participants collect all the Food Trail stickers, they are eligible to win a prize!

This year let’s all come together to celebrate our planet with purpose and take concrete steps towards a more sustainable future! Let’s celebrate Earth Day in Downtown Duncan, and let’s do it with purpose.

Image credit: Elena Mozhvilo

Earth Day coincides with the arrival of spring. Plants that lay dormant over the winter begin to awaken, deciduous trees develop new buds, and green meadows slowly turn purple. Camas, like many floral plants, begin flowering first on the southern parts of the island on Lekwungen and WSÁNÉC territories. Their purple blooms slowly make their way north to our Valley and beyond.

Camas are one of the most recognizable plants in Garry Oak ecosystems, and have been a valuable source of food, trade, and beauty for thousands of years. Garry Oak ecosystems were managed and stewarded by the First Peoples of this land for millennia – controlled burns and cultivation helped these ecosystems flourish.

Happy Earth Day

The arrival of European settlers harmed this sacred connection to land – the colonial mindset of extraction took precedence over land stewardship. Now, Garry Oak ecosystems are considered one of the most endangered ecosystems in Canada, with only 5% remaining in near-natural condition.

We cannot continue causing irreparable harm to the land that sustains us. Indigenous knowledge shows us the importance of reciprocity: just as we take from the land to provide for our communities, we too must give back. After centuries of profit-driven development, it is our responsibility to take care of the earth. Ye’yumnuts, a sacred ancestral place of the Quw’uts’un people, is part of an expansive Garry Oak ecosystem. Commemorating Ye’yumnuts is a Cowichan Tribes-led project that aims to share the history, and the nation’s ongoing relationship, with the sacred land.

The Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society (SMWS) has spent decades working to protect the S’amunu (Somenos) Watershed. SMWS has worked in concert with Cowichan Tribes to steward and nurture the valuable Garry Oak ecosystem of S’amunu. Garry Oak ecosystems are emblematic of our responsibility to the earth. In her pivotal book Finding the Mother Tree, Suzanne Simard writes: “ecosystems are so similar to human societies – they’re built on relationships. The stronger those are, the more resilient the system.” Each species in the Garry Oak ecosystem depends on each other. And they too depend on us to be caretakers – to burn certain parts of the understory to allow for new growth and protect against uncontrolled wildfires.

As we celebrate Earth Day, we must heed Indigenous intelligence and remember that everything depends on everything else. To move towards a safer and healthier future, we must restore the reciprocal relationship with the land that sustains us.

Illustration by Stef Wong Creative

Sonia Furstenau, MLA Cowichan Valley, Elected House Leader BC Green Party

Celebrate Earth Day by joining the ght to end fossil fuel subsidies.

Plentifill’s Top 10 - Celebrating Earth Day Every Day!

Steph & Krystal were inspired to open plentiFILL to bring attention to the desperate and urgent need to consume less. Recycling is not the answer. Our goal is to normalize reusing what we already have and being mindful about our overall product consumption.

Duncan

1-866-609-9998

www.alistairmacgregor.ndp.ca

plentiFILL is the Valley’s first boutique refillery offering a huge assortment of Canadian-made, eco-friendly products for your bath, body and home.

1. Tru Earth laundry strips are available totally package free... buy 1 or 100 or anywhere in between- no subscription required!

2. High-End Hippie shampoo and conditioner bars provide salon quality results without the water.

3. Mint Cleaning products are Earthfriendly, refillable, and Island-made in Ucluelet!

4. Life Unpackaged compostable electric toothbrush heads, fit all Sonicare brand models!

5. Leaf plastic free razors... the best shave you’ll ever experience AND the last razor you’ll ever buy!

6. Crush & Brush tooth paste tablets, available in Mint and Soda Pop flavours!

7. Routine Deodorant paste, natural deodorant that actually works AND it’s refillable! 15+ devine scent profiles to choose from.

8. Potty puck are all natural toilet bowl cleaners made here on Vancouver Island! Just drop it in, let it do its thing, then brush and flush!

9. Bamboo dish brush with replaceable heads... totally plastic-free!

10. Searl Soap co. solid dish blocks in beautiful, refillable ceramics dishes. Get squeakyclean dishes with less water and zero harmful chemicals. Handmade right here in the Cowichan Valley!

At plentiFILL we’re on a mission to drastically reduce consumer waste in the Cowichan Valley. Have your own containers already? Bring them in, we’re more than happy to help you fill them back up! Headed downtown but forgot your containers? No worries, pop-in anyway, we have plenty of clean and free options ready to go. Just curious? Check out our website for a full list of our refillable options or stop by, we’d love to show you around!

163 Kenneth St, Downtown Duncan Open Monday through Friday 10-5, Saturday 10-4 and now Sunday 12-4. 250-737-3313

www.plentifill.ca

Office: #101-126 Ingram Street

Starting Small to Create Big Change

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

- Margaret Mead

Each year when Earth Day rolls around, we are reminded of the trouble our planet, and thus, humanity, is in. It’s easy to be pessimistic about our future when we see the climate changing in front of our eyes and natural disasters happening more frequently. It’s evident our action is needed, and yet, it can be easier to stay passive, hoping someone else will solve the issue for us. This is understandable given the monumental challenges we are facing.

But if you look more closely, there are actually a lot of organizations working on awesome environmental programs showing there is hope. These smaller local initiatives are easy to get involved in, and often the organizers are happy to share their knowledge in an effort to engage the community.

One such initiative is reFRESH Cowichan, a Food Recovery Program initiated by Cowichan Green Community in 2018. The program’s goal is to ‘rescue’ surplus food from grocery stores and deliver the often perfectly edible produce to vulnerable community members at no cost. Over the last five years, the program has created a closed loop distribution system, keeping thousands of pounds of food out of the landfill each week and increasing access to nutritious food at the same time.

A small portion of the recovered

food from select retailers is being sold at a low cost at reFRESH Marketplace, CGC’s small grocery store that is open to the public. Shopping here, in turn, supports all of CGC’s food security programming.The store is also home of the reTHINK Zero Waste initiative, featuring a range of dried goods and pantry staples that are packaged in returnable mason jars. Customers can choose whether they’d like to take the jar home and pay a $2 deposit, bring their own container, or pick a free container available in the store. This initiative aims to combat plastic packaging waste created by food retailers.

These are examples of seemingly small actions that can create a big ripple effect. Canadians waste over half of the food produced and the reFRESH Food Recovery Team is working hard to combat this locally. Since its inception, the program has recovered over 1 Million pounds of food, reducing a substantial amount of greenhouse gas emissions. reTHINK is following suit by reducing common packaging waste - one jar at a time.

Instead of getting overwhelmed looking at the challenges of the whole planet, let’s look at our own community, and what can be done right here to make permanent changes happen. Start small and big things will follow.

If you want to learn more about reFRESH, or apply to volunteer, visit www.refreshcowichan.ca or call the CGC office at 250 748 8506.

Submitted by Julika Pape

he impact of discarded mattresses on our environment is staggering. In North America alone, over 25 million mattresses end up in landfills each year–that’s equivalent to a surface area eight times the size of Vancouver Island. Not only do they take up a significant amount of valuable space, but most conventional mattresses are made of synthetic materials that fail to adequately break down–all while releasing harmful toxins into the atmosphere, and contaminating soil and water sources as they do so. This ever-growing ecological issue continues to cause a great deal of disruption and serious impairment to our environment, as well as our health and global well-being.

One of the largest contributors to this escalating concern is the ever-growing number of mattresses being thrown away as a result of poorly constructed ‘bed-in-a-box’ models being sold by online retailers, as well as their offers of extended at-home free-trial periods. Although the well-intentioned, yet misguided, concept is to provide a low-barrier solution for customers to shop for their ideal mattress, it comes at a high long term cost. Unsurprising, this seemingly attractive business

The Overlooked Environmental Impact of Your Mattress

model amasses high consumer demand, initially, but is quickly followed by an excess of barely used rejected mattresses that are still in perfectly usable condition. Furthermore, these unwanted beds become futile as they prematurely end up in landfills due to insufficient mattress recycling programs and the discontinued option to donate to charity or thrift shops–a once viable convenience pre-pandemic.

So what’s the solution to this growing socio-ecological

dilemma? Although we can’t turn back time, or avoid replacing our mattresses–eventually, we can choose to make a deliberate and conscious commitment to being more environmentally responsible and mindfullyinformed when it comes to future bedding purchases. By understanding the detrimental effects conventional mattresses have on our health and that of the planet’s, we can collectively work towards reducing the amount of unnecessary mattress waste ending up in landfills, while consciously making better choices to preserve our own well-being.

A Guided Journey To a Better Mattress and Better Sleep

Setting out into the market in search of a new bed can be daunting, as you quickly realize there’s no shortage of options when it comes to choosing a new mattress–but just know there’s no need to compromise. With mindful awareness, thoughtful consideration, and some sage advice from a seasoned sleep and bedding expert, you’ll quickly find yourself sleeping soundly, knowing you have taken valuable steps towards a greener and healthier future.

Here is some expert guidance for what to consider when choosing your next new mattress:

Personalize Your Comfort and Support

Finding the right balance of comfort and support is essential for obtaining a restful and restorative night’s sleep. Ideally, your mattress will softly cradle and conform to your individual body shape, while also providing the perfect amount of supportive firmness that eases the spine into neutral alignment. In turn, pressure points will be relieved, discomfort minimized, and there will be optimal blood flow necessary for the body to fully relax.

It’s also important to keep in mind your sleep preferences, habits and needs–of which are uniquely your own and that will likely change over time as you move through the various ages and stages of life. When considering a new mattress, be mindful of its capacity for flexible customization–both now and for the future. Opting for a modular mattress design made up of interchangeable support layers and zones will be the ideal choice for both you and your partner’s individual sleep needs.

Gone will be the nights–and days, of persistent back pain, shoulder and neck stiffness, and relentless discomfort.

Choose All Natural Materials

When it comes to mattress materials, there’s no room for compromise. What you choose to sleep on directly influences your quality of sleep–as well as your health, and the well-being of the planet.

Knowing what we do about the harm and disruption synthetic materials cause, the advice is, and always will be, to invest in all natural organic materials. In addition to their eco-friendly and health-promoting benefits, natural materials provide optimal conditions for achieving consistent high quality restorative sleep.

Here are three of the most widely used–and loved, natural mattress

materials that come highly recommended for supporting you and your nightly slumber:

GOLS Certified Organic (Dunlop or Talalay) Rubber Latex: A naturally occurring byproduct of rubber trees, latex is not only sustainably-sourced, chemical free, and 100% biodegradable, but it’s quickly become one of the most popular mattress materials available–and for good reason. Natural latex is durable, resilient, and able to accommodate any type of sleeper. It’s supportive and highly responsive with excellent pressure relief, while also providing more breathability and thermoregulation than other types of mattress materials, such as foam.

GOTS Certified Organic Wool: Naturally thermoregulating, organic wool is luxuriously soft, breathable, moisture-wicking, and helps you sleep at your optimal body temperature—unlike

EVERY

DAY IS

synthetic materials that tend to trap in heat resulting in discomfort and unnecessary perspiration. Better yet, wool is hypoallergenic, long-lasting, and completely biodegrades at the end of its life cycle.

GOTS Certified Organic Cotton: Cotton, when organically produced, is a natural, renewable and biodegradable fibre. Unlike conventional cotton, ethically made GOTS certified organic cotton is grown pollutant- and pesticide-free, making it kinder for our skin, sleep, and the planet. It’s also superiorly soft, breathable and hypoallergenic.

Invest for the Long Term

While most will agree that replacing or upgrading your mattress can be costly, there’s no argument that prioritizing high quality sleep and your overall health and well-being is worth every penny. With the proliferation of fast mattress companies offering lower priced, yet poorly designed and constructed products, it’s more important than ever to consider your return on investment.

To ensure you get the most value and comfort out of your mattress, it’s highly encouraged to choose a model that’s designed to be flipped. This simple practice of flipping your mattress will ensure its longevity and quality of life by maintaining an even distribution of wear, while preventing sagging, unwanted indentations and sleep-disrupting pressure points.

Chris Manley is the Founder and Co-Owner of Resthouse, a sustainable mattress and bedding store located in Victoria. With products that can be personalized, Chris is changing sleep lives one collapsed shoulder at a time.

The little masons you didn’t even know were working away in your yard. The genus Osmia, and more specifically family Megachilidae is a large group of bees that build their habitat using mud, and other “masonry” materials. They find gaps and cracks in the environment to create nests. The cracks could be stems and holes in wood or small dark cavities like naturally occurring gaps between rocks. Or plants like Douglas Aster (Symphyotrichum subspicatu), with their hollow stems, working perfectly as a natural home during the hibernation months.

This is an important reason to leave your garden unkempt until the warmth of spring.

Come spring, these early risers will help pollinate your fruit trees, berries and flowers making them beneficial in creating buzzing, biodiverse gardens and higher yielding crops in orchards.

Mason bee homes are a great habitat feature for your garden to help provide a space for the mason bee to lay her eggs and create easy access to your spring blooming plants as their range is smaller with

My Fruit Trees Bring All The Bees to The Yard

a radius of around 100 m. The blue orchard bee creates sections (or brood cells) within the hollow structures of the home using mud. She collects pollen & places it in the nesting cavity with the egg. The bee will section off areas for her eggs with more mud and will continue this process until the whole structure is full. A female bee will lay between 15-20 eggs in her lifespan of 6 weeks.

Fun Fact

The first eggs that the orchard bee lays will develop into female bees, while the ones closer to the entrance of the nest will become males.

It is said to be(e) that they do this for a couple of reasons.

First is reproduction. Males emerge first so they can wait for the females who will typically begin hatching up to 3 days later. By laying the male eggs closer to the entrance, it gives them the advantage they need for reproductive success.

The second hypothesis is nest predation. Females are of higher value in regards to the reproduction of the species

compared to males. By laying male eggs at the front of the nesting cavity, they act as a sacrificial barrier, increasing the survival rate of the species.

We are so excited to bee able to offer annual mason bee subscriptions!

The goal of this project is to provide more habitat for pollinators and to raise awareness on the importance of them, the role they play in their environment and how we can not only protect them, but help them thrive.

Each spring we install handmade bee homes & release mason bees to effectively pollinate your fruit trees, berries & flowers.

It only takes a few females to pollinate one mature apple tree!

In the fall we collect, clean and carefully store the house & bees for the winter.

It’s so important to clean your bee homes!

By cleaning & storing each fall, you mitigate the spread of disease and parasites. Rest

taken care of and released at the right time for maximum fruit pollination.

This annual subscription is great for bigger orchards, small backyard conservationists and curious families alike looking to better the environment and create a more diverse landscape.

Bees In The Garden

The best way to help the pollinators?

Plant a garden!

Mason bees are active in early spring making them an asset in their aid of fruit trees pollination & production. Some beneficial trees & shrubs include cherry, pear, apple, plum, blueberry & almond.

It’s important to plant a diversified landscape so pollinators have a reliable food source. Pollinators love native plants! Don’t forget to add plants like Oregon Grape (Mahonia nervosa) and these other beneficial plants to your garden space:

Camas (Camassia leichtlinii)

Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum)

Red flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum)

Mock Orange (Philadelphus lewisii)

and so much more.

Interested in learning more?

Check out our websites for how we can help you create an impactful, biodiverse space! meadowwrenflowerfarm.com wilderrestoration.com

Mason bee houses provide beneficial habitat for important pollinator species.

Photo by: Magdalene MansonBlair

Ecologists and conservationists, Kyla Atkinson and Sierra Harvey strive to make a bigger environmental impact by creating more biodiverse and sustainable landscapes.

Blue orchard mason bees building their nest in a simple man-made structure. Photo: Jacob Stacey

The Incredible Mason Bee

hard over a 6 week season to pollinate all fruit trees, early flowers and vegetables. Like all bees they face huge survival issues such as habitat loss, pesticide poisoning and parasitic invasion. We can help the environment and their long term survival by active management in our own back yards, increasing the chances of their survival to the next year by as much as 70%.

It’s finally spring and the start of the Mason Bee season, and if you would like to learn how to enjoy, appreciate and help this super pollinator by keeping them in your own back garden, the book ‘The Incredible Mason Bee’ has been written by Cowichan Valley locals and mason bee keepers Steven and Catherine Scanlan to educate you regarding the importance of mason bees and the challenges they face, guiding you through each stage of mason bee keeping, from choosing the right housing through to harvesting and overwintering the cocoons ready for the next year.

Keeping mason bees is both easy and fun with immense benefits for all, plus it is a great learning opportunity for children to learn and take an active part in protecting all of our futures.

You can find the book “The Incredible Mason Bee’ plus high quality handmade mason bee condos at Catherine and Steve’s store ‘The Blue Orchard’, where they are always available for more information and advice.

Situated inside the Chemainus Public Market, 9790 Willow Street, Chemainus. Open Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-5 pm. 604 358 4859.

Gentle and unassuming, these solitary, early super pollinators work

Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy research has shown that the treatment can be useful as compassionate care for anxiety, chronic depression, hopelessness, demoralization, and end-of-life existential dread experienced by patients who receive a diagnosis of an incurable illness, or for those who are in remission from diseases such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, or heart disease. Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy has also shown promise in helping people address opioids addiction and alcoholism.

Psilocybin is a scheduled drug under the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), so its use in clinical settings and for patients must be approved by the Minister of Health under an exemption or through a Special Access Program. Obtaining an

Psilocybin-assisted Psychotherapy

exemption, however, can take months. Special access requests will have a quicker response rate — a matter of days — and there is no waitlist, although the drug must be distributed in a clinical setting.

As your Member of Parliament for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford, I have had the pleasure of supporting Roots to Thrive Society for Psychedelic Therapy and the Snuneymuxw First Nation’s application for an exemption for the purpose of a

You’ve got a story; Let’s tell it!

“Remember the time…”

How often have you heard that opening line, sitting with family and friends around the campfire, or at a class reunion, or down at the neighbourhood pub. Storytelling comes naturally to us in many settings.

But ask the same folks to tell their story in front of an audience, or for publication

in a magazine, or online, and all of a sudden their feet start getting cold and they beg off with comments like: Who wants to hear my story anyway?

We do!

What’s more, Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine, the Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society and

Safe Consumption Site for the use of psilocybin in a therapy program for terminally ill patients with end-of-life distress. I am proud of the local leadership that is being shown in our community in exploring the positive benefits of this therapy, and I have committed to doing what I can at the federal level to expand resources and access for patients in need.

As a member of the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying, which

Books Unbound want to ‘collabowrite’, sharing your story with your community, and having some fun while we’re at it.

Not an experienced writer? Don’t be shy.

We’ll read every story idea that’s sent our way, and get back to you.

You can pitch creative nonfiction, poetry, memoire or fiction.

If what you submit isn’t quite ready for publication—or isn’t even written yet—we’ll workshop your idea and do our best to make it a polished, literary work.

It will be your story; our job is to help you get it down on paper. Once we’ve got the words

recently released its final report and recommendations, I pushed hard to include witness testimony that spoke to the importance of this therapy during our hearings on access to palliative care. As a result of that important testimony, I was able to secure a recommendation that Health Canada review the Special Access Program, other programs and policies, and relevant laws and regulations to determine whether there are ways to improve access to promising therapies, such as psilocybin, for both research purposes and for individual use as part of palliative care supports.

Vancouver Island has been a hub for this new therapy treatment with multiple research and testing labs as well as manufacturing sites that are working to bring this relief for people who are suffering with chronic illnesses. I look forward to bringing all of this to Ottawa with my fellow NDP caucus to help bring awareness to this compassionate, patient-centered, and potentially life-changing therapy.

right, we’ll find a way to publish it in Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine, or in the Valley Voices Collection at CVCAS.ca.

We’ll incorporate graphic elements, innovative layout, links to audio editions, anything we can to make your story stand out on the page or online.

It will be in a format you can share with family and friends anywhere in the world. That’s not the same as telling stories around the campfire, but think how many more people will enjoy that tale you have to tell once its published.

And how much you will enjoy the telling.

Go to CVCAS.ca/Literatre to submit your idea.

Alistair MacGregor is the NDP Member of Parliament for Cowichan-MalahatLangford, and the NDP’s Critic for Public Safety.

It’s officially that season where you need an overcoat in the morning and by afternoon you’re basking in t-shirt weather.

What if deciding what to wear on a crispy spring morning wasn’t such a struggle? All you need to do is add a layer!

Made from our sheep wool fabric, our simple Add a Layer vests are perfect for the spring, keeping your core cozy and insulated so you can be warm in the chilly morning and cool in the afternoons, no matter the activity!

Did you know?

Wool is a natural insulator?

Due to its hollow fibre, it wicks moisture away from the body, allowing you to easily regulate at 98.6 degrees, even when wet! No wonder it’s the go-to garment choice of fishermen!

Did you know?

Wool has UV protection built right in! Wool absorbs UV radiation protecting sheep,

(and now you!) from the sun. Perfect when that beautiful sun is inviting us to spend our time outside more!

Did you know?

Wool is recyclable and reusable! With only 1.2% of the fibre supply, it’s also about 5% of the clothing that makes it into donation supply. Its one of the most widely used fibres to be recycled into longer last products, such as mattress, home insulation, and upholstery.

Did you know?

Wool is fire-resistant. While other fabrics melt or catch flame at a much lesser temperature – wool never melts, so it can’t stick to the skin like common synthetics or even cotton.

Did you know?

Many wool fabrics, such as ours, can be machined and washed. So let those adventurous outdoor activities happen! Just toss’ it in the wash! Bonus – it can also be machine dried too! Super bonus, the more you wash it with a lanolin soap, the softer the wool gets!

Did you know?

Wool has a natural elasticity. It can bend and stretch up to 20,000 times and return to its natural shape. This makes wool perfect for flexing, bending, and moving all about as you enjoy a life of recreation. Not into being active? Hey, that’s okay too! The wool fibres are like natural coil-like springs, making them wrinkle resistant!

Did you know?

Wool is 100% biodegradable. In soil, it will naturally decompose within a matter of years (not decades like its made-made counterparts). As wool breaks down, it releases valuable nutrients back into the soil.

Did you know?

Wool is a renewable resource. Every year, the 68 million sheep of Australia produce a new fleece, by consuming a simple diet of water, air, sunshine, and grass.

Did you know?

Wool is a negative ion, which means it increases levels of the feel-good happy neurotransmitter, serotonin. In other words, sleeping in and

wearing wool helps alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost our energy.

With all these amazing features of wool, you can embrace Earth day while wool’s gift from the earth embraces you! Add a Layer is available in sizes for the whole

family, come shop with us at 190 Fourth Street, Duncan.

cozy

Comfort

reviewer”

The Cowichan Valley is known for great seasonal fresh produce, but you can also get an awesome variety of locally-grown garden transplants from growers in our area. You might think that it really doesn’t matter what variety of tomato plant you choose, where your herb plants were grown or where you decide to purchase your perennials from, but it does matter. There are several important considerations to keep in mind when choosing what to put in your garden this season!

Firstly, you will find that locally grown transplants are often better adapted to our climate here on Vancouver Island. Instead of tinkering with seed genes or maintaining energyintensive artificial growing environments, small local

Locally Grown is best

growers must allow nature to determine which plants will do best. Do a little research when sourcing new plants, and look for growers who harvest their own seeds from their healthiest, strongest plants. This practice results in vigorous plant varieties that are adapted to our local soil and weather conditions. Another great reason to shop from local growers is that local plants are fresher. Growers in our area can time their

offerings better, and adjust inventory more quickly than big box stores who need to transport products over a long distance; local plants also save on fuel and transportation costs! Last but certainly not least, by purchasing locally grown plants you’re supporting Cowichan

Valley farmers. Winter is a quiet time, with very little produce growing, and limited options for farm income. Many small farmers opt to sell plants and seedlings in the early Springbuying from them means these farmers get a much needed kick-start to the season’s cash flow. It is more appreciated than you know!

Like most things in life today, you have many purchasing options available. Hopefully you can see that choosing to purchase plants from growers in our area is THE BEST option!

To research the farm practices for growers in your area, visit https://shop.cow-op.ca/ Producers

Submitted by the Cowichan Co-operative Marketplace’s Marketing Ambassador

perennials is equally

Astilbe, primulas, Hosta, hardy Fuchsia

Woodland and Shade Gardens

a wide range of other plants to consider.

SHADE GARDENS

Lenten Rose). For ferns look great. Our native Sword Fern is shade and drought tolerant. Other native ferns such as Deer and Maidenhair work well in smaller spaces along with many exotic varieties of ferns.

• Rhododendrons - varieties that bloom from March to June

• Pieris - Lily-of-the-valley shrub

Many gardens in our area are shaded by mature trees creating ideal conditions for growing interesting understory plants. In wild undisturbed locations, we see beautiful combinations of native plants such as Oregon Grape, Salal, Sword Fern, Huckleberry and other lesser known plants. Most tend to be broadleaf evergreen shrubs that retain year-round interest. For more diversity, gardeners have

Rhododendrons top the list for growing in moist, partially shaded, rich organic soil. Many originated in woodland settings and with careful breeding have been selected for colourful spring flowers. The rest of the year their large evergreen leaves bring interesting textures to the forest setting. Summer irrigation and rich organic mulch will keep them thriving.

Ornamental woodland shrubs include Japanese Skimmia, Sweet Box, Japanese Pieris and

Finally, groundcovers bring a lush green carpet to the forest floor. These include Sweet Woodruff, Japanese Spurge, Coral Bells, native Bunchberry and Lilyof-the-Valley. Some of these are incredibly showy while others fill in spaces or create attractive border areas. Woodland settings are a common theme for west coast gardens. These shaded areas offer an area for creating wonderful gardens. Using a combination of native and exotic plants, these shady areas have the potential to become special gardens.

• Japanese SkimmiaColourful berries

• Mexican Orange Blossom

• Ferns - native and exotic varieties

• Perennials from Astilbe to Hosta and more

• Groundcovers from Sweet Woodruff to native Bunchberry

Time to grow food!

Vegetable transplants and seeds

Celebrating 50 years in the Cowichan Valley

THURSDAY, APRIL 6

Events from 4-7 pm

Come celebrate with us

Serving local gardeners since 1973

www.dinternursery.ca

250 748-2023

5km South of Duncan on Hwy 1

Bernie Dinter, owner Dinter Nursery. Family owned and operated since 1973 offering 3 generations of horticultural knowledge.

Meadow Wren Flower Farm & Garden Services

• Sustainable garden design & maintenance

• Garden planning & market garden planning

• Annual mason bee subscriptions

• Cut flower sales for weddings & events

• Seed & plant sales

• Workshops & more!

Reach out for a free half hour consultation

www.meadowwrenflowerfarm.com

meadowwrenflowerfarm@gmail.com

MEADOW WREN FLOWER FARM & GARDEN SERVICES

Sustainably designing and growing gardens filled with pollinator plants, native perennials & cut flowers. Meadow Wren’s focus is on promotion of pollinators & the entire ethos of environmental sustainability. With a goal to create impactful, biodiverse gardens, buzzing with life & to educate on the role these plants & pollinators play within their environment.

www.meadowwren flowerfarm.com

meadowwrenflowerfarm@ gmail.com

RESTHOUSE EQUITY CROWD FUNDING

We’re Equity Crowdfunding! Equity Crowdfunding is a form of raising capital where community members can invest and become co-owners in businesses that share their same values.

One third of NorthAmericans suffer from sleep deprivation. 24 million mattresses reach landfills every year. People are continuously discarding their mattresses without actually solving their sleep problems. INDIVIDUALIZATION is the key. Personalized, natural and sustainable products that meet a person’s particular needs and preferences are the solution.

We’re raising funds to build complete, natural, and adaptable sleep environments that help transform people’s lives.

Invest in Resthouse and let’s build sustainable sleep environments together.

How Does Soil Texture Influence Planting Decisions?

Deep, humus-rich, moisture retentive yet well drained, loamy - these soil characteristics are ideal for growing most plants. In our yards, we may have inherited soils that are clayey, wet, sandy or may even just be builder’s fill. If your inherited garden bed soil is poor quality, consider completely replacing it with better quality soil. If your garden bed soil is moderately clayey or sandy and you wish to leave it in place, you may have to adapt what you are growing to have success. “Right plant, right place”, as we say.

In clayey soils, about 40% of the mineral fraction is clay particles, with the remaining 60% a mix of sand and silt particles. For comparison, a loamy soil texture consists of

only 20% clay. Clayey soils tend to have poor aeration and drainage, as clay particles bind together to form tight, densely packed aggregates with very little pore space. Consequently, they hold moisture a little too well and compact easily, restricting root growth as well as the free flow of air and water. Clayey soils tend to be fertile as clay particles have a negative charge, enabling them to hold positively charged nutrient cations. Clayey structure can be improved by digging in bulky compost, aged manures and leaves. Consider planting species that thrive in or at least tolerate clayey conditions, such as hornbeams, apples, willows, Viburnums, Weigela, Echinacea, Bergenia, daylilies, red osier dogwood and witch-hazel.

In sandy soils, at least 70% of the mineral fraction consists of sand particles. These particles are large in size, therefore water infiltrates easily but drains too quickly. Sandy soils have low nutrient holding capacity, as sand particles are inert and unable to bind nutrient cations. Adding organic matter (OM) to sandy soils will help with moisture retention and aggregate formation as OM

has smaller particle sizes than sand. Adding OM will also improve nutrient retention as the OM particles have a negative charge. When planting in your sandy garden soil, consider plants that are drought tolerant and have low nutrient requirements, like pine species, mountain ash, rock roses, California lilac, yarrows, gaura and rudbeckia.

An easy exercise to do at home to test your soil drainage is to dig a 1ft sq

hole, fill with water, and see how quickly it drains away. If it drains in less than one hour, your soil is fast draining, likely with a high proportion of sand. If your soil takes over 24 hours to drain, it likely has a high proportion of clay, and/ or may be compacted.

Tamara Dinter, Dinter Nursery General Manager and Soil Enthusiast

Those of us who live in the Cowichan Valley have noticed some real changes over the last several years. Our summers have been getting drier – and smokier! Winter storms seem more extreme and more frequent and, at least where I live, cedars are starting to turn brown and die. These trends are hard to ignore – and we shouldn’t be ignoring them!

Human caused climate disruption is real, and expected to get worse. There is a growing understanding that action is needed to minimize, mitigate and adapt to the impacts of global climate change. Here in the Cowichan watershed, hidden below the surface in our streams, rivers and lakes, salmon are a compelling reminder to take that action now.

Our valley is blessed with iconic salmon runs that have supported the Quw’utsun people for millennia. They continue to provide spiritual, cultural, and physical sustenance to Indigenous people today, and play a keystone role in our coastal ecosystem and lifestyle.

Think about it. Pacific Salmon are a small miracle we get to enjoy every year. These incredible creatures leave our watershed as tiny fry and smolts, migrate halfway to Japan and then come back here, to their stream of origin, to spawn, die and begin the cycle again. In doing so, they provide hundreds of thousands of tonnes of marine nutrients to nourish our watershed, benefitting everything from benthic invertebrates to bears to the trees in the riparian zone, and of course, people. If you live here, whether you know it or not, you are part of this miracle.

Like many other things that are important to us, global climate change is a real threat to our salmon. Although there are few absolutes in the natural world, one I’m sure of is that salmon need water! But there’s more to it than that – different species of salmon need different levels of water in different parts of the river at different times of the year. Yikes! That sounds complicated – and it is.

Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of marine nutrients nourish the Cowichan watershed when salmon migrate home to spawn, benefitting everything from benthic invertebrates to bears to the trees in the riparian zone, and of course, people. Photo Taylor

Why Fish Need Water: A Look Below the Surface

“Fall Chinook” come up the river in September and October. Similarly, in some recent years, due to later fall rains, water levels in the mouths of Cowichan and Koksilah Rivers have been too low for them to swim up,“trapping” fish in the estuary where they are easy prey for natural predators.

2. Eggs

Salmon lay their eggs in “redds” in the riverbed, covering them with gravel with their tails. The eggs can be from 1 to 3 feet below the surface. The larger winter storms we are experiencing here on Vancouver Island now cause more frequent winter flood flows, which can mobilize gravel and wash the salmon eggs downstream, destroying them.

3. Juveniles

Coho salmon and steelhead spend 1 or 2 years in the river as juveniles before heading out to the ocean. This means that during the hottest days and lowest flows of summer, they need cool, wetted habitat to shelter in. Over the past several years, extreme low river flows have resulted in many of those prime rearing areas drying up. Those juveniles that survive are crowded into shrinking habitats where there is often inadequate food and elevated (sometimes lethal) temperatures.

Quick Primer on Cowichan Salmon Life Cycles

There are 3 species of salmon (Chinook, Coho and Chum) in the Cowichan/Koksilah watershed, as well as Steelhead, which are a sea-run Rainbow trout. All 4 of these have different life histories. This means that after each salmon egg hatches, depending on the species, it will spend differing amounts of time in the river as a juvenile (from a few days to a few years) before heading out to mature in the ocean, where they also spend differing amounts of time (from 18 months to 5 years) before returning to our river in different months of the year to spawn the next generation. Even more confusing, the different species favour different river habitats to spawn in as adults, and to rear in as juveniles. In other

words, fish need water all year. How is Climate Change affecting this complex Salmon-River relationship?

1. Adults

In order to survive as a species, salmon need to swim up from the estuary to areas of the river where the eggs they lay are most likely to hatch and grow into healthy fry. Climate change has significantly affected their ability to do so. Let’s look at the iconic Chinook as an example. “Spring Chinook” swim up the river from the sea from March to June. Those arriving towards June often find water so low that they can’t navigate barriers that would have been easily negotiable in the higher June water levels of years past.

Coho fry are particularly vulnerable as they move “off channel” in the winter to escape high flows by seeking refuge in calmer side channels and wetlands. In recent years, as a result of low spring flows, they have been trapped in these areas and unable to return to the main channel when they are ready to head downstream into the estuary in May.

So, if we take a look at what’s going on beneath the surface of our river, the effects of climate change are significant and worrisome. These examples are just a few of many! Although perhaps not as visible as the dying cedars on my front lawn, the changing climate represents a real threat to something that is important to all of us – salmon –a natural gift that has defined this place and the people who live here in a reciprocal relationship for millennia.

Tom Rutherford is the Cowichan Watershed Board’s Strategic Priorities Director and “fish guy”

Chinook salmon fry stranded by low water in Cowichan River 2016., Tim Kulchyski

Roades

EVERY DAY IS EARTH DAY!

What can we do to Help?

The good news is we know what’s going on – and can do something about it! Our actions have real impacts on natural systems

We all use water and whether it comes from our own well or from our community water supplier, it is all connected directly or indirectly to the water in our rivers. We can do our part by being thoughtful about how we use water in our daily lives and recognize that it is a finite resource. This is most important in summer and fall when water is most scarce, and most in demand, but using water wisely is a habit we all need to foster year round.

Our community is also working together on two large, longterm solutions to address water shortages in the CowichanKoksilah watershed in the face of climate change.

● On the Cowichan River, Cowichan Tribes, the CVRD, Catalyst, & the Cowichan Watershed Board are working together towards increasing the height of the existing weir (visible from Jakes at the

EVERY

Lake including a boat lock). This project, which received consensus support from all levels of government and a broad-based Public Advisory Committee, will enable an additional 70 centimeters of spring water storage, to be released during the dry summer months, mimicking the “storage function” of our disappearing mountain snowpack. Learn more here: https://cowichanlakeweir.ca/

● In the Koksilah Watershed, Cowichan Tribes and the provincial government are working together in an innovative partnership to build better water management and resilience through BC’s first “Water Sustainability Plan.” There will be a range of opportunities to get involved, get information, and provide input towards short and long-term watershed solutions.

Learn more at https://www.koksilahwater.ca/

To learn more, check out the websites above or reach out to info@cowichanwatersheboard.ca

Or watch Why Fish Need Water with Tim and Tom on YouTube! Why Fish Need Water.

(Cowichan Watershed Board. July 2020)

TEN OLD BOOKS

Always something for everyone

Great Selection of Used & New Books • Bestsellers & Award

Winners • Classic Novels & Timeless Favourites • BC & Canadian Authors Plus Local Cards • Crafts • Children’s Books • Jewelry •

102-330 Duncan St 250 -715-1383 Find

Why We Should Read

While the discovery in 2021 of unmarked graves at the site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School (KIRS) came as a shock to many Canadians, it was not the first revelation of the horrors which took place there. For decades Indigenous leaders had called for justice for the abuses suffered by children at residential schools across the country. In 1988 Celia HaigBrown published a book relating hours of interviews with KIRS survivors, which was met at the time with some skepticism. At the request of members of the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc, an updated edition of this book was published in 2022 as Tsqelmucwilc (pronounced cha-CAL-mux-weel).

The first half of the book consists of first-person narratives of survivors describing their struggles with insufficient food, loneliness, harsh corporal punishment, and the humiliating treatment by the nuns and brothers running the school. It becomes clear that education of Indigenous children was a low priority – more hours were spent on chores and manual labour than in the classroom.

The survivors also give accounts of an admirable subculture of resistance. Groups of children worked together to outwit the supervisors and get food to supplement the meagre meals, even at times escaping. This cooperative action resembles the efforts of captive soldiers working to escape POW camps – it does not seem

an exaggeration to see these children as prisoners of war.

The second half of the book is dedicated to Tsqelmucwilc, a Secwepemctsin word meaning “to become human again.” The same survivors, or their descendants in the case of those no longer alive, describe in their own words their lives after residential school. It becomes clear that the express intent of KIRS to destroy the Secwépemc culture was not successful, as we hear their stories of survival, healing and even thriving. It is a tragedy that it took 215 graves for so many Canadians to see these children as fully human.

The Warmland Book & Film

Collective – begun in 2018 as a response to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada – explores, celebrates, and learns from Indigenous authors and filmmakers. We are welcoming new members – if you enjoy friendly, spirited, and interesting conversation, email us at WarmlandBFC@gmail.com for the zoom link. We next meet online April 12 to discuss A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt.

Submitted by David & Ranji, on behalf of the WBFC

Cowichan and Quw’utsun, Forest Conservation: Inspiration, Invitation, Initiation

‘Uy’ skweyul Quw’utsun, Hello North Cowichan:

It is said, “What we don’t know can’t hurt us.” I beg to differ.

When it comes to our two communities, living side-byside yet as if separated by a great wall— living in one Valley surrounded by six mountains of forests — what we don’t know about each other and our community forests is not only hurting us but, as our legacy, could be devastating for our children and future generations.

Ignorance is not bliss.

It’s time to go beyond politics to reach out to each other as people. To survive as a species we must come together to protect the forests we can protect, while there is still time.

The question is: How do we bridge the gap to make this great leap— say of consciousness? Surely it will take a miracle. Low and behold, the miracle has just happened.

Enter the forests.

Noon, March 3, the Municipality of North Cowichan releases the results of our 4 year public consultation about the management of our Forest Reserve — The Six Mountain Forests. Once again, in meetings and surveys the public has come out overwhelmingly (76%) for conservation.

Through our consultation, please know, Quw’utsun, the wall is breaking down. Beyond barriers of power and politics, you are surrounded by people of diverse cultural and racial backgrounds expressing values in alignment with traditional First Nations

wisdom regarding the forests: We understand that from the micro to the macro, from mycelia to canopies, to plant spores and stardust carried on the ethereal winds, and including all living beings — we are one. We are interdependent and dependent on forest ecosystems for survival.

For 4 years, through consultation, we have spelled out our wishes to our Council:

No more logging of our community forests.

No more logging roads — no more fragmenting our rare, critically endangered, mature Coastal Douglas-fir forests.

Leave all trees in the forests as food, nourishment, habitat — we’ve taken too much.

This is not about money, though through carbon credits and a world-class Centre of Conservation, our communities stand to earn millions more than by logging.

Protect the forests to become old growth.

Protect biodiversity, wildlife habitat, watersheds, trails, and culturally significant areas to the Quw’utsun.

And please know, Quw’utsun, we want open consultation with you, our neighbours. It’s on the record. We want truth and transparency.

There is a way. It’s called the Rights of Nature, an international movement growing in the world.

It’s about partnership through stewardship, going beyond ownership.

There is a legal way to protect nature. Just as ships, corporations, and churches may claim legal personhood with inviolable rights, so too may ecosystems.

In the beginning, all our ancestors understood we cannot own nature. To divide forests is to divide ourselves. We must end the separation.

United, our 2 communities have the power to protect our Six Mountain Forests. We can’t afford to do otherwise, and yet for our efforts we will be paid richly.

Through our Centre of Conservation, in partnerships

with universities, colleges, governments, lucrative funding could pour into our Valley.

Recently, Premier Eby announced the BC forests are “exhausted,” and allocated $10 million to the Bulkley Valley Research Centre of silviculture (sustainable logging).

There is no Conservation Research Centre, comparable to what we could create, in the nation — none with 5,000 ha of forests, including the most rare, endangered forest in the province (of 2 most endangered in Canada).

Through conservation we are next in line for grants.

We have arrived at a historic moment. Together we may act as visionaries, as a ray of light in the darkness of hundreds of years’ division.

It is the moment to break through the wall. Like dominoes, once one begins to fall, all may follow. What greater inspiration and invitation than knowing that change in the world begins in our home.

As for initiation into this “new way” of conservation, ancient to the Quw’utsun— how else but by coming together may we learn the ways of nature, of millennia, and the science of today.

Icel Dobell Where Do We Stand

Yoga Therapy Renewal Series & Introducing the Tensegrity Repair Series

LINDSAY

Spring is often a time when we begin to feel energized and excited by new growth and patterns towards wellness.

Perhaps you are feeling inspired to try something new that may invigorate change in the body, mind and spirit. Maybe you have practiced yoga in the past, or have wondered about it and how it may help with body pain or overall health.

It is my pleasure to offer Yoga and Movement series this Spring, in an easy and accessible format. The intention of this class is to provide safe, simple, effective and gentle movements and series of movements to increase mobility, ease and function in your life.

This class may be for you if you:

*interested in the Pelvis, connecting to the core/central muscles of stability

*have pain or are healing from an injury

*would like to increase overall ease of movement/functional of daily activities

*are living in an aging body

This series incorporates Yoga as a Therapeutic tool,

Somatics, and Introducing the Tensegrity Repair Series. Beginner friendly and with the aging body in mind; this series is a medley of various techniques and decades of experience working to support people in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s to find simple ways to increase mobility/maintain mobility and decrease pain. Some themes we will explore: addressing the ankles, the pelvis, rib cage, and shoulder girdle.

After decades of work both as a clinical Registered Massage Therapist and as a Yoga Therapist working with all ages and abilities, I have seen very clearly the GENIUS of the Tensegrity Repair Series to help heal injuries and promote overall wellness in the body.

These movements are Gentle, relaxing, effective in helping to heal injuries-old and new, and also help to re balance the nervous system.

Classes will be held at the Hub in Cowichan Station. (Not required to do both) Groups will be small, in a large room (with windows open if possible for healthy air flow)

Sunday, April 30

2-3:30pm/$50

Sunday, May 28

Lindsay Campa is a Registered Massage Therapist and Yoga Therapist working in Cobble Hill

Nico - Memorial Gathering

One year ago, on April 23, 2022, a beautiful soul departed from this world, passing through the gates of mystery guided by a waning half-moon. Kana Kishishita O’Riordan, known to her friends as “Nico”, was 42 years old and is survived by her husband Barry, children Aoife, Fintan, and Siofra, and the Kishishita family in Japan including her father Kiyoshi (since deceased), mother Yasuko and sister Michie.

Nico was beauty personified, gently flowing through this world radiating a magical sense of peace and kindness to all she encountered. She was as a dove, a flower, with strength and purity of spirit allowing her to reveal delicate vulnerability. As a mother, wife, friend, daughter, sister, and artist she lived life with purpose, thinking, feeling, and acting deeply, guided by creating beauty; imbuing this world with love. For her, life itself was art, and hers was a masterpiece.

Nico grew up in Japan. From the time of her birth, her family moved every two years due to her father’s work in the national police.

Following completion of her degree in industrial design, and 6 years as a candle artist touring music festivals, exhibitions, and art galleries in Japan, Nico moved to Ireland. There she met her future husband, Barry,

and one year later they adventured to Canada, eventually settling in Cowichan in late 2015.

After a life of travel, Cowichan felt like home. Nico felt truly grounded and deeply happy, growing her lovely family and treasuring her friends and beautiful home here. Growing to a ripe old age was not to be, yet her life in this world was, somehow, complete.

Nico now swims amongst us, in nature, where gentle beauty guides us to be present in the dept of this ephemeral yet eternal life. For those that knew and loved her, and family friends, a memorial gathering will take place at 2 pm on Saturday, April 22 (Earth Day) at the HUB at Cowichan Station. There will be memorial tree planting, and an opportunity to share words, song, or other creative gifts. We shall then dance with Nico to reggae vibrations provided by Cheko and the Pozitive Rebellion. Some light refreshments will be provided. With love.

Living your Design teaches Self-Love and trust, in a way that helps you navigate safely through these changing times. Cathy can show you how you are designed to make clear decisions for less resistance and more ease in life.

YOUR FLORA® PROBIOTIC PROFESSIONAL

250-748-4421

4-180 Central Rd, Duncan - Village Green Mall

www.lynnsvitamingallery.ca

Probiotics... Literally “For Life”

Rather like the old adage about housework, (nobody notices it unless you are not doing it), we tend to only consider the functioning of the digestive tract if something is amiss. Otherwise it just ticks along, quietly doing its job. When things are out of sync, however, the consequences are highly unpleasant, and can affect many aspects of our health.

Traditional Chinese Exercise for Health

All Classes in the Cowichan Valley *unless stated

Wild Goose Qigong (Chi Gong)

Gentle movement • Calms your mind • Heals internal organs • Develops flexibility

Mondays 9 -10 am

Tuesdays 6 pm - 7 pm

(combined Qigong and Chun Yuen)

Wednesdays 10-11:15 am

Fridays 10-11:15 am (Victoria)*

Northern Shaolin

Chun Yuen Quan

Dynamic movement • Improves posture • Increases energy • Strengthens bones

Tuesdays 6 pm - 7 pm

(combined Qigong and Chun Yuen)*

Wednesdays 9 am - 10 am

250 748 4060 rivendellrhythm@shaw.ca

www.WildGooseQigongCentre.com

A healthy gut has a balance between “good” and “bad” bacteria. A healthy microflora keeps pathogens, bad bacteria, and other negative influences in check. This balance can be disrupted by factors such as stress, poor diet, illness, and other factors. When this starts happening, the trend will usually continue downhill until there is an intervention of some sort. This imbalance can cause symptoms such as allergies, skin eruptions, irritability, fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, brain fog, weakened immune system, low mood, and so on.

Luckily, there is a proven way to arrest this decline and swing the balance back in favour of the beneficial bacteria we need. By consuming a good quality probiotic, we can stem the advance of the pathogens and regain the healthy environment that our system needs to operate efficiently.

There are many probiotics on the market made by excellent companies, but Living Alchemy has a somewhat different approach with their Your Flora Professional IBD Relief™ supplement. This product is fermented, contains thirty-five strains of probiotics as well as prebiotics and enzymes. The company spent years perfecting the creative combination of micro-organisms and nutrition to create a living ecosystem within its natural habitat. Fermentation ensures the optimum potency and absorbability, and the prebiotics act like fertilizer to create an environment of maximum growth for the good guys so they can thrive. All of this adds up to a welltrained, well-equipped army to combat the nasties which can wreak havoc with our digestive machine, so you can go back to happily ignoring it while it chugs along.

Your Flora Professional IBD Relief™ and other great products can be found at quality health food stores such as Lynn’s Vitamin Gallery in Duncan.

180 Central Road Unit #4, Duncan (Save on Foods Plaza) 250 748-4421

lynnsvitamingallery.ca

Submitted by Gina Malkin

Diabetes Prevention and Management

Good health to you!

Tina Foster, RHN Essential Remedies

Type 2 Diabetes is when your body doesn’t produce insulin properly. Often, this is caused by metabolic syndrome which includes being overweight, inactivity, and developing insulin resistance by consuming an excess of unhealthy carbs and sugar. Repeated blood sugar spikes can wear out your natural insulin response. Genetic diabetes history also increases your risk. If left unmanaged, it can lead to heart disease and stroke, kidney damage, retinal damage/blindness, nerve damage, problems with feet, oral health, hearing, and even mental health. Fortunately, type 2 Diabetes is very preventable and even reversible with the right attention, care, and diet and lifestyle changes.

Breaking the processed carbs and white sugar addiction is a needed first step. Transition to a whole food diet consisting of many plant foods(veggies, fruit, legumes, and whole grains) which provide healthy carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Eating healthy fats will promote healthy blood cholesterol and vascular health (which is compromised greatly in pre and diabetics).

Sufficient fiber is important, as it slows absorption of sugars and lowers blood sugar levels. Of course its vital for intestinal function too! Fiber also interferes with absorption of dietary fat and cholesterol, and helps other risks that

affect heart and circulatory health. High-fiber foods fill you up and are energy rich. Some of the many best foods for prevention and management, to consume regularly, are oatmeal or steel-cut oats, apples with skin, leafy greens, carrots, broccoli, legumes (lentils and beans), raw nuts and seeds, berries, non-gmo tofu, greek yogourt, and drinking tea. Ceylon cinnamon is a top spice for blood sugar control, so consume it regularly.

Supplements are a very useful tool to get your body back in balance, along with diet. Here are few excellent choices:

• Berberine - a compound derived from roots/stems of certain plants. Improves insulin sensitivity and uptake of sugar from blood into the muscles(which lowers blood sugar and utilizes it better).

• Ginseng - improves cells response to and increases body’s insulin secretion.

• B Vitamins - B complex are needed for proper utilization of food nutrients. B vitamins have an important role in preventing microvascular complications of diabetes. Deficiencies are common, so supplement. B1, B2, B6, and absorbable B12 are particularly needed for diabetes, however Bs work together and you’ll find them all in a B-Complex. An extra sublingual B12 is recommended.

• Probiotics - beneficial gut microbes reduce inflammation and destruction of pancreatic cells. Helps lower fasting blood sugar and A1C. Look for multi-strain and entericcoated.

• Aloe Vera Juice - lowers fasting blood sugar and A1C

•Functional Medicine and Nutrition Consultations

•Lab Assessments/Education

•Individualized Lifestyle and Wellness Plans 250-931-0012

sageheartnutrition@gmail.com

www.sageheartnutrition.wordpress.com

Wellness

Reiki Wellness

250 743-8122

Reiki, Foot Detox, Infrared, Acupuncture, Reflexology

Island Hellerwork

250 661-1687

Deep Tissue Bodywork, Somatic Transformation

Healthcare Services

Cobble Hill Dental

250-743-6698

Friendly, Family Practice

We Welcome New Patients!

Island Pharmacy

250 743-1448

Open 7 Days a week for all your pharmacy needs.

Resonance Hearing

250 743-3337

Life Changing Hearing Solutions

in prediabetes or type 2.

• Omega 3s - omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to help people control body weight and blood sugar. Insulin sensitivity is raised by these healthy fats. Good sources are fish, hemp and flax seeds, fish or algae oils.

Exercise and physical activity is vital too! Whichever way

Food & Drink

Country Grocer

250 743-5639

Bakery, Meat, Seafood, Produce, Deli & Floral, Supplements

Cure Artisan Meat & Cheese

250 929-2873

Charcuterie, Cheese House Made Pates

Pizzeria Prima Strada

Cobble Hill

250-929-4655

Wood-fired pizza local wine & craft beer

Liquor Plus

250-929-1999

Wine, beer and spirits on the Upper Level.

Fitness

Valley Health and Fitness

250-743-0511

Full service gym/classes

you enjoy moving your body and gets circulation and heart rate going is a great waywalking, cycling, swimming, yoga, you can mix it up and add in various activities daily. The more you do this for yourself, you will feel the benefits body and mind, and enjoy it even more!

Lastsummer, North Cowichan Council enacted a communitygenerated Official Community Plan. One of its objectives is to maintain and increase a healthy tree canopy. The Quamichan Lake Neighbourhood Association shares this objective and is again requesting a tree bylaw for that purpose.

There are many reasons to encourage the nurture of trees in residential areas. They are a public asset in so many ways! Large trees add refreshment and livability to a neighbourhood through visual enhancement, by physically cooling the air and living spaces, and by oxygenating and removing toxins, thus making air more breathable. They provide windbreaks. The roots of our large native trees can reach many meters into the ground, like giant hands holding the rocks and substrate to prevent landslides caused by excessive rain, earth tremors and natural erosion. This stability is especially important to consider in our area, where so much housing is not sited on bedrock.

Many of our surrounding municipalities have tree bylaws, so North Cowichan is in a position to observe what works to increase canopy and what doesn’t. Usually, tree

Trees, Please!

bylaws require the purchase of cutting permits with fines for non-compliance, but do they work? Do tree cutting permits actually increase canopy cover?

Portland’s tree canopy has shrunk by 823 acres since 2015, mostly in residential areas. This shrinkage began with the adoption of a strengthened tree protection bylaw, according to a city report released last year. There seems to be many stories of municipalities adopting such measures, to be followed by a massive felling of trees before they come into effect. We saw this yet again recently in Langford.

Permits should be a deterrent, not just another expense. We would like to propose an

incentive approach to balance, or even replace, permits. Perhaps property owners and developers can be given incentives to retain their mature, healthy trees.

Seattle’s trees are suffering the same fate as in Portland, but in that case, it’s being blamed on development, according to The Seattle Times. Calgary’s tree canopy declined by over 30% in less than two decades, according to Statistics Canada. City staff there believes the drop is due to formerly undeveloped lands being placed within urban boundaries.

In the last 10 years, we have witnessed a sizeable piece of forest on Mt Tzouhelem destroyed, with every last vestige of greenery removed

and even the topsoil scraped clean down to the bare gravel. They turned a rainforest into a desert! Nevertheless, we welcome our new neighbours, although we fear they have moved into what’s called a ‘Heat Island’. Lack of tree cover in one part of Portland is thought to be responsible for 54 heat-related deaths in that area, according to Portland State University professor Vivek ShandasHe measured temperatures during a heat wave and found a big disparity between leafy neighborhoods — which registered about 37 Celcius — and others with more pavement and few trees, which soared as high as 51 Celcius.

My own house in Maple Bay was built 40 years ago and the builder had the good sense to retain two old growth arbutus trees and a large Garry oak. As well, they left several other arbutus & Garry oaks, and over a dozen healthy, mature Douglas firs and cedars--all on less than an acre of land. If my house were being built now, all that would be gone.

It’s not our wish to stop development, only that developers’ methods might be encouraged to change. In Section 6.3.2.b, our new OCP says, “The Municipality will strive to prevent pre-emptive land clearing by updating

Image Cynthia Montgomery

the subdivision bylaw”. The QLNA urges MNC to put this policy statement into bylaw! Many municipalities require a number of saplings to be planted for every tree removed, but this gives no incentive to retain large trees. Saplings are a poor substitute for mature trees.

North Cowichan has spent a small fortune cleaning up tree refuse after windstorms. We would suggest that North Cowichan contract consulting arbourists to inspect and recommend actions required, especially in neighbourhoods and along road sides . This could save the municipality much of the cost of clean-up after storms, as well as tree damage on houses.

Provincial law states that mature, native trees should always be retained in riparian and hazardous areas, and endangered ecosystems. North Cowichan must ensure enforcement. Mature trees suck up huge quantities of water--so important in areas prone to flooding. In riparian areas, they shade and cool fish eggs and protect them from overheating. Deep roots prevent landslide on steep slopes. Such areas should be restricted from development, to protect natural features, property and human safety.

North Cowichan has the distinction of being one of the few places to nurture the endangered Garry Oak Ecosystem. The Garry oak is the only oak native to Western Canada. This disappearing ecosystem has its last ‘stand’ along a portion of Quamichan Lake.

To sum up, the Quamichan Lake Neighbourhood Association suggests that a tree bylaw would contain

these measures:

1. Property owners would receive incentives to retain tree canopy on their land. Permits may or may not be required to cut any tree, if evidence can be found that fines increase tree canopy.

2. Developers would be restricted from extreme clearing of land and/ or be incentivized to retain tree canopy.

3. North Cowichan would contract consulting arbourists to assess unsafe trees in residential areas and along roadways.

4. Provincial laws protecting mature native trees in riparian and hazardous areas, as well as endangered ecosystems, would be strictly enforced.

Our extensive tree canopy provides the distinctiveness of the elegant arbutus, the twisted Garry oak and the evergreen background of fir and cedar. These form our neighbourhoods’ natural and unique identity. Let’s encourage developers to be our partners in making livable, breathable, comfortable communities.

We are therefore requesting that North Cowichan re-define its relationship to neighbourhood trees and enact a tree bylaw that focusses on increasing tree canopy.

We expect to present this request to North Cowichan Council formally this month.

Quamichan Lake Neigbourhood Association

Instagram:

To advocate for the natural environment, scenic beauty, historic and rural character of the Quamichan Lake neighbourhood and for the collective stewardship of the Quamichan Lake watershed.

Cynthia Montgomery is a retired teacher, a grandmother and a concerned citizen of the Cowichan Valley

Biomagnetism for Immunity and Wellbeing

different than placing low dose magnets on the body, or using magnetic mattresses). Treats: bacteria, virus, parasites, candida, glandular dysfunctions, emotional imbalances, injuries, arthritis, toxins and allergies. Young children, babies, disabled persons and pets all can be treated using another person as a surrogate, or myself.

Biomagnetism is a revolutionary, therapeutic, scientific modality to health and wellness.

The Biomagnetic Pairs were discovered after 20 years+ of research by Dr. Goiz Duran.

We all have bacterias and imbalances, but some are beneficial, like flora in the digestive system, and others create inflammation, pain and symptoms and can become problematic if left untreated. Biomagnetism is a natural alternative to pain killers and medications, but is also compatible with allopathic medicine and other modalities.

A session with Kathryn consists of muscle-testing for imbalances, then placing opposite polarity, mediumintensity natural magnets on specific areas of the body to enable the regulation of pH, thus boosting the immune system. (It is completely

I often have clients with chronic issues, who are at a loss where to turn, as they say they have tried everything. It is so rewarding to be able to help some of them reduce or eradicate their symptoms and enjoy life again!

Kathryn has been practising Biomagnetism, Bioenergetics (Distant/Remote sessions), and Energy Healing for 15 years. She works out of the Cowichan Valley and Victoria, and is happily taking new clients. To me, there is nothing more rewarding, than hearing a client tell me they feel so much better!

Here are some of my client’s comments:

“Kathryn has been treating my mother and it’s truly amazing the transformation in her health. She saved my mother’s life basically! With much appreciation.”

- JP and Family, Victoria

“I was diagnosed with systemic candida 20 years ago. In two sessions, the candida was gone as well

as some other bacteria. A sensitivity and allergy to mildew that had arisen in the last years is also gone. Thank you, Kathryn.”

- M.E.- Victoria

“I was suffering from intense itching of my upper arms. No creams or lotions were helping, my skin was breaking down, and I was being wakened at night and driven crazy. Two

biomagnetism treatments from Kathryn solved this annoying problem, and I am very happy to say I am now ITCH FREE!” Thank you Kathryn! - Elaine P. -Cowichan Valley

To learn more about biomagnetism or to book an appointment contact Kathryn Lowther 250-891-5138 info@biomagcanada.ca

Kathryn Lowther Certified Biomagnetism Therapist and Energy Healer

Aries (March 21-April 19)

You’re looking at a strong month ahead because the Sun, Mercury and lucky Jupiter will all be in your sign, which is empowering. Because you’ll have more energy, more drive and more focus, this is your chance to rejuvenate yourself. You will attract money to you; and will buy beautiful things for yourself and loved ones. Get ready for increased chaos and activity on the home front due to renovations, visiting guests or home repairs. Whatever it is – you can handle it. “I’ve got this!”

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Your personal year is ending; but your new year won’t begin until your birthday. This means this month is a time of limbo; nevertheless, your communications will be direct and forceful. You will say what you mean and mean what you say! (Fortunately, Venus in your sign will soften things.) You might sense that a change in your career or life direction is taking place. It’s starting now but will magnify by next year. Meanwhile, lucky Jupiter enters your sign in mid-May, to stay for a whole year, which brings you great good fortune! (After that, you’ll get richer.) Oh boy.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Big change! For the last seven months, fiery Mars was in your sign. (Normally, it’s in your sign for six weeks every two years.) So, for over half a year, you’ve been strutting your stuff and giving everyone orders. You have learned what it’s like to have the upper hand and use it. (You probably came on too strong for some.) Now you will enter a friendly month where you might hang out with younger people more than usual and be involved with groups. You will start to work hard for money because you’re certainly going to spend it! It’s all good.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Mars is in your sign this month pumping you with energy, enthusiasm and aggression!

Meanwhile, the Sun is at the top of your chart casting you in a flattering spotlight, which makes everyone admire you and think that you’re the cat’s meow. Expect fun times with friends, especially creative, artistic types. In fact, for some of you, a friend could become a lover. You might start to see the beginning of change in how you share property with someone. Even your values are starting to change. This is major.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

Your urge to seek adventure and have a change of scenery is strong now. Do what you can to satisfy your desire for fun and thrills. Meanwhile, Venus is at the top of your chart making you look attractive to others. This means that wherever you go, you will schmooze successfully and be popular. However, closer to home, you might start to feel some rumblings and change that affect your partnerships and closest relationships. You’ll feel the need to flex your muscles and demand more independence and freedom. (Not surprising.)

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

You want to travel for pleasure and enrich your mind through learning about truths that make you think. This is a passionate and intense month (which includes physical intimacy). But you will feel just as passionate about financial matters, inheritances and how to divide and share things. Your worldview is changing because you’re thinking more about your external goals and how you want to achieve them. Teamwork will be important. Some will be involved competitively with others. You’re going to throw your hat in the ring and go after what you want!

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

This month you need more sleep. Meanwhile, focus on close friends, partners and spouses. Ironically, you will have more objectivity to view these relationships, which is an opportunity for you to see how to improve your role in the relationship. Meanwhile, back at the starting gate, fiery Mars is now at the top of your chart for the first time in two years, arousing your ambition! And Venus will also arouse your romantic passion! (It might even attract money to you.) Fascinating times ahead!

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

You have lots of energy to work and be productive this month. You’re setting the bar high because you want to get a lot done and do it as efficiently as possible. These high standards will extend to your health as well, which is why you will do what you can to boost your health. With Venus opposite your sign, relations with others are warm and mutually supportive. Meanwhile, Mars will ignite your desire to travel, discover adventure and meet people from other cultures. You are starting to see that your home scene is changing in a direction that gives you more freedom. So many changes….

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Lucky you! This month is play city for you. You want to work hard and party hard! Romance will flourish. Accept invitations to social outings, sports events, the theatre and fun get-togethers with others, especially younger people. Relations with coworkers are warm and mutually supportive. The only fly in the ointment is that you might encounter disputes about shared property, debt, inheritances or insurance

issues. Something is a bit testy here. (Privately, your sex drive is amped!)

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Home, family and your private life are your primary focus. Expect family discussions, especially about home repairs or ways to expand your home. You might be thinking about a change of residence. Warm relations with children as well as romantic rendezvous’s will delight. Accept invitations to social occasions because they will please you. Admittedly, Mars opposite your sign can provoke conflicts. (Consider this an opportunity to practice patience, a precious virtue.) Cocoon at home as much as you can, interspersed with exciting opportunities to socialize. Sweet!

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

The pace of your days is accelerating! You’re busy with short trips, appointments and errands plus increased discussions with siblings, relatives and neighbours. Plus, you want to entertain at home and redecorate your digs; and you’re busting your buns at work to show the world what you can do. (Gasp!) You want to get things done, and you want the credit. (And why not?) Meanwhile, Pluto moves into your sign for the first time since more than two centuries ago! Many of you will dramatically change your appearance now or next year.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Money, cash flow, earnings plus issues with possessions are your strong focus this month. Look for ways to boost your income. Trust your moneymaking ideas. Meanwhile, you want to play and have fun! Many will spend money on vacations, social outings, the theatre or sports events and fun activities with children. It’s a great time to socialize because Venus in your House of Communications will sweeten your words and smooth all your relations. Your positive frame of mind will plant the seeds of appreciation within you, making you notice the beauty of your daily surroundings.

www.georgianicols.com

Georgia Nicols M.A. Georgia’s book, You and Your Future is a best seller with international printings in 3 languages. georgianicols.com

LUCKY DOG

Where does all that poop go?

Debbie Wood owns Lucky Dog U-Bath. She can be found on trails in the Cowichan Valley with her BF, Bonnie.

In honour of Earth Day, I wanted some poop answers. So, I called up Nathalie, Operations Manager at the City of Duncan’s Public Works. She was kind enough to help me out. I have always been curious about those really deep trash cans in McAdam Park. Turns out they are eight feet deep and lined with a very long bag. There is no magical composting system going on. They are big so they can be emptied less frequently, avoiding the overfill we see in some cities. Duncan is looking at installing two more of these

macro-bins in Centennial Park. Further investigation had me learning that some larger municipalities have a similar looking bin that can catch coffee cups and such on top while letting the poo bags slide to the bottom. The poo bags are added to other compostables at a commercial composting plant. These plants ensure that the compost reaches a high enough temperature for the right length of time to kill parasites. Do not try composting your dog poo at home!!

Poo bags: They all come with a label touting that they are biodegradable. This is true if they are commercially composted. They can compost in 30-45 days. In the land

Bad Comics

fill, which is where all of our City’s dogs poo goes, those bags degrade, creating biogas that we don’t want. But hey, its out from under our feet! Dog waste can carry pathogens that can affect other dogs and wildlife. It can carry pharmaceuticals that your dog may need, but the environment doesn’t. Bag it and trash it!

by Shiloh Badman

The City of San Francisco is shooting for zero waste and found that dog poop makes up 4% of their municipal trash. That’s a lot of turds! That city is working

on an anaerobic digesting system that would make methane for fuel out of the dog doo and have a lovely useable compost after “cooking”. The things you can do with lots of money.

DO pick up your dog’s poo. Going into the landfill isn’t perfect, but it’s the best we have. Some municipalities encourage people to flush it down the toilet (there are special bags for this) others discourage it. It depends on the city’s sewage system. I’d recommend not doing this until we know more.

Pro tip: When you’re out about and you’ve filled your last poo bag, don’t tie a knot in it. If you do your dog WILL lay another log down and there you are with your hands full.

Something I found while researching this: Poo Prints doggy doo DNA service. This is hilarious…

Directory Size A - 1 logo + 8-12 word listing Full Colour 1 X $63 6X $53 12X $43 Black & White 1 X $52 6X $42 12X $32 Contact us at sales@cowichanvalleyvoice.com for more information about print ads or to book a directory listing for the next issue. Deadline April 15 for May Issue 174.

In 1970, thanks to the vision of Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin and environmental activist Denis Hayes, Earth Day was created in the US as a teaching day for citizens about the importance of including clean air, clean water and environmental protection on their national agenda. 20 years later in 1990, Denis Hayes took the movement internationally and coordinated teaching events in 141 countries, including Canada. Earth Day is now celebrated on April 22 annually throughout the world and has become the largest participatory environmental movement on the planet.

Art

Collaborative design towards ethical sustainability • workshops

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Garage Sale

Class 7 Fundraising Garage Sale & Bottle Drive

Saturday, April 22 10am- 2pm

Books - Garden & Tools - Childrens Clothing and ItemsSports & Recreation - Household Goods and more! Sunrise Waldorf School, 2148 Lakeside Rd, Duncan